Marina Bay Sands lights up for Captain America
Captain America: Civil War stars reply to rivals with dazzling light and fireworks display at Marina Bay Sands
The two Indonesian college students had flown from Jakarta to catch the #TeamCap light and fireworks display at Marina Bay Sands last night.
Miss Maratul Mochtar and Mr Zainuri Aziz, both 22, joined Mr Andriyanto Mantovandi, 26, an insurance agent who had arrived a day earlier, at the Helix Bridge just in time to watch the visual spectacle kick off at 8.50pm.
And it was worth it, even if the action lasted all of six minutes.
Together with hundreds of fans at the iconic bridge, The Float at Marina Bay and Marina Bay Sands, they were treated to a Captain America: Civil War special, in response to what Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), had done in Paris at the Eiffel Tower on behalf of #TeamIronMan on Monday. (See report )
Beams of bright blue lights - Cap's trademark colour - criss-crossed behind a giant Captain America shield.
Beside it, a promotional video of the stars of the Marvel blockbuster, which opens here on Thursday, was projected onto the side of the ArtScience Museum.
RIVALRY
As if the answer was not obvious, the question "Whose side are you on?" flashed in huge letters, asking fans to choose between #TeamCap and #TeamIronMan, a rivalry mirrored in the plot of the movie.
Visuals from the film and the Captain America shield were also projected onto the side of Marina Bay Sands Hotel.
LIGHT IT UP: The movie's stars, who included Chris Evans (above), Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan launching the #TeamCap light and fireworks display yesterday. TNP PHOTOS: JEREMY LONGAt the same time, a grand fireworks display lit up the sky as gold, green, blue and red sparks drew cheers from the crowd.
The display was kicked off by the film's stars Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, and co-director Joe Russo, all ready to rise up to #TeamIronMan's challenge.
Evans, 34, who plays the titular character, rallied the crowd, addressing them as "Team Singapore".
He clearly succeeded.
LIGHT IT UP: The movie's stars, who included Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie (above) and Sebastian Stan launching the #TeamCap light and fireworks display yesterday. TNP PHOTOS: JEREMY LONGMiss Maratul, who had paid nearly $80 for both flight tickets and accommodation, later told The New Paper: "Ironman is too arrogant, so clearly we are on #TeamCap. I am glad we flew into Singapore because something like this would never happen in Indonesia. I have no regrets."
Her friend, Mr Zainuri, agreed.
"I find the fireworks display the most exciting part. The whole display is so beautiful and I'm so glad we came to see this," he said.
Local fans like Muhammad Schzwandy Bakhit, 14, said: "I am happy that they decided to do this here. #TeamCap won, hands down."
Secretary Freda Lim, 56, snagged a photo with Russo and touched Mackie's shoulder after the event.
"My heart is pounding very hard," she said. "They were very friendly."
To which her semi-retiree husband, Mr Percy Woo, 59, said: "Before this, I never knew she was such a fangirl. I doubt she will wash her hands tonight."
LIGHT IT UP: (Above) A group of Thai fans came prepared to pledge allegiance to TeamCap. TNP PHOTOS: JEREMY LONGSingapore has hosted red carpet premieres of Hollywood blockbusters like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Guardians Of The Galaxy, X-Men: Days Of Future Past and, most recently, The Huntsman: Winter's War, but the Captain America: Civil War promo was arguably the grandest so far.
MBS' involvement in an event of this scale was also telling of its reputation as an iconic landmark.
ONE FM 91.3 DJ Glenn Ong, who hosted the blue carpet premiere as well as yesterday's event, told TNP: "I've worked with MBS a lot in the past and I believe this is the biggest event that they have ever had."
ICONIC
He added: "There is nothing more iconic in Singapore than MBS. It might not have as vast a history as the Eiffel Tower, but it is just as magnificent and commands world recognition.
"Marvel and Disney have set the bar so high that it will be hard for other movie companies to outdo this."
Ong, 46, also revealed that co-director Russo was the brainchild behind yesterday's spectacle and was in a meeting at about 3pm to make sure everything went as planned.
Local film-maker Eric Khoo, 50, agreed that MBS was the perfect setting for #TeamCap's response to #TeamIronMan.
He said: "It is one of the most outstanding landmarks in Singapore, so outstanding that it made it into (the trailer of upcoming Hollywood movie) Independence Day: Resurgence...
"Meanwhile, Singapore has also proven itself to have an established fan base, which positions itself as a hub for events like this."
Ironman is too arrogant, so clearly we are on #TeamCap. I am glad we flew into Singapore because something like this would never happen in Indonesia. I have no regrets.
- Miss Maratul Mochtar
Team Iron Man makes light work of Eiffel
Robert Downey Jr, 51, had kick-started the "war" when he orchestrated the light display on the iconic Eiffel Tower, such that it lit up in the Iron Man colours - red, yellow and white (above).
The man behind Iron Man is leading the #TeamIronMan promotional tour in Europe, while Chris Evans, 34, leads #TeamCap in the South-east Asian tour.
The video of that stunt, uploaded by Marvel Entertainment on YouTube, has received more than 500,000 views to date.
In the clip, entitled "Iron Man Meets The Iron Lady," Downey Jr as Tony Stark marvels at the beauty of the Eiffel Tower and spoke of "unity" and how it was "lacking in the Avengers crew lately".
Calling the iconic French tower the "Iron Lady", he then decides to "seek counsel in the Iron Lady herself". Ever the "Iron Gentleman", he says he comes bearing a gift - the gift of light.
Controlling the lights from his mobile phone, he then makes blue lights flash on the Eiffel Tower facade, which had earlier been turned pitch black.
The grand finale sees the monument "resembling" Iron Man himself.
A cocky Downey Jr then makes a snide remark at the end of the clip, saying: "#TeamCap, I mean, how do you come back from that?
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