I did not know that The Colour of Magic is a mini-series and I accidentally watched it in one go and I can tell you it’s really good. It’s based on the first two books in the Discworld series written by Terry Pratchett and it features a really strong cast led by the almighty David Jason. I was so used to seeing him as Del Boy in one of the best television series out there “Only Fools and Horses” that it took some time to really get into this fantasy vibe. However, Jason is such a good actor that the transition was smooth. The supporting cast is hardly that with such greats as Jeremy Irons and Cristopher Lee. So you can immediately see that the acting part is going to be great. We will be going on a grand adventure, traveling strange lands, and even venturing into outer space.
The production values were the thing that worried me the most. However, The Colour of Magic has that nice and shiny feel to it, so even that went well. This is a perfect movie for those long Sunday afternoons when you want to lose yourself in a rich fantasy world. The atmosphere is dreamy and you can feel this literary background seeping from every scene. There are even some scantily clad women riding dragons. Not to mention the narration done by none other than Brian motherfucking Cox. Now, if that doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will. Director Vadim Jean already adapted one of Pratchett’s stories back in 2005. So, if you’re looking for something to watch after this one, check out Hogfather.
Meet Rincewind, a wizard who has problems even with some basic wizarding. People are suspecting that the Discworld hasn’t seen a wizard this clumsy yet. After almost 40 years of unsuccessful attempts to learn even the simplest of the spells, he’s finally expelled from the Unseen University. To make things worse for our poor little wizard, he’s forced by Lord Vetinari to help Twoflower, a property insurance salesman who just arrived in Discworld. He’s actually the first tourist ever to visit this strange place and this is where the adventure begins…
I know it’s too late, but one wonders just how epic would this movie be with a bigger budget. Just to be clear, Sky One invested over seven million pounds in this mini-series. And you can clearly see that they did wonders with that money. The CGI is quite believable along with costumes and stunning sets. Homeboys and homegirls from this production sure as shit knew how to make the most of this budget. However, I can’t stop thinking about a $100 million budget with the same actors. Well, I’m guessing if you’re getting that sort of money you are much more constrained by the financial side of things, but I digress. Now, I haven’t read these books and I had no trouble following the story, so don’t worry about that. In fact, maybe this movie will make you read the books because there are a lot of them.
Director: Vadim Jean
Writers: Vadim Jean, Terry Pratchett
Cast: David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry, Jeremy Irons, Christopher Lee
Fun Stuff: Both Sean Astin (Twoflower) and Sir David Jason (Rincewind) are long-term Pratchett fans. The Colour of Magic is Jason’s favorite book.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1079959/
