Altered Carbon

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 2, 2018
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 696 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 555 out of 696
  2. Mixed: 83 out of 696
  3. Negative: 58 out of 696
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  1. ozymandias79
    Feb 3, 2018
    8
    Wow. What an awesome mix of scifi, noir, cyberpunk, and mystery. Set designs, music, HDR, all outstanding. Couldn't recommend this show enough. Even after bingeing in 1 day, I wanted more.
  2. Spookydarren
    Feb 12, 2018
    8
    Bladerunner+nudity+violence. Whats not to like?

    Some great SI-FI ideas here, maybe the critics don't rate it highly because they didn't understand it.
  3. Vancomycin
    Feb 2, 2018
    8
    This is definitely a show you'll want to keep the remote handy with if you have small children. Naked bodies show up so frequently by the end of it you'll feel like a prostate physician. This season of television will unavoidably be compared to Blade Runner. The gravitas, color palette, grungy advertisement-filled world and analytical look at humanity and purpose provide most of the plot.This is definitely a show you'll want to keep the remote handy with if you have small children. Naked bodies show up so frequently by the end of it you'll feel like a prostate physician. This season of television will unavoidably be compared to Blade Runner. The gravitas, color palette, grungy advertisement-filled world and analytical look at humanity and purpose provide most of the plot. The rest is just flashes of light, violence, impressive f/x and did I mention nudity?… Expand
  4. kushtopia
    Feb 6, 2018
    8
    Altered Carbon is a beautiful, dark, and compelling series, and one of the absolute best new series on Netflix right now. It really is the closest thing to a sci-fi Game of Thrones (not quite at the same level, but close). It delivers masterfully on cinematography, providing engrossing backstories and a rich world, and exploring deep themes about the nature of humanity and our path as weAltered Carbon is a beautiful, dark, and compelling series, and one of the absolute best new series on Netflix right now. It really is the closest thing to a sci-fi Game of Thrones (not quite at the same level, but close). It delivers masterfully on cinematography, providing engrossing backstories and a rich world, and exploring deep themes about the nature of humanity and our path as we go forward into the future.

    The main actor is good for a majority of the season with the occasional bad performance sprinkled throughout. One dynamic that painfully sticks out is Takeshi's general disdain for Laurens Bancroft for what seems like nothing. This, however, is a writing issue more than an acting one. I felt the same way about one or two supporting cast members (e.g. Ortega-she just needs to dial down the angry hot-headed cop archetype down a bit; Quell- was just bad), but a vast majority of the rest of cast was a joy to watch.

    However, I felt like the show was wrapped up a little to neatly. You go through the majority of the season getting gut wrenching cliff hanger after cliff hanger, and some genuinely surprising twists and deaths only to have the ending be so cleanly wrapped up. It sort of breaks the immersion of a real and lived in world. Also, there are certain sub-plots that felt unnecessary or distracting (eg, Lizzie) and some that were so compelling that it felt like an injustice not to explore them more (Ryker's story, Dimi's involvement, the Kovachs siblings and their backstory, the Elder civilization). The four subplots I just listed were actually way more interesting than the actual murder mystery that's supposed to be at the center of the story. By the end, the murder mystery itself feels like one of those less interesting subplots- with Takeshi's progression and character growth being the central focus. While I actually enjoyed this change in focus, I still felt like they could have made the audience more invested in the outcome of the case.

    The whole season is riddled with these small indiscretions and while it doesn't detract much from the viewing experience at the time, it does leave you with a certain indifference when you finish the series. I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I did with some of my other favorite shows and while I felt satisfied with the world and what it offered, I have no wanton desire to go back. This is surprising for a show that I couldn't stop watching episode to episode yet a new season of it wouldn't even make the top 10 of my viewing list.

    Other minor complaints:
    The sex/nudity in this series is borderline pornographic. They definitely overdid it.
    The action scenes are nothing special- you likely have seen every action scene in this show in another movie or series.
    Language- the sciency jargon gets to be a bit much and in certain scenes you have literally no idea wtf they are talking about.
    The parallels to Blade Runner are painfully obvious- I wish they had done enough to separate the themes of the two universes.
    While the main villain is brilliant, he/she is revealed way too late, leaving the rest of the season with no primary antagonist.

    Rating: Must-Watch
    Doesn't deserve anything lower than a 7 or anything higher than an 8.5 depending on you preference. I give it a solid 8. BTW, in 70-80% of the negative reviews written, the reviewer claims to have watched only one or two episodes. If you don't like it at first, give it a chance, it's worth it.    … Expand
  5. ComandanteCobra
    Mar 4, 2020
    8
    Very good, hard sci-fi, a little old school (in a good cyber-punk way), good mix of action and drama. There is conspiracy, dystopian future, noire investigations, hot girls (also boys), gunfights, martial arts stunts, relation (and problemes) with technologies and dehumanization...and so on.
  6. cherold
    Feb 15, 2018
    8
    Just finished season one of Altered Carbon. While I found it flawed and often confusing, I also found it riveting, watching the season in just about a week.

    The series takes place in a future where everyone's brain is recorded so that if you die the recording can be housed in a new body (called a sleeve). A revolutionary, kept in cold storage for a couple of centuries, is resleeved and    Just finished season one of Altered Carbon. While I found it flawed and often confusing, I also found it riveting, watching the season in just about a week.

    The series takes place in a future where everyone's brain is recorded so that if you die the recording can be housed in a new body (called a sleeve). A revolutionary, kept in cold storage for a couple of centuries, is resleeved and enlisted by a billionaire to investigate that billionaire's murder in a previous sleeve.

    The series has a solid noir feel, although the sex and violence are so pervasive that it is more Mickey Spillane than Raymond Chandler. This is certainly more inspired by Blade Runner than Maltese Falcon, but Blade Runner is a good source for inspiration. (Anyone interested in more classic noir should check out the Hugh Laurie series Chance.

    The action scenes are solid, the nudity is frequent and generally gratuitous, and the whole thing has an epic, over-the-top feel that makes it hard to stop watching.

