Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

This is the moment that everyone has been waiting for. After four long years of hush-hush secrets, teaser trailers, posters, and everything in-between, The Dark Knight has Risen. And Christopher Nolan has created a near flawless masterpiece that meets and exceeds fan expectations. We start with a snippet of Commissioner Gordon speaking at Harvey "Two-Face" Dent's funeral from The Dark Knight, after Batman has taken the fall for Dent's crimes. We then cut to eight years later. Our prologue resumes with a beautiful airplane escape sequence that gives us our first look at the menacing Bane. It is Harvey Dent Day in Gotham. The new Dent Law has put thousands of criminals behind bars, and Gotham is now virtually crime-free thanks to Dent's legacy. Bruce Wayne has been a social recluse, not coming out of his chambers for eight years, nor has Batman come out of the cave. Bruce then hears rumors of a "masked man" named Bane, who is beginning to run an underground crime operation in Gotham. He then decides to see if he still has it, and tries to don the Batsuit for the first time in eight years. We are introduced to a slew of new characters, including petty cat burglar Selina Kyle (never referenced as Catwoman in the movie), rookie cop John Blake, new Wayne Enterprises investor (and eventually CEO) Miranda Tate, and several other minor characters that fit into Bane's plan. Alfred and Lucius Fox return as Bruce Wayne's butler and technological advisor, respectively. So, Bane wreaks havoc on Gotham, turning it into a new "republic" where he is basically judge, jury, and executioner. He has created a nuclear bomb from an energy source that Wayne Enterprises had built, and threatens to detonate the city to finally purge Gotham of its corrupt injustice. Fitting to the theme of the film, Batman must "rise" several times, both literally and symbolically. I will not give any further plot detail. However, in its last hour, there are several plot twists and character revelations that really take the story further than anyone could have imagined. The ending of the film will have you on the edge of your seat, begging for more.

This film is, to say the least, a masterpiece. First, Christopher Nolan's direction is tremendous. He has a vision that I don't think any director in Hollywood today can match. He delivers a films that the fans wanted, that gives us closure, that throws us for a loop and then pulls us right back in. The look of the film was beautiful. From the gloomy streets of Gotham to the prison that Bruce is held in for a good portion of the movie. The soundtrack was as epic as the movie itself, with Hans Zimmer coming full circle, mixing snippets of previous Dark Knight soundtracks with new material (including the haunting "Rise" chant). The one complaint I did have was at times, the soundtrack got a little loud and boomy during dialogue, and it got a little hard to understand some of the characters at those moments. The Nolan Brothers, Christopher and Jonathan, who co-wrote the script, did a fantastic job at tying up everything that needed to be, bringing the whole story full circle. The striking allegories between some of America's current crises and Gotham was very well and subtly done. The performances in the movie were Oscar-worthy. Christian Bale delivers his best performance as Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, providing raw emotion not seen in his previous renditions, especially in the movies third act. Anne Hathaway was the PERFECT choice to play Selina Kyle, and she delivers a beautiful (both physical and otherwise) performance. She looks great in her outfit. Tom Hardy was also perfect to play the physically brooding character Bane. He is the only villain in the series who is both a physical AND intellectual equal of Batman. He also provides a physical representation of one of the most iconic images from the Batman comics. His face is concealed by a mask that disperses pain medicine, due to an injury he suffered early in his origins. Without the medicine, he would be unable to function. Although Hardy's face is hidden with a mask, he does amazing things emotionally with just his eyes, showing through them some of the pain and suffering he has endured throughout his lifetime. His voice, in my opinion, was very well done. He has a very dark sarcastic voice of intelligence, which plays great with his character. He has an overall sense of doom and physicality throughout the movie, up until his last moments. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to define himself as a good actor as John Blake, an orphan who befriends Bruce Wayne and is integral in the plot of the movie. Marion Cotillard is striking and beautiful as Miranda Tate, who also provides a twist late in the movie. The returning characters are great as always. I was a little upset over the lack of Alfred in the film, though Michael Caine is great anytime he graces the screen, and provides some of the more subtle emotional punches throughout. Morgan Freeman is also good to see as Lucius Fox, providing some impressive new toys for Batman. And the master Gary Oldman is as good as ever as Commissioner Jim Gordon. And yes, there IS a cameo by Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. The Scarecrow from Batman Begins. The new Bat Gadgets were great. The "Bat", the flying hover pod type vehicle seen in the trailers was epic in every sense of the word, soaring through Gotham's streets and seemingly defying gravity. I just can't praise this movie enough. Christopher Nolan has taken the story full circle, tying up (almost) every loose end made throughout the series, and to quote Bruce Wayne, may not be the end that everyone wanted, but it is the end that everyone needed. His references to his previous Dark Knight movies was also smartly done ("I flipped a coin"). The movie is left open just enough for fans to want more, yet have a satisfying sense of closure. Nolan has redefined not just Batman, nor superheroes, but the entire film industry, proving that superheroes do not have to be campy, but can be serious and realistic. He has created a Batman that everyone can relate to. No other Batman film, nor will one ever, match what Nolan was able to accomplish. This is the motion picture event that everyone, superhero fan or not, needs to see. While Bane may not match the masterful performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker, the movie overall was better to me than The Dark Knight. If this isn't the superhero movie to win Best Picture, no superhero movie ever will. It was epic in every sense of the word, and a fitting, grand conclusion that every fan has dreamed of. The most amazing, large, grand scale, BEST, motion picture I have ever seen. Christopher Nolan, thank you. You not only matched fans expectations, you exceeded them.

