Going Postal

To be frank and honest, I have this on DVD and have watched multiple times as the Moist Von Lipwig focused stories are some of my favorites from the Discworld series, and the production from Sky gets enough right in adapting the story while still making changes to adapt the work for the small screen. Additionally, I felt compelled to write this review after attempting to watch the newly premiered "The Watch" from BBC America. While that abomination only has some names and plot points shared, this adaptation at least retains the right spirit and feel, there's a joyfulness and humour to the characters and their motivations that is completely absent from the new Watch adaptation. And while changes have been made, the overall story retains the right plot beats and characters, while not book accurate in some cases, still at least resemble their characters.

One stand out in mind is Charles Dance, his performance as Vetinari, the Patrician of Anhk-Morpork, is nearly a perfect match to how I envisioned the character while reading the books, exhibiting the right amount of menace and charm while equally being able to show the slight glimpses into the many depths of the character that are offered throughout the whole book series.

Andrew Sachs also did an excellent job as the most senior junior Postman, Tolliver Groat. David Suchet wasn't quite what I had imagined for Teacher Gilt, but he did a most admirable job in the role. Richard Coyle and Claire Foy play the leads quite well as Moist Von Lipwig and Adora Belle Dear heart, and they certainly look the part and have good chemistry. I was not completely on board with some of the changes made to their characterization, but accept the choices made because in the end the whole still resembles the intent of the source material.

I also did mostly like the Golems and their portrayal here, while understandably that is tricky. I would have preferred them seeming more amorphous and closer to lumpy gingerbread men in appearance, but the end effort still look like men of clay.

All in all, if you want a good entry point to introduce you to the spirit of the Discworld and get a taste of Sir Terry Pratchett's wit and imagination, this adaptation is probably the ideal place to start if you don't want to dive headfirst into the novels to start with.

I've only come to the Discworld fairly recently and 'Going Postal' was the first book I read. I've found it one of the most enjoyable books in the series, and Moist Von Lipwig is by far and away my favourite character. So I had a vested interest in this, Sky's third adaptation of a Terry Pratchett novel.

After the first episode aired, I was in raptures. It was well filmed, the script was good, it had remained fairly faithful to the plot and it appeared to be well cast (although all the way through I expected Richard Coyle to jump into the TARDIS as there's something very Doctor Who-ish about his performance. And I thought Adora Belle Dearheart wasn't written very well at all). The second episode, however, was very disappointing. It seemed that the writers had read half of 'Going Postal' and then left their copy on the bus so had to resort to making the end of the story up. I cannot understand why they would change it so drastically. There's artistic license, and then there's sheer stupidity.

I guess we cannot expect any better from the writers. For a screenplay to be 100% true to the book, Pratchett would have to write it himself and now that's never going to happen. I would have liked to have seen them have a crack at 'Making Money' but their ending of 'Going Postal' hardly segues smoothly into the following book.

I prefer 'Hogfather', but 'Going Postal' is still very entertaining. You just have to try to forget ever having read the book.

I must admit that I am quite surprised about the negative feedback the third movie based on Pratchett's works has received. There are many reasons for my surprise, which I will introduce in the following short review.

Going Postal is a story about a master con-artist who faces the gallows but it given a second shot at life as master of Ankh Morpork's run-down post office. To save the post (i.e. his own life) and win over the principled Golem-rights-activist Adora Dearheart, he has to employ all his conman wit to beat the owner of the telegraph-like "Clacks" in a business race evoking industrial-age competitions like that between Westinghouse and Edison, where showmanship and publicity were far more important than the actual product.

Talking about the product, this movie is well-acted and well-presented. It is based on one of Pratchett's newer stories and evokes a more urban industrial Steampunk feel than its Fantasy (Colour of Magic) and Faerie Tale-based (Hogfather) predecessors.

Still, for a friend of solid acting, solid backdrops, and more substance than metaphor, this may qualify as the best of the bunch.

Someone pointed out that the film lacked the "magic" of the other adaptions. This is all but true, yet, the lack of a fairy-tale air allows the narrative to flow much better. This time, you know precisely what you are looking at. After the somewhat confused and heavily-altered adaption of Colour of Magic, it is a relief to see a certain solid quality in terms of serious movie features returning to the series.

Let's face it: a TV-based production never does well when it relies on special effects more than it does on good actors, a decent script and solid direction. This was a mistake all too obvious in Colour of Magic, and is one not repeated here. Certainly, the visuals still to a perfect job at bringing Discworld to life, mostly due to the enormous attention given to them. However, they never feel overtaxed with their task, which makes it easier to suspend your disbelief in this adaption than in the other ones.

Of course, the movie is not for everyone. Especially those expecting a fantasy-fest will be sorely disappointed. This is fantasy only in the broadest sense, i.e. it takes place in a world quite fantastic and (maybe not quite to) unlike out own. If one wanted to exaggerate, it is - as Discworld always was - to fantasy what Daybreakers is to vampire fiction - a satiric subversion of the tropes.

