Post Avengers AOU Speculations

Avengers: Age of Ultron did not beat my favorite 3 Marvel Cinema Universe movies (Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy). But the movie did leave me with more questions. Most of them center around the future for specific characters.

There will be spoilers discussed from Marvel movies and comics. To push the bigger spoilers further down, I will name my 3 favorite characters from Avengers: Age of Ultron:

1. Vision. He was perfect!! His look, the way he carried himself, his voice, and his manner. I don't just mean as an adaptation from the comics. He was very captivating.
2. Hawkeye. We got to see more of the character, and he's pretty funny. I like that he prepared himself for any future brainwashing. He interacted with the other characters well too. I like that Hawkeye and Black Widow stick together in the field instead of partnering up with a superhuman for protection. 
3. Ultron. I like that he sometimes echoed Tony Stark and they had a kind of father and son relationship. My favorite parts are when he seemed more human. Like when he pleaded with Wanda to not fight against him. That moment touched me. He did not lash out in anger for her betrayal. He seemed to still have a bond with her. Not a romantic one, but a comrade one.

And now, here are my questions and speculations for what may happen in the Marvel Cinema Universe: 

Ultron

Ultron was the process of uploading himself into the artificially made body. The Avengers interrupt him from reaching 100%, but some of his consciousness still uploaded into the body, right? Scarlet saw Ultron's plan through the artificial mind, and Vision knew how to limit Ultron.

In the comics, Ultron is destroyed but always comes back in an improved body. One time, Ultron overrides or hacks Vision's body and forces him to build Ultron a new body. So even though the last Ultron robot was destroyed, Ultron could come back through Vision. Where is there room for this comeback in the Marvel Cinema Universe? Maybe Vision will have an inner conflict during a bigger storyline.

Maybe that subtle bond between Ultron and Wanda I mentioned before is the base point for Vision and Wanda? Or maybe she will be spooked to find Ultron's influence in Vision.

Hulk

When will he return? Will he have returned from Planet Hulk (a harsh comic storyline)? Will Hulk and Black Widow get another chance, or will she meet someone else during his absence? I would like to see more of this relationship because it barely began and does not exist in the comics.

Wanda (Scarlet Witch)

When the credits appeared, it hit me that Pietro did die. I was surprised because I was expecting him to connect with the Inhumans in the future. I still have hopes that he will return somehow or at least be a big influence on his sister, Wanda. In the comics, Wanda can manipulate probability. Eventually, she can even alter reality. Will she be tempted to use her powers to bring back her brother like Full-metal Alchemist? Or will a villain like Thanos promise to bring back her brother in order to recruit her? The second question is not based on a comic event. I thought of it because it could fit with Thanos' quest for the Infinity Gauntlet.



Who were your favorite characters, or whose future are you most interested in seeing?

Fall of Games

The movie adaptations for Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game comes out on Nov. 1 and Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire is Nov. 22.

Ender's Game was published in 1970s. The series is more military sci-fi than dystopic. I read it about 8 years ago in high school. I've also read Ender's Shadow, Speaker for the Dead, and half of Shadow of the Hegemon. There are more books for this universe, but I'm content with how much I read already.  I recommend Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.

Speaker for the Dead is the drama and biological science part of the series. I don't remember military in it. I liked most of it, but maybe I didn't understand a dark moment at the end. I didn't think I'd read it again, but now I think I might. As a heads-up, Speaker for the Dead has Portuguese dialogue that isn't translated. Because I know some Spanish, I was able to understand some lines.

Any movie ad for Ender's Game gets me excited. I am most excited to see the training room on the screen! :D A key element of the story though is compassion.  Here's the trailer:

This video states the similarities and differences between Ender's Game and The Hunger Games:

The trailer for Ender's Game left me with some goosebumps, but The Hunger Games' 2nd movie, Catching Fire, left me teary.

