'Superman' and 'How to Train Your Dragon' showed me how movie magic is so back
I don't remember the last time I went to the movie theater two times in one week.
When I was little, going to the movies felt like a magical occasion. I would get my popcorn, go sit in a folding theater seat that threatened to swallow me whole and stare openmouthed at the massive screen while the vibrant colors and dynamic storytelling drew me into a fantastical world for an hour and a half.
The experience went beyond the movie, too. MJR Theaters used to feel like a second home, and hearing everybody clap along to their theme song made me think those strangers felt the same sense of community I did. It really was more than just a movie; it was a big night out.
But COVID-19 stopped everyone from being able to see movies on the big screen, and that magic disappeared.
Streaming never felt the same. I can never sit through an entire movie when it's only on my TV screen.
I've been wanting to get back to theaters, so I've had my eye out for new or compelling films. However, all I've seen in mainstream cinemas is live action versions of classic animated movies or sequels to sequels. (Seriously, did we need "M3GAN 2.0"?)
What broke the stalemate was surprisingly not something new but the very thing I had been avoiding for months: reinterpretations of widely beloved source material.
I've fallen for this trend, but I don't regret it.
Your Turn: Superman and the American flag once stood for same things. MAGA changed that. | Opinion Forum
I saw the live action 'How to Train Your Dragon' twice
The original animated 'How to Train Your Dragon' came out in 2010, and when I was old enough to appreciate it – I was born in 2006 – I fell in love with the franchise and all of its lore. All of the dragons are so unique, and they have the most entertaining names like Gronckle and Hotburple. It left me with an ever-present urge to ride a dragon that has stuck with me to this day.
When I heard that there was going to be a live action remake, I was devastated. With the film industry's track record of subpar, thinly veiled, cash-grab, live-action adaptations that are quickly amassing into a heap of garbage, I prepared to mourn another staple of my childhood.
However, when I went to see it with a friend who also shared my love for the original trilogy, we were both blown away.
Writer and director Dean DeBlois was involved in the original series, which explains why he stayed true to the material, while adding new elements that fit naturally into the existing story.
The computer-generated images were breathtaking; every time a dragon was on screen, my jaw dropped in appreciation for the level of detail, down to the individual scales. Having been involved in theater for years, I geeked out over the costumes and the tiny, distinct embellishments given to each character.
Speaking of the characters, their actors nailed their personalities and quirks, even if some moviegoers had complaints about casting. (Why are we arguing about 'historical accuracy' when one of the main characters is a dragon with retractable teeth?)
I was amazed that the movie didn't treat me like I was stupid. Usually, I feel like I'm whacked over the head with the morally righteous message and the pure evil of the antagonist. But this movie is OK with not having one big bad; instead, it tackles the complex history between Vikings and dragons and the nuance that comes with it. Sure, there's a huge, evil dragon at the end for our heroes to defeat, but the movie earned its conclusion.
This movie made the first crack in my belief that all remakes are terrible, so much so that I saw it a second time.
I don't adore the DC universe, but 'Superman' won me over
I walked into 'Superman' supported by the joy I had experienced days earlier watching Viking teens fight huge dragons, but I still wasn't fully convinced that I would be lucky enough to have two hits in a row.
Fortunately, James Gunn pushed all those fears aside with his take on the widely adored superhero.
I was immediately pulled into the story through the visuals alone. The world felt so bright and colorful, and Superman had the iconic red shorts he lost in 'Man of Steel.'
I'm usually not one for action movies, but I was amazed at how the heroes and villains alike leveraged their powers to create some visually stunning scenes. And they all look cool doing it. (I'm looking at you, Mister Terrific.)
Even for people like me who aren't caught up with the extensive lore of the DC universe and its characters, the movie felt accessible, while at the same time including nods to die-hard fans, like the one I went with, who was emotionally invested from the first moment to the last. He was able to explain the obscure references to me when I asked what made him so excited.
I loved that Superman was allowed to be sillier and less perfect than he was in 'Man of Steel.' I may have cringed a bit at some of his goofy one-liners, but honestly, what's a superhero movie without them?
And he isn't perfect, either. He gets tossed around by the villains, argues with Lois Lane and needs the Justice Gang's help to save the day. I've seen people complain about this, but I think they're missing the point.
Superman isn't supposed to be flawless. He's just like everyone else – he feels the same emotions we do and makes the same mistakes that we make.
To the people who think this movie is too "woke," I would say that I think they fell for the top-tier rage baiting of the antagonist, Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor.
And Superman shows us that being a kind, goodhearted person is punk rock. Rock on, Kal-El.
What's coming next?
I left the theater full of hope and joy, feeling the magic of movies coming back into my life.
Opinion: 'Happy Gilmore 2' works because it has something for the woke and Trump crowds
While I do wish there were more original movies in theaters, I understand that sometimes I have to ride the wave of popularity until a new hit appears out of the industry's shallow, mediocre attempts at striking it rich.
The thing that matters most to me is if I'm able to escape into another world for a while and have a fun time. The movie doesn't have to be groundbreaking or have an incredibly dense message; it just has to make me smile.
I hadn't realized how much COVID-19 had taken away from me until I felt the spark of seeing something truly amazing on the big screen again. Turning to the person beside me in the theater with a reaction or a quiet laugh feels like sharing a special secret; it's nothing like rotting on my couch and staring dead-eyed at my TV.
But now my love for movies has been reignited, and I am grateful to have friends and family to share them with.
Sophia Valchine is a Detroit Free Press opinion intern, where this column originally appeared. Contact: svalchine@freepress.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Best Soccer-Inspired Lyrics In Rap This Year, So Far
From Central Cee to Travis Scott, plenty of artists have dropped footy references in their bars this year. England is once again on top of the football world. The women's national team beat Spain in penalties to win the 2025 EURO tournament and bring the trophy home. The country is also making a major statement in the music game this year. Skepta ignited a debate over whether the United States remains seated in the hip-hop throne or if the United Kingdom has invaded. This is not the article for that debate, but British rappers certainly dominate this conversation of football bars. Central Cee is perhaps the artist best bridging the Atlantic Ocean right now by weaving American pop culture into his bars. And he's had plenty of soccer references throughout his catalogue, including his chart-topping album, Can't Rush Greatness. Well-known football fans AJ Tracey and Aitch are more fierce about their heritage and made sure their projects were heavy-laden with football bars. These artists flex their knowledge of legacy Premier League clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham and players old and new. But the lyrics aren't contained to England. Teams from Spain, Italy and Germany are celebrated too. Here's the best soccer lyrics of 2025 so far: Central Cee ft. 21 Savage — 'GBP' Central Cee made a splash bridging the gap between the U.K. and U.S. with Can't Rush Greatness. The album did so with the help of some American sports references. But he started the year in January with the single 'GBP' featuring 21 Savage and a strong soccer tie. In his verse, 21 raps 'Up on the opps, 7 to nil/Premier League, I'm in the field.' He's saying he is the elite of the elite by comparing himself to the top tier of English football, referencing Liverpool's infamous 7-0 victory over Manchester United. 21 Savage is no stranger to a football bar either, rapping 'Still gotta see the Gunners win the Premier League' on 'Circo Loco' from his 2022 collaborative album with Drake, Her Loss. Aitch ft. Avelino — 'Business' Aitch, who is a big Manchester United supporter, filled his album 4, with several football references. His song 'Business' shows his love for the Red Devils when he compares himself to the club's iconic manager. 'When the clock hits, I'm Alex Ferguson,' he raps. He later gives props to former Manchester United forward Teddy Sheringham when he goes, 'Wrapped around the head like that bandage on Teddy Sheringham.' He then shouts out rising English star Jude Bellingham with, 'Balling out, the boys' names ringing like he's from Birmingham/Bellingham, took Ls dealt with them with elegance.' Aitch also salutes another current Three Lions player when he mentions Harry Kane, who now plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. 'Brodie come like Bayern Munich how he's bringing in Kane.' AJ Tracey — 'Second Nature' AJ Tracey's Don't Die Before You're Dead is dripping with soccer references. While he's not directly shouting out a player or a club on 'Second Nature,' the MC is referencing a football team when he says, 'You can't chat to a first team player like me from the bench when a man's not starting.' He's declaring himself a starter in the rap game, so bench-warmers beware. Jim Legxacy — ''06 Wayne Rooney' Jim Legxacy made a major splash with his angsty black british music (2025) album. He doesn't mention the Manchester United legend in the lyrics of ''06 Wayne Rooney,' but the title of the track is an obvious tribute to the English forward. Legxacy ponders 'How'd I get here?' after losing the high of a party and hard reality sets in. England was knocked out of the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup, a match in which Rooney was infamously sent off. Aitch ft. Headie One — 'GR4VEY4RD SHIFT' On his 4 album closer, 'GR4VEY4RD SHIFT' Aitch gives Headie One room to assess his mental state and a soccer-infused line helps show the duality he's experiencing. 