THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES Impresses

Article originally published as THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES Review on Seat42F.

MTV becomes a player in the modern television landscape with THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES, premiering this week. Sure, the network has had some modest hits, such as Teen Wolf, and some quality programming, such as the first few seasons of Awkward. But THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES is a turning point because it’s a big budget epic with complex characters (who aren’t all teenagers) in a sweeping, fully developed world. Based on the trilogy by Terry Brooks (well, mainly the middle volume), this is the first show MTV has aired that I could easily see one of the higher quality networks carrying.

THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES is set in a geographically small area on a future Earth in which mankind has died out. Elves control the height of civilization, with trolls and roamers on the fringes, all living in the ruins of once-great cities and technology, now nearly eroded away.

That’s where this main action begins, but it’s not where this story does. There is a lot of backstory revealed in bits throughout the two-hour pilot (from the first book) that set the stage for this world, and plays into the crisis at hand. Magic, thought to have died out with the Druids, is making its return as demons seek to escape their imprisonment and conquer the planet for good. Can they be stopped?

THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES introduces us to a pair of heroes who may or may not be up to the task. Princess Amberle Elessedil (Poppy Drayton, Downton Abbey) is a headstrong young woman who refuses to accept her place in society, and is formidable enough to make waves, earning a position in a male-dominated force. She is joined by naïve Wil Ohmsford (Austin Butler, The Carrie Diaries), a half-elf with heroism and magic in his blood, though Wil is ill-prepared to follow in those footsteps at present.

Were those the only two principal players, this would be a typical MTV series. Instead, there’s actually quite a few others. Allanon (Manu Bennett, Arrow) is a druid awoken from a multi-decade slumber who takes Wil on as his apprentice. King Eventine (John Rhys-Davies, The Lord of the Rings) is the ruler who has swept the horrors of the past under the rug, and now struggles to hold onto his legacy. Heir-to-the-throne Ander (Aaron Jakubenko, Neighbours) has a different idea on how to handle current events. Younger Arion (Daniel MacPherson, Neighbours) enjoys the perks of royalty without the responsibilities. And roamer Eretria (Ivana Baquero, Pan’s Labyrinth) wants freedom from her clan’s leader (James Remar, Dexter).

Now, while this is not a top-tier cast, it is a group of performers who hold their own in this Lord of the Rings-type fantasy. Together, they make up a varied ensemble who’ll likely face death nearly as often as those on Game of Thrones, though being on basic cable, THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES pulls back slightly on violence, disregards all profanity, and only flirts with nudity. Though it does the latter quite often.

Filmed in New Zealand, THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES feels epic and sweeping, and likely owes a lot of that to the novels it is adapted from. There is no need for the show’s writers to develop a world as they go because one has already been clearly laid out ahead of time. That being said, the source material isn’t enough to keep this show going for more than a couple of years, so the written work is likely to be a jumping off point, rather than the sole inspiration.

I liked THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES a lot. It feels more sophisticated and well-made than the typical MTV fare. It may not win any awards, but it signals that the network isn’t just going to keep churning out sexy teens doing scandalous things as their only programming, and I look forward to seeing if their viewers embrace it, or maybe even earn the channel a new audience.

THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. on MTV.

Lock Up The Prisoner

    AMC remade the British classic, The Prisoner, but unfortunately, it was a snooze fest.  For purposes of full disclosure, I have never seen the former version, and though I enjoy the AMC original series Breaking Bad, I find their critical hit Mad Men to be incredibly boring.  So if your opinion of the network differs from mine, you may not be pleased with this review.

     The story centers on 6, a man known only by a number, waking up in some strange desert town called The Village (no, not the same Village from M. Night Shyamalan).  The residents of the Village insist that there is no other world outside of this place, but 6 is plagued by dreams of another life, and doesn't remember being there before, though he has a house.  The mystery deepens as he struggles to find out why an old man has died, and why others dream strange dreams and sketch landmarks such as Big Ben and the Statue of Liberty.  Running The Village is 2, who has a son 11-12, and whose mother is in a coma.  The first major twist is when 6 discovers that 16, who told him they were brothers, was lying, but for what purpose?  Every time 6 seems close to figuring out a piece of the puzzle, someone is killed or disappears or distracts him.

     The problem is, the story is just not that interesting.  James Caviezel (Jesus in The Passion of the Christ) plays a 6 that doesn't have viewers rooting for him at all.  He seems more annoying that heroic.  Similarly, 11-12, who is supposed to have major subplot, just comes across as whiny and cold.  The female love interests are not in the least attractive nor compelling.  And by the time something starts to happen in the 5th and 6th hours, a 2 and 6 duplicate have shown up and made things even more confusing.  Is it all happening in their heads, or is there really an isolated Village?  I don't really care, nor do I care about the evil company behind it.  It's been done before, and with more talent behind it.  Admittedly, this show was made in the sixties, so it predates many of the stories I am comparing it to, but since this is a new miniseries, it faces those comparisons.

     The bright spot is Sir Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, X-Men) playing 2.  He is always a wonderful actor, and this is no exception.  Surrounded by dullards, he manages to shine even more by comparison.  His is clearly a complicated character, with much motivation hidden eternally, and yet, McKellen manages to convey those secrets.  He is the only reason I still have the 6th hour running on my TV as I write this article, already having given up on 2's plight.

     One final comment, the tone and mood of this miniseries, as well as the score and special effects, lead one to conclude that this show would have more appropriately aired on the SyFy channel.  Previous efforts of their's, Flash Gordon and Tin Man come to mind, were similar.  Though SyFy doesn't always have the best judgment on their programming (Battlestar Galactica excepted), one has to wonder if perhaps they weren't offered the show and wisely passed.