SUPERHERO MOVIES (part 1)

My reviews


Superheroes, comic books and movies have always had a special connection. Who doesn't love comic books? Who didn't dream with becoming a superhero (caped or not)?

Comic books, graphic novels and their characters have been a recurrent inspitation for films. The result have varied between great movies that became classics to lousy and laughable films that are just forgetable.

In future posts I will talk about different franchise superheroes movies (Spiderman or X-Men movies for examples), and also the ones that form part of superheroes aliances (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern —even Supergirl— between some of the member of the DC Comics' Justice League and all the Marvel Comics' Avengers —Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America— and their own movies).

This post will be dedicated then, to some minor superheroes (and not so minor) that made it to the big screen.

Before getting to the actual reviews some final reminders:

1) This post DOES NOT contain download links, just a review to guide your decisions about movies to watch.

2) This post MAY CONTAIN some spoilers




INFO

Original Title: Catwoman

Year: 2004

Duration: 104 minutes

MPAA's Rating: PG-13

Director: Pitof

Writers: Bob Kane, Theresa Rebeck, John D. Brancato,
          Michael Ferris, John Rogers

Stars: Halle Berry, Sharon Stone and Benjamin Bratt

Plot: A shy woman, endowed with the speed, reflexes,
          and senses of a cat, walks a thin line
          between criminal and hero, even as a detective
          doggedly pursues her, fascinated by both
          of her personas.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


The premises were good. Halle Berry (the hot 2002 Bond chick), one of most known villains/superheroes of all times. Why not? A simple reason, an absent script.

The once ascending career of Berry went way downhill with this movie. She's hot... but that's about it. If you want to see her body, you can rent this one (or Die Another Day and watch her getting out of the Caribbean Sea on that breathtaking orange swimsuit). If you want to watch a good movie, rent something else.


MY RATING



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OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 27/100 (169 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 3.2/10 (43,750 users)

RT Tomatometer: 10%
RT Audience: 34% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 3.1/10 (178 critics)
RT User Rating: 2.2/5 (253,262 users)

Roger Ebert: 1/4




INFO

Original Title: Daredevil

Year: 2003

Duration: 103 minutes

MPAA's Rating: PG-13

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writer: Mark Steven Johnson

Stars: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and Colin Farrell

Plot: A man blinded by toxic waste which also enhanced
          his remaining senses fights crime as an
          acrobatic martial arts superhero.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


Let's make something clear to begin with: Ben Affleck is not the first option when you picture a superhero (not even the second). Knowing this, and taking into consideration that we are talking of a minor league superhero (comic books fans can rant about this, but it's true... most of the people didn't know who Daredevil was until this movie) the film is entertaining at times and inconsequential in some moments.

If you are bored, feel like not thinking, it's rainy outside and you want to have some fun (not much, but some) rent it... or even better, flip through the channels to see if you can find it and watch it for free.


MY RATING



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OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 42/100 (249 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 5.4/10 (78,666 users)

RT Tomatometer: 45%
RT Audience: 46% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 5.2/10 (211 critics)
RT User Rating: 2.8/5 (435,552 users)

Roger Ebert: 3/4




INFO

Original Title: Elektra

Year: 2005

Duration: 97 minutes

MPAA's Rating: PG-13

Director: Rob Bowman

Writers: Mark Steven Johnson, Frank Miller, Zak Penn,
          Stu Zicherman, Raven Metzner

Stars: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic and Will Yun Lee

Plot: Elektra the warrior survives a near-death experience,
          becomes an assassin-for-hire, and tries to
          protect her two latest targets, a single father
          and his young daughter, from a group of
          supernatural assassins.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


I hate to write this review! Okay, here is the deal: I LOVE Jennifer Garner, I'm a big fan of Alias and Sidney Bristow is always going to be one of the greatest characters of all time.

But... this movie sucks. It easily could be the script for "Alias: The Movie", the highly trained spy/superhero and her struggle to do the right thing. But it's a comic superhero movie...

She was better dead at the end of Daredevil.


MY RATING



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OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 34/100 (178 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 4.8/10 (33,894 users)

RT Tomatometer: 10%
RT Audience: 47% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 3.7/10 (151 critics)
RT User Rating: 2.6/5 (237,047 users)

Roger Ebert: 1.5/4




INFO

Original Title: Ghost Rider

Year: 2007

Duration: 114 minutes

MPAA's Rating: PG-13

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writer: Mark Steven Johnson

Stars: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes and Sam Elliott

Plot: Based on the Marvel character, stunt motorcyclist
          Johnny Blaze gives up his soul to become a
          hellblazing vigilante, to fight against power
          hungry Blackheart, the son of the devil himself.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


A motorcycle rider who have made a pact with the Devil and turns into a skeleton on flames. What thing can be cooler than that?

