Why I don't want to be famous

I’m sure you’ve hummed that song about being famous at least once (My House by Flo Rida, Rockstar by Nickelback, the Total Drama Island theme song), but you ever wonder what being famous is actually like? Well, it’s not all about the money, cars, parties and expensive clothing that’s for sure. No, when your famous, all it takes is for you to make 1 mistake or bad decision and your credibility is as gone just as fast as when you got it. I have a few skeletons in my closet and if one of my works were to become the next trending topic, it will only be a matter of time before it all comes crashing down.

Another reason why I don’t want to be famous is because your personal life is no longer private. Try as you might, there’s no escaping paparazzi or stalkers. People always want to know what you’re up to when you’re not working on your profession. That’s the way it’s always been; people are naturally curious. That said, my personal life is something I take very seriously and unless I say otherwise, it’s not anyone’s concern what I do outside of writing.

There’s also the matter of dealing with the media spreading lies or stretching the truth about you in an attempt to get more clicks. Not a single celebrity exists where there isn’t a rumor about them that was reported by the media. Lies sell like hot cakes, and I don’t want to have to deal with that.

The biggest reason why I don’t want to be famous is because it comes at a price I can’t afford to pay: my identity. I can no longer be myself once everyone knows who I am. I can’t be reserved, I can’t dress the way I want, I can’t say share anything relating to my religion, I can’t even loose my cool when push comes to shove. Because if I did any of that, I’d be faced with judgement around every corner.

Suffice to say, I don’t want to be known around the world like other celebrities are right now. I’m perfectly comfortable being known by a select few followers than millions of fans around the world.

Why It Worked: The Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2

Originally posted by gifandmemeammunition

Introduction: Picking up were we last left off on Why It Worked, Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands on this ever expanding franchise with new characters, new stories and new creative visions. This Phase is often regarded as the “hit or miss” period in the MCU, but I’d argue it succeeds so much more than it falters. So without further adieu, let’s get started.

Originally posted by itismarvelicious

The Plots: Phase 2 comprises mainly of sequels to the Phase 1 movies, and yet they all feel natural and very much stand on their own. Iron Man 3 picks up where The Avengers left off and sees Tony Stark battle with PTSD. All the while, he faces off against a notorious terrorist called the Mandarin (more on him later). Thor: The Dark World finds the Norse god of thunder protecting the 9 Realms from the Dark Elves, who’s sole purpose is to drown the universe in darkness. Captain America: The Winter Solider shows who Steve Rogers adjusts to the modern world as he faces off against the mysterious foe, the Winter Solider. And finally, Avengers: Age of Ultron finds Earth’s Mightiest Heroes face off against an A.I. who’s idea of saving the world is destroying it with a meteor. There are 2 films this Phase that aren’t sequels: Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. The former opens up the cosmic side of the MCU by introducing a rag tag team of misfits who must ban together to stop an vengeful warlord from reeking havoc upon the galaxy. The latter is a heist movie involving a guy trying to be a good role model to his daughter while also communicating with ants. This films bring in the same amount of charm and humor the first Phase brought and then some. Guardians of the Galaxy in particular had some of the smartest and well timed jokes in the MCU up until that point. Not only that, but there this Phase also brought in life changing events that carried on in future films. Tony’s paranoia caused him to build Ultron, S.H.I.E.L.D. became compromised and ultimately destroyed in Winter Solider and even with that, HYDRA lives on in other parts of the world by Age of Ultron. None of this would’ve at all been possible if it weren’t for the creative talents of Shane Black, Alan Taylor, Joe and Anthony Russo, James Gunn, Joss Whedon (again), and Peyton Reed.

Originally posted by marvelgifs

Cast and Characters: Since we’re all familiar with the core Avengers at this point, let’s introduce the new faces starting with Sam Wilson aka Falcon. Sam is Steve Roger’s new friend introduced in Winter Solider. A veteran himself with a smart and charming personality, he and Steve hit it off almost instantly. Plus, Anthony Mackie is just right for the role, making the character funny, smart and tough in his own right. Next up we have the Guardians of the Galaxy, featuring Peter Jason Quill, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccon and Groot. Peter starts off as a Han Solo-type of character, but throughout the film we find his full of layers. He’s got charm, humor, heart, anger, cockiness, he’s basically the every man in this wacky side of the galaxy. All brought to life flawlessly by Chris Pratt. Gamora is a headstrong and dangerous woman who plays against the love interest trope in this film as she has great resentment for her father Thanos and sister Nebula. It also helps that she’s played brilliantly by Zoe Saldana, who brings the right amount of humor and fierce veracity to the character. Drax is meant to be this stoic tragic figure who seeks to avenge his fallen family. And yet his lack of understanding metaphors and Dave Bautista’s performance make him one of the funniest characters in this franchise. Then we have Rocket and Groot, a raccoon and a tree man who became household names over night. Rocket is a fowl mouth, sarcastic and crude rodent with a good heart under that ruff exterior. Groot meanwhile is wears his heart on his bark, having such a calm and gentle demeanor, while also not being afraid to be the muscle Rocket needs. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel bring these characters to life through their commitment and strife; I couldn’t have picked anyone better. Moving on from the Guardians, we have Scott Lang, the thief with a heart of gold who’s trying to be a good role model for his daughter, Cassie. It goes without saying that Scott’s funny (being played by comedic actor Paul Rudd and all), but he’s also very smart and caring for those around him. His skills in robbery and breaking and entering make him perfectly capable of dawning the Ant-Man costume, at least in the eyes of Hank Pym. Speaking of which, the original Ant-Man from the comics is now a wise, crusty old man with a good heart. Michael Douglas gives an excellent performance as this character, making it believable that he was at one time a superhero and is now passing the torch to a younger suitor. Hank’s daughter, Hope is a smart, stern and strong woman who at first resents her father for pushing her away after her Mom went MIA. After learning the truth, she comes to respect him and Scott a little more. Evangeline Lilly is perfect as Hope, delivering the right amount of humor and heart to. These new characters are just as memorable and as well fleshed out as the ones we’ve come to know and love at this point. And that’s not even mentioning Yondu, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, Vision, Harley Keener, Luis, Dave and Kurt, and Cassie.

Originally posted by marveladdicts

The Big Baddies: I’ll just say this upfront: The Mandarin twist wasn’t bad. Unexpected, yes, but for the story Shane Black was trying to tell, it works wonders. I get fans wanted what we were advertised, but I think what we got works better. Iron Man 3 was a personal story first and foremost, so having him face of against an evil space wizard, while it would’ve been cool, it wouldn’t have fit with the overall narrative. Besides, Sir Ben Kingsley gave an excellent performance, being a menacing threat and a comedic fool all in one. Then we get Malekith, the quintessential example people point to when people say “Marvel villains suck.” <sigh> He’s not that bad folks. Malekith is a stone cold Dark Elf with one goal in life: to plunge the universe into darkness. He’s merciless, he’s dead serious and he sees the Asgardians as beneath him. Yeah, he wasn’t on screen for that long, but Christopher Eccleston gave a solid performance. Alexander Pierce makes for a really compelling villain because he firmly believes himself to be the savior of the world. Robert Redford brings out his calm and professional demeanor, while also making the character charismatic and intriguing. Ronan the Accuser is a power hunger warlord that sees the people of Xandar as beneath him, to the point were instead of siding with the peace treaty between the Kree and Nova Corp, he opts to try and obliterate the planet with the power of an Infinity Stone. Lee Pace gives a solid performance bringing the character’s anger and hatred to life and I look forward to see him again in Captain Marvel. Ultron is exactly what you get when you have the personality of Tony Stark and mix it with the genetic code of HAL9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ultron has charisma, humor and a very passive aggressive attitude towards the Avengers. James Spader was perfect casting in this role as he gives a robot bent on destroying the Earth as his idea of saving it so much personality. Darren Cross is the young novitiate of Hank Pym turned corporate businessman attempting to sell Pym’s technology to the wrong hands. Corey Stoll manages to make the character funny, quirky and intimidating all in one and definitely deserves as much credit as the rest of his costars. The villains in Phase 2 are a step up from Phase 1 and will only get better come Phase 3.

