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.

Monsters University - Teaser Trailer (HD)

Taken 2 - International Trailer

Rock of Ages

Not only do I love musicals, but I also have a strong passion for 80's rock n' roll. Because of these two passions, the new rock-heavy musical "Rock of Ages" (an adaptation of the Tony award winning Broadway show) seemed like a match made in heaven for me. Throw in Tom Cruise looking like Axl Rose and belting tunes such as "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and I was on board. Well Sunday night I finally got to view-and sing through-"Rock of Ages" and, for the most part, it was nothin' but a good time (forgive the first of my several song puns).

The Bourbon Room seems to be a pretty popular place on the Sunset Strip. The film opens with Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) arriving in Los Angeles looking for a job which she quickly finds thanks to Drew Boley ( Diego Boneta) who works at the Bourbon Room. Of course Drew must first ask his two bosses, Dennis Dupree and Lonny Barnett (brilliantly played by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand respectively) but after a brief argument they give her the job. And they will need all the help the can get with their big concert coming up. The performer headlining is the infamous Stacee Jaxx (Cruise) and the club's existence could ride on how well everything goes. Plus the mayor's wife Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is protesting on the Strip to shut down the Bourbon Room and eradicate all of the "sex, drugs, and rock n' roll." Yes there is a lot of things happening with the Bourbon Room, and how are the characters going to deal with it? Simple...don't stop believin'...in rock n' roll.

Stop reading this review now is you don't care for bands such as Guns n' Roses, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, and Journey, because if so you are going to HATE this movie. However, if you do like this genre then get ready for a big sing-a-long. The musical numbers seem to never slow down with more than twenty songs packed into the two hour film (some of them are mash-ups). You will get to see every actor sing, even Baldwin and Paul Giamatti, and I guarantee that you won't be able to sit through the whole thing without singing a word or two...I couldn't.

But as prominent as the music is in the movie, Tom Cruise is the star. Hilarious, surprising, incredible, and so many other words can describe his performance. Cruise got into the heart and soul of his character. Add that to his great voice and rock persona and I will say that this is one of his best performances of his career. I had an even greater appreciation for it when I learned that he really does sing all of the songs.

The movie benefits from a slew of great acting. Baldwin and Brand are a hilarious duo with their crazy hair and deadpan humour, and I couldn't gaze at Giamatti's gigantic mustache for five seconds without chuckling (his acting was great too as always). But a supporting cast can't carry a film on their own, the two leads also do a fine job of belting it out and really getting into character. Plus, they all have great comedic talent, the movie made me laugh countless times even if it was at the hairdos.

But "Rock of Ages" is weighed down by some problems, primarily it's dreadful middle act. The film has a great beginning and end but a very slow and boring middle that is plagued with wondering plot points, pointless characters, and way too many "rock ballads." The other negative element is the insane amount of sexual content. Yes I know that this is a movie about 80's rock stars but still, the film really does push the envelope of it's PG-13 rating with it's innuendo, choreography, and "romance" and more times than not it was quite cringe worthy.

Sure "Rock of Ages" is pretty cheesy as well but really, would you expect anything else from a film of this kind? I can promise this, if you go into the film ready to view two-hours of sometimes cheesy dialogue, crazy hair/outfits, and LOTS of music you will have a great time with this movie. If not, then this will be two hours of nails on a chalkboard. But I was in the first group. I went into this saying, I wanna rock, and I did. I give this film three stars out of four.

"Rock of Ages" has a running time of two hours and three minutes and is rated PG-13 for sexual content, suggestive dancing, some heavy drinking, and language.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Lips red as blood, hair dark as night...and you know the rest. And yes this is not the first film based on the classic "Snow White" fairy tale to come to the silver screen in the last year (the last three months to be more precise). However, it was very obvious from the first trailer that the makers behind "Snow White and the Huntsman" did not want this movie to be the traditional, happy fairytale. In fact, one of the taglines for the film states, "This is no fairytale." With a really evil queen, scary monsters, and some epic looking battle scenes filling up the trailers, I had high hopes for this new "Snow White" epic...HAD being the key word here.

It's obvious from the very beginning that Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is bad to the bone. First off, she has been sucking the life out of women for years to preserve her youth and magical powers. Second, after killing her newly wed husband, who happens to be the King, she imprisons her step daughter Snow White (Kristen Stewart) in the dungeon for fifteen years. At the end of this long period of time, the Magic Mirror informs the Queen that Snow White's beauty is capable of ending the magical powers of the Queen and that if she consumes Snow White's heart, she will live forever with unlimited power. So naturally, she tries to have her killed. But this Snow White won't go down without a fight, and that fight leads her right into the Dark Forest. 

