Coming barely ten years after the release of the first Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man with Tobey Maguire, Marc Webb’s (500 Days of Summer) more focused and less corny reboot casts Andrew Garfield as the webslinger/Peter Parker and Emma Stone as love interest Gwen Stacey. The usually comedic Rhys Ifans co-stars as the villainous Dr Curt Connors, a colleague of Peter’s late father who busies himself with controversial cross-species biological research. While I had no issue with Maguire’s Parker, Garfield is more adept at being socially awkward, and Webb doesn’t pile on the close-ups like Raimi did. While the new film lacks iconic imagery (consider the first trilogy’s upside down kiss in the rain), as a whole it is dramatic enough and sufficiently humorous to stand as an equal to the earlier films. While I cannot comment on its cinematic showing, The Amazing Spider-Man looks incredible in Blu-Ray, with the main creature effects surprisingly convincing. Despite their familiarity, the characters don’t feel worn out and even the obligatory swinging sequences have a freshness to them. Rumours about the film’s lack of ingenuity are definitely exaggerated.
There’s always been something cute about the Men in Black universe. The series offers numerous interesting and repulsive aliens secreting all sorts of oozes and juices, and the very existence of planet Earth is always in the balance, yet it’s all so light and breezy that one can only smile at the entire endeavour. Between wanton destruction and ludicrous human-alien interaction, the films have always felt, appropriately, like a pre-Ben 10 era Saturday morning cartoon. For those who still find this rather science-less science fiction universe appealing, Men in Black 3 is a highly enjoyable comedic romp again featuring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as J and K (returning with director Barry Sonnenfield). With some time travel thrown in for good measure, MIB 3 brings the series to a satisfying end by addressing a recurring theme while delivering the usual mix of one-liners and alien designs. The highlight of the film, though, is Josh Brolin’s young Agent K; Brolin does a perfect version of a younger Tommy Lee Jones. For fans of the series only.
Director Rupert Sanders’s retelling of the fairy tale in Snow White and the Huntsman makes its heroine into a feisty, battle-ready female (played by a decidedly alive Kristen Stewart) as Snow White joins forces with the good natured dwarves (including, to my eternal delight, Ian McShane) to overthrow the rule of the evil queen, played by Charlize Theron. The beautiful Oscar winning actress makes the queen-cum-stepmother creature of vanity, desperation and despair, and it’s the highlight of the film. Chris Hemsworth co-stars as the titular Huntsman, and just when it looks like it’s going to become a romantic epic, Sanders keeps things unexpectedly sombre, keeping the emphasis on moody fantasy rather than glittering heroes and their chins.
Snow White and the Huntsman is a dark (isn’t everything these days?) version of the tale that benefits mostly from Theron’s presence, an array of impressive visual effects and a lively pace that make for an exciting if somewhat familiar adventure. I have to say though, if I have to see one more shot of a VFX monsters opening its jaws and screaming into the camera I will not be able to stifle the yawn.
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