The superhero genre is accused of many things. Politically, it is described as conservative, reactionary and downright fascist. The genre has a tendency towards being white male centric, with exceptions like “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther” highlighting rather than resolving the problem. As the Marvel and DC franchises have become more popular, studios opt for…
There is a scene in Zack Snyder’s Justice League when one of the central superhero figures uses his superpowers for good. This may sound obvious, but it is notable that such use usually translates into beating up bad people, whether they be muggers, megalomaniacal crime bosses or genocidal aliens. This scene, however, involves helping someone…
The expectations for Patty Jenkins’ follow-up to her 2017 commercial and critical success “Wonder Woman” are high. Amidst the morass of the DC Extended Universe, Wonder Woman emerged as a resplendent beacon of dynamism and joy. With this success, and a rich back catalogue of stories to draw from, where Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince went…
J.C. Chandor’s (“All Is Lost”) Amazonian heist thriller, Triple Frontier, has a stellar cast and equally impressive cinematography — as some of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars traverse South American rainforests and mountainous peaks to lift hundreds of millions of dollars off a local drug lord. While some of the narrative feels somewhat tired — as…
Justice League is absolutely fucking terrible. There I said it. Now let me tell you why. The characters suck. I hate Ben Affleck (“The Accountant”) as Batman. He looks fat and wears an ugly sweater in all his scenes as Bruce Wayne. This new version of Batman also looks very sluggish while fighting. It’s almost…
There is an idealized Wonder Woman. It’s vague and often inconsistent in description, but seemingly ethereal in public consciousness, in spite of any prior comic book knowledge, or lack thereof. I would compare the cultural assumption to Superman, and the balancing act the original Richard Donner film had to pull off. The benefit of finally…
With Justice League, DC’s answer to The Avengers is finally here. Whether it’s too late to dethrone Marvel is up for debate, but the liveliness of this second trailer (first “official,” however) is at least a step in the right direction. There is still no definitive plot to spoil as of yet, but along with…
