Elli Miller, Author at Digital Fox Talent

**The question has been asked; is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse the best Spider-Man movie? Today we’ll be answering that question.**

Is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse the best Spider-Man movie? Arguably. I caught the movie a couple of days ago and I’ve been sitting in meditation, contemplating the truth of this question. And the short conclusion I’ve drawn to is that yes it is for two main reasons. Firstly it’s a fantastic film in it’s own right (but you can read a review on that if you want to know why) but it’s also a Spider-Man film that plays to the audience and the current atmosphere behind the Super-Hero genre.

How Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse compares with the other Spider-Man films

Just to get it out of the way, this is how I’d personally rank all the Spider-Man films, so call me out as you like. (If you’d like the Digital Fox ranking, have a read of this article)

Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
Spider-Man 3
The Amazing Spider-Man 2

But Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse tops them all. It’s better than The Amazing Spider-Man in nailing the struggles of being a student. It is nowhere nearly as cliched as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man series. Spider-Verse’s mentor-mentee relationships trump Homecoming’s. The action sequences are the best I’ve ever seen (but then again you have a lot more to work with when using animation). The soundtrack is also at least ten times better than the mess which was the collaboration of Hans Zimmer and Pharrell William’s in Amazing Spider-Man 2. But Spider-Verse isn’t afraid to comment and critique on past Spider-Man films either.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is just so choc-filled of references that it’s hard not to love. I lost my mind with all the call-backs to ‘that scene’ in Spider-Man 3 (you know the one I’m talking about), old comic-book clichés which forced the audience to “…Step 3: Re-evaluate [your] personal biases” and so much more. It feels like Sony learned quite a fair bit from Deadpool’s fourth wall breaks.

But there is a reason why people are calling Spider-Verse the best Spider-Man movie. And the realise why that’s the case, we need to go back to where it all began.

A quick lesson on comic-book history

Debuting in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962, Marvel introduced the first teenage superhero. This was huge. The previous 20 years of comic-book landscape was filled solely with adult superheros alongside teenage side-kicks. The adults, Batman, Captain America, The Flash, were getting all the action, accompanied by a young protégé to ramp up sales in the youth market. Because who didn’t want to imagine they couldn’t be Robin, Bucky (Barnes), or Wally (West) teaming up with their heroes. Which was cool, you’d get action and you’d get a break from reality.

But Spider-Man’s introduction was something to watch out for. Now there was a super-hero that teens could relate to, they could think “Wow, I can be Spider-Man!” And it’s not hard to understand why – here’s this 15 year old ‘nerd’ who studies by day, fights crime by night!

Sure the crime-fighting was cool, but audiences were hooked on his love interests. Would he end up with the ‘girl-next-door’ Mary Jane? How about his school romance Gwen Stacy. Yes people loved the web-slinging and ultimatums, but they also craved how Peter faced adversity in high school, how he managed to balance fighting crime, studying for exams, finding love, family, friends, all while trying to be Spider-Man!

And that’s why the youth of the ‘60s going into the ‘70s and ‘80s loved Spider-Man! They couldn’t web-swing around New York, but they could be Spider-Man in the classroom, at home, with friends, anywhere!

But that’s over 50 years ago and there’s been a lot of history since. Today the comic book industry has hit a massive resurgence after nearly collapsing in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s and sales are booming! But the majority of people don’t read comics. They watch the movies.

The current age of comic-book stardom

As of 2018 I think it’s safe to say that Superhero/Comic-book movies are a Juggernaut in the film industry. But it’s also a juggernaut which is getting old. Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine for over 17 years crossing nine films. Sir Patrick Steward as Professor X has been seen for the same amount of time over six films. We’ve seen two Batmen, Supermen, Magnetos, in the space of 10 years. Two Quicksilvers in one year. Robert Downey Jr. has played Iron-Man for 10 years, Chris Evans as Captain America for 8 years.

And we haven’t even looked at the cross over between franchises! Ryan Reynolds’ has been both Green Lantern and Deadpool. Michael B Jordan as the Human Torch and Killmonger. Chris Evans has also appeared as the Human Torch, twice before becoming Captain America. Ben Affleck has been Daredevil as well as Batman! And we haven’t even touched television (but don’t worry we’re not going to)!

A critique on the cash-cow that is Spider-Man

Now let’s look atSpider-Man. Since 2002 (so 16 years now), there’ve been three reboots, and threedifferent iterations of Peter Parker. Let me first say on the record that TobeyMaguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have done absolute justice to thecharacter. But in 16 years audiences have seen the same shtick again and again.

Tobey Maguire, a 27 year old who was supposed to look like an 18 year old was bullied relentlessly till he got his superpowers. His Peter Parker has been thrust with great power (ergo great responsibility) and focuses ultimately on the responsibility he has to the public, the ones he loves, and the sacrifices he must make in between.

Andrew Garfield, a 29 year old who was supposed to look like a 17 year old was bullied relentlessly till he got his superpowers. This interpretation of Peter Parker was more modern than the Sam Raimi version, and had a more contemporary take on the trials and tribulations of being a teen. As well as a side-plot relating to the death of his parents which didn’t pan out too well…

Tom Holland, a 21 year old who more or less looks like a ripped 16 year old wasn’t exactly bullied relentlessly till he got his superpowers? If anything Tom’s Peter actually bullied his Flash Thompson by continually showing him up with Flash retaliating in frustration. But I digress. Regardless, this Peter is faced with discovering how to be Spider-Man and where he fits in a world with Superheroes. (Also here’s a shameless plug of the Spider-Man: Homecoming review we did).

The point is, while each Spider-Man slowly becomes more modern, it’s ultimately a different play on the same beat. It’s old and it’s been done. And that is why Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is being held as the best Spider-Man movie – it’s on a new beat. And that beat is mostly hip-hop rap.

**Why Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie**

Let’s look at the character Miles Morales. Miles is the son of an African American and Puerto Rican living in Brooklyn rather than Queens. Miles is smart, but after moving schools feels isolated, alone, and under immense stress from a crazy workload. So as the millennials say “feels”, “ooft”, and “me”. But Miles is also more rebellious (but not too angsty), sneaking out of his dorm (to spray paint a mural), sticking his work all around the city, and has this chutzpah both as Miles Morales, and as Spider-Man.

Miles is new, Miles is fresh, Miles is cool. And while Miles is different in many aspects to Peter, there are a lot of similarities. Like his involvement with his uncles death.

More than that, Spider-Verse shows off just how rich the history of Spider-Man is. We get to see mid-life crisis Peter Parker, aging and having troubles with his marriage to Mary Jane.We get to see the introduction of Spider-Gwen (with her own tragic backstory).Then there’s Spider-Man Noir (with his own tragic backstory), Peter Porker (a spider bitten by a radioactive pig…), and Peni Parker (from the 32^nd century, tragic backstory included).

The inclusion of all these Spider-People show that the Spider-Man mythos is rich and complex, and reflecting the films, are all very similar. So couple Miles’ character with the rich environment of supporting characters, landscape, and storyline that he’s in, you can’t help but to love this movie. Because it’s different.

Concluding Remarks

One of the main morals to come out of Spider-Verse was that we all have the ability to be Spider-Man. We all inherently have the ability to meet adversity and rise above it. And it also ties into the fact that if we do have the power, we also have the responsibility to help. And I think that that fact is something that the audience can go away with over the other Spider-Man movies. For it’s predecessors, we saw that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, but for Spider-Verse we are shown that we too can be Spider-Man. And Miles Morales can as well.

Tl;dr – Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie because it is different, has a truly one of a kind animation style, an amazing soundtrack, killer references, fantastic characters, and it involves the audience in a way that no other Spider-Man has done before.

So is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse the best Spider-Man movie? That’s a strong yes. All in all I would give Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a rating of 8.5/10

If you disagree leave a comment down below or tweet me @ElliMiller17

The Captain Marvel trailer has gotten Digital Fox all kinds of hyped and March 2019 cannot come fast enough.

But while the trailer is exceptional in itself, lots of people are wondering why it shows Captain Marvel abusing the elderly. So today we’re going to be answering that question: Why is Captain Marvel punching an old lady?

*AUDIBLY SCREAMS* CAPTAIN MARVEL. DID YA SEE IT?! THE CAPTAIN MARVEL TRAILER!? DID YA!

Oh lord, we are pumped. Brie Larson looks absolutely fantastic as your fave Carol Danvers! Sammy L Jackson looks as if he is 30 years younger (good work Disney De-Aging tech)! And ARGH! I’m just so excited.

There was one thing in the trailer that I wanted to address because I can imagine people going up against the wall about it. And that thing is Captain Marvel punching an old lady on a bus.

Wait, you haven’t seen the trailer? But… How? Okay, no matter. Have a watch of the trailer here and the specific scene I’m talking about happens at 1:30.

So why does Captain Marvel punch an old lady in the face?

Captain Marvel punching an old lady — Carol doesn’t believe in letting the elderly have seats on public transport. Source: Marvel Studios

Well my dear reader, if you’d really like to know the answer to that question, just know that knowing will involve some POTENTIAL plot spoilers. So you have been warned.

