Amazing Spiderman 2

Actors:  Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field

Rating:  9 out of 10,  I really enjoyed the first movie after approaching it wondering why it was needed so soon after the Toby Maguire efforts.  This second one is even better than the excellent first and getting more into the price paid by Spidy and his friends.  Spidy engages in the mid-battle banter which is more in line with his comic book personae.  This kid Garfield can really act and Emma Stone is a lot of fun in whatever she chooses to do.  There’s obvious chemistry between the two but the scenes with Jaime Foxx make the movie.  It’s great that blockbuster summer movie doesn’t forget to include compelling stories and actual acting to go along with the special effects (although those were typically Marvel awesome).  Rare for a sequel to outdo its predecessor but here’s a case.  I’m not a student of the comic book mythology so I’m immune to the Gwen Stacey departure issues.  A fun ride.

MVP:  Emma Stone as the Gwen, the best thing about the movie. 

Transcendence

Actors: stars Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman

Rating:  6 out of 10, Captain Jack himself couldn’t save this.  This film has a fascinating concept involving the relationship of technology to humanity but misses the mark on a number of fronts.  Depp totally mails in his performance which dooms the movie since the plot revolves around his humanity.  He plays the world’s foremost AI scientist who’s loaded into a computer when tragically assassinated.  There were some really cool effects but plot holes you could drive a well-stocked semi through make it seem kind of silly.  The movie is told through flashback as we see the results of the climax before anything happens.  That plot device only works if getting there makes sense which this doesn’t.  Rebecca Hall does a great job as Depp’s devoted wife but she’s fighting a losing battle with his lack of presence.  Morgan Freeman and Kate Mara are criminally underused in supporting roles.  Instead of being a soaring statement about the possibilities and dangers of technology, it comes across as something trite; ploddingly so.

MVP:  Hall as the brilliant but confused wife Evelyn Caster 

Noah

Actors: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins.

Rating:  7 out of 10, I can understand why all the religious organizations are in a bit of a tizzy about the “liberties” the film makers took with the story of the biblical flood.  I guess they’re really weren’t any exploding rock monster angels in book of Genesis but it made for an interesting flick.  Also, you put General Maximus Decimus Meridius in charge of the ark there’s going to be some serious hand to hand combat taking place; we’re talking donnybrook level. Even with all the non-biblical action inserted you can’t hide the fact of what good actors were involved. Russell Crowe seems to take himself entirely too seriously at times and Percy Jackson is revealed as something of a horndog. They inserted a silly sub-plot about a stowaway and Noah’s obsession with planned parenthood which drew the movie down more than Noah’s previously unreported proficiency with a battle axe.  It was still a great ride and even Hollywood can’t hide the underlying message of hope.

MVP:  Connelly shines in an underused role as Naameh, Noah’s wife 

Divergent

Actors: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Maggie Q and Kate Winslet.

Rating:  8 out of 10, I’m guessing this is some sort of Hunger Games rip off and I later learned it’s part of a trilogy penned by a young female author in that vein.  Thank God it wasn’t some of that soulless Twilight crap and was actually pretty entertaining.  It’s set in a future post-apocalyptic Chicago surrounded by a huge wall.  The people have divided themselves into factions based on their abilities which leads to a lot of intrigue.  Shailene Woodley who was the best thing about the movie The Descendants stars as the lead character and does a good job of carrying it. She’s a “divergent” which is a bad thing in this strictly structured class society and we follow her initiation into the war fighting faction.  Since this was penned for the young and female there’s a hunky trainer who falls madly in love with her but that doesn’t distract from the action and a fast moving plot.  It’s evidence that good acting can elevate some marginal writing, this was a lot of fun to watch.  Maggie Q and Ray Stevenson are severely underused but Kate Winslet chews up a lot of scenery as the villain.    

MVP:  Woodley shines as Trice, the divergent around which everything revolves

The Other Woman

Actors:  Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicki Minaj, Don Johnson.

Rating:  8 out of 10, I was the only attendee with a Y-chromosome and it seemed like a movie straight off the Lifetime (the Evil Man) Channel.  The evil man here was Jaime Lannister himself who’s married to Leslie Mann but sneaking off for affairs with Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton.  The ladies discover each other and plot their revenge. There were some really funny moments, all of them involving Mann and Diaz.  I think Mann may be the funniest actress in movies right now and Diaz has always had great comedic timing.  Upton absolutely destroys a white bikini (I think I was the only one in the audience who truly appreciated that) by jogging down the beach but her talents definitely do not lie in acting.  Nicky Minaj was also in this for some unexplained reason and was predictably terrible.  The evil man gets his comeuppance, the ladies triumph and although you could see that coming throughout the movie this was still a lot of fun to watch, mainly for Mann and Diaz (and the white bikini).

MVP:  Mann as the devoted yet cheated upon spouse 

See What I Mean?

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Actors:  James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and Andy Serkis

Rating:  8 out of 10, I gave this another chance since I enjoyed the recently released sequel.   I was struck once again by the dominance of Andy Serkis even though he’s submerged by layers and layers of computer programming.  A lot of acting is in the eyes and the gestures and those are all his.  Franco as a brilliant microbiologist is a huge stretch but it helps to have Freida hanging around.   I’ll watch anything Lithgow does and he’s perfect as the Alzheimer dad struggling to hang on to his humanity.  Great action and a film that leaves you believing apes can really talk.   

MVP:  Serkis as Caesar rules, best actor in film