Wandavision

[bgmnts]

It actually got a 4 star review on the Guardian. Jesus.

How are people just not totally exhausted by this stuff now? Its been like 25 films in a decade.

Anyone here seen it and liked it?

[olliebean]

Not seen it yet, but from what I've seen (trailers, articles) this seems to be a fair bit different from the usual Marvel fare, which might help mitigate the Marvel fatigue.

[AsparagusTrevor]

How are people just not totally exhausted by this stuff now? Its been like 25 films in a decade.

Why aren't people exhausted by soaps? There's been like thousands of episodes in a decade. Why aren't people exhausted by football? There's been like thousands of matches in a decade.
It's weird how people stay interested in their interests, isn't it?

[Custard]

Halfway through the first episode I'm finding this a chore. The quirky 50's stuff just doesn't make me laugh, and is actually really annoying

Hopefully it starts getting weird soon

[sevendaughters]

Halfway through the first episode I'm finding this a chore. The quirky 50's stuff just doesn't make me laugh, and is actually really annoying

that's what they said about Heil Honey I'm Home but people are still talking about it nearly 30 years later!

[C_Larence]

Just finished the second episode. Didn't know anything about it going in, can't say I know anymore now. That's ok, I'll still keep watching that garbage. 

[Custard]

It's like Marvel meets Black Mirror, but blimey these first two episodes are hard going

GET WEIRD QUICKER PLEASE

Phwoar corner: Elizabeth Olsen is well lovely. Swoon

[bgmnts]

Why aren't people exhausted by soaps? There's been like thousands of episodes in a decade. Why aren't people exhausted by football? There's been like thousands of matches in a decade.
It's weird how people stay interested in their interests, isn't it?

I'd say the few soaps on telly and sport is a bit different to massive oversaturation of a franchise in a very short space of time, but yeah its a fair point, why aren't people bored to fuck of watching the same telly show and thick millionaires kick a ball around every week?

[Lord Mandrake]

Really enjoyed those first two episodes, the actors are so engaging in this context. Two of my least favourite marvel characters instantly elevated. The slow burn works for me, they sprinkle the weirdness just enough that when realisations occur it feels earned and very queasy.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

The first two episodes did drip feed the mystery a bit slowly perhaps. It might have been a bigger issue if I'd had to wait a week for the second one. Luckily, the leads have charisma to burn and I found the sitcom antics fun in their own right. Plus, the moments of weirdness were effective when they did seep in. I got Lynchian vibes from the dinner scene.

[lazyhour]

It actually got a 4 star review on the Guardian. Jesus.

How are people just not totally exhausted by this stuff now? Its been like 25 films in a decade.

Anyone here seen it and liked it?

Marvel comics, and many of the characters within them, have been around for over 70 years. Why is it bothering you so much? Is it depression? I suffer from depression too and it can make one irrationality angry about things that don't warrant it.

[Lord Mandrake]

Bettany seems to be channeling Frank Spencer.

[bgmnts]

Marvel comics, and many of the characters within them, have been around for over 70 years. Why is it bothering you so much? Is it depression? I suffer from depression too and it can make one irrationality angry about things that don't warrant it.

Probably.

I just want new things, new things that aren't crap.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Marvel comics, and many of the characters within them, have been around for over 70 years. Why is it bothering you so much? Is it depression? I suffer from depression too and it can make one irrationality angry about things that don't warrant it.

Didn't you hear? There's been two films a year - or thereabouts - for just over a decade. Two!

Of course, I'm just saying this because I'm a filthy shill for the Disney industrial complex.

[bgmnts]

To be fair no explanation of why I find all this shit to be a bit crushing personally will be enough but I'm never going to not be annoyed at it.

[Pseudopath]

The first two episodes did drip feed the mystery a bit slowly perhaps. It might have been a bigger issue if I'd had to wait a week for the second one. Luckily, the leads have charisma to burn and I found the sitcom antics fun in their own right. Plus, the moments of weirdness were effective when they did seep in. I got Lynchian vibes from the dinner scene.

Pretty much exactly what I was going to say. I actually thought the pace was spot-on (mainly because I was enjoying the 50's vibe so much and the gags are genuinely funny), but I can imagine a lot of MCU fans zoning out pretty quickly. Olsen and Bettany are ludicrously magnetic.

[JamesTC]

Big budget film set in the 50s/60s which has then been turned full screen, B&W and had a laugh track added over it. It isn't bad but it feels shallow.

Should have made the bulk of it multi-cam with an audience and a director with experience of multi-cam sitcoms. Would have been cheaper and looked all the more authentic for it.

EDIT: Apparently parts of it were filmed in front of a studio. It really doesn't feel like it to me.

[Mister Six]

Apparently parts of it were filmed in front of a studio.

What, in the car park? Ho ho ho.

