The “Game of Thrones” showrunners return to the small screen with their polarizing adaptation. Meet Netflix’s latest binge contender, “3 Body Problem,” a sci-fi opus based on Liu Cixin’s “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” book series.

Does it live up to the hype? It’s a two-front war: an adaptation of something so beloved and the next big thing from TV titans David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. In short, it’s hardly terrible but not quite the high-concept game changer it pretends to be.

“3 Body” begins in 1960s China during the Cultural Revolution. Ye Wenjie (Zine Tseng) must watch a mob beat her father to death for teaching scientific concepts that conflict with the movement’s purge of ideas beyond the country’s borders.

Then the story cuts to two mysteries in present day. First, scientists around the world keep dying or ending their work prematurely. They all see a countdown and visit from someone warning them of what will happen if they don’t comply. Da Shi (Benedict Wong), an agent leading the investigation, can’t determine why. Nanotech developer Auggie (Eiza González) is the latest potential victim.

Separately, Auggie’s friends, all together called the Oxford 5, undergo their own dilemmas that eventually converge. Saul’s (Jovan Adepo) colleague commits suicide at a research site. In response, Jin (Jess Hong) visits the deceased’s mother only to discover a VR game that might be related to the death. She then recruits Jack (John Bradley), the rich college friend, to play along.

Everything about this game is an enigma. The experience is well beyond current advancements, and the game’s goal is unclear as well. Meanwhile, the final friend Will (Alex Sharp) receives bad medical news.

Dear reader, are you seated? The Bridgerton Season 3 trailer has ARRIVED. Let Polin season commence!

Part 1 premieres May 16 🐝 pic.twitter.com/MgC4UxtMTV

— Netflix (@netflix) April 11, 2024

All will be revealed in record time. By episodes four and five, most of the above issues resolved themselves before the series moved on to new challenges. To a degree, that feels like a “Lost” tactic – keep the story going by answering questions quickly, then introduce new questions – but the story meanders a bit for the final three episodes.

It all feels like a massive setup for something more outrageous to come. And this is the kind of story that can go big. But it needs to take a lot more risks. As of now, characters with the most promise are underused or dispatched. That might be in service of the source material, but permitting drab characters to run the show is, well, kinda drab.

That’s a central problem: Any one of these characters, namely the Oxford 5, could die without concern. The showrunners – which includes Benioff, Weiss and third one, Alexander Woo (“The Terror,” “Manhattan”) – certainly try to elicit an emotional reaction, even giving the most boring character cancer. Still, any character moments could easily be skipped. And hey, you can. Thanks, 10-second skip feature.

Those “GoT” showrunners have a lot riding on this series, following the HBO series’ reviled conclusion and the profitability of the $200 million deal they signed with Netflix in 2019. This one proves they can still tell a good story, though it lacks the gusto, the pomp of “GoT.”

For all its flaws, “3 Body Problem” is a fun ride that will hopefully return soon (without a quick turnaround, viewers will easily move on and forget this universe). But a complete recast, minus Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham, as the leader of a planetary defense organization – the only characters keeping the show from going off course – wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.

‘Weird’ parodies the music biopic as it should

A young Al Yankovic (briefly played by David Bloom) answers the door to a traveling accordion salesman entranced by the box-shaped device that would one day become his signature sound. But dear dad (Toby Huss) wants none of it, beating that salesmen to a pulp. We’re talkin’ body slam, chair smash, rapid-fire face jabs.

That makes sense. Al’s parents already told him he should change everything about himself, drop his unrealistic dream to write words to other artists’ songs, a sentiment that sticks around. Then comes a polka party, what all the cool kids do when their parents are out of town. 

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is a special kinda music biopic. It bares in common with over-the-top comedies like “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” or “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” and that’s how it should be. 

“Weird” isn’t a based on a true story. The most prominent comedy musician need not bother with a pseudo-honest account of his life’s work. Only something outlandish will do. After all, what’s more fitting than a parody music biopic about the most popular parody musician?
But who dares don the stache and curly fro? Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is the many for the job, and he hits every note perfectly. Does he embody the real Weird Al, nope. He doesn’t need to for this unhinged fantasy. 

Why don’t you take a picture, it’ll last longer! #WEIRDTheAlYankovicStory pic.twitter.com/6QmQqUf0Dp

— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) November 15, 2022

For anyone looking for the unbridled, factual story of the accordion player behind “Eat It” and “Amish Paradise,” Wikipedia has more answers. Did you ever wanna learn how he navigated studio politics and copyright law? Google is free. How about the childhood origin of a polka-lovin’ nerd going platinum. Bing it.

In lieu of the truth, experience a modern-day “Naked Gun.” Sure, “My Shurona” spoof “My Bologna” might’ve been Weird Al’s first mainstream hit (a rare moment with some t ruth), but he certainly didn’t have a dramatic moment of inspiration — played for solid laughs — whilst making sandwiches for his roommates. 

In “Weird,” that’s where his career takes off with only a few hiccups. He lulls a tough dive-bar crowd, impresses a private party of the greats, from Pee-Wee to Warhol (half the fun is discovering the cameo behind each getup), and winds up in a torrid love affair with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood) — reportedly, the pair have only met once for 45 seconds.

This all might seem like spoilers, but a complete synopsis wouldn’t ruin anything. It’s all about tone and a complete commitment to featuring a story so bombastic, so absorb.

“Weird” works on every level. A dramatic score deceptively sets the tone while Diedrich Bader, a deep voice normally reserved for an animated Batman, narrates as Al at key moments. A sea of prominent comedians glitter the background — everyone clearly wants in.

All hail Alfred Matthew Yankovic, but the creative genius here is writer-director Eric Appel making his inaugural migration from the TV series to features. While he creates a piece of pure fiction, he does employ real folks with some level of involvement. 

Rainn Wilson’s Dr. Demento, a mentor to Weird Al, is actually real, despite how ludicrous his characterization. And, of course, there’s Madonna, whose “Like a Prayer” received a parody cover. Wood’s depiction of the pop icon, like Radcliffe’s, need not concern itself with authenticity. 

That’s part of the film’s brilliance: Anything can happen. “Weird” so effectively deflects any criticism with the power of its madness. The charm will likely speak to viewers more familiar with Weird Al’s body of work, but the commentary on stardom is quite universal.

Frankly, most music biopics bend the truth always. Who knows what’s true, what’s added for dramatic effect, what’s omitted at an artist’s request? “Weird” might be the most honest of its kin, especially since Yankovic serves as a producer and supporting character Tony Scotti, whose Scotti Bros. Record helped launch Weird Al.

The actual life of Weird Al is quite fascinating, and that makes “Weird” so delightful. His story is already out there, so why not tell a silly one instead that matches his zany career that spans more than three decades.

Photo credit: Roku