Deadpool & Wolverine

This has been marinating for a bit, so let's go.

The message of Deadpool & Wolverine is hard to pin down because it's not as simple, or as trite, as the first two, "people love you for who you are," and "found family." It's also not as strong as message as the first two.

"You may not be your best self, but that doesn't mean you should be your worst self."

I think every movie has a sequence of actions. It only has a story when the audience follows those actions and why they happen. I think a good story has something about it that lets Joe Schmo connect with the story about two edgy, regenerating meatsacks trying to save a planet.

We see Wade getting rejected by the Avengers. He turns to selling cars, wearing a fake hairpiece--sorry hair system. It's a life of falsehood and pretense and he's obviously not good at it. He's punishing himself because he couldn't be the best Deadpool he could be. A superhero. An Avenger. He punishes himself by being worst version of himself. This hurts the people around him.

It hurts them in a broader, yet more severe way when he learns he's not important enough to be the anchor being of this Earth.

So what does he do? He finds the Wolverine that couldn't be the best version of himself--a committed X-Man--and gave up on that by being the worst version of himself--killing a heap of humans in retaliation for that. He resigns himself to being a drunk.

Then, hey, they meet the refugees of the Foxverse (or whatever). Not the best versions of the characters they represented (Blade aside). It is a stretch to say getting one last throw down on a Universal Studios set is their version of "okay is better than the worst," but letting them fade out would have left those characters at their worst. Y'know, written off and ignored.

Even Cassandra Nova finds her better self for about five minutes. Paradox's whole deal is that he wants to be the best version of himself and destroy (the worst) any universe that isn't good enough (perfect. making money for Disney).

So over the course of about 3 setpiece battles and a slew of jokes that are hits and misses, we see Wolverine say that even if he is never gonna be the best Wolverine, he doesn't have to be the worst one. Deadpool learns that he isn't equipped to save the world, but he can be more than be a car salesman, and that the people around him want him to be more than that.

These folks can love themselves despite not being their best. And in doing that, they can be more than their worst.

It's not deep. It's not worth an Oscar. It's got 2 visual gags about big dicks. I feel more narrative "oomph" was intended in that Deadpool battle. Anti-matter does not work that way. But the story had a relatable theme wrapped around it and the bundle of cameos, swears, and 4th wall breaks under which you could hear the faint sound of all of it getting a bit tired.

Here It Is Christmastime

 

I Don't Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)

 It's kind of a bop.

Captain America: Civil War, aka Avengers 2.5, aka Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist IV

I take notes when I watch movies and after the movies, I post those notes on the internet. These are my notes for Captain America: Civil War. Notes made after the movie are made in <<>>'s.

Previews
Lethal Weapon again. It’s a weird movie, but we love it.
Beyonce dance and sing-along. Sounds like an idea.
Independence Day II trailer...still ‘mech.
Oh gods, Dr. Strange. Dang, I just imagine that as he’s walking up the steps a Tardis appears, obscuring him and The Doctor is all, "I’m not that strange," and it’s a Doctor Who movie.
Rogue One again. This one is still a bit too on the nose. People are angry about the installation of the space laser, that but’s literally how we build carriers. Actually get off the Internet, nerds.

Captain America: Civil War

The Killing Joke - Your Franchise is Pandering Wrong

So the news is that the Alan Moore classic Batman story, The Killing Joke direct-to-video animated feature is cleared to be rated "R".

About a month ago, I volunteered to help out Star Trek: Renegades at the local ComicCon. I was looking to interact with Star Trek fans and talk a bit about 17 to 01. I was giving them free labor; don't judge.

Also, Renegades is kinda bad, so if you're going to judge, judge me for that.

Age of Ultron Supplemental: Black Widow

Let's talk about that shitty Black Widow controversy!

I once said you could cut Avengers down and call it “Black Widow & the Wise-Cracking Dudes with Stupid Clothes.” I maintain that is true. Black Widow could have easily been the main character of that movie. That's the highest praise I can give that film or her.

