REVIEW| The Amazing Spiderman

So The Amazing Spiderman isn’t quite amazing but it is pretty darn great. I would still argue that a reboot merely five years after the last trilogy concluded is utterly unnecessary but this film is definitely an improvement on any of Raimi’s offerings and, with the exception of Ifans’s baddie, is better in every way to Raimi’s original Spiderman. Here Garfield is almost a Superbad character instead of Maguire’s shy, pathetic guy, and his relationship with Stone (better than Dunst in every way except that she remembers an umbrella when it rains) is way more believable and affecting. Field and Sheen work well as his aunt and uncle too and it’s a shame that Sheen has to follow Uncle Ben’s character arc as he and Garfield have great chemistry.

The problems with this movie are threefold. Firstly it’s still cheddar as hell. There is one scene involving a man that Garfield assists earlier who happens to be able to align a bunch of cranes to help Spidey in a moment of need that screams of the disgustingly patriotic scene with the public throwing shit at Green Goblin on the bridge from the original series. The second problem ties in with this in that there are lots of moments that I audibly laughed at how often you’re expected to suspend reality or accept coincidence in this flick. Sure, it’s a movie about a man-spider but whether it be the only man you see Spidey save being a workman in control of a fuckload of cranes in the city when everyone is being evacuated at the exact moment Spidey needs him, or Garfield walking into Oscorp at the exact moment that interns are coming and then, when he takes a swipecard belonging to a ‘Rodrigo Guevara’ the receptionist remarks that this seems unlikely and yet lets him enter the building and then, only moments later, we see the real Rodrigo being dragged away by security, this movie manages to force you to forgive the silliness even in moments based in reality. And finally, the action is pretty poor. Spiderman is forever hampered by having non-human bad guys (Batman, Avengers, Iron Man etc. all have more relatable baddies just by them not being lizard men etc.), the action in this can sometimes seem like an X-Box cut scene. Add to that the stupid one-liners that Garfield is forced to say despite them not befitting the excellently cultivated character.

This is a very funny, good and constantly entertaining movie though and one that at least improves on the original and possibly warrants its existence in doing that. Also the 3D isn’t pivotal but that one scene with the cranes is freaking awesome in 3D.

Verdict: Movie

DAN

REVIEW | Red Tails

I am genuinely surprised that the actors were able to deliver their lines of dialogue in this movie without giggling. The white guys in the movie tend to get it worse, especially those in planes when saying things like, ‘Gee, those Red Tails boys were swell. I sure hope we get them to protect us next time,’ and other bullshit like that. The ‘based on true events’ aspect is such that it was inevitable for all dialogue to be extra mature cheddar and the plot to be sloppy and fucking saccharine, but this manages to have a ‘below TV movie’ vibe by the end.

It’s basically The Help meets Pearl Harbour and still not even as good as what the bastard offspring of those two would produce, but still manages to be the epitome of an easy watch.

Verdict: Spunk

DAN

REVIEW | Snow White and the Huntsman

This film is based on a lie that a golden plate tells an unjustly insecure queen that makes her want to kill a girl who is basically a mix of Jesus and Dr Dolittle. That is the narrative and there is almost no subplots at all and any film like that would rely on a mix of visuals and characterisation to make it great. The cinematography in this film is fucking gorgeous to the point that you will probably not see a more beautiful blockbuster this summer. Every shot is painstakingly captured, the CGI used perfectly and there is a definite Alfonso Cuaron feel to it. Problem is that, Snow White’s character is really weakly written and Kristen Stewart shows that she can do moody bitch or sex kitten and fuck all else. You can guess which of those we prefer and while there are flickers of it, she ends up looking like Bella Swan at a fancy dress party she doesn’t want to be at.

For all it’s flaws, I’d still not put people off seeing it because it really is that stunningly shot and I value that.

Verdict: Movie

DAN