The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

It has been 10 years since Sam Rami brought Spider-Man to the big screen and 5 years since the last installment of his trilogy hit theaters. The troubles surrounding Spider-Man 4 lead to Sony doing an early reboot of the series, which brings us to this week's release of The Amazing Spider-Man. 

Marc Webb takes the reigns of this installment. Webb is best known for his 2009 quirky romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer. Being a big fan of (500) Days of Summer, I was excited at the possibility of getting a indie version of Spider-Man. For better or worse, we instead are presented with an average big budget summertime superhero flick. 

Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) is a high school student trying to win the heart of fellow classmate Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Garfield and Stone both do a fantastic job capturing the relationship dynamics of a high school couple. They are unsure what to say at times and share plenty of awkward moments. Despite their older ages, they were completely believable as high school students. I had trouble believing Garfield, with his Hollister model looks, would be the target of so much bulling in school. This Peter Parker is not the inadequate and often rejected one we know from the comic books. Gwen's willingness to be with Peter takes away a potentially great plot element. 

The supporting cast include Sally Field (Aunt May), Martin Sheen (Uncle Ben), Denis Leary (Captain Stacy), and Rhys Ifans (The Lizard). They all Give great performances, unfortunately their characters’ development takes a backseat to Parker and Stacy. The lack of development lead to most of the emotional scenes falling flat with me. In particular, a pivotal moment in Spider-Man's origin story involving Uncle Ben did not work nearly as well as Sam Rami's version. 

Overall I was impressed with Marc Webb's handling of the film. He did a good job retelling an origin story that many of us still had fresh in our minds. The film downplays the photographer element of Peter Parker. Parker's cell phone turns out to be a more important tool in the film then his camera. Hopefully, in the inevitable sequels we will see more of Peter's camera and The Daily Bugle. The handling of CG heavy action sequences can be frustrating if not shot correctly, but Webb does a great job allowing the audience to comprehend the action taking place on the screen. For the most part, the special effects were great! Those worried about the first person perspective seen in the trailers can be relieved to know they play a very small part in the film, and are much less jarring then I thought they were going to be. 

If you are looking for a good time at the movies, The Amazing Spider-Man delivers. If you are looking for a film that pushes the superhero genre forward the way films like Spider-Man 2, Iron Man, and The Dark Knight did you best look elsewhere.

Does Max Fischer have Asperger's Syndrome?

It is said that a high functioning individual with Asperger's Syndrome "lives in our world, but in their own way." Wes Anderson's 1998 classic Rushmore centers around the character Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) and his experience attending Rushmore Academy. Max is a character that certainly does things "in his own way." The film never specifically identifies Max as having a learning disorder, but an examination of his actions and behaviors suggests he may be affected by Asperger's Syndrome.

Asperger's Syndrome is a mild form of autism that is characterized by restrictive patterns of behavior, thoughts, or interests along with difficulties in social interactions. This means that while those affected by Aspergers may posses high verbal skills and above average intellectual function (hence the term autistic savant), they may take part in activities with abnormally intense or focused effort and have trouble forming and keeping friendships. When we look at Max Fischer's activities and relationships in Rushmore, I believe we can see him display these identifying traits.

Despite Max Fischer's poor grades, he is obviously intellectually above average. His undertakings at school in extracurricular activities show a level of commitment and accomplishment that is above what would be expected from a 15 year old. This is a result of Max's display of a restricted pattern of behavior, thoughts, or interests. At Rushmore Academy, Max is the founder or important member of most of the clubs that he participates in. Once Max takes an interest in something, he goes about it in a very intense and focused way. When Max decides to save Latin from being cut or to build an aquarium on campus, everything else is pushed aside and he commits himself fully to a single new found interest. This leads to him having poor grades in his classes and to have such great accomplishments in the activities he chooses to undertake.

Max Fischer's life is filled with odd social relationships, that would be hard to describe as typical. He doesn't form close relationships with the people in his life. We see this when looking at his relationships with his father and classmates. Anderson never portrays any of Max's relationships as deep and well developed. I would best describe the relationship between Max, his father and classmates as associations. Also, his relationship with Rosemary Cross is effected by the social difficulties that Max has. He has trouble approaching her with his feelings, and understanding her feeling toward him. Max Fischer's social difficulties keep him from developing deep personal relationships with those around him.

So what do you think? Could Max Fisher be afflicted with a learning disorder such as Asperger's Syndrome? How else could you describe this eccentric behaviors?

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

When you hear about Snow White, you probably think about the classic 1937 Disney animated film. In Show White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders attempts to tell a darker and grittier version of this classic fairy tale.

