I recall reading the book and maybe seeing some movies as a young lad... and I recall that I wasn't very absorbed by the story. It always felt kind of serious and boring.
Later on I've developed some admittedly geeky habits and "cultural preferences" if you will... Now that I've settled down, with my forehead boldly approaching the back of my head, and with my little kids fighting for my attention during the evening when I'm back from work, I've stopped even pretending interest in hoher Kultur. In the precious little free time that I have to relax, between the moment my kids (finally!) fall asleep and before I myself shut down for the day, I tend to like *simple* movies that are fun to watch, aren't complex, don't present conflict... but somehow aren't boring to the geek in me. Fairly tales for the boy who's never grown up. I don't mind an absurd black-humoured gag or two - at my age I know how that compares to reality.
I have to say that I liked this piece. It was the right action brainwash, matching my tastes. It kept me waiting with a smile for the next funny twist, for another gag around the corner... and I don't mind the anticlimactic ending. Probably because of me living this side of the pond.
Even during the scenes of sometimes absurd violence, the movie didn't feel insulting to me. I don't like torture porn thrillers, generally I don't like movies where women and especially *children* are being hurt. This movie is none of that. This is a well-cast comedy with a pinch or two of tongue-in-cheek bloody violence... Even the homosexual twist is presented in a very civilian, non-homophobic way. It makes you smile in surprise, but it's in no way insulting. Iconoclastic? Maybe... Well there you have it - I like much of what the Monty Python's had to say in their day... I liked the acting performance of the teenage Jim Hawkins (flat as he might seem) and especially the Dr.Livesey seemed rather persuasive to me, in all the bizarre situations :-)
To me, the movie was good fun.
