Heorot

After just watching the entire series I am compelled to report. This is a series made with feeling for Pratchett's fine book of the same title. The casting was surprising and jolly well done. Brian Blessed tend to steal the show at times with his spirited portrayal of William Stickers, the last communist in a world without communists.

And the parts of the children might be even better than the new series about Johnny and the bomb. I especially liked Jo-less, who is absolutely true to the books. Though I had my doubts about the casting of Andrew Falvey as Johnny Maxwell, it dissipated through the course of the series; his performance during the public meeting was stunning.

Practically every line in the series was almost verbatim from the book, and the cemetery location was beautiful. It was (positively) surprising to see Mrs. Tachyon in the pub and later in the cemetery. Stanley Roundway is visible in the dance sequence, but had no other role here.

The only addition to the book are the strange (and almost disturbing) dream sequences of Johnny. It added, however, to the whole.

All in all, certainly recommended, but certainly for any fans of this Johnny book.

I saw the DVD of this movie lying around in a store. The cover and the blurb looked strange, somewhat whacky (and therefore interesting).

What is there to say? The strange apartment building, the spooky landlady... But first and foremost the children: Sara who just moved in (but already has a best friend called), Mahdi who is somewhat overprotective of his girlfriend, and John, the boy who dresses in suits with vests and suspenders, playing a bit of a boy genius.

The performance of Elisa Drabben as Sara is the most captivating. She remains the lead, as Mrs. Salgado (played by Geraldine Chaplin) is the 'baddie' of the movie (nicely played though). The parts of the boys, Mahdi and John seem somewhat inconsistent at times.

At the end it began to look like this was a pilot. Other 'missions' await in the distance. If there are, I would be interested.

As the opening credits rolled by I noticed it was co-produced by Walt Disney Iberia (which I didn't know existed). It was a fun film to watch, and I would certainly recommend it. Before you show it to children, I recommend you watch it first. Have fun!