'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Review: It's a start. (SPOILERS)

Another reboot.  And why not?  No studio has tapped into the emotional engagement that the Spider-Man mythos is capable of delivering to film audiences, so they may as well keep trying.  If anyone is capable, Marvel has the best chance.  The production company that somehow adapted the Ant-Man comics into an enjoyable blockbuster surely can do wonders for the more iconic Spider-Man. While Homecoming doesn't hit the mark of what could be, it is the best Spider-Man film to date, outdoing all of the previous incarnations in laying the needed groundwork to fully immerse audiences into the tragic comic book narrative that is Spider-Man.  Indeed, Homecoming deserves its praise, but not unlike the five previous films, the studio behind it has made some questionable choices, leaving this reboot with more than a few problems.

Most importantly, Marvel cleverly avoids outright focus on classical backstory that film audiences have seen before.  There is no radioactive spider, hence no traditional origin story, and no mention of Ben Parker or his famous wisdom about responsibility.  While hallmarks of the web-slinger's comic book roots, those story beats have been done to death in the previous films.  Not focusing on how Peter Parker became superhuman or his Uncle Ben's themed advice gives Homecoming a needed sense of rebirth and freshness while allowing the storytellers to visit those moments with originality at a later time, if they do at all.

Like the previous films, however, Homecoming does give Peter a romantic interest, but unlike Mary-Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy in their respective film series, Liz Allan-Toomes is not a focused-on moral dilemma.  Instead, Homecoming puts heavier emphasis on Peter coming into his own as Spider-Man, presenting a constant push and pull of Peter acting heroic but never becoming a hero, which maintains the film's much-needed novelty.  Even more impressive, Homecoming still incorporates Peter's negative impact on the characters around him, which is an essential component of Spidey's mythos.  Through the simple act of being Spider-Man, those close to Peter Parker often suffer, and Liz is not an exception as her life is uprooted at the end of the film when her father is revealed as a criminal and sent to prison.  Her suffering is not influential enough to discourage Peter from a life of crime fighting, but it sets the stage for that moment to come in a familiar but more heartbreaking way as he matures and continues down his heroic path.   

Also commendable is the handling of and choice to use Adrian Toomes/The Vulture as the film's antagonist.  A street criminal, yet still a formidable threat to Spider-Man, Vulture hits the ideal line between being much deadlier than the everyday burglar but not as menacing as a cosmic-powered mutant, making him the perfect starter villain for this line of Spidey films.  The Vulture costume avoids campiness with its non-superfluous design and Toomes is not overbearing in his wickedness, grounded in real-life motivations and developments.  Appropriately, The Vulture does not die at the end of the film, allowing for small appearances in future sequels without overloading a single film with excessive bad-guy origin stories.  (Looking at you, Spider-Man 3.)  

Additionally, Toomes' connection to Peter is presented especially well in a surprising meet-your-date's-father moment.  A common thread in many of the wall-crawler's stories, the villains usually have a too-coincidental connection to Peter Parker.  The Green Goblin is his best friend's dad, The Lizard is his college professor, Venom is his coworker, etc.  In Homecoming, The Vulture is Liz's father.  While the concept is not original, its presentation as a plot twist rather than early-on exposition is something that has never been done in a Spider-Man film.  Until now, the audience always knew about Peter's connection to his foe before Peter does.  In Homecoming, the viewer is not a mere spectator, sharing in Peter's surprise as he discovers that the father of his high-school crush is his enemy.

Concerning other villains, Homecoming excellently takes small, exciting steps toward the future.  Mac Gargan and Aaron Davis are briefly introduced, planting seeds for them to come into their super-villain personas, The Scorpion and The Prowler.  Herman Schultz/Shocker has a significant, enjoyable role, performed well by Bokeem Woodbine, and hopefully this film is not his final appearance.  Overall, Homecoming does a masterful job priming some of Spidey's best enemies for its sequels.  A lingering question, is Marvel brave enough to attempt Mysterio?

