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Author Topic: Netflix series Barbarians.  (Read 10343 times)

Offline Unlucky General

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Re: Netflix series Barbarians.
« Reply #75 on: November 07, 2020, 02:18:06 AM »
Well again, it's the best offering on the subject matter I can think of drama wise and I enjoyed it very much in spite of the flaws - becasue as I see it the flaws in such productions are getting fewer than all those horrid sword and sandal so-called epics of the past.

I have to say I do have a problem - and it's my problem - I notice things. I can't help it and I wish I wasn't like it becasue I tend to dispel my own willing suspension of disbelief. There was this moment when Fulkwin is in the forest at night on his lonesome an his built himself a considerable fire. Except it wasn't really a fire, was it? It was an arrangement of sticks over some sort of flaming gas burner which had no coal beds and produced no smoke - I mean none of the wood in it was actually alight!

I also can't help looking at what extras are up to and gosh and golly did these extras require some proper direction or what. There was this one scene where I started giggling becasue this bloke was tickling some random pile of dung/straw/grass (some midden) with a hay fork with no genuine meaning or intent. I mean, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Funny.

Technically, my only gripe is the insistence in all of these programmes and movies of lead actors refusing to grow a proper bloody beard. How it it that they keep that week's growth look so permanently? Have you noticed, the more prominent the male lead role is the less likely it is that they sport the proper beard?

Anyway, still better than anything else offered in the last 20 years on Roman stuff for TV ... pretty sure.

Offline sgzleada71

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Re: Netflix series Barbarians.
« Reply #76 on: November 12, 2020, 11:45:26 AM »
Quite a good series,  Certainly better than  Britannia. 

Offline Grumpy Gnome

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Re: Netflix series Barbarians.
« Reply #77 on: November 21, 2020, 03:36:07 PM »
I have only seen the trailer for Britannia... it did not leave me with high expectations.

And I went in with low expectations for the first episode of Barbaren but was still disappointed. My wife was less annoyed by it than me. Ham fisted plot points and incredibly incompetent Roman legionnaires. The level of incompetence made it difficult for me to suspend disbelief. Gorgeous costuming on the senior officers but over and over again I was wishing someone would teach the low ranking extras how to wear a helmet properly. Too often they looked like children playing dress up as they tried to peer from out under the brim of their I’ll fitting, crooked helmets.

Whilst we have only seen the first episode I would agree with most of the criticism already voiced in this thread.
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Offline Muzfish4

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Re: Netflix series Barbarians.
« Reply #78 on: February 25, 2021, 10:38:36 AM »
I have been holding off reading this thread until I watched the entire series. Finished the final episode last night.

I concur with much of the criticism already here.

The plot is very poor and the characters quite wooden and largely under (or un) developed.

Sets and costumes are very good. Use of language was also excellent (inspired by the Latin and Aramaic in Passion of the Mel?)

I had high(ish) hopes for the final battle scenes but was pretty disappointed, not just by the silly use of fire but also how the Romans turned into Imperial Stormtroopers unable to inflict much damage and with seemingly totally ineffective armour - their first move when preparing for battle was to throw their pila away making one wonder why do they lug them around?

The final battle scene was, for mine, too cut and dried. I does, I feel represent a missed opportunity for a huge three day ordeal of battle by day and by night as increasingly desperate surviving Romans attempt to flee, cut their way out or even surrender. Having it all done and dusted in an afternoon in time to get the BBQ going and share out the fresh teste horderves by the campfire seemed to detract from the epic slog it must have been.

The themes for season two are so clearly telegraphed it really makes me wonder if it will be worth watching. That said, I probably will give it a go though more in hope than in expectation.

 

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