Riverworld (2010)

I loved the first book. I really liked the second book. I thought the third book was really good. Sometime while reading the fourth book, I decided to find out how many there were and saw the number to be around a dozen. Okay. I could do a dozen. While still reading the fourth book, I found that my list had been incomplete, or at least told thus by a reputable source and gave up. I had been enjoying the books, but they were getting slower, as each new book introduced a bunch of new characters and pushed the goals farther and farther away. Farmer never really resolved any story arcs in those first books, because after all, the characters are immortal. But, I stand by my initial reaction, and still think this is a brilliant idea for a series. Someday, when it's complete and I'm caught up on m reading list, I may dive back in. Someday.
I watched the 2003 movie and was greatly disappointed. What I didn't know at the time was that it was a pilot for a television series that never got picked up by Sci-Fi (remember Syfy didn't show wrestling?). It makes sense that you would only show a little of the story if you were going for 13 or 22 episodes or more. But the earlier movie glossed over some of what I thought was crucial stuff in the first book. Now, I knew going in that this was a reboot and a mini-series by the same folks who brought us Tin Man and Alice, both quite enjoyable re-imaginings of the Oz stories and the Wonderlands stories, respectively. I've got to say that all in all, they were more faithful to the concept of Riverworld, even if choosing a different main character.
This movie did leave a lot to be desired, but I don't blame them for it. A large part of the series that I thoroughly enjoyed would be considered worldbuilding and backstory. I liked reading how Sam Clemens gathered people together to build the riverboat. I also liked that each time they were born anew, they were naked back where they started. I liked that people from similar times and places came back together, and i especially liked that they all spoke their native languages. I liked that there some neanderthals that were part of the mix. I loved reading how science was being rediscovered in a fast forward fashion as various learned people gathered together. I do understand why this would be good television. I had half hoped that since this was being called a reboot, that they would start at the very beginning and show the rise of Clemens, but at the same time, since I knew that Syfy did not pick it up as a series, I hoped that they at least got through that first major story arc with out giving up too much. I guess I kind of got this second bit.
The two complaints about the way this mini-series was handled are minor, more nit-picks. First, if you are going to have a Japanese character, pick a Japanese actress. Jeananne was good as Tomoe Gozen, but it was distracting. Second, and this is bigger now that I think about it, if you are trying to back in a dozen books, do not spend precious seconds here and there showing scenery. You can show the beauty and the majesty of the environment while moving the story along. There was at least enough time wasted on panoramic and pastoral shots for one more it not two more scenes that could have been spent filling in details.
I am glad I watched it, though, even if it is left a bit open at the end. There was just the right mix of a complete story for the mini-series, with enough hint of what could come if they got picked up by the network. If only the execs had found this as appealing as I did and had taken their eyes off of the pro wrestlers for a bit.

Riverworld on IMDb