TV: Willow (Disney+)
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Blackhawkswincup
RIP Fugu
Happy for Davis but not sure the interest is there for this series
I enjoyed Willow when I was kid, but it certainly wasn't something I thought needed more development/etc as a story/etc
It being on Disney+ could prove very beneficial for it to grow/find an audience that the original didn't. It had fans but was not a big hit when it came out (I believe it like many others found 2nd life on VHS + Cable) and despite loyal fans isn't really all that remembered
I enjoyed Willow when I was kid, but it certainly wasn't something I thought needed more development/etc as a story/etc
It being on Disney+ could prove very beneficial for it to grow/find an audience that the original didn't. It had fans but was not a big hit when it came out (I believe it like many others found 2nd life on VHS + Cable) and despite loyal fans isn't really all that remembered
Randy Butternubs
Registurd User
The GF and I both watched the movie for the first time ever a few days ago. I liked it but she said it was just okay.
With all the other series that are out, it's looking like we'll only watching this one if the reviews are super favorable.
With all the other series that are out, it's looking like we'll only watching this one if the reviews are super favorable.
It's worse than I feared. It's missing the charm, imagination and storytelling of the movie. Little makes sense and clichés abound. The new characters are whiny and unlikable and talk and act like modern day young people. In general, the dialogue is bad and cringey and the humor is super cringey. Some human characters have American accents and some British, and Joanne Whalley switched from one to the other since the movie. Sets and costumes feel too bright and clean. Episodes end with modern music. It feels targeted more at young folks who enjoy CW-like shows than at older folks who grew up with the movie. In fact, a giveaway is that it's set only 20 years after the 34-year-old movie, no doubt so that the new characters could be in their early 20s, not their mid 30s.
It's not all bad. It's very scenic, thanks to location shooting, it's nice to see Warwick (though I feel for him) and, in general, scenes with just the Nelwyn (Willow's people) are decent. It's the rest that doesn't feel like the movie, kills my immersion and makes me cringe.
It's not all bad. It's very scenic, thanks to location shooting, it's nice to see Warwick (though I feel for him) and, in general, scenes with just the Nelwyn (Willow's people) are decent. It's the rest that doesn't feel like the movie, kills my immersion and makes me cringe.
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Jussi
Registered User
Episode 3 was the best. Some really realistically shot dark and rainy fights. Plus Boorman is fun and the banter is occasionally much funnier than I expected. I will give also praise that unlike Rings Of Power, this isn't wasting time in moving the plot forwards. Surprisngly, the episode scores are better at IMDB than for the whole series. 6.5, 6.6 and 6.9 for the 3rd episode. And yes, the whose series score got review bombed before release. Just look at the number of ones.
Also, episode 2 had me laughing hard during the finger test and the spell pronunciation bits.
Also, episode 2 had me laughing hard during the finger test and the spell pronunciation bits.
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IMDb doesn't allow ratings before release. They also don't give as much weight to the ratings of infrequent voters (such as "review bombers"). Even if you eliminate all of the 1 and 10 star ratings, the show would still have an average rating in the mid 5s.
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Jussi
Registered User
Yes, they do. She- Hulk literally got review bombed before episodes were out. Eternals too.
Eternals Review Bombed on IMDB Before Film's Release
Most audiences have not seen the movie.
screenrant.com
She-Hulk's Review Bombing Proves IMDB's Biggest Ratings Problem
She-Hulk and others have exposed IMDb's fatal flaw
screenrant.com
They don't anymore, not since the controversy with The Rings of Power.
You can see on an archived snapshot of the Willow page that a rating and "Rate" button weren't yet available 24 hours before the show premiered: Willow (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb
For comparison, here's how it looked one day after release: Willow (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb
Speaking of She-Hulk, while early ratings were still allowed at the time, notice what the ratings actually were on the day before it premiered: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb
There were more 10-star ratings than 1-star ratings, so there was actually more "review fluffing" going on than "review bombing."
It was the same with Eternals, except that there were twice as many 10-star ratings as 1-star ratings before it was released: Marvel's Eternals Gets Review Bombed for LGBTQ+ Relationship (scroll down to the IMDb screenshot)
Websites like ScreenRant and The Direct write stories about "review bombing" as if it's a big problem and don't even mention the "review fluffing" that more than cancels it out.
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Bounces R Way
Registered User
My GF loves all things fantasy(except anything GoT related weirdly) so I get dragged along on all these shows.
I have to say I'm enjoying this one more than I expected. The dialogue is a little weird, definitely seems geared more towards a younger audience but I can't say I mind it compared to the Rings of Power long soliloquy back and forth, or the Wheel of Time everything must be character related and plot driving, the Witcher's grunting sardonic self flagellation, or even House of the Dragon's political power games self pity pool.
Maybe it's that I'm not that invested and couldn't care less how it relates to the original movie but this show has been fun so far, even though I still don't really know what's going on. There's a chosen one and lesbians and dwarf wizards and a nebulous evil spirit that possesses people I gather? I like the unwilling long haired guide guy. The cinematography is beautiful, the costumes are A+, and every episode so far at least stuff happens. Feels like a proper adventure.
