Best superhero movie?

[Guest DVD Spree]

Um, anyone still care about super hero movies?

 

If so, my vote is for The Specials - too damn funny.

Or maybe the Fantastic Four movie - funnier than a feather on your arsehole.

[Guest One Bad Apple]

I'd say Batman, Batman Returns and Spider-Man.  I've seen part of Superman, but I couldn't get into it enough to sit through the entire thing.  Maybe some other time.

 

It was so bad that there is no way people can watch it over and over.

Some people like different things than other people.  I'm not sure, though.  ???

 

Maybe its an age thing and there are a lot of people on the board who never lived without MTV (ie...those born after August 1981).  

 

Fucking sheep.

Your opinions on wrestling seem to usually fall in line with those of the majority here.

 

Guess I'll stick the same label on you.

 

Your logic looks like it justifies it.

 

and people who liked spiderman...please...please give some reasons other than "it kicked ass"

I love Spider-Man, and I felt this was a great translation.  Yes, it's wasn't the greatest film ... there were some gaps in the plot, and at times the dialogue was little cliché and the effects a little hokey ... but it met my expectations, which I set pretty high.

 

I liked how the Green Goblin came into existence.  The glider and body armor already being created for a military purpose and him being given the moniker by J.J. Jameson made the idea of a costumed super-villain much more believable.  

 

The motivation for Peter not stopping the burglar was great ... much better than the one in the comic (which is understandable, since it was originally aimed at kids).

 

The subtle comic references were a nice touch ("Shazam!", Dr. Connors, etc.), and gave me the impression those involved really cared about the movie they were making.

 

And...hmm....gee...why would critics give Spiderman (or any other Summer movie for that matter) a softer grade?

 

hmm...is it because alot of stupid people think that summer movies are really really cool...and giving really really cool movies bad grades would alienate the reader?

Are you saying someone's intelligence is dictated by the movies they like?

 

And big summer movies usually get ripped to shreds by critics.  Alienating the reader doesn't seem to be an issue with most of them ... just look at how they write reviews.

[Guest areacode212]

By OBA's request (you need to register to access the NYT site), here's the Episode II review:

 

May 10, 2002

Kicking Up Cosmic Dust

By A. O. SCOTT

 

 

AFTER sitting through "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones," I'm tempted to quote an evergreen Public Enemy song: don't believe the hype. But really, belief is beside the point. The promotional machinery around the "Star Wars" franchise exists beyond fervor or skepticism; it is a fact of life. When the fifth installment in George Lucas's pop-Wagnerian cycle opens nationally on Thursday (after being shown at the first TriBeCa Film Festival on Sunday afternoon), the event will have all the spontaneity and surprise of an election day in the old Soviet Union.

 

Like weary Brezhnev-era Muscovites, the American moviegoing public will line up out of habit and compulsion, ruefully hoping that this episode will at least be a little better than the last one, and perhaps inwardly suspecting that the whole elephantine system is rotten. Even the true believers camped out on the sidewalks with their toy light sabers (or the ones at the screening I attended who burst into applause at the appearance of the 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm company logos) seem more dutiful than enthusiastic.

 

Already I can hear the equally habitual murmurs of protest: Oh, come on, lighten up! It's only a movie.

 

Well, for one thing, given the scale and expense (reportedly $140 million) of the enterprise, not to mention its ability to command the money and attention of audiences around the world, there's nothing "only" about it. And for another, while "Attack of the Clones" is many things — a two-hour-and-12-minute action-figure commercial, a demo reel heralding the latest advances in digital filmmaking, a chance for gifted actors to be handsomely paid for delivering the worst line readings of their careers — it is not really much of a movie at all, if by movie you mean a work of visual storytelling about the dramatic actions of a group of interesting characters.

 

Twenty-five years ago the first "Star Wars" picture, which we are now supposed to call "Episode IV — A New Hope," offered a revelatory combination of whimsy and grandeur. The big, archetypal themes were there and would emerge into sharper relief through the next two films, but they were leavened by a cheeky sense of fun grounded in Mr. Lucas's love of old serials and B-movies. The solemn drama of Luke Skywalker's Oedipal struggle with Darth Vader was offset by, among other things, the twinkling Gable-and-Lombard sexiness of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as Han Solo and Princess Leia. The special effects were spectacular and elaborate, but there was also something jaunty in the inventiveness that produced them.

 

That was a long time ago. In reviving the saga, and setting out to chronicle Luke's genealogy and the earlier history of the Jedi order, Mr. Lucas seems to have lost his boyish glee. As the effects have grown more intricate and realistic, their ability to yield pleasure and astonishment has diminished.

 

"Clones" takes place 10 years after "Episode I — The Phantom Menace," and it is as thick with exposition as an undergraduate history course. An early reference to disgruntled miners on one of the moons of Naboo elicits a spasm of anxiety: will this be on the final? Footnotes to the earlier (which is to say, to the later) episodes are interesting in a scholastic kind of way. Now, at long last, we know the parentage of Boba Fett, the vengeful bounty hunter from the first three films.

 

But where are the clones? Send in the clones! Patience, young Jedi. They're already here, on a distant, storm-tossed planet, waiting for their big climactic battle scene. First, however, you must attend to the political turmoil that threatens the stability of the republic. Separatists in far-flung solar systems, apparently in cahoots with the dark side, are causing all kinds of trouble, and the beleagured Jedi and the fractious senate are ill equipped to contain it. This leads to some earnest palaver among the sinister chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and the Jedi elders, who include Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits, Ewan McGregor and Yoda, as well as assorted masked and computer-animated space knights and politicos.

 

Mr. McGregor, revisiting the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi and looking ever less likely to age into Sir Alec Guinness, must also undertake some intergalactic police work, trying to find those responsible for an attempt on the life of Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), who has become a legislator after her tenure as the elected (and apparently term-limited) queen of Naboo. (Jar Jar Binks, the notorious duck-billed racial caricature from "The Phantom Menace," has also returned, accent and all. Now you may call him Senator Binks. Whether this makes the character less offensive or more is something to ponder.)

 

Obi-Wan's apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), is assigned to be Padmé's bodyguard. He promptly falls in love with her, which occasions some of the most embarrassing romantic avowals in recent screen history. The gifted Anakin also manifests some of the traits that will eventually pull him over to the dark side: arrogance, a hot temper and contempt for democratic institutions. It is clear by now that the purpose of the saga is to do for Anakin/Darth Vader what Robert A. Caro has been doing for Lyndon B. Johnson, but Mr. Lucas lacks Mr. Caro's feel for human psychology and his insight into the workings of politics.

 

The story of a young, ambitious knight's corruption, set against a backdrop of incipient civil war, has enormous potential, but Mr. Lucas (who wrote the script with Jonathan Hales) is, at best, a haphazard storyteller. He also has lost either the will or the ability to connect with actors, and his crowded, noisy cosmos is pyschologically and emotionally barren. Mr. Christensen and Ms. Portman are timid and stiff, and uncertain of their diction. They alternate between the august tones of high-school Shakespeareans and the suburban soap-opera naturalism of "Dawson's Creek." Only Mr. Jackson, Frank Oz (the voice of Yoda) and, later, the formidable Christopher Lee seem comfortable in their performances, perhaps because they know better than to take the proceedings too seriously.

 

Now is perhaps the time to say that the special effects — the scaly critters and planetary landscapes, the swordplay and the spaceship chases — demonstrate impressive polish and visual integrity. But now is also the time to say: so what? Yes, the battle scenes and the monster rallies are superior to anything in "The Mummy," "The Mummy Returns" or "The Scorpion King," but that lowbrow franchise at least has the good sense to acknowledge its silliness. "Attack of the Clones," in contrast, like "The Phantom Menace," lumbers along in the confining armor of bogus wisdom.

 

There are two moments, one early and one late, in which the sententious hooey is cast off and some of the old "Star Wars" spirit peeks out. The first is an aerial chase through traffic-clogged skies, in which the great cinematic challenge of conveying flight is breathtakingly surmounted. The other is a light-saber duel between the evil Count Dooku (Mr. Lee) and Yoda. Watching the elfin, leaping Yoda mix it up with the tall, graceful British bad guy momentarily dispels the ponderous tedium that has come before, but it is too little, too late.

 

Given Mr. Lee's long career in horror films, the contest also recalls one of those debates that erupt among third graders about the relative prowess of fictional characters. ("No way could Batman beat up Superman. He doesn't even really have powers." "Yuh-uh, 'cause what if Batman had some Kryptonite?" "Yeah, but neither one of them could beat the Incredible Hulk.") Could Yoda beat up Dracula? Good question. But the more relevant one is whether Anakin Skywalker can beat Spider-Man. The answer, young Jedi, is in your hands.

 

"Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones" is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). It has many violent scenes, none of them terribly upsetting or, for that matter, interesting.

 

STAR WARS

Episode II — Attack of the Clones

 

Directed by George Lucas; written by Mr. Lucas and Jonathan Hales; director of photography, David Tattersall; edited by Ben Burtt; music by John Williams; production designer, Gavin Bocquet; produced by Rick McCallum; released by 20th Century Fox. On Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at Stuyvesant High School, 345 Chambers Street, TriBeCa, and the TriBeCa Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, as part of the concluding day of the TriBeCa Film Festival. Opening nationwide and in many foreign countries on Thursday. Running time: 132 minutes. This film is rated PG.

 

WITH: Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Natalie Portman (Padmé Amidala), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine), Christopher Lee (Count Dooku), Jimmy Smits (Senator Bail Organa), Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Frank Oz (voice of Yoda) and Ahmed Best (voice of Jar Jar Binks).

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Um, anyone still care about super hero movies?

 

If so, my vote is for The Specials - too damn funny.

Or maybe the Fantastic Four movie - funnier than a feather on your arsehole.

Silly Jay, nobody stays on topic anymore! It's the rule of the forum... after two pages, it's OK and even expected to go off-topic.

 

For example, the thread is about superhero movies, right? Well my favorite is... oops! It's the third page, I have to go off topic.  Rather than be redundant and suggest Unbreakable again (I don't know why, I just expected someone to have issues with that, and I'm a little disappointed that nobody has... at the same time I'm relieved, such mixed feelings!), I'm going to talk about pinball machines... specifically the Twilight Zone pinball machine.  It rules.  Star Wars does not, except for Return of the Jedi.

[Guest RetroRob215]

Since it's the third page and the lasts two posts have had something to do with Star Wars, here is another review of Episode II that I came across.  There are some minor spoiler's in the middle, I skipped over them when I read it...

 

"Star Wars Episode II"

Reviewed by Joe Gillis

 

 

It is three years later...

 

George Lucas and the empire that is Lucasfilm have finished the middle installment of the second "Star Wars" trilogy. The hype, though impossible to ignore, is nevertheless more low key than it was preceding the arrival of "The Phantom Menace." The merchandising and distribution of the film and its numerous product spinoffs are being handled differently. Jar Jar Binks is nowhere to be seen in any of the trailers. The fans are ready. 20th Century Fox is ready. Theater owners are ready.

 

So how is it?

 

In a word: wow!

 

Once again, Lucas has created an ambitious and exciting sci-fi action film that has battles and chases galore, and yet has some meat and potatoes to go along with them. It should delight fans of the series, and in the minds of many of them it will make up for what they perceived as serious shortcomings in "Episode I." If you're unfamiliar with the overall storyline, a few things may sail over your head, but either way you're likely to be entertained.

