FILM 10 - Avengers assemble

After Loki seals the infinitely powerful Tesseract from Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, the international peace keeping agency, Nick Fury sets in motion the project The Avengers, by joining Iron man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye to save the world from the powerful Loki and the alien invasion.

Even though this film contains many superheroes which is very different to the typical superhero genre film, there are still many of the normal conventions present:

Special powers - Each of the six superheroes possess some sort of power. Iron man has super strength as well as being lightweight enough to fly. Hulk, the scientists, also holds super strength . Thor is a god who has a hammer which shoots out lightning bolts, Captain America after being injected with super serum becomes s super soldier, Black widow is a spy working for the agency and Hawkeye is a master archer. Together these powers are lethal.

Moral - Each one of the avengers share the same main aim and moral which is to defeat Loki and to protect the earth. However, through each superhero it does change slightly as they have there own individual means as well. For example, Thor believes that Loki can be changed for the good and that he just needs convincing that he is actually good.

Headquarters - The headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D is actually destroys by Loki, however, Nick Fury gets an airship suited for them, and as it is able to move, making it easier for them to search for the Tesseract.

Identity -  Five of the avengers keep their identity a secret by wearing a costume or masks. Except for Thor, as he is a God and isn't from Earth he doesn't need a secret identity. For Bruce (Hulk) it is much harder for him to keep his identity a secret as he can't control when he becomes Hulk.

Achilles Heel - From all of the previous films for each superhero, we know they they all have their own weaknesses. However they have each other to rely on and with the help of each other they can get past these weaknesses in the end.

Rogues Gallery - In the Avengers, it is Loki who is the main enemy along side Chitauri, who works with Loki. The avengers must assemble and help defeat Loki and the Chitauri to get back the tesseract.

Back story - As each of the avengers already have there own back stories there isn't really a main back story within this film. However, Hawkeye and Black widow have only been seen in small parts of the superhero films and we get a little snippet into there own back stories, as it is revealed that they used to fight alongside other teams.

Due to the amounts of action filled scenes and violence, stereotypically, the film would be said to appeal more to the teen male generation. Also the fact that it contains six of the famous superheroes means that it would gain more appeal to those who have previously seen other superhero films to root for there favourite superheroes. I think that the film would appeal to all ages as it has a lot to offer. The female audience is hooked in due to the fact that one of the avengers is a female, which is very rare within the superhero genre. Those who maybe have never seen any superhero films and are uncertain to who he avengers are, may not be appealed as much.

The most obvious binary opposition would be the good V's evil. As we have the avengers coming together to fight Loki and Chitauri and save the world as well as to win back the Tesseract. As we have so many superheroes it makes the fight more interesting.


Gender stereotypes are reinforced as there is only one female superhero out of six. However, the Black widow doesn't lack power as she is cunning and sly and extremely intelligent. As she is the only powerful women, it still shows that the gender stereotype is being reinforced, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, the antagonist, and the five other avengers are seen to be more powerful and are male. She also holds no super power compared to the other avengers who do. However, this could show that you don't need a super power to be successful and powerful. From previous superhero films where the women has been seen as weak, and in need of saving, this is challenged by the Black widow as she is not weak.

Overall the film entertains it's target audience by bringing the well know superheroes together for the first time. People will want to see there favourite superhero amongst the others. The intense fighting scenes also brings appeal also bringing with it suspense and tension as well as excitement as we root for the avengers and  wait in suspense to see if they have been able to defeat Loki and save the world. The role of the Black widow is important as it brings the female audience, as well as challenging the gender stereotypes as we see a powerful and intelligent female hero who isn't just on the sidelines. The use of humour also entertains and prevents the film from becoming too serious or boring and causing the audience to laugh, making it more enjoyable for the audience.

FILM 9 - Superman returns

After a long time in space, looking for the remains of planet Krypton, Superman finally returns to Earth. He finds out the Earth has lost hope in him as a saviour whilst he has been gone. On his return he reunites with his lover Lois Lane, who now has a son, but whose son is it? Superman fights the evil in the form of Lex Luther. Can humanity restore there faith in Superman? And will he save the world?

Superman Returns follows the usual genre conventions:

Super Powers - Superman is able to fly, has super strength, he is able to reverse time, as well as having a beam out of his eye which could repair damaged structures.

Secret Identity - Superman is able to live not only his superhero life, but also a life of his own. His other identity being, Clark Kent and is a reporter. He is able to keep his identity a secret, which enables him to keep his family an friends safe from his enemies.

Achilles heel - One weakness of Superman's is his family and his love interest, Lois Lane who now has a child, which we find out later on in the film that the child is actually Superman's. He goes to extreme measures to keep them both safe no matter what they say. Another weakness would be the sensitivity he has to kryptonite which causes him to lose his strength.

Moral - Superman uses his extraordinary powers to help save the Earth. The fact that he uses them against evil and to save the Earth is the main moral in the film.

Costume - Superman sports a blue, tight fitting bodysuit  and wears red pants over the top, which is where the stereotypical look tends to origin from. He also sports a red cape with the logo of the superman.

Rogues gallery - Lex Luthor is the main enemy within superman returns. Luthor is out with his evil plans to submerge the USA, using crystals he stole to create new land which he can con billions of dollars out of the people who want to live there.

Superman returns is generally a family film as it is very moderate in the language used and there aren't necessarily any explicit scenes. The violence and gore is limited as only a few shootings take place, it doesn't show anyone dying but leaves you to assume that cops did die, which young children may not pick up on. There are a few more violent scenes which may be slightly upsetting for younger viewers foe example, when Lex Luthor and his men kick Superman who has been made sick and weak from the Kryponite poisoning. He is then stabbed in the back. There is generally something for both male and females. Also those who were interested in the previous superman film, will be intrigued to watch this one to see what happens after.



The binary oppositions present in Superman Returns is the obvious good V's Evil. Superman has to defeat Lex Luthor to save the World from his evil plans of exploiting hundreds and submerging the USA. He goes to extreme lengths in order to do this and thinks about those most important to him in the process, more than himself.

The film does reinforce gender stereotypes as the main superhero is male, who is the one who seems to have the power as well as Lex Luther, the other main character to have power who is also male. There are times in the film where Lois Lane, the female main character needs saving, even when she tells Superman that she doesn't need him, she is still on he sidelines and when she is captured by Lex Luthor, does need Superman to save her. However, in this film, the female character is much more involved than in many other superhero films. Just from the trailer we can see that Lois appears many times throughout and has quite a big part within the film.

There are many factors within the film which are entertaining for the target audience. Tension is built up throughout, as there are time that we don't know whether Superman has survived, leaving us in suspense waiting to find out. Also the fact that it turns out that Lois' child is actually Superman's which is a shocking moment for many and also leaves us thinking what will happen afterwards, Along with it being a heartfelt moment within the film. The fighting scenes would also appeal to a wide range of the target audience, even though they aren't massively violent or gory, it is enough to be a good family film. Within the fighting scenes we are left in suspense wondering whether Superman will pull through as well as giving us someone to root for, enabling the audience to be more involved in the film.

FILM 8 - Iron man

Tony Stark, an engineering genius, CIO of the successful Stark Industries, whilst in Afghanistan, is captured and wounded. His captors want him to assemble a missile for them. He stays with them for three months and develops a powerful armoured suit which he uses for his escape back to the U.S. He soon announces that his company will stop making weapons and he continues to work on his armoured suit. He soon finds out that his second in command at Stark Industries, Obadiah Stane, has been selling Stark weapons to the insurgents. He returns to Afghanistan with his updated armoured suit to destroy the arms and to stop Stane from misusing his research.

Iron man follows the usual superhero genre conventions by:

Ordinary person gaining super powers - The armoured suit is what provides Tony Stark with his powers.  enables him to resist ammunition. It also enables him to fly. It also enables him to shoot bolts from his hands and flares out of his shoulders.

Moral - Tony goes through a huge transformation. At the start we see him as lazy and careless as instead of going to his award ceremony he plays poker. However, at the end of the film we see that he has developed having gone trough events which have made him determined to save the world using his intelligence.

Costume - Tony Stark sports a red and gold armoured suit made out of titanium alloy. It enables him to fly, resist ammunition, as well as shooting laser bolts out of his hands and sending out flares from his shoulders.

Secret identity - At the start of the film nobody but Tony himself, know about is identity, however it isn't before long that Pepper finds out. After a fight with Obadiah, he reveals his identity to everyone at a press conference, no longer keeping his Iron Man identity a secret.

Financial support - Being a son of a billionaire give Tony Stark advantages as he uses this to make his armoured suit. Without this financial support, it may not have been possible.

Rogues Gallery - Tony Stark has to fight against what are called the Ten Rings; a terrorist group that captures him for him to make them weapons. And of course his other enemy is Obadiah, his second in command. Obadiah sells the weaponry to insurgents and so Tony has to stop him.

Achilles Heel - A weakness of Iron Man is when, Obadiah steals the arc reactor out of him causing him to almost die.

On a survey from
http://bobbiebrowng324.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/iron-man-audience-profile_25.html we can see that the majority people to watch Iron Man were aged 15-24 and 65% of these were male. So, generally aimed at the teenage plus age, and male due to the intense fighting scenes and weaponry. Also, as it is a comic, the comic book readers may be slightly older and they would want to watch to see how they have made their comic book come to life.

The Binary oppositions within the film include, firstly the obvious good V's evil, Iron man having to defeat Obadiah, after selling weaponry to the insurgent. Also the idea of the America V's Arab military. The Americans being the good ones and the Arabs being the evil ones for kidnapping Tony. It isn't before long that Tony defeats them and Obadiah on his own with his weapons.

In Iron Man, gender stereotypes are reinforced. The main character being male who is strong and powerful and involved in fighting. He is given a playboy status as he flirts with the female characters. One of the lead females, Pepper Potts, is seen working alongside Iron Man and knows his secret, which in most superhero films it is the female friend or female love interest that is sworn to secrecy of the superheroes identity. At the end of the film, Tony protects Pepper, using six agents, whilst he goes off to fight.

Iron Man entertains it's target audience throughout, through the intense fight scenes, creating immense tension and keeping the audience wanting more. It is packed with action which would keep the attention of the teen males. The weaponry involved would also interest the audience. Some scenes are also there to shock the audience for example when Iron Man (Tony Stark) reveals his identity to everyone at the press conference, it isn't typically what happens within the superhero genre usually which brings something slightly different to the genre.

FILM 7 - Thor

The Reckless Thor, son of Odin is cast down to Earth from the fantastic realm of Asgard for his arrogance.When sent down to Earth he is forced to live amongst humans to teach him much needed lessons. Whilst on Earth his new-found strength comes in handy a a villain from his homeland sends dark forces down to Earth. Thor's love for scientist; Jane Foster, along side his lessons of humility transform him into a real hero, saving Earth from destruction.

The general superhero conventions present in Thor are:

Powers - Even though Thor doesn't gain powers as an ordinary person and instead represents more of a God, he still has powers which help him along on his journey. He is super strong as well sending lightning bolts out of his hammer. However, when Thor is sent down to Earth, his powers are gone and he is only left with the hammer. Without his power of super strength he isn't actually able to lift the hammer. Once Thor has proved himself when he chooses to save his friends lives, he regains the power and he is able to use the hammer.

Achilles Heel - Without his Hammer, Thor is powerless as he is unable to fight to his best ability. However, when he is regained the power to use his hammer, we see him become successful once again.

Moral - Thor believes it is his duty to protect the Earth when Dark forces are being sent down from Asgard.

Back story - The back story to Thor is when Thor is growing up in Asgard and with Loki his brother. When Loki discovers that he is adopted he sets out on revenge, sending dark forced down onto Earth.

Secret Identity - As he is a God he doesn't have a "secret" identity.  

Rogues Gallery - Thor has to protect Earth from his own brother, Loki. After finding out he was adopted he turns against everyone, including Thor. He sends down dark forces to Earth and at the end Loki is defeated by Thor.

Costume - Thor's costume involves a metal suite and a red cape. His hammer is also a trademark of his.

Within the film there is lack of sex and nudity meaning it is suitable for more younger teenagers. The violence involved indicates that the target audience would mainly be teenage males, as fantastic combat scenes are involved. The gore isn't explicit and very little blood is shown so again isn't unsuitable for those slightly younger. For some young children, the Frost Giants may be scary. The film is slightly unrealistic and so won't be as upsetting, however the fight scenes take place on Earth and some of the cars crashing might be upsetting in a real-world way.

The binary oppositions present in this film are as follows. First the good V's evil, this is the most obvious binary opposition as we see the battle between Thor and his brother; Loki. Thor has to protect the Earth from the Evil Loki's dark forces. As well as fighting off the Ice Giants. Another Binary opposition is the idea of God V's the human, it represents the strength and power of the Gods as when Thor's powers are taken away from him e is left weaker and unable to fight to his usual ability, he becomes just like any other human, weak and defenceless. Also the representation of the hot v's the cold as Thor is able to defeat the Ice Giants using the lightning bolts from his hammer, being a weakness to the Ice Giants.

Thor does reinforce gender stereotypes as even though the main female role of Jane Foster is a key part in Thor's development on Earth and the key part to why he wants to save Earth, she has no part in any fighting scenes as well as having no power. She is classed as weak and defenceless. The main characters, Thor and Loki are male and are seen as strong and powerful at certain points in the film. Also, the women on Asgard are represented as powerful they aren't really involved in the film.

Overall, the film entertains it's target audience, by introducing a completely different world into the film. It doesn't just take place on Earth but in a more powerful and God like place, almost bringing to mind the idea of ancient Gods, myths and old Greek legends, straight away offering something different to the genre, making it much more interesting. Tension is built throughout as well as being able to leave the audience in suspense, at times for example when Thor loses his powers and he is left weak and defenceless it makes us wonder if he will be able to save Earth and ever regain his powers. Also when we find out that his own brother is going against him and sending evil forces down to Earth make us feel emotions of anger and hatred for him as well as making us wonder if Thor will be able to defeat his brother. It is also interesting how we see Thor develop as a character as we see him become more aware of the world as well as becoming a better person.

FILM 6 - The Incredible Hulk

After a  gamma ray experiment going wrong, Dr. Bruce Banner, transforms into a giant green-skinned hulk, whenever his pulse rate heightens. He scours the town looking for an antidote. Meanwhile a soldier uses the same technology to become an evil version of the original and Banner must save the city.

The Incredible Hulk follows the usual superhero genre conventions: 

The idea of the superhero saving the town/city from the evil - In the Incredible Hulk, Banner must save the city from Blonsky.

Back-story - Banner was a scientist who was working on an experiment on how gamma radiation could reduce healing time for soldiers, however when involving himself in one of the gamma tests, he is transformed into the incredible hulk, an incredibly strong, green creature.

Moral - Betty Ross, is Banners love interest in the film. However, being who he has become forces them apart. He does all he can do make sure that she is safe and so realises to do this, he has to protect the city from all evil.

Ordinary person gaining super powers - When his pulse rate increases, Banner transforms into a green skinned creature, with incredible strength and a fierce nature to him.

Secret identity - Banner cannot control himself when he transforms from Banner to the Hulk and so even though he tries to keep his identity a secret sometimes it is impossible.

Rogues Gallery - The US Government try and capture the Hulk in order to use him as warfare, however later on when he returns to the city, we realise that Blonsky is the main threat and the Hulk must save the town from Blonsky who has been injected with super soldier serum as well as banners blood causing him to mutate.

Costume - He does transform into something different to what he would usually look like, however, he doesn't actually have a costume and instead transforms into a green, strong creature.

As the Incredible Hulk is a comic it would appeal to the comic fans. Also male teenagers due to the many fighting and violent scenes involved. There are scenes of people getting shot, and lots of explosions. But nothing that will be too upsetting for children, therefore making it a good family film. However, the transformations may scare younger children. Overall, there seems to be something for everyone.

The binary oppositions present, are of the transformation from Banner to the Hulk, Banner comes across as this calm, kind and caring person but when he transforms into the Hulk, he becomes aggressive and strong. Another binary opposition is good V's evil. In the Incredible Hulk, Bonsky; the evil, is destructive and ruining the town, whilst the Hulk is out to do some good and save the town from Bonsky.

The film does contain gender stereotypes, as the only female character stays on the sidelines and does need rescuing. The Hulk (Banner) feels as though he has to save her as well as the town. The main characters in the film are male and they are the ones involved in all the fighting and action whilst the women stand back waiting, instead of joining the men and fighting.

The film aims to entertain the target audience by having many fighting and action scenes which leave tension and suspense, as well as being thrilling. The Hulk gives us someone to root for within the fighting. Also the idea that Banner transforms into a completely different person also creates suspense, as he is a completely different character when he has transformed, we see two sides of him that are completely different. Blonksy also creates entertainment for the audience, as we know how dangerous he can be and we want the Hulk to be able to save the city from such destruction.

FILM 5 - The Dark Knight Rises

Eight year later, a new terrorist leader is on the loose, Bane. Its the Dark Knights mission to intervene and assist the police force to once again protect Gotham City.

The Dark Knight rises, follows the typical superhero conventions, including:

Ordinary person gaining powers - Wayne doesn't necessarily have any "super" powers as such. He is much weaker than he was previously as well as older. He walks with a stick which may hold him back, however, he still holds his old "Powers" of wealth and intelligence. Also, the fact that he has such high-tech gadgets helps him to gain success.

‎”This city needs Bruce Wayne, your resources, your knowledge. It doesn’t need your body, or your life. That time has passed.”

- Alfred, The Dark Knight Rises

Moral -  At first, after witnessing his parents brutal murder, he sets out to seek revenge However, on his trip to Asia, he realises that there is much more than revenge and instead set out to do some good to the City of Gotham. Throughout all the Batman films, this same moral is portrayed, which is a key moral within the film.

Financial support - Despite being wealthy, in this third film, it seems that Wayne is in debt.

Headquarters - Just like in the previous films, his headquarters is positioned under his mansion. This is where his batmobile is stationed as well as his other gadgets and costume.

Secret Identity - As he is protective over those he is close to, he continues to keep his identity a secret, so that loved ones don't come to no harm. He realises that being two supposedly different people, he can get away with a lot, as well as carrying on being himself when Batman ends.

Achilles heel - The weaknesses to Batman in this film would have to be the fact that he easily trusts people, which leads him to trouble. Selina tricks Wayne into getting captured by Bane, where he is left to have to escape.

Costume - Batman near enough looks similar to how he does in the previous Batman films. He wears a tight fitting, black costume and black cape. He also accompanies a utility belt and the bat motif on his chest.

Rogues Gallery - The enemy in The Dark Knight Rises is Bane. It is Ra al Ghul's mission to destroy Gotham and it's up to Bane to do this.

Due to the film being full of action and violence, the target audience may be more towards male teenagers. The casting and look of Cat-woman also may appeal to teenage males. It may also be targeted towards those who have enjoyed the previous Batman films however, it is easy to understand without watching previous batman films. The film is not graphically violent and blood is not shown to the extreme, but the fighting and beatings are strong and therefore can upset some people, especially those younger. The film is very dark, including several hostage situations, intense depictions of terrorism and anarchy and complete absence of law and order. These frightening and intense scenes again may not be suitable for younger viewers.

One of the main obvious binary oppositions is good V's evil. Wayne representing the good and saving Gotham from the evil, and Bane representing evil, wanting to destroy Gotham. Another binary opposition, is the weak V's the strong. Bane is powerful and strong , especially compared to Wayne, who isn't as strong as before and struggles to gain strength, having to train for weeks.

There are gender stereotypes within the film. The main characters, are male however the two female charcters, Tate and Selina, have powerful roles within the film, and play key parts.Selina is a key part within Waynes unsuccessful attempts to start with, however this changes and soon she becomes a key part within his success towards the end of the film. Tate comes across as innocent throughout the film, but it isn't before long that we realise that actually she plays a massive part in the destruction of Gotham.

The film builds up tension throughout, keeping the audience wanting more, and gripping to their seats in suspense. When Wayne is captured and has to escape we are left in suspense and rooting for Wayne to escape and get back to saving Gotham. We know however, that Wayne is weak which causes us to feel even more tension as we are unsure of what the outcome will be. The intense action and fighting scenes are another way in which the film keeps the targeted audience entertained. The film is full of action packed intense fighting  which will of course be entertaining especially the targeted male teens. Also, the female roles within the film are interesting from Tate and Selina as they play important parts in the film and keeps us in suspense, especially when we find out that Tate is actually Ra's al Ghuls daughter.

