Hero

Christopher Reeve said it best when he said: 'A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.' The late actor was known mostly for his role as the iconic Superman, who is, in many people's opinions, the ultimate and most famous hero who has ever been in popular culture. People look up to Superman's example as self-sacrificing, courageous, helpful, and inspiring. Reeve would know more about persevering and enduring than most people, as he was thrown from a horse and suffered several severe injuries, leaving him a quadriplegic: he had to use a wheelchair and a breathing apparatus for the rest of his life. He even contemplated suicide during his long recovery from the accident, but with the help of his loved ones, especially his wife, he managed to persevere through this shocking turn of events, and he eventually became a vocal activist for victims of spinal-cord injuries. In my opinion, Christopher Reeve became more of a hero than the superhero he played in several movies. He was an ordinary man who endured the most traumatic experience of his life and decided to use his situation to help others. With all the media attention, Reeve found a great way to reach out to others who were going through what he went through.

I believe that he is a very good example of what a hero is, but Jesus Christ is the hero that we all should look up to and aspire to be like. Born under very humble circumstances, Christ became the hero that forever changed the future of humanity through his perfect life, his ultimate sacrifice, and his eventual resurrection. His life was the perfect example of what a hero really is and how one should act.

The Qualities of an Epic

After learning about the different characteristics that make up epic stories such as Homer's the Odyssey and the Iliad, and Beowulf, the question that was posed was: what qualities make up a good epic/adventure movie? To understand what makes a story epic, one must look at the definition of the word 'epic' itself which means heroic, majestic, and impressively great. Each of these stories and poems have many of the same characteristics that cause each of them to be considered epic stories.
In my opinion, the first and most important thing that an epic movie must have is a good original story in and of itself that captures the mind of the viewer and takes them to places they have never seen or imagined before. The general plot of the film must be intricate, with many plot twists and unpredictable events in order to keep the viewer guessing about what will happen next. The storyline must also be "smart," which I think means it shouldn't rely on having to spell everything out to the people watching it, but instead trusts that people who are forced to think will be able to understand what is going on in the long run, even if at the moment things occurring in the plot seem confusing. However, in order to balance this, there must also be a good amount of action that is going on at the same time.
Another vital ingredient in making an epic movie is the characters. The Odyssey and Beowulf each have an epic hero who is larger than life, does extraordinary things, and overcomes huge odds in order to defeat their enemies and triumph in the end. Although I do not believe the hero in these stories must be larger than life, they must have certain qualities that set them apart from others, such as courage, strength, loyalty, honor, intelligence, and an ability to be a strong leader. In the course of the plot, the hero encounters a challenge, must find a way to overcome it, and at the end eventually comes out on top. In most stories, the hero also has the help of a few supporting characters who each play a vital part in the story. Character arcs also help keep the plot interesting as some characters change during the events of the story, either by becoming better people by the end, or by becoming the villain.
I think some films today that perfectly describe these types of movies are The Dark Knight, Inception, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, the Patriot, the original Star Wars trilogy, and although it's not a movie, the television show Lost. Each one of these movies has a compelling story, such as one of the most overlooked, unimportant people in the world charged with a quest to destroy an evil dark lord, or the rise and struggles of a vigilante who takes on the mob and the psychopathic killer the Joker, or the vast character arcs and storylines revealed during each episode of Lost that provides more insight into each individual as they struggle to survive after a plane crash on what they think is a deserted island. As a movie person, I thoroughly enjoyed these films, as they are some of my favorites. I think most people would include epic movies in the films that they most enjoyed, even if their list looked different from mine. These epic movies not only serve as entertainment, but valuable lessons can also be discerned by those who look carefully.