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March 28, 2024, 09:06:41 PM

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The Witcher [Netflix]

Started by Ja'moke, December 19, 2019, 06:59:41 PM

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Ja'moke

This comes out tomorrow on Netflix. An 8-part fantasy drama based on The Witcher books/game, starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.

I've seen the first five episodes, and it's already one of my favourite shows of the year. I went in knowing very little about The Witcher; I've never read the books or played the video games. I also wasn't sure if I could be bothered with yet another fantasy series. But it quickly won me over.

It's got a really strong cast, some of the best fight scenes I've seen in a while (especially in the third episode) and is just really bloody fun. It's also surprisingly funny and very tongue-in-cheek.

Highly recommended. 

olliebean

The trailer makes it look like it's trying to be Game of Thrones. If it's trying to be Game of Thrones I'm not interested. I bloody hated Game of Thrones. Make me a credible argument that it's not trying to be Game of Thrones and I'll give it a look.

rjd2

Quote from: Ja'moke on December 19, 2019, 06:59:41 PM
starring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.


It's got a really strong cast,


Eh?

Inspector Norse


Chollis

Biiiiiig fan of the games so looking forward to this, even if Henry Cavill is about the last person I would've cast as Geralt. Hope he proves me wrong.

Ja'moke

Quote from: rjd2 on December 20, 2019, 03:10:42 AM

Eh?

He's really good in it. That said, I don't think I've ever watched a Henry Cavill film before, so don't have a lot to compare it to in terms of his other work.

Ja'moke

Quote from: olliebean on December 19, 2019, 08:46:13 PM
The trailer makes it look like it's trying to be Game of Thrones. If it's trying to be Game of Thrones I'm not interested. I bloody hated Game of Thrones. Make me a credible argument that it's not trying to be Game of Thrones and I'll give it a look.

It's a lot more campier and fun than Game of Thrones. It still has some brutal, gory stuff, but the tone overall is much lighter. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

olliebean

Well, I'll give it a go then, but if it's too much like Game of Thrones, I'm coming for you.

Head Gardener

nice of all the episodes to be released at the same time, on it!

Ja'moke

Quote from: olliebean on December 20, 2019, 02:48:27 PM
Well, I'll give it a go then, but if it's too much like Game of Thrones, I'm coming for you.

I mean, there's definite comparisons in terms of aesthetics and destiny talk and all that ish.

olliebean

Quote from: Ja'moke on December 20, 2019, 04:31:10 PM
I mean, there's definite comparisons in terms of aesthetics and destiny talk and all that ish.

See, this is what I'm talking about.

Chollis


Ja'moke

Quote from: olliebean on December 20, 2019, 04:37:48 PM
See, this is what I'm talking about.

You're always going to get that in a medieval fantasy though.

Zetetic

It's a bit of a thing that Witchers aren't really about destiny, isn't it, in the games?

They're children, mostly obtained by something fairly close to fraud*, variously tortured and then sent out mostly to act as hedge-knights if they're still alive.

(*The Law of Surprise is clearly bullshit.)

Do the Aen Elle go about destiny a bit? That seems like the sort of thing they'd be into.

Ja'moke

I haven't played the games, but yeah, in the series, Geralt himself scoffs at all the destiny talk. "It helps people believe there is an order to this horseshit," he says at one point.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I'm just starting this. Cavill's gruff badass voice is like a parody.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Ja'moke on December 20, 2019, 01:52:28 PM
It's a lot more campier and fun than Game of Thrones. It still has some brutal, gory stuff, but the tone overall is much lighter. Doesn't take itself too seriously.
You must be talking about the second episode or later, because the first has been grim as fuck. There's no Tyrion alike to lighten the mood so far.

If folk are interested in games related fantasy Netflix series, that animated Castlevania is pretty good.

Zero Gravitas

Some top dialog in this.

It's also a bloody good thing the rarely called upon cgi compositors know how to frame a shot because the people behind the actual cameras are idiots with aspirations to be Wes Anderson.

king_tubby

This is Xena but grimdark. I like it.

Dex Sawash

Is shit but I think I like it.

Is it OK to hunchblack up?

Lt. Organphalia

I hope episode two is called Geralt and the Magic Cough Drops and I pray it stops raining back story.

mjwilson

First episode is shit, don't feel much need to watch any more.

NoSleep

The Netflix trailer has some awful acting in it (the woman talking to the Witcher dude).

druss

Unless you specifically hate fantasy then I can't see how anyone could call this "shit". It's not trying to be Game of Thrones (and thank goodness for that). Near the end now and it's the best fantasy show for years, interesting characters, atmospheric world, folk monster stories, quality fighting. Thought the trailers looked a bit shit but I've loved this start to finish.

mjwilson

There are no interesting characters in episode 1.

druss

I don't think Yennefer appears until episode two and she's the most interesting but if episode one didn't grab you then it's probably not your thing.

mjwilson

There was a time when I would have felt bad for dismissing something after just one episode, but these days, there's just too much TV.

Inspector Norse

Watched the first one and it was an enormous mess of handsome CGI, wobbly acting, overcooked exposition, promisingly unpredictable character arcs, corny dialogue, bemusing plotting, stereotypical stock characters, intriguing subtexts, crunchy action and a wizard who needed a serious metooing.

I think there's something there and they're clearly aiming to poke affectionate fun at tropes and stereotypes while looking at the deeper contexts and interpretations, but the evidence so far is that the writers and actors probably aren't up to it. It might not be actively trying to be GoT but there's no way a big-budget fantasy could be made now without that being a very real reference point, and they have a lot of ground to make up.

Ja'moke

The moment I was sold, and when I knew it wasn't trying to be GOT, was in the first episode while Stregobor the sorcerer dude was spewing out some cryptic jargon about a curse, and Geralt told him to speak normally, and then dismissed the premonition because "all good predictions rhyme."

I was like, ah, okay, this show is willing to have some fun.

druss

Just finished it. Perhaps my standards are a bit low after seeing the shittest trio of characters in fiction in the most disappointing film of all time on Friday, but I adored this. So much fun and willing to be it's own thing when it would have been so easy to try to be a GOT clone.

Clearly made with a lot of love and respect for the source material (aside from the bizarre casting of Fringilla, who is supposed to bear a striking resemblance to Yennefer but seeing as she's black now I guess they'll be dropping that) unlike many video game adaptations (I know it's based on the books but wouldn't have been made without the success of the games so I'm still seeing it as at least partially a game adaptation).

Thought this would be absolutely terrible but enjoyed every over the top minute of it.