Let's talk movies! (spoilers abound)

[diaphenia]

First up....Safety Not Guaranteed. 



Aubrey Plaza plays her character, April Lite, just fine. But the love story between her and the yahoo who wants to travel through time is unconvincing- possibly due to the age-gap, which seems really wide, and possibly due to the fact that he's a little off his rocker. There are men in black chasing after him- or ARE THEY? No, they are, and when he gets in a boat made of stolen lasers they sort of stand on the edge and watch him rather than- arresting him? recording this? just what the hell are they there FOR? Why did they trail him for several years and never oh-so-casually break into his secret lab thing? Lazy. The whole movie's pretty lazy. 

My is-this-movie-good? test is usually how long before I pull out my cell phone? Forty minutes or so

. 




The Amazing Spider-man



It was a movie! And it happened, and then it was over, and I sort of shrugged. There were some good moments- I liked Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield when they had scenes together, the skateboard tricks were totally bitchin', man, and I cried over Uncle Ben, but you can't kill President Martin Sheen without causing me to cry a little. But generally, the movie left me cold. I think they rushed the Spider-stuff- for instance, Peter's first swing from his newly-made webshooters is from a thirty story building. Does this kid have no fear whatsoever? His costume goes from a sort of red sock over his head to a full-on suit, just like that. He never seemed afraid, which is not compelling. 

And the lizard is terrible. Might have worked better if they kept him in the shadows, but then he challenges Peter to a fight in his high school in the broad daylight, and just no. No. I think half the problem is that it's way more interesting if we can see a villain that's more human- maybe still part lizard, or whatever, but still clearly human. And this guy wasn't. Which was a choice, but maybe not the best one. 

Also, Peter? Sort of a jerk. 

Oh! And what the hell is a high schooler doing as an intern for a prominent scientist at a SCIENCE LAB? That whole thing seemed lazy and silly, as did the "LIZARD ANTIDOTE" machine they just happened to have, which, whatever. Sure there is.  

But I would love an AU movie where a be-uncled Peter flirts with Gwen Stacy and they go to prom together with the mean jock kid. 

(If you go see it, don't leave when the credits start, because SEQUEL BAIT)







Moonrise Kingdom



Holy crap, I loved this movie. I mean, really loved it. It was a bit of a trial getting to see it, as the power went out twice the first time- meanwhile, Battleship played just fine- but I got to go back and finally finish it and it was glorious. Every moment was a visual delight- I enjoy the 1960s aesthetically, and this movie just dives right in and plays. 

The two stars, Jared Gilman and Kara Haywar, were fantastic. I predict great things for those kids. I loved every moment they were on screen, but probably my favorite scene was the letter-writing scene. 

Of the adults, I loved everyone, of course, but Scout Master Ward is a personal favorite. 

The whole thing is beautiful and well-orchestrated and a little gut-wrenching. There was only one sour note for me- Sam getting struck by lightning, which was predictable. I rolled my eyes. But other than that, just flawless. 

Two shallow notes: in keeping with tradition, one of my key take-aways from the movie is that I need to wear my eye makeup like the star, and thus will be incorporating blue eyeshadow into my life. And I need the soundtrack like I need oxygen. 


See what would-be long-distance movie date ballroompink had to say about it here. 

Comments

[rebeccavis.livejournal.com]

Thank you for confirming my expectations of The Amazing Spider-Man. Now I know for sure not to go see it!

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

I mean. You know. It's a movie. And most of the elements were there. I kept sitting there thinking I should be applauding. But... no. It just didn't click. I don't know.

Disappointing, to be sure. I was looking forward to this one. Makes me nervous for Dark Knight Rises.

[whimsical-irony.livejournal.com]

I'm so pumped for Dark Knight! But then again, I'm also a huge fan of Chris Nolan in general. Dude knows how to turn it out.

[stillscape.livejournal.com]

I think I told you my thoughts on Safety Not Guaranteed when I saw it? It's been a while so I don't really remember. I enjoyed it for the most part, but thought it collapsed under the weight of its own indie-ness in quite a few places, including for all the reasons you mentioned. But I mostly liked it. I wasn't taking it too seriously.

And I loved Moonrise Kingdom so hard. It's such its own little world, and I loved that, and I loved how Wes Anderson-y it is and basically everything. Did I ever send you the pictures of when I was Margot Tenebaum for Halloween? I should probably do that.

Spider-Man I refuse to see. We just had Spider-Man movies. I don't need them to start all over again. (Boyfriend saw the new one and said it was basically just the old one but the CG is a little better and he likes Emma Stone more than Kirsten Dunst.)

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

You absolutely need to send me that picture.

Spider-Man. Ugh. The CGI is better, but the movies aren't as good. And I like Emma Stone too, but she really didn't have that much to do. So... eh.

