Roger Ebert Is My Superhero

By Chaz Ebert

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Jul 25, 2014, 04:28 ET

CHICAGO, July 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by Ebert Digital:

Illustration by Krishna Shenoi (PRNewsFoto/Ebert Digital)

COMIC-CON San Diego 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 glasses-wearing, 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)
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-superman-1978

Superman (original review)
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/superman

Superman II
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/superman-ii-1981

The Crow
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-crow-1994

X2: X-Men United
X2: X-Men United Movie Review (2003) | Roger Ebert

Spiderman 2
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spider-man-2-2004

Batman Begins
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/batman-begins-2005

Iron Man
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/iron-man-2008

The Dark Knight
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-dark-knight-2008

The Avengers
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-avengers-2012

To see "Life Itself" in theaters or on video on demand or iTunes, see: magpictures.com/LifeItself