24 May 2010

The Superhero Blanket Around My Shoulders

I will not be alone when I shout from the rooftops, before trying to fly: "I LOVE SUPERHEROES." Going to start digging into the history of who brought out this concept soon. Stan Lee, according to me is God in this area. The day I saw him (on TV) flying down on a spider to receive his Scream Award, I fell all over again for him. However, I've always had the reservation of making my sister jealous if I agree I love superheroes or Stan Lee as much as her. This is her thing. I've sat with her in book shops where she has blown her entire month savings on comics and series. She is mad about them. I take them as a sweet ride of ecstasy. It is Energy.


Expecting this, I went to watch Iron Man 2. Back home, I am confidently writing this: "it is one of the most intelligent superhero movies ever." Why? I spent most of my childhood wanting to be a physicist, it was the closest I could have gotten to understanding the world and conquering it. No. 1: Tony Stark is a physicist. Van Con is a physicist. Even, Hammer is a physicist. When the time came to choose my subjects of specialization I chose to study the human race more than the world. If I was going to conquer anything at all in my life, it was going to be me.


More than the first part, Iron Man 2 exceeds it brilliance. Tony Stark was first only a technically bad man, a mass murderer, who invents something for himself and then turns it into a good man's weapon. This is the initial story of Iron Man. But, this sequel digs deeper and adds darker shades, with even the touch of romance and glamour. It is a packed, entertaining ride to the sky.

In the sequel, Tony Stark is a narcissistic rich man, with a self-created super power, who is threatened by death and personal longings. He is a human-being, battled by other human-beings. James Rhodes is that same patriotic commander and the man who stands against his friend thinking he might save the country. And yes, the Russian is the villain, with his own share of personal history triggering revenge. The best man of all, the creator of Stark Industries, is Howard Stark. Just like expected, he talks out of an old taped recording and reveals to his son that death is not going to stop him and that he is here for a bigger purpose.

There are all these and more stereotypes. Even, if you haven't read the comic book, one can guess who is the lover and who is the sexy one. I am back here and haven't forgotten a single character, a single scene, or a single turn in the story. Does this make it a good movie? I guess so. 

It's true I went there wanting to enjoy it and I am back satisfied, exhilarated, and happy.  My textbook on 'Writing on Film' tells me strictly that I cannot go to a movie with the intention of enjoying and then criticizing it. Defying this, I think the intention is precisely why the mind stays open enough for flaws to tape themselves in my mind.

I haven't done anything wrong by wanting to enjoy this movie. I simply let it take me on a ride, and it did a pretty good job, probably the best. The last few superhero movies terribly disappointed me - yes, Watchmen being one of them. Kudos to Iron Man 2. 

It's not keeping me waiting to watch more, but has put me on the most brilliant energy rush with the simple story it told me today. Be a superhero or a normal person, there is fear that's going to hit you and you are going to have to deal with it in your own way.

Here's a small peak into my childhood superhero:
"Sun rose in her dreams, and sun flowers lived beneath the thick black blanket. In the dark sunny abode lived a paradise. Swarna turned around restlessly, distracted what the day had been. She should have been kissed by him. She should have caught the bus in time. She should have seen the sitcom episode completely. She should have talked for hours to her boyfriend. She hadn’t done any of this. She had been on this mattress with a cobra.
Every morning, it coils itself around her, pulling her plump self in to the mattress. Tied and worn out in struggle  the cobra suffocates itself to life. The black cotton cobra would hiss into her ears: a hundred love stories and mystic hymns. Then she would pull him over her head and close her eyes.
Tonight, she told herself about the magnificent cobra. She read the bed time story about his crawling love. Under the cobra evils are not seen. Under the cobra everything is protected from unknown things. Blankets are super heroes."

[written long ago]

It's late in the night, but come back tomorrow for a nice look into the History of Superheroes.

1 comment:

Aadithyan Mohan Kaniyamparambil said...

See, I knew there was a reason I got along with you! Not that I'm realising it now or anything, wanted something nice to say on the comment, hehe! Good take on the ride that was this movie. Looking forward to the history! Cheers!