There's no way to talk about how Avengers: Age of Ultron handled her character that is at once polite and accurate. I don't know if Joss Whedon was trying to piss off people who liked her character or if someone hit him in the head with a brick and the resulting concussion did...this.

Let's start with the good stuff. When she refuses to try and lift Mjolnir, it's a boss-ass move. It clearly shows she has nothing to prove. She has the supreme confidence afforded by knowing herself and her place in the universe.

When she makes a move on Banner, that's good stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'm tired of the incredibly hot woman making a move on the unassuming nerd bullshit storyline--

The most egregious example that springs to mind.

--because it's wish-fulfillment nerd bullshit that deserves a whole blog of its own, granted. But it's undeniable they have an emotional history. Every other member of The Avengers has a relationship.

Yes, asexual and aromatic characters have a right to be represented, but my point is that they aren't foisting a relationship on Black Widow because she's a female; they're forcing it on her because of a giant heteronormativity hammer and a the need for a plot involving her and Banner that can advance independently of the plot and explain Banner's absence at the end.

They're both emotionally closed-off. Neither one of them is getting a standalone movie any time soon. It's a relationship that works. Here are a few things that shouldn't happen to a global super-spy after she expresses her romantic interest in someone:

1. They do that thing where they fall together and he lands in her boobs.

2. She's captured by the villain and he has to rescue her.

3. He carries her in his arms when she's not even hurt.

4. They do that thing that anime does where they fall on each other and he lands on her breasts.

5. Black Widow says she's a monster because she can't have kids.

6. The thing where Banner and Romanoff and tits because clumsy.

7. Basically, those last two, repeated forever because what the fuck.

The “monster” bit retroactively takes her calm, confident refusal of the hammer and turns into an almost despair-laden resignation that she's not good enough. And that is bullshit.

Age of Ultron, Part 1

So...Age of Ultron. If you've heard anything about Age of Ultron, I'd like to tell you it's true. I'll get into spoilers after the cut, but it was a fun time and I'm looking forward to Civil War and Infinity War.

In case you didn't know, Age of Ultron, also known as Avengers 2, is a sequel to 2012's Avengers directed and written by Joss Whedon and based on characters created by--at the very least--Jack Kirby, Stan Lee.

Spectacle

Age of Ultron is epic and feels epic. It establishes the build from the start and the tension is kept tight, even when they introduce the New Thing Which Will Definitely Be Plot-Critical in an Hour or So. A handful of plot threads are cut short, keeping you from being certain about what's happening next. At the same time, they're so surgically cauterized that you don't feel as though your time has been wasted.

It's a fun ride. While the second part of a trilogy is traditionally the darkest one with the most downbeats, AoU is a celebration of The Avengers at the peak of their form. They fought off the Chitauri last time and you know that Thanos is going to be kind of a big deal in the future...

This isn't a spoiler, right? Thanos is coming.

...so this is more like the last of the good times before things go bad. Age of Ultron never forgets that the world is at stake, but nor does it let that get in the way of the sheer joy of being The Avengers, from James Spader almost channeling Gul Dukat as the smarmy, insane Ultron, to The Avengers themselves energetically circling their villain like a wolf pack bringing down a mammoth.

The setpieces feel more like setpieces in this one, but everything is still bright and vibrant. Hits land, stories arc, and there's few moments where someone's story stalls. I'd fuckin' kill to have one classic Star Trek movie created with this level of detail and energy for each player.

Also, in case I have to say it...

Hurdles of S.H.I.E.L.D.

So, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (AoS) has had three episodes. I'm liking it, even if it's the reason I'm dreading Tuesdays now. AoS has a lot of hurdles to overcome. It's the bastard  child of a popular king. It exists to make a bit more revenue and add value to the Marvel film franchise. When Thor 2 and Captain America 2 come out, you sure as heck better bet AoS is gonna spend an episode for each one reminding the audience that THIS THING MIGHT BE ADDRESSED BY THOR/CAPTAIN AMERICA IN SOME OTHER NARRATIVE. PERHAPS ONE HAPPENING AT THE NEARBY THEATER ON NOVEMBER 8/APRIL 4.

