El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. Thoughts **SPOILERS!!**

Townz

Active Member
What are everyones thoughts on El Camino?

These are a few of my opinions, I am intersted in others thoughts.
**SPOILERS**
I thought the movie was superbly shot, as expected. And the performances were also very strong, which I also expected. Visually very enjoyable and I enjoyed
the tense scenes. Loved the birds eye view shot of Jesse searching Todds apartment!
Ultimatley, the film does feel a bit pointless in my opinion. There was nothing that shocked me and I found it extremely predictable which was disappointing. And I know people age etc.. But I found the overweight Todd so distracting!
The good news is, I dont think it tarnishes the series in any way. It just doesn't add much to it either.

I'd give it a 6.5/10. Which is by no means bad. Maybe my expectations were too high?
 
I’ve never seen a single episode

Just saw the trailer I’m guessing this takes place after the show?

Gotta see if I can binge watch the series
 
I found it pointless, as well.
Things were happening, but, like, nothing was happening.
It did pick up, though, just as I was about to turn it off, but now I can't even remember how it ended - and I just watched it today.
I guess I'd give it a 4 out of 10. I wouldn't recommend it, and If you decide to skip it, you won't have missed anything.
I was 'meh' about BB, though, so hardcore fans might appreciate it more.
 
I’ve never seen a single episode

Just saw the trailer I’m guessing this takes place after the show?

Gotta see if I can binge watch the series

Yes it takes place after the show. If someone unfamiliar with the show watched this movie they would not have a clue what is going on! It's a lot of fan service. I highly recommend the series though.
 
I found it pointless, as well.
Things were happening, but, like, nothing was happening.
It did pick up, though, just as I was about to turn it off, but now I can't even remember how it ended - and I just watched it today.
I guess I'd give it a 4 out of 10. I wouldn't recommend it, and If you decide to skip it, you won't have missed anything.
I was 'meh' about BB, though, so hardcore fans might appreciate it more.

I'm a pretty hard-core breaking bad fan bit still found this underwhelming. Loved the way it was filmed but 'pointless' is the main word that I think off when describing it.
I'm just glad it didn't ruin anything.
 
I’ve never seen a single episode

Just saw the trailer I’m guessing this takes place after the show?

Gotta see if I can binge watch the series

I really wouldn't recommend a full binge of the series. The husband and I did that and at about the 3/4 point, we got to the point where we had to step away for almost a year because we just hated nearly everyone in the show and things were so bleak and grim that we just didn't want to participate anymore. We eventually finished it, but I would really recommend doing just a couple episodes at a sitting rather than a full binge.
 
I thought it was a fine epilogue to the series, expanding upon that final scene with Jesse in the finale.

That said, Fat Todd was really jarring. Did they expect us to forget what he last looked like?
 
I thought it was a fine epilogue to the series, expanding upon that final scene with Jesse in the finale.

That said, Fat Todd was really jarring. Did they expect us to forget what he last looked like?

I couldn't get past fat Todd. It was one of my main issues with the film. So distracting!
 
Yes it takes place after the show. If someone unfamiliar with the show watched this movie they would not have a clue what is going on! It's a lot of fan service. I highly recommend the series though.

I’m gonna check out the show, watched a few reviews on YouTube last night looks really good (the series)
 
Ok. This includes spoilers. I was disappointed by it. I was bored. I was never expecting Breaking Bad levels of enjoyment and excitement (or even Better Call Saul), and the truth is I don't know what I expected from the movie beyond simply enjoying it. I can't say that I did, and I didn't even have any expectations for it. I saw one interview with Vince Gilligan and Aaron Paul on youtube, and Vince was asked why do a Breaking Bad movie. He jokingly answered saying it was for the money, but then said that he wanted to explore Jesse's fate. I think all Breaking Bad fans believed that he had the happy ending - somehow - but we...err...I was still interested to see it played out. It was boring. And it had too many Todd flashbacks. The movie did far more to build Todd's character than it did to highlight Jesse's growth and trauma post his enslavement. Vince's writing was not good as his writing was on BB. Recall the scene in Skinny Pete's home when Jesse wakes up. Jesse is clearly suffering with ptsd. Where was that for the remainder of the movie? That scene went absolutely nowhere. All of a sudden, Jesse is a badass, seemingly with zero fears or personal struggle, getting in Mexican standoffs? It doesn't work that way. In that interview, Vince also said that new audiences wouldn't have to be familiar with Breaking Bad to understand the story, and after having seen the movie, I think he may have taken that approach in writing the script because, again, why have so much focus on those flashbacks that didn't amount to anything besides showing Todd being a psychopath and that the protagonist suffered at his hands? It helps new audiences familiarize themselves with Jesse, but everything else after that is underwhelming when compared to those scenes.

I would much rather have seen more involvement from Badger and Skinny Pete helping Jesse escape without so many flashbacks. That one long trailer showed us that Skinny Pete was caught by the police and the movie showed that he was likely going to be caught, but it didn't actually show any police involvement. There was no conflict, no confrontation, no threat to Jesse. Only a lot of boring suspense. The cameos were nice, the shots of New Mexico were incredibly nostalgic to BB, and I really don't mind having seen Todd so much. I just think that this movie did more to highlight the kind of character that he was than it did to show who Jesse is.
 
Was surprised by how much I'd forgotten when they went throughout recap, but I thought overall it was okay I don't think it's something that would work as a standalone movie though, but yeah was fine with it.
 
Ok. This includes spoilers. I was disappointed by it. I was bored. I was never expecting Breaking Bad levels of enjoyment and excitement (or even Better Call Saul), and the truth is I don't know what I expected from the movie beyond simply enjoying it. I can't say that I did, and I didn't even have any expectations for it. I saw one interview with Vince Gilligan and Aaron Paul on youtube, and Vince was asked why do a Breaking Bad movie. He jokingly answered saying it was for the money, but then said that he wanted to explore Jesse's fate. I think all Breaking Bad fans believed that he had the happy ending - somehow - but we...err...I was still interested to see it played out. It was boring. And it had too many Todd flashbacks. The movie did far more to build Todd's character than it did to highlight Jesse's growth and trauma post his enslavement. Vince's writing was not good as his writing was on BB. Recall the scene in Skinny Pete's home when Jesse wakes up. Jesse is clearly suffering with ptsd. Where was that for the remainder of the movie? That scene went absolutely nowhere. All of a sudden, Jesse is a badass, seemingly with zero fears or personal struggle, getting in Mexican standoffs? It doesn't work that way. In that interview, Vince also said that new audiences wouldn't have to be familiar with Breaking Bad to understand the story, and after having seen the movie, I think he may have taken that approach in writing the script because, again, why have so much focus on those flashbacks that didn't amount to anything besides showing Todd being a psychopath and that the protagonist suffered at his hands? It helps new audiences familiarize themselves with Jesse, but everything else after that is underwhelming when compared to those scenes.

I would much rather have seen more involvement from Badger and Skinny Pete helping Jesse escape without so many flashbacks. That one long trailer showed us that Skinny Pete was caught by the police and the movie showed that he was likely going to be caught, but it didn't actually show any police involvement. There was no conflict, no confrontation, no threat to Jesse. Only a lot of boring suspense. The cameos were nice, the shots of New Mexico were incredibly nostalgic to BB, and I really don't mind having seen Todd so much. I just think that this movie did more to highlight the kind of character that he was than it did to show who Jesse is.

i agree with your points, I was disappointed to only see Basger and Skinny Pete for a few minutes at the beginning. Further involvement from them could have added some comedic moments but it is also nice to see them all interact as friends.
I also agree about PTSD thing. That would have been a great avenue to explore but it was just left after one scene.
I still got some enjoyment out of it for what it was but it could have been so much more!
 
I enjoyed it. I t wasn’t a movie I needed, so to just throw it on and enjoy as much as I did, gotta give it thumbs up.

I couldn’t really care less about what happened after breaking bad, but damn, who doesn’t wanna root for Jesse Pinkman?
 
The Bald cap wasn't as noticeable to me as fat Todd. It was cool to see Walt again, albeit breif.
And yes, I was rooting for pinkman but I also found it so predictable. From the first scene of Mike mentioning Alaska, I knew Jesse was going to end up starting a new life in Alaska. I was hoping it was a red herring as BB was never that predictable.
I still enjoyed spending time with these characters again though.
 
Last edited:
Saw it. Enjoyed getting some closure with Jesse, and seeing some bits from BB in flashbacks. Forester was great. Todd was even more creepy that I has assumed from BB though. Jesse has become Walt smart. Figuring out the 2 fake cops for who they were,, getting money and getting away. Walt like planning in the shoot out and taking out the welding company. Walt like behavior as he robbed his parents house. Trying to convince the Disappearer to just take the money, which kind of backfired some, but Gilligan does that a lot in his stories.
I give it a 8 out of 10 knowing what it is.
 
For those who've never watched Breaking Bad. When I first heard about it I said what a stupid idea for a TV show. 3 years later aftrer a home disaster, I was living with my best friend and his wife, and they had juat started binge watching. They went back and showed me the first 2 episodes. OMG! By the end of the 2nd episode JUST because of how it ended I WAS HOOKED. I watched Walter progress from rank amateur to frightening pro. The wake of Walters path and lots of folks dying and such, the kind of bad guys and numerous other plots going along really has you going by season 3. Season 4 is breaking the sound barrier and the end of season 4 will blow you down. Season 5 is split into 2 parts. The lst episode of part one Season 5 will blow you away. From then on til the end of season 5 you can guess all you want and at the end of every episode you still won't have an ideas of where its going. The last 4 episodes are incredible. I became such a fan that my friends who turned me ont to BB got me the Big BluRay set. I now cosplay as 4th year Walter White/Heisenburg. I'm a big movie and tv fan mostly interested in the behind the scenes and technical aspects as well as plot, cinematography and details. Breaking Bad pretty much ties up all the loose ends from the series.
 
For those who've never watched Breaking Bad. When I first heard about it I said what a stupid idea for a TV show. 3 years later aftrer a home disaster, I was living with my best friend and his wife, and they had juat started binge watching. They went back and showed me the first 2 episodes. OMG! By the end of the 2nd episode JUST because of how it ended I WAS HOOKED. I watched Walter progress from rank amateur to frightening pro. The wake of Walters path and lots of folks dying and such, the kind of bad guys and numerous other plots going along really has you going by season 3. Season 4 is breaking the sound barrier and the end of season 4 will blow you down. Season 5 is split into 2 parts. The lst episode of part one Season 5 will blow you away. From then on til the end of season 5 you can guess all you want and at the end of every episode you still won't have an ideas of where its going. The last 4 episodes are incredible. I became such a fan that my friends who turned me ont to BB got me the Big BluRay set. I now cosplay as 4th year Walter White/Heisenburg. I'm a big movie and tv fan mostly interested in the behind the scenes and technical aspects as well as plot, cinematography and details. Breaking Bad pretty much ties up all the loose ends from the series.

What did you think of better call Saul? For me it's almost on par with BB. Extremely well written stuff. Very much looking forward to season 5. El Camino for me is the weakest part of the BB universe but only in terms of predictability, lack.of suprised and fat Todd (which I know I have mentioned a lot!). Everything in the BB universe looks stunning and is very well written and filmed! I can't get enough.
 
Last edited:
This thread is more than 4 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top