It's been a very long time since I've read THE SWORD OF SHANARA, and I really don't recall it having to do much with this, as SWORD was nearly identical to the adventures of Bilbo's nephew in Middle Earth.
Hard to see much originality in the type of world of these chronicles, and that was accepted a long time ago.
However, all these Middle Earth clones have their own little nuances, for lack of a better word.
These chronicles look to be off to a good start. It's obviously written for young men, since the women are the mystery characters. And that's the switch that makes this original. Too many of the "fantasy" films and novels have been written for women, alienating the young men. This is a long overdue response to a one sided market that snubbed the guys.
And guys have been snubbed because producers have correctly noted that the women in the household make the decisions. Men do what they're told. The most henpecked of men are the ones who are so beaten that they can't admit it.
This show is a fantasy world of hot women being enigmas and being cool, and men doing the observing and reacting.
Since the male characters are observing and reacting to the actions of the beautiful women of this show, this is a total male fantasy. There'll be some women who like this, too. The more confident ones.
Any special effects, any trolls or gnomes or demons, are all just "dividends" here. The show is fantasy for males, and that's good. The two chief male characters are a likable combo of experienced tutor (a druid in this case) and "anointed young man" who actually is quite believable under the circumstances, and that will antagonize the Beavis and Butthead bubble boys, of course.
Still, the audience for this is educated young people in need of entertainment and release of stress. There is no "great lesson" here. It's release of tension. The situations so far are almost all life and death, or at least extreme. And that makes the hero's sense of humor give him a 007 appeal. He isn't the superman that the women and gay guys want, but rather an ordinary sort who tries his best, and does his best.
The "genre" and "sub genre" aren't original, but the way this is handled is very risk taking in a culture where young heterosexual men are alienated and have little say in the decisions of TV and movies.
A welcome change. It will be welcomed by the straight young men, for sure.
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