2014 Movie Preview: #10 - The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Release date: May 2

Plot summary: We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: Oscorp.

My take: For as much as I like Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, I was not impressed with the Spiderman reboot that came out two years ago. While I still have reservations, my initial glimpse at this sequel gives me hope. From the look of the film, it appears that Marc Webb is more confident and comfortable shooting this type of movie and is trying to create more of a comic book look. What makes me both interested and nervous for this sequel is the number of villains that seem to be featured in this film. That can either make for something really awesome or a jumbled mess that causes people to begin using phrases like "too many cooks in the kitchen". Given the bar that the Avengers franchise has set, this has some big shoes to fill in order to stand toe to toe with those movies.

Web of guys

The first trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is here. Most will most likely notice the large number of villains seen or hinted at in the trailer (Electro! Rhino! Goblin!). What I noticed is that it seems like someone finally turned the lights on. I wasn't overwhelmed with the 2012 reboot largely in part because it felt so dark. Here's hoping this sequel uses its winning cast more effectively.

RBR: The Croods (Quick hits)

Technically this one isn't available at Redbox yet, but it is available on home video and will be at Redbox next month. This animated caveman picture does have some charm. The voice cast including Nicholas Cage and Emma Stone attempts to bring some energy to the characters. It also creates some memorable animal characters that the kids will adore. The biggest problem with the film is its story that plays more like a TV pilot than a self contained film narrative. There is a sense of desperation on the filmmakers part to setup each character and have you like them so that you can see more wacky adventures from this crew. If this had been on Nickelodeon or Disney, I would rate it higher. However, there have been way better animated films that were actually worth your money as opposed to this prehistoric dud. Rating: ***

RBR: Gangster Squad

In 2012, this had been one of my most highly anticipated films of the year. On the surface it had an interesting story, a rising director, and a stellar cast. The interest in this film certainly was not by me alone as there had been a lot of buzz around the film in the months prior to its release. Then last July everything changed. After the horrible shooting at the Colorado theater, a major scene from this film involving gangsters opening fire in a theater had to be removed and replaced with an alternative scene. This pushed the film's release back to January of this year. This to me was a curious move. I understood the need for reshoots so as to be sensitive to the victims, but releasing the film in January, a time typically set aside as a dumping ground for bad movies, didn't make sense if the film was as good as it appeared. Turns out, it was apropos to give it that release date as this is a wildly disappointing film. While certainly not terrible, I sat in wonderment as to how such talented people could be involved in such mediocre work. The film is slow going to begin as it tries to establish all of its primary character. The central battle is between square-jawed good cop, John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and boxer turned mobster, Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). Penn, who I feel often overacts too much in his roles turns in a surprisingly forgettable performance here. You never really feel the menacing hold that he supposedly has over the city of Los Angeles. O'Mara puts together a group of fellow cops who's mission it is to take out Cohen. They include a number of decent character actors including Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena, Giovanni Ribisi, and Robert Patrick. As this squad comes together to find ways of picking apart Cohen's empire, the film does pick up a bit. These scenes work for the most part, but also don't offer anything that we haven't seen in other gangster films. If the focus had remained on the squad vs. Cohen, the film may have worked better. Unfortunately, they saddle the film with unnecessary subplots like the romance between Jerry (Ryan Gosling), who plays a renegade member of the squad, and Grace (Emma Stone), who is also seeing Cohen. I love Emma Stone, but she doesn't work in this role. The one performance that does work here is Mireille Enos, who plays Brolin's wife. Early on, it seems like she's just going to be the stereotypical cop wife who's constantly worried about her husband's safety. However, we see that she actually plays a more integral role in her husband's efforts to take down Mickey. Frankly, I would have actually liked to see more of their relationship and eliminate Emma Stone's character completely. As for the film's climax, it is not only unsatisfying, but also somewhat unbelievable given what we are told about Cohen's boxing background. With such a deflating ending, the whole movie vanishes from your memory almost as soon as its over. I'd like to say that the performances alone make it worthy enough to a be rental, but I can't. The only real crime being committed here is it stealing 2 hours away from audience's lives. Rating: ** 1/2