The New Buffy Movie Has a High Bar To Clear

[Elizabeth Grunewald]

The New Buffy Movie Has a High Bar To Clear

Buffy the Vampire Slayer may not have been perfect, but it's awfully close.

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[DarkPanda XIII]

Well, y'know, it's been roughly 13 years ago since the series began and 18 for the movie, why not do a -remake- of it?

I'd say give it two more years, but then I realized it may take 2 years to make anyway. So..*shrug*

 

[seekeroftruth86]

Nah, the series was a re-make itself really. This seems unnecessary to me. Another cash-in. Why not revive the show? People liked it enough.

Instead of endless remakes I wish producers would try to create new IP with similar themes. Why not try a different spin on the vampire slayer type genre?

Maybe make it, like, the vampires are actually aliens, and the "Buffy" character is half-vampire alien, and that's how she gets her powers, and all the magic elements are actually alien super science. And all her friends use that science to help her fight the aliens. I don't know, I'm just throwing the ball around.

But creativity doesn't seem to bring in the cheese now does it?

 

[comadorcrack]

Hmmmm..... Buffy is my favourite show ever. So While I guess I'm looking forward to seeing more of it... I'm always weary about reboots... Still I shant judge until I see the result. Then I shall judge ALOT!

 

[GodsAndFishes]

Seriously just a couple of hours ago I was thinking that I'm amazed that they hadn't made a film set after the series had ended.

 

[pitasgame]

All I ask is that for the love of guy if some chick is writing the script DO NOT TURN IT INTO TWILIGHT BUFFY!!!!! They ruined Little Red Riding Hood by giving it the Twilight make over don't do it to Buffy!! I will be enraged!!!! And I'm a chick. I don't want it ruined with Twilight chick crap!!

 

[Littaly]

I started watching Buffy reruns a couple of months ago and I'm surprised at how much i like it. It seemed so incredibly stupid, yet it's so good

Rebooting it without Whedon is definitely not the way to go

 

[Rigs83]

I never got into Buffy. I grew up on Hong Kong cinema so watching the stunt double get her ass kicked was a turn off for me. I'd take Michelle Yeoh over Buffy any time

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[Fumbleumble]

Oh.. first off... A role model? for whom?... other female vampire slayers?

And as for not forcing the whole feminism thing down anyone's throat.. did you actually watch the last 3 seasons?

I will say though.. Buffy was fun.... but Angel was far better.

 

[PunkRex]

Over the top, sexy, gorey, edgy chaos...... why not let someone like Tarantino direct the action scenes and who ever directed Mean Girls do the rest, I DONT KNOW!!!

I never really watched it, although my sister did and I will admit the puppet slayer episode and the Angel episode when they actually turned into puppets were halarious. Puppets are good. The guy who played Angel was a good actor too.

As a side note im not really into Tarantino im just grasping at vampire ashes here.

 

[kingcom]

I will say though.. Buffy was fun.... but Angel was far better.

Yea while i enjoyed Buffy I must say that i definitely preferred the redemption theme of Angel to the growing up themes of Buffy.

 

[ekimekim]

I'm glad you mentioned tropes, because I think it deserves a mention that Buffy was so egregious in this regard that, at www.tvtropes.org, it's considered (almost memetically) as THE show that you can find an example of ANY trope in, EVER. They've pulled that show apart by its seams and pasted it over their entire wiki...and it's the single show they respect the most.

I just wanted to say that. As to the movie, I'll reserve judgement.

 

[MR T3D]

So, it's buffy, without joss whedon's style of writing.

why even give a fuck.

sigh

 

[Endgame81]

I will say though.. Buffy was fun.... but Angel was far better.

the truth if ever i saw it

 

[AcacianLeaves]

Buffy without Whedon? Jesus, this might actually have a chance of being good!

 

[Wuvlycuddles]

Ah yes the Initiative, damn them for makin Spike a sissy-boy.

Anyway, back on topic, the film would most likely be a bit shite me thinks but if gets a few people who missed out on the series to go out and buy the dvds? Then i think it was worth it.

 

[Falseprophet]

There are not many shows I hold in as high regard as Buffy. I watched a few old episodes recently for the first time in years, and they still hold up so well. It just fused its component elements together so well: the writing, the characters, the acting, the action scenes, the comedy, the drama, the experimentation. Some shows today bang out a really strong season, maybe even two or three. But few seem to stay as intriguing as Buffy did for me.

Even though I didn't find most of the seasonal arcs or Big Bads after season 3 as compelling (how do you top Mayor Wilkens and the Buffy/Faith arc?), I grew to love the characters so much, and their actors did such a great job inhabiting their skins, I could forgive most other shortcomings. And the later seasons still had so many great stand-out episodes.

I'm not shocked that the Kuzuis want to reboot Buffy and try and capitalize on all the vampire hype (although they should really have done that a couple years ago before vampires got too played out). But I'm not expecting much of anything from it, considering what they did with the property back in 1993.

 

[Strain42]

With any luck, this won't be horrible. It does kinda suck that they aren't letting Whedon into the project at all, but I mean it's not like Whedon wrote every single episode and comic book. They're letting a new writer in and the movie may have some good producers or directors. Do we even know who's playing Buffy yet? (I've heard that it may or may not be SMG)

It has potential to be a fun popcorn movie that any true Buffy fan will at least make an honest effort to enjoy instead of just scoffing at Whedon's absence.

 

[Micklet]

Buffy without Whedon? Jesus, this might actually have a chance of being good!

Half right, a total reboot of it would be good. A serious go at the whole idea of a teenage super powered vamp slayer would be nice. Less false drama, and more real emotion. I think without being Wheedon driven is the only thing that could make it good. I'll admit I'm not a fan of Wheedon, at all, I even think he hides from his own work. He would never go back to do Firefly, or Buffy because he knows it would flop with him at the healm. He knows all he has to do is make new stuff thats fresh and not boring for a season or 3 and his fan base will eat it up wheather it's good or not.

But back on topic, Wheedonless is definatly a step forward. Does it even have to be "Buffy" as such, or could it just be set in the same universe, who knows. All I want to see is vampires brought back to the "Interview with a Vampire" and "Dracula" standard, and the slaying of Vampires left to either teenage super powers led by a Dutch Doctor or possibly robots.

 

[Levethian]

I re-watch Buffy as faithfully as I re-read Calvin & Hobbes. I turn a blind eye to under-par action scenes - not the focus. Special FX in Calvin & Hobbes are lacking too, for that matter.

Surely what Buffy fans want to see is an intelligent continuation of the series, rather than the doomed re-treading of a 108-hour story in 2 hours.

Just reminded me to seek out Angel. Redemption themes sounds curious, but are presumably less easy to empathise with, given that we all had to grow up. Or try.

Nice article Elizabeth.