This is the End (2013): SHORT REVIEW

While the whole ‘December 21, 2012’ doomsday theory was proven false and the world did not end on that day, 2013 has seen quite a few movies that have taken place in a post-apocalyptic universe, like ‘Oblivion’ and ‘After Earth’. ‘This is the End’, directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (the duo behind ‘Pineapple Express’ and ‘Superbad’), does something different by being an apocalypse-themed comedy and the end result is a very funny movie. For the record though, this film is… bizarre. I’m not going to reveal anything that happens in the film but some very weird things happen in this movie. But aside from that, the film is still really funny and that’s mainly in part because of the main cast; Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride, who all play fictionalized versions of themselves along with some other celebrity cameos (which I won’t dare to reveal). The six actors work off each other very well and you can see the strong camaraderie amongst them. All in all, ‘This is the End’ may be one of the most bizarre comedies ever made, but it is still a pretty hilarious film. It’s easily the best comedy this year so far.

 

Rating: 4/5

Monsters University (2013) review

We all know about the masterpieces that Pixar has made over the years, from the ‘Toy Story’ trilogy to ‘Finding Nemo’ to ‘The Incredibles’. Their filmography is so prestigious that many hold the company to rather high standards. But, not every company’s perfect, and Pixar has had a rather rough going the last few years. 2011’s ‘Cars 2’, Pixar’s first non-Toy Story sequel, was the company’s first major critical flop. Their next film, 2012’s ‘Brave’, did receive better reviews and it even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, the reviews were still not up to par with the Pixar classics and as for that Oscar… well, let me just say that there were much better films than ‘Brave’ that came out last year. For their next film, Pixar returns to the universe of one of their many classics, 2001’s ‘Monsters Inc.’, with ‘Monsters University’. This prequel (the first by Pixar) tells the story of how Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan (AKA Sulley) met while at college. Does this prequel help get Pixar back on track after back-to-back misfires?

Eager to become a scarer ever since he was young, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) begins his first year at the prestigious Monsters University, majoring in scaring. However, the hard-working Mike soon comes into conflict with fellow scaring major student James P. Sullivan AKA Sulley (John Goodman), a more arrogant and lazy monster whose father was a famous scarer. A rivalry is started amongst the two as they try to one-up each other. However, when it goes too far, the two of them end up getting kicked out of the program by M.U. headmistress Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren). In an attempt to get back into the program, Mike and Sulley join the Oozma Kappa fraternity to compete in the Scare Games, a competition that tests the scaring abilities of monsters. Mike makes a deal with Dean Hardscrabble where if Oozma Kappa wins the Scare Games, Mike, Sulley, and the other members of the fraternity will be re-admitted into the Scare Program. If they lose, then Mike will leave Monsters University for good.

From a prequel standpoint, ‘Monsters University’ does not suffer from the dreaded ‘prequelitis’ that has plagued multiple prequels over the last few years. Any references made to ‘Monsters Inc.’ are pretty subtle and not just thrown in for a cheap reference. As for the rest of the writing, the film is a charming and creative look as to how Mike and Sulley became friends after they were first rivals. You can see why it started like this because the two are very different. Mike’s the bookworm who believes in hard work while Sulley is more laid-back, mostly getting by on his family legacy. The film also does a good job at distinguishing itself from the other ‘Monsters’ film, mainly by way of establishing who the main character is out of the two. ‘Monsters Inc.’ was more focused around Sulley, as he befriended a human child despite the fact that, in the eyes of monsters, humans are toxic. ‘Monsters University’ is Mike’s story and is told from his point of view.

As Mike and Sulley, Billy Crystal and John Goodman both do excellent jobs once again. The two work off each other very well, which was already proven 12 years ago in ‘Monsters Inc.’ and is now once again present here. The way the character Randall (once again played by Steve Buscemi) is incorporated (no pun intended) into the story is also pretty well-done, although the character is not really in the film that much. He actually starts off as Mike’s friend and roommate at M.U. before a series of events ultimately lead to Randall’s rivalry with Mike and Sulley. As for the rest of the voice cast, it’s a pretty stacked cast, including Helen Mirren as Dean Hardscrabble, Alfred Molina as Mike and Sulley’s Scare Professor, Nathan Fillion as the president of a rival fraternity, and Charlie Day, Dave Foley, and Sean Hayes as a few of the members of Oozma Kappa.

