An absolute shambles. A disgrace of an adaptation. Robs the story of its humour.

Rating: 3/10 (27 June 2004)

Catch-22 was always going to be tricky to adapt, because its a panoramic novel whose value is in structure, and the way one chapter is devoted to each character name, whereby we learn little by little about the main character Yossarian and various important aspects of the air-force base. But the absolute minimum I expect an adaptation of Catch-22 to capture is its essence, that spirit of cynical black comedy. You've got to remember, its an uproariously funny book.
So aside from the failed attempt to tell any coherent version of Catch-22 in a two-hour movie, the main thing which makes Mike Nichols' attempt such a blasphemous insult to the novel, is its robbing it almost completely of its humour.
Another movie was made in 1970 which uses black comedy to expose the insanity of war. Despite that movie's bearing no resemblance to Catch-22 plotwise, Robert Altman's classic MASH is a closer adaptation of the spirit of Joseph Heller's novel, than the movie which bears its name.
The atmosphere here is sticky, hot, dusty and unpleasant - so we're not removed enough to be able to laugh. The performances are shoddy - particularly poor Art Garfunkel (he's only a musician, sir, leave him be! - and i will) and less excusably, virtually deserving a defamation suit from Joseph Heller's Yossarian, who no doubt would be amused by the whole thing, Mike Nichols' Yossarian, Alan Arkin. Terrible, weak performance. He looks like he's constantly smirking - yet he's not funny! No! All wrong!
Catch-22 is interesting because of how rare it is that you find a movie this bad, and interesting because Orson Welles is briefly in it (only one or two scenes), though i'd warn Welles fans to steer clear of this. Even completists.
Needless to say, anyone who's read the book, this movie will not only not live up to your expectations, it will actually ruin your memory of the book, and make you believe the book was not as good as you thought. Well, you thought right! The book is terrific, funny, clever! Read the book again! I can't warn you any sterner than this.
3/10 for hiring Orson Welles.