Links: Home * A-B * C-E * F-H * I-O * P-S * T-Z * The Superman Family * The Bat Cave * X-Movies * The Super-100 Superman (1948 serial) Originally Reviewed on February 12th 2009 In 1948 Superman flew onto the big screen in a 15 episode serial. Though we get to see Supes origin and the discovery of his weaknesses, the body of this story is pretty thin. Like most of these things, it treads on familiar territory. Evil villain sends henchmen out to steal a weapon. In this series it's a reducer ray with the power of the atomic bomb. Along the way, just about everyone is kidnapped and rescued. Seen it, bored with it. Carol Forman is abrasive and flat as the Spider Lady. She's not much of a foe and spends most of her time posing in front of her giant electrified spider web. Noel Neill as always is plucky and likable as Lois Lane. Pug nosed Tommy Bond, who played the bully Butch in the "Our Gang" series, is solid as Jimmy Olsen. Kirk Alyn is fair, but not a standout as the man of steel (or rather, The Man of Tomorrow as he was called back then). His jaw line is weak, with soft mouth and buggy eyes (which are a hoot when he uses his X-ray vision). Kirk's vocal inflection isn't commanding and he kind of runs like a girl. This didn't have the budget of the Captain Marvel serial and it shows. Shots are re-used often, flying and bullet bouncing is done by way of animation and it never looks right. Supes does a lot of running instead. Funniest scene? Lois is menaced by a floating electrical doohickey. A bit of fun trivia. Ralph Hodges plays the teenage Clark Kent in this serial. Fans of MST3K might recognize him in the short film "A Date With Your Family" (he was the son). "Date" was riffed on episode 602; the featured film in that episode was titled "Invasion U.S.A.". In that movie there's a short scene with the original Lois Lane's, Noel Neill and Phyllis Coates in the same scene, playing ticket agents. Atom Man vs. Superman (1950 serial) Originally Reviewed on February 12th 2009 With the popularity of the first series, Superman returns 2 years later with another 15 chapters and a bigger budget. The piece looks nicer. The animated flying sequences remain, but it's augmented with shots of Kirk Alyn soaring through the sky. Stock footage is also used effectively (there's an early scene using shots of Galloping Gertie - The Tacoma Narrows bridge that collapsed in 1940). And the film is an improvement over the first. Primarily because there's a formidable villain this time out. Lyle Talbot, who was Commissioner Gordon in the 1949 Batman serial, is Lex Luthor, and he does a good job as Superman's arch nemesis. He's an evil genius in this incarnation, and while -as in every serial- he hides in a cave and has his goons do much of the dirty work, he's more proactive and formidable than Spider Lady. Talbot comes off forceful. Atom Man, who is he? Despite wearing a giant sparkly helmet (that doubles as his spaghetti cookin' pot?) and his odd accent, it's easy to figure out. Lex /Atom employ some cool gadgets in their reign of crime - like coins that act as a teleporter. He also sends Supes off to a kind of Phantom Zone, only they call it "The Empty Doom". Alyn's about the same here. He's okay and doesn't detract but neither does he impress. His delivery is a bit stiff for my liking. Noel Neill's Lois is crankier than she was in the last movie but she's still one of the best actress to play Lane. The movie is nothing brilliant, there are unintended laughs (as when the hero shouts from high in the sky to Police the location of Luthor's hideout - or when Lex sends out his flying saucers to menace Lois and Clark), a lot of padded out repetitive situations, and I got pretty sick of the narrator saying. "Again, Superman makes use of his X-Ray vision!" -Especially when combined with the first serial I watched- Never the less it's packed with super feats and heroic action and is generally fun. Superman and the Mole Men Originally Reviewed on September 25th 2007 This is the first feature film for the man from Krypton and it served as the pilot for the popular 50s TV series. Filmed in the studio back lot in only 12 days. The George Reeves era begins in a more serious vein as compared to the series to follow (which often employed humor). The plot concerns some mysterious activity at an oil-drilling site. Well, it would have been mysterious if the title hadn't spilled the beans. D-OH! Anyway - it seems the company had drilled to the very hollow center of the Earth (which you can reach after digging about 6 miles deep). Emerging from this hollowed