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Black Panther

Remi Adeleke Wants to Be a Hero

August 14, 2017 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

When I first talked to Remi Adeleke, he was just days away from his first box office action film, Transformers: Last Knight. Having survived the Bronx as a young man, and the Navy Seals as a young adult, monstrous CGI robots were hardly enough to intimidate him. But to understand who Adeleke was, and to marvel at how far he’s come, consider his story as told through I am Second.

Catching up with Adeleke a month removed from his Transformers debut, the veteran and actor seems more at ease. He admits that the Michael Bay (whose film The Rock inspired his Navy Seals career) film has opened up doors that he never imagined, with two major film projects in development over the next year and a deal with CBS for some appearances. Even his first endorsement, Jockey, found that they received more than they bargained for as the ad has exceeded all expectations.

But Adeleke is quick to point out that this isn’t about him; it’s about the way God is using his story.

“God has developed my story, so the burden for who I become doesn’t fall on me. God allowed me to go through the things I did, like losing my father at a young age, to dealing drugs, to the Seals, to not knowing how we’d make ends meet, to use it all to bring glory to His name.”

While he now shares screen time with names like Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Hopkins, the Seal-turned-actor remembers when he was just a background filler – even in the first days of shooting on Last Knight. Watching his part gradually grow lends itself to his belief in always being prepared, and focusing on the basics, like “shoot, move, and communicate,” a lesson from his Seals days that applies to filming the story.

What stands out is Adeleke’s childhood memories of sitting in Michael Bay’s first film, Bad Boys, of realizing that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence were the first black actors he’d seen on the screen playing the good guys, not thugs or villains. And the desire to be like them some day. Now he can, even as he says that the tide is turning, as a focus on diversity in casting, or “reflecting the people of the world” grows in movies, from Black Panther to A Wrinkle in Time.

But the person Adeleke is exceeds one thing – he is Navy Seal veteran, model, actor, husband, father, Master’s graduate. And Christian. It’s that thing which comes up frequently, and flows seamlessly in his understanding of himself.

“You can tell people you’re a Christian all you want. But the first way you preach is in the way you live your life. You don’t have to preach, but your fruits show the kind of person you are.”

The young man from the Bronx is all grown up from those days wishing there’d be more African American leads, and wondering how things were going to work out. Now, he’s setting the standard, of culture, of acting, and of faith, one role, one step, one action at a time.

Filed Under: Current Events, Featured, Film, Interviews Tagged With: Bad Boys, Black Panther, Faith, God, I am Second, Michael Bay, Navy Seals, Remi Adeleke, The Rock, Wrinkle in Time

Comic-Con International

July 21, 2016 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

comic-con-2016It used to be that when you mentioned Comic-Con, it was only referencing San Diego. However, in the past decade, pop culture has evolved and, with so many “comic-con’s”, one has to be more specific.

Comic-Con International is THE Comic-Con.

There isn’t any that actually comes close to the massive convention that takes over San Diego, CA every year. As the gaming industry and Hollywood have jumped on board, the Con has developed and now focuses on more than just comics making it a behomoth of a convention. In fact, Comic-Con International has grown so large that the San Diego Convention Center can no longer contain it, spilling into the streets and nearby hotels in downtown San Diego (even the San Diego Public Library has panels this year!).

Since we all know how big it’s become, let’s get to what we can expect this year. Due to personal reasons, I can’t make it to the event this time (my nice Walking Dead press badge is sitting on my kitchen table), but I am more than happy to share what I know and what to expect each day.

Outside of Twitter and Facebook, you can follow live from Comic-Con from the likes of ScreenJunkies Central (YouTube), Marvel.com/sdcc2016, twitch.tv/skybound, and comic-conhq.com. Some will be comics related, others movies and shows, and some breaking news as they come.

Whether you are attending Comic-Con, or following from afar, here is what you can keep an eye out for this weekend when it comes to movies and TV.

