Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

Get over it.  Sam Raimi’s Spiderman trilogy is over and done.  Truth be told, the three movies as a whole were overrated.  Sure, the second installment stood as the standard of excellence for superhero narratives until Christopher Nolan threw his hat into the ring, but all of that goodwill was undone with Spiderman 3.  In case you’ve forgotten, flip on FX any night this week and remind yourself what a complete disaster that movie was – rife with problems that went far beyond just studio interference (though Raimi apologists would have you believe otherwise). 

You see, unlike many others, I am not frothing at the mouth with ripe indignation because Sony had the audacity to relaunch a franchise, which went out with a whimper a mere five years ago.  In fact, I have been excited for this film – its new cast and new sensibility - since it was announced that Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) would be at the helm.  Under his direction, I was sure the movie would be rich in character development and would handle the nuances of relationships with wit and subtlety.

I am happy to say that he does not disappoint.  While you will not find this film on anyone’s Oscar ballot, I can tell you that the movie is incredibly entertaining.  Peter Parker’s story is expertly developed in such a way that as he grows into the iconic hero, you find yourself paying close attention to the person and not the costume – no easy feat in a superhero movie.  What makes the film truly come together is the work of Andrew Garfield with real-life paramour Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), as they share an electric chemistry on screen that makes their awkward courtship feel genuine.  Against the grandeur of the city, the menacing circumstances, and the pseudo scientific jargon, their dynamic keeps the feeling of the film intimate. 

Garfield's Peter Parker is quick, sharp, and compelling as he  delivers a far more dynamic performance  than his predecessor Tobey Maguire.  As for Emma Stone, if you have not already become a fan of hers, this is the movie that will win you over once and for all.  Her Gwen Stacy is smart, funny, and every bit the equal of her paramour.  As for the rest of the cast, Rhys Ifans is very good as the troubled Dr. Connors – adding a credible antagonist to the proceedings; Denis Leary as Captain Stacy likewise is strong as a semi-foil to our hero; while Martin Sheen and Sally Field  (Uncle Ben and Aunty May) are adequate as mechanisms to advance  the plot.

My one issue with the film is that while I applaud the character development (which is its ultimate strength), I wonder if that came at the cost of sacrificing a bit in regards to action sequences.  In my opinion, a slight tweak of this balance would have greatly enhanced the film.  However, the action that does make it onto the big screen is incredibly fun and cleverly brings Spider-Man’s abilities to life in new ways.

All of these elements come together as a film that is more complete than the previous three.  It is witty, emotionally charged, and engaging; loaded with story elements that have a broad appeal.  I would definitely recommend this movie to one and all and recommend you see it on the big screen to enjoy the expertly framed shots.  You will not only be entertained, but you will also find yourself cheering for Spiderman and hoping that he and Gwen Stacy find a way to make things work.  Simply put, they are easy to root for.

Standout Performance: Emma Stone.  She has done a lot of very good work in past (The Help, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and Zombieland), but this one rates as my favorite of all.

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Review: The Five-Year Engagement

Sometimes things are all perfectly lined up.  Sometimes a project seemingly has everything going for it and just by looking at the collection of talent on paper you know it is going to do well.  And sometimes despite all these things, the movie does not come together as planned.  I think the latter sums up what happened with The Five-Year Engagement, which had a great producer, a good director, and a strong cast, yet opened in fifth place at the box office earning just over $11MM to go with lukewarm review.   

Let me start by saying that in no way do I think it is a bad movie.  To the contrary, there are some genuinely funny and poignant scenes in this film that are universally relatable.  Even the movie's harshest critics would have to agree with that.  Most of us are familiar with producer Judd Apatow’s resume (Bridesmaids, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Superbad), and while his latest movie is not on par with his greatest hits, for the most part this movie does not stray too far from the pack.

What it has going for it is the cast.  Jason Segel has mastered the art of playing an affable guy with a good balance of comedic male bravado and a high emotional IQ and Emily Blunt is very charming with her rowdy brand of British sensibility.  What makes the cast particularly stand out though are those working in a supporting capacity.  Chris Pratt (as Segel’s BFF) and Alison Brie (as Blunt’s sister) steal the show as a fun-loving mismatched couple providing a sharp contrast to our protagonists.  Rhys Ifans (as the foil), Mindy Kaling, Randall Park, Kevin Hart, Chris Parnell, and Brian Posehn do a great job of accompanying Segel and Blunt along their romantic path and adding a comedic soundtrack to their foibles. 

Yet despite all this wealth of talent at work in this film, there exists a disconnect between the onscreen product and the audience and in my opinion it is born from two important factors:

1. Length and Pacing.  To put it bluntly, the movie runs too long. It feels like director Nicholas Stoller had such an embarrassment of riches that he is hard pressed to leave anything on the cutting room floor.  Unfortunately a good number of these comedic bits do very little to advance the plot and thus the net result is that the pacing gets knocked off and the plot comes to a screeching halt in the third act.

2. Segel and Blunt as Tom Solomon and Violet Barnes respectively are highly entertaining, but as a couple they lose a good measure of their likability.  There is something about their chemistry – as good as it is at times – that made me less than enthusiastic about their prospects.  It was not so much that I was rooting against them, but more that as the movie unfolded, I felt less convinced that they had to be together in order for the film to pay off.  For a romantic comedy, that is an incredibly damning statement.

Still, I would recommend this movie.  It is funny, entertaining, and there is great acting across the board.  I just don’t think you will walk away from this one readily prepared to elevate it into the cannon of Judd Apatow movies.  You won’t kick yourself for watching this in the theater, but I don’t know it demands a big picture showing.  When watching, pay close attention to Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, The Replacements) as he next appears as the heavy in this summer’s The Amazing Spider-man.

Standout Performance:  Chris Patt as Alex Eilhauer is all over the map in this film in a very good way and outright steals the show.

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