The Dresden Files TV Series on DVD. Review by Violet Kane

My general disinterest in detective stories and crime dramas has kept me away from the Dresden Files novels, written by Jim Butcher, but when the SciFi Channel television series (based on the novels, of course) came out on DVD, I was game to give it a try.

Paul Blackthorne plays Harry Dresden, the Chicago-based wizard detective for hire from Butcher's novels. He is routinely called in by Lt. Murphy to assist in police investigations when something supernatural is afoot, but Harry is also in the yellow pages, which invites other inquiries from various sources—sometimes from your average joe, and sometimes from your average vampire. Harry's world is one teeming with both the supernatural and the mundane.

Ultimately, Dresden Files is a pretty good detective show, but only an okay fantasy show. From what I've heard about the books, the magic is better explained and fleshed out. While not as much detail is given to concepts in the show, the core reason why this show disappointed me was for lack of character intrigue. Most shows are self-contained in terms of plot—the mystery gets solved, the characters start afresh in the next hour. Any threads of character conflict between episodes was weak at best, and at times even confusing. Harry's basic interaction with Lt. Murphy is a particular head-scratcher. Sometimes she seems clearly to know about the details of his wizard life, and sometimes he seems to be keeping her in the dark by writ of the wizard's council. It's as if the basic world-building rules change from one episode to the next.

If you would like a fun detective series with a new twist, then by all means, check out the Dresden Files on DVD. But if you're looking for a new fantasy series with consistency of concept and ever building character conflict, this show will likely disappoint.

Violet "Violanthe" Kane is the Webmaster and Founder of ARWZ.com. She is an editor of ARWZ Literary Zine and has a Master's degree in Medieval studies. For more on Vio, check out her ARWZ blog.

Buy the Cover? (7/15)
07/15/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:55 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Favorite Setting
07/07/2010

Author: SKS Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 3:09 pm Do you prefer stories that take place... in a city? In a rural area? On a beach? In a small town? In a foreign country? etc. etc? read more

Buy the Cover? (7/6)
07/06/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 4:01 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

The Price you Pay
06/23/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:20 pm How much is too much for a book or DVD? How much will you pay for your favorite author or show? read more

Buy the Cover? (6/23)
06/23/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:17 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Do you go to your library?
06/22/2010

Author: SKS Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:26 pm Do you use your local library? How often? read more

Buy the Cover? (6/22)
06/22/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:23 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Didn't sit well
06/17/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:29 pm Have you read or watched anything lately that just didn't sit well with you? Something that bothered you or kept you thinking? read more

Buy the Cover? (6/17)
06/17/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:26 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Covers you Remember
06/14/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:59 pm What book covers stick out in your mind? Do you have a favorite book from the past whose cover you found particularly striking? Do you remember first seeing the cover of a now-favorite book as you first glimpsed it in the... read more

Buy the Cover? (6/14)
06/14/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:57 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Author Nationality
06/14/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:55 pm Well, of course we are all bound to read more of authors who speak our own languages. It's harder to come across others who write in different languages simply because the middle man of translator is necessary. A book has to... read more

Politics in fiction
05/12/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:50 pm Do you like fiction with a political message, either blatant or underlying? read more

Multi-viewpoint stories
05/12/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:48 pm I don't know if they're rare, because I see them a lot, especially in fantasy, but maybe done well they are rare. I don't know that first person is that common either, but rather third person limited. I've gotten some flak... read more

Buy the Cover? (5/10)
05/10/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 1:02 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Alternative Reality Web Zine: ISSN# 1559-3037

All materials on these pages (including fiction, poetry, essays, articles, interviews and opinion pieces) are copyrighted to the original authors and may not be reproduced without permission.

View Page Stats