You can’t throw a dead hobbit out the window right now and not hit a comic book movie in the head.  We live in a geek renaissance of sorts that began way back in 1998 with Marvel’s first release, “Blade” and has continued on at the turn of the century with X-Men up to last year’s “Thor, “X-Men: First Class,” “Captain America” and “Green Lantern.” Super hero fatigue has most likely set in for the time being, at least until next May when we see Joss Whedon’s hotly anticipated “The Avengers.”

 

 

Until then, lets dissect, examine and admire the good and the bad that have come before.

 Let’s get it over with, the bad ones first…

Elektra (2004) a spin-off of Daredevil, failed to gather much fan interest or box-office coin making it one of Fox’s biggest flops in decades. Jennifer Garner does her best, but it does not work amidst the fractured screenplay and dodgy direction. The film lacks an emotional core and a strong, coherent story, villain. An odd, strange, and muddled mess that never discovers who or what the title character is all about other than she is plagued with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)….huh? Exactly.

 Catwoman (2004) The only other film on this list that rivals, nay surpasses the sheer crappiness of Batman & Robin. It is still unclear what DC intended to do with this Halle Barry vehicle considering the story has nothing to do with Batman or the Selina Kyle character. Based loosely on the DC property only, Barry is left to solve her own murder after she has been possessed with ghost of some Egyptian princess bullcrap…yes, it is as dumb as it sounds. Sharon Stone co-stars and is her typical god-awful self.  Misguided and flimsy from start to finish, its astounding that Barry had won a Best Actress Oscar only three years prior.

The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) Hard to believe that it could out crap the first one, but it did.  Campy, idiotic and garish; the actors are all miscast and never quite seem to buy into the fantasy of it all. The screenplay is clueless reducing the four to squabbling jerk offs obsessed with trivial matters and name-calling. Dr. Doom is wasted again in this flimsy directed sequel that mishandles the Silver Surfer who seems out of place with these four morons and deserves a much better movie. A redo is promised but with an all new cast.

Captain America (1992) originally, intended to be released in the summer of 1989 as Marvel’s counter to “Batman,” instead debuted direct to video in 1992, but played in theaters overseas. Cheap and misguided, Directed by the King of the hacks, Albert Pyun, this first official Captain America movie never really takes off as the shapeless, sometimes incoherent blob of a plot never takes hold. Even though it had a then-decent $10 million budget, it soon ran out and looks worse than the early 90’s version of Fantastic Four that was made for a cool one million.
 Red Skull is unconvincing and his mouth barely moves. The film’s biggest snafu is Matt Salinger as Cappy. Due to an allergic reaction to the material of his mask that irritated his ears, he had to wear fake ones on the outside of his costume making a complete fool of himself as the ears stick completely out like some freak version of Clark Gable.
 Salinger is square-jawed and earnest enough, and maybe in another time he could have made Cap’n his signature role, but the fake ears make him a joke along with the brain-dead screenplay. Too bad considering the support players are top notch; Ronny Cox, Darrin McGavin, Ned Beatty and Melinda Dillon. A welcomed and vastly superior remake arrived in 2011.

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) the road to Hell is paved with good intentions such is the case with the final entry in the Christopher Reeve starring saga.
 Ultimately dull and shoddy looking, it makes the 1950’s television series look like an epic in comparison. After the triple punch of Part III, ”Supergirl,” taking both critical and box-office slams and Chris Reeve hanging up his cape forever, the Salkinds, suffering their own loss on “Santa Clause: The Movie”, sold their interest in the character to Golan-Globus backed Cannon Studios.
 Chris Reeve had been reluctant to return after his horrible experience in Part III, but was given an offer he could not refuse; he would share story input, co-write the screenplay, fashion a story that wouldn’t be perceived as a farce and a chance to Direct Superman part 5 if the current installment was a success.
“The Quest for Peace” was originally funded with a healthy $36 million budget, (a sizeable amount in those days, about the same that was used on Part III), but before filming began, it was slashed to $17 million after the studio suffered a series of box-office flops and spread its money around to pay bills.
 Director Sidney J. Furie (Richard Donner was originally asked, but refused) was forced to cut corners everywhere. A slash and burn attitude, he cuts like a butcher on Thanksgiving; from production design to special effects; the film released appeared as though it was unfinished.
 Too bad, considering there are some good ideas buried inside; Supes intent to rid the planet of nuclear weapons at the behest of an idealistic 13 y/o boy; his boy scout speeches at the United Nations, and the double date with Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway) and Lois with Clark/Superman; are all nice touches, but it doesn’t help. Some of the film’s flaws are just infuriating; like Lacy Warfield breathing in space…
 The cheap effects are some of the worst ever seen- the matte work is glaringly obvious and wires can be seen in many flying scenes. The space scenes have no stars as Supes flies against an all black backdrop and if you look close, you can see the studio walls. Even with real money, I doubt the effects would have been as memorable as the first two films.
 In the first two films, the effects were used to tell a fantastical story, to propel it, to suspend our disbelief instead of insulting our intelligence and the characters. Reeve and Kidder still have sparks and show some genuine heart in their scenes together but their Superman/Lois relationship is repetitive and adds nothing new. The fight with Nuclear Man is déjà vu all over again and not nearly as impressive as the Zod melee and is sabotaged by the laughable bad effects.
 The film’s lowest point, Nuclear Man kidnaps Lacy Warfield and carries her off TO SPACE where he hair blows freely in the breeze and the vacuum of space appears to have no effect on her breathing….huh?
 It’s great to see the return of Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, but both look uncomfortable and with nearly 45 minutes cut from the film’s original running time, the story is often times disjointed and moves too fast. The result was released to theaters to a tepid audience and disappeared two weeks later. Ultimately, a bigger failure than part 3, as it was the last chance to save the movie franchise with Christopher Reeve. All to no avail as the series would go dormant until 2006’s Superman Returns.

Supergirl (1984) Envisioned as a spin-off franchise and to take over from the departed Reeve, the cousin of Superman suffered a far more cruel fate as this was her one and only outing.
 An original running time of 150 minutes, the film was cut down to the bone at 105 minutes and it shows; incoherent subplots, scenes not connecting and inconsistent performances from just about everyone. Through it all, Helen Slater shines in the titular role. She like Reeve gave the character a warm, human sole and easy-going charm. She makes the flying scenes convincing and helps save some of the film’s worst moments.
 Chris Reeve was asked and agreed to make a cameo, but bowed out early as he cut ties with the Salkinds. Marc McClure is the only carry-over once again playing Jimmy Olsen, boyfriend to Lois’s younger sister, Lucy. As good as Slater is, Faye Dunaway, chews her scenery like a beaver looking for an escape. She adds nothing to the film and her sidekick, Brenda Vicaro is equally bad. Think Otis in drag.
 Second verse, same as the first, the tone, and the intent is all wrong- campy contempt all around as there is no effort to make the character three-dimensional and interesting. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is another rare bright spot, one of his best; too bad that kind of care was not carried over to the screenplay.

Doc Savage (1975) based on the pulp hero, the first real comic book character who pre-dates both Superman and Batman and was one of the inspirations for Indiana Jones. This is the first and only filmed version of the good doctor and is one of the worst films ever made. Yet, surprisingly faithful to the novels and star Ron Ely is perfectly cast, but the film is derailed with extemporaneous garbage and crammed with campy, crappy unfunny jokes and John Phillip Sousa music that almost plays like a Naked Gun movie, with nothing taken seriously.
 The movie has a lousy sense of humor for instance; Don Rubio Gorro (Bob Corso) the main bad guy, rocks himself to sleep in an adult-sized baby crib, with Beautiful Dreamer as its musical cue. The campy jokes are pathetic- the animated twinkle in the eye of Doc Savage (Ron Ely) at the beginning of the film and an applause soundtrack was added following Doc’s recitation of his personal code. A box-office flop and largely forgotten, it was famed producer George Pal’s last project.

Superman III (1983) this is quite possibly my most hated sequel of all time. The one that took all the goodwill, expectations and continuity created by the first two and pissed it away with stupid campy tone and a redundant villain in this soulless, crass money-grab. Brainiac was the original villain, but instead Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) was created to hijack all of Lex Luthor’s worst ideas and steal his best jokes as yet another ego-maniacal industrialist/plutocrat, with an idiot sidekick, sets their lofty goals on Superman’s demise.
 Gene Hackman, offended by the treatment of Richard Donner and his eventual firing from Part II, refused to return as Lex Luthor. Margot Kidder as Lois Lane was reduced down to a cameo with Annette O’Toole stepping in as Lana Lang, Clark’s new love interest.
 After seeing Richard Pryor on “The Tonight Show,” in 1981 and telling Johnny Carson how much he enjoyed “Superman II,” the producers offered the comedian a starring role and $4 million, three million less than Reeve.
In his defense, Pyor is the film’s least offensive element; he could have been quite funny and effective in a better-written and realized role by actually playing a character instead of Richard Pryor, but instead he’s given a fuzzy character we do not quite believe.
 Ultimately, though he is miscast and underused, he is not the target of my rage as that would be Director Richard Lester. After the tumultuous production of Superman II that pushed Richard Donner out the door, Lester’s version was a big hit and so it was a no-brainer that he stay on for III. Except no, one told him he would be making a Superman film. He instead, turned III into a goofy, English caper movie with sight gags, puns, and parody elements aimed squarely at the Man of Steel, a character Lester admitted he had never seen or heard of before Directing Part II and it shows. It’s obvious from the opening credits that clearly a compelling, serious adventure story was never even considered, its all traded in for cheap, stupid jokes and convoluted sight-gags.
 However, two sequences are worth the price of admission- when Superman fights his evil self in the junk yard and when he battles the evil computer. The rest is poisonous junk aimed to tarnish Superman’s film legacy. At least the story flows, it makes you regret watching it, but at least there are no major plot holes or incoherent performances, unlike Part 4.
 Critics like to say Part 4 is worse, but I disagree, at least 4 has a heart, sure it might have an attack or two, but a heart still unlike this heap that goes into cardiac arrest and never recovers. The film’s worst offense, street signals come to life and begin fighting each other, why?
 Chris Reeve was so disappointed with the final product that he swore, never again would he work with the Salkinds as Superman, and he did not. Part 3 remains the worst of the lot.

