DEADWOOD - HBO Reunion Movie

Well, there ya go then. You were doomed.

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Pardon my joke in the second paragraph, I play forum prankster perhaps too much.

Now the real story, I did indeed finish the movie and I would say they did a good job making it a coherent stand alone movie for those who have never seen the series. I'm sure having the series under your belt enhances the viewing experience of the stand alone, but I can't say I really felt lost throughout the story.

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Sounds like something Al would do.

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Unfortunately the film was a disappointment to me. Not having watched any of the series episodes, I had no affinity for any of the characters, and without that, the lion's share of them were semi-trite and uninteresting. Some were flat out annoying.

There is so much wrong with this flick that it's easier to point out its few assets. The settings and costuming for the most part were believable and interesting. They obviously went to considerable expense to create a western town with all the usual accoutrements. Some of the acting was good, especially John Hawkes as Sol Star, Leon Rippy as Tom Nutall, Ian McShane as Al Swearengen, William Sanderson as E.B. Farnum, and Keone Young as Mr. Wu. Most of the rest were mediocre to poor, although many must have labored under their dialogue which, although the formal and embellished banter was probably typical of the time, the incessant and grating use of the F word as an adjective in nearly every sentence became like fingernails on a blackboard. Did the writers use it as a failed attempt at comedy, or did they mistakenly transpose today's Hollywood manner of speech and lay it into 19th Century discourse?

I did enjoy the photography, especially many of the camera angles, along with the technique of filming action in one room from the vantage point of another. Nice effects.

The old comedienne "Moms" Mabley once commented about her deceased husband: "Only say good about the dead. He's dead. Good." That's pretty much apropos here.

~Doc

I'm not sure there is much use to see this movie if you weren't a fan of the series. Think of it more like the very final episode of the series, which ended abruptly about 15 years ago. Fans have been clamoring for a wrap-up of some sort since then. This is that wrap-up, giving us closure on these characters (finally).

Also, one of the trademarks of the original series was the crazy overuse of the "F" word everywhere. It was a little jolting in that first episode or two, but then you just got used to it being the adjective/verb/noun of choice. I began to thoroughly enjoy hearing a sort of Shakespearean lilt/cadence to the speech patterns, peppered with vulgarities.

So, criticizing this movie without being familiar with the series might be a little unfair. It wasn't meant to be a standalone movie.

Totally agree. This one (unfortunately for those unfamiliar with the series) was designed to be an end cap of an existing story line rather than a stand alone western. The arcs have already come and gone, for the most part, well before the 10-year time gap that this movie starts with. For example, Mayor Farnum reaches Shakespearean poetry in a few of his monologues back in the series. I can't even imagine seeing Swearengen as he is now, in this movie, for the first time. He is quite literally a husk of his former Machiavellian self. As is Sheriff Bullock. Both are in the shadows of their prime.

I highly recommend the series to anyone who can tolerate language. I would place it well above Breaking Bad in consistence of quality were it not for the lack of a proper series closer. We have that now, I suppose, but that was its only fault.

As to the movie not standing on its own, well, Serenity pulled it off providing both a proper closing door to a loved series as well as a proper free-standing flick. So there is an argument there that I can agree with. With that said, as a fan of the series, please know that this movie is not representative of the whole. This was leftover icing for a cake that has already been presented and devoured. If you can find a slice or two (streaming from HBO GO/NOW apps or probably Amazon Prime), please dig in.

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Definitely agree with all that! I even thought of Serenity as I was writing my previous post! Wasn't Serenity released in theaters, though? That would make it designed more as a standalone, I would guess. Deadwood: The Movie was strictly an HBO venture, so if one could get to the movie, one should be able to get to the original series.

And I think Deadwood (the series) is one of my top favorite shows ever. The odd cadence of the dialogue is marvelous, and yes, some of those monologues were spectacular back in the day. (Swearengen had quite a few.) Honestly, I think HBO accounts for many of my favorites: Deadwood, Six Feet Under (possibly higher than Deadwood for me), Carnivale (ugh, they needed to clip off the last five minutes of the last episode and then it would've been a decent series ending), Rome, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones... so many great shows.

