Summer 2014, Condensed

 Never, in recent memory, have the spoils of the Summer Cinema been so fruitful. Summer proves a complicated time for cinefiles such as myself. Awards season drew to a close many months ago and the half-rate collection of spring releases finally complete their run. What are we to look forward to? BLOCKBUSTERS. Big-budget, ill constructed, entertainment pieces. I love a quality action film as much as any movie goer, but too often summer releases choose quantity over quality; a decision in my book, which is nothing short of a sin. The question arises how am I, as an advocate for The Art of the Film, suppose to enjoy the summer season when I know deep down I'm watching complete garbage? Says you the reader, "maybe you should stop being such a pretentious movie snob" and I the writer would happily agree; however, that proves difficult when you're drowning in a sea of loud, rude & crude, sloppy messes year after year.

  Fault can be found in any film if the viewer looks hard enough, but it so happens that the series of movies released in the Summer of 2014 were constructed well enough and were entertaining enough to disguise any obvious faults that usually plague similar releases. Despite that fact that I've seen more movies this summer than any other summer, my reviews failed to follow. I'll feed you excuses of work, work, work, tired, work, tired but DON'T accept them for an instant. My lack of in-depth  reviews, especially when I have such substance to delve into, is shameful. So here I sit, middle of August {NOW SEPTEMBER}, up to my eyeballs in un-reviewed films...what will I do? What any other short-on-time, behind-in-work reviewer would do...a list.

  My 2014 Summer Countdown consists of movies that I HAVE SEEN, released from May-August 12th September 7th, in no particular order.

  The Amazing Spider-Man 2

  My full review of the second install of the 2000-teens reboot can be found HERE and while the film suffed from a bloated story, too many villains, and several conveniently coincidental plot devices, I can't deny that I enjoyed Marc Webb's take on Spidey. Was the The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a complete set-up for a Marvel (as owned by Disney) esque attempt at The Sinister Six? Absolutely...Did I enjoy the pretty lights, slightly disturbing dub-step and non-sensical action? Yes. It was pure summer entertainment.

Godzilla

  Sadly my last fully reviewed movie was GODZILLA, all the way back in May. Shame on me. A film that I thought was shoe in for Summer's biggest hit ended up being one of the bigger disappointments. I fully enjoyed Gareth Edward's suspenseful, entertaining...disaster movie. There's the rub, I didn't enter the theater wanting a disaster movie, I wanted GODZILLA! KING OF THE MONSTERS! We the audience instead received roughly 20 minutes of screen time from the big brute and even less of Brian Cranston, another of the film's big draws. "High quality graphics and bone-rattling sound" remain high points as I reflect upon the film, but it's these attributions that may lessen the effect once viewed at home.

Maleficent

  Painful yet not without it's merits...what those merits are I have yet to realize. I found this film thoroughly adequate for the time I was viewing it, a rainy Saturday afternoon. Comical special effects, a predictable plot, and the dullest Disney Princess' to have ever graced the big screen remove Maleficent from possible Alice in Wonderland status, yet I didn't find myself hating it. A plethora of ridiculous design and theatrical elements blend the bad together so successfully I walked away content with my movie-going experience. Perhaps Angelina Jolie's cheekbones possess a seductive magic of their own.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

  Bryan Singer, it's good to have you back.  There's no denying, before First Class and Days of Future Past, the series had seen better days. Despite a disastrous conclusion to the original X-Men trilogy, studios still saw fit to torture audiences with a painful slew of origins stories. My complaints regarding the films before were their claustrophobic scripts, too much in too short of time; too many back stories, too many exceptions, too many mutants. The X-Men universe is vast, I understand this; however, by ascribing to quantity over quality the favorite characters that audiences are treated to are poorly represented. First Class AND Days of Future Past improve, but are not exempt from this problem. 

  Days of Future Past continues to introduce more and more mutants, touching on their skills but never fully showing the audience their extent. I enjoyed many of the these new characters, especially Evan Peter's Quick Silver and wish he would have played a larger role in the film. 

DOFP, like many of it's predecessors, carries an overly complicated story but one can see Bryan Singer truly TRYING, and for the most part succeeding, in simplifying that story. The action, accompanied by the many mutants skills, is thoroughly entertaining and is never the same sequence twice. DOFP best feature, without a doubt, is it's cast. The two sets of Professor Xs & Magnetos are expertly cast and deliver the emotional punch to counter the physical entertainment. 

Side note...Hugh Jackman may finally be growing out of his claws; while his portrayal of Wolverine is consistently spot on and amusing, I'd be fine with him passing the torch. 