Thursday:

luke-cageExpect news and chatter from CBS Tevlevision presentation early in the day. However, even with Dreamworks presenting on the first day, I expect most of the news and conversation will be from Netflix/Marvel Luke Cage series. That panel is near the end of the day, so expect news, descriptions of footage and how the series can stack up next to Daredevil and Jessica Jones.

Friday:

Marvel’s Agents of Shield will be on hand discussing what happened in Season 3 and also what to expect in Season 4 (perhaps a fiery skull faced motorcycle rider?)

As great as that news might be, the big guns of TV will take center stage on Friday as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones will be the talk of Hall H.

Also, Friday evening is the world premiere of WB/DC Animated Batman: The Killing Joke that sees the return of Mark Hamill as The Joker, Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Tara Strong as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. This title remains a very popular comic book that many fans have been clamoring for, and one of the few Joker origin stories that many refer back to. Batman: The Killing Joke will also have a one-time theatrical debut on Monday July 25 or, if you don’t have tickets, you can also wait until it comes out on digital or Blu-ray.

Saturday:

wwssAs the biggest day of the event. If you are in San Diego, this has to be the one day where you looked at the schedule and channeled your inner Luke Skywalker “NOOOOOOOOOO”. For TV shows, the day features: Once Upon a Time; Supergirl; Flash; Arrow; Vampire Diaries; Grimm; DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. That is one heck of a lineup all in Ballroom 20. So expect announcements and confirmations all throughout the day. One thing I’m looking out for with these, are the rumors true that Batwoman and Oracle will be debuting on season 2 of Supergirl? We shall see!

Well, the TV shows are just the appetizer. Saturday is the big Hall H day as well. Warner Bros. will start the day off with a monstrous 3 hour slot that includes Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Lego Batman, King Arthur and Kong: Skull Island. One film that’s surprisingly missing though is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. One would think that bringing back the world of Harry Potter would be a no brainer, but the film does not appear on their schedule. Either way, Wonder Bros. is sure to have the talk of the day.

Star Trek, which had their premiere Wednesday evening, has the unfortunate task of following Warner Bros. After them, it’s a 30th anniversay panel of Aliens, and one of the most recent popular additions is Entertainment Weekly’s Women who Kick Ass.

strange-1However, the final big presentation of the day belongs to Marvel Studios. We are for certain that Dr. Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be shown. Fans can also expect something from Thor: Ragnarok, as well as possible details on Black Panther film and of course, Spiderman: Homecoming. Marvel never dissappoints, so stay tuned Saturday night as I’m sure social media will be on a frenzy over what happened at the Marvel Studios presentation.

Sunday:

This is the “Get the last deals before you leave” day… but contrary to popular belief, there are still panels.

Hungover from his Marvel Studios Dr. Strange panel the night before, Benedict Cumberbatch will be on hand for Sherlock, followed by Supernatural. And well, actually, that’s it, so maybe Sunday is deals day!

Well, there you have it, what to expect this weekend. Follow ScreenFish on Facebook as we will try to share any breaking news we hear.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Current Events, Film, News, Television Tagged With: Arrow, Black Panther, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2016, Dr. Strange, Marvel, San Diego, Supergirl, The Flash, Thor, Warner Bros., Wonder Woman

CROSSOVER Podcast! Unifying a CIVIL WAR

May 10, 2016 by Steve Norton 6 Comments

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http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2.15-Captain-America-Civil-War-James-HarlemanMikey-Fissel.mp3

This week, on a very special crossover episode of the podcast, we join forces with Mikey Fissel (Reel World Theology) and Pastor James Harleman (Cinemagogue) to discuss the biggest film of the summer – CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR! We discuss everything from post-modern ideology to that airport fight. Don’t miss it!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

2.15 Captain America – Civil War

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Black Panther, Captain America, Captain America: Civil War, Iron Man, Marvel, superhero

Captain America 3.0: Dents in the Armor #SPOILERS

May 6, 2016 by Jacob Sahms 10 Comments

captain2A year ago, as ScreenFish was born, we rallied to cover Avengers: Age of Ultron. I had glowing things to say about this popcorn genre film that reached for the stars and shared a vision of our humanity. A year later, Marvel/Disney dropped close to our anniversary, and my partners in crime were awestruck.

