The MCU Killed Star Wars

Controversial opinion time: The Marvel Cinematic Universe killed Star Wars, at least the sequel movies.

I think that the major issue with the Sequel Trilogy (Episodes 7, 8, and 9) is the fact that they aren't cohesive. The Force Awakens set some stuff up, The Last Jedi took that set-up and twisted some things around, and then The Rise Of Skywalker threw out a good amount of what was done in TLJ. Love them, hate them, or have a more nuanced opinion on them, you have to admit that there's some major inconsistency there and it makes the movies poorer for it.

The reason for this, in my opinion as a complete outsider, is that Disney saw what was going well over at Marvel Studios and decided to be hands off with the production. The problem is that Kathleen Kennedy, while a great executive, was also being a bit too hands off as well, letting the directors run each film as they saw fit. Over at Marvel you have Kevin Feige who takes a more active hand in the movies. Directors can do pretty much what they want, but are given constraints to work within. Since there's a connected universe, MCU movies have to hit certain beats and set up things for down the road. If JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson we're told that they had to get the story from Point A to Point B, and that the character arcs had been, in a broad sense, worked out ahead of time then I think people would have a much better opinion of the Sequel Trilogy.

Another thing that, at least for me, really brought down the new movies was over saturation, which I also blame the MCU for. You see, the Marvel movies, while all set in the same universe, are all over the place as far as genre goes. Iron Man is an action/adventure with a good dose of comedy, The First Avenger is a period piece, Ant Man is a heist movie, etc. Star Wars is space fantasy, maybe with a few things bolted on, but that's basically it. Multiple MCU movies coming out in a year works, because all of them have a different flavor. A new Star Wars movie coming out every year, and sometimes after only 6 months, is the same thing over and over. That really can wear people out.

Maybe I'm in "get off my lawn mode", but I remember when a new Star Wars movie was special, an event to be looked forward to. Even the Prequels, which I still like less than the Disney movies, only came out once every 3 years. That was long enough to digest what had come before and make up theories about what was coming out. Of course, I still haven't seen Captain Marvel, Endgame, or Far From Home, so it's not just Star Wars that I have the issue with. While I understand the business need for Disney to get back it's investment (which, as a stockholder, I'm thankful for), there's something to be said for holding off and letting the audience breath a bit. I think the declining box office has as much to do with the audience saying, "What, ANOTHER Star Wars movie?" as the "no one steering the ship" story issues.

Your mileage may vary, but that's how I see it. A bit of a firmer hand at Lucasfilm and more downtime between films can only help Star Wars. And that's not to say that you can't have new content. The Mandalorian, Resistance, and the last season of Clone Wars has shown that people will still watch new Star Wars, let's just give the movies a chance to be special again.

The Excitement is Building

As we get closer to our upcoming cruise vacation, the excitement is building in our house. This will be Kira's first cruise and plane ride, and it will be Michelle & my first decent cruise. (We went on a really rinky-dink cruise 20 years ago that was part of a vacation package, which is why I don't do vacation packages any more.)

Here's a walk thru of the ship that we'll be on:



=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Happy Valentine's Day!

Through a quirk of timing, today is Valentine's Day, so I thought that we should celebrate with one of the longest relationships that I know of.

Yup, Mickey and Minnie are celebrating 90 years together (having both premiered in Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928). Here's hoping that your relationships last as long and are as happy.

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Statistically Speaking, Flying is Still the Safest Way to Travel.

I will say that there wasn't a huge amount of planning that went into how we're getting down to Florida for the cruise. We had the same three options to get down there, driving, auto train, or flying. This time we opted for flying and the main reason being, we won't need a car in Florida. The whole point of going down there is to get on the ship, so ground transportation isn't a huge deal.

So I went over to Priceline and checked out what our options were. Frontier was off the table, since they don't book this far out, so that pretty much left us with American Airlines. They had flights in the right time-range for us to get down and back with a good buffer in case of flight or ship delays. One thing that I did do is spring for First Class. This is for both money and comfort reasons. The comfort is self explanatory (bigger seats), but you might be wondering about the money.

Well, one of the things that pretty much all airlines are doing is charging for checked bags. American is charging $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second. I'm estimating that we'll be checking two bags each, which would bring us to $180. The premium for upgrading us all to First Class was only about $100 each, which would be $300. First Class passengers also get free checked baggage, so that means the premium seating is only costing us $120, or $40 each. I would say it's well worth that money.

You might be wondering just how it is we'll be getting between the airport and Port Canaveral. Not to worry! This is Disney we're talking about. As I mentioned in my last post, we're going to be using Disney's Magical Express, a bus service that will not only take us to the ship, but also pick-up our baggage for us! At $70 per person, I think that will save us a lot of hassle, and I know that we'll have a dedicated service to and from. Plus, it get's us in the Disney mindset right off the plane. Just look at the bus:

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Make sure to check out the public poll over on the Patreon Page. Open until September 30th!

Let The Planning Begin!

I'm pretty sure you all know by now that I'm a planner and like to get things set up WELL in advance. So I was looking at where we might go on our family vacation next year. The original plan was to head up to New England but, to be perfectly honest, nothing up there was "grabbing" me. The time shares available didn't look to be worth it and I kept thinking, "Just how bored will Kira be doing this?"

So I shifted gears and looked South. I ended up checking out beach resorts in the Carolinas, which all looked very nice. The problem being, there really wasn't anything to do but beach stuff. Having grown up at the Jersey Shore, I'm pretty much over just "going to the beach", especially for a week. Plus, I tend to get a bit antsy if all I'm doing it sitting around. I'd rather DO something, and there's only so much to do on a beach.

Just as an impulse, I then checked out the Disney Cruise Line, to see what was available. They do sail out of New York, but only in September, October, and November, which is no good since we don't like taking Kira out of school. That lead me to Port Canaveral, Florida and Caribbean cruises. It turns out that the had a sailing for just the week that Kira is on Spring Break. Looking at the options, it was fairly reasonable and, after discussing it with Michelle and Kira, we decided to go for it.

We got a fairly reasonable rate, too, considering that we'll be in a Type 5E stateroom, which is at the aft of the ship and has a veranda. I already booked the ground transport to and from the Orlando airport (via Disney's Magical Express) and pre-purchased the pictures. Now I just have to get the plane tickets (so this will be Kira's first plane ride as well as cruise) and we all need passports, since we'll be visiting the British Virgin Islands.

I think that this vacation is going to be a split between my super-detailed planning when we go to Walt Disney World and this past, laid back vacation. I don't have control over where we go, but we can plan for what to do when we get there. We'll also have the days at sea where we can just do what we want as the mood strikes us.

Stay tuned for more updates as events warrant.

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Make sure to check out the public poll over on the Patreon Page. Open until September 30th!

Disney's Buyout of Fox is Perfectly Timed

As I'm sure we all know by now, the deal where Disney has bought the asserts of 21st Century Fox has been approved. That means that Marvel properties like The Fantastic Four and The X-Men now have their movie rights back with Marvel Studios. This could not have come at a better time. As I've stated before, all of reality will be altered when those heroes who remain after Infinity War will try to bring back everyone. This allows for the perfect opportunity to bring these characters into the MCU proper.

Just imagine, if you would, a scenario like I suggested way back when. The original Avengers, as well as the heroes like Rocket Raccoon who are still around, defeat Thanos. Adam Warlock or Nebula gets a hold of the Infinity Gauntlet and tries to set things right, but something happens and reality and time are warped. We get any new actors for roles like Iron Man and Captain America, but we also see Wolverine* (played by someone other than Hugh Jackman) and The Thing (hopefully in pants) in the crowd. No explanation is given, they're just there.

Now we have a new starting point where anything can happen, because not all of the history up to this point had to have happened. This kind of soft reboot will allow for Hank Pym to have invented Ultron, or the Fantastic Four to have existed in the 1960's, or even Captain America fighting along side Namor & the original Human Torch as The Invaders during World War II. This gives them an "out" to modify what they need to, but not have to completely scrap what has come before.

* This is assuming that the X-Men will be integrated with the MCU, which I would rather they didn't do since I think Mutants (and anti-mutant hysteria) work much better on their own.

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Cartoon Interlude

Things have been on the busy side around here lately, so here's a classic Disney cartoon to tide you over.



=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Yet Another Filler

I fully intended to have a post ready for today, but life got real hectic real quick, so I have to beg off another week. In the mean time, enjoy Disney's "The Song of the South" courtesy of Archive.org.