I rewatch the entire three seasons of Deadwood a few times a year, so having the movie now to wrap things up is satisfying. I would've hated the movie if I'd never seen the series. Even my husband -- who watched the original series with me when it was first airing -- fell asleep during the movie. He'd forgotten so much that he wasn't properly invested anymore and couldn't figure out why I was laughing at various lines and situations.

^ agree on all parts. I probably watch the series an average of once a year, myself. Just finished Carnivale a few months back and had forgotten how empty I felt with the last few minutes! I had to chase it with the two-season Rome rewatch for some quick start AND finish. Also, great point on Serenity being a theatrical release. You're absolutely right in that it had to check off a few different items to exist. If you're able to see the Deadwood movie, you probably have access to the series. Yup.

Am I supposed to infer from this thread that GulfportDoc is friends with Keone Young?

Anyway, I dug it. Was definitely the right move to revisit the whole series immediately beforehand (hadn't seen it in years by that point and dimly remembered thinking it was okay enough but I could feel myself starting to lose interest towards the end of season two, though I daresay it holds up better than I recalled). Even the flashbacks wouldn't have been much use to me without the refresher course, plus it was good to be reminded why I liked this show in the first place.

I guess if there is one real problem I have with it, it is obviously that it still feels too short, like parts of it were pieced together from arcs that had to be discarded upon the show's cancellation and also a longer serialised version of what we ultimately got. Then again, I guess it's better to be left wanting more.

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Update:
Last week I started a rewatch of the season run. That may have been the week before if one week sounds a bit obsessive to start and finish all of the episodes! Anyhoo. I finished this weekend and Tuesday I decided to try the movie again. I have to say that the movie plays much better with the season episodes fresh in mind, especially the last three episodes. The movie really plays well as a season finale almost as well as the ones for season one and two. Not quite as good but totally acceptable.

On first watch, I was slightly unsatisfied leaving the arc with Hearst still open having never faced a trial or a solid beating by Seth . BTW, if you have NOT seen the episodes, please do. The tension between a few titan characters that build over entire seasons is just perfect, IMO. And those tensions do release through proper testosterone-driven beat downs when necessary. I'm off point. While slightly disappointed in Hearst's outcome the first time through, I am now much more at peace with it all having refreshed the series. While he may not have a formal closure, he did experience the town's folk turn on him, perhaps showing him that though he clearly feels well above the rabble and all those beneath him (Seth, specifically, having confidently avoided and manipulated any consequence of his ill actions morally and legally), it was the common masses that applied their own justice to Hearst arrogantly assuming he was beyond reach of it. Too, seeing Seth at his crossroads having struggled season after season with his rage recognize it now in himself, in that moment, stepping up beyond the limits he has been bound by most of our time with him was subtle but hopeful. Stopping the mob from doing what he, ten years prior, would have blindly done himself was a proper closure for his chapter. He is a different man with a wife and children. His eyes showed his happiness when his daughter interrupted his dance with Alma just earlier during the wedding. I am satisfied with that. As would Utter, had he lived long enough to see the change in Seth that he so long wished for in his friend, Hickok.

My only real heartache is for Alma. Through all of her struggles she is still alone and possibly now too old for children of her own. That seems quite depressing, considering all that she had endured.

Odd things:
I noticed Swearengen reading the Bible in one of his closing scenes when Trixy paid a visit to him in his bed. WOW what a turn around, huh?

It was interesting how the final scenes were of a mob in the street Seth had to take control of and how similar that was to the very opening scene of the series before Seth and Star moved to deadline.

Finally got to see Deadwood Vol 1, and it set up the inevitable sequel/final quite nicely. As a standalone this may be regarded as a disappointment, but theres too much real history yet to be shown that actually was referred to at one time in a ominous way during the series (I wont spoil it).

Love how the flashbacks were done, so smooth.