How Shang-Chi, master of kung fu, knocked down stereotypes
The Marvel superhero originated in comics filled with racist tropes. The creators of the new film made a list of the preconceptions they were up against and set out to conquer them.
How 88rising crafted an evocative soundtrack for Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi’
The Asian arts collective worked closely with the director Destin Daniel Cretton to put its imprint on the anticipated movie.
Two new styles of samurai showdowns
SNK drops an unreleased Samurai Shodown game; Ghost of Tsushima brings feudal Japan to life; and Marvel’s Iron Man VR puts you right in the suit.
The upcoming month brings with it the "Marvel's Spider-Man" PS4 game and console release, an all-women SNK game and the expo for all gamers — Tokyo Game Show.
'Deadpool 2': A tad tame but still a ton of fun
Blame it on the Bat. For a brief period, Deadpool seemed like the most subversive player on the cinematic superhero circuit, deflating the genre's pretensions with a barrage of self-referential humor and fourth wall-breaking asides. But after last year's "The Lego Batman Movie," he's ...
'Avengers: Infinity War': Bold, bombastic and a bit of a bummer
This review contains discussion of plot points that may be seen as mild spoilers for "Avengers: Infinity War." So here it is: the "most ambitious crossover event in history," the grandest episode to date in cinema's most expensive soap opera — and, coming in the ...
Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth — all of them look like naturals when it comes to playing superheroes. Benedict Cumberbatch? Not as much. Though audiences love him as the new Sherlock Holmes, that iconic role has never been described as a superhero. The titular ...
'Doctor Strange': When seeing is not always believing
In case you're wondering if the entire superhero film genre is being monopolized by Marvel, it is my regrettable duty to tell you that it does look that way. There are no superhero free agents out there anymore, and if a lone wolf should ...
Tokyo Comic Con calls on Hollywood's big guns for star power
As we sit down for an interview, Tokyo Comic Convention Committee Chairman Mitsuaki Munegumi casually points to a glass case in the center of the room. "There's actually a real 'Star Wars' lightsaber in there," he says, and reaches over. He pulls out a hilt ...
Superhero films need to reach beyond the geeks
Where superhero movies are concerned, you should never trust a critic. When David Ayer's "Suicide Squad" opened to a barrage of negative press in the U.S. earlier this month, some fans responded by lashing out at film journalists online. One even launched a petition ...
'Deadpool': Shooting off at the mouth and at the hip
Living in Japan, you get accustomed to scrolling through a film's release dates on IMDb, only to discover that it's arriving here months behind the rest of the world. Such has been the case with "Deadpool," which opened everywhere from the U.S. to the ...
Hollywood takes its wisecracking hero seriously
The opening credits of "Deadpool" begin with the words "Some Douchebag's Film." Maybe it was because of this self-deprecation that overseas audiences found the film refreshing. Especially since in another recent superhero blockbuster, a billionaire vigilante pontificates on morality using the "one percent doctrine" ...