The first movie felt more like an introduction to the series so I expect more from Catching Fire for the social aspect of the world. The trailer covers it and also the question of how can a dystopic society have living idolized victors? : )

I thought Divergent was coming out next fall, but the release is March 2014. I'm still on the library's waitlist for the book, but now I know I can read Brave New World first.

For now, I'm interested in watching Guillermo Del Toro's movie Pacific Rim next month.

I'm hoping for a social/cultural aspect to the connected minds. Pacific Rim looks fun otherwise.

Sisters Red

A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

I mentioned Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce before for a promotional Figment contest. Now I'm halfway done reading it. Almost every time I read a section, I glance at the cover and wonder at the meaning of the overlapped figures.

After grandma is killed by a wolf (called a Fenris), Scarlett hunts Fenris with her sister Rosie and partner Silas. In the first conversation between Scarlett and her partner Silas, I thought of The Hunger Games when Katniss and Gale are in the woods. However, what if Katniss' sister, Prim, started feeling drawn to Gale like Rosie is to Silas?

One element of fairy tales I love is sisters. We know the evil jealous stepsisters very well. Like Cinderella's stepsisters who would do anything, even cut off their foot, in order to surpass the heroine or keep her down. Well, there are also entwined sisters like Snow White and Rose Red. These sisters of the old fairy tales don't get jealous. Snow White and Rose Red both end up with a happy ending and a man.

"Snow White and Rose Red" by AkaiSoul

Jackson Pearce may be mixing Snow White and Rose Red with Little Red Riding Hood. The result is an action story of love and identity. Here are two of my favorite passages so far that describe the sisterly bond.

Rosie:

When we were little, Scarlett and I were utterly convinced that we'd originally been one person in our mother's belly. We believed that somehow, half of us wanted to be born and half wanted to stay. So our heart had to be broken in two so that Scarlett could be born first, and then I finally braved the outside world a few years later. It made sense, in our pig-tailed heads--it explained why, when we ran through grass or danced or spun in circle long enough, we would lose track of who was who and it started to feel as if there were some organic, elegant link between us, our single heart holding the same tempo and pumping the same blood. 

A fan redrew the book cover.
Scarlett is on the left.

Scarlett:

And I have to admit that there is something undeniably fulfilling about hunting with Rosie. Somehow, it makes me feel as if the long list of differences between us doesn't exist. We're dressed the same, we fight the same enemy, we win together ... It's as though for that moment I get to be her, the one who isn't covered in thick scars, and she gets to understand what it is to be me. It's different than hunting with Silas--he and I are partners, not part of the same heart.

So entwined that they have the same heart. However, they cannot share the same heart forever. Along with feelings toward one boy, the girls feel different towards life. Scarlett thinks only of hunting. It calms her, identifies her, and makes her feel right. And she feels that hunting together is what binds her closer to her sister and best friend. Rosie, on the other hand, wonders about having more in her life than hunting. The heart actually has two different beats.

The chapters alternate narration between the two sisters. They never backtrack to what the other felt during the previous chapter. These two aspects add to the suspense. I like the fast pace, the hunt for an advantage, and the relationships. I also like that Silas seems to have an important role other than the love interest.

I have to tell you that this fairy tale retelling is set in modern-day Georgia so if you're imagining a fairy tale woods, then terms like McDonalds will pop out at you. It's magical realism with the magical fantasy elements in our world.

My hand-me-downs may help.

Also I have to mention a factor I dislike. I don't like how much the stalked/murdered victims are described as being ignorant of the consequences of their appearance and merry laughter. Most of them are dressed for a club or girls' night out. It sounds as if they should have worn Harry Potter's hand-me-down baggy gray sweats, have used no beauty supplies including scented soap, and have not vocally expressed their joy.

You can argue that the Fenris attack only when these girls drift from crowds, but a stalked victim is still the victim. The stalker is the cause of the crime. At least the Fenris is shown to attack near a public day event so that victims cannot be faulted for going out at night. Also I appreciate that the Fenris are always described by their deceiving appearance and true nature.

The girls' fashion shouldn't matter as much to the Fenris because they are distinctively said to look at the girls with hunger not desire. They hunger for nourishment and the thrill of chasing and terrifying. Their prey shouldn't be limited to girls only.

The fashion comments come from Scarlett's perspective though. She only thinks in terms of hunting and her body is covered in scars. The book starts with a glimpse of her before she learned of the Fenris.

Once again, I am only halfway through the book and anticipate two big discoveries. I recommend it so far.

Catching Fire: Likes & Dislikes

Hello. I felt guilty for most of December and so far in January, thinking I lacked a blog post for December. I did managed to write at least one blog though. December and probably November were busy for everyone--they were for me!

During that time, I finished Catching Fire (CF), the second book for The Hunger Games series. I can't say as much for that book as I did for the first one. First, I'll say what I liked, but there will be minor & major spoilers. I recommend that you have read at least up to Part 2 in Catching Fire:

• Character Interaction: Generally, I think I liked the interaction between Katniss and other characters better in CF. Darius became one of my favorite characters. As for Peeta, he was sweet and cute in the first book, but it was too mushy for me. He shows himself to be more than a love star in CF with his reactions and speeches.
• Revisiting District 12: I was happy to read about Katniss' hometown again. We get to learn more about characters such as Haymitch (a favorite of mine) and the district's history.
• Revisiting Mother/Daughter Relationship: In the first book, we immediately see how numb and hardened Katniss is from having to keep her family alive not just herself. Taking on this role caused her to dislike her mother. So I am pleased to see that with all essentials covered, Katniss makes an effort to understand her mother and have a better relationship. Katniss gets along better even with the cat!
• Twist in the Game (major spoilers!): When I first read that victors were safe for the rest of their lives, I saw a flaw for this dystopian society. The games demonstrate the authority's power over its subjects. Tributes are suppose to be examples of that power enforced, but the victors are actually examples of the districts' strength by beating the authority's obstacles and surviving. Allowing the victor such freedom and rewards in a dystopian society is illogical without a catch or at least behind-the-scenes punishment. Punishment is exactly what I expected and waited to read for Katniss and Peeta. Because the continued love story seemed to be the main punishment, I smiled from satisfaction and excitement when victors were re-entered into the games. I nodded my head to author Suzanne Collins for seeing that victors were a threat to the Capitol. I was also impressed with the game arena and that the cover of the book reflected it.

Wow. I am glad I decided to include spoilers because I had a lot to say for just those topics. I changed my blog title to the book's title and bumped off discussing other books.

Here are three problems I had with Catching Fire:

• Who is Katniss? After surviving the game, but no longer fighting to survive in the district, Katniss does not know herself in this book. Therefore, the reader does not get to know Katniss better other than circumstances and history. Readers may still sympathize for her because she feels trapped and confused. I realized that I missed Katniss when she re-entered the game. Her attitude may not be as strong as in the first game, but her will returned. In CF, Katniss' cluelessness expands to more than love so readers may get annoyed. If you caught on more than she did, then the ending will not be a confusing turn in events.
• Slow Burn (major spoilers!): I had expected enforced law, but the oppression felt too long for me to endure from Katniss' position and perspective. The plot starts to build once a certain character gets whipped, but then it draws on a bit. At this point, I took a break from the book because I was overwhelmed. When the new tributes were announced, I was thankful for the humor and thrill that was needed to balance the oppression, helplessness, and panic. The character Finnick contributed to this balance. He became one of my favorite characters. 
• CF Feels Like a Bridge: The second book felt mainly transitional. Without reading Mockingjay, I can tell that CF is the bridge between the first and last books. Therefore, I do not see CF as a book itself. The direction changes numerous times, but overall the plot is about transition as well. The Capitol returns to stronger enforcements and people figure out if they are rebels or not.  The rest is confusion and fear.

Family and friends have told me that Catching Fire was the long, boring book of the series. So you have to finish the second book in order to get to Mockingjay and decide if the first or last book is your favorite.

