Thrones already garnering some rave reviews

The early reviews for Game of Thrones continue to come in and each one is more positive than the last. This latest review comes from The Hollywood Reporter, a major trade publication with a lot of influence. So a positive review from them is a big deal. And this review isn’t just positive, it is positively gushing. Tim Goodman writes:

Barely a few minutes into HBO’s epic Game of Thrones series, it’s clear that the hype was right and the wait was worth it.

Based on the bestselling fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin – often referred to as “the American Tolkein” – HBO is betting that fans of The Lord of the Rings will come to this for a sprawling, interwoven tale of feuding families, swords, sex, carnage, beasts, frayed loyalties, deception, intrigue and the pursuit of power.

As well they should. Game of Thrones has all the elements (many described above) that lure viewers to shows like The Sopranos, et al. That it’s a fantasy series shouldn’t scare anyone away, because – like Lord of the Rings – there’s a real allure to costume-dramas that pair dense mythology with all of the crowd-pleasing elements of war, honor, pride, lust, power and, yes, even humor. Thrones has all of those in spades and supports them with exceptional storytelling, strong writing, superb acting and some stunning visual effects.

Winter Is Coming: The review continues on like that for paragraph after paragraph. Not even a token criticism that I could see. I’m a couple hours away from popping in the first episode myself and I have to say, this review has gotten me more hyped than ever.

• Published on 04/02/2011 at 6:00 PM CDT
• Last updated on 04/03/2011 at 3:06 AM CDT