The Amazing Spider-Man 2

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

Scientist Richard Parker records a video message to explain his disappearance. Later, he and his wife, Mary, are aboard a private jet hijacked by a man sent to assassinate Richard. With the pilot dead, the plane crashes.

In the present, Richard’s son Peter continues to fight crime as Spider-Man. He pursues and apprehends Aleksei Sytsevich, who attempted to steal a truck containing plutonium vials. During the chase, Spider-Man rescues OsCorp Industries employee Max Dillon. While speaking by phone with Gwen Stacy, Peter sees a vision of her father, police captain George Stacy, reminding him to leave Gwen out of it. Afterward, Peter meets with Gwen at their high school graduation ceremony, but insists he needs to keep his vow to her father and ends their relationship.

Peter’s childhood friend Harry Osborn returns to Manhattan to see his terminally ill father Norman, CEO of OsCorp. Norman explains his illness is hereditary, and Harry is at the age where it first develops. Norman gives Harry a small device he claims contains his life’s work. The next day, Norman dies and Harry is appointed the new OsCorp CEO. He humiliates the OsCorp board, which has been privy to Norman’s secret biogenetic projects for foreign military powers.

Thinking that they have become friends, Max idolizes Spider-Man. While tending to some maintenance in an OsCorp laboratory, he loses his balance and falls into a tank of genetically modified electric eels. They attack him, and he mutates into a living electric generator. Meanwhile, Peter attempts to maintain a friendship with Gwen, but she reveals she may move to England for school. Before they can discuss it, Max wanders into Times Square and accidentally causes a blackout. Spider-Man attempts to calm him down, but the police fire at Max, making him lose his temper and attack. Spider-Man eventually stops him, and Max is taken to Ravencroft Institute.

The first symptoms of Harry’s illness show, and he uses the device Norman gave him to deduce that Spider-Man’s blood could help save him. He asks Peter, who has been selling photos of Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle, for help finding Spider-Man. Peter refuses, unsure of what effects the transfusion would have. The OsCorp board-members frame Harry for covering up Max’s accident, and remove him as CEO. Harry’s assistant, Felicia, informs him of equipment that could help him, so he makes a deal with Max (now calling himself Electro) to get him back inside the OsCorp building. There he finds a suit of armor and other equipment made by Norman, as well as venom from the now-destroyed genetically altered spiders. Instead of curing him, they transform him into a hideous, goblin-like creature.

Peter uses information left by his father to locate the video message in an abandoned subway station’s hidden lab. Richard explains he had to leave because he refused to cooperate with Norman Osborn’s biogenetic weaponization plans. Peter then hears a voicemail from Gwen, telling him she was offered the scholarship in England and is heading to the airport earlier than expected. He manages to catch her and professes his love for her, and they agree to go to England together. Electro causes another blackout, and Peter heads off to fight him. Gwen follows, and they kill Electro in an explosion caused by overloading his electricity supply. Afterward, the transformed Harry arrives equipped with Norman’s armor and weaponry; upon seeing Gwen, Harry deduces Spider-Man’s true identity and, swearing revenge for being refused the blood transfusion, kidnaps her. He fights Spider-Man at the top of a clock tower, and though Spider-Man subdues Harry, he is unable to save Gwen. As a result, she is dead.

Five months later, Peter has given up being Spider-Man and often visits Gwen’s grave. Harry is healing from his transformations, and his associate (the “man in the shadows” from the first film) breaks Sytsevich out of prison and equips him with an electromechanical suit of armor. Calling himself the Rhino, he rampages through the streets. But a recording of Gwen’s graduation speech inspires Peter to return as Spider-Man and fight him

REVIEW:

Other than Batman and Superman, Spider-Man is arguably the most popular superhero around. Following the mega-blockbuster that Captain America: The Winter Solder has become, excitement for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has been nonexistent. Surprisingly, people are going crazy for the upcoming Godzilla movie, though. Personally, this version of Spider-Man didn’t work for me in the previous film, will there be any difference this time around?

