FILMS - Superheros

Superman is by far the best Superhero movie of all time. Sure the new Batman films are excellent but they're not a touch on Donner's classic. Reeve is the quintessential Superman, even though he the 3rd (or is it 4th?) person to play him. I just can't express how much I adore this film, it has been my favourite since childhood and I must have watched it over 100 times. I love everything about it and can find no faults with it. Brilliant!

A brilliant follow up film, I personally have to watch them both back to back and consider them the same film, although I do prefer the original. Terrance Stamp as Zod is brilliant. I always wondered what the Richard Donner cut would have been like though.....

...Its interesting, obviously unfinished in places but would love it if it was made properly. Is it better than what was brought out? I don't think so but hey, its Superman! Better than Superman Returns any day! Best line: 'I'm not a coward Zod'! (Watch it to understand why)

Come on guys, It was the 80's, films did this kind of thing then. It's a silly film and not as good as the first two but as far as I'm concerned its got Reeve, Pryor and Vaughn in it so it must be great and I love it!

Ok, its not great but it has Christopher Reeve in it as Superman. Thats enough for me :o)

I hate this film, I don't know what gave Bryan Singer the audacity to sat 'Forget the last 2 films, I've got a better idea'. How dare he! Start again, you wont be able to top the first film but put your own mark on it! Its just so painfully crap, Singer is very overrated and the actors all do a pretty lousy job with their characters (apart from Spacey who is the only saving grace). My biggest problem with it is the storyline. Suddenly a whole continent of Kryptonite can't stop Superman ever though a pebble of the stuff nearly kills him. Don't get me started on the whole 'Superboy' scene. At least Superman fans are united in condemning it, I just hope it has not killed Superman's chances in the future. I'm watching Smallville from now on!

Fifteen glorious 17min serials, I can only imagine how excited young boys of the 1940s would have been to go see each weekly instalment. The acting is crummy, the effects pretty bad, most of the action scenes are repeated again and again, the story makes no sense, the props are the same in every shot, you can see the reflection of the camera man, you can see the shadow of the boom stick, Superman looks directly into the camera when he changes, I could go on and on about the problems with this series but it would take a whole lot longer to tell you why I love it so much. Might be quicker to just watch it for yourselves. You can quite clearly see Richard Donner was a fan and where he got a lot of his ideas from. I'm so grateful that this is available on DVD and has been reproduced so well. The Spider Lady was quite the vixen, she could definitely be updated and brought back for the new films. A must for Super fans!

Not great, but one star for Peter Cook, one star for Marc McClure linking the 'super' films as Jimmy and 2 stars for Helen Slater being so damn sexy in a short skirt and red boots!

A great superhero film! Burton really captured the Batman style perfectly with his use of quirky colour against dark gothic tones. Overall it hasn't aged well but its become a fond favourite among fans and there is no denying that Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker is an absolute classic!

I think Batman returns is a little bit better than Burton's first Batman movie, although Batman seems to take a back seat, the Penguin and Catwoman are far more interesting, possibly Burton's only flaw in the franchise and thankfully, one Nolan hasn't repeated. For me though, it's Walken who steals the show in this one!

Joel Schumacher undoes all of Burton's good work and makes Batman camp again - This time with nipples!! It's awful.

Joel Schumacher continues his assault on epileptics in one of the worst films ever!

Christopher Nolan hits the nail on the head. Batman is back, he's dark, he's a bloody schizophrenic! and he's the perfect anti-hero! A much needed reboot goes well. The cast are perfect (Apart from Holmes but that is soon rectified in the next film)

A fantastic sequel that is better than the first! Believe the hype! Bale, Ledger, Caine, Gyllenhaal & Freeman are fantastic but for me Oldman & Eckhart steal the show! The Joker was a much anticipated villain and fantastically executed by Ledger but the Harvey Dent story line is the one that really got my heart beat going. The evolution of the Batman story goes from strength to strength. Nolan knows what he's doing, thank God, his political statements (The patriot act) are handled well too, raising debate without bias. This is the best Superhero/Comic adaptation since 1978's Superman! Fantastic! I can't wait until the next instalment but I'm puzzled about how the Joker character is going to continue without Ledger.

