That line from Crimes and Misdemeanors often comes to mind when trying to work out why some TV shows or movies work for me, and others don't. (And yeah, I know we're meant to take it as more fatuous than serious.)
Case in point: Amazons The Boys. I gave up at about the 30 minute mark.
I have often explained how I can only enjoy the superhero genre if it doesn't take itself too seriously - otherwise the silliness of the scenarios just leave too much rationality in my subconscious objecting that it's a waste of time.
But I realised while trying this latest show (essentially, a black humour quasi-satire - pretty much a bloody, sweary adult version of The Incredibles, now that I think of it) that I can't warm to any scenario in which superheros are too engaged in the world, whether or not its done for humour. In other words, it's one thing for a superhero to live a private life in his downtime; it's another, way less credible thing to have them fully engaged in the world, as they are in the scenario in The Boys. One bends, the other breaks.
Someone might say, what about The Avengers? Well, I haven't even watched all of those movies (and hence was surprised how much I liked Infinity War) but I think they are still allowed a private life, even if the identity is not so secret. And Ironman is more a technological hero than a superpower one.
Anyway, the first episode of The Boys was not engaging me - I thought it was too talky, and could just tell I wasn't going to buy into its world. I see since viewing that it that Seth Rogan had a producing hand in it, further convincing me that nearly nothing he has touched holds any appeal to me.
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