Looper

I've always liked time travel stories. Unfortunately, there are very few good ones that have been successfully made into movies. And it's been a while since we've had a good time travel movie in theatres, so I am very happy to say that Looper works. 

It's not a perfect film. There's an unnecessary subplot about a small percentage of the future population with telekinesis abilities. And even though I appreciated the effort of the director and makeup artists, I didn't need to see Joesph Gordon-Levitt's face manipulated to look more believable as a younger Bruce Willis. The result is that Gordon-Levitt kind of looks like himself, and kind of doesn't. It is distracting. There's not a whole lot there to beef up the story, beyond cookie-cutter bad guys and the obligatory love interest (I love Emily Blunt but her role/storyline wasn't necessary). 

What makes this film worth watching is the heart of the story, which focuses on a man who must fight with a version of himself from another time, and that was fascinating enough. It's not necessary to see this one in the theatre, which is fine because at this point you'd probably need a time machine to find it still playing anywhere...

Looper (2012)  

119 min - Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller 

Looper Movie Official Site

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Argo

Story, above all, drives the success of Argo. It is the telling of the fascinating true event, declassified in 1997, of a CIA agent's crazy plan to rescue 6 U.S. hostages from Iran in 1980, by posing them as a Hollywood film production crew. As someone in the film calls it, it is "the best worst plan they have" - so crazy that it just might work. And because of the great story, Argo worked. 

Ben Affleck is quickly becoming known for his effective directing skills, something which is turning his career around after acting in a series of disappointing films and having an over-publicized personal life. He does well with Argo, bringing an aesthetically pleasing design to this 'period' film, but is most effective by brilliantly casting the film with excellent talent - most notably John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Bryan Cranston. The strong performances by these actors combined with the highly entertaining story makes for a dramatic and suspenseful movie. 

The film's heavy subject is balanced out well with the humor of the ridiculous, though ultimately effective, rescue plan: believably produce a fake 'Star Wars type' movie for the sake of their cover, with several lives hanging in the balance. You'll see that faking a Hollywood film production was not as easy as it might sound. You still need to raise the money, find a script, design a poster and conceptual art, hold a script reading with the cast and attended by the press, and promote the film in the trades - CRAZY. 

You don't have to see this one in the theatre, but I do recommend it to anyone who likes good stories and historical dramas. Look for Argo to be nominated as one of the Oscar's 10 Best Pictures this year. My only wish is that the fake sci-fi film within a film 'Argo' was actually made into a real movie; would have been fun to review that one...

Argo (2012)  

120 min - Drama | History | Thriller 

Argo Movie Official Site

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Jaws

JAWS is not in a theatre near you this summer. But it should be. It should be in a theatre near you every summer. JAWS was the first summer blockbuster, made by then 27-year old director Steven Spielberg as his 2nd theatrical film. It also happens to hold a solid place in my TOP 10 list of all time favorite movies, #5 to be exact. Was I predisposed to this affection for JAWS by my parents taking me to see it at the drive-in months before I was born? That's a valid theory. I could say that the reason I've chosen to review JAWS at this time is because it's about to make it's Blu-ray premier (8/14); truth is, I never need a reason to talk about JAWS.

Those who haven't seen the movie, but most likely have heard of it, might think of JAWS as simply a horror movie: scary shark eats people. It is so - much - more. JAWS consistently ranks high on several TOP movie lists because the storytelling is incredibly crafted - the writing, direction, performances, music, editing - all top notch. It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won 3: Sound, Score, & Editing. There is an annual JAWSfest event on Martha's Vinyard, where filming took place, which grows larger each year. If your only experience with JAWS is watching one or more of it's sequels, then you don't know JAWS at all.

The suspense, humor, and performances absolutely shine in this movie, making it one of the most entertaining cinematic experiences you could have. The three principle characters - Brody, Hooper, and Quint - are the absolute heart of this story, and the third act hunt is about as good as cinema gets. The infamous 155 day shooting schedule is filled with epic behind-the-scenes stories telling just how this mega blockbuster barely survived production, and is almost (if not in fact) more entertaining than the movie itself, making JAWS an even richer film for those who are interested in the making of it. The Blu-ray set comes exclusively with a fantastic feature-length documetary, The Shark is Still Working, which I've already had the pleasure of viewing at one of it's many film festival screenings.

If you've been putting off seeing JAWS, and you're a fan of GREAT movies, the time is now. There isn't a big enough fish to put on the review reel for JAWS, but if I find one, I'm gonna need a bigger boat...

Jaws (1975)

124 min - Thriller

Jaws Blu-ray Official Site

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The Dark Knight Rises

This is a tough one. I really want to love this movie. Really want to. Chris Nolan's previous two Batman films, Batman Begins & The Dark Knight (TDK), are essentially perfect. How can one possibly go into The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR) screening without thinking about all that previous cinematic Batman goodness? Expectations can kill a movie-going experience. That is why I tried to keep my expectations low going into TDKR. What helped was a handful of negative reviews I skimmed over (without spoiling myself) before watching the movie. I knew this wasn't going to meet TDK standards, and that was okay. I only hoped for a good Batman film (problem is, I secretly wished for a great one). I liked TDKR, but it is a flawed movie. It's almost unfair that it had to follow the greatness that is TDK, instead of the other way around, otherwise I may have liked it much more. It is simply impossible not to compare it to it's predecessor. 

