A break for the best film of 2012 - The Avengers

As I mentioned in my Batman review post Japan doesn’t always have the same theatrical release dates as Europe and North America. The majority of foreign films come out at a later time.  They are still waiting for The Hunger Games, Prometheus and The Lorax to be released here while two of those 3 films are already out on DVD at home.

The Avengers is one of those films that had a later released date here in Japan. It opened the 17^th of August, just over four months after it was released in North America and a month before it is due out on DVD at home. (I am excited as I already have my copy pre-ordered and my mother will be shipping it to me.)

Me being all excited

I had already seen The Avengers back home in Toronto in May. I went with mom and we both really enjoyed it. I say it was the best film of 2012 so far (because there is still half a year to go, which includes the release of The Hobbit). At home I saw it in 2D, not really being drawn by 3D, not after being disappointed by 3D films. When I found out that the film still hadn’t come out here in Niihama I decided that I would go see it again (for the second time in theatres and the fifth time as a film because I did watch it online a few times) but this time I would watch it in 3D. I went with a few other foreigners who live in Niihama and the surrounding cities. Two of the people I went with had already seen the film as well, but for the three of us it would be the first time in 3D to see this.

Now onto the review, it will be a mix of my initial reaction from May and again seeing it here in Japan.

I thought the film was funny, full of action and it had its dramatic parts to give it something serious to make it a well-rounded film. I do have to say that seeing it in 3D was really cool, I am glad that I had the opportunity to see it that way. However it really didn’t add anything to spectacular to an already amazing movie – well the action scenes were more intense – but I would have been fine never seeing it in 3D.

I had been excited for The Avengers since watching Thor and hearing all about what was to come and especially hearing that Tom Hiddleston would be reprising his role as Loki and playing the villain. I had been on a Marvel comics super hero kick since watching X-Men: First Class last year and it has only grown since watching all the Iron Man movies. The Avengers seemed to cement my enjoyment of Marvel comic’s movies (so much better than DC comics stuff).

The scene of Loki coming to Earth (or Midgard) really sets off the tone for the film. It identifies that he will be a formidable enemy and the action of the scene follows his landing is intense and starts off the story with a bang. In 3D seeing those moments, along with all the actions scenes was just great. It really sets you into the action. As the movie progresses and each character is brought into the story you really see how each character will contribute to the team and how having the Avenger Initiative isn’t the easiest thing to do with all the differing personalities of the heroes. With the team not acting much like a team it takes the death of Agent Phil Coulson (“uhhh his first name is agent”) to really bring the team together and realize that they have to put aside their differences and come together to protect and avenge. What I liked about this coming together is that each character steps into their role without complaint and each plays into their own strengths and other’s strengths. The ending of the film with Thor and Loki returning to Asgard and everyone going off separately, will really make the sequel great to see when they all come back together. I also love that the other ending with Thanos sets up the next villain and leaves room to bring back Loki in the sequel because not only will Thanos be trying to get through the Avengers, but also he needs to find and hurt Loki who didn’t fulfil his promise.

My reaction to Phil Coulson's Death

What I enjoyed besides the acting and the action was the writing and directing. Having Joss Whedon write and direct this was possibly the most brilliant move by Marvel. Joss has proven to be an amazing writer and a genius at combining the action, the scary along side the humour. Also Joss having written for the X-Men and other Marvel comics was the perfect choice as he clearly cares, respects and understands the comic world. He was able to make the dramatic parts have their weight, the action seem as though it was going to burst from the screen and made the comedic moments create a levity that didn’t ever stray into clownishness. The colouring and filming of the movie was also wonderful. It was bright, well coloured and just bordering on seeming unreal, but it never went to far it still felt grounded in a real world.

The thing I knew for sure that wasn’t going to be disappointing was the acting. The previous films proved that the casting departments had done excellent jobs when they were hiring for these roles. Mark Ruffalo was the real unknown, having not been in the previous Hulk film. However he stole the show (for the good guys). He was the right combination of nerdy Bruce Banner that hides the anger and keeps the Hulk at bay. I think that casting him was genius and I think they finally have found the right actor to play that dual role. Chris Evans is Captain America; he has the leadership to pull it off, even when being ignored by Tony Stark. Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner as Black Widow and Hawkeye were brilliant. Having had minor roles in Iron Man 2 (Scarlett) and Thor (Jeremy) they were finally given a chance to show exactly what they are good at, I hope that it translates into a movie for the two of them because I need to know what happened in Budapest! Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill was great. As one of my favourite TV actresses it was great to see her in this role, though I wish it was a little bigger, hopefully the sequel will expand what Cobie will be doing. Samuel L. Jackson – no words needed for this Mo***r F****r!

