Sons of Liberty

[m080470]

Anyone watching? As a history buff, who in particular is fascinated by the American Revloution era, this is by far the most laughable, inaccurate, "historical" film since Birth of a Nation. It's not nitpicking stuff like "Oh, Adams had a brown coat on and everyone knows he always wore blue" but BIG things like a young, semi-drunken Sam Adams beating the crap out of British soldier after the Boston Massacre. Not only Adams not present at the Massacre, he was 47, portly, and someone who still had the old-school Massachusetts puritan in him when it came to sin.

The build-up to and the significance of the Boston Tea Party was so completely botched it took a couple of minutes to realize that "oh, that was supposed to be the Boston Tea Party", the way Congress was formed, Hancock spending all his money on rifles and muskets for minutemen. The patriots did need heavy ordnance like cannon and for large amounts of gunpowder which the British thought they were hiding at Concord but as far as muskets and rifles go, if you were a farmer or most anyone in colonial America, you had a gun at home.

 

[LordEgg]

^whatever, next your gonna tell us George Washington didn't cut down and cherry tree and Babe the Blue Ox didn't carve the Mississippi River. Thats whats wrong with you sciency people, just can't leave well enough alone. I for one am certain that johnny appleseed screwed Betsy Ross and thats why we have delicious desserts at McDonalds.

This post was edited on 1/27 10:18 AM by LordEgg

 

[gollumcat]

I was so looking forward to this, and so far the only good things have been the sets and costumes.

Inaccuracies:




1) When Sam Adams and Hancock were supposedly in Concord in the show, what appeared to be a large body of water was in the distance..looked like a coastline, Nothing like that near Concord

2) The confrontation at Lexington took place not on the town green, but on some large field outside town like the show has. No Buckman Tavern, etc, in the show.

3) The leader of the Lexington Minutemen who tells them to "stand their ground ...etc". was not Col. John Parker, as is historically accurate( in fact he's not even in the show)but some Boston Irish guy who was Sam Adams right hand man…and they had him saying the famous words
4)) Sam Adams was 13 years older than John Adams...they have it reversed.

These are just a few.




Also, they did not even have a scene about the lanterns in the Old North Church. All of sudden you just see the Redcoats marching. And the Revere/Dawes ride was not given nearly enough screen time, They just showed them alarming Lexington…did not show all the other towns along the way. How in the world do you do a show called "Sons Of Liberty", have 6 hours, and cut down or almost out those 2 iconic scenes from American History?

 

[We-Todd-Did]

I quit watching History channel altogether a couple of months ago due to the lack of anything that could be called history, but the ads for this nearly pulled me back in. I'm so glad I missed it now. Artistic license is one thing, but you've described pure horse isht.

 

[BlueRaider22]

It's DVR'd, but I don't think I want to watch it now after listening to y'all.

 

[GGCAT]

As someone who studies and appreciates Colonial American history, have to say I laughed out loud at several scenes that were so preposterous that they defied explanation. The Sam Adams as an 18th century Chuck Norris was just too much.

But I figured going into to it that it wouldn't exactly be true to history, that theywould play fast and loose with the facts to get as much violence and sex into it to appeal to a broader audience.

Havent watched the 2nd episode yet, but after the first one I fully expected George Washington to personally drive the British from Boston in his Sherman Tank and for John Hancock to cruise up to the door of Independence Hall in his Maserati, chatting with Ben Franklin on his I Phone.

 

[m080470]

I guess if it had been marketed as being in the vein of Inglorious Basterds as historical fantasy it's ok. Sam Adams as a Mel Gibson-Lethal Weapon type of badass is funny. I fully expect George Washington to say "I'm gettin' too old for this shit" right before he kicks British ass or tells the soldiers at Valley Forge "Cold don't hurt" in tonight's episode.

 

[argubs2]

Someone let us know when the aliens show up, I'll pick it up from there

 

[gollumcat]

I just wonder if we will win in the end.

Not to sure, they may change that as well.

 

[TruBluCatFan]

Crap, really looked forward to seeing. Have it on my DVR. Probably pass now.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

I thought long and hard about recording this mini-series. But after seeing the 4 minute preview spots I decided against, fearing the exact Holleywood-ization of facts as described in posts above. Glad I didn't waste my time!

 

[gollumcat]

Well, just watched the battle at "concord" part...completely inaccurate in almost every aspect....and not even one hint of the sustained , hours long retreat of the British down "battle road" under fire from the Minutemen back to Boston....unbelievable

 

[Krazzy]

I thought the best part was Ben Franklin saying independence was "bat shit crazy"

 

[Big Blue 1977]

The laughable overacting and "Paint It Black" (wth?) in the preview told me all I needed to know. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for lowest-common-denominator EXTREME history (sponsored by Mountain Dew), but this one didn't look so hot. Also, I caught the signing scene where John Hancock says, "Now them mf'ers know we mean business. Respect," followed by him pretending to take a deep drag off of his quill. That probably isn't accurate.

HC hasn't put together anything credible in a long time. Barbarians (a decade ago, now) was so bad that I never thought again about watching a reenacted drama from them.

 

[UK_Norm]

Originally posted by BlueRaider22:

It's DVR'd, but I don't think I want to watch it now after listening to y'all.

Same. Deleting now.

 

[wkycatfan]

On a side note, I'm just now getting around to watching the Hatfields and McCoys series. I'm sure it's not 100% accurate, but I like it. Have watched the first 2 parts.