One of the most beloved film franchises in Hollywood history – and arguably one of the best – is the Rocky franchise. After the original came out in 1976, fans could not get enough of the Italian Stallion and his brilliant and sometimes painful journey from zero to hero.
This weekend sees the release of CHUCK, the story of small-time boxer Chuck Wepner, who in 1975 went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali, and became the inspiration that led a young writer/actor named Sylvester Stallone to write ROCKY.
Not only was ROCKY a box office success, it went on to win 3 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for John G.Avildsen. It also led to 6 sequels that kept fans cheering for Rocky for nearly 40 years.
Clearly everyone has their favorite Rocky movie, but here is our ranking, in order of favorites, of the films in the Rocky franchise. So agree, disagree, or even better, get them in your Netflix queue!
1. ROCKY IV (1985) – It is 1985 and Rocky is now a superstar and millionaire. The cold-war was still a thing then and Rocky has to fight the giant blonde Russian, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) to avenge the death of best friend and mentor Apollo Creed. What makes this come in at #1 is that this movie is just awesome! From the cheesy musical montages set to 80’s pop anthems (the training montage is one of the best ones you will ever see), to Rocky’s inspirational message of world peace, this movie gives you all the feels. It also kicked American patriotism into high gear.
2. ROCKY (1976) – The one that started it all – and introduced us to the dimwitted, scrappy, but lovable Rocky Balboa, a neighborhood nobody that gets a shot at the title when he fights the heavy-weight champion of the world, Apollo Creed. This was seen as the great underdog movie of all time. Fans and critics went wild and the rest is Oscar history.
3. ROCKY III (1982) – This is the movie that introduced the world to 80’s icon Mr. T – aka Clubber Lang. Six years after the original, a new and even tougher contender wants a shot at Rocky’s title and an out-of-shape Rocky has his hands full. This is also the movie that brought us “Eye of the Tiger” and saddened us with the death of the beloved, crotchety trainer/father figure Mickey (played by the incomparable Burgess Meredith).
4. ROCKY BALBOA (2006) – 30 years after “ROCKY”, our hero is now older and slower, and just sad after losing his beloved Adrian (Talia Shire). Now the owner of an Italian restaurant, Rocky is all but retired and reclusive. Of course until a video game asks “who would win…” a fight between Rocky in his hey-day and the current champion. This movie is a sentimental favorite because all of the bluster is gone and we finally get to see the real Rocky, at the end of his time in the spotlight.
5. CREED (2015) – Still retired, older and slower, Rocky is now faced with a kid claiming to be the son of Apollo Creed. The product of an apparent extra-marital affair, Adonis Creed is looking to capture his father’s glory on his own terms (using the name “Johnson” as to not get special treatment) and insists that Rocky train him. This has got to be the most sentimental of the franchise since the first one. Battling cancer, Rocky now has more to fight for than a championship belt and Stallone’s performance was so subtle and quietly powerful, it garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
6. ROCKY II (1979) – Although this was the movie fans were chomping-at-the-bit for after Rocky (you know, the big rematch and all…), it didn’t really deliver. It was sort of predictable in story (Rocky falling from grace and Apollo not satisfied with the outcome of the first match, yada yada…) and the final fight sequence just felt like a re-hash of the first one. Of course Rocky wins and paves the way for more movies in the franchise.
7. ROCKY V (1990) – This has to be the most disappointing of the Rocky movies. Flat broke after bad management and bad investments, Rocky is down and out again and is convinced to fight a former protégé in a street fight to make money. A street fight! This was a bad idea from the get-go. Rocky fans yearned for the bright lights of the boxing ring and all we got was a lame fight in the middle of the street with neighborhood locals cheering them on. Win or lose, it was definitely beneath the Rocky we had come to know and love.
Contributed by Melissa Thompson and Michelle Hannett
Between January and August of 2014, local cinemas worldwide entertained moviegoers with themes of sci-fi, documentaries, animation, fairy tales, horror and thrillers.
Glowing up on the big screen were images of clicking colorful bricks, racing trains, mysterious creatures, superheroes – both shielded and guarded, coming-of-age tales and a fond farewell to the best Movie Geek ever.