'Right now I've been feeling like Sterling/The hand ting Haaland got me feeling like Erling,' he raps, shouting out current and former Manchester City stars Erling Haaland and Raheem Sterling. English star Raheem Sterling and Norwegian phenom (who plays for Manchester City) Erling Haaland. AJ Tracey — 'Talking Stage' AJ Tracey is a proud Englishman, but he shows love to Spanish club Real Madrid on 'Talking Stage,' a braggadocious song about ambition and navigating women. He raps, 'My OG pulls all the strings, he's Jude/But my young G shoots like Endrick,' referring to Real Madrid young stars Jude Bellingham and Endrick. Travis Scott ft. Sheck Wes — '2000 Excursion' Remember 'Mo Bamba?' It's been seven years since Sheck Wes released the mega hit. He hasn't made nearly as much noise as that song since, but he popped up on Travis Scott's Jackboys 2 album with a fire soccer bar. He associates himself with the greats when he raps 'I score goals like Pelé, Zizou, Ginola, Galatasaray.' Travis Scott is getting himself entrenched within the soccer world as well, collaborating with Nike for an FC Barcelona kit as well as the recent Toma El Juego event in Los Angeles. AJ Tracey — 'Joga Bonito' The title of 'Joga Bonito' is a tribute to the beautiful game, specifically the style of play that has made Brazil so iconic. AJ Tracey jumps into the track by rapping, 'My Sofascore says 9/Would be 10 if the opps weren't divin,' referring to the football stat tracker. He also compares himself and his crew to a squad when he says, 'Too many goals from central/We went to the party wit' gang and we led the attack.' And that's not all. Chelsea used the song to announce they signed Jadon Sancho. Aitch ft. AJ Tracey — 'Test' Even though EA Sports dropped its FIFA affiliation in 2022, everyone still calls the soccer video game 'FIFA.' And AJ Tracey is one of us! On Aitch's 'Test,' he says, 'I called up gang like, 'Who's on FIFA?'' Travis Scott — 'Florida Flow' Another quick FIFA reference is on Travis Scott's 'Florida Flow.' The line comes at the end of the song, which is the end of the entire Jackboys 2 album, and is part of a jumbled list of shoutouts. Among them is La Flame declaring, 'Plug FIFA, hot, sweet spot.' Because why not? AJ Tracey — 'Friday Prayer' AJ Tracey is a longtime Tottenham supporter. But on his Don't Die Before You're Dead album, he shows a bit of love to Chelsea. On 'Friday Prayer' he flexes his ability to connect with larger pop culture, not just his own club, when he raps, 'I'm cold like Cole Palmer on a pen.' Palmer is, of course, Chelsea's superstar taking over the soccer world with his athletic prowess and shiver celebration. He and Tracey clearly both know the art of keeping things cool. AJ Tracey — 'Imposter Syndrome' AJ Tracey continues to display his love for football on 'Imposter Syndrome.' He gives a nod to Serie A club AC Milan and their partnership with Off-White. 'It's Off-White x AC Milan, this isn't khaki,' Tracey raps. The late Virgil Abloh's company is the team's 'style and culture curator.' Since announcing the partnership in 2022, the brand has worked with the Italian side on kits, merchandise, and more. Wretch 32 ft. Kano — 'Home Sweet Home' Wretch 32 released a powerful album in the form of Home? On 'Home Sweet Home,' his fellow rap veteran Kano utilizes soccer to ponder nationalism and race. He would rather rep Jamaica's Reggae Boyz than England's Three Lions when he says, ''I rock the three stripes, but there was never three lions on my shirt/If ah nuh rasta.' He then references famous Black footballers to show how England embraces Black men, but only to an extent. 'Seventy-three years of hurt, jewels still gleaming though John Barnes, Carlton Palmer, Dez Walker, Ian though Country and the Queen/But if they took a penalty, we couldn't look into the screen that was the talk amongst the n*****.' The multi-hyphenate then shouts out Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford as current English stars who face backlash for the color of their skin, particularly after the pair missed penalty shots in the 2020 EURO final. Kano spits, 'Bet Saka never felt Blacker/And Rashford was the bees till finals,' reminding us that public praise is temporary.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Terence Stamp: from arthouse icon to blockbuster villain
Whether starring as a road-tripping transgender woman in "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", an intergalactic supervillain in "Superman" or a mysterious beauty in "Theorem", Terence Stamp, who died Sunday at 87, captivated audiences in experimental films and Hollywood blockbusters alike. His bold, decades-long career swung between big productions Michael Cimino's "The Sicilian" to independent films such as Stephen Frears's "The Hit" or Steven Soderbergh's "The Limey". An emblem of London's "Swinging Sixties", he showed off a magnetic screen presence from his earliest roles, immediately gaining awards and fans. He made his breakthrough in 1962 playing an angelic sailor hanged for killing one of his crewmates in Peter Ustinov's "Billy Budd", earning an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe. He would also win best male actor at Cannes in 1965 for "The Collector", a twisted love story based on a John Fowles novel. Stamp was born in London on July 22, 1938. His father stoked ship boilers and his family of seven crammed into a tenement with no bathroom in east London. In later interviews, he would recount experiencing hunger during his childhood, as well as facing problems at school because of his working-class accent. - Discovered by Fellini - Inspired by Gary Cooper and James Dean, he dreamed of being an actor from an early age and left home at 17 -- taking a scholarship to a drama school against his father's wishes. In the early 1960s, British cinema began to take an interest in the working class and Ken Loach hired Stamp for his first film, "Poor Cow" in 1967. His meeting with Italian director Federico Fellini that same year was decisive. While searching for "the most decadent English actor" for his segment of "Spirits of the Dead", Fellini cast Stamp as a drunk actor seduced by the devil in the guise of a little girl. Another Italian director, Pier Paolo Pasolini, cast him in 1969's "Theorem" as an enigmatic outsider who seduces the members of a bourgeois Milan family. But Stamp's scandalous roles fell out of fashion and he struggled to find work for a decade. He embarked on a mystical world tour and settled in India, where he was studying in an ashram in 1977 when his agent got in touch and offered him the role of General Zod in "Superman". - From 'Priscilla' back to hard men - His career took off again and he soon became a go-to face for Hollywood directors looking for British villains. The role of Bernadette in "Priscilla" came in the mid-1990s, just as he was growing weary of those Hollywood hardmen roles. A few years later though, he returned to familiar stomping ground for the "The Limey", playing a British ex-con who travels to California to find out who killed his daughter. Director Steven Soderbergh used scenes from "Poor Cow" that capture Stamp in his dazzling years as a sixties English beauty. One of his last films, Last Night in Soho (2021), was a supernatural thriller in which a teenager was haunted by characters from London's Swinging Sixties -- bringing Stamp full circle on a dazzling career. rap/gv/jxb-jj
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Gamescom Co-Organizer Details How They React to a Volatile Games Industry
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Gamescom is the biggest gaming event in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors – from developers and publishers to gamers and cosplayers – to Cologne, Germany every single year. What each of those visitors needs and expects from a show like Gamescom, though, is different, and in a fast-paced industry like video games, those needs and expectations change rapidly. Because of this, Gamescom's organizers, Koelnmesse and the German Games Industry Association, have had to adapt quickly to meet the requirements of attendees. An overhead view of some of the hundreds of thousands of attendees at Gamescom 2024. An overhead view of some of the hundreds of thousands of attendees at Gamescom 2024. Koelnmesse / Gamescom In an interview with DBLTAP, German Games Industry Association managing director Felix Falk spoke at length about the need to meet attendee requirements, and all the organizers have done to keep up with an ever-changing industry. Some of that has seen the introduction of live events for those watching along at home, such as Gamescom Opening Night Live, which was implemented in 2019 with the help of The Game Awards' Geoff Keighley to help bring the excitement of Gamescom to everyone – not just those who can afford to travel to Germany – while also acting as a starting point for attendees. "Every year we have to react to a very dynamic games industry, which is stressful for the team, but we love it because we stay dynamic and we keep on track with the industry," Falk told DBLTAP. "That's what's needed to fulfill the expectations of the industry ... With COVID and the digital showcases, we experienced that the expectation for Opening Night Live has changed, so now people are showcasing and then the next day you can actually play the game, or you have the follow-up developer talk, where you go into a deeper experience of the title or something." There's no denying that it's been a rough few years for the games industry, though. The last three years have seen mass layoffs from across the industry, from small studios and publishers to some of the big players, like Microsoft, Sony, and more. Because of this, many developers who would have attended Gamescom have been left in the lurch, so Gamescom's organizers came up with a way to make sure everyone who wants to attend still can. "You've seen the layoffs and studio closures in the past two years," Falk said. "There were tough times for the games industry, so we came up with a program, starting last year, for unemployed people from the industry who are able to get free tickets, for example. If the industry needs it, we build it into gamescom. In same the interview, Falk also said that there's "maybe no need" for a US version of Gamescom, saying that most of the industry already shows up at its various events across Europe, Asia, and South America.
