#heath ledger's joker is good but this dynamic just does it for me

[myhyperfixationisiforgot]

I maintain that the animated Harley Quinn show has the best understanding of the modern Joker. He's Batman's mortal enemy. His other half, the color to Batman's gloom. Joker literally PROPOSES to Batman at one point.

Sure, he's terrible and sadistic and he absolutely hurts and kills untold numbers of people but like. Not because he likes killing, but because everything else is part of their story, and this is how the story goes. He doesn't want to KILL people, he wants to fight Batman, and in this universe Batman wants to be the good guy.

As soon as Batman is gone, he's done. Over and out. Almost capable of a normal life (as much as you can in Gotham). Finds himself a girlfriend and kids in the suburb. Willing to do his ex a favor every now and again.

Anyways I'm just obsessed with a show where it's so obvious that the Joker isn't the antithesis to good, he's just the antithesis to Batman. They really said the Joker only exists because Batman wants him to, and then actually backed it up. Insanity.

[quill-and-whetstone]

The 4th Wall of Antagonism

When does villainy stop being fun?

One of the things I picked up from my dad early on was the art of teasing, and that the most fundamental part of it was stopping short of the line where fun for all involved gave way to genuine frustration. Writing any good antagonist–be they villain, lancer, or antihero–draws heavily on that same skill set. Whether the audience is meant to sympathize with an antagonist or not they always need to be engaged with them in order to stay engaged with the story they’re involved in. On a metatextual level, the audience has to like the villain.

I can think of so many villains who were low key my favorite part of the story they were in. Darth Vader, Maleficent, Hexxus, Agent Smith, and the Wicked Witch of the West all come to mind for starters. But I can also think of plenty that were just the opposite: antagonists who bothered me so much that they brought the whole story down a full letter grade, if I even finished it. Folks like Joffrey Baratheon, or My Lady of Unenjoyable Villainy herself, Dolores Umbridge.

There’s a line where a character stops being fun to hate and just starts ruining the experience. Where the audience just disengages with the media because that jerk is back again. Given that the line is deeply personal and extremely subjective we’ll never find a concrete place to draw it, but I can suggest a few factors to consider to help keep your antagonists on the right side...

Style & Charisma

Everyone knows this is what makes evil cool and sexy. It could be a big personality, a top-notch aesthetic, or the dulcet tones of Tim Curry making you feel a certain kind of way about pollution somehow. If your antagonist has that je ne sais quoi, they can get away with so much and have your audience stay on board. This is why Jared Leto’s iteration of the Joker bombed while Heath Ledger’s (rest his soul) is an all timer. It’s like Barney Stinson’s “Hot / Crazy Scale” writ thespian. In order for them to be so wretched, they also need to be so rad.

Necessity

How well does your antagonist serve as a foil to the protags, and how essential / beneficial are they to the narrative? The more an antagonistic force shapes the protags into who we’re rooting for, the better we’ll feel about them. Conversely, if they feel like they could be removed from the story without much consequence or even push the story in a direction we don’t enjoy, we’re primed not to tolerate as much annoyance out of them and every time they bother us it will feel like a bigger deal.

Expectations

Antagonists in YA novels, Hallmark movies, and shoujo anime are three extremely different animals. Knowing the tone and conventions of the genre you’re working in, and communicating those clearly, is a form of expectation management. While pushing the bounds of genre conventions and getting experimental can lead to interesting places, audiences showing up to engage with certain genres are bringing certain expectations with them. They’re communicating what they are going to enjoy, tolerate, or have the stomach for just as much as you the writer are telling them what’s on offer by categorizing the work. Use that!

Dynamic Shelf Life

Put succinctly: don’t let the act get stale. This is the big one for me, personally. Almost all of the antagonists I can’t stand have a common thread: aside from being smirkingly unpleasant, they’re one-note and just can’t seem to be challenged in any meaningful way until the narrative decides it’s done with them. Umbridge is the absolute prime example of this, she doesn’t do anything particularly interesting aside from “be increasingly petty and awful” and no one seems to be able to set her back or really outmaneuver her until her sudden and extremely precipitous fall from grace at the end of the book.

Antagonists need more than one string on their harp. They need variety, and some sort of give-and-take with the protagonists. If you find yourself running through essentially the same narrative beats with how the protags and the antags interact over and over, that’s a huge sign that you need to shake up the status quo or rework some plot somehow. Keep in mind the length of the story, and the antagonists’ thematic throughlines. They’ll suggest an endpoint to aim for—whether that’s change or a narrative exit—and help ensure your villains don’t overstay their welcome.

Setup & Payoff

Finally and simply, a satisfying end can buy back a lot when an antagonist might have otherwise overstepped into a frustrating space. I, for instance, wouldn’t find Gaston any fun if the ending of Beauty and the Beast saw him just sort of… take the L when Beast told him to get out that last time and skulk off back to town. Fatally own-goaling is what brings fitting closure to his story: his vanity and pride were always in his way, were always the traits stopping him from getting what he wanted, and since he wouldn’t change the stakes escalated until those traits became his literal downfall. In many cases, I don’t think I’d enjoy a braggadocious and socially bulletproof personification of the patriarchy as an antagonist! In this one, it’s satisfying to me because the ending spins his whole shtick together into a meaningful narrative and the core message is that he was ultimately self defeating and loathsome. Contrast with Joffrey Baratheon, at least the show’s version, who remains a vicious idiot untouched by his various and sundry acts of what seemingly should have been political suicide until someone kills him for barely related reasons.

———————

Again, I know that the overwhelming majority of what I’ve said here is subjective and that there’s no ironclad formula for villainous perfection. Like with teasing there’s no amount of analysis that will take you all the way there, you just need to develop a feel for it. But along the way, or in situations where you find yourself stuck or sense things not jiving, I hope this can serve to lay out the different dials you can turn to help your antagonists do their best at doing their worst.

[slickbackdani]

Batman Movie Villains Ranked from Worst to Best

Recently, a YouTuber I follow by the name of Mr. Rogues released a list of Batman villains ranked from worst to best. I have nothing but the utmost of respect for Mr. Rogues as a content creator, but I took issue with his list because his long-standing biases were often the deciding factor in many of his rankings. So, I decided to do a list of my own.

I’ll be going over every Batman villain to appear in the movies, briefly analyzing their portrayals and ranking them on a scale of 1 to 5. To prevent the list from being too cluttered, I’ll be separating the villains by which movie series they’re part of. Here we go!

Burton/Schumacher Tetralogy

Bane: Perhaps the only villain in this series I’d call “bad.” The calculating tactician of the comics is nowhere to be found here; instead, he’s reduced to a monosyllabic, brain-dead stooge for the other villains. Overall, he does nothing that couldn’t be done by a random henchman. 1/5

Two-Face: A deeply layered villain in the comics, Two-Face sadly gets upstaged by the other major rogue in the movie, but that’s not to say he doesn’t leave an impression. Tommy Lee Jones gives him a manic and mercurial demeanor that, combined with his colorful design, wouldn’t be out of place in the Adam West series. The size and scope of his criminal organization make him a genuine threat, and there’s something darkly fitting about Batman’s former ally being responsible for the creation of Robin. 3/5

Poison Ivy: Mr. Rogues for some reason ranked her as the worst Batman movie villain of all time, and frankly, I don’t see why. Like Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, Uma Thurman gives this character a delightfully over-the-top demeanor that combines with a colorful, comic-booky ensemble to make for another great “what-if-this-character-appeared-in-the-Adam-West-series” take. She does a good job juggling the differing facets of Ivy’s character: she’s the put-upon cynic, the craven opportunist, the radical eco-terrorist, and the suave seductress all in one package. 3.5/5

The Penguin: Fuck the Razzies. Danny DeVito made this role his own and set the stage for the character for years to come. He’s a bit of a departure, but a welcome one: far from the refined gentleman of crime Burgess Meredith portrayed, this Penguin is an animalistic thug warped by a lifetime of anger and hatred of the society who rejected him due to his deformities. His signature wardrobe, trick umbrellas, and Penguin gimmick are all there, but DeVito sells the role by showing amazing versatility: he can go from a comical and pitiable weirdo to a terrifying sociopath at the drop of a stovepipe hat. 4/5

Mr. Freeze: I honestly can’t say much about this character that my mutual @wonderfulworldofmichaelford hasn’t already. Arnold Schwarzenegger perfectly encapsulates both popular versions of this character: the flamboyant, pun-loving criminal genius from the Adam West series and the Animated Series’ traumatized scientist desperate to cure his loving wife of her terminal illness. Sure, the puns and hammy one-liners are what this version character is known for, but Ahnold definitely knows when to apply the brakes and give a greatly emotional performance as he tries desperately to cure his wife. 4.5/5

Max Shreck: Probably the only time you’ll see a movie-exclusive character on this list, and deservedly so. Corrupt businessmen are dime-a-dozen in Batman stories, and most of them have little personality outside of being greedy scumbags who either get defeated by the hero or betrayed by the other villains. Shreck, however, is different. Not only does he have an eye-catching fashion sense on par with any of Batman’s famous rogues, but Christopher Walken brings his signature manic intensity to the role, creating a character that’s as wicked and sinister as he is cool and stylish. You totally buy that the general public sees him as the good guy. His warm relationship with his son is also a delight to watch. 4.5/5

Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer does a lot to really make the character her own. She gets a lot of genuinely badass moments, but underneath all of her coolness lies the undercurrent that she’s a broken, traumatized character lashing out at the people who abused her and took her for granted. Even when she takes these ideals to unreasonable extremes, you never stop feeling like the retribution she brings on her enemies is at least a little warranted. Also, she has amazing romantic chemistry with Batman and her costume is fucking metal. 5/5

