quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Isn't pretty much a given that book is always better than the movie?

I am not a reader so I don't get expectations but I thought the movie was fine and entertaining.

I'll let the book/movie critics dissect it as they wish.

I think it is tough to take a beloved character from a long running series of books and make a good movie out of it. Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp is a good example; so was Jack Reacher (both great books but terrible terrible movies)…although the streaming series that just came out for Reacher was actually really well done.

I disagree. Surprisingly to me, the first Reacher movie was quite good. The second one was horrifically bad. Tom Cruise somehow pulled it off enough that I've watched the first one numerous times.

I remember watching Spenser For Hire back in the 80s, I really liked that show. Later, I read the Spenser series; while I read the series, Spenser was always Robert Urich and Hawk was Avery Brooks.

I remember reading that Parker thought that Urich did a good job, but that he was just too good looking for the Spenser role. He felt that Brooks had captured Hawk's part perfectly.

I have not watched Terminal List yet, I am waiting to see how Pratt does with the James Reece character.

No idea about the background. Just a decent shoot’em up action movie to me. Seen better, seen worse.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
I disagree. Surprisingly to me, the first Reacher movie was quite good. The second one was horrifically bad. Tom Cruise somehow pulled it off enough that I've watched the first one numerous times.

I agree. Having Robert Duvall in there helped.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Isn't pretty much a given that book is always better than the movie?

I am not a reader so I don't get expectations but I thought the movie was fine and entertaining.

I'll let the book/movie critics dissect it as they wish.

Pretty much true that the book is better. There are a couple of exceptions I've run across but they're rare.

It's like an amalgam of multiple plot lines from multiple shows. You can see stuff taken from other shows past all over it. Even lines and phrases.

As a production, it doesn't know what it wants to be. Could have been OK. Kinda stinky as is.

I had just put this in my watch list last night, then read this thread.
May still give it a watch, but haven't read the books.

Just started the first book; have downloaded 2 more in preparation for cross-country flight tomorrow and quiet, secluded week after that.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:


And Chris Evans had more than a few good one-liners in there.

I actually thought Evans did a pretty good job in pulling off a psycho. While somewhat predictable, I thought his character was the best. And way off base of the good guy roles that he normally plays.

Evans' character reminded me too much of his previous bad-guy character, Lucas Lee (The second Evil Ex in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World).

I never read the novels but the movie was an amusing way to waste a couple hours.

quote:

Originally posted by KevinCW:
As a fan of the books... this is pure shit. I am an hour in and this is terrible.


More later.

You have to be kidding, Kevin. This movie was tons of fun, as long as you don't take it seriously, cause the movie sure didn't take itself seriously which is why it worked. I had a great time watching this.

I haven't read the books though, so there's that.

ETA: Andrew Klavan pretty much echoed my feelings.

I just finished the first book; and I have to say it wasn't until about 3/4 through that I started to get it. That's when Court started becoming more "human".

I'll give it a break, then read another one.