‘Doctor Strange’: It’s About Time
Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange is a surprisingly cerebral, emotionally relatable film. It's also wrapped in some of the most exciting and unique blockbuster visuals seen in years.
Michael Curley
Michael Curley is a full-time high school teacher and part-time film aficionado based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Although he is a fan of films of all kinds, he has a particular soft spot for major Hollywood blockbusters done well. Michael's film essays are currently exclusive to PopMatters.com. He can be reached @MCurleyfries on Twitter.
‘X-Men: Apocalypse’: The Apocalypse of Comic Book Films
The filmmakers’ attempt to mask X-Men: Apocalypse’s lack of purpose and thematic unity with a stunning density of characters, plot lines, and fan service. But we see behind the mask.
Deadpool and Ryan Reynolds’ 11-Year Love Affair
If the best measure of success for a comic book film is how well it captures the tone for the central character, then Ryan Reynold's beloved character in Deadpool makes it among the greatest superhero films of all time.
Sub-Atomic Particles and Brilliant Heist Sequences: ‘Ant-Man’ Masters the Tiny Universe
There are strong emotional stakes and likeable characters in Peyton Reed's Ant-Man, but they are all rooted in a, well, less than epic scale. This makes Ant-Man refreshing, an MCU palate cleanser.
Joss Whedon’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Ages Well
Joss Whedon defied expectations with his ambitiously muted, psychological approach to Avengers: Age of Ultron but despite his best intentions and genuinely interesting vision, this would be his only effort with Marvel Studios. It was a good effort.
‘Big Hero 6’: Disney Viewed through a Marvel Lens
Big Hero 6 draws its themes and central relationship from the classic Disney and Pixar templates but includes all of the trappings of a Marvel superhero origin film.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Blew the Door to Comic Book Films Wide Open
With Guardians of the Galaxy, set to the soundtrack of an Awesome Mix Vol. 1 cassette tape, Marvel Studios adapted a little-known comic book property -- with a raccoon superhero -- into a hugely successful film and launched the next wave of comic book films.
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’: A Black and White Morality in a Politically Grey Time
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is inspired by paranoid political thrillers of the '70s, making it the most radical departure from the tried-and-true MCU formula up to that point.
‘Thor: The Dark World’ Comes Close to Being a Viable Story
In Thor: The Dark World there's a dangerous villain, a universe-ending threat, and a star-crossed romance -- but none of it makes sense.