Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros, and an ancient enemy returns after a thousand years of slumber. Martin’s wife once said she would leave him if he killed Arya or Sansa. Tywin Lannister: The man who has to say “I am king” is not a true king. During the opening credits, each actor’s name is accompanied by a badge from his character’s house. Hollywood Top Ten: Critics' Nominees: Drama (2011). Main Title (Uncredited) Written and performed by Ramin Djawadi.
I’ve been watching Game of Thrones gradually over time; since the first series (gradually due to busy schedule), when I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about it from friends, family, and IMDb reviewers. And with such great talent and a great series of books, how could it go wrong? The good news is that Game of Thrones didn’t do it wrong. Not only is it the rare TV show that does justice to its original source material and treats it with respect, but on its own merits it is one of the best, most addictive, and consistently compelling shows of recent years. The TV show is so great that it really needs to be checked out as made-for-TV, when everything is done to such a high standard that it puts many of the movies made today to shame. It is one of the strongest examples of a critically acclaimed show that deserves every bit of praise.
The scenery is stunning throughout, the sets are incredibly atmospheric and beautiful to the eye, the attention to detail is great, and the costumes fit the characters to a tee. Then there are the special effects, which are some of the best on TV and are not overused or underused. Their scale, detail and how they actually have character and soul is better than many big budget films. So is the cinematography and editing, which are also of film quality. Game of Thrones is not to be talked about. not to mention the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically layered musical score and unforgettable main theme.
It’s hard to discount the quality of the writing, as great is not a strong enough adjective to describe how well it’s written. It always has a natural flow, is multi-layered and thought-provoking, brings out a range of emotions including thrilling suspense, sharp pathos and witty humour. The stories are so beautifully paced, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, high emotional levels and skillfully and tactfully touch upon complex and sensitive themes. When there’s a staged or more action-oriented scene' #39;there is always a reason, never because of it. The production is done on a grand epic scale, with great staging, suspense and dramatic tension, but underneath all the scale and sharp attention to detail there is a lot of heart and multi-layeredness. They are not too long and have no inappropriate elements.
The characters are also a big part of the appeal. ‘Game of Thrones’ has characters that are as well developed and as close to real life as possible, despite being in a fantasy world. These characters are not archetypes of heroes and villains (Joffrey is the only one close to that, but the difference is that he is a very interesting and highly developed person who ranks well above 100% on the threat level scale). The decisions are logical and no character is disliked when the decision is not the right one, because mistakes are acknowledged and learned from.