Top 10 DC Comics Movies: Part 1

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is about to hit theaters soon! And while DC Comics' film adaptations might not be nearly as vast as Marvel's collection of films, DC actually produced the first massively successful superhero film in Superman (1978). Sure, there were superhero serials shown and the old Adam West Batman film, but Superman was the first film to really take things seriously, or at least mostly seriously. For this list, DC's popular collection of Direct-to-DVD animated films will not be included, with a focus on any theatrically released films, animated or not. Also, I am not a DC hater. The Dark Knight is one of my favorite films ever, and, as always, I have not seen every film.

10: Man of Steel

More or less placing tenth by default, Man of Steel is Zack Snyder's attempt to launch the DC Cinematic Universe. Did he succeed? Well, we will have to wait and find out when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters. But as a film on its own, Man of Steel is a moderately fun action flick with dull, lifeless characters, and cool special effects, even if the wanton destruction is disregarded.

9: Watchmen

Another Zack Snyder flick, Watchmen is an interesting film. Based on the legendary graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen is a deconstruction of the superhero, and the source material featured deep commentary on the genre, human characters, and an enthralling narrative. On the other hand, the film contains the shell of the fascinating themes contained within the original story. First, I watched the movie and found it to be decent, yet nothing remarkable, although the sexual content was extreme. Then I read the graphic novel and realized just how incredible the story should have been. But on the flipside, Watchmen serves as a visually stunning adaptation of the graphic novel that accurately adapts many of the visual aspect, while leaving the story and characters mostly wooden. Here’s hoping for that miniseries adaptation of Watchmen!

8: Superman II

Due to creative differences, the director of the original Superman film, Richard Donner, left the project and Richard Lester took the helm. Years later, a second cut of the film, titled "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut," was released using a combination of deleted scenes and the original footage. While I have not seen that cut, the original Superman II is still a fun film. General Zod is an entertaining, theatrical villain, and Christopher Reeve is an exceptional Clark Kent/Superman.

7: Batman

While Superman launched superhero films onto the big screen, Tim Burton's Batman effectively proved that the genre wasn't dead after two failed Superman sequels. Michael Keaton also proved that he was more than "Mr. Mom" as he played a competent Bruce Wayne and Batman. But of course, Jack Nicholson stole the show as The Joker in his iconic turn as the character. Certain elements of the film might not hold up today, but Tim Burton's gothic style was the perfect fit to bring Batman back to the masses! And who can forget that iconic Danny Elfman score!

6: Road to Perdition

Did you think all comic book movies had to be about superheroes? Well, Road to Perdition is an Oscar winning mobster film starring Tom Hanks and directed by Sam Mendes, the man behind Skyfall and Spectre. Road to Perdition is ultimately a story of father and son bonding with the backdrop of a 1930s mobster revenge tale. Mendes' cinematography is stunning, and Tom Hanks' performance is reliably exceptional as expected. If you like crime dramas and want to see one of the more unique comic book films, give Road to Perdition a watch.

Are these any of your favorites? Please comment below and let me know!

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Movie Music and More # 47: "The Princess Bride" (1987)

I (Hamlette) am here to discuss one of my most recent soundtrack acquisitions.  It's quite ridiculous that it took me this long to buy this soundtrack, because I've loved The Princess Bride (1987) for more than twenty years.  Sometimes, I make very little sense.  Anyway, Mark Knopfler's score for The Princess Bride is as subtly off-kilter as everything else in the movie.  Fairy tale motifs get twisted slightly to make them fresh, funny, and surprising.

"I Will Never Love Again" begins very sad, pensive, minor.  Lots of strings, a bit of a twangy '80s sound going on here and there.  It's a love theme gone horribly wrong, which suits the early part of the film perfectly.

"The Friends' Song" is an obviously humorous song, got a good swagger and a bounce to it.  Some cheeky guitars open it, then a flute joins in with a delicate little strain of sweetness that is eventually overwhelmed by more strings.  But that flute isn't going down with out a fight, and reasserts itself, learning to play nicely along with the strings.  After two minutes, the whole mood shifts to almost a dance, bits of a menace coming in underneath.  It's like a little peasant dance that's being interrupted.

