Straight off the bat, I’ll lay my cards on the table and say I had very low expectations for The Amazing Spiderman. The sheer pointlessness of remaking the origin story a mere 10 years after Sam Rami’s first version largely overwhelms everything else about this film. So blatantly aimed at kids too young to have seen the first version, I am surprised they didn’t retitle it ‘The Totes Amazeballs Spiderman’.
Let’s be frank here. This is no ‘reboot’. It is practically a straight up remake, bar a few minor details and fresh coat of paint. Substitute the Lizard for the Green Goblin and there is precious little here that you have not seen already in Raimi’s first movie. Even the Lizard’s motivation and the way he gets transformed is almost identical to what happened to the Green Goblin in the first Spiderman. Switch Gwen Stacey for Mary Jane, and ditch the organic webshooters in favour of the more comic friendly Parker inventions, and there’s really not a lot else that’s different to the plot.
This is not to say it’s terrible though. For the most part I had a pretty decent time with this film which is surprising considering the amount of ‘been there, done that’ on show here. First up, Andrew Garfield is an excellent Peter Parker. The movie struggles with the fact that both he and Emma Stone are just waaaay too old to be playing high school kids. It just doesn’t work AT ALL, but Garfield is so good as Peter Parker that you can actually see your way to forgiving it.
Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the usually excellent Emma Stone who struggles with a Gwen Stacey character that’s deeply dull and barely has more to contribute than being an expository device.
Rhys Ifans is good as the conflicted Dr Curt Conners, and Martin Sheen and Sally Field bring a gravitas to Uncle Ben and Aunt May that probably helps lift this film up higher than it deserves.
There are fun moments despite the familiarity though. Peter Parker’s discovery of his new powers on a subway train and in his bedroom is some slapstick joy to behold; and Spidey leaps about the city in a fun, kinetic jumble of limbs and webbing that feels lifted straight out of Romita Jr or McFarlane's sketchbook. There are some nice wisecracks and set pieces too. In particular the trapping of a car thief and subsequent sassing of a dimwitted plod, was a fun 5 minutes. Finally, Stan Lee's cameo in this one must rank up there as one of, if not THE best cameos he’s done. It’s hilarious.
Overall though, the crashing pointlessness of it all just washes over the movie like a tidal wave. The plot is full of holes, and yet another Spiderman movie insists on unmasking him at every given opportunity (a real bugbear of mine) .It’s a hard one to assess. The Amazing Spiderman is undoubtedly flawed, and it’s hard to tell if the things I enjoyed about it were solely down to its familiarity, or down to how well this film carries itself despite knowing exactly where it is headed at every possible moment. I had a fairly good time with it but rather than being ‘Amazing’ it’s more like ‘The Unnecessary Spiderman.’
My final film seen at this years M.I.F.F. festival turned out to be the pick of the bunch. Super is 96 minutes of 100% joy. James Gunn’s violent, funny, blackly comic affair delivers on all counts and then some.
Super is the story of Frank (Rainn Wilson), a mildly depressed diner chef, who loses his wife (a recovering addict, played by Liv Tyler) to a shady drug dealing strip club owner (Kevin Bacon). In order to save her and in the midst of his depression Frank decides, with the help of his friend Libby, to become a masked Superhero vigilante. The premise will of course draw comparisons to Kick Ass, but let me assure you that right off the bat, Super is the vastly superior movie. The World it inhabits is our reality. There is no fantasy Gotham-like world here. This is the World outside your door right now. When the Crimson Bolt hits somebody in the face with a pipe wrench, you know that they feel it! The movie is flat out hilarious, and punctuated by bouts of sudden and brutal violence; so it is by turn riotously funny and grimly violent. It has it all, basically.
From the moment it kicks off with a GLORIOUS, kinetic, animated credits sequence, you know that you’re in for a wild ride. It never lets up and left me striding out of the cinema with a grin a mile wide and blabbering like an excited kid.
Super was written and directed by James Gunn, who made the criminally underrated Slither. Slither was for all intents and purposes a fairly shameless ‘homage’ to Night of the Creeps, as alien space slugs invaded the Earth and took control of its inhabitants; but it worked in much the same way as Super does by delivering on both the horror and comedy aspects and managing the tone so it didn’t veer too heavily in one direction.
Cast wise, it couldn’t get any better. Quality all round. Rainn Wilson, who most will know as Dwight from The Office, is superb. Ellen Page as Libby/Boltie is incredible. Together they lynchpin this movie into complete awesomeness. Kevin Bacon turns in a suitably slimey performance as the villan, Jock. Bubbles from The Wire is in it! Nathan Fillion shows up as God bothering television superhero, The Holy Avenger (and is fantastic as always); and Michael Rooker plays an intimidating henchman, as only Michael Rooker can (I wonder if Michael Rooker is that intimidating in real life? Something about his movies always makes me think that he must be!)
I really don’t want to say too much more about what happens in this film, lest it diminish some of the outright DELIGHT this film dishes out. Super never really lapses into genre predictability and there are some real unpredictable surprises in store for those of you that get on board with it. Suffice to say the sight of a man in a home made costume, delivering vigilante justice, one brutal pipe wrench beating at a time is a joy to behold.
Super is the kind of movie that makes you want to rush out and tell everyone how great it was. And if they let me decide the Oscar winners this year, Super will win everything (I’ll even find a way to give it best documentary and best foreign film!).
It would be an absolute fucking epic tragedy if this film ends up living in the shadow of Kick Ass or falling into underrated obscurity like Slither. Go see this film, then make your friends go watch it, and then make THEIR friends go watch it.
On the MIFF rating system I attempted to give this film 10 stars out of 5, but mathematical convention prevented me from doing so. Therefore I had to rate it 5 stars out of 5.
Kick Ass is the story of wannabe superhero Dave Lizewski, a comic book obsessed nerd, who when faced with the question of ‘why don’t people become Superheroes?’ cannot think of a single good enough reason not to nut up and give it a go himself. Not even a near death beating at the hands of some thugs and severe hospitalisation can stack up enough in the ‘negative column’, and so he dons a dark green wetsuit and claims the moniker ‘Kick Ass’.
After his second foray into the world of masked vigilantism, a bystander records his exploits, uploads it to the internet and before he knows it Kick Ass is a phenomenon. But fame also brings infamy, and the attentions of the local mafia boss Frank D’Amico, who doesn’t want costumed heroes horning in on his racket. Added to this mix are a brutal daughter/father crime fighting team known as Hit Girl and Big Daddy, and a mysterious and equally popular masked hero by the name of Red Mist.
This is of course the movie the Daily Mail threw one of its trademark ‘ban this sick filth’ hissyfits about courtesy of a 10 year old girl getting shot, slicing up bad guys with a ninja sword, and uttering the word ‘cunt’. Watching director Matthew Vaughn sit incredulously on The One Show sofa while Adrian Chiles and that bland woman jabbered on about how it seemed like an amoral film despite only one of them having actually seen it (and admitting to finding it funny to boot), was yet another stunning indictment that the World is heading inescapably toward a reality previously only seen in Mike Judge’s IDIOCRACY.
Kick Ass is additionally, and far more interestingly, based on a toweringly superior comic book. Yes, the movie is fun. Great fun, in point of fact. You simply can’t go wrong with a 10 year old massacring bad guys to the tune of The Dickies ‘Banana Splits’, or Nicholas Cage battering the hell out of a massive cadre of mobsters in one single-take epic beatdown. However, the thing that was most disappointing about the Kick Ass movie is that when you read the comic you can see what it COULD have been. And whilst the movie is good, it could have been so much more! Despite all its coolness the movie struggles to climb out of generic superhero territory. All the brilliant aspects of the comic that took it away from standard origin fare, infusing a healthy dose of reality and elevating it above the obvious or the predictable seem to have been excised from the script.
