Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) ****/5: Great action film but a few more historical explanations were required. This movie also belongs to Furiosa and she should have been mentioned in the title.

I have to admit that I never watched the Mad Max films of the 70s and 80s. I heard about them but never took them seriously although I was aware that it was these films that propelled Mel Gibson into the spotlight. I, therefore, decided to check out Mad Max: Fury Road with little expectation apart from the trailers and the praise by the critics. It is a good film, good enough for me to want to go and see the older films in the series. I was impressed with this film particularly the desolate and barren post apocalyptic environment that can easily give way to despair or a sense of misdirection. There are also other important issues tied into the system of patriarchy that set the tone for the great chase.

This film is about a tormented drifter and loner called Max (Tom Hardy) that gets caught up in a post apocalyptic struggle for liberation on the part of Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) from the patriarchal villain Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).

Positives

The film might be an extended chase sequence on  Fury Road but the film finds a way to bring out several important themes that makes it resonate.  You come to slowly realize that the chase becomes important in shattering the overwhelming patriarchal structure dominated by Immortan Joe. The patriarchal strangle hold becomes more significant when you realize how important it is in the natural world for a man to maintain his power by controlling the females that reproduce his blood line. In this film  the natural world is brutal and when the natural world is brutal that is when the qualities of manhood come to the fore. The nature of testosterone driven man comes to the fore when environments are harsh. Men by nature like to lay claim to their stake in the soil and for that to be achieved a lot of violence will have to take place as clashes  are inevitable. When it comes to laying your claim to something you have to become a political animal. Fancy ideals won’t do here.  Laying your claim to something or someone means that you have to demonstrate your superior qualities over those that are also in with a shot. You have to be very competitive in such an instance and it is clear that Immortan Joe has laid a significant claim to a large percentage of the gas and water that are available in the harsh environment. He maintains a tight grip because he has convinced his followers of his greatness that takes on a religious edge. He promises to take them to the promised land of Valhalla.  As with most patriarchal strongholds  the chief or dominant male tends to try and control the prized females. These prized females will perpetuate his line. In brutal environments, like the one in this film, it is important to maintain your blood line if you’re the chief or dominant male because without your bloodline you will lose your core support and it will invite others to try and lay claim to your territory.

What I liked about this film was the challenge led by Furiosa to escape the patriarchal stranglehold of Immortan Joe as she tries to head back to her homeland with his breeders. Immortan Joe’s strangle hold is so strong that many of his impoverished supporters have become slavishly dependent on him. He has concentrated all of the resources in his name and that of his family and in this film there is a chance to break it. Obviously Immortan Joe has his military support which is important in a brutal environment and Max and Furiosa will have to go through that in order to find redemption or hope in such a brutal landscape.  I liked that this chase eventually comes down to shattering the patriarchal stranglehold. The film shows that this patriarchal stranglehold is very oppressive for the females. The females exist in bondage and their sexuality is brutally controlled. I liked that the chase was one of freedom. I liked some of the supporting cast that are females who have managed to survive without the overwhelming influence of men.

Max on the other hand is simply caught up in this struggle. It is interesting because he is caught up into a system whereas previously he was a drifter with little bearings aside from his tormented past.  He is caught up in Immortan Joe’s patriarchal structure where other males that are potential threats are drafted into his service. The character of Nux (Nicholas Hoult) is also important in addressing the place of males within the patriarchal structure dominated by Immortan Joe. Max seems more like an outsider looking in and he stands out because he comes to sympathize or empathize with the struggle of the females to escape the clutches of Immortan Joe. Max is all for himself at first but he becomes integrated into the struggle and learns to bond with others.

I loved the look of the post apocalyptic landscape. Although human civilization is in tatters there is technology which represents advancement tied into the savage patriarchal ideals of the environment. The future does not look so progressive and it seems that mankind is on its last limb and the liberation movement led by Furiosa is important in bringing back some form of hope to human civilization. I liked that I didn’t know what year it was in this case. This film did a better job than Interstellar in demonstrating why the earth is in a desolate state.

One of the best sequences in this film is the sandstorm and it is one of the best reasons to watch this film in 3D on the big screen.

Negatives

The primary negative in this great tale of freedom is the character of Max. I am not going to dwell on it but I was not that impressed with his character. I was more impressed with Furiosa and I believe the film would have been stronger if it was titled Mad Max and Furiosa: Fury Road. This is just as much her movie as it is his. The only thing that stands out with Max are his visions that are not really explained and only serve to provide method to his madness. He has one revealing moment and that is with Furiosa and I am wondering if more moments like that are to come. It is only his story because we see at the beginning that he is wandering aimlessly and is then caught up in the struggle only to remove himself again. It’s still good how they reconciled his isolated self with a social movement for liberation but there is so little we know about him apart from his credibility as a warrior.