Originally posted by erule

Costumes and VFX: Not only were the villains a step up from Phase 1, but the costumes and CGI has improved significantly as well. Some familiar stuff such as Iron Man’s armor, Cap’s costume and the Hulk’s design have been given significant upgrades with each film. All the armors Tony has made in between Avengers and Iron Man 3 look excellent; no two armors look alike and the way they’re incorporated into battle is better than ever. Cap’s giving a more stealth like costume in Winter Solider and it fits very well with the spy angel the Russo brothers were going for. Then we have the look of the Hulk, who still brought to life through motion capture performance and looks more lifelike with more hair and softer looking skin. With the addition of new characters and new environments, there also came the use of new costumes and unique uses of CG. Despite being revealed to be a fraud, the Mandarin’s costume looks spectacular, giving him a modern terrorist look while also keeping his traditional green rob and a ring on each finger. The look of Asgard received a significant upgrade since the first Thor film, as it now has a Norse mythology feel and the costumes on the citizens look very authentic. Also, the costume and make-up department went above and beyond to make the Dark Elves distinct from previous film/tv portrayals of elves. They have pale faces with pointed ears and noses, pitch black armor and soulless eyes. The Kurse himself looks amazing with all the horns, body armor and actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaji (try saying that 3x fast) making the character physically intimidating. The Winter Solider’s metal arm is brought to life with actor Sebastian Stan wearing a plastic sleeve while CG was used in post. Also, for Hayley Atwell to reprise her role as a 93 year old Peggy Carter, she performed her scenes with a few trace markers while Lola VFX (who made Chris Evans skinny in the first Captain America film) added in the features of an elderly woman to make effect feel seamless. Then we get the Guardians and boy is this film littered with a mix of practical and digital effects. Starting with Rocket James Gunn’s brother, Sean, played the little rodent on set to interact with the cast while Bradley Cooper recorded his lines in New York. For reference, they used a real life raccoon named Oreo (who recently passed away, RIP) as well as a lifelike model before CG companies like Framestore brought him to life. Same treatment was applied to Groot, who was played by Krystian Godlewski on set and sources such as a botanical garden in London was used as reference. Zoe Saldana spent at least 5 hours a day in the make-up chair and the final result is flawless. Dave Bautista meanwhile spent at least 4 hours a day in the make up chair and looks just as believable as Saldana. The locations explored in Guardians such as the Kyln and Knowhere, are brought to life through practical effects for filming with the additional CG for wide shots. It all looks so real and authentic like the characters are actually there. Ant-Man’s costume is significantly different from the comics, but is very practical and lifelike. It also helps that when ever something shrink or grows, the effect is a subtle nodded to how Jack Kirby drew them in the comics. Lastly, we have Ultron, who’s brought to life with James Spade in a motion capture suit and a lifelike model used as reference. There’s plenty of other examples of the amazing use of CG and practical effects in these films, such as the de-aging of Michael Douglas in Ant-Man, the way Wanda Maximoff uses her magic, Yondu’s arrow and so much more, but to list them all will take forever.

Originally posted by the-name-is-stephen-strange

Where it Falters: Edger Wright having a falling out with Marvel producer Kevin Feige robbed audiences of what could’ve been a great film. Not that Ant-Man was bad, quite the opposite. But having seen Scott Pillgrim vs. The World and Baby Driver, I feel as though it was a missed opportunity to let Edger make the film he wanted to make. Also, for a place called “the Dark World” it’s not really that dark. Also, I feel as though Pietro Maximoff was killed off a little too soon. I mean, we just met him and Aaron Taylor-Johnson was doing a good job as the character. Narratively speaking it makes sense, but I personally would’ve kept him around until Infinity War. Lastly, the Marvel One-Shot All Hail the King hinted that the real Mandarin was out there. It’s now been 5 years since that short and we’ve heard nothing from this “real” Mandarin. I’m hoping this get’s addressed sooner or later, otherwise it just feels like an attempt to silence detractors of Iron Man 3.

Originally posted by marvelheroes

Conclusion: Marvel significantly improved their craft with Phase 2 and continues to grow strong to this day. With colorful new characters, exciting new locations, impressive VFX and costumes and great acting all all around, this is only a prelude in terms of quality for what might be the greatest era of the MCU yet. Thanks so much for reading and I’ll see you soon ;)

Why It Worked: The Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 1

Introduction: The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ongoing film franchise consisting of 20 movies and a collective box office gross of $17.528 billion (as of this writing). The series is produced by Marvel Studios, lead by President Kevin Feige, and as of 2012 distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. For this installment of Why it Worked, we’ll be diving in to Marvel’s first phase of movies and how they launched the mega giant franchise into the mainstream.

Originally posted by kane52630

The Plots: The four of the first five films in the MCU serve as introductions to the core Avengers: Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America. Each film shows who the leading character is and why we should want to root for them in future films. While these films have the same “origin story” idea, it’s the executions of these films that make them distinct from one another. Iron Man is a character study into the mind and ethics of an arms dealer who dawns an armored suit after he finds his weapons are being used by terrorists. The Incredible Hulk is a monster movie in which the main character is running from the U.S. Army while also trying to cure himself of his condition. Thor is a down to earth fantasy drama in about a prince bounded to exile as he learns what it means to be a worthy king. Captain America is a war movie about a scrawny young man turned buffed super solider, who fights Nazis in the heat of World War II. The only film that doesn’t follow the “origin story” concept is Iron Man 2, in which Tony Stark must face his demons when they become aware of his newfound hero status. The big finale of Phase 1 is just that: a finale. The heroes are all finally brought together to stop a mad man from conquering the world with his army of aliens. It was the film that the first 5 films were building up to, and given its positive reception (92% with an average 8/10 from 336 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes) and big box office numbers (1.519 billion dollars worldwide), it paid off in spades. This was accomplished by having the films follow 3 basic steps that every good film follows: 1. Build a connection between the characters and the audience, 2. Have a focused and well thought out script, and 3. Leave the audience wanting more. Each film delivers on that and then some, with clever jokes, solid acting and stellar directing from the likes of Jon Favereau, Louis Leterrier, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Johnston, and Joss Whedon.

