Black Panther Review: A Noble Superhero Film

The superhero genre continues to grow. For years this subgenre of movies have been defined by heroes such as Batman, Spider-Man and The Avengers. However these days the concept has branched out and brought a number of new faces to the silver screen. A cased point is latest hero to leap onto the silver screen: Black Panther. The Marvel hero made his cinematic debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War but now the character has his own adventure to have with director Ryan Coogler helming the superhero film. Quality wise Marvel Studios have been staggering on top of the mountain with their Phase 3 lineup, but Black Panther looked to be a strong entry for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After watching the new superhero movie I can safely say that Black Panther did not disappoint.

The movie tells the story of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) who fights for his country Wakanda as its guardian the Black Panther. After becoming king, T’Challa’s title and character are put to the test when Erik Killmonger (Michael B.Jordan) seeks to take the throne from T’Challa and bring a dark age to Wakanda. At first it was hard to get into the plot of Black Panther, but as it progressed  the story behind this superhero movie turned out to be quite engaging. The story’s structure, though effective, was a little too formulaic for its good. The narrative did work for the character of Black Panther, but it also created few surprises and several plot points were too predictable. However it was in the plot’s themes that made all the difference for the movie. At first the themes felt contrived , but as the film progressed the thematic elements flourished making this superhero tale a complex one that handled its ideas with care. Along with its strong themes was the story’s ability to create an interesting world within the boundaries of Wakanda. From its hierarchy to its spiritual side Wakanda was a realm filled with investing concepts that only enriched the plot in all the right ways. The plot lived up to the adventurous aspects that most superhero movies have, but it was through its keen presentation that aided this kingly story to stand out from the rest.

War for the Planet of the Apes Review: Latest 'Apes' Film is A Rough But Fitting Conclusion

In recent years there have been several film franchises to return to the big screen and among them is none other than the Planet of the Apes. The sci-fi series made its come back to the world of film with the reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes; and while I was not a fan of the film, the movie did bring success back to the franchise. The 2011 film managed to get a sequel in the form of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes which not only succeeded its predecessor but is among one of the best films in the series. Now the franchise returns to the big screen with War for the Planet of the Apes. Directed by Matt Reeves (the director of Dawn) War brings the new series to ahead as the new film will likely bring the franchise to a close (at least for the time being). Despite having to live up to its 2014 predecessor the latest installment has managed to garner positive feedback prior to its release-though that is not a guarantee that the film will exceed expectations (especially for this Adventurer). So with much riding on this summer blockbuster does War for the Planet of the Apes go out strong or does the latest installment get wiped out by high expectations?

War for the Planet of the Apes continues the story of Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his fellow apes. After the events of the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Caesar finds himself in a constant struggle with the humans as the war rages on between the two species. As Caesar seeks to lead his apes to new home the group is attacked by a man named known as the Colonel (Woody Harrelson) and his soldiers. Seeking revenge, Caesar travels with a small group of apes to find the Colonel, but what the group finds is the Colonel's deranged plan and a revelation that shakes the foundation of the planet.

Star Wars The Force Awakens Review: Fitting Chapter in the Star Wars Saga

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a film called Star Wars. What started off as simple film in 1977 has become a pop culture phenomenon that remains strong even to this day. Like many I grew up with the adventures of Star Wars, and I will attest that I love this franchise in its entirety. Back in 2005 it seemed that the circle was complete with the third installment in the prequel trilogy: Star Wars-Revenge of the Sith. However everything changed in 2012 when creator George Lucas sold Lucasfilms to Disney. When this happened it was announced that Star Wars would return to the silver screen with a new trilogy. With much speculation, next chapter in the Star Wars saga would begin with Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Taking the helm for this installment was sci-fi director JJ Abrams; the man behind the new Star Trek films. It was hard to imagine that this continuation would come to theaters, but sure enough The Force Awakens is now playing everywhere. So the question for this Film Adventurer is simply this: is the force strong with The Force Awakens?

Episode VII takes place 30 years after the events of Episode VI. The galaxy faces a new threat in the form of The First Order and its leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Unfortunately for the New Republic the famed hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has disappeared from the galaxy. This dilemma leads to the newly formed Resistance, led by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) to locate the missing Jedi Knight before the First Order finds him. The conflict leads to Jakku where a mysterious girl named Rey (Daisy Riley) gets caught in the thick of things. Along with a former stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega), Rey joins up with famed smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to get vital information to the Resistance before the vicious Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his forces catches up with them.