STAN LEE
Starring: Stan Lee
Director: David Gelb
AMARÚ
What better way to tell the life of an all-time storyteller than to use that storyteller’s own voice? The Stan Lee documentary is told through Stan’s words, and not only does it give us an insightful perspective on his life, but it also emphasizes the massive influence Marvel Comics (and conversely all forms of media) have had on the world. Comics are communal. Comics are entertainment. Comics are educational. Comics are political. Replace “comics” with any artistic expression and those statements are still true. Stan Lee reiterates the importance of art in life, and that’s as beautiful as the man himself.
QUENTIN
Mileage will vary with Stan Lee depending on how much you already know about the creator of Marvel’s most popular characters. For me, this is at least the third documentary I’ve seen on the icon (not to mention countless interviews and magazine articles), so I found it to be unnecessary, boring, and dry. Admittedly, there is some interesting insight to his thinking that art, even comic books, can change the world, but…been there, done that. If you only know Lee as the man who made cameos in almost every Marvel movie, it’s probably worth a watch. However, if you already know his story, this is skippable.
