The MRFH 2007 Revue

2007 - it's been a journey. I always hate it when people, myself included, talk about how fast the year went by (those people are old, aren't they?), but at the very least you can say it's been an eventful year for the Mutants. Aside from Lissa adding to her flock (gaggle?) with Ducklet #2, faithful forumgoer coccatino gave birth to the cutest sidekick to ever wear diapers and a long yellow cape. In lieu of incubating tiny beings within our bodies, not one, not two, not three, but four of us returned to the hallowed halls of academia this year, hoping to spend even more money in the relentless pursuit of overeducation. By the time 2010 rolls around we'll simultaneously be able to manage your company, restart your heart, teach you long division, and save your immortal soul. Now that's service.

(Also, we can beat you in Guitar Hero. Deal with it.)

On the film front, far be it from me to sound like the crotchety old man who shoos you off his lawn, but 2007 just didn't carry as much excitement as some previous years. There were plenty of movies out and all, but somehow most of them seemed to be just sort of… there. Another Harry Potter movie - no matter how good it may have been (and it was), they're starting to feel like a routine by now. More failed attempts to ride the fantasy wave in the wake of Lord of the Rings and Narnia, with the relatively disappointing performance of The Golden Compass proving conclusively that Christians go to the movies more than atheists. More superhero films, delving ever further into the ranks of characters you never thought you'd live to see on the big screen. (Coming this fall to a theater near you, Stilt-Man: The Movie. You will believe a man can walk on 30-foot telescoping legs.)

Honestly, while 2007 brought a diminished but still noticeable flow of superhero films to theaters, somehow the only one I could really get excited for was Spider-Man 3. (So Harry dies in the movies and returns in the comics? Filmmakers, could you please, please, please kill Captain America?) Ghost Rider failed to ignite a spark, and I didn't even see Fantastic Four 2 or any of the others. Do you think they'll revoke my membership in the Marvel fan club? (Note: I do not actually have membership in the Marvel fan club.) The Hellboy Animated movies were great, but those were straight-to-DVD. In terms of related films, Transformers at least made a ton of money and was beloved by everyone except me, though I still maintain that if they ever market a version with the middle half-hour cut out, I'll be all over it. "Sorry, my bad" my ass.

But don't for a second think that the year was all disappointment - what we lost in big action and franchise films, we definitely gained in comedies. Some real gems were released this year, notably Knocked Up and Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. (It doesn't count if you don't use the full name.) Likewise, The Simpsons Movie reminded us that there's still some life left in those aging, yellow bones. Granted, there were also a couple of "[Fill-in-the-blank] Movie" parodies (and I use the loosest definition of the term), and of course aging rappers reestablishing street cred via starring roles in feel-good family films, but what can you do. At the very least, hope arose for a western revival with the success of 3:10 From Yuma, Neil Gaiman's Stardust was entertaining, and any year that brings a Wes Anderson film can't be all bad.

And even if 2007 was a bit of a mixed bag, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Plenty of exciting films are on tap for 2008, including Sin City 2, a continuation of the Narnia saga in Prince Caspian, and probably another damn Harry Potter movie. That's to say nothing of the positive buzz surrounding hush-hush monster documentary Cloverfield, and of course the invincible Iron Man blasts into theaters this spring courtesy of director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. Finally, and perhaps most heartening, we can all rest easy in the knowledge that the following individuals will either be completely absent or greatly diminished in terms of movie appearances in 2008:

• Lindsay Lohan
• Nicole Richie
• Paris Hilton
• Britney Spears
• Jamie-Lynn Spears

And that is how we know God loves us and wants us to be happy. Amen.