What's your favorite train scene? Also, if you want to train yourself on some new skills, the first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare skl.sh/nandovmovies04236

Trains have many people in it and can't divert from danger on the track. It's a great thing for the hero to save !

Holy moly. "Superheroes solve the trolley problem". That's a great line to describe the trope.

I didn't realize how much I needed Nando to talk about trains for 30 minutes.

"The train is a force of nature" That's a wild statement to hear because it's also a symbol of industry

I’d like to see the train trope reimagined as an airport moving walkway in a satire. It wonderfuly robs the trope of all of its tension.

-I think you forgot one. Ant-Man on the toy train.😄- I have no words, this was a great exploration of trains in these stories. I honestly never noticed just how frequently they are included in stories.

Can't stop the A-Train, Baby! Unless you're *insert endless list of superheroes who stop a train with moments to spare, or a failing heart*

I must choo-choo-choose my words carefully! This is a fantastic video! I always enjoy thorough breakdown of something that seems absurd but makes a ton of sense!

As a (former) New Yorker, I laughed aloud when you said the subway announcement in “Spider-Verse” transported you back to NYC. You are so right! 🤣🤣

this video is a love letter to comic books, superhero stories and film itself. what a beautiful piece from one of the most brilliant minds on youtube

Your ability to write captivating 30 minute explorations like this is incredible

I'm a bit biased but Spider-Maguire 2's train sequence is my all-time favorite superhero/train sequence. Such an effective scene full of emotion and hope.

"That light at the end of the tunnel? Guess what, that's not heaven. That's the C Train!" Say what you will about Daredevil 2003, but that's an absolute cold bar.

The most intense thing ever is trying to catch the train. And then realizing that you got on the wrong train.

as a story writer and (kinda) story boarder for games, setting a fight on a train is low-key my favorite thing to do i cant describe it properly but the constant moving nature of it, the need to keep moving and claustrophobia of it all makes it a perfect set piece for an action fight to take place on

These are my favorite Nandi videos. He attacks the genre with a unique angle. Keep killing it Matt!

As a die hard train enthusiast and cinephile, this is EXACTLY the video I needed.

I always love Nando videos, but this might be one of my favorite videos, not just of Nando, but the site as a whole, such a common concept elevated to a level that made me think long and hard about how incredible trains can be both metaphorically and visually! Thanks for this masterpiece Nando!

As many other superhero tropes, they used a lot of trains in the first episodes of NBC's Heroes. The famous quote 'save the cheerleader, save the world' was said by Future Peter in a NYC subway, Hiro teleports the first time while dozing in a Tokyo subway, and Claire uses her regeneration powers to save people for the first time in a train crash fire. Later, we'd discover her biological mother caused the explosion.

Nice. I think there's another thing that you touch on in some of these. But the train is a place where you get a bunch of civilians who are a cross-section of society, who are thrown together by the circumstance, and who can't escape. So it gives stakes that the civilians don't have an obvious way to avoid, and the audience doesn't get to judge them at all (compared to, say, Joker holding a benefit hostage, well those are all super-rich gothamites so we feel some kind of way about them). And in Raimi's Spiderman 2, we see this deliciously reversed, where the regular people save Spiderman, and part of what makes that scene compelling is that it's this random group of people who didn't choose to be there.

The Spiderman 2 train scene, is still one of the best action scene ever in any comic book movie, and that movie released back in 2004!🤔👌 Sill holds up today!👍

It’s about time Nando talked about the greatest super hero movie of all time: The Incredibles.

What could probably fit in the "cinematic" category is the importance of the contents of a train. Often it's people to save, but it can be the microwave emitter in Batman Begins, or one interesting case: in Days of Future Past, the inactive Sentinels are being transported by train, which is where Magneto gets to them and infuses them with metal so he can control them.

As a train enthusiast, I really love this video and I think it's one of your best yet. It's very well written and explores the topic in depth. I need more video essays like this.

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. I’d say all three of the items recur because they genuinely are incredible feats. Reacting to a bullet, stopping a train, and surviving a fall from extreme height all work as cinematic set pieces.

I forget where I read this, so take it for what it's worth, but i once read that the "running away from the train" legend was that some members of the audience were being playful and thought it would be funny to "run away" from an "oncoming train."

