by Cavin Jacobson | Jul 3, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
“Spider-Man: Far From Home” returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s roots and delivers a story that feels straight from the pages of a comic. Coming fresh on the heels of “Avengers: Endgame,” “Far From Home” makes for the perfect coda to the story that Marvel wrapped up with “Endgame.” It is important to note that this review will have slight spoilers for “Far From Home,” references to past MCU movies, and spoilers for “Avengers: Endgame.” If you have not seen “Endgame,” a new version was released in theaters last Friday. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” immediately answers the questions that bothered so many after “Endgame.” While the film does not answer them perfectly, “Far From Home” reminds the audience just why the MCU formula is a winning one. After the comedic exposition of how life was for non-superpowered people during “Endgame,” we find Peter Parker (Tom Holland) wanting to return to normal high-school life and work up the courage to ask out MJ (Zendaya). The world has different plans for Spider-Man though, as the burden of being the next Iron Man falls on his shoulders. Peter Parker flees the burden of Spider-Man and goes on a class trip across Europe. The traveling montages hark back to the style of National Lampoon movies and clearly shows director Jon Watts’ love for ’80s teen comedies. While on the trip, Peter is forced to be Spider-Man when creatures known as Elementals start attacking cities that Peter and his class are visiting. A new superhuman called Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrives on the scene to help stop the Elementals’ threat. He is joined by Nick...
by Cory Woodroof | Aug 1, 2014 | Opinion
If Marvel Studios’ track record tells you anything, it’s that the company isn’t afraid to roll the dice. By now, it’s almost humorous to think that making Robert Downey Jr. into Iron Man, casting two relative unknowns (Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston) into the roles of Thor and Loki and handing Joss Whedon the keys to the Avengers kingdom were incredible risks at the beginning. But, really, that’s been the studio’s mantra ever since Tony Stark took to the skies – “We’re unafraid to take chances because, most of the time, we’re right.” It’s a formula that’s garnered a conglomeration of critical praise, audience adornment and box office records. As rival comics company DC attempts to play a game of Jenga to get their long-gestated Justice League franchise off the ground (fingers crossed), Marvel coasts across their ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ with the self-dubbed ‘Phase 2’ nearly in the rearview mirror (next summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron will tie the knot on the second part of the overarching Avengers storyline, with vehicles for Ant-Man, Dr. Strange and others on the way). Although, the studio hit a public snag in May when lauded director Edgar Wright bolted his prized Ant-Man adaptation, a project that, according to rumor, went through many failed offers before landing in the hands of comedy vet Peyton Reed. Speculation painted Marvel as a controlling cookie-cutter, afraid to embrace the potentially diverse take Wright had on the character and its universe. “How dare a visionary enter our arena and try to go against the grain that we’ve established?” With a movie like Guardians of the Galaxy now under...
by Cory Woodroof | May 29, 2014 | Opinion
Hello, Lumination readers, Cory Woodroof here. Over the summer, we here at Lumination want to keep you tuned in on everything that’s going on with campus, but also, we’ll throw some other information your way that may be beneficial to you as you enjoy a summer that may not be too close to campus. With the ‘Arts Update,’ we will periodically update you with different opinions that could be beneficial, no matter where you are, to your time off. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER Cap is back, and he’s better than ever. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the latest Marvel Studios venture, is as successful of a follow-up to both the 2011 stand-alone film starring everyone’s favorite patriotic superhero and 2012’s monolith blockbuster hit The Avengers, which brought Cap along for the ride alongside other Avengers Initiative heroes. With Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers (Cap’s other name) begins to investigate a mysterious plot unfolding within SHIELD, the top-secret government agency that serves as the Avengers’ parent company, so to speak. What unfolds after, best left unspoiled, brings back some of Rogers’ past into the spotlight. The film works simply because it’s Marvel Studios at its most competent. Marvel has had their own minor bumps and bruises along the way of creating one of the most expansive film series to date, but with Winter Soldier, the studio has produced a surefire hit with depth, emotion, jaw-dropping action set pieces and a page-turning plotline. Evans shines with his take on Rogers – the most underrated casting choice in the Marvel universe, and Scarlett Johansson is as good as ever as Natasha Romanoff. This...
