Don't know how it took me so long to watch 'The 10th Kingdom', when it is a type of show that is right up my street. Only when it popped up as a recommendation was there sudden recognition of having heard of it and immediately it grabbed my attention. Have loved fairytales all my life (Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers being big early influences in my love of family literature), including the darker versions. The cast is a good one, with the most familiar names being Dianne Wiest and Rutger Hauer to this viewer.
Finally checking it out as a marathon on a miserable rainy day and feeling under the weather, 'The 10th Kingdom' was an absolute wonder. It totally made my week, made me forget about the time of the month stomach pains that were so agonising the previous night and am still kicking myself at how long it took me to watch it. 'The 10th Kingdom' may not be one of my all time favourite shows, but when it comes to talking about shows that is predominantly fantasy it is right up there with the best as well as the most addictive.
'The 10th Kingdom' looks great. It is beautifully and atmospherically photographed and the scenery and sets are beyond exquisite. The show does such a fine job with fully immersing the viewer into the various worlds and their lores, which is already a major plus point box ticked with it being very important in fantasy. The special effects thankfully are not cheap looking, for television fantasy shows these were actually pretty impressive and leagues above what is often seen in other shows of the genre in more recent years.
Loved the music, which is beautiful, rousing and haunting, with no questionable placement or discordance tonally. Count me in as another person that adored the opening sequence musically and visually. Was very worried that the writing would be really cheesy and corny, with too much emphasis on silliness. This aspect surprised me, as it was a surprising mix of genuinely funny humour (primarily the trolls), very sweet but not too sugary romance, touching sentiment and moments of darkness.
Also found the storytelling throughout very imaginative, the world building and immersion captivating. There were moments of silliness definitely, but not in an embarrassing way and in a way it was part of the charm. The fairytale concoctions were witty and clever and didn't feel cobbled together, and while the storytelling is wisely kept straightforward, without being too safe, it isn't afraid to show a darker side and a darker side that did unsettle without traumatising. The romance is easy to invest in.
Same with the characters, which sound like genre cliches but actually have more to them than that. One of the more interesting characters being the Evil Queen but my favourite is the wolf. The acting to me was actually fine, with only the underuse of Ann Margret underwhelming somewhat. Kimberly Williams-Paisley and John Larroquette (in an unusual role for him) are endearing, but the more colourful supporting cast are even more memorable. Was amazed at how much depth Wiest gave the Evil Queen while Hauer is formidable as the Huntsman. Standing out most though was creepy and funny Scott Cohen, he was clearly having the time of his life doing this and it was a joy to watch.
Overall, absolutely enchanting. 10/10.
