Or…
Movies, plays, and TV shows are, for the most part, too long.
The irony is that today’s generation seems to want their entertainment almost at warp speed. College students don’t respond to the CHEERS pilot because it’s “too slow.” At the time it aired it was applauded for its zippy pace.
But this takes me to the new BREAKING BAD movie, EL CAMINO, now playing on Netflix.
Don’t worry. I’m not going to discuss the plot or any fun surprises that might pop up for hardcore fans of the series.
I’m just going to say it felt too long.
And understand, I think BREAKING BAD was the single best dramatic series in the history of television. Sorry SOPRANOS, sorry MAD MEN, sorry DAVID CASSIDY: MAN UNDERCOVER.
EL CAMINO was impeccably written and directed by Vince Gilligan and the pace and tone was not that different from the original series. But something was missing, and it’s hard to put my finger on it.
Several theories: Jesse was a great side character but not compelling enough to carry a whole movie. They needed other story lines to cut away to. Now I realize that’s hard since most of the great characters in BREAKING BAD are dead by this time. But still, I wish there were something else going on. And finally, there were too many damn beauty shots of the desert.
The Levine Rule: If you can take something out and not miss it, then take it out.
There are some very cool sequences in EL CAMINO, the performances and casting were pitch perfect (as always with a Vince Gilligan project), but I was left feeling oddly unsatisfied.
What did everyone else think? And please don’t discuss specific plot points for those who still intend to watch it.
And one last thing (I hope this post isn’t too long): One of my top five all-time favorite movies that I could watch over and over again is BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI. It runs 2 hours and 41 minutes, and for my money is too short.
from By Ken Levine
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