Road to Perdition vs. Big

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Goofy Tom Hanks vs. Goofy Mustache Tom Hanks. Despite the presence of Paul Newman, Road to Perdition fell flat with its maudlin story and self-seriousness. Conversely, Big has Robert Loggia on a giant toy piano. 'nuff said.

Once again, Big is nothing but a bizarre justification for statutory rape. It's creepy and stupid, and not at all entertaining. While I do sometimes long for the days when Tom Hanks made fun movies rather than (overly) serious stuff, Road to Perdition is still far more palatable in every regard. Big is easily one of the worst Tom Hanks movies I've ever seen, while Road to Perdition is a fairly enjoyable gangster/revenge picture. Whatever its flaws, at least it's not as ludicrous and screwed up as Big.

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I think Tom Hanks can be proud of both these films. I don't think that Big ever compromised itself by being in bad taste. I actually prefer the very funny and heartfelt Big. There is an inner child in all of us and the innocence of Hanks character was never compromised.

I don't know... if an adult woman has sex with a twelve year old boy, she's probably going to see some jail time. Putting that twelve year old in an adult body doesn't change that he's twelve, really.

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In a reality way it does. He had a 30 year body and he was her working colleague.

Perhaps this is worthy of a major philosophical investigation. Does the immature mind of a twelve year old boy become mature just by being in an adult body? Would that be true of a twelve year old girl in the same situation? Are boys held up to a different standard? Why is it that society frowns upon underage sexuality? Is it because of the immature mind or the immature body? Or both? Discuss.

Road To Perdition is a handsomely shot movie and I for one enjoy its melancholy. I also like the hats (I prefer Trillbys to Fedoras, but both are commendably smashing). Big? Well I avoided watching it for sometime, expecting to be very much bored by the 80's kid crap that sort of present themselves as silly little moral tales. Flassh forward to a month ago and and there you have it, mildly enjoyably 80's kid crap. Doesn't approach Road To Perdition you understand, but it's still a decent time waster. Look! Pholosophising! And Sex! One way to approach this is from the personal angle. Would I bang a 12 year old girl? No. Why? Because my anus doesn't wanna go to prison. Does that mean I'd screw a 12 year old girl if it were a legal act of bonage ? Or if I could get away with it? No. Why? Because 12 year old girls are sexually unappealing; I like my women to be physically developed. If a 12 year old girl was put in the body of, I dunno, Kim Kardashian, would I screw it? Yes (and I know, I know, Kim K probably does have the mind of a 12 year old girl). Of course, the idea of a standardised age of consent is quite arbitrary (as is the word "maturity" for the most part), but it's supposed to be there to ensure a minimum safe age. So at this minimum safe age, said youth becomes physically fuckable and is no longer considered mentally retarded in the eyes of the law. So at 12 years old, would I have banged a full grown Elizabeth Perkins? Well, of course I would. Are boys held up to a different standard? Yes, but I sense that most cultures generally accept that chicks mature (again with that arbitrary word) faster than dudes. It's a topic that one could spend a while commenting on, but I'lll stop myself dead for now.

There are probably some adult women who are stupider and less emotionally developed than your average 12 year old girl. Maybe it's kind of creepy to engage in intercourse with them, too? I'm not going to lie and say I wouldn't have risen to the occasion if a hot, older woman offered her services when I was twelve. Would I have been psychologically scarred because of it? Doubtful. I think that a major reason 12 year old boys shouldn't be legally having sex is because there are already too many adult men impregnating every woman in sight. If 12 year old boys were allowed to have sex freely, I think illegitimate pregnancies would sky rocket. You don't let a kid run around with a loaded gun. Anyway, yeah kids think about sex and are curious about their bodies, but they don't know what to do with them responsibly. You need about 17 or 18 years to to learn about self-restraint and proper use of birth control techniques. Too many adults already don't know what the hell they are doing. They might know where to stick it, but have no concept of the consequences.

Nah, I don't find it creepy in the least. There's a huge intellectual gulf between the capacity for thought of a 12 year old and someone that is actually incapable of making informed decisions. I disagree with the legal outlook of viewing these folks as 'mentally challenged'. So 12 is too young physically IMO, but not emotionally. I abhore irresponsible pregnancies too, but it was never gonna be an issue within the confines of the 'Big' universe. In real life? Well maybe, but it takes two idiots for an unwanted pregnancy. The elder lover should make sure it's all strapped up. They don't obviously (which is why we're moving towards that Idiocracy) but if the arguement hinges on unwanted buns in the oven, then it should be illegal for two youths to bone, not one youth and one old timer. But then, why do we have the Romeo & Juliet laws?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Letourneau - It's this kind of stuff that creates my fear of underage boys running around planting their seed. I think having laws against adults getting it on with kids is saying "You're supposed to know better." Kids often don't know better, and are expected to do stupid things. Adults are supposed to understand consequences. Since many adults apparently do not learn anything during their transition from stupid young person to stupid adult person, obviously they shouldn't be allowed to carry on relationships with kids. At least when two underage people get together, they have have the excuse of young and stupid (stupid meaning "lacking wisdom or foresight based on a deficiency of life experience"). Of course, I do think all young folks should be taught the truth about the birds and the bees in the most clinical and unflinching manner possible. Instead of just telling them that God wants them to stay pure, or something. Maybe if they rounded up a bunch of underage girls with illegitimate children and made a documentary called "Jimmy Told Me That He Loved Me." It could be about three hours long and show what happens when you get knocked up at 14. All kids should have to watch it. In the Big universe none of the issues are dealt with because it's a cute fantasy that you're not supposed to think too much about. But it's still kind of f*cked up. Tom Hanks could've got involved with a floozy who already had three kids from three different fathers.

Sounds like it's time for Big to go for the gritty reboot, Dark Knight style! Road for Perdition for me.

People get too deep in thinking/considering the supposed rape issue in Big. The lady had zero idea that he was actually 12, or I am sure she would not have touched him with a bargepole, to be honest. Big is a sweet, fantasy film which occupies 2 hours of a persons day very easily. Road to Perdition is a boring, drab, morose movie, where in truth, very little actually happens until right towards the very end, as is so often the case.