The Summer Blockbuster I Wish was Coming to the Silver Screen - A Review of The Rise of Io

The Rise of Io by Wesley Chu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This review is based on an ARC of the book, given to me for free by the publisher. This does not in any way affect my review.

The summer blockbuster: the film generally anticipated by a majority of the movie-viewing public, and equally generally despised by film critics. For my part, I enjoy a good summer blockbuster, but I have certain criteria for what counts as a good summer blockbuster: not as stringent as those of a film critic, for certain, but still important enough to me that their presence (or absence) can decide whether or not I see a particular film in the theatre. For example: a diverse cast is always going to be interesting to me, particularly if it highlights women of colour by casting them in excellent roles. If the movie also happens to be from a franchise I enjoy, and/or based on a book I enjoy, and/or in the science fiction or fantasy genres, then I am almost definitely onboard and willing to spend both money and time on it.

Unfortunately, a great many summer blockbusters do not meet those criteria - and, worse, many summer blockbusters might not meet those criteria for a very long time, if the whitewashing of key Asian characters in the upcoming Doctor Strange movie and in the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell is anything to go by. This is unfortunate, not least because a great many movies that go on to become big hits are actually adapted from other media - books, in particular. However, it is becoming quite clear that, even in adaptations, Hollywood will insist on casting a white person for a character, even if, in the original material, the character is actually a person of colour.

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