Why All The Nerd Rage?

“Look, fellas! A film that didn’t go the way we wanted. Let’s burn it! BURN IT!!”

First off, I am a nerd. I freely admit it. I’m interested in and excited by many of the same things one thinks of typical nerds being interested in and excited by. I like comic books, Harry Potter, old monster movies, Star Trek, toys, science stuff, Star Wars, etc. I work at a comic book store. I blog about nerdy things. I understand the passion nerds have toward their thing.

I’m not into everything nerd, though. I don’t do cosplay. I’ve never participated in roll playing games. (Well, there was that one time in the ’70s when a friend tried to get me interested in Dungeons & Dragons. It just wasn’t for me.) I don’t play video games, because, honestly, I was never very good at them. I’ve never watched an episode of Game Of Thrones. (Yes, I’m aware that last statement has become today’s version of the “I’m vegan” boast. Sorry.) But, not everybody is into everything. Who has the time?

Still, I understand the passion. There was a time when I scoffed at Trekkers who dress as their favorite characters and go to conventions, but I realized I was being a jerk. Let the people indulge their passion. As long as they aren’t hurting themselves or others – what’s the problem? Have fun! Nerd out! Be proud!

I also understand the disappointment a nerd might feel when they believe one of their passions has let them down. It’s the rage that some express so publicly and so vehemently that puzzles me. The internet has made it possible for every nerd to have their say and, boy, are we having our say. (See update below.) Much of which, that I’ve seen anyway, is fairly benign. Some of it is quite interesting and well thought out and well presented.

But, there seems to be a small segment that needs to rage about stuff. And they also seem to need to be the first to express hate for something. On my podcast Dimland Radio (available on iTunes), for the last couple weeks, I talked about my bewilderment about a couple of raging nerds on social media being first in line to hate two movies that haven’t even been released yet!

These folks were angry at teaser trailers!

Teaser trailers!

What the hell? The movies haven’t been released, but they appear to want to be able to say, “I was the first to hate it!”

One trailer is for DC Comics’ upcoming stand-alone film focusing on the origin story of perhaps the greatest villain in comic books – The Joker. As I understand it, Joker, to be released in October, will not be a part of the same DC Universe as the other DC movies. However, it might connect to a future Batman movie.

That didn’t stop one particular nerd from expressing their hatred of the movie. Their main gripe was that Joaquin Phoenix was cast in the title role. The nerd wanted Willem Dafoe. Dafoe might have been a fine choice, but to rage about it? I mean, they weren’t just disappointed about the casting choice. They were angry.

I tried to settle the person down by reminding them (twice) that the movie hasn’t been released yet. I was suggesting they put their rage on hold until they actually see the movie. They wouldn’t budge.

I think Joker looks like it could be very interesting and I’m looking forward to it.

But, then there’s the Star Wars franchise. Oh, my goodness. There may be no other nerd passion that can cause more rage than Star Wars.

Full disclosure here. I think the Prequels missed the mark. I think there was way too much George Lucas involved. He had attained such a high level of success and power that there was no one around to rein him in. No one to suggest less Jar Jar and more Darth Maul. No one to suggest the love story in Episode II is awful. No one to suggest that, though it looks really cool, the final lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan and Anakin taking place essentially inside a volcano is ridiculous.

“Sniff. Sniff. Anakin? Do you smell something cooking?”

“I do, Master. It’s us! We’re surrounded by lava! It’s just like being in an oven!”

The biggest problem with the Prequels was the audience never knew who was supposed to be us. Which character were we supposed to identify with? Anakin? Padme? Obi-Wan? Jar Jar?

In movies I’ve previously blogged about the audience knows who to identify with. In 12 Angry Men (1957) it’s Juror #8. In The Maltese Falcon (1941) it’s Sam Spade. In L.A. Confidential (1997) the audience is given three characters to put ourselves in the place of: Officer White, Lt. Exley, and Sgt. Vincennes. In a lesser movie, this might confuse the audience. But, for this movie, the script and the direction are so great the audience goes right along with it.

The Prequels didn’t have great scripts and direction.

I will say the Prequels aren’t all bad. Visually they are stunning. Although, I would argue the over-reliance on green screen and CGI caused a problem with the tone of the movies. The tone just didn’t feel the same as it did in the original trilogy.

