Man of Steel

Time for some random ramblings, but first, "who do you like more, Superman or Batman?" Many have complained about Superman being a boy scout. That he's boring and just can't compare to grittier characters such as Bruce Wayne's alter-ego. My own tastes do tend towards the darker characters. I find that the hero who is more tortured and goes through the proverbial rabbit hole will come out the other end as a stronger individual against his or her challenges. Heck, one of if not my favorite movie Schindler's List features evil incarnate in the form of Amon Goeth thus making Oskar Schindler more compelling because he is a hero who doesn't realize that he is even the least bit heroic to combat such cruelty. To use characters from the same genre as that of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel- audiences prefer their Jason Bourne's, Daniel Craig's James Bond, and Christian Bale's Batman and on TV we like Walter White, Jax Teller, Dexter Morgan, and Don Draper. So does that mean in the mainstream film/TV climate I just described that other characters should be written off because they are too shiny or heroic?

.....

I remember when I first started reading comics at the age of 9, I started out reading purely because of the characters. Then I learned after reading a really good Spider-Man comic and a really bad Spider-Man comic from two different creative teams, that there was no such thing as a bad character, only a bad writer. Not to take the passion away from or denounce the fans that will pick up every X-Men comic simply because it is an X-Men comic, but ultimately any fictional character can be made interesting (obvious observation, but I'll mention it nonetheless). I've read incredible Superman stories and not-so incredible ones. Screenwriter David Goyer, Christopher Nolan's (who is also a producer on this film) writing collaborator for his Batman trilogy, has very obviously decided to infuse Superman with some grit. I'm not against that (as I mentioned, I read Superman stories of all sorts, some with darker tones), but I think the approach to concentrating on Kal-El's tortured soul didn't need to include a lot of what was ultimately chosen to be included in Man of Steel.

I enjoyed Snyder's Dawn of the Dead and Legend of the Guardians and I feel Man of Steel is certainly better than 300, Watchmen, or Sucker Punch. He is a capable filmmaker in that he understands he deals with a visual medium, but even at his best I find him to be heavy-handed. Not just because of the slo-motion everyone loves to place him in a corner for, but just in how he conveys the script's events. Man of Steel is full of a lot of action that certainly makes up for Bryan Singer's passive Superman Returns. Yet at a certain point, the action becomes joyless and endless and full of carnage that could only exist with post-9/11 imagery. I hate to sound like the hoighty-toighty movie nerd, but I truly did enjoy the quieter scenes in this film more than Superman just pummeling Zod. Even when they were fighting, what they were saying was something I wanted to see be explored more than the trading of punches.

Superman can also do what many consider to be the coolest and most wish fulfilling superpower of all time- he can fly. The moment when Superman first takes flight in Man of Steel is wonderous and handled well from the cinematography to the booming score by Hans Zimmer. The fighting in Smallville and Metropolis just didn't capture that wonder for me. Maybe that is where people get annoyed at Superman. They want to see him be a badass and nothing is less badass than a man having a zen-like moment as he hovers above the ground. It's cool, but fans (and myself included) could care less whether Batman can jump really high as long as he's kicking ass at the same time. The film also tries to work in Superman's backstory from Krypton as a major point of the villain's plot and although it creates an emmotionally tense atmosphere, I can't help but feel it was a convoluted way to bring the story full circle and over-complicate Zod's conquer-all scheme.

Now, I'm mentioning a lot of the negative and I'm only really doing so because it's the easiest to write the most about, but on the positive side- I can't stress how well-acted this film is. For any of the typical tropes of the blockbuster action-movie genre, this film was at least a testament to how just having a damn good cast can elevate the material. Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Immortals) probably gives the best acting performance as Superman on-screen. The emotion he brings to the controversial ending and throughout (especially in flashback scenes involving his upbringing) makes this on-screen version of Superman the most fully formed version there's been. The idea of going with a lesser known actor for such a role does work and it not only makes the performance but the character's arc feel relevatory. The chemistry with Amy Adams' Lois Lane might be lacking the expected 'oomph', but it wasn't as bad as I felt some reviewers were making the relationship out to be. Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Costner, and Russell Crowe all also have some incredible moments, but it's Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Revolutionary Road) who steals the show.

Zod is such a great villain. He was the brawn to Jor-El's brain and he was sent into an empty void for years because his dedication to his own people was not shared by others. The man therefore embarks on a potential blood feud with the son of his enemy, a young man who doesn't even know his place in the world yet. There's a lot to play with there and Shannon finds every faucet of Zod's character to explore and expose in his performance.