In the end, ‘Monsters University’ probably isn’t as great as ‘Monsters Inc.’, but then again, that can be said for pretty much any prequel to a classic. But, ‘Monsters University’ is one of the better prequels in recent years. Even with a story that is fairly formulaic at times (save for the final half hour, which does pull some unexpected twists (in fact, dare I say it’s the best part of the whole movie)), there’s still a lot of heart in this film and with a good script and a great voice cast, it’s a rock-solid prequel that admittedly may appeal more to kids, but I believe that adults (including anyone who’s about to go into college, like me) will find it entertaining as well. It’s also easily the best film that Pixar has done since ‘Toy Story 3’ back in 2010. It’s still not really up there with the Pixar classics but still, I’d say Pixar is finally getting back on track with this film.

Rating: 4/5

The Films of Pixar



At this point, Pixar is a company that needs no introduction. Once, it was just a small part of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm, helping create visuals for films like ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ and ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’. Now, they are known as the company behind some of the best computer animated films of all time. Since 1995, they have made 13 animated films, which have grossed a cumulative total of over seven billion dollars worldwide. Pixar has earned 27 Academy Awards, seven of which for the Best Animated Film of the Year, along with many other awards (Golden Globes, Annie Awards, etc…). This weekend sees the release of their 14^th animated feature, Monsters University, a prequel to their 2001 film ‘Monster’s Inc’. Will it be another roaring success for Pixar? We’ll just have to wait and see when it comes out. But for now, it’s time to look back at the premier filmography of what is probably the best computer animation studio around today.

I apologize in advance if, at times, I start to repeat myself during this retrospective, but come on, it’s Pixar. What else can you say about them?

TOY STORY (1995)



Toy Story was the first feature-length computer animated film ever made. Obviously, there was a lot that Pixar had to do to get this film made. In fact, at one point, the production of the film was actually shut down because of a disastrous first cut of the film which was filled with, according to director (and head of Pixar) John Lasseter, ‘the most unhappy, mean characters that I’ve ever seen’. Even Tom Hanks, who voiced the main character Woody, once proclaimed that the original interpretation of the character was a ‘jerk’. Why was this happening? Well, Disney wanted the film to appeal to both children and adults and then-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested that Pixar should make the film edgier. Obviously, this didn’t go far and after major rewrites (even Joss Whedon came in to help rewrite the film), the final product that we know today was finally complete.

Even after 18 years, ‘Toy Story’ still stands as one of the best computer animated films of all time. The visuals are still very good even after all this time but the main thing that holds the film together is the writing. As Disney had hoped, the film does appeal to both children and adults but instead of being edgy, the writing is both witty and sophisticated which works much better. The main characters Woody and Buzz (both excellently voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, respectively) are both very likable and Hanks and Allen work together very well. The rest of the voice cast (which includes Jim Varney, Don Rickles, and Wallace Shawn) is great as well. The bottom line is that if you haven’t seen ‘Toy Story’ yet, this is a must-see animated film that is great for the whole family.

Rating: 5/5!

A BUG’S LIFE (1998)



For now, let’s ignore the whole controversy surrounding 1998’s two ant-themed animated films, Dreamworks’ first computer animated film ‘Antz’ and Pixar’s second film, ‘A Bug’s Life’. Did Jeffrey Katzenberg steal the idea from Pixar? Who knows? But now let’s talk about Pixar’s second film which, as a whole, isn’t really as good as ‘Toy Story’ but it’s still an enjoyable animated film. Compared to ‘Antz’, which had more edge to it, ‘A Bug’s Life’ is more kid-friendly in tone. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just that I kind of prefer ‘Antz’ over this film. The main characters are a little bland, but the supporting characters make up for that shortcoming, namely the circus bugs that the main character Flik enlists to help his colony deal with the grasshoppers that oppress them. It’s not really one of my favorites, but it’s still a solid film from Pixar.

Rating: 4/5

TOY STORY 2 (1999)



Believe it or not, ‘Toy Story 2’ was originally supposed to be just a direct-to-video film, but just like how ‘Toy Story’ was re-done after its first cut, Pixar decided to make a full-length theatrical release instead and what a film this is. It’s hard for a sequel to top the original, but ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of those rare sequels that is not only as good as the original, but possibly better. It’s my personal favorite Pixar film for a few reasons; namely due to the broadened scope and new cast of characters. The writing is still fantastic, and the filmmakers do a great job at further continuing the story by bringing up the question of what will Woody do when Andy grows up and will most likely forget about him (which is developed further in Toy Story 3). The backstory for the character of Jessie is also a highlight of the film, and a guaranteed tear-jerker. ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of the best sequels of all time, and I have to say that I actually prefer it to the original.

