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Reviews
Follow the Prophet (2009)
Follow The Prophet
I think this movie had its heart in the right place but there were some parts that were unrealistic. For one thing I think a lot of the characters in the film were depicted more as we would want them to feel then how they would probably feel in reality. Some people are more prone to independent though then others but I would assume (especially after having read numerous books about the FLDS) that becoming disillusioned about the environment they had grown up in would be a more gradual process. Especially because most of the children who ran away would still have family in the FLDS and most of them would probably have some relatives they still cared about. They would have been exposed to brainwashing their whole lives and as the Milgram Experiment proved people are very susceptible to being influenced by authority figures. Another thing is that the idea of the government trying to take Jude out was a bit absurd. It is true that the local police have frequently been known to aid the FLDS especially when and if they have family members in those communities and that it can be hard for people trying to escape to get help from the legal system. The government has mostly ignored polygamy since The Raid on Short Creek in the 50's. But that was a bit extreme. A lot of the movie seemed like a fantasy especially at the end when they try to expose the prophet through a live video feed and when Jude tries to shoot at the prophet. I think it would have been a better movie if it were more similar to one of the actual life stories of some of the woman who have escaped the FLDS. If Church of Lies by Flora Jessop were made into a movie that would be really interesting and more educational for the public if the producers stuck to the facts there wouldn't be anything people could object to in the content.
Legend of the Seeker (2008)
casting for richard isn't encouraging
I hope they do a better job with the script they seem to have done casting Richard. So I get that some details really aren't that important. Like yes, eye color doesn't effect much so whatever. But Richard is supposed to be a big, outdoorsy, threatening looking dude. That does influence the plot, because it impacts how people react to him, fights, his interests etc. etc. Too many movie adaptations of books suck out their originality, over money, ignorance, and/or misplaced arrogance. It happened to I Am Legend, it happened to The Golden Compass, which was an ever bigger shame. Let's hope for Wizard's First Rule.
Ugh. So watching the first episode. And yeah, for some reason they've made the plot and characters less original and well-rounded. It makes me sad.
PS If you're going to praise this show to the skies for whatever reason, bear in mind....if all you're looking for is a little adventure, fine, but this series would have been...less irritating to types of people who really appreciated the books if it was called something else and all the names were changed etc. not to be too mean! but seriously, its like the difference between A Beautiful Mind, the book, and A Beautiful Mind, the movie. In reality, John Nash had some perceptual problems when it came to how to treat the people in his life*, although I'd agree with anyone who said the part where he was brilliant was more important. The movie is good (and I'm not going to be diplomatic and put this show on that level) but pretty much should have been called something else. His life really wasn't the story of a gifted, but troubled guy, whose supportive wife helped him through hard times. It was the story of a fairly selfish, troubled guy, who was a real dick but also very talented and ultimately had redeeming qualities. Even if Terry Gookkind did let them brutalize his work for money (wouldn't know) he deserves better. More people watch TV and movies then read. So yeah, if you like it good for you, but realize they're two...very, very separate works of art.
*Ever heard someone complain about child support? This went beyond that. His son ended up in an orphanage because of him plus he did a lot of other not great stuff. (Read it in middle school).