Amazon's The Tick

love the look of the Terror's henchmen... I want one of those helmets...
 
Like what I'm seeing.
 
Yeah, not feeling that at all.

neither do I... it's supposed to be absurdity in an absurd world, not absurdity in a dark world... I'll still give it a look when the pilot comes out, but as of NOW, I don't like it...
 
Not a fan of the suit... it looks like it's made of papier mache.
 
Maybe I'm just spoiled by Warbuton but the voice is lacking a...commanding nature (for lack of better wording). Plus I really am not digging what I see of the characterization. The Tick has gone from oblivious but kind and well meaning to an arrogant jerk (at least in that clip).
 
Maybe I'm just spoiled by Warbuton but the voice is lacking a...commanding nature (for lack of better wording). Plus I really am not digging what I see of the characterization. The Tick has gone from oblivious but kind and well meaning to an arrogant jerk (at least in that clip).

...that's kinda' what he was in his first iteration in the comics.
 
...that's kinda' what he was in his first iteration in the comics.

In the (admittedly few) Tick comics I read he was as childlike and friendly as he is in the cartoon and Warbuton show. But I don't recall when those stories were published. Could just be a case of the comic adapting to conform to its more popular counterpart.

But even if that's the case, I still don't like it. The comics don't always get everything right. I don't want a TMNT adaptation in which April is a drawing that is brought to life. Sometimes the comic ideas are just stupid. I much prefer The Tick as a superhero version of Frank Drebin to an arrogant blowhard.
 
In the (admittedly few) Tick comics I read he was as childlike and friendly as he is in the cartoon and Warbuton show. But I don't recall when those stories were published. Could just be a case of the comic adapting to conform to its more popular counterpart.
From Ben Edlund:

"He’s changed in every one of these iterations or these various expressions. In the [New England Comics] newsletter, he was extremely dangerous and spoke French, was mean to people and beat up a bunch of Muppets. In the comic book, he was a different version of this kind of character, still on the edge of danger. But then he started to warm up a little bit in the cartoon; it was about the most robust he's ever been in any of the versions and had a certain kind of air about him that was changed when we came to live action. Patrick embodied him in a way that embraced the earlier versions, but made it his own. This new version is, I think, in some ways closer to the comic book and that world. Not as “funny” in terms of making jokes about superheroes that were very pun based or very far away galaxy, that sort of come from a lighter world. It was a requirement of this piece to somehow bridge the world of legitimate superheroes that are really having battles between good and evil and having dramatic stakes."

http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/tick-exclusive-ben-edlund-new-amazon-pilot/


But even if that's the case, I still don't like it. The comics don't always get everything right. I don't want a TMNT adaptation in which April is a drawing that is brought to life. Sometimes the comic ideas are just stupid. I much prefer The Tick as a superhero version of Frank Drebin to an arrogant blowhard.
[/QUOTE]

Fair enough.
 
Finally saw the clips. I liked some of what I saw, but I agree, he comes off a bit too much like an arrogant jerk. I admittedly never watched the Patrick Warburton show or read the comics, but I was a big fan of the animated series. He was a lot more naively noble on that show; sort of like how Superman would be if he was more of an idiot. Here he seems like he's A-OK with his recklessness (apparently) getting people killed.

However, they're clearly going for more of a real world setting here than they did in the cartoon, so... I don't know, maybe it could work. Still wish they'd improve the costume though. From what I've seen of the Warburton suit, it would have been perfect if they had just had the mask. I wish they would have gone with a design more like that here.
 
I'm gonna watch this soon, but I really really enjoyed Jean Claude Van Johnson
 
Saw the pilot and I very much enjoyed it. It's a pretty solid start for a series. It's got a Cohen Brothers-type vibe to the comedy which I find quite apt. Peter Serafinowicz captures The Tick's personality from the comics more than anything and a bit from the cartoons(I've seen very little of the Warburton series and hope to see more of it soon).

