It's in your TV: Outsourced

There is very little that can really be said about Outsourced, either good or bad. In terms of plot and comedy style it’s formulaic and unimaginative. The premise of the show involves an American sales manager, Todd Dempsy (Rappaport), who due to (vague and irrelevant) situational factors is forced to move to India to work at a call centre in the business of selling American novelties. Why he does this and how come uprooting overnight and leaving his current life behind was so easy will remain a mystery to the audience. 

I considered the lack of characterisation of the protagonist to be a major flaw of the show. If the writers can’t be bothered to give the main character a backstory, or at least explain the motivations behind his actions, how (or why) is the audience supposed to understand (care) about what he does or doesn’t do? I get that this is a light comedy show but the reductive characterization is evidence of poor and lazy writing.

            To expand a bit on my previous point, the main annoyance of this show that never goes away is the main character, not the actor, but the role itself. I don’t know if Todd’s lack of personality was intentional, to be a blank slate on whom the viewer can superimpose themselves, or it was simply bad writing (I’m inclined to believe the latter), but the results is the same. The nondescript, naïve but ever-learning protagonist adds a very obnoxious element of the show; they even gave the tall, silent guy more character.

That could be overlooked if it was the show’s only shortcoming, but it isn’t. The main (only) source of comedy for the show is the constant culture clash between Todd’s American way of life and Indian culture. A basic episode can be summed up as follows: Todd does/says something ignorant and insensitive (i.e. he sees his co-workers doing something different than what he is used to, therefore it is wrong and must be corrected), everyone is outraged, Todd tries to fix things only to make matters worse, after a two minute conversation at the end of an episode years of closed minded and prejudicial upbringing is undone, Todd learns something new and everyone is happy. Then they break into song! (kidding) 

The ever-present culture difference is also emphasized by Bader’s character Charlie Davies who serves as the in-house outspoken, ignorant, and occasionally racist best friend and Tonya [no last name] the overtly sexual and uninhibited aussie who serves to illustrate the difference in female attitude and culture (I also think she serves to fill a quota on sexual innuendos and mini-skirts; not that I’m complaining). 

Despite some bad press, I do not find the show to be overly offensive or blatantly racist with respect to the humour and stereotypes it portrays (although there have been some exceptions). My opinion is that this interpretation comes from the bland, boring, and basic plots which make it appear that way. The cast in general is made up of colourful, diverse and likeable individuals, who on occasion end up making a pleasurable and fun viewing experience. I’m inclined to believe that the sheer number of characters was done to balance out their vague and severely underwritten roles, but hopefully that will result in some on-screen flexibility regarding storylines.

Although the main theme has been the same throughout the show thus far, it does give clear indication that it is making changes based on the criticisms it has received, which it should be commended for as very few shows ever do this (successfully).

            This is the type of show that at the moment is right on the edge. It’s not terrible enough that I can make a firm assertion supporting not watching it, especially since there seem to be very few watchable shows at the moment, but it’s also not polished enough that is can give it a positive recommendation. My final pronouncement: it’s not bad, but it’s also not memorable.

SMBC - Spermy life

All the questions of the universe have been answered.


[link] http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2216#comic

Filmus Criticus: Tucker & Dale vs Evil

Best to think of it as Deliverance combined with The Man with One Red Shoe

  This movie should be considered a rarity in modern cinema. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a horror comedy that I not only enjoyed, but can actually praise. “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” is what I can only describe as comedic genius. It manages to accomplish what very few movies of this genre have: to successfully combine horror movie cliche with witty satire.

The story follows two hillbillies, Tucker (Tudyk) and Dale (Labine), on vacation to their recently purchased vacation home in the woods who, through no real fault of their own, get taken for psychopathic killers by a group of (entitled and judgemental) teenagers.

The main story starts after, while out fishing, Tucker and Dale stumble upon Allison (the female lead played by Katrina Bowden) while she is undressing to take a night swim in the lake. She gets startled by the two, slips, falls, bangs her head and ends up unconscious in the water only to be rescued by the heroic and kind-hearted Dale. The boys proceed to call out to her friends in the hopes they will come to her aid, but Dale’s call for assistance, “We have yer friend!”, is misconstrued as a warning that the psychopaths have captured Allison and that they are next. What follows is entertainment gold, and I recommend you go watch it to see what happens next.

“Misunderstandings” basically sum up everything that happens from the point the two protagonists first cross paths with the group of teenagers, to all the accidental, but hilarious tragedies that follow.

Overall, the story is well constructed and the characters are very well crafted. On one side we have the clumsy, socially awkward, and shy Dale and his best friend the pessimistic, and slightly arrogant Tucker (who is arguably just as dumb), on the other we have the douchebagiest, dial-turned-to-11, Chad (Moss), who due to a personal vendetta against all things hillbilly, decides that he must wage a one-man war against them; mind you he doesn’t do it to “rescue” the girl, he does it because he’s a self-deluded sociopath. This role reversal is more than just amusing to watch, its use of exaggerating the reflex reactions people generally have towards individuals that they find abnormal makes the story that much more compelling. It’s also really fun to watch the story unfold from both perspectives. The teenagers misconstrue every encounter with Tucker and Dale as confirmation of just how sick and disturbed the two are and of the danger they are in. While the boys are scared and confused at seeing, what they interpret as, “a bunch of college kids runnin’ around killin’ themselves”. It should be mentioned that Bowden does a decent portrayal of a misunderstood intellectual trapped in the body of a cheerleader, although some of her dialogue is as emotive as Hannibal Lecter.

