Since 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) model has introduced ingenious engineers, Norse gods, space raiders and sorcerers. These superpowered figures appear in films that incorporate elements from World War II movies, space opera, heist films, alien invasions and conspiracy thrillers. With varying levels of dramatic success, the framework of a superhero figure in [insert…
One of the highlights of “Captain America: Civil War” is headlining his own adventure, and it looks bonkers. The teaser for Black Panther, a substantially better representation of the project than the poster, features vivid imagery, an intriguing tribal-versus-modern setting plus just enough information about a conflict that can affect more than T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman,…
Thirteen years after Peter Jackson first introduced us to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, we find ourselves at the conclusion of the prequel Hobbit trilogy, and thus our last foray into Middle Earth. As a result, cinemas are bound to be packed with fans both fierce and casual, all reluctantly saying farewell…
This is it. The final trailer to the final installment of Peter Jackson’s epic telling of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classics. Whereas the first trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies hinted at little to come, this trailer heavily invests in the buildup to the war that is to define the start of The…
Treasure is a mighty influencer. And with so much of it available after the fall of Smaug, everyone — the dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, the Wood Elves led by Thranduil and the Men of Long Lake led by Bard — are willing to scrap alliances for a piece of it in Peter Jackson’s final…
Even bearing in mind that this film was always going to be fighting the uphill battle of the “middle film” curse, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug still didn’t quite live up to expectations. Perhaps it’s because “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” — Peter Jackson’s last “middle film”, from The Lord of…
While I certainly enjoyed the first trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, I like the second one even more. Warner Bros. and crew have raised the ante with this trailer, hinting at alliances and double-crosses, hidden adorations and resentments, and of course fantastical conflicts waged within a finely crafted world. As the dwarves,…
