Skipping My Childhood This Summer

Summer movies and new toys are starting to make me feel old.

I know if I were to say to most people that I’m 35 they would respond with “oh you’re not that old”, but as I look at my choices in movies and actions figures I feel much differently.

So what was it that made me feel this way today? I have not seen TMNT or the newest Transformers films, and find myself not being able to find anything worth buying in the action figure aisles for the last few months. I saw a review online about TMNT that basically said if you’re under 12 yrs old you will love the film, anyone older will probably hate it, and I fall into the latter.

How can I not like a film I have not seen? Well it all has to do with what I know about the making of the film, the press releases, and the interviews. I find myself making decisions more and more based on stuff around me, and not just jumping at the chance to see a summer blockbuster. It also does not help that tickets prices have risen, even in a small state like Connecticut, to around $10. When it comes to picking a movie I would rather see Chef than Bay’s Transformers.

The same type of thinking also applies to toys. Is the newest Turtle or Transformer on my desk right now? Nope, it’s a classic GI Joe set, something related to the time I was under 12. I am getting into Minimates and higher end figures, because they offer more that the Walmart and Target lines. Spending $75 on the Bluefin Mario sets was much more satisfying than buying the SDCC Mattel Doomsday. Companies like NECA and Diamond Select Toys may be charging a little bit more, but their toys offer a better quality and selection for an adult collector.

I remember going to see Transformers: The Movie with my Mom, who was always up for a toy run, and she walked out saying how awful it was, which made me think… am I any different right now? Will the kids of today look at Michael Bay as a hero, who they look fondly back at for making Optimus Prime come alive? Or will they judge his vision of the Transformers and Turtles as harshly as the children of the 80’s?