The Ridder: It’s Jim Carrey. 5/5

The Joker: This role is perhaps the one that set the standard for future Jokers to follow: Jack Nicholson’s humorous yet unnerving performance signaled to audiences early on that this would not be the goofy trickster of the Silver Age, but a different beast entirely. This Joker is a film noir gangster on crack: a disfigured mob hitman who quickly takes the entire criminal underworld by storm and unleashes his special brand of chaos and destruction across Gotham. He’s an artist, a showman, a charismatic leader, and the man responsible for ruining Bruce Wayne’s life. 5/5

Christopher Nolan Trilogy

Talia al Ghul: You know that recent trend in Disney movies where a side character we thought was harmless and inconsequential turned out to have been the villain all along in a twist with no buildup or foreshadowing with the reveal happening too late in the movie for this character to really do anything cool or impressive before being unceremoniously defeated? That’s Talia. DKR is the weakest of the three Nolan films, and I feel like it would’ve been much better received without this twist villain contrivedly shoehorned in. Also, while I could kinda forgive the trilogy’s whitewashing of other villains like Ra’s al Ghul and Bane due to the talent their actors display, Marion Cotillard doesn’t get a pass because she just doesn’t have the charisma or screen presence needed to pull it off. 1/5

Victor Zsasz: While the idea of redefining Zsasz as an over enthusiastic mob hitman instead of a serial killer is very interesting, it’s ruined by the fact that he barely even appears in the movie and doesn’t really do or say much of anything despite the buildup he gets. 1.5/5

Two-Face: Aaron Eckhart portrays Harvey Dent as a character of tragedy in a slightly different way than other tragic villains in superhero movies: he’s lashing out at a society he feels wronged him, but instead of being a lifelong outcast or put-upon loser, he was a handsome, successful crusader for the common good who lost everything he once held dear all in one fell swoop. You really feel for him even as he does horrible things. If I had to nitpick, though, I am slightly bothered by the fact that he plays some comic book movie cliches straight (i.e. they never call him by his alias and he dies at the end,) but it’s a solid performance overall. 3/5

Scarecrow: I’ll be upfront and admit that I’m more than a little annoyed that certain facets of the character had been changed in the name of “realism” — once again, they never call him by his villain name and he never wears a comic-accurate costume — but other than that, I can’t complain. Cillian Murphy plays the character with a smarmy, eerie charm that really makes his scenes stand out, his willingness to ally himself with other villains suits his character well, and the fact that he appears in three consecutive films with a different evil scheme in each really helps tie the movies together. 3.5/5

Catwoman: Much like other secondary villains in this trilogy, she really doesn’t get a chance to shine compared to the main antagonist — and, once again, it pisses me off a little that they do the whole “never refer to her as Catwoman but vaguely hint at it” thing — but she’s everything a modern Catwoman should be. She’s sly, manipulative, really holds her own in a fight, has great chemistry with Bruce Wayne... it’s all there. It’s also great to see Anne Hathaway break away from her usual type casting to play a role this dynamic. 4/5

Ra’s al Ghul: He’s a character that was in desperate need of mainstream exposure, and by God that’s what he got. Making him Bruce Wayne’s mentor adds a layer of personal tragedy to the climax where our hero has to stop the man who made him who he is from destroying Gotham with his admittedly brilliant plan. Add in a strong, captivating performance from Liam Neeson before we found out he was a racist asshole, and we’ve got one hell of an overarching villain. 4.5/5

The Joker: Everybody’s already discussed this version of the character to hell and back and likely will for years to come, so I’ll keep it very brief. He’s funny, he’s badass, he’s terrifying, he has great dialogue, it sucks that Heath Ledger didn’t live to see his performance reach the audience it got, and he basically makes the entire film. 5/5

Bane: Mr. Rogues actually ranked Bane higher than Joker on his list, and keeping it 100, I actually agree with him here. Finally, after decades of being dumbed down and misrepresented outside of comics, Bane is finally portrayed as the tactical genius from the comics. Tom Hardy plays Bane to perfection, being very believable as the peak of human physical and mental achievement, the man who broke Batman physically and emotionally. His design is iconic, his every line is quotable, his voice is weirdly fitting, and the memes are funny. 5/5

DC Extended Universe

KGBeast: Another point where I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Rogues. He is absolutely wasted in BVS, being nothing but a generic henchman for Lex Luthor. He doesn’t wear his costume from the comics, he’s never referred to by his alias, he doesn’t have his signature cybernetic enhancements, and he never does or says anything noteworthy. 1/5

The Joker: Ugh. I don’t know what’s worst: the tacky clothes, the stupid tattoos, the weird Richard Nixon impression that passes as his voice, the fact that promotional material hyped him up as a “beautiful tragedy” of a character even though he’s only in the movie for like 10 minutes and barely does anything, Jared Leto’s toxic edgelord behavior on set done with the flimsy pretense of “getting into character,” or the fact that he’s just trying to copy Heath Ledger instead of making the role his own. 1/5

Victor Zsasz: Chris Messina proves undoubtedly that Zsasz CAN work as a secondary villain in a Batman movie. He’s once again a mob assassin who enjoys his job a little too much, but unlike Batman Begins, he really gets time to shine. He’s just as sadistic and depraved as in the comics, but he also has this disarming, casual demeanor about him like he’s just indulging a hobby instead of slicing innocent people’s faces off. His close friendship with his boss Black Mask adds some depth to the character as well. 3/5

Killer Croc: Sadly, he doesn’t get much time in the spotlight, but he’s pretty cool nonetheless. The makeup and prosthetics used to create him look amazing, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s deep voice and imposing body language make him really stand out as an intimidating presence. He’s often in the background, which fits his role as an outcast by choice and a man of few words, but whenever he does get focus, he has everyone’s attention. It really would be a shame if this character’s only appearance was in a mediocre schlock action movie, but he makes the most of what he has. 3.5/5

Deadshot: Another highlight of what would otherwise be a forgettable film, Deadshot is just as cool and competent as he’s always been in other media, but this portrayal stands out for one simple reason. Will Smith was a very odd choice to play the role, but it worked out for the best here because you get the sense he truly understands the characters. He’s ruthless and pragmatic, but has just as enough charm and depth to make him likable. 4/5

Black Mask: I, like many, was skeptical when I saw early trailers depicting Roman Sionis as a foppish weirdo who doesn’t wear his signature mask, but upon seeing the final movie, I really feel like he has the high ground over other DCEU villains. Ewan McGregor is endlessly captivating in the role, portraying him as a swaggering dandy who is nevertheless dangerous due to his boundless narcissism and explosive temper. Sure, those who deal in absolutes would be put off from the differences with his comic counterpart — who is far more cold and humorless — but from a certain point of view, this flamboyant take on the character isn’t so much a departure as it is an addition to make him stand out while keeping his role the same. Black Mask has always been a middleman between the traditional mobsters of yesteryear and the colorful rogues that plague Gotham today, and this portrayal perfectly encapsulates that. He works in the shadows, but isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty; he flies off the handle and gets reckless at times, but there’s no question that the whole operation was his idea. 5/5

Harley Quinn: Margot Robbie owns this role. She’s unbelievably dazzling as a badass, funny, sexy antihero who deals greatly with tragedy and proves that there’s always been more to her than her initial role as the Joker’s sidekick. Again, not much to say, but she’s almost perfect. 5/5

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Rewatching TDK Trilogy

Easily my favorite superhero trilogy and arguably one of my favorite trilogies of all time. I think in terms of superhero trilogies, Captain America is the one that comes closest because I love all three movies, but they aren’t a trilogy in the normal sense in that Civil War is essentially Avengers 2.5 and neither Civil War nor Winter Soldier can be understood without having watched Avengers and Age of Ultron. But even putting that aside, I adore TDK trilogy and it still ranks as my favorite superhero movies. The trilogy, obviously starting with Batman Begins, is what put introduced me to Nolan. I hadn’t seen Memento and Insomnia till then so Batman Begins was literally my first introduction to him.

I was always a big Batman fan as a huge follower of the DCAU cartoons with Kevin Conroy voicing a really badass Batman throughout the 90′s and into the early 2000′s. While I enjoyed the first 4 Batman movies as a kid, yes even B&R, I always wanted to see the more somber version from the cartoons. Batman Begins hit me at the perfect time where I started to have longer attention spans and wasn’t just looking for the next action scene. Rewatching the movie, it amazes me that Batman doesn’t show up for half the movie. I think that was a really brave call given pretty much all previous Batman movies introduced Batman almost immediately. I genuinely love all the prelude to Bruce becoming Batman. I liked that we got to see his training extensively and we are introduced to the city and see the dynamics of the rich and the poor, the police, the mob, the lawyers etc... It really gives Gotham a very grounded personality. I think Nolan really killed it at the casting level. By getting Caine as Alfred, Freeman as Fox, and Oldman as Gordon, he created a superbly acted support structure around Bruce/Batman, so we aren’t just always waiting for Bruce to show up. On top of that, they had Liam Neeson as Ra’s, who is effortlessly compelling, as well as other strong supporting actors like Cillian Murphy as a scene stealing Scarecrow, Tom Wilkinson as Falcone, Rutger Hauer as Earle etc... All giving personality to a difference facet of the city and Bruce’s life. But this truly is Bale’s movie. I didn’t know him at all prior to this film, but I have been a fan ever since. He carries the movie on his shoulders and he delivers the ferociousness of Batman and the humanity of Bruce Wayne effortlessly. If there is someone who doesn’t make a big impression, its Katie Holmes. I didn’t find her terrible, but rather the character isn’t exactly well written which bleeds into the next movie with Maggie Gyllenhall as well. My favorite Batman performance. Rewatching, what surprised me the most is the amount of humor in the movie. This is actually reflective of the entire trilogy. The movies deal with darkness and death, but there is actually plenty of humor sprinkled throughout these movies which prevent it from being dour. There have been a lot of superhero origin stories, but this still remains the gold standard of superhero origin stories. A 9/10 for me.