center is a few Mole-Men, who look rather like the descendants of Chaka from "The Land of the Lost". They are short, very hairy except for some ill-fitting bald caps. And don't do anything other than make stuff glow. They don't look all that scary; in fact they look a little like someone's Uncle Moe. Still, for whatever reason when people see them their hearts stop or they scream and go nearly catatonic, and thereafter work themselves into a mob fueled panic. Fear prevents the town folk from seeing the truth and only Superman can keep the situation from getting out of hand. Sadly I don't think he did such a very good of a job this. One wee Chaka is shot and while Supes rushes off to the hospital to save its life, he leaves the other one behind to run in a panic from an angry posse (who try to, and I quote, "Roast the critter alive!" as it hides in an old shack) The film is funny simply because it tries so hard, it's so earnest. But come on, when those hairy Mole-Dudes return to the surface, armed with a stylized killer vacuum cleaner; that's hilarious! And on the one attempt at showing us Superman flying across the sky (to save the shot Mole-Man) he first turns into a cartoon and then on close-up, returns to his fleshy self and catches a dummy on a string. That's, an undeniable riot! And then there's Superman's lumpy costume. 'Nuff said. The cast is superb and all were mainstays in film and TV. Jeff Corey plays the head vigilante and he's always good at playing a dickweed. The guy who played Pops was one of John Ford's regulars. Many of the dwarfs playing the Mole-Men were also in the Wizard of Oz - Jerry Marren was the Munchkin who gave Dorothy the lollypop and would later play the Hamburglar in McDonalds commercials; while Billy Curtis can be seen in "High Plains Drifter". Then of course there was Billy Corrigan, playing himself. And despite all his rage he was still just... oh man that was a reach, sorry. Phyllis Coates is Lois, and George Reeves still stands as the best Clark. He is steadfast and rock solid while she's (mostly) a tough cookie (and it's pretty funny how she gets mad at Clark for being a coward, and never puts two and two together when Supes shows up out of nowhere, far from Metropolis in a Podunk town) You can't hate this film though, it's not spitting in your eye the way Superman III or Batman and Robin does, it really tries to be good and entertaining and provide a good lesson about tolerance and maintaining level heads (similar to that found in "Day the Earth Stood Still"). Though there are draggy spots, It was actually kind of fun if you can sit back, try to appreciate the time when it was made, cut it some slack for the limits within the budget, and enjoy it for what it is. Oh and for us Riffers, there was a fun bit when a little girl asks the Mole-Men if they can do magic (things Trumpy) and later Superman calls the Mole's "Little Creatures" - ahh sweetness! (Editors note: You need to be a fan of the show MST3K to get these references) Another film I'd strongly recommend as a companion piece is the superb... Hollywoodland which takes a closer look at the real life George Reeves and the mystery behind his strange death through the eyes of a detective hired by George's mother. Ben Affleck seems an unlikely choice to play Reeves but he does an outstanding job. It is one the best performances of his career and he conveys Reeves charisma as well as his disenchanted, sad side. The acting across the board is excellent, Adrien Brody heads the cast as the down on his luck detective; it also features Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins. Unlike many bio-pics, this one stays relatively close to the truth and while it gives no definitive answer on his death, the film does show how kids revered him and truly identified with him as the Man of Steel. The way Reeves died was a huge shock for those who grew up watching him. Superman The Movie Originally Reviewed on August 11th 2006 I'll be honest, I never liked Superman comics. I always thought he was kind of bland, his costume wasn't that cool and his main villain is a dorky looking bald guy in street clothes! BLECH! I'm kind of 50/50 on this one. I loved the early scenes with Marlon Brando, and later, watching a young Clark reveling in his powers (sure the FX were laughable during his run, but the expression of joy on his face is a wonderful touch). I like the early bits at the Daily Planet. Christopher Reeves did a nice job in these sections. He got the stumbling, clumsy Clark Kent persona down to a tee. My problem, once again, is