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gregory-todd
Reviews
Childhood's End (2015)
Should have been a brilliant show
This should have been great, given the source material. But the producers discarded key plot points and crucial dialogue from the novel in order to focus on cookie-cutter emotional shtick that padded this piece out enough to fill a three part mini-series.
It wasn't without its moments -some gorgeous cinematography and sound design, but the main weakness was the uneven pacing, and logical inconsistencies within the narrative.
**Very mild spoiler** 15 years pass at one story break, but most characters don't age or really change in any way. At one pivotal point an important character is shot and the audience is expected to care, although the show had earlier established that the Overlords can not only stop objects mid-flight (aircraft), and stop time, but also heal bullet wounds and bring recently dead people back to life. **spoiler ends**
None of the gun-play appeared in the original novel -it was all added for the TV show (you might ask why? Did the producers feel that Americans wouldn't watch a show with guns? "That's the problem with Hamlet -not enough car chases...")
The religious symbolism used throughout the show was also annoyingly overplayed. It made me question whether the writers had either read or understood the original story at all.
If you loved Clarke's novel, you will be angry with this clumsy adaptation. If you haven't read it, then this is an okay little series that is not particularly good or bad in any respect. Just okay.
The great thing about not being familiar with the source is that you won't know how far short of its potential greatness this mini-series falls
Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind (2007)
A Tragedy crafted from a Triumph
How could a short from the Robbie the Reindeer stable, featuring voice talent like Ardal O'Hanlon (not to mention the other galaxy of stars), especially one taking the mickey out of classic SciFi, fall so short of the mark?
Well start by getting writers who's other major claim to fame is the Amazing Adrelalini Bros, a slapstick micro-cartoon almost completely devoid of wit or humour. That would explain the appallingly unfunny script.
Then hire a first-time director who's major prior achievement was acting as a gangster in a video game. That would explain the pacing -why it felt like they were trying to tell a 2 hour story in 22 minutes.
It doesn't explain why they chose to do a CGI version of claymation. And not particularly good CGI at that. This is a poorly crafted, charmless mess. It will forever sully your memories of the brilliant original (Hooves of Fire), as well as being half an hour of your life that you'll never get back.