Category Archives: Superhero

LENS ME YOUR EARS — Episode 05: “Tech Will Destroy Us”

April 29, 2015 flawintheiris

With Avengers: Age of Ultron opening in cinemas later this week, and Ex Machina arriving May 8 (by most recent reports), Stephen Cooke and I thought it was worth going back to look at movies about our fear of technology. We talk Westworld, Jurassic Park, this summer's forthcoming Jurassic World (when I can remember the…Read More

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two (to date) review

April 14, 2015 flawintheiris

With the imminent arrival of Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1, I thought it was a good time to revisit the current collection of Marvel Studios movies. You can check out my thoughts on the first six, otherwise known as Phase One, here. Iron Man 3 (2013) Directed by Shane Black, written by Black and Drew…Read More

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One review

March 31, 2015 flawintheiris

This summer Phase Two of Marvel's cinematic universe will conclude with Avengers: Age of Ultron and Antman. It's the second part of an increasingly sprawling series of connected films. The first began back in May 2008 with Iron Man, bringing to the world a host of Marvel superheroes as a kid I never would have dreamed I'd get to…Read More

Second Screenings — and more on Birdman

February 1, 2015 flawintheiris

A couple days ago there was an interesting piece in the Guardian about whether critics should see movies more than once, and whether that was fair to viewers who, for the most part, are likely to only see a movie one time. You can go here to read it. I think of myself primarily as…Read More

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) review — Once more into the cowl, Michael Keaton

November 9, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, written by Innaritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo After I saw the movie I considered the career of Michael Keaton. I always respected the guy as both a talented comedic and dramatic actor—in movies like Night Shift, Beetlejuice and Clean and Sober. He has a compelling, combustive quality. There's nothing warm…Read More

Guardians of the Galaxy review

August 1, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by James Gunn, Written by Gunn and Nicole Perlman Looking at the predicted huge box office tallies for this first weekend in August, The Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't seem like the big gamble for Marvel Studios it must have been on paper. Consider that every movie they've done so far, with the possible…Read More

X-Men: Days Of Future Past review

May 25, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Bryan Singer, written by Simon Kinburg from a story by Kinburg, Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn I never really understood why 20th Century Fox chose to prematurely conclude the X-Men franchise. Fox officially called it quits as a trilogy, with Brent Ratner's limp X-Men: The Last Stand back in 2006. Yes, Singer's beneath-the-skin understanding…Read More

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 review

May 3, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Marc Webb Written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner and James Vanderbilt, adapting the Marvel comic created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko My friend Dave, who loves superhero movies, and I disagreed on this one, and I had to admit that maybe my enjoyment of it was at least partly the…Read More

Captain America: The Winter Soldier review

April 5, 2014 flawintheiris

For once, the marketing language about "the studio that brought you" is actually appropriate. Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Written by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, based on comics by Ed Brubaker, Joe Simon, and Jack Kirby Been really looking forward to this, the ninth superhero movie in Marvel's current world-dominating series—one Hulk, three…Read More

Thor: The Dark World review

November 11, 2013 flawintheiris

Directed by Alan Taylor | Screenplay by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely | Story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat | From the Marvel Comic by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby | 111 min | Netflix Hard to believe this is the eighth big-budget entertainment in this daisy-chain of Marvel movies,…Read More