with idiotic Lex Luthor. Donner wanted to make a serious movie, and later criticized Richard Lester for the comedic elements in Superman II - But for me, Donner's broad cartoony villains are as bad as anything Lester did comedy wise. They are campy, corny, cheesy (and another C word I'll keep to myself) - Hackman's a great actor but cripes he's annoying here. Perrine and Beaty as his henchman (woman) are embarrassingly silly. They made me cringe and grit my teeth every time they came on screen. I hate Luthor, really hate the character and the fact that he's in just about EVERY DAMN SUPERMAN MOVIE!!! Means that I'll never truly be able to get 100% into a Supes flick. I don't think this is a great movie, but it's a decent one. Even with the villains, some clunky dialog (The "Can you read my mind" poem makes me wince), and the FX that are looking a bit creaky these days. Superman II: Theatrical Cut Originally Reviewed on September 28th 2006 If you're a Superman fan it's probably best to ignore my reviews - in that same light, it was probably pointless for me to watch these. As I said before, I don't like the character and for me to like a movie, it's going to have to be a great movie and not just passable. One problem I have with these flicks is that they are so damned contrived. Part II is particularly guilty of this offense. Have a sticky situation? Solve it by picking anything out of the blue, like a super kiss to make Lois forget she knows Clark Kent's secret - yeah, yeah, that's forced as if it were the cheap and easy way to make Clark vulnerable. Oh and speaking of dumb, what's the deal with that giant Superman logo he throws? The whole film is like this for me. Tacked on, forced, contrived. It never develops its characters in a deep and meaningful way. I don't believe that Clark would give it all up for Lois. She's scrawny has a grating personality and Margot Kidder is a crappy actress who can't pull of the tearful disclosure at the end. I don't buy it, any of it. Dean Cain and Terri Hatcher had more chemistry in TVs "Lois and Clark". And Luthor? Hells bells - I got so sick of the -"Kill him!" - "What? Kill the greatest criminal mastermind?"- Exchanges between he and Terrance Stamp. Yes, please kill him just to shut him up! Frankly I had more fun with my Supergirl/Batman 66 double feature, at least they were fun in the way they embraced their badness. Superman II is a Hollywood blockbuster with delusions of grandeur; but it fails. The humor is stupid, the story is poorly composed and the interplay between characters is superficial. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut Originally Reviewed on August 23rd 2007 Let me get this out of the way right from the start: I think it is miles better than the Lester version, which hasn't aged well at all for me. This cut is too choppy and it fails at the end, but had Donner been able to finish this movie, I think it might have turned out to have been best Superman film of all time. The key ingredient, the restoration of Marlon Brando's scenes. The bits where Clark has to lose his powers for love always felt contrived, and it still is... but with the father/son dynamic the scenes have a real resonance and power to them. I actually got choked up there. Their are a few creaky moments, lines that are lost or changed (as when Supes calls out Zod at the Daily Planet) and the one huge, gigantic mistake was going with the time travel ending. Yeah the super kiss was lame but it had more punch than doing the reverse time thing AGAIN (Donner was going to try and figure out another ending but was let go before he got the chance) - There was more feeling/emotion and a sense of real sacrifice for Clark in the Lester version (with the kiss). Plus the end with the bully makes absolutely no sense now. Everyone has forgotten everything; the bad guys are back in the phantom zone. It's like it never happened (DUMB!) except the people in the diner remember (The owner mentions how much it cost him to fix the place after the last fight. Why say this when Clark enters, if he's never seen Clark before due to the reversal of time?). Clark punching a guy (the bully) who no longer recognizes him makes Kent the bully, which goes against Supes "Boy scout" character type. And doesn't teach the jerky guy a lesson as it did in the original. Time reversal also undoes everything that went before and weakens the dramatic force of the fortress being destroyed, the interaction between father and son, etc. because now, none of it happened. On the plus, along with the Brando scenes. They did tweek