Man Of Steel (2013) review

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: Hyperkinetic action, emotionally powerful, strong performances, flawless visual effects, rich in underlying themes of moral philosophy and choice, magnificent soundtrack.

The Bad: truncated plot that feels rushed.

3D Readiness: post production 3D conversion
IMax-ability: hyperkinetic action decreases imax enjoyability

******************************Review*****************************

 Said to be the second most recognisable symbol on the planet, Superman has for the longest time been a mainstay in comic books and animation across the globe. On the big screen however, he is a product of a cheesier time. Richard Donner created a magnificent fairy tale in 1978, Richard Lester showcased campy comedy (we will not speak of Sidney J Furie) and Bryan Singer gave a dramatic yet mellowed epilogue to Superman. Now Man Of Steel seeks to bring Superman out of the realm of fairy tales and into reality by looking at the man behind the symbol and what events in his life made him choose to become the much loved protector of mankind..  

That man is "Kal-El". Sent to earth as an infant from the doomed planet Krypton, young Kal grows up knowing only alienation and mistrust. His pillars of strength and guidance were his adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent who gave him the name "Clark". Wanting to spare their son a life of solitude, the Kents teach him to hide his powers for his own safety, afraid that if people found out about him, they would use him or fear him. Yet Clark feels he has a moral obligation to use his powers for the greater good.

One day tragedy strikes and Clark sets out on a journey of self-discovery, unearthing his alien heritage while performing selfless acts of heroism to those in need. Hot on his heels intrepid reporter Lois Lane, determined to track down the heroic super-stranger through urban legends and rumours. Just as she is about to solve her mystery, an alien vessel appears in Earth's orbit demanding that Earth surrenders Kal-El to it's commander General Zod. But there is more at stake and the world soon beholds an invasion force hell bent on genocide. The very survival of the human race rests on the tough choices Kal-El has to make.


Those coming expecting a "superman" movie are bound to be disappointed. There is a reason why the title is "MAN of Steel". It focuses on the humanity of Kal-El. "Superman" is the symbol, and we have no interest in such a symbol of perfection. Here is the story of Kal-El, with all his human imperfections, all his doubts, his inner conflicts of morality and choice. This is the tale of the man behind the symbol and in telling that tale, the production team makes Superman easy to relate to.

Childhood alienation for being "different", choosing to do what is right over what is necessary, to listen to dad or to disobey, being put in a hopeless situation where any choice would have dire consequences. All these are things people go through everyday, and here Kal-El runs the gamut of truly human experiences writ large.

What is immediately apparent in this movie, especially to those who had watched previous Superman films, is how the creators built upon feedback from fans. Previous movies were too talky and draggy, hence the absolutely brisk pace of this one. Previous movies had campy romance, a light hearted tone and cheesy plots, hence this one is dead serious, barely hints at romance and contains a deep story. Previous movies had feats of strength but disappointing action and no immediate physical equal to Superman, well this movie is just brimming with stunning action sequences and hyperpowered fights.

 The latter of course is the main draw for most action blockbuster fans here with Zack Snyder bringing his keen eye for comic book action to the forefront. Here, he eschews his usual slo-mo ramping and long pans for hyperkinetic handheld filming with almost no slow motion at all. The resulting battles reflect clashes between beings blessed with superhuman strength, speed and invulnerability, giving their all and pounding the crap out of one another.

Where Man of Steel truly shines however is not in its action but in the softer moments. The flashbacks where we see pivotal events in young Clark's past that affects the choices he makes in his present. The chemistry of the cast, particularly Henry Cavill as Kal-El, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent and Russel Crowe as Jor-El, cements the fathers/son relationship and makes for emotionally powerful moments. All this is set to the awe inspiring soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Explosive at times yet poignant and pensive, Zimmer's score reflects a man, a stranger, struggling with the weight of the world on his shoulders. At points, the score adopts a haunting and alien sound evoking Kal-El's kryptonian heritage.