[sullen-aquarian.livejournal.com]

Ed Norton was SO good in Moonrise Kingdom. I've never seen him so endearing.

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, he was so adorable. I don't normally feel super strongly about him, but he was just precious in that khaki uniform. When they ripped the badge off him I gasped.

[ballroom_pink.livejournal.com]

And to have it done by Harvey Keitel! Re-ough.
I know I posted most of my thoughts on my tumblr and thanks for linking to it but I just want to repeat how lovely and beautiful and full of melancholy this film is!
Have you seen the commercial where Bill Murray tells a little something about the main cast members - Frances McDormand - she played that cop in Fargo; Edward Norton playing against type; and Bruce Willis playing another cop?

[whimsical-irony.livejournal.com]

I spent most of the movie wanting to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off Peter Parker's face. And I know it's not her natural hair color, but I like Emma Stone as a redhead better.

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you think on this. Peter worked for me when he was a sort of bullied high school kid- and I was surprised I bought him as a high schooler, given that AG is 28- but then once he had his magic powers I just wanted to punch him in the face.

Emma Stone is one of those women- Nicole Kidman is another- who just needs to have red hair all the time. Blonde does neither of them any favors.

[whimsical-irony.livejournal.com]

For me, the appeal of Spiderman was always that he was probably the most relatable superhero. He wasn't born with super-human powers; he wasn't a gazillionaire who could do whatever he pleased. He was just a dorky kid who lived with his middle-class relatives. He probably read comics (meta!) in his spare time, when he wasn't playing video games. And not to be flippant, but Tobey Maguire in that role? I buy it. Andrew Garfield? Not so much. If AG were a nerd, he'd be the student body president, or the editor-in-chief of the school paper.

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there was nothing particularly relatable about AG's Peter Parker. He apparently had a bunch of money to buy.... I don't even know, electronic whatever things to create these web shooters, and his mask he had to custom order, presumably, and organic eggs, and I assume he had his own car to go pick up his aunt? Even though we never saw it, he must have, right? In addition to his uncle having his own car, in New York. He was just this smug little bastard with a really high GPA and unlimited freetime.

[rebeccavis.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't really judge not having seen it, but I saw a clip and read a review where somebody else mentioned that Peter Parker is very different once he gets his powers, too. The way Tobey Maguire played it was very sweet, like he was astonished by them and kind of accidentally used them to get revenge on his bullies, but the review I read made out that in the new movie it turns Peter into kind of a jerk. That's one thing that really puts me off seeing it, TBH.

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I think Peter took way too much joy in tormenting his bully. President Martin Sheen thought so too. Which would work if he showed humility by the end of the movie, if this was a lesson he learned, but... by the end of the movie he was still hinting he'd break that promise to his sort-of girlfriend's dead dad that he wouldn't date her, and coming in late to class, and generally being exactly the same kid he was once he got his powers.

[rebeccavis.livejournal.com]

I wonder if that was a directorial decision. I don't know, I heard Sam Raimi was a huge fan of the comics, and to me it felt like he had his heart in the right place. I don't know what Marc Webb's relationship is to the comics, but he directed (500) Days of Summer, which I absolutely despise, and I also think has a bit of a mean streak running through it.

[(Anonymous)]

I would pay LOTS of money to see that AU.

Maybe make it happen? IN FIC?

[throwingpens.livejournal.com]

I'm your anon. My freaking phone won't stay logged in.

[ballroom_pink.livejournal.com]

Stupid phones. Ah, technology!

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

I don't know how to write fic for other fandoms.

[throwingpens.livejournal.com]

I bet you could do it if you wanted.

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly certain if I, one of, oh, a dozen people who write Parks fic leave the fandom to go write for a giant fandom like comic books everyone is going to eat your face.

And you'll be sad.

Because you'll have no face.

[throwingpens.livejournal.com]

Write in both? *duhdoy*

My face regenrates and anyway the hospital plasticy surgeon people would totally give me a dead person's face (though the dead person would probably not have my super adorable freckles and awesome lips* so maybe not).



*Note: I believe that my lips have the perfect upper-lip to lower-lip ratio. Not indicating anything else.

[lizinstereo.livejournal.com]

Okay, I am here to defend Spider-Man. For the record, I am a Spidey fan. I used to read the comics as a teen; I haven't read them in a while.

The main problem with the Raimi series is that they neutered Peter and took away the asshole/genius elements. They turned him into a dork.

