The Following- A retired FBI agent injured on the job by a serial killer who inevitably escapes from prison years later; drawing the agent back in after years of self-pity and alcoholism.
No, this is not satire.
From the initial minutes it’s easy to tell where this one is heading. The cliches and tropes of crime dramas are some of the most unforgivable thanks to age and overabundance. The Following attempts to toss every last one into a blender and construct something half-decent from the remains. A highly intelligent and poetic killer, a public suicide for shock value, crazy people who write on the walls, and mommy issues are a few of the most egregious. Some of these things are fine individually, but when compiled like some kind of chimera of cliches things get laughable.
Again, not exaggerating for a hyperbolic effect. I actually laughed on several occasions.
The one semi-intriguing concept is the cult which follows antagonist Joe Carrol. Too bad that one gets borked as well. Around every corner is another killer who would have you believe they belong to the CIA, what with their ability to infiltrate any situation. Combined with an incredibly incompetent police force which strains all suspension of disbelief, and you have one messy show.
When the protagonist, Kevin Bacon, looks bored in almost every line delivery, that's a telltale sign of a bad show. It kills me people would opt to watch a substandard addition to an ailing genre over something less tumor-enduing, simply because the former is familiar. You're entitled to like whatever you wish, but I may giggle -in the least condescending manner possible- when you say The Following is a good show.
The Wire- As I just exhibited, my relationship with crime dramas is anemic. An old standby of American television, which can and has been abused for easy drama. Exceptions do exist, but for every good crime drama you get 10 of “The Following.” The Wire, while bathing in the tropes, manages to take a deeper look than most. The result is a low key, but fairly complex character driven narrative.
Plots being driven by action rather than people has always been a personal hang up. That sums up just about most cop centric shows, especially of the Law and Order and C.S.I. variety. The formula isn’t inherently bad, it’s just wears thin rather quick in today’s environment.
Bucking some trends and going for the approach more familiar in film, Baltimore P.D. is a mixed bag. Few cops kind of give a damn, but what little hope they have has been nearly stomped out by a rundown and corrupt city. The rest, act more as leeches; doing the bare minimum in order to keep their jobs. The criminals on the other hand are a gang of drug-dealers and murderers. Other than Idris Elba’s character, Stringer, the cast is standard-fare, albeit interesting. They’re neither great nor terrible, but I couldn’t help shake the feeling I’ve seen most of them before.
Success is in the details. There are numerous nuances to how the case on the streetgang is formed and executed. Even on the wrong side of the law there are strategic plans being hatched. Not so coincidentally this is the saving grace. Stories centered on urban gangs similar to the notorious Bloods and Crips to be trite. They’re all bravado, no substance. In the Wire’s case, they’re mostly bravado, but with intellect.
In fact, that’s how most aspects can be described. Good but not great. It’s a well-rounded experience, with few true areas of weakness, but even in the later episodes of season one I never found myself glued to the screen.
Avatar: The Last Airbender- As far as anime is concerned, there are dozens upon dozens of better options than Avatar. That isn’t to say it’s not enjoyable though. My initial “review” of book one praised the majority of the cast, while criticizing just about everything else to varying degrees. Books two and three don’t exactly improve on the most dire of areas, but they continue to carry the torch touted by a large and enjoyable cast, fitting of shonen genre. Even Prince Zuko- who was horrendous- pulled a 180, and by show’s end is easily the best character. New faces tend to struggle. Case and point, Princess Azula and friends don’t get interesting until the final book and Fire Lord Ozai is a complete and utter letdown.
Arguably the greatest weakness of all is the world-building. For the most part it’s a stock east-Asian fantasy world with people who have elemental powers. Sprinkles of interesting tidbits- such as the Face Stealer and how bending influences technology- are glossed over. Most offensive is the reveal of the Fire Nation, whose villainy is exemplified through pollution and a strict no dancing policy. It’s as if the Eco-Villains and the parents from Dirty Dancing decided to team up in order to take down Naruto...err, I mean Aang.
Bad childhood references aside, not a whole lot stands out as anything more than par for the course. The animation is undeniably polished, but production values don’t trump creativity. Musically inept would be words of kindness, just have a listen to this.
Creativity is a mainstay of anime and Avatar has very little of it. The cast and the steady stream of laughs are what keeps things worthwhile, but not nearly enough to make this homegrown anime stand up to the best of its Japanese brethren. As one of the few attempts to cultivate anime in America, it’s a solid foundation point, but leaves plenty of room for improvement.
Grave of the Fireflies- Weaving the tale of orphans Seita and younger sister Setsuko during the final days of WWII, GotF is evocative- if horrifically tragic. After American firebombings take both their home and mother, brother and sister are spit out upon the dying Japanese countryside. With the war going the way of the Allies, Japan has little means to care for its citizens.
The general warning one receives prior to viewing is “you better have a lot of tissues.” Such descriptors are apt. I expected a series of smaller stabs to the heart followed-up with a killing blow, but from start to finish it’s practically unrelenting heartache. I say practically, because there are just enough lighthearted interludes between the adorable Setsuko and the admirably loving and responsible Seita. Just enough to make you care, only to have the rug pulled out from under your feet as their struggles increase.
Despite releasing in 1988, the animation holds up incredibly well. Not that this should be any surprise. Studio Ghibli hasn’t been called the Disney of the east- in terms of stylistic quality- for nothing. Bombings and eviscerated cities are just as stunningly gorgeous as the the playful scenes at the beach or among the fireflies. Through the top-notch visuals and reserved yet powerful soundtrack, the innocence of Seita and Setsuko, and the unfair cruelty of the world meld seamlessly.
Barring a single awkward scene transition, almost nothing of note comes to mind when trying to expose weakness. Typically I don’t point to more well respected opinions to back up my own, but Grave of the Fireflies is too important to leave to my words alone. Roger Ebert’s “belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made,” and a 97/100 aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes serve to further my point. Trust me, and trust them; this is not only a great work of its genre, but a tremendous film in general.
While director Isao Takahata insists his most acclaimed work is not “anti-war,” it’s hard to deny the feelings of disgust one feels after watching. A work of fiction it may be, but the inspiration which drove novelist Akiyuki Nosaka is embarrassingly real. Humanity at large is capable of great evil, of which the lack of sympathy and empathy helms the lives of Seita and Setsuko. Which is what makes fiction so great. There are intended and unintended messages making a piece in question bigger than just a way to pass the time. As I see it, Grave of the Fireflies’ major takeaway is that war births no winners; only smaller and bigger losers.
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