The Witcher now available on Netflix – review round-up
The Witcher has debuted today on Netflix after months of build up and has received a mixed selection of reviews from critics while delighting a lot of fans.
Despite this mixed reaction however, Netflix has already renewed The Witcher for a second season, so we haven’t seen the last of Henry Cavill’s dashing Geralt.
Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.
Here’s a flavour of what the critics are saying…
Paste by Jacob Oller
“It’s a tough job playing a character known for his emotionlessness, made tougher when he’s also appointed the shepherd to a storied fantasy universe. But Cavill and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich’s adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witchernovels (which themselves were turned into a beloved series of videogames) is up to snuff due to its willingness to play by its source’s rules, bringing high fantasy fun to Netflix for anyone willing to vault a few hurdles.”
Slant by Niv M Sultan
“The three protagonists’ narratives momentously and giddily merge near the end of the season, but what comes before sometimes feels like a stretched-out primer. Many conversations proceed lifelessly, purely to provide exposition, doing a disservice to the show’s thoughtful exploration of gender, free will, and classism. The laziness accompanies another storytelling flaw: The series is often too slow to elucidate the logic at play in its world. This first season pays welcome attention to Yen’s history and psyche but chooses not to concretely explain what it means to be a witcher, granting the audience little insight into Geralt’s origins, the reasons for his itinerance, or the nature of his otherness.”
Variety by Daniel D’Addario
“As a “Witcher” watcher but not a reader, I felt the universe at times both overly broad (in its resistance of the single hero) and a bit narrow. Unlike “Thrones,” it resists allegorical or metaphorical readings, at least at first, and is firmly about what it’s about — magic and myth. That itself is less a flaw than simply design, but it does suggest that the appeal of this series may be limited to those already under its spell.”
The Guardian by Lucy Mangan
“Never before has Miss Jean Brodie’s famous phrase been so rightfully deployed as when I say of the new Netflix fantasy drama The Witcher that, for those who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they like. A Tolkienesque vibe suffuses the air, elves and dwarves are scattered with a lavish hand, and every character has 20% too many vowels or too few consonants in their name.”
Hollywood Reporter by Daniel Fienberg
“This review is for people who see the trailers and say, “If I know nothing about this franchise, but really want to watch Henry Cavill with a ridiculous white ponytail, waving a gigantic sword and growling, will I enjoy The Witcher?” I wish I had a clear answer for you, because the answer through the series’ first five episodes is somewhere between “Occasionally” and “Depending on your patience.””
Games Radar by Jack Shepard
“The opening episode of The Witcher, then, is a mixed bag. It reaches out to be called ‘the next Game of Thrones’, but falls short. Cavill’s Geralt fails to make a lasting impression, while the overarching questions being posed aren’t engaging just yet. However, with such bloody battles, and the promise of an epic journey, I’m certainly intrigued to see where this goes.”
io9 by James Whitbrook
“The Witcher knows when to not quite take itself seriously. For every bloody battle, gruesome monster, or dire portent, there’s a gag, a cheesy bard song, or, indeed, Henry Cavill in a bathtub. At its best, it balances these elements to create a story that, if not quite the most dramatic fantasy saga, is fun to watch. But it’ll take a good bit to get to that fun.”
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