"The Swordfight" is delightful.  Parry, thrust, parry, thrust -- even the music is dueling.  There are some blithe castanets at the beginning to bring in a Spanish flair as befits Inigo, and lots of worried strings keeping us anxious as to what the outcome of this duel will be.  Some trumpets try to butt in triumphantly, but they get pushed back out, and the song twists minor, the strings get dizzyingly busy, and it almost feels like something you'd hear during a swashbuckly silent film where the story has to be helped by the music because there's no dialog.

You can listen to the whole soundtrack on Mark Knopfler's YouTube channel here.  And if you've never visited it, the Official Site is a delight for any Princess Bride fan :-)

Kingsman: The Secret Service Review

Kingsman: The Secret Service, an action satire of the spy genre starring Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton, and Michael Caine!

From James Bond to Jason Bourne, I love spy movies! They are the movies I grew up watching, and Kingsman: The Secret Service takes the spy genre parodies and deconstructs, yet honors, the spy genre all at the same time. But is it a good movie? Let's find out.

My viewing of Kingsman is a bit different than other recent films that I have reviewed. Long story short, I watched Kingsman by myself and enjoyed it fairly well, wrote a first draft review, and about a week later I watched it again, except with my dad, an avid James Bond fan. Thanks to a variety of reasons, including different expectations, Kingsman was quite a bit better on a second viewing with my score being raised by more than a point and an overall more positive impression. Therefore, this is my rewritten review based on my second viewing.

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Genre: Action, Spy, Espionage, Action Comedy,

Release Date: 13 February 2015

Running Time: 129 minutes

MMPA rating: R

The Good: "Free Bird" action scene is mind blowing, Mix of serious and parody, Strong performances, Stylized action, Spy gadgets, Shocking twists, Humorous spy jokes, Smart deconstruction of spy movie elements, Colin Firth is exceptional and does many of his own stunts,

The Bad: Loses a little steam after 2nd Act, Overly silly towards the end, Potentially offensive, Spotty special effects, Pointless swearing,

Warning: Kingsman is rated R for mature content and is not suitable for some viewers.

Plot: 8.4/10- Despite parodying many aspects of the spy genre, Kingsman: The Secret Service is surprisingly competent, albeit intentionally silly. The film directly references that it isn't the typical Bond spy flick and makes fun of the tropes, while still honoring the genre and taking it in a darker, more logical direction at times. However, after the 2nd Act, certain parts of the film go a bit too far into silly stupid territory and disrupt the flow of the film. Without spoiling anything, after a certain big plot twist at the end of Act 2, the movie had me hooked. I began wondering if this was the second best movie of the year. Unfortunately, the movie does not necessarily fall apart, but it does lose steam. However, this misstep felt far more forgivable on the second viewing.

There are two aspects of the film that do not necessarily impact the overall score, yet still bother me. The first is the absolutely pointless amount of swearing. It felt lazy and added nothing to the film. Of course, my personal issue will not affect the overall score. The second issue is different. *Minor spoilers* The infamous scene in the church scene featuring a cult massacre can be rather offensive to some, but ultimately, it's the villain that's causing it, so it wasn't extremely offensive to me personally. The brutal battle itself is incredible, but it is understandable if you were offended. *End Spoiler*

Characterization: 8.7/10- Despite being a satire, Kingsman's characters are surprisingly well realized. Thanks to the actors superb performances, Galahad and Eggsy are likable characters. Eggsy goes through the best character arc, while Galahad is a majorly cool character with tons of style because “manners maketh man.” The villain, Richmond Valentine, is an intentionally silly and over-the-top, but he works fairly well as Bond-esque parody.

Direction: 9.5/10- Matthew Vaughn's action direction is absolutely insane! The first big action sequence with Colin Firth is entertaining, a bit humorous, and superbly directed. The aforementioned church fight scene, set to the song "Free Bird," by Lynyrd Skynyrd, is one of the most insane, brutal, and incredibly well directed action sequences ever. It may be too brutal for some, but as a fan of hardcore action direction, this fight scene is immaculate. Comparatively, the other action sequences are weaker, yet still fun, entertaining, and mostly well done, except for the spotty special effects.

Acting: 8.7/10- Colin Firth kills it as Galahad! He is said to have done many of his own stunts, and he really brings class to the film. Taron Egerton is a relative newcomer, and he is great as Eggsy. He makes the character likable and relatable, while still believing he has skills. Samuel L. Jackson plays the villain with a lisp and a weak stomach for violence. This is not Jackson's best role by any means, and some might straight up hate his character, but he works, and did not drag down the film for me. Everyone else from Michael Caine to Mark Strong is great.

