Westworld

[PA Ram]

Okay--I don't know if anyone else is watching this HBO series but I just wanted to say a few things about it.

I REALLY want to like this show. I LOVED the Yul Brynner film back in the 70s. I've wanted a remake for years and when I heard it was going to be an HBO show I was really excited.

I have been pretty forgiving on some things that have annoyed me about the series, and tried being very patient. But they are into episode 5 right now--halfway through--and the show--which has been one huge puzzle at the expense of thrills and drama, just seems stuck in its own loop.

At this point I don't even know if the writers have any idea where they are going. There are so many things going on--so many puzzles to solve and so much misdirection(different timelines--maybe)that they forgot about story.

The 1973 film was tense and simple and fun.

This show is anything but fun.

I've been on fan boards reading through theory after theory and even they are looping over themselves now.

Everyone is confused and there is just too much of nothing going on, really.

The acting is fine--there are some real heavyweights here with Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins. But they just spend their time talking in riddles.

I love a thoughtful, deep mystery.

Unfortunately the show is shaping up as not much more than that--and I have a fear that when the answers start coming a lot of this won't add up. I fear the show is missing a great opportunity. It wants to be too smart and to mislead the viewer to the point that misleading the viewer IS the plot. They obviously want to set up some shocking answers but my brain may be too numb to appreciate any of that.

5 episodes to go, I believe, and I know they have 5 seasons mapped out but this show will never make it if they don't start changing some things. There is really not enough emotional involvement at this point. It's become a brain exercise and a frustrating one at that.

Oh yes--I will watch til the end. But if the show doesn't have some big payoffs soon for all that it has been doing, I'm not sure I'll be able to sign up for another season.

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/westworld-orgy-scene-explained-942103

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Okay--I don't know if anyone else is watching this HBO series but I just wanted to say a few things about it.

I REALLY want to like this show. I LOVED the Yul Brynner film back in the 70s. I've wanted a remake for years and when I heard it was going to be an HBO show I was really excited.

I have been pretty forgiving on some things that have annoyed me about the series, and tried being very patient. But they are into episode 5 right now--halfway through--and the show--which has been one huge puzzle at the expense of thrills and drama, just seems stuck in its own loop.

At this point I don't even know if the writers have any idea where they are going. There are so many things going on--so many puzzles to solve and so much misdirection(different timelines--maybe)that they forgot about story.

The 1973 film was tense and simple and fun.

This show is anything but fun.

I've been on fan boards reading through theory after theory and even they are looping over themselves now.

Everyone is confused and there is just too much of nothing going on, really.

The acting is fine--there are some real heavyweights here with Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins. But they just spend their time talking in riddles.

I love a thoughtful, deep mystery.

Unfortunately the show is shaping up as not much more than that--and I have a fear that when the answers start coming a lot of this won't add up. I fear the show is missing a great opportunity. It wants to be too smart and to mislead the viewer to the point that misleading the viewer IS the plot. They obviously want to set up some shocking answers but my brain may be too numb to appreciate any of that.

5 episodes to go, I believe, and I know they have 5 seasons mapped out but this show will never make it if they don't start changing some things. There is really not enough emotional involvement at this point. It's become a brain exercise and a frustrating one at that.

Oh yes--I will watch til the end. But if the show doesn't have some big payoffs soon for all that it has been doing, I'm not sure I'll be able to sign up for another season.

I feel the same as you do. I almost don't care to watch anymore. It seems as though they will never get to the point. It is interesting but, very slow to evolve.

 

[RAMSinLA]

Why can't the creative geniuses in Hollywood come up with their own creations? when they try and copy from the past it most always will come up short. Westworld will never be recreated properly. It's a classic.

 

[HeiseNBerg]

Okay--I don't know if anyone else is watching this HBO series but I just wanted to say a few things about it.

I REALLY want to like this show. I LOVED the Yul Brynner film back in the 70s. I've wanted a remake for years and when I heard it was going to be an HBO show I was really excited.

I have been pretty forgiving on some things that have annoyed me about the series, and tried being very patient. But they are into episode 5 right now--halfway through--and the show--which has been one huge puzzle at the expense of thrills and drama, just seems stuck in its own loop.

At this point I don't even know if the writers have any idea where they are going. There are so many things going on--so many puzzles to solve and so much misdirection(different timelines--maybe)that they forgot about story.

The 1973 film was tense and simple and fun.

This show is anything but fun.

I've been on fan boards reading through theory after theory and even they are looping over themselves now.

Everyone is confused and there is just too much of nothing going on, really.

The acting is fine--there are some real heavyweights here with Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins. But they just spend their time talking in riddles.

I love a thoughtful, deep mystery.

Unfortunately the show is shaping up as not much more than that--and I have a fear that when the answers start coming a lot of this won't add up. I fear the show is missing a great opportunity. It wants to be too smart and to mislead the viewer to the point that misleading the viewer IS the plot. They obviously want to set up some shocking answers but my brain may be too numb to appreciate any of that.

5 episodes to go, I believe, and I know they have 5 seasons mapped out but this show will never make it if they don't start changing some things. There is really not enough emotional involvement at this point. It's become a brain exercise and a frustrating one at that.

Oh yes--I will watch til the end. But if the show doesn't have some big payoffs soon for all that it has been doing, I'm not sure I'll be able to sign up for another season.

That's exactly how I feel about this show. Way too much of nothing going on, although this latest episode was probably the most interesting one so far. But yeah -- at this rate, I don't know if I'll continue on with Season 2.

