Things I should be excited for, but am not
At the age of 29, closing in on the big 30, I've come to notice that the things I do in life skew to that of a geeky or nerdy nature. I still like cartoons and animation, play video games, watch wrestling, watch science fiction, and the like. Within the year of 2012, there are a slew of things that fall within my wheel well to be excited about. In fact, there are things coming up next year that I should be excited for. Yet, for some reason, be it my old age or something, I'm not excited for these things. In fact, there are or may be a slew of reasons to that as well. So, off the top of my head, here are a few things that should get me excited...but don't:
The next console generation
As of present time, I have access to an XBox 360, partially own a PS3, and fully own a Wii. By the end of this year, Nintendo will have the Wii U. By 2013, XBox will have the 720. By 2014 or later, there will be a PS4. Now, being the Nintendo loyalist I have always been (heck, I own a 3DS with no regrets), I have always and will always have a spot in my heart for the Big N. Having said that, with not much said about this new system, and with it coming by this December, I don't see myself rushing out to pick it up, save for one reason: backwards compatibility with my Wii games. If I can, I'll save my Wii games that I haven't finished to the Wii U (gotta love that name) and play them there. But, with no clear price made and the projections of it being astronomically high, I don't see myself really wanting to pick it up so soon. That's not to say I've lost faith in Nintendo, oh no. I'm just not as crazy about paying so much if it has nothing on the plate. As for the XBox, well, to me, it might just be seen as the next logical step in progression. But, where do you go from HD? Blu-Ray? News flash: Sony beat you to it. Do you involve Cloud computing into the mix and make the system powered by Windows 7 or the next best Windows OS? That's fine and all, but if it's power you want, will that be enough? And how about Sony and the PS4, eh? It's been said that Sony isn't looking to release the PS4 until at least 2014, as there is still some good life left in the PS3. Seeing as how it's highly likely that the system will be of the same level as that of the Wii U and possibly as strong as the XBox 720, I don't see Sony forcing the issue. However, when the time comes, where do they go after Blu-Ray? Do they go onto the third dimension? I already know they won't do it like Nintendo and their 3DS. Expect a 3-D television to be needed. That said, won't that already drive the mounting price of the upcoming Sony system and its peripherals? And, what of the handhelds? The 3DS is now finding its stride with the price drop, but the game list is still rather minuscule. Also, the power issue and battery life still need to be addressed. As for the PS Vita, it's a novel system, to say the least. However, the dual screen setup with one on the back is already raising questions. Then, you have the fact that you have to buy both the console and handheld versions of a game in order to play with your save data and continue on the Vita. Throw in a library of games that are already out on consoles and other not-as-noteworthy titles, and the Vita's start isn't looking very decent. Not much to look forward to here.
Wrestlemania 28
It's the granddaddy of them all. It's the spectacle of professional wrestling. The pageantry, the sights, the sounds, the emotion. It's Wrestlemania. It's the Super Bowl of wrestling. And yet, I could care less. Ok, so Triple H and Undertaker are battling in a "Hell in a Cell" match with Shawn Michaels as the referee. The Undertaker's streak looks like it is in severe jeopardy. Or so it looks that way. It's a double-edged sword. If the Undertaker finally succumbs to defeat, the one final defining aspect of his career is flushed down the toilet, and the accolade of ending the streak goes to a guy who not only doesn't need to break the streak to look like a future hall of famer, I and various other fans will be furious. If he survives, then he continues to find opponents that threaten the streak, but the list will get more and more credible as time passes and the fear will be there for me again. But, I already know that the WWE would not be foolish enough to take away something this important from its most valued worker, The Undertaker. It's more than obvious his career is winding down. So, let him retire with the streak intact. If there is one thing I don't really like about this match, it's some parts of the buildup going into it. The feelings and thoughts are so conflicted, they are conflicting with each other. I know passion needs to be emoted, but this story is getting old and fast. The two title matches will more than likely steal the show, as they should, since the titles are on the line. However, it seems to me that they are being treated as virtually non-existent with the rest of the card. I never thought I'd live to see the day where both the WWE and World titles would me as important as a cup of coffee, but that's what we have here. Didn't Sheamus just win the Royal Rumble? Shouldn't that mean a little something? Didn't Punk have an amazing summer (for the most part) and is now champion? I guess this is what happens when you book an important match a year in advance? And, that match, isn't important to me. That would be John Cena vs. The Rock. Why could I care less? This is because I know who is going to win, I know what is going to happen and I have no reason to care for it if there's no suspense. Cena is going to win. Cena, a guy who's probably a nice guy in person, a guy who is booked to look unstoppable like Hulk Hogan of the days of old, a guy who is Eminem when the Rock is concerned and Will Smith when it's everything else, is going to beat one of the top stars of my youth that I found entertaining, funny, and electrifying back in my day. What does Cena gain from this? Extra credibility that he's the greatest, when anyone with half a brain knows he isn't? My approval that he's an icon now, when he's done nothing to reach that status? I should just kowtow to the WWE and just accept that Cena is the new standard and I should love him after he destroys a piece of my childhood? No.....not in a million years. This will only serve to make me hate him more, especially when he egged this fight on with his comments, obviously told to him by the WWE in a way to get the Rock back into the WWE and lay down for Cena as a means to pass the torch. This is so we don't keep saying how Cena is trying to be the Rock, as he has surpassed him. No....not a chance. I'm supposed to sit and enjoy that? Not on your life. I can see through the nonsense, the pandering, all the nonsense. I'm not looking forward to it.
