Preacher

Preacher has to be one of the hardest shows that I've had to describe in all of my reviews. It was so bizarre that if I tried explaining it to you you probably wouldn't want to watch it. So I won't and you should. The biggest thing I can tell you about this show is that I promise you've never seen anything like it and I promise you'll have a good time watching it. It has plenty of violence, drama, comedy, mystery and thrills to keep just about anyone entertained. If you didn't watch this while it was on that's actually an advantage for you because this show is definitely better watched as a binge instead of waiting week to week and then months between seasons. It's not going to be on anyone's best ever list but it's still definitely worth the time to watch.

Preacher is such a weird and original show that I had a great time watching when it was on. It was based off a comic book of the same name. It's about a one time outlaw named Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) who returns to his home in Texas to become the new Preacher in his dad's old church. Once there he gains a power that will change his life forever. From there things get weird and after his town is destroyed he goes on a mission with his ex-girlfriend Tulip (Ruth Nega) and his Irish vagabond vampire friend Cassidy (Joe Gilgun) to go and find God, who left heaven to come to earth and live among us. I told you...weird. But it was such a fun show.

I had given it a 9 for seasons 1-3, but had to take at least 2 points away due to season 4 abysmal implosion. For the most part, Preacher was entertainingly engaging, especially for those of us who were raised in Catholicism, which eventually led to many of us ultimately rejecting all of its utter hypocrisy (eg: L. A. Diocese $1.5 Billion payouts), leading many of us into atheism. How can an insecure God create such a miserable existence, especially for children, while actually endorsing slavery?

Preacher is without a doubt intentionally cynical, yet hold's truths.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure what happened to this production by the time it hit season 4, as it literally became so juvenile, so utterly absurdly ludicrously unrelatable, with its way, way, way over the top violence, as simple filler fodder, I found myself scrubbing through much of the final season. I'm by no means a prude, but whomever thought this would bring appropriate closure to the series, couldn't have been more wrong.

Watch and enjoy season 1-3, but don't feel bad about scrubbing through season 4 just to find out how it ends.

Many people have criticised the show, some based on religious "blasphemy" and some on the fact that it isn't true to the comic. However, SEE beyond the face value. It's not about revenge, it's not about Justice. It's not about religion or atheism. It's about letting go. Surrendering to what you can't control. Humanity. Duality. Our light side and our dark side. There is a much deeper message embedded in this TV show. These writers have done their homework. They get it (as with many other writers). See past your ego for once and see the Universal Truth hidden within.

Let me start this review by stating that I've never read the comic books, so I can't testify as to whether or not this crazy, grotesque, violent and hilarious new AMC fantasy series is a faithful adaptation of the source material. But what I can tell you as an avid fantasy and horror fan is that the pilot left me with an immediate urge to watch the next episode.

Just so you know, this review won't contain anything story related, so if you want to learn what the show is about, read the IMDb synopsis or go to Wikipedia. I believe most films and TV-shows are enjoyed best without knowing anything other than maybe the genre, cast or filmmaker (plus, personally, I like to know about as many aspects as I can about the actual quality of the filmmaking itself). Oh, but maybe this: don't get frustrated if you don't immediately understand just what the heck is going on. The pilot introduces several key characters and important story elements by jumping around quite a bit and throwing you directly into the action, but we're clearly not meant to know and understand everything right from the start. So relax, be patient and have a little faith in showrunner Sam Catlin; the dude co-produced (or co-executive produced) 55 episodes of 'Breaking Bad', 10 of which he wrote, so he should know a little something about storytelling.

What becomes immediately evident in 'Preacher' is that the casting of the title role was a stroke of genius: Dominic Cooper ('The Devil's Double', 'Captain America: The First Avenger') makes for a fantastic lead. His charismatic but nuanced performance as conflicted preacher Jesse Custer was enough to convince me after only one episode that he will be able to carry this series. It's always a balancing act to portray this kind of character with just enough vulnerability to make him appear relatable and human but still have him come across as larger than life, and judging by what I've seen so far, Cooper manages to pull it off perfectly.

I'd say the cast in general is very solid, but the two actors that need to be mentioned most apart from Cooper's preacher are Ruth Negga in the role of Tulip and Joseph Gilgun who plays Cassidy. Both are wicked fun to watch (and obviously they're relishing their parts) and both have completely bonkers introduction scenes for their respective characters that will give audiences a taste of just what kind of crazy, ultra-violent mayhem we're in for with this new show.

Now just to get this straight: there are darkly comic moments abound in 'Preacher' but it is not a black comedy - nor is it as over the top as, say, 'Ash vs the Evil Dead' (despite being pretty over the top at times). Fans of the show's creators, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, would be well-advised not to expect a similar tone in 'Preacher' as in some of the duo's previous works like 'This Is the End' or 'The Interview'. What we have here is probably best described as "dark fantasy" and while it IS peppered with a large dose of dark comedy, I'm pretty sure there will also be some rather unfunny shît down the road for this preacher to deal with.

As for the production values, the visuals (and the visual effects) in general look very nice and the sets convincing; the southern locations have a "lived-in" and appropriately run-down look and the whole small-town, Texan atmosphere is tangible. The cinematography was expertly done (the pilot's DoP was none other than The Matrix' Bill Pope) and the soundtrack is even downright fantastic (if you can appreciate southern songs from the likes of Johnny Cash, that is). The one thing that didn't always work for me was the pacing/editing and the way certain scenes were established, but a slightly uneven rhythm is not uncommon for pilot episodes, so I'm not worried yet.

My overall verdict: 'Preacher' is a show that doesn't try for a second to cater to a mainstream audience; it offers a unique blend of pulp elements and dark fantasy for genre fans who most likely won't have the slightest problem digesting the hefty mix of drama, horror, gory violence and humor. Needless to say, I'm totally on board (and I can't wait for the next sermon). My provisional rating: 8 stars out of 10.

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Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/