Review: Superman III

As I continue my pursuit of watching all the Superman films, this was the next entry on my list.

Superman 3 focuses on a new villain, Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn).  On the outside he is a generous philanthropist, doling out heaping handfuls of money to whatever group he deems fit.  He is a powerful man, born into wealth, and, secretly, looking to do anything in his power to get more.  Even if that means going beyond the limits of the law.  We are also introduced to Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor).  He is a lazy man in denial and unable to hold down a job of any kind.  After enrolling into a basic computer programming class, he finds he is a gifted genius computer whiz.  Gus pulls a techno bank heist to satiate his greedy lusts.  Rather quickly though, he is caught by his employer Webster.  Rather then fire him and turn him into the police, he creates a new partnership with the tech whiz.  What ensues is a new plot to defeat Superman and to get rich while they were doing it. SPOILER WARNING!

Likes - There is one thing about this film I really liked, Christopher Reeves performance as Superman.  Particularly, I really enjoyed Reeves portrayal of a Superman under the influence of tainted Kryptonite. He did a particular amazing job of playing a real person.  This is key because his portrayal of Clark as a bumbling nerd is all the more exemplified.  It give Reeves' Kent so much more credibility.

Dislikes - Oh Superman, how you continue to show us how not to do things!  Webster feels to me like a watered down Luthor.  In Superman 1 and 2, Hackman's Luthor has one ultimate, unspoken motivation - to prove his mental superiority over humanity.  Webster's motivation feels nothing more then making a quick buck.  It doesn't make much sense why he is going out of his way to make more money when he already owns his own business, along with it's own high rise skyscraper in Metropolis.  Gus Gorman is a bit more believable while also being much less likely.  It is very hard to believe how someone can be such a moron with everything in life, but somehow have an innate understanding of the inner workings of computers. So much so, he is able to create a virus that infects an entire corporation.  Also, Pryor seemed pushed into silly scenes, simply to give him a forum to display various impressions.  It felt forced and out of place.  In the end, I think Pryor was too big a name for this movie.  They tried to make this movie to be something else, instead of a showcase of Superman and how he handles the various problems that his special powers can't make go away.
Another aspect of this film is the general attitude of technology.  This is less a complaint and more an observation.  I love technology.  I have a degree in Computer Engineering because I love computers.  Technology is the future, pure and simple.  This film treats technology, computers in particular, as this strange magic, somehow able to do whatever you want it to do.  The film makers didn't understand that even computers have their limits.  They can't randomly shoot out lasers or suck in human flesh.  I found this treatment of computers very amusing and I feel like this attitude still prevails amongst people today.

Overall - I don't recommend watching this film, at least not if you want to see Superman.  I feel like Superman was included in this film almost as an afterthought or out of necessity.   Out of the 3 films I've seen of Superman, this is the most inconsistent.  Reeves delivers a great performance of Superman/Kent but it's not enough to justify watching this movie as a whole.  2 out of 5 stars.

Review: Superman I & II(R. Donner Cut)

  

I recently read an article on comicsallience.com.  It was about Superman 2 and how it has become a template for many modern superhero films, 30 years after it's debut.  

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/06/25/superman-II-anniversary-legacy/

After reading this article and also learning about the recently released Richard Donner cut of Superman 2, I realized I never really watched this series as a whole.  So I have planned to view the full set of Superman films.  I will also try to review each one, as a personal challenge.

Superman follows the beginnings of Kal-El and his trip to Earth.  From there, he is adopted by the Kents and raised as close to a normal boy as anyone possibly could, given the powers of a demigod.  Soon, after leaving Smallville, we see Clark grow into a man and into a new role - protector.  

Superman 2 follows almost immediately after Superman.  At least it seems that way.  General Zod, a traitor to the Kryptionian government, manages to escape his 2-dimensional prison and seeks to rule planet Earth.  Superman finds himself having to choose between happiness or righteousness.

Likes - The main aspect of the movie I enjoyed was the acting.  I think that, overall, the actors stayed true to the original characters of the comic. There were some exceptions I'd say.  Other then that, nothing really stands out to me.

Dislikes - Before I begin this section, let me start by saying I am a avid comic book reader, fan, and enthusiast.   This means I already have a clear picture of what I feel Superman should be. Also, SPOLIER ALERT!

So I found a lot wrong with Superman.  Let's start out with Superman's powers.  Donner stuck with the basic set - flight, speed, strength, heat vision.  Near the end though, we see something new.  Without any explanation, Superman has the ability to time travel.  He does so by reversing the rotation of the Earth.  I find  so many things wrong about this.  Superman is fully capable of changing Earth's rotation.  The issue comes from the fact that Donner somehow thinks this will reverse time.  If this were even remotely true, I think Superman would have gone back even further in time and made sure Lex Luthor never even thought about his crazy plan in the first place.  This made me SO angry.  This move is commonplace when it comes to Superman.  Unlike other superheros, with clearly defined abilities, Superman's powers seem to shift to what the current write feels needed.  Originally, Superman could only jump really high.  Due to the laziness of some animators, Superman's powered were retconned.  Now he can fly.  For writers, Superman ultimately is whatever you need him to be.

Another problem I have are with the characterizations of Superman and Lex Luthor.  Superman is something that Clark Kent does.  While he will always be the farm boy from Kansas, Superman is the ultimate extension of his morals and values.  He is a rare man, fully capable of making sure the upright path is being followed, overcoming the many temptations and limitations we mortals face everyday.  The movie took the opposite approach, Clark Kent is the facade while Superman is the real man.  This may have been the view during the time this film was produced.  I feel this approach makes Superman feel so much further from humanity.  Thus, it makes more sense that Superman protects people out of pity rather then out of his morals.  For Lex Luthor, I feel a similar disappointment.  In comic book land, Lex Luthor does not see himself as being evil.  In fact, he sees himself as humanity's protector, being the only one able to make the hard decisions, the hard sacrifices.  Additionally, he is the only one to see the threat the Superman is.  In the film, as great as Gene Hackman is, we get a one dimensional character.  No person ever thinks they are committing evil.  Even Hitler thought he was taking the morally upright path.  So when we see a self proclaimed genius talk about being evil, it feels so unreasonable.  

