This summer audiences were treated to what can only be described as a superhero smorgasbord. Big-budget comic book extravaganzas have been a staple of the summer movie season for years now, but they have never been so highly anticipated or this massive in scale.
"The Avengers" was the first action-packed entry into this year’s superhero foray. It was the most fun movie of the year, by far. And why wouldn’t it have been? It had an A-list cast, massive hype due to the previous interconnecting Marvel films, eye-popping, lighthearted action sequences and the direction of Joss Whedon, ambassador of the Geeks. The cherry on top was that the world finally got the Incr
Next up was "The Amazing Spider-Man," which rebooted the series and retold the origin story of Peter Parker. Yes, I was skeptical about this one. The fact that the studio was making it seem dark and gritty did not help. But of course I saw it the weekend it was released and surprise, surprise – it was actually pretty good, even if the first half is much better than the second. Everything leading up to Spider-Man was spot-on: Andrew Garfield captured the spirit of Peter Parker and Emma Stone shined in her role as Gwen Stacy. However, nothing with Spider-Man was all that entertaining, save for a standout sequence on a bridge. And, yes, The Lizard was completely ridiculous, as well as his big, evil scheme. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable ride.
Last but absolutely not least came "The Dark Knight Rises," the beyond epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s take on the Batman mythos. I will freely and honestly admit that I am probably too much of a Batman fan to criticize this movie properly – I was that guy waiting in line for nearly three hours to see it on IMAX at midnight in my new Batman shirt. I was offered $100 for my tickets but turned it down, because Batman told me to. That being said, I think people can either love this film or hate it. It is very long, very dark, does not have Heath Ledger and features an ending, which I’m sure will be fiercely debated for years. For the first time ever, the villain does not overshadow Batman and he is the best thing about his own movie. Bravo, Christian Bale.
That’s my take on the action-packed Superhero Trio of 2012. But don’t take my word for it – go see them if you haven’t already!
