Comments on: TV on DVD: “Life on Mars: The Complete Series” http://popdose.com/tv-on-dvd-life-on-mars-the-complete-series/ your daily dose of pop culture Sun, 27 May 2012 16:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: MatthewFhttp://popdose.com/tv-on-dvd-life-on-mars-the-complete-series/comment-page-1/#comment-51147 MatthewF Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:29:57 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=30929#comment-51147 Agreed. Keitel is too old and too 'methody' for the part. Also, the ending is, umm, unfortunate. Agreed. Keitel is too old and too 'methody' for the part. Also, the ending is, umm, unfortunate.

]]> By: bkharmonyhttp://popdose.com/tv-on-dvd-life-on-mars-the-complete-series/comment-page-1/#comment-51146 bkharmony Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:43:47 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=30929#comment-51146 Huge fan of the BBC original here. As I watched the American version of "Life," I tried to keep in mind that both the American and UK versions of "The Office" are great, but in different ways, and that there's plenty of room for different takes on great ideas, particularly when they're accented by cultural differences. <br><br>That said, I think the US version of "Life on Mars" had some great pieces. The direction was good, sets were excellent, the original (not UK-based) stories were surprisingly good. Gretchen Mol and Michael Imperioli were excellent as well. <br><br>Which brings me to why the series ultimately failed for me: the casting of the two main characters was horrible. I never bought Keitel for one second as the badass he needed to be, and Mara just didn't have the chops to portray the already-complicated man thrust into a situation that sends him to the brink over and over again. <br><br>So close, yet so far. Huge fan of the BBC original here. As I watched the American version of “Life,” I tried to keep in mind that both the American and UK versions of “The Office” are great, but in different ways, and that there's plenty of room for different takes on great ideas, particularly when they're accented by cultural differences.

That said, I think the US version of “Life on Mars” had some great pieces. The direction was good, sets were excellent, the original (not UK-based) stories were surprisingly good. Gretchen Mol and Michael Imperioli were excellent as well.

Which brings me to why the series ultimately failed for me: the casting of the two main characters was horrible. I never bought Keitel for one second as the badass he needed to be, and Mara just didn't have the chops to portray the already-complicated man thrust into a situation that sends him to the brink over and over again.

So close, yet so far.

]]> By: MatthewFhttp://popdose.com/tv-on-dvd-life-on-mars-the-complete-series/comment-page-1/#comment-39822 MatthewF Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:29:57 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=30929#comment-39822 Agreed. Keitel is too old and too 'methody' for the part. Also, the ending is, umm, unfortunate. Agreed. Keitel is too old and too 'methody' for the part. Also, the ending is, umm, unfortunate.

]]> By: bkharmonyhttp://popdose.com/tv-on-dvd-life-on-mars-the-complete-series/comment-page-1/#comment-39821 bkharmony Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:43:47 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=30929#comment-39821 Huge fan of the BBC original here. As I watched the American version of "Life," I tried to keep in mind that both the American and UK versions of "The Office" are great, but in different ways, and that there's plenty of room for different takes on great ideas, particularly when they're accented by cultural differences. <br><br>That said, I think the US version of "Life on Mars" had some great pieces. The direction was good, sets were excellent, the original (not UK-based) stories were surprisingly good. Gretchen Mol and Michael Imperioli were excellent as well. <br><br>Which brings me to why the series ultimately failed for me: the casting of the two main characters was horrible. I never bought Keitel for one second as the badass he needed to be, and Mara just didn't have the chops to portray the already-complicated man thrust into a situation that sends him to the brink over and over again. <br><br>So close, yet so far. Huge fan of the BBC original here. As I watched the American version of “Life,” I tried to keep in mind that both the American and UK versions of “The Office” are great, but in different ways, and that there's plenty of room for different takes on great ideas, particularly when they're accented by cultural differences.

That said, I think the US version of “Life on Mars” had some great pieces. The direction was good, sets were excellent, the original (not UK-based) stories were surprisingly good. Gretchen Mol and Michael Imperioli were excellent as well.

Which brings me to why the series ultimately failed for me: the casting of the two main characters was horrible. I never bought Keitel for one second as the badass he needed to be, and Mara just didn't have the chops to portray the already-complicated man thrust into a situation that sends him to the brink over and over again.

So close, yet so far.

]]> By: MatthewFhttp://popdose.com/tv-on-dvd-life-on-mars-the-complete-series/comment-page-1/#comment-38060 MatthewF Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:29:57 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=30929#comment-38060 Agreed. Keitel is too old and too 'methody' for the part. Also, the ending is, umm, unfortunate. Agreed. Keitel is too old and too 'methody' for the part. Also, the ending is, umm, unfortunate.

]]> By: bkharmonyhttp://popdose.com/tv-on-dvd-life-on-mars-the-complete-series/comment-page-1/#comment-38050 bkharmony Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:43:47 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=30929#comment-38050 Huge fan of the BBC original here. As I watched the American version of "Life," I tried to keep in mind that both the American and UK versions of "The Office" are great, but in different ways, and that there's plenty of room for different takes on great ideas, particularly when they're accented by cultural differences. <br><br>That said, I think the US version of "Life on Mars" had some great pieces. The direction was good, sets were excellent, the original (not UK-based) stories were surprisingly good. Gretchen Mol and Michael Imperioli were excellent as well. <br><br>Which brings me to why the series ultimately failed for me: the casting of the two main characters was horrible. I never bought Keitel for one second as the badass he needed to be, and Mara just didn't have the chops to portray the already-complicated man thrust into a situation that sends him to the brink over and over again. <br><br>So close, yet so far. Huge fan of the BBC original here. As I watched the American version of “Life,” I tried to keep in mind that both the American and UK versions of “The Office” are great, but in different ways, and that there's plenty of room for different takes on great ideas, particularly when they're accented by cultural differences.

That said, I think the US version of “Life on Mars” had some great pieces. The direction was good, sets were excellent, the original (not UK-based) stories were surprisingly good. Gretchen Mol and Michael Imperioli were excellent as well.

Which brings me to why the series ultimately failed for me: the casting of the two main characters was horrible. I never bought Keitel for one second as the badass he needed to be, and Mara just didn't have the chops to portray the already-complicated man thrust into a situation that sends him to the brink over and over again.

So close, yet so far.

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