Also Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark or Tony Stark is Robert Downey Jr. there is literally no one else on the planet who could play that role. It was nice to see him take to that leader role that is missed in the Iron Man movies because it’s just Tony Stark, here we were able to see that Tony can be a leader and Robert played that wonderfully. Greg Clark as Agent Phil Coulson just seems to be a filler character that floats through all the Marvel films as a baby sitter, but that one scene with Loki finally shows that he is more than just a SHIELD agent. His “death” (because he has to come back) was poignant and makes the film so much more than just a popcorn blockbuster. Chris Hemsworth as Thor really shows how much he has grown as an actor and how much Thor has matured from the previous movie. The scenes that he has with Loki show an older brother that is trying to save his younger brother from madness, a brother who was broken hearted at the thought that he would be separated from Loki forever. I think that Chris played the scenes with this hurt and the right amount of anger because he knows that Loki won’t respond to anything else. I can’t wait for Thor 2 to see more of this mature Thor and more with his relationship with Loki.

Now, a little on my favourite character from the movie, Loki. 

Tom Hiddleston really is the reason that Loki has quickly become the most loved character in The Avengers universe. He brings this heartache, this rage, madness and a broken edge to Loki, making the character more than just the “bad guy”. He makes Loki have depth and reasoning behind his actions. It was demonstrated in Thor that Loki believes that he is nothing more than a monster and from that hatred of himself you can see why he wants to rule. He just wants to be known for more than being a stolen relic, he wants to prove that he can be a king and I think he just wants someone to tell him that he is loved and special. All of this I think comes because of the performance that Tom gives. He makes you sympathize with the outcast Loki, he makes you really want to join his team because you can see in his eyes that he isn’t doing this out of some desire just for power. It’s all of this that makes Loki my favourite character in the film both to watch and story wise. It’s a good thing that Marvel/Disney have signed Tom Hiddleston for a 5-movie contract so after the sequel to Thor he will still be obligated for 2 more movies!

Tom being Loki

That is my review of The Avengers. The best movie I have seen (so far) in 2012. It’s a movie that I think everyone should take the opportunity to see. If you want to read my other 2 film reviews here are the links.

Shame - Shame at TIFF 2011

The Dark Knight Rises - The Dark Knight Rises

Grocery Shopping

A quick little blog about grocery shopping here in Japan.

It’s basically the same as grocery shopping back home, except that everything is labelled in Japanese so finding certain things can be a little more difficult. (I had this issue with vinegar)

I’ve got two grocery stores that I frequent. The Maruyoshi Center and a Fuji, I tend to go to the Maruyoshi because the Fuji is a little more expensive.

Though products are the same, there are some differences. Mostly lack of cheese and large block of it like we have at home and also toast bread. These are both things that we get easily at home, but the Japanese don’t really eat.

I have been consistent about buying groceries and cooking at home. I have found that I eat a lot less beef here though because it is quite pricey.

Another thing that is helpful at grocery stores is the fact that they do have some foreign products (I did buy myself a Heinz Ketchup).

I’m also lucky that here in Niihama we have a Caldi Coffee. This is a food store that specializes in import food. They have Maple Syrup from Canada, Skippy Peanut Butter, Nutella and a lot of other non-perishable foreign food items. It is a little more expensive to go there, but if you are missing home it’s a great place to pick up a few things that remind you of where you’re from.

The Daiso

Daiso, Flets, Hyaku en Shop.

These shops are all 100 yen stores.


Continuing on with the store blogging my most frequented store and maybe my favourite since getting to Niihama has been the Daiso.

The Daiso and the other stores listed above quickly become everyone’s favourite stores when they move to Japan. Inside these stores you can find almost everything you need for 105 yen. There are some exceptions where you might be paying a little more, but I haven’t seen anything over 500 yen at any of the stores.  I’ve pretty much furnished my entire apartment with things found inside the Daiso.

I’ve purchased towels, fittings for my washroom, laundry detergent, a Swiffer, vacuum bags, paper, notebooks, flour, honey and tea. I’ve found out that you can pretty much find everything you need in the Daiso and even though it is a dollar store, it’s got a lot higher quality stuff than you would find at home. I think that I went so often to one closet to me so many times when I first moved in that the ladies running the cash point knew who I was.

