Avengers: Endgame brings the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) third phase to a close in splendid fashion, designating much of its three-hour runtime to character arcs and the wider narrative, versus intergalactic fireworks and fisticuffs. In fact, Anthony and Joe Russo’s finale is an intelligent film, introducing novel MCU concepts, “hard” science and a supervillain worthy…
When Sony announced its plans for a theatrical release of an animated Spider-Man film, even hardcore fans of the web swinger may have considered it to be just another unwarranted adaptation. “Haven’t we seen enough portrayals of Spider-Man?,” those with comic-book movie fatigue asked, and yet in his seventh major solo theatrical release since 2002,…
Somber is the mood in the first trailer for Avengers: Endgame and rightfully it should be. As you should recall, Thanos — after piecing together the Infinity Gauntlet — has eliminated half the population of Earth and decimated the ranks of the superhero team at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War.” The remaining Avengers and…
14 years in the real world is instantly obliterated at the start of Incredibles 2, which picks up the story of the superpowered Parr family at the exact moment that their previous cinematic adventure ended. Time may have stood still for the titular heroes until now, but a lot has happened in the last decade-and-a-half…
It is a cliché to say that less is more. In the case of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Marvel excels in delivering the delights of smaller scales, both in the physical and emotional sense. After the weighty politics of “Black Panther” and the epic scale of “Avengers: Infinity War,” the latest entry in the Marvel…
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…
In “Ant-Man” viewers were surprised with a small (and giant) Thomas the Tank Engine having a profound impact in the action and in its sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp, a giant PEZ dispenser is served up for recognizable laughs. What else Marvel Studios has in store in their latest addition to their cinematic universe isn’t…
