Underrated Gems: The Rocketeer

 

        I honestly thought this one was one of the first heroes to pop up in the 1930s and I was wrong. Created by Dave Stevens in 1982, The Rocketeer is an homage of the classic heroes who appeared in the matinee serials in the 1930s and 50s. Cliff Secord is a pilot who comes across an experimental jetpack and flies to stop evil. It only made sense for the flying hero to get his film adaptation. While it’s an underrated superhero film from Disney, it deserves to have your attention. 

1. Cliff Secord

        This is director Joe Johnston’s second film, following Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I’ll talk about him later in the review. We see Cliff Secord as a stunt pilot, as he's flying, he gets involved in a car chase shootout between the FBI and some gangsters. His plane gets clipped and crash lands. One of the mobsters has in possession an experimental jet pack and hides it in the hangar where Cliff uses. As Secord and his assistant Peevy realize what they found, they begin to test it. 

        One of my favorite parts in any superhero film is the moments where we see the protagonist test out their power. Or in this case, play with the jetpack. It’s like everyone’s dream to fly one. Cliff wants to use the tool to make money for the coming air show. While his assistant tells him that he must return the pack so that he can avoid being arrested. Cliff is stubborn but has that ambition to be the best and he usually goes against whatever his friend says. 

        Meanwhile, the FBI is working with aircraft industrialist Howard Hughes since he tells them that someone else has investigated his plans of the jetpack. Another tidbit is that mob is in cahoots with an actor from Hollywood. Neville Sinclair is one slime bucket; he is an action star for his film, while also attempting to get Hughes's project. 

        So yeah, the jetpack is the MacGuffin that drives the entire plot. You may have heard this term, but if you haven’t it means that the jetpack is the thing that people want and what has the plot rolling. When Cliff becomes The Rocketeer, he certainly evokes that early look of a hero. With the jacket he wears resembles what Shazam used to wear. One thing is that when he turns on the pack, there’s a button on his hand, perhaps it was something Ant-Man had borrowed?

Additionally, his helmet also looks something of the time. That style that the helmet evokes is called art-deco. What that is was an art style that was popular back in the early 20th century. It was a style that prided itself on exuberance and technological advancement. If that didn’t help explain what I just wrote, just look at the poster. 

        One last thing that I keep noticing is that Cliff uses a piece of gum to help him when he first flies his plane and when he straps on the jetpack. Looking it up further, pilots had a superstition of chewing on a specific gum “Beemans”. With Cliff, he uses it as a duct tape on the fin of his plane and for plugging up a leak on the jetpack. I think of it as a tribute, unless you’re really into aviation. 

2. Before the War

        The film takes place during the 30s, and we’re made aware of the Nazis. People forget that they tried to establish themselves as a new age of Germany. There’s even a plot point that has them launch a zeppelin traveling east to west of the United States. So, it’s technically wrong when people classify the film as a war film since Americans didn’t have any dislike for the Nazis before the war. 

        Also, one thing that was interesting was also the gangsters and the FBI working together. When it’s revealed just who Sinclair works for, both sides help each other. I love how the main gangster says that even though he makes little money, he’s still American. There’s a shot where Paul Savino’s character and the head Agent look at each other for a moment and keep shooting the bad guys. It was funny since I was not expecting that at all. If the film was given to someone less talented, it would've been a brief Untouchables moment.

3. Why Did It Bomb?

        While it did get good reviews when it came out, it didn’t make enough financially to be considered a profit. It made just 6.7 million dollars above its budget and that was just its domestic gross. What was apparent was the entire marketing approach to the film. When Disney greenlit the project, they intended it to be a trilogy and something to be toyetic. Which means to be marketable to children. Making matters worse was that it opened alongside the film City Slickers and a loaded summer release of that year.   

        Also, I think their marketing idea with Art-Deco was something that didn't really click with audiences. When thinking that it was marketed to kids, not one child could really care less that it has a distinct art style. 

4. Legacy

        As time moved past, there is a following that developed with the film. Fans have been desperate for a new film because the original intent was that Disney wanted to make a trilogy. Moreover, it was announced that Disney was making another film but only for its streaming service Disney Plus. There also exists a tv show of the same name for young children on Disney Junior that has Billy Campbell reprise his role but as a grandfather to the main protagonist. 

        The film may have been a reason as to why Marvel Studios producer Kevin Fiege brought in Joe Johnson to do Captain America’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both his second film and Captain America: The First Avenger have a very distinct style that is supposed to represent the time period that its supposed to take place. I feel that those two movies could bring in another sub-genre in superhero films, the period superhero films. 

5. Overall

        This is an enjoyable and humble film. It’s like an Indiana Jones movie but with a jet pack. The great thing is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and I honestly enjoyed that it evokes a wacky sense of adventure that was happening with adventure films of the past. 