What is this about?

Spider-Man squares off against the Rhino and the powerful Electro while struggling to keep his promise to leave Gwen Stacey out of his dangerous life. Meanwhile, an old friend resurfaces, and Peter Parker uncovers new clues about his past.

What did I like?

Learn from your mistakes. I was not a fan of The Amazing Spider-Man. As a matter of fact, I still don’t care much for the rushed way it was foisted on us, the emo way it made Peter act, and…well, just go back and read the review. There is an old adage that says, “Those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it.” Well, the filmmakers apparently have learned because many of the things they did wrong in the first film, they fixed. For instance, Spider-Man keeps his mask on in all but 2 scenes. Other than Karl Urban in Dredd, no superhero seems to do this because they think we just have to see their face. Even in the Iron Man films, where can see Robert Downey, Jr. inside the suit, he can’t keep the helmet on/down. The 3D in the last film wasn’t impressive, but in this one, granted I did see it in IMAX, but this is one of the very few 3D film that has actually impressed me with the effects and it felt like we were swinging around the city with Spider-Man. Those are just a couple of examples, but you get the idea. There has been much improvement since the last time around.

Electro. Spider-Man’s gallery of rouges is one of the most impressive around. Only Batman, and you can make a case for The Flash have more colorful and interesting villains. So far, in the films, we’ve seen Green Goblin (more on him later), Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Venom, and the Lizard. Now, Doctor Octopus would be the obvious choice, as he is considered by many the penultimate villain for Spider-Man, but since this is films #2, I don’t think the filmmakers wanted to deal with the headache and comparisons to Spider-Man 2. This brings about the chance to delve into the rogues gallery and see what we come up with. The answer is Electro, a tragic character, yet powerful character that is sure to capture the audience’s attention with all the effects they can do with him. I’ll be honest, I love Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of him, but not a fan of the wannabe Dr. Manhattan look they had going for him. Once the climactic act kicks in and they let him realize the full potential of his powers. Man, you’re going to be glad you’re along for the ride! Many have been comparing his portrayal to that of Jim Carrey’s Riddler in Batman Forever. I can see the comparison but, given the way he becomes Electro, I would throw in a hint of Poison Ivy from Batman & Robin in there, as well. At any rate, bringing this character to the big screen was a huge undertaking and they did such a great job with that I was wanting more. Hopefully, if plans come to fruition, he’ll be back in a future film.

Bring the funny. One thing I didn’t like about Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man is that he didn’t crack jokes. Go read a Spider-Man comic or watch any of the cartoons and you’ll see that ol’ webhead is cracking wise left and right when he gets the chance. Sure, when it is time to be serious, he gets down to business, but otherwise, he seems to enjoy fighting crime. Now, Andrew Garfield seems to have the jokes down, as well as the comic timing. It may be the one thing he has over Tobey’s take on the character. I still think he’s a bit too much of an ass, but that seems to be what appeals to this generation.

What didn’t I like?

The life and times of Peter Parker. Once again, we are getting some backstory on Peter’s parents. The problem this time around, though, it doesn’t really seem to do anything, but convolute the story. Sure, the opening scene is exciting, but what does it really have to do with the rest of the film, honestly? If you’re a fan of this character, then you know that Peter Parker is a nerdy guy with some very bad luck, to say the least. While the toned down Garfield playing Peter as a total douche, he still isn’t the nerd we all want him to be. What can’t we get the nerdy Parker?!? As far as Peter’s luck goes, well, he and Gwen Stacy break up multiple times, he gets fussed at by his aunt May, his best friend tries to kill him, etc. I said this when Chuck was on the air, and I’ll say it about Peter. They just need to give the poor guy a break! Speaking of that Gwen Stacy storyline, while the comics have always been Peter Parker first and Spider-Man second and people have been gushing over how much chemistry Garfield and Emma Stone have, I just was meh about it. Of course, part of this may be because a)I’m team Mary Jane and b) I prefer Emma Stone as a redhead and haven’t really liked her in this role.

