DC/Dark Horse super hero movies

http://www.shvoong.com/entertainment/movies/2035647-batman-begins/
      The movie Batman Begins.  This showcases his beginnings.  From the death of his parents, to his search to understand the criminal mind.  During his search, he is approached by an emissary of the League of Shadows.  Once he proves himself, they take him in and teach him how to fight.  He has to face his fears, and control his anger.  But they part ways when they expect him to kill and help destroy Gotham. 
       He returns to Gotham, 'borrows' technology from his father's Applied Science area, and recreates himself as the superhero known as Batman.
        This is very gritty and real.  Batman may be a comic book character, but this movie was made as realistic to a crime drama as it could get.  His gadgets are based on real-life military technology, making it even more realistic. 
         I can't say as this is one of my favorite movies.  I don't like that much realism!  But it was exciting and caught your attention.  It paid attention to detail and kept you interested all the way through.  I can't fault it as a movie.  It's just too gritty for me.  I own it because it really is a very, very good movie.  I just like my comic book heroes to have a little more humor.  This Batman comes the closest to being true to the spirit of the comic.  The movie was as well written as anything out there.  I even have to admit, as far as plot and how it was done, it's better than my beloved Blade 2.  (Do you have any idea how much that hurts to admit??!!!)  I still prefer my Blade 2, because it has at least a tiny leavening of humor.  (A very tiny bit)


The Dark Knight
    The Batman versus the Joker.  This is not your usual Joker.  This one is very scary.  Heath Ledger did a fantastic job.  This Joker isn't the slightest bit funny.  He's brilliant, terrifying, ruthless.  I was shocked at how ruthless.  The character was so diabolical, plans within plans, always a Plan B or C, always a back-up, I was truthfully surprised to see Batman catch him.  Batman always seems to be playing catch up here.  He's always two steps behind the Joker's plans.  Even when he catches him, the Joker actually wins.  It's very much a cat and mouse game, with deadly stakes.  The Bat is all noble and incorruptible, but he really does lose where it counts here.  AKA Harvey Dent and Rachel. 
     This is the best superhero movie I've seen.  For sheer realism, no holds barred believability, it's awesome.  I really don't see how they can make a third movie that can even come close here.  There are no fantastic powers.  All the Bat's gadgets are based in reality, of what's used in warfare today.  His legendary status is a carefully built psychological trick.  (see Batman Begins for that explanation)  He himself is fallible, torn, and deeply wounded inside his heart by the end of this.  A definite must-see.

Hellboy
    He's big, he's red, he's going to bring about the end of the world.  Or so they say.  He doesn't much care.  He just likes to fight and the bad guys better watch out.  He has horns and is in love with Liz, a lady who has a temper and can control fire (move over Torchie!). 
     Rasputin is the one who brought Hellboy over from another dimension and he wants Red to bring about the apocalype.  Rasputin causes a lot of trouble, kills Red's father, and kidnaps Liz to try to force Hellboy to lose control and fulfill his destiny.
    I enjoyed this.  Ron Perlman is in his element here.  He's always been a favorite of mine, and Hellboy was perfect for him.  Red, or Hellboy, is irreverent, bad tempered (hey, aren't we all?), gruff, and a show-off.  The show might be grim, but Red just plows on through and his smart mouth comments really lighten the mood.  Even my husband likes this show.  If my daughter ever moves out, it will probably be a battle royal over who gets this one.  (I plan on winning.  She can get her own)