        The Rocketeer gets a four out of five. 

Darkman Review

 

        After the success of Tim Burton’s Batman, every major studio tried to do their adaptations of popular superheroes. What had transpired is that the studios dug deep to see which one could be made into a film. You had movies like The Phantom and The Shadow, one of the most popular heroes from the early part of the century. They just weren’t good for the general audience to really care for. Director Sam Raimi had wanted to do a comic book adaptation, although he couldn’t secure the rights to Batman or The Shadow. Instead, he did what every director should do, with the studio’s permission, be original. 

1. Hero or Monster

        Before the movie started, there’s a clip of all the Universal Studio’s opening logos to celebrate their 75th anniversary. And knowing who Sam Raimi is, you better believe that Darkman was inspired by Universal’s Monster series of the 1930s. We see a scientist named Peyton Westlake who is an ambitious researcher who tries to recreate synthetic skin to assist victims who have suffered from fire burns. The tech is interesting, and it reminded me of 3-D printers nowadays. 

        Prior to seeing Westlake, we see who the main bad guy is. A local gangster named Durant who eliminates his competition. We’re led to believe that he is going to be the main antagonist. Meanwhile, Westlake has a girlfriend named Julie who’s an attorney for a land developer named Louis Strack. She confronts him for having an incriminating document of illegal bribing. What then transpires is that Durant comes to visit Peyton and looking for the document. They blow up his lab and attempt to kill Peyton. 

        Throughout the film, Peyton is alive but has severe burns that make him look like the Phantom in the Opera. He slowly gets progressively mad as he wants revenge on the gangsters who ruined his work. This is Liam Neeson’s first action film, given with what he was to work with, he does a good job of showing a scientist who is disfigured and slowly losing his humanity. 

        The overall look of Darkman is also cool looking. Most of the time he is seen with bandages across his face. Which is possibly a tribute to Universal’s The Mummy franchise. He also sports a coat and fedora to cover himself more. Looking at the pictures, I think it was a subtle middle finger to the studios who didn’t let Raimi do his adaptation of The Shadow. His makeup prosthetics also look great. We see that partially his face is burned off and the only thing that is left unscathed is his eyes. 

        For being an original superhero film, the action is the best part. How we see it play out is when we see Westlake going undercover and take pictures of the gangsters and printing out their skin so he can have them killed by their own. It's original and my favorite kill is when Darkman gets one of the goons who was played by Sam's brother Ted. The bandaged hero forces the henchman's head up from the street's sewer and is promptly ran over. My other favorite action scene is when Darkman is in disguise of Durant and the gangsters have no idea who's who. 

2. Universal Tribute 

        As I mentioned before, Raimi did direct and write the film as a tribute to the Universal Monsters. Just the way the hero looks is nothing compared to any heroes you may possibly think of. I would probably say he is a heroic monster. When describing his looks, it appears to be a combination of Phantom of the Opera, Mummy, and Invisible Man when looking at him. 

        Of course, he constructs his second lab to scheme his revenge. When he establishes his new lab, it really has that aesthetic that sort of mirrors the look of Universal’s Frankenstein film. Right down to being that scientist who goes mad. Albeit he tries to regain his sanity when he repeats that he is a scientist. There really is good drama that has Peyton cry over how his girlfriend would react if she saw him. It’s the evolution of Peyton that is the reason why the film works. We seem him as sympathetic, then going through the motions of being a monster and having his payback. Ultimately, being a completely different person where he isn’t emotionally human.  

3. The Carnival Scene

        This is my favorite scene in the film. It represents the whole film and Director Sam Raimi. When Peyton and Julie are at a local carnival, we are bombarded with close ups of the clowns and carnival barkers. It’s one of the only times where we see Westlake being happy with his love. Even though Westlake is using a prosthetic for his face. They profess their love and Peyton goes to a cup tossing game to win his girlfriend a fuzzy elephant. 

        He manages to knock all the cups, except the carnie tells him that he wasn’t behind the line to win the elephant. We then are treated to a series of shots that show just how frustrated Peyton is. It’s classic Raimi, with zoom ins and the background behind Westlake cracking with red cracks. He flips out and breaks the fingers of the carnie and forcefully grabs the elephant. I love it. Not only you see a man slowly losing his sanity, but it’s about an elephant. And really is the point of no return for our hero. 

4. Legacy

        The film was successful financially and has gotten good reviews for its originality. There were sequels but there were made straight to video, with Liam Neeson not returning. There have been comic books of Darkman. Such as Marvel Comics doing a comic book adaptation and a limited series. Dynamite Entertainment brought back the hero and made him fight with another Raimi creation Ash Williams and The Evil Dead. 

5. Overall

        Nowadays, when people think superheroes and Sam Raimi, they immediately think of the Spider-Man trilogy. I feel that this one is overshadowed since Raimi started gaining recognition with his adaptation of the wall-crawler. He is doing another Marvel film, this time focusing on the Sorcerer Supreme with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Bottom line, I love Darkman. 

