El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Vince Gilligan, October 11, 2019) Movie • Page 9

BCS has the advantage of being a 4 season tv show tho

 

The movie was fine. Competently written, shot, and edited.

Ultimately, though, it begs the question of the necessity of adding to the ending of the show. How and why Jesse continues his life after he escapes from the compound is a question that did not need to be answered. Narratives have to end at some point; unless your film or show ends with every character dead, there is always some sort of "unanswered question". This is the realm of fan-fiction, and it often misses the point of story arcs. Jesse starts the show as an aimless loser, barely escaping arrest in the first episode. He will probably overdose, be murdered, or go to jail at some point. Through his interaction with Walter, he develops a moral compass that is repeatedly tested. He is punished when he tries to break free, but at the end of the show, we see him freed literally (out of the compound) and emotionally (not doing what Walter tells him to). That is the end of the arc, and what he actually does afterward isn't really that important. It mirrored the end of The Graduate; both Jesse and the couple realize their exhilaration is fleeting and reality sets in.

How long is Gilligan going to keep making Breaking Bad content? Better Call Saul has been acclaimed, but it works because it focuses on secondary characters and expands what was not filled in. If it had been the young Walter White story, it wouldn't work the same. Narratives have to have a beginning and end at some point; most of the major prestige shows have resisted the need to go back to the well. We haven't seen Peggy Olson in the 80s, and we haven't seen how Bunk Moreland is coping with the post-riot Baltimore. Deadwood and Twin Peaks did have comebacks, but both were completing stories that were prematurely cut short. The Sopranos has that prequel film, but that is going to be revolving around an unseen character. Everyone wants more from their favorite characters and shows, but there is only so much that can be done. Will we need another sequel film showing his life in Alaska? Why not showing Walter Jr. in college? Marie and Skyler adjusting to life as widowers? We didn't need to know what happened to Ishmael after the end of Moby Dick, and it doesn't matter how Fortinbras runs the kingdom after Hamlet. The film manages to tell a decent enough story, but it is important to ignore fan desires for more before you go too far.

 

Lol these are all ridiculous theoreticals that you know aren't coming.

Jesse wants a normal life in Alaska. That sounds like something the Weather Channel shows between the forecast on the 8's.

 

Alaskan bushpeople: Jesse Pinkman edition

 

That's the point.

 

It was unnecessary, like all art, and in that we didn’t need to see it. It did play it safe or as one may have expected, but so did the finale. So it all fits and makes sense to me.

I still really enjoyed it. I don’t think it would be as effective as a stand-alone movie, it very much fits best as an epilogue to the show.

I didn’t “learn” much really, but I enjoyed the time I got to spend Back in this world.

That was enough for me.

 

You questioned how much more Breaking Bad content is Gilligan going to make and said things that would never happen? Once he wraps up Saul I don't see what else he would pull out of the BB universe.

 

No one saw a film about Jesse being made which centers its conflict around guys who welded the harness to keep him prisoner. Narratives can go on forever, but the important thing is to not overstay your welcome.

 

Yup I enjoyed it. There were good characters in this I didn't mind watching for 2 more hours and I'm sure there are BB episodes I would place under this one in rewatchability (I know I want to rewatch this one at some point) it's fine if it played it safe. How it got from his escape to his ending still happened in plenty of ways I didn't anticipate. It wasn't mind blowing but I was plenty satisfied. The most predictable thing was going to get himself disappeared but that was a great scene so.

 

I was wondering why Jack wasn't in the scene testing out the entrapment, so I looked up the actor figuring he died or something. It turns out he has been in a lot of stuff I have seen over the years, but did not recognize him at all.

 

So did the welders actually come out in the show? I dont remember. There’s a lot I don’t remember about the series unfortunately.

 

No I'm pretty sure they're completely new to this movie

 

I think my biggest disappointment is that the first 15 minutes are my favorite/best part of the movie. Mike scene, escaping the compound, going to Skinny and Badgers house, them helping him, him having his emotional PTSD scene, etc. were really well-done, and the rest of the film didn't live up to that for me

 

“Breaking Bad” always worked better when it had a smaller, more personal scope. I think the Welders, much like Todd’s uncles, are too much of a broad, typical villain to be threatening, at least compared to someone like Gus.

 

Again. The nazis are meant to be “by the numbers”. Walt eliminated a unique/sophisticated villain. Thus introducing the flip side of that=uncultured neo nazis. The welders weren’t really a “villain” like the show ones imo. They were more used as a plot device.

 

Are We Seeing Walt and Jesse in ‘Better Call Saul’ or Not?

Paul told the outlet. “If Vince decided to put Jesse in Better Call Saul, it’s going to be for a reason, and that reason’s going to be very satisfying for me. I trust in Vince. I don’t think he would just do that to satisfy the fans. It would have a purpose

Gilligan echoed the sentiment, explaining that a brief cameo may not do the characters or the story justice.

“It wouldn’t feel as satisfying if it was just a cameo or an Alfred Hitchcock walkthrough,” he told the outlet

I feel like these concerns/opinions from Vince and Aaron about BCS got thrown out the window with some of the cameos in this movie

 

Other than the Walt, I don't think any cameo seemed forced/purely fanservice or unsatisfying.

 

hearing dirty south by family force 5 in this was a wild “wait what” moment. what a very precise 2006 throwback I didn’t need

 

The Walt cameo was so low key I liked it.

 

Yeah it wasn’t really extravagant at all. Very subdued

 

I also really liked that scene, but I won't argue that it was purely fan service. It has no bearing on the rest of the movie at all. I'm glad it's there but it wouldn't matter if it were cut.

 

I've been pretty adamant about not needing Walt or Jesse cameos in BCS (this was technically BB so is it a cameo? Haha just kidding) and yeah it's definitely fan service, but it was a nice surprise for me anyways, I def didn't expect to see him.

 

I had a lot of fun watching this. Tempted to do a series rewatch.

 

I read part of an interview where Vince said pretty much before even pitching the script to Sony or whoever, he took it to the Better Call Saul team to run it by them first, to make sure the movie wouldn't ruin anything they had planned for the ending of the show. He also made it sound like they don't even know how they're going to end it yet. As cheesy as it would be, I would absolutely love Jesse and Saul running into each other and having an awkward encounter.

 

Into The Wild featuring Jesse Pinkman

I enjoyed it for what it was, felt more like an extended episode rather than a cinematic experience. I don't have any complaints, but do not feel the need to ever watch it again.