Picture description: Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" poster
Picture description: "Wang Miao" split into multiple people
Picture description: Ye Wenjie in the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem"
Our newspaper's special correspondent Luc
The Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" will be launched on the 21st. For its own dramas, Netflix also adopts an original broadcast rhythm - 8 episodes of the first season are simultaneously released on streaming media. While accepting the test of global audiences, they also have to face science fiction. Fans, especially "Three-Body fans", are subject to harsh scrutiny. After all, in the minds of many people, the original novel "The Three-Body Problem" is one of the most shocking science fiction masterpieces in recent years. Any adaptation may deviate from the author's original intention and lose its scientific imagination and philosophical depth.
Each episode has a "mini-climax"
This Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" has an international production lineup and has a lot of background: the creators of the popular American drama "Game of Thrones" David Benioff and D.B. Weiss , and Emmy Award nominee Alexander Ng serves as the producer, the author of the original novel Liu Cixin and the English translator Liu Yukun serve as consultants, and Hong Kong director Zeng Guoxiang, who was nominated for the Oscar for " Teenager ", serves as the director of the first episode.
The Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" continues the structure of the original work at the beginning, jumping from memories more than half a century ago to the present day, but moving the location to London, England. It tells the story of a police detective played by Hollywood Asian star Wang Hanbin, and top scientists from all over the world. Explore the existence of "sophons" and the "Three-Body" world in the mysterious death of the protagonist. Compared with last year's Tencent version, Netflix's heavy investment ensured visual effects, especially the presentation of the VR world which was quite shocking, but some scenes looked crude.
The Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" has a more compact plot and a fast pace. In just 8 episodes of the first season, it has developed into the plot of "The Wall Facer", the second part of the "Three-Body Problem" novel. At the same time, some additional emotional dramas have been added to ensure that Every episode has a "little climax". In addition, the Netflix version also has changes in the character settings. The functions of important characters such as Wang Miao, Luo Ji, and Cheng Xin in the original work have been broken up and reorganized, and relationships are added to each other. This is also to be more in line with the understanding habits of audiences in various countries. After all, Netflix faces 260 million users around the world, and there is some basis for "all human narratives".
"The level of special effects is not as good as the animated version"
After the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" was aired, it caused a lot of repercussions among the audience and the media. The Rotten Tomatoes freshness score is 76%; on the metacritic website, this "The Three-Body Problem" Obtaining a good score of 71, it can be seen that the mainstream media in the United Kingdom and the United States still relatively recognize this Chinese science fiction work produced by a Hollywood producer. The New Yorker commented, "The Three-Body Problem belongs to a very rare genre, taking viewers into an exciting geek passage through mainstream entertainment, balancing traditional visual effects with intellectual challenges. It has both dramatic scenes and There are also shocking elements of horror, but there’s also a genuine heart."
"Empire" believes, "This is an ambitious adaptation of an ambitious book, and the first season is very impressive. But this is still preparation for something bigger.” Roger Ebert's website commented, "Even if you don't consider the deep themes, the shallow science fiction aspects are effective, and actors such as Wang Hanbin and Ed Poe have given crazy yet solid performances." "TV Guide" believes that "the entertainment value of this version of "The Three-Body Problem" is obvious from the beginning, and it is much better than most lazy Netflix dramas."
However, "New York Magazine" pointed out that "although the plot is coherent, the performance and scenes are of varying levels", and "Entertainment Weekly" believed that "the characters are not reasonably integrated into the plot, and the relationships between them fail to connect on a grand human level." resonate and make some key ideas seem irrelevant.” "Rolling Stone" even criticized "The creators did try their best, but compared with the ingenuity of the original work, this series is just a mediocre drama at best."
At the same time, the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" has many problems in the eyes of ordinary viewers. The popcorn index on Rotten Tomatoes is only 44%. There is also a lot of criticism on the Douban website: some "Three-Body Problem" fans are dissatisfied with the screenwriter's treatment of characters such as Ye Wenjie. and adaptation of behavioral logic, "making the character's character flat and completely dark"; some also ridiculed the special effects level of "Operation Guzheng" as "not as good as the animated version. I really can't see where the US$20 million budget per episode was spent." ".
is about to film a second season.
As the first Chinese science fiction IP with international influence, Liu Cixin's "The Three-Body Problem" has been called for adaptation into a film and television drama since its inception. It has been adapted into animation and live-action dramas many times before. Collection, but the quality and reputation are uneven.
The animated version launched on station b in December 2022. Although it has taken the lead, its structural changes and rough modeling standards have been questioned by netizens and science fiction enthusiasts. Many scenes and characters have been criticized for being too cheap. The dubbing and action also seemed stiff and contrived, with a Douban score as low as 3.8. In contrast, last year's Tencent live-action version received a better response, especially the performances and background of the leading actors such as Zhang Luyi and Chen Jin. The appropriate adaptation also respected the original work and won the approval of "Three Body Fans", but the follow-up How to unfold the larger plot and world view is still a problem. The schedule and trailer content of the second season have not yet been announced.
"The Three-Body Problem" is "difficult to shoot" in the film and television circles. In addition to the large time and space span of the original work and the high requirements for special effects, it is also difficult to "visualize" science fiction concepts such as the "two-way foil" written by Liu Cixin, which is very difficult for the film and television industry. The Netflix version, which is “not short of money” but focuses more on Hollywood-style visual effects, is also a big test. Regarding the Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem", the American "Variety Show" also believes that "Liu Cixin's world is too abstract, and even the best adaptation cannot guarantee that the audience will understand it. As the plot progresses, the resistance will become greater and greater. This One version can only be regarded as close to the ideal state."
There was a failed movie adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem" as early as 2015. At that time, the producer bought the copyright and promoted it with great fanfare. Although Feng Shaofeng and Zhang Jingchu and others starred, and behind-the-scenes footage was also released, in the end Due to errors in the adaptation and other production problems, the film was "unfinished", which made many Three-Body fans feel regretful and angry: "It would be better not to change it if it could not be changed!" Around the world, the adaptation of a movie with profound ideas, many characters, and time and space spans No small science fiction masterpiece is an easy task. Liu Cixin also believes that the values of "The Three-Body Problem" are complex and not simply black and white. Its size and layout far exceed that of "The Wandering Earth" based on the novella.
In 2021, the masterpiece "Foundation" by science fiction master Asimov was made into a series by the streaming media platform Apple TV+. The first season was criticized for being too extensive in the adaptation, and it was not until the second season that the reputation improved. It is also adapted from the Hugo Award-winning work " Dune". The movie version in the 1980s suffered a disastrous box office failure. In 2021, Denis Villeneuve's first work only barely achieved box office profits. With good Only with word-of-mouth can we have the opportunity to film a sequel, and " Dune 2", released this month, achieved both critical acclaim and box office success.
According to reports, the current Netflix version of "The Three-Body Problem" will also produce a second season. The plot and settings may be more significantly adapted than the original work. For this, fans can only refer to the domestic "The Three-Body Problem" drama series. With the precedent of "Foundation" and "Dune", we cautiously hope that the creators, with the help of the original author Liu Cixin and the English translator Liu Yukun, will "re-create" a work that is in line with the spirit of the original work. ▲
