Movie Review – Man of Steel

Superman has never really been one of my favorite superheroes. For one, I’ve always been more of a Marvel girl at heart, and for two, he just seemed too perfect. I’ve enjoyed overall what I’ve seen of him in TV shows and movies, but he’s never really been one that I completely fan out about the way I do some other heroes.

But I’ve been excited for Man of Steel ever since I found out Christopher Nolan was involved, even if only as a producer. Plus, with David S. Goyer handling the screenplay, and Zack Snyder directing, there was a lot to recommend the movie.

After actually watching it? This is, hands-down, the best live-action Superman movie* I’ve seen.

I loved the way the movie started, with the prologue on Krypton. It sets up so much: the culture Superman came from, his biological parents, who Zod is, and not to mention the absolutely fabulous visuals and action sequences. I mean, holy shit, I felt like I’d gotten my money’s worth after the first 15 minutes of the movie.

Once we get to Earth, we bounce back and forth between present day and Clark’s childhood in Kansas. The flashbacks integrate his growing up with the man he’s trying to become, and keep the story moving without taking us chronologically through all the significant events of his life. It really shows you what he’s had to deal with, being so different from everyone else, trying to command his insane powers when he’s only six or seven years old.

In fact, the pacing was fantastic overall, which was one of my biggest problems with Superman Returns. Man of Steel never felt like it dragged; in fact, I was surprised to see how much story they fit into two and a half hours. It bordered on almost overwhelming a couple of times, but really, they did a brilliant job with it.

I didn’t expect to like Russell Crowe as Jor-El, but he was amazing. I’m really glad we got to see more of him than we have with Jor-El in the past movies, particularly at the beginning.

Henry Cavill made a phenomenal Clark Kent/Superman. He never came across as self-righteous or smarmy, and he did a great job portraying the struggle to understand himself, his history, and what kind of man he should be. I actually liked him and felt for him. You see the weight of his choices.

And Zod? WOW. He was far from a one-note villain. You actually got to know him, to know why he took the actions he did and why he was so intent on finding Clark/Kal-El. By the end of the movie, I almost felt sorry for him, even as much as I wanted to see him go down. Michael Shannon was great.

I also loved how most of the human characters had a crowning moment of awesome. It was like we were getting glimpses, at least on an individual level, that humans were worthy of the hope that had been placed in us.

I did have a couple of gripes: while I liked Amy Adams as Lois Lane and thought she did a great job overall, the relationship between her and Superman didn’t feel too fleshed out. I thought they made a great team, but the romantic aspect felt a little forced.

And there was a tornado scene that very nearly had me screaming at the movie in the middle of the entire theater. It was easily my least favorite scene in the movie, not because of its significance (I totally got what they were trying to do with it), but because of how poorly it was handled. In fact, considering how important it was, I really, really wish it had been handled better.

Fortunately, the rest of the movie was strong enough that the missteps didn’t ruin it. The visuals were gorgeous (though I didn’t catch it in 3D), and Hans Zimmer once again puts together a fantastic score, memorable enough that it was still in my head the next morning.

Fair warning, though: This movie is loud. I originally thought it was just our theater and so didn’t really think much of it, but apparently other people have had the same issues. I think it’s even louder than normal, because I don’t recall noticing the noise level with Iron Man 3 or Star Trek Into Darkness in the same way.

Much like Batman Begins (which is to date my favorite superhero movie), Man of Steel is about how Clark Kent really becomes Superman. Even if he’s been helping people for years, this is how he figures out what kind of man he wants to be and how he wants to interact with the world. Because his human father is right: he can’t stay hidden forever, and at some point, he will have to make those decisions.

If you get a chance, check this one out in the theater. It was well worth the trip, and the audience at our showing gave the movie a hearty round of applause.

*I still think the best Superman movie I’ve seen is an animated one on Netflix called Superman vs. The Elite. It was the first one that really brought home to me how powerful Superman was and how absolutely vital his moral code is to his character. It’s seriously fantastic and if you haven’t seen it, check it out. I beg you.

A to Z Challenge – P is for The Prestige

The Prestige is one hell of a movie. It’s one of the extremely few movie this year that everybody I’ve spoken to has recommended. No exaggeration. Everybody has loved it.

