Friday, October 22, 2010

All Plain Stereostypes

Yes, we've all heard about stereotypes, haven't we?


They're irritating, malicious and fun. It's like saying, "Wives are the ones trying to find fault with the husband." or something like "Female drivers drive like crap. Or male drivers who drive like crap are sometimes branded 'a female driver'. Now, that's real stereotype.


Surely, there's something good to this? I mean, stereotype thinking should be limited to the fact that someone has a way or a certain mentality to something. That would be prejudice. Besides, what about things like hard work? Or "Practice Makes Perfect" ? Are those stereotypical?



Question is of course, how do we actually define a stereotype? No, it's very definition sounds so disapproving. Why can't we see it as something that is much more than "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" ? How come we don't just point out that phrases like "The most successful person is a risk-taker" are sliding into stereotype? I think, it's just the way it is, I guess. Human beings are built to think that the 'good' phrases are the ones which cannot be defined as a worn-out, crap mentality. We seem not to differ in opinions when it comes to b******t sayings, like " Africans are always gonna be left out in the world. And North Koreans aren't the most peaceful people. " Unfortunately, we stick to that way of thinking, and adopt that similar attitude. What a pity. Anything can be a stereotype, that's the way it is. It's just that we are seeing enough. Not understanding enough due to a faster-paced modern world.


But, we are all FLAWED. So who am I to judge? Man, such stereotype thinking.
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Review of The Week!

Movie : The Avengers (2012)

Awe-inducing, funny and action-packed, this could be the superhero movie of the year (not that there are many).


It is unusual for directors to modify the genre of superhero movies. To be precise, if we are looking for some popcorn entertainment, Joss Whedon could have easily turned this into a full-blown alien-versus-superhero affair (that actually would not be too bad). Interestingly to note however, he does not. With an affinity to blend action scenes with tongue-in-cheek humor, he balances the tone of the movie to be both rewarding and most definitely, superhero-themed.

There are plenty of noteworthy things you can brag about this movie. The cinematography, the script, the visuals, the cast, the production design. Surely though, there would be one or two flaws, but they are not really meant to be called 'flaws' per se. Bending the laws of physics, 'saving the world' is saving the US and how Hulk manages to comply to orders are just some of the minor 'flaws'. These are probably things that you would just like to ignore for the sake of giving the director the benefit of the doubt.

It is quite evident that Whedon has made this film his own. He incorporates humor into almost every scene, as if things are not to be taken too seriously in the world of The Avengers. And it should be like that. Again, the emphasis on superhero movies usually lie on destruction, life-saving and personalization of characters. But here, there is some of that, but not completely. No chessy lines. No rushed pacing. No cliche-ridden narrative. (Just Loki speaking in a not-so-sharp English accent.)

The movie can also be likened to last year's Deathly Hallows (Part 2); a lot of hype, and duly delivered. At least we could expect how the last Harry Potter movie was meant to be : an emotional, epic battle. The Avengers did deliver but there is something different to the whole theme that somehow manages to change our view on how superhero movies should be in the future. Is it Robert Downey Junior's Shakespearean jab at Thor? Or is the excellent cinematography of sticking to single shots instead of quick-fire editing? Heck, it could even be Scarlett Johansson's semi-obscene display of bust. Anyhow the movie is a success, most definitely.


Unprecedented, now that is one word to decribe Joss Whedon's take on a superhero movie.


Personally*... Stay in your seats till the end; there are rumors that an extra scene is added to the US version of The Avengers, for compensation of the late release.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/user/894039/reviews/

Spark of inspiration?