Movies
Super is an excellent addition to the nerdy superhero genre.
A nice return to form for James Gunn. Far away from Marvel's tight control, Gunn is allowed to combine horror and comedy elements to brighten an overworked superhero concept. And he actually pulls it off. The Suicide Squad is far from perfect, but it's a lot better than most of its peers.
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Gunn's comedy is pleasantly blunt and stupid, which goes perfectly well with the comic book vibe. There are several stand-out scenes (Quinn's flower battle is amazing) and some very cool jokes, the action scenes are a tad dull though and there's a bit too much empty filler to keep it engaging all the way through. Still, I hope Gunn can have another go as this was so much better than the first one.
Movie 43
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of Marvel's most colorful properties and Gunn has proven himself to be a fun director before, but this series never really finds its footing. This is exemplified by the coolest action scene of the third film, set to an oldfarty Beastie Boys track that drains it from half of its power.
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There are some cool action scenes, the budget is put to good use and though the film is at least 30 minutes too long, the pacing is pretty slick. The score is horrible though and the comedy is pretty cringe-worthy. I think Gunn fares better at DC, where he is allowed to be a little more daring and edgy, but I just wish he'd go back to directing smaller films.
Same old, same old. Some misfits save the universe from a madman, Marvel bad guys really are the dumbest, most incapable creatures alive. Cue some gruesome classic pop hits, lots of colorful scenery, poor action scenes and a very questionable sense of humor. Nopes, this is just another Marvel failure.
Gotta be a little careful on how to phrase critiques on Superman nowadays. Before you know it, you're assigned a side of the political spectrum for not enjoying a piece of bland Hollywood franchise culture. Luckily, my dislike for this film has nothing to do with the content. It's that Gunn's answer to superhero fatigue seems to be nostalgia, which is probably the worst thing that could happen to the genre.
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There are other questionable parts, like the horrendous performance of Hoult, or the excruciating addition of a super dog, which acts as Superman's hard-to-control pet. On top of that, the styling is dreary and cheesy, the action is bland, and the sentimentality is completely inappropriate. I like Gunn when he has fun with the genre, but when he tries to do anything more serious with the genre, the result is absolute garbage.