Frank Schätzing's 'The Swarm' is one of the most influential pieces of German literature since the turn of the millennium. Critics and readers alike have been hoping for a movie or TV adaptation for decades, and, well, this isn't it.
That being said, the TV series isn't all bad. The direction is solid, the photography is pretty, the soundtrack is subtle. The CGI is a bit of a mixed bag; some things look fantastic, while others are cringeworthy. The actors were a mixed bag as well, or perhaps it's just the German dub that's not all that great (which would surprise me since German dubs are typically excellent).
The story is flawed, but still works. While many people don't like the slow pacing, I found that part quite enjoyable. The series knows how to ramp up tension, with the highlights typically appearing at the end of each episode as a cliffhanger. The plot is filled with as many and as large holes as the ozone layer, the story focuses quite a bit on the characters, the science was kicked aside pretty quickly, and the ending is... also there. Nevertheless, I found the series entertaining. Had I never heard of the book, I'm sure I would've found The Swarm an almost-good but ultimately forgettable show that's only remarkably because it isn't a US production.
As a movie adaptation of the novel, the TV has failed utterly. The novel consists of five parts, the first of which is fairly recognisable in the first five of eight episodes. The second part was supplanted entirely by something vaguely similar in episode six, and the last two episodes replace the last three arcs. I do understand that a novel can't be adapted into a TV series without quite a few changes (indeed, even many screenplays can't be adapted without changes), but, well, completely going off the rails after less than half the novel is done is no longer an adaptation. I wouldn't have minded, of course, if the changes were improvements, but unfortunately, they are not.
One of the biggest letdowns (at least for me, personally) is the disregard of scientific ambition. The novel was painstakingly researched and contains a bunch of (thankfully well written) factual essays that explain the necessary backgrounds. Basically, the author explains to the reader how essential something (e.g. The continental shelves) is, before utterly annihilating that thing. It's a surprisingly effective tool at making the reader go "Oh ****" even before the catastrophe is then unveiled in unerring detail. The TV series, apparently, didn't even bother to have scientific advisers read through the scientists' dialogue, never mind getting the bulk of the science correctly. (Except for the maritime biology, which I've been told is quite accurate. They actually had advisors for that, I'm thinking.)
Oh, well. I'm sure the movie adaptation will hit cinemas any day now. When was it supposed to come out again? Oh, right, 2010. Err, 2011. I mean 2015. Whelp, that ain't a good sign.
That being said, the TV series isn't all bad. The direction is solid, the photography is pretty, the soundtrack is subtle. The CGI is a bit of a mixed bag; some things look fantastic, while others are cringeworthy. The actors were a mixed bag as well, or perhaps it's just the German dub that's not all that great (which would surprise me since German dubs are typically excellent).
The story is flawed, but still works. While many people don't like the slow pacing, I found that part quite enjoyable. The series knows how to ramp up tension, with the highlights typically appearing at the end of each episode as a cliffhanger. The plot is filled with as many and as large holes as the ozone layer, the story focuses quite a bit on the characters, the science was kicked aside pretty quickly, and the ending is... also there. Nevertheless, I found the series entertaining. Had I never heard of the book, I'm sure I would've found The Swarm an almost-good but ultimately forgettable show that's only remarkably because it isn't a US production.
As a movie adaptation of the novel, the TV has failed utterly. The novel consists of five parts, the first of which is fairly recognisable in the first five of eight episodes. The second part was supplanted entirely by something vaguely similar in episode six, and the last two episodes replace the last three arcs. I do understand that a novel can't be adapted into a TV series without quite a few changes (indeed, even many screenplays can't be adapted without changes), but, well, completely going off the rails after less than half the novel is done is no longer an adaptation. I wouldn't have minded, of course, if the changes were improvements, but unfortunately, they are not.
One of the biggest letdowns (at least for me, personally) is the disregard of scientific ambition. The novel was painstakingly researched and contains a bunch of (thankfully well written) factual essays that explain the necessary backgrounds. Basically, the author explains to the reader how essential something (e.g. The continental shelves) is, before utterly annihilating that thing. It's a surprisingly effective tool at making the reader go "Oh ****" even before the catastrophe is then unveiled in unerring detail. The TV series, apparently, didn't even bother to have scientific advisers read through the scientists' dialogue, never mind getting the bulk of the science correctly. (Except for the maritime biology, which I've been told is quite accurate. They actually had advisors for that, I'm thinking.)
Oh, well. I'm sure the movie adaptation will hit cinemas any day now. When was it supposed to come out again? Oh, right, 2010. Err, 2011. I mean 2015. Whelp, that ain't a good sign.