superhero
Halloween has come to an end, but some scary things follow us all year. One of them is our guilty pleasures. No matter how critical a film enthusiast can be, there will always be that bad film that is difficult not to love.
The very idea of “The Batch” being in a Marvel film with Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rachel McAdams was an incredibly inviting prospect.
At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Marvel Studios has unveiled various information regarding upcoming projects, ranging from a first look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to the casting of the lead of Captain Marvel. Their last project for 2016, Doctor Strange, was given a lot of attention throughout their panel.
The past couple years have sparked seemingly, sudden changes in Hollywood. The #OscarsSoWhite trending this year launched a complete member overhaul in the Academy and the way voting was handled within the membership. The EEOC launched an investigation of the Hollywood’s studio system’s complete neglect of hiring women directors, which has sparked an online movement for women in film, both in front of and behind the scenes.
When I signed on to review Batman: The Killing Joke, it was before its San Diego Comic-Con debut. As soon as that screening ended, there was a massive wave of discontent (in some cases, rage) over certain creative decisions made by the filmmakers.
Man is an individual only because of his intangible memory; and memory cannot be defined, but it defines mankind. — Ghost in the Shell X-Men: Apocalypse, the capper to the X-Men:
Superhero films are seemingly a dime a dozen lately. Though only the beginning of May, we have already seen the release of Deadpool, Batman v. Superman:
The ideology of originality in modern day cinema is a debate that is frequently discussed and examined, comparing it to what was considered the ‘Golden Age of Cinema’ in the 1900’s. Particularly regarded are the similar story lines and plots that are overused and are becoming somewhat identical, which can comprise of reboots of existing features, superheroes, etc. Along with the sheer amount of sequels that reoccur frequently even when audiences may not particularly want them, leading to them being ignored or neglected.
When people ask me who my favourite superhero is I always wonder at what makes a good one. Is it the good guy? Is it the guy out for revenge?
A fatal flaw runs through many conversations about gender issues: they narrowly focus on women. The problem largely stems from comfort, as that is how the battle has been framed for decades.
Deadpool is a comic book character with an interesting history. Premiering in the early 1990s, he was originally created as a parody of comics in general, with both the DC character Deathstroke and Marvel’s Spider-Man influencing his name and appearance (Wade Wilson is Deadpool’s real name, while Slade Wilson is the civilian name of Deathstroke). Over the years, though, the character has gained an unusually strong following, even for those that are not typical comic book fans.
Since 1989, when Batman became a mainstream film series for DC, and in 2002 when Spider-Man kicked off Marvel’s campaign, the legacy of the superhero on the silver screen has progressively grown. Particularly throughout the 21st century and through to the 2010s decade, superhero adaptations and the science fiction genre have practically dominated the Hollywood film industry, with the vast majority becoming massive commercial triumphs. We have seen a number of films released each year, and in 2016 we are awaiting a variety of superhero/comic book adaptations from Marvel, DC and others.
With the recent blockbuster release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens I have heard nothing but praise for the new protagonists and how they (or the adorable BB-8 Droid) are the best thing to happen to the revamped series. Before I rant, let me say how much I loved the new heroes.
In a 2013 interview, renowned director Steven Spielberg warned of what he called a coming “implosion” regarding summer blockbuster films. Due to Hollywood’s over-reliance on the summer box office, Spielberg believed that blockbusters constrained in this time frame would undergo drastic price changes to set them on top. In an interview, he stated that at some point “you’re gonna have to pay $25 for the next Iron Man, you’re probably only going to have to pay $7 to see Lincoln.
Fantastic Four is a film that people wanted to hate from the start. First, there was the controversial casting of Michael B. Jordan as the traditionally white character Johnny Storm; shortly following this was the discovery that Victor Von Doom was a computer hacker instead of a brilliant inventor; finally, there was the casting itself, which involved younger characters just finishing high school, whereas most adaptations of the story present the Fantastic Four as adults.