SummaryMorpheus/Dream (Tom Sturridge) escapes from a 100+ years sleep and seeks to revive his kingdom in this series adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comic book series of the same name.
SummaryMorpheus/Dream (Tom Sturridge) escapes from a 100+ years sleep and seeks to revive his kingdom in this series adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comic book series of the same name.
The season metes out its material with an economical approach (no episode runs over 54 minutes) and smart narrative structure. ... With enough forward-facing momentum and the might of Gaiman’s ever-complicating lore behind, Netflix’s “The Sandman” justifies its existence — and the potential for so much more story to come — time and time again.
Idiots are panning this series because they are offended by POC and LGBTQ+ being visible in media. Let me actually tell you about the show, not the politics.
Sandman is very smartly written. Like in the comics, Gaiman uses the Hero's Journey to explore themes common to all people. Themes of purpose, ambition, belonging, and mortality are all covered in this first season of The Sandman, among others. Fans of the original comic might be disappointed in one or two episodes that don't go as dark as the comics, but this is a new medium. Things that worked in the comics won't so much in television. I feel that Gaiman and the producers do a fine job of updating the story and leaning into the strengths of this new format. The series stays true to the original intention of the comic, and that's what most fans are going to be concerned with. Those who are new to the story needn't worry about how well they are able to keep up, either. They'll enjoy getting to know all these characters from the start, in a series that's as relevant today as the comic was in the 90's. By now, Sandman's been approved for a season 2. So buckle in, it's going to be a wild ride.
Despite its credentials as “a comic strip for intellectuals” (as novelist Norman Mailer put it), the result is very middling, neither dream nor nightmare, just the vague reverie you have when you’re hungry and lunch is still an hour away.
The overall results are so shaggy and uneven, with characters and incidents from the comics that add little to the story on screen, that the reasons to adapt “The Sandman” never exceed the reasons not to have done so. ... The rocky performances and wavering accents among the secondary cast members parallel the disappointingly unimaginative (and not particularly lavish) special effects.
The perfect Adaption. The character has grown with the time which is fitting since he is an endless. Enjoyed from begging to end. Get 5 immensely enjoyable story arcs with characters that are thoroughly realized and just a joy to be around. Made by fans for fans. My favorite show of the year.
Having watched the entire series, I have a mixed reaction. Apparently Neil told viewers to expect a 'looser' adaptation, and that is what this is.
The good: Morpheus is spot on. In fact, all of the Endless are. The scenes that draw directly from the source material are moving, brilliant, so well-acted, particularly the exchanges between Dream and Death - say what you will about Death's casting, but it makes sense: she does where the Ankh, after all, and the performance is so good, nothing else matters. The effects are superb, the realms are exactly how I, at least, always imagined them. Proper service could never have been done to this story at any other time than in our modern CG age. Really, the portions of the story that are in line with the comics are just amazing.
The bad: I am not opposed to 'inclusivity', though I loathe the word in this context due to it being Hollywood code for 'inclusion riders', which were created by lawyers, not by creators, and if they are imposed, there's really nothing one can do. Some of the swapping here doesn't make any sense at all, e.g.: Lucien, Lucifer(if Lucifer was inspired by David Bowie, why is Gwendolyn playing the character, as undeniably a wonderful an actress she is?), Rose Walker, even Constantine, though Jenna Coleman does a great job with the role. It is absolutely correct, as anyone that has read the comics knows, that The Sandman was already representative of a very broad spectrum for the time. This just feels forced and arbitrary a lot of the time, and it's a pet peeve of mine. How does this serve the story? Neil has been quoted as saying that when one really cares about people they want to include them, and I don't disagree, but this feels gratuitous and a decision made under the presupposition that white folks are inherently flawed and to be marginalized, a very sad Hollywood trend, particularly in comic-based stories. I don't think Mr. Gaiman realizes that 'woke' and 'progressive' are actually antonyms.
Another complaint people have had is that the story is so non-linear, but if you've read the comics, you know that already, so it shouldn't be an issue if you are a fan of the original series. And bear in mind this is a series based on what was a bit character when he was first introduced into the DC canon. All in all this is both the best and worst Neil Gaiman adaptation I've seen, which is frustrating. I guess a fan can't have it all. The majority of it is quite good, and again, at times, brilliant (for me, particularly episode six, which a lot of people have complained about for some reason). I find ret-conning to be incredibly jarring without context for the decisions made. If that doesn't bother you, you will probably love this to a perfect 8 - 10. For the rest of us: I wish had been a bit more. But it is still worth your time. Watch it for Morpheus alone if nothing else, as he is terrific, the first episode is absolutely great, and the rest have enough wonderful moments to carry the series for this fan of the comics.
I was hooked in the first episode. Loved the world-building and the intelligent dialogue. Then episode 7 came along and "the sandman", the guy this show was supposedly based around, quickly became a side-character in his own show to make way for strong independent woman POC character who was just boring and personally, can't even act that well. Wish I had stopped watching at episode 6 to save myself the boredom.
Also found it cringe that so many of the characters are ****. I think ~5% of the population is **** but this show would have you believe that it was 50%+. It ruins the suspension of disbelief when the show is supposed to be taking place in the modern world setting I think.
Summary: Great Start, Sad and Pathetic Finish
Sad woke crap, 80% of the characters are gender swapped race swapped or both. They made fundamental changes to the comics that reduce sandman's character. It's very frustrating because the visuals are amazing and there are moments of real greatness when they stick to the source material. If you have never read the comic it's probably a good time, there are plot holes that the show created and weird character changes that do reduce the story. It is painful to watch as a fan of the comics