Now the official synopsis for Captain Marvel is as follows: “Carol Danvers [Brie Larson] becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.”

And to understand why we find Captain Marvel punching an old lady in the face, we have to establish that Captain Marvel is ‘originally’ sided with one of these alien races – the Kree. The other alien race that the Kree are at war with are the Skrulls. And here’s the thing about Skrulls, they’re shape-shifters, and you can see a shot of them just handily before we see Captain Marvel punching Gertrude (I have decided her name is Gertrude).

It is highly likely that the events of Captain Marvel will follow the plot of Marvel’s Secret Invasion storyline. Secret Invasion sees the Marvel superhero community discovering that many of their own have already been replaced with Skrulls who have been impersonating them for who knows how long. And without going too much into it, I believe we will see some exploration of that story where some of Earth’s population has been replaced with these Skrulls.

Is Captain Marvel an abuser of the elderly?

No not really. If you haven’t pieced it already, it’s likely that Captain Marvel is chasing down a Skrull through Los Angeles’ public transportation system. Which explains that one scene where she looks so lost in the train station. You know, BECAUSE SHE’S LITERALLY TRYING TO PICK UP A SHAPESHIFTING NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK. And bringing things to a close, it also explains why we find Captain Marvel punching Gertrude in the face.

So there you have it kids. Don’t be scared, Carol Danvers is not the kind of hero who punches geriatrics in their faces willy-nilly. She is MOST LIKELY uncovering the Skrull amidst the masses of innocent Earthian civilians. Otherwise… she may just have a problem.

Anywho, I hope you are just as excited as we are to catch Captain Marvel when it premieres March 7^th in Australia.

San Diego Comic-Con released a barrage of trailers straight to your eyeballs this weekend. Two of the main ones which caught our eye were Shazam and Aquaman, and clearly, one trailer was far superior than the other. Today we’re going to be discussing why you should be more excited for Shazam than Aquaman.

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON. WOW. I was so stoked to wake up each morning to find a brand-new array of trailers.

We have trailers for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Godzilla: King of Monsters, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (#CloneWarsSaved), Disenchantment, all the CW superhero shows, Doctor Who, Titans, Walking Dead, Young Justice: Outsiders (thank God this is back), Glass, and the reason we’re here today: Shazam! and Aquaman.

I was impressed with DC’s trailers. And while I say I’m impressed, I have to say, the Shazam trailer stood out more so than the Aquaman trailer.

Here is a rundown as to why you should be more excited for Shazam than Aquaman.

Oh, and while we’re here, have a read of our thoughts on the Aquaman poster.

**The Aquaman Trailer**

Now let’s start off with Aquaman. To be perfectly honest, the first minute wasn’t too bad. Sure, the entire “Hey lookie, Arthur’s talking to the fish” was kind of cringe, and I think we can all agree Harry Potter did it better. But the first minute had promise! Hell, I could even tolerate the line “Permission to come aboard?”

Warner Brothers described in their synopsis release that Aquaman “…reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime — one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be … a king.”

Combining the synopsis with the trailer, it sounds like an underwater Lion King adaptation starring Jason Mamoa as Simba. So yes, I’m totally on board for that. I am happy to accept that.

What I am not willing to accept is the absurd amount of CGI this film is showing off. It was alright in Man of Steel, and it was getting a bit much in Batman Vs Superman. I was about to say that they at least toned it down in Wonder Woman, but then I remembered the third act. And then there’s Justice League… bad movie, but I actually enjoyed it a lot.

At least Suicide Squad was a bit more genuine, one of the film’s few positives.

But, long story short, it’s just gotten too much.

Big CGI cities that look like Gungan City I can accept, because let’s be real, where are you going to find a realistic Atlantis? But big CGI fights? It’s too much! It is taking away from the action rather than improving it.

I need a change, I need something spunky and fresh… I need, Shazam!

**The Shazam Trailer**

Now let’s look to the Shazam trailer. I don’t even know where to begin. It’s all just… spectacular.

First thing to note is the comedy; I found myself actually laughing during this trailer.

Second, this Shazam movie doesn’t look like it’s going to be dealing with a ‘world-ending event’, which is oversaturated in the DCEU. Just like when Spiderman: Homecoming decided to look at smaller-scale villains.

You can tell that while the trailer has Billy Batson/Shazam being irresponsible with his powers, there’s going to be some massive character development happening. Just like… in Spiderman: Homecoming.

And how funny is Billy’s friend Freddy? He’s just like… Ned in Spiderman: Homecoming.

Okay so Shazam looks like it’s going to be somewhat of a rip off of Spiderman: Homecoming, but I’m totally fine with that! It shows us a somewhat grounded take on what a teen would do to discover they have superpowers.

And we know it’s majorly influenced by Big and Stranger Things, so we can be sure to watch a film full of comedy and action.

Shazam and Aquaman’s powers

should be more excited for Shazam than Aquaman — The Power Pose is Real. Source: DC Comics

A new superhero movie means new superpowers right? That’s why we love watching superhero movies, to see what their powers are like, and what new stuff they can bring to the table.

So lucky for you we have Aquaman! He has super strength, can breathe underwater, can swim really fast. He also has enhanced vision, hearing, smell, super stamina and durability. And he can talk to fish! So it’s like having a Superman for the ocean? Who can talk to fish though, can’t forget that. And no heat vision either.

Then there’s Shazam! His powers are literally the same as Superman’s. But replace the heat vision and frost breath with the ability to control lightning (hence a lightning bolt on his chest).

They’re actually so similar that back in the ‘40s, DC successfully sued Fawcett comics (who originally made Shazam, formerly known as Captain Marvel) over copyright claims. Captain Marvel was only brought back when DC bought the character from Fawcett, but renamed him Shazam, so as not to confuse him with Marvel’s own Captain Marvel (which will also be released in 2019). So yeah, just a tiny fun fact for ya!

So in terms of powers, there’s unfortunately nothing really groundbreaking. But have you heard of a kid that can crawl on walls and shoot webs from his hands?

Shazam and Aquaman directors

But before we finish, let’s see what the directors can bring to the table!

In the Aquaman corner we have director James Wan! This film-maker that we at Digital Fox are privileged to call Australian has also directed a plethora of horror films. His entourage of movies include The Conjuring series, Insidious series, as well as the first Saw. But he’s also had a chance to direct huge blockbusters like Fast and Furious 7.

In the Shazam corner we have director David F. Sandberg! This Swedish film maker has a retinue of experience in directing ‘no-budget horror short films’ as well as bigger horror films like Annabelle Creation and Light’s Out. So when it comes to the ‘scarier’ parts of Shazam I think we can all rest assured this film’s going to be in good hands.

Hopefully we’ll also see Sandberg landing the banter, drama, and the friendship necessary in an archetypal teen movie.

It’s interesting to see that both of these movies have directors with a large experience in the horror franchise. However, it doesn’t look like either of these films are going to have horror undertones. Well, not that we could tell from the trailers that is.

Concluding remarks

In any case, should you be more excited to see Shazam over Aquaman? Of course! Should you save your time and money and not watch Aquaman? By Poseidon’s beard don’t! Obviously you’re here for our opinions, but you ought to go and support the films you love. While I definitely don’t love what DC are doing with their films nowadays, it’s good to support these films.

But when it comes to Shazam vs Aquaman, it does appear as if Shazam is going to be a lot more relatable, and a much needed change from DC’s apocalyptic flicks. And while it may not be the change we deserve, it’s the change we need…

Just kidding, we also deserve this change in DC films, especially after that Suicide Squad rubbish. I mean come on!

But what are your thoughts? Are you still super-pumped to catch Aquaman? Do you also think Shazam is going to be the superior of the two?

**While Stan Lee is contracted to make a cameo in every Marvel superhero, the question is: did Stan Leo cameo in Incredibles 2?**

So I had the absolute pleasure of watching The Incredibles II this weekend. Seriously, if you haven’t made the time to watch it already, WATCH IT. It’s arguably better than Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok. Well maybe it’s not better than Ragnarok, if anything it’s about the same. But dammit – it’s a darn good superhero movie!

In any case, what does Ragnarok, Black Panther, and The Incredibles II have in common? Well potentially a Stan Leo cameo. And superpowers of course.

Quick review of Incredibles 2

But a quick review before I start. The Incredibles II is a well rounded film, nailing character development, creative action sequences, comedy, drama, and ‘Ohana’. Get it, cause Ohana means family? But in all seriousness, director Brad Bird should be proud of this fantastic sequence.

I was embarrassed, excited, thrilled, in hysterics, and even fearful at all the right moments. And you could tell they had a lot of fun with the action sequences, the creativity was just… Incredible. All in all, Incredibles 2 gets 8 out of 10 Jack-Jacks.