Small and original storylines or epic stories with big stars, it’s been a good time at the movies this year and a lot for ticket buyers to choose from.
With so many to great films in the first half of 2014, including SNOWPIERCER, UNDER THE SKIN, ENEMY, LONE SURVIVOR, EDGE OF TOMORROW, and NOAH, whittling it down to a list of our “10 Favorite Movies of 2014… So Far” was a challenge.
Check out our lineup and let us know in our comments section below what your favorite movies have been this year. Some of these films are in theaters or you catch them at home on Netflix, OnDemand or a Premium Channel.
HONORABLE MENTION: THE LEGO MOVIE
Synopsis: The original 3D computer animated story follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.
THE LEGO MOVIE is wildly creative and often hilarious.
Opening Weekend: $69 million
10. THE RAID 2
Synopsis: He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap. And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.” In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.
THE RAID 2 is compelling drama punctuated by fist-pumping action, and stomach-churning violence that barely gives the audience a moment to catch their breath
9. PALO ALTO
Synopsis: Shy, sensitive April (Emma Roberts) is the class virgin —a popular soccer player and frequent babysitter for her single-dad coach, Mr. B. (James Franco). Teddy (Jack Kilmer) is an introspective artist whose best friend and sidekick Fred (Nat Wolff) is an unpredictable live wire with few filters or boundaries. While April negotiates a dangerous affair with Mr. B., and Teddy performs community service for a DUI — secretly carrying a torch for April, who may or may not share his affection — Fred seduces Emily (Zoe Levin), a promiscuous loner who seeks validation through sexual encounters. One high school party bleeds into another as April and Teddy finally acknowledge their mutual affection, and Fred’s escalating recklessness spirals into chaos.
PALO ALTO methodically paints a portrait of a generation that’s simultaneously looking for the truth and yet trying to drink enough to forget it.
8. MALEFICENT
Synopsis: MALEFICENT explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.
Synopsis: A growing nation of genetically evolved apes, led by Caesar, are threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES leaves a lasting impression based on the impressive special effects, rich visual landscapes, and moving character interactions.
Opening Weekend: $72 million
6. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Synopsis: After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.
This crackling action-adventure tale may be the brightest gleaming jewel in Marvel’s dazzling movie crown.
Opening Weekend: $95 million
5. TRUST ME
Synopsis: TRUST ME tells the sharp, comic story of Howard Holloway ( Clark Gregg), a down-on-his luck agent for child actors and truly one the last good guys left in Hollywood. After discovering a 13-year-old acting prodigy (Sharbino), he is poised to close the deal of a lifetime which would catapult his tween client and, at long last, himself, into the big time. With the support of his gorgeous new neighbor (Amanda Peet), he must wrangle the actress’ volatile, overprotective father, dodge a scheming producer (Felicity Huffman), and outwit his uber-slick nemesis (Sam Rockwell). As he arrives on the brink of the Hollywood dream that’s eluded him for a lifetime, he begins to sense that his innocent young starlet may not be quite what she seems. This is the second feature film written and directed by Gregg, who made his directing debut with Choke, an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel that starred Sam Rockwell.
Clark Gregg bucks his beloved SHIELD Agent typecasting by writing, directing and starring in this smart, sincere, darkly comic tale of Hollywood extremes that proves he has much more to offer than playing a guy in a suit with a gun.
4. GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Synopsis: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune — all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.
Thanks in part to his terrific script but mostly to a magnificent central character played by Ralph Fiennes, Wes Anderson pulls out his best film yet.
3. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Synopsis: From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.
It’s original, smart, it doesn’t talk down to audiences, and it’s above all, an emotional film about outsiders finally finding a place to fit in.
Opening Weekend: $94 million
2. LIFE ITSELF
Synopsis: Acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) and executive producers Martin Scorsese (The Departed) and Steven Zaillian (Moneyball) present LIFE ITSELF, a documentary film that recounts the inspiring and entertaining life of world-renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert – a story that is by turns personal, funny, painful, and transcendent. Based on his bestselling memoir of the same name, LIFE ITSELF, explores the legacy of Roger Ebert’s life, from his Pulitzer Prize-winning film criticism at the Chicago Sun-Times to becoming one of the most influential cultural voices in America.
