The Amazing-Spider Man 2

In 2012, the first Spider-Man came out from the new reboot series and it came out in a very "out of the blue" way. I can't say I never did appreciate a Spider-Man film though because Spider-Man is for sure one of my favorite superheroes out there. Why though, would they create a Spider-Man series five years after the last film in the original series?

The Amazing Spider-Man of 2012 still was a positive even with all the hate I give it. It brought in new rising stars who we got to know and it played well in the summer market. The film got a new audience for this famous Marvel character and it generated sequels.

In this movie, following the events in last movie, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is really up in the air (no pun intended) with his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and a new villain, Electro (Jamie Fox) comes into the spotlight. Peter Parker also must deal with an old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) who is now in charge of Oscorp and who's emotions turn him into the villain the Green Goblin. Parker is sure dealing with lot of tuff and it's starts to show.

Andrew Garfield is again likable which makes you wish he was around more often in films. He has very good chemistry with his co-star Emma Stone but the story of them trying to solve their relationship is surely past done by now. Still though, they make this film and I don't know where this film would be without the two of them together. Electro is nerdy and not a mentally stable guy and it's quite interesting for him to be in this film because he is not the most known villain in the Spider-Man universe which makes him original. The special effects with him are quite quirky and of a different vibe than what we have seen before but like the most characters in this film, his pacing is way off. Rising star, Dane DeHaan known for the forgotten but solid film Chronicle is just as silly as Electro but it's Dehaan himself who eventually who ruins this character for us. He can't develop the character himself making it a mundane character nor is his acting really up to a par. Even the usually lovable Sally Field as Aunt Jane is nowhere to be found and really adds nothing to film even when she is around.  

There also isn't much of a plot here. Sure, these characters do add something but a large portion of the film wanders around going nowhere and the movie has some really bad pacing. You would expect the typical long, action battle scenes to end the story and here the last battle scene sure does change the whole series. The main settings is New York City which it had to be but really you know what you are getting with this setting by now. It' a plot that has a lot to it but doesn't really go anywhere with it. I give the substance here a barely passing grade.

These are probably some reasons why this is movie is getting hated on after only one week at the top of the box office. You have wonder what Sony Pictures thinks of the future now for this series. This reboot continues to introduce us to new things to this character that we never thought would come to us but still fails to deliver the necessary stuff to make a really good Spider-Man film. I can't even say that I'm even looking forward to the likely sequels coming in the next few years and I never said this when the original sequels were coming. The Amazing Spider Man 2 and this whole reboot series  sure seems like a big question mark to me.

3/5

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Godzilla (1998)

In 1954, the new film "Godzilla" hit the theaters in Japan and made an impact that nobody foresaw or thought would have happened. Sure, in 1933 the famous King Kong was released but Godzilla was still an inspiration for many monster films to follow. These movies include the classic 1954 movie, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and even more recent films including the 2006 South Korean film, "The Host" and "Cloverfield" from 2008. So many monster movies world-wide have been inspired by the original Godzilla movie.

In my mind, around the 1990's, we were long overdue for an American Godzilla film for many years. It is true that in 1956, there was an American production of Godzilla, King of the Monsters! but it had mostly the same footage from the original Godzilla to introduce the monster Godzilla to an American audience. It would seem that a new American version would surely find an audience in the States and create a new audience so to generate sequels.

In 1998, an American version of Godzilla was indeed released. It came with a risk because of the past history of Godzilla movies and it also needed a big budget to properly depict this large monster. In the end, this movie version of Godzilla is mostly hated but I was able to look past this.

After a sudden and mysterious attack on a Japanese vessel and  also some big footprints found in the Panamanian forests, Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick) is contacted by the U.S. State Department who discovered a giant mystery which a monster we later called Godzilla and who's main target for attack is the Big Apple, New York City. This is an attack that later turns into much more.

