Summer of Superheroes

Summer 2012 featured a great deal of amazing movies but the most popular, without a doubt, were the films about the superheroes. So here's a brief review on all three.

Dark Knight Rises

My favourite movie of the summer and easily the year. I saw it (so far) three times in theatres. Why? Because it's just that good. The final movie takes place eight years after the second film so a lot has happened which are explained well. Wounds have barely scabbed over from the Joker's rein. But there are some new faces joining the older ones. As well as humor to defuse the tension when it becomes too dark. There is a beautiful balance between action & adventure, drama, angst, romance, humor and tragedy.

Nolan brings it back full circle as Batman has to face his fears, limitations and demons to overcome the huge obstacle that is threatening the destruction of Gotham. One of my favourite things about Nolan's films, is that there is a great amount of depth in the film. Whether it is plot or symbolism. There were many times were I felt, symbolically, Nolan was showing his audience his first film again. Spoiler Alert but for example, when Bruce was climbing up from the Pit, it reminded me of the him in the first movie trying to climb up from the well. Actually, the whole part of the film where Bruce was in the Pit, was almost a homage to the Batman Begin's well known quote: "Why do we fall, sir? So, we can learn to pick ourselves up." That's what Bruce shows us in the pit - never give up. End of Spoiler Alert. Unlike Spiderman 3, Nolan masterfully juggles with the multiple villains so that the audience never feels awkward.

But as much as I loved it, it could be easily disliked as well. For those who had extremely high expectations - it will not meet them. After the late Ledger's legendary performance as the Joker, it's hard to come even close. Also, many people will not like it simply because Nolan's ending is not the one they wanted.

One thing you should know though is that this is the last Batman movie in Nolan's series. If another Batman movie comes out, it will not have Nolan as director, Bale as Bruce/Batman or probably many of the other actors.

Avengers

The big blockbuster hit of the summer, directed by the famous Joss Wheldon. For those who don't know the name, you know of his creations: Buffy, Firefly, Angel and even Toy Story. Originally Jon Favreau (director of the first two Ironman movies) was supposed to direct but he chose to stay on as an executive producer. This movie has a little bit of everything! It has action & adventure, drama, romance, angst, tragedy and plenty of humor to keep the audiences engaged. It is entertain for everyone. It nicely balances the storyline of the four protagonists as well as the supporting characters without neglecting anyone. It is incredibly easy for the view to connect with any one of the heroes. Also, Joss Wheldon does an amazing job with dialogue as many characters have memorable lines without being cheesy.

Personally, I saw the film four times in theatres because there were many scenes that I loved. In particular, Hulk had many hilarious scenes that I died laughing.  The first time I watched it, my friend had to nudge me in the ribs to get me to stop cackling like a hyena. 

The only problem with this film is that if you haven't watched the other four series (Hulk, Ironman, Thor and Captain America) you are going to miss something because a lot of the same faces pop up in this movie.  Ideally, to watch this movie, the viewer has to be up to date on the other four series. Well, not so much Hulk, seeing as they changed the actor. Mark Ruffalo, by the way, does an amazing job as Bruce Banner (I think you found a winner Marvel)!

One other negative for this film is that it is currently the most mistake filled film of 2012. It's not that much but it is still more then any other film so far.

But it's still an amazing movie.

Amazing Spiderman

I had mixed feelings about this reboot. I loved the new actors, Emma and Andrew, but I was still sort of loyal to the older actors. I disliked strongly where Spiderman 3 left us and I did feel like they were screwing up what had great potential from the first film. But at the same time, I was wondering where's Mary Jane and who's Gwen Stacey in the new reboot? Ultimately, I decided to approach the film with an open mind.

I'm glad I did because they did an amazing job. Andrew Garfield's version of Spiderman was more easier to identify with then Tobey Maguire's saint-like approach. Andrew's Peter was multi-dimensional. Sometimes, he was angry, vulnerable and hurt and other times he is shy, friendly and funny. But overall he is a nice guy. But Andrew's approach allowed for the audience to accept it more when Peter wasn't always nice whereas I judged Tobey's Peter more harshly simply because he seemed more saintlike and naive.

Emma Stone also did a wonderful job as Gwen Stacey to the point where I was like 'Mary Jane who?' Plus, the chemistry between the two actors set the screen on fire. There were times where I blushed more at their flirting then I did at some other movie's explicit scene. I'm glad they became a real-life couple as well because they are very cute together.

This movie like the other two superhero films mentioned aboved, have the same genres; action & adventure, drama, angst, tragedy, romance and humor. This movie is also a very good compromise for a date.

