The first superhero movie in years to star a black lead character – with Chadwick Boseman playing an African king, and director Ryan Coogler at the helm – had its world premiere on Monday night in Hollywood.
After the credits ran, social media's cup runneth over, with early reaction praising the Marvel film for celebrating black excellence at a level never seen before in the genre, and predicting Black Panther will render audiences speechless.
I really hope this movie lives up to its hype, but Marvel has been consistently good, even for movies I didn't expect to be good, Ant-Man and Captain America (a really good trilogy of films) come to mind.
Did any one see Thor: Ragnarok? I still have to check that one out. I recently saw, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, it was a much better outing by the DC animated films.
I really hope this movie lives up to its hype, but Marvel has been consistently good, even for movies I didn't expect to be good, Ant-Man and Captain America (a really good trilogy of films) come to mind.
Did any one see Thor: Ragnarok? I still have to check that one out. I recently saw, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, it was a much better outing by the DC animated films.
I've had interest in the whole Superhero genre before I could even read a comic book. I've watched most of the Superhero films (and own on Blu-ray), DC and Marvel, have yet to watch Ant-Man though, the ratings are high, and I hope to in the near future. I've never been a fan of Dr. Strange, just not into all that he's about, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed the film, surprisingly good. Captain America The Winter Soldier blew me away by how great it is, even though I never have been a huge Captain America fan, but The Winter Soldier, is just nearly perfect, especially if a person has watched the previous films, it's smooth like silk. The characters I enjoy watching on the big screen the most though are Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Hulk, those four have always stuck with me, even terrible comic artists and writers could not sway me from them. But umm...yeah I've yet to watch Thor: Ragnarok...look forward to watching the Hulk portions of it the most, hear it's heavy on humor, wish they had not trimmed thy "Goldilocks". Sometimes the revisions work, other times not so much, alas tis' but entertainment at the end of the day.
I really hope this movie lives up to its hype, but Marvel has been consistently good, even for movies I didn't expect to be good, Ant-Man and Captain America (a really good trilogy of films) come to mind.
Did any one see Thor: Ragnarok? I still have to check that one out. I recently saw, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, it was a much better outing by the DC animated films.
I really hope this movie lives up to its hype, but Marvel has been consistently good, even for movies I didn't expect to be good, Ant-Man and Captain America (a really good trilogy of films) come to mind.
Did any one see Thor: Ragnarok? I still have to check that one out. I recently saw, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, it was a much better outing by the DC animated films.
I feel some way about the entire movie and universe.
Firstly, most people dont realize BP has genius intellect that rivals Prof. X. and Magneto. In this social environment, they will go into it believing a chiche, and will be surprised by reality imitated in art.
Many people are also just astonished that a black cast can (and did) get an entire marvel movie in which they are highlighted (no cliche black man dies first,) and they are actually seen as "humanish," which is an upgrade from reality. For now, BP is a safe novelty movie.
It is still Wakanda; it is still fairy tale. People see it because of that juxtaposition between extraordinary coloreds, and reality as seen by most people. Wakandans - technological advancement, militaristic achievements that rival/surpass S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.P.E.A.R. - are still make-believe, and not anchored in any reality. That is why such a movie can make so much money. (The act of monetarily supporting a film like this in a country in which money is god is a way of "aproving.")
I've had interest in the whole Superhero genre before I could even read a comic book. I've watched most of the Superhero films (and own on Blu-ray), DC and Marvel, have yet to watch Ant-Man though, the ratings are high, and I hope to in the near future. I've never been a fan of Dr. Strange, just not into all that he's about, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed the film, surprisingly good. Captain America The Winter Soldier blew me away by how great it is, even though I never have been a huge Captain America fan, but The Winter Soldier, is just nearly perfect, especially if a person has watched the previous films, it's smooth like silk. The characters I enjoy watching on the big screen the most though are Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Hulk, those four have always stuck with me, even terrible comic artists and writers could not sway me from them. But umm...yeah I've yet to watch Thor: Ragnarok...look forward to watching the Hulk portions of it the most, hear it's heavy on humor, wish they had not trimmed thy "Goldilocks". Sometimes the revisions work, other times not so much, alas tis' but entertainment at the end of the day.
Ant-Man is more of a comedy, which is why it works, I've heard Thor has been compared to Guardians of the Galaxy, it seems Marvel could have more of an emphasis on space in the future. That's probably a smart move because superhero fatigue will likely begin to set in; it's a smart move to bookend their cinematic universe with the Avengers movies. I know they'll continue, but it will likely continue with a new direction and set of characters. Perhaps they could have Spider-Man lead the Avengers?
I've never read comic books, we never had that luxury in my family, but I always watched the animated TV shows when I was younger. I think that's why I never care about the source material, as long as I get a good story, cohesive plot, strong characters, and good acting, have fun with it.
Captain America was surprisingly good, only because I never had much interest in the character, but I can say the same of Iron Man (well, almost any character that didn't have a cartoon I enjoyed as a kid). I think with Marvel is despite having a formula, the movies still feel different. Judging by the plot of Black Panther, it seems quite formulaic, which has me skeptical of qualifiers like "astonishing" and "iconic"
(Spoiler: some general words about Ant-Man, but it does not ruin the movie)
Iron Man: Hero has a suit, villain has a suit, hero must stop villain
Captain America: Hero becomes super soldier, villain also uses similar formula, hero must stop villain
Ant-Man: Hero makes tiny suit, villain makes tiny suit, hero must stop villain
Black Panther: Hero has special suit, villain steals special suit, hero must stop villain...
Despite using the same formula, every movie feels different, which is a testament to their talent on these projects.
As for DC, I have ignored it since they went all dark and broody with Superman. They tried copying the darker tone of Nolan's Batman, but then applied it to everything, which just makes for boring movies, I'm also spoiled by the Kevin Conroy/Bruce Timm Batman, who I wish they would consult a little more on humanizing and cleverly writing Batman. One detail I liked about the animated Batman was he always had the Batman voice, suit or not, because his Batman, while whenever he was in public, he would jump to the superficial Bruce Wayne "mask." They attempted this in Nolan's Batman, but they said it more than they showed it (I think Bale's portrayal was my least favorite part of that trilogy).
But we'll have to see how this movie does. I don't know how it will save the continued declined of tentpole flicks because Hollywood has been rupturing (especially last year). I think Netflix and online streaming have been competition, but I also think the issue is sequel fatigue. There are too many "worlds" they're trying to entice you into seeing, which means the film landscape is less diverse (unlike television, that has been going through a renaissance, mostly because of Netflix and HBO). For me, I hate trailers, I simply ignore them because they are all structured exactly the same way (slow thump, increasing pace of music, and don't forget to have that one shot where everything is silent, the character is moving in slow motion before jumping, punching, blowing something up, etc.).
I had a similar thread about Thor back in November, I don't know if trends have changed, but people loved that movie. So we'll have to see how this one does.
I've *literally* seen people claim that Black Panther is the first black superhero to get his own movie, yet we had "The Meteor Man" all the way back in 1993. I actually have the first issue of the Marvel comic book.
Then we had the "Blade" franchise a few years after that.
I've *literally* seen people claim that Black Panther is the first black superhero to get his own movie, yet we had "The Meteor Man" all the way back in 1993. I actually have the first issue of the Marvel comic book.
Then we had the "Blade" franchise a few years after that.
You forgot to add Spawn (although that's easy to miss because he's a burn victim). There's also Hancock and Steel... and don't forget Blank Man!
I wouldn't worry about the ignorant, there was a joke about African Americans getting excited about Black Panther... the question, how many of them actually know Black Panther is a superhero film?
You forgot to add Spawn (although that's easy to miss because he's a burn victim). There's also Hancock and Steel... and don't forget Blank Man!
I wouldn't worry about the ignorant, there was a joke about African Americans getting excited about Black Panther... the question, how many of them actually know Black Panther is a superhero film?
I feel some way about the entire movie and universe.
Firstly, most people dont realize BP has genius intellect that rivals Prof. X. and Magneto. In this social environment, they will go into it believing a chiche, and will be surprised by reality imitated in art.
Many people are also just astonished that a black cast can (and did) get an entire marvel movie in which they are highlighted (no cliche black man dies first,) and they are actually seen as "humanish," which is an upgrade from reality. For now, BP is a safe novelty movie.
It is still Wakanda; it is still fairy tale. People see it because of that juxtaposition between extraordinary coloreds, and reality as seen by most people. Wakandans - technological advancement, militaristic achievements that rival/surpass S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.P.E.A.R. - are still make-believe, and not anchored in any reality. That is why such a movie can make so much money. (The act of monetarily supporting a film like this in a country in which money is god is a way of "aproving.")
What's a chiche? Is that the Mexican version of a cliche?
I get that a lot of themes in movies lately are unrealistic and shoehorned in to appeal to the young social justice crowd. The planet in Avatar would've been subjected to a full scale invasion once they declared war on mankind...and the blue bunny people wiped out. The tribal race in Valerian and the City of 1000 green screens would never have been able to transition from a primitive stone age society to being more technologically advanced than the humans who wiped them out in the span of a couple decades. There's plenty more examples....but as for Black Panther...
The background of BP was created long before the sjws were even a thing. Sure, he comes from a fictional place...but so does Superman, Batman, Thor, Wolverine (though I've heard some people believe in Canada). So what if he has inhuman strength, intelligence, and whatever else he does (I'm not really a fan)...he's a superhero, he's supposed to be better than everyone else. That's essentially what superheroes are...power fantasies.
I hope the movie does well....not because he's black but because Chadwick Boseman is a great actor. If you've never seen Get on Up, I'd highly recommend it...he's amazing as James Brown.