Evidence in favour of a Stan Lee cameo in Incredibles 2

But, back on topic, did Stan Leo cameo in The Incredibles 2? I think so, and just hear me out. In the film’s third act where the ship is heading to crash into ‘generic city under imminent attack’, there’s a shot of a bunch of people huddling around a public television. Now the first time we see this group of people, an older man, tanned, wearing a sweater, a flat cap, and shaded sunnies, approaches the group.

First thing’s first, this character really resembles Stan Lee. It’s not a 100% match, but it’s enough to capture your attention.

Second is that the ‘shot’ lasts on this group a couple of seconds too long, and that really highlights that director Brad Bird wants us to notice this character. Which is quite interesting because it’s just supposed to be a generic ‘citizens watching the danger unfold’ shot, right?

Stan Lee’s history in appearing in animated films

Now this wouldn’t be the first time that Stan Lee appears in an animated film. In Big Hero 6, Stan Lee plays the father of T.J. Miller’s character – Fred. But in the case against this article, Big Hero 6 is loosely based on Marvel’s superhero team of the same name, so he’s contracted to appear in it. And by loosely, I mean very loosely. You don’t want to see what happened to Baymax. Alternatively, here’s a link to see what happened to Baymax.

Long story short, The Incredibles isn’t a Marvel comics creation, so there isn’t that guarantee of a cameo. That doesn’t mean it can’t be a homage though.

And while I’m here, let me just say that the Incredibles is pretty much the Fantastic Four. Mr. Incredible’s the Thing, Violet’s Susan Storm, Elastagirl is clearly Mr. Fantastic, and then you have Dash who’s like the Human Torch? Less fire I suppose. Anywho.

Conclusion

So did Stan Lee cameo in Incredibles 2? Well I think so, and if not a cameo, then it’s very well likely to be a homage.

Regardless, if you haven’t seen The Incredibles sequel go watch it already! And while you’re watching it, have a look to confirm that that older man I’m describing doesn’t look a hell of a lot like this foxy gentleman.

What do you think? Did you like Incredibles 2? Do you think that could be an actual Stan Lee cameo? Tweet me @ElliMiller17 or leave a comment down below.

For more Incredibles goodness, check out this article on why Incredibles 2 took so long.

With the commercial and critical success of the first Deadpool, everyone’s been wondering how the sequel will hold up. So that’s why we’re going to be answering the question, ‘Is Deadpool 2 better than the original?’

Hey all! Deadpool 2 has just hit cinemas and I, your Friendly Neighbourhood Writer Man have come to save the day! And by save the day, I mean answer the question you’ve all been craving to know: is Deadpool 2 better than the original (spoiler free of course)?

**Quick Deadpool 2 Review**

Is Deadpool 2 Better than the original? — Deadpool rockin out the uniform. Source: Twentieth Century Fox.

It’s pretty safe to say that Deadpool 2 is an expansion of the world which the original Deadpool set up. But, like most superhero sequels, Deadpool 2 doesn’t always stick the ambitious ‘superhero landings’ they were going for. This is rampant throughout the film, whether you’re talking about characters, character development, or themes.

Having said all that, Deadpool 2 is a lot of fun! It’s exactly what you expect from the franchise. The action scenes are epic, both subtle and gross humour are expertly delivered, and the references to real life and comic book material are spot on!

But how does Deadpool 2 compare to the original? Well time for you to find out in my sweet and concise breakdown!

**Is Deadpool 2 better than the original in character development?**

If we look at Deadpool, we saw Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) learning to go from a loner to a lover. Underneath the generic revenge plot, Deadpool was a film about learning to love, and learning to love yourself. And that character development that we saw in Wade was utterly believable. I bought it.

In Deadpool 2, we see some character development in Wade, but it’s not delivered as well as its prequel. That ultimately has to do with the fact that in Deadpool 2, Wade doesn’t develop as much as go in circles. He starts off one way, then regresses, then returns to the point he pretty much started off at in the beginning of the movie. So while you feel as if there was some kind of journey, it’s just not as ‘wholesome’.

**Are the characters in Deadpool 2 better than the original?**

In regards to characters, well, we get more of the same from the original in Deadpool 2. There’s nothing really new from our previous ensemble of Deadpool, Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), and my one true bae – Dopinder (Karan Soni).

But don’t get me wrong when I say “we get more of the same from the original”, that’s still a pretty tall order to fill. It was fantastic seeing all of our fan-faves return to the big screen. I loved the grounded but campy interactions between the cast, and all of their interactions seem grounded, but hysterical simultaneously. It was just… more of the same.

Looking at the new characters, I thought they were all very well written, and definitely added to the Deadpool landscape. Cable (Josh Brolin), was as threatening as a melancholic, revenge-driven time-traveller could be! But then you remember he also played Thanos in Infinity War, and can’t stop thinking of him as a giant purple thumb. Just kidding, love you Josh, please don’t snap your fingers!

Domino (Zazie Beetz) is also a very fun addition to the Deadpool team, and yes… she is most certainly cinematic. I also have to give a shout-out to Julian Dennison who played Russel! That kid is just as hysterical in The Hunt for the Wilderpeople as he is in Deadpool 2, and boy, he can nail the tragedy just as well as the comedy.

It was also a delight seeing some other supporting characters, like Vanisher, Zeitgeist, Bedlam, Shatterstar, and Peter. But to be honest, they did feel wasted. They didn’t have much screen-time, and I just wanted to see more of them! Especially Terry Crews. Elli loves Terry.

Otherwise, while the characters in themselves aren’t better from when we last saw them, Deadpool 2 does manage to bring in more top-notch players to make up for that.

**Do the themes in Deadpool 2 compare to the original?**

The short answer is no. Just a flat no. But who the hell is going to watch Deadpool 2 because they’re really keen for a societal interpretation/discussion on a topic? No, you watch Deadpool for three main reasons: Deadpool, an R-Rated Superhero movie, and a movie which doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Anywho, with the original Deadpool, there were motifs and themes which could be uncovered. They weren’t the main part of the film, but you could see the theme unravelling as the story progressed. Mainly that of Deadpool’s value for life (his own), discovering his own self-worth, and finding love in others.

With Deadpool 2, the themes were presented to you, which was mainly family, and then forced down your throat. It was nearly as bad as the Fast and Furious franchise. We get it, family, move on please. Having said that, Deadpool 2 didn’t take that all too seriously. After they made the giant show of what the theme of the movie was I mean, they had a lot of fun with the topic and just kind of addressed it on the side.

And I understand why that had to be done. If you’re trying to set up a franchise, especially a franchise as big as the X-Force, you have to explain how Deadpool could possibly want to be in a team. If Deadpool sees his team as his family, then he’ll have reason enough to stay on.

And I guess Deadpool 2 did succeed in getting that point. Not with as much finesse, but the job got done.

What about references?

Yes, yes, yes! The references in Deadpool 2 were utterly fantastic! I loved the surprise cameos (check out a list of the top five here)! The digs at Fox, production, and the success of the original Deadpool had me nearly in tears!

And then there are the fourth wall breaks, and every single reference to the X-Men, the DC universe, as well as the MCU to top things off. They all just really captured what Deadpool is all about, and if you’ve been following the news/stories related to every superhero movie around – you’ll have a great time.

And yes I’m perfectly aware that’s the same as saying: “You have to have a very high IQ to understand Rick and Morty.” Deadpool 2 is good on its own, but it’s even better if you can pick up the jokes Deadpool himself is making to you the audience. Otherwise you’re going to kind of sit there and nudge your friend who knows whats up and get them to explain. Don’t be that person. Alternatively, read this article to get caught up on top 5 things to know before heading into Deadpool 2.

So, is Deadpool 2 better than the original? I don’t think so, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the hell out of this movie. The jokes are still great, the references are on point, and the action is very ‘cinematic’.

All in all, I’d have to give Deadpool 2 seven out of ten chimichangas (for reference, I give Deadpool, eight out of ten).

What are your thoughts about Deadpool 2? Leave a comment down below, or tweet me @ElliMiller17.

With Avengers: Infinity War breaking records worldwide, theories about the film have been popping up like rabbits. One theory I’m proposing is about what actually happened to Gamora in Infinity War.

It’s been a week since Infinity War has came out, and people, I’m still shook. Russo Brothers and everyone working at Marvel – I have to say you all did an amazing job! It takes a really skilled team to fit in so much and not come out with a half-assed movie.

But my small praise aside, there is something I’ve come to talk about. And that is, what actually happened to Gamora in Infinity War?

A Quick Recap

So you probably know the scene I’m referring to. You know, that one – where Thanos sets out to retrieve the Soul Stone? Also, can confirm, the Soul Stone was neither in Hemidall’s eye, nor in Wakanda.

Also, how good was Thanos? He’s potentially the most fleshed out villain in the entirety of the MCU (yes, even more so than Loki).

But I digress, the point is that to retrieve the Soul Stone, Thanos had to give “a soul for a soul”. And that’s what he did – he sacrificed his favourite daughter, the one thing he loved most in the world, for what he believes is for the benefit of the universe. The final shot of that scene is Gamora, supposedly lying dead on the ground. But is she really dead? Well that’s what we’re going to find out!

