Culture news Netflix: The Witcher Blood Origin stronger than the series with Henry Cavill? Our opinion !
Published on 23/12/2022 at 14:40
Netflix capitalizes on The Witcher franchise and extends the universe imagined by Andrzej Sapkowski beyond its main series with Henry Cavill in the title role. In 2021, a first animated spin-off titled The Wolf’s Nightmare was released on the SVOD service. 16 months later, it’s the turn of another prequel to enrich the lore of the Witcher. Does The Witcher: Legacy of Blood series surpass its illustrious elder?
Life-size history
The Witcher: Legacy of Blood is a spin-off, and as such brings its share of answers as to the mysteries surrounding this universe of Polish Heroic-Fantasy, a universe introduced beforehand in the main series. It is therefore advisable to have seen the previous Netflix Originals from the Witcher lore, although this is by no means an absolute prerequisite. Indeed, it is quite possible to begin the exploration of the Continent with Blood Origin before taking an interest in the life of Geralt de Riv and his protege Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon.
This spin off takes the risk of taking place 1200 years before the adventures of the White Wolf, and recounts in its own way some of the most significant events of the saga… the Conjunction of the Spheres and the creation of the first Witcher. Netflix promised fans to deepen the myth of the hunter and to return to the cataclysm at the origin of the presence of monsters and magic in the lore of The Witcher. After 4 episodes and a memorable epic, it’s now done, even if lore purists will find fault. The writers once again take many liberties with the source material, and reshape a fictional world as they see fit, yet much appreciated as it is by readers and players.
The treatment of the elves seems the most difficult to take. Irascible, thirsty for power, limited… these legendary beings are only the shadow of what they are supposed to be and literally behave like humans throughout the mini-series to the point of becoming caricatures of them. However, several characters stand out, starting with our company of determined and motley heroes. The story of the Seven links the small and the big History for the time of an epic desired adventurebut which struggles to rise to the height of the cinematographic works which have made the glory of Heroic-Fantasy in the past, The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson in mind.
The Witcher: Blood Origin of its original title risks dividing the community of fans – novels, video games, Netflix – with on the one hand those celebrating the debauchery of means implemented and on the other those railing against the non-respect lore and a (too) invested narration. This spin-off never takes half measures to such an extent that it wraps itself (in spite of itself?) in a “life-size role-playing game” atmosphere. Finally, it is worth saluting the care taken in the photography, especially during the outdoor shots which enjoy sublime landscapes, as well as the violent combat scenes at will.
Here is the official synopsis for The Witcher: The Blood Legacy:
Set 1200 years before the events of ‘The Witcher’, ‘Blood Legacy’ tells a tale of ancient times when seven warriors banished from the elven world decided to unite against an unstoppable force that took it all. Their quest spawned a prototype witcher in the midst of a conflict that led to the Conjunction of the Spheres, where monsters, humans, and elves came together to form one world. -Netflix
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