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angry_seraph
Reviews
Superman: Doomsday (2007)
Ignore the purists--this is actually very good!
OK, I admit the animation here isn't the best--but the dark story line and a wide variety of "small touches" (like Lois Lane watching the battle, unflinching, as a shard of glass cuts her cheek) more than make up for that. However, there are quite a few Superman fans who hate the turn in recent years towards darker, grittier story lines (as in the widely unappreciated graphic novel, "For Tomorrow"), which is probably why the reviews for this are as low as they are.
The scene-by-scene script and choreography for "Superman: Doomsday" are simply amazing, as anyone who actually stayed in the room to watch this would concede. ;) Some jerky animation aside, "Superman: Doomsday" more than holds its own--in part because it is obviously intended for a more mature audience. For example, people are actually KILLED in this one, instead of stumbling stupidly out of a fire with some soot on their faces.
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Beautiful, Quirky, and Wise
OK, this movie isn't for everyone... but if you've ever worked a monotonous waste-of-life job like Joe Banks, or entertained semi-embarrassing notions of heroism and romance, you might like this.
Personally, I loved it. Behind the campy humor (which is campy on purpose) is some real commentary on the half-awake/half-asleep state that most people live in. The most memorable part of this movie is definitely the sequence of Tom Hanks on the ocean before (and during) the moonrise, which is exquisite and simply beautiful. In fact, that sequence is quite possibly the finest acting Tom Hanks has ever done (we'll avoid mentioning his lamentation of mutilated soccer balls).
Also, the soundtrack (by George Delerue) is at times funny, at other times lonesome, but is always elegant, simple, and masterful. The before-mentioned moonrise scene, for example, contains probably the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard in a movie. Overall, this is a quirky but wise film, the likes of which--sadly--will probably never come 'round again.