4 Reasons "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" was a good movie

I don't usually do this. The main reason for this blog is to review movies that I see in the theater, not for my thoughts on something you can see on a Spike Marathon during the Summer. But with the upcoming Disney owned Sequel Trilogy making a lot of waves through the Nerd Kingdom, the Prequel bashing has been stirred up again. Especially a hatred for Episode I . There is even a sequence of watching the Star Wars Movies called: "Machete Viewing" where you would watch Episodes 4, 5, 2, 3, 6 in that order. Completely eliminating Episode 1 altogether! Which is why I felt the need now to show you why The Phantom Menace deserves some respect.

Now...I can hear the haters already saying "OH YEAH? WHAT ABOUT JAR JAR BINKS? HE SUCKS!" Calm yourselves. While I agree that they went a little over the top with him, he was basically there for comic relief. And wasn't that the role of R2-D2 and C-3P0 in the original trilogy? They were the Laurel and Hardy of those movies, just not to the Binks degree. And to the fans who only hold the original trilogy as gospel, least we forget the backlash to the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi? But the hatred for Jar Jar was loud and vicious. So you know what Lucas did? He pretty much said "Oh....you don't like Jar Jar? Ok...I'll give you a REASON not to like him!" and in the following movies, made HIM the reason the Emperor comes into power which causes the creation of the Galactic Empire.

But not liking one character is not reason enough to condemn the whole movie. Here are 4 reasons (in no particular order) to remember why Episode 1 is... at the very least worth a re-watch:


1) A New and Classic Soundtrack

John Williams. Multiple Academy Award winning composer and creator of the most famous music associated with a Galaxy far, far away returns and makes an all new epic musical backdrop that resonates through all three Prequels. Not only does he incorporate the music we all know and love into this story beginning, but introduces a score that reflects the history of this franchise while breathing new life into it. Just listen to it. It gives me chills on how good it is.

 



2) Darth Maul

Darth Maul is the most bad-ass bad guy since the undisputed greatest movie villain of all time: Vader. Ray Park, who was a stuntman previously, plays the sinister apprentice to the mysterious Sith Master. This allows him to do all his own moves and battles himself. But that's not what makes him awesome. His look is simple and complicated at the same time. He is clearly humanoid, but with horns that surround his head like a crown, eyes that glow yellow and red like the Devil himself looking into your soul and the red and black Sith markings that are reminiscent of Mexican Day of the Dead make up. But his demeanor is so calm and reserved at all times until he is in the heat of battle. That is where the wraith comes out! And no one had ever seen a double bladed lightsaber before, and it remains as one of the most incredible weapons in the Star Wars Universe.  Maul's mastery of it was mesmerizing.

 

 

3) The Pod Race

 

 

No. You are wrong. It was not boring or unnecessary. It was not like watching someone play a video game. These are arguments I've heard against this part of Phantom Menace. The Pod Race was essentially a sporting event that the locals gamble on, similar to a Football game or NASCAR race. But it was also a dramatic moment in the movie because the outcome determined whether our Jedi Ambassadors and their landing party including Queen Amidala will be able to continue their mission. It also would determine whether the driver of the pod, a young slave boy named Anakin Skywalker and his Mother would become free. So...what about the race itself? A young boy from Tatooine in a high speed, one man vehicle, racing along an obstacle ridden terrain to get to the goal. Sound a little familiar? It should. The scene resembles the run Luke Skywalker takes to blow up the Death Star in Episode IV: A New Hope. Being introduced to the boy who would become Darth Vader was very intriguing to say the least. How does this innocent boy become the most feared man in the universe? But we see a few glimpses of his Jedi and future Sith skills in his driving of the pod. Watch it again and see for yourself:

 



 

 

 



4) The Lightsaber Battle  between Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul

This is clearly the best lightsaber duel of ANY of the Star Wars franchise movies. Hands down. As I stated before, Darth Maul's double sided lightsaber and his mastery of it thanks to Ray Park is simply incredible. And the sequence....when played without interruption, is brilliant. My favorite part is when Maul tries to strike at Kenobi's back, only to have it blocked when Obi-Wan raises his weapon over his head and behind him. Then Maul counters with a quick swing of the second blade to the front, only to be met with Kenobi bring his lightsaber forward. Here is the battle without the rest of the plot points sprinkled in and just try to argue otherwise:

I think I've made my point. Go back and watch it again. You may find that your disgust of this movie is not as well founded as you may have thought.

