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.

FILM 3 - Batman Begins

After Bruce Wayne brutally loses both of his parents, he focusses on getting revenge, however fate takes its cause and this chance gets taken away from him. He returns to Gotham City where he realises that it has become a dangerous place, full of crime and destruction. He feels as though he needs to help protect Gotham.

The typical genre conventions in Batman Begins include: 

Super abilities - Batman doesn't possess any super "powers" like most super heroes, however he does hold some special abilities and skills which make him powerful. He has the ability to intimidate those around him by being mysterious. He has the wealth as well as being brainy, which together work well to succeed as Batman.

Secret identity - Bruce Wayne keeps his identity a secret so that his enemies don't find out who he is. However, just like in numerous other superhero films, the superhero swears secrecy upon to another character, in this case, Bruce, tells only Alfred his secret.

Moral - The main moral to Batman Begins is the idea that Batman wants to use his abilities to serve some good. He wants to help to protect Gotham City in it's times of crisis.

Costume - Batman sports a well known costume for fans to recognise him by. As well of course to hide his identity in the film. He wears tight fitting, black clothing as well as a mask which covers his face. He sports a black cape as well as a utility belt containing numerous utilities which come in handy.

Headquarters - Also to keep his identity a secret, he has a headquarters hidden away.

Back story - The back story to the film, goes all the way back to when he was only a child and as he witnesses the murder of his parents.

Achilles heel - One of his weaknesses is his secret identity being revealed. He also is very protective of his family which can sometimes get in the way of his main aim.

Batman begins is rated a 12 and does contain violence, drugs, smoking and drinking scenes as well as mentions of sex. Due to this, we can tell that Batman Begins is more aimed at the teenage age and above. With the action and violence you could say that it would be more enjoyable for males, however, I don't necessarily think that it is the case. A survey on http://bobbiebrowng324.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/batman-begins-audience-profile.html presented the findings that the main age group to watch Batman Begins was age 15-24 suggesting that the main audience is the teenage and young adults. 58% of males watched the film whilst 42% were female so there isn't too much difference within the genders.

Bruce Wayne: They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. But the night my parents were murdered I caught a glimpse of something. I’ve looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge… Me.










The binary oppositions within Batman Begins is the rather obvious one. We see that before Bruce Wayne becomes Batman and before his parents are murdered, he is young and innocent and seems happy, whereas afterwards he becomes more sinister and mystifying. He carries around a sense of foreboding and mystery. Also the good v's the evil. In Batman Begins, the good and evil aren't as noticeable at first as Batman himself seems to come across as quite intimidating and violent, just like his enemies. However, we soon realise that it is a part of his personality and really he is doing what he believes is right for Gotham City.


Gender reinforcements are present in Batman Begins as he does have a lover interest who doesn't get involved in the fighting and would much rather wait around to be saved and waits for Batman to fight.

There are many parts to the film which create an highly entertaining movie, for the audience. The intense violence and action scenes for one keep us gripped and create tension wanting us to keep on watching and wanting more. The gadgets used are also interesting especially the batmobile which performs some extraordinary stunts and is thrilling to watch. The whole persona of Batman himself is also somewhat entertaining as he is full of mystery from what he wears to how he combats his enemies.

FILM 2 - Captain America

Captain America, the worlds first avenger is a superhero film about Steve Rogers, who gets rejected from joining the army as he is deemed unfit for military service. When a top secret research project is held he volunteers, resulting in him becoming Captain America, a superhero dedicated to helping the USA, with the strength of the army, in just one man. Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organisation, led by Red Skull.

The genre conventions present in this film include:

Ordinary person gaining their powers - Steve Rogers starts out as an ordinary person, however after being denied the opportunity to fight in war he volunteers to be a part of a project to become a super soldier. He is injected with serum, causing him to develop super powers such as; super strength and an indestructible shield.

Secret Identity - Steve Rogers' superhero name is Captain America, which is his secret identity. America doesn't know exactly who he is, however a small amount of people do.

Moral - From the very start we can see that Steve Rogers is someone who stands up for what he believes in. Being rejected doesn't stop him and even though he goes through some tough times he always gets back up and becomes a stronger person and never gives up.

Back story - The back story gives us an indication into why Steve Rogers becomes Captain America. As he is always being rejected the chance to join the army as he is too weak and small, this drives him into volunteering for the project and becoming this super soldier.

Costume - Captain America wears a blue outfit and has a silver star positioned on his chest as well as a silver A on his head. The top half of his face is covered to protect his identity. He also carried a blue and red shield which also sports a star on it.


Rogues Gallery - The organisation HYDRA have the tesseract which has caused the leader of their organisation to change appearance, causing him to be called the Red Devil. Captain America has to break into their headquarters in order to stop them.

The rating for the film is a 12A, indicating that the target audience is mainly teenagers. However, another general target audience is said to be males aged around 25, because they would have grown up reading the comic books, and would likely want to go to see the film version. The female audience have been drawn to the film by the actor who plays Captain America, due to his toned body and good looks.

Many binary oppositions are present within Captain America. As it is set during World War 2, and the Germans are fighting against America, this brings a sense of Good V's Bad within the war itself. Within this idea of good v's bad comes along the idea of Captain America fighting against the Germans as well as the Red Devil. Another binary opposition is the weak and the strong, at the start of the film, Steve Rogers is a weak, small man preventing him from taking part in war, whereas when he becomes Captain America, even though he is the same man, he is much stronger. With his new strength he can be prosperous and successful whereas before, when he was weak he couldn't be.

