Topic: March Marathon: Superhero Films

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March Marathon:
Superhero Films
Lately I have found myself in the mood to watch some superhero films. So I decided I would see how many I can fit in within the month of March. I am including all types of superhero films... live action... animated... made for TV. I may even throw in movie length episodes of TV series such as Smallville. This will give me lots to choose from!

My Choices:
All-Star Superman
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Ant-Man
The Avengers
The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Batman (1943)
Batman (1989)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Forever
Batman Returns
Batman & Robin
Batman vs. Dracula
Batman vs. Robin
The Batman Superman Movie
Batman: Assault on Arkham
Batman Begins
Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Mask of Phantasm
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns:Part 1
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2
Batman: The Movie
Batman: Under the Red Hood
Batman: Year One
Captain America (1979)
Captain America (1990)
Captain America II: Death Too Soon
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Catwoman
Daredevil
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises
Death of the Incredible Hulk
Doctor Strange
Elektra
Fantastic 4
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four (1994)
Green Lantern
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
Green Lantern: First Flight
Guardians of the Galaxy
Hulk
Hulk vs. Thor
Hulk vs. Wolverine
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk Returns
The Incredibles
The Invincible Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 3
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Justice League: Doom
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Justice League:  The New Frontier ]
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis
Justice League: War
Man of Steel
The Meteor Man
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Mystery Men
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
Planet Hulk
The Punisher
Punisher: War zone
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
Sky High
Smallville: Finale
Smallville: Absolute Justice
Son of Batman
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 3
Stan Lee's Mighty 7: The Beginning
Supergirl
Superman Batman: Public Enemies
Superman: The Movie
Superman II
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Superman III
Superman IV: Quest for Peace
Superman Returns
Superman vs. The Elite
Superman/Batman: Apocolypse
Superman/Shazam!: Return of Black Adam
Superman: Brainiac Attacks
Superman: Doomsday
Superman: Unbound
Thor
Thor: The Dark World
Thor: Tales of Asgard
The Trial of the Incredible Hulk
Ultimate Avengers: The Movie
Ultimate Avengers 2
Watchmen
Watchmen: Director's Cut
Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic
The Wolverine
Wonder Woman
X-Men
X2: X-Men Unite
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Bonus TV Series:
The Flash: Season 1

My Goal:
Obviously there is no way I will watch all the films above in one month. Just not going to happen. So my goal is more like an un-goal... I just want to see how many I can get watched before the month is over.

Movies Watched: 14

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Justice League: The New Frontier (2008/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Warner Home Video (United States) Director: David Bullock Writing: Stan Berkowitz (Writer), Darwyn Cooke (Original Material By), Bob Kane (Original Characters By), Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), William Moulton Marston (Original Characters By) Length: 75 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby TrueHD: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English

Stars:
David Boreanaz as Hal Jordan
Miguel Ferrer as John Jones
Neil Patrick Harris as Flash
John Heard as Ace Morgan
Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman

Plot:
Based on Darwyn Cooke's award-winning graphic novel, this thrilling adventure reveals the origin of the Justice League. With Cold War paranoia putting Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman under government suspicion, only the gravest threat imaginable can force these heroes - along with an army of newcomers including The Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter - to unite in a spectacular showdown to save the world.

David Boreanaz (Angel ), Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan ), Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess ), Kyra Sedwick (The Closer )Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother ), Jeremy Sisto (Law & Order ) and Kyle MacLachlan ( Sex and the City ) headline the stellar voice cast of this epic saga of how Earth's greatest champions formed the most powerful alliance for good ever assembled!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• 3 bonus Justice League episodes

My Thoughts:

This is a good movie... I definitely enjoyed it. But much like the first time I watched it I just couldn't get over the whole Wonder Woman being able to fly thing. I understand that she could in the comics during the era this movie is supposed to take place in... so they wanted to be true to those comics. But I never read those comics... and I only knew the use of the Invisible Plane for her to get around in. I did like that this (like many of the new superhero toon movies) was not afraid to show a little blood. And I liked a lot of the cast choices. I definitely enjoyed watching this one again.

Rating:

[Achim]

But much like the first time I watched it I just couldn't get over the whole Wonder Woman being able to fly thing.]

But she's supposed to... According the Wikipedia page:

Hermes, the messenger god of speed, granted Diana superhuman speed and the ability to fly.

Which was taken from:
Beatty, Scott (November 2003). Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Guide to the Amazon Princess.

[GSyren]

But Lynda Carter didn't fly in the 70's TV show, did she? Except in her plane, of course.
That's pretty much my only exposure to Wonder Woman.

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Smallville: Absolute Justice
A man named Sylvester asks Chloe for help but ends up getting attacked and killed. Clark is led to the former headquarters of the Justice Society of America where he meets up with Dr. Fate, Hawkman, and Stargirl. Later, Clark, John Jones, Green Arrow, and Chloe team up to help the JSA stop the killer before he murders someone else in the group. Meanwhile, Lois receives a package from a mysterious agency called Checkmate.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I liked seeing the characters from both teams. I especially liked how Green Arrow and Hawkman got along (or didn't) in this episode. I also always found this one interesting as I was never too familiar with the Justice Society of America until seeing them portrayed here. Definitely worth thetime put in to watch it.

My Rating:

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Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths: Special Edition (2010/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Sam Liu, Lauren Montgomery Writing: Dwayne McDuffie (Writer), Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Bob Kane (Original Characters By), William Moulton Marston (Original Characters By) Length: 75 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
William Baldwin as Batman
Mark Harmon as Superman
Chris Noth as Lex Luthor
Gina Torres as Superwoman
James Woods as Owlman

Plot:
"You people are my world's last hope." – Lex Luthor

In a parallel universe, the lone survivor of Earth's Justice League – Lex Luthor – travels through other dimensions to join forces with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and J'onn J'onzz to save his world and its people. But villainous Crime Syndicate controlled by Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman will stop at nothing to maintain their domination. It will take wits, might and a sacrifice to debut these unforgiving enemies in this spectacular DC Universe Animated Original Movie with a stellar voice cast headed by Mark Harmon, James Woods, Chris Noth, Gina Torres, William Baldwin, Bruce Davison and more.

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Digital Copy
• Spectre Short, Bonus Eps, 2 Live Action Pilot Eps

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was fun seeing the alternate world. The super villians in the alternate world was definitely different.... but interesting to see other ideas. This one is worth the time put in to watch it.

Rating:

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Justice League: Doom (2012/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Lauren Montgomery Writing: Bob Kane (Created By), Jerry Siegel (Created By), Joe Shuster (Created By), William Moulton Marston (Created By), Josph Samachson (Created By), Joe Certa (Created By), Chuck Dixon (Created By), Doug Moench (Created By), Graham Nolan (Created By), Marv Wolfman (Created By), George Perez (Created By), Dwayne McDuffie (Writer) Length: 77 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Tim Daly as Superman
Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman
Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern
Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter

Plot:
The Justice League consists of Earth's finest super heroes and protectors of humanity. But in the mind of the Dark Knight, it contains potentially the most dangerous people on the planet. Over time, Batman has compiled top-secret contigency plans should any of them go rogue. When these files are stolen by a rising group of super villains, the Justice League embarks on a collision course that will test the very fabric of its alliance. With the stellar voice cast headed by Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Nathan Fillion, this thrilling DC Universe Animated Original adventure will challenge what you know about the Justice League as well as redefine what heroes are made of!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Digital Copy
• Digital Comic, 2 Bonus Cartoons

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed every moment of this story. I especially enjoyed that this story has the Legion of Doom in it... as that is something I enjoyed every Saturday morning as a kid while watching the Super Friends. So I liked having a sort of nod towards that. Another thing I liked about this one is there was no Lex Luthor. That is one character I can't help but toget sick of. This is definitely one of my favorites of the Justice League animated films. Worth every minute of watching time.

Rating:

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Justice League: War (2013/United States) Wikipedia |IMDb |Trailer | Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Jay Oliva Writing: Heath Corson (Writer), Geoff Johns (Original Material By), Jim Lee (Original Material By), Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Bob Kane (Original Characters By), William Moulton Marston (Original Characters By), Marv Wolfman (Original Characters By), George Perez [George Pérez] (Original Characters By), Jack Kirby (Original Characters By) Length: 79 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Sean Astin as Shazam
Zach Callison as Billy Batson
Christopher Gorham as Flash / Barry Allen
Justin Kirk as Green Lantern / Hal Jordan

Plot:
In Gotham City's shadows lurks a mysterious figure, a silent guardian known only as the Batman. While battling crime and an ever-growing public distrust, he faces the injustices of the night alone. During a criminal pursuit, the Batman crosses paths with the arrogant intergalactic cop Green Lantern, and the unlikely duo uncovers an impending threat bigger and more deadly than anything the Earth has faced before. For the Earth to have a chance to survive, it will be a race to forge an uneasy alliance of its greatest super powers, including the Kryptonian alien, Superman; the Amazonian envoy, Wonder Woman; and the Scarlet Speedster, the Flash. Along with newcomers Cyborg and teen super hero Shazam, this awesome assembly of the world's finest are prepared to meet evil head-on and offer mankind its only hope, if they don't self-destruct first!

