The Shannara Chronicles 7/10 (so far)
Given that this first adaptation of Terry Brooks' Shannara series is airing on MTV, I had low expectations for it. I was pleasantly surprised, though there are many issues for a fan of the book series. This adaptation is based on
The Elfstones of Shannara, giving the first novel,
The Sword of Shannara a pass for some reason. Since there were originally two generations between these two novels in the series, I can see why they might have done that, but for some reason they decided to condense it to a single generation in the backstory. There are a number of other changes from the source material, but first I want to talk about the production, for those who may not have read the novels. The cinematography is very good, the world of Shanarrah is lush and vibrant, and the visuals (at least in the first couple of episodes) are impressive on a large high-def TV. Acting from the main characters is top notch, though some of the supporting characters are wooden. Austin Butler was a good choice for Will, he does a convincing job of making Will seem very unsure of himself, and stumbling through the initial events that he is fated to play a part in. Poppy Drayton also does a good job at portraying Amberle, though the character is not as well written as is Will, she fits the role well. I just wish they hadn't made so many changes to her story line. Ivana Baquero is great in the role of Eretria, and is one of the standout performances thus far, for me. You really get a feel for her strengths and weaknesses. Her portrayal in Pan's Labyrinth was critically acclaimed, and it is good to see that she is still a great actress now that she is in her 20's. Manu Bennett was the perfect choice for Allanon, and makes the character feel like a bit more of a bad-ass than in the novels, given his previous excellent portrayals of Crixus in
Spartacus, and Deathstroke in
Arrow. The oddest actor selection for me is John Rhys-Davies as the Elven King Eventine. He just doesn't have an Elvish physique, but what the hell, he's still John Rhys-Davies, so he does a great job with the role he is given. Most of the supporting Elven cast leave something to be desired, and in particular Daniel MacPherson as Prince Arlon is simply not convincing to me. There is little passion in his role, but then again, I don't think his character is written very well, either. As his role should be expanded as the series continues on, hopefully there are better things to come for the actor, and the role.
As alluded to at the onset, the score I gave is due mostly to the production values. I can't say enough about how good this series looks. I am talking
Game of Thrones, or Peter Jackson's
Lord of the Rings quality in a cable TV series. I didn't know MTV had something like this in them. It is what will keep me tuning back in, as the story is not very faithful to the novel, but I don't want to spoil anything:
It starts at the very beginning, where they decided to make the Chosen have to win a race to become Chosen. I almost tuned out right then and there, it was just so cliche, and so far afield from the book. Only the lush visuals kept me watching, and a hope that things would get better. The events leading up to Amberle's leaving home are condensed to apparently just a few days, which was not a problem for me, as I thought that part of the book dragged a bit. Also, the way Will and Eretria meet is changed significantly, but Austin Butler and Ivana Baquero in these roles make it just feel right. I also want to stop here, and note that I am so far disappointed by the way Trolls are portrayed in the series thus far. We don't get to see much of them in the first two-part episode, so maybe this will improve, but they just don't seem very Trollish to me. It makes me wonder, though, how the other races will look. So far, Elves are just Humans with pointy ears, and Trolls are just humans with deforming facial mutations hiding behind gas masks. Another issue fans of the novels may have is the way the Rovers are depicted. They are less like Gypsies, and more straight forward bandits.
Probably the second largest issue for me, after the stupid race at the beginning, is that Allanon is given a romantic relationship with King Eventine's daughter, which never happened in the books. I don't even think they mention that Eventive had a daughter in the books. It is barely explained, and the explanation does not seem to jive with with the provided timeline, as the relationship apparently came to head 20 years in the past, whereas Allanon has been in the Druid Sleep for 30 years. It is all very rushed, and feels tacked on, as we meet Eventine's daughter, and she is promptly killed off, all in about the space of ten minutes at the end of the second episode.
So, to sum up, fans of the books may be disappointed by liberties taken with the story line, at least in the first couple of episodes, but the quality of production more than makes up for it in my opinion. I just hope that the production continues to hold up as the season progresses, and the story gets on track now that the character introductions are all dispensed with. The next potential drop off for me will be when the Elves begin defending their lands against the Demons. There should be some epic battle scenes, and if they are not well done, I may lose interest.
ETA: When I originally read the first Shannara series 20+ years ago, I did not get the sense that it was post apocalyptic, and this does not become apparent in the books (at least for me) until the two prequel series'. This adaptation makes it very apparent that Shannara is post apocalyptic Earth.