The Soul Stone

In Infinity War, the abilities of each Infinity Stone are left somewhat vague (except in this nifty article here). You know the Power Stone increases power, the Space Stone allows for teleportation, Time to control time, Reality for reality, and the Mind Stone for controlling people’s minds. But the Soul Stone doesn’t really get fleshed out. However, that isn’t really an issue if you’ve read the comics (a great one to start with would be Jim Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet).

The main thing you need to know about the Soul Stone is that it primarily absorbs people’s souls. Wow! That kind of seems very obvious, but regardless, it had to be said. Now I believe that this fact is going to be very fundamental for the Infinity War Part 2.

What actually happened to Gamora in Infinity War?

Considering that the Soul Stone absorbs people’s souls, I don’t think it’d be too outlandish to say that Gamora is… you know, in the Soul Stone? And there’s some precedence for it, because souls absorbed by the Soul Stone enter the pocket-dimension called ‘Soul World’.

Preceding Marvel Comics’ Infinity Gauntlet storyline, Gamora was actually sent to the Soul World by Thanos (not in the same poetic and tragic way that happened in Infinity War but still). And it was only later in the story, with the magical abilities of a character called Adam Warlock, that she was able to return to the real world.

Interestingly enough, we may have potentially gotten a glimpse of Soul World in Infinity War. Back when Thanos wipes out half the universe, he wakes up in this orange tinted world with a young Gamora, which I, and many others, believe is in fact Soul World. Why? Because the Soul Stone also happens to be orange and seeing a young Gamora in a pavilion that is almost identical to where Thanos adopted her, where his love for her began, could reflect the event that sprouted the love for the thing he loves most in his universe.

**But what actually happened to everyone else in Infinity War?**

Now if you believe me when I say that Gamora is in the Soul World, would it be much harder to believe that half the MCU is also in the Soul Stone? They may not in fact be dead after all. So perhaps we’ll see the return of our favourites (including Gamora) in Infinity War Part 2?

Please Russo Brothers, you can’t take away Peter from me like that! And by Peter, I mean Parker. Quill is the bane of my existence and he should burn in hell.

But what are your thoughts? Do you also think that Gamora and the rest of the MCU are in the Soul Stone? Or are they just plain dead and going to be resurrected by some other Deus Ex Machina?

Leave a comment down below, or tweet me @ElliMiller17 so we can keep the discussion going!

But in all seriousness, dammit Peter, you don messed up!

**With the first trailer for the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp recently released, we thought it’d be a good idea to give you a full rundown on everything we learnt from the trailer.**

Hey Digital Fox readers! I’m back again for a brand new year of articles, reviews, commentaries, memes, analyses, and so much more! There’s so much to look forward towards this year (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Incredibles II, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Ready Player One, Fantastic Beasts 2, Deadpool 2, Annihilation, Venom, The New Mutants, Solo (actually maybe not so much), Hellboy, Tomb Raider, Aquaman, and Mortal Engines) and if you aren’t frothing yet then you are clearly on the wrong site. And if you hadn’t guessed already, today I’m going to be providing the Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer breakdown!

In case you didn’t know, the first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp was released this week. And in case you hadn’t seen it, I’m embedding the trailer just below, so you can bask in its glory. Also, in case you have seen it, watch it again! Get aboard that hype train!

Obviously this trailer will be dealing with spoilers from Captain America: Civil War, and the comics, so you’ve been warned! Oh as well as the 2015’s Ant-Man. You’ve been warned okay!?!?

**Opening the Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer**

Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer breakdown — I already love the dynamic between these two. Source: Marvel Studios

Before we really start, I thought it’d be good to look at the official synopsis for Ant-Man and the Wasp.

In the aftermath of ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ Scott Lang grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to re-balance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from their past.

Thanks Disney! We’ll be returning to your vague but helpful synopsis later on!

The Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer begins with your classic super-hero narration. Cutting in between sequences of Captain America: Civil War we hear Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) presumably ask Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lily): “I just have one question. When Cap needed help. If I’d asked you, would you’ve come?” To which Hope replies, “I guess we’ll never know… but if you had, you’d never have been caught.”

Now this brief interaction, paired with the synopsis, provides a lot of weight to the film’s introduction. Scott’s question, and the serious tone which is usually absent from our playful protagonist, almost paints the picture that he is suffering real consequences from his actions in Civil War. Those being that he aided a fugitive of the law (Captain America). But his asking implies that Hope seems to be free of any punishments that Scott is paying.

Scott’s question therefore provides an indication of past events, as well as potential plot points. Obviously we can tell that he’s facing punishment from the law… again. But we can also understand that Scott wants Hope’s trust. Asking her, knowing how things went, if she would have faced the consequences that Scott is presently facing, is a plea. Scott has to know how far he can trust her.

But with Hope’s nonchalant, witty, even smirkish reply, we can understand that yes, Scott can indeed trust Hope.

But why would Scott need to trust Hope?

At the end of 2015’s Ant-Man, they seemed to have the set-up for a strong relationship. I think the key is found back in the synopsis. I want you to have a look at this line again: “As he struggles to re-balance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted… with an urgent new mission.”

I believe that one consequence from the events of Civil War, is that he’s been put under surveillance by some governmental body. Additionally, I believe that Scott’s been put in the position where if he steps one foot out of line, he’ll be put back in prison. And of course, Scott doesn’t want to be separated from Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) again. So that’s why he’s looking back to Hope, trusting that nothing bad will happen to him, and in turn, Cassie.

The people Scott Lang loves

What we see next is a view of San Francisco pier, Scott receiving his ‘tracker’, his house being searched, followed by zooming in shots of Cassie, and Hope. Over these images we get even more narration! Scott says: “I do some dumb things, and the people I love the most, they pay the price.”

Scott’s house being searched and Scott being pegged with a tracker are probably direct or indirect consequences from Civil War. So there lays the possibility that after his escape from ‘The Raft’ in Civil War, he may have been found by the government. Following this he makes an agreement with governmental organisation X, who will monitor him as an assurance. And may or may not force him to sign the Sokovia Accords.

Now something interesting to note is which characters are focused on when Scott references “…the people I love most…”. The first is Scott’s daughter Cassie, and the second is Hope. And with the close up focusing more on Hope than Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), you can be pretty damn sure they’re going to be focusing on THAT relationship. But that was already set up from 2015’s Ant-Man so…

Running of the Ant-Man and the Wasp

From there we see several cuts of the FBI closing in on Hank and Hope in a field. Followed immediately by Hank shrinking a building to a lovely suitcase. But what I want to know though, is did the building always have wheels under its base?

And then we see several quick cuts of some kind of ship, Hank, Hope, a lab, most presumably the villain Ghost, Morpheu- I mean Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne), and a shrinking sequence.

Underpinning this sequence is Hope narrating, “Thanks to you, we had to run. We’re still running.” And I believe that this line reaffirms the speculation in the previous line of narration. That being that anyone close to Scott has to pay the consequences (being hunted by the FBI) of his dumb actions.

But what I think a lot of viewers really want to know is: Firstly, who’s Morpheus’ character? And secondly, who the hell is Ghost?

Who are Goliath and Ghost?

Laurence Fishburne’s character Bill Foster, better known as Goliath, can be considered Hank Pym’s original successor. First appearing in 1966 in Avengers #32, Bill worked as a biochemist with Hank, who as we know made a formula to change his size. Bill had memorised Hanks “Pym Particle” formula and was able to replicate it successfully. Testing on himself, he was able to change his size, and grow (pun intended) into the superhero Goliath!

Now as far as how much the film will stay true to Bill’s origins is up to question. He may be just a biochemist who’s worked with Hank in the past, and may still be working with him. Or he could have been a ‘silver-age’ hero alongside Hank and his wife Janet. I guess we’ll never know… until we get another trailer.

Now Ghost officially appeared in Marvel Comics in Iron Man #219 in 1987. And in regards to Ghost’s origins (which we have to take with a handful of salt) we know that he was originally a promising data engineer for a computer corporation. There he created the computer chip known as ‘GhostTech’, which has the ability to phase into an intangible state. The executives of this company abused his productivity, prompting him to work harder by paying for sporting tickets, and even convinced an employee of his to act as a ‘call-girl’ of sorts.

However when the project was completed, the executives had Ghost’s lover taken out after she threatened to unveil their duplicity. This lead to Ghost entering a deep depression, imbuing his body with ‘GhostTech’. This in turn allowed him to phase through objects and become invisible – hence Ghost. Shortly afterwards, he discovered the truth behind his lover’s murder, and began to eliminate his former employers following a failed assassination.

In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ghost will be played by Hannah John-Kamen.

Wrapping up because this has gone on for WAYYYYY too long

The rest of the trailer shows us some captivating sequences, which while visually entertaining, doubtfully add much to the plot. We see a car chase through San-Francisco’s infamously steep streets, in what could possibly be the ‘Ant Van’. We then move on to Scott growing into his giant form in the San Francisco harbour, with a terrified Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) shrinking behind the building suitcase we saw earlier.

