Filmmaker Kevin Smith is working on a TV series based on the awesomely offbeat film, “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension”… The 1984 sci-fi comedy starred Peter Weller as Dr. Buckaroo Banzai, a neurosurgeon, rock star, physicist, and race car driver who tries to save the world from aliens. According to Smith, the first season will follow the plot of the original film, with subsequent seasons centering on Banzai’s conflict with the World Crime League.
TV reboots are a great way to pay homage to die-hard fans and bring new audiences to old shows. Now with Buckaroo Banzai, It would be pretty easy to keep his various traits intact but only modernize the references, or deepen the cultural importance.
For Example…
His rock star persona is one step shy of Prince or a Bowie level multi-instrument talent. Make him a Kendrick Lamar or Bruno Mars level songwriter/producer type who tours with his hand picked band (who are all military vets and scientists), but with more of the Henry Rollins activist edge and literate clout. He loves music, thinks of it as the only way humans can truly connect. He views it as a puzzle, a project, and sees the math and art inherent in it all. He learned how to play guitar to cope with the loss of his family as a kid, and learned every other instrument as it gave him more of a voice and way to learn and connect with the world.
His Scientist persona is equal parts Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, but minus the controversy and ego. He is not Tony Stark/Ironman type making weapons or toys, or a total billionaire genius selling his name brand. He makes things people want and need, then makes them cheap enough for people to actually use. He does get government contracts, but is careful how he uses them and makes sure the are actually helpful and not super weapons. He wants to make things to shape a better world. Banzai industries exists to do exactly that. Cheaper transportation, free energy, mobile phones, medicine, etc. The total package, but all done for the greater good and not the bottom line. That attitude has only made him more fans and money.
His brain surgeon persona is a bit of Oliver Sacks meets Andrew Weil, minus the pedantic celebrity worship. He studies human nature, body and soul, his brain surgery career is just an extension of that. He went to become a neurosurgeon so he could help create medical devices for stroke patients, or dementia patients. He liked it, and just kept his practice working, preferring experimental, cutting edge therapies and hard to solve cases that others are afraid to take.
He is still a Shinto praying, Kendo practicing, Bushido loving bad ass with a sword…but he has also studied Krav Maga and Jeet Kune Do. He only studies martial arts and combat techniques to defend others.
His race car driver persona is basically that of a land based Chuck Yeager. He is hired to help test engines for the makers of the fastest super-cars, and has built a few of his own, but won’t market them because he feels the world doesn’t need more.
He is still the adopted son of Japanese Scientist. Only without the WWII references connecting his family to the Japanese scientist. Instead, it’s more of the mid 90’s Japanese-American Corporate paranoia vibe. His family were engineers working for a world famous inventor who started an engineering company in 1980’s. I mean, they can even connect the family to Nakatomi Plaza in ’86, for some geek mind melting.
All in all, his persona from the movie is actually more plausible now in our era. The only difficulty is giving all of these elements believable attributes and his wealth and fame realistic reasons to exist. I want this to work, I really do, I’m just afraid they’re going to explain why the watermelon was there.
-Dagobot
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