Rating: 5/5!

MONSTERS’ INC (2001)



It’s the film that led to the upcoming ‘Monsters University’ and, as you might have guessed, it’s another great film from Pixar. It’s a nice creative take on the whole ‘monsters in the closet’ idea and Pixar does a great job at setting up the monster universe and its characters. The two main characters, Mike and Sulley, are both very likable and both Billy Crystal and John Goodman (Mike and Sulley, respectively) do great jobs in the roles. The two also have great chemistry together, and Crystal does pretty much steal the show here. It’s a heartwarming comedy and another great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

FINDING NEMO (2003)



I don’t think I need to go into this film that much because it’s already been done to death but I’ll give my thoughts on it anyway. Finding Nemo is one of the best Pixar films ever; it’s pretty much a masterpiece in terms of computer animated films. The story is based around a touching father-son message and both the characters of Marlin and his son Nemo are very likable. You can see where both are coming from; Marlin is afraid of losing Nemo after his wife and their other kids are eaten by a barracuda (also, on another note, that opening… um… DAMN! Talk about a way to open up a movie, especially a family film, no less) and Nemo is annoyed by how overprotective his father is. Ellen DeGeneres is also great and hilarious in the role of Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss. Finally, this is one of Pixar’s best films in terms of visuals, which are just beautiful. Not only is this one of Pixar’s best films, but it’s one of the best animated films ever.

Rating: 5/5!

THE INCREDIBLES (2004)



Speaking of the best animated films ever, let’s look at ‘The Incredibles’. It’s interesting that, with this film, it was the first Pixar film to be made by someone who was not directly affiliated with Pixar. However, because director Brad Bird was friends with John Lasseter (the two attended the same college, California Institute of the Arts), I’d go as far as say he’s pretty much part of the ‘Pixar team’. As for the first of the two films he has currently made for Pixar, it’s a loving homage to superheroes and it’s also a nice satire on suburban life, with the main characters being a family who just so happen to have superpowers. It’s also one of the funniest Pixar films (‘Honey, where’s my super-suit?’).  It’s pretty much a masterpiece and it’s another one of Pixar’s finest. On a final note, it’s also the only Pixar film right now that is truly worthy of a sequel. The ending of the film pretty much sets it all up. That probably won’t happen for a while (Bird’s currently busy working on his newest film, ‘Tomorrowland’) but I certainly look forward to an ‘Incredibles 2’.

Rating: 5/5!

CARS (2006)



The two ‘Cars’ movies have probably received the weakest ratings of any Pixar film to date (the second one getting even worse reviews than its predecessor) but in regards to the first film, I actually do really like it. It’s not really Pixar’s best film, but I do think it’s a solid animated film, even if it’s not really up to par with some of Pixar’s best work. It goes at a much slower pace than other Pixar films and admittedly the film may be a bit too long but I never found the film to be boring. Sure, the story is a little cliché, but the characters make up for it. All in all, the first ‘Cars’ is not really for everyone, but it’s still pretty entertaining.

Rating: 4/5

RATATOUILLE (2007)

 



Brad Bird returns to Pixar with ‘Ratatouille’, and once again Bird delivers another fantastic animated film. First off, the visuals of Paris are fantastic; they’re almost like works of art. In fact, that’s the best way I can describe the film. It’s pretty much a work of art. Granted, some of the dialogue is a little cheesy (no pun intended) but the film is very entertaining, as Bird’s talents at storytelling are once again evident in this great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

WALL-E (2008)



I think this film’s kind of hard to sell to people because the first half of the film contains little to no dialogue; the two main characters are robots who don’t speak much. However, the atmosphere is incredible and the main characters of Wall-E and EVE are both very likable. The film succeeds at connecting with the audience even though the main characters barely say anything. Then, the second half of the film takes them into outer space. Along with some of Pixar’s most breath-taking visuals, there’s a bit of satire on the idea of consumerism and the economic message that the film promotes (pretty much the following; don’t pollute) is executed well enough that it doesn’t keep hitting you over the head. I won’t say it’s really one of my favorites, but it’s still a well-made animated film.

Rating: 4.5/5

UP (2009)

I have to admit that I was not really interested in this film at first, most likely because I didn’t think a movie focused around an old man sounded that exciting to me. Thankfully, I was proven very wrong by another Pixar masterpiece. This film sells you just by the first ten minutes alone, which follows the main character Carl’s marriage to his wife Ellie, all without any dialogue and yet the music and emotions in this scene make it one of the best sequences ever put on film (not just in animated films). But that’s just the first ten minutes. Thankfully, the rest of the movie is also very creative, funny, and charming which makes this another must-see from Pixar.

