JUSTICE LEAGUE

The heroes of the Justice League

JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017). Director: Zack Snyder.

A demonic figure named Steppenwolf (Claran Hinds) sends monstrous para-demons to Earth in order to claim three "mother boxes" (sort of an alien computer) secreted in Atlantis, on Paradise Island, and somewhere among ordinary humans. When the three boxes are connected, it could signal the end of mankind. Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) gather together other heroes to combat this menace: a teenage super-speedster, the Flash (Ezra Miller of We Need to Talk About Kevin); Aquaman (Jason Momoa), who is more at home under the ocean; and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), who is mostly mechanical. The team (never really referred to as the "Justice League") use one of the Mother Boxes to resuscitate Superman (Henry Cavill), who was killed at the end of Batman V Superman. One of the best scenes in the movie features the battle between a confused, newly awakened Man of Steel with the other heroes as they try to get through to him in his confused and hostile state. While Justice League is an improvement over Batman V Superman, it's still disappointing considering the talent involved and all the hard work and fine FX that went into the production. While there is some excitement and suspense to the action sequences, they still often look like confused and cluttered video games. There is an admirable attempt to add some flesh and blood to these heroic and colorful characters, not only by the screenwriters but by the actors who play them; Affleck and Gadot are especially notable, and Jeremy Irons makes an excellent Alfred, Batman's butler and aide-de-camp. It is also strange that the minor character of Steppenwolf should have been chosen as the primary antagonist when his nephew Darkseid would have been a much better choice. Many of the concepts in the film are based on ideas by writer-artist Jack Kirby, who created the "Fourth World" mythos that is referenced in the movie. Changes from comics to film are numerous: Barry Allen was not a teen when he became the Flash and the business with his father being in jail for murdering his mother was carried over from the TV series. Aquaman was brusque, bearded and long-haired only for a brief period in the comics. Lois Lane and Ma Kent are nearly unrecognizable. For more about the comic books see The Silver Age of Comics.

Verdict: Now that the characters and the team have been introduced, perhaps the sequel will be a more memorable movie, although this has its moments. **3/4.

FANTASTIC FOUR

Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch and the Thing

FANTASTIC FOUR (aka Fantastic 4/2005). Director: Tim Story.

Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd of Sanctum), his ex-girlfriend Susan Storm (Jessica Alba), her brother Johnny (Chris Evans of Captain America: The First Avenger), and buddy Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) all participate in a space experiment with college acquaintance and scientist Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). Unfortunately things go a little awry and they all wind up with strange, super-human powers. Sue can become invisible and create force fields. Johnny becomes a flying, blazing Human Torch. Reed can stretch any part of his body like a latter day Plastic Man; and Ben turns into a lump of orange rocks with incredible super-strength. Together they become known as the Fantastic Four and save the city when Von Doom [aka "Dr. Doom"] mutates into a metallic maniac and goes on the rampage. Despite some changes to their origin, this often captures the feel of the old Stan Lee-Jack Kirby Fantastic Four comic books of the silver age. There's a generous amount of humor, but it generally comes from the situations and isn't forced, as well as some pathos concerning the situation of "the Thing," as Ben becomes known, who loses his sweetheart when she can't deal with his ugliness. The movie presents the inter-relationships of the foursome along the lines of the comic, with a callow, often insensitive Torch goading the Thing into destructive rages, and so on. All five of the actors, including McMahon, while they may not at first seem like perfect casting, do a fine job bringing these super-heroes to life. Alba received a lot of knocks, but she has authority and gives a perfectly good performance. The only problem with the movie is that the climax is rather short. For more information on the Fantastic Four comic see The Silver Age of Comics.

Verdict: Fun Marvel Comic Book Movie. ***.

TALES TO ASTONISH

TALES TO ASTONISH: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution. Ronin Ro. Bloomsbury; 2004.

NOTE: As previously noted, Great Old Movies will occasionally run reviews of comics and comics-related projects due to the similarity of the mediums of comics and film -- and the fact that more movies are inspired by comic books than is ever admitted!

