Superman Returns

Alright, here goes my most prompt review probably ever, fortunately it's a very worthy movie. First some history: I watched Superman the movie like seven years ago, and I watched Superman 2 about a week ago because I heard this new addition picked up were number two left off (wisely ignoring the sad existence of movies 3 and 4). So I'm off to the movies, excited and anxious to see if it's gonna be good or what? I couldn't help but recall the time about a year ago when I was similarly excited to see Batman Begins and we all know how well that turned out. All that to say that by the time I actually watched the movie I was ready, knowing the previous elements, but prepared, knowing how Hollywood is able to completely ruin a perfectly good comic book. Let me just say that from the vintage Superman opening credits, through John Williams classic score as well as a rousing new score, a marvelous Kevin Spacey with the always sensational Parker Posey, all the way to the emotionally rich finish, this was one of my favorite Super Hero movies I've seen. It has remarkable set pieces (gives the action in X-Men 3 a run for its money) but more importantly it has a good story and characters we care about. I'm sure a lot of Superman gurus will have scathing things to say about his costume alterations (an improvement if you ask me) or the way Lex Luther uses the power of the Kryptonite against him, or his nerdy Clark Kent speech patterns, or any other of the thousands of things used in this movie, but there's a point at which you need to let go. There's so much more to this movie than the flying around and stopping bullets with one's eye (though that was pretty freaking sweet) there's a lot said about people needing some one to save them and about the power of people who do good without expecting something in return, it's not a rehash of Spider-Man, and it's not trying to make some grand moral out of nothing. Superman Returns sends no cracker jack sesame street messages, it really has something valuable to say about the nature of mankind and so forth. The only notable possibility of flaw is the two and a half hour running length of this movie. As you may know, the worst thing for a movie to do is bore its audience, at least that's what I think. The way I evaluate these things is this. If you're having fun, you aren't bored right? Right. And just because a movie takes a break from aerial jet rescues to delve into plot and/or character development doesn't mean that you have to stop having fun. Superman Returns may pace itself, but when the Man of Steel himself isn't on screen being heroic you see either Spacey's Lex Luther plotting his plots with hugely entertaining villainy, or we see Brandon Routh's Clark Kent bumbling his way around the Daily Planet trying to pass as an average Joe. (On this topic of Superman vs. Clark Kent, see Bill's monologue in the final chapter of Kill Bill vol. 2 for some food for thought) The point is that in Superman Returns, we're always having fun, but we're not being sold short when it comes to emotions and integrity of the story and its characters. I really loved this movie, and strongly recommend it to all who are willing to give it a fair chance, I think you'll find that after years off the silver screen Superman has made his return with style and sincerity. As of right now, Superman Returns is flying high as my favorite movie of the summer so far, if only all summer movies could be this good.

A-

X-Men: The Last Stand

This, the third and proclaimed final chapter in the X-Men movie saga, serves as decent summer excitement, matching the first film with it's scope and breathtaking visuals, but falling short of the excellence of X2. The most obvious reason for its inferiority to its predecessor is the fact that this one was not directed by Bryan Singer of the first two X-Mens, but rather by Brett Ratner of the Rush Hour movies. This one isn't as well scripted, and some of the scenes come off cornball where they might have been more seriously handled before. This sounds like I don't like the movie, which is wrong, I liked it a great deal. The usual mutants like Wolverine, Prof. X, Storm, Magneto, and Mystique are all back and just about as good as ever. It's no surprise that Jean Grey, now The Phoenix, is back after "dying" in number 2, and this time she's wicked sweet turning crazy and messing with pretty much everything in her proximity. Angel, who was featured prominently in the trailers, winds up being pretty effeminent, and rarely on screen; oh well they can't all be awesome. The final show down between good mutants, bad mutants, and humans is pretty well staged, though as always with these movies, most everybody in the audience has abot fifty ways of going into battle that would make more sense for both the villains and the heroes. It's a pretty good movie made a half of star better by Magneto's sensational attack on Alcatraz Island, that alone is one of the most impressive sights you'll see on the big screen this summer, I guarantee it. If you disliked the first two, don't bother with this one, it doesn't outdo them. If you like the first two, see this one, it's a worthy entry in the series, though a somewhat dissatisfying finale.

B

The Da Vinci Code

There is so little to write about this that it's almost not worth a review, but being the highest world wide gross thus far of 2006 means I gotta write something so here it is: Even without the religious convictions that would lead people to hate this movie, viewers will be left sorely cheated out of $9.00 ($18.00 for those guys who made it a date movie, tough luck guys) by this lame, poorly acted, thrill-less adaptation of the world wide phenomenon that was Dan Brown's novel. The cast in this case was too good to be true; Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Paul Bettany, Ian McKellen, how could they have gone so wrong? The settings are some of the best sights in Europe (and the only filmed elements to earn the rating). And Ron Howard, what happened to the great director of Cinderella Man and Apollo 13? And the novel, stone me if you must, but The Da Vinci Code was a terrific book, one of the most engaging books I've read, but this movie...Oh, this movie it was just...I don't know, awkward. Let me put it this way, When I read the book, I had just finished a two week absolutely exhausting educational tour (ironically having just seen many of the books locations) I was tired like you can't believe and I bought the book to start on the plane merely because of all the controversy. I finished it in two days, it was so exhilarating that I actually stayed up past 1:00 AM to keep reading, despite the fact that I was totally beat. That's how captivating it was. When I watched the movie, I'd had weeks of normal sleep, and not pushed myself in any way, and yet half way through I make no exaggeration, I was fighting to stay awake. I guess some books just aren't meant to be movies, Da Vinci Code must be one of them, because with all the right parts, director, cast, source material, and settings, it became the worst thing a summer movie can be; excruciatingly boring.

D

Mission Impossible: III

Alright, after a long hiatus from reviews I'm gonna catch up in one fell swoop (I hope) I decided to start with the first great action movie of summer 2006. The first Mission impossible was pretty good, if hard to follow, but exciting none the less. MI2 was crap, no other way to describe it and no excuse for it's contrived story, obnoxious romantic opposite and mind numbing script (Who could forget such classics as "Just stay ALIVE!" As far as Tom Cruise goes, he ought to be more embarrassed by that movie than by his whole couch jumping/cradle robbing antics of late. Thank God J.J. Abrams (of the once sensational Alias) was brought on board to direct this third installment, because it blows the other two away without losing all emotional resonance, and features one of the best screen villains in recent memory (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, of Capote, continues to demonstrate his strong talents as an actor in any role). The Plot isn't hard to follow, the action sequences are top notch (an expression I really don't like much) and Ethan's new romantic interest isn't a whiny over the top wannabe (Sorry Thandi Newton, you were much better in Crash, stick to the indie movies). I really liked MI:III and despite any cliches or stretches in reality, it kept me engaged which is something fewer and fewer summer movies do these days.

B+