Westworld

It's a shame that this series isn't working out so far The makers really should have followed the cheap and cheerful vibe of the 1973 movie. At least that was fun! This series suffers the post millennial habit of taking itself far too seriously ( think of the Daniel Craig Bond films) to the point that it becomes a chore to watch. The 1973 movie starring Yul Brynner and Richard Benjamin got everything right. Keep it simple, keep it fun. That way lies a far more rewarding viewing experience.

This show is a sort of what-if: what if highly advanced robots were developed, ostensibly to populate a theme park? Different characters react according to their personalities. To Dr. Ford (Sir Anthony Hopkins), who keeps a copy of Michelangelo's CREATION OF ADAM in his office, it is the creation of a new species. To Bernard Lowe, it is a fascinating experiment to take his mind off personal tragedy. To the pompous writer Sizemore, it is a new artform as he composes narratives for the robots to carry out. To visitors William and Logan it is wish-fulfillment, whether it is William's search for love or Logan's vulgar thrill-seeking. To Theresa, it is just a business, and she complains that Dr. Ford's attempts to making robots more lifelike and unpredictable will eat into profits. The robots themselves, who are supposedly rebooted after each "show", aren't supposed to think or feel anything -- but they are starting to do so. The show has numerous artistic references -- Dr. Ford's Michelangelo painting, the logo parodying Da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" drawing, Debussy's REVERIE, plus references to old-fashioned Westerns. It is refreshing to see a show where there is attention paid to character and ideas as well as action.

I don't understand this TV show got such a big ratings. It's really unique with good soundtracks, but very confusing, unrealistic & repetitive. There are lots of things you might have questions which aren't answered & it gets more & more confusing especially with flashbacks, which I hate. Eventually it gets boring as well with same stories, with same characters who won't die. So many flashbacks, that sometimes you don't understand which scene is real & which past... I think this TV show is very overrated.