There can't be a better satirical take on post-Trump America than Boys, a delightfully dark noir-filled superhero show which is the perfect antidote for our superhero obsession.
Amazon Prime’s debut into the superhero genre starts with an almighty bang with 'The Boys' – a dark gritty take on the genre that will probably change your perception about superheroes.
At a time when the world can’t keep calm about superheroes, where every other kid and kid at heart (including yours truly) saunters around in a comic crusader’s t-shirt and 'Avengers: Endgame' is officially the highest-grossing film of all time, 'The Boys' asks us to question our fandom.
'The Boys' imagines a world where superheroes are virtual gods with no controls in place, almost beyond prosecution where they get away with everything they do.
(Karl Urban as Billy Butcher)
They are extremely ostentatious guns for hire, owned by a shadowy corporation called Vought who write the perfect script for them to monetise their talents, measuring their worth in Instagram likes and viral hits. And the heroes are objects of great adulation.
And Vought’s crown jewels are a superhero team called the Seven, a not-so-subtle interpretation of the Justice League. Homelander is an amalgamation of Superman and Captain America as the leader of the crew. Maeve is Wonder Woman, Translucent is Invisible Man, Black Noir a very silent Batman. Rounding up the team are A-Train (Flash), The Deep (Aqua Man) and new entrant Starlight (a cross between Captain Marvel and Supergirl).
The world is told that superheroes are chosen by God, there even is a preaching superhero called Ezekiel but all of them have a deep, dark secret.
However, while the world can’t stop falling over themselves, Billy Butcher (played by a sulking and uncouth Karl Urban) blames Homelander for the disappearance of his wife and won’t stop until he can get the ‘superhero wankers in line’. Butcher recruits Hughie (Jack Quaid), a young man whose girlfriend was killed by A-Train and together they are going to hunt down those who no one dares to touch.
The Boys vs The Seven
Butcher recruits Hughie, Frenchie (a mercenary with lots of gifts) and Mother’s Milk (a hulking police officer who appears to be the group’s conscience) to discover weaknesses.
The show is replete with truly disturbing moments with modern-day cultural references like #MeToo, gun violence, Church VS State, celebrity worship, war on terror and women’s empowerment interspersed with truly whacky moments.
Take away the gore and it is brilliant commentary on all things plaguing post-Trump America - Christianity with dollops of homophobia, military might, American exceptionalism, unrestrained capitalism and celebrity worship.
What makes it stand out is the fact that neither the Supes (as they are known in this world) or the Boys can be categorised as good or bad, they are just people, deeply flawed. The perverted superhero who abuses women also tenderly loves sea creatures and wants to save them. The world’s fastest man is also a poor black kid who struggled out of poverty with his talent. There are no good guys or bad guys, no saint is beyond sin and no sinner is beyond redemption.
Homelander AKA John
The best performances are from Karl Urban – who plays Butcher as a loud, foulmouthed Englishman and Antony Star’s Homelander, a truly depraved take on ubermensch Superman who is a god among mortals but unlike the boy scout routine of Clark Kent, Homelander doesn’t have a conscience. Erin Moriarty as Starlight also stands out as a ray of conscience in a dark world. In fact, there’s an amazing scene where she admonishes a crowd who are told it’s their job to ‘convert Hindus and show them the light’.
Jack Quaid’s Hughie is also charming in a disarming way, a lad who transforms after his girlfriend’ death.
Overall, 'The Boys' is a smashing debut for Amazon in the superhero genre and while they might have deviated from the source material, even the hardcore fans aren’t complaining because they loved it. Just like 'Iron Man' and 'The Dark Knight' changed how we perceive the superhero genre, 'The Boys' could very well change how we view superheroes. Bring on Season 2.
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