Based on the comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to the 2012 re-boot where Peter Parker deals with new foes as well as trying to protect his girlfriend Gwen Stacy while trying to uncover the secret of his parents’ disappearance. Directed by Marc Webb and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinker from a story by Kurtzman, Orci, Pinker, and James Vanderbilt. The film has Parker struggle with his role as superhero as he also deals with elements of his family’s past as well as deal with new foes as Andrew Garfield reprises his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Also starring Emma Stone, Sally Field, Dane DeHaan, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, and Chris Cooper. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an extremely messy, bloated, and very uninteresting film from Marc Webb.
The film revolves around Spider-Man not only dealing with being a superhero who saves everyone in New York City but also coping with who he is as Peter Parker as he tries to juggle a lot in his plate as his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) begins to suffer. Especially as he sees ghostly visions of Stacy’s father (Denis Leary) which forces Peter to keep a promise that Gwen’s father has asked. When an old friend of Peter in Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) returns to take over his father’s business, Peter begins to wonder about what happened to his parents and why they left him as he faces a series of villains that all have a grudge towards Spider-Man. It’s a film that could’ve been very simple but due to many subplots and stories revolving around Parker’s struggle in his relationship with Stacy as well as the secrets about his family ends up being a film that is very incomprehensible and hard to follow at times.
The film’s screenplay is an example of how messy the film is as it tries to put a lot into the story where it would move from one subplot to another. It’s one of the reasons why the film felt hollow and unsatisfying as it is unable to really do something. At the same time, there are aspects of the script that look like it wanted to say something but it ended up being cut out in the end due to time constraints and such. The villains in the film aren’t very interesting as Aleksi Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti) is just a crazed thief who only appears in an early sequence and at the film’s ending. The character Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) starts off as this nerd whom Spider-Man saves but an accident involving electric eels where he becomes Electro has him end up being one of the lamest villains ever. While the character arc of Harry Osborn is sort of interesting, the payoff in having him become the Green Goblin is another disappointing moment.
There’s so much in the script that really fails to really do anything as the story involving Peter’s father Richard (Campbell Scott) does get unveiled but ends up raising more questions about exactly what was Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) trying to do that led to Richard’s disappearance. Even as it relates to Harry who is succumbing from a disease that would claim Norman as it would play into this confrontation between him and Peter in the third act. There’s attempts to put in some humor in the film as it involves a captured Electro and a mad scientist in Dr. Kafka (Marton Csokas) which doesn’t work at all. While the few highlights in the script involves Peter trying to maintain his friendship with Gwen as well as trying to get answers from Aunt May (Sally Field) about his father. It’s not enough to really save the film from being interesting.
Marc Webb’s direction is definitely all over the place as it’s clear that he was trying to do something where he wants to give audiences everything they want. Instead, it’s a film that feels like several different movies that all feature Spider-Man but none of it really feels cohesive. The sequence of Spider-Man chasing Sytsevich that is inter-cut with Gwen becoming valedictorian is an example of what the film is going to be as it tries to be funny and exciting but ends up being very incomprehensible. While Webb does keep things simple for scenes involving Peter and Gwen as it includes a few funny moments, some of the humor does feel forced such as a scene where a security officer (B.J. Novak) tries to go after Gwen.
It’s among the many issues that the film has where Webb definitely feels overwhelmed by the scale as some sequences such as Spider-Man’s first battle with Electro in Time Square is quite bloated as would the climatic two-on-one battle between Electro and the Green Goblin. There’s very little chance for the audience to grasp into what is happening where it meanders in some places while the payoffs end up being very disappointing. Then there’s the ending which is very clear that Webb isn’t in control as it does feel over-drawn and overblown to set things up for the next film. Even as there’s parts of the film where it feels like they’ve been cut down to get things moving as it feels like they’re part of something longer. All of which is shown that it’s a studio that is in control of the film and the overall result is a film that doesn’t bring anything exciting nor anything that is remotely entertaining but rather pointless and empty.