If all Max has to offer is his credibility as a warrior then that would be due to the effect of the film’s structure that is really an extended chase sequence. All action, all the time and so there is not much to come to terms with when it comes to Max’s character. This just as much Furiosa’s film and she could have been mentioned in the title.

They could have spent more time on Immortan Joe and his character and his place in the history of that brutal environment. How did he come to power?  A little history goes along way.  I got the philosophical aspects of the film but I was just looking for a bit more history of the environment and the place of characters like Max and Immortan Joe. It would have been easy to do because it could be said that Max is this famous nomad with no allegiance to any of the tribes or gangs in the brutal landscape and many were seeking to recruit him by any means because he was supposed to be a formidable warrior etc. it would not even take 3 minutes to explain it in this way. So for the next film I am just looking for some more history. It does not have to be too much but just enough.

The Jamaican Cinematic Experience: Illegal Dvd Sales and Consumption or The more things change the more they remain the same…somewhat.

(photo courtesy of the telegraph)

Illegal Dvd  sales and consumption are a staple feature of the Jamaican cinematic experience. When I say illegal dvd I am not speaking about the disc itself I am speaking about the illegal movie content that is on the disc.  I just say illegal dvd because most Jamaicans assume that the primary thing stored on a Dvd is a movie.   Cinematic in this sense is not limited to the established movie houses of the Palace Amusement Co. Time to take a step away from the establishment. Illegal dvds are, actually, the only way that some Jamaicans consume movies and for those Jamaicans that only consume movies illegally going to the established movie house is like going to a amusement park like Six Flags. Well maybe it’s not like going to Six Flags but it is a thrilling experience for them. This obviously applies to those Jamaicans in the rural areas that are not exposed to the established movie houses that are located in the two major cities Kingston and Montego  Bay and the tourist town of Ocho Rios. It does also apply to some of those people in the areas where the established movie houses are located.  It may be a stretch to call their consumption of illegal dvds as an illegal practice in the strict sense because it is a reflection of Jamaica’s great poverty and destitution or low average per capita incomes.  The dvds are so cheap that it would only amount to a moral crusade if the major film companies sought to halt the practice by putting pressure on the government to enforce the law. Even if they remove the illegal dvds from the streets people won’t automatically run to the established movie house because in this impoverished and derelict economy it is still considered a luxury by the many to buy a ticket at the formal establishment.  Obviously there are those that use the internet to watch and download films for free but that is not a trend limited to Jamaica because that is a global issue. I am discussing the illegal dvd sales and consumption from a Jamaican perspective i.e. how these dvds have become a staple of the Jamaican cinematic experience from a cultural perspective.  The sale and consumption of these dvds are representative of a particular form of interaction among Jamaicans. In this case the more things change the more they remain the same….somewhat. This is because these dvds might be a reflection of our great poverty as a nation, poverty being a lifelong partner of most Jamaicans, but it does represent some form of progress or acknowledgment by Jamaicans of the activities in the wider world. As I have stated repeatedly film is an advanced industrial product and our tiny market cannot support a significant growth spurt for any film company through sales of the real thing. A lot of Jamaicans are, however, fully aware of the trends in movies but can only experience them, in some cases, in the most ragged form. In some cases dvd sellers are more up to date than the Palace Amusement Co. and have more variety on display in a ragged form. They remain up to date but cannot make significant returns and still reside in destitution. They cannot escape the trap of Jamaica’s great poverty.