And everybody should see it. With a cast of this pedigree, a wonderful story, and Christopher Nolan, The Prestige is my favorite movie to come out since July.

Rupert (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred (Christian Bale) are originally both amateur magicians working for another man, but a costar’s tragic death drives a wedge between them and leads to a violent and bitter rivalry. When Alfred invents an amazing new trick called “The Transported Man,” Rupert becomes obsessed with figuring it out and topping it with his own version of the trick.

The movie itself unfolds like a magic trick, a carefully-woven illusion that could be broken if you looked closely enough, but is still engaging and entertaining whether you figure it out or not. The triple-flashback method of storytelling, two of which involve the characters reading each other’s diaries, can get confusing, but fortunately Nolan is smart and quickly establishes where you are in the timeline.

They’re also not catering to the lowest common denominator with The Prestige. The multi-layered story is obviously complex, but there are enough plants and visual clues to tie it all together without them having to explicitly spell it out.

This is the kind of movie that you’ll be replaying in your head after you leave the theater, trying to mentally rewatch the first two hours in light of the revelations of the last 10 minutes. You’ll be talking about it with your friends for hours afterwards.

And thank God the crew behind this movie understands pacing. For a movie that clocks in over two hours, it never drags or feels like it’s going too slow, and there are more than a few moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Of course the acting is amazing. How could it be anything but? You have Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, both of whom have the honorable distinction of having been able to reinvent a classic superhero for the new generation (Wolverine and Batman, respectively).

Rupert is a showman, a decent enough magician but a brilliant and charismatic performer. Alfred is the more talented magician, but his onstage manner, at least at the beginning, needs work.

A brutal desire for revenge and equally competitive natures drive their unceasing rivalry, which persists even at the attempts of those close to them to request they forgive and forget. It’s bizarrely fascinating to watch how far they’re willing to go to keep a secret and to expose the other.

David Bowie (I didn’t even realize it was him) is great as Nikola Tesla, a man who was a genius ahead of his time. The bitter rivalry between him and Thomas Edison goes on in the background of the movie, behind the main rivalry, and it’s an interesting match-up.

On the one hand you have this story of two magicians who perform amazing illusions, but on the other you have two technological wizards who do magic with electricity, scientific accomplishments that are more magical than the illusions because they are real.

The scenes with Bowie as Tesla and Andy Serkis as his assistant Alley were some of the best in the movie. Tesla’s a man who’s been one of the obsessed, who knows how such an obsession can destroy a person’s life as it has done his.

Overall The Prestige is a movie that reminds you how good they can be, even when they’re dark. It sucks you into its world, gets under your skin, and doesn’t let go.

From 2003 up until 2007, I was lucky enough to have “movie reviewer” as my job description. As such, I’ve built up a *lot* of reviews for just about every movie that came out during those years, as well as reviews of classic movies. This is one of the reviews I originally wrote during that time.

Trailer Park: Man of Steel and Star Trek Into Darkness

Oh yes. It’s a good week for movie fans, as some of the biggest films of next summer are putting out their teasers and trailers and getting us all SORTS of excited for 2013.

Man of Steel

Superman has never been one of my favorite superheroes, and while I enjoyed Superman Returns, it certainly didn’t outrank Batman Begins or X2 as my favorite superhero movies (at the time).

However, Man of Steel has several things going for it:

1) Christopher Nolan is producing, and Christopher Nolan did such a mind-blowingly awesome job with Batman that I will trust him to turn out a good movie with just about any superhero property. Yes, that includes Aquaman. He’d find a way to make it work.
2) Zack Snyder is directing. He’s a little bit more hit-or-miss, but I loved 300 and liked Watchmen. Teamed with Nolan as a producer, I think he’s got a style that will make this work.
3) David Goyer is writing. He wrote the three Nolan Batman films. Enough said.

With that kind of crew behind it, I find myself really, really looking forward to Man of Steel. And with a trailer like this, well…yeah, next summer will be good for superhero movies.

Star Trek Into Darkness

The full teaser for this will be coming out on December 17, but this “announcement teaser,” as it’s called, is pretty freaking fantastic. Benedict Cumberbatch has a great voice, and knowing he’s going to be the villain in this movie? So very many kinds of awesome.

