Clash of the Titans (2010)

Cavorting like the Greeks of old...well, maybe not in that way. This reboot of the old Harry Hamlin classic is designed to be substantially more macho than that sort of Ancient Greek, as befits an action flick in a world of 300 and Lord of the Rings and endless superhero stories (of which the old myths are predecessors, if not outright source material). This outing does a decent job; it never loses the viewer's interest, presents a decent amount of spectacle for your dollar (particularly if you watch it on TV), and features enough eye candy (hearty applause for Gemma Arterton) to make the outing pleasant for at least half the audience. Weirdly, the weakest point of this movie may be the lead hero himself; as Perseus (as in other roles), Sam Worthington had a certain blankness to his demeanor that renders his actions not entirely exciting or inspiring, even when everything in the story has all CGI hell breaking out everywhere. But given the level this film aspires to--which is not exactly an Olympian height, ironically--I suppose that's not really that big a deal. Plus, it's a bit of a hoot to see several big-name actors playing roles that are probably the campiest vehicles they've stooped to in a long time. You can do worse than this one--certainly, others have--and as long as you have a little time to kill (at an hour and a half, brevity is one of the film's strengths) and a desire for something loud, actiony, and relatively mindless, you're not likely to be disappointed here.

Midway

A whole lot of bombing going on here, and not just from the planes. That assessment is probably too harsh, but it's undeniable that this film not only didn't hit its mark at the box office, but it also missed its target from a cinematic standpoint. Despite the urgency of the story--from both perspectives--and decent to good work from the cast (interesting to see Ed Skrein, for once, not playing a villain), this work never really comes across as urgent and dramatic. There's another problem, too, that hangs over the film: it was the result of a joint Chinese and American production, a fact (obvious from the start) that demands of the responsible viewer an awareness of the possibility that he's watching propaganda. In fairness, the filmmakers seem to have walked that line and showed understanding to each of the principal sides involved (though the follow-through on the Doolittle story line has obvious implications). Perhaps the joint production team led to a watered down movie. Whatever the cause, this flick sinks when it should have flown.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

It's easy to get caught up in the titillating parts of this movie, but the ideas playing out in the story are the really impactful parts of the work. 'Unconventional' does not necessarily equal 'marginal,' and what's not normal often lies at the heart of some of our most mainstream cultural elements. That's a good lesson to learn. As for the nuts and bolts of this film, the only true weakness is a certain inconsistency in the role of Elizabeth; the character seems too strong to be so frequently doubtful. Also, the story starts off fun and comedic but drifts down towards heavy and grim at its denouement. Nevertheless, the overall experience is well worth the viewer's time and attention.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The map within the frontispiece of this film should read, “Here There Be Bloat.” Again, the tidy little story gets the stretched out treatment. The result might be more impressive for someone completely unaware of the original book. Perhaps. For the long-time fan, the result is much more problematic. The initiated viewer is constantly aware of how much story stretching is going on, of how much of what he’s seeing is not in the original tale. That’s distracting, if nothing else, and negatively impacts the viewer’s experience. Ironically, then, this is probably a movie that one would only recommend to die-hard fans--exactly the people who will be most annoyed by the story manipulations. What’s done is done, but the “three movie arc” decision really was a huge mistake.