Firstly, let me discuss the sale of dvds from an illegal standpoint. The sale of these dvds are illegal in Jamaica as it is in most countries. The campaign that is used by the police in Jamaica to target illegal dvd sellers, and to convince members of the public not to buy,  centres on how the proceeds of these sales are being used to finance criminal activity. This is just a commentary so I have not interviewed dvd sales men or any police officers involved in rounding up the usual suspects and their contraband. This is not an academic exercise but it is clear from general experience that this notion about financing gang activity does not apply for all cases. I know that sales of these dvds cannot be a special form of financing gang warfare in some cases because the product itself is so cheap that at best, those selling these dvds are no better than the itinerant vendors that sell box juice or soda. If illegal dvds are used to finance gang warfare then so can the sale of box juice or soda. A simple example will suffice here: the price of a soda, as sold by the itinerant vendors, is JM$100 and this is a marked up price and considerably more than you will pay in an established supermarket where the cost is around JM$60-$70. An illegal dvd now costs between JM$50-150. In some areas dvd sales men ply their wares in a similar fashion to those vendors that sell box juice or soda. ‘ Movie man here. Get yuh movie here. Only 100 dolla. Whe yuh seh? Mi have the latest movie mi general… ‘American Snipa (Sniper)’ or  ‘The Avengas’ (the avengers).’ Another option for a lot of sellers is to lay out their dvds on a piece of tarpaulin at a convenient spot on the roadside and people will stop and survey the titles considering if they will buy. Again I have to question how this activity can be a significant activity that finances gang warfare because when you go to downtown Kingston, particularly the squalid areas, there are illegal vendors that lay out their goods on tarpaulins anywhere in the road. They sell very cheap women clothing (very ragged) and cheap women footwear (pulls apart immediately after the first step for a lot of women). Their items cost just as much as an illegal dvd and yet I don’t hear them being condemned for financing gang warfare. It would be just as possible for the proceeds from the sale of these clothing and footwear  products to finance gang warfare. This is because they are also operating illegally but yet they dominate certain spaces in downtown Kingston. There are also the sellers of agricultural products that operate in an illegal manner and a lot of those individuals selling mangoes right now stole them from other peoples trees. Nature is the kingdom of god after all and so it belongs to all. The police campaign against the illegal dvd sellers is, therefore, questionable for many reasons when compared to other illegal sellers. There is also a similar campaign against illegal cable operators who definitely earn the kind of money that can finance organized crime but it was recently revealed that an established company called FLOW was also illegally broadcasting the content of some American  channels on its network. Could it be that they are also financing organized crime? Let me think. It is all a reflection of the gutter state of our economy and is not only linked to organized crime. It is also a reflection of the perpetual cheapness that has condemned several producers in the economy to the bare minimum.

The illegal dvd sellers are targeted because they are selling a ragged version of an advanced industrial product in the form of movies. The illegal dvd, therefore, looks like a more blatant rip off than very cheap clothing or foot wear or agricultural products. Also a lot of them are not in the streets by the way. Everyone knows that instead of going directly through the seller you can go to the source where the dvds are produced. These men can give you a ragged version of a film recently released like, The Age of Ultron, with Chinese subtitles, straight from the internet. The product screams cheap from the case with a poor quality picture of the film’s poster, to the cheap dvds on which the films are burnt and the quality of the material on display in some cases. If a good version exists on the internet be sure that the producers will find and distribute it for sale. The product is also so cheap because the cost of set up is just as cheap. You can go into any electronics store and by a set of blank dvds very cheaply. The sale of blank dvds is big business for some electronic stores.  You would also need a computer with the necessary software to copy or rip the the film to the cd. You also need the knowledge of how to do it, which you can probably find in some youtube video. The cost of set up is so cheap that the product is also cheap and if they were good businessmen these operators and sellers would not waste it on buying guns but on keeping the business going. The idea of taking over another man’s business is out of the question because so many are doing it. You can only survive as a seller by how you position yourself and whether or not you have the latest films on display. Offering a reduced price is out of the question because the product is already dirt cheap across the board. In some cases  the production and sale of the so called illegal product is no different from the man that steals mangoes to sell in the street to get cash. He does not make a profit. He just needs the cash or he would have just eaten the mango he stolen. The difference is that with illegal dvds stealing is more sophisticated and you require a more advanced set up in order to steal so that you can sell. This is discussed in the strictest sense because as said before the sale of these so called illegal dvds are the only way for a majority of Jamaicans that consume the product particularly in the deep rural areas.  The film companies could lead a moral crusade and claim that this practice is abominable etc but halting the sales from a legal standpoint will not make most Jamaicans decide to run to the established cinema house or buy the regular dvds. It is through the sale of these illegal dvds that the majority of Jamaicans are exposed to movies.