The “Christopher Plummer” joke at 5:26 was so clever it took me a minute to understand it. It’s a reference to the movie “All the Money in the World”, which originally starred Kevin Spacey (Lex in Returns) but was replaced by Plummer

I wish for superhero movies had a train-ing montage

Very disappointed this video didn't include one of my favorite scenes from Defenders, which is a complete guilty pleasure of mine. In the final episode, Matt Luke and Jess need to get to Union Circle fast, the police are after them, and they have no money on hand. Then Jess pulls out her Metro Card, and it cuts to them quietly riding the subway at 1 in the morning. It's slow, it's quiet, the cuts are long but the camera is handheld, it's breather and tension, and Jessica Jones steals a can of beer from a passed out homeless guy which is very funny.

I wonder if a lot of it is referential based too. Like as you just mentioned, Superman and Spider-Man have a train scene in like all of their movies. It’s a wink and a nod to their legacy.

I had no idea that listening to a guy who talks about the superheroes and trains can be that entertaining! This video essay is amazing

One of my favourite and funny train scene is in Wallace and Gromit: the wrong trousers. Just insanely fast action pacing, clarity of story, satisfying conclusion and just such a laugh. Spiderman 2 is arguably the best in a superhero setting, again the conclusion to which is just brilliant to watch.

I know it's not technically a superhero movie but everything in this video made me think of Bullet Train, which is sort of the ultimate train-based action movie, incorporating most of these elements into the story

I'm writing a superhero comic that has a train scene in it, so I feel VERY ATTACKED RN 😂

Oh man, I literally just now watched Blade and saw the train sequence. That reminded me that you had this video about trains in comic book movies. I was checking if you missed mentioning it, but you were right on the money. I never realized just HOW much trains are used in superhero movies. Now I can't unsee it..... lol

I read the title and thought to myself "because trains are cool, and you can do a lot with them cinematically. it isn't complicated." It's kind of like how someone noticed a LOT of the movies in MCU phase 1 (and I think a few beyond) feature a plane having a single wing destroyed. There were news articles and whatnot being like "what does this mean?!" And I think the right answer is simply that it's the coolest way to destroy a plane onscreen, so it makes sense its a tool they'd use more than once. But I love the depth of thought you put into this question. This whole video is the right answer, and there's nothing simple about it.

trains as a setting is more common than you’d think. snowpiercer, bullet train, train to busan, etc.

Trains are the modern river in regards to liminality. Consider that in many Irish myths and legends, most battles take place at rivers. There are also may mythic rivers in the underworld.

I haven’t written a train into my superhero story (takes place in Washington dc, plus I don’t live in in area that relies on train travel, so I don’t have as much experience on trains to readily draw from in my writing) but I have written a fairly important train into a witch story I’m working on, and I’ve dabbled with the idea of the witch characters having to save their world so maybe it counts in the storytelling format of superhero stories

I can tell you exactly why without watching. "As powerful as a locomotive" that line alone with Superman set the tone for strength.

Superheroes have to be better/faster/stronger to “solve the trolley problem.” That said, it makes total sense that they almost always need to train in their respective media 🙃

This was a fantastic video essay - it might be your best video ever. Great work.

I was rewatching the 1979 classic 'Turkish Superman' with my family. And to my amazement, would you have it, there's a train sequence where two trains are going to crash into each other and Superman has to stop them. Mind blowing. Even rip-off cinema understands the power of a suprrhero train scene.

As a small town raised, moving to a city with metro, they never stop being amazing and scary, from the risk to fall to the rails electricity charged, or just the speed of it that could pass to you, to the doors that just close, my backpack was stuck once and I was so scared, the crowds that are merciless, also once I almost couldn't leave the wagon cuz we were so cramp that I had to push forward and ended up falling to the floor just before the door closed and that backpack broke one string, i mean my first year on the city was so shocking. And also the peak hours you are so cramp like touching shoulders and back with people and perverts are a real risk, and then the train just stops working for like 5-20 minutes between stations due to a power outage (Latinoamérica) and you are just stuck underground with all those people until the power gets back. Yet still when it's empty or just not collapsed i feel like I'm in the future unbelieving how I can move to different districts that look like different cities, i probably sound pretty lame but I was raised in the countryside, i can't help it. Also I'm on !y 3rd year of university and I've learned how to survive in the metro and in the city

This is easily the best video on your Channel, and that’s high praise considering the quality of your other content. Fantastic video Nando!!

I feel like there's one additional thing not mentioned, trains have a very high capacity. You could do all the same stories with a big truck more or less, but a train well thats a train full of people, we don't feel bad for a truck's cargo, but people there's something to save.

17:51 Well-timed cut. No capes.

So glad i gave the fictional city in my superhero campaign its version of the subway

Ant-Man's thomas the tank engine scene is the best superhero train scene... ok, maybe not the best, but the most comedic!

There's also tons of train scenes in the 2012 and 2018 versions of TMNT. Both of which use those vehicles very well in their scenes

Train levels in video games are always fantastic as well. Interesting to see this video!

It's not a movie, but your bit in the middle reminded me of possibly my favorite superhero story in recent years: the video game World's End Club. A few different chapters took part on/with a train-- these kids are literally trying to walk from the southern tip of Japan to Tokyo, so when they find a train they can drive it helps a lot. It's a mostly deserted post apocalypse, so no power of third party trains, but inside trapped and roof battles both happen, and even a bit where the party is split because they need to decouple part of it too lose a boss they can't handle yet, and someone needs to keep the boss's attention while the cars go on separate tracks.

The Lone Ranger and Legend of Zorro both have major train scenes in the third act. More western set films, but both feature masked vigilantes.

It goes back as far as twirling mustache villains tying damsels to railroad tracks.

You asking if there is a train in my favorite superhero movie. Me confidently denying this assumption only to soon realize that yes, it does have a train scene.

Trains can also show us a character's nature, stopping a train from crushing can be the ultimate show of strength and heroism. At the same time crushing a train an be the ultimate shoe of villainy; we truly understand just how evil and uncaring for human life Omniman is when he uses his son to cut through an entire train and all his passangers, killing hundreds of civilians and leaving his son covered in blood and guts and traumatized.

I like trains

This was such a great analysis, i think that fight scenes to being interesting have to have a) personal stakes or b) intestring setting that adds more danger like what you mentioned in Black Panther, fight each other and the risk of the setting itself and the trains being so fast and risky in regular everyday life circumstances are like a specific kind of danger that we are familiar with feeling and relate

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would, I now appreciate trains a lot more

Spider-Man 2 started the trend, and is still the best one. That train scene is timeless and will never be topped.

Love the inclusion of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, such a great show

Simple, trains are a cool action set piece that can lead to very high stakes due to many people being trapped on them, also they’re done pretty differently every time, you can’t tell me that Spider-Man 2, The Incredibles, Batman Begins, and Spider-Verse all did it in the same way

THANK YOU !!!! I HAVE SPENT THE LAST SIX MONTHSSS THINKING ABOUT TRAINS IN, admittedly, ACTION MOVIES (and not just superhero movies, but still)

Eh. For me while "More powerful than a Locomotive" is the original bar to pass. That derives from the old movies where the heroine was strapped to tracks and had to be saved which predates comic book hero comics. Out running or rescuing from a train is Hero 101.

Heres the reasons i can come up with: 1) Practical. Trains are just a practical thing for filmakers to make fights on, as its small and easy to build. Simply by having a fake train as a set and having a moving digital background is super easy for filmakers to do. 2) Theatrical. Trains are very dynamic, and really help convey the fast paced action of the superhero fight scene. The rush of the train forward mimics the rush of the plot which builds tension. 3) Symbolic. Trains are somewhat symbolic of the story itself. The story must progress forward, so having the characters fight on or in a train is the most literal way of saying the plot is moving forward. Those are just my reasons.

Was surprised to see no mention of The Matrix, which is basically a superhero movie and has its most pivotal scene in a subway station and features train action as well.

You are quickly becoming one of my favourite youtubers with your extremely well made videos. Absolutely love them man. Keep up the great work! 😎

This is your best work.

the Fact that a Train was in the First Movie, No Wonder we see these kind of Train in Many Media

I never thought of this but I guess there are a lot of trains in super hero movies🤔

Arguable my favorite super hero movie scene ever is the Spider-Man 2 train rescue.

Holy moly that's a huge amount of trains in superhero movies

Also Doctor Strange (2016) features a Subway Train, During the mirror dimension chase scene Doctor Strange slides away from kacelius and his zealots by moving between platforms and down a subway train that is moving apart and back together, quite short but love that scene!