    

Mainly because the film avoids a traditional origin story for Spider-Man, there is a lot of in-costume action.  Never needing to show how Peter developed his costume or his initial adjustment to a life of being superhuman, the film is able to include fun, web-slinging action from start to finish.  The production design and visual effects that accompany this perk are done well but are far outmatched by Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man 2.  For those that forget, a revisit to one of the best comic book movie trailers ever made is worth the time.  Link here: https://youtu.be/DlM2CWNTQ84

Although praiseworthy, Homecoming is far from perfect.  Lack of spidey-sense aside, nearly everything involving Peter's school friends is difficult to endure.  Teenage caricatures and bad acting make for scenes that are wincingly bad, and a comparison to The Breakfast Club, which was pushed during the film's marketing, is borderline disrespectful to John Hughes.  Liz Allan-Toomes is one-dimensional, begging the question, why is Peter interested in her?  Flash Thompson strays too far from his comic book adaptation and comes across as an obnoxious, sad attempt to imitate a character from American Pie.  Peter's best friend Ned is tolerable, but he is not as comedic as the filmmakers and writers intended.  Worst of all, Peter's school-mate Michelle, whom is eventually revealed as "MJ," is plainly not good.  Forgetting the needless name change from Mary-Jane to Michelle Jones, her cool, I don't care demeanor is annoyingly forced, and Zendaya's performance is especially poor in its fakery, which is concerning as she is likely in line to be Peter's prominent romantic interest for all of the film's sequels. 

As for the rest of the cast, Tom Holland is a more-than-acceptable Spider-Man and Peter Parker, his delivery just about always where it needs to be, and not surprisingly, Michael Keaton gives the best performance of the film, grounding Adrian Toomes in realism with subtle and frightening intimidation.  Aside from Jon Favreau's few comedic moments, none of the other cast members deliver anything worth noting as the script never provides Marisa Tomei or Robert Downey Jr. a chance to shine.

Finally, and quite surprisingly, Homecoming's last action scene is underwhelming.  Largely due to its location, the final showdown between Spider-Man and The Vulture is limited.  A battle through the city, rather than over it, would have offered more.  When the action is over, all that remains is a sense of, "that's it?" 

As Aristotle allegedly said, there are only two types of stories- comedy and tragedy.  Spider-Man originates from a comic book, and those that have read the source material know that it is a compellingly tragic narrative.  It is special.  Since 2002, Hollywood has pumped out six Spidey films and none have tapped into that potential.  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 comes closest with the death of Gwen Stacy but doesn't quite get there.  Homecoming doesn't get there either, or even come close, but it does build a strong foundation, providing its sequels with an opportunity to reach the bar.  As an aside, those coming films will likely not include Venom or Carnage due to Sony producing their own Venom film, set to release in 2018.  Damn you, Sony.

In any event, while Homecoming isn't special on its own, it creates potential for its sequels, and Marvel deserves the benefit of the doubt.  As Captain America suggests in the post-credit public service announcement, fans will need to be patient.  Until the next Spidey film, in Marvel we trust.

What did you think of Spider-Man: Homecoming?  Sound off in the comments.  

'Wind River' Review: A tense thriller you should not miss. (No Spoilers)

On a remote Native American Reservation, a wildlife tracker works with a rookie FBI agent to investigate the rape and murder of a local girl. A high-concept film, Wind River has all the story hallmarks of a Hollywood thriller- suspense, action, mystery, twists, and brutality. Yet, the narrative unfolds with such logical progression, the melodrama is transformed into subtle, eerie tension, generating a grounded and significantly compelling film. Although not as impactful, somewhat due to questionable casting and character presentation, Wind River deserves a place next to other stick-with-you thrillers like Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs.

Predominantly, Wind River is a case-study for how effective a film can be in generating tension. Dirty frames, canted angles, and a subtle score over chilling and striking cinematography assist in creating a taut thriller. The score does occasionally overdo the pressure with strange spoken lyrics as the misplaced poetry pulls viewers out of the film rather than drawing them in, but otherwise always making the right moves, Wind River skillfully builds cunning, sharp tension throughout, keeping viewers fully invested.

Generally, the characters are impressively intriguing while the cast delivers first-rate performances. Jeremy Renner is absorbing in the lead role as Cory Lambert, a grief-stricken father and experienced wildlife tracker. Renner's simple yet focused acting goes hand in hand with the film's straightforward narrative. Similarly, Graham Greene compliments the film as Ben, a credible tribal police chief with well-written, well-timed, well-delivered, and often comedic dialogue.

Additionally, the supporting characters are remarkably refined through their brief appearances, actions, and conversation. Most notably, and without spoiling, a man and woman love story is quickly established near the end of the film. Through impressive performances and superbly written dialogue, their relationship is conceivable, endearing, and heartbreaking. Likewise, and for the same reasons, the villain of the film instantly earns and maintains the audience's hatred despite having little screen time.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth Olsen and her character, FBI Special Agent Jane Banner, do not share the same commendations. Seemingly cast for titillation, Olsen is not onscreen for ten minutes before the audience sees her ass in thong underpants. To her credit, Olsen executes the intended fish-out-of-water trope well, but is ultimately unconvincing as a federal agent. Most of her performance lacks authenticity as her delivery and expressions usually border and occasionally cross over to obvious make-believe. 

Moreover, the character is implausible. Early in the film, Banner requests Lambert's assistance to track the film's rapist/murderer. While vital to propel the narrative and possibly based on real events, her request is poorly timed and lacks the solid, established incentive that an FBI agent would require for such an arrangement, setting a hard-to-believe precedent for the remainder of the film. The opportunity is there, but questionable casting and substandard character presentation removes Jane Banner from the same class as Clarice Starling.

Characters and actors aside, notable perks of the film include the final action scene and a slew of fun and sophisticated dialogue. After a slow but engaging burn, the film's climax hits the audience hard and fast, keeping viewers trapped inside exciting, meaningful action while dangling hope of a positive outcome. Leading up to the climax and beyond, witty dialogue creates sheer enjoyment. When a character asks, "Should we wait for back up?" and the other replies, "This isn't the land of waiting for backup. This is the land of you're on your own," it's clear that a skilled screenwriter was at work.

Likely one of the best thrillers of the year, Wind River is a tension-driven film that should not be missed. Easily worth a trip to a matinee, there is no need to wait for the digital release.  

Did you see Wind River?  What did you think?  Sound off in the comments! 

Game of Thrones S07E07 'The Dragon and the Wolf' Review: Winter is satisfyingly here. (SPOILERS)

EPISODE SPOILERS!  Read at your own risk.

The seventh season of Game of Thrones is in the books.  Closing it out, The Dragon and the Wolf does its job, neatly ending seasonal storylines while leaving viewers with engaged questions, eager for the final six episodes.  Cersei learns that zombies are real, Theon finds his bravery, Sansa and Arya take out Littlefinger, Jaime abandons Cersei, Jon and Daenerys have sex, Tyrion is mysteriously concerned about their relationship, and the Night King brings down the wall before marching south with his army of the dead.  While predictable at times and never astounding, The Dragon and the Wolf is the best episode of its season, solid and concise, with many strengths and only a few flaws.

Refreshingly, Tyrion returns to form after a season of being mostly in the background.  Comedic yet noble, Peter Dinklage's dialogue and delivery calls back to earlier seasons and reminds viewers how he can make the show so enjoyable.  Likewise, Lena Headey delivers another perfect performance, keeping Cersei a character that oozes intrigue.  Despite all of her wickedness and previous misdeeds, she is remarkably still convincing in her false truce with Daenerys and Jon.  Her final scene with Jaime is particularly good as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau also delivers an equally captivating performance.  Although titled The Dragon and the Wolf, referencing Daenerys' and Jon's love affair, superbly crafted dialogue and compelling characters portrayed by extraordinarily talented actors make the Lannister siblings the standouts of this finale.

Other notable strengths include the early-on character reunions and the zombie demonstration scene.  With so many prominent characters and plot lines to further, the story beats impressively do not feel rushed or forced.  The minimal interaction between Cersei and Daenerys is a lost opportunity, as they are the center of conflict, and this is the first time the two opposing queens share the screen, but the flow of this meeting and the character reunions that lead up to it are exceptionally well-paced.  With interactions between Bronn, Tyrion, and Podrick, The Hound and The Mountain, Jamie and Brienne, Tyrion and Euron, The Hound and Brienne, Theon and Euron, and even more, along with Daenerys' intimidating dragon entrance and a suspenseful zombie demonstration, a lot happens in a short time.  Everything moves with smooth purpose, and nothing is cursory or extraneous.      

Also worthy of praise is the closing imagery of the episode.  An academic case of showing it without saying it, the snowfall on Kings Landing, shortly followed by the Night King epically destroying the wall, ominously tells viewers that winter is truly here and with it comes an unstoppable army of the dead.

Although the best of the season, the finale is not without its flaws.  Theon Greyjoy's storyline fails to make the intended impact.  Whether viewers should care about his goal to save his sister and his redemption is unfortunately debatable.  While the ineffective knee to his groin is amusing, Theon remains a difficult character to cheer for, making his story the least engaging amongst the episode's other narratives.  The actor, however, deserves absolute acclaim.  From arrogant to mentally broken to hard-fought bravery, Alfie Allen has demonstrated an incredible range throughout the series. 

Similarly, Aiden Gillen impresses in his final performance as Littlefinger, but the character's end is not as ingenious as he deserves.  The master manipulator, Petyr Baelish, whom set the stage for The War of Five Kings and has used intellect to weasel out of danger throughout the series, is undone by a basic, unworthy plot hatched by Sansa and Arya.  Firstly, an explanation as to when Arya and Sansa began working together is never explored, leaving viewers to wonder if their previous arguments were staged or not.  Second, Littlefinger has been deserving of a far superior, masterful, and intricate end since season one.  Quite clearly a case of the show writers working backwards in an attempt to red herring the audience, Littlefinger's death is sadly underwhelming and disappointing.

Overall, The Dragon and the Wolf is best described as just satisfying, primarily focused on doing what it needs to- planting seeds for a memorable final season and leaving viewers with anxious questions about the fate of Westeros' compelling inhabitants.  How will Jon respond when he learns the truth about his ancestry?  What will Daenerys do about Jon's claim to the throne?  Are the two of them going to have a child?  Why is Tyrion so concerned about their relationship?  Is Cersei really pregnant?  Who will meet their demise in The Great War?  When will The Hound and The Mountain face off?  What is Bran's connection to the Night King, and what in the blue-fire-hell does the Night King want?  

This writer suspects something vital is left out when Tyrion learns that Cersei is pregnant, as that scene ends too abruptly before Cersei makes her false truce.  Perhaps Tyrion knows Cersei is lying and is crafting his own plan, not to the benefit of Daenerys.  His previous episode conversation with her about succession suggests that Tyrion sees a bigger picture, beyond the mere question of whom should sit on the Iron Throne.  When The Great War is over, it is not unreasonable to suspect that Jon will be offered the throne, and with guidance from Tyrion, will destroy it, making room for democracy in Westeros.  Alas, theories are a dime a dozen and the only thing known for sure is that in six short episodes, Game of Thrones will end, and it will be greatly missed by many, this writer included.

Me as the Night King

What did you think of the finale?  What do you think will happen in season eight?  How do you want the series to end?  Sound off in the comment section!

'Alien: Covenant' Review: Thank you, David. (Minor Spoilers)

The Prometheus sequel and sixth film of the Alien series, Alien: Covenant is the latest sci-fi horror film by Ridley Scott.  Although mostly a paint-by-numbers narrative with disappointing action and unimaginative horror scenes, Alien: Covenant puts a fascinating spin on its own universe.  Thanks to a talented cast, particularly Michael Fassbender, absorbing imagery, and the inclusion of David to the well-traversed 'humans in outer-space danger' storyline, Alien: Covenant is a worthy addition to the series.     

Onboard the Covenant, a space crew en route to colonize a new planet receives a mysterious transmission from a nearby, seemingly habitable planet.  Against better judgement, the captain detours the crew to explore the planet and locate the transmission, resulting in many gruesome deaths at the hands of scary alien monsters.  Many of the characters are one-dimensional alien fodder, and the few that are fleshed-out just barely maintain the viewer's hope for the crew.  

Without question, the most interesting and best part of the film is David, the human-pitying android, played by Fassbender. Although significant to the plot, the alien threat is largely put in the background, as David is the lead antagonist of the film. Since Prometheus, David has interestingly learned to create art, play music, conduct eerie zoology experiments, and has developed a taste for creating life, even if it means ending life in the process, which of course it does.  Using the excuse that humans are imperfect, David means to prevent humanity from colonizing the galaxy.  This story thread greatly enriches the Alien universe, pushing it beyond the basic scary monster narrative seen in the predecessor films and raises provocative questions about human transmutability.

