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Review: BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
With the future of the DC universe hanging in the balance, many wonder if Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice can pull the weight of being both a good film and a jumping off point for future films. Director Zack Snyder’s epic blockbuster is a continuation of 2013’s Man of Steel, and the end events of that film directly tie into this film. Snyder’s decision to not shy away from the controversial ending of Man of Steel gives the director a chance to not only defend his previous work, but also to build upon it. Man of Steel opened to mixed reviews from critics, with many citing overly bombastic action and…
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REVIEW: Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) Written By: Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal Directed By: Sidney J Furie I opened my reviews of Superman III and Supergirl with a question, so it’s only fair to ask one going into this one. What were they thinking? I’m kidding… Kind of, but to ask this question I have to set the scene. After Superman III and Supergirl, the Salkinds felt that maybe the bloom was off the rose and it was time to walk away. Enter Cannon Films. For those of you that aren’t film geeks, Cannon Films was a studio not unlike The Asylum (Makers of the Sharknado series.) They…
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REVIEW: Supergirl (1984)
Supergirl (1984) Written By: David Odell Directed By: Jeannot Szwarc I opened the Superman III review with the question of following up two hit films. Well, the question today is similar: How do you follow up on Superman III? The film was far from loved by the general public and Reeve had cooled on coming back after the experience of making it so now you are potentially without the actor who is the beating heart of your film franchise. Fortunately, if you are the Salkinds you have a potential ace up your sleeve. When they purchased the film rights for Superman in the seventies they also purchased the rights to…
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Review: BATMAN & ROBIN
There aren’t many people out there that genuinely think Batman & Robin is a good movie. There are, however, a lot of people that find it so bad that it’s good. I’m one of those people. This movie sucks. It wants to be a cool Batman movie, but it instead is an unintentional comedy complete with laughable character portrayals and cringe-worthy one-liners. Our story finds Batman (George Clooney) and his sidekick Robin (Chris O’Donnell) taking on Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), and Bane (Jeep Swenson) as Mr. Freeze attempts to freeze over Gotham City. In the opening scene, our titular heroes suit up. Director Joel Schumacher takes the…
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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…