Review by viewlin
D&D have done it again! (created a disappointment)
While the Tencent adaptation had some flaws, notably very poor pacing and some downright bizarre acting and editing, I think it was an overall better experience. Netflix cut the runtime significantly, which could have been an improvement, but they did it to the point of skipping several important developments in the story. Yet, they found ways to waste precious minutes on scenes that dragged on longer than they should have, some of which didn't add anything to the story. It's only because I watched the Tencent adaptation that I was able to appreciate some of the ideas in the Netflix adaptation, since I knew what they were covering in spite of the skipped story beats. If I hadn't, I'd either feel like I was just watching a series of spoilers, or be confused about the point of it all.
Many positive reviews are downplaying negative ones for being pedantic and expecting a direct adaptation from the books, but this is feels reductionist and disingenuous. I think it's fine to diverge from the source material, but it should be done thoughtfully. In my opinion, the Netflix adaptation fails on its own merits. Some of the changes seem to be done in the interest of simplification, but this introduces plot holes, some of which must have been done against the recommendation of scientific advisors on staff. For example, I don't think the sophon was capable of unfolding itself (Trisolaris spent an unfathomable amount of time and energy building them), yet in this adaptation the sophon does it on a whim just to create a menacing eye in the sky? Why not just starve the planet of sunlight then and finish the story right there? Originally, the eye was observed during a failed Trisolaran unfolding attempt, alluding to a sentient threat gaining access to our universe from another dimension.
Tencent gave the viewer many episodes to theory-craft why "physics doesn't exist", what the motive could be for targeting scientists, who or what could be behind it, the purpose behind the game and so forth. The characters slowly whittled down the possibilities and eventually unveiled the truth. The show drip fed information to the viewer through the eyes of the characters which often became relevant much later, such as the flying blade. It went into philosophical thought experiments that conveyed the existential dread of the situation, like the turkey scientist and the farmer. It also covered several interesting physics concepts in a way that was easy to process and yet showed respect to the viewer.
Netflix? Nah, it's aliens bro, it's right there in the trailer on YouTube. There's no respect for the viewer, so there's no attempt made to even cover concepts like cosmic background radiation. It did cover a few at least, like FTL communication with entangled sophon pairs, the staircase project, etc. Netflix did also foreshadow some concepts that do come later in the books, sometimes with just novel covers shown on screen, some in dialogue, such as the Fermi Paradox and the Wallfacer project.
I believe the Oxford Five were created to be more relatable to the viewer than Wang Miao, but I think this again shows little respect for the viewer. They achieved this in part in the laziest way possible, such as having many of them just curse in every scene. I don't think it's necessary to relate to every character, and it can certainly be done in ways beyond superficial means like gender and race like what was attempted here. The story is about the science of it all, the universe, and this extends beyond the lifespan of a single person who likes to go drinking at a bar with friends. Most of us aren't top-tier scientists, we're not going to think like Oppenheimer or Feynman, this is fine. I found my immersion broken at several points when I saw the protagonists succumbing to irrational ways of thinking. To be a successful academic at such a high level would likely entail some core beliefs about the world and ways of thinking that wouldn't come off as people reading emotional lines off a script.
Is this D&D adaptation as bad as GoT S8? Definitely not. It's several points better, but the bar is pretty low. There were some redeeming moments, a few funny lines in almost every episode, I particularly liked some parts of the last one.
I do think it can still be worth a watch. However, I highly recommend starting with the Tencent adaptation, or reading the books first. Those are more of a journey, whereas this comes off more as a poorly written fan wiki with spoilers. I think this version can really rob you of the awe inspiring ideas in the source material and Chinese adaptation. My hope is that some people will find this version interesting enough to delve into the source material.
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@ner0p Agreed. I can't forget what I know about the story, so I can't watch this with fresh eyes and know how well it would hold up. I enjoyed piecing the puzzle together with the Tencent adaptation, this version robs you of that experience, and sometimes has missing pieces. I think it's fine to watch this, but it should be done after the Tencent version or reading the books.
2/10 too much sand.
In all seriousness, it was decent. I'm not really sure how much I enjoyed it though. I enjoyed the final act, and I was intrigued in the first act, but the middle part of the movie I did not enjoy all that much. If I had watched this movie while tired I'd have probably fallen asleep half way through. It's certainly beautiful to look at, and the sound is fantastic. But the pacing is definitely quite slow (not necessarily a bad thing) and I came away feeling as though there wasn't really all that much substance. Perhaps after watching a sequel I'll feel differently.
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@ragreynolds I was only somewhat tired and can confirm I fell asleep. Seems to be made for fans of the books since all the slow-mo shots, slow pacing, etc. could only be gratifying for people experiencing their favourite book come to life on screen.
got sooo excited when i heard this was coming. hope there are cameos! :smiling_imp:
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@batsman You'll probably like Season 2 if you haven't watched it already.
Season 1 of The Mandalorian started out reasonably well, had a weak middle and finished off reasonably well again.
The show is probably best watched with the understanding that it's part of the Star Wars franchise, and thus is going to be somewhat simple, fun and have predictable outcomes. The show is not going to impress you with complex character development or shocking plot twists, and might even crumble a bit if you look too closely at some parts.
Still, it's enjoyable for what it is, especially if you like the Star Wars universe. You can certainly do worse with other shows and movies within the franchise.
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@xaliber I'm just trying to be as generous as possible and trying to understand what others see in it, as someone who has only watched Star Wars I - VII. I haven't watched any of the other series in the franchise, but I'll probably adjust my rating if I do.
I joked that they could take the show in some unpredictable direction and make it more thrilling, like The Child being the target of some sinister plot to tap into new parts of the dark side by a Sith Lord. I even had a moment of hope when The Child used Force Grip, like it might have an affinity for those powers, but I doubt anything like that is going to happen.
