The Darkest Knight Yet

"The Dark Knight Rises"

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Written By: Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Rated PG-13

164 Minutes

The biggest problem facing "The Dark Knight Rises" is that it isn't "The Dark Knight."  Christopher Nolan's 2008 crime epic came out of nowhere to shock and delight audiences who weren't expecting the sequel to "Batman Begins" to be so sensational.  It caught everyone off guard and remains a nearly perfect film elevated by the iconic performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker.  The obvious expectation this time is that Nolan must justify the final chapter of his trilogy with something bigger and better than "The Dark Knight."  Mixed reviews might convince you to lower your expectations, but I think all it requires is different expectations.  In its first hour, "The Dark Knight Rises" may lack the initial visceral impact of its predecessor, but what slowly emerges from the perceived rubble is an absolute masterpiece.

This final entry in Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy is actually the most methodically structured of all three.  It hits the ground running by introducing all the familiar characters, and at least four new and prominent ones.  Having too many new characters in the concluding chapter of a trilogy can be the kiss of death if handled incorrectly.  Luckily, Christopher Nolan has 2 hours, 45 minutes to find something for each of them to do and casts big name actors to make sure that even in their briefest moments, they leave an impression.  Arguably the most significant addition is Selina Kyle, who is oddly well-defined for being such an ambiguous character.  Anne Hathaway plays her with a deep charisma masked by a playful tenacity and when we first meet her, she is posing as a waitress to sneak into Wayne Manor's east wing, where Bruce has been a recluse for several years.  He is so spiritually broken from the events of "The Dark Knight" that even The Batman hasn't been seen in 8 years.  This is Christian Bale's strongest performance as the character and will likely stand as the definitive one should somebody else snag the role in the future.  Michael Caine is back as well, providing some of his most emotional work to date as Bruce's ever-faithful Butler, Alfred.  In one conversation with Bruce, he rescinds on a promise he made to him in the first movie.  His reasons are sound, but the choice that he makes is probably the film's most heartbreaking moment; and there a lot of those.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) has been living under the weight of the lie he and Batman concocted to prevent the public from finding out the truth about Harvey Dent's crimes.  Oldman has played Gordon as a moral force for good in the previous films and with that moral compass bent just slightly too far, Gordon loses focus in some early scenes here, and pays dearly for it.  Under his command is a new Gotham City Police Officer named John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who knows a vital piece of information that he quite honorably keeps to himself.  There is also Miranda Tate (Marion Coutillard), an environmentalist and board member for Wayne Enterprises who has a hand in a vital clean energy project.  She works with Lucius Fox to keep this technology from falling into the hands of John Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn), a Wayne Enterprises rival who has used his wealth and resources to bring a terrifying mercenary known as Bane to Gotham City.  Tom Hardy is absolutely ferocious as Bane, if not quite as memorable as Heath Ledger's Joker, or as well-defined.  What is clear is that Nolan and Hardy had different intentions for Bane altogether, and he holds in store a horrifying fate for Gotham City.  While the Joker's reign of terror had a great deal to do with the Batman, Bane will see his plans through whether Batman is around or not. 

This is all dense plotting in a film that initially feels too long with the first viewing.  Some characters drift in and out of the narrative, sometimes absent for significant stretches.  But the movie covers a lot of ground and I am certain that Christopher Nolan has left nothing to chance and made specific decisions for a reason.  Symbolically, he has structured the narrative to be a little jarring, to echo the overall sense of unease.  Then when things start hurtling toward the heart-stopping climax, Nolan reveals his hand, giving every character their due and placing them exactly where they need to be.  A vital part of the film's final act is the score by Hans Zimmer, which elicits a powerful emotional response to accompany the thrills of the plot.  Perhaps the title for the film was influenced in part by the trajectory of the score, which has taken a new direction from the previous films.  It is an elegant piece of work. 

