Perfect in what it sets out to do. Could not have been improved on.

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2016)

I rate this movie a solid 10, and I feel that whenever you rate any movie a 10, it deserves a very good explanation. I don't rate movies based on what I think of other movies in that genre. Nor do I compare movies to other movies made by the same director. So, while I could compare this to The Sixth Sense, and say that I like The Sixth Sense better... How is that a good reason for a lower rating? Does that mean this movie deserves a lower score? I believe movies should be judged on their own, as stand alone products. And as a film, this movie is perfect in what it sets out to accomplish.
The movie simply has a fantastic cinematography. Every shot seems thoroughly planned out, and shot as if shooting a frame from a comic book. There are fantastic long shots in this movie, that are not just thrown in as a gimmick, but with a deliberate purpose. Some shots simply hold on a specific perspective. Too few movies seem to understand this classic style. Modern movies constantly cut. Cut, cut cut... -and this is ruining movies. Just hold a shot for a few seconds! Have some patience for crying out loud! And that's what this movie does. It takes its time, and it demands some patience from its audience. You don't need to constantly cut to new camera angles, when you can simply move the camera. And the soundtrack is the final ingredient that makes it all work. It is heroic at times, and also tender and romantic when it needs to. It is in my opinion one of James Newton Howard's best scores.
No, this is not an action movie. It is a slow drama. It is a story that needs to be told slowly. Some may regard this as a flaw. I argue that this movie would not be improved upon by making it faster. It is that slow building atmosphere that makes the movie so good. It is well acted, and it is one of the few movies in which I find Samuel L Jackson totally believable as a character who is not shouting profanities all the time. In fact, this may be one of his best acting roles. Bruce Willis is also fantastic in this. I also feel that not a single line of dialogue is off, or out of place.
Some have called the plot twist predictable. Well, I've seen plenty of people be caught off guard by the twist, myself included, so I see nothing wrong with it. But while the twist is a good way to bookend the movie, I think where the movie really shines is simply the fact that it as a lot of heart. It is sentimental, it is romantic, and it romanticizes the idea of the real life superhero. That is what it is all about, and if you can't embrace that concept, then this movie is simply not for you. There are scenes in this movie that still get the waterworks running, and get me crying man-tears. Call me sentimental, but the movie works for me. Maybe because it touches on a topic that is dear to my heart: The idea of the real life hero.