Movie Review - Spider-man: Far From Home

I thought Spider-man's cameo in Captain America: Civil War was a lot of fun, but I did not enjoy Spider-man: Homecoming at all. So I wasn't sure what I would think of this latest film. But it featured Mysterio, one of my favorite villains, and Jake Gyllenhaal, an incredible actor, so I thought it had potential.

Spider-man: Far From Home is a 2019 live action superhero film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It is rated PG-13 for action and language but is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Mysterio. Mysterio is one of my favorite villains, and Jake Gyllenhaal did an amazing job portraying him. I really enjoyed the unique take the filmmakers took with the villain. He still stayed true to his roots and basic concept while still feeling fresh and new.

Comedy. This movie was filled with great jokes and comedy bits that flowed naturally from the narrative and helped advance the story and themes.

Final Fight. The final fight was amazing. It was fun, it was exciting, it was suspenseful, and there were a couple of surprises.

Relationships. This movie focused a lot more on the relationships between characters than previous films, and they were enjoyable to explore. They made the danger feel more real, because now there were real stakes involved.

The Bad

Stunts/Special Effects. During much of the movie, Spider-man looks like he's being thrown around on the end of a cable (which he is). The stuntman does a terrible job making it look like Spider-man could actually do the jumps and leaps on his own. And this isn't the best cgi in a movie.

First Two Fights. While the final fight is incredible, the earlier fights are really disappointing. They just don't feel as exciting as they should.

Mid-credits Scene. While the mid-credit scene was a complete surprise (you will never guess what it is) and completely shocking, I'm not sure I like where it points the next movie.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the earlier fight scenes had been better.

Overall

Spider-man: Far From Home was one of the best Marvel films to come out in a long time. Mysterio was a great villain portrayed perfectly by Jake Gyllenhaal. The filmmakers stayed true to the basic concept of Mysterio while delivering a really unique and amazing take on the character. The comedy was hilarious and flowed naturally from the narrative and situations. The end fight scene was as good and intense as it gets. This movie focused a lot more on relationships than the previous films, and they were well developed and interesting to watch. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

Movie Review - Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Infinity War was such a letdown, that I wasn't all that excited to see Endgame. But I've followed this story this far, I might as well see how it ends.

Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 live action science fiction superhero film. It is rated PG-13 for language  and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Smaller/More Personal. Infinity War was this big fight scene involving dozens of characters that all had to do something. This movie focused on the core group and how they deal with events. It was much more emotional and personal and much better story.

Story. This movie had much more story than the last. Having a smaller cast helped.

Cameos / Tie-in's to Previous Films. This movie did a great job incorporating the characters and even earlier films into this one. It all felt like it was planned from the beginning and all came together.

Appropriate Resolution. I was really concerned with how the filmmakers would resolve such a sweeping story and do it justice without taking any shortcuts or doing anything contrived. Somehow they managed to honor everything that had come before and not cheapen any of it.

The Bad

No End Credit Scenes. I was really excited waiting for the mother of all end credit scenes. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Captain America's Resolution. I did not like how Captain America's story resolved. It seemed untrue to the story.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been a couple of amazing end credit scenes. I wish they had come up with something else for Captain America.

Overall

Avengers: Endgame is a fitting ending to a 10-year series. The move was much smaller and more personal focusing on the core characters instead of a universe of dozens engaged in an epic fight. The conflicts and struggles were more personal and emotional making for a much more dramatic and satisfying story. Cameos and tie-ins to previous films were plentiful and well handled. All of the stories and journeys from the past ten years were nicely resolved with nothing feeling cheated or betrayed. The only disappointments are the lack of end credit scenes and how they tied up Captain America's story. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

Movie Review - Venom

I'm a big comic book fan, but I'm not a Venom fan. But for some reason when I heard about this movie, something compelled me to see it, and I'm glad I did.

Venom is a 2018 horror drama superhero movie based on characters appearing in Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for language, violence, and terror and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Story. This film had a solid story. It was very clear, very linear, and made sense.

Action. The action was really exciting and fun to watch. It was unique to Venom and his powers.

Romance/Caring. This movie contained a romantic subplot that was different than the usual romantic subplot that made it more enjoyable than I was expecting.

Terror. This film was shot as an R-rated horror flick and then released as PG-13. It has the drama and intensity of an R-rated flick as well as several scenes of terror and horror minus the gore. It was quite thrilling to watch.

Humor. This movie is by no means a comedy, but once Venom combines with Eddie, there are some funny moments that are expected but very clever and unique--they could only happen in this movie.

The Bad

Beginning. The beginning was a little slow and prosaic.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the line between good guys and bad guys hadn't been so clear and obvious. The film would have benefitted from rounding out the villains a little more.

Overall

Venom was a surprisingly enjoyable movie. It had a solid story, action unique to the characters, and humor that would only work in this movie. The filmmakers crated a rather terrifying horror flick with superhero elements that wasn't filled with gore or other disgusting and unnecessary elements. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

     

Movie Review - Avengers: Infinity War

I loved Phase One of the Marvel Universe movies, but have been less impressed with the follow up films. They seem to be getting darker and moving away from the classic Marvel stories that made the first half dozen movies so amazing and so fun. I was hoping Avengers: Infinity War would break that streak.

