Fantasy vs. Reality in Storytelling

This is an outgrowth from the discussion at Ars Marginal about the Chosen One motif found in televised and printed media.  Some of the discussion moved towards using more historical references for developing better characters of color OR telling their stories, as opposed to the pure fantasy of White Heroism that has permeated Hollywood-based productions since its inception.

Movies That Hate You: Elektra [2004, Jennifer Garner]

Note:  This is not the Shannon Tweed Cinemax Softcore Movie of the Same Name.

Sliced Summary:

An assassin is chased by a clan of Japanese Ninjas when they discover the whereabouts of a young girl who holds the key to prophecy.

Movies That Hate You: Glory

The Call to Arms:

A all-Black regiment in the Union Army is formed during the American Civil War of the 1860s.  While fighting against the Confederacy for their freedom, they also have to stand against the bigotry within the Northern Army.

Movies That Hate You: Daredevil

Blind Man’s Bluff:

A young man, blinded by an accident, trains himself to become a lawyer fighting for people by day…and a vigilante by night.  He finds himself facing off against The Kingpin, the biggest crime boss in the city.

Movies That Hate You: Catwoman

The Cat’s Meow:

When a young woman becomes a witness to a corporate conspiracy and is subsequently killed, she is reincarnated by a Cat Spirit and given superpowers to bring her killers to justice.

Movies That Hate You: Die Hard

Synopsis:

A group of international thieves stage a daring robbery of a Japanese corporation in Los Angeles.  What they never counted on was a New York City police officer visiting his estranged wife, who works there.

Analysis: The Tropes of Women of Color in Sci-Fi – Special – Nyota Uhura (Part 2)

In the first part of the analysis, I looked at the eight most important appearances of the Uhura character in the movie and gave some initial thoughts regarding those appearances.  I have read commentary that looks to defend Uhura as she is portrayed in Star Trek (2009).  While I can appreciate the spirit in which Uhura is defended, I hope to list below why I do not generally agree with most of the defenses offered for her.

Analysis: The Tropes of Women of Color in Sci-Fi – Special – Nyota Uhura (Part 1)

Originally, my observations on Uhura’s character were to have been a part of the review of Star Trek (2009).  However, since these observations started to compile like a repair list for a battle-damaged carrier, I decided to go into more detail in its own post.

For this movie, I decided to look at the eight most important appearances of Uhura in this movie, because it is in these appearances that much is revealed, including why Orci, Kurtzmann, and Abrams decided to put her into a relationship with Spock.  The results aren’t pretty.

Know Your Venues

Better known as “Step Up Your Game.”

Do you know why “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” the series managed to last 7 seasons before it ended, instead of having its plug pulled after the 3rd season?

Or how “Smallville,” which was slated to end after Season 5, ended up lasting 10 full seasons?

Or why David Eick’s Bionic Woman (2007) lasted only 8 episodes before NBC pulled the plug after it dropped to 4th place?

Movies That Hate You: Disclosure

The Legal Brief:

A junior-level executive finds his career in jeopardy when he is the target of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a woman he spurned and is now out to ruin his life.

[Warning:  Mature Content Ahead. Possible Triggers for Sexual Assault and Harassment.  No Harsh or Frank Language But Discretion Should Be Taken.]