Give up the Goblin. The Green Goblin is Spider-Man’s arch-nemesis, and yet with 2 1/2 tries, we have yet to see a decent Goblin on the screen. I won’t bring up Willem Dafoe’s version, because that was just…I don’t know what to say about that. James Franco’s New Goblin never really made sense to me, as I felt they could have just gone on and made him another Green Goblin, but I guess they didn’t want to put him in a mask (Heaven forbid!!!). Dane DeHaan’s take is pretty much the same as Franco, but with some scientific stuff to go along with it. He is not a convincing or menacing Goblin. If anything, he is more comical looking because of the weird skin, hair, and teeth. I don’t want to say this, but either they need to give up on Green Goblin or make him look like he’s supposed to look in the comics. Speaking of DeHaan, this kid was hyped as a very talented actor, but he was like petrified wood on screen. He may have the looks of a young Leonardo DiCaprio, he most assuredly doesn’t have the talent.

Secrecy. Remember in Charlotte’s Web when Charlotte would write messages in her web above the barn? Well, for Spider-Man writes “I Love You” in giant letters on the bridge with his web, then he swoops down and grabs Gwen off the street. Now, this is a very sweet gesture, but many people are aware of Peter and Gwen’s relationship. I can let it slide that no one has picked up that Spider-Man and Peter have the exact same build and voice (at least he didn’t pull the Christian Bale Batman voice thing), but when you swoop down and grab your girlfriend, in broad daylight, mind you, what really is the point of having a secret identity? Most Marvel superheroes don’t have a secret identity, and that’s fine, but Spider-Man is one of the few that does. This scene kind of defeated the purpose. My feelings on this matter were cemented a couple of scenes later when Harry seen Gwen at the power plant and puts two and two together. I’m sure he isn’t the only one that has been able to do this!

Rhino. When the cast was announced for this film, I believe that Paul Giamatti as the Rhino was the first. With that bit of information, one would imagine that Rhino would be one of the major villains. Now, to be fair, in the comics, Rhino is nothing more than a henchman who got some powers, so nothing special there. I have no problem with the way he was portrayed here, except that it isn’t until the last scenes that we get him. Had this been a Marvel film, that would have been some kind of post-credits stinger. As a matter of fact, that is what it felt like. Someone compared his entrance in the end to that of The Undermine in The Incredibles. He is brought in to set up an actions shot/pose and the credits roll. How did such a capable actor as Giamatti let himself get roped into this?

No one is more surprised with how much I truly enjoyed The Amzing Spider-Man 2 than I am! Based on the previous film and the fact that no one was excited about this flick, I thought it was going to be more of the same. Perhaps the IMAX effect has something to do with my opinion of this film (the last IMAX flick I saw, other than some documentary in San Antonio, was Fantasia 2000). While the film is riddled with issues, one of the most glaring is that it runs about 30-45 minutes too long. Do I recommend this? Yes, very much so! I even suggest that if you can watch it in IMAX 3D, the  by all means, check it out!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Lawless

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

In 1931, the Bondurant brothers—Forrest, Howard and Jack—are running a successful moonshine business in Franklin County, Virginia, with the help of their friend, Cricket Pate, using their bar as a front for their illegal activities. One day, Jack witnesses mobster Floyd Banner shooting a competitor and they exchange looks before Jack returns to the bar, where Forrest hires Maggie Beauford, a dancer from Chicago, to be their new waitress. Shortly afterwards, the bar is visited by newly-arrived Special Deputy Charley Rakes, on behalf of the Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Mason Wardell, who informs Forrest that he wants a cut of all profit made by the county’s bootleggers. Forrest refuses and threatens to kill Rakes if he returns. Forrest later meets with the other bootleggers and convinces them to stand up to Rakes as well, though they eventually give in to Rakes’ intimidation tactics.

