Musing of the Day: Has Warner Bros. Redefined "Knightfall" With the New Casting of The Caped Crusader?

So after putting the young ones to sleep last night, I took a moment to check my Facebook news feed and found one of my friends was fairly upset about the final casting of The Dark Knight in the upcoming sequel to Warner Bros.' Man of Steel.  Looking to confirm the rumor for myself, I went to Variety and was greeted with this article:

Holy Rehd Sawx, Rahbin!

Ben Affleck.  Batman.

Now I'll be honest - when I first saw this, I died a little inside.  My mind instantly starting playing back scene after awful scene from Daredevil, Affleck's previous attempt at bringing a comic book superhero to life, and I couldn't stop myself from asking, "Why, Warner Bros.?  Whyyyyyyyyyy?"  I'd had conversations with friends at work and even my siblings and girlfriend about where the DC movie universe was headed with Zach Snyder's take on Superman getting the proverbial ball rolling, and it was no surprise that there were rumors flying about new blood who would play the protector of Gotham.  Granted, there was an oddball or two on the list ("Hey, girl...I'm Batman."), but the short list had some pretty solid contenders.  Not two days later Latino Review published an article that led to rumors about Christian Bale reprising his role as The Dark Knight, leading to so much more discussion and controversy for some, and for others, hope.

Then this bomb dropped.

I woke up this morning to posts like this:

A true fan.

Leather fitting: check.

And Robin Williams as Alfred, yes.

Well, at least there's honesty here.

The top trending topic on Twitter this morning was #BetterBatmanThanBenAffleck.  Needless to say, it's been a fairly vocal day in Social Media Land.

Once the initial shock wore off, I got to work and started reading my friends' posts and started doing something in my head that I never thought I would do in a million years - I started defending the studio's choice.

I know this isn't the most popular stance on the topic, so I would like to address the major gripes and concerns one by one in the hopes that you might understand where I'm coming from.  I'll paraphrase for time and conciseness:

1. "He did a terrible job playing Daredevil.  He's obviously not cut out to play a superhero." - This is the primary concern most people have about Affleck taking the role.  Yes, I saw that movie, and yes, I know it was unbelievably terrible, but we as common patrons of the cinema quite easily forget one vital fact about movie performances whenever we get worked up over a work or character we care about: it's all scripted (well, mostly).  Daredevil, in all its buffoonery, was written poorly.  There was a script, a screenplay, storyboards; it was all put together that way ON PURPOSE.  Even the dedicated actor committed to the role can't bring back a bad film from poor writing (see Ian Ziering in Sharknado).  If it's the action scenes you're worried about, look at his buddy Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity and then try to find a movie Damon did before that gave you an inkling of confidence that he could do that kind of role.  Get the right trainer and the right choreographer, and you'll have memorable fight scenes. 
2. "Actors shouldn't play more than one superhero." - To dispute the specific claim above, I'll say this: Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was awful, just plain AWFUL.  Now I'll attribute that to bad writing, too, as Ryan Reynolds has the necessary attitude to play the Merc With The Mouth, but the graphics and writing just didn't lend themselves to a noteworthy performance.  So whether or not his foray into the DC universe was good, his previous Marvel attempt wasn't much better.
   Now, as far as the general statement - ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chris Evans, the Human Torch for whom no one carries a flame in Fantastic Four and the super soldier that doesn't stop soldiering as Captain America: The First Avenger.  Chew on that for a minute.
3. "There are so many other better choices to play Batman." - I partially agree with this point.  I will acknowledge that there are many good choices to step into the Bat-shoes, and Affleck wasn't on my short list (or anyone else's that I could see), but that doesn't make him a bad choice.  For you who maintain that Bale should have reprised his role, remember that even if the rumor of the $50 million offer is true, he turned it down.  His desire to complete an amazing project and leave it undisturbed to be great in its own right is completely respectable and a noble decision, and I believe it's in the best interest on the pending Justice League franchise as well.  Ben Affleck is a good enough actor to nail down the part of Bruce Wayne with enough time, and while the actor will always interpret the character, there is enough time and influence (i.e., Kevin Smith) to help him mold his Batman.  Many will liken him to George Clooney in Batman and Robin based on his current status and his point in his career, but remember that Joel Schumacher's last stab at the franchise had everyone not caring who got the role of Batman in the reboot, and most people probably weren't thinking that the man best paired with Huey Lewis and an ax would be a rock-solid pick.
4. "Ben Affleck is a bad actor and I just don't like him." - Yes, we've all seen or at least heard of Gigli, Pearl Harbor, the aforementioned Daredevil, and Paycheck (and yes, I know there are way more to add to this list), but try this list instead: Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, and especially The Town and Argo.  Yes, we all know that Affleck has been in bad movies, but that's just it - they were bad movies.  He has picked quite a few bad projects in the past, but so have many great actors.  He's spent the better part of almost two decades trying to atone for the duds he's been in, and he's honestly done a pretty bang-up job of it.  Now as far as you just not liking him...well, tough nuggets.

Face it, he's not our first pick, our second pick, our third...shoot, even our tenth pick.  Puzzling?  Yes.  Unexpected?  Absolutely.  Shocking?  Damn right.  Bad?...well, that remains to be proven.

(And before anyone even gets started comparing this situation with Heath Ledger (may God rest him) playing the Joker, this situation, while similar, is different because Ledger was being remembered at the time for his acting ability in Brokeback Mountain and his carefree spirit in 10 Things I Hate About You, not another superhero he previously played.)

How do you feel about this?  Let me know in the comments below!

Today's Musing: Why Is It So Gloomy Outside?

It's pretty dark outside today, and to say that on a summer afternoon in Florida is pretty noticeable.  I received a weather alert on my phone a couple hours ago advising of a tornado warning in the area, which was followed by an old friend posting on Facebook that a waterspout had been spotted near her part of town.  While there has been no reported damage as of this post, the collection of news had me wondering - what exactly is a waterspout?  Take a look at this archived infographic from USA Today:

All things considered, things are fairly tame where I am, but the moral of the story here is to make sure that if you're not going to keep up with the news, at least keep up with the weather.

What are your thoughts on weather phenomena in your area or elsewhere?  Share in the comments below!

Tonight's Musing: The End Of The World - Rebooted!

My coworkers and I had a conversation last month about a particular book series telling end-of-times tales that was adapted for the big screen because we had just gotten word that the movie was being remade and shall be released next summer - starring Nicolas Cage and CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY (yes, he's still alive)!  Can you guess the film?

OH SNAP!!!  Link to the IMDb page here to get more info.

What do you think about this reboot getting Caged?  Share in the comments below!

Sacrifice.

A wife's wedding photo in 2011 and anniversary photo in 2013

Lunchtime Musing: The Effect of Office Life on...Well, Life

Meet my desk bamboo.

I bought these in March of 2012 on a trip to Orlando,and they have accompanied me at my desk (wherever that may be) ever since.  In the first year or so, they required minimal watering and continued to grow and be merry.

As you can see, though, times and fortunes have changed.

Is this simply poor upkeep of corporate flora or is it a convenient indicator of the human spirit in a pseudo-corporate environment?

Note: I have added more water to them since taking this picture...and no, the candy canes are not tainting the bamboo as they are in a separate vase.  Good eye, though. 

Tonight's Musing: A Simple Yet Delightful Moment - The Beginning of a Couple's Engagement

So I'm fairly new to the YouTube craze and I don't have a crazy number of subscriptions, but I jumped aboard the Phillip DeFranco train (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook) about six months ago.  It's a simple format, very informative, and just honest. What really keeps me watching, though, is his energy and his openness in sharing his excitement as much as he shares his disappointment.

That being said, he posted a rare Sunday video to share this long-awaited moment.  Take a couple minutes and just watch.

Try not to smile. :-)

Let's Trade Opinions! ^_^

So here's the deal: my mind is full of useless pop culture trivia. Don't ask me how, it just is.  I've always been passionate about a number of things, ranging from music to video games to the latest cellular and mobile tech, and sadly, it all sticks.

One of these areas of pseudo-expertise is major cast and crew listings of movies (and, to a lesser extent, TV shows and internet content).  Remember "Six Degrees of Separation With Kevin Bacon"?  I used to get challenges for that on the boat all the time (well before you could look up Bacon Numbers on Google - try it if you haven't before, it's a blast).  It was never just K.B., though - it was anyone.  Quick test: how many steps do you need to get from Denzel Washington to Ryan Phillippe?  Try to figure it out.  I'll give you my answer at the end.

Long story short, I'm slightly IMDb...but the sad part about it is that I know all this without seeing most of the source material.  That's right, I didn't see Top Gun until my 24th birthday.  This is why I need your help.  Fill out the form below (or click here to open in another window) and help me get on the path to honest knowledge!  I'll review them here as I watch them, and I'd love to thank anyone who gives me a suggestion.  There are four lists in which to enter your picks (mimicking the reasons I was supposed to watch them in the first place), so choose the one that fits best and let me know!  Happy sharing!


P.S. - My answer: Crimson Tide.  Run silent, run deep! ;-)