Starring: Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heady, Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen
Running Time: 538 minutes
Certificate: 18
Extras: Commentaries, Making Of Featurettes, Interactive Guide to Westeros, Character Profiles
GAME OF THRONES is nothing like LORD OF THE RINGS. When the HBO fantasy epic first began airing back in the darker days of 2011, there was much cry from critics and listings magazines that the series was a fusion of THE SOPRANOS and LOTR. This is not the case. Instead, GAME OF THRONES is its own beast entirely, a complex and engaging political drama with plenty of swordfights, blood, and boobs thrown in to keep those with short attention spans away from their YouTube and Facebook accounts.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s ongoing series of fantasy novels, the action takes place in the realm of Westeros, a land where winters last lifetimes and dark forces lurk beyond the great wall of ice in the frozen north, and follows the noble families of Westeros as each plots and conspires for the prize of the Iron Throne.
A warning: the series starts slowly. Very slowly. Don’t sit down to watch it expecting huge epic battles with vast armies charging at one another. Instead, the series chooses to build its characters and the world they live in first, before ending Episode One on a fantastic cliffhanger, putting in motion the cataclysmic events that will drive the rest of the series. From then on, things begin to build massively. A continual sense of doom hangs over proceedings, whilst the tension is drawn out further and further episode-by-episode. Major characters meet sticky ends very quickly, whilst the complex plots and character arcs take all sorts of sidesteps and detours. Definitely a show not to be watched whilst multitasking – this needs your full and undivided attention.
It may sound as though I’m making out the show to be long and boring. It’s really not. In fact, it’s utterly fantastic, and one of the best shows HBO has produced in a long, long time. The production design is outstanding, realising each of the seven kingdoms in glorious detail. The gorgeous cinematography remains consistent throughout the 10 Episodes whilst at the same time giving each kingdom a specific look and feel of its own. Composer Ramin Djawadi’s music is wonderfully haunting and awe inspiring, especially in the case of the title theme. The scripts are paced at just the right level, whilst the direction throughout is solid, especially in the case of the final two episodes directed by MAD MEN’s Alan Taylor, particularly in the case of the final scene in Episode 9, which is a masterpiece of performance, pace, shooting and editing.
However, it’s the casting that is undoubtedly the best element of the show. Sean Bean is on top form here, playing the world weary but honourable and loyal Eddard Stark, bringing much underplayed gravitas to the character. Newcomers such as Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner and Emilia Clarke hold their own well against the seasoned pros within the cast, whilst Lena Heady and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau are excellent as the boo-hiss villains, the Lannisters. The real star here though is Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, who is without doubt the finest actor of the bunch, veering from understated wit and mockery to brave and wise in the blink of an eye. Every scene he’s in he steals the show, so much so that you find yourself wishing he were in more.
GAME OF THRONES is not what some critics have claimed it to be – the fantasy elements are few and far between (at least for the moment) and most of the major battles and action set pieces are merely alluded to or take place off-screen. However, this reviewer urges you to stick with it – it’s a show that rewards those who sit down and pay attention. It’s a brilliant medieval political thriller that is both intelligent and engaging, whilst also focusing on a fantastic cast of characters, and slowly building towards something even more epic.
It’s also got plenty of swordfights, blood and boobs!
Extras: Seven very informative audio commentaries (the highlight being the solo chat-track with George R.R. Martin) are just the tip of the great wall here. There’s a good half hour Making Of Documentary, four short behind the scenes featurettes on items such as the title sequence and the adaptation process, plus fifteen character profile featurettes, and an interactive guide to the mythology of the show (which includes a further 24 mini-featurettes, interactive maps, and family histories). The Blu-ray adds In-Episode Guides, picture-in-picture track on Episode 6, and multiple hidden Easter Eggs. Everything here is essential viewing for both fans and newcomers!
GAME OF THRONES is available on Blu-ray & DVD now
