I used to hold the genre in disdain because of paper-thin plots, bad writing, and cardboard acting. It is not that we haven't had super-heroes and super-villains in the past:
![[Image: 220px-FourFavorites1101.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/FourFavorites1101.jpg/220px-FourFavorites1101.jpg)
But even this was cheesy.
OK, there has been the Star Wars franchise, but it had no super-power other than "The Force" that was difficult to master and usable on both sides of a struggle. But cleverness beats arrogance and ruthlessness. But let us remember that the first of the Superman films involving the late Christopher Reeve and the now-late Margot Kidder (it is all downward with that series) succeeded to the extent that "Superman" showed his humanity.
Put substance into the plot, commit some first-rate talent to the writing, and establish characters with some human quality and you have Doctor Strange or Black Panther. When you can pay attention to something other than the special effects you have something special.
But even this was cheesy.
OK, there has been the Star Wars franchise, but it had no super-power other than "The Force" that was difficult to master and usable on both sides of a struggle. But cleverness beats arrogance and ruthlessness. But let us remember that the first of the Superman films involving the late Christopher Reeve and the now-late Margot Kidder (it is all downward with that series) succeeded to the extent that "Superman" showed his humanity.
Put substance into the plot, commit some first-rate talent to the writing, and establish characters with some human quality and you have Doctor Strange or Black Panther. When you can pay attention to something other than the special effects you have something special.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.