"Peace-Loving General Starts Brawl in U.N., Swiss Intervene"

[meddow]

Movie Rec: I saw In the Loop yesterday and it's the best film I've watched at the movies all year, and also the funniest movie I've watched in longer than that. It's a political satire about a British cabinet minister who after a bit of a gaff about a potential war in the Middle East, finds himself in Washington being used as a puppet by both the anti-war and pro-war portions of the US Government. It's got some of the most glorious and creative insults, threats and curses in cinema history (oh, how I would like to see what the airline version of the film would be like - probably a five minute film of various characters looking at each other). Best character has to be Malcolm Tucker, who is both the villain and the guy you find yourself rooting for just because he has some to the best lines and is the most competent of the bunch, and if you weren't already thinking Peter Capaldi is brilliant after Torchwood, you will be after this.

Plus, it also adds a lot of weight to my current theory that the best things dealing with Iraq are the things in which the word 'Iraq' is never used.

And speaking of Torchwood actors, I was reading that John Barrowman might not be around for series four as he may be on Desperate Housewives, and all I could think of was how this would be brilliant.

I said it in my review of Day Five, but now that the immediate reaction's worn off, I stand by not wanting to see Jack Harkness again. First of all, I think pop culture needs a cull of emo immortals because the 'Everyone I know dies while I stay eternally young, pretty and healthy' thing has been done to death and I am absolutely utterly and truly sick of it.

Secondly, I don't think Barrowman's got the acting chops to really do the devastation to Jack at the end of Day Five justice in a long term sort of capacity. He does a great intergalactic playboy and he did really well for Barrowman in CoE, but I often cringed when it came Jack's big emotional moments through series one and two of Torchwood.

But mostly, I'm just sick of TW!Jack. Doctor Who!Jack was wonderful. I loved him with Nine and adored his appearances with Ten, but he's well and truly dead. I don't think a post-Day 5 Jack could show up on DW unless the write the character so OC the Torchwood watching audiences would throw things. TW!Jack always seemed to me to be a different character because they were trying to peg the fun, action-sidekick into the dark and brooding leader role and managed to mess up what I liked about the character doing it, creating this character I hated because he wasn't the character I loved.

Anyway, the character had gone, his leaving was upsetting, but also it felt right. I hope they don't bring him back. Plus, there's Gwen, Johnson and - if they want to keep it in the family - Alice, who could all act as replacements.

Comments

Vague spoiler

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

I don't think a post-Day 5 Jack could show up on DW unless the write the character so OC the Torchwood watching audiences would throw things.

They might want to start stocking up on things to throw for Christmas.

Re: Vague spoiler

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Oh gods.

Re: Vague spoiler

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

Of course, John Barrowman might've been telling the truth and he was just off to Tesco's in his Captain Jack uniform when he was photographed. *cough*

Re: Vague spoiler

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's the same deal as it is theorised to be with Rose: it's an earlier point in Jack's personal time line than where we last left him.

Although, I could buy John Barrowman doing his grocery shopping as Captain Jack.

Re: Vague spoiler

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that based on the context of who/what/how/where of the spoilers, it's post CoE. I think that's one of the reasons that they made sure to beam him off of the planet and up into space at the end. I also am pretty sure someone (RTD?) said there wouldn't be much (if any) reference made to CoE at the time which is kind of sucky. Not to mention bad continuity. I mean wouldn't the Doctor wonder why Jack was suddenly somewhere else off planet instead of on Earth running Torchwood?

I am at least glad the Rose thing (which there are some definite spolers about) doesn't screw up the continuity further because, honestly, that's that last I want to see of her. Bleah.

I actually can see John running out to Tesco's in his Captain Jack drag, esp if it was in the middle of some kinky game with his husband. LOL (Hell, if I were married to the man, I'd want him to dress up all the time too...)

Re: Vague spoiler

[meddow.livejournal.com]

"So, Jack what are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know. I ran away after I killed an innocent child to save Earth. He was my Grandson. By the way, would have been nice if you had bothered to show up."
*Audience and Doctor shift uncomfortably*

Yeah, that's the thing why they can't bring him back on DW for a cameo, because they can't not reference CoE because it was so massive in terms of Jack's character, but they can't reference it either, not without dredging up a whole pile of angst and detracting away from Ten and Donna who should really be the focus of the episode.

Yeah, I can imagine JB having his costume around for exactly that purpose :)

Re: Vague spoiler

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

re: dialogue...yep. LOL I would pay money to see that included (but we know it won't)

Of course, I also would love to see the Doctor and Jack going off into a corner to out emo-one another and see who is the loneliest god in the universe...

I don't know how they're going to resolve it considering the Doctor really ought to wonder why Jack's suddenly off planet other than for Alonzo Frame's pert arse and Jack ought to be annoyed with the Doctor for not coming in at the last minute to save the world.

Hey, JB's a Pisces. He's got to like playing dress up. ;)

[airie-fairy.livejournal.com]

Peter Capaldi has been great in everything I've seen him in. And that movie sounds fun.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

He's great in everything I've seen him in as well. I really hope he breaks into Hollywood a bit more with In the Loop, coz I'd love to see him in more and bigger roles.

The movie is so much fun. I have to go see it again, because I missed some jokes while I was laughing.

[cromarty.livejournal.com]

Leaving alone the question of Jack Harkness because I mostly agree with you, have you watched In The Thick of It? It's the cast of In The Loop in an Office-style half-hour comedy. Confusingly, some of the characters (Malcolm Tucker and his assistant) have the same names, some don't. It's wonderfully funny - though the more you know about UK politics the funnier it is.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have watched it and loved it. It was really amusing seeing nearly every Thick of It actor show up in In the Loop as some point, even though they were playing different characters.

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about Barrowman. I mean, he's great at the light hearted, closer-to-his-own-personality stuff, but when it comes for him to get his Emo on, I don't really buy it. That said, he about ten times better in CoE than he was in the previous two TW seasons.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Barrowman seems to be very OTT, which is really great for light-hearted but terrible for the moodier stuff. And completely agree with you about his performance in CoE, I was actually surprised by how well he pulled off Day Five. It was understated and worked.