I watch all movies in nearby halls and forget about them the next day. Very rarely do I discuss a film. But this is different.
In the weekend ‘The Avengers’ was released in Delhi, I heard a radio jockey commenting on the characters in this film, and who his favorite was. He started by saying that Captain America was a boring loser and that he liked Iron Man the most, and that the Hulk was awesome. Now it’s been a few decades since I was 8 years old, but I can't let this go buddy.
I wish people would understand superheroes for more than just fictional pieces with super-human powers, or no more than figments of someone's imagination. A superhero may be created by a group of talented people who contribute to popular art for entertainment, but the substance emerges from the real world. Everyday geopolitics, news and events on chaos and terrorism, small crimes and untouchable drug lords, remorseless politicians make us wish there was a quick fix. When governments or police do not act quickly, one wishes a renegade cop would. Along with supernatural powers, a weakness is planted in our superhero; to make him vulnerable, approachable and someone you can have a beer with. Yes, Captain America appears to be at sea with cutting-edge tech, defrosting from an era gone by, but that was a great era. Despite that, his greatest strength was his heart, a good sense of judgment and a love for mankind you’d see from a wise, Yoda-like grandfather.
Sometimes, superheroes we relate to are people we want to be like. So if you like The Hulk a little too much, clearly you're not the one to sort things out surgically or with some mind-numbing strategy. Just smash your way through. For Thor, it’s all ego and the golden image of the self one cares about, intolerant to any suggestion of humbling, or playing second fiddle to a larger person. Same for Iron Man. He’s brilliant and seriously capable, but is also limited by the lack of willingness to collaborate with others.
That's where Cap emerges. There's so much one can do alone. But when various powers collaborate, the unified force is unbeatable. For that, one has to be able to look beyond ones own self, be able to diffuse ego issues and bring everyone to the table, voluntarily, for a common purpose.
So it’s Captain America for me. But I would look further to collaboration- between him and Nick Fury, from where comes the teaming, decision making sense and grit.
Here’s a lovely infographic on The Avengers I can't stop loving- http://lemon.ly/work/avengers-assemble
In the weekend ‘The Avengers’ was released in Delhi, I heard a radio jockey commenting on the characters in this film, and who his favorite was. He started by saying that Captain America was a boring loser and that he liked Iron Man the most, and that the Hulk was awesome. Now it’s been a few decades since I was 8 years old, but I can't let this go buddy.
I wish people would understand superheroes for more than just fictional pieces with super-human powers, or no more than figments of someone's imagination. A superhero may be created by a group of talented people who contribute to popular art for entertainment, but the substance emerges from the real world. Everyday geopolitics, news and events on chaos and terrorism, small crimes and untouchable drug lords, remorseless politicians make us wish there was a quick fix. When governments or police do not act quickly, one wishes a renegade cop would. Along with supernatural powers, a weakness is planted in our superhero; to make him vulnerable, approachable and someone you can have a beer with. Yes, Captain America appears to be at sea with cutting-edge tech, defrosting from an era gone by, but that was a great era. Despite that, his greatest strength was his heart, a good sense of judgment and a love for mankind you’d see from a wise, Yoda-like grandfather.
Sometimes, superheroes we relate to are people we want to be like. So if you like The Hulk a little too much, clearly you're not the one to sort things out surgically or with some mind-numbing strategy. Just smash your way through. For Thor, it’s all ego and the golden image of the self one cares about, intolerant to any suggestion of humbling, or playing second fiddle to a larger person. Same for Iron Man. He’s brilliant and seriously capable, but is also limited by the lack of willingness to collaborate with others.
That's where Cap emerges. There's so much one can do alone. But when various powers collaborate, the unified force is unbeatable. For that, one has to be able to look beyond ones own self, be able to diffuse ego issues and bring everyone to the table, voluntarily, for a common purpose.
So it’s Captain America for me. But I would look further to collaboration- between him and Nick Fury, from where comes the teaming, decision making sense and grit.
Here’s a lovely infographic on The Avengers I can't stop loving- http://lemon.ly/work/avengers-assemble
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