Turbulence (Book Review)

Superheroes are the in. Yes we get that. They are on our TV screens, in cinemas, in comics as always, and also in books. We have been bombarded with superheroes of all kinds, even the “real” ones (Superheroes, Super, Kick Ass) without any powers over the last five years or so in every possible way.

Amidst all this comes the new book by Samit Basu titled Turbulence. Below is my review of the book, which is a slightly elongated version of the one I posted on the Amazon.co.uk website.

Turbulence is a story about a handful of individuals from different walks of life unknowingly ending up with superpowers after a flight from London to Delhi. It is a story about these very individuals discovering their new identities and coming to terms with their powers and deciding on how to eventually use them. It is a classic tale of Good Vs Evil with emotions and self discovery thrown in as extra measure to give the characters a more human feel which in turn adds to the charm of the book.

It is quite evident that the author Samit Basu is up-to-date with his knowledge about superheroes and the pop culture references are in abundance throughout the book. He is not short on humor either with a number of instances where I did literally laugh-out-loud. Unfortunately, the biggest flaw for me lies with the powers that are allotted to the characters. Throughout the book I could not help but relate certain aspects to comic books, or TV series like Heroes, or films like X-Men, Avengers, Superman, etc. For example, there is a "suit" that is somewhat on the lines of Iron Man. Moreover, it even folds-up into a briefcase which to me shouted Iron Man 2, the film. There is a character who can bulk himself up and become a tiger faced beast which seemed pretty much like the Hulk without the obvious turmoil that the Hulk/Dr. Banner go through. Even the main villain, Jai, has shades of Magneto, not in terms of power, but in terms of their thought process. So while I tried to enjoy the book, I could not but help draw up these similarities, and there were quite a few, and I am not even a comic book fan.

Having said that, the book does have interesting characters, especially the ones that are regional to India. The Shinde Brothers provide an episode that would fair interestingly well should the book be ever made into a movie. Although once again this incident is reminiscent of the attack on X-Men’s Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters from one of the films.

Some of the other powers that are featured in the book, which I shall not mention so you can enjoy reading, are unique and bring about the fun element in the book. The book is also a small window in the thinking of young-India and in a somewhat unconventional way manages to show the reader how the new generation has been influenced by the West in their upbringing.   

Turbulence takes a little while to set itself up. While it took me a couple of weeks to get through the first 100 pages, I finished the next 250 in one day. It is also the start of a series and it is understandable that the basis has to be formed, so when the sequel Resistance comes out next year, it will hopefully not have to go back into the "origins" aspect.

The book does end on a high and sets up the story in such a way that only good things can follow. I simply wish that there is less to compare in the sequel with already released superhero films/books/comics.

Being an Indian I especially liked the local touch the story gives to the characters and while it goes around the globe culminating in London, it stays true to the region where it is primarily set.

Turbulence makes for an interesting read and it might not be genre defining, but is a positive addition to the superhero genre that we are being bombarded with from all directions.

Turbulence is rated 3.5/5 Book Worms

        

The Dark Knight Rises

It’s time I finally got down to writing something about one of the most anticipated and hence discussed movies of 2012. The Dark Knight Rises, like any good film, has divided the film watching world into two halves. There are those who adore it and those who were disappointed by it. There are fans that have seen the film countless times and then there are the people who rate it as the weakest in the trilogy.

All said and done I decided to skip reviewing the film early on. There was a part of me that was almost intimidated about writing a review. I felt that everything that needed to be written was already available on the web. The film had been studied under a microscope and while there might be loopholes and timeline issues or the discussion about a knife being able to go through the bat-suit (I recommend re-watching The Dark Knight to answer that question), for me The Dark Knight Rises was two hours forty minutes of pure entertainment, something we call in India as Paisa Vasool (money’s worth). It concluded the trilogy in the same brilliant manner Batman Begins started it.

So, since I had chickened out of a review, I decided to ask Twitter folk what they thought about the film. Although personally I do not feel there aren’t any SPOILERS in the answers, I would still recommend that if you have not watched the film as yet, please do avoid reading below till the time you have.   

And here we have the answers to the question "What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say The Dark Knight Rises?" in 140 characters or less;

R. ‏@meetneo

Christian Bale

Tone ‏@ourmatetone

"NO. I came back to STTOPP YOUU!" (pretty much)

Med1c0 ‏@med1c0

the legacy of Ras Al Ghul

Dreamer/kim ‏@ByrneingUP 

The chess piece being lifted by a balloon..:{)

Sudha Ganapathi ‏@sudhagee

Not seen it yet and wondering whether I should !

