Movie remakes
Oct. 21st, 2010 01:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheartGerman TV was generous enough to show the 2008 remake of The Andromeda Strain, the classic American sci-fi movie from 1971. As I'm a great fan of the classic movie as well as the original Chrichton novel, I sat down in front of the telly (well, lay down, due to my somewhat ruined state at the moment) to watch it.
It was an interesting experience.
The new and "re-imagined" version - gah, how I hate that expression, ever since Ron Moore raped Battlestar Galactica into something that it was never meant to be! - is more action-heavy, of course, has more bells and whistles, more women in the cast... and, unfortunately, a lot more politics, too.
Quite frankly, I prefer the classic version. First and foremost because it was respectful and very true to the original Chrichton novel. Plus, for a film of its age, it was technically very spiffy, I found. And it focussed on a scientific threat, showing the not-always-so-spectacular methods of science fighting that threat and finally winning.
To tell the truth, I'm fed up with all those government conspiracy stories littering good sci-fi (or not-so-good sci-fi, in the case of "Children of Earth") in these days. I'm fed up with stories about the military assassinating people left, right and centre to keep things from getting public. I'm fed up with the paranoia that sees bioterror behind everything, the government agents lying to the President, blackmailing scientists while holding their families hostage - and getting away with all this and winning in the end.
The time paradox thing explaining Andromeda's origins was quite interesting, but the solution - hey, let's not destroy the life in the oceans, it can save us one day! - overdone to the death and therefore boring like hell.
On the plus side, it had Daniel Dae Kim in an important role, and I love that guy to pieces. Such a great, versatile actor! On the minus side, one of the bad guys, Col. Ferrus, was played by Justin Louis, also known as Louis Ferrera, whom I already hated like the plague in "Stargate: Universe". Gah! I cheered loudly when he was shot in the head around the end. Unfortunately, the guy playing Dr. Stone didn't have enough presence to carry out such a central role. Plus, in shadowy labs (meaning about every single room at Wildfire) he was easily mistaken for Daniel Dae Kim, so I sometimes didn't even know whom I was watching.
All in all: a remake that wasn't really necessary to make. Sometimes you just can't beat the classics. (BSG anyone?)
It was an interesting experience.
The new and "re-imagined" version - gah, how I hate that expression, ever since Ron Moore raped Battlestar Galactica into something that it was never meant to be! - is more action-heavy, of course, has more bells and whistles, more women in the cast... and, unfortunately, a lot more politics, too.
Quite frankly, I prefer the classic version. First and foremost because it was respectful and very true to the original Chrichton novel. Plus, for a film of its age, it was technically very spiffy, I found. And it focussed on a scientific threat, showing the not-always-so-spectacular methods of science fighting that threat and finally winning.
To tell the truth, I'm fed up with all those government conspiracy stories littering good sci-fi (or not-so-good sci-fi, in the case of "Children of Earth") in these days. I'm fed up with stories about the military assassinating people left, right and centre to keep things from getting public. I'm fed up with the paranoia that sees bioterror behind everything, the government agents lying to the President, blackmailing scientists while holding their families hostage - and getting away with all this and winning in the end.
The time paradox thing explaining Andromeda's origins was quite interesting, but the solution - hey, let's not destroy the life in the oceans, it can save us one day! - overdone to the death and therefore boring like hell.
On the plus side, it had Daniel Dae Kim in an important role, and I love that guy to pieces. Such a great, versatile actor! On the minus side, one of the bad guys, Col. Ferrus, was played by Justin Louis, also known as Louis Ferrera, whom I already hated like the plague in "Stargate: Universe". Gah! I cheered loudly when he was shot in the head around the end. Unfortunately, the guy playing Dr. Stone didn't have enough presence to carry out such a central role. Plus, in shadowy labs (meaning about every single room at Wildfire) he was easily mistaken for Daniel Dae Kim, so I sometimes didn't even know whom I was watching.
All in all: a remake that wasn't really necessary to make. Sometimes you just can't beat the classics. (BSG anyone?)