FILM 4 - Fantastic four

                                               


In this fantastic, action packed superhero film, four people are changed forever and they are fantastic. When an experimental space voyage goes wrong, four people are hit by cosmic rays giving them each immense abilities hence the title"The Fantastic four". They go out on a mission to defeat Victor Von Doom who also has been affected by the cosmic rays, and foil his evil plans.



Usually in superhero films there is only one superhero, in Fantastic four there are four superheroes which generally doesn't fit in with the usual convention. However, there are still many aspects which do follow the typical expectations, which include:

Ordinary people gaining super powers - In Fantastic four, four ordinary people are hit by cosmic rays ultimately giving them each significant powers. Reed Richards, inventor and leader of the group gains the ability to stretch his body, and takes the name Mr. Fantastic. Sue Storm (Reeds girlfriend), gains the ability to turn invisible as well as create force fields, and takes the name The Invisible woman. Johnny Storm (Sue's younger brother), gains the ability to control fire, including covering his whole body with a flame. Pilot, Ben Grimm is turned into a super-strong rock creature . They use their unique powers to defeat the evil plans of Doctor Victor Von Doom.

Moral - Each of the Fantastic four have to use their powers to do some good. They are all risking their own lives to help others and to help defeat Victor Von Doom. They realise they have most likely been given powers for a reason "What if we got these powers for a reason" and act upon this. As Fantastic four involves four superheroes instead of just one, it also promotes working together as a team.

Costume - Each one of them wears tight fitted blue clothing. They also sport the Fantastic four logo which represents them as the Fantastic four.

Idea of the Super hero saving the town/city from the super villain - The Fantastic four have to use their extraordinary powers in order to fight evil (Victor Von Doom) before he puts his plans into action.

Achilles Heel -  When The Thing accidentally creates a traffic accident this could push them back slightly as it caused lots of lost lives. Also the fact that the four are so close such as Sue and Johnny being siblings and Sue and Reed being a couple this could cause complications and present weaknesses when it comes to decision making.

Regularly involved in physical and strategic combat - As people with the ability to prevent evil forces, they are always on the go and commonly take part in lots of action throughout the film. They have to also come to some intelligent decisions a long the way causing them to think about what they need to do and work as a team.

Fantastic Four doesn't contain any major disturbing scenes such as sex and nudity and the language is moderate and so is mainly aimed at young viewers around the age of 12-18.  It is likely to be aimed at young teenagers and above. Overall it is rated a 12, and does contain moderate fight scenes, and some frightening scenes for younger viewers, for example the scene where The Thing, accidentally creates a traffic accident on a bridge, a responding fire truck falls of a bridge and a wrecked vehicle breaks out in flames, threatening many.

One main binary opposition would be the idea of good v's evil, the four have to fight against the evil Victor Von Doom using their powers for good uses. Also the idea of female v's male; there comes scenes where Sue has to go it alone and fight Victor Von Doom which brings tension to the film.

The fact that one of the superheroes is a woman, takes away some concepts of gender stereotypes, because instead of the female just being the love interest and waiting to be saved, obviously in Fantastic Four, Sue is a superhero and all part of the saving just like the men. However, the fact that the men are given more powerful roles and powers doesn't banish the gender stereotypes fully.

Fantastic Four has has varying reviews from some saying it really is fantastic to many others expressing how bad it actually is. However, for the targeted audience of young teenagers, forgetting the obvious flaws to the film such as lack of character development, there are many entertaining scenes throughout. The fact that the film doesn't take itself so seriously and is more of a fun film straight away proves to be entertaining for the target audience. The special effects are also interesting for example when The Torch "Flames On" you can almost feel the heat coming our of the screen. The fact that is bought a long with it many emotions, it can be funny, heart rending, intense and dramatic all at different points creating an even balance throughout. The fighting and action scenes, although not the most dramatic, for the target audience were just spot on.