Saturday, August 15, 2015

Sparks


  Disgraced superhero Ian Sparks must reclaim his reputation after blacking out during a confrontation with a serial killer. Hitting rock bottom, and losing the love of his life, Sparks must confront a plot involving his origins and the villain who humiliated him.
  The superhero movie as a genre is a train that keeps on chugging along, with people in increasing number flocking to see the latest Marvel Studios film or whatever halfhearted effort DC and Warner Brothers have dumped into theaters. For a genre that was considered a joke 20 years ago, the tables sure have turned for costumed heroes, and I, for one, couldn't be happier about it.
  Sparks is not your standard superhero movie, it tells a story of redemption and love through a noir lens. This movie is also not afraid to look a little silly at times, something the big Hollywood movies tend to stay away from as much as possible. The costumes worn by Sparks and his love Lady Heavenly are unmistakably the kind seen in comic books, which is something I found refreshing.
  While the cast isn't quite all star, it does include a number of notable names, including veteran character actors like Clancy Brown and Clint Howard. William Katt, who also produced the film, shows up to play a part.
  This film is far from perfect, at times it looks a little cheap, including a somewhat unconvincing cgi scene of a car crashing into a train. There are moments where some of the acting feels a tiny bit rough, and some of the dialogue feels slightly hammy, but this is a superhero noir film, so I guess that is something that is unavoidable. With all of that said, I enjoyed my time with Sparks, the movie has heart, and it tells a different kind of story then the ones you'll see at your local multiplex. I enjoyed it enough that it made me want to read the graphic novel that the film is based upon, and in terms of recommendation, isn't that praise enough?  

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