The Amazing Spider-Man

Simply Amazing

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Rated: PG-13  Sequences of action and violence.
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Runtime:  2 hours 16 minutes

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Director: Marc Webb
Writers: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves, based on characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Cast:  Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field

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SYNOPSIS: Young Peter Parker is left in the care of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben by his parents. As a high schooler, Peter finds clues to who his parents were, the work they did, and the associates they kept - becoming a powerful superhero in the process.

REVIEW: (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb, also known for video documentaries for 3 Doors Down, No Doubt, and Green Day, gets bitten by an irradiated spider in a web of superhero films for the some say too-soon reboot of the Spider-man franchise. Based on the character created by Marvel Comics' Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and written by the team of The Losers James Vanderbilt, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 scribe Alvin Sargent, and Harry Potter franchise screenwriter Steven Kloves, Marc Webb has a rich comic history to draw from to reinvent the onscreen teenage hero once more.

When their house is broken into in search for hidden documents Richard (Campbell Scott,The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and Mary Parker (Embeth Davidtz, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) take their son Peter to the young boy's Aunt May (Sally Field, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) to care for. Leaving their son behind, Richard and Mary Parker disappear and do not return. As a teenager in high school, Peter (Andrew Garfield, The Social Network) is an awkward loner who takes his fair share of abuse from fellow student Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka, Shark Night 3D) while he looks out for the other cannon fodder in Flash's path. When he finds his father's briefcase in Uncle Ben's flooded basement, Peter finds scientific evidence that links his father to both Oscorp and former colleague Doctor Curtis Connor (Rhys Ifans, The Five-Year Engagement). Investigating further, Peter goes to Oscorp to find out more from Connors, but also gets bitten by a genetically engineered spider of his father's own creation. Gaining powers from the bite, Peter finds that he can stand up to Flash and whoever else stands in his way. But when his change in behavior and poor decision-making results in his Uncle Ben's death, Peter dons a costume of his own design to exact vengeance on the man responsible. As the masked vigilante Spider-Man Peter swings rampant through New York City in search of his Uncle's killer, gaining the attention of police captain Stacy (Denis Leary, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs). He also gains the attention of fellow classmate Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone, Crazy, Stupid, Love) in a more favorable way. When Peter gives one of his father's equations to Doctor Connors, the geneticist is able to complete a regenerative serum that his boss Norman Osborn needs to survive. Forced to the point of testing the serum on himself, Connors regains his missing arm but also turns into a hulking lizard-like monster. In spite of being hunted by the police, Peter's alter-ego Spider-Man must give it his all to protect Gwen, his aunt, and the city from the rampaging and destructive Lizard (see The Amazing Spider-Man: Who is the Lizard?).

Marc Webb and his team of writers reimagine the popular Sam Raimi and Toby Maguire Spider-Man franchise by tearing the lead character down to his roots with a new web spin of one of Marvel's most beloved characters. With this controversial reboot launching only a few years after Raimi's Spider-Man 3, it is near impossible to not draw comparisons between the two franchises. Pulling inspiration starting from 'The Amazing Spider-Man' #365 and the 1997 'Untold Tales of Spider-Man' #1, this version opens with the introduction of Peter's parents as scientists working on something so important that others are trying to take the work for their own ends. Instead of Mary Jane Watson as Peter's love interest, we are treated with Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, Peter's original love interest. Raimi may have cast for Mary Jane because she is more recognizable in the Spider-Man mythos, but Gwen Stacy is a pivotal character in Peter's life ('nuf said!). I will also say that Emma Stone is wonderful and breathtaking as Gwen, drawing more than just Peter Parker into her confidence. The origin of the radioactive spider bite has changed with the times (again), this time dealing with genetically altered arachnids that Peter's own father helped to create.

Webb's Peter Parker is a young brilliant mind in the body of a withdrawn loner, more comfortable behind the camera lens as the high school photographer than being part of the human dynamic. Raimi did the same thing with Maguire's Peter, but Garfield is more skater and hoodie than Maguire's straight-laced boy scout protagonist. Looking at this movie, I realize that Garfield's portrayal is much more faithful to the comic version of the character than Mcguire ever was - in look and in style. Garfield adds in facial ticks, eye aversions, and social awkwardness that add layers onto the character. Raimi's Aunt May (played by the incomparable Rosemary Harris) looked exactly the way you would expect her to look if pulled straight from the comics, but Sally Field more embodies May's fierce, capable and loving nature. And while a fan of Cliff Robertson, Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben is more vibrant and alive, with years ahead of him before he sleeps.

