Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3. Iron. Man. 3. Was amazing, we all know, but I think, out of the three movies, was also the one with the greatest character development.

However, I noticed a horde of people complaining about how “out of character” Operation Clean Slate was: “that’s CRAZY - he would NEVER blow up his suits!!”

Well actually, yeah, he would. For starters, Tony’s always been reckless, sporadic, and very much an impulsive guy. Examples being when, in the Avengers, he destroyed the Leviathan by flying straight through it - I MEAN WHO THE HELL THINKS THAT’S A GOOD IDEA? 
(answer: Only Tony.)

Also when he decided to test his prototype when being thrown out of a building by a maniacal demigod – anyone else would just use a different suit, but Tony’s always retained that “ready, fire, aim” ideal.

Another example comprises of pretty much the entirety of the second movie; Iron Man 2: Stark Justifying his Life-Threatening Condition by Acting Like a Douchebag. He never thinks about what he’s doing; he goes for it because he has the confidence (or insanity??) to believe it WILL work.

So destroying the creations he worked SO hard to perfect? No biggie. He’s so carefree about the decision as well: “what the hell – it’s Christmas.” … but more than that, he has a huge reason to destroy them in this movie. He explains the suits as a cocoon whilst Pepper describes them as a distraction.

The suits were only his starting point, and Tony didn’t realise this until now. His mindset is adequately summarised by: “sometimes you have to walk before you can crawl." He knows it’s time to move on. This fresh start, in turn, will help him sleep, reduce his anxiety attacks, and prioritise the one person he really and truly cares about.

If there’s anyone Tony WOULD destroy the suits for, it’s Pepper.  I mean, c’mon, he spent the entirety of the movie trying to protect her, risking his own life to do so… so destroying his work for her isn’t reeealllyy that much of a stretch.

Also the suits, metaphorically, are like drugs. One feels such an elation when taking them that one want more.
You base your existence on this sole belief that it helps. In a sense it’s your escape, your one way out of the crappy world you live in. It’s your armour – you know it’ll keep you going after a bad day, keep you strong and independent. but slowly they change you, and your priorities, and your health… until the only way out is to just say “screw it”, pull yourself away, and start over. Sound familiar?

NOW. If there’s one thing we should be complaining about, it’s that Tony drives away, at the end of the movie, in an electric Audi R8. An eco-friendly sports car? C’mon. that’s not cool.

Memorias

If you enter her room,

Just remember to be,

Respectful, dignified,

And never leave,

With the lights turned on, 

Because that’s when she,

Will notice the photographs,

Those lost memories.

And Then Along Came a Spider...

I saw this movie a few days ago, in preparation for Ramadan where I would abstain from such viewings haha. And I have to say, it really did live up to my expectations. To be honest, in comparison to the last Spiderman movie... Things could only get better.

Peter Parker
I really love Andrew Garfield. I had seen his work before, in movies such as The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, and television shows such as Dr Who. So I was perfectly aware of what he was capable of. Despite this, I walked into the cinema with slight concerns. Peter Parker was a very unique character, and I wanted confidence in Garfield and his portrayal. And, thank God, he managed to pull it off. Peter Parker was exactly how I would picture him; a silent sufferer, a genius...and of course, a hero. He knew what he stood for, and wasn't afraid of the consequences. Despite his chivalry and courteous demeanour, he was incapable of striking up a decent conversation with the women. I think in many ways he was like Steve Rogers, or Captain America... A hero in the making. Furthermore, the poor guy was so conflicted over his upbringing, he often switched moods in a heartbeat. Garfield had the audience feeling WITH him; we smiled when Peter was happy, we practically sobbed when he was sad.
I also really loved his relationship with Gwen. It was so awkward and bumbling to begin with, before they finally managed to smooth out those social crevices and fall into a 'proper' relationship. Gwen was what I consider a strong character; her confidence and bubbly nature made her extremely likeable, as well as her ability to pull herself together in the most dangerous of situations.

however...
With every positive there must accompany a negative. I loved the Lizard, as well as Dr Conners when he's in a more humane state, but I didn't like the CGI they used for his transformation. I personally think he didn't look reptilian enough. Or green enough, haha. Weird, huh? Maybe I'm the only one, but I used the cartoons of my childhood as reference material for everything in the movie, and the Lizard didn't quite bring it. In the Spideman cartoons the Lizard looks much more like a crocodile, with visible scales and a greener tinge to his body.

Another thing that bugged me; the nerd inaccuracies. Has the director/screenplay writer never seen a nerd before?! They don't use BING! Nor do many nerds skate! Or have the amazing spiked up, messy ruffled hair. Or wear sexy skinny jeans. Again, I don't know, maybe I'm letting personal taste overshadow the conventional nerd outlook... But that's seriously where Garfield went wrong- he looked too good to be a convincing geek.

Hey, if that's all I can complain about, then I think we're okay.

Overall Rating - 8/10
Action packed, with the perfect mingling of humour and romance, this is definitely a movie I'll watch again. If possible, I recommend seeing it in 3D on the big screen. The effects are brilliant, and the POV shots are dizzying. You'll enjoy every minute, as if Spiderman is taking you on a tour of Manhattan.

The Outcast

EDIT: Alternate (and in my opinion, better) ending of this fic can be found here: http://pie-liner.deviantart.com/art/The-Outcast-315970410 let me know which you prefer!!


He was taller than I remembered.

He paced back and forth, paced the length of his confinement. From the speed of his stride I could tell he wasn't worried. His arms swayed calmly with every swing, his head casually tilted back. As he turned around I stepped into his view. A split second of memory, of love, perhaps even nostalgia gleamed in his eyes as he recognised my face. But only a split second.

"Well, my my. Fancy seeing you here."

I smiled faintly as my eyes scanned his persona. Clad in black robes, the standard armour reflected every glint of light. His dark green cape was stained with an amalgamation of blood and dirt.
I was startled when I saw the extremity of the situation, particularly in his physique. It was as if the lean stature had been torn away in an attempt to redefine his character. Now he just looked tired and thin. His skin, pale as ever, only magnified the darkness of the fresh bruises that started at his left temple, and ended at his left collarbone. He'd been punished all right.

As if sensing my thoughts, Loki grinned and pushed back his greasy lank hair. "oh, you haven't seen anything yet. Odin ensures all punishments are swift, he PRIDES himself on it... but in my case he's adamant on the severity."

I opened my mouth to speak, only to take in an unnatural breath of air instead. Twisting my fingers uncomfortably, I stared up at the beautiful Asgardian sky; a view that always guaranteed to help me regain my eloquence. Loki stared quietly, a faint smile trying desperately to emerge on his ghostly lips. I glanced back at him, and tried my best to see the Asgardian I had known all my life. I tried to pretend he had left the monster back on earth. One look at his eyes and I knew I couldn't.

He tilted his head to the left, and rubbed at the side of his neck, always holding my gaze. This was a trademark Loki gesture; I knew every idiosyncrasy, having spent the majority of my Asgardian "holiday" playing pranks with the God of Mischief, learning to fight with a spear, and hearing about the Jotuns.

I smiled, a smile which he reflected. We were back again.

-----------

We sat in a corner of his confinement, side by side, knees pulled up to our chins. I told him about my time in Asgard. He told me about his time on earth. I gushed about an Asgardian I met, who was so intellectually advanced he claimed he could create an improved version of the Destroyer, from scratch, in less than 3 days. Loki scoffed at this, and bitched about 'the metal mortal' - a man who thought himself superior because of his ability to create a metal suit. "Unless burdened with indestructible force and power, everyone is truly inferior", he concluded vehemently.

Our conversation lasted hours, but finally ebbed into silence. It was at this moment I cautiously ventured into the unspoken.

"so why did you do it?"

Loki smiled a smile I hadn't seen before. There were obvious glimmers of sadness and regret... But with a coldness I wasn't entirely used to. Safe without sincerity. Megalomania without malevolence. He gently put an arm around me and laughed; a short, bitter, unconvincing laugh.

"because... Because it was fun."

Fassassin? A rant.

Disclaimer: all views are my own and I HONESTLY don't want to offend anyone. Also, let me know if you actually read the entire ramble and I shall give you a hug and a kiss XD haha

Okay, haha, that was a truly terrible title for a post >.< But it's related to this recent news I heard; according to Empire Magazine, Michael Fassbender is all set to star in Assassins Creed. I assume as the main character, Altair. I have mixed views regarding this casting. I know what Fassbender is capable of (for ease of use, and portrayal of affection, I'm calling him Fassy through this post), having seen his performance in X-Men First Class, Shame, and a few clips of Prometheus. There's no denying - the guy is talented. But Altair?? Really??

Let me actually begin my rant, my essay of concerns and issues. Which, may I add, have little to do with Fassy himself... So firstly, Altair, the hardcore assassin himself, is Syrian. He was born in Syria, and has lived on the streets of Jerusalem, amongst other places. His full name is Altair Ibn-La Ahad. For goodness sake, many people can't even pronounce that name with the correct intonation! So they've cast Fassy as the lead? He's of Irish-German descent, and even when he tries his best you can still here the unfamiliar lilt of those two accents.

