Mike King

I was really looking forward to the Christmas treat. Like so many well wrapped presents I was left disappointed. Like many previous reviews I loved the novel but I'm not precious about it. I loved the Niven film which changes some of the story and added the balloon. I also loved Conan Doyle's Holmes and the novel Good Omens and dreaded seeing Sherlock and the recent Good Omens movie. They were both glorious although the writers had considerabley changes parts (if not most) of the stories. I think this was because the writers clearly loved the source material. They knew what the best bits were (i..e the characters) and kept these whilst foreshortening the text or moving the time period. Apparently Neil Gamen would not allow a film of Good Omens to be made until he could trust the producers. Somewhere I can hear M.Verne spinning in his grave. I'm not even sure the writers of around the world had even read the novel. I'm all for education about the blights of racism and sexism but rewriting history is not education. The Victorian men here are portrayed as weak and stuffy. It was similar men that invented trains, balloons, built railways across the world, which are still being used in many third world countries. Victorian families like the Booths and Cadbury's laid the foundations for the welfare state. The Victorians gave us that greatest gift, free libraries. They also encourages empiricism and the class structure. They invaded countries and murdered thousands. All history should be taught, not whitewashed over. I know this is entertainment and is about fun, I'm happy to have a black passpourtout but then show him as a man of colour in Victorian times. I'm happy to have one of the main characters a women but then show what it was like to be woman, even if from a well to do family, in those days. This was a mishmash of WOKE and poor writing. 2/5. Must try harder