"Incredible Adventure": how the first viewers met the animated film "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf"

On Monday, August 23rd, the animated film The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, a spin-off of The Witcher series, was released on Netflix.

In the center of the plot is the witcher Vesemir, the future mentor of Geralt, the main character of the original project.

He delights in doing his job until the Continent is in danger.

Then Vesemir has to reconsider his attitude to his activities.

Part of the picture is devoted to the history of the origin and formation of the hero.

The first viewers are enthusiastic about the film.

First of all, they note an interesting plot that answers some important questions (for those who have not read the series of books by the Polish science fiction writer Andrzej Sapkowski).

For example, the tape tells why there are so few witchers left on the Continent, and for what reason people hate them.

Some bloggers also liked the protagonist and the filmmakers' approach to uncovering his story.

“I really liked The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.

This is a very clever way to introduce Vesemir to new fans and at the same time explain why there are so few witchers left on the Continent.

By the way, you may see familiar faces, ”writes one Twitter user.

I loved Nightmare of the Wolf.

It's a very clever way to both introduce Vesemir to the new fans and tell the story of why there is only few witchers left in the Continent.

Also, you may see some familiar faces 😉 # TheWitcher # TheWitcherNightmareoftheWolfpic.twitter.com / ddKnFDfugk

- David ¯ \ _ (ツ) _ / ¯ (@ Daweedking1) August 23, 2021

Another author notes that the film not only tells a new story, but also prepares viewers for the further development of the popular franchise.

Many bloggers also praised the action scene and the quality of the animation.

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf was pretty damn cool.

Vesemir is a real BEAST in the prime of life.

He himself is a whole legend.

Great action and animation.

The same can be said for music.

It turned out very well.

I can't wait for the second season of "The Witcher", - said in the message of the site user.

On the day of the premiere, the tape, as expected, was primarily interested in the fans of the franchise.

One of them does not exclude that he liked the animated film solely because of his love for the whole story.

“Watching The Nightmare of the Wolf was interesting and exciting in its own way, but at the same time you think:“ I can't understand whether it turned out cool, or whether I just like everything related to The Witcher, ”the author writes.

However, another Twitter user calls the project "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf" one of the best films of the year because of its plot, which can hold the viewer's attention and cause a strong emotional response.

The blogger is sure that the tape will be of interest not only to fans of the universe.

“Nightmare of the Wolf” is fun even if you’re not a fan of The Witcher universe.

This incredible adventure turned out to be successful in all respects, ”the author says.

Foreign critics, who managed to get acquainted with the animation tape a few days before the official premiere, also speak warmly about it - while the "freshness" rating on the Rotten Tomatoes portal is 100%.

Experts point out that the decision of the authors of the project to make it animated benefited the story.

As Samantha Nelson writes in her review for the IGN portal, this allowed "to present the story in a way that would not have happened even with an impressive budget for a game series."

The Hollywood Reporter's film critic Angie Khan clarifies that thanks to the animation capabilities, some action scenes look, if not too realistic, but extremely spectacular.

"Action scenes benefit greatly from the possibilities that animation provides - dramatic moments, a sea of ​​blood and a healthy disregard for" realism ", and sometimes real beauty, as in a battle scene with a glowing sky," - says the author.

Her colleague at cbr.com, Narayan Liu, also praises the action scenes, which, in his opinion, largely correspond to the way the author of the books about the witcher presented such episodes.

“Fans of Sapkowski's novels know - at least from Geralt - that witchers use a dance-like style with constant pirouettes, dodging lunges and getting ready to strike.

This is how Studio Mir showed Vesemir's fighting style, ”says Liu.

• Shot from the film "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf"

• © Netflix

In addition, experts agree that "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf" successfully complements Sapkowski's universe, which, as Angie Khan writes, "has always seemed richer than others."

Games Radar author Bradley Russell, in turn, says that the new project "points to the intelligent development of the franchise, which has learned the right lessons from Geralt's debut."

“Goblin, ghosts and other nightmarish creatures have filled the forests and caves, through which Vesemir's path runs across the Continent.

We got a world in which there is much more life than in the meager and empty movements of Geralt from city to city, ”explains the author.

Samantha Nelson, however, believes that, despite all this diversity, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is not an independent project that could be interesting in itself, in isolation from the main story.

“The film tells the story of the world and shows the development of the character, which can please the loyal fans.

However, due to the division of focus, the animated film does not feel like a truly independent story, ”writes Nelson.

In addition, in her opinion, there are too many hints of characters and conflicts in the film that will be revealed in the future.

As a result, for those familiar with the events of The Witcher, the film "suffers from a sense of inevitability."

Experts also had complaints about the dynamics of the tape.

Angie Khan reveals that part of the plot takes place in the past.

These scenes tell about the early years of Vesemir and the events that influenced his choice of his path.

The critic notes that such scenes are needed to get answers to a number of questions necessary to understand the story of an already adult character, but they appear at the wrong moment and greatly slow down the pace of the story.

“The childhood episodes have their own charm: the teaching scene in the neon green swamp is more striking than the more obvious violence in the fight scenes.

However, sometimes it can be difficult to wait until the story will finally move on and return to the present, ”says Khan.

However, Russell believes that, despite some weak scenes, the film "has a strength that the monster hunter performed by Henry Cavill cannot match even on the best day."

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf was released less than four months before the second season of The Witcher.

Its premiere is scheduled for December 17th.

Earlier, a six-part spin-off of the main series, The Witcher Origins, was also announced, which tells the backstory of the elven civilization.