For all it's worth, Man of Steel does feel a tad bit truncated. It feels like reading the study notes of classic literature instead of reading the story itself. Plot threads are opened and resolved in what feels like minutes. Clark Kent's journey of self discovery across the globe suddenly segues into his quest to uncover an ancient kryptonian vessel, then all of a sudden he is fighting Zod. Lois Lane spends all of 10 minutes obsessing about her mysterious savior. The way our narrative leaps from subplot to subplot feels like there was a lot more planned for this movie but was cut for time. It feels like watching the theatrical cut of Zack Snyder's Watchmen, only with the subsequent Director's cut and Ultimate cut was the full Watchmen story realised. 

But dig between the lines, and Man of Steel reveals itself to be a true thinker's movie. From the get go, we are faced with the question of nature vs nurture: does one's genetics determine one's course in life or is it one's upbringing? The moral ups and downs of eugenics leads into larger musings on moral philosophy: does the ends justify the means? Can survival of one come at the cost of another's life? And finally, the all famous "free choice vs pre-determinism" question seen in the Kal-El/Zod dichotomy

So is Man of Steel a good movie? Definitely. It is solid entertainment, it takes its comic book roots seriously instead of turning it into a comedy like what Marvel does, it ramps up the action yet finds the time to rope in some deep thinking themes. It's brisk pace still manages to develop its characters in a refreshingly concise manner, never dragging it's time. Is it a good "Superman" movie? highly questionable. It is not a "Superman" movie per se. Ultimately, one must remember that this is not a movie about the symbol of "truth justice and the american way" that is Superman. This is a brilliant story about a man. A man with the powers of a god, but ultimately still a man with all the trappings of his humanity. A man out to discover himself and his purpose in this world.

*****************************Review End***************************

Entertainment: A

Story: B
Acting: A-

Characters: A

Music: A-

Replay value: A-

"Brains": A-

Superman Unbound (2013) direct-to-dvd animated movie

Overall verdict: 8/10

The Good: Seamless animation, witty script, natural voice performances, fitting humour, clever themes, nostalgic yet modern soundtrack, thrilling action, good pacing.

The Bad: Some character design issues, obvious artwork mistakes. 

3D Readiness: none

******************************Review*****************************

Kal-El aka Superman has spent a lifetime defending his adopted homeworld of Earth. For years, he had thought of himself as the last son of Krypton. Only his fortress of solitude and his cousin Supergirl serves as a reminder of the world Superman was born on. But now, Superman will be faced with a dark figure from his planet's past. What seems like another typical day of foiling heavily armed kidnappers turns into a fight for Earth's survival as a dangerous robot probe from outer space is identified as a drone of "Brainiac". Brainiac, as Supergirl recalls, was responsible for the disappearance of Krypton's capital city, Kandor, along with Supergirl's parents. Superman leaves to confront Brainiac while Supergirl dishes out her own brand of justice on earth.

What follows is possibly the most epic of all Superman battles ever put to screen. We have Superman taking on hordes of advanced machines strong enough to hurt the man of steel. We have Superman facing down the cybernetic enhanced Brainiac who is smarter, faster and more powerful that he is. The movie earns its PG-13 rating with blood and violence. After all, Brainiac seeks to hoard all knowledge in the universe. What better repository of knowledge than the brains of living creatures?

 Ouch!
The conflict against Brainiac truly pushes Superman to his physical limits. Staggering action, epic in scale, is beautifully animated by Moi Animation who bring graceful fluidity to the movements of the characters.They manage to blend the 3D CGI vehicles seamlessly with the traditional 2D characters while giving everything a slightly more "japanese anime" touch.