Now back to the grit. I'm not against it, but I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to see the other side. Jeff Jenson recently wrote a great article for Entertainment Weekly about anti-heroes and he pointed out Don Draper's arc on AMC's Mad Men this past season. Don is the biggest dick in the world on that show. He is the villain of his own story like Michael Corleone. He sunk so far this past year and was duely punished for it. So what does he go and do? He shows his shame to his kids in the final moments of the season finale. It spoke a lot more to me than just having him delve deeper into darkness. 

Cue that Aaron Eckhart quote from The Dark Knight about darkness before a very bright dawn.

.....

Now as a fun extra, here are some of my favorite Superman stories that I read as they came out.

-Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid and Leinil Francis Yu

-Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen

-Mark Millar's Red Son miniseries

-Jeph Loeb's run on Superman/Batman (Public Enemies, Supergirl, Absolute Power, and Vengeance)

-Busiek/Johns' Superman/Action Comics crossover Up, Up, and Away

-Kurt Busiek's Camelot Falls

-The Geoff Johns run on Action Comics (Last Son, Escape from Bizarro World, Legion of Super-Heroes, Brainiac, the Secret Origin miniseries)

-JMS's recent Earth-One graphic novels

-Grant Morrison's Action Comics relaunch

-Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis have some great Superman moments

-The greatest Superman story ever- All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

Monsters University

When I think of Pixar, which is practically a brand name for me and so many others, Monsters Inc. holds an unique place in my appreciation for the company. Whereas the older I am, the more I appreciate the message and filmmaking present in Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up; Monsters Inc. really just feels like unabashed fun. The movie's concept and gags always felt like they were at the forefront, but that isn't to say there was a heartwarming theme below its surface. Monsters University is very similar in that regard. It's a lot of fun and it covers a lot of demographics (for lack of a better word) by being a family film that also has jokes that relate to the college experience. You could see this movie play well with a younger audience, but I'm sure the gurus at Pixar realized that the crowd that fell in love with Mike and Scully back in 2001 are probably now in college or have graduated. I only bring this up because this applies to my group of friends and I, but also based on word-of-mouth reactions that I've heard, a lot of other people as well.

The film is funny and is a mix of what a perfect prequel or sequel should be- something new with enough of the familiar touchstones for us to remember why we loved the original in the first place. The movie also has quite an ecclectic voice cast and it was great to see so many supporting players also be fully formed characters.

In short, it sits right next to Monsters Inc. if I were to evaluate and rank the Pixar canon, but that's not a bad thing by any means.

The Way, Way Back

A month ago I went to the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee. They had some movies playing there and since I'm not a big music guy and I mostly wanted to go for the camping and travel experience (and the music did end up being outrageously awesome), I had the opportunity to watch some films I might not see otherwise. Aside from Sleepwalk with Me and the pilot for AMC's Low Winter Sun, writers/directors/actors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's The Way, Way Back ended up being the most welcoming and pleasant surprise of a movie that I had seen in a while.

The story is a coming-of-age-during-the-summer sort of film in the vein of Greg Mottola's Adventureland with the occasional whimsy of John Hughes. Duncan (Liam James from AMC's The Killing) accompanies his mother (the always enjoyable Toni Collette) and her boyfriend (Steve Carell, cast against type as a bitter a-hole) to a summer vacation spot (reminds me of Montauk, where I spent many summers of my own youth). In the very first scene- Trent, the boyfriend, turns to Duncan while in the car on their way to the summer-home and tells Duncan that on a scale of 1-10, Duncan behaves like a 3. Duncan's mother is sleeping and Trent is driving, so the camera stays with Duncan. Starting with that moment, you start to realize that Liam James does an excellent job of conveying a boy who is out-of-place and socially awkward, but not to the point of over-exaggeration or annoyance. When he does speak and express himself more, it feels believable and not forced (take the nighttime BBQ argument). At no point do I feel like the character is going through the cliche paces of a traditional "kid learns to be accepted/others learn to accept the kid" sort of story, even though we are.