On a personal note, I'd like to see a remake of Spawn...which was a pretty awful movie based on a pretty great superhero. The movie didn't do the comic book justice, and pretty much the only thing that couldn't be improved upon was John Leguizamo as the Violator.
I really hope this movie lives up to its hype, but Marvel has been consistently good, even for movies I didn't expect to be good, Ant-Man and Captain America (a really good trilogy of films) come to mind.
Unfortunately Rotten Tomatoes removed the reviewer score they had last night. It wasn't a good one. Which sucks, Im looking forward to this movie.
Did any one see Thor: Ragnarok? I still have to check that one out. I recently saw, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, it was a much better outing by the DC animated films.
I feel some way about the entire movie and universe.
Firstly, most people dont realize BP has genius intellect that rivals Prof. X. and Magneto. In this social environment, they will go into it believing a chiche, and will be surprised by reality imitated in art.
Many people are also just astonished that a black cast can (and did) get an entire marvel movie in which they are highlighted (no cliche black man dies first,) and they are actually seen as "humanish," which is an upgrade from reality. For now, BP is a safe novelty movie.
It is still Wakanda; it is still fairy tale. People see it because of that juxtaposition between extraordinary coloreds, and reality as seen by most people. Wakandans - technological advancement, militaristic achievements that rival/surpass S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.P.E.A.R. - are still make-believe, and not anchored in any reality. That is why such a movie can make so much money. (The act of monetarily supporting a film like this in a country in which money is god is a way of "aproving.")
I understand your point to a certain extent, particularly in that I believe there is too much being read into how this affects black film. I think the belief is that a film with a primarily black cast, with a black director, will make money and prove to Hollywood that they can greenlight future films, but as you stated, a film rooted in fantasy does not necessarily mean that black film will somehow experience a renaissance.
However, where I will differ with you is the importance of this film in the pantheon of American filmmaking. I believe one important aspect of this film is that in having a majority black cast along with a wide audience, you will have audience members (many who are not black) identifying with black characters (which is usually not the case). In a film like this, the black character as a hero, and not merely a protagonist, will help cultivate a stronger template for some to relate to. The character being a fantasy does not mean he does not have to reflect some semblance of reality. If you identify with a character's humor, it doesn't matter if he/she is wearing a red and gold suit and exhibits super strength. Nonetheless, I think that sense of relating to a character will likely have a bigger influence on younger audience members than older audience members, which in the long run, helps in shaping attitudes about film and who fits in a role; in such a case, getting more films to reflect reality become easier, as people will more easily empathize with the characters on-screen.
What annoys me is the "FIRST BLACK SUPER HERO MOVIE" hype.. he's not... not even close. Blade was the first serious black super hero marvel movie. Heck, Blade showed the industry that comic book movies could make money.
I felt a little meh on Guardians of the Galaxy 2, mostly because the humor seemed a little too forced. Oh no, we're getting to a pretty serious or emotional moment, Drax say something stupid! There were many moments like that throughout the movie, I understand, you didn't want a Zac Snyder brood fest (I think I will skip Justice League and their other films altogether).
I have long since abandon IMDb as a ratings site, I think The Dark Knight tainted things so much. Wasn't that also the movie that ended user comments on reviews due to death threats?
I understand your point to a certain extent, particularly in that I believe there is too much being read into how this affects black film. I think the belief is that a film with a primarily black cast, with a black director, will make money and prove to Hollywood that they can greenlight future films, but as you stated, a film rooted in fantasy does not necessarily mean that black film will somehow experience a renaissance.
However, where I will differ with you is the importance of this film in the pantheon of American filmmaking. I believe one important aspect of this film is that in having a majority black cast along with a wide audience, you will have audience members (many who are not black) identifying with black characters (which is usually not the case). In a film like this, the black character as a hero, and not merely a protagonist, will help cultivate a stronger template for some to relate to. The character being a fantasy does not mean he does not have to reflect some semblance of reality. If you identify with a character's humor, it doesn't matter if he/she is wearing a red and gold suit and exhibits super strength. Nonetheless, I think that sense of relating to a character will likely have a bigger influence on younger audience members than older audience members, which in the long run, helps in shaping attitudes about film and who fits in a role; in such a case, getting more films to reflect reality become easier, as people will more easily empathize with the characters on-screen.
Maybe to ethnic persons who have grown up in the States and heard that they are all from ***** countries in one way or another, but for "regular" Americans, it is tantamount to seeing animals at a zoo play with wrenches.
You get me?
I will also say a hit dog will holler.
Now I don't mean to take anything away from the BP movie - I actually agree with you to an extent about the importance of the film. However, humans have never failed my cynicism of them - and this release reads as a way to passive-aggressively induce a race issue in an already ignorant population of prejudiced cultures at war with each other. The lines are being drawn with melanin in America, and it is upsetting because unfortunately too many people will do exactly as they are programmed to do, and do exactly what is expected of them. My family is not ignorant of these things, but I would hate for them to be caught up in the upcoming Helter Skelter.
