Thursday, January 12, 2017

The Life and Death of Superman

Began a half-cloudy, very warm day with work. It wasn't too bad. I did round up carts right after I arrived, but I spent the rest of the day dusting and wiping down the registers and magazine racks. It never got more than mildly steady. By the time it was picking up, I was heading home.

The weather was so warm, I took the long way home down Nicholson Road. Surprisingly, despite the nice day, the traffic wasn't bad. Either the earlier clouds scared people off, or they'd all had early lunches. I got home down Atlantic and Manor with no problems.

Did a quick Three Stooges short while I ate lunch after I got in. They're "Squareheads of the Round Table" when they aid Cedric the Blacksmith in rescuing his beloved, a fair princess, from the Black Knight. They try wooing her with music before they're saved from the dungeon and discover a foul plot to kill the king.

I was up way too late last night and had to work early this morning. I finally said "the heck with it" and settled in for a nap for about an hour and a half around 2. I don't know how much it did. I slept until 4, and I'm still a bit tired.

Tired or not, I wanted to get some writing in. Maz gives Han a suit of clothes that once belonged to his wayward father. He'd sold his entire wardrobe to her to make money for his debts. The suit is worn and dated, but Han and ever-dapper Lando figure it might be able to work.

Just as Han's pushed the suit behind him, Greedo, one of Jabba's men, turns up looking for him. He lost the "shipment" aiding the trio on the road, and now Jabba expects payment. When Greedo threaten the two things that mean the most to Han, his dog Chewbacca and his horse Falcon, the lizard-like man winds up with an arrow through his chest.

As soon as Han leaves, Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives. He and Maz are old friends. The duo are playing matchmaker, hoping to pair the disgraced nobleman's son and the feisty princess. Maz tells Obi-Wan about the suit; Obi-Wan says he'll check on Han later, to make sure all is well and he makes it to the ball.

I improvised a nice meal for dinner from leftovers. Cut up the last of the meatballs with some of the broccoli, mayo, and cheese. It ended up being very tasty and filling.

Finished out the night with Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Superman (Henry Cavill) is riding high after saving Metropolis in the last movie...but that doesn't last long after a mission with Lois Lane (Amy Adams) goes wrong and he's accused of killing innocents. Playboy Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), aka Batman, is inclined to agree and does everything he can to bring Superman down to Earth level. Obnoxious young businessman Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) gleefully does what he can to play the two off of one another. When a monster Luthor released gets too hot to handle, Batman and Superman call in Wonder Woman (Gail Godot) to help bring it down. But the cost of the creature's destruction may be higher than Bruce, Diana, and the citizens of Metropolis are willing to accept...

A lot of people had problems with this when it came out last spring, complaining about the heavy violence and dark themes. I'm wondering if many folks just aren't up for very dark action right now. While I didn't enjoy this as much as I did Man of Steel, I didn't hate it, either. My main complaints are an overly complicated and confusing plot and the overlong running time. Some good performances, especially from Eisenberg and the underused Godot, were more helpful. At least the special effects are something else, especially in that heartbreaking finale.

If you're a fan of any of these superheroes, darker action films, or the DC Comics Universe, this isn't nearly as bad as you may have heard. At the very least, I'm now looking forward to this year's Justice League and especially Wonder Woman.

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