Film 10 - The Incredible Hulk

Following a disastrous gamma ray experiment, Doctor Banner finds out that he can transform into a giant green-skinned hulk after his pulse rate gets too high. However a solider finds out about the technology and uses himself, turning into an evil version of the hulk.

Although it is an unusual superhero in the sense that Banner cannot control when he turns into the hulk, it does follow the following superhero conventions:

• Having an extraordinary power - Bruce Banner's alter ego means that he's incredibly strong and has abnormal strength.
• A moral code - Although in his Hulk state, Banner seems like he cannot control it, he does realise that he has to protect the city from evil.
• Secret identity - not many people realise that Bruce Banner is the Hulk, so in this sense, he can hide away from people.
• Financial support - originally, the Hulk was a scientist and earned all of his money from there, but then after becoming the Hulk, he had to work in a soft drinks factory.
• Backstory - Doctor Bruce Banner was an ordinary man, having a normal life before becoming the Hulk and then everything changed.
• Costume - The Hulk himself doesn't actually have a costume, however he is most recognisable by the fact that he is green skinned and has purple shorts.

The Incredible Hulk is mainly for teenagers and above as it contains some frightening scenes where Banner transforms into the Hulk, which could be frightening for young children. Also there are a lot of explosions, fighting and a lot of gore such as the sound of bones breaking. How there isn't much sex and nudity, as the only time is when Bruce Banner is sitting naked in a bathtub but even then you can only see his bum.

Bruce Banner himself presents a binary opposition in this film, as we see the calm and gentle nature of Banner before the explosive and violent side of the hulk comes out after Banner has transformed. Another would be that Blonksy's aggressive nature versus Banner's calm manner shows the difference into what they transform into. 

The film does reinforce gender stereotypes as Banner's love interest and the main girl character in the film, is firstly sent away from Banner so she doesn't get hurt, therefore staying on the sidelines instead of getting involved with the action. Also it's always the boys that are doing the fighting, as you don't see any girls getting into any of the action.

To conclude, the Hulk seeks to entertain it's audience by having a completely different superhero, than one we are normally used to. Also the fight scenes between the Hulk and all of the military raise the tension in the film, waiting to see if their hero, the Hulk, would come out on top, but also to see how much destruction can be caused between them. Finally the audience want to see if Banner can truly control when he morphs into the Hulk and see how well his meditation is getting on. 

Film 9 - X Men (2000)

Two mutants who have extraordinary powers go to a special academy with people who are similar to them. Yet they have to work together to face a terrorist organisation who have similar powers to them.

Superhero conventions found in this film are:

• Having extraordinary powers - each person aka mutant, has their own power such as shooting lasers out of their eyes.
• A moral code - The good group of mutants, lead by Charles Xavier, strive to be accepted into society as normal human beings, as well as learning to use their powers responsibly.
• A secret identity - The mutants use different names in public to avoid being shunned by other people.
• Motif - their motif is a circle with an big X touching each of the sides.
• Headquarters - the mutants currently reside in a mansion together as well as being trained in using their powers responsibly.
• Backstory - each mutant has their own backstory, such as Wolverine, who was found not having any memories of what had happened to him.
• Rogues gallery - the x-men have to fight a band of other mutants who work for Magneto.

The film is suitable enough for young teenagers as there is a lack of sex and nudity as the only time we see something close to this is a man shirtless in a window. However there is a bit more  violence and gore as a man physically dissipates into water, as well as a girl stabbed in the back and several fight scenes between the mutants. There are also several uses of profanity and some intense emotions scenes with Rogue.

The binary opposition present in this film is the humans/mutants. The humans see the mutants as a threat as they can do things that the humans cannot do. The humans think the mutants will over throw them so they want them kicked out.

The film does challenge gender stereotypes as one of the main characters is a girl and she gets into the heart of the fighting! Although there are more boys than girls, the girls are still in the thick of the action. However, one of the two main characters is a girl, and it is seen that she is lead away from the group, as the others have to try and 'rescue' her, so in a sense she is the damsel in distress.

