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SUPERMAN RETURNS
Who can say that they don't have some little part of them that just loves Superman. Even if you're cynical and prefer darker themed heroes ( or no superheroes at all for that matter ). Come on, there's a part of us that loves the man of steel. There was a lot of room for this movie to go wrong, especially if you were a fan of the original. But I'm here to say that they could not have made this movie any better without resurrecting Christopher Reeve himself. The story follows the return of the man of steel after he's been away for 5 years seeking the remains of Krypton. But when he returns, he finds that some people don't welcome him so much. Namely his once love Lois Lane who appears to have moved on ( and had a son in the process ).
The casting was perfect. Kevin Spacey was a shining example of what Lex Luthor should be. Brandon Routh embodied both Clark Kent and Superman. And overall, Brian Singer made sufficient nods to the originals to let us know that he isn't stepping on anyone's turf, he's integrating with it. This IS a continuation, not a remake! From the opening credits with much of the original theme music and the flashy blue letters ( just like the original movies ), to the voice of Marlon Brando as Jor-El. Combine that with a world domination scheme, saving people big and small and lots of kryptonite, and you've got a hell of a Supes movie!
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN II: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
Leaving very little time for start-of-movie fluff, Pirates 2 offers immediate swashbuckling action. Captain Jack Sparrow is back, but he's being pursued by the spirit of Davy Jones to whom he now owes his soul. Of course William and Elizabeth get dragged into the whole thing ( it wouldn't be a sequel without all the signature characters now would it? ). All in all, it's a worthy follow-up. In true sequel fashion, it does not outdo its predecessor, but I think it's mostly because the novelty of it all is no longer there rather than it being an inferior film. Okay, the fishy people might be a little over the top and almost worthy of a Power Rangers movie, but at least they are pretty well done and not all rubbery or anything. If I have one major complaint about this movie it's that it feels TOO open ended. Okay, so we already know there is another sequel on the way, we know they're being filmed back to back. But did they need to make it feel like it's really a big Part Two split into two parts? Then again, someone pointed out to me that The Empire Strikes Back ended in a similar fashion . . . to that I say Touche . . . make up your own mind when you see it.
Stephane Morrell
Laurier CIM Group
MCSE,CCA
-Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
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