At the time of the movies release, director Roland Emmerich was coming off the huge success of Independence Day and there was much hype surround this film because of that. He brought Matthew Broderick in for the lead role but I believe Broderick is a questionable lead because he has never been the action film actor and his inexperience in this genre shows in this movie. Emmerich also casts popular television actor Hank Azaria as Victor Palotti as a funny guy but he mostly meanders around and is not very funny. Maria Pitillo is the love interest of Dr. Tatopoulos but her acting here is a mess and she gives some clear reasons as to why she's not around in films any more.

 
At first glance, it seems like this is a simple plot but the plot does have some substance. Even though New York City comes off as a simple setting, the film does give us many interesting shots of the city during it's action scenes. The action scenes don't really stand out and the ending is tiresome but the action here is enough to get by. Popular actor Jean Reno plays an very interesting French secret agent which adds a foreign spy angle to this new Godzilla.

What's becomes even more interesting about this American remake is the Godzilla creature itself. Godzilla sure looks like a dinosaur and that maybe is understandable considering this film was made  during the heights of the popularity of Jurassic Park. The special effects here are hit or miss. The film does sets itself up perfectly for sequels but these were late canceled due to the poor audience reaction to this movie. There is also a baby element which later turns into a type of biology lesson that involves asexual reproduction. As you can see, the substance of this movie is kind of all over the place but it sure does add some elements to a film that could have easily been too simple.

In the end, this is a somewhat standard Roland Emmerich film. The movie is very dumb at times and has many problems but in the end Godzilla works in a cheesy kind of way. This was a  silly action film from the 90's that I wish had found it's audience. This is "guilty pleasure" fun indeed.

3/5

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Heaven is for Real

Every year, there are a certain amount of Christian films released. You could say that they are unnoticed or that people forget about them because studios don't seem to have confidence in them to make a profit. No doubt though there have been some religious films that have made their mark on the film industry including The Passion of the Christ in 2004, Jonah: Veggie Tales in 2002 and the famous The Ten Commandments in 1956.

Twenty years down the road, when we look back to the films of 2014, you could say that religion was a theme in some of the films. Even though panned by most people and based off a mini series, Son of God about the life of Jesus was a profitable movie. Noah the Ark with Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe about of course the story of Noah the Ark was a blockbuster. The year 2015 will bring us a film about the life of Mary, and also Exodus: Gods and Kings that is in post-production. Only time will tell if there will be more films about religion down the road.

Based off the best selling novel of the same name, Heaven for Real is the true story of Colton Burpo who went through emergency surgery in 2003 and went on a magical journey through heaven during it. It is a journey that left a family in wonder and a small town in Nebraska in a media frenzy .

Even though looked at as a small market film, this film very includes big names. Greg Kinnear plays father and pastor Todd Burpo who is mystified but excited about Colton's experience. Kelly Reilly plays the mother Sonia who takes a more of an emotional approach to the Colton story. Big name actor Thomas Haden Church plays family friend Jay Olson who we can like but really adds nothing to the story.The center of attention to the story is of course Colton with acting by young actor by Connor Corum which is hit or miss and a character that you feel is out of his head. His sister Cassie is played by Lane Style who is given nothing to do and is a character that doesn't add anything to the story. Overall, the cast is kind of a mess.  

This film eventually fails because of it's lack of attention to detail. It just mopes around, gives us no secondary ideas and has a very repetitive in plot. You are left to wonder to as what's more to this story and if this film was a just marketing campaign for the book. You literally leave the theater knowing as much as you did coming in.                                                      

 

Maybe this movie found its audience and I would think most religious people would like it but Heaven for Real is lousy beyond belief. It has an interesting plot to work off of but doesn't do much with it. This is a film with not a lot to it and not for me.

2/5

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The Grand Budapest Hotel

If you follow the film industry as much as I have, you must surely know about director Wes Anderson. Anderson is a very quirky filmmaker who came into the public eye in the late 90's and then developed a following. His is a type of filmmaking that you either love or hate but either way, it is definitely different compared to what usually comes out of the film.