Avengers: Infinity War is a 2018 superhero, science fiction, action film based on the characters appearing in Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and deaths and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Thor vs. Star Lord. I think the best part of the film was the fight between Thor and Star Lord. It was classic Marvel movie, and I wanted more. It was funny, clever, original, and so unexpected.

Juggling Heroes. This film has a huge cast of characters, and everyone deserves his moment in the spotlight. And this film succeeds marvelously (see what I did there?) in giving everyone a few moments to shine. I was impressed.

Story. With so much action and so many characters, I was concerned this movie would be nothing more than a slug fest, but there is a story, there is a plot, and there is character development.

Surprise Cameo. I'm amazed the producers were able to keep the appearance of a certain character from a previous movie a secret, but they did and I was genuinely surprised by his appearance, as was most of the theater.

Thanos. So often the big bad guy of major movies is little more than a two-dimensional bad guy who is completely evil and just wants to kill and destroy (see Steppenwolf in Justice League for an example). But Thanos was an actual, developed character that showed a lot of development and motive. While he never became likable, he is a credible threat. His motivation is misguided and obviously ridiculous (overpopulation), but there are a lot of people in this world who have proposed the same measures for the same misguided reasons.

The Bad

Dark and Gritty. One of the things that made the Phase One movies of the Marvel Studios so much fun is their bright colors and humor that made them look like and feel like the classic comics. This movie lacked both. It felt more like the grim and gritty Justice League movie than a Marvel comic. The only humor came from Thor, and there wasn't nearly enough of it.

Video Game Action and Effects. The special effects and movies in the Iron Man movies, Captain America: Winter Solider, Avengers, and others were amazing, well choreographed, and things I hadn't seen before. This movie looks like a video game. The action felt like a video game instead of the beautiful choreographed action of earlier films.

Deaths. There have been rumors and speculation about who would die. I was a little surprised by the deaths, but the way it happened and the ones chosen make me think none of them are going to stick, so I didn't really feel anything for them. I can see most, if not all, being undone easily. This is a comic book movie after all.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish this had adapted a classic Marvel story instead of just using the name of one and creating a completely original story. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either. I also wish the fight scenes had been unique and well choreographed instead of the same ole slug fests we've seen in so many movies.

Overall

Avengers: Infinity War feels more like Justice League than the first Avengers film with its dark, grim & gritty feel. The juggling of multiple heroes is very well done, and there is a solid story with real development of Thanos' character. The action is little more than one slug fest followed by another and the special effects look like a video game. There is little humor and few character movements that make Marvel movies so unique and fun (although the Thor vs. Star Lord fight is amazing!). This movie did not have the classic feel of the Phase One films choosing to go a much more traditional route. It was entertaining, but not as good as the first Avengers film. I give this film 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

   

Movie Review - Spider-man: Homecoming

I love Spider-man. I've loved the character for as long as I can remember. I loved the live-action 70s series with Nicholas Hammond, the live-action Spidey Super Stories on The Electric Company, the first live-action Sam Raimi film, and the reboot with Andrew Garfield. I was excited to hear he would finally join the cinematic Marvel Universe, but was a little nervous about the new approach the powers that be were planning.

Spider-man: Homecoming is a 2017 superhero, action, comedy from Sony and Marvel Studios. It's rated PG-13 for mild violence, strong language, and inappropriate jokes and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Comedy. This is the funniest film Marvel has put out. There were jokes from start to finish, and each one was so funny and so unexpected. The comedy is by far the strongest aspect of this film.

Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton is a brilliant actor that can play anything from funny to series to creepy to scary. While I didn't like the version of the Vulture chosen for this film, I loved Michael's performance. He completely sold the character.

Peril. This film actually had a real sense of peril. You felt like Spider-man was actually in danger and might not make it, even though you knew he would. That's hard to do in a superhero film.

Cameos and Nods. This film had so many cameos and nods to other films, especially Spidey's appearance in Captain America: Civil War showing the fight from a different perspective. And it was so cleverly done. I also appreciated the remix of the 1967 Spider-man theme at the beginning.

The Bad

Not Classic. This movie was basically Spider-man's appearance from Captain America: Civil War for two hours. While a lot of characters from the comic appeared in this film (Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, MJ, Aunt May, Peter Parker, The Vulture, The Shocker, The Tinkerer), not a single one of them was true to their comic book version. They each felt like a modern reimagination that was a pale shadows of the original.

Not Epic. The Sam Raimi films were epic. The first Andrew Garfield film was epic. This movie felt like a filler episode of an Avengers TV show that showed a day in the live of a superhero when he wasn't on a mission. It was funny. It was entertaining. But it wasn't memorable.

CGI Effects. I was really disappointed in many of the special effects. They were competent, but they weren't amazing or spectacular (see what I did there?). They looked very cgi, very computer game like.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

Now that Sony is working with Marvel Studios, the Sam Raimi films could be considered cannon and retroconned into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They were so well done and so classic. I wish they had taken that route instead of the teenager with a super suit. While the movie was fun and entertaining, it wasn't epic, it wasn't classic, and it wasn't memorable. Spider-man really works best as a struggling college student, not an inexperienced high school kid. Saying the first two Sam Raimi films happened and then continuing that series would have been awesome and still allowed room to explore new territory.