Unlike the previous two films, Amazing Spiderman has a slower build to the climax because unlike Dark Knight Rises and Avengers, it is starting from the beginning so it needs screen time to set up everything.

Chances are you will either love the new reboot or hate it because you are that loyal to the Tobey's. But personally, it really does deserve to be called the AMAZING Spiderman.

Terra Nova's Redeeming Villain

 Like most, I was intrigued by Terra Nova. The concept was interesting and it had Steven Spielberg's name attached to it. Plus, who didn't love Jurassic Park? When crime shows and sitcoms rule the television screen, sci-fi shows are a rare few. Off the top of my head, the few shows that come to mind is Doctor Who and Fringe. Terra Nova had potential pouring from its fingertips.

But the first episode left me lacking. The characters that were introduced were very one-dimensional and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't connect with them. So I didn't watch the show consistently. Instead, I'd watch it whenever I had time, because let's face it - there are so many amazing shows on currently. I thought the show would be cancelled like Firefly. But then I saw him.

Lucas Taylor. I fell in love with his character.

I read this article (click me!) and agreed with it completely.

Ashley Zukerman plays Lucas perfectly because he could have come off as a very fake, cartoonish character/villain. Instead Lucas comes off as a brilliant genius struggling with his demons. He feels real because some of the viewers can relate to his problems. Every child has had some sort of unresolved issue with their parents. Granted, most children don't want to kill them regardless of what Freud may think. But even then, it seems that a part of Lucas just wants to be accepted by his father. This complexity is believable in part due to Zukerman and in part due to his character's profile ("There is no great genius without a mixture of madness" - Aristotle).

Almost every other character in Terra Nova could be easily replaced by another actor because their characters are that boring. Somewhere along the line, somebody dropped the ball. Either way, Lucas comes off as the most interesting and resonating character in the series.

Frankly, even as creepy as it is, I really enjoy Lucas and Skye together, more then Josh and Skye. Josh and Skye, despite being the obvious cannon pairing, are BORING together. THEY feel more like brother and sister to me personally unlike (ironically) Lucas and Skye. Besides the major UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension) there, Lucas and Skye challenge each other. He threatens her and her loved ones, she lies and shoots him. Their interactions are complex and much more interesting then the adorably sweet but one dimensional couple of Maddy and Mark.

Skye is another good character (though Lucas still tops them all) because of the conflicts she had to face like betraying Terra Nova for her mother. Her character grew better as the episodes came because I remember in the first episode, I was not impressed. In the first episode, her character was very cliche.

If this show gets renewed for a second season, I hope they make their characters and conflicts more interesting and make Ashley Zukerman main cast instead of a recurring characters because I know he's one of the biggest reasons my friends and I watch Terra Nova.

Cruise does the "Impossible" for the 4th Time

Even for someone who has not seen any one of the Mission Impossible movies (why wouldn't you?), you know what it is about. Chances are you know of the scene where Tom Cruise's character drops down on a wire and hacks into a computer whilst being suspended in air. This scene has been parodied in many movies as well. This series belongs to a select group of movies: cult classics. These are the movies whose scenes or lines are known to everyone. Like Star Wars' "Luke, I am your father" or the Sixth Sense's "I see dead people". They are heavily involved in pop culture. 

The formula to this movie is simple - beautiful locations, action, cars, action, attractive people and did I mention action? It's the classic formula that appeals to the male species. Personally, I love the locations in particular. I don't get the chance to travel as much as I want to (it's expense!) but movies like this shows me and its audience different parts of the world. This movie filmed in parts of UAE, Russia, Czech Republic, India and even Canada! I could not help chuckling as I saw Bollywood's Anil Kapoor play the Indian billionaire womanizer, a character much different then his own personality and other Bollywood characters he has played.

This series is similar to James Bond in one particular way - stunts. Like the name suggest, Tom Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, always does the impossible. The fourth one was no way lacking either. From climbing the world's tallest tower and dropping down a vent (similar to the first film's iconic stunt), there were plenty of impossible stunts. One of the things I particularly enjoy about the mission impossible series stunts though, is that Ethan Hunt gets hurt doing them! He smacks his head many times, breaks his leg and other very painful injuries that make the audience wince almost every time.

