This week, a new historical series, Destined for Glory, starring Anthony Hopkins, was released on streaming platforms. After watching the trailers, many viewers thought they were in for a Game of Thrones-like experience, only on the Peacock streaming service. In fact, of course, it’s not.
We have already watched the series in its entirety, and are ready to tell you what to expect from the series and what is wrong with the series. Everything in order, as always, without spoilers.
Briefly
This Isn’t Game of Thrones, The Trailers Have Deceived Us
What is the series about?: The story takes the viewer to 79 AD, when the Roman Empire is on the brink of great change. Emperor Vespasian is preparing to hand over power to his sons: the military leader Titus and the cunning politician Domitian. Against the backdrop of political intrigue, gladiatorial fights and chariot races, the main character is Tenax, a former beggar who became the owner of a successful gambling business.
His goal is to create a new racing faction and strengthen his position in society, despite the resistance of traditional patrician families.
The writers were clearly trying to replicate the success of Game of Thrones. But the political intrigue, betrayal, and power struggles here seem formulaic and predictable. Many of the plot elements have already been used in other series and films about ancient Rome.
Like Game of Thrones, there are multiple storylines that intertwine and evolve throughout the season. However, the show doesn’t achieve the same depth and complexity as the other HBO series and often feels secondary compared to him.
The characters in the show often feel stereotypical, flat, and just plain underdeveloped. Tenax, despite Iwan Rheon’s (Game of Thrones’) sinister charisma, sometimes comes across as a stereotypical “sneaky bastard.” Other characters simply don’t get enough screen time to develop their stories.
As for Anthony Hopkins, despite his significant presence in the promotional materials, he plays a minor role in the series. His character, Emperor Vespasian, serves more as a background element than a central figure. In other words, the promotional materials essentially deceive the viewer by promising a performance by the Oscar-winning genius, but his role in the series is very small. His role could have been played by any old actorbut bringing in Hopkins as bait is a clever marketing move, as the rest of the characters are generally bland and hard to remember.
Realism is very poor here.
HBO’s Rome was also a clear inspiration for Destined for Glory. Both series depict life in ancient Rome, with an emphasis on political intrigue and social conflict.
However, Rome has a higher level of historical accuracy and character development. The new series simplifies or overdramatizes many aspects of history, sometimes making it seem like it is taking place in a too-modern context.
The dialogue and behavior of the characters sometimes seem out of place for a historical drama, which detracts from the overall authenticity.
There are a lot of bloody moments here, but there is a nuance
Like Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the series is filled with gore, violence, and explicit nudity. Everything Rome was famous for: fights, murders, fatal mutilations, executions, wild animals, and, of course, multiple chariot crashes. Those waiting for Gladiator 2 will be pleased. However, it is not very clear why such a strong emphasis was placed on bets in the series. Just bookmaker club from Romeand not a historical epic.
All these action scenes look extremely brutal and bloody, which, on the one hand, creates an atmosphere of violence and tension. On the other hand, despite the abundance of violence, many scenes seem overly staged and unnatural due to excessive use of CGI. You can’t look at the lions and other animals without tears. They all look too drawn.
In terms of graphics, the series can be compared to the film “300 Spartans”. However, unlike Zack Snyder’s project, where graphics were the style of the storytelling and helped create a unique visual atmosphere, in the new series, CGI often looks overly staged and unnatural. Such a style for a historical series looks rather inappropriate.
You can watch it, or you can not watch it
Ultimately, Destined for Glory is a series that aspires to be among the great historical dramas, but in many ways feels derivative and overly modern.
Despite its strengths, such as expensive, spectacular action scenes, violence and intricate political intrigue, the ambitious series does not reach the level of Game of Thrones, Rome or even Spartacus. Overall, it looks weaker than its predecessors. However, for those who want to spend a weekend in a historical Roman atmosphere, this newcomer may be to their taste.
Source: www.iphones.ru
