Captain America: The Winter Bore

I think I am getting too jaded for Marvel’s superhero films.

After 3 Iron Mans, 2 Thors, 1 Captain America and The Avengers in between, I would have thought that I would be used to Marvel’s MacGuffins, dues ex machinas, one-vs-many action scenes, villains with shite aim, and of course, the rampant plot holes.

Instead, I am bored beyond measure by the latest installment of Captain America, which can largely be summed up as ‘formulaic’.

Captain America falls far short of the lofty standards set by recent science fiction and fantasy films. Inception easily comes to mind as the best of the lot. Captain America seems to take great pleasure at being predictable and frolicking from one logical fallacy to another, without bothering to explain anything in detail, as if daring the viewer to believe the rubbish it sprouts at face value.

In Inception, Christopher Nolan made genuine attempts to explain the science fiction constructs behind the story, so that even when some matters seemed to lack continuity, they were accepted as open-ended conclusions.

The Marvel Universe, however, delights in leaving things unexplained or giving silly explanations. While Captain America was relatively free from any MacGuffins like the Tessaract/Aether/magical artefacts, its various plot holes still managed to make me feel stupid, or let me wonder if the filmmaker is so stupid as to believe the audience would be that stupid. (I am generally very capable of avoiding stupid films) 

Case in point: Captain America’s main combat weapon - a shield. A fucking shield that is not only made of vibratium (an apparently indestructible metal from the Marvel Universe, full stop), but apparently also magicked to draw enemy fire as if it was a target at a firing range!

Captain America’s enemies NEVER seem to realize that no matter how much Chris Evan tries to crouch, turn, jump, duck, it is anatomically impossible to fit his entire muscular torso behind the shield. Continuous fire AT his shield accomplishes nothing but sparks and sound effects. Unfortunately, this combat style was employed throughout the film, right from the first action scene, 15 minutes into the film, up to and including the Marvel-Cinematic-Universe-obligatory-final battle, an hour and 45 minutes later.

Our Captain America is also one invincible dude. He leaps off a plane in midair to dive into the ocean sans-parachute, survives a 10-men ambush in a packed elevator, leapfrogs a hovercraft, disables it by just tossing his shield at it, and even honorably puts away his shield to fight a shield-less villian. How noble.

On the other end of this Marvel human specimen spectrum, we have faceless soldiers who throw themselves bravely at Captain America, only to collapse a second later from a single stunning blow. Having just watched Lone Survivor two days ago, I would be forgiven for viewing this whole portrayal with abject skepticism.

The Marvel superhero franchise has been lauded for its ingenious attempt at cinematic continuity. Stringing together all the Thors, Iron Mans and Captain Americas is no simple task, but Nicky Fury’s Eye-Patch plays its part to perfection. Eye Patch’s presence reminds us that though the major characters have been holding their own private parties after The Avengers, they are still parties held within the same house.

Marvel knows it, Samuel L Jackson knows it, and I know of the 9 picture deal they signed around the time of Iron Man.

You see, my reaction to the first act was, “Surely not? Wow, would they really defy my expectations?”

I should have known better than to hope.

When the third act rolled around, whatever tiny, tiny emotional response the film has managed to elicit in the first act was completed negated with a, “Yup, that went totally as expected.”

The most ridiculous setup easily goes to be the final act, where Captain America was required to access the mainframes of a helio-carriers to stop the helio-carriers’ main programming from activating by swapping some hardware.

If there was any such engineer who designed the keystone mainframe of a carrier to be

1)      Obviously located within a huge glass bubble at the belly of the ship

2)      Accessible as just pressing a few control buttons

3)      Easily structurally compromised by swapping out a few pieces of hardware

He deserves to be shot.

Cobie Smulders.... completely wasted in this film

This one too. Emily VanCamp

Scarlett Johansson's makeup in this film is horrible.

Words of (un)Radiance

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have waited for the Words of Radiance for 3 years, and an hour ago, I had finally finished this book. It has taken me an entire week to complete this book, and I feel… disappointed.

