Spider-man: No Way Home

I honestly don't know what to say about this movie. I've never been as hyped up about the Tom Holland iteration of the Spidey story, so I suppose I should have appreciation for this flick's special-guest-star gimmick--and it is good to see the previous actors showing their version of the character, particularly Maguire's version, which really laid much of the groundwork for today's hero-film landscape (and doesn't get nearly as much credit as is deserved these days). So it goes. As for this particular work, again, it's mostly a matter of fan service, though it does benefit from the presence of some really good actors reprising their previous roles. On the other hand, the relationship between Holland and Cumberbatch never quite hits the right note. Guess it's a good thing that the latter disappears for about half the running time. That's the sort of thing we have here--an odd melange of good and bad, weird and decent and exasperating all at the same time. Sure, you can have fun with this movie, but the original film, twenty-some years ago, proved this story can be fun and high-quality at the same time. Who knows if this goes any further--it's the third lead outing for Holland, so likely done for him now--though the best bet would be to just let this thing leave off here and come back with a new iteration in about 15 years or so. Will that happen? No--the MCU is a stickier web than anything this kid can shoot. I guess it's just a matter of shrug the shoulders and accept it as it is. Oh well...

Hacksaw Ridge

This is an extraordinary story. Hence the PURR. If it were not an extraordinary story--by which I mean, literally, the story; not the script nor the movie made therefrom--then by any standard this film would be run-of-the-mill and not worthy of such high marks. What's the problem? Probably director Mel Gibson, whose moviemaking acumen seems to have failed him here. So much of this presentation is so self-consciously standard for a war movie. For instance, the saccharine, almost silly narrative of Desmond Doss' courtship of his eventual wife; the stock and trade, almost cut-out characterizations of the Army officers who are so not accepting of Doss' unusual "terms of service," and their eventual reversal; and the hyper-dramatic moment when the young man's father--who up till then has been portrayed as simply a drunk, damaged, and violet veteran--saves his son from a court-martial through an intervention scene complete with portentous yet wooden lines of dialogue. All of these are story elements that have had their parallels in dozens of WWII dramas. Even the battle scenes--which everyone supposedly does brilliantly these days--feature just a few too overly cinematic shots of soldiers getting blown backwards in almost balletic arcs through the air. So there's a lot going against this film. Why, then, the positive review? Because Doss' story is amazing, astounding, and apparently 100% true. And it retains a power that no amount of cinematic cliches can lessen. It's a story that deserves to be told, and thanks to Andrew Garfield's tenacious commitment to the role, the core of that story is well represented here. It's worth it for that alone.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Everybody else seems to be on board with this go-around as better than the first set. I'm not so sure. I can fairly vividly remember certain scenes from those earlier movies; I can't say much the same about the first in this series. And while this and its predecessor are certainly entertaining in the moment, it is the long term impact that makes for a great movie, or even a very good one. I liked this flick, but I'm just not sure how much. I guess you're on your own here.

The Amazing Spider-Man

In many ways this film reflects the state of the art of superhero movies. Gone are the days of the genre's cheesy, low-rent flicks; the template is now well-established, and every entry in the field is competent (at least), entertaining, a little bit funny, action-packed, and a certain crowd-pleaser. But once we've gone through that ride a certain number of times, it's bound to grow a little old. So it is here--you can like this movie, but you also can see the template getting stale, too. I certainly won't say this film isn't worth watching, but I'm not sure you're missing anything if you skip it either.

The Social Network

I have no use for Facebook, yet a movie about Facebook's (possibly larcenous) founding works for me. It just goes to show that, in the right filmmaker's hands, any story can be worth your time. Especially notable is the use of Justin Timberlake--seemingly a case of stunt casting--who almost steals the show as a thinly veiled version of Napster's Shaun Fanning. As for the accusations of wrong-doing by Mr. Zuckerberg...well, "not proven" as they say in Scotland, but the kid sure doesn't come across very well here. You may judge for yourself, by seeing this film.