WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE MAN OF STEEL. DO NOT PROCEED PAST THIS POINT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO AVOID SPOILERS. WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM.
Ok, readers, it's time to talk Superman. I've had a lot of mixed emotions about Man of Steel since it was announced a few years back. First, I was worried about making a new Superman movie so soon after the debacle that was Superman Returns. Then, I was skeptical about casting Henry Cavill, a Brit, as an American icon. See, DC Comics (and Superman fans), really, really needed this movie to be great. Marvel is flourishing in the film industry with Spider-man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Avengers movies, plus the SHIELD tv series. DC, on the other hand, has been struggling to reach that level for years. And I'll be honest, I've been a DC fan for as long as I can remember. In fact, Superman has always been my favorite. Yet, they just haven't been able to quite get a Superman movie right since the Christopher Reeve era and on top of all the other DC disappointments over the last 20 years or so, we loyal fans needed a win. Unfortunately, we'll have to keep waiting.
The most disappointing thing about Man of Steel is that it's great until it isn't. The attention to detail is obvious in everything from costumes to VFX to casting and it's all good. Very good, actually. Until the end. (HERE COME THOSE SPOILERS I MENTIONED) Near the end of the film is Superman's epic battle with the infamous General Zod and at its conclusion, Superman kills him. Now, I can justify a lot in the name of poetic license and creative freedom and all that. Honestly. But there are some things that are just outside the suspension of belief and that is one of them. Like I said, I've been a Superman fan for as long as I can remember and Superman doesn't kill anyone, ever, to the point that sometimes you wish he would. I spent countless hours yelling at him for it on Smallville. But the point is, he never does. Because as human as he is, he's also not. He's better. Superman is humanity's inspiration. He pushes us to be better than our base instincts. He has issues, but he's not dark, brooding Bruce Wayne. He's Kansas farm-bred, Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter. He's a little corny and that's ok. He leads by example.
I don't know how this incredibly important plot point managed to get the go ahead from EVERYONE to make it to the screen, but it is not ok. Is it too much to ask for a good Superman movie? How will the announced Justice League movie fare after this disaster? As Craig Ferguson is fond of saying, I look forward to your letters.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
World War Z
After some small excitement at the movie theater yesterday (smoke sensors went off. false alarm. we blamed the zombies.), I saw the incredibly expensive to make summer blockbuster World War Z. I'm not a zombie fanatic, like some, but I have nothing particularly against them either, and I was intrigued to see this Max Brooks (son of the legendary Mel Brooks) novel turned into a film. Plus, there was a lot of speculation on what exactly this movie would look like after all that time and money. So for me, this one was not to be missed and I have to say, I rather enjoyed it.
It's a fun, suspenseful summer thriller. It doesn't look overproduced, so kudos to the VFX artists and engineers (and the makeup artists) on that one. And, full disclosure, how bad could two hours of watching Brad Pitt run around really be? The answer: not bad at all.
It's more of a tense nail-biter than a gore fest (The zombies are the fast, semi-intelligent kind, rather than the slow, brain-eating kind.), so I found it entertaining. Director Marc Forster's pacing is spot-on, too. The movie doesn't go on too long or spend too much time on exposition, making it perfect for some light summer afternoon fun. Action fans will be familiar with Forster's work on Quantum of Solace (and if you liked that film and World War Z, I highly recommend his lesser known movie Stay. very, very good.).
So if you like Brad Pitt and you don't mind zombies, go see World War Z. It's the best summer action movie I've seen so far.
[PS Fun Fact: look for Matthew Fox in a no-name bit part.]
It's a fun, suspenseful summer thriller. It doesn't look overproduced, so kudos to the VFX artists and engineers (and the makeup artists) on that one. And, full disclosure, how bad could two hours of watching Brad Pitt run around really be? The answer: not bad at all.
It's more of a tense nail-biter than a gore fest (The zombies are the fast, semi-intelligent kind, rather than the slow, brain-eating kind.), so I found it entertaining. Director Marc Forster's pacing is spot-on, too. The movie doesn't go on too long or spend too much time on exposition, making it perfect for some light summer afternoon fun. Action fans will be familiar with Forster's work on Quantum of Solace (and if you liked that film and World War Z, I highly recommend his lesser known movie Stay. very, very good.).
So if you like Brad Pitt and you don't mind zombies, go see World War Z. It's the best summer action movie I've seen so far.
[PS Fun Fact: look for Matthew Fox in a no-name bit part.]
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