Veltigar Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I liked it too... I have finished it today. All 10 episodes... I think we all summed it nice: production-wise, this is truly spectacular. But, the writing is a bit off, there are some elements of the story that are cheesy and cliche... I would describe this as "Game of Thrones meets China". Given that I consider GoT good, it would be unfair to say this was bad. But, both shows are far from exquisite. As for characters, for the sake of me, I don't get the casting of Marco. The actor has its moments, I mean, he is Italian, but at the end, instead of good old Italian charm, we got just bland personality. I also binge-watched this, so I assume that complaints about lack of clear lines between episodes are valid. I liked Kaidu actor, there is something really magnificent about this actor. Also, I liked Chabi and as much as he is annoying, Jingin. So, cast did manage to capture attention of audience at some moments. Duh, Kaidu is being played by Rick Yune :p I think he's the most famous member of the cast :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mladen Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Duh, Kaidu is being played by Rick Yune :P I think he's the most famous member of the cast :P Yeah, I just checked IMDB to find out... He has rather impressive posture... Didn't like that the Kaidu plot was left unfinished at the end of season. Other than that, he was the only one whose "Mongol honor talk" I actually bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Yeah, I just checked IMDB to find out... He has rather impressive posture... Didn't like that the Kaidu plot was left unfinished at the end of season. Other than that, he was the only one whose "Mongol honor talk" I actually bought. Well, you know he's the next antagonist. His daughter Kutulun was also notorious apparently. Her marrying a bastard son of Kublai tells you all you need to know about next season(s) really. A shame, since the few fleeting moments of Kutulun we got were a hundred times more interesting than all the screentime devoted to the Bland Princess or the Naked Kung Fu Concubine. The minute she appeared on screen there was this jolt of energy that went through the mess that is Marco Polo. The writers won't use it of course, which is a shame. Both the actress and the character gave a Lagertha vibe to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protar Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Well I saw the first episode last night with my folks. We all thought it was pretty good. The only thing that really bothered me was the wide variety of botheringness with the accents between actors. And I'm a little wary of this having too much gratuitous nudity. But it seemed generally pretty good - on the level with Vikings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Please, let us refrain from bashing Vikings. It's not perfect, but it's light years ahead of Marco Polo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protar Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Please, let us refrain from bashing Vikings. It's not perfect, but it's light years ahead of Marco Polo. I wasn't bashing Vikings, I was praising Marco Polo (or at least the first episode) by comparing the two. Maybe my opinion will change after a few more episodes, but they seem comparable at the moment - two historically based shows which seem pretty good but which lack a certain je ne sais quoi, especially compared to Game of Thrones. ETA: One thing I will say is that it looks like they got all of the flashbacks out of the way in the first episode. I think that that was a mistake. Not only did it make the episode feel rather disjointed for the first 10 minutes or so after the opening credits, but I feel like it was a missed opportunity. They could have interspersed flashbacks into all the episodes so that the father character could have had a more constant presence and that relationship could have been developed. Maybe that is done, but it seemed that they where in a rush to get all the journey from Venice to Mongolia out of the way quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkash Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Actually, getting some quick flashbacks in episode 1 and none for the rest of the season was enough for me, many things happen afterwards and it helps keep ones head in the intrigues of the Khan and the Songs courts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castel Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Well, you know he's the next antagonist. His daughter Kutulun was also notorious apparently. Her marrying a bastard son of Kublai tells you all you need to know about next season(s) really. A shame, since the few fleeting moments of Kutulun we got were a hundred times more interesting than all the screentime devoted to the Bland Princess or the Naked Kung Fu Concubine. The minute she appeared on screen there was this jolt of energy that went through the mess that is Marco Polo. The writers won't use it of course, which is a shame. Both the actress and the character gave a Lagertha vibe to me. Naked Kung Fu Concubine was so wasted. 