Westworld is one of the most promising shows in quite some time. Its premise, cast, and crew involved show me this could be the next big thing for HBO. And if the premiere is any indication, it will be just that.
Jonathan Nolan, his wife Lisa Joy, and J.J. Abrams are the brilliant minds behind this TV series adaptation, and they do a nice job of incorporating many of Michael Crichton's intriguing ideas in the original film while also adding in some nuances as well. Although in the film version the 'hosts' are played more as antagonists, I appreciate the change in having them more as victims and/or toys for the guests. This change brings a good balance so that as audience members, we don't necessarily know who to root for.
Westworld boasts an impressive ensemble cast including Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth (yep, there's another one), and the great Ed Harris. The premise of the show opens the door for characters to die and come back, considering half are androids, but having big names also helps bring the show down to a more recognizable and understandable level. It's a dense show, but I don't expect anything different from a Nolan product.
The premiere sets up the promising idea that the androids/hosts have a possibility of malfunction due to Hopkins' and Wrights' programming issue. Of course, knowing where the movie ends up is probably a good indication as to the direction the show will take, but I like that it wasn't immediately clear. It's also nice to see that some of the main cast members are hosts. We didn't get to see a whole lot on them in the film, besides Yul Brynner, so I like seeing much more character development come from that angle.
This show is being billed as a Western Game of Thrones, and it now has a strong pilot to show for it. Plus, throw in a great score by Thrones' composer Ramin Djawadi and some incredible visual effects that could rival Thrones, we may have ourselves another Emmy winner. Here's hoping.
+Impeccable cast
+Another Nolan gem
+Score
+Nuances to the film's ideas
9.0/10
Jonathan Nolan, his wife Lisa Joy, and J.J. Abrams are the brilliant minds behind this TV series adaptation, and they do a nice job of incorporating many of Michael Crichton's intriguing ideas in the original film while also adding in some nuances as well. Although in the film version the 'hosts' are played more as antagonists, I appreciate the change in having them more as victims and/or toys for the guests. This change brings a good balance so that as audience members, we don't necessarily know who to root for.
Westworld boasts an impressive ensemble cast including Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth (yep, there's another one), and the great Ed Harris. The premise of the show opens the door for characters to die and come back, considering half are androids, but having big names also helps bring the show down to a more recognizable and understandable level. It's a dense show, but I don't expect anything different from a Nolan product.
The premiere sets up the promising idea that the androids/hosts have a possibility of malfunction due to Hopkins' and Wrights' programming issue. Of course, knowing where the movie ends up is probably a good indication as to the direction the show will take, but I like that it wasn't immediately clear. It's also nice to see that some of the main cast members are hosts. We didn't get to see a whole lot on them in the film, besides Yul Brynner, so I like seeing much more character development come from that angle.
This show is being billed as a Western Game of Thrones, and it now has a strong pilot to show for it. Plus, throw in a great score by Thrones' composer Ramin Djawadi and some incredible visual effects that could rival Thrones, we may have ourselves another Emmy winner. Here's hoping.
+Impeccable cast
+Another Nolan gem
+Score
+Nuances to the film's ideas
9.0/10