The variety on display by the so called illegal dvd sellers is quite impressive. The variety is not matched by the quality in some cases but for some people that is sufficient.  The sellers have most of the hit current releases, pornographic films, a wide range of children’s films past to present and some Tv series. You can even place orders for films and they will get it. I have several experiences that made me respect the work ethic of these sellers and fellow producers. I will share a few here. I remember being frustrated at not being able to watch The Kings Speech because, as usual, the Palace Amusement Co. was not carrying it. Palace Amusement carried the film much later after it was nominated for several academy awards. I wanted to watch it because I read the rave review by the critics. The establishment let me down so I consulted an illegal dvd seller on the street. I told him what I wanted and the next day he had a pretty good version of the film ‘for awards purposes only’.  It was a big relief for me as a movie lover. I also remember trying to order Boyz ‘N the Hood on amazon but it was unavailable at the time.  I went to an illegal dvd seller and there it was in its ragged display form of course but the quality of the film was pretty good because the official  Colombia pictures dvd that I was looking for on Amazon was what I received in its illegal form.  Fully adapted.  I used to avoid those dvd sellers but they serve a purpose for movie loving  Jamaicans like myself that are limited in our exposure by the formal establishment in some cases. When it comes to awards season if you don’t have regular access to the internet you have to go through the illegal dvd sellers or you may never get to see some of these films touted to win several awards. The Artist was a big hit with critics in 2011 but if I did not go through the illegal route I would never have seen it before it won all of those awards. Illegal dvd sales also apply to those films already out on dvd but you’re still in no position to consume all of them. I used to have dealings with a man from about 2005-2008 (much younger back then and those were the years when illegal dvd sales really kicked off in Jamaica. We were making the transition from VHS tapes) who would deliver illegal dvds to my house and most of them were of high quality because they were dvd rips.  At the time I could not afford to buy all the films newly released on dvd because when some films are newly released on dvd they cost considerably more than what you would pay to watch them in the cinema. This is because they have a lot of extras.

Well how are these illegal dvds consumed by Jamaicans from a general perspective? Obviously I cannot speak for all Jamaicans specifically, on an individual basis, because most of my comments are based on my own observation of how people consume these dvds and what I have been told by fellow Jamaicans regarding their position on illegal dvds.  It is clear however that a majority of Jamaicans from the lower income groups unsurprisingly support the sales of illegal dvd sales because illegal dvds are designed to target them. In most poor areas of Jamaica, of which there are many, illegal dvd sellers will be there like the Jackson 5. In some cases the lower income groups in Jamaica accept the ragged form of the dvds even when the quality is quite low. This applies to some of the less well off salaried workers or the wage slaves who don’t necessarily make the bare minimum but regardless of their qualifications they still work for peanuts (those with bachelors degrees) in a stagnant economy where the growth in per capita income is non existent in most sectors. I have spoken to several of these less well off salaried workers and they support the sales of illegal dvds. A lot of them only go to watch movies at the established palace amusement cinemas when the 2 for 1 special is being offered.

There is a rank in terms of quality and Jamaicans will consume them all. The lowest in the ranks in terms of quality are those films recorded in the cinema itself. In those recordings you can see silhouettes of people in the cinema moving around and you can also hear the laughter of the audience. Many Jamaicans that buy these dvds will grin and bear it and it goes to show how universal the idea of illegal dvds are in the poor areas of the world because a lot of the illegal recordings in the cinema are not made locally. They are made overseas and distributed over the internet. The Jamaican producers find this version and offer it for sale. This normally applies to the films that are high in demand. When a film is high in demand the major studio clamps down severely on any sort of leaks (here is looking at you Wolverine) and so this is the only way for some members of the lower income groups to consume the film. A lot of these recordings are taken from China where the illegal dvd market is also strong. They do try to provide some captions when required but the translation is normally off and reflects the ragged quality of the product. Once dvd rips are available (Utorrent) then the illegal dvd sellers will normally provide you with better quality. Other low quality versions include the stretched screen and the ones with a hazy screen and muffled audio. Some illegal dvds from overseas even have their own template for presenting the film. A template of the lowest quality.

In Jamaica these illegal dvds are consumed like any other product but they circulate in quite an interesting fashion  and suggests the high prestige that movies enjoy in  Jamaica. This is why I said earlier that for the majority of impoverished Jamaicans going to the established cinema house is a major event. This is because movies are considered an advanced industrial product.  In some poor, impoverished areas of Jamaica, particularly the rural areas,  there is a constant lending and borrowing of films as if it is some form of currency for bonding. ‘Yow yuh can lend me that movie?’ or ‘Remember fi bring back mi movie?’ Illegal dvds are also a source for social bonding in the poor areas for when Jamaicans congregate by the roadside to watch a movie most of the films that they watch are on illegal dvds. This is how some Jamaicans experience blockbuster material  but in a more ragged form far removed from the established practice.  You know it acts like a form of currency because when you lend a poor Jamaican a special edition dvd they treat it with reverence in some cases. In other cases they don’t think much of it and treat it accordingly like another disc. In some cases though it’s like the strong US dollar vs. the weaker Jamaican dollar. The US dollar is a sign of strength or the ability to purchase goods from overseas  whereas the local currency is limited to circulation in a ravaged local economy highlighted by its cheapness. It  has no clout overseas.  The cheap movie rip off on a blank dvd circulates with regularity in the local economy whereas special edition or officially released dvds reflect some form of well to do and is clearly a foreign import which could only come by calling on our US dollar reserves. actually the comparison probably doesn’t work but I just wanted to make some mention of it.   In some poor Jamaican areas movies are the main source of entertainment on the tv screen particularly in the deep rural areas where cable tv is nonexistent and the satellite dish is still a sign of great wealth.