My family warned me before I started the series that it got harsh with each book. I read Catching Fire sooner than I planned to do so; therefore, I will not jumped to Mockingjay yet. I also heard that Mocking is brutal so I am encouraged more to take a break from the series.

I am still looking forward to The Hunger Games movie and still hoping that the social commentary is kept. =)

If Catching Fire is actually your favorite of the three books, please tell me what you thought of it.

The Hunger Games trailer

A short trailer for The Hunger Games was shown at the MTV VMA.

When I read The Hunger Games, I rooted for Katniss and laughed at her remarks and social commentary. Not knowing the next move and the outcome was a thrill. Now that I know the pain she'll go through, seeing it may make me teary.

I wanted more from the trailer, but I'm already affected by hearing Gale's words over the visual of a young girl  trying to survive because of a dystopic punishment and for entertainment sake. What I know added to the trailer make Gale sound to me like he's trying to convince Katniss and even fate of her chance for survival. But he still sounds confident in her.

I'm glad I read the first book before the movie (thanks, sister). I'm also glad I have not read the second one yet because then I can feel the full weight of the ending. =) Save myself some thrill and suspense in the movie.

The anticipation though may win me over. But that's how The Hunger Games book was as well. You say you'll read just one more chapter and stop after three or four chapters instead. Haha.

The Hunger Games comes out in theaters in March. Katniss is played Jennifer Lawrence, who was Mystique in X-men: First Class.

Pausing One Dystopia For Another

My younger sister talks about the movie adaptation for The Hunger Games by Susan Collins in March 2011. Even my mom has read the series already. Haha. Thus, I bumped the first book higher on my reading list and have even stopped reading  Nineteen Eighty-Four  by George Orwell.  (I may have spoilers in this post!)

 Nineteen Eighty-Four has been a slow read for me, especially because I note elements of dystopic societies such as systems and rules. Here is my book with color-coded sticky notes (I barely passed the half-point):

I wrote on only a few sticky notes. The rest just mark passages.


The Hunger Games has been a faster read, which makes this book better than Nineteen Eighty-Four  for young adults. Sometimes Nineteen Eighty-Four  has long passages about regulations that are close to a manual.

I'm glad I read past chapter 2 before I wrote this post. I'm on Chapter 6, and I have placed 4 sticky notes (I limit myself because the book is my younger sister's).

At first I noticed how the main character, Katniss, is not as blind as many dystopic protagonists. She disagrees with her society and knows how little the government cares for people in her district. Winston in Nineteen Eighty-Four is the same way, but Katniss' attitude is stronger. Then I felt that she knew too much, especially for an adolescent.  Also twice already a moment was explained instantly instead of letting the read figure it out.

However, when Katniss changes her mind about Peeta's motives, I saw that she is confident in her view of things (The reader gets to interpret!)  This quality makes her seem more dystopic and adolescent to me. She may be blind about some facts after all.

The Hunger Games does differ from other dystopias by starting the story after a rebellion. Society has already stood against the government, and the people now face the consequences of their failure. The oppressed life has become more harsh for all common folk.

In addition, Katniss is in the same position as Julia in Nineteen Eighty-Four but the attitude and situation differ.  Julia represents the generation born into the dystopic world. She has grown up oppressed and cannot imagine a world without the current government. She breaks rules for fun. However, she is shown through Winston's eyes who has memories prior to the dystopic world.

As for Katniss' world, the adults who remember the failed rebellion seem to have broken spirits. The generation of Katniss may be broken as well from the consequences and conditions. However, survival is more at stake. Thee will to survive and refusal to accept imposed ways show potential and hope.

Suzanne Collins does a terrific job of keeping her readers in anticipation. I long for answers to my questions such as, "Once tributes enter the game, are they stuck in there until the game's over?" (I think I know the answer already but I have to see the answer. Haha). I try to read whole chapters at a time to pass the suspense of just that moment.

Who has read or is reading The Hunger Games? Please do not say anything pass the training center though. I long to see my questions answered.

Do you mark passages outside of school?