Catch-22

John "Yo-Yo" Yossarian (Christopher Abbott) joined bomber command to prolong his training and hoping to avoid a short war. He has to survive training under Scheisskopf (George Clooney) and later flying under the command of Colonel Cathcart (Kyle Chandler) who continuously raises the mission count needed to be sent home. He's a great bombardier but he can't deal with the illogical craziness of his own side. He is desperate to get out. Doc explains to him that if he asks to leave due to mental issues, he would show survival instincts and thereby proving that he's not crazy. That's the catch-22. Other characters include the wheeling and dealing Milo, the caring nurse Duckett, and Major Major who gets promoted to Major through incompetence like so many other characters.

Yo-Yo annoyed me at first. He whines so much although he's not without his points. It is very Fubar. It would be more appealing to have start him as an innocent and have the war turn him into a cynic. After awhile, I get the point of his character and the craziness does get to be fun. Milo is weirdly endearing and even Chandler is not an evil villain. The evil villain is the situation and the world. It's a screwed up world and everybody has a slice of it. Everybody deals with it in their own ways and Yo-Yo insists on fighting it. This Hulu miniseries is a good adaptation of the anti-war classic.

The Mike Nichols 1970 adaptation is a masterpiece in virtually every way. Amazing cinematography, innovative de-constructed screenplay, absolutely perfect casting, and most importantly genuinely conveys the dark insanity of the war as Heller's novel portrays, the absurdity of the military, and the banality of evil. Spectacular in every respect.

Despite being 6 hours rather than 2, this really adds nothing, while falling short of the original film's concise storytelling. It's very pedestrian and TV movie in its approach looks more like an Abercrombie & Fitch commercial than a serious film. Interchangeable pretty boys that fail to differentiate themselves as characters.

It's competent and very watchable, but to me it falls well short of the film to an almost embarrassing degree. Not quite as bad a comparison as the TV version of "The Shining" to the Kubrick film, but damn close...

Making a direct adaptation of any novel is next to impossible, and even more so with Catch-22. That being said, as someone who loves the book and has read it multiple times, I'm incredibly pleased with this series. George Clooneys direction has a very coen brothers feel, and I think goes well with the overall tone of the book, and makes for a great show.

One of the greatest books ever written, certainly as an anti-war film. I had never heard of the guy who played Yossarian, but he was amazing. His face is so emotive and he captured the complexity of his character. Yossarian is not a hero; some call him a bit of a coward, but he represents something in all of us. He doesn't want to die because some bullying general who never flies a mission. He has done his duty but they keep adding more missions every time he approaches his discharge limit. For those of you who totally missed the point and were expecting a regular war movie, did you get what the title means?

The show is very unique in its portrayal of war. I have not read the book, but the absurdity and stupidity of war is highlighted time and again. The US military appear to be absolute buffoons with little regard for troops. Military figures are played brilliantly by Kyle Chandler as Cathcart and George Clooney as Scheisskopf.

The stupidity of Cathcart and harshness of Scheisskopf directly affect the protagonist that comes in the form of John Yossarian. Cathcart does not know how to order his men without the repeated assistance of Colonel Korn played by Kevin J. O'Connor. By way of highlighting Scheisskopf's brutality and anger towards him, Yossarian sleeps with his wife. Both are instrumental to the plot of the show in powerful roles.

John Yossarian is played by Christopher Abbott very well. He is able to demonstrate Yossarian's desire to leave the war and go home. His performance is amazing especially as the series continues because he starts to lose a grip on his mental state. War leads Yossarian to lose his grip on reality due to his loss of friends.

War is not painted as evil or bad throughout the show however. War is also shown to be the very definition of capitalism in the character of Milo Minderbinder played by Daniel David Stewart. He uses the war to fly to European countries to expand his business relationships using American planes. Minderbinder considers Yossarian his best friend and that dynamic is one of the more interesting plot-lines.

Yossarian's dynamics with his friends, Dr. Daneeka, and Nurse Duckett are very interesting too. The show is full of nuance and is far better than marketing has shown. I definitely suggest this show. Not only is it entertaining, but it is full of deeper meaning. Please watch the show!!!