The Overall Theme Of Heroes And Superheroes In Film

Heroes willfully put their own life in the place of someone else’s. In other words, a hero risks their life for another person because they wish to benefit the society they live in. This creates a more superior society for the

Superheroes have been around in the world since as long as we can remember and have become popular day by day, and year by year. The concept of superheroes saving mankind from evil or any other threat has appealed to an extensive amount of the population, especially after what has happened during 9/11. This is because people suddenly wanted escapism into a different world where the hero always triumphed and where distinctions between good and bad were easy to recognize. The public liked to see the fact that there is a savior out there, a hero who can defend the city and keep it from any form of trouble or threat. Even though this can’t be enforced in realty, the fact that there is a hero out there whose duty is to protect the city has performed as a comforter for many people and has made them feel more secure in today's world. Today, modernized special

I believe we as a society are intrigued with shows like Dexter because they allow us a temporary escape from reality. A reality in which we witness injustices occur in our court systems such as a legal loop hole allowing a guilty person to essentially walk free and justice not being served for the victim. I will attempt to explain why these characters are thriving as pop culture icons.

This is almost the direct opposite approach that The Avengers took which perhaps conveys how much the public’s emotions changed in those seven years between 2005 and 2012. One of the major shifts since 9/11, evident in both The Dark Knight Trilogy and the slew of Marvel Studios films such as The Avengers and the Iron Man Trilogy (2008-2013), are that superheroes are now longer unstoppable gods, but instead are presented as flawed, traumatised and unsure about themselves who suffer setbacks and defeats yet nevertheless continue to do what is necessary for the safety of the world. This is an overt reference to the post-9/11 mind-set of moving on and still doing what must be done against terrorism. This is most exemplified in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (2013) in which, instead of being presented as an idealistic, patriotic God, Superman is instead portrayed as a naïve and damaged human who just happens to have these extraordinary powers. Furthermore, Zod, the antagonist, causes much destruction in Metropolis, which very much resembles

“Clearly, through all of the cases and conditions, Superman is obviously a moral character. He helps those who cannot help themselves and to the best of his abilities does all he can to stop the spread of suffering in Metropolis region and around the world.” (Vendrick, "Superhero Ethics: Superman")

Many people think Batman and Superman are heroes because of their bravery and daring personalities but they are not true and honorable heroes. True and honorable heroes have to sacrifice for others, have good intentions to their actions, and make a difference in other’s lives. Others may argue that there is more to a hero than those traits or that you only need one of the traits but you can’t be a hero without all three traits even if you have other good traits to make up for it.

Batman and Superman are DC’s most valuable super heroes. They fight crime, help those in need, and protect their cities. Truly that is hero, someone we should look up to. Or is it? Today I was tasked with deciding whether or not, Batman and Superman do more harm than good as role models and cultural icons. I have come to the conclusion that they do more harm than good. It’s important to note that I will be basing most of my information on the Superman and Batman movie. I have 3 main reasons why I believe this, 1 they are not relatable, 2 they solve their problems through violence, and 3 they are very dark. Let’s begin with point one.

Superman, a man that has set the tone for heroism with his superstrength, superspeed, and his other incredibly cool powers. But in order to be a superhero, you don’t need any superpower except for a good attitude and being willing to help. People can be called a hero by someone and a villain by another for several reasons like religion, deeds or their job. But regardless to what peole say, you could still be a hero to someone.

America’s current socio-political events and values are reflected through the film industry’s portrayal of superheroes. Annika Hagley writes a very convincing argument regarding this theory in her article “America’s need for superheroes has lead to the rise of Donald Trump.” Post 9/11, it has become increasing clear that the issues and values held dear to most Americans are now being portrayed on the big screen. Fighting back at the “enemy” and uniting as one are some of the messages in the background of superhero films released after the attacks on the twin towers. Today, the USA is more divided; just like the superheroes that have been on the silver screen in recent months. In continuation, America’s allowances for overly violent superheroes and everything said superheroes stand for, are simply just reflections of their own socio-political views and values. It is this allowance that has lead to the rise of Donald Trump.

A psychologist named Phillip Zimbardo said, “I 'm saying to be a hero is means you step across the line and are willing to make a sacrifice, so heroes always are making a sacrifice. Heroes always take a risk. Heroes are always deviant. Heroes always doing something that most people don 't and we want to change - I want to democratize heroism to say any of us can be a hero.” As a child, I watched cartoons and movies that have protagonist being a hero with superpowers. When in reality heroes don’t have the superpowers like the one in television. Everyone has their own perspective of what a hero is. I never really had a hero to look up to it’s more like a role model or someone whom I look up to. A hero is as an individual or a network of people that take action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of integrity or a moral cause. Heroes take risks and help others without the expectation of material gain. Heroes are people whom we admire or look up to. They are viewed as role models. Heroes’ qualities are having courage, willingness to sacrifice, humility, and wisdom.

The duty of superheroes to others in need of help is just a minor part of this movie. (Bannon, 2013) stated some character’s lifestyles cannot even socially connect to a normal civilization and helping humankind is not their priority. It is like when The Comedian tells Dr. Manhattan that he could have stopped him using his power when he killed the pregnant woman in Vietnam (Gordon & Snyder, 2009). It can also be debated that the moral code of some may be classified as moral nihilist due to their disregard of human life in the process of their vigilante conducts. The Comedian’s view that everything is a joke clearly explains this and his deeds.

Not all heroes are like Batman or Superman, they don’t have superpowers, or fancy gadgets to help them fight crime. Some heroes are just ordinary people living ordinary lives. Some heroes become heroes by simply being in the right place at the right time, or they just feel the need to help better the lives of others. There are some heroes that believes that they should get rewarded for helping out. For, a hero to be defined as a hero should not seek to gain rewards. A hero should stay humble, should want to help others, and be satisfied with helping out other.

I have chosen these two particular Superhero films because these two are my favourite Superhero films of all time, I never get tired of them and love exploring and learning new things about them. Their graphics and new elements that come along with every new film really fascinates me. Observing how many details and elements of the films differ and change throughout the each film is very interesting and something I personally look forward to. These two specific Superhero films differ to a large extent yet still have a lot of similarities and also show the audience just how much technology has evolved through the years.

The animated film released by Disney animation studios centers on Hiro, a hyper-intelligent 14 year old boy. The plot is based on the fact that his older brother, Tadashi dies in a fire while attempting to rescue what eventually is revealed as the antagonist. One recurring theme, vigilantism, presents itself in a manner which creates over-simplistic characters that do not address situations of anarchism in a productive manner. Notably, the first occurrence of vigilantism ends with Tadashi’s death; and while it presents the idea that acts of heroism can run awry, the rest of the movie contrasts this by favoring vigilantism. When Hiro makes the decision to attempt to save Abigail, he does not take his brother’s death into consideration when

A superhero’s main characteristic is to be able to a unique individual which will separate them from being categorized with the typical other “heroes”. Coogan states that a “superhero” is an individual that exemplifies the three main characteristics mission, power and identity. A unique superhero must have a mission that involves the main motive to save civilians without there being any personal gain from this experience. Coogan states that without this personal mission that this “superhero” would just be a ordinary person that would be an extremely helpful in the event of a dilemma. A unique superhero must posses these extraordinary but mystical powers that reflect their human identity or personality. These powers have been greatly exaggerated