Anderson's newest film is The Grand Budapest Hotel and the most misleading thing about this film is that its not all about this hotel. Sure, the plot centers around the hotel but the story is about an art heist in the 1930's involving characters Monsieur Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and Zero (Tony Revolori) in the fictional town of the Republic of Zubrowka. The heist leads to deaths, a friendship, a family's fortune and of course the Grand Budapest Hotel.

I can't say that I've seen many art heist films because there aren't many of them. The art heist story is quite convoluted and can be on the dull side but it is very smart with depth and the story involves  much more than a typical heist. The story contains many elements ranging from black comedy to action/thriller scenes. The movie has a type of depth that can't really be described in full to someone who hasn't seen it.

What makes this an even more interesting art heist story is how Anderson's filmmaking style fits into it. He makes this story very quirky and strange; so much so that is a borderline "art house" film. It is a type of style that is again hard to describe and frankly it is best when watching this to just go with it. Anderson brings many characters to the story including big name actors like Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Luke Wilson and Owen Wilson. Yes, it's too many characters to keep track of at times but only Anderson could have gotten together a cast like this and it is very inspiring to see a cast like this in an "indie type" film.

I don't see The Grand Budapest Hotel as a film that I will be watching very often nor is it close to the type of films I'm normally into but Wes Anderson really makes this film worthwhile. He does so much here to tell the story and make it unfold into something really good and something we could not imagine being so good. The Grand Budapest Hotel is very grand and heartwarming and one of the first different types of films of 2014.

4/5

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The Tall Man

 
In the poor town of Cold Rock, Washington, children disappear daily because of a man the town calls the Tall Man and the town that comes together to solve this mystery. Julia (Jessica Biel) is the local nurse who is just trying to survive in this tough town with her son but he too disappears at the hands of the Tall Man.

There are many reasons why this film could have been good. Director Pascal Laugier made the famous film Martyrs which some consider one of the most grisly horror films of all-time which also included some brutal scenes involving women. The Tall Man features the plot of lost children which is not the most original thing in horror movies but it is scary in it's own right. In the end though, The Tall Man is perfectly fine for what it is but could have been so much more.

The film relies solely on a twist near the end. It is a twist that shows the film has some creative bones in it's story but you can see it coming miles away. It also gives no back-story putting us in a position where it is hard to follow and we become lost. Once we get to know this villain, we see that it is a character that is not given much to do. We also have no idea how the Tall Man is able to take the kids, his motive for doing this and also the third act is full of well....nothing.

The Tall Man is a film with a few good ideas with a creative atmosphere but it is simply way too simple and plain. It is cool to see Jessica Biel in a horror film which is not a common thing but I also wouldn't be surprised if she was casted because of her sex appeal. The Tall Man makes fine watching for a dull day but there is nothing here that makes this more than a matinee film.

2.5/5

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier

It might have not came as a shock to others but the first Captain America movie of 2011 came out of nowhere for me. I found that the Captain American origin story in that movie to be one of the more interesting origin stories around and very much original. Steve Rogers was the slightly built soldier in World War Two who makes his way to the present day through a block of frozen ice. Captain America was a superhero that eventually brought the war, the Nazis, a cool villain and different time period to the Marvel universe in Captain's first ever film.

Now in 2014, Captain America is back with the sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier directed by new directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. After Nick Fury (Samuel J. Jackson) is gunned down by a villain named White Soldier, Steve Rogers is now is a fugitive on the run and who must get down to business and solve the S.H.I.E.L.D vs HYDRA espionage battle in the Nation's capital.

Like the first movie, this sequel has a nice cast. Nick Fury is given more to do in this movie and even though the character goes some predictable ways, he still should be the character you most look forward to in upcoming Marvel films. As he was in the first movie, Chris Evans is flawless as Captain America. He plays the character as a very likable Captain America and adds depth and chemistry to the role. Scarlett Johansson is back as the Black Widow who again brings sexuality through her tight outfits. The newest member of the cast, and a very impressive character indeed, is Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce. Redford's character can be described as unlikable and it is very impressive for an actor like Redford at the age of 77 to be doing high levels action scenes as he does here. The only character that is lacking is Falcon (Anthony Mackie) who really does nothing noteworthy or interesting but a character that maybe I could see some change or development for the next film. Last by not least is our great villain, the White Soldier who does come off as creepy and pretty cool twist comes to him yet again.

I do question the film's running time and structure. You have to question as to why this film is as long as there are many obvious places that it could have been cut down. The pacing is all over the place and the action often comes randomly. The action scenes are still very well done and do show off the  big budget of this film but they are all kind of the same. The settings are numerous and kind of all over the place and the movie does drag big time.

Of course, one thing this sequel is doing is setting itself up for another sequel that has already been announced for 2016. This one works fine for what it is but between the other recent Marvel movies including two Thor films, three Iron Man films, the Avengers and the first Captain America film, it really comes up lacking. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a disappointing sequel to say the least.

3.5/5

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Divergent

After the success of the first Harry Potter movie that later that spawned a very successful series of movies or the Twilight movies that made big money off the " teenage vampires and humans in love" theme, it has become more and more common each year for the studios to look for successful teen novels that could spawn a film series. It does come at some risk though as a film like Vampire Academy from this year was a bomb and critically panned followed by a cancelled series. This was a prime example of a film based on a teen novel-based film that didn't quite work and there are other examples.

Being not a reader of the Divergent book series, I was clueless as to what Divergent was all about. Based off the popular teen novel written by Veronica Roth, Divergent is a three part trilogy with two spin-off mini stories on e-books. In total, this series could be possibly five films and by judging from strong box office from it's first week, you wonder what kind of money how much a movie series like this could make or how long it could last.

Based in the future in a dystopian society in Chicago, Divergent's setting is a world where everyone is put into specific factions based on their own virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) learns that she is a "divergent", an extremely rare condition in which a person can't be assigned due to one faction because she has the attributes of many factions. Divergents are considered threatening by the government because they are free-thinkers who cannot be controlled by the government. Later after Tris puts herself into Dauntless, a faction of people based on courage, it becomes evident that the main faction leader Jeannie Matthews (Kate Winslet) is planning to kill any divergent that they can identify. Tris must find herself, fight her enemies and learn to survive all at the same time.

Like The Hunger Games and other sci-fi films, I am always interested in seeing a dystopian society if done right. Shot in Chicago, this dystopian setting offers real some cool shots of the city including Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue. Most of the film interior sets are placed in what seems to be abandoned warehouses which gives the film a different and hollow atmosphere. This dystopian society of Chicago is enclosed by a big wall and it seems as if this government wants it's people to be held up within the walls forever. The movie gives no hints as to why the city is walled up or what is beyond the walls and you really would hope a sequel will give some type of explanation on this. Still though, the setting here is a strength of the film.

With yet another correlation to Hunger Games, rising star, Shailene Woddley works as the young adult lead who's trying to rise up against this society and who you do root for. Her instructor for Dauntless, Four Eaton (Theo James) is both a mean and likable character and a romantic relationship eventually develops between the two. The chemistry between them is not there at first but it eventually falls into place. Peter (Miles Teller) is the mean member of Dauntless and you can say the only cast member who brings humor to the story. Divergent has a big cast filled with a lot of depth and emotions from the characters.

Where the idea of "training" as Hunger Games was only a small aspect of that movie, one of the main themes of  Divergent is training. The training is often brutal as we see many people trying to get into Dauntless who did not get to a certain level and then were thrown into the streets. Much of the training is people fighting one on one and further you are tested on your fears. For example, to even enter the training building, you have to jump down a big hole in a building where you do not know what is below.

Unlike the Harry Potter movies or The Hunger Games, this is a much more dark film based on a teen novel. The overall tone is quite dark with a suicide and an attempted sexual assault depicted among other things. This might not be some of the most fun things to watch but it does add variety and possibly brings a slightly different audience to Divergent than some of the other teen films mentioned earlier.

Divergent can be very long and also tiresome at points. It also has some lack of originality but there is still a lot to like here. Treat Divergent as another version of The Hunger Games, then it works.  

3.5/5

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