Our characters are, once again, voiced by a wholly different cast as is the case for each DC animated movie production. What stands out is how witty the humor is in the script. The humor works and it fits perfectly without feeling forced. Delivering a near perfect performance are the voice cast directed by the impeccable Andrea Romano. Special mention goes to John Noble as brainiac, Stana Katic as a very Margot Kidder-ish Lois Lane and Matt Bomer as Superman/Clark Kent. Bomer especially takes great pains to have different accents when playing the dual personality of Superman and Kent, helping to highlight Kent's Kansas upbringing. The story devotes a good amount of time in developing the relationships Superman has with Lois and Supergirl, which in the end makes for a very human look at the Man of Steel.

 

Central to our narrative is the theme of one being protecting others to thr point of intruding into and controlling their personal lives. The way Superman is constantly looking over Lois' shoulder even in peacetime, the way Supergirl intervenes in international conflicts, how are they different from the way Brainiac keeps his captured subjects in line by policing their actions under the excuse of protecting them? That parallel is drawn more than once, along with the constant question of whether Superman's loyalties lie with Earth or other Krypton survivors.

 For all its good points, Superman Unbound is one of the more visually inconsistent DC animated projects to date. The character designs are angular, somewhat skinny and rather similar to the designs seen in 2005's "The Batman" Tv series. It does take some getting used to, particularly for those who did like Gary Frank's art in the original "Superman: brainiac" graphic novel. The least they could do was to keep the art consistent though. Just take a good look at Superman's chest-to-head size ratio which expands and shrinks from scene to scene.

Then you have some obvious animation mistakes that just look weird, especially this one scene where Superman seems to have a hilariously long arm,

or this one scene where Brainiac looks bloated.

The level of detail in the artwork is good for the most part, with metallic reflections in metal surfaces on the robots, folds in Superman's costume and cape and a good light/darkness contrast in the colours. But then you have a good number of scenes where the level of detail drops to the level of a low budget TV series.

Oh and remember that bit about trying to give the show a more "japanese anime" touch? You have scenes just like japanese anime; a still frame with minimal motion tween movements, complete with exaggerated anatomy, weird angles and action lines.

If one can look past some of the visual shortcomings, there is much to enjoy about this animated film. The music by newcomer Kevin Kliesch takes cues from both Hans Zimmer and classic Jerry Goldsmith while still paying due respects to the timeless John Williams style. The way Clark Kent and Lois Lane play off each other is cutely reminiscent of the Christopher Reeves Superman movies, and the humor is truly funny without being corny. Overall, this would have been truly awesome in live action. Hopefully July 2013's "Man of Steel" would be able to top this in all aspects of storytelling and characterisation. 

*****************************Review End***************************

Entertainment: A-

Story: A

Characters: A

Animation: A-

Art: B-

Music: B+

Voice work (english): A

Replay Value: A-

"Brains": B

Before you watch MAN OF STEEL: Superman's Origin retold

Man of Steel is Dc comics latest reintroduction of the Superman character into main stream blockbuster cinema. It is a retelling of superman's origin with elements from the Christopher reeves movies all set against a more realistic world not unlike our own.
The origin of the world's most iconic superhero has been retold countless times since its debut in "Action Comics" seen below

 

This classic origin story can be easily read through the "Superman Chronicles" trade paperback available at KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE

Now before going into this movie, here are my top 5 highly recommended readings which offer different reboots on the origins of the man of steel..

5) Superman (new 52) issue zero

Available from "Comics world singapore"  

Setting up the plot for Superman's place in DC's "New 52" comic universe, Superman #0 takes us back to his home planet of Krypton and the events that led to it's ultimate destruction. The main characters however are not Superman himself but his Kryptonian parents. It is an intriguing tale that is both familiar yet fresh: Jor-El discovers that the planet Krypton is doomed to destruction. Only this time, it's destruction seems to be artificially engineered. He and his wife Lara are roped into a conspiracy involving a doomsday cult that believe the destruction will benefit the greater good of the universe. What is cool about this is how much of Kal-El (Superman) we get to see in his biological parents; Jor-El's dedication to truth and sharp mind, Lara's warrior background and selfless heroism. A far cry indeed from the white haired sage made famous by Marlon Brando in the Christopher Reeves movie. Krypton itself is portrayed as a truly dangerous planet with unknown creatures lurking in its depths but with it's human-like inhabitants living in a teeming scifi technopolis no doubt inspired by Bruce Timm's "Superman The Animated Series".
With only 1 issue worth of 22 pages, the story is short and sweet and feels like the start of something greater. An awesome jumping-on point for those willing to get into the DC comic books.Not only that, the new MAN OF STEEL movie is directly inspired by the New 52 Superman as seen in the appearance of his costume.

