Movie Review: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Sally Field, Paul Giamatti, B.J. Novack, Campbell Scott, Denis Leary, Chris Cooper

With the multitude of comic book movies released every year, the bar has been set pretty high with Marvel’s The Avengers and The Dark Knight trilogy. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to the reboot and technically the fifth Spidey tale since the release of 2002’s Spider-Man. Have I confused you yet? When we last saw our web-slinging hero, Captain Stacy (Leary) admits to Peter Parker (Garfield) that there is a need for Spider-Man but pleads with him to keep his daughter, Gwen (Stone), safe and out of danger. The responsibilities that come with being the city’s hero while attempting to keep the vow to her father puts a massive strain on his relationship with Gwen. Throughout all of this, Peter is attempting to get to the bottom of his parent’s death.

Back at OsCorp, CEO Norman Osborne (Cooper) is dying and leaves behind his life’s work in the hands of his son, Harry (DeHaan). Harry and Peter are best friends but haven’t seen each for years until Harry shows up to be with his father. Things become even worse for OsCorp when Max Dillon, an electrical engineer, falls into a vat of electric eels. Instead of dying like a normal person, he mutates into Electro becoming a human energy source with enough electricity flowing through his body to take out all of Times Square. Harry falls ill with the same disease his father died of and turns to Spider-Man for the use of his blood in order to live longer. Unaware of the effects his blood would have on Harry, he refuses setting Harry off into a destructive path transforming himself into the Green Goblin to seek revenge on Spider-Man.

If you feel like there seems to be a lot going on for a superhero movie, you are correct in your assessment. For a film that is nearly two and a half hours, the screenwriting team of Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, and Jeff Pinkner got far too excited when mapping out this story and forgot to keep an eye on focus and editing. There are scenes that drag on for too long, and there are characters that seem unnecessary. There is so much going on that I never really felt that they had a handle of what the point of this sequel was going to be. It’s not uncommon to have two villains in a superhero movie. This film kicks it up a notch by having THREE villains. However, in order for this to work, the writing of these characters has to be top notch. The only villain that works entirely here is Harry Osborne/Green Goblin. He remains an interesting character before and after his transformation into the Green Goblin. Jamie Foxx's Electro falls in the middle of the spectrum. I liked the concept of Max Dillon being this nerdy nobody engineer who is obsessed with Spider-Man. Once he becomes Electro, he lost that edge that any great villain should have. I blame this on all of the CGI work done on the character. I felt the same way toward Lizard in the last movie. Let’s not forget about Paul Giamatti who we see at the beginning of the film as Aleksei Sysevich and then disappears until the very ending when he reappears as Rhino. This second ending acts as a coda to the film but feels completely unnecessary. Are we to assume that Giamatti will come back for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 or is this the only glimpse of Rhino that we’ll see? Frankly, I could have done without Electro and just had Rhino and the Green Goblin as the two villains. They each retain their human aspects without turning into a CGI character.

The film works far better in the non-action sequences when we get down to the core relationships Peter has in his life. As Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have a natural infectious chemistry due to their real-life relationship. They make for a far more believable couple than Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst did in the Sam Raimi trilogy. Sally Field returns to the series as the darling Aunt May who has raised Peter since he was a child. There is warmth and care to their scenes together, which are some of my favorite scenes in the whole movie. Field always carries with her a maternal instinct that works so well with Aunt May, especially when she gets so flabbergasted with Peter. As Harry Osborne, Dane DeHaan brings an untrustworthy quality too him early on. Peter and Harry are supposed to be best friends, but the writers could have done a better job at building up their friendship. I’ve spoken about Dane DeHaan (The Place Beyond the Pines, Lawless, Chronicle) numerous times on my site as he always shines and leaves a lasting impression on me. He is a young talent than should and will become an A-lister within the next few years.

Director Marc Webb is back after helming the reboot, but he has not quite hit the bullseye yet. I felt lukewarm regarding The Amazing Spider-Man, and this is a hair better. I think the screenwriters got a bit carried away with the idea of making a “bigger and better” type sequel, and in turn, added too many characters instead of fleshing out and digging deeper into the core characters in Peter’s life. It makes me wonder if more was written for Chris Cooper, B.J. Novak, and Paul Giamatti, but then cut down in the editing room. They are all great actors whose characters seem to have more going on than what their limited screen time may suggest. Shailene Woodley (Divergent) shot scenes as Mary Jane Watson, but those were left out early on as well. When it comes to the core characters, Webb executes those intimate scenes quite well, which makes the movie enjoyable. I cannot forget to mention composer Hans Zimmer. He seems to be the go-to guy to score superhero movies after having worked on The Dark Knight trilogy and Man of Steel. His score has that grand throwback feel reminiscent of John Williams’ classic score to Superman. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is not a bad movie, but it is not nearly as good as it could have been. I like this cast better than those in the Sam Raimi trilogy, but I like those movies better. If only we could get this cast under Sam Raimi’s vision, we’d have one hell of a Spider-Man movie.

