ElCamino is fan service executed at a very high level, writes mattzollerseitz
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in El Camino. Photo: Ben Rothstein / Netflix Spoilers below for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. This is a full review of the film, and is intended to be read after you’ve seen it.
Writer-director Gilligan builds El Camino’s plot around Jesse, and his largely reactive presence gives it a different vibe than the series, which focused on a resentful genius who couldn’t shut up. The quietness extends to the production itself, which punctuates bursts of mayhem with long stretches in which we sit back and watch people figure their way out of problems.
Like so many moments in the original series and its prequel, Better Call Saul, Jesse’s nearly Eastwoodian confidence with his granddad’s antique semi-automatic pistol — a .22, a caliber that’s often derided as “a woman’s gun” in old gangster flicks — is best not fact-checked against reality.
Still, between Paul’s raw, anguished work in close-ups and Gilligan’s sure hand at building tension , it’s hard to imagine El Camino failing to satisfy most fans of the series. Although there may be scattered complaints about Gilligan needlessly prolonging a story that he already wrapped up, it’s worth pointing out that Breaking Bad was itself criticized for not pulling the trigger, so to speak, on a decisive and proper ending, instead seemingly trying to be all things to all viewers.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie': TV ReviewVince Gilligan and Aaron Paul jump back into the aftermath of 'Breaking Bad' for a two-hour movie that's fun and often thrilling, but never feels necessary.
Read more »
Aaron Paul Recaps 'Breaking Bad' in Two and a Half Minutes, Talks 'El Camino' on 'Kimmel'The actor quickly summed up five seasons of the AMC series, highlighting moments like 'Walt getting naked in a grocery store' and Paul's Pinkman saying 'bitch' plenty of times.
Read more »
TV Review: ‘El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie’SPOILER ALERT: The following review contains spoilers for “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.” “El Camino,” which begins moments after the events depicted in the 2013 finale of “Breaking Bad,” is sta…
Read more »
‘Breaking Bad’ Movie Review: ‘El Camino’s A Flat Tire That Covers No New GroundSPOILER ALERT: This story contains details of El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which debuted today on Netflix. So, tread lightly. As the title makes clear, Breaking Bad is back today on Netflix an…
Read more »