Visual effects were nowhere near the quality of Marvel films, which audiences had gotten used to, and the plot, villain, and character development felt undercooked. After shooting, however, Snyder left the production due to a family tragedy, leaving Joss Whedon to handle post-production.

Still, fans were eager to see the heroes of the DC universe unite in “Justice League,” the third Snyder-directed DC film. Reviewers rightly pointed out that the dark, gritty look didn’t work for Superman, a hero colloquially known as the blue boy scout. Both “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” did well at the box office, but not so great among critics. Zack Snyder’s vision of the DC Extended Universe was divisive, especially with Ben Affleck as Batman. The Flash (Ezra Miller), Batman (Ben Affleck), and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). Stark is redeemed in later Marvel films, but “Iron Man 3” missed the opportunity to wrap up the Iron Man franchise with style. It may have been an interesting story, but it was ruined by a red-herring villain and a plot with too much going on. Like the original film, Tony Stark (Downey) is an underdog in “Iron Man 3,” rebuilding himself after a defeat that leads people to believe he died. “Iron Man 3,” however, could not be saved. The follow-up, “Iron Man 2,” wasn’t as good as the original, but performances from Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell saved the film.

While the MCU took off, the “Iron Man” franchise would never reach the same heights again. The Robert Downey Jr.–led film started the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with better-known heroes such as Captain America and Thor appearing a few years later. It worked out better than they could have hoped. (Image: Disney Plus)īefore “Iron Man” was released in 2008, the hero was barely known outside comic book circles, allowing Marvel to try something different. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) lounges in his Iron Man suit. If you want to see them for yourself, all three films are available on HBO Max. Things may have been different had “The Hobbit” been a single film. Even with popular returning characters such as Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), “The Hobbit” trilogy could not escape mediocrity. Where “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy covered one novel per movie, “The Hobbit” stretched a single novel into three films. The first of three “The Hobbit” films was released in 2012 with Peter Jackson again at the helm, but it left fans wanting more. With such success, it was only logical that “The Lord of the Rings” would return. Tolkien’s novels in a way few other fantasy or sci-fi adaptations have done. Director Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic did justice to J.R.R.

“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy was a masterpiece, with an impressive 17 Oscars to show for it. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) goes on a life-changing journey.

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