The attention to detail and in-setting comedy is what gives this movie its edge, as it creates a nuanced comedic landscape. I found it quite amusing how the vacation house that Tucker bought seems to have been previously inhabited by an actual serial killer. That combined with the use of references and homages paid to the horror movies that were the source of its inspiration, which are made tastefully and do not overwhelm the audience, only serve to add to the overall plot.

 To make a movie like this work you need more than an interesting premise or large amounts of flimsy dressed co-eds, you need quality acting. (That’s not to say that there aren’t any flimsy dressed co-eds running around). What I consider to be the crucial element that made this movie so fun to watch was the spot-on comedic deliveries by Tucker and Dale. Their pseudo-philosophical back-and-forths about society and the current generation added a dimension to the characters that is rarely seen in horror-comedy movies. (But the creative and hilarious death scenes didn’t hurt either.)

The only criticism that I have for this movie is the overextended third act involving the heroic rescue of Allison. The movie should have ended after the cabin fire scene, continuing from that point wasn’t fatale to the movie’s plot but it did nothing to add to the overall story or the characters. It’s not a huge drawback, as it manages to keep a consistent tone throughout the whole movie, but I felt I had to criticise something.

Not to be questioned for its lack of educational worth, the movie also teaches us the valuable lesson of not judging other people based on appearance, preconceived notions and stereotypes. (It also confirms a long standing theory of mine that popped-collar, teenage douchbags are usually sociopaths.)

 [pro] highly entertaining; great acting; funny and smart.

 [con] a bit long; and some of the scenes are poorly edited.

I read it, should you?- Daken: Dark Wolverine #07

Daken’s plans have finally come to fruition. For the past few issues Daken has conspired against the (now former) ruler of Madripoor, Tyger Tiger, and with a few well-placed moves he has managed to take full control, and placed Tiger as his figurehead so that he may continue to play puppet master from the shadows. All while conducting secretive experiments involving a healing factor, and a yet unrevealed chess piece. This issue also starts off the Daken/X-23 crossover that “we have all been waiting for” (nb. sarcasm). Lots of good stuff, full of suspense, now lets hope they don’t screw it up.

It is refreshing to see that the writers at Marvel have decided to keep the characterization of Daken that had made him so popular during Dark Reign, because to be honest I wouldn’t have been able to stand another Wolverine wanabe running around the 616 (*cough* X-23). I was, as I think most people were, sceptical of the practicality of extending the Wolverine family to include a rebellious, and psychopathic, son, but I grew to enjoy the personality traits that separate Daken from the rest of his “family”. He embodies all the traits we know Wolverine has, but rarely get to see, like intellectual prowess, tactical skills, and the ability to manipulate anyone to his advantage. The fact that we see Daken being more calculative and cerebral in his actions makes for a more enjoyable read, than simply assuming that he gets the upper hand on his adversaries because he is “the best there is at what he does”.

The issue itself wasn’t all that impressive, compared to what we have come to expect from Dark Wolverine. It lacked the subtext filled sharp dialogue, which is characteristic of Daken, and it did not have as much excitement or suspense as the last few issues. Granted, that this was an end to a story-arc (Empire), and may not have allowed for the story to grow as such, but it did make for a good read, as well as providing an adequate conclusion to Daken’s plans of controlling Madripoor. (I also quite enjoyed the scene where Tiger pronounce her full control of Madripoor, and we see Daken walk away with a great big smirk, providing a little dramatic irony for the reader.)

My primary reason for reviewing this X-book is that I consider there is great potential for this character, and I wanted to provide future readers with a good issue to start with if they are interested in the exploits of Wolverine’s, more accomplished progeny (although I highly suggest reading Dark Reign and Seige to get a proper feel for the character). 

As I see it, this is a make-or-break moment for this particular character. The writers have two options available for Daken’s future in the 616. Option one: they isolate the character, keeping him out of the main storylines that Marvel is working on, and allow him to grow as an individual, unrestrained by all the politics that would be involved about who he could beat-up, outsmart, or kill if he went mainstream (a good example of this is Daredevil; well, that is until the Shadowland arc). Option two: Daken slowly becomes a prominent figure in the Marvel bad guy roster, edging his way up to the ranks of Norman Osborn, or maybe more appropriately, Wilson Fisk.  At the moment I just hope that the writers don’t plan on doing a 180 and having Daken sacrifice himself in the future in a cliche, heroic redemption plot. Either way, the character has great potential, Daken: Dark Wolverine is turning out to be a good addition to the X-books family (although not yet at the level of X-factor or Uncanny X-men), and he seems to be collecting a nice and ever-growing fanbase.