Cinematographer Daniel Mindel does some nice work with cinematography for some of the scenes in New York City but it never really does anything to stand out visually as it often feels like it‘s dominated by visual effects. Editor Pierto Scalia does terrible work with the editing as it plays into too much fast-cutting for the action scenes while some of the montages of Spider-Man doing his duty is comically bad. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Susan Bode and supervising art director Richard L. Johnson, does excellent work with the set pieces from the look of the Oscorp building and its main office as well a few places in the city. Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott does good work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the corporate clothes of the people at Oscorp.
Makeup designer Ve Neill does some OK work with the look of Electro in his electronic state though the look of the Green Goblin ends up being very silly. Visual effects supervisor Gregory L. McMurry does some superb work with the visual effects for the way Spider-Man moves around with his webs though some of it is very bloated such as the scenes involving Electro with all sorts of electricity that just looks dumb. Sound designers Eric A. Norris and Addison Teague do some fine work with the sound though some of the sound effects feels like they‘re trying to create sounds for dubstep records which were unnecessary. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer, Johnny Marr, and Pharrell Williams has some worthwhile moments in its orchestral score from Zimmer with some guitar flourishes by Marr yet much of the contributions from Williams as well as Junkie XL, Michael Einzinger, and a few others are awful as it ranges from bad dubstep electronic music to other bombastic moments that are terrible while some of the music contributions from Phillips Phillips and OK Go is just crap.
The casting by Kathleen Chopin definitely has some moments though many of the actors that do appear in the film definitely are wasted in some uninspiring parts such as Felicity Jones as Harry’s assistant Felicia, B.J. Novak as an Oscorp securities officer, Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Peter’s parents in the film’s opening sequence, Colm Feore as an Oscorp executive who tries to cover things up from Harry, and Denis Leary in a very silly performance as Gwen’s late father who continuously haunts Peter about keeping that vow. Marton Csokas is hilariously awful as Dr. Kafka who is this mad scientist that seems to be from another film as he’s playing music from A Clockwork Orange as it’s a performance that is just mind-numbingly stupid to watch. Chris Cooper is OK in his brief role as an ailing Norman Osborn who warns Harry about what will happen to him as it’s a good performance but definitely under-written considering Norman’s history with Peter’s father.
Paul Giamatti is horrible as Aleksi Sytsevich as this Russian criminal who battles Spider-Man early in the film as he sports a bad accent as he isn’t seen until he is part of the film’s over-drawn ending as Rhino. Sally Field is excellent as Aunt May as she is trying to cope with being all alone and caring for Peter while admitting that there’s some dark truths in relation to Peter’s father that she doesn’t want Peter to know about. Jamie Foxx is alright as Max Dillon/Electro as this nerd who thinks he’s special when he meets Spider-Man only to get into an accident as he becomes this very lame villain which doesn’t do anything for Foxx. Dane DeHaan is pretty good as Harry Osborn as this old friend of Peter who learns he is dying from a disease only to go crazy as DeHaan does goes overboard with being over the top while looking very stupid as the Green Goblin.
Emma Stone is wonderful as Gwen Stacy as Peter’s longtime girlfriend who copes with him being the superhero as well as the vow he made with her father as she tries to uncover the things that Oscorp is hiding. Finally, there’s Andrew Garfield in a fine performance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man as Garfield has some moments where he is being cool and anguished but some of the humorous moments feel awkward as well as some of the very emotive scenes as it’s really due to the script that doesn’t do him any favors.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a film that doesn’t live up to its amazing namesake. In fact, it is an absolutely horrific and extremely lifeless film that doesn’t offer very much other than elements of boredom and too many storylines that it is hard to follow. It’s a film that showcases what happens when a franchise gets re-booted for the wrong reasons and in the hands of people who don’t know a thing about films. In the end, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a horrendously bloated and nonsensical film from Marc Webb and the people of Sony and Marvel.