Meanwhile, Jack meets Bertha Minnix, daughter of the local Mennonite preacher. He attends their church drunk and makes a fool of himself, causing Bertha’s father to forbid her from seeing him, which only makes her more interested in Jack. Jack later finds Rakes raiding Cricket’s house in search of his distillation equipment, and Rakes brutally beats Jack to send a message to his brothers. Forrest learns of this and tells Jack that he needs to learn how to fight for himself. Forrest and Howard arrange to meet with potential clients from Chicago, but Howard gets drunk with a friend and misses the appointment. Forrest ends up beating the two men with Cricket’s help when they harrass Maggie. Later, after Cricket leaves, the men return, slash Forrest’s throat, and rape Maggie.

While Forrest recovers at a hospital, Jack decides to travel to Chicago with Cricket to sell their remaining liquor. Arriving there, they are doublecrossed by their clients but are rescued by Banner, who recognizes Jack. Banner already knows of the attack on Forrest, as well as the identities of the two assailants; he provides Jack with their address and advises Jack that they are working for Rakes. Forrest and Howard later find, torture, and kill the men to send a message to Rakes. Banner becomes a regular client of the brothers, who move their distillation equipment to the woods and have great profit. The money allows Jack to continue courting Bertha, while Forrest begins a relationship with Maggie after she moves into the bar for her safety, though she does not tell him she was raped. Jack eventually decides to show Bertha the distillation center, but they are ambushed by Rakes and his men, who had followed them. Howard and Jack are forced to flee from Rakes’s men with Bertha and Cricket, however Cricket is later recaptured and murdered by Rakes.

Wanting revenge for Cricket’s death, Jack goes to confront Rakes and his men at a roadblock at a local bridge. Howard follows after him, rallying the bootleggers to come to their aid. Forrest joins them, though Maggie tries to dissuade him, telling him that it was she who had found him with his throat slashed and took him to the hospital. Forrest realizes then that she was also attacked that night, though Maggie does not say so. The bootleggers engage Rakes’ men in a firefight, during which Rakes shoots Forrest multiple times before being shot in the leg and attempting to escape. Jack and Howard confront Rakes, shooting him in the chest with a gun, and stabbing him in the back with a knife to his death. With Rakes and his men dead, the Bondurants decide to save their money and retire after Prohibition ends. By November 1940, Jack has married Bertha, Forrest has married Maggie, and Howard has married a local woman, all having children. During a reunion at Jack’s house, Forrest walks to a frozen lake and falls into the freezing water, dying from pneumonia

REVIEW:

I love gangster movies, especially the ones that are set in the 20s and 30s and use tommy guns. When I saw the trailer for Lawless, I was excited, but reticent about seeing it in the theaters, for fear it may have been a total waste of my money. Not to mention, when this was released, I didn’t exactly have the time to rush out and see it upon its release. Well, you know what they say, “good things come to those who wait”.

What is this about?

This true-to-life action saga profiles Virginia’s bootlegging Bondurant gang, whose exploits during the Prohibition era made them outlaw heroes. The three Bondurant brothers tussle with the law and each other as they try to survive changing times.

What did I like?

Familiar. Brothers running moonshine, avoiding the cops, and also running their own bar. This sounds a bit familiar doesn’t it? A bit like The Dukes of Hazzard? The thing is, though, that this is apparently based on a true story…and there’s, unfortunately, no Daisy Duke. I was able to keep up with the goings on because of its familiarity, though, so this was a huge plus.

Brutal. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this film to be as bloody, brutal, and violent as it turned out to be. I’m not a big violence fan, but there are times when I do enjoy a good beatdown, or shootout, especially im westerns and films based in this era. Needless to say, this violence that we see is also filmed in such a way, that it feel natural and nor thrown in there just because it can be. For that, I give all the props in the world to the vision of the director.

