Topic: Month Long Superhero Marathon

[addicted2dvd]

Month Long Superhero Marathon
Right around the weekend of May 4th Brittany and I have plans to go see The Avengers movie. I thought it may be a good idea to watch all the movies in that franchise... The Incredible Hulk.... Iron Man... Thor... and Captain America: The First Avenger (BTW... do I have those in the right order?) again before going to see The Avengers. That is when I noticed I really been in the mood for some Superhero movies lately. So I thought maybe I will see how many superhero movies and TV Series I could watch between now and the time we go see The Avengers. Note that I don't plan to ONLY watch superhero movies and TV Series.... but I do want to get a taste of everything in my collection anyway.

Being a big fan of Superhero stories... I have a pretty big collection. Below is a list of all the Superhero movies, serials and TV Series that I own. Please feel free to request any reviews you would like to see me do... and I will try to fit them in at some point this month. I really doubt I will get to each and everything in my collection.

Titles in  BOLD are in my unwatched pile.

Superhero Movies
- All-Star Superman
- Batman
- Batman & Robin
- Batman Begins
- Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
- Batman Forever
- Batman Returns
- The Batman vs. Dracula
- The Batman Superman Movie
- Batman: Gotham Knight
- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
- Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
- Batman: The Movie
- Batman: Under the Red Hood
- Batman: Year One
- Captain America
- Captain America II: Death Too Soon
- Captain America: The First Avenger (On the Way)
- Catwoman (iffy... but decided to include it)
- Daredevil
- The Dark Knight
- Dr. Strange
- Elektra
- Fantastic 4
- Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
- Fantastic Four
- Green Lantern
- Hancock (Iffy)
- Hulk
- Hulk Vs.
- The Incredible Hulk
- The Incredibles
- The Invincible Iron Man
- Iron Man
- Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
- Justice League: Doom
- Justice League: The New Frontier
- Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman
- Meteor Man
- My Super Ex-Girlfriend
- Mystery Men
- Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
- Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
- Secret Origins: The story of DC Comics
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man 2
- Spider-Man 3
- Supergirl
- Superhero Movie
- Superman: The Movie
- Superman II
- Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
- Superman III
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
- Superman Batman: Public Enemies
- Superman Returns
- Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
- Superman/Shazam!: Return of the Black Adam
- Superman: Doomsday
- Superman: Brainiac Attacks
- Thor
- Ultimate Avengers
- Ultimate Avengers II: Rise of the Panther
- Wonder Woman
- X-Men
- X2: X-Men United
- X-Men III: Last Stand

Superhero TV Series
- The Adventures of Aquaman: Complete Collection
- The Adventures of Superman: Seasons 1-6
- The All New Super Friends Hour
- The Amazing Spider-Man (Home Recording)
- Aquaman: The Pilot Episode
- The Batman: Seasons 1-5
- Batman Beyond: Seasons 1-3
- Batman: The Brave and The Bold: Vol. 1
- Batman: The Animated Series: Vol. 1-4
- Birds of Prey: The Complete Series
- Challenge of the Super Friends: Season 1
- Defenders of the Earth: Complete Series
- Electra Woman & Dyna Girl
- Fantastic Four: Complete Series
- Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes
- The Flash: Complete Series
- The Greatest American Hero: Seasons 1-3
- Heroes: Seasons 1-3 (iffy)
- Justice League: Seasons 1-2
- Justice League Unlimited: Seasons 1-2
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: Seasons 1-4
- My Hero: Seasons 1-2
- No Ordinary Family: Complete Series
- The Secrets of Isis: Complete Series
- Shazam!: Pilot Episode
- Smallville: Seasons 1-10
- Spider-Man: The '67 Collection
- Spider-Man: The New Animated Series
- Static Shock: The New Kid (Mini-DVD)
- Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show
- The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
- Superboy: Season 1
- Super Friends: Vol. 2
- Superman: The Animated Series: Vol. 1-3
- Wonder Woman: Pilot Episode
- Wonder Woman: Seasons 1-3
- The X-Men Evolutions: Powers Revealed


Superhero Movie Serials
- Adventures of Captain Marvel
- Batman and Robin
- Batman
- The Green Archer
- The Green Hornet
- The Phantom

Superhero Theatrical Shorts
- Cartoon Craze Vol. 1: Superman: The Bulleteers
- Cartoon Craze Vol. 2: Superman: Showdown
- Max Fleischer's Superman
- Superman: The Lost Episodes

[Tom]

The Incredible Hulk.... Iron Man... Thor... and Captain America: The First Avenger (BTW... do I have those in the right order?)

