Man of Steel

I've been anticipating this new Superman movie ever since it was originally announced that Christopher Nolan would be the director. I liked what he did for Batman, and I believed he would bring greatness to Superman, that he would do right by him.

But I don't hold on to these things too hard. I have no control over it, and to get upset that things change and hold it as some sort of personal affront against me is just not how I'm wired. I was sad when Nolan was "just" going to be the producer. But with him, that's still a huge deal, and I believed he would not let Mr. Snyder stray too far. Whatever else one might think of Mr. Snyder's movies, he makes visually stunning movies.

And time passed. And images and ideas slipped out here and there: Zod; the massive safe door; the odd Superman shield (that has grown on me); the handcuffs (ha!). And trailer after trailer. My heart grew in anticipation, hoping that my desire for this movie to be fantastic would be even remotely fulfilled.

I did not see anything that made me think this would be a bad movie, but I wasn't sure it would be fantastic.

Aside 1: I have loved Superman since I was boy and am unabashed in my admiration for the hero and my desire to be like him. Now, at the grand age of 49, I have not changed my mind about Superman (though I stopped reading the comics in DC's New 52; they're just missing something). He is still the hero I look up to and admire and want to be more like him, in particular in the desire to do what's right. Him being an archetype of Christ doesn't hurt matters for me.

Aside 2: When I went to see The Dark Knight, I had great anticipation for it, too. Sitting in the theater waiting for it to start, my gooses were bumping, and my heart was pounding. And I felt a prompt from God, "You're going to see something special today." And I did. The Dark Knight is the greatest movie I have ever seen to date.

Aside 3: I went to see Iron Man 3 on a Thursday. I saw a trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness and got gooses to bumping yet again. (It lived up to my expectations.) Then a trailer for Man of Steel ran. My reaction was different, not the bumping of the fowl, but a deeper satisfaction. I had seen the trailer before, but in a little video screen on my laptop doesn't begin to compare with the huge screen in the theater.

Unaside.

Everything I know of Man of Steel right now tells me that I will not be disappointed. It will have action beyond what I expect. The relationships will be rich. And the story will be more than sufficient to engage, entertain, and involve.

And I have a hint, the same as before The Dark Knight, that this will be something special.

Super, man

Those of you who know me know of my love of Superman. I mean, my cat's name is Clark Kent. I came across this video tonight on godtube.com (the link should take you to a new window or tab if you know how to do that).

Superman

The Equalizer

Finally, the TV show The Equalizer is coming to DVD! I am so excited about this (no, really!)! Okay, enough with the exclamation marks (but I'm really excited about this). JamesEdward Woodward plays the titular character, a man seeking to make restitution for lives taken and evils done by helping others who are having trouble. Slum lords, bullies, loan sharks, etc., should all beware The Equalizer.

As much as I idolize Superman (bear with me), I recognize that he is a fictional character . I will never be able to fly except in a plane or by jumping off a tall building, cliff, or other large object. In the immortal words of The Tick, "Gravity is a harsh mistress." I'll never have x-ray vision no matter what the ads in comic books claim. No, the most I can do is kind of look like him (or one depiction of him, anyway) if I lose ## pounds and start working out fairly hard.

The Equalizer is also a fictional character, a much more realistic one, however. I would love to have his connections, money, and force of will in order to do the types of things he did in the show. The average person needs a champion, someone who will stand up for them, someone who will defend them and protect them. This is something I feel like I could manage. And I've actually prayed about this. God's response to me is that I do have that power available to me: it's called "prayer".

And really, who better to know what's needed in any particular case? The best I can do is seek vengeance and be punitive and retributive. But God can speak to the hearts of all involved, touching them where they need it the most, bringing true healing and freedom. Eventually, even Pharaoh let the Hebrew people go. Sure, he regretted his decision, changed his mind, and paid for it with his life, but that was his choice.

Really, how exciting is that? We have the power of God available to us to accomplish things and help improve people's lives. Not that we make things happen according to our whims, but opening our hearts to the truth of God's desires can change us from the inside out and maybe lead us to become part of the solution rather than running away in hopes the problem(s) will just disappear.

Theatrical Release Pick for 9/8/2006

I've been excited about some of the movies coming up, so much so that I've thought about writing these things in advance to cover things when I get too busy to do these weekly. It's not like there's a whole lot of latitude to what's coming out, really.

I'm faced with a dilemma, and I feel forced to do something I never intended to do with this: not pick a new release. But it's my list, and I can do what I want, right? Hopefully, this won't be a common occurrence.

Pick of the Week

Crank, starring Jason Statham. Last week's pick is this week's pick, too. I know, but I can't really pick one of the new releases.

Honorable Mentions

• Hollywoodland, starring Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins, and Mr. Jennifer Garner, about the mysterious death of George Reeves, the man who played Superman in the TV show. I got sneak preview passes to watch it Wednesday night. It was fair and decent, and Mr. Jennifer Garner wasn't horrible, actually pretty decent. It seems that his prosthetic nose hides the fact of "I'm Ben Affleck — Aren't I great?" I'm just glad I can separate the man (George Reeves) from the character (Superman).


• The Protector, with Tony Jaa, in a pretty cool looking martial arts flick. Hopefully, the movie will have more than the three main stunts shown in the commercial. Jaa is a Muy Thai fighter who travels to Australia to fight gangsters who stole an elephant and a bull. Kind of week now that I write it out. But it still looks cool.

Stay Away, Far Away!

• The Covenant, starring interchangeable pretty boys, looks pretty awful: the latest heirs in a group of families who sold their souls for powers, one of whom was removed and wants revenge. See what I mean? Dollar movie or Netflix if nothing better.