Lazy Film Critic reviews....
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was Joss Whedons first tv series, and the one that put him on the map as someone to keep an eye on. The series follows a young vampire slayer, who's name is Buffy. Pretty straightforward. Amongst vampires, there's also ghosts, werewolves, monsters, witches, demons, and other weird satanic stuff. The show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, as well as Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stuart Head, James Marsters, and Emma Caulfield.
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| When all else fails... Well, a bazooka probably won't. |
As can be expected with a Whedon style show, the highlight of Buffy is its characters. This show is full of them, and this being Joss Whedons only show to last more than a couple of seasons (Agents of Shield is in season 2, we're still holding out on that one), so a lot of characters kind of come and go. You still have the main group, being Buffy, Giles, Willow, and Xander. However, you've also got characters like Spike, Dawn, Faith, Oz, Anya, or Tara who are one the show for a good couple of seasons, but leave a lasting mark in your mind because they're really interesting characters. They're all well written, they all have unique things that make them them, and they each have their own emotional moments, which is especially surprising with the more comic releif characters like Xander or even Willow having really emotional moments here and there.
The action is at the core of what makes Buffy unique. Most tv shows relating to the supernatural or demon stuff rely pretty heavily on CGI, which isn't in any real way a bad thing, it's just common. What Buffy did was it relied almost exclusively on makeup, costumes, and props for its horror effects. Even more impressive is that this show was in that late 90s to early 2000s era, that point in time shortly after Jurassic Park and The Matrix came out, and everybody was using CGI. So the fact that this show stuck (mostly) with low budget makeup practical effects is impressive. Now, obviously with practical effects, sometimes it kinda shows, but with this show it adds to the charm of it all rather than detracts.
When it comes to an overarching plot, Buffy usually ran with one storyline per every season. While some shows stick with an episodic approach right up until the final episodes, and others stick with one storyline for an entire season, Buffy does a little bit of both, having this kind of freak of the week feel, but also adressing that it's connected or at least building up to the season finale. And each season would have its own villain, each with their own style to make them a unique villain. Personal favorite villain, hands down, Mayor Wilkins. This guy had so much energy, and was really charming, and plays one of the most strangely friendly villains I've ever seen, for most of the season.
Final Rating
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best demon related series ever made, and one of the best shows just in general. Me being the big Firefly geek that I am, I can't say it's my favorite Joss Whedon show, but it's way up there. The cast does a great job, the writing is clever, it's a witty show, and it used practical effects during the time when practical effects were pretty much dead. If you like vampires, supernatural things, or quirky characters, I'd say this is without a doubt the show for you.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
5/5
5/5
Tomorrow: The most self-aware horror movie ever made.
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