Hailtothechimp
I'm a recent college graduate and an aspiring film critic with Asperger's building my portfolio.
Junior Contributor II
The Symbolism of Equilibrium
The 2002 film Equilibrium takes place in the not too distant future. After a devastating third world war society comes...
Hailtothechimp Apr 8, 2015
Autism In Modern Media
Autism is a developmental disorder that 1 in 68 children are born with yearly and it's becoming more common each...
Disney and the Morally Grey Villain
Throughout the years Disney has had villains that could easily be in the morally grey but instead of making these villains complex Disney opts to make them straight up evil. Villains such as Scar, Hades, Charles Muntz and Hans all have potential to be morally grey such as Scar clearly being disrespected by all including Mufasa, Hades having a moral code but being hated due to his position, Charles Muntz cheated by society and driven mad by isolation and Hans wanting respect and recognition after his mistreatment by his brothers. One could go into further depth with these characters, showing how they could have been morally grey and complex along with other Disney Villains who share similar fates.
This is a really interesting topic! I would even ask the question what is at stake in the story if villains were treated with sympathy? Would it have detracted from the film's message (good vs.evil) if the character is humanized rather than an "evil" archetype. It would be cool to explore the implications behind these characters, what they represent and how they're treated in the story. – ember 8 years ago
I also think that you could look at the source material they are drawn from and see how the author handles them. I really like the idea that you have here – DClarke 7 years ago
I love what you're going for here. I think the argument for straight-up villains is, "These are little kids; they're not ready for morally gray characters." But number one, that's cheating kids out of a great introduction to reality and two, kids can handle a lot more than we think. We just have to be smart in how we present stuff like morally gray villains. If you really wanted to, you could make the argument that every Disney villain is gray in some form. – Stephanie M. 6 years ago
Sympathy for the Devil: Hades in Media
In Greek mythology numerous Gods did evil things: Zeus destroyed entire civilizations, killed and raped numerous people and cheated on his wife countless times and that's only one. However, Hades, lord of the underworld, is not evil. The closest thing to evil he ever got was kidnapping Persephone. However, in media Hades is shown to be a villain such as Disney's Hercules and the Clash of the Titans remake, mostly due to the Christian belief that whoever rules below is evil. One could look into these and other misrepresentations of the mythological character and how he's gotten a bad rep over the years.
On the opposite side in the Percy Jackson novels, Hades is the only one that keeps his promise and is the one that seems to be a strong father figure to Nico. Also he comes to the aid of the protagonists in the final battle, unlike any of the other gods. – Tyler McPherson 8 years ago
Absolutely love this idea! Hades makes an appearance in Jim Butcher's Dresden series as well, not as a Satan analog, but as a good guy bound by rules. Thanks for suggesting this! – Monique 8 years ago
THANKS FOR SPOILER DRESDEN FOR ME MONIQUE. Just kidding. I am still reading so it'll be interesting to see when that happens.. unless you're talking about the fallen angel in the 30 pieces of silver which isn't really Satan. – wolfkin 8 years ago
The Futility of Vengeance in film
In films such as vigilante films vengeance never solves the heroes problems. One could delve into Paul Kersey's constant isolation in the Death Wish films, Nick Hume destroying his life and his family's life in Death Sentence and of course the Vengeance trilogy by Chan Wook Park.
So would this be split into different themes i.e. revenge/loneliness/morality? – Ryan Errington 8 years ago
I think film noir is also a good place to start. I'm thinking Double Indemnity for instance. I also recommend looking at Nolan's films, especially Memento. The fact that Leonard does not remember his act of vengeance makes it pointless, for him and for his dead wife. Check out Todd McGowan's book 'The Fictional Christopher Nolan', there's a really great analysis of vengeance in Memento. It's online :) – Rachel Elfassy Bitoun 8 years ago
You could discuss the geri-action genre (action flicks led by Liam Neeson, Sean Penn etc.) in relation to the core theme of the topic. – Thomas Munday 8 years ago
The Return of the Action Genre
In the past decade the action genre of film has dwindled. It's rare that we see a modestly budgeted action film make its way into theaters and even when it does it hardly ever does well. What we mostly see is films with titanic budgets, usually comic book based films, and the throwbacks to the good old days of action are only found on direct to video films with varying degrees of quality. But with the critical and financial success of John Wick, a modestly budgeted and original action film with countless potential for a large franchise, could the genre make a good comeback and if so how could it stay firmly in the box office once again?
Good point, about almost all action movies these days being either based on comic books or revamps of old movies. As a fan of the genre, this can be frustrating, and after a while the movies tend to be very repetitive. – fountainja 8 years ago
Another thing to look at within the rebirth of this genre is the actors participating in it. Since Liam Neeson essentially rebranded his career as "action star," what other actors are following suit? Is it more about the money or the excitement of running around and beating the crap out of bad guys? Films like John Wick are the cornerstone for the future of solid, pulpy, and very exciting action filmmaking. But are filmmakers like that only doing it in order to get a bigger opportunity...like directing a superhero movie? – Giovanni Insignares 8 years ago
I was surprised how well made Joe was considering it was directed by the same guy who made Pineapple Express and Your Highness.
The Raid 2 was leaps and bound better then it's predecessor. A great story, great character development and phenomonal action scenes made it all one of the best. I've been kicking myself for the past year for not getting a chance to see it in theaters.
The 10 Best Movies of 2014
Just about every Friday and Saturday I find myself watching Mighty Morphin and most of the Saban shows and eagerly await every single new episode ever since Saban got the rights back… And I'm 23! Bent watching those technicolor superheroes beat the bad guys always bring some nostalgic joy to my adult life.
Why the World Needs the Power Rangers: Twenty Years a Voyage
As an aspiring film critic myself this article gives me relief. I'm always hearing how journalism is on the decline and film criticism is irrelevant in this day and age and it worried me that my dream would never become my reality. But your article truly puts my mind at ease,
Contemporary Film Criticism: A Decline in Standards?
This is a fine article. I've never watched Sherlock, but considering that the show displays him as possibly being on the spectrum (and to me having those traits are great even without confirmation) I must now see it.
Sherlock, Autism, and the Cultural Politics of Representation
You know, I remember trying to get into Bob's Burgers when it first premiered but after the first two episodes I have up, simply seeing it as stupid. And why not? By the time it premiered Simpsons had lost its greatness for me and the rest of Fox was bogged down by Seth Macfarlene's crappy, offensive shows so I saw Bob's Burgers as no different. However, after reading your article… Honestly I want to give it a real chance now.
Familial Love: The Special Ingredient in Bob's Burgers
I've always felt that certain films are only as good as their villains, however you do an excellent job in pointing out that the greatest of heroes can help a film.
Cinemas' Angels: 4 Great Movie Heroes
This is a very well made article. It sickens me that these men had everything, their hopes an dreams placed before them on a silver platter. And what do they do? They throw it all away. Sickening!
Viners and YouTubers: The Internet's New Villains?