 

(NOTE: MILD SPOILERS COMING)

 

The story picks up ten years or so after the events shown in "Episode I." Anakin Skywalker is now a Padawan learner, a Jedi in training. Following an attempted assassination, both Anakin and his master, Obi Wan Kenobi, are given individual assignments by the Jedi Council. While Obi Wan is ordered to discover who planned and carried out the violent act, Anakin is told to protect its intended victim: Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. As they go their separate ways, we begin to learn more about each man, especially Anakin. Their missions are carried out against the backdrop of a serious threat to the stability of the Republic, which is facing desertion by rebellious star systems. Obi Wan discovers that a former Jedi, now dead, secretly arranged for the creation of a clone army to assist the Republic in the event such a threat ever arose. Meanwhile, Count Dooku, leader of the separatist movement, is working with the Trade Federation, which still has its own army of battle droids. As the film progresses, Obi Wan, Anakin, Amidala, Mace Windu Yoda and many other characters, both new and old, all get caught up in events that threaten to spin out of control. By the end of the film, history and the Republic have begun to move down a path that will lead right to what we now know as the first "Star Wars" trilogy.

 

(END OF SPOILERS)

 

"Attack Of The Clones" is a great example of something that works as a whole because all the parts work well. The set pieces are spectacular, and even though one goes on a bit too long (a dizzying nighttime chase through the huge planetary city of Coruscant), they're all good combinations of action, excitement and even humor (a bit set in a droid-producing factory has some very funny moments). The love story between Anakin and Amidala (which many feared would drag the film down and into schmaltzy sweetness and syrupy romance) works nicely and is played very well. Anakin and Amidala are a very appealing screen couple, and their happy times together are a nice break from the more serious goings on that form much of the film. Some of the things that bogged down the last film have been shortened considerably, such as the politics that drove the basic plot of "The Phantom Menace." Yes, we do have a discussion between Amidala and Anakin during which she defends democracy and he replies that the Senate would be less likely to argue if someone were there to tell them how to think and act, but it's short and is necessary for the continued building of his character, which is one of the key aspects of the story.

 

In "Episode II" Anakin the child has become Anakin the young man, and the simplicity of a child has been replaced by the complexity of a young man torn between love and duty. Like many young men of that age he knows he's in love but is uneasy with the prospect of admitting it to the object of his affections, who he hasn't seen in ten years but has thought about every single day. This is made even more difficult by the fact that he's training for a life that involves service to a higher cause, and not domesticity. But again, he's a young man, and much of the anger that he feels as a young man is directed towards the only father figure that he's even known: Obi Wan Kenobi. Anakin lacks the humility that a Jedi should have, and several times in the film he defies his master, who he feels is jealous of his abilities and wishes to hold him back. There's absolutely no truth to this whatsoever, of course, but it's how Anakin feels, and bit by bit he gives in to his darker feelings such as hate and anger, especially during a return trip to Tatooine. He is still Obi Wan's loyal Padawan learner, and he knows that his feelings and actions go against what he's been taught, but the seeds necessary to coerce him over to the Dark Side are present. All he needs is for someone to cultivate that fertile ground. It's interesting that Lucas frames his plot on rebellion on a multi-planetary scale while two of its main characters must deal with the kind of rebellion that most parents face at one time or another from their children.

 

This is a darker film in feeling and tone than its predecessor, and it's full of treachery and betrayal. But that's not to say that it's humorless; in fact it's anything but. There are gags that refer to the other "Star Wars" films, gags that come out of the situations in which they're set, and even some moments that provoke a smile just because of what they are (one of the best is seeing Yoda supervising a class of very young Jedi in training). Speaking of Yoda, he really comes into his own in this film. He's one of several characters who have far more to do here than in the last film (conversely, there are also some who had a lot to do last time who don't do much this time, like the much-detested Jar Jar Binks). Another nice touch is the ongoing development of the relationship between C3PO and R2-D2. As for the performances by the human actors, everyone seems to have had a great time doing this film. Ewan MacGregor, Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen are never overwhelmed by the sometimes-awesome special effects and set pieces that they act through. And let me say right here and now that in this film Christopher Lee reminds us that he remains one of the great screen villains of all time, combining charisma and menace in a wonderful mix.

