The Dark Knight Rises

To critique a film like The Dark Knight Rises is like solving a complex math problem. Factoring in hype, expectations, comparisons to past Christopher Nolan films and the comic-book source material make for a big maze like the one that conveniently appears on the logo of Nolan’s Syncopy Films company. It’s also fitting that the plot of such a massive blockbuster is so insightful and layered that the audience forgets they’re watching comic book characters on screen. The Dark Knight Rises spends significant time bringing the themes of the series’ previous two installments full circle, but not at the expense of new ideas.

Nolan has amassed an impressive cast to fill the screen, many of whom have appeared in other films made by the writer/director/producer. Christian Bale gives his best performance as the Caped Crusader, coming across as a more authentic person than in the past. Yet he keeps the much maligned growl of a voice that has become a mocking point for fans. Of all the newcomers in the film, the obvious standout is Tom Hardy and his take on Bane, one of the most intriguing villains in all of comics. Bane develops as a more calculated agent of evil than Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight. But the similarities between the two characters show a divisive split with Bruce Wayne’s ideology of bringing hope to society. Bane and The Joker are by no means the same, but they complement each other as well as perfectly compete with Batman’s beliefs.

There are a lot of characters in The Dark Knight Rises, probably a few too many. Though for the most part they’re either developed or we already know their story from previous installments. Almost any other movie would collapse under this mountain of characters and established actors fighting for their minutes of screen time. But instead the film proves to be large enough for such a task. With that being said, it does run very long, but at no point does it drag. To be honest it would be disappointing if the finale of the story was any shorter. The Dark Knight Rises puts an end to one of the best trilogies ever made and is a defining work of both comic book and action film culture.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

Ted

Mark Wahlberg’s seamless transition between comedic and dramatic roles is becoming quite impressive. In Ted, he plays a 30-something year old who is beginning to think about settling down with his long-tome girlfriend (Mila Kunis). The only problem is that he doesn’t want to ditch his best friend, a living teddy bear who he wished to life as a lonely child. Of course Ted, the bear, is a smoker, a drinker and pretty much the opposite of what you’d want for a child. But since the character is voiced by Seth McFarlane of “Family Guy” fame, who also wrote and produced the film, the shoe fits.

The film splits between a parody of children’s storybook type films and the raunch-fest that was advertised. As in the case of most R-rated comedies, the plot proves less important than the sum of the jokes and situations being presented. Ted comes off as similar to “Family Guy” in its use of random pop culture references that run the risk of potentially alienating some viewers. A significant amount of time is spent discussing Flash Gordon, the 1980 cult film that couldn’t be campier. While these moments would still be funny, those who know nothing about Flash Gordon aren’t really in on the joke. This kind of move works on TV, but is tougher to pull off on a wide-release film.

The acting and those in the lead roles do well with what prove to be fairly easy characters. Wahlberg and Kunis have played these types before and have no issues. Giovanni Ribisi plays a creepy dad who wants to steal Ted for his son, as well as to fulfill his own creepy obsession with the bear. If Ribisi played this character in a crime drama it would still fit. From weird dancing to a raspy voice, it’s actually an impressive act and definitely not what I was expecting. But like I said, the comedy sinks and swims with the laughs the jokes produce. So the movie must be successful since there are tons of laughs.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

An average Joe, whose fairly eventless life gets worse after it’s announced that an asteroid will soon hit the Earth and end human life as we know it. Sure sounds like a bit of a downer, but the presence of Steve Carell on the cast list makes the film’s outlook a bit brighter, but only just. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is an odd little movie that has two very well-known leads. As Carell’s character attempts to approach his end of days in a calm way, he comes across a letter from an old love, which says that she still has feelings for him. So with the help of his neighbor, (Kiera Knightley) who had the letter among a pile of mis-delivered mail, they go on a long distance trip to attempt to find the old flame. In exchange for her help, Carell’s character promises Knightley’s that he will find her a plane and pilot to get home to her family in England.

The film seesaws between wide-release inclusiveness and indie pretension. The guilty culprit is the way Knightley’s character is written. From the clueless nature in which she approaches her unlikeable boyfriend (Adam Brody) to the snobbish way she explains the benefits of listening to music on vinyl, there’s a sense that the audience is expected to nod along thinking, “she’s so right!” But instead it just makes the loveable dolt that Carell plays even more sympathetic.

Seeking a Friend has a number of funny and appealing moments, but the helplessness that usually builds plotline urgency in disaster movies just isn’t there. If there were only two weeks left until the end of the world, I don’t see these two people lollygagging around on the way to their final destinations. At the end of the day, it’s not that I don’t believe the performances; it’s more that I don’t believe their place in the circumstances.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Even though the general public seems to have shifted their comic book allegiances to Iron Man and Batman, we can’t forget that Spider-Man has always been one of the more intriguing and close to home characters from the Marvel and DC catalogues. But Tobey Maguire’s days as Peter Parker, which broke the bank with huge box office amounts, are done. So enter Andrew Garfield and The Amazing Spider-Man, the slightly darker, more grounded take on Spidey. The film reintroduces Peter Parker, a smart but geeky teen who gains super powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider.

It probably would have been safe to abbreviate the origin aspect of the story since most fans already know about Uncle Ben, the radioactive spider and Peter’s shift from bullied to the strongest guy in school. But it’s in there, so at least the reboot made the best of it. Everything is just slightly more down to Earth this time around. That is except for the larger than life Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans, who terrorizes the city. The dynamic between Peter and the Lizard’s human form, Dr. Curt Connors, comes across very much like the Dr. Octopus arch of Spider-Man 2. So here’s another instance of a chance for this new story to distance itself from the predecessor and it just didn’t happen.

It isn’t entirely fair to judge The Amazing Spider-Man by other Spidey flicks, but it’s bound to happen. Overall, this film is a more insightful look at Peter Parker and how his personal life influences him as a superhero. Introducing Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, builds a different story since the inherent danger of being with Spider-Man mirrors what she’s already experienced with a police officer father. Garfield’s performance as a Peter who is likeable but awkward without the mask and confident and funny with the mask on, is an accurate take on who the comic book Spider-Man is. The Amazing Spider-Man can very clearly coexist with the last decade’s Spider-Man trilogy because the characters have such depth that there are tons of stories left to tell.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

Brave

The Disney Pixar movies are an interesting bunch. They came out of the gate strong, and then decided that sadness would be the best way to go. With that they won some Oscars and terrorized children with nightmares of post-apocalyptic Wall-E and a friendly group of toys almost meeting their demise in a garbage dump incinerator. Well now they’ve moved back toward less depressing fare and the critics rip them apart. I say well done Pix-ney. Children should be able to enjoy animated features. This year’s installment is Brave, the story of a Scottish princess who rebels against her mother’s attempt to have her grow up to be a proper lady. First things first, both her parents are alive. That’s an unexpected Disney move.

But even with these less gloomy elements the film has some issues. The script borrows ideas from stories like Beauty and the Beast while being a less dire rehashing of Mulan. Yes, let’s not forget that for all the attention Brave has received for its “girl power,” they had a less whiny heroine do much more while fighting the Huns… who were real and most likely really scary. The last two-thirds of Brave, unexpectedly revolves around a campy human to animal transformation, which bogs down a promising beginning.

But let’s lower our gaze a bit. Intended for children, there is a lot of physical humor that had the children in my theater laughing. Some fun voice acting from actors like Billy Connolly and Craig Ferguson give the Scottish story some authenticity. And with all the castles and kilts, the destination story gives a backdrop that isn’t so common in animation. It’s not that I necessarily mind it, but can someone explain the cartoon trend of having little interchangeable characters causing mischief? There are the little brothers in Brave, the bears in The Lorax and the minions in Despicable Me. It’s just odd. Brave is visually impressive, age appropriate and funny. Though it’s cheesiness at times reduces the overall attempt. And not enough incinerators…

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

People Like Us

Is Chris Pine’s career moving forward or backward? I can’t really tell, but since his debut as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk and starring alongside Denzel in Unstoppable, the roles have been lower profile. This is fine if it’s intentional. If not, then too bad. People Like Us has Pine coming to town for his father’s funeral when he discovers that his unsympathetic dad had a daughter with a woman who wasn’t Pine’s mother. Elizabeth Banks plays the daughter, who is similarly not fond of the deceased father. But when Pine’s character loses his courage to reveal the truth to his sister, he decides to get to know her and her son.

The script uses a lot of time building the relationship between Banks and Pine while hardly advancing the story otherwise. After a handful of awkward scenes where he stalks her trying to find the courage to introduce himself, the audience is gifted with a number of pseudo-dates, which make it look like the two are about to make-out Luke and Leia Star Wars style. But give Pine credit, he does well balancing his performance in these instances. His character isn’t a creep and the audience never gets that impression from him.

So the biggest issue comes from the fact that the movie is slow and almost completely dialogue driven. It’s not like there needs to be a car chase or something, but at times it’s difficult to remember why the audience is supposed to care about these people. Then, just when you get interested, there is the standard fallout between the two leads that is more dramatic than it needs to be until it meets an unnatural conclusion. There isn’t a whole lot to complain about acting wise, it’s just the script that could use some tweaking.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.

Magic Mike

I suppose I understand why the male population didn’t want to see Magic Mike. I guess they don’t mind that the trailers are really funny. Yes, it is a movie about male strippers. But the only way to make it work was to not take itself too seriously. Produced and starring Channing Tatum, the film follows the titular character as he introduces a down on his luck 19 year old (Alex Pettyfer) to the lifestyle of a stripper. As Pettyfer’s character integrates in, Tatum’s character finds himself growing tired of the daily grind of the clothing impaired. Pun intended.

It would seem Channing Tatum’s Hollywood takeover continues as he churns out another hit. This time he shows strong comedic timing and an ability to be authentic on screen. Paired with Matthew McConaughey’s fun performance as the greedy and eccentric club owner, the film’s acting is the biggest bright spot with dialogue that does well advancing the plot. But yes, there are a number of stripping scenes. Tatum’s actually border on break dance scenes from a Step Up movie, and the full nudity is kept to a minimum. Though I am not here to critique stripping/dance sequences.

As things begin to go south for the characters in Magic Mike’s second half, the film’s entertainment level drops a bit. The pace never stalls but once Pettyfer’s character becomes a jerk, the movie changes slightly for the worse. Ultimately, there is a sense that the majority of the characters introduced are less important than the film’s first half would have the viewer believe. From that fact to the strange filters that gives some scenes a distinctly sepia tone; Magic Mike just comes across as a slightly odd project. It’s worth seeing because of the acting and the fact that it’s different than your average summer movie, but it doesn’t quite meet the hype.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.