So, I was disappointed by them. I’m not angry about it. They didn’t destroy my childhood. And I should say that I also don’t sense the nerd anger as strongly when it comes to the Prequels. Mainly, I think, the nerd reaction is more of an eye-rolling. The anger wasn’t quite there.

Then came the Sequels.

The Sequels’ arrival happen to coincide with the ubiquity of opinion on the internet, with the rise of social media. Now the rage could begin in earnest.

The Force Awakens? That’s just the same as A New Hope. At least the Prequels were different! The Last Jedi? That’s… that’s just too… different. These new movies have destroyed my childhood!!

Settle down.

I think these new Star Wars films do precisely what the Prequels did not: They match the tone of the originals. That may be, in part, due to the far more prominent use of practical effects than in Episodes I, II & III. Practical effects are there. They have mass. The actors can act with them. They still work better than CG effects, although CG is getting pretty damn good.

The characters are more well-defined. We are given a hero to follow and identify with: Rey. And we are given other new characters of interest: Finn and Poe. We have a complicated and compelling villain: Kylo Ren. We have a new plucky little friend: BB-8. And, of course, our old friends have returned: Han, Leia, Threepio, R2, Chewie, Yoda, and Luke.

Sure, the films aren’t perfect. Some of the jokes don’t land. Some of the dialogue is clunky. A character or two are bit on the cartoonish side. (Cough! Cough! Hux! Cough!) But the original trilogy wasn’t perfect either. Alec Guiness himself said at the time that he thought the dialogue wasn’t the best he’d read. So it’s not Mamet or Tarantino. So what? The Ewoks are a bit too teddy bearish to be taken seriously. So what? There’s no backstory for the Emperor. So what?

The movies are fun. And that’s what I want from a Star Wars movie.

Last week, the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker dropped. It looks fantastic! I don’t know that it will live up to the trailer, I’ll have to wait to see the movie to be sure, but I am excited.

I had an exchange with one angry nerd who, mere moments after the trailer was posted online, practically tripped over himself to announce to Facebook that they already hated it. “Look at me! I hated it first!”

The angry nerd lamented that Disney can’t match George Lucas’ storytelling ability. Really? Disney? Disney?!  Well, here’s his comment and my sarcastic response:

For the record, I will say that I have really liked the Star Wars sequels and the side stories of Rogue One and Solo. In fact, I think The Last Jedi is one of the best of the entire series.

Maybe I’m just a nerd contrarian.

Update: I changed this line to include myself as one of the opinionated nerds. After all, I’m a nerd who is taking advantage of the internet to have my say, too. I’m just not raging about it.

Packing Peanuts!

Feel free to comment and share.

Images used under Fair Use.

Warehouse Find is the official blog of NostalgiaZone.com, where you can find books, games, toys, cards, and a huge selection of Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern Age comic books. Jim also has a podcast called Dimland Radio. He’d love it if you checked it out. It’s available on iTunes.

Johnny Comelately Sees Star Wars: The Last Jedi

It was Sunday night. As I watched it unfold, I found myself rising from my seat, clenching my fists, in disbelief of what I was witnessing. It was impossible. It was astounding. It was a miracle.

The Minnesota Vikings finally caught a break in a playoff game and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat…

I know, that’s not Star Wars. I just wanted to share.

Lucasfilm Ltd/Walt Disney Studios

The night before the “Minneapolis Miracle,” my wife, my son, and I ventured out into the cold winter weather to the theater to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Sure, it took a while. We’re busy people. It reminds me of when I was a kid and first saw the original Star Wars film. It had taken quite a while before I finally got a chance to see it. It was released in May of 1977 and I didn’t see it until late that summer. I did see Return of the Jedi the day it was released, though.

Well, to cut to the chase, I liked The Last Jedi. I really liked it. And, of course, I want to see it again. I’ll dive in a bit more, though, to give you my impressions. I will do my best to avoid spoilers.

I’ll start with what I found wanting.

For me, it got off to a rocky start. Perhaps I was just trying to get up to speed and was a little disoriented, but I felt the beginning was a bit uneven and at times tried a little too hard to add humor. That was a problem throughout the film. The humor didn’t always land so well. Some jokes worked, most were a little off.

