Celebrate These Classic Big Screen Superheroes With The Power Rangers
15:39:00
Good Afternoon Lovelies,
With only a short while to go until the Power Rangers comes
out on DVD, digitally and on Blu-ray, I thought we should celebrate some of the
ground-breaking superheroes to make it onto the big screen.
From Marvel to Lionsgate, the world of superheroes has been
one that people have long been interested in and these characters are the ones
that stand out the most. I will admit lovelies that I did not write this post,
because I think the writers deserve the credit, but I hope you still enjoy it.
Saban’s 2017
Power Rangers re-boot proudly has the teen-heroes
fight representation as well as evil. Directed by Dean Israelite, the film is a
fresh take for the five friends, and sees some important changes to the team. In
a bold yet progressive move, the yellow Ranger became the first gay big-screen
superhero. Though the moment that sees Trini discovering her sexuality is
small, it is pivotal; a step in the right direction for minority representation
in film. Equally ground-breaking is the change to blue Ranger, Billy, who is on
the autistic scale. In an interview with Teen
Vogue, Israelite stated how important it was to make the film feel diverse:
“Not just diverse in terms of ethnicity, but diverse in terms of representing
voices. We wanted to take a character like Billy and celebrate those
abilities.”
Power Rangers
has successfully pushed the
boundaries of its genre, advocating a message that encourages audience to own
who they are. Thankfully, recent superhero movies have seen a rise in their protagonists
breaking the mould too…
Wonder Woman
When DC put Israeli
actress, Gal Gadot, at the helm of a female-led super-hero flick as Wonder
Woman, they made headlines. It’s the first blockbuster solo female superhero
film in this era, and emotions in cinemas ran high because of its importance. Unsurprisingly,
the film was a huge box-office success, and saw a surge in female-empowerment
attitudes. For many, seeing women star in, and take control of big-scale action
sequences is a new experience; one which allowed for a large majority of
cinema-goers to see a fresh and invigorating representation not usually seen in
film. Wonder Woman is a fully realized character; a spectrum of emotions. Moreover,
the focus is not solely on her beautiful features and body-exemplifying suits.
It’s important that Wonder Woman has
the capacity to exhibit a lead-woman saving others and taking care of herself.
Deadpool
Deadpool is
the character who well and truly stuck a middle finger at the superhero clichés.
The R-rated, comedic anti-hero is completely aware he is a comic-book
character, and rinses the genre in his simple, low-budget solo movie that
smashed box-office records. Audiences loved it. In an era where superheroes are
spanning into galaxies with an almost endless supply of stories, Deadpool’s
film is short and sweet, with a self-contained beginning, middle, and end.
What’s more, he tells his own story,
breaking the fourth wall Ferris Beuller-style.
His witty quips and tongue-in-cheek fight sequences provide Deadpool with an ideal blend of action
with humour. The consistent laughs help balance out the darker points of the
film, which allows for Deadpool to
stand apart from the already crowded superhero market.
Daredevil
Matt Murdock
(aka Daredevil) pushes the boundaries of superhero ability in an extraordinary
way. Lawyer by day, but a hero by night, he turns his disability into his power,
adapting his blindness into a weapon. Without the use of his eyes, all his
other senses become hyper alert. Matt is
a humble, independent and determined character, who, having lost his sight as a
child, has accepted and altered his life accordingly. Daredevil is able to raise a huge amount of awareness to those
living with sight impairment, and encourages the strengthening of abilities,
rather than focusing on the limitations of disability.
Black Panther
Introduced
to the MCU off the back of Captain
America: Civil War, the upcoming Black
Panther movie is arguably the most important Marvel Studios film yet. The
plot sends T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, back home to take his father’s
place as King of Wakanda. Breaking away from the common Western stereotypes of
Africa, the fictional nation, rich in technology and culture, is a welcomed and
refreshing setting for a Hollywood blockbuster. The film will continue to break
ground by empowering femininity through Black Panther’s all-female team of
bodyguards. Whilst an additional layer of representation within these
characters could see comic-book LGBT character, Ayo, become Marvel’s first
explicitly gay big-screen character. The success of Black Panther, which is aptly due for release during the middle of
Black History Month, could advocate the need for more minority-led films, and
help crush the stigma that actors of colour aren’t bankable. The hype for this
superhero film is already at large, creating a huge opportunity for Marvel to
break down barriers.
Power Rangers
The original
Power Rangers TV show from the 90s was one of the first multi-ethnic superhero
teams and has continued to trail blaze in its diversity over 20 years later.
Introducing cinemagoers to the first big-screen LGBT superhero in yellow Ranger
Trini (Becky G), fans and critics admired the way that the reveal was smoothly
woven into dialogue rather than made into a big deal. Similarly, blue Ranger
Billy is on the autistic spectrum but is accepted into the group no questions
asked. Actor RJ Cyler worked closely with director Dean Israelite on creating
the character, stating “I knew that it was my job to show that people that are
on the spectrum are just regular people.”
Go
Go POWER RANGERS when 2017’s mightiest superheroes arrive on Steelbook,
4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD July 31 & Digital Download July 24
Blog
Soon,
Joey
X
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