While most people expect there to be all sorts of internecine quarrels behind the scenes of, say, an opera company or sitcom set, they may be surprised at all the squabbling that goes on behind the scenes of a comic book company. This highly entertaining and readable book, ostensibly a biography of Jack Kirby, documents the heady early days and troubled later years of Kirby, his frequent collaborator Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, and the other firms, including DC Comics, that they, especially Kirby, were also involved with as time went by. With Joe Simon, Kirby created Captain America back in the Golden Age of Comics during the forties. In the sixties, he and Lee collaborated on such characters as the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, the Avengers, the X-Men, and many others. Kirby became disillusioned, then enraged by the perception that Lee – which he felt Lee fostered -- was the sole creator and writer on these various strips, when Kirby did much of the plotting and creating himself. Eventually Kirby left Marvel for rival DC Comics where he created his own “Fourth World” of comics characters such as The Forever People, Mister Miracle, and The New Gods – but DC Comics was dissatisfied with the books and canceled them prematurely. (Ironically, The Fourth World proved a major influence on the Star Wars movies and most of Kirby's characters, particularly the villainous Darkseid, are now a big part of the DC Comics Mythos.) It was also noted that Kirby's books suffered without the deft scripting of Lee, whose contribution to the Kirby-Lee comics could not, in truth, be underestimated. Still, Lee got too much of the credit as far as Kirby, and many others in the comics industry, felt. Ro's book is full of fascinating details such as how Kirby and Lee disagreed vehemently on the direction taken by the character the Silver Surfer, who had a brief popularity, and the way that DC Editors had another penciller replace Kirby's drawings of Superman's face so that the image would conform to the accepted version of the Man of Steel. While it is utterly ludicrous to compare Kirby to the likes of Michelangelo(!), as one person does, this book makes clear that he was an extremely talented and very influential artist whose imagery and style has resonated throughout the comics industry for generations and will undoubtedly continue to do so for many years to come

Verdict: Darn good read for comics and pop culture fans. ***1/2.

KIRBY FIVE-OH!

KIRBY FIVE-OH! Celebrating 50 Years of the "King" of Comics. TwoMorrows Publishing; 2008.

Essentially a special issue of The Kirby Collector, devoted to the works of comics giant Jack "King" Kirby, this is a huge trade paperback chock full of info and drawings, including rare sketches and comic book covers done by Kirby. Kirby's cinematic style on Captain America and other titles from the golden age and onward is always dynamic and vivid. Kirby worked on and co-created such characters as The Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men for Marvel Comics, and at DC Comics he created the New Gods, Forever People, and Mr. Miracle as part of his "Fourth World" saga. Some of the written tributes to Kirby by other comics professionals become a bit pretentious and self-serving, but there's a lot of great material in this book -- and lots of great stuff to look at. Chapters include 50 People Influenced by Kirby; 50 best Kirby Covers; and so on, all with the "50" theme. Kirby occasionally drew Superman when he worked on Jimmy Olsen and when the Man of Steel guest-starred in his Fourth World titles.

Verdict: Illustrates why Kirby is one of the greats! ***.

COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL

COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL (1988). Director: Ron Mann.

In one sense this documentary does provide a kind of overview of the comic book industry, noting all the trends and high spots, but it also has such a bias in favor of counter-culture "comix" that it seems not only unbalanced but a bit boring. The graphics that are meant to make the film visually interesting only seem to get in the way -- you just want to hear what people have to say. There are interviews with rather unknown modern-day comics artists/writers, but don't expect any mention of giants such as Carmine Infantino or Gil Kane. On the other hand, there are interviews (however brief in some cases) with Jack "King" Kirby, Will Eisner (of Spirit fame) and William Gaines (Mad magazine; E.C. Comics), but Stan Lee is only allowed one quote! Robert Crumb and Harvey Pekar are given more extensive interviews, as is Frank Miller. Many of the "comix" creators look like refugees from the sixties. Some good stuff in here, but hardly the last word on the comic book industry and certainly not on the industry's mainstay, super-heroes.

Verdict: Read a comic book instead. **.