If I remember correctly, Iron Man was first. It had the first hint for an upcoming Avengers movie after the end credits. Also Tony Stark had a cameo in Incredible Hulk.
And how come your are missing Iron Man 2? It introduces Scarlett Johansson's Avengers character.

[addicted2dvd]

Thanks Tom... and I know... somehow I never got the second Iron Man. I overlooked it this month when I placed my order too!

[addicted2dvd]

Justice League Unlimited: Season One: Disc 1: DC Comics Classic Collection (2004/United States) 1. Initiation The Justice League reforms in a new satellite headquarters and adds a new expanded roster of members. They then recruit Green Arrow to aid Green Lantern, Captain Atom, and Supergirl in defeating a nuclear monster in China. 2. For the Man Who Has Everything Batman and Wonder Woman deliver presents to Superman at the Fortress of Solitude for his birthday, but find he's been immobilized by a special "gift" courtesy of the world-conquering Mongul. 3. Hawk and Dove Two superhero brothers, Dove (a pacifist) and Hawk (an aggressive fighter), join Wonder Woman to stop a civil war in Kaznia, but it turns out that the war is being instigated by the Greek god Ares as part of his plan to spread misery and conflict. 4. Fearful Symmetry (aka Galatea) When Supergirl is plagued by disturbing dreams, she turns to Green Arrow and The Question for help, but they soon learn that she may not be dreaming after all. 5. Kids' Stuff When Mordred banishes all adults into Limbo, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern must make a deal with his mother Morgaine to transform into 8-year-olds in a desperate attempt to defeat the boy-wizard. 6. This Little Piggy Batman turns to Zatanna for help to defeat the evil sorceress Circe and save a transformed teammate. 7. The Return After the power-absorbing android Amazo destroys the home planet of the Guardians of the Universe, the League must intercept him before he reaches Earth and achieves his goal: murdering the recently reformed Lex Luthor.

Stars:
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Phil LaMarr as Green Lantern
Carl Lumbly as J'onn J'onzz
George Newbern as Superman
Kin Shriner as Green Arrow
Nicholle Tom as Supergirl / Kara
George Eads as Captain Atom

Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Featurettes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This is my very first ever taste of Justice League Unlimited. As much as I loved the first two seasons of Justice League... I must say... I think I like this version a bit more. It is just plain fun... not only is there plenty of action... but they also started to play around with some comedic episodes. Brittany watched the episode Kid Stuff with me... and we both laughed through-out the entire episode. And in the episode This Little Piggy... I mean come on!... it is just plain wrong to make Batman sing in a nightclub full of people! Funny?... yes... but definitely wrong! I also like how you get to see many more superheroes in this version of the series... and the new Watchtower looks very cool. It is very hard for me to pick a favorite episode on this disc... but if you were to twist my arm... I would probably have to say The Return. It is a more action oriented like the original series... and I liked the little surprise ending... a character we haven't seen in a while showing back up.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[Dragonfire]

Iron Man was first...Tom remembered correctly.

[addicted2dvd]

Thanks... so the way I want to watch them is...

- Iron Man
- Incredible Hulk
- Thor
- Captain America


So wish I had Iron Man 2 to watch as well... but that is ok. At least I have seen it before.

[Najemikon]

For your Avenger's films, make sure you watch the end credit sequences and check the extras for the Marvel short films. I think there are two or three now. The Consultant is funny, as is the one on Captain America."A funny thing happened on the way to Thor's Hammer", I think it's called...