I’ve been to 3 Daiso’s here in Niihama, but I have yet to visit the large one in the Fuji Grande.

I know that when I move back home I am going to miss just getting on my bike and taking a quick stop just to pick up something cheap and useful. If you ever find yourself living in Japan make sure you find your nearest Hyaku en shop so that you can get everything you need.

Matsuyama Castle

On August 6^th I had the day off from work and I needed to go to Matsuyama to pick up my residence card. I got to Matsuyama just after 1pm and my first stop was the immigration bureau where I picked up my card.

After that quick stop I headed to the tram stop to catch a tram to the Okaido stop where I would get on the ropeway that goes up to the castle.

Construction on the castle was started in 1600 and ended in 1627. The castle is built on Katsuyama Hill in the centre of Dogo Plain. Currently the modern city of Matsuyama circles the base of the hill and from the top floor of the castle you can see the entire city in four directions, as well as a view of the Seto Inland Sea to the south west of the city.

After getting off the ropeway I walked up to the outer wall of the castle, then I went into the main courtyard of the castle building. Inside that area there was a small shop, an ice cream stand and a stand to get kakigori.

Kakigori is the traditional summer treat of shaved ice with syrup flavouring. This treat originated in Japan in the Heian Period and then was brought to North America through Japanese immigrants that moved to Hawaii. Now in North America we enjoy something similar, Sno-Cones.

After my treat I entered the castle. As with most castles, homes and even my classrooms I had to take off my shoes and put on some stylish green slippers. Inside the castle some of the hallways and rooms have displays of weapons, armour and different items found within the castle. It’s always interesting to walk through and see these things. Walking the route of the castle it takes you up to the third floor and from there you get a view of Matsuyama, as I wrote earlier. It was quite beautiful standing in the top space and looking around at the city below and seeing the mountains that frame the Dogo Plain.

After a quick break at the top I headed back down to the main level of the castle. Instead of taking the ropeway or chairlift back down to the main city I decided to walk down to the Ninomaru Historical Ruins garden. I walked through a forest path to get there and it was nice to be in the shade of the green leaves.

I saw the ruins and then made my way to the main street where I caught the tram back to the Japan Rail Matsuyama Station. I made it just in time to catch a train back to Niihama.

Summer School

 (This is one of my favourite students. He’s dressed up for B course. After he put this get up on he was Pirate Cats of the Caribbean – his title choice)

I haven't really written anything yet about my job or the work that I have been doing. I think it’s because I really haven’t had too many interesting things to write, also I can’t really write too much about lessons or anything because of the company policy on that. However I will give a little bit about summer school.

I started working here just before the wonderful time that is Summer School. Though the kids may have a break from public school, they don’t all get time off from Peppy Kids Club. Peppy does a summer school course that lasts two weeks. It starts the last week of July and ends the first week of August. It’s meant to be a little change from the normal Peppy program and it is.  Not all kids attend Summer School courses so there are a few who do get two weeks off from attending English lessons.

There are 3 levels and each has its fun moments and its challenges. My favourite course was the B course. It was the course that had most of my favourite students and was both entertaining and educational. The A course was very genki and a little crazy since it is the youngest students and their parents which can be a little nerve wracking. The C course is the older kids, so it’s not as fun and a lot to get through.

(One of my C Course students drew this of me on the white board)

I enjoyed the 8 intense days of work and I was lucky in that I didn’t have the craziest schedule. Like my regular teaching schedule my summer school load was quit light. I was also lucky in that the students that came to summer school were some of those that I really enjoy teaching regularly.  It looked like the students had a good time and from what I’ve heard from the JTs at my schools the kids like it. I had fun and even with the parents sitting in on a few of my courses I managed. I was even lucky enough to get some cheesecake squares as a thank you from one of the mothers who had 3 kids enrolled in Summer School.

Hanabi - Fireworks

On the last Friday of July, Niihama has its annual fireworks display.

The display started at 7:30 and lasted until at least 9:30. It was quite an epic display and I was very impressed.

Here is my video of parts of the display.

My favourite moment is the final string like raining firework. It’s 400m long and is known as Niagara Falls.

Go to my facebook page to see more images from that night. The link is up at the top!

Conbinis

Convenience stores or Conbinis (as they are known here in Japan) quickly become one of the must stop places in Japan. It was one of the things that I missed most from the country the last time I visited.