Extras:

My Thoughts:

First I must say this animated movie is off the new DC 52 comics so some things are different. Most notibly some of the costumes. Superman's costume I have already gotten used to from the Man of Steel film. But it took quite a bit to get used to the way they did Wonder Woman's costume. And I still prefer the classic costume over this one. And it was also a bit strange seeing her fighting with a sword through-out the whole film. They also made some changes to the look of Cyborg. I missed Flash being the over-confident smart-mouth of the bunch. But at least they still had this fun aspect to one of the heroes... they just switched it over to Green Lantern. The storyline itself was fantastic! I loved every moment of this film! It is just some of the changes to some of the characters that bugged me a little. But if you are a fan of these animated superhero films this one is a must see!

Rating:

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Smallville: Finale
The story of Clark Kent culminates in this two-hour series finale as Clark takes the last step to becoming the Man of Steel.

My Thoughts:
I must say... I really enjoyed how they ended the series. I know there was a lot of people that wasn't happy with it. But for me... this finale had all I was hoping to see after a long 10 seasons of the series. I found it to be more then worth the time put in to watch it.

My Rating:

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The Flash: The Complete First Season IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Plot: Central City forensic investigator Barry Allen is smart, charming and – as a result of a scientific experiment gone awry – the fastest man alive! He's The Flash, zigzagging through the action-packed new series from the creative team behind Arrow and based on the supersonic DC Comics character. With his life shadowed by his mother's murder and the father wrongly convicted of the crime, Barry finds his newfound power of super-speed grants him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. However, Barry quickly discovers he's not the only "metahuman" created by the explosive disaster – and not all of them are using their new powers for good. Now, to protect the innocent, Barry and his close friends who know his secret race to combat evildoers in one astonishing adventure after another that come at you like lightning in this fantastic 4-Disc, 23-Episode Set. Episodes: 1. Pilot 2. Fastest Man Alive 3. Things You Can't Outrun 4. Going Rogue 5. Plastique 6. The Flash Is Born 7. Power Outage 8. Flash vs. Arrow 9. The Man in the Yellow Suit 10. Revenge of the Rogues 11. The Sound and the Fury 12. Crazy for You 13. The Nuclear Man 14. Fallout 15. Out of Time 16. Rogue Time 17. Tricksters 18. All Star Team Up 19. Who Is Harrison Wells? 20. The Trap 21. Grodd Lives 22. Rogue Air 23. Fast Enough

Stars:
Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/The Flash
Candice Patton as Iris West
Danielle Panabaker as Dr. Caitlin Snow
Rick Cosnett as Detective Eddie Thawne
Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon

Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Digital Copy

My Thoughts:

I know it is not a movie... but since I just got this set I couldn't help but to watch it. And since it is a superhero show I decided to add it here. I got to say I am loving this series. I like it even more then the Flash series from 1990... and I really enjoyed it. I like the entire cast and been enjoying all the characters as well as rthe stories. If you have seen this series yet... I highly recommend it!

Rating:

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Captain America (1979/United States) Wikipedia |IMDb |Trailer | Shout! Factory (United States) Director: Rod Holcomb Writing: Don Ingalls (Screenwriter), Don Ingalls (Story By), Chester Krumholz (Story By) Length: 97 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: Subtitles:

Stars:
Reb Brown as Captain America / Steve Rogers
Len Birman as Dr. Simon Mills
Heather Menzies as Dr. Wendy Day
Robin Mattson as Tina Hayden
Joseph Ruskin as Rudy Sandrini

Plot:
When former Marine Steve Rogers is in an accident, his only hope for recovery is an injection of the FLAG superserum – created years ago by his own father – which enhances each of his senses, as well as gives him great strength and fast reflexes. And to help him bring his attackers to justice, a government agency outfits him with a motorcycle and powerful shield, then turns the newly formed Captain America loose on the nation s enemies.

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers

My Thoughts:

While I did have a lot of fun watching this movie. I felt it took too long for Steve Rogers to agree to become Captain America... and MUCH too long before we got to see him in the costume. Unfortunately they also modernize the costume as well. In this first movie there is actually two versions of the costume. The first one looked more like something Evel Knievel would wear. The second (at the very end of the movie) was much closer indeed... but still way off from what you see in the comics and animation. Yes this is very cheesy... and a definite sign of the times. Whenever Captain America uses his powers you heard a sound effect to let you know. Very similar to the series of the time... The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. The one thing that was missing is that Captain America never throws his shield at all in this movie. I enjoyed this movie in a nostalgic sort of way. It really brought my back to my childhood. Though I would have liked to have seen more Captain America in it. But I guess that is to be expected for the origin story.

