The Sandman (Netflix)

Started by polkablues, August 06, 2022, 02:41:09 AM

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polkablues

One episode in. It's probably as good a television adaptation of the books as is possible, which is less a compliment and more a polite way of saying that maybe they shouldn't have bothered. If you love the books, this is just a nice-looking, faithfulish but watered-down version of the story, and if you haven't read them, I honestly can't imagine this holding your interest at all.

One of the biggest risks of a live-action adaptation was always that as soon as you put an actor in the role of Dream, he immediately becomes Just Some Guy, and the actor they cast absolutely exudes Just Some Guy even more than most. It's one of the deepest, most complex characters in all of modern fiction, and I don't get a sense that Tom Sturridge has made a single acting choice beyond "look annoyed and speak in a low voice."

I'll keep watching, I've been waiting long enough for this thing to exist, but my expectations are tempered. At least I have David Thewliss to look forward to.
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WorldForgot

Noah Hawley's LEGION raised my bar for how television can treat comic books like Sandman. It's a shame it doesn't seem like this production took big risks or swings. I didn't try Amazon's 'GOOD OMENS' even though I love that novel for the same reason I'm afraid to try this one; enormous, cosmic characters and situations look like they've been distilled into a primetime soap.

polkablues

I would put this about on par with the Good Omens series. Merely competent. It doesn't do anything wrong, per se... but like you say, it's not taking those big swings, and the comics were nothing but big swings.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Yes

I watched the first 2. I will say, this is probably the best looking Netflix show? It still suffers from a lot of dark tones and sepia color grade, but there's scope on the screen that's faithful to the material and does seem to revel in the universe, and the VFX isn't egregious. MCU films have arguably worse CGI. This is interested in graphic art

But yeah, reminds me of the Snyder Watchmen movie. It's a straight down the line adaptation but the subtext and nuance gets lost in translation? It's not bad, just sleepy and a bit boring. The Sandman actor is a wash, though

polkablues

The art direction and production design of the show is a triumph, but the actual filmmaking is so pedestrian, it robs the series of any real impact. Give these scripts to a real visual stylist, someone like a Panos Cosmatos or a Brandon Cronenberg, and you could actually unlock the full potential of the material.

I was right to be excited about David Thewlis, though. The man's going to need spinal surgery from how much he's carrying this show on his back.
My house, my rules, my coffee