Acting. The acting is mostly top-notch here, headlined by Tom Hardy. I’ve seen about 3 or 4 movies with this guy this year, most notably The Dark Knight Returns, and he has impressed me with each role. Jessica Chastain seems to be at home in these period pieces. I think I preferred her more in The Help, but she’s no less the bombshell here. Guy Pearce looks like Alfalfa from The Little Rascals grew up and became some slimy law officer, I forgot what his official title is. He lays it on thick and I loved every minute of it!

What didn’t I like?

Shia. So, he is trying to grow as an actor. That’s fine and dandy, but I just didn’t buy him as this character. Well, let me take that back. When he was just the so-called “runt” of the family who was trying to get into the business, that was working, but when it came down to the final act and he all of a sudden flipped out into some sort of vengeance driven madman, not so much. I’m not sure if it is because of his past work, the fact that he doesn’t have the look for such things, or just that he wasn’t able to convince me he was this character, it just wasn’t working.

Accent. Where in the bloody blue hell did these people get the idea for these accents? I haven’t talked to anyone from Virginia, but  I”m pretty sure they don’t talk like they’re from the back woods of Alabama. The accents used were very distracting, especially for those of us that here these kind of accents every day.

Immortal. Tom Hardy’s character survives the sickness that kills his parents, getting his neck sliced open, and getting shout about 5-10 times, but the thing that finally kills him just dumfounded me. Something so small, in comparison to the other things that have happened to him, offs him? It makes sense, but at the same time, it makes you go, “really?”

Lawless is a vastly entertaining gangster drama flick that I believe is one of the underrated gems that has been released this year. While I don’t believe it could have been a summer blockbuster, had this been released a couple of months later, it might have been a possible Oscar nominee. I highly recommend this. It is definitely something you should check out ASAP!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Chronicle

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

Seattle teenager Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) starts videotaping his life. His mother Karen (Bo Petersen) is slowly dying from cancer and his alcoholic father Richard (Michael Kelly) verbally and physically abuses him. At school, Andrew is unpopular and frequently bullied.

Andrew’s cousin Matt (Alex Russell) invites him to a rave to help him meet people, but Andrew’s filming angers an attendee and Andrew leaves despondent. Approached outside by Steve (Michael B. Jordan), a popular student, Andrew is persuaded to join him and Matt to record something strange the pair of them have found in the woods: a hole in the ground that emits a loud strange noise. The three enter the hole and discover a large crystalline object glowing blue. As Andrew records, the object glows red and the group is stricken by nosebleeds and pain. The camera cuts out. Weeks later Andrew records himself, Matt, and Steve as they display telekinetic abilities, able to move objects with their minds, but bleeding from their noses when they overexert themselves. They return to the hole, but find that it has collapsed and that the sheriff’s department is sealing off the area for safety.

As their abilities grow more powerful, Matt theorizes that they function like a muscle, becoming stronger with use. The three boys develop a close friendship and begin employing their abilities to play pranks. However, after Andrew pushes a rude motorist off the road and into a river, Matt insists that they restrict the use of their powers, particularly against living creatures. The three later discover that they can use their powers to fly and revel in the experience. They agree to fly around the world together after graduation, with Andrew expressing an interest in visiting Tibet because of its peaceful nature. Steve encourages Andrew to enter the school talent show to gain popularity. Andrew amazes his fellow students by disguising his powers as an impressive display of tricks. That night, Andrew, Matt and Steve celebrate at a house party, where Andrew is the center of attention. After drinking with his classmate Monica (Anna Wood), she and Andrew go upstairs to have sex, but Andrew vomits on Monica, humiliating himself.

Andrew becomes increasingly withdrawn and hostile, culminating when his father attacks him and Andrew uses his power to overpower him. His outburst is so extreme that it inflicts psychically connected nosebleeds and pain on Steve and Matt. Steve is drawn to Andrew, who is floating in the middle of a storm. Steve tries to console him, but Andrew grows increasingly angry until Steve is suddenly struck by lightning and killed. At Steve’s funeral, Matt confronts Andrew about the suspicious circumstances of Steve’s death. Andrew denies knowledge or responsibility to Matt, but he privately begs forgiveness at Steve’s grave.