There was one detail in this movie that I loved though. Usually in movies, Bond movies in particular, the romantic interest of the male lead was replaced so easily. I remember watching the old Bond movies and wondering what happened to the previous girl. I always wanted to know, did they just not work out or did she died? What happened? But this movie and the re-launched Bond movies, show what happens to the lady. I won't tell you exactly what happens because I think most should see this movie, but the absence of Ethan Hunt's wife (he married in the third film) is explained in great detail in this movie. It's one of the subplots too as it affects many of the characters in this movie.

If you are into action and stunts, then GO SEE THIS MOVIE! I wouldn't recommend this for a date movie though unless your girlfriend likes action too because the action in this film greatly outweighs the romance.

Rating: 3.5/5

'Tintin' Triumphs in Hearts

I have never read Tintin but watching this movie, I suddenly want to go buy the whole series and start reading.

From the beginning to end, you're on the edge of your seats. There were quite a few little plotlines that all tied together in the end. It was risky because it could have confused the audience but Steven Spielberg kept it easy to understand. Usually within a story, there is a certain amount of build up where the audience can learn about the characters and setting. However, there was no build up here but it wasn't awkwardly done. However, even as a person who has never read a Tintin book, Steven Spielberg managed to find a way to give plenty of details about Tintin and the other characters through the story. There was nothing awkward about it. It was a complete adventure.

One of the biggest helps in the story too was that there was plenty of humor throughout. With plenty of action and adventure, it might have worked against the audience. However, the humor brought a balance to the story. You'd be laughing even as you're biting your nails in anxiousness. It was a different humor then what is currently popular. Instead of being dark or perverse, it was what I like to call "Old humor". Similar to the "Three Stooges" but also consisted of close calls and funny catchphrases. The audience ate it up though because the theatre was alive with laughter.

One of the things I loved about Tintin was the technology used. The animation was amazing. It was the perfect combination of realism and abstract. Looking back on the movie, I am a hundred percent happy that they did not do the movie as a live action. Some of the sequences in movie could not be done in by using real people and they would have to SGI it which would have been ridiculous and the audience would have hated it. But I'm glad they did not do a full on comic version of the movie either. This is really the perfect balance of the two. While Europe has done many versions of Tintin, both comic and live action, Hollywood has not. This is their first dip into this particular comic and it is beautifully done. They've set the bar high.

Even the marketing plan for this movie is brillant. Usually once a movie is made in Hollywood, it would be released in North America first then Europe. But Tintin was playing for two months in Europe before being shown in America. Perhaps this is a nod to the European roots of Tintin or a brillant marketing scheme. I've heard that movies that do well in America are not always as popular in Europe. I'm not sure why this is, maybe it is due to the difference in societal values. But Tintin was a hit in Europe, only time will tell if it is the same here in North America.

Personally, I loved every moment of it. It brought out the inner child in everyone - adult and teen. The characters were lovable and apparently true to the comics. The actors that portrayed them did an amazing job of bringing them to life. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were hilarious as Thomson and Thompson. Jamie Bell was a brilliant Tintin. Andy Serkis was a hilarious Captain Haddock. Daniel Craig, played Red Rackham and Ivan Sakharine notoriously. Frankly, Snowy was the unsung hero in my eyes.

This is a movie worth seeing. Whether it is with your friends, family or even on a date - it's a good movie for all.

Stars: 4.5/5

Make Time for "In Time"

Time is money. Money is power. Thus, time is money.

It is such a simple concept yet it is a powerful one. The idea of using time, whether it is minutes or centuries, as a currency is amazing. I cannot imagine living a life like that where I am losing five minutes of my life just to buy a cup of coffee.

This concept also allows for a very young and good looking cast. Justin Timberlake, Amanada Seyfield, Olivia Wilde and Alex Pettyfer to name a few.

The storyline greatly reminds me of Robin Hood. Both Will Salas and Robin stole from the rich to give to the poor and thus were wanted by the authorities. Both of their fathers were murdered for their beliefs. Though, Robin Hood had his band of merry men to back him up while Will had Sylvia Weis to help him. Personally, I think Will got the better deal out of it. Not only does Sylvia have personal knowledge about the banks but she is very hot.

The storyline itself is nothing super original but the idea behind it is interesting enough. Like some of the great heroes, Will's turning point comes when his mother (played by the beautiful Olivia Wilde) died, flying into his arms. He chooses to fight the system that denied him his mother and along the way, finds and convinces the girl to abandon her world for him. Together those two change the world for all others. Quite cliche but well executed nonetheless.

This movie is honestly a breathe of fresh air compared to the movies that are coming through the cinema. It is (as far as I am aware) not based from a novel nor is it based off of a game or comic. It's an original concept.

This is a good movie to see, especially if on a date. There is romance that she will appreciate and action that he will enjoy.

Rating: 3.5/5

Breaking Hearts in 'Breaking Dawn'

Frankly, I'm not a fan of Twilight but I don't hate it either. I just don't think the hype behind it matches the popularity it received.

I went to see the movie with a couple of friends though who love Twilight. One actually loves Taylor Lautner (or rather, his abs) so she was giddy when his shirt was off in the first five seconds of the movie. I have to give them credit because Bill Condon (the director) certainly knows what the 'Twihards' want and gave it right up.

Honestly, the plot is quite cliche. There doesn't seem to be a great thought put into the storylines, just a basic love triangle plot line. But that's not really the fault of the movie because it is based off the novel.

In this movie, Edward and Bella get married at the tender age of 18 and just over a century. During their honeymoon, Edward gets Bella pregnant. Things become angsty as the family is divided. The vampire baby kills Bella but Edward revives her as a vampire in time.

I still don't understand how a vampire can impregnate a human. Isn't every part of them dead, so shouldn't the cells be dead too? It really doesn't make sense to me.

But the pregnancy was very well done. Bella had sunken features and darkened eyes. She really did at one point look like a skeleton. I was squirming in my seat because of the well-done special effects. In a way, it made me appreciate how much Bella loves Edward because there is no way you'd go through that much pain for someone without seriously loving them.

It was interesting to see the family divided about Bella's baby. Rosaline was the only one who from the beginning wanted to protect the child. Everyone else just saw the baby as a disease that was killing Bella. Edward only started loving his own baby after hearing his thoughts. It was interesting to see Bella and Edward actually in an argument. Now that they are married, they cannot run away from each other anymore and have to face each problem together. It was well done because I could see both sides of their argument.

There was a twist at the end though. The twist though is a make or break. For me, it broke. I won't spoiler it but it just gives me shivers. I did not like it at all.

Rating: 3/5

The End of Potter

At the end of the final Potter movie, there were very few dry eyes. It felt like the closing of the childhood to many of the Potheads.

J.K. Rowling's seven little books managed the impossible in generation addicted to gaming and television. She made kids read. Millions of children, teenagers and adults flocked to the bookstore every year to buy the new book in the series. Potter pandemonium erupted over the world and Hollywood capitalized on it. In 2001, the journey started and ten years later, in the birth month of the protagonist, the series came to the end.

A little after midnight of July 15, 2011, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two started and from moment one, the audience was hooked.

Despite this being the most darkest book, they managed to find ways to lighten it up. From McGonagall's cute happiness at using a spell to Neville's complete kick-ass attitude. Heck, even Voldemort's behaviour brought out huge laughs from the audience. There was tons of romance from Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione and even Neville had a crush on Luna. Hollywood managed to even make the final battle more interesting then in the book - though there was still a lot of talking!

There were only a few places which I cringed at. One of them was during the moment when Harry was living them to face Voldemort in the forest. The interaction between Ron, Hermione and Harry was completely awkward. Ron especially, as he remained sort of aloof despite his knowledge that his best friend was going to his death. Yet at the same time I understand, because what can you say in that situation. While you don't want him to die, he has to. There is nothing to say that would help.

Another one is the Ginny and Harry romance. I can't blame this on the movie though because it's a factor in the books. But it still doesn't make sense to me, they were no clues in the books, though the movie showed subtle clues. The romance between Harry and Ginny came out of nowhere and just felt awkward and completely wrong. There was no attraction or chemistry. It's not just me, even the audience slighted in their seats in discomfort. Most people I talk to agreed that what is supposed to be a great romance is just weird.

Actually while it is realistic, most of Rowling romances were never as great as I wanted them to be. In fact, her greatest love story was never told. The love between James Potter and Lily Evans was never told in detail but of greatness. In a way, I appreciate that because I get to imagine what I want.

However, the part that always teared me up every single time I watched that movie, was ironically, a romantic part. But can you really call unrequited love a romance or heartbreak. Snape's unchanging love for Lily can make even the coldest of hearts melt a little inside. The moment you see, through Snape's memories, just how far he went for Lily is so moving. Snape's struggle is something everyone can relate too - the sting of unrequited love, heartbreak. That's my favourite love story from the Potter series.

Regardless, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two had a little bit of everything for everyone. There was romance, humor, adventure, triumph, loss, heartache, hope, life and death. One moment, you'd be scared for a character then you'd feel relieved when everything worked out for the best.

All in all, I'll mourn the loss of the Potter world as will every other child that grew up with it.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars