Homework: A-A clip genre analysis

Narrative


Men in Black has a traditional three part structure. The Equilibrium has James Edwards as a police officer in New York, who is attempting to run after a criminal. The disruption comes as he realises the criminal is not human, and he is told the world is going to end. This leads to him being recruited for the 'Men in Black' or the MiB, as agent J for short. An alien with the intent to capture 'the Galaxy', an energy source, lands and causes havoc. The restoration comes as the alien is killed and 'the Galaxy' is found, inside a cat's necklace. Agent K is retired by J using the neuralyzer.


Iconography


The film has many individual images that are very distinctive, such as the miniature but insanely powerful gun the noisy cricket, the aforementioned neuralyzer, the car, referred to by J as 'a ford POS', and also the main characters in their suits. The outdoor scenes are often very dark, whilst the scenes at the MiB headquarters are brightly lit and futuristic. It features many conventions of action adventure/ Sci-Fi films.


Characters


Hero: Agent J, or James Darrell Edwards III - a witty, strong former police officer who fits in with many standard conventions of action adventure films.
Helper: Agent K (You never hear his former name) - He acts as a mentor to J and has worked at the MiB for a long time, enjoying a high ranking in the agency.
Villain: The Bug - This stereotypical alien is trying to get 'the Galaxy', without any regard for what would happen to the Earth.
Donors: Chief Z, Frank the Pug, Jack Jeebs and Beatrice, Edgar's wife.
Princess: Dr. Laurel Weaver, a doctor who later becomes J's new partner after K's retirement,


Setting


The film is set almost completely in New York and many of the distinctive scenes that are outdoors are set at night, such as the original J alien chase scene, the first of K's scenes and the final battle against the bug. The indoors scenes are very futuristic and the outdoors scenes show a very urban environment that shows the danger of the aliens to humans, as well as bringing out comedy that there are aliens living among us.

'Blades of Glory' analysis

Genre


The film Blades of Glory is a comedy about ice skating, more specifically about two characters, Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy. These two binary opposites are forced to work together as a doubles team as they were banned from singles skating for having a fight.


Characters
Hero: This film unconventionally features two heroes, pairs figure skaters Chazz and Jimmy. In most respects however, Jimmy is more the hero character.


Villain: Stranz Van Waldenberg and Fairchild Van Waldenberg, reigning national champions and brother and sister team, they will stop at nothing to win.


Princess: Katie Van Waldenberg, Jimmy's love intrest and the neglected sister of the villains.


Helper: Coach Robert, who helps unite the pair of heroes and teaches the two how to skate as a pair


Donor: Hector, Jimmy's stalker, who tells Jimmy that his lifetime skating ban is not complete and a loophole allows him to compete as a member of a pair.


Narrative


Equilibrium: Chazz and Jimmy compete in the world winter sports games, each in the singles competition and are awarded joint first place.


Disruption: The pair fight on the podium and are banned for life from figure skating. Jimmy is 'un-adopted' by his adoptive father and ends up, three and a half years later, working in a skating shoe store, getting in trouble and sent to wrok in the storeroom. Chazz is part of a skating play and is fired for performing drunk. There is a false resolution as it is revealed that Jimmy could perform as half of a pair. This is swiftly crushed as he has to work with Chazz and the two squabble at first.


Resolution: They qualify for the next world winter sports games and after Stranz and Fairchild try to stop them competing by kidnapping them.  They perform a move that, on the only other attempt in history, ended up decapitating the female of the pair, win the competition and see Stranz and Fairchild get arrested. The film ends with them flying away using the rockets in their skates.


Which is perfectly normal.