The superhero film genre is in deep schtuck. What was once a wondrous sci-fi-category is now mired in overkill stupidity. Look, I know box offices continue to like anything from the Marvel or DC stables, but I can barely watch those, and each time I do, I regret it (see my take on Venom for example and who can forget how infantile “Thor: Ragnarok” was). But all is not lost. “Legion” was fabulous, in all the ways a superhero movie is meant to be, and now “The Umbrella Academy,” based on a Dark Horse Comics (never heard of them, which is apposite) series, shows tons of promise in the first episode. The premise is that an eccentric billionaire has trained up seven superheroes with different talents and now Daddy is dead. Something will happen! Tom Hopper is exactly the right kind of stolid as Luther, the eldest Umbrella Academy member, young Aidan Gallagher shines as Number Five, and Ellen Page captures reticent Vanya beautifully. The scenes are lush, the music fab, and the overall vibe is dark and expectant. Episode 1 is mostly setup but that task is carried out with proper intelligence, and I look forward to continuing onward.
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