With a new film in theaters titled Superman, now feels like an appropriate time to take a closer look at the primary films that inspired it, namely the Christopher Reeve era of Superman films in the 1970s and 1980s. Below you’ll find reviews of both Superman: The Movie, Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. But, as a special treat, I’ve also reviewed the 2006 Richard Donner cut of Superman II.
Continue reading “Christopher Reeve’s Superman Films | REVIEWS”
Directed by James Gunn — Screenplay by James Gunn.
I can’t stress enough how significant it is that the first image of the new live-action Superman is of him lying defeated in the snow, in need of healing and a pick-me-up, and, importantly, bleeding out of his mouth due to all the fighting he has just been through. It is an immediate act of flipping the switch on the modern cinematic understanding of what and who Superman is. When Marvel Studios launched a cinematic universe at the same time that Christopher Nolan was making self-contained and critically lauded Batman films for DC, they gradually set in motion a trend that Warner Bros. was eager to imitate. The head honchos at the studio gave filmmaker Zack Snyder the keys to their comic book movie empire, and, with his epic but divisive Man of Steel, he gave us a Superman born of a gritty, slow-mo heavy universe wherein he was presented as an Alien with god-like powers that was often paired with Christ-like imagery. Snyder notably had a character ask the godlike alien with an ‘S’ on his chest: “Tell me, do you bleed?”
Continue reading “Superman (2025) | REVIEW”
James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 has been released, Gunn has finished his trilogy, and his time at Marvel is seemingly in the rearview mirror whether we like it or not. Warner Bros. and DC made a good decision to allow him to guide the direction of a shared universe of films based on DC Comics, which was something I advocated for in my review of his excellent The Suicide Squad film. Although his first DC film as a director, Superman Legacy, is still a couple of years away, now is as good a time as any to have a look at what actors would be good fits for the most iconic characters in Clark Kent’s corner of the DC Universe. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at some casting ideas for the upcoming Superman: Legacy film.
Continue reading “Casting Ideas | James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy”
The following list contains spoilers for films from 2013
It’s time for the third Top Ten Tuesday of 2017. I’m still getting through the best heroes of this decade, and we’ve reached 2013. Do note that these characters aren’t solely ranked on how heroic their actions are. Also, some heroes may not be traditional heroes. Without further ado, here are the top ten movie heroes of 2013.
The following is a spoiler-free review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a Zack Snyder film.
Batman v Superman is finally here! Comic book fans have been wanting to see this film for decades, and moviegoers have been waiting for a proper sequel to Man of Steel since 2013. Somehow this film had to appease both audiences. My complicated history with Man of Steel has been heavily documented on this blog, and I don’t think I’ve really loved a Zack Snyder-film since his remake of Dawn of the Dead.
Needless to say, I was really worried about this film. Superman used to be one of my favorite comic book characters, and Batman still is one of my favorites – I want them to be given a proper treatment on the big screen. I just wanted to like it – that is all I wanted from this film. But, to be perfectly honest, I did not. At least not all of it. Continue reading “REVIEW: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)”
Polarizing is a new unscheduled opinion piece revolving around polarizing topics, shows, or films.
Man of Steel – the beginning of the DC Cinematic Universe – might be one of the most polarizing superhero films of all-time. At the time of writing, with 289 reviews counted, Man of Steel is at 56% on the Rotten Tomatoes ‘tomatometer’, meaning that it literally is a polarizing film with critics. Now, with its sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice releasing in theaters next week, I thought I’d address one of the films that I really had a tough time having an opinion on. Continue reading “Man of Steel – Polarizing #1”
Last year I wrote a list on 25 things you probably don’t know about me, this year I felt like doing another one. So without further ado, here’s the list. Continue reading “Another 25 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me”
Help. So one problem I’ve been having for some time is that I’ve lost love for Superman. But I really want to like Superman again. I’ll appreciate any comic book recommendation or whatever you have in mind. To quote The Beatles: “Won’t you please, please help me?” Continue reading “Please Help Me Love Superman Again”
With the two big comic book companies releasing their two biggest comic books, I’ve decided to give you the first of many Quick Comic Book Reviews. This week it’s all about Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo’s Batman and Jonathan Hickman & Esad Ribic’s Secret Wars. Though the reviews won’t spoil the single issues, already known facts from the series can be spoiled. Continue reading “Quick Comic Book Reviews – Week of August 12, 2015”
I'm Jeffrey Rex 