What’s good about this book? The climax where Kaladin finally found his place. It was one major emotional payoff after 1000+ pages. It’s equivalent to, if not better than, the plateau rescue Branderson wrote 2 years ago.

There's probably lots of fantastical aspects of this book that plenty of people have waxed lyrical about (see other 4-star or 5-star reviews).

However, let's also address what went wrong.

1. Kaladin’s unwavering loyalty towards Dalinar, contrasted with his abrasive attitude towards Adolin and Shallan
Although at times the friction between Kaladin and Adolin/Shallan had been able to drive the plot along, at others it completely drags the story down. Kaladin comes across as extremely prejudiced and narrow-minded, sometimes unnecessarily so. I thought he would have grown past this after the plateau rescue in book 1, but apparently not. In fact, it may just have gotten worse as he has even more opportunities to interact with light-eyes here in this book. Despite his prejudice, he remains exceedingly loyal towards Dalinar and even risked his own life saving Adolin from one very tight spot. What’s with this dichotomy of individual behavior? And don’t tell me youthful arrogance and idiocy, because that completely contradicts his role as a leader.

2. Why is Roshar so special? In Mistborn, we only had Hoid make a cameo as an informant, a role that could be appropriately described as a neutral observer. Yet, starting with Book 1 of The Stormlight Archives, we have seen Captain Demoux, Hoid, Vasher and even Nightblood having pivotal interactions with the Roshar characters and influencing the ongoing conflict. Perhaps this is Brandon Sanderon’s 3rd major Cosmere series, and cross-series appearances are just symptoms of an increasingly complex universe (think Marvel and DC). But the write-and-expand-model is uncomfortably reminiscent of The Vampire Diaries. So give me a rationale why they are so intent on stopping Odium (contrasted with Scadrial’s independent struggle against Ruin). Make me believe why .

3. Regardless of Sanderson’s actual intention to make Shallan the central character of Book 2, it is undeniable that Kaladin is yet the most pivotal character in the entire series so far. Cases in point: the plateau climax of Book 1, Kaladin’s ascension at the end of Book 2. As a result, I felt extremely disappointed at the one-dimensional character and simplistic story developments for Kaladin. I do appreciate the background stories on Shallan, but really, Sanderson’s style has always been to write a full series focusing on 1 key character and using peripheral characters to flesh out the world or provide alternate viewpoints. With Words of Radiance, Sanderson proved that he has yet to be able to develop a sufficiently complex and interesting second character capable of sustaining reader interest on its own merits.

4. Kaladin is abrasive and depressive. Shallan is a liar. Dalinar is a tyrant. Adolin is a peacock. Yes, viewed in one way, this is adding depth to characters. Viewed in another light, the developments are so atypical of readers’ perception of them from Book 1 that it becomes so much harder to relate to them. It made me question my existing assumptions about them, and in doing so, I don’t know who they are any more.

5. The ending: Everything written after the plateau Oathgate was activated is a BLOODY MESS. Dalinar's commands for the entire Alethkar encampment to uproot themselves and move into the shattered plans were apparently obeyed without question (WHAT? Didn't we have a chapter where Dalinar was ridiculed and discredited in front of EVERYONE earlier in the book?) The entire Alethkar army continued moving for weeks into the middle of the shattered plains, their capital be damned. The characters began to see visions in the tower. How Shallan got her shardblade before she accepted key truths about herself and became a radiant (contrasted with Kaladin)? How did Szeth and Eshonai get to Urithiru tower in earlier Interludes without owning a true shardblade to activate the Oathgate fabrial?


View all my reviews

My Infatuation With The Man From The Stars

Once in a while, I sink into depression. It started with the Stars and made worse by Facebook.

The Stars, refers to You Who Came From The Stars, my latest drama infatuation that came to an end all too soon. It was a brief, passionate and heartbreaking affair.

Why did I love the drama so much? Was it because the puppy eyed Kim Soo Hyun? Was it because of the many times it made me laugh? Was it because of the spunky female lead? All of the above, but today I will tell you the truth. I was in love with the fantasy that you can somehow, somewhere find someone who would love and cherish you wholeheartedly. Someone who accepts and loves you, in spite of all your flaws.