    The basic underlying premise does not, by the way, make a lot of sense. If you were born in your body, and your brain was being backed up, you still wouldn't want to die, because a backup is not you (though once you've died once it would be different. Same issue for the religious folks who think being resleeved kills your soul; if there's a soul, the chip is not recording it. Basically, which the series never says it, most of these people aren't people, they are computer simulations of people. Which is interesting, but it's weird no one in the series seems aware of something so obvious.    … Expand
  7. JTV
    Feb 8, 2018
    8
    An interesting Sci-f show with a element cyberpunk and noir in a way that the visuals would surprise you.
  8. freshtalent
    Feb 3, 2018
    8
    Pretty good for a tv show . The first two episodes were good, solid special effects and settings. Good film noir detective tropes. Good cyber punk stuff. Main actor is good. Detective lady has been a weak actor in the first couple episodes. I feel like a miscast, or hopefully she improves. Could be bad directing at times, and weak writing, but she def is not strong so far.
  9. gandalfsucks
    Jul 9, 2018
    8
    An excellently constructed Blade Runner-type world. The characters are compelling, and the acting is par Netflix originals. The production value is through the roof, but the overall series is hamstrung by the middling story, as has become common with my experiences with Netflix originals. An unnecessary murder mystery along with a few other side mysteries for what is essentially a familyAn excellently constructed Blade Runner-type world. The characters are compelling, and the acting is par Netflix originals. The production value is through the roof, but the overall series is hamstrung by the middling story, as has become common with my experiences with Netflix originals. An unnecessary murder mystery along with a few other side mysteries for what is essentially a family drama. Some events, especially towards the end, occur for no other reason other than being necessary for the lazy scriptwriter. The show spends way too much time dealing with relationship dynamics that will be useful only if they ever make a second season, or if they had spent more time in this one. You expect the story to break the traditional rules set by the world, but when the rule breaking becomes commonplace by meaningless characters, it loses the impact. Good effort, but quite a few irksome story points.… Expand
  10. TalulaGrey
    Feb 4, 2018
    8
    I enjoyed this series but I did not read the book that the show is based on. I must admit that it was difficult going for the first three episodes because there were certain things that were not revealed until episode 4 and then other things that were better explained in episode 7. I do not want to spoil it for you, please watch and be patient. I thought the casting choice for KristinI enjoyed this series but I did not read the book that the show is based on. I must admit that it was difficult going for the first three episodes because there were certain things that were not revealed until episode 4 and then other things that were better explained in episode 7. I do not want to spoil it for you, please watch and be patient. I thought the casting choice for Kristin Ortega was a miss. I didn't like the character at all and by episode 4, I understood her better but as an actress she's not very good. I thought Miriam Bancroft looked exactly like Courtney Love (kinda gross, I know). Miriam is played by Kristin Lehman and she did an okay job. There were a few characters that were outstanding; Matt Biedel was amazing as was Chris Conner. Joel Kinnaman and James Purefoy carried their characters quite nicely. Hayley Law was an excellent choice to play Lizzie Elliot. I enjoyed Waleed Zuaiter's performance and Dichen Lachmen was so good as Reileen Kawahara . There were many others that stood out but this is just off the top of my head. The special effects were very well done and I recognized a few places from around here in Vancouver, BC. A few things to know... There is nudity and some sex. It's not crazy over the top sex, but it is there. There is blood and violence as well so be prepared. The ending was well done and they could do another series if they wanted but this story wrapped up very well indeed. I gave it an 8 out of 10 because of the strength of the acting was not always evident and I feel like they cheaped-out on the music.… Expand
  11. Naessarne
    Feb 8, 2018
    8
    Read the book many years since and recall the pretty unique cyberpunk/noir tone - which differed enough to Dick/Gibson Blade Runner/Neuromancer to make it stand out. This adaption hits the cyberpunk on the head but doesn't have enough of a feel of the Noir. That being said its a pretty great watch. Sure the actor who plays Takeshi is wooden, but for me it works and he reflects myRead the book many years since and recall the pretty unique cyberpunk/noir tone - which differed enough to Dick/Gibson Blade Runner/Neuromancer to make it stand out. This adaption hits the cyberpunk on the head but doesn't have enough of a feel of the Noir. That being said its a pretty great watch. Sure the actor who plays Takeshi is wooden, but for me it works and he reflects my recollection of the character and The Raven hotel is brilliant.… Expand
  12. AsmodeusML
    Feb 6, 2018
    8
    This show is pretty cool. It isn't exactly groundbreaking in terms of story or dialogues but the setting, the universe and visuals on display are amazing. The cast is also mostly spot on. The reason i think this series needs to become a hit is because it has so much potential to be so much more in the next season, all it needs is a better and slightly more original story and dialogues.This show is pretty cool. It isn't exactly groundbreaking in terms of story or dialogues but the setting, the universe and visuals on display are amazing. The cast is also mostly spot on. The reason i think this series needs to become a hit is because it has so much potential to be so much more in the next season, all it needs is a better and slightly more original story and dialogues. This one deserves it… Expand
  13. Dubeau
    Aug 3, 2018
    8
    Really nice mystery sci-fi flick. A bit slow to start but after episode 4 this gets on going in a big time. The story is complex but in many ways about family love and hates. It borrows from Blade Runner's looks but for most of it, it's a detective story. The main hero wasn't that amazing. A bit of overacting, but all the other characters are extremely solid in their performance. The FXReally nice mystery sci-fi flick. A bit slow to start but after episode 4 this gets on going in a big time. The story is complex but in many ways about family love and hates. It borrows from Blade Runner's looks but for most of it, it's a detective story. The main hero wasn't that amazing. A bit of overacting, but all the other characters are extremely solid in their performance. The FX were decent for TV show. The sexuality was depicted in a very nice aesthetically way. No for kids or young adults. I give it 78%. Good sci-fi.Renewed for Season 2!… Expand
  14. Acclamation
    Feb 6, 2018
    8
    Awesome sci-fi storyline and acting. The nudity is also a plus, which gives it a highly realistic feel. Unfortunately, the ending has some inane Feminism, but it reclaims some goodness at the very end. I still haven’t seen a Netflix exclusive this good since “House of Cards.”
    Totally worth the watch.
  15. kot0005
    May 5, 2018
    8
    Great show, with good character build up. It would have been more fun if they made the character a bit more over powered, like his first body was. Amazing art and environments.
  16. C_ROCKD
    Feb 4, 2018
    8
    I have not read the book nor am I going to complain about something as minor as cigarette use in the movie. What I can say Altered Carbon is a well paced Sci Fi Drama with a good amount of action. The characters are believable and performed well. The world Altered Carbon builds is a rememberable Blade Runner esque enviornment. Visuals and cgi vary from good to almost stunning. TheI have not read the book nor am I going to complain about something as minor as cigarette use in the movie. What I can say Altered Carbon is a well paced Sci Fi Drama with a good amount of action. The characters are believable and performed well. The world Altered Carbon builds is a rememberable Blade Runner esque enviornment. Visuals and cgi vary from good to almost stunning. The story can get confusing if you don't pay close attention. The TV show feels as if you're watching a 10 hour movie. Each episode cliff hanger left me wanting to watch more. Try not to overly compare the the movie to the book but as a seperate adaptation. If you do this you will find Netflix has put out yet another very above average series.… Expand
  17. Gogglebox
    Jul 11, 2018
    8
    Overall very good if you like sci fi. Plot may be too complicated for some but I liked its deepening backstory. First episode was intriguing but second or third a bit iffy, but story got more interesting. Glad I kept watching. It could stand alone as a story but a second season would be welcome in our household of adults and older teens.
  18. Bobbydownhill
    Mar 8, 2020
    8
    Cyberpunk sweetness and awesome cast and storytelling. Bit long list of executive producers instead of crediting the composer. But over all a very pleasant change of menu on Netflix
  19. stormtossed
    Apr 10, 2020
    8
    Amazing first season. This show had everything that an (adult) sci-fi lover could have ever wanted. Strong Blade Runner's vibes, creative and interesting world building, philosophical questions, great special effects.

    But what made this show stand out, was the depiction of adult themes: tons of sex, nudity, graphic violence. You couldn't look away. Always keeps you hooked. I strongly    Amazing first season. This show had everything that an (adult) sci-fi lover could have ever wanted. Strong Blade Runner's vibes, creative and interesting world building, philosophical questions, great special effects.

    But what made this show stand out, was the depiction of adult themes: tons of sex, nudity, graphic violence. You couldn't look away. Always keeps you hooked.

    I strongly recommend it.

    Too bad 2. season has lost everything that made this show special...    … Expand
  20. gdgipson
    Feb 5, 2018
    7
    I loved the book so the show let me down a bit. Saying that, as a show it’s fine. It definitely doesn’t have the hard tone that a great cyberpunk detective story should have. It’s quite a bit softer. The formula will work well for the sequels. Nice visuals, scratches a cyberpunk itch. To the idiot commenting on the smoking. The whole point is that it’s a sleeve.
  21. Kenmei
    Feb 18, 2018
    7
    A very over-the-top Sci-Fi series that takes alot of investment to get the most out of it. Although a couple of plot holes, some very bland acting by the main character, and some subpar fight scenes kinda took me out of it, I still had an ok time with this show. The main issue I had was with Kinnaman and how bland he came off for most of the show. He really only seemed to have 2 emotions:A very over-the-top Sci-Fi series that takes alot of investment to get the most out of it. Although a couple of plot holes, some very bland acting by the main character, and some subpar fight scenes kinda took me out of it, I still had an ok time with this show. The main issue I had was with Kinnaman and how bland he came off for most of the show. He really only seemed to have 2 emotions: bored and sad for the entire series. It really threw me off since a couple of other characters, including Martha Higareda's Det Ortega, were very well done and seemed to steal most scenes they were apart of. It also didn't help that the story is super dense and can be hard to follow at times so the subpar acting by Kinnaman during the main scenes didn't help with the immersion.
    It also didn't help that the amount of nudity in this show was some of the most I've ever seen in any show ever. It got so bad at times that it just became uncomfortable to watch. Even long fight scenes with multiple nude people in it just became overtly awkward. I would not recommend watching this with any family members not ok with that idea.
    But there are some good elements here and, while the story kinda jumped from place to place at times with little explanation, it still turned out very good, even with all the massive changes done to the original book. It's not award winning but might be worth a second season, even if this part of the story might be over. It's not a bad show per say but so many elements worked together to take you out of the flow of the story that it becomes hard for me to recommend this to anyone that isn't a massive sci-fi buff.    … Expand
  22. miastalman
    Feb 4, 2018
    7
    I have just wantched the series and I want to tell that I really liked it. On the other hand there was no memorable music and the ending was only OK. If they would have fixed that, I would give it 8/10, but it is not worth more.

    The story background, about human "soul" being on "disk" and the plot about having copies by rich people, where copy of one of them is attacked is similar to    I have just wantched the series and I want to tell that I really liked it. On the other hand there was no memorable music and the ending was only OK. If they would have fixed that, I would give it 8/10, but it is not worth more.

    The story background, about human "soul" being on "disk" and the plot about having copies by rich people, where copy of one of them is attacked is similar to the staff from book "Perfekcyjna niedoskonałość" by Jacek Dukaj, so I do not treat is as something very original.    … Expand
  23. chesaro
    Feb 20, 2018
    7
    I didn't read the original work, but i think it has a good story with some bad acting, i'm from mexico, but i think this was too much for martha higareda or i don't know, maybe the director has some fault too, there are a lot of ups and downs, some episodes are really good some are not, you have some decent acting on key moments, and then there is an unnecessary nude just because with badI didn't read the original work, but i think it has a good story with some bad acting, i'm from mexico, but i think this was too much for martha higareda or i don't know, maybe the director has some fault too, there are a lot of ups and downs, some episodes are really good some are not, you have some decent acting on key moments, and then there is an unnecessary nude just because with bad acting on hand, if you like sci fi, its worth the try, if not, you can just ignore it.… Expand
  24. jaasieljunior
    Feb 3, 2018
    7
    Altered Carbon é uma das séries da NETFLIX que se diferencia das demais. Infelizmente, o ritmo da série atrapalhou o seu desenvolvimento,mas em suma,foi uma boa temporada.
  25. NEILTON_1962
    Apr 11, 2018
    7
    Ficção científica. Orçamento do filme alto, a Netflix aposta no sucesso da trama. O piloto e o segundo episódio foram essenciais para o entendimento do restante da temporada. Elenco razoável. Algumas falhas no roteiro, mas como diversão vale a pena.
  26. MrNonono
    Feb 6, 2018
    7
    Let's start with the good part. It's a bit similar to Bladerunner. Visually good looking, the future is a dystopia, that classic film noir vibe (the smoking detective in a long coat), good acting and great action scenes.

    Then the bad part. It isn't Bladerunner. The main characters are both overly sexualized to get more viewers. 250 year old dude wakes up, ripped like Wolverine and meets    Let's start with the good part. It's a bit similar to Bladerunner. Visually good looking, the future is a dystopia, that classic film noir vibe (the smoking detective in a long coat), good acting and great action scenes.

    Then the bad part. It isn't Bladerunner. The main characters are both overly sexualized to get more viewers. 250 year old dude wakes up, ripped like Wolverine and meets this supersexy girl-cop who can do anything whatever she likes, apparently. You know a sex scene is obligatory now. Spoiler: the sex scene is without a bra, a revolution for American television. Throw in a political correct character like 'the sympathetic muslim' (what was his function, except pleasing a certain crowd?). And of course there's the black sidekick of the white hero, because we love stereotypes, don't we?
    So I'm confused. What is this? A romcom? An action movie? Or a proper sci-fi that makes you think about your own reality? I have the impression that the show tries to please every crowd but loses it's own identity with it.    … Expand
  27. JLuis_001
    Feb 13, 2018
    7
    Interesting but with many problems inside the narrative, also the real mystery and the real enemy takes a long time to reveal itself and the rhythm at times is slow and in others frantic, but in general the story is entertaining enough, has good characters but its protagonist is not the most endearing character in the world, it is clear that Joel Kinnaman is not a great actor but he bringsInteresting but with many problems inside the narrative, also the real mystery and the real enemy takes a long time to reveal itself and the rhythm at times is slow and in others frantic, but in general the story is entertaining enough, has good characters but its protagonist is not the most endearing character in the world, it is clear that Joel Kinnaman is not a great actor but he brings the series afloat.
    Martha Higareda achieves what is perhaps the most important role of her career and she works fine, although she plays a lot with the Latina stereotype with all the cursing she does in Spanish.

    The first great Netflix original series in the field of science fiction and cyberpunk, it wasn't bad for a first attempt.    … Expand
  28. angelknives
    Dec 10, 2018
    7
    Altered Carbon is a show full of interesting world building, ideas, and premises that never get used to their full potential. The first few episodes set up so many interesting ideas about AIs, immortality, class struggle, and even aliens, but the rest of the season fails to follow through on these set-ups.

    The main offender is the final part of the season, when a sudden new surprise    Altered Carbon is a show full of interesting world building, ideas, and premises that never get used to their full potential. The first few episodes set up so many interesting ideas about AIs, immortality, class struggle, and even aliens, but the rest of the season fails to follow through on these set-ups.

    The main offender is the final part of the season, when a sudden new surprise antagonist is introduced. The character and the storyline attached to them is incredibly cliched, boring the audience with how predictable it makes the show. And the worst part is that this storyline takes away time from the actually interesting parts of the story. Parts that are left horribly underdeveloped.

    The ending itself is probably the weakest part of the show, tying up everything in neat little bows, presented to the audience in the most easily digestible form, narration.

    All in all, the show does have a very interesting world, and while the writing sometimes suffered from awkward dialogue and lacklustre plotting, I still enjoyed it. I think the lead actors are probably to thank for that, as they really sold the story to me, even when the story itself failed.    … Expand
  29. hallllloo
    Feb 6, 2018
    7
    Sieht super aus, hat schöne Kampfszenen, eine interessante Message, jedoch ist der Einstieg in die Story sehr schwer. Manchmal ist sie sogar ziemlich verwirrend und die Folgen erscheinen einem meistens etwas zu lang.
  30. Ronin94
    Feb 10, 2018
    7
    Es una buena serie pero hay algunos fallos en la trama en los que pierden tensión por X o por Y, también cojea un poco la historia interior del personaje principal porque no sabes de qué trata hasta bien entrada la serie. Un final MEH si lo dejan así y un final medio bueno si la serie continua. Recomendable si te gustan las series de acción con ese toque cyberpunk.
  31. Dondi
    Apr 19, 2018
    7
    Great visuals of the future, a society based on Super capitalists that live far above in the clouds, the poor below ground level in poverty. Many stolen themes from Sci-fi movies from WW2 to now; super CGI, hardest darn story to comprehend. Gritty, sexual, violent, spiritual?
  32. hornysoul
    Sep 21, 2018
    7
    Admito que este tipo de séries nunca me fascinou, mas até foi bom perder algumas horas do meu tempo livre a ver esta produção. A série começou com o pé errado, na minha opinião, mas até conseguiu dar a volta ao longo dos episódios seguintes... A atuação dos atores foi OK e a história prendou-me.
  33. N_ck-cz
    Mar 1, 2020
    6
    If you've read a book (like me), save time. Skydance made many changes in the story, adding a lot of cliches, empty dialogues, and cut out violent scenes and some important scenes, that they proppably dont understod it. But much of the story has remained and Joel Kinnaman is saving the result. If you don't know the book, be sure to try. Its still a good series (first one). If you are aIf you've read a book (like me), save time. Skydance made many changes in the story, adding a lot of cliches, empty dialogues, and cut out violent scenes and some important scenes, that they proppably dont understod it. But much of the story has remained and Joel Kinnaman is saving the result. If you don't know the book, be sure to try. Its still a good series (first one). If you are a book, you will most likely not like the result.… Expand
  34. Herrnewbenmeist
    Feb 8, 2018
    6
    Death no longer matters in a far-future sci-fi where you are backed up on a hard carbon disc lodged in the top of your spinal cord. But, while you are backed up digitally, new flesh is still expensive. Only the richest of the rich can afford back-up bodies in case they die. They rule the world as immortals, controlling almost all the wealth and industry on this planet and across humanity'sDeath no longer matters in a far-future sci-fi where you are backed up on a hard carbon disc lodged in the top of your spinal cord. But, while you are backed up digitally, new flesh is still expensive. Only the richest of the rich can afford back-up bodies in case they die. They rule the world as immortals, controlling almost all the wealth and industry on this planet and across humanity's far-flung colonies. There were those who opposed this concentration of power. Takeshi Kovacs is a such resistance fighter whose backup is activated. He learns his faction failed and he was serving a prison sentence for acts of terrorism. While he is freed from imprisonment, he is now the property of a wealthy immortal who has a job for him. He needs to solve the magnate's own murder. Solve the crime, earn true freedom and a pile of cash to boot. Fail, and he goes back to prison.

    I read the books but was actually happy to see some of the changes that were made initially. An AI character that served as kind of a magical do-it-all handwave in the book was given a great personality and some endearing flourishes. Also, the Día de Muertos episode had an awesome actor take on a very unexpected role.

    Then the changes took a turn and instead of fleshing out missed opportunities and adding fun details to what was an excellent freshman novel they went for a major overhaul. Significant elements were changed thematically and in terms of plot and not for the better. I think they tried to make it more personal for the protagonist. That wasn't necessary; he already had plenty of motivation. Also, toward the very end they added a character they intended to be badass. However, her late and very sudden addition to the action in the climax came across as more of a deus ex machina and less of a justice/empowerment angle. It was poorly done.

    The show is well shot. I thought the acting was good overall. There were a couple of weaker performances. But I really liked the lead and a couple of the character actors along the way. Whoever did set, prop, and costume design deserves extra credit. There was some occasional cheap CGI (hotel gun turrets?) that took away from the overall luster, but those were vastly outweighed by some gorgeous views of the cyberpunk city.

    I can't recommend the series because I think it falls apart at the end. However, I won't say it's awful. If you have an interest in the genre and nothing better to take in, give it a try and see if your mileage varies.    … Expand
  35. coolunme
    Feb 19, 2018
    6
    There are many flaws yet lots of fun to be had. If you can get past the initial sense that you're watching a twisted revision of Blade Runner with Dolph Lundgren as Harrison Ford.
  36. Spiralus
    Feb 13, 2018
    6
    There is a lot to love in this show and it gave me great hope that people are ready to make great fresh science fiction again.
    My hope started to fade when I began to understand that they were going for a "noir detective" genre vibe instead of a fresh, unique perspective. My hopes faded further when I began seeing samurai swords in the background behind Asian people 350 years in the    There is a lot to love in this show and it gave me great hope that people are ready to make great fresh science fiction again.
    My hope started to fade when I began to understand that they were going for a "noir detective" genre vibe instead of a fresh, unique perspective. My hopes faded further when I began seeing samurai swords in the background behind Asian people 350 years in the future. Beautiful women are great and sex can be an important story element, things here got inappropriately sexual though (inappropriate to the setting/story). A few of the episodes became "porny" and juvenile.
    I stopped watching when (mild spoiler alert?) a naked Asian ninja woman tried to murder the female lead with a sword, ninja style, using several clones. A few moments before the scene I was wondering why anyone would design a room the way the clone facility was designed. As the fight scene progressed it became apparent that the room was designed that way so that naked ninja chicks could break through glass walls and jump dramatically down to ground level, landing in that way ninjas land, complete with the slow head raise. Totally moronic. Maybe I'm being nit picky. Maybe I've become accustomed to better, smarter story telling. For creators who care: there are smart people who like sci-fi out here waiting.
    Also - As a general rule for everyone - 90s style martial arts is a no-go if you aren't running a comedy show. Simple as that. There are people who will disagree with this, but please analyse the numbers if you don't believe me. Once you feature choreographed looking fighting, everyone of average or above intelligence is taken out of the drama completely. So, ya, I hope someone who funds this crap reads that. . .    … Expand
  37. eagleeyeviking
    Feb 12, 2018
    6
    The second half of “Altered Carbon” is far better than the first, as a convoluted, sprawling, and (very) digressive plot gives way to satisfying twists, thought-provoking philosophical scenarios, and terrific action.
  38. BioTofu
    May 17, 2018
    6
    the direction was a bit all over the place with the colors and lighting early on in the season. the world building was cool and i wish to see more of that (but i know thats expensive). the combat abilities of the characters were noticeably inconsistent. didnt like the actress and look of the main characters love interest (shes hot but i didnt find her acting very good here for thethe direction was a bit all over the place with the colors and lighting early on in the season. the world building was cool and i wish to see more of that (but i know thats expensive). the combat abilities of the characters were noticeably inconsistent. didnt like the actress and look of the main characters love interest (shes hot but i didnt find her acting very good here for the character)... some cool memorable scenes like the cop vs clone scene but could be executed better. overall enjoyable and i am looking forward to the future seasons.… Expand
  39. marc5477
    Apr 1, 2018
    6
    Its an ok show. Slightly above average, but the writing and story development is very high school level. Actually I was a better writer in high school so I would say its average even for a high school. Some lines are painful to hear, akin to power rangers kind of stuff. They add a lot of gore, shock value, and nudity to distract from plot development as well. I dont mind any of it but IIts an ok show. Slightly above average, but the writing and story development is very high school level. Actually I was a better writer in high school so I would say its average even for a high school. Some lines are painful to hear, akin to power rangers kind of stuff. They add a lot of gore, shock value, and nudity to distract from plot development as well. I dont mind any of it but I would say that 9/10 times, it added nothing to the show and actually did not fit into the story.

    All this is too bad because the visual direction of the futuristic world is actually nicely done. In fact, the director, whoever it is, should get their own show and be allowed to hire their own writers. Acting is all over the place. Sometimes its acceptable but at times its amateur hour. The Dolph Lundgren wannabe is just not very good despite playing a stoic character. Granted Dolf was not so good early in his career either. Perhaps this guy will get better too but I saw no improvement over the 1st season. The cop is pretty dry as well. If not for her nude scenes I wouldnt even remember her hair color. Then again it could all be due to the poor writing and dialog. Still, the setting is interesting (minus the flashbacks) and the mystery played out decently enough. They just need to refine the writing a bit and this could easily be a great show.    … Expand
  40. neilson
    Feb 7, 2018
    6
    Definitely entertaining and fun to imagine this world, but the narrative can be pretty lazy, predictable and sometimes not coherent. Characters' actions and motivations are not always consistent and it leads to a break in engagement with the show. Worth watching if you don't have anything better to watch.
  41. dangerfar
    Feb 4, 2018
    6
    An exceptional sci-fi novel adapted into a visually engaging but emotionally and mentally stunted television show, I found myself equal parts giddy and disappointed along the way. It shines brightly when it gives life and dimensions to its source material, and stumbles badly when it attempts to inject conventional, archaic, and dumbed down arcs of its own design.

    The source material is    An exceptional sci-fi novel adapted into a visually engaging but emotionally and mentally stunted television show, I found myself equal parts giddy and disappointed along the way. It shines brightly when it gives life and dimensions to its source material, and stumbles badly when it attempts to inject conventional, archaic, and dumbed down arcs of its own design.

    The source material is some of the best sci-fi I've ever read. Thought-provoking, brooding, mysterious, it's an excellent conglomeration of many of my favorite elements in stories of any type. And lucky for the TV series, this is still at the center here. The vision of the city is excellent, the main story and world are fantastic, and though graphic in the extreme it can be a viscerally engaging experience. The casting is a mixed bag, with some (such as Kovacs and Poe) being charismatic and interesting and some (Ortega) being derivative and poorly portrayed which can take you out of the moment in a hurry.

    Where it really goes off the rails is when it tries to alter the story to be more conventional, and presumably appeal to the demographic info Netflix presumably thinks it has collected. This involves needless deviations into the most poorly acted character of the bunch, and dumbing down the writing of the climax to such a degree that it squanders some of the most thought provoking and unique aspects of the source story. Much of the encouragement it cultivates by being made in the first place is diminished by the fact that they're still insistent on dumbing things down and shoehorning things into demographics. Just let the story be what it is.

    Anyway, I both enjoyed and loathed the first season, and am both optimistic and pessimistic about it's future. I liked the 2nd and 3rd books far less than the first, but perhaps this will keep me from being as disappointed when they try and TV-ify the story with poor acting.    … Expand
  42. Trece
    Feb 3, 2018
    6
    The setting is very good, but the story went well until it falls on the Netflix curse to give it an anticlimactic turn at the end.
  43. megabear
    Feb 6, 2018
    6
    Visually stunning series crippled by poor acting by female detective and few others, as well as the show's inability to translate deeper aspects of the book into the show. I guess one could say that the show inserts visual cues to the readers of novel that they may have struggled to imagine.
  44. Ajje2
    Feb 4, 2018
    6
    Beautiful cloning of blade runner scenery, but with disappointing lead performances.

    If all you're after is to absorb some visual eye candy, then watch a couple of episodes as the visual department for this project did an amazing job. The story is at its core a "solve a murder" plot, which may appeal to some, but to others (like me) is a detractor. In this sense the essence of the show    Beautiful cloning of blade runner scenery, but with disappointing lead performances.

    If all you're after is to absorb some visual eye candy, then watch a couple of episodes as the visual department for this project did an amazing job.
    The story is at its core a "solve a murder" plot, which may appeal to some, but to others (like me) is a detractor. In this sense the essence of the show is like any other murder mystery we've seen a thousand times.

    What disappointed me way more than the rehashed plot, was in the character department.
    The show centers on two characters. The main protagonist being a jaded former military special forces guy called Takeshi Kovacs, whose purpose for being on the show is solving the murder plot.
    The other lead is a very tiny, unbelievable and incredibly angry young female cop who goes around swearing in spanish and provides over acted emotional fits most every time she's on screen. We get to know her as Kristin Ortega.
    Unfortunately the two leads have zero chemistry when on screen together, and both lack the acting chops to carry scenes alone when not together. The guy has the expressive range of a twig. The woman comes across as if this is her first acting attempt on stage; a complete claw-your-eyes-out cringefest.

    On a positive note with regard to acting is that there are some very good secondary performances by great actors.
    * James Purefoy (Marc Anthony from Rome) is great as ever, as the character who employs Takeshi to solve the murder.
    * Chris Connor, whom I've never seen before, delivered a splendid performance as a "proprietor" of a hotel where much of the show takes place.

    Other notable performances that help save the show from the complete acting train wreck that would have resulted with only the two leads, include fairly good performances by Kristin Lehman, Hiro Kanagawa and Byron Mann (Kovacs, the first couple of minutes of the first episode).

    Personally I think the show would have benefitted a lot if it had kept Byron Mann as the lead Kovacs, instead of switching to Joel Kinnaman.

    The story makes many references to the japanese background of Kovacs, and to the "bad-ass" nature of Kovacs as an elite warrior, both which Mann carries much much better and more convincingly than Kinneman, something that the viewer experiences already the first couple of minutes into the first episode.
    As for Ortega (the annoying, miniscule "cop", swearing in spanish all the time, and hardly able to speak eligible english), that character could have been dropped entirely, and the show would simply have been much less painful to watch by that act alone, since she imo. is the first character I've seen in any show to be a complete net negative for the product as a whole.

    All in all, this show is 9 parts visual and 1 part substance.

    Netflix is the perfect medium for this show, since it allows skip-forward when the show grinds to a halt, or when you simply tire of Kinneman / Ortega presence on the screen.    … Expand
  45. shinbo
    Jul 3, 2018
    6
    Amazing visuals, great world design which makes me want to read the novel to explore the world further. Mix of Blade Runner, Shadowrun universes with a touch of Matrix. Gratuitous nudity, violence and gore, almost as if the producers stole a side glance at HBO and thought "Viewers are really into nipples and human flaying".

    The series is unfortunately let down by cheesy writing and    Amazing visuals, great world design which makes me want to read the novel to explore the world further. Mix of Blade Runner, Shadowrun universes with a touch of Matrix. Gratuitous nudity, violence and gore, almost as if the producers stole a side glance at HBO and thought "Viewers are really into nipples and human flaying".

