Through the magic of syndication I saw a Twilight Zone (the new series, not the B/W classic) episode not too long ago that starred Patrick Warburton as fantasy comic book hero Azoth the Avenger. An ordinary boy reads some nonsense words out loud and suddenly the real Azoth appears in his room. I was really hoping the episode would play the idea for laughs, but unfortunately that was not the case. Azoth helps him out against some bullies, teaches him to show courage, and does some other dull things. Funny how a man who dresses like a barbarian would turn out to have such good manners.
Warburton sure doesn't have any trouble finding roles. I don't mind because I'm all for skewering the American caricature of masculinity, that is, a big guy who's either dense or square. If you don't mind me blatantly showing my nerd bias, I think that putting a higher value on qualities like intelligence, creativity, or compassion would go a long way toward making my culture more broadminded and effective. Plus, Warburton's funny, ever since I saw him as Puddy on Seinfeld, and he has a great voice talent. Spoon!
In other non-news, Kung Fu Hustle is the most fun movie I've seen in a while. After seeing that, Dead Men's Chest attempts at slapstick comedy look halfhearted. And how telling is it that some of the epic martial arts duels in Hustle are just as awe-inspiring as, if not more than, the climatic fight scene between Neo and Smith at the end of Matrix Revolutions? Kung Fu Hustle is a peculiar kind of genius, but I like it.
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