Film I Recommend (Superheroes)

Comic books are the parables and ballads of the modern day; the authors are the heirs of Homer and Milton.

FANTASTIC 4 (2005)
Writer: Michael France (Cliffhanger, The Punisher)
Director: Tim Story (Barbershop)
Composer: John Ottman (X-Men II, Superman Returns)
Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic: Ioan Gruffudd (Hornblower-UK TV, King Arthur); Sue Storm/Invisible Woman: Jessica Alba (Dark Angel-TV, Sin City); Ben Grimm/The Thing: Michael Chiklis (The Commish-TV, Spirited Away-Disney, The Shield-TV); Johnny Storm/Human Torch: Chris Evans (Cellular, TMNT); Victor Von Doom/Dr Doom: Julian McMahon (Charmed-TV, Nip/Tuck-TV); Alicia Masters: Kerry Washington (Ray, The Last King of Scotland, I Think I Love My Wife)

I have never been a big FF fan, which is strange since I love Dr Doom, but this film (and moreso its sequel) made me reconsider my feelings. FF is Marvel's resident lovable but dysfunctional family. Yet at the end of the day, no matter how many time Johnny makes fun of Thing, annoys Reed, or gets in a spat with his sister,these four teammates always manage to come together to kick some major butt. This film deals with the team's origins as well as their opposition to the man who would be their #1 Pain in the @$$, Victor Von Doom. The film has great action, intelligent solutions (thanks to mr Fantastic) and some of the best one-liners (until Iron Man comes out). Too bad the comics don't seem to capture the same magic for me (I guess there's only so much science and math this brain can handle)--which probably means die-fard fans of the Fan4 won't like this interpretation much. Oh, and definitely pick up the "Extended" version of this film over the regular.

FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (2007)
Writer: Don Payne (The Simpsons-animated)
Director: Tim Story (Barbershop)
Composer: John Ottman (X-Men II, Superman Returns)
Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic: Ioan Gruffudd (Hornblower-UK TV, Amazing Grace); Sue Storm/Invisible Woman: Jessica Alba (Dark Angel-TV, Sin City); Ben Grimm/The Thing: Michael Chiklis (The Commish-TV, Spirited Away-Disney, The Shield-TV); Johnny Storm/Human Torch: Chris Evans (Cellular, TMNT); Norrin Radd/Silver Surfer: Doug Jones (Hellboy I & II, Pan's Labyrinth) & Laurence Fishburne (Boyz N the Hood, The Matrix trilogy, TMNT-narrator); Victor Von Doom/Dr Doom: Julian McMahon (Charmed-TV, Nip/Tuck-TV); Alicia Masters: Kerry Washington (Ray, The Last King of Scotland, I Think I Love My Wife)

The Silver Surfer is one of my top favourite Marvel superheroes. He's a wonderful, intelligent hero in the traditions of Shakespeare and this sequel to the first FF film nails him. (The word is that this film is the prolgue to a lone Silver Surfer film to come.) The special effects and portrayal of Galactus the Herald are apocalyptic good; the film pulls all kinds of emotional stings running the full spectrum--all the while keeping the humour on cue. For the last half hour alone, this film is worth the price.

GHOST RIDER (2007)
Director: Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil, Elektra)
Composer: Christopher Young (Bat*21, Urban Legend, Spider-Man 3)
Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider: Nicolas Cage (Face/Off, Gone in 60 Sconds, National Treasure I & II); Roxanne Simpson: Eva Mendes (2 Fast 2 Furious, Once Upon a Time in Mexico); Blackheart: Wes Bentley (The Miracle Match, The Four Feathers-2002); Mephistopheles: Peter Fonda (Easy Rider, The Hired Hand, 3:10 to Yuma-2007); Carter Slade/The Caretaker: Sam Elliott (Conagher, Tombstone, We Were Soldiers); Mack: Donal Logue (Blade I, The Patriot); Young Johnny: Matt Long; Barton Blaze: Brett Cullen (Legacy-TV)

Mute the critics on this one. In fact, it is one of the best of the Marvel adaptations you will see. The overall story is pretty simple in that it tells of the consequences one must face when they think they can bargain with the Devil. Nic Cage is a great choice for the film's title hero and brings some good comic moments/dialogue to the story that only he could deliver; Sam Elliott is awesome as usual. I think what surprised me the most was just how much Christian symbolism was used, and in a good way. The sub-plot of the story is a bit difficult to follow, but the tale of the Ghost Rider is much more about choices and redemption than comic book quests. If you decide to pick this one up, get the 2-disc "Extended" cut of the film.

THE PUNISHER (2004)
Writers: Jonathan Hensleigh (The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles-TV, Jumanji); Michael France (GoldenEye, Fantastic 4)
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Frank Castle/The Punisher: Thomas Jane (61*, The Mist); Joan: Rebecca Romijn (X-Men I-III); Howard Saint: John Travolta (Pulp Fiction, Swordfish, Face/Off); Quentin Glass: Will Patton (The Postman, Remember the Titans, Gone in 60 Seconds); Bobby & John Saint: James Carpinello (The Great Raid); Livia Saint: Laura Harring (Mulholland Dr, The Shield-TV); Dave: Ben Foster (X-Men III, 3:10 to Yuma); Bumpo: John Pinette (Revenge of the Nerds III & IV)

There are those days when you just wish you could dispense a little justice. There are days when it just feels like it doesn't pay to be the good guy. There are days when the villains in our life have bitten off just a little bit more than what is fair. It is on those days that I watch (and for which I recommend) this film of a man who lost his entire family (including wife and child). The Punisher isn't your typical superhero film in that Frank Castle has no superpowers--beyond his ruthless efficiency and knack for escaping death despite the numerical or political odds. It is raw: urban-stylish and swiftly violent, as a Punisher film should be. I'm not a guy that likes much bloody violence, but the way this film executes it... The kills are calculated and pretty bloodless, and the camera doesn't linger for a close-up on the deed as so many other films do these days. The current Punisher comics and the sequel to this film are carnally and brutally violent, but these interpretations on the character are wrong. The Punisher is not about vengeance (as the character states himself) or violence. The Punisher is about a guy out to punish the evil for the evil it inflicts; the damage it does to his psyche is inevitible, but a burden he glady takes since he considers himself already damaged goods. Perhaps that is what makes Frank Castle a "superhero". He kills for a couple of hours so that we understand the damage being amoral does; he kills in his world so that we don't have to in ours.

SPIDER-MAN (2002)
Writer: David Koepp (The Shadow, Mission: Impossible I)
Director: Sam Raimi (Darkman, Army of Darkness)
Composer: Danny Elfman (Batman I & II, Darkman, Mission: Impossible I)
Peter Parker/Spider-Man: Tobey Maguire (Wonder Boys, Seabiscuit); Mary Jane Watson: Kirsten Dunst (Inteview with the Vampire, Bring it On, Marie Antoinette); Norman Osborne/Green Goblin: Willem Defoe (Platoon, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Mr Bean's Holiday); Harry Osborne: James Franco (Flyboys, Tristan & Isolde); Aunt May: Rosemary Harris (Holocaust, Death of a Salesman-1996 UK, Hamlet-1996); Uncle Ben: Cliff Robertson (633 Squadron, Three Days of the Condor, The Devil's Brigade); J Jonah Jameson: J K Simmons (Law & Order-TV, The Closer-TV)

This was the movie that made me excited about the future of comic book movies for years to come. I knew that if they could get Spider-Man done right, then there was no telling the height of quality for other comic book faves of mine. Even if all other Marvel films went to pot, I am ecstatic that Spidey's film career is solid quality. The webhead was the character that got me into comics when I was a kid, and Peter's character is one that I identify with on just about every level; and if I was a superhero, I have little doubt that me persona would be very close to Peter's as Spider-Man.The first installment of the series tells the origins of how ultra-geek Peter Parker becomes the famous webslinger; intertwined is a hearfelt, old-fashioned love story and a good moral story about responsibility. The movie follows the canon very well and it stays relatively conservative as far as superhero flicks go (read: there's only one villain). Actor cameos include Bruce Campbell (Ash from Raimi's Army of Darkness), Ted Raimi (Sam's brother best known for his role as Joxer in Xena: Warrior Princess), and (of course) Stan Lee.

SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
Writer: Alvin Sargent (Julia, What About Bob?-story, Other People's Money)
Director: Sam Raimi (Darkman, Army of Darkness)
Composer: Danny Elfman (Batman I & II, Darkman, Mission: Impossible I)
Peter Parker/Spider-Man: Tobey Maguire (Wonder Boys, Seabiscuit); Mary Jane Watson: Kirsten Dunst (Inteview with the Vampire, Bring it On, Marie Antoinette); Dr Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus: Alfred Molina (Chocolat, Luther, The Da Vinci Code); Harry Osborne: James Franco (Flyboys, Tristan & Isolde); Aunt May: Rosemary Harris (Holocaust, Death of a Salesman-1996 UK, Hamlet-1996); J Jonah Jameson: J K Simmons (Law & Order-TV, The Closer-TV)

What a relief when Spidey didn't fall to the sophomore curse. In many ways, the sequel surpasses the first film in that the whole time is spent on building a story between Peter and Dr Octavius so that when they battle each other it is incredibly meanigful. I remember I groaned after hearing that Doc Ock was to be the main villain of the second movie because he appeared so randomly and one-dimensional in the comics; finding out that Gough & Miller (of Smallville fame) wrote the story that Sargent based the screenplay on made me cautiously optimistic again. But there is much more to the film than Spidey and Doc Ock. There is some great sub-drama stories--all seperate--between Peter and Aunt May, MJ, and Harry. These run-ins lead to inner wranglings within Peter that we can all identify with post-high school. Again, the story updates the mythology but at the same time brilliantly uses the canon as its skeleton. Once again, Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, and Stan Lee cameo; also look for an appearance by Dr Connors (who is the Lizard in the Spidey mythos).