Well illegal dvd sales and competition are here to stay unless the economy improves. The most significant indicator of national economic growth (not just plain economic growth which accrues primarily to the owners of the means of production) is the growth of the average per capita income. In Jamaica illegal dvd sales and consumption are here to stay because this is the primary means by which the majority of Jamaicans consume movies which are an advanced industrial product. Movies have assumed a distinct place in the current Jamaican cultural landscape because of illegal dvds. The established movie house is primarily for the median to upper income groups. The majority of Jamaicans live below the poverty line. They live in destitution and an abject state of degradation thanks to our grand yet filthy colonial heritage.  The average per capita income of Jamaica is an annual return of US$5, 000. This is a reflection of great poverty and ruin which is only held together by grand and fanciful ideals or blessings (highly rated foreign currency) from above.   A lot of Jamaicans become integrated into the market for  advanced industrial products  like movies through the cheapest means.  The cheapest means,  in most cases,  is  an illegal or very ragged version of the original, highly priced commodity. Only the small number of petty bourgeois income earners in Jamaica can genuinely afford the highly priced product. If the product is not consumed in its cheapest form then most Jamaicans receive the highly priced product from relatives abroad. 

Illegal dvd sales are how Jamaicans become integrated, on a general basis, into the movie mainstream.  The established movie house of the Palace Amusement Co. is far removed from many Jamaicans. Regardless of the efforts of the moral crusaders in the petty bourgeois government circles to criminalize the activity it has been so intertwined in the social fabric that it can only be removed with a growth in per capita incomes. A growth in per capita income will encourage people to spend on the original, highly priced product. The low growth in per capita income is a reflection of a weak and destitute local economy.  The sale and consumption of these so called illegal dvds is therefore another element that reflects the  nation’s great poverty.  This is the primary reason why it is so well supported.

As for me, a genuine movie lover, I prefer to buy the original product either when it’s released in cinematic form or the original dvd. I like the original, studio released dvds because of the extras. The extras give you a lot of insight into what makes a great film socially relevant and a great technical achievement.  My collection of dvds are mostly original except in those cases, which I highlighted, where the established retailers let me down. When the retailers let me down I have had to deal with the so called illegal dvd sellers. The low level of production for illegal dvd sales is not conducive when you want to build a collection. Illegal dvds scratch and get lost pretty easily because there is not much regard for them. Also the so called illegal dvd sellers have little or no idea of the classic films. They cater primarily to the here and now. I also prefer to watch films on a big screen.   I build a collection as a platform to  critique and in order to do that you need the best product available. I don’t just watch only or I would not have this blog.  I am not ashamed or feel any regret of my dealings with illegal dvd sellers because  I used to be like the moral crusaders from the petty bourgeois classes that prided themselves because they were able to afford the real thing.  It was only the sting of reality and the dire state of the local established movie industry  that made all things clear. I have been humbled and I hope that others that seek to criminalize the activity consider all the issues before they pronounce demented judgment. Criminalizing the activity in such a demented way is another means by which impoverished Jamaicans, the majority of which live in utter destitution with little chance of redemption,  are meant to be oppressed and chastised for being poor.  This is one of the great legacies of our grand yet filthy colonial tradition.  Obviously when a petty bourgeois company called FLOW decides to illegally steal content from American companies it is not really a criminal act in the eyes of the moral crusaders but it was probably just a mistake or just unfortunate. Business goes on as usual. A man buys a Jm$100 illegal dvd and all of a sudden he is supporting gang warfare and all manner of criminal activity, the seller should be prosecuted for making a living and supporting the low income buyer, the seller should be condemned for his filthy approach to making a living.  This is just another reason why Jamaica is a gutter nation or a nation in the gutter.  Instead of uplifting we hastily condemn without coming to terms first.

 Here is an interesting report from the telegraph concerning illegal dvd sales

Where Marvel could have truly transcended its comic book origins?

