Film
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Review: SUPERMAN III
Superman III (1983) Written By: David and Leslie Newman Directed By: Richard Lester Here’s a question: How do you follow up on the massive success of Richard Donner’s Superman and Richard Lester’s Superman II? Donner and Tom Mankiewicz are gone and if you’re the Salkinds you see this as an opportunity to finally bring your vision of Superman to the screen. So, do you bring in Brainiac and Supergirl and team them up with Mister Mxyptlik? Well, Warner Brothers wasn’t keen on that so you go back to the drawing board and that’s when it happens! Richard Pryor, one of the greatest comedic voice in history is on Johnny Carson…
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Review: BATMAN FOREVER
Batman Forever is the third film in the series of Tim Burton films. Here we have Joel Schumacher in the directors chair, and Burton as a producer. We also have new villains, a new sidekick, and even a new Batman! Mild spoilers are in this review (not that it matters), so consider this your final warning. “I’ll get drive-thru.” These are the first words spoken by the Dark Knight, and this is when I knew it was about to get ugly. The film starts out with Batman (Val Kilmer) doing his thing; he suits up and goes out to stop the villain Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones). We also see Bruce…
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Review: BATMAN RETURNS
Batman Returns is director Tim Burton’s second (and final) Batman film. With action, drama, and tons of Burton’s flair; there’s a lot going on in this movie. Mild spoilers are a given in this review (the film is over 20 years old after all). So let’s dive in and take a look back at Batman Returns. The film starts with a flashback giving us our first look at (a baby) Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito). Cobblepot was born with flippers for hands and a pointed nose, almost like a Penguin (get it?). Not only was Oswald born with these birth defects, he also had animal-like instincts. We even see him grab…
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Review: SUPERMAN (1978)
Arguably the first true cinematic comic book adaptation, Superman is a film which mostly holds up almost four decades after its original release. Of course, one cannot forget to at least touch upon Christopher Reeve’s performance as the titular character when discussing the film. Reeve simply embodies both sides of his character so perfectly, from the sheer heroism of Superman to the awkward timidness of Kent, and it is easy to see why his performance is fondly remembered to this day. The other cast members offer entertaining, if not exactly nuanced, portrayals of their characters, with Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman particularly standing out. However, the binding glue…
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Review/Reflection: BATMAN (1989)
Tim Burton’s original Batman, released in 1989, is one of the most monumental films in comic book movie history. It formally kicked off the long-running Batman film franchise, which is still going to this day. It also showed that darker superhero movies can be very successful. But, does Batman still hold up to this day? There’s a lot to love in Batman 89. The dark tone works, even when incorporating comic book-ish elements. It’s a good middle-ground between the realistic tone of The Dark Knight Trilogy and the overt camp in Joel Schumacher’s films. Burton’s directorial work was good, as was the cinematography. And Danny Elfman’s score is just perfect.…
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REVIEW: Batman (1966)
Review: Batman (1966) Written by: Lorenzo Semple Jr Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson After the 20th Century Fox Logo (Wait…) and the Acknowledgement: “We wish to express our gratitude to the enemies of crime and crusaders against crime throughout the World for their inspirational example. “To them, and to lovers of adventure, lovers of pure escapism, lovers of unadulterated entertainment, lovers of the ridiculous and the bizarre… “To funlovers everywhere… This picture is respectfully dedicated. “If we have overlooked any sizable groups of lovers, we apologize. “-The Producers.” We are welcomed to Gotham City, 1966! A bright(?) sunny(?!) happy place? Gotham City? Sunny? Happy? What sorcery is this? Where are…
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FEATURE: Ranking the DC Extended Universe Films by Anticipation, From Least to Most
Back in 2014, Warner Bros. laid out its initial slate of DC movies that all take place in one universe, now dubbed the DC Extended Universe. The slate promises not one, but two Justice League films; a supervillain-centric movie with Suicide Squad; the story of Shazam; solo movies for every founding member of the Justice League; and much more. Below, I have ranked the ten upcoming DCEU movies, from my least to most anticipated. This is all based on my personal opinions about each film so far. Note: We will be going over the DC movies that have been officially dated by Warner Bros. So movies like Man of Steel…
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FEATURE: Five Storylines We’d Love to See Adapted in the DCEU
With the DC Extended Universe nearly upon us, now is a prime time to look forward and speculate on what stories these films may mine from the vast history of DC Comics. Below, there is a list of five stories which would be excellent choices to adapt in future DCEU films. 5. The Court Of Owls Precious little is known about the inevitable Batman DCEU solo film. As such, it is currently unknown which, if any, of the numerous Batman comic storylines screenwriters Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns intend to adapt. One story that should be high on their list is Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s excellent opening arc to their New…
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Villainy Incorporated: Five Villains for WONDER WOMAN
As part of our celebration of Batman v Superman, we turn our attention towards the future of DC Films and Wonder Woman. Gal Gadot has a long journey in front of her as she films her first solo film and will shift right into production of Justice League Part One come April but she doesn’t have to do it alone. After all, a heroine is only as good as her villains and so the other day Paul dragged me out of my Patty Spivot shrine, slapped me around and tasked me with coming up with five villains to face off with the Princess of Themyscira on the Silver Screen. Now,…
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FEATURE: Five Villains We’d Love to See in MAN OF STEEL 2
Back in 2014, Warner Bros. confirmed that a standalone sequel to Man of Steel was in the works, with a release by 2020 promised. Little else is known about the movie, but rumors suggest that he could team up with Supergirl to take on Brainiac and Bizarro. But when the movie does come together, who should be the villain? Superman has a slew of iconic enemies who deserve the big screen treatment. Only a small handful of these characters – Lex Luthor, General Zod, etc. – have been adapted to film. But the DC Extended Universe will change that, with Superman villains like Doomsday on the way. Below, I’ve compiled…