I like Kim Soo Hyun for his acting, I admires Jun Ji Hyun for her talent and beauty. I love the characters. But would I want to marry Do Min Joon? Would I want to marry Kim Soo Hyun? No. I am not crazy. I love the drama  for it brings together two lovers despite their differences and individual quirks.

Liking someone is admiring their strengths, but loving someone, is embracing their flaws.

An old adage, in various forms, incarnations and languages, yet nevertheless an accepted refrain in many cultures.

Facebook don't often make me depressed. Perhaps it's because everybody has a self protective mechanism, and mine unconsciously manifests as a natural avoidance of Facebook status updates. I am particularly perturbed at the Facebook-surfing habits some of my friends have - Facebook surfing actually seems like a genuine pastime for them to while away spare time.

On the other hand, there's me. I wall myself away in ignorance. I prefer to live in my own world, rather than be forced to face reality. Facebook updates are really a real-time, in-the-now reminder of a ticking clock and a world where people are moving on, and moving on, and moving on.

Years ago, those among my friends who have a significant other numbers in the minority. These days, I am the minority.

I am unwilling to face the fact of my minority status. Perhaps my sudden bout of melancholy will soon pass. Perhaps I should stop wallowing in self pity and go meet people, as my friend chides me. Perhaps I would find a new drama to distract myself.

No matter how I try to run, I can never outrun the facts. Blinding myself to facts, however, has got to be something I am getting better in.

On Running Man

Today I deviate from my tradition of commenting exclusively on Western television shows and movies. Today, I talk about the reality show that has introduced me to Korea – its food, its pop culture, its entertainment industry, and the country in general.

In the long, long time since I last checked in, I have discovered another outlet for my love of film and television – Korea. It started with A Frozen Flower, and from then on, Running Man.

In my desperate attempts to sustain the beautiful yet painful experience of A Frozen Flower, I turned to the filmography of the lead actor and actress for inspiration. Sadly, the lead actor went into army after making A Frozen Flower, and his past works were mainly modern dramas. On the other hand, Song Ji-Hyo's filmography proved to be a treasure trove of wonders. Running Man, was one of them.

At that point of time, my only experience with reality shows have been from Hollywood, where generic franchises like Survivor, American Idol, Project Runway, Newlyweds are reigned by C or lower - listed entertainers and actors. It is a realm where respectable actors and entertainers do not tread. So it came as a great surprise to me, how can an actress as popular and successful as Song Ji-hyo, stay on at Running Man for 80 or 90 episodes (spanning over more than 1 year), without any other notable works during this period? What was this reality show that could capture not only the audience's attention, but the actress' heart?

So, on I went to take a sampler on Youtube. As expected, the quality and selection of videos on YouTube was extremely limited due to copyrighted content (Korea was extremely good at coordinating censorship of its copyright contents with YouTube). But I managed to find a respectably cut video, the first episode I ever watched, of an episode featuring a member of SNSD. I am oblivious to the appeal of SNSD, but just from glimpsing the interactions among the regular members, I was hooked.

Running Man's format is that of an urban Amazing Race. Every week, members along with the weekly guests are divided into separate teams and made to compete with each other. The filming location for each episode varies. Different challenges are thought up of each week, frequently in conjunction to showcase the locale's unique attractions, food, or people. At the end of each episode, a final winner is declared and a whole new competition begins anew the following episode. In the whole time I was in University, I have never discovered another show that made me laugh as hard, as often, and as true. It was the members' wit, passion, silliness, camaraderie and competitiveness that really shone through in every episode of my beloved show. For 3 weeks, I did little else besides catching up on the backlog of running man. It was running man for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper. And my favourite member, doubtless to say, was Song Ji-Hyo.

Ji-hyo is not book smart, or even remotely good at intellectual games. As the sole female member on the team, she is outgunned and outmuscled, literally, but never outwitted. Many a times, she stood aside and pretended to be the weak, harmless, fragile observer, while the rest of the members duked it out. In the final crucial moment, she rears up and executes stunning game changing surprises, winning the game on her intelligence, if not physical strength.

