Ramona Flowers was best described as a MacGuffin With Boobs. (Which sounds like someone you'd get at McDonalds.)
Also, I've had the thought, and read a number of people who agree, that the movie is actually supposed to be from Scott's perspective, which both makes him an unreliable narrator, and also makes more sense as far as Ramona is concerned. After all, Scott doesn't really seem to have much of a grasp on empathy.
Still, the story would have been better if we understood her a little more.
It also neatly explains Ramona's mystical powers over reality (see also: melting snow while she rollerblades... IN THE SNOW).
Really, between Michael Cena and the cardboard handling of Ramona I found every other character in the film more interesting (except Gideon who also received cardboard handling).
I don't disagree, but it still pisses me off when movie executives look at a comic book and say "Y'know what's entirely unnecessary? The leading lady's story arc and personality. As long as the actress who plays her is hot, no one will care that we completely neutered her character."
I'd be less irritated if I couldn't have made this same comic for the movie versions of Storm and the Silk Spectre too.
I've had a similar thought, re:Scott as unreliable narrator; also, the fact that, by the end of the movie [SPOILER ALERT!], Scott kinda learns how useless and stupid it is to do things merely to win the affections of someone he's placed on a pedestal without even knowing her, and that the film ends, not with him "winning" her, but simply accompanying her, slightly mitigates, to me, the unfairly flat female characterizations.
Of course, just because an artistic choice like that can be interpreted a certain way doesn't mean it wasn't primarily motivated by sexism and laziness. And, really, the movie would have worked just as well, if not better, if it made some kinda sense for her to dig him. But I at least liked that the movie didn't totally go along with the oblivious misogyny that's so common with some geeks.
I definitely liked that this was the first boy-meets-girl movie that challenged the Nice Guy narrative, but I wish it had gone further. It would have been awesome if the movie had pointed out that being careless with people is just as bad as actively being cruel, but ah well. I did like the lesson about self respect, though.
Of course, just because an artistic choice like that can be interpreted a certain way doesn't mean it wasn't primarily motivated by sexism and laziness.
YES THIS.
Again, this would be less irritating if a) Ramona hadn't had a rich and interesting story arc in the comics that showed how she and Scott are actually perfect for each other, and b) other movie versions of female characters hadn't received the same bullshit treatment.
I definitely liked that this was the first boy-meets-girl movie that challenged the Nice Guy narrative, but I wish it had gone further.
Totally! With a stronger female character, the movie could have actually been about this, rather than just tacking it onto the ending. This, of course, would have drastically altered the tone of the whole movie into something totally different. That's a movie some lady geek filmmaker needs to make.
Again, this would be less irritating if a) Ramona hadn't had a rich and interesting story arc in the comics that showed how she and Scott are actually perfect for each other, and b) other movie versions of female characters hadn't received the same bullshit treatment.Totally. I mean, all sorts of subplots need to get cut to fit a multi-book arc into a single film, but it is annoying that it's always the female characters who are first to go, almost by default
( ... )
I mean, all sorts of subplots need to get cut to fit a multi-book arc into a single film, but it is annoying that it's always the female characters who are first to go, almost by default.
Also, I've had the thought, and read a number of people who agree, that the movie is actually supposed to be from Scott's perspective, which both makes him an unreliable narrator, and also makes more sense as far as Ramona is concerned. After all, Scott doesn't really seem to have much of a grasp on empathy.
Still, the story would have been better if we understood her a little more.
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Really, between Michael Cena and the cardboard handling of Ramona I found every other character in the film more interesting (except Gideon who also received cardboard handling).
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I'd be less irritated if I couldn't have made this same comic for the movie versions of Storm and the Silk Spectre too.
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Of course, just because an artistic choice like that can be interpreted a certain way doesn't mean it wasn't primarily motivated by sexism and laziness. And, really, the movie would have worked just as well, if not better, if it made some kinda sense for her to dig him. But I at least liked that the movie didn't totally go along with the oblivious misogyny that's so common with some geeks.
Reply
Of course, just because an artistic choice like that can be interpreted a certain way doesn't mean it wasn't primarily motivated by sexism and laziness.
YES THIS.
Again, this would be less irritating if a) Ramona hadn't had a rich and interesting story arc in the comics that showed how she and Scott are actually perfect for each other, and b) other movie versions of female characters hadn't received the same bullshit treatment.
Reply
Totally! With a stronger female character, the movie could have actually been about this, rather than just tacking it onto the ending. This, of course, would have drastically altered the tone of the whole movie into something totally different. That's a movie some lady geek filmmaker needs to make.
Again, this would be less irritating if a) Ramona hadn't had a rich and interesting story arc in the comics that showed how she and Scott are actually perfect for each other, and b) other movie versions of female characters hadn't received the same bullshit treatment.Totally. I mean, all sorts of subplots need to get cut to fit a multi-book arc into a single film, but it is annoying that it's always the female characters who are first to go, almost by default ( ... )
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Yeah exactly.
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