Film Review: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)

Director: Marc Webb
Writers: James Vanderbilt (screenplay/story), Alvin Sargent (screenplay), Steve Kloves (screenplay), Stan Lee (Marvel comic book), Steve Ditko (Marvel comic book)
Running time: 136 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
UK Release date: 3^rd July 2012

Watched at the Picture House (K-town) Sunday 7^th July 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

It’s Saturday afternoon and the new Spider-Man film is out; what’s a man to do? Well, why not pop down to the Picture House in K-Town and catch said movie; which is what I did. It was showing on the small screen upstairs and, with it being a Saturday, there were plenty of dads with their youngsters in tow. I’ll admit I was slightly in fear of tantrums and flying popcorn, but I managed to behave myself all the way through… the kids weren’t too bad either. But I digress; here’s a brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Peter Parker, whose parents disappeared when he was young, has been brought up by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. A quiet lad who always had a bent for science, he one day stumbles on an old brief case that once belonged to his father. This leads him to a company called Oscorp and his father’s former colleague, Dr Curt Connors. Whilst there he is bitten by a spider, a very special spider developed by his father who had been working on cross-species genetics. Dr Connors has also been working on a similar project but with little success. A girl that Peter knows from school, Gwen Stacy, also works as an intern for Dr. Connors and they find themselves drawn together as the effects of the spider bite become apparent. He finds he has great strength and agility and he designs and makes some web-slingers. But then tragedy strikes and he feels he must go out and clean up the city. Meanwhile Dr Connors experiments on himself and the results are quite horrific; a monster is now stalking the city and it’s up to Spider-Man to stop him! I’ve probably said too much already but I’ll leave it there or the Spoiler Police (Spidy Division) will have me hosing used webs off all the buildings in Manhattan (again).

I found it quite hard to look at this film without drawing parallels with Sam Raimi’s 2002 film Spider-Man. The two are very similar in many ways although this one did try to stay a little more grounded. As far as performances go, well everyone did a decent job; Andrew Garfield coped well with the dual role of Spider-Man and Peter Parker and Emma Stone did a decent job as Gwen Stacey. I thought Rhys Ifans did a very decent job as The Lizard/Dr. Curt Connors and Denis Leary was fine as the cop Captain Stacey (Gwen’s dad). But I must give a special mention for Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben and Sally Field as Aunt May; a masterful piece of casting; both were perfect (IMO).

Comparing the two films (it’s hard not to), I felt that this one didn’t really add anything that the original did. Yes, it’s a slightly different take on it, but essentially the same. There are long periods spent setting up dramatic plot points that don’t always pay off and I also felt it was far too long. The CGI is all very well done and the fight sequences are also well executed but I did have the nagging feeling I had seen it all before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good film, but (IMO) not different enough from Sam Raimi’s effort to be a great film. Even so… Recommended, especially if you haven’t seen the original 2002 movie.

My score: 6.8/10

IMDb Score: 7.8/10 (based on 29,271 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0948470/

MetaScore: 66/100: (Based on 42 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 72/100 (based on 228 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 84/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 291,053 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_amazing_spider_man/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[Peter finds an old satchel in a closet]
Ben Parker: I forgot all about that thing. It was your dad's...

[at Oscorp]
Gwen Stacy: [to Peter] Don't get me into trouble. Do NOT touch anything!

Peter Parker: We all have secrets: the ones we keep... and the ones that are kept from us.

Peter Parker: Ahem, you know, if you're going to steal cars, don't dress like a car thief.
Car Thief: You a cop?
Peter Parker: You seriously think I'm a cop in a skin-tight red and blue suit?

Gwen Stacy: How did you get up here?
Peter Parker: The fire escape.
Gwen Stacy: That's twenty stories.
Peter Parker: Your doorman's intimidating.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.theamazingspiderman.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamazingspiderman
Trailer:

Film Review: NEVER LET ME GO (2010)

Director: Mark Romanek
Writers: Kazuo Ishiguro (Novel), Alex Garland (Screenplay)
Running time: 100 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi
UK Release date: 11^th February 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15^th January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember hearing about this film when it came out; I was slightly intrigued by it at first, but then I heard it was a bit of a love story and shelved it for a bit. Well, it resurfaced this week and, despite my reservations I decided to give it a look. You’ll be pleased to know I was pleasantly surprised. Some really great performances are the highlight of this heartbreaking tale set in an alternate reality. I will tell you more after this brief summary.