Baseball season
I'm a Yankee fan. I live in New York. I've supported the Yankees, honestly, since 1996, before they won the title, and right after I found out they were in the playoffs against Seattle in 1995. Having said that, and also being a fan of other New York teams (like the New York Knicks), I'm not optimistic about what the season holds for me in baseball. I've become an objective, realistic, Yankee fan. Yes, I'll support them, even cheer them when I can. But, I'm not going to get all the hopes up, if not because I know that buying stars doesn't guarantee titles, but also because the teams the Yanks play are very comparable to them. While the Yankees won, they prepared. And from 2000 until 2009, the Yankees didn't touch championship gold. They did, finally, and couldn't replicate that for two straight years. You win some, you lose some. And, even though Andy Pettite is back, that doesn't guarantee victory. Take me out to ball game, but if they don't win, it won't be that shameful. Just disappointing.
The potential Marvel Comic reboot
Yup, they are actually going through with this. I guess after seeing DC's "New 52", Marvel figured they could also get some press starting over. And, since it's probably all about the money now with Marvel, you can almost guarantee that it's going to be so sweeping and severe, that the fans' heads will spin, settle, and spew out vomit, along with some obscenities. Remember now, Disney owns Marvel. It took Disney a large sum of money to take Stan Lee's Alma mater of a comic company and all the potential rights that go with it. Why? Disney won't rest until it takes over any and all forms of lucrative animation. From something as small as Manga Entertainment to as big as Marvel, they won't rest. So, why not agree to a big reboot, especially when Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada is known to make some grandiose changes that have angered the multitude of comic readers out there? (We will, never, EVER, forgive you, Joe, for "One More Day"; Spidey doesn't do deals with the devil!) Just as I was looking to possibly get back into comics, a change is coming, and I dread what it ensues.
The TMNT movie reboot
Michael Bay's production company, Platinum Dunes, known for such "wonderful" remakes such as The Hitcher, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th, will have its hand at remaking the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Now, 2 pieces of decent news came out of this. One: Michael Bay wasn't directing it. After dealing with the first 3 Transformers films (there will be a 4th), it has now become a rule to not let Bay near any old franchises based on children's television or toys. However, he is producing it, meaning he's funding it, meaning his ideas were going in, like it or not. But, there is hope, right. Two: sympathy was felt for Bay when we learned he didn't want to make a fourth Transformers film and was forced to, in order to do any different projects. He was trapped and we sort of felt sorry for him. He shouldn't have to be forced to make a bad movie. So, we should feel for him. Then, the announcement came: aliens. Bay wants the Turtles to be aliens. I could literally feel the palms hitting the foreheads, and the foreheads hitting the desks collectively. Does he realize how stupid this sounds? This isn't Teenage Alien Ninja Turtles. It never has been! Ok, the only alien thing about them was the ooze they were in contact with that turned them into who they are. But, they were always, ALWAYS, earth creatures. It's official: Michael Bay doesn't give a crap about the fans, but does want the money. I'm sure he won't mind being disrespected as the millions will come in for support of his projects, no matter how bad the film is. I'm going to hate dealing with this. And speaking of bad reboots....
