BD-GAME OF THRONES: SSN 1 BBY EXCL TARGA

To Preface this review I must mention that I am a fan of this book series by George R Martin. I have all of the books in the series and it has been one of my favorite book series. Therefore, I have a pretty good understanding of the storyline prior to actually watching the shows. To be honest though, it has been a few years since I have read the book that this season is based upon. I have also been holding off on the last couple of books until the rest of the series is completed so my memory of details in the books is fuzzy. That may be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. I am not getting caught up in things that are different between the book and the show. There are things that happen in the show that I remember from the book, and some things that I do not. My memory is fuzzy enough that I cannot say for sure if the things that I do not remember were added or changed significantly, and I am not getting too bothered by the things that were left out. I am just able to watch and enjoy. I am totally enjoying this Blu Ray Set. The quality is excellent and the production value of the entire thing is, in my opinion, as good as many of the movies available out there. When I sit down and watch two episodes it is just like watching a good movie. I think the extras that are provided on the discs are very well done and help a lot to provide background and details to the story that you would not otherwise get from just watching the show. As it does in the book, the story line in the show does jump around a lot, but in the show it could be a little more confusing to understand what is going on. Since I had read the book, I did not have a problem with this, but I am not sure how quickly someone new to the series would pick up on everything. There are a lot of characters to get to know. They do a pretty good job of having the characters make little statements and things like that to help fill you in on some of the details, but if you are not paying attention you can miss something that would make other parts of the show more understandable. I just love this series. The intricate plots and schemes and political intrigues all occurring while in the background there is this menace of the winter coming. Not to mention the hint of other powers that have been dormant potentially rising back up again (dragons, mystical powers, etc). It just fascinates me. I like how none of the characters are totally bad or totally good. They are all very human with both good and bad character traits. I am so far very happy with this rendition of the book for TV. The only thing I can say negative about it is that some of the character relationships that are very well understood in the book do not come across as well on the screen. The relationship between Cersei and Jaime and between Daenerys Targaryen and her brother (as well as her husband for that matter) do not come across as well as in the books.

Very few shows as of late get such high production quality for the genre of medieval fantasy. Of course, this series is mostly medieval with basest elements of fantasy. The plot of the story is centralized around the perspective of multiple factions spanning around the world for the control of the Seven Kingdoms in the realm of Westeros. The characters are all quite different with their own complexities and parts in the storyline. The actors have been ideally cast based on the story writer's own vision of what encompassed the characters visually. The acting value employed is also quite consistent with what one might see in a play, save for the presence of adult themes. Lastly, there are no deleted scenes. The series was produced as immaculately as possible while focusing on the critical elements of the first book. History of Westeros feature and Dragon (Easter) Eggs for tidbits of fun information all give you further insight into the world George R.R. Martin has produced. Overall, anyone looking for another solid HBO series has found it in Game of Thrones.

This is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. After watching the series last year, I decided to read the entire book series and can't wait for season 2. The special features on this blu ray are amazing. I really liked the back stories from the books and to have them narrated by the actors in the series with some excellent artwork is far more than what I had expected. Hands down best special features of any blu ray I have ever seen. It's also really neat how they integrated it into the in-episode guide so that when the characters are talking about something you can immediately watch the back story to get up to speed (really nice to have if you haven't read the books). The only complaint that I have is that the in episode guide is always visible (eventhough it is transparent, it is still annoying), but I can live with that.

First, the show itself is outstanding. The acting is very well done by everyone in the cast, although I think that Peter Dinklage and Jason Momoa are the real standouts. This is a show filled with action, intrigue, incest, dragons, and just a hint of magic. The producers have taken Martin's books and done an outstanding job of creating one of the most fully realized fantasy worlds ever put to film. The Blu Ray edition is everything I could have hoped for. The fidelity is incredible - picture and sound are both as good as can be. The bonuses are what really make the set. Added to the Blu Ray are a lot of background stories. It can be set up so that as one watches the show, new background info will be made available as it is appropriate, and can be jumped to while pausing the episode. For anyone who hasn't read the books, this is a great way to learn more about Westeros.

This is by far my favorites HBO produced series to date. The story is compelling, cinematography is brilliant especially in the blu-ray format. My only problem with this set has to do with the disks themselves. My blu-ray player seems to have issues with each of the disks. It takes them about 8x's longer than usual to load. Once loaded they play perfectly and there are no issues with menus or any of the features. Then when I go to remove the disks there is an issue with getting the player to open up. I have updated firmware and none of these problems have occurred with any other blu-rays I have purchased or rented. I haven't heard of anyone else having this same problem so who knows?

I had no expectations going into watching this show other than it was incredibly popular. After the first episode I saw a lot of potential, but after the second, and third, and fourth and so on I was increasingly more hooked. The story and settings are fantastic. There were many shocking moments that kept me on the edge of my seat and never really let me settle into a sense of security that many other shows grant you. The cinematography is top notch with a wide variety of settings and characters. You will find some favorites and you will despise many of the villains. It's all very well done; one of the best series I've seen in a very long time. Highly recommended.

Having read the entire series and not watched the show prior to buying it, I was hoping that they took the time to do the story justice. I was very pleasantly surprised! While some details are altered (ghost makes noise, Kahl drogo is injured differently, etc) they are very minor and do not take away from the plot and story that George Martin wrote. I find the children actors to be the most impressive! They truly capture their characters. I you are a fan I the books, you'll love this. If you are a fan of dramas set in mideival times and can wrap your mind about a hint of magic, you'll love this!

I heard nothing but good things about this HBO series and thought what I was going to get was some knock off of Lord of the Rings. However, what I got was a well written, character driven, beautiful piece of home entertainment. Incredible show that LIVES up to the hype. If you have not seen this show, I highly recommend it. Please note that this show is not for childeren...not at all. If it had a rating it would be a very strong R verging on NC-17 due to nudity, adult content, language and violence.