The Sandman Review: Netflix Overcomes The Challenge Of Adapting An Iconic And Complicated Collection
Starring: Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Patton Oswalt
Director: Mike Barker, Jamie Childs
Steaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Netflix finally opens the doors to the World of Dreams. The Sandman, the ambitious television adaptation in co-production between the streaming giant and Warner Bros. Television of Neil Gaiman‘s comic series, is finally available. Gaiman himself, as producer and supervisor of the project, accompanied us in the very long production and communication process that gave life to one of the most awaited transpositions of recent times, taken from one of the most authorial and bizarre comic works of the modern era. We viewed the whole show and finally, we can tell you about it: get ready to enter the world of Morpheus, in a product that, despite some important fluctuations, has turned out to be among the most fascinating Netflix works of recent years.
From today, Friday 5 August 2022 on Netflix comes the long-awaited The Sandman, an adaptation of the comics by Neil Gaiman which over the years has seen numerous attempts to reach the cinema and on TV, without involving the original creator. The 10-episode series was developed by Neil Gaiman with David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg (also showrunner), a trio who also wrote only the first episode of the season.
The Sandman Review: The Story
When Morpheus, the Eternal, the ruler of the Kingdom of Dreams, is summoned to Earth thanks to a magical ritual, he is deprived of his powerful artifacts and imprisoned, forced to a century of confinement, deprived of his powers and away from his domain. Cosmic, divine, and demonic forces have been plotting behind him for eons, attempting to strip him of his mythological aura and humiliate him. Finally, finally free from his imprisonment, he sets out on the trail of those who attacked his freedom, taking us on a journey through dreams and nightmares, hells and paradises, divinities, and magical creatures. The story of The Sandman is an intricate and complex maze, an intertwining of different subplots that in the original comic take the form of a cosmic anthology.
Following the spirit of the source material, Neil Gaiman’s TV series tries to faithfully follow its plot, taking the right liberties without ever betraying the spirit of the first work. In the process of adaptation, Netflix’s work must inevitably compromise with a narrative that is not too linear, made up of characters and events that follow one another without too many explanations, catapulting the viewer into a very rich, fascinating, and varied imaginary. In the passage from the cartoon to the screen, The Sandman still acquires a narrative rigor that the comic lacks, weaving a less chaotic and more functional script to the narrative arc examined in this first season. The result is over ten episodes lasting between 40 and 55 minutes, the first half of the season much more convincing than the second, in which the boundless and addictive Lore created by Gaiman takes the concrete form: a real trip in which, however, it is mainly the rhythm that is affected, staid and in need of taking its own time.
A compromise that, perhaps, may not meet the favor of a wider audience than the one to which the Netflix series is mainly aimed, but which we found consistent with the soul of the original work. However, the less convincing part remains the second part of the season, in which unfortunately The Sandman stumbles upon a somewhat predictable and at times confusing narrative scheme. The need, for example, to explain the background of some characters using the canonical stratagem of entire flashback episodes, combined with the construction of a warp that – in tone and style – totally changes register compared to the first episodes. A defect that affects the general quality of a story that remains, in terms of quality and level of writing, however valuable thanks above all to the refined pen and the creative flair of Gaiman.
The Sandman Review and Analysis
The Sandman lives of a double soul, just like its script, also in the management of the staging. In principle, the strengths and weaknesses listed so far are also reflected in the direction. The first 5 episodes of the show include simply sensational moments in the richness of his imagery and art direction, as well as in the use of special effects. Undoubtedly The Sandman is one of the most spectacular Netflix fantasy products. The imposing staging of the first half of the season, however, is then replaced by a second part that is duller and less incisive, anticlimactic both on a narrative and content level as well as on a visual one. Starting from the rhythm, and passing through the direction, the feeling is that the show could have condensed into a smaller number of episodes and that the choice to dilute the story in a long gestation towards the final act of the first season has influenced the quality of the result.