Special effects: 6.2/10- Easily the weakest aspect, Kingsman's $81 million budget shows as some of the special effects miss the mark. The green screen is a bit obvious at times as well. Thankfully, the parody nature of the film makes the mistakes a little more forgivable and doesn't kill the flow of the movie.

Soundtrack: 8.5/10- Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson's score fits the film very well, with a score reminiscent of Jackman's score from X-Men: First Class. Another highlight of the soundtrack is the use of licensed music, including "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits are perfectly used.

Humor: 8.4/10- Kingsman is part comedy, yet not truly a comedy. However, it is often funny. For the most part, the humor is well delivered and often witty. There are not too many laugh-out-loud jokes, at least not when you are watching it alone, although it is funnier with friends. Generally, the comedy does not fall into the traps of vulgarity and crudeness, which is rare of R rated comedies, yet that fact makes it all the more hilarious and smart. There is a joke at the very end that is somewhat off putting and might bother some viewers.

Entertainment Value: 9.7/10- Upon my first viewing, the film started to lose me towards the end. However, on the second watch, it was even more enjoyable, and the excellently pacing really showed. Heck, the movie is worth a third viewing; it’s just that much fun, especially for spy movie fans!

Overall: 9.2/10- Kingsman: The Secret Service is witty, satirical, smart, and crazy fun for spy movie fans! It might not have convinced me of its quality until my second viewing, but Kingsman: The Secret Service is one of the best movies of 2016 and an entertaining gem that brings over 70 years of spy movies together into one cohesive package. 

Closing comments: 2015 was a year full of spy flicks and Kingsman: The Secret Service stands as the strongest one. Action junkies and spy fans should definitely give Kingsman: The Secret Service a watch, assuming the R rating isn't too much for you.

Recommended for: Spy fans, Action fans, Colin Firth fans, Parody fans, Matthew Vaughn fans

Click here to check out more of my movie reviews.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Reader's Choice: So Many Movies!

So Many Movies! Thanks to Netflix and a free weekend of HBO, the last two weeks have been full of movie watching! And with so many popular and critically acclaimed that I could review, today I want you to decide which ones I should review first. Below are the films that you can choose from, so please vote for five or less movies in the comments! The films below include the Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic, The Shining, and even the first film by Rian Johnson, Brick, who will is directing Star Wars: Episode 8!

• All the President's Men
• The Big Lebowski
• Brick
• The Departed
• Django Unchained
• The Giver
• The Hangover
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• The Shining
• Sin City
• Reservoir Dogs

Check back Wednesday for my review of Kingsman: The Secret Service and another day for a Pulp Fiction review, so look for those! And thanks for voting everyone!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Movie Music and More #46: "Emma" (1996)

One of my (Hamlette) favorite film scores, Rachel Portman's Emma (1996), won the Academy Award for best original score that year.  Since we've got Oscars on our minds, I thought this would be a great time to discuss this delightful soundtrack.

Rachel Portman is one of those composers whose scores I almost always enjoy.  She's great at writing joyful music that moves scenes along, and she can layer deep emotions under the surface of that joy as well.  

"Main Titles" gives you a great idea of what the tone of the movie will be before anyone says a single word of dialog.  It begins softly, sweetly, a little bit pensive even, then picks up tempo and becomes sprightly and humorous.  Then it ends with grace and dignity.

"Harriet's Portrait" makes me smile, and not just because the part of the film it belongs to makes me laugh aloud.  It's such vivacious music, isn't it?  Playful and bright and energetic.

"The Dance" is pure fun.  It makes me want to cavort.  Sometimes I do.  It's a little bit repetitive at first, and you can envision people doing an English Country Dance with it's fancy patterns, and then about 40 seconds in, it gets louder and boisterous, and yeah... who can resist dancing to such music?

"Emma Insults Miss Bates" is a more serious track, as befits a more serious scene.  You hear that same theme from the opening credits, only now it's very slow and sad, mournful in places.  Emma grows up quite suddenly in this scene, realizing that her behavior can affect others in bad ways as well as good, and this delicate, wistful song fits the scene perfectly.

The entire soundtrack is delightful -- you can listen to it on YouTube here.  It's one of my favorites to listen to in the early spring, when I'm feeling very bright and hopeful, but with a touch of wistfulness here and there too.