Regarding Superman 2, I have the same feelings.  Zod is a would-be dictator with the power and support to control the whole world.  The film fails to delve into why he would even want to conquer Earth.  Personally, if I found a whole planet I could subjugate single handedly, I would get bored of it quickly.  We see that to a small extent in the film, I admit.  Ultimately, the audience is given absolutely no background to Zod's motivation other then ... no one likes to invite him to birthday parties.  Maybe? I don't know.

Also, the end was exactly the same as Superman! WTF? FUCK this random time travel bullshit!

Overall - Despite everything I find wrong with these two films, I still recommend you watch it.  Less for the quality and more for the history attach to this franchise.  These films are also a great example of what happens when you let outsiders take over a legacy they have no idea about.  Eventually, they take a revered brand and try to milk it for all they can.  They leave behind nothing but a shell of the greatness once there.  This film is fun for the non-comic nerd.  For those who really know and care about Superman, these film really pillage a great icon.  These films are not a great example of who Superman really is.  These films are a great example of what the Superman mythos goes through to reach the masses. 

Review: Sucker Punch

I was bored today.  I had gotten most of my errands done today and I wanted to relax and not exert myself much.  Against my previous vows, I walked into the local video place.  Yes, I know - they still exist!  I walked around and grabbed what looked interesting, which doesn't necessarily equate to good.  Of the batch I got, this was one of films I watched today.

Sucker Punch follows Baby Doll as she transcends different levels of conscious.  After thwarting her new stepfather from taking advantage her and her younger sister, she is sent away to an all girls mental ward...I think.  From there, Baby Doll enters into a world of brothels, sex trade, martial arts, guns, and sex appeal.

Likes - Visually speaking, this movie amazing!  This movie is a fanboy's ultimate wet dream and fantasy.  Young girls scantily clad wielding guns and knives fitting nazi monsters and robo-samurai.  I know it all sounds so over the top that it can't be true - but it is!!!  Zack Snyder did a great job capturing a look that you can't help fall in love with.  The music is spot on too.  Leaning towards the modern, it still packs the fast paced feel that this movie demands.  Also it enhances the action.  It feels less like a commercial for the soundtrack and more good use of a often overlooked peeve of film making.

Dislikes - This film is over-the-top in every way possible, which I find to both it's strong and weak point.  If I had seen this in the theatre, I think I would have been more impressed.  I am watching the Blu Ray and it looks gorgeous.  But my tastes in film and women are about the same - despite how good looking you are, in the end I need some intelligence included in the package.  Sucker Punch fails to deliver that.  The plot feels loosely connected.  In the end, the films feels like an excuse to play out a bunch of random fights with some hotties.

Overall - I wasn't very pleased with this film.  I was impressed by the visuals but the plot was lacking enough that I wasn't too thrilled.  If you're looking for some impressive eye candy, this will pay off in aces. But if you're looking for something with any depth at all, I would move on to another title.  I give this 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Ceder Rapids

When I saw the trailers in theaters, I was kinda excited.  I've never been one to go to the theaters for a comedy though.  I feel it doesn't take advantage of the bigger-then-life presentation that the big screen offers.  So, away to my Netflix queue it went.  After hearing some friends of mine saying they enjoyed watching this recently, I bumped it to the top of my queue.  It took a few weeks, but I finally got to this.  Let's say that I didn't miss out on anything by waiting.  

Cedar Rapids follows Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) as he heads to an insurance agent convention, in place of a deceased co-worker.  His agency has won the prestigious Two Diamond award back-to-back and it's now his turn to make his agency proud.  The recently passed co-worker was the won making the wins, though.  Tim has to take his place and learn to play with the big dogs.  And quickly, I might add.  Unfortunately, he isn't even mature enough to handle seeing a black man.  Cedar Rapids is a heart-felt coming-of age film for those 40 somethings still seeing life thru the eyes of a 20 something.

Likes - I enjoyed this film. It was cute and charming but had enough bite to make me remember I was an adult.  Ed Helms does a bang up job playing Tim.  Frankly, it's not much of a stretch though.  Tim is a more sheltered and less pampered version of Andy from The Office.  But why fix something that isn't broken, right?  John C. Reily really stole the show.  He plays Dean Zeigler, the raunchy, party animal foil to Tim.  He is the total opposite of Tim, giving nicknames to everyone he knows, drinking every moment he breathes, and telling as many off colored jokes he can between sips.  We come to appreciate even Dean though.  He is the most honest character of the whole film.  We even see Meaby from Arrested Development show up!  That was a nice surprise.  All around, the cast makes this film, not just one guy.  Sure, the film is about Tim growing up, but he couldn't have done it without his cohorts in crime and mischief.  

Dislikes - Nothing in particular stood out that I didn't like.  That said, this film isn't that memorable.  Sure it was good but it didn't have any moments that made you blurt out "WTF?!?!".  There were no moments that people will be quoting to the point of annoyance.  At the time I watched this film, I wanted two things - to complete a movie viewing and to relax with something that wasn't too dense.  I got exactly that.  Cedar Rapids is definitely worth watching once.  But any more spins seems a bit excessive.  

Overall - If you have other movies you're waiting to watch (hopefully because I recommended them), watch those first.  If you're bored and want something that makes you chuckle and gives that feel good feeling at the end, watch this.  3 out of 5 stars.