Over the past decade, Marvel Studios have proved time and again their mastery of the superhero genre. Central to this success is the combination of superhero tropes with other genres: World War II film with “Captain America: The First Avenger,” conspiracy thriller with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” heist movie with “Ant-Man,” high school comedy…
Dusting off the smell of the superhero ensemble disappointment of “Justice League” comes the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War and it does not disappoint. Putting differences aside that forced a split between the Avengers in “Captain America: Civil War,” the heroes — with the aid of Black Panther, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange,…
The unique selling point of superhero cinema is the presentation of superpowers on screen and the exploration of what it means to super and to be a hero. Ever since “X-Men” took advantage of digital effects technology to render eye beams and human-generated lightning bolts, the finest examples of superhero cinema have grabbed hold of…
The latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a curious film of links. There are links between its world and the wider MCU. The central premise depends on links between different dimensions, from which sorcerers draw and utilize mystical energy. And it manages the tricky task of forging links between magic and science,…
The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps marching forward, even with, as some would say, their lesser echelon characters leading the way. In this case it’s Stephen Strange, coming at us in the upcoming fantasy tale, Doctor Strange. How exactly he’s going to fit into the MCU puzzle is still a closely guarded secret, but one thing…
Nostalgia and movie sequelitis are the two main ingredients that invite back the majority of films from yesteryear looking to make a big screen impact yet again. This, of course, applies to both cinematic gems and duds alike. Nowadays, the urge to tap into celebrated or soured fare from yesterday has proven to be a…
My friend once told me a story of how he was visiting Las Vegas in the mid-1990s. He said that the person he was with, John, introduced him to a rather sharply-dressed man who told him, “Whatever you want here, just ask for it,” and then walked away. John said, “Do you know who that…
