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Perhaps not as interesting as the new world order or who bombed the pyramids in 45BC but it's one none the less.

Now recently I watched Iron Man 3. Iron Man promised me The Mandarin, an awesome looking villain. Yet, when I watched the film The Mandarin was made into a joke, a blatant waste of time and story. Why? Why was I disappointed on something, which in my opinion, turned a GREAT film into something that was, well, average?

The writers say that it was because The Mandarin is supposedly a dated, racist character, but I want to know why that is true. From my perspective I see no issue with a character that uses mysticism or is traditionally asian, how is a character written like that racist or dated? Over 4billion people on this planet subscribe to some kind of religion or spiritualism/mysticism. Over 1billion of those are predominantly Chinese, how is it offensive to portray a traditional Chinese villain, but it is not offensive to portray a white, rich, western man with a good build and blonde hair as the villain? Have our nanny ideas gone too far at last?

Imagine what the Mandarin could have been. A force of tradition and mysticism Stark could not have just simply 'out scienced', a much better portrayal of a truly accurate conflict occurring in our world today but on a far larger scale. I don't see how that is outdated at all. In fact, it seems to be bloody relevant.


So I pose all of the above questions to you, and of course, I charge you to challenge my ideas, to correct me and highlight that which I have overlooked.

I suppose the same underlying principle as with the decision to make Asgard a technological marvel (pun intended) as opposed to just 'the home of the Gods'. As well as those 'Gods' being demoted to mere 'super-men'.
"Away with religion. Away with magic. Hail the age of science. Now come the days of Aquarius, and individual ascension."

Or something along those lines. (I find it ironic that a supposedly 'evolved' thought like that [MLK's 'dream world' without individual distinction] is so weak when confronted by radicalism.)



I do agree, it could have been much more. Then again, this is another take on terror, and that is what the movies are about, right? The West reigning supreme with its science and terrors of technology? Just another movie intended to propagate some Pride in our Hemisphere, and fear of others to give up whatever freedom is required as a sacrifice for safety.

Semper wrote:Perhaps not as interesting as the new world order or who bombed the pyramids in 45BC but it's one none the less.

Now recently I watched Iron Man 3. Iron Man promised me The Mandarin, an awesome looking villain. Yet, when I watched the film The Mandarin was made into a joke, a blatant waste of time and story. Why? Why was I disappointed on something, which in my opinion, turned a GREAT film into something that was, well, average?

The writers say that it was because The Mandarin is supposedly a dated, racist character, but I want to know why that is true. From my perspective I see no issue with a character that uses mysticism or is traditionally asian, how is a character written like that racist or dated? Over 4billion people on this planet subscribe to some kind of religion or spiritualism/mysticism. Over 1billion of those are predominantly Chinese, how is it offensive to portray a traditional Chinese villain, but it is not offensive to portray a white, rich, western man with a good build and blonde hair as the villain? Have our nanny ideas gone too far at last?

Imagine what the Mandarin could have been. A force of tradition and mysticism Stark could not have just simply 'out scienced', a much better portrayal of a truly accurate conflict occurring in our world today but on a far larger scale. I don't see how that is outdated at all. In fact, it seems to be bloody relevant.


So I pose all of the above questions to you, and of course, I charge you to challenge my ideas, to correct me and highlight that which I have overlooked.

What you have overlooked is that China holds a massive chunk of US debt, because of that they are ordering film studios to edit films which show China in a bad light...don't take my word for it...

http://www.whiteoutpress.com/articles/q ... t-chinese/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog ... s-to-china

we now live in a politically correct world that has gone mad

there is an element of what was said about portraying china in a bad light but its common from the

movie industry they are either dictated to on how to show things in a certain light

generally about the western world saving the day its one of those things that is there to make people feel good about the world they live in

go back to when Armageddon and deep impact were launched the cynic in me would say why were

launched at that time when about a year later there was an asteroid discovered heading in the direction of system we the world now feels safe due to seeing movies showing the world saved

particularly if you watched both the movies there was differences deep impact showed a worst case scenario and Armageddon showed good old human and ingenuity in defeating all odds

by the time about a year later when it was announced the asteroid and that it would miss the world didn't really care as they thought if it was coming it would have been dealt with any outcome

movies and news play a huge part in dictating how society thinks

and heres a thought to leave you on the reason I got into this game was because of stargate

the only tv show that was allowed access to military installations for filming over a prolonged period

do we ask ourselves why

You raise a good question, the one where conspiracy theorists and others would fight about the very existence of the series.

Is it a proof that there's no Stargate or similar program that series exists, or is it because it exists and the series do to to make people believe if Stargate existed, then the series wouldn't exist?

This is not the first time film studios have buckled under China's thumb. China is a bit particular with how Chinese or really any asians that could be assumed to be Chinese are portrayed on film.

There are dozens of recent examples and one that comes to mind is the Pirates movies with Jack Sparrow. China wouldn't let the franchise enter it's market and they even put major pressure on the studios outside of their market to edit out the asian looking pirates.

China being such a power player now on the investment scene means studios kind of have to do as their told.

The comic character itself is an incorporation of the yellow peril stereotype, that's the crux of the issue for the Chinese i wager.

And I find it humorous you put well built blond white men up as an example of political correctness gone wild when as per rule the majority of Caucasian movie bad men were either Russian on from East Germany lol. Blatant negative stereotypes of others is what American entertainment has always done.


Which is fine tbh, but Iron man is trying to tap into the Chinese market. Rolling with The Mandarin in a more "traditional" manner would be aking to filling the flick with "oh lawd" characters and expecting it to break box office records in New Orleans, then wondering at the black mans "curious oversensitivity" and "PC gone amock".

Just cos we, who have been spoon feed the stereotypes for our entire lives up to a point we consider them "normality", don't see a particular problem doesn't preclude the ridiculed culture from having a legitimate gripe with it and a studio from adapting to it to maximize profit.