=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Magic Highways USA

I got REALLY busy this past week and haven't had a chance to write anything coherent. So, in place of that, I give you a classic episode of the Disneyland TV Series, Magic Highways USA. It's really quite interesting to watch and see just how much they got right, or at least close.



=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Streaming

Since we got rid of cable & satellite, our family watches a lot of stuff on streaming services. Primarily we use Netflix and Hulu, but also occasionally Amazon Prime and Crunchyroll. Recently, Disney announced that they are pulling out of their Netflix deal and starting their own streaming service. Unfortunately, I think this is a bad move.

CBS has already said that the only way to see Star Trek: Discovery (after the first episode) is on their own pay service. This has caused a lot of fans, myself included, to already decide not to watch it. While I have no problem with companies deciding what they think it best, they need to understand why the "Netflix Model" works so well. One work, variety.

There are very few streaming services that I would consider paying for that had such a narrow focus, and yes I consider Disney to be a narrow focus. I can watch a huge amount of things on the services that I use, some of which I can't see anywhere else. However, there are things on there that I'm not fond of, but that my wife and daughter love to watch. That variety makes it worth the monthly fee.

One way that Disney can make this work, for me at least, is to do what the WWE service does. Open the vaults. Give the viewers things that it is impossible to find elsewhere. Put the entire, unedited and uncensored, run of Disneyland and Wonderful World of Color on there. Put out those cartoons that we can't get on TV or YouTube. Heck, give us Song of the South and I'll sign up on the first day.

I think that the Walt Disney Company has had some great ideas and business strategies, but if they're just going to show their movies on this service, I don't think this is one of them. If they go the WWE way, it can be successful. If they follow CBS's idea, I think it will fail.

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Thanksgiving

Obviously, Disney has been on my mind a lot of late, which is why I chose this image. There's a lot that I'm thankful for this year, probably the highest on the list, though, is Michelle's new job. Yes, it's keeping us from doing Thanksgiving today, but that's a small price to pay.

Here's hoping that you and yours have a very Happy Thanksgiving this year. Or, if you're not in the US, Happy Thor's Day!

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Halloween Time Agian

Yes, it's that time of year again, when ghosts and goblins come to your door and we watch spooky cartoons and movies. This year's installment is the Disney classic, "The Legend of Sleepy Hallow", as told by Bing Crosby. This is one of the high points of Disney animation for me, but I'm also a nut for Halloween, so I guess it's a perfect fit.

One of these days, I'll get down to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and get to see the live action Headless Horseman.


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949 Cartoon) by DemonPreyer1

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Why I Like Disney

As a middle-aged man, you might think that I put "kiddie" things behind me. For the most part, you're right. I don't play with toys, and the ones that I have from my childhood are used by my daughter. I play video games infrequently, at best. I read comic books, but now it tends to be either for nostalgia or research, as I haven't purchased a new comic in years.

One thing that many people consider to be "kiddie" though, I don't, and that's Disney. Specifically, Walt Disney and his vision. The vision that the future is still out there, waiting to be discovered, and that it's BETTER than today. Yes, better than today. Not some post-apocalyptic wasteland where humans struggle to survive. Not a world overrun by zombies or alien invader. No, a "great big beautiful tomorrow" where science and humanity has advanced to the point where we can actually do stuff that we only dreamed about a few years ago.

This is still shown, for the most part, at the theme parks. Oh, I know that they're expensive to travel to and all, but if you've never been to one, I'd say that it's worth it. Yes, there are the "flavor of the month" tie-ins, but that's to be expected since it is a for profit endeavor. If you look, though, you will see an ideal to strive towards. Take some time to visit the "Carousel of Progress" to see how far we've come. Visit "Liberty Square" and revive your sense of pride in America. Take a walk through Tomorrowland and see where we might get to.

Heck, just take a look at Walt's presentation for his idea of EPCOT could have been.* No, I mean actually watch it, don't skim it. THIS is what Disney means to me. Hope for the future, rooted in the planning of today. In a world that seems to be getting crazier every day, we need Walt Disney's vision now more than ever.



For the true Disneyphile, I would suggest listening to "Earning My Ears" which gives you some great info specifically on Walt Disney World. It's got an irregular release schedule, just due to real life getting in the way, but it's well worth your time.

* If only I could get hired by WDW, I'm sure I could make this a reality.

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

Cartoon TV Themes

As I'm sure you're already aware, I released an episode of The Hammer Podcasts! on my favorite Cartoon TV Themes. If you haven't heard it yet, you can find it here. And, for your enjoyment, below I have the videos for all the themes I talked about.