[addicted2dvd]

Yeah... someone mentioned those on Invelos... unfortunately I won't be able to... at least not the one on Thor....I got a movie only edition. No extras what so ever. I got it through Amazon Marketplace... and think it is an ex-rental. Captain America hasn't gotten here yet. So not sure what that disc will be like.

[Najemikon]

Google or Wikipedia will be able to tell you which ones have been done, I'm sure, and then I'm also positive they can be found on YouTube... 

[addicted2dvd]

This is true... good idea! 

[Rogmeister]

I really like Justice League Unlimited (though I prefer the opening to Justice League) and was actually a bit bummed when I watched the last episode because it was over.  For The Man Who Has Everything, based on an actual comic book story, is a particular favorite of mine despite the fact it only has 3 heroes in it.

[addicted2dvd]

Justice League Unlimited: Season One: Disc 2: DC Comics Classic Collection (2004/United States) 8. The Greatest Story Never Told While the sorcerer Mordru invades Metropolis and the League must attack en masse to stop him, gloryhound and erstwhile superhero Booster Gold ends up "crowd control" and does some world-saving of his own. 9. Ultimatum A new team of heroes, the Ultimen, help the Justice League defeat fire monsters that are attacking an oil rig. But the Ultimen soon discover that a dark secret lies at the heart of their origins and their sponsorship and turn against the League. 10. Dark Heart When nanotech-based alien robots land in the American southwest and overwhelm the League, only the Atom, a microscopic super hero, can defeat them. 11. Wake the Dead Solomon Grundy rises from the grave as a mindless berserker, and when the Justice League can't stop him, they turn to a reluctant Hawkgirl for assistance. 12. The Once and Future Thing, Part 1: Weird Western Tales Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern chase a time-travelling thief into the past and team up with some local "superheroes" of the era to deal with an outlaw who has used the thief's futuristic technology to take over an Old West town. 13. The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time Warped In pursuit of a time-travelling thief, Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman arrive in a futuristic Gotham City twisted horribly awry by alterations to the timestream, and must join forces with the future Batman and the Justice League Unlimited.

Stars:
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman
Phil LaMarr as Green Lantern
Carl Lumbly as J'onn J'onzz
Tom Everett Scott as Booster Gold
Billy West as Skeets


Extras:

• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Still enjoying this series very much... though for the most part the episodes on this disc isn't quite as good as those on disc one. My favorite episodes on this disc has to be the two part The Once and Future Thing episodes. I also like seeing Hawkgirl back in a few episodes... though I wish she would get into the action a little more. I always liked that character in the Justice League episodes. Even with what they did with her character towards the end.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Iron Man: Ultimate 2-Disc Edition (2008/United States) Paramount Home Entertainment Director: Jon Favreau Writing: Mark Fergus (Screenwriter), Hawk Ostby (Screenwriter), Art Marcum (Screenwriter), Matt Holloway (Screenwriter), Stan Lee (1922) (Original Characters By), Don Heck (Original Characters By), Larry Lieber (Original Characters By), Jack Kirby (Original Characters By) Length: 126 min. Rating: Rated PG-13 : Some Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Action and Violence, and Brief Suggestive Content Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark
Terrence Howard as Rhodey
Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart
Shaun Toub as Yinsen

Plot:
Lift off with high-speed, high-flying action in this Ultimate 2-disc Edition that takes you inside the suit of Marvel's invincible superhero for the ultimate Iron Man experience!

