Chindie Posted December 22, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted December 22, 2019 First episode of the Witcher is pretty promising. You can see where the budget went (Cavill, some of the costumes and sets, action, bits of CGI) and where the corners were cut (the cast, in the main, but I've a feeling the writing might not be er... top rank stuff), but there's a lot to like. Cavill works as Geralt, once you accept he's doing an impression of the (iconic) voice in the game, and also that that voice coming from an actual man talking to actual people is absurd. The cast is definitely more jobbing actors than the cream of the crop but it kinda works - the Witcher is more about normal people and having unknown faces and less 'actorly' performances sells that a bit more than loads of well known character actors. And it's refreshingly keen to show action, we get more battle scenes in the first episode than the first series of Game of Thrones, and they're fairly well done. The sword fighting is pretty bloody good with Geralt's unique style done really well. It also sets it's stall out with the themes of the Witcher - people are bastards and inherently good choices are rare. Is it great? No. It suffers from classic fantasy show scene setting, where it balances having tonnes of world building dialogue interspersed with a lot of asking the audience to just go with it. There's some legitimately ropey acting, and in amongst the nice designs there's some outright crap - the Nilfgardian armour is horrific and there's more than a few fancy dress level costumes going on. But... This could have been **** dreadful and I don't think it is on the strength of that episode. Bonus points for the show if, by the end, it appears that the entire world is populated by Brummies, Welsh people, Scots and Eastern Europeans. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 On 20/12/2019 at 21:49, Ingram85 said: Nope. Yens are magnificent. Watch it. Good lord you’re not wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted December 22, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted December 22, 2019 A Christmas Carol started well. Almost as good as the Muppets version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 22, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted December 22, 2019 Unpopular opinion: A Christmas Carol is **** boring in any format (but the Muppet version is the best to be fair) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenjiOgiwara Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 (edited) I almost wanted to start a new thread for this. You got a lot of superb comedians over there and have always made cracking television, but I just wanted to say how much joy I get out of it. From Black Books, the Fall, Luther, Broadchurch, 8of10cats, QI and what not. Just brilliant. My personal favourite is Would I Lie To You. The synergy between Brydon, Mitchell and Mack is amazing. Lee Macks wit and respons time is just unreal. I can't for my life understand how it's possible to be that quick. Bob Mortimer as well, bloody storytelling national treasure you got there. Must have watched this show over and over. Edited December 23, 2019 by KenjiOgiwara 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Back home for Xmas, the UK exclusive Netflix stuff seems to be growing by the month Watched movies that made us, dirty dancing, I unashamedly live that film, the series is good, basically a documentary of how it was made, home alone, die hard and ghost busters are also done, should be good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Finished the witcher, spoiler question from what I think is a **** up but maybe I just missed it - Spoiler The episode where the doppelganger has cirri, then she runs off, gets caught, ends up in the cabin with the guy with bird on his head, he goes to get her some food, doppelganger turns up, they fight... Next scene is her tied to a tree gagged in the woods...what happened there?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 2 hours ago, KenjiOgiwara said: Lee Macks wit and respons time is just unreal. I can't for my life understand how it's possible to be that quick. You (and I) might get a few people mocking this, because my sense is that finding Lee Mack funny is not particularly 'cool' or whatever, but I have to agree, he's extremely good at fast funny responses. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 I neither find Lee Mack funny or unfunny. WILTY tends to go on when there is absolutely nothing else on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenjiOgiwara Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: You (and I) might get a few people mocking this, because my sense is that finding Lee Mack funny is not particularly 'cool' or whatever, but I have to agree, he's extremely good at fast funny responses. It's nuts. Half the time he comes up with a lightning quick response and the audience actually don't get it. I have to think about it for like 20 seconds (cause some English references are kinda difficult for me), and then I get it. But he does it in a split second and very often they are absolute quality. I saw a YouTube comment that somebody needs to examine his neurons, cause he's so quick, and I totally agree with that. Absolutely fantastic. And he genuinly tries to portray himself as dumb, while I suspect him to be incredibly intelligent. I think it was Victoria Mitchell who said he was the smartest man on television, but nobody knew. But yeah, I guess wilty and mack is too mainstream for people to admit they like it. Edited December 23, 2019 by KenjiOgiwara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted December 23, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted December 23, 2019 8 hours ago, Stevo985 said: Unpopular opinion: A Christmas Carol is **** boring in any format (but the Muppet version is the best to be fair) Well I bow to no man in my hatred for the works of Dickens - overrated shite of the worst sort. In fact I watched that Sue Perkins thing about his marriage last night, which confirmed what an utter clearing in the woods he was. The missus, however, loves his books, keeps telling me I'm missing out on the greatest novels of all time. Yeah, I'll pass thanks, love. But I've always liked the Muppets Christmas Carol as an annual ritual, and this new version is rather brilliantly done. Exception that proves the rule, though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted December 23, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted December 23, 2019 Dickens is the definitive example of paid by the word. Classic stories obviously but told at absolutely languid pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 6 hours ago, HanoiVillan said: You (and I) might get a few people mocking this, because my sense is that finding Lee Mack funny is not particularly 'cool' or whatever, but I have to agree, he's extremely good at fast funny responses. Best stand up I've seen live (admittedly not many) Spent maybe an hour doing Wolverhampton / crowd specific jokes Think he only has 2 dvds, both of them excellent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 8 hours ago, KenjiOgiwara said: I almost wanted to start a new thread for this. You got a lot of superb comedians over there and have always made cracking television, but I just wanted to say how much joy I get out of it. From Black Books, the Fall, Luther, Broadchurch, 8of10cats, QI and what not. Just brilliant. My personal favourite is Would I Lie To You. The synergy between Brydon, Mitchell and Mack is amazing. Lee Macks wit and respons time is just unreal. I can't for my life understand how it's possible to be that quick. Bob Mortimer as well, bloody storytelling national treasure you got there. Must have watched this show over and over. Couldn't agree any more with this, WILTY is just about the best and most consistent thing for laughs on TV along with Taskmaster. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenjiOgiwara Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 6 minutes ago, villa4europe said: Best stand up I've seen live (admittedly not many) Spent maybe an hour doing Wolverhampton / crowd specific jokes Think he only has 2 dvds, both of them excellent I am surprised by that. I thought what makes Mack so good on WILTY is that he has a knack of interacting and supplying Mitchell and Brydon with material. He sort of sets up the comedy if that makes sense. If he was alone I just don't think he'd be that funny, but I will take your word for it. Billy Connolly is someone I always wanted to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 The dvds are probably 10 years old now, check them out, probably on YouTube, I'm sure the 2nd one is called the not going out tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LakotaDakota Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 3 hours ago, villa4europe said: Think he only has 2 dvds, both of them excellent There are 3, Lee Mack Live, Lee Mack Going Out & Lee Mack: Hit the Road Mack. You can grab the lot on ebay for about a fiver if you don't mind pre-owned. Finding the first one in particular still sealed may be more difficult than the other two 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Really enjoyed The Witcher, shame next season isn't out until 2021. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted December 25, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted December 25, 2019 Bit disappointed with Martin's Close (the BBC M. R. James Xmas ghost story). I think Mark Gatiss is losing his touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tegis Posted December 26, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted December 26, 2019 Was wondering why the missus and daughter were sat in the couch, slightly misty eyed, a little drool down the side of the mouth and sweaty eyebrows. The Witcher..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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