Monday, July 9, 2007

ironic superheroes & villains

These days, these days of the fanboy, there is a lot of talk of mythology. Each character--whether from a comic book, graphic novel, or other invented landscape--usually exists in his or her own "universe" (read: society). For this reason, we don't often see characters cross paths with each other. And we all know how powerful these literary creations are when adapted for film consumption. But apparently actors who perform in two different films in roles on opposite sides of the good/evil dichotomy can fuck up the mythology.

For instance, Sir Ian McKellan played Magneto, the bad guy in the X-Men movies. Then he played the supreme goodie Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course it's a testament to his acting abilities (or more appropriately, his ability to avoid being typecast). But still the fact remains: McKellan has played on both sides of the black-white divide. Some feared that his performance as Magneto would warp their reading of his playing the gentle giant Gandalf. Whether or not he did is not my point.

As for my point? I'm getting there.

I was just wondering if anyone has noticed that Jason Lee, who voiced baddie Syndrome in The Incredibles (2004), is now lending his voice to a new breed of hero, Underdog (2007). Is the mythology getting a bit tangled up? It may seem like I care because I've posted on this topic, but really, I don't. I just couldn't help but point out the irony.

No comments: