nerd, interrupted

i'm a nerd, and i have been frequently interrupted as i have written this post.

i have never denied my nerdiness, nor have i argued with it. it is a simple fact.

i have a Star Wars collection (with a focus on Boba Fett)

i have an Xbox360 with several games, and i enjoy it.

i collect and read graphic novels (Batman, JLA, etc.)

so, this summer's movie schedule was more or less targeted at nerds like me. I mean, there are some things about it that are an attempt to draw in the "casual" moviegoer with loud explosions and fast-paced CGI effects, but let's get serious. Apart from Shyamalan's recent bomb (for a GREAT review, check here) and a mediocre Sex and the City one-shot, this is a summer of superheroes.

To me, Marvel Comics' uniqueness, and arguably their key attraction, is drawn from the persistence of flaws in their characters. What Stan Lee is GREAT at is crafting a character who has phenomenal ability but an obvious, fatal flaw with which to wrestle for the duration of that character's existence.
DC characters are more pure in their mythic quality, and that is at once DC's strength and weakness - the DC Trinity (Batman, Superman, WonderWoman) are so separate from humanity that they are amazingly attractive to a point and wonderfully powerful, but they are also separate in most ways from human pain/suffering, so readers cannot resonate with some of what occurs in their plotlines unless a human element is injected (Batman has Robin, Superman has Jimmy and Lois, Wonder Woman has her alter ego of 'Diana Prince' in which she is learning 'how' to be human)
Marvel's characters, by comparison, are unmistakably human. With the exception of the Asgardian gods (who still behave very much like humans), Marvel's superheroes are easy to resonate with, for readers and now for viewers.

with that Marvel caveat, here's my mini-review of the summer movies i've seen so far:

Iron Man -
Robert Downey, Jr. is a great 'version' of Iron Man. Although Tony Stark has never been written with quite so much sarcasm, it worked great in this film. One of the things i find most exciting about the current sequel-talk is the fact that Stark's flaws are: heart condition (unless you're reading Ultimate - a separate Marvel universe), and alcoholism. As many know, Downey has struggled with alcoholism. SO... given a good screenwriter and good director (Favreau was capable), the sequel could arguably be better than this outing.
ANYWAY - IronMan had a great pace to it, nicely integrated effects, and an adequate cast. Great for popcorn consumption, or sneaking in cheaper candy. This is actually a nerd movie that is a potential date movie, because of the nature of the dialogue and the charisma that Downey displays in the role. It's not Spiderman 2, but it's a great example of a superhero movie created for mass consumption.

The Incredible Hulk -
I love Ed Norton. American History X and Fight Club are part of my top 10 favorite movies of all time, and Ed made both of them memorable. Arguably, Ed has played the dual-personality role once too often, but i really didn't have a problem watching Ed play Bruce Banner. I have to admit that i'm WAY more interested in seeing the 'extended cut' on DVD (which may have as much as 70 minutes extra footage) than seeing the theatre cut again, but Hulk falls into a similar category as Iron Man for me - great theatre experience, and a superhero movie that can also be a date movie - Ed and Liv Tyler actually have a semblance of chemistry, which i was anxious about before the film, and my wife enjoyed the relational dynamics. This Hulk movie is at the least more credible than the last, if not incredible in comparison.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -
there are some movies that are key to my imagination as i grew up - Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade are two of my all-time favorite movies, and always will be. Spielberg and Lucas were at the top of their game during these films, arguably... and i feel like that edge has been worn a bit, over time. but only a bit
Harrison Ford is one of my favorite actors, and although it can be said he plays a similar role in all of his parts, Indiana Jones is an enduring, lovable, heroic character. Although Ford said he'd never play Han Solo again, he has always held a place for Indy in his heart, and finally had time in his schedule to shoot this film.
However, it seems that more of this film was shot in the processor of a computer than i would have liked... some of the scenes that would have been amazing live stunts in the 80's are now CGI rendered, and thus neutered, stunts that i can pull in my video games. i'm not a Shia LeBouf fan, so i wasn't too thrilled about his role in this movie, although he didn't annoy me as much as i was anticipating.
I enjoyed this movie from start to finish, even with the interruptions of my wife asking for clarification since she somehow had NEVER seen Raiders or Temple of Doom prior to this. The pacing was great, and seeing Harrison in the Indy garb made me feel like a kid again. there are some clever scenes, and some silly scenes, and unfortunately a few dumb scenes. the resolution to the Crystal Skull part of the plot, in particular, was just a bit too out there (thanks to Lucas) to really resonate with the audience, but thankfully the scene after it 'almost' washes the aftertaste out.
reflecting on it now, i think that i probably won't like this movie as much when i watch it again more critically, but for a theatre experience, and for the feeling of nostalgia that accompanied me that day, it was worth it.

Prince Caspian -
Part of being a nerd is being a 'purist.' That means, good nerds dislike (and when i say dislike i mean hate) the Star Wars 'prequels,' Greedo shooting first, the Catwoman 'movie' (if you can call it that), and any deviations from the original form of a story are simply WRONG.
The first Narnia movie moved some key lines and portrayed some of the key themes in very different ways, and for many people this made it just plain wrong. For me, it was merely distracting. The most distracting thing was that QuiGon Jin/Oskar Schindler/Alfred Kinsey/Ra's Al Ghul was also Aslan.
Once i got over this... the movie was decent. Since i was already over this casting tension during Caspian, and Aslan has less screen time, it wasn't a distraction as such.
As a movie, and a sequel to the other Narnia movie, Caspian is a good time in the theatre. it's not LotR, it may not be Harry Potter (haven't seen or read any of those), but it is its own world, finally beginning to develop its own identity. Many, many details are left out of the books, and even though a picture speaks a thousand words, these moving pictures still leave out some of the more key ones. That said, there are several spiritual themes that translate well into this film version of a great children's story.
if you can wait, catch it in the 1.50 theatre, but see it on a big screen somehow.

my wife will testify that i do NOT like to see chick flicks or comedies in the theatre. for some reason, i feel like i'm wasting money if i don't get a different effect than watching the movie at home... and Iron Man, Hulk, Indy and Caspian are all "theatre movies" to me... they have a different effect on the big screen with the big sound than they will when i watch them at home on the DVD special editions that i will inevitably buy.

or receive as gifts if i'm lucky.