The Amazing Spider-Man Review
The Amazing Spider-Man Review
It's been ten years since Sam Raimi unleashed his vision of the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man onto global audiences. With dry wit, tight action, impressive structure, and soulful acting, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy became the definition of the comic-book superhero film series for the 21st cetury, with Spider-Man 2 being the golden standard alongside Superman: The Movie for what the genre can and should be. The series' importance carried through even after the release of Christopher Nolan's masterful and game-changing Batman tale, The Dark Knight. While Nolan focused on rooting superhero mythology into an image of the current state of the world, Raimi followed the path of the genre as a means of escape, showing that both approaches can exist with equal success. The third Spider-Man film failed to catch a fire among audiences, meaning that a new story from a new perspective was wanted. Enter Marc Webb, director of (500) Days of Summer, to take the reins of Spider-Man and tell his own story of the hero from the beginning with The Amazing Spider-Man. The trajectory of the beginning hits all of the basic notes of the origin story in the previous series' first film. Peter Parker is a geeky New York high school student who doesn't fit in. He lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, inadvertently wanders near a secret project that leads to a radioactive spider biting him and giving him superpowers. At first, he struggles to get comfortable with his abilities, but a personal tragedy brings him perspective and a raison d'etre, and a threat to New York City shows him the man he needs to be. With there being only ten years separating the previous series' first film with this one, it could have been either lazy or boring to cover a lot of the similar ground. Then why does it feel different? 1.) We are shown who Peter's parents are and, to a degree, why they left them in Ben and May's care. This has a profound effect on Peter, showing why he is so intelligent, has a chip on his shoulders, and almost prefers not to fit in with his classmates. 2.) The love interest is Gwen Stacy, a geeky fellow student who works as an intern at Oscorp, the place where Peter's father's colleague, Dr. Curt Connors does research, and the place where Peter eventually gets his powers. 3.) The webbing he shoots is man-made, not an organic effect from the bite. This emphasizes his intelligence and well as provides a sense of danger in a couple scenes. 4.) Spider-Man is seen as a vigilante more than a hero. The police, led by Captain Stacy, want to lock him up as a criminal due to his outside-the-law crime-fighting activities. 5.) The criminal who caused Peter's personal tragedy isn't caught. This gives Peter a sense of failure that he carries throughout his endeavors, knowing that what happened to him could easily happen to someone else. These changes, as well as other stylistic choices, all keep the film fresh and engrossing, allowing the audience to see it as its own entity without reminding them of the previous origin story. The comic-book universe has several storylines for one character that play out, some in parallel with each other, and this is something that could be difficult to accept on film. Credit must be given to everyone working on the film for trusting the audience to give the film its own chance. The script, written by James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Harry Potter alum Steve Kloves, is tight, having a constant sense of propulsion while allowing the audience to delve deep enough into the characters to want to join in on the ride. It tries to balance the grittiness and reality of Nolan's Batman series with the dry wit and fun of Raimi's Spider-Man series, and, for the most part, works well. The main actors shine thoroughly. Andrew Garfield has immense talent, as his work in The Social Network and Never Let Me Go shows, but it is still a surprise how natural a fit he is as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He gives Peter the arrogance, heart, humor, doubt, and strength that fits perfectly for this film. Garfield understood how to interpret Peter in this universe, and his interpretation is wonderful. Emma Stone comes off as strong, snarky, tender, and sexy as Gwen Stacy. Gwen's personality could take any man on, but she lets her guard down with Peter, and the tender moments with Peter are a sight to behold. Her chemistry with Garfield is natural and flawless. Even if the rest of the film was terrible, every scene with Stone and Garfield together would still make it worth watching. Rhys Ifans as Dr. Connors is a conflicted man struggling with keeping a secret from Peter about his parents' whereabouts and with a formula that gives him his arm back but at the cost of becoming The Lizard. Ifans' filmography shows his range, and he maintains the humanity of Connors when the script sometimes forces him into the Lizard's psyche completely. The supporting roles work as well as they need to, but some are better than others. Martin Sheen takes his role in Wall Street and focuses more on how he manages home life, making Uncle Ben the father figure we love and respect. Sally Field isn't given enough time with Garfield to develop the connection they need, but her Aunt May is still welcoming. C. Thomas Howell is a great embodiment of how the world sees Spider-Man. Irrfan Khan plays a one-note character, but as one of Dr. Connors' bosses, he has plenty of menace. However, of the supporting roles, Dennis Leary is the standout as Captain Stacy, Gwen's father. His acting chops were honed on his show Rescue Me, and he takes the