Growing up, I didn't find the original It's a Good Life to be especially scary. It was a very solid, high concept idea that sold it. It's bleak, but he seems to be a small-scale tyrant, only managing his own town.
The version of the story that was told in the TZ movie ended with the implication that Anthony has found some appropriate guidance that will help him control his power, and probably get along with the rest of the world.
This story shows that Anthony has grown, but he hasn't exactly grown up. He does seem to be less impulsive, and his interests have matured a bit, but he's still vengeful. His relationship with his daughter is an interesting one to explore, and once the daughter's scope of powers is revealed, it does a nice job of suggesting that Anthony has some growth; he starts to understand what he's been doing. But then it ends on a sufficiently downbeat note that seems to suggest that Anthony has been able to shrug off his lesson.
I expected that Anthony and his daughter would manage to wish each other out of existence, freeing the town. However, this wouldn't return everything that was gone - the town would still be isolated from the rest of the universe.
A guy can dream.
Side note - I met Billy Mumy at a convention. Very nice guy.
The version of the story that was told in the TZ movie ended with the implication that Anthony has found some appropriate guidance that will help him control his power, and probably get along with the rest of the world.
This story shows that Anthony has grown, but he hasn't exactly grown up. He does seem to be less impulsive, and his interests have matured a bit, but he's still vengeful. His relationship with his daughter is an interesting one to explore, and once the daughter's scope of powers is revealed, it does a nice job of suggesting that Anthony has some growth; he starts to understand what he's been doing. But then it ends on a sufficiently downbeat note that seems to suggest that Anthony has been able to shrug off his lesson.
I expected that Anthony and his daughter would manage to wish each other out of existence, freeing the town. However, this wouldn't return everything that was gone - the town would still be isolated from the rest of the universe.
A guy can dream.
Side note - I met Billy Mumy at a convention. Very nice guy.