    The series is unfortunately let down by cheesy writing and characters. It's not even campy cheese, it's try-hard one-dimensional cheese. Some of the dialogue is corny and delivered with the finesse of a daytime soap opera. Poe the AI hotel is by far the most relateable and interesting character, who unfortunately is featured sparsely. Imagine if GoT made Tyrion Lannister a minor side character.

    It's probably worth a watch, if only to feast on the visual design of the world.    … Expand
  46. donelson
    Feb 25, 2018
    5
    Starts with an overpacked but imaginative pilot, then 2nd episode shows great promise with the mystery and secondary characters. By the third episode it's flagging, and it looks like budget was withdrawn or writing teams changed after that. Alternating good vs. dull episodes. Some brilliance paired with Long tedious scenes with no purpose, poor direction, weak acting, cliched dialogue.Starts with an overpacked but imaginative pilot, then 2nd episode shows great promise with the mystery and secondary characters. By the third episode it's flagging, and it looks like budget was withdrawn or writing teams changed after that. Alternating good vs. dull episodes. Some brilliance paired with Long tedious scenes with no purpose, poor direction, weak acting, cliched dialogue. What a mess. Too bad this wasn't done right. Many good ideas, but bad casting, uneven confused writing, action sets are a mix of brilliance and cheap cliché. Terrible direction throughout. Worth watching and skimming the dull episodes. A lesson in How To Ruin a Great Book… Expand
  47. Jes1310
    Feb 28, 2018
    5
    wow I am amazed to see the user score, which I thought would be a lot lower, more like a 5 or 6. I had very high hopes for this, but it just doesnt live up to my expectations nor the hype.
    There are so plotlines, that they never follow up on. Acting is below average, same can be said for the effects. Compared to last years epic masterpiece, that was Bladerunner 2049, this just seems to be    wow I am amazed to see the user score, which I thought would be a lot lower, more like a 5 or 6. I had very high hopes for this, but it just doesnt live up to my expectations nor the hype.
    There are so plotlines, that they never follow up on. Acting is below average, same can be said for the effects. Compared to last years epic masterpiece, that was Bladerunner 2049, this just seems to be a mediocre copy. Also AC uses all cliches of every scifi story/movie ever made. And whats with all the nudity, seems like the writers have seen to much GoT, the naked bodies doesnt add anything to the setting or anything else.    … Expand
  48. HaloFever
    Apr 16, 2018
    5
    The world of Altered Carbon is a mish-mash of last century's sci-fi tropes and makes little sense. The core problem are the "stacks" that grant unlimited life, unless the stack itself is destroyed. There is little explanation of why everyone has stacks despite religious beliefs against them, whether people are truly alive or just software, and why people don't just live in un-killableThe world of Altered Carbon is a mish-mash of last century's sci-fi tropes and makes little sense. The core problem are the "stacks" that grant unlimited life, unless the stack itself is destroyed. There is little explanation of why everyone has stacks despite religious beliefs against them, whether people are truly alive or just software, and why people don't just live in un-killable robot bodies instead. The show could go about answering these questions except the only one with any answers is a near mute mumbling jerk of a protagonist who bumbles his way through most of the plot like a hard boiled 1930s private detective.

    The homage to Blade Runner is obvious. The Times Square like city, flying police cars, gloom, and noodle shops look almost identical. This makes Altered Carbon a retro-futuristic world based on past ideas of what the future could be. Everything in the world is simply terrible. I can't imagine anyone in the Altered Carbon world is happy. None of the episodes show us any reason why anyone would let the status quo exists for 250 years.

    Similarly, the application of the law to the super rich "Meths" makes little sense. It doesn't help that I have no idea why they are named after methamphetamine. Also not helping is the inconsistent application of the law on these super rich Meths. We have super rich folks in our 21st century world and none of them can buy a pardon for a known terrorist. Why don't they simply buy pardons for each other or themselves?

    In this setting we have a somewhat complicated story of a man caught in a web of deceit. Confusing matters more, the show is intent on bombarding our eyes with naked bodies, corpses, and naked corpses. The show is almost an advertisement for network standards. Why move the plot when you can show a man cutting off another man's legs? The show has a per episode quota for awful things that must be met no matter how nonsensical they may be. Torture porn comes to mind. I know there is an audience for this kind of imagery in and of itself, but I do not understand why.

    All-in-all the show is like a 10 hour pilot episode for a series was never picked up. The show nicely wraps up its season long story arc as a defense to non-renewal. If Netflix does make a season 2, they should consider why they are doing this. Is this a high concept sci-fi show or a venue for all the things you cannot see on network television? I would like Netflix to aspire to higher things.    … Expand
  49. JulianIncen
    May 5, 2019
    5
    I had a hard time getting into the world of 'Altered Carbon'. It's slow and just when it seems to take off, it needs a transition episode to get to the real action.
  50. djryang
    Mar 1, 2018
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Like many people I was anticipating this show. I have read the first novel, and did not have any unrealistic expectations about being faithful to the source material. As long as the general concepts and ideas remain I would be open minded to the necessary changes that may be needed in order to film. So that is one of the things about the show that they did do OK with in term of keeping the real themes and concepts intact. With that being said The Expanse does a much better job at using the source material without too much compromise.

    The overall look of the show is very nice and almost feature film like. Special effects are great. Eye candy all the time. I did find however that the blade runner looking sets with rain a grime almost an annoying cliche at this point in time, and a blatant rip off. Also the lighting was overkill and some of the flashing lights and strobe to be just distracting.

    Casting I think is the biggest flaw. Ortega is way too short and looks absolutely silly on camera next to Takeshi. Her performances are cringe worthy terrible acting. Swearing in Spanish? Ortega’s mother character is completely unnecessary and stupid. While I didn’t mind Kinnaman as Kovach he wasn’t great either, and at times so wooden it’s almost comical. All in all too many minor characters that you could care less about, and not enough character building of the main players. The motivation for a lot of things isn’t clear and dialog sometimes muddy.

    Perhaps because we had a good adaptation of Ghost in the Shell and an absolute masterpiece in Blade Runner 2049 it really makes it difficult for me to like Altered Carbon. The Expanse and Black Mirror are still the best Sci Fi shows on TV at the moment.    … Expand
  51. Abidos20
    Feb 4, 2018
    5
    Altered Carbon is an empty shell. It puts us into its setting without explaining how any of that works , where the laws are blurred , and for a reason. So the twist can work without the viewer asking questions , cause they don't know how that universe works. It keeps adding "rules" to further one plot , never to be reused. I loved the idea and the setting they tried to convey , but theAltered Carbon is an empty shell. It puts us into its setting without explaining how any of that works , where the laws are blurred , and for a reason. So the twist can work without the viewer asking questions , cause they don't know how that universe works. It keeps adding "rules" to further one plot , never to be reused. I loved the idea and the setting they tried to convey , but the setting in which it takes place is barren , all we know its a degenerate , high tech future where death has a lesser meaning that on our universe. As for the idea , it threw so many plot twists with little to no character development apart from some flashbacks. There is no internal conflict in Kovacs soul , as there is but one way this would end , which we knew from the second he found his sisters sleeves. Him killing her. So many plot twists , just to lead to the conclusion we all knew since you introduced her character.

    All in all , id love a second season of this show in this setting , but with less shabby writing and no exposition , where the setting is something that aids the plot , not just a transient plane that alters itself to further it.    … Expand
  52. night4
    Jun 13, 2018
    5
    It's ok. The acting is good, the effects are good, the fights are good. The story is mediocre.

    The biggest problem is that the "murder mystery" is completely forgotten by a few episodes in. In fact, it's just one long flashback after another, until entire episodes are flashbacks. I have flashback whiplash at this point. And it becomes so convoluted it's not even funny. I don't    It's ok. The acting is good, the effects are good, the fights are good. The story is mediocre.

    The biggest problem is that the "murder mystery" is completely forgotten by a few episodes in. In fact, it's just one long flashback after another, until entire episodes are flashbacks. I have flashback whiplash at this point.

    And it becomes so convoluted it's not even funny.

    I don't think I'll be watching another season.    … Expand
  53. JonsGone
    May 9, 2019
    5
    Staggeringly boring.
    Painfully drawn out with sigh-inducing flashbacks.
    The whole thing could have been a movie but it just HAD to be a series.
    The promising investigation plot takes a backseat on Kovacs's brooding train.
    Only two "good" characters in the entire cast, Poe and the asian nutjob.
    Forecast calls for rain. Rain all the time. Rain everywhere.
    Do not bother.
  54. Ascospore
    Mar 18, 2018
    5
    If you prefer your science fiction hard-boiled, not cheese-balled, then give it a miss.
  55. AWESOM-0
    Feb 29, 2020
    5
    Yeah this one misses the mark. Looks great but it loses what makes the novel so good. I can accept adaptions making changes but not when it loses it soul (metaphorically speaking).
  56. Brentmeister
    Feb 4, 2018
    4
    Within the 1st half of the premiere episode it is painfully evident that they made awful choices in is casting the series. The lead is a wooden, lumbering bore. I was hoping this would be another strong sci fi hit for Netflix. It is a visual masterpiece by every account. But if you blow your wad on special effects and not focus on the fact that the cast with a few exceptions is anWithin the 1st half of the premiere episode it is painfully evident that they made awful choices in is casting the series. The lead is a wooden, lumbering bore. I was hoping this would be another strong sci fi hit for Netflix. It is a visual masterpiece by every account. But if you blow your wad on special effects and not focus on the fact that the cast with a few exceptions is an absolute turd fest it renders the whole experience unbearable.… Expand
  57. Tannhauser
    Feb 15, 2018
    4
    Read the book recently, disappointed with the cast and the unnecessary changes. Miriam Bancroft is supposed to have the body of a 17 year old, why they chose to cast a 50-something for that role is beyond me. The actress who portrays Kristin Ortega commands no authority whatsoever, completely unbelievable as a police lieutenant. She's also really tiny - seriously, this doesn't work. TheRead the book recently, disappointed with the cast and the unnecessary changes. Miriam Bancroft is supposed to have the body of a 17 year old, why they chose to cast a 50-something for that role is beyond me. The actress who portrays Kristin Ortega commands no authority whatsoever, completely unbelievable as a police lieutenant. She's also really tiny - seriously, this doesn't work. The main character in his stoic way is actually the one where they got it right, so props to them for that.

