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, above.)
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.
At 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.
Miss 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.”
The New Paper, Reuters, The Straits Times, BH
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.”
Singapore 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.”
ashikinr@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on April 23, 2016.
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