(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Clark Gregg, Patricia Belcher, Rachel Boston, Minka Kelly, Maile Flanagan, Yvette Nicole Brown, Olivia Bagg, Richard McGonagle

Storyline

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an aspiring architect who currently earns his living as a greeting card writer. Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is his boss's beautiful new secretary. As they start knowing each other, Tom discovers that they have plenty in common and he falls for her. There is only one problem: she doesn't believe in true love.

Opinion

If you already have read some of my reviews, you'll probably know I usually dislike romantic comedies for recycling the same idea over and over again, and despite a different storyline and a different title, at the end they are the same thing. And even though some films are made on some nice ideas - take "Knocked Up" or "He's Just Not That Into You" - the result is never as good as hoped. 

I didn't expect much from the film - mostly because of the title - and I thought it was going to be just another clichéd romantic comedy, but god if I was wrong. (500) Days of Summer is charming, sweet, smooth, original, and unpredictable, it is a different take on falling in love, it manages to engage you with a love story you already know can't end in a good way, and, for once, the relationship it's shown from the man's point of view. Hope you don't get mad if I define it a modern version of Woody Allen's "Annie Hall".

The narrator warns us upfront, saying this is not a love story. But I guess it's because we are so preconditioned by Hollywood that throughout the whole film I thought, "That's not true. This is a love story". Only at the end I realized the narrator was pretty accurate.

Director Marc Webb put the story into a blender and the result is a great non-linear story, that manages to make you feel happy, and warmed up for a moment, and sad and feel empathy for the guy in just a few minutes. We also get a funny musical number in the park, and some great music.

Now the acting: this film got two great performances. On one hand we have Joseph Gordon-Levitt, marvellous as Tom, and capable to project humanity in an unbelievable way. On the other hand we have Zooey Deschanel. She delivers one of her best performances to date. She'll make you love her, and then she'll break your heart, but you'll just want to love her more. The chemistry between Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel is wonderful.

Quotes

Tom: I love how she makes me feel, like anything's possible, or like life is worth it.

Narrator: Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin and they end with no lasting memory made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Marton Csokas, Chris Cooper, B.K. Novak, Denis Leary, Michael Massee, Aidy Bryant, Stan Lee

Storyline

As Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finally managed to balance life as both Spider-Man and Peter, a new villain treats the city: socially awkward Oscorp worker Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), who is obsessed with Spider-Man, ends up becoming the hero's new foe.

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If J.K. Simmons was still playing J. Jonah Jameson he'd say, "Damnit! This thing is dragging on and on!".

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is just not that amazing, and focuses more on the emotional element, developing the relationship with Gwen - it almost feels like watching Twilight -, and leaving thrills and action behind.

However, the main problem of the film is the same that occurred with Spider-Man 3: the writing. There are way too many awful things going on, and two and a half hours - which feels like eternity - are just not enough to stand the whole thing.
Let's start with Electro. He is not the same guy from the comic books. This Max Dillon is naive, shy, has low self-esteem, is ignored by everybody, and people barely remember his name, in other words, he is a loser. And he works for Oscorp. Turning into Electro after falling into a tub of electric eels, he heads to Time Square, where he sees his face all over the screens, and he suddenly become a badass because the whole city is watching him. He doesn't really have any motivation to do what he does. Not to mention his costume, that looks like it has been stolen from the Fantastic Four's trash.
Harry Osborn and Rhino are two wasted, cheesy characters. Also, the 3-minute grainy video in which Peter's dad basically tells us "Oscorp is evil" is pointless, because at that point you are already aware of that, and if you don't, well, you probably think Spider-Man is the villain.

While flying sequences are great, the fights are not epic, totally forgettable, and some of them even boring - the one with the Russian for instance -, and the fight between Spider-Man and Electro is just bad. It's not all of course. Why did Electro and Harry Osborn/Goblin attack Spider-Man separately? Why didn't the police show up near the power plant? Why didn't Gwen bleed when she hit the floor? Why did Harry kill Gwen? Wasn't Norman supposed to? And more important, is Harry normal or still "infected"?

