Week 133: 2073 and Superman

Week 133: July 13th-19th, 2025

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I clicked play on 2073, but I was both pleasantly surprised and utterly disgusted at the same time.

I was pleasantly surprised at how outwardly critical the movie was about global politics, but I was also utterly disgusted at being reminded of the state of the world we live in. I won't get too much into the weeds, but the movie swaps between real news footage throughout history, and the fictional story of Ghost, a woman fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world.

The poster for 2073

The 2073 trailer states clearly, "This is not a documentary" but in a way, it was. I felt like I was witnessing a car crash that has lasted decades. It was bleak, but I couldn't stop watching.

This week, I also saw the new Superman movie at discount Thursdays at UltraStar Cinemas in Hazard Center. We were smart to buy our tickets online and get there slightly early, because it was very crowded. The entire theatre was full by the time the previews ended.

In a less directly obvious way from 2073, the new Superman movie also contains social commentary and a distinct message about genocide being bad. If you're okay with mild spoilers, or have already seen the movie, this review on Mondoweiss by Mitchell Plitnick sums it up pretty well. Even if director James Gunn claims there was no intentional connection between the current Israel-Palestine conflict and the fictional Boravia and Jarhanpur, the story in the film is clear. Through his midwestern charm and optimism, Clark Kent shows us that caring about others is still important. Superman desperately wants to see the good in people. He fights for humanity in a way that has become unfamiliar to the world: with unbridled hope.

To avoid spoiling too much of the movie, I'll say these few things. David Corenswet was a great casting choice. The dog was hands-down the best part. I loved the squirrel scene. Milly Alcock and John Cena as Peacemaker's brief appearances make me hopeful for the future of DC movies. As put by a friend in Discord: "the Zionists are hating it, so it must be good."

Re: Superman (2025)

Furthermore, I do readily agree with the message shared in this article: "...if you see a murderous, lying oligarch getting his comeuppance for wreaking havoc on the rest of the world as “woke” — well, I’d suggest you reconsider your personal concept of the American way." I found myself tearing up during the scene in Jarhanpur where the kids are praying for Superman to save them. There are no metahumans or superheroes coming to save Palestine.

Overall, I left the theatre smiling and happy. It was good to see a "classic" superhero movie again, especially after the barrage of hopelessness in 2073.

In other news, if any of you are familiar with my battle with SDG&E and our unreasonably high electricity bills, we got some answers this week as well. Finally, they sent a competent technician out to check our meter, and he confirmed the load was way higher than it should be (2700 watts). When we turned off the breaker switch for the thermostat, the load went down to normal (310 watts). So, since October, we have thought our thermostat and AC was never turned on, however, it has actually been "on" since we moved in. I'm glad to get some answers, but now we're tackling the battle with the apartment leasing office to fix the breaker issue and hopefully get some money back from a faulty thermostat.

Bonus: I made one of my signature custom embroidered bags for my friend Daniela's birthday present.

See you next week.