FILM: The Amazing Spider-Man (8/10)

Why did I watch it?
I never read any comic books as a child, learning of the best Marvel and DC had to offer through Saturday morning cartoons instead. Spider-Man is one the biggest of the bunch and when he gets a new film, it's a sure thing to be watched eventually in my house.

What's it all about?
The Amazing Spider-Man sees Spidey's origin story rebooted following the cancellation of the planned fourth film of Sam Raimi's franchise. Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) replaces Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging hero and Emma Stone plays love interest Gwen Stacy rather Mary Jane in a noticeable difference between franchises. Once the origin story is relaid, Spidey battles Dr. Curt Connor's Lizard to save New York's inhabitants.

Should you watch it?
It is too easy to compare Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man to Raimi's first effort, primarily because for the first half at least they are the same film, or are at least both films telling the same story. Pages and pages have been written on the reboot debate so I won't add to them only to say that I think I enjoyed the updated take on the origin story more. The conspiracy behind Peter's parents deaths adds some complexity to the story and Peter's first experience of Spider-Man's abilities is made into an amusing sequence. Credit for that must go to Andrew Garfield, who improves on Maguire's take on Parker no end, proving that Peter can be geeky without being too pathetic. Perhaps it was setting the story in high school, with the sympathies that come with being different in that environment, that makes Garfield's Peter more likeable.

Once the origin of Spider-Man is complete, the film moves through the gears and the budding romance and chemistry between Peter and Gwen is sincere and likeable. With a supporting cast including veterans Martin Sheen and Sally Field, there is no shortage of strong performances.

What a crock

The film is a bit heavy handed with it's vigilante right or wrong mantra and I was hugely disappointed with Rhys Ifan's Lizard. Ifan's performance as Connor's is decent enough but for me visually the Lizard didn't fit closely enough with the character's traditional appearance. Maybe it was an attempt to make the character realistic in a Christopher Nolan manner but rather than look like a lizard (with a lizards head) he looks like a generic green monster that could appear in any film.

An enjoyable, if unnecessary, return to Spider-Man's roots with a fresh bunch of characters that is worth a watch even if just for a comparison with the original trilogy.

FILM: The Dark Knight Rises (9/10)

Why did I watch it?
The final chapter in The Dark Knight Trilogy was always going to be a massive summer blockbuster. I missed it at the cinema but caught it on Blu-Ray. Nolan raised the mantle of the superhero film forever, firstly with Batman Begins (2005) and then with it's sequel The Dark Knight (2008) so expectations were understandably high.

What's it all about?
The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the events of TDK, Batman has retired and Bruce Wayne is a recluse. An army of terrorists is being prepared under Gotham City by super-villain Bane, intent on wreaking havoc on the city, invoking martial law through the threat of a nuclear bomb

Should you watch it?
While probably not quite on a par with The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, bigger and darker than the previous instalments, is certainly worthy of being the closing chapter to Christopher Nolan excellent Dark Knight trilogy.

From the awesome opening plane hijack stunt that introduces Bane, the film is littered with action sequences and really is one huge spectacle. On top of the action, the film is balanced by the soul-searching and recovery of Bruce Wayne, not once but twice as well as reasonably well handled themes of social equality.

Tom Hardy brings an intensity to Bane, a different, more physically imposing intensity than Heath Ledger's Joker, and the character is certainly an improvement on the previous portrayal of Bane (Batman & Robin!). He is given the best lines of the script to deliver through his menacing mask-affected voice. Anne Hathway plays Selina Kyle (never referred to as Catwoman), and here is where I have an issue with the Nolan brothers. I was intrigued how they would adapt Catwoman into their Dark Knight universe, and for me it was a let down. She is not the true villain of the comics, instead she is pitched as an ambiguous distraction from the battle with Bane, chasing anonymity from her thieving background and willing to side with whoever can grant it to her.

At 165 minutes, TDKR is stretching the limits of an action film run time but managed to keep my attention. Some of the film's plot holes have earned some attention from critics, the only one I had a problem with was how Wayne got back to Gotham with no money, connections and with the city under lock-down. 

I imagine Christopher Nolan must have spent many night wondering how to conclude his trilogy. Leave it open ended? Retire Batman? Kill Batman? Anyway, his decision worked for me (despite the ending having remarkable parallels to 2011's Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows).

FILM: X-Men: First Class (8/10)

Why did I watch it?
I'm a superhero geek (just without the comics). I thought the original X-Men films were a mixed bunch but the concept of a prequel as an origin story was definitely a good idea to refresh the franchise.

What's it all about?
First Class introduces young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) and explains how, through assembling a team of mutants to assist the CIA in stopping Nazi Klaus Schmidt, their relationship develops and ultimately breaks down, leading to the formation of Professor X's X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants.   

Should you watch it?
First Class is one of the strongest, if not the most enjoyable, members of the X-men film franchise. It's plot is perhaps overly congested, dealing with a range of characters going through the self-doubt and insecurities of being 'different' on top of the relationship between Charles and Erik in addition to stopping Schmidt from causing the Cuban Missile Crisis from going from military stand-off to full blown war. As usual with X-Men, too many characters are included purely for bodies in the fight scenes. Step forward Angel, Banshee, Havok, Darwin, Azazel and Riptide. Avengers leads the way in accommodating a group of major superheroes without shoehorning wafer-thin characters for cannon fodder. Special mentions for January Jones, who gives the flattest, monotone performance I can remember as the Schmidt's female sidekick, Emma Frost and Kevin Bacon, for performing scenes in German and Russian!


On to the positives......Michael Fassbender. It is not often you associate a superhero movie with powerhouse performances, but Fassbender's intense, brooding portrayal of Erik, hinting at the flaws that ultimately come to the surface as Magneto, is just that, and is a joy to watch. Only a few leagues below (and given Fassbender's performance this is still high praise) is James McAvoy's performance as Charles Xavier.

All things said and done, First Class is an enjoyable action film, benefiting from some excellent actors and the curiosity attached to seeing younger versions of familiar characters.

FILM: The Avengers (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

I watched all the character origin films in anticipation for this film. I missed out when it was on at the cinema so it was must once it came out on DVD.

What's it all about?

Thor's evil brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) returns to Earth via energy from the Tesseract and having struck a deal with an extraterrestrial army, he wreaks havoc intending to open a portal allowing the Chitauri army to follow him to Earth. S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) initiates the recruitment of Iron Man, Captain America and Bruce Banner to help fight Loki, while Thor arrives to stop his brother. 
 
Should you watch it?
My main concern with The Avengers was, in encompassing all of the members, the film would be spread too thinly between the characters, resulting in a watered down attempt to integrate characters and personalities, a little like the X-men films. Thankfully this is not the case, although it's interesting that co-writer Zak Penn was involved in two of the X-men group films. Penn and Joss Whedon find enough screen-time for all the Avengers and by introducing them gradually through the film's opening third, sufficient emphasis is placed on each character. Similarly, I was disappointed when I discovered that the film's antagonist would be Loki, as I was not overly impressed with him in Thor. Again though, due to Hiddlestone's improved performance this time around and with Whedon's direction, I felt Loki was a much more interesting villain and one more fitting of the collective's film.

The team dynamic of between the superheroes is what really makes the film, alongside the blockbuster action sequences. Thor and Hulk clash, Captain America and Tony Stark routinely throw barbs at each other while Stark shows a surprisingly sincere side when offering support to Bruce Banner. Mark Ruffalo plays Banner with a sense of fear and regret of his destructive, uncontrollable power and I found him to be the most interesting character of the team. There's a slightly contrived back-story thrown in to give Hawkeye and Black Widow something of interest but its the funny moments between Stark and co. that gives the film its spark. Samuel. L. Jackson's brings his usual 'don't mess with me' cool factor and his larger role also benefits the movie. Being critical, I'm not sure the plot gave enough explanation as to why Banner returned to fight alongside the others after showing nothing but resistance to let 'the other guy' appear, or how he was able to control Hulk more effectively in contrast with the film's earlier events.

The so called Battle of New York finale is a really exciting well-directed battle, especially when you consider it's similarities to the frantic city battles Michael Bay treated us to in his Transformer films.

A genuine action blockbuster fit for it's cast. 