And I can absolutely guarantee, that culture won't even get a freakin CAMEO if Hollywood get their hands on this adaptation. Everything will be Americanised. An apt example; Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Performances were great, storyline was adequate, but the prince of PERSIA had a British accent. His accent was more British than mine! What was that all about? Even the way they said 'Dastan' and 'Tamina' was completely westernised. I completely understand that the accents have to be comprehensible, so therefore obviously they couldn't use thick Persian dialects... But there was NO sign of origins. Not even a lilt. And that's what pissed me off about the movie. It would have been better if the cast actually learnt the language (to some extents) and the film was released with subtitles. Very cultural, a new experience, a chance to learn, more realistic, etc.

I don't care as such where Prince of Persia is concerned. But I am a HUGE fan of Assassins Creed. It's one of my favourite games, and one of the few I play regularly. In addition, it hits close to home; although I was born British, my ancestry is Asian, my religion is essentially Arabian... And I don't want to see those roots lost in translation. I really really really hope this movie works. And I really truly hope Fassy proves me wrong.. I hope Hollywood prove me wrong as well. But the latter seems a tad excessive. I guess we'll see right?
xxxx

A Little Ray of Sunshine.

A group of astronauts are sent on a mission to reignite the diminishing sun.


So I saw the movie Sunshine the other day. There were many aspects of it that provided me with positive expectations prior to viewing. I mean, it’s directed by the legend that is Danny Boyle, my sudden favourite Chris Evans plays a leading role, and the concept is pretty intriguing too.

Initially, maybe stupidly, I expected the movie to be so ‘feel-good’ I could watch it with my family the next week. My. GOD. It’s so intense, so horrifying, but so amazingly beautiful at the same time. I think Boyle really captures the perfect essence of space and the universe: yeah, it’s not safe, but wouldn’t we all love the opportunity to explore in space regardless?

hmm... Just agree with me, people.

And Boyle is a genius. Like 28 Days/Weeks Later, Sunshine was so grandiose, whilst maintaining the brutality of an apocalyptic life. 

And let’s not forget the actors. Okay, so they were all great, but my main focus is on Chris Evans and Cillian Murphy (Mace and Capa). Murphy was the lead in the movie, so naturally he would be the one to have his greatest moment of glory. And he did really well; I loved his character :)




BUT, I genuinely think Evans was the star of the show. Until this movie, I had considered Evans a good actor… but I was completely wrong. He is amazing. He played the arrogant dickhead really well, and I didn’t like him originally because of his rough attitude towards the other members of the crew. So easily angered, so quick to retaliate, etc. but then nearer the end of the movie everything falls into place; I understood how he felt, what they had to tolerate to save the world, and exactly how HUGE a burden was resting on his shoulders… and without spoiling anything, his moment to shine was both heartbreaking and admirable at the same time. I’m so proud of his performance in that movie… like a strange mother.

However, having complimented this movie like a beast, I’m going to state the one complaint I have. I feel the storyline wasn’t explained properly. I dunno, maybe I’m just stupid, but there were so many moments where I (and my friends) were confused, and just watching with a “whaaaa?” expression on our sorry little faces. It seemed like Boyle forgot about who would be watching it, like “I understand, the cast understands… so what more dya need?”

…This movie’s being viewed by thousands, darlin’.

Overall rating: 7.5/10

I loved the concept, the acting, the amalgamation of fear and sci-fi… but there were too many moments where I was left confused. I’m also not a huge fan of depressing endings... is that a spoiler? I… I mean… that was just a random fact about me. Nothing to do with Sunshine, silly ;)

The Malevolence of Love

Ah, how love is capricious!

He possesses you with confidence

And guides you to interaction.

And do we interact!

Sporadically,     spiritually,     beautifully.

How love is teasing,

He feeds the vessel, but leaves it craving,

And hearts are strengthened

Through longing and addiction.

Insufficiently,     ineffably,     beautifully.

Ah, the malevolence of love.

He tears you away

To reacclimate

And observes the heartbreak and sorrow

Silently,     stupidly,     beautifully.

But how love is exuberant

How he provides again,

Chances for another unity,

Through worlds within words,

Emotionally,     excessively,     beautifully.

full description of my poem here: http://pie-liner.deviantart.com/gallery/32325452#/d53ykgs

xxx