Next, we see a quick still of Ghost, followed by what definitely is a ‘Hot-Wheel’! If you ever watched Saturday Disney on Channel 7 (sorry for our non-Aussie fans), then you know what I’m talking about!

We move onto a still of cops, then Luis (Michael Pena) running away from a pier (did you notice the ‘Hot-Wheel’ was parked in the background?) Scott and Hope in a close encounter, the ship we saw earlier flying next to some amoeba looking microorganisms, with some final wisdom from Cassie.

“Maybe you just need someone watching your back. Like a partner.” Cassie says with her angelic eyes beaming. This imagery is quickly followed by Hope van Dyne succinctly taking out your generic Henchman with utter finesse.

Also, I’d like to take a minute to just say, if you haven’t already, y’all should read Allan Heinberg’s ‘Young Avengers’. There we see a teenage Cassie Lang as Ant-Girl, and it is literally the only reason why I lose my bloody mind when I see Cassie on screen.

We conclude the trailer with some comedy between Scott and Hank, and something I never knew I wanted till I saw it, a giant Hello Kitty dispenser.

So, what did you all think of our Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer breakdown? If you have any questions, leave them down in the comments below, or tweet me @ElliMiller17.

Finally, get hyped!

The major part of cosplay is the actual costume, but for some ‘filling out’ the role and “training for cosplay” is equally important.

But how can you hope to physically build yourself up, or down to superhero size – and do it in a safe and healthy manner?

We recently had a talk with Andrew Lutomski A.K.A. Thor of Oz about how his new Online Coaching Service can help cosplayers do just that.

Andrew is arguably the biggest Thor cosplayer in Australia. And by biggest, I’m not just referring to his physical size, I’m talking about the fact that he’s the number one Thor cosplayer on hire.

Cosplay trainer — I can’t even tell which one is Chris Hemsworth?! Source: Thor of Oz

I don’t know if you recall, but before the premiere of Thor: Ragnarok, many cinema chains did promotions for the film featuring cosplayers. Obviously, it’d be ridiculous to hire Chris Hemsworth to sell tickets, so you get the next best thing. And the next best thing out there are cosplayers. But you’re not going to hire any random cosplayer, you want the very best. And that’s why for the Ragnarok movie, they hired Andrew.

But that wasn’t it for Andrew. In this year alone, he’s been hired by Marvel Australia and New Zealand to play the official Thor for corporate events. On top of that, he appeared on Australia’s biggest talk shows – ‘The Project’ and ‘Sunrise’. And that was just 2017. In January of 2018 he’s due to appear at the Australian Open too! Thor of Oz is literally going to be swapping a hammer for a racket.

But of all the Thor cosplayers out there, why is it that Andrew’s doing so well? Well we met up with Andrew to talk about just that.

Andrew Lutomski – Cosplay Trainer

Andrew thinks a large part of his success has to do with the fact that he looks a lot like Thor. And when I tell you he looks like Thor, I really mean, he looks A LOT like Thor. Andrew recently posted this photo and I wasn’t sure if that was him, or an actual photo of Chris Hemsworth.

Speaking to Andrew, he claims that the best way to help your cosplay career is by getting your character just right and physically training for cosplay. And Andrew takes this very seriously.

After recently announcing that he’s going to be cosplaying as He-Man, Andrew has completely changed his fitness routine so he can do He-Man some sweet, sweet justice. This is definitely going to be a bit of a struggle. Seriously, have you seen He-Man’s quads!?

But while it’s easy to say “oh yeah, you just need to match your character’s physique”, it’s a lot harder to actually get done.

But that’s where Andrew comes in as a Cosplayer Trainer.

Andrew was inspired by his insight that the reason for his increased cosplay success is that he now physically looks like Thor. Now he wants to help other cosplayers achieve the same success. Andrew now has his own online coaching service just for cosplayers who want to improve their health and fitness. So I guess that makes him… the globally available Cosplayer Trainer?

Andrew Lutomski – Online Cosplay Training service

This online cosplay training service is for anyone who wants to achieve success in their health and fitness goals. So if you’re looking to decrease your body fat percentage – Andrew’s got you covered.

If you’re looking to increase muscle mass – Andrew’s got you covered. Want to get more toned? Andrew’s got you covered. Why? Because he understands you are an individual. One of the first things he’s looking to achieve is to understand your body type and your objectives.

“So long as you apply yourself, exercise displicine and always give your best efforts when provided with my guidance and recommendations, I can be confident in saying that you will experience positive results towards achieving the health and fitness goals that you desire.”

So whether you’re looking to get the gains to pull off that Wolverine cosplay, or get Cat-Woman’s extremely toned look, Andrew will help you get there.

The Online Cosplay Training Services

Well this comprehensive online coaching service includes an initial assessment of your lifestyle, followed by an in depth analysis of your current health and fitness. Then you can expect your recommended exercise program, which comes with recommendations regarding diet and supplements. This will of course all be based on your individual health and fitness goals where you will receive easy to use programs from Andrew – the cosplay trainer.

Furthermore, so you aren’t feeling completely thrown into the deep-end of workouts, Andrew provides instructions on how to perform all the exercises you’re going to be doing. Teamed up with that is an ongoing examination of your progress, which will be followed by alterations in your program (if necessary), providing any other guidance.

In terms of contacting Andrew and arranging some training for cosplay, there’ll be an initial skype session to just lay everything on the table (seeing what’s best for you, expectations, etc.). Following that is unlimited email contact whenever you need help. This can span from exercise, to nutrition and supplements, to even making changes to your lifestyle.

To find out more, you can message Andrew on his Facebook page (Thor of Oz) or via his email at [email protected].

What you can expect afterwards

Training for Cosplay — #goals. Source: Thor of Oz

According to Andrew, once you really look like your cosplay, you can make big improvements to your cosplay career. By building up your physicality and appeal to businesses, you are at a better position to get more gigs, expand your fanbase, and all that good stuff.

Having said that, there’s still a lot more that goes into making your cosplay successful. While looking a lot like Cyclops, Wonder Woman, Cat-Woman, or Thor can go a long way, it isn’t enough. There’s obviously a lot of work that needs to be put in if you want to make a career out of cosplay.

But of course, your health and fitness is one of the many things YOU can control so YOU can get ahead in the Cosplay game if you’re looking to monetise your hobby.

Digital Fox is working with Thor of Oz as part of the Digital Fox Cosplay partnerships programme.

Aang vs Korra – Which character and which series is better?

For some reason, I decided to binge watch all of Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) on the weekend, because procrastination, am I right? And after not having seen the show in a bit over four years, I was happy to see that it still holds up.

So obviously as I finish I hit up the group chat, getting my friends talking about the series. Naturally we ended up with the question, which was better, ATLA or Avatar: The Legend of Korra (LoK)?

Obviously, the shows are very different, with a five year difference between each other. We can all say with a lot of clarity that ATLA is clouded in childhood nostalgia, while LoK had the impossible task of topping the unrealistically high standards left by its predecessor.

So today I’m going to be dividing this debate into four elements (see what I did there?), focusing on: The Avatar, Team Avatar, The Villains, and The World-Building, in order to determine which was the superior series.

The Avatar

Who’s better? Source: YouTube.

So the first straight-forward question is, who was the better Avatar?

If you take a look back to ATLA, you could say that Aang was definitely a master of Airbending, arguably as well for Water and Earthbending, but his Firebending was only passable. In his defence though he only had a year to master the elements so a lot of his training was really rushed.

Korra on the other hand had completely mastered all of the elements, even metal-bending. Aang didn’t even accomplish that, but, she also had a lot longer to get them under her belt.

Now taking a look back to the most epic fights in each series, Aang vs Ozai and Korra vs Zaheer, it’s hard to tell who’s more powerful. Don’t believe me? Watch them again. Not only do they both have very similar scenery, they’re both battles which are mountain-shattering. And to all the haters saying that Korra didn’t really beat Zaheer, just remember that she was also fighting off a poison which was slowly killing her.

Another point to consider is that while Aang’s fighting style has always been more evasive and defensive, Korra is A LOT MORE AGGRESSIVE… at first.

If they were to fight, let’s say when both were first introduced, I reckon that Aang, even with only one element would be able to beat Korra, just because Aang is slippery af, and would use Korra’s own ferociousness against her. But by the time the series ends, Korra is more tempered and Aang is more determined and decisive in how he needs to fight, which would eventually lead to an almost even fight.

It’s important to remember that the complaints fans have against Korra – that she’s more volatile and brutish – are resolved by the end of the series. She becomes calm, collected, patient and looks to solutions other than violence to bring balance to the world, which is something Aang had straight away.

Aang was also very flawed at first. A lot of his character development came from him dealing with the fact that he ran away from his responsibilities and the immense pressure he was under to kill the Fire Lord. Aang learnt to be more resilient, stronger, and braver – he grew up, and then became the Avatar that everyone loves.

And let me remind you, both Avatars were whiny as fuck, and very (I mean very) angsty.

I’m going to take the easy way out and say that by the time the series ends, Aang was the better Avatar. Aang vs Korra are so evenly matched on all fronts, and that’s just because the writers did such an amazing job, providing us with some flawed characters who grew up and developed into stronger, better people.

The only way to really differentiate between these two stars is by addressing the fact that everyone liked Aang – even the people on camp Korra. But boy, do a lot of people not like Korra.

Team Avatar

Avatar: The Last Airbender. Source: Hypable.

So next up in Aang vs Korra: Who had a better team of supporting benders and non-benders?

Starting off in the Aang corner, we have Katara, an expert healer, a master Waterbender, and also a Bloodbender.

Sokka is the team’s pun-loving strategist and weapons expert, having no bending abilities whatsoever.

Toph, the greatest Earthbender of all time, the Blind Bandit who can see by sensing the vibrations of the world from the ground, was the inventor of Metalbending – that’s so metal… right?

Then there’s Prince Zuko, the Firebender of the team. He’s destined to reclaim his HONOUR and is by far one of the most complex and well-written characters in this entire series – and that’s in a show where even a flying air-bison has amazing character development.

To top off the list, we have Suki, a warrior from the island of Kyoshi, trained in espionage and warfare, and is pretty damned cool.

On the other end, we have the power-brothers Mako and Bolin! Detective Mako is the team’s Firebender, who is the first person on an Avatar team to be able to control lightning – not even Zuko could pull that off.

Then we have Nuktuk, Hero of the South! By which I mean Bolin, the comedic humour of Team Avatar who, while not being able to bend metal, was discovered to everyone’s bloody delight to be a Lavabender!

Enter Asami, the Avatar universe’s version of Batman, Iron Man and the Arrow. Which means she’s rich and has access to equipment to take down benders and non-benders alike.

All these characters are really complex, inherently likeable, and are just so god damn cool! The advantage here definitely goes to Team Aang, mainly because of the fact that they are all individually legendary. Team Korra definitely has some powerhouses but they don’t necessarily compare with the originals. So that’s another point for ATLA.

The Villains

The Legend of Korra’s Amon. Source: YouTube.

Okay this is easy.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, the villains are localised to one family, and spread semi evenly over three seasons. The first season introduces Zuko as the villain, slowly progressing to an anti-hero then an actual hero in the following seasons.

As a villain, he was and wasn’t threatening. He was powerful, but stupid as hell, with his failures in capturing the Avatar making him seem utterly incompetent. Surprisingly, the more he lays off his hunt for the Avatar, the more formidable he becomes.

The second season introduces Princess Azula along with her partners Mai and Ty-Lee. The three of them together are a force to be reckoned with, taking down Team Avatar more easily than Anakin being denied the rank of Jedi Master. Regardless, Azula was ruthless, cruel, calculating and manipulative… and also crazy. She was the perfect villain in so many ways, doing real justice for the series.

And then we have Fire-Lord Ozai, the never-seen always present arch-villain, like the Emperor in Star Wars (the joke here is that Ozai is played by Mark Hamil, who was Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Not a relevant point, but I just love Mark Hamil). We only ever saw how bad-ass he was at the series finale, but damn if he didn’t make a hell of an impression.

For LoK, there are four main villains, Amon, Unalaq/Vaatu, Zaheer and Kuvira.

Amon was a good way to reintroduce the series. He was original, and threatening to any bender out there eradicating their bending, their source of power. Having said that, he was a pretty nothing villain.

Unalaq and Vaatu… Well without them, there wouldn’t have been a reunification with both human and spirit worlds. So while they also felt like a generic throwaway villain, they helped the Avatar’s real purpose in bringing back balance to the world – take that Aang!

Then there’s Kuvira who was going to reunify the Earth Kingdom, and maybe even the rest of the world, fusing elements eerily reminiscent of the Second World War.

BUT. Let me tell you. Zaheer. Wow. Just, wow. Zaheer is the best villain. It’s not a competition at all. He took everything that made Azula great, then add in his team of P’Li (combustion lady), Ming-Hua (water for arms), and Ghazan (Lavabender) and you have the most formidable team in the Avatar Universe. Team Zaheer could have wiped the floor with Team Aang, did with Team Korra on multiple occassions, and I’m sure all of them could have taken out Ozai during Sozin’s comet.

So this round goes to Korra. Moving on!

The World-Building

Welcome to the world of the Legend of Korra. Source: Twenty Oz.

Now I want to talk about the world-building in these series’, enriching the lore and history which made the ‘Avatarverse’.

ATLA showed us the history and genocide of the Airbenders, the rise of the Fire Nation, the Wars against the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom, the Fascist Utopia of Ba Sing Se, General Iroh and so much more.

Avatar: The Legend of Korra went so much deeper. We have the introduction of the first Avatar, Avatar Wan, The Eternal Battle between Raava and Vaatu, the Expansion of the Spirit World, General Iroh’s return to the Spirit World, the Rise of The Beifong family, the creation of Zaofu, the incompetency of Republic City, and the rebuilding of the Air-Nation.

Much like dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants, LoK did not lack on building on the foundations which was Avatar: The Last Airbender. Both had amazing storytelling, and both series’ felt full and complete. However, I think this round goes to Korra, because they had the unfair advantage of exploring its own world, and building onto the remnants which were left from ATLA – which just means fans get to gush when they see Zuko or Toff or Katara or Iroh again.

The Tiebreaker

So far we’re at two for two in the Aang vs Korra contest, and I honestly can’t decide what was better, because these are both just excellent shows. My own personal belief is that Korra had the better series, but after this review, I can’t make up my mind anymore.

Yeah I’m chickening out. Avatar Wan was the best Avatar.

#TheBestWan #WanWithTheWorld #DoTheThingZhuLi #ThatsRoughBuddy.

If you enjoyed this article comparing who had the better series, Korra vs Aang, you’ll enjoy this article on the five funniest moments in anime ever. EVER.

Many of us at Digital Fox have lots of problems with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

And while we have all given our opinions in this article, no one can deny that at times, The Last Jedi was actually pretty deep. And that’s why today we’re going to be exploring the symbolism in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Having seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi earlier last week, I can’t help being disappointed. The main thing I’ve been telling everyone is that the movie was okay. But because it was okay, it was bad.

I just expected so much more from a Star Wars film, and ultimately, I felt let down. Hell at times, I was even bored, and surprised by how long the movie was dragged out. The fact that I was actually waiting for a Star Wars film to end is not a good sign. And the fact that I needed to pee for the last hour did not impact that decision dammit.

In any case, that’s not what this article is about. This article is about going into depth the symbolism in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which I believe can provide us with some clues about the trilogy’s future.

Also, I’m not holding back from spoiling the film, so only read this once you’ve gone and seen it!

Walking on Salt

the symbolism behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Whoever’s in charge of cinematography for The Last Jedi deserves an Oscar. Source: Lucasfilm

Do you all remember the final confrontation between Kylo and Luke during the Battle of Crait? During the lead up to their actual confrontation, director Rian Johnson makes a point to focus on their feet. Specifically, we see that as Kylo walks on the while salty surface of the planet, he leaves a trail of red tracks. On the other hand, Luke doesn’t seem to leave any tracks at all. In fact, wherever Luke walks, the environment seems to remain undisturbed.

And this symbolism serves several purposes. Firstly, it’s a reflection of both of their characters in the film; Luke remaining passive, while Kylo being totally unconcerned by the damage he inflicts in his quest for power. Secondly it shows their affiliations with the Force. Luke leaving no trace of his existence, is almost setting himself up to be united with the Force (which he does by film’s end). For Kylo, it appears that he has perhaps gone further down into the Dark Side than ever before.

This metaphorical play on the paths that Luke and Kylo lead perfectly sets up the next film. Showing us that who is the true villain of the series, and perhaps that Luke will lead an existence much like his former master, Obi-Wan.

Interestingly, this scene also fills in a potential plot hole. If Luke had been really there, fan-persons would be crying “well how come Luke didn’t leave any prints on Crait?!” Having Luke project his astral form to Crait means that he wasn’t actually there at all.

So yeah, that should have been the first clue hinting that Luke wasn’t on Crait. The other being the impossibility of him getting into the Rebel base. And how did he even know that they were on Crait? DAMMIT RIAN, GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS.

Luke and the Twin Sunset

Immediately following on from this conflict, we are met with the end Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi. In his final moments on the planet Ahch-To, Luke gazes at the setting suns where we hear John Williams’ ‘The Force Theme’ playing in the background. Wait… suns? There’s only been one sun on this planet?

But never fear fans who fear about plot inconsistencies! This was very much intended. At least I think so. And everyone else should think so once they hear me out.

During A New Hope, just before Luke is thrust into his hero’s journey; of finding old Ben-Kenobi, and learning that his father was a Jedi, all that good jazz, Luke was gazing at the twin sunset on his home planet Tatooine, where we as fans heard John Williams iconic thing for the first. Also, on a side note, I am genuinely surprised that Microsoft Word isn’t calling me out on Tatooine being a made up word.

Anywho, that entire scene in A New Hope is quite literally the beginning of Luke’s journey. It’s an iconic moment in the Star Wars franchise, and dare I say it, cinema. It’s only too fitting that Luke’s final moments be spent seeing a twin sunset, bringing his final arc full circle. Shut up, I’m not crying, you’re crying!

The Burning Tree

Now let me take you back to a time where Luke was about to burn the last/first Jedi texts. Before he’s about to commit this cultural crime, force-ghost Yoda comes in and shouts “lol, look at them books burn.”

In case you couldn’t tell, Yoda did not say that. Regardless, Yoda does the deed of burning down the entire tree housing the books, which really makes Luke’s goal to be the Last Jedi pointless. Let’s be real if Luke was really keen on being the Last Jedi, he would’ve burned those books years ago. But I ramble.

What stood out to me in this scene was the obvious comparison to the Burning Bush in the Old Testament. In Chapter three of Exodus, Moses comes across the famous burning bush, where he essentially converses with God for the first time. God instructs Moses to liberate the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and lead them to the land of Milk and Honey (Canaan). Fast forwarding quite a fair bit, while Moses did succeed in liberating the Israelites from slavery, he was not able to take them into Canaan.

Now stay with me, because this isn’t some elaborate ploy to indoctrinate Judeo-Christian theology. But how does all this relate to Star Wars? Well let’s compare Luke to Moses for the first part. Luke, when we see him in The Last Jedi is nearly as isolated from his home as Moses is when he meets God for the first time. And Luke, much like Moses, receives the ‘word’ from a power beyond life as we know it about where he stands in the universe, and what he must do. And what Luke must do is reignite the hope of the people living under the First Order’s tyrannical rule.

What does that imply for Star Wars Episode IX?

So the way I see it, it seems that director Rian Johnson is pegging those living under the First Order as biblical Israelites, and their land of Milk and Honey being liberation from the First Order.

But I mentioned previously that Moses was not the one who lead the Israelites into Canaan. His Right Hand Man (Alexander Hamilton plays in the distance) Joshua, is actually the one to carry on his legacy. But who is Joshua in Star Wars? Well if we’re looking for a person, that’d have to be Rey. She’s Luke’s successor, and is definitely The Last Jedi who’d be able to carry on his legacy.

But while Rey would be an excellent choice of a symbolic leader for the Resistance, much like Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, it makes more sense that the Resistance itself would be our Joshua. And that just makes a lot of sense. With Carrie Fisher (General Leia) passing away only this year, the third installment in the trilogy will need a new leader. And would you just look at that? Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) has had some pretty solid character development. Making him the ideal candidate of being THE Resistance Leader in the final installment of this trilogy.

Or I could have read into this way too much and the burning tree was just a burning tree.

The Trilogy is really about Rey

Coming out of The Force Awakens, everyone was in consensus that the film was about Rey. Quite literally, it was about the Force awakening in her. Now taking the entirety of film into perspective, I believe that The Last Jedi is also about Rey. While the trailers indicated that the last Jedi was referencing Luke, I believe the semantics of the word ‘last’ shifts the interpretation regarding the identity of the film’s true protagonist.

If we consider the word ‘last’ as in ‘end’, then obviously Luke is the last Jedi. It was set up from the trailer that he would be the last Jedi when he says ‘It’s time for the Jedi to end’. And boy was that compounded like there was no tomorrow during the ENTIRETY of the film.

But if we consider the word ‘last’ as being, the ‘last remaining’, then the identity of the true protagonist is Rey. Now many people will claim that Rey is not a full-fledged Jedi, but that’s a different article entirely. Rey is quite literally the last remaining Jedi standing. Everyone else is gone. Except for that one kid at the end of the film who was able to use the Force to get a broom – how cute though.

And with that interpretation in mind, not only is it clear that the film centres around Rey, just as much as The Force Awakens does, but it indicates something else. And that is that we can infer the fate of the last film based on its title. But for that we’ll just have to wait and see.

Do you agree with my analysis on the symbolism in Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Or am I a complete Jar-Jar who doesn’t have the faintest idea of what’s happening. Leave a comment down below, or tweet me @ElliMiller17 to keep the conversation going.

**Before it’s released, we thought you may need Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse explained. Strap yourselves in.**

Well if you guys haven’t seen already, Sony Pictures has released the first trailer for their upcoming animated Spider-Man film. It’s been known since the Marvel-Sony deal that brought Spider-Man into the MCU that this project was around, but it’s only today that we’re finally finding out what this film’s going to be about. And boy is it exciting! Because, ladies, gentlemen, and web-heads, the up and coming Spider-Man animated film is called: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Now if you have been reading the comics, this is huge news! We’re getting one of the grandest Spider-Man storylines which has ever been published! And don’t you worry because I’ll be sure to fill you in on what the hell is going on.

The Trailer Explained

But before we talk about the Spider-Verse, can we all just appreciate this trailer? The art is just so charming, and I love how they embed those classic comic-book action panels within the action sequences. That’s just an A⁺ on the creativity front right there.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Explained — PONK. Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment

But in any case, this trailer introduces us to our protagonist, Miles Morales (I’ll explain who that is a bit later don’t you worry) heading to the grave of Peter Parker. From there, we see several cuts of a jumping sequence, which would put even the Amazing Spider-Man 2 to shame. This is followed by some mid-air ‘hardcore parkour’, with Miles web-slinging, just before he reaches the ground. Then we see a chase sequence, followed by this Ultimate Spider-Man revealing to be our charming Black-Latino teen from Brooklyn. He doesn’t actually say that though, just to keep it clear.

Interspersed within the trailer we have the lines “Enter a universe / where more than one / wears the mask”. This is introducing us to the idea of the ‘multiverse’ which I will explain soon, don’t you worry.

So what can we learn from this trailer? Firstly, it looks like the film will be focusing on Miles Morales. Secondly, we’re going to be seeing the 2014 Spider-Verse story covered. And thirdly, the art and the music are going to be absolutely incredible, and that should be reason enough to watch this movie.

But who is Miles? What is this Spider-Verse I speak of? Well young Padawan, all will be revealed… now!

Miles Morales Explained

Miles Morales is just your basic teenager living in the Marvel Ultimate Universe. Much like Peter Parker, Miles gets bitten by a radioactive spider wherein he is endowed with great power. This great power includes but is not limited to: camouflage, increased agility, a stun blast of sorts, wall crawling, super strength, and all that nice jazz. But unlike Peter Parker, Miles rejects his great power. He only wants to be a normal teenager. And besides, no one really needs another Spider-Man on the scene.

But Peter Parker’s death in the Marvel Ultimate Universe drastically changes Miles’ outlook on his abilities. Realising that with his great power comes great responsibility, Miles decides to take on the mantle of Spider-Man. And that’s where we’re introduced to Miles Morales in Ultimate Comics Fallout #4.

Tl;dr – Miles is your basic teen who was also bitten by a radioactive spider who carries on the mantle of Spider-Man shortly after Peter Parker’s death.

And looking at the trailer, I believe we can expect to get some kind of ‘origins story’ for Miles. This being compounded by that brief still of Miles visiting Peter’s grave. As well, by Miles’ inexperience webbing around NYC, indicating that we’re catching up with him early on in his career.

Explaining the Multiverse

So having explained who Miles is, now you need to know about the multiverse. For all my science-read friends, bear with me for a moment as I try to explain what the hell this is. For everyone else, I hope that you know that we live in this big mass of space called the universe. Well if uni means one, and versus means turned (thank you Google), then universus means: combined into one, or whole.

And with that bit of condescension out of the way, the multiverse refers to the idea of there being an infinite amount of alternate realities. Comic book franchises often use this idea to explore and change up some characters and story lines.

When people refer to the ‘Old-Man Logan’ storyline, that’s referring to an alternate universe where Logan had killed all of the X-Men (by deception) allowing the Earth’s villains to take over America.

And when people talk about ‘Injustice’, that’s an alternate universe where the Joker deceived Superman into killing Lois Lane, which set off a chain of events leading to Superman becoming the world’s dictator.

Oh, and then there’s major events in both Marvel and DC where they realise that their publications are getting way out of hand, and they decide to reboot everything! This allows for our big companies to cull out some characters who aren’t selling too well, and can move everyone into one nice, neat universe. Some of the more notable times this has happened was in Marvel’s Secret Wars (there’s been a couple, the most recent occurring in 2015), and DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985).

So what’s the Spider-Verse?

The Spider-Verse refers to a 2014 storyline written by Dan Slott, and pencilled by Olivier Coipel and Giuseppe Camuncoli. There, the villain Morlun and his family, who dub themselves ‘the Inheritors’, systematically go through the multiverse (see the last paragraph) wiping out Spider-Wo/Men from existence.

To face this threat, Superior Spider-Man (this is an entire story that I don’t really have time to go into, but essentially Doc Oc put his mind in Peter Parker’s body, and decided, why not be a good guy? Complicated I know, just go with it) gathered an army of Spider-Wo/Men across the multiverse, forming the ‘Web-Warriors’ to take out the Inheritors.