It should be noted that the film is staffed mainly with rather less known actors - and this is a good thing. Although one might miss the presence of the likes of Tim Curry, Jeremy Irons and even Sean Astin, these are not exactly C-list actors either. You will be surprised how many of them you have seen before. I have graded some of the initial performances below. Please note that the 9 is not an average but a measure of the entire film relating to other reviews.

Plot: 10/10 - The best adaption yet, the changes within which are less noticeable than in Colour or Hogfather. Visuals: 7/10 - Clearly a TV production, but made with love. Not in over its head, unlike the previous adaptions. Special kudos for the sets (even though there is much subtle CGI involved), which are beautiful. Audio: 8/10 - More subtle, fitting. Certainly did not have a huge budget, but everything fits.

Richard Coyle as Moist: 8/10 - I was skeptical at first, but Richard Coyle makes for an energetic and sharp-witted scoundrel. An excellent fit for Moist Von Lipwick.

Claire Foy as Adora Belle Dearheart: 7/10 - She plays the role very much to the expected degree, and while her on-screen chemistry with Coyle is great, her performance is a bit too much "by-the-book" for my taste. Still, Claire Foy displays a lot of charisma; a more courageous performance might have been in order, though.

David Suchet as Reacher Gilt: 5/10 - Suchet plays Gilt very much as a commedia dell arte "scaramuccio", the scheming, conniving, but ultimately inept villain, always with a top hat and twirl-worthy beard. Oh, and the eyepatch. This is actually precisely what the role demands and he delivers. Still, there is not crowning moment in his performance, he just "gets it done", which is a pity given that his character is the only one standing up to Lord Vetinari.

Charles Dance as Vetinari: 7/10 - Charles Dance is not Jeremy Irons, that is for certain. It is also for the better, as Irons' performance in Colour, while memorable, was also very much unbearable on the longer run. Good thing it was so brief. Dance does a solid job, and gives Vetinari a very human, while inhumanly competent, face.

Steve Pemberton as Drumknott: 10/10 - I have singled out Pemberton as Drumknott because it is hard not to like his take on the character. Drumknott may just be Vetinari's right-hand-man and therefore destined to an existence as living piece of backdrop, but Pemberton really gives the devout assistant a depth which, I believe, is quite true to the spirit in which the character was conceived. He is not a footstool, although trained as one, and actually immensely able when tasked. However, he does not show this openly but rather gives subtle hints at his capability. Of course, this is (probably) not in the script, but mainly conveyed through Pemberton's acting. He nailed this part.

All in all, if the Sky1-Productions continue in this vein, we will not have to fear another disappointment like Colour. Expensive actors a good movie do not make. Great overall style and love and care, that's more like it.

Of the three Sky adaptations of Pratchett's discworld novels this is by far the best. The storyline is true to the book although,as with the other two discworld films, since the history has not been covered by previous stories, more explanation is required which can get in the way of the plot on occasion.

Clair Foy's Adora Belle Dearheart is a little too jovial and Charles Dance is not quite menacing enough as the Patrician. Nonetheless the performances are very good and certainly believable enough for a fantasy world.

Sir Terry's influence on the script is obvious and the Post Office building is magnificent in it's conception.

If Sky can keep this up then I look forward to adaptations of the witches and watch novels with eager anticipation.

Those who haven't discovered Terry Pratchett's brilliantly funny novels have a treat in store. Most of them are set in an alternate universe, upon a flat world that travels through space on the shoulders of four elephants that stand on the shell of the great Atuin, a huge turtle. Despite the fact that the Discworld is so fundamentally different from our own and his characters so fantastic, you will see yourselves, the conventions and concerns of your own world, reflected in surprising, hysterically funny, and entirely entertaining ways.

Going Postal is the story of a con man who, when his cons catch up to him, is faced with the choice of re-opening the derelict post office or dying a painful death. As he reluctantly takes up his post he is faced with the unintended consequences of his crimes and soon finds himself, with his engagingly unbalanced staff, committed to saving the post office, bringing Reacher Gilt, evil owner of the clacks system (rather like the internet without electricity) to justice, and winning the heart of Adora Bell Dearheart.

I've seen all of the Discworld movies and mini-series and enjoyed them ... The Hogfather was great, and The Color of Magic was wonderful,(although I felt Vetenari was a bit too much a comic figure in that one), but Going Postal is nearly perfect! Though I didn't envision the patrician as ginger-haired, it made no difference because Charles Dance absolutely IS Vetinari. The rest of the cast Richard Coyle as Moist Von Lipwig, Claire Foy as Adora Belle Dearheart, David Suchet as Reacher Gilt, Andrew Sachs as Groat and Ian Bonar as Stanley, all are fantastic. Even the Golems are just as I thought they should be! Going Postal is a must-see for any Terry Pratchett fan.