Catwoman is a sultry, sexy and above all cool character...except in this film. It is as awful as everyone says it is. I wonder how much screen time the real Halle Berry actually has because most of the film seems to be of a poorly animated bobble-headed cartoon of her. Compare it to Nolan's Batman films and obviously it fails miserably, compare it to a piece of rotting cat food and still it doesn't compete! Avoid, even and especially if your a Batman fan!

I thought Rami captured the stylings of Stan Lee rather well in this comic adaption but underneath it all you have a poor story, annoying actors and questionable special effects.

Spider-man 2, I feel, was much better than the first. Alfred Molina was a fantastic Dr. Octopus and the story progressed quite nicely. It also stuck close to the comic which was appreciated by us comic fans (Who knew quite quickly, and got over the fact quite quickly, that the film was never going to live up to what we'd hoped for).

After the fairly decent Spider-man 2, I had high hopes for this film, especially when the villains were announced and the fantastic looking poster/Trailers were released. Unfortunately, it turned out to be all gas and no fire, and possibly the biggest disappointment in the last 10 years of cinema. I did like this Bruce Campbell cameo though!

I was a big fan of the Thor comics when I was younger, before I discovered 2000AD. It's because I'm so familiar with the comics that I can appreciate that this was never going to be able to be the new Batman. That's the thing with the Avengers films, the comics are a bit crap. Ironman did so well because the comics were improved on in the film - something that most superhero films born from comic characters fail to do. Seriously, who read the Ironman comics? Thor had a little bit more to prove as he has a bigger fan base; he is a great character but with a very difficult story as far as tying in with the other characters/films. Based on that criteria, they did well. It also warranted the humour it contained but I can see why some didn't favour it. The problem is that the story is so simple, there really isn't anything to grab you. The acting was pretty good, Chris Hemsworth was perfect casting as Thor but for me Portman grated a little. I'm not sure all the CGI suited Kenneth Branagh's directing style either and as for the editing, it's very obvious that a lot made it to the cutting room floor as to much of what we don't see is referenced. Thor - directors cut anyone? Anyway, it did the job and set the scene. It was entertaining enough and I'm sure the second one will be better. Captain America and the Avengers had better be good though because to be brutally honest, this should have been better considering all the hype!

This is a pretty good comic book movie. Much better than a lot of the crap that's been made from comic/video game franchises. I can almost forgive Mr. Favreau for Daredevil now! One thing though, film makers, please warn us if there is something at the end of the credits! That was a very nice surprise!!

'If it ain't broke don't fix it' seems to be the motto here but unfortunately I wanted a little more or should I say, a little less. There were too many sub-plots going on here and as much as I'm looking forward to The Avengers, i found this to be more of a franchise set-up than the sequel Iron Man deserved. I hate it when an actor is changed too, although I did like the way Don Cheadle was introduced to the film. I also really liked seeing Iron Man drunk. Not as good as the first but then again, are they ever? This is still a very entertaining film that does exactly what it sets out to do. Bring on Thor!!!!

I'm more of a DC nerd to be honest but I'm really enjoying the build up to the Avengers film (although I bet the individual films turn out to be better). The Hulk was good, Iron Man was very good, Thor was good and now Captain America is good. Not great, but still pretty good. They have kept pretty faithful to the origins too, something film makers often get wrong. The cast were good too - although I guess the Fantastic 4/Avengers cross-over film has been ruled out due to the casting of Chris Evens?. It's an all round does-exactly-what-it-says-on-the-tin action adventure superhero film - innocent fun, entertaining enough - will never match the new Batman films or the old Superman films but then nothing ever will in my mind. As long as they keep on trying I'll be happy.

Hmmm, I liked the way it was shot, a bit like a comic but the Hulk itself looked soooo crap! I don't remember the Hulk jumping ridiculously high, or being that big. Spoilt by stupid computer effects. A big green bogy!

A much better version than the one from Ang Lee. Norton and Roth are on good form and Leterrier does not over do the action. Loved the cameo at the end by Mr Downey Jr. I can't wait for them all to be in the same film! Best scene - Tim Roth hitting a tree, that gotta to hurt!

I have to say I was impressed with The Avengers. I honestly thought they were setting themselves up for failure but hiring Joss Whedon was the best decision they could have made. He adds depth to the characters, keeps with the comics and injects just enough of the right humour to make this film work well. Everyone gets their fair share too, including Hawkeye and Black Widow who could have been side-lined. They also got the Avenging part right, how could they be avengers without having something to avenge. Spot on. This one was good but I have a feeling the next one is going to be better and I for one can't wait. Finally, good superhero films that live up to the hype! Please let next years Superman be this good!

Not a bad adaptation of the comic and a good introduction to the franchise.

I like the way they explore the ideas of being a mutant and how that would work in a modern society. I really liked the 'School under attack' scene. It's my favourite of the trilogy.

After Singer left the franchise in the lurch it was all downhill (Superman was shit by the way). Brett Ratner didn't do too badly but the biggest crime was to kill off some of the much loved characters. X4 looks unlikely, which is a shame because after X2 I was getting quite excited about the whole thing. never mind, I'll get over it!

I think this was a wasted opportunity. The film flashed past the interesting bits in the opening credits, it would have been great to have seen a little more of the brothers at war and then to see more of the special team of mutants on a few more missions. There was a trilogy here but now there isn't even enough for a sequel. Gambit, my favourite of the comics, was also a let down. There were a few nice surprises though and Hugh Jackman is always a joy to watch, not bad but should have been much better! 9The SFX were for the best part quite good but the scene were he's looking in the old folks mirror is truly awful!) They can't mess up on the story of Magneto though, that has to be done well!!!

As an origin movie X-Men: First Class is pretty impressive. Apart from a couple of factual errors regarding dates, it's pretty solid. I liked the fact that they didn't get ahead of time with their technology, it was very fitting with the classic comics of the time. There was also an element of tongue in cheek about it that I think only an Englishmen could deliver, I think it worked rather well here when more than often it doesn't. The cast is ace, McAvoy and Fassbender are brilliant, the only bit of re-casting I would do would be to replace January Jones but only because I can't stand her and the character of Emma Frost deserved better. Twenty something Beast was a bit of a let down too, he looked like one of the monsters that would always be in the back ground in The Muppet Show. Also, and I'm a full on comic nerd so bare with me, if Magneto and Mystique know where the X-Men base is having trained there, how do they spend the best part of the first and second films looking for it? I'm sure all will become clear in the many sequels this films deserves. If you really have to re-boot a franchise, this is how you do it!

A poor comic adaptation with a poor story line and a wooden cast.

As a fan of the Silver surfer comics i have to say I'm disappointed. The actors are ok but the script and story are possibly the worse I?ve seen in a long, long time!

The disco scene at the beginning was ace but I wasn?t too bothered about the rest of the film.

A great sequel, all the better for having Guillermo del Toro at the helm. If he'd directed the whole series it could have been something special!

Enough already! The first film was ok, the second film was really good but this one just doesn't improve on the franchise. Dracula? You having a laugh! completists only!

Good film but it spawned so much crap! Perhaps held in such high regard due to the tragic death of Brandon Lee. Nothing like a death to boost the ratings!

This is really crap! Cage is wooden, Mendes is worse. Even the great Sam Elliott cant can't save this poor comic adaptation. Awful!

Guillermo del Toro lovingly brings Hellboy to the big screen. It's visually stunning and stays very true to the comic and its characters. Getting Ron Perlman to play Hellboy is probably the best bit of casting in the history of cinema! One of the better comic adaptations of recent years!

There was something not quite right with Hellboy 2. I can't put my finger on it, I can't seem to find any fault, it just didn't feel right, a little disjointed perhaps. That said, I loved the end scene and the creatures etc. Having been a fan of the comics for many years, I can say that it's a brilliant adaptation, I guess I just didn't enjoy it as much as the first!

The Punisher isn't all that bad but it isn't great. As an avid comic fan I have to say Punisher was one of my least favourite characters. The cast are pretty good here but ultimately wasted, it was a pleasure to see Roy Scheider as Daddy Punisher but I'm just not sure it was worth the five seconds he was in it for. The story is based on the original story of how Frank Castle became the Punisher but it is full of holes, there are hints of great ideas (Harry Heck was ace but again, only in it for 5 seconds) but there are just too many awful ideas. Why was so much time spent with his stupid neighbours? Should have been a lot better but it could have been worse. I'm not to bothered though as I said, I was never a big fan in the first place and it was entertaining enough for a bit of silly action.

