Change the geek tax.

After finally watching "Batman Begins" and "Spiderman-2" this week, I propose that we modify the geek tax to exclude all comic book movies.

Millions of otherwise productive individuals are constantly subjected to the geek tax, which basically consists of the time and money that every hard working computer programmer, systems administrator, math/science/engineering major, or Bronx Science graduate inevitably ends up paying to the entertainment industry, for fear of losing future Usenet flame wars and precious pocket protectors. Recent examples include all the Star Wars movies, TLOTR, Narnia, The Matrix Trilogy, and a plethora of mediocre comic book movies.

I think that the comic book movies should be excluded. Let's make this happen, people. Stop wasting your time watching this crap.

"Spiderman-2" was awful. I won't spend time on a thorough review, and will merely say that it was roughly the cinematic equivalent of "Digital Fortress." This is the kind of stuff that a lower primate could have written, but didn't, out of dignity and respect for his species.

By comparison, "Batman Begins" was slightly better, although the casting was truly awful. We spent the first hour of the movie arguing about where we've seen the actor playing Batman before. I kept insisting that he must have been in some Swedish porn, but eventually, we came to the realization that he was the bad guy in Shaft. That, of course, was followed by the obvious consensus that we HATE that guy! Not to mention the predictable jokes about Liam Neeson - "the force is strong with you, Batman." But, I suppose that it is the best of the Batman movies, which, I guess, isn't really saying much.

Of course, I never read comic books as a child so I realize that I am not able to fully appreciate the nostalgic value of these flicks. Also, by no means am I proposing a total abolition of the geek tax. Hell, I'm ready to send Wolfgang Petersen money right now in anticipation of the Ender's Game movie.