Andrew grows distant from Matt and again finds himself alone and unpopular at school. After being bullied, he uses his power to tear several teeth from the bully’s mouth. Andrew begins to identify himself as an apex predator, rationalizing that he should not feel guilt for using his power to hurt those weaker than himself. When his mother’s condition deteriorates, Andrew uses his powers to steal money for her medicine. After mugging some local thugs, he robs a gas station where he inadvertently causes an explosion that puts him in the hospital and under police investigation. At his bedside, his father informs the unconscious Andrew that his mother has died, and he angrily blames Andrew for her death. As his father is about to strike him, Andrew awakens and blows out the outer wall of the hospital room.

Elsewhere, Matt experiences a nosebleed and senses Andrew is in trouble. He sees a news report about the hospital explosion and travels there, finding Andrew floating outside the building. Andrew drops his father, who is saved by Matt, and proceeds to wreak havoc with his powers. Matt confronts Andrew at the Space Needle and tries to reason with him, but Andrew grows increasingly hostile and irrational at any attempt to control him. Andrew attacks Matt and the pair fight across the city, crashing through buildings and hurling vehicles. Injured and enraged, Andrew uses his power to destroy the buildings around him, threatening lives. Unable to get through to Andrew, Matt tears a spear from a nearby statue and impales Andrew, killing him. The police surround Matt, but he flies away.

Some time later, Matt lands in Tibet with Andrew’s camera. Speaking to the camera while addressing Andrew, Matt vows to use his powers for good and to find out what happened to them in the hole. Matt positions the camera to view a Tibetan monastery in the distance and says “You made it” before flying away, leaving the camera behind to continue recording the tranquil scene.

REVIEW:

When Chronicle was released earlier this year, everyone was raving about how great it was. I decided to pass on it and wait until it came out on DVD, though, knowing that I probably wasn’t going to be this film’s biggest fan. Sure enough, seeing it tonight did nothing for me. This film definitely falls into the category of overrated, in my opinion.

What did I like?

Idea. The idea of a group of guys who are just living their lives, having a good time, and all that jazz who suddenly find this supposed alien artifact that gives them powers is the film’s strongest point, of that there is no question. As a matter of fact, this plot may be the reason the director has been tapped to helm the (unnecessary) reboot of the Fantastic Four, due to the somewhat similar natures of the products. So often, though, we get these superpowered beings who seem to just be larger than life, totally forgetting that they do have lives before and around their powers.

Effects. Being a small budget film, there isn’t much in the way of financial backing behind this picture. With that said, the special effects here are not too shabby. The flying scenes, for instance are almost as good as what we see in the Iron Man movies. Imagine what these people could have done with some real money!

Spiral. I won’t spoil anything, but one of the characters goes on a journey through the film that leads to the film’s climax. The descent, if you will, from where he is at the film’s beginning to the place he is at the end of the flick and all point in-between is almost enough to pique the audience’s attention and hold it throughout.

What didn’t I like?

Found footage. I do not like this fad of filmmaking. It seems to be a pox on the existence of cinema in the same way that reality tv has been for tv. It would be one thing if this was actually footage that was found, but let’s be real, this crap wasn’t found, it was made up and filmed with a cheap camera in a sad attempt to make the audience believe it was found.

Acting. I’ve been privy to some horrible acting in my day. This isn’t it, but it is pretty bad. Granted, the case is relative unknowns, and the script didn’t help matters, but I’ve seen great things from Michael B. Jordan in the final two seasons of Friday Night Lights, so he has no excuse!

Chronicle is just one of those films that you’re either bound to love or hate. I happen to be more in the camp of the latter. There just seems to be that feeling that the filmmakers were trying to be cutting edge, only it didn’t work out the way they wanted it to. On the other hand, though, they did make some serious bank. Do I recommend this flick? No, because quite frankly, it isn’t worth your time.

2 out of 5 stars