Enter the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), whom the Queen employs to track down and bring Snow White back. But of course if that happened there would not be that much axe swinging action. Yes, the Huntsman is persuaded onto the side of Snow White and together they start a plan that will dethrone the Evil Queen forever...and yes there may be dwarfs involved. 

So does "Snow White and the Huntsman" live up to it's promise to be a darker, more intense fairy tale? Absolutely. Everything about the film feels as if the Grimm brothers themselves made the movie. It's violent, eerie, and has some pretty freaky monsters in the dark forest. The Queen is the main reason that this movie sells its promise. Theron is fantastic at being bad and most of the time I was more interested in what was happening with her than what was happening with Snow White. 

The film also delivers plenty of action. Chris Hemsworth brings his rage over from his other role (Thor from "The Avengers") to end the life of many a henchmen by his axe and dagger. Some cool CGI effects add to it, along with some incredible make-up work used to make the Queen look younger/older.  All of this contributes to a refreshingly dark atmosphere that we don't usually see in fairy tales. 

And yet a key ingredient is missing. An ingredient that, whether you want it to be a traditional fairy tale or not, should always be in a Snow White film...romance. Where is the romance? I'll tell you where, not in this movie! I try to stay away from spoilers in my reviews but I can't help it this time...so if you don't want to be spoiled, skip to the next paragraph. (SPOILER ALERT) Sure this movie has all the classic elements of a Snow White story, such as her eating a poisoned apple and her needing "true love's kiss" to wake her up. And she does get the kiss (I won't say who) but guess what? The two NEVER fall in love. In fact, the film never makes mention of their feelings for each other for the rest of the movie, not even in the very end. For this reason, the true magic was ruined for me. 

I applaud "Snow White and the Huntsman" for truly living up to their intentions. They have created a dark, action packed tale that will likely impress many moviegoers. But unfortunately, they have tried so hard to make this movie not like a fairy tale that they have failed to include one of the greatest assets to ANY film...love. The movie is void of all compassion, romance, and love, and because of this, the film as a whole is about as magical as the crow on the Evil Queen's chair. I give it two stars out of four.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" has a running time of 127 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and brief sensuality. 

Battleship

I'll answer these questions right off the bat...no, this movie is not "Transformers 4" and yes, people did actually make a movie based on the old board game named "Battleship." It seems that anything can be made into a movie nowadays and while some ideas turn out to be better than they appear, I was extremely skeptical of this sci-fi blockbuster. But as always, I walked into "Battleship" with an open mind and in the end...well, I'm really not sure.
Before I plow through the details, know that "Battleship" has a very simple plot. Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) likes a girl, the girl has a very menacing father who is in the Navy (Liam Neeson), so Hopper must prove his worth in RIMPAC naval exercises where countries come to compete in games on land and sea (kind of like the Olympics for the Navy). There is just one tiny, intergalactic problem: the games are soon interrupted by an overused and often butchered form of story-telling...or you could just say...aliens. Hopper's ship along with two others become trapped in a force field with three opposing alien ships and if his crew can not find a way to destroy this great threat, then the aliens will contact their planet and bring in reinforcements to enslave the planet.
Now there are a lot of great things to like about "Battleship." First off, the way that they incorporated the board game into the film was genius and it made for some great entertainment and explosive action. The action of course is the main focus of the film along with some impressive CGI. The filmmakers handled the action with great care, really making me feel the suspense so that when something blew up, I was excited at the results (I may have shouted out in excitement once or twice). But the climax of the film was the best part. In a last ditch effort, Hopper and his surviving team climb aboard an old battleship to make a last stand. They are aided by retired veterans who add a lot of comedic quips to the young ones and overall this was a very nice ode to the Navy.
And while I would not call the acting in this movie "great," it was much better than I anticipated. When I first saw the trailer I laughed when I saw Rihanna's face on the screen, but I was very surprised at her acting and she often had some good/humorous dialogue. Of course Liam Neeson is enjoyable as always, borrowing a little from his character in "Taken" to play a no funny business Navy Admiral. As for Kitsch, I have never been a big fan of his acting since he did not do the character of Gambit justice in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"(granted none of the actors did much in that film) but he is suited for action movies and if he sticks to that, he'll have a good career.
OK, here is the bad thing about the movie, the thing that washes out all of the good stuff and leaves only disappointment...the script. Cheesy, cliche, laughable, terrible. All of these things can describe the horribly written screenplay. Granted there were a few funny bits but more often than not the film was trying to be funny but fell flat on its face. There was even one moment when, after a line was delivered, I leaned forward to put my face in my hands, in agony of what I had just heard (do I hear a Razzie nomination?)
Also, regarding my quip about this not being "Transformers 4", it practically is. "Battleship" has the EXACT same formula as the Transformers series. The beginning tries to be funny but then it gets serious, there is a very attractive female love interest (except this time she's not dumb), it involves people fighting big alien robots, and so on. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, I guess it's up to the viewer.
I am very conflicted with where I stand on "Battleship." I think to myself, there was great action, special effects, suspense, and a killer soundtrack (AC/DC). On the other hand...the script was cringe worthy. In the end I say this, if you ever watch "Battleship" keep the film muted the entire time, you will not have a hard time understanding it and it will turn out to be a great film. If you prefer it with sound, prepare to see exciting explosions ruined to terrible one-liners. I give this film two stars out of four.
"Battleship" has a running time of 131 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, violence, and destruction, and for language.