Potential movie tie-ins, sequels, and reboots
I'll try to make this as rapid fire as I can. I don't know or see how some people can give X-men: First Class a pass and still crap on Michael Bay's vision of the Turtles. I didn't give it one, and I won't. Still, a sequel will come out and I will be very disappointed over it. So, no, I'm dreading the next X-men film, as I dreaded First Class. I didn't grow up learning about how the X-men were formed only to have some movie tell me otherwise, especially if it's WAY off. Thanks, Matthew Vaughn. Stick to producing Guy Ritchie films, ok? What's that? You're giving us a sequel to Kick-A** ?(no, I don't swear, sue me) Well, thank you for that, really. I want to look forward to a sequel to an average-to-mediocre comic film that was as much of a parody to gritty comics as the comic was. It was only slightly better than the awful comic, and that's not saying much. Ironically enough, the sequel in the comics is also looking horrible. Go figure. Oh, and who really remembers this movie...at all? No one? Yea, thought so. I played Battleship as a young lad, but I don't remember any aliens. So, no, don't sell me on an upcoming film. I could go into American Pie 4, but....I didn't bother with the first 3, if not because I couldn't relate (when I was in high school, I never got into that much trouble), but also because there were various films of a raunchy nature that may have had more substance than the first 3 that I haven't seen yet, like Animal House....and Revenge of the Nerds. Just my taste, I guess.
The next election
When I voted for the presidential election I did so, thinking of the lesser of two evils, and the better choice for your country. I still don't think there's a choice. I knew McCain would stink up the place, so I voted Obama. Did I feel there were some things Obama was going to do that weren't supported by me? Sure, I dealt with it. I didn't think he'd tick off his fellow party members, too. I didn't want to think there was no choice, and sadly, I was right. Now, we are on the verge of another change of power. Will Obama return? Will he be supplanted? Should I even truly care since no one really has an answer? No, I'm not looking forward to the next voting period. We may have never had a choice since.....
Ok, I know this seems rather cynical, but I had to get these off my chest. Maybe, I'm just so jaded about life and such that I just don't care. I have my own things to worry about with my life that I shouldn't have to be all down and out about the things that do and don't interest me. Maybe I will feel better about it later. Who knows for sure? Right now, I'm not looking forward to these things and later on, I might not at all. But, hey, it might get better.
Next time, I'll try to keep it upbeat.
The next console generation
As of present time, I have access to an XBox 360, partially own a PS3, and fully own a Wii. By the end of this year, Nintendo will have the Wii U. By 2013, XBox will have the 720. By 2014 or later, there will be a PS4. Now, being the Nintendo loyalist I have always been (heck, I own a 3DS with no regrets), I have always and will always have a spot in my heart for the Big N. Having said that, with not much said about this new system, and with it coming by this December, I don't see myself rushing out to pick it up, save for one reason: backwards compatibility with my Wii games. If I can, I'll save my Wii games that I haven't finished to the Wii U (gotta love that name) and play them there. But, with no clear price made and the projections of it being astronomically high, I don't see myself really wanting to pick it up so soon. That's not to say I've lost faith in Nintendo, oh no. I'm just not as crazy about paying so much if it has nothing on the plate. As for the XBox, well, to me, it might just be seen as the next logical step in progression. But, where do you go from HD? Blu-Ray? News flash: Sony beat you to it. Do you involve Cloud computing into the mix and make the system powered by Windows 7 or the next best Windows OS? That's fine and all, but if it's power you want, will that be enough? And how about Sony and the PS4, eh? It's been said that Sony isn't looking to release the PS4 until at least 2014, as there is still some good life left in the PS3. Seeing as how it's highly likely that the system will be of the same level as that of the Wii U and possibly as strong as the XBox 720, I don't see Sony forcing the issue. However, when the time comes, where do they go after Blu-Ray? Do they go onto the third dimension? I already know they won't do it like Nintendo and their 3DS. Expect a 3-D television to be needed. That said, won't that already drive the mounting price of the upcoming Sony system and its peripherals? And, what of the handhelds? The 3DS is now finding its stride with the price drop, but the game list is still rather minuscule. Also, the power issue and battery life still need to be addressed. As for the PS Vita, it's a novel system, to say the least. However, the dual screen setup with one on the back is already raising questions. Then, you have the fact that you have to buy both the console and handheld versions of a game in order to play with your save data and continue on the Vita. Throw in a library of games that are already out on consoles and other not-as-noteworthy titles, and the Vita's start isn't looking very decent. Not much to look forward to here.