There is nothing I can say about The Dark Knight that hasn’t been said a 100 times over. It quite literally is the best comic book movie of all time. But it basically is at heart a drama about Gotham. Whereas BB acts as a character centric piece, this film is about all the characters living in Gotham. Arguable, the character that has the biggest arc in the film is Harvey Dent. Again, the casting department knocked it out of the park with the casting of Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. Unfortunately, Eckhart never really capitalized on his performance here because he really was terrific in the film, both as Harvey and as Two-Face, to the point where you wished you had more of Two-Face. Gary Oldman gave his best work in the trilogy in this movie. The desperation as the situation spins out of control is fabulous. Freeman also has a very meaty role in the movie and continues to add a lot of weight to the scenes as well as plenty of humor, as does Michael Caine. Christian Bale continued to be terrific. There were some complaints about his voice, which I feel have been overexaggerated over the years. I definitely think his Begins voice is better, but barring one or two scenes, I never really had an issue with Bale’s voice in this film. He delivers a very nuanced performance. Maggie Gyllenhaal took over from Katie Holmes in TDK and while I think she is a far better actress than Katie Holmes, I think the character itself is not very well written. In both movies, Rachel comes off as very judgmental. Whereas in BB I can understand her reason in being so, given Bruce was ready to commit murder and later was out being a playboy in front of her for the sake of appearances, in this movie she is judgmental towards Bruce even though she knows what he has been doing to help the city. Also, she did come off a bit flaky in the whole Bruce/Rachel/Harvey triangle. And then there is Heath Ledger. There are very few performances that I consider perfect. This is one of them. I think every choice Ledger makes in this movie, be it intentional or unintentional, works amazingly well. Like him licking his lips to keep the make up on. It just adds a creepy quality to his character, even if it is completely unintentional. There are so many ticks and quirks in Ledger’s performance that make this a phenomenal performance. I don’t see any villain performance having matches that since 2008. I think the closest I have seen prior to that is Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. It really is a performance that adds such a big extra edge to the movie. I love that Nolan sticks to certain details such as Bruce never actually drinking alcohol and throwing it away at the part and then Joker showing up and taking a glass and him spilling almost all of it. It gives a lot of personality to the characters. If I have any complaint about the movie, it is that Bruce does at times feel like a stationary character as he does not have as big of an arc as a Harvey Dent. And if you want, you can pick apart the holes in the series of events that happen that cause the chaos. But the drama of the film is just so intense that you forget all of that behind. I give it a 9.5/10

The Dark Knight Rises to me is the film that gets often maligned just because it isn’t TDK. And that is a crazy yardstick to compare it to. But as a movie on its own, its pretty damn awesome. TDKR is where the film truly steps away from being a version of the comics to being an Elseworld story with Batman having been absent for 8 years and then Bruce retiring and leaving Gotham at the end of the movie. But I don’t think there was any way for Nolan to close out his trilogy without it becoming an Elseworld story and it really didn’t matter because I always figured that as long as Bruce is out there, if Gotham needed him, he would come back. Its not as if there aren’t existing comic book stories of Bruce having retired or left being Batman behind. Again, there is some superb new casting. JGL ends up being surprising integral and he is terrific. Tom Hardy is awesome as Bane. He manages to provide a terrifying presence. I actually loved his voice. I love that a terrifying brute of a man has a polite, gentlemanly sounding voice. It gave him a unique personality. Marion Cotillard is pretty good as Talia/Miranda. She has an awkwardly filmed death scene but she’s good throughout the rest of the film, particularly during the reveal scene. But the casting of the movie for me was Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. I knew Anne Hathaway mostly from the Princess Bride movies till then even though she had gotten an academy award nomination by then. But I really didn’t envisage her as Selina Kyle but she blew me out of the water with her performance. She was seductive, yet very likable. I love the clever costume design of her goggles looking like cat ears when she puts them up. I also love Nolan’s version of the Lazarus Pit. Certainly Bruce’s climb out of the pit is one of the most compelling scenes of the movie. You truly feel the emotion. The film also has one of the best acted scenes I have scene between Michael Caine and Christian Bale in the hallway. Its the scene I remember first whenever I think about TDKR. Oscar quality acting by both in that scene. The returning cast is all terrific but Michael Caine has a few gut wrenching scenes, including this one and the scene at the funeral at the end. Oldman and Freeman continue to be stalwarts throughout the movie, I really admire that Nolan did not waste these actors and given them very substantial roles in all the movies and all these actors really respected the material to not sleep walk through the roles. I think Bale’s performance here rivals his performance in Begins. Particularly in the scenes in the Pit. You get to see a full range of emotions, from pain, to despair, to anger, to hope. Its a superb performance. The film isn’t flawless. Its just a tad too long and there is some clunky editing at times. None of the three films can be said to contain very memorable action sequences because Nolan is not known to have great action sequences in his film until more recently, but the drama in the action negates that. Like, the Bane vs Batman fight where Bane breaks Batman, isn’t the greatest action scene in terms of fight choreography, but there is a lot weight to these characters which is what makes it incredibly compelling. Same is true to an extent for the climax at the end. When Batman beats Bane, I felt a sense of satisfaction after what I had witnessed in the previous fight. Overall, I genuinely feel that I love the last act of TDKR the most out of all three films. The Batplane, Batpod, and Tumbler chase scene was thrilling and it was cool to watch all three Bat vehicles in operation. The ending montage also ends the movie on a real uplifting note for all characters, which is very satisfying. I really love the movie. A 9/10.

It has to be said that Zimmer’s score across all three films contributes enormously to these movies. All in all, these set of movies are still my favorite superhero movies and my favorite Nolan movies till date.

[hysteriium]

Ledger!Joker x JP!Joker headcanons 👀 ??

(Edit isn’t mine, made by Anarchy Graphics! They have really cool edits you should check them out!)

(A/n): 👀 HEY THERE DEAR ANON! Your wish is my command ;)) sorry I kinda added some smut hope that’s okie! HEHEH also @pennyship​ and I are writing a massive fucking one-shot about the duo! We’re thinking of turning this into a series if anyone’s interested?

Pairing: JP! Joker x reader x Heath!Joker

Warnings: NSFW, BDSM themes, swearing.

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Together

Okay first things first, they will have a hard time ‘sharing’ you. They’re both really assertive characters and their personalities would for sure clash. 

They’re very competitive. 

What’s probably even weirder is how they resolve their arguments. If you expect them to sit down and shake it out b o i you’re dead wrong.

Honestly, if you catch them in the middle of doing some stupid shit, don’t be surprised.

More often than not, you feel like the mediator between them. You kind of keep them balanced – stop them from going overboard, though admittedly, it’s rare when they reach such a point. 

Their unspoken contest keeps them on their toes and that’s just how they like it.  

They also really appreciate how you spare them the psychoanalysis – they get enough of it when they’re thrown into Arkham and treated like odd spectacles. 

They’re really possessive/protective. If someone even so much as thinks of threatening you, or, even more idiotic, makes it known they ARE, best believe they’re bringing out the big guns. They’ll rain hellfire upon them. This is perhaps the only time where the dynamic duo can work together. 

NSFW

A lot of the times they take their frustration out in other activities. If something doesn’t go as ‘planned,’ you’re gonna have a hard time walking tomorrow.  

(Coming back to their ‘rivalry’), they’ll leave hickeys on your neck – VISIBLE ONES MIGHT I ADD – just so the other can see. This often leads to more hickeys from the other. 

Threesomes. Sorry, not sorry. (Will go into detail in an upcoming fic hehe). 

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker

This. Man. Is. Touch-starved. 

You heard me, folks. He loves touching you. This isn’t exclusive to sex either, honestly, he’s happy with even the smallest displays of affection. 

He’s also much kinder than Heath’s Joker AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT is that he’s more open with his affections (see Heath’s section for deetz). 

Loves loves loves your smile and your laugh! Every time he snatches a laugh roused by one of his puns or jokes, he’s ecstatic! “You should laugh more,” “you have a pretty smile.” His compliments aren’t always worded the greatest, but you know he means well, his sincerity shining through. 

Coupled with the soft smile which almost always follows your joy, it’s enough on its own to convey his thoughts. 

The man is incredibly playful and is a relentless flirt. He doesn’t CARE who’s around, he will make it known what nasty things he’s thinking about AND what nasty things he wants to do to you. If it wasn’t for your own protests which are occasionally worn down, he’d take you in front of others. He literally does not care.

Example: when you least expect it, you’ll feel a firm slap against your ass, or sometimes less overt, a grab. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who it is. 

To reiterate, he absolutely has no shame. 

Arthur is big on aftercare. He’ll make sure you know how much he loves you. He gets really attached, and his actions communicate this more than his words. Aftercare manifests itself in many forms: cuddling, bubble baths, making sure he hasn’t harmed you in any way, offering sweets.

Nicknames

“Angel.”

“Darling.”

“Doll.” (Heath’s Joker also uses this). 

“Sugar.” He often uses this when he’s mad, for example, “okay, listen, sugar.”

“Sweetheart.”

NSFW

Depending on how Arthur’s feeling, funky time can either be really rough or, if he’s feeling a lil extra sentimental, very you-oriented. 

He’s a passionate man and seeing how his touch leads to your unravelling is truly one of the highlights for him. 

Above all, Arthur’s favourite thing is hearing the way his name spills from your lips – feeling the way you cling onto him as he plunges into you. Your expression of euphoria’s something that’s etched into his brain, like fine glass.   

An added bonus for him is thinking about how antsy your loud moans make Heath’s Joker. 

Gunplay → Arthur’s slender fingers indent your thighs as he spreads them apart, a sudden metallic chill brushing up against the flesh. Prodding at your entrance with the barrel and slowly pushing in, his slow teasing thrusts morph into a steady pace when you’re practically pleading him to let you cum. 

Orgasm Denial → Arthur, being the mischievous boi he is, will damn well make sure he drags everything out. He loves to hear you beg, every time you do it fills him with swirling bursts of pride. 