4) Superman Man of Steel vol 1 by John Byrne

Available from Kinokuniya bookstore

Written and illustrated by John Byrne; Cover by Jerry Ordway A stunning tale of heroics and history, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL VOL. 1 magnificently retells and reinvents the origin and early adventures of the Man of Steel. In this fastpaced, revelatory book, Superman begins his ascension to iconic hero as he leaves Smallville and becomes Metropolis's revered protector and guardian. Featuring the Man of Steel's legendary first encounters with Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Batman, this amazing book also includes a deadly battle with Bizarro, a fateful encounter with Lana Lang, and Superman's astonishing discovery of his Kryptonian heritage.

The planet Krypton is portrayed as a cold and emotionally sterile planet, an idea Byrne borrowed from the 1978 film Superman. Kal-El was not an infant sent from Krypton to Earth, rather, his fetus was placed in a "birthing matrix" equipped with a rocket engine and Jor-El's experimental warp drive, with Kal-El gestating during the trip to Earth. Once the rocket landed, Kal-El was fully "born" on Earth.

Other changes to familiar Superman mythology include the fact that Superman invincibility comes from an invisible "aura" generated by his body that surrounds him like the human bioelectric field. Objects held close to him, such as his costume, were protected from harm; his cape, meanwhile, could easily sustain damage in battle. The Superman S-shield is an original design by Clark and Jonathan and not a kryptonian symbol.
If you can get over the older style of colouring, the artwork is a real treat and the story proves itself why this version of superman's origin endured for years until........

3) Superman Birthright

Available from Kinokuniya bookstore

Written by Mark Waid Art and cover by Leinil Yu & Gerry Alanguilan A new softcover edition collecting the 12-issue miniseries that features the entire modern-day retelling of Superman by writer Mark Waid and artists Leinil FrancisYu and Gerry Alanguilan. 

Essentially, this is Superman's comic book origin updated for the 21st century reader. He does not discover his budding powers as a kid in smallville but discovers them in the middle of an African warzone where he was stationed as a freelance reporter. After that he goes back to Smallville and confronts Jonathan and Martha Kent about his alien heritage. The "S" symbol here signifies "hope" in Kryptonian, something the Man of Steel movie seems to have adopted. This also strongly establishes the Superman/Lex Luthor rivalry as something truly personal. 

Here, Superman's powers are elaborated upon, his range of vision spans beyond the wave spectrum and he can seemingly see the bio-electric force in each creature. It is a beautiful story of one man balancing who is was raised to be and who he was born to be. The setting is still fully a comic book world with robot helicopters and science fiction technology, but the way the characters are written is no less grounded in reality.

Although the artwork is a little rough in places, once you get used to it, Superman Birthright is a true classic not to be missed

2) Superman Secret Origin

Available from Kinokuniya bookstore 

The superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank redefine the origin of Superman for the 21st century incorporating as many elements from past storylines as possible. This explosive story spells out the definitive origin of Superman, chronicling Clark Kent’s journey from the cornfields of Smallville to the skyscrapers of Metropolis. Witness a whole new look at the beginnings of Lex Luthor, The Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metallo, Jimmy Olsen, The Parasite and more of your favorite characters from the Superman family. It’s a look at the mythic past of the Man of Steel with an eye toward the future.

