Jackass Number Two brings you more madcap antics and heartfelt stunts from your favourite ‘professionals’ in the business with a couple of special guests.
Soft music plays. The Ecstasy of Gold, taken from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly soundtrack plays to a misty street. There’s something haunting, yet calm about this suburbanite area empty and filled with a powdery smoke. Slowly, shadows form and the smoke starts to swirl and shift. It’s not long before the darkened figures become people and we see the architects of destruction, the common man in over his head, the self sacrificing space monkey; the Jackass Crew.As the full orchestra begins to fade in, the boys’ faces twist and contort, as they push forwards with every fibre of their being. Their mouths wide open push out a silent scream which is eerily echoed by the introduction of a chorus before finally, we see why they’re running. Hot on their heels are a herd of bulls. The music speeds up, the slow-mo dies down and everyone runs for their lives.
This is stupidity at its prime perfection.
This is non-stop pain.
This is Jackass.
The great thing about Jackass Number Two is that it can’t really fail. There’s no such thing as bad acting because it’s all real. The camerawork is beautifully handheld most of the time which means that cinematography is vivid and real. And music? To hell with classical masterpieces. Beethoven’s 5th doesn’t really say much about the pain these guys are feeling now, does it? The only possible way that this film could be crap is if the stunts were rubbish or boring. I think it’s fair to say that they aren’t.
You really couldn’t get cruder if you tried. Rectal bleeding happens at least twice in the first 10 minutes or so and that’s nothing. Prosthetics to make you look old is nothing new in Jackass but wondering around a busy town looking like a naked 75 year old woman sure as hell is. There are a few stunts throughout the film that nobody even has any faith in and if the people who choreographed them only see pain in the future, what else can we anticipate?
With swearing, nudity (real as well as prosthetic) and lots of blood (kudos to Knoxville for the ball pit skit) it’s a fool proof formula. Many of the skits feel increasingly retarded, such as tying midget Wee-Man Acúna to resident fatman Preston Lacy and have Wee-Man jump off a bridge, but no matter what, just about every sketch ends in complete hilarity.
Pulling off a hilarious prank may not be as easy as it seems. Given a moments thought based on the funniest scenes, it’s apparent a lot of careful planning and thought went into this film. The funniest parts are definitely the bits that were given considerable thought as opposed to the improvised public pranks that crop up every now and then. They’re still very funny, but not a patch on the others.
A film (or even the prior show) such as this may be frowned upon by many people (outspoken critics calling it hideous are duly noted) but it’s nice to know that there are some individuals willing to put their health on the line for our entertainment.
On top of that though, one thing that seems insane is that they continue to think up and act out these increasingly painstaking stunts and yet they still manage to draft in celebrities such as Matt Hoffman and Tony to help out. Ok, so they may not be A-list celebrities, but they’re well known throughout their field.
As was evident by the first scene, the crew also aren’t above enlisting the help of animals to achieve the desired effect whether it is hilarity, fear or general shock. Sharks, fish, yak, bulls, leeches, bees, horses and snakes (lots of snakes) are used frequently and just about each and every time, it results in pain.
You have to give kudos to the Jackass crew (not just because of their bravado or ability to continue) but because of the amount of wit that’s used before, after and sometimes during a stunt. Usually, there are jokes made about the lack of trust throughout the group. They may be friends, but it’s only natural that trust is low and diminished. What trust there is feels like too much, given the nature of the crew and their ability to take advantage of each other.
In the end, whilst it’s easy to pass Jackass Number Two off as retarded and juvenile, most of the skits are quite clever and it shows that with a little effort (and a lot of blood) just about most anything can be entertaining.Jackass Number Two may be a film about self torture, but if you like the rest of the crews material, or are new to the idea, it’s certainly worth a chance.
4/5
Wednesday 30 May 2007
Tuesday 29 May 2007
Trainspotting (1996)
Chronicling the lives and trends of a group of addicts, Trainspotting is a raw, deep and honest look at the pros, cons and horrors of abusiveness to addiction.