The film is certainly moving and like a previous script from Faxon and Rash, The Descendants, the film balances light/dark, drama/comedy, triumph/tragedy, etc. Certainly there is an aspect of the film that is typical and traditional, but the film is charming and heartwarming that what one might find cliche is overwhelmed by the tone and mood that the film projects. The cast is full of other recognizable faces- Faxon, Rash, Allison Janney (always a scene stealer), AnnaSophia Robb, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, and most notably Sam Rockwell. An heir to Bill Murray, Rockwell has a timing and dedication that creates such a memorable performance and character. In fact, I only wish the film could keep his energy present throughout much more of the story. That being said, Faxon/Rash are great at their balancing act whether it's a depressing metaphor that takes place during a shoots and ladders game or the sheer fun of going down a water slide, they manage to get their points and story across well enough.

Emmy Predictions Wishlist

COMEDY SERIES

-30 ROCK

-ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

-GIRLS

-LOUIE

-MODERN FAMILY

-VEEP

COMEDY ACTRESS

-LAURA DERN (ENLIGHTENED)

-LENA DUNHAM (GIRLS)

-EDIE FALCO (NURSE JACKIE)

-TINA FEY (30 ROCK)

-JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS (VEEP)

-AMY POEHLER (PARKS AND RECREATON)

COMEDY ACTOR

-ALEC BALDWIN (30 ROCK)

-JASON BATEMAN (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)

-DON CHEADLE (HOUSE OF LIES)

-LOUIS C.K. (LOUIE)

-MATT LEBLANC (EPISODES)

-ADAM SCOTT (PARKS AND RECREATION)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS

-JULIE BOWEN (MODERN FAMILY)

-JANE KRAKOWSKI (30 ROCK)

-SOFIA VERGARA (MODERN FAMILY)

-JESSICA WALTER (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)

-MERRITT WEVER (NURSE JACKIE)

-ALLISON WILLIAMS (GIRLS)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR

-WILL ARNETT (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)

-TY BURRELL (MODERN FAMILY)

-ADAM DRIVER (GIRLS)

-NICK OFFERMAN (PARKS AND RECREATION)

-ED O'NEILL (MODERN FAMILY)

-JEFFREY TAMBOR (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)

COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS

-ELIZABETH BANKS (MODERN FAMILY)

-MELISSA LEO (LOUIE)

-LIZA MINNELLI (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)

-CATHERINE O'HARA (30 ROCK)

-PARKER POSEY (LOUIE)

-ELAINE STRITCH (30 ROCK)

COMEDY GUEST ACTOR

-WILL ARNETT (30 ROCK)

-MATTHEW BRODERICK (MODERN FAMILY)

-BOBBY CANNAVALE (NURSE JACKIE)

-NATHAN LANE (MODERN FAMILY)

-DAVID LYNCH (LOUIE)

-PATRICK WILSON (GIRLS)

DRAMA SERIES

-BREAKING BAD

-GAME OF THRONES

-HOMELAND

-HOUSE OF CARDS

-MAD MEN

-THE NEWSROOM

DRAMA ACTRESS

-GLENN CLOSE (DAMAGES)

-CLAIRE DANES (HOMELAND)

-VERA FARMIGA (BATES MOTEL)

-ELISABETH MOSS (MAD MEN)

-KERI RUSSELL (THE AMERICANS)

-ROBIN WRIGHT (HOUSE OF CARDS)

DRAMA ACTOR

-STEVE BUSCEMI (BOARDWALK EMPIRE)

-BRYAN CRANSTON (BREAKING BAD)

-JEFF DANIELS (THE NEWSROOM)

-DAMIAN LEWIS (HOMELAND)

-JON HAMM (MAD MEN)

-KEVIN SPACEY (HOUSE OF CARDS)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS

-MORENA BACCARIN (HOMELAND)

-EMILIA CLARKE (GAME OF THRONES)

-MICHELLE FAIRLEY (GAME OF THRONES)

-ANNA GUNN (BREAKING BAD)

-CHRISTINA HENDRICKS (MAD MEN)

-KATE MARA (HOUSE OF CARDS)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR

-JONATHAN BANKS (BREAKING BAD)

-PETER DINKLAGE (GAME OF THRONES)

-MANDY PATINKIN (HOMELAND)

-AARON PAUL (BREAKING BAD)

-JOHN SLATTERY (MAD MEN)

-COREY STOLL (HOUSE OF CARDS)

DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS

-LINDA CARDELLINI (MAD MEN)

-JOAN CUSACK (SHAMELESS)

-JANE FONDA (THE NEWSROOM)