Until next time, see you in the center seat. And may the Force be with you.

Ouija

When Laine Morris' childhood friend Debbie, mysteriously commits suicide for apparently no reason, Laine and her devastated friends try and find answers behind her death. In an act of desperation, they use a Ouija board to try and communicate with her on the other side. However, Debbie isn't the only one who is communicating with them and they unknowingly unleash less amiable spirits who start to hunt them down one by one.

Cast


Olivia Cooke as Laine Morris
Daren Kagasoff as Trevor
Douglas Smith as Pete
Bianca A. Santos as Isabelle
Ana Coto as Sarah Morris
Shelley Hennig as Debbie

Who will like this movie

There are similarities to other horror movies such as Annebelle, Mama and The Conjuring to give you an idea of what to expect. Guys who want to take their very skittish girlfriends to see a movie so the girls will grab their hands and bury their faces in their chests can buy a couple of tickets to this one.

Phantom Thoughts

For the record, this was NOT on my list of "must see" movies this week. I would have been perfectly happy waiting for this to come on Starz or Encore to see it. I wouldn't even waste a Netflix selection on it. However, I was invited to go see it, and I could not resist the opportunity.

Let me get straight to the point, this was very predictable. Not only was the plot as see through as the ghosts that were supposed to be in it, but the "scares" were mostly of the pop out variety that is cheesy like my brothers fingers after tearing through a bag of Cheetos.

I am not familiar with any of the actors in this movie either. I think there is a reason for that.

Here's some background info though: Universal bought the rights from Hasbro to make a Ouija movie back in 2009. The original concept was to make a big-budget film based on the board game on the same scale of "Pirates of the Caribbean". The script was written and tossed around different directors for a few years before they decided it was not worth the money and they dropped it. In 2012 Universal picked it back up with the intention of making it for a much cheaper and more like "The Lone Ranger". And we all know how THAT worked out, don't we? But on a positive note, Ouija is the FIRST horror movie, or movie of any kind, based on this board game.

Until next time, see you in the center seat.

Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary

This is going to be a little different "review" than I've done in the past. I have always done reviews of movies I've seen in the movie theater, and although I DID watch this in a theater, being that it is 30 years old, I don't feel the need to explain what this is about or who it is geared to or who will like it.

That being said, I HAD to go see this on the big screen....again. You see, this was one of the first movies I became obsessed with after first gazing my eyes upon it. (Star Wars holds the top spot on that list, which I saw 7 years earlier) The movie came out June 1st 1984, and I spent the next 4 months making my Ghostbusters Halloween costume. I had a pirated VHS copy (and a good, professional copy considering this is in 1984!) that my uncle had gotten me. I had the record...yes, you heard me...an actual vinyl record of the soundtrack. I hung the movie poster on the inside of my bedroom door.  I was hooked.

I listened to that record all Summer long, working in the basement of my parents house. I used what I could see from the poster and paused the movie tape over and over to try and get all the details I could. Using mostly cardboard, tape, a water gun rifle, some spray paint and lights from old battery powered toys, I fashioned my own Proton Pack. I recorded the theme song over and over on to an audio tape and put a tape recorder inside it. It was finished off with my Dads coveralls, a Ghostbusters emblem that I painstakingly drew and attached with some duct tape and an electrical tape name tag. It is, to this day, one of the costumes I am most proud of. It's a shame that I have no photo of it.

But the real reason I had to see this on the big screen again was that for the last 30 years, if I am in a conversation about watching a movie at home vs. watching in a theater, Ghostbusters is my go-to example of why it's better in the theater.  A point that I am happy to say was reinforced tonight. You see, no matter if it was the pirated VHS tape, the official videotape, DVD or even the collector's edition widescreen DVD....NONE of them has been able to put on a television screen what you get to see on actual aspect ratio. The best example of this is the obligatory montage scene that movies at the time all had. If you remember, this particular montage was the rise of fame of the Ghostbusters in New York City. Various magazine covers were on screen along side shots of the crew capturing ghosts all over the city. Try as they might with clever editing, all the home versions never get the full view of this.  This also happens in other parts of the movie as well.