This time around, we get to see a Spider-Man rogue that hasn't appeared in any of the previous films. Well, that is not entirely true. Dylan Baker played Doctor Curt Connors in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, but never evolved (or devolved?) into the monster known as The Lizard. While I feel for Baker and his time 'on the bench', Rhys Ifans does a spectacular job in the reboot of the franchise. His villainous reptilian monster is more than capable in dealing with the novice hero. I miss the elongated alligator-type snout of The Lizard from the comics, but I understand that choices had to be made for practicality in order for the Lizard to speak intelligently - not just hiss mindlessly. The numerous battle scenes between Spider-Man and The Lizard are brilliant, with brutal thrashings and stomach-dropping aerials. And Webb does his arachnid homework by introducing the interesting concept of the sensitivity of webbing as a tracking device just like a spider on its web waiting for a fly to buzz to close. In Amazing Spider-Man faces off against a worthy adversary in the hulking form of The Lizard. And along the way, we also find ourselves sympathizing with Doctor Connors as a redeemable individual, not just a villain.

In truth, I was blown away by Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2. I enjoyed Toby Maguire as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. I loved the antic of J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons, Contraband) and the semi-campy nature of the films. I also considered Doctor Octopus from the first sequel as the best of the series' villains, unhappy with the mechanized Green Goblin from the first film. Marc Webb and his collaborators take Peter down a darker road (a la Batman Begins) with strong ties to the source materials. There was still a little feel-good campiness in Webb's version that I was distracted by, namely a bunch of crane operators, but The Amazing Spider-Man will delight and awe.

The Amazing Spider-Man, in spite of the supposed rush to reboot and revitalize the Sony property as a tent pole franchise, delivers on its promise. A great untold story surrounding Peter's superhero origin, coupled with great character casting, unbelievable action aerials and fights (check it out in IMAX 3D!), and fine comics drama, you will be caught in this movie's web!

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WORTH: Friday Night and Blu-Ray

The Five-Year Engagement

Four Funerals and a Wedding

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Rated: R Sexual content and language throughout
Release Date: April 27, 2012
Runtime:  2 hrs 4 mins

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Director: Nicolas Stoller
Writers: Jason Segel, Nicolas Stoller
Cast: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Allison Brie, Mimi Kennedy, David Payer, Rhys Ifans, Kevin Hart

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SYNOPSIS: A year after they met, Tom Solomon proposes marriage to Violet Barnes. As they try to prepare for their wedding, obstacles keep getting the way of their engagement.

REVIEW: Nicolas Stoller has been busy as of late, directing films like Get Him to the Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and performing writing duties for films including Yes Man and The Muppets. Partnering again with writer and actor Jason Segel (The Muppets), they both share writing credits for The Five-Year Engagement, while Stoller helms the film behind the monitors. 

In San Francisco in New Year's Eve, one year after they first met, sous chef Tom Solomon (Jason Segel, The Muppets) clumsily proposes to his academic girlfriend Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen). Now engaged, they start to plan their wedding. When Violet gets a 2-year post doc position at the University of Michigan Psychology Department run by Winton Childs (Rhys Ifans, Anonymous), Tom gives up his promising career to be with her near campus in Ann Arbor, as well as agreeing to postpone the wedding date until they get settled. One thing after another gets in the way of their wedding plans, forcing them to reschedule their reservations and reevaluate their relationship.

The Five-Year Engagement is a hilarious film with a sweet story along with it. Jason Segel has proven he can hang with the big boys with his comedy chops and writing skills. With The Muppets and Get Him to the Greek under his belt for his writing resume and CBS's How I Met Your Mother to hone his comedy chops, Segel is perched on the edge of romantic comedy stardom if The Five-Year Engagement does well. Emily Blunt, fresh off her romantic turn as Harriet in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Matt Damon's muse in The Adjustment Bureau, brings a gorgeous smile, a fine British accent, and her own sense of comedy and romance to her role as Violet. Segel and Blunt are center stage with all of the angst that wedding preparations can cause, but they are helped along the way by a  cadre of supporting cast that fill in the story nicely.Chris Pratt (Moneyball) plays Tom's goofball chef friend Alex who manages to say all the wrong and most inappropriate things in support of his friend. Violet's sister Suzie (Alison Brie, Scream 4) manages to beat Violet to the punch in most respects with funny results, and also manages to prepare a memorable engagement speech. Violet's post doc friends include masturbation obsessed Doug (Kevin Hart, Think Like A Man), gossipy Vaneetha (Mindy Kaling, No Strings Attached), and off-beat Ming (Randall Park, Larry Crowne) round out Violet's psychology ring under the tuteluge of Dr. Childs. Tom also has his own group of U of M friends, including sweater knitting Bill (Chris Parnell, 21 Jump Street) and sandwich shop pickle expert Tarquin (Brian Posehn, Sex Drive). Hart is a little understated compared to his Cedric role in Think Like A Man, Kaling is a clone of The Office's Kelly Kapoor, Parnell is a montage of several roles he has played in skits or other comedies, and Posehn is always a little weird. The real break-outs are Parks and Recreation's Chris Pratt recreating his moron role with great success, and Alison Brie tacking on an accent and adding great timing to her sisterly character. I guess Mad Men and Community have has a positive effect on her. And play special attention to her and Blunt's rendition of a coupe of Sesame Street characters.

