Metaqualler: Generation Kill edition

Newsflash: August is generally a slow month for pop culture! Summer reruns and crappy reality television generally turn all of our brains into mush, especially said brains that don't go out and play as much as the should and stay inside with their programming. Well, thankfully, the fruits of the month of August in the pop culture realm in 2008 have been plentiful, thanks mostly to the conclusion of HBO's stellar miniseries Generation Kill, which ended last night. Don't just take it from me, though -- take it from a wide panel of respected reviewers -- that is, check out Metaqualler's recap!

To review the rules of Metaqualler, I review pop culture from the perspective of myself at the age of 12, at the age of 17, at the age of 21, and my current age 25. Below is how Metaqualler ranks the entirety of Generation Kill, the miniseries. (Very mild spoilers ahead.)

Generation Kill
12-year-old Qualler says:

What's with all these guys talking constantly? I'd like some more war action, like my favorite movie, Batman Forever. "It's the car, right? Chicks love the car." Now there's some quality dialogue! I'm not sure I can follow all of the action or what's going on.
SCORE: 42%

17-year-old Qualler says:

While this is no mind-blowing war movie like Saving Private Ryan, the cinematography is pretty swell. Now, maybe it's just me, but when I watch a movie about war, I'd like to be beaten over the head with the fact that war is a bad, bad thing, and that, you know, you can keep your hand steady when you're shooting at someone but when it's over, your hands shake. Right? I mean, that's a message! What was the message of Generation Kill? That a bunch of guys go to war, yada yada yada, we all learn all of the lingo that goes with being a Marine, we sort of know what it's like to be in combat, all that? Bo-ring! On the other hand, it was like something I've never seen before, like that movie The Thin Red Line that I initially thought was boring but maybe some day I'll watch again and realize how genius it is...

SCORE: 58%

21-year-old Qualler says:

This is so passe. Why can't this miniseries be more overtly political? We all know that the war was a politically strategic mistake! Then again...this cast of young people speaks pretty much directly to my generation. In fact, I at the age of 21 am basically the same age as most of the characters. And, since this is based on a non-fiction reporter's book, these people are real people. And, in fact, like Brad "Iceman" Colbert aptly stated in the final episode, I, a person who does not kill, am at the mercy of those who do kill. That's some cold hard truth to swallow, so I'm going to ignore it and listen to music, instead. Still, I'm going to be haunted by this for a long time. And, I like being haunted.

SCORE: 72%

25-year-old (Modern Day) Qualler says:
Where do I begin? First, I will throw many superlatives toward the general direction of David Simon and Ed Burns. Yes, obviously they are the creators and main writers of The Wire, and if there was any thought that this miniseries might not reach those levels, those thoughts can be put immediately to bed. Sure, the canvas in which they paint in this miniseries (i.e. war) is much more familiar to consumers of film, books, and television than in The Wire (i.e. urban decay), but the way they paint a picture shows more life than much of anything you'll see on television. Simon & Burns know how to immerse a viewer into an unfamiliar world and trust that the viewer will catch on, and when they're through, they hit their message out of the park. The final twenty minutes of Generation Kill elevated the miniseries from "really good war movie" to "outstanding movie about war, and American society and culture, and world politics, and just amazingly constructed in general." Yes, Brigitte, Lady Amy and I had to give it a slow round of applause when the credits to part seven rolled. Needless to say, I can't wait for Simon next project, especially now that both Wendell Pierce AND Clarke Peters, i.e. Bunk and Freamon, are involved. (Does anybody know if Ed Burns is going to be involved, too?)

Second, I have to point out a couple of great performances. Could somebody please give James Ransone a real television series and some acting roles in good movies? As Cpl. Ray Person, you think you have his character pegged at the beginning of the miniseries as the sarcastic, wisecracking dude, but his character's evolution through the series is startling. Great acting job. I also loved Stark Sands as Nathaniel Fick -- a truly great performance as a guy who was not the friendliest of people but had a deep passion for doing the right thing.

In general, this miniseries was something to relish in the lean pop culture months of July and August -- thoughtful, intelligent programming that didn't pander to the lowest common denominator. Bravo, everybody.

SCORE: 104%

This entry was posted by Unknown, on Sunday, August 24, 2008. You can leave your response.