This was a guilty pleasure for me and I enjoyed every minute of it. Does it stand up against the test of time? Well...maybe not as much. For one, all the characters are smoking...indoors....all through the movie. (Something they quickly did away with in Ghostbusters 2. NO ONE is seen smoking in that one.) Also, there are a lot of product placement that when you see the labels of the items, you just know it's from quite a while ago. Lastly, the special FX. Great for it's time, but flaws are accentuated when seen 30 ft. tall. Most notably a scene that is looking down at the street over the shoulder of one of the Demon Dog "statues", and you not only see the lines of the road through the statue image, but cars going by as well can be seen coming through it.

But you know what? I didn't care. I loved sitting there in a darkened theater, with my popcorn, soda and Milk Duds watching Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and the late, great Harold Ramis utter those now famous lines in surround sound.

Until next time, see you in the center seat.......and maybe I will be wearing my Ghostbusters emblem patch. A step up from the drawn paper one.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Peter Quill is a human boy who was abducted by aliens and grows up to be a space outlaw working for a bunch of space pirates called Ravangers. After stealing a mysterious orb, Quill (who refers to himself as "Star Lord") finds himself being hunted down not only by his employers and the law, but by fearsome baddie Ronan the Accuser.  He is thrown together with an unlikely group of characters who, although they start out as rivals, discover they share a common goal. As they work together to achieve this goal, their allegiance to each other gets stronger, and they become "The Guardians of the Galaxy."

Cast

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord

Zoe Saldana as Gamora

Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer

Vin Diesel as Groot

Bradley Cooper as Rocket

Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser

Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Djimon Hounsou as Korath

John C. Reilly as Corpsman Rhomann Dey

Glenn Close as Nova Prime Irani Rael

Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan / The Collector

Who will like this movie

I see a lot of similarities and parallels to Star Wars: A New Hope and on certain levels: The Usual Suspects. I have heard those say (and I agree with) there is a reminiscence to the TV Show: Farscape. In that regard, I suspect this to be appreciated by a wide range of fans. There are very few curse words and "intense" scenes that very young viewers with over sensitive parents may object to, but this is the perfect just about all ages movie.

Phantom Thoughts

I would like to start out saying that out of all the Marvel movies I have heard about being made, this was the one I was looking forward to LEAST. I had never even HEARD of this comic/graphic novel before and seriously.....a talking raccoon and tree? How good could it possibly be?

Boy, was I wrong.

This was a wonderful blend of action, sci-fi fantasy and comedy. The story moved along well and the characters were fleshed out and congealed at a good pace. Guardians didn't have to talk down to it's audience, but at the same time, you didn't have to over-think it. You just sat back and experienced it along with the main characters.

Now let's talk about those main characters for a moment...and I'll start with the ridiculous ones. Rocket is a raccoon that had been experimented on to become a walking, talking, thinking being. He is extremely intelligent in all things mechanical which is countered with his short fuse and low morals. He is voiced by Bradley Cooper, and if I didn't know that, I would never had guessed. He didn't use a funny or different voice for the role, but rather he gave the Rocket such unique life that he himself is hidden away. Groot is the walking tree-like creature who is the muscle of the duo. That being said, there is a sensitivity, almost a sadness in his demeanor. Vin Diesel says the words: "I am Groot" for the part (because that is just about all Groot says throughout the whole movie), but it's the WAY he says those 3 words at various stages that gives a communication to him. This was the most blatant similarity to Star Wars I felt, as Groot was a parallel of the Wookie Chewbacca.

Zoe Saldana is becoming synonymous with strong, female, alien women. And am I the only one who thinks it's just a little bit ironic that in the original Star Trek series, Kirk banged a green alien. And now the same actress who is Uhura in the NEW Star Trek movies, is playing a green alien in THIS one? Maybe it's just me.

Michael Rooker basically plays his Merle from the Walking Dead character only with blue make up on. Right down to the fact his weapon of choice is a mind controlled space arrow! If we find out he has a space crossbow-yielding brother played by Norman Reedus in the sequel....I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

As for the rest, Chris Pratt did a fantastic job balancing comedy, drama and action in his Peter Quill.

Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Benicio del Toro were all great in their roles as well. Even Dave Bautista, who I thought was merely cast for his physic, brought Drax to life impressively. But the one I was most floored with and surprised at was Karen Gillan.  She plays Thanos' daughter Nebula, who is reminiscent to Star Wars Clone Wars Ventress. Let me preface this by saying that I am a HUGE Doctor Who fan. And Gillan played Amy Pond in that series for 5 years. But even I did not recognize that it was HER playing Nebula until the end credits. I knew she had shaved her head for a role, I just didn't know it was THIS one. But it wasn't just the make-up and the bald head that threw me, her jealousness, viciousness and bad-ass/kick-ass portrayal was so infinitely remarkable, she was unrecognizable even to a fan such as myself. Geronimo, Pond!  