In this tale, the comedy is better then the romance. Jason Segel knows how to work his way around the funny bone. Strange settings and props, including many parts of venison and the beast it comes from, make for silly situations. On the romantic side, Segel is indeed a capable actor but Blunt rules the roost with her smiles and skills. Segel and writer/director Stolling balance the dramatics and the funny digs in perfect harmony, with a slight leaning toward the gut-busting versus the eye-gushing.

The Five-Year Engagement is an obvious title for the Segel and Blunt film. It could have been called Four Funerals and a Wedding but I think that parody title was already taken. You will laugh out loud quite a bit, but may not shed the tear you want to for the typical romantic comedy. Overall, the story works, the actors excel at their craft, and the audience will be engaged for the 124 minute film. The time will not feel as long as a five-year engagement, but you wonder how it will ever work out in the end, if at all.

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WORTH: Matinee or Rental

Anonymous

A Triumph In Tragedies

Director: Roland Emmerich

Writers: John Orloff
Cast: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, Edward Hogg, Xavier Samuel, Sam Reid, David Thewlis

SYNOPSIS: Set during the reign and eventual succession of Queen Elizabeth I, it is postulated that Edward De Vere, the Earl of Oxford actually penned all of the plays that William Shakespeare is noted for writing.

REVIEW: Roland Emmerich, notable director of such disaster movies as Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and the 1998 version of Godzilla, takes a break from the science fact/fiction of the end of the world in favor of the heavier drama of 16th Century England and the works of William Shakespeare. Led by a script by Band of Brothers and The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole writer John Orloff, Anonymous proposes a new version of history with William Shakespeare as a fraud.

During the 16th Century and the England and Ireland rule under Queen Elizabeth I (Vanessa Redgrave), known as the Elizabethan Era, the kingdom is fighting invaders and campaigns on many fronts. From the Netherlands to Spain, England has spread out its forces to defend its interests. During her reign, English drama flourished. In Anonymous, the plays of one William Shakespeare have come into question. Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans - Pirate Radio, young Edward played by Jamie Campbell Bower)) grew into nobility after the death of his parents, taken in and tutored in the was of state, policy, language and philosophy by one of the royal's ministers, William Cecil (David Thewlis - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2). Growing up in a Protestant house, drama, theater and poetry are considered sacrilege. As a young man, Edward becomes a lover of the not-as-young Queen Elizabeth (Joely Richardson), taken by his musings and poet's heart. In later life, knowing that a nobleman would be branded and ostracized if it were known that he had written plays for the theater, Edward approaches Ben Johnson (Sebastian Armesto - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) to take his plays and manuscripts under the Johnson pen name and publish and produce his works for him. Concerns about his own work, Johnson balks at stepping forward as the play write. And when the play is received to thunderous applause and Johnson did not step forward, actor Will Shakespeare (Rafe Spall - Hot Fuzz) announces that the play is his work - propelling him into the spotlight for money and notoriety.

There is so much more that could be revealed, but at what cost? A political suspense thriller, the validity of William Shakespeare's work in only part of the story. The lifelong relationship of Edward with Queen Elizabeth holds the heart and center of the film, setting off numerous chains of events that affect both the stability of the Tudor monarchy and the kingdom of England. Back stabbing, stolen work, blackmail, assassination attempts, forbidden love, supposed heirs to the throne, and plots to overthrow a nation all play their part in this classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy.

Rhys Ifans Edward performance is tortured and deep, all the while trying to purge the demons of the words in his mind by inking them to parchment. Jamie Campbell Bower portrayal of the young Earl of Oxford adds lightness and the eventual weight that his later version carries. And what of a queen, played expertly by Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson, whose entire life was shaped by attempts of overthrows to her throne and her crown?

Anonymous is a brilliant work, carrying all of the earmarks of what makes a Greek or Shakespearean tragedy so classic and enduring. Every performance is superb, every actor and actress engrossing. If all the world is a stage, and if period quasi-historical films are your genre of choice, Anonymous should not remain unknown to you.

WORTH: Matinee and DVD