At least the acting is still good. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are good as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, and their chemistry is amazing. Though his character development is bad, Dane DeHaan delivers a good performance as Harry Osborn, and same does Jamie Foxx as Electro.

Quotes

Gwen Stacy: It's easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too. There will be days where you feel all alone, and that's when hope is needed most. No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope. Keep it alive. We have to be greater than what we suffer. My wish for you is to become hope; people need that. And even if we fail, what better way is there to live? As we look around here today, at all of the people who helped make us who we are, I know it feels like we're saying goodbye, but we will carry a piece of each other into everything that we do next, to remind us of who we are, and of who we're meant to be.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Zylka, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Leif Gantvoort, Hannah Marks, Kelsey Chow, C. Thomas Howell, Stan Lee, Michael Massee, Michael Papajohn, Max Charles, Jake Keiffer

Storyline

Like most teenagers, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance, leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opinion

The Sam Raimi's trilogy, though the awful ending chapter, will always stand out among the superhero films, and definitely did not need to be rebooted. Still Marc Webb succeeded in making a quite amazing interpretation of Spider-Man's origins - and a more loyal film towards the comic books.

The Amazing Spider-Man is surprisingly engaging, plenty of action, thrill, and genuine emotions, with a more effective drama than ever.

Marc Webb faithfully manages to bring to the screen Peter Parker's humanity, creating a more credible superhero, that must defeat a villain, and on the other hand take care of his worried aunt.
In this new film, Parker isn't accidentally bitten by the spider but he is kinda looking forward to, and there's a new way his powers work. He now needs a device to shoot a web perfectly, and still causing lot of damage, he looks more credible. Some parts - like when Peter is working on his costume - are way too rushed though. The villain is good, but Connors becoming evil because he became Lizard is a little forced.

Andrew Garfield is indeed the best choice to play Peter Parker, giving him that humour - and better look - Maguire's didn't have. Emma Stone is amazing as Gwen Stacy, way better than Dunst, and her character as well is better than MJ, being more than just a love interest. The chemistry between Garfield and Stone is amazing.

Quotes

Ben Parker: Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I'm sorry about that. I think I know what you're feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you've been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road... they make us who we are. And if anyone's destined for greatness, it's you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we'll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You're my hero... and I love you!

Check The New Suit For THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

Definitely much better. While I liked the suit in Marc Webb's first web-head effort, this is more along the lines of what I was anticipating all along. A modern slant on the original comic suit. White eyes. Traditional red and blue tones. Perfect. Love it.

More when we get it!

Here's the movie's storyline:
In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough. Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away – but that’s a promise he just can’t keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 opens on May 2, 2014.

Source: ComingSoon

Paul Giamatti As The Rhino In THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2?

Looks that way! Paul Giamatti is apparently in talks to take on the role of The Rhino in Marc Webb's THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2. The Rhino would join Jamie Foxx's Electro for villain duties. Dean DeHaan is joining as Harry Osborne.

Here's Giamatti on the character: “I thought Rhino was the greatest thing when I was a little kid,” he told ShowbizSpy in March 2011. “It was a guy who was basically in this rhinoceros outfit, and I always thought, ‘Why don’t they have The Rhino in one of their movies.’ But maybe The Rhino wasn’t that big of a deal for anybody but me. … If they ever go with The Rhino, I would be ready and waiting.”

He also talked about the character on Conan: “The Rhino was fantastic," he said. "He was, like, a Russian guy. He was real fast, and he hit stuff real hard."

So apparently Giamatti has been anxious to play the role for some time now - that is ALWAYS a good sign. At first look I was a little hesitant but after hearing his exuberance to play the part - all the power to him. Shooting is slated to begin in February.


Source: Heat Vision

LEARN -- How G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Uses 3D // LISTEN -- Marc Webb Discusses 3D, James Cameron And More!