WAMG review HERE
LIFE ITSELF is a heart-wrenching love story, a witty tale of news hounds, a glitzy jaunt through “Tinsel Town”, mixed together with great warmth, skill, and affection.
1. BOYHOOD
Synopsis: Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (a breakthrough performance by Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason’s parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, BOYHOOD charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent, set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay’s Yellow to Arcade Fire’s Deep Blue. BOYHOOD is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. It’s impossible to watch Mason and his family without thinking about our own journey.
Richard Linklater has transcended the “coming-of-age drama” and has in fact achieved a cinematic marvel.
As to what’s coming up in the remaining months of 2014, MY OLD LADY starring Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s BIRDMAN (Oct. 17), Graham Annable’s and Anthony Stacchi’s THE BOXTROLLS (Sept. 26), Christopher Nolan’s INTERSTELLAR (Nov. 7), Tim Burton’s BIG EYES (Dec. 25), David Ayer’s FURY (Nov. 14), Bennett Miller’s FOXCATCHER (Nov. 14) and David Fincher’s GONE GIRL (Oct. 3) are just a few of the films we can’t wait to see. How about you?
Aliens… They aren’t all bad you know! Some aliens just want to contribute to society, pay their dues, and become outstanding citizens. Maybe they feel like they can relate to us… maybe they come in search of Reece’s Pieces… Maybe they just want to rescue the girl from harms way… Point is, we here at WAMG are more than happy to have them on our site, and are not about to argue with them! So, in honor of I AM NUMBER FOUR, in theaters this Friday, MARCH 18th, we bring you
TOP TEN HEROES FROM ANOTHER PLANET
CUE THE MUSIC!
(Sidenote: Tell me that keyboard player isn’t really bringing the pizazz about 12 seconds in!)
Honorable Mention: *batteries not included
Wouldn’t it be nice if little alien robots could assist in all of life’s problems? Well, that is exactly what happens in *batteries not included. When residents are being bullied by a gang (hired by the landlord) to move out of their homes, a group of metal, light up mechanical creatures from space come to their aide. It’s hard not to love these cute little saucers… or Jessica Tandy for that matter! The film was actually intended to be a story on Amazing Stories, a television series in the 80’s, but Steven Spielberg liked it so much that he decided that it was made for the big screen. Alas, our tiny heroes were born.
10. THE FIFTH ELEMENT
1997’s THE FIFTH ELEMENT is the crazy sci-fi adventure from director Luc Besson where the alien hero – Leeloo is a “supreme being” sporting Raggedy Ann hair and wrapped in thin white strips, precariously placed, for clothing. No one else besides Milla Jojovich could’ve gotten away with that getup. Set 250 years in the future, the film is filled with such cool characters as Bruce Willis’ Korben Dallas, Gary Oldman’s Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, and Ian Holm’s Father Vito Cornelius. But it’s Chris Tucker’s turn as the memorable Arsenio Hall talk show host, Ruby Rhod, that takes the cake. Every 5,000 years, life as we know is threatened by the arrival of Evil and only the good alien, aka the fifth element, can stop the Evil from squashing all civilization. When Leeloo finally steps up to the plate to save mankind, she and her lanky legs kick some major Mangalore ass. Adding to the colorful imagery of THE FIFTH ELEMENT is the film’s North African score, composed by Eric Serra. Shoutout to the hip music used for the taxicab chase scene, titled “Alech Taadi” by Algerian performer Khaled.
