Superhero Movies

X-Men 3: The Last Stand

Okay, I'll admit, like many other movie fans I was a bit worried when it was announced that Brett Ratner was going to take over the X-Men franchise. It's not that I don't value the guy as a director, I really enjoy the Rush Hour movies, but I wasn't sure if he had it in him to bring that combination of action and emotion that Bryan Singer was so successful in bringing to the screen in the previous two movies. After seeing X-Men 3 I am still not sure about this, but I'm also not worried anymore. Because even though the talky moments don't pack the emotional punch they should, the action scenes are so fantastically over the top that the adrenaline will have you reeling for hours after you have left the cinema.

Sky High

I've always wondered why there are no superheroes in real life. They are so present in everyday popular culture, that you would expect that there would at least be one person who dons a cape like Batman and then goes on to fight crime. You know, some rich millionaire who is bored with his everyday life (murdered parents optional), who then builds a cave in his basement and starts using all sorts of high tech gadgetry to put a stop to violence. Or at least somebody in a spandex suit who climbs on top of a high building and then yells: Evildoers, beware! However, no matter how many movies, videogames and comic books are published about superheroes. nobody has shown the guts to become a superhero of their own. A shame, really, but then again, when you see a movie like Sky High you are happy that superheroes don't exist after all.

Batman Begins

Director Christopher Nolan has done the impossible. He has taken the Batman-franchise, which was buried by Joel Schumacher's horrible Batman and Robin, and given it new life. Not just that, but with Batman Begings he has crafted the ultimate superhero movie. It's true to the origins and tone of the comic, but is not just for Batfans. By going back to the beginning and telling Batman's origin, Nolan has kickstarted a franchise that will hopefully have a long and successful life.

Director Christopher Nolan has done the impossible. He has taken the Batman-franchise, which was buried by Joel Schumacher's horrible Batman and Robin, and given it new life. Not just that, but with Batman Begings he has crafted the ultimate superhero movie. It's true to the origins and tone of the comic, but is not just for Batfans. By going back to the beginning and telling Batman's origin, Nolan has kickstarted a franchise that will hopefully have a long and successful life.

The Incredibles

When I first saw The Incredibles, it was in the Sneak Preview. Seated behind me were three 'older women', who loudly declared this was the first time they went to the sneak and they only came because there was nothing else interesting playing that night. They were hoping for the new Bridget Jones and could not keep from gasping when Boundin' started to play. Boundin' is the next in Pixar's line of short appetizer-movies before the main attraction and I thought it was a lot of fun. It's the charming little tale of a happy, dancing sheep who one day gets sheared by the sheep herder and loses his will to live, until a Jackalope comes by and cheers him up again. It's a little technical marvel, but that was lost on the women behind us, who declared "Oh no! It's a cartoon!" This was followed by "Thank God!" when Boundin' ended, and "Oh no! It IS a cartoon!" when The Incredibles began. I was already worried that the women would be complaining all through the movie, but something happened that me nor the women had expected: they actually liked The Incredibles. Very much. Even so much that they kept saying things like "Isn't it amazing how they make movies like this?" all throughout the movie... Oh well, I can't deny that they were right.

Spider-Man 2

What is the best superhero movie ever? Is it the first Superman? The first Batman? The second X-Men? Or is it the second Spider-Man movie ? Spideys new adventures are breathtaking, funny, and more emotional than your average Oscar-winning drama. You will laugh, you will cry and you will grab the seat of your chair during those moments where Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus are fighting each other on the top of some huge sky scrapers. Director Sam Raimi bests the first part in every possible way and has made a movie that is, to put it as bluntly as possible, f@#$ing cool!