Is it worth your trip to the movies? The chemistry of the cast makes the movie enjoyable despite the lack of focus in the directing and writing.

RATING: 3 out of 5 Ticket Stubs

Movie Trailer: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Director: Mark Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Dane DeHaan, Chris Cooper, Sally Field, Denis Leary

The 2012 reboot The Amazing Spider-Man seemed a bit too soon to revitalize a franchise with a brand new cast. While I did not think the film was that strong overall, director Mark Webb and his cast did a decent job at setting the groundwork for some exciting new Spidey stories.

The new teaser trailer has been released and naturally is long enough and filled with enough footage that it feels like your standard trailer. The new film brings in Chris Cooper and Dane DeHaan as father/son duo Norman and Harry Osborn. Our villains this time around include Jamie Foxx as Electro and Paul Giamatti as Rhino. There also seems to be a glimpse of Green Goblin as well! From the look of this “teaser”, it will sure be one massive, high-octane, action packed adventure that will be huge at the box office

What are you first impressions? Feel free to sound off in the comments below!

Release Date: May 2, 2014

Movie Trailer: KILL YOUR DARLINGS

KILL YOUR DARLINGS
Director: John Krokidas
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Jack Huston, Michael C. Hall, Ben Foster, Elizabeth Olsen, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Daniel Radcliffe goes from one literary world to another as he dons some nifty glasses and curls to play beat poet Allen Ginsberg. The directorial debut by John Krokidas brings forth the story of some of the best poets of the beat generation: Ginsberg, Lucien Carr (DeHaan), William Burroughs (Foster), and Jack Kerouac (Huston) and the murder that forever changed their lives.

Kill Your Darlings has an had some screenings at the Sundance, Venice, and Toronto Film Festivals and received mixed to positive reviews. The critics all seem to praise the film's performances including Radcliffe and DeHaan. Radcliffe is shedding that wholesome Harry Potter image with numerous roles in 2013 with Horns and The F Word also being released this fall. I have been paying a lot of attention to the work of Dane DeHaan lately after his roles in last year's Chronicle and this year's hit The Place Beyond the Pines. "Six Feet Under" vets Michael C. Hall and Ben Foster also appear, which excites me even more as "Six Feet Under" is one of the best shows to have ever graced the world of television. Whether or not the film receives a positive reaction from theater goers, hopefully it will open up a new generation to the works of Ginsberg, Kerouac, and Burroughs.

OPENING IN LIMITED RELEASE: October 18, 2013

Movie Rewind: CHRONICLE (2012)

CHRONICLE
Director: Josh Trank
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, Alex Russell, Michael Kelly, Bo Petersen

If you are getting sick of found footage movies, Chronicle may not be your cup of tea. I will say that this filming technique is used far better here than in most movies. Andrew (DeHaan) has recently bought a video camera and decides to start filming everything going on his in life. From shots of his ill mother to his life at school, anyone and anything will be caught on camera. He is already considered a bit odd at school and the constant filming is not helping his cause. Apparently, no one wants to be filmed, especially during cheerleading practice.

The only ones that seems to take an interest in Andrew and his camera are his cousin Matt (Russell) and Steve (Jordan) who is running for school president. Matt and Steve found a mysterious hole in the ground and want Andrew to film their jump into the hole. What lies beneath the ground is an unexplainable force that ends up giving the boys special telekinetic powers.

The guys start testing out their powers to see what kind of objects they can move and how far they can go with their abilities. Like many teenagers they are a bit too cocky for their own good and must learn from their consequences. We have seen characters in comic book movies suffer the same dilemmas. The central characters must decide to somehow find control and know when they are using their powers for good or for evil.

The idea of found footage and shooting the movie from the point of view of a video cameras is fully executed down to each scene. Sometimes movies of this type use this technique in a few scenes or the photography is too shaky or the filmmakers try to scare you into thinking it is real and "untouched" footage. You will not find any of that here. Director Josh Trank places the camera and actors at the proper levels to carry it off successfully without it seeming hokey or unrealistic. Whether one of the boys is holding the camera or it is stationary, the cinematography works well. You will notice mirrors used throughout and other side characters holding the camera in order to capture some of the other actors and different points of view other than Andrew's.

For a first time director, Trank has executed a pretty sharp film that is smart, sleek, and to the point. The film is only 85 minutes as Trank keeps the tension escalating at a pretty quick pace. Much of this is also due to the creative script by Max Landis. Landis is the son of director John Landis who brought us such classics as National Lampoon’s Animal House, An American Werewolf in London, and The Blues Brothers. This is also the first full length feature for Landis. He blends the worlds of the hand held camera/found footage movies and super hero movies together without ever feeling too pretentious or serious about it. Many super hero movies lately are being set in a more realistic society, but Gotham is still Gotham and Metropolis is still Metropolis. Chronicle has that approach of setting the story in a very realistic society by giving these everyday teenagers powers, but it has a different feel to it. I like how he uses teenagers as the protagonists to delve into the consequences of what happens to them after they realize the full potential of their newly found powers. Teenagers do not seem smart enough or mature enough to understand all of the risks involved. There were some surprising twists and shocking moments that left me aghast as I was surprised they would “go there” with the story.

