So did anyone else watch Merlin?
Sep. 21st, 2008 06:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thismazAnd did anyone else think that Arthur was Robin of Sherwood's Guy of Gisbourne reincarnated?
I enjoyed it, although I didn't really expect to. It is pitched slap bang in the middle of high romance, complete with a fairytale castle, so we are not even approaching historical realism here.
The script is a nice mix of classic and modern, which only jarred occasionally, but if I could come to terms with the recent Robin and his Sheriff referencing rock lyrics, I won't have any trouble here.
Anthony Head plays a smooth Uther Pendragon and Bradley James as Arthur is a spoilt bully who has always been cock of his walk. In fact none of the characters are the way they have traditionally been considered (at least by me *g*). Guinevere as Morgana's maid servant, for example, conjures images of Ann Boleyn in my head, considering her future. At the moment though, she appears to be an ordinary girl with the beginnings of a crush on Merlin.
Okay, Merlin... Like the rest of the cast, he's pretty enough, although Arthur and Morgana are the ones with classic TV prettiness. I found the smallville style "look of concentration" on his face as he moved things with his mind a bit annoying, but hey, I'll get past that too, I'm sure. He has an attractively cajoling manner with his mentor, Gaius, the court physician and yes, reminded me of Clark Kent in a few other ways.
Hmmm, now I say that, I realise that that is an important reference - the idea that the characters are not yet what they will become - Guinevere is a servant, Arthur a bully, Morgana believes in justice, objects to capital punishment and appears to have no interest in magic, Merlin has a natural gift, but no knowledge.
The landscape is pretty and in the tradition of high romance, we haven't yet seen it rainy and miserable.
And the dragon... The dragon in a very traditional dragon, both in the legendary and the CGI sense. He reminded me of the movie Dragonslayer.
So, lots of references and homages to earlier stuff, but also a different take on the legend. I enjoyed it. How about you?
I enjoyed it, although I didn't really expect to. It is pitched slap bang in the middle of high romance, complete with a fairytale castle, so we are not even approaching historical realism here.
The script is a nice mix of classic and modern, which only jarred occasionally, but if I could come to terms with the recent Robin and his Sheriff referencing rock lyrics, I won't have any trouble here.
Anthony Head plays a smooth Uther Pendragon and Bradley James as Arthur is a spoilt bully who has always been cock of his walk. In fact none of the characters are the way they have traditionally been considered (at least by me *g*). Guinevere as Morgana's maid servant, for example, conjures images of Ann Boleyn in my head, considering her future. At the moment though, she appears to be an ordinary girl with the beginnings of a crush on Merlin.
Okay, Merlin... Like the rest of the cast, he's pretty enough, although Arthur and Morgana are the ones with classic TV prettiness. I found the smallville style "look of concentration" on his face as he moved things with his mind a bit annoying, but hey, I'll get past that too, I'm sure. He has an attractively cajoling manner with his mentor, Gaius, the court physician and yes, reminded me of Clark Kent in a few other ways.
Hmmm, now I say that, I realise that that is an important reference - the idea that the characters are not yet what they will become - Guinevere is a servant, Arthur a bully, Morgana believes in justice, objects to capital punishment and appears to have no interest in magic, Merlin has a natural gift, but no knowledge.
The landscape is pretty and in the tradition of high romance, we haven't yet seen it rainy and miserable.
And the dragon... The dragon in a very traditional dragon, both in the legendary and the CGI sense. He reminded me of the movie Dragonslayer.
So, lots of references and homages to earlier stuff, but also a different take on the legend. I enjoyed it. How about you?
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-21 08:24 am (UTC)As a fairy tale is was quite sweet and none of the characters jarred for me like they did in Robin Hood (which I could barely get through the first episode of and never watched again).
My 17 year old thought it was good fun too.
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Date: 2008-09-21 08:33 am (UTC)The castle was so clean
Wasn't it just? Those almost sparklingly white walls.
Personally, I enjoyed Robin Hood, but it had to be approached in a spirit of appreciation for the ridiculous. I can totally understand why you might not get into it. I remember my own fury when walking out of the cinema after watching Kevin Costner's Robin Hood. I was all "How dare they suborn my folk heroes like that?" It was months before I could appreciate it as a remake of the Errol Flynn version. *g*