The films initially swept me up in a well realized fantasy world full of knights, princesses, evil queens, and mysterious powers. Snow White's world is well built and looks gorgeous throughout the film. This beautiful world couldn't distract me enough, though, to ignore the problems that chip away at the film.

Snow White and the Huntsman was my first exposure to Kristen Stewart (Snow White) as an actress. I'm not sure if I should blame her performance on a horrible miss-casting, or if she is simply a poor actress (based on conversation with friends it is probably the latter). Stewart displayed a lack of charisma on screen. She seemed void of emotion throughout most of the film. At times it seemed an emotion was struggling to emerge from inside of her, only to be lost in a look of apathetic confusion.

Contrasting against Kristen Stewart's efforts, we have Ravenna (the evil queen) played by Charlize Theron, who brought a brilliant intensity to her role. Theron seemed to be having a fun time with her portrayal of the character, which kept the lunacy of her performance from seeming to over the top. There is a moment in the film when Snow White gives a rousing speech to the soldiers fighting for her before they march into battle. As I watched this scene unfold, I couldn't help but wish I was seeing Theron giving a similar speech in the opposite camp instead. The miss or on the wall may have been fooled, but there is not doubt that Snow White wasn't the fairest one in this movie.

Aside from Stewart, the acting of the rest of the cast was good enough, but it failed to ever get me to care for the characters. This lead to many of the emotional moments of the film falling flat for me. I also felt distanced from the film because it did not do a good job establishing the rules of the world. Snow White is the Neo of this world, but the film never really establishes the power she has over it. One scene that comes to mind involves a menacing bridge troll, who is easily subdued by a stare down with Snow White. When were these powers established? If she has these abilities, why isn't she charming more vicious creatures to fight for her?

By the end of the film I was cheering for the Ravenna and hoping the movie would soon end. I feel like Rupert Sanders was trying to make a great summer flick, but unfortunately his vision fell flat.

Mission: Impossible Marathon

My first IMAX experience came when seeing Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol last year, mainly drawn by the Dark Knight Rises prelude. I left the cinema having really enjoyed Ghost Protocol. Since I had not seen any of the previous MI films, I decided a Mission: Impossible marathon was a mission I was willing to accept! Over the last week I watched through each of the MI films, including Ghost Protocol. Here are my thoughts.


Mission: Impossible (1996)

The first Mission: Impossible is the most spy centric film of the series. While the other films rely on big explosive action set pieces, this film chooses to be more subtle (at least until the final sequence). This first film also has the most complex plot. Unfortunately the complexity only leads to confusion. I left the film with more questions then answers. I love twists/surprises in plots, but the numerous ones in Mission:Impossoble didn't have their intended impact because of the aforementioned confusion. Originally released in 1996, the movie feels very much like 90's film. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the special effects and the final action sequence hold up well. Also, the well known scene of Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) being lowered into the data bank room is still thrilling. A felt it worth mentioning the point of view shot used after the initial mission. I found it very jarring, and didn't see any reason why it was used. Mission: Impossible was a solid, somewhat chiché, action spy film. I missed some of the physicality Cruise displayed in later films and felt that another action scene could have helped the film, but had a fun time with the film.


Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

Mission: Impossible 2 brought on John Woo as director. Woo is known for his stylish ultra-violent gangster films, and he brings his usual touch to this film as well. Unfortunately, his vision of an over the top action film with little story is a complete train wreck. The first part of the film is dedicated to establishing the very James Bond esque romance between Ethan Hunt and Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton). The film expects us to care and be invested in their supposed deep loving relationship, which is established in a matter of minutes. Also introduced to us is the weakest villain of the series Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott). I don't know if I should blame Scott's poor acting, or if Woo was behind the camera instructing him to play the character like one found in a bad martial arts film, but the Sean Ambrose character is never threatening and seems almost laughable at times.

The film is full of overly dramatic action sequences, slow motion camera shots, and 90's style bullet showers which are horribly far from hitting their target. Woo's visual style is cool to watch on screen, and this is where I found the little joy I had with this film. If M:I 2 wasn't looking to take itself seriously, I would the over-the-top action a pass. I wasn't as confused as with the first film, but then again there wasn't much of a plot to be confused about.


Mission: Impossible 3 (2006)

J.J. Abrams brought his trademark visual style, complete with lens flare, to Mission: Impossible 3. This styalization was a much better fit for the series compared to Woo's attempt in the second film. Mission: Impossible 3 was able to find a good balance between spy film and action film. Along with this balance came the first film in the series which I felt brought genuine emotion between the characters. We were able to get to know Ethan Hunt outside of his spy adventures and met his soon to be wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan). Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers an incredible performance as the relentlessly evil villian Owen Davian. Davian is the best villain in the series, and one of the the best villains I can recall in modern action films (shares the throne with the Joker in Dark Knight). The character Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) is also introduced in the film. Benji is one of the best parts of the next film in the series. The film is not without faults, such as building suspense with a instance of no cell phone signal, and is nothing revolutionary. What is it is a great time and the movies!

