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147 out of 152 people found the following review useful:
Brilliant Character Work In Pitch Black Comedy-Drama, 21 January 2008

Author: thebrainflow from USA

The age of Bryan Cranston has returned. Once universally lauded for his work in Malcolm In The Middle, there had yet to be a good vehicle for this man's particular talents. He has that rare gift of generating sympathy and manic-energy at the same time.

For those that would be content to label this show a Weeds knock-off, bear in mind that Breaking Bad is a new kind of monster. It touches on the very same themes, "living realistically as a middle class in the United States" which often makes us resort to extremes to survive. Like the mother and daughter team that robbed that bank. But the weed selling antics of Showtime's hit show is really nothing like "Bad." The Pilot was about as perfect a Pilot as I've ever seen, and much of it rests on Bryan Cranston's shoulders.

Cranston plays Cheimstry teacher Walter White. He has a loving wife, a child with Cerebal Palsy and another is on the way. He also happens to be dying from an inoperable lung cancer situation, which happened although he "never smoked." His finances in disarray, the once great student of science turns to crime to solve his problems.

He cooks Crystal Meth with a good for nothing ex-student. From the antics of the first episode, the show is leading towards a dark place, but a place of truth. This is a no nonsense black comedy.

For people that love Tarantino or the Coen's, this might be your cup of tea.

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116 out of 123 people found the following review useful:
Hello, Mr. Cranston - Meet Ms. Emmy..., 26 January 2008

Author: Christopher T. Chase (cchase@onebox.com) from Arlington, VA.

As the clueless, hapless and hopeless father of four on the celebrated series MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, Bryan Cranston came into his own, as he did an amazing balancing act that juggled slapstick, pathos and insanity all at once, proving that not only did "father NOT know best", but more than likely never would.

Now he essays the role of another father in the new series BREAKING BAD, but it's a shocking, bracingly refreshing turn that takes his 'Three Stooges' repertoire of grunts, shrieks, barks and neurotic ticks and virtually throws them out the window. Some of those qualities are still there, but unlike MALCOLM, BREAKING is the blackest of black comedies. When I first heard about it, the reviews I read compared it heavily (and favorably) to the Coen Brothers' dark crime comedy FARGO. And the comparisons are aptly warranted.

This is one of those series where the less you know about it going in, the better, but just to set your mind reeling with the possibilities, here it is in a nutshell: Cranston plays high school chemistry teacher Walter White, who is constantly battling the lackadaisical attitudes of his disinterested students, the looming specter of financial disaster - by supplementing his paltry teacher's salary with a second job at a local car wash, and trying to cope with the impending arrival of a new baby, even as he and his wife raise their disabled teenage son, whom unlike many stereotypical portrayals of handicapped kids is no Pollyanna-like angel.

Then in the midst of all this, Walter makes a shocking discovery: he has inoperable lung cancer, and therefore only a few years left to live at best. Facing the very real possibility of leaving his family struggling not only with his death, but a financial situation that could only end in catastrophe, Walter suddenly has a revelation, thanks to an idea handed to him by his boorish brother-in-law, who works with the DEA - he decides to become a crystal meth dealer.

Okay, so while you're letting your brain take that all in, you also need to know that this is one of those defining roles where you just know that the lead actor will get Emmy recognition, whether he intended to or not. That is just how good Cranston is as Walter. In fact, he's every bit as good as Michael C. Hall's Dexter Morgan, James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano or Harold Perrineau's criminally under-appreciated Augustus Hill. And he's backed by an amazing supporting cast of mostly new or unfamiliar faces (with the exception of Dean Norris as the brother-in-law).

You can tell from the word 'go' that writer/producer/director Vince Gilligan (former head writer/exec producer on THE X FILES) has been champing at the bit for a while to let fly with a project like this. And if the first episode is any indication, AMC has another real winner on its hands. So MAD MEN will need to move over and make some room...since BREAKING BAD isn't the kind of series to "ask nicely."