I wanted to go see a regular old 2-D showing, but it was sold out. So I was "forced" to see this in 3-D. The 3-D effects were not fantastic, but there were a good amount of "things flying at you" moments that were effective. But where the 3-D really shined was in the scenes in space and  fight scenes.

As you can imagine, a movie with a talking raccoon and tree set in outer space has quite a bit of CGI involved in it. However, unlike the "Oz the Great and Powerful" all the CGI scenes and characters were un-noticeable. By that I mean, it was as if someone pointed a camera at Groot and Chris Pratt on a distant planet surface and yelled: "Action!" It was never distracting or out of place.

I found myself laughing and applauding with the rest of the audience in the theater. To me, this one came out of no where and hit all the right marks. Nicely done, Marvel. Excelsior! Of course, since it is a Marvel movie, I don't have to tell you to watch for the "extra" scene at the very end of the credits. Although there have been many links around the web giving this scene away, I will not play into the spoilers....(my Brother just choked on his Doritos with that statement).

I look forward to this new franchise and my hope is that they can keep the bar as high as they have set it.

Until next time, see you in the center seat!
 

The Fault in our Stars

Adapted from the novel with the same name by John Green, The Fault in our Stars follows  Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16 year old girl who is a thyroid cancer survivor due to an experimental drug she was given when she contracted the disease 3 years ago. Her parents decide that attending a support group would  be best for her, despite her protests. But there she meets Augustus Waters, a boy who lost his leg to osteosarcoma but is currently in remission. The two almost instantly bond over a book written by mysterious author Peter Van Houten who ended the book mid sentence. As Hazel and Gus go on a journey to find answers to the novel, they fall in love...and the real journey begins.

Cast

Shailene Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster
Ansel Elgort as Augustus Waters
Nat Wolff as Isaac
Laura Dern as Frannie Lancaster
Sam Trammell as Michael Lancaster
Willem Dafoe as Peter van Houten
Mike Birbiglia as Patrick

Who will like this

It is always a safe bet that if you liked the book, you will enjoy a movie made about it. Having not read the book myself, I have been assured by many different sources that THIS movie follows the book almost to the letter. As the novel was geared towards the "tween-ager", it follows suit that they, especially female tweens, will be a large part of it's audience. It's a tear-jerker. It makes for a good date movie, although I would advise against it being a FIRST date movie.

Phantom Thoughts

This was not one of the Phantom's top picks to see last weekend. However, my 13 year old daughter REALLY wanted to see it, so off to the theater we went. And although I went expecting kind of a young person's movie, I have to admit that there a few times my eyes welled up a bit.

But more on that in a moment. For now, I would like to focus on the cast. Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Willem Dafoe are all fine actors, and as such did a fantastic job in the parts they played. However, there was a surprise that took me out of the movie for a moment. Mike Birbiglia. Mike Birbiglia? For those who don't recognize the name (and I assume most of you won't) he is a stand-up comedian. And the part he played was a far cry from his on-stage persona. He played the support groups' counselor, a Jesus-loving, self-focused, mediocre guitar playing musician. I have to admit that a smile crossed my face during his on-screen performance, but not for the reasons the filmmakers intended. His uncomfortable counseling methods were cringe worthily humorous, but seeing Mike Birbiglia do it....well....THAT was where the real humor was.

The story itself was a decent one. Even with the expected "plot twist" (SPOILER: one of the main characters die. PLOT TWIST SPOILER: it isn't the one you think it is) it's still well done enough to pull at your heart strings enough to force an emotional response. So the fact that I knew what was coming, didn't interfere with the message of hope, love and loss enough to deter bringing those emotions to the surface just as what I believe was the goal of both the author John Green and Director Josh Boone.

The only thing I think I'd change....was to end both the book, and the movie, in mid-sentence. This is the crux of why Hazel and Gus come together and the fuel in continuing down this road together. What better way to wrap it up than to do the same? Now, I'm not one for leaving loose ends. I like a conclusion as much as the main characters do (although some of my favorite movies do have unresolved endings) so part of me would have hated it ending like that. But I could definitely respect a decision to do so.

