Month: July 2017

Starring: Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings), Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games), Steve Zahn (Out of Sight), Amiah Miller (Lights Out)

Director: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield)

Writers: Mark Bomback (The Wolverine) & Matt Reeves

Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

Release Date: 11 July (UK), 14 July (US)

I don’t think anyone would have thought even ten years ago that one of the best hard sci-fi series in recent history would be a series of prequels to Planet of the Apes, but both Rise and Dawn brought great character introspection and socio-political commentary to the summer blockbuster to make something truly special. Now we have reached the third instalment, at which point franchises usually tremble if not outright collapse. Dawn set in motion what promised to be an all-out war and, whilst War for the Planet of the Apes’ title may be somewhat misleading, the film itself is anything but a letdown.

Resuming the story two years after the events of Dawn, War continues on the themes of the ape vs. human conflict established by its predecessor and takes it in new directions. What’s most surprising about the film is that it isn’t the grand action spectacle the marketing has made it out to be. The film is bookended by some great action sequences, but a solid chunk of the film is mostly character-focused. That may be a disappointment to some, but this franchise was never about the action to begin with. It’s about the motivations and politics behind it, and War develops those ideas in tragic but inevitable ways; if you’ve seen the 1968 film, you know this can’t all end well. But even without action, the threat never falls too far away and the story is expertly paced to allow for respites of character development amongst the action beats. What the film should be most applauded for is its masterful use of visual storytelling. There are long stretches where not a word is spoken, with the third act being almost completely bereft of dialogue, but the story is communicated so well through the apes’ body language and the composition of the filmmaking that nothing should go over your head. By the film’s conclusion, War feels like a well-earned conclusion to a trilogy. The door is certainly left open for more, but the story that started in Rise feels definitively ended here.

Does it even need to be said that Andy Serkis gives a great performance? He was already the pinnacle of performance capture acting when the series began, and his portrayal of Caesar has only continued to evolve into arguably the most nuanced character of his career. Caesar has grown darker with each instalment as his optimism for the future of his people and the humans has dwindled, and here he is nearly pushed over the edge. But even at his most dire moment, Caesar always remains sympathetic and you root for him throughout. Sometimes those noble qualities are pushed a little too far with some on the nose biblical allegories, but it never becomes so cloying that you lose empathy for him. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Woody Harrelson’s haunting portrayal of The Colonel. He’s a man who comes across as extremely villainous on the surface, which is only exacerbated by the correlations the film makes between his warmongering followers and certain contemporary radical groups, but there’s humanity to his character. In a fantastic scene between him and Caesar, you quickly understand what this man has been through and why he commits the horrible acts he does. It’s a frightening performance, but one that makes you feel sorry for him up until the end. Serkis and Harrelson ultimately own the film, but the supporting players all do their jobs well, especially Caesar’s fellow mo-cap apes. Steve Zahn is a surprising bit of fun as Bad Ape, bringing comic relief to a morose film without ever breaking the tone, and Amiah Miller is a revelation as the mute young girl Nova.

The ever-evolving technology of visual effects has not only allowed us to take more and more of the restrictions of our cinematic imagination away, but it makes them even more realistic too. The effects in Rise were already near perfect, and now in War you’ll never even question their believability. These CG characters often get right up to the lens and there’s never a moment where their skin, their hair or even their eyes looks anything but genuine. This is even further impressive given the wide variety of environments they find themselves in; the way their bodies react to rain or snow is practically photo-realistic. But even beyond the impeccable effects work, the technical expertise here is all-around fantastic. The cinematography captures the bleak majesty of this slowly dying world, the designs of everything ape and human feels distinctive and summarizes their characters perfectly, and Michael Giacchino’s score is suitably grand and verbose.

War for the Planet of the Apes stands as quite possibly the best entry in the Caesar series, but also as one of the best conclusions to a trilogy in recent memory. It puts a cap on the themes that have driven this story since the beginning whilst also taking them to original places. It’s a film that doesn’t necessarily deliver on what you expect from of a summer blockbuster, but what it does give you is of far greater substance and entertainment that most of its peers would even attempt. This franchise will probably find a way to continue, but when it does I’m excited to see what new path it can forge for itself.

FINAL VERDICT: 9.5/10

 

Starring: Tom Holland (The Impossible), Michael Keaton (Spotlight), Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler), Jon Favreau (Swingers), Zendaya (Shake It Up!), Donald Glover (Atlanta), Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Director: Jon Watts (Cop Car)

Writers: Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley (Horrible Bosses) and Jon Watts & Christopher Ford (Cop Car) and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers (The LEGO Batman Movie)

Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes

Release Date: 5 July (UK), 7 July (US)

We are now on our third Spider-Man in fifteen years and, after seeing the character interpreted in now seven different movies, it’s hard not to compare the various incarnations. Sam Raimi’s first two Spider-Man films still stand as some of the best superhero movies ever made and helped to define the genre as we know it today, and not even the hot mess that is Spider-Man 3 can dampen that. I’m one of the few people that still appreciates The Amazing Spider-Man series for what it is, but it’s hard to deny those films suffered not just because of studio mandates but because they had such a hard act to follow. Spider-Man is a timeless and incredibly versatile character who has adapted to the times before and will continue to do so, but even in the hands of Marvel how can you define your interpretation as the most definitive when it’s been done so many times before? Spider-Man: Homecoming doesn’t ultimately fully overcome that trap, but it still succeeds in ways none of the previous adaptations have managed.

