Matt Link

Hello everyone,

To give a quick status update. I'm currently knee deep in the next video, and I hope it will be out in the next week and half. However, that's not the focus of this post. What is the focus is the confirmation of who'll be playing Link and Zelda in the live action Zelda movie. Over the course of this post, I'll give my first impressions and what I'd like to see in the movie.

First Impressions:

Up until today, I've never once addressed the Zelda movie on this channel. The reason why was very simple.

At the time we had little to no knowledge about the movie besides the director and who would be working on it. In private, I've always believed a live action Zelda movie CAN work if at the end of the day, the casting is done correctly and the correct people work on it. On the topic of casting, I've also privately believed that the roles of Link and Zelda should go to two young unknown actors (and from what it looks like my dream has come true).

Zelda:

To start with Zelda. I think the actress they choose looks great, and genuinely looks the part. She very much resembles BOTW Zelda, and I think that version will influence movie Zelda the most. Thinking about it I understand why they chose that version as she's the most recent (and popular) Zelda since I'd argue since Twilight Princess. I will preface by saying that we have no idea where movie Zelda will go as her character arc could go any direction.

Link:

I can speak for myself, but when a Zelda movie was announced, I was very curious ( and a little nervous) on how the movie will interpret Link. Link is my favorite video game character of all time, and this was something I was very keen on. Link is a character you either get right or you get wrong.

Now that we know who'll be playing Link what are my first impressions? To start from what they've shown, I'll come out and say it, I don't like how Link doesn't wear his iconic green hat let alone his truly epic sideburns.

When the movie was initially announced, Wes Ball the director said his goal was make the movie "grounded" and "real" yet maintain the whimsicalness of the series. Whenever I hear the words "grounded" and "real" attached to an adaptation, I get nervous.

I don't know if somebody at Sony or he himself made that decision with Link's design, but that previous statement is a complete oxymoron. Hollywood has this weird obsession where when they adapt franchises, they remove a lot of the iconography that makes its characters iconic in the first place in an attempt to make it realistic. I don't need an explanation as to where Link puts his items, Zelda isn't one of those series. To use another example in the released screenshot, Link's tunic is colored light brown instead of its iconic green.

However, there may be a positive side to this. If I had to guess the plot, Link will potentially receive the green tunic (hat and all) by the third act or in the ending. As for Links characterization, I'm perfectly content with Link speaking. He speaks in the mangas and at the end of the day it's a movie, and as long as the writing is competent, talking Link is something we should all make peace with. Link's arc should be about a young boy learning to find the courage to save the world.

To summarize, I like the casting of Zelda, whereas I definitively need to see more of Link. However, at the end of the day, I'm still looking forward to seeing them on the big screen.

Things I'd like to see:

The Master Sword:

Obviously, this is the one myself and pretty much every Zelda fan is most looking forward to. The Master Sword should clearly be very important in the story, and it's power to destroy evil should be clearly demonstrated.

The Triforce:

Destiny should be one of the movies main themes, and the Triforce should be the embodiment of that. It's unknown whether Link and Zelda will have their respective pieces or not. We'll just have to wait until then.

Locations:

To use the Mario movie as a reference. The Mario movie was an hour and half long giving us a good reference to the movies length. Ideally, a Zelda movie should be at max 2 hours long so with a run time like that, you can only show so many of Hyrule's locations. My wish list would be:

- Hyrule Castle ( I think that's where the screenshot is set )
- The Temple of Time
- Kakariko Village
- Lon Lon Ranch ( unsure )
- Death Mountain
- Zora's Domain

I think they should wait until the sequel to show Gerudo Desert and Mt. Hebra. We'll definitely meet the Gorons, Zora, Deku, and Gerudo. However, the Rito is a big question mark as they're new and have only appeared in three mainline games.

Dungeons and items

As long as the locations visited have the "feeling" of dungeons, they don't need to be one to one. Link's arsenal of items should make an appearance. My top five would be:

1) The Boomerang
2) Bombs
3) Bow & Arrow
4) Hookshot
5) Power Bracelet

However, I would be totally down if the movie created its own original items.

Music:

In Zelda, music is power. Musical instruments have played an integral role in the series since the first game. The movie may potentially feature a musical instrument like a recorder, ocarina, or even harp. To me it wouldn't be Zelda without a musical instrument and songs to go with it.

Ganon/Ganondorf:

The reveal had no mention of who would be playing Ganondorf. That said, my theory goes that the villain will be possibly similar to calamity Ganon. That way they can save Ganondorf for the sequel.

The Pointy Ears Question:

In the screenshot they released, Link and Zelda appear to not have the standard pointy ears of Hylians. I hope this is for plot reasons otherwise this circles back to my previous point about Hollywood adaptations.

The Hero's Shade:

Given that the movie will feature a young Link. A character I would love to see play an integral role is a Hero's Shade like character. The Hero's Shades role will be that of a mentor and guide to Link teaching Link powerful skills and the importance of courage in order to become the hero of Hyrule. Being similar to characters like Obi Wan, Gandalf, or even Roku from TLAB meant to represent the spirit of the hero.

His backstory could even be tied to Ganondorf where the two were enemies in the ancient past. Tieing into another important theme the movie should hit on: about the importance of legends and the stories passed down through the ages. Their arc culminating in the Hero's Shade bestowing Link the heroes tunic.

If any of you have read the Oracle of Ages manga, the character of Sir Raven is also another angle the movie can hit on if it decides to incorporate time travel. There could also potentially be a time jump, but this last section is entirely wish fulfillment on my part.

Final Thoughts:

I know I've been talking awhile. However, since this is my first acknowledgment of the movie on the channel, I knew I had to dedicate a lengthy discussion to it.

To preface, everything I've said in this post could be entirely wrong. The movie doesn't release until 2027 so, we'll have to wait until then for more teasers and a trailer.

Overall, I look forward to watching it in theaters.

- Matt

5 months ago | [YT] | 6

Matt Link

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