Summer '07 movie reviews/discussion (SPOILERS)

[El Diablo]

OK, a thread like this is gonna have spoilers. If you're gonna have spoilers in your post, though, just do something like this:

SPIDER-MAN 3 SPOILERS BELOW!!!! (FOR REAL)

and then write a couple of lines before writing any spoilers. No need to bother with white text or whatever.

OK, now on to the reason for this post.

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Spider-Man 3.

I saw it this weekend at an IMAX theater. That part was pretty sweet. It looked better than some other movies I've seen on IMAX recently. And the 2-minute IMAX theater intro video was sweet. That was probably the highlight of the movie-going experience.

I really liked Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2. But this one was just ridiculous. First off, it was way too long. It really felt like it dragged on. Secondly, everything seemed geared to a third-grade level. Of course I understand it's a comic book movie and expect a certain style. However, I don't expect everything to be repeated six times. And sure, things are usually a little over the top in these movies, but this was just way too much imo.

The scene where he is all carefree and swaggering in his dorky way walking down the street, ridiculous. The whole scene with him in the jazz bar, ridiculous. Just plain silly. I could go on.

Too many villains. I think having Harry/Green Goblin 2, Venom (both him and the second guy), and Sandman was too much. I bet that more time with second Venom (I don't know if black spidey is also called venom or not, whatever) and Harry without having Sandman there would have been much better.

The only positive thing I'd say is that the spidey swinging effects looked a lot better. And Sandman effects looked pretty cool.
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I wanted to see 28 Weeks Later, but friends insisted on Spider-Man last week. Can't wait to see 28 Weeks Later, I really liked the first one and liked the previews I've seen so far.

[private joker]

SPIDER-MAN 3 SPOILERS!!!!!



I really disagree with you, El D. I loved the first Spider-Man (to the tune of 9/10) but thought the second one was just decent (7/10). This third one was nearly great (8/10) and much smarter than #2, doing a lot of interesting and self-aware things.

It managed to work everything about its plot into the key messages it was making about character. The whole thing was about character and identity, and all three villains related to that, specifically to Parker's identity crisis.

At the end of Act 1, Peter and Mary Jane both start believing their own press at the same time, to deleterious results. Peter gets too proud, while MJ loses her confidence. And the more you believe your own press, the less of an identity you have. MJ asks Peter "who are you?" and he honestly replies "I don't know." Having a superhero alter-ego causes one to lose their identity, and it's something Peter has to grapple with, such as in the scene where he didn't know if it was him kissing Gwen Stacy or if it was Spider-Man.

So to get that identity back, you must define yourself through your actions. In the hilariously awesome Emo-Spidey sequence, the film makes fun of emo kids (with the Bright Eyes hair and dark clothes) who are really pretenders and poseurs. This is Peter about as far away from the person he used to be as possible. But it's who he is in the moment because his actions have defined it. (The meteor that falls from the sky and the black goop which comes out of it is one giant honking metaphor for this all, and it's so comic book that I didn't have a problem with it).

Peter eventually comes around by re-forging a relationship with his best friend (who makes his own heroic choice to define himself differently from his father) and shaking his revenge motives -- ultimately forgiving the man who shot his uncle because the villain was trying to re-define himself as a loving father. (I absolutely loved Thomas Hayden Church's entrance, as this creepy dude who sneaks into some girl's bedroom and reaches ominously into his coat, only to bring out loving letters he had written to his daughter and places them under her sleeping pillow).

Also, the movie has some political subtext, something about how America has started believing its own hype and gotten too aggressive, trying to get revenge in places it doesn't belong and pissing everyone off in the process.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

SPIDER MAN 3 SPOILERS [ED]

[ QUOTE ]
Too many villains. I think having Harry/Green Goblin 2, Venom (both him and the second guy), and Sandman was too much.

[/ QUOTE ]

this reminded me a lot of Batman & Robin, or whatever the Batman was that had the Riddler and Mr. Freeze and 2Face as well I think? I forget exactly, but there were a bunch of new villians in one of them, and it sucked. too much going on.

my biggest problem with the "Topher Venom" was that he was introduced and killed like 30 minutes later. No character development at all. Comic book nerds seem most upset by this, as Venom is apparently one of Spidey's biggest nemesessisis.

To the first point, I think directors sometimes fall into the trap of thinking "this is a sequel, I better do more than I did last time!". hence more characters and in general too much stuff going on, instead of sticking with the formula that worked. it's probably a shortcut, b/c I would think it's harder to make multiple great movies with 1 hero/1 villian.

[El Diablo]

pj,

I agree with your analysis. I just felt like these themes were handled in a third grade manner and it felt like we were being hit over the head with these messages.

Don't know if you watch the Sopranos, but the last episode was very similar in ways to Spider-Man 3, with multiple characters struggling with different sides of themselves and some metaphorical stuff layered on top to further make the point. I felt like Spider-Man 3 would fall somewhere between the Sopranos level (it was definitely not subtle, but also not overly in your face) and where the movie ended up.

Basically, in SM3, I think that these character and identity struggles were something that were better in concept than execution.

I did like the THC entrance you mentioned.

[El Diablo]

SPIDER MAN 3 SPOILERS [ED]

KBZ,

"my biggest problem with the "Topher Venom" was that he was introduced and killed like 30 minutes later. No character development at all."

Exactly. I'm not familiar with the comic book story, but I would really liked to have seen more of this character and think a Spider-Man v Venom central plot could have been plenty for a very solid movie.

[IggyWH]

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (DISCUSSION)

It hits theaters May 25th and I'm really pumped about it. Some chick has me taking her to see it and she is insanely pumped. I hadn't seen the second one, so I wasn't sure why, but I watched it the other day and now know why.

Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it yet :

Trailer

This is the plot summary from IMDB :

After Elizabeth (Keira Knightly), Will (Orlando Bloom), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) rescue Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from the clutches of the Kraken, they must face their foes, Davey Jones (Bill Nighy) and Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander). Beckett, now with control of Jones' heart, forms a dark alliance with him in order to rule the seas and wipe out the last of the Pirates. Now, Jack, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Tia Delma, and crew must call the Pirate Lords from the four corners of the globe, including the infamous Sao Feng (Chow-Yun Fat), to a gathering that will make their final stand against Beckett, Jones, Norrington, the Flying Dutchman, and the entire East India Trading

I'm hoping Keira Knightly is better done up in this one because she was so hot in the first one, but too bummed down in the second.

[private joker]

I think the film felt that the Tobey vs. Topher storyline was more interesting than the Spidey vs. Venom storyline, which is why more attention was paid to the former. I can't say I disagree. Especially because Topher is such a good actor.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

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I hadn't seen the second one, so I wasn't sure why, but I watched it the other day and now know why.

[/ QUOTE ]

I really liked the first Pirates, thought the 2nd was very meh. they fell into the trap of just repeating all the same jokes from the first. I'm not optimistic about the 3rd, but I'll see it just the same.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I hadn't seen the second one, so I wasn't sure why, but I watched it the other day and now know why.

[/ QUOTE ]

I really liked the first Pirates, thought the 2nd was very meh. they fell into the trap of just repeating all the same jokes from the first. I'm not optimistic about the 3rd, but I'll see it just the same.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it's more along the lines of the second one being a huge cliffhanger, just setting up the third one. Had I saw the second one last summer, a year before the third came out, I might not have liked it. However, I only have to wait two weeks to see the third.

[orange]

28 Days Later:

Dom's review on 28 days later in the lounge

my review in OOT

Overall, I really really enjoyed this movie. (as I stated in my post in OOT), if you like the genre or the first one, I highly recommend this one.