‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and the Death of Hollywood Franchises
Hollywood franchise films may not have started as theme parks, but the drive to eliminate risk will quickly turn them into the very thing their detractors fear.
marvel studios
We All Must Reckon with the ‘MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios’
Corporate villainy! Creative tyranny! Dangerous foes and tough allies! MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios blasts the superhero movie universe with the studio’s massive, messy history.
‘What If…?’ Marvel Studios Tries Something Completely Different?
Marvel Studios’ What If…? on Disney+ is an intriguing animated and narrative exercise in the MCU, but why isn’t it as exciting as we anticipated?
Marvel Studios ‘Black Widow’ Mishandles the MCU’s Most Popular Female Character
Marvel Studios’ Black Widow was too little, too late for the MCU’s most popular female character due partially to misogynistic business practices at Disney.
The Highs Are Higher, the Lows Lower in ‘Deadpool 2’
The first half of Deadpool 2, in which Vanessa is murdered and Wade becomes purposeless and suicidal, is a slog. The second half, where Wade commits to defending an angry teenage mutant, positively soars with fantastic action and some of the funniest superhero film moments in years.
The Action in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Is Relentless
The focus on Thanos single-handedly saves Avengers: Infinity War from becoming the overstuffed mess many feared and lends the film a relentless action pace more akin to Mad Max: Fury Road than a superhero blockbuster.
Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ Has Its Claws in the Zeitgeist
Ryan Coogler's Black Panther engages with deep and timely social, cultural, and psychological concepts, and completely taps into America's zeitgeist.
Cue the Music: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’
James Gunn crafts a deeply flawed film, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which digs deep into daddy issues, is still entertaining, visually gorgeous, and likable.
What ‘Half Nelson’ Teaches About ‘Captain Marvel’ Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
They've gone on to write and direct Captain Marvel, but there was a time when Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck made small films like Half Nelson and seemed poised to create a distinct, unpredictable body of work.
‘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.
‘Iron Man 3’ Finds Its Hero in Crisis
Marvel Studios launched its second phase of films with Iron Man 3, a film filled with bold storytelling choices and irreverent humour that would become hallmarks of the MCU.
Joss Whedon’s ‘The Avengers’ Blasts Away All Other Comic Book Films
By perfecting the comic book superhero formula and creating the first big-budget shared universe with The Avengers in 2012, Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios came to define this decade of blockbuster filmmaking.