"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" ★★

Crowded, Long, And Less Than 'Amazing' 

Written by Matt Giles
Edited by Erin Accomando

One of the pleasures of "The Amazing Spider-Man" was its attention to young love, illustrated wonderfully by Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). I felt that it added an extra layer that was missing from Sam Raimi's original trilogy, where the acting could be sidelined for dramatic camera movement. With "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", however, the scenes between Garfield and Stone come in small doses, in favor of developing the film's many villains.

It begins with a car chase where Aleksei Sytsevich, a.k.a. Rhino (Paul Giamatti), is quickly subdued by Spider-Man and locked away for later use. In the process of apprehending Sytsevich, Spider-Man saves the life of a lonely OsCorp electrical engineer, Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx, who later becomes Electro after a freak accident involving mutated electric eels), which sets up Dillon's strange obsession with the web-slinging hero. Complicating matters further, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) shows up to inherit OsCorp from his dying father, Norman (Chris Cooper), and discovers that he needs Spider-Man's blood to cure him of the same illness that is killing his father. All of this and we're only about a half-hour in to the two-and-a-half-hour running time. Crowded is putting it lightly...

While all of these new characters are introduced, Peter is struggling with the promise he made to Gwen's father, George (Denis Leary, who shows up just to stare disapprovingly at Peter in several scenes), to keep away from her, while Gwen is making plans to attend Oxford University. The focus is constantly shifting from one story to the next for the obvious purpose of setting up the next movie, or series of movies in this universe. In other words, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is less concerned with itself than what will undoubtedly come next.

It's a shame, really, because Peter and Gwen's relationship is something quite special. The film's strongest scene is one that involves Peter and Gwen deciding if they can truly be just friends or if they'll always be something more. The rules they establish for one another show the charm and wit they bring to the series, as well as the heart of Peter Parker's quest. Should he sacrifice what he wants in favor of being a hero, or is the real heroic act being there for the woman he loves?

The problem is that 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2" cannot decide what it wants to be. It's as if a bunch of noodles were thrown to the wall and the ones that stuck ended up making it into the movie. With three credited writers (Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinkner), and a fourth for the story credit (James Vanderbilt), you would think that someone would have spoken up about the need for crowd control. Characters are ignored for chunks of the movie because of all the storylines and plot points the writers need to hit. After the initial confrontation, Electro is locked away, Aunt May (Sally Field) is virtually unseen except to deliver truly pointless exposition, Sytsevich is onscreen for a total of five minutes, and Harry's development into yet another villain is quite rushed.

All of this is to say that the writers and director Marc Webb appear to have forgotten what made this new incarnation of the series special in the first place: Garfield and Stone. They're the reason to include "amazing" in the title and they deserve far more than being ignored for unnecessary, uninteresting characters.

Iron Man 3 ★★★★

Finally, The Third Time Is The Charm

Written by Matt Giles
Edited by Erin Accomando

Providing a much needed breath of fresh air to the series, Iron Man 3 kicks off the summer movie season with a bang.

As a director, I must say I have never been a huge fan of Jon Favreau. As an actor, he's fine, but when the best movie he's directed is Elf (although I do love Elf), you know there's trouble. Thankfully, Favreau chose to leave the Iron Man series as a director to pursue other projects and was replaced by the prolific Shane Black. Black has only directed one other feature, the highly enjoyable Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but is clearly the man for the job, at least for this franchise.

There's a certain style that comes from a Shane Black script, most notably witty dialogue (perfect for Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark); voiceover narration; a noirish, pulpy feel to the story; and Christmas as the juxtaposed backdrop. All of these elements are in place for Iron Man 3, which Black co-wrote with Drew Pearce, and it serves the story in a variety of unique ways. The voiceover narration is one of those elements associated with the film noir style and it's use here gives the film less of a superhero feel and more of a detective-recalling-his-biggest-case vibe. To that point, a large part of this movie is uncovering a mystery that's set up in its first act, and Tony plays the role of lead detective perfectly.

Iron Man 3 is also violent in the ways Black is famous for, even though it's somewhat muted given its PG-13 rating and the studio's desire for it to fit within the Marvel universe, but Black still manages to make this movie his own. As opposed to the previous entries in the series, this time around, the violence matters. These aren't just CGI characters created to be blown up, though for those who want it, there's still an impressive amount of CGI in play. We believe that any of the characters could die at any moment, largely because of the tone Black establishes and maintains throughout, as well as Downey's best performance in the series.