The computer game on the Sega Dreamcast was so much better!

If it weren?t for the fact that I was on an Aeroplane when I saw this, I would have left.

First thing is first, Defendor is not a copy of Kiss-ass because it was made first. Also, apart from one obvious similarity, they are actually completely different films with very little in common. Thirdly, if you view Defendor as a 'superhero' film you will obviously be disappointed because it's not, it's about a man with learning difficulties. I think this film has been totally overlooked for something it isn't which is a terrible shame because what it is is actually something quite special. The whole superhero philosophy is that these characters become who they are, whether they are heroes or villains, due to mental issues - Childhood traumas/schizophrenia/psychosis etc. so having the lead with a very ordinary mental illness is quite a clever idea. Woody Harrelson is brilliant as Arthur Poppington aka Defendor, playing it subtle when necessary but always convincingly. The message is heartfelt but is never preachy, the subject of mental illness is handled respectfully and it is genuinely funny. For me Arthur Poppington/Defendor has to be one of my favourite film characters I've seen for a long time, this is a misunderstood gem of a film.

Now and again I come across an old film I must have seen 100 times but have forgotten to review. Flash Gorden is the quintessential cheesy action-fantasy and that's saying something because most film in the split genres are very cheesy. It's very quotable, very laughable and very watchable, with an array of 'What ever happened to..' stars of yester-year. The ultimate 70s/80's crossover film too, I was going to say it's Barbarella for boys but Barbarella is kinda for boys anyway. Anyway - You have to see this film at least once, it's the rules!

My expectations were low due to the negative feedback that this film received but by the end I found myself pleasantly surprised. Michel Gondry was an interesting choice of director but I believe his quirkiness works well here. I found no fault with the acting, Christoph Waltz I thought was a great villain, the set pieces were pretty good and I thought the script and story were very well thought-out and appropriate considering all the problems over the years, trying to get this film made. It breaks down like this, you won't like this film if you don't like Seth Rogen. I'm not his biggest fan but I think he's likable enough. You've got to hand to to him, without him The Green Hornet would have continued to float in the ether of film production hell. I think his story (he wrote and produced it) was the only logical way to go to keep it fresh and to not take it too seriously. It's no masterpiece and I expect more from a director like Gondry but it does the job, feels original and I found it entertaining throughout. I think time will be kind to this film and only time will tell.

I have a feeling that the makers of The Green Lantern sacrificed the story for a PG-13 rating - I guess they've got to make money, but the question remains, if you're going to do something, why not do it properly? I'm a big comic fan but not so much a fan of Green Lantern. He/they would pop up in other DC publication from time to time and I would buy a few just to answer a few niggling question and to complete various series - eek I'm a geek! I've always liked the idea of many different alien members of The Green Lantern corp and although I'm glad they featured here, they really needed more of them. The film could have been an introduction to the corp only. The sequel could have been the first fight - this just felt too formulaic, we've seen it all before, same film different uniform. The use to the green power here is also appalling, it felt like a cartoon, which is dangerous considering the less than brilliant CGI. Also, Ryan Reynolds is in it. Need I say more?

Like the tag line says: "The world can make us invisible. Courage can make us incredible. Love can make us invincible". This film should have been called Metaphor Man. Don't expect a Kick-Ass type of film or even Defendor, Griff the Invisible - while as good as these, is pretty original. Not easy in this now popular sub-genres. It is a little hard to get into at first but it is worth sticking with, once you have 'got it' it becomes a much more enjoyable film. It might sound funny but i wonder whether it could have been improved with a smaller budget. While Leon Ford told the story well, I can't help but think a more visually creative director would have been a better choice.

Really liked the first half but wasn't that interested after the unexpected twist. I think they should have explored the fact that he was a homeless alcoholic superhero more rather than the romantic angel stuff. Imagine if the Coen Brothers had directed it, now that would have been a five star film!

