Okay, I've gotta start off by saying that this new tv series on the CW (don't hold that against it) is based on my absolute favorite fantasy novel series of all time. In "The Sword Of Truth" series, Terry Goodkind tells a gripping story of Justice, Love, and the pursuit of Truth. My review of this show is undoubtedly colored in ways I'm not aware of, but I will make my best effort to be fair without under or overcompensating for my incredible love of the books.
That said, I believe this (so far) is the best fantasy (sword and sorcery) TV show ever made. That's not saying a whole lot, when right below it are Hercules and Xena. Although both of those fairly light-hearted, even goofy shows share producers in common with Legend Of The Seeker, this new series thankfully reflects the serious tone of the books.
Craig Horner is a decent but unremarkable leading man. In the books, Richard always struck me as being a little older, and was always depicted with a full beard on book covers. So Horner seems a little young to me. Granted, if this series lasts through all of the books, they'll need to start him a little younger so that he doesn't outgrow the part. Horner also seems to lack the confidence that Richard had in the books, although I may be misremembering what he was like when the first book began.
Bridget Regan seems to have solid acting chops and I think will grow into her role even further, providing an excellent portayal of Kahlen. However I think the producer have not tapped the potential of her "Confessor's Touch". In the books, the description of its effect on her victims implies an immediate agony over not yet knowing how to please her until she gives them a command. In these episodes, the touch simply made them dazed servants instead of fanatical slaves as they are in the books.
The casting highlight is Bruce Spence in the role of High Wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander. You may recognize Spence as The Trainman from the Matrix Trilogy. He also played a key "Stranger" in DARK CITY and a tall creepy alien dude in Star Wars Episode 3. I don't think there could have been a better choice for this role. Spence brings a sence of mystery, power and when appropriate, "senile old guy weirdness" to this role. He brings the book to life whenever he appears on screen.
The actress playing Adie looked the part well enough, but her voice didn't match her scary old lady appearance. Too clean and crisp in her dialogue delivery.
The overall tone of the show is dark. The coloring, the costumes, most every aspect lends itself to the tone of the books and I was often very impressed with the style of costumes, particularily the way things seem to hang on Bruce Spence. It is visually less graphic then the gory descriptions of violence in the books, but the action doesn't suffer. Not only does this show have a number of battle sequences in the first two episodes, but they are filmed and edited with a style that fans of "300" will dig. Throughout the combat sequences, we jump in and out of slow motion shots that demonstrate the skill and artistry of each fighter. The action in these episodes was a greater visual feast than I've seen in the theater for awhile.
Unlike the largely invisible magic of Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings movies, magic is very visible and often fun to watch. The boundary looks fantastic, the glowing sword (and lighting strikes to it!) is wonderful. I do have some complaints, though. Zedd's "Wizard's Fire" was standard tv budget FX and didn't capture the intensity with which its heat is described in the books. I'd also recommend the producers use more "creature shop" effects and less CGI, whenever possible. It looks better, it ages better. The Gar was less than impressive, and his artificial nature took away from a great "decapitation" scene.
Other times, the effects were great. I enjoyed seeing Shar deflect the arrow and Zedd's encounter with the spirits in the boundary was appropriately creepy. So even though the effects aren't always what I'd like them to be, at the end of the day it's TV, and I'm amazed at how many effects shots there are per episode and how many look as impressive as they do.
Given that each season of the planned series will cover one book from the series, the producers have brought Terry Goodkind onboard to assist in expanding on the material from his books. A fantastic move, I have to say. It certainly makes me a little more willing to trust this attempt at adapting some great material.
In terms of Veracity, if this show is anything like the books, we'll continue to have some great points to talk about. In episode 2, the "Wizard's First Rule" was introduced. "People will believe a lie if they want it to be true, or if they are afraid that it might be true." Wow. Now THAT is a great conversation starter. Not only that, but we also see the beginnings of themes like "Justice" and its difference from vengeance. Zedd also says at one point that Richard will have to discover the truth for himself, reminding us that we can't force beliefs on anyone, but we are also individually responsible for seeking out truth... or suffering the consequences of neglecting that pursuit.
When compared to Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Heroes, I'd say Legend Of The Seeker had the stronger debut this season. And despite a few imperfections, it's an incredible looking and wonderfully executed show that deserves the time of every fan of fantasy, action and adventure.
Quality: 9.0/10
Veracity: 8.5/10
2 comments:
I feel as you do about these books, so watched the TV show with anticipation.
Even though some of the departures from the book were dramatic (Richard not being trained in the Book of Counted Shadows by his father), some less so (Richard's father being alive at all), I recognize that books & TV are different media. I thought the two-hour premiere episodes were well-cast (Zedd especially) and overall very solid.
My daughter, who has not read the books but has heard me talk about them (and who is a budding SF/F geek) thoroughly enjoyed the show, as well.
I anticipate reviewing it on my blog after a few more episodes -- I'll try to not steal from you when I do!
Hey I.I.,
I very much agree with your comments. I didn't mention the departure regarding Richard memorizing the Book Of Counted Shadows because I think it's POSSIBLE that will come out later in the season. They may do a thing like the "Azrael" character in DC comics, where he learns later in life that his dad sorta "brainwashed" him into learning all this stuff. We'll see.
If they don't reintroduce this concept, I'm thinking they may have to do some creative re-writing, but it's been awhile since I read "Wizard's First Rule", so maybe it won't be a big deal.
See ya!
Paeter
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