Rating: 5/5!

TOY STORY 3 (2010)



After 11 years, the Toy Story crew returns for what is hopefully the final Toy Story film (there’s rumors of a fourth film circulating right now, but while it is possible, I believe that they should end the film series right here), and it’s a fitting conclusion to this series. It’s not afraid to take a dark turn, namely the scene near the end where the toys almost meet their own end. The writing is once again excellent, bringing the story arc of Andy’s toys to a close as they wonder about the future now that Andy is grown up and heading off to college. Of course, by the end, I will admit it… this is a film where, young and old, I guarantee you’ll be fighting back tears. It’s probably not the best Toy Story film, but even after a whole decade since the last installment, it ends the series on a high note and it’s a rare threequel that actually to be as good as its predecessors.

Rating: 4.5/5

CARS 2 (2011)



AKA the first major Pixar film to receive mixed to negative reviews. Is it Pixar’s worst film to date? It probably is, but as someone who was a fan of the first Cars film, I don’t think it’s that bad. However, was the first ‘Cars’ film in need of a sequel? It really wasn’t, and while the whole world-traveling idea seems cool, it’s not really the main focus of the film. Instead, the focus is on spies with the character of Mater getting caught up in international espionage. This film focuses on that plotline so much that Mater is pretty much the main character, and the other main character Lightning McQueen is now just a side character. Obviously, the film still looks great visually but the writing is not really as good as some of Pixar’s other films. I can’t say that it’s a bad film, but Pixar has obviously done much better.

Rating: 3/5

BRAVE (2012)



In a way, ‘Brave’ did get Pixar back on the right track after ‘Cars 2’. The film received better reviews and it even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, the reviews weren’t still up to par with Pixar’s classics and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who didn’t really agree with the Academy picking this film for the best animated film of the year when there were much better films in that category (Wreck-it Ralph, Paranorman, etc…) that year. But that doesn’t mean that this is a bad film. It’s just that this is just an okay Pixar film and it could have been a whole lot better. The first half is actually really good, as the filmmakers do a fantastic job setting up this universe and also taking a much darker route than some of the studio’s other films. But sadly the film starts to fall apart in the second half, where the film descends into typical kids’ film material. The trailers are actually quite mis-promoting. While it seemed like the film would follow the main character of Merida as she tried to ‘change her fate’, in reality the film is about Merida trying to save her mom after accidentally getting her turned into a bear. For the record, the whole mother-daughter aspect of the film is quite touching and well-done, but unfortunately this film just isn’t up to par with Pixar’s other masterpieces.

Rating: 3.5/5

And now, here are my overall rankings of the 13 Pixar films that have currently been released. For the record, if one of your favorite films is lower on this list, remember… this is Pixar we’re talking about. Aside from some less-than stellar efforts, pretty much every film they have made is a masterpiece.

Rankings:

13. Cars 2

12. Brave

11. A Bug’s Life

10. Cars

9. Wall-E

8. Ratatouille

7. Monsters’ Inc

6. Toy Story 3

5. Up

4. Finding Nemo

3. Toy Story

2. The Incredibles

1. Toy Story 2

Man of Steel (2013) review

There is a lot riding on the hopeful success of ‘Man of Steel’. This is the second time in the last decade that Warner Bros. and DC have attempted to revive the Superman film franchise following its ‘death’ back in the late 80’s. However, their first attempt, 2006’s ‘Superman Returns’, did not end up getting a sequel, most likely due to audience reactions (which were fairly split) and a rather disappointing turnout at the box office. This new Superman film may also have to be the film that sets the stage for a ‘DC Cinematic Universe’ a la Marvel’s ‘Cinematic Universe’, resulting in a possible Justice League movie in the future. While the fate of that movie is unclear right now, what about ‘Man of Steel’? It does have a good crew behind it, including Christopher Nolan, whose work for DC’s film division needs no introduction. However this time, Nolan is not directing. Instead, he gives the reigns to Zack Snyder, director of ‘300’ and ‘Watchmen’ while he produces the film (he also co-wrote the story with David S. Goyer, his writing partner on the ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy). And I’m happy to say that this new Superman film is quite an exhilarating new take on the iconic DC superhero.

In order to protect their son from the destruction of their home-world of Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) send the infant Kal-El away from the planet as it is destroyed. Kal-El ends up on the planet Earth where he is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, respectively) and raised as Clark Kent. Clark (Henry Cavill) struggles to fit in on Earth because of his unique ‘super powers’, which make him an outcast amongst others. Even when he grows older, he spends most of his time traveling the country trying to find his place in the world. When he soon learns of his true identity, Clark becomes the ‘Man of Steel’, Superman, in order to protect the planet when a dangerous Kryptonian General named Zod (Michael Shannon) invades looking to rebuild the planet Krypton, even if it means the destruction of Earth.

Unlike ‘Superman Returns’, which attempted to be a sequel to the first two Christopher Reeve movies, ‘Man of Steel’ is a full-fledged reboot that is given, in a way, the same treatment that was present in Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy. But, for the record, this is not ‘The Dark Knight’ all over again. In this movie, Nolan’s influence is more present in the story, because from a directing standpoint, this is a Zack Snyder film (though thankfully some of his more notable directing habits are toned down in this film (don’t worry, Superman doesn’t go into slow-motion to take out a bad guy)). Overall, the writing is very good, namely through how the character of Superman is portrayed. This is really the first Superman film to really focus on Superman’s struggle to adapt to life on Earth because in the first Donner film, that wasn’t really looked upon as much. A common question that I hear brought up a lot is whether or not Superman should be more like his alter-ego Clark Kent or, well, Superman. I believe that they are one in the same. Obviously, Superman is a powerful superhero, but he was raised with the values of his Earth parents and that molds him into the hero that he is. This character development is solid throughout the movie, even though the third act is admittedly mainly just non-stop action.

While I don’t want to compare this film to ‘Superman Returns’ that much, one advantage that ‘Man of Steel’ has over ‘Returns’ is that the two leads here are far superior. As Superman, Cavill is charismatic and likable and he does a very good job getting across the character’s emotions. As Lois Lane, Amy Adams maintains the spunky personality that defines who Lois is and she has very good chemistry with Cavill. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well. Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner are both great as Superman’s two ‘fathers’. You can clearly see how both men influence Superman’s actions and, without spoiling anything, Crowe is actually in the movie more than you might expect, even though the story still stays fairly similar to how it is in the comics. Finally, as General Zod, Michael Shannon is rightfully menacing as the main villain of the film.

Right now, critics have been rather mixed on Man of Steel, but I assure you that this new Superman film is very good. Admittedly, it’s not perfect, primarily because the third act goes for non-stop action instead of focusing on story but the film makes up for it in its portrayal of Superman and how he tries to adapt to life on Earth, despite the fact that is he actually an alien from another planet. A great cast and some very exciting action sequences also help ‘Man of Steel’, which is a definite improvement over the last attempted revival of the series. I will admit that I was rather nervous about the hiring of Zack Snyder as director of this film, mainly because his last film ‘Sucker Punch’ was so bad that it ended up being my pick for the worst film of 2011. However, with a little help from Christopher Nolan, this is easily one of his best films to date.

 

Rating: 4.5/5

Superman Film Series Retrospective

This week marks the release of what may be the most anticipated film of 2013, ‘Man of Steel’. It may also be one of the riskiest films this year for a few reasons. This is Warner Bros’ second attempt at reviving the Superman franchise following 2006’s ‘Superman Returns’, which did not perform as well as the studio hoped. Also, in the wake of ‘The Avengers’, it is unclear whether or not ‘Man of Steel’ will be the kick-starter film that will create a ‘Cinematic Universe’ that would ultimately lead to a live-action Justice League film. That film has already had a rather troubled production, with the initial script reportedly being tossed out, which is not a good sign for a film that is supposed to come out only two years from now in 2015. But for Man of Steel, another thing that could hold it back, despite the fact that it is produced by Christopher Nolan, is that it’s directed by Zack Snyder, a director who has made really good films (‘300’ and ‘Watchmen’) except for his most recent film, 2011’s ‘Sucker Punch’. However, the footage shown so far has been really amazing so I’m really excited for this new Superman film and I’m hopeful that it will be great.

Now let’s take a look back at the Superman live-action film franchise so far (I won’t be looking at any animated Superman films, like ‘All-Star Superman’ or ‘Superman: Unbound’). This post will only focus on the original four Superman films starring Christopher Reeve and Warner Bros.’ first attempted revival and yes, a full review of ‘Man of Steel’ will follow in the next few days.

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978)

Superman The Movie is regarded as the first major superhero movie and even if it isn’t, it certainly set the standard for future superhero films. Even after 35 years, it still holds up as not only the best Superman movie to date, but one of the best superhero films of all time. Christopher Reeve is perfect in the lead role of Superman, but also succeeds by being very unsuspecting as Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent. Marlon Brando, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman are also great too as Jor-El, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor respectively. Granted, the ending is a little questionable. I would say spoilers, but this movie’s been out for 3.5 decades so it’s no big deal. If Superman can fly so fast that he can turn back time (which he does in order to save Lois from dying), then why couldn’t he grab both of Lex Luthor’s missiles at that speed? Oh well, the movie is still great anyway and it’s a must-see for any comic-book fan.

 

Rating: 5/5!

SUPERMAN II (1980)

Superman II has had quite a controversial production history. Richard Donner (director of the first Superman film) was originally set to direct this film as well, but due to conflicts with the producers, Donner was booted off the project and replaced with Richard Lester, who ended up shooting new footage. However, some of Donner’s footage was used in the original theatrical cut, though most of the footage was shot by Lester. In 2006, a new version that mainly consisted of Donner’s footage was released; Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. At the time I am writing this, I have not yet seen the Donner cut, though I’m aware that many consider it to be the superior version. But for now, I’ll only be looking at the original theatrical cut of the film.

When watching this version, it’s clear that even though the majority of the footage was shot by Lester, Donner’s influence is still present, evident from the scenes in this cut that he had shot. Lester went a more comedic route but the Donner scenes are more serious in tone. While the humor does get a little more slapstick at times, the film still works as a whole. It also has probably the best Superman villain (in the film franchise) in General Zod, played with a commanding presence by Terrence Stamp (KNEEL!!!). Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder once again do excellent jobs as Superman and Lois Lane, and the plot of Superman deciding to give up his powers in order to be with Lois is well-done. All in all, the original theatrical cut of Superman II may not be on the same level as the previous film, but it comes pretty damn close.

Rating: 4/5

 

SUPERMAN III (1983)

Even after the whole Donner/Lester controversy, ‘Superman II’ did perform well both critically and commercially, so Lester ended up directing ‘Superman III’ as well… and this is the point where the series started to go downhill. ‘Superman III’ is not as bad as the film that would follow, but it’s still not that good compared to the last two films. Now that Lester has complete control, the camp level is through the roof. The filmmakers even cast Richard Pryor in the movie for additional humor and the worst thing about this (aside from the fact that the comedy legend’s humor did not really shine through in this film) is that Pryor might actually be in it more than Superman himself. There are only two good things in this movie. One is Christopher Reeve who, despite the film’s many problems, is still very good as Superman who, in this film, becomes corrupted by synthetic kryptonite made by an evil multimillionaire. Superman ultimately ends up splitting into the evil Superman and good Clark Kent. The fight scene between them in the junkyard is the other highlight in a film that may not be the worst Superman film of all time, but it’s clear that this is where the series started to go in the wrong direction.

Rating: 2/5

 

SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987)

Oh boy… time to talk about this one. The original Superman franchise had a run that was fairly parallel to the original Batman franchise. The first films are regarded as the best, the second films still received solid reviews (though not as good as their predecessors), the third films were where both series began to go into decline, and the fourth films… were the ones that killed their respective franchises until their eventual reboots. Superman IV is up there with ‘Batman and Robin’ amongst the worst superhero films of all time. Even if you excuse the fact that this film had a troubled production where the budget was cut in half due to the production company’s busy schedule of films, this is still a god-awful superhero film. Everything about this movie feels cheap, right down to the horrendous special effects (easily the worst in any superhero film). This is easily the worst Superman film to date.

Rating: .5/5

 

SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006)

Following the ‘death’ of the original Superman franchise with Superman IV, Warner Bros brought the series back in 2006 with ‘Superman Returns’, directed by Bryan Singer after he helmed the first two X-Men films. It seems like Warner Bros really wanted to revive the Superman franchise the same way they rebooted the Batman franchise a year before with ‘Batman Begins’. But, as evident from ‘Man of Steel’, ‘Superman Returns’ did not really turn out the way Warner Bros had hoped. For the record, it did fine at the box office and received solid reception from critics. However, audience reception has been pretty split. A lot of people like it and a lot of people hate it. As for me, I’m right in the middle when it comes to this film. I don’t love it, but I don’t think it’s as bad as those who dislike it say it is. However, it is a missed opportunity when it came to the revival of the Superman franchise.

One of the big problems with the film is that it’s actually kind of boring. The film is about 2.5 hours long and despite some really good action sequences, it moves at a very slow pace. Another problem may also be that the filmmakers tried way too hard to connect this to the first two Superman films because this is actually supposed to be a ‘sequel’ to those films. I can’t really say it works without the original cast and I feel that the filmmakers should have just rebooted the franchise. It also doesn’t help that the main leads aren’t really that compelling. I’ll give Brandon Routh some credit in that there are times where he effectively mirrors Reeve as Superman (apparently one of the reasons why he was cast because he looks a lot like Reeve) to good effect, but Kate Bosworth is terrible as Lois Lane, lacking the spunky attitude that Margot Kidder had in the original films. The rest of the cast is fine though, including James Marsden as Lois’ fiancé Richard (tell me I’m not the only one who thinks he would have been a really good choice for Superman) and Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor.

All in all, Superman Returns is not the worst Superman film of all time, but Warner Bros should have done something different in regard to how this film turned out. If Christopher Nolan could reboot the Batman franchise and not have it stay true to the previous Batman films, then this film should have gone the same route instead of serving as a ‘sequel’ to the Reeve films. Obviously, we won’t be getting a sequel (instead, we have Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’ to look forward to), but I would have been fine with another film. Maybe it would have allowed the two leads to flesh out their characters a little more. As is, neither is very good in their roles and Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder are still the definitive Superman and Lois Lane when it comes to the Superman movies.

Rating: 3/5

Now You See Me (2013) review

I have the feeling that magicians like Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, and Siegfried and Roy aren’t really as popular as they were about 10-20 years ago. I can’t really explain why this is (maybe it’s because of how technologically advanced our lives have become or something like that), but this might explain how recent films based around magic, like Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Prestige’, ‘The Illusionist’, and ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’ (the first two ironically being released in the same year) have not done much at the box office. But, there’s still an audience for this kind of stuff (myself included) and if you’re a fan of magic, you’ll probably like ‘Now You See Me’, a caper film helmed by Louis Leterrier (‘The Transporter’ and ‘The Incredible Hulk’) and starring a noteworthy ensemble cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, and Morgan Freeman. It’s a film that might actually amaze you with some of its genuinely surprising twists and turns.

After they are brought together by a mysterious benefactor, showman Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), illusionist Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), escape artist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), and pickpocket Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) become ‘The Four Horsemen’, a group of magicians who, during a show in Las Vegas, apparently steal money from a bank all the way across the Atlantic in France. This puts them in conflict with the FBI and Interpol, namely Special Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and Interpol Detective Alma Vargas (Melanie Laurent), who try to figure out how these four managed to perform this seemingly impossible trick in just one night with the help of magic debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). As the stakes become higher, the two agents begin to realize some big secrets about the Horsemen and their ‘plan’.

‘Now You See Me’ is a pretty entertaining film with a story that will keep your interest throughout the whole film. It’s also one of those rare movies where, even in today’s world where spoilers can be found everywhere, there are some twists and turns that will surprise you. Without revealing anything about these twists, one of them revolves around a possible ‘fifth’ member of The Four Horsemen and the writers do a really good job at fooling you as to whom this person is. A key quote in the film is ‘The more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you’ and as cheesy as it may sound, that’s a key part of this film’s success in that it does manage to trick you. Overall, by the end of the film, the majority of the key points are tied up rather nicely and there aren’t really much questions left unanswered.

The film also benefits from a very rock solid cast. As the Four Horsemen, Eisenberg, Fisher, Harrelson, and Franco all work together very well. Eisenberg notably abandons the ‘nerd’ persona that has been present in a lot of his performances for this movie. However, the standout here would have to be Mark Ruffalo, which is partially because, when you get down to it, he and Melanie Laurent are actually kind of the main characters of the film. The main focus is actually more on them; not the Four Horsemen. For the record, this doesn’t mean that the Four Horsemen aren’t in it enough. It’s just that it’s more from the point of view of Ruffalo. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine (who plays the insurance magnate who sponsors the ‘Four Horsemen’ up to a certain point) also do great jobs as well, but admittedly at one point the two of them kind of disappear for a while; the latter pretty much disappearing completely by the halfway point.

