Read the book

Scarlet_Fever

On subsequent viewings this is not a bad film really, but i was so disappointed when i first saw it as in comparison to the book it is rubbish.

The book was written under Stephen King's pseudonym Richard Bachman and is the best thing he has produced under this nom-de-plum.  A novel which is 100% plot and consequently moves like a steam train, it also provides a bleak 'Blade Runner-esque' vision of the future, but from a lower class perspective.  I had high hopes for the film, but they were dashed utterly as the result wasn't anything like the book other than the names of a few characters and the basic premise of a game show where the prize is your life.

Social commentary? Gone. Bleak vision of the future? Minimal. Plotline? Gone. Cataclysmic ending? Gone.

A real shame and a missed opportunity for a truly great film and given the events on 9/11, probably missed permanently now - certainly no one is going to finance a remake with the original ending intact these days.

So, my advice is to see the film before you read the book.  If you like the film then the book will come as a revelation and you will see my point of view, but if you have read the book already, then give the film a wide berth as you are bound to be disappointed.

However, it is not a total loss - viewed independantly of the book it is a reasonable Arnie movie, PMG does a pretty good job directing and the effects are OK for the time too.  The score is also pretty good and in general the performances are up to the task.  This is a 'Friday night after the Pub' movie, don't expect anything too deep, the book has depth, the film is all surface.

score 3/10

Scarlet_Fever 16 March 2004

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0250357/