Wrestlemania 28
It's the granddaddy of them all. It's the spectacle of professional wrestling. The pageantry, the sights, the sounds, the emotion. It's Wrestlemania. It's the Super Bowl of wrestling. And yet, I could care less. Ok, so Triple H and Undertaker are battling in a "Hell in a Cell" match with Shawn Michaels as the referee. The Undertaker's streak looks like it is in severe jeopardy. Or so it looks that way. It's a double-edged sword. If the Undertaker finally succumbs to defeat, the one final defining aspect of his career is flushed down the toilet, and the accolade of ending the streak goes to a guy who not only doesn't need to break the streak to look like a future hall of famer, I and various other fans will be furious. If he survives, then he continues to find opponents that threaten the streak, but the list will get more and more credible as time passes and the fear will be there for me again. But, I already know that the WWE would not be foolish enough to take away something this important from its most valued worker, The Undertaker. It's more than obvious his career is winding down. So, let him retire with the streak intact. If there is one thing I don't really like about this match, it's some parts of the buildup going into it. The feelings and thoughts are so conflicted, they are conflicting with each other. I know passion needs to be emoted, but this story is getting old and fast. The two title matches will more than likely steal the show, as they should, since the titles are on the line. However, it seems to me that they are being treated as virtually non-existent with the rest of the card. I never thought I'd live to see the day where both the WWE and World titles would me as important as a cup of coffee, but that's what we have here. Didn't Sheamus just win the Royal Rumble? Shouldn't that mean a little something? Didn't Punk have an amazing summer (for the most part) and is now champion? I guess this is what happens when you book an important match a year in advance? And, that match, isn't important to me. That would be John Cena vs. The Rock. Why could I care less? This is because I know who is going to win, I know what is going to happen and I have no reason to care for it if there's no suspense. Cena is going to win. Cena, a guy who's probably a nice guy in person, a guy who is booked to look unstoppable like Hulk Hogan of the days of old, a guy who is Eminem when the Rock is concerned and Will Smith when it's everything else, is going to beat one of the top stars of my youth that I found entertaining, funny, and electrifying back in my day. What does Cena gain from this? Extra credibility that he's the greatest, when anyone with half a brain knows he isn't? My approval that he's an icon now, when he's done nothing to reach that status? I should just kowtow to the WWE and just accept that Cena is the new standard and I should love him after he destroys a piece of my childhood? No.....not in a million years. This will only serve to make me hate him more, especially when he egged this fight on with his comments, obviously told to him by the WWE in a way to get the Rock back into the WWE and lay down for Cena as a means to pass the torch. This is so we don't keep saying how Cena is trying to be the Rock, as he has surpassed him. No....not a chance. I'm supposed to sit and enjoy that? Not on your life. I can see through the nonsense, the pandering, all the nonsense. I'm not looking forward to it.
Baseball season
I'm a Yankee fan. I live in New York. I've supported the Yankees, honestly, since 1996, before they won the title, and right after I found out they were in the playoffs against Seattle in 1995. Having said that, and also being a fan of other New York teams (like the New York Knicks), I'm not optimistic about what the season holds for me in baseball. I've become an objective, realistic, Yankee fan. Yes, I'll support them, even cheer them when I can. But, I'm not going to get all the hopes up, if not because I know that buying stars doesn't guarantee titles, but also because the teams the Yanks play are very comparable to them. While the Yankees won, they prepared. And from 2000 until 2009, the Yankees didn't touch championship gold. They did, finally, and couldn't replicate that for two straight years. You win some, you lose some. And, even though Andy Pettite is back, that doesn't guarantee victory. Take me out to ball game, but if they don't win, it won't be that shameful. Just disappointing.