        Darkman gets a four out of five. 

Batman (1989) Review

 

        A lot of people don’t know this about the caped crusader, but Batman (1989) wasn’t the first time that he appeared on film. It was 20 years ago at that time when the film Batman the Movie was released which was based on the 60s “Batman” show. The show is responsible to giving the dark knight his place in pop culture. Tim Burton’s film is the opposite of the campy approach to the detective. More so that it follows the comic book’s dark approach to show the audience how Batman is supposed to be represented. 

1. The Caped Crusader

        Before Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Will Arnett, and Kevin Conroy, it was widely considered that Michael Keaton was the definitive Batman on screen. To really be the protagonist, there must be a stark difference in terms of identity. As Bruce Wayne, he is mysterious but maintains the affluent attitude such as when he hosts a gala in his manor. What I like is that he dates Vicki Vale, he tries to tell her about his secret. 

        Additionally, when Bruce gets word from his butler Alfred that Commissioner Gordon is leaving the gala, he leaves Vicki and her friend Knox. We see how Bruce tries to justify leaving. It’s the moments that we see Vale really start to question what Bruce’s deal is. It develops further that she tries to connect the dots between the vigilante and Wayne. 

        When Keaton is Batman, the film shines. He is the first actor to really try to differentiate his voice to be intimidating. This method was proposed by Keaton because he was concerned about Bruce’s identity in the context of the movie. And it works, his voice is just a lower octave which is intimidating when he scares the muggers in the start of the film. Eventually, this method of lowering or changing the voice would be followed by other actors including Kevin Conroy and Christian Bale. 

        Now the suit presents a challenge to Keaton. If you search his costume, you can see that neck on the cowl is very set. He can’t move his neck, so he is moving like a tank in most scenes. I guess to make up for it, Keaton probably makes his appearance more other worldly. Like, there’s an emphasis on having light shine behind Batman to make him look like a shadow, even brief moments where he subtly turns makes him more of an unearthly hero.  

        One last thing, is that I want to focus on the actual city he's guarding. At a glance, it looks industrial since it's always shot with a gray look or just when it's night. I feel that both elements personify the hero. Like, it looks old and it has cars that match at least the time it was shot in, which is sort of like it doesn't belong in real life. What's obvious is that it was shot on a set. That's why there's an intimate feel when we have moments on the streets. 

2. Duel of the Freaks

        Jack Nicholson was just having a good time as the Joker. His real name is Jack Napier, who works alongside a gang who practically controls Gotham City. Before he was dunked with the toxic chemicals by Batman, Nicholson played the gangster completely straight. Such as given his boss an idea for blowing up a factory that they used as cover. 

        When he is The Joker, he is hamming it up. It’s not so much where he just overacts, or his comedy is just tasteless. He’s just a clown gone mad and he wants payback for what Batman has done to him. Now obviously, the two characters are completely opposite of each other. What is interesting is that they both grow fond of the photographer Vicki. Bruce can’t muster the courage to tell her that he is Batman. Although, rescues her when he is in the suit. 

        Meanwhile, Joker is in full persona of the madman. Dresses in a purple suit and wears a flesh color makeup to cover his permanent white face. He tells her what he really wants, to have his face on a one-dollar bill of all things. Joker is full of hokum since he is jealous of Batman and he wants to rub him out. We do sort of get an idea of what he really wants. Which is to have Vale follow him and be his photographer to document his crimes, since he likes a photograph she took of an atrocity. 

        Now, when Batman and Joker meet is like a natural progression. First, it’s Batman against Jack Napier, then Joker and Bruce. With everything culminating at the Gotham cathedral when Batman goes to rescue Vicki from Joker. It’s even shown that before these two had their identities change, we see Jack killing Bruce’s parents. Which makes the confrontation personal than what it is. 

3. Why the Emblem Looks Odd

        I just want to get this part out of the way since years ago, looking at Batman’s insignia in the film was weird for me. We all know what it looks like, but when seeing the film, it looks off. Especially since the middle tail is three pronged instead of it just being one like how the logo is. Well, the reason is that the logo is trademarked by DC Comics when Tim Burton was filming. Warner Bros. didn’t own the comic publisher. Only when filming the movie was almost complete that the corporate side of Warner bought DC Comics. So they shoot other scenes like the bat signal to have the right logo. 

        It explains why the logo looks weird on the bat suit. Just the confusion of looking at the symbol on the poster and looking at the suit vexed me as to why the design was just off. More so that one of the producers of the film Jon Peters noted that the logo looks like a mouth. Now I can never look at the logo again, as it continually says “Ahh” in front of me. 

