Stan Lee is a loving tribute to the late comic book legend — who died in 2018 — also known as Stan “The Man” Lee. In this documentary, directed by David Gelb, Lee gets to tell his own story from beyond the grave.

During this film, Lee is very open about his occasionally difficult experiences working alongside Marvel artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditto.

The documentary smartly weaves videos and photos of historical events with archival footage of Lee’s life, such as his experiences during World War II and the Vietnam War. Stan Lee also edits voiceover recordings from different periods of his life, from interviews, speeches, and the like. Despite the ease of determining the difference between the voiceovers, this is done seamlessly.

Stan Lee includes some Claymation recreation of events throughout Lee’s life, which is a neat idea. But, it doesn’t fit with the comic book focus of the rest of the film. These scenes could have been eliminated entirely or used more consistently, instead of interfering with the narrative flow.

At times, it does feel as though Marvel — which co-produced Stan Lee — is patting itself on the back. The film makes Lee’s contributions to the comic world feel connected to what is currently known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shouting out characters we’ve seen onscreen, like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Black Panther.

However, if you are looking for anything new about the Marvel comic world, you will be disappointed as the film doesn’t offer much in the way of new content or history. It barely even scratches the surface of Lee’s comic book illustrations and stories themselves — which is a shame.

Lee was clearly very proud of his accomplishments, and how he described his impact could come across as self-centered if it were anyone else. He even recognized the fact that he was a “living legend” and essentially a celebrity in the comic book world. Yet, Stan Lee wisely also shines a light on his generosity and compassion for all individuals, regardless of their differences.

At only 86 minutes long, Stan Lee seems too short; Gelb often rushes events during Lee’s 95 years instead of taking the time to delve deeper into specific aspects of his life. This may have been better as a docuseries, as this would have enabled the story to breathe more.

While the focus of Gelb’s film is Lee’s work as a comic book writer, creator, and publisher, Stan Lee does spend a little time discussing Lee’s relationship with his wife and daughter. If this story had been stretched into long-form content, we would have seen more of his personal life than we received here.

We do get a glimpse into Lee’s strained relationship with Kirby and Ditko, who butted heads over who was the real “creator” behind such certain stories and characters. The inclusion of archival voiceover of both Kirby and Ditko is minimal but helps to show their sides a bit – even if Stan Lee is essentially manufactured to take Lee’s side.

Perhaps the best aspect of Stan Lee is that instead of talking heads — which can often distract from the main story — the film features only voiceover (and occasional video footage). Marvel could have asked notable stars, collaborators, etc., to sing Lee’s praises. Instead, Gelb’s film is a portrait of an artist told almost entirely in his own words.

Maybe Gelb’s film is too positive, hopeful, and heroic. There’s no mention of the legal disputes he was engaged in, primarily about intellectual property. But, Stan Lee represents how Lee lived his life and wrote and created all of those comic books.

What did you think of Stan Lee? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Stan Lee is currently available to stream on Disney+.

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