The Prisoner (Remake)

[Malthus]

Anyone catch this last night?

I saw it. I was not impressed.

I tried to give it a chance, I really did. But the show had little resembling a plot. Worse, the Number 6 was not an engaging character. The original kicked asses and took names; this one just seems to whine a lot.

In the original, the mystery was pretty clear: who are these people, and why do they want "information"? Why did Number 6 resign, and why is that important? How was the Prisioner going to escape?

In this thing, the mystery is trying to figure out, among all of the flashbacks and cut aways, what the hell is happening at any given moment. The problem is that without any engaging characters or coherent story, there is little reason to care.

Also missing is the awesome 60s era music and aesthetics, which added an extra element of interest and weirdness. Not that a remake should have 60s era aesthetics, but at least replace it with something. The opening sequence of the original is one of the best ever made: the new one has nothing to compare.

[Viking]

Pluses
- some references to the original big balloons, vacation village feel
- initially more logical what does he remember, is he being drugged? is he dreaming? is he in a coma (life on mars style)? is the village reality?

Minuses
- who/why care(s)?
- desert not as fun as holiday village on the channel

Not quite raping my childhood, but I will have to give them a chance first. S&M Jesus isn't quite the Nr. 6 I was hoping for.

[Josephus]

I'm gonna wait till the whole thing airs, and then, hopefully, I can get it OnDemand. I loved the original, though, so this is really gonna have to impress.

[CountDeMoney]

Re: the original--

Who did you think was keeping him prisoner?

My parents, who were avid fans of the show, used to think it was the enemy;  watching it in syndication (late night PBS), I always assumed he was held prisoner by his own side.  A generational interpretation gap?

Of course, the whole premise of the show was that it could've been either side, or neither;  that was the cool aspect of it.  But, if you had to choose, what were your theories on the show?

[The Minsky Moment]

The original kicked asses and took names

Well sure he conquered Wales.

[stjaba]

The original kicked asses and took names

Well sure he conquered Wales.

I interrupt this thread for a special message.

Minsky, please read your personal messages.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[Barrister]

Of course, the whole premise of the show was that it could've been either side, or neither;  that was the cool aspect of it.  But, if you had to choose, what were your theories on the show?

I tended to think it was his own side as well.  But of course that was never made clear, in particular in the confusing mess of a final episode.

[Admiral Yi]

I didn't like Withnail and I, I didn't like Ran, and I didn't like the few episodes* of The Prisoner I saw.  So there.

I think Armed Forces Television in Korea had managed to get their hands on two, which they showed over and over every year or so.

[Barrister]

I didn't like Withnail and I, I didn't like Ran, and I didn't like the few episodes* of The Prisoner I saw.  So there.

You sir are worse than Hitler.

[Queequeg]

The original kicked asses and took names

Well sure he conquered Wales.

Kind of glad that Ian McKellen didn't play #2 in that one, as #6 might have defenestrated him.

[Ed Anger]

I tried watching the remake. Found it bland.

Then again, I have a man crush on patrick mcgoohan.

[grumbler]

Re: the original--

Who did you think was keeping him prisoner?

Watch the final episode.  It was aliens holding him.  They were trying to figure out what motivated humans to do things, and he was a cipher to them - didn't fit into any of their categories.  Then they realized that some people are just not categorize-able, and left.

Think about it for a second.  How could Rover possibly fit in any other way?  Neither their side nor our side had anything like Rover, or would for hundreds of years or more.  Ditto revitlizing the dead, and a number of other "miracles."

How does The Village end?  Evacuation orders, everybody leaves and then a rocket ship takes off.  That was the aliens, going back to wherever.  Roll credits.

[Razgovory]

I tried watching the remake. Found it bland.

Then again, I have a man crush on patrick mcgoohan.

Who doesn't?  He was the greatest King of England ever.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I always assumed it was his own side, with an alternative hypothesis that he was actually going more and more insane whilst strapped to a bed in a psychiatric hospital in Guildford.........with none of the events, bar the resignation, actually happening.

I didn't know there was a remake. My skills at avoiding modern crud are increasing 

[Duque de Bragança]

I will get the original on blu-ray before even considering watching the remake...