The reason for this was to rectify numerous inconsistencies between modern stories and the convoluted ongoing storyline (superman had been in publication since 1940s). So basically, it is saying that everything that was ever published, did happen. The story embraces all the different eras of superman from the silver age onward.
For instance, Clark Kent not only discovers his budding powers as a kid in smallville, but goes on to have adventures as Superboy with the Legion of Superheroes. And yes, he did meet Lex Luthor as a kid. This is one unique thing about this story in that we are presented with parallel tales of how Clark Kent and Luthor grew up and the events in their lives that shaped who they turned out to be. Growing up with the main hero and the main villian lends a more personal touch to their relationship than the other origin stories. This personal touch also translate to Superman's relationships with those around him.
The feel of Superman: Secret Origin is 100% comic book fantasy. It does not try to be gritty or realistic. The art is beautifully rendered by Gary Frank who patterns his Superman after Christopher Reeves.

Paperback version also available

1) Superman Earth One

Available from Kinokuniya bookstore 

What if Kal-El crashed on our earth of today? What if he had to grow up in our world, our reality: a world that has weathered 9/11 and the threat of terrorism, a world of the cynical, a world where newspapers dedicated to truth are dying and being replaced by gossip tabloids. This is Superman, not just revamped for the modern reader, but revamped to take place in our own 21st century. From the get go, Superman Earth One sets up a journey of a boy coming to terms with his own identity and his path in life. It answers many questions that modern readers usually ask about Superman. For example, if Clark Kent were so smart, so strong etc, why not become a sports star? Why did he dedicate his life to journalism?
Well superman Earth One gives a marvellous answer to that.
Also unlike previous takes ont he origin which show Clark Kent becoming superman, here we have the journey of Superman becoming Clark Kent. What drives him to defend a planet that he was not even born on? Why pose as a loser like Clark Kent? Furthermore, we get to see a more realistic reaction from the world of the comic when it is revealed that there is alien life in the universe. The government steps in, scientists and men in suits step in.........
Confused? Curious? Revealing more about this most excellent graphic novel would reveal the best parts of the plot. What Superman Earth One works best is as a character drama revealing the intentions behind Superman's actions and the reason he is who is chooses to be.
These themes are definitely familiar as they are the main focus themes of MAN OF STEEL.

Paperback version also available

And there you have it. Five essential readings for one to familiarise with Superman.

Enjoy

Iron Man: Rise of Technovore (2013) anime movie

Overall verdict: 6/10

The Good: Spectacular Mech combat, top notch animation, perfect blending of CGI and traditional animation, seems to be a follow up from the Iron Man live action movies

The Bad: inconsistent artwork, generic music, story feels "typical", flat characterisation, illogical courses of action taken by main characters, hints at deeper themes but never elaborates

3D Readiness: None

******************************Review*****************************
 To coincide with the release of IRON MAN 3 in cinemas, Marvel has returned to direct-to-video animation with Iron Man: Rise of Technovore. Yes, everything rises. Machines rise, Apes rise, Guardians rise, prices rise; too bads story standards have not. Iron Man Rise of Technovore has more cliches in it than its title, showcasing all that is good and bad about modern japanese anime.

 

 Our story seemingly takes place within the Marvel Cinematic universe. The characters look like their live action movie counterparts, and there are references to events in the live action movies. We start off with Tony Stark about to launch a "Big brother" surveillance satellite that will be able to track all criminal activity worldwide. Ooh, intriguing! What are the moral implications for such a move? Will a crime free world justify the loss of privacy? Well, we never touch on these instead moving into an attack by mobile suits piloted by the silly named "Raiders" intending to stop the launch. How original. Iron Man tries to save the day but encounters a nubile teenage boy clad in weird nano-techno-organic armour far more advanced than Iron Man's. Lives are lost, and since Stark is the only survivor, he is taken in by SHIELD for questioning.

Now here is where things stop making sense. Instead of hearing Nick Fury out and joining forces to stop this new threat christened "The Technovore", Iron Man bails out on SHIELD and stupidly makes himself a wanted man. Now with SHIELD agents Hawkeye and Black Widow on his tail, Iron Man has to find a way to defeat this Technovore despite being outclassed in every way possible.