The potential Marvel Comic reboot
Yup, they are actually going through with this. I guess after seeing DC's "New 52", Marvel figured they could also get some press starting over. And, since it's probably all about the money now with Marvel, you can almost guarantee that it's going to be so sweeping and severe, that the fans' heads will spin, settle, and spew out vomit, along with some obscenities. Remember now, Disney owns Marvel. It took Disney a large sum of money to take Stan Lee's Alma mater of a comic company and all the potential rights that go with it. Why? Disney won't rest until it takes over any and all forms of lucrative animation. From something as small as Manga Entertainment to as big as Marvel, they won't rest. So, why not agree to a big reboot, especially when Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada is known to make some grandiose changes that have angered the multitude of comic readers out there? (We will, never, EVER, forgive you, Joe, for "One More Day"; Spidey doesn't do deals with the devil!) Just as I was looking to possibly get back into comics, a change is coming, and I dread what it ensues.
The TMNT movie reboot
Michael Bay's production company, Platinum Dunes, known for such "wonderful" remakes such as The Hitcher, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th, will have its hand at remaking the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Now, 2 pieces of decent news came out of this. One: Michael Bay wasn't directing it. After dealing with the first 3 Transformers films (there will be a 4th), it has now become a rule to not let Bay near any old franchises based on children's television or toys. However, he is producing it, meaning he's funding it, meaning his ideas were going in, like it or not. But, there is hope, right. Two: sympathy was felt for Bay when we learned he didn't want to make a fourth Transformers film and was forced to, in order to do any different projects. He was trapped and we sort of felt sorry for him. He shouldn't have to be forced to make a bad movie. So, we should feel for him. Then, the announcement came: aliens. Bay wants the Turtles to be aliens. I could literally feel the palms hitting the foreheads, and the foreheads hitting the desks collectively. Does he realize how stupid this sounds? This isn't Teenage Alien Ninja Turtles. It never has been! Ok, the only alien thing about them was the ooze they were in contact with that turned them into who they are. But, they were always, ALWAYS, earth creatures. It's official: Michael Bay doesn't give a crap about the fans, but does want the money. I'm sure he won't mind being disrespected as the millions will come in for support of his projects, no matter how bad the film is. I'm going to hate dealing with this. And speaking of bad reboots....
Potential movie tie-ins, sequels, and reboots
I'll try to make this as rapid fire as I can. I don't know or see how some people can give X-men: First Class a pass and still crap on Michael Bay's vision of the Turtles. I didn't give it one, and I won't. Still, a sequel will come out and I will be very disappointed over it. So, no, I'm dreading the next X-men film, as I dreaded First Class. I didn't grow up learning about how the X-men were formed only to have some movie tell me otherwise, especially if it's WAY off. Thanks, Matthew Vaughn. Stick to producing Guy Ritchie films, ok? What's that? You're giving us a sequel to Kick-A** ?(no, I don't swear, sue me) Well, thank you for that, really. I want to look forward to a sequel to an average-to-mediocre comic film that was as much of a parody to gritty comics as the comic was. It was only slightly better than the awful comic, and that's not saying much. Ironically enough, the sequel in the comics is also looking horrible. Go figure. Oh, and who really remembers this movie...at all? No one? Yea, thought so. I played Battleship as a young lad, but I don't remember any aliens. So, no, don't sell me on an upcoming film. I could go into American Pie 4, but....I didn't bother with the first 3, if not because I couldn't relate (when I was in high school, I never got into that much trouble), but also because there were various films of a raunchy nature that may have had more substance than the first 3 that I haven't seen yet, like Animal House....and Revenge of the Nerds. Just my taste, I guess.
The next election
When I voted for the presidential election I did so, thinking of the lesser of two evils, and the better choice for your country. I still don't think there's a choice. I knew McCain would stink up the place, so I voted Obama. Did I feel there were some things Obama was going to do that weren't supported by me? Sure, I dealt with it. I didn't think he'd tick off his fellow party members, too. I didn't want to think there was no choice, and sadly, I was right. Now, we are on the verge of another change of power. Will Obama return? Will he be supplanted? Should I even truly care since no one really has an answer? No, I'm not looking forward to the next voting period. We may have never had a choice since.....
Ok, I know this seems rather cynical, but I had to get these off my chest. Maybe, I'm just so jaded about life and such that I just don't care. I have my own things to worry about with my life that I shouldn't have to be all down and out about the things that do and don't interest me. Maybe I will feel better about it later. Who knows for sure? Right now, I'm not looking forward to these things and later on, I might not at all. But, hey, it might get better.
Next time, I'll try to keep it upbeat.
Comments
Post a Comment