Zack Snyder, Matthew Arnold, and Ancient Stories in Comic Book Films
Does it make sense for contemporary Superman to stand beside ancient Zeus in comic book films? Filmmaker Zack Snyder and 19th century poet and critic Matthew Arnold think so.
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‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ Makes the Most of Meta Commentary
Spider-Man: Far From Home ties up the themes of deception and Trump-era media manipulation and it ensures that the next Spider-Man film will be completely different from anything that came before.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ Culminates 2010’s Pop Culture Phenomenon
Avengers: Endgame features all the expected trappings of a superhero blockbuster alongside surprisingly rich character resolutions to become the most crowd-pleasing finalés to a long-running pop culture series ever made.
The Obstacles in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Are Not Typical of MCU
Peyton Reed's "Disney-fied" Ant-Man and the Wasp is unchallenging in all the best ways.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Destroys and Discards the Thor Mythos
Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok takes a refreshingly iconoclastic approach to Thor, throwing out the old, bringing in the new, and packaging the story in a colourful, gorgeously trashy aesthetic that perfectly captures the spirit of the comics.
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Has the Most Relatable Peter Parker
The teen-focused, John Hughes-inspired approach not only makes Spider-Man: Homecoming feel fresh in the realm of Spider-Man films, but in superhero films in general.
Cue the Music: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’
James Gunn crafts a deeply flawed film, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which digs deep into daddy issues, is still entertaining, visually gorgeous, and likable.
‘Doctor Strange’: It’s About Time
Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange is a surprisingly cerebral, emotionally relatable film. It's also wrapped in some of the most exciting and unique blockbuster visuals seen in years.
Joss Whedon’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Ages Well
Joss Whedon defied expectations with his ambitiously muted, psychological approach to Avengers: Age of Ultron but despite his best intentions and genuinely interesting vision, this would be his only effort with Marvel Studios. It was a good effort.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Blew the Door to Comic Book Films Wide Open
With Guardians of the Galaxy, set to the soundtrack of an Awesome Mix Vol. 1 cassette tape, Marvel Studios adapted a little-known comic book property -- with a raccoon superhero -- into a hugely successful film and launched the next wave of comic book films.
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’: A Black and White Morality in a Politically Grey Time
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is inspired by paranoid political thrillers of the '70s, making it the most radical departure from the tried-and-true MCU formula up to that point.