To conclude, X Men entertains it's audience by using intense fight scenes which raises tension and makes the film more thrilling to watch. You can also watch each character go through emotional developments and see each mutants superpower, how they differ from each other. You also get to see how they react with other mutants, as they all live in a mansion together rather than the film just focusing on a sole superhero. 

Film 8 - Thor

After going behind his father's back, Thor is cast out of Asgard, doomed to live a mortal life on Earth forever more. However his brother Loki finds out he was adopted and causes great destruction back on Asgard. Thor realises what he has done, and with the help of this friends, he defeats on Ice Giant on Earth before going back to Asgard to help out.

Thor has an extraordinary power of being super strong and he can wield his hammer which he can send lightning bolts out of. Thor has his own moral code which at first is to protect Asgard which he thinks will be achieved by killing all of the Ice Giants but then is cast out to Earth so then he feels it's his duty to protect it and it's people as well. Thor has a lot of supporting characters such as his friends in Asgard and his new companions on Earth. Thor doesn't have a motif but his symbol is his hammer which he carries about with him everywhere. Thor's backstory is of him growing up in Asgard with his brother Loki, in which he thought he could rely on him. However when Loki finds out he is adopted, he turns against everyone, including Thor, which breaks his heart. The rogues gallery is the Ice Giants which Thor has to fight both on Earth and Asgard while the real villain is Loki. Also Thor doesn't have the traditional tight fighting costume which normal superheros wear. Instead he wears a medieval costume and cape.

The film is aimed at teenagers and above because although there is a lack of sex and nudity (the only time you see this is briefly when Thor is getting changed, you can see his buttocks). As  for violence and gore, Thor fights several Ice Giants but they don't bleed, only crack and crumble. Also several of the character receive a frostbite from the giants. The time when you do see the blood is when Thor flies through the head of a monster but this blood is black. Also another time is near the end of the film where you see Thor violently backhanded by the Destroyer leaving bloody contusions and wounds on face and chest. Young children might also get scared at the scenes of fighting with the Ice Giants.

The first binary opposition present in this film is the hot/cold. The warm colours of Asgard, such as the red, gold and amber reflect the hot and how they are always full of life there in Asgard. Thor himself dons a red cape whereas Loki represents the cold as he wears a green cape. Also the Ice Giants physically represent the cold (hence the name) and it is dark and the colours reflect this as is dark blues and browns. The second binary opposition is the God/Human. Asgard represents the 'Godly' world that Thor lives in and they all refer to the people on Earth as Mortals. However the people on Earth think that Thor and his people are Gods as they have an unearthly power which they cannont match (such as Thor's strength).

This film does reinforce gender stereotypes. However firstly the women on Asgard are seen as strong and independent, they hardly appear and the only main characters in Asgard are Thor's friends and his mother but even at the end of the film, his mother continues to stay at Thor's beside while his friends are elsewhere. On Earth, Thor meets his love interest, Jane, but during the fight scene with the Destroyer, she is told to stay out of the fight and on the sidelines.

In conclusion, this film seeks to entertain it's audience by firstly taking a different approach to the Superhero film genre. It's not about a person on Earth being extraordinary, but a person from another different planet entirely. Also there is the complex relationship with Loki and Thor, as Loki finds out he is adopted and suddenly takes on an entirely different stance on their relationship, feeling very jealous of Thor. Finally we get to see Thor grow, from a naive man who think he can kill of of the Ice Giants, to a man who wants nothing more than peace between his people. The opposite can be said for Loki as he at first, is a peaceful person but as soon as he realises who he is, he then wants to wreak havoc on everyone.

Film 7 - Fantastic Four; Rise of the Silver Surfer

After a gatecrashed wedding, the Fantastic Four learn that they aren't the only super humans in the universe when they have to square off against the powerful Silver Surfer and the planet-eating Galactus. 

