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Hogfather (2-Disc Edition) [2006]


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Editorial
Synopsis

With an all-star ensemble cast of the UK's most loved actors including David Jason, Ian Richardson, Peter Guinness, Marc Warren and Tony Robinson, Hogfather brings Pratchett's infamous 'Discworld' to life.

Discworld is a world very similar to our own - if you overlook the fact that it is flat, and balanced on four elephants, which in turn are standing on the back of a giant turtle. The inhabitants of Discworld have their own version of Christmas, Hogswatch, and their own version of Santa, the Hogfather - who is pulled across the sky in a hog-drawn sleigh.

This year, however, something is amiss, when on the night before Hogswatch, Death (voiced by Richardson, Bleak House), who is responsible for escorting all beings to the afterlife, notices that the Hogfather's life-timer is lying broken on the floor of his castle. Could it be that Hogswatch will not happen this year?

With much of the fabric of reality dependent on the human power of belief, Death swaps his black shroud for a false beard and red coat to make sure that the children of Discworld remain blissfully unaware of the Hogfather's absence. With the help of his faithful servant Albert (Jason, A Touch of Frost, Only Fools and Horses) Death dutifully travels from house to house delivering gifts, leaving his granddaughter Susan (Michelle Dockery) to find the real Hogfather before belief in him, and subsequently Discworld is destroyed.

Editorial
Synopsis

In this live-action adaptation of the Terry Pratchett book of the same name, the inhabitants of Discworld celebrate a form of Christmas called Hogswatch, where the Hogfather travels in a hog-drawn sleigh, delivering presents to children. In this world, the fabric of reality is predominantly dependent on the power of belief. So, when the Hogfather mysteriously disappears, Death dons a red coat and false beard and sets about delivering all the presents before the children of Discworld notice that anything is amiss. Of course, he cannot do it all alone, and enlists the help of his trusty servant Albert (David Jason, ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES). Meanwhile, Death’s granddaughter Susan (Michelle Dockery, CONSENT) searches for the Hogfather before belief in him disappears, leading to the destruction of Discworld. This adaptation of THE HOGFATHER is the first time a live-action version of a book by the hugely successful author Terry Pratchett has been made and it manages to be an entertaining Christmas family tale. With a sizeable budget and a charismatic performance by David Jason, THE HOGFATHER brings Discworld fully to life.

I shall be brief
Review date: 2008-07-31 Rating: 8 out of 10

I've never read Hogfather, but I loved the film. The Colour of Magic had better CGI effects, and I'm a big fan of the character who was away in Fourecks during this dark time of the year- fighting fot his life, apparently. I hadn't read the Last Continent then so I thought he was Sideney at first, then one of the wizards surrounding Ridcully.
I liked David Jason in both roles, as with Nigel Planer. Ed Coleman made a good Ponder. Enough said. Anyone who wishes to go further into the subject...?

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Reviews


How can this be so wrong...
Review date: 2008-04-07 Rating: 2 out of 10

Why? But why (?!!) should it have to last for 2x90 minutes ?

Should it be because Sky had to fill some gaps in its Xmas' TV schedule at the time...?

As a result, in any case, this long-awaited theatrical Hogfather version desperately lacks the pace (even flirting with a downright feel of boredom at times), humour, witt and dynamism that, fortunately, overwhelm the novel.

Yes, indeed : sets and costumes are very nice. But when you are more than 10 years old, you expect a bit more from such an "Hollywoodian" production, with an obvious huge budget at disposal. Perhaps some of it should have been put towards a more apt Director...?

In short, Discworld's fans, keep well away!

Could Do Better
Review date: 2008-03-20 Rating: 4 out of 10

As a long-standing Pratchett fan (yes, I have all the books.. and the maps.. and other stuff..) I looked forward to Hogfather. Unfortunately, although the attention to detail is good, it feels like most of the humour has been distilled out and left on one side.

The script follows the book and it's plot extremely well, but I despair at the wooden acting. Done properly it should have had me rolling in the aisles with laughter, yet I got all the way through the first part with barely a giggle. Sorry, but this very funny book has been short-changed.

A successful move from book to screen
Review date: 2008-03-13 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is the first "theatrical" (i.e. live actors, not cartoons) realisation of a Terry Pratchett novel, and like, I'm sure, all Pratchett fans I approached it with some trepidation. Would it work? Would the intricacies and atmosphere of the Discworld be adequately represented for us here on Roundworld? Could they be? It was a bit like going to see the first of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy at the cinema - could such a different place, which each of us believed in in our own way, actually be filmed successfully? The answer with the Peter Jackson film(s) was, of course, a resounding "yes" and the same goes for this less ambitious venture.
There have been cartoon versions of two Terry Pratchett novels, "Wyrd Sisters" and "Soul Music" and these worked reasonably well, but the limitations of the media (and some rather quirky editing) mean that we had to wait for the live action "Hogfather", with excellent casting and production, CGI, and animatronics to start to do justice to Pratchett's vision.
It is difficult to fault it. The only thing the viewer has to take care about is that as well as enjoying it you have to pay attention because otherwise you will miss some typically Pratchett little gems, and possibly something relevant to the plot. Discworld devotees will appreciate it most, I think, but others should too, judging from the positive reaction from my family members who have hitherto resisted the novels. And yes, it is worth buying the two-disc version.


Made in Ankh Morpork
Review date: 2008-01-29 Rating: 2 out of 10

The tragedy of this film (sic) appears to be that it was made in Ankh Morpork and, because the script hadn't been nailed down, persons unknown stole all the humour, timing and beauty; along with the budget.

What could have been a fantastic slice of Discworld, offered up in the visual medium for the uninitiated masses, was a lame plodding debacle that not even Sir David "fleague the jade" Jason could resurrect. Hope he knows what he's doing when he plays Rincewind, the tall and thin Discworld Wizzard, in "The Colour of Magic" TV adaptation (scheduled 2008).

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Craig Conway
Michelle Dockery
Rachel Edward (II)
Marnix Van Den Broeke
Tim Plester

Creators:
Michelle Dockery (Primary Contributor)
Tim Plester (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
EAN: 5039036031752
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-04-23
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 184 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006-12-17
Language: English (Original Language)

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