"The Twilight Zone (2002)" Retro Recap: "Azoth the Avenger Is a Friend of Mine"

​Written by Scotty

Finding a way to escape the madness that life brings is far from a bad thing. But you must remember that where ever you allow your mind to go, it must come back to the real world when all is said and done.  There are so many ways in escaping to a different realm, movies, TV shows, books, artwork and so on.  It can be easy to get lost with the help of these and allowing your imagination to take you to places that are better than your current situation is easier than facing the reality that is right outside your window.  Just make sure to come back when you are needed since you may have someone that needs you to stick around in the real world, even if it is just for being you.

Young Craig Hansen has found a way for himself to gain release from the real world, his comics about Azoth.  Knowing that Azoth is always the hero and can defeat any foe, Craig knows that being with him would make him safer than he has ever felt.  As his father gets into another fight with his mother over not having enough beer downstairs, Craig is afraid that he will get the wrath of his father's abuse again.  When his father enters Craig’s room, he sees that his boy has been beat up by the bullies in the neighborhood once again and getting sick of seeing his son as a victim, the verbal abuse makes Craig feel worse than he ever has before.

Seeing an inscription on the bottom of the model of Azoth that he is painting, Craig recites it and his hero is brought to life.  Not knowing where he is, Azoth has to get used to this new realm he has been brought to, but Craig needs him to take care of his battles.  Returning to the basketball court where he was beat up, Craig and Azoth confront the bullies and send them packing, well, at least Azoth does.  With great power, Azoth is ready to meet his worthy foe in this realm before he is ready to return home.  Not being able to stay in Craig’s room, he is placed in the apartment’s laundry room until he is needed once again.  Being a good friend to his hero, Craig steals some food from the fridge and allows the large man to eat, but little does he know that his father will rage about this as well.

Hearing his parents fight about what is not in the fridge, Craig tries to break it up by admitting that he took the food.  His father does not believe him and then his focus turns to someone much taller and hairier as Azoth has entered the house.  Preparing to defend Craig and his mother from their abusive father, Azoth holds back and allows himself to get beaten by the man the family fears.  Craig is shocked that his hero could not defeat his father and wants to know why.  Azoth is a great warrior, but this battle is not his to be had, Craig must step up to the plate and defeat his father on his own.  Sending his hero home, Craig tries to get his father’s attention by wielding Azoth’s sword, but that is not the weapon that can defeat the evil being held by his father, Craig will have to use his mind as well.
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I am sure that everyone has had a fantasy of seeing their hero come to life and help them out, even nowadays.  It would make everyone’s life easier if they could have someone else fight their battles for them, no matter how small, but what we do not seem to understand is that it is the battles that make us who we are.  No matter if you win or lose, these are the things that define you as your own person.  Craig has his eyes opened by Azoth to this fact and is slowly starting to understand what he must do to protect himself and his mother from the abuse that his father is bringing into their home.  Starring Rory Culkin as Craig Hansen, Patrick Warburton as Azoth, Peter LaCroix as Darrell (the father) and Suzy Joachim as Lorraine (the mother).  Everyone has troubles when they are growing up, either with other kids picking on them, an abusive house hold, or just a crazy person making their lives a living hell.  These are the things that change us into the people that we are today and even though these events can be the worst times in our lives, we must remember that we need to battle through them for ourselves and nobody else.

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