The Snowman 1982 Review

 

A featurette I watched as a child, it was based on a children’s book from 1978 (which also was part of my younger days even though I was born in the late 80s). While there is very little dialogue, only a spoken intro and some lyrics in the film’s famous song, it’s considered very nostalgic, so let’s dive in

 

After being told about the narrator’s memories of a winter with much snow and how he made the titular snowman (one version featuring David Bowie!), we shift into animation

 

The young boy awakens, excited at the snow falling and quickly changes to go outside. His mother puts a hat on him after he rushes to get on his boots, quickly falling off. And when the boy throws a big snowball at the house, it splats on the window, his mother scolding him

 

But after making a snowman (with rather unorthodox techniques), complete with a scarf, hat, a fruit nose and coal buttons and eyes, the boy is called inside. He continues to look back at his creation, jumping into bed (looking forward to Christmas, clearly) and goes to sleep.

 

His anticipation keeps him up and at midnight, he goes downstairs, seeing a prismatic light come over the snowman and give it life.

 

The two have fun, scaring the cat near the fireplace (a normal reaction to an animated snow construct) and seeing the weird reflections in the tree ornaments.  However when the snowman sits on the chair and starts watching TV, it becomes clear that the fireplace is affecting him and they go to the kitchen

 

The snowman tries on some other noses from a fruit basket and enjoys the icebox (I think?). Then the pair goes upstairs and into the kid’s parents’ room (why?). Some false teeth create a simultaneously funny and terrifying gag, the snowman then putting on some makeup and even more clothes (so no gender concept?). They narrowly avoid waking up the parents after the snowman sneezes from some perfume (because he has lungs and nostrils?)

 

In the boy’s room, the snowman dances around, inspired by a dancing music box figure, but then stumbles around on a roller skate and avoids a toy train, crashing into a wall (releasing balloons?).

 

Outside, the snowman notices something covered up with a tarp, a motorcycle (with the keys inside!). The pair drives (the snowman a quick study) and they have a romp through the forest, annoying various wild animals and then returning home (the snowman’s inner thighs shiny now?). After a brief sit in a freezer in the shed, the snowman leaves (seemingly remembering something), the boy taken with him as they fly through the air (and the song begins).

 

They surprise many people (even penguins), one guy having the reaction that he’s drunk too much champagne, while a young girl wonders if it’s connected to Santa. Other snowmen even join them early on, but the pair is mostly alone in their travels across the frozen landscape

 

After a while, things calm down, the pair entering a forest where there’s a secret gathering of snow people (snow women clearly there as well) and, surprisingly (or not), Santa Claus as well. Lots of raucous fun is had (snowmen getting drunk?), Santa even giving the boy a present after showing him the reindeer in a stable

 

But the pair has to get back home, the snowman giving the boy a final hug as he stands alone outside.

 

The next morning, the snowman has tragically dissipated, just a lump on the ground, the boy saddened as he looks at the scarf, his only remaining memory of that night as the featurette concludes.

 

 

The music is the major centerpiece, even moreso than the unique art style that resembles watercolors, which is a breath of fresh air. It addresses the mood of any given scene, setting it up well without any need for spoken word to enrich things, in no small part because of the animation being fairly expressive for the time.

 

As for characters, the major focus is on the snowman and the boy, each playing well off the other. The youthful innocence of the boy, excited at his creation come to life, the snowman more naive yet somehow still possessing of knowledge that doesn’t entirely make sense if you think about it (and also magically functions like a human for some jokes).

 

If there’s some message to be learned, it’s the transience of our childhood and wonder at such things like making a snowman and how we should cherish it as a dear memory. Author Raymond Briggs was bleaker in his justification, just a fact of life that things happen like a snowman melting.

 

All in all, this is something you shouldn’t skip on, the traditional animation fantastic and the premise simple, yet effective at conveying the impactful message that can stick with you long after childhood (unlike me?).

Nick and Noel Review

 

A featurette included (on VHS) with a book from my childhood, I only recently realized this wasn’t adapting the Gingham Dog and Calico Cat (which does exist out there). For a Christmas story, it’s almost as clichéd as a Hallmark TV movie, but maybe the nostalgia will help me appreciate it decades later?

 

We see a nice looking house and the narrator, a mouse named Barnaby (voiced by Paul Williams, the Penguin in Batman: The Animated Series), tells us how Christmas is special to him, linked back to our titular characters.

 

Flashing back to when the house was unoccupied, Barnaby searches for crumbs, but it turns out to be a duplex, the other half having a family that’s coming home soon. And their cat, Noel (voiced by Kath Soucie) says she’ll get him leftovers, but he has to stay out of sight.

 

Her owners, a girl and her (recently?) widowed father, wonder about the people moving in, though Sarah is content with her pet as a friend. And the father, a writer, is clearly a bit absentminded, not realizing his glasses are on his head.

 

Turns out their new neighbors are Leslie Lee, a famous singer (though they’d never heard of her) and her dog Nick, who sing at all hours of the day and grate on Howard and Noel, who clash with Leslie and Nick.

 

The cat and dog continue the spat outside (Nick apparently okay with leaving the apartment briefly), having a musical number about how much they don’t get along (because cats and dogs).

 

Sarah comes out, helping to mend fences between the two, Noel tolerating the “mutt”. And Nick’s presence helps lighten Sarah’s mood regarding her mother. She even asks Santa to give the toys to more needy children, only wanting a mom for the holidays

Noel realizes Howard forgot to send Sarah’s letter to Santa and asks Nick for help, since he’s travelled with Leslie for her concerts. After she agrees to call him Maestro as a favor, he says the North Pole is at the end of North Street, conveniently right in town.

 

When the cat heads off, Nick, more loyal to his master, decides to follow so he isn’t shown up. Unfortunately, he can’t read, so they’re stuck in actually finding the street

 

Leslie offers to take Sarah with her to shop for Christmas presents and Howard agrees begrudgingly.

 

Meanwhile, Nick and Noel are still heading up North Street and find a Christmas store, Noel mistaking it for the North Pole, seeing reindeer in the window.  It’s not the North Pole (though a sign says as much) and “Santa” heads into a room, the cat and dog following him.

 

Howard and Leslie are both worried about their pets, thinking it’s odd that they’re gone, Leslie even thinking they were stolen.

 

Back at Winter Wonderland, it’s closed down and Nick and Noel run into a guard dog, though they get away when he slips on the ice rink and crashes into a display, the pair escaping through a broken window

 

Sarah’s letter is blown away by the wind, Nick saving Noel from almost getting squished by a snowplow.

 

Leslie lets Howard and Sarah borrow Christmas decorations, wanting to keep their spirits up. She even sings about how a Christmas miracle will bring them together

 

Nick and Noel stay the night at a nearby petting zoo, Noel inspired to try and find Sarah a mother for Christmas. A sow suggests Sarah might want a human mother (you don’t say!), but at a park, all the mothers already have children, Nick thinking it’s silly

 

Eventually Noel wants to give up and go home, Nick comforting her by saying it wasn’t a stupid idea, actually very admirable, the two even hugging to their surprise

 

Howard, Leslie and Sarah go looking for Nick and Noel, the writer’s willingness to ignore his deadline seemingly enough to push Leslie to fall in love with him (touching his hand tenderly)

 

Nick gets his collar stuck on some train tracks, Noel managing to free him, but it looks like she is run over by the oncoming train.

 

Thankfully the two return home, everyone happy to see them and Leslie and Howard get married that night, a minister officiating between Christmas Eve services. They feasted (so Barnaby didn’t starve!) and it was overall a Merry Christmas, the story wrapping up

 

 

 

Noel and Nick are polar opposites, as one would expect, but they complement each other in the quest to help a little girl on Christmas. Noel is much more optimistic, Nick more cautious by comparison, keeping Noel from getting killed at one point. But he keeps her rooted as well, Noel’s ideas almost too random at times and being drawn more by her heart than her head, Nick acknowledging her kindness in the end as important

 

Sarah is overly perfect for a child character, selfless and just wanting a mother in her life, serving as a connecting point for Nick and Noel, initially clashing. Her mother’s death feels like it could’ve been utilized far better in the plot itself and would’ve helped to give Howard and Leslie more depth as well.

 

Leslie and Howard are an obvious pair of love interests and they seem to fall in love over the course of a few days, so it’s very rushed, only plausible in the “Christmas miracle” scenario at most. With Sarah’s mother having passed, I wonder if Leslie could’ve slowly become a genuine maternal presence instead of being shoehorned in as such. And Howard focusing on his work so much could’ve tied into his being a widower, clichéd as it might be.

 

Barnaby is barely important except as a narrator to explain things on a kid’s level (which feels pretty patronizing as an adult remembering how I enjoyed it as a kid, the emotional elements going over my head)

 

While it’s definitely plotted in a weird way, there are emotional moments that work, mostly from a sense of nostalgia and stronger empathy as an adult. I feel like kids would understand the lesson of cooperating and being generous during the holiday season. The family element is nice, if a bit overly hokey and sentimental.

 

If it had been a proper feature length at around an hour, there could’ve been much more to explore and made for a far better product in spouting stuff about Christmas miracles and kindness and such.

Elektra Review

(As a manga otaku, not a comic otaku, I will strive to reflect on connections to the comic canon or lack thereof in the films I review, animated or live action. I owe that much to the real fans)

Elektra as a film is not a direct sequel to Daredevil, more of a spin off. Supposedly the film barely made enough in the box office to necessitate the sequel, but I do remember it coming out in theatres, though I didn’t get the DVD until probably a year after its release. It advertises itself as an action fantasy adventure, owing to Elektra’s more mystical background as an assassin/ninja. As usual with any adaptation, there are discrepancies with the canon, but I’ll get to that as we progress. So onto the even less popular Marvel Comics film, Elektra.

We’re told of an ancient war between Good and Evil (because capitalization makes things really important) that has been waged for millennia. The conflict can take place between countries or in the soul of an individual (hinting at Elektra no doubt). The narrator also mentions a special woman who is meant to be used as a weapon, called the Treasure. An unnamed man hides at an undisclosed location, trying to avoid Elektra, which he has managed to do for some time, even being protected by the Hand, the present manifestation of the Evil spoken of in the introduction, but Elektra still manages to defeat every bodyguard the man puts in front of her. Elektra’s new look is shown and she quickly kills her target. We shift to a meeting headed by Roshi, the leader of the Hand, where it’s mentioned that they are looking for the Treasure and trying to keep it out of their enemy’s hands. Kirigi, Roshi’s son, notes that he is better suited for the job, Roshi sending another man and urging Kirigi to be patient. Elektra is approached by her manager, McCabe, about a new job, which she notes is quite expensive and must be specifically for her, which McCabe confirms. She accepts and en route to the location, she flashbacks to her being resurrected by her previous master Stick, and her training in Kimagure, the art used by the Good to combat the Evil that is the Hand. Elektra is told she does not understand the way, but only pain and violence which was what led her there before and after her resurrection. Elektra has another flashback to training with her father as she swims following her OCD organization of the house (involving fruits and toiletries). She comes in and catches Abby, a girl who was stealing a necklace of Elektra’s, sending her off. She’s woken up by a nightmare about her mother’s death and after training for most of the morning, meets Abby’s father. Later, Abby comes to invite Elektra for Christmas dinner, Elektra reluctantly accepting. At dinner, Elektra notes Abby’s Indonesian warrior beads after becoming adjusted to what is no doubt something uncommon for her (socializing with people not related to business). She observes Abby and her father’s interaction, reflecting her commonality to Abby (both being motherless and Elektra in particular orphaned, though pressured by her father in training) and disappearing abruptly. The next morning, Elektra gets the information from her clients, indicating that she’s to kill Abby and her father, a shock that she doesn’t take very well, going against her duty for once and stopping herself from killing them just as she has a clear shot. After realizing she can’t do it, Elektra nearly leaves, turning back at the last moment and stopping two assassins from the Hand (who explode into green smoke; must be a Hand ninja thing, because that’s what they’re dressed like, stereotypical ninja). Kirigi and his other fellow “ninjas” Stone, Typhoid, Tattoo and Kinkou (Kinkou a random character not based on any Marvel character in the slightest, the others based off of Marvel or Elektra characters) are given the task to find the Treasure and if they succeed, Kirigi will lead the council in Roshi’s place. Elektra finds Stick at a pool hall (bringing Mark and Abby along to protect them), but Stick refuses to help them. Elektra says she can’t help them either, but goes against this to take Abby and Mark to a safe place. Tattoo’s bird tracks them, allowing the assassins to continue to hunt Abby and Mark for reasons still yet unknown. Elektra brings them to McCabe’s place to lay low for a while, Abby changing her appearance and bonding with Elektra a bit, while Mark and Elektra hit it off in a more romantic direction (not like one shouldn’t expect such a subplot in any such movie to draw in females, even though the film’s protagonist is a female). Kirigi’s group manages to find them thanks to Tattoo’s eagle and McCabe holds them off, to no avail, as Kirigi finds out where they’re headed already and then kills McCabe. Typhoid, Stone and Tattoo, along with Kinkou, chase the three, Stone and Kinkou eliminated. It’s shown that Abby can actually fight and Kirigi reveals that she is the Treasure they’re searching for, though what that is has not yet been revealed. Stick and some white ninjas save the group from Kirigi as they retreat, Elektra saved from Typhoid’s poisonous lesbian kiss by Stick. Abby is revealed to have been a prodigy, which is why the Hand wants her. And unless she stays with Stick and the Kimagure clan, she isn’t safe. Abby and Elektra train a bit and Elektra sees a bit of herself in Abby. She then calls a single battle between her and Kirigi, going back to her family’s house to finish their conflict once and for all. The fight goes badly for Elektra until Abby comes in. The two escape and after being chased by Tattoo’s snakes, Elektra manages to kill him as he’s in the trance summoning them. Abby is caught off guard by Typhoid who poisons her, while Elektra finally gains the edge against Kirigi and slays him, quickly killing Typhoid afterwards. She then finds Abby, on the brink of death, but after a sudden enlightenment, she gains a new perspective on things and manages to revive Abby. Abby and her dad leave, while Elektra is inspired to pursue her new perspective on life by Stick, leaving her house as the film ends.

Jennifer Garner does Elektra very well, just as she did in Daredevil. Her personality this time was changed drastically, less sassy and more emotionless, cynical at best (since she died and came back to life and all, I’d bet she’s kind of moody). Her background is extended further as well, but still portraying a ninja assassin in red clothes excellently. Terence Stamp as Stick is good as well even if he is minor in his involvement. His role as a master to Elektra is crucial to really understanding the position Elektra came from and why she has to suffer in order to learn from her mistakes and redeem herself as a person. Kirsten Prout portrays Abby Miller, starting off as a teenager with authority issues and advancing into something of a mini clone of Elektra, though much more outgoing and suffering less than Elektra has in her short 13 years so far. Even losing her mother and being pressured as a prodigy is not nearly as much as Elektra has gone through and she makes you hope that she won’t go through so much in the future. Will Yun Lee is Kirigi, the one villain I found to be compellingly evil and someone that you can see virtue in with his respect for the divisions between the Hand and Kimagure as well as his slow and methodical way of fighting through the film. His ambition to control the Hand is admirable as well, albeit one might think he would’ve been willing to kill Roshi, but his father’s role was minor and actually unresolved as to what his fate was, though perhaps Roshi expected Kirigi to fail since he was not taking his advice to be patient. The other enemy ninjas are interesting as side characters, as is McCabe, all dying relatively uneventfully. Kirigi is not the last to die, Typhoid dying last probably since she said she was originally the Treasure, not revealed beforehand or even indicated. The flatness of these minor characters is a flaw the film suffers from in leaving so many plotlines unresolved or not delved into enough, such as Roshi’s fate and why Typhoid was originally the Treasure and not Kirigi, which would reinforce his desire to take her as his student. Daredevil is only referenced in the Director’s Cut in a single scene, when his background with Elektra might’ve served a useful role in the narrative.

The primary theme is the battle between good and evil (on the various levels: Hand v. Kimagure and Elektra’s internal struggle esp.) and how Elektra demonstrates that even the truly good must sometimes resort to violence to combat the truly evil. Elektra advances as a character, understanding herself and that her true nature is not evil or cold hearted, but feels and suffers and can therefore recover. Her recovery takes place through the film, connecting with Abby and her father and even reconnecting with Stick through his sagely, albeit vague, advice. There is also the relationship between Elektra and Abby in particular, both being pressured in some sense to face a destiny that they don’t want. Elektra was shown to have been trained by her father harshly (though in Daredevil she said it was the various sensei that made her strong, so already the continuity of the films is ruined) and Abby is a natural prodigy, possessing enough potential to be hunted down by the Hand and also pressured into staying with the Kimagure to stay safe, even though she herself doesn’t want this life. Her eventual resurrection by Elektra mirrors Elektra’s shown through flashbacks. Both of these revivals serve as focal points for the characters to pursue a new path and improve themselves. Elektra’s path took much longer, though she worries for Abby as well, but there is also the possibility that since Elektra influenced her, Abby may turn out even better.

The film progresses at a decent pace, but the action is less exciting than I recall. The fights against the two assassins are either nonexistent or Elektra dodging darts. And concerning Kirigi’s thugs, Stone is killed by the tree he knocked down, Kinkou by his own knife, Tattoo by his neck being broken as he sits in a trance, Kirigi by getting stabbed in the gut by Elektra as he rushes at her and Typhoid by a carefully thrown sai. The fight scenes seem to rely too much on the special effects and less on real choreography for hand to hand or even weapon to weapon combat. Kirigi in particular is an example of a failure on both parts, the weapon fighting scenes too short for what they could be and the use of the illusion of the flying tablecloths also ruining what could’ve been a good fight, now more visually confusing than necessary (his super speed effect already a challenge to Elektra). The progression of Elektra’s personality and relationships with Abby and Stick I can view as necessary (along with the general build up to the epic final battle between the representatives of the Hand and Kimagure), but for all the fight scenes promised, the film disappoints heavily. Even Daredevil had more in depth fight scenes than this and that had its own distracting problem with the romantic subplot which had some value regardless. This film would get one of my lowest ratings so far in hindsight after being so enthralled in it as a teen (possibly by the kunoichi appeal of Elektra and just seeing Jennifer Garner in a much more skimpy outfit). The star rating would be a 3 out of 5, due to the imbalance of a fair plot progression with a fantasy/ninja theme of good versus evil on the one hand and short lived or anticlimactic fight scenes and poor advancement of plotlines, such as the Treasure, etc, on the other. The recommendation would be around 50%, since it is some exposure to Elektra, even if they reversed at least one character’s role (Stone was originally a good guy in the comics) underpowered Kirigi as well (he could regenerate and was super strong, near invincible, in the comics) and even raped the continuity established in Elektra (since her father was not only changed to a direct training role, but the actor changed to a younger male, her father in Daredevil a white haired elderly man). I can’t take this movie as much more than pulling Elektra from Daredevil and trying to put her in a sequel film to cash in on her sex appeal and potential draw to female fans of comics, neither of which works especially well. It falls on both accounts: her sex appeal is subtle and not nearly what you’d expect even with her outfit redesigned, and her appeal to females hinges on her clairvoyant powers and also the use of what might be understood as a more female weapon in the sai, not to mention her physical toughness is less than expected. Disappointing on the one hand, but still possessing potential on the other. This could be extended into a television series and I would watch it, especially if you progressively introduced Elektra’s backstory as well as slowly intertwine her story with that of Abby’s as the Treasure, hunted by the Hand. All in all, this was a somewhat depressing but still heartening endeavor. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

Daredevil Review

(As a manga otaku, not a comic otaku, I will strive to reflect on connections to the comic canon or lack thereof in the films I review, animated or live action. I owe that much to the real fans)

Daredevil is my second favorite Marvel character besides the Punisher. The fact that he is a disabled character and yet able to fight off much stronger characters already makes him stand out; plus he’s one of the few noteworthy blind heroes that people can name from memory. It might be the costume that reminds you of a devil with the horns, it might be the weapon combat with billyclubs combined with the acrobatics that are less than believable with a blind character feeling it the whole way, but the character from Hell’s Kitchen in New York has persisted through the decades and this live action film attests to it (however much many may not enjoy it). I know I didn’t think much of it initially, seeing the ending fight between Daredevil and Kingpin and thinking it was cool, but not to the extent I’d want to buy the film. And about 4 years later, I watched the film and promised myself I’d review it soon in the future. So now I’ll make good on that promise.

The credits open with what are apparently Braille versions of the main four actors’ names, changing to regular characters, which is a nice start. We have a flash forward to events much later in the film with Daredevil falling into a church, bleeding profusely and being found by the priest there. He then begins to flash through his life, beginning as a child of a semi-retired boxer, Jack “the Devil” Murdock. Living in the slums of Hell’s Kitchen, Matt was bullied, but his father taught him that he can do anything if he’s not afraid. He finds his father beating a guy up for protection money, discovering he is working for Falen, a crime boss in the city. Running away, he is involved in an accident and is blinded by an unknown chemical. He wakes up with enhanced hearing to the point he has sonar like vision, his initial exposure showing his great weakness of sharp and sudden loud noises. He and his father then began to work towards their goals. His father gets back into boxing and Matt begins to self-train himself to adjust to his blindness with the aid of his “Daredevil vision”. Stan Lee makes a short appearance at 13 minutes in as the story progresses into Murdock Sr. being pressured to throw a fight, which he rejects. But afterwards, he is beaten to death by Falen’s goons, orphaning Matt, but pushing him to two goals: to become a lawyer to defend the less fortunate, but also becoming the crime-fighter alias, Daredevil. We shift to Matt as an adult, sleeping in a water coffin to guard against the sounds of the night, living cheaply and frugally as a lawyer. He fails to convict a man of rape, the guy getting off because of his status in contrast to the woman with a history of drug and alcohol abuse. His frustration is justified and he proceeds to take justice into his own hands later, Quesada (the man in question) falling onto the subway tracks and being summarily run over. An investigator into Daredevil’s urban legend, Ben Urich, reveals Daredevil’s interesting mark he leaves at the scenes of his “crimes”, overlapping D’s. Matt returns home to reveal his failing love life, which we’ll get into later. He goes to confessional, speaking to his priest about his being Daredevil, the priest reflecting that his path of violence is only going to hurt him in the end (also indicating he knows he is Daredevil). Matt and his partner Franklin run into an unknown woman whom Matt pursues. The two turn out to both be quite skilled fighters, Matt learning the woman’s name is Elektra Natchios. We shift to Kingpin, speaking with who appears to be Elektra’s father about business issues. Elektra and Matt hit it off after their fight and Kingpin sets a plan in motion to make Elektra’s father out to be the Kingpin. He also calls for the assassin Bullseye, an Irish expert in turning anything into a throwing weapon, including a paperclip and a peanut in two different situations. Meanwhile, Daredevil chases down another of Kingpin’s thugs, scaring the crap out of a kid in the process, Matt insisting he’s not the bad guy. The next day, Matt finds he’s been invited to a party at the hotel Elektra’s dad owns, but he insists he shouldn’t even bother going since she’s out of his league. He later meets Elektra and their relationship takes a turn for the better, no doubt motivating Matt to go to the ball. Though he is pressured by Elektra to stay with her even though the audience knows he hears a man being roughed up by Kingpin’s thugs elsewhere. At the party, Matt and his partner meet Wilson Fisk, the real Kingpin, but Matt’s adherence to his code of justice makes him something of an enemy already. Matt meets Elektra and the two speak on their relationship a bit, Elektra scared at how her meeting Matt seems too good to be true and Matt feeling bad that he can’t see Elektra all dressed up as she is. Bullseye obtains a motorcycle, while Kingpin puts a rose in Nikolaos Natchio’s breast pocket, indicating that he has been marked to be killed. He and Elektra leave Matt at the party. Bullseye finds the Natchios’ limo and takes out the drivers, fighting against Daredevil (missing for the first time) and then using Daredevil’s club to impale Elektra’s father, making Elektra think Daredevil murdered him as Bullseye gets away. Elektra meets Matt at the funeral and insists she must seek revenge, Matt pleading with her to stay with him and forget vengeance, which she rejects as she leaves. Ben Urich is shown that the Daredevil club recovered at the murder scene resembles Matt Murdock’s walking cane. Kingpin then sends Bullseye to kill Elektra, allowing him to kill Daredevil if he can as well. Ben Urich tells Matt that he thinks Natchios was set up by the real Kingpin, while elsewhere Elektra trains to kill Daredevil. Elektra ambushes Matt and eventually manages to overwhelm and injure him with one of her sai. After realizing she killed Matt, she is stunned. Then Bullseye shows up and begins to turn the tables, killing her with her own sai. Daredevil escapes and we shift to the scene from the opening as Bullseye bursts in to fight and kill Daredevil in the church. The two fight up the organ and into the upper belfry, where Bullseye uses stained glass shards as weapons after running out of his own supply. Daredevil is then disoriented by Bullseye striking one of the bells and causing other reverberations, also discovering that Fisk is the Kingpin but fate strikes as Bullseye’s hands are struck by a sniper’s bullet through Daredevil’s use of his radar vision, allowing Matt to knock him out of the top of the building onto a cop car. Elsewhere, Fisk tells his security to go home and prepares to fight Daredevil himself. Kingpin’s brutal style (created to take advantage of his size and strength) initially gives Matt a difficult time, but with creative use of the sprinkler system, he defeats Kingpin, disabling him by taking out his knees. Kingpin threatens to reveal his identity, but Daredevil retorts that he doubts he’d be bragging about getting beaten by a blind man. The next day, after leaving the coffee shop, Matt finds evidence that Elektra may still be alive. Also, Ben Urich reveals he knew Matt’s identity and leaves him to continue to protect the city, his alias safe.

Ben Affleck portrays Matt Murdock and Daredevil both very well. The attitude as a smooth talking lawyer raised in the slums is excellent and the Daredevil stunts, while not all done by a person (some in CG) are reminiscent of Spiderman’s moves. Jennifer Garner as Elektra is great as well, the depiction accessible to a non-comic audience with her attire adjusted, her personality and brutality from her training still maintained. Michael Clarke Duncan plays one of the two more controversial characters, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. The original character is white and a bit more heavyset than Duncan, but I find that Duncan brings a good portrayal of what was his favorite character as a child. The important part of Kingpin is not his race so much as what he stands for, a heavyset businessman willing to go to blows to protect his reputation and economic status. Colin Farrell does Bullseye, another somewhat objectionable character in relation to comic canon. He had no Irish accent originally and the outfit was adjusted significantly, the bullseye on his forehead now an imprint/brand instead of part of his black full body suit from the comics. The insane demeanor and malice directed towards his targets is done just as well and I think that’s what’s important to his character. Joe Pantoliano does the minor character Ben Urich, who I feel has importance in a similar way that Detective Soap did to Frank Castle in Punisher Warzone, as a person who develops into a confidante for the character. Urich’s position as a reporter does differ from Soap’s, who is more in the police force than Urich, who is only indirectly involved, but he still stands out as a pseudo sidekick to the horned avenger.

One theme runs through the film: justice as blind and yet able to hear (as Matt puts it). The blindness of justice is reflected in Elektra’s character, that she seeks out revenge in a Punisher fashion and it gets her killed. The blindness of love is also part of this since Matt and Elektra would have been happy had the Kingpin and Bullseye not gotten involved. The whole tragedy of their romance is a subtheme in itself and a subplot that many find distracting. The director’s cut does have a subplot that I imagine delves more into the dark nature of Daredevil, but I’d have to look into that in the future. Justice being able to hear is reflected with Daredevil and his initial weakness to the various sounds, eventually maturing to be able to focus on particular sounds to find his targets and using the understanding he has of his radar sense to defeat Kingpin. The fact that he has to slowly understand that justice should not resort to killing people is also related to his premise that justice can hear even if she is blind. Initially we see Matt as heartless in his quest for justice as Daredevil, but slowly realizing that he must not become the bad guy or even appear as such. He must be firm against evil, but not resort to evil as it is. His Catholic background reflects on this in a sense with the popular understanding of Catholic exorcists as having understanding of evil, but not using evil to cast it out to use the Biblical turn of phrase.

All in all the film deserves a good rating, even if it doesn’t reflect the exact tone of the comics, which was close to Punisher without becoming excessively violent. Not to mention there is the masked aspect of this comic, making Daredevil a good comparison in Marvel to DC Comics’ Batman. The conformity to the canon of the comic is altered with regards to Matt’s father not being the indirect cause of Matt’s blindness, since in the comics Matt saved a blind man, which then initiated the spill of the radioactive substance in his eyes. There was also a subplot I read about involving Daredevil’s first girlfriend Karen Page, which was included in the Director’s cut in more detail. At least they did that, unlike in Spiderman where Gwen Stacy is cut out completely as a character. A decent 4 out of 5, because of the difficulty of really getting into this cut with the distractions of the romantic subplot and less emphasis on the crime-fighting as Daredevil, but still an 80% recommendation since it does introduce people to what is no doubt one of Marvel’s popular underdogs. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow Review

(As a manga, not a comic, otaku, I will strive to reflect on connections to the comic canon in this animated or live action adaptation. I owe the fans at least that much, since I read my comics backwards mostly)

The Avengers are not a Marvel group I know much about, though they’re becoming well known and widespread recently, especially with the rumors of an Avengers film coming out in 2011. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, there’s lots of famous names in the group (Captain America being sadly lacking in a movie I want to watch with just him). And there are two other Avengers films I’ll review. This one’s a bit different, since the Avengers are notably absent in their original form. But I’ll get to that with synopsis.

We begin with an unknown person telling a group of four children a story of the Avengers and how they eventually took to creating lives outside of crimefighting. Captain American and Black Widow fell in love, as did Giant Man and Wasp, and Black Panther and Storm (implied and also canon, I believe). Also, Thor left the group to go to Asgard. And oddly enough Hulk was never mentioned in the group, which will be explained later on. The four children who are being told the story are suggested to be the four children of the Avengers. But a new threat appears, Ultron, and the Avengers are sorely defeated without Thor’s help, but the children are hidden away in a place where Ultron cannot find them, so that they are at least safe from his wrath and that there would be hope for the future. We shift to 12 years later and the children are enjoying themselves, albeit Thor’s daughter is depressed, but takes out her anger on Pym (son of Giant man and Wasp) and Azari (son of Black Panther and Storm) playing tag. James (son of Captain America and Black Widow) is awoken, generating a conflict between them since James feels nothing impressive will happen and his friends are less than realistic about the way things are. They’re stopped by one Tony Stark, one of the few surviving Avengers. Tony tries to comfort James in his frustration, but James rejects him. An alarm goes off and the children hide in their quarters, but meet Vision (another surviving Avenger) as he tries to sneak in, revealing that Ultron’s power is expanding, damaged from his wanderings in his city. Tony goes to repair Vision, telling the children to stay where they are. They ignore him of course and get into Tony’s secret lab. They find the Iron Avengers, android imitations of the original Avengers, and Vision reveals that Hawkeye’s son is alive. James unknowingly activates the Iron Avengers and they launch off to attack Ultron. This lets Ultron onto their location and he summarily defeats and takes control of the Iron Avengers. Ultron attacks the base, Tony keeping him distracted in his Iron Man suit as the kids are ordered to leave the base. Vision forcefully hacks the ship and they jet away, Tony being captured. Vision runs out of energy and the kids take the ship to Ultron’s city, though they are forced to leave it before it is destroyed. In the process of attacking the city, they meet up with the son of Hawkeye (the archer in the opening story), Francis Barton, who rescues them. He reluctantly guides them to Ultron’s citadel so they can rescue Tony. The kids find Ultron’s collection of the fallen superheroes’ costumes and items and are discovered, but manage to escape with Tony after Hawkeye Jr. decides to help them. The group escapes to find Bruce Banner, the Hulk, who was an unmentioned and unofficial member of the Avengers. Bruce rejects their invitation, but the kids decide to draw Ultron to Hulk’s hideout. Torunn (daughter of Thor and Sif) begs her father for aid and her sword that she lost in the city before returns to her magically. The group fights against the Iron Avengers, defeating them. Pym then manages to bring out the Hulk and he fights against Ultron with decent success. But after he is knocked out by Ultron’s power, Pym yet again provokes the Hulk to mercilessly pummel Ultron and tear him in half. Afterwards, Torunn takes on the responsibility to throw Ultron into space. She is saved by her father who returns her to earth in Asgardian armor and the group mobilizes to destroy the rest of Ultron’s empire after he is gone as the movie concludes.

There are eight important characters, five of them being the titular Next Avengers themselves. James, son of Captain America and Black Widow, has a classic older teen personality, laid back and cautious, an interesting blend of his mother and father’s traits. Torunn has something of a father complex in that she desires to meet his expectations, even speaking in an Old English form on and off with regular teen idiom, influenced by her being raised primarily on Earth. Azari, commonly the voice of reason and a stand out minority character, has the interesting dual traits of Black Panther’s enhanced agility and Storm’s electricity (not her full control over the weather, if only to lower his power to a comparable level). Pym is the youngest and the shortest, serving mostly as comic relief along with being a tech expert in the group. Easily scared and easily amused as well, he reflects his youth very well through the film. Francis Barton is the last of the Next Avengers to be revealed and possibly the oldest, though we don’t get any real age references to determine the kids’ ages beyond being in their early to late teens. Sarcastic, self serving and very self reliant, he’s one of the members without any apparent enhanced resistance and like his DC counterpart in Green Arrow, has issues with authority, but begrudgingly helps those in need. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are the last surviving Avengers and maintain their general behavior from their glory days: Tony pushing himself hard to improve himself and Bruce being excessively withdrawn in order to serve the greater good in preventing the Hulk from being released. Betty Ross makes an appearance, a balance and control to Hulk’s anger and Bruce’s isolation. Ultron is the last character with significant importance, the antagonist with enough power to intimidate, but not the sheer potency that comes with other larger Avengers foes like Loki and Skrull invaders.

Two themes run through the film, one of them more character centered, the other emphasizing the overall importance of the Next Avengers. Torunn presents a large subtheme with her Asgardian heritage as well as the recognition of the plot that her father is still alive, unlike her other siblings’ parents. Her belief that she is immortal and invulnerable leads to her losing her sword in their first fight against Ultron’s robots, not to mention it gives her a strong reality check that she is less than invulnerable. She eventually realizes that her humanity, even if she is Asgardian, is something she has to accept. In embracing this, she even takes on the task of flying into space to throw Ultron into the depths and is praised by her father for her courage. The cycle is complete as Torunn is praised as an Asgardian and invited to live in Asgard with her parents. But she admits that her place is with the human/mutant family she has on Earth. The other theme is the Next Avengers accepting and taking on the responsibility they have as the next generation of surviving superheroes. This is truly a large responsibility, since we get the indication that Ultron wiped out almost all the superheroes in the world, not just the Avengers. James is the impetus to this change in their motivation, taking after his father who started the original Avengers. And the others follow suit, fully realizing their powers; Azari projecting a panther of electricity, Pym managing to increase his size along with his original power to decrease it, Torunn fighting with an Asgardian’s strength, and Hawkeye Jr. taking on his father with just his bow skills. The previous Avengers either leave in peace or follow behind as old experts who can guide the new Avengers into the future.

All in all the film is good, even if there is an awkward mix of a child friendly approach to Marvel comics with the younger characters along with the realization by adult viewers that the children are for all intents and purposes orphaned, as well as the dystopian feel the film also gives to a viewer. The kids’ less than intelligent actions and phrases (except Francis’ less than intimidating threat to James of “If you talk about my dad again, I will punch you in the face,”) can be excused, and their ambition can be admired, fighting against villains stronger than them and taking on very adult responsibilities to save the world from a global threat. But the moments of comedy kind of make this an awkward view, albeit this is a decent attempt to introduce the Avengers to a younger audience, in contrast to what the Ultimate Avengers movies will no doubt present to us in the future. A 4 out of 5, with a 90% recommendation, the star lost because of the sheer paradox of kid humor with what is a decidedly angst filled setting of the end of the world along with a few confusing plot holes (they never say who Francis’ mother is, though it’s implied from canon it’s Mockingbird, along with why Pym Jr. didn’t use his size increasing powers from the start as opposed to at the end). But I still recommend this if only for the “What If” potential it inspires. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

League of Extraordinary Gentlmen Review

(As a manga otaku, not a comic otaku, I will strive to the best of my abilities to reflect on connections of the adaptation in question to the comic canon it derives from. I owe that much to the fans.)

I had seen the trailer for this film years ago, and thought little of it, similar to the adaptation of Sherlock Holmes recently out in theatres. But I decided to take a consumer risk and buy this and after watching it, I was hooked for a time into understanding the comic backstory and discovering that there were actually multiple leagues through history. But historically speaking, this film is very nice for people who are literary and history buffs. The fact that the film roots you in the beginning of the 20th century is impressive enough, but the fact that we’re primarily in Europe only further emphasizes how foreign the locales may be to an American viewer, even with Tom Sawyer as an unofficial member of the league in this film. But enough of my waxing on the literary appeal; let’s summarize the plot instead.

We begin with some text indicating what I just told you, the time being 1899 and the nations of Europe being at an uneasy peace. The indication is that new weapons will be used and they are. The England Police are powerless against the single tank that trudges through the town and crashes through the bank. And the men inside are Germans, breeding suspicion among the English. The Germans deny this and another group attacks a factory in Berlin, further confusing everyone as to who is behind this group, led by a man with a cane with a skull on it and a metal mask. The scene shifts to Africa, where the British Empire calls on the services of one Allan Quatermain, who reluctantly agrees after some soldiers attack the building he was hiding out in. The intent is to create a group of unique individuals to combat the mysterious group that threatens to hurl Europe into a war of unheard of proportions. Quatermain is escorted to London where he meets three other members of the newly formed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Captain Nemo (from 20000 Leagues Under the Sea), Rodney Skinner (not the Invisible Man himself, but close enough) and Mina Harker (from Bram Stoker’s Dracula). Their mission is to stop the man responsible for the attacks, one Fantom, from attacking a conference of the world’s leaders in Venice. Their employer, M, directs them to find two other individuals, Dorian Grey and Dr. Jekyll. They find out about Nemo’s impressive technological advancements, like his car. They first seek out Dorian Grey and are attacked by Fantom, aided by Tom Sawyer who assists them. Fantom escapes and Dorian eventually decides to join, if only because he’s bored and has a hard on for Mina (who is revealed to be a vampire). After discovering Nemo has a subarmine, Tom (who joins the League) and Allan capture Dr. Jekyll’s counterpart in Paris, Mr. Hyde, and he is convinced to join as well. After a series of interactions between the various members (Tom rejected by Mina, Allan showing Rodney he isn’t as stealthy as he thinks, conversing with Nemo on his past and showing Tom about the English way of shooting, and Allan reflecting with Mina about trust issues within the League, as well as Dorian making moves on Mina and Dr. Jekyll confronting his inner demon as well as noting Nemo’s past). The group arrives in Venice and manages to stop Fantom’s attempt to collapse the entire city of Venice by destroying the many pillars underneath it with a combination of Tom’s ambition and Nemo’s technology to stop the chain of dominoes. Quatermain chases Fantom, saying he’s discovered the spy, suspected to be Skinner, but it’s revealed on the Nautilus that it was Dorian, who shoots Ishmael, the second mate. Not to mention the even larger revelation that M is actually the Fantom. Dorian escapes as does M. Nemo seeks to track them, but it is revealed by M that there are bombs onboard and that he has planned to collect samples of each of the League to create an even stronger army than before. The sabotage nearly sinks the Nautilus, but with Jekyll’s decision to collaborate with Hyde, the Nautilus is saved and repaired. It’s discovered that Skinner stowed away with Gray and knows the location of M’s secret base. The group follows him to Mongolia where the group meets with Skinner and devises a plan to sabotage M’s plans. Skinner will plant bombs to destroy the labs, Nemo and Hyde will rescue the prisoners, Quatermain and Sawyer will seek out M and Mina will confront Gray for his treachery. Tom and Allan find M, and Nemo and Hyde are found out by a soldier as they free the prisoners, the two split up, Nemo rescuing the scientists while Hyde holds off the attacking soldiers. M manages to escape after it is revealed he is James Moriarty, rival of Sherlock Holmes. Dorian and Mina face off, Mina eventually stabbed and apparently killed, but turning the tables and impaling Dorian against the wall, revealing his photo and killing him for good. Meanwhile, Sawyer fights off Reed and with Skinner’s help, manages to stop an armored soldier, Skinner burned badly and Sawyer taken hostage by Reed, still invisible. Hyde also has his share of problems fighting an unnamed henchman (Dante, I think), who overdoses on Jekyll’s elixir and becomes a monstrous entity of pure muscle and strength, which Hyde manages to defeat as they get it cornered in a room with a narrow opening where the explosion started by Skinner buries him. And in the final confrontation between Quatermain and Moriarty, Quatermain saves Sawyer from Reed, but is fatally wounded by Moriarty as he escapes. But Sawyer manages to take Quatermain’s advice and take out Moriarty with a shot from 600 yards or so and saves the day, even though Allan succumbs to his wound and dies. The League buries him in Africa and as the film ends, we get the potential for a sequel as Allan seemingly comes back from the dead, since a witch doctor blessed him, saying Africa would never let him die.

All the members of the League are depicted excellently. Sean Connery as Allan Quatermain is irreplaceable, sardonic, old, wizened and experienced from the 19th century as the great white hunter in Africa. Shane West portrays Tom Sawyer, the only American and the ambitious young adult who takes on the promise of the new century as the League begins to come into the light after all those years of hiding. Naseeruddin Shah is Captain Nemo, actually depicted as his Indian ethnicity from the books, is a true exotic character, fighting only hand to hand and with a blade, with seemingly peak human strength, but no special powers or superhuman strength like the others. Peta Wilson depicts Wilhelmina “Mina” Harker, the only female member, but a true vampire, summoning bats and sucking blood like no one’s business. Tony Curran does Rodney Skinner, the original comic character who stole the invisibility formula, and the comic relief, but also a surprisingly courageous soul who comes through in a pinch. Jason Flemying portrays Dr. Henry Jekyll, also getting into makeup for Mr. Hyde occasionally, a divided personality, withdrawn and timid on the one hand and bestial and rough on the other, eventually lining up in some way with the titanic monstrous form without and the intelligent personality within. Stuart Townsend does Dorian Grey as well as I can imagine with a comic book spin, suave, debonair and as he put it “complicated”. Richard Roxburgh portrays M, the Fantom and Moriarty, three radically different and yet interrelated characters, each with personality traits, voices and behavior within the narrative itself.

The two themes in the film are spread over time, the main one being the progress of the future and the danger and promise it holds for the new generation. This is emphasized by Moriarty’s characterization, probably being still relatively young, but as he said reborn after his accident, which according to my research would’ve been only 8 years ago in 1891 when he and Holmes fell off Reichenbach Falls. The ambition on his part to push the world into the future with advanced industrial technology as well as gaining profit from selling it could be seen as a capitalist virtue, but his desire to do this even at the cost of sacrificing lives does make his dream seem twisted in comparison to Nemo’s technological progress, who would be according to the history of the novels, at least in his 50s, if not his 60s (though they could’ve altered the history in the graphic novel in relation to Nemo to make him younger in contrast to his appearance in the Jules Verne novel set in 1866, which would have him aged 30+ years from then to 1899). The other theme is more related to the oldest and youngest characters, Quatermain and Sawyer. This comes about with the interaction of their English and American thinking as well as Quatermain’s relationship to Sawyer as a projection of his lost son and the eventual conviction that his young protégé will carry on the future as well as he did in the 1800s. Other more minor themes of sorts are Jekyll resolving his internal conflict with Hyde and Dorian and Mina’s romance ending with Mina noting that her immortality is less tragic than Dorian’s, dependent on the hiding away of his cursed picture. Nemo’s theme is not confronted as much, though I imagine his decision to come into the light in the ending indicates he is at least at peace with the issues he had from the Jules Verne novel (which I won’t spoil).

All in all, this film is great, though the accessibility issues I reflect on with a lot of these adaptations commonly harm my recommendation percentage. But even if one doesn’t understand the rooting of these characters in English prose from the 19th century by such great authors as Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde, there is still the action/superhero atmosphere presented persistently, keeping you on the edge of your proverbial seat. The subplots balance out what would’ve been an otherwise unnecessarily action packed film with more mature themes, but not mature enough to give it an R rating, so the kids and teens can go to this legally with their parents, who can probably appreciate the literary influences more than the kids. On a concluding note on the comic relations, this is very much a sampling of what is a much larger storyline to my knowledge, involving other big villains, like Fu Manchu, Professor Moreau. It does involve Moriarty, although in a somewhat different vein and as the main overall antagonist, not to mention Rodney Skinner replaces the original Invisible Man, who according to this timeline would’ve been dead as per the events of the book and original characters such as Reed and Dante also make this very much a redux of the original premise which was much larger, spanning many eras and even travelling to Mars at one point I believe. But overall, a 5 out of 5 with a 60% recommendation. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.

The Invincible Iron Man Review

(As a manga otaku, not a comic otaku, I will still endeavor to reflect on connections and disconnections from the canon of comics, even those as complex as DC and Marvel’s)

Iron Man is not my favorite Marvel superhero, though I can appreciate his position as a technologically progressive guy. Though I’m admittedly more right brained and artistically minded, I can say that progression of machines, computers and technology is important, when done with the right intent. Iron Man also reminds me a bit of S.T.R.I.P.E. from Justice League; a somewhat middle aged guy piloting a mecha to fight bad guys. Except Tony Stark’s notably rich and also a womanizer. Not to mention his alcoholism that comes up in the comics and the live action movies I think. Anyway, onto synopsis.

We start in China, where the friend of Tony Stark, James Rhodes (who will become War Machine in other adaptations), is helping the Chinese government raise the ancient city of the Mandarin. But he’s also being attacked by the Jade Dragons, who don’t want it to be raised, for reasons they’ll reveal later. Rhodes’ plane delivering the last of the liquid steel they need to raise the city is attacked. Rhodes calls Tony Stark (who is in the hot tub with a woman suspiciously similar in appearance to Pepper Potts, though it’s just a coincidence more likely) about his supposedly shipping weapons to help Rhodes’ crew defend themselves, but Tony denies he authorized it. Tony promises he’ll fly to China to settle these things, but in the meantime travels to the main building of Stark Enterprises to a company meeting that he’s late for. He’s told in somewhat extensive terms that he has been relieved of his duties and his division scrapped. His objection to his father (the chairman) is met with quick dismissal as we shift scenes again. Rhodes is beginning the raising of the city by vibrating liquid steel and then letting it solidify so that the city is stuck over a thick layer of solid steel. But the Jade Dragons attack and kill all the workers, capturing Rhodes as well, motivating Tony to fly out immediately. Rhodes is told he is merely bait to draw Tony Stark to China. Tony’s tank taking him to the ruins is attacked and Tony taken to the Jade Dragon’s hideout. He is critically injured in the attack and Rhodes seeks to help him. We also learn about a woman in the Jade Dragons with a certain responsibility that we are not told about in detail, but we do find that it obligates her to stay with the group. And we find that with the Mandarin’s city raised above ground, four elemental guardians: water, air, fire and earth, have been summoned from statues and they go to search for something. Tony’s father is told that the company is in danger because of Stark weapons being associated with Chinese radicals and that he must make a decision to protect the company’s reputation. Tony awakens to find he is nearly dead but saved by both a monk in the Jade Dragons keeping him alive before Rhodes arrived and his medically adept friend who developed a machine that kept shrapnel from piercing his heart. Li Mei is introduced to Tony, the same woman who had some important destiny from before. She muses on the past on a bridge, rejected by her father because she was not his son and apparently unworthy for the destiny she possesses. The four warriors find the first ring and continue their search elsewhere. Tony is told that he has fulfilled a prophecy that foretells that when the ancient city is raised above ground that the Mandarin’s servants, the four elementals, will seek the 5 bands of the underworld to resurrect him, otherwise known as rings. The monk is then killed by the Jade Dragon’s leader, Wong Chu, after Tony’s initial refusal to help him reverse what he did. Tony and Rhodes then secretly build a prototype mecha as well as try to soften the fiber steel that raised the city (not really). He then asks Li Mei why she is with the group and she tells him of her yet unspecified duty passed down through her family and that she is the only one left alive. Tony reflects on his connection to her disappointment from her father. The elementals find the second ring as the scene then shifts to Rhodes distracting Wong Chu while Tony gets into the mecha suit. Wong Chu is killed by Li Mei and Tony saves Rhodes and Li Mei, leaving with just Rhodes as Li Mei insists that she must stay behind. One of the Jade Dragons points out part of the prophecy to Li Mei stating that an Iron Knight will face the Mandarin, Li Mei ambivalent as to whether she believes Tony is that Iron Knight. Tony and Rhodes return home to find they are under arrest for giving weapons to the Jade Dragons, sold out by Tony’s father, but they manage to escape in a bulletproof car. Li Mei takes the remaining Jade Dragons to the Mandarin’s city and all of the members are killed. Li Mei, the only survivor, is confronted by a shadowy dragon. Tony and Rhodes manage to contact Pepper, Tony’s secretary, and get her to distract the agents searching the building long enough so Tony can get into his office. He reveals a secret area in his office where he tells Rhodes he needs his help in using the various mecha he’s designed so he can find the rest of the rings. Rhodes reluctantly accepts and Tony follows the elementals to the location of the third ring underwater. He fights them, managing to destroy the fire elemental, but the other three defeating him and escaping with the third ring. Tony returns and confronts his father about selling him out, the two unable to come to any agreement. He leaves in frustration and returns to the secret office area, found out by one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the building. Pepper distracts the guard pursuing him, giving Tony the chance to seal himself in the room, also getting arrested in the process. Rhodes also gets himself captured to give Tony the opportunity to find the fourth ring which is hidden in a volcano. Fighting the elementals again, Tony destroys the water and air elementals, but the earth elemental escapes with the ring after trouncing the volcano suit (surprisingly similar in appearance to the Iron Man suit we know today). Tony is forced to return home on his own since the suit was damaged beyond repair. Li Mei meets with Tony outside Stark Building, Tony calling his father who warns him away from asking him for help. He gets into the jet where he had the original mecha stowed away and flies back to China. The earth elemental summons an army of stone soldiers, Tony flying in to fight him and defeating him after a new idea occurs to him. He retrieves the rings, finding that the fifth ring is the band around Li Mei’s arm and that her destiny is to resurrect Mandarin as his last descendant. Li Mei denies that she has any purpose outside of bringing Mandarin back to life and goes into the palace as the stone army is brought to life and attacks him. Tony fights off the army and Li Mei is put through the procedure of resurrecting the Mandarin, each ring a step in the sequence. After defeating the army, Tony fights the fifth elemental, a giant dragon which he defeats with another unique solution. Li Mei is taken over by the Mandarin’s spirit and made his puppet to fight the Iron Knight, Tony. They fight briefly and Tony is beaten nearly senseless as he tries to draw Li Mei’s mind back out of the trance she is in. Li Mei resists the Mandarin’s control, pulling off each of the rings and sending him back to the grave. Li Mei, her sacrifice made, dies and Tony is left alone to mourn her. Tony regains control of the company by having purchased 51% of the shares. He promotes Rhodes to Chief Engineer for his Advanced Technologies division and gives control of the company to his father, who fires the entire board and reacquaints himself with Tony as the film ends with a pan out to the two Stark towers.

The 5 main characters are all well done, even if Li Mei is an original creation for this particular adaptation of Iron Man into film form. Tony Stark is the same, a womanizer, smooth talker and business savvy to boot. And he’s got guts to take on elemental monsters that could no doubt tear him to pieces if they had the chance. James Rhodes, Tony’s friend and business aide, is important as well, though not in the vein of becoming his partner in crime, but assisting him nonetheless even if he sometimes feels like he is unappreciated by Tony as an equal. Virginia “Pepper” Potts is technically a secondary character even in this film, only assisting Tony indirectly with getting him into the building and helping him regain control of the company in the end. But her relationship with him as a secretary and overall maternal figure in place of his deceased mother does solidify her importance to shaping Tony’s character. Tony’s father Howard Stark is decidedly minor, but reflects an important theme I’ll get to later their relationship and roots in the company. Li Mei is the other character, an unintentional antagonist in the end and a good contrast for the other theme of the film in her confrontation and eventual rejection of her consigned fate to be the empty vessel for the Mandarin’s return.

Two main themes run through the film, the narrative quest of Tony confronting the evil Mandarin’s elemental guardians being the main plot, the themes resulting from character conflicts and interactions. Tony’s relationship with his father is the less important of the two since one can see it eventually being resolved anyway, since we learn that the death of Howard’s wife, Tony’s mother, was an event that affected them both deeply. Tony’s feelings of betrayal by his father as well as his father’s strong influence in the company reinforce Tony’s potential inferiority complex in regards to pushing himself to improve the company from his father’s initial plans of a military company. With his development of the exo-suits, he hopes to change the company from a military weapons company to a technological company with contracts to explore various locations. The second theme is Li Mei’s feelings of being chained to her destiny being countered by Tony’s insistence that she is not bound to it. While she denies this throughout, she eventually overcomes it through what appears to be a romantic interest in Tony, though possibly she is just motivated by his passion and sincere concern for her as a person and not for any relation she has to the Mandarin. Tony doesn’t have as much of a relation to Li Mei in this way except as it relates back to his father issues, his father speaking as if he wanted Tony to keep the company as one that sells weapons, Tony influenced by his late mother to be somewhat pacifist. In this way, his issues with the destiny bestowed on him by his father are a pittance compared to Li Mei’s continuing a lineage that hopes to resurrect the Mandarin but also being shunned by her father for what was probably his fault to begin with (since women cannot help but contribute X chromosomes to a child, only men able to affect whether the child is male/female). She also helps the Jade Dragons, who keep her around for incentive to stop her if need be, I imagine, which puts the emphasis again on her divided loyalties.

I cannot say the movie conformed to my expectations for continuity with the comics, but the route they take is good, even with potentially questionable events, such as Tony’s suits managing to take multiple blows from the elementals, which are supposed to be more supernatural entities. Not to mention the especially punishing beating he takes from the earth elemental, but the idea persists as in the comics that Iron Man represents technology, while the Mandarin represents magic. Even if the Mandarin is not a real enemy in his own right, his presence in the film really strikes me as reflecting his eponymous role as Iron Man’s main nemesis. The subtle romance potentials are mostly unimportant, except for the ending scene with Li Mei kissing Tony before she dies, which I am ill equipped to really understand apart from a tragic romance that never came to be. An overall rating would be 5 out of 5 again, but recommendation would be a low 60%, since Iron Man is a treasured Marvel icon and the significant changes here, especially reducing the Mandarin’s rings to 5, one of them actually an armband, would sorely disappoint many a comic book fan of the mechanical suited warrior. Until next time, Namaste and Aloha.