The Prisoner remake

[rocklobster]

Last night on AMC, they aired a remake of a 60's tv series called The Prisoner. It's about a man who finds himself trapped in a Big Brother-esque environment called The Village. It stars Jim Caviezel (yep, the guy who played Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and Ian McKellen. I highly recommend checking it out.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

So far (having seen two-thirds of the series) I'm struck by how this version is as much a product of its time as the original was. The 60s version of The Prisoner riffed on James bond/Mission: Impossible espionage conventions, all wrapped up in the trendy psychedelia of the day. This Prisoner seems to be borrowing the dense, bewildering style of Lost and Battlestar Galactica, plus the jumpy, disorienting editing of... well, just about all sci-fi from the past decade.

Honestly, though, I'm not liking the new Prisoner. The episodes just aren't very well written. Each one feels like a clip show cobbled together from several "full" episodes: the individual scenes don't flow from one to another, nor do they build up to much at the end. Also, 6 just isn't that interesting here. Jim Caviezel's a good actor, but the character he has to work with is just too bland and ineffectual. It's ESPECIALLY bad when you make the inevitable comparison to Patrick McGoohan's fiery original.

Oh, and they're totally wasting Rover. Not good

[EricTheFred]

I am probably so prejudiced for the original (and the immortal Patrick McGoohan) that the remake stands no chance of a fair viewing from me.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Okay, so... I just plain forgot to watch the final episodes last night. That's probably the worst thing I could say about a show right there...

[Roy Mustang]

After watching three eps of The Prisoner, I give up and started watcing WWII in HD.

I love the old show and I don't like how they did this one at all.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[EricTheFred]

After watching three eps of The Prisoner, I give up and started watcing WWII in HD. [font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

Woah. Did almost exactly the same thing (I didn't last one full episode, but WWIIinHD was my go-to.)

[Roy Mustang]

When I first heard about the new version of The Prisoner, I was happy and couldn't wait for it.

As I watch three eps, I couldn't watch anymore of it. They make this version nothing like the old one and even set it up in a desert and not on an island like the old series was.

After reading what happen last night with the last ep. All I can say is, if the original series ending was hard to understand for some people, then this one is much worse.

Offtopic:

I have really enjoy WWII in HD. I have seen a lot of WWII documentary over the years, like WWII in color and PBS series that showed most films in color.

IMO, this is the best WWII documentary that I have seen as it takes you just about every place in the war. It was most more enjoyable to watch then The Prisoner.




[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Roy Mustang]

The Prisoner' viewers escape

[quote="ICv2"]AMC’]


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Yeah, that's pretty much it, alright.

[Peanut]

I caught the last three episodes of this series while I was home for break, and I have to say I enjoyed it (even with the let down of an ending...). My Dad, who liked the original as well, actually enjoyed it a good bit too. Not as much as the original but he still enjoyed it...

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Roy, the mini-series is set in the desert because it's a remake, not a carbon copy of the original. Maybe a 're-imaging' of the series would be more appropriate.
Maybe I feel differently because I didn't encounter the hype surrounding it until the series was almost screened. I found this ending to be complex but the original series ending, in my mind, was much more trippy.



I really enjoy the original The Prisoner which paved the way for everything from LOST, to the The Truman Show, The Matrix and Twin Peaks, amongst others. As good as the series is, it's not without several minor flaws. For one the acting style while common for it's era, is hardly natural to modern audiences. Patrick McGoohan is a powerhouse actor but his intense expressions can get a bit much at times. Also, not uncommon to McGoohan's characters, he is nigh on untouchable. The art direction is both well-done and bewildering. It dates the series tremendously, while lending a certain surreal quality to the pageantry and other villager activities. Finally, there are one or two episodes that are deathly dull and almost pointless (not the last two, they're probably my favourites).

Now for The Prisoner remake. I think it was a valiant effort. It shares many similarities or nods to the original series, while exploring different themes and ideals. The mini-series is darker in tone and more violent than the original, but not overly so. I'm impressed that it wasn't made into an action-thriller series, as that would've ruined it. I enjoyed the complex story and character development, even if some moments were over-explained. Still, there is plenty to think about. Ian McKellen is a powerhouse actor as Number 2, while James Caviezel is a very good actor but as Number 6 is a little one-note in this mini-series. The other actors/actresses are very good to decent. No one stands out as horrible. I'm not a fan of Number 2's gay emo-styled teen son but later, thankfully, he comes more into his own. The cinematography is quite good and The Village set is brilliantly done. Rover is far less menacing in this version and some of the effects used in filming (slow-motion etc.) aren't always warranted but are tolerable. Also, modern audiences may find this mini-series slowly-paced compared to other fare but I say to them, stick with it and you may enjoy it. One of the problems with this remake of The Prisoner is that since the original series inception, many of the themes have been further explored in media. This version lends more than a little to The Matrix and The Truman Show but it's still a very enjoyable ride. I feel the original is still the definitive version but the mini-series is worth a watch for those who are able to separate the two in their minds.

The Prisoner (1967-1968) - original (rated PG - adult themes and low level violence) 9/10
The Prisoner (2009) - remake (for mature audiences - moderate violence and adult themes) 7/10