Chris Rushworth ‏@chrisrus1

what an amazing story, just wow

Cristina ‏@christimoreano

the end of an era!

Film Samurai ‏@FilmSamurai

A satisfying conclusion to an epic trilogy. #TDKR

Goldilocks ‏@BeaBea66

Dracula getting out of his coffin :-) Haven't seen TDKR yet but will do soon.

Graham ‏@ukRedSaint

no spoilers ;)

NUTS4R2 ‏@nuts4r2

Batman hanging by his arms in issue 1 of Batman: The Cult.

Last Film Seen ‏@LastFilmSeen

I can't remember individual images as only read it once but I was also reminded of The Cult after watching#TDKR

Russell ‏@Russell_LDN

First fight between Batman and Bane in the sewer.

Darthbx ‏@Darthbx

Why such strong reactions to it on both sides?

Jubilympic Hobbit ‏@bilbobaggins2k

darkness

Maksim S. ‏@waynesayonara

Dey-shey bah-sur-rah :)

Jack Holt ‏@jackkholt

Sewer fight. Best fight scene in ages.

Jason Coyle ‏@JayCoyle

please don't make me see it again! Too long and weakest of the trilogy

Brian Dunn ‏@bpdreview

Unfortunately it's Aurora, Colorado

Stevee Taylor ‏@SteveeTaylor

I really really really want to see it again.

tracey thomas ‏@traceyjoa

Tom Hardy as Bane

AV ‏@Gora_Mallu

Hans Zimmer is the best!

There you have it folks… a perfectly mixed reaction to a film that has brought about “the end to an era”.

Enjoy!

The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man, 2012
Directed by Marc Webb
Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans

We all know the story of Spiderman. Nerdy high school boy Peter Parker, bitten by radioactive spider, gains superpowers and becomes Spiderman. Best known in the movie forms that starred Tobey Macguire and Kirsten Dunst, in the form of 3 films.

Well, here we are in 2012, only 5 years since Spider-Man 3 came out. It's a "whole new origins story", now starring the critically acclaimed Andrew Garfield, and the new comedienne Emma Stone. While I remember being extremely skeptical when this "reboot" was announced, I slowly warmed to the idea when I saw the first trailer, and saw Andrew as Peter.

It's not secret that I have a huge celebrity crush on Andrew Garfield and love his acting. He was particularly phenomenal in Never Let Me Go, and I personally thought he deserved an acting nomination over Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network. However, I digress.

While the trailer and commercials and posters have promised an origins story for Peter and his alter ego, I'd say that was a little more of a let down. There's wasn't too much origins, though it was more of a relationship/personal movie than an action one, which I respect.

I haven't watched any of the Spider-Man movies for a very long time, so I can't really remember how well they resemble each other. Obviously, there were various things that happened that also happened in the Raimi version, such as Uncle Ben's death, the idea of the responsibility to do the right thing should you have the power to do it and, obviously, getting bitten by a radioactive spider and developing his costume and persona.  However, these things had to happen, and they did it in a different way than the original Raimi versions did.

Peter's reaction to his gaining of superpowers was extremely well-done, I thought. It was done in a realistic way, a way that I could imagine myself reacting. Breaking everything, being very confused, and just trying to ignore they happened and move on. The sequence in the bathroom and in his bedroom after that was well done. Additionally, once Peter had finally officially suited up and was roaming the streets for his Uncle's killer, we got a smart-talking Spider-Man, which was very fun. He had some fantastic lines, and made the whole thing quite amusing without overdoing it too much.

While the sequences with Peter were very good, it takes quite a bit into the movie for the Lizard to finally appear. It's not until about halfway through (which is at least an hour in) that Dr. Curt Connors finally turns into the Lizard. And if there were any plot-holes that I could complain about (and there were a few), it'd be more with the Lizard than with Peter or Peter and Gwen. While some the fighting sequences looked amazing (possible Oscar attention for Visual Effects? I'd say it's very possible), there were too many times when the Lizard has him in his grips and doesn't really do anything to Peter. Sure, tell me that villains like to torture their victims or whatever, or the director tried to make it suspenseful, but I thought it was a bit lazy.

