The Last Kingdom’s 2023 Movie Repeated A Major Problem Almost Every Fantasy Franchise Has

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die repeated a logistical issue that is consistent in various fantasy or historical fiction media. The 2023 film is a sequel to the beloved Netflix historical drama The Last Kingdom, which was praised for its faithfulness to detail for five seasons despite diverging from factual chronology. Any historical fiction is going to take its creative liberties, but an essential element that made The Last Kingdom such a gem for TV fans and history buffs alike was the focus on properly capturing the period details.

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die received mixed reviews compared to the consistent excellence of the TV series. Considered one of the best historical TV shows, Seven Kings Must Die felt like a downgrade compared to the highly acclaimed television finale. Some stories are best suited for one medium, and switching from television to film can disrupt pacing, causing many TV sequel films to suffer. In the case of Seven Kings Must Die, the film repeated a mistake that has frequently occurred when sprawling epics are limited to a shortened medium to tell their stories.

Seven Kings Must Die Makes Travel Unrealistic

One of the common criticisms of Seven Kings Must Die is that it feels “rushed.” While that’s referring primarily to an entire television season’s narrative being squished into a two-hour film, the logistical aspect of travel is also rushed. The TV series was precise about travel time, with journeys across various European countries often taking entire seasons, fitting for the medium and for historical accuracy. Television shows usually don’t have the budget to rush from major events to major events, so supplementing the series with travel can develop authentic character-building.

In the film, journeys that would once last several episodes were happening in minutes. Uhtred spends most of Seven Kings Must Die traversing England, appearing in Eoferwic, Aegelesburg, and Wintanceaster without much travel time between. While this condensing is required for a film’s pacing, it’s off-putting when considered a companion piece to a TV series that delicately utilized its traveling logistics. The Last Kingdom saw many critical historical events unfold, but the time spent between them is what makes it such a well-crafted series.

The Last Kingdom’s Travel Rules Repeat A Game Of Thrones Mistake

Game of Thrones is the other obvious culprit in how condensing story leads to wonky traveling mechanics. In the early seasons, characters spent entire seasons traveling across Westeros, and wars were waged one minor skirmish at a time. By season 7, characters appear wherever it’s convenient for them, traveling from one side of the country to another within episodes. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die handles travel a bit better than Game of Thrones, but it’s still a noticeable shift in pace.