FILM: Captain America: The First Avenger (6/10)

So after Iron Man, Hulk and Thor, last but not least it was Captain America's turn to make his big screen début as part of the Avengers development.

The First Avenger spends the first half the film covering the origin story of the Captain, which from an previously uninformed point of view was something I greatly appreciated.

With almost the majority of the action set during WWII, the film is similar to a war movie, especially once the Captain recruits his band of soldiers who then spend their time destroying Nazi science labs at ease. Think of Inglorious Bastards meets Band of Brothers but without the Tarantino violence and humour and the epicness and sincerity of the mini-series. The score also sounds familiar when heard in a war setting.

Chris Evans is successful as Captain America and holds up to the pressures of a leading man. He plays the superhero with the right amount of patriotism and conscience without being overbearing. However, Hugo Weaving's Red Skull was a disappointment.

As an origin story First Avenger is solid and the retro setting is hugely original for a superhero movie, however as a general action film, I felt that the plot, mainly the threat of the Red Skull, and the action sequences were not as strong as they could have been. America simply seems to clout everyone he meets with his shield before running onto the next, there is little variation in his tactics or in the challenges he faces.

FILM: Iron Man 2 (6/10)

Robert Downey's Iron Man returns after his first film outing two years previous, with director Jon Favreau again at the helm. As with Iron Man, Favreau delivers another fun ride and allows Downey to steal the show as Tony Stark.

Downey's egotist, smarmy and arrogant but ultimately likeable Tony Stark is the film. Other characters are purely used for Downey to show off in front of, flirt with or talk over. In honesty, this becomes a little frustrating by the end of the film but it doesn't become a terminal problem because of the hidden weakness and humility Stark shows on occasions. Also, it makes a change for a superhero to be so public with his identity and arrogance.

Facing pressure from the US government on one side and the film's nemesis Whiplash on the other, Stark also struggles to cope with the ill effects of his power source and becomes isolated and irresponsible with his powers. The main antagonist is Whiplash, the son of a Russian inventor formerly employed by Stark Industries, who out of spite for the Stark family develops his own power source to rival Iron Man. The Russian factor brings about inevitably thin Cold War references but it is the idea that the US government sees Iron Man ans his technology as their property and does not wish to be dependent on Stark's alliance for protection that is the strongest plot string.

When given scenes without Downey present, the supporting characters are a mixed bunch. The introduction of Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow to the Marvel Universe is flat and the same can be said for Gywneth Paltrow, who is talked over by Downey for all of her lines. Don Cheadle plays Iron Man's sidekick James Rhodes (aka War Machine) complete with some Robin-esque cheesy lines ("Get a roof"). The positives come in the form of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash and Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. Rockwell injects some brilliant humour to proceedings for when you've had your fill of Downey.

The action is evenly paced, although the action sequences towards the end of the film are a little robotic, literally, as Iron Man and War Machine take on Whiplash (in a similar suit) and his army of Iron Man suited drones.

Overall, perhaps not as fresh as the original but still a better than average entry to the Marvel catalogue.

FILM: Thor (6/10)

After Iron Man and Hulk, next up was Thor for introduction to the cinema-going masses in preparation for his role in The Avengers.

In comparison with most other superheroes, not only being from another world but a God at that, the story of Thor is probably one of the more difficult stories for adaptation. By dealing with other worlds and deities, as superhero stories go, Thor is more magical and less grounded than say Captain America or Batman.

The result is a hit and miss comic book adaptation that suffers from a poor villain, too much mythology and fantasy, unmemorable fight scenes and an occasionally cheesy script. Chris Hemsworth is likeable as Thor, he delivers both the brash arrogance and later sincerity of the character and although I haven't seen The Avengers I hope his character is given a reasonable amount of time.

The story benefits most when Thor is exiled to Earth, the subsequent clash of cultures with scientist Natalie Portman is funny in places, although the line about a phone picture going straight onto Facebook may win 'cheesiest line of the year'.

Having read differing reviews of Tom Hiddleston's Loki, I side with the negative. Comparisons of the actor's portrayal with Heath Ledger's Joker are way wide of the mark. Thor's brother Loki is as unmemorable a villain as I can remember.


A must see for any comic book or Avengers fan but not the greatest superhero film.