In fact, while I enjoyed the movie, I felt like the Lizard was kind of the last thing planned in the story, as though it was decided they were going to do a Spider-man movie, and would do Gwen Stacy and be all comic-book, and oh yeah we need a villain. The Lizard sound ok? While it was an okay villain, it felt like it was way less planned out that Peter's story was, and while I understand this movie was an 'origins' story, I would've liked the villain to make more sense.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. However, this is probably due to the fact that Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield were fantastic and I feel like I probably wouldn't have liked the movie as much if they weren't in it. Andrew Garfield is a solid actor and has done some good work thus far, and, I find, to be very under-appreciated. He gave a great performance in this film. Though he's about 29 years old, I thought he was able to strike that teenager attitude well. While he didn't exactly look 17 (I'd say he looked about 21, which isn't too bad for a high school movie if you really think about it), he captured the typical walk teen guys have, and had great chemistry with Emma Stone (duh), and really pulled off the cutesyness well. I just really like Andrew Garfield here, okay guys?

Overall, I enjoyed this reboot. It was fun, it was funny, quirky, cute, with some good action sequences. I'd even hazard to say it's been my favourite Superhero movie of the year thus far (okay, there's only been two, but I didn't like the Avengers, so there you have it.) though I know that'll change in a few weeks time when Batman is released.

7/10
(no, I didn't love it, and yes my favourite superhero movie of the year so far gets a 7)

The Amazing Spiderman (2D)

A reboot to early or a money making scheme used by the studios to cash in on the superhero crazy which seems to be at its pinnacle right now; these are the two things that come to mind when I think about The Amazing Spiderman starring a brand new cast of Andrew Garfield (taking over the honors from Tobey Maguire), Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, and Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben.

Anupama Chopra, one of India’s leading film critics, suggests that we should go into the movie without thinking about the earlier franchise. While that would be the optimal approach to The Amazing Spiderman, I cannot help but compare the two at every level and for that very reason I find this reboot more and more unnecessary.

The angst that Maguire's Peter Parker brought to the franchise was something more relatable. Garfield, while doing justice to the costume, comes across as cockier and not so much of a "loser" as his counterpart from the earlier films. Unfortunately, as a result, the transformation into Spiderman has a much stronger impact and effect on Maguire's Parker than on the one portrayed by Garfield. The same is also visible in the actual transformation. While Maguire goes through a number of issues trying to discover his powers, Garfield almost eases through this process in a small ineffective montage. Spiderman, in both cases, at heart, starts off as a vigilante trying to avenge his uncle's death but it is his realization into a superhero that is once again brought together marvelously in Raimi's version whereas Marc Webb gives The Amazing Spiderman a more comic-bookishness in this new rendition.

The obligatory aspects of the Spiderman story; being bullied in school, death of Uncle Ben, are all present in The Amazing Spiderman. Unfortunately they feel repetitious due to the proximity of the film to Spiderman. The film also lacks memorable dialogues that were omnipresent in the earlier films. Who can forget "With great power comes great responsibility"? Furthermore, with nothing to compare the iconic upside-down wet kiss of Spiderman with Mary Jane, the new feature adds almost no memorable aspects to its story or characters.  

As directors both Raimi and Webb bring completely different visions to the film. While Raimi's version is more story oriented focusing on the numerous emotions of Peter Parker, Webb, besides taking too long to get the story going, is more visual in trying to wow the audience with special effects. Granted there are scenes that are amazing to look at, but I have always found Spiderman to be more about the characters than just the look of the film. We also have to keep in mind the addition of the 3D aspect, which is always pointless in my view, in The Amazing Spiderman; something that was missing earlier, and something I was thankfully able to avoid this time as well.     

The love interests of Peter Parker/Spiderman are different in both the films and that allows for the audience to look at them separately. Although, the fact remains that as love interests both the characters bring about a certain maturity to the story which is comparable. While the universally likeable Emma Stone, Playing Gwen Stacy, might be the best part about the entire film, she is unable to compare herself with the depth and conflict faced by Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson in the earlier films.Mary Jane is a more complex character facing family issues, a want to make a name for herself in acting, and of course discovering love in the most unusual of places. The love triangle in the previous films form an intrinsic part of the story and the on-off relationship between Mary Jane and Peter Parker added an entirely new dimension, something that was missing from this film. It's also pertinent to note that due to the structure of the film, The Amazing Spiderman misses out on the Peter Parker - Harry Osborn friendship aspect which took the dynamics of the previous franchise to a whole new level. 

One thing that superhero films of the past have taught us is that the villain is almost as important as the hero. This is where The Amazing Spiderman gets squashed by a rolled up Daily Bugle. William Dafoe as the Green Goblin had such a strong presence in Spiderman that no matter how hard Rhys Ifans tries to regenerate himself as the Lizard, he falls short in comparison. Furthermore, The Green Goblin has been one of the few iconic villains which are known to non comic book readers, whereas The Lizard is someone relatively unknown to the same people.