Hellboy II:The Golden Army
    The Prince of Elfland wants to rid the world of humans.  Can't really blame him.  They've taken over pretty much the whole planet and pushed the non-humans into hiding.  He plans of finding the crown that controls the Golden Army, an unstoppable mechanical army that will destroy the humans.  Prince Nuada kills his father and takes his piece of the crown, attacks an auction house and steals the second piece.  His sister Nuala has the third and she's not going to give it to him.
    Hellboy and the team find what's left of the auction house, and the people.  Abe Sapien figures out what happened to them, and who might be behind it.  When the team and their new leader go to the Troll Market to get answers, Abe meets Nuala.  They have similar powers and  learn a great deal about each other just by touching.  The team take her back to base.
    It's put together better than the first one, but Hellboy is more obnoxious in this one.  He's kind of annoying here.  Liz and Abe get more screen time, and that's a good thing.  Prince Nuada is none other than Luke Goss.  It's a similar role as in Blade 2.  He's a tormented son who's doing what he thinks is right.  But this role shows more of his acting talents.  I was very sympathetic to the Prince's torment.  He wasn't exactly in the wrong.  He did a lot of bad things, but you could understand why.  At least I could.  I liked the first movie better, but this one is much more haunting.  I wouldn't like it nearly as much without Prince Nuada.

The Spirit
2008
Denny Colt is the Spirit.  The Octopus is his nemesis.  Denny was shot and killed.  His coroner was Octopus himself.  Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) had been experimenting with creating an immortality drug.  Denny was his first success.  Once Denny came back to life, Octopus used it on himself.
    Now Octopus is trying to get the blood of Herakles, to turn himself into a God.  But Sand Saref (Eva Mendes) was after something else that was with it.  She loves bling, and the Golden Fleece is the ultimate bling.  She gets the wrong crate, with the Herakles' blood.  Now she and Octopus are quarrelling.
    The Spirit (Gabriel Macht) spends a LOT of time talking, to himself, to the camera, and to his city.  He also spends a lot of time chasing skirts.  Macht has a gorgeous body and a sexy spekaing voice, but I got real tired of it after awhile.  It's dreadfully campy, which isn't a bad thing by itself.  I love campy.  It just falls flat all around.  The humor is cute.  I loved Octopus' little creation: a tiny head on a foot.  But there were only glimpses of interesting things.  It was an ordeal getting through this.  Fast Forward was never so welcome!


Superman:The Movie
1978
The planet Krypton explodes.  Jor-El sends his son to Earth, to save him.  On Earth, the boy is taken in by Jonathan and Martha Kent and named Clark Kent.
    As an adult, he dons a cape and calls himself Superman.  His secret identity is a reporter.  That follows the comic pretty closely.
    I'm not a Superman fan, so I'm already prejudiced, but in the comic Lois Lane at least had a brain.  She was obnoxious, prone to trouble, and always had to be saved.   But she did have a brain. 
    When she's walking around with Clark Kent, supposedly training him, he gives away his super powers over and over.  She can't see it.  She's too busy being superior to the farm boy to accept he might be able to do something she can't.  It's annoying.
    When she does the interview with Superman, she lists everything he tells her.  Thereby making him vulnerable to Lex Luthor.  She didn't hold anything back, even though she's completely gone on him. 
    If you like Superman, you'll like this.  If you don't, it's a waste of time. 
Actors: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder

Superman II
1980
Three criminals from Krypton are freed from the Phantom Zone when Superman throws a hydrogen bomb into space.  They like the idea of taking over Earth, so they show up.  General Zod wants revenge on Jor-El for putting him in the Zone.
    Lex Luthor escapes from prison and searches for Supes Fortress.  He finds it and listens to the memory crystal.  Now he knows all about what Supes can and can't do.
    Meanwhile, Lois and Clark are doing a piece on Niagara Falls.  Lois finally figures out Clark disappears when Supes shows up.  So she sets out to prove her theory.  The results are disastrous, but funny.  She gives up on the idea, then by accident he shows his true self.  He takes Lois to his Fortress to tell her all about himself.
    He's in love wtih Lois, so he makes the decision to give up his powers.  The memory crystal from his father tells him how.  But when they return to civilization, they find the Krypton criminals have taken over the White House.
    Lex shows up and offers to help Zod find Jor-El's son.  They kidnap Lois, to draw Superman out.  Supes goes back to his Fortress and regains his powers. 
    There's the usual battle.  Whenever Zod gets what he wants, he orders Lex's death.  Then Lex comes up with something else Zod wants.  This scenario replays over and over.  Lex is supposed to be a genius, but he keeps helping Zod even though right after Zod orders him killed.  How many times does he have to get backstabbed before he stops trusting Zod? 
   The only good thing about this movie, to me, is Terence Stamp is in it.  Oh, Supes takes away Lois' memory so she doesn't know his secret identity anymore.
Actors: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Terence Stamp

