Friday, December 23, 2011

A New Age Of Thinking

Bring in the politics. Bring in the religion talk. Bring in some science. Bring in...

Is this new?

What are we in now? To be more precise, is there an age? A specific titled age that we live in? No doubt some of us would take the liberty of branding the age we currently live in as The {insert superlative} Age. But why do we think like that? Possibly because we want to share our thoughts? Our opinions?

Bah, humbug. Who cares, right? Does it really matter if we start thinking differently? I mean, who knows : we might be changing our way of thinking by the day, without realizing it. We are often clueless beings, unbeknownst to the unknown.

Right, enough banter, right? So, is a new age of thinking upon us? Hmm. Hard to say, really. One might simply agree with that statement, but sub-consciously, his or her way of thinking does not reflect that of a new age. Confused? Neither am I. Because you and I have been through this over and over again : the fact that we ourselves do not know what exactly we are thinking.

But, as always, worry not. Somehow or rather, we adapt to new forms. (Or else...) At the end, what is all the fuss for, right? Is it awareness we are seeking? Is it consciousness? Is it wanting to make a difference (whatever that is)?


Subjectively, it matters. But objectively, who gives a crap about thinking? As long as we live, no one actually wants to lift a finger anymore.
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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?