abrasiveness and New York pride of Tommy Gavin and files it down to a more sensitive, fatherly base. He feels threatened by Spider-Man as the superhero is doing the job that the police are supposed to do. This tension carries through the dinner with his family and Peter as a guest, and when he sees Spider-Man's true identity, he understands that while he may not agree with the concept of Spider-Man, he knows that the hero is an asset to the city and not a hindrance. Leary is superb as the moral center of the film. Director Marc Webb started out with music videos and short films before his impressive feature debut, (500) Days of Summer. That film showed how comfortable he is with a good script and great actors, and that carries through here. The best moments are the smaller ones, not only the scenes between Peter and Gwen but also when Spider-Man rescues a child from a threatened vehicle, when Ben and Peter are together, when Peter begins to get comfortable with the new powers, when Spider-Man is in full smart-ass mode, and when Spider-Man goes to the sewer to pursue the Lizard. Webb understands the power of a delicate touch, and when he applies that touch, the film reaches the greatness of Spider-Man 2. However, there are enough flaws that keep it from reaching those levels consistently. First, the construct of the villain doesn't work as well as it should. The design of the Lizard is too artificial, and when the Lizard starts talking about how he wants to create perfect beings, it's jarring because of how Dr. Connors was never wanting that to begin with. The Lizard is an interesting villain in the comics, but he doesn't fit with the grittiness of the film. The post-credit scene is also disconcerting because it introduces an unnamed figure and randomly expands the Parker's parents storyline and Oscorp into the sequel. It takes away from the film holding up as its own entity, but at least it allows for future films to give this one some additional meaning. The music by James Horner is faceless. While Danny Elfman's work in the previous series didn't have a strong theme, it fit the film better than this score does this film. Horner knows how to up the drama, but nothing from the music is memorable. The Amazing Spider-Man is not the greatest Spider-Man film ever made, but it matches the first film in the previous series in quality, and the trajectory of the story along with the acting and directing makes me excited to see where this series goes next, and that is most important. Movie Rating: 8/10 The action is good, the drama even better. The villain isn't a good fit, but this film doesn't skimp on excitement. Film Rating: 8/10 The sense of loss, doubt, responsibility, and love carries the film effortlessly, and the scenes with Gwen and Peter together are perfectly done. Comic-Book Superhero Film Rating: 8/10 It tries to balance Nolan's grittiness with Raimi's sense of fun, and while it doesn't work completely, it's a great example of how good the genre can be. Spider-Man Film Rating: 8.5/10 It may not be as fun as Raimi's series, but it has more heart and as much depth, and it's as good as the first film in that series.
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The endeavor continues...
As of last night, I've begun writing my critique of Star Wars. It'll be some time before it's ready, but be prepared for amazing news...
La La Land Review
La La Land Review
Automobiles are jammed in traffic on an exit ramp in Los Angeles in a sunny winter. Everyone is restless and impatient. One person breaks out in song, then another, and one by one most of those stuck in traffic sing and dance, showing off vivid pigments of blue, red, green, and yellow. As the song goes it’s “Another Day of Sun.” Cue titles. This is the beginning of La La Land, an homage to 1940s…
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This is how "Numb" was during the Achtung Baby sessions. An industrial rock hymn. While the song it would eventually become is a staggering success, "Down All The Days" shows how many directions U2 were willing to go with their core. And a beautiful approach this song would have been.
My Workout For Tuesday January 14
I earned 958 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Dumbbell Bench Press +203 pts
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
35 lb x 12 reps (+52 pts)
40 lb x 8 reps (+53 pts)
40 lb x 6 reps (+49 pts)
Barbell Deadlift +190 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+48 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+48 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+48 pts)
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Barbell Squat +199 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
65 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+52 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+52 pts)
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press +160 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+41 pts)
20 lb x 8 reps (+41 pts)
20 lb x 7 reps (+40 pts)
20 lb x 6 reps (+38 pts)
Dips - Triceps Version +8 pts
12 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
6 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
5 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press +180 pts
25 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
35 lb x 4 reps (+39 pts)
35 lb x 6 reps (+46 pts)
Standing Calf Raises +16 pts
12 reps || weighted || 45 lb (+4 pts)
12 reps || weighted || 55 lb (+4 pts)
12 reps || weighted || 65 lb (+4 pts)
10 reps || weighted || 75 lb (+4 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
Fitocracy is the social fitness community that has helped hundreds of thousands level up their fitness. Start your fitness transformation today!