Korean reality shows are also interesting in the way they like to pair up couples in their roster of hosts and entertainers - "The Loveline". Entertainers participating in the "Loveline" are expected to flirt and be affectionate towards each other on a regular basis. The "Loveline" is set up so that audiences can voyeuristically enjoy the development of make-believe on-screen romance, a la mini-The Bachelor, and therefore become even more emotionally invested in the entertainers presenting the show. Despite having developed a relatively innovative game structure, Running Man yet operated in a generic Korean reality show environment and it was no surprise that several episodes into the show, the production team decided there is a need to "create" a "loveline" for the sole female member.

And the production team's choice was... the unlikely Kang Gary. Rapper Gary was at first sight, quiet, awkward, plain looking. A veritable guy-next-door on his first reality show, not the first person I would pick for Song Ji-hyo when they also have the pretty Song Joong Ki and the muscleman Kim Jong Kook. It was the first loveline for both Song Ji-hyo and Kang Gary; both were reluctant to be thrust into the situation and were extremely awkward and embarrassed at the start. However, the years went by, Gary became ever more confident in his entertainment skills, occasionally blurting comical witty one-liners. When Ji-hyo was revealed to be dating her management firm's CEO in real life, their love-line evolved from pretend affections to hilarious unrequited feelings from Gary. Most importantly, he became the direct complement to Ji-hyo: he was strong where Ji-hyo was weak, straightforward where Ji-hyo was devious, and underneath it all, they shared a solid friendship from working together for 3 years.

On the most recent episode aired on 15 September, Gary kissed Song Ji-hyo!!!(On the cheek, as part of a challenge) My first reaction was, "That's frigging awesome!!! So sweet!!!!" My second thought was, "Why the hell do I care when I know it's not real?" My third thought was of an episode long ago, when they had a teenage idol guest who said, "I am such a big fan of the Monday Couple (referring to Gary and Ji-hyo who only dates on Monday when Running Man films), I really want to wish them well!" Which brings me to a full circle – how did I write everything in the last 3 paragraphs, and still be so invested in a relationship that I know is as manufactured as plastic? How did people in the entertainment industry who help to create the illusion of such false truths, become so invested? What is this mystical allure of the loveline, even when people know it's not real?

Alas, I have no answers. I am as much the next regular person who had fallen under Running Man's spell. Running Man makes me happy. I watch it the first opportunity I get, whether is it Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday. It's had its boring moments, especially when they recycles silly challenges like the ddakji, but otherwise, it is the highlight of my week. I admire the production team's creativity, sadistic humor and meticulous planning. I love the members' cohesiveness, dedication and occasional absurdity. Truth, I love Running Man.

Homeland Season 2 Episode 2

When I finished Homeland Season 1 about a week and half ago, I was so excited about the soon-to-start Season 2. After all, Season 1 did end on a pretty high note and it had just won the 3 biggest Emmy Awards. Unfortunately, the euphoria from Season 1 did not last very long into the second season.

The second episode of the 'critically lauded' series is a classic example of how absurd Homeland has gotten. Major plot hole after plot hole appeared throughout the episode. Here are some really glaring ones:

Major Plot-hole #1:
Brody getting invited into a top secret live broadcast of DoD operation without proper vetting, removal of electronic devices and what-not. Are we talking about the Pentagon here? Or is this some random police station? Are we talking about a 6-month old Congressman here or a 20 year US Army General?

If Abu Nasir is that big a terrorist they talked about in Season 1, this has got to be a pretty serious operation attended by the President, Army General, Special Ops Director, all the major bureaucratic leaders of the Pentagon. How am i supposed to believe that a 6-MONTH OLD CONGRESSMAN has got a seat reserved for him near the head of the table? Right opposite of Vice President Walden? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

How could Brody be important enough to deserve a seat with the other Army generals and the Vice President himself?

Major Plot-hole #2:

Hey, obvious much?

