World's Finest

Sandy Collora's World's Finest is a faux film preview featuring the cinematic team-up of D.C. Comics' two greatest heroes and cultural icons, Superman and Batman.

Collora opted for a different approach to filming his comic book heroes, this time using less atmospheric, lighter fare and giving his audience what constitutes a three-minute tease.

Having said that, World's Finest is a very fine display of the directorial talents of Sandy Collora and is a great follow-up to his masterpiece Batman: Dead End.

Clark Bertram returns as the Dark Knight Detective, and is in fine form, but it's Michael O'Hearn's Man of Steel that really steals the show. O'Hearn does a tremendous job of embodying Superman on screen, and carries the physical presence to pull it off realistically and seriously. Once again, Collora evokes the artwork of comic book painter Alex Ross in his choice of actors and set pieces, and once again, it works terrifically.

Kurt Carley, the Predator of Batman: Dead End, portrays a fleeting, but ominous Lex Luthor, and the gorgeous and sultry Nina Kaczorowski is fine as Lois Lane.

The trailer is a spine-tingling experience for comics fans and fans of superhero movies, but it does leave the audience a bit wistful with its short running time and cliffhanger feel.

Sandy Collora has proved once more that he is a capable filmmaker and here's hoping this will be a further boost to an already impressive career.

Highly recommended!

Sandy Collora made an impressive eight-minute film called BATMAN: DEAD END which pitted Batman against the Joker and two surprise movie monsters from a rival studio's franchises. Collora returns to the comic book genre with WORLD'S FINEST. Longtime comic book readers will recognize that title as the monthly book that teamed Batman with Superman. It's also the title of a three-part episode of "The New Batman/Superman Adventures" that was released on video as THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN MOVIE.

Once again, we can see the influence of artist Alex Ross on Collora's cinematic work as early in the six-minute film we see Clark Kent (Michael O'Hearn, who looks as if he just flew out of the pages of "Action Comics") changing into Superman while being lit by a single, small spotlight. Very similar to some of Ross' artwork. WORLD'S FINEST is shot in the format of a movie trailer for an "upcoming" production from Warner Brothers, who owns both the literary and cinematic rights to the characters. It would appear that Clark/Superman is having trouble with President Lex Luthor (Kurt Carley, who played one of the surprise creatures in BATMAN: DEAD END). So much trouble that he needs the help of Batman (Clark Bartram reprising his role from the previous film). Luthor, meanwhile, enlists the aid of Batman foe Two-Face (Michael Antonik)instead of the Joker like in the animated film. The action primarily takes place in Metropolis as we only see Superman's supporting players: Perry White (Joseph Collora), Jimmy Olsen (Andrew Decker) and, of course, Lois Lane (Nina Kaczorowski).

For a low budget attempt, some of WORLD'S FINEST looks great. There is a scene where Superman catches a car falling from the sky that will remind you of the cover of "Action Comics" #1 and then flies away with it. However, other flying sequences look kind of cheesy. Also, as with BATMAN FOREVER, Two-Face is portrayed as a cackling Joker-wannabe. Two-Face is a very tragic character who seldom laughs. But, for the most part, Collora has done a very good job. Which leads me to issue this challenge on his behalf: Warner Brothers, if you've seen this short, the ball is in your court. With your talent and money behind you, you should be able to produce a film to go with this "trailer". It's all up to you now.

Another great movie effort from an up and coming blockbuster movie director, Sandy Collora. A very wise decision to use Bartram again as he had in his first effort, "Dead End". However, the choice of O'Hearn had to have been one more of visual compatibility to the role than that of acting acumen. O'Hearn is just about the most perfect looking Clark Kent/Superman I have ever seen. His acting ability is somewhat stiff and wooden I'm afraid. The smirks and glances he gives are just not enough to carry the viewer across the line from thinking that he looks like Superman to believing that he actually is Superman as we do with Bartram in his Batman role. (Bartram and Batman. Hey, I never noticed that before!) It's as if O'Hearn is more interested in looking the role than being the role. I hope that Collora does not wind up going the route of George Lucas whose movies of late have been more about looks and less about substance.

This is a fan-made short film that pretends to be a preview for a new movie that pairs Batman and Superman! It's the sort of film that fans adore and watch at places like ComicCon and was made by the same person who made BATMAN: DEAD END, Sandy Collora.

As far as this film goes, I could easily pick it apart. Sure the CGI effects aren't perfect and the costumes are far from perfect. BUT, this was made on a shoestring budget and for a fan film this is incredible. I was particularly impressed by the very buff Superman--he was no wimpy little guy! If only this were a preview for a real film--they'd have fans lined up from here to Omaha to see it. Great job.

For every force of good in the world there is a force for evil. Superman is the good to Lex Luther's evil – a fight he has fought many times before but one that sees him truly up against it this time and in need of help. When Bruce Wayne arrives in town, Clark Kent could not have foreseen that this man would provide an ally in the form of the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Their methods are very different though and it will not be so simple to pull together to defeat the evil forces amassing around Metropolis.

Lets be clear from the outset, this is essentially a trailer for a film that does not exist and is not about to exist. It is a fan film, producing a trailer of a dream project for that individual. As such it is actually quite fun – it moves quickly, has some good images and is quite engaging for all that it gives out. Of course, many of us who have seen good trailers turn into bad movies will know that making a trailer is much different from making a working film (of any length) and it does benefit from the fact that, as a trailer, things like plot, character and consistency don't really come into it. Viewers looking for those should stop right now but, for style without substance or budget, this actually does pretty darn well, never looking expensive but certainly looking a lot more professional than I expected it to.

Even in a trailer though, the acting can still be bad and indeed it is here. Nobody really convinces even in this short time and the clunky delivery was one of the factors that put this firmly down as an amateur effort. That said it is still worth seeing because it is cool and most people do like seeing trailers because they are slick, substance-less and full of polished promise, all of which this one produces more or less. Just don't expect it to do any more than the normal trailers.