Why Superman II Still Has the Best Ending Ever
Although it’s forty years old, I still rate the climax of Superman II (1980) as the best climax to any superhero film. It does something that the numerous superhero movies since have never bettered: it surprises us. One of my issues with the superhero genre is that too often, the final battle is won through sheer will and/or strength. In The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Batman’s victory can only come through physically besting Bane. In The Dark Knight (2008) – which is meant to be a test of wills and intellect, since the Joker confesses he can’t win a fist fight against Batman – Batman still has to physically incapacitate…
A Look Back: Raiders of the Lost Ark
I’ve been going through a lot of movies in lockdown – a sprinkling of newer movies, some older ones I’ve never seen or saw so long ago I can hardly remember them, as well as movies I love which I thought it would be time to re-watch. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is one of the re-watches. I first saw this in 1982 as part of a high school class trip to the city – this is when the city had an almost-exclusive monopoly on cinemas, whereas now you find them in every shopping plaza. The teacher had been looking for a movie based around some topic or other…