Marco Polo (2014)

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Dec 12, 2014
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 499 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 411 out of 499
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 499
  3. Negative: 57 out of 499
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User Reviews

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  1. everythingafter
    Jan 31, 2015
    4
    By Episode Three, I found myself far more interested in following Benedict Wong as Kublai than Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco Polo, which probably isn't a good sign if the latter is supposed to be the central figure of the show. Richelmy's performance as Marco was flat, forgettable and uninspired. Even Chin Han was more compelling. By the time Marco started developing the obligatory loveBy Episode Three, I found myself far more interested in following Benedict Wong as Kublai than Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco Polo, which probably isn't a good sign if the latter is supposed to be the central figure of the show. Richelmy's performance as Marco was flat, forgettable and uninspired. Even Chin Han was more compelling. By the time Marco started developing the obligatory love interest that must carry otherwise mediocre scripts along, the boredom outweighed any interest in seeing more breathtaking views and fighting. Four out of 10 simply for Wong's work, the fight scenes and choreography.… Expand
  2. YorkMan
    Jul 13, 2016
    4
    Whenever you watch anything 'fantastical' on television, or in the cinema, you have to switch off the more rational part of your brain and just go with the notion that what you're witnessing falls into the scope of the show/film as it's set up and progresses.
    But therein lies the problem with Marco Polo, it's a television show about a recognised historical figure, one of actual    Whenever you watch anything 'fantastical' on television, or in the cinema, you have to switch off the more rational part of your brain and just go with the notion that what you're witnessing falls into the scope of the show/film as it's set up and progresses.
    But therein lies the problem with Marco Polo, it's a television show about a recognised historical figure, one of actual importance, but it is written and produced using only the slightest amount of known historical fact.
    What that means is we witness completely fictitious characters and events that have no basis in what actually did happen when this Portuguese trader ended up in Mongolia in the 13th Century, it's just turned into blatant 'popcorn' escapism, and it's frustrating.

    So, is there anything good about the programme?
    Well, the direction is good, the cinematography is nice, the set design is well done, as is the costume design. From a visual perspective, you are wowed by the effort put into the production.
    But that's really about it....

    What is bad then?
    I understand that the show is funded by Americans, for Americans... And we know the 'average' American is generally too stupid to understand the world extends beyond their own 50 States.... But having everyone speaking English destroys any sense of atmosphere. I don't understand why the people making the show would go to such great lengths to make things 'look' so good if, whenever someone starts speaking, they speak a language that they clearly shouldn't be.
    Add to that some dubious casting choices (why do 90% of the Mongolians look Chinese/Japanese?), some terrible action choreography (every action scene, on pretty much every scale, is shot in near darkness), and huge lulls in pacing.... And you get a show which is watchable, but only if you switch off your brain completely.

    Oh, and as pointed out earlier.... Don't go into this show thinking it's something you can use to really find things out about its particular era and 'real life' characters..... It's 99% fiction.    … Expand
  3. Mazmorrero47
    Dec 15, 2014
    5
    Netflix's 90 million dollar collaboration with The Weinstein Company is a mixed bag. Its technical aspects are beautifully crafted. The cinematography in particular has some creative uses of high contrast illumination. The armors, weapons, sets, etc. have a lot of attention to detail.
    Unfortunately, Marco Polo lacks compelling characters and story that encourage binge-watching (the    Netflix's 90 million dollar collaboration with The Weinstein Company is a mixed bag. Its technical aspects are beautifully crafted. The cinematography in particular has some creative uses of high contrast illumination. The armors, weapons, sets, etc. have a lot of attention to detail.
    Unfortunately, Marco Polo lacks compelling characters and story that encourage binge-watching (the sluggish pacing and stilted dialog don't help much to the cause either). For starters, its title is misleading, since Marco Polo is NOT the protagonist. In fact, the scenes where he appears are the most boring. The actor who plays him doesn't have any charisma or range, so it's hard to understand why the Khan is so mesmerized with his descriptions and several women feel sexually attracted to him. In all fairness though, the rest of the characters aren't any better because they all have one single trait: Hundred Eyes-disciplined, Jingim-jealous, Sidao-evil, etc. which makes them more caricatures than fleshed-out human beings. Their motivations are simplistic at best and nonsensical at worst.
    And of course, what would a period show be without the gratuitous nudity? Marco Polo gives Game of Thrones a run for its money in that regard. Even the female characters that are supposed to be "strong" and "independent" end up being objectified. Netflix is trying too hard.
    Marco Polo came out with great timing, since it fills the hole left by the TV holiday hiatus. In any other time of the year, there are much better options to check.    … Expand
  4. thehawk
    Dec 14, 2014
    5
    I should have known what to expect when I noticed that Marco on the promo poster looked too much like Tyrion Lannister. So when the regulation sex scenes duly appeared I thought this will be Game Of Chinese Thrones. No such luck.

    As one critic wrote the first episode was poor, imo due to some very bland dialogue and acting. Sound was poor and there were a few meaningless scenes.    I should have known what to expect when I noticed that Marco on the promo poster looked too much like Tyrion Lannister. So when the regulation sex scenes duly appeared I thought this will be Game Of Chinese Thrones. No such luck.

    As one critic wrote the first episode was poor, imo due to some very bland dialogue and acting. Sound was poor and there were a few meaningless scenes. Episode 2 improved a bit. Modern accents and some modern idioms crept in every so often which was jarring.
    The historical representation was bad. Cities hundreds of miles apart were just down the road. The Golden Horde lived in a few tents. Their horses, in reality able to run for a day without stopping, could not cross a small desert without grain. Water off a duck's back for Mongol horsemen. And would they have cared if half died in the journey? - not a chance.

    As with a lot of these films and series, a good chance lost to use historical re-enactors to increase immersion.

    OK, enough complaining about poor production quality. The real problem is lack of an exciting plot. There is no character build-up. All the characters are shallow, even Marco. And even the gimmicks were weak - with one exception - Tom Wu who was VG as Hundred Eyes.    … Expand
  5. Aillas
    Dec 20, 2014
    4
    Looks very pretty but getting through it was a slog. Didn't care about any of the characters. The plot was plodding at best. A big disappointment, I've come to expect so much better of Netflix.
  6. robreefer
    Dec 13, 2014
    5
    A fairly mediocre show.

    The acting isn't that great but production value is obviously through the roof. The thick accents are very annoying. You may need to turn on the subtitles or really blast the audio. Also, I hate to sound racist but it is VERY hard to tell the characters apart as most of them are Asian and look alike. The story line is a bit hard to follow. It sort of just    A fairly mediocre show.

    The acting isn't that great but production value is obviously through the roof. The thick accents are very annoying. You may need to turn on the subtitles or really blast the audio. Also, I hate to sound racist but it is VERY hard to tell the characters apart as most of them are Asian and look alike.

    The story line is a bit hard to follow. It sort of just bounces around and in no discernible direction. Some of the nude scenes are a little lowbrow and seem a bit forced merely for shock value or added male interest.

    Overall I would suggest it to others considering there is literally NOTHING else to watch at the moment while all the good television is on hiatus.    … Expand
  7. snackbob
    Dec 20, 2014
    4
    Starting with the positive, the landscapes and costumes are fantastic, however i feel this has been desecrated with (from the majority) bad acting, and lack of action. There for the most part are monotonous politics scenes, perfect for anyone wishing to commit suicide through boredom. In series such as GOT, this is only good because the high acting quality. I must say on another note theStarting with the positive, the landscapes and costumes are fantastic, however i feel this has been desecrated with (from the majority) bad acting, and lack of action. There for the most part are monotonous politics scenes, perfect for anyone wishing to commit suicide through boredom. In series such as GOT, this is only good because the high acting quality. I must say on another note the acting from "creepy praying mantas loving uncle" is fantastic in both action and political scenes. He i feel made it, not marco polo, not the khan, and especially not the khans son. There is also a well choreographed fight scene at the end, (blind man also a good actor). There is just a lack of sincerity with most scenes; a false quality which can be felt with bad acting. Conclusion, better actors, more action.This series could have taken a page from the 'house of flying daggers': a fantastic Asian inspired film.… Expand
  8. DWGriffith
    Dec 27, 2014
    5
    Cinematography: Gorgeous. Acting: Meh for the Anglos, Not bad for the orientals. Chin Han and Benedict Wong are great, Joan Chen is very very good. Visually stunning in parts, the dialog sounds as if it were written by someone who's only exposure to Chinese is dubbed English from 1970s Kung-Fu movies. It's really horrible. Turn on subtitles to really SEE how bad it is. The series bogsCinematography: Gorgeous. Acting: Meh for the Anglos, Not bad for the orientals. Chin Han and Benedict Wong are great, Joan Chen is very very good. Visually stunning in parts, the dialog sounds as if it were written by someone who's only exposure to Chinese is dubbed English from 1970s Kung-Fu movies. It's really horrible. Turn on subtitles to really SEE how bad it is. The series bogs down when Polo is on screen, but the other characters carry it as best they can. Too many incorrect geographic and cultural references, I can not believe the show creator spent years researching Mongolian history. From what, a Catholic Church guide to the Devils Army?… Expand
  9. ponderflix
    Jan 29, 2015
    5
    I report to you two episodes in to this Weinstein Company, Netflix Original. I had been pulled in by my slightly morbid fascination with the Mongol Empire and the chance to see Benedict Wong, the ultra-gentle ping-pong wizard ‘Errol’ in Sean Lock’s brilliant Fifteen Stories High, as megalomaniac warlord Kublai Kahn, grandson of Genghis. How on earth could Errol be Kublai? How could thoseI report to you two episodes in to this Weinstein Company, Netflix Original. I had been pulled in by my slightly morbid fascination with the Mongol Empire and the chance to see Benedict Wong, the ultra-gentle ping-pong wizard ‘Errol’ in Sean Lock’s brilliant Fifteen Stories High, as megalomaniac warlord Kublai Kahn, grandson of Genghis. How on earth could Errol be Kublai? How could those two things be possible?

