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.

This is no General Assembly

Here it is at last; the world's mightiest heroes assembled for the first time in a live action feature.  Marvel's "The Avengers" is perhaps the most hotly anticipated event in the history of fanboy geekdom, and I don't make a habit of tossing those words around in everyday conversation.  As directed by the already legendary Joss Whedon, "The Avengers" works marvelously as the culmination of the events from each of the previous films in the Marvel film Universe.  I doubt I need to remind you that that includes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America.  Hopefully, if you're reading this and are going to see the movie, you know what has occured with these characters before, because otherwise I don't know what to do for you. 

As "The Avengers" begins, the vengeful Loki (Tom Hiddleston), last seen in "Thor" dropping into the deep realms of space, has become buddy buddy with an alien race called the Chitauri, lead by a mysterious figure known as the Other.  Their deal is to have Loki travel to earth to recover the Tesseract (aka the cosmic cube, last seen in "Captain America") from S.H.I.E.L.D agents, who have had it in their possession since Howard Stark recovered it from the bottom of the ocean shortly after WWII.  With the Tesseract, Loki will be able to invite the Chitaurian army to earth, where they will do his bidding in exchange for the Tesseract itself.  The opening scenes set up the success of this plan as Loki assaults a secret S.H.I.E.L.D base and uses his magic to pursuade Clint Barton, alias Hawkeye (Jeremy renner), and Dr. Eric Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) to assist him.

After this assault, S.H.I.E.L.D leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) reiniates his plan to assemble the mightiest heroes imagineable.  He personally invites the recently thawed Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), who is feeling a bit out of place in a modern world.  The screenplay provides him some humorously perceptive lines about the ways in which the world has changed.  Fury also dispatches the loyal Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) to convince Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) to have a look at Dr. Selvig's research.  Stark is used to working with similar technology to power his new Stark Tower on unlimited sustainable energy.  Meanwhile, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) tries her best to convice Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to come assist them with tracking the location of the Tesseract because it gives off Gamma radiation signatures, which is something the, er, angry Dr. Banner is familiar with.  Mark Ruffalo gives probably the best performance yet as Banner, which is a hard sell since we don't even see his big, green alter-ego until just over halfway through the picture.

If this already sounds like dense plotting and a crowded picture, it's because it is.  Once you figure in Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), another prominent member of S.H.I.E.L.D, there are no less than 10 main characters to balance.  And oh man is there ever balance.  At 142 minutes, "The Avengers" manages to find brilliant character beats for every single person on screen, and smashes them headlong into one breathtaking action set piece after another.  A standout is when Thor arrives on earth to intervene with his adopted brother's plans.  This leads to contention between other members of the Avengers, because for many reasons, they all have different motivations for wanting to stop Loki.  Obviously for Thor, this is a very personal matter.  He'd simply like to take Loki home for some bad Assgardian justice, and Iron Man needs him to stick around.  Loki takes advantage of that hostility to play them off one another at vital moments.  Those moments resonate well because each character has been established so well individually that we understand they both have a point.

In my review of "Captain America", I theorised that, of all the Avengers, Bruce Banner and Captain America have it the hardest because they didn't necessarily choose their circumstances.  That is a really prominent trait here and provides them some very compelling interplay with one another.  Mark Ruffalo and Chris Evans are becoming so intuitive as actors, that it really sells the quiet understanding and respect that Banner and Rogers have for each other.  The best scenes take place aboard a gigantic 'hellicarrier' that serves as a mobile base of operations where the four heroes along with the members of S.H.I.E.L.D scramble to locate the Tesseract before it opens the gate that will welcome Earth's new guests.  The sense of tension is two-fold, because while the Avengers struggle to work out their differences, Loki has set a plan in motion that we watch slowly play out while the heroes are distracted.  This plan leads to an ambush and tragedy which becomes a motivating circumstance for everyone.

What follows is an onslaught of gleefully executed action that bounces from character to character, leaving nobody short changed.  Part of the brilliance of the screenplay is that it sets up developments that require everyone to work together, and sometimes pair off.  The camerawork also provides consistent spacial awareness, and this helps the audience keep track of everything that is going on.  Because their individual strengths are so well established, we instictively understand who will be better suited to what task and aren't surprised by their weaker points.  For instance, Iron Man can take to the skies to provide aerial support while Hulk and the good Captain do some pummeling on the ground.   Thor finds a balance by being able to transverse both spaces.  Even the non-super heroes can hold their own.  Black Widow can certainly take care of herself, especially in confined spaces, and once Hawkeye snaps out of his trance, his skills with the bow are used to great effect.

That Whedon is able to juggle all this chaos in a cohesive motion picture is nothing short of hypnotic.  He has seemingly mastered an element from each director of the previous features and displays them here with elegant pacing and a perfect balance of tone.  The beginning of the film plays like the sum of the endings of the previous Marvel installments; and when it comes time to introduce each Avenger and assemble the team, it even has the good grace to sidestep the usual montage showing us what the characters are up to.  Instead, the screenplay wisely conveys each character as already being in the loop and assumes that we are to.  "The Avengers" certainly won't do much for you if you haven't seen these guys before in their own movies; especially if you have a habit of leaving before the end of the credits.

Over-stuffed pictures almost never work successfully (consider "Spider-Man 3") but I think where "The Avengers" gets it right is by taking advantage of the fact that we are already familiar with these fellas and by scrapping any exposition that would need to re-establish them.  I also suspect that Marvel Studios respects the bottom line of their profits, and rigthfully understood that it depends absolutely on making the fanboys happy by doing this story justice.  Therefore, Joss Whedon was given reign to pay respects to each vital trait of each Avenger, and give them the screen time they deserve. Any flaws are easily overlooked because considering the difficulty of showcasing 10 movie stars, 4 of which come from their own movie, it is amazing that it can even be conceptualized successfully.  It is because of the character moments, and the sheer giddiness of seeing four iconic heroes stand shoulder to shoulder that "The Avengers" works.  Really, you could place these guys in any environment and it would have the same effect.  The climactic battle takes place in mid-town Manhattan because, where else?  There always must be countless innocent civillains to show us the peril and human cost and New York has always been the go-to place to do this.  Thing is, we've seen New York smashed up so many times, including in "The Incredible Hulk" that it leaves an almost subconcious yearning for a change of venue. For instance, we could watch this battle play out in corn fields in Kansas, and would still probably not be able to contain our excitement.

In any case, it is impossible to sit through "The Avengers" and not grin throughout.  If you aren't grinning, your jaw is hanging open, and if your jaw isn't hanging open, then what are you doing at the movies?  Even after multiple viewings, I can't imagine this film will ever be anything less than thrilling.  It is presented with masterful direction, well-placed humor and high-priced effects.  You definitely get what you pay for and then some.  For me, the Incredible Hulk steals the show everytime he does anything here.  In fact, the only let-down of the night was that the promised new trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises"  did not show before the movie.  The disappointment of that left me feeling a bit like Dr. Bruce Banner, and I could really sympathize with him.  That probably had something to do with it.