Marvel's The Avengers

Way back in 2008 when Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) appeared in the first "Iron Man" and spoke the words, "Just call us S.H.E.I.L.D." all Marvel fan boys knew what was coming. They were actually going to do it. Marvel was going to attempt to bring some of the world's biggest and greatest super heroes onto one screen to form "The Avengers." Many thought it impossible, while others thought that it would result in a cheesy action flick, but I for one remained optimistic. After four long years of anticipation I have finally gazed upon the glory of Marvel's latest blockbuster...and it is worth the wait.
Yes, if you haven't seen a Marvel film in the past few years you will probably be a little confused with the plot. The film centers around the Tesseract (the blue cube from "Captain America") and how Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) wants it to enslave the world. Now the head of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), must quickly put together the world's greatest heroes to fight this villain and his alien army that he summons.
The roster features the billionaire playboy Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the WWII soldier Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), the Norse god of thunder Thor, and the gamma radiated Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). On their side are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the archer Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Together these hero's must unite against this great threat...but they need to learn how to get along first.
A big part of "The Avengers" is the humor. Comic-book fans know that whenever heroes meet for the first time, there will be some insults thrown and some punches dished out. This film is loaded with this much needed element and the results will make you crack up. The funniest character is without a doubt Tony Stark. Downey brings life to this beloved character once again and whether he's making fun of Thor's Shakespearean dialect or calling Captain America an "Old Man", he sarcasm will never get old. All the characters have their own humorous lines but in the end it may actually be the Hulk who wins the award for biggest laugh (I'll give you a hint...it involves smashing!)
The highest of praise for director Joss Whedon, who has also produced an incredible screenplay/script. This guy knows what he is doing. The nearly two and a half hour film gives an equal amount of time to each and every character in the cast which I thought to be nearly impossible. It's not "Iron Man 3" and it's not "Thor 2." It is "The Avengers" and it stands entirely on its own. He also did an outstanding job with the character development. Black Widow and Hawkeye are basically new characters to the Marvel Universe, but after the film, I feel like I've known their characters for years. And the way Whedon writes Captain America blows the actual "Captain" film out of the water; this is much more classic and lovable Cap, the way he should be.
And the screenplay is backed up from top notch performances for every actor. The most notable is Mark Ruffalo. He is the third actor to play Banner in the last 10 years and he is by far the best. His Banner is the perfect balance of calm, hesitant, and genius (with the occasional outburst of anger). He steals the scenes he is in and I would certainly enjoy a new "Hulk" film with Ruffalo at the lead. The other worthy of noting is Hiddleston's Loki. After this film I can say with full confidence the Loki is the coolest and greatest Marvel villain to ever be portrayed on screen. Hiddleston's amazing acting makes Loki shine as the cunning, cruel, and downright nasty villain who never seems to lose his smile even if things aren't going according to plan. Evans and Hemsworth are great just like the rest and with Jackson's no-funny business Fury, "The Avengers" boasts a well rounded cast.
Oh and did I mention that there is action and lots of it? If you have been let down by some of the climactic battles in the last several Marvel films...join the club. But don't worry, the final half hour of this film delivers some of the most jaw-dropping action to ever be displayed on the silver screen. Just seeing these iconic heroes fight together sent chills down my spine. Imagine the coolest thing that you have seen each hero do in past film, double that (maybe triple), and you've got what to expect in "Avengers." I was never more happy to hear the words "Hulk Smash."
As a proud comic book nerd, I could have been very easily let down by just the slightest wrong in this movie. But there was no wrong. Whedon has accomplished the impossible and created something incredible. Just the fact that he could bring all these big characters together in one movie and make it work is simply MARVELous. My friends, "The Avengers" will satisfy every expectation you may have and is not only the best Marvel film to date, but is a landmark for the super-hero genre and all of cinema. I give it four stars out of four.
"The Avengers" has a running time of 142 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.