Addition: I forgot to originally mention J.J. Abrams' trademark Mystery Box, which took the form of the rabbit's foot. I found no problem not finding out what the rabbit's foot really was, a point that speaks to the wonderful execution of the film.


Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

Once again bringing a new director, the latest film in the Mission: Impossible series is directed by Brad Bird. Bird is best known for his work on animated films from Pixar. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is, in fact, his first live action film. Bird makes a wonderful transition to live action, and is able to carry over some of the quirky sensibility usually found in Pixar films. Moments such as the gecko glove blowing in the wind and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) putting on metal underwear bring a freshness to the series, which does well to keep the audience from getting too muddled down in action sequences. I also can't help but mention one of my favorite moments, when the subtitles change from Russian to English during the hospital scene.

Ghost Protocol is full of great sequences, which are unique and interesting in their own ways. The film earned it right to be presented in the IMAX format with the building scene in Dubai. When the IMAX kicked in during sequences such as this, it was overwhelming in the best sense of the word. The sand storm was another great sequence. It was disorienting, yet not confusing. Not all the sequences were quite as successful. One that didn't work as well for me was the party scene with the Bollywood star Anil Kapoor, which seemed too mundane when compared to the rest of the film.

Despite his older age, Tom Cruise gave his best and most physical performance of the series, which was a pleasure to view. I was also very glad to see Benji garner more attention in this entry to the series. His comic relief is a most welcomed addition. All around the film had satisfactory performances.

Ghost Protocol found a perfect balance between fun and action. I hope the series breaks tradition, and chooses to bring back Brad Bird for the fifth entry.



Each entry into the Mission: Impossible series faces a the challenge of presenting us with new character, since many aside from Ethan Hunt do not return, and getting us back into the action after an average of 5 years between films. Some of the films are more successful then other at doing this. Aside of Mission: Impossible 2 I really enjoyed the series, and look forward to more entries in the future.

Hugo (2011)

Hugo is not your typical Martin Scorsese film. It is a big budget family film, in fact it is actually Scorsese's first family film. Set in 1930's Paris we follow Hugo Cabret (played by Asa Butterfield), an orphan living in a train station who maintains the clocks in place of his drunk missing uncle and has a fascination with gears and motors. Complication arrives when Hugo find himself in trouble with the owner of the station's toy shop Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley). 

If you are a classic film buff the name Méliès should ring a bell. The Georges Méliès in the film is in fact the famous French film pioneer. This is were Hugo departs from what may at first appear to be a rather typical family film, into something that is a truly special experience for those schooled in film studies. 

The film opens with a sweeping shot as we fly into this Paris train station. This masterful camera work continues throughout Hugo. The large budget allows the special effects to really glow, and aids in creating a beautiful film. The heavy use of special effects is especially fitting, being the film is examining the history of Méliès (a special effects pioneer). Generally I am not a fan of 3D, but I can say that I harbor a bit of regret that I wasn't able to experience Hugo in 3D at the cinema. Scorsese appears to have shot the film in a way that would allow the 3D to lend to the experience, and not feel tacked on as it does in many films coming out recently.

The first half of the film mainly concerns itself with the escapades of Hugo and his new friend Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), as they look for adventure and try to avoid the persistent concern of the station inspector played by Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen gives a great performance, giving depth to what could otherwise have been a very bland character. Following along with Hugo and the other characters is a fun experience, but once Scorsese begins to deal with the history of Georges Méliès the film truly shines.

The second half of the film feels like a mix of documentary and fantasy. Documentary footage of Méliès work is show intertwined with an imagined behind the scenes look at the production of such great films as A Trip To The Moon. Watching Méliès work in his studio is magical, both in the experience and in the great effects he was pioneering. Anyone who has studied film or has an interested in film as an art form will find this part of the film most fascinating. 

In the end, Martin Scorsese leaves us with a message of the importance of film preservation and hopefully a new found love for the art of making a film. While this film will be a gem for lovers of film, the journey will also appeal to those who are just looking for a fun family night at the cinema.

Ansell

anagnorisis

anagnorisis /an-ag-nawr-uh-sis/ n. 1. The recognition or discovery by the protagonist of the identity of some character or the nature of his own predicament, which leads to the resolution of the plot.
                                                         Collins English Dictionary
                                                                            Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition