Soapboxing Match

Alright, blogging again.

Feels good.

Sorry it's been so long. Everytime I started to write an entry I felt myself getting caught up thinking about a movie I saw last weekend... and what it was I didn't like about it.

Which isn't very interesting, or fun, or funny. But, apparently it's a roadblock I have to go through before I can write normally again.

And so...

Last weekend I saw War of the Worlds.

And I didn't like it.

It wasn't because of my keen cinemagraphical mind, and a superb critical nature that I didn't like it.

It was because they created a world that wasn't worth saving, filled with people not worth fighting for.

I didn't like it because I couldn't relate.

If you haven't seen the beautiful, amazing people that fill this planet... take a walk. I bet a bunch of 'em are near you.

Okay, I'm probably going to throw some spoilers in here, so if you haven't seen the movie and plan on it, stop reading.... now.

The acting was pretty good.

Dakota Fanning, as always, blows your socks off. Usually she plays a little girl, wise beyond her years... in this movie she played a little girl.
(Yep, that's a period). It was kind of refreshing, and as always, you believe that she really is feeling everything her character is going through (which can be pretty disturbing in a lot... or maybe all... of her movies.)

Justin Chatwin, played T Cruise's son and did a good job. And from the reaction of the females in the audience it's safe to assume he's a... how you say... hottie?

And Tom Cruise... well I wasn't expecting much, and he met my expectations... he certainly isn't the Far and Away Top Gun that he was back in the Days of Thunder. Oh well.

And those three managed to be the only people in the movie that you can even pretend to care about... and there are definitely moments where pretending is all you're doing.

The one thing you think you can count on in a global disaster flick is that uniting of humanity scene where, in the movie we realize our petty differences are nothing when compared to the power that our camaraderie has to change the world... or something.

Yeah, I know it's cliche but... but it's like seeing a fight in an action film... it's kind of what your came for. You know... let's save the effing day.

Not this movie. This movie went straight to every-man-for-himself.

And I know a lot of people might believe that's more realistic.

I don't.

Okay, I agree that the "global unity" thing is probably is a stretch. But I don't believe that an extreme disaster is going do drive us all crazy and make us try to kill each other.

Specific scene that prompted all of this:

Tom knows a thing or two about cars. The aliens send huge EMP blasts that disable anything electrical. So cars don't work. Well Tom fixes one.

So they're driving along in the only working car and they get to where people are. They have to slow their driving to a crawl to get through the masses of people. Well the people see the working car and the mob attacks. They are literally throwing rocks and breaking windows and pouring into this mini-van.

When Tom and his son are finally torn out of the car they are then getting beaten... for no real reason. The little girl is still in the van as people are trying to take it. Tom has to whip out a pistol and threaten to kill... just to get his daughter out of the van.

I'm not saying that "the mob" can't be violent and crazy, but this is just one scene of many where you find that all anyone else wants to do, is hurt you. There wasn't a single supporting character with redeeming qualities in the entire 2 HOUR movie.

I have more faith in people than that.

I've seen people mob a car before... but it was beautiful.

One of my last night's in Texas... maybe the last, I was having dinner with my folks at Taco Bueno (Oh, I shouldn't have typed that... I miss Bueno). We were sitting in a booth by the window facing Jacksboro Hwy.

CRASH!!!

We look out the window to see what happened and can see a pickup truck still flipping, and a white sedan sort of limp-rolling over to the shoulder.

The pickup finally comes to rest on the median strip lying sideways on it's passenger door and we can see through the windshield that the driver is still buckled in and dangling from their seat.

What do I see next?

People from all directions (those of you familiar with the area know that there are a hundred businesses all up and down that stretch of road), pouring out from the every building and running across a busy highway with no regard for the oncoming traffic (or their own safety) to get to that pickup.

It wasn't 30 seconds before I almost couldn't see the pickup for the mass of people surrounding it trying to help the person inside.

The entire staff from the Discount Tire across the street had come out to help and the manager had the peace of mind to have his staff get the shop brooms and in minutes they were all working in amazing cooperation with people out there and had the debris of broken metal and glass all cleared off the road.

The median is packed with people trying to help anyway they can. They somehow tore out the windshield and got the driver out.

All before any emergency vehicles arrived.

When it was clear that the driver of the pickup was okay (the driver of the other car had proved to be fine early on), there were countless smiles, cheers and back slaps.

I remember watching this fantastic orchestration... literally a dance of humanity... and thinking:

People really are good aren't they?