09. ALIEN NATION
By 1988 LETHAL WEAPON had firmly established the buddy cop movie as a subset of the police action thriller. Producers wondered how to put a new spin on this formula. How about a futuristic buddy cop thriller with an earthling cop paired with an alien cop? This is the main premise of ALIEN NATION. Twenty years before DISTRICT 9, this actioner dealt with the problems of an alien race ( called the Newcomers ) assimilating into Los Angeles in the distant year of 1991 ( ! ). Like other immigrants, the Newcomers had to deal with discrimination. This allowed the film makers to comment on race and ethnic relations in late 1980’s America. Bigots use the derogatory phrase ” Slag” to insult the aliens. The Newcomers appearance and habits are very different from the natives. The former slave aliens are tall, possess two hearts, have a large, spotted, bald cranium, prefer to eat raw meat, get drunk on sour milk, and can disintegrate in salt water. Immigration officials , to amuse themselves, assigned them humorous names. Hence we hear and met Harley Davidson, Rudyard Kipling, and our hero Detective Sam Francisco ( Mandy Patikin ), the first Newcomer in the police force. He’s partnered up with a bigoted veteran cop, Matt Sykes ( James Caan ). after Matt’ old partner is killed by an alien. The two men bicker and explore the world of these new citizens. Eventually Sam earns Matt’s respect and soon the old bachelor cop becomes part of Sams’ extended family. The film was popular enough to spawn a terrific short lived TV series and several TV movies. ALIEN NATION is a great, fast paced sci-fi thriller that’s able to sneak in a message or two during the action, and Sam Francisco’s a great alien hero who’s a credit to all law enforcement officers on this planet and beyond.
08. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
A real journey into the mind and imagination of Steven Spielberg, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND was his first interpretation of life ‘out there’. It’s a landmark film, a gripping display of technical skill and an almost magical ability to enthrall the viewer. Spielberg forced skeptics to think a lot about the possibility of life on other planets, but for the most part it was pure entertainment from a man who knows how to deliver, a fairytale about our dreams to encounter something mysterious and wonderful in a universe that is too often measured, weighed, and spoiled by science and technology.
07. LILO & STITCH
An escaped, illegal, galactic, genetic experiment gone awry, the unknown critter namedStitch lands on our planet-Earth. Hawaii, to be exact; which not the ideal place whenyour only weakness is water. A rowdy little earth girl named Lilo quickly adopts thiswayward creature as her pet and develops an attachment to it. With Lilo and her sisterNani headed for separation due to their dysfunctional family, Stitch’s antics end uphelping keep the family together, and is very cute and cuddly throughout. Co-writersand co-directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON)created a very sweet tale of how an alien can become a friend and the saving elementto the family.
06. COCOON
COCOON is # 6 on this week’s list. From director Ron Howard, this sci-fi Twilight Zone-esque film is about a group of retired seniors who literally get a new lease on life when E.T.-like aliens wander down to Earth to pick up their friends. Combined with Hollywood greats Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy and Gwen Verdon, plus the big band standards and Howard favorite, James Horner, COCOON was a huge box office success when released in 1985. Set in Florida, some of the funniest scenes are when these folks realize the magic pool of youth has some kind of life-force in it enabling them to act like happy, carefree teenagers again. There’s no such thing as gravity when these youngsters go out for a game of basketball. If you’ve never seen the film, be on the lookout for the children of two Hollywood stars, Tahnee Welch (Raquel Welch’s daughter) and Tyrone Power Jr. (son of Tyrone Power), and kudos to the wonderful casting of the head Antarean, Walter (played by Brian Dennehy). COCOON won 2 Oscars for Don Ameche (Best Supporting Actor) and Best Visual Effects and with its edge-of-your-seat finale, the Antareans are a stellar addition to our alien heroes list.
05. E.T. – THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
Steven Spielberg’s follow-up to the immensely successful RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, collected a wonderful cast and an alien from an unknown planet to create acharming and resilient story. Stranded on earth, ET finds the home of Elliott and hisfamily-absent a father. Soon, a close bond develops between Elliott and ET, as wellas the rest of the family members. The bond is so close, that it actually endangerseach other’s lives. The government men, which are never truly fleshed out as to whatdivision, power their way in and try to examine this unearthly being. The daring escapeto assist ET’s return home is a heart-warming fairy-tale of the bonds and sacrificespeople, and aliens, make for each other.