And in the comics he could come off as a bit of a jerk:

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14054479_10154388961082278_5840816219918078540_o.jpg
 
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I just ran across the 30 minute pilot online and dl'ed it just now... you'll have to search in certain places online for it, but it's become available... I'll be giving it a watch sometime later on today...
 
It is up on Amazon for those interested.

Really enjoyed it. I can see the mix in tone turning people off, but I enjoyed it.
 
finally got around to watching it... my opinion remains the same in that even as a fan of the Tick, it's just not hitting me right at all... I just can't get into it... I honestly don't think it will make it past the pilot stage, but hey, that's me...
 
If the tongue-in-cheek superhero satire is played up a bit more I can really dig this. The drama's gonna be derived from the seasonal arc. But as long as the Tick is doing his thing well the clash of tones doesn't bother me. It's reminds me of WKRR? in that way.

I voted for it. So we'll see.
 
I preferred the tone of the live-action Warburton series to this one.

But the animated series is still my favorite. The Tick was like the best absurdist comic book superhero parody show you could get before The Venture Bros. came along. Freakazoid was good too, but it's humor was a little broader, and at times more random and esoteric. It was doing all sorts of pop-cultural references before Family Guy was doing them too.

The dialogue for the animated show still holds up and works great.

It's still my favorite characterization of the character.
 
In the end, I didn't really care for it as it just didn't make me laugh. The Tick isn't terribly likeable and the guy playing him, I'm just not buying it. Amazon is never going to be on Netflix's level in terms of original programming until they dole out some cash to hire some quality actors rather than Lifetime movie rejects. Arthur's angst is a predictable way to go but dull. I just don't care for the "dark" reboot angle. It would be one thing if they were playing it for laughs, as a parody of the modern state of the genre, but they aren't. It is being played straight. As such the show feels...confused (for lack of better wording). It's too serious to be funny, but it's also hard to buy into the the drama of a 6'5 guy in a blue body suit.

The Tick thrives when it embraces the absurdism of it all. This is just trying way too hard to be credible (when the Tick should be anything but).
 
In the end, I didn't really care for it as it just didn't make me laugh. The Tick isn't terribly likeable and the guy playing him, I'm just not buying it. Amazon is never going to be on Netflix's level in terms of original programming until they dole out some cash to hire some quality actors rather than Lifetime movie rejects. Arthur's angst is a predictable way to go but dull. I just don't care for the "dark" reboot angle. It would be one thing if they were playing it for laughs, as a parody of the modern state of the genre, but they aren't. It is being played straight. As such the show feels...confused (for lack of better wording). It's too serious to be funny, but it's also hard to buy into the the drama of a 6'5 guy in a blue body suit.

The Tick thrives when it embraces the absurdism of it all. This is just trying way too hard to be credible (when the Tick should be anything but).

well said with spot-on observations and opinions...
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If the tongue-in-cheek superhero satire is played up a bit more I can really dig this. The drama's gonna be derived from the seasonal arc. But as long as the Tick is doing his thing well the clash of tones doesn't bother me. It's reminds me of WKRR? in that way.

I voted for it. So we'll see.

So did I. It seems it's being rated very favorably.
 
In the end, I didn't really care for it as it just didn't make me laugh. The Tick isn't terribly likeable and the guy playing him, I'm just not buying it. Amazon is never going to be on Netflix's level in terms of original programming until they dole out some cash to hire some quality actors rather than Lifetime movie rejects. Arthur's angst is a predictable way to go but dull. I just don't care for the "dark" reboot angle. It would be one thing if they were playing it for laughs, as a parody of the modern state of the genre, but they aren't. It is being played straight. As such the show feels...confused (for lack of better wording). It's too serious to be funny, but it's also hard to buy into the the drama of a 6'5 guy in a blue body suit.

The Tick thrives when it embraces the absurdism of it all. This is just trying way too hard to be credible (when the Tick should be anything but).

Weaponized syphillis though...

I can definitely understand how the mix of tones may be off putting. It definitely feels like it is a two part pilot, so we are only getting half of it. And I think this show may be tough to get a full grasp on with just the pilot. I'm hoping for it to go on, because I enjoyed it.
 

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