However, The Sandman remains an impressive product in several respects, not least that of the casting. Gaiman’s work on the faces of his protagonists has turned out to be both superfine and careful, now in the choice of performers, now in the individual performances: from Tom Sturridge, the magnetic and icy mask of Dream, to the perfidious Corinthian of Boyd Holbrook, from the evil Lucifer by Gwendoline Christie to the ambiguous Desire of Mason Alexander Park. A convincing roster of actors, both as regards the protagonists and the numerous supporting actors who populate the second half of the season. And now, addicted to the charm of the gloomy Morpheus, let yourself be lulled into the sands of Dreams. The nightmare that The Sandman ended up in Hell as its protagonist, even with all the trappings of the case, is finally averted.
It is curious since, with Foundation, certain producers and screenwriters invented that this type of work of individual stories, somewhat disconnected from each other and with changing characters but with the same plot line, would not work on television. However, Sandman proves otherwise. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, when this format disappears -as it does in that part of the comics- it is a much fewer interesting series. It’s a bit frustrating because fiction works at a great level when it doesn’t have a long-term goal and each episode tells its own fascinating story, of those with morals and philosophical concerns included.
Sometimes the series also stitches together small excerpts from some stories in the same episode, which at first creates a huge contrast between its several small subplots. On the one hand it is spectacular, fanciful and mystical, while on the other it is more human, earthly, and even terrifying. Moreover, most of the time it gives the feeling of not going anywhere, in addition to the fact that some of its elements seem to be so disconnected and separated from each other that it can be shocking. However, from a priori insignificant events and details to characters that we had surely already forgotten during the trip, little by little everything begins to connect and sometimes it does so in wonderful ways.
In the middle, although he is not always the center of all the stories, we have a main character who connects everything, such as Morpheus. Played by a correct Tom Sturridge, this anthropomorphic representation of the dream is not always a fair protagonist. After all, he is the king of the kingdom of dreams, and when you have been absent from it for too long, the chaos and difficult decisions increase. However, in general, the series works as its path towards a greater understanding of the human being and of the times, as well as the learning of that fundamental element that we call empathy.
On this path he meets many people, deities and supernatural beings from whom he will learn something new, one way or another. It is a pleasure to see how the series builds the foundations of mythology populated by original creations, popular legends, real personalities, religious myths, and DC characters, thus shaping a human world whose treatment is reminiscent of ‘American Gods’ or ‘Goods Omens’ ‘. It’s that kind of setting where the ‘deities’ take on human forms and face more earthly personal conflicts. Even the most obnoxious human beings take center stage, adding a touch of cynicism to an already nuanced ensemble.
As for its most fantastic aspect, an artistic direction in which the hand of Gaiman himself is notable shines. The author has ensured that his work is portrayed as it deserves. He gets it in spades. In addition, everything is wrapped in an effective mix of practical and digital special effects, perhaps one of the best works that we can enjoy on Netflix regarding this section. And, although the image of the sensation of being somewhat more stretched than normal, it is not it is an aspect that tarnishes the experience.
Especially during its first half, this is an exciting, disturbing, strange and surprising series that leaves television moments to remember. But above all, fiction is a bold portrait of human nature in all its good and bad forms. A twisted and redemptive journey where kindness and cruelty are like brothers trying to reconcile. After all, dreams can be as pleasant or nightmarish as life itself, but their importance in our daily lives is fundamental. We need them as much as freedom and stories. As well as knowing how to change and adapt to the times. As much as seeing more Netflix series of this level.
The Sandman Review: The Last Words
The premiere of Sandman is a milestone to celebrate for fantasy lovers and, pardon the pun, a dream come true no matter how many buts can be put on it. For our part, looking forward to seeing how the series evolves, which has shown a lot of potentials. It seemed like an impossible challenge, but the adaptation of Sandman is very satisfying and makes it clear that it can be one of Netflix’s new hits. It has everything to succeed: worthy special effects, a captivating and enigmatic story, an impressive cast and an important echo in the collective imagination. The artistic direction, the characters, and the nailed passages of graphic novels. All the meat has been put on the grill.