-LAURA FRASER (BREAKING BAD)

-MARGO MARTINDALE (THE AMERICANS)

-DIANA RIGG (GAME OF THRONES)

DRAMA GUEST ACTOR

-JIM BEAVER (JUSTIFIED)

-RUPERT FRIEND (HOMELAND)

-MIKE O'MALLEY (JUSTIFIED)

-PATTON OSWALT (JUSTIFIED)

-JIMMY SMITS (SONS OF ANARCHY)

-JAMES WOLK (MAD MEN)

MINISERIES/TV MOVIE

-AMERICAN HORROR STORY

-BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

-THE GIRL

-PARADE'S END

-PHIL SPECTOR

-TOP OF THE LAKE

MINISERIES/TV MOVIE ACTRESS

-REBECCA HALL (PARADE'S END)

-JESSICA LANGE (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)

-LAURA LINNEY (THE BIG C)

-SIENNA MILLER (THE GIRL)

-HELEN MIRREN (PHIL SPECTOR)

-ELISABETH MOSS (TOP OF THE LAKE)

MINISERIES/TV MOVIE ACTOR

-KENNETH BRANAGH (WALLANDER)

-BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH (PARADE'S END)

-MATT DAMON (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA)

-MICHAEL DOUGLAS (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA)

-TOBY JONES (THE GIRL)

-AL PACINO (PHIL SPECTOR)

MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTRESS

-FRANCES CONROY (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)

-HOLLY HUNTER (TOP OF THE LAKE)

-JANET MCTEER (PARADE'S END)

-SARAH PAULSON (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)

-LILY RABE (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)

-IMELDA STAUNTON (THE GIRL)

MINISERIES/TV MOVIE SUPPORTING ACTOR

-JAMES CROMWELL (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)

-ROB LOWE (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA)

-PETER MULLAN (TOP OF THE LAKE)

-EVAN PETERS (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)

-ZACHARY QUINTO (AMERICAN HORROR STORY)

-JEFFREY TAMBOR (PHIL SPECTOR)

Star Trek: Into Darkness

The other day I was taking a glance at the nominations from years past for the Saturn Awards. The 90s were full of nominations for sci-fi/fantasy camp like Lost in Space and Event Horizon and the horror categories always had whatever the most recent Freddy/Michael/Jason movie that was out. Compare that to recent nominees- Nolan's Inception, Allen's Midnight in Paris, Scorsese's Hugo, Lee's Life of Pi, and most noticeably the likes of The Cabin in the Woods, The Avengers, or The Dark Knight Rises. These "pop-culture" movies (especially those that are adaptations/remakes/reboots) are being treated seriously. Whether it's with all-star casts or talented writers and directors, the likes of Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi, Christopher Nolan et. al. have ushered in an era where a new respect (critically and comercially) can be found for these high-concept sci-fi/fantasy blockbuster pictures.

With his fourth feature, director J.J. Abrams and his team's work on Star Trek is no exception. The script has an emotional wallop to it; questions about modern morality and ethical boundaries (more deftly mastered by Nolan with the Batman films) are faced by many of these diverse characters. Unfortunately, a problem I find with the film and one that I even picked up traces of in the likes of The Avengers, Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel is the ultimate and timely descent of the material into what has been described with negative connation as "blockbuster fare." Make way for the fight or visual effects spectacle as suddenly a character has just the right amount of power or strength to continue through the story (Khan), plot devices that have been discussed suddenly begin to work in our characters' favor (warp drives), and the ending is convenient and provides closure. It's about how well the filmmakers are able to balance the crowd-pleasing with some gravitas.

In this case, Abrams does a pretty good job (thinking back, I'm a bit more partial to his first Trek effort in how it acknowledged its franchise's popular culture with modernity), but at a certain point the movie just feels fun and carefree. It's an enjoyable experience and the cast led by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Benedict Cumberbatch are incredible in their given roles with the material. The first great blockbuster of the year and it certainly achieves its goal of heightening and preparing Gene Roddenberry's world for the 21st century.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 belongs to a group of films that I'd say are just as easy to hate as they are to love. There is an awful lot of action and excitement. Marvel productions (and several blockbusters nowadays) always attract an unique blend of talent both in front of and behind the camera. This film was directed by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) who adds his touch of wit and action sensibilities to the world previously handled primarily by Jon Favreau. Take the sequence where Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) escapes from a basement prison in Florida belonging to the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and he is zipping and flying across the small area as he zaps and punches guards that try to storm him. Absolutely thrilling and executed in a way reminiscent of other Black-related productions such as say, Lethal Weapon.

