The Amazing Spider-man 2

 

• Released Internationally on 16/04/14
• Released in Malta by KRS on 16/04/14

Review (16/04/14)

3-word review: Not that amazing. 

I think superhero fatigue is starting to set in. It's the only explanation I can think of for why I was both positively impressed with many of the aspects of this film, but also bored by the whole experience. This will be an average year, by recent cinema standards - a Spider-man sequel, an X-Men sequel, a Captain American sequel, a new group of heroes (Guardians of the Galaxy) and a hero reboot (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). That's peanuts compared to what's lined up for 2015 and 2016. So even when the film itself is great, how do the filmmakers manage to make it stand out?

Garfield
Spider-man has a harder job than most at keeping us interested, given that the whole story arc was tackled successfully only a decade ago. So the novelty factor isn't too high, although thankfully the first Amazing Spider-man film managed to be very entertaining, partly due to a wonderful interpretation by Andrew Garfield. He gives us a lanky, goofy, light-hearted Spider-man who fits the costume and the persona perfectly. His chemistry with Emma Stone (as Gwen Stacy) is effortless, now also thanks to their off-screen romance. The scenes between them in this film are more impressive than many of the supposedly fancier and definitely more expensive action shots, and if this were a normal film about a guy having to choose between a career and a girl it might have been a good one.

Middle chapter syndrome
The film is longer than I would have liked, but the extra time was probably necessary since at least three new villains get introduced. But this is merely the setting up of great things to come. In a development that is just briefly alluded to at the end, the Spider-man branch of the Marvel universe is about to veer off into deeper territory, with six infamous villains (the 'Sinister Six') heading to our screens in the next film. So this second film has some introductions to do, but then ends rather abruptly with a somewhat awkward ending. Not a juicy cliffhanger, like some middle chapters thrive on; but rather a rushed 'to be continued' type ending.

Lots to see
Jamie Foxx is interesting as the introverted, working class, nobody who ends up transformed into 'Electro', Spider-man's main adversary for this chapter. The effects are nicely done, including a Times Square centrepiece action sequence that shows off his abilities. He even gets an innovative electric guitar theme from composer Hans Zimmer, working with Pharrell Williams and guitarist Johnny Marr. The 3D is put to good use, and the whole electro concept is great fodder for effects. New York serves as a wonderful backdrop, and the scale of the film is befitting of the best disaster movies.

In the end
So, all in all, it's a good film. If Spider-man was the only superhero franchise out there, I would be fawning over this second film and heading back to see it again and again. But even when the action works, the hero looks good, the romance works, and the feel-good factor is thriving, it's all stuff we've seen only a few weeks ago in some similar film with different costumes. Maybe this is why TV is on such a high and small independent films are finding bigger audiences. Maybe we're tired of superheroes for now.

 

 

Trailers:
https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/theamazingspiderman2/

The Social Network

• Released Internationally on 01/10/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 15/10/10

Preview (first published 01/10/10 in VIDA magazine)

In a nutshell

At very least, if you don't own a Facebook account, you'll have heard about it, read about it in the papers, or seen someone's photos on it. In less than a decade it has mushroomed into an internet brand as recognisable as Google and YouTube, which of course means that somewhere, someone is extremely rich.

Why we're hyped

When I first heard that a movie was being made about Facebook, I admit I thought it was some laughable attempt at cashing in on its immense popularity. But it turns out that someone had written a rather sordid book ('The Accidental Billionaires') chronicling the campus and board-room struggle that characterised the birth of Facebook back in 2004. When business-savvy whizz-kids stumble upon a winning formula, and billions are at stake, you can imagine that there will be lots of interest and intrigue when it comes to sharing the pie. And sure enough the film trailers that have been released so far promise a thriller far more gripping than the title would suggest. The tagline is quite eloquent - “You don't get to 500 millions friends without making a few enemies”.

Who's in it?

Another major reason why this film looks promising is the man in the director's chair. When it was announced that David Fincher was going to call the shots, I for one realised that there must be something in the script that has the makings of a great film. With excellent and adored films such as Fight Club, Seven, and Zodiac under his belt, Fincher also recently showed us how versatile he is by helming the picture-perfect (although rather long) fairytale The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. With him attached, the focus then shifted to who would portray the real-life protagonists of this very recent history. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, Zombieland) looks and sounds the part as Mark Zuckerberg. Listed by Forbes as the world's youngest billionaire, Zuckerberg was one of the co-founders of Facebook, and currently owns one quarter of the empire, besides running the show. Not bad for a 25 year-old. Andrew Garfield (Doctor Parnassus, the upcoming Never Let Me Go, and the next Spider-man) is Eduardo Saverin, who co-founded back in 2004 but has now left the company, under not-so-happy circumstances. Justin Timberlake (who seems to be doing more acting and less gyrating nowadays) rounds off the main trio as Sean Parker, who used to be the President of the company, and who once upon a time co-founded Napster. They've all more or less distanced themselves from the film, claiming things are blown out of proportion – but that was to be expected considering the dirty-laundry aspect of the story. It now remains to be seen whether the vast swathes of people who spend much more than two hours a week on Facebook will want to spend two hours seeing how it was founded, but based on the trailers and the pedigree I'd venture a yes.

Review (17/09/10)

Zuckerberg

Jesse Eisenberg portrays the main guy with a powerful yet nuanced performance. How much of what he injects into the character is true is for Zuckerberg's close friends to decide, but from a normal viewer's perspective this is definitely a fascinating character who commands everyone's attention for the duration of the film. Fincher doesn't hold back, and from the opening scene it is quickly established that this is no likeable hero. He may be at his best in front of the computer screen, but out in the open world, social interaction is not part of his comfort zone. Which is obviously very relevant considering the virtual social network he has built for over 500 million people. Where the film excels, however, is managing to earn our respect for Zuckerberg, despite his lack of people skills. It's obviously assumed that the guy must be super smart, but the script breaks that down into small daily episodes that leave you with the realisation that it was no accident why this guy, and not one of the many other hopefuls, founded the Facebook behemoth.

His friends list

Despite Eisenberg ruling the film, all the other players give wonderful performances, especially Garfield as the estranged Eduardo Saverin, and Timberlake as the flamboyant and impressive Parker. The latter is obviously very comfortable in his role, and he manages to show exactly why Zuckerberg was in awe of him, and Saverin was evidently not. The script cleverly switches between recounting the events, and taking us through the two ensuing legal battles, which allows a structured telling of the tale without resorting to normal voiceover or random flashbacks. It keep the film moving forward swiftly, and the fact that we know where the train is heading doesn't make the ride any less enjoyable.

In the end

This is one of the best films of the year, largely thanks to its fascinating depiction of very recent history, and its sharp and clever script. There's a mountain of memorable lines, and the witty banter and duelling make it as exciting as any action film. Mostly, however, its a brilliant depiction of a generation, and the birth of internet giants in these years where a simple online idea can very quickly become one of the world's biggest bands. If you're not one of the 500 million, you can rest assured that there's a lot to be learnt and enjoyed for everyone here, not just Facebook addicts. It's an inspiring tale of entrepreneurship, creativity and determination, and it's all the more impressive considering it all happened during the past decade. The Social Network. Mark likes this.

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/thesocialnetwork/