28 July, 2013

Movie Review- The Wolverine

Let me be the first to admit that I'm gaga over Hugh Jackman. He epitomizes the essence of stereotyped masculinity for me- ruggedly handsome, broad shoulders, good dentition and a sense of humor. Also, let's not forget his height.I am especially gaga about Mr.Jackman as Wolverine 

 ( with his dog-tags, facial hair that stops short of being massively hirsute and the rippling muscles and gleaming claws) and therefore was awaiting his latest stint as the mutant with a lot of ill-concealed anticipation but alas...I was to be disappointed: in both Mr.Jackman and his onscreen avatar.

Here's what works for the movie- it helps you pass the time on a Friday night. That's it!

Here's what doesn't work- Mr.Jackman looking older and tireder (I understand Wolverine has a lot of mental angst but for a man who doesn't age, he looks like Botox would be a good call) and his emoting is stilted and every dialogue is via clipped teeth and an annoyance at life at large which is off the charts. And what's with the rippling sinews? Did someone unleash worms under his skin? Jeez!
Logan is at crossroads so maybe it makes sense for him to seem disinterested or even angry at the world at large while he figures out whether to cross over to Jean Grey or stay on this mortal coil and remain indestructible. Whew! Lots of tough choices to make.

Moving on- the movie doesn't meander or jump but seems to be lacking in the life that was so chock full in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

With the Japanese underworld getting into the act, Admantium samurais and a new mutant- Viper who appears out of nowhere and is again banished fairly easily the bad guys really don't have much of a role to play.

Tao Okamoto as Mariko is fine. Period. Some liveliness is injected by the red haired Yukio (Rila Fukushima) but everyone else is just a bit player and can be done without as well.

For that matter the action is hackneyed with the same kind of moves being executed by Wolverine and the people he's fighting against. Hardly any sign of newness that should come with the vision of a new director-James Mangold
And definitely nothing remotely like the kind of edgy action one found with the last Wolverine outing the last fight scene had Wolverine slashing off the head of Weapon XI aka a further mutated Deadpool

All in all...the movie is tired. You too feel tired watching it and while exiting you wonder where Wolverine went and if he and Mr.Jackman will return in the avatars that made them famous.

Sequels aren't always a good idea. Clearly.

Rating: One thumb down.

21 July, 2013

Like A Phoenix

A lot of blogs turn out to be a plunge into some deep chasm of thought. It's not. I suddenly get a notion in my head. It often cries for a platform. Some days I can give it one and other days it's shunted onto my list of things-to-do-but-not-now-maybe-later.

After a long time I napped in the afternoon. It was my own fault. Sunday comes every week but I don't indulge in heavy meals that make one languorous. Today I did and as a result I stretched out next to my mom (another factor in inducing sleep) and conked off the moment the head and pillow connected.

That Red kicked me out of the room and took charge of MLM was probably the biggest reason for being able to sleep for 2 hours.

When the mind is relaxed it seems into sink into itself. Not like a balloon with air going out of it but almost like it heaves a small sigh of relief that you aren't stretching it to all ridiculous lengths and just starts emitting little blurbs of thoughts like a person lazying blowing bubbles. Or as in my case, a contented person emitting little burps.

So the mind burped this thought- everything that grows brings with it something that had to break.
It wasn't a "Whoa horsey" kind of thought either. It was reflective.

A empty land becomes an apartment complex. It's dug into and practically eviscerated but it's growth. And breakage. The homes are built and we "break" the space which earlier existed and coop ourselves up into an affordable number of square feet and call it home.

Relationships grow and break your notions of what is and what should be. Thinks are seldom tweaked. It's usually a structural kind of change that happens and the mind fits itself around the new thought, the new idea and tries it on. Sometimes it fits and other times you're left with something that is chokingly tight or so loose that you just can't work yourself into it and it just hangs uncomfortably around you and your life.

It was a very A-Ha experience as Red calls it. Another realization. One that you might have already had but didn't allow yourself to dwell on for long.

And every time the phoenix that is the mind, rises above and tries to make sense of things, of relationships, of movements in life of the ground that is now a tall building that you have to call home, the people who are moving on, playing different roles, the child that is growing up...

Yup...Sunday afternoon naps are quite potent.

Am glad the next one will take another few months to come about :)