4. Legacy

        The film was a massive success. It was part of what is considered the best summer release slate in film. That season in ’89 included other films like Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Dead Poets Society, Ghostbusters 2, and this one to name a few. What ultimately proved to the studios is that having an already known movie property release on that specific season means that the audience will go in droves. 

        Batman '89 is also responsible for establishing a classic animated gem Batman: The Animated Series. Some parts of the film were borrowed for the show, like the design of the Batmobile, Batplane, Joker’s identity, and Batman’s iconic theme which plays when the show is on. It heavily mirrored the look of Gotham City which has an art deco look to it in the film. Additionally, establish a connected animated universe of DC characters.  

        Unfortunately, the film series mirrored the Superman film series. After the sequel Batman Returns, which was more in tuned with Tim Burton’s look, Warner Bros. boot him off the third movie and brought in Joel Schumacher. The third and fourth film looked different from Burton’s duology of Batman films. It could be intentional perhaps the studio wanted to show a brighter Batman that evoked the campy series. All that went to dust with Batman & Robin, which is considered one of the worst films ever made and the worst Batman movie. 

5. Overall 

        This movie might be difficult to look at now. Not that it’s bad but given how Christopher Nolan changed how Batman is portrayed in his trilogy. I feel that the Batman purists will enjoy it but be weirded out as to why Prince’s songs are in the film. Regardless, it’s an important superhero film based on how it was marketed and how much impact it had. Setting a groundwork for the superhero genre flourishing in the summer. 

        Batman (1989) gets a four out of five. 

Flash Gordon Review

 

        Flash Gordon is one of those movies from the 80s that if you look at a clip, you will think it’s probably bad at first glance. Originally, director George Lucas wanted to make a "Flash Gordon" movie but was told no. He eventually made Star Wars, which took cues from the "Flash Gordon" serials that he probably grew up with and was a massive success. The hero was originally drawn by Alex Raymond as a comic strip which was published by King Features Syndicate in 1934. The movie is so bonkers cheesy and campy that it’s a cult classic for a reason. 

1. Savior of the Universe

        Obviously, the film is about Flash Gordon and is based on the early runs of the character. His origins are revised for the movie. Instead of being a polo player, he is a quarterback for the New York Jets. Stick with me here. Him, a girl named Dale, and a mad scientist Dr. Zarkov arrive on the planet Mongo to unite the different factions to rebel against the evil emperor Ming. The emperor decides to destroy Earth because, why not. I’m serious he doesn’t have a specific reason. Originally, the evil emperor was depicted as looking Asian since the US had a fear of Asian people and stereotyped them. 

        Here, the emperor is played by Max von Sydow and is at least made to look like Ming from the comics but nowhere near having him wear yellow skin. What I love about the film is just how everything plays out. Like the whole entire film is played very straight with everything looking hokey which I’ll explain in the next tab. More so that when Flash and Dale are flying in a plane, they just happen to crash to a crazy scientist’s home. 

        From there, everything just focuses on Flash trying to rescue Dale from being wedded to the evil emperor. Oh and save the Earth. What I like is the entire set design of the movie. During it’s time of release, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was released earlier that year and it had a very distinct style. A more subdued sci-fi look that has muted colors to evoke the Empire. Here, it’s eye popping galore, literally an early attempt to make the film look like a comic book. Which I’ll discuss I promise. 

        Flash isn’t a one note person when we follow him throughout the film. He is mostly just an aloof and assured person who manages to have the confidence to stop the emperor. What I like is that his personality and him being human manages to make the factions on the planet rally behind him to rebel against the ruler. It’s when he shows compassion and humanity which weirds out the Birdmen leader Prince Vultan. Who eventually warms up and uses his bird men to invade Ming’s forces. 

2. Camp

        So what is camp? From what I gathered, its an aesthetic style that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Or, something that is exaggerated in a hilarious way. When seeing the movie, it’s special effects are something to behold. Not because it was groundbreaking, but, well. To put it into context with other films that capitalized on Star Wars, it had a distinct style when Star Wars had a balance between sci-fi and a western. 

        Flash Gordon has a very, distinct look. I mean the shots that I’m using doesn’t do it justice. It looks like a bad film just by looking at the special effects. What works is that it’s played completely straight. Just the way the characters interact with the way the sets look is almost intentional. Everything looks ridiculous with the color being so loud. With how everyone dresses in Ming’s palace where it must’ve been literally alien. Especially the bird-men with their wings looking stiff when they fly. Whenever Gordon is flying to fight the Emperor, the shots where he's riding on a vehicle looks so cheap, but that's why it works. 

        The acting is okay, but it adds to the camp factor of the film. Whenever there is real tension, the way the actors deliver their lines is almost hilarious. I think it was intentional when the producer of the film Dino de Laurentiis acquired the film rights to the character. One of the writers who was attached to project says that the film wasn’t supposed to be funny. Since the character wasn’t comedic but was more adventure oriented. 

