Do you know what season is approaching at an alarming and exciting speed? Super Hero season!
Okay, most people would likely call it Spring and Summer but they’re also the months that promise some of the best outpouring for super hero junkies such as myself. No matter the story or character I can’t help the childlike enthusiasm I get whenever a new release is announced.
There are four major titles hitting theaters this spring/summer season so I thought why not go ahead and list the pros and cons of their impending release.
Captain America: The Winter Solider
Release Date: April 4th 2014
Synopsis: Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world when a threat from history resurfaces-an agent known as the Winter Soldier.
Why We’re Excited: Have you seen the trailer? It looks far and beyond more exciting than the first Captain America output (this coming from a unabashed fan of the first). It’s introducing one of the more popular storylines in canon comic book lore, there are old faces returning including Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and introducing new ones such as Anthony Mackie as The Falcon and Robert Redford. The conflict is bringing the battle to earth, a nice departure after Thor: The Dark World-and it looks gritty, in your face and action packed. It seems that our boy wonder will be rolling up his sleeves for a well-choreographed battle.
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Why We’re Not Applauding Yet: Captain America is a character whose moral center and do-good attitude can actually push audiences away who find him full and lacking subtlety. Is Steve Rogers personal struggle enough of a pull?
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Release Date: May 2nd 2014
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Synopsis: Peter Parker faces new and stronger challenges as the secretive company Oscorp faces him over with a barrel of life threatening challenges.
Why We’re Excited: As much as I still enjoy the first two Sam Raimi films there’s no doubt in my mind that Andrew Garfield fits the Spider-Man billing better than Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker is still debatable). Watching him breathe life into the character is enough of a draw but on top of that there’s also the larger than life spectacle that seems to be taking place in this film, Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn and some fantastic looking fight scenes shot by Marc Webb.
Why We’re Still Waiting for the Rotten Tomatoes Score: Too. Many. Villains. The first film showed Spider-Man having difficulty handling one villain and now we’re supposed to believe he could handle multiple? That plus the understandable fear that the film will feel unnecessarily bloated. Also, I feel like I’ve seen the entire movie from the trailers alone but still don’t know what it’s about.
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X-Men: Days of Future Past
Release Date: May 23rd 2014
Synopsis: The X-Men send Wolverine back in time in a desperate attempt to change history and prevent an event that results in catastrophic outcomes for both humans and mutants.
Why We’re Excited: After the success of X-Men: First Class it’s not hard to be pumped. X-Men is one of the few super hero movie universe that is always utilizing its entire arsenal. With Bryan Singer back on board and the old gang mixed with Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy as leads in younger versions, this one has a different but positive feel to it. It’s another hugely popular narrative in the comic books, the film will be settling itself on McAvoy’s capable shoulders as the young and troubled Charles Xavier and the story is bursting with the character and world building scope that it’s allowed. There’s mystery surrounding the story and where it will go, allowing for an exciting atmosphere.
Why We’re Ready to Mope after the Credits Roll: Wolverine is replacing Kitty Pryde’s role? Xavier can walk? Beast only turns blue and sprouts fur in bouts of animalistic fury ALA the Hulk? How many new characters? Why does Quicksilver look like such a moron? You’re trying to fit the sentinels in how? Bryan Singer are you sure you’ve made one movie and not five? How the hell is this film going to be at all comprehensible?
Guardians of the Galaxy
Release Date: August 1st 2014
Synopsis: Star Lord, aka Peter Quill, an American Pilot, finds himself in the deep pockets of space where he becomes the object of a man hunt after stealing an orb belonging to the villain Ronan.
Why We’re Excited: Seems like the first massive risk that Marvel Studios have taken since casting Robert Downey Jr. as the B status hero Iron Man. It looks hilariously action packed, a little dark and edgy and riddled with a phenomenally stacked cast. It promises to be nothing like any of Marvels other outputs and with a trailer like theirs you can’t help but believe in the hype. With characters like the foul mouthed, gun touting Rocket Raccoon and his buddy Groot, you have to feel some nugget of excitement at how fresh the story feels. It could be a game changer for the studio.
Why We’re Ready to Beg Everyone and their Mom to Come and See it: Look, it isn’t the easiest sell. My talking points above could easily be seen as detractors to the general audience. Chris Pratt isn’t a household name-yet-and the characters are, admittedly, bizarre. The trailer doesn’t give much away in terms of storytelling and could be repellant to anyone who’s tired of Marvel characters and their detached and sardonic line readings. This is why we have to prove them wrong.
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