Today we've got a double shot of 3D goodness from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (G.I. JOE: RETALIATION) and director Marc Webb (THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN).

First, Di Bonaventura opens up about advancements in 3D conversion and how it affected the new release date for G.I. JOE: RETALIATION:

"We learned a lot about 3D—I personally learned a lot about 3D in Transformers. The conversion part of the 3D process is night and day, you know, every three, four months it’s better than it was before. It’s amazing how fast that thing has changes. And originally we didn’t really have the time or the resources to try to figure out how to shoot it in 3D in the time frame that we were originally talking about, you know, starting in August and releasing in June. So this delay has allowed us to go at it now.

Jon [Chu] has some sequences that are really, there’s a phenomenal—for G.I. Joe fans it’s going to be one of the really great scenes for them, because there’s a fight between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow in a hallway that is so perfect for 3D I can’t tell you. It’s going to be like one of the coolest fights ever in 3D, because there’s so much about it that’s dynamic. That’s going to be really fun. And you know people have seen bits and pieces of the Himalayan sort of rock climbing thing, it’s almost 3D without having turned into 3D, so I can’t wait to see that. That one’s going to be like what the hell?"

//

Finally we have director Marc Webb (and VFX Supervisor Jerome Chang) talking all about the 3D in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and how he used his 3ality Technica 3D rigs on set, outfitted with Red Epic cameras.

The result? A truly AMAZING experience in 3D. Well done Marc and 3ality. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 3D is now available for purchase from Amazon and would make a perfect gift for the Marvel fans in your life!

Hit the jump to hear Marc!





How much of a learning curve was there filming your first 3D movie with the 3ality Technica System?
There was a lot of time that we spent with the red cameras and 3ality early on. We just felt that there’s a big testing phase. Before that there was just a conceptualization of 3D, trying to figure out the best way for those sequences to work and try to make sure that we were exploiting it and doing it in a way that made 3D a meaningful part of the storytelling language. That took a lot of watching 3D movies and understanding the technology and talking to different filmmakers to see how best to exploit that.

What were you able to learn from what James Cameron has done with 3D?
James Cameron has a very specific philosophy about 3D that it doesn’t interfere with the story, that it’s about creating a sense of depth and enhance the sense of realism rather than making it a gimmick. The actual component of doing your visual effects in stereo is the fact that even the texture of Spidey’s suit, the roughness on how thickness the web lines are, the amount of frayed material. We would have to make sure that you could feel that also in stereo, because when we looked at the footage of the real actors you could see in the the cashmere sweater the individual threads. That amount of detail would then have to be added not only to Spider-Man, but also to Lizard. You have to see the bump or the scales of his skin. The whole stereo aspect really complicated, or added an additional challenge, to the visual effects in terms of digital imagery.

What was the most challenging, but rewarding, 3D sequence you filmed?
The most challenging and rewarding I think to me was the final battle, or the crane sequence, was probably the most fun. The crane sequence is emotional, but you get that sense of vertigo and velocity. It was a really fun part of the 3D experience. There was a sequence that I designed specifically to exploit 3D and have that actor – have Spider-Man — come up into your foreground and fall away. We’re adjusted the conversion to the depth to make it feel as exciting as possible

What are the challenges that remain when it comes to enticing people to upgrade to 3D at home?
I think there are people that assume that 3D is something that’s exclusive to the theatrical experience, but there’s a lot of value of playing with it at home. It gets fun. You’re closer to the screen. It can feel equally as immersive, but I think people are driven to buy new technology and they’re always looking for ways to keep up with the Jones’ as we say. There’s been a lot of investment in technology and Sony has done a lot of work in 3D technology. It’s just a way to connect deeper to the material that you’re viewing.

Where do you plan on taking Spidey in the next film?
Spidey will endure, overcome, and expand upon all of our favorite parts of the Spiderman Universe.  How is that for coy and ambiguous?

 
 

Sources: Forbes | Collider

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Secures Garfield And Webb; Stone In Talks!

