Without getting all spoilery (let's see if I can actually do this), it has occurred to me that perhaps this is how it has to go... this is the evolution of life. The hero becomes the sage, the wise old man, and a new person has to take his place. The sage has passed on, and the roles must be refilled. So really, whatever happens, at its essence this is partially a transitional movie. A lot of the emotion and interpersonal connection seems thin, but there is this nice interplay between characters and showing how life is changing, just as the world is changing. Our original hero received the call to a certain extent, yes, but his role is different now. There is another called, another hero, and the two juggle the role back and forth throughout the movie.

And that's just awesome.

It's possible I'll work on some of these things in a more in-depth fashion, particularly after a wider group of people have seen the film. I don't want to ruin anything, of course. And goodness knows I have plenty to do right now.