Buffy The Vampire Slayer

N

Neisha

New member
Having never seen this movie before, I decided to have a peak at it on BBC1 earlier tonight, and it was as bad as I expected, but I couldn't help thinking Kristy Swanson made a far better Buffy than Sarah Michelle Gellar.

I have never watched much of the TV show either, but it seemed to me that Swanson had the right kind of attitude and look, and she was far more athletic and could kick, jump, and punch as well as any female action hero.

Gellar, on the other hand, is like a less attractive, but equally dull, version of Cat Deeley. She's literally the poster girl for how to run, punch, and kick like a girl, and she has never been a believable action hero to me.
 
I'd agree with the comments you made about Sarah Michelle Geller (although you'll probably have legions of her fans arguing it, lol) but I can't agree with you about Swanson being the better action hero. The "action" in the BTVS movie was ridiculous. Too static, too slow and there was far too much use of that ridiculous cartwheel.
 
Don't get me wrong, I thought the action in the movie was very uninspired, but Swanson looked capable and athletic doing what was asked of her, where Gellar would have been outright embarressing.
 
Agree with you on this one TenaciousG. I got to the end of this and thought that Swanson would actually have made a really good Buffy even in the TV series which had much better effects/fight sequences and story lines.

You know aside from ridiculous looking vampires & crap fights this film never really jumps the shark until the last act, which is diabolical. The awfulness kicks off around the bit where Paul Reubens vampire won't lie down and then it all just gets incredibly silly. As the TV series proved there was a damn good film in there trying to get out.
 
I don't know, the lab results aren't back yet.

Doubt it.

Nah.

Yes, but that's got nothing to do with Swanson. Anyway, thanks for weighing in with those insightful comments.

I didn't watch it all the way to the end, but it certainly would have been interesting to see what Swanson would have been like with a proper script and director. I wonder if she was ever considered for the TV show? She might have been too old for it, though, but she should have at least been used as a villain, if only for the fun of seeing the real Buffy spank Gellar :)
 
No there wasn't...when Buffy is told she is the slayer there is a character much like Merrick who tells her however he is only shown for less than 5 minutes.
Im sorry Sarah Michelle geller makes a much better Buffy and the film was a load of sh**e what was with the vampires being able to float on air!!

O and by the way...Joss whedon the creator of Buffy walked out on set because he didnt like the way they were taking it. The show is far more true to whedon's vision
 
Relax, we all agree the movie was crap, and that the show is far superior. The point here is that Gellar is a clown-like Buffy compared to Swanson, certainly when it comes to the physicality required for the role.
 
G,

Must we disagree on EVERYTHING?

First it was certain scenes of Superman Returns
Now its Buffy?

CMON!!!! :p

In regarRAB to Swanson V Gellar Im not that sure. I think that Gellar was PERFECT for a TV option because she really did some great work week in week out where as Swanson didnt do all that much for me TBH!

In regarRAB to the spirit of the character maybe your beef is with the writing and thus maybe the problem was with Head Supremo Joss Whedon?

Just thinking out loud!!!!

:)
 
Like Lex and Clark, we will end up bitter enemies. You get to be the bald one. ;)

It's not the spirit of the character I have a problem with, if anything the spirit of TV Buffy was just right for the character. My issue is with Gellar being a clown-like action hero, and possibly a worse actress than Swanson. From the few Buffy episodes I have seen, it seems to be well crafted TV, so I have no real issues with Whedon in this context.
 
Just to clarify my comment that I thought Swanson would make a good Buffy, I think that SMG from an acting point of view was great and there's nothing to suggest Swanson would have been a better actor in the role.

But SMG couldn't run properly to save her life and just didn't quite seem athletic enough for the action pieces.
 
Swanson's range wasn't really tested in the movie, and the two Buffys were very different, so it's hard to say for sure how she would meassure up to Gellar's acting in that particular role, but I always thought Gellar seemed awkward doing emotional stuff, but she was very adept at delivering the Wheadon'esque quirky dialog, and being chummy with the Scooby Gang.

... Isn't that a song?
 
Well Im guessing Im younger than you and I have a full head of Clark like black hair so Im afraid you get to be bald, but incredibly rich and evil!!!!!



I will admit as somebody who has followed and loved BTVS I think Im far too involved to actually debate this fairly............yes Im a fanboy!!!!

:)
 
Just looked into it and Donald SutherlanRAB character was in the series. The characters name is Merrick Jamison-Smythe and was played by Richard Riehle in the series.
 
I think there was a conscious decision to go for somebody less athletic for the TV series to underline that Buffy was meant to be a normal girl, not an action hero. They also had to make the character a couple of years younger.

I never thought the fights were that great on Buffy, and it's often a case of seeing SMG with her fists up, then she grows a few inches and puts on a lot of weight and muscle for a couple of minutes of fight, finishing with SMG with her fists up again. :rolleyes: So I kind of agree, though it has to be said had SMG not gone for the famine victim look in the latter series, the fights might have maintained some realism.

But then only somebody who hadn't watched the series would think the action scenes are important.

Truly terrible movie.
 
Was Buffy ever actually a cheerleader in the series?

Sure, but just because they aren't particularly important doesn't mean they have to be outright bad, and Gellar is just bad when it comes to the physical aspects of the role.
 
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