Breaking Bad: The Movie

[DJ's left nut]

Man. That was a waste of time.

2 hours to do EXACTLY what we all assumed he'd do anyway. And Todd was just distracting. It was just a 2 hour collection of callbacks that didn't add to the story in any way.

Just disappointing as hell.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Man. That was a waste of time.

2 hours to do EXACTLY what we all assumed he'd do anyway. And Todd was just distracting. It was just a 2 hour collection of callbacks that didn't add to the story in any way.

Just disappointing as hell.

Not trying to be an asshole, but what were you expecting?

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Not trying to be an asshole, but what were you expecting?

Hence it's necessary to binge season 5 to truly get the movie, or you'll be disappointed because nothing new is added.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Not trying to be an asshole, but what were you expecting?

Something meaningful?

I think if the movie was going to hinge on Jesse going to Alaska just because Mike said that's where he would go, it should have shown Jesse in Alaska and him trying to start a new life there and him trying to adjust to life away from being a meth dealer/hostage.

The movie basically didn't really show or tell anything that the ending of the show didn't. The same "ok and then what happened?" feeling that spurred this movie is the same feeling that still exists now that Jesse is in Alaska.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by -King-

Something meaningful?

I think if the movie was going to hinge on Jesse going to Alaska just because Mike said that's where he would go, it should have shown Jesse in Alaska and him trying to start a new life there and him trying to adjust to life away from being a meth dealer/hostage.

The movie basically didn't really show or tell anything that the ending of the show didn't. The same "ok and then what happened?" feeling that spurred this movie is the same feeling that still exists now that Jesse is in Alaska.

I'm not sure you and I even watched the same thing.

Exactly like Breaking Bad isn't about making meth, it is about the journey these really fleshed out characters go on, this is about Jesse becoming the guy that got Todd's gun and then gave it back to him, to a dude that will do what the **** ever it takes, including get into a shootout for $1800, to change his circumstance.

Additionally there is a lot of exploration into the effects of his being held against his will.

If all you got out of that was "Jesse went to Alaska" then why did you watch BB in the first place?

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I'm not sure you and I even watched the same thing.

Exactly like Breaking Bad isn't about making meth, it is about the journey these really fleshed out characters go on, this is about Jesse becoming the guy that got Todd's gun and then gave it back to him, to a dude that will do what the **** ever it takes, including get into a shootout for $1800, to change his circumstance.

Additionally there is a lot of exploration into the effects of his being held against his will.

If all you got out of that was "Jesse went to Alaska" then why did you watch BB in the first place?

Neither of those events are all that significant especially when one was during a flashback and not part of the adventure Jesse had after he escaped. That shooting scene was the stupidest thing Vince Gilligan has ever come up with in any of his shows.

And I watched BB because it told a great story. El Camino didn't.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Not trying to be an asshole, but what were you expecting?

Well if you're gonna have Todd show up, maybe pump the brakes on shooting as quickly as possible and put the !@#$ing guy on a Keto diet so as not to be distracting as hell.

And maybe don't make the central conflict between Pinkman and the eraser (and a bullshit conflict at that; no, he's not gonna take $0 instead of $248K). Do a time jump if you need to and show us how Pinkman's settling in - that's a truly worthwhile send-off for Jesse.

BB was never about pacing or action to begin with and I LOVE Better Call Saul, which is a slow burn on its best days. But 45 minutes into that show we'd effectively accomplished nothing. And the last 45 minutes was nonsense because again - $1,800 !@#$ing dollars wasn't going to make a difference there, not if the eraser was willing to give him the $125K he was 'owed' back if/when he didn't come up with the full $250K. Either he's principled about it (You owe me this and I'm keeping it) or he's not - in which case it's a bargaining chip and $248k would've done the job.

It was bad. It was WELL beneath the standard I'd come to expect from Gilligan. It was nothing but ham-fisted nostalgia and inexplicable narrative/plot devices.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Well if you're gonna have Todd show up, maybe pump the brakes on shooting as quickly as possible and put the !@#$ing guy on a Keto diet so as not to be distracting as hell.

And maybe don't make the central conflict between Pinkman and the eraser (and a bullshit conflict at that; no, he's not gonna take $0 instead of $248K). Do a time jump if you need to and show us how Pinkman's settling in - that's a truly worthwhile send-off for Jesse.

BB was never about pacing or action to begin with and I LOVE Better Call Saul, which is a slow burn on its best days. But 45 minutes into that show we'd effectively accomplished nothing. And the last 45 minutes was nonsense because again - $1,800 !@#$ing dollars wasn't going to make a difference there, not if the eraser was willing to give him the $125K he was 'owed' back if/when he didn't come up with the full $250K. Either he's principled about it (You owe me this and I'm keeping it) or he's not - in which case it's a bargaining chip and $248k would've done the job.

It was bad. It was WELL beneath the standard I'd come to expect from Gilligan. It was nothing but ham-fisted nostalgia and inexplicable narrative/plot devices.

I just have to disagree here. Not with the Keto diet, do the Keto diet for Christ sakes.

The central conflict, IMO, is very much between the character Jesse was and who he must become. That's why they spent so much time on the flashback, so as to establish as stark of contrast as possible to present day.