Body worship → sort of ties in with orgasm denial. Arthur will take his sweet ass time caressing your skin, planting kisses against your stomach – against your hips. Honestly anywhere he has access to he will make it known how much he appreciates your body. This can sometimes appear during sex – he’ll slow his pace and utter sweet whispers of praise against you, rendering you even more of a flustered mess.

Hair pulling → works both ways. This would mainly be exhibited during oral than anything else. If he’s going down on you and your trembling fingers jerk his green curls, the vibrations of his moans would tip you over the edge. 

He’s more flexible than Heath’s Joker, meaning if you want to top, he’ll let you do so, though he still maintains a cocky air. Giving you one of his killer smirks, his eyebrows flicking in amusement, he’ll relinquish his hold on your hips and recline back into the couch. The way he leans back and places his hands behind his head screams ‘go ahead,’ ‘impress me.’ You always do.

Heath Ledger’s Joker

Will do shit just to spite Arthur; this isn’t because he has a personal vendetta against him, it’s just because of the person he is (a little shit).

Takes a bit longer to open up than Arthur, emotionally. He’s very closed off and is used to his little bubble. It takes patience but eventually you’ll get there.

Acts like the biggest hardass → he likes to portray there’s nothing more to his image other than the ‘agent of chaos,’ but you come to realise this is definitely not the case. 

In the dead of night, when he returns from whatever havoc he’s stirred, he crawls into your bed and pulls you against him, arms embracing you loosely.

This is when he’s at his most affectionate. His exhaustion most likely adds to those falling walls. 

Most of the time he thinks you’re asleep when this occurs but, spoiler, you’re not; the gentle upturn of your lips the only indication of such. You don’t think you’d ever give the fact away either, fearful of him receding back into his shell to the point where affection is null. Either way, you’re happy with him.

By the morning, he’s gone, already making plans (or executing them).

He seldom shows you his actual face, behind all the makeup. In all honesty, you don’t know the reasoning behind this, and you don’t think you ever will. While he’s blunt, he’s just as secretive; there’s always something going on in the back of his mind. 

Perhaps it’s insecurity, discomfort, or, more simply, the ‘persona’ of ‘Joker’ is just what resonates with him. The man underneath is someone he no longer identifies with. The man he’s become – who he’s worked so hard to manifest – is his true self. 

NSFW

Okay but he’s a very sexual guy, not even gonna lie.

ALSO HAS NO EMBARRASSMENT. When it comes to sex, this man’s just as open about it as Arthur. 

Hair pulling kink → this goes without saying. Unlike Arthur, this kink is one-sided, and he most definitely is the one doing the pulling. Those large hands will lose themselves within your strands and if you’re giving him head, he’s most likely going to guide you by said strands. 

Glove kink → he’ll set you on his lap, your back against his chest as his hands hold your wriggling thighs. With your breath hitching in anticipation, one of his gloved hands will slip down your inner thigh, rubbing slow circles against your clit. He tries his best to be patient but lets be honest, he has a really short fuse when it comes to sex; he’ll be dipping one – two – and if he’s feeling particularly torturous – three fingers inside of you before you know it, curling his fingers.

Praise kink → not particularly what you’d expect. He’s also very big into humiliation and mockery, so this kind of ties in with the two. For example, if you do something he’s pleased with, he’ll throw around teasing/sarcastic nicknames like there’s no tomorrow:

“Bunny.”

“Buttercup.” 

“Button.”

“Doll.”  

“Good girl.”

“Princess.” 

“Pumpkin.” 

“Sweetheart.”

Loves your brattiness, literally lives for it. He’s always been drawn to a bit of fire – it keeps things interesting. 

Has a thing for emotions – for your expressions, both micro and macro. The main three: fear, pain, pleasure. 

He’s very erratic. So, when he is praising you, he may tug at your hair the next, choke you or, if he deems necessary, spank you. 

Your squeaks of pain get him off – the motherfucker’s sadistic.

Goes through topdrop, and you’d most certain go through subdrop. He’s so used to control and regaining it when lost, in both an everyday context and a sexual one. So, once those feelings develop into something more (which you’ll have trouble differentiating, or sometimes picking up on at all), he’ll become more reserved, no longer displaying his usual vigour until this issue is sorted. (More details in a future drabble/fic). 

[jotunlokisuggestion]

I’m gonna illustrate to you the Thanos-problem not so quickly.

The studio went to Kenneth Branagh in 2010 and told them they want a villain as good as Magneto for their Avengers film.

And almost 10 years later the MCU wanted to write an interesting, political villain called Thanos for Infinity War/Endgame.

Now, when Kenneth Branagh got the (really annoying) custom-order for a good villain, he didn’t look at the villain the studio liked and copied him. Instead he had the brains to write Loki as a character. With his own personality traits, qualities, quirks, a unique backstory that appeals to Branagh’s strength as a writer, whose origin story can be used and re-used in future films and plots, who has unique and adaptable strengths and weaknesses and who is played by an actor who is really good at playing roles like that.

Meanwhile Thanos is just...going through the Killmonger/Loki/Magneto motions of: political villain: ✅ tragic backstory:  ✅ destruction: ✅ big baddie speech ✅ --- but there is no heart to any of that, no sense of detail, no moment for him to shine no personality.

And you know (I really tried to stop myself from adding this) in the 90s we had this flood of dark, gritty anti-heroes with their giant guns and ten thousand pouches. And some of them like Cable were really good while later characters became pale imitations of Cable (think of that famous video of Liefeld inventing a character and he just draws Cable number 8948320 and his backstory is that he’s a cyborg) and all those rehashes of the Killing Joke. And in the end they all lost track of what made these characters good in the first place.

And in the late 2000s and early 2010s we had this wave of young, hip, funny for the lulzs supervillains who just had quirks and no reasons and personality and in the end, basically nothing of substance remains of any of them - an epidemic starting with Heath Ledger’s Joker but were later replaced with young men in suits who were also kinda pop-culturally - ironically Leto’s Joker hopped onto that bandwagon like 9 years late with a starbucks 

And I understand why in the last few years, political villains have entered mass-production, but a villain like that doesn’t work unless your writing challenges their ideas. Okay lemme give you another example: Since the (in)famous Far Cry 3 with its very 2012 villain quirky-crazy-Joker-y villain Vaas we now had Far Cry 4 playing in the land of a slightly quirky fashionable young man dictator and Far Cry 5 and New Dawn with an evil Christian cult right in the US. 

The transition from early 2010s to late 2010s is obvious but - these are video games and by the time we fight the final boss, we have automatically actually spent a lot of time in their respective worlds. We know why these are horrible people. We are challenging their methods and ideas already when we encounter them. In the MCU, we see Killmonger actually rule over Wakanda and we know while his ideas are good. his methods aren’t - while at the same he challenges Wakanda and forces T’Challa to accept that his father was not perfect. Each time we see Loki rule over Asgard, imperialism is challenged - in the first time when he actually attacks Jötunheim (thus executing exactly the things he had been taught his entire life) and by not intervening in the colonies in Ragnarök.  But, you are going to say, Thanos ideas are challenged! We see that people are sad that he killed half the universe! - and I mean yeah, but I didn’t need to watch the movie to know that people would be sad. Instead, everything happens exactly as you expect it would. All these previous examples were interesting because we wouldn’t know what the villains would do and how it would affect the population. Also the final notion - that the universe would eventually be better of if half the universe was destroyed, remains unshaken and unaddressed.

And honestly, their attempt to make Thanos likeable or understandable might be the huge problem of the film. Thanos as a morbid, unlikable killer who’s in love with death works because we don’t need to relate to him for that. We don’t need a connection. Many good villains are absolutely detestable. You can do a lot not by making them seem sympathetic (which is almost impossible with villains like Thanos anyway) but you can make them interesting to the audience-

let’s talk about villains who are absolute giant assholes but I like them:

Yeah him <3 You remember the first season of Hannibal? As members of the audience, we know who Hannibal is before we even start watching. Hannibal Lecter is one of the most famous villains there are. In the movies, he’s arrested in Red Dragon right in the first scene - there is never any doubt about who he is. But in the show, he’s yet an active serial killer and working with the police. The police that solves his murders. The police who doesn’t know that he’s the killer. The killer whose name literally rhymes with cannibal and who makes cannibalism puns. There were hundreds of memes about how fucking frustrating it was that the police always just walked right past him.

That was the thing: We, the audience, knew something the characters didn’t. Like in a horror film when we know the killer is hiding behind the door and the main character doesn’t. You want to fucking scream at the screen in frustration. Okay what does that have to do with Thanos? Imagine all those glimpses and we saw of him in previous movies would have presented him in a likeable light. Imagine if his disciples were actually seen gaining people’s trust or if people in GotG would actually casually mention “oh Thanos will fix this, I heard he has a brilliant plan” or he tried to convince them that there was a huge famine coming. It would have been so frustrating to see people trust him because obviously everyone who reads the comics would know that Thanos is bad news and if we saw people actually trust him? maybe actually give him Infinity Stones to fix the universe because he’s the only one who can use them? Fucking rude.

Reveals :)

I guess I don’t have to tell tumblr who the first guy is but a quick rehash: In season finale of Sherlock, a guy who appears in one scene as the girlfriend of a colleague of Sherlock turns out to be Moriarty. 

And guess what? It absolutely doesn’t matter one single fucking bit that Moriarty is the lab guy. And the big reveal doesn’t matter because we’re not given any of the clues. He might as well have been the mailman. Now, the Man In Black from Westworld however? That was a huge reveal. (Major spoilers if you haven’t watched it but I’m keeping it vague). We saw the Man In Black commit the worst crimes imaginable throughout the first season of the show, he killed hundreds of people without remorse. And in his defence, we thought that he thought it was all a robot theme park. Except? We find out that he’s actually the older version of one of the main-characters who absolutely saw robots as people once and evn protected them and loved one. This was both a horrifying reveal, an origin story and it made his crime even worse. That’s good villain-writing.

