Just looked this flick up recently. Anyone else think there some very wrong things here? Lodge is a self-made millionaire, not a villain who crushes small business so much as a result of one. Betty is a tomboy, not an innocent wide-eyed doorstop. Veronica's an imperious tease, not a predatory vamp. Yeah, people could change over time, but it's not an "adaptation" anymore if too much changes. This flick played like someone's idea of Archie characters who's never actually READ any.
I completely agree. I hated their portrayal of Mr. Lodge. He wasn't a mean guy. Betty wasn't a wimp. It would have been much better if Betty had been portrayed with the backbone the character in the comics had. She was sweet but she wasn't a doormat. I DID love that they made Big Ethel a sexpot, though. She deserved something nice to happen to her!
"A man's kiss is his signature" -- Mae West
agreed. I felt this was a disgrace to the Archie comic and it's characters.
shareLol, the worst is what they did to Jughead. The character in the movie had absolutely no resemblance to the Juggy I know. And unless it happened while I was in the bathroom, the famous hat didn't even make an appearance.
shareYou missed nothing. The hat never appears for even a second even though it and his S shirt are the two biggest things about the character.
Though with this movie I doubt that matters. They got all the characters wrong anyhow, what with Mr. Lodge being turned into the film's villain, Veronica a street whore, Reggie a criminal thug,and Jughead as a doormat who lets bullies walk all over him.
Nothing like they were in the comics and nothing like they should have been.
Slobberknocker!
I think that the problem with this film is that it offered a more adult view to the characters, which departs from the comic version.
Betty in the comics is the girl next door, pretty, kind, good student, ambitious.
Jughead is Archie's peculiar best friend, weird, strange, lovable, loves to eat a lot.
Veronica is Betty's nemesis and best friend and they both compete for Archie's approoval. She is rich, attractive and she knows it.
Mr. Lodge is her father, wealthy, strict but deep down kind and believes in hard work.
The movie attempted to place the characters in a more realistic background, they are not teenagers any more, they are grown ups. The grittier tone had a bad effect on the characters and their personalities:
Betty has an abusive boyfriend because clearly she is still in love with Archie, who has left town. Instead of becoming a journalist or a writer she is a teacher.
Veronica is just another socialite, promiscuous, a Paris Hilton of the early 90s
Jughead is miserable, divorced and a total failure who still longs for the happier times of his adolescence.
Mr. Lodge is just another vicious, heartless busineeman.
Part of the reason behind the comic book's success, is that neither Archie nor his friends grow up. They all live in a protected environment, where everything is almost perfect. Something like Pleasantville.
The problem with this film is that there was no audience in the first place.
People who are interested in dramas, would never watch an Archie film.
People who loved the comic book would hate to watch the depressing versions of Archie and his gang.
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I agree with all of your criticisms except for one as far as what they did wrong with the movie vs. what we were used to in the comics.
There have been numerous stories in the comics where Betty dreamed not only of being a writer (obviously the Betty's Diary series was based around that), but she also had dreamed of being a teacher. Her love for the kids makes perfect sense for her to have taken on a job as a teacher.
I agree with everything natzia says except for one. The gang may have changed over time into what they had become in this movie (though I would prefer to think that would never happen) but Mr. Lodge was already an adult and I don't see why he should all of a sudden become a vicious, heartless businessman when he was never like that in the comics.
I grew up reading Archie and I loved it and still do as a matter of fact, but I can accept the fact that the movie offers a more adult perspective and am fine with everything except the portrayal of Mr. Lodge. I think that was way off mark.
Still, at least the ending was a bit upbeat and I can always go and read a comic if I get too depressed seeing the gritter side of Riverdale
I actually didn't like Big Ethel becoming a "sexpot."
It just made Jughead look shallow. In the comics, Jughead hates (or fears) women in general. It has nothing to do with their looks.
Now all of a sudden just because Ethel turns out gorgeous, he likes her? What crap. I would have preferred her looking the same and Jughead realizing that at least someone likes him for who he is.
Not that Jughead himself was very likeable in this movie, but then again, like the OP says, this wasn't like the comics at all.