Rating:

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Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Shout! Factory (United States) Director: Ivan Nagy Writing: Wilton Schiller (Writer), Patricia Payne (Writer) Length: 88 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

Stars:
Reb Brown as Captain America / Steve Rogers
Connie Sellecca as Dr. Wendy Day
Len Birman as Dr. Simon Mills
Christopher Lee as Miguel
Katherine Justice as Helen Moore

Plot:
Captain America returns to carry on the legacy of his father and defend the country — this time, however, he faces off against the terrorist known only as Miguel and the threat of a chemical agent that rapidly ages those who come in contact with it.

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers

My Thoughts:

First let me say... yes part 2 is just as cheesy as the first. In the second movie Connie Sellecca takes over one of the main roles playing Dr. Wendy Day... replacing Heather Menzies. They also get Christopher Lee to play the main villain... which is cool. And I enjoyed the storyline quite a bit. Captain America does throws his shield on more then one occasion in this one. Making up for not doing so in the previous movie. I do think, though, Captain America throwing his motorcycle up on to a high wall with it landing softly and prefctly... and that the motorcycle turning into a glider was a bit much... even for me. But that was only one short scene... so didn't take away from the movie much. Over all I enjoyed watching it if for nothing more then the nostalgia.

Rating:

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Batman vs Robin (2015/United States) Trailer |IMDb |Wikipedia | Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Jay Oliva Writing: J. M. DeMatteis (Writer), Bob Kane (Original Characters By), Marv Wolfman (Original Characters By), George Perez (Original Characters By), Scott Snyder (Original Characters By), Greg Capullo (Original Characters By) Length: 80 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, German: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, German, Korean, Spanish

Stars:
Stuart Allan as Robin / Damian
Troy Baker as Owl Lieutenant
Kevin Conroy as Thomas Wayne
Trevor Devall as Jack
Robin Atkin Downes as Grandmaster

Plot:
The shadows of Gotham City are no place for a child, but Damian Wayne is no ordinary child. Now bearing the mantle of Robin, he blazes a headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, the Batman. While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, Talon, who leads him on a life-altering course through the depths of Gotham's secret society known as the Court of Owls. It's a dangerous journey that will force Batman and Robin to face their most dangerous adversary, each other! Witness the epic battle that will shape a destiny and forge the future of Robin forever.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Digital Copy
• 4 Bonus Cartoons

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one alot. It is a good continuation of Son of Batman. This is the first I have ever seen of the "Court of Owls." I found it to be an interesting and entertaining story line. This is one that is definitely worth the time put in to watch it.

Rating:

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Ultimate Avengers: The Movie (2006/United States) IMDb |Trailer | Lions Gate Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Curt Geda, Steven E. Gordon Writing: Mark Millar (Original Material By), Bryan Hitch (Original Material By), Greg Johnson (Story By), Boyd Kirkland (Story By), Craig Kyle (Story By), Greg Johnson (Writer) Length: 71 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: PCM: 7.1, English: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), Spanish: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1) Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Justin Gross as Captain America/Steve Rogers
Grey DeLisle as Janet Pym/The Wasp
Michael Massee as Bruce Banner
Olivia d'Abo as Black Widow/Natalia Romanoff
Marc Worden as Iron Man/Tony Stark

Plot:
Inspired by Marvel's best-selling books, "The Ultimates," this is the extraordinary story of six very independent heroes whi, like it or not, must fight as one to save the world.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Avenger Trivia Track

My Thoughts:

I have seen this film a few times in the past... but this is the first time seeing it on blu-ray. And it definitely looked great. The film itself is just as enjoyable as it was the firt time I seen it. While I am more familiar with all the characters now then I was when I first seen this. For the most part being Wasp and Giant Man. An enjoyable animated film I feel comfortable recommending.

Rating:

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Ultimate Avengers 2 (2006/United States) IMDb |Trailer | Lions Gate Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Will Meugniot, Richard Sebast Writing: Mark Millar (Original Characters By), Bryan Hitch (Original Characters By), Greg Johnson (Story By), Craig Kyle (Story By), Greg Johnson (Writer) Length: 73 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: PCM: 7.1, English: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), Spanish: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1) Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Justin Gross as Captain America/Steve Rogers
Grey DeLisle as Wasp/Janet Pym
Michael Massee as Bruce Banner
Marc Worden as Iron Man/Tony Stark
Olivia d'Abo as Black Widow/Natalia Romanoff

Plot:
To save humanity, the Earth's mightiest heroes must reunite for a rematch of heroic proportions. When brutal alien invaders attack mysterious Wakanda, the Black Panther must ask for help from the Ultimate Avangers.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Avenger Trivia Track

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one as much as I did the first. I like the character of the Black Panther. I hope to see him in more things to come.There was a bit of a surprise to the end of this one. Something I wouldn't have expected anyway. I have the feeling they didn't know what to do with the Hulk in this one as he was very much under used. Almost non-existant. But over all a fun film worth the time put in to watch it.

Rating: