Saturday, May 19, 2007

REVIEW: SPIDER-MAN 3

With the opening of SPIDER-MAN 3, SUMMER 2007 has officially arrived! Will it be the most successful summer in box-office history, who can really say? But what we do know is that having a film based on one of the most successful and beloved comic book franchises in history is not a bad way to start things off, even if the third entry in the series falls short from the previous two entries in the series. SPIDER-MAN 3 has already broken single-day, and single-week records all over the world, and it is a sure bet that Sony is already dreaming up SPIDER-MAN 4, 5, 6, and beyond. Weather or not they should make those sequels is another question altogether as Tobey McGuire, Kirsten Dunst, and director Sam Raimi have all stated that it may be time for them to step down, or at least take a break from this franchise.

The first SPIDER-MAN took us into the origins and life of an ordinary nerd named Peter Parker, a simple-minded guy with nothing too attractive about his life. He is a class clown, a dork, constantly bullied, lives with his elderly aunt and uncle, but underneath it all he is no different then any of us. He longs for a girl he is almost destined to never have, he struggles with being content for the blessings that he does have, and he never feels adequate enough, sound familiar? Then one day he is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes SPIDER-MAN, a web-slinger that fights crime in order to ease the guilt he suffered for his role in the death of his uncle Ben Parker, the closest father figure that he ever had. We are all like Peter Parker is some way or another, and that is the core and beauty of what SPIDER-MAN represents, he is an ordinary person who is endowed with extraordinary responsibilities, and it is how he reacts to real-life challenges, and how he faces the consequences of his actions that makes his story relevant to all our lives.

In SPIDER-MAN 2, we find Peter Parker facing a lot of new problems. He is constantly late to work, he can never commit to seeing Mary Jane in her latest acting role, he can barely get the rent in on time for his shabby apartment, he is falling behind in his school work, and while juggling all these things, he is still a crime fighting web-slinger on the side. If SPIDER-MAN was about the origins of our hero and the responsibilities that having such powers bring, SPIDER-MAN 2 is about whether or not Peter Parker really wants such responsibilities to begin with. He can't juggle being a hero and leading a normal life at the same time, so he gives up the hero, and wants none of it. In the end Peter realizes that no matter the hardships that life brings, he is both Peter Parker and Spider-man, and they are one in the same.

In SPIDER-MAN 3, we find Peter Parker in a quite a different predicament. Peter's life is shaping up quite nicely as he is getting ready to propose to Mary Jane, he is at the top of his college class, and all of New York is in love with spider-man, things could not be going better for him. But when a alien symbiote crash lands on earth and attaches itself to Peter's spidey-suit, things start to get interesting. The longer that Peter wears the suit the more his aggressive and selfish tendencies come out. He is more proned to acts of deliberate mockery, lust, egoism, and anger. This then becomes the core of Peter's newest enemy, himself. Many criticisms have been made of the way in which director Sam Raimi showcases Parker's more "malicious" side as being cheesy, laughable, or just plain awkward. Personally, I found it to be not only very whimsical but also humorous, artistically satisfying, and quite entertaining. Furthermore, Tobey MacGuire is allowed to fully let loose, continuing to give us a character depiction that is filled with energy, class, and substance. If SPIDER-MAN was about dealing with new responsibilities, and SPIDER-MAN 2 was about facing the temptation to throw ones responsibilities away, then SPIDER-MAN 3 is about pride and how it corrupts and destroys everyone in its path. That story sounds simple enough but throw in a plot about Harry's continued revenge attempts for the death of his Father (The Green Goblin), a new photographer in town named Eddie Brock who wants Parker's job and later becomes the villain VENOM, an escaped conman who becomes THE SANDMAN and is the actual killer of Uncle Ben, and a new gal in Parker's life named Gwen Stacey and you get SPIDER-MAN 3, a movie with so many plots that each one would be a fitting film of its own, and you know that the audiences would gladly show up.

In the end, what suffers the most from SPIDER-MAN 3's bloated script is the character development. Thomas Haiden Church plays a masterful SAND MAN, but he might as well have been a cardboard cutout because I just didn't care about his character, or really know or understand anything about him. I do give major accolades to the special effects wizards for giving the effects of the film an almost seamless feel, especially for a scene in which the SAND-MAN is created, it is both beautiful and breathtaking to watch. You could tell how much director Sam Raimi truly loved the character of SAND-MAN, and to think if only the whole film had been centered around this deeply conflicted character, his motivation's behind uncle Ben's murder, and Peter's struggle to avenge the actual man who killed his uncle.

Another problem I had with SPIDER-MAN 3 was the many contrivances seen throughout the story. The asteroid with the black symbiote goo lands right next to the web which Peter and Mary Jane are lying on the park, is immediately attracted to Peter, latches itself onto his scooter, and manages to wind up unnoticed in his bedroom where it finally overtakes him. Other such contrivances include a scene where Harry learns the truth about his father's death from a butler that we have never before seen or been introduced too. Not that the other movies didn't have their own share of implausibilities as well, like the likelihood of spider-man being friends with the very guy whose father ends up being the GREEN GOBLIN. This is a minor quibble but I did find myself being bothered by it, which never occurred during the other two films. In the end you just have to assume that their is going to be some sense of unbelievability in a story which is founded in a comic world. However, I do think that it has a lot to do with strength of the story itself. The filmmakers obviously had so much they had to say and tell, that they had to make shortcuts in order for the storytelling to progress more quickly so that all the threads could be completed by the end, and unfortunate that led to contrivances, a bloated plot, and moments of sloppy storytelling.

When all is send and done, SPIDER-MAN 3 is still an extremely solid entry into the world of comic book film adaptations, their is only hesitation their because the first two entries into this universe were done so carefully, so wonderfully, and were so meticulous to the story being told. The themes of overcoming pride, dealing with selfishness, and asking for forgiveness or so prevalent in the film that the films climax had me in tears. Their are moments of extreme beauty, and such grand filmmaking in this film, that at moments all of my criticisms melted away, and I was just sitting their in awe with the biggest grin on my face as I watched spider-man swing with an almost perfect grace through the shimmering high rises of upper and lower Manhattan. Spider-man continues to teach us that "with great power comes great responsibility," that suffering and pain is a part of daily life, that even heroes are in need of a savior, and that we all have the choice of doing what we know is right. For that, thanks go out to the filmmakers for making a terrific set of films.

GRADE: B

RECOMMENDED: See it on the big screen!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

FAVORITE FILMS OF 2007

Friday morning I will embark on a 12:01 AM viewing of SPIDER MAN 3, the film that will jump start what could potentially be the most successful summer in box-office history. But before we get into summer movie mania, it is time to finally put 2006 to bed.

2006 was a year chalked full of blockbusters that were successful yet lacked much depth or critical interest (PIRATES 2, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3, DA VINCI CODE, SUPERMAN RETURNS, etc...), and films that challenged commonly held social beliefs towards issues such as the environment (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH), the African diamond trade (BLOOD DIAMOND), tradition vs. modernism (THE QUEEN), even the very nature of heroism itself (FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, LETTERS FROM IWA JIMA). All in all, 2006 was a great year at the movies; a far cry from years past, but a leap forward in comparison to a dismal 2005.

It still saddens me though that Hollywood still favors objective and cynical storytelling over stories that don't beat you over the head with their blatant agendas. CHILDREN OF MEN was a powerful film about hope, yet the filmmakers kept making references to the cruelty of "Homeland Security," and how awful the (our) government really is; I even felt at times that the film was mocking the obvious allegorical reference that it made to a messianic child that would be born and ultimately change the world, even though that is what the film hinges itself upon. HAPPY FEET was an exercise in how manipulative children's movies are becoming with its fickled social commentary on how awful humans are treating the planet, and its contorted view of the dominance of religion in the world. What would we do without PIXAR?

Even though 2006 was a much better year at the movies, I still look back and find myself having not been wildly entertained by many of the films that were released. Most of the films on my top ten list I most likely will not buy on DVD because they just aren't the kind of films you really want to submit yourself too on an ongoing basis. Even though they have very powerful messages at their core, they frankly just hit too close to home, and sometimes taking a trip out of the reality of our daily lives gives us the chance to hope that somewhere out there one will find the opportunity for a greater life. In short, the reason why PIRATES 2 was the biggest blockbuster of the year is simple, it was a great time at the movies, and it doesn't hurt that every female on the planet goes bananas over Jonny Depp, that teenage guys salivate over Keira Knightley, or that Orlando Bloom is pure teen girl eye candy! Yes, some people still want to have a good time at the movies these days, and can we blame them when all they see on the news is one dreadful thing after another? Must the cinema reflect such a negative outlook on life when there are so many things to be thankful for? Frank Capra, where are you when we desperately need you?


Here are my top 10 movie picks of 2006:





#10: APOCALYPTO
Mel Gibson has proven once again that he is a fantastic director. Some continue to think that he is flat out crazy, shooting another film in a dead language about an ancient culture, with his own money, and using all no-name actors, sounds pretty crazy to me. However, the result is a wild ride that sucks you in and won't let you go until the credits role. This film was the most exhilarating movie going experience of the year, and aside from his personal life, Gibson continues to make a believer out of me.

(Caution: This film has scenes of extreme brutality.)



#9: THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Will Smith gives one of the best performances of the year, and one of the best performances of his career. Also, you can't deny the magical charisma going on between real life father and son. This is a film abut persevering through the toughest trials in life, and realizing that you just can't make it on your own. It is not a perfect film, but it is a film that will touch your heart, and inspire you to discover where happiness truly lies.


#8: CARS
Can PIXAR ever go wrong? They just get it, they get story, they understand what memorable characters really are, and they are never afraid to take us to a place that we would never imagine, but that fits the mold of their characters so perfectly. On the surface this is a film about cars and a love letter to an age in which a road trip down old Route 66 couldn't be beat, but underneath it all is parable about friendship, forgiveness, selfishness, and how life isn't just about the destination, but the journey that it takes to get there.




#7: STRANGER THAN FICTION
Harold Crick may be the world's most boring person, but the moment he realizes that his life is being written by an author who he can hear in his head he finds himself, and he begins to come alive. This is a film about cherishing every moment that you have, about finding fulfillment in the smallest of things, and realizing that sometimes it takes facing death to bring out the greatest qualities in each of us.


#6: CASINO ROYALE
What, a bond that bleeds, who questions the kind of life that he should lead, who actually has a soul. Every one thought that Daniel Craig would be the worst Bond of all, with his blond hair and short resume, but in CASINO ROYALE he forever silenced all those who denied him. Daniel Craig has brought a new gravitas to the character of James Bond that makes CASINO ROYALE the most real and gritty bond of all them all. The cheesy one-liners are gone, the contrived gadgets that get bond out of every sticky situation are gone, and the ditsy seductress Bond Girl is gone, leaving a film that is riveting to behold, with a sense of charm and whimsy that leaves its viewers fulfilled, even in the face of tragedy. CASINO ROYALE just might rival GOLDENEYE and GOLDFINGER as one of the best Bond movies ever, and Daniel Craig may even rival Connery as one of the best actors to ever suit up in the famed black tux, or to drink his martini's shaken and not stirred.



#5: PANS LABYRINTH

In the vein of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Guimero Del Toro, the director of BLADE 2 and HELLBOY has given us the best foray into the fantasy genre since LORD OF THE RINGS. PANS LABYRINTH is the story of a little girl name Ofelia who discovers a ancient labyrinth where a faun gives her three tasks to perform. Not only must Ofelia face the horrors of the fantasy world that she has stumbled into, she must also face the horrors of her tyrant stepfather who is a man of unmistakable evil. Underneath the films adult content, for this is no children's tale, there is story about facing your fears, hope for a better world, and self-sacrifice.

(CAUTION: This film contains some intense moments of brutality.)


#4 CHARLOTTES WEB
What is it about farm animal stories that is so enduring. First there was BABE and now EB White's classic tale of friendship comes to life in a vivid realism. The film follows the story of Wilbur, a runt pig that was rescued from the slaughter house by a little girl that saw something wonderful in him. Wilbur soon befriends a spider named Charlotte and the adventure begins to save the Christmas dinner fate that awaits Wilbur. Walden Media, the makers of NARNIA, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, and HOLES, have presented themselves as the premiere producers of enduring family entertainment, and CHARLOTTE'S WEB is no detractor.



#3: LITTLE CHILDREN
Two small town stay-at-home parents find themselves trapped in an adulterous love affair they they willfully condoned. Both come from marriages that are for the most part non-existent. The title says it all, we may find that our children do childish things, but in reality adults can be just as selfish, just as feisty, and just as manipulative as "little children." In the end this is a film about how the fulfillment of lustful desires can only leave you empty, and how it can only hurt the ones that truly need you attention, your commitment, and you love.

(CAUTION: This movie contains some brief moments of intense sexuality, and some nudity.)




#2: WORLD TRADE CENTER
Two port authority police officers find themselves trapped under the debris of the collapsed World Trade Center buildings. Oliver Stone brings all the elements of his 30 year film career to showcase this story of true courage, hope, and bravery. The surprising part of this film is Oliver Stone himself. For years he has been consistently labeled as one of films most controversial directors. His Vietnam trilogy (PLATOON, BORNE ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, HEAVEN AND EARTH) gave us plenty of reasons why the Vietnam War was one of the biggest mistakes our country ever made, JFK explores the conspiracy theories behind the assassination of President Kennedy, and ANY GIVEN SUNDAY is an exploration of the power struggles that plague professional sports, specifically football. But with WOLRD TRADE CENTER, Stone has set his ego and his agenda aside to present us with a story about enduring the most horrific obstacles, and how faith, family, and hope can conquer any act done out of hate and evil. This film is nothing short of a triumph in a time when their are little triumphs to be seen.


#1: UNITED 93


When word that Hollywood would be adapting stories from 9/11 to the big screen, I thought to myself that it was just too soon to do so. We are still a nation trying to cope with the continuing pain and despair of that monumental day in history, but as it turns out, the timing could not have been better. UNITED 93 is a story about loss, pain, and terror, but it is also a story about courage, strength, hope, and ultimately self-sacrifice. How many more lives would have been lost if the folks on UNITED 93 had not banded together, risked their own lives, and given them willfully away? This is a film that is shot so real that it feels like you are actually seeing the events unfold before you, and the images still haunt my thoughts to this day. This film is not about the government, it is not about the terrorists, it is about a day when a group of strangers gave there lives in order to stop hate, in order to stop evil, and in order to stop destruction. It is a moment in history that will never be forgotten, and never should be.


NOTABLE MENTIONS (In no particular order):

  • The Queen
  • Blood Diamond
  • The Prestige
  • The Illusionist
  • Letters From Iwa Jima
  • Dreamgirls
  • Little Miss Sunshine
  • The Painted Veil
  • Pirates 2
  • Over The Hedge