About Me

My photo
Matthew Freeman is a Brooklyn based playwright with a BFA from Emerson College. His plays include THE DEATH OF KING ARTHUR, REASONS FOR MOVING, THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE AMERICANS, THE WHITE SWALLOW, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, THE MOST WONDERFUL LOVE, WHEN IS A CLOCK, GLEE CLUB, THAT OLD SOFT SHOE and BRANDYWINE DISTILLERY FIRE. He served as Assistant Producer and Senior Writer for the live webcast from Times Square on New Year's Eve 2010-2012. As a freelance writer, he has contributed to Gamespy, Premiere, Complex Magazine, Maxim Online, and MTV Magazine. His plays have been published by Playscripts, Inc., New York Theatre Experience, and Samuel French.

Monday, May 05, 2008

If you care to know...

Iron Man. Saw it. Dug it. Don't see what the super reviews are all about. This movie was perfectly acceptable summer fare. I am a summer fare whore. My happy place is watching summer blockbusters. I love that crap. But better (off the top of my head) comic book movies include: Superman I, II and Superman Returns; Batman, Batman Begins; X-Men and X-Men 2; Ang Lee's Hulk; Spider Man and Spider Man 2. Heck, even Unbreakable (in a way).

There's been a backlash, I think, against comic book movies that take themselves seriously. This movie is a clear example. Entertaining, tongue firmly in cheek, well-made B-movie, with a TV-movie script being jazzed up by some great actors, some great comedic moments and a lot of ILM. I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers or anything. But I'm looking forward to Dark Knight. Iron Man is fun, but it probably won't wind up on my DVD shelf.

Someday, I shall publish what IS in my DVD collection. Then you'll see what's wrong with me.

22 comments:

isaac butler said...

wait wait wait... you think Unbreakable is a better movie? That movie should be titled Unbearable.

Freeman said...

I do. That's it Butler! Throw down!

Jamespeak said...

Although I was originally going to post a comment giving my dissenting opinions to Mr. Freeman, I do have to say I may have to be his tag-team partner when it comes to Unbreakable, Mr. Butler.

It is ON!

Jamespeak said...

Though I do have to say, I found Iron Man to be in the category of top-shelf superhero movies. Definitely better than Superman Returns, Spider-Man, and Hulk.

(And yes, I suppose better than Unbreakable, although I still won't stand for negative puns based on its title, I say!)

Christine Whitley said...

Odd. I was just thinking about how much I hated Unbreakable about two days ago. This was prompted by a discussion about the worst film directors ever...

Freeman said...

I wouldn't defend his body of work. But that's a good movie. It's just a very specific movie for a very specific taste. In fact, I bet if that movie came out more recently, it would have been far more popular. Being a comic book dork has become almost too popular these days.

Christine Whitley said...

Well, I should be more specific. I think the story of Unbreakable is pretty good. It's the execution of the ending that I can't stand.

Freeman said...

I hear that. Honestly, I don't think the ending is perfectly executed, but I dug the idea of it.

It's at least ambitious, has some very cool shots, and it's got some great scenes.

Christine Whitley said...

I really did like it up until the end. Then I think I guffawed.

Freeman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christine Whitley said...

DON'T SPOIL IRON MAN FOR ME! I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

Geez.

Freeman said...

OH GOD! I'm a tool! I'm a tool!

Trust me. You have not been spoiled by what I wrote. The trailers are worse.

Jamespeak said...

Yes, Unbreakable's epilogue is very, very lame. There are also many other flaws with the movie. And I, too, will not defend M Night Shyamalan's body of work.

Having said that, Unbreakable to me is a very inventive and simple superhero origin story. Shyamalan once said he wanted to make a movie based solely on the first act of the typical three-act superhero story (the hero learns of his powers in Act One, takes them out for a spin in Act Two, then Confronts the Big Villain in Act Three).

The big flaw in this is that, because of the pace, you have time to see the gaping storyline problems inherent to superhero stories (usually, superhero movies and comics move so fast you don't have time to see how illogical they are).

So yeah. I'll defend Unbreakable. I can't really say the same for most of Shyamalan's other movies.

Joshua James said...

Okay. I haven't seen IRON MAN.

However . . . I HAVE seen Ang Lee's HULK.

And, ahem. It's not good. Uh-uh. No way.

Pains me to say, as that I am a HUGE whore for CROUCHING TIGER, seen it numerous times - but HULK. Sorry Ang baby, swing and a miss.

Smartest thing Marvel is doing is the do-over, I think.

I've also seen UNBREAKABLE, which I thought started great, ended badly . . . and it's not REALLY a comic book hero movie, when ya think about it.

Christine Whitley said...

MF, I was only joking about the spoiler...

Freeman said...

Josh -

Ang Lee's Hulk is great. I know most people didn't think so. I certainly did. I think it's beautiful and ambitious and way way out there.

Christine -

You don't know the geek codes I broke by not writing "SPOILER ALERT."

Christine Whitley said...

MF, Ok.

On a whole 'nother note... what do you think of Resevoir Dogs?

I ask because I am in an argument about it.

Freeman said...

You mean Reservoir Dogs from 1927? I thought the statue of limitations passed on arguments about that movie after Quentin Tarantino made Jackie Brown or something.

Freeman said...

ahem. statute.

Christine Whitley said...

I can't account for the stupidity of posters in a certain film thread.

Yes. It's an argument on the internets.

Joshua James said...

I just didn't get Hulk, but I honor your admiration of it.

Now then, you did leave DARKMAN off the list, did you not, hmm?

bfuqua said...

What, no BATMAN RETURNS?