Cast and Characters: It’s been stated before but it does bear repeating because it’s true: Robert Downey, jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans are irreplaceable in their respective roles. They give such genuine and emotional performances that it’s hard to picture anyone else in the role. Starting with Robert Downey, jr. as Tony Stark, he plays the suave, charismatic, genius billionaire with just the right amount of snark and prowess, while also showing how human Tony is during the more emotional moments. Chris Hemsworth played up the Shakespearian aspect of Thor and delivers such a nuanced performance with a charming personality, comedic naivety, and stoic persona. Chris Evans just owns the roll of Steve Rogers, showing optimism, courage, charm, and valiant heroism in just about every scene he’s in. Edward Norton gave a solid performance as Bruce Banner (with Lou Ferrigno providing the voice of the Hulk), but once Mark Ruffalo replaced him in the Avengers, audiences saw him as the better Banner (and to an extent I agree). Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson bring solid work to the parts of Clint Barton/Hawkeye and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow respectively, with Samuel L. Jackson being perfect casting as Nick Fury. Other actors that gave a great performance to supporting characters include Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, William Hurt as General Ross, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Stellan Skarsgard as Erik Selvig and Colbie Smulders as Maria Hill. Of course, the best supporting character of Phase 1 and the underdog of the MCU is Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson. The snarky attitude, the charming demeanor, his nonchalant reaction to the presence of a Norse god, Coulson is the type of character that audiences loved so much, Marvel gave him his own show on ABC (which will air it’s 6th season in July 2019). 

The Big Baddies: I’ve mentioned this in my defense of the MCU before and I’ll say it again: the “Marvel has weak villains” argument is absurd. Just because the movies focus on the heroes more than the villains (as superHERO movies should), that doesn’t mean the villains didn’t leave an impact. Obediah Stane, played brilliantly by Jeff Bridges, isn’t just an “anti-Tony Stark,” he’s charismatic, intimidating, has a couple clever one liners and is willing to do what ever it takes to get his way. Tim Roth brings out the greedy and addictive nature of Emil Blonsky in The Incredible Hulk, making him psychotic and in over his head. Mickey Rourke gave it his all as Anton Vanko, bringing tragedy, anger, charisma and patience to the character despite limited screen time. Johann Schmidt/Red Skull wouldn’t be as memorable of a villain if it wasn’t for Hugo Weaving’s extraordinary performance, giving the character charm, grit, pride and bitterness as he attempts to win WWII by any means necessary. Then there’s Loki, the MVV (Most Valued Villain) of Phase 1 and the MCU in general behind Thanos. Tom Hiddleston brought out the cunning and charismatic personality of Loki, while also showing his vulnerability and anger for being the lesser of Odin’s sons. And that was just in the first movie. When he appeared in The Avengers as the main bad guy, he became an audience favorite. Hiddleston owns every scene he’s in, smirking at the sight of chaos, rocking that’s black mullet, and being the biggest troll to the Avengers, particularly Thor. These villains might not be Doc Oct, Magneto, Green Goblin, Lex Luthor, or even the Joker, but they are memorable in their own right.

Costumes and VFX: It should be worth noting that the costumes for the characters are spot on from their comic book counter parts and then some. Iron Man’s armored suit looks like it leaped from the pages onto the screen. The combination of a practical suit with a digital one is seemless and dates the film wonderfully. Thor’s armor pays homage to Norse mythology while still having a modern look. He’s got the big flowing cape, the jagged scales on his arms, durable chest pieces and, of course, his signature hammer Mjolnir. Captain America has a more modernized look of his costume in both The First Avenger and The Avengers. In the former, it’s more like a army solider uniform with a red, white and blue color palette with a holster to carry extra gear. In the Avengers, it has more in common with the comic book costume with brighter colors and smooth looking fabric. What remains constant in both films his his iconic shield, with practical and digital effects making it feel like a force to be reckoned with. The Hulk was previously brought to life through CGI in 2003 with Ang Lee’s film, Hulk. The effect, while impressive at the time, didn’t quite fully realize the character as he looked like a big fella in a rubber costume throughout the film. That changed forever with the arrival of The Incredible Hulk in 2008, where he looked like he was almost real. The CGI provided by Rhythm and Hues looks excellent as the Hulk looks like the big, green angry Goliath from the comics. Large veiny muscles, big green eyes and slick black hair, the Hulk looked his best back then and still holds up today. When Hulk appeared in the Avengers and had a new design provided by Industrial Light & Magic (with motion capture provided by Mark Ruffalo), he looked as good as a happy marriage between Ang Lee’s Hulk (also by ILM) and Leterrier’s Hulk. These are just a few examples on the impressive use of CGI and practical effects used in the films. Other notable examples include shrinking Chris Evens as skinny Steve Rogers via body double, the colorful costumes of Loki, Lady Sif and the Warriors 3, the make-up of Red Skull’s head and so much more.

