The Amazing Spider-Man

The “Amazing” Spider-Man

In my experience, change is bad. As soon as you change the original formula of something great, it flops. It’s evident in every medium of entertainment, from video games to music to films, people seem to think they have some divine ability to change something that is already successful and make it instantly better (the old phrase ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” comes to mind.) The newest instalment of The Spider-Man franchise has went through a lot of change since the previous director Sam Raimi, (Spider Man - 2002, Spider Man 2 – 2004, Spider Man 3 – 2007 and the cancelled Spider Man 4 – 2010.) a brand new director and cast leaves the formula of previous success tarnished which leaves the question has this change been for better or worse in this situation? In my opinion... it was definitely for the better.

The Amazing Spider-Man depicts the story of the comic-book under the same name, starting with Parker as a child and then into his teenage years showing us how he stumbled upon his supernatural abilities through research that his father had been working on with Dr. Curt Connors and how he began to use these abilities to hunt down the murderer of his uncle and other vigilante efforts.

Marc Webb was an odd choice of director for me, I believe his best known work prior to this would be ‘500 Days of Summer’ (a definite chick flick) but his visual interpretation of the Marvel story was fantastic from the comedic values of the fight scene on the bus as Parker is discovering his supernatural powers to the menacing tension as the whole city’s well-being is at stake, however there are some instances that he fell short, for example at the death of Uncle Ben I felt no emotion or remorse for that character, now that could just be me being a heartless bastard, who knows?  I feel there are some things Webb needs to improve on before the next instalment is released (The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – 2014.)

Andrew Garfield best known in my mind for his role in ‘The Social Network’ plays Peter Parker this time around and although I wasn’t convinced in this casting choice it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I would say he definitely came into his own more as his portrayal of the awkward, nerdy Peter Parker than he did as the masked vigilante himself (there were a few voice-overs during fight scenes that made me cringe to say the least.)  Emma Stone is a fantastic actress and plays the love interest in this film very well. I wasn’t exactly sure how she would fit in to an action movie, with her forte seeming to be comedies but she definitely held her own and looks to be on a path to stardom in her future. Lastly, I must express admiration to Rhys Ifan for his part as Dr Connors/The Lizard I can’t think of anyone who would’ve done this job better than him, the only fault I have is as Dr. Curt Connors he did remind me of a one armed Stephen Merchant, which took away some of the seriousness of the role.

I found the film to be overall a surprise seeing as the previous films in the franchise didn’t really do it for me, despite their box office success. It’s a definite watch for any movie goer or action-junkie, whether or not it sticks true to the original story I cannot say as I’m not a comic book buff. With the recent injection of outstanding action movies being churned out right now, (The Avengers, Dark Knight Rises etc.) do I feel this is up to par? Perhaps not, it is a reasonably good film but definitely not faultless and sets up for the sequel to be fantastic.

3.9/5 – Doubt it will be the best action movie of the summer, but an enjoyable watch no less.

The Dark Knight Rises Review

The Dark Knight Rises Review

The third instalment of the trilogy that has been wowing fans all over the world has been met with much controversy since its release, from the shooting at the premiere in Colorado, to the critics complaining about the way Bane’s voice is projected, it hasn’t been the best start to the box office campaign for the final film in the trilogy.
Regardless of all the bad press it has been receiving in the news, the film itself is a stroke of genius on Christopher Nolan’s part. The film is more centred on the storyline this time around, not so much on the action scenes (Not to say that there isn’t some quite incredible ones). The film takes a few twists and turns on its path and is executed intelligently, it truly is a masterpiece.
The storyline itself is based 8 years after the events of ‘The Dark Knight’ A lot has changed in Gotham in this time, it is a time of peace on the streets of the great city and Batman has hung up his cape, for now. Behind the scenes of Gotham though a criminal mastermind is plotting a sinister attack on the city, forcing the reclusive Bruce Wayne to once again don the black cape and save the citizens of Gotham.
Many of the characters from the previous films return to lend a hand. Michael Caine is absolutely faultless as Alfred, delivering his performance with great emotion and incredible magnetism, it shows why he is considered a British icon. Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox returns with his cunning and witty remarks to bring a sense of humour to this dark tale. Christian Bale’s performance as Bruce Wayne and the caped crusader is yet again one of sheer brilliance, he portrays the emotion of the film so well, helping you immerse yourself in to the world of Batman.
Newcomers to the series include Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Tom Hardy as Bane. Before watching the film I was sceptical of Hathaway in an action role, but she delivers above and beyond, donning sleek leather attire and repeatedly putting the grunts of Gotham’s underworld in their place. Bane, although he didn’t meet the chaos or fear created by The Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’, I would not like to be in the shoes of Batman for this one, a mountain of a man who communicates through a mask on his face, menacing eyes and an unflinching belief in his plan.
In summary, this film is a must see for fans everywhere, although slow in the action sense, the storyline should keep you in your seat for the long haul, you are definitely rewarded for your patience too.

4.5/5 – Expertly directed by Nolan. Bale and co, deliver their roles and immerse you deep into the caped crusaders world. Action scenes, though few, are brilliant. Must see.