the FX (both sound and visual) and overall the story flows much better. The bit where Lois figures out Clark is Superman at the Daily Planet works better because of the chemistry and interplay between the two. And getting rid of the terrorist angle as a means to release the baddies from the Negative Zone is a plus. As is the fact that we lose the silly, "Superman logo/sticker" idiocy of the Lester cut. Other changes: Lois doesn't jump into Niagara Falls, there's an extra scene at the Hotel which was drawn from a screen test. Supes gets punched into the Statue of Liberty (The fight scenes seem tighter and tougher. Plus they cut out a lot of the sight gags that Lester had put in there as well). This version is great though it isn't perfect, and it's sad to think how good Superman II could have been if Warner's had allowed their director to finish what he started. Superman III Originally Reviewed on September 14th 2007 Speaking of stupid... Richard Lester began his career making broad English comedies, and it seems he can't help indulge in these roots as the 3rd Supes opens with some groan worthy slapstick. That kind of crap makes me wince; in fact the whole damn movie makes me wince in pain. Richard Pryor, in another role that wastes his talent, stars as a computer genius who aids an evil billionaire businessman played by Robert Vaughn. Along the way they expose Kent to some altered Kryptonite, laced with Tar. This super cigarette turns Supes into a bad guy, though he acts more like a naughty schoolboy. The entire premise is absurd, the way problems are solved are contrived and stupid as hell (he blows spilled oil back into a tanker, no water gets in the mix somehow? He rids his dark persona by splitting in two, and good Clark Kent strangles the stubble faced evil side until he disappears - And how did little Richie wander so far off? Supes flew like, forever, to save him. lol) I liked having Clark return to his Smallville roots and hooking up with Lana. But the idea never grows beyond the cartoony superficial level - and when two figures within a crosswalk sign start fighting one another - Lester might as well as popped on screen and flipped us the finger. That's how much respect he shows the Superman mythos and its fan base. This is why Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) strove so hard to treat his characters soberly and with reverence. Thank God for he and others like him. I do enjoy humor, I like how Sam Raimi used bigger than life comic book audacity in his Spiderman films. But even within that audacity there was respect and humanity. Superman III is pure camp, it sneers and mocks its character and the fans. It's amazing that the same man who balanced humor and reverence brilliantly in the classic, "A Hard Days Night", could be so out of touch with this character. Back to top of page Superman IV Originally Reviewed on September 2nd 2006 This is one of the worst superhero movie's ever (at least for an A-List production)! Director Sidney J. Furie should be ashamed of himself. Like Joel Schumacher with Batman he took a noble hero and made a mockery out of him. At least "Batman Forever" had some high production values - this mess is, at best... pedestrian. Back in the late 70s Superman featured state of the art FX for its time. He was an major hero given a major treatment. By the 4th sequel they take a major step backward - the FX are horrid! The flying scenes were so cheap they reminded me of another flyin' guy; and soon I was doing my Pee Wee Herman voice... "I'm flying! I'm the luckiest boy in the world" And a 3rd grader must have written the screenplay. It's trying to deliver a postive messsage but it is handled in such a simplistic manner -All the nations launch their missles into space, where Supes collects them in a net and tosses them into the sun! Why it's so clean and easy and by golly gee wiz, sooo painfully cornball and trite! GAAAA - by the time Supes repairs the wall of China with his heat vision I was near tears. I was never a fan of the guy, but a hero should never be treated so shabily. At least he got to fight a super powered costumed baddie (Nuclear Man). Who was very articulate by the way - "KILL SUPERMAN"- Yeeeeah. Hey at this point I'll hold onto any slim thread I can. -sigh- Superman Returns Originally Reviewed on September 9th 2007 Ignoring the 3rd and 4th films, Bryan Singer (X-Men) offers up the best, but still flawed film in this franchise. Placed 5 years after Superman 2; the man of steal returns to Earth after searching for survivors from his home planet. What he finds