Lucy

  You can't beat a bad script...add Scarlett Johansson's lack luster performance and a collection of Special Effects that look like they were generated on a Windows 98 screensaver and what you have was one of the worst films of the year. The half-hearted attempts at creating a unique "art house" action film feel prove futile; Lucy is a non-sensical snooze-fest that had me laughing from beginning to end...and this, ladies and gentlemen, was not a comedy. A barren script turns Johansson's character into an emotionless computer, giving audiences absolutely nothing to feed off of. There was an idea and I'm quite sure that idea was stolen from both Limitless and Transcendence. Johansson, a talented actress, is box-office gold, I highly suggest if you want to see her in a film of interest, giving a quality performance check out Under the Skin.

The Fault in Our Stars

  I do believe my friend and I were the only members of the audience not wearing yoga pants, PINK t-shirts and top knots to The Fault in Our Stars but we enjoyed it just the same. It's one thing for a film to cater to it's audience and another to make a film that can be appreciated by the general audience; I feel The Fault in Our Stars did just that. A story that very easily could have turned into a sappy tween fest stayed quirky, cool, and true enough for audience members of all ages. A considerable amount of cheese was encompassed by a fair amount of heart that anyone could connect to at least once. If you missed it in theaters, The Fault in Our Stars makes a solid at home watch...where no one will judge you for NOT crying.

Boyhood

  A fascinating and successful concept derived by director Richard Linklater, Boyhood shows the commitment of a director and his actors in creating a truly unique piece of cinema. 12 consecutive summers of filming with the same cast give the audience an intimate look into the life on an average American boy. The film doesn't preach nor is it particularly exciting, but watching a cast literally grow in front of our eyes keeps audiences interested and engaged.  Perhaps a half-hour too long, Boyhood is relatively a one note, low note, kind of film. That being said, I appreciate Linklater's execution in so fully capturing the life of middle class America. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

  I hesitate in reviewing this film upon fear I may blurt out something along the lies of THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY WAS BETTER THAN THE AVENGERS.

All Marvel movies carry their far share of imperfections and Guardians of the Galaxy is no exception, but it's charm, characters, and soundtrack won me over. Chris Pratt and Bradley Cooper's Rocket own this film and make it worth watching. Dave Bastia delivers a devastating performance and was the only questionable casting decision, the remaining supporting cast work their roles well, creating memorable characters. Fun, sexy, and beautifully designed, Guardians of the Galaxy surpasses Marvel's Avengers in more way that one. The movie's cast left me wanting more and it's costume designer, Alexandra Byrne, left me craving a red leather trench coat for fall.

The Dawn of the Planet of The Apes

  They kept it simple, they kept it dramatic, they kept it beautiful. Quality, very often is left by the wayside in Summer movie season however, The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes didn't sacrifice I single ounce and the result is the best movie of the summer. Visually alone, Dawn surpasses Rise of the Planet of the Apes released in 2011 and restores my faith in CGI centered films. The apes, not the humans are the central focus and had they looked anything other than perfect, the film would have failed. Thankfully, a stunning amount of time and effort were put into Dawn, creating over 15,000 jobs in the U.S. & Canada alone. The apes are not only believable, but indistinguishable...I had no idea if I was watching CGI, Make-up, real apes or possibly a combination of all three! Audience members who were impressed by James Cameron's Avatar should find Dawn vastly superior. Majority of the brilliant graphics are enhanced by Andy Serkis' performance as Caesar. Serkis' commitment and accuracy in portraying inhuman characters with such humanity is inspiring.  Visuals aside, screen writers kept the plot simple and director Matt Reeves demonstrated a unique eye for both emotional and action based scenes. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes plays well without relying on audiences knowledge of the previous film. A simple exposition presents the world and it's inhabitants to the audience and doesn't dwell on past events or characters. My expectations for Dawn were high and all were trumped. Seeing this film on the big screen was the cinematic treat of the Summer but because of its emotional nature, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will play just as nicely on DVD or Blu-Ray.

 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Despite the substantial amount of fluff, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 boast some impressive action sequences and beautifully unique special effects.