Picking up not long after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Homecoming functions as somewhat of an origin story for Spider-Man without diving into familiar territory. Instead of retreading the well-worn Uncle Ben story yet again, the film instead focuses on Peter Parker coming to terms with his place as a ground-level superhero and as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. It often feels like too much of a meta-narrative to Spidey’s own relationship with Marvel Studios through the years, but it functions well as a story that introduces us to this character in a fresh way without having to tread on familiar territory. Where Homecoming mainly succeeds is presenting a grounded and timely portrayal of Spider-Man’s world that gives it a fresh twist. The influence of John Hughes movies and other 80’s teen classics is clear throughout the film, resulting in what is probably the funniest Spider-Man movie to date, and makes Peter feel more like a teenager than any previous version has. The story itself has the right amount of stakes and twists; not too overblown to feel out of Spidey’s wheelhouse, but not so simple that it fails to live up to the spectacle of the MCU so far. Where the film falters however is the culmination of a larger problem with Marvel’s films have had for a while: they constantly undercut their sincerity with humour. Homecoming mines some great gags out of typical superhero situations, but they often come at the cost of ruining genuine moments of poignancy. Whereas Raimi’s movies embraced the melodramatic pathos of the character without irony, here it often seems like the movie feels too hip to allow an emotion to sink in without cracking a joke about it first. Doing that a little is perfectly healthy, but after a while it’s hard to take certain moments seriously when the movie itself won’t at others. But overcoming that, the film is still a blockbuster ride with a sweet touch of indie flavour, and hardcore Spidey fans should be satisfied by the plethora of Easter eggs and shout-outs sprinkled in intelligently throughout.

Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield both delivered different but totally valid and well constructed takes on Spider-Man in their respective films, and Tom Holland more than makes the role his own. His cameo in Civil War blossoms here into the most enthusiastic and endearing take on the character yet, filling him with a boyish sense of optimism and naivety. It’s hard not to feel for this kid who so buoyantly jumps into situations he’s unprepared for with such confidence, which makes it so frustrating and yet rewarding as he constantly fails. In terms of capturing the essence of the character from the comics, Holland has nailed it and he deserves to carry this mantle for as long as he can. His young supporting cast of lovable high school miscreants perfectly compliment Peter on his journey. Jacob Batalon makes for an excellent clingy but loyal best friend as Ned, Zendaya constantly steals the show with her brief screen time as Michelle, and Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson captures the essence of the character whilst perfectly updating him for the modern day; no jock stereotypes here.

On the adult side, Michael Keaton’s Vulture is easily the best Spidey villain since Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus. He doesn’t quite have that iconic look or presence, but the character’s motivation feels not only relatable but incredibly relevant as a working stiff trying to prove he’s as capable as the fat cats; after seeing so many wealthy and elitist supervillains in recent years, it’s great to see one who’s just trying to make a living but has gone too far. There are a few other side villains like Shocker and Tinkerer amongst others that maybe don’t get as much time to shine as I would have liked, but it ultimately works. They are clearly supporting players to Keaton, and the story leaves plenty open for their roles to be expanded in the future. Marisa Tomei makes for a very different interpretation on Aunt May but again is a change of pace that feels necessary for the times, and any chance to see more out of Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan is a pleasure worth indulging in; he is the true unsung hero of the MCU. Robert Downey Jr. is thankfully used sparingly in the film, entering in just when the plot needs him to act as Peter’s aloof mentor. This is not the Spider-Man/Iron Man team-up movie some of the marketing may have made you believe. This is a Spider-Man movie simply set in a universe where Iron Man happens to exist.

Homecoming fits into the MCU aesthetic whilst forging enough of its own identity in the process. Its worn city street environments and comforting high school hallways feel like a far cry from the fantastic vistas the larger-scale Marvel movies have spoiled us on, but it’s all the film needs to convey the comparatively-grounded story it seeks to tell. Whilst the action might not be as instantly iconic as some moments from the Raimi movies for example, the filmmakers have certainly found new situations to test Spidey’s abilities in. Seeing him swing through the skyscrapers of Manhattan is something we’re all used to, but how is Spider-Man expected to negotiate environments like a suburb or a plane? The film finds clever and often humorous answers to those questions. On a music level, Michael Giacchino delivers a lively and uplifting score worthy of the character though, much like anyone who has attempted a Superman score after John Williams, topping Danny Elfman’s work is a tough mountain to climb. The movie also makes some great use out of pop music both contemporary and retro, giving it that youthful and anarchic edge that a teenage superhero needs. That and any movie that features A Flock of Seagulls’ “Space Age Love Song” immediately wins a piece of my heart.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is ultimately a success in bringing the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in appropriate fashion, but it is neither the best Spider-Man movie nor a particularly landmark title in the MCU thus far. It gives the character the fun and carefree attitude he’s needed for years, but in grounding him so much from the larger Avengers action it robs him of his sincerity. Spider-Man is an upbeat and youthful character, yes, but he’s also one saddled with a lot of tragedy and internal conflict. Homecoming gives us some of that, but not enough to balance out the fun. With everything said, Spider-Man is at least clearly in a safe place now, and there’s ample opportunity for this take on the character to flourish and perhaps even spawn the best movie this character will ever have. Only time and continued friendly relations between Sony and Marvel will tell.

FINAL VERDICT: 8/10