I tried watching this. Tried. Had to skip around a lot, trying to find a part that didn't suck.
For reference I first got into The Witcher when the first game was still based on the Neverwinter Nights engine, read the books after playing the first game. Played the second. Loved the third. Iconic game. So it's not like I'm not a fan, I'm going in predisposed to like it. One thing people don't realize is the books were never that good, they were sort of obscure polish b list fantasy incorporating a ton of other legends. The first game was cool, but it was really the second game and REALLY the 3 that made the world iconic.
I thought the Netflix adaption fucking sucked. Had nothing on the third game.
Maybe it's OK on its own merits, but its not The Witcher. There's too much shit to go into fully, but basically it boils down to:
-The entire fucking point of the Geralt character that the world came to love when the games came out is he is a tired old man who is too old for this shit. If you take away the characterization that he is a grumpy old man, you take away the core of his character. Yeah, he was younger in the books, but no one cared about those until the second and third game's writing staff showed what the world was capable of.
-Not a knock on Cavill, but Doug Cockle's vocal performance is iconic. Gravelly badass. Cavill's voice sucks in comparison.
The nicest thing I can say about the show is it made me realize what a fucking iconic game 3 is. Every character in the game is more fleshed out than in the show. Gaunter O'dimm was a better villain than anything in the show. Play the Hearts of Stone expansion or the main campaign of 3 and tell me anything on the show was on that level. It fucking wasn't. Even minor villains in the game were insanely memorable, this was just generic fantasy hash. Every character in 3 was larger than life. The Crones, Sigismund Dijistkra, Thaler, Keira Metz, Whoeson Jr, the fucking Bloody Baron, etc. etc. etc.
Honestly I think the mega positive reaction some have is just due to the fact people fucking jump on every HBO/Netflix Fantasy or Sci Fi series and act like it is the most legendary thing ever.
On its own merits it might be a mediocre fantasy show, but in comparison to 3 or even 2, it sucked.
If you liked it, cool. But the seeming consensus of "THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER" is another case of hardcore fans getting drowned out by the bandwagoners who jump on every fantasy or Sci Fi IP when a high budget adaption comes out. I mean, maybe it was cool as mindless fantasy fodder, but I couldn't even watch a whole episode. Generic as fuck.
I regret feeling that way because it makes me look like a hipster. But better a hipster than someone who mindlessly proclaims every fantasy IP adaption that comes out is the greatest thing ever . I really wanted this to at least be decent, I honestly didn't expect the adaption to be as bland and milquetoast as it was.