Well...it has been said in several comments before and it's just a reprisal of those reasons.
Two thesis:
1.) It's not a bad movie
2.) It's a bad movie
To explain:
1.) It's not a bad movie: Some characters are cast well, like Cohen and maybe Vetinari (even if I'd preferred Alan Rickman in that role^^). The sets are nicely decorated and the costumes are good. It's a good movie compared to other movies you see these days.
2.) It's a bad movie. If you liked "Hogfather", you will hate this one. Hogfather took 3 hours to narrate a 300+ pages novel. They had to cut parts and some parts did not fit, but yes, it was the same overall. Not so in "The Colour of Magic". The reason is: It tries to combine two books with 250+ pages into 3 hours. But the lesson learnt from Hogfather should have been that if you cannot distill one book in 3 hours, you really can't do it with 2 books. Important parts where simply left out, leaving but the shell of Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. How does Rincewind know about Old Granddad? - In the book trolls who help him, are telling him. How did he open the door to the Octavo's room? - In the book he made the door want to open. I could name many more of those questions...
But that's not the worst part. The worst part is, that they changed scenes altogether. If you read the book, you will be utterly confused. Let me name some examples:
There is no reason I can see to make those changes, except maybe to make the movie have more "action" scenes. It's not bad, if you don't know the novels then it's just a fantasy movie with a few good moments and nice costumes and sets. If you read them though, you will be disappointed. I mean, it's not hard to keep funny elements like Cohens "fight" with the crowd of star people or nice visuals like the spells of the Octavo dancing in the air when said.
I hope the next one they try will be Hogfatheresque in terms of quality. The books deserve it...
Two thesis:
1.) It's not a bad movie
2.) It's a bad movie
To explain:
1.) It's not a bad movie: Some characters are cast well, like Cohen and maybe Vetinari (even if I'd preferred Alan Rickman in that role^^). The sets are nicely decorated and the costumes are good. It's a good movie compared to other movies you see these days.
2.) It's a bad movie. If you liked "Hogfather", you will hate this one. Hogfather took 3 hours to narrate a 300+ pages novel. They had to cut parts and some parts did not fit, but yes, it was the same overall. Not so in "The Colour of Magic". The reason is: It tries to combine two books with 250+ pages into 3 hours. But the lesson learnt from Hogfather should have been that if you cannot distill one book in 3 hours, you really can't do it with 2 books. Important parts where simply left out, leaving but the shell of Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. How does Rincewind know about Old Granddad? - In the book trolls who help him, are telling him. How did he open the door to the Octavo's room? - In the book he made the door want to open. I could name many more of those questions...
But that's not the worst part. The worst part is, that they changed scenes altogether. If you read the book, you will be utterly confused. Let me name some examples:
- Trymon is not possessed by Monsters of the Dungeon Dimension like he is in the book. Rincewind does not beat him in a fist-vs-tentacle fight and he does not die falling down the Tower of Art - instead Rincewind uses the Octavo to deflect a spell which then falls back on Trymon and turns him to stone. No fight, nothing, just that
- The Librarian is on the roof with him and Trymon slips on a banana peel which leads to the aforementioned ending
- Ysabell is missing in Death's Domain, so are War, Pestilence and Famine - The luggage lures Cohen to Rincewind and Twoflower (there is no reason why it should do so and none to explain it)
- The magic arrow Weatherwax uses does not bring back the luggage as it did in the books (Trymon kills him instead) - Rincewind and Twoflower are boarding the submarine-thingie out of free will and against the wishes of the Krullians
- The scenes in the town on the way to Ankh-Morpork are missing completely (except the making of the dentures and the fight with the star people, which are set in AM instead)
- The scenes with the gingerbread house where the wizards meet Rincewind are missing - instead Cohen saves them by killing them all (in the book they manage to flee and the wizards survive).
- The little star turtles are not visible in the book but they are in the movie. The red star is vanishing in the end instead of Great A'Tuin simply flying away
- Twoflower "catches" a spell for Rincewind (like a bodyguard) which makes him go into the deathlike state
- etc. pp.
There is no reason I can see to make those changes, except maybe to make the movie have more "action" scenes. It's not bad, if you don't know the novels then it's just a fantasy movie with a few good moments and nice costumes and sets. If you read them though, you will be disappointed. I mean, it's not hard to keep funny elements like Cohens "fight" with the crowd of star people or nice visuals like the spells of the Octavo dancing in the air when said.
I hope the next one they try will be Hogfatheresque in terms of quality. The books deserve it...