The Return of the Swamp Thing (1989) I knew I was in for a deep hurting when the film was promoted as a ‘sci-fi comedy,’ because that is what everyone wanted out of this sequel, right?
Here is yet another instance where the filmmakers just do not understand the character. The sequel to the Wes Craven classic is yet another victim of that word so often written here, CAMP. Forgoing the darker, delicate balance created in the original film, its tepid comedy time with Adrienne Barbeau as Alice Cable sorely missed. Dick Durock, so great in the first film, tries mightily to not look as foolish, although with his voice dubbed by another actor it’s difficult with the insanity around him. Co-star Heather Locklear who plays her role of Abby Arcane, as though she is a bubble-headed cheerleader. All the acting is terrible and campy. Constantly smirking and winking at the camera, there is not once sincere performance to hold on to.
 Craven nailed it, he captured Holland’s pain, made clever use of the Frankstien’s monster motif and told a smart, believable love story. This jokey remake of the first film, with the ludicrous resuscitation of Dr. Arcane, (again played by Louise Jordan looks uncomfortable, quickly sputters out of control, as its obvious Director Jim Wynorski has contempt for the material. The good stuff, the effects are much better, Swamp Thing’s costume looks far more impressive and the monster makeup from Arcane’s creations are excellent.  When the actors start talking, watch out!  The film’s lowest point, Arcane’s girlfriend and a henchman compare and show off scars, (think of the scene in JAWS with Quint and Hooper, only stupid) which feels severely out of place. Ugh.

Batman (1989) one of the most anticipated movies of its time, now plays undercooked and over-produced. A box-office smash, a pop culture phenomenon, yet remains now instantly forgettable.
This overrated origin story was screwed from the giddy up by Director Tim Burton, who does an admirable job of setting the mood and environment, but does little to get inside the character’s psyche, to dissect his glitch. Instead, lame action sequences reveal what a true hack there is at the helm. The acting is mostly good except for the hammy performance from Jack Nicholson as the Joker, a mean-spirited buffoon in clown makeup, who digs listening to Prince, huh? Are we supposed to fear this guy? Michael Keaton’s casting was met with uproar, but his performance quickly won audiences over and acquitted himself nicely. Nicholson embarrasses himself and strays too far from what the character is really about and Kim Basinger makes for a weak Lois Lane clone in Vickie Vale. Not a horrible film compared to the rest of the entries on the list, but vastly overrated and compared to the Nolan interpretations it is worthless.
Filmed entirely on a sound stage, the film is claustrophobic and antiseptic and now plays as a sad and severely dated piece of nostalgia.

Batman Returns (1992) I have always hated this overrated sequel that really has nothing to do with the Batman despite his returning, it is the bad guys stealing the show- again. The films shining moment is Michelle Pieffer as Catwoman; she’s sexy and fun, but again, per Tim Burton, THIS reiteration of Batman and his rogues gallery of heroes and villains is NOT comic book related. Just a riff on the originals and it mostly sucks, not as bad as what follows, but the suck begins here to an irritating degree. Michael Keaton is better this time around, but gets a weak, unresolved subplot with the Batman being framed for murder. Danny Devito does his best as Cobblepot/The Penguin, but instead here he’s a mutated freak that’s suppose to have our sympathies, thanks for that, Timo, and is mostly gross and annoying and the less mentioned about those damn penguins that shoot missiles the better.
Far worse than the Adam West television series by a long shot with its half-baked and forgettable action, if any, this one gets too much praise for nearly nothing of worth.

 Batman Forever (1995)  This was the beginning of the end for the Caped Crusader as the bad guys continued to hog the spotlight, although not nearly as terrible as what followed. Keaton walked, replaced with Val Kilmer, citing a crap script and being upstaged by the baddies. Burton walked, replaced with Director Joel Schumacher, although that’s good, his crimes of humanity begin here as the camp factor is dialed up to distasteful degrees.
 Crammed with too many villains; Tommy Lee Jones is miscast as Harvey, Two-Face, Dent as is Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jim Carrey is funnier than he is threatening. Nicole Kidman is wasted in a thankless, dull role as Wayne’s love interest.  Boy wonder Robin makes his debut, but who cares as Chris O’Donnell is stupid as ever. Hideous production design, boring, over-the-top action, chainsaw editing, and ear rape music ruin this third Batman.

