The Dark Knight Rises

   When someone asks me what is most important in a movie, there is only one answer I give. It is not the CGI or the action, the amount of laughs or the amount of tears, instead it is the story. A film can have no heart and soul without a captivating, intriguing, and well-written story. Take the Transformers franchise as an example: three films with great, explosive action and remarkable CGI… but no story that really makes it shine. This is why the Transformers films, along with countless others, will never reach the status of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

   
   Nolan has given us an unforgettable story. A story about a man who is burdened with a responsibility that at times is terrible to bear. It is a story about a man who has put others above himself in a city that many said was beyond redeeming. And most of all it is a story of a man who is willing to be what his city needs him to be, whether it’s a hero whom is adored or a menace who is hunted. The story of Batman is unlike many others.

   
   And not only has Nolan given us one great story but three, in the form of three movies that remarkably keep outdoing their predecessors. In this epic conclusion to the Dark Knight’s story, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has been sitting in his mansion for eight years after taking the blame for Harvey Dent’s crimes and murders. But a new threat has come to the city of Gotham who is the biggest threat to the city yet. Bane (Tom Hardy), a masked, muscle-bound mercenary who is out for blood will test the Batman’s strength and conscience like never before, and with the entire police force eager to put the Dark Knight behind bars, Wayne will not have the help that he usually does.

   
   My plot outline is shorter than usual in respect to the director, Christopher Nolan, who is one of the few directors that is still secretive about his films. He does not release an onslaught of movie clips and is careful to not reveal that many plot points. This adds such great suspense to every one of his movies and it is one of the reasons that Nolan’s films are some of my favorites.

   In “The Dark Knight Rises” you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and the twists and turns will keep you engaged throughout the film (which is pretty long).

   
   Something that has always made this Batman trilogy stand out is the A-List cast and the stellar performances. No one will ever forget the outstanding Health Ledger in his turn as the Joker who became the first actor to win an Oscar for a role in a comic book movie.

   
   Christian Bale has once again thrown himself into the role of Bruce Wayne. Bale has successfully played two characters in one, a millionaire playboy and an aggressive super-hero. I cannot imagine anyone surpassing Bale’s Wayne.

   
   And Tom Hardy’s Bane carries the film on his ripped shoulders for most of the film with his abundant screen time, and he is by far the most evil villain for Batman to face. He considers everyone expendable and yet, the film develops his character into someone that people can relate too and sympathize with…maybe.

  
  But it is Anne Hathaway who is the major scene-stealer as the delightful Selina Kyle. I was not looking forward to another Catwoman on the silver screen but Hathaway blew away my low expectations and was one of my favorite characters in this film.

   
   Action lovers be prepared. There is plenty of high octane action sequences in this nearly three hour movies and it all ends with a chill inducing showdown between the Gotham police and Bane’s mercenaries that will leave an impression with all the movie goers.

  
    But forget the action scenes and the outstanding performances, the heart of “The Dark Knight Rises” is, you guessed it, the story. For three films Nolan has created an incredible trilogy that in the end manages to come full circle with the first movie in a way that is truly genius. And the end…the end is spectacular. When someone asks me what my favorite film is, my usual answer is “The Dark Knight.” From now on, my answer will simply be “The Dark Knight Trilogy.” I give this film four stars out of four.

   
   “The Dark Knight rises has a running time of 164 minutes and is rated PG-1 3 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language.

            

The Amazing Spider-Man

The perks of traveling abroad: eating delicious food, observing the different cultures, and sometimes getting to see movies before they are released in the U.S. Well, turns out that on my trip to Vienna I found that "The Amazing Spider-Man" had already been released...SCORE! So I strolled down to the nearest English cinema in anticipation of the latest blockbuster that Marvel Studios has to offer, and all my expectations were blown away. 

In this reboot of the famous super-hero, we are taken to the early years of Peter Parker who is watching his father and mother leave him forever. Why they are leaving and where they are going he does not know, and unfortunately a plane crash seems to lock those answers away forever. Flash forward to an older Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) who is now in high school. An average day for Peter consists of getting bullied by Flash Thompson and falling for his crush Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), but he is still trying to unravel the mystery of his father. 

Soon enough, he discovers a briefcase in the basement of his Aunt and Uncle's home in which he finds documents that lead him to OSCORP, the company where his father previously worked alongside Dr. Curtis Connors (Rhys Ifans). Together the two men planned to create a compound that would "cure the world of weakness." For Dr. Connors, he would use this serum to regrow his arm which he lost years ago. But when Peter comes into contact with Dr. Connors and gives him the right formula, Dr. Connors takes it upon himself to perform human trials and...the side effects are quite monstrous. 

You know the rest: boy gets bitten by spider, is given amazing super powers, and has to save New York from a mad scientist that looks like a mini Godzilla. It sounds awesome, and it is awesome. 

In a time where movie reboots are quite common, "The Amazing Spider-Man" really sticks out. Similar to last year's "X-Men: First Class," this film manages to recreate a previously seen universe in an exciting new way, resulting in a final product that ends up being better than its predecessors. And there were several things that helped contribute to this. 

The big factor is the outstanding performances by the cast, especially Andrew Garfield. Some, including myself thought Garfield had some big shoes to fill after Toby Maguire's original trilogy. However, after seeing this new film, not only does Garfield step up to the plate with confidence, but he nails the role in a way that Maguire never did. Two things stood out in his acting. First, he brings the sarcastic wit of Spidey that was nowhere to be found in the original series. This film represents a more classic Spider-Man that people are used to if they read the comics. But more importantly, Garfield has emotion and he brings it out where the audience can feel it and connect with it. He pulls off some of the key, emotionally charged scenes in the movie will true talent. 

And the leading man is not the only one who makes this film shine. Emma Stone brings her usual charm and talent to the role of Gwen Stacy, showing that Mary Jane isn't the only girl that can steal the web-head's heart. And Rhys Ifans, even though I thought that the Lizard as a villain could never be taken seriously on screen, gives us a cunning, frightening, and evil antagonist that put my skepticism to rest. 

Another element that "The Amazing Spider-Man" boasts is some entertaining action and beautiful CGI. Action lovers will be pleased to know that there is plenty of punches, kicks, and webs shot out in this remake. In fact, the action in this movie puts the original trilogy to shame. Not only is the choreography brilliant, but the camera work (combined with CGI) creates such a fluent picture that is so crisp and clear, that every action scene was like a piece of art. A noteworthy effect was when the camera would sometimes switch to first person when Spider-Man was swinging or climbing around. It looks real and it looks really cool, especially when you first see the iconic costume. 

But Spider-Man is never just about the action. It is a story of romance, self-sacrifice, and most importantly, responsibility. The best super-hero films are the ones with heart, and "The Amazing Spider-Man" has plenty of it. It is the heart and soul of the film that made me want to tear up when Uncle Ben dies, it's the heart and soul that made me cheer for Spider-Man, and it's the heart and should that made me love this movie so much more than the previous installments. I give it three and a half stars out of four.

" The Amazing Spider-Man" has a running time of two hours and seventeen minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence.