Britannia is a fantasy historical series set in 43 AD that follows the Roman Imperial Army determined to take over Britannia, which is ruled by some warrior women and the creepy druids who can channel the powers of the underworld.
Britannia does not aim to be factually correct or historically accurate, nor does it claim to be a true story.
It is a tongue-in-cheek excursion through Celtic Britain. It is about a fantasy world with a historical background, but the focus is on magic, gods and devils. You could even say that "Britannia" focuses on controlled madness.
To believe that any kind of historical accuracy was sought here is absurd. It was an entertaining exploration of possible historical events. So you shouldn't concern yourself with "historical accuracy", just sit back and enjoy the ride. It's a combination of fantasy, very good entertainment, really good fun and a lot of blood.
The fact that not everything is taken so seriously here is evident right from the start with the cool opening music, songs like Donovan's "Season of the Witch", "Hurdy Gurdy Man" or T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution" set the mood and give an idea that a different path is being taken here to tell a story with a historical background. The music was terrific and left me with catchy tunes.
They have also opted for a modern colloquial language with an absolutely refreshing effect. With the side effect that humor finds its way into the dialogue and made us laugh very often.
There is a lot of action in Britannia and the Roman general in Britain is particularly cruel and cunning. I found all the characters unique and engaging, both the good guys and the bad guys. The entire cast was still unknown to me, but everyone was excellent in their roles. The banter is really great between Divis (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Cait (Eleanor Worthington Cox) both from the dialog and the body language of both characters. Absolutely great. But also Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt) with his dry manner was to kneel down. It was great to see the detailed character development of the different characters. Sometimes moving and emotional, sometimes cruel and then hilarious. Mackenzie Cook is tremendous and very impressive in the role of the head druid Veran. Full of bone and craziness, he looks frighteningly scrawny throughout.
Of course, great praise also goes to the costume and make-up department, who did a fantastic job creating a great atmosphere in collaboration with the camera and conjuring up breathtaking images time and time again. In perfect interplay with the score, the setting, the great backdrops with fantastic landscapes. The mysterious significance of the druids in Celtic culture, as well as the shamanic pagan magic, is captured in an exciting and captivating way. A great production that feels like it had a big budget behind it. A script that leaves you wanting more. The story is very fast-paced, can be quite humorous at times and is quite bloody!
The show maintains its craziness, you're never quite sure what's going to happen/who's going to see the next dawn, and new characters join in and drive the story forward, while the craziness is definitely maintained.
This isn't GoT or The Last Kingdom, nor should you expect it to be, but it's a compelling series for fans of this type of genre who are open to creative imaginative interpretations.
Unfortunately, it must also be mentioned that there would still be enough to tell to fill a 4th season. But unfortunately it won't happen. I was quite disappointed and would have loved a sequel.
------------- Conclusion: Excellent - exciting, brilliantly filmed and directed. Great characters, great locations, a crazy story, a great and unusual series that should never be taken seriously. It's fantasy set against the backdrop of "real" history.
Britannia does not aim to be factually correct or historically accurate, nor does it claim to be a true story.
It is a tongue-in-cheek excursion through Celtic Britain. It is about a fantasy world with a historical background, but the focus is on magic, gods and devils. You could even say that "Britannia" focuses on controlled madness.
To believe that any kind of historical accuracy was sought here is absurd. It was an entertaining exploration of possible historical events. So you shouldn't concern yourself with "historical accuracy", just sit back and enjoy the ride. It's a combination of fantasy, very good entertainment, really good fun and a lot of blood.
The fact that not everything is taken so seriously here is evident right from the start with the cool opening music, songs like Donovan's "Season of the Witch", "Hurdy Gurdy Man" or T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution" set the mood and give an idea that a different path is being taken here to tell a story with a historical background. The music was terrific and left me with catchy tunes.
They have also opted for a modern colloquial language with an absolutely refreshing effect. With the side effect that humor finds its way into the dialogue and made us laugh very often.
There is a lot of action in Britannia and the Roman general in Britain is particularly cruel and cunning. I found all the characters unique and engaging, both the good guys and the bad guys. The entire cast was still unknown to me, but everyone was excellent in their roles. The banter is really great between Divis (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Cait (Eleanor Worthington Cox) both from the dialog and the body language of both characters. Absolutely great. But also Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt) with his dry manner was to kneel down. It was great to see the detailed character development of the different characters. Sometimes moving and emotional, sometimes cruel and then hilarious. Mackenzie Cook is tremendous and very impressive in the role of the head druid Veran. Full of bone and craziness, he looks frighteningly scrawny throughout.
Of course, great praise also goes to the costume and make-up department, who did a fantastic job creating a great atmosphere in collaboration with the camera and conjuring up breathtaking images time and time again. In perfect interplay with the score, the setting, the great backdrops with fantastic landscapes. The mysterious significance of the druids in Celtic culture, as well as the shamanic pagan magic, is captured in an exciting and captivating way. A great production that feels like it had a big budget behind it. A script that leaves you wanting more. The story is very fast-paced, can be quite humorous at times and is quite bloody!
The show maintains its craziness, you're never quite sure what's going to happen/who's going to see the next dawn, and new characters join in and drive the story forward, while the craziness is definitely maintained.
This isn't GoT or The Last Kingdom, nor should you expect it to be, but it's a compelling series for fans of this type of genre who are open to creative imaginative interpretations.
Unfortunately, it must also be mentioned that there would still be enough to tell to fill a 4th season. But unfortunately it won't happen. I was quite disappointed and would have loved a sequel.
------------- Conclusion: Excellent - exciting, brilliantly filmed and directed. Great characters, great locations, a crazy story, a great and unusual series that should never be taken seriously. It's fantasy set against the backdrop of "real" history.