What does that have to do with Thanos? - Technique. Just how the reveal was written has a huge impact. Imagine if there had been no mention of Thanos at all until Infinity War - and the characters were actually forced to figure out who brought Loki to Earth, who supported Ronan, who attacked Asgard. Maybe you catch some glimpses of his disciples and maybe you get to hear the name of one of them at the very end or Loki even whispers “Thanos” in Thor’s ear before he dies and he as to figure out what that means. Make us work to get there. 

Relevance!

Now, they wanted a political villain, right? AHS Cult gave as a political villain who is absolutely detestable every step of the way. But the reason he was scary and interesting is because...it was relevant af. Every word he said, every political opinion he expressed, the way he staged attacks on him by migrant workers and spread fear in his community - that rings very close to home right now. I  can get why someone would say you can’t do the same in a Marvel film, but Sci-Fi has always been a projection screen for political subjects for decades now. Star Trek has been doing it since the 1960s and if they had actually committed to making Thanos allude to actual political slogans of today, he would have been way more relevant.

Dynamics (aka how to make someone likeable without condoning their actions)

On my main, I made a post once about Loki and Magneto and how having, forming and developing relationships helps to flesh out a character. In short: We learn to understand them. We see them grow. We see (ideally) how they learn from encounters and how it shapes them. Now we are entering the realm of likeable again with Azula, because what made her a brilliant villain was not her brilliance or her abilities (they made her a great opponent though) but her motivations. The more we see her family, the more we learn that she, too, is a victim of a dysfunctional family. She allows a whole new perspective on the royal family. That scene where she tells Ozai that he ‘can’t treat her like Zuko’? - those were ten fucking books written in one line. Her descent into paranoia basically rewrote every scene of her in the past and is also a reminder that she’s 15 and yes, of course, she’s a victim. She’s a child fighting in a war.

How many meaningful relationships does Thanos have? He’s quite fond of Gamora I guess? Less fond of Nebula? There was an embarrassing attempt to create a connection between him Tony. Now, remember that in the comics, Thanos is someone driven by love. He loves death - that’s the relationship that drives him. It’s important that there is a face to everything. Show me Thanos family, show me his homeworld. Show me his previous desperate attempts to save the people he loved and how he was held back and driven to more and more desperate measures. Show me how he finally gives in and wants to destroy everything.

“show don’t tell”

I’m going to argue for a Thanos solo movie now :)      (kinda) 

Okay I feel kinda compelled to put David in this when I’m already posting this on my rp blog but also a) I love him and b) shut up. short summary: David was created an android that is programmed to serve humans. He grows to resent them more and more, especially because many of them are petty and abusive towards him until in the second film, he just wants them dead.  Now in his first scenes of Prometheus, we see him alone on the ship while the human crew is in cryosleep. We see him eat, play basketball, ride a bicycle, watch people’s dreams. He also watches Lawrence of Arabia while dying his hair to look like him and quotes the above sentence several times just before the rest of the crew wakes up. 

It’s a tiny sequence in the film but we learn various things about David: He’s vain, he does things he - as a robot - doesn’t have to do, he identifies strongly with a man torn between two cultures, he has a lot of fun when he’s alone, he habitually spies on people, he is feeling pain in some capacity and he associates it with humans. We learn all of that in those few tiny moments.

compare all of what we learnt in this short sequence to what we know about Thanos. After seeing him in...I think three films by now? And having people talk about him in even more? With literally every character I listed now (excluding Moriarty bc he’s a negative example) we know what drove them to do what they did. We know their pain. We know them.  Even if the things they are cruel because here it comes:

They are a Story.

And Thanos is a plot device.

or to quote fellow tumblr user hackedmotionsensors:  I’ve never liked Thanos because hes like a video game villain. Like he’s the annoying equivalent of finding the final boss in a FF game and its just a giant head or something stupid.

[fullofspiders]

What's your favourite interpretation of Joker and why? ( and ivy if you wanna )

I got a couple!  For obvious reasons, I will not mention any of Mark Hamill’s takes or Heath Ledger’s, because both of them are a given.  They’re favorites of mine but there isn’t anything I can say about either that hasn’t already been said.

The Dark Knight Returns

Probably my all-time favorite Joker.  I’ve always loved TDKR’s take on Joker, and while Miller’s other ventures into writing him haven’t been…  great to say the least, I like what he did with him in this book.  His mannerisms, the way he talks, his look, I just really like it!

This quote in particular is another part of what does it for me because it sums up Joker and Batman’s whole schtick really well 

“They could put me in a helicopter and fly me up into the air and line up the bodies head to toe on the ground in delightful geometric patterns like an endless June Taylor dance routine — and it would never be enough. No, I don’t keep count. But you do. And I love you for it.”

Their final fight in the Tunnel of Love, ending with Joker being disappointed in Batman for not going through with killing him and breaking his own neck to frame him for murder is one of those holy shit moments, y’know?  I feel like this and Ledger’s take are about as dark as you should get with the character, they’re the measuring sticks for darkness.

It’s part of the reason I was initially excited about Suicide Squad, because supposedly Joker was going to be portrayed very in line with this guy here, but…  well, that clearly wasn’t the case in any way shape or form lmao 

Telltale Batman

This is a more recent one.  I didn’t know what to expect from Telltale in how they’d handle Joker since his small part in Season One didn’t shed a lot of light on him, deliberately so as to build up anticipation for his appearance in Season Two, and they seriously did one of my favorite takes on Joker.

John Doe is unique because the troubles and difficulties he suffers are very real, like, he feels more like a fully fleshed out character than a lot of takes.  He actually feels like somebody who struggles with mental illness, and the fact that his fall to villainy can be a direct result of Bruce’s own manipulation and treatment makes the dynamic between them that much more personal.

Plus, I love that in the Vigilante route, there’s still hope for him?  Bruce isn’t gonna give up on him.  I really like that.

Lego Batman

He’s friggin adorable, just look at him 

Gotham

I can’t heap enough praise on Cameron Monagan for playing two incredibly distinct flavors of Joker in the fairly limited time he’s had on Gotham (only a few episodes a season, really)

I love both Jerome and Jeremiah, Jerome for being an actually good take on a more modern ‘unhinged’ Joker and Jeremiah for the more classic vintage flavor, as well as being the closest thing to an ideal TDKR inspired Joker that I always wanted to see.

He’s just super good.

As for Ivy, she’s been written so inconsistently over the years that it’s hard to nail down a few particular takes on her, especially in more modern times where she’s either a satellite love interest or bafflingly being written as an anti-hero instead of a villain.

Overall though, I’d say that Paul Dini handles her the best, at least from what I’ve read.  The issues of Gotham City Sirens that he’s written features her written well, keeping her a villain, and having the attitude I’d expect from someone who’s a super huge misanthrope.  She’s rude, short-tempered, acts like everyone around her is trash, and you get an idea that beneath it all there’s someone more vulnerable there who’s lonely but just can’t let anyone close?  And that’s how her temperament should be as opposed to…  whatever they’re doing in more modern comics.

This includes her appearance in BTAS by extension since he was a part of that as well.

I also liked, for the most part, how she was done in the Arkham games, especially Arkham Knight.

At the end of the day however, I do find her more interesting in concept and potential than in actual practice for the most part.  She’s handled so poorly and inconsistently that it’s easier to find examples of interpretations that I hate than I like, which sucks because when she’s done well she’s pretty cool and interesting.

[aion-rsa]

Why Training Day’s King Kong Speech Is One of the Best Movie Monologues Ever

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Training Day’s “King Kong” monologue stands tall among the great speeches of cinema. Denzel Washington elevates the iambic pentameter of Iago, the villain of William Shakespeare’s Othello, to syncopated street rhythms. It is on par with Marlon Brando’s reflections on the horrors of war as Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, it is the inverse of Gregory Peck’s monologues as Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, and it ranks with Joe Pesci’s “Do you think I’m funny?” scene in Goodfellas or Groucho Marx’s breakdown in the middle of reconciliation in Duck Soup. But the single line of dialogue which hits it home wasn’t in David Ayer’s screenplay. It was pure Denzel.

“King Kong ain’t got shit on me,” LAPD Det. Sgt. Alonzo Harris declares in the most memorable scene in Training Day. Washington improvised the line in the heat of the moment. He’d earlier improvised a scene where he rubbed two handguns together as a threat. This is expert foreshadowing to the character breakdown, allowing Washington to evoke Humphrey Bogart’s Capt. Queeg, who fiddled with ball-bearings under cross-examination in The Caine Mutiny.

Before this moment, Alonzo had an iron grip over the neighborhood he patrols. He hassled out-of-towners for free weed, smokes, and pipes, and had his breakfast tabs paid with cash to table. And in this scene, he’s just made a lifesaving score and some “disloyal bitch-ass fool” gang member shuts him down, siding with a white rookie cop.

Alonzo put 13 years into this job, and he’s got a total of 15,000 man years in sentences under his belt. Yet he’s also been marked for death by the Russian mob and time is running out when he invokes Hollywood’s giant ape. Washington wears these contradictions on his face, playing Alonzo like he’s been both ordained and earned his exalted position. He throws down challenges, pulls emotional punches, and keeps the other actors tightly involved in the scene.

Not all of Washington’s dynamics are limited to the craft of acting. Some of Alonzo’s lines come across like a Tom Morello guitar run in a Rage Against the Machine song. Denzel drives beautiful dissonances without a blue note. And he does the whole thing two feet from an imposing Terry Crews, who stands there like a giant Marshall amp ready to knock him off his feet.

The monologue is more than engaging, it is arresting. And it ends in an unexpected place, certainly not foreseen by the audience or the players when it begins. Alonzo is shouting for his life here. The stakes of “go to jail or go home” are just the opening ante of the cop’s wager of controlling his neighbors. And after the rousing wakeup call ends, the crowd’s reaction recalls the conclusion of Bruce Springsteen’s street anthem “Jungleland,” which reads “and they wind up wounded, not even dead.”