90% of her purpose was to show yet again that Jia Sidao was an oozing prick. As for Kaidu being the next antagonist, he's the old one as well. The only difference between him and Ariq is that Ariq actually seemed nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I wasn't bashing Vikings, I was praising Marco Polo (or at least the first episode) by comparing the two. Maybe my opinion will change after a few more episodes, but they seem comparable at the moment - two historically based shows which seem pretty good but which lack a certain je ne sais quoi, especially compared to Game of Thrones. Lol, Vikings is a lot stronger than GoT (and on a fraction GoT's budget). Only season one of GoT can measure up to Vikings. Marco Polo is even worse than GoT. Both MP and GoT have awful writing and both fuck up amazing source material, but at least the cast of GoT is very strong (with the exception of perhaps one or two people). Marco Polo, the Bland Princess, Naked Kung Fu concubine, Wannabe Ashur on the other hand are terrible. Such a shame. ETA: One thing I will say is that it looks like they got all of the flashbacks out of the way in the first episode. I think that that was a mistake. Not only did it make the episode feel rather disjointed for the first 10 minutes or so after the opening credits, but I feel like it was a missed opportunity. They could have interspersed flashbacks into all the episodes so that the father character could have had a more constant presence and that relationship could have been developed. Maybe that is done, but it seemed that they where in a rush to get all the journey from Venice to Mongolia out of the way quickly. Yeah, getting rid of the flashbacks was pretty idiotic and it creates a lot of problems later on. MP just develops skills and acquires information at random to save him from a pickle, but their is not even a hint about where he learns it all. The fact that he's still such a noob at fighting is also hard to stomach, three years on the Silk Road should have given Marco ample change to learn basic skills. Worse of all, the relationship with his father, which seems to be what makes the character clikck is totally underdeveloped. The writers don't even make an effort to raise stakes here. Naked Kung Fu Concubine was so wasted. 90% of her purpose was to show yet again that Jia Sidao was an oozing prick. As for Kaidu being the next antagonist, he's the old one as well. The only difference between him and Ariq is that Ariq actually seemed nice. I kind of hope they take care of Naked Kung Fu Concubine and wannabe Ashur (the arab guy, with the idiotic painting) next season. Let's give Kaidu and co another season to develop. Their conflict should feel like a real civil war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protar Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Lol, Vikings is a lot stronger than GoT (and on a fraction GoT's budget). Only season one of GoT can measure up to Vikings. Marco Polo is even worse than GoT. Both MP and GoT have awful writing and both fuck up amazing source material, but at least the cast of GoT is very strong (with the exception of perhaps one or two people). Marco Polo, the Bland Princess, Naked Kung Fu concubine, Wannabe Ashur on the other hand are terrible. Such a shame. Well clearly I've hit a nerve. There's no need to be rude or patronising - like I said I've only seen one episode and even that flashed up a few warning signs for me. But it seems fairly enjoyable so far. And it appears to have great production values, so it should at the very least serve as a nice spectacle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Well clearly I've hit a nerve. There's no need to be rude or patronising - like I said I've only seen one episode and even that flashed up a few warning signs for me. But it seems fairly enjoyable so far. And it appears to have great production values, so it should at the very least serve as a nice spectacle. The CGI is terrible. Take note of the fake blood effects used in episode two. It's worse than expendables 3. They have great costumes and sets, but the VFX is woefully bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Rick Yune, was good. And gorgeous. So was Uli Latukefu as Byamba, Kublai's illegitimate son good and gorgeous. The actor's from Tonga. But in the end, Marco Polo stood on the shoulders of Kublai, Bendict Wong -- plus the very high quality of the locations, cinematography and other production elements. However, I did admire how quite well the director and writers managed to weave wuxa sequences so well into the primary narrative -- just some, but not a lot -- as at least U.S. audiences aren't as interested in that sort of film as it was just before it peaked, before Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. However, it seems that wuxa are still as popular as ever with audiences in Asia. Perhaps this series is put together and even written as it is, as hoping to appeal greatly to netflix's Asian market -- including even the Polynesian segement. What we want out of characters may not be what other markets find most important? I don't know anything of this, of course. My opinion only! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I wasn't bashing Vikings, I was praising Marco Polo (or at least the first episode) by comparing the two. Maybe my opinion will change after a few more episodes, but they seem comparable at the moment - two historically based shows which seem pretty good but which lack a certain je ne sais quoi, especially compared to Game of Thrones. ETA: One thing I will say is that it looks like they got all of the flashbacks out of the way in the first episode. I think that that was a mistake. Not only did it make the episode feel rather disjointed for the first 10 minutes or so after the opening credits, but I feel like it was a missed opportunity. They could have interspersed flashbacks into all the episodes so that the father character could have had a more constant presence and that relationship could have been developed. Maybe that is done, but it seemed that they where in a rush to get all the journey from Venice to Mongolia out of the way quickly. There were flashbacks in other episodes, such as one of the mantis chancellor and his sister as desperate orphan children. I still wish there'd been more transitional material between scenes and / or episodes, and far less naked harem stuff -- which I didn't believe in, historically, though generally it was very pretty, but still took up time that could be better used. They even did that very bad got contrivance of having women performing sexually with each other while the male characters -- though in this case at least one of them was female, the empress -- tell us the audience some info dump. I did like watching the series quite a bit, though I left the room when the prisoners in I think the pentultimate episode were being butchered. That went on too long and was too much graphic, despite the lighting so dim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenedstark Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Nvm. Guess you're talking about wuxia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 To me, the main problem this show has is "not-up-to-the-task" writing... (which is most shows) The sets are fine, the acting is passable, the combat choreography is decent, and even the bad CGI can be overlooked if the writing was up to scratch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raksha 2014 Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 I've watched the series. Pro's: 1. The look of the show - sumptuous and exotic interior art and costumes, good (at least to my eyes) battle choreography, the cinematography, etc. 2. Joan Chen as Empress Chabi - I last saw her in the Last Emperor (1987) and she is still as good an actress and as luminously beautiful as she was in her 20's. Owns the role and many of the scenes she is in; and I love her relationship with Kublai - definitely the Power Couple of the show.3. Byamba and Khutulun - if Kublai and Chabi are the Power Couple, Byamba & Khutulun (who are respectively Kublai's son and cousin) are the Fun Couple of the show. I want to see more of them; and wonder how Byamba will cope with the hostility between his new father-in-law and his actual father.4. Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan - a credible performance at the heart of the show; cantankerous Kublai is a walking contradiction, a fierce and often tyrannic/cruel Mongol who wants also to keep his contested realm open to diverse philosophies, religions, and people.5. The martial artistry of Tom Wu as Hundred Eyes - not the hokey cliche of the blind kung-fu master, but the guy's dazzling maneuvers, when not augmented by unnecessary special effects. He's brilliant; I was riveted by Wu's control and seemingly effortless grace and power. I re-watched the last episode in part to see the Hundred Eyes/Jia Sidao fight again. Cons: 1. Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco Polo - unfortunately, the young man is neither charismatic nor particularly appealing. He's easy on the eyes, but his performance should be the show's centerpiece, and it's not; he just doesn't pull me in, he's either too soft-seeming or too wooden. I liked him best in his relationships with Byamba and Hundred Eyes.2. Marco Polo and "Blue Princess" Kokachin - they're supposed to be passionate thwarted lovers, but they seem to me more like the Wet Blanket Couple than a relationship we want to cheer. I'm actually far more interested in the arranged future marriage of Kokachin and Prince Jingim; and hope that Marco gets a dog (not for sex :ack: , but as something he can be fond of that won't run out on him). 3. Too much boobage, bare-assness, full frontal nudity. I wouldn't have this opinion if we ever saw the same exploitation of the more attractive male actors/characters. 4. Hate the Crouching-Tiger-Hidden-Dragon effects in the martial arts bouts; we don't need to see the fighters flying 20 ft. up in the air in slo-mo to appreciate the beauty and fire of the action; in fact I think the effects detract from those scenes.5. I would have liked to see an entire episode deal with the journey to Kublai's court, the Silk Road, the desert, etc., not just a few minutes. I would definitely watch a Season 2 of the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthmail Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 I'm on episode 3. I think there are some serious hysterics going on here about the show's quality, most of it nonsense. I'm enjoying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Bauer 24 Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 Is this any good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Hanna Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 I think it's great. Obviously some faults to it, but to me, the good stuff about it definitely outweights the bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Hanna Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 I'm on episode 3. I think there are some serious hysterics going on here about the show's quality, most of it nonsense. I'm enjoying it. I agree with this. I think some people went into it, thinking it's going to be shit because of the reviews, and never really gave it a fair shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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