Whether you call him Kal-El, Clark Joseph Kent or the Man of Steel, fans and non-alike know him the world over as Superman. Recently, this iconoclastic character was reintroduced to a new generation with the film Man of Steel and so began for some a look back to another era where a bold new dawn of superhero action movies was born with Superman The Movie. An inevitable debate ensued about whether a modern, technologically advanced and possibly more faithful adaptation could outshine the original, with all its nostalgia, including an inimitable portrayal of Superman given by the late Christopher Reeve. My aim is to find out whether I still believe a man can truly fly or if he is just simply wearing a costume.
In 1978, Superman The Movie opened to worldwide box office success. It was the first truly serious cinematic interpretation of the character that went beyond the tropes of previous televised and serial film incarnations. It featured groundbreaking new and exciting special effects coupled with a stellar cast that brought to life each and every character delivering performances that to this day leave me with a sense of whimsy and wonderment. The story focused on an orphaned alien, the last of his kind, arriving on Earth and through being taken in and adopted by a loving farmer and his wife, grows up to become this world’s first and greatest superhero. The story for this film brought to the screen an epic sense of adventure. Christopher Reeve personified Superman by bringing a purity of heart and embodiment of hope synonymous with the character’s persona and as the film’s tagline quoted, he made me believe a man could fly. Mr. Reeve injected into the character a palpable sense of wonder and genuine heroism not seen before then. M...
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...debate, compare or contrast these two amazing examples of post and modern American cinematic movements. The former statement I make as a moviegoer, but as a lifelong fan of DC comics, I would also have never had the pleasure of seeing both an unforgettable portrayal of this iconic superhero that made me believe a man could fly or be able to experience the character living on in a new interpretation for future generations to enjoy.
Works Cited
Christopher Reeve Quotes | CapedWonder Superman Imagery. Christopher Reeve Superman Photos, Images, Movies, Videos and More!" CapedWonder Superman Imagery Christopher Reeve Superman Photos Images Movies Videos and More. Ed. Jim Bowers. Jim Bowers, 28 Mar. 2002. Web. 25 May 2014.
Raup, Jordan. "The Ensemble Unites In New Images From Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’." Thefilmstage.com. Jordan Raup, 16 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 May 2014.
We are currently living in the Golden Age of Superheroes. They dominate our cultural life, and have become seemingly permanent fixtures in modern media. Since X-Men burst onto the screen fifteen years ago, we have witnessed the release of over forty superhero movies. By 2020 we will have seen the release of more than twenty-five more. Today, the much anticipated film Superman vs. Batman has come to theaters. Though a plethora of superhero movies have been released, it is to the dissatisfaction of many, having long been exhausted by the stories of the Hulk, Batman, and Spider-man. Although I must agree that it is quite easy to get bored with the constant action, and flashing colors of these films, if one looks deep enough into the story they will discover universal themes and metaphors. Though they may be fighting off alien invasions, these heroes are also battling with their personal challenges, challenges which we can
“Some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just wanna watch the world burn...”
Bruce Wayne, Batman’s secret identity, is an American billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and owner of Wayne Enterprises. Batman is one of the most well-known and well-liked superheroes of all time probably because of all of the comics, TV shows, movies and video games with him in it. Many are interested in Batman mainly because he is human, has no super powers and no special abilities just like a normal person but continues in many super human things using his gadgets, a body suit and a brilliant mind. Not only are these some of the differences between him and some other super heroes but he wants to see justice served and to defeat his enemies because he focuses on what is right and what is wrong. Batman has starred in about fourteen films both as a starring character and as an ensemble character beginning in 1943 and the latest in 2012 with two more coming in 2016 and 2017. Having earned a total of U.S. $1,900,844,295, the Batman series is the fifth-highest-grossing film series in North America. The first full-length movie of batman made in 1989 shows that to overcome great diversity one must step out of the bounds of what is socially and morally acceptable though the characterization of Batman, the contrast between
The Superman epic has gone on for years and years; yet the story line has always remained the same:
To conclude that both movies have own special traits that attract a lot of audience to watch these movies even though in these movies have contained violence and sexuality scene that seemly not suitable for children to watch. Furthermore, I’m really thought that both movies are good suggestions to entertain people during free time as both are very interesting and nice to watch.
While the Batman character grown into an international franchise, many of his fellow superhero peers have fallen by the proverbial road side. Riding on his mysterious and dark persona, he is one of the most famous fictional characters of modern times. It is a unique blend of super-hero fantasy and realism that has allowed him to be accepted by such a wide audience, and it is to the credit of his producers that they have been able to mould the character the character to fit their needs while capitalizing on the character’s essence.