Training Day tells the story of a veteran police detective, undercover cop Alonzo, who babysits rookie narc cop Jake, played by Ethan Hawke, through his first day on the street. The role of Alonzo was the first villain Washington ever played. The actor had an onscreen reputation as an authentic hero. All his characters, even Pfc. Peterson in A Soldier’s Story, who shot a black sergeant and left him on the side of the road, had a code. There is a set of ethics and morals which the character stuck to, even in the face of a murder confession. By the ‘90s, Washington was a renowned role model in cinema.

For most of Training Day, he uses this reputation to his advantage. Denzel puts on his good guy voice and most charismatic smile, and Alonzo’s side glances are invitations. He’s got all the answers and knows how to impart wisdom. Even if you don’t want to hear it.

But it’s a beautiful ruse, and Washington has a ball playing the villain. Alonzo is a demon in a 1978 Monte Carlo lowrider. The devil’s got gold chains, black leather, and a badge. The road to hell is greased with bad intent. Alonzo doesn’t need a siren. He can stop traffic with a stare. He bends the law until it breaks, and is the guy you call to put in the fix. He rousts citizens for the cardio. Alonzo messes with people’s heads as a passing thought.

Meanwhile, Jake thinks the narco beat will put him on the fast track to detective grade. Alonzo is evaluating Jake to see if he’s got what it takes, and if he’ll take what he can get.

The grooming starts slowly. A couple of pulls on a marijuana pipe and a visit to an ex-cop whose pouring drinks for on-duty badges. Corruption is a slow process, especially with a hardheaded idealist. When Jake’s one “bad boy” story ends with an admission that he didn’t have sex with his “fine” training officer after a year in park because he’s “got a wife,” Denzel shoots back with “You got a dick.” And when Jake later confirms he’s not cool with killing and robbing drug dealers, his fate is sealed in Alonzo’s eyes: off-screen the older cop arranges it with a Mexican gang so Jake can take the fall.

Alonzo is on a deadline. He beat the wrong guy to death on a trip to Las Vegas, and the Russian mafia wants $1 million by the end of that day in payback. Alonzo had that money in a bag before Jake crashed in on his getaway, shooting him in the ass and leaving him stalled at the scene, which probably got Washington his Oscar.

Read more

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Training Day is filled with memorable sequences: Snoop Dogg’s arrest is pure slapstick tragedy; Macy Gray sounds absolutely unearthly; who doesn’t have the urge to get high with Alonzo after watching him take the wheel so’s not to kill Jake’s buzz? But Alonzo kills it good when his life’s on the line.

When the gang leader Bone (Cle Sloan) sides with Jake during the film’s climactic moment, letting the rookie split with the cash he’ll use as evidence to bust Alonzo, it is a cultural divide. The white cop dissociates not only from the bad cop and from the Black community, but turns Alonzo’s defining declaration into some kind of psychotic breakdown. It is street legal, common sense on the block, now diluted for mass consumption. Alonzo is not wrong about anything except his partner. The motherfucker who just shot him in the ass.

Part of the reason the scene is so effective is because of the energy of where it was shot. Producers were warned the Imperial Courts housing project in Watts was too dangerous for production, but the neighborhood community wanted the film to be made. And they wanted it to be honest. Director Antoine Fuqua shot there anyway and cast neighborhood residents as extras or in small roles. It was the first time LA gangs allowed filmmaking on their turf, and Cle Shaheed Sloan, a former member of the Bloods who was the gang technical advisor, got cameos from real-life gang members, according to Fuqua on the DVD.

Washington is performing street theater in the round during his big speech, and he’s playing it to the most appreciative audience in the world. People are getting paid to be themselves and show their pain. It works like a chorus and it amplifies the tension. Alonzo is a tiger caught by the tail but with a lot of bite. To catch a wolf, you have to be a wolf, the narc cop believes. Spittle flies onto the pavement as Denzel forges himself into the eighth wonder of the world.

King Kong was the king of the jungle but met his death on city streets. “I run this place, you just live here,” Alonzo affirms with more truth than power allows. Undercover cops control the very concrete on the blocks they rule. Gangbangers operate at his discretion, with 23-hour lockdowns at Pelican Bay state prison as the collateral held against them. When the community turns away, it is both enfranchising and heartbreaking. The king is in exile but nothing will change. Alonzo knows this as he smokes his last cigarette. Someone else is coming in to take his place, and they will never be able to achieve what he believes he did, and only he can do. He goes out believing, affirming, and convinced he is winning. Redemption doesn’t even enter his mind. Washington saves his most diabolical laugh for himself. The wolf has been sheared.

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It isn’t beauty which kills this beast, but a lethal dose of vanity. Alonzo may very well have been able to go a few rounds against the champion of Skull Island only hours before this moment. But sadly, afterward, this Los Angeles King Kong became no match for the Russian mafia. 

The post Why Training Day’s King Kong Speech Is One of the Best Movie Monologues Ever appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[the-desolated-quill]

Why Kilgrave Is The Best Villain In The Entire MCU (And Why He Should NOT Return For Jessica Jones Season 2) - Quill’s Scribbles

I don’t always complain about Marvel you know. Occasionally I say nice things too.

As we come to the end of what is for all intents and purposes Phase 1 of the Marvel Netflix Defenders... stuff, the response has been largely positive. Okay Daredevil Season 2 was a bit messy and the less said about Iron Fist the better, but overall I’d say that the Defenders... collection (what the fuck are we supposed to call these?) was quite successful. As well as being darker and more adult than the big budget Marvel movies, one of the primary reasons these TV shows stood out was the villains. Usually considered the bane of the MCU due to lack of development and formulaic writing, here the baddies were a revelation. They were given depth and complexity, as well as interesting dynamics and relationships with their respective protagonists that often went beyond the usual good vs evil tropes we’d normally expect from superhero media. I’m sure we all have our favourites. There’s Kingpin of course. Cottonmouth. Madame Gao. But for me the leader of the pack has to be Kilgrave.

Kilgrave has got to be the best antagonist ever to come out of the collective MCU, not just because of David Tennant’s performance and the stellar writing behind him, but also because of what he represents.

Let’s start with the whole mind control thing. In the comics, Kilgrave (or the Purple Man as he’s known) mostly used his mind control powers to create an army of slaves and minions for nefarious purposes. A tad obvious and not very inspired. The Alias comics, which Jessica Jones is based on, tried to expand on this, but still painted the Purple Man and his abilities with very broad strokes, turning Jessica Jones into a bodyguard and implied sex slave because... he’s the villain I guess. The Jessica Jones TV show, on the other hand, goes deeper into it, exploring what drives Kilgrave and how having the power of mind control would affect his character and morality.

The clever thing about it is even though Kilgrave does some truly horrible things in the show, his mind control powers still feel very enticing. I’m sure we’d all secretly want Kilgrave’s powers, maybe to talk our way out of a parking ticket or to get rid of someone really annoying. But as awesome as mind control is, it can also be very dangerous. Not only is there the question of removing someone’s free will, but there’s also other psychological implications. The episode AKA WWJD explores those implications as Jessica tries to convince Kilgrave to use his powers for good. There’s no denying that mind control is a powerful force that could do a lot of good in the right hands, but it becomes abundantly clear that Kilgrave is incapable of doing it, as indeed everyone would be incapable of doing it due to just how enticing and intoxicating the power of mind control would be. 

Kilgrave makes a big song and dance about wanting to turn over a new leaf, but the truth is he has no compelling reason to. I honestly believe him when he says that it’s difficult for him to know for sure if someone is genuinely giving consent, but the fact is his life is just easier when he uses mind control. Why bother persuading someone to do what he wants when he can just command them to do it? Kilgrave is a repulsive human being, but the fact is his life is just better because of his powers. He doesn’t have to wait for other people to give consent or play by our rules. He can just do whatever he wants whenever he wants. That’s why his powers are so enticing. Mind control allows Kilgrave to bypass all those inconveniences like morality and the rights of other people, but the cost is that by doing so he became an amoral sociopath. I’m sure we’d all say that if we had mind control we’d be better than Kilgrave, but that’s easier said than done. Once you’re able to cross that moral line with no consequence, there’d be nothing to stop you from going all the way. That’s part of what makes Kilgrave so scary. We recognise what a vile, disgusting and selfish individual he is, but we also secretly recognise that, in his shoes, we’d be no better than him.

The other reason of course why Kigrave is such an effective villain is because he is in many ways a distillation of the many things women have had to endure in this patriarchal society. Kilgrave is the very embodiment of male entitlement. He believes that people, particularly women and especially Jessica, owe him something. Control is a major theme of the show. Jessica’s fight to reclaim control over her own life after the abuse she endured from Kilgrave, as well as  Kilgrave’s ability to control others. He claims to be in love with Jessica, but the truth is he’s obsessed, and the reason he’s obsessed is because Jessica is the only one that managed to escape from him. After years of being able to control other people and get anything he wants with little to no effort, he no longer views people as people. Rather as tools for him to exploit. And he doesn’t respect or even comprehend people’s boundaries. The sad truth is there are loads of women out there who have met men like that. While Kilgrave takes it to its logical extreme, the premise isn’t so farfetched. There are men out there who do objectify women, merely viewing them as slot machines that you keep putting money in until you win the jackpot, as it were, and completely disrespecting their views and boundaries. I think that’s why this show has struck a chord with female audiences in particular because they can recognise the struggles Jessica is going through. Kilgrave is uncomfortable to watch because the idea of him hits very close to home. Even in the most progressive and feminist of men, there is a little bit of Kilgrave in all of them.

Kilgrave is such a dark, fascinating and downright disturbing character both in the context of the show and because of the real world parallels you can draw from him. So you’d think I’d be all in favour of him potentially returning for Jessica Jones Season 2. If only that were so.