Teen!Peter is an ass. He is moody and selfish and blames other people for his problems. The one time he fails to use his powers for good, his uncle dies. So, I think the new movie did a better job with that element of the origin story. More importantly, this movie took the time to show how he evolves with regard to his powers. He starts with revenge and then moves into crime fighting; there's a sense of growth that I felt was missing in the original film. I think Andrew did a much better job at nailing the character than Tobey, even though the Raimi film has a more accurate origin scenario (with the wrestling match and the carjacking).

Peter is also a genius. They ignored this in the original series. He builds the web shooters from scratch. So, the Dork!Tobey!Spider-Man was more relatable, but not true to the character. When they showed Peter solving crazy equations, I thought, "that is the Peter I remember!" He can also be vindictive and mean (hence the wise-cracking, which was nonexistent in the previous films).

The Spider-Man series thrives on idiot villains and fake science. Raimi elevated the villains to another level. In canon, the villains really are that stupid (even Doctor Octopus). It's not Spider-Man if there isn't a dumb solution like a biological weapon deployment tower. Just look up the Clone Saga and you'll see what I mean. There's no room for realism in Spider-Man.

At the end of the movie, Peter hasn't grown up. He still thinks he's invincible. When Gwen dies (she will die, her death is probably one of the most famous ones in comic book history), he will be humbled and regret being reckless. Right now, he has no regrets because he's young and dumb and thinks he's making his uncle proud. He doesn't know any better and he doesn't have a good living role model/mentor to give him a sense of perspective.

The main problem with the new film is that they were originally going to do something epically stupid and avoid the "Spider-Man as everyman" element. If you want to know what they changed, here is a link. This is why the film does not flow well.

I missed the working class element that was well portrayed in the Raimi films. I have no clue where the Parkers were living, but it sure did not look like Queens. Overcoming poverty is just as hard for Peter as overcoming villains. Fans love him because he's got to get the bad guys and pay his rent.

Oh god, I had a lot of feelings. In short, I think the original series worked better as a series of films, but this characterization of Peter is the more accurate one.

[saucydiva.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this. There's a lot of stuff to unpack here, but a historical context for all of this delights me. I don't read comics, so I had no idea. I don't know what it says about me that I prefer the (long ago seen) Raimi movies, but maybe dorks are just more relatable, as you suggest. I should probably rewatch those, anyway, since I haven't seen them in years.

And I suppose part of the problem is that teen boys are jerks and I've outgrown teen boys.

Now, I can see what you're saying about dumb villains being a mainstay of the comics. Do you think movie audiences can- or should- accept something that maybe works better in a different context?



(I have now spent far too long reading wiki articles on Spider-man and his girlfriends, and really, stop telling me where she ranks on the Hottest Women in Comics list, opening paragraph of the wiki article)

(Also, I had no idea superheros were also sexually active, possibly because I only ever looked at Archie comics)

(Also, explain to me how Spider-Man now looks like Donald Glover except not in any of the pictures I saw?) (I want him to look like Donald Glover)

(Also! Love of Peter Parker's life?)

[lizinstereo.livejournal.com]

In the Ultimate line of comics (there are several different continuities going at once, it's kind of crazy), Peter died. In Ultimate verse, when you die, you are dead for good. A biracial fifteen year-old names Miles Morales was inspired to take up the mantel. I have no clue how he got his powers but I do believe he has different capabilities than Peter. The Donald Glover thing happened before the character change, and the author of the series said he knew it was the right thing to do when he saw how interested the public was in a non-white Spider-Man.

IMO, the love of Peter's life is Gwen. He has a fantasy after she you-know-whats that they are happily married and have two kids. He might have even been with MJ at this point, I don't know. Peter cheats on MJ and MJ cheats on him. Their relationship is kind of precarious.

The Peter/MJ saga is downright ridiculous. A few years ago, there was a big fuss because this happened. This is why I stopped paying attention - the plot developments were just too over the top.

ETA: I forgot about the dumb villains part. I would like to see more depth. Dr. Octopus in the second film is the gold standard, iMO. The whole Lizard thing was lazy and I was not impressed by the characterization or the CGI.

[ballroom_pink.livejournal.com]

( Let's go away to summer camp, where the kids are mean and the adults aren't much better )

Was that the tagline?

[ballroom_pink.livejournal.com]

So I went to see Safety Not Guaranteed last Thursday. (During the previews, there was one for Gangland and the loud group behind me commented on the scene where the cops shoot out a theater screen and now that sounds really ominous.)
I liked it well enough. I can understand why you thought it was a bit lazy as you don't know why those spooks are not chasing after him in the laser boat, but maybe they know time travel is possible. And I know that they added that scene after the Sundance screening, so why? Where did the original version end? In his workshop?
As for the romance, I liked it. I like both actors and they had chemistry, I thought. It was a chaste kiss and if there was more then maybe I would question it. I just like these two misfits bonding over their similar adventurous spirits.
What was up with the ear?