I, on the other hand, refuse to drink the Marvel Kool-aid. Without further ado, here’s my dissection of the film- it’s not for the faint of heart (or those trying to avoid spoilers.) You’ve been warned.

Yes, there were some high points to the film. Let’s hit those first.

captain3Chadwick Bozeman might be the big winner here. T’Challa has always been on the cool, mysterious side of the Marvel Universe, but as the only character in the film to show a single ounce of character development, I couldn’t be more excited to see the standalone Black Panther film. As one of my fellow theater goers commented, “That’s how you introduce a new character, DC!” [This went better than their use of Nemo (Daniel Bruhl), who suddenly switched from timeless Nazi to low-level Sovakian military. Or the promotion of Ross (William Hurt) from General to Secretary of State. Hello, Red Hulk?]

Tom Holland (Spider-Man) and Paul Rudd (Antman) tie for secondary awards. These two brought the customary Marvel sense of humor and panache to the second half of the film that was missing in the first. [Yes, this also highlights the bi-polar “two parter” segmentation of the film. And the fact that they spent almost 2.5 hours setting us up for a showdown and let the tension dissipate without reconciliation? That’s just poor.] Stan Lee’s cameo here might be his best yet- yes, Tony stank!

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Visually, the film takes us to some cool places – just not as cool as the upcoming Doctor Strange film. There were some solid battles. Crossbones (Frank Grillo) versus Cap’s undercover team was solid [Crossbones was the baddest villain in the film]. While I’m over the good guy versus good guy battles (thanks, Batman V Superman), the final confrontation between our heroes might have actually been one of the best. Again, unfortunately, in a good versus good battle, the writers can’t make us believe that any of them really give up any ground because they need them for their solo outing.

In the comics, the action is caused when a group of rough-around-the-edges superheroes pull a television stunt that ends in tragedy. You might say that Scarlet Witch’s tragic rescue of Captain America carries more direct weight because they’re principal heroes, and I’d accept that. BUT, in the comics, the forcibly divisive law put into place was the Superhuman Registration Act. This is wildly more politically charged than the Sokovia Accords because it was about identity and the families of masked superheroes.

For what it’s worth, it’s interesting to note that the current Republican frontrunner is promoting growing legislation about ‘registration,’ even though Republicans have historically been more interested in local government and individual responsibility. In Civil War, Cap’s questions about responsibility crash into the armor of Stark’s own personal interaction with the mother of a man lost as collateral damage. The head versus heart argument might apply here, but the film doesn’t ask us to care too much about any of these characters in poignancy or emotional depth.

Spider-Man-3-1200x632

The Sokovia Accords divides our heroes because of collateral damage, but forces the plot around the Winter Soldier storyline while also ignoring the responsibilities of pro- registration heroes when it comes to innocent lives.

Seriously, Iron Man is infuriated over the death of his parents twenty-five years ago, at the hands of a guy who wasn’t in control of his own actions, but his pet android gets all mushy, paralyzes his best friend, and he ignores the implications? Please. [For the record, yes, comic fans know these two mismatched, star-crossed lovers can tangle, but cooking with paprika was a little weird.]

Seriously, this no-name villain with no powers, no help, no plan, no NOTHING, is able to manipulate two friends who’ve battled universe-destroying, villainous armies into nearly killing each other? At least in Batman v Superman, Luthor had an actual plan, continually manipulated, and had a host of financial resources tied to his character. [No, that doesn’t make B v S a better movie, but it did provide us with a more reasonable explanation of the conflict, and the tension.] Zemo is a weak villain – and one which highlights the Cap versus Iron Man divide.

