I read the book Mr. And Mrs. American Pie late last year and didn't know that Palm Royale was based on it. As I began watching the first episode, I wondered about it feeling a bit familiar. Reading the credits confirmed that it is LOOSELY based on the novel. The tone, at least, if not the actual story. It's like promising you creamy delicious vanilla ice cream and then giving you gritty overly artificial froyo. Is Kristen Wiig good in the lead? Yes. Are the rest of the cast above average. Absolutely. It's just not the story from the original novel and sometimes I wonder why they use the book at all if most of the really interesting elements are whittled out.
I'm three episodes in and struggling to stay with it. It's lost some heart and while Maxine is always a challenging character to truly like, this version is truly hollow. I haven't found anything redeeming in this adaptation. It's a fine watch for Wiig fans but ultimately mediocre in story telling and structure.
I'm three episodes in and struggling to stay with it. It's lost some heart and while Maxine is always a challenging character to truly like, this version is truly hollow. I haven't found anything redeeming in this adaptation. It's a fine watch for Wiig fans but ultimately mediocre in story telling and structure.