Although there are four superheros rather than one, it still creates a highly action packed film, which includes the following conventions:

• Having super powers - after being hit by a cosmic ray, each of the Fantastic Four have their own unique power whether it be from being incredibly stretchy, can turn themselves on fire, are as hard as rock or can turn invisible. 
• A moral code - Each member of the Fantastic Four will risk their own safety when it comes to the protection of Earth but they at first try to do so, without fighting (the instance where they capture the Silver Surfer rather than kill him). This embodied in particular by Sue Storm. 
• Motif - Their motif is a silver circle with a number 4 in the middle. 
• Headquarters - Their headquarters was establised in Baxter Building in the midtown Manhattan.
• Archilles Heel - in this film. the Archilles Heel for the team was when they all thought Sue Storm had been killed by the spear yet it was this that had temporarily unhinged them, but them spurred them on to kill Galactus. 
• Costume features - They all wore tight blue fitting latex catsuits which enabled them to move and fight more freely. Also, they all bare the Fantastic Four logo on their chest so everyone knows who they are.

The film is aimed at mainly young male teenagers aged about 8-14 because of the lack of swearing, but it still has lots of action packed fighting scenes. It also contains a lot of light hearted humour although there is the odd reference to sexual activity from Johnny. 

The most obvious binary opposition in this film is the very alien presence of the Silver Surfer compared to the earthly Sue Storm, when she tries to speak to him in the forest. Also you get the feeling that Earth is very small and primitive compared to the massive planet eating Galactus, and it seems nothing can stop it.

Although we do get some action from our female protagonist Sue Storm, it is ultimately an all boy showdown at the end of the film, when it is believed that Sue has been killed by Doctor Doom. This means she is away from the main action, in a sense the damsel in distress, although surprisingly enough, it is the antagonist who saves the day, meaning that Sue can come back to life.  

Overall this film seeks to entertain it's audience by using creating an complex character of the Silver Surfer, who at first seems hell bent on destroying the planet but deep down, is very passionate about protecting his own planet. Also the CGI used to create the Silver Surfer makes it look like he actually made out of molten silver. Finally, the directors decided to bring back an old villain so the Fantastic Four had to face not one, but two enemies.

Film 6 - Batman Begins

After witnessing the death of both of his parents, Bruce Wayne becomes distraught and disappears out of Gotham City for several years. Whilst being asked to join and destroy the City, Wayne instead comes back and enlists the help of Alfred (his butler) and Lucius Fox to help create the 'Bat' image to help intimidate villains and protect the city of Gotham.

Conventions included in this breath-taking film are:

• Special skills - Batman doesn't actually have a super power, rather he has more wealth and intelligence in which he combines the two to make an extrordinary superhero.
• A moral code - although this is quite a dark superhero movie, Batman still keeps his morals of trying to protect Gotham city.
• A secret identity - Bruce Wayne is very protective of his Batman secret identity, so he only tells Alfred in fear that his enemies would know who he really was.
• Motif - Batman doesn't have a motif as such, but his symbol is a bat.
• Financial support - orphan and heir to over billions of dollars, Bruce Wayne essentially doesn't need a job, as he can descend into becoming a full time batman. 
• Headquarters - under his mansion, Bruce Wayne builds the Batcave so it could be easily hidden from society. 
• Backstory - it all began when Wayne was only a young child who witnesses the brutal murder of his parents right in front of his own eyes.
• Archilles heel - when Wayne thinks he has been his secret identity has been compromised, also he is very protective over his family, Alfred and Gotham City.
• Costume features - his mask covers most of his face, so nobody can recognise him, also he has a utility belt which is full of useful devices.

As it is a more mature film, it is aimed at teenagers and above because it contains drugs, drinking and smoking, as well as explicit language and lots of violence. It also contains some very dark themes, as well as a brief mentions of sex but a lot of consumerism.