 

Many critics and fans complained about the artificiality of much of the look of "Episode I," and let's face it, there's more of the same here (the CGI artists are now creating vistas that would have taken David Lean's breath away), but that's part of what these films are all about. They're set in worlds that sprang from the minds and imaginations of George Lucas and his design people, and if it takes a computer to render it then so be it. Would you rather have something filmed in a real place that looked phony, or something created in a computer that looked like nothing you'd ever seen before? One great example of this is a sequence that is to "Gladiator" (by way of Ray Harryhausen) what the "Episode I" pod race was to "Ben Hur." It's a huge, breathtaking epic scene that keeps on going whenever you think that it's about to end. It's full of surprises (as is the entire film) and if you have a bag of popcorn in your hand, it's very likely that you'll be too riveted by what's on the screen to munch on any of it.

 

I think I should stop now, because I've told you many (but not all) of the reasons that I liked this film, and if you haven't made up your mind to see it by now I suspect that nothing I say will make a difference. This is an exciting film, and a good one, but it also has a serious side. Even more than "The Phantom Menace" this is a tale of masters and apprentices, and what happens when the student forgets or ignores what he's been taught. "Attack Of The Clones" ends very much as "The Empire Strikes Back" (the middle episode of the original trilogy) did. But while the glimmer of hope from "Episode V" set the stage for a more optimistic (though perilous) future, we already know that these characters are destined for darker things.

 

All that remains is to wait three more years.

 

 

 

Reviewed By:

liptonl on Thursday May 9th, 2002.

 

www.dvdeastereggs.com

[Guest Risk]

To tell you the truth, I can't say one bad thing about Spider-Man.  I really enjoyed it and it captured the feel of the comic very well.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I am going to see Spiderman in about 30 minutes, so i can't say if that is one of my favorite Superhero movies, but the ones that I did enojoy (in no particular order)

 

Batman (1989)

Superman

Superman II

X-Men

The Punisher

 

Hopefully I will like Spiderman so I can put on the list

[Guest]

I liked spider-man. I didn't really care for the GG's costume much, which is most likely why I don't like GG in Ultimate Spider-man comics.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

let bps rant on and on and on...he's a bitter smark, it's his nature. If he doesn't happen to enjoy something, it must be horrible.

 

I've never seen Spider-Man, but I was a fan of the comics/cartoon series (the FOX series, motherfucker!), and if the movie is half as good as I expect it to be, I'm still going to "mark-out" for it.

But I have seen Superman, and I'll say this: lame. The entire Superman ideal is lame. He has no real weakness (Kryptonite? Has that ever worked for more than 10 minutes?), and people automatically believe he is somebody else by him taking off his glasses. Only ONE person realizes who he is?! WHAT THE FUCK?! </Superman character rant> The movie was decent at best. Damn good comic-to-film, but as an overall movie, it's overrated. I found everything about it to be hokey, and prefer part 2 over the original film.

 

But then again, as far as superheroes go, I was raised on the ones that were "more human," ie. X-Men and Spider-Man, so I'm a little biased.

 

As for Unbreakable...it's not a TECHNICAL superhero movie, but it definitely became one. I loved the ending, and it made TOTAL sense. Way too abrupt, though.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

if That Guy Whose Name Escapes Me can keep mentioning Unbreakable, can I keep mentioning Orgazmo?

[Guest areacode212]

A lot of people seemed to hate Unbreakable for some reason. I enjoyed it too, and I loved how the superhero aspect kinda snuck up on you. It had all the classic hallmarks of superhero stuff--a "secret origin" for both characters, the friendship-turned-rivalry thing, "don't tell the wife/girlfriend about your powers"--but it really wasn't until the end that everything fell into place.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

if That Guy Whose Name Escapes Me can keep mentioning Unbreakable, can I keep mentioning Orgazmo?

My name escapes you? But I'm your brother, your Raven-mark kin...

