Monday, August 19, 2019

The Mouse and the Kid Superhero

Began a sunny, hazy morning with breakfast and a couple of classic Mickey Mouse color shorts from the 30's and 40's. "Mickey's Circus" gets out of hand when Donald tries to show off his not-very-well-trained sea lions to an audience of unruly mouse kids. "Mickey's Garden" was his first color short. He and Pluto spray the garden to get rid of pests...until Mick has a nightmare where the pests are bigger than him and attack him. "The Little Whirlwind" annoys Mick when he rakes Minnie's garden...but when he tries to get rid of it, it brings out one that's even bigger!

Headed to work shortly after "Little Whirlwind" ended. Work was a pain. I ended up in the register shortly after I came, and other than gathering carts around 11 and putting baskets away and shelving a few items right before I left, I was taking customers all day. One cashier was late, and we simply didn't have enough help. The lines were long, and I was so flustered and upset. At least most of my customers were really good about it.

I forgot two items on Friday and picked them up today. I'm almost out of cereal. I took advantage of a good sale and an online coupon to try the new Special K multi-grain honey flakes. Today was the last day of another Turkey Hill/Acme generic ice cream sale. This time, I went with the Acme's light mocha almond fudge.

Went straight home, put everything away, changed, and threw together a blackberry-peach smoothie and peanut butter and marmalade wrap for lunch. Did more Mickey shorts while I ate. The gang goes on a "Hawaiian Holiday" that gets pretty wild, thanks to Goofy's attempt at surfing and Pluto chasing a crab. When Sheriff Pete forecloses on their home, Mickey, Goofy, and Don have a chaotic "Moving Day" to get their furniture out before Pete can sell it. The mouse orphans are picking on Don again in "Orphan's Picnic," only this time, they're stealing his food.

Switched from the Mickey Classic Favorites set to the Walt Disney Treasures Mickey Mouse In Living Color, Vol. 2 while making Blackberry Flummery. Mickey enters Pluto in a "Society Dog Show," but he's thrown out after attacking the judges. He gets his chance to show his real stuff when he saves a pretty pekingese from a fire. He tries to teach Pluto to be "The Pointer," but they end up running across a grizzly bear. "Tugboat Mickey" thinks a ship is sinking and orders his crew members Donald and Goofy to get their tub moving. As it turns out, things are a lot more dire for them than the ship when too much coal gets in the boiler. Mickey and Minnie recall the simpler times of vaudeville and crank cars in "The Nifty Nineties." "Orphan's Benefit" is similar to "Mickey's Circus," only this time, Don is being picked on while reciting nursery rhymes.

Switched to two of my Have a Nice Day 70's CDs while dusting. I really shouldn't have put it off for so long. The entertainment area and bedroom were especially bad. At least I have less to do than I used to. The new window sashes are easy-wipe vinyl.

Worked on writing for a while after I finished. Bob Fettman and his boys arrive as Harris is taking Leia back to her room. He shoots missiles at Harris almost immediately. Leia goes after him, but he has his own plans for her...

Broke for dinner at 6:30. Tossed most of the vegetables in the refrigerator and the last of the taco meat into a summer vegetable stove-top casserole. Continued with Mickey and the gang while I ate.

Everyone gets a chance to shine in "Symphony Hour," with Mickey conducting and Pete hoping for a rousing success. When Goofy drops their instruments down an elevator shaft, it turns more into a comic routine, complete with Donald throwing a fit over his drums. "Mickey's Delayed Date" has him rushing out in a hurry when Minnie demands that he show up yesterday, but it's Pluto who brings his tickets. Mick and Pluto head to Australia in "Mickey Down Under," where he gathers bananas with a boomerang and they try to take an emu's egg, only to be chased by it. Mickey's followed by a seal who wants more of his fish in "Mickey and the Seal." Mick and Pluto try to get rid of it, but it just wants more seafood. "The Simple Things" was Mickey's last theatrical cartoon until 1983. He and Pluto want to enjoy a day at the beach, but crabby crabs and hungry sea gulls get in their way.

Moved to Lego Star Wars after dinner. Got surprisingly far on "Speeder Showdown," one of the longest and most difficult rounds in the game. (It helps that they give you 15 minutes on that one, instead of the usual 10.) I actually only missed one piece. Tried "Great Pit of Carkoon" again, but didn't get nearly as far.

Finished the night after a shower with Shazam! Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a foster kid who is bitter over being abandoned by his mother. He's not expecting much of his new foster home, but it turns out to be run by an energetic couple who have already taken in five other kids. He befriends the one closest to his own age, the nerdy, superhero-obsessed Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer). One day on the subway, Billy suddenly finds himself in another dimension. An ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou) declares him pure of heart and chooses him to be Shazam, the champion of his powers. When Billy says "Shazam," he changes into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi). Freddy's thrilled and films him goofing off and testing his powers. He's less happy when his videos go viral and thrusts Billy into the spotlight. Suddenly, he's ignoring his new family and cutting class to be a big hero and make money. He thinks that's all there is to this hero business, until the evil Dr. Silvana (Mark Strong) kidnaps Freddy and the other kids find his long-lost mother. Now Billy has to decide where he really belongs...and find the true heart of a hero within himself.

This was a lot of fun. Levi and Angel were both hilarious as the kid who suddenly finds himself in the superhero version of Big. Grazer was even funnier as his disabled buddy who wishes he could be as popular as Billy. The problem here is with the villain. Despite seeing his backstory, Dr. Silva comes off as a bit of a cardboard action baddie, making the drawn-out finale not as interesting as it could be. I like some of the CGI, though, especially as Billy is testing the limits of his powers and in the Rock of Destiny.

I can see why this was a fairly big hit in the spring, despite being released around the same time as Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. Those looking for a meatier or darker story will probably want to flip over to Marvel, but if you're in the mood for a lighter action tale or loved the original Captain Marvel in the comics, you'll want to give Billy Batson's world a look.

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