49/32
George RR
Story
Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros as an ancient enemy returns after a millennia of slumber… Martin’s wife once said she would leave him if he killed Arya or Sansa. Tywin Lannister: He who has to say “I am king” is not a true king. In the opening credits, each character’s name is accompanied by the insignia of his character’s house. Featured in Hollywood’s Top Ten: Critics’ Choice Awards: Drama (2011).
Quite the opposite
The title track (uncredited) was written and performed by Ramin Djawadi. He survived the time by watching “Game of Thrones.” Since the first episode (gradually, because I’m so busy), I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about it from friends, family, and IMDb reviewers. Plus, with such a great talent and a brilliant series of books, how could it go wrong? The good news is that Game of Thrones didn’t do poorly. Not only is it a rare television show that does justice to its original source material and treats it with respect, it’s also one of the best, most addictive, and consistently compelling shows in recent years.
Visually, Game of Thrones looks amazing
A television show is so brilliant that you have to check to see if it’s actually made for television when everything is done to a high standard that puts many movies made today to shame. It’s one of the strongest examples of an acclaimed show deserving of all the praise it gets. The set design is spectacular throughout, the sets are extremely atmospheric and beautiful to the eye, with a real eye for detail, and the costumes fit the characters to a tee. Then there are the special effects, which are some of the best on television and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and the fact that they actually have character and soul like many big budget blockbusters. And the cinematography and editing, which are also of cinematic quality.
Again, worthy of a big budget fantasy/action/drama film
We can’t talk about ‘Game of Thrones’ without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically layered musical score and the unforgettable main theme. It’s hard not to be taken aback by the quality of the writing, outstanding is not a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is. It always flows naturally, layered and thought-provoking, and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspense, poignant pathos and witty humor. The storylines are so beautifully paced, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, high emotional level, and they touch on complex and sensitive themes with intelligence and tact. If there is a set piece or a more action-oriented scene, there is always a reason, never because of it.
The characters are also a big part of the appeal
The sets are not only done on an epic scale, with excellent staging, excitement and dramatic tension, but underneath the scale and striking attention to detail there is a lot of heart and multi-layering. They are not too long and there are no out of place elements. 'Game of Thrones' has such well-developed characters and is as close to real life as you can get, despite living in a fantasy world. These characters aren’t hero and villain archetypes (Joffrey is the only one who comes close to that, but the difference is that he’s extremely interesting, well-developed, and well above 100% on the threat level scale), there’s a lot more to them, and they have strengths and flaws. The choices are logical, and you don’t like either character less if a decision is wrong, because mistakes are acknowledged and learned from.