( For non-comic book movie goers this is the all powerful Thanos)

It is pretty clear now that The Avengers: Age of Ultron and the rest of the marvel films preceding it are a success because of their comic book origins. It also has the help of blockbuster material with its outrageous action sequences involving super powered individuals. Despite this it still feels hollow or empty in a lot of places. This  emptiness is as a result of its comic book origins. The comic book origins have been elevated to an esoteric level in some cases and one cannot follow what is going on in the marvel canon now unless you actually read the comic books in depth.  The quantity on display in the form of Tv Spin offs explain nothing and act as retreads in order to get ordinary humans involved. Here is looking at you Agents of Shield. These spin offs include more back story from a descriptive standpoint but still don’t make it clear what the basis for the whole enterprise is apart from comic book adaptations.  The characters only jump out at you because they are famous comic book heroes or villains. Marvel missed the boat which could have made their series of comic book adaptations more meaningful to non-comic book movie goers. There is nothing wrong with comic book adaptations but if that is all there is to the phases then it only ends up being descriptive, filler material where people react because these are supposedly famous comic book personas. Is the Antman film, which should be released later this year, just one to showcase another comic book character? If so why was he not involved with the avengers much earlier especially as he is an important member of the team in the comic books? Antman is also the real creator of Ultron and so featuring him this late can only be a means for showcasing the character. How many people really bought Antman comic books?  What does Antman represent and why should I spend big money to watch a movie about him apart from the interesting powers he has on display? Antman is famous for creating Ultron and being a founding member of the avengers but it seems that role has shifted to captain america and tony stark.  What purpose can he really serve coming in so late especially if the strength of marvel films is their ability to adapt straight from the comic books.

In any case this upcoming film is just one example of why Marvel missed the boat. I am here to suggest why Marvel could have gotten more out of its rich source material and not dwell on its mistakes. The marvel universe is rich with characters, storylines and artwork. I am not here challenging marvel as a DC fan. When I collected comic books I bought from DC and Marvel although I always felt that DC had the better story lines and marvel had the most action. It seems to be playing out in the film world as well. In any case I feel that marvel could have been more transcendent if it followed the approach of other famous blockbusters that have endeared themselves to people across the world. These great blockbusters have endeared themselves to people across the world not just because of their source material but because the themes they dealt with resonate with most people. Marvel is now relying primarily on the amount of comic book characters they can bring to screen but it is still not clear what they represent for everyone. When I was watching The Age of Ultron they started throwing themes like evolution and legacy issues around. This was not enough because it still seemed to be limited to that film. Making it up as they go.

In any case if they followed the path of great blockbusters like Star Wars (1977-83), The Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight Trilogy  they could have been transcendent. What made these blockbusters transcendent and not just money making machines, which they are or were, was their ability to set up an objective that most people can relate to. In Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings the objective was to defeat a tyrant or those that held absolute power. In The Dark Knight Trilogy the objective was about taming the monster of crime that plagued the city of Gotham. One reason these blockbusters were able to set up their objectives was that they had a significant introductory sequence that set up the events to follow. Star Wars was more brief with the booming John Williams score playing as the narrative begins with the words in the opening crawl describing events that are occurring or about to occur, emerging from the bottom of the screen and moving out into the distance. That is all that was required to understand what the objectives were likely to be. Remember you are dealing with a fictional world which can be considered preposterous in some quarters because it has no bearing with our daily reality. What does resonate are issues we deal with or witness or read about every day. That is what makes these preposterous fictional worlds resonate.   You get the terms like empire and rebel resistance or the return of the Jedi, the leaders of the good forces who have been exiled. In The Lord of the Rings there were substantial introductory scenes that made you understand about the one ring of power and why its position in the world remained so formidable and why it should be destroyed in order for the world of men to be free. The marvel films don’t have much in terms of an overall objective and the overall objective will only be clear when they fight Thanos in The Infinity Wars. My point is that this could have been set up better from The Avengers (2012). This did not have to be the case with the earlier films in phase 1 but The Avengers could have set everything up much better. The epic Thanos reveal at the end of The Avengers did not do much if you didn’t know who Thanos is. This is made clear at the end of The Age of Ultron when thanos is again revealed but the effect is not there. So in the end Marvel is just building up to a confrontation with this individual that non-comic book film goers know nothing about. Who is this alien? How many film goers are going to do their research especially the non-comic book fans?

Well here is how marvel could have set up everything in my opinion at the beginning of  The Avengers. In that very brief opening scene which is more mysterious than revealing they could have some narrator, yet to be revealed, that would set up the entire struggle. Instead of making it a mystery they could have an opening sequence speaking about the six gems that represent the great power of the universe. There is one individual, a great lord named thanos,  who desires those gems in order to please death by extinguishing all life in the universe and be the supreme leader over all with nothing standing in his way. There are still forces that are ready to fight in the name of freedom and prevent this great evil lord from having his way. Then they could have cut to his servant talking about the universe being his once they get rid of earth etc. In this case you would not have needed a flurry of blue energy. All you would have is the servant looking at the chair which everyone will know to be  Thanos and then the servant would be talking about sending Loki and then the film could have started where it did.  Just a brief general intro would have set up the marvel films to follow very nicely. This is made clear when you watch The Guardians of the Galaxy and Thanos is featured and mentioned repeatedly. The point I am making is that the struggle could have been set up much earlier in The Avengers. At least non-comic book movie goers would understand that it’s the age old battle between good and evil. The Thanos reveal at the end would still have been epic even if you disclosed his name earlier on. The name Thanos was not mentioned in the marvel films until much later in The Guardians of the Galaxy  and for me that was a big mistake for the series as a whole.  All you get in The Avengers is a sight of the individual and non-comic book movie goers would be at a loss regardless.

The mid post credit scene that features Thanos in The Age of Ultron was not very effective because it is clear that Marvel is all about the reveal of comic book characters. Everything remains mysterious when there did not need to be so much mystery about the next comic book character reveal.

Adding my voice to the Man of Steel vs. The Avengers: Age of Ultron debate

(photo courtesy of galleryhip.com)

In this post I will be adding my voice to this debate concerning the Man of  Steel vs. The Avengers: Age of Ultron. This won’t take along because I believe the debate is nonsensical and it is yet another marketing ploy to make Marvel appear as the beacon for superhero films while DC lags behind. The debate is about the treatment of ordinary citizens in both films. In Man of Steel it is claimed that no regard was given to the ordinary citizens of Metropolis that were devastated by the actions of General Zod’s terraforming/world engine machine. Also the final fight between Zod and Superman also paid little regard to the citizens. Basically superman should have cleared the area before he fought Zod and Zod, who was determined to destroy all life, should have given him time to clear the area. In contrast there are several moments in The Avengers: Age of Ultron where a lot of care is taken for the lives of ordinary civilians before the combatants wreak havoc or before a lot of destruction takes place. For a lot of care to be taken a lot of unannounced arrivals must get the job done for the team. If not then this great desire to save the lives of citizens by the avengers would come across as a destructive form of idealism, a genuine moral hazard. What this debate does reveal is that Man of Steel has actually influenced The Age of Ultron. It is pretty clear also that a solo superman man film, Man of Steel, was much larger in scale than the struggles of The Avengers, regardless of their globetrotting.

Firstly, most of the destruction in Man of Steel , that claimed a lot of human life in metropolis, was caused by General Zod and his world engine. The world engine was a machine designed to alter the earth’s atmosphere by increasing the gravity and making the atmosphere more compatible with Krypton and more accessible for the kryptonians. This was nothing different from what the kryptonians used to do when their civilization expanded to other planets. The difference here was that Zod disregarded the lives of humans on the earth he chose to alter with the engine.  He chose not to consult them before releasing the world engine. This is what villains do. Because Zod  did not consult with the humans there would be no time for mass evacuation particularly as so many were interested in seeing what the aliens were preparing to do. In contrast Ultron’s evil plan which takes place in Sokovia in The Age of Ultron was not allowed to be effective because his location was revealed pretty easily and his desire to destroy humanity was pretty clear. The avengers knew what to expect and so they were able to put plans into place to evacuate the citizens especially with some unexpected help which makes the grand talk by Captain America feasible. Without that bit of assistance then all that grand talk about saving lives would have revealed Captain America’s grand petty bourgeois status. Some people must realize that Captain America, apart from his great strength, is all talk. He does not possess the material means to make things happen from a productive point of view. This is probably why he is at odds with Tony Stark/Ironman who is a member of the dominant bourgeois class and does possess the means to make things happen from a productive standpoint.  If that bit of assistance did not arrive then all the trappings of the petty bourgeois would have been revealed especially the one more fitting in this case: flippant idealism. Idealism that has no bearing with reality. Whedon could not let the great captain down. In any case the avengers are able to care because they know in advance, from the moment Ultron is created, that he plans to destroy humanity. Before the final confrontation therefore they can make their best efforts to preserve life. This was not the case in Man of Steel because it was not clear what Zod was planning.

Secondly, the final fight between Zod and Superman was not as destructive when you consider the death toll. The fight took place for the most part in the area that felt the effects of the world engine. When they crashed into buildings they were mostly empty. Also Zod was not partial and he did not care who died in the process. Nolan, Snyder and Co. made this clear when Zod, having lost his crew to the phantom zone, made it clear that he has nothing left and would make superman suffer particularly as he realized that he had a soft spot for humanity. This was why superman decided to kill him rather than risk the lives of innocents who were being directly threatened. It seems that some people believe that superman had an abundance of control in the fight. If he did he would have easily restrained Zod and there would not be much of a fight. In The Age of Ultron Ultron is not as powerful as he is in the comics because even Captain America can take him on one on one. Ultron and his robot army are subdued pretty easily and don’t offer much of a threat. Only one avenger really suffers. It is not like Zod and his crew that was more difficult to stop. In order to stop Zod and his crew only the captain americas of the world would think that no significant loss of life would occur. Faora even made it clear to superman in their encounter that for every human life he saved they would take a million more. If it was not for the plan to send his fellow kryptonians to the phantom zone then lives would have been lost and there would not have been much that superman could have done about it. He could not do much about it because he would face off with several kryptonians that were close to his power level.

Thirdly, in Man of Steel Zod actually put his plan into operation. Ultron never had a chance to really do anything in the end. He only talked about destruction but he was not allowed to do anything even though the final plan, which made no sense to me, was designed for maximum impact. It only made sense from the perspective of comic books. Zod actually began his terra forming project and killed a couple of people along the way. It makes you wonder why Ultron never just launched his robotic army on the entire earth and actually start the killing process. If he did that it would have been more difficult for the avengers to contain civilian casualties.

Fourthly, superman was reckless at one point when he attacked Zod who was threatening his mother to discover the location of the codax. An emotional superman charges at Zod  flying with the both of them whizzing through the corn fields, partly destroying the infrastructure of a factory and then finally crashing with Zod into the small town gas station. Not sure how many potentially dead from that. He then invites Faora and a big brute into the town for a challenge and then tells people to shut the doors. As if doors can stop a incoming train thrown at superman in the town by the brute. The critics have a point regarding that scene but let’s face it superhero battles are not fun if big objects  are not being affected.

Everyone knows that marvel wanted to get one up on DC.  The Age of Ultron is designed to appeal to everyone and has to appear holy and pristine as it caters to the petty bourgeois class and their sensitive sensibilities. It’s no wonder why this film drained Whedon since he had to cater to everyone, please everyone, make sure everyone was satisfied. No offense taken even though the product is diluted. Whedon and co. must have heard the criticism made against Man of Steel and decided to make it clear to the audience that the The Age of Ultron represents a significant step forward. This supposed positive can make the executives feel more comfortable as the millions pour into the purse. They have pleased the petty bourgeois class.

As big as The Age of Ultron is it still does not have the scale of Man of Steel. In The Age of Ultron they are only dealing with a computer program out of control whereas in Man of Steel superman is dealing with a lot of heavyweights from an alien planet. In the marvel universe the sight of aliens rocks people to their core. In some sense Man of Steel delivered more in terms of scale than The Age of Ultron even though The Age of Ultron is supposed to make much more money. Deep down some of the marvel fans know that Man of Steel is a bigger film in terms of scale and so they have to find some way to outdo it by mentioning the disregard for causalities on the part of General Zod. It was much more effortless on the part of Nolan, Snyder and Co. to create a film on such a large scale whereas Marvel fans will have to wait until 2018 for The Avengers: Infinity Wars and  a true test for the avengers in the form of Thanos. Thanos will not be effective if he does not wreak havoc that claims a lot of lives and so we will see what sort of damage control Captain America can bring about when the whole planet is at stake and people are being killed by the thousands around the globe. The main point here is that the Avengers never had to deal with the scale that was present in Man of Steel. The scale being the challenge by so many super powered alien beings.  In The Avengers: Infinity Wars they will only be dealing with one truly powerful alien being.

Lastly, more credit should be given to the influence of Man of Steel on The Age of Ultron. It influenced the whole talk of evolution and the father element. Zod and his crew in Man of Steel  were determined to preserve the pure blood lines of the kryptonian race while crushing the weak. Ultron loves to talk a lot about evolution and that only the strong survive.  Ultron is Tony stark’s son in some strange way. Superman also had to grapple with a lot of father issues. Just give credit where credit is due. Even though the father issue was always prevalent in the marvel comic books but not between Ultron and Stark but Ultron and Antman. The point here is that Man of Steel really made that a paramount element. The Age of Ultron also tries to make it a significant theme as well but not as successfully. 

This debate is just another way for Marvel fans to discredit DC where they should be giving credit where credit is due. How come no one is talking about the complete disregard the Avengers had for the governments of the world including the big bad US government. Not once was an army general consulted or a president asked to address the ultron crisis. Lol. Time to give Man of Steel a rest and focus on your own problems marvel fans.