Where it Falters: A criticism I did not address in my defense of the MCU is the lack of memorable scores. I disagree somewhat as I still remember Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and the Avenger’s theme among others. It’s really Thor that gets the short end of the stick, and including the fact that it was a tad predictable it’s the weakest film in Phase 1 for me. Another problem that has always bothered me is how the character of Betty Ross is completely ignored 10 years later. It’s not like Liv Tyler gave an unimpressive performance, far from it. She was actually very helpful to Bruce, showed genuine chemistry with him and she wasn’t afraid to stand up to her father, General Ross. So why does he get to reappear in Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War and yet Betty doesn’t get so much as a name drop in The Avengers? Another gripe I have with Phase 1 is how small the films are. I know this was intentional by design, but a post credit scene showing the Mandarin as the head of the Ten Rings terrorist group would’ve been nice. I also would’ve liked to have seen more of the Howling Commandos (and the Warriors 3) in The First Avenger. Lastly, I have to ask: where on Earth is Samuel Stern? He was set up to become the comic book villain, the Leader, and then...nothing. I’m aware Universal still owns the distribution rights to Hulk, but a simple in-universe explanation takes like 10 seconds at best.

Conclusion: The first Phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe successfully kicked off the juggernaut franchise with great characters, clever writing and solid performances from the actors. I would’ve gone into detail about the action, but who am I kidding? It’s always good no matter how many times it’s said. With impressive blending of practical and digital effects, these scene come alive on screen for popcorn eating spectacle. I’ll be going over Phase 2 next time on Why it Worked, so until next time, thanks so much for reading and I’ll see you soon ;)

Is Religion Bad?

Short answer: No.

Long Answer: In all seriousness, religion as a concept isn’t inherently bad. At the end of the day it’s how people express that religion that matters. To put it into perspective, let’s talk about the history of religion and how it operates today.

Despite sacred texts such as the Bible and Quran being written thousands of years ago, the concept of religion itself dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries. I mean, sure, Jesus, Mohammad and Buddah were real religious figures, but the word itself is derived from the Latin term “religio,” which translates to “respect for what is sacred.” The standards and practices of religion served as the foundation for many nations. Christianity help formed most of Europe, Hinduism is the backbone of India, Islam is the very essence of many Arabic countries and so on. According to Adherents.com (grain of salt advised), there are over 4200 religions around the world (http://www.adherents.com/). That is a lot of differing opinions on how to live in this crazy world.

These days, religion is often the reasoning behind many conflicts. The war between Palestine and Israel has been going on for 52 years, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, Somalia, Yemen and North Korea ban Christianity, many religious figures abuse their power as they molest children, and many other religious figures are so pushy with their beliefs, it causes them to act violently. Then there’s gay marriage, which is a controversial topic no matter what religion you practice. Now, these are problems that people do instigate, but the problem isn’t their religion. All these problems stem from the fact that humans as a species are very territorial, violent and at times just plain stupid. Religion is meant to help us live beyond the savagery our Neanderthal ancestors went through.

Now, that’s not to say people who aren’t religious are savages. Far from it. Those who don’t practice religion on a regular basis can be just as considerate and patient as people who do. It’s all about a matter of respect for one another. It would be nice if we lived in a world where people got along, but for now it helps to be optimistic and respectful.

That’s all I got to say about religion. In response to this post, I ask you to please be civil. This was NOT meant to be an attack on anyone who practices a different religion than me or otherwise don’t practice religion at all. This was just me giving my opinion on why religion as a concept isn’t bad. Don’t attack people based on there religion or lack there off; it helps no one.

In Defense of Black Panther

WARNING: There will be spoilers for the film Black Panther. If you haven’t seen the film, please watch it before reading this post.

Black Panther one of the MCU’s most well received films from a critical and financial standpoint (with 97% out of 455 critics giving an average rating of 8.3/10 on Rotten Tomatoes and making $1.3 billion dollars at the box office). It’s even made history as the first superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. So, naturally there are a select few people that claim it’s “overrated” or “not worthy of all the hype” as is the case with every film that makes a splash with audiences, critics and film institutes like the Academy of Arts and Science. Full disclosure, if you dislike this film, that’s fine. It’s impossible for any one movie to please everyone. That said though, it’s still important to recognize why it resonated with so many people, including myself. Calling it (or anything, for that matter) “overrated” makes you sound jealous. With that out of the way, let’s talk about why Black Panther is not just a great film, but an important one. 

Despite being set in the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther is very much a standalone picture with the only acknowledgement to the film T’Challa was introduced in, Captain America: Civil War, occurring in the beginning and post credits scene of the film. T’Challa’s father, T’Chaka, died in Civil War and Bucky is seen living in a hut now under a new moniker, White Wolf. The plot mainly revolves around T’Challa learning the difference between being a good man and a good king. If Peter Parker had to learn “with great power comes great responsibility” T’Challa has to learn what responsibility he must take for the good of his country. This plot reminds me of this quote Mufasa said in The Lion King to Simba: “…there’s more to being a king then getting your way all the time.” The film shows how T’Challa’s actions can make or break his country and if it were put in the wrong hands, it can lead to dangerous consequences. That’s where Erik “Killmonger” Stevens comes in and when he defeats T’Challa in combat and becomes the new king, his first order of business is to send weapons to blacks around the world, which would lead to genocide. Killmonger is who T’Challa would’ve became if he let his bitterness consume him, and the two of them actually learn alot from one another by the end.

Let’s talk about Killmonger and why he’s one of the best villains I’ve seen in a film, comic book or otherwise. Every minute he’s on screen we learn more and more about him and why he’s does what he does. At the start of the film, T’Chaka killed his brother, N’Jobu, for attempting to kill Zuri after it was revealed that he’s been stealing Vibranium and giving it to Ulysses Klaue. N’Jobu being Killmonger’s father, the young boy spent his entire life killing and getting stronger so that he could take his place as king and right the wrong that was done to him. Killmonger represents the anger and frustrations of many young black men who are oppressed and undermined on a daily basis and if they had the power, they’d make all the oppressors pay. During the final fight, T’Challa recognizes where his hate comes from and makes an effort to be a better king than his father. Killmonger is a good villain not because he wants power, but because he wants to help other people just like him but is going at it the same way Adolf Hitler did: not through peace, but genocide. Also he kills 5 people, beats T’Chaala to near death and burned all the heart shaped herbs that gives the Black Panther his powers.

Now Killmonger is a great villain, but it’s the hero we’re all here for. So let’s talk about T’Challa. What makes T’Challa such an interesting and well throughtout character is how calm and nice he is. He remains the better man even when he has every reason to be otherwise. Not to mention, he’s just so charming and has a good heart. Ultimately though, it’s how he deals with the fact that his father wasn’t a saint like he always thought he was that makes him so relatable. He goes through an array of different emotions when he’s in the Ancestral Plane: anger, disappointment, sadness, resentment. We spend our entire child hoods believing our parents to be the best in the world and when we learn they committed heinous acts such as murder, it turns our world upside down. But rather then spend time wallowing in his misery, T’Challa makes an effort to be better than his ancestors and ensure someone like Killmonger doesn’t happen again. Captain Logon of Geekvolution made the bold claim that T’Challa, Captain America and Luke Cage were better Supermen than the one in the DCEU and I think that’s true, considering the thought of giving up NEVER crossed T’Challa’s mind.

This film goes above and beyond when it comes to making strong supporting characters. Starting with Shuri, she has definitely become an audience favorite and is in my top 10 supporting characters. At just 16, her genius makes her on par with the likes of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Also, she has some of the funniest moments in the film, including the “What are those?” gag. I’m aware many people hate memes being used in popular media, but when it’s done well, it’s at the very least chuckle worthy. She is responsible for upgrading the Black Panther suit, controlling vehicles from her lab and having battle armor ready for Nakia during the final battle. Speaking of which, Nakia is very much a subverted love interest as despite showing good chemistry with T’Challa, they’re not an item in this film until the very end and by then it feels earned. Nakia is very much by T’Challa’s side the entire time an it feel natural like they’ve been friends since childhood as opposed to them just meeting at the start of the film. Then there’s Okoye, captain of the Dora Milaje and loyal to the thrown even if Killmonger’s in it. She see’s T’Challa not just as her king but also a friend. Her lover, W’Kabi, makes for a good friend turned foe and shares perfect chemistry with her. T’Challa’s mother, Ramonda, makes for a good supporting character, showing that she very much loves her son and is willing to anything she can for him. Zuri is a good adviser and key player in Killmonger’s arc. M’baku of the Jabari tribe was just so much fun, being a fierce rival for T’Challa and having some good jokes thrown in for good measure. Then we have Ulysses Klaue, the nasty but clever and funny thief who has a Vibranium arm since he was last seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He just steals the show every time he’s on screen until Killmonger kills him and drops him at the border of Wakanda.

