Lazy Adventurer

Welcome to the rabbit-hole, but chase the rabbit at your own risk.

This will be a motley assortment of anything that doesn't fit in my head anymore. Enjoy or don't. At this point I don't care.

Monday, May 4, 2015



In the superhero supervillain dichotomy I obediently identify with the heroes more than the villains. My moral fibers tug at the strings of my conscience, willing me, no compelling me to root for the good guys. Yet I feel a connection with the villains. Do I sympathize with their evil ways? No, it's not that. It's that villains are creative, imaginative creatures and heroes are not. In a way I don't have a choice of who I root for however, it's just who I am. Perhaps this even makes me a puppet.

I've got no strings
To hold me down
To make me fret, or make me frown
I had strings
But now I'm free
There are no strings on me

Recently you've probably heard this tune recited by Marvel's most recent creepy supervillain. Did I say Marvel? I am sorry, I meant to say Disney. Disney who also famously created Pinocchio. To some, having a chilling recitation of this verse make it into a summer blockbuster may be a cause for some Disney fanboys to squeal. For me it shed a vision (did you catch that Marvel...I mean Disney reference?) on what was wrong with the Marvel cinematic universe.
I can some it up with four words:

Beating
A
Dead
Horse

What could I possibly mean? It means that I am sort of done with superhero movies. What?! How could I say that? Marvel...ahem I mean Disney has given me a dozen plus movies now of cinematic gold and how dare I question the necessity for them?! I think the Pinocchio reference is very apt for Disney.

Don't get me wrong. I've enjoyed the ride. I strapped in on day one with Iron Man. (I begin with Iron Man because previous to this I don't think "Marney" had a problem with movies. Namely because they weren't owned by Disney then. They had some good ones and they had some stinkers.) I gleefully awaited Iron Man in theaters, and quite ashamedly only saw it three times. I quite proudly made it my first blu-ray movie purchase for my collection. Then came the Hulk and I oozed with anticipation at the prospect of linking movies. I mean who does that? It all culminated in the first Avengers movie and I was rightly possessed by the spirit of the Marvel  juggernaut movie euphoria.

Then I watched Captain America 2. Something didn't feel right. Was I sick? Was I coming down with something? Surely Marvel's movie formula would work for the umpteenth time? Sad to say it didn't. The constant barrage of explosions and pithy one-liners wore on me a little bit. It felt so rehearsed. Like it had come out of a play book. Like it was from the Disney/Marvel superhero playbook.

Now I am not here to explain in detail exactly what that is. Although I could. It'd be easy for me, I find writing only slightly less hard than Calculus. I am merely implanting in your brain the tare of truth that the Marvel movies are growing repetitive. Iron Man's suit doesn't excite like it once did. Thor's lightning is still cool...I guess. Hulk going Hulk never gets old right? Right? I no longer think the Marvel movies are interconnected like a web like I once did. Now to me I think they're cyclical. How long before the Disney ride resets itself? I even hate to admit that I could even see the tell-tale signs of the Disney/Marvel superhero playbook in the Guardians of the Galaxy. I loved that movie. It pains me to say that it truly does.

Age of Ultron was a fun movie. Marvel movies are ALWAYS fun. It just wasn't that great of a movie. Ultron  started off as an interesting villain. He started the movie as a villain, then quickly became the "villain". World destruction? I am sorry but that plot was hackney in what?....the 60's? What a one-sided character. How droll. They could have played more into how Ultron was Stark. Let the fans savor what it would be like to have Stark be the villain? Now that would have been interesting. Nope.


Please won't someone in Hollywood be a good little villain and write something unique and interesting?