 

Anyway, back to Unbreakable.  I agree that once everything fits together it seems a bit abrupt, but I think it's a much better pay-off than in The Sixth Sense, which I wasn't really impressed with (good movie? yes.  Second coming of horror Christ like most people make it out to be? no).  This is probably due to the advertising for the movie working really well, as (for once) the majority of the surprises and plot weren't readily apparent upon viewing the trailer.  I think the reason a lot of people don't like this movie is because it's not The Sixth Sense 2 and since they were so impressed by that movie they expected Unbreakable to be the same thing, only better.  It turned out to be better, but not in the exact same vein, so they were disappointed.  This occurs in music a lot, when an artist tries something new after a popular debut album, and the resulting disappointment is known as a "sophomore slump".  Anyone know if the term also applies for movies?

[Guest RetroRob215]

Speaking of the Spider Man animated series on FOX, has anyone picked up the DVD with four of those episodes on it?  I think the extras are a Stan Lee commentary and some dossiers for the villians.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

Ok, perhaps 'Name escapes me' wasn't the right phrase. I didn't know which person it was off the top of my head.  I figured it was one of the Just Some Guys. But yeah, Unbreakable was good. Sam Jacksons reasoning seemed perfectly reasonable, and he Killed Everybody so he gets about 42 points for that. Now all Mr. Glass needs is a cool theme song like the Torgo Theme.

 

And maybe the Unbreakable-Sixth Sense thing can be called the Mallrats Effect? The guy's first movie has some sort of success be it mainstream or otherwise (Clerks won awards, so it had success, so THERE!!! AND OVER THERE, TOO!), so he tries something sort of different in his next movie, but still a little the same, but people don't like it, even though it's still a pretty good movie.

[Guest]

Speaking of the Spider Man animated series on FOX, has anyone picked up the DVD with four of those episodes on it?  I think the extras are a Stan Lee commentary and some dossiers for the villians.

 

There's a DVD for that? Why doesn't anyone tell me these things? I was a big fan of that show, but I didn't like the comic too much. If anyone knows where I can get one, hit me up, will ya?

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I just saw Spiderman, and I liked it very much.  Yeah it wasn't perfect, but it still entertained me.  I thought Raimi did a very good job, and I did like Tobey McGuire and Willem Defoe.  Over all a 3 out of 4 stars movie.  Definately worth checking out if you were a fan of the comic book, or some one looking to be entertained for two hours.  I also agree with Dr. Tom, and that I liked how they didn't go with the happy "Hollywood Ending," but to go with an ending that suits Spiderman so much more.  This movie I would put on my list of favorite Super Hero movies for sure.

[Guest RetroRob215]

I saw the Spiderman animated DVD at Wal*Mart, but I'm pretty sure all the stores have it.  The title of the DVD is "Spider-Man: The Ultimate Villain Showdown"

[Guest]

Fox Family is going to have a marathon of old Spidey cartoons Momorial Day Weekend.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

Fox Family is going to have a marathon of old Spidey cartoons Momorial Day Weekend.

 

<sean connery> Then the Day is Mine!</sean connery>

[Guest]

I saw the Spiderman animated DVD at Wal*Mart, but I'm pretty sure all the stores have it.  The title of the DVD is "Spider-Man: The Ultimate Villain Showdown"

 

::Writes down::

 

thanks man.

[Guest]

Are there plans to release any more DVDs of the animated series episodes? I know they recently released a Batman one.

 

And where is the bps presence in this thread? Its not like him to abandon an argument like that.

[Guest DrTom]

Favorite superhero movies:

 

1. Spider-Man

2. Unbreakable

3. Superman

4. Blade

5. Superman II

 

The Batman moves all blow, though the first one is the best of a terrible lot.

 

And bps, if you want some reasons I liked Spider-Man so much, check out the review I wrote for it here: http://cynicsrule.freeservers.com/Drtom/Spidey.htm.  It's easier than just restating everything here.

[Guest]

I loved Spider-Man, but I think that Batman & Batman Returns are up there for sure. Definitely Superman II, as well!