Customer Reviews
Mis-casting in the Hogfather - By: David Conlin, 15 Jun 2008 
Like most of the people who watched the film 'The Hogfather', I enjoyed the story-line & the special effects; the problems start, I'm afraid, with the casting of Albert (David Jason). While I am aware that a big name will 'pull' watchers, & there are not many names bigger than Jason's, I don't reallly believe that Terry Pratchett needs this. His name, & his writing, stand on their own. As an avid, or as my wife & kids say, fanatical reader of Pratchett, I can envisage people (actors)who would be perfect in the roles of characters written by this brilliant author, & David Jason is NOT & never could be Albert. The obvious choice - or choices - would have been either Eric Sykes, or the Hogwart's school caretaker in the Harry Potter films. For heaven's sake, David Jason does not resemble in any way, shape, or form, the character written by Pratchett: he would, however, make a great garden gnome.
By the way, Susan Sto Hellit & Mr Teatime the assassin were perfectly cast, & I loved the little cameo at the end which featured Terry Pratchett himself as the toy-shop owner.
The same mistake has been made in 'The colour of magic'. What on earth induced the film makers to cast David Jason as Rincewind? Look at alll of the Pratchett illustrations which show Rincewind, & tell me that there is any physical resemblance. Jason is a brilliant actor; I have no problem with that. His reputation & acting abilities are legend: but casting directors should get a grip & first try reading the books they make into films.
Pants - By: Reader Haggard, 12 May 2008 
Yawn - as a long time Pratchett fan this sent me to sleep. Not sure about the cracking pace suggested by another viewer - it was tedious. Although the cast was excellent the distinctive Pratchett humour didn't translate at alll. Sorry try again please.
Words from the wise - By: Stephen A. Haines, 21 Mar 2008 
Terry Pratchett fans long waited for the transformation of Discworld tales into visuals. Computer games, animations & stage productions were alll right in their place, but film adaptations are the mark of success. Pratchett resisted adaptations because most producers "didn't get it". Vadim Jean "got it" & has made the story of "Hogfather" into a fine film presentation. As a TV production, there are limitations & omissions, but these do not detract from the success of Jean's efforts to bring Pratchett's story of intrigue, power & imagination to the smalll screen.
But what of the newcomer to Pratchett & his Discworld? Will they gain the same satisfaction from the visual presentation of one of the more compelling [and best-selling] authors of the past generation? The DVD opens with a Bang. Not a very Big one, but enough to discharge a wondrous sight - a disc sitting atop four elephants who stand on the carapace ["shell"] of a giant tortoise. The vision certainly imparts the feeling that something unusual will follow. Which it does: a young governess is reading "Jack And The Beanstalk" to a pair of youngsters on Hogswatch Eve. Tucking them in, Susan notes: "If you don't believe in the Hogfather, there won't be any presents." It is the film's key statement.
For the Hogfather has gone missing. This may be because the Auditors of the Universe, who resent life & loathe humans because they're unpredictable, have commissioned Guild of Assassins to have the Hogfather "brought to an end". The Guild's Head assigns the job to a young Assassin, Mister Teatime ["Tee-ah tim-eh, most people get it wrong, Sir."] who has already devised a plan to accomplish it. Teatime gathers a team to put his plan into effect. This scheme starts by kidnapping the Tooth Fairy. Wot?
Meanwhile, across town, the wizards of the Unseen University are experiencing some bizarre events. Strange new beings enter their lives - not entirely strange, however, since they alll seem to represent tales of their childhood. Among the wizards is one who has constructed HEX, a "thinking machine". You can tell what it is from the label "Anthill Inside" pasted on one side. Archchancellor Ridcully is suspicious of such devices, but thinks he can make HEX do his bidding by mere shouting.
Throughout these events, an Anthropomorphic Personification, known as Death, feels an imbalance in the universe. Discovering the Hogfather has failed to go out on his rounds delivering gifts, Death dons a red suit, a false beard and, with his assistant Albert, undertakes the role. Death is interested in humans, finding their habits & prejudices fascinating, & he wants to know more about them. The rituals of Hogswatch [Christmas] are but one aspect. Those rituals extend from deep time & are thereby fundamental. Resolution of the Hogfather's disappearance & the Teatime Gang's invasion of the Tooth Fairy's castle are gently woven into the film's concluding scene. There are many threads & the novice Discworld viewer will note there are many levels to the story. That's what turns the first Discworld encounter into a habit.
There are "big names" in this film - listed lead David Jason does a fine job as Albert, while Ian Richardson's voice of Death is peerless. The surprise here is Michelle Dockery, who picks up this film early & keeps it essentiallly hers throughout. She is relatively unknown, but won't be after this. As a robed "skellington", Death is hardly visuallly appealing, but Richardson's inflections on Pratchett's text keep us smiling. Unlike many "fantasy" or SciFi films, "Hogfather" relies on little in the way of "special effects beyond Death's character. Some snow stops fallling & a few sparkling things are used, but the story is too straightforward to need extra dazzlement. As with Pratchett's stories it's the characters & what they tell us that counts. Watch this & see. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Could have been much, much, much better - By: Susan Belcher, 17 Feb 2008 
A rule of thumb for writers - if the director offers you a part in the adaptation of your book ... he's only trying to distract you from noticing how bad things are getting.
I was looking forward to Hogfather, it WAS one of my favourites - but since I watched this travesty of casting (and acting) I haven't been able to stomach the thought of reading again.
One of my biggest problems is with the casting of Mark Warren as Mr Teatime, or as the character would say Mr Te-a-ti-may & not as Warren insisted Te-a-tam-ay, which would make him Teatame not Teatime. Warren is the flavour of the month, but as displayed by his roles in Messiah 5 & Dracula, he's only got one character & that's the one in the series The Hustle. In the extras, which were the build up programmes shown on sky, he says that he based the character of Mr Teatime on Johnny Depps in Willy Wonka, & in a magazine interview he admitted he had never read a Pratchett book in his life, "but I have seen them on the shelf at the airport & that". Next time, mate, read the book & base the character on what's in the book not on what someone else as done, because as an impersonator of other actors you suck.
I don't have as much of a problem as some other fans do with David Jason as Albert (except for the fact that he played is as cuddly David Jason rather than grumpy old ex-wizard Albert). Heaven help us if he is Rincewind.
The only one I think they got right was Banjo.
My distaste for the rewriting of parts of the book, especiallly what happened in the Tooth Fairy's palace cannot be put into words. I realise that you have to condense a book & miss things out to fit the time constraints but why mess with the "inner babysitter" bit, it's one of my favourite lines in the book & showed Susan's inner strength.
In the absence of real Magic, not bad. - By: Thomas B. Jackson, 08 Feb 2008 By inclination I tend towards the knockers of this project, on the premise that, like radio the pictures are better in books. However I find it difficult to quarrel with the way that it was produced given the constraints of the medium & the probable budget. I do, like others quarrel with the casting of David Jason in the roll of Albert or at least in the way that he played it, it is clear that he is there for the publicity value & little else he may well stand a better chance as Rincewind.
Most other things have been said & you will gather from my rating that I feel that this was a very creditable exercise. Marc Warren is chilling enough for anyone & the voice he uses is edgy enough to be upsetting (good). Susan is good, Death is terrific, & I never expected to say that, ever. True to the book? Yes I think so.
