Film Heroes and Superheroes

My Take on Movies


People see movies for a lot of reasons. Some people go to escape their own reality. Others want to be entertained in a way that doesn't require personal work or imagination. Others just want to find an activity that facilitates their desire to snuggle up close to a loved one. Still others simply want to beat the heat by going to an air-conditioned theatre. Most of us are probably a combination of the above, depending on our mood at the time.


As for me, there is not one reason I love to see movies; nor is there one type of movie that I restrict myself to. As my wife loves to point out, I see just as many "bad" movies as I do "good" ones. Thus, for every "Dark Knight," I see a "Stomp the Yard" to provide a balanced perspective. I cannot say exactly why I like seeing bad movies other than the fact that some of them turn out to be absolutely hilarious by sheer accident ("The Fast & the Furious" anyone?). Still, it amazes me that millions of dollars are thrown at bad scripts, actors, and directors for projects too dumb and asinine for any reasonable person to endure. Seriously, who in their right mind thought that "Meet Dave" was a good idea?


In the end, the primary reason I love movies is that they have the power to uplift, inspire, and change my outlook on the world. For each movie I see, I get to know characters who, through the focused lenses of their own personal history and perspective, must process, understand, and respond to the experiences that life callously thrusts upon them. Through their reactions to such stimuli, I get to ask myself what I would do were I in that character's shoes.


Although the analogy is often ridiculous (I can't imagine I will be bit by radioactive spiders and/or forced to battle felons made out of sand anytime soon), the abstract principles that such scenarios convey reach to the very core of our existence. Given the power and opportunity to battle the evils of this world (whether it be violence, anger, abuse, power, hunger, disease, selfishness, or any other of life's vices), would I be secure enough in my identity and convictions to step into the hero's shoes or would I merely be one of the extras screaming as I flee the scene? At heart, I am a storyteller; in viewing the experiences of others, I get to view my own story from a different angle and learn how to tell it in a fresh new light.


Superheroes


After seeing "The Dark Knight," I have been pondering which movie characters I identify as my own favorite (super)heroes. What characters do I most identify with or aspire to be like? If I could be like any one movie character, who would it be? Over the next few entries, I thought I would discuss my take on my own favorites as well as other well-known and well-liked heroes. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Batman

The reason that "The Dark Knight" inspired this is because Batman has always been one of my favorite comic-book characters. To be perfectly honest, I have never been one to read comic books. Yet ever since Michael Keaton donned the disguise in Tim Burton's original "Batman" I have been a big supporter of the character. (Joel Shumacher seemed to try very hard to kill that support, but luckily it survived even "Batman and Robin.")

I guess the reason I prefer Batman over other comic-book characters is that Bruce Wayne didn't need some special power created by radiation or some other freak accident to become a hero. With only a soul soaked in spite due to witnessing the murder of his parents and a kajillion dollars, Bruce Wayne was able to transform himself from a man into something more. Heck, this gives hope to millions of people who wish to be a superhero. You don't need special powers; you just need an ironclad motive for revenge, an unlimited amount of time and money, and a city that always seems to repair the damages that superheroes cause as they attempt to catch the antagonist. I can do that!


All sarcasm aside, these reasons that I love Batman are the same reasons that he is not my favorite hero: they show that we have very little in common. I am not afraid of bats (I think they're quite cool, actually. The first report I ever did of an animal in elementary school was of the vampire bat), I do not have a lot of money, and both my parents are among the living. Furthermore, I grew up in Sandy, Utah. Don't get me wrong, Sandy has its fair share of problems. I still remember being startled awake as a kid because our house was broken into. Despite the fact that we now lock our doors at night, I still don't think it compares to New York City (a.k.a. Gotham) in terms of crime. Thus, Batman represents the sort of hero I would be only in an alternate universe, not the here and now. Although I love to ponder that universe, it just doesn't make me look in the mirror and question what sort of hero I can actually be.

Any other Batman lovers out there? (And by Batman, I mean the character and not Christian Bale.) What is it about Batman that keeps you coming back despite two lousy movies?