Much like BB isn't about the believably of making meth in an RV, a giant lab in a laundromat, laundering money through a car wash, or robbing a train, this isn't about how probable his escape from Albuquerque. Both stories are an examination of how characters respond to a set of circumstances.

That's what all this has been all along. Better Call Saul too.

In my opinion anyway.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I just have to disagree here. Not with the Keto diet, do the Keto diet for Christ sakes.

The central conflict, IMO, is very much between the character Jesse was and who he must become. That's why they spent so much time on the flashback, so as to establish as stark of contrast as possible to present day.

Much like BB isn't about the believably of making meth in an RV, a giant lab in a laundromat, laundering money through a car wash, or robbing a train, this isn't about how probable his escape from Albuquerque. Both stories are an examination of how characters respond to a set of circumstances.

That's what all this has been all along. Better Call Saul too.

In my opinion anyway.

What did we learn about Jesse in those flashbacks that we didn't already know? We knew he was a servile puppy dog who seemed desperate for any kind of mentor figure and who was shockingly easily manipulated. That was a 5 year character arc made obvious by the fact that he called Walter "Mr. White" through the end and was played like a fiddle all the way through.

What did I get from an hour burned watching Fat Jesse be weird or largely irrelevant dialogue with Jessica Jones? That was PURE fan service and did nothing to demonstrate his character either before or after. We KNEW his character. And it's not even all that believable that literally overnight he would become a completely different person (if he even was). That's why I suggested the time jump. The idea that you can discern luck from skill by it's duration applies here - this was all within like 72 hours of the end of BB - it tells us effectively nothing about the long-term outlook of Jesse Pinkman.

Even the brief scene with Mike was nothing more than the 'seed' that Gilligan had planted in a dozen interviews after the show's original run; yes, we knew Jesse was going to Alaska.

It was essentially fan fiction put on tape and far beneath the level of the storytelling I've come to expect from this crew.

[Sorry]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Man. That was a waste of time.

2 hours to do EXACTLY what we all assumed he'd do anyway. And Todd was just distracting. It was just a 2 hour collection of callbacks that didn't add to the story in any way.

Just disappointing as hell.

It was made for the fans and to give Jessie a proper send off. I would’ve liked if it was made sooner

[BWillie]

Breaking Bad: Alaskan Ice 2030

Jesse Pinkston manufacturers hot new drug with Walt Jr. Sells snow to Eskimos.

[DJ's left nut]

Then why be so heavy-handed with re-establishing 'old Jesse'?

If I'm a person who is going to enjoy the character development and 'before/after' contrasts that El Camino was trying to establish, then I'm NOT a person that needs to be force-fed the beginning of Jesse's arc. I'm an involved fan that understands the character.

And if I'm NOT that kind of fan and I need to be re-immersed in the character, then I'm not gonna have much of an appreciation for where the character ended up.

In a lot of ways it was insulting. Trotting fat Todd out there and pretending like we wouldn't notice just to we can re-establish what we just spent 5 years fully understanding was ridiculous and a waste of my time. And acting like Jesse Pinkman 7 days after his release from captivity is some fully formed, fully reformed version of who he'll be for any appreciable of time is simply an insult to me as an adult, let alone a fan.

I understand that the whole thing was a send-off for Pinkman - so why spend half of it spinning your wheels on stuff we largely already knew unless it's A) mindless fan service (most likely) or B) a simple plot device to make up for staid writing when you can't figure out how to give Jesse a massive pile of money so you just plop him in Fat Todd's apartment and go from there.

Ultimately I think there was a chance to do what you hinted at - make it about Jesse's transformation. But there were only glimpses. Instead most of that WAS just "throwing some more BB shit at the wall for the sake of BB."

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Then why be so heavy-handed with re-establishing 'old Jesse'?

If I'm a person who is going to enjoy the character development and 'before/after' contrasts that El Camino was trying to establish, then I'm NOT a person that needs to be force-fed the beginning of Jesse's arc. I'm an involved fan that understands the character.

And if I'm NOT that kind of fan and I need to be re-immersed in the character, then I'm not gonna have much of an appreciation for where the character ended up.

In a lot of ways it was insulting. Trotting fat Todd out there and pretending like we wouldn't notice just to we can re-establish what we just spent 5 years fully understanding was ridiculous and a waste of my time. And acting like Jesse Pinkman 7 days after his release from captivity is some fully formed, fully reformed version of who he'll be for any appreciable of time is simply an insult to me as an adult, let alone a fan.

I understand that the whole thing was a send-off for Pinkman - so why spend half of it spinning your wheels on stuff we largely already knew unless it's A) mindless fan service (most likely) or B) a simple plot device to make up for staid writing when you can't figure out how to give Jesse a massive pile of money so you just plop him in Fat Todd's apartment and go from there.

Ultimately I think there was a chance to do what you hinted at - make it about Jesse's transformation. But there were only glimpses. Instead most of that WAS just "throwing some more BB shit at the wall for the sake of BB."

I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

It is certainly possible that I’m a simpleton but it worked for me.

[Gadzooks]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

fat Todd