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The Wheel of Time (2021)
From a person who read the books and didn't like them
I would say that my perspective on this show would be in the minority, as I read six of the books and I was not particularly fond of them, but I kept reading them because I wanted to know what happened anyway. So to book lovers, I have no doubt this show is a disappointment. To those new to the world who have not read the books, it might still be a disappointment because the source material is Classic Fantasy. The show coming out on the heels of Game of Thrones, it's probably too tropey for most modern viewers. But The Eye of the World was published in 1990. I can't imagine how challenging it would be to take that material and make it exciting for the modern viewer. So my greatest hope for this show was that it would take the things I liked most about the series, the things I felt had the most missed potential, and improve them. I did not want this show to follow the books explicitly. So I am honestly pleased with the outcome.
The one thing Robert Jordan did the most that drove me up the wall was explicitly stating character emotions rather than demonstrating them. I.e. "She realized she was in love with him" (that wasn't the exact wording, but yes that really happened). Atrocious. The television format gives room for the actors to explore the emotional depth of their characters in a way Jordan repeatedly failed to. And they delivered. I felt that the show was well cast, not just for the acting ability, but almost all of the major characters looked roughly like I imagined they would. The production value speaks for itself. The landscapes chosen are stunning, the set design is magnificent, the costuming fabulous. Cinematography killing it, of course.
Plot-wise, am I wowed? No. But was wow-worthy plot cut from the books? No. Things also happen out of order, as this season covers more than simply the first book. That makes sense. The first book is a lot of trekking and, frankly, there are 14 books, so expecting otherwise is unreasonable. I feel like a lot of the changes made were either small and inconsequential or smart. Yes, there are some that I feel were unnecessary (Perrin's wife?) or perhaps not the best choice, but for a show based on a 14-book series, it's only going to unravel from here. This is the only the beginning. I'm not mind-boggled by the excellence of this show, but I certainly don't want it to get cancelled, and I do feel like it is improving some of my least favorite aspects of the books. So I am excited to see where it goes from here.
Snowpiercer (2013)
It's commentary, not plot holes.
I noticed that people seemed to rate this film either quite high or extremely low and reading the reviews, I can see that those who rated high and those who rated low were watching completely different movies.
A huge part of the negative criticisms for this movie is the prevalence of plot holes. These are absolutely undeniable. The concept is far-fetched, the execution bizarre, and the upper class characters quite comical. The key to appreciating this film is understanding its purpose. Snowpiercer is clearly a social commentary, but going into it expecting a Hunger Games sort of dystopian social commentary, you are absolutely going to find it ridiculous.
Instead, a much better genre match to this film would be Brazil. Its absurdity makes it even more horrifying. The fact that there is no true logic, the contrast between the dingy tail section and the bright colors and extravagance of the front, and the utter hopelessness of the plot make this movie, yes, bizarre to watch and difficult to relate to. However, the alienation of this world from ours brings out the social commentary and the cautionary tale within.
Another up-side was the diversity presented in the train and the framing of women WITHOUT the male gaze! All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this film and my only real criticism is that it was way too long.