So, today is about characters! More specifically, analysing 3 film characters, and seeing what makes them great characters, plus why they're so beloved.
But first, I need to explain whether or not characters are important to a film opening or not. I think they're not, necessarily. There are plenty of successful and beloved film openings that don't feature important characters to start off with, such as the opening for Nightmare Before Christmas. That film starts off with some narration, and then musical number. The only major character seen is Jack Skellington, and even so, it's only in the last 20 seconds; we know nothing of him, the only thing we know is that he's a highly respected figure. However, while not including a character is possible, it's not always the route to go. The more memorable film openings are the ones that introduce us to the characters early on, so we can have a longer connection with them, and can learn more about them.
Anyways...
So, I decided to use 3 characters that I know a lot about, but are also well beloved by the public.
First, is probably the most iconic film character of all time... Darth Vader.
The iconic "I am your Father" scene, from The Empire Strikes Back
Darth Vader is a Sith Lord, and main antagonist of the original Star Wars series. His real name was Anakin Skywalker, and had a rich history in the Republic, as a Jedi Knight. Eventually down the line, he was tempted by the Dark Side of the Force, and became the monster known as Darth Vader. He wears a black suit, complete with cape and helmet, which is unmistakably Vader's. He weilds a red lightsaber, and has mastered the Force; a power that binds and surrounds all the beings of the Star Wars universe, and gives those who master it special abilities, such as telekinesis and mind manipulation.
FILMS APPEARED IN:
- Star Wars - A New Hope (1977)
- Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Star Wars - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Star Wars - The Phantom Menace (1999) (Anakin)
- Star Wars - Attack of the Clones (2002) (Anakin)
- Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith (2005) (Anakin)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
He's in a lot of films. The only Star Wars film he's not in is Star Wars - The Force Awakens... because he's dead.
In the Star Wars saga, Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker has always had a pivotal role, either as a main antagonist (in Episodes IV-VI) or as a protagonist (in Episodes I-III). He is woven into the narrative as a force to be reckoned with, and the whole Star Wars universe revolves around this character, so it's fair to say he's vital to the Star Wars storyline.
So, why is Darth Vader so iconic?
To start off with, he was seen as a threatening and powerful villain back in 1977, which still rings true today. No villain in fiction has ever managed to reach the level of danger and power that Darth Vader has. For example, another villain that Vader is compared to is Voldemort, from the Harry Potter series. Voldemort, while he was a threat to the wizarding world and had powers far more powerful than any other wizard's, he still failed in taking over a school, and ended up being defeated by a teenager. Darth Vader managed to get the control he sought after since the very beginning, and manages to destroy planets, and even kill the Emperor, until he dies of being shocked too much by said Emperor.
It's also because of how unique he looks; Darth Vader's look was something that was like nothing else anyone had ever seen. The black helmet, the cape, the panels, etc, all built up a nearly 7 foot monster in a black suit.
One other aspect of him that made him so iconic was him on a whole. His character was so intriguing and had such a rich history, so much so they made a prequel trilogy focusing on the origins of Darth Vader. A young orphan boy, trained in the Jedi arts who was then tempted by the Dark Side of the Force, and ends his life as one of the two rulers of the galaxy? That's a solid and interesting backstory. We know so many aspects of his life: his mother, his lover, his mentors, his children, his skills & abilities... All those aspects help us to be more aware OF him, and thus make him more iconic.
In the opening 2 minutes to Star Wars, we see Darth Vader's soldiers, the Stormtroopers, taking out many Rebel Soldiers. From this, we know that Darth Vader has a lot of power; so much so, he has his own soldiers to enter a room before he does.
Next up, is Spider-Man. For this particular character, who has had multiple adaptations, I will be focusing on the MCU version, portrayed by Tom Holland.
In Captain America: Civil War, he plays a smaller role in the narrative than people wanted, but still was woven into the story so well; he's not just stuck on for fan service, he's a driving part of the story.
He's mainly used as a pawn on Iron Man's team, and Spider-Man fights nearly every member of Captain America's team; Captain America himself, Bucky, Falcon and (Gi)Ant-Man are all fought by Spider-Man.
So, why is he so beloved? Well, one of the reasons is definitely how iconic he is. Spider-Man is one of the three titans of comic book superheroes, alongside Superman and Batman. Spider-Man has had such a huge impact on society, influencing multiple comic books, movies, TV shows, music... any type of media you can think of, Spider-Man has been there.
It's also because of what he represents; he's a young spirit that believes in all that's just and fair. He's a symbol of what America is to most Americans, which is the place Spider-Man is most impactful. In fact, the filmmakers of the original Spider-Man realised this. The film was originally released just after the tragic events of 9/11, they decided to add a final shot of Spider-Man swinging through New York, and finally landing next to an American flag atop a skyscraper, and proudly stands next to it. With Spider-Man being this symbol of the American ideology and having ideal morals and values, he's more appealing to more people.
We don't see Spider-Man in the opening of Captain America: Civil War, since they wanted to keep him a surprise. However, all the other Spider-Man openings are basically the same; they have the opening credits with some nice web aesthetics, and then Peter Parker sums where his life is at that moment.
My third character is Buzz Lightyear.
In the Star Wars saga, Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker has always had a pivotal role, either as a main antagonist (in Episodes IV-VI) or as a protagonist (in Episodes I-III). He is woven into the narrative as a force to be reckoned with, and the whole Star Wars universe revolves around this character, so it's fair to say he's vital to the Star Wars storyline.
So, why is Darth Vader so iconic?
To start off with, he was seen as a threatening and powerful villain back in 1977, which still rings true today. No villain in fiction has ever managed to reach the level of danger and power that Darth Vader has. For example, another villain that Vader is compared to is Voldemort, from the Harry Potter series. Voldemort, while he was a threat to the wizarding world and had powers far more powerful than any other wizard's, he still failed in taking over a school, and ended up being defeated by a teenager. Darth Vader managed to get the control he sought after since the very beginning, and manages to destroy planets, and even kill the Emperor, until he dies of being shocked too much by said Emperor.
It's also because of how unique he looks; Darth Vader's look was something that was like nothing else anyone had ever seen. The black helmet, the cape, the panels, etc, all built up a nearly 7 foot monster in a black suit.
One other aspect of him that made him so iconic was him on a whole. His character was so intriguing and had such a rich history, so much so they made a prequel trilogy focusing on the origins of Darth Vader. A young orphan boy, trained in the Jedi arts who was then tempted by the Dark Side of the Force, and ends his life as one of the two rulers of the galaxy? That's a solid and interesting backstory. We know so many aspects of his life: his mother, his lover, his mentors, his children, his skills & abilities... All those aspects help us to be more aware OF him, and thus make him more iconic.
In the opening 2 minutes to Star Wars, we see Darth Vader's soldiers, the Stormtroopers, taking out many Rebel Soldiers. From this, we know that Darth Vader has a lot of power; so much so, he has his own soldiers to enter a room before he does.
Next up, is Spider-Man. For this particular character, who has had multiple adaptations, I will be focusing on the MCU version, portrayed by Tom Holland.
Spider-Man as he appears in Captain America: Civil War
After being bitten by a radioactive spider, teenager Peter Parker gained spider-like abilities, such as climbing up the walls, premonition, and sticking to any surface. After constructing some web shooters, he used all the abilities, donned a red and blue suit to become... SPIDER-MAN!
FILMS APPEARED IN (all versions of Spider-Man):
FILMS APPEARED IN (all versions of Spider-Man):
- Spider-Man (2002) (Tobey Maguire)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004) (Tobey Maguire)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007) (Tobey Maguire)
- The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) (Andrew Garfield)
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) (Andrew Garfield)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016) (Tom Holland)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) (Tom Holland) (NOT YET RELEASED)
Lots of reboots.
In Captain America: Civil War, he plays a smaller role in the narrative than people wanted, but still was woven into the story so well; he's not just stuck on for fan service, he's a driving part of the story.
He's mainly used as a pawn on Iron Man's team, and Spider-Man fights nearly every member of Captain America's team; Captain America himself, Bucky, Falcon and (Gi)Ant-Man are all fought by Spider-Man.
So, why is he so beloved? Well, one of the reasons is definitely how iconic he is. Spider-Man is one of the three titans of comic book superheroes, alongside Superman and Batman. Spider-Man has had such a huge impact on society, influencing multiple comic books, movies, TV shows, music... any type of media you can think of, Spider-Man has been there.
It's also because of what he represents; he's a young spirit that believes in all that's just and fair. He's a symbol of what America is to most Americans, which is the place Spider-Man is most impactful. In fact, the filmmakers of the original Spider-Man realised this. The film was originally released just after the tragic events of 9/11, they decided to add a final shot of Spider-Man swinging through New York, and finally landing next to an American flag atop a skyscraper, and proudly stands next to it. With Spider-Man being this symbol of the American ideology and having ideal morals and values, he's more appealing to more people.
We don't see Spider-Man in the opening of Captain America: Civil War, since they wanted to keep him a surprise. However, all the other Spider-Man openings are basically the same; they have the opening credits with some nice web aesthetics, and then Peter Parker sums where his life is at that moment.
My third character is Buzz Lightyear.
Buzz and Woody meet in Toy Story
Buzz Lightyear is a "Space Ranger" action figure from the Toy Story series, who was introduced as a birthday present for Andy. In the first Toy Story film, he's delusional, since he believes he's a real Space Ranger, and not just an action figure. Andy's favourite toy, Woody, tries throughout the whole film to show how he IS a toy, until Buzz finds out himself.
Toy Story 2 sees Buzz taking more of a leader role, by taking charge of rescuing Woody with the help of some of Andy's other toys.
Toy Story 3 is a mixed bag for Buzz; he's first a secondary leader to Woody, then leader, then enemy (after the main antagonist, Lotso, reset his mind), then back to ally (well... Spanish ally then back-to-normal ally.).
Toy Story 2 sees Buzz taking more of a leader role, by taking charge of rescuing Woody with the help of some of Andy's other toys.
Toy Story 3 is a mixed bag for Buzz; he's first a secondary leader to Woody, then leader, then enemy (after the main antagonist, Lotso, reset his mind), then back to ally (well... Spanish ally then back-to-normal ally.).
FILMS APPEARED IN:
- Toy Story (1995)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- Toy Story 4 (2019) (NOT YET RELEASED)
For the narrative of the trilogy that has already been released, Buzz is always a deutagonist, with Woody being the protagonist. In Toy Story, he's not only a key character, but a plot point as well; he is the present that Andy's toys wishes Andy didn't get. The story revolves around how the toys all deal with the arrival of Buzz, and trying to help him convince he's a toy and keep things running as they always did.
In Toy Story 2, Buzz is more of a protagonist this time, as he leads a team of Rex, Hamm, Mr Potato Head and Slinky Dog to save Woody. In this film, he's more of a character that's there to keep everything running and trying to do everything in the right way, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
In Toy Story 3, he is once again used as both deutagonist and plot device. At one point, his mind is turned back to what it was at the beginning of Toy Story, where he thinks he's a Space Ranger. So, while the rest of Andy's toys are formulating an escape plan, they need to take Buzz out, but... end up turning him Spanish. This costs them precious minutes, which could've been used to escape from Lotso when they were homeward free.
So, why is Buzz so iconic?
First off, he's just a funny character and concept. He has some great comedic moments, for example when Woody retracts his helmet in Toy Story, and Buzz acts as if he can't breathe. Iconic moments like this are what makes the characters iconic as well.
There's also the chemistry between him and Woody. They're such a great duo, since they're so contrasting. One is a cowboy ragdoll from a 50's TV show called "Woody's Roundup", and the other is a spaceman action figure with many lights and buttons. It's a buddy picture where the buddies contrast so much, their interactions are so interesting. You should be able to sit through a film just about the two being stuck in an elevator and it'd still be interesting.
We don't find out anything about Buzz in the opening two minutes, since he's not IN the opening two minutes... because he's not in it. However, we do see the stakes of Buzz's arrival though. Andy's favourite is Woody, and a newer, more high-tech toy would threaten Woody's position as favourite.
So... Characters are done! :D Hope this was a good read B)
~ Noah :)
In Toy Story 2, Buzz is more of a protagonist this time, as he leads a team of Rex, Hamm, Mr Potato Head and Slinky Dog to save Woody. In this film, he's more of a character that's there to keep everything running and trying to do everything in the right way, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
In Toy Story 3, he is once again used as both deutagonist and plot device. At one point, his mind is turned back to what it was at the beginning of Toy Story, where he thinks he's a Space Ranger. So, while the rest of Andy's toys are formulating an escape plan, they need to take Buzz out, but... end up turning him Spanish. This costs them precious minutes, which could've been used to escape from Lotso when they were homeward free.
So, why is Buzz so iconic?
First off, he's just a funny character and concept. He has some great comedic moments, for example when Woody retracts his helmet in Toy Story, and Buzz acts as if he can't breathe. Iconic moments like this are what makes the characters iconic as well.
There's also the chemistry between him and Woody. They're such a great duo, since they're so contrasting. One is a cowboy ragdoll from a 50's TV show called "Woody's Roundup", and the other is a spaceman action figure with many lights and buttons. It's a buddy picture where the buddies contrast so much, their interactions are so interesting. You should be able to sit through a film just about the two being stuck in an elevator and it'd still be interesting.
We don't find out anything about Buzz in the opening two minutes, since he's not IN the opening two minutes... because he's not in it. However, we do see the stakes of Buzz's arrival though. Andy's favourite is Woody, and a newer, more high-tech toy would threaten Woody's position as favourite.
So... Characters are done! :D Hope this was a good read B)
~ Noah :)
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