Oh jolly, Brody just managed to send a text message across the Pacific Ocean, African continent, and length of the Mediterranean Sea to warn Abu Nasir of the assassination attempt, all within the space of a few seconds. It basically happens within a few seconds, that's gotta be pretty amazing. There will definitely be questions asked about how and why Abu Nasir was warned off at the last minute, and direct telecommunication traffic right into Beirut, outside of the CIA/Pentagon's secured channels of communications, will be the first to raise suspicions, if those hunchos in CIA has got any experience at all.

The alternative being a message being bounced around through several people so that it is less likely to be traced back to him, but this would be nigh impossible to warn Abu Nasir on time.

Looking at the speed of message transmission, Brody has to have had Abu Nasir on speed dial. If its that easy and undetectable, why bother with making Roya the middleman? Just continue sending messages in code, why don't you?

Major Plot-hole #3:
Dear Brody, if you voluntarily let Abu Nasir 'live another day', you should be prepared to face the consequences. Why would you get upset about having to continue to act as one of his puppets? Did you ever consider, if he had died, you would have been freed immediately to execute your own version of morally justified retaliation on the US government, free from constraints and dictations from the fucktard?

No? Well then, your amazing lack of intellectual powess certainly disqualifies you from a congressman position. Ah wait, I remembered Sarah Palin had been running for Vice President a while back. Look at what kind of influence you have, Palin, politicians in every show don't have to be smart no more.

Major Plot-hole #4.1:
Carrie, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? I mean, there's no way you would think she's CIA trained looking at how rashly she jumped out of the vehicle. Option 1: Leaving your companions amidst hostile forces to go into an unknown area blind looking for God knows what, with minimal chance of finding anything. Option 2: Stay with your companions and get out of the area ASAP. No prize for guessing which option smart Carrie picked. Such brainless actions fully justify why she deserves to be kicked out of the CIA. She is a danger to other agents and herself.

Definitely someone with a problem

Major Plot-hole #4.2
Related to Plot-hole 4.1, is the amazing turn of events following Carrie's rash action: Leaving your companions to hostile forces, entering an unknown area without facing any resistance (the building and specific apartment just so happens to be abandoned by inhabitants. No matter that Muslims are polygamous and it is impossible for that Muslim lady to be the only wife of a Hezbollah COMMANDER.) Such a conspicuously blonde lady was able to move unmolested around a Hezbollah stronghold when America is having major tensions with the Muslim Middle East. (though the hostile people did come after her after some time later) A group of foreign looking individuals driving a GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY hatchback into and stopping in a Hezbollah controlled area.

Then the most amazing thing is Carrie is taking all these risks to grab some random documents from a table top in a freely-accessible study room. I mean, if this isn't a show, there's no way a CIA agent would be this STUPID, right? You just have to consider the odds to know random documents lying around is not gonna be worth the risk. Can you imagine dying for some electricity bills? I got plenty of those lying around on my study table.


There's are other more minor plot holes, such as Saul's never-ending blind faith in Carrie and the Brody family's meteoric rise in economic and social standings. But those simply pales in comparison to the above developments. With some of the most  absurd plot lines involving Brody, it will take an actor with significant charisma and conviction to pull them off convincingly. I for one, was not sold by Daniel Lewis' 'critically acclaimed' subtle (read: bland) acting.

Sabriel by Garth Nix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was a fantastic book. Garth Nix kept me breathless throughout Sabriel's adventure. There were just the right amount of background information to help the audience understand what went on in the novel, and there were just the right amount of questions left unanswered that will keep readers coming back for book 2. The book can also be read as a standalone, as the main storyline was well wrapped up.

However, since I rated The Way of Kings and both entries in Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles as 5 stars, I felt that Sabriel in comparison falls short in several aspects, as it didn't give me the WOW feeling that i genuinely had with the other books previously mentioned.

In terms of world building, Garth Nix could have explained the magical system (the Charter) of the book, better. Right from page one, the author dumped "Charter" on the readers, without really delving in the mechanics of the magical system throughout the book. Readers were left to fend for themselves picking up clues along the way. In a way it works as it avoids a lot of info-dumping. In another way, it does make a lot of things very convenient for the characters as sometimes the characters got out of difficult situations a bit too easily (such as flying the Paperwing)

As for the characters, none of the characters stood out except for Mogget. Now that guy is fascinating. The schizophrenia and obvious wisdom makes for a very interesting combination. Sabriel is one strong woman, both mentally and magically. While I do admire her will and focus very much, she did come across as rather plain. No cracking wit, no exceptional insight (though this is probably a result of authorial intention to place the main character in a state of perpetual ignorance), no real flaw etc. She's just, for lack of a better term, meh.

I felt the relationship between Sabriel and Touchstone seemed rather rushed towards the end. After Sabriel finding Touchstone irritating for most of the book, the two inexplicably fell in love with each other. Perhaps it was because of the dire situation they found themselves in, you know, like crisis bringing together people. But still, I thought the interaction between them was written in a very cold manner.

I have to add that my perception of the book might have been coloured by firstly, speed reading most of the book, hence I may have missed out key details. It honestly is a very fast paced, a lot of things going on kind of story. And secondly, I accidentally discovered, to my great annoyance, that the next book will not feature Sabriel. Regardless of my thoughts towards the character design, I am still invested in her and would honestly want to read about things from her perspective again.

View all my reviews

Game of Thrones, Season 2 Episode 4

Its been quite long since I last checked in huh.

Today I wanna talk about the fantastic season 2 of the Game of Thrones. This is one of the best shows on TV these days. Besides the keen dialogue, perhaps the most attractive feature of the show is its cast of unique, flawed, vivid, unconventional characters. None of the characters has once behaved the way I expected him to, there's just about surprises around every turn.

This season, this show is complimented by its bevy of excellent actors (with the exception of the random supporting actor coming out for 5 minutes, such as the Lannister cousin today), imaginative costumes, detailed set designs, well-picked location settings.

Game of Thrones is by far, in my opinion, the best cable show I have seen. It mixes a whole range of themes: honor, politics, sex, violence. In short, it is a very, very intelligent show. Of course, a big portion of the credit has to go out to the original book author - George R.R. Martin. The first book, Game of Thrones didn't break the traditional fantasy mold much. But book 2 or season 2 is showing me just how smart this series is.

I LOVED IT~!

Unfortunately, as HBO Presents George RR Martin's freaky story in all its glory, sometimes the show just takes it even further than what my experienced mind can accept (True Blood and Spartacus veteran here). Season 2's episode 4 has just 2 such scenes - They are SO CREEPY/WEIRD/:SSSS

Its better if I just showed you.

Joffrey, Joffrey, Joffrey: this has got to be the creepiest teenager on TV EVER. At merely 15 years of age, he commands his knight to publicly humiliate and beat up his fiancee to be (another 15 year old girl), and here he forces two prostitutes (well-intended gifts from his uncle meant to help him becomes "less (mentally) clogged" ie stupid/weird/evil/twisted) to beat each other up.  

He is an idiot psychopath given all the power. He gets my vote for the most psychotic fictional sociopath ever created. Here's some worthy competition, Hannibal.

That said, I sincerely wonder where Jack Gleeson comes up with the "emotional memory" to portray such a twisted character in a believable fashion.

Scene 2

I can totally understand why the producers left this as the concluding scene for the episode. Despite all the weird out shit that this episode had, I doubt anybody has the appetite to watch anything else after this "unconventional" birthing scene.

When the woman removed her robe at first, you see a swollen belly, she lies down on the floor, spread eagled and starts yelling as if in labour. You think, she's pregnant and ready to give birth already? (she had sex with one of the king's  2 episodes back, promising to give him a son) Okay, maybe her magic sped up her pregnancy.

Then the camera shifts to her belly (first picture), and you see there's something seriously wrong about her stomach: its pulsating. Expanding, contracting, denting... Then the camera moves further down, and you see shit coming out from between her legs. Literally black smoke stuff, which then evolves into claws around her legs: some silently screaming, skull like, black monster.

Hmm, what's wrong with this picture?

I guess this is the point where people start dying. 

Yep, weird shit indeed.

I challenge anyone to find me anything weirder than this.