Spider Man Films: Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - The Amazing Spider-Man - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Spider-Man: Far from Home - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - (Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Derek Cianfrance and written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder from a story by Cianfrance and Coccio, The Place Beyond the Pines is a multi-layered story about two different men who cross into each other’s paths leaving way for their sons to meet many years later. The film is an exploration into the sins of a father and how it would play into the life of their sons. Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn, and Ray Liotta. The Place Beyond the Pines is a mesmerizing and sprawling film from Derek Cianfrance.
When a child arrives into the world, the one thing that their fathers hope to do is to make sure they raise their children better than their fathers did in the previous generation. The film is a story that spans 20 years as it revolves two very different men whose paths would cross each other as they would later set a troubling fate for their sons many years later when they meet not knowing what they have in common. The film has a very unique narrative where it has a traditional three-act structure yet it plays into the fates that would come into play as it all takes place in Schenectady, New York. Notably as the first two acts is about the two different men whose fates would cross each other and the impact it would have as its third act revolves the lives of their sons as teenagers.
The screenplay’s three acts are about these four different men as the first act is about a motorcycle stuntman named Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling). The second act is about a good low-level cop named Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) and the third is about their two sons whose paths would meet each other many years later. The first two act show these two men who both have very good intentions for what they want to do in life as well as set good examples of their sons but they would encounter things that would set the fates for their sons to follow. Notably as Glanton would turn to crime to provide for his son while Cross finds himself in a world of corruption as he turns snitch in order to move up in the world. The paths these two men take would have some uneasy consequences the two would make as well as create a sense of guilt of the path that they take as it would cause trouble for their sons.
The third act showcases a modern world in which Avery Cross has reinvented himself as a politician but one who is still carrying the guilt over his encounter with Glanton as he is also troubled by the antics of his son AJ (Emory Cohen). When A.J. meets a teenager named Jason (Dane DeHaan) who is has no knowledge that Glanton is his real father, their meeting would not only cause a lot of trouble but also unveil the secrets that Avery Cross had been carrying his whole life. While the film is largely about father and sons, there are women who are present in the story as Luke’s former girlfriend Romina (Eva Mendes) is hesitant about having Luke in her life as some of the events that happen forces her to not tell Jason about her father. Avery’s wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) may not have much time as Romina but she is still crucial as a woman who is forced to see her husband move away from her and the family to do right as he becomes more uncomfortable being called a hero.
Derek Cianfrance’s direction is quite stylish in not just the way he presents Schenectady, New York as an interesting area that is a mixture of a modern world clashing with nature but also a place where it’s a small microcosm that is quite uneasy. With some very interesting tracking shots such as the opening shot of the camera following Luke Glanton around the fairground just as he’s to perform his stunt. There is an air of grain to the look of the film as if it’s meant to create a sense of atmosphere and nostalgia as much of the film takes place somewhere in the 1980s or 1990s. Particularly in the first act as Cianfrance places an air of grit with some hand-held cameras to intensify things as well as placing the cameras for some very stylish chase scenes.
Things cool down during the second act where the framing and camerawork is more controlled as it is dramatic but also filled with some suspense as it revolves around Avery Cross’ encounter with corruption. There are scenes that play into a sense of danger but also melancholy as Cross begins to alienate himself from his family to battle corruption. The third act becomes a mixture of both preceding acts but it has an air of tragedy as it relates to the events in the preceding two acts and how both Avery Cross and Luke Glanton would set up this very troubling fate for the meeting of their sons and how it all comes back to the past. Overall, Derek Cianfrance creates a very compelling and intense film about fathers and the sins they unknowingly create for their sons.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does brilliant work with the film‘s photography where he infuses some grainy camera work into the picture as well as maintaining something very naturalistic for many of the film‘s exteriors as well as placing some lights for some stylish moments of the film. Editors Jim Helton and Ron Patane do excellent work with the editing by using some stylish cuts for some of the film‘s chase scenes as well as some more slow-paced yet methodical cuts for the dramatic moments. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Jasmine E. Ballou and art director Michael Ahern, does wonderful work with the set pieces from the trailer and auto shop that Luke lives in to the home of Avery Cross to represent the two different worlds they live in.
