However, it's now been several months, and I've yet to see any noticeable advancement in Schiff's character from lovable, George Washington impersonating fast food bargain hunter to psychotic Joker-henchman. The scene has been well-set for sure, the characters are all established, and the spectre of economic downturn festers on the periphery of the spots like a cancer, threatening to spread at any moment, to turn the once joyful office breakroom into a place of fear and sorrow. However, there has not been one indicator, one single connecting thread to link the Schiff we see in the commercials to the desperate schizophrenic we meet in The Dark Knight.I'm not sure how long Wendy's plans on running the spots, and while the whole Dark Knight prequel thing is a fantastic idea, fans need some character development in every commercial to keep them interested. By now we should at least have gotten some hints at Schiff's backstory, or the conditions in his life that would make him susceptible to recruitment by the Joker. But Wendy's hasn't even introduced the Joker yet!
You've done a great job so far Wendy's. You've taken a character that was portrayed only as a villian in the original movie and fleshed him out. I cannot watch that scene in the Dark Knight now without thinking, "Wow, Thomas Schiff used to be a regular guy just like me. He liked getting a good deal on fast food and joking around with his friends about said deal. I guess anyone could turn to evil if pushed far enough." And it makes a good scene even better. But, please, Wendy's, show us the next step. You've given us the dots. Now connect them. It's not a big leap. $.99 for a Junion Bacon Cheeseburger? At that price, the question isn't "How does Thomas Schiff go crazy." It's "How has he managed to stay sane for so long?"
No comments:
Post a Comment