Can Heroes Be Happy?

 Three belated sequels said no — and I picked the one worth watching anyway.

"I will never train another generation of Jedi. I came to this island to die. It's time for the Jedi to end.”

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Can a hero be happy? Belated sequels often think it’s more interesting if a familiar character is found in dire straits. Would it be so bland to see these legends living happily ever after? Do you think our heroes deserved better?

An honorable mention right off the bat is the Die Hard sequels. John McClane is known for battling terrorists, not talking out his feelings. Still, it was nice to assume that the fateful phone call at the end of With a Vengeance would have smoothed things over with Holly Gennero. Instead, we lived with some not-so-good days. It appears that Divorcehard was more intriguing to the writers.

A shining example of our faves getting a solid send-off is when Clark and Lois from Smallville appeared in the CW’s Crisis crossover event. Despite being depowered, Clark had delivered a satisfying conclusion, and it wasn’t even that hard to do. Creating conflict is standard, but over time, seeing our beloved heroes get a raw deal leaves viewers depressed. Life isn’t fair, sure, but fiction doesn’t have to retread the same deconstruction over and over again. Make heroes happy again!

I understand the reasoning behind reintroducing a fan favorite in a dark time at a later point in their life. Harrison Ford got it twice: once as Indy, and another as Han Solo. Of course, the Star Wars sequel trilogy appears in this assessment, and that is largely due to the absolute misfire of what fans wanted. The approach is simple enough, though: place the character in a rough spot, and their arc sees them grow, learn, and overcome. Standard storytelling formula, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. However, these goals can be achieved without subjecting loyal fans to witnessing the heroes they grew up with become hollow shells of their former selves. There is being true to life’s harsh realities, and then there is rehashing tired tropes. It’s been done. I’m in favor of the fresher idea of watching the good guys have good lives.

This will be a fairly short rundown, since I’ve already talked about some of these films, and also because they are downers. That being said, I do think this is an important topic to discuss. I’m sure all the big movie decider people will be paying close attention to what I have to say, so let’s get right to it. I’ll break down the top three movies that absolutely rain crap all over our favorite characters, and then I’ll reveal which is the number one pick I recommend.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The fifth Indy film took the nice ending of a questionable movie and made it muddier. Instead of watching Indy and Marion enjoy holy matrimony, we were treated to down-and-out Harrison Ford. At least they established that Mutt died on the way back to his home planet.

Reason to Rec: If you want to see the Indiana Jones franchise take an even bigger swing than interdimensional aliens, then this is the movie for you.

The Flash. Michael Keaton is a lot of fans’ favorite Batman, so why not go with the tiresome trope of the stringy-haired, long-bearded recluse? No Batman Beyond, but rather a Batman that’s beyond repair. And he wasn’t even the worst one in The Flash movie.

Reason to Rec: Michael Keaton fans will enjoy seeing him be Batman in a nostalgia trip, but will also be glad once it’s over.

The entire Star Wars sequel trilogy. Feverish fans waited years to see Luke Skywalker’s return, and when he did, it was a blue milk-soaked mess. Having characters overcome adversity is expected, but no one wanted their expectations to be quite this subverted. We were left wishing this really was The Last Jedi.

Reason to Rec: This set of films is a one-and-done viewing experience. Most folks who grew up with Star Wars and were big fans felt compelled to watch these, and it’s purely out of that sense of compulsion that I assume anyone would want to sit through these.

Def Rec: Trying to definitely recommend one of these movies is one of those times where I ponder why we do anything. We don’t have to do any one thing, not if we don’t want to. But I decided to do this, so I’m going to follow through and proclaim one of these films is worth watching, and that is The Flash. Why? It isn’t because it’s funny when it’s trying to be. No, it’s unintentionally hilarious when it’s trying to be epic.

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Books by Jon McBrine

The Eric Icarus Series

Unable to hide his flying abilities, a shy high school student’s plan to hide in plain sight as just another superhero backfires after an attack leaves him as the only hope to stop a diabolical villain.

Recruited by tech mogul Baron Maddox, Eric Boxworth becomes Eric Icarus, a maskless member of the Super Society, tech-based defenders of New St. Cloud City. Eric’s miraculous, natural flight power is disguised by a decoy anti-gravity backpack to avoid getting dissected in a lab. Eric and his bubbly, good-natured classmate Jaycee - the armored hero Powerhouse - must stop a madman from creating an empire built on stolen powers. Fans of young superheroes, found family tropes, and high-stakes action will love this YA sci-fi adventure series.

Available at Amazon here

Available at Amazon here

Available at Amazon here

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