The Man in the High Castle (TV Series) The New World (2015) User Reviews

Interesting enough start

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 7/10 · 21 November 2015]

I will start saying I'm a fan of Philip K. Dick, but that doesn't mean I want his stories translated word by word on the screen, or that I think his work was flawless. It is always difficult to adapt something to a different medium, so I will forget this is based on a book, and go and review the first episode of a new dystopian series. I will also try to forget real history and take this series as a sci-fi thriller blend, which is what it is.

With that said, I found this first episode good, not great, but good, solid and a good way to start the story. It lays out pretty well the point of the story: what if the US had lost in the Second World War and the country was divided in two between Japanese and Germans. It also presents the mystery in a simple but clear way: We have an organization that seems to be working against the two big powers, and that wants to protect some films that show how the world could have been if the allies had won. Right now we don't know if these films mean something else, if there is some other mystery or why is their existence so dangerous. But the episode does a good job on selling the idea that we have to care about those films.

The atmosphere is great, not perfect, but really good. It has a very gray palette which gives a deep sense of foreboding, very depressing, and makes everything look dirty. Seeing the US with German and Japanese symbols, words, etc from the era makes for a very strange feeling too. But the level of detail seems quite good.

The actors are also good, even if the two lead characters come out as a little bit bland in this first hour of the series. But we don't know much about them, apart that he seems to be a young guy wanting to find something to fight for, and that she doesn't want to live in fear, that she wants to know more, learn more, stop being scared. We get to know more about her motivations and personality in this first episode than his. I am pretty sure their personalities and motivations will be well developed in future episodes.

A good start for a new sci-fi series, with an original enough idea.

Spycraft

[injury-65447 · 8/10 · 16 June 2020]

I have read the little novel, although I've forgotten most of the details. I was really interested to see the show as the idea appeals to me. It seems like subject matter that could be explored in a fascinating way.

This first episode didn't blow me away or anything, but it has piqued my interest enough to want to see more. Especially the ending! I actually got chills at the final reveal of Joe's allegiances. Can't believe I didn't see it coming!

A lot of the symbolism and many of the regime activities are not subtle. The show is clearly trying to ram home the key ideas. Burning people at the hospital for example was a fine idea, but perhaps too obvious to be clever.

The acting is not exceptional, but it's good enough to carry this story so far.

I'm interested to see where the show goes from here and whether this first episode is an indicator of future direction and tone, now that the key elements are actually in motion.

A very short review of the pilot for "The Man in the High Castle" (2015)

[ericrnolan · 9/10 · 10 December 2015]

My reaction to the pilot episode of "The Man in the High Castle" (2015) here will be brief. I am inclined only to praise it, and that would just be redundant with the accolades already heaped upon it by better reviewers than me. (Yes, I still have only seen the first ep.)

It's wonderfully well written, directed and performed, with some layered world-building and unexpectedly interesting character interaction (particularly among the bad guys). I'd give it a 9 out of 10.

I might not be quite as confident as other viewers, however, that this show can continue to sustain my interest at this level. The espionage subplots are well executed, but seem by the numbers. The world has seen a hell of a lot of spy fiction and cinema since Philip K. Dick wrote this source material in 1962. It might be tough to keep those elements fresh. And this might be an even greater challenge for a story somewhat constricted by 1960's-era technology, as opposed to a modern technothriller.

Great world-building, poor character building

[mbloyd · 8 August 2017]

Disclosure: I have not read the novel which serves as this show's source text, so don't expect a review comparing the series with the book. The show could best be described as an alternate reality period piece. The pilot episode is certainly intriguing enough to give the show hope for the rest of the season. In regards to world-building, the show has a strong start. As far as character-building goes, it still has quite a way to go. The premise is a classic "what if?" Essentially, Hitler and the Axis powers won WWII and split the US into the Greater Nazi Reich and the Japanese Pacific States, with a Neutral Zone in the middle. In general, people have accustomed to the occupation, and life seems fairly normal. However, a Resistance does exist. The premise itself has great potential, but the characters seem rather boring. Set in the 60s, the main characters don't seem to fit as flawlessly as the cast of say, Mad Men. Neither of the two main characters demands attention from the beginning. There are, however, more interesting characters on the periphery. The characters need work, but the world they exist in does not. The alternate 1962 is very detailed. Some design elements are definitely eye-catching, but some of the more impressive details are more subtle. For example, some structures are visibly newer than others, and some glimpses of what was formerly America peek through. There have also been subtle changes to the pop culture of the time, such as an invented game show titled Guess My Game with a Nazi soldier as a guest. Its the intermingling of the everyday and the unthinkable that makes the show chilling, such as when a trooper offhandedly remarks that the ash in the air is from the burning of cripples and the terminally ill at the local hospital, referring to them as drags on the state. The shows biggest challenge is making me care about the characters as much as I do their alternate reality world.

