10 Reasons Marco Polo Flopped - CBR

Marco Polo was a short-lived TV series that aired on Netflix between 2014 and 2016, and despite the fact it only had two seasons, the show cost Netflix a whopping $200 million. While Marco Polo was met with relatively positive reviews, critics panned the performance of Italian lead actor Lorenzo Richelmy, with others calling the story dull and unimaginative.

Poor performances from the cast weren't the only reasons the show was canceled back in 2016, with other reasons being that it was too expensive for the small amount of success it was experiencing, in addition to the fact it had boring writing, convoluted story arcs, and was not accurate enough to be called historical television. Marco Polo was an unfortunate series that didn't quite know what it was or who it was appealing to.

Updated March 2, 2024 by Joshua M. Patton: This article has been updated to comport to CBR's current formatting standards.

10 The Netflix Series Is Neither Historically Accurate Nor Historical Fiction

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One of the reasons Marco Polo was a flop was because it was an odd mix of genres. As it was neither historically accurate, nor entirely inaccurate – it fell into a strange category of historical fiction that often turns off history buffs.

Some viewers have speculated that the historical inaccuracies were due to the story being retold and experienced from Marco Polo's point of view, and so it was skewed to seem more exciting to other foreigners wondering what life was like on and beyond the Silk Road. However, other more cynical critics have speculated that the show's historical inaccuracies resulted from poor research and speculative writing.

9 Marco Polo's Premise Is Dull And One Dimensional

Essentially, the premise of Marco Polo is that Marco, the young and curious son of a Venetian merchant, is traded by his own father to the Mongolian Khan, Kublai, in order to secure trade passage. Marco grows closer to the Khan and acts as an advisor while falling in love with a Mongolian princess and experiencing the 'exotic' charms of the prosperous Mongolian empire.

While this sounds like it might make for a great romance novel, Marco Polo tries too hard to be a Mongolian Game of Thrones, and falls terribly short. Moreover, the show focuses a lot on warfare, concubines, and wealth, suggesting that the Mongolian culture was more about capitalist enterprise than any form of spirituality.

Critical Ratings for Marco Polo

Critical Aggregator	Score
Rotten Tomatoes	66%
Metacritic	48
IMDB	8/10

8 Marco Polo's Lead Actors Suffer From Stiff Acting

Italian actor Lorenzo Richelmy plays the titular Marco Polo. While it is good to see an international actor cast in a role suiting their nationality, Richelmy was panned for his stiff performance. As the lead, it was vital that whoever played Marco Polo was a compelling and complex actor, able to embody the turmoil of a young man abandoned in a foreign country. Unfortunately, Richelmy was not capable of such a level of acting, and instead, the show was stolen by veteran actor Benedict Wong.

Richelmy wasn't the only actor who performed poorly. Remy Hii's portrayal as Prince Jingim, son of Kublai Khan, and Uli Latukefu's tenure as the warrior Byamba are both rigid or overacted at times, ruining the little immersion the series provides.

7 The Dialogue in the Netflix Series Was Unimaginative And Not Entertaining

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One of Marco Polo's greatest weaknesses, which inevitably had a hand in its cancellation, was the fact the script was poorly written. If a show attempts to mimic the complexities of royal rule, then it must do so with a careful touch. Marco Polo is ham-fisted in this regard, and makes the characters surrounding the Khan seem more like caricatures than faithful servants.

Characters' dialogue is dull and straightforward, predictable and without flare, which is made worse by the fact many of the actors either over act or don't seem comfortable delivering lines. Moreover, rather than painting the picture of an educated and wealthy empire, the dialogue makes characters seem arrogant and unaware of the world outside the country, despite the fact the Mongolian empire by that time would have been incredibly multicultural for the period.

6 Marco Polo Is More Of A Cheesy Adventure Than Thrilling Historical Fiction

Marco Polo's romance with the wife of Prince Jingim, Kokachin, puts an eye rolling twist on the show. Of course the hero must have a love interest, despite the fact he knows none of the customs and, on several counts, is treated as more of a slave than anything else. While it is interesting to see the Khan and Polo's strengthening friendship, the romance aspects in addition to the ridiculous martial arts sequences make Marco Polo more of a camp action adventure than historical fiction. It is certain that the show would have been more compelling if they took a more mature approach with the story, than relying on predictable adventure genre stereotypes.

Netflix Original Releases From the Same Period

Series	Debut
House of Cards	2013
Orange is the New Black	2013
Bloodline	2015
Daredevil	2015
Sense8	2015
Narcos	2015
Jessica Jones	2015

5 The Set And Costume Design on the Netflix Series Were Mediocre

One of the most disappointing aspects of Marco Polo is the set design. Palaces looked more like architecture audiences might see in video games or mythological fiction, while the makeup to make non-Mongolian actors look historically Mongolian was poorly executed, making their skin look too smooth. The costuming was less of an issue, but considering that there were over 6000 outfits and 15000 accessories by only two designers, there were still occasions where costumes would look ill-made and cheap.

The head costume designer had previously worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, making it unsurprising that many of the costumes appear (to the average viewer's eye) a bit over the top and fantastical, as one might expect of 2000s martial arts cinema.

4 Poor Management Meant Netflix Lost $200 Million On The Show

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Marco Polo cost Netflix a ridiculous $200 million, as the show was bought from the Starz network and reportedly cost $9 million per episode to make. There are several reasons why the show was this expensive, including the number of costumes made and the fact that filming took place across the globe (including Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Italy).

Ultimately though, such high costs resulted from poor upper management at Netflix, and considering the show lost its hype quickly after its release, there must have also been an extensive ad campaign to reconnect with audiences.

3 The Marco Polo Cast Was Generally Unknown, With Few Named Actors

Apart from veteran British actor Benedict Wong, and martial arts high-flyers, Michelle Yeoh and Tom Wu, the cast of Marco Polo are unknown actors in the Western market. The lack of star power provided little for the Netflix marketing team to work with.

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While it is interesting to see newcomers in such big shows, if the series's premise is not interesting enough, marketing often has to rely on known-name actors to draw in audiences. Without this, and with growing mediocre reviews from audiences and critics, Marco Polo struggled to build enough of a fan base to pay off its soaring costs and renew for another season.

2 Marco Polo Was A Wholly Forgettable Show

Marco Polo made for an unfortunately forgettable show with mediocre acting, dull set pieces, not enough action, and ill-choreographed martial arts scenes. In addition to a predictable storyline, these issues turned off many audiences from giving the second season a shot, if they finished the first season at all.

Phil Yu of the blog Angry Asian Man noted it was just another "white-guy-in-Asia adventure," with other critics and audience members alike acknowledging it was nothing more than a binge-watch program to fall asleep to. The show might have been saved if Richelmy (and the character of Marco Polo) wasn't such a boring protagonist, but hardly any aspect of the show's production was enough to save the bland story.

1 Marco Polo Plot Points Were Either Overcooked Or Underdeveloped

While the behind the scenes conflict of Marco Polo (Kublai's struggles with being an emperor) is thrilling and intriguing, many of the other story beats and plots of the show appear unnecessary. For example, the romance aspects of the show are bizarrely stuffed in between random sex scenes and nude martial arts, confusing audiences as they search for the reasoning behind such plot points.

The Chinese story arc starts perfectly as it demonstrates the struggles in both kingdoms, but soon becomes overcooked when Mei Lin weasels her way further into Kublai's lap. Overall, there is both too much and too little going on in Marco Polo, leaving some stories untouched while others drone on for too long.