u/LibrarianGuilty2161

Firstly let me just say, this is my first post here, im no film critic i just had to talk somewhat about this movie and my opinions on it while both were fresh in my mind, try my hand at something akin to a review. Please forgive me if ive broken any rules and feel free to dunk on me and/or remove my post if needed.

My reading of the book and the movie isnt perfect, im sure i missed plenty, do feel free to correct me or expand on anything if you feel i misinterpreted anything.

So i finally remembered to pick up Fahrenheit 451 from my library today and finished it shortly after i got home from town (i thought the book was going to be longer). LOVED the book, its great, and was eager to see what film adaptations have been made. I am aware of the 1966 film and thats what im going to watch after this as id heard that the 2018 movie kinda sucked, and that the 1966 one was pretty good so im saving it for a "palate cleanser" of sorts before i read the book a second time while i have it on loan.

I get that this movie is an adaptation and by extension that entails a changing of the source material, but so many important fundamentals of the book were entirely changed in this movie, and it rubbed me the wrong way. i was expecting fahrenheit 451, this just aint it for me. Feels to me more like an entirely different story, with the name of a well respected and liked book slapped on it. Along with some big actor names.

As i said im no critic, just a guy who liked the book and wanted to check out the movie. If you liked it thats great and im glad you were able to enjoy it, i just wasnt. I dont know how to write a review well enough for many people to care so ill keep the rest of the post short-ish and to the point, simplifying things a lot for that reason, particularly around the book so its easier to digest for anyone who hasnt read the book in a while, or at all i suppose.

My biggest problem is that they just butchered the key characters, themes, plot points, and the fact SO much is completely missing. The only consistency is the names and fire.

My big issues (no particular order) :

**The Parlour Room** \- Completely absent from the movie? A box shaped room with televisions on the wall playing vauge, meaningless, uncomfortably weird TV. Any context is just removed, for example, people argue with no reason. (and news). Its an important theme from the book, the idea that absorbing just brute facts, without the context is meaningless, the "why" is just as, if not more important, than the "what". TV bad, Book better. The movies tries to keep this sort of principle and does not do it well.

Its clear they tried to replace this with a pseudo, large social media : "the nine". Not an awful concept, but absolutely awfully executed. Its not imposing, it doesnt surround people like the parlour and tv does, it doesn't suck the life out of people, numb them, and remove their desire for the why. In the book the people are kept overwhelmed and docile, to distract them from asking "why".

**THE HOUND** \- Completely absent from the movie. Where are you!! I loved the hound in the book. F\*cking terrifying. They are 8 legged robots, fast and brutal, able to track (can store the scents of like 10,000 people), hunt, and kill. They use a syringe injector in their snouts to inject a cocktail of anaesthetic to immobile "prey", before they are burned. A clear mirror to the cute dogs associated with real firemen. After Montag murders his fellow firemen he has the hounds sicked on him, monty burns style. an incredibly tense part of the book that would have had me biting my nails if i wasnt turning pages. May have been ommitted to keep the movie a 12 age rating? Coulda just made it less scary

**The War(s)** \- Completely absent from the movie. The war isn't a main focus of the book on purpose to show the apathy of the public. Its glossed over constantly, multiple wars start and end repeatedly in the book. After montag escapes the city and the authorities, he is walking away from the city and an atomic bomb is literally dropped on the city he just came from. Pretty big thing to omit

**Montag's Wife, Mildred** \- Completely absent from the movie. attempting suicide early in the book is one important point in Montag starting to become disillusioned (as well Clarisse, more on \*that\* shortly). She is the reason Montag is forced to burn his home, she is so broken and ruined by the constant stream of noise from the parlour, as well as her being his "case study" into how numb and mindless the general public has become. Shes completely unresponsive, confused seemingly, just gone and broken. Her absence ruins so many scenes. Such an important character missing for no reason? Just to force a romance.

**Old dude, Faber** \- Completely absent from the movie. Super influential in Montags character arc from numb dutiful fireman to "rebel". Helps him resist Beatty's "persuasion" for Montag to come back to the apathy and just accept the way things are, despite the misery, with his two way earpiece and microphone. Also serves as a major source of information for Montag to do post murder of Beatty and Co. As well as a possibility how they can at least start to fix things.

**Clarisse** \- Completely ruined. She is supposed to be the innocent 16yr old neighbour that really starts the chain reaction leading to Montag's actions. She sees beauty, shes curious, entirely innocent and filled with empathy and love. She talks late with her family (Completely absent from the movie), into the early hours of the morning, laughing and sharing. Conversations of substance, something Montag longs for, something he doesn't get from his nigh catatonic wife or his "friends". Her unexpected death is what really pushes Montag over the edge, he was used to having someone to talk to nightly, someone not ruined by the world. In this movie she is bastardized into some underground, 'graffiti' peddling, rebel, love interest, who seemingly had something of a romantic or sexual relationship with beatty, unless ive misinterpreted that, who is also.... an informant? Directly leading to people having their "identities erased", and one woman literally killing herself when her books are discovered. Clarisse is definitely my least favourite part of this movie. They ruined her character for no damn reason

**Montag** \- The book paints him as someone who does like his job, he likes fire, he sees the fun and twisted beauty in flame and his job. Though hes not insanely passionate for it, its not shocking his views change. He comes off strong in the beginning of the movie as a major douchebag and then almost instantly a switch is flipped in him and he just, turns "good"? This is almost addressed in the movie when he meets the rebels or the living books, they dont trust him, hes a killer, a brutal fireman. All he does is go "nuh uh" and get a vouch and they just go "yeah okay we are going to put the fate of the future in your hands" WHY is he a celebrity? I know its probably from the social media replacing tv and whatnot, but why make him a celebrity. He didnt have a connection to the parlour room or anything of the sort in the book, so why is he so prevalent on "the nine"? The firemen as a whole are hailed as superstars, militant celebrities and its so bizarre. He has fans for goodness sake.

**Beatty and his relationship with Montag** \- I honestly dont mind that they tried to give Beatty more importance in the whole story, all the way up until the end. Making him an antagonist. That definitely plays better on a screen, a constant antagonist. \*This\* is adapting the book. Where they lost me is the surrogate father son thing. It feels incredibly out of place. Its like they had to force a betrayal, a relationship that has a deep effect on the trajectory of the story, someone to stab Montag in the back. If only Montag had like, a wife, or something. Making these choices for Beatty's character changes him a lot, which is okay, but without him theres nobody to fill the role Beatty had in the book.

Okay i wanted to keep this short, and failed horribly. Lots of stuff i didnt talk about (omnis, and more on the charactes). If anyone made it this far and would like to discuss more i will be in the comments, i have plenty more i could talk about. Its been a while since i really "analysed" a piece of media and doing this brought me back to doing my favourite subject at school, being english lit.

Anyway, thanks for reading this far if you have. Please do ask any questions, and tell me what you think if you want to.

I'm not going to say too much because honestly im lazy and there is just sooo much to say, but what a phenomenonal game! I've been looking for a single player game within my price range or on gamepass and this one just really hooked me.

A large portion of the early game reminded me of the feeling when i was reading 1984 when i was younger in secondary school, i was so confused by all the place names and the words i just didnt quite know the meaning of. The vaguely familiar places and terms, the creeping realisation of how bizzare and uncomfortable *this* world was.

I loved and hated how lost i felt, i got really into the roleplay aspect of brain damaged detective it was just awesome. And when the supernatural (?) elements came i was so suprised, the pale is terrifying and the "hole in the world" is terrifying. I also loved the beautiful stick but baby at the end, my biggest regret is forgetting to follow up with the cryptozoooligist story line, but alas, next time! Also KIM i LOVED KIM, i managed to keep him alive and happy all game and got what i perceived to be a good outcome for most.

I left many stones unturned and side quests unfinished to give myself more new stuff to do because i will absolutely be playing again, maybe even more after that. I cannot wait to solidify what i know, learn more, and correct what i misinterpreted. I started with just the first preset (intelligent or whatever i believe) and had a lot of fun being the bumbling yet brilliant deduction machine. How should i play next time? Id prefer to align at least a little more on the "good" side as thats just more fun for me. But i am open to being... less so maybe on a third playthrough or perhaps my second if its really that worth it.

Thanks for reading my yap

i know im in the minority here, but i love the firestrike overfill perk so much

how do i figure out who i am?

just in case you were wondering who keeps voting for flashpoint

IT'S ME

I don't know who needs to hear this, if anyone but

I watched Fahrenheit 451 (2018) after reading the book for the first time, in the same day.

Just finished the game and i loved it!

If you could replace a perk for your main (or anyone) what would you do?

Care to guess my top artist?

If overwatch had 'team up abilities', what would your ideas be?