Watched the new series “Destined for Glory”. For those who are waiting for “Gladiator 2”

This week, the new historical series Destined for Glory, starring Anthony Hopkins, hit streaming platforms. After watching the trailers, many viewers realized that they were only expecting their Game of Thrones analogue from the Peacock streaming service. In fact, of course, that’s not the case.

We’ve already watched the series, and we’re ready to tell you what to expect from the series, and what’s wrong with the series. Let’s talk about everything in order, as always, without spoilers.

Briefly

• This Isn’t Game of Thrones, The Trailers Have Deceived Us
  Realism is very poor here.
  There’s a lot of blood and nudity here, but there’s a twist.
  You can watch it, or you can not watch it

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This Isn’t Game of Thrones, The Trailers Have Deceived Us

What is the series about?: the story of the viewer’s transfer to 79 AD, when the Roman Empire is on the verge of great changes. Emperor Vespasian hands over power to his sons: his superior Titus and the cunning politician Domitian. Against the backdrop of a well-thought-out intrigue, gladiatorial combat and chariot races, Tenax, the last former successful gambling businessman, comes out first and foremost as a hero.

His goal is to create a new racing faction and strengthen his position in society, despite the resistance of traditional patrician families.

The authors were clearly trying to show the success of Game of Thrones. But the political intrigue, betrayal and struggle for power here are very formulaic and profitable. Many plot elements have already been used in other series and films of the ancient world.

Like Game of Thrones, there are multiple storylines that intertwine and evolve throughout the season. However, the show doesn’t reach the same depth and complexity as the other HBO series, and it’s often overlooked. secondary compared to him.

The characters in the series are often extremely stereotypical, written and just underdeveloped. Despite the sinister charisma of Ten Iwan Rheon (the same Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones), at times he comes across as a stereotypical “sneaky bastard.” Other characters simply do not get enough screen time to develop their stories.

As for Anthony Hopkins, despite his 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 minor. 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 unimpressive and hard to redeem.

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Realism is very poor here.

HBO’s Rome was also clearly a major inspiration for Destined for Glory. Both films depict life in ancient Rome, with an emphasis on political intrigue and social conflict.

However, Rome has a higher level of precision and character development. The new series simplifies or dramatizes many aspects of the story, sometimes making it seem like it is set in a too-modern context.

The dialogue and behavior of the characters are sometimes quite inappropriate for historical dramas, which limits the authenticity.

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There are a lot of bloody moments here, but there is a nuance

Like Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the series is filled with bloody scenes, shots, and outright nudity. Everything Rome was famous for: fights, murders, mortal wounds, executions, wild animals, and, of course, multiple chariot accidents. Those waiting for Gladiator 2 will be pleased. True, it is not very clear why such a strong emphasis was made on bets in the series. Just bookmaker club from Romehistorical epic.

All these action scenes look extremely brutal and bloody, which, on the one hand, creates the atmosphere of Louise and lonely reality. On the other hand, despite the defeat of the war, many scenes are repeated staged and unnatural due to more intensive use of CGI. You can’t look at the lions and other animals without tears. They all look too drawn.

The series’ graphics can be compared to the film “300 Spartans”. However, unlike Zack Snyder’s project, where the graphics were a style of storytelling and created to create a visual atmosphere, in the new series, the CGI often looks staged and unnatural. Such a style for a historical series looks rather inappropriate.

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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 advanced in its modernity.

Despite its strengths, such as expensive action scenes, profits and intricate political intrigues, 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 an ancient Roman atmosphere, this revolution may be to their taste.