Take Inhumans. Released in 2017, it was a two-parter. Despite its production history, switching back-and-forth between TV and film, it ultimately felt too rough for theatres, yet too condensed for TV. That was later reinforced with the show proper, which was cancelled after one season and trashed critically. To-date, it’s the worst-reviewed MCU-adjacent production, more than Iron Fist. I say “adjacent” because it was grandfathered into The MCU.
There were many issues at play, including bad production design, but the biggest was it releasing as a two-parter for the big screen. Why did Marvel do that? Why not trust the TV format? It’s not like TV can’t do original movies, or even original events, so not taking advantage of that’s certainly a choice. And not a good one.
I wouldn’t be confused if multi-part event movies were incapable of working. But they are. Not only is Wicked being chopped into two parts, but The MCU has made an art out of serialized movies. In both cases, the end result worked. So why not Inhumans? Possibly because it wasn’t designed from the ground up for theatres, instead making the jump near the end of production.
Let’s use another example. I love Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I think it’s cleverly-written, emotionally-driven, funny and elevates The Prequels significantly. However, its premiere was a film that wasn’t well-loved. Despite the decent voice acting, the animation was cheap, the editing awkward and the pacing off. And its decision to introduce Ahsoka, a character now loved by fans, as a teenager who’s almost as annoying as Anakin was derided. It’s hard to imagine now, but this wasn’t a great start.
Having seen the movie, it’s not the worst experience ever. I wouldn’t even call it the worst episode of the show, as there are worse. But the movie’s biggest crime is feeling like an overlong TV episode. It’s not even a good one, revolving around returning Jabba the Hutt’s baby son. Essentially, it’s a rescue mission.
It stands out because Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended its run on a four-part movie for Disney+ that was great. It might’ve been paced like TV, but it didn’t feel it. It also had high-production value, with animation that could’ve passed as theatrical. I know the show’s animation budget kept progressing, but it could never boast technical beauty until these episodes. That’s something the pilot, an actual movie, couldn’t attest to. Such is the curse of turning a TV pilot into a theatrical film at the last minute.
Having seen the movie, it’s not the worst experience ever. I wouldn’t even call it the worst episode of the show, as there are worse. But the movie’s biggest crime is feeling like an overlong TV episode. It’s not even a good one, revolving around returning Jabba the Hutt’s baby son. Essentially, it’s a rescue mission.
It stands out because Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended its run on a four-part movie for Disney+ that was great. It might’ve been paced like TV, but it didn’t feel it. It also had high-production value, with animation that could’ve passed as theatrical. I know the show’s animation budget kept progressing, but it could never boast technical beauty until these episodes. That’s something the pilot, an actual movie, couldn’t attest to. Such is the curse of turning a TV pilot into a theatrical film at the last minute.
One more example. I’ve discussed Batman: Mask of the Phantasm before. I even dedicated an entire piece to it, which you can find here. It actually works as a theatrical movie! But only slightly, as its production quality’s pretty rough.
It makes sense that it’s a halfway point between TV and film. It was meant as a standalone movie in the universe of Batman: The Animated Series, shifting gears late to capitalize on Batman Returns a year earlier. This gave its animation and voice acting a slight edge, but not enough to compare to some of DC’s later direct-to-video movies. It’s an awkward halfway point between the show and a movie, right down to the character movement. I’ve seen this movie many times, and I can’t help noticing how rushed and stiff it looks.
That’s not to disparage the experience. For all my issues production-wise, it’s not bad. If anything, it’s the best example of a made-for-TV film that was upscaled to theatres. The animation has that filmic vibe, and the late-Shirley Walker’s score is definitely movie-quality. Warner Bros. Animation cared when moving it to theatres, and it looks better than the show it’s based on. (A show that already looked great.) Still, it feels like a padded episode of TV, given its runtime, and it does little to distinguish itself outside of some exterior polish.
It makes sense that it’s a halfway point between TV and film. It was meant as a standalone movie in the universe of Batman: The Animated Series, shifting gears late to capitalize on Batman Returns a year earlier. This gave its animation and voice acting a slight edge, but not enough to compare to some of DC’s later direct-to-video movies. It’s an awkward halfway point between the show and a movie, right down to the character movement. I’ve seen this movie many times, and I can’t help noticing how rushed and stiff it looks.
That’s not to disparage the experience. For all my issues production-wise, it’s not bad. If anything, it’s the best example of a made-for-TV film that was upscaled to theatres. The animation has that filmic vibe, and the late-Shirley Walker’s score is definitely movie-quality. Warner Bros. Animation cared when moving it to theatres, and it looks better than the show it’s based on. (A show that already looked great.) Still, it feels like a padded episode of TV, given its runtime, and it does little to distinguish itself outside of some exterior polish.
I mention these examples in light of Moana 2. It’s been criticized for many reasons, chief among them cramming several episodes of TV into a feature-length film. It looks amazing, thanks to Disney’s budget, but no visual polish compensates for bad pacing and condensed writing. This all shows in its reception. But it’s making lots of money, so what do I know?
It's true that films like this can be enjoyable. I’ve seen Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven’s Door several times, and it feels like an elaborate TV episode. Yet while not amazing-its story’s unwelcoming to those unfamiliar with the show-it manages to be a pleasant distraction. It’s the anime equivalent of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, even upping its production value.
Ultimately, movies originally made for TV can’t really escape that reality. Whether it’s the production quality, the pacing, or not taking advantage of the medium change, the curse of this kind of movie’s as painful as it is obvious. One would hope a movie beginning as a TV show would utilize that change. But most don’t. And that’s worrisome.
It's true that films like this can be enjoyable. I’ve seen Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven’s Door several times, and it feels like an elaborate TV episode. Yet while not amazing-its story’s unwelcoming to those unfamiliar with the show-it manages to be a pleasant distraction. It’s the anime equivalent of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, even upping its production value.
Ultimately, movies originally made for TV can’t really escape that reality. Whether it’s the production quality, the pacing, or not taking advantage of the medium change, the curse of this kind of movie’s as painful as it is obvious. One would hope a movie beginning as a TV show would utilize that change. But most don’t. And that’s worrisome.
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