The Amazing Spiderman could have worked much better had it been released maybe a decade in the future. Right now, the public that is going to view this film has in most cases already seen Spiderman and its sequels and thus this reboot feels forced, unless Marvel has plans to add Spiderman to its already successful Avengers lineup. Maguire's Parker was much grounded, something I appreciated in Spiderman. Garfield’s Spiderman is a comic-book hero with panache and takes away the innocence that forms an fundamental part of this teenage hero entrusted upon with a superpower unexpectedly.

With news of The Amazing Spiderman being developed into a trilogy, I honestly can say that my interest now lies in seeing Spiderman only as part of Avengers and not as a separate franchise.        

Rating 2.5/5

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Overall Rating: 8.00/10

We all like to think we are the better men. That when you take away all our perceived notions of grandeur, and strip us down to our most bare boned nature, we exceed all others. That our species is dominant, and this world is ours to do with as we like. Now, you stand face to face with the knowledge that this is a fallacy. That your species is changing, and you will be left behind. Do you rise to embrace this change? Or do you sink in fear of it? Remember, your answer to this question, does not ensure your longevity, in either way. And also remember, those of this new evolution must make their decision with respect to you as well.

Such decisions lay at the heart of X-Men: First Class, as the dawn of a new mutation in the evolution of man comes into knowledge. Through juxtapositions and timeline identifiers, X-Men: First Class establishes the initial rift between Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and Charles Xavier, aka Professor X (James McAvoy) that would forever shape the formation and social involvement of mutants throughout history.

Providing a global awareness demonstrably lacking in previous X-Men installments enables X-Men: First Class to deal with a wide spectrum of social issues at the backdrop of its core story. We are whisked away through a wide assortment of moral conflicts, both directly and indirectly tackled by our core characters.

It is a rewarding experience, especially for those fans of the series who have found recent installments lacking. Vaughn's direction is as on the mark as ever. Not too presumptuous, or trapped in self-aware moments, Vaughn offers a film that can be appreciated by both series newcomers and seasoned veterans. Fans of the series may be quick to point out that X-Men: First Class does not strictly align its timeline and plot-points with the fellow outings, but I believe it's actually for the best.

By declaring itself as both a part and separate from the entire X-Men series, X-Men: First Class is able to create its own narrative without worry about dates/times/character locations, which it does with solid precision. While at the same time, the film benefits from the predefined characters and attributes film goers are already familiar with. Though I am happy to report that use of it is limited, and that use is awesome.

But perhaps X-Men: First Class' greatest attribute lies in its use of character. So often these superhero films get bogged down by stereotyping, they forget to offer the viewer something to walk away with. A bit of the character to take home and reflect and embrace. X-Men: First Class most certainly does not. The film dives right into the mindset of each character, with the transformation of Magneto being the most gripping of all.

Michael Fassbender has been on the outskirts of public outcry for far too long, and this film is his first proper introduction to the world. Capable of maintaining and calling upon a wide range of emotions, he wonderfully navigates the complex internal struggle facing Erik Lehnsherr. Taking Erik from the blood ridden assassin to the philosophical leader, the viewer is given one of the more intriguing character studies of the last few years - well, definitely as far as blockbusters go.

James McAvoy continues his string of solid roles, proving he has what it takes to be both a leading man and supporting player in one go - and in all likelihood lining himself up to earn an Oscar in his 50s as a distressed middle aged father. Jennifer Lawrence and Rose Byrne provide the necessary confident female perspective, helping separate X-Men from its male driven counterparts in the Marvel universe. Kevin Bacon - despite having the wrong nose for his Magneto helmet - is an all around solid villain, earning laughs and boos in equal measure. While the rest of the cast handles their roles with the craft and consistency one would expect to find more often in big budget pictures. Still, who do I have to kill to get Jason Flemyng a viable acting part? Don't even get me started on Michael Ironside...

Of course, I would be remiss if I were to claim all that X-Men: First Class offers is without flaw. Now I'm willing to pass on the moldy cheese stench reeking from two of its core opening scenes. I'm also more than happy to let it slide that it's musical score is basically a greatest hits of Hans Zimmer scores for the last few years. But I must say, at the end of the day, I really wasn't all that impressed with how the film handled all of its transitions. And when you consider just how many there are, that's a rather big hurdle to overcome. The opening third is very jerky, not always well defined, and despite a collection of solid moments, felt like a cliff-notes writer lost control of his pen and went on a writing rampage before being tamed via electrocution rods and jammed back into his cage. Once the characters start coming together, the film begins to even out, but I couldn't help shake this underwhelming feeling of forced narrative usurping character moments. Some may call this nitpicking, but I contend that in a film of this scope, even the slightest nudge against the viewer's grip can take them off course throughout. Especially when you factor in the two-plus hour run time.

