Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details visit the series main page here.
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This week's Thursday Movie Picks
is Superhero Movies
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With Avengers: Age of Ultron coming out of next week, Superhero Movies is a fitting theme for this week. Don't you think that almost every movie that get made now is either an adaptation, a sequel or a superhero movie; with most superhero movies, they are often also an adaptation and a sequel. Still, with the onslaught of superhero movies being released, are a lot of them any good? Some are and here are three of my favourites. By the way I'm on Twitter now, click the widget on the sidebar.
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Spider-Man (2002)
I was torn between this and its sequel but decided with this one since it paved the way for the second. I know a lot of people like The Amazing Spider-Man because it was more faithful with Peter Parker's characterisation; but for me, someone who has never read the comics, Tobey Maguire was Spider-Man. I like the narration which gave an insight to his character. Maguire's Spider-Man was also more awkward, less cocky, felt more and hurt more making him a much more endearing character.
Sky High (2005)
I completely underestimated this movie as Sky High is actually an incredibly fun and it stars some recognisable actors who were then in their teens. Somewhat like a mashup of X-Men and The Incredibles with a superhero family and a school for kids with superpowers, it follows Will Stronghold who just started freshmen year at Sky High. As he has yet to develop a super power, he is placed into the sidekick class and have contend with feeling inferior than the rest of his classmates who all have some super power no matter how uncool those powers may be.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
Sky High (2005)
I completely underestimated this movie as Sky High is actually an incredibly fun and it stars some recognisable actors who were then in their teens. Somewhat like a mashup of X-Men and The Incredibles with a superhero family and a school for kids with superpowers, it follows Will Stronghold who just started freshmen year at Sky High. As he has yet to develop a super power, he is placed into the sidekick class and have contend with feeling inferior than the rest of his classmates who all have some super power no matter how uncool those powers may be.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
Once again I had to choose. It was between this and the first X-Men movie. This won because it had a more attractive story following Professor X and Magneto before they were Professor X and Magneto, and on the same team. Plus the actors playing Professor X and Magneto (James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender) have major acting chops and had the opportunity to show it in this movie; Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen didn't quite have the same intense scenes in the X-Men movies they were in since by then their characters have learned to accept their differences. My favourite scene in First Class is probably the final scenes after the bullet deflection.
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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?
Thursday Movie Picks #7: Dramatic Scenes
Thursday Movie Picks #16: Haunted Buildings
Thursday Movie Picks #24: Movies Driven Entirely by People Talking
Thursday Movie Picks #14: Found Footage Movies
Thursday Movie Picks #22: Movies that Feature a Family Secret
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Participating Blogs/Bloggers
Thursday Movie Picks #16: Haunted Buildings
Thursday Movie Picks #24: Movies Driven Entirely by People Talking
Thursday Movie Picks #14: Found Footage Movies
Thursday Movie Picks #22: Movies that Feature a Family Secret
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Participating Blogs/Bloggers
I haven't seen Sky High, but the other two are great examples of Superhero movies done right!
ReplyDeleteExcellent picks. Happy to see Sky High get picked. Such a fun little movie. I Spider-Man 2 to the original, but both are good. Just don't mention The Amazing Spider-Man flicks...yuk. First Class is awesome.
ReplyDeleteSky High is a good one. That's definitely outside of the box. I loved Spiderman, but didn't care for First Class.
ReplyDeleteYeay, I also love Sky High! I also love the old Spidey more than the new Spidey. Although I must admit that Andrew Garfield is a better actor than Tobey.
ReplyDeleteGreat picks! I also prefer the old Spider-man though I feel bad for Garfield since his portrayal of the superhero got cut short. First Class is a great movie, though I lean more towards the sequel.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Sky High but I liked X-Men:First Class though I preferred the original X-Men more and Spider-Man is one of my picks too!
ReplyDeleteHere's my three for the week:
Spider-Man (2002)-Terrific effects and tight direction make this one of the best superhero movies. Tobey Maguire’s quiet almost recessive screen presence is a good match for someone who is supposed to be unobtrusive in his daily life. That calm also plays into the control he shows when he is fighting the villain. Everybody else is good but without Maguire the picture wouldn't be what it is. The CGI is impressive for the time but Raimi doesn't let it overwhelm the film's story.
Fantastic Four (2005)-A group of astronauts on a routine mission unexpectedly run into a cosmic radiation shower that reformulates their DNA in remarkable ways. This lacks a little focus and takes itself too seriously at times but Chris Evans saves it with a high spirited performance as Johnny Storm.
Superman (1978)-This really revolutionized the whole superhero genre taking it from a Saturday matinee cheapie feature into a mass crowd pleaser. Full of fun and some cool effects with perfectly cast leads. Margot Kidder may not be the most glamorous actress but she is absolutely right as the spunky Lois Lane and Christopher Reeve gets the mix of dorkiness and heroism without overdoing either. Gene Hackman, Valerie Perrine and Ned Beatty, understand that their villains are supposed to be slightly ridiculous and join into the spirit of the movie.
Sam Raimi's Spiderman is way more complex than Webb's, but I always thought that it's a bit too melancholy. Yet, who doesn't remember the famous 'with great power comes great responsibility' quote? That's a cult!
ReplyDeleteX-Men: First Class is also one of my favorite superhero movies! I really love the idea to look beyond everything else in the franchise to finally highlighting the love-hate relationship of Magneto and Prof. X who have been the conflicting party ever since the first X-Men movie. Love it!
Great topic for this week! Cheers!
Paskalis Damar
I think I've seen Spiderman, if I have it was a long, long time ago.
ReplyDeleteDidn't think much of Sky High when a first saw, again a long, long time ago, I think I saw it back in 2005 when it was first released. Perhaps I should give it another go.
X-Men First Class is good (I prefer the second), what I like about the X-Men prequels is the clear allusion to the racial issues in the America in the 60s. Makes for an interesting theme.
I loved thinking about my favourite super hero movies this week. I actually hated First Class the first time I saw it in the theater. I rewatched it recently and wondered how I could have missed how brilliant the casting was. My favourite is still Days of Futures Past though.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Sky High at all. Good job with that.
Nice to see Sky High get some love, it's a great pick and very much got some early talent. Crazy to watch that film then follow it up with Red State. Layla is also doing quite well for herself on the Flash. - Bubbawheat
ReplyDeleteI may have to jump in here as soon as I figure out an appropriate spin on it.
Love all the X-Men movies (Except X3 + all the Wolverine movies) and I loved Spider-Man when it first came out. Not too keen on the newer ones. I always thought Sky High seemed a bit cheesy but I think I might just check it out :)
ReplyDeleteI can't begin to comment on x-men since I can't begin to keep them straight! There's a possibility I recently watched this one on a plane though...
ReplyDeleteSky High is so cute. I still haven't seen any Spider-Man movies, and to be honest I'm not really sure why. LOVE all the X-Men movies, and First Class was a pleasant surprise (Jennifer Lawrence's shockingly dull Mystique aside).
ReplyDeleteNice. Never saw Sky High. But I love the new X-Men movies. I went the latest one on my picks. Raimi's Spiderman is far superior to the new ones.
ReplyDelete