Catch-22 was one of the shows I looked forward to seeing in 2019. Then, it arrived. Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for the Mike Nichols version, but this literal adaptation of the literary classic was a little too on the nose. Spread across 4 1/2 hours, Clooney and company sunk their teeth into every little word in the Heller classic. Did they answer anything? No. But, they did convince me that Hugh Laurie should star in more military films.
George Clooney is a tough nut to crack. He has the chops and desire to produce stunning work. However, he could make a Pixar animated film and it would feel like he’s preaching at me. When you work past the initial idea that military bureaucracy is crazy, then what is left? Nothing. What was funny after World War II and had something to say in the 1970s about Vietnam feels like a retread of a retread.
But, what an amazing looking and well-cast retread. The DVD release is stacked with documentaries, deleted scenes and outtakes. Yet, we can’t get an HD version of the Nichols’ film released on Blu-ray. This is the curse of living in the modern era.
Catch-22 arrives November 19th
