Reviews

It was OK. I only watched this film because my wife read the book and wanted to see the film. I thought it was a bit too long for the content and could have easily been a 2 or 2.5 hour movie. We all know Nazi's were brutal in WWII, so the shock of their crimes in this movie is.... shocking, but not unexpected. I get the whole McGuffin thing with the jewel as the catalyst for the drama in the film, but it seemed secondary. They COULD have just wanted to kill the blind girl for telling the allies where to bomb. Seems like the Father's death over the jewel just minimized the sacrifice. Anyway, it was OK. I watched it through. I won't read the book.

So, this was a reasonably good show for about two seasons with the latter half of season three just basically throwing in the towel. Unfortunately a show that I reasonably liked throughout its run, was kind of ruined by the series finale, which basically said "This was all in his mind because the main character was having a dissociative identity disorder and none of it happened".

Which, is OK, and would have worked (albeit disappointing) but then I was VERY confused by the final scene where all the characters meet up and share champagne. But Wotan was seriously affected by dementia. If none of this happened, how is he totally cured now? Saxa and Fjor are there having champagne when they were not even in the same social circles at all with Magne in High School. They just "magically" became friends? How did the kid get shot in the eye if Ran was not out shooting arrows in the town? Where are the missing hikers if that whole thing was just in Magne's mind? How about the missing employee? How did Harry lose his hand if none of it happened? Where's Vidar? Did Magne REALLY kill him in a fit of dementia or was that also just all in his mind?

So the problem... the BIG problem.. is the writers wanted to make this a Newhart Show or St. Elsewhere type ending but were unwilling to actually COMMIT to the idea that none of the events of the show ever happened. It's called lazy writing and completely angered me that this is how the show ended.

Unfortunately this movie and the script is not very original. Those at the top eat, those at the bottom starve. It's nothing that only psychopathic dictators can relate to, so it's an easy heart pull. If we could JUST work together we could all get out of the hell hole that is modern society. Well, good luck with that. It's called Altruism and it's been proven scientifically impossible. Humans CANNOT do good without reaping a benefit, so this whole story is rendered useless.

That being said the set direction was good. The acting was good. I actually FINISHED the film which is more than can be said for the films I watch these days. But the message is too simplistic and childish in its nature.

So, I watched the film. It's not hard core Sci Fi, but romantic Fantasy set with Aliens.

What I am confused about is why the Aliens landed in the first place. From what I gathered it's because in 3,000 years they will need help from Humans and in 2016 give them the gift of prescience which allows humanity to survive 3,000 years more to eventually help them.

What I am beyond confused with is why technologically advanced aliens, who live in a non-linear time line would need help from humans when they can just see their own future and adjust for a different outcome. If you can't affect the future then what's the point of knowing it? Also, I'm sorry but the gift of prescience by learning their language is going to UNIFY humanity? Please. Most of humanity would use the gift to win the lottery.

I feel that the message is to not have regrets in life because if you could go back and do it all again, you'd do the same thing. Which is bull crap. If I could go back 40 years and do it all over again I would pretty much do EVERYTHING differently again.

Only emotional saps will find this movie enjoyable.

Pros:

1) Made me laugh consistently throughout the film, except when Russel Crowe's character was supposed to be funny.

Cons: 1) Ripoff of The Exorcist.

2) Absolutely awful screenplay. Dialog was laughable and amateurish. I cannot believe that there are people in Hollywood making money writing like this when there has to be 1,000 starving talented writers out there making nothing.

3) Russel Crowe should be ashamed of himself.

4) Plot was unoriginal and has been done before. Nothing new to be added. I could write this story and I am not a professional Hollywood screenwriter.

5) CGI on the possessed boy was basically Gollum from the Lord Of The Rings and that technology is now 20 years old.

6) Art direction was sub par. VERY typical haunted house, with of course a thunderstorm.

7) Did I mention how terrible the writing was? Absolute Deus Ex Machina lame ending with an amulet pressed into the forehead of the demons banishes them forever. Why not do that 2 hours ago? Why not do that every time?

So, yes, I am a Tolkien lore nerd. Yes I expected them to deviate from the lore and create their own story with their own characters. I, in and of itself, do not have too much of an issue with this (since I expected it), but the fact remains that the show is boring. Three shows in. No movement. The introduction of characters that are flat and boring. Story moves at literally a snails pace when several minutes are dedicated to eating snails.

Look folks, anything Tolkien related is a slam dunk. Why they didn't do Beren and Luthien is beyond me as it has everything that a modern adaption could want. But this is about forging the Rings Of Power and three shows in we have nothing of that story.

So, I'm out. Which is fine, since we all know "Comet Man" is Gandalf and that's the straw that breaks the lore camel's back.

Why would a Witcher Anime movie be given to a director obviously unfamiliar with the topic?

Why would a Witcher Anime movie be given to a writing staff obviously unfamiliar with the topic?

Why would a movie about Witchers be made which paints Witchers in an unfavorable light?

Witchers have hunted monsters to the point of extinction, therefore threatening their livelihood? C'mon.

Why would Vesemir loot a dead body for payment when he was not under contract, and then refuse the child help because he's not under contract?

Why was Geralt bald as a child? Was it for the ol' switcheroo at the ending? Pretty sure we all saw it coming a mile away.

Why would the Witchers go to all the time and expense in trying to create cross-breed monsters when they could just mass produce regular monsters?

Why would the Witchers throw untrained, unmutated children into a swamp for the trial of the "grasses" and THEN mutate them, possibly causing death.

Why did the summoned monsters not attack everyone? Surely if there's a trick to controlling monsters it would be worth more to the Witchers than just making more.

Why did a Witcher allow himself to be held down and beheaded?

Why was this movie even made?