As I limited myself to 9 this time out, I thought I'd post a few that didn't quite make the cut. In no particular order, here they are.















I know there are a bunch that didn't make the cut, even with the runners up, but I'd like to hear your opinions. What did you think of my list? Should I have put swapped something out? Let me know either in the comments here or drop an e-mail to Gene@TheHammerStrikes.com.

=========================
Like what I'm doing here on the blog and podcast? Why not check out my Patreon Page to see how you can help me do more? http://www.patreon.com/TheHammerStrikes

The Black Hole

I recently re-watched "The Black Hole" for the first time in years and, I have to say, I still love it. I know that I loved it as a kid, and I'm not entirely sure why. It doesn't seem like a kids movie, really. What it is, and what I really appreciate, is that it's really close to hard sci-fi.

It's not entirely there, as it has anti-gravity on the Cygnus and sentient robots, but it gets a heck of a lot closer than any of it's contemporaries. Take the Palomino, for example. This ship was designed so that the only time there would be something akin to gravity on it was when the thrusters were employed. Otherwise, it's made to be a weightless, environment, which we see at the very beginning of the film.It also travels through space without it's engines typically on, relying on the momentum that it's already generated to get it where it's going.

The ending, while very reminiscent of the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" sequence in Fantasia, offers no concrete answers. Do the astronauts make it through the black hole to another universe? Do they die and this is the afterlife? Did they get transported to another part of our universe? We don't know and that is the hallmark of good sci-fi, it raises questions that the viewer must puzzle out on their own.

Then there's the look of the movie, which is simply gorgeous. The models and backgrounds are highly detailed and it just looks like something that really could exist in a future time of space exploration. It's no wonder that it was up for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (which it lost to Alien).

One take-away from this movie that has me disappointed, though, is that this film, for all of Maximilian Schell's villainy, is still a bright look at the future. Here we are presented to a time when many nations of the Earth have their own deep space programs and are all exploring far out from our solar system. This is something that we have gotten too far away from in our fiction. We need a bright future to look forward to, not a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Hopefully, now that NASA is moving forward on getting us to Mars, we'll see more of a push towards a better tomorrow in fiction as well as reality.

Big Hero 6

From Disney Insider

My family recently went to see Big Hero 6 in the theater and, I have to say, we all had a blast. This is a fun movie, but it does deal with some heavy issues. I'd say it had just about the perfect mix of drama, comedy, and action. I would have liked if the villain reveal wasn't as underwhelming, but I'm keyed in to looking for clues like that, so it might have been better for others.

I would recommend this movie to pretty much anyone, but especially to those parents of children who love superheroes. Kira had a great time. She liked it so much that it's on the same level as Frozen in her mind.

Keep in mind that this is based off a Marvel property, so make sure you watch until the very end of the credits. I was amazed that we were the only people still left in the theater.

A Disney Halloween

In honor of tomorrow being Halloween, I present you with one of the greatest TV specials from my childhood.

Gargoyles

One of the greatest things to come out of Disney Television, at least in my mind, was Gargoyles. While I was not it's target audience (being in college when it was on TV) I was sucked into it none the less. The premise is a mix of superhero, fantasy, science fiction, and Shakespeare. Add to that the spectacular voice acting of such greats as Keith David, Ed Asner, Frank Welker, Jonathan Frakes, and Marina Sirtis, among others, and how could I not love it? Just check out the opening theme, from back when shows explained the premise at the beginning of each episode, and tell me that this wasn't tailor made for me?



How about the rest of you? Was there a cartoon/comic/movie/etc that you were obviously not the target audience for that just spoke to you, like Gargoyles speaks to me?

Happy Halloween

Halloween is probably my favorite holiday. You can dress as whatever character, etc you want; people give you candy just for knocking on their door, and there are some really good specials on TV. But beyond all that, it is a holiday about having fun! It's fun to do all these things. It's fun to get scared or to scare people. It's fun to go to or throw costume parties. It's one of the few times where an adult can act like a kid and not get slammed for it. So, in honor of all that, I present what I consider to be the end-all, be-all of Halloween Visual and Audio:
 
 

Also, for my wife, we have to include Witch Hazel:

 

That's kind of both ends of the spectrum there. Happy Halloween everyone!