The writing and performances of the supporting characters Alfred, Fox, and Gordon which are so strong in the previous films, filled with purpose, humor, and heart, is largely lacking in those essential qualities here. Selina Kyle aka Catwoman was also less potent than her presence should have been. I liked her when she was playing the part of cat burglar, but the chemistry was off anytime she shared the screen with Bruce Wayne or Batman. I feel there was a poor approach to the audio mixing of the villain Bane's voice, making his words feel disconnected from the onscreen performance, hurting that character's presence. (spoiler alert) I am still so puzzled over the ending with Blake. So, he's Robin, but we seem to be led to believe that he may become the new Batman?? If not, and since Bruce can't return because he is supposed to be dead, it's just Robin by himself - no Batman? Or if Bruce does return as Batman, but not as Bruce Wayne --- it's not really Batman. Any way you look at it there's no sense to be made, since each possible scenario breaks from the original mythology of the character in such a big way. (end spoiler)

When Batman finally arrives I really felt the fun that is inherent to this superhero. It's a good thing too, because unlike the preceding movies, Bruce is never seen having any fun in this one. It's a darker story, so having Batman show up to lighten the mood saves the movie. The new flying 'Bat' is also fun and used often throughout the action.

As with most Chris Nolan films, including his previous Batman movies, it takes multiple viewings for me to fully absorb and appreciate the story in all of it's details, and that's not a bad thing. I look forward to seeing TDKR again, very soon. Maybe I'll like it even more on the next viewing, maybe in IMAX.

Until then, The Dark Knight Rises is entertaining but doesn't fly up to the heights of it's predecessors...

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)  

      164 min - Action | Adventure | Crime

The Dark Knight Rises Movie Official Site

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The Amazing Spider-Man

I walked out of The Amazing Spider-Man feeling that the movie was alright, good not great. Since then, I've allowed the movie to digest, and have discovered a bad after-taste. I should have realized my true feelings about The Amazing Spider-Man when my Spidey sense was tingling as soon as I walked out of the theatre, as my immediate thoughts focused on a list of problems I had with the film. I wanted to like it; after all it is Spider-Man. The first two Sam Raimi Spider-Man films were great. This version, a reboot of the franchise as it is called, tried to distance itself from the previous trilogy, maybe too much. In general, the film is entertaining. I just didn't like it. 

Though I was expecting to sit through another origin story for Spider-Man, I didn't expect Peter Parker's transformation into the web crawler to be so uninteresting. Superhero origin stories can be fun and entertaining, full of opportunities to develop an ordinary character before he or she becomes extra-ordinary (see Batman Begins). I just wasn't entertained by Peter's story before or during his becoming Spider-Man. I think what I was looking forward to most were the little details, particularly how he creates the costume and web shooters. The movie speeds past these details so quickly, utilizing mere seconds to explain how a high school kid (genius though he is) can perfect such polished accessories, the signature visuals that define Spider-Man! It was a let down. The Raimi version handled his origin much better, taking its time to make it fun and interesting.

In this version, a new family back story has apparently been created for Peter's parents, complete with secrets that supposedly tie in with the villain (Dr. Curt Conners, aka Lizard) as well as Peter's own unique abilities. This back story felt forced, unnecessary, and poorly written. Instead of serving the current story, its only purpose is to set up questions which I assume are to be answered in the eventual sequels, with no payoff for those watching this movie.  

I didn't have a problem with Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. Afterwards though I read another review of the film which brought up an interesting point that I'm inclined to agree with. Peter Parker is not supposed to be a kind of cool-hip-skater nerd, as portrayed by Garfield. He's supposed to be a nerd-nerd, making his transformation into Spider-Man much more entertaining and meaningful, as designed by the comic's creator. And on a side note, I didn't like the casting of Uncle Ben or Aunt May. Martin Sheen was alright as Uncle Ben, but I didn't believe he was married to Sally Field as Aunt May. Such an odd pairing. I prefer Raimi's version, casting unknowns in these roles, making Ben and May much more believable. 

The Amazing Spider-Man isn't terrible, but keep your expectations low if you are going to take a spin...

                                          

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)  

      136 min - Action | Adventure | Fantasy

The Amazing Spider-Man Movie Official Site

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The Avengers

Right now, playing in your local movie theatre, is the Joss Whedon written & directed, Marvel Studios produced, and current #3 on the all time domestic box office list* - The Avengers. If you haven't yet seen the movie (how does it feel to be in the minority?), chances are you've heard of it as it smashes it's way through the box office, destroying many records in it's path. The Avengers isn't for everybody, but if you like superheroes, if you like action, if you like big event movies, then grab your shield, your hammer, your giant green fists or your iron suit and fly to the theatre now.

I remember very clearly the moment (about 4 years ago) that I heard the rumor of Marvel's plans to introduce a series of superhero films leading up to an Avengers movie {Iron Man 1 & 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America}. And I remember very clearly my reaction to that news: 'if they actually pull that off and make an Avengers movie it will be the first film of it's kind, a very special event'. How did they pull it off? Balance.

Balance is why this film is effective. Balance of character, balance of action, balance of humor. Joss Whedon knew he had to be a master of balance to pull this off. For me, the best part is the anticipation of Bruce Banner's first transformation into the Hulk. The dialogue, humor, and performances are so good at handling Banner's 'other guy' issue, that I almost didn't want the other guy to show up. Usually in a Hulk movie I'd want to see the Hulk as soon as possible, but in The Avengers, I wanted the anticipation to last (which it did for about an hour before the angry green guy finally shows up). Also, Tony Stark's fascination with Banner's unique ability adds to the fun.

You don't need to be a comic-book geek to follow the story (I'm not). You don't even need to watch Marvel's previous superhero films which strategically led up to The Avengers (but it really helps, and why wouldn't you?!). There's exposition during the first fifteen minutes that made for a slow start, but overall, The Avengers is a great character-driven ride. Don't wait for home video. And stay until the very end of the credits if you're hungry for more...

The Avengers (2012)  

143 min - Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Avengers Movie Official Site

* All time domestic box offers results are without adjustment for inflation

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