        This is possibly one of the reasons why it has its cult-classic status. Just the way the film goes about with everything without taking itself seriously. It’s just silly with everything being presented. Probably where the unintentional comedy is the highlight. With its flimsy special effects looks like something that was done in the last possible minute of the production. 

3. Legacy

        When it came out back in 1980, it was a money maker in Italy and the United Kingdom. Although, it bombed in the US. I guess people were turned off by just how it looked and its cheapish aesthetic. Years later, it would eventually get a fanbase and have a cult-following. I only heard of the film on Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy. Mostly as a visual gag during the show’s early seasons.

        It wasn’t until his directorial debut Ted, is when he brought in actor Sam J. Jones for a tribute to the film. Among other filmmakers, it was influential for director Edgar Wright who directed Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I think I find it ironic that both actors Brian Blessed and Max von Sydow appeared in Star Wars films after the film’s release. Possibly as a tribute to the movie among some reason. 

4. Overall

        The movie is pure early 80s entertainment. I haven’t read any “Flash Gordon” comic, and I doubt that the film does them justice. What makes up for the film’s downside is the fact that its attempting to be its own thing and sticking to it. I mean, it even has its own theme song from Queen. That must be one reason why you should check it out. 

        Flash Gordon gets a four out of five. 

Superman: The Movie Review

        In 1938, two Jewish Americans Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster created Superman. Little did they know that their creation of an alien from another world who looks human would ultimately become a pop culture icon in the United States. The Man of Tomorrow has appeared in various animated shows and film serials, and it only became logical that the Man of Steel would eventually be adapted for feature length. I think the film is the superhero genre’s bible on how to do a great comic book film. 

1. Origins

        With any adaptation of Superman, you must show the planet Krypton blowing up. We see Jor-El as an accuser for General Zod and his treasonous gang. This is one of the exceedingly rare moments where we see the beginning set up the sequel. In fact, director Richard Donner was shooting Superman and Superman 2 back-to-back. Beating Peter Jackson for filming sequels sequentially as far as I know. Anyways, after the trial Jor-El pleads to the Kryptonian council that the planet is doomed for destruction. 

        We see the brave scientist and his wife help their baby son Kal board an escape pod. For as little time we see of Jor-El, he is highly intelligent in picking the planet that is suitable for his son. Even elaborating how exactly Kal-El will be different among the people. Ultimately the rocket flies off and the planet’s sun explodes, destroying Krypton. As Kal lands on Earth, he is seen by the farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent. 

        As years go by, we see a teenage Kal being alienated by his peers. One moment that I like is when he races the teens across the road, he is given a lecture by his adoptive dad. It shows us that Jonathon has great principles for Kal and asks him if it felt good showing off his powers. He lectures him that there’s a responsibility for being humble with great gifts. Pa Kent doesn’t understand why Clark came from space but knows it’s for a reason. What follows is the saddest scene in the film. 

        Pa Kent dies from a heart attack. It’s to the point and really shows us that Clark, with his amazing abilities can’t save everyone. From there, he decides to venture out to discover who he really is. He goes north and establishes his Fortress of Solitude and has a hologram projection of his actual father explaining who he is and what he must do. Soon, Superman starts out living as a mild-mannered reporter for The Daily Planet. Unbeknownst to him, Lex Luthor a criminal mastermind, hatches a plan to destroy the west coast for real estate purposes.

        This is probably one of those instances where we see Clark grow up and become a hero. Most of the acts represent and establish who he is and who he is supposed to be. Christopher Reeve absolutely nails the part of balancing Clark Kent and Superman. He is very humble when he is Clark and the no nonsense hero when he dons the costume. What works is that he is the opposite of the contemporary times. He has that “Oh Gosh” small town attitude which weirds out Lois when they meet in the newspaper company.

        The music by John Williams, is up there in terms of best films scores he has conducted. Whenever we hear or see Superman, that iconic theme is playing in our subconscious, since the theme is ubiquitous to the hero.  

2. A Man Who Can Fly

        As the tagline on the poster suggest “You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly”, seeing him fly shows how far special effects has come from the seventies. I believe it was Star Wars to really nail and perfect special effects at a time where it was difficult to pull off how to show Superman fly. It looks good to see him fly at night since it doesn’t look too awkward when he’s flying in the daylight. I will excuse the film on the technical side since, yes, it does look weird seeing Superman turn another way to fly. 

3. The Best Scene

        This is the best scene in the entire movie. Superman wanting Lois to interview him, this is a power move on Clark’s end. We see Lois waiting for the hero until he arrives to really get to know Lois and to share details about himself. He is honest with his answers, and it really shows just how both characters are the opposite personality wise. 

