I had low expectations for this movie, even with Michael B and Michael Shannon (both of whom I love). Making a movie based on a book like Fahrenheit 451 is a risk, since it’s so unlikely that the film can match the source material’s greatness. So maybe it’s for that reason that I actually enjoyed it. Contrary to some other opinions I’ve read, I think the movie captures the spirit of the book quite well. I re-read it a couple weeks ago. It’s still awesome. With it being written in the 1950’s, there’s bound to be some gaps in the technology. Bradbury obviously couldn’t have predicted cell phones or social media. He did, however, somehow manage to predict earbuds, and drone surveillance, and the general entertainment society that we seem to be driving towards. They couldn’t have made a completely literal film adaptation. It just wouldn’t work. So they had to introduce a few new elements (and omitted a few things from the book), which I guess some people probably took exception to. But I didn’t think the changes were intrusive. The basic elements of the plot and themes are the same from book to movie – much more so than I even expected. I suppose I should make the caveat here: I love books. And this movie throws out all manner of references, which I ate up. This is a movie that makes you want to read ALL the books. Anyway…I liked this movie. I could see why others don’t like it. But it’s a worthwhile film, with some good performances from the Michaels. Hopefully people will give it more of a chance.

3 out of 5 stars