All in all, ‘Now You See Me’ is a very entertaining film that is a nice change of pace from the big budget blockbusters we’ve seen so far this summer like ‘Iron Man 3’ or ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’. Aside from its engaging plotline that’s not overly complex, it succeeds at actually pulling some surprising twists, mainly by tricking the audience into thinking something else. The cast is also very good, especially Mark Ruffalo and Jesse Eisenberg, with the former stealing the show in what you can call the lead role. If you’re someone who still likes the art of magic, then this film is definitely for you. But, even if you’re not really a fan of magic, this is still a nice popcorn flick that, like some of the famous magicians who ever existed, might actually amaze you.

 

Rating: 4/5

2013 Preview: June

We’re nearly halfway through 2013, with one film (‘Iron Man 3’) having already gone past one billion at the box office. Will another film (or films) follow? Considering how many films have reached ‘the Billion Dollar Club’ in recent years, it seems very likely. After all, the Summer Blockbuster season has just begun. Welcome back to Rhode Island Movie Corner’s year-long preview of the films of 2013. This is Part 6 of 12 and today we’ll be looking at the June lineup.



*A trio of films will open up the month on June 7^th. The first, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, is the latest adaptation of William Shakespeare’s famous play of the same name. This new modern version of the story is helmed by Joss Whedon (‘The Avengers’), who filmed this over a period of 12 days at his home in Santa Monica during production of ‘The Avengers’. The cast consists of many frequent Whedon collaborators, including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, and Nathan Fillion.



*’The Internship’ reunites Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, who last worked together on the hit comedy ‘Wedding Crashers’ back in 2005. In this new film, directed by Shawn Levy (‘Night at the Museum’, ‘Real Steel’), they star as two watch salesmen who lose their jobs amidst the rise of digital media. They end up getting internships at Google, where they have to compete with a younger and more tech-savvy group of interns for jobs at the company.



*The final major release on June 7^th is a sci-fi thriller called ‘The Purge’. This film takes place in the year 2022, where the U.S. prospers from low unemployment and crime rates. In order to maintain this prosperity, the government holds an annual 12-hour period where all criminal activity becomes legal; even murder. Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey star as a couple who try to survive during this event, even when a complete stranger comes to their house.



*The first of two new films coming out June 14^th is ‘Man of Steel’, the highly anticipated reboot of the Superman franchise, although this is actually the second attempt by Warner Bros to revive the Superman franchise after 2006’s ‘Superman Returns’ did not perform as well as they hoped. This new take on Superman is directed by Zack Snyder (‘300’, ‘Watchmen’) and is produced by Christopher Nolan (‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy). Henry Cavill stars as Superman alongside Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe as Superman’s biological father Jor-El, and Kevin Costner as his adoptive father Jonathan Kent.



*’This is the End’ is an Apocalypse themed comedy that is written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, based on their 2007 short film ‘Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse’. The film revolves around fictionalized versions of real actors (primarily James Franco, Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride) who attempt to survive when Los Angeles is ravaged by the end of the world. Other actors portraying themselves include Aziz Ansari, Jason Segel, Emma Watson, and Michael Cera.



*Pixar’s major release of the year, ‘Monsters University’, hits theaters on June 21^st. The film is a prequel to 2001’s ‘Monsters’ Inc’ and focuses on the college years of Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan (AKA Sulley) as the two try to get along during their freshman year in college. Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their roles of Mike and Sulley, respectively, alongside newcomers like Charlie Day, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, and Nathan Fillion.

*The other new release that week is ‘World War Z’, based off of the Max Brooks novel of the same name. It is also perhaps the most controversial out of all the ‘delayed’ films of 2013. It was pushed back from a December 2012 release date and had to go through reshoots and even rewrites for the film’s final act. Brad Pitt stars as a UN worker who travels the world looking to find a solution for a zombie pandemic that’s affecting the whole world.



*The month ends with two films hitting theaters on June 28^th. The first is a comedy, ‘The Heat’, which reunites Bridesmaids director Paul Feig with his film’s breakout star, Melissa McCarthy. McCarthy stars alongside Sandra Bullock as a pair of cops (Bullock’s character an FBI agent, McCarthy’s a Detective) who must work together to take down a Russian mobster.



*The final release of the month is ‘White House Down’, the second film this year to be based around a takeover of the White House. This is following in the footsteps of ‘Olympus Has Fallen’, which hit theaters back in March. This film is directed by Roland Emmerich (‘Independence Day’, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’) and stars Channing Tatum as a police officers who must rescue the President (played by Jamie Foxx) and his daughter (played by Joey King) when a paramilitary group take over the White House.

And that’s what is to come this month and by the end of June, we will be halfway through 2013. Stay tuned for Part 7 next month.