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Into the Badlands

7.7/ 10

42 min

Comments

gumstarr • 14 December 2015, 22:06

A while ago, with a half-empty bag for shoe work and earplugs against the snoring of the colossus next to me, I was on a plane to New York to watch the sets of Daredevil (season 2) and Luke at the invitation of Netflix. Cage to visit. Indeed, Luke Cage. That trained demigod from Jessica Jones may also shake some bad guys solo in 2016 from Netflix in his own show. How nice is that ?! As if looking into the kitchen of the Godfather of Super Heroes, Marvel, wasn't cool enough, there was also a press card ready for ComicCon, the fair for nerds like Sheldon, Raj and other adults who still go to bed every night in their Spiderman. pajamas. It started with some first edition comics, which could only be removed from the foil with white gloves, now ComicCon is also the place for gamers, cosplayers and series fetishists like myself. Spread over the weekend, all the major networks lift a tip of the veil when it comes to the new productions for the upcoming series season and that of course made me very horny. Especially when I saw that AMC was going to make a good impression under a loud drum roll with Into The Badlands, a series that is very high on my “OMG-why-this-can't-yesterday-already-because-I-have-so - very-hungry-for-this ”list. Into The Badlands comes partly from the case of Smallville's spiritual father, Miles Millar, and is set some five hundred years in the future. On the AMC timeline, that is therefore dead after Rick & co have once finished exterminating all those zombies in The Walking Dead. Nature has taken over the world again in an almost Chernobylesque way and in this somewhat alienating setting humanity tries to make the best of it. Seven families have taken over the most important (food) resources and thus breathe new life into the feudal loan system. Each family controls one resource and needs an army of clippers (not that LA basketball team, but some kind of ninjas) to protect their belongings from outside danger. They do this with fist and sword, because what Obama just does not want to succeed in The Badlands was immediately adopted after one general meeting, pistols are out of the question. When the clipper di tutti clippers Sunny rescues a rather confused boy from the hands of a bunch of outlaws during one of his patrols, a special relationship develops between the two that completely turns Sunny's world upside down. During the presentation of Into The Badlands at ComicCon, AMC tickled the hungry audience with a fight scene from the first episode, in which the red-haired Baroness The Widow in the local bar makes short work of a bit of boosted testosterone. A teaser that only raised expectations. After (slight) AMC disappointments like Turn, Fear The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul, could this finally be a hit again like Breaking Bad and Mad Men? It seemed it would. Cool sets, beautiful costumes, an interesting plot, dynamic camera work and punch and kick work that wouldn't look out of place in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. What a pleasure we were going to enjoy here! Well, not really. A few months and episodes later, I am afraid we have to conclude that AMC fell into the same trap with Into The Badlands as Netflix did with Marco Polo at the time. No expense has been spared to give the viewer an orgasm in front of the retina (and they have succeeded with flying colors), but the content is rattling on all sides. The story is full of clichés… The frustrated son who cannot live up to his father's expectations; the ruthless murderer, who suddenly turns out to have a conscience, the tricky child prodigy, who only needs some guidance from a father figure, it's all there. Not bad in itself, but at least do it right. Instead, we are saddled with a wafer-thin storyline and a cast that is, to say the least, little memorable. The only two whose names I will remember in three months' time are Madeleine Mantock and Marton Csokas. Mantock, because I haven't seen such a ridiculously beautiful woman in a long time and Csokas, because as Baron Quinn he puts on an even more annoying voice than Christian Bale in The Dark Knight. Maybe it's because AMC has only planned six episodes for the first season and that therefore there is simply not enough time to let all facets of the story come to fruition. Into The Badlands has been extended with a second season, so let's hope there is more time and space to look at content in addition to form, because this season it is still… Looks a 9, talks a 5.5. www.gumstarr.com

6Translated from Dutch.

BadWolf • 2 December 2015, 06:52

This series really gets you from the start. Was immediately fascinated to watch and immediately watched the other available episodes. Unfortunately only 3 episodes have been broadcast. Those who like beautiful (sword) fighting styles should definitely look at this.

5Translated from Dutch.

ThomasNL92 • 7 December 2015, 23:08

7.4

A very interesting series. Catchy from the start as BadWolf said. Clearly one of the better ones this winter and Daniel Wu is the right main character for this!

2Translated from Dutch.