Follow-Ups

Multiple random bits and follow-ups today.  Let's see where we go because I certainly don't know myself...

DC Studios opening logo

Yesterday, I watched Superman (2025) for the third time in under a week; this time in IMAX, which is the BEST format to see the film.  It gives you superior sound and the fullest extent of the viewing screen, really immersing you into the picture.  One of the reasons for the multiple viewings is from my family members who want to see it with me!  (Ahhhh, the benefits of being a lifelong comic book fan, I can offer expert testimony and commentary.)  And as I predicted, my enjoyment of the movie continues to grow.  I can honestly say I love it.

I appreciate Lois more and more, and find the interview scene to be such a clever way to not only recap pre-story events, but to expose the heart of their relationship and motivations as people.  It was Clark's, "People were going to die!!" line that really hooked me the first time.  Having lost his family, his world, etc.; he doesn't want anyone to go through the pain he has. This is why he tries to save everyone, including squirrels and B.E.Ms (bug-eye-monsters).

Sometimes when I hear an album for the first time, a few songs will immediately catch my ear and become quick favorites.  These are the ones you want to listen to over and over.  But with multiple listening's (usually three - the same number to get to the center of the tootsie roll pop), you start to uncover other hidden gems.  They've been gradually infiltrating your mind, transitioning from background to foreground with subtle themes or moments that you don't realize you're becoming attuned to.  Similarly, when you're cleaning you take care of the obvious things first and once they're out of the way, look what's underneath!  And so it can be with some movies.

As I marinate on Superman again and again, I can unpack all the good things contained therein.  The jokes land better because I'm prepared for them*, and the performances are seen more fully (not just the words but the gestures, especially on a giant screen).  Guy Gardner is rising in prominence when initially (to me) he was overshadowed by Mister Terrific.  Critics who complain about the busyness of the film and the almost overwhelming number of characters to process, aren't wrong, but that's only if you're a one-time-only consumer.  As a creator do you produce your story to the lowest common denominator and simplify the storytelling, or do you challenge people to engage more fully?  Here I think it worked, but it doesn't always.

*Another film that I grew to love was The LEGO Batman Movie.  Some of the humor and the Joker's goofy grin did not gel with me the first time, but now...it's a perennial favorite!

Wanting to experience more James Gunn DC Studios material, I finally watched the Creature Commandos cartoon series this week, which consists of seven 25-minute episodes.  It only took a couple of days, and you could probably (and should if you're so inclined) binge it over a 2.5 hour window.  The voice acting is good, and there is an interesting story, but it is so marred by the excessive violence, that I can't recommend it even with reservations.  If I were to sum it up in one word, it would be murderous.  These people don't just kill, they outright murder with impunity.  It's gross and not in the it's so gross as to be comic; No, it's downright disgusting with entrails and brains splattered about.  Yes, these are flawed characters with tragic backstories, but as yet most* don't seem to be really on any sort of road to redemption.  And the sexual scenes in the first two episodes, make Heavy Metal (1981) seem like Teletubbies by comparison.

*The Weasel's background will totally change your view of the character and is worthwhile in context with his appearance in The Suicide Squad. (episode 4)

At the beginning of Superman, it's stated that 300 years ago metahumans appeared on the earth, and the age of "Gods and Monsters" began.  That puts us 50 years prior to the Revolutionary War, and Frankenstein and the Bride characters have been around for at least 200 of those years.  The Bride is a standout character and she experiences a tiny bit of growth.  One of the reasons the monsters disregard life and can dispatch it so dispassionately is because they don't value their own lives.  There are some "good" bits* to the story, but I think more restraint (say R-rated instead of MA) would've made it all more accessible.  I mean, you're worldbuilding an entire universe and you immediately keep people from investing in it by making it so off-putting?  I want to enjoy these stories, but Gunn is making it very difficult for someone with my sensibilities.

*If you're a Sgt. Rock fan, then check out episode 3, "Cheers to the Tin Man".

As I said, I can't recommend Creature Commandos.  The Peacemaker series at least has some real heart buried inside a raunchy (but funny) tootsie roll pop. I can only recommend The Suicide Squad with reservations and warnings, but if you can stand it, the ending makes it all worthwhile.  And Superman, I endorse wholeheartedly.  Maybe it's just FOMO on my part, but I really wish Gunn would rein in these other more problematic shows.  No one really wants people to be forced to censor their work (like the old Comics Code Authority), but self-restraint is a often a good and necessary thing.  Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.  And I guess that applies to what I watch as well.

1 Corinthians 10:23:

"Everything is permissible" -- but not everything is beneficial.  "Everything is permissible" -- but not everything is constructive.