Coarse means cruel and unkind...

[hamidullahgenc · 9/10 · 25 February 2017]

It seems really worked on hard, though I am not saying that this is better than the work of the master Philip K. Dick that is the author of the book this series is based on. Adaptations are always hard and alterative. Still, it looks well enough to convince us of the world they are portraying.

The actors started rather promising. I especially have high hopes for Ms. Alexa Davalos. We will see...

I'd continue by saying that this is not an original idea. The ones who had gone through the war(s) must had had enough of thinking and been wondering about what would it have been if it wasn't for American decision makers who bombed the Japanese lands and killed off the Nazis in the Europe when they entered the WW-2.

So, what is original is they filmed the idea so dark that anyone who watches the first episode will think of the calamity befall on the Americans, or the calamities did befall on the Japanese and the rest of the half of the world who has been suffering ever since the USA had risen to the top.

I am a man with a merciful heart, therefore I do not ever want to see any nation suffering under cruelty. Never!.. And this episode shows it -not better than the real war that goes on on every corner of the Earth namely Syria, Iraq, Arakan, etc., but still,- pretty well.

I give this episode a "8,25." Not bad, not better. Yes.

Heil not Hitler, but all the good people all around the world!

Here is a saying from my culture on cruelty:

'Harithah ibn Wahb reported: The Messenger of Allah (that is Mohammad), peace and blessings be upon Him, said, "He will not enter Paradise who is coarse and conceited."

Harithah said, "Coarse means cruel and unkind."

Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4801.

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Ibn Muflih.'

A pretty good intro to this dystopia

[zahorskyakos-97981 · 8/10 · 6 August 2020]

The main figures are placed on the table, the worldbuilding and conflictbuilding are both very well done. The characters seem a bit dull at the moment, hope they will improve on them.

Ersatz

[nucular_bum · 2/10 · 29 September 2015]

I'm rather fond of Philip K. Dicks novel which, if maybe not creating a meticulously detailed alternative history, but creating a compelling framework for a rich story in which deep characters engage with each others and face their inner struggles.

This first part of this "adaption" is anything but. They mangled the story, only picking up bits and pieces that are disjointed, creating a half-assed attempt of a Dystopian society, that has hardly any resemblance to the book and that is ultimately hollow and totally useless. The characters and dialogs are shallow and insipid. The Backdrop of the Axis having won the war is barely touched upon, but of course Adolf is still in power instead of Martin Borman (probably because most Americans never heard of him.) Certain twists based on the novel are presented already in the pilot, but instead of creating suspense, the makers rob themselves of character development and creation of suspense for further episodes.

The novel deserves a faithful adaption and maybe an intelligent filmmaker will eventually tackle it. this is TV trash.

Bad, bad, bad.

[ravenhurtfew · 1/10 · 14 July 2015]

Are all these 10 star reviews paid? I genuinely have to ask because this pilot is embarrassingly bad.

Any show now can manage a great visual look and great sets and costumes. So in this regard the show looks fine. Though even then the look is so relentlessly Hollywood version of the era that it's hard not to feel like you're watching backlot sets.

But all that could be forgiven were it not for the deal breakers: bad, boring dialogue, boring characters, boring scenes. No tension anywhere to speak of.

And then the casting. So white, it's embarrassing. And this is in a pilot with lots of Japanese people featured. But we're it not for the premise requiring Japanese faces, you get the distinct feeling that there wouldn't have been a single non white person in sight. The diversity of even a place like San Fran seems nonexistent. I don't know why, no matter how many non whites there are in a place, whites only must be the lead.

I never read the book, but it doesn't feel like the producers updated the story's sensibilities. Adapting writers like Dick can come off as severely dated otherwise.

I'm also very bummed about this pilot because I would have followed Frank Spotnitz from X-Files into the very fires of Mordor itself.