★★★★★ The problem with many of the superhero movies is that they are operating under the assumption that everyone in the audience knows all the hymns. It's a lot easier—and lazier—for a screenwriter to simply do a roll call of characters and events while letting fans fill in all the blanks. Sometimes the onscreen information... Continue Reading →
Smacking his lips from across the interrogation table, makeup smearing his face like acid wash, The Joker takes an existential swipe at Batman halfway through Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and leaves a scar. “I know the truth,” he blabbers. “There’s no going back. You’ve changed things ... forever.” Summer 2008... The hype for Christopher... Continue Reading →
★★★★½ Considering the plethora of expectations this franchise always carries, the movie’s number of actual missteps is only a tiny fraction of the potential missteps inherent in an undertaking this vast and complex. The movie became a cultural phenomenon. It got people excited and talking, it brought families and friends to theaters... It’s Marvel’s Universe. We... Continue Reading →
★★★★¼ On May 2nd in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. declared "I am Iron Man" for the first time, and with those words not only launched a stunning career comeback, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe.... It’s almost impossible to remember how unlikely the success of the MCU seemed before the release of Iron Man in 2008. If... Continue Reading →
★★★★ ½ Of course, Black Panther is, and will remain, a superhero film, with all that term entails… chase sequences, fantastical weapons, cackling bad guys. But the influences woven into the fabric of the film are why Black Panther transcends the genre. The arguments Black Panther undertakes with itself are central to its storyline, a... Continue Reading →
★★★½ Expectations can be a tough thing to manage, and oh man.. Were expectations high for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. post the Avengers movie ? But how could they not be. A new Joss Whedon-created TV show would be reason alone to celebrate, even knowing he wouldn't be involved in its day-to-day operation. And a new... Continue Reading →
★★★★ ¼ Forget Guardians — Vol I, this was undoubtedly one of the biggest gamble taken by Marvel. Ant Man, Guardians, Iron Man… these are supposed to be the funny ones, not Thor. NEVER THOR. The hero is not an irradiated Earthling or a guy in a metal suit, but a surfer-blonde extraterrestrial who also happened to... Continue Reading →
Nomadic Nerd's Corner 