        The context I think is that during the 70s, the US was a very cynic place. With everything happening such as a distrust in authority, Lois represents how the people feel in that time. Clark shows the ideal way of authority by being completely honest with who he is and to really embrace his principles of fighting for truth and justice. When asks by Lois what color is her underwear, Superman says its pink with no affection or flirtation in his voice.

        When asked on what it’s like to fly, Superman invites her to fly with him. It’s a romantic scene between two beloved comic book characters. They fly around Metropolis and Superman holding Lois on one arm to have her act like she’s flying. A great scene for any film about a hero, and one where it shows the humility of Clark and him loving Lois. 

        After they land, Superman flies away and reverts to Clark to visit Lois for a date. There is one moment which absolutely shows that Christopher Reeve is and always will be the ideal Man of Steel. So Lois sees Clark and changes in her room. We see Kent removing his glasses and have his assertive voice of Superman come out as he wants to tell Lois his secret. When she comes out, he puts on his glasses and is Clark again. 

4. Legacy

        The film was a massive success and spawned a franchise. Which progressively got worse after the sequel. I’ll say that the fourth one is probably the worst thing ever in terms of Superman and a fall from grace for an adapted superhero. There were attempts to bring back Superman in the 90s. Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage were signed on to do one, but Warner Bros. pulled the plug. It wasn’t until Bryan Singer made a quasi-sequel with Superman Returns. 

        It gave the legitimacy of how to do a perfect comic book film. Since prior to the release, most adaptations were mostly of animated matinees that was shown before a film started. Having the humility and drama made the character worth caring for and to be invested in when something tragic happened. More so that Christopher Nolan cited Donner's take of Superman when pitching his version of Batman to Warner Bros. 

        Little did people know was that the series has a spinoff. Supergirl was the first superhero film to have a heroine in the lead. And one of the worst comic book films ever. You know how I feel about Man of Steel and I won’t divulge on it. 

5. Overall

        This is still the best Superman film. 40 years later and there has never been a Superman film that has matched the first one. Well, the director’s cut of Superman 2 is the superior sequel than the studio cut. What is it with Warner Bros. and director’s cuts?

        Superman: The Movie gets a four out of five.

How To Train Your Dragon Review

 

        I feel that this movie is the one to close out my look at animation. Although I dedicated the entire month of June to animation, don’t think I’m not going to be talking about them. With all that, How to Train Your Dragon is probably one of Dreamworks’ best animated film. It’s the only film that I know of to have an almost perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. And belongs in a line of acclaimed animated films of the 2010s. One last thing is that the film is very loosely based on the book of the same name by Cressida Cowell, you know how I feel about movies based on books. 

1. Hiccup

        We start the film by having the protagonist Hiccup gives us the rundown on the village Berk. An island comprised of Vikings who train to fight dragons. As the creatures come and take their sheep and food away. His father Stoick is the leader of the village and doesn’t see his son as warrior material. As we see the vikings fight the dragons, Hiccup spots an elusive dragon called Night Fury and manages to down it. 

        From there, the teen is told by his dad to train with the other teens to fight the dragons. In his spare time, Hiccup goes and finds the downed one and manage to see that the two are alike. This prompts Hiccup to study more of the dragon and to research on the other documented creatures. It’s one thing where the young man is an opposite to the other teens. Since he actively finds methods to stop a dragon without resorting to killing it. 

        Yes, he is awkward which is the opposite of the brawny and brutish nature as the others. The whole film really advocates that there is another way to dealing with a problem instead of violence. When the other warriors in training see that the dragons are harmless, they inevitably help our protagonist beating the bigger dragon.

        I feel that the moments between him and his Dad are too short. The obvious thing that is going on is that Stoick’s brutish ways go beyond reasoning since it’s implied that his wife was perhaps killed. I haven’t seen the sequels and I don’t know if that thread is ever picked up. Now, these two dueling things is the core of the movie, being empathetic and physical. Stoick even tells him to not be himself. Which as it turns out, Hiccup does be himself as he helps the village in the long run.

2. Toothless

        The dragon steals the show. It’s like a mixture between a dog and a cat. I think it’s the eyes that have that cat-esque thing going for it. In fact, the animators based Toothless' design on the black panther. I like how as the film progresses; Toothless is apprehensive with Hiccup. Eventually, the creature realizes that the teen is helping him by applying a prosthetic in its tail.  

        For as much as the Vikings have a book detailing every dragon they know, there are only warnings to anyone going near a Night Fury dragon. As I mentioned earlier, we see Hiccup going to Night Fury and getting it to be comfortable around him. More so that it makes him realize that dragons can be controlled and that there are other methods to tame the deadly creatures. 

        The moment when Hiccup is riding the dragon is the best. What make it work visually is that directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois brought in legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins. To make the film have a live action feel to it. When they’re flying especially when Hiccup and Astrid are flying among the clouds, you see that its something that looks life like. It’s probably the first time where I’ve read that the animators brought in a renown cinematographer to be in an animated film. 

3. Overall

        The film was a resounding success when it came out. It grossed nearly a billion dollars. And started a trilogy of films that are equally enjoyable and nearly made a billion dollars individually. There is also tv shows that continues the stories of Hiccup and the young warriors. This film is great, what do you want me to say?

        How to Train Your Dragon gets a four out of five. 

100th Review: Zack Snyder's Justice League

 

        I never thought I would ever make it to 100 movies. Honestly, it feels rewarding since I’ve started to slowly grow my brand, despite its small reach, and to really become educated about movies. Anyways, with all that, Justice League is possibly one of the only films to have so much behind the scenes drama. From directors switching, on set abuse, studio interference, a hashtag rallying cry that I swear would probably not go anywhere. Through corporate interests to boost subscription numbers, fans finally got their wish to see Zack Snyder’s Justice League. 

1. Upgrade

        So yeah, this version of Justice League is the updated version to the one that was released in 2017. With scenes that were supposed to be in, with the caveat of additional scenes which I’ll talk about. Plot wise, it’s the same thing. Better yet, the whole film is like Marvel’s The Avengers. A group of heroes form up to stop a guy with horns from getting a cube to activate a portal to bring a horde of aliens for an overlord to conquer the universe. 

        Having the unfortunate luxury to watch the studio cut of Justice League (2017) and this one. It’s clear that some of Snyder’s scenes were used in the cut that was released theatrically. Here, it is Snyder’s film, with the desaturated color to give his movie a unique vision of his own. When watching it be vibrant, the costumes just looked weird since they are shot in a specific way. 

        The entire soundtrack even got revamped for the film. Originally, composer Thomas Holkenborg was going to score the film but left. Which explains why when Danny Elfman did the score, he used the themes for Batman and Superman when they appeared. Here, Holkenborg returns and has that guitar riff in the soundtrack. It got annoying having to hear Wonder Woman’s theme, I’m not making this up when I had the captions on, it had “Ancient Lamentation Music” whenever Wonder Woman is fighting. 

        Obviously, the movie had to acknowledge that Superman is dead and how exactly to bring him back. The film acts as a sequel to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice since we start this film by seeing Superman scream while letting go booms of sound activate the objects that drive the plot. It is refreshing to have the moments when the team is together actually be together in the room discussing their plans. When watching the studio cut of four years ago, most of them felt like they weren’t in the room. Here, the camera does a slow 360 degree shot of the heroes discussing if it’s possible to bring back the man of steel.

        If there is one or a couple of things that I want to say that is a problem for the film is the slow motion. It’s a staple for Zack Snyder to use slo-mo for the action scenes. And lord does it get grating. Those moments get annoying since I feel that it just pads the movie further in its 4 hour runtime. Like this one moment, where we see Barry Allen/The Flash applying for a job at a doggy daycare. Just moments ago, he was being awkward to a girl who left the daycare. Her name is Iris, the film doesn’t bring that up. Anyways, a car crash happens involving her, Barry rescues her. The weird part is him rubbing her cheek, I’m here like, dude you don’t even know her.

        Now, sometimes it works, but I feel that the slow motion is already an outdated way of making something like woah. What doesn't work is just how drawn out some of the scenes feel. Again, I think it's padding but, the film didn't really need to be four hours long. For instance, when the Amazons were invaded by the villain. They prepare a special arrow to alert Diana of the oncoming danger. We see the Amazons take out the arrow, light it up, and shoot it across their island to an abandoned temple. Like, c'mon, do we really need to have a procedural moment of it being opened and lit, we honestly get what's going on.   

2. Director’s Cut

        When the hashtag movement started just as soon as the studio cut was released, it made me think of other director’s cuts that exist. Now, director cut’s have been going on as far as when home video has existed. The overall idea is that the director’s cut is supposed to be a complimentary thing for a fan of the movie who wants to have more content like extra scenes in the film that were cut. Ridley Scott is probably the most famous since his movie Blade Runner was butchered when it was released in theaters. From there, there have been numerous versions of that film to come out. 

        Here, this is probably the only film that has a lot of publicity for fans advocating for a director’s cut of the film he made to be released. Before it was butchered by the studio, the “Snyder Cut” is the one where the studio was so afraid of marketing it. Perhaps they probably assumed that no one wanted to sit for a comic book epic spanning four hours. It’s just astonishing seeing the 2017 version and this one and seeing what was cut and put in for the film to be released in theaters. 

        Like, Snyder’s version has everything fleshed out, even the villain. The other version of Steppenwolf just wanted to use the Motherboxes to conquer the world. Here, it’s the same thing but it serves a bigger purpose. Steppenwolf wants to get the boxes to get in the good graces of the real baddie. The film gives him moments where he asks to be brought back in Darkseid’s graces. The problem with that is just we are told about his problems. It would be one thing where we see him being exiled and then having that relatability to where we care. 