As Renton (Ewan McGregor) and Spud (Ewen Bremner) hurl down the street with the energy of a Duracell bunny it’s apparent that there’s something very powerful about Trainspotting. As the Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ pounds through your ears it may be difficult to realise at first. Is it this iconic choice of soundtrack? Could it be the pain that you feel along with the actors, who gurn and gasp as they push their way through the streets of Edinburgh?
Or could it in fact be the startlingly stirring voiceover provided by Ewan McGregor? Yeah, that would be it, though it is important that you remember something. This is the 1996 Ewan McGregor. Before Star Wars, or Moulin Rouge! and it was well before The Island. This is Ewan McGregor when he had to dive into toilets, and dig bodies. This is Ewan McGregor who didn’t have the luxury of multi-million dollar deals or stunt doubles. This is Ewan McGregor who is only a stone’s throw from the drug addled character he’s playing, and above everything else that shows.
One of the many initial criticisms of Trainspotting has been that it seems to be promoting drug use and it doesn’t take long to see why. The film starts off startlingly realistically with Renton sneering that he wouldn’t do drugs if he didn’t enjoy it. With this, we learn at breakneck speed that the world of drug abuse that we’ve been taught about and steered away from is like any other addiction and that to an extent, we, the average viewer, are no better than these people. So light-hearted is the first quarter of the film, common sense seems to leave and it’s not made entirely open why drugs are considered bad in society. But the enjoyable caper that you settle comfortably into doesn’t last for long and soon it’s apparent that director Danny Boyle is showing the good and the bad; the Heaven and the Hell. Whilst watching Trainspotting you’re in junkie limbo.
Among the themes of drugs, there are others relating to everyone. A core idea is the Choose Life movement, a phrase repeated throughout the film to perfectly nauseating effect. “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television…” Both stark and hideously blunt, the truth about conformity in materialism soon sets in to make it apparent that ‘choosing life’ may well be exactly the opposite. On top of that, in case anybody is worried that they might not be able to relate to Renton’s drug issues, addiction on other levels is explored thoroughly. A commentary on how prescription pill popping is just as damning but seen as much less crude by society is but one.
Considering that Trainspotting isn’t quite an ensemble cast film, it’s surprising to what extent most of the main characters are explored. Before the end, qualities, problems, traits and secrets of just about all the major characters are exposed and examined. There is no character that could be accused of being a strict (or even slight) cliché.
Naturally, because Renton is an addict, you wouldn’t really trust him if he tried to tell you his life story in the pub and so frequently, he is played off as an unreliable narrator. There are numerous times that he exclaims that he will do something, usually get off the heroin, to no avail at all mostly because he simply hasn’t the power to do this. At around the 65 minute mark, you really come into a full opinion of who he is and how much control he does (or doesn’t) have over himself, his life and his addiction.
One of the main reasons Trainspotting excels at being such a disturbing film is that it doesn’t back down at the thought of having to push the envelope and employ some abstract ideas in order to truly get a message across. The most effective uses of these are without doubt when juxtaposition is used to take an innocent idea and put it in a horrifyingly grim environment. Not only does this create a spellbinding effect, but Boyle and his crew also raise the bar by taking advantage of these moments to create real suspense.
From a technical standpoint, the camerawork and cinematography are fluid, inventive and original. The music is interestingly diverse and always fitting.The story itself is nothing new but is written and executed in such a wild fashion that everything seems fresh rather than recycled. However, you can only go so far on recycled material and as the stakes are raised, the film starts to lose focus of what has throughout, felt like the most core theme of the film.Not drugs, not addiction, but friends. Despite the advertising and the views of the film-makers and the controversy the key idea of friends always being there for one another is what feels like the blood pumping throughout the body of this film to keep it moving and invigorated.
After all, with who else would you be able to ramble about the trivial knowledge you’ve garnered of James Bond over the years, shoot dogs with air rifles, recreate the legendary Beatles album walking across a road or refer to everything via your own personal favoured pop culture?
Trainspotting is a film for anyone who wants to take a trip to the dark side but also see the light that keeps people there. It’s a film for anyone who’s not afraid to cross the line. It’s a film for anyone who chooses life.