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My Workout For Tuesday January 21
I earned 728 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Pull-Up +8 pts
12 reps || assisted || 145 lb (+2 pts)
6 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
Bent Over Barbell Row +112 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
65 lb x 12 reps (+28 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+29 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+29 pts)
Upright Barbell Row +93 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+23 pts)
65 lb x 10 reps (+24 pts)
65 lb x 9 reps (+23 pts)
65 lb x 9 reps (+23 pts)
Plank +20 pts
30 sec (+10 pts)
30 sec (+10 pts)
Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift +199 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
65 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+52 pts)
75 lb x 10 reps (+52 pts)
Side Plank +42 pts
30 sec (+21 pts)
30 sec (+21 pts)
Dumbbell Shrug +75 pts
20 lb x 12 reps (+18 pts)
25 lb x 12 reps (+19 pts)
30 lb x 10 reps (+19 pts)
30 lb x 10 reps (+19 pts)
Reverse Crunch +76 pts
15 reps (+19 pts)
15 reps (+19 pts)
15 reps (+19 pts)
15 reps (+19 pts)
Dumbbell Bicep Curl +101 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 12 reps (+27 pts)
25 lb x 6 reps (+25 pts)
25 lb x 5 reps (+23 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
Fitocracy is the social fitness community that has helped hundreds of thousands level up their fitness. Start your fitness transformation today!
Now available for free on both iPhone and Android!
Farewell, 20s...Hello 30s!!!
My Workout For Friday February 07
I earned 783 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Upright Barbell Row +92 pts
45 lb x 12 reps (+21 pts)
65 lb x 11 reps (+24 pts)
65 lb x 11 reps (+24 pts)
65 lb x 8 reps (+23 pts)
Dumbbell Shrug +80 pts
30 lb x 12 reps (+19 pts)
40 lb x 10 reps (+20 pts)
40 lb x 10 reps (+20 pts)
45 lb x 10 reps (+21 pts)
Reverse Crunch +90 pts
20 reps (+26 pts)
18 reps (+23 pts)
17 reps (+22 pts)
15 reps (+19 pts)
Plank +22 pts
35 sec (+12 pts)
30 sec (+10 pts)
Dumbbell Bicep Curl +102 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+27 pts)
25 lb x 7 reps (+26 pts)
25 lb x 5 reps (+23 pts)
Side Plank +38 pts
30 sec (+21 pts)
25 sec (+17 pts)
Pull-Up +26 pts
1 reps (+13 pts)
1 reps (+13 pts)
Not one complete one, but 8 of them getting my chin just at the bottom of the bar. I am getting closer...
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Bent Over Barbell Row +125 pts
65 lb x 12 reps (+28 pts)
85 lb x 12 reps (+32 pts)
95 lb x 10 reps (+33 pts)
95 lb x 8 reps (+32 pts)
Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift +206 pts
55 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
75 lb x 12 reps (+53 pts)
85 lb x 9 reps (+54 pts)
85 lb x 8 reps (+53 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
Fitocracy is the social fitness community that has helped hundreds of thousands level up their fitness. Start your fitness transformation today!
Now available for free on both iPhone and Android!
A Focus on the Basics
A new year has begun. It is a time for reflection, a time for nostalgia, and a time for motivation.
2013 was the craziest year of my life so far. It was an emotional and visceral roller-coaster from which I learned a lot about myself, about what I want and need. As I look back, I realize the one thing that I need to start doing in my life if I want to succeed as a professional, as a husband, and as me --- focus on the basics.
In 2012, I was scared that I was stagnating professionally, worried that I was going to be stuck in autopilot and become the unambitious, listless worker everyone fears to be for the rest of his or her life. I went to graduate school to gain a deeper understanding of my engineering interests, and it was frittering away. It affected my personal life as well --- I became less productive at home and started to believe that I wasn't living up to the husband I wanted to be. By the end of 2012, I took a risk and left my job for another with the promise of a real challenge. There was a lot of thought and deliberation for that decision, and I can honestly say it was a great decision.
