Netflix’s adaptation of the modern sci-fi classic The Three-Body Problem takes awhile to reach terminal velocity.
This3 Body Problemreview contains no spoilers.
Beginning withHBOs epicGame of Thronesand continuing withNetflixsci-fi effort3 Body Problem, producers David Benioff and D.B.
Though latter seasons ofThronesdeviated significantly from George R.R.
It may seem like an obvious strategy now but at the time it was anything but.
Martins books were long considered unadaptable due to their scope.
Its the kind of thing that would be a nightmare to adapt for television.
Unfortunately the show doesnt appear to realize it until late in its run.
That change gets the eight-episode series off to a frustratingly slow start that it almost never recovers from.
3 Body Problemdoes begin in thrilling, enigmatic style with a flashback to the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Every particle accelerator on the planet is producing results that conflict with the known laws of physics.
Theres also a weird VR game and some visual hallucinations thrown in there for good measure.
The biggest issue lies with the Oxford Five.
The complicated scientific concepts at play rarely come across as too challenging or alienating.
If anything, they often enhance the drama.
On a lesser show, the bad thing that was going to happen would happen imminently.
Rather than defusing tension, the terrifyingly long wait only ratchets it up.
With a little more confidence in its subject matter,3 Body Problemcould have been a transcendent sci-fi experience.
As things stand, its still a satisfying physics lesson.
All eight episodes of 3 Body Problem are available to stream on Netflix.
Rating:
3 out of 5
