The Dark Knight Rises - Review

Each character's prominence in the shot accurately indicates his amount of screen time.

The Dark Knight Rises completes one of the epic trilogies of modern cinema.  Without reading any further, you will have probably already seen the movie or know if you want to.  So my writing, as always, is meant to be a reflection on the film, not a way to convince you whether or not to see it.

My initial reaction to the film was posted as a Facebook status: "The Dark Knight Rises is a flawed but spectacular film."  Having now seen it a second time, I stand by this reaction.  But... the scale tipped in favor of spectacular for the second go around.  The flaws I mention didn't go away, but I guess I chose not to care about them as much.  They mainly include the influx of a slew of new characters whose main purpose is plot filler/to be killed off, a slightly bloated runtime (cut out 20 minutes and some of the aforementioned new characters), it gets a little too "talky" at times, and some scenes that weren't properly underscored as they could've been.  The film sometimes struggles to slow down from its lightning pace to let some of its key moments set in (i.e. a sad parting of ways for two main characters at the film's halfway point, a major character's departure towards the end of the film, silent shots of a Gotham in disarray, etc).  These are moments which Nolan should drive home to pack a bigger punch, but they sometimes get bulldozed over by the next scene in the queue.  TDKR is immensely ambitious, perhaps to a fault.

However, there's just so much that's great in TDKR.  And it's pretty hard to complain when that Hans Zimmer score kicks in with the action, especially in the third act.  The imagery is stunning, and I loved the scenes in the pit.  Michael Caine turns in another outstanding performance as Alfred - both witty and emotional.  Anne Hathaway makes for a brilliant femme fatale and was the most fun to watch.  Tom Hardy (whose mask forces you to read his eyes) plays an intelligent, but still brutal Bane.  Christian Bale plays a quieter, reclusive Bruce Wayne.  His Batman is broken and must rise up to become the symbol for the city that he set out to be.  TDKR doesn't feel like "the third Batman film", but rather a fitting exit for Gotham's watchful protector.

Selina Kyle is a classic femme fatale... on a Bat Pod.

Nolan's Batman films are particularly effective because they speak to themes Americans hear about constantly in the news: terrorism (TDKR opens with a hijacking), privacy issues ("clean slate" software, cell phone tracking in TDK), and their setting in what is clearly NYC.  The films are set in post-9/11 America and call for a hero to rise up from the masses to combat the terror at her doorstep.  "Batman can be anybody," we're told.  These are compelling examples of modern filmmaking that hit home with audiences and critics alike.  Hollywood can turn on the bat signal Nolan has left for us.  He'll be sure to answer with another fantastic blockbuster for years to come.  Job well done.

4.5 out of 5 

The Watch - Review

"Look at him and understand me. Look at both of us, but understand no one. Listen to my words, and hear his face."

The Watch gets spoiled by the trailers.  The interrogation scene pictured above makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it.  However, many of the film's best moments are given away in its trailers.  The best comedies don't reveal their hand during their marketing efforts, and save the big guns for showtime.  This is not one of the best comedies.  Unlike many critics, I found the mix between sci-fi horror and raunchy humor to be a fun idea.  Though there were some sequences that were well done, the overall execution could've been better.  Ben Stiller has been one of my favorite comedians since I saw him in Heavyweights, but it's newcomer Richard Ayoade who steals many of the scenes.  Ayoade is the director of the wonderful Submarine which came out last year.  I absolutely recommend seeing that film.  As for The Watch, if you haven't seen the trailers, you'll probably enjoy yourself more than I did.  

2.5 out of 5

3 Movies Worth Seeing... that you probably haven't heard of.

Safety Not Guaranteed

4.5 out of 5

"Stormtroopers don't know anything about lasers or time travel.  They're blue collar workers."

Clip: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi430350873/

Safety Not Guaranteed has heart and intellect.  It's simultaneously funny & original.  Mark Duplass is completely believable and genuinely talented.  Really the only problem is tracking down a theater that it's playing at!  What a shame.

Your Sister's Sister

4.5 out of 5

"Whatever you think is helping you, I have a responsibility as your friend to tell you that it's not."

Clip(s): http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2012/06/18/4-clips-your-sisters-sister-emily-blunt-mark-duplass-rosemarie-dewitt/

An engaging drama that's often funny and consistently smart.  The direction stood out the most for me; it emphasizes the dialogue without detracting from it.  I love the focusing choices - really superb.  The characters are all fleshed out nicely and avoid cliches.  Another great hole-in-the-wall find at "select theaters."

To Rome With Love

3.5 out of 5

"I have an IQ of 140."

"Yes, but that's in euros."

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJtaMnwjNLg

Alec Baldwin and Woody Allen himself are the true highlights, without question.  It's great to see the neurotic Allen and the suave Baldwin on screen in the same film, though never together.  Baldwin is reminiscent of the "Bogart" character in Play it Again, Sam and just as entertaining.  The rest of the characters are fine but are out-shined by those guys.  Too much time was spent with the shower singing nonsense.  Regardless, we still get the cleverly crafted romance vs. intellect love entanglements that define many Woody Allen flicks.  Not his best work, but as Woody once said "even the worst orgasm I ever had was pretty good."

