Watchmen takes place in an alternate 1985. In this universe, President Nixon has been re-elected beyond the two terms he served in our universe. Also, the Vietnam War was won by the United States. Russia and the United States teeter on the brink of nuclear war. And superheroes have beenContinue Reading
2005’s Fantastic Four was a “superhero-lite” movie that didn’t take itself very seriously. It had a decent — if juvenile — sense of humor about four individuals finding themselves turned into superheroes. Of course, they faced off against a super villain and saved the day. The film’s lightheartedness was anContinue Reading
As I write this, it’s just been announced that The Dark Knight has broken the box office record for an opening weekend by taking in $155 million dollars. I am assuming that a lot of the interest in the film is due to the death of Heath Ledger and theContinue Reading
Superhero movies, as of late, have become rather predictable. The first movie gives us an origin story, then the sequel gives the hero the chance to really get a grip on his or her powers and face his ultimate nemesis, and then the third movie — if it gets madeContinue Reading
2003’s Hulk was, by most accounts, a disappointing comic book movie. Although it was directed by the highly acclaimed Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain), it was a little too cerebral and dramatic for most fans. Lee’s approach to the subject matter was novel but comic book fans tend to like moreContinue Reading
Peter Parker is loving life. He’s finally won the heart of Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst,) the girl he’d always loved from afar. Spider-Man, his alter ego, has won the heart of New York City and has, in his own words, become something of an icon. So, naturally, it allContinue Reading
One of my most fondly remembered movie-going moments is sitting in the grand old Columbia Theater in Sharon, Pennsylvania in the winter of 1978 and watching Superman. I was in fifth grade. Even after seeing the first Star Wars movie, there was something magical about seeing one of my favoriteContinue Reading