This remake of a classic really does work...for the most part. I was reluctant to watch this new TV adaptation having recently seen the 1971 film again. The story meanders considerably from the original novel and screenplay...primarily I would think to cater for more recent generations. It does not detract... although minor irritations become more than obvious..For instance, John Grants cell 'phone continually displays "No Signal" even when he is located in the middle of a fairly sizeable mining town in 2016!
The cinematography is splendid, certainly rivalling the original movie. The sun-bright, yet dark, landscape and decaying town paints a delicious background for Grants seemingly endless nightmare. Part two of the mini series, with Grant on the run, is classic "edge of the seat" movie making, although, I found the frequent "speed of light" hangover and drug tinged collages to be rather too long and a distraction at times. Other viewers may feel the opposite...
The acting varied. Sean Keenan plays Grant with even more desolation and desperation than did Gary Bond whilst maintaining the characters basic personality. Highlight is David Wenham as the cop..playing a bigger role than did Chips Rafferty, and with an even larger degree of congeniality,descending into a sinister menace and back again! I feel the weakest role was the new character on the Wake In Fright block, Anna Samson, overacting to the hilt as the harridan Mick Jaffries, with a performance lifted straight from the 1970s series Prisoner!!! Similarly, Alex Dimitriades was no match for the slimy Donald Pleasance in the part of Doc Tydon. Overall, I recommend this remake.The good considerably outweighs any negatives. The spirit of the original remains very well intact despite most of the modernisation.