Nearly all heroes are faced with a variety of inconceivable tasks which in turn help to overcome obstacles that the character may face. In Spider-Man, Peter Parker is forced to overcome these impediments so that he can help protect the people in his city. The task that first illustrates this quest is Spider-Man’s revenge on the man who killed his uncle and committed robbery. To catch this criminal, though, Spider-Man has to learn how to use his mind: thinking quickly and on-the-spot. Not only does it take courage for Spider-Man to defeat this criminal, it takes quick reflexes that only his “spidey senses” can offer him. In the end, Spider-Man tricks the man and is successful in turning him into the police. Another example of a difficult task that Spider-Man is faced with is a battle with his newfound enemy, the Green Goblin. Created from a science experiment gone wrong, this evil creation tries to ruin celebrations on World Unity Day by exploding buildings and killing people. This event truly shows that Spider-Man now has an enemy that he can face, and he now knows how large the obstacles that are placed in front of him are. This event is significant because Spider-Man now knows who his true enemy is, and foreshadows confrontations yet to come. As the Goblin says in this scene, “We’ll meet again, Spider-Man!” Though no large defeat occurs in this instance, it displays the new conflict that will occur between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. Finally, an near-impossible task that Spider-Man is faced with is a fierce battle with the Green Goblin in which he is forced to choose between saving a trolley full of children, and saving his true love, Mary Jane. The Green Goblin says:
...revolutionize a whole new genre of movie, a genre which is fast becoming more and moe popular. 'As filmmaking technology has made it more and more feasible to bring the worlds of the comics to movie theaters, the comics themselves have begun to provide a broader and richer array of material.. from which films might be made' (Booker 2007: Paul Benton, Lecture notes). All the mentioned arguments throughout this essay on top of; the star performances, unique marketing and special effects, help make The Dark Knight a truly great film. Prior to the movies release it was questioned wether the film could sustain the 'increasing moral weight imposed upon it', the movie to date has more than dealt with this pressure, and has become a focal point for many discussions and essays, and finally it is because of the morals and ethics within the movie that I have written this essay.
Superman: With all that talk about unchecked power, you are so arrogant that you didn't bother to come up with a plan to stop yourself?
When looking at Superman and Hercules (Herakles) is easy to find many comparisons between the two. Both are men are with unimaginable strength, and though they appear human they are far from the average man. Both are essentially gods when compared to average mortals. Yet however, when looking at them through Levi-Strauss’ lens of raw and cooked we get somewhat of a different picture. I will be looking at the most recent, Superman movie Man of Steel directed by Zack Snyder starring Henry Cavill as Superman and which was released on June 14, 2013 (IMDb.com).
Can’t we assume there’s a point where they wonder if he doesn’t feel? In the song “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” John Ondrasik expertly uses Superman’s situation to express his views on humanity, explain how hierarchy doesn’t affect pain, and eliminate some false perception of perfection. /I can't stand to fly / I'm not that naïve/ The tune, having no sense of severity, is not hooking. Nonetheless, the very few words that open the song are emotionally overwhelming.
Growing up, we all have had a childhood superhero we wanted to be. In my case, it was the visitor from another planet who is faster than a speeding bullet, who is more powerful than a locomotive, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound, who else but Superman. Ever since that day when my father brought home that Betamax tape of the first movie, portrayed by the late great Christoper Reeve, I was hooked. The iconic “S” shield on the chest, the cape, the bright blue, red and yellow suit, who wouldn't wanted to be him? Of course everybody does, even adults wanted to fly and have all his super powers. This character and this movie started it all. Making over $300,000,00 at the box office worldwide, meaning it's a success, which was unheard of during that time from a comic book adaptation. Despite the success of the first movie, the succeeding ones failed. That being said, during the past two decades, movies based on comic book heroes were a hit or miss, mostly a miss. But not until 2008, when Marvel Studios single-handedly revitalized the comic book movie industry, with one of their most popular character, not the web slinger Spiderman, or the raging green monster we all know as the Hulk, but with the man with the advanced
I fully accept that I am a geek when it comes to the Marvel superhero comics. I could not help but note that after watching Captain America, my favorite from the Avenger’s series, I noticed Chris Evans capitalized on the classic iconic American Hero. Typically when we hear superhero we think of a man that begins with Bat, Spider or Super. Yet none of these men fully embody the American icon of comic heroism. While using a narrative paradigm and Bourke I will examine our icon in comparison to a Norwegian Viking through a postmodern lens. Comparing these two icons may seem as an odd comparison, however their similarity might shed light into who the American hero really is.
Any fan of Batman knows that “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” are two of the best Batman films made in the seventy-eight years that Batman has been around. The plots really make you look deep in yourself and show the true and more real sides of the characters of the Batman world. Each movie shows the evolution of Batman and shows only a few of the many crazy and intense adventures of this mysterious hero. These two movies are the first two in the dark knight trilogy, created by the amazing Christopher Nolan. These movies were heavily praised for their astounding realism to the real world, and its pros and cons. But they were also extremely liked for their possibility for
be. With his courageous efforts to save people in need, Superman has instilled one view of