Despite (or even because) of a bad review from a nephew, we sat down to binge
watch the first four episodes of the
new series,
and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the production, and the way it
stuck to the original first book "The Eye of the World", to the extent I could
remember that far back. (Commission earned in the unlikely event you buy it).
The most important character so far is Moraine Aes Sedai. portrayed by
Rosamund Pike:
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the Aes Sedai, a powerful organization of women who can use magic. She takes a group of four young people on a journey around the world, believing one of them might be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to either save the world or destroy it.
As Moraine Aes Sedai
She began her acting career by appearing in stage productions such as Romeo and Juliet, alongside Paul Ready, and Gas Light. After her screen debut in the television film A Rather English Marriage (1998) and television roles in Wives and Daughters (1999) and Love in a Cold Climate (2001), she received international recognition for her film debut as Bond girl Miranda Frost in Die Another Day (2002), for which she received the Empire Award for Best Newcomer. Following her breakthrough, she won the BIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Libertine (2004) and portrayed Jane Bennet in Pride & Prejudice (2005).
No stranger to epic fantasy:
Pike had film appearances in the sci-fi film Doom (2005), the crime-mystery thriller film Fracture (2007), the drama film Fugitive Pieces (2007), the coming-of-age drama An Education (2009), for which she was nominated for the London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Supporting Actress of the Year, and sci-fi comedy The World's End (2013). She also received British Independent Film Award nominations for An Education and Made in Dagenham (2010), and was nominated for a Genie Award for Barney's Version (2010). Her other films include the spy action comedy Johnny English Reborn (2011), the epic action-adventure fantasy Wrath of the Titans (2012), and the action thriller Jack Reacher (2012).
Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: McKenna Grace and FMJRA 2.0: Radar Gun awaiting your digital pleasure at The Other McCain. Linked at Proof Positive in the weekly Best of the Web* and at the Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama.
As far as the show, I am watching and trying to give it a chance. Enjoyed the books 15 - 20 years ago so they are fuzzing remembered. My biggest issue so far is the perspective change focusing on her rather than the Dragon. Seems to be a pandering move. They are cramming in events in 5-6 books in the first 4 episodes so far. So they probably plan for it to not have a long run.
ReplyDeleteI'm still undecided but that is more around the story line. Don't see how the story is supposed to work with the perspective change without it being a completely different story. It may be good. We'll see. Production value is good but the story needs to tighten up. Too scattered currently for hold most peoples attention.
That's your only issue? What about the constant "whoever he or she might be" when they're talking about finding the Dragon Reborn? Only men can be the Dragon Reborn -- a woman wouldn't touch the tainted half of the Source, so would not be driven mad by it. Basic point in the books' set-up: male source, female source, the two are distinct.
ReplyDeletePlus there's every little mountain village having more ethnic diversity than Berkeley's student government -- how did that happen, centuries after society collapsed back to a Dark Ages? It's not like there aren't more cultures introduced later in the books -- there were plenty of chances for "representation" later, but they couldn't try to build a coherent world.