Criticism The wheel of time: the series that runs in circles on Amazon Prime Video?<

Since its conclusion in 2019, Game of Thrones has left a vacuum in the audiovisual panorama.True phenomenon, the series adapted to the novels of George R.R.Martin will have marked the last decade, by his political, fantastic and medieval intrigue.A place that are determined to take the different SVOD platforms, which multiply the productions of the genre to attract new subscribers.Netflix was the first to retaliate with The Witcher, who dredges fantasy enthusiasts, players and readers of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels.

In Amazon Prime Video, the answer must take the form of a series inspired by one of the most famous literary sagas: the Lord of the Rings.But while the return to the land in the middle is long overdue, the firm founded by Jeff Bezos has other strings to his bow.It reveals the wheel of time, a fantasy series that aims to become a must -see.It is a way for Amazon to demonstrate its competitors for force, and undoubtedly also to reassure Tolkien fans who would fear seeing the betrayed work for profit.But does Amazon have the shoulders put in pictures such an epic?

The universe of the wheel of time is vast, it is undeniable.By wanting to adapt a 14 -volume -rich saga, the platform has launched a hell of a challenge.This is much more than Game of Thrones, whose conclusion on paper has still not been delivered by its author.Here, the path drawn up by Robert Jordan in 1990 was finished by Brandon Sanderson who signed the last three books after the death of the author.Amazon therefore has material to stretch its new production on several seasons.

The wheel of time immerses us in a world where magic can only be practiced by women.When I, a witch of the organization of the AES Sedai, arrives in a small village in the remote region of the Deux-Rivières, the life of four teenagers will switch forever.She embarks Rand, Mat, Perrin and Edgwene in an adventure through the kingdom, towards the white tower.But the creatures of the darkness are at their case, more than ever their lives are in danger.

A sluggish introduction

There is a lot to do in the first episodes of this series.This is a whole mythology, a universe and the milestones of a vast intrigue that must be presented to the spectators, whether or not they are readers of Jordan's novels.In front of this titanic task, the screenwriter does not flank.Rafe Judkins (Marvel: S agents.H.I.E.L.D) is doing quite well and manages to arouse interest in the spectator with mechanics certainly worn out, but always effective.The inspirations are numerous, the author has said that he had drawn widely from the side of the Lord of the Rings for his introduction.If we do not escape the many pitfalls of the genre, the plot still benefits from a certain singularity.

If he sometimes tends to bring elements essential to narration into the shoe, the first episode filled (almost) all his objectives.Rather slow at its beginnings, this chapter oscillates between frantic fights and more intimate sequences between the different protagonists.It is nevertheless in the second episode that things really gain in intensity and that magic begins to operate.

The strength of the series lies above all in the different themes it approaches, the notion of destiny, but also and above all, a certain reflection on feminism, patriarchy and necessarily the matriarchy.But these notions do not crush the story, which turns out to be a subtle mixture of grandiloquent issues and political conflicts.The wheel of time also does not forget to be a more intimate fable, a personal quest for each of the protagonists.

Between wild ride and trolls attacks, this epic adventure has it under the pedal.If she obviously does not suffer the comparison with Game of Thrones, who as we recall also had difficult beginnings, the wheel of time manages to easily climb among the best series of its kind, much better than the recent attempts of Netflix.We particularly remember Cursed, which had revisited the Arthurian legend like Drama for Adolescents.

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We will nevertheless note a certain weakness in the writing of the dialogues, which if they embrace the epic aspect of this kind of production, sometimes forget to add a little humanity to the characters.However, the intrigue that takes shape in the first three episodes which were given to us to see is up to the promise.

A series that costs rounds

To make sure to pay tribute to Robert Jordan's imagination, Amazon has deployed a whole arsenal of special and digital effects.This kind of production is obviously expensive, as long as we want to give birth to a successful and convincing product.Good news, the e-commerce giant does not have sea urchins in the pockets.

The creatures that populate this fantastic universe are particularly successful.Halfway between the orcas of the Lord of the Rings and the Monsters of World of Warcraft, the trollocs are convincing just like the rest of the monsters he gave us to see.Fans of the genre will not be disoriented.

Nevertheless, things get complicated when it comes to putting in images the unique power, this magic power supposed to make the AES Sedai invulnerable.The result is sometimes outdated, or even a little cheesy.We almost expected to see the Halliwell sisters disembark.A scene from the first episode is particularly emblematic of this lack of visual ambition, which if it does not tarnish viewing, leaves us a bitter taste.

On the side of the realization, it is also far from being free from defects.Sanaa Hamri, who realizes the first two episodes, manages to pay tribute to the sets due to its staging, but is completely restored during the action scenes.They are frantic, muddled and above all illegible.We can also say that she is not helped by editing, who forgets to let her characters breathe and partitions in the plans of a few milliseconds barely.

On the other hand, we appreciate the way the filmmaker has fun making visual references at the Western Spaghetti.It also does justice to the many sets that are immortalized, between the green mountains of Deux-Rivières and the desert and frosty expanses of the second episode.The care given to photography comes to give new impetus to the visual universe, which gives off a real atmosphere, in the dark scenes as when the light bathes landscapes.

A promising casting

In this series, familiar faces rub shoulders with illustrious strangers.To embody me, epicenter of the plot, Amazon recruited Rosamund Pike.The actress rewarded for I Care a Lot, who also distinguished herself in Gone Girl, brilliantly embodies this feminine, strong, cold and turned mission figure by a prophetic mission.She faces a Daniel Henney who does not deserve in the role of Lan Mondragoran, silent and mysterious as desired.

On the side of young actors, less young than in novels, it is particularly Barney Harris who captivates attention with his embodiment of Mat.The rest of the cast is no less talented, starting with Zöe Robins who camps Nynaeve Al’Meara.

Finally, we will finish with the music of Lorn Balfe, who manages to underline the story.The composer makes western tones intertwine to more Celtic fields, and manages to add body to the scenes he illustrates with his score.Whoever we owe the original music of His Dark Materials and Black Widow makes a flawless.

The challenge is won for the wheel of time that manages to give birth to a certain magic in these first episodes.Amazon was right to have confidence in its first production of its kind.The platform will also offer him a second and a third season, the series is there to stay.The fact remains that like the path to two-rivières, the road is steep and that a fall quickly arrived.It will therefore be necessary to hope that the series does not trip in its last episodes.

Discover the wheel of time on Amazon Prime Video