I missed this when it first arrived in theaters, but I was drawn back to it due to stars Dane DeHaan and Michael B. Jordan. They both have had exceptional performances in 2013. DeHaan played the son to Bradley Cooper in The Place Beyond the Pines. He was absolutely riveting and reminded me of a young Leonardo DiCaprio. Jordan knocked me over with his heartbreaking performance as Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station. These two are definitely actors we need to keep an eye on.

RATING: **** (4 out of 5 stars)

Movie Review: THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Dane DeHaan, Rose Byrne, Emory Cohen



After watching 2010's Blue Valentine, I knew that director Derek Cianfrance was a director that needed extra attention. The raw emotional story told by him and stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams really struck a nerve with me. Cianfrance has re-teamed with Gosling for his third movie which is one hell of an undertaking. Luke (Gosling) is a tough, tattooed, stunt motorcycle rider. He drives around in small steel cages with two motorcyclists touring the small state fair circuit. His ex-girlfriend Romina (Mendes) pays him a visit and he finds out he is the father of her son, Jason. She has moved on from him and is working as a waitress in a small diner and is now dating another man. Luke decides to get his act together by quitting the stuntman lifestyle to stay in town and help raise his son. His good intentions to turn his life around quickly stall as he turns to robbing banks to make money for his son.



After a couple of successful heists, Luke hits a snag on one attempt sending him into an altercation with rookie policeman Avery Cross (Cooper). The film shifts focus onto Avery's life. Avery comes from a wealthy family and has a beautiful wife (Byrne). There is a pre-determined path that his family wants him to go down, but Avery is torn with what he wants to do in life. After the altercation, he comes to realize his colleagues in the police force led by Deluca (Liotta) are about as corrupt as they come causing interal struggles with Avery's core values and constant determination to do the right thing. The story takes another turn and jumps fifteen years later. The culminating focus of the story narrows in on the actions of Luke and Avery and how they have impacted theirs sons. Avery is now running for public office but his teenage son, AJ (Cohen), has gotten himself messed up and arrested for drug possession with Jason (DeHaan). AJ and Jason have no idea of the history between their two fathers, and their friendship comes into question as certain truths start to reveal themselves.



I am always drawn to big ensemble dramas where actors are being pushed in every scene. With these three interconnected stories, Cianfrance delivers strong performances across the board from his cast. Gosling is as strong and realistic as he is with every character. Mendes plays completely out of her standard sexy bad-ass chick routine I think she has gotten herself stuck in. She has finally taken on a role that allows herself to give off a strong, stripped down, and vulnerable performance. This role has finally forced me to take notice of her when I had never given her credit before. Liotta may be the only one in comfortable territory playing the ruthless corrupt cop. I am happy to see Cooper successfully take on another flawed character. I was hoping Silver Linings Playbook was not a fluke performance. It is hard not to take notice of Dane DeHaan. He reminded me of a young Leonardo DiCaprio in his approach. Do not be surprised if he follows in the footsteps of DiCaprio or Gosling and becomes the next in demand actor if he continually takes on these challenging and unstable characters.



Cianfrance is drawn to making movies about family life. Blue Valentine focused on the husband and wife dynamic while The Place Beyond the Pines taps into the relationships between fathers and sons. The central characters must deal with coping with the life they have either been born into or got themselves a part of in their later years. They have to realize that certain choices and actions have consequences from one generation to the next. For an up and coming director, this multi-layered approach to the story is no easy feat. With the opening tracking shot, the cinematography is gritty and very in your face at times. Cianfrance manages to go all in without playing it safe in any regard. The film is by no means perfect, but it has had a lasting impression on me. I can only imagine what future stories and themes Cianfrance will come up with, and I know I will be in line as soon as they open.

RATING: **** 1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)

Movie Trailer: THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta, Dane DeHaan, Eva Mendes

If you saw Blue Valentine in 2010, you know the work of director Derek Cianfrance. He reunites with Ryan Gosling to bring you another intense character study. Gosling plays Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stunt rider that turns to bank robbery in effort to provide for his son and ex-girlfriend Romina (Mendes), who is the mother of his child. Luke's actions come to the attention of rookie cop Avery (Cooper) and the even more corrupt Detective Deluca (Liotta).

The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2012 and received rave reviews. Cooper is shining right now with Silver Linings Playbook, so I predict another stellar performance to keep his momentum going. Gosling can currently be seen in Gangster Squad and was recently the People Magazine cover man. Blue Valentine really got to me, so I am highly looking forward to another emotional punch to the gut with The Place Beyond the Pines.

Release Date: March 29, 2013.