Film Review by RL: Spider-Man: No Way Home

The latest live-action Spider-Man swung into our homes via Blu-Ray, DVD, and streaming last year. The question was not whether would we watch it, but how would we watch it.
Since Captain America: Civil War the world has celebrated the MCU and Sony collaborated version of Peter Parker. AKA Spider-Man. AKA Tom Holland.
Before we can dive into the review we need to look at some important aspects of the character portrayed in triplicate over two decades.

In 2002 Tobey Maguire swung across the big screen becoming the quintessential Spider-Man in our minds and hearts. Soft-spoken and mild-mannered, Tobey’s Peter Parker spent a very small amount of time in high school before evolving into the college years. These years are when the majority of the Sam Raimi helmed films exist.
At the time this Spider-Man was perfect. We forgave the organic web shooters. We overlooked the fact that Tobey didn’t really have the correct build. We languished through not one or two, but three movies in which Tobey’s Spider-Man suffered a crisis of identity. And Tobey was 27 in his first outing as Spidey.

In 2012 Andrew Garfield took the mantle of the Spider in a reboot that kept Peter Parker in high school. Tall and lanky, Andrew’s portrayal was colored with anger, angst, and attitude. The snarkiness came across as mean rather than lighthearted quips. But despite the teenage-filled hormonal portrayal, Andrew made his Peter Parker relatable. Andrew was 29 in his first outing as Spidey.

Both of these versions of Spider-Man suffered similar tropes. First, the damsel in distress is spotlighted in almost all 5 movies. Secondly, the final film in each series fails with a cast of characters so large that the films become bogged down and crowded. Time management never allows for a satisfying end for the overpopulated movies. 3 villains in each of the bookend films watered down the story and oversaturated the plots to make the films difficult to defend against the naysayers.

And let us never forget Tobey’s emo Spider-Man. Literally. Not even brain bleach or a figurative lobotomy can cure the mental anguish from involuntarily revisiting that scene in my mind.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Rating: 4.5/5
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire

Tom Holland has become the preeminent Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Unlike both Tobey and Andrew who shouldered the mantle of responsibility in their own pocket universes, Tom was given the opportunity to be introduced during an Avenger-level film. The immediacy of rubbing elbows with established Avengers and not being the tentpole actor/character relieved a certain amount of pressure on Tom.

His first two films allowed Tom to explore a teenage Spider-Man from a young actor who was only 20 years old in his first appearance. In Spider-Man: Homecoming the veteran cast helped to alleviate much of the gravitas. Robert Downey Jr and Michael Keaton shine (as always) and were utilized splendidly in grooming the character of Peter and the actor Tom.
Two more appearances in Avenger movies raised Tom’s status as Spider-Man to a new level of recognition. And pressure.
Samuel L Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal continued the trend with their performances elevating Tom’s in the second installment of the trilogy.

But now we come to the end of the trilogy. So the question becomes … Will this final Spider-Man film make the same mistake as its predecessors? Will the film become bogged down with too many characters and convoluted plots that satisfy no one? Will the curse of the final installment carry on to Tom Holland’s trilogy book end?

(MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)

Just a warning. This movie is packed. I wonder if the writers sat down with a checklist as they came up with the script.

Deal with secret identity leak? Check.
Toss in some Dr. Strange action as a partial mentor while also continuing to set up the next several films and the multiverse? Check.
Increase the number of bad guys? Check.
Wait, double the number of villains? Check.
Show how messed up life can get for Peter and his friends? Check.
Get some Happy (the character) time in? Check.
Have the hero act under the umbrella of noble cause only to screw up everything by his moralistic stance? Check.
Borrow from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse? Check.
Have a crisis of identity? Check.

I think part of the reason this film works is that the creators chose to follow the path created during Spider-Man: Homecoming. We don’t need to see Uncle Ben shot again. Leave the man alone, he’s died too many times on screen. We don’t need to see the spider bite. We do not need another Spider-Man origin.

Come on, if you are watching this film you know exactly who Peter Parker is.
And I would say a large majority of viewers have seen the original trilogy, the following duology, and each of the Marvel/Sony collaborations.
And just as the origin of Spider-Man was skipped, so too did the majority of the villains’ origins get skimmed over.

We know Willem Dafoe is the mad Goblin. Alfred Molina was Doc Ock in what many have considered the best superhero movie. Thomas Hayden Church as the Sandman. Rhys Ifans is poor Doctor Conners, aka the Lizard. And Jamie Foxx is Electro.

The villains, save for the Lizard (IMO), receive a certain amount of love and attention. Their humanity is teased, the tangible redemption so very near. The fans (myself included in that group) were given a swan song for these villains. A satisfying closure.

As to the long-rumored additional Spider-Men whispered and teased before the film was released, yes, Tobey and Andrew come in for a crouched landing.
All I can say is the chemistry was amazing. No single Spider-Man overshadowed the others. Amusingly the similarities and differences are spoken of between the three Spider-Men and it was nearly impossible not to fangirl at times. (I failed … I totally fangirled)

While the villains and heroes brought into the ensemble cast could easily overshadow the movie, at the heart of the film it is still about a young man who faces incredible challenges, heartbreaking loss, the uncertainty of the future, and the ending of childhood.

Tom’s Peter Parker has grown and matured. While the fun quips and lightheartedness still remain, in the background of the film is this unseen ticking clock that brings this trilogy of youthfulness to a conclusion.

With the credits rolling I found myself content with how most of the storylines ended. And after 20 years of 8 Spider-Man films, 3 ensemble movie appearances in Avenger films, and countless cartoons I still found myself looking ahead for more Spider-Man.

“Review originally published for Vraeyda Media: MacrocMicroCosm Online”
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Series' Premiere Review by RL: "The Last of Us"

Jumping Jehosaphat!!!

Not another attempt at a video game adaptation into a live-action medium.
We know how these turn out. And don’t remind me about Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2. There is always an exception to the rule, and the ring-collecting blue porcupine may, in fact, be it.
Possibly some heavenly intervention was involved because I have it on good authority the Lord is a Sega fan. Don’t quote me on that.

Moving on …

Please do not force me to travel down translated survival games. Humanity battling some form of physical corruption with a high transmittable rate. Ruined cityscapes. Thriving black markets. The blurred line of morality is as infectious as the fictional viral/bacterial outbreak.
Along the way, I am SURE we will meet a former bastion of good as the protagonist who has grown world-weary and tarnished with compromised choices.
The evil of the world will be embodied by the physical perversion of their unnatural state. But the true antagonist seems to always come from humanity’s darkest nature. The base, primal desires that mankind seeks to ascend from. The lofty height in which we always fall in our assuming pride of righteousness.
And then human evil and physical evil unite for the perfect enemy.

Do I know any of this for a fact? Yes. And no.
History has a proven formula for this type of genre. For this series specifically? I’m just guessing.

Now here we go!

The Last of Us (2023)
Rating: 4/5
Creator: Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna

Okay. Rest easy. I shall not spoil the premiere episode any more than the trailer did.

The question is, why should I watch this new show? There are a few answers that may convince you.

Firstly, if you are a gamer then you are probably familiar with this property. It is a beloved game. It is a financial juggernaut, raking in piles of money. There is such a large demand that the games have been remastered in order for the game to be played on the newer gaming platforms. The game isn’t going anywhere. And neither is the gaming community that has chosen to back the series.

Secondly, The Walking Dead has ended with an undead shuffle. Falling Skies fell from production years ago. Revolution only survived two cycles of the season. Jericho managed to wrap up a story before the walls fell to cancellation. See what I did there? The Last of Us charges into the proverbial gap to fill the void left by TWD.

Thirdly, Pedro Pascal. Is that Din Djarin? Absolutely. This is the way … to the big money. The Red Viper? Heck yeah! It’s time to say he murdered her children, I mean, murdered the competition. He looks an awful lot like Javier Pena, but I won’t narc on his great performance.
Obviously, Pedro Pascal has no small amount of luck when it comes to choosing series roles.

After watching the first episode I found myself silently considering it. There was strength in the opening. As shown in the trailer, Mr. Pascal looks younger in a small portion of the runtime. This proves true as we catch a glimpse at the final moments of normalcy at the beginning of the premiere episode.
Gabriel Luna was strong as the close brother.
Nico Parker is adorable and charismatic.
Bella Ramsey is prickly, stubborn, and independent.
In the end, the pacing was strong and fast initially until the episode settles into their main (normal) timeframe. The direction slows as you get introduced to the newest dystopian setting and how it is different from other survival genre series. As the episode ends we get presented with, what can only be, a focal point for the season. Possibly the entire series. The viewers are poised at the edge of their seats as the curtain closes with pacing, storyline, action, and characters all ready to flow in any direction.

Will this series become a mega hit? For the premiere, the answer is yes.
Will the rest of the season continue the trend? Time will tell.
I know that I will, indeed, be turning in for the second episode.
Darn you HBO. You hooked me on a monthly membership. Again.