Wonderful news! The best Spider-man / Peter Parker actor (in my opinion) has been re-inked to headline THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 for Columbia. Andrew Garfield, who at the same moment can be bashful and timid but yet ooze new found power has been secured. Hey - that DOES sounds like Peter Parker.

Further and perhaps just as important, Marc Webb ((500) DAYS OF SUMMER) has also been tapped to return as director. It looks like he'll direct the sequel before having to go back to Fox Searchlight to finish his commitment with them. Time will tell. I thought that despite the normal studio filter than is placed on creativity, Webb's webhead tale was nicely done. But would I rather see a full blown, unfiltered Webb take for Spidey 2? You bet.

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinker have penned the script so we should expect a solid story yet again, despite different writers. I loved the first movie.

Here's Doug Belgrad, Columbia's president on the re-signing:

"We could not be more confident in the direction we are taking this new Spider-Man storyline and we are tremendously excited to be ramping up production again with Marc at the helm and Andrew continuing on as Peter Parker. We can’t wait to share what we have in store for Peter and Spider-Man with audiences worldwide."

Emma Stone is still in talks to pick up her magnificent turn as Gwen Stacy. I suppose if things turn sour for whatever reason Mary Jane Watson could emerge for the first time, but for heaven's sake sign Stone. She's good for this franchise.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is slated for a May 2, 2014 release with lensing to commence in Q1, 2013. And after the first one made $751 million, the stakes are high.

Source: Variety

Movie Review: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, 8 Stars And Amazing 3D!

Click to enlarge

First of all this review will not have any spoilers, so relax you can read the whole thing and not be precisely tipped off about anything. I do talk loosely about one scene that bothered me but no details are given. However the comments are free reign and anything goes as far as spoilers!

I saw director Marc Webb's THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN last night in IMAX 3D (yes, I scored a poster) and let me tell you it is well worth the price of admission.

Allow me to admit that I am very biased toward Spider-man. He was MY superhero growing up so if this movie is halfway decent, I'm going to love it. I was smiling broadly many, many times through this movie which is something I normally don't do.

There is only one scene in the movie that was far from being perfect. Towards the end there is a need for our webslinger to get across town and he needs assistance. The assistance that's rendered totally does not belong in the movie and I was actually thinking about one the best moments from Sam Raimi's Spidey universe and hoping that Webb wouldn't feel the need to replicate it somehow. 

You know what though? That scene smells like studio interference, not the director. This is complete conjecture on my part, but I can't see Webb buying into it. I think Sony over-analyzed what was good with the original franchise and tried to do it again (pun intended). We'll discuss in the comments. The intentions were good.

My movie rating was quite severely cut simply because of this scene! It weakened my suspension of disbelief. It messed up the story for me. It blew my total enjoyment frankly. Everything that had nicely been built previous to this was dampened. But not devastated.

Enough on the subject for now.

What else? Aunt May's hair should have been grey or greying and not perfectly dyed, but Sally Field otherwise was perfect. Martin Sheen was a bit too close to Peter, but I liked the message he gave him.

Click to enlarge

What did I like? More like what did I love! The 3D was jaw dropping at times, especially in the end sequence. You can tell the native 3D truly captured detailed scenes like the panning aerial shots of New York and it's bridges. I love the feeling that the 3D was caught effortlessly - a natural, green feeling if you will. You can thank 3ality Technica and Red for that. John Schwartzman again lived up to his name as one of the world's premier cinematographers. There were only two moments where anything broke the screen and came at you and those were suitably ejected using visual effects. 

The fight scenes were breathtaking, really. Such inventive choreography! When Parker turns into Spider-man you can feel his worry and excitement at the same time. Wonderful directing achievement.

James Horner slammed another movie score home run. Loved his work on this.

The visual effects? Wow. Remember SUPERMAN's tagline "You will believe a man can fly"? Ok, maybe you don't, but it applies here... "You will believe a man can swing. And shoots web from his wrists. And duck bullets. You get the idea..." Beautiful job guys! And a happy marriage between practical and visual effects too. Check out this great article (fx guide) on the various effects for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

Make up your own mind about Andrew Garfield. Don't read other reviews. Don't listen to anybody else. For me though, HE WAS PERFECT. This guy was born to be Peter Parker. Other than being slightly tall for the role, he makes up for in every other way. His looks, posture, physique, voice, mannerisms and his inept social skills was portrayed PERFECTLY. Let me say that again. PERFECTLY. I should know, Peter Parker / Spider-man was everything for me growing up. If you are a fan of the character, go see this movie.

Emma Stone nailed Gwen Stacy too, but at times she is almost didn't seem to fit the science geek persona. Rhys Ifans did remarkably well with Curt Connors / The Lizard given that everything I had seen him in previously was no where near this role.

I could care less about the timing of this reboot. I could literally watch a Spider-man movie every six months and not tire of it. Try telling it's too soon for a spidey movie to any true fan.

In conclusion, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN could have easily been 9 stars, as the cinematography, acting, 3D, score and visual / special effects were outstanding. A few more edits, a reshoot perhaps and a tad more Peter Parker struggling with this thoughts ALONE would have sealed it. But Marc Webb did an admirable job. Well worth your time and money! It's not THE AVENGERS by any stretch, but heck - this is our friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN has done $7.5m from domestic midnight shows last night which is on par with what SPIDER-MAN 3 made. IMAX pushed the way with a $4000 screen average.

Was the 3D as good as PROMETHEUS? Yes in my books. On par. Get out and see it!! 8 stars.

Special thanks to Empire Theatres for the screening!
 

See: New IMAX Poster For THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN - Get It Free At Opening Midnight Screening

Click to enlarge

Personally I'm not all that thrilled with this poster. At all. I suppose it might appeal to young kids but to me it is not polished at all.

There's far too much blue in it and quite frankly does not excite me to see it in IMAX. The movie itself excites me to see it in IMAX or large screen RealD, but this poster? No.

Regardless, there it is.

The good news in all of this is that it can be yours for the stunningly low price of free at the midnight IMAX screenings on July 3.

Here's the storyline:
One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

If this poster looks better in person - let me know. But I know I'll be lining up for the midnight screening solely because the movie looks darn good.

SPIDER-MAN's Marc Webb Seeks Out The Guru Of 3D Blockbusters Himself...

Jim here. Well what would YOU do if you had the opportunity of a lifetime to direct one of the best, if not THE best superhero franchise of all time? We are talking Sony's recently announced reboot of SPIDER-MAN of course and how to successfully shoot it in web-slinging stereoscopic 3D.

I think I would get the ear of someone who knows what the heck he is talking about! Makes sense right? How about a guy who has the two highest grossing movies of all time (one in 3D!) and is also a huge SPIDER-MAN fan; having even written a script for it!

That's just what Marc Webb did recently. He sought out James Cameron to discuss plans and compare notes for the much anticipated web-head reboot.

According to Jon Landau they met last Wednesday (via MTV): “[Webb] wants to do the next one in 3-D, which they’ve announced that they want to do. So, we want to try to support that as much as possible.”

What is further interesting is that Cameron has also publicly said that whomever helms the franchise after Raimi will be getting sloppy seconds! I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation :-) Glad Webb is doing the right thing though - he can only go higher with advice from Cameron.

Look for the SPIDER-MAN reboot in S3D theaters on July 3, 2012! Thanks to everyone that sent in the heads-up - very cool update.

Spidey Gets A Date With S3D!

Jim here. Sony has finally and officially confirmed (via THR) that the next Spider-man movie (reboot or otherwise) will definitely be in stereoscopic 3D!

AND we have a release date too: July 3, 2012. As you know, Marc Webb will be directing.

No real surprise here, but good to get this in ink! :-) Most of you know that Spider-man is a character close to my heart since I was a kid so I will be following this one intently.

Sources, start your email clients!! :-)