    The story and the setting don't really make a lot of sense, however that is also the major shortcoming of the book. It's just not a plausible scenario. However, it would have been nice to see the novel visualized in an authentic manner. Oh well, at least the visuals are fine.

    Edit: Special callout for the torture scene. They changed it completely to make it "politically correct", I suppose. Having bearded muslim men raping and torturing a woman on a world named Sharya (as in the book!) probably seemed too close to reality nowadays. Screw that PC ****    … Expand
  58. McGillotine
    Feb 3, 2018
    4
    If Altered Carbon intended to capture the look of Blade Runner it succeeded, however if it wished to reach the same heights of neo-noir storytelling it sorely failed. Altered Carbon suffers the same fundamental flaws as seen in most sci-fi television programs of the current tv age, bad writing and sub par acting and while shows such as Black Mirror fight to break this trend, programs suchIf Altered Carbon intended to capture the look of Blade Runner it succeeded, however if it wished to reach the same heights of neo-noir storytelling it sorely failed. Altered Carbon suffers the same fundamental flaws as seen in most sci-fi television programs of the current tv age, bad writing and sub par acting and while shows such as Black Mirror fight to break this trend, programs such as Electric Dreams and now Altered Carbon use their large budgets to make alot of noise while accomplishing very little.

    One of my gripes with this show (to put it gracefully) is the acting which is pretty awful with a few exceptions. Now i'll be honest i don't like Joel Kinnaman as an actor and with 'standout performances' in both Suicide Squad and Robocop many can agree that he is certainly unqualified to be a lead actor, Altered Carbon is no exception to this streak as he delivers once again another 'flat' performance. Kinnaman demonstrates his many abilities as an actor namely his capacity to speak in monotone and be as robotic as possible at all times showing his commitment to once again devalue any project he touches. Next we have Martha Higareda as a Latina cop who is tough as nails and's gets the job done, she is also a carbon copy every TV cop archetype that you've seen many a time in syndicated cop trash such as Chicago PD. The rest of the acting in this show doesn't really improve much and while some cast members including Ato Essandoh and Chris Conner have a chance to shine from time to time the feeling that most scenes were done in as few takes as possible makes production look rushed and unpolished.

    Writing is also notably weak, there is no real sense of character progression through the series and for a large period of time the main plot takes a backseat, to introduce character after character, followed by side plot after side plot, to unnecessarily bloat the plot and drag out a 10 episode season. This is made all the more unbearable with the addition of teen fiction inspired altered names, so instead of calling then rich people we're going to call them 'Meth's' and instead of calling him a professional mercenary we'll call him an 'Envoy' and f*ck it while we're clever we'll call host bodies 'Sleeves' and stored conscientiousness 'Stacks'. On top of all this for good measure Altered Carbon throws in some needless sex and the occasional blood orgy to wake up it audience only to put them back to sleep five minutes later.

    But surely this show has to get something right and visually it does a damn fine job, the only shame being that the only real talent involved in this show is wasted on making the half-wit performances of its lead actors bearable by wowing the audiences with it's physical world building talent. What i do admire is the level of detail put into the effects, whether it be the rain soaked streets, never-ending skyscrapers, the dim of a flicking neon lights or the cyberpunk decor, it is extremely clear that the behind the scenes crew really worked their magic and definitely need to be paid more.

    Altered Carbon is a difficult watch for the more seasoned viewer. However if you're looking to kick back and chill i would not look badly upon you if you did decide to watch Altered Carbon for a show that doesn't require any level of thought or observance to appreciate. However if you are looking for a show that allows you think and explore, you may aswell skip over this one.    … Expand
  59. mace8704
    Feb 4, 2018
    4
    First off, I haven't read the novel so if you're hoping for a review that compares how closely the film adaptation mirrors the book, this isn't it. Altered Carbon starts out with a really strong premise and great world building. In the future, humanity has engineered a way to upload their consciousness into 'stacks,' which is essentially as chip that sits at the base of the skull. AsFirst off, I haven't read the novel so if you're hoping for a review that compares how closely the film adaptation mirrors the book, this isn't it. Altered Carbon starts out with a really strong premise and great world building. In the future, humanity has engineered a way to upload their consciousness into 'stacks,' which is essentially as chip that sits at the base of the skull. As long as a stack isn't damaged, it can be uploaded into different bodies called 'sleeves.' When Altered Carbon explores the impact of how the introduction of 'stacks' and 'sleeves' drastically change the course of humanity and the subsequent class conflict, it's great.

    Sadly as the narrative progresses, it drifts farther and farther away from the ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding stacks and sleeves. Essentially, it transitions into a non-chronological, murder mystery in a neo noir setting spanning centuries with a societal revolution as backstory. The longer the series goes on...The more it focuses on a group of revolutionaries from the past, or the murder mystery, and removes itself farther and farther away from its strong foundation.

    Cinematography wise, it's a mixed bag. There are some cool shots in this series, which are clearly heavily inspired by Blade Runner. However, certain effects such as a bright light repeatedly rotating around two characters speaking is abused more than JJ Abhrams lens flare in his Star Trek reboot.

    Action wise, it's a hyperviolent mix of guns very inspired by their 21st century counterparts, and Japanese inspired martial arts. So if you're the type of guy that reflexively rolls their eyes when a someone with a katana charges a group of men armed to the teeth with rifles, this series may require a visit to your optometrist.

    Lastly a fair warning to the parents who stumble across this review, Altered Carbon has a lot of nudity. Think of a body part, this series shows it on multiple occasions. If that's not a problem for you, great....enjoy the show. If it is, you've been warned.    … Expand
  60. ishadow
    Feb 25, 2018
    4
    Show itself isn't that bad. It's quite average, but I'm just furious how they changed everything compared to book.

    Although they used almost every element of the original story, they altered them in a very bad way. Netflix show aims to be a blockbuster. Shallow characters, bad story with forced epic moments and high intensity action. Book had better pacing. It had slow moments when    Show itself isn't that bad. It's quite average, but I'm just furious how they changed everything compared to book.

    Although they used almost every element of the original story, they altered them in a very bad way. Netflix show aims to be a blockbuster. Shallow characters, bad story with forced epic moments and high intensity action.

    Book had better pacing. It had slow moments when author take it's time to explain world and technology. Core stacks were almost indestructible, while in Netflix show they could be broken in a bare (but enhanced) hand. Real death was very rare in books, but it's common in show.

    Book plot was cleaver and very thorough. In show there are many plot holes and poor writing, which is just insane with source material of such quality.

    Can't tell much without spoilers, but if you read book, you will have many moments like making Joker a killer of Bruce Wayne parents in Batman movie from 1989.

    All I can recommend is to read the book, you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  61. TVBug
    Feb 18, 2018
    4
    Excellent premise. But so far, it's just another action movie. The characters are poorly developed and are just cliches.
  62. SquaredRen
    Feb 3, 2018
    4
    I get what inspired Netflix on doing a series with this style, movies like Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner. They did manage to capture the settings and tones from those movies but Oh my God this plot it's designed to make me fall asleep. The main character dullness doesn't keep the series moving or interesting, at least for me. It's a sleep fest and I can't deal with it.
  63. sarakyel
    Feb 2, 2018
    4
    The novel titled Altered Carbon told the intricate story of a tricky investigation case with high social and moral stakes set in a transhuman world where obsolete concepts such as racism or sexual identity became a pure nonsense. But by stripping-down the original plot of its most interesting aspects - such as the struggle of antitheist protagonists against the ignorance of religiousThe novel titled Altered Carbon told the intricate story of a tricky investigation case with high social and moral stakes set in a transhuman world where obsolete concepts such as racism or sexual identity became a pure nonsense. But by stripping-down the original plot of its most interesting aspects - such as the struggle of antitheist protagonists against the ignorance of religious minds, or the political game played behind the colonization of remote worlds - the TV show turned this unique fiction into a cheap cyberpunk rip-off of Blade Runner in which poor good people of color fight against the hegemony of evil white rich people. Guess what happens when you decide to take its substance away from a great material in the hope of making it more appealing to a broad audience? You just end up with an beautiful but empty sleeve. Congratz Netflix for turning raw gold into fine lead.… Expand
  64. thinkbach
    Feb 5, 2018
    4
    noir references fall flat in countless scenes lacking depth and subtext; compare any scene with counterpart in the book, which is massively rich; this is lowest common denominator distillation that makes sad use of inspiring source material, in a bloated corporate answer to sci-fi novel's merits; an ultimately cynical derivation that subconsciously espouses the greed-centered prejudices itnoir references fall flat in countless scenes lacking depth and subtext; compare any scene with counterpart in the book, which is massively rich; this is lowest common denominator distillation that makes sad use of inspiring source material, in a bloated corporate answer to sci-fi novel's merits; an ultimately cynical derivation that subconsciously espouses the greed-centered prejudices it purports to critique...… Expand
  65. MasteroMustache
    Mar 13, 2019
    4
    What a mess. The acting is inconsistent, with some actors passable, others good to great, and some truly horrendous. The plot and writing are cringe-worthy. I can't count how many times I turned to my wife during our viewing of the series and stared blankly at a plot point that just occurred or at a line that an actor muttered. With respect to the story, character motivations, and sci fiWhat a mess. The acting is inconsistent, with some actors passable, others good to great, and some truly horrendous. The plot and writing are cringe-worthy. I can't count how many times I turned to my wife during our viewing of the series and stared blankly at a plot point that just occurred or at a line that an actor muttered. With respect to the story, character motivations, and sci fi elements, everything is just so far over the top that nothing feels organic or anything approaching real. I wanted to stop after the 5th or 6th episode but glumly finished the series just to see if it improved. It decidedly did not.… Expand
  66. Lsherman3
    Feb 2, 2018
    3
    It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve seen. However with all those special effects and production values they still managed to make an incredibly boring show. It is slow, uninteresting and lacks emotional connection to the audience. You can tell that the production team studied Blade Runner because they copied shots from it identically, however they didn’t understand what that story actuallyIt wasn’t the worst thing I’ve seen. However with all those special effects and production values they still managed to make an incredibly boring show. It is slow, uninteresting and lacks emotional connection to the audience. You can tell that the production team studied Blade Runner because they copied shots from it identically, however they didn’t understand what that story actually meant. I was really hoping to like this, but alas knuckle draggers are running the show...Next.… Expand
  67. DamnedThing
    Feb 5, 2018
    3
    Sorry, can't take this beyond 2 episodes. Life's too short and TV is too peak.

    It looks awful, like an 80s pop video with ideas above its station. Every scene is lit by whatever light source can have a coloured gel duct taped to it, and when all the colours are used up they'll throw some fake bokeh overlay on top in post. Everywhere looks the same, apparently there's only one interior    Sorry, can't take this beyond 2 episodes. Life's too short and TV is too peak.

    It looks awful, like an 80s pop video with ideas above its station. Every scene is lit by whatever light source can have a coloured gel duct taped to it, and when all the colours are used up they'll throw some fake bokeh overlay on top in post. Everywhere looks the same, apparently there's only one interior designer on the whole planet and nothing looks lived in. The Expanse looks far better, feels more real and has far better plot and character development - cost per episode for either are hard to find but Expanse seems to be $3m-$5m while Altered Carbon is a good chunk more at $6m-$8m.

    The editing is just abysmal, whoever is in charge needs to calm the hell down and let scenes breathe. Any time there are two people just talking we end up with twenteen different snap cuts and none are from the same damned angle: left, right, near, far, mid, mid-long, high, low, passing left, random boob shot, passing right, etc.

    The camera work is all over the place, it feels like it's shot by someone who doesn't know what they want to achieve and they've ended up going for coverage so that the editor can choose the best bits. Except the editor is off their meds: see above.

    The dialogue is the kind you zone out of and check Facebook updates to because no one believes in what they're saying enough to distract you from the real people you barely know taking dumb online personality tests which none of the characters in Altered Carbon would pass.

    Two episodes in and I know there's been a murder and the lead has checked into a hotel. Kinnaman has lost any screen presence he once had in the likes of the Killing, he's just a skinsack of bulging walnuts walking around being terrible at being moody, a lot like he was in House of Cards where he was totally miscast as a political up and comer; I suspect they told him that his character in that show would be flexing his political muscle, and Kinnaman bulked up for the role thinking he was playing a henchman. There's also a female cop who doesn't like him much, but she's a walking dead zone of empathy.

    There's nothing much here to relate to in terms of anyone being remotely likeable, so continuing to watch what happens falls between 'is there anything else on' and 'must do last years accounts'.

    Awful tosh.    … Expand
  68. Tom360
    Feb 9, 2018
    3
    This show was not good! The plot was entirely convoluted; almost impossible to follow. Also pretty amateurish in a few ways. 1) Certain sets show the budgetary constraints, which I can forgive. 2) The acting!!! I can't understand how a show that has such talent behind the camera has such C-
    performance in front of the camera. Watching Joel Kinnaman mumble his way through the script with    This show was not good! The plot was entirely convoluted; almost impossible to follow. Also pretty amateurish in a few ways. 1) Certain sets show the budgetary constraints, which I can forgive. 2) The acting!!! I can't understand how a show that has such talent behind the camera has such C-
    performance in front of the camera. Watching Joel Kinnaman mumble his way through the script with all the liveliness of a giant ground sloth on Quaaludes is almost painful. How does this guy get work??? He has given exactly the same performance in every role since Robocop! I really wanted to like this show but with acting so sub-par it's extremely difficult to focus attention.    … Expand
  69. JimmyBaginski
    Feb 25, 2018
    3
    I managed an episode and a half before being justifiably confused and disorientated by the convoluted plot elements and overwrought world building. Visually, this comes across as both very expensive yet equally uninspired, evoking a 90's attempt at a Blade Runner aesthetic, only with the added improvements of cutting edge CGI to maximise the gawky. Its the film every sci-fi directorI managed an episode and a half before being justifiably confused and disorientated by the convoluted plot elements and overwrought world building. Visually, this comes across as both very expensive yet equally uninspired, evoking a 90's attempt at a Blade Runner aesthetic, only with the added improvements of cutting edge CGI to maximise the gawky. Its the film every sci-fi director would've made in the 90's if they had unlimited cash - only it's 10 episodes long. It's influences are obvious too. I know nothing about the source material or when it was written but this is Demolition Man, with the disinterred release of a previous criminal to help solve a crime, the Hispanic female sidekick (with a scar on her eyelid) and the jabs at political correctness (no smoking etc). Only, this is too overblown and confused about its own identity to be as punchy and welcomingly ridiculous as Demolition Man, with its humour and tongue firmly in cheek. Okay, maybe it's a nod to fans of the genre, but that won't save this alone. The other obvious influence is Blade Runner, of course, with all its existential angst and blurring of the corporeal realm and the artificial. That's fine. But, this employs a direction overly fixated on body parts, breasts, asses, dicks, flesh, to really feel any pathos for the characters. It's jarring. As a result, its full of emptiness and a kind of seasick pushing of sex and edginess that leaves me unsettled and categorically not entertained. This is a criticism of many tv shows in the modern era. The tv format is long and can be arduous if the material/characters aren't easy enough to spend a long time in the company of. A film, for me, would have been much better, and this typically noiresque storytelling isn't the kind of story that needs 10 hours to tell. Instead we get lots of irrelevent world building (as I've said) and the endless introduction of subtle features and detours to pad out the time. Yeah, amazing, hyper real, detailed environs and visual flares are great but it can also just feel like being sprayed down with LSD from a firehose when too much is fed to you. Lastly, what makes some films so timeless and beautiful is that we get a glimpse of a world long enough to understand the characters on screen. We can fill in the rest by inference through their emotions and a few striking visuals to feed from and create the rest in our heads. That's enough. This just falls flat despite all it's energy. I didn't understand all the subplots, whole sentences went over my head and many decisions by the characters seemed implausible or convenient. Anyway, the actors are very good, and the visuals are expertly rendered. If that's enough for you then fill your boots.… Expand
  70. jcprovince
    Feb 5, 2018
    3
    I really was looking forward to a good show here, but was quite disappointed. Creaky dialogue, badly miscast female detective (who I really had a hard time understanding most of the time) = me cringing most of the time. I'm sorry, I'd rather watch Blade Runner 2049 again.
  71. psychomuse
    Feb 18, 2018
    2
    Such a poorly-acted, terribly-scripted derivative of Blade Runner. Trying way too hard to be a clever, sci-fi crime drama, it fails on every level except special effects. There are a few great moments but the spaces in-between are so meandering and complicated; the payoff is just not worth the time it takes to get there. Did I mention that the script and acting are bad?
  72. Hooflugpoo
    Feb 10, 2018
    2
    Do the people who own the rights to the all time greatest science fiction film "Blade Runner" realize that this cheap ass flick is evidence of copyright infringement? The entire set looks as if it's been copied. There's numerous events in the film that mirror those that occurred in Blade Runner story. Numerous editing bloopers - did anyone catch the part where Kovacs hands were misplacedDo the people who own the rights to the all time greatest science fiction film "Blade Runner" realize that this cheap ass flick is evidence of copyright infringement? The entire set looks as if it's been copied. There's numerous events in the film that mirror those that occurred in Blade Runner story. Numerous editing bloopers - did anyone catch the part where Kovacs hands were misplaced just before the bloody shootout scene began in the Raven hotel lobby? The writing is also horrible, Ortega doesn't want to be bothered with "the paperwork"? Everything is digital, so what "paperwork" is she referring to? I doubt a character 250 years from now would even know what that is. Also, why would an attorney have to carry around a brief case 250 years from now? The whole thing stinks and is poorly made in my humble opinion. Thumbs DOWN!… Expand
  73. katezoe
    Mar 10, 2018
    1
    Bad acting, terrible direction, dumb & dumber actions sequences. Major disappointment.
  74. HarryNuggets
    Feb 6, 2018
    1
    Awful, horrible screenplay, horrible directing, horrible dialogue and poor casting. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this hot mess. It looks like I directed it. Why? Cause I have no idea how to direct.
  75. OlivierPiel
    Mar 19, 2018
    1
    Only fit for teenage boys. Intellectual masturbation at its worst. Boring boring boring. Gave up 30 min in
  76. james-cordoban
    Feb 7, 2018
    1
    The pictures are nice and (not having read the book) many aspects of the story would have given great opportunity to ask interesting questions but are only touched slightly. Unfortunately the series focuses on fighting scenes, torture scenes and naked or scantily dressed women. Overall the image of women in the series is devastating. There is not really a strong female character (if thenThe pictures are nice and (not having read the book) many aspects of the story would have given great opportunity to ask interesting questions but are only touched slightly. Unfortunately the series focuses on fighting scenes, torture scenes and naked or scantily dressed women. Overall the image of women in the series is devastating. There is not really a strong female character (if then only for a short amount of time, before their strength gets negated again) but women are beeing humiliated (very often half or completely naked) seems to be a main topic of the series. So I was kinda suprised finding out that the series was not created by a male... but as jews can be antisemites, women can be sexistic and antiemancipatoric.… Expand
  77. zado
    Feb 4, 2018
    1
    Altered Carbon was such a disappointment after all the hype. Tried watching longer than I should have hoping it would merit hanging in there. It didn't and I didn't. Just awful.
  78. agagil
    Feb 6, 2018
    0
    Spartacus in the future. That's the level of this terrible adaptation of some great sci-fi. Pity, I was really looking forward to this :-(
  79. JoyBell
    Feb 2, 2018
    0
    Absolutely Terrible. There's no chance this is the future. I mean unless the smart people left the lazy people to do their own future, and the smart are on another galaxy or something, and that's the future of the lazy and of the dump, that would be the only explanation of this bad written series.
  80. MahbubAli92
    Nov 27, 2018
    0
    Altered Carbon is a terrible show, an awful, fifth-rate, cheapo Westworld/Blade Runner knockoff that staggers like an obese drunk under the weight of its cliches, wooden performances, and hacky script, until it finally collapses into a gutter of oblivious pointlessness.