Superman III
1983
Gus learns how to be a computer programmer.  He's able to make the computer do things his teacher says can't be done.  Then he realizes how much hidden money can be found in that computer.  He writes a program skimming pennies off every account.  He's still shocked when he gets an $85,000 check.  He was expecting $50. 
    He gets the attention of Ross Webster.  Webster has uses for his skills.  He wants Gus to hack into Vulcan, a weather controlling satellite.  Then to use it to destroy Columbia.  It works, until Superman steps in and saves Columbia.  Webster is angry. 
     His next plan is to get some kryptonite and kill Supes.  Gus uses Vulcan to find some.  It scans it and they make synthetic kryptonite.  Pretending to be a General, Gus gives Supes the fake kryptonite.  It doesn't affect him, at first.  Then he turns into Dark Superman.  He becomes like a normal person, being selfish.
     He gets worse and worse, until he finally splits into nasty Superman and goody Clark.  They fight and finally Clark wins and Supes is normal again.  Whoopee.
     There's a super computer that learns from experience, the Bad Superman, Clark's old flame Lana Lang, and fake kryptonite.  Nothing really special, unless you count Richard Pryor.  I wouldn't want to own this!
Actors: Christopher Reeve, Annette O'Toole, Robert Vaughn, Richard Pryor

Superman IV: Quest for Peace
1987
The Daily Planet is now owned by Mr. Warfield.  His daughter, Lacy, has the hots for Clark.  The world is in an arms race.  Lex escapes from prison and creates a Nuclear Man. 
    Mr. Warfield is a firm believer in sales.  Truth has no meaning, only sensationalism.  A boy writes Superman, through the Daily Planet, asking him to destroy all nuclear weapons to make the world safe.  Warfield sets up a press conference with the boy.  Supes shows up.  Boy says he wished Supes had said yes to destroying the weapons.  Warfield prints it as "Superman tells kid to drop dead!" 
    Lacy and Lois want to have a double date.  Lacy wants Clark, Lois wants Supes.  Only an idiot would agree to this, but Supes does.  So the entire date has Supes disappearing and reappearing as Clark.  Funny for about 3 seconds, then it's one long yawn.
    Superman is very depressed over not being able to stop the arms race (not supposed to interfere with history), Warfield's lying headlines, and life.  He needs someone to talk to.  So he tells Lois who he is.  Again.  They have a heartfelt talk, and then he makes her forget his secret identity.  Again.  Now that just struck me as supremely tacky.  Cause he needed  a shoulder to cry on. 
    Afterwards, he takes all the nuclear weapons and destroys them.  Luthor gets together with arms dealers and offers to dispose of Supes.  For a price.  Then he creates Nuclear Man by using Supes DNA as a base and the sun as the creation point.   Nuclear Man is born in the sun, comes back to Earth and orders Lex around.  Then he walks into shadow and shuts off like a light switch.
     There's the obligatory fight between the two super beings, and the damsel in distress that needs rescued.
    Lois is supposed to be such an intrepid reporter, but she's so helpless!  She's on a runaway train. Instead of trying to get to the conductor when she realizes it's out of control, she just stands there screaming "Help!"
    Nuclear Man really stretches the bounds of credibility.  I don't mind the sci-fi part.  But he comes out of the sun fully clothed?  What, he had clothing DNA too?  He'd never met a human, but he can speak English to Lex as soon as he lands?  The double date?  No man in his right mind would agree to that.  But he did.  I wouldn't waste my money on this.  I wish I hadn't rented it.
Actors: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Mariel Hemingway