Great fun, one of Pixar's better films.

When it comes to comics, I'm more a DC man (Vertigo) - until it comes to film adaptations that is. When reading my favourite comics, Transmetropolitan, The Boys, DMZ, 100 Bullets, The Invisibles...the list goes on, I think to myself 'They should totally make this into a movie' - then a film like Jonah Hex and Green Lantern come along and you think, actually some things are best left in comics. That said, I've never been much of a Jonah Hex or Green Lantern fan so I'm not that bothered. They messed up with Constantine which was pretty unforgivable, so for now I reckon comics like Scalped and Preacher are safe but Hex was expendable and worth the risk. For all it's negative reviews though, Jonah Hex isn't a terrible film, some parts were quite good and I especially liked the 'Talking to the dead' scenes. Unfortunately the entire film is just completely forgettable..what was I talking about again?

I think it's fair to say the hype was right for a change. Kick-ass did indeed kick ass! Looking forward to the sequel but without Nic Cage I'm weary!

Poor old Alan Moore. No wonder he disassociated himself from Watchman!

I got very excited about this film when I was a child. I have still got every He-Man figure (apart from the yellow ?Evil? He-man). I don't have this film though and I doubt I will ever buy it, it?s too much of a disappointment still. I don't think I?ll ever get over how much they changed the characters! Dolph Lundgren & Frank Langella were good though! Watch this music video instead! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ1u2_PopPk

Dreamworks are getting better, that's for sure. I didn't like Shrek or Madagascar but Kung-fu Panda was pretty good, Monsters vs. Aliens was alright and now Megamind is pretty good. I've heard good things about How to train your Dragon too so fingers crossed. As good as Pixar are, it's always good to have some healthy competition. I liked the idea of Megamind more than I liked the film, certain characters got more screen time than they deserved and other better characters suffered because of it but I would like to see a sequel for sure. Maybe Monsters vs. Aliens vs. Megamind?

A very funny alternative to the current superhero trend!

Should have been much better but it was a welcome relief after sitting through countless Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Lopez chick flicks! Eddie Izzard is wasted though!

Rubbish. I thought Billy Zane would make a really good superhero, I was wrong!

Bloody hell, Ritalin anyone? Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has got to be the most original, fast-paced and successful adaptation of a comic in recent years. Wow. It was hard to keep up at times but as much as this film made me feel old, it was a real kick to the retinas - and I mean that in the best possible way. Edgar Wright very much doing what he does best, with a brilliant cast of young talent - I enjoyed it very much and is probably one of my top favourites of 2010.

I've only just realised that it was that James Gunn of Troma fame that directed it and now it all makes a little bit more sense. I still didn't really like it though. Never before has a really wonderful scene been followed by such an horrific one. For me, Super misses the mark spectacularly - never quite being a comedy, never quite being a serious drama. I'm not sure it wanted to be taken too seriously but then again, it really wasn't very funny. There is a lot I love about it but equally there is a lot I hate about it. It's somewhere between Kick-ass and Defendor but not as good as either with Defendor coming out on top by a clear mile in my opinion. I'm right down the middle on this one.

Quintessentially this is a contemporary superhero movie, and a damn good one at that! Probably M. Night Shyamalan's best film to date.

If you have not read the graphic novel, you probably won?t like the film. You probably won?t really care or understand it! For those of us who have read and absolutely love the graphic novel, it?s a different story. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with how well Snyder handled it! I would say that 85% of it was spot on! The only real problem that I had was that so much of the good stuff was cut out. I know it would be impossible to adapt it properly into a film, I would have just liked it to have been made into a mini-series, a 12 episode series if you will. Also, the ending. well, that took a lot of balls changing that but I have to say, it was changed for the better!
I also thought the casting was spot on. I think over all I loved it but then I didn't need the character development that unfamiliar viewers really did. If I had not read the graphic novel, I think I would have given a 3 stars out of 5. Does that mean Snyder failed? I don't think so. I was outraged when he remade Dawn of the dead, one of my all time favourites, it was never going to be as good as the original but he still did a damn fine job! Just as he has with Watchmen!

It was the classic playground must-see-movie of the time. It?s quite crap though looking at it now! Crap but fun!