However, my stagnation concerns returned, and inward crept the fears again. My job took more and more of my time, and I felt like I was neglecting my personal life. I wrote film critiques and played guitar less and less, I struggled keeping in touch with friends and family, and I rarely stopped to look and appreciate where my life had taken me. My fitness level dropped like a stone in water, and every time I tried to restart working out, something would come up that would take me out of it.
On the professional side, it wasn't a fear that I was wasting my knowledge away, but a fear that I would never be an equal to my co-workers and respected by my superiors. For every step forward that I took, I felt that there was something that would happen that would knock me two steps backward. Every time that happened, I looked at myself and wondered whether I should have become an engineer. I thought I was growing at a snail's pace while everyone else was significantly further along. The challenge was winning.
As 2014 begins, I realize that perceived lack of growth is just that --- perceived. I have grown significantly throughout 2013, and thankfully only a small percentage of that is my weight. I still have a long way to go, but the hindrance is me. I'm so focused on gaining advanced knowledge and skills that I've neglected basic principles. I want to play hard guitar songs without practicing my scales and learning my modes. I want to be five years down the road personally and professionally so badly that I forget to learn how to live and work now.
So, starting in 2014, I will strive harder to find the work-life balance. I will improve my fitness to be as good as, if not better than, it was my first year of marriage. I will focus on learning and memorizing the engineering basics so that I have a foundation of knowledge that won't be on mental sand. I will learn to understand that I will fail several times before I succeed. I will play my scales and modes so that my fingers stay nimble enough for playing along with my songs. I will find a little bit of time to read leisurely, regardless of how long it takes me to finish a book. I will write more film critiques and complete the cycle of Star Wars critiques I began a couple of years ago. I will stop and take stock in the life that I have so that I have a solid foundation for the life I will have. For all who read this, please hold me accountable. I know I can't do this alone, but I know that I can do this.
My Workout For Thursday January 09
I earned 711 points for my workout on Fitocracy!
Dumbbell Bench Press +196 pts
25 lb x 12 reps (+46 pts)
30 lb x 12 reps (+49 pts)
35 lb x 12 reps (+52 pts)
40 lb x 6 reps (+49 pts)
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row +163 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+40 pts)
20 lb x 12 reps (+41 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+41 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+41 pts)
Standing Dumbbell Upright Row +103 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 10 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 10 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 8 reps (+25 pts)
Dumbbell Bicep Curl +102 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 10 reps (+26 pts)
20 lb x 8 reps (+25 pts)
20 lb x 7 reps (+25 pts)
Dumbbell Shrug +71 pts
15 lb x 12 reps (+17 pts)
20 lb x 12 reps (+18 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+18 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+18 pts)
Reverse Crunch +52 pts
10 reps (+13 pts)
10 reps (+13 pts)
10 reps (+13 pts)
10 reps (+13 pts)
Cycling (stationary) +14 pts
0:05:30 || 1.0 mi || 5 % (+14 pts)
Dips - Triceps Version +8 pts
12 reps || assisted || 145 lb (+2 pts)
8 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
6 reps || assisted || 130 lb (+2 pts)
4 reps || assisted || 115 lb (+2 pts)
Stretching +2 pts
0:10:00 (+2 pts)
Think you can beat me, or want to comment?
Fitocracy is the social fitness community that has helped hundreds of thousands level up their fitness. Start your fitness transformation today!
Now available for free on both iPhone and Android!
My Week With Marilyn Review
Marilyn Monroe is and will always be an enigma. A movie star by all accounts, Monroe had an ineffable quality that hypnotized men and women alike. She was the definition of bombshell, but what set her apart from beauties of that ilk in the past, present, and future was that she had the ability as an actor to carry a movie on her shoulders and make it look effortless.
However, that talent was marred by personal issues that eventually led to her death in 1962. She was plagued by a lack of self-confidence and the struggle to maintain her public image while never fully dealing with her private image. These issues are well-documented in books, articles, and movies. Simon Curtis' My Week With Marilyn presents a portion of these issues from another angle with varying results.
Based off of the non-fiction books The Prince, The Showgirl, and Me and My Week with Marilyn, the story is told from the point of view of Colin Clark, the third assistant director of The Prince and the Showgirl the adaptation of the play The Sleeping Prince. Sir Laurence Olivier brings in Monroe to play the titular Showgirl, and while he gets the performance he wants, he struggles with her emotional and professional baggage, namely her new marriage to playwright Arthur Miller, her acting coach Paula Strasberg, and her knack for taking multiple takes to get the scenes right. Clark, working through his infatuation with Monroe, strikes up a romance with her, witnessing her lows and her highs in front of and behind the camera.
This film is an acting haven, and the meat of the film lies with all of the actors bringing their A-game.
Michelle Williams becomes Marilyn Monroe. The mannerisms, the emotional struggle, the effortless shifting between her private and public persona, all of it captured with skill. All of the facial expressions are uncannily Monroe, and Williams makes sure never to come off as a cheap imitation. That ineffable quality of Monroe is perfectly emulated, giving us Michelle Williams' best performance to date and maintains her standing as one of the finest actresses of her generation.
Kenneth Branagh fully commits to being Sir Laurence Olivier. Branagh was the most obvious choice for Olivier - both are Shakespeare experts in theater and film, and both lay claim to the finest Shakespeare adaptations of Henry V and, arguably, Hamlet. He presents the quiet desperation of an aging British stage actor coming to terms with the youthfulness of the American Method. His lack of understanding counteracts with his fascination with one take that captures Monroe's perfection versus the many takes to get there. With that resolve, Kenneth Branagh gives one of his best performances in a long time, and makes me eager to see him age with grace on screen and off.
As the audience's window to the story, Eddie Redmayne does a fine job as Colin Clark. Clark is largely two-dimensional, and because he is a window for the audience, all that matters to us with him is that we see what he sees, but he allows us to feel his infatuation in all of its glory from conception to heartbreak, and Redmayne carries the film well. It may not be the showiest acting, but Eddie Redmayne holds his own amongst acting giants.
The supporting rolls make impacts as well. Dame Judi Dench is as wonderful as always as Dame Sybil Thorndike, a stalwart of British acting amazed by Monroe's magic. Julia Ormond briefly shines as Vivian Leigh, showing the admiration and jealousy as an actress seeing her former glory passed onto Monroe. Dougray Scott, unrecognizable as Arthur Miller, presents a husband who was captivated by his wife's public image while unable to deal with her personal strife. Dominic Cooper, as one of Marilyn's entourage and a man who had been in a similar situation as Clark, personifies Clark's conscience and better judgment with ease. Emma Watson, maturing gracefully from her stint in the Harry Potter series, is ever impressive in the small role of Clark's initial interest.
This kind of acting pedigree could have made any film great if there was a strong backbone to support it. However, director Simon Curtis never balances his work with the actors with a firm grasp on the technical aspects of the film.
The nature of the story is basic - man falls for woman, woman eventually falls for man, man and woman have a jolly time together, man and woman eventually part ways. There are a lot of more interesting details that pepper the story or could pepper it - British stagecraft versus American Method, Vivian Leigh and her eventual mental decline, Sir Laurence Olivier and his aging perspective - but those details are so briefly handled that they come off as missed opportunities. In fact, those avenues are more interesting than the actual trajectory of the film. The framework provided by screenwriter Adrian Hodges isn't enough to keep the audience's interest.
What's more frustrating is that the editing was sloppy, making what should have been a simple approach messy. The flow of the film isn't consistent as it wants to move briskly with a story that has no choice but to take its time. Scenes involving body doubles are obvious, bordering on unintentionally funny. Equally heinous are the cuts within a scene between a close-up and a general shot that don't match.
The more subtle but still important error made by this film is that it tells a specific story with a general theme about Marilyn that everyone knows already - her public persona was in conflict with her private life. No new insight is gained. If the audience knows the general idea before seeing the film, what purpose does the film serve for the audience?
It's a fundamental question that Simon Curtis doesn't answer. The purpose it serves for everyone else involved is to showcase talents either developed or developing. The unfortunate thing about *My Week With Marilyn* is that it is unnecessary, not functioning fully as art or entertainment. However, as a showcase for the actors and how the director works with the actors, it is a minor but unmistakable triumph. Movie Rating: 5/10 It's the basic story of a romantic fling between an ordinary man and a complicated woman. Moments of humor and drama, but nothing special story-wise. Film Rating: 7/10 The acting across the board is the sole reason to see this film. It's a master class in how to emulate well-known figures without becoming caricatures. Biopic Rating: 5/10 Michelle Williams is a wonderful Marilyn Monroe. However, the story doesn't shed light on anything new about Monroe.
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zoostationjustdowntheline reblogged this · 12 years ago
My life in film reviews, music reviews, life analysis, and what's going on just down the line in my mind.
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