Until next time...see you in

X-Men: Days of Future Past

In the year 2023, mutants and humans alike are being hunted by machines called Sentinels. These relentless predators are designed to destroy all mutants and have evolved to hunt humans that have mutant potential or who are mutant sympathizers. They can adapt their appearance and weapons to any attack they come up against. In a last ditch effort to defeat them, Professor Xavier and Magneto come up with a plan to stop their creation in 1973 by sending Wolverine into the past to change history. Wolverine must convince the younger versions of Charles and Erik to help him in his mission. This is no easy task considering that they are not only at odds with each other, but themselves as well.

Cast

 Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine
James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier / Professor X
Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkhölme / Mystique
Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy / Beast
Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask
Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde
Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm
Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman

Who will like this

The obvious audience for this movie are fans of the previous X-Men movies. With a balance of action and storyline, this should appeal to a wider range of moviegoers. There is a time-travel element as well that is similar to the principles found in "Looper", "The Butterfly Effect" and "Terminator" movies. The film is rated PG-13 and is intended for older teens and above.

Phantom Thoughts

I have been looking forward to this sequel for quite some time. The question I have been asking myself is "How do you make a movie that includes the original X-men characters and the younger versions introduced in X-Men: First Class?" It took me a while to see it, but I finally found out the answer to that question. And the answer is: very well done!

Of course in order to do this, there would have to be time-travel involved. And the method they used was scientifically sound and actually made sense, unlike some other movies that used time-travel as a plot of the story. "Back to the Future 2" comes to mind as an example of this. In that one, Biff goes back in time and changes the future, but is then able to return to the original timeline. However, when Doc Brown and Marty do the same thing, they are unable to return to the original timeline, because events have changed that timeline and formed a new one. Oh...and they also have to avoid running into themselves in the past or they could cause a paradox that rips the universe to pieces. Confused yet? Yeah well...that WAS just a comedy/adventure movie and really can't be held too much accountable for it's gaping plot holes. X-Men: Days of Future Past (DoFP) does not fall into that mistake. In sending back Wolverine, they only send is conscious back into his younger self. Also, events do not change until he "wakes up" back in his original body. At that time, any changes that are made in the past take effect and only he would have knowledge of each history.

The story was really good too. There have been a few changes to the script in it's development that is usually not a good thing for a movie. Couple that with Halle Berry's unexpected pregnancy that limited and ultimately shortened Storm's role in this, the end result was flawless and not seemingly pieced together as it could have been. It flowed well and was not confusing considering it takes place between 1973 and the future 2023.

I liked the look of the 1973 Sentinels in DoFP. They were similar enough to the original comic book version with just enough modifications to make them seem feasible and real. Conversely, I did NOT like the look of the 2023 Sentinels, which looked like knock offs from 2011's "Thor" baddie The Destroyer. They also had a look of the villains in the Doctor Who episode: Journey to the Center of the TARDIS.

The only other problem I had was the same issue I had with 2009 re-boot of "Star Trek", in which they essentially wiped out the entire original series. SPOILER: the result of this movie basically wipes out the existence and events of all the X-Men movies that take place after X-Men: First Class.

The clothes, look and feel of 1973 was pulled off beautifully, with some VERY minor mistakes that only a few observant, older moviegoers may notice. But overall, I really liked this one. Watch for some great cameos and a set up for the next movie; X-Men: Apocalypse. It was well worth the wait and I would go see it again.....if I didn't have so many other movies I need to catch up on already!

Until next time, see you in the center seat.

Godzilla

The iconic Japanese movie monster returns to America to celebrate it's 60th anniversary. We follow two generations of the Brody family who have been devastated by seemingly natural disasters. However, as the plot unfolds, we find out that these disasters are a result of a new species of monster that have emerged as a result of scientific mistakes. As this species emerges and wreck havoc across different countries, another monster makes it's first appearance in decades to try to restore balance to nature. Godzilla will try to retain its title of King of the Monsters!

Cast

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Lieutenant Ford Brody, USN

CJ Adams as young Ford

Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa

Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody, Ford's father

Elizabeth Olsen as Elle Brody, Ford's wife

Who will like this

Director Gareth Edwards said that among other films, the original "Jaws" was an inspiration to him in making the new Godzilla. I can also see a bit of 2005's "War of the Worlds" and a LOT of "Cloverfield" in this new adaptation of the classic. Speaking of the classic, fans of the "Godzilla vs. _____" type movies can appreciate this. Although this would seem like it's geared toward a male audience, I believe it can be enjoyed by both genders. Teens and Twenty-Somethings will gravitate to it as well as older true Godzilla fans.


