I wanted to open this with the video so I can talk about something...Aging and such.
See, with my mom eariler tonight I rewatched the entirety of the Vyce arc and well, it aged well. I mean really well. As in, everything that I enjoyed back then I enjored now with just as much love if not more. This is interesting because of my feelings about the CA anniversary specials have been lowered as time went on. I think I might know why this is and if you’ll bear with me I can examine it.
See, first of all is the behind the scenes information. As of late, it’s becoming harder for me to not watch the anniversary specials and not think of things like Orlando almost breaking his neck, the selfishness of the Walkers, their stupidity, and other failings of the behind the scenes. IT also doesn’t help that the story got weaker thanks in no small part to the fourth film. In TBF the horror stories are even worse and the tales of incompetance are legendary. But, you don’t need my word for it. Just look up Lupa and the others and they can say it.
The Vyce arc, and indeed a lot of the other story lines don’t have those skeletons. Even the movie doesn’t. Call it luck of the draw or how Linkara was really working alone for a lot of it, bu the point is that I can go back and watch it without thinking about how 90′s kid was treated like slime or how Harvey was talked into playing a rape scene with Pollo.
And please for the love of Celestia on high do not tell me there is a fic like that.
However, I believe I would be mistaken if I think that a horrifying backstory was my only problem with the specials. I think, another thing that can help the films vs the AT4W plots is that, well, if I were to be honest with myself, I think Linkara is just a better story teller with a better handle on what it means to be a character. I find this odd because I have read somewhere that Doug is more of a character person while Rob (his frequent partner) is plot centric. Sadly, I find this to be less beliveably the more often I go back to TBF and others. I mean, Doug is good at looking at characters all right, himself.
Let’s not forget, there are frequent stories of how Doug would want the characters to be played as he would play them. Often with just, “Ehhh just do it.” So, Linkara is turned meaner because that is how the critic would act, Brad is more desprate because that is how Doug would write him. While Kickassia was less obivious in this aspect, it gets worse as the films go on to where there are hints of it in SK and you could easily replace each guy with Doug in TBF and you would never notice the difference!
Linkara isn’t like that. Not only is there a feeling of actual effort into making the characters feel themselves, but a better empahsis on character in general. Tvtropes keeps talking about how the NC grew and how he obiviously had effects of the films on him through the other reviews or how he wanted to be a daddy on reviews after SK. Well, I would love to know where all of that is because I SURE AS HELL DONT SEE IT!! Linkara I can tell has grown, has changed, and has become better through his experiences in his adventures.
Not only is there a better focus on him as a character, but the plot is more focused. As there is a lot of growth and the character feels like he actually does something. Hell, if you were to compare the two, then you would ask yourself...whos the better hero.
Film Brain: Well, I can’t think of anybody better to lead us than you critic.
Critic: You are only saying it because Linkara isn’t here.
When I watch an AT4W story, I feel more engaged and more entertained than I do one of the NCs. Again, because I feel like Linara is a better character and Lewis has a better handle on a story.
I’ll probably come up wiht more later, but hey...its been 10 years for Linkara, while CA also had the same thing. LEts get to anylizing shall we?