For those who don’t know, photos were released from the set of Jessica Jones showing David Tennant on set with Krysten Ritter, suggesting Kilgrave will be returning from the dead. Some claim he may just appear in flashback or dream sequences, but there are photos of him interacting with Malcolm as well, which suggests he may well be alive. Nothing is certain of course. Maybe he’ll only be in a couple of episodes. Maybe he’ll be the main villain of Season 2. i don’t know. Either way, i honestly think it’s a mistake bringing him back. To explain why, I need to briefly discuss another favourite of mine. Loki.

I’ve made it no secret how much I enjoyed the first Thor movie, and Loki was definitely the highlight for me. A complex, intricately written character who reminded me a lot of Edmund from Shakespeare’s King Lear. A man who was clearly better suited to rule the kingdom than Thor, but is unable to ascend the throne due to the fact that he’s an illegitimate son. In the first Thor movie, Loki was a villain not by choice, but by circumstance. Loki would make a great king, but the only way he could possibly get to be king is through treachery and subterfuge, and by doing so he grows more and more corrupt until by the end he wouldn’t be fit to run a supermarket, let alone a kingdom. He’s a classic archetype, written with care and attention to detail and performed expertly by Tom Hiddleston. However problems started to emerge when Marvel kept bringing him back for repeat appearances. With each appearance, it seemed as though Loki was bering painted with broader and broader strokes, removing all the complexity and intricacy that made him so interesting to begin with until he became just the bog standard muhahaha villain we’ve come to expect from the MCU.

I’m worried the same thing could happen to Kilgrave. There’s a reason why most superhero movies kill off the villains after their initial appearance. To avoid the law of diminishing returns. Even before Heath Ledger’s tragic passing, Christopher Nolan had no intention of bringing the Joker back as the main villain for The Dark Knight Rises because he had already explored everything he wanted with that character. The problem with characters like Loki and Kilgrave is that they are effectively one trick ponies. Once you’ve explored Loki’s resentment and jealousy of Thor, his frustration at Odin and Asgardian society and his desire for power slowly turning into an insatiable lust for it, what else is there left to do? His story is basically done now. Why bring him back? All they do is just run the risk of repeating themselves and the nuance is no longer there as a result of the filmmakers desperately looking for something to do with Loki. Kilgrave has that same risk. The mind control stuff was scary and interesting and thought provoking, but we’ve pretty much seen everything we need to see and there’s nothing left really to explore. So why bring him back?

There’s also another problem with bringing Kilgrave back and that applies to Jessica herself. With sequels, filmmakers often struggle to find the right balance between retaining what people loved about the original and finding new, creative ways of moving the story forward. By bringing Kilgrave back, I fear that Jessica’s story is going to be stuck in amber. The first season focused on Jessica’s abuse. Logically the second season should focus on Jessica’s recovery. See her try to get back on her feet and perhaps fully address her alcohol addiction. Jessica should be moving forwards now, but by bringing Kilgrave back, there’s the risk that the story could end up going backwards instead. While an effective villain in the first season, he could actually serve as a detriment to the second because the show has exhausted all creative avenues with him at this point, plus there’s just no reason to bring him back after the first season wrapped his reign of terror up quite nicely, just like the first Thor movie did with Loki.

Kilgrave is the best villain in the MCU ,and that’s precisely why I don’t want to see him again. His story had a proper beginning, middle and end. Jessica’s has only just begun. Let’s look toward her future rather than continue to dwell in the past.

[tea-and-cardigans]

Six Movies I’ll Always Watch

I was tagged by the amazing talented and supportive @dreamersshouldknowbetter thanks for tagging me and sorry it has taken me so long to respond.

1. Some Kind Of Wonderful

I could have really just made a complete list of 80′s movies that I will always watch because I am obsessed but I kept it together and just put one of my favourites on here (The Breakfast Club was a very close second). I love the humour, the music, the slow burn, the sexual tension THAT KISS THO’!! and to be honest Eric Stoltz.

2. Inception

I love Inception so, so much. When this was in the cinema I saw it 6 times, one in Imax, I was a little obsessed... The characters are all wonderful, the acting is superb and one of the best ensembles and the effects are beautiful. The fight scene between Arthur and the Projections in zero gravity while they fall in the van is my favourite part. And Eames is an absolute delight! As to whether it is a dream in the end or not I think if you have to spin a top to see if what is around you is real or not, does it matter?

3. Shaft

Shaft is my guilty pleasure movie. When I just want to switch off and not think for a while I watch Shaft. I think it is the over the top dialogue and acting and Shaft just raining down on his enemies. And Christian Bale as the bad guy. Yep, guilty pleasure.

4. Red Eye

I am not one for scary movies. I was a little worried about seeing Red Eye in case it was too scary for me (I’m a complete wuss). But thankfully it was more psychological thriller than horror. I enjoy the dynamic between Rachel Mc Adams and Cillian Murphy and he makes a really good bad guy. Like seriously creepy.

5. Stardust

I love fantasy films from the 80s, Legend, Ladyhawke, Labyrinth, Willow. I feel that Stardust captures some of that nostalgia for me in a new way. The characters are all so good, it’s funny and the romance seriously makes me swoon every time. If I’m having a bad day or I’m sick I’ll be watching some Stardust to cheer me up.

6. The Dark Knight

Batman is my favourite superhero, hands down. Ever since watching Batman The Animated Series as a child I was pretty obsessed with Batman. When I then watched the films I was a little disappointed, this may be a controversial opinion but Michael Keaton was just not Batman to me and I felt that the animated series was much stronger. Then came the God that is Christopher Nolan and he created Batman Begins which was amazing. Christian Bale was MY Batman, without a doubt. I love all the films in the trilogy but my favourite is The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger as the Joker was so, so good and the interplay between the two was everything that I wanted it to be. AND they got rid of Katie Holmes! Good choices.

Now I think quite a few people have already been tagged so sorry if I have tagged you again but I tag @gabsjellybean @cooperjones2020 @bugheadotp @bugheadjones-the-third @raptorlily @sweaters-and-crowns

[gta-5-cheats]

Jessica Jones Is a Lot Less Special in Season 2

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Jessica Jones Is a Lot Less Special in Season 2

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Midway through The Dark Knight, when Batman (Christian Bale) sits opposite the Joker (Heath Ledger) in the interrogation room and asks why he wants him dead, the film lays bare the hero-nemesis relationship in a select few lines. “I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you?,” the Joker replies, after laughing in his usual manic style. He then adds: “You complete me.” It’s as direct as Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece gets, telling us that without a worthwhile opposition to the protagonist – and vice versa – there’s no story. It’s the same everywhere: Lex Luthor to Superman, Voldemort to Harry Potter, and even Newman to Seinfeld, to an extent.

For the debut season of Jessica Jones, which released November 2015, the mind-control villain Kilgrave (David Tennant) was the perfect archenemy for our super-powered alcoholic private investigator (Krysten Ritter), who had spent years under his influence, having been kidnapped, assaulted and raped to become Kilgrave’s forced muse, which had resulted in severe PTSD even after she escaped from his clutches. Jessica spent a majority of the first season trying to vanquish him, and when that happened, the show stumbled and lost much of its momentum. Jessica Jones dragged on a plotline longer than necessary, as do most Marvel shows, but when she snapped his neck in the season finale, there was no question that it was going to be hard for creator Melissa Rosenberg to find a more compelling villain.

Unfortunately, the task does prove a hill too steep for Jessica Jones, which returns with a second season on Netflix this Thursday, March 8. With Kilgrave out of her life, Jessica is now free to move forward with her life – the new season completely ignores that The Defenders miniseries happened in between, and doesn’t refer to it at all – and Rosenberg uses that opportunity to explore her tragic past, aka how she came to be super. In short, Jessica Jones season 2 is her origin story in some ways, as she tries to dig into what happened to her and her family, against her early wishes but egged on by her adoptive sister, best friend and radio host Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), driven by her hunt for ratings.

Jessica Jones, Annihilation, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and More on Netflix This March

The absence of a scene-stealing antagonist in the early going – Netflix provided critics access to the first five episodes out of the total 13 – means there’s more time for Jessica’s plotline, and more room even for the supporting cast for Jessica Jones: her neighbour and now co-worker at Alias Investigations, Malcolm Ducasse (Eka Darville), who struggled with drug addiction in the first season; the attorney Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), for whom Jessica worked pro bono; and new cast members Oscar (J.R. Ramirez), the new superintendent where Jessica lives; and Griffin Sinclair (Hal Ozsan), a celebrated English journalist and Trish’s new boyfriend.

But more time and room isn’t always a good thing, as Jessica Jones season 2 makes clear. Jessica’s origin story involves a mysterious organisation called the IGH, who performed experiments on her after she was involved in a car crash with her family. Faceless villains can make for boring television, and that’s exactly what happens here. The show also ends up being too much of a slow burn; most if not all plot lines could progress at easily double the speed, and it’s fairly obvious that yet another Marvel show is suffering from the problem of bloat.

Add to that the fact that the supporting cast just isn’t interesting enough to warrant additional focus. Trish is struggling to keep her radio show afloat, and we get a further peek into her fractured relationship with her controlling mother, Dorothy Walker (Rebecca De Mornay). She feels stagnant in her career, and wants to be like Griffin, not necessarily be with him. Her boyfriend has seen war zones in his reporting, but he feels left behind in the IGH investigation, and the show hints at some darker leanings. Hogarth’s troubles come from an illness she has no control over, which feels similar to Alexandra’s (Sigourney Weaver) arc from The Defenders, except she isn’t thousands of years old, or actively evil.

