The most recent installment in Netflix’s rising Witcher franchise, The Witcher: Blood Origin, was lately launched to a powerful “meh” from critics. However the fan response is even worse, with the four-episode restricted sequence sporting a dismal eight p.c ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. The low scores are the results of a couple of various factors associated to the present, the unique books, and former Superman actor, Henry Cavill.
The Witcher: Blood Origin is a restricted sequence set throughout the identical universe as Netflix’s fundamental Witcher present, and each are primarily based on the unique sequence of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. Nonetheless, Blood Origin is ready a thousand years earlier than the occasions of the unique tv sequence, and “depicts the creation of the primary Witcher, in addition to the occasions resulting in the Conjunction of the Spheres.” It additionally stars Michelle Yeoh, who undoubtedly deserves higher than this poorly reviewed, low-rated fantasy prequel.
Over on film overview aggregation web site Rotten Tomatoes, Blood Origin sports activities a 36 p.c approval ranking amongst critics and a good worse eight p.c approval ranking from followers (h/t Forbes). Whereas the critic rating is unhealthy and locations it amongst a number of the worst-rated unique reveals on Netflix, it’s the traditionally low eight p.c viewers ranking that’s actually wild.
After all, it ought to be famous that some followers are review-bombing the sequence for a couple of completely different causes. Some are offended Henry Cavill supporters nonetheless fuming about his late October exit from the primary present. Others are Witcher followers who proceed to be annoyed with Netflix’s dealing with of the unique supply materials in its Witcher tasks. Viewers being upset about how a sequence handles the supply materials has turn out to be a scorching subject amongst many online game followers, with complaints that Netflix’s short-lived Resident Evil sequence and Paramount’s Halo present are each straying too removed from the unique works they’re supposedly primarily based on. That is probably why Amazon lately made a giant deal about how its upcoming God of Struggle TV present will probably be “staying true” to the video games.
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But, it’s onerous to disregard that very low eight p.c viewer ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. Even Netflix’s supposedly despised Resident Evil present has a 26 p.c approval ranking from followers. (Halo sits at a comparatively wonderful 52 p.c.) Blood Origin’s ranking, not less than from what I can inform, appears to be the bottom viewer rating from any Netflix unique present. It’s even decrease than another infamously review-bombed movies and reveals, like Disney and Marvel’s She-Hulk (33 p.c) or Star Wars: The Final Jedi (42 p.c).
With all that in thoughts, my learn is that this isn’t simply one other case of a property getting review-bombed by chuds, however as a substitute only a actually unhealthy present that even diehard Witcher followers don’t take pleasure in. Studying fan evaluations, many complain concerning the shoddy CGI, boring tempo, bland writing, and a normal lack of course. This echoes comparable complaints from critics, too. For Netflix, this will’t be factor, and doesn’t bode effectively for the way forward for its monster-slaying franchise in a post-Henry Cavill Witcher-verse.