Categoría: Media

Grado de dificultad: 3 (Por el idioma).

Columnista: Roberto

Una reciente película Marvel sale más representativa de los Estados Unidos que muchas otras reputadas más serias.

The present article is in English to reflect that feeling.

“Retro future” from the sixties

Wandering through (forced) idle times

Current flu just hit TMN crew members, adding to our procrastination. Note: it’s an induced procrastination, but nevertheless.

What do one do when stranded? Staying at rest, reading, and watching TV.

This is how I decided to revisit the wonderful “Sense8” series of the Wachowskis. It has a mood enhancing effect on me.

I also tried to keep up with the news … Which, lately, have an opposite (depressing) effect. So, I did it in small doses.

Finally, I decided to watch, out of curiosity, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” movie. I wanted to see which style they had tried on this old (and kind of cursed) Marvel story.

Trailer retrieved from Marvel Entertainment YouTube channel

A silly “retro future” tale

It is rather ancient: the comics was initially published in the early sixties. Through it, I discovered the weird Marvel universe (AKA yes, I’m old).

The story is sort of true to the initial (and, retrospectively, very silly) tale. The style of the movie, a “retro future” of the sixties, enhances this aspect.

A.I. generated video retrieved from Retro Movies Rewind YouTube channel

Note: I use to avoid A.I. generated videos. However, in this case, A.I. somehow enhanced the weirdness of the very American idea of retro future.

The Fantastic Four and the delusion

A vision of themselves that never changed

Then, watching the Marvel movie made me realize an important thing about today’s Americans:

This vision of themselves and of the world never really changed. It is very similar to the one they show in other recent movies like “Oppenheimer”. Which means that the delusion didn’t change in 60 years.

They still believe in the notion of superheroes, and in this surreal retro fantasy about science.

Sorry, I’m generalizing, I know I should better say that “some of them still live in the same delusion”.

It is the same delusion that still helps Elon Musk selling fake “autonomous cars” and OpenAI pushing a fake artificial intelligence.

Hopefully, it may be coming to an end …

Crossed Fingers Emoji - Origin Facebook

“The Fantastic Four”, surprisingly enlightening

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is very enlightening about enduring myths:

  • Blind faith in imaginary superheroes has been masterfully mocked in “Watchmen” and in “The Boys” … Meanwhile, Superman still seems to be real to (some) Americans.

  • The subtle mistrust and fear felt toward scientists is full of contradictions. Understandable: this is the country that created the atomic bomb (What were they thinking?!)

  • Postmodern technology continues lying on the benefits it pretends to bring to us … While delivering none, playing on the anterior (delusional) assumptions.

No wonder why so many prefer its description of an idealistic future from the past (beside, you know, the superheroes). It looks less dangerous., but is it?

The Fantastic Four are so American