Fassbender delivers a fantastic performance, not only as David, but also as his "brother," Walter.  The dual performance is especially impressive when the two androids share the screen, as it is easy to forget that both are the same actor.  Other notable cast members are Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, and Billy Crudup. Largely due to the script, Waterston is not comparable to Sigourney Weaver's Ripley or even Noomi Rapace's Dr. Shaw, but she is convincing in her widow grief throughout the film.  McBride surprises in a non-comedic, endearing and assertive role, and Crudup plays the part of good-intentioned, faith-driven captain well.  When the script allows, all of the actors shine.

  

Aside from David and some strong performances, there is little else that enriches the film.  The action scenes mostly underwhelm and the horror elements leave a lot to be desired.  Outside of an acid-filled alien being crushed in the jaws of a crane, nothing interesting or fantastic happens within the physical human fight for survival.  Likewise, David's hand-to-hand combat with Walter offers nothing special. The predictable "twist" ending is similarly underwhelming and should have been handled with subtlety.  Many of the deaths are splendidly gruesome, but nothing is done that audiences haven't seen before, nor are any of those scenes particularly scary.  The saving grace is that the cinematography and mise-en-scène are always beautiful and absorbing, including the bloody, gory parts.  It is a treat to see graphic horror given a big-budget treatment.

Alien: Covenant is worth watching, if only to enjoy the David developments and to keep up with the Alien film series. With 20th Century Fox and Ridley Scott already in development on another sequel, it will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. Hopefully, they won't kill off any main characters between films again.

What did you think of the film?  Sound off below!

Game of Thrones S07E06 'Beyond the Wall' Review: Pace is the enemy. (SPOILERS)

EPISODE SPOILERS!  Read at your own risk.

Game of Thrones is known for going all in on their pre-finale episodes.  Large scale battle scenes and shocking character deaths are staples of each season's second-to-last episode.  Beyond the Wall stays true to this structure, giving viewers an engaging ice zombie battle and epically killing off one of Daenerys' beloved dragons.  In terms of technical filmmaking - direction, cinematography, sound design, editing, visual effects, production design, etc. - Game of Thrones has been nothing but consistently excellent.  Beyond the Wall is no exception.  In fact, this episode may have the best production value of any television episode, ever.  However, the story pace moves faster than Gendry's marathon dash to the wall, which is an exception to the show's general slow, methodical narrative build.  Is this a result of the producers deciding to use their ten-episode budget on a seven-episode season?  Who knows?  Regardless, the rapid-fire story pacing of this episode does raise a few eyebrows in terms of logic and consistency.

Focusing on two narratives, Sunday's episode saw Jon Snow and his suicide squad venturing north of the wall to capture an ice zombie (a wight), while Sansa and Arya confront each other over matters of trust and family loyalty. 

The Sansa/Arya conflict is intriguing, despite being tolerably over-dramatic and asking the audience to accept some not-so-consistent character motivations.  Is Arya justified in her brooding anger toward Sansa over a letter written by an under duress teenager?  Would Sansa so-quickly tolerate talk of killing her own sister without questioning advice from, of all people, Petyr Baelish?  Where Sansa and Arya stand in opposition of each other is first-rate story conflict.  There are trust issues on both sides with risk of violence and death, but there have not been enough story beats to justify these circumstances or the extreme motives of either character.  Said plainly, it feels rushed.  Despite this, their story is entertaining and the strong performances by both actresses helps carry it.  Hopefully, this is not the final conflict for either character, as it would be a shame to see Arya's or Sansa's story end in a sister dispute orchestrated by Littlefinger.

To a much larger degree, Jon Snow's quest to capture a wight has its own rushed pace and logic problems.  Mostly a spectacle, peppered with testosterone-driven witty banter, these scenes come across like fan fiction.  Albeit, really fun, glorious fan fiction, but fan fiction nonetheless.  Jon Snow and his band of heroes, two of which have magic flaming swords, fight off a zombie bear, kill a White Walker, capture a wight, strand themselves on an island surrounded by a walking dead army, and are saved by Daenerys with her dragons.