Phantom Thoughts

I feel this movie shouldn't have been called "Godzilla", but rather "The story of a family who's life was ruined by huge monsters".  I understand Gareth Edwards taking a page from Jaws in the respect of not showing the monster....the star of the film, until the very last moment. But in Jaws it worked...this did not. Instead of building up the suspense, it was just frustrating.  There was just way too much time spent telling the story of the plot, and too much focus on this Brody Family (another nod to "Jaws") and the effects the monsters have on their lives.

I mentioned that it had a similarity to the Tom Cruise film "War of the Worlds". In that, we find out about the aliens through following Tom Cruise's character. But the highlight was always the aliens and the invasion. In Godzilla, the Brodys at times overshadowed what the movie was supposed to be about.

I also mentioned "Cloverfield". There were 2 main reasons for this: 1) Again, that movie tells the story of the monster through the eyes of the main characters, but in a much more intimate way. "Cloverfield" gave a "Blair Witch Project" type of movie experience, telling the story with a video camera tape that was "found" after the fact. 2) Much more to the point, the species of the MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms)  had a VERY similar look to the Clover monster.

All that being said, when we finally do get to see Godzilla and watch him do battle with the MUTO, it is spectacular! As these mammoth creatures made their way through different cities and started to do battle among the buildings, it looked like they had taken the classic Godzilla vs ______ movie and had actually done it in real life. It didn't look like actors in rubber suits, but still had that same nostalgia of those movies. It was topped off with a fantastic shot of our "hero" walking off with (Ummm....sort of spoiler alert) the head of his slain enemy. (Really? Is it THAT much of spoiler that Godzilla wins? Especially after the announcement that they have already green lit the sequel and have actually planned a trilogy.)

But now we go back to the original problem. After the fight scenes actually start, they CUT AWAY from the action to go back to that damn Brody Family again! There was a scene where they literally shut the door on the audience as we watched what I can only assume would be a great fight sequence through the eyes of Elle Brody.

I don't know if the awesomeness of the final fight or the magnificent "reveal" of finally seeing a full Godzilla 3/4 of the way through the movie is enough to make up sitting through all the bullshit beforehand for most movie goers. It wasn't for me.

Until next time, see you in the center seat.

Amazing Spiderman 2

 

   The sequel to the 2012 Amazing Spiderman, finds Peter Parker not only wrestling with bad guys on the streets of New York, but with relationships in his personal life, bad publicity from the Daily Bugle and ghosts from his past. Along with all of that, there is an underlying plot from Oscorp, that is now under the leadership of his old friend Harry Osborn, to take out the web head. His most powerful foe to date, Electro, also gives Spiderman a unique challenge. Not your typical life for a teenage boy!

 

 

 

Cast

 

 

Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man / Peter Parker

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy

Jamie Foxx as Electro / Max Dillon

Dane DeHaan as Green Goblin / Harry Osborn

Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich

Sally Field as Aunt May

Who will like this

Fans of the 2007 Spiderman 3 with Toby McGuire will relate most with this latest addition of the Spiderman character. Anyone who felt that the first Amazing Spiderman was too far off from the comic book series will be happy to see that they stayed a bit more true to the comics in this one. However, as with the first one, it moves a bit too slow and may be too extreme in it's action sequences for very young viewers. Parents should use their own judgments, but my suggestion it should not be viewed by children under 8.


Phantom Thoughts


Anyone who knows me or is a follower of this blog knows that I wasn't a big fan of the first "Amazing Spiderman" movie with Andrew Garfield. But leading up to the release of this one, I had read about some of the changes that were made that made it more similar to the comic books. Although this was encouraging, as I started seeing trailers and commercials, I was once again disappointed in the direction they were hinting toward heading. I had every intention of going in to see it with an open mind as a reviewer, but as fan, I did not have very high hopes.

Within the first few minutes...I was pleasantly surprised. Along with the changes to the costume that made it look more like it should (the wider, whiter eye lenses, the brighter colors and the "belt") they also made his character more of the quick-witted Spiderman rather than the snarky, egotistical jerk he was in the first. The CGI was a lot better as well, which was apparent when he jumped off a skyscraper and you could see his costume fluttering in the wind as he fell.

