Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Tweekums I watched Neverwhere when it was first aired on the BBC in 1996 and really enjoyed it, I was rather disappointed when a second series didn't materialise. When I spotted the series for sale on DVD I had to buy it.Being made for television at a time when good quality special effects were too expensive some scenes don't look as good as they might now, thankfully the creators seem to have realised this and kept the effects scenes to a minimum instead relying on underground locations to give the series its atmosphere.Richard Mayhew is an ordinary London office worker who's life is changed when he stops to help an apparently homeless woman. He soon learns that she is Lady Door, a resident of London Below, a strange shadow world who's inhabitants pass barely noticed amongst the people of London Above. After helping Door Richard finds himself trapped in this world; his friends and even his fiancé barely notice him and when he confronts them directly they have no memory of who he was. With nowhere else to go he heads into the sewers of London Below trying to find Door again.Richard isn't the only person seeking Door, she is also being sought by Messrs Croup and Vandemaar, two sinister assassins who have already killed her family and appear to want to do the same to Door. There are several other interesting characters, some who help Richard and Door, some who hinder them and others who are not what they appear to be.The story uses the various parts London to give names to characters in a delightfully literal way, Hammersmith is a blacksmith wielding a hammer, The Angel Islington is literally an Angel called Islington and Earl's Court is where the Earl holds court. The actors did a good job, I particularly liked Laura Fraser's portrayal of Door and Hywel Bennett and Clive Russell as the two assassins.I'd certainly recommend this short series to anybody wanting to see something a little different and likes fantasy drama.

grendelkhan I first saw Neverwhere during a PBS pledge drive. I was and am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's writing, since first reading his work in the comic book series Black Orchid. I had read about the mini-series and was dying to see it. My initial viewing was marred by the pledge breaks, but it didn't detract from an enjoyment of the series.The story is first rate, blending elements of fairy tales, fantasy, horror, The Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland. The idea of a world beneath or own is always attractive, whether it is Burrough's Pellucidar, the aforementioned Wonderland, or tales of the Sidhe. The added twist of London geography was brilliant.The characters are first rate, with the Marquis De Carabas and Croup and Vandemar being especially memorable,as were the actors portraying them.Much can be said about the use of video and the budget constraints. Having been weened on Doctor Who, I didn't find this as much of a problem as some. I do think film would have made the world look more fantastic, but the excellent use of actual locations really gave an "Other World" feel to the setting.The DVD release is excellent, providing the series in a high quality transfer, and including commentary from Gaiman, who is a great storyteller, in voice or print. It would have nice to include interviews with the actor and contribution from Lenny Henry, but this satisfies.If you are a fan of fantasy, horror, or just a good story, check this out (with a forgiving eye to the video look of things).

Fred_Paris You probably have to know London a bit to fully enjoy the story of Neverwhere (the series or the novel for that matter). The whole story relies on knowing a bit of the city layout, above and below :) And it's understandable that US viewers can be surprised by the low budget BBC production (unless they were familiarized with it through stuff like Dr Who which seems to be popular at the moment). Most European TVs don't get to sell their productions abroad so they won't invest as heavily as the US productions.I read the novel long before I could get my hands on the DVD (actually way before I was even aware of anything being available in filmed form, much less as a DVD). For some reason the only release seems to be for the US market.Regarding the Neverwhere series, yes, while the cast is mostly good, some of the actors are so-so. Even with the obviously shoestring budget, the sets and costumes are quite inventive and convincingly used. The directing unfortunately is really poor and it does quite a bit of damage to the effectiveness of the whole.If you have read and enjoyed the novel, you will find the series to be something imperfect yes but also something that you can watch with fondness. Possibly a proper adaptation by a proper director with a decent budget would be nice. But it's unlikely it will ever happen. Isn't it better to enjoy what's available even if it could theoretically be better ?

childofGod317 I loved this series. Sure, it's not a Hollywood production budget or anything, but that almost works more in its favor than against it. The world that this series creates is bizarrely believable. From the first few moments when the innocent-bystander hero Richard gets sucked into the adventure to the couldn't-be-more-perfect ending, we get transported into a world of people as real as they are strange, of terrifying beasts and myth-like quests and ordeals, of twists, turns, tricks, and surprises. The book version is, of course, a little better just because it allows you to go deeper into Neverwhere by seeing it all from inside these characters' heads, but that isn't meant as any slam on this series. In fact, this is probably the best filmed version of a story that's also a book that I've ever seen. Totally worth seeing, buying, treasuring. Gaiman is a master of storytelling, and this is one of his first and greatest masterpieces.