Costume designer Erin Benach does terrific work with the costumes from the ragged clothes of Luke as well as the more youthful clothes that Romina wears in the first act to the more casual look of Avery Cross in the film‘s second act as he becomes a more refined man in the third. Sound designer Dan Flosdorf does amazing work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the fairgrounds as well as the chase scenes and some very intense moments in some of dramatic portions of the film. The film’s music by Mike Patton is superb for its very haunting use of ambient textures and vocal choirs as well as some low-key orchestration to create dramatic moods for the film. Music supervisor Gabe Hilfer creates a fantastic soundtrack that includes a wide array of music ranging from classical pieces from Avro Part and Gregorio Allegri as well as contemporary music from Bruce Springsteen, Hall and Oates, The Cryin’ Shame, Ennio Morricone, Suicide, Bon Iver, Salem, and Two Fingers.
The casting by Cindy Tolan is incredible for the ensemble that was used as it includes some notable small performances from Gabe Fazio as Cross’ fellow officer Scott, Olga Merediz as Romina’s mother, Robert Clohessy as Cross’ chief, Harris Yulin as Avery’s father, Bruce Greenwood as a district attorney who questions Cross about the corruption in the force, and Mahershala Ali as Romina’s boyfriend Kofi who would become the one father figure Jason would have in his life. Ray Liotta is excellent as a corrupt officer who takes Cross around to show him the benefits which makes Cross uneasy while Ben Mendelsohn is terrific as the auto shop owner Robin who aids Luke in the bank robberies. Emory Cohen is very good as Cross’ son AJ as a young city kid who is forced to live with his father as he tries to rule the town.
Dane DeHaan is brilliant as Luke and Romina’s son Jason as a young loner teen who meets AJ as he becomes troubled by the revelations about who is father is as well as the fact that his mother has been carrying a secret about his father. Rose Byrne is superb in a small role as Avery’s wife Jennifer as a woman who tries to deal with the new fame her husband has as well as the things he does that has her alienated from him. Eva Mendes is great as Luke’s old flame Romina who deals with Luke’s return as well as what he tries to do as she later becomes a bitter woman trying to carry a secret that she doesn’t want her son to know about.
Bradley Cooper is marvelous as Avery Cross as a good man who finds himself entangled in the world of police corruption as he seeks to do something right only to drive away his family as he becomes consumed with guilt over his actions and how his son has turned out. Ryan Gosling is phenomenal as Luke Glanton as an intense man wanting to do right for his ex-girlfriend and their son as he turns to crime to provide for them only to set things in motion for the sense of confusion his son would endure in the years to come.
The Place Beyond the Pines is an outstanding film from Derek Cianfrance that features top-notch performances from Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. Along with a great supporting cast, amazing technical work, and Mike Patton’s chilling score. The film is definitely a very captivating look into the world of fathers and the sins they place into their sons as well as the theme of redemption. In the end, The Place Beyond the Pines is a remarkable film from Derek Cianfrance.
Derek Cianfrance Films: (Brother Tied) - Blue Valentine - (Cagefighter) - (Metalhead)
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Bradley Rust Gray, Jack & Diane is the story about two teenage girls who fall in love with each other as their romance intensify until one of them has to move away leading to all sorts of issues. The film is an exploration into young love as well as its complexities at such a young age. Starring Juno Temple, Riley Keough, Dane DeHann, Cara Seymour, Haviland Morris, and Kylie Minogue. Jack & Diane is an interesting but very messy film from Bradley Rust Gray.
After losing her cell phone, Diane (Juno Temple) wanders around Brooklyn trying to make a phone call as she enters a store where she meets a tomboy named Jack (Riley Keough). The two eventually go to a club where they kiss for the first time as their relationship starts to blossom. When Diane’s aunt Linda (Cara Seymour) finds out about the relationship, she isn’t happy as she revealed to Jack that Diane is leaving for Paris in two-weeks to attend school there. Jack is devastated where the two briefly break up until Jack learns something about Diane’s twin sister Karen. The two reunite as Jack and Diane spend their time together before Diane leaves for Paris where eventually, the two would make an encounter with strange things around them.
The film is essentially a love story between two teenage girls in Brooklyn where they spend their summer being together as one of them is set to leave for Paris to attend school there. Meanwhile, there’s some strange things happening as one of the girls has been having nosebleeds as she’s been going into some weird transformations that would shock both of them. While the premise is interesting, the screenplay ends up being meandering in terms of its plot schematics where it’s not sure where to go or what to do. There’s also some awkward writing in the dialogue while there’s also a lot of strange sub-stories regarding some things inside Diane’s body that would eventually be unveiled in the third act.
Bradley Rust Gray’s direction has some engaging moments in the way he builds up the relationship between Jack and Diane with some interesting shots as well as shooting it on location in Brooklyn. Yet, Gray seems unsure in what kind of film he wants to make where the screenplay really doesn’t do much to make the relationship more intriguing as the film progresses. Throughout the film, there’s these strange animated inserts by the Brothers Quay that establishes a lot of the things that’s happening to Diane. By the time the film reaches its third act, things start to drag when it comes to the eventual reveal about Diane and Jack’s encounter with it as it leads to very over-drawn moments concerning the film’s ending. Overall, Gray creates a film that had an interesting idea but falls flat in its inability to define itself as what kind of film it wants to be.
Cinematographer Anne Misawa does nice work with the photography from the wonderful look of the Brooklyn exterior settings to the array of lights at the club Jack and Diane attend. Editors Bradley Rust Gray and So Yong Kim do terrific work with the editing to capture the intensity of the relationship through some stylish cuts along with fade-outs for the transitions. Production designer Chris Trujillo and art director Matt Marks do some good work with the set pieces such as Diane‘s room as well as the club she and Jack go to. Costume designer Audrey Louise Reynolds does excellent work with the costumes from the tomboyish look of Jack to the more colorful clothing of Diane.
The creature design by Gabe Bartalos is quite good for its sense of horror although it just adds to the confusing nature of the film. The animation by the Quay Brothers is a highlight for the way it looks though the inserts they put in doesn‘t really seem to help out the film‘s narrative. Sound designer Kent Sparling does superb work with the sound from the way the music is heard on location to the atmosphere of the locations the characters encounter at. The music by the group mum is a major highlight of the film for its ambient textures and space-like tone to convey the sense of longing between the two protagonists. Music supervisor Rachel Fox creates a wonderful soundtrack that features music by Jonsi, Shellac, the Dillinger Escape Plan, some electronic music, and a great cover of Yazoo’s Only You by the Flying Pickets.
The casting by Sig de Miguel and Stephen Vincent is stellar as it features some cameo appearances from pop queen Kylie Minogue as a tattooed lesbian that Jack hangs out with, Lou Taylor Pucci as a guy in a web video, Haviland Morris as Jack’s mom, and Dane DeHaan as Jack’s co-worker Chris. Cara Seymour is good as Diane’s aunt Linda though it’s a character that doesn’t get much to do. Finally, there’s the duo of Riley Keough and Juno Temple in their respective roles as Jack and Diane. Keough brings a restrained yet calm performance as the tomboyish Jack as she tries to figure out about Diane. Temple is more outgoing as Diane as well as the way she goes into awkward moments as their performances are a real highlight of the film despite its weak script.
Jack & Diane is a really underwhelming film from Bradley Rust Gray despite the lead performances of Juno Temple and Riley Keough as well as terrific film soundtrack. It’s a film that really has no idea what it wants to be where it ends up meandering throughout and leading the film to drag at times. In the end, Jack & Diane is a terribly incomprehensible film from Bradley Rust Gray.
© thevoid99 2012