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Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth in a still from Jessica Jones season 2 Photo Credit: David Giesbrecht/Netflix

The Defenders Is Avengers on TV, With the Usual Marvel Flaws

Oscar is a single father fighting a custody battle for a son (Kevin Chacon) he loves the most, and wants nothing to do with Jessica in the early going, since he just left prison a while ago. Across the early episodes, Jessica Jones slowly moulds him into a possible romantic interest with a couple of interesting the-family-she-never-had flourishes, but poor and lazy writing doesn’t escape him either: Oscar’s career choice ends up being a convenient way to help Jessica in a subplot. Malcolm is the best served of the lot, relatively, as he goes from being that annoying neighbour who wouldn’t leave Jessica’s apartment to becoming someone she can actively rely on for investigate work.

Jessica, meanwhile, is still trying her best to ignore everyone and be content with a bottle. Forced to confront the overwhelming sadness of losing her family thanks to Trish, she starts looking into the experiments undertaken by IGH, in a bid to find someone to blame for her situation. When a new unnamed character (Janet McTeer) finally puts a face to her investigations into IGH, and tells her that she was brought back from the dead, Jessica spats back that they should have let her die. “I had no one,” she adds on the verge of tears, a rare vulnearable moment for Jessica, and wonderfully portrayed by Ritter.

That line can in essence be the driving force for the female characters of Jessica Jones season 2. If the first season was about women trying to fight off powerful men, and asserting their own agency, the second season finds the Marvel women – Jessica, Trish, Hogarth, and McTeer’s new character – alone by themselves, having nowhere to turn to. There are still tangential men-related issues: Jessica is being chased by a rival PI called Price Chang (Terry Chen), who gets more than he bargains for; Trish confronts her childhood abuser and director Max (James McCaffrey); and Hogarth is being pushed out of her firm by her partners owing to a medical disclosure.

Eka Darville as Malcolm, and Rachael Taylor as Trish in a still from Jessica Jones season 2 Photo Credit: David Giesbrecht/Netflix

But the show’s writers, led by Rosenberg, fail to make much of it interesting. The insistence by Marvel TV on making 13 episodes for its solo series, structuring it into three acts, and visualising the season as one long 13-hour movie has hindered more Netflix shows than it has helped. But where the likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage were strong initially and then suffered in the second half of the season, the sophomore year of Jessica Jones ends up crawling out of the gates, like The Defenders.

Returning after a gap of over two years, there were naturally high expectations from the return of Jessica Jones, whose debut remains the best Netflix-Marvel has offered until now. It’s a shame then that the second season starts on such a disappointing start, meandering in its first five hours rather than punching straight through like its title protagonist. Things may well pick up in the remaining eight – Tennant is confirmed to briefly appear as Kilgrave late in the season, reigniting the crucial hero-nemesis dynamic – but by then, it might be a case of too little, too late.

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'Black Panther' Review: Marvel's First Black Superhero Movie Is More Than Just Lit

The hashtag #BlackPantherSoLIT started trending in March of 2016 -- nearly two years before Black Panther would arrive in theaters. Each casting announcement, teaser and trailer was heavily scrutinized as fans searched for clues about Wakanda – all of which were shrouded in secrecy, because, truly, everything about this movie is a spoiler. Black Panther smashed records for advanced ticket sales -- even Lupita Nyong’o, who is in the cast, couldn’t get a ticket for opening night. It’s pretty safe to say that people are geeked on Black Panther! Now, the big question: Can the movie possibly live up to all that hype?

Simple answer: Yes -- and then some.

Since the first footage of Black Panther debuted, each glimpse has been more spectacular than the last, from the incredible costumes to the awe-inspiring special effects. But when the audience gets their first look at the secretive, Afrofuturistic country of Wakanda in the film, it is truly breathtaking, with stunning aerial views of waterfalls and lush trees and hills. "This never gets old," T'Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) says of the view. And it sure doesn't. The entire film is inexpressibly beautiful, both in the scenic visuals and the parade of beautiful black faces.

Black Panther picks up shortly after the events of Captain America: Civil War, with T’Challa mourning the loss of his father (who was killed during Civil War) and adjusting to what it means to be both a superhero and King of Wakanda while facing threats from the outside world. Boseman takes up the mantle and is in fine form as the title character, a feat that is not surprising considering he’s played so many real life black superheroes -- James Brown, Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall -- but he is not charged with carrying the film.

In fact, it’s the supporting characters that give the movie its color, especially the badass women of Wakanda, led by Nakia, Okoye and Shuri (Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira and Letitia White, respectively). Princess Shuri -- yes, we've got a new Disney Princess, y'all -- is a 16-year-old tech genius, who is equal parts sassy and smart and is responsible for Wakanda's technological advancements and weapons development. Essentially, Shuri is the Q to T'Challa's James Bond and it's a delight to witness their playful brother-sister dynamic. Nyong'o's Nakia is a war dog (Wakanda's version of a spy), torn between love for her work, love for her country and her feelings for its new king. Quite thankfully, Nakia is more than just T'Challa's love interest, though. She is a strong and capable warrior, and Nyong'o really seizes that opportunity to make her a fully-realized character.

On T'Challa's other side is Okoye, played by The Walking Dead's Gurira. While Nakia is a bit of a rebel, Okoye is a firm traditionalist and the two women have an especially poignant scene in the film in which they argue over what loyalty really means. (Yes, Black Panther passes the Bechdel Test.) Okoye is head of the Dora Milaje, the King of Wakanda's all-female task force of warrior bodyguards. While Okoye's bald head and attitude may recall Grace Jones, this woman is one of a kind. What Gurira can do with a snap of her eyes, a toss of a wig or a cutting comment is incredible, but it's her fighting that is truly unparalleled. At times, she is fighting so quickly, it looks like she is moving in fast-forward. All hail Okoye, the Queen of Side Eye!

Marvel Studios

Created in the late '60s by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character of Black Panther has a long road to the screen. In the decades it took for Black Panther to make it to the screen, Marvel reportedly approached a number of prominent directors about helming the film -- including John Singleton (Boyz in the Hood), F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton, Fate of the Furious) and Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle in Time) -- before finally landing on Ryan Coogler. As a show of respect and likely curiosity, all three directors were in attendance to see what the 31-year-old visionary had in store at the film’s world premiere and participated in the standing ovation the director received before a single frame appeared on the screen.

Watching the movie, it's clear why Coogler was the right fit to direct. Coogler is able to masterfully balance the action with humor, the comic book icon with the black touchstone, futurism and cultural relevance. He knows what he wants to say with the film and knows what a big opportunity this is to say it, especially for a black filmmaker. Early on in the film, T’Challa is told that he's a "good man with a good heart and it’s hard for a good man to be king" and is given the advice to surround himself with people he trusts. This rang true for Coogler, too, who enlisted a trusted team to take on this massive undertaking, from his usual composer, Ludwig Göransson, to his cinematographer, Oscar-nominated Rachel Morrison, to his frequent collaborator, Michael B. Jordan.

Fans were thrilled about a third collaboration between Coogler and the actor, after their success with 2013’s Fruitvale Station (which shed light on police brutality years before it became daily conversation) and 2015’s Rocky-spinoff, Creed. This time, instead of playing the hero, Jordan is taking on the role of the villain. It’s important to note that the greatest and most prevalent criticisms of Marvel films and superhero movies in general has been the strength (or lack thereof) of their bad guys. Often, the villains are one note, under-developed or simply ridiculous. Rest assured, Jordan’s Erik Killmonger is arguably the best antagonist the Marvel Cinematic Universe has offered up.

Killmonger is just as charismatic as Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, but has more easily accessible motivations that ultimately make the character relatable. So relatable, in fact, that many in the audience were brought to tears by the end. Tears for the villain. We’re not supposed to root for Killmonger -- whose name is literally taken from his expertise in killing --- but, because of Jordan, we do. Jordan rightly compares T'Challa and Killmonger to X-Men's Magneto and Professor X -- they are two men with the same goal, but vastly different methods. It may be a stretch to compare them to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the more militant Malcolm X, but it is also somewhat works. It is through Erik's eyes that we understand the larger social commentary of the most political Marvel film yet: Understanding that the world needs a change and oppressed people need our support to do it, but also asking how can that be done?

Jordan has said that Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight was an inspiration for his work here. "As an actor, you watch certain performances that motivate you and inspire," he told ET’s Nischelle Turner. "Heath’s performance as a villain was so captivating, I couldn't stop watching. And I was like man, okay, if I can get into that rare space of a character, where people empathize but still kind of understand [his motives], but still are taken aback by...it will all work out." And work out it does. Keep in mind Ledger won an Oscar for his performance as the Joker. Could Jordan follow suit?

Speaking of the Academy, I want to make a bold prediction: Black Panther could be the superhero movie to break into the Best Picture race at the Oscars. Stay with me here. The Dark Knight getting snubbed is one of the reasons we now have the potential for 10 Best Picture nominees each year, and audiences were very upset by this year's snub of Wonder Woman -- a film that became a cultural revelation last summer.

Between the cultural importance of this film, which features Marvel’s first black superhero, the push to legitimize superhero films as art, as well as recent snubs of black films like Straight Outta Compton in 2016, Black Panther very well could make waves with the Academy. Loganbroke through this year as the first superhero film to be recognized for a writing award (Best Adapted Screenplay), while Morrison made history as the first woman to be nominated for Best Cinematography. The cast also boasts two Oscar-winners (Nyong’o and Forest Whitaker) and another two nominees (Angela Bassett and the newly-minted Best Actor nominee, Daniel Kaluuya) -- not to mention the walking trophy case that is Sterling K. Brown. So, might we see a Best Adapted Screenplay nod for Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole in 2019? Another cinematography nomination for Morrison? Best Costume Design for Ruth E. Carter? Best Original Song for Kendrick Lamar and SZA's anthemic "All the Stars"? It feels like the visual effects categories are a given, but perhaps Best Supporting Actor recognition for Jordan? Best Director for Coogler? Best Picture for everyone?

All I'm saying is that things could get interesting come next year's awards season. For now, just be satisfied with the best the MCU has to offer. Wakanda forever!

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