Zachary FenellHogfather
December 18th 2008 15:58
Hogfather, 2006
You may think you know Christmas movies (or holiday movies?), but you haven't seen anything until you've seen Terry Prachett's Hogsfather.
Even if you've never read a single "Discworld" book, you won't be left in the cold. The introduction gives you just enough of an overview to understand roughly what's going on, and possibly just enough to get you hooked (like any good pusher).
Short of giving away spoilers, I'm going to say this about Prachett's work in general and about this story specifically: When a writer knows the anatomy of mythology as a whole so well that he can create whole new worlds with stories so real that you can relate to them, no matter where you're from, you know you've found a niche of fandom for yourself. Prachett takes the most fundamental stories and the nature of folklore itself, and he dresses it up in new/old clothes so that we are able to examine our own mythologies with a slightly more objective and yet more loving view.
The only rough thing about this movie was that it's over three hours long, but that's kind of to be expected from what is technically a "mini-series". (And it's very mini - only two episodes with one intermission.) The first half might move a little slower than most American audience members are used to, but they take their time introducing you to the various elements of the Discworld so that you don't feel left out. This is not a movie for hard-core adrenaline junkies, but it is a brilliant movie for people who like a little brain with their candy.
It has a beautiful explanation of how the Jolly Fellow makes it all the way around the world in a night, and it gives us a deeper appreciation for the faith that comes from the innocence of youth. This is going to replace all of those Rankin-Bass flicks and will likely become a holiday tradition like Olive the Other Reindeer and the Nightmare Before Christmas.
5 stars (points taken off for a couple of slow spots, then added back for awesome hair.)
5 Stars
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