In this film, there appears to be a blurred line between good and evil, at the main protagonist appears to be quite dark and foreboding. The binary opposition present in this film is the young innocent Bruce Wayne just before his parents got murdered, too the mysterious and grief stricken man that he has become.

Batman Begins does reinforce gender stereotypes as Bruce Wayne develops a complicated relationship with Rachel who ultimately stays on the sidelines whilst Wayne goes on to fight the Scarecrow. 

Batman Begins is a highly awe-inspiring film which keeps the audience on edge throughout the whole of the film. Christopher Nolan, who directed the film, keep the audience entertained by raising the tension throughout, to make the audience more interested. Also the choreographed fight scenes between Batman and his enemies are highly thrilling. Finally as well the fight scenes, there are also some awesome stunts with the batmobile which include lots of jumping over other cars and a high speed car chase. 

Film 5 - The Incredibles

The Incredibles are a undercover family who aren't allowed to use their powers in public. However one day, Mr Incredible gets fed up with his normal life and is unsuspectingly helps Syndrome with his evil plan. It is then up to the Incredibles and a little help, to save the day.

Each member of the family has their own unique special power. Mr Incredible has super strength, Elastagirl can twist and contort her body into different shapes, Violet has the ability to make herself invisible and create force fields whilst Dash can run at the speed of light. However it isn't until the end of the film, that it is revealed that Jack-Jack can morph into a monster. All of the family have the same moral code of trying to protect their city, which we see is especially empathized through Mr Incredible as we see him being forced to become a 'normal' man. At the start of the film, they all live a 'normal' life, as each superhero has their own secret identity which to hide it when they are superheroes, they wear a simple black mask. The two other main supporting characters  are Frozen, Mr Incredible's best friend, and Edna Mode the sassy woman behind the costumes. Their motif is a black circle with a yellow 'i' with two orange swirls.

We get to see the backstory of Mr Incredible, Elastagirl and Frozone from the very beginning as Superheros got cast out of society. As well, we get some insight to how Violet and Dash are struggling to hide their superpowers from everyone at school. During when the Incredibles are trying to infiltrate Syndrome's hideout, they caught and Syndrome uses this to his advance to try and take Mr Incredible down a few notches which is his achilles heel. Also during the time on Syndrome's island, Mr Incredible has to take down several 'drone' robots (rogue gallery). Finally the Incredible's has some very special costume features such as having it bright red to distinguish themselves, as well as bearing their motif on their chests. They wear black masks to protect their identity and their costume is made of tight fighting latex. 

The film is aimed at the family audience as it is light hearted and the fighting scenes aren't very violent (as there isn't any blood).  There is no explicit language and the tone of the film is quite fast paced to keep the audience interested.

The binary opposition present in this film is the idea that teamwork will triumph rather than working by yourself. This is shown in the instance when Mr Incredible tries to defeat Syndrome and his drones by himself, but ends up getting caught and taken prisoner. However once his family find him and break out from the island, they manage to defeat the drone together once and for all. There is also the concept of being 'ordinary' and being 'super' where being 'ordinary' means that your life is dull and uninteresting which is why Mr Incredible wants to revert back into being a superhero, as being 'super' means you're special.

The Incredibles does challenge gender stereotypes as at the start Mr Incredible tries to fight the drones by himself but it is with the help of Elastagirl, who gets straight into the heart of the action, as well as Violet and Dash; although they are insisted to stay behind at first, they get straight into the heart of the action.

The Incredibles entertains it's audience by using CGI to help bring the characters realistically to life. It also includes lots of action to help the audience stop getting bored (as they are a lot young children so if you including lots of scenes with slow talking that drags out, then they would start to lose interest). As well there are lots of scenes of witty dialogue where it makes the audience laugh such as the scene where Frozone is in distress about not being able to find his costume, "Honey have you seen my supersuit?". Using humour often engages the audience better, as you see real life situation collide with trying to save the world.