Was it exhilarating to see dragons beyond the wall, burning down the Night King's army?  Was it heartbreaking, yet morbidly fascinating to watch a full-grown dragon pierced and killed by an ice spear?  A resounding yes!  But were the events that led to those moments consistently paced with what viewers have come to expect from Game of Thrones?  Not really.  And more importantly, were those events logical?  Also, not really.  The White Walkers could've used their long-range ice spears on Jon Snow and his men on the island, before the dragons arrived.  The show has never established that Gendry is a marathon snow sprinter.  Daenerys could not have found Jon and the others in one day's time.  And Jon did not need to be randomly rescued by his Uncle Benjen when he should have been rescued by a dragon to further the more interesting Targaryen ancestry storyline.

Game of Thrones is a fantasy show.  Shadow demons are birthed to kill kings, the dead are resurrected, young girls can become shape-shifters, and dragons obey the commands of a fire-resistant queen.  It's fair to expect viewers to stretch their imaginations but only when the unbelievable has been previously established in some small way, or even better, in several ways.  Beyond the Wall doesn't bother with this basic storytelling guideline.          

Despite all of this, season seven's pre-finale is an excellent episode.  In this rare case, the spectacle and production value win out over the story issues.  It is simply so much fun to watch.

What did you think of Sunday's episode?  Was Jon right to bend the knee?  What will become of his relationship with Daenerys?  Are you excited to see the zombie ice dragon in action?  Comment below!

Does anyone know what the Night King wants?

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Review: A Beautiful War Epic

Christopher Nolan’s most recent and final addition to the now Dark Knight Trilogy has hit theaters and is expected to make some serious money.  The monumental success of comic book movies over the past two decades has made way for blockbuster action stories like never before.  Most recently, ‘The Avengers’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ have been praised while setting world box office records.  ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ will not be an exception to this phenomenon, but Nolan’s newest film is much more than a comic book movie.  It is a war epic masterpiece full of inspiration, hope, and heart, outmatching every superhero film to date including its own predecessors.

When we last left Nolan’s Batman universe, The Joker had been caught, Harvey Dent was dead, and Batman was wanted for murder.  ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ picks up eight years after the events of ‘The Dark Knight’ and we find Bruce Wayne reclusive, retired in his billionaire mansion.  When the evil and muscled up mastermind Bane sets out to destroy Gotham, Wayne must don the cape and cowl once again to save the city from total annihilation.

     The writing and story of the film is an intricately woven cohesive narrative offering the audience a chance to engage personally in the final outcome.  Much like ‘The Dark Knight,’ there are exhilarating twists and unexpected turns but with the added notion that nothing has been held back.  Nolan puts all the cards on the table this time, positioning the audience into a mind-set of finality, and the stakes are very very high.  In terms of storytelling and audience investment, it just doesn’t get much better than ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ 

The all-star cast delivers like never before.  Christian Bale reminds us of his skill in performance duality, playing both the billionaire playboy and menacing detective crime fighter and city savior with excellence.  Tom Hardy gives Darth Vadar a run for his money as the ultimate evil persona Bane.  And much like the late Heath Ledger did with his performance as The Joker, Anne Hathaway quiets concerned fans by giving one of the best live-action Catwoman portrayals of all time.  

Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman return in their respective roles, and it should come as no surprise that they deliver unprecedented performances.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines as John Blake, a beat cop and major player in the quest to save Gotham, while Marion Cotillard impresses viewers as the wealthy business woman Miranda Tate.  If there is anything to be negatively criticized about the cast’s performances, it would be Cotillard’s strange final seconds on screen, but with all things considered, this is a very minor flaw. 

   The scope of action in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ goes well beyond anything ever done before.  By the time Bane is done ravaging the city, Gotham is all but reduced to rubble.  With the use of massive city explosions, car chases, flight battles, heat seeking missiles, bridge and football field detonations, an entire city held hostage, and a climax that involves hundreds of people battling in the streets of Gotham, Nolan has has made the ultimate war epic movie.  There is not a negative thing to be said about the colossal action in this film.