That leads to my largest frustration of the whole film: that superheroes would turn so dark. I wasn’t thrilled with Affleck’s Batman obsession with taking down Superman, but I wonder where we’ve gotten to when we would actually have people leave the theater on #TeamIronMan? Seriously? This guy was an inch away from killing Cap, and Bucky. Sure, they’re beating on each other, but Cap draws the line at incapacitation. Where’s Iron Man’s line? Is this where we begin to see Marvel delve into his alcoholism? What separates Iron Man from Zemo, as men bent on revenge after a major injustice? Thankfully, Cap can at least look himself in the mirror.

CivilWar571fee863dfd0I am well aware that this film will bust charts (although at my theater, it was nowhere near The Force Awakens) but this film SCREAMED marketing spinoff for some new characters – and obvious sellout for Infinity War. Was it as telegraphed as the T’Chaka hand-on-cheek moment with T’Challa before he’s blown to bits? I’m not sure. But for all its smoke and mirrors, Captain America: Civil War qualifies as the low point for Marvel’s scriptwriting as far as I’m concerned.

Where Age of Ultron challenged us to grow, Civil War simply allows us to sink back into our own baser instincts, without challenging us to see heroism in our ability to grow.

[Oh yeah, and I’m #TeamCap.]

Filed Under: Current Events, Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Ant-Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Chris Evans, Daniel Bruhl, Iron Man, Marvel, Nemo, plot hole, revenge, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Witch, spiderman, T'Challa, Vision

Captain America Civil War: Friendship vs Vengeance (SPOILERS)

May 5, 2016 by Arnaldo Reyes 14 Comments

For months now we have seen the Civil War marketing ask us one question: whose side are you on? #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan has taken social media by storm and it allows fans to have a different sense of interaction before the film releases. It also brings about the inevitable “how does the film compare to one that was released not too long ago that also had a hero vs hero battle?” So let’s get that out of the way. Where Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice fails Captain America: Civil War succeeds. The story is deeper, the conflict more believable, and no one stops fighting because of Martha! Does that make this film a perfect film? Of course not! However, Civil War may just be the best superhero film to come out since The Dark Knight. And in my opinion, make no mistake about it, this is not Avengers 2.5; it is very much a centralized Captain America film.

So here we go . . .

But first I will warn you: this is a spoiler filled review. As I sit back and think of the film, I can’t do my review justice without going into great detail as to why the film is great and where it was also lacking. In other words….

***SPOILERS AHEAD, WATCH THE FILM FIRST OR BE SPOILED***

As I said in my preview, Civil War comes from the comics, but the details and story is completely different. The foundation is there, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe creates a new story that frankly has been building up for quite some time. In Avengers, New York suffered and lives were at stake and possibly lost. But the Avengers saved them and they were grateful. Then Winter Soldier brought about destruction in Washington D.C. and the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. More lives lost and in the middle of it, people with superpowers. Then Age of Ultron brought us Sokovia, and the devastation to a small country already hurting from years of wars takes the Avengers off American soil and into international borders. In all of this, there was always a conflict in terms of people’s ideologies, and it always came down to Steve Rogers and Tony Stark (the conservative vs the liberal). However, there was always something that brought them back together in an understanding that they are friends and on the same side. But what happens when they come to a fork in the road and they are forced to choose which road to take?

Avengers at Headquarters
The Sokovia Accord (It’s Just Politics)

That is how Civil War starts. An Avengers mission led by Captain America with his new Avengers team (War Machine, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Vision) and the worst thing that can happen does. Innocent lives are lost and the world governments have had enough. But let’s be honest here: this isn’t about all the lives that were lost as if it is a humanitarian effort. This is about which lives were lost. Among the dead were missionaries from Wakanda, a small but powerful African nation that lives in seclusion. Missionaries that are rarely out since Wakanda keeps to itself are lost, and that driving force causes the world leaders to determine action needs to be done immediately in order to not have full backlash from the situation. This is a political agenda all the way through. I do wish, though, that what makes Wakanda so important to the United Nations would have been touched upon more. I guess that is for another film . . .