Oh, yes, somebody that doesn't look like grandpa on the main role. I like Nick Cage, but seriously... isn't he getting a little too old to play these roles?

He makes the movie just boring and seriously I'm not looking forward to watching the sequel that's been announced for next year.


MY RATING



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OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 35/100 (253 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 5.2/10 (81,040 users)

RT Tomatometer: 26%
RT Audience: 56% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 4.3/10 (130 critics)
RT User Rating: 3.2/5 (684,742 users)

Roger Ebert: -




INFO

Original Title: Spawn

Year: 1997

Duration: 96 minutes

MPAA's Rating: PG-13

Director: Mark A.Z. Dippé

Writers: Todd McFarlane, Alan B. McElroy, Mark A.Z. Dippé

Stars: John Leguizamo, Michael Jai White and Martin Sheen

Plot: A mercenary is killed, but comes back from Hell
          as a reluctant soldier of the Devil.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


Probably, out of all the movies I'm reviewing today, the least known and the darkest. It's weird, it has all the ingredients to be an awful movie, I should hate it... but I don't. It's something about the rawness and visual aesthetics that make it appealing. It's 100 percent silly bizarre fun.

Maybe it's not your cup of tea and I completely get it if you don't like it. Personally, I dig it.


MY RATING



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OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 34/100 (50 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 4.9/10 (26,170 users)

RT Tomatometer: 20%
RT Audience: 46% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 4/10 (40 critics)
RT User Rating: 2.8/5 (167,924 users)

Roger Ebert: 3.5/4




INFO

Original Title: The Spirit

Year: 2008

Duration: 103 minutes

MPAA's Rating: PG-13

Director: Frank Miller

Writers: Frank Miller, Will Eisner

Stars: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson

Plot: Rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the beyond as
          The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight
          against the bad forces in Central City.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


Visually fantastic. Beautiful girls everywhere. Great movie? No. That's about it... girls and graphics. It looks like a comic book... without the story. Fail.


MY RATING



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OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 30/100 (205 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 4.9/10 (32,527 users)

RT Tomatometer: 14%
RT Audience: 30% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 3.6/10 (111 critics)
RT User Rating: 2.6/5 (117,436 users)

Roger Ebert: 1/4




INFO

Original Title: V for Vendetta

Year: 2006

Duration: 132 minutes

MPAA's Rating: R

Director: James McTeigue

Writers: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, David Lloyd

Stars: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman and Rupert Graves

Plot: A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses
          terrorist tactics to fight against his
          totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl
          from the secret police, he also finds his
          best chance at having an ally.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


"Remember, remember,
The Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
I know of no reason why
The Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot".


From those opening lines, an avalanche of pure greatness —great performances, great imagery, great plot, great ending—. Mind-blowing and thought-provoking. Master piece. The best adaptation of a graphic novel.


MY RATING



TRAILER




OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 62/100 (488 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10 (303,289 users)

RT Tomatometer: 73%
RT Audience: 88% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 6.8/10 (233 critics)
RT User Rating: 3.9/5 (803,092 users)

Roger Ebert: 3/4




INFO

Original Title: Watchmen

Year: 2009

Duration: 162 minutes

MPAA's Rating: R

Director: Zack Snyder

Writers: David Hayter, Alex Tse,
          Dave Gibbons, Alan Moore

Stars: Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson and Carla Gugino

Plot: In an alternate 1985 where former superheroes exist,
          the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante
          Rorschach into his own sprawling investigation,
          uncovering something that could completely change
          the course of history as we know it.

- IMDb

MY REVIEW


What else can I say... Watchmen is the best graphic novel of all times.

And what about the adaptation? The movie can't keep up with the original story. In part it's logical... if everything that was in the book would be in the movie, it would be a 10-hour epic film. Obviously some parts needed to be cut, but... why changing the end? I still don't get it.

Visually good... but for someone who read the novel, not up to the mark.

By the way, if you want to read my review on Watchmen (the graphic novel), click in the picture below.




MY RATING



TRAILER




OTHER REVIEWS (by 11.30.2011)

IMDb Critic Rating: 56/100 (409 critics)
IMDb User Rating: 7.7/10 (175,164 users)

RT Tomatometer: 64%
RT Audience: 68% liked it
RT Critic Rating: 6.2/10 (284 critics)
RT User Rating: 3.4/5 (993,669 users)

Roger Ebert: 4/4


OTHER REVIEWED MOVIES