I found it quite amusing but not laugh a minute and I wouldn't recommend it to non-birders - it's probably not for every birder either.
3 challengers - all denying (to each other) that they were even attempting a big year list.
The money-bags CEO who can afford splash-the-cash helicopter assistance and the nice guy who is trying to hold down a job at the same time. Then there's the despised guy who, to his sycophantic followers, almost holds god-like status and who just happens to be the current record holder. It will certainly strike a chord with some UK twitchers and year listers
I've not read the book so I can't say which is better but, on balance, the film is probably worth a look.
Cheers, John
Sounds as if they've kept the guy who was doing it weekends and holidays and conflated the other two guys into the CEO to make room for a new third character. There are no originals for the two girls featured in the trailer either; the ones providing a comment on the guys' activities.
Apparently, the sequal is being filmed in the new year titled, "The Year of the Idiot", (not much violence but plenty of swearing!)
I wonder then Mark who is being cast in the lead role to play your goodself? - possibly Brad Pitt , Tom Cruise maybe or even Daniel Craig ....for a much more genuine northern accent I think it has to be Peter Kay
I found it quite amusing but not laugh a minute and I wouldn't recommend it to non-birders - it's probably not for every birder either.
3 challengers - all denying (to each other) that they were even attempting a big year list.
The money-bags CEO who can afford splash-the-cash helicopter assistance and the nice guy who is trying to hold down a job at the same time. Then there's the despised guy who, to his sycophantic followers, almost holds god-like status and who just happens to be the current record holder. It will certainly strike a chord with some UK twitchers and year listers
I've not read the book so I can't say which is better but, on balance, the film is probably worth a look.
Went to see the film tonight with the 2 Johns (Rayner/Tromans) It's not as bad as the critics would have you believe and it passed a couple of hours. Some nice footage of the birds and a film for all the family, no swearing or violence, so it's not very realistic (for those of you who have attended some twitches!) I would give it 7/10, but I'm no Barry Norman Apparently, the sequal is being filmed in the new year titled, "The Year of the Idiot", (not much violence but plenty of swearing!)
Have been told earlier today that the critics have given it a hard time because they are looking for a laugh a minute main strem comedy, we are a niche market Bill!
though rotton tomatos gave it 34(?)% which is not good at all, the audience polls apparently gave it a B- (from A* to F) so can't be too bad.
This film was given a rather unflattering review in the Times last Friday 2/12. The review started off with a bit of a stereotypical and in my opinion not especially literate ramble! I quote as follows: - "I have dabbled in bird-watching. And the one thing I know for sure is that if you're not actually in the act of doing it, pretty much everything about it is boring. Come to think of it, even if you are in the act of doing it, it's quite boring". That's well and truly, in a few lines, got our hobby sorted then hasn't it! I won't quote all the review but it ended with "Unfortunately it's only marginally more fun than bird flu".
Other similarly critical brief reviews from other broadsheets can be read at http://www.screenrush.co.uk/films/film-178901/press-reviews/
Hope this is of some help in making up your mind whether to see it or not?
- possibly Brad Pitt 
not for me, seems to be just taking the mick out of birders.