28/33
George RR
Chronology
Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns from its millennia of dormancy. Martin’s wife once said she would leave him if he killed Arya or Sansa. Tywin Lannister: Any man who has to say “I am the king” is not the true king. During the opening credits, each cast member’s name is displayed along with his/her character’s family insignia. Appears in Hollywood’s Top Ten: Critics Choice: Drama (2011) Nominations.
Quite the opposite
Main Title (uncredited) Written and Performed by Ramin Djawadi. I spent hours gradually watching Game of Thrones from episode one (little by little, because I was so busy), having heard nothing but amazing things about it from friends, family, and IMDb reviewers. And with such a great cast and a brilliant book series, how could it not? The good news is that Game of Thrones didn’t go badly. Not only is it the rare TV series that does justice to its original source material and treats it with respect, it’s also one of the best, most addictive and consistently gripping series in recent memory.
Visually, Game of Thrones looks incredible
A TV series so brilliant that you have to check if it was made for TV when everything is done to such a high standard that it puts many modern films to shame. It’s one of the strongest examples of an acclaimed series that deserves every ounce of praise it gets. The scenery is spectacular everywhere, the production design is incredibly atmospheric and beautiful to look at, with a real, meticulous eye for detail, and the costumes fit the characters to the letter. Then there’s the special effects, which are some of the best in any TV show and don’t feel overused or overused, the scale, detail and how they actually have character and soul is better than many big-budget blockbusters. And then there’s the cinematography and editing, which are also cinematic.
Again, worthy of a big budget fantasy/action/drama film
You can’t talk about Game of Thrones without mentioning the thematic, orchestral and atmospheric multi-layered music and the unforgettable main theme. It’s hard not to be impressed by the quality of the writing, outstanding is an understatement to describe how good the writing is. It always flows naturally, is layered and thought provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, moving pathos and witty humor. The plot is so beautifully laid out, constructed with such great nuance and attention to coherence, high emotional levels and handling complex and sensitive topics with intelligence and tact. Whenever there is an action scene or a more action-oriented one, there is always a reason for it, it is never just about the action.
The characters are also a huge part of the appeal
Not only are the action scenes done with a great deal of epic scale, excellent staging, excitement and dramatic tension, but underneath all the scale and spectacular attention to detail there is a lot of heart and a lot of it. They are not overly long, nor are there any out of place elements. Game of Thrones has characters that are as well developed and as close to real life as it is possible to be, despite being set in a fantasy world. These characters are not archetypal heroes and villains (Joffrey is the only one who comes close, but the difference is that he is an extremely interesting character with a lot of development that ranks well above 100 percent on the threat level scale), they have a lot more and have strengths and weaknesses. The decisions are logical and you don’t like any character less when the decision is wrong because mistakes are acknowledged and lessons learned.