04. THE ABYSS
THE ABYSS came to us in 1989, James Cameron’s follow-up to another less-friendly film about ALIENS. Both films are fantastic, but THE ABYSS commonly gets forgotten, or even under-appreciated. The film stars Ed Harris, always a fine actor, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as an estranged couple brought back together by an extraordinary deep sea encounter. It’s this other-worldly event that ultimately triggers the tragedy bringing these two characters back together, allowing them to see each other clearly once again. These deep water explorers are visited by an unknown presence, illustrated by what were then groundbreaking special effects, setting the path for future filmmakers, including more advanced special effects by Cameron himself. (THE ABYSS was followed up by Cameron’s TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY.) Cameron may get a lot of flack for his stories, perhaps even his film-making tactics, but no one can dispute his prowess in the arena of influencing and incorporating outstanding new movie-making technology, and THE ABYSS was the film that truly first showed us that Cameron had such ingenious promise in this realm.
03. STARMAN
STARMAN stars Jeff Bridges as an alien visitor, harmless and curious, learning the ways of the human species. Directed by John Carpenter and released in 1984, the story follows this alien in the form of a widow’s (Karen Allen) husband who asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona. Along their journey together, the government is making efforts to stop Starman from reaching his destination. This endearing and dramatic science-fiction film is in many ways more a reflection of the human race, than it is a film about extra-terrestrial life. Jeff Bridges received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, as well as a Golden Globe nomination. Allegedly, the studio simultaneously had two scripts about alien visitation and chose STARMAN over the other, which happened to be ET – THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. While STARMAN earned a mere pittance compared to Spielberg’s ET, it’s still a solid film with a more defined and personal story.
02. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
In every sense of the word, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is timeless: the Message is Eternal, the film-making flawless. In terms of entertainment value alone, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL overshadows most of what came before and most of what has come since. It’s one of those must-see movies that no serious fan of the genre can pass up. Michael Rennie set the standard for Extraterrestrial Emissaries, Robert Wise raised the bar for thoughtful Science Fiction films, and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL proved that the sci-fi genre was a viable vehicle for the dissemination of speculative ideas. In many ways, it was a visionary film. The issues it addresses go on today, but the message stays the same: Our human condition is a poor one, the inability of the human race to work together, the greed, and the conflict between nations. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL remains a timeless Masterpiece.
01. SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE
Can you imagine how surprised comic book fans of the 1930’s must have felt when the learned that the first all-American super-hero is actually an alien from another planet? Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster established that in Action Comics # 1 way back in 1938. Forty years later the producers of SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE began his first big budget feature film adventure on his home planet of Krypton. And what an alien world it is. The camera first pans over a barren white landscape with crystal-like towers jutting form it’s surface to form cities.Jor-El ( Marlon Brando ) sentences three criminals to the Phantom Zone. A revolving flat plate swoops down, scoops the three up, and spins them away from the planet and into deep space. Later Jor-el pleads with the elders of Krypton ( shown as huge disembodied heads ) to prepare for their planet’s destruction. Returning home, Jor-El and his luminous wife Lara ( SusannahYork ) place their baby into a rocket that looks like a futuristic chandelier. The rocket levitates to the ceiling, crashes through, and speeds off into space as Krypton explodes. Inside the rocket baby Kal-El listens to crystals emitting lessons and advice from Jor-El. It crashes to earth and…you probably know the rest. At age 18 young Clark Kent finally learns of his alien heritage and travels to the North Pole with one of the rocket’s crystals. There he takes the crystal, flings it several miles where it sinks into the frozen tundra. this causes a crystal palace to rise out of the snow-his Fortress of Solitude. He enters and after several more years of Jor-El’s recordings, re-emerges as the blue and red costumed hero, Superman. He flies off to Metropolis where he works at The Daily Planet, meets the love of his life Lois Lane, and thwarts Lex Luthor. Along the way Superman discovers that his home world can be fatal to him as any fragments become the deadly substance Kryptonite. The film was a box office smash because in addition to the big established co-stars and special effects, they found a largely unknown actor who was able to bring some much humanity to this fantastic character. Christopher Reeve was perfectly cast as this defender of Earth. The ad line for the movie was “You’ll believe a man can fly.” What really makes the film work is that Reeve makes us believe that this alien with amazing powers is just as human as any of us.
So what do you guys think? Are there any alien heroes that you would like to see on this list? Let us know!