After surviving an unexpected attack in enemy territory, jet-setting industrialist Tony Stark builds a high-tech suit of armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man. Straight from the pages of the legendary comic book, Iron Man is a hero who is built - not born - to be unlike any other!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Closed Captioned
• Robert Downey Jr screen test

My Thoughts:

Iron Man was always one of my favorites growing up. I used to watch the cartoons all the time. But until this movie I never really seen an origin story for him.  And I must say I enjoyed every minute of it! This is my third time watching the movie since I got the DVD. And I loved it just as much this time as I did the first. I will admit I was concerned when I first heard that Robert Downey, Jr. got the roll of Tony Stark/Iron Man.... since even though he is a decent enough actor... he never really impressed me all that much. But I must admit... I really liked him in this movie. He seemed to nail the role for me. Sure there was some things that was really unbelievable in the storyline... like being able to create the suit he did in captivity... without the captors being any the wiser about it. But you know... I really didn't mind it. It worked for me. For anyone watching the movie for the first time... or may have missed it when you did watch the movie. Look for a final scene after the end credits role... very cool!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Justice League Unlimited: Season One: Disc 3: DC Comics Classic Collection (2004/United States) 14. The Cat and the Canary Black Canary asks Green Arrow to help save her mentor, Wildcat, from an underground super-powered fight club known as Meta-Brawl. 15. The Ties That Bind (aka Miracles Happen) When escape artist and superhero Mr. Miracle can't get help from the rest of the League, the Flash volunteers to help him break out a special prisoner from an inescapable prison on Darkseid's homeworld of Apokolips. 16. The Doomsday Sanction While Batman investigates the Cadmus conspiracy headed by Amanda Waller, Superman battles a resurrected Doomsday in the heart of a volcano. 17. Task Force X Four incarcerated villains are released from prison by Cadmus to undertake an impossible mission: steal a powerful mystic artifact from the JLU Watchtower under the noses of the League. 18. The Balance When Felix Faust escapes the magical mirror in which he was imprisoned by Tala, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl must go to Tartarus where Faust has overthrown Lord Hades and claimed the place as his own. 19. Double Date Green Arrow and Black Canary must stop the Question and the Huntress from killing organized crime lord Steven Mandragora. 20. Clash Captain Marvel, the World's Mightiest Mortal, joins the Justice League as Lex Luthor initiates a new plot.

Stars:
Morena Baccarin as Black Canary
Kin Shriner as Green Arrow
Dennis Farina as Wildcat
Virginia Madsen as Roulette


Extras:

• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Another disc down... still enjoying the series quite a bit. All the episodes on this disc are quite good... but none of which I would call favorite episodes. Though out of these episodes I did get a kick out of Clash. But I must admit, I am not too fond of the Cadmus storyline. At least not yet. I mean it seems to me that the storyline has potential... but it seems they are taking their sweet time telling it. And I find myself loosing interest in it already. But over-all that really is a minor thing.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

The Incredible Hulk: 3-Disc Special Edition (2008/United States) Universal Studios Home Entertainment Director: Louis Leterrier Writing: Zak Penn (Screenwriter) Length: 112 min. Rating: Rated PG-13 : Sequences of Intense Action Violence, Some Frightening Sci-Fi Images, and Brief Suggestive Content Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Edward Norton as Bruce Banner
Liv Tyler as Betty Ross
Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky
William Hurt as General "Thunderbolt" Ross
Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns
Ty Burrell as Leonard

Plot:
Academy Award® nominee Edward Norton stars as scientist Bruce Banner, a man who has been living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with his most formidable foe: the Abomination - a nightmarish beast of pure aggression whose powers match the Hulk's own!

Also starring Liv Tyler, Oscar® nominee Tim Roth, and Oscar® winner William Hurt, The Incredible Hulk is "steeped in action and spectacular special effects" (Claudia Puig, USA Today) and delivers a mind-blowing final showdown that can only be summed up with one word... INCREDIBLE!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Digital Copy

My Thoughts:

Before the movies... the only thing I really knew of the Incredible Hulk was the '70s TV Series with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno. I never read the comics and seen very little of the cartoons when I was a kid. I never really cared much for the first movie version... Hulk. But this one I liked quite a bit. It seems like everything the first Hulk movie did wrong this one did right. The fight between The Hulk and Abomination  was great... lasted just long enough. Some of these movies tend to extend that final fight longer then it should be. I think Edward Norton did a great job as Bruce Banner. It is a shame he will not be continuing the role for The Avengers... hopefully Mark Ruffalo will do just as good of a job.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5