when he gets back is a bitter Lois Lane and a free Lex Luthor. The flaws come in the the first hour of the movie. Singer belabors each point, draws out scenes to the point where he bored me to tears. The scenes that shift back and forth from Lois Lane on a shuttle flight to Lex and gang placing a shard of Krypton crystal in water drag on and on. All right already, I get it. Cut to the chase. After this we get a rousing scene where Superman races off to save a crashing aircraft. I like how Supes causes a sonic boom as he flies, I like how he zips and spins and funnels around the craft quickly. I like how he strains to maintain control, because while he has the strength, the plane is coming apart in his very hands. It's fast paced, exciting and offers the promise of how good this movie can be. Then we get some long drawn out bits at the daily planet, and then later, at Lane's house (Lane now has a child and fiancé). Now, I enjoy character development and heartfelt emotions as much as anyone. But Singer lingers too long and these scenes become wordy in a way found only in a Soap Opera. Too drawn out to the point where it becomes numbing. Had these moments, and others like them, been tighten up, it would have improved the movie immeasurably. But when Singer tightens his belt and gets to the business at hand. Kal-El foiling Luthor's attempt to use Kryptons stolen crystals (laced with the deadly kryptonite) to create his own country (and thus obliterating America) the movie comes to life. Good stuff: The nostalgia and respect Singer has for the character. The little earthquake in the miniature train set mirrors the quake in the first film. A scene where Superman lifts a car comes from a classic comic book cover. And I dug seeing an original Lois Lane (Noel Neill, as the old rich woman) and Jimmy Olson (Jack Larson as the bartender) in the cast. Though there are creaky moments with the CGI and FX, I was generally pleased with how the hero was presented. As mythic, God like. I liked the way the camera moved when he flew. It really gave off the impression of his speed and maneuverability. And when that bullet strikes our hero's eye, it's one of the coolest moments in comic film history. Cast wise its hit and miss. Spacey is very good as Luthor, not as campy as the Hackman version, a little more nasty and dangerous. Parker Posey can get a bit annoying, but she also has moments where she shows true humor and even humanity (though she doesn't say anything, her eyes express her fear and concern over Lex's plan). Kate Bosworth though is a very dull Lois Lane, she simply has no charisma at all. And that brings us to the big red cheese himself: Brandon Routh isn't bad; he isn't great and can come off a little plastic at times. But there are times when he sold me. The look of heartache when he flies away from Lane's home, the scenes when he tell Lois "That he can hear everything" offers up some true poignancy and depth to the character. The look of pain and confusion when he is stabbed and beaten by Luthor and his thugs - all of this is convincing and performed well. Over all it's a too talky film that amps it up when Superman's in action. It eliminates a lot of the campy elements that made even the first two Superman films a little difficult for me to bear. Often excellent movie, though not in league with greatness (Spider-Man 2), I found it the most enjoyable film in the franchise (only the true Donner directed Supes II sans the 'turn back time' end could have surpassed it). The Batman/Superman Movie (Direct to DVD) Originally Reviewed on November 12th 2008 This is actually a couple of episodes from the animated TV series stitched together and sold via DVD as a feature length film. Clocking in at a mere 68 minutes, what it lacks in length it makes up for in action and intrigue. While super team-up books never were logical (how would superheroes find the time) they were rainy day fun and this take off on the World's Finest comic book is a blast. Not only do we get the first teaming of the Bruce Timm's Batman and Superman characters but also there's Lex and Joker as well as Mercy and Harley Quinn butting heads! The interaction between these duos is a delight. Joker is a laugh riot (I thought I was the only one who said "Holy Guacamole"? LMAO) and it's interesting to see how he plays off the more stoic Luthor. Bat and Supes start off confrontational before building a grudging respect. There's always been a nice dynamic between the two opposite personalities in the comics and they roll with that nicely in this animated version. Another interesting twist is in the relationship between Lois and... Bruce Wayne? Strange as it sounds the pairing works and provides another layer to the Wayne/Batman-Kent/Superman angle. They also did a great job with illustrating how very different Bruce is from his heroic counterpart. In scenes with Lois he's a whole different man in the cowl than he is out of it. Harley and Mercy add some spice to the brew. Quinn has always been a favorite and having her here makes the adventure all the sweeter. All in all, this disc was well worth the time and money spent. Still - as strong as the film is, the extras are weak. There's a quick montage of art that plays over music and scenes from the movie. There's a lame Joker game and a couple of bits where we see a sped up artist draw Bats and Supes (I'd rather you slow it down and explain the process of creating these two). A conversation with Timm was the only special feature that held any interest. Superman: Brainiac Attacks (Direct to DVD) Reviewed on February 11th 2009 Brainiac comes to Earth because he hungers for knowledge (since he doesn't want to share, he then blows up the planets he visits once he's drained all of its knowledge dry). Superman beats the brain but Lex Luthor rebuilds him as a giant killer, robot satellite, in a set-up to become Metropolises new hero (Uh, did he come up with that plan after Netflixing the Incredibles?). Okay, that's your story, now here's the bad news... Powers Boothe is terrible as Lex, in fact - Lex is terrible as Lex. Though we see him as Luthor the businessman he acts like Lex the criminal from the live action super-flicks - but with an extra, EXTRA layer of Hackman-like ham and cheese. In fact Luthor is gone baby, gone, into Joker territory. Though I've never liked Lex, Lex has never been so unlikable as he is in this movie. This is a horrible version of the bald megalomaniac and the only time the humor worked was when Superman comes back to save the day and the baddie gives a quick, Yay! Overall there's a lot of that loopy humor, I kept expecting to hear a drummers rim shot after every quip. The film is also rife with the trite (There's another Super-kiss. This time it saves Lois from Kryptonite poisoning) and there's a heavy dose of the illogical (Brainiac gets all excited about getting his hands on Krypton knowledge. But according to DC's Animated Wiki, Brainiac was the planetary-wide supercomputer of Krypton. He already has that knowledge) The movie was likely doomed from the start. Though the decent Curt Geda sits in the directors chair, Duane Capizzi (The Batman vs Dracula) is the guy holding the poisoned pen. Capizzi has shown the propensity to stink when it comes to dialog and to excel at creating gaping plot holes. So you know, by golly, he's just a super writer (sarcasm intended). Bruce Timm and his cohorts are nowhere in sight and maybe that was a money saving decision. "Brainiac Attacks" was done on the quick to cash in on the release of "Superman Returns". They use the same character designs from the animated series but it's completely out of whack from that continuity. The good? Animation isn't bad, cartoony but fluid and I liked the composition and depth. There's a nicely choreographed end battle - people line the streets so there's a palpable feeling of danger and the tension is increased because Lois is near death and Superman holds the cure. Voice wise - Dana Delany does a great Lois; she even handles the humorous aspects well. Lance Henricksen is a delight as Brainiac and Tim Daly is fair as Clark, better as Supes. It just too bad that the story is off the rails and hackneyed, the humor is excruciating and that Lex was possessed by the mad hatter - Ugh! Superman Doomsday (Direct to DVD) Originally Reviewed on May 26th 2008 I recently read a scathing review of the recent JLA movie in which the author suggests that adapting comic book stories seems to have shackled Bruce Timm's creative spirit. The critic might have a point since nothing Bruce has done recently (as producer or director) has matched the original storylines of the Batman movies. Still, to my mind Doomsday wasn't bad. It's very very fast paced and if you like epic battles this one features a couple of doozies. It shows its heart, especially with Lois Lane: After Doomsday kills Supes and she cradles his dead body, and even more effective is the scene when she shows up on ma Kent's doorstep. I felt the shift from the heartbreaking to the resurrection of Superman was a bit abrupt and the exposition with Lex where this was explained was a tad overdrawn and slowed the plot down. But then it quickly gets back to the action and finishes strong. I liked how the filmmakers approached the question of a Superman without boundaries. It was a little chilling to think of what it would be like to actually be afraid of your protector (God help you if you pissed him off). The voice work was all above board with Adam Baldwin (Firefly) solid as Supes. What I didn't like: The fortress of Solitude as a quasi Bat cave. Kal El with a bank of computers and a bloody robot pal didn't click with me. I also was not always fond of the artwork, especially in regards to Clark's features. It's a small annoyance, but an annoyance nevertheless - the high cheekbone line and jutting Cro-Magnon like chin bugged me. And, while I like my superhero movies to be mature, I was a little uncomfortable with Lex as a murderer or later when a villain kills a child (off screen). Doomsday doesn't match the Batman animated features I've reviewed, it's a little jagged around the edges. But for the most part it was an enjoyable nights viewing. Superman Batman: Public Enemies (Direct to DVD) Reviewed on September 30th 2009 Enemies is directed by Sam Liu, the man behind the weaker �Thor� segment in Marvel�s �Hulk Vs.� and is based on a popular Jeph Loeb comic story. I�m not a fan of Loeb�s and the hackneyed plot devices that mark this film do nothing to improve his reputation in my eyes. It starts off okay; the relationship between Supes and the Bat has always been prime material. But as the story goes, it gets sillier and stupider. Lex is elected President -a preposterous idea from page one � but he fixes the economy, convinces a bunch of Superheroes to work for him and soon we are thrust into a whirlwind of predictable and well-worn storylines about a meteor rushing towards Earth and Lex framing Supes for murder. There are lots of �fun for geeks� fights with friends and foes and it all culminates in a cheesy ending that is marred by sad sex jokes and an irritating Japanese teen who builds a giant robot rocket (that the Bat flies into the meteor). The disjointed finish throws logic out the window. Batman is presumed dead but Toyman tells Power Girl that there is still a chance� what that chance is, is never explained. (Bruce somehow survives an explosion that obliterates everything in sight?) Aside from that goofy rocket crap, the cookie cutter storyline is riddle with contrivances. The overdone idea of having your hero damned by a video needs to be put to rest. It�s ridiculous that a crime fighter would see that and unquestioningly take it at face value. We are never given a good reason why these heroes side with Lex over Superman. We get one scene where Lex�s lackeys �tell� us that the President is doing good, but the brief interaction we are given certainly doesn�t lay a foundation for trust between the capes and the notorious liar and scoundrel. Captain Atom�s always been a company man and following orders fits, Major Force is a dirt bag � but what about the rest? Katana and Starfire -plopped into the thick of the action- aren�t allowed a voice. Hawkman and Captain Marvel show up out of the blue and attack � why? What lead them to doing the bald baddies bidding? I did like the nice variety of superheroes. We�ve seen the big names in past productions, so having a Power Girl and Black Lightning around is nice. And yet, aside from P.G. most don�t do much of anything but fight, and fight and fight. It lacks the humor and fun of the Wolverine vs Hulk movie so while it looks cool to see all those heroes and villains square off; they are only colorful suits without personality. That�s fine for a video game, not so great for a film. On top of this the art is the weakest I�ve seen from DC direct to DVD line. It�s got some nice color and movement in action sequences, but I didn�t care for the piled on musculature, the way they rendered Amanda Waller is laughable, Supes is drawn too young and what was with Power Girl�s lemur eyes? With each passing minute, I kept wondering what they did with talented Lauren Montgomery (director and designer for the superb Wonder Woman & Green Lantern films, to name just 2). Her presence was sorely missed. They bring in many familiar voices. Conroy as Bruce Wayne, Tim Daley as Clark� both are outstanding; Fan favorite Clancy Brown does Lex. Brown has a decent sounding voice, but I don�t always care for his acting, his inflection is rather unnatural (the televised speech where he frames Clark was unconvincing and because of that I just couldn�t believe he�d ever be elected, let alone