True to modern anime, this movie favours flair, extravagance and all round coolness over narrative, pacing and the usual things that matter. Take a leading japanese anime studio, give them an American sized budget and technological backing and Iron Man Rise of Technovore is the end result. It looks marvellous! The CGI (computer generated images) are blended seamlessly with the traditional animation, action is fast paced and in-your-face, character movements are smooth while still keeping an insane level of art detail. Overall, the show is a real thrill with wicked aerial combat and state of the art tech.

For fans of anime, this is truly a visual treat. There are numerous little shout outs to other anime shows, most notably gundam.

Yet like most modern anime, the visuals are about the only thing good going for it. As stated earlier, the story makes little sense. Stark could have saved himself a lot of trouble with SHIELD if he just stopped for a bit and listened. But no. Our character of Stark is a one trick edotistical pony, dead set on having things his way. The other characters also come across as flat personalities, more typical anime fodder for fanservice than actual contributors to the story. We even have your typical angst ridden teen out to "remake the world". All in all, the story bears a lot of similar elements to Steins;Gate and Texhnolyze, 2 other anime series directed by Technovore director Hiroshi Hamasaki.

The script is a hodge podge of, again,  anime chiches. Thankfully, the voice cast do great job of becoming their characters, both english and japanese cast. They bring their best performance to the roles, especially Keiji Fujiwara and Matthew Mercer as Tony Stark. This is not Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, which is refreshing; you do not have any of the corny humor that plagues the live action movies. Instead you have a Tony Stark that is not as comedic as the movies but still as snarky; more like in the comics.

On a whole, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore is merely superficial entertainment. There is no way anyone can be emotionally invested in any of the characters thanks to the cliche ridden script and story. Character relationships are simplistic to the point when death of characters become a mere passing moment. He's dead, on with the story. Pacing is too slow in many places to the point where it gets boring. Oh and the Punisher gets shoehorned in for absolutely little reason.

Pretty graphics and good acting cannot save an otherwise unimpressive, uninspired, and mediocre anime movie. At best, this is an extremely long showcase of studio Madhouse's animation capabilities when given the right backing. The "Invincible Iron Man" animated movie from 2007 is still a better animated feature than this.

*****************************Review End***************************

Go For it: if you like typical science fiction anime, mecha and good graphics

Avoid it: if you want anything deeper than a showcase to showoff MadHouse's animation capabilities

Entertainment: B+

Story: B

Characters: C-

Animation: A

Art: B

Music: C+

Voice work (english): A-
Voice work (japanese): A-

Replay Value: B

"Brains": C-

Iron Man 3 (2013) movie review

Overall verdict: 6.5/10

The Good: Tony Stark gets to shine without his armor, awesome action set pieces and combat, tightly paced, political underlying themes, Robert Downey Jr's performance, rousing heroic soundtrack by Brian Tyler, a fitting conclusion to the trilogy

The Bad: An insulting "twist" to a much loved Iron Man comic book adversary, convoluted plot, badly timed comedy, wasting good subject matter.

3D status: Post production 3D conversion

******************************Review*****************************

Marvel has dug themselves in deep with Avengers. Woe to any other family friendly superhero blockbuster to ever come out as it will forever be held against the standard set by Avengers. Woe to Iron Man 3, which not only stacks up badly against Marvel's prior superhero film but falls victim to sequel degeneration.

Our story takes place after the events of The Avengers and Tony Stark is having anxiety attacks after his near death experience in New York city fighting off an alien invasion. At the same time, he is trying to be a good boyfriend to Pepper Potts in order to "protect the one he loves". But in comes an old rival Alderich Killian who either wants to seduce Pepper with his snakelike suaveness or just loves acting like the bad guy he is. Meanwhile, the terrorist leader "The Mandarin" has launched a slew of attacks around the world in order to teach America "a lesson". Quite a heavy start to the movie. Until, that is, one particular Mandarin attack hits close to home, putting previous Iron Man director Jon Freveau into a coma (hence perhaps why Shane Black took his job). Tony is furious and in his ego fueled anger does the stupidest thing in all superhero history: he gives his address on public television! As expected, villains attack his house and kidnap his girlfriend. So much for wanting to "protect the one he loves". Tony is forced to go into hiding and fight back, without the help of his high tech armor, against genetically enhanced foes with melting magma powers.

Here is the only genius move this film makes: letting Tony Stark kick ass without his high tech armor. The hero known as iron man is not the armor, but he is the man inside. Tony Stark is iron man and no one else can be him. With only his wits, ingenious mind and resourcefulness, Tony proves himself a true hero. However, these moments are handled less like character development and more like another "tony is awesome"sequence. Stark still has the same jerk ass attitude from previous films, still has his planet sized ego; it seems that all that has happened to him since he first chose to become Iron Man had not changed him at all.

What did change was all the elements taken from the original comic books. The human bombs from Matt Fraction's Invincible iron man series have been haphazardly combined with Warren Ellis' Extremis concept. The end result is not the "next stage of augmented human evolution" as per the comics but quite literally "melter people". Yes there is an iron man villain called The Melter whose powers is to melt things. Not sticking to the source material is fine, but blatantly poking fun and insulting the source material is a totally different matter. Case in point: the mandarin.

Simply put, the mandarin is meant to be Iron Man's dark opposite: mysticism against might, Supernatural against science. If Tony Stark were Batman, the Mandarin is his Joker. But Shane Black and pals took that character to the crap pile. Instead of being the analogy for the nature of modern terrorism as promotional material for the film claimed, the Mandarin is revealed as a complete joke. First, they ripoff the "big reveal" from Batman Begin's Ras Al Ghul. Then, like some kid's lousy April Fools prank they spit on the very character of the Mandarin turning him from the Monarch of Mayhem into the dysfunctional love child of Austin Powers and Mr Bean.

With all its special effects flair and big budget action pieces, Iron Man 3 cannot decide whether to take its subject matter seriously or not. Just as they are going into some good politics or philosophy, we cut to another comedy act for cheap laughs courtesy of Robert Downey jr. His acting is great, everyone's is. But the way it is handled breaks the tone of the movie. You have a film with unlimited potential for surfacing some serious political and philosophical subject matter. You have a film that could show a flawed character coming full circle with his heroes' journey. You have a film.......that does nothing of that sort and is perfectly content with being a comedy ridden summer blockbuster complete with an irritating kid sidekick for Iron Man.

Lesson: If you want to tackle serious subject matter, make a serious film and take the villain seriously. Iron Man 3 reeks of unoriginality, drawing many elements from The Dark Knight trilogy: hero loses everything and goes into exile, hero faces an adversary who turns out to nothing but a "front" for a more sinister bad guy, hero is trying to be a good boyfriend but endangers his loved one, hero is forced to rely on his wits alone without fancy gadgets, hero wipes the slate clean in the end and starts anew. Familiar? Of course it is. No doubt the casual movie goer will be drawn in with spectacular fight sequences, big budget special effects and Robert Downey Jr's charisma. Oh and obviously by good "word of mouth" from the success of The Avengers.  to No doubt Iron Man 3 will be a big hit by riding on the success of The Avengers. And at very least, it paints a successful trilogy whose first film gave birth to Marvel's cinematic universe. 

