by Shelby Talbert | Mar 11, 2022 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Characters swooping off the pages of comic books and onto the silver screen is a major genre in Hollywood, with the latest being “The Batman” directed by Matt Reeves. It’s hardly the first time onscreen for The Caped Crusader, but the audiences keep coming back for him and similarly heroic colleagues. “It’s an inspiring story, but it’s also a story about how far the human condition can go,” said film major Alex Eaton. “I think that’s why we keep coming back,” said the student from Atlanta of billionaire Bruce Wayne’s latest turn in his bat costume. Superhero films have become a large part of the movie industry, with several of the highest-grossing movies from the last 15 years being Marvel properties. Of course, COVID closed theaters and has otherwise affected the box office, but that didn’t stop the superheroes: “Spider-Man: No Way Home” made over a billion dollars globally and is the biggest domestic debut since the pandemic began over two years ago. Comic book rival DC has not surrendered the box office to Marvel. Justice League, Wonder Woman, Superman and, of course, Batman, aka The Dark Knight, keep returning to the screen and streaming services for DC. Audiences are looking for heroes, according to Eaton. “These are characters who stand for justice in the right way,” Eaton said. “I think the success of characters like Batman and Spider-Man ties back to the idea of normal people taking it upon themselves to help the innocent.”Dr. Christopher Bailey is a professor in the College of Entertainment and the Arts who last month released his own superhero film “Incognito.” Bailey said he was...
by Kahwit Tela | Aug 1, 2021 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Since The Avengers first assembled on the silver screen in 2012, audiences have been clamoring for certain members of earth’s mightiest heroes to have their feature films. Fans have been especially eager for the Russian femme fatale, Natasha Romanov, aka Black Widow, to have her turn in the spotlight. After spending more than 16 years in development and numerous delays, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Widow finally was released this summer in theaters as well as premier access streaming via Disney Plus. The film’s setting is a mixture between sequel and interquel as it takes place between Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Following the events in Civil War, Romanov (Scarlett Johansson) is a fugitive and unexpectedly reunites with her estranged younger sister-figure/fellow assassin, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). The tense yet touching reunion is short-lived as a conspiracy involving the Black Widow program — a syndicate that trained female assassins including Romanov and Belova — arises. After spending countless years apart, Natasha and Yelena must put aside their differences to take down General Draykov and his army of Black Widows once and for all. The two sisters can’t do this task alone as they need to form a makeshift team with some of the toughest soldiers Russia has ever known: Their adoptive parents, super soldier Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and veteran Black Widow, Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz). As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)’s first venture into the espionage film genre, Black Widow does an excellent job of recognizing its influences, such as the 007 films, all the while maintaining a slick and...
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 Logan Butts | May 3, 2013 | Opinion
“Ever since the guy with the hammer fell out of the sky, subtlety kind of went out of the window.” And just like that, Iron Man 3 had been summed up in one quote from Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine a.k.a. Iron Patriot. My job was done. No need for a review. But, seriously, this one quote, delivered with expert comic timing by the cheeky Don Cheadle, had everything you need to know about Iron Man 3. After the enormous success of The Avengers, expectations were high for Iron Man 3. Director Shane Black, new to the superhero genre, decided to respond to those expectations by going for broke. Black took his usual nineties buddy cop action formula and applied it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There were enough edge-of-your-seat set pieces to indulge any action junkie. All of the action scenes, along with Black’s trademark comedic touch, were not subtle whatsoever, which is exactly what this franchise needed to stand out after the massive box office haul and critical adoration of The Avengers. Robert Downey, Jr. was his usual charismatic self as Iron Man, the role he was born to play. With an array of one-liners and an unexpected touch of feeling, Downey continued his winning streak as the most compelling on-screen Marvel hero. As it has come to be expected from the Marvel movies, the cast was rounded out by a group of highly respectable actors turning in more than capable work. Gwyneth Paltrow’s role as Pepper Potts was expanded to include more vital screen time in this segment of the trilogy, as was Jon Favreau’s...