When presented with the Sokovia Accord that tells the Avengers to either be soldiers for the United Nations or quit, Steve Rogers is against it (no surprise here). His whole life as Captain America has dealt with nothing but corrupted governments and people with political (or worse) agendas. If he signs, his right to choose is gone. His moral obligation is put in check if the United Nations decides he can’t go and help somewhere. Meanwhile, Tony thinks the opposite. Too many lives have been lost because the Avengers are not put in check. Steve and some others decide that it is in their best interest to just quit. But when we are called for something greater, even when we want to walk away, we are pulled back in.

Friendships Gained; Friendships Lost

Enter the real conflict of the film–not a political stance of whether the conservative or liberal is correct. This is because Civil War does a great job in leaving you at 50/50 when it comes to #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan. The real conflict in the film is fueled by both friendship and vengeance. The King of Wakanda is killed at the UN signing of the Sokovia Accord. It is believed that Winter Soldier did it, and Steve can’t believe it. He is quickly back in gear in an attempt to find his childhood friend before General Ross and his soldiers find him first. This act now makes him a criminal since he is acting outside of the law, but he needs to know if it really was Bucky or if someone is controlling him again. On the flip side, Black Panther makes his appearance as he seeks vengeance for the death of his father. In the middle is Tony Stark trying to save his friend Steve while also doing his job and capturing Bucky. It brings about some great and intense chase scenes and battles between all the heroes.  The conflict increases as Cap stops Panther from killing Bucky, and both (along with Falcon) are taken into custody.

#TeamCap Fights

Of course, the other wrinkle to the story is added in, and Bucky escapes (as do Cap and Falcon)–but not before Cap discovers that someone else is responsible for everything. He finds Bucky, finally in his right mind, and puts together his team (Winter Soldier, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man) to go after the real villain. They understand that by doing so, they are outside of the law. What makes Rogers such a great leader is that there is a confidence and understanding that he wouldn’t go outside of the law if not for good reason. It is why Hawkeye comes out of retirement. It is why Ant-Man is willing to fight by his side. And it’s also why Scarlet Witch is willing to put away her fears and follow him. They all have reasons not to help Bucky, and those would all be good reasons. However, if Cap vouches for him, then a new friend is gained and they are willing to fight by his side.

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Meanwhile, Tony is given 36 hours to bring Cap and his team in or a shoot to kill man hunt will follow. He discovers where they are and brings his team (War Machine, Vision, Black Widow, Black Panther, and Spider-Man). This brings about probably the best on screen superhero battle in a while. It was simply amazing how they were able to centralize some of the fights. One on one battles between Black Panther and Captain America, Spidey and “insert whoever,” and best of all, watching Ant-Man go all Giant Man (YES!) was simply amazing. Of course, for me, Spidey stole the scenes as his young banter was Spider-Man to a T. It’s possibly the best representation that showed his strength, humor, agility, and weaknesses all in one. He’s a teenager that had no business in the fight, but held his own against them all (oh, and his intelligence really helped as well). The airport scene was simply a joy to watch even though the heroes are on two different ends of the spectrum. In the end, Cap and Bucky get away as the rest of the team is left to sacrifice themselves for the greater good (i.e they are captured and put in a supermax prison). What was once the mighty Avengers, for now, is over. Conflict has brought about catastrophe.