Overall

Spider-man: Homecoming is an extremely funny film that focuses on Peter Parker as much as Spider-man. While very entertaining, it lacks the classic and epic feel of the previous films and feels more like a filler episode of an Avengers TV show than the beginning of a film franchise. I give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

    

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-man 2

I've been a Spider-man fan for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I loved seeing the live-action adventures on The Electric Company with the cheesy animated webbing that I thought was the coolest thing in the world and all, and I loved his animated adventures on Spider-man and His Amazing Friends. The first comic book I ever bought when I began collecting comics was a Spider-man comic. So of course I was excited and had some pretty tall expectations. And I wasn't disappointed.

The Amazing Spider-man 2 is a 2014 action / adventure / comedy / romance / science fiction / superhero / comic book movie rated PG-13 and is appropriate for almost all ages. There are a few scenes of brief intense action and some killing that could disturb more sensitive children, so you may want to think twice about bringing the littlest ones. It is the second Spider-man movie in this franchise.

The Good

Comedy/Humor. Spider-man is well known for his wisecracking jokes and his fun loving nature, but so often the comics and their adaptions focus on the turmoil and angst he feels and neglect the fun and funny. This movie definitely had the angst, but it was also chuck full of jokes from start to finish. And these aren't your average jokes. Each one was so clever and so fresh that it kept you laughing thru most of the movie. And it had a great mix of visual gags and audible jokes. The movie would succeed on the strength of the jokes alone.

Peter Parker/Spider-man. I thought Andrew Garfield did a great job in the first movie, but in this one he is even better. He really sells the awkward teenager who isn't sure about anything. He also does an excellent job channeling the wisecracking, fun loving Spider-man we've grown to love from the comics and cartoons.

Gwen Stacey. I never liked this character in the comics or the cartoons, but Emma Stone has created a lovable character I really cared about. She has the right balance of being feminine and strong without ever becoming overbearing or witchy.

Chemistry/Romance. Whenever Peter and Gwen get together, you can feel the sparks whether they are flirting, fighting, or foiling super villains.

Harry Osborn. Harry has never been an interesting character in any incarnation (except for occasional moments in the first three Spider-man movies), but this version brought something completely new and wonderful to the table. The character was interesting. He had passion. You could feel his pain. You could totally empathize with what he was going thru and why he chose to do what he did. And yet he had heart. You could really feel the friendship between Harry and Peter. It felt real. It felt like there was history. I've never seen that before. The movie could have been just about him, and it would have been interesting.

Action. From the previews I was expecting to be blown away by the action, and I wasn't disappointed. The camera views were spectacular. The details such as Spider-man swinging from one side of the street to the other to the other running along the side of buildings were so nice. And the freeze time so Spider-man could analyze the situation was really well done and helped make the action understandable so we could truly enjoy all that was happening. Too often fight scenes are filmed in such a way to elicit strong emotion that they become confusing as to what's going on and we can't enjoy them. Not so here. I enjoyed every moment of every fight except for a couple of over the top stunts that looked like a video game. Much like Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier, this felt like I was watching a Todd McFarlane Spider-man comic come to life.

The Bad

Electro/Max Dillion. When I heard Electro would be the villain, I kind of groaned. He jsut isn't a strong character It's kind of fun to see him shoot electricity for a 20-page comic story, but after that he's kind of boring. And the producers did nothing to improve that for the movie. His origin was just as silly as the comic, which felt out of place when you consider how well thought out everything else was. Jamie Foxx played the character very flatly and unlikable with a cartoon version of a nerd for Max Dillion (kind of like all the villains in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin) and an emotionalless villain we care nothing about as Electro. The character's powers were played more like a weak version of Magneto not really taking advantage of what electricity can do. The special effects were weak. It looked like Electro was dangling from a wire when he floated, and the electricity just flew from his hands. There was nothing new or original about it. It looked like it had been taken straight out of a boring comic panel for panel. And the character did not fit in the plot, story, or themes. It really felt like a sideline or a second movie when he was on screen, because he did nothing to advance the main plot that anyone else couldn't have done. There are so many other villains to choose from that actually would have advanced the theme and message of the movie.

Ravencroft Doctor. Electro is sent to a prision for the criminally insane, and the doctor there brought back visions of Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin with the over the top acting, cardboard cutout characters, and silly environments. Compared to how well cast and acted the other parts were, this really felt out of place and felt silly and unnecessary.

A Few Convenient Plot Twists. There were a few convenient plot twists, but they are forgivable considering how they helped keep the movie from lagging.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

A stronger villain than Electro.

Overall

Overall, this movie had me thoroughly entertained from start to finish and wanting more when the credits started to role. The action was spectacular, the comedy so funny, so clever, and so fresh, and the romance so compelling I can't wait to see the next one. The story was strong minus Electro and the Ravencroft doctor. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.