Yet, for the popcorn-blockbuster'ey fun of it all, there never feels like there is much at stake (for me at least). A chief complaint is the "complimentary annoying kid" character who doesn't seem to serve much purpose. Was there no other way to advance the plot or character other than having this boy show up to help Tony who is alone and can't call for help... but it turns out he can, just not The Avengers. He can call Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) or Rhodey (Don Cheadle) and is so alone that he is able to drive a car to Florida without paying for tolls or gas and he can build just about anything he wants. If you can't pick up the sarcasm in my writing, I'm just curious as to how there seems to be this concentration on how independent and helpless Tony is... when he really isn't. His intelligence can be difficult to use as a crutch, but thankfully Robert Downey Jr. is back as the character so for any minor (and I do mean minor) shortcomings the plot might have, Downey is a lot of fun to watch.

If working with writer/directors who specialize in tongue-in-cheek dialogue like Jon Favreau and Joss Whedon didn't already signify how talented at this character he was, consider Iron Man 3 just one more reminder of how integral Downey Jr.'s portrayal is to making this character work. I do make this statement as more of a fan of the comics then of the films. Having watched so many great characters have poor screen adaptations, I'm happy that Marvel Studios and co. have found a great realistic center to all to these effects-driven pieces and that center is undoubtably Downey Jr.'s acting sensibilities (for four films now I might add and it isn't getting the least bit tiring for me).

So once again, similar to my qualms about John Carter, the film is fun and boisterious enough to forgive any of its mediocrity and delivers in being a passable addition to pop-culture-infused filmmaking.

John Carter

Over a year ago, when John Carter came out, it was the subject of a discussion in a producing-centered class I was taking in college. It been a financial bomb at the box office and there were several articles that talked about the project's arduous behind-the-scenes reshoots and marketing problems. As for reviews, the film received a mixed reception (if one wanted to, they could perhaps link one to the other, but more on that in a moment). During my class, a common point that was even noted in writings on the film, mentioned how this movie was clearly a franchise starter for a franchise that few were familiar with and those that weren't had no clue what the central premise was, based on the previews and trailers.

Edgar Rice Burroughs (who appears as a character in the film played by Daryl Sabara) is more famously known as the creator of Tarzan the Ape Man. He had written another series referred to as the Barsoom stories (Barsoom is the name of Mars according to its denizens) that featured a hero known as John Carter later to become known as John Carter of Mars; this film is based off of the first book A Princess of Mars. The stories had a bit of a sci-fi pulp feeling to them. It was interesting how they mixed swords and hand-to-hand combat and royalty with flying ships and alien races and a sprawling metropolis. It is probably one of the numerous influences (subconsciously or not) on Star Wars, a series that features numerous alien cultures reminiscent of some sort of familiar life style (samurai Jedi Knights, politicians on a city planet, desert traders at 'old-west' outpost). So we as an audience have seen the movies the character has influenced, therefore almost making this presumably loyal adaptation seem rather... underwhelming.

The story of the film is chock full of mythology. The introduction to it all seems long and as the movie goes on another aspect of life on Mars or a new character is explored and this happens again and again and again. Even by the end of the film, I still felt like I was being only introduced to something larger that builds and builds and builds. This left me feeling cold and emotionally distant towards the story at times and that is something that franchise movies from The Dark Knight Rises to The Avengers tend to avoid. They want us to sympathize with the characters. I'm fine with empathizing, but John Carter wants us to like him and there aren't all that many unique characteristics about him. He's the good guy who is out of his element and the movie just seems to meander from there. It's classical and simple in that way, but for all of what I just mentioned, the movie does excel at being momentarily sentimental (towards the end especially) and there are some fun moments and unique characters (Lynn Collins in particular is great to watch).

This is the live-action debut of director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E). It was mentioned how he often rethought and reshot many of his setups; discovering what he wanted on set as opposed to  before the matter. I'd hate to let press affect my understanding of the film but as someone who is always just as interested in the making of (trials, tribulations, and all), I have to wonder if that is why the project feels like it needs tighter plotting. I like how a director like Clint Eastwood or Steven Spielberg can make classical films in a modern setting, but Stanton with John Carter just seems to wander and never find an emotional through-line.