    More specifically: - There is nothing remotely fresh or creative about it. From the plot to the character    Altered Carbon is a terrible show, an awful, fifth-rate, cheapo Westworld/Blade Runner knockoff that staggers like an obese drunk under the weight of its cliches, wooden performances, and hacky script, until it finally collapses into a gutter of oblivious pointlessness.

    More specifically:

    - There is nothing remotely fresh or creative about it. From the plot to the character archetypes to the twists, it constantly rips off both old-school noirs like The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon, and cyberpunk sci-fi like Blade Runner and The Matrix. It does this in a very heavy-handed and amateurish way.

    - The characters are all thin and unengaging. The good guys are all superficially cynical but with idealistic hearts of gold beneath. Their relationships to one another are forced and implausible. The villains are all simplistically irredeemable **** You'll forget everyone's name within 24 hours of finishing the last episode.

    - The premise of "stacks" and "sleeves" never rises beyond the level of a gimmick. It doesn't lead to any truly interesting examinations of human nature, aside from the very obvious and cliched conclusion that such a technology is hubristic and inhuman and ought to be destroyed.

    - The show seems to think it's very funny when someone gets put in the wrong "sleeve" and e.g. a hulking tattooed biker guy needs to pretend to be a Mexican grandma, but it's nothing we haven't seen a million times before and isn't handled with any particular wit here.

    - It thinks it's "deep" but it actually has a childishly black-and-white moral universe, where the bad guys like to rape and murder women for kicks and the good guys want to stop them. The villains are so cartoonishly evil and one-dimensional the show might as well be scrawled in crayon.

    - It's larded with grating political correctness (this is becoming a huge problem with most Netflix content). By the time you meet the 5th or 6th female minority character who just so happens to be both an ass-kicking kung fu master (despite weighing 120 lbs) AND a STEM genius l33t hacker, even the most diehard SJW will be rolling their eyes. The tokenism is off the charts.

    - Meanwhile other than the protagonist every white man is either a gangbanger (LOL realism!) or a comically sociopathic and megalomaniacal villain.

    - Since Netflix desperately wants to be a "prestige" studio like HBO, it's tarted up with lots of gratuitous and pointless nudity, Tarantino-esque gore, and crappy quick-cut kung fu fight scenes.

    - Even so, it looks cheap, like most Netflix content. Aside from a few pricey-but-brief CGI establishing shots, the sets and props look like cosplay gear, and there are no truly impressive action setpieces (mostly just kung fu fights in living rooms and corridors).

    - Relatedly, the camera almost never follows the characters through a scene because the sets are small and isolated. Spectacular events like the death of all the Uprising fighters always happen off-camera. Details like these add up and make the show's world feel fake and non-immersive.

    - The action scenes are terrible, both over-choreographed and poorly executed. They use lots of fast cuts to make it look like the scrawny women characters can fight, but it just looks like a joke. It's also absurd and cheesy that in this high tech future so many people fight with samurai swords (LOL wut?) and knives.

    - Remember that cool iconic gun the hero got that can shoot flechettes and magnetically pull them back? He uses it exactly once, then we never see it again (special effects cost money after all!)

    Avoid this show, it is dull and stupid and not worth your precious time.    … Expand
  81. Aryaman
    Feb 2, 2018
    0
    Thank you very much Netflix!!! But i think I'll give this one a HARD pass!!!1
  82. Ramn
    Feb 4, 2018
    0
    The series is not bad, but sadly the series have completely missed the point of the books, and the many and extensive alterations to the plots, characters and the complete alteration of Kovatch him selfe, is confusing to a fan of the books, to say the least. The alterations to the story and making Kovatch "the last onvoy" completely breaks the possibilities of making an other seasons dueThe series is not bad, but sadly the series have completely missed the point of the books, and the many and extensive alterations to the plots, characters and the complete alteration of Kovatch him selfe, is confusing to a fan of the books, to say the least. The alterations to the story and making Kovatch "the last onvoy" completely breaks the possibilities of making an other seasons due to the story of the later books. The violence is toned down to a children's book standard comparing to the novels and the smoothing over of Kovatch complete destain hate and disgust with religion leaves the series without the original message, making the tv series a life less sci fi action like any other, disappointing to say the least.… Expand
  83. mmxxtj
    Feb 17, 2018
    0
    Altered Carbon - Where to begin... Story begins with promise as the general premise is interesting but is almost instantly drug down by flat characters. More over as the story develops it turns out the “mystery” is exactly what all the flat characters assumed it was in episode 1. Really disappointed - it’s hard to follow a show whose characters you care so little about the entire wayAltered Carbon - Where to begin... Story begins with promise as the general premise is interesting but is almost instantly drug down by flat characters. More over as the story develops it turns out the “mystery” is exactly what all the flat characters assumed it was in episode 1. Really disappointed - it’s hard to follow a show whose characters you care so little about the entire way through (characters who make illogical decisions at ever possible turn to the point of you almost wish they’d go ahead and be killed off... but they can’t because that’s the premise... so who really cares about any of this storyline?).… Expand
  84. Metalomaniac16
    Feb 21, 2018
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Could not pass the pilot. The ending just got me on my nerves.

    "I don't want to work for the millionare guy. But wait, the female character is telling me i have to accept the job just because. For the sake of mistery. Ok, so it's decided, i'll take the job"

    That was it. Bye bye Altered Carbon.    … Expand
  85. Huey_Kratos
    Nov 5, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Ending Sucks, i mean who chooses a new piece of ass over their own sister. Who had been looking for you so long.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
30
#30 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. The Detroit News
    Reviewed by: Adam Graham
    Mar 1, 2018
    50
    Big issues of body, mind, identity and technology shuffle around the Altered Carbon universe, but the show often drags its feet in order to fill its individual episodes’ running times.
    Read full review
  2. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Feb 5, 2018
    80
    For a series that makes a lot of basic storytelling stumbles and often seems to feature characters who can only speak in exposition, Altered Carbon’s first season is surprisingly gripping, especially in its superior back half. This is probably the best first season of a Netflix drama since The Crown’s first year dropped in late 2016.
    Read full review
  3. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Feb 5, 2018
    50
    Altered Carbon is so busy trying to wow viewers by constantly one-upping the imagery and the intensity that it barely pauses to consider its story. The writing is also distinctly clunky: a hodgepodge of vacant platitudes and canned spirituality.
    Read full review
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