Netflix Tries the Superhero Thing Again with French Film
By Kip Mooney• On • In TrailerTrailerComments Off on Netflix Tries the Superhero Thing Again with French Film
In 2017, Netflix bought Millarworld, the comic book publishing empire started by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Civil War). So far, that hasn't born any fruit, as the ultra-expensive Jupiter's Legacy adaptation was critically reviled and has been all but officially canceled after one season. There are more in the pipeline, but the first results haven't been great. Studios are learning that unless the comic books hail from DC or Marvel, there's little chance the movies or shows will succeed.
But the streaming giant is giving it another go, this time with a European flair. They've picked up How I Became a Superhero, based on the popular French novel. In this world, superheroes coexist with regular joes and garden-variety evil villains. To take down a drug dealer and human trafficker, an ex-superhero and detective team up. But they may need some help from some retired powerful beings.
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