Rating: A+++

The Year in Review (So Far...)

I would like to present a roundup of the year in movies so far this year. Here goes.

Top 10 movies:

10. Hugo
9. Midnight in Paris
8. Magic Mike
7. The Amazing Spider-Man
6. The Cabin in the Woods
5. The Hunger Games
4. The Avengers
3. Bernie
2. Prometheus
1. Moonrise Kingdom

Top 10 performances:

10. Kathy Bates in Midnight in Paris
9. Robert Downey Jr. in The Avengers
8. Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man
7. George Clooney in The Descendants
6. Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games
5. Charlize Theron in Prometheus/Snow White and the Huntsman
4. Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games
3. Michael Fassbender in Prometheus/Shame
2. Everyone in Moonrise Kingdom
1. Jack Black in Bernie- If Jack Black doesn't get a Best Actor Oscar, or at LEAST a nomination, I'll be very surprised.

I'll post my actual Year in Review at the end of the year, complete with The Dark Knight Rises!!

Movie Review: Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson, one of the forefront directors in quirky comedies, has helmed another masterpiece which is arguably his best film to date. Moonrise Kingdom is set in 1965, on the island of New Penzance off the coast of New England. There is a storm approaching the island. Sally Bishop is a "troubled child", the oldest of four siblings, and is having quite a difficult time getting along with her parents (played by a hilarious combination of Bill Murray and Frances McDormand). Her mother, Laura, is having an affair with the Island's police chief, Captain Sharp (played by Bruce Willis), which is making her relationship with her husband, Walt, fall apart. Sally sees this, and in turn decides to run away with Sam Shakusky. Sam is an orphan, who lives with foster parents on the island. He is also a Khaki Scout, a member of Troop 55. Sam is discovered missing by Scout Master Ward (played in quite a comeback role by Edward Norton), and a ragtag group of other scouts. So Sam and Sally run away together, and try to follow a path made by the former indigenous people of the island. Their backstory is shown, with Sam and Sally becoming pen pals, and deciding to run away together to escape from their troubles. They are found, however, by the raucous ensemble of Sally's parents, Captain Sharp, and Scout Master Ward. The search for them turns the town apart, unraveling old secrets and exposing new ones. Sam's foster parents decide that they cannot accept him into their home any longer, and so is to be taken to "juvenile refuge" by Social Services (played by Tilda Swinton). Sam and Sally escape once again, this time with the help of the other Khaki Scouts. They get "married", and decide to sail away to another island off the coast. However, the aforementioned storm has arrived, and their plans to escape are stopped. A chase around a church house ends in Captain Sharp deciding to adopt Sam, and he and Sally continue on with their lives, remaining in love.