Conbinis can be found all over the place in Japan. Even the tiniest city is likely to have one. The conbini literally becomes a place where you spend a lot of time. In a conbini you can find everything from magazines to hot meals that are heated up and you take home with you. It’s also a place to pick up simple electronic products, quick groceries, health care stuff and it’s even where you pay your gas and electricity bills.

 I’m pretty lucky with where my apartment is located. Right behind it I have access to a conbini called Sun Kus and just a little further down the road is a mini stop. I have frequented both of these places and usually it’s to pick up an iced coffee on my way to work, a quick lunch when I don’t feel like cooking and maybe even ice cream when I need a treat after being in the heat. They are also the places that I go to pay my bills when I get them once a month. Being able to do that has made my life very simple because figuring out how to mail money for paying bills would have been a nightmare. The food that you get at conbinis isn’t the healthiest or the best tasting but in a quick pinch they do have sandwiches and cold noodles that are filling. The one conbini that I am missing is the 7-11, unfortunately they don’t have any on Shikoku, so I make do with Lawson’s or the other two that I mentioned above.

If you ever take a trip out to Japan make sure that you stop by at a conbini, it’ll probably be the easiest thing you find. The employees are also great if you need directions or help, they will be happy to point you on your way.  

A Little Interruption for the Dark Knight.

 So back home in Toronto the film The Dark Knight Rises came out on July 20^th, here in Japan it came out a week later on July 27^th. I would have gone to see it that night, unfortunately I was teaching at my far school so I couldn’t go see it until the 30^th.  This was the first movie I’ve seen in Japan and there are some interesting things about going to see films in Japan.

The first thing is that the latest films end in Japan is 11pm or just after so that means the latest they start at is at 9pm (this could be just Niihama, but looking at other places this seems to be the case there too). I found this interesting because at home it seems that you can find almost any time at night to go see a movie. Also the late show at home is at 11pm so you’re getting home pretty late.

The other thing about going to the movies here is that you mostly buy your tickets from a machine, like at home, but they really only have one person working as a cashier. At the machine like at home you choose your film and the time, but as a bonus you get to choose your seats. So everyone has assigned seating in the theatre whether it’s a sold out show or there are only 5 other people.  This means that you know which seat you will be getting before you even get into the theatre.

Everything else before the movie is the same. You get your popcorn and your drinks and then you head in to enjoy the movie.

So the final instalment of The Batman Begins Trilogy was very good and I really enjoyed watching it. I have to say that I’m not that big a fan of the DC Comics world but I have always liked Batman as a character and a hero. It started with the original Tim Burton movies and the story only got better with these Christopher Nolan films.

I was looking forward to this film since The Dark Knight and it didn’t disappoint. It had the darkness that we’ve come to associate with these films, yet it ended on quite a hopeful note and I liked that. I also have to say that I did shed a few tears before the end, which I wasn’t expecting when I went in to see the film. The story came together in quite a surprising way. It tied together the entire Christian Bale arc of Batman. Everything came together and it had a satisfying ending that let Batman come to a natural conclusion and yet left it open for a Nightwing movie, though I’m not sure that it will ever happen.

The acting of the film was very good. Though I wasn’t sure how anyone could follow Heath Ledger as the Joker, but Tm Hardy as Bane was able to hold his own. Even with acting with a mask covering his face, he was able to convey evil, anger and at the end sadness and love with just his eyes. Tom Hardy was great and I think that Christopher Nolan made an excellent choice with him.

Anne Hathaway and Marion Cotillard as the two lead female roles were very intriguing. Both women were independent and yet both played different ends of the spectrum. Hathaway’s Catwoman was sexy and yet strong enough to stand up to Batman. Cotillard’s Miranda Tate was very good in her double role. She also never played the damsel in distress to a point where it looked like she was helpless, you could see that there was something strong about that characters.

Gary Oldman, Martin Freeman and Michael Caine were flawless. These acting legends just as in the previous two films gave their characters depth and brought them to life. The scenes close to the end with Oldman and Caine were the ones that brought me to tears.

Christian Bale is Batman for me now. He made him seem less camp and made him a real person with real feelings. He throughout the film brought you to his side and through the whole scene in the jail you could sense his desire to get back and save Gotham. I don’t think anyone else now could really take over the role of Batman without comparisons to the depth and passion that Bale brought to the role.

I would give the film 4/5 stars. I liked it, had fun and would recommend to people. (I do have to add though that I still enjoyed The Avengers more!)