Welcome to Marvel Cinematic Tuesday, where we watch a movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Today, we’re going to talk about Marvel’s The Runaways. I know I’m a day late, but the AC went out in my house. If you live in the super humid deep south or the scalding desert, you know that you do not want to move or think without air conditioning. I did not blog , do homework, anything. I just sat super still in the dark, trying not to overheat. Enough of my HVAC issues, let’s talk Marvel.
Today is a bit different because we are out of major Marvel movies until (sigh) Ant-Man and Wasp. So, I decided to watch one of Marvel’s shows. Of course, I could’ve gone with one Marvel’s Netflix shows like Jessica Jones or Luke Cage. But, I wanted something apart from the Defenders. So I decided on The Runaways on Hulu, created by Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz.
Marvel’s The Runaways’ Premise Isn’t Bad
For this discussion, I’m going to do a compliment sandwich. The first slice of bread is a compliment. As far as the premise goes, I do not hate it. You have a bunch of kids who grew up together and are best friends. When one of the crew dies, they go their separate ways. They reunite one night over pizza only to discover their parents are in a cult of some sort doing weird murder-y things. As they try to find out what the hell their parents are into, they learn that some of them have powers. One glows, one has super strength, one can handle a high-tech witch’s staff, one had high-tech gloves, and one can speak to a dinosaur. Yes, I said dinosaur. Oh, then there’s the guy who can use a computer.
While unfolding the parents’ secrets they are pitted against the ambitious Jonah (Julian McMahon), who has incredible powers. You see, the story isn’t bad. It feels like a comic book story with the secrets and the powers and whatnot. It’s not super compelling, but it’s not terrible.
The Pacing
Guys, the pacing of this show is extremely slow. If I wasn’t suffering from insomnia the other night, I probably would have never finished it. There are ten episodes in the first season and it didn’t pick up the pace until around episode six. This is not the first time one of the television shows drag out the story, Jessica Jones is the same way. I know you have ten episodes to flesh out the story, but if you want to hold the audience’s attention you need to get to the point a little faster. I would rather have six or eight strong episodes than ten episodes that take my entire life to get to the good stuff.
When we do get there…
When we finally pick up the pace, it gets pretty interesting. The kids find out the Jonah is responsible for everything that is going wrong in their lives. They discover that their parents are under Jonah’s thumb, especially glow girl’s mom who is in love with Jonah (we learn that Jonah is glow girl’s father). I like watching the kids trying to take Jonah out and try to survive in a situation where the odds are stacked against them. It reminds me of Persona 5, you have adults who suck, and kids that with powers trying to do the right thing. I’m kind of interested to know the kid’s next steps (if there is a season two).
Wrapping it up
Overall, Marvel’s The Runaways is okay. If they can work on that pacing for season two, it may be a great show. If you have insomnia or a hangover day, give it a shot. It doesn’t get good until episode six, so if you doze in and out during the earlier episodes, you’re fine.
Well, that’s it for today! Next MC Tuesday, we will watch 1 of 1: Genesis. It’s on Netflix if you’re interested. Until then, tomorrow is Anime Thursday. Today’s my one-year blog-a-versary. We will take a look back at the past year of Couch Cruisin’. Sunday, I will respond to a Unique Blogger Award nomination. So I will see you tomorrow!
Couch Cruisin' 