Review: New documentary renders superficial portrait of Marvel’s ‘Stan Lee’
‘Stan Lee’
The writer and editor Stan Lee wasn’t solely responsible for turning Marvel Comics into a cultural phenomenon, but his flair for promotion — expressed in a punchy prose style that treated readers like confidants — undeniably helped sell the brilliant work of artists like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and John Romita. Of course, Lee also excelled at selling himself, spinning evocative myths about his role in creating enduring superheroes like the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Avengers and Spider-Man. There was some truth to nearly all of his anecdotes, but it was mixed with entertaining bluster and exaggeration.
David Gelb’s film “Stan Lee” is very much a “print the legend” kind of documentary. The dominant voice in the picture is Lee’s, heard in extensive audio and video interviews drawn from different eras — including toward the end of his life. Gelb illustrates Lee’s memories with colorful panels from old Marvel comics; and he stages nifty-looking reenactments of daily life in the Marvel offices, using plastic figurines as stand-ins for Lee, Ditko, Kirby and company. For anyone who only knows Stan Lee from his Marvel Cinematic Universe cameos and his general pop-culture presence, this movie offers a solid introduction to the origins of a whole generation of superheroes.
The son of comic book artist Jack Kirby is blasting Disney+ film “Stan Lee” for glossing over his father’s contributions to Marvel. Does he have a point?
But what viewers won’t really learn here is that many of those origin stories have been disputed. If “Stan Lee” weren’t a product of the Marvel-affiliated Disney+ streaming service, the movie might do more than just touch briefly on the beefs some of Lee’s artistic collaborators had with his habit of hoarding credit. Instead, the biggest conflict in this movie involves Lee’s own hurt feelings when he admits to feeling marginalized by Marvel post-retirement — until it brought him back for the MCU era in what is meant to pass for a happy ending to this documentary.
The more superficial approach to Lee’s life and work may have been the price Gelb and his team paid for access to the Marvel archives; if so, it’s hard to argue with how nice the results look. The story being told lacks depth and insight; but it does have snap and polish, and it features a lot of astonishing art. In a way it’s a true Stan Lee experience.
‘Stan Lee.’ TV-PG, for moderate violence. 1 hour, 26 minutes. Available on Disney+
‘Take Care of Maya’
For all the good that hospitals and social services do, there are times when well-meaning citizens get trappedin the gears of the bureaucracy. Henry Roosevelt’s documentary “Take Care of Maya” is mostly about the legal and healthcare nightmare endured by the Kowalskis, a Florida family whose daughter, Maya, was diagnosed with a rare debilitating condition by her own physician, only to be separated from her parents when a local hospital questioned that diagnosis and suspected the parents of child abuse. Roosevelt also reveals how often an overabundance of caution within the medical establishment leads to families being torn apart.
“Take Care of Maya” is frequently tough to watch, because the Kowalskis documented a lot of their most difficult experiences — including Maya’s extreme pain and loneliness, and the court’s seeming indifference to her suffering. The movie does drag at times, mirroring the slow grind of the Kowalskis’ experiences; and it’s missing any substantial rebuttal from the people who made the family’s life hell. But this is still an absorbing and challenging film, capturing the frustration of being held in limbo by a system that seems to prioritize punishment over appeals.
‘Take Care of Maya.’ TV-14, for child abuse references, language, suicide. 1 hour, 43 minutes. Available on Netflix
‘Sublime’
It’s tough for any two longtime friends to make the transition from being “just pals” to getting romantic. It’s even tougher when those friends are teenage boys — and when neither of them is sure he’s gay. In writer-director Mariano Biasin’s “Sublime,” Manuel (Martín Miller) and Felipe (Teo Inama Chiabrando) are 16-year-old Argentines who play together in a remarkably talented pop-punk group. Manuel and Felipe inspire each other in the rehearsal room, and they connect onstage. But when Manuel realizes he’s more attracted to Felipe than to his own girlfriend, he begins to withdraw emotionally from his loved ones, causing tension in the band.
Biasin doesn’t work through this situation via some complicated, contrived plot. “Sublime” mainly focuses on the day-to-day details of these boys’ lives, documenting the surging hormones and general fog of confusion that can make adolescent ardor so challenging. This is a slight but insightful film that feels very real. It’s tuneful too, joining the likes of “We Are the Best!” and “Sing Street” on the list of the catchiest movies about teenage rockers.
‘Sublime.’ In Spanish with subtitles. Not rated. 1 hour, 40 minutes. Available on VOD
Available now on DVD and Blu-ray
“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” stars Jake Gyllenhaal as an American soldier who embarks on a dangerous, off-the-books rescue mission in Afghanistan to save the life of the interpreter (Dar Salim) who helped him survive a war zone. Though the film criticizes political leaders who abandon loyal allies, the movie isn’t a screed so much as it’s a taut, detailed action picture — equal parts matter-of-fact and gripping. Warner Bros.
Also on VOD
“ParaGold” is an illuminating and heartwarming documentary about equestrian athletes working to qualify for the U.S. Paralympic dressage team. Director Ron Davis spends time with four hopefuls, for a film that largely eschews sentimentality in favor of nuts-and-bolts explanations of what it takes for people with physical limitations and prosthetics to ride horses at an international championship level. Available on VOD
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