It was a very faithful adaptation. Virtually everything was as I’d imagined it in the books, only more beautiful and inventively designed. It felt like an authentic and well considered world.
The cast was perfectly chosen too. Oscar Isaac has never stood out for me before (heresy, probably), but I thought he was really good. Timothy Chalamet too. Just the right balance of youthfulness but with purpose and strength. His breakdown in the tent with Jessica could’ve come off as whiny, but it was well done.
However... good god it feels long. And not particularly well explained in parts (the audio was quite bad in my cinema too, so whenever anyone whispered, which was a lot, crucial lines were missed). I’m actually surprised it’s getting such good reviews from people who haven’t read the books as I really think I’d struggle. I reckon it would have been better as a miniseries so it could be digested in smaller parts.