Directed by: Marc Webb

Released: 2013

Staring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHann, & Sally Field 

Rated: PG-13

  In a world of premature reboots developed solely for finical gain, non was more premature than that the Spider-Man franchise. Sam Rami's first adaptation of the popular comic book series was a fun time, but it's subsequent sequels too often repeated the first or, in the case of the third installment, became painfully laughable as a seriously action movie. A miscast Tobey Maguire managed to awkwards (as verb) his way through three films and Kristen Dunst gives what can only be described as her worst series of performances. For the series numerous faults, the first was a fun, exciting action movie; highly enjoyable until followed by a mopey second, and absurd third. One must ask was the utter failure of the third movie really enough to warrant a complete series reboot five short years later? The answer is an obvious no; however, money is money and money speaks louder than any small blogger's opinion. 

  While I didn't think the reboot SHOULD have happened I am happy it did. Marc Webb knows how create thrilling action sequences and although Andrew Garfield is about a decade too old for the role of high school/high school gradate Peter Parker, he plays the role very well. The Amazing Spider-Man did what it's predecessor couldn't, made Spider-Man cool. Rewatching Rami's adaption I realize how dull and uncompelling Maguire was in the role. Andrew Garfield, currently 30 years old, portrays a realistic, believable young teen. He has fun playing this character, in turn making it fun for the audience to watch.

Even I can't say this doesn't look cool.

  Following the 2012 reboot I had high hopes for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and despite a slightly misleading trailer the movie definitely delivers crowd pleasing action sequences and impressively unique special effects. I note the misleading trailer because it truly is...this is not Spiderman vs. Electro vs. Rhino vs. Green Goblin...the later two have a combined screen time of about 20 minutes.  Don't let the trailers deceive you, Paul Giomattee is hardly in the movie but when he is he's incomprehensible. Definitely the most disappointing performance in the movie. Is the majority of this film set up for The Sinister Six? Yes. Does that bother me? Slightly...

  Jamie Foxx's character had the potential to be such an emotionally complex character and I feel as if some of those character possibilities were sidelined to make room for the numerous subplots that clutter this movie. If there's one thing this movie has it's an abundance of subplots. Behind Peter Parker's parents death, girlfriend Gwen Stacey' problems, Harry Osborn's medical condition, the public's opinion of Spider-Man, Aunt May striving to make end's meet, and oh ya...ELECTRO, this is on pack plot and the reason the movie's running time almost exceeds 2 1/2 hours. To be honest, an absurdly huge portion of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is fluff; fluff with brilliant action and glimmers of interesting character's squeezed in-between. Discovering what happened to Peter Parker's parents is nice, but not necessary. What we learned from the closure of that mystery is something the audience is already being told throughout the last and current movie. Oscorp Bad. Got it. Had it since the last movie. Didn't need that extra 20-30 minutes of angsty, and teary-eyed Peter Parker to discover that. 

I wish I could have been MORE annoyed with their drawn out relationship
but it really does play well on screen.

  Andrew Garfield and his leading lady/real life girlfriend Emma Stone have brilliant chemistry and are seemly a perfect couple, but once again, their melodramatic subplot was one that took up far too much screen time. They are adorable and I understand why so much time was devoted to their relationship...building emotional connections...but their scenes went past "aww cute" and entered distracting in length. I loved seeing these two actors play off each other but this relationship and it's drama was frustratingly long...

 Back to the film's main villain, Jamie Foxx gives a slightly exaggerated performance to make up for the lack of screen time and as I said before I feel so much could have been done with his character (psychologically) before & after he's transformed...had Foxx been given more dialog and more screen time he could have stepped up and made this villain into something more than a cool FX opportunity. Special Effects in question, the look of Electro is reason enough to see this movie. Foxx's look was generated with a unique combination of make-up and CGI ingenuity. Watching Electro's face and energies surrounding his physical body is fascinating. The subtleties of the current colors and and sparks of light are entrancing to watch on the big screen.

Jamie Foxx on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man 2
On the left, Make-up before added special effects

Great collaboration of make-up and fx

   Including Electro, the CGI action sequences are AMAZING. The detail put into each action sequence is spectacular and as a long time activist against the inappropriate use of CGI I can honesty say not only was it's use appropriate, but it actually ENHANCED the film. This movie is a testament to the benefits of well done CGI. It's evident time and energy were put into this project and the results are truly thrilling. Usually I find myself distracted by the unrealistic qualities of CGI, but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 doesn't have that flat, over or under saturated look; it feels alive, it feels real.

