Riverworld (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Kari Skogland

Writers:

Philip Jose Farmer (novels)
Stuart Hazeldine (writer)

Release Date:

22 March 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Hale, an American astronaut dies and is reincarnated with other persons who have lived throughout all...

Plot Keywords:

Astronaut | Emperor | Alien | Nero | Cliff

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Brad Johnson	...	Jeff Hale
Karen Holness	...	Mali
Emily Lloyd	...	Alice Lidell Hargreaves
Jeremy Birchall	...	Lev Ruach
Kevin Smith	...	Valdemar
Nikita Kearsley	...	Gwenafra
Brian Moore	...	Monat
Cameron Daddo	...	Samuel L. 'Sam' Clemens
Jonathan Cake	...	Nero
Paolo Rotondo	...	Flavius
Patrick Kake	...	Tane
Colin Moy	...	Langer
Lloyd Edwards	...	The Mysterious Stranger
Crawford Thomson	...	Warrior
André Kovachevitch	...	Guard #1 (as Andrew Kovacevich)

Runtime:

UK:86 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Italy:T

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Trivia:

Kevin Smith, who played Valdemar, died shortly after finishing this film. The film is dedicated to his memory.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nero is killed and falls from the boat, he is holding his sword in his right hand. But during the fall, his sword moves to his left hand and is then released to fall into the water. As he impacts the river, the sword has returned to his right hand.

Quotes:

Monat: My name is Monat.
[other prisoners gasp]
Alice: What is it? What are you?
Monat: I am not human, as you can see, but neither am I dangerous, I assure you.
Jeff Hale: [to the others] It's all right.
[turns back to Monat]
Jeff Hale: Incredible.
Monat: I am from a star system your astronomers named Tau Ceti.
Jeff Hale: Yes, Tau Ceti. Are there other extraterrestrials here?
Monat: Alas, I am the only one.
[...]

Utterly appalling adaptation.

When I wrote my IMDb review of the TV film IT 'adapted' from Stephen King's magnificent novel, my 'one line summary' was: 'The worst book/film translation ever?'

I wrote that because, at the time, I believed it *was* the worst adaptation I had ever witnessed.

But now I find I have to review and redefine what I think about poor adaptations because, surely, THIS one is the worst ever.

BY FAR!

I gave this movie every chance. I watched it (*suffered* it, more like) in the hope that at some point it would begin to bear more resemblance to Farmer's brilliant series of novels other than that there was a river in the movie, other than there was a boat, an alien, a Neanderthal type, a blonde (*BLONDE?!?*) Alice Hargreaves . . .

But I watched only to be increasingly disappointed.

I do so hope that when someone decides to adapt Arthur C. Clarke's *Rama Saga* for the big (or little) screen that it's not the Sci-Fi Channel who get the rights because if this adaptation of *Riverworld* is the general way they go about translating book to screen, I'll . . . well, I don't know - it doesn't bare thinking about.

My IMDb vote for this appalling adaptation is 1 out of 10. And I voted that ONLY because 0 (zero) isn't available.

My advice to anyone considering watching this movie is GIVE IT A MISS!