 

[dieterbrock]

I was incredibly excited to watch this as I loved the film as a kid. To this day one of my all time faves.
Had a free HBO weekend and recorded the first 2 episodes.
Found it pretty boring, so seeing it doesn't get better is pretty disappointing to say the least

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I was incredibly excited to watch this as I loved the film as a kid. To this day one of my all time faves.
Had a free HBO weekend and recorded the first 2 episodes.
Found it pretty boring, so seeing it doesn't get better is pretty disappointing to say the least

I never saw the original film. Never even heard of it. I guess I'll have to find it.

I wonder if trying to draw the story out for five years has watered the story down too much.

 

[dieterbrock]

I never saw the original film. Never even heard of it. I guess I'll have to find it.

I wonder if trying to draw the story out for five years has watered the story down too much.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUxxaJINhh0&feature=youtu.be

Gives a pretty good idea of the movie
I think the biggest issue is the "technology" back then was cutting edge. I feel like they have made the technology so finite they don't seem like robots like they did back then

 

[Dieter the Brock]

This original film with Richard Benjerman and Yul Brennner rules. It is storytelling and sci-fi at it's best. And it's a Michael Critichton movie theme that you also see in the success of a Jurassic Park or Coma for example - when the science and technology we love and admire goes wonky so to speak, man must become instinctive and violent to survive, anyway

The HBO show absolutely dropped the ball on this one.

Like you all, i loved the original as a kid.
The HBO series is trying to be too cerebral and it's not working.

I mean simple things we love about the original like Roman World is missing. And the fact they are under this assumption that seeing lots of boobies is gonna make me keep watching. They are wrong. It's not. That lame orgy scene isn't the new Eyes Wide Shut, in fact it was just a heeping mess. They shot it hyper stylized and devoid of anything remotely sexy with these perfect "robots" or whatever - if you look at Eyes Wide Shut and the orgy scene, it didn't live in this gratuitous non-sequitur vacum, but was the accumulation of the Tom Cruise character's actions thst led him into a place where there was so much sex it had become scary as Hell. Anyway, in this version of Westworld they are simply using every opportunity to try and get on that Game of Thrones luridness train. Like when the androids are on the table and we see the chicks boobs and there is a dude's dong to right of frame - plesse no more. Seeing nudity needs to be properly set up for it to be cool and forwarding the story, but in HBO version it's just boring

My other big beef is the issue of the James Brolin character being all Seahawks-predator in the this HBO version when he should be that alpha male type man's man for the Richard Benjerman character to contrast to

The Anthony Hopkins character is lame - him having convos with the robots is stupid unless it's Yul Fucking Brenner -- i mean HBO has more $$$ than they know what to do with, why not license Brenner's likeness and do some killer CGI? But nooooooooooo

If this series had been an updated and more detailed version of the film and we would have all been going spe shit right now

 

[RamFan503]

I loved that movie back in the day. I watched it again not too long back and it is certainly dated. But who could not appreciate Yul in that role. Draw!

But they tried making a series out of the movie way back when and it sucked. When I heard about this new series, I figured it may as well. HBO has some great productions but...

OK - A little factoid for those of you who think the nudity in the new one is just a ratings ploy. I used to babysit the Brolin's two boys in the late 70's. I watched the uncut or director's cut (or whatever they called it) version of Westworld on their fancy Lazerdisc system. It had, I think it was, three different scenes with boobies in them. Personally, I think they should have left them in. They were nice boobies. I haven't seen the new one so maybe the orgy scene is just a ratings grab. I'll have to check it out personally to be sure.

 

[IowaRam]

Yul Brynner scared the crap out of me as a kid

Loved the original movie , can't say the same for the new HBO show , which kinda sucks because I was really looking forward to it

 

[Corbin]

Well HBO suspended to series so the writers can get their shit together it appears.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

this article came out yesterday
it kinda hits on the point i was trying to make

How 'Westworld' managed to make a supposedly decadent orgy feel boring

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-westworld-orgy-commentary-20161102-story.html

 

[Hey Man]

I tried it and didn't finish the 1st episode . I saw the trailers leading up to the series and just wasn't what I thought it was going to be . I liked some of Anthony Hopkins movies , not this one.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Westwood suddenly got very interested with the last episode. What a shock! I won't spoil it but they are finally getting to the real story. It just took so long to get to it.

 

[Tron]

Westwood suddenly got very interested with the last episode. What a shock! I won't spoil it but they are finally getting to the real story. It just took so long to get to it.

As soon as he said "what door?" I was like Holy shit!

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

As soon as he said "what door?" I was like Holy crap!

I felt bad for Bernard. They really played on the audiences emotions in that episode. Some sweet revenge in there too. A new hot chick, lots of gratuitous boonies, interesting plot twists, and you finally feel like Hopkins role is worthy of his stature.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I am going to plug this again for any of you that gave up on this show too soon. The last show was genius.

 

[Tron]

I am going to plug this again for any of you that gave up on this show too soon. The last show was genius.

It really was, and opens things up a lot. Hopkins finally got to be unleashed. Amazing episode. have watched it a few times now. Only thing that coulda made it better is some Ed Harris. He is my favorite character so far behind Hopkins.

 

[PA Ram]

I agree. Even though I had some suspicions about that happening, it still was fantastic. And Hopkins hasn't been this evil since "Silence of the Lambs". I'm enjoying it now. I hope it finishes strong. It was renewed for a second season but it won't air until 2018.