   I touched on villain Jamie Foxx, as well as leads Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, whose real life chemistry MAKE the relationship. Filling out the supporting cast is King Joffery look-a-like Dane Dehaan whose hair resembles Emo-Donald Trump combover. But honestly, despite being 28, Dehaan looks like an ice-eyed preteen. I shouldn't joke, like Garfield, Dane Dehaan was perfect in this role and knows exactly how to play the character. Harry Osborn, the product of a dysfunctional, wealthy family should act spoiled, have the occasional temper tantrum, and except to always receive what he asks for. Dehaan does all of this while also playing into some of the more sublet and emotional aspects of the character. Surprisingly I throughly enjoyed watching him on screen and wish, as with Jamie Foxx's Electro, his character could have found a more central place in the movie.

Again, that's where The Amazing Spider-Man 2 falls short. There are so many good things in this universe the writers attempted to feature all of them in one movie, resulting any extended run time and bloated plot.

Dane Dehaan's Harry Osborn isn't happy when Spidey won't give him what he wants...BLOOD!

  Adding to the electric atmosphere of the film was it's soundtrack, scored by the great Hanz Zimmer and The Magnificent Six...including Pharrell Williams? I guess now that he's taken over producing and performing music the logical next step would be to enter the movie business. The soundtrack is truly fascinating...it's blend of Zimmer's classical, dramatic motifs, paranoid chanting, and dub step

 ...I guess Zimmer's well known "BWAHS" (think Inception) are the perfect match for dub steps bass dropping...It works with the theme surrounding the film and Electro's character of course. Here's a track from the movie that really stood out to me...the underlying creepy chanting really got under my skin, as I'm sure it was intended to, and elicited a physical response from me. But BRAVO because I LOVE when music, especially in film, does this. Music is not something majority of movie-goers notice or react to. Most of the time music's purpose is to simply accompany the film; but in Spider-Man the music is as much apart of the design of the movie as the visual effects. The score was evidently written to sync with specific moments in the action sequences as well as be a part of Electro's subconscious. The result is a bizarre, yet strong piece that completes the film. *{Apologies for this appearance of this paragraph, we're experiences some technical difficulty}*

  All in all The Amazing Spider-Man 2, despite it's flaws and pack plot, is a good time. The movie is exactly what a Summer blockbuster should be. It's action, it's romance, it's fun. Easy to nit-pick and quite obvious in it's intentions (set up for the next film) it's best if audience members just sit back and enjoy the spectacle. Performances, like the film itself were FUN...it's fun to see Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone playing off each other, Jamie Foxx's obsessive/before Electro character is over-acted but fun! Summer is a difficult season for critiquing film and movies...Summer Blockbuster criteria is completely different than Awards Season and each season's features are enjoyable for different reasons. For reasons of Summer Blockbuster, action-ness The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an excellent start and one you should check out IN THEATERS. 

Captain American: The Winter Soldier

 There is a reason people are calling this the best Marvel movie in years...it's because a director finally stopped trying to imitate Joss Whedon's crackpot style of directing; producing a distinct quality action film.

Directed by: Anthony & Jo Russo

Rated: PG-13
Staring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford & Sebastian Stan
Released 2014

  The Avengers Syndrome {A serious illness infecting the leagues of superhero and comic book film directors. Symptoms: Vast supporting casts, unnecessary side plots and nonsensical plot lines, poorly composed action sequences, and an excess of bad, cheeky jokes. This is the virus sweeping our nation. Enjoyable at first, but if symptom are not treated they will increase and discomfort may be experienced.}

  I do not hate Joss Whedon my fellow movie goers, I simply feel a heighten sense of annoyance that the entire cinematic world feels the need to replicate his work in order to make a "successful" Marvel movie. I liked The Avengers, I lIKE The Avengers, but I do not like what The Avengers has done for the Marvel universe not the movie making industry.
  Iron Man 3 ranked near the top of biggest disappointments of 2013 and for good reason. It was a confused, bipolar film that was neither funny, nor serious, nor a pleasant blend of the two. It was a heavy mess from a studio not even trying to fill in any of the gaping plot wholes left by it's predecessor, The Avengers. It was not entreating, it was contrived and painful to watch.
  Thor: The Dark World, which I both praised and criticized was miles ahead of Iron Man 3 but that was thanks in most to the films charismatic anti-hero Loki-as portrayed by the brilliant Tom Hiddleston. The film was entertaining but far from perfect. I will admit my friends, with it's current track record, Marvel had me dreading the arrival of Captain America's sequel.