talk a legion of heroes to join him). The Superman/Batman dynamic was the only pleasure I derived from the movie. The random battles weren�t compelling material, the story trite and the uninventive end was a joke (I expected a more brilliant ploy from such a mind as Bruce�s). All told, Public Enemies was on par with the vanilla Marvel directed to DVD product. Supergirl Originally Reviewed on September 17th 2006 I've heard of them, movies that are so bad they're good? Well I think Supergirl qualifies. After popping on the tape (my video store didn't have a copy on DVD) I immediately wondered if someone slipped me a mickey? Because I was certain I was hallucinating. Supergirl opens on her home planet. Which is like some hippie commune. Peter O'Toole plays this Zen artist/inventor who will be the accidental destroyer of the world (like Mike). Unless Kara, played by Helen Slater, can fly to Earth and retrieve something called an Orgasmatron, or Origamidron or something of that nature? It's actually a little black ball with lights. Before Kara flies off though, we get to meet her mom. I only mention this because Mia Farrow, who gives a side splittingly bad performance, plays the part. And listening to her wrap her tongue around the hippie-speak with that New Yawk accent is delightfully hilarious. Anyway, the Omnigong winds up in the hands of a witch. That's right, a freakin witch! I don't know why. Faye Dunaway plays her and Brenda Vaccaro joins her as her henchwoman. Peter Cook is also there as a Professor who wants to get his hands on the spinning ball of doom. We briefly get to see Dunaway's followers, who are a strange collection of kooks. What were the screenwriters smoking? Kara arrives on Earth, knocks out Max Headroom and then enters school under the name Linda Danvers. Her dorm mate is none other than Lois Lanes sister. Co-winki-dink. After searching for the Ohmygodmatrod she finally comes face to face with the witch and a slow, none too exciting battle commences. Supergirl is a freak show no doubt about it. Helen Slater is about as expressive as Hugo the little wooden doll, but she looks good in the suit. And it's kind of cute watching her naive character try and learn Earth customs. I thought it was funny when she experiments with a bra and stuffs it. Perhaps it was a touch of intended irony, because Slater is not the most well endowed woman (no knock on her for that) and it's obvious they padded her super suit to make her look a little more top heavy. This movie hasn't been warmly received but you know what, I had fun with this flick. Call it a guilty pleasure or whatever but I liked it. And if you're fascinated by hallucinogenic train-wrecks as well, Supergirl should be right up your alley. Steel Originally Reviewed on September 2nd 2006 In the comics John Henry Irons fell from a construction site he was working on and was saved by Superman, who afterwords instructed him to "Live a life worth saving" - After Doomsday killed Supes, Irons emerged as the armored hero, Steel. The film version doesn't appear to exist in this Superman universe (there is no mention of the hero) even though it originally was suppose to be a spin off of a planned Superman/Doomsday film, which was never made. The story tells of a retired weapons designer (Shaquille O'Neal), who creates the Steel amour after he sees gangs are now using the weapons he once created. The main baddie Steel squares off against is the guy who is selling the gangs these weapons - Nathan Burke (Judd Nelson). "Steel" looks a lot like a made for TV movie, probably because it was directed by a made for TV director. Kenneth Johnson, who created the hit shows, "The 6 Million Dollar Man" and "The Incredible Hulk". The flick is rife with corny jokes and the dialog floats like a lead balloon. Annabeth Gish, who plays Steels wheelchair bound comrade in arms, is a decent enough actress as is Richard Roundtree as Uncle Joe - but Shaq, weeeelll, lets just say he's a slightly better actor than Anthony Cordoza (Sky Divers, Red Zone Cuba) and leave it at that. Though savaged by critics and reviled by many viewers, Steel isn't the worst superhero movie ever. It's weak, yes, but it has a good heart. There's a nice message about the bonds of family and community responsibility. The actors seem to like one another and have good chemistry together. So while it's no classic it's difficult for me to hate a movie as well meaning as this (and it certainly doesn't take as infantile an approach to its problem as Superman IV did). 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