'The Wheel of Time' Premier Review: This exciting echo of GOT is worth watching
Spoilers for 'The Wheel of Time' Premier
'The Wheel of Time' which is based on the epic fantasy novel by Robert Jordan just saw its debut on Amazon Prime Video and by the looks of it is a winner with fans already lauding the show for a great adaptation with a stellar cast.
'The Wheel of Time' will take us on an epic adventure as forces of the Light and the Shadow try and determine the identity of a prophesied being whose power can be used for the greater good or to empower evil. Read on to know our thoughts on the Season Premier of the fantasy series.
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'The Wheel of Time' has an exciting premise as we see Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) a member of the Aes Sedai, a powerful organization of women magic wielders searching for the 'Dragon Reborn', a man or a woman who is prophesized to either save or destroy the world. She comes across Rand (Josha Stradowski), Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), Egwene (Madeleine Madden), and Mat (Barney Harris) and senses that one of them could be the destined one. Not able to determine which one of them it is, she decides to take them all to the White Tower. What follows is the start of a perilous journey towards an unknown fate.
The Amazon Prime Video show with its massive budget has beautiful scenery and top-notch special effects, which will easily leave you lapping up the stunning visuals. The show does not lack when it comes to being visually appealing but the air of familiarity is what may make it lose appeal. The fantasy series has inklings of shows we've already seen and loved right from its organizations to the locations it reminds us of 'Game of Thrones' and, 'Lord of the Rings'.
The creatures called Trollocks which serve the Dark One can easily be confused as more savage minotaurs from 'The Chronicles Narnia' with Moiraine's harnessing of 'the light' resembling Dumbledore's theatrics from the 'Harry Potter' series. But in a world where magic and fantasy have been so widely written about and produced in film, this nitpicking about resemblances can be forgiven and ignored. Rosamund Pike easily holds the attention of any scene she is in, captivating us every time she speaks those long and complex words of hers with an air of power but poise. Mat is another character that interested us with his concealed, rascal ways that have come about from poverty. The premier packed it plenty of action with an exciting fight occurring right in the first episode. Blood, gore, magic and evil make plenty of appearances which left us quite entertained.
The slaves of the Dark One called Fades were particularly great to watch as they look like a much more creepy version of Voldemort with their eyeless face, smooth white skin, and mouth which contain teeth like piranhas. There's also a tragic love story thrown into the mix as Rand and Egwene get separated. The third episode ended on a fantastic cliffhanger with Alvaro Morte's appearance as Logain. The 'Money Heist' star looks starkly different and we absolutely cannot wait to see what he brings in the next episodes.
'The Wheel of Time' feels extremely familiar but that's not a bad thing. Yes, being surprised by something original hits different but we're not complaining as the show carries its own weight. Fans of the fantasy genre who've been suffering from withdrawal symptoms ever since 'Game of Thrones' ended can tune in to the show to get a taste of what they loved so dearly. Although an echo of previous watches, the show is exciting and well worth the watch.
The first three episodes of 'The Wheel of Time' are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, with new episodes to drop weekly.