Jurassic Park is one of those franchises that started off with a huge, groundbreaking and critically acclaimed blockbuster, and went kinda hit-and-miss after that. While never quite reaching the high standards set by the original classic, Jurassic Park II: The Lost World did so many things right. It was a fun, fuzzy, exciting action-adventure film that hit just below the mark. Which made the third film so much of a disappointment. Steven Spielberg didn’t return to direct the third outing, the story didn’t offer anything new or exciting, and the effects were lackluster. So understandably, I was a bit apprehensive about the sequel/reboot, Jurassic World.
You know the drill. All of our favourite Marvel superheroes team up as The Avengers, an all-star, alien-fighting, earth-defending troupe of macho misfits. That’s Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Hulk. But haven’t we seen this movie before? Yes, we have. Twice.
First in 2012’s The Avengers, and then again last year with (practically the same movie, just dressed up in alien clothing) Guardians of the Galaxy. So is there any more story left to tell? Especially after we’ve already seen Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man star in four movies previously?
Interstellar is a big ol’ science-fiction masterpiece that feels much more grand and epic than the usual, plastic fantasy fodder. In a semi-dystopian near future where the earth is dying and crop farming became the primary human concern, Cooper, a NASA test pilot-turned-farmer stumbles on some inexplicable supernatural events while trying to protect his family.
Robert Rodriquez, in this case co-director along with comic book legend Frank Miller, has a special relationship with sequels. He’s never been afraid to continue or revisit stories and characters, and with his successful Spy Kids movies, the El Mariachi “trilogy”, and weird B-movie spoof series Machete, he’s also been able to take film franchises in diverse directions. In this case, however, he’s joined forces with Frank Miller again to adapt more of his Sin City graphic novel “yarns” – shortfilm-sized neo-noir mini-flicks that all have a location (the fictional Basin City) in common.
Going into the first Amazing Spider-man (that’s the one from 2012), I was afraid that the film would be a mess. Sony was attempting one of the quickest franchise reboots ever, but I believe they got it right. The Amazing Spider-man was a believable yet fantastic, hyper-real yet truly emotional flick. It’s the kind of film that’s truly meant for 3D viewing on the big screen. The kind of film that’ll make you believe a man can swing.
The franchise was rebooted, of course, after 2007’s Spider-man 3 was deemed a disappointing failure. Amongst other things, it seemed that the biggest reason for its failure was due to the producers trying to cram too many villains into the plot. Now, after 2012’s Amazing Spidey worked out well, the fat cats at Sony obviously decided to build things towards their own multi-film franchise, similar to what Marvel Studios successfully did with The Avengers. Also, of course, every superhero film screenwriter has been trying various ways to imitate Christopher Nolan’s extremely successful Batman franchise reboot – specifically 2008’s The Dark Knight.
So The Amazing Spider-man 2 ended up making so many mistakes it shouldn’t have… Too many villains, underdeveloped plots, and some silly, cartoonish characterisation. Harry Osborne’s character development seemed incredibly rushed, despite a brilliant performance by Dane DeHaan, and Jamie Foxx’s Max Dillon/Electro seriously reminded me way too much of Jim Carrey’s Riddler in Batman Forever.
Really?
The only lesson any filmmaker should learn from the campy Joel Schumacher Batman flicks is what not to do. But Jamie Foxx’s Max Dillon might even be a sillier, more exaggerated characterisation that the extremely over-the-top Carrey. And it doesn’t help that his theme music seems heavily dubstep-inspired.
Having said all that, I really enjoyed The Amazing Spider-man 2. The action is spectacular, the webslinging is breathtaking and amazing, the drama is intense and the emotions are real. Just like with the previous film, I found the emotional moments really believable and effective – specifically the “You’re my boy” scene. If you’re able to leave logic at the door, suspend your disbelief for 2 and a half hours, or you’re big enough of a Spidey/Marc Webb fan that plot problems won’t bother you, you’re probably going to have a great time in the cinema.
PS. Something that slightly irritates me is that, just like the first ASM, this film’s trailer showed lines/scenes that didn’t end up in the final cut. I wanted to see the “the truth also has a cost” and “Oscorp has you under surveilance” scenes.
PPS. Why is the Vulture wings and Doc Ock arms in the trailer? Come to think of it, I dislike this movie’s trailers completely.
Final note: In a disappointing, yet probably realism-based move, the filmmakers included comic book character Felicia Hardy (aka Black Cat) in a small role, but reduced the size of her breasts to give her a much healthier/more realistic figure. Make of that what you will.
[25 April 2014]
Her is as cool of a movie as I expected. Not quite sci-fi, but rather just a plain ol’ romance in a sci-fi setting. And coloured with the earthy & gritty style director Spike Jonze loves so much.
Danny Boyle is an accomplished, Academy Award-winning filmmaker. And one thing that makes him stand out from the rest is that, except for the quality of his work, his films do not resemble each other. He isn’t a genre-specific director who sticks to what he’s good at, but rather picks new projects to challenge himself in different ways. After he attracted some serious attention (and awards) with Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, he decided to surprise us once more with Trance.
“Oh, wow,” is probably how your friends react when you ask them how Gravity was. It’s like director Alfonso Caurón finally found the perfect film to make – a gorgeous, stylised, and very dramatic story set in outer space.
The sequel to 2009′s rebooted Star Trek had a lot to live up to. Star Trek succeeded in making a thrilling, action-packed blockbuster that simultaneously appeals to die hard “Trekkers”, doesn’t alienate new viewers, reboots the franchise with a brand new cast, and maintains continuity with the original films. The film was generally praised by critics, proved financially successful, and became the first Star Trek film to win an Oscar.
Flrsi 
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