The palette of the film itself is exponentially grander this time as well, with Wally Pfister returning as director of photography.  When Chicago stood in for Gotham city, he had a distinct color scale and framed shots so that a familiar city was creatively disguised.  This time, Gotham is a hybrid of New York, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles; and even though this provides a new look to the film, it successfully reflects the change of genre.  Nolan has stated that he wouldn't do a third Batman picture unless he could top the grandeur of "The Dark Knight." In terms of scope and scale, he has done exactly that.  If  "Batman Begins" is a focused, fear-driven, psychological character study; and "The Dark Knight" a bold crime drama; then "The Dark Knight Rises" is Chris Nolan's disaster epic.  Each film could stand independently and fit into a particular genre, and I think that's why Nolan chose to come back to the story twice; because each chapter of his Dark Knight saga has resonated with its own self-contained theme.  If he had restricted himself to making simple sequels, he would have had nothing new to offer and they would have played as needless rehash.  The brilliance of this trilogy is that it has spanned genres, becoming so much more than what its source material would suggest.

Even at 164 minutes, "The Dark Knight Rises" will reward repeat viewings.  It serves as a definitive end to be sure, but it still leaves excellent questions.  The last shot in particular must have been meticulously planned and it does a fantastic job of wrapping up everything that has come before while simultaneously leaving us with ideas about what the future will hold.  Chris Nolan will not be returning to the universe of the Dark Knight, but he has provided three films with a captivating interpretation of the character.  This could easily stand as one of the greatest trilogies put to film, and it goes without saying that it is the most significant in the comic book universe so far.  I just hope that audiences will not hold this final chapter under too much scrutiny in comparison with "The Dark Knight."  It is a different kind of film and should be allowed to stand or fall on its own merits.  One thing is for sure, from beginning to end, it rises to the most emotionally exciting climax I have seen in a long time.  There is a really nice moment early on where Selina warns Bruce that a storm is coming.  He wonders if she might be looking forward to it; to which she replies: "I'm adaptable."  Looking back over the director's relatively short list of films, she could easily have been describing Christopher Nolan.  Now that he has finished telling this story, with whatever he does next, I'll be looking forward to it. 

The Amazing...Peter Parker?

"The Amazing Spider-Man"

Directed by: Marc Webb

Written by: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary

Rated: PG-13

136 Minutes

 

 

The big concern on everyone's mind with the release of "The Amazing Spider-Man" is whether the Spider-Man franchise needed a 'reboot' so soon after Sam Raimi finished his trilogy in 2007.  It could be easily argued that the best Spider-Man story was already told with Raimi's "Spider-Man 2" and while this new version may not convince audiences that this Spidey is better than the last, I believe where "The Amazing Spider-Man" earns its stripes and justifies itself is by absolutely nailing the story of Peter Parker.  Marc Webb has crafted a motion picture that does a pretty good job of mostly avoiding too many comparisons to the earlier films by wisely containing its scope to a more touching and streamlined human story.

Much of the appeal in "The Amazing Spider-Man" is the inspired casting of Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.  Some may remember him from "The Social network" but his best role to date is in John Crowley's British drama "Boy A."  Garfield is 28, but has young features and carries himself just awkwardly enough to pass for a nerdy adolescent.  There would be little point in me reciting Peter Parker's defining moments because the origin story is largely the same, but is now told from different angles.  The most significant addition is the intriguing mystery surrounding the disappearance of his parents, who left him with Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) when he was just a boy.  This development is a catalyst for the tension and conflict between Peter and his Aunt and Uncle, because when Peter finds out they have been keeping secrets from him, he starts to keep a few of his own.  Of course the fate of Uncle Ben has always been a defining moment in the Spider-Man cannon and that remains true here.  The Raimi version diluted the emotional impact because it immediately transitioned into that film's first sensational web-swinging sequence, too much in a hurry to show off its visuals.  It's not that "The Amazing Spider-Man" is darker and grittier, per say, but it's a great deal more contemplative and pauses to allow Peter to really feel his anger and grief.

There are other familiar moments in Peter's life that are given a bit more heft here as well, such as his conflict with Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka).  Instead of being a caricature of run-of-the-mill high school bullies, this Flash is wisely injected with some humanity, and one of his confrontations with Peter provides one of the film's most touching moments.  The entire feel of the high school environment feels several shades more honest because instead of cliched moments with Peter being relentlessly tormented as a target of ridicule, he is more accepted and just kind of blends in.  His insignificance is more relatable than endless victimization.  He does manage to catch the eye of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who works as an assistant under Dr. Connors (Rhys Ifans) at Oscorp.  Garfield and Stone are both accomplished actors for their age and they display a maturity here that elevates their chemistry.  Marc Webb's resume as a director may be shorter, but his experience helming the excellent "(500) Days of Summer" seems to inform his intimate focus on "The Amazing Spider-Man."

