It's looking damned good, I must say. I think it's a triumph that the teaser, despite being only a minute long, has so many clips that a reader of George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series can instantly recognise from the novels - be it locations, characters (of which they are MANY) and scenes. It all has a gritty, grim look that will set it apart from any previous fantasy adaptation ever attempted before. It's good to see clips of the characters in action, from the Targaryen princess Daenerys, Eddard Stark's bastard son Jon Snow, the arrogant Jaime Lannister and his insidious sister, Queen Cersei. The fine detail in the sets and costumes, from what I could see from the brief glimpses afforded us, looked spectacular. The opening scene in the book, featuring the book's main protagonist Eddard Stark (played here by Sean Bean) executing a deserter from the Night's Watch - a brotherhood of men sworn to protect the island of Westeros from the forces of the frozen wastes to the north - is one of my favourite introductions to any novel, and I'm pleased to see that they've largely managed to capture the atmosphere of this moment in the same manner that I interpreted it.
Of course, with any adaptation of a book, especially a book as vast and multi-faceted as 'A Game of Thrones' you can only ever get as close as saying 'they've largely managed to capture this' or that it's 'close to how I imagined it, but not 100%'. Everyone is different, everyone reads something different in their mind, and there will always be people left wanting as a result of changes made to the story/characters/chronology of the series, in order to better adapt this series to a television audience.
For instance, I still think Peter Dinklage (left, and pop on over to the Entertainment Weekly website for more screenshots) doesn't quite fit the physical description of Tyrion Lannister, the disfigured, wily dwarf, who is one of my (and hundreds of others - he is very much a fan favourite) favourite characters in the series. Additionally, his make-up makes him look a little too tidy and clean, not nearly as hideous and scarred as I had pictured for myself (his eyes, for instance, are supposed to be of different size as a result of his deformity). Despite this, I'm assured he will do a great job bringing Tyrion to life as his acting credentials are more than impressive. My girlfriend has similar reservations about the make-up job given to Daenerys doesn't go far enough to match the written descriptions (GRRM describes the Targaryen bloodline as possessing purple coloured irises and platinum coloured hair). Some characters, including Brynden Tully and Stannis Baratheon, important and memorable characters in their own right, feature in the first novel but won't be cast until the second book is adapted (which depends entirely on the success of this season - fingers crossed!).
Despite these small misgivings, there's tons more to be pleased about on the whole. I think Sean Bean's casting is perfect and I really hope he brings Eddard Stark - all of his trademark respect for honour and grim determination - into everyone's hearts. Besides, it's about time I started to hear his voice more aside from in those damned O2 adverts. Mark Addy (from 'The Full Monty', no less) looks like he was born to play Robert Baratheon, the larger-than-life king of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, so I think he'll have no problem adjusting into this role. The small bits of dialogue gleaned from the trailer seem to suggest that a large fragment of the original text has been preserved and will be used in the books, which is positive news as George R.R. Martin has a way with words and it would be a shame not to share his talent with dialogue with the viewers.
I think that's all I have to say about the series for now. I'll leave you guys to watch the trailer, check out the set photos and make your own minds up! I really hope it goes down well with strangers to the series, as it promises to be a ripping yarn from start to finish.
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