I agreed with someone earlier about how SciFi(SyFy-that's a ridiculous alteration) devotees feel the need to watch this due to its conceptual sci-fi/fantasy basis but this film is neither gripping enough nor vexing enough for me to seek out the books to know the "answers." It just filled me with...nothing.
Did anyone who was unfamiliar with the books have their fingers crossed that this film might be some distant cousin of Waterworld? How mistaken I was...
If they wanted to take the concept seriously, then present it seriously with believable dialogue. If it's meant as a comedy, then stop trying to make it serious. This film filled me with a sense of "secondary awkwardness" --the feeling you get when you feel embarrassed for the characters for what they are about to do or say. I love a good campy/family project like 10th Kingdom or an exploratory one like Earthsea but this misstep for SyFy in this day and age really baffles me.
Sadly, I was originally really excited to see Riverworld as I became a huge fan of Tahmoh Penikett after BSG and Dollhouse but even my renewed schoolgirl crush on him could not pull me through this production with delight. We sci-fi audience members would never discount a production because of bad user ratings or low budgets because we want to open ourselves up to new ideas and give more leeway to storytellers than anyone else but this is just offends our open hearts and our curious minds.
Did anyone who was unfamiliar with the books have their fingers crossed that this film might be some distant cousin of Waterworld? How mistaken I was...
If they wanted to take the concept seriously, then present it seriously with believable dialogue. If it's meant as a comedy, then stop trying to make it serious. This film filled me with a sense of "secondary awkwardness" --the feeling you get when you feel embarrassed for the characters for what they are about to do or say. I love a good campy/family project like 10th Kingdom or an exploratory one like Earthsea but this misstep for SyFy in this day and age really baffles me.
Sadly, I was originally really excited to see Riverworld as I became a huge fan of Tahmoh Penikett after BSG and Dollhouse but even my renewed schoolgirl crush on him could not pull me through this production with delight. We sci-fi audience members would never discount a production because of bad user ratings or low budgets because we want to open ourselves up to new ideas and give more leeway to storytellers than anyone else but this is just offends our open hearts and our curious minds.