Credit should really be given to the cast for bringing these characters to life. Chadwick Boseman gives what is quite possibly his most defining performance in his career, playing a compelling, charming, and so very human character with super human abilities. Michael B. Jordan made Killmonger his own, bringing out his humanity and bitterness towards the people who oppressed him. Letitia Wright very much sells the spunky Shuri is meant to have as well as being tech savy. Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurrea, Forrest Whitaker, Angela Basset, Winston Duke and Daniel Kaluuya are all good and very memorable as Nakia, Okoye, Zuri, Ramonda, M’Baku, and W’Kabi respectively. The one having the most fun in this film is Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, taking full advantage of his onscreen presence with his eccentric and funny personality.

The soundtrack for the film is also very memorable, embracing the African atmosphere with sounds and music influenced by countries in the continent. Rapper Kendrick Lamar was brought on to produce music for the film and his single, All The Stars (featuring SZA) used in the end credits ties in to Killmonger’s arc perfectly. Not only does the music play a key part in bringing this film to life, but the costumes and visuals aesthetic make the it feel alive. The costumes feel like they belong in an African country, making use of various colors from the lower East side of the continent. People seem to have a problem with the CG used in the film, particularly in the final battle. I’m not sure what the problem is, the CG looks fine throughout the film. Wakanda feels lived in and looks like a real place you could visit. Practical effects such as really buildings and cooking stations were used for shots in the city, but for wide shots, the CG looks flawless. I guess they’re referring to how T’Challa and Killmonger fighting in the Vibranium minds “looks like a PS2 game.” If I may go on a side tangent, I really hate the “it looks like a video game” argument. I undermines the hard work and effort that went in to making games as well as the effort put into CG in movies. In this case, the CG looks exactly like what it’s showing: two guys in black cat suits (one purple, the other orange) duking it out in a dimly lit cave. I might not be a visual effects supervisor, but even I can tell the difference from a game that came out a decade and a half ago and a movie released in 2018.

The last thing I want to talk about is why this film resonated so much with people, particularly with people of color. Contrary to popular belief, the fact that this film has a black superhero is not the only reason why it resonated with black people. It’s actually has to do with timing and how that played a huge part in it’s success. Racism still thrives around the world, particularly here in America. Just 2 years before this film came out, Zootopia tackled racism in a way children could understand and that also resonated with people unlike most animated films have done. Black Panther tackles a different angel than Zootopia and yet gets it’s message across just as effectively. Deep down, we’re very much like Killmonger. Everybody is sick of racism and we all want to do something about it. However, as the film shows, genocide is NOT the answer. The reason why the Holocaust happened and terrorism exists is because people think that killing other people they don’t like is the best solution. This film ends with T’Challa learning the right lesson from Killmonger: by opening Wakanda to the rest of the world and offering to help people instead of hurt them, T’Challa proves to be the best king in Wakandan history. The film isn’t “just another superhero movie” as some would claim it to be. It’s the film we need now more than ever. We need to be told being angry at the oppressor isn’t going to stop him, but offering to help those who are being oppressed makes a big difference. To quote a young woman from a little movie about space ships, “That’s how we’re going to win. Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.”

Look, the film isn’t perfect by any means. Martian Freeman gives a good performance as Everett Ross, but the character is just there to be the “Phil Coulson-esqu” type of character. That and I was a little bummed we didn’t get to see more of Klaue in the film. That said, I have nothing but positive things to say about the film. As a film it’s got a strong story, excellent characters, impressive visual effects, a memorable sound track and great performances all around. And to top it all off, it’s message culturally significant and it’s delivered in an organic way that doesn’t come across as pretentious. To anyone who dubs this film “overrated” (looking at you Dishonoured Wolf -.-), please refrain from doing so. It’s fine if you don’t like it, but you can’t deny that it’s message isn’t important. I now leave you with a quote from T’Challa himself. 

My thoughts on the term "Social Justice Warriors"

Originally posted by disasterhuman101

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an anti-SJW. This post is not to harp on SJWs. This is just my personal opinion on how the term is used.

<sigh> Yeah, I kinda had that coming. That said, this has been bothering me for years now; almost a decade actually. I’ve seen this argument thrown about time and time again, particularly when a big budget movie dares to be more progressive in it’s storytelling and characters. It’s not just with movies though, people in general have been labeled SJWs because they have the audacity to promote their personal views on everything. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s start at the beginning.

For those who don’t know, a social justice warrior is a person who fights for a political cause they feel needs to be rectified. At the very least, that’s what the term is SUPPOSED to mean. But in doing my research, I found that the term has been used as an insult since early in the 2010s. Specifically around the time of Gamergate. I’m not going to get into it here (tl;dr it involves sexism, harassment and belittlement of women in the gaming industry), but this is roughly around the time I first heard of the term SJW. I’ve longed remained silent about this topic until Stefan “Mr. Coat” Ellison dismissed this term in a video addressing politics in film (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNSaHOJL1Gs). He mentioned how he thought of heroes like Robin Hood whenever he heard the term social justice warrior and that got me thinking: what other popular heroes can be considered “SJWs?” Well let’s gather up a few candidates.

Originally posted by berniesrevolution

Dr. Martin Luther King, jr.: You can argue how much of a fornicator he was back in the day all you want (I know, I was shocked when I found that out too), but there’s no denying he had a legitamate reason to lead marches in Alabama, give his famous speech in Washington D.C., and make his voice heard around the nation. Dr. King was a civil rights activist fighting for equal rights for African Americans. He and many others fought for injustice in our society and kept fighting up until his death. I don’t know about you, but that sounds and awful lot like a social justice warrior.

Originally posted by oncer-loving-shadowhunter

Stan Lee: You’d think I was pulling this out of my backside, but there is actually evidence to suggest Stan Lee was a social justice warrior in the best way possible. Stan made it no secret that he was against any form of bigotry, and it showed when he co-created the X-Men with Jack Kirby. He also wrote soap boxes with inspiring and encouraging messages to his readers to be respectful of other people. He even broke new grounds by co-creating the first mainstream African superhero, Black Panther (again, with Jack Kirby). Ask anyone who’s collaborated with him and you’ll find nothing but positive things said about the guy.

Originally posted by fuckyeahdisneygifs

Walt Disney: Contrary to popular belief, Walt Disney was NOT a racist, anti-semite, or homophobic dork (nor was his head frozen under Disneyland, he was cremated). He treated everyone as an equal and wanted nothing more than to see creativity become the norm of society. Case in point, EPCOT was his idea for a city that would be focused on creating the future. It was an ambitious yet exciting project that ultimately became Disney World Resort and a theme park right in Florida. Also, his early films had subtle messages about growing up, following your dreams and being a good person; you know, morals anybody can relate to.

Originally posted by madame-cotillard

Malala Yousafzai: If you don’t know the story of this young girl from Pakistan, here’s a brief round down. Malala is an advocate for free education for young girls in her country. A terrorist group known as The Taliban hated her guts and one of them shot her in the head while she was on the bus. She made it out alive, her story became viral and now boys and girls are given a free education in Pakistan. And she continues to be an inspiration for young girls around the world as she fights for others rights for a free education. 

Originally posted by je-suis-chiante

Everyone Involved in the #MeToo Movement: The one positive thing anyone can say about Harvey Weinstein is that because of him, women in the entertainment industry have finally decided to take a stand. No longer are they going to hide behind closed doors or lock away their trauma in a closet. And it’s not just women, men have come forward about being taken advantaged of too. And this movement shows no signs of slowing down as just this past week a couple people took to Twitter to expose Vic Mignogna of unwanted hugs and kisses, making insensitive remarks and refusing to sign sfw yaoi fanart because “it’s not canon.” If you support the men, women and children who have been taken advantaged of in the entertainment industry, consider yourself an honorary social justice warrior.

Originally posted by modlitewnikkatolikapl

Jesus Christ: You knew this was coming. Understandably people have a problem with organized religion (a topic for another day), but that does not mean Jesus didn’t do any good during His time. Aside from helping a blind man see, feeding thousands with just a few pieces of bread and fish, and of course dying for our sins, Jesus preached equality, respect of other people and always be willing to help. Despite being labeled King of Kings, He never once demanded to be treated like one. When you get right down to it, Jesus was a good man who wanted to help people. What’s wrong with that?

So, why is it that people use “social justice warrior” as an insult when it’s clearly meant to be a compliment? In my opinion, it stems from the instances when people are too pushy with their beliefs. There are people out there who do try to force people to believe their way of living is the best way. It’s easy to say “just ignore them, they don’t matter,” so I’ll say something different but hopefully more effective. If someone is promoting a belief that is different than your own, instead of shutting them out, why not listen to what they have to say, agree to disagree and move on? It’s much less of a headache that way then entering a screaming contest where the one who blows their voice out first loses. When it comes to entertainment, however, can we just chill the fridge out? “Oh the horror of movies getting political now. Why can’t entertainment and politics stay separate?” Uhh, movies have been political since Day 1. Birth of a Nation, Hell’s Angels, Cleopatra, Oliver Twist just to name a few of the early ones. Star Wars has the good guys called Rebels and the bad guys called the Empire. Superman is about an immigrant trying to find his place in the world while helping other wherever he can. I can go on about how other films handle politics be it subtle or very explicit but the point is movies getting political is not even close to a new concept.

Conclusion: I see the use of the term “social justice warrior” the same way I see the term “gay” these days: it used to be a compliment but then the Internet came along and unjustly turned it into an insult. It’s honestly backwards thinking that does more harm then good. I really wish we can make an effort to make “social justice warrior” a compliment again, but that’s not going to happened unless more people realize what they’re saying isn’t insulting in the slightest. Honestly, I’d much rather be called an SJW then the “n” word anyday.