I'm cool with that, but it's a one-way street; AoS can't have Dr Doom or Power Man or Iron Man because "Fox Studios," "you never know," and "LOL, nope!" The Fury cameo from the second week was nice, but Fury, like Hill, doesn't have an arc or history; he's untethered. If AoS is going to plug into the Marve movie universe or channel the power of the Marvel Comics Universe, it'll have to receive a box of good Marvel stuff, no matter how small. That risks making AoS look tiny next to superheroes/villains but it's got upsides: 1) the point is superheroes 2) it might distract from the premise.

Question and Rant: Here and Back Again

I sound smart when I speak to people, a skill I honed in lieu of any other skills. I did this primarily because I like the sound of my own voice, which is a pity because I'll never have an audience inside of my own head to appreciate the light, yet solid qualities my skull lends it. Despite sounding a bit like a stereotypical mentally challenged person, my sounding-smart skills encourage people who barely know me to ask me about my thoughts on current events. People who really know me skip this in favor of letting me daydream about Magic, comic books, or emo guys, mostly because they know I'll be thinking about those things anyway and don't want to put me to the trouble of pretending that I'm listening to them.

Now because I've had the money to stay away from strangers for the past few years, this hasn't really been something that's happened much. However, if I did still have to meet new people and interact with them, I'm sure these are the questions I'd imagine them asking me while they said boring things.

What do you think about this secret service prostitute thing?

Secret service agents fucking prostitutes in South America is no more connected to Obama than Abu Ghraib is to Rumsfeld.

The Avengers, Part Two

Wednesday, I put up the first part of my response to the thoroughly enjoyable and quite popular The Avengers film. It was too big to finish in one post (a good argument could have been made for three), so today's the conclusion.

Blah, blah, spoilers after the cut.

The Avengers, Part One

The Avengers is fucking awesome. You know it. I know it. A few million people know it.

Mainly because of stuff like this.
Image taken from here.

Spoilers below:

The Game's the Thing: Experience in Multiple Techniques

For players, experience is a very simple thing; it's a bridge from the baby's first badass of their new character to the final boss battle badass that always seems inevitable just a few sessions before the campaign falls apart. It's a measure of progress and a return on their investment on having fun. What's the reward for playing your Batman-themed player character? Playing a better Batman-themed player character. For the min/maxers, it's bragging rights. For serious roleplayers, it's their character's mastery over things which have previously alluded them. For smartass snarkers, it's a license to snark to slightly more dangerous NPCs. For social roleplayers, it's...actually kind of a hassle.

The Game's The Thing: The Best of the Marvel Universe

So Terry’s going to be kicking around an Aberrant Campaign. He wasn’t sure at first if he was going to run a straight Aberrant campaign, use one of the stock ‘super universes’ (DC or Marvel), or go with something in between.

Now, if it’s one setting I love in comics, it’s the Marvel Universe. Yes, it’s ridiculous and stupid sometimes, but it’s not as abstract as the DC Universe. That is, cataclysmic, world-destroying events don’t happen every week. For the most part, it’s a normal world where normal things happen and the biggest, strangest things are usually confined to the superhuman community. While there are a few crossovers in Marvel that involve the entirety of Earth (Secret Invasion, Infinity Gauntlet), most don’t (Onslaught/Heroes Reborn, Secret Wars, Civil War, Dark Reign). As widespread as House of M was, I don’t think the rank and file citizen of Earth really even noticed anything happened. And while Ultimate Galactus managed to create cults all over the world and even (if I remember correctly) have a certain level of psychic presence as it approached, the 616 Galactus was just another giant guy with a giant, world-destroying machine. Unless he had destroyed the world, no one would’ve cared.

I like the Marvel Universe, because it seems more like the universe I’m familiar with and the heroes in it are essentially struggling to get by in the same world I am.