This 2005 take on Thomas Hughes' "Tom Brown's Schooldays" leaves much to be desired. I have both read the book and scene all the versions, including the 1942, 1951, and BBC Miniseries, all of which are better.
What's wrong with this take?
1. Flashman is far too modern. While his acting is superb, I felt that his antics were much more overdone than in any of the versions. He is almost always roaring drunk, and his attacks such as the roasting and the tossing are very brutal. The addition of the rape of Sally Hopkin is also very modern and not worth the time.
2. George Arthur DOES NOT DIE in the book. I don't know why they decided to kill him off in the end of the film, as he recovers in the book, not from pneumonia brought on by Flashman's attack, but by a fever which has spread across the school.
3. Tom Brown. I liked Alex Pettyfer at first, but it isn't really how Tom comes across on the novel. Tom is supposed to be the lovable character. In this, I was constantly wondering how I really felt. Did I like him or did I hate him? He goes through a very tough period of hate towards Stephen Fry which did not happen in any of the other versions or in the book.
In short, try the BBC version or the 1942 version.
4/10
What's wrong with this take?
1. Flashman is far too modern. While his acting is superb, I felt that his antics were much more overdone than in any of the versions. He is almost always roaring drunk, and his attacks such as the roasting and the tossing are very brutal. The addition of the rape of Sally Hopkin is also very modern and not worth the time.
2. George Arthur DOES NOT DIE in the book. I don't know why they decided to kill him off in the end of the film, as he recovers in the book, not from pneumonia brought on by Flashman's attack, but by a fever which has spread across the school.
3. Tom Brown. I liked Alex Pettyfer at first, but it isn't really how Tom comes across on the novel. Tom is supposed to be the lovable character. In this, I was constantly wondering how I really felt. Did I like him or did I hate him? He goes through a very tough period of hate towards Stephen Fry which did not happen in any of the other versions or in the book.
In short, try the BBC version or the 1942 version.
4/10