Emma Stone returns and continues to portray Gwen Stacy in the same brilliance she did in the first. Not only that, but the film makers did not try to "Hollywood up" the storyline between Gwen and Peter. In that I mean...HUGE SPOILER ALERT....they not only dressed Emma's Gwen in the same outfit she died in in the comic book, but they actually kept her death in, instead of having Spidey save her in the end. This was a major plot development and will prove important in shaping who Peter Parker/Spiderman is to become in further sequels.

Contrary to what you've read so far...this was not the perfect movie it could have been. It suffers the same fate that Spiderman 3 did in 2007. Just too many characters and villains and the storyline gets bogged down with sub-plots and  obvious set-ups for a third movie. And in the midst of all that, the character development of this movie's main villain is lost. Jamie Foxx plays both Max Dillon and Electro very well,  but why there is such a dramatic transformation in his personality once the change in his body happens is very weak.

Speaking of Electro....there is one small detail that no one would notice that bothered me. The CGI that made Electro glow with power and electricity was really cool, but the "Power Meter" that Oscorp put on the side of his head was digitally added as well. Why? That's something that could have been put together by any amateur model maker and applied with a small amount of Spirit Glue. Did they really need to CGI that as well? But that's just nit-picking.

One thing they also managed to correct was Spiderman ripping off his mask every other second like he did in the first film. Unfortunately, that's because Spidey spent so little time on screen. I mean, the name of the movie IS "The Amazing Spiderman" so I would think that the web-slinger would have a bit more screen time. Something that could have been corrected if they got rid of some of those problematic sub-plots I mentioned before.

One of those sub-plots being the mystery of Peter Parker's parents. More specifically his father, who we learn in more detail about what he was working on in Oscorp and why he mysteriously disappeared. Things that I did not like in the first film, and like even less in this one. There WAS one small bit of info that was divulged in these sequences that I like though. In a flashback, Richard Parker explains that they biogenically created the spiders at Oscorp lab using radio-active isotopes. This is more of a life line toward the original comic where Peter Parker was bitten by a radio-active spider than implied in the first film of just being biologically engineered spiders. SPOILER: he also claims to have used is own blood in his experiments which mean that ONLY his son Peter could possibly be Spiderman. Ummmm....what?

So the final verdict is this: "Amazing Spiderman 2" was better than the first, which is an extreme rarity in movies in general. However, being better than the disaster that was the first one is not that much of an achievement. And although I liked a lot of aspects of it, the movie gets in it's own way and tangles itself in a web of stories and characters that is to sticky to move smoothly through.

Until next time, see you in the center seat!  

The Wolf of Wall Street

When young Jordan Belfort loses his new stock broker job after Black Monday in 1987, he takes a job with a small Long Island company selling penny stocks. Through corruption and lies, he builds his own firm using his friends and drug dealers who he turns into stock brokers. Sex, Drugs, Corruption and lots and lots of money is what drives this real life story of how Jordan built an empire with his scams and the inevitable fall at the hands of the FBI.

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort

Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff (based on Danny Porush)

Margot Robbie as Naomi Lapaglia (based on Nadine Caridi)

Matthew McConaughey as Mark Hanna

Kyle Chandler as Patrick Denham (based on FBI Agent Gregory Coleman)

Rob Reiner as Max Belfort

 Jon Bernthal as Brad Bodnick

Jon Favreau as Manny Riskin

Jean Dujardin as Jean-Jacques Saurel

Joanna Lumley as Aunt Emma

Who will like this movie

Although you could make the argument that it is comparable to "Wall Street" with Michael Douglas,  I would more likely compare it to "Goodfellas" set on Wall Street instead. In fact, I think anyone who enjoys gangster movies like "Casino", "The Godfather" and "Scarface" should add this to the list of favorite movies. I would expect this to be popular among 20 something males. Due to the excessive language, nudity and drug use, it probably should not be seen by ANYONE under 17, even though it only has an "R" rating.

