In what might be my favorite game of the year, Spider-Man (2018) excelled in almost every way that a game can excel. It provided a satisfying combat system, impressed me with stellar writing quality, and introduced a traversal system so fun that it made their fast travel option redundant. Insomniac Games’s release stands at the zenith of video games, superhero stories, and the Spider-Man canon, and anyone who can play it definitely should.
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Is anyone else finding it strange that the silly, irreverent version of the superhero idea seems to be the best thing Marvel Entertainment (the one that used to be owned by Fox before Disney pulled a Galactus and just ate the company)? Probably not, because Logan was such a phenomenal hit, but it does speak to how well a superhero movie can perform when a creative team has an idea and sticks to it. Deadpool 2‘s idea was to sneak subtle messages about depression, grief, leading a purposeful life, and believing victims of abuse into a story with a character who pokes fun at Batman. It’s a good watch!
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The best of the Defenders quartet (quintet if you count the guy who worked best as a moral foil for Dardevil — I do not) returns for a second season, and the skill is clear on the screen. I was impressed by how the show cast its gaze upward and outward, seeing a system of exploitation rather than just one abusive man. It made the thematically interconnected stories all the more amusing to untangle, even when compared to its straightforward predecessor. Incredible acting, tense interpersonal drama, and a wildly talented team behind it all; Jessica Jones, Season 2 is powerful television.
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The year 2017, as politically ruinous as it has been and felt, offered some pretty excellent entertainment. Who knows? Maybe the impending collapse of American democracy gave the creative types the boost they needed to make meaningful contributions to cinema and culture. Whatever it takes to keep the quality high, I guess. I will just keep enjoying the output for as long as I can.
Again, I cannot see every movie that comes out; I can barely see 10% of the movies that come out, but the ones I did see have held up incredibly well in my mind throughout the year. We have some entirely original ideas, some continuations of massive franchises, and some dark horse productions that almost fell off the grid. 2017 reflected a quality and diversity of film that is rarely seen, and I am always welcome to be told what among that brilliance I have missed. Let me know what movies you loved!!
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Was it a great decision to put the narrative weight of an entire Marvel Netflix project on the back of the most sloppily made version of The Defenders’ premise? If you ask me, no. Not a bit. Thankfully, you don’t have to leave your home to watch Iron Fist (no doubt the series’s only saving grace). I am not sure it’s exactly as bad as some of the staunchest critics insist, but it’s still an unbelievable drop in quality compared to the previous three.
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My next Defender review is of the bulletproof black man defending Harlem from the crooks and schemers were would make that cultural hub a dangerous place to live. It starts to taper off in quality toward the end, but it is still a welcome installation in the overall project.
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The Defenders project in the Marvel TV Universe is a phenomenal output, but Jessica Jones has to be my favorite. Of all the qualities these series likes to flirt with (characters drama, social commentary, ultraviolence), this show ties everything together most effectively. It is a wonderful bit of television that should not be overlooked, even by people who may not like super heroes.
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The Marvel television project was just a really good idea. It added a darker flavor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while throwing some memorable characters our way, both good and bad. Daredevil continues to be a good series, but suffers slightly from its rush to build the world for subsequent series continuity. It loses focus on its individual identity, but not with any overwhelming detriment.
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While I’m sure the intention was not to stick their elbows too deep in the Deadpool (2016) pie, Spider-Man: Homecoming was, if nothing else, hilarious. Good thing it had more to offer than just good goofs.
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The Culture HUD 