You know. It’s funny. I was like huh that’s interesting, then you said something along the lines about how early on in our stories our hero needs a getaway to just hop onto a train and then I remembered the fact that the opening fight scene Im writing in my superhero story literally takes place on top of a moving monorail through the city. 😂😂😂

My man can make a super hero video about anything. This has to be one of my favorites. Bravo Nando

absolutely fantastic video!

Love the A-Train joke lol, Robin was indeed run over by a train in way.

Joker also used a sort of trolley problem to stump Batman...and Shang-Chi's most impressive fight sequence was on a...bus, not a train, but close enuf

Trains can be everything. Now we just need a hero who is a literal train. Thomas the Tank Engine-style.

I also think trains are just a stapple of action movies, and superhero movies have a lot of action in them. Westerns, and even modern-set action movies have trains just as often as superhero movies. Just watch literally almost any Liam Neeson movie

5:19 the subway train featured in Superman the Quest for peace was actually a London underground unit and this was because they had to film The Quest for peace in London

Nando really showing once again hes the biggest superhero fan 💪👑

'Christopher Plummer'. I see whatcha did there. 😂 Well played. 😊

My eyes glazed over the thumbnail and I thought this video was about Miguel O'Hara being trans.

Superhero Movies probably watch a lot of city planning videos on KZfaq.

Meanwhile in Japan, 5 trains combined to form a giant monster-fighting robot.

This is why Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is my favorite comic book movie

Beautifully constructed essay and 😂 I can't believe it took 26 minutes to get to the omni-man train scene, seconds in and I thought that's where you were going. One of my favorite runaway train scenes comes from Iron Man: Armored Adventures, it was the first train scene I saw in superhero media as a kid before I watched the incredibles and eventually Spiderman 2. I don't think I'll ever forget it. 🔥🙏🏾 Nice video

It's amazing how deep this video is. Well done sir

I didn’t even watch the whole thing, but my answer to the question in the title would be because trains are awesome

Every time I watch a super hero movie now I will look for trains thanks a lot

Just Can Wait Untill the Incredible faces against Another Train

In your second reason, I think the idea you're kind of beating around the bush with, at least with some of your examples, is that trains are an active element of an environment. They can't be easily controlled (if a train's controls break it can't be easily stopped, even if their controls work, they can't be easily stopped (The Incredibles), and you can't make them go where there aren't tracks), so they can be an obstacle to the hero in more ways than one. Also, trains can provide a feeling of motion, high energy, excitement while the character's actions are busy doing something else. In Into the Spider-Verse, when Miles & Kingpin have their climactic battle on the dimensionally displaced train in the collider, fighting in a train, and the landscape whizzing by outside it, makes the scene feel faster, it keeps the audience's attention and adrenaline up (when things (seem to be) moving quickly, people are more alert in case they have to react quickly) so they can pay more attention to the tension and action of the fight. Also, just to point out because I think it's kind of cool, Zootopia uses a train, too, to some of the same effects as superhero movies. Hidden lab, chase scene, threat of collision (/environmentally hazard to hero(es)), transition scenes. And that's all in one instance. Also again, it's not only trains that can serve this role, but busses and planes as well. z.B.: the bus scene in Shang-Chi (in the trailer, I couldn't tell if it was a bus or the subway) and Iron Man 3 or Air Force One (granted that Air Force One isn't a superhero movie, but it's an action movie). Actually, the reminds me, a while a go, I noticed that there are a lot of air craft fights in superhero movies (or at least MCU movies), too. Iron Man 3, CA the First Avengers, Captain Marvel, Tony & Cap fixing the Helicarrier turbine in Avengers, Helicarriers in Winter Soldier, battle over Xandar in Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man on the space donut in Infinity War, etc.. Thanks for this video. It was fun, light, mindless while still contemplative, and interesting. I needed a brain break like that.

I love that omni man trains mark, then he TRAINS mark

...Wait, how can people say Infinity War isn't about anything? It's not just a film detailing the conflict between Utilitarianism and Deontology, but it's done through the lens of the villian Thanos going through the typical Hero's battle to save the universe!

I love the Superman returns scene where he stops a runaway sky train

I never realised the connection, but my superhero story has a train fight scene in as well. Great minds think alike?

This is why I sub to this channel, because Nando compares Ultron to a train.

Ok, I love this video, incredible work, Nando. One of your best videos