When I was a kid, my superheroes were mostly dark and troubled. Even my favorite Western crime fighter, the Lone Ranger, wore a mask. From those days of black-and-white television, there has been only one person who was The Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore. And one, and only one actor could play Tonto: Jay Silverheels. That was then; this is now. If the new Disney Lone Ranger movie starring Johnny Depp as Tonto proves to be half as good as the trailers suggest, I'll be a happy camper when it comes to theaters next month. Of course the trailer to Skyfall looked great, and that movie itself only mediocre. Hopefully, that won't be a problem with The Lone Ranger. It was a Ranger...riding a white horse. Got some lunatic Indian with him. They're coming for you... Yes, they are. I'm ready. After piquing her interest with a few priceless Johnny Depp scenes as Tonto, my wife has agreed that can be my birthday present, only a few days early. The last time Lisa watched a movie that was not on DVD it was the final installment of Lord of the Rings, so getting her to agree to go to the theater was no small achievement. In the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Johnny Depp was an absolute delight as Captain Jack Sparrow. In that movie, Depp single-handedly turned a somewhat mediocre script loosely based on the two minute ride at Disney World into a two hour movie that was actually worth watching, at least in his scenes, mainly using his uncanny talent as a comedic actor. I didn't bother with the sequels to Pirates; after all, the ride itself was … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2013
Characteristics of an intelligently designed world
Over 47 square miles in diameter and with more than 35,000 total employees, Disney World in Orlando can be described as a miniature, intelligently designed artificial world. The main thing this alternate reality lacks is free will. Nothing is free in Disney World. It costs about $90 just to walk through the security gates. A cheap plastic sword or plate of nachos are both $7. Mickey Mouse has many mouths to feed. One cannot help but marvel at the forethought and planning invested into this massive entertainment complex. There was a lot of hard work making the Magic Kingdom a magical experience for a young child. No one could possibly question that intelligent design was at work. Frankly, I wish I'd paid more attention in my Management Science class at UGA, so I might more fully appreciate the skill exhibited at queuing people in lines and shuttling them around to desired destinations. The temptation to walk serpentine still lingers, days after our return home. Disney elevated the basic amusement park experience to an art form. The variety and quality of transportation was very impressive. There are regular buses, shuttle buses, boats, moving sidewalks, and of course, the Monorail system. Disney knows how to attract customers as well as distributing them to their desired destinations. The attention to detail from Disney is unparalleled. Special accommodations have been made for handicapped customers on every ride. Even boat rides such as The Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It's a Small World have special boats outfitted to handle … [Read more...]