    It begins with the Polo entourage adventuring through a village in the aftermath of an invasion. Everyone is either charred or impaled and there’s a general air of misery and terror...As the Polos inspect the ruins they are ambushed, taken prisoner and delivered to the court of The Great Khan. Here we see Benedict Wong as Kublai for the first time. In vast contrast to his grandfather Genghis, Kublai was born into wealth and power and, just like all people who are born into privilege, he dresses like a magnificent buffoon (see Gaddafi’s sons or Gogglebox’s Dom Parker). The Polos are stood before him, waiting for him to speak. But Benedict Wong does not speak. Instead, when he finally opens his mouth, we realise he has been dubbed by Al Pacino, asked to give an Eastern twang to his Tony Montana. It sounds as brilliant as it is ridiculous and with that accent, a few minutes in, the viewer learns: this show is gonna be stupid. No lessons shall be learned, there shall be no great satire here. But it might be fun.

    And so the vapid Marco joins Kublai and onward we go into this confused mesh of show as it intertwines the cinematic traditions of the East and West into a bastardisation of culture and history that would make George R. Martin say, ‘Woah there’. Along with Tony Montana as Kublai and the lazy intercultural love story...It feels like it’s all been done before, just in a different accent. The production values are as strong as you would expect from the Weinsteins, Wong is highly enjoyable as Kublai and there’s a pace to the narrative that gives you little time to be concerned with how naff the content is, but it’s a big disappointment.

    Full review at ponderflix on wordpress.    … Expand
  10. Kryndude
    Mar 20, 2015
    5
    Anyone who expected a historic drama know this; Marco Polo is a fantasy show taking place in an imaginary world based on the stereotypical (and mostly inaccruate) view of Asia. BS everywhere. Those who have the slightest clue of Asian culture and history would find this seires unbearably clumsy. Aside from that, the show itself is okay.
  11. Bo33y
    Jan 2, 2015
    4
    King Henry the eighth I am I am.......

    Problem is the model is entirely wrong, Western, inaccurate to certain extent. After hearing of this New Series, I was too happy to be revisiting childhood memories of that amazing previous TV series Marco Polo. Upon suffering this opening prologue to then be transported back to Venice, I turned off. Although I was told it gets better. Not at all.    King Henry the eighth I am I am.......

    Problem is the model is entirely wrong, Western, inaccurate to certain extent. After hearing of this New Series, I was too happy to be revisiting childhood memories of that amazing previous TV series Marco Polo. Upon suffering this opening prologue to then be transported back to Venice, I turned off. Although I was told it gets better. Not at all. Surely, there are many plots within plots. To be taken with a pinch of salt when flinching mostly at what has been displayed

    Castings, and structure, have been made for mass appeal. Rather then totally fitting into the realms of historic, or indeed accurately correct. This series seemingly gleaning from the GOT genre the ogling of excessive mass nudity, happening almost every 5 minutes. Rather then the finer art of sets and location.

    Disappointed with this attempted. Surely it has a market for rewriting history into some kind of new world order, or whatever wants to be achieved from this. I have absolutely no idea at all?    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
32
#32 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
48

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 21
  3. Negative: 7 out of 21
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Margaret Lyons
    Dec 15, 2014
    30
    The show is vacant and uninspiring, so much so that I'd rather fill my imaginary home with ball utensils than watch Marco Polo.
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  2. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    Dec 15, 2014
    70
    A fun, body-flinging, old-fashioned epic.... As Kublai Khan, British actor Benedict Wong gives an impressive performance, one of the best of the year: You absolutely believe his ruthlessness, his power and his calculating thoughtfulness. As Marco Polo, on the other hand, Italian actor Lorenzo Richelmy, who looks like a more lyrical Emile Hirsch, mostly has to be put up with.
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  3. The Wrap
    Reviewed by: Mekeisha Madden Toby
    Dec 15, 2014
    70
    Ultimately, once viewers overcome the sluggish pace there’s something for everyone with Marco Polo. History lovers will enjoy Googling along with the series as historical names and battles are introduced while martial arts fans will appreciate the intricately choreographed fight scenes. Although the series isn’t as riveting as “Game of Thrones,” strong performances and impeccable visuals make it worthy of a watch on a slow and rainy afternoon.
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