        An unfair comparison is comparing Steppenwolf to Loki. What made Loki work in The Avengers is that we saw him in Thor. We know who he is, and where he is coming from. He’s not just invading Earth with his army. He’s doing it as a favor for Thanos, since he was going to be killed if he failed, which he did in the sequels, but that’s not the point. I think the overall problem is that they went too big in the Justice League villain wise. As much as I hated Lex Luthor in Batman v. Superman, he could’ve introduced the Legion of Doom to face off against the team. Something small since if in the hypothetical sequel, they couldn’t top facing off against Darkseid. 

3. A Thing About Aspect Ratios

        This part I’m going to break down. I hope that this better explains why the film looks like it does whenever you guys view it on HBO Max. Just off the bat, Snyder probably didn’t film with this format in mind. It wasn’t until his cut was announced to be released, he formatted the film to be on IMAX. Since viewing it on a High-Def TV, it looks like you’re watching an old tv show that wasn’t formatted to HD.

        So, as you look in the picture attached to this part, you can see just how it looks different. When viewing something on IMAX is like watching a film be an event. The whole footage of the film is shown since the screen is so massive. Watching it on the tv just looks weird, since you have a left and right black block that is supposed to be filled. Zooming in the film won’t do it justice since you’re going to get an extreme zoomed look of the film. 

4. The Two Worst Scenes in The Movie

        Thinking about the film more, there are two scenes that I really didn’t like. So, let’s start with the first one. It’s when we see Lois being visited by Superman’s mother Martha. Martha comforts her since Lois is depressed that Clark is gone. Martha gives her words of encouragement to pep her up. When she leaves, Martha changes into the superhero Martian Manhunter, who was disguising himself as Martha. It ruined a good moment between two characters to what amounted to nothing. What didn’t work is that Lois was basically lied to. More so that, the hero was seen in Man of Steel as General Swanick, the military character Clark meets. 

        It wasn’t until rumors began circulating that the General is the Martian Manhunter in disguise to live among humans. I have no idea why he even disguised himself as Martha to begin with. That’s the thing with Snyder, he could take something impactful, and just mess it up. I understand that it’s supposed to be for the fans, but it doesn’t cut it when he pulls the carpet out of the floor with that move. 

        Although this scene is even worse. It’s in the end of the movie. This is the continuation from the Knightmare sequence from Batman v. Superman. Where Batman is wearing a Mad Max get up, this time he is joined with other heroes and villains. One of them being the Joker. He has a monologue towards Batman saying how he messed up and having people close to him die. It’s such an unnecessary scene to put in the movie since it wrapped up as it did, with the heroes going their separate ways.

        Jared Leto returns from Suicide Squad, and it’s supposed to be a huge moment when these two finally meet, since that opportunity was wasted. You want to know how exactly it was reshot? Everyone is shot with close ups. Meaning that, the frame has one character in the shot or splicing them in since the pandemic is still going on. This scene was teased in the trailers since it has the Joker to get people to watch it. The scene doesn’t amount to anything and it’s a dream sequence.

5. It Doesn’t Matter

        With all that, the entire DC Film universe is such a dumpster fire. The original intent of this series was to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since they beat them with The Avengers, it only made sense for Warner Bros. to make their own universe. It was supposed to be director driven, meaning that they had total control of the films they made. As an opposite with Marvel’s approach which had a path to where the overall story is going. With the directors just shooting what they are supposed to be shooting. 

        With Snyder’s first two DC films, Warner Bros. immediately panicked. It didn’t help that they butchered Suicide Squad when it came out in theaters. I think the big problem is that they relied on a director who has a controversial view of the heroes. There’s no humanity to them or moments where we can relate to them. To Snyder, the heroes are Gods, which explains the shot of the team after they defeated Steppenwolf. 

        So, the whole ending with the Knightmare sequence and Lex Luthor meeting another villain doesn’t matter. The whole film universe is going to be rebooted with a Flash movie. There’s even a Batman movie coming out with Robert Pattinson being the caped crusader. It’s obvious to anyone paying attention to this that Warner Bros. messed up big time and really didn’t understand why Marvel is so successful. They do, but they obviously chased after the money since they wanted to leapfrog character moments to get a team up of their own. 

6. Overall

        Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a massive improvement of what was released back in 2017. No one, not even a director should lose a daughter and be booted off a passion project because of studio bureaucracy that wanted money. I’m glad he finally had a chance to release his cut, but his way of making films and portraying these classic characters just rubbed me the wrong way. It’s clearly meant for his fans that wanted the film to come out. I’m glad that they got their wish, since they’ve been shafted for too long. 

        Zack Snyder’s Justice League gets a three out of five.