Papá Puerco

A very silly festive fairytale for children of all ages, with a no-nonsense (in the primmest, properest sense of the word), kick-ass heroine, set in a world that looks remarkably like ours, in a thaumaturgical, Victorian Gothic kind of way, considering it's actually a disc balanced on some elephants, which are balanced on a turtle.

'Tis the night before Hogswatch - a solar festival not dissimilar from our Christmas. But where is the Hogfather to deliver the presents? What on earth is Death doing? Just how DO you subdue the monsters in the basement with a poker? Not to mention those in the Tooth Fairy's castle. Who has been naughty and who has been nice? And can Susan save the Hogfather before it's too late? Like all the best 'children's' stories, there are a slew of adult jokes - from Ian Richardson's asides about House of Cards, to the 'Ant hill Inside' ('Intel Inside') visual jokes on the, er, 'computer' - modernity is folded subtly into this wonderfully alternate world of yore.

Good performances from the famous faces, but it is Michelle Dockery as Susan who is the highly pragmatic, utterly bewitching star of the show.

There are some nice unpatronising ruminations on the nature of belief, myth, right and wrong for those who like a moral but not entirely Christian worldview.

So - who's up for a bit of magic and believing?

Good fun The story of the Hogfather revolves around a fictional world named 'Discworld' and a group of beings trying to stop Hogswatch (the Discworld equivalent of Christmas). Opposing them are a bumbling group of wizards, a babysitter who is more than she appears, and the personification of death itself.

The story leads itself in a fantastical ride with something for both adults and children (although there is some violence in parts, so maybe not suitable for the very young or fragile).

Don't be fooled into thinking this is another Harry Potter clone though. This film (and the book) is far deeper. At its core, it raises questions about the nature of belief and the human condition itself (All in a fun way though).

As a fan of Pratchett's books, when I noticed the UK subscriber channel 'Sky One' had commissioned this live action mini-drama, I was both hopeful and fearful. Hopeful that Pratchett's unique meld of fantasy and parody would come across well, but fearful that the medium change or the 'suits' would rob all of it's worth.

Thankfully, the end result came a lot closer to my hopes than my fears.

One of my major fears was that the whole humor would be changed from the subtleness within the books to a crude slapstick. I am pleased to announce that although some slapstick has been added (on the part of the wizards) the subtle jokes and references are still there. As for the story; I felt it came across well, although there were a few moments where people who have not read the book may be left struggling.

The sets, effects and costumes are all of a decent quality considering it was 'made for TV'. The notable exception is the costume of Death and the other non-humans. Unfortunately, these were obviously not budgeted enough and appeared inanimate and 'plasticy'.

The cast did a decent job, as you would expect from this group of veteran TV actors. Above the rest, a special mention should be given to Marc Warren for his truly creepy representation of Teatime.

Overall, there is something here for everyone here. Whether Child or Adult, Fan or Neophyte there is fun to be had.

Lets hope they make some more.

Set on Discworld, Terry Pratchett's Hogfather novel is brought to life. Deranged Assassin Mr Teatime (with a bunch of thieves and a failed apprentice wizard) wants to "inhumme" the Hogfather (discworld's equivalent of Santa Claus) by destroying children's belief in him. By kidnapping and holding hostage the tooth fairy in order to use children's teeth to control their belief. The only being that can take his place? Death, a depressant Anthopomorphic personification, too caught up with humanity for his own good. Assisted by his foul servant Albert and his half-human (beacause some talents, like walking through walls or freezing time, are inherited "in the bone" rather than genetically), adoptive granddaughter Susan this is fantastic mash up of magic, monsters and fantasy.

Converting anything of Terry Pratchett's to film was always going to be difficult. Getting it right for everyone, impossible. However I was pleased to give this, made for TV, movie 8 of 10 for a sterling effort. The effects were a little crummy at times, Death's face was just a mask and the monster under the bed was just a bloke. Some liberties were taken with the plot, but overall the story was given the care it deserved and the the acting was solid. I liked Michelle Dochery as the singularly stolid Susan. It's hard to be that beautiful and still get Susan's character right and Marc Warren as Teatime was excellent for the job, possessing just the right amount of menace without overplaying it. Nicholas Tennant as Nobby, too, was brilliantly cast.

There were some scenes, particularly those with Death in them, where a little more care would have been good. The Hogfather's Grotto scene and the little dead girl scenes among them, but it's hard to act in an inflexible mask (Unless you're Darth Vader).

I know that there will be millions who will disagree with me because you just can't do justice to Pratchett's imagination in a movie, but I still think this movie made an excellent stab at it.

I've grown up on Discworld. Where do I start with this absolutely perfect adaptation? The spot-on casting - Susan, Death, Albert, Nobby Nobbs, Ponder Stibbons, all brought to life wonderfully. The faithfulness to the story - keeping it at nearly 4 hours to ensure the minimum amount of cutting. The perfect locations - Death's Domain, Unseen University, the Tooth Fairy's castle, all brilliant! I'm so glad Pratchett let them do this, and I can only hope and pray that they continue - let's see The Last Continent, Jingo, Maskerade, Reaper Man, Small Gods!

If I have one tiny, insignificant complaint, it's that we didn't see Ankh-Morpork in all its bustling, grimy glory - no shots of the River Ankh, marketplaces awash with grubby punters and, of course, Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler! But I will say this - Sky One, Vladim Jean and the rest involved did a wonderful job on such a small budget, and gave us a far better and more faithful adaptation than Hollywood could ever have mustered.

Full marks, it really gave me a buzz in the Christmas season. 10/10 for making a Pterry geek very happy indeed! :-)