The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die

As a TV show with five seasons, The Last Kingdom is AMAZING!... but as a movie, unfortunately, it's pretty bad. They failed to stuff everything they needed into a 1.5hrs long movie, and it feels very rushed. Additionally, it keeps repeating the same moments we've seen already a hundred times before (oaths to the king, lies, ambushes, the death of a parent, one battle, two battles), and of course, the obligatory LGBTQ+ representation that Netflix never seems to miss. It's just not good, and I only give it one star because of the somewhat decent ending and because of Finan. And please, let Uhtred rest, he has served his purpose! (19/04/2023)

Today I arrived to the fifth season of the series, with which I was not entirely satisfied, and the creators of this sequel have now disappointed me. Even the opening music was a heavy blow to my head, but as subsequently turned out to be the mildest test to which I was subjected. Netflix remained true to its principles once again and introduced a royal asshole into the plot. Yeah, I know, politically correctly I should write gay, but realize that it was a story from the dark Middle Ages. The plot didn't make much sense at times, the logical gaps were truly prominent, Albion was surprisingly small (or someone was using teleportation), several prominent characters disappeared from the story (for example, Stiorra disappeared faster than steam over a split corpse, or did not even appear in it), and overall it was a strong disappointment. The fourth and fifth seasons of the series were just a shadow of the previously high-quality production, but this endeavor was the proverbial nail in the coffin. / Lesson: Don't expect miracles, expect misery. (29/04/2024)

Just as Netflix gave the series a great kick in Season 3, it has now cut it down with a vengeance. I would have liked a better fate for Uthred, but this battle seemed a bit of a lost cause from the start. Cramming the themes of 3 books into one less than two-hour film doesn't bode well and despite a few decent shortcuts, it shows at every turn. Like the first episode of the entire series (and one of the weakest), Uthred possesses a teleport that causes locations and emotions to change at the snap of a finger. So we say goodbye to some old heroes in a hurry, while others just manage to tell you: “I’m Anlaf, I will be bad“, which is not very dignified for the culmination of a multi-year saga. Uthred's "banishment" in particular is a complete mockery. As a fan, the only thing I appreciate is the Valhalla passage. For that alone, and for the passable final battle, I give this epilogue a final pardon. (15/04/2023)

Netflix made fans happy. After the best Viking-themed series ended, they decided to make a farewell movie and I believe all Uthred fans enjoyed it. Last Kingdom is a heartwarming film, a very enjoyable reunion with old friends. I also liked the many interesting new faces that spiced up the film decently, to the point where I thought a 6th season could easily play out with these characters. It feels very rushed at times, things that would take five episodes in the series had to be crammed into two hours here, but at least the pace is insanely fast and things move forward very quickly. Plot-wise, it's rather repetitive, but I didn't mind it. The depiction of the period is believable, the visuals are great, the characters are fun to root for, and the final battle is very good. There's also no shortage of tension and emotion, so thankfully the film has similar qualities to the series; it certainly doesn't put it to shame, on the contrary it complements it perfectly. It's hard to say whether it will appeal to people not familiar with the series, but it's made in such a way that the normal viewer won't be lost. (15/04/2023)