FILM RECOMMENDATIONS: SUPERHERO (1978-2018)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Age Certificate: 12
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71/100
Plot
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.
Review
One of the best superhero films of the decade; when it was first announced that Michael Keaton will play the dark crusader, the audience were not convinced that a comedian could portray a dark vigilante such as Batman. Yet, Keaton steps in the role of Batman, regardless of the audience's initial response to him, and delivers one of the best Batman performances in film history. But what gave the film its positive reviews was Jack Nicholson who took on the role of the iconic villain, the Joker. Nicholson is considered one the best actors of our generation, coming from the film 'The Shining (1980)', it was already evident that Nicholson was fit to play another villain such as the Joker. This film was the reason why I love superhero films, alongside Superman, today. If you had to name one vigilante, you would immediately think of Batman and that shows how much of a popular character he is. When I watched this film on VHS as a child, I would always remember how intimidating the Joker was and how calm Batman was... the perfect contrast. Even if I was scared of the Joker, I would constantly play the movie for my own entertainment; he was funny and intimidating at the same time.
My rating: 8/10
DC Comics, Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures
Age Certificate: 12
IMDb: 9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94/100
Plot
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Review
Universally acknowledged as the best film within the superhero genre, good enough to win awards at the Oscars (Heath Ledger for the role of the 'Joker'). Starting with the cinematography, shot on 35mm combined with 65mm for IMAX, you get to see Gotham City in its fullest; the dark tone to show the political state of the city alongside very specific key lighting and camera work to highlight characters' emotions and intentions. The casting is perfect; Bale returning as the Bruce / Batman opposite Ledger as the Joker. Their multiple encounters and scenes with each other made the film thrilling to watch. Whenever the Joker appears, you don't know what he is up to or how he manages to execute his plans even though he does mention in the film that he wasn't the guy with a plan. The dialogues are written with precision, for example, the Joker tells different versions of a story about his scars to different character indicating that he is an unreliable narrator. Ledger does steal all the attention in the film; however, I do believe the Batman plays a factor on the success of Ledger's Joker due to their interactions with one another. This was the best version of the iconic villain in film.
My rating: 10/10
Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios
Age Certificate: 12A
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90/100
Plot
As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.
Review
My favourite film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what I consider as the best MCU film to date (probably an unpopular opinion considering all the films that have come out by now). Majority of the world are debating whether 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018) is the best MCU film or 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019), though in my opinion, Endgame is a lot better. As for 'The Winter Soldier', the main selling point was the numerous plot twists throughout the film. When you think one plot twist was already shocking, the Russo brothers (directors) decide to do a 180॰ not just once but a couple more times, just to throw you off and to a point where you can't trust anyone even the main protagonists. It doesn't help that Natasha Romanoff A.K.A Black Widow is in the film because her past is still a blank slate at this point in the films and so it can be hard trusting her too. The best part was Sebastian Stan reprising his role as Bucky Barnes but with more depth to his character. The film does justice to the Winter Soldier; the introduction scene where he attacks Steve, Nat and Sam will be my favourite fight scene from the MCU. Corridor Crew (YouTube) have many videos explaining the choreography for the fight sequence and behind the scenes footages with stunt people commenting on each step of the sequence. This film differs a lot from the first film for sure, main difference being the tone of the film, it looks more brighter but the narrative is a lot darker in my opinion.
My rating: 9.5/10
Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios
Age Certificate: 12A
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 91/100
Plot
Friction arises between the Avengers when one group supports the government's decision to implement a law to control their powers while the other opposes it.
Review
I only got into Marvel films after 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015) since it was the first MCU film I had watched in cinemas. After that, I binge watched a lot of superhero films within the MCU during my summer holiday before college. I was hyped up for the upcoming film 'Civil War' and caught up to every interview and every snippet I could get about the new film. Once it had come out, I had already decided that Wanda Maximoff A.K.A the Scarlet Witch and Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier were my favourite Marvel superheroes. Marvel did an excellent job at making them vulnerable and developed their characters so well that you would feel sympathy for them (for everything that they had to go through) and they are not even the title characters in any of the MCU films. This film was like another Avengers film with all the superheroes we got to see and new heroes were also introduced, however, the main focus was on Steve Rogers (Captain America) and I guess Tony Stark (Iron Man). This was the first time we got to see heroes against heroes and not the conventional good vs. evil. There was deception and manipulation behind all of this but it was amazing to see how everything played out even through Infinity War. What could have been better is the location of the fight between Team Captain America and Team Iron Man; an airport doesn't seem like a cool place for an iconic battle.
My rating: 8.7/10
Dovemead Ltd., Warner Bros. Pictures
Age Certificate: PG
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94/100
Plot
Scientist Jor-El rockets his infant son, Kal-El, to safety on Earth. Kal is raised as Clark Kent and develops unusual abilities and powers to become Superman who fights for truth and justice.
Review
Superman along with Tim Burton's 'Batman' were my introduction to superhero films and the DC universe. If anything, they were the films I grew up watching during my childhood, more than Marvel as DC were a lot popular in the superhero genre of TV and film back in the days. When I think about Superman, I think about the original iconic hero played by the talented Christopher Reeve. Since I was very young watching this film, I don't remember much except for the train scene. The sequel, however, I remember every second of it as it is my favourite out of the two. Though the CGI does not hold up to superhero films we have now, it was pretty spectacular to see what the 70's could do.
My rating: 7.3/10
Dovemead Ltd., Warner Bros. Pictures
Age Certificate: PG
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71/100
Plot
Superman decides to give up his superpowers for the sake of his true love, Lois Lane. At the same time, three criminals from his home planet of Krypton land on Earth and try to conquer the world.
Review
Out of the two Superman films, the sequel was my favourite and what I consider the best out of the Superman franchise. Along with Batman, this film shaped my childhood. I would question why no one recognised Clark Kent as Superman even though all he did was take off his glasses. This film made me realise how humble and selfless Superman is, the sacrifices he's willing to make for the sake of his loved ones and the world. It is what you expect a Superman film to be but that does not mean it's boring. This film is considered as an inspiration to future superhero films to come, in my opinion. My favourite and memorable moments were the bridge scene; when Lois Lane wanted to prove Clark Kent was Superman, and any scenes with the three antagonists.
My rating: 8.7/10
Columbia Pictures, Marvel Enterprises, Sony Pictures
Age Certificate: PG
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93/100
Plot
Peter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius.
Review
The best superhero film to come out of the 2000's which is not much of a competition because the early 21st century was when superhero films were starting to become more mainstream. In addition, other superhero releases were the 'Fantastic Four' franchise which was not doing well and the 'X-Men' franchise. Usually, sequels are the complete opposite of the first film; they move away from the plot too much or they are just really bad that they flop at the box office, however, the sequel to 'Spider-Man' (2002) was a lot better and gave us one of the best adaptations of Spiderman. Tobey Maguire's version of Peter Parker may be questionable (especially since he, 28-year-old, was playing a young adult - 20 years old to be exact) but he was the perfect Spiderman. The movie provided multiple obstacles and scenarios for Spiderman to work out and Raimi executed those scenes perfectly. The antagonist, Doctor Octopus, was another reason why the film showcased potential in a Spiderman franchise. We got to see the villain's origins and knew what he was doing was against his own will and that the invention he had created took over him. This gave a satisfying yet sad ending. The most iconic scene of the movie was the train scene when we got to see Spiderman reveal himself as Peter Parker to a bunch of strangers; signifying that anyone can be Spiderman.
My rating: 8.5/10
20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment
Age Certificate: 15
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 83/100
Plot
Deadpool protects a young mutant Russell from the authorities and gets thrown in prison. However, he escapes and forms a team of mutants to prevent a time-travelling mercenary from killing Russell.
Review
Since I have already done an in-depth review on this film, I'll give an introduction to what I thought about the film. The first film was really good but I think I went in to the movie theatre without knowing much about Deadpool or Ryan Reynolds. I was expecting something like the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). I knew that he was a comedic character and an anti-hero but I was still expecting a typical Marvel film. I did find it funny but there were many references and funny moments I did not understand when I first watched it because they were mainly about Green Lantern and the 2009's Deadpool which I did not know much about like the negative reviews it received so the jokes about Ryan's previous characters were not as humorous to me as they were to other people. However, I did go in to the sequel knowing everything I need to know about Deadpool and the film was hilarious. For more: 'DEADPOOL 2' (2018) REVIEW
My rating: 8.5/10
20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment
Age Certificate: 12A
IMDb: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90/100
Plot
Wolverine travels back in time to stop Mystique from assassinating Bolivar Trask, whose death leads to the creation of the Sentinels, which are robots designed to kill mutants.
Review
After catching up with all the X-Men films as well understanding how the timeline works within these films, I went to watch 'Days of Future Past' in cinemas and I was mind blown. From what I remember my reaction being after I left the cinemas, I was upset with the deaths and since the first X-Men film was still fresh in my memory, I felt happy with how much has happened with introductions to so many mutants (now iconic superheroes) but also sad with everything that had happened, all the sacrifices for a happy ending. This was the first time we get to see time travelling within the universe and first time two versions of Professor X and two versions of Magneto share a screen together briefly. that moment was empowering because not only are they the most important and vital mutants in the X-Men universe, but all four actors have portrayed their characters perfectly. They remind me of the X-Men animated series I used to watch as a child. Logan / Wolverine, portrayed by Hugh Jackson, and Mystique, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, play a huge role in the film. Mystique is the mutant who can reshape history and essentially has the responsibility of all mutants' future in her hands whilst Wolverine, the iconic mutant, has to go back in time to recruit the mutants who can fix the timeline. The film has a lot to offer especially after 'The Last Stand' (2006).
My rating: 8/10
Marvel Studios, Paramount Pictures
Age Certificate: 12A
IMDb: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94/100
Plot
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armour to fight evil.
Review
The pressure this film had to kick start the Marvel Cinematic Universe and did it deliver. 14 years later and we have 28 films according to the internet (I had to search the number because there are so many Marvel films that are linked to the MCU these days that it cannot be counted by hand). 'Iron Man' was the best decision the studio made because they had found the perfect actor to portray Tony Stark. Robert Downey Jr. embodies the characteristics of Tony Starks, as if he doesn't even need to try to act but rather be himself. He is witty and for a rich self-centred scientist, he is very likable due to his wilfulness and carelessness towards authority. Behind the persona, he is a real hero; one without super powers, he uses the money that he has and the technology he has created (Iron Man) to defend those who cannot as much as he may deny his kind heart. This was showcased in the film after getting captured by terrorists in the first act of the film. It was a quick start to the growth of development for his character but from what we know about Iron Man from the comics and animated shows, the narrative felt right. my favourite scene will always be when he goes to one of the character's (Yinsen) home to save the villagers. The moment he walks away from an explosion is the best shot in the film as it shows Iron Man's strength. The film had some of the best visuals matched with the epic soundtracks.
My rating: 8.1/10
Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment
Age Certificate: PG
IMDb: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 97/100
Plot
After gaining superpowers from a spider bite, Miles Morales protects the city as Spider-Man. Soon, he meets alternate versions of himself and gets embroiled in an epic battle to save the multiverse.
Review
The trailer came out of nowhere and to be honest I had no idea Sony had plans for this film but nonetheless, "a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one". I did some research before doing this review and found out that plans for an animated Spider-Man got leaked in 2014 and somehow, I was absent for 4 years and had no clue about that and got lucky when it came to spoilers. The trailer gave high hopes because the animation looks different from your typical animated films produced by Disney or DreamWorks. The animation for the film was more of a hand drawn comic book-style which of course, fans of comic books especially of the superhero genre can appreciate. As for the film, I like that the studio took a different approach with the title character. First off, we got the introduction of Mile Morales, an African-American rebellious teenager who takes the mantle of Spider-Man after being bitten by a mutated spider just like Peter Parker. We see all parts of Miles life; from home life to school life as well his interactions with family members. What is amazing about the film is its comedy, even when we lose our beloved Peter Parker, when Miles is going through tough times, there has always been time for comedy. When other versions of Spider-Man or spider people were coming through the spider-verse, I could not stop laughing at Spider-Man Noir or Peter Porker (the name speaks for itself).
My rating: 7.5/10
Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios
Age Certificate: 12A
IMDb: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93/100
Plot
Imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, Thor must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnarök, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela.
Review
I've added my short review from my recent releases (2018) post. This is what I had to say: "The third film in the trilogy; director, Taika Waititi, takes a turn on the film as he changes the tone to be less "dark" as shown in the first two films and more colourful (as seen by the poster), fun and more comedic even for a Marvel film. In my opinion, though Thor is the lead character, it's Loki, played by Hiddleston, who always steals the show. Korg was also another scene stealer (portrayed by Waititi)." To add on, I admire Taika Waititi for taking a risk on Thor. He changed the environment, making the film feel like a fun superhero film by adding more colour but when we saw how different Thor's character was compared to the first two films, it was brilliant. Waititi was ahead of the game and had given us the Thor that the fans deserved to see onscreen. Chris Hemsworth who portrays Thor also understood the assignment and I think he should do more comedy films as much as he does action films. Tom Hiddleston's Loki is probably the character that changed less, just like Thor, he seems more fun but still mischievous. For more reviews of film releases in 2018: FILM RECOMMENDATIONS: RECENT RELEASES (2017-18)
My rating: 8.5/10
Marv Films, Plan B Entertainment
Age Certificate: 15
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 76/100
Plot
Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a superhero, even though he has no powers, training, or meaningful reason to do so.
Review
This isn't a conventional superhero film you think you're about to watch. Filled with dark humour as well as unconventional superhero traits, it is overall a fun and action-packed film. Inspired by superheroes that we know of today, the main character Dave, attempts to do what every kid aspires to become... a superhero but without the super part. The scene stealer though has to be the character Chloë Grace Moretz plays, Hit-Girl. I find a little child swearing hilarious because most of the time, they have no idea what they are saying but in the film that is filled with violence and offensive language, it just seemed natural for Hit-Girl to be how she is (probably because I have seen Moretz play characters in comedy films also). If you take away the silly superhero costumes, you would get a conventional actional film but where is the fun in that. This film is for teenagers and young adults who want to live their imaginary superhero dream.
My rating: 7/10
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I tried to make these reviews as detailed as possible but didn't want to talk too much about visual effects since all superhero films have them and we already know how amazing they look. What I wanted to focus on is the narrative and how the studios have managed to capture audience's attention by the stories that they tell. 📖🤔
Sabina 🦁