Which brings up another important point: this is not a series for everyone, the way that FARGO and Showtime's kindred-spirit drug dramedy WEEDS are not mainstream, either. This is sharp, biting, satirical social commentary that draws blood when it sinks its teeth in, and you are guaranteed to wince even as you laugh out loud at Cranston's dead-on portrayal of a MAN on the edge of a nervous breakdown (well, more like over the edge.)

A caveat for would-be viewers, though, and a very ironic one at that: AMC has applied its ham-fisted method of editing its movies to this series as well, unfortunately, making the channel the LAST place you want to see it. The best thing to do is to check out the premiere episode whenever you can catch a rerun on AMC, then hustle on over to iTunes and download it so you can watch it again. Some very important scenes and some impressive establishing shots have been "edited for time and content" from the broadcast version, and this is material that IS essential to your experience viewing this show. There is a lot more to the characters and situations than you will be allowed to see on basic cable. So as you watch, keep that in mind.

And after you are done marveling at this magnificent character study sketched in desperation, you can wonder as I did, whether Bryan Cranston will bother preparing a speech for next year's Emmys. I sure hope he does...thanks to his work on BREAKING BAD, he'll need it.

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65 out of 76 people found the following review useful:
Give it a try!!!!!, 10 February 2008

Author: dadofkyra-1 from United States

This show is one of the bright spots of this train wreck of a 2008 television season. Bryan Cranston has to be IMHO one of the best acting talents out there. Just compare and contrast his portrayal of the clueless father on "Malcolm in the Middle". On "Breaking Bad" his character light years different. That's not to say that his roll of Hal on "MITM" was inferior to the character of Walter White here. However he shows his "range" here VS. there. There is going to be the inevitable comparisons to "Weeds" and unfair or not there are parallels. Both center on basically good people forced to make due in order to survive or keep their families solvent--bottom line give "Breaking Bad" a chance I'm betting you will be pleasantly surprised. My only problem with this show is the incessant bleeping of the "colorful language". Either don't include it or don't bleep it, it gets very annoying after two or three bleeps.

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57 out of 64 people found the following review useful:
Stunning Comedy-Drama, 13 March 2008

Author: sgtdoakes from United States

I probably haven't been hooked to a TV show like I am to Breaking Bad before. This beautiful piece of art is incredibly well written and directed, furthermore the actors are doing a tremendous job! I've read a few remarks about the pace of the show, saying it is too slow. I completely disagree, there are so many aspects which get their place in the series, every single one in its own way and it would be horrible if we'd see a too fast paced show containing ridiculous cliffhangers like we see them on the major networks. Because this way you can entirely fall in love with the show, the characters and every tiny detail of the story and the best part of it, it is unbelievably addictive and makes you starve for more week after week!

10/10

Kudos to Mr. Gilligan, kudos to Mr. Cranston and kudos to everyone else who's making a contribution to this show!

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50 out of 55 people found the following review useful:
Step aside Tony Montana, cause here comes Walter White., 23 February 2008

Author: DarkVulcan29 (DarkVulcan29@aol.com) from United States

What an awesome change of pace for Bryan Cranston, who is best known for playing the goofy dimwitted Homer Simpson like dad from Malcom In The Middle(2000-2006). But this character is not goofy or dimwitted. Walter White is your everyday man, who is a high school chemistry teacher, and has a loving wife and handicapped son. On the verge of his 50th birthday party. He begins having a mid life crisis, to make matters worse, he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. But not wanting to leave his family with nothing, in a quick way to make a lot of money. He teams up with a former student named Pinkmam(Aaron Paul) who is now a drug dealer, to make the drug called Crystal Meth. You don't like what Walter is doing, but at the same time you try to understand why he is doing it. I like watching the transformation he is going through, like Mr.Chips turning into Michael Douglas from Falling Down(1993). This series is quite enjoyable, it's a good dramatic series, with some humor moments. Cranstons performance in the show is memorable, and at times heartbreaken to watch. And he and Aaron Paul play off each other so well. I hope it will last a little while.

