It was a year when we sought heroes at the movies, but found even they couldn’t handle everything that was thrown at them.
In 2018’s biggest hit, “Black Panther,” a king battled the rebellious exile of his country who argued — correctly, though with questionable methods — against isolationism. In the No. 2 movie, “Avengers: Infinity War,” Earth’s mightiest heroes were helpless in the face of a megalomaniac who sought, and achieved, ultimate power at the snap of his fingers.
In those and the rest of the top five — “Incredibles 2,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “Deadpool 2” — storytellers grappled with issues of racial identity, the obsession with power, heroes being cast as villains, the amorality of unchecked capitalism, and the ripple effects of bigotry and child abuse.