My Thoughts On Superman Returns

When I was a kid, somewhere between 5-8-years-old, I used to dress up as Superman and pretend to fly around the house as I watched Superman 1 & 2. The brilliant score by John Williams made it easy for me to lose myself in a world filled with wonder and imagination. 15-18 years later, I find myself a 24-year-old, jaded young man, whose taste for superhero stories now includes a preference for angst, edginess, and sociopolitical comentary. I am simply an example of how growing older, and experiencing the negative forces that permeate this world on a daily basis, can shape a once benign and benevolent boy into a hardened young man with pessimistic tendencies.

This is why presently, comics (graphic novels) such as Dark Knight Returns, Preacher, Sin City, Watchmen, and Y: The Last Man are much more to my liking than the Spider-Man, X-men, and/or Superman comics from my childhood. Perhaps this progretion is a common occurence, and there is, in fact, nothing necessarily wrong with it. However, when I watched Superman Returns for the first time, I found myself being jealous of the 7-year-old boy who I was sitting next to. As my eyes rolled at dialogue or plot developments that I deemed "cheesy", the young boy next to me, simply smiled and continued to watch in wonder at what was transpiring before him on the big screen. After the movie, the boy stood up and began spinning around, while sounding the classic theme song, "da, da-da, da-da, da, da, da, da, da-da, da-da, DA-DA-DA!" Oh to be a young boy again. Oh to have the eyes, mind, and imagination of a child, and watch as a man in tight red and blue spandex carried out heroic acts before me.

It was the above sense of nostalgia that compelled me to see the movie again, and this time, I would force myself to view the movie through a child's lenses. In doing so, I found that Superman Returns is truly a great film. I found myself having chills everytime that iconic theme blaired up as the Man of Steel performed acts of heroism. When the credits started rolling, I found myself humming the song in my head, as thoughts of me as a kid in a Superman suit flew from my memory banks. This is why I think Superman Returns is an exemplary film, for it allowed me to not only further accept my inner child, but imbrace it. Oh, and what innocent fun it was!

On another note, I got to thinking about the character of Superman. What makes him so iconic, what he stands for, i.e. truth, justice, strength, etc. I am left with asking myself, (1) What is wrong with those principles? Simplistic as they may be. (2) Why shouldn't kids, or even adults look up to Superman and the ideals he represents? (3) Does the present world need a Superman? I find myself answering, (1) Nothing; (2) If more people in this world emulated Superman, the world would be a better place. (3) Hell, yes!

Presently, as much as I like my heroes deconstructed and made "real", I will always have a special place in my heart for Superman. For the same reason, I always enjoy visits to Astro City.

America: Freedom to Fascism

http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/americafreedomtofascism/

Click the link above to see the trailer at Apple's site or click and watch the YouTube version below. Feel free to comment with your opinion on the matter. Any and all opinions are welcome.

My two cents:

This is exactly why I think that the system (the U.S. Constitution) is fine, but it is the people who have entered the system and who are in control of it that are the problem. This is why it is so difficult for me to respect people's integrity when they can't wake up from their apathetic stupor and see the problems that exist. There was a day when America was great, but that is obviously not the case anymore.

Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying essentially, "we have created a democracy/republic, now it is up to us to keep it." Well, we didn't.

One of my many frustrating experiences with "right-thinking" individuals is, when they are presented with the reality that our government isn't perfect, and that our government has serious problems, they tend to reply with either, "It's still better than anywhere else" or "If you hate America why don't you leave?" It is this narrow and dogmatic world view that is hindering humanity's ability to reach it's true potential. If the majority of people across the globe could live for the now, and act in the best interest of the common good of the people of Earth and Earth itself, we could accomplish some incredible things. Unfortunately, it seems that we either have been programmed, or have the inherent programming within us to do the exact opposite.

Heiwa!

World's Smallest Political Quiz

CENTRISTS espouse a "middle ground" regarding government
control of the economy and personal behavior. Depending on
the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention
and sometimes support individual freedom of choice.
Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind,
tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what
they describe as "practical" solutions to problems.




This seems to fit how I have described myself as a 60%/40%, Liberal/Conservative, with a dash of libertarian. Feel free to let me know your results. To take the quiz click here.

Ninjas and The Matrix (Doogtoons Asks A Ninja)

Damn funny! Any ninja lover should be able to appreciate this!

Today's Installment of W.T.F. Part III

Lioness in zoo kills man who invoked God

Jun 5, 8:31 AM (ET)

KIEV (Reuters) - A man shouting that God would keep him safe was mauled to death by a lioness in Kiev zoo after he crept into the animal's enclosure, a zoo official said on Monday.

"The man shouted 'God will save me, if he exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions," the official said.

"A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid artery."

The incident, Sunday evening when the zoo was packed with visitors, was the first of its kind at the attraction. Lions and tigers are kept in an "animal island" protected by thick concrete blocks.

I mean really, W.T.F.?