Then again, if you factor in the rushed production, studio's off the wall expectations, and a spree of casting that seemed as if they wouldn't stop even after the film was made, X-Men: First Class holds up incredibly well. The acting never feels like a let down - though Bacon's pug nose did meet its match in the Magneto helmet - Vaughn's directing is steadfast, and full of life (so much so I'm sure Ang Lee rolled his eyes more than once at the mid-film montage). Even writing team Miller and Stentz (who in my opinion were the weakest part of this year's Thor) found a solid middle ground to navigate with writer-director Vaughn and his longtime writing partner Jane Goldman.

All in all, X-Men: First Class is simply a top class superhero outing. If Thor was the jumper cables needed to get the engine going, X-Men: First Class is the sportscar that it started off and left the rest in the dust.

Film Credits:
Directed By - Matthew Vaughn
Written By - Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn
Story By - Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer

Thor (2011)

Overall Score: 7.00/10

Hi, and welcome to Thor Review number 9,291 in your Google Feed Reader. We here at A Life in Equinox are proud to now present our vaguely similar thoughts to what most other people are saying about the film. If you don't want to read anything negative about Thor, please cover your eyes and whack aimlessly at your mouse now.

If I could boil down Marvel's latest endeavor to just one simple concept, it would be this: self-awareness. Every movie is not just aware of its place within the context of the greater cinematic picture. It's also aware of its place within public lore. The aspects of its story that can be mocked, are. The aspects of its story that can be championed, are. And this concept succeeds because of one simple thing: Marvel knows the formula for making a successful superhero movie.

Unfortunately, one thing is lost amidst all that self-awareness... a sense of self. Each movie is so wrapped up in being ironic, self-referential, and inter-series referential that it leaves its characterizations at the door. Life defining events are simplified into one or two sentence conversations. Character backstories are summed up in single facial expressions. And the dialogue of the world you're creating... well it's just used without context, definition, or explination.

All these things are fine, if you're dealing with an audience in which one can generally expect a great deal of knowledge on the subject matter going in. However, much is the same case with Harry Potter, that's not the norm. And for those like myself who didn't grow up caring about comic books, or superheroes for that matter, much is lost in a sea of names I can't understand, people who just seem to be doing things at random, and a hammer whose Arthurian 'sword in the stone' narrative seems to deliver a limitless power source to its holder.

These are the things I find frustrating about modern cinema in general, but if I don't want to get lost in a sea of 'looky looky,' I suppose it's time I start adapting. However, don't expect me to go easily. There are certain basic components I expect from a film, and in that regard Thor reaches the finish line by the narrowest of margins.

If nothing else, I'd say it's the 'cute factor' that saves Thor. Despite its PG-13 and occasional subtle adult humor, Thor is a relatively tame affair which embraces a childlike innocence of a comic book reader. The jokes are well timed, founded on over the top characters, and packed with plenty of charismatic talent to see it through to the end. The visuals are stunning, amped up by 3D - even if it is blatantly unnecessary - and full of color and life.

Breakthrough villain, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) finds an off-kilter balance between Commodus and The Joker, making him equal parts mysterious and creative, but ultimately lacking the villainy of the aforementioned. Sure, he gets up to a bit of 'mischief,' but for the most part his efforts are conventional and ill-conceived. Sort of how one would imagine an evil David Copperfield.

Chris Hemsworth utilizes charm, intensity, and dead on comedic timing in bringing our Titular superhero to life. By playing up the camp of the role he is involved in, we are allowed to buy into the camp of the surrounding story. A style fellow actors Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, the 'Warriors Three,' and the infallible Clark Gregg embrace in whole. Especially when you consider that the relationships built between them are founded almost entirely on non-verbal communication.

Anthony Hopkins knows how to command the screen, and is a dead ringer for Odin alongside Stellan Skarsgard, who just seems to exude fatherly experience with each vocalization. Leaving the rest in the capable, if not overtly theatrical, directing skills of Kenneth Branagh.

Thor does not reinvent the wheel, it just adds a polish, little bit of gold plating, and allows the viewer to get wrapped up in the continuous motion. And for those seeking out Thor for their viewing, that's most likely the full range of what they seek.

Film Credits:
Directed By: Kenneth Branagh
Written By: Ashley Miller,  Zack Stentz, and Don Payne
Based on the Comics By: Stan Lee, Jerry Lieber, and Jack Kirby