The most recent installment in Netflix’s rising Witcher franchise, The Witcher: Blood Origin, was not too long ago launched to a convincing “meh” from critics. However the fan response is even worse, with the four-episode restricted collection sporting a dismal eight p.c ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. The low scores are the results of just a few various factors associated to the present, the unique books, and former Superman actor, Henry Cavill.
The Witcher: Blood Origin is a restricted collection set inside the identical universe as Netflix’s predominant Witcher present, and each are based mostly on the unique collection of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. Nonetheless, Blood Origin is about a thousand years earlier than the occasions of the unique tv collection, 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 positively 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 fair worse eight p.c approval ranking from followers (h/t Forbes). Whereas the critic rating is unhealthy and locations it amongst among the worst-rated authentic exhibits on Netflix, it’s the traditionally low eight p.c viewers ranking that’s actually wild.
In fact, it must be famous that some followers are review-bombing the collection for just a few completely different causes. Some are offended Henry Cavill supporters nonetheless fuming about his late October exit from the principle 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 collection handles the supply materials has develop into a scorching subject amongst many online game followers, with complaints that Netflix’s short-lived Resident Evil collection and Paramount’s Halo present are each straying too removed from the unique works they’re supposedly based mostly on. That is doubtless why Amazon not too long ago made a giant deal about how its upcoming God of Conflict TV present can be “staying true” to the video games.
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But, it’s exhausting 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 glorious 52 p.c.) Blood Origin’s ranking, at the very least from what I can inform, appears to be the bottom viewer rating from any Netflix authentic present. It’s even decrease than another infamously review-bombed movies and exhibits, 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 an alternative only a actually unhealthy present that even diehard Witcher followers don’t take pleasure in. Studying fan opinions, many complain in regards to the shoddy CGI, boring tempo, bland writing, and a common lack of route. This echoes comparable complaints from critics, too. For Netflix, this may’t be a very good factor, and doesn’t bode nicely for the way forward for its monster-slaying franchise in a post-Henry Cavill Witcher-verse.