September 25, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Ordinary movies are usually based on a single protagonist with heroic abilities. One who is good at heart but not averse to bashing up the big baddies of the world either! Although the times have changed and Hollywood has begun to entertain its audience with heroes who have distinctive shades of gray in their characters, our preoccupation with the super human powers remain the same. It is hardly surprising therefore to see the audiences all over the world welcome the larger than life characters of superheroes who get to play God assuring us that all is well with the world when good triumphs over evil, courtesy their supernatural abilities. Wait a minute though! All the Superhero movies do not really succeed at the box office in spite of Hollywood continuing to churn them out at regular intervals. Here we take a look at some of the best as well as the not so good movies of all times that had the superhero clamoring for attention on the screen.
1.Spider-Man- The man who literally transcended all scales when he hung precariously from the walls of a skyscraper had both the young and the old hooked like never before. Peter Parker, the original spider-man succeeded in mesmerizing his audience as he continued to weave magic with the help of the gossamer thin web that emanated from his wrists at will. The legendary super hero has many a merchandize riding on his name and sequels galore with Spider-Man 2 and 3 doing the rounds but nothing can beat the original which keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats as do the stupendous special effects that take place on the screen.
2.The Dark Knight- The second Batman movie which begins as a sequel to 'Batman Begins' has the villain Heath Ledger as the Joker. His performance, though not as epic as the original Batman, does manage to leave you excited and disturbed as the superhero puts up a superlative performance, trying to scare his viewers and succeeds.
3.The Iron Man- The comic book character comes alive on screen as the audience gets regaled by the anecdotes of Tony Stark and his transformation into the 'Iron Man'. The screen play deviates significantly from the original story as depicted in the comics but the amazing talent of all the actors manages to hold the audience and you would have to have a tremendous will power not to be moved by the sheer extravaganza and special effects that are spectacular to say the least.
4.Superman Returns- Superman is definitely the ultimate superhero for an entire generation who grew up on liberal doses of the planet Krypton and the super powered being that came with it. He returns now in the form of Brandon Routh, a much more humane and vulnerable character who has to battle with his own entanglements along with his enemies outside. While the original superman, Christopher Reeve, is certainly not forgotten, the newer side of the superman emerges who is certainly not as majestic nor as overwhelmingly powerful as the commanding Reeves. The audience tends to relax and sit back taking in the emotional appeal as well as the overpowering menace of the great man who returns from the home planet of Krypton to save Earth once more.
5.The Phantom- The immensely popular Lee Falk comic strip series was made into a movie in 1996 raising expectations all round. However, the sheer lethargy and ridiculous strutting in the well known purple body suit does not even begin to translate the sheer magnitude and magic of the comic book tale that had managed to keep the readers hooked on to the antics of the skull cave resident, intent on banishing all evil from the world. The movie comes across as a major disappointment and you are left wondering at the drudgery and boredom of it all. The least proactive superhero of all times, the phantom fails to make its mark even as an ordinary human being leave alone a superhero.
6.Catwoman- The efforts of Hollywood in trying to turn one of its female lead characters into a superhero failed miserably when 'Catwoman' hit the big screen in 2004. None could have realized it better than Halle Berry, the protagonist, who went on to accept the Golden Raspberry Worst Actress award for her depiction of the title role. While there was nothing against the character itself which had gone on to be successful via the 'Batman Returns', an entire film riding on her petite shoulders could not impress the audiences at all. The trite corny dialogues as well as the surreptitious cat like moves did not manage to hold water with the viewers who refused to be entertained by the feline woman.
-- Kornika Ganguly / Sampurn Wire