Batman & Robin (1997) and here it is- the Granddaddy of them all- the one the will forever be linked to the comic book blockbuster gone awry. It is pedestrian at this point to call it out, who doesn’t hate this piece of crap, but a true list is not complete without it. Director Joel Schumacher went officially mad directing this crap-fest as he later revealed was merely doing the studios bidding when he dialed up the camp and added nipples on the bat suits giving the film a creepy, homoerotic vibe. Dim-witted and plagued with awful acting set against an obnoxious production design and several moments of “What were they thinking,” (for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dr. Freeze), send this one straight down the commode ahead of the rest of the poop.
The worst film on this list simply because it should have known better and had tons of money and what could have been an impressive cast. Alicia Silverstone’s career took a huge slam as Batgirl, which is understandable as she is terrible; she is  related to Alfred instead of Commissioner Gordon….huh?
 George Clooney replaced Kilmer who quarreled with Schumacher, yet impresses no one with his constant grinning and head shaking and Chris O’Donnell is even more irritating than in the previous installment. Uma Thurman is wasted in her role as Poison Ivey. Dumb from start to finish!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judge Dredd (1995) what should have been a homerun for star Sylvester Stallone was instead reduced to a loud mess ran through the Hollywood cliché mill. Director Danny Cannon never finds the right balance and the film’s winking, almost ironic humor is overpowering set against the way-too-serious acting, which falls flat. Stallone’s insufferable, humorless, self-aware performance brings the story to a screeching halt, as does a horrible sidekick role by Rob Schneider. The only two strong performances throughout are Max Von Sydow and Armand Assante. A remake is scheduled for release in 2012.

 The Green Hornet  (2011)

 Woefully miscast, Seth Rogan feels out of place in this adaptation of the classic radio and television series. Poorly written and acted, this story has never lent itself to be a comedy, yet the filmmaker’s shoe-horn in every dumb joke imaginable making it highly toxic and forgettable as the nonsense plot sputters along and evaporates.

 

 And now the good ones. Suffering through the bad ones makes it worth it as these often sail far and above their printed origins. In no particular order of greatness…

Superman (1978) The gold standard from which all comic book movies are measured, the first official comic book movie adaption is still the best! Structured as three movies; serious fantasy, moving drama and big budget disaster epic, Director Richard Donner keeps those elements cohesive and entertaining. Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor is menacing and funny and Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane is sexy, smart-mouthed, and resourceful.
 A wonderful ride from start to finish, the character is honored and imbued with a marvelously human soul thanks to Reeve’s iconic performance. Reeve became a legend for a reason as he never once makes the suit look foolish and does a remarkable job making us believe he and Clark are two seperate characters which allows us to accept why Lois remains clueless as she falls in love with Superman and not Clark. The Penthouse chat is one of the best scenes of foreplay ever put to film. Director Donner too takes great care in treating the character with respect guiding Reeve’s steady performance, along with the rest of the cast, especially the infamous testy and eccentric Brando.  The action is thrilling and allusions and references to Moses, Jesus and the bible are fine to spot. Plenty of great supporting work from Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen, Jackie Cooper as Perry White and Glenn Ford as Jonathan “Pa” Kent.  John Williams, in the middle of his hot streak, created an indelible, bolstering theme that is still connected to the character to this day. It lives and breathes, still to this day as terrific entertainment!

Superman II (1981) Originally filmed back-to-back, Part II was halted to see if Part I would score at the box-office. Once it did, production resumed and was one of the most troubled in Hollywood despite a switch in Directors, the film is surprisingly coherent; it’s a fun, fast-paced adventure that begins at full-throttle and never looks back. Terrance Stamp becomes an icon with his turn as Krpytonian baddie out for revenge, General Zod, “Kneel before Zod! If you dare!”
 Christopher Reeve still rules as the Man of Steel and gives another stellar performance as he takes the character into darker territory. Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor return in Superman’s last great cinematic adventure of the century. A blast from start to finish, the film honors what came before and makes its own unique impression. Superman’s melee with the three Krpytonian baddies is still an eye-popper and the relationship between Clark and Lois is emotionally draining, complicated and quite touching.
* Richard Donner’s version of Superman II was released in 2006 on DVD, and has some excellent scenes and alternate takes, especially the long lost Brando footage. However, it’s Lester’s version that is still the one to watch as it flows easily and has a better, logical ending.