At the beginning of the film, we're told through voiceover that Tony has made many enemies, as he reflects back to a New Year's Eve party in 1999 where he had a one night stand with a scientist named Maya (Rebecca Hall) and managed to blow off a crippled scientist named Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), who was a huge admirer of Tony's. In the present, Killian despises Tony (why wouldn't he?), has gotten his disabilities in check, and now resembles the Guy Pearce we all know and love. Apparently, he is also working with a terrorist known only as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who shares in Killian's desire for Tony's demise. When The Mandarin attacks Tony at his home in Malibu, Tony is left for dead with only one non-functioning suit at his disposal, setting up some interesting plot reveals along the way.

The movie has also the task of picking up the pieces left by the end of The Avengers, but manages it quite nicely by removing any Avenger-esque subplot (a fault of nearly every Marvel movie to be released after the first Iron Man) and instead (brace yourself, this is a novel concept) placing Tony front and center. He's suffering from anxiety attacks after his near death experience, can't sleep, and has become more paranoid than ever about attacks from other worlds and dimensions. Tony's desperate, scared, and a little unhinged. This isn't the Tony Stark we're used to. Sure, he's cocky at times, but more as a deflection than ever before. He's lost the confidence he once had. As a result, he's created 42 new suits, each one a supposed improvement over the previous. These suits are meant not only to protect himself, but Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) as well. At one point, Tony says, as if to put it mildly, "Nothing's been the same since New York."

All of this is to say that Iron Man 3 is precisely the summer blockbuster that I hope both critics and audiences can agree on. It's a lot of fun, it's intelligent, and it's one of those rare movies that I look forward to seeing again.

The Dark Knight Rises ★★

Proving Why The Third Time Is Not Always The Charm

Written by Matt Giles
Edited by Erin Accomando

Of all of the directors making movies these days, I have to say that Christopher Nolan would easily make the cut on a list of my favorite filmmakers. The stunts and effects he achieves so effortlessly within the camera, his focus on story, and his dedication to using film (as opposed to digital) prove why he is one of the last great directors of what now seems like a bygone era. He's a true original, which is why it pains me to say that his latest endeavor, The Dark Knight Rises, is the first film of his that doesn't seem to meet his own standards.

Everything I love about Nolan seems like it's missing from The Dark Knight Rises, the most obvious of which is his attention to plot detail. There are too many characters and too much happening all at once, the result of which is every single arc being under-developed. Eight years have passed since the last sighting of the caped crusader, and we see a more aged, broken and lonely Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), a concept that I very much enjoyed, at least in the beginning. Wayne has become a hermit; a shell of a man without his alter ego. He only speaks with Alfred (Michael Caine, who does his best work by far in the series); mourns the death of his one true love, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal); and, because dressing up like a bat and jumping off of rooftops would (we assume) cause bodily harm after a while, walks with a cane and has no cartilage left in his joints.

I love the idea of exploring a man who sees himself as nothing unless he becomes someone else; a man who sees no other future than protecting the people of Gotham. It seems like this is where the film is going until Wayne realizes Batman is once again needed. Quite conveniently, he straps a high-tech knee brace to his leg allowing him to walk, and the idea that he can no longer do what he once did is quickly abandoned. Sure, he fights Bane (Tom Hardy) and loses round one, but it's nothing a few sit-ups and some wall-climbing can't fix.

In addition, our other favorite characters don't seem to have a lot to do in the film, so much so that they are offscreen for much of the 165-minute running-time. Alfred leaves early on in the film; Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) is incapacitated until roughly the midpoint; Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) is given a minimum amount to do; and the new characters (for the most part) feel out of place. Yes, Anne Hathaway is good as Selina Kyle (Catwoman), but I disagree with those who say Catwoman fits into Nolan's Batman universe. As a love interest for Wayne and a sort-of-sidekick to Batman, I guess Nolan felt it should be this character, but throughout the film I kept asking myself, "Why is Catwoman in this movie?" Joseph Gordon-Levitt does an admirable job in the role of John Blake, an idealistic rookie-cop who exists as a reflection on Gordon, but again, he doesn't seem essential to the story (fans may unite in hating me given the way this film ends).

Perhaps the two major blunders are Bane and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), but for very separate reasons. First, let's deal with Bane.

Many critics have cited Heath Ledger's performance in 2008's The Dark Knight as a detriment to this film because it was so brilliant, so inescapably dark, that it was next to impossible to top. The only choice (it would seem) that Nolan had in deciding to conclude the series would be to take the story in a different direction. Nolan's decision to introduce Bane - a less charismatic, more-of-a-brute villain - seemed to emphasize the fact that this was indeed a new path for the series. Instead, Bane shows up with the exact same intention as the previous villains: to destroy Gotham. While there are some impressive explosions and a lot of production value, it still just ends up feeling like a lesser version of the first two films. Bane has nowhere near the screen-presence that Joker had, and while he is an entirely different character, the main villain in any story needs to have some kind of presence. He's all muscle and yes, a bit imposing, but I felt none of the dread that I did with Joker, or even Liam Neeson's Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins. Furthermore, the fight scenes between Bane and Batman are somehow quite dull. Tom Hardy is a big guy, especially in this film, yet I felt like I was watching a bad version of a wrestling match. The fights between Ra's al Ghul and Batman in Begins were more engaging than in The Dark Knight Rises. Oh and did I mention that it's near impossible to understand most of what Bane says, even with his dialogue noticeably boosted in his scenes?

Secondly, there's Miranda Tate, who barely gets any screen-time and is, like several other characters, unnecessary for everything other than existing as a connection to Batman Begins. She has a love scene with Wayne that is both random and unbelievable in the context of the story. She also has the means to save Wayne's dying company, but that's glossed over and ignored for most of the film.

What ultimately works in the film comes in small doses: Caine shines in his scenes with Bale and you find yourself wishing there were more of them; the visual effects and cinematography are breathtaking but they end up being underscored by the awful sound mix; the early scenes that emphasize an older Bruce Wayne emphasize where the film could have gone; and finally, the conclusion. Despite its many missteps, the third act of The Dark Knight Rises is where everything starts working better than the rest of the film, and the way Nolan chooses to end his series left me feeling reasonably satisfied.

Sadly, Nolan's film as a whole does not sustain the magic of both the early scenes with Wayne and the final moments before the credits roll. What we're left with is a marginally entertaining movie and by far the weakest effort in Nolan's trilogy.

The Amazing Spider-Man ★★★

A New Approach To An Old Tale

Written by Matt Giles
Edited by Erin Accomando

Was it really time for a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise? The answer depends entirely upon your enjoyment of The Amazing Spider-Man, director Marc Webb's take on the web-slinging superhero. If, like me, you had a good time with the film, the answer will be a resounding, "YES!"

It's been five years since the release of Spider-Man 3, the last film of the Sam Raimi-helmed trilogy, and the sting from that film made me skeptical about any other attempt at another Spider-Man story. Thankfully, Webb has managed put his own unique spin on the character of Peter Parker (this time played by Andrew Garfield) by making him more of a brooding loaner, focusing more on his relationship to his family and to his high-school crush, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), and worrying less about action scenes. This is about what it's like to be a high school student full of emotion and confusion, in addition to becoming a superhero. It's much more of a serious take on the character than we're used to, which, especially given what Christopher Nolan has done to the Batman franchise, is an approach that I'm liking more and more.

This time around it's revealed in the film's opening sequence that Peter has been living with his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field) since his parents (Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz, who appear briefly) abandoned him under mysterious circumstances. This leaves Peter feeling alone, angry, and quite depressed despite his Aunt and Uncle doing the best they can to be there for him. When Peter discovers a picture of his father with Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), he sneaks in to Oscorp, the laboratory Connors works at and, as we all know, gets bitten by a radioactive spider.

The familiar aspects of the film have caused some critics to chastise it as being unnecessary, which I feel is unfair. Yes, Peter is bitten by the spider, but it takes a much longer time than one might expect for him to don the Spandex and mask. Instead, Webb focuses on how these powers would effect a normal teenage boy already full of emotion and who is just beginning to figure out his place in the world. In addition, Webb puts more emphasis on Peter's loss of having a father figure in his life. We all know that Uncle Ben will be killed before Peter becomes Spider-Man, but Peter also finds that kind of parental guidance in Dr. Connors, who eventually abandons him when he becomes The Lizard. Somewhat unexpectedly, when Gwen and Peter become more serious, Gwen's father and police captain, George Stacy (Denis Leary) becomes yet another father figure for Peter. Through these men it's illustrated that Peter is just a lost kid trying to find his way. It's those kinds of character elements that Webb brings to the table - ones which I feel were left out of the previous installments.

I identified with Peter's struggle for guidance, largely due to the fact that Martin Sheen and Denis Leary do so much with their supporting roles in the world Webb creates. Sheen and Garfield have great chemistry together, and Sheen is given more screen time, making his death that much more painful once it happens. Leary is an actor I've never really paid that much attention to, but one deserving of high praise in the film as he manages to make Captain Stacy a more believable, three-dimensional character instead of just another antagonist for Peter. He's a father who very much just wants to protect his daughter, but he's also someone who, despite having reservations about Peter, listens when he needs to and does the right thing.

The other standout performance comes from Ms. Stone, who (if you'll indulge me) can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. She brings something to the table no matter what film she's in. Here, I found her Gwen Stacy a better, more quirky and fun love interest than Kirsten Dunst's Mary-Jane in the previous films. She and Garfield really shine in their scenes together, and it's evident that Webb (who directed (500) Days of Summer) is quite good at showing a believable romantic relationship on screen.

Given everything that I love about the film, The Amazing Spider-Man is not without its problems. I don't think that Garfield is better than Tobey Maguire as Peter. I think they're both good and bring their own perspective to the character, but Garfield at times felt as though he was pushing the emotion a little too far, and his sarcasm in some of the scenes where he's roughing up the bad guys got old real fast. The film also (unfortunately) shifts the focus from Peter's home life after Uncle Ben dies to the creation of The Lizard, seemingly forgetting about Aunt May entirely.

While it is by no means a perfect movie, it ultimately won me over and I forgave it for its faults - mainly because of the work of the actors and the focus on the relationships in the film, specifically that of Peter and Gwen. Webb seems to know that he's not an action director and instead focuses on his strengths as a filmmaker. As a result he's made a film that is entertaining without loosing the emotional punch. I admire him for that and I admire this film just the same.

The Avengers ★★★½

A Successful Film Largely Due To Its Director

Written by Matt Giles
Edited by Erin Accomando

Since the release of Iron Man in 2008, the setup for The Avengers has been building exponentially. Marvel was attempting to do something that hadn't been done before: bring together the super-heroes from all of their separate films to fight a common enemy. It was either going to be a complete failure or complete success. I'm happy to report that it most certainly is the latter.

The Avengers manages to pull of this complicated feat in huge part because of its writer/director, Joss Whedon. Whedon is a man who has worked in film and television since the mid-nineties with a reputation for great writing and character development. Who better suited for the job than he? Every character (with the exception of Cobie Smulders' Agent Maria Hill who, sadly, feels out of place and serves no purpose in the film) is given an equal amount of respect, screen-time and backstory. There's a lot of exposition to endure with these characters, but Whedon's script is so organic and rich that this two-and-a-half-hour film flies by before we've even had a chance to breathe. Marvel definitely made the right call in hiring Whedon. This is a man who deserves all the praise he's been given and then some.

Whedon's story focuses on the Tesseract, an item last seen in Captain America: The First Avenger that holds unspeakable power, thus catching the eye of exiled God and brother to Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Loki has come to rule Earth as a King, forcing S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to re-open The Avengers Initiative, bringing together Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Thor. These characters, all very different and all having extremely large egos, have to learn to work as a team in order to save the world. This, of course, is something easier said than done, but it works in every right way that it should.

This movie is everything I could want in a summer blockbuster: it's entertaining AND good. It's a fun time at the movies with a final climatic battle that makes up for all the mediocre confrontations at the end of almost all of the previous Marvel movies in the last four years. It's success is marked not only by its director and remarkable action sequences, but the actors as well.

Everyone in the film shines. Most notably, Robert Downey Jr. is wittier and more charming than his previous Iron Man appearances; Mark Ruffalo brings perhaps the most depth and gravity to Bruce Banner/Hulk; and Tom Hiddleston is much more of a menacing and evil Loki than he was in Thor, and it never feels over-the-top. In addition, Scarlett Johansson is given a lot more to do than she was in Iron Man 2, putting her in the spotlight (out of all of the super-heroes) of people not to piss off. This again affirms Whedon's ability to service his characters and actors in a way that the previous films didn't focus on.

This is the Marvel film I've been waiting for; the big break I've been hoping Joss Whedon would get. It makes me eager to find out where the characters will go in the next Avengers movie, assuming, of course, Whedon returns. He has proven that for a film like this to work, you need a man with immense writing talent. You've outdone yourself with this one, Mr. Whedon, and I couldn't be more excited for you.