An Unflattering Remake of the original

Rating: 7/10 (9 January 2012)

I have seen the TV Series and while there are some variations in the story, they are very minor ones, and the movie is essentially a scene by scene copy of the TV series. Sure there are some differences and the scenes have been made smaller and all that, but every scene is there in the TV series in one form or the other.
However this is not why I am saying the TV series was better. Given the scenes are same, there is a better effect in the TV series, than in the movie. The performances are so much better in the TV series. Percy Alleline in the movie is not even anywhere close to the Percy Alleline of the TV Series. Control, a one man empire, who was fast losing control of everything around him, and who took an all or nothing gamble is just way better portrayed in the TV series. Control in the movie just comes off as arrogant, and fails to gain any sympathy from the audience. The TV series control even though he was even more of a sod, always had sympathy from the viewer. The conversation between Bill Hayden and Smiley, at the end is just so much more meaningful and deep and poignant in the TV series, and is one of the highlights for me, it just seems so pointless, in the movie. It would make no difference if it wasn't there.
Take the individual scenes, for instance, take the scene where Peter Guillam has to meet, the four after he has stolen the log file, and if you compare the scene in the Series, and in the movie, the TV scene comes off a thousand times better. In fact I can't remember one scene in the movie which comes off as better than the TV series.
The entire power struggle between Control and Alleline, which makes us understand why a desperate Control, the head of British Intelligence, would take such an all or nothing gamble, as gone missing, and really Control's actions, in the movie make no sense to me.
Even Oldman as George Smiley is only a shadow of Smiley's TV Verison. The Smiley in the TV Series never raises his voice, the look in his eyes change and thats all you need to convey to you that he is angry, happy, stern or amiable, and he could move between one to the other almost at the flick of a switch. Hearing Gary Oldman raise his voice and shout is just plain not George Smiley. Bill Hayden in the TV Series, as laughing and amiable agent, is so much better than the movie one, even though this was played by an Acedemy Award winning actor.
The four main characters Alleline, Hayden, Control and Smiley are way better in the TV series than anything I saw in the movie. Even the supporting cast, Prideaux and Guillam, happen to be way better in the TV series. Though two be honest, Prideax and Guillam are the ones who come closest to emulating their counterparts from the TV series, but still fall some way short. Benedict Cumberbatch does his growing reputation no harm, and for me he is the stand out performance in the movie.
As for Tom Hardy, I wonder why he took the role at all.
If you have not seen the TV Series, then you will no doubt like the movie and perhaps rate it at 8, but having seen the series this would be nothing more than a 6.7 at best for me. Though I admit that would be a little harsh on the movie, as I am letting my TV series experience in the way.
I will therefore rate it at 7/10.
Last word, if you have not yet seen this Movie, then I suggest you watch the TV series, its the original product and the movie falls well short of getting anywhere near it. If you have seen the TV Series, then I suggest don't bother watching this rather cheap imitation.