Swamp Thing (1982) This once popular DC character of the 1970’s was written and directed by Wes Craven. Moving beyond his exploitation background, the horror director gave the film a nice, likable soul as he made clever use of the Frankenstein’s Monster motif.
Ray Wise is Dr. Alec Holland scientist whose experiments are of interest to rival, the evil Dr. Anton Arcane. After his sister is murdered, a splash of his secret formula, a melee with Arcane’s henchmen, Holland is transformed into a green man-plant hybrid possessing Herculean strength and cunning intelligence transmogrified by his own formula into an avenging mutant. (In costume the character is played by Dick Durock.).
 Now the newly christened SWAMP THING, seeks justice and to avenge the murder of his sister and rescue his girlfriend, Alice Cable, from the clutches of Arcane.
 The Swamp Thing is portrayed by the late stuntman turned actor, Dick Durock and just like Christopher Reeve with Superman, brings out the character’s soul and pathos with a wonderfully human, iconic performance that is simply remarkable. Adrienne Barbeau (the ex-Mrs. John Carpenter, The Fog & Escape from New York) stars as Alice Cable, Holland/Swamp’s love interest. She pre-dates Ripley from “Aliens,” as a strong, resourceful female and her chemistry with Durock holds the film together with their beautiful, yet unlikely love story. Praise has been faint on the duo, which is a shame; their connection feels real and is intelligently portrayed. Both actors sell it and really elevate it above where it would normally settle with lesser, capable actors. Their best scene together shows what could have been an absurd moment after having his arm cut off by Arcane’s thugs, Cable asks Swamp “does it hurt,” he replies, “Only when I laugh.” Damn right!
 Louie Jordan as the evil Dr. Anton Arcane spits out his words with an effective, slimy charm.
Craven does an excellent job of connecting the characters to the landscape and we instantly understand why Swampy is so protective of his environment and especially of Cable. The film was shot on the cheap and Durocks’ suit is sometimes unconvincing. The film nearly derails in the last act with Arcane transforming into some strange looking monster in a lame suit that really belongs in a lesser film, but Craven makes up for it with some good action scenes and the actors strong performances from its two leads and a supporting performance by Craven regular, David Hess as Arcane’s go-to thug. The film was a box-office flop, but is one of the very first films that made its money back through the then-new video rental market and constant rotations on pay cable television. …Criminally underrated.

The Dark Knight(2009) whatever doubts of Director Christopher Nolan striking gold twice, were squashed as he nailed down Batman- again. One of the best comic book films and one of the best films of all time finally gives Batman fans what they have longed for. Forget the Tim Burton fetish nightmares and the Joel Schumacher garish trash- this is the true essence of the character, the real Dark Knight. Embracing, but dialing down the comic book elements, Nolan dissected the character unlike any previous incarnations by delving into the psychology, the tragedy, the emotion, and motivation. We see Bruce Wayne’s pain, his ego, his stubbornness, paranoia, self-righteous, his unquenchable thirst for justice. Christian Bale as the Batman plays up those traits and does not always come out looking good. He comes off human, real and not some campy, cartoon character. The Batman would not exist without a villain to fight and he meets his match in the Joker. Played by the late Heath Ledger, it’s a wonderful performance of great skill, quiet malevolence and unhinged lunacy. The character is well known twisted sense of humor is still alive, as he kills indiscriminately and keeps everyone guessing as to how he earned his trademark smile instead of a lame “accident.” Aaron Eckhart is good as DA Harvey Dent, who is transformed into the conflicted “Two-Face.” It’s a performance so good he earned a Best Supporting Oscar, whether that had to do with his untimely death, given to him strictly out of pity and political correctness, who knows, it was a win for genre movies everywhere. As the third film nears, it will be hard to expect anything superior, but one must hope.

The Green Lantern (2011) by the time of its premiere, comic book movie fatigue was settling in, (the fourth of the summer) and the Green Lantern soon suffered the effects. Erroneously maligned and dismissed by critics and some fans, the film remains the best DC adaption since The Dark Knight.
The first and only time the character has attempted a film, is visually stunning. The effects propel the story to incredible heights, the Lanterns training planet of Oa and the Guardians themselves. Director Martin Campbell makes Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan into a fun, likable hero and Blake Lively is solid as his lovely love interest. An interesting back-story and a formidable villain in the form of Parallax gives the film plenty of depth and history. All of Lantern’s supporting players are here; Hector Hammond, (Peter Sarsgaard) Sinestro, (Mark Strong) Kilawog, (Michael Clark Duncan) and Abin Sur, (Teamura Morrison) and the actors make their impressions.
 Reasons still unknown, this film was thrown to the critical wolves and has a reputation for being terrible and big bomb, which is just not true. It did not turn a profit to the studios expectations, yes, but a sequel is expected and in early stages of pre-production.
 Let the crybaby critics have their bottles; it is a wonderfully made film; a fun, engaging story that has all the elements of a true superhero story. Too many scenes on Earth make the viewer anxious, but it in no way hurts the film. Ryan Reynolds is good although he is still Ryan Reynolds and that sometimes gets in the way of his perfomance. Still he’s charming, sarcastic, reluctant, but sympathetic and a very capable hero. This film would make a great companion piece to DC’s animated, also excellent, Green Lantern: First Flight & Emerald Knights.

Superman Returns (2006) Much like The Green Lantern, the Man of Steel’s return after a 19 year hiatus was met with mostly mild reception. Some strong reviews from reputable sources, but negative digs from everywhere else that left the fanbase split.
An unfortunate fate as the film accomplished its goal; to make Superman relevant for the 21st century.
Director Bryan Singer revitalized Marvel studios and brought the comic book renaissance to where it is today with his first two X-Men entries beginning in 2000. Although his love of Richard Donnor’s first film is quite evident, repeating several narrative beats with Luthor’s real estate scam and the Earthquake; the film washes off the stink of the two previous sequels, III and IV and gives Superman back his dignity.With a almost pretentious reverance, (in a good way) Singer makes Superman into the planet’s savior and makes his journey and important one.  Brandon Routh is the first new Superman in over a generation and makes the part his own. He never does an impersonation of Reeves but he does have a similar sense of humor and the way he delivers a line or two. His romance with Lois is dullsville as Kate Bosworth as Lois is miscast, (looking too young) this time out, but his rescue of an injured airplane is the film’s most exciting moment. Impressive visuals bring Singer’s love of the character to new heights as he plays up the Jesus/religious angle, especially when Superman is floating above Earth listening to the people of the world cry out for help and he strikes a crucifixion pose descending back to the surface. Sam Huntington makes a great Jimmy Olsen, eager and still naïve, while Frank Langella is good, but surprisingly low-key as Daily Planet Chief Editor Perry White. John Williams was asked to come back and score the flick, but said he could not due to his close friendship with Christopher Reeve, stating simply, “it was too painful.” Instead, his iconic score is reworked by composer Jon Ottman and sounds great with a few new added themes. Kevin Spacey as Luthor is effective and is wise not to ape Hackman, but the Plutocrat shtick is officially tired. Let us hope in future incarnations, Lex has other way to cause trouble than to steal real estate or cause natural disasters. Flawed and a bit flabby in its final act, the film is still a worthwhile entry. A Warner Bros executive was quoted as saying if the film passed the $200 million mark domestically, they’d make a sequel, it did, but no sequel. Fast forward to 2013 as “Superman, Man of Steel” will debut with an all new cast, new Superman and new director, let’s hope!

Conan the Barbarian (1982)  Despite Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic, yet completely inaccurate performance as Robert E. Howard’s creation; Conan is one of the best sword and the sandal fantasy entries of all time. Director John Milius injects the film with bold, bigger-than-life pretense of a period drama, yet the imagination of an exploitative B movie that celebrates the characters pulp, comic book origins. Violence, nudity and big emotions decorate this unique vision. Arnold’s star-making performance is also his best, his must fully realized. Chemistry with co-star Sandal Bergman sparks and good, memorable dialogue is provided by Milius and co-writer Oliver Stone. Basil Poledoris made an impressive stamp with his boisterous, pounding score. One sub-par sequel followed. Avoid the deadly dull 2011 remake at all costs.

Batman Begins (2005) was the beginning of the second renaissance of the comic book movie wave ushered in an era of darker genre films. Asking us to forget the Burton/Schumacher trash heaps, Batman was finally done right in this superb origin story. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Michael Cain as Alfred make an interesting duo as we finally see how their relationship works. I still contend that Bale is mostly a terrible actor, but under the right Director, his hammy-ness can be reined it, such as the case here where he is excellent.
Director Chris Nolan jettisons the lame comedy and stupid, ugly production designs for real world look., Gotham City is actually Chicago and the surrounding area.
The Batsuit is simple, inherently absurd still, of course, but believable and serious. Nolan gets to the root of the character unlike any incarnation before and it is fascinating. The film’s high point, the police chase with the Batmobile

Robocop (1987) what, you say? Not a typical nor traditional comic book character for sure, as he has no ties to Marvel or DC or any known comic strip, but his origin story and his ascension to hero follow the same narrative beats and often surpass characters with an established following.
Directed by Paul Verhoven, this loud, funny, violent, clever sci-fi mish mash set in the future of “New Detroit,” uses satire to skewer the milieu of the 1980’s; playing up the out of control crime and the built in fears therein and especially the over-the-top consumerism now identified with the era. Peter Weller stars as the murdered cop turned into the new face of crime, Robocop; half man, mostly machine. It is the familiar Frankenstein story with an urban thriller, sci-fi twist that has fun with the premise and gives life to an iconic hero.
Nancy Allen co-stars with Ray Wise, Kurtwood Smith, Miquel Ferer and Ronny Cox are great in their villainous roles. Smith has the funniest line, “Bitches leave!” Hysterical for all the right reasons, the film remains an unlikely source of inspiration and social commentary.

Thor (2011) Marvel’s Norse God Thor is not very good during its Earth bound moments, with its slowpoke pace and fuzzy motivations, but when it hits its celestial stride in Asgard, it sails!
Directed by Kenneth Brannagh, who steers his cast to steady performances, Chris Hemsworth as Thor is perfectly cast and Anthony Hopkins as his irksome father, Odin, loads the film with a Shakespearian pretense and authority that gives the off world sequences some much needed depth and heart. Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgaard, Rene Russo offer solid support, and Tim Huddleston as Thor’s brother Loki makes an impressive baddie. Fun and faithful to the comics, it is one of Marvel’s best adaptations yet, far better than “Iron Man.”
Hemsworth is resoundingly excellent and refuses to make Thor into a dumb beefcake, but a three-dimensional person; heroic, noble and funny. The narrative is not saddled with the now cliché origin movie set-up. It drops Thor right in the middle of things and for part of the movie; it is a ‘fish-out-of-water story. Granted, this is the film’s weakest area, but the actors have fun with it and really nail it when it goes to back to Asgard. Thor’s next appearance is in 2012’s The Avengers.

The Rocketeer (1991) Created in 1982 by comic book writer, Dave Stevens, Disney’s massively underrated love letter to those serials of the 1930’s & 40’s was a box-office bust upon release. Too bad considering it is a wonderful heartfelt, affectionate tribute to those schlocky, corny serials full of high emotion and even higher adventure; replete with stilted dialogue and one-note characters.
Picking up where Indiana Jones left off, Cliff Secord strapped with a jet pack becomes an unlikely hero. Billy Campbell plays Secord with just the right amount of ah shucks charm and strength. Jennifer Connelly plays his best girl and former Bond, Timothy Dalton spits and spews twirling his mustache and looking very dapper as an Errol Flynn clone and secret Nazi, making a far more enjoyable villain than a 007.
Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino and Terry O’Quinn offer solid support Directed by Joe Johnston, (Captain America). What could and should have been the obvious successor to Indiana Jones was stopped in its tracks due to low box-office. The movie has developed a cult following with rumors that a long awaited sequel is in the works.

Unbreakable (2000) Based not on an established character, but the same narrative beats, the psychological dimensions and real world implications of what it means to be a superhero in the real world. Set in Philadelphia, Security Guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) realizes after a near fatal train wreck that leaves him the sole survivor, that he has a gift. With the help of his son, Dunn goes through the motions of discovering his powers, and his weakness, water and begins to fashion a Superhero persona.
Writer/Director M Night Shyamalan’s best movie to date is a wonderful examination of what pressures a real world superhero might experience. Flawlessly acted and brilliantly shot; with each scene or scenes structured like a comic book panel.
Bruce Willis’s subtle, affecting performance is his best ever. Samuel L. Jackson is equally good as Dunn’s antagonist, “Mr. Glass,” who believes if Dunn is a hero, then he is destined to be the villain. Suspenseful and fascinating, Shyamalan brings emotional realism and compelling drama to the mythological conceit.

Kick-Ass (2010) with the superhero surplus at its peak and threatening to get even bigger, comic book fans were given this audacious alternative; a violent, sarcastic, and funny satire on the world of comic books and those that worship them.
Directed by Mathew Vaughn, this stylish spin on one kid’s, (Aaron Johnson) dream of becoming a superhero, one he names KICK ASS. Donning a costume he made himself, he goes out into the world and proceeds to have his ass kicked by the various baddies he encounters, hence the title. Johnson is hilarious as the sad-sad schmuck, who is wrong about nearly everything. A big dummy who manages to save the day thanks to back up from Hit Girl an 11y/o vigilante (Chloe Moretz) & Big Daddy (Nic Cage) a former cop with justice of his own to serve. Moretz as Hit Girl is the stand out performance, at just 11 y/o she caused quite a stir with her filthy language, surrounded by mayhem and violence, yet her multiple murders in the film were hardly mentioned. It’s a clever performance as she kills and maims like a freak, but remains totally naive and adorable.
Per usual the critics are wrong as the violence is too fantastical, too over-the-top to be taken in any serious manner. Hit Girl is a comment on the current obsession the culture has with kids, political correctness, violence, and safety. Her character exists for slamming political correctness, as she defies labels and expectations. She is sweet, cute, strong and loves to swear, but when the time comes, she’s a killing machine, yet at the end of the day, she loves her Big Daddy. Cage gives one of his best performances in years as the girls father, channeling Adam West when he’s in costume.
A sequel is excepted.

 X-Men 2 (2002) after the unexpected success of the first film, it was a no-brainer to make a sequel. Done differently however was the production schedule; far more time was given to the scripting and the shooting as this one never felt rushed or the victim of slashed budgets. The Empire Strikes Back” of the franchise, this is one too surpasses the original in every way.
Director Bryan Singer returns and shows his confidence and authority as he makes the universe his own and gives the X-men a meaty story, and characters room to breathe. The cast would return in the very disappointing X-Men: Last Stand where nearly everyone was killed off.

X-Men: First Class (2011) A return to excellent form after the lackluster X3 and Wolverine. Audacious and packed with youthful awareness, the fun and vigor blasts you like one of Havoc’s plasma bolts. Set in 1962, we meet a young Charles Xavier almost of out school meeting an also young Eric Lensherr/Magneto. This wonderful prequel story takes us places not yet seen; a superhero film set in the 1960’s has a wonderful James Bond vibe to it.
The first generations of X-Men are introduced as are the foundlings for the mutant revolution soon to be lead by Magneto. Stylishly Directed, Matthew Vaughn was originally set to direct X3 but objected to the short pre-production time, a move he later regretted. No regrets here as he lets loose his inner-geek and lets the film explode with mutant goodness. The story is packed to the gills, sometimes over-stuffed, but Vaughn and company use economy in their storytelling in the most efficient ways. The film is briskly paced and well acted; the two standouts are Michael Fassbender as Eric/Magneto, who burns up the screen with his Nazi-killings and James McAvoy as Xavier. A sequel is expected.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1992) This stylish and severly over-looked animated movie trumps the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher garbage in every way! Far more faithful than any previous incarnation up that point, this excellent brooding, film noir captures everything perfectly about Batman and Bruce Wayne. A box-office flop due to Warner Bros lack of marketing, but eventually was a hit on the video market.

 Flash Gordon (1980)  Over-the-top, campy, trashy and flamboyant are not qualities I usually champion in my superhero flicks, but for some reason, it works here perfectly. Based on the famous Alex Raymond comic strip hero, Flash has been adapted into every medium since his debut in 1934, but this is so far is the most memorable. In the early 70’s George Lucas tried to make his version of the Flash, but could not secure the rights as they were already bought by famed Italian producer Dino DeLaurentis. Funded with a healthy budget, the film looks intentionally cheap and clunky, mimicking the comic strips and old movie serials of yore. Perhaps in an attempt to ape George Lucas’s success with Star Wars, a series that was wildly and obviously inspired by Flash Gordon and Dune, Delarentis tries to capture that same goofy spirit, the absurd costumes and impractical machinery.  Despite its campy trappings, the actors have fun with the familiar roles. Sam Jones as Flash Gordon brings a simple, all American square-jawed simplicity to the role of Earth’s savior. Melody Anderson as Dale Arden is good as the typical damsel in distress without being too screechy and inept. In what appeared to be an effort to bring some much needed creditability to the whole thing, international actors, Topol (Fiddler on the Roof) as Hans Zarkoff and Max Von Sydow (The Exorcist, The Seventh Seal) as Ming the Merciless, were cast and both chew their scenes with great delight, especially Sydow. The film’s standout however is the rock score by the group Queen, a rousing, blustering score that pushes the film into genre classic. All served with a smile and a wink so it goes down easy and we all have a great time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watchmen (2009)
Deemed ‘unfilmable’ by a studio executive, this critically acclaimed graphic novel from 1985 by Alan Moore, languished in development hell for decades, finally getting released under Director Zack Synder. The seminal novel changed the reputation of the how comic books were perceived and marketed. Originally set up as a deconstruction of DC’s most popular characters, Batman and Superman specifically; had the story moved forward it would have left those characters unusable for future use. Original characters were created as the story follows an alternate historical timeline; President Richard Nixon is still in power in 1985. After a victorious win in Vietnam with the assistance of several known superheroes, he became President for life. Superheroes have been around since the late 1930’s and an integral part of society. After the murder of one their own and a Government law banning all costumed heores, the superheroes, band together, Nite Owl, Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre to solve the murder of one of their own leading to the discovery of something far more sinister.
 A fascinating, sometimes dark dissection of society’s need for heroes and their need to live real lives resonates as Director Zack Snyder owns the material, never a misstep, this smart adaptation keeps things moving and gets great performances from his cast, the stand out being Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach, the Batman-like character that share many of the same personality traits, driven, vengeance-fueled vigilante. Bold to say the least, this R-rated epic never backs down and isn’t always a pleasant experience, but it is a visceral and important one.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) the film takes a lot of guff, but I liked it, had fun with its B-movie sensibility and didn’t really care that it sent Sean Connery into retirement. Based on Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neal’s comic of the same name, five of the most unlikley Victorian era heroes are assembled to slam evil, led by Alan Quartermain, (Connery), Naseeruddin Shah as Captain Nemo, Peta Wilson as Mina Harker, Tony Curran as Rodney Skinner, Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray, Shane West as Tom Sawyer, Jason Flemyng as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde, Richard Roxburgh as The Fantom / “M” / Professor James Moria. Of course purists will cry foil, but the film has fun with the premise. A box office hit, the film took a critical beating. Connery quarrelled with Director Steven Norrington and told Hollywood to F-off, prompting his retirement from acting.

Blade (1998) the very first film of the current comic book movie renaissance, was spawned from the pages of the defunct 1970’s The Tomb of Dracula, as a supporting character. Wesley Snipes stars as the human vampire killer who became obsessed with eradicating all Vampires, as he himself was half, due to his mother being bitten right before his birth. The update for the 90’s, captured the urban Goth neo-thriller vibe perfectly giving the film a gritty, savvy mood. Directed by Stephan Norrington and written by David Goyer, the film is stylish and sometimes clever, as Snipes inhabits this character unlike any performance of his career. He is not always a likable hero, sometimes he borders on obsession, but he is compelling and the film works wonderfully because of it. Stephan Dorf makes a great villain as the nasty Vampire leader Deacon Frost. Two more sequels followed, an upcoming fourth is rumored. 

 

 

 

 

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