The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep - A Deep Dive or a Shallow Puddle?
As Netflix gears up for a new season of “The Witcher” live-action series, it continues to try and win back viewers who were disappointed by Henry Cavill’s departure, this time with animated features. After the prequel “Nightmare of the Wolf” received mixed reviews four years ago, the producers seemed to conclude that stories without Geralt of Rivia are not as well-received. Let’s see if “Sirens of the Deep” manages to correct the mistakes of its predecessor.
A scene from “The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep”
This time, Kang Hei Chul’s animated film plays it relatively safe. “Sirens of the Deep” is an adaptation of the short story “A Little Sacrifice” from Andrzej Sapkowski’s second book in the Witcher cycle, “Sword of Destiny.” Geralt (Doug Cockle) and Jaskier (Joey Batey) are trying to earn a living by hunting a sea monster that has been killing pearl divers in the coastal principality of Bremervoord. Geralt is haunted by memories of Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), which take him back to the events of the original series’ episode “Wish.” Jaskier, on the other hand, is burdened by a lack of coin and, consequently, the amenities so necessary for a traveling musician, such as ale, pork knuckle, and a soft bed.
After Geralt manages to catch the monster, he lets it go, as the local merfolk point out that the creature is not responsible for the deaths of the sailors. This act of goodwill does not benefit the friends’ wallets, and Jaskier proposes a bet: the bard will take the first job offered to him, and the witcher, setting aside his moral qualms, will follow suit. Almost immediately, the minstrel is invited to perform at the feast of the King of Bremervoord. There, the heroes meet Jaskier’s old friend Essi Daven (Christina Wren) and learn about the centuries-long feud between the locals and the sea people, which threatens to erupt into a full-scale war after the incidents with the pearl divers. The situation is somewhat contained by the love between the heir to the throne, Agloval, and the siren Sh’eenaz (Emily Carey) – a potential interspecies union that could prevent confrontation but is met with disgust by literally all the courtiers, including the young man’s father. Through Essi, Geralt takes on the task of investigating the murders in the hope of preventing bloodshed.
A scene from “The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep”
“A Little Sacrifice” is an adaptation of the classic “The Little Mermaid” set in the world of “The Witcher,” with Sapkowski’s characteristic drama. The screenwriters of “Sirens of the Deep,” Mike Ostrowski and Rae Benjamin, carefully extracted the original book plot and inlaid it with modern trends familiar to Netflix. As a result, the story not only acquired a new ending (a sharper and more logical one than in the short story, it must be said) but also completely foreign elements. For some reason, the creators of the film decided that “A Little Sacrifice” did not have enough references to “The Little Mermaid”: hence the appearance of a sea witch who offers Sh’eenaz, her niece, a potion that gets rid of her tail and gives her legs. And before swimming away in confusion, the siren witnesses a terrible musical number in purple tones.
A scene from “The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep”
The sea dwellers mirror their counterparts from “Aquaman,” but, apart from resentment towards humans and a position of oppression, they are not developed in any way throughout the story. By clumsily shifting the focus to the problems of the underwater world, the authors deprive one of the most tragic heroines of the book cycle, Essi Daven, of attention. The girl gets one song, an inappropriate flashback, the inevitable role of Geralt’s lover, and the dismissive “But she’s not Yennefer” at the end. Jaskier fared slightly better; he was simply demoted from nobility, awarded the title of commoner and victim of teenage bullying. The White Wolf himself, speaking in the voice of Doug Cockle, beloved by fans of The Witcher video game trilogy, is completely forgettable. The attempt to play on the nostalgia of CD Projekt RED game fans is commendable; the witcher utters memorable phrases, familiar grunts, and hums, but the illusion quickly dissipates, as the screen shows a symbiosis of Legolas and a young Vladimir Presnyakov.
Visuals and Animation
The questions about the visual style chosen by Studio Mir have not changed since “Nightmare of the Wolf.” Even with a discount for the limitations of the animation style, “Sirens of the Deep” looks frankly cheap, losing out completely to the recent similar project “War of the Rohirrim.” The appearance of the characters lacks individuality, and the movements lack the frames necessary for smoothness. The animation of the action scenes struggles to convey the specifics of battles on and under the water and completely ignores Geralt’s fighting style, which viewers could have become accustomed to over three seasons of the series. In addition, the battles themselves seem to be deliberately drawn out, which makes the final battle more likely to make you yawn than empathize with what is happening.
Final Verdict
“The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep” feels like a soulless commercial product, another attempt to squeeze a little more life-giving juice from a rather emaciated franchise before the absolutely unpredictable fourth season of the main show. And neither the fashionable anime format, nor the adult rating, wasted on demonstrating the seamy side of any fish department, nor the appearance of Doug Cockle in the cast can breathe life into a project that was stillborn.