Distributor: Splendid Film
Atlantis (Season 1) – Series Review
Atlantis, the lost city, we’ve all heard stories about it. Whilst most of the legends tell us this lost city was flooded and sank to the bottom of the ocean, we will probably never be sure if what the stories tell us is true. What if Atlantis was a city in ancient Greece, filled with legendary heroes, villains and even creatures? Atlantis, the series, created by the creators of Merlin explore that possibility.
The story starts out with our unsuspecting hero-to-be, Jason. Jason lives in the world we call home and seems to be an everyday normal guy. At a young age he has lost his father, that did some underwater research with a submarine. Now that Jason has come of age, he decides to go on the same mission as his father, hoping to find out what has become of him.
Whilst at first the idea seemed like a good one, Jason’s thoughts soon change when he finds himself trapped in the depths of the ocean and his equipment seems to be failing. After a while his submarine floods (how appropriate) and whilst this would mean certain dead for all of us, Jason awakes on a shore that does not seem at all familiar to him.
When coming back to his senses, he finds himself a new set of clothes and starts exploring the city close by. At first the city seems as if it’s in a distant and foreign country, but when discovering a certain beast that is not of the world as we know it, he gets startled and causes a decent amount of mayhem in the middle of the market where he finds himself. Guards of the still foreign city soon start to chase him and even try to wound him whilst trying to capture him. Not being able to remain unscathed, Jason manages to escape and finds refuge at the man that should be known by all of us, Pythagoras. Pythagoras, the man of science treats Jason’s wounds and in the meanwhile he gets treated by a man that also needs no introduction, Hercules. This version of Hercules will not resemble the one from the stories you might have heard, seeing in the world he comes across as cowardly, inconsiderate and lazy, whilst this is not at all true.
After being treated Jason decides to try and find his father, by consulting the oracle. The oracle seems to have been expecting our hero, and tells him the city was awaiting his return. Whilst she refuses to reveal his identity, she warns him that he should be careful.
The story builds up from here, giving some extra key information during the course of every episode, whilst most of them can still easily be viewed separately. Each episode handles a different problem and most of the time a different legend in a light you might not have seen it before. Be prepared to see stories such as the one about Medusa, the Minotaur and many other with a decent amount of twists you’d not expect.
Characters development is one of the Atlantis’ fortes, seeing you actually see each of the characters open up as you go. You’ll enjoy to see the band of unlikely heroes get closes by the end of each episode and their separate love stories.
We are treated to a wonderful cast, with actors such as Mark Addy (Game of Thrones & many others) playing key roles. Whilst the protagonist, Jason, might not look familiar for most of us, he does a great job in taking the lead in this series of mythical proportions. Other side characters never simply feel as ‘simple’ side characters and thus the series creates a nice whole.
Combine all of these elements with the adventurous soundtrack and you’re pretty much in for a treat. The music is quite catchy and sets the right mood at the right time. In short, the series has a very fitting soundtrack.
Overall all these elements make sure the flow of the series is a pleasant one, where no action scenes last too long or none of the personal elements become too boring. You’ll find the right mix of action, excitement and intrigues during the course of each episode.
The series uses a decent amount of special effect to portray the mythical beings or monsters and it does a fairly average job at that. Whilst this never hampers the enjoyment factor the series has, it is not the same level than most high budget series that we are used to nowadays.
Series such as Atlantis will remind some viewers of older series such as Hercules, Xena and perhaps even Stargate where one main storyline is entangled with the entire series, whilst each episode handles a different adventure on its own. It’s certainly a pleasure to come across such a series once again after such a long time.
Conclusion
This version of Atlantis will bring us to a parallel world, where the old Greek Gods are still omnipotent. One does not do what the Gods forbid, or one must face the consequences. Legendary creatures lurk at every corner and magic is something to be feared if used for malice. Enjoy a cast that blooms open during the course of the first season and ‘emerge’ yourself in a world full of adventures. In short: Atlantis is a great series for all ages.
Atlantis (Season 1) - Series Review,
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