*****************************Review End***************************

Go For it: if you like big action and comedy or if you had been a fan of iron man since the start

Avoid it: if you expect a credible villain, deep political satire or a movie that is just as good as The Avengers

Entertainment: B-

Story: B-
Acting: A

Characters: B

Music: B+

Replay value: B-

"Brains": C-

The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 (2013) Direct to DVD animated movie

Overall verdict: 8.5/10

The Good: Faithful to the source, elaborates and expands on the original comic book, superb animation and artwork, talented voice cast,

The Bad: replacing the original muted colors with a more generic animation color style, dips in animation near the end

Current Availability Status: On DVD and Blu Ray

******************************Review*****************************

The animated adaptation of Frank Miller's epic classic Batman tale concludes in "The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2". Whatever made part one great makes this one just as enjoyable. The producers continue their policy of adapting 100% the critically acclaimed graphic novel while expanding on story elements that could not have been expanded upon due to a lack of space in the original 4 issues worth of comics.

Spurred on by Batman's actions in the first part, The Joker uses a clever ruse to return to crime and senseless murder. As Batman attempts to bring the increasingly chaotic city under control, numerous forces are out to get him. The Joker wants to bait him into the ultimate showdown, the Cops under a new commissioner want to arrest him, the United States Government wants to end him. All the while, a war is brewing that would tear the country apart. Driven to the brink, Batman does the unthinkable and the government brings in a red and blue secret weapon who is faster than a speeding bullet.

Easily the most powerful conclusion and the finest animated production from Warner Premiere, the whole thing looks superb. Animation is of the highest quality, rivalling that of big budget anime movies. Fight scenes are in full motion, bristling with a kinetic sense of energy and without a single short cut. All of it set to a unique score by composer Christopher Drake which combines blockbuster orchestral tunes with a futuristic noir inspired synthesizer sounds. Again, the main complaint is more with the art than the animation. Frank Miller's art is faithfully replicated but in certain scenes, the quality of the art takes a nose dive. One such scene involves superman taking on a naval fleet; the way the ships are drawn look pathetically cheap compared to the rest of the movie.

And the final fight between Superman and Batman has some laughable dips in quality too. 

Telling a story in a new medium would warrant some tweaks. For example, Fans would remember that the comic featured walls of text to give exposition and explanation. In animation, the story is expanded enough so that said exposition is not necessary. Events flow naturally into each other and scenes that were slightly confusing to the casual reader makes perfect sense: scenes like Joker's final moments, the war with the Russians, why Gotham is suddenly snowing when it was a heat wave in the first movie etc. Just one of the examples of how this movie expands and improves on the original. The only thing lacking is that Frank Miller littered his narrative with characters' inner monologues. These give us an insight into the thoughts and personality of the characters; these are also, sadly, missing. And with it goes that insight that audience could have been given.

The voice cast are just as top notch as the previous installment. Michael Emerson's Joker is oozing with a certain homoerotic creepiness, quipping in a psychotic slur. Just listen to his dialogue during his climatic hand to hand showdown with Batman, it is almost traumatising. On the downside, Peter Weller seems to gave grown a little bored of the role as Batman. His deep baritone becomes almost monotone and his inflection is.....all wrong. Just listen to that half hearted "I Am the Law" speech he gives to the ex-mutant gang. Yes the script is the same as the book, but the delivery is below expectations.

Yet with its strict adherence to the source material, this animated movie also carries over the flaws of the source material. A good number of going-ons require some suspension of disbelief. Like how does Joker get his hands on lip stick that can mind control people? How does someone make near sentient robot dolls that spew poison gas and flies and has the strength of Superman? Oh well.....

It can be said that Dark Knight Returns, when both parts are viewed as one whole movie, is a true animated epic worthy of some awards. Perhaps the slight dip in some animation quality was due to the fact that they were producing Part 2 concurrently with the "Superman Unbound" animated feature. Nevertheless, this is a solid animated feature with good production values. DC and Warner Premiere keeps topping themselves, and the next animated feature will be hard pressed to keep this level of quality. The Dark Knight Returns duology is a must watch for any comic book fan.

*****************************Review End***************************

Go For it: if you loved part 1

Avoid it: if Frank Miller's squarish, squat and musclebound art puts you off

Entertainment: A
Story: A-
Characters: A-
Animation: A
Art: B+
Music: A-
Voice work:A-
Replay Value: A
"Brains": B+