Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-man 2 - not even remotely amazing at all, actually...

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.  What just happened Sony?  You've got the rights to easily the most identifiable Super-hero (after a certain indestructible extra-terrestrial), with a 60+ year history, and many great and memorable story-lines, not to mention a smorgasbord of interesting and great villains (even more-so than the rogues gallery associated with a certain Caped Crusader).  You've got a talented cast, a hot up-and-coming director, a team of proven screenwriters, a massive budget for jaw-dropping effects...

...and this is the best you can come up with?  Well, 'The Amazing Spider-man 2' is possibly the least satisfying super-hero adaptation that's ever been made.  Yes, even more so than the despised 'Spiderman 3', and even the disappointing 'X-Men: The Last Stand'.  So where does this film go wrong?  Well, I'll start from the beginning.  The film opens with two sequences which, admittedly, are pretty strong.  The first deals with a narrative thread (which was just one that was poorly handled - read completely forgotten about by the final act - in the last film): the fate of Peter Parker's parents.  The next scene is a fun action sequence, as Spider-man, still played with confidence and passion by Andrew Garfield, goes after some Russian gangsters stealing a van loaded with Plutonium.  At this point it's easy to believe that the writers (all FIVE of them - if that's not an indication enough of problems to come!) have finally nailed a tone which befits a super-hero who, beneath his mask, is ultimately a sarcastic teenager from New York; there are some amusing wisecracks, and Spidey moves and fights just like you'd imagine he does from the many years of his comic and cartoon portrayals.  The previous film felt at times it was almost ashamed to be a Spider-man film - while its portrayal of the teenage Peter Parker hit the right notes (thanks again to Garfield's performance), the Spider-man scenes generally didn't meet the potential of the character.  It didn't help that the whole film seemed to take place at night, like the makers felt this would add some 'grit' or 'authenticity' to it; but for the sequel they've gone for a bright palate which is completely right for Spider-man.  However, there are still problems with this scene.  Alright, there is a certain ludicrousness about the whole idea that a van full of Plutonium is going to be driven through crowded, rush-hour New York city - but then this is a film which contains a man who is made of electricity, so I guess you can excuse some of the outlandishness, right?  Where the cracks start to show is in some of the special effects, which verge dangerously close to looking like some kind of live-action cartoon.  It takes the sheen off of what is otherwise a decent sequence.

The first sequence almost makes you think this could be a decent Spiderman film.  Almost...

The film then moves to focus on the relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone) - Peter is haunted by guilt that he promised her Father (who died at the end of the previous film, remember?) that he would stay away from her to protect her.  One of the saving graces of the previous film was these actors' portrayal of this relationship, which felt like a very well observed and believable burgeoning teenage romance - helped in no small amount by the chemistry between the two actors.  Again, this is probably the sequel's biggest redeeming factor - the scenes between the two are some of the better ones in this film.  Generally, it has to be said that the acting - like the previous film - elevates the whole endeavour; Garfield and Stone, again, are great at the relationship stuff; there's a great and emotional scene between Garfield and Parker's Aunt May (Sally Field); and Dane DeHaan does a good job with Harry Osborn, treading away from scenery chewing and actually making him at times a sympathetic character.  Other actors joining the franchise are under-served by the script to be honest - Jamie Foxx's Max Dillon, who becomes Electro, isn't given enough to do before his transformation to villain, meaning that when it happens there isn't as much of an emotional punch as there could be.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone's portrayal of Peter & Gwen's relationship is still the strongest point of the film..

But if he, and other actors, aren't given enough to do, this is down to what almost derails the film almost entirely: the narrative.  Now, it's been previously stated by the Studio that they're 'universe building' with this franchise now, setting up spin-off movies for Villain Team 'The Sinister Six' and Venom - while planning two more Spidey sequels; it's pretty obvious what they're trying to emulate here.  In practice, this seems to mean the writers think they can get away with sloppily editing the story, leaving threads dangling in unsatisfactory and confusing ways.  This was a huge problem with the previous film - Peter Parker suddenly forgets about finding his Uncle Ben's killer (which is only one of the most important aspects of the character, for goodness sake!!), the issue of his parents is frustratingly vague, and an entire character just vanishes without explanation, as though forgotten by the director and writers.  One of the criticisms of 'Spiderman 3' is its uneven tone - well this one takes a shift at one point in to territory so camp it is almost on par with the abhorrent 'Batman and Robin'.  Really, what it's the point of a badly stereotyped German scientist who wears make-up for no discernable reason???!?

You'd have thought the writers (like I said, FIVE of them on this film) would have learnt from their mistake - but no, they do the same thing again.  For example, again Peter goes off at a tangent to uncover the fate of his parents, and he does discover something significant: but then it's completely dropped and forgotten about, leaving you thinking what the significance was.  Then there's the introduction of new villains - the fact this film would handle three, like the problematic 'Spiderman 3', has been a source of concern amongst many people since the first trailers for the film broke last year.  As I've stated, Electro could have done with more time on his character prior to his transformation (even though he gets a couple of impressive scenes taking on Spidey), but the introduction of Green Goblin is rushed and unsatisfying.  And then there's Rhino... I'm afraid I'm going to have to share some SPOILERS at this point, so read on with caution!


This is where the film angered me the most.  The trailers have teased a great smack-down between Spiderman and this character, and all through the film I was looking forward to seeing it.  But frustratingly, what you see in the trailers is literally all you get in the film.  It's the final scene of the film, and I don't know who is responsible for this decision - the writers or Director Marc Webb - but they have committed possibly the worst sin you can with a super-hero movie:

YOU DO NOT END A FILM RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT BETWEEN THE HERO AND A SUPER-VILLAIN.  IT IS STUPID, IT IS FRUSTRATING, AND IT LEAVES A VERY BITTER TASTE IN THE MOUTH.

At the end of the film, as the screen cut to black at what could have been the film's high point, I turned to my wife absolutely flabbergasted, beyond disbelief.  I still cannot believe they chose to end the film the way they did.  And, given what came before, it is an ending which robs the final act of it's emotional punch.  You can tell that the writers wanted to make this film the 'Wrath of Khan' or 'Empire Strikes Back' of the franchise - however they undermine this by blatantly foreshadowing what's going to happen by certain lines characters say (you know in old War films where the next solider/pilot/sailor to die is the one who, a few moments before, is showing his comrades a photo of his girl back home?  Well, some of the things certain characters say in this film are on that level of obviousness).  It doesn't help that certain characters do not react in a way which it seems likely they would - if anything, this film could have ended on a much darker and sombre note; it actually would have been better for it, and given what had preceded it the emotional weight it deserved.  It would also have been a more effective 'cliff-hanger' ending than simply cutting to black in the middle of a scene which was just getting going...

In all, between its narrative issues, and a frustrating and unsatisfying ending, 'The Amazing Spider-man 2' is a real disappointment.  It fails to make right the mistakes of the previous film, despite having the same assets - a great cast who elevate the material.  And given the source material they have to work from, this is unforgivable, verging on criminal.  I genuinely believe that based on this film Disney/Marvel Studios should put up some cash and get the rights to Spiderman back from Sony - this isn't just to add Spidey to their ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe (although that would offer some moments with the potential to melt my geeky brain); simply put, Marvel Studios know how to treat their characters and the wealth of story-lines that go with them.  Sony, on the other hand, are doing a worse job of handling Spidey with each release.  Sadly though, he's their cash cow now, and they'll milk him for all they can get out of him.  I guess it just means that comic book fans, and fans of the character, will have to resign themselves to more disappointing films like this one....

Spidey-sense tingling?  It must have been this review, sorry...

Movie Review: The Raid 2 Berandal - hitting like a fast-flurry of punches about the head...

Gareth Evans' 'The Raid' (or 'The Raid: Redemption' if you're State-side) was like a swift punch to the solar-plexus when it arrived a couple of years ago: a low-budget, yet intense and densely compact Indonesian martial arts action film which won over just about anyone that saw it.  With the sequel, Director Evans' budget has increased, as has his ambition to tell a story with greater scope and breadth.  Following on directly from its predecessor, 'The Raid 2: Berandal' sees the first film's protagonist, good cop Rama (Iko Uwais) thrown further in to the deep end when he is ordered by one of his superiors to go undercover and gain the trust of the son (Arifin Putra) of a prominent gangster-cum-politician.  Only, this requires him to go to jail, as said miscreant is serving time.  Alongside this, revenge is not far from Rama's mind, as he mourns the death of his brother at the hands of another ambitious gangster, Bejo (Alex Abbad).

If you were a fan of the first film (and rightly so), you'll be pleased to hear that the fantastic martial arts fights, and absolutely wince-inducing portrayals of the resulting injuries, are still present - and handled with the same level of aplomb by director Evans and his highly talented martial-arts expert cast.  What marks this sequel, though, is a more measured pace: Evans, who also wrote both movies, is clearly aiming to tell an epic crime/gang story, introducing a greater number of characters, and even sub-plots.  However, this sometimes makes the over-arching narrative seem a bit muddled, and at times difficult to keep up with.  Thankfully, you don't have time to be confused for long, as another great (and bloody brutal) action sequence comes along.  To some viewers, the martial arts sequences might get tiresome - although a number of new antagonists are introduced, the sequences which see them dispatch several anonymous henchmen with bone-crunching ease do verge on the repetitive; especially if you're already confused about the plot and who is who.  In some ways too these new characters are set up but aren't given enough to do - a shame, as the appropriately named Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man make for fun, if appropriately brutal, master-assassins.

Hammer Girl and Baseball Bat Man.  Doing exactly what it says on the tin...

On top of this, there are - literally - events referred to which don't actually occur in the film; this is deliberate, as Evans has stated that he wants another sequel (that's right, 'The Raid 3'), to be set both before certain events in this film, and after.  Whilst this is an ambitious plan, it doesn't always help the clarity of the plot, and comes in danger of making for an unsatisfying narrative.

Just when you think the film might begin to falter, Evans manages to balance things out with the introduction of Prakoso (confusingly played by Yayan Ruhian, who played an entirely different character in the first film!) - a hitman hired by the heads of the gangs to take out lower ranking gangsters who are getting ideas above their station.  He's a somewhat pitiful character, almost mistaken for a vagrant at his first introduction, but when we learn his backstory the parallels between him and the protagonist Rama are clear.  Evans wants to show a picture of what might become of the hero if he can't complete his mission, escape from working for a gangster, and reunite with his family.

Whether you're confused at the plot, or beginning to grow fatigued by the martial arts fights, by the final act everything comes in to focus, and we're treated to two incredible sequences - a fantastic car chase, and a final showdown between Rama and a character known only as 'The Assassin'.  This latter will surely be remembered amongst the greatest martial arts fights put to film, as here we have two fighters who are at the peak of their chosen discipline (an Indonesian martial art known as Silat).  The rate that blows are exchanged are truly breath-taking, as well as the damage being meted out by each combatant to the other.  It's also the longest fight sequence of the film, and never feels to outstay its welcome as it manages to throw in a couple of twists to keep it interesting.

Rama takes on 'The Assassin'.  This fight has to be seen to be believed...

Ultimately, if 'The Raid 2' doesn't have quite the impact of its predecessor, it's simply because the first film was quite unprecedented at the time; although it might not feel as fresh, it's clear that it has greater ambition in terms of story-telling scope.  The draw is the same - tremendous and brutal action sequences, delivered by a director who can film them with aplomb, and actors that are masters of their martial disciplines.  The films few flaws aren't enough to stop this from being a highly recommended action movie.

The Most Relentlessly Awesome Films Ever: Shaun of the Dead

On to the next instalment of this regular series - and I've chosen this one not just because it's such a great film, but this month sees the 10th anniversary of its UK release date...

THE MOST RELENTLESSLY AWESOME FILMS EVER - PART FOUR:

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Here's a probably not at-all-interesting, and mostly pointless fact related to 'Shaun of the Dead': this film has the honour of being the only one I've been to the cinema to watch with my Dad.  The weekend it came out my parents had just separated, and me and my then-girlfriend (the less said about her the better! *shudders*) decided it might take Dad's mind off things and cheer him up a bit to take him to the cinema.  I don't know whether he found it took his mind off things, or cheered him up, or if he actually enjoyed it all (I can remember him saying afterwards something along the lines of 'that wasn't exactly the greatest film I've ever seen'!).  Goodness knows what he made of it at all to be honest; I'm not sure if the humour was his kind of thing, or whether he appreciated the romantic bits, or the zombie bits, either.  Whilst I don't think any of it was his type of thing, 'Shaun's (till then) unique blend of genres - all the time taking treating them with the utmost seriousness and respect - really struck a chord with audiences, and it remains Simon Pegg's and Edgar Wright's best known and arguably most loved work.

Here's another story - but first I feel that I should be open and say that I am the type of person who feels a very intimate connection to Pegg & Wright's work - almost a 'spiritual' one, if you will.  This is a connection based on the fact when these two collaborate on something, they do so from a place which shows they *get* whatever subject they're looking at, in the same way true fans do - because they *are* true fans.  The moment I felt this connection was when I watched the third Episode of their seminal TV series 'Spaced', way back in the early '00's.  My first brush with this TV show was the second Episode - I can remember enjoying it, being drawn to a more down-to-earth setting for a comedy (a humble bed-sit - sorry, flat!), in contrast for the trend at the time for US sitcoms featuring pretty-vacant 30-somethings passing themselves as 20-somethings; I think I also appreciated that the character's had posters up of their favourite films and TV shows/characters - just like I did at the time.  I enjoyed it, and next week when the next episode was on I tuned in.

Within a minute of it starting, my mind was absolutely blown.  You see, at the time I had a weird 'obsession' with the Resident Evil video games - I say 'weird obsession', it was more like a form of PTSD, as since playing them a year or two earlier I had frequently had zombie apocalypse based nightmares - all set at that point were the barricades on wherever I've been surviving come down, and the zombie horde gets in!  However, since then I've been a big fan of zombies in films, comics, TV and videogames.  So when Pegg & Wright included a Resident Evil-inspired segment at the start of that particular episode I was absolutely stunned.  It was as though they'd got in to my head and scooped out exactly how that game had messed with my brain, the frightening daydreams and nightmares I'd had as a result of playing with it.  This programme, these writers/actors/director had really grasped what was going on in my head at the time, in a way no other TV show had ever done.  So since that moment, yeah, I've got a special fondness for Pegg, Wright and their frequent collaborators.

Whilst people frequently link 'Shaun' with that episode of Spaced, I think it's easy to forget what an unprecedented thing they were doing, both with the film and that moment in the TV show.  You see, though it's difficult to believe now, but there was a time when zombies weren't in the mainstream - there weren't zombie films and TV shows starring award-winning and A-list actors; there weren't award winning books and comics involving zombies; there weren't as many games featuring zombies as there are now.  They were still very much a cult thing - to be honest, I never really 'got' zombies until I played the Resident Evil games (the first two, anyway); sure, I'd seen 'Night of the Living Dead' as a teenager, but while I appreciated its heart of darkness I can't say I found it frightening or truly disturbing.  But because of those games, I went on to check out Romero's seminal works - 'Dawn' and 'Day' - and finally I GOT zombies.

