Superman II (The Richard Donner Cut)

Directed by: Richard Donner, Richard Lester

Written by: Mario Puzo (story and screenplay), David Newman (screenplay), Leslie Newman (screenplay)


There's a lot of history and controversy  regarding the multiple versions of "Superman II." The version I watched for this review is the "Richard Donner Cut," which more closely aligns with the original vision for the film. The original theatrical release had two directors due to some conflict between Donner (who directed the first movie) and the producers.

Overall, it's a pretty straight forward superhero flick. Very enjoyable. I've never seen the "theatrical" cut of the film, so I can't make a direct comparison.

I was surprised by the amount of emotional turmoil that Superman experiences in this film. He's torn between his love for Lois Lane and the powers he was given. This tension gives Superman a much deeper and more complex personality, often missing from most superhero stories.

Superman: The Movie

Directed by:  Richard Donner

Written by: Mario Puzo (story and screenplay); David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton (screenplay)

Superman created by: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster







Who doesn't love a good superhero movie?  And what better superhero to put in a film than the ultimate American comic-culture symbol of "Superman?"  Let's face it: Superman rocks, and Richard Donner's film, though imperfect, ushered in a new era for superheroes.

I hadn't seen "Superman" since I was a kid, but I've been going through a comic book kick lately, and when I saw the Blu-Ray for sale, I grabbed it.

A bit of background: After about a ten year hiatus, I'm starting to read comic books again.  Growing up, I was never a huge Superman fan.  It was hard to get behind a hero who could do anything, save anyone, and never made a mistake.  Superman never felt like he was accessible.  I much preferred some of the more imperfect heroes, whose lives and adventures were a little more relatable (though never quite realistic).  Getting back into comics now, I've been surprised that I'm able to appreciate Superman much more.  Though he's still "perfect," I'm better able to understand his character's complexity, and how he struggles to navigate the gray areas in a world where things are never as black-and-white as he'd want.

All that to say: I was jazzed to re-watch "Superman" and see what I had missed.

I was surprised at how much of the movie is devoted to Superman's back-story, both his pre-Earth history as the last son of Krypton and his childhood as the adopted child of the Kent family.  It's a significant chunk of the movie before he begins to fly, and even longer before he sheds his Clark Kent (Reeve) shell and reveals himself to Metropolis.  His past is laid out in very particular detail, lest anything get past the audience.

These details, though well-intentioned, are what hold the movie up at several points.  It's a long time before we meet Superman's chief antagonist Lex Luthor (Hackman), and even longer before Luthor's plans begin to unfold.  A lot of background is given to establish the character of Lois Lane (Kidder), and her brashness is hammered home several times more than necessary.

But it's all worth it when Superman finally saves the day for the first of many times.  I mean, come on, he flies through the air!  Has X-ray vision!  Ice cold breath!

(And, just an FYI, there are some big spoilers ahead, though I'm betting you could have figured out the ending on your own.)  Luthor manages to put Superman in quite a spot, forcing Superman to choose between saving two coasts at once.  It seems impossible!  In fact, it is impossible, and - gasp - Lois Lane dies before Superman could get to her.  But, this is a Superman story, and Superman always overcomes evil, and so, despite the voice-over warnings of his father (Brando), he manages to turn back time and re-write history just enough so that he can save Lois.

And therein lies why Superman is both amazing, and hard to take.  How can you not love a superhero who, in order to save one person, would change the rotation of the entire planet?  Yet, at the same time, how can you feel any tension or drama when you know that Superman, if he wants, can just reverse time?

There's a lot of religious (specifically Christian) symbolism thrown into this movie as well.  None of it is subtle, and some of it is so blatant as to be obnoxious, such as Brando's narration when Superman discovers his family history.

In any case, "Superman" does a good job of bringing the Superman mythology to the film medium.  Just be prepared.  Superman wins.  Superman always wins.  That's what makes him Superman.

And that's why this movie is pretty darned good.

Hoosiers

Directed by: David Anspaugh

Written by: Angelo Pizzo

There aren't too many great basketball movies out there (sorry, Space Jam), but "Hoosiers" is by far the best. In fact, it's easily one of the most inspirational sports movies, regardless of the sport. (As a brief aside, "Hoop Dreams" takes a close and very honorable second place.)

A former college coach (Hackman) with a violent past takes over the basketball program at a high school in small-town Indiana. Not everyone in town takes to his less-than-traditional style of coaching, but with the help of another teacher (Hershey), he manages to earn the loyalty of the best player in town. The long road to the championship isn't easy, though.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what this movie does right, and trying to narrow it beyond "just about everything." What stands out most is just how real everything in the movie feels - especially the characters. Aside from a few moments of dialogue, nothing feels forced or contrived. It seemed like real people would make these real comments when faced with these real situations. Even the romance subplot, usually the downfall of most movies, plays out in a very natural and unforced fashion. Dennis Hopper, playing the alcoholic assistant coach, even earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance.

The movie is a bit slow at first. It takes a long time to meet the final cast of characters. But it is totally worth the wait. The slow development is an element of the style of the film, not a flaw in the pacing. The film gives us enough time to reflect on the characters and events, which is key in a film where reflection on life is such an important theme.

I won't spend time here describing how Hackman's character is an unlikely amalgam of the great John Wooden and the infamous Bobby Knight. Suffice to say that Hackman balances the virtues of Wooden's coaching with the intensity (borderline fury) of Knight's style. It makes him a rich, full character, who you find yourself rooting for even after you know about why he was dismissed from the college position.

This is a film worth seeing. I highly recommend it, especially now as the shadows of "March Madness" begin to creep in on the edges of our national consciousness.

Young Frankenstein

Directed by: Mel Brooks

Written by: Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder (screen story and screen play); Mary Shelley (original novel)

"Young Frankenstein" is one of the highlights of writer-director Mel Brooks's career, showcasing his relationship with actor Gene Wilder. (This relationship, according to the man who runs my local theater's "Classic Film Wednesday" series, thrived on improvisation and off-the-cuff acting, leading to an original cut of nearly six hours!)

Dr. Frankenstein (Wilder) is a biologist who is trying to distance himself from his family's name due to an incident with a mad scientist of a distant uncle. But, when given to opportunity to explore his uncle's castle, he manages to uncover his uncle's greatest discovery - the reanimation of dead tissue. Hilarity ensues.

Although I love this movie, I will say that it has not quite held up over the years. It suffers from odd pacing and uneven levels of humor.

Luckily, Peter Boyle (credited as The Monster) and Marty Feldman (Igor) steal the show! The "Puttin' on the Ritz" sequence is still one of the best scenes in any comedy. Although Feldman's scenes are limited, his mere presence elevates the film. The Gene Hackman cameo itself is worth the price of admission!

"Young Frankenstein" may have lost some of its shine over the years, but it's influence is clear and far reaching, including allegedly inspiring Aerosmith's song "Walk This Way." (That's a schoolyard rumor, so I'm not sure if or how to cite it - just take my word for it because I heard it in eighth grade.) (And, as a philosophical aside, is it that the film has not aged well, or has the world of comedy film changed so drastically that "Young Frankenstein" no longer easily fits into the mold? Must discuss.)

If you've never seen it, you're definitely missing out. I'm very glad that I had the opportunity to see it on the big screen.

Unforgiven

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Written by: David Webb Peoples

Hands down, one of the best westerns of all time. No further comment.