Vengeance Destroys All

CivilWar571fee863dfd0
So here we are, the final act of the film. Friendships have been torn, but over what? Captain’s whole mission is to save his best friend, even if it meant separating from his other friends. His cause is righteous even if it means going outside the law to prove it. The others only see a man trying to save his best friend from his crimes. They think Bucky is guilty until Tony finally uncovers the truth. Bucky is innocent (of at least this incident), so he goes on his own as a friend. You see, friendship is a strong rope that many can cling on to. Sometimes it can get slippery, but it’s there. However, there is always someone who prefers to cut the rope than to see a strong bond remain strong. And in this final act, a survivor from Sokovia from the Zemo family has been doing exactly that. They cut the rope until in the final act, it finally goes through. The truth of how Howard Stark and his wife died is shown to Bucky, Cap, and Tony. Of course, Tony finds out that Cap already knew: Winter Soldier killed Tony’s parents. The cord of friendship is cut. Vengeance now fuels Tony, and frankly, watching two different super soldiers fight a man in a suit of armor is pretty great to see. It is an extremely bloody fight that in the end no one really wins. Sure, Cap beat Tony, but he didn’t win. Nothing was gained from it, and that is sad. It is my gripe with the film in that there was no redemption for either Tony or Cap. Both accepted the outcome, but their friendship is never going to be the same. Cap chose Bucky, he then breaks his team out of prison, and although Tony may have visually come to a point of acceptance, there is no doubt that forgiveness is still far away.

Redemption Found

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It is in the midst of this fight that my favorite character of the film truly shines (and he’s truly great throughout the whole film). Black Panther followed Tony to the compound. Vengeance still fueling his mission, until the truth is discovered, he captures Zemo, but not before an outstanding monologue on the very dangers of that vengeance. It fueled Zemo, it fueled Black Panther, and it fueled Iron Man in the end. This brought about great catastrophe as it spiraled around. Here was the message of redemption. Here we find the truth and parallel of sin. Left unchecked, it devours not just the person, but much more. There is a reason why God tells us to leave vengeance to Him: man is not equipped to handle it. Our decision process is thrown off course and until the truth is presented to us, we destroy things in our path. The truth is the cure to all evil and is a hard pill to swallow sometimes, but life in the truth ultimately is more peaceful and better than life filled with lies. Jesus said He is the way, the TRUTH, and the life…because life in Him makes life easier to handle (note: not easy, just easier).

Civil War is an action packed blockbuster with an outstanding story. I think that’s what made it so great. It took what was already there, then expanded on it. The conflict was not forced but very real and very believable. So much went on that I couldn’t even touch on the Vision and Scarlet Witch relationship! With all the characters in it, it was still very much a Captain America film with a centralized story that revolved around him and his virtue; the others were just bonus.

Like all Marvel films, I hope you stayed for the credits. I can’t wait to see those two have their solo films!

So what did you think of Civil War?

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Avengers, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain America: Civil War, Iron Man, spider-man

Captain America: Civil War – Whom to Follow

May 5, 2016 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

Before the screening I attended of Captain America: Civil War, the screen was filled with a message encouraging people to take part in the social media strategy of the film by tweeting either #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan to designate which side they favor. Welcome to the political edition of the Marvel Universe. I’ll save my vote until later.

The film is built around a division within the ranks of the Avengers. After an Avenger mission in Lagos, Nigeria creates severe collateral damage, the governments of the world reach an agreement by which the Avengers will come under the authority and control of a U.N.-like body. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) supports the proposal as a step to keep the Avengers working for the good. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) thinks that the Avengers’ work is too important to allow for government interference. The others tend to fall behind one or the other of these leaders.

CivilWar571feeb0a53cd

When the accord is due to be signed, a bomb goes off near the site, killing several. It appears to be the work of The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers childhood friend Bucky Barns. Captain America sets out to keep Bucky from being killed by those sent to capture him, putting himself on the wrong side of the law. Soon the Avengers are divided into two camps (with a couple of notable non-Avenger additions from the Marvel Universe), one seeking to save and exonerate Bucky, and one determined to bring him to justice. In the meantime, a new superhero, Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), an African prince (now king) whose father was killed in the blast, operates in neither camp, but is seeking to bring his own form of justice to the man who killed his father. In time this leads to a battle royal as the two teams face off, eventually to a showdown between Captain America and Iron Man to save Bucky.

So the first political issue is whether government oversight is a good thing or a hindrance. The Avengers have done some serious damage in their attempts to save the world from whatever menace they have been facing. As a group of people with enhanced powers, they are something of a global superpower in themselves. How are they to be held accountable for all that collateral damage that accompanies their fight for the right? But if a government power is involved, won’t that reduce their effectiveness; maybe even prevent them from doing what needs to be done? Iron Man thinks that the team has to be held accountable and that government is necessary for that to happen. Captain America thinks that the government will only get in the way. How do you vote on that issue? TeamCap or TeamIronMan?

Then comes the idea of how we know what is right in a given situation. For Captain America, his loyalty to his friend Bucky transcends even the possibility that he has resumed his role as Winter Soldier. Even if Bucky is responsible for the attack, is he truly responsible or is it a matter of mind control? Should he be summarily done away with in the name of justice and vengeance? For Iron Man, it is just a matter of capturing (or killing if need be) the person who has done this. It’s not his job to wade through the facts beyond what seems obvious to all the world. Does loyalty to a friend (Cap) take precedence over loyalty to what all the world sees as justice (Iron Man)?

And then there is the whole issue of personality. Don’t we often pick our leaders based on some sort of personality cult? Let’s face it, Tony Stark is a bit arrogant, but he still believes in doing what is right (and if it turns a profit, all the better). Steve Rogers comes across as the incarnation of virtue. Yet, as the story plays out, it is Rogers who becomes the criminal and Stark who serves as the sheriff of superherodom. Which side of the law do you want to be on? Vote accordingly.

While I call this the political edition of the Marvel Universe, I do not mean that this is some sort of parody of the current election cycle. However, it is not hard to use this as a lens to consider how it is we pick sides in the election. Worse, we may even be willing to be combative, even with friends, over our visions of the world and those who we think should lead us.

Actually, I’m not willing to cast my vote for either Captain America or Iron Man. Both of them are utterly convinced of the righteousness of their cause. That makes it almost impossible for them to find common ground, but even worse, it makes it impossible for them to find any transformation for their character. Repentance is outside their vocabulary. Without some sense of flexibility, they are doomed to end up in those battles that make up much of the film. In short, neither of them really grows in the course of the film.

Beyond that, I don’t think either of them is the person who best represents the options that need to be considered in the film—nor even the most interesting characters. There are two minor characters that really drew me to them. I understand that this is a superhero blockbuster that uses broad strokes (sometimes too broad) to tell the story. But within that there should be room from some subtle looks at character growth and to give us people we can truly connect with because in spite of their superpowers they are like us.

The first of these characters is Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). She is consumed with guilt over what happened in Lagos. She is conflicted over the use of her powers. Her vulnerability as a character grows out of seeing the damage that can be done even with the best of intentions. As the Avengers discuss whether to agree to the new proposal, she is pretty much paralyzed by grief. She never really chooses a side, she is just brought in to one of them. Yet in the process, she begins to discover that her power is not her enemy. It would have been nice to know just how that happened.

They key character for me in the film was Black Panther. He has vowed vengeance on the man who killed his father, and like the two main characters he is convinced of the righteousness of his mission. But he is reflective enough to see the problems that come along with vengeance and can be transformed—and even repent of the course he set out on. This is the character who has the most growth and transformation in the story, but we see far too little of it. (The good news is that Black Panther will be getting his own franchise in the future.) So for me, when it comes to #TeamCap and #TeamIronMan, I say a curse on both your houses. Put me down for #TeamPanther.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Ant-Man, Avengers, Black Panther, Captain America, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Evans, Disney, Elizabeth Olsen, Iron Man, Marvel, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Witch, spiderman, superheroes, vengeance

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where faith and film are intertwined

film and television carry stories which remind us of the stories God has woven since the beginning of time. come with us on a journey to see where faith and film are intertwined.

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