So when 'Shaun' was released, along with '28 Days Later' and the 'Dawn of the Dead' remake, mainstream audiences were finally ready to embrace the zombie apocalypse (in its varying degrees of speed and cause, if you're being pedantic!).  What makes 'Shaun' stand out from those films, apart from the fact it's not a flat-out horror, is that it does zombies very, very seriously - properly, some would argue.  Looking back, it's surprising that audiences embraced this element of the film, because if there was ever any doubt 'Shaun' is a PROPER Zombie film, it's at that point when Dylan Moran is pulled apart by the hungry dead.  But Shaun is also a proper Rom-Com, too - and arguably because of Pegg & Wright's appreciation of genre, the three elements work together perfectly.  People who fully appreciated Romero's zombie movies always knew there was a openly satirical element to them, and Pegg & Wright use this to make the zombie and comedy parts of the film complement each other; my favourite scene, and one of the funniest, is where Shaun - hung-over from the previous night's drinking session - weaves his way unsteadily to the local corner shop, completely oblivious to the zombie apocalypse happening around him.  It is a great moment that shows how spot-on the characterisation is in this film, but also where the satire becomes clear: Shaun is part of a generation so self-absorbed and unmotivated that they're completely oblivious to what's going on in the world beyond their lives.

That's right - this film really is a PROPER Zombie movie...

Of course, you don't need to appreciate this satire to enjoy the comedy of 'Shaun' - because it works as purely as a comedy in its own right; and what an instant classic, immediately quotable one!  Although Pegg and Nick Frost don't enjoy being reminded of this fact...  Well, sadly for you chaps, lines such as 'you've got red on you!' and 'we're going to the pub' have now taken on a life of their own beyond the film - tribute to the impact this film has had since its release.  But what about the Romantic Comedy elements, after all it was marketed as a 'Rom-Zom-Com'!  Well, central to the plot is Shaun's attempt's to get back with his girlfriend Liz - actually, ex-girlfriend, as part of what makes Shaun take stock of his whole life is the fact that she dumps him for, well, being a loser, really.  And the film makes no bones that this is somewhat justifiable!  But the whole zombie apocalypse setting is one way in which the film subverts the rom-com genre; usually these are marked with some kind of last-minute dash for the protagonist to win back their boy/girl after some over-blown misunderstanding.  But here there's no misunderstanding, just the prospect of imminent death at the bloody hands of the undead.  Actually, as romantic gestures go, trying to save the lives of the girl you love, her friends, and your family too, has got to rate pretty highly!  Clearly this was enough for Liz, as at the end of the film we see that she and Shaun are back together.  Does it make sense?  Yeah, in a way.  Is it plausible?  Mmmm, maybe not - but no more so than the resolution of most romantic comedies.  Does it make for a satisfying ending to this film?  Absolutely!

For the first time in his life, Shaun takes a pro-active lead...

Another way this film subverts rom-coms is the inclusion of a far greater love-story than that of Shaun & Liz - I'm talking about the 'bromance' between best mates Shaun and Ed.  On the one hand Ed holds Shaun back, but on the other there is a real mutual support between them, Ed is Shaun's rock when things get difficult.  However, Shaun still keeps Ed in his circle when he comes close to messing things up (including the group's chances of survival at one point!).  This relationship is so well portrayed, probably because Simon Pegg & Nick Frost have been friends for so long before they started their on-screen partnership in Spaced.  Heck, this film even recycles one of the jokes about their 'bromance' from Spaced, but it's such a great one it feels perfectly at home in this film.

Still a more convincing story about love beyond death than a certain series about sparkly vampires...

'Shaun of the Dead' came along just at the right time for it to be embraced by audiences - there was a re-awakening of interest in the zombie genre, and following their cult-hit Spaced, there was tremendous interest in whatever Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg did next.  It probably worked in their favour that writers/stars of British Sit-coms often failed to make a transition to the Big Screen - so any interest in their film due to that turned out to create a positive buzz.  But Shaun transcended all that because it is a genre classic - it is a brilliant, endlessly quotable comedy, it is a proper zombie movie (with barbed satirical jabs as well as the right level of gore), and has some of the most relatable and enduring characters in any film of those kind.  It is a film that I will certainly never tire of.

Now, who fancies a trip to the pub?  I'll bring a cricket bat, just in case...