10 Delightful Things that Happened In 2021

 This year hasn't been the year everyone wanted. We emerged from the pandemic only to find ourselves... Well, still in the pandemic, and the complications from events have not helped the overall situation. Despite this, some roses have managed to peak out through the gloom of 2021 and today I want to focus on those, because what we focus on is what will grow.

10: Disney's Animated Encanto and Luca

Disney did not slouch this year with it's animated fare. First giving us Luca, the touching story about a sea monster who wants to be human told through a beautiful friendship and impressive visuals (Does anyone remember when Pixar cut a scene from The Incredibles because they didn't want to mess with hair underwater?). Following it for the holidays was the musical Encanto, an enchanting film about a magical family with music by Lin Manuel-Miranda, the talent that brought us Hamilton. Despite having no children of our own, the Encanto soundtrack has been all but on loop at our house. 

9: Marvelous World of Marvel

I don't want this post to be Top 10 Things that Came Out on Disney+ This Year, unless they're going to start kicking over some sponsorship money, so I'm just going to say that Marvel had an excellent year and take a chance to plug my two favorites: Wandavision and What If? The fact that Marvel can cater even to my esoteric nerddoms like all-powerful magic beings and multiverse-level threats shows that Marvel truly does have something for everyone. 

Before I move past Disney let me also just mention: 

Cruella 

Olaf Presents

Muppet's Haunted Mansion

and 

Star Wars: Visions

8: Pokemon Games

This year we got three great Pokemon games (Two if you count Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as the same game), and each one gave hardcore nostalgia fans something we wanted. For fans of the fourth generation we got the afforementioned Brilliant Diamond and Shiny Pearl, and for N64 fans we got New Pokemon Snap , a remake of the classic game with about a billion new Pokemon. The franchise is alive and well, and any lingering doubts will probably burn away next month with the new Zelda: Breath of the Wild inspired Pokemon Legends: Arceus. 

7: The Snyder Cut

As a DC fan it's been hard watching Marvel clock my favorite heroes in the box office, but this year we saw DC make one of its strongest strikes with The Justice League: Snyder Cut. A cinematic masterpiece featuring the original superhero team up. The film is rivaled only by Joker and The Dark Knight (I might be a Joker fan) in quality. It's no wonder cries of #RestoreTheSnyderverse can still be heard throughout the internet. 

6: Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Happy Home Paradise

Animal Crossing: New Horizons got a lot of us through the roughest part of the pandemic, and became the 15th best selling game in history according to Wikipedia.  As a farewell to the game Nintendo released a $30 DLC which was basically an entirely new game with all the cute animals our little gamer hearts could take. Most importantly: Wardell. 

5: Loop Hero

It's hard to review games on our blog, since they tend to take 40+ hours these days and we have jobs and families, but they're are a few games, including the several already mentioned and the ones that will be mentioned, that just had to be played. Loop Hero is an indie darling that absolutely needs to be played to be understood. You rebuild a destroyed world almost down to one molecule at a time, all while running around a constant loop of ever increasing intensity. Play it, if for nothing else so then you can be like the cool kids. 

4: The Suicide Squad

Controversial opinion I know since this movie is a hard R, but anything that releases with Harley Quinn or an adorable CG monster is my jam, and this had both. The film was a fun anarcic ride through a little slice of the DC universe and I rewatched it more times than I care to admit before it left HBO Max. Also if anyone knows where to get a King Shark Funko Pop that's not ridiculously priced hit me up. 

3: Rick and Morty Season 5

Another controversial show, but one that needs to be discussed: 

SPOILER

Season 5 gave us a complete picture of Rick's backstory, the reason that he's the angry antisocial drunk that we've all come to love to hate. We had a hint in season 3 that Rick watched his world's Beth and Diane killed by another Rick in order for him to be motivated to invent the portal gun. We then get Rick going on a multiverse killing spree, at first for vengeance but later out of nothing else to live for. It broke our hearts and explained everything. 

Wubba lubba dub dub. 

2: Monster Hunter: Rise

That wasn't an order sit down. 

The latest in the long running Monster Hunter franchise was as usual a delight to play, with even more giant monsters to battle and turn into fashion accessories. It's odd how the gameplay loop of "Kill giant monster, skin giant monster, go after next monster wearing the last monster's skin" never gets old. Plus in this one you can have a cat and a dog as your companions. MULTIPLAYER IS DEAD IF YOU HAVE THEM! 

1: More Temples Reopening

Oh, did you think they would all be geek related? 

Nothing has warmed my heart more than stopping at my local ice cream place to find it packed with young people in white shirts and modest dresses. It always puts a smile on my face as I get back in the car and look for somewhere less crowded (I'm not waiting in that line!). It means that temple work is resuming in earnest. One of the darkest moments in the pandemic for me was the closing of the temples, a sure sign that things were very much not okay. But now the work of God is happening again and the world can start to truly come back to life. We may not be back to normal yet, but we're slowly but surely moving that way. 

-JOE

Luca: A Celebration of Friendship

(Guest post by Stephen)

"You and me, we can do anything!"

– Alberto, in Disney/Pixar's Luca

I have been eagerly anticipating Pixar's Luca for months, and was really excited when I finally got to watch it. My only complaint was that they didn't release the movie to theaters. It's only available on Disney+, but I would have loved to see it on the big screen. The film did not disappoint. But first, I want to share some background about why I was so excited.

A few years ago, I was at a men's retreat, face-to-face with another man, and was asked to say to him what I felt as I looked at him. My answer surprised even me: "I just want him to be my friend," I said. Then I broke down in tears.

For many years I avoided forming any close relationship with other men. I had a deep-set fear that my desires for connection with other men would be perceived as childish or unmanly, that people would think I was gay, or that perhaps it meant that I actually was gay. I was also afraid that I would be treated poorly, made fun of, or hurt. I don't think I'm alone in these fears. In fact, a researcher at NYU, Niobe Way, has documented how similar fears lead boys to become emotionally stoic and isolated. It seems to be a common cultural belief that men shouldn't or even can't form close friendships, but I have learned from personal experience that it doesn't have to be this way.

"Men are fully capable of connecting deeply with other people – some just need to relearn how to do it."

– Kim Evensen, Brothers

Deep, authentic friendships are necessary and needed for everyone in this world, including men. They provide an important piece of support as we experience difficult trials in our lives. The lack of such friendships is literally killing men, as loneliness and suicide among men has become epidemic.

It took me a long time to realize that not only does my desire for deep connection mean nothing more than wanting friendship, a normal human need, but that I can have that kind of friendship if I work at it. I have worked to create and foster multiple friendships over the last few years, and those friendships have truly been a lifeline to me. I can't imagine going back to the isolation in which I used to live.

This lack of societal sanction of deep friendships between men is why I've been so excited about the release of Luca. From the trailers and the interviews leading up to the movie's release, it has been clear that the film focuses on the beauty of friendship.

Pixar's Luca celebrates friendships. Luca and Alberto, two sea-monsters whose bodies transform to appear human on land, become fast friends. They push each other to try new things and get out of their comfort zones. Their friendship develops into something truly beautiful as they share their fears with each other, support each other, show affection to each other, and even have deep disagreements. The film is a journey in the authentic formation and expression of friendship.

I won't spoil the movie for you, but make sure you don't miss the end scene. It beautifully paints the deep love that two friends can have for each other. We need more of this love – and the expression of it – in our society. Luca is a masterclass in what that can look like.

For a different take on the messages in Luca, see here. 

Homophobia, Inclusion, and Sushi!

I watched the new Pixar movie Luca with my 3 teenage kids for Father's Day. I told them I was going to write about the new Disney Plus exclusive film. When I asked them what topic I should write about, they were quick to shout out their ideas:

“Homophobia!”

“Inclusion!”

“Sushi!”

Luca tells a timeless story about an awesome bromance between two buddies who feel like outcasts, and try to be something they're not in order to fit in. The setting is a fictional seaside Italian villa, lush with seascapes, easy breezy summer feels, and all the realistic details mixed with fantasy elements that only a Pixar creation can deliver. The cast is incredible, especially the youth cast of Jacob Tremblay (Room and Wonder), Jack Dylan Grazer (It and Shazam!). The story is effortless -- maybe a little predictable, but there was enough humor and surprise elements to keep it interesting. And as with every Pixar movie, it was just as entertaining for kids as it was for adults.

I appreciate that my children got some of the same messages from Luca that I did. Include others. Be yourself. Friendship knows no bounds. You are braver than you think. You can overcome your past trauma. Kids need some structured freedom … But mostly, the message we all took away was to always be kind to others. 

My own children, some of whom identify as LGBT, have been bullied and teased at church. These are kids who are generally accepted at school, they have found their niche with friends, and they are pretty comfortable with their lives. And for awhile, they would attend church and youth activities … but the other youth would often tease my kids, or would sometimes outright be mean to them. This was made worse when the youth leaders would either do nothing, or sometimes would even join in with the teasing. My kids definitely identified with Luca and Alberto: two kids who were trying to hide their true nature so they could fit in, and they were marginalized as personae non gratae. And this isn’t just a kid problem. I know several LGBT adults who feel ostracized and unsafe going to church because of hurtful remarks people make. 

Sometimes we have to dig deep to find ways to accept others who are not like us. Instead of potentially offending others who don’t share the same values, beliefs, or attractions as us, surely we can find ways to be more inclusive. Instead of degrading or disrespecting others, let’s be more Christlike. Instead of treating others like mostri marini, it's out duty to find ways to include people on our team. It might be tough to resist saying something that’s on our mind, but that’s when we yell “Silenzio, Bruno!” and ask ourselves if we are including or excluding others.

And then we can all go get sushi together.