I have to say I'm enjoying this one more than I expected. The dialogue is a little weird, definitely seems geared more towards a younger audience but I can't say I mind it compared to the Rings of Power long soliloquy back and forth, or the Wheel of Time everything must be character related and plot driving, the Witcher's grunting sardonic self flagellation, or even House of the Dragon's political power games self pity pool.
Maybe it's that I'm not that invested and couldn't care less how it relates to the original movie but this show has been fun so far, even though I still don't really know what's going on. There's a chosen one and lesbians and dwarf wizards and a nebulous evil spirit that possesses people I gather? I like the unwilling long haired guide guy. The cinematography is beautiful, the costumes are A+, and every episode so far at least stuff happens. Feels like a proper adventure.
Jussi
Registered User
Review fluffing is literally a counter to review bombing. The former wouldn't be happening without the latter.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
Here's a snapshot of Obi-Wan Kenobi's ratings on the day that it was released: Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV Mini Series 2022) - IMDb
Note the 2,226 10-star ratings and only 127 1-star ratings.
Here's a snapshot of The Wheel of Time's ratings on the day that it was released: The Wheel of Time (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDb
Note the 1,412 10-star ratings and only 228 1-star ratings.
There are no snapshots from the days before, but we can imagine that many of those ratings were made before the first episodes were available and, besides, they're ratings for the entire show, so even if people had seen and liked the first episodes, it was still a bit dishonest to rate the show a 10/10.
Review fluffing happens without review bombing and is likely far more rampant.
Jussi
Registered User
I hadn't heard about the books myself, but apparently there's a lot of fans and this is an example of fans voting. Just like the Nolan fanboys were voting The Dark Knight back in the day and downvoting The Godfather. It just highlight the problem with sites that allow unverified reviews. I think IMDB should just go to 4 -10 rating system, instead of the 1-10 system.
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Yeah, most examples of review fluffing are probably fans being excited. Giving a 10-star rating because you're sure that you're going to love the show isn't much different than giving a 1-star rating because you're sure that you're going to hate it, though. Both are examples of ballot stuffing, so it seems wrong to make a big deal out of the 1-star ratings and not the 10-star ratings that tend to dwarf them.
Mr Jiggyfly
Registered User
- Jan 29, 2004
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He’s suppose to be out there somewhere (Madmartigan).
Kilmer was suppose to be in season one, but had to pull out because of his health struggles and Covid.
If there is a season 2, the show runner Kasdan, said he wants Kilmer to be in it.
From what I’ve read, Kasdan has basically gone out of his way to make sure Kilmer was part of this series, real life just got in the way unfortunately.
Watched the first episode and I am ok with it so far. Will have to watch more and get into the story and see where it goes. Some stuff was predictable especially the first person getting killed on the quest being the old guy lol Saw that coming a mile away.
Jussi
Registered User
RandV
It's a wolf v2.0
The irony is that a lot of 'fans', or at least the loud ones, are going to find some reason to hate it. But the other reason to give 10-star ratings right off the bat for shows like Wheel of Time is that the fans are already invested and want to see the show successful so it will carry to completion.
That implies that they don't have good reasons and that they should enjoy it or else they're not really fans. I don't agree with that. Fans shouldn't be expected to like something and no one looks for reasons to dislike it. That's just a convenient way to discredit complaints, IMO. It's no different than being accused of looking for reasons to like a show because we're fans. That would imply that there aren't good reasons and we were determined to like it, regardless. Most of us wouldn't appreciate that.
A lot of people here were pretty down on Disney Star Wars after The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi and had every reason to expect to be disappointed with Andor. If people actually looked for reasons to hate things, we likely would've seen it there. Instead, just about everyone loved the show and there was almost no criticism. Many of the same people, including me, who were highly critical of the previous two series had nothing but praise for the new one. It goes to show that a good series can overrule any negative pre-judgment. So does Robert Meyer Burnett loving Picard Series 3 despite hating everything that came before it, as Jussi often reminds us.
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NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
I watched the original Willow (because I hadn't seen it in decades) and then immediately started the new series.
It's basically the same level of quality.
I've read reviewers complaining about the American accents. Mad Martigan HAD AN AMERICAN ACCENT.
The fact is that Willow was an entertaining but not particularly great movie and it's been built up into something over the many years since it was released.
Personally I think the Princess Bride is in the same category - I enjoyed it, I still do, it's very quotable, but it is still placed on a pedestal.
I watched all the episodes and smirked a few times at some of the humour - I'm not sure what people are expecting. What I do like is that they haven't toned down the horror/death elements which are actually quite frequent in the original as well.
It's basically the same level of quality.
I've read reviewers complaining about the American accents. Mad Martigan HAD AN AMERICAN ACCENT.
The fact is that Willow was an entertaining but not particularly great movie and it's been built up into something over the many years since it was released.
Personally I think the Princess Bride is in the same category - I enjoyed it, I still do, it's very quotable, but it is still placed on a pedestal.
I watched all the episodes and smirked a few times at some of the humour - I'm not sure what people are expecting. What I do like is that they haven't toned down the horror/death elements which are actually quite frequent in the original as well.
wedge
Registered User
I absolutely hated the first episode. Whiny princess, many problems with the scripts... the second one was a bit better but still not that great. The third one, though, was pretty good and gives me hope for the rest of the season. If the princess can stop whining, it'll be a lot better.
