I'm borrowing from some discussions I've had with friends:

First, I'm a sucker for these types of sword and sorcery stories. It's a little boy thing... So whatever I say, remember, I'm watching it...

Second: It reeks of stupid. I've never read the books. This just bites, though.

It's not the dialog that makes no sense right now, it's all the odd names that sound like someone having childish fun and making gibberish, then they dress like heaving bosoms in leather one scene and horse and farms in the next.

dreadful.

Third: Manu Bennett has all the acting chops of a toothpick. THat's OK when your'e a half naked, heavily-muscled gladiator but it's a very bad thing when you are playing the "gandalf" role (or the Obi-Wan role) in a swords and sorcery movie.

He has all the emotions from "a" to "b" and the dramatic impact of a squeaky fart.

Fourth: It's still a serviceable Swords and Sorcery Saga. It has a prophecy. It has an all powerful threat to the world. It is fun to watch and scream bad things and naughty words at the TV.

added: Fifth: It's an epic quest to save the world -- not 7 volumes like Harry Potter where they had brains and trusted each other but here, they are all stupid and hate each other on the epic quest. That's a different dynamic...

So, I'll watch it. For funsies.

I won't waste my time. Unless Brooks got amazingly better after the first three books, the nice man can't write his way out of a wet paper bag. (and needs a dwarf to do that much) I have met him, he was a fairly nice man, but reading his work? the Dwarf should open a meat rendering plant with all the times he had saved the partys fat out of the fire. Same thing with Terry Pratchet. I am told he was a wonderful writer. I read his first four and was not impressed. to read other than that, I read Guards, Guards and Pyramids, and neither one was really worth my time. I remain unconvinced that he can write.

I like the movie of Terry Pratchet's HOGSFATHER because Death is such a fascinating character to write about.

I watch Shannara on MTV when the only other thing is the ongoing horrors of Cupcake Wars, Chopped (Let's serve pigs jowls and BBQ'ed chicken's butts), or some silly comedy. The "on-demand" feature of my cable removes commercials, an added benefit.