Film:
After the advisor of King Robert Baratheon, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms in Westeros, dies he calls upon his old and trusted friend Eddard Stark to replace him.

Eddard, lord of the North, reluctantly accepts and leaves his family to stand by the King as his "Hand". As Eddard (Ned for the friends) takes on his new role, he finds himself in the middle of a snake pit with plenty of corruption, intrigue and conspiracies which may even lead to the King's death.

While Stark is trying to protect his friend and ruler, the last heir to the previous king, Daenerys Targaryen, is on the other side of the ocean trying to gather an army of Dothraki warriors in order to invade Westeros and reclaim her throne. Meanwhile, in the North, it becomes clear Winter is coming again and the Night's Watch who protect the kingdoms from the dangers beyond the Great Wall are starting to notice some very strange happenings...
 
Geluid en Beeld:
Wow! That's the first thing that pops up in your mind after the intro of the first episode has finished and the scenery shows itself. The image is razor sharp, detail is amazing, the snowy landscapes breathe cold air into your living room and it all just makes your jaw fall flat on the ground. And then we haven't even touched on the detailed close-ups, the excellent special effects, the deep blacks, and so on. Without a doubt this is the best image quality ever seen for a TV show and it can even easily compare to any feature film release on Blu-ray. Stunning, amazing, breathtaking, ... there just aren't enough words to describe the quality of this transfer!

The sound is equally impressive with crystal clear dialogues, perfect placing of effects, good use of all channels, attention to detail, and a music score that dynamically puts you in the midst of all the action and completely immerses you in this fantasy world of Westeros. The track easily matches up to the best feature films have to offer and is of a quality that has rarely been seen or heard in any TV series.
 
Extra's:
- Complete guide to Westeros
- Anatomy of an Episode
- In-episode Guide
- Making Game of Thrones
- From the Book to the Screen
- The Night's Watch
- Creating the Show Open
- Audio Commentaries
- Creating the Dothraki language
- Character Profiles

The series comes packed with an interesting load of extras that are definitely worth checking out. Plenty of background information is present and also those interested in the technical aspects of the series will get their piece of the cake.
 
Conclusie:
What is there to say about Game of Thrones? It's a fantasy tale from HBO and could easily turn you off when going from the trailers if you're not a fantasy fan, but don't be fooled. It's top notch TV drama with deep stories and plot twists, interesting characters and excellent acting.

It's very remarkable, but none of the cast actually stand out. And that's said in a positive way! Each and everyone one of the actors does a tremendous job and none of them are a clear weak link.

Sean Bean is great as the trustworthy and honorable Eddar Stark who tries to fight corruption and protect his friend, the king, but at the same time is torn by having to leave his family in order to do so. Emilia Clarke shines as Daenerys Targaryen who starts off as a rather timid and vulnerable woman in a "victim" role, but grows out to become a strong and leading lady. And finally my favorite of the first season is without a doubt Peter Dinklage who as Tyrion Lannister constantly manages to bring a refreshing view on things each time he passes by and although clearly having little moral issues, also has great intelligence that actually helps him survive.

As said, every character has things going for it and not one is lacking depth, but writing about each and every one of them would make for a too big review.

Let's just conclude that Game of Thrones is without a doubt one of the best TV shows available at the moment and even if you're not a fan of fantasy, knights or dragons, you for sure do not want to miss this. Get it. Now!