Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 5 Reasons The Show Is Better (& 5 The Movie Is Actually The Best) – Screen Rant

It might seem like a no-brainer that the Buffy TV series is better than the movie, but there are some compelling reasons not to count out the latter.

While Buffy the Vampire Slayer might have been one of the hottest shows on television in the 1990s, the movie was not as beloved in its time. In fact, only a small number of people even realized there was an existing thing calledBuffy the Vampire Slayer when the show first premiered, though many found their way back to it thanks to the show's success.

RELATED:Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 5 Reasons The Pilot Episode Is Perfect (& 5 It's Not)

The movie was mostly overlooked at the time, but it has found fans over the years, thanks largely to the iconic status of the show. Most fans still view the show as the quintessential version of this story, but there are aspects of the movie that work better than people think, and make this a debate that is actually worth having.

The movie runs at a crisp 86 minutes, so it has little time to waste with too much exposition. The lore of vampires, the slayer, and the teacher of the slayer are all rushed through pretty quickly just so we havethe bare minimum information to understand what is going on before things get going.

Of course, seeing as the show unfolds over several seasons and over 100 episodes, it has plenty more time to delve into all of this fun stuff. The show also seems to enjoy exploring the lore of this world and it allows for some fun and inventive storylines.

Regardless of how it may have been better utilized in the show, the fact is that the movie was the first to feature this clever premise. The idea of a long line of warriors being trained to guard the world of humans against vampires is interesting. But the idea that the next generation of slayer would be a self-involved high school cheerleader is pretty funny.

RELATED:10 Things That Happened In Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 That You Completely Forgot About

With the movie coming first, it doesbeg the question of whether or not the premise was best served as a quick movie rather than a seven-season show.

With Halloween approaching, many people are beginning to look for things to watch that'll give them a good fright. When a project can deliver scares in a fun and smart way, it can be really entertaining.

In terms of scares, the show is much better. The movie has one or two creepy moments but nothing that comes close to actual horror. On the other hand, there are certain episodes of the show that will leave you with nightmares.

While the movie might not deliver much on the horror aspect, its comedic side is quite solid. There is a certain cheesy charm to the film which fits in quite well with all of the classic comedies of the 90s.

At times, the movie feels like a precursor to Clueless just with some vampires thrown in. The more outrageous look at high school dynamics adds a lot to the movie and manages to deliver some big laughs.

Kristy Swanson originated the role of Buffy and does a fine job as the spoiled teen who has to become a hero. However, when looking at what Sarah Michelle Gellar bringsbrings to the show, it's clear that she owns the role of Buffy.

RELATED:Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Buffy

This is actually a difficult lead performance for a high concept show, but Gellar hits the mark wonderfully. She is completely believable as the badass warrior, she is a charming romantic lead, and she delivers the dry humor of the show perfectly.

Much like with Spider-Man, the story of Buffy the Vampire Slayer looks at the pressure of being a hero while also being in high school. The show obviously has a lot more time to explore the sacrifices and choices Buffy needs to make, but the movie goes in an interesting direction with it.

When we meet Buffy, she is the last person you would want to save the world from a vampire attack. She is vain, lazy, and self-centered. This is a very interesting place for the hero to start as she has no desire to be the slayer yet becomes a better person because of it.

While Joss Whedon is credited as the writer of the movie, he was not a fan of how the final project reflected his script. According to Whedon, much of his jokes and darker material were thrown out, while Donald Sutherlandrewrote many of his lines.

With the show, it is apparent that Whedon retained much more creative control, as his voice shines through much better. While his style of writing is not for everyone, it does manage to give the series a lot more life and energy that is sorely missing from the movie.

Whedon seems to have been upset that his darker take on the material was lightened up considerably. When he had the chance to tackle the story again on television, he embraced the darkness he had always intended.

RELATED:Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 10 Weirdest Episodes, Ranked

However, his take may have lost some of the charm of the lighter take. The movie really leans into the tongue-in-cheek title and never takes itself too seriously. The campy fun may not be what Whedon envisioned, but it feels like it fits this particular story quite well.

Aside from Buffy being a vampire slayer, all the other teen characters in the movie arebasically the typical genre tropes that you would find in anycoming-of-age movie. Even Donald Sutherland's Merrick, the slayer trainer, is a pretty dull character.

The movie did a great job of populating this world with interesting characters fans quickly fell in love with. From Buffy's classmates like Xander and Willow to her trainer Niles to her vampire boyfriend Angel, the ensemble of this show improved it greatly.

If nothing else, the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer can be remembered for giving audiences one of the best cinematic vampires in the form of Amilyn. Though the character is a pretty simple vampire minion, Paul Reubens turns him into a hilarious show-stealing creation.

Reubens has a lot of fun with his performance, delivering great lines like "Kill him a lot." But it is his death scene, completely improvised by Reubens himself, that is the highlight of the entire movie and one of themost hilariously and intentionally over-the-top in cinema history.

NEXT:Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 10 Ways Buffy Got Worse And Worse

Next Cobra Kai: 5 Hints From The Season 3 Trailer (& 5 Still Unanswered Questions)

A writer and film fan. I always enjoy keeping up with the latest films in theaters as well as discovering some hidden gems I may have overlooked. Glad to be a part of Screen Rant's positive and fun community and have the opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

Link:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 5 Reasons The Show Is Better (& 5 The Movie Is Actually The Best) - Screen Rant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero