Quick Word on “The Avengers”

I loved the movie.  I have already seen it more than once.  But “The Avengers” should never have been converted to 3-D. They did an absolutely awful post-production conversion job. I will from now on only watch “The Avengers” in 2-D. It looks great just that way.

For more on the 3-D versus 2-D experience you can read my review at SF-Fandom or check out what the SciFi Guy at Communizine has to say.

We’ve all been waiting for this film for a long time. I saw a few comments on the Web about the plot being spoiled by all the trailers that had been released. I really don’t think that was the case. There were enough undisclosed twists and turns left that I was amused, amazed, surprised, and touched by many scenes I didn’t know existed.

If you one of the three people left on Earth who are still dithering about whether to go see the movie, GO SEE IT (but not in 3-D).

“John Carter” of Mars Turned Out Okay

I wrote a lengthy review at for “John Carter” of Mars in which I share my very positive, supportive thoughts about the film.

What I want to share here is my disgust at the apparent poison pen campaign that someone in the film industry appears to have conducted against the movie. I began to realize something was up after reading this negative article in the L.A. Times. This was the second news story in a week where I came across references to some unnamed rival studio boss who was predicting disaster for “John Carter”.

I don’t know yet if the movie flops — I hope not. Now I want to see the sequels even more than before.

But we’ve been hearing all sorts of bad press about the movie from the film industry over the past couple of weeks. Supposedly, women didn’t like the movie. Oddly enough, there were plenty of women in the theater I went to who really enjoyed it.

Supposedly no young people are interested in the movie. Again, there were plenty of kids, teenagers, and college students in the audience — and they gave the film an ovation after it was over.

I don’t know how often people in the film industry try to torpedo each other’s projects — I suppose it happens quite often — but what disgusts me is that the news media played along. Someone down low apparently knows how to press buttons with the L.A. Times and other major news organizations willing to sell their integrity by pandering to old fashioned poison pen campaigns.

You’d think professional journalists would know better, but perhaps the disdain with which science fiction and fantasy are often treated by the news media excuses this kind of nonsense in their eyes. Well, the L.A. Times has no excuse. They should know better, and I expect better of them.

Disney screwed up royally in clamping down an embargo on the movie’s production for two years. They should have engaged with the fans all along, given us access to the development of Barsoom, and fed a steady stream of information and spy reports to major fan sites.

Disney owes the Edgar Rice Burroughs fandom a huge apology. They can make it up to us, however, by greenlighting the sequels to “John Carter” and getting the advance promotion right. Andrew Stanton did a great job with the movie. He just needs to come out and engage with the fans.

I think Edgar Rice Burroughs would have been pleased with the movie.

I think everyone should watch “The Last Airbender”

You can read my full review of M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender” at SF-Fandom. The movie is not perfect but it is good because it is well-done and it deserves far better treatment than the film critics have given it. Film critics tend to come off as self-righteous snobs who have no clue about what is entertaining or worthwhile in the movie industry. They are, of course, entitled to their opinions just like the rest of us and I am sure that there are critics who have not tried to destroy “The Last Airbender” (or M. Night Shyamalan). I would love to see some film critics who don’t try to look all hoighty-toity by beating up on Shyamalan. Anyone know of some?

I’m aware that some Asian American groups are protesting the movie as well. I understand their concerns about how Asian American characters should be represented by Asian American actors — however, their offense doesn’t resonate in this movie because, frankly, there are NO Asian American characters. There are no Asian characters, either. At least, no one stepped in front of the camera and said, “I have traveled to this fantasy world from Japan ….”

I’m not belittling the concerns that have been raised about how the American film industry has treated minorities through the past 100 years. Some really good roles that should have gone to Native Americans, Asian Americans, black Americans, etc. did in fact go to white actors. But when you’re dealing with fantasy movies, unless they are very clearly metaphorically discussing specific issues that are relevant to minorities, you really have no place complaining about “racism” in the casting.

Fantasy worlds are fantasy worlds. I understand — from having read about the Nickelodeon series that inspired this movie franchise — that the cultures were modeled on a combination of Chinese martial arts styles, Buddhism, and other Asian traditions. And many people expect to see the fantasy world cultures portrayed in a certain way.

But these movies are Shyamalan’s story to tell and he is not really telling the story of a culture that is modeled on anything from Asia — he is telling a very interesting and (in my opinion) moving story about a child who is more than a child, and who has some misgivings about his place in his world. Call this story the ultimate identity crisis movie.

As someone of Mexican-American descent I am highly offended by the racist law that the state of Arizona recently passed, authorizing the police in that state to act like Nazi Germany’s Gestapo with respect to people of Hispanic descent. The idea that other states would even consider passing similar laws is equally offensive to me. Frankly, if that’s the mood of many white Americans I think we need to put them all on ships and send them back to Europe.

If you want to be racist, have a taste of your own medicine — then come back and tell us we should be deporting illegal aliens.

So I have strong feelings about racism, to be sure. And having known many people in the Asian community, I am (I feel) sensitive to many of the issues that they confront on a daily basis when dealing with non-Asians. We don’t show respect the same way traditional Asians do. I’ve heard many people “bad-mouth” Asian Americans for not looking them in the eyes, for being “too humble”, etc. Racism can be both subtle and blunt.

So I understand that many Asian Americans — expecting to see Asian American actors cast as the leads in this movie — were disappointed. But that kind of purism is misplaced, especially given that the original series was criticized as not being “true” Anime because it was produced in the United States.

The ironies surrounding the criticisms of this movie are almost impossible to count. There is no need for Asian American groups to demand that every martial arts movie be cast only with Asian leads. Isn’t the racist harm inherent in that kind of demand obvious to anyone other than me?

There is an old proverb: be careful what you ask for. You may receive it.

I believe the movie is pretty good. I have shared my thoughts here and on the SF-Fandom forum. I hope you’ll think about what I’m trying to share here before letting loose with a tirade of insults. I won’t respond. There is no need for any more conflict. The movie is trying to say something interesting about the inner conflict of people who don’t want to accept what they are — that sort of “coming to terms with your heritage” message should strike home for many younger Asian Americans who are (like younger Hispanic Americans) torn between two cultures.

Am I Hispanic or am I American? Am I an avatar or am I human? Can I not be both? Can I not live in both worlds, to the extent that I can, and not be forced to choose one over the other?

That’s a marvelous question for any movie to explore. Let’s not bog it down with needless concerns about casting.