I thought Finn (John Boyega), former storm trooper turned rebel we met in Episode VII, was underused. His main sequence in the gambling town, whatever it was called – French Morocco? – seemed a little tacked on. But it did bring up the interesting aspect of the duplicitousness of the arms dealers, who were getting quite wealthy off both the First Order and the Resistance.

The aspect that bothered me most about the beginning of the film (and throughout The Force Awakens, as well) was Domhnall Gleeson’s performance as the First Order’s General Hux. Gleeson is a good actor. He’s terrific in Frank and Ex Machina. But, it seems he’s being directed in these films to make absolutely certain the audience knows his character is EEEEEEEEEvil. He really hams it up. I swear the only thing missing was a mustache for him to twirl. However, when he dials it back, as he does later in the film, he’s much better.

The porgs (the little bird/hamster creatures) didn’t bother me. They could have easily been overused, but they weren’t. It’s been pointed out that they were in the film purely for merchandising. Probably, but what in a Star Wars film isn’t used for merchandising?

There’s lots to like about this movie. The special effects are terrific. There is a use of a ship going to hyperspace that is stunning! There’s a chase involving the Millennium Falcon that is a thrill ride comparable to the asteroid field chase in The Empire Strikes Back. The settings look great. Some are opulent, while others are primitive, but the details get plenty of attention.

Supreme Leader Snoke is deliciously evil and his portrayal of evil is right on. Gleeson could learn a thing or two from Andy Serkis, who is brilliant as Snoke. Adam Driver, again, does a terrific job as Kylo Ren. Just as  in The Force Awakens, Ren is conflicted, being pulled by both the light and dark sides of the Force. Or is he?

Daisy Ridley puts in another fine performance as Rey, the young woman with a murky past who is steeped in the power of the Force. She, too, feels conflicted. She feels the pull of the Dark Side, while she attempts to complete her mission of bringing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker out of hiding to help the rebels defeat the First Order. But it’s not going to be easy. Skywalker (and it’s so great to see a grizzled Mark Hamill playing his most legendary character again) is reluctant to resume his role as the hero. His reasons are complicated and have to do with his young apprentice, Ben Solo (Kylo Ren), turning to the Dark Side, mirroring his own father’s turn to the Dark Side (Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader) while training with Obi Wan Kenobi.

At one point, Skywalker says to his old friend R2-D2 that there is nothing he could be told that would change his mind and have him return to the fight. R2-D2’s response brought tears to my eyes. I’ll say no more than that.

Another aspect of these new Star Wars films that I find pleasing is the light saber battles. In the prequels, the light saber battles, although thrilling, appeared more like dancing than battling. Every move seemed (and was) choreographed. Yes, in the original films and in these new ones the duels are also choreographed, but they don’t look that way. On film they come across as actual battles. Spontaneous. And that’s how they should be.

And, by the way, is turning your back on your opponent in a duel a good idea? It was done a lot in the prequels and I’ve seen it done in these new films. I never understood what advantage it was to spin around while having a sword fight. It seems to me that exposing your back to you foe is a bad idea. Now, if you’re fighting more than one person, then you probably would have to turn your back to at least one opponent at some point. Still.

It was bittersweet to see the late Carrie Fisher in her best known role as Leia Organa. She has a steady calmness in her role as leader of the ever-dwindling Resistance. But she has faith in their cause and in her brother. The film dedication to her was another moment that brought a tear to my eye.

Some fans have criticized the dialog. Well, had they seen the original Star Wars? It wasn’t exactly Shakespeare. I understand the knock, but I didn’t have a problem with the dialog.

However, I don’t understand the very negative reactions I’ve been seeing from some fans. Perhaps, some are disappointed that they didn’t feel exactly the same way they felt when they first saw the original. If so, I have a news flash for them: No follow up film can ever match the initial thrill of the original. Empire didn’t. Sure, it’s a better movie, but it didn’t have that same WOW impact as seeing that Star Destroyer looming over head at the beginning of Episode IV. The same goes for the Indiana Jones franchise. Raiders of the Lost Ark caused a reaction by the fans that none of the other films could touch. So, stop complaining that you didn’t feel the same way you did when you were 12.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a fun, touching, and very entertaining movie. And it has me wanting to see it again and excited for Episode IX.

Packing Peanuts!

Feel free to comment and share.