The 2009 Star Trek movie was excellent, and I can’t wait to see more from the sequel. Yes, squeaky fangirl noises abounded when I watched this the first time.

What movies are you guys most looking forward to next summer?

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Summer’s pretty much over, but I’ve finally seen the last of the three summer movies I DEFINITELY wanted to see in theaters: The Dark Knight Rises.

I’m very, very glad I took the time to catch this one on the big screen. The previous two movies in the trilogy showed that Christopher Nolan knew what he was doing with the Batman franchise. Not only are they great superhero movies, they’re great movies, period.

And The Dark Knight Rises is a fitting end to the trilogy.

Eight years have passed since the events of The Dark Knight. Gotham has settled into a period of peace and prosperity. Batman has not been seen since the fateful night of Harvey Dent’s death. Bruce Wayne has become a recluse, and nobody but Alfred has seen him in years.

But all is not actually well. The terrorist Bane has shown up in Gotham for unknown reasons, and Batman will have to don the cape and cowl one last time to protect the city he loves.

Much like The Avengers earlier this year, Nolan does a great job juggling all the characters, new and old, that came into the story.

Christian Bale is easily my favorite Bruce Wayne/Batman. At the beginning of The Dark Knight Rises, he’s completely closed himself off from the world. He’s a broken man, in both body and spirit. A large part of the film is him coming back out of the shell he’s built around himself, learning to trust again and move on from the tragedies that have driven him for so long. That journey alone is well worth watching.

Thomas Hardy’s Bane is quite different from the dumb brute we saw in Batman and Robin. He’s intelligent, eloquent, a powerful fighter, and absolutely ruthless in his mission. He’s almost the opposite of the Joker, who sought chaos for chaos’s sake. Bane has a goal from the very first moment we meet him, and he never wavers in his devotion to it.

Then there’s Catwoman. I loved Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, who fit perfectly in Nolan’s grittier world. She’s an accomplished thief, as always, but she’s looking for a clean slate. She could switch her roles off and on like a light: a meek servant one second, and in the next breath, she’s the confident Catwoman.

The moment I saw her pull off that switch was the moment I quit worrying about Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.

Mee-yow.

It was also nice to see a movie that hadn’t given away the entire plot in the trailers. A small thing, but with film marketing today, where you can learn almost everything about the story before you ever set foot in the theater, it was a nice surprise. The movie kept me guessing, and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire film.

And the fight between Batman and Bane was fantastic. (If you know anything about Bane’s story from the comics, you know exactly what I’m talking about.) There was no music until the very end, just the sound of the two of them beating on each other and Bane’s taunts. It was pretty rough to watch, especially knowing what the outcome would be.

The only real problem I had was less with the film and more with the sound mixing. There were times that the music was so loud that I couldn’t make out what either Bane or Batman were saying. I understand that movies are supposed to be loud, but this went overboard. (Of course, the score itself was phenomenal. Seriously, Hans Zimmer did a great job.)

Not to mention, it was definitely long. I think Nolan could probably have tightened it just a tad, shaving a few more minutes of the runtime may have helped in a couple of parts where it dragged just a hair. But those moments were very few and far between.

That being said, those are merely nitpicks. Overall, The Dark Knight Rises was a brilliant end to a brilliant trilogy, and well worth the time and money to see it.

The Critic’s Most Anticipated Summer Movies

I don’t know if it says something about me or about the current crop of summer movies that there are only three I feel like I absolutely, positively MUST see in theaters.

There are several more that interest me, but I’ll need to see more from the movies (or from word-of-mouth) before I decide whether to drop some hard-earned cash on them.

Here are the ones that I’m most looking forward to this summer:

Marvel’s The Avengers – May 4
While the X-Men have always been my favorite superhero group, I have very fond memories of the old Sega Genesis game Captain America and the Avengers. (I didn’t care much for Captain America; Vision and Iron Man were my favorite characters to play.)

However, the Avengers have been growing on me in recent years, though more from movies and video games than from comic books. I’ve enjoyed the hell out of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and to say I’ve liked the Marvel movies thus far is a bit of an understatement.

Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America were all fantastic and fun, and Iron Man 2 was pretty entertaining (not quite as good as the first one, though). Each one made me more excited for this film, even though I was initially wary when The Avengers was originally announced a few years ago.

Throw Joss Whedon in as writer/director, and you have the makings of an awesome summer movie. I may not be dressed up for this one, but I will be there with bells on opening weekend.

Brave – June 22
I think it’s safe to say that I’m a Pixar fangirl, so I will see just about anything they put out. The only two Pixar movies I haven’t seen are Cars 2 and Toy Story 3, and the latter is not for lack of desire. (The former is really because I had no desire to watch something that looked like it centered entirely around Mater.)

Brave looks fantastic. As always, the animation looks beautiful, and you can tell that the animators put a lot of work and research into the film.

Just read what an actual archer says about Merida’s form in the extended look the studio released several weeks ago. (If you haven’t seen that clip, watch it here. So much love.)

This is also the first Pixar movie with a girl as the main character, which is awesome. What’s even better is just how cool Merida is. Even in that short clip, we really get a sense of the character (which is something Pixar has always done well).

I absolutely can’t wait to see it.

The Dark Knight Rises – July 20
My introduction to the Batman movie franchise was Batman and Robin, which came out right around the time I was old enough to go see PG-13 movies. Before that, my only exposure to the character had come from reruns of the ’60s series with Adam West.

You can probably understand why I was not impressed.

Now, things have changed. Batman Begins is my favorite superhero movie (it just barely edged out X2: X-Men United), and The Dark Knight was an amazing sequel. Christopher Nolan took a character and a franchise that had practically become a joke and made it awesome again.

Everything I’ve seen from The Dark Knight Rises has been mind-blowing. The poster with Bane. The trailer. Just about every single picture I’ve seen thus far.

The only (ONLY) thing I’m iffy on is Catwoman, and really that’s just because Michelle Pfeiffer did such an excellent job in Batman Returns (my favorite of the pre-Nolan Batman films).

But really, Nolan has done such an excellent job on the other Batman films (and even on his non-Batman films, come to that) that I have no worries about whether The Dark Knight Rises will live up to its hype.

What movies are you looking forward to this summer?

Trailer Park – The Good Stuff

Yes, I’m late to the party on both of these. But they are awesome, and thus, worth the wait.

The Dark Knight Rises

First up: the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. I talked about the awesome poster that was released a few weeks ago.

It’s perhaps an understatement to say that I have faith in Christopher Nolan to pull this off. I have enjoyed both his Batman and non-Batman movies tremendously, and he’s one of the few directors whose name can put a film on my radar.

And the trailer, well…let’s just say that there are a handful of movies that I will make an effort to see in theaters next year, and this trailer has ensured that The Dark Knight Rises is one of them. This is how you get people excited

Taking place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, it seems that Gotham has been enjoying a bit of a renaissance. But then the terrorist Bane shows up, and now Bruce Wayne must once again don the cowl of Batman to protect his city.

Yes, I am SO there.

The Hobbit

Now, this next trailer makes me go all gooey-fangirl in a way that few things do. In fact, I may even stretch it to say NOTHING makes me go gooey-fangirl like The Lord of the Rings, and thus by extension, The Hobbit.

Up until I watched The Lord of the Rings movies, I was of the opinion that movies, while awesome, would never be as good as the books on which they were based.

The Fellowship of the Ring proved me wrong. The trilogy ranks at the top of my list of favorite movies, and sentimentality demands that Fellowship take the top spot.

When I count it all up, I saw The Lord of the Rings films eleven times in theaters (collectively), and far more than that on DVD. I own three different versions of the films on DVD, and the only reason I don’t have them on Blu-ray is because I don’t yet own a Blu-ray player.

Yes. A fangirl I am.

You have to understand, I’ve been waiting for this movie since 2003. Literally the moment after I left the theater after watching Return of the King for the first time, I was ready for The Hobbit. And for several years, I was afraid it would never happen.

So to finally see the trailer, to see so many of the places that we came to know and love during the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, to hear the haunting dwarf song, well…as I said, I go all gooey-fangirl. It’s absolutely perfect, and I cannot wait.

What are your thoughts? Do these trailers meet your expectations? Exceed them? Make you weep for the future? Let me know!