 

All doubts were quickly distinguished this weekend as I sat down to my own viewing of The Winter Soldier. Directing duo Anthony and Jo Russo produce an exciting, modern superhero movie with all the elements of a classic espionage thriller. The Winter Soldier is a well developed piece of cinema that doesn't require pre-Marvel obsession to appreciate. This film, while still in the Marvel Universe feel separate from its predecessors. It looks like the Marvel universe, feels like a Borne thriller, and has all the smarts of a classic Bond film. There's a certain sophistication and razor edge awareness that propels it beyond the last two Marvel sequels released as well as the Godfather of this mess, The Avengers. Now don't think that this is a film specifically for a more sophisticated audience void of any witty humor and one liners; it still has all of the elements that made The Avengers such a success with the general public, just toned down and revised for the appropriate moments. The furthest extend to the running gags are finding "Fossil" Steve Rodgers a date. They knew when to joke and when to hold back, The Winter Soldier was made with an editing conscious that many in action films lack.

  It wasn't only the story and overall film that improved drastically, the fight scenes and action sequences are freshly refined. Compare Thor: the Dark World's action/fight sequences to The Winter Solder. Thor's were there more for comical relief than having an actual purpose/need for the fighting and were never resolved. The thing Captain America did was add purpose to the action and with purpose comes more dynamic, exciting scenes! All the action sequences are top notch and evident that actors and stuntmen put a considerable amount of time and effort into constructing and performing them. An impressive variation of fighting styles, gymnastics, and (appropriate) CGI result in some truly gripping battles. Battles that were, for once, IN FRAME. I'm perpetually confounded by this idea that whenever two soldiers go to hand to hand combat we the audience must want a hand held camera close up of their faces, right? Wrong. If you're going to put the energy into choreographing a fight scenes I would like to see a long shot of what the performers are actually doing...not grunting, sweating, and bloody man face. To this aspect alone I tip my hat and say thank you, thank you because I don't think I've seen such riveting hand to hand combat since The Dark Knight Rises nearly two years ago...Good Lord, it's been two years.

  Chris Evans does a nice job, I feel as thought Captain America has become a bit of a joke in the scheme of The Avengers...we haven't seen him being taken seriously yet and I feel someone finally beefed up his character so he's not such an old man who doesn't get the joke. This Capt. is smart and has a solid attitude that isn't just "'Merica" This is a man on a mission, a mission with purpose because as any acting coach with tell you PURPOSE IS EVERYTHING! Someone who's lacking a bit of purpose in this film is Scarlett Johansson's character Black Widow. Perhaps not lacking purpose but a singular one. I feel she's occasionally used as a plot device and nothing mor. She gets things done so Capt. doesn't have to do them himself. There's so much mystery surrounding this character that each writing keeps building and building I just want her to have her own film already. The character is a fascinating one and Johansson kicks major ass, let's be honest she IS Black Widow, but I want to know more! Samuel L. Jackson is Samuel L Jackson, everyone knows, not much to add on his performance or characters.

New comers Robert Redford and Anthony Mackie were perfectly cast in their roles. Mackie is funny but without being in your face annoying as may "sidekicks" can become. He understands this character and doesn't try to steal scenes that aren't his. Given his own film, he'd excel and have room to spread is wings (har har) Redford hasn't been seen in a widely released commercial film for sometime and this role exactly what an actor of his prestige and experience should be doing; like Mackie he also doesn't over act, important in a role that other actors could have mishandled and gone off the deep end. Like the film itself, Redford plays with subtly, he quietly slithers through the film, never raising his voice or turing into a hand-wringing villain.

  The one thing this film lacked, The Winter Soldier...I mean, where was he? Sebastian Stan walks away from the film with perhaps 20 minutes of total screen time. This isn't bad, I feel his character and his story could have developed into something very melodramatic very quickly, so I guess it's best to leave it to the fanfic writers. I simply find it amusing that like many classic action thrillers the billed villain is never the real villain; more often the victim.

  There was one scene in the film regarding a character from Steve Rodger's past that I would have preferred to be omitted from the theatrical cut but I understand why it was left in...emotional appeal, nostalgia, closure whatever you want to call it, I call it melodrama. I didn't fit with the timing of the film and would have been more appropriate in the extended cut or deleted scenes portion of the DVD.  The additional after credits scene that was obvious set up for The Age of Ultron basically negated everything that was said and done in The Winter Soldier (literally) which annoyed me and proves that all sequels just place holders until 2015 and the release of the next Avengers. I am excited for the sequel yes but in a very hesitant way...Surprisingly I'm more excited for Guardians of the Galaxy, yet another comical, action extravaganza from Marvel Studio who's only purpose seems to be to expand the world for the next Avengers. Despite my doubts I'll keep an open mind and hope that any up and coming superhero action films will share Captain American: The Winter Soldier's clever filmmaking and clean delivery.