Review: From George Clooney and Hulu, ‘Catch-22,’ With a Catch

when/why did men decide to get with the 'cute' factor? the over-acting knowing wink of george clooney, 'i know i am appearing to act like an angry white white man,' (wink wink) i'm not --but im going to 'show ' the audience how cleverly i can portray this). the reviewer's idea that the 'merit' of CATCH-22 lies(in the novel) because of the superfluous 'trippy' 1960's flashbacks to the '40's is another whole issue. stripped down to a war story - it works/holds up. otherwise, there's waaay too much padding. in my opinion, the 'book' is not readable today. but, the 'details' are. finally, how wonderful to see that Sal Mineo mated with Montgomery Clift and had a reincarnated baby actor.

It's probably unfair to compare any film to its book. As Marshall McLuhan observed, the mind is much more engaged in creating a picture in the mind's eye of the individual to match the blueprint offered by the author's prose than is the mind of the person more passively taking in the highly detailed film visualization.

Heller is probably rolling over in his grave at such a mismanaged effort. Sounds like it's the opposite of the book. I'll take a pass on this.

It's not news that no film or TV adaptation can ever be as good as the book. Duh. I did like the movie though. The casting was inspired; they all looked just like the characters were described in the book. But I was disappointed they left out Chief White Halfoat.

A favorite novel of mine because the insanity and self dealing of the characters seems to coexist so well with the rage,profundity, carnality and humor of life in Heller’s WWII Italy. Yossarian’s vexatious concern with the fact that the Germans are shooting at him blends nicely with the absurdity of Major Major’s approach to office hours...” you can see me when I’m not here”...which is so well understood by his Sargent after a brief talking to. Wanting to be declared insane by the insane guys directing the war makes so much sense, too,once we get to know Colonels Cathcart and Korn who ask only that Yossarian “like them” in return for their willingness to excuse Yossarian’s various direlections of conventional duty which they only care about so long as their careers are advanced; a commentary on corporate life, for sure. The absurdity of the story is what helped readers begin to really think about what blind devotion to hierarchy begets. How about the scene in which Orson Welles as Gen. Dressel brings his WAC to the mission briefing while the pilots go crazy over his WAC? The scene of Yossarian nude in the tree is priceless and hilarious and somehow believable as a response to the craziness of what is happening to him and around him. Clooney isn’t Yossarian? Hmmm...maybe that makes sense. I will have to check out this latest screen version but no matter, the original brilliant and endlessly enjoyable story is right on my book shelf whenever I want to read it again.

If you've been in the military, you would have known at least two of the Catch 22 characters. (I did)

I guess that I am just a stupid fool, as I thoroughly enjoyed the Hulu version, as I did the original Catch-22 movie. Yes, the book was better than both, but that doesn't mean that neither the movie or mini-series versions are bad. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and sometimes a remake (as with a cover song performed by a good artist) can be as good or even better than the original. At minimum, it can remind one of why the original version was so good, which in the case of Catch-22, is not a bad thing as this country contemplates the insanity of going to war with Iran. At minimum, I would rather watch this remake of Catch-22 any day over a moronic fantasy/fairy tale filled with flying horses and gargoyles.

I loved the book; I think it’s probably on my top ten favorites list. I didn’t see the movie thinking no movie could ever capture the brilliance and nuance of Heller’s writing. I DID watch the first episode on Hulu and thought it was okay but kind of boring. Having read this review and the comments, I think I’ll stop, watch The Handmaid’s Tale, and read Catch-22 again.

Catch 22 is the book I recommend to those people who hate to read; it works every time as those people become avid readers thereafter. The complex cast of characters is a feast for anyone and everyone. It would be hard to encompass this on the screen big or small. I was looking forward to this series to see Catch 22 come to life. After reading this review, not so much, but I will visit it anyway.

Of course, the novel is better than the movie, which is better than the TV adaptation. That having been said and understood, however, I had trouble from the beginning of the first episode, when it became clear that Yossarian had just barely memorized his lines and didn't know where to punch a sentence or how to slow down. (Compare Christopher Abbott's portrayal to that of Alan Arkin in the film.) By the time the first commercial arrived, I had made up my mind, although I continued to watch. Finally, much as I like big band music, I found the sound track intrusive, drawing attention away from the action instead of enhancing it.

Tried to watch the first episode of the Hulu series- got about halfway through and had to bail out. This review is spot on- at least the film captured some of the absurdity of war, this "Catch-22" has been sanitized for your protection....

I just finished revisiting Catch-22 after many years without having known Hulu was making a mini-series. I wished they hadn't. I never even bothered watching the Nichols version. You'd know by reading the book, Heller is not adaptable for the screen. M*A*S*H did a decent job of approximating the intent. However, Altman obviously created his own conventions far different than Heller in order to make the story work. I wish someone could make a live version of Catch-22. A mini-series seems like an appropriate format. On paper, it looks like a great idea. Sadly no. Don't try. It's not that sort of book.

@touk, One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest comes to mind as an adaption of a great book that really worked. I enjoyed both, although the two were very different. Maybe great acting and directing helps.

The book has meaning beyond that of the military during war. I first read the book in my bunk aboard a U.S. Navy ship in 1963, and saw the psychology of the corporation. The uniforms could easily be civilian suits. The strivings of ambitious officers shown by Heller in a list entitled "feathers in my cap" and "black eyes" without regard to the inhumanity of its purpose. Were I to attempt a movie of "Catch 22" I would make it in the civilian world, not the military. But I would end the story as Heller did, on a liferaft symbolizing Hope.

I think the film is underrated. It's a minor masterpiece in the way it both skewers the military establishment while keeping a humanity and (often) sympathy with the characters. Clooney's also underrated "Men who Stare at Goats" attempts the same. Interested to see this latest incarnation.

I for one am grateful to hear that at least some of the worst of the novel's appalling misogyny has been excluded. And yes, I get that this was a story of men at war in a certain era, and exaggerated (maybe) for satiric effect, but it is so ugly and relentless I couldn't finish. I'm looking forward to watching it anyway (full disclosure: my brother has a small part in one episode), but I thank Clooney for being a more decent "author" than Heller was in that regard.

It was interesting until the first commercial ad. Streams have disrupted that old paradigm.

Very disappointing, so I’m not sad that we don’t have Hulu. It’s amazing over the many years how millions have misused Heller’s brilliant title/phrase.

It’s extremely cliché but, for me and for this particular book, there’s no other way to say this: any screen adaptation will never be as good as the book. I first read Catch-22 in college, not for a class but because it was included in some list of top 100 (20?) books and I got curious. I dove in knowing hardly anything about it and my mind was blown. It’s still my favorite novel of all time. Side note: I am a little surprised there is no mention in this review of Heller’s theatrical version of Catch-22 - or of his play, Clevinger’s Trial. Would have been curious to know how the dialog/humor level/chronology choices compare.