So yep, that’s the storyline without going into the real nitty gritty. And to be perfectly honest, I’m pleasantly surprised that Sony is taking up this story. It’s such a large over-arching tale and has the potential of bringing in fan favourites like Spider-Gwen, Silk and Spider-Pig.

It also makes more sense that this story was adapted as an animate film, because it just wouldn’t be feasible to try and make it into a live-action movie. The visuals aren’t as restricted, and you can just allow the artists’ creativity to fly. Plus, we finally get to see a Spider-Man in a film who isn’t Peter Parker, so that’ll be refreshing!

Who’s heading the project?

Directing this film, we have Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey, followed by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Rodney Rotham handling the screenplay.

Peter Ramsey has previously directed Rise of the Guardians (which was pretty solid), and has been a storyboard artist for literally every film imaginable (Minority Report and Godzilla [1998] for just a few examples). Bob Persichetti has been the head of story on The Little Prince and Puss in Boots.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have of course worked together as directors on 21 and 22 Jump Street, as well as writing both Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The LEGO Movies.

Miles Morales will be voiced by Shameik Moore (The Get Down). Aaron Davis (Miles’ uncle), by Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage). And Jefferson Davis by Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta). Live Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) has also been cast, but as yet his role is still currently unknown.

While I’m really unsure as to why Donald Glover, who has voiced Miles Morales in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, isn’t voicing Miles, I have to say, I am very excited for this film.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is set to be released December 2018.

And if you have any more questions about Miles Morales, Spiderman, or anything Marvel or DC, hit me up on @ElliMiller17!

With all the superhero films in 2017 being released, we decided it was time to rank them!

I have literally waited a whole year to write an article, ranking 2017’s Superhero films. A year I tells ya! Because at the beginning of 2017, the hype around the upcoming superhero films was all too real. There was so much to look forward to at the beginning of this year. We were going to get Logan, Spiderman in the MCU, Wonder Woman, a sequel to the fantastic Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League!

But now the year is all done, and there are no more superhero movies to look forward. Having said that, we can still get excited for next year. Why? Well because we’re getting Black Panther, New Mutants, Infinity War, Deadpool 2, The Incredibles 2 (that counts right?), Ant-Man and the Wasp, Venom, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Sony’s Animated Spiderman Movie, and Aquaman. So yeah, the hype is still most certainly real!

But that doesn’t change the fact that there is a need to rank 2017’s Superhero films. And just a disclaimer, this list will only include Marvel and DC films, and still exclude The Lego Batman Movie. So that means we’re not including the Power Ranges or Captain Underpants, despite both being Superhero films.

And I can kind of tell already which spots will be agreed upon unanimously, and which will spark massive debate. As part of Digital Fox, we encourage you to provide your input, but please be respectful.

And without any further ado, let me present to you the Rank of 2017’s Superhero films.

6 – Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Ranking 2017’s Superhero films — Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Source: Marvel Studios

At the bottom of this list we have the much anticipated sequel of the legendary Guardians of the Galaxy. Many people would swear on the lives of their first-borns that Guardians of the Galaxy was by far the best Marvel movie. Period. Now while I may not be one of those people, I can definitely see where they’re coming from. Guardians provided a refreshing outlook on the superhero genre, which was definitely needed at that time.

But can you imagine the disappointment of having to compare Guardians 2 with the original? By Odin it’s a really, REALLY, mediocre movie. While there are some pretty funny lines, more oft than not the humour is just way too forced.

I reckon Guardians 2 in time will be compared to the likes of Iron Man 2 and The Matrix Reloaded, as sequels which fell far short of their predecessors.

But I ramble. While Guardians 2 was okay at best, it was without doubt the worst superhero film of 2017.

5 – Justice League

Now from here on, the list starts getting contentious. As a total disclaimer, I loved Justice League. It was incredibly enjoyable, filled with Easter Eggs and references that got me jumping in my seat. I loved Justice League so much, last night I actually stopped speaking midway in a conversation about the mitochondria to defend the film.

But while it’s a really enjoyable movie, it isn’t free from flaws, and objectively isn’t a good movie. We discussed this in length in several articles already (see here), but the reshoots and clumsy editing made Justice League very awkward. You could plainly tell which scenes were part of Snyder’s League and which were part of Whedon’s. The result being two different takes from two very different directors on one film. It’d be like trying to compare a coarsely glued together plate with other ‘whole’ plates. I think you get what I mean.

Having said that, Justice League is still better than Guardians 2. Because while I can’t say I was bored in Justice League, the same could not be said for Guardians 2.

Regardless, a compilation of editing issues, a CGI villain, and lacking a ‘whole’ film really stopped Justice League from advancing any further on this list.

4 – Wonder Woman

If this list wasn’t controversial already, it’s about to be starting NOW.

Can we all agree that Wonder Woman was better than Justice League, and Guardians 2? I believe we can. Wonder Woman has a complete hero’s journey, it’s funny, filled with accurate social commentaries, and has very solid chemistry between the two leads.

But it’s not perfect. The villains – and no I don’t mean Professor Lupin – were very one-dimensional, if not campy. Also, Professor Lupin, who in this film was called Sir Patrick, ended up becoming the CGI god Aries. And that was honestly the worst part of the film. If anyone can tell me how Wonder Woman actually beat Aries, that would be greatly appreciated because that final fight scene was beyond perplexing.

Also, I love Gal Gadot, I absolutely love her, but her acting wasn’t the best (please don’t kill me).

And while Wonder Woman is very enjoyable – in fact, it was one of the DCEU’s best films – it just missed out on claiming a higher spot on this list. And when I mean just, I really mean just.

3 – Thor: Ragnarok

Now I imagine that at this point, some people will be flipping over their laptops exclaiming “what in Thor is he on about!? Third place!? How dare he?! Wait till he hears what I have to say in the comments!”

But hear me out, because I do have a good reason as to why Ragnarok only comes in third in ranking 2017’s superhero films.

If you hadn’t gotten already, I’m a big fan of all the movies on this list. I loved them all (except Guardians 2, what a load of rubbish). And Ragnarok is no exception. I can’t say enough how much I love director Taika Waititi’s humour.

Ragnarok is a classic adventure movie. It has a prodigal daughter, a big pupperino, Taika Waititi as stone giant, Jeff Goldblum, Loki and Thor’s brotherly dynamic, and a surprise Matt Damon cameo (how good was that play scene though?).

I love everything about Ragnarok, but in the end it lacks depth. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes there are some very deep scenes. The main ones coming to mind is the elevator scene between Loki and Thor, as well when Thor realises that he’s the God of Thunder. So while it is a feel good adventure movie, the fact that it isn’t more serious at times stops it from being truly great.

And the last thing I have to say about that is that the best comedies explore very serious themes. Some of the best episodes of Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother were when they mixed comedy with tragedy, with the latter being somewhat lacklustre in Ragnarok.

2 – Spiderman: Homecoming

Yeah that’s right, Spiderman: Homecoming grabs second place when ranking 2017’s Superhero films. And why? Well there are a lot of reasons.

Firstly, Homecoming is much more relatable than Ragnarok. Thor’s adventures in Ragnarok are grand, exciting, heart-stopping, and of course hilarious. But ultimately, more people can relate to Peter Parker. If you can relate to a Norse God who goes around beating frost giants and dark elves, please hit me up so I can get in on that action though.

In any case, even as an adult you can relate to the challenges that Peter has in organising his life. He’s stuck between juggling his studies, social life, romantic life, family, and finally his ‘extra-curriculars’. While Thor’s adventures are amazing, it just doesn’t connect in the same way.

Secondly, Homecoming also has a fully formed hero’s journey, seeing the cocky youngster trying to prove himself, fail, and then prove himself again but actually succeed this time after learning some valuable lessons. So think Anakin Skywalker but better?

Finally, let’s not forget that Michael Keaton as the Vulture was probably the best villain on this list (so far). While Steppenwolf, Aries, and Hela could absolutely murder Peter in less than a microsecond, it was Adrian Toomes who terrified me the most. Nothing is more petrifying than Michael Keaton giving you that classic arched eyebrow, pointing a gun at you, saying he will mess you and everyone you love up. NOTHING.

And that is why Homecoming cracks the second spot in ranking 2017’s Superhero films.

1 – Logan

COULD IT HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER?!

I honestly don’t feel compelled to elaborate anymore about why Logan deserves the top spot as 2017’s best Superhero film. Logan had the best script, most detailed and developed characters, and the darkest themes. Remembering that closing shot is quite literally bringing tears to my eyes dammit.

Logan found us seeing the heroes that we grew up with, Wolverine and Professor X, dealing with deteriorating health, mortality, and the fate of their legacy. Logan had the perfect compilation, exploring deep themes, possessing a compelling story, and dealing with ‘world-ending’ events without really feeling that way. And if you don’t think that the extinction of mutants is world-ending then think again my friends.

Final Comments

And there we have it, the official ranking of 2017’s superhero films. But while I had a lot to say about these films, we want to hear what you all think. Leave a comment down below, or tweet me @ElliMiller17 to keep the conversation going.