In a lot of the reviews that have been released for The Witcher so far, there have been many comparisons (some negative) to Game of Thrones. While comparisons can be made, this has its own unique style which is appropriate considering that it borrows heavily from Eastern European mythology. The Witcher also has the upper hand in that there is already a massive fan base built around the exploits of Geralt of Rivia. Whereas this series is based on the books by Andrzej Sapkowski, Geralt is perhaps best known as the star of a hugely popular video game franchise.

Show-runner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has focused on adapting the books rather than the games but their influence can be felt throughout the initial episodes of the series. The look and feel of the show seems to have taken cues from what has gone before and even the excellent musical arrangement echoes key melodies that have featured in the games. It helps that the show is a pleasingly hard-edged fantasy epic that is weirder and more rambling than other entries in the genre. Fortunately, there is also a massive budget behind proceedings and every penny is apparent on the screen.

In the first few episodes alone, there are already impressive (and expensive) displays of magic and brutally gory deaths in the middle of large scale warfare. There is clearly more money being spent here than early Game of Thrones could ever have dreamed of. Nonetheless, the world of The Witcher calls for this as its story deals with mutant monster hunter Geralt who goes from place to place accepting ‘coin’ to kill monsters. In the meantime, his fate is intertwined with that of young girl Ciri who displays magical abilities early on and is trying to escape from a merciless legion of soldiers.

All of this would not have been successful if the casting of the iconic Geralt of Rivia did not work. Thankfully, initial fan concerns are unfounded as former/currently dormant Superman Henry Cavill throws himself into the role. Cavill has talked a lot about how this role is a dream come true for him and his enthusiasm for video games has become legend. What this means is that Cavill has attacked the role with enough commitment and enthusiasm to please the character’s millions of fans. His towering physicality is utterly convincing when it comes to turning rivals into mince meat and fans will love the fact that his gravelly voice appears to come straight from the video games.

While this is mostly a smooth start to what is going to follow, there is a slight disjointed feel to the early episodes. This is no doubt due to the nature of the books being adapted as there are two short story collections featuring Geralt and Ciri before the collection of novels begins proper. There is joy to be had with the concept of Geralt facing a new foe every episode but you get the sense that the plot will have to cohere more effectively if it wants to go the bloody distance. All in all, this is a promising start that does not pander to its audience and demands their full attention. It is also the best place to go if you’re looking for a fantasy fix this Christmas.

Image Credit: Logo Netflix, Danimasetoma, Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0), some rights reserved.

Disclaimer Notice: Any thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely my own. Any images (copyrighted or otherwise) have been used according to Creative Commons and if needed, have been referenced to the best of my knowledge.

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