I really try to roll spoiler free on this blog wherever possible, but there’s no way to make my point about the movie versus the comic here without giving the game away. So before you click the little box below, I urge you strongly to see the film and read the book. But if you’re not one for good advice, then fairly warned be thee, says I - there lie spoilers ahead:
Spoilers:
Kick Ass/Dave never kills anyone in the book. And it’s better this way. This is because Dave is a normal teenage comic nerd. He probably couldn’t kill anyone if he tried. Hit Girl can, and does, because she has been trained most her life to do it and it’s normal to her. There’s no rocket pack sequence. Dave doesn’t suddenly go badass and kill people left right and centre. He can’t do it. And he doesn’t. It’s out of character for him to do so.
In both book and movie Dave moons after Katie Deauxma, and as she mistakenly assumes he is gay finds himself haplessly playing along and perpetuating the lie that he is her gay best friend. The principal difference is that the movie opts for a schmaltzy, corny, and let’s face it highly unrealistic resolution which sees Katie fall for him after he confesses he has been lying to her. The book handles it far better, with a bitter dose of reality. Having laid his heart on the line to Katie and admitted he’s not really gay she rightly takes umbrage with the fact he has been lying to her for months and tells him to go fuck himself. The hero does not get the girl. The hero gets dumped, thumped and lonely.
To a degree it almost feels like the filmmakers completely missed the point as to what made the comic great. There was nothing they omitted from the book that could not have worked on the screen, and so therefore I can’t really think of any reason for them to have made those choices other than incomprehension of the source material. And knowing what they had to work with in terms of the book, I felt there was quite a large bit of room for improvement.
Nevertheless, and don’t get me wrong, this film is a lot of fun. Enjoyable, and one of the better movies of 2010 so far. Nicholas Cage, Mark Strong and Chloe Moretz are all riotously good. So in conclusion, it’s funny, violent and entertaining, which are the majority of your bases covered. Despite its flaws Kick Ass still comes recommended and is definitely worth a watch.
It’s fair comment, to say that I was a HUGE fan of the first IRON MAN, is quite the understatement. I utterly LOVED that movie. As a background I like comics, I used to read Marvel as a young lad, I have enjoyed mostly all of the recent spate of comic book movies (EVEN Daredevil and Ghostrider!), and it was totally and completely ‘my cup of tea’. As far as the Marvel adaptations go, in fact as far as the Superhero comic book movies go, the first IRON MAN was the STAR WARS of the genre. The cream of the crop, the bees knees, the icing on the cake. I loved it, you dig?
So on then to IRON MAN 2 which is basically more of the same, and in my book that is a very very very good thing. Now you can wax lyrical about important films, and moving films, and socio political films and as well you should. Cinema should be about that. It should be challenging and should ask questions of you and treat you with intelligence. There are of course other times when cinema should be FUN. And IRON MAN and IRON MAN 2 are just a pure masterclass in enjoyable cinema. It does exactly what you want from an IRON MAN film. It’s no good coming away from this movie and criticising its politics or for being too gung-ho, as I saw one ridiculous local paper do, because you’re missing the point entirely. It’s about a superhero in a metal suit. It delivers in spades what summer blockbuster after summer blockbuster just cannot seem to manage. It’s cool and it’s fun and it rules. Hard.
The story picks up immediately after the end of the first movie and concerns a three pronged attack on Tony Stark/Iron Man. Firstly the military trying to commandeer his Iron Man technology, secondly the ruthless Ivan Vanko seeking vengeance on the Stark family, and thirdly the fact that the Arc Reactor that keeps Tony Stark alive and powers the Iron Man suit is very slowly poisoning him.
Tony Stark is as narcissistic as ever. Still a rich dick, but this time motivated by trying to help humanity as a whole. He will still bask in the glory of enforcing World peace though, and is enjoying his IRON MAN fame as if he were a rock star. There are hints of his recklessness, and nods perhaps toward the famous alcoholism of the comic. But for the time being this Tony Stark is still just about in control.
