I watched the boys and thought it was great. I’ve let it sit for a week to really gather my thoughts on it, and I just don’t have much negative to say. The acting, the writing, the casting, the quality of the special effects, were all great. My favorite part is the meta-commentary and awareness of hero worship in the movie industry. In this world, not only are all the super heroes real, they also star in their very own VCU (Vought Cinematic Universe). The people of The Boys universe are every bit as obsessed and tired of super hero franchises as we are (more so in Butcher’s case), but the heroes aren’t just actors. It was interesting and it is kind of a sick burn on our reality when you think about it. Even as someone who has watched almost every super hero movie (most multiple times), I too enjoy entertainment that isn’t about paying attention to overwrought plot lines and locations/abilities of OmniMcguffins.
The setting of The Boys feels very current and deals with many of the political issues we face right now. The push for fascism disguised as safety is a very old tale, but one that feels more relevant to me now than ever. The main superhero’s name is Homelander, I mean, it’s pretty on the nose. I really enjoyed the hell out of the series, and it takes on themes of sexual assault, elite class, corporate control, and even what is and isn’t “right” are pretty ageless. There is even a scene that shows racism is only as deep as the money. The show continued to surprise to the end, and I loved not knowing what was going to happen. I also think everyone was cast really well. It’s my favorite Karl Urban role since Dredd and Elisabeth Shue just acts the hell out her scenes. In fact, all the main actors all have good chemistry in their scenes and its a compliment that other than Urban and Simon Pegg, I couldn’t immediately place any of the cast in other things I had seen. Being able to watch a show this well-done without the baggage of a Hemsworth, Johannsen, or Affleck, meant I could just pay attention to the show. A real ensemble effort instead of one actor doing all the heavy lifting. The Boys won’t change your life, but it is refreshing and I’m eager for season 2.
