Movie – Man of Steel (2013)

After the 2006 Superman Returns film failed to re-launch the character of Superman, probably because director Brian Singer couldn’t decide if he wanted to make a sequel or a remake, we now have the latest attempt: 2013’s Man of Steel.  This time around there is no doubt: this is a 100% reboot of the character.  Director Zack Snyder attracts blind hatred from critics – I read many negative reviews of Sucker Punch where they got so many basic plot points about the film wrong that it was obvious they had written the bad review without actually seeing the movie – so it’s no surprise that his latest film is currently sitting at 57% Fresh at Rotten Tomatoes.  It’s at 82% Fresh with audiences, though.  Man of Steel is not a must see movie, but neither is it an embarrassment.  It’s a shut your brain off and eat popcorn movie, much like the other blockbusters that have preceded it this summer.

Movie – Sucker Punch Extended Version (2011)

A new review of the superior, extended version of Sucker Punch now available on Blu-ray has been included with my original review of the censored, theatrical version.  It raises it from a three star movie to a four star movie.  Both reviews are available here.

Movie – Sucker Punch (2011)

Sucker Punch was just released today.  I went to the opening then came back home to work on today’s blog posts.  These are my immediate impressions.  Over the coming days I will probably mull over things in the movie.  I had a lot of anticipation built up to see this movie.  As such, it made it harder for the movie to live up to those expectations.  I may ultimately change this from a three star recommendation to a four star one.  [Note – a new review of the superior, extended version available on Blu-ray follows this original review of the censored, theatrical version.]

Movie – Watchmen (2009)

Here is what Watchmen is not – it is not a superhero movie.  If you are looking for another Spider-Man, or God help you, Fantastic Four, then this is not the movie to see.

What it is is a murder mystery set in an alternate history U.S. where costumed vigilantes have been around since World War II.  The movie opens with the death of one of them, killed in his apartment by someone you can’t identify.  It is also a very realistic look at just what kind of person would be drawn to being a costumed “hero.”  Hint – that kind of person would probably not be very well adjusted.  It is a dark story, told during the height of the nuclear arms race in the mid 1980s.  While the smaller events are going on, the world at large is on the brink of nuclear war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.

Movie – 300 (2007)

300 is based on the graphic novel written and drawn by Frank Miller.  It is an imaginative telling of the true historical event where 300 Spartans held off the entire invading army of King Xerxes of Persia at Thermopylae for several days in the year 480 BC.

The movie has a great visual style influenced by the graphic novel.  Director Zack Snyder also manages to give good depth to characters that you know are on a suicide mission.  It would have been easy to just fast forward over getting to know any of them and get to the fighting.  Instead Snyder spends time showing King Leonidas of Sparta (Gerard Butler) and his wife Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey.) You know when they finally part that it will be for the last time, and because you have gotten to know them it is actually an emotional scene.

Zack Snyder Movies

“This is Sparta!”  - King Leonidas, 300

This week’s set of related recommendations are movies directed by Zack Snyder.  You may not recognize the name, but you’ve probably heard of at least one of his movies.  He has directed the Dawn of the Dead remake, 300, Watchmen, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, and the just-released Sucker Punch.

Snyder got some notice within the horror genre for his Dawn of the Dead remake, but it was the movie 300 where he really burst onto the movie scene in the U.S.

I am going to write recommendations for 300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch.  Dawn of the Dead is a genre (zombie horror) that doesn’t do much for me, so the movie would have to be really good to get my recommendation and this one doesn’t.  As for Legend of the Guardians, that is an animated children’s movie that I have not seen.

You can find my posts for these movies here:

300

Watchmen

Sucker Punch

Note: Man of Steel (2013) added June 14, 2013.

On to the reviews…