I am indeed a fan of Terry Pratchett, however, I am a critical fan. I do not worship his words or anything, but I enjoy his writing and ideas. I was skeptical when I heard someone was doing a live action Hogfather. Having read the book, I thought there would be far too much back-story and explanation required to tell the complex story effectively. I'm happy to be wrong.
The opening is a very impressive CGI display of the Discworld, accompanied by well-written and well-read narration. We are brought into the story with the VERY beautiful Michelle Dockery as the main character, Susan Sto Helit, the adopted grand-daughter of Death. Yes, Death, the robe, the scythe, everything.
It seems some strange entities that call themselves the Auditors, which are essentially the chartered accountants of reality, seek to eliminate human beings by wiping out their ability to believe, thus negating a vital part of their humanity. They hire an assassin, the very creepy Mr. Teatime (pronounced The-ah-time-eh) played brilliantly by Marc Warren to kill the Hogfather, a Santa-Claus like figure.
My description does this story no justice. You are gripped from the very opening shot, and dragged into this world of darkness, comedy, and surprising philosophy. The set design, props, costumes, photography, acting and directing are all spot-on. My main criticism, and I hate to admit it, is that Michelle Dockery was a little flat at times. I hate to admit it, because I am nearly in love with the woman. Unfortunately, at times she seems to be reciting lines rather than playing a role. If not for that one flaw, I would have given this mini-series a 10/10. Well, nobody's perfect.
The opening is a very impressive CGI display of the Discworld, accompanied by well-written and well-read narration. We are brought into the story with the VERY beautiful Michelle Dockery as the main character, Susan Sto Helit, the adopted grand-daughter of Death. Yes, Death, the robe, the scythe, everything.
It seems some strange entities that call themselves the Auditors, which are essentially the chartered accountants of reality, seek to eliminate human beings by wiping out their ability to believe, thus negating a vital part of their humanity. They hire an assassin, the very creepy Mr. Teatime (pronounced The-ah-time-eh) played brilliantly by Marc Warren to kill the Hogfather, a Santa-Claus like figure.
My description does this story no justice. You are gripped from the very opening shot, and dragged into this world of darkness, comedy, and surprising philosophy. The set design, props, costumes, photography, acting and directing are all spot-on. My main criticism, and I hate to admit it, is that Michelle Dockery was a little flat at times. I hate to admit it, because I am nearly in love with the woman. Unfortunately, at times she seems to be reciting lines rather than playing a role. If not for that one flaw, I would have given this mini-series a 10/10. Well, nobody's perfect.