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40 out of 42 people found the following review useful:
Mind Blowing, 26 February 2009

Author: valis1949 from United States

BREAKING BAD:Season One explodes like a sucker punch to the gut, and is nothing short of mind-blowing. The pilot for this series is a definite "Must See", and stands with the greats of Action/Adventure Television and Cinema. This segment begins at such a giddy peak, that you think the only way forward would be to tell the tale as a long flashback. However, through a marvelous piece of editing and writing, the plot miraculously moves forward from that point. Bryon Cranston's idiosyncratic performance is a joy to behold. He embodies a man who is against a rock, and an even harder place, who has no other option but to throttle his higher aspirations and grimly carry on. His solace and validation in middle-class morality and virtuous conduct is long gone. I eagerly look forward to more of this ambitious, entertaining series.

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35 out of 45 people found the following review useful:
Brilliant, quirky dark comedy with expert performance by Bryan Cranston..., 22 February 2008

Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

BREAKING BAD is a seriocomic study of a middle-aged man, a high school chemist teacher, on the brink of losing it over a financially poor marriage and the fact that he's leading a double life that his wife knows nothing about. As the harried man, BRYAN CRANSTON delivers a solid performance, full of realistic touches--laced with bitter humor and honesty--his superb work holding the whole episode together.

Seems the need for cash sets up the idea for him to consider partnership with an ex-student who deals in drug sales. After viewing a newscast showing stacks of easy money from a drug bust, Cranston gets the idea to ask his brother-in-law, a DEA agent, if he can accompany him on one of the busts. While there, he spots an ex-student escaping from the scene and hooks up with him later to propose a partnership wherein he'll make the drugs and the student will sell them.

Meanwhile, a visit to the doctor because of a dry cough reveals that he has lung cancer, something he doesn't want to tell his wife because she's expecting a baby. Desperate for "easy money", he gets heavily involved with the ex-student (another brilliant performance by AARON PAUL), and together they find themselves caught up in drastic circumstances with two bodies to get rid of as soon as their drug activities go awry. The sequence where Cranston lets the phosphine gas (while mixing ingredients) do the job of ridding himself of the two men in the van, is a model of suspense.

There's a payoff in virtually every scene, full of unexpected twists that seem credible and always true to the characters. The suspense is almost non-stop, the action scenes are briskly handled, the humor is diabolic, and the dialog is always sharp as a knife. In an amusing breakfast scene, with the wife buying things on the cheap and making substitutions, the son remarks: "This bacon tastes like band-aids." It's as dark as a black comedy can get, but played so earnestly by BRYAN CRANSTON and the cast that the viewer is immediately hooked into the story which begins with a bang.

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28 out of 32 people found the following review useful:
Please stay on the air...., 31 October 2008

Author: chuckbytes from Canada

Absolutely one of the most ground breaking bad ass shows on the screen, (pardon the pun). Definitely not for everyone but finally something that feels real.

I personally like the fact they pull no punches. I find myself pausing at the fact that I am so intrigued by this hard core street wise program, more than any of the other big name series. This one really hits home and gives a true behind the scenes look at what most would consider the bad guys. I'm not condoning the contents of the story, and I don't think the show is either, there is no glamor in what these boys are doing, but it's giving an insight to the darker side of many streets.

How the denial and desperation that can occur to the common working stand up citizen, the pillar of society that suddenly changes his moral standing in a society driven by the almighty dollar. This is pretty dam close to Fallen (Michel Douglas) but with up to date street smarts nd a lot more punch.

The characters don't over exaggerate their roles and the story line isn't filled with cleaver dialog or near to impossible feats of bravery or beating impossible odds. Just true to life screwed up events that could take place in the real world. I think they did their research on this one. Good work everyone.