The Amazing Spider-Man - Review

Look out!  Here comes the Spider-Man... again.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a fun, but flawed film.  If you can overlook these flaws (see below), you'll be entertained.  I was entertained.  Maybe I'm being a glass-half-full kinda guy on this one because I love Spiderman so much.  This is one instance when I know the movie isn't perfect and missteps often but I still have a good time watching it.

It will be understandably difficult for viewers to not play the "let's compare this one to the original series" game.  Don't.  Like comparing books to movies based on books, they're different animals and should be judged accordingly.  Of course, you'll probably like one more than the other, but that doesn't mean both can't be good or bad.  It's in their nature to be simply be different... because they are.

I decided to review this one atypically because I had such mixed reactions to the film.  One second I would be loving it, and the next I'd be shaking my head.

The Good:

• The chemistry (science pun) between the leads is fantastic.   
• I also liked the Dr. Connors/Lizard villain.  It's a sort of extreme version of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.  
• The film boasts many great set pieces.  Notable action sequences include Lizard roaming about an abandoned Oscorp, the sewer sequences, and a showdown at Parker's school.
• Martin Sheen and Sally Field make for a nice Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
• We get to see much more of Oscorp, a place teeming with innovative science and an area left unexplored by the previous Spidey flicks.
• The film is wonderfully shot on the latest digital technology, which makes it easy on the eyes (unless you experience 3D discomfort).  Speaking of which, it was a great one to see in 3D!   
• The Stan Lee cameo.

The Bad (and the Ugly):

• Judging from the many trailers, a TON of footage (including entire scenes and plot points) were cut from the theatrical release.  Some parts of the film felt like they weren't given their due time on screen while others felt dragged out.  The editing seemed off to me.
• I hated skater Peter Parker.  Parker is supposed to be a likable, intelligent nerd who becomes a superhero.  I didn't get that vibe here.
• No J. Jonah Jameson?  Disappointing.
• The basketball and crane scenes were silly.
• For me, the film didn't deliver on all of its grand promises of "the dark backstory never been told about Peter Parker's past."  We get little hints of it here and there, but it's all really just a tease until they figure out an inevitable sequel.  Even the scene during the credits sequence gives us very little information.  You can probably guess who the man in the shadows is, but that's not really tremendously helpful.
• I hope the quickness with which Hollywood decided to re-boot this series will not predict more re-boots in the near future.  I'm looking at you, Twilight series...

Despite all the nonsense, I still enjoyed the film.   

4 out of 5 (because I'd recommend seeing it and overall it was more good than bad/ugly)

Moonrise Kingdom - Review

Jiminy cricket, they flew the coop!

Sometimes I feel like if you've seen one Wes Anderson film, you've pretty much seen them all.  Other times I feel like each one is a totally unique world created by the same cinematic visionary.  Regardless, they're all good, and they don't even remotely resemble any other filmmakers' style.  The Royal Tenenbaums remains my personal favorite (but maybe that's because it got to me before all the others did).  Moonrise Kingdom comes in at a very close second.  The film is, as one would expect, beautifully shot and heartfelt.  It's a deft blend of fantasy, young love, comedy, eccentric characters, cartoon, and a few other qualities I don't think they quite have words for.  The soundtrack, too, is fantastic.  There really aren't too many glaring flaws here.   Moonrise Kingdom is an example of unique filmmaking from one of our time's proven auteurs and another creative story from the imagination of Wes Anderson.

Note: I find the increasingly prominent role that young actors are taking in modern films to be interesting and worth making note of.  Today, children and young adults are more commonly allowed much more maturity and complexity on film than in the past (Leon (The Professional) and Kids are two quick exceptions).  The two young people in the photo above are at the heart of this film, and their youthful passion and bravery are enchanting.

A sample of the soundtrack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbPO7OzGTqs

5 out of 5

Ted - Review

"OK so that's where we'll draw the line."

Ted is funny.  Honestly though... I wanted it to be more outrageous, laugh til you cry, offensive, over-the-top, unbelievable, shocking, gut-busting funny.  And only some scenes were close to that.  So I was a little disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, Ted has some really funny stuff.  I just expected a live-action version of the "Family Guy" humor to be better than it was.  The film focuses too much on the Mark Wahlberg-Mila Kunis relationship, which nobody really cares about.  Let's be honest, you're going to this movie to see a stuffed animal to completely ridiculous shenanigans.  As always though, go see it and judge for yourself.  Ted gets laughs, it just won't cement itself as a new & influential comedy classic like The Hangover or Bridesmaids.

3 out of 5

P.S.  My favorite part of the movie was its (now familiar to me) Boston setting.  It made me miss the city and look forward to going back in August.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - Review

A dog named "Sorry."

Somewhere in the runtime of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a great movie, but the film itself is not "great."  The film has a lot of heart... but also a lot of jarring tonal shifts that leave you with mixed emotions.  It contains interesting insight into the mentality of people faced with "the end of the world" and showcases various strategies of coping... but also occasionally resorts to forced caricatures that detract from the film's true emotion (I'm looking at you, William Petersen, the trucker in this film).  Steve Carell and Keira Knightley are two gifted actors who have made a name for themselves ...but their chemistry is only sporadicly on target (perhaps the age difference?).  There are moments in the film that I truly enjoyed and that felt real.  I just wished they had left out some of the others.  When it comes to Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, you could do a lot worse at the movies this summer... but the film should've been a lot better.

3.5 out of 5

P.S. Steve Carell will always be Michael Scott from "The Office", in my mind.  I have a hard time hating anything that he does.