I had never really been that fond of Robert Downey Jr in the past. Stemming mainly from his performance in the abjectly wretched NATURAL BORN KILLERS. But with IRON MAN he is a revelation. He IS Tony Stark, and once again he is fantastic in this second film. Likewise Scarlett Johansson’s ubiquity has often left me cold. Whilst I liked her in Ghost World, Lost In Translation and Vicky Christina Barcelona, it often feels like you can’t open a magazine or turn on the telly or even pass a bus shelter without her blank expression vacating out at you from an advertisement for perfume or one of the billion films she’s made – she must work 365 days a year!! That said, I thought she was good in IRON MAN 2, and her fighting was especially convincing.
Don Cheadle was great as Rhodey/Warmachine. Barring his useless English accent in Oceans 11, he is never anything less than excellent and should frankly have been the first choice from the get go. Gwyneth Paltrow was also excellent again as Pepper Potts, and John Favreau gives himself more screen time this time around and it was more enjoyable for it.
For the villans, Mickey Rourke was good, but upstaged by Sam Rockwell who at times could have walked off with the movie. If Rockwell has ever been in a bad film then I’m yet to see it. His addition to the IRON MAN cast was a triumph. If you like nothing else in this film you have got to love his weapons speech – “if this thing was any smarter it would write a book... and then it would read it to you”. Brilliant.
If there is a minor gripe, it’s that both films have essentially relied on a villain in a similarly powered super suit to fight Iron Man at the end. I think a third instalment would benefit from some variety there. But it really is a small gripe. IRON MAN 2 is as thoroughly enjoyable as the first one, and as far as cool, enjoyable, downright entertaining cinema goes, the IRON MAN movies are peerless.
Also, check out these incredible posters for IRON MAN 2. The first of which is by the super awesome Tyler Stout (and I wish I had been able to get this before it sold out at light speed) and the second is by the equally awesome Mike Saputo (which I did manage to get my grubby mitts on!)
The first thing to say about Watchmen, is that if you have not already done so, I would beg you to read the book first. Your first experience of Watchmen should without a doubt be the book. Then approach the film without pre-judging it.
A few years ago, when Paul Greengrass’s Watchmen movie had just been kyboshed, and it seemed destined to never happen, I met Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons at a comic convention. Having bided my time, whilst sweaty ebay enthusiasts got him to autograph every single comic book they could conceivably carry, I got him to sign my well thumbed copy of Watchmen, and as he did so I asked him what his opinions on a Watchmen movie were. He said he was fine with it, because at the end of the day the book is the book. That is the work. So if it was great he could enjoy it, and if it was rubbish it still would not tarnish Watchmen in his eyes. I thought this was a good attitude, and a much more open minded one than fusty old Alan Moore's (although in fairness to Alan Moore, the previous cinematic treatment of his work gives him more than reason enough to tell Hollywood to go fuck itself). Incidentally, not only did Dave Gibbons good naturedly sign everything put in front of him, but he sketched a quick version of Rorschach in my book! It remains one of my most prized possessions to this day.
So on to the Watchmen movie then. I am reviewing the theatrical cut as we Euros are still awaiting a release of a non blu ray directors cut (and now Ultimate Edition) that Region One got a fair few months ago. In the first instance I think the movie is very good. Whilst it is flawed by some measures, it is also spot on perfect in others. I understand that the Directors Cut is to address some of the problems, and as such when I finally get to see it I will expand upon this review accordingly.
During a cracking opening sequence we are treated to an alternate history of the World where masked superheroes/vigilantes exist and fight crime. Set up in an alternate 1985, against the backdrop of a USA where Nixon never lost office, and in turn escalated the Cold War as he played nuclear brinkmanship with his opposite number in the (still existent) Soviet Union.
With masked vigilantism now outlawed, the many threaded plot begins with the investigations into the murder of former crime fighter The Comedian (who’s blood stained smiley badge gives both book and film it’s most iconic image), and it’s trail of clues leading to a much bigger and overwhelming threat. We follow the gone to seed Night Owl, the new Silk Spectre, the self made rich and powerful Ozymandias, the godlike and truly superpowered Dr Manhatten, and the dangerously unstable and unremittingly violent Rorschach.
The point of Watchmen is that they aren’t really superheroes in the conventional sense. Apart from Dr Manhatten, they are all just costumed vigilantes. So it kind of lends a ‘reality’ to the superhero genre. As reaction to the marvel and DC superhero books it’s more along the lines of what it would actually be like if these people existed. They’re in the Batman side of things. Tough and hard, but not superpowered.
As far as the things that didn’t work go, in part I don't know if that's because they weren't properly handled, or if it was just a symptom of the fact I knew what was coming. But for starters, I felt there wasn’t much of sense of peril or nuclear fear. This would have been far better conveyed from showing the man on the street – newspaper seller and young kid from the book – rather than Nixon and his cronies.
Conversely, and on the plus side, they made Night Owl and the Owl ship seem a lot cooler than in the comic, and much of the film is devotedly faithful to the source material.
Ultimately what makes and saves the movie for me is Rorschach. He was so perfect it blew my mind. Jackie Earle Hayley even LOOKS like Dave Gibbons drawing! I can forgive most of the things that weren't right about this film simply because he was so utterly fantastic.
To the uninitiated the presence of a nude Dr Manhatten, with his blue dork dangling all over the shop, was the source of titillation and amusement. But what it gives more of an indication of is Zak Snyder's dogged pursuit of putting every authentic detail up on the screen.
Spoilers:
But it is this determination to be so faithful that initially makes the direction of the ending so alarming. To those who know and love the book it is indeed a shock. I certainly felt indignant to start off with. How could they do this?
But after a while, with the time to reflect and to actually think about it, I felt it really wasn't too bad. With the film weighing in at 2 1/2 hours already, a further subplot about the squid and its invention would have just bogged it down. And hey, Bubastis was still in it!
The end provokes more thought in you as to who and what Dr Manhatten is. He is the only person in the whole film with superpowers. Rendered omnipotent by a Hulk styled laboratory accident. Unlike Superman who was empowered not only by the Earth's yellow sun, but also by an unwavering desire to help, Manhatten doesn't want to help. He doesn't care. The convention of the benevolent superhero bestowed with fabulous powers, working to save humanity, is flipped on its head. Unlike Spiderman's mantra of "with great power comes great responsibility", for Manhatten, with great power comes no responsibility. He is the complete opposite of the conventional superhero. Humanity is of no consequence to him any more. He has such power that the human race has become insignificant. Although Dr Manhatten had no part in engineering Veidts masterplan, he was wholly complicit in perpetuating its lies. For the greater good or not, Manhatten could as much be considered a supervillain as he could a superhero. His loss of compassion and humanity would make him a monster in any other story. You almost wonder why Veidt simply did not ask him to do it in the first place.
For all intents and purposes the Dr Manhatten ending was the same as the book. As humanity is united against a common enemy, all their previous conflicts pale in comparison. Petty and inconsequential in the cold blue light of this new threat. For all the complaints, the spirit and objective is the same. It is the one thing in this movie that has taken a liberty with the book. And it IS a big liberty. But it’s not a disaster by any means. I think it works.
At the end of the day Dave Gibbons was right. The book is the book, and the film is the film, but it's a pretty great one at that.
Straight off the bat, I’ll lay my cards on the table and say I had very low expectations for The Amazing Spiderman. The sheer pointlessness of remaking the origin story a mere 10 years after Sam Rami’s first version largely overwhelms everything else about this film. So blatantly aimed at kids too young to have seen the first version, I am surprised they didn’t retitle it ‘The Totes Amazeballs Spiderman’.