Phantom Thoughts

I can say this is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The cast was brilliant, the direction was spot on and the cinematography was genius. Am I over-stating? Perhaps. You'll have to decide for yourself.
   First off, let me say that I am not a fan of Jonah Hill. He just is annoying to me. But even I have to admit that he was nothing less than extraordinary in "Wolf of Wall Street". He earned recognition last year in "Moneyball", but his depiction of Donnie Azoff was beyond compare. He earned more of my respect once I learned that director Martin Scorsese asked to have a meeting with Jonah, but he insisted instead to audition for the part. Hill has not auditioned for ANY part in 6 years. Truly deserving of his Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, and my front-runner for winning it.
   Leonardo DiCaprio bought the rights to make this movie in 2007, winning out over a bid from Brad Pitt. I mentioned the similarity to "Goodfellas" above, and that was in part due to Scorsese's style of film making, but also for how similar DiCaprio was to Ray Liota's character. Leo delivers once again and does not disappoint.
   I think it's important to note that there has been a lot of talk about the record setting amount of times the word "Fuck" was said. Not only that, but there are a plethora of naked tits throughout movie. And let's not forget the huge amounts of cocaine that was snorted. (The actors used crushed up vitamin B to simulate those scenes. Although it did hurt their noses, ironically it gave them more energy to do the following scenes)
But as all this seems over-the-top (and it was...but on purpose) it was also necessary to the story. In order to accurately depict what it was like to be living that life, it needed to be as abundant as it was.
   Speaking of naked boobs, Margot Robbie is introduced to the American public by showing off every inch of her spectacular body. Yes, her performance was great, but My God....she has got to be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Every curve of her is...perfection.
   I don't talk much about cinematography, and most people don't really notice it, but I have to give credit where credit is due. The lens change between when the characters on screen were high and sober immersed the viewer into the moment so well, I think I got a contact high. There was green-screen work on scenes you would never expect, in order to layer images to make the flow of the movie even more spectacular.
   If you've been a follower of this blog, you may have realized that I love those little hidden gems and nods to the originals. One of those special moments happened at the end of the movie. Don't worry, there's no spoiler to the plot here. The actual Jordan Belford introduces "himself" played by DiCaprio to the stage in the final scene. How awesome is that?
   So...do you think I over-stated it? If you're over 21, then go see for yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Until next time, see you in the center seat.

Frozen

Anna and Elsa are sisters who are as close as can be. But when Elsa accidentally hurts Anna with her icy powers, she grows up isolated from Anna as well as the outside world. Years later, Elsa is to be named Queen of the kingdom, and as the whole land watches, her powers are finally discovered. Elsa runs to a far mountaintop while her powers unknowingly plunge the kingdom into eternal winter. Anna teams up with Mountain Man Kristoff and his reindeer pal Sven to find her and rescue the kingdom.

Cast

Kristen Bell as Anna
Idina Menzel as Elsa
Jonathan Groff as Kristoff
Josh Gad as Olaf
Santino Fontana as Hans

Who will like this

As a Disney movie taken from a classic fairy tale, Frozen delivers for Disney enthusiasts young and old. There are many similarities to the last animated feature Tangled, so chances are that if you liked that one, this will be up your alley as well. It is a perfect family movie night out movie.

Phantom Thoughts

In doing my research on this movie, the history of Frozen getting made is almost as interesting as the plot itself. It's a well known fact that the fairy tale Frozen is taken from is the Hans Christian Anderson story "The Snow Queen". And it deviates greatly from that story, to make it more relateable to modern audiences. But in order to do that, it took many years to accomplish. Disney had a treatment to bring this animated feature to life as early as the 1940's. In the late 1990's Disney once again tried to make "The Snow Queen" into a movie. There were several failed attempts that went through 2010. It wasn't until 2011's success with Tangled did they come up with a way to change the story to the one we saw on screen.

But that is also part of the problem. Because many of the characters bear a very strong resemblance to the characters of Tangled. They changed the Snow Queen to be the sister of Anna, the heroine in the story instead of just a villain, completely changing the essence of the original fairy tale. The story itself is just alright, but it is saved by not going down a predictable path, which I was afraid it was going to, until near the end of the movie where a plot twist occurs. There are a number of different similarities to the movie Tangled, including the title change. But the lack of differences in the character looks remain the strongest.

However, there are a lot of good in Frozen as well. The music and songs are very good done by Husband and Wife team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and reminds me of the songs of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast which were put together by the late great lyricist Howard Ashman. The visuals of snow and ice are brilliantly done and the comic relief of Olaf the snowman was not over the top and a sub plot keeping the main focus on the plot.

Though extreme critics have put nit picked the heck out of Frozen, overall I think it was a good movie and one that families will enjoy. Disney enthusiasts will be proud to add this movie and songs to their collection of favorites.

Until next time, see you in the center seat!