“Review originally published for Vraeyda Media via MacrocMicroCosm Online”
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Film Review by RL: Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Rating: 2/5
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal, Kristen Wiig

In this review there will be no spoilers for 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984 (WW84). But there will be spoilers for Wonder Woman (2017), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and the official trailer for WW84 (2020). 
To know where WW84 went wrong, we should examine the successful previous appearances by Gal Gadot’s Dianna. 
Wonder Woman and BvS introduced a character that evolved over the course of the films. From idealistic naiveté to acceptance of grim consequences grounded in the reality of war. Or from a jaded self exiled despondence to making the choice to rise and stand guard for the innocent. In both these films we watch as Dianna acknowledges a truth (incidentally covered in the previous article of MacroMicroCosm, for sale on here , yes a shameless plug), choosing to be a bystander is a choice which allows evil to roam free. 
While WW84 does have a central theme it grows murky and oddly empty. The weight of the theme loses its gravitas with lackluster emotional investment. Along with this, the journey of the hero does not resonate with the audience, while following a superhero trope that is overused and performed both better and worse in other movies. 
In previous appearances, Dianna interacts with supporting characters that could easily be described as two dimensional. But the cast are able to convey enough charisma into their roles to become memorable. 
WW84 has five characters you will remember with the rest being filler that escape your recollection the moment their character is no longer on screen. 
In the end WW84 fails to deliver on the fun ride the trailer promised, breaks continuity for the ‘later’ films, introduces plot devices and macguffins that are meaningless, attempts to re-ignite chemistry unsuccessfully, and makes the same mistakes with its villains as all the others have. The only possible saving grace is the performance of Pedro Pascal who was unable to deliver a truly masterful villain because of the alterations to the comic book character. 

If you get the urge to watch a Wonder Woman film, choose the first. Or even BvS and the Justice League.

“Review originally published for Vraeyda Media: MacrocMicroCosm Online”
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Film Review by RL: "We Can Be Heroes" and, coincidentally, "Sky High"

We can be Heroes (2020)

Rating: 2.5/5
Pedro Pascal. Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Boyd Holbrook. Sung Kang. Christian Slater.
Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
On paper the talent is extremely promising.
On paper.
Does it entertain? Yes.
Was there a message? Yes.
Did the kids watch it? Yes.
Did I? Yes.
As I watched I couldn't help but wonder how the SpyKids series was. I never watched them. However, I did see Sharkboy and Lavagirl (with my kids) and they were entertained. But I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I had seen the movie before. But better. And while the movie kept the kids semi enthralled, I finally realized what film I was remembering.
Sky High.
Once I made that connection, We can be Heroes became a pale imitation. While it was decent, I'm not sure it is rewatchable. For myself or the kids.
So tomorrow I shall test my hypothesis by forcing Sky High upon my children. And yeah, it's 15 years old. But I'm betting on Kurt Russell, Kelly Preston, Bruce Campbell, Dave Foley, Lynda Carter, and Tom Kenny. Yes, Mr. Spongebob himself.
Where Sky High succeeds is in the talent of the youthful actors and actresses. So while We can be Heroes is slightly entertaining, Sky High delivers 15 years previously.
(24 hours later)
My assumption was correct. Not only did Sky High retain the fun and charisma after a decade and a half, but my own children agreed. Albeit, reluctantly. Because dad isn't supposed to be right. Or cool.

“Review originally published for Vraeyda Media: MacrocMicroCosm Online”
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The Earl of Florida Reviews, “Neon Lieben”

Buy Me Now!!!

How to describe Neon Lieben without spoiling the story? Sapha (the author) paints a masterpiece with prose that captures the mind’s eye with artistic strokes. Yet the longer your enraptured eye takes in the beauty, the more the detailed brush strokes reveal deeper layers of wonder.

The spoiler free review:

Neon Lieben storms the stage overcrowded by novels/movies/television series that have stood tall amidst those who have come short of greatness. A paraphrasing of Solomon Kane, “There are many paths to ‘greatness’, not all of them peaceful.” Sapha takes the idea, long overused, of artificial intelligence and ushers it into the new millenia.

Instead of harping on the dangers of A.I. or the vast potential possibilities for humanity, Neon Lieben simultaneously introduces her readers to the birth pains of new life created by mechanical engineering as well as organic, genetically modified creations through science steeped in realism.

The novel follows two timelines, set over two thirds of a century apart, and while it takes a moment to gather your bearings it’s a marathon of intrigue, growth, and questioning morality. Or perhaps it’s a “quest of morality”. We get to watch and experience, not just one but, multiple births of innocence across the years. The contracting birth pains are felt as innocence is slowly lost when eyes open to the evil machinations of man.

However, this isn’t just the tale of artificial intelligence but also humanity. Who are we? Where do we come from? What is expected of us? And, most importantly, what do we want for our future?

For those of us seasoned (I mean old, like me) we remember the “Short Circuit” films that were light and cheery with humor yet asked the heavy questions. Does Johnny 5 have a soul? Does Lieben? Do the bio-machines, led by Aderastos, have souls?

The journey, as you read Neon Lieben, will make you ask the question of what constitutes life/soul? What would you do to protect it? And if we, in our own personalized bubbles, mirror the antagonists in a form of elitist thinking or is all life precious no matter the origin?

I absolutely love “Neon Lieben” as a novel and as a thought provoking piece of art.

5/5

Neon Lieben by Sapha Burnell

Published by Vraeyda Media Inc