I hope we get more than a second and third season out of this great crew (every one of them). From the writing and production sets to the acting, costumes, lighting, filming and originality. I've seen a few good series lost to the wrong decision makers, hope this one doesn't end up short (long live FireFly)

Chuckbytes

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22 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
Bryan Cranston at his best, 21 January 2008

Author: xianpu76 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Bryan Cranston really came into his own on the set of Malcolm in the Middle. He got all the nervous twitches, the neurotic spasms, and all the growls of a middle class dad making his way through four boys. Now, however, in this show; Breaking Bad, he throws that all away for subtly. I mean, what else do you do after you've found out that... well. Bryan Cranston is spot on as a middle class guy(yet again) who desperately wants to help his son, wife, and unborn child out financially. So, he devises a plan that only a man in his situation can, and being a chemistry teacher needs no introduction into the how.

Very well acted show, very well picked cast, and was I the only one surprised at the method of 'removal' for the rival drug dealers? Seriously that came out of left field. But, hey, it works, and makes sense.

All in all, recommended show. Bryan Cranston really brings this cast together with his sense of hopelessness.

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24 out of 33 people found the following review useful:
"Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, age what? Sixty? He's just gonna break bad?", 5 November 2008

Author: colt_89 from New Zealand

Bryan Cranston leads the cast as Walter White Sr, yes, Bryan Cranston, Hal from Malcom in the Middle. This show in the first episode alone outdoes his great success in any or all of the Malcom in the Middle episodes. With this show he certainly has brought a lot of respect for the man, people loved his character in Malcom in the Middle but once the show was over there was nowhere he could really go, he wasn't too big, and he hadn't shown any real talent and versatility. This show has done everything he needed to show the world he is a very good actor and now I don't doubt that he will become big after this, he deserves it, he really is amazing.

Not only is Cranston an amazing actor but so is the rest of the cast! They're all relatively fresh faces, which is always a good thing when they're all doing wonderful performances. Aaron Paul plays his part very well and doesn't become just another annoying "wigger", which makes the show so much more enjoyable instead of having to drag myself through the scenes with him in it. I was surprised to find out that RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr) actually does have cerebral palsy himself as well as play a character who has it, he does a truly fantastic job, especially in one episode in particular, those who have seen the show I'm sure know what I'm talking about, for those who haven't you can look forward to it.

When I was about to watch the show I was expecting a comedy, after watching brief commercials and whatnot it appeared relatively comedic and I just could not picture Cranston playing a serious role. To my delight this show is a serious one, there are some minor comedic parts in some of the episodes but those come with most good shows. I have no problems with comedy shows, I love them, it's just when it comes to a show that is simply funny, after watching it I can shrug it off despite having laughed my ass off for 30-60 minutes, but with a serious show that is really good, I may be left in awe awaiting the next episode.

The way the show approaches the issues that are in the show are dealt with quite well. Cancer, of course, is very serious, and it is not simply there for the story, it is properly implemented into the show and is taken very seriously, and deals with the issue whether you should get the expensive treatment, be miserable and maybe still die but you might live or just live your last days/weeks/months/years normally. The show is really strong in that aspect. It has a long range of what is presented. It deals with very serious family issues, of course, it isn't particularly easy having a son with cerebral palsy and it is briefly dealt with seriously, another thing the show touches on several times is the general moral issue of is what Walt doing justified? As well as dealing with those issues, the other side is the drug side, the crime side if you will, which is very interesting and entertaining, especially when you get Walter Sr, need for vengeance and mercury all in one room and trust me, that is one hell of a combo.

There are two things that bother me the most about this show though, and these are the MOST bothering things (yes, I repeated myself). I don't like the character Tuco to a small extent, just the parts where he tries too hard to be Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito from Goodfellas. Another thing is the fact they don't seem to stress very much how incredibly bad meth really is, they do so well in every aspect, maybe they just haven't got around to it yet, I guess they only had 7 episode for season one, hopefully they improve that part, especially when they don't just make dirty meth, they make clean pure meth.

I recommend this show to anyone, honestly, open audience to those age appropriate. If your a fan of Bryan Cranston from his character of Hal in Malcom in the Middle, you will be shocked to see him show such diversity, it's really amazing, as I've said. It's a good all round show, it doesn't spend much time trying to be violent, it doesn't have an f-bomb every fifth word. There is some crafty scripting put into this show. So, please, even if you think it sounds a bit iffy, give it a shot, it's quite good, I promise.

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