Protest, and the many ways people voice their opposition, has become a largely regional phenomenon in recent American history. In San Francisco, young people grow their hair, take off their clothes and dance naked in public as a show of displeasure. In New York, a flip of "the bird" followed by a string of curses and crude gestures is the normal protocol for being pissed off.
Texas, however, has them all beat. In the Lone Star State when young men like Jimmy LaFave sense a collective loss of civic direction, they break out guitars, write therapeutic songs and then take to the road to dispense a bit of melodic perspective to the masses.
LaFave, however, is a native of Wills Point (about an hour east of Dallas) and apparently metaphor and symbolism didn't make it to that part of Van Zandt County. (Sidenote: How cool and appropriate is it that LaFave is from Van Zandt County?) On new album, Cimarron Manifesto, he very directly directly addresses the need for a return to a civilized society in which humanity gets a seat at the Personal Priority table that is too often occupied by greed and manipulation.
New song "This Land" is LaFave's equivalent of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin'." Following a laundry lists of domestic wrongs and nightly news depressions, he finally declares, "I simply want my country back again."
Speaking of Dylan, Cimarron Manifesto also features LaFave covering Big Bob's "Not Dark Yet," as well as his interpretation of Donovan's "Catch The Wind."
It's a vital new chapter by LaFave who has been cranking out albums based on the American experience for over 30 years. And since his preferred method of protest will take place in the cozy Mucky Duck. It should be much effective than if the room was full of hairy, dancing, naked people.
When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.
The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.
Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.
One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.
He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which — in a great joke — comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.
There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.
Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.
Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.