Ultimately, there are two major drawbacks to ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’  The first one being the absence of Heath Ledger, for which obviously no one is to blame.  The reason ‘The Dark Knight’ stood out from your standard comic book movie was because of Ledger’s exceptional maniacal performance as The Joker.  As great as ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is, one cannot help but wonder what could have been had the late actor been involved.  The second and more discerning drawback is the lack of character history for Catwoman.  There is very little information given with regards to her background and her motives.  With such rich comic book source material to work with, it would have been nice to see some of her history played out on screen.  To its credit, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ offers plenty of wonderful Bane backstory, and the film does top out at nearly 3 hours.  Perhaps the writers felt the main antagonist was more deserving of character development, and such a decision is most understandable.      

Indeed, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ offers sophisticated and high-stakes story, near perfect onscreen performances, and unparalleled action sequences, but in the end, what really makes the film special is its ability to trigger a genuine heartfelt sentiment from the audience.  Movie-goers can expect to walk away feeling entirely emotionally fulfilled, and it is this element of the film that will ensure ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made.  In the same sense, The Dark Knight Trilogy will undoubtedly find a rightful place next to the original Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings as a trilogy for a generation.  Don’t put it off a second longer.  Go enjoy this masterpiece. 

    

'The Amazing Spider-Man' Review: Finally, the webslinger done well.

The latest blockbuster from Columbia Pictures, “The Amazing Spider-Man,” is a refreshing new start for the popular comic-book character.  The Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man trilogy that preceded this film was an outright disgrace to those who know and love the Spider-Man mythos.  In this 4th and latest installment to the franchise, writer James Vanderbilt and director Marc Webb are extremely respectful to the source material, and the few liberties they take work very well.  “The Amazing Spider-Man” is the first live-action Spider-man film that does the character justice.  With very few flaws, the film offers a solid story, strong characters played by an even stronger cast, intense action, stunning visual effects, and well-timed comedy.  

           

Set in modern day New York City, high-school teenager Peter Parker finds a clue that could lead him to the truth about his parents’ death.   This path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Kurt Conners, a scientist turned giant lizard whose evil plan threatens the entire city.   After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Parker dons the infamous spandex costume and becomes the hero we all know and love.  “The Amazing Spider-Man” is yet another origin story, but the evolution of Parker’s superpowers is done quickly, and is done well.  Before you know it, Spidey is web slinging through the city and fighting crime. 

The story pushes the audience’s imagination, asking us to believe some pretty far-fetched ideas.  In some areas, this is done impeccably.  In others; it’s a little hard to accept.  For example, Parker’s blue-eyed blonde love interest Gwen Stacey is coincidentally involved in many aspects of the hero’s trials.  Her father just happens to be the chief of police, and her boss just happens to be the main villain.  On the other hand, Parker’s development into his superhero persona is realistically handled, as is the development of his opposition.  Convincing an audience that a man can turn into a giant lizard is no easy task, but “The Amazing Spider-Man” pulls it off.  Both Connors and Stacey could have been more fleshed out to allow the audience a better bond with them and to better explain their motivations, but overall, they are strong supporting characters, and Connors is a worthy challenge for Parker to overcome. 

Although the story has some minor character development issues and believability hiccups, this is more than made up for by the onscreen performances.  Andrew Garfield is a phenomenal Peter Parker and Spider-man, light years ahead of Tobey Maguire.  Rhys Ifans’s interpretation of Dr. Conners is extraordinary while Emma Stone plays Gwen Stacey to perfection.  Likewise, Sally Field, Martin Sheen, and Denis Leary all deliver top-notch performances in their respective roles.  The entire cast is simply flawless.

Moreover, the cast isn’t the film’s only redeeming quality.  The visual effects, action sequences, and fight scenes are mind-blowing.  Occasionally, The Lizard looks a little too computer-generated, but apart from that, the visuals are top of the line.  Needless to say, Spidey swinging through the city in IMAX 3D with the occasional first person perspective is a beautiful thing to behold, and his battles with The Lizard are as fast-paced as they are intense. 

The Spider-Man character has a lot to offer the big screen.  This is the first time we’ve seen that potential tapped.  “The Amazing Spider-Man” is far from being the film that could be when considering the depths of the comics, but it’s a great start.  It’ll be very interesting to see where this franchise goes.  With a little luck and a lot of talent, we might get to see Mary Jane, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom done properly.  Go see for yourself, but remember, this is a comic-book movie.  If that's your thing, “The Amazing Spider-Man” is more than worth the cost of admission, and if you’re going to do it, do it right.  See it in IMAX 3D.