who's responsible for this?
Click to viewWhen I first heard that Jack Black was going to be the new Gulliver, I was kind of excited. Mostly I wanted to see him in pantaloons, and the book was kind of funny in it's own way, so maybe this was a good match! Apparently I give Hollywood too much credit.
Problem 1: Do not set Gulliver's Travels in MODERN DAY. Just, WHY? Would you set Sherlock Holmes in modern day?? (Don't answer that, I know there's going to be a BBC show about modern Holmes, and don't even get me started!) And the plot to get him there in the first place is just so contrived and weak. I don't care about this character, I don't worry about him getting back home. I have no stake in him at all.
Problem 2: Um. Do they know that Gulliver went to many different places? That's why it's his Travels, plural. Why is this set all in Lilliput? If they're going for the comedy aspect, wouldn't there be just as much opportunity for laughs if Jack Black is tiny in a world of giants? Please don't tell me that there's going to be sequels in which he goes to the other lands.
Problem 3: I am a fan of physical comedy as much as the next person. I enjoy shows like Scrubs and Whose Line is it Anyway? and Ninja Warrior. But seriously, this seems a little much. He's playing foosball with them. Wtf. I mean, there were some funny moments in the book, like when the castle is on fire so he pees on it. But this type of slapstick is in place of the social commentary and satire of the book. Which is kind of the whole point of the book.
I mean, ok, the beginning of the trailer with the action figures was funny and I lol'd ("he's my brother," "then you shouldn't have made out with him!"), but...but. I feel like this is just all wrong. I loved the original movie, I watched it when I was a kid. If they could do it then, with limited special effects, and do it right, what's the point of this crappy remake?
They might as well have not even named the character Gulliver.
That is just my two cents. The sad thing is, I will probably still watch it. Potential future-classroom resource, and all. I can have my students write about what's wrong with it. XDD
That's all I got. Carry on.