“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.
There is no middle ground.”
Faithfully based on author George R.R. Martin's sweeping medieval fantasy novels Songs Of Fire & Ice, HBO's Game Of Thrones is without a doubt a monumental achievement in television productions. I hate to be, yet another interwebs “critic” gushing over the series, but quite frankly I believe it deserves every single ounce of praise it's received. It captivated the brain from the instant the hypnotizing main titles sequence spun into action, right up to the goosebump inducing final scene of the season finale.
Games is set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms Of Westeros, where the throne is fought over between several different noble families inhabiting the lands. Sean Bean, known primarily for his roles in The Lord Of The Rings and TV's Sharpe, takes center stage as the instantly engaging Lord Eddard Stark. Newcomer Emilia Clarke joins the other spectrum of the series as Daenerys Targaryen, an exiled child of the previous king who is determined to regain her family's rightful place in the kingdom. Bean & Clarke are joined by a brilliant ensemble cast, including Lena Headey of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as the resident bitch Queen Cersei Lannister. There's newcomer Jack Gleeson as Joffrey, the Queen’s snotty coward of a son who you just love to hate. A Knight's Tale's Mark Addy is finally granted a decent role as the good-willed King Robert Baratheon. However it's The Station Agent's Peter Dinklage who chews up the scenery as the razor-sharp witted boor of a brother to the queen, Tyrion. This colorful character is by far the best. Give Tyrion the throne and be done with it.
What's interesting about Game Of Thrones is although it's set in a fantasy world, it rarely ever makes use of fantastical elements to push the story forward. This series is all about character and that's what I love about this series. The characters are so well fleshed out, you think you were watching a biographical piece.
Filmed primarily in Ireland, Games' mood and atmosphere is effectively bone-chilling and moody, particularly with composer Ramin Djawadi's ceremoniously subdued music to compliment the picture as a whole.
It's not often a show deserves the buzz it's receiving but Game Of Thrones lives up to it's acclaim for a reason. It's that damned good.
10 episodes. Approx 60 mins each.
Must See Episodes:
All of them. They’re all adapted from a single book and need to be seen as a whole.
Buyer’s Guide:
Widely available on DVD/Blu-ray in a complete season set or the pilot episode is sold seperately…but why just one when you will end up watching them all anyways.
5 deadly golden crowns out of 5
1 comment:
*Shakes fist*
Yes indeed. For a fantasy show, there isn't a whole lot of fantastical elements. I count only 2 really, the opening scene and the mention of direwolf. I actually find Sansa interesting as she is a sort of deconstruction of the old trope of The Ingenue. She better adapt quick in this brutal medieval fantasy. But it is all about my man Tyrion. Snow is cool too.
Excellent production. HBO spared no expense.
5 murder and rape all you want so long as you win trial by combat out of 5
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