Family on the run in thriller
Plenty of twists, turns and tantalising teases will keep you hooked to Paul Theroux’s Mosquito Coast, writes
id you ever wonder? How, when Dad’s so smart, did we got to be so poor?’’
The query between the Fox siblings is the mystery at the heart of this terrific modern update of
(which begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday).
As with Paul Theroux’s award-winning 1981 novel of the same name and the under-rated and hauntingly memorable 1986 movie starring the incredible trio of Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and River Phoenix, this is the story of Allie Fox and his family’s descent into the heart of Central American darkness.
But while the central premise is basically intact, the threat of nuclear war is no longer the backdrop and seven episodes allow creators Neil Cross and Rupert Wyatt to widen their scope and the Fox family’s backstory.
The creators’ names will be familiar to Kiwis – Cross has been a longtime Wellington resident and Wyatt helmed the first Weta-infused
movie.
Here, the pair combine in the opening episode to deliver a pulsating drama that showcases some fabulous performances and hints at just enough shrouded mystery to keep the viewer hooked.
When we first meet Allie
Justin Theroux, author Paul’s nephew) he’s demonstrating his latest invention. One that can turn fire into ice.
‘‘Are we going to be rich?’’ son Charlie (Gabriel Bateman) asks. Money is tight in the Fox household. Allie earns just $11
There has always been a rich tradition of trying to turn popular movies into TV shows. The results have been something of a mixed bag. Stuff has a list of eight great ones we’re happy to recommend revisiting, or checking out for the first time.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disappointed with the Kristy Swanson and Luke Perrystarring black comedy horror that emerged in cinemas in 1992, writer Joss Whedon took a second, much darker stab five years later.
The supernatural adventures of Sunnydale’s ‘‘Scooby Gang’’ struck a chord with a generation, and made stars of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan and David Boreanaz.
Cobra Kai
This picks up saga more than 30 years after the 1984 Under-18 Karate Tournament. While the an hour doing odd jobs around the nearby Polski Farms – and the work isn’t exactly steady.
With Charlie homeschooled and his older sister Dina (Logan Polish) preparing for college, Allie tries to ‘‘save pennies on the dollar’’ by using a local chicken restaurant’s used cooking oil as biodiesel to fuel his truck, wife Margot’s (Melissa George) van and sometimes the house’s air conditioning.
But even this and eschewing smartphones can’t prevent the inevitable – their Stockton, California, homestead is being foreclosed.
Dismissing Margot’s suggestion that she get her parents to wire enough money to bail them out, Allie decides the only thing to do is to leave town and start again. ‘‘We’ve done it before,’’ he reminds her.
Breadcrumbs like this are dropped throughout the first hour. Allie hints at ‘‘six identities in nine years’’, educates Charlie that ‘‘cops are victorious Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) now owns a series of car yards, his vanquished opponent Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) is stuck in a time warp.
By focusing on one of the original movies’ bad guys and the fallout from the franchise’s climactic moment, this smartly written and poignant drama is a surprisingly compelling watch.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
A 10-part prequel to the 1982 puppet fantasy, if the original movie felt like Tolkien with puppets, this expanded tale is closer to Gerry Anderson’s
or There’s plenty of worldbuilding to get your head around in the opening episode, but it all sets up an entertaining and engrossing ride.
There’s an endearing and like dogs – it’s good practice to assume they are going to bite’’ and, when shadowed by a menacing-looking car, suggests ‘‘they’re not the bank’’.
All of which means a significant departure from the source novel – but one that feels fresh and still in its spirit at the same time.
Justin Theroux plays this Allie Fox very differently to Ford. The latter was focused, possessed, agitated but Theroux’s version is initially laidback, an idealist, happy to mingle with migrant workers and calmly dealing with queries more earthly quality about the use of puppets and the vocal cast is, quite frankly, incredible.
Hannibal
More than two decades after Anthony Hopkins invited Jodie Foster around for dinner, Thomas Harris’ anti-hero came to the small screen in 2013 in the form of Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.
While this premise had the psychiatrist teaming up with criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) to solve weekly murders, it was the larger picture that really compelled about some of his more unusual lifestyle choices.
It’s only when tensions rise and the family have to leave the area in a hurry that some of his more manic tendencies start to surface.
In a way, this feels like this year’s or ,a compelling family drama set against a morally questionable backdrop, where the landscape is just as much a key character as any of the weird and wonderful people they might encounter.
The big blue sky and wide open spaces seem almost as oppressive as the magnificent over its threeseason run.
A show that successfully mixed anarchic and slapstick humour with political messages and truly poignant drama. Robert Altman’s original 1970 black comedy is also worth seeking out on Disney+ for seeing how it all started and some of the key players were originally pitched.
Parenthood
M*A*S*H*
An initial attempt to bring Ron Howard’s 1989 family comedy to the small screen failed. Another crack a generation later resulted in a rare, compelling dramedy. starring Lauren Graham, celebrated family, but also tackled subjects like teenage alcohol, abortion, infidelity, adoption, racism, cancer and local politics.
Peter Weir’s fog-shrouded jungle in the 1986 version, while
and serial Marvel music man James Murray’s driving score adds much to the atmosphere.
Sure, fans of other incarnations might bridle at the changes, but there’s enough twists, turns and tantalising teases to make an initial exploratory dip into the first instalment turn into an addictive all-night binge.
Westworld
This series has updated and opened out Michael Crichton’s 1973 theme-park-goes awry tale with a complex and labyrinthine look at the perils and ethics around artificial intelligence.
It helps significantly that it has a magnificent cast that includes Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton and Jeffrey Wright.
What We Do in the Shadows
A Staten Island-set spinoff of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s 2014 very Wellington mockumentary horror-comedy didn’t inspire confidence, however the result has been a triumph.
In creating a new household of disparate bloodsuckers, they have transported their unique sensibilities and humour to a new audience.
Unknown actors bring their characters to life without being weighed down by additional baggage. –