The Umbrella Academy

[karaddin]

I always get thrown when people associate Farscape and GotG together like that, I think its because I identify Farscape in a completely different category. I can see why you'd do it, it makes sense.

I think 7/10 is probably a reasonable rating, I enjoyed it but it wasn't close to being perfect. Best sequences in the series were those 2 early ones with Number 5 to Istanbul (Not Constantinople) and Run Boy Run. The latter in particular really stayed with me for the emotional punch of putting yourself in the position of a childish tantrum having such colossal consequences that leaves you stranded alone after the apocalypse.

[sifth]

52 minutes ago, karaddin said:

I always get thrown when people associate Farscape and GotG together like that, I think its because I identify Farscape in a completely different category. I can see why you'd do it, it makes sense.

I think 7/10 is probably a reasonable rating, I enjoyed it but it wasn't close to being perfect. Best sequences in the series were those 2 early ones with Number 5 to Istanbul (Not Constantinople) and Run Boy Run. The latter in particular really stayed with me for the emotional punch of putting yourself in the position of a childish tantrum having such colossal consequences that leaves you stranded alone after the apocalypse.

I sort of feel like this series repeated itself a little too often for my taste. Literally every action scene had to have a some what catchy and upbeat song to it. Doing this stunt once I could understand, maybe even twice, but really most action scenes should have music that conveys a sense of danger, IMO

Also why not compare Farscape and GotG, you are aware that James Gunn has stated more than once that Farscape was the inspiration for his version of the GotG and it shows quite a lot. I mean heck back in 2013 when I saw the first trailer for GotG, Farscape was the first thing to come to my mind. In fact Ben Browder even has a cameo in the second GotG film, lol

[karaddin]

1 hour ago, sifth said:

Also why not compare Farscape and GotG, you are aware that James Gunn has stated more than once that Farscape was the inspiration for his version of the GotG and it shows quite a lot. I mean heck back in 2013 when I saw the first trailer for GotG, Farscape was the first thing to come to my mind. In fact Ben Browder even has a cameo in the second GotG film, lol

As I said, I understand why you would - the way I think of Farscape doesn't connect to it but other aspects about it certainly do. The first things I associate with Farscape are "primarily Australian", early pioneer of long form narrative (which inherently can't be done by movies in the same way), understandable primary villains that have a tendency to evolve into more complicated relationships, living starship trope, long form sci fi driven by the character arcs and last but not least muppets.

I guess some of that could apply to GotG if you viewed Yondo as a primary antagonist, but Ronan and Ego are not. And it definitely doesn't have muppets.

Bolded - I totally missed this, who/when is he in it?

/tangent

[sifth]

 

He plays one of the gold people. It's only a small part and I think he only talks once, but it still made me smile. He appears at the start of the film when the gold people are attacking the GotG. Also I was talking more about the tone and the sci-fi setting, along with a lot of the same character beats.

edit: I had pictures to back me up, but the form isn't letting me post the pic's for some reason.

 

 

[Corvinus85]

9 hours ago, karaddin said:

As I said, I understand why you would - the way I think of Farscape doesn't connect to it but other aspects about it certainly do. The first things I associate with Farscape are "primarily Australian", early pioneer of long form narrative (which inherently can't be done by movies in the same way), understandable primary villains that have a tendency to evolve into more complicated relationships, living starship trope, long form sci fi driven by the character arcs and last but not least muppets.

I guess some of that could apply to GotG if you viewed Yondo as a primary antagonist, but Ronan and Ego are not. And it definitely doesn't have muppets.

If Farscape were done today, it would have CGI muppets, so Rocket and Groot are really not that far off from what Farscape has in terms of concept. 

[Corvinus85]

13 hours ago, sifth said:

Not a bad show by any means, but a very predictable one. I give it a 7/10. Doom Patrol on the other hand is probably a 9/10 for me right now, and there's still ten episodes to go. Not gona lie, that shows giving me some real Farscape/GotG vibes, despite taking place completely on Earth.

I'm curious as to why you got those vibes. Is it the amalgam of strange characters that makes you think of Farscape?

[Heartofice]

Having finished it now I have to say I'd give it more like a 8.5 out of 10.. and that I think is really harsh on it.

There is a lot to like about UA, I think the performances are completely brilliant all round, even Billy Bones who generally used to irritate me when his big 21st century frame used to wander around on Black Sails.  I completely loved Klaus (who initially annoyed me as I thought he schtick was too similar to the guy from the UK Misfits show.. until I realised it was the same actor, and then I loved it again), and number 5 has a Jason Schwartz Rushmore vibe going on that I really enjoyed. 

Pogo as well was one of the best acting performances I've seen... from a chimp. Seriously if the role had been performed by Ian McKellan in a monkey mask I wouldn't have been surprised.

The story itself doesn't feel hugely original, but there were so many elements thrown in there, with the time travel, assassins, the mystery over the father, robots and talking monkeys... it just really kept me hooked. 

I even welled up a bit by the end. 

The only downsides I guess were that there were a number of moments where characters seemed to make the stupidest decisions and there was a bit of plot armour to make things happen, but I generally forgive that in comic book movies so... whatever. 

I really looking forward to a second season. I love Doom Patrol as well, but maybe I prefer these for now.

[sifth]

2 hours ago, Corvinus said:

I'm curious as to why you got those vibes. Is it the amalgam of strange characters that makes you think of Farscape?

I think it’s just the level of weirdness; that and the fact that all of the heroes on the show are just “normal” people who just want to live regular lives. The fact that they’re all freaks is just the product of events they had no control of. 

[dooog]

I enjoyed it although I don't think it was very good.

Things that're never really explained: Why is there a talking chimp? Why does nobody have a mobile phone or computer, this would have sped up a chunk of plot. Why does nobody drive a car made in the last 30 years. Why aren't the characters capable of sitting down for 2 minutes, conversing and clearing things up, ever. Why are the family , given their remarkable circumstances always skeptical about remarkable revelations. particularly in light of the fact that they're anticipating the apocalypse in a matter of days.  What is the point of Luther? an utterly useless character. What is the point of present day Alisson, ditto.

 

None of the family, apart from #5 ever use their powers in any meaningful way until about episode 9.  Klaus' has the remarkable superpower to...  occasionally move the plot along but contributes nothing from an abilities perspective until deep into the season.  Luther and Alisson never use their ability in any helpful way apart from flashbacks.

 

In spite of all that nonsense I enjoyed it.

[Heartofice]

3 hours ago, dooog said:

I enjoyed it although I don't think it was very good.

Things that're never really explained: Why is there a talking chimp? Why does nobody have a mobile phone or computer, this would have sped up a chunk of plot. Why does nobody drive a car made in the last 30 years. Why aren't the characters capable of sitting down for 2 minutes, conversing and clearing things up, ever. Why are the family , given their remarkable circumstances always skeptical about remarkable revelations. particularly in light of the fact that they're anticipating the apocalypse in a matter of days.  What is the point of Luther? an utterly useless character. What is the point of present day Alisson, ditto.

 

None of the family, apart from #5 ever use their powers in any meaningful way until about episode 9.  Klaus' has the remarkable superpower to...  occasionally move the plot along but contributes nothing from an abilities perspective until deep into the season.  Luther and Alisson never use their ability in any helpful way apart from flashbacks.

I think the show could have done more to establish that it doesn't really exist in our standard universe, that its living in its own thing. There were a few too many tonal issues within the show that don't balance realism with a comic book sensibility. But then at other times it all does seem like its existing in a comic book world.. like did you notice that Reginald Hardgreaves was probably an alien? Did you notice the serum that turned Number 1 into a giant ape thing was something akin to what has made Pogo intelligent?

I've just read a couple of issues of the comic. I actually think the TV show does a really great job of diverging and making it work for TV. I don't especially like any of the character in the comic, but there are great performances in the show that really round them off. The comic does seem to make more sense tonally, Hardgreaves being a sort of old school Alain Quatermain character, with an indian manservant, defeating supervillains and zombie robots. The show might have needed more of that, and go more Wes Anderson.

[Jaxom 1974]

I plowed through the first three episodes...and I keep forgetting that I started to watch this...guess that says something...

[Ran]

5 hours ago, Heartofice said:

. But then at other times it all does seem like its existing in a comic book world.. like did you notice that Reginald Hardgreaves was probably an alien? Did you notice the serum that turned Number 1 into a giant ape thing was something akin to what has made Pogo intelligent?

I admit, I do find the critique odd. There's so many oddball things that it feels to me like it should be understood that the setting isn't our world, and I'm not sure things would have been improved by trying to explain in detail.

Perhaps some of it is a holdover from the fact that they moved up the action to the present day, whereas the comic takes place in the late 70s/early 80s, IIRC. And some of course is just because that's how the comic is: lots of zany ideas without any effort to bother to explain them. Hence the Eiffel Tower going on a rampage thanks to Zombie Gustave Eiffel.

 

[Crazydog7]

I find the best way to handle any new Netflix show is to go into it with zero expectations.  Then you can be pleasantly surprised.  

It is also a good illustration of how my ability to tolerate a show's bullshit has really fallen as I have gotten older.  An eccentric billionaire adopts 7 children for purposes that aren't really clear and everyone is like "Ok that's cool you're rich and white I don't see how thats a problem"  

And don't get me started on the damn talking money. 

[Heartofice]

Just now, Crazydog7 said:

I find the best way to handle any new Netflix show is to go into it with zero expectations.  Then you can be pleasantly surprised.  

It is also a good illustration of how my ability to tolerate a show's bullshit has really fallen as I have gotten older.  An eccentric billionaire adopts 7 children for purposes that aren't really clear and everyone is like "Ok that's cool you're rich and white I don't see how thats a problem"  

And don't get me started on the damn talking money. 

.. it’s a comic book show!

[Martini Sigil]

3 minutes ago, Crazydog7 said:

And don't get me started on the damn talking money. 

You know what they say, Money talks, bullshit walks

[Crazydog7]

1 minute ago, Heartofice said:

.. it’s a comic book show!

 

We shouldn't overlook the flaws of something just because we like certain elements of it.   Star Trek 5 was a Star Trek movie.  It doesn't absolve Shatner for his idiotic plot. 

I will say 5 was adorable in a smug little asshole kind of way.  I almost turned off the (2nd?) episode?  But then he went to the Diner and killed those guys. 

[Crazydog7]

2 minutes ago, Martini Sigil said:

You know what they say, Money talks, bullshit walks

 

Damn auto correct you know what I meant. 

[Martini Sigil]

Just now, Crazydog7 said:

Damn auto correct you know what I meant. 

I figured It was either the Chimp, or your great uncle was speaking to you through your inheritance... 

[Heartofice]

20 minutes ago, Crazydog7 said:

 

We shouldn't overlook the flaws of something just because we like certain elements of it.   Star Trek 5 was a Star Trek movie.  It doesn't absolve Shatner for his idiotic plot. 

I will say 5 was adorable in a smug little asshole kind of way.  I almost turned off the (2nd?) episode?  But then he went to the Diner and killed those guys. 

No but it being a comic book movie explains why it has an caricaturish empirical English dude who has a talking chimp.

[karaddin]

I mean, the women hadn't been pregnant before giving birth so I took it as "theyre too freaked out by the whole thing and just wanted the kids gone"