At an idyllic school called Hailsham in the countryside, three children; Kathy, Tommy and Ruth become friends. From the beginning you can tell there is something odd about this school it is not until one of the teachers, Miss Lucy, tells the students of their purpose that the audience, along with the children, begins to understand. [I will not say here what it is as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen the film.] The story is told through the eyes of Kathy  and you can tell that she is attracted to Tommy, but Ruth gets to him first. At the age of eighteen they are allowed to leave and go to live in a place called ‘The Cottages’ with teenagers from other schools. By now Tommy and Ruth have become a couple and they begin to explore the world around them. They hear about something called a ‘deferral’ for couples that are in love [don’t worry, that will make sense when you see the film] and Kathy can’t bare it any longer and leaves to become a carer. She later hears that Tommy and Ruth had broken up. Little does she know but their paths are due to cross again and it is this meeting that will decide their fate. I will not say any more or the Spoiler Police (Alternate Reality Division) will be removing my organs (again).

This film is beautifully made with a great musical score by Rachel Portman, it really captures the mood of the piece. Great cinematography combines with the great British countryside to give the plot the room it needs to breathe. The thing that stands out most though is the performances of the three main characters; Carey Mulligan as Kathy, Andrew Garfield as Tommy and Keira Knightley as Ruth all put in really great performances. I must also give a mention to their young counterparts; Izzy Meikle-Small as Young Kathy, Charlie Rowe as Young Tommy and Ella Purnell as Young Ruth were all excellent also. Honourable mentions go to; Charlotte Rampling as Miss Emily and Sally Hawkins as Miss Lucy.

This is a bit of a heartbreaker of a film, filled with a lot of emotion because the audience are allowed to get to know these characters and become invested in their fate. I have to admit to feeling very sad by the end. It’s beautifully made with great care and so hats off to the filmmakers for making it as enjoyable to watch as it was. As I’ve already said, it’s quite heartbreaking at the end but still well worth a look… Recommended.

My score: 8.3/10.

IMDb Score: 7.2/10 (based on 35,146 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1334260/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 70/100 (based on 162 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 70/100 (based on 29,621 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/never_let_me_go_2010/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Kathy: My name is Kathy H. I'm 28 years old. I've been a carer for nine years. And I'm good at my job. My patients always do better than expected, and are hardly ever classified as agitated, even if they're about to make a donation. I'm not trying to boast, but I feel a great sense of pride in what we do. Carers and donors have achieved so much. That said, we aren't machines. In the end it wears you down. I suppose that's why I now spend most of my time not looking forwards, but looking back, to The Cottages and Hailsham, and what happened to us there.

Kathy: It had never occurred to me that our lives, so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed. If I'd known, maybe I'd have kept tighter hold of them.

[last lines]
Kathy: I come here and imagine that this is the spot where everything I've lost since my childhood is washed out. I tell myself, if that were true, and I waited long enough then a tiny figure would appear on the horizon across the field and gradually get larger until I'd see it was Tommy. He'd wave. And maybe call. I don't know if the fantasy go beyond that, I can't let it. I remind myself I was lucky to have had any time with him at all. What I'm not sure about, is if our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save. We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we've lived through, or feel we've had enough time.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/neverletmego/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)

Director: David Fincher
Screenplay by: Aaron Sorkin
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Biography/Drama
UK Release date: 15^th October 2010

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 11^th September 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember when this came out there was an awful lot of debate, praise and general talking about it. Unfortunately it never made it to my local cinema (surprisingly), but it finally made it to a pay TV channel this week. I was quite keen to see it given the amount of attention it got, and also because it was written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, both of which I admire greatly. Here’s a little about the plot before I give you my thoughts.

After a disagreement with a girl, Erica Albright, computer genius Mark Zuckerberg goes online and writes a program called “Facemash”. It was available only to students at Harvard University, where he was studying. It caused quite a stir when the University servers crashed. He had the help of his friend, Eduardo Saverin, who would eventually be credited as a co-founder of Facebook. Moving on from this, Mark is approached by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and their associate Divya Narendra, to write a web site for them that had elements common with what Facebook would become. Instead of working on their site, Mark works on his own idea, with backing from Eduardo. Eventually ‘The Facebook’ goes live at Harvard University and is an instant hit. They expand to other Universities in the United States and eventually across the world. Mark is contacted by Sean Parker, the inventor of Napster, and he eventually moves out to California to use his expertise. All this time, Eduardo is being squeezed out of the business. It all comes to a head when Mark is sued by Eduardo, the Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra. It is this action that forms the central part of the movie and it is from here the various parts of the story are told in flashback. I’ve probably said too much, but the film is about so much more so I’ll stop before the Spoiler Police (Universities branch) escort me off campus.

As you’d expect from Aaron Sorkin, an excellent script with some really great dialogue! The film is beautifully made, expertly paced and I found it very easy to get into. Great performances all round, particularly from Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, a real departure for him and he pulled it off brilliantly. I must also give praise to Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, for me, he put in the best performance, maybe because his character was more likeable, but still a great performance. Honourable mentions go to; Armie Hammer as Cameron Winklevoss / Tyler Winklevoss and Max Minghella as Divya Narendra.

I really enjoyed this film, the subject matter is one that’s close to many people’s hearts and so I guess it was bound to be a hit. I did find the picture very dark though; so much so that curtains had to be drawn (it was a daytime viewing). I think it’s one of those films that will eventually become a classic, but it is one you have to watch… It’s very easy to get lost in the twists and turns of a piece of dialogue written by Aaron Sorkin (and I mean that in a nice way). Over all, beautifully made, a great script, an enthralling story and some great performances… Recommended.

My Score: 8.5/10.

IMDb Score: 8.0/10 (based on 149,604 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96/100 (based on 272 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-social-network/

 

Since it’s all about Social Networking… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:

Erica Albright: You are probably going to be a very successful computer person. But you're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole.

Sean Parker: Drop the “The.” Just “Facebook.” It’s cleaner.

Mark Zuckerberg: I went to my friend for the money because that's who I wanted to be partners with. Eduardo was the president of the Harvard Investors Association, and he was also my best friend.
Gage: Your best friend is suing you for six hundred million dollars.
Mark Zuckerberg: [Sarcastically] I didn't know that, tell me more.

Marylin Delpy: [Last Lines] You're not an asshole, Mark. You're just trying so hard to be.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thesocialnetwork/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (2009)

Co-Writer/Director: Terry Gilliam
Running time: 117 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Drama
UK Release date: 16th October 2009

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 12th March 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is my 50th film this year, and by coincidence I decided to watch a film that has intrigued me for some time. There was a lot of talk about this one due to the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger. I know it didn’t get a rapturous reception, but I have been keen to see it ever since. I’ll give you my thoughts later, but here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those that don’t wish to know anything about the plot please attract some punters for the show while I write the next paragraph).

Doctor Parnassus is a very old man, over a thousand years old, and he runs a travelling show, The Imaginarium. Putting himself in a trance-like state, he can make the dreams of anyone that walks through the magic mirror come to life. He is helped by his daughter, Valentina, a young man, Anton, and a man of small stature, Percy. One day they come across a man who is not in the best of situations, who they rescue. It turns out his name is Tony and he offers to help them with the show. Meanwhile, Doctor Parnassus is keeping a secret from his daughter, a secret involving the mysterious character known as Mr. Nick. Valentina will soon be sixteen and the Doctor is getting more desperate to get more people to try his show. I will leave my short summary there so as not to upset the spoiler police out there.

I always enjoy the visual spectacle of a Terry Gilliam film, he has such wonderful vision and always comes up with something both spectacular and utterly crazy at the same time. The scenes inside the Imaginarium and certain other key scenes are truly spectacular, a great feast for the eyes. Unfortunately in the real world it doesn’t work quite so well. Decent performances all round, Heath Ledger did a good job as Tony, as did Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell who all took turns with the part of Tony when he as inside the Imaginarium. Christopher Plummer was good as Doctor Parnassus and Andrew Garfield was great as Anton. Lily Cole did a fine job as Valentina and Verne Troyer was also good as Percy. Finally, a mention for Tom Waits who I thought was excellent as Mr. Nick.

I know there were problems with the production of this film, not least the loss of one of the leading men, but it did, unfortunately, fall a little short of the mark. As I’ve already said, certain parts of it are visually stunning, but this doesn’t make up for a script that was not all that great. I could follow the plot ok, but I found some of the dialogue sounded a little “off the cuff” and some of the characters were not fully developed enough. Over all though, I did quite enjoy it, and I will probably watch it again someday… Recommended for at least one viewing.

My score: 7.1/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1054606/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1190561-imaginarium_of_doctor_parnassus/
Official Site: http://www.needcoffee.com/doctor-parnassus/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi944374297/