I'm a fan of the MCU films and even I was put off by the thought of all these fucking Marvel shows, but if it gets a good response on here I might give it a crack. The slow pace worries me though. I don't want to waste 13 hours of my life watching 6 hours of story. It's why I gave up on so many Netflix shows.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

According to Wikipedia, it's nine episodes and they're only half an hour each. It could still drag if they keep repeating the same basic formula of the first two episodes, but it's not much of a time sink.

[BritishHobo]

I'm a big old exhausted-by-Marvel contrarian who's found the franchise to be repetitive and boring since the first Thor - and I'm absolutely loving this. It feels for the first time (even accounting for entries I did enjoy, like Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther and Captain Marvel) that they're actually doing something really different and interesting in every sense. It's a lovely idea, and I'm quite happy with the pace, especially knowing that it's a one-off miniseries. I'm really enjoying the sustained structure of presenting whole episodes of the 'sitcom', with little bits of weirdness creeping in. Quite looking forward to seeing it gradually unfold and reveal itself.

Besides, if they keep to what they've done so far, and each episode

Spoiler alert

moves forward to the next 'era' of sitcoms

[close]

then each episode should still have a lot of fun, distinct things going on even outside of the larger story that I presume will develop.

[Custard]

More on the episode runtimes and other tidbits here https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/scifi/2021-01-15/wandavision-director-finale-easter-eggs/amp/

Bettany says that the last episode is feature length and a full on MCU film https://screenrant.com/wandavision-show-ending-mcu-action-movie/

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I'm a big old exhausted-by-Marvel contrarian who's found the franchise to be repetitive and boring since the first Thor - and I'm absolutely loving this. It feels for the first time (even accounting for entries I did enjoy, like Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther and Captain Marvel) that they're actually doing something really different and interesting in every sense.

Yes, I don't really get bgmnts objections, when (so far, anyway) it's nothing like the rest of the MCU or superhero stuff in general.

That's not to say it's all that original. My Name Is Earl did a multi episode arc that was very similar. There's shades of Pleasantville too.

[The Culture Bunker]

I'm not going to make out it's some dynamic new form, but I enjoyed it. I noted the Sword logo on the top helicopter but wondered if it being in Iron Man colours relevant, and whether the fake-ending thing in the second episode related to something from the MCU that I'd missed. Olsen and Bettany are great together.

[Mister Six]

According to Wikipedia, it's nine episodes and they're only half an hour each. It could still drag if they keep repeating the same basic formula of the first two episodes, but it's not much of a time sink.

Ooh that's a bit more bearable. I'm in.

[BritishHobo]

Yes, I don't really get bgmnts objections, when (so far, anyway) it's nothing like the rest of the MCU or superhero stuff in general.

That's not to say it's all that original. My Name Is Earl did a multi episode arc that was very similar. There's shades of Pleasantville too.

Indeed. And even outside of the '50s theme, a lot of other shows have used the idea of retreating back into simpler, broader TV shows - Scrubs did it with their Cheers-inspired episode, Community did it with GI Joe.

I think I'm just happy they're doing something that's visually and thematically different to their own usual formula. It's a huge breath of fresh air when compared to the moody, stodgy Netflix shows they ultimately gave up on. I hope it keeps it up.

[madhair60]

How are people just not totally exhausted by this stuff now?

dunno and it's hilarious how defensive people get about it.

dgmw I thought most of the MCU films were alright, some pretty good. it is all fucking crap though. total fucking rinse. the kind of films where people say "uhh, okaaay?" and "wait; what??" and "uh, so i guess THAT'S a thing now...!"

[Magnum Valentino]

It's dreadfully framed. Sets look grand, black and white is black and white and 4:3 aye surely, but it doesn't look like TV from that time at all. Camera's far too far away from the actors, too much space above their heads. It's enough to pull me out of it, because the whole conceit of the first two episodes is this bit that it's an old sitcom and they haven't committed to it the same way Inside No 9 did when they hired an old guy that had shot on video to get their Christmas episode to look right.

I'll watch it though, I'm intrigued to what extent it'll crib from For The Man Who Has Everything and like youse have said those two lead actors are very watchable and have good chemistry.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

whether the fake-ending thing in the second episode related to something from the MCU that I'd missed.

I've seen speculation that the

Spoiler alert

beekeeper

[close]

could be a sitcomised version of an

Spoiler alert

A.I.M. bloke.

[close]

This has reminded me that I still have the last two series of Legion to watch.

[lazyhour]

It's dreadfully framed. Sets look grand, black and white is black and white and 4:3 aye surely, but it doesn't look like TV from that time at all. Camera's far too far away from the actors, too much space above their heads. It's enough to pull me out of it, because the whole conceit of the first two episodes is this bit that it's an old sitcom and they haven't committed to it the same way Inside No 9 did when they hired an old guy that had shot on video to get their Christmas episode to look right.

I don't think I agree - I just did a Google image search for I Love Lucy and the framing and distance looks authentic to me.

[Magnum Valentino]

Could be a depth of field issue or something. There's just something that I'm not articulate enough about photography to describe that doesn't wash.