San Diego Comic-Con is under way, and it inspired me to go
back and read some of Roger’s reviews of superhero movies (ten of which are
linked below). Roger confessed to having
a particular fondness for the superhero comic book (graphic novel) movie genre.
As I read some of the reviews, I realized that to me Roger was my Superhero,
the bespectacled, mild-mannered film critic who becomes Super Roger when yielding his Golden Thumb in favor of quality
or fun films, whether indies or blockbusters, or when advocating for the rights
of those without power. The ordinary man
who becomes extraordinary when he unleashes his ability to empathize with others,
racing to the defense of people of another race or age or ability or economic
status. The hero who can rouse the consciousness of others to come together
around issues of social justice and fair play. And the man who had an inner core of steel,
and a physical constitution so strong he eluded Death until he was ready to
submit on his own terms.
What I love about Steve James’ documentary “Life Itself“ is
that you see all of the various incarnations of Roger as he goes from ordinary
human to superhero: his boyhood; his passion for journalism; his sense of fair play;
his carousing and falling to his kryptonite, alcohol, and how he ultimately
defeated it; his relationship with his frenemy Gene Siskel as they changed the
landscape of film criticism and how the public viewed films. And most important
for me, Roger’s embrace of the unconditional love we had for each other. How
that and our family life he so cherished strengthened his superpowers. How at
the end of his life he morphed into this transcendent other, inspiring us to
live better lives, hold our loved ones even closer, and strive to make this
world a better place. What a Superhero!
I called upon our Far-Flung Correspondent Krishna Shenoi to create
a visual representation of these words I wrote about Roger, and he did not
disappoint. All of the Super Roger illustrations
are by Krishna.
Ten of Roger’s reviews below offer a sampling of his
fondness for this genre. But there are many other reviews we could have chosen
that you will find at RogerEbert.com.
To see “Life Itself”
in theaters or on video on demand or iTunes, see: magpictures.com/LifeItself
“Superman” (Great Movie essay)
“Superman” (original review)
“The Crow“
“Iron Man“
TO SEE “LIFE ITSELF” in Theaters, On Demand or iTunes: go to:
MagPictures.com/LifeItself