As for the action sequences and traditional Spider-Man elements, they are at least as good as anything that has come before.  I always thought the Raimi series felt a little light on its feet, especially with the disappointing third installment.  Now the action feels more grounded, more informed by physics that we can measure just by watching.  Spider-Man even makes better use of his powers while fighting, using his webs to pull himself out of harm's way, and taking advantage of the environment to get the upper-hand on his foes.  While there is a traditional montage of Peter assembling the various elements like the suit, the web shooters, etc., Webb doesn't let that overshadow the emotional journey involved in those steps.  The full Spider-Man garb doesn't appear until nearly an hour into the film, which is okay, because to rush through the broad strokes to quickly get to the finished product would be too reminiscent of Sam Raimi's approach. 

"The Amazing Spider-Man" isn't without its short-comings.  With the Lizard as the villain of choice, it bears a striking resemblance to so many other Spider-Man foes, who always seem to be well-intentioned scientists who fall victim to some experimental mishap; although that may be more of a reflection on the redundancy of the comics.  Nevertheless, some of the Lizard sequences are a bit too over-the-top for the more grounded approach.  More fascinating is the manhunt for Spider-Man led by Gwen's father, Captain Stacy (Denis Leary).  His character arc is slightly under-developed but still effective because of what it means for Peter and Gwen.  There is, however, one really sensational sequence near the middle of the film that bests a similar set piece in the first Sam Raimi movie.  It works well because it never feels like Marc Webb is trying to one-up Raimi on any front, but instead trying to respectfully acknowledge what made Spider-Man work before while still keeping him relevant now.

Where "The Amazing Spider-Man" will rank in a few years' time is hard to say.  Some will argue for the existing trilogy and some may find more to like in this update.  For my money, this iteration of Peter Parker is far and away more compelling than Tobey Maguire's take, who in "Spider-Man 3" was inexcusably annoying.  Andrew Garfield is the selling-point for this one and is successfully able to reel in Marc Webb's emotional focus.  There is plenty to like here no matter which version you prefer and even though "The Amazing Spider-Man" arrives so soon following the last cinematic outing, it is a respectful kick-start to a new story arc. Even if you feel like you already know it.  It also contains probably the best Stan Lee cameo to date, and if the creator himself is okay with a new version, who am I to argue?

All You Really Need Is One

"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"

Written & Directed by: Lorene Scafaria

Starring: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley

Rated: R

101 Minutes



By now, audiences must be overly familiar with the disaster film.  Countless blockbusters have invented ever-creative ways to depict the end of days, usually accompanied by spectacular CGI shots of colossal waves, nuclear explosions or planetary scorching.  Now there is "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," a disaster film without a single shot of the impending disaster.  Rather than CGI and global calamity, here is a film that is more concerned with the internal disasters of one's life, quietly examining what a person might actually do knowing the earth had three weeks of existence left.  The film's most poignant line also happens to be one of its funniest.  As a man's housemaid leaves after the day's work, and knowing what he knows, he quite casually observes "I regret my entire life."

"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" begins with probably its wisest move by informing us that a comet, 70 miles wide, is to impact earth in three weeks' time.  Not only that, but the last ditch effort to stop it has failed.  This information is provided via radio broadcast, as Dodge (Steve Carell) listens, almost no emotion on his face.  By starting with this, the movie plays fair by eliminating the expectation of a happy ending, thereby allowing the audience to relax without the distraction or tension of the unknown to come.  Don't get me wrong; if there is a happy ending, and the comet does not impact earth, it's a pleasant surprise.  If it does impact earth, well, we can't say we weren't warned.  Given the latter scenario, we don't really blame Dodge's wife, Linda (played by Carell's real-life spouse, Nancy), for fleeing the car, never to be seen again. 

The first thirty minutes or so are spent establishing what has become of everyday routines in the earth's final weeks.  Offices sit empty, save for a few employees who would rather stick to what they know, perhaps for the comfort of familiarity.  Dodge's occupation is ironic; he is an insurance salesman, and in one clever bit of dialogue, explains disaster insurance to a customer over the phone.  Yes, the premium is expensive, but hey, it includes comet coverage.  He returns home to find the maid (Tonita Castro) happily cleaning his apartment.  She informs him that he is almost out of window cleaner and that she'll see him next week.  When he tells her that won't be necessary, she humorously goes into a panic over losing her job rather than coming to the realization that it literally won't be necessary for her to return.  It is moments like this that earn "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" some nice laughs; they are quiet laughs, mind you, because this is humor that comes from the human spirit rather than raunchy behavior.  There are certainly some deviant methods of coping, but nothing plays as unrealistic, because how do we know what we would do under the same circumstances?

Dodge shuffles his way through a party with friends, who cruly inform him that Linda wasn't really happy in the marriage.  They try to hook him up with an overly-eager party guest (Melanie Lynskey) and even his friend's wife comes on to him.  All the while, Dodge just continues to look gloomily into the void, boldly unafraid to say that he doesn't know how to feel or what he wants.  That's the nice thing about the screenplay by Lorene Scafaria (who also directed); it allows the characters their moments of introspection and does not give way to exposition, which is just a way to pander to the audiences' need for easy understanding.  It feels as though the characters wrote themselves, and not having clear motivations every step of the way is a more honest reflection of real life.

Pretty soon, Dodge finds a downstairs neighbor crying outside on his fire escape.  This is Penny (Keira Knightley), who has just split with her boyfriend.  But the real reason she's crying is her missed opportunity to fly home to be with her family.  Penny tells Dodge she has been meaning to give him several months' worth of mail that has mistakenly been delivered to her apartment, and through this development we also discover a regret about Dodge that he didn't even realize he had.  He tells her he knows a man with a plane, and if she agrees to provide the car, he'll get her where she needs to go.  What follows is a middle act road trip movie that explores the vitality of human companionship.  As the two protagonists encounter all kinds of perplexing human behavior, they stay remarkably grounded by their quiet contentment to just have one another as company.

The remarkable thing about "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" is the fine balance of tone.  It stays just funny enough to be uplifitng without being inappropriate, and just poignant enough to be meaningful without being melodramatic.  There are beats of absurd comedy, as when Dodge and Penny encounter a nice traveler who has hired a hitman to assassinate him at an unknown time.  It is perhaps inevitable that he breifly mistakes Dodge for the assassin.  They also visit a restaurant called 'Friendly's' where the staff is intrusively friendly, indeed.  The nature of the place is perhaps a shade unbelievable, but that is wisely acknowledged by Penny and Dodge as well.  Needless to say, they don't stay for the, um, dessert.

Whether they get to where they need to be is beside the point.  Almost certainly, where they need to be is subject to change by the film's end.  It's the process of getting there that really matters, and what they can learn from one another along the way.  I mentioned earlier the lack of tension that helps the audience to relax.  Don't mistake that for a boring narrative.  The characters are so engaging and their developments so honest, that I couldn't help but feel that this would be a nice way to spend the end of days.  In one of the film's best moments, Dodge and Penny are forced to stop in the road, as dozens of people file toward some unknown destination.  Without a word, they silently join the group, only to find a clergyman of some faith providing baptisms in the ocean to anybody who desires one.  While they don't partake, they sit together and observe while having their own moment on the beach together.  It is a beautiful shot, and nicely respectful to the role of faith in conditions like these.

"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" emerges as an early contender for one of the best pictures of the year.  It is a sweet and deeply introspective feature that examines the hopefulness capable in all of us, even in the face of impending doom.  There are many who live life thriving off their social interactions and constant need for attention, and some who function better in solitude.  Here is a film that finds a nice balance by suggesting that true happiness is found in the close bond of love and friendship, even if you only have one.  The film's final shot conveys that thesis, I believe.  If you stop to think about it, there is really nothing left to resolve by the movie's conclusion.  Everyone is where they need to be and it ends with Dodge saying the only thing there is left to say.


*Note. The R rating is misleading.  While there is language, it is infrequent.  This is such a sweet-natured film and would be safe for anyone looking to be uplifted.

The Real Story Is Much, MUCH Better

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov

Written By: Seth Grahame-Smith 

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Dominic Cooper

Rated R

105 Minutes



Never before have I so vastly overestimated my desire to see a film.  Especially one called "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."  Knowing what I know about today's youth and how the public school system fails in teaching them, do we really need something like Abraham Lincoln hunting vampires to make history more enjoyable?  A much more entertaining film on Lincoln is Robert Redford's "The Conspirator," which has easily more tension than this one, and wouldn't ya know it, is based on actual history.

I will get the one compliment I can pay "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" out of the way right now: its star, Benjamin Walker, is a pretty engaging presence who actually looks somewhat like Lincoln, especially in the film's late passages.  Even more, he uncannily resembles a young Liam Neeson, and perhaps for that fact alone, he should have a future ahead of him.  Maybe he didn't know what he was getting into signing on for this picture.  I have not read the source novel it's based on, but my unwise assumption was that it was some sort of farcical and comedic take given the title.  Indeed, if this were something more akin to "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" I may have let my guard down more.  Alas, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" takes itself so seriously, that its re-telling of American History is unforgivably offensive.  To attribute the civil war to a conflict between vampires and humans is wrecklessly disrespectful to the men who fought in it.  The motivations of the Confederate soldiers were much more complex in reality than history would lead us to believe; and to simplify that and literally demonize the south by casting them as undead bloodsuckers is irresponsible filmmaking. 

Not that the vampires in this movie are all that terrifying.  As far as I could tell, they are capable only of screaming in humans' faces and scrambling about on train tops and horses.  One of the vampires (Marton Csokas) kills young Abraham's mother, and he devotes his life to the pursuit of vanquishing them.  A mysterious drifter named Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper) takes Lincoln under his wing with promises of undead justice.  Pretty soon Abraham is wielding his trusty axe and slicing and dicing his way to the Presidency.  And what else can I tell you?  There are brief moments where the movie actually pauses to acknowledge real events in Lincoln's history, such as the first time he meets Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).  His first foray into politics is muddled in some sort of middle act montage, I think, and does not resonate well.  Therein lies the problem.  The film would have us believe that Abraham Lincoln is defined by his lust for vengeance and that his political foundation was just a conveniant secondary choice to serve as the means to an end.

As directed by Timur Bekmambetov, whose "Wanted" was pretty good, the movie suffers from an over-abundance of slow-motion sequences that exist primarily to show you that something is actually happening.  The full-speed action is so disorienting that you would have no clue what is going on unless it slowed down and got right in your face.  So it does.  The editing is also problematic.  In an hour and forty two minutes, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" attempts to account for Lincoln's entire life, right up until the night he was assasinated.  Thankfully, the movie ends before he arrives at Ford's Theatre.  I'd hate to see what sort of supernatural beast they'd blame that tragic event on.  Werewolf, perhaps? 

I will not waste any more time trying to convince you not to see this movie.  It spends its limited, but still unbearable running time convincing you of that on its own.  There was a small portion of me that really wanted to enjoy the concept of something like this; but I totally misunderstood the nature of that concept.  "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is an atrocity of movie making that is without a single redeeming quality outside of its lead actor.  Cast aside all the grievences violating  Mr. Lincoln's history, and what's left is actually a pretty boring and benign CGI fest.  If that sounds like your thing, then by all means.  But when Willie Lincoln's death was attributed to a vampire bite, that's when I wanted to take an axe to the screen.

Everybody Wants A Thrill

'Rock of Ages"

Directed by Adam Shankman

Starring: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise and Malin Akerman

Rated: PG-13

125 Minutes



"Rock of Ages" arrives at a time when audiences are perhaps burnt out on the jukebox musical genre.  With "Glee" on television, and every couple of years puncuated with a "Mama Mia" or a "Hairspray," they seem to have worn out their welcome.  That's too bad, because "Rock of Ages" happens to be a particularly excellent offering of the jukebox musical platform that does justice to the songs that it honors.  Part of the success here, I think, is pitch-perfect casting and enough energy for both the movie and the stage production that it's based on.   While the actors may not all have equal vocal abilities, everyone brings a level of exuberance that is completely disarming in its sincerity.

While watching "Rock of Ages," I wasn't really thinking about "Glee" or similar contemporary takes on modern classics.  Instead, think more like "Moulin Rouge" almost a century later.  "Rock of Ages" assembles probably 95% of all the best glam rock of the 80s.  It's quite a feat; but the pleasure comes from observing how each tune is inserted cleverly into the story, which by itself would be throwaway material.  Of course, if each one of the roughly 22 songs were played full length, you'd have one helluva long movie, so the compromise is a few genre-bending medleys that accentuate all the best parts of all of your favorites.  I don't know how this works on the broadway stage, but for a film of over two hours, it does remarkable things to the pacing of the action in a pretty unoriginal narrative.

The cookie-cutter plot involves Julianne Hough playing a small-town girl living in her lonely world, who takes a greyhound out west to make it big in Hollywood.  This is Sherrie Christian (seriously, you'll be forgiven if you want to break out with "Sister Christian"), who can sing sweetly, but finds herself overwhelmed at the neon glow and seedy sneer of the Sunset strip.  Luckily, she runs into Drew (Diego Boneta, the film's stand-out performer), who works at the Bourbon Room, an infamous rock n' roll venue that is at risk of closing due to some failed bookings and back taxes.  The owner, Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin, surprisingly vivacious) is reluctant to offer yet another dream chaser a job, but after a good first impression, he gives her a shot.  Dupree and his house manager Lonny (Russell Brand) are banking on securing the rock n' roll burn out Stacee Jaxx for a final show with his band before he goes solo.  Tom Cruise in his aging years is consistently full of surprises and as Stacee Jaxx, he has performed his own vocals and does a very competant job with the difficult tunes.  This will be a relief to anyone who saw Pierce Brosnan tone-bomb his way through "Mama Mia."

Jaxx is managed by the low life Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti), who operates like a used car salesman in a prostitution casino.  I don't know if those exist, but this guy could sure corner the market on that endeavor.  Pretty soon, things are getting complicated romanticly, financially and musically.  Stacee Jax finds himself with renewed purpose after an interview with a curt journalist played by Malin Akerman.  Cruise's performance in this scene has shades of his Frank Mackey character during a similar scene from "Magnolia."  He conveys a lot by saying very little and people see right through his facade.  There is also an oddly shoehorned subplot with a Mayor (Brian Cranston) who is underhanded by his wife, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is on a war path to close the den of filth that is the Bourbon Room.  This development is obviously injected for conflict, but disappears for large sections of the film.  That's okay because there are so many wall-to-wall rock n' roll hits that are performed so well that the movie doesn't necessarily need conflict.

"Rock of Ages" is generating mostly negative reviews.  Given the over-exposure of jukebox musicals, I suppose that is to be expected to some degree.  But I will go to my grave defending the level of effort put on screen here.  Adam Shankman, who directed the most recent re-make of "Hairspray," certainly knows his way around staging.  He may be more hit or miss with his mainstream fare, but he succeeds here by providing the audience with an onslaught irresistable foot-tapping rock anthems and ballads.  Each performer puts in the effort to do the music justice and by the end, everyone has energy to spare.  I am a sucker for 80's rock n' roll and while it would be easy to complain that "Rock of Ages" has a karaoke feel, I argue that those same people doing the  complaining are out at the bars on Friday night singing all the same songs.  And not nearly as well as the singing in this film.

Faith Vs. Science-And they both have a point.

"Prometheus"

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Logan Marshall-Green, Idris Elba

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Written by: Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof

Rated: R

124 Minutes

"Prometheus" is a masterstroke of modern science fiction cinema.  Under the direction of Ridley Scott, who is returning to the genre after 27 years, it may not reach the iconic status still held by his "Alien" but it certainly plays around in the same territory to great effect.  There has been much speculation throughout the development of "Prometheus" about its status as a prequel to Scott's 1979 masterpiece.  While there are connecting threads, those looking for a definitive answer may not come away satisfied; indeed, "Prometheus" raises many more questions than it addresses.  While that may sound like a frustrating prospect, it's exactly the point.  When dealing with the origins of mankind, don't we always have more questions than answers?

"Prometheus" opens with an intriguing and startling prologue, much different from how "Alien" begins.  There are sweeping shots of desolate but beautiful landscape, only these are not of our earth.  Immediately following these shots is an event I will not even attempt to describe or analyze, as it will become the source of endless online speculation and discussion until the sequel.  Next we meet Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), who are exploring a mysterious cave off the coast of Scotland.  Here they find ancient drawings depicting a humanoid figure pointing to the stars, which they view as an invitation and possible source of life on earth.  She wears her father's cross around her neck, a sign of her faith in devine creation.  He speculates more on evidence and depends on what he can see. Together, along with fifteen others, they embark on the starship Prometheus to travel to a distant moon that can sustain life and orbits a planet depicted in the cave drawings.

To describe everything they find when they arrive would be to lessen the impact of the mysteries and surprises of the narrative.  I should mention some key players, including a cold corporate drone named Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), a fierce Captain (Idris Elba) and a protocol android called David (Michael Fassbender in a fascinating performance) who maintains the ship while the team is in stasis sleep.  Each of these characters is vital to the audiences' ability to interpret the themes at play here.  The brilliance of the screenplay, by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof, is that it stays relatively ambiguous while exploring the age-old concepts of faith versus science.  To be sure, each viewpoint is represented, but neither is forced or even advocated for.  Instead, at certain points in the plot, characters that fall on one side of the coin or the other are given an opportunity to express their ideas, and we can see the logic in both.

Science may look for the 'how' in everything, but faith does not require the 'how', or even the 'why' a lot of the time.  What both have in common, I believe, is a lack of definitive answers.  Some have criticized "Prometheus" for unraveling in the third act and not providing enough answers to its many penetrating questions.  But this is precisely why the film is so terrifying; in the never-ending quest to find out why we exist and what our true origins are, the fear of the unknown unravels us.  As "Prometheus" progresses, it is that fear and careless pursuit of the truth that catches the entire team off guard.  Perhaps the ships's captain, Janek, has the best position; during one vital conversation, he explains that he doesn't care where he comes from.  He just flies the ship.

Given the big gap between Ridley Scott's last outing with sci-fi ("Blade Runner" and "Legend"), it is incredible how comfortably he seems to slip back into the genre.  "Prometheus" may just be the most thoughtful space adventure in years and fans of the "Alien" series, as well as newcomers, will find something to enjoy.  A warning to the squeamish, however, that there is a middle act Caesarean section that is the the most graphic depiction this side of "Breaking Dawn Part 1."  The context for why it must happen will not be revealed by me, but if you are familiar with this universe, you may very well guess.  There are many other scenes of disturbing brutality that demonstrate the flexibility of the MPAA rating system.  While some of the violence pushes the line of what you might find in a PG-13 movie, the R rating is a soft one.

I hope that the mixed reviews for "Prometheus" will balance out in time and show it for what it is: a deeply introspective sci-fi adventure that explores the very nature of mankind.  The slogans for the film could not have been more spot-on.  Ridley Scott settles easily in a return to form here, working off a mature and calculating script by Damon Lindelof.  If you find yourself feeling frustrated at the end, fear not.  I truly believe it to be intended this way.  Besides, all of the characters don't get their answers by the end either.  Need I remind you how the film opens?  Looking back on that scene, perhaps what it means is that nobody will ever understand the 'why', even if they have the 'how.'  That perplexity could drive anyone mad, including the ones we would assume to have all the answers.  Now there's something to think about.

Bad Aliens, whatcha gonna do?

"Men in Black 3"

Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld

Written by: Etan Cohen

Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin

Rated Pg-13

106 Minutes

"Men In Black 3" plays kind of like a cinematic tightrope act.  It walks a fine line between trying extremely hard to keep the audience engaged and running a real risk of losing its footing at any moment.  Given the challenges of trying to keep a fifteen year-old franchise relevant, "Men in Black 3" mostly works.  That may be due to the consistent direction of Barry Sonnenfeld, and considering that the production of this third offering was plagued with issues and was victim to re-writes, it is a worthy installment that will hopefully serve as the swan song to the "Men in Black."

The consistent pleasure with these films has been the chemistry and interplay between Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K and Will Smith's Agent J.  The original "Men in Black" had Agent K recruiting J as his new partner.  In a sci-fi twist on the buddy formula, Agent K's droll, straight-laced expressions make him a perfect counterpoint to Agent J's over-the-top, smug expressions and one-liners.  The quirkiness of that dynamic makes it endearing without being awkward, and that remains intact as this picture opens.  Missing this time is Rip Torn as the enigmatic Zed, who I felt was the series' best character.  Instead, the Men in Black agency is now headed by 'O' (Emma Thompson).  Thompson, who is always welcome in any picture, here seems just slightly off tone.  The plot this time around concerns one 'Boris the Animal' (Jemaine Clement), a Boglodite alien who was captured and imprisoned on the moon after Agent K shot off his arm in 1969.  The opening sequence has Boris escaping from the moon, and with none too subtle exposition, explains that he intends to seek revenge on Agent K by traveling back in time to kill him before he has an opportunity to shoot off his arm.

One might rightly question the extreme vengeance Boris seeks, but once you see what his remaining arm is capable of, it almost resonates with the audience why he might want the other one back.  Through a perplexing series of events, and after a shoot-out in a seedy chinese restaraunt that recalls some of the best sequences of the previous films, Agent K is seemingly erased from existence.  Everyone but Agent J has apparently lost their memories of dear Agent K, and after observing a very specific craving exhibited by J, Agent O postulates that this must be a result of a disturbance in the space-time continuum.  Of course.  Working together they confirm that Boris must have gone back to 1969 and succeeded in his assassination plot.  The obvious solution in these situations is to send Agent J back through time to stop Boris from killing off K.  How he is capable of achieving this results in the film's best sequence, albeit in well-rendered CGI.

Admittedly, the central plot of "Men in Black 3" feels a bit shoehorned into the established world of the series and Boris the Animal is perhaps a bit TOO sinister for the light-hearted nature of the franchise.  This movie goes to great lengths to establish the backstory and history of Agent K, but if Boris is so central to that history, why was he never at least mentioned in the earlier films?  My guess is that the story hadn't been thought of.  Considering that filming got underway without a second or third act, perhaps the filmmakers didn't yet know what to make of Boris as a character.  Strange then, that the third act of "Men in Black 3" is also its strongest.  The first act relies so heavily on our familiarity with the two main characters, that the screenplay too confidently jumps headlong into the complex mythology of time travel and K's history with Boris.  The problem with that is that it's been fifteen years since the first film and ten years since the second.  The audience needs time to get reacquainted with our Men in Black, but instead, Tommy Lee Jones is literally whisked away within minutes to make way for Josh Brolin to step in as a younger version.

Josh Brolin as a young Agent K is inspired casting, but not quite as convincing as the trailers may have suggested.  It was well-publicised how much time Brolin spent studying Tommy Lee Jones' manerisms and movements, but there is still a slight disconnect between the two men.  A more convincing look-alike for my money is Josh Hartnett; but the caliber of Brolin's performance is touching and respectful to the older version.  Will Smith remains engaging as Agent J and is able to deliver one-liners better than any blockbuster actor I can think of.  The nice thing is, despite re-writes, this screenplay is smart and funny, which goes along way for selling an almost stale franchise.  I'm not sure this third outing is entirely justifiable, especially amid the start of a summer with two of the biggest films of all time being released, but it's a significant amount better than the second film and almost as good as the first.

"Men in Black 3" is a good way to send off the series, I think; and Barry Sonnenfeld would be wise to do so.  With the ending, you get the sense that that is even what he had in mind.  It is surprisingly emotional, and I had to dab my eyes a couple times.  That isn't something to be expected with a picture like this, but it is to its credit that it was able to illicit that reaction.  Between that and the amusing chemistry of the three leads, "Men in Black 3" is worth experiencing.  It goes without saying that you can skip the 3D.  It adds nothing.  The minor compalint is that it spends a bit too much time focusing on time travel and an almost too sinister villain to really immerse us in the alien mythology the way the first film did.  Despite that, I suppose the best compliment I could pay "Men in Black 3" is that you don't want to be neuralyzed after watching it.  And Will Smith certainly doesn't need to improvise one of his wild stories to justify the price of admission.