The miniseries based on Joseph Heller's celebrated novel, Catch-22, sees George Clooney both direct and star in the six-part war drama, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Most people will have encountered Heller's acclaimed 1961 novel at some point in their lives. The bestseller regularly appears on lists of the greatest books of all time, and rightly so.
While an earlier attempt to bring the book to the big screen was made in 1970 with the film Catch-22, that version left many devoted fans disappointed, with many believing it failed to do justice to Heller's masterpiece.
However, 2019 changed everything with the television debut of Catch-22 the miniseries. Marking Clooney's return to the director's chair, the gripping war drama attracted a host of distinguished names from the outset.
The satirical black comedy miniseries represented another bold attempt to bring Heller's celebrated war novel to the screen, this time for television audiences, and it appears the endeavour was well worth it.
Boasting an impressive approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Catch-22 has been hailed as 'exceedingly good' by viewers.
The series features Christopher Abbott in the lead role as Captain John 'Yo-Yo' Yossarian. Abbott is joined by Kyle Chandler, Hugh Laurie, Daniel David Stewart, and George Clooney, forming a remarkable ensemble brimming with talent.
Clooney also served as executive producer, collaborating with his long-time producing partner Grant Heslov. Both directed two episodes each, while Ellen Kuras directed the remaining two, completing the six-part miniseries.
The miniseries remains faithful to the source material while incorporating its own distinctive pace and narrative choices.
The official synopsis reads: 'Artful dodger Yossarian is a bombardier in the U.S. Air Force during World War II who is upset that thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. His biggest problem isn't the enemy, though; it's his own army that keeps increasing the number of missions soldiers must fly to complete their service. And if Yossarian tries to avoid his assignments, he will violate catch-22, a bureaucratic rule that states a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous missions, but a request to be removed from duty is evidence of sanity and makes him ineligible to be relieved.'
To lend credibility to the production, four authentic aircraft were used for filming: two North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain military transport, and a Junkers Ju 52 transport.
One critic said: 'It is beautifully shot, thoughtfully written, and incredibly well acted.' Another wrote: 'Bringing this work to TV was a risky move, but the finished product is exceedingly well done and, at a time when government gobbledygook has trumped all previous notions of unbelievability, perhaps more urgent than anyone could have predicted.'
Praise for Clooney was also plentiful, with one critic noting: 'The show marks a return for Clooney as a storyteller, playing into both sides of his directorial oeuvre and makes a strong case for Christopher Abbott as a new leading man.' Another reviewer added: 'Considering the source text, I honestly cannot imagine how it could have been done better.'
Viewers were equally captivated. One said: 'I stumbled upon this masterpiece when searching for a documentary about WW2, though this isn't a documentary, this was a great show. This show became like a drug and made me addicted to it; every episode made me want to watch the next one. The story based on the book was made into film wonderfully; the environment and the music fit the show's vibe fantastically. I definitely recommend you watch it!'
Another fan said: 'Fantastic adaptation of the book – great cast, beautifully shot, good pacing.' Another added: 'What a fantastic mini-series, and I didn't even see much advertisement on it. I'm not really into war movies/TV shows, but this one definitely makes the cut. It really highlights humanity for what it is.' One fan wrote: 'Really enjoyed the honesty of the show and amazing sets, costumes, and cast. One of my favorite things I have watched in a long time.'
Catch-22 is streaming on Amazon Prime now.
