by Jennifer Drewett
There are some people who come into the spotlight of fame as soon as their career begins. Others have been working tirelessly for years and their fame grows over time and they establish an arguably more grounded career. One such person is a man who needs very little introduction in the nerd world.
For those who’ve been living in a cave with their eyes shut and their fingers in their ears, Joss Whedon is something of an idol to some people including most of the I’m With Geek staff for some of his work. His best known work is the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the story of a young woman fated to fight the forces of Evil and protect the world. Whilst this reviewer could go on about Buffy for hours, this is the Film Essentials section. Throughout his work, Whedon has a knack for doing excellent character-based writing. His penchant for killing off loved characters has been compared to Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin.
To celebrate the upcoming release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, let’s discuss some of the films Whedon has been involved in either writing or directing and why you should go see them (if you haven’t already!)
There are some people who come into the spotlight of fame as soon as their career begins. Others have been working tirelessly for years and their fame grows over time and they establish an arguably more grounded career. One such person is a man who needs very little introduction in the nerd world.
For those who’ve been living in a cave with their eyes shut and their fingers in their ears, Joss Whedon is something of an idol to some people including most of the I’m With Geek staff for some of his work. His best known work is the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the story of a young woman fated to fight the forces of Evil and protect the world. Whilst this reviewer could go on about Buffy for hours, this is the Film Essentials section. Throughout his work, Whedon has a knack for doing excellent character-based writing. His penchant for killing off loved characters has been compared to Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin.
To celebrate the upcoming release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, let’s discuss some of the films Whedon has been involved in either writing or directing and why you should go see them (if you haven’t already!)
Serenity
Let’s kick off with the film sequel to the ever popular television series Firefly which FOX will never be forgiven for cancelling. The film is set after the events of the final episode of Firefly and it tells the story of the Serenity crew who are on the run from an assassin sent to recapture River and her brother Simon who are hiding from the totalitarian government. It’s a journey of a film that is worth taking whether you’re a Firefly fan or not. Whedon does a great job in getting us enveloped in the journeys of the characters which makes the losses and victories all the more powerful.
Toy Story
We all know the plot of Toy Story that revolves around toys that secretly come to life when humans aren’t around. Most people of our generation grew up on these movies and fell in love with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Slinky et al on their adventures together. So what is it doing on this Essentials article? Joss Whedon was one of the script writers on the first Toy Story film who reportedly created the character Rex the dinosaur. Whilst this isn’t a project he headed alone there are definite elements in the film’s writing that would become repeated motifs in Whedon’s later work.
Much Ado About NOthing
Whedon would frequently have friends round during the time he was making Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and they would recite Shakespeare together for fun. Fast forward to 2012 and a whole bunch of people who habitually work with Whedon including Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker and Fran Kranz came together to create a modernised version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. A lush adaptation set in modern times entirely in black and white, this play is relatively faithful to the original text. Whedon does a great job of bringing to life a 500 year old play to a contemporary setting.
The Cabin In The Woods
This sleeper hit tells the story of five teenagers who head off to a cabin in the woods for a fun weekend of drinking and debauchery. They arrive only to find all sorts of horrors awaiting them which are not what they appear to be. On the outset the film appears to be a standard teen horror flick that gives us the same old jump scares and cliches that most other horror films give. What we actually get is a film that takes the expectations of a horror film and flushes them down the toilet. It’s very hard to explain why one should see Cabin In The Woods without outright spoiling the film but it’s most definitely something that is a highly recommended watch. Whedon’s writing is as tight and witty here as it was when his career began.
Avengers Assemble
There is no way one could survive writing an Essentials on Joss Whedon and not mention The Avengers. Most people are aware of the story but for those who don’t already know here’s a rundown: when a volatile power known as tesseract is stolen by Loki from the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D to rule the world it’s down to the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye brought together by Nick Fury to save the world. An all star cast with excellent production value and intense imagery, Whedon doesn’t disappoint at the helm of this multi-million franchise that thrills from start to finish.
What Do You Think?
In Your Eyes, are these the best Joss Whedon films?
Or is there something beneath like the lost city of Atlantis?
Let us know in the comments below!
Avengers: Age of Ultron is out in cinemas now! Read Cookie's Review Now
Or is there something beneath like the lost city of Atlantis?
Let us know in the comments below!
Avengers: Age of Ultron is out in cinemas now! Read Cookie's Review Now
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