As the film is set during World War 2, which was a time where men and women were unequal, the film does reinforce gender stereotypes. The men were seen as more dominant and the women were seen as much weaker. The men fought in war whilst the women stood back and did more domestic jobs. The only powerful woman in the film is Peggy, she has an important role within film, she doesn't necessarily wait around for the superhero to save her, however she does stand back and isn't involved in the actual fighting.

Captain America has to live up to what the comic book readers have been waiting for, therefore has to be able to entertain a large amount of people; those who have grown up with the comic book who would be around he age of 25 as well as teenagers who may be interested. From the very beginning we see Steve Rogers to be a determined, brave character who doesn't give up and stands up for what he believes in and due to this, this keeps people interested as well as for the audience to look up to and admire. Tension is a big part to entertaining the audience and tension is successfully created throughout, especially when Steve Rogers is being transformed into Captain America, and we don't know how it's going to turn out.

FILM 1 - The Amazing Spider-man

The Amazing Spider-Man is one of the latest superhero films to hit the cinemas. It successfully tells the story of Peter Parker after following his journey into finding out more about his father. On this journey he is bitten by a radioactive spider, causing him to gain extraordinary super powers. After witnessing his uncles murder he sets out to find the killer, using his new found powers and seeks his revenge, however as the film goes on, he realises it isn't all about revenge and uses his powers to help fight evil (Dr. Connors after he turns into a destructive and threatening lizard)

The typical genre conventions present in The Amazing Spider-man include:

Ordinary person gaining their powers by accident - Peter Parker leads an ordinary life up until on the quest to find out more about his fathers work, he gets bitten by a radioactive spider which leaves him with super powers such as; super strength and the ability to climb buildings. He also creates a device which enables him to shoot ultra-strong webs from his wrist which come in handy throughout.


Regularly involved in physical and strategic combat - Being Spider-man means having to be physically active and being involved in strategic combat, in order to help fight evil successfully. There is a lot of this in the action filled The Amazing Spider-man as Spider man (Peter Parker) helps save the town from the evil Dr.Connors who turns into a lizard after finding a cure for his arm and believes that it would be beneficial for the human race if they were all lizards.

Good V's Evil - Peter has to fight off evil. Good V's evil is a general convention present in almost all superhero films. Peter has to use his powers to benefit the town and help fight against evil (Dr. Connors and his uncle's killers)

Achilles heel - Towards the end of the film, Peter becomes worried about Gwen when she goes to make the antidote. This steers him away from saving the town against the lizard, as he is worried about his love interest.

Moral- At first Peter Parker (Spider man) uses his powers to seek revenge on his uncle's killers, however, afterwards he learns that there is more than just seeking revenge and uses his powers to help the town as a whole instead of just to seek revenge.

Secret Identity - In the beginning, his identity is kept a secret with only himself knowing, however, it isn't until long that he informs Gwen on his identity and she is sworn to secrecy. Later on in the film, Gwen's father finds out as well as by accident by Dr. Connors.

Costume - He starts out by just wearing a mask but soon decides that he would need a full costume as he begins to become more serious about what he is, he wears a tight fitting costume, in the traditional colours red and blue which is how spider man is famously known.

Back story - The back story is extremely important to the film as it reveals how Peter became Spider man as well as revealing events about his past which unravel future events.

The target audience for The Amazing Spider man is a 12A which indicates that it is generally aimed at teenagers. The thrill and action involved in the film as well as the relationship between Peter and Gwen also indicate that there is something for both genders. The fact that the main characters are teen sensations (Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone) also implies that the film is mainly aimed at teenagers. Other people who may be interested in the film are spider man fanatics, however I believe that you don't necessarily have to be a fan of the previous Spider man films or even have watched them to enjoy this one.

There are a few binary oppositions present in The Amazing Spider man. Firstly, the idea of good V's the evil,  which is a key factor not only within Spider man but also any superhero film. It is this that creates the action and thrill within the film. Spider man has to use his powers for the good of the town to fight against Dr. Connors. Another binary opposition is the idea of the enemy being a lizard; Lizards are known for eating insects and it is the Lizard V's Spider man, this makes the film more interesting especially how the lizard has more strength than Spider man, adding more tension an excitement.

There are slight gender reinforcements within the Amazing Spider man. Firstly we have the handsome superhero falling for a beautiful woman and then him rescuing her from the evil. However Gwen is more involved that just waiting to be saved, for example when she risks her life to wait for the antidote to be made, but Peter still saves her as well as well as the rest of the town. Gwen isn't so dependent on waiting for Peter to save her however there are times when he does just that, like when the Lizard invades their school and Peter (Spider man) pushes Gwen out of the window but makes sure she lands safely with his web.

There are many factors within the film which are used to entertain the target audience. The immense thrill and action is one, which also creates tension for the audience as well as entertaining the thrill seekers and those who enjoy action. The relationship between Gwen and Peter is presented well and the journey they go on together from when he tells her his identity all the way to the end is gripping. The humour within the film is also entertaining and there are parts which do make the audience laugh and takes the focus away from the tense and more serious side for a bit. One example of this is when Spider man pretends to sneeze and throws a web at the car robber, also when the car robber whips out a knife, threatening Spider man and he responds with "You've found my weakness, its's small knives" and the body language that is portrayed at this time is also humorous. Also in the same scene when the car robber thinks that spider man is a cop he replies "You seriously think I'm a cop in this skin tight red and blue suit?" which also contains humour.