Spolier Review - World Series

October is a month of full of franchises that have been long running.  Most of these are horror franchises such as Halloween, Saw, and most recently Paranormal Activity.  However, no franchise seems to have been longer running than World Series, now in its 111^th installment.  The franchise has certainly had its ups and downs, but you have to commend the producers for consistent putting a product out year after year.  World Series took some bold steps in casting decisions this year, and I think they ultimately paid off, even if the first few acts were a bit of a bore.

Overall, the producers did a great job with casting.  It was a bit of gamble to bring in a complete unknown like the Kansas City Royals as the underdog protagonist, but it paid off in spades.  The audience couldn’t help but root for these no-name kids from the Midwest.  Given the pool of talent the producers had to work with, I thought it was a fine choice having the San Francisco Giants as the hated juggernaut.  It was pretty uninspired casting, but given that several other big names were unavailable, they fit the bill and played their role well here.

World Series has always been known for excruciating run times manage to pay off the longer they go.  This year was no exception.  The first six acts were pretty uneventful for the most part, but the final act was a treat for all who stuck around.  One of the things I’ve always appreciated about this franchise is that you can drop in at any time and really not miss too much.  Besides the development of the Bumgarner character, you didn’t miss much if you skipped the first six acts. 

The end was pretty fantastic, and best of all, it felt REAL.  How often do we see these scrappy underdogs get just what they need at the very end against their greatest nemesis?  It’s almost a cliché.  I thought the producers took a bold stand by getting the Royals right there in the end against Bumgarner (of course they brought him back; I think everyone saw that coming) and ultimately falling short.  The end achieved something rarely seen in this franchise: respect and adoration for both sides.  You couldn’t help but at least appreciate what the Giants had done, even if it was at the expense of the fan favorite.

I thought the technical work was fine.  The director heavily relied on static shots over the pitcher’s shoulder, which has always been a solid tried-and-true method.  I thought there were some nice aerial shots as well.  There were some great close-ups in the last act that really showed the emotion everyone was going through.  It was solid work as always.

Overall, World Series 2014 was a solid entry into the franchise.  I don’t think it will have the same iconic status as other entries in the franchise though.  We had an underdog protagonist that was easy to root for, and an antagonist that we came to begrudgingly accept in an ending that felt earned.  I don’t know if I’ll come back to the franchise when it inevitably comes back next October, but if the cast looks interesting, I may catch some of the later acts yet again.

+ Fun characters

+ Genuine ending that felt earned

- Interminably long

Grade: B