What do you think about the fight/battle scenes in comparison to the show?

[Mr Fixit]

The lack of the FOTFM annoys me to this day. Why build up something for a year and then not show it?

On this one we can agree. It's hugely anticlimactic to end the whole damn season on a scene like the one we got at the end of 2x10 only to begin the whole damn next season by cutting to black. It's really bad. I guess another budget issue? I doubt D&D intended it that way when ending Season 2.

[protar]

On this one we can agree. It's hugely anticlimactic to end the whole damn season on a scene like the one we got at the end of 2x10 only to begin the whole damn next season by cutting to black. It's really bad. I guess another budget issue? I doubt D&D intended it that way when ending Season 2.

No doubt budget was the issue, but I feel that had they just cut back on some of the CGI elsewhere (Did we really need the Manticore?), used some chaotic camera-work and focused on Sam getting the raven's off with the battle in the background - they could have pulled it off.

I think filming in Iceland was a big part of the problem. A night shoot would have gone a long way towards disguising the tight budget at the FOTFM (as it was in BW), but shooting in Iceland at night was pretty much an impossibility. I'm kind of baffled as to why it was ever chosen as a location: terrible shooting conditions, no horses and it doesn't even match up with how Beyond the Wall is described in the books. A nice winter shoot in Scotland would probably have been a lot cheaper and easier.

[Darryk]

The only one I didn't like was the Daario/Jorah/Grey Worm versus Yunkai in episode 9 of season 3. I generally don't like "three guys versus fifty" type scenarios, or fights that try to be overly flashy.

Prefer grittier, more grounded fight scenes, and in that respect almost every other fight or battle in the series so far has nailed it for me.

Bronn's duel with the knight in the eyrie - brilliant. Jaime and Ned's duel was great as well, had the perfect balance between showing Jaime's flair and skill, but keeping it believable.

And of course the Battle of Blackwater Bay was cinematic brilliance from beginning to end. Not just the battle itself but in terms of setting up the atmosphere, which is critical.

[DaveyJoe]

The lack of the FOTFM annoys me to this day. Why build up something for a year and then not show it?

I agree, the most disappointing part of the series so far. They could have done something with some clever editing, but what we got was very underwhelming.

I've been very happy with the sword fights/battle scenes, I think they're doing a great job with a TV budget. I even loved the Jame/Brienne fight, it was very well choreographed and shot, I think people just don't like that one because Jamie gets punked, but there's nothing technically wrong with it. Calling it terrible and awful is just fanboy hyperbole.

[The Dragon has three heads]

If I remember the Battle of the Green Fork correctly, Tyrion kills 2 men via very hard fought battles, mostly due to luck. Though still unrealistic, people exaggerate Tyrion's combat skill. Most of it is either luck, or taking his foes unaware whilst they're preoccupied with his taller allies. The Green Fork is to my memory the only time he really has any face to face fights, and he has a horse at the time (negating most of his disadvantage against dismounted foes.).

The Whispering Wood would have been cool, but I wasn't too bothered as we never actually "saw" it in the books either. With the Green Fork on the other hand, a pretty serious situation was turned into a gag, which was a bit lame imo. Especially with the revelation (sorry I've lost the interview) that had they been more experienced with budgeting we might have gotten those battles.

Re read tyrions clash battle chapters, he's actually a very good warrior, it's plot armour for sure, but still...he kills ALOT of men...with very little training to my knowledge?

Also the no battle at the fist is the single biggest faux par of the show so far...except maybe the very average Marjory and Sansa scenes...

Still, it's what irks me most about the whole of season 3.

A very bad directorial decision and that it was supported by the producers as well shocks me.

It could have been so much, but instead confused and annoyed a lot of the unsullied I've spoken too.

[The Drunkard]

They aren't very good. The Jaime-Brienne fight was pretty poor, as was ''Jorah and pals fight Slaver's Bay''. The Blackwater was the only fighting scene/s I've actively enjoyed so far, and I honestly don't mind if they choose to skip most other battles.

[protar]

Re read tyrions clash battle chapters, he's actually a very good warrior, it's plot armour for sure, but still...he kills ALOT of men...with very little training to my knowledge?

I agree that Tyrion's fighting prowess is somewhat unrealistic, however I still think that it's within the realms of feasibility. At the BW he is horsed and surrounded by other soldiers for much of the battle, which gives him a distinct advantage over Stannis' unmounted men. When he's on foot, he does rather less well and admits a lot of it is just stabbing people when their back is turned. Something else to note is that Tyrion does have the "Battle Fever" during this chapter, so it's very much blurred and perhaps not entirely accurate.

But anyway. A bit off-topic.

[Roose The Weddingcrasher]

Personally, I didn't have a problem with the scenes until season 3.
Jon vs Wildlings and the glorious trio vs the Mereneese, that was just too cheap. You could see the bad guys patiently waiting for their turn to attack.

[The Dragon has three heads]

Personally, I didn't have a problem with the scenes until season 3.

Jon vs Wildlings and the glorious trio vs the Mereneese, that was just too cheap. You could see the bad guys patiently waiting for their turn to attack.

That yunkai seen was totally unnecessary.

Danny could have watched that battle from afar which would have needed to be little more than a duct cloud. Jorah rolls up later all bloody saying they won.

Done.

Also re tyrions fighting I think it's insinuated he's a lot better than people give him any credit for.

Battle fever or no, he killed MANY men at the black water.

[Undead Ned With No Head]

Kind of meh some good Bronn v Vardis Ned v Jamie some really good the Blackwater and some really bad like the Battle Of The Back Door To Yunkai

[aFeastForDragons]

The Yunkai battle was so cheesy. It was like something out of LOTR.

[Daske]

The Yunkai battle was so cheesy. It was like something out of LOTR.

To defend the LotR fights looking cheesy - if you take the trio of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli they are intrinsically superhuman fighters so can do 'impossible' things so I think they deserve some leeway. Yunkai not so much!

[PatrickStormborn]

The Yunkai scene was a total mess. They could have saved some money on that scene and included more at the Battle of the Fist, and they could have used the extra time within the episode to cover Dany and Barristan's conversation about Rhaegar and Harrenhal.

[King of the Road]

Yunkai was good, yes it was unrealistic and a bit cheesy, but in terms of the quality of the fight it was well choreographed and looked good in the way that the director was able to contrast the variety of fighting styles in the trio. It wasn't on a par with Jaime vs Eddard or The Hound vs Beric, but it was very well filmed.

[The Dragon has three heads]

Yunkai was good, yes it was unrealistic and a bit cheesy, but in terms of the quality of the fight it was well choreographed and looked good in the way that the director was able to contrast the variety of fighting styles in the trio. It wasn't on a par with Jaime vs Eddard or The Hound vs Beric, but it was very well filmed.

A fair point about the 3 styles, I do think however it was totally unnecessary as a scene on the whole.

It's was an unneeded diversion from the main plot beats.

[The Drunkard]

The Yunkai scene was a total mess. They could have saved some money on that scene and included more at the Battle of the Fist, and they could have used the extra time within the episode to cover Dany and Barristan's conversation about Rhaegar and Harrenhal.

Agreed. This is the main reason I'm not fussed with the fight scenes. The show is already cutting a lot to fit an entire book into less than ten hours of screen time, and quite a few storylines are suffering for it. That they choose to compound the issue by adding some pretty dodgy and somewhat time-consuming battles that aren't necessary seems a bit silly.

But hey, maybe I'm not the target audience.

[King of the Road]

A fair point about the 3 styles, I do think however it was totally unnecessary as a scene on the whole.

It's was an unneeded diversion from the main plot beats.

True, it wasn't needed. But I'm concentrating on this thread from a purely choreographic point of view, rather than relating the fight scenes to the overall plot. If we're talking about including the plot as well, to be honest I think my original point still stands, Ned vs Jaime and The Hound vs Beric still top the best fight scenes list in my opinion.

[Jogarr the Troll]

I really like how the scene with Jaime vs Ned was done. I saw the first season and a half before reading the books, so I was taken by surprise that Jaime didn't kill Ned when he had the chance, but now having read the books, it makes perfect sense that they added in that fight not only to increase the action and escalate the story, but also to give us an early hint that Jaime may not be as devoid of honor as we're led to believe, especially given that it's Ned Stark, one of his staunchest opponents and enemies.

Did we get to see Barristan OWN the Titan's Bastard with a wooden staff? I don't rmember that scene in the show, but god damn was it awesome in the book.

Fight between Jaime and Brienne was also really well done in my opinion. Jaime's realization that he's overmatched but masking it with his pride and taunts, the confidence and contempt with which Brienne finishes him, all just spot on. Great fighting and great acting.

[Trigger Warning]

Generally I've been quite happy with them, except for the Yunkai fight when I suddenly thought I was watching Xena.

Of course for the budget they had the Blackwater was great and very well executed but for one thing that bugged me. As soon as I saw Stannis charging up the beach without a helmet I literally rolled my eyes, it just seemed so out of character to the point that it was silly. I know that they had to show that Stannis was a battle hardened commander and that he was dangerous but It seemed like an incredibly ham fisted way of doing it.

Personally I would have loved to have had a short scene with Stannis on horseback with his royal standard flapping behind him, staring forwards at the city as his footsoldiers relentlessly marched forward, since they had the entire force coming ashore straight at the city I'm not sure where they could have done a scene like this but I still think it would have given a better sense of how unyielding and dangerous Stannis is without turning him into a generic action hero.

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

I actually enjoyed Stannis recklessly running in. It shows to me that he's utterly convinced that his destiny is to be King and there's no way he's losing the battle or getting killed. The helm thing is obviously unrealistic but they do it to avoid the risk of viewers thinking "Who is that? Is that the Stannis guy?" It also allows an actor to really act.