Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins

Some of you may know what "Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins" is all about, but I am guessing that some of you don't have the faintest idea what I am talking about. Let me explain.

I am a big fan of the Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo film review radio slot on Radio 5, which I catch on Podcast. Mark has a doctorate in something probably rather trivial - but don't tell him I said that because I was only trying to be funny, not to insult him although to be honest, I have more chance of winning the lottery 2 weeks in a row than him finding out, so if you do bump in to him, please say "hi" from me - so is often referred to as "the Good Doctor". So, the Good Doctor reviews films, and does so in quite an amusing way.

One of the films he has reviewed this yeas is Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief. He is not much impressed with this film. It is, I am reliably informed, directed by the director of the first two Harry Potter films, and is such a seemingly blatent rip off of HP that Mark very much questions the point of its existence. Having seen the trailers, I expect my vote would come down on the Good Doctor's side every time. During one of his rants, he made some comment about how pointlessly the same as HP it was, and why did they not just call it "Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins" to really make the point that it was indeed a pointless rip off of the relatively original HP (which itself has had a plagarism charge made against it).

So, it turns out that I am not the only person on this planet who listens to the good doctor, whether live, via the internet or on podcast. I may be the only sane listener however, because one or more of his followers has been rather inspired by BSatCoP and started a blog, has created a poster and generally grasped the baton with a vigour and creativeness that means that, within our lifetime, someone will probably have made a film with that title!

So, anyway, back to the reason why the phrase "Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins" came into being. Mark K absolutely hates this film because it has no purpose, except, in his words, as a way to mercilessly make money.

So, being a balanced kind of individual, I feel the need to put forward an alternative viewpoint. Maybe actually it is because I simply like to argue the opposite of anyone I meet.

So, maggot 1 went to see this film for the second time at the weekend with our friend's daughter who is 12. He loved it as much as the first time, and she loved it for the first time. But the point is, they both loved it.

Now, we have another friend whose child has watched Cars probably 100 times. He loves Cars. Actually, I love Cars, and have even shed a tear at one bit ... when I got something in my eye. Anyhow, if we told this child there was a film like Cars, called Broom Brooms or something, then he would be over the moon. Another film AS GOOD AS CARS, that is amazing. I am guessing now, but I reckon the child would absolutely love Broom Brooms. I am also guessing a bit, but I would imagine that the Good Doctor would absolutely HATE Broom Brooms for the same reason as he hates Percy Jackson.

So, who is right?

They both are, obviously, because film is art and art is subjective. I love Radiohead. Many people I know do not. I love Marmite, and I am led to believe there are some who don't. I even love The Cardiacs, Cardinal Sin and the Bum Notes and Tom Waits, and you can be damn sure that there are plenty of people who have never heard of them, and if they have hate them.

But I digress again. The actual point of all these words is to say that yes, PJ is a bit derivative, and yes, it looks very much like a cynical attempt to extract money from young folks who don't know better. They don't have the experience and depth of knowledge the Good Doctor has, and they are obviously enjoying different things than he is. But, I tell you, there is someone down our way who absolutely loved the first film, and cannot wait until PJ the sequel is released. He even went to the World Book Day at his school dressed as none other than Percy Jackson. Obviously, he had to explain to everyone who he was, and for some being told did not improve their understanding, but hey, as Esther Rantzen often said, that's life.