I'm disappointed to hear that AMC's The Prisoner has been getting mostly negative reviews, because this remake looked very promising and I love the casting of Sir Ian McKellen. However, the six-part mini-series currently has a Metacritic score of 45/100 (based on 21 reviews), and here's a cross-section of press quotes to chew on:
The great:
"Its a clever and engaging reinterpretation by Bill Gallagher, who shaped the script to contemporary tastes and sensibilities--notably, a postmodern fatigue with ideology and big thoughts." – The New York Times
The average:
"This Prisoner is visually stunning and risk-taking but not a satisfying rethinking." – Time Magazine
The bad:
"This Prisoner remake contains some striking visuals and intermittently effective performances, especially from the typically magnetic McKellan, but it’s also frequently too choppy and elliptical to build up much suspense or dramatic impact." -– Chicago Tribune
It doesn't sound too good, does it? But I'm still very keen to see how they've updated the classic '60s series, and I'm hoping that British eyes will see something our American cousins aren't. I guess I'll find out for myself when I get around to watching all six-parts, which are airing in double-bills tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday in the US.
Consequently, I may be a little slow getting around to some of my usual reviews this week (Dexter, FlashForward, Heroes) as The Prisoner '09 is going to take priority. I won't be reviewing each day's episodes, though, so expect a conjoined review sometime Thursday or Friday.