The film, overall, has a sense of quirkiness about it. The direction by Anderson was spectacular, using several side scrolling techniques to keep the audience intrigued. The writing was great. I don't think there was a single moment where the audience wasn't laughing. The overall style and look of the film was very reminiscent of the era, with wardrobe and music being understated, yet elegant, and the set designs and shooting locations were beautiful. The soundtrack, which included new material by acclaimed composer Alexandre Desplat, also features several themes from Benjamin Brittens "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra." The piece is a parallel to the town, with the piece and the town being unraveled and different parts exposed, then all the parts come back together in the finale. There were many great performances to go around. Bill Murray and Frances MacDormand were great as Sally's parents, Bruce Willis has a great comedic turn as Captain Sharp, and Edward Norton displays his acting skills that haven't been too present in some of his more recent films as Scout Master Ward. I believe that Edward Norton and Frances MacDormand (possibly Bill Murray) all deserve Best Supporting Actor/Actress award nominations. Two of the standouts were Sam and Sally, played by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward (a dead lookalike of a younger Emma Watson). For two actors their age, they really pulled off the feeling of "awkward preteen love at first sight". All the characters in the movie just seemed very genuine and relatable. And, at the heart of the story, away from all the shenanigans of the townspeople and the secrets that come to light, is a pure love story, crafted in a way that only Wes Anderson could imagine. In a summer filled to the brim with high budget, special-effects ridden high octane cape-wearing action movies, a quirky little independent comedy/drama/romance like Moonrise Kingdom is a great relief. If it doesn't get a Best Picture nomination, or at least a Best Original Screenplay, I'll be quite disappointed. With an ensemble cast to rival that of The Avengers and The Help, this is the best movie I have seen all year. Go see it.

Rating: A+

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

It's been just five years since the very disappointing finale of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy was released. This reboot more accurately depicts the beginnings of the hero, and sticks closer to the original comics than does the previous set of movies. The movie opens with our protagonist, Peter Parker, when his parents were still alive. Peter sees little snippets of his fathers work, including the very important decay rate algorithm, before he is forced to leave with his mother. Peter is left in the care of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Peter is now a teenager, attending Midtown Science High School in Queens. He takes photographs for the school papers, groups, etc. He also becomes interested in Gwen Stacy, his primary love interest from the early days of the comics. While cleaning out his basement, Peter discovers a suitcase that belonged to his father, which he recognizes from his youth. In it, he finds the documents that have the correct decay rate algorithm, along with a picture of his father and another scientist, who his uncle reveals is Dr. Kurt Connors. Peter does some research, and discovers that Dr. Connors and his father worked together with cross-species genetics, in order to create a way for humans to be able to heal themselves. Peter then travels to Oscorp, where Dr. Connors works, and discovers a project where spiders create a "super-web", a very strong web material that is near indestructible and can hold a lot of weight. Dr. Connors is still working on cross-species genetics, but is still unsuccessful because he can not prodguce the correct decay rate algorithm. Peter, having the correct equation, gives it to Dr. Connors, who then produces a formula that is successful in regenerating limbs on mice. He decides to then try it on human, due to mounting pressure from Oscorp (the formula is supposed to heal Norman Osborne, a name familiar to Spider-Man familiars). When he injects himself with the formula, he becomes The Lizard, a super strong reptilian-human crossbreed. So the plot finds Peter still trying to get used to his powers, becoming Spider-Man, falling in love with Gwen (and her falling back), and stopping Dr. Connor's evil plan. I will not reveal anymore, as I don't want to spoil it for those who are going to see it.

This reboot, to me, seems a more accessible, entertaining, and accurate depiction of the hero than previously portrayed. Peter Parker, played by Andrew Garfield, is shown in this adaptation as a coming of age story. He learns the meaning of responsibility and control of power, along with becoming a masked vigilante who fights crime and tries to stop a crazed madman bent on power. Emma Stone delivers another great performance as Gwen Stacy, who grows along with Parker throughout the film. One of the standout roles to me was Rhys Ifans as Dr. Connors/The Lizard. He portrays the character very well, switching between calm, mild mannered scientist to crazed genetic giant Lizard. The plot was solid, and the movie never seemed to drag. The look of the film, including the bright city of New York, was well done. The redesigned costume was a win from the costume department. And the special effects used to create The Lizard was great. It was, overall, a great reboot, and a new beginning for the popular franchise (the ending and after credits scene set up for a guaranteed sequel). One of the better summer blockbusters so far.

Rating: A

As always, there is a Stan Lee cameo. Be on the lookout.

Movie Review: Magic Mike

Steven Soderbergh, known mainly for his direction of action/sci-fi films such as Haywire and Contagion, brings us this revealing (in every sense of the word) portrait of the underground stripping world, based loosely on Channing Tatum's early days as a male dancer. The title character, Mike (played by Channing Tatum), is an entrepreneur by day, and an exotic dancer by night. He is trying to start his own customized furniture business, making tables, chairs, and such using materials such as old car parts, junkyard trash, etc. He also manages several businesses, including a roofing and tile business. He has been saving money for quite awhile from his odd jobs and dancing in order to finance his dreams of building custom furniture. At one of his roofing jobs, he meets Adam, who he nicknames "The Kid". The Kid is a down on his luck guy with a bad attitude and a knack for getting in trouble. He lives with his sister, Brooke, who is very protective of her little brother. So, Mike recruits The Kid to be a dancer. He meets the other dancers: Ken, Tarzan, Richie, and the owner of the club, Dallas. Dallas is trying to finance a move from Tampa to a much larger space in Miami, where business would surely be booming. So, The Kid begins to fit in, and is soon one of the crowd favorites. He eventually gets into the business too deep, and he begins selling drugs for the club's DJ. While Mike's relationship begins to grow with The Kid, so does his relationship with The Kid's sister, Brooke. Soon, The Kid gets in deep trouble, losing 10,000 dollars worth of drugs. Mike pays his debt, spending most of the money he was saving, in order to keep The Kid from getting hurt. The movie ends with Mike and Brooke presumably starting a relationship in Tampa, while the other dancers and The Kid make the move to Miami.

To start with, the movie actually turned out a lot better than I thought it would. It was greatly directed by Soderbergh,  who captures both the grittiness of the business and the fun had by those involved with it. The actors did a great job, making themselves very believable in their respective roles. The standouts were Channing Tatum, who really comes across as a person who doesn't just want to be a stripper for the rest of his life, Matthew McConaughey as Dallas, the club owner who can be fun looking on the outside but deceitful behind all of it, and Cody Horn as Brooke, who brings out the best in Mike. I wish I could say that Alex Pettyfer was good as The Kid, but the characters attitude was so crappy that it just flawed the performance. Many people were disappointed that there was an actual plot and storyline, instead of just two hours of Channing Tatum stripping. The plot did seem a little off center at times, and the movie dragged a bit around the 1 hour mark. One of the more surprising things in the movie were the dance scenes. Sure, gyrating half-naked guys aren't for everyone, but they were actually entertaining and often very funny with the concepts that the dances would be based around. Another more entertaining thing to watch was the audience. The showing I went to was primarily female, and to just watch their reactions to what happened on screen was very entertaining. The movie had charisma and entertainment value, if nothing else. In closing, it was a very well made movie that was actually entertaining, even if the plot wasn't all there. For a movie about male strippers, it is accessible to both male and female, with both finding things that they can enjoy throughout the film. It is the Boogie Nights of this generation.

Rating: B+

Movie Review: Ted

Seth MacFarlane, most famously known as the creator and voice behind T.V. hits Family Guy and American Dad, brings to us his first feature film, a comedy-fantasy saga about friendship and love, told from the viewpoint of a foul-mouthed, crude, pothead (albeit hilarious) teddy bear. It is Christmas time in 1980's Boston, and a boy named John Bennett is the "outcast" of the neighborhood. He just wants a friend to talk to, and to share his problems. His salvation comes in the form of a teddy bear as a Christmas present, whom he aptly names Ted. That night, John wishes that Ted was real, so they could be "best friends for life." And nothing is more powerful than a young boy's wish. So Ted comes to life, and instantly becomes a celebrity all over the world. We then jump forward roughly 20 or so years. John is working at a rental car agent, and has been dating his girlfriend, Lori (played by Mila Kunis), for four years. Ted is a stay at home pot smoker. Now that John and Lori are getting farther into their relationship, Lori feels that they should take the next step, and ask Ted to move out. So he does, into a rundown apartment that has "not had that many murders". He also gets a job as a supermarket cashier, and meets Tami-Lynn. So, shenanigans happen, Lori and John break up, get back together, Ted gets kidnapped (by a quite funny father-son duo) and rescued, and everyone lives happy ever after. Your standard talking teddy bear and his best friend material. 

I must say I was quite surprised at the level of humor that was present in the movie. There wasn't a scene where I didn't laugh, stemming mainly from Ted's nonstop one liners and jokes. The movie never bogged down nor did the concept ever seem to get boring. The humor was very consistent. MacFarlane's brand of humor is definitely not for everyone. The great thing about his style is that yes, he's vulgar, and he insults everybody, but it's very clever vulgarity and insults. It's well thought out. It's very similar in style to Family Guy and American Dad, with more cussing and nudity. The performances in the movie were done well. Mark Wahlberg as John was a little surprising, compared to his usual action movie type character. And MacFarlane himself is great voicing the title character. The movie was also filled with celebrity cameos, including Ryan Reynolds and the original Flash Gordon, Sam Jones. Overall, a very entertaining movie with a great script, great cast, and plenty of vulgar one liners and sex jokes. The funniest movie of the year (so far). 

Rating: A-

"I look like Snuggles the accountant."