4/5
As Renton (Ewan McGregor) and Spud (Ewen Bremner) hurl down the street with the energy of a Duracell bunny it’s apparent that there’s something very powerful about Trainspotting. As the Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ pounds through your ears it may be difficult to realise at first. Is it this iconic choice of soundtrack? Could it be the pain that you feel along with the actors, who gurn and gasp as they push their way through the streets of Edinburgh?
Or could it in fact be the startlingly stirring voiceover provided by Ewan McGregor? Yeah, that would be it, though it is important that you remember something. This is the 1996 Ewan McGregor. Before Star Wars, or Moulin Rouge! and it was well before The Island. This is Ewan McGregor when he had to dive into toilets, and dig bodies. This is Ewan McGregor who didn’t have the luxury of multi-million dollar deals or stunt doubles. This is Ewan McGregor who is only a stone’s throw from the drug addled character he’s playing, and above everything else that shows.
One of the many initial criticisms of Trainspotting has been that it seems to be promoting drug use and it doesn’t take long to see why. The film starts off startlingly realistically with Renton sneering that he wouldn’t do drugs if he didn’t enjoy it. With this, we learn at breakneck speed that the world of drug abuse that we’ve been taught about and steered away from is like any other addiction and that to an extent, we, the average viewer, are no better than these people. So light-hearted is the first quarter of the film, common sense seems to leave and it’s not made entirely open why drugs are considered bad in society. But the enjoyable caper that you settle comfortably into doesn’t last for long and soon it’s apparent that director Danny Boyle is showing the good and the bad; the Heaven and the Hell. Whilst watching Trainspotting you’re in junkie limbo.
Among the themes of drugs, there are others relating to everyone. A core idea is the Choose Life movement, a phrase repeated throughout the film to perfectly nauseating effect. “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television…” Both stark and hideously blunt, the truth about conformity in materialism soon sets in to make it apparent that ‘choosing life’ may well be exactly the opposite. On top of that, in case anybody is worried that they might not be able to relate to Renton’s drug issues, addiction on other levels is explored thoroughly. A commentary on how prescription pill popping is just as damning but seen as much less crude by society is but one.
Considering that Trainspotting isn’t quite an ensemble cast film, it’s surprising to what extent most of the main characters are explored. Before the end, qualities, problems, traits and secrets of just about all the major characters are exposed and examined. There is no character that could be accused of being a strict (or even slight) cliché.
Naturally, because Renton is an addict, you wouldn’t really trust him if he tried to tell you his life story in the pub and so frequently, he is played off as an unreliable narrator. There are numerous times that he exclaims that he will do something, usually get off the heroin, to no avail at all mostly because he simply hasn’t the power to do this. At around the 65 minute mark, you really come into a full opinion of who he is and how much control he does (or doesn’t) have over himself, his life and his addiction.
One of the main reasons Trainspotting excels at being such a disturbing film is that it doesn’t back down at the thought of having to push the envelope and employ some abstract ideas in order to truly get a message across. The most effective uses of these are without doubt when juxtaposition is used to take an innocent idea and put it in a horrifyingly grim environment. Not only does this create a spellbinding effect, but Boyle and his crew also raise the bar by taking advantage of these moments to create real suspense.
From a technical standpoint, the camerawork and cinematography are fluid, inventive and original. The music is interestingly diverse and always fitting.The story itself is nothing new but is written and executed in such a wild fashion that everything seems fresh rather than recycled. However, you can only go so far on recycled material and as the stakes are raised, the film starts to lose focus of what has throughout, felt like the most core theme of the film.Not drugs, not addiction, but friends. Despite the advertising and the views of the film-makers and the controversy the key idea of friends always being there for one another is what feels like the blood pumping throughout the body of this film to keep it moving and invigorated.
After all, with who else would you be able to ramble about the trivial knowledge you’ve garnered of James Bond over the years, shoot dogs with air rifles, recreate the legendary Beatles album walking across a road or refer to everything via your own personal favoured pop culture?
Trainspotting is a film for anyone who wants to take a trip to the dark side but also see the light that keeps people there. It’s a film for anyone who’s not afraid to cross the line. It’s a film for anyone who chooses life.
4/5
Monday 7 May 2007
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Life is good for Peter Parker (Toby Maguire). The city loves Spider-Man, he’s earning money, doing well in school and he’s planning to marry the love of his life Mary-Jane Watson (Kirstin Dunst). However, it seems that he’s still on the receiving end of much loathing from Harry Osborne (James Franco) who still believes Peter murdered his father and as new super-villain Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) enters the fray it doesn’t take long for everything to go wrong for Spidey.
It’s natural to feel scared when you get to the third film in a series. Quite frankly, they usually suck in comparison to the first and second. For every Goldfinger, there must be one hundred Superman III’s. For every Return of the King there must be one thousand The Godfather: Part III’s. And don’t get me started on the X-Men: The Last Stand. So how does Spider-Man 3 stand in comparison to the first two? It’s hard to explain, as rather than turning to greatness or downright awfulness it comes out as a bit of a mixed bag.
Firstly, we’ll start with what Spider-Man 3 does right. It seems as if the bad dialogue from the first film is never coming back as the writing throughout Spider-Man 3 is steady. The action scenes never fall short of pure genius and long gone are the frustrating ‘experimental’ transitions from Spider-Man 2. Unfortunately, you need to sit through about 30 minutes to really see this.The film starts out with some narration from your friendly neighbourhood photographer who masquerades as a super-hero whenever trouble arises: Peter Parker. Everything seems pretty good for about 10 minutes. We get the impression that everything is fine and dandy for Pete. And then everything starts to go wrong. We immediately see Harry walk out of the gas chamber that almost claimed his father’s life back in the first film as calm as can be and approach some altered Goblin gear. However the problem here is that there is no intricate preparation. This chemical almost killed Norman Osborne (who makes a brief appearance later, once more played by Willem Dafoe) and seems to have driven him insane, but for some reason it’s done nothing of the sort for Harry. So, he may have altered it. But this is the kid who depended upon Peter frequently in High School. Generally, the feeling is that the introduction of this New Goblin feels too rushed. Spider-Man 3 is a long film (clocking in at 1hour 28 minutes) but I can’t help but feel that 5 minutes preparation before jumping in would have been useful.
That said, there is no time wasted with the first action scene. Starting about 20 minutes in (as opposed to the first two not having set pieces this large for at least 40 minutes) it’s surprisingly dark. There’s little warning as to how dangerous it will get and the jokes that kept the second film rolling are remarkably scarce. Not that the lack of jokes are a bad thing. The scene has great pacing and really manages to build up suspense, which is rare so soon in a movie of this calibre.
On the subject of humour I think that it’s time we look at the key players of Spider-Man 3. All the regulars are back. J.K. Simmons is once more J. Jonah Jameson, the fierce Daily Bugle editor who appears to have been tamed, not by a super-hero, nor by his wife but by high blood sugar. Although, as ever, his scenes are scarce, in Spider-Man 3 we see a few newer sides to him. One of restrain, humility and honesty. Throughout the series, we’ve been seeing more to Jameson than is expected (trying to protect Parker from the Goblin in Spider-Man; admitting New York needs Spider-Man in Spider-Man 2) and here we learn that although he hates Spider-Man, he’s at least honest about any material he produces.
Naturally, it wouldn’t be a Spider-Man film if the king of cameos, Bruce Campbell didn’t show up. In what is easily the funniest scene in the film, Bruce is, as ever hilarious as the French Waiter. It really does go to show how a simple joke can eclipse entire movies (here’s looking at you Little Man). And how could I not mention the immortal Stan Lee. Once again picking up a cameo, this is the only one so far that he has referred to as his best cameo.
It may seem obvious to mention that the cinematography continues to move forward in new and exciting ways but it does. Most noticeably with the Super-Villains, the camera movements are vivid and rather exciting. Where the music is concerned, it really shows where long time composer Danny Elfman hasn’t been involved. Christopher Young does a good job but it shows where Elfman has helped.
The CG doesn’t immediately appear to have improved from Spider-Man 2 a great deal but when new villain, the Sandman appears it really shows where the $250 million went. It looks absolutely incredible. The individual grains of sand are perfectly visible and it seems absolutely astonishing to think that it was all done with computer effects rather than actually mutating an actor.
As everyone knows, the previous Spider-Man films have been above creating ‘evil’ characters as such. The Goblin was turned insane and Doc Ock was controlled by his ‘arms’. Thankfully, Raimi doesn’t take the easy option in Spider-Man 3. The Sandman’s completely aware of everything he does, but it seems that all he’s trying to do is save his daughter. The scene in which this is revealed is a very touching one and stands out as a glimmer of light amongst the overall dark subject matter of the film.
Naturally, everyone knows about the black suit already. As a metaphor, it works wonders to portray Peter’s continuing sins. It starts with pride, and who could blame him? With the whole city on his side, who wouldn’t be proud? But as Peter’s personality and responses darken, so does the suits attraction to him. Needless to say, it isn’t long until Peter Parker is in fully fledged ‘emo’ mode. However, regardless of the meaning the middle section of the film with Peter embracing his dark self feels a little overlong and a bit cheesy.
Maybe that’s why the final 30 minutes seem so great though.
Although the beginning is sketchy and the emo-mode scenes are pushing it slightly, the ending is just breathtaking. It’s a return to everything Spider-Man stands for and frankly just puts everything back in its place. To say anymore would be unfair but it is a serious contender for the title of greatest Super-Hero ending ever.
Spider-Man 3 is a rollercoaster that explores the characters well enough for the rushed beginning and awkward emo scenes to be forgiven. But the final 20 minutes are what really put it in its place as a Spider-Man film. Not as good as Spider-Man 2 but better than Spider-Man, this is a suitable end to a great trilogy.
4/5
It’s natural to feel scared when you get to the third film in a series. Quite frankly, they usually suck in comparison to the first and second. For every Goldfinger, there must be one hundred Superman III’s. For every Return of the King there must be one thousand The Godfather: Part III’s. And don’t get me started on the X-Men: The Last Stand. So how does Spider-Man 3 stand in comparison to the first two? It’s hard to explain, as rather than turning to greatness or downright awfulness it comes out as a bit of a mixed bag.
Firstly, we’ll start with what Spider-Man 3 does right. It seems as if the bad dialogue from the first film is never coming back as the writing throughout Spider-Man 3 is steady. The action scenes never fall short of pure genius and long gone are the frustrating ‘experimental’ transitions from Spider-Man 2. Unfortunately, you need to sit through about 30 minutes to really see this.The film starts out with some narration from your friendly neighbourhood photographer who masquerades as a super-hero whenever trouble arises: Peter Parker. Everything seems pretty good for about 10 minutes. We get the impression that everything is fine and dandy for Pete. And then everything starts to go wrong. We immediately see Harry walk out of the gas chamber that almost claimed his father’s life back in the first film as calm as can be and approach some altered Goblin gear. However the problem here is that there is no intricate preparation. This chemical almost killed Norman Osborne (who makes a brief appearance later, once more played by Willem Dafoe) and seems to have driven him insane, but for some reason it’s done nothing of the sort for Harry. So, he may have altered it. But this is the kid who depended upon Peter frequently in High School. Generally, the feeling is that the introduction of this New Goblin feels too rushed. Spider-Man 3 is a long film (clocking in at 1hour 28 minutes) but I can’t help but feel that 5 minutes preparation before jumping in would have been useful.
That said, there is no time wasted with the first action scene. Starting about 20 minutes in (as opposed to the first two not having set pieces this large for at least 40 minutes) it’s surprisingly dark. There’s little warning as to how dangerous it will get and the jokes that kept the second film rolling are remarkably scarce. Not that the lack of jokes are a bad thing. The scene has great pacing and really manages to build up suspense, which is rare so soon in a movie of this calibre.
On the subject of humour I think that it’s time we look at the key players of Spider-Man 3. All the regulars are back. J.K. Simmons is once more J. Jonah Jameson, the fierce Daily Bugle editor who appears to have been tamed, not by a super-hero, nor by his wife but by high blood sugar. Although, as ever, his scenes are scarce, in Spider-Man 3 we see a few newer sides to him. One of restrain, humility and honesty. Throughout the series, we’ve been seeing more to Jameson than is expected (trying to protect Parker from the Goblin in Spider-Man; admitting New York needs Spider-Man in Spider-Man 2) and here we learn that although he hates Spider-Man, he’s at least honest about any material he produces.
Naturally, it wouldn’t be a Spider-Man film if the king of cameos, Bruce Campbell didn’t show up. In what is easily the funniest scene in the film, Bruce is, as ever hilarious as the French Waiter. It really does go to show how a simple joke can eclipse entire movies (here’s looking at you Little Man). And how could I not mention the immortal Stan Lee. Once again picking up a cameo, this is the only one so far that he has referred to as his best cameo.
It may seem obvious to mention that the cinematography continues to move forward in new and exciting ways but it does. Most noticeably with the Super-Villains, the camera movements are vivid and rather exciting. Where the music is concerned, it really shows where long time composer Danny Elfman hasn’t been involved. Christopher Young does a good job but it shows where Elfman has helped.
The CG doesn’t immediately appear to have improved from Spider-Man 2 a great deal but when new villain, the Sandman appears it really shows where the $250 million went. It looks absolutely incredible. The individual grains of sand are perfectly visible and it seems absolutely astonishing to think that it was all done with computer effects rather than actually mutating an actor.
As everyone knows, the previous Spider-Man films have been above creating ‘evil’ characters as such. The Goblin was turned insane and Doc Ock was controlled by his ‘arms’. Thankfully, Raimi doesn’t take the easy option in Spider-Man 3. The Sandman’s completely aware of everything he does, but it seems that all he’s trying to do is save his daughter. The scene in which this is revealed is a very touching one and stands out as a glimmer of light amongst the overall dark subject matter of the film.
Naturally, everyone knows about the black suit already. As a metaphor, it works wonders to portray Peter’s continuing sins. It starts with pride, and who could blame him? With the whole city on his side, who wouldn’t be proud? But as Peter’s personality and responses darken, so does the suits attraction to him. Needless to say, it isn’t long until Peter Parker is in fully fledged ‘emo’ mode. However, regardless of the meaning the middle section of the film with Peter embracing his dark self feels a little overlong and a bit cheesy.
Maybe that’s why the final 30 minutes seem so great though.
Although the beginning is sketchy and the emo-mode scenes are pushing it slightly, the ending is just breathtaking. It’s a return to everything Spider-Man stands for and frankly just puts everything back in its place. To say anymore would be unfair but it is a serious contender for the title of greatest Super-Hero ending ever.
Spider-Man 3 is a rollercoaster that explores the characters well enough for the rushed beginning and awkward emo scenes to be forgiven. But the final 20 minutes are what really put it in its place as a Spider-Man film. Not as good as Spider-Man 2 but better than Spider-Man, this is a suitable end to a great trilogy.
4/5
Sunday 6 May 2007
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Flash forward two years and life is no easier for Peter Parker (Toby Maguire). He’s still pining over Mary-Jane Watson (Kirstin Dunst), he’s getting no end of slack about his ‘friend the bug’ from Harry Osborne (James Franco) and as well as that he’s failing school with no money to support himself with. But at least he doesn’t have any super-villains to fight…right…?
That score rises up once again and suddenly, we’re back. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you may have seen Spider-Man, both the general feel and the ‘recap’ put you right back in the mood. The recap is shown via some wonderfully drawn out reconstructed images from the first film. It’s more fun than a flashback and better than nothing.
Something instantly different about Spider-Man 2 is that it instantly focuses on humour. Within Spider-Man, humour was there, but it was used mostly to show us more about the characters, or move the plot along. With this film, however, now that the ‘origin story’ is done and wrapped up, there’s time to play around. But as well as that, the opening scene, a hyper-active depiction of Pete’s job as a pizza delivery boy, shows that sometimes his life is just as epic as his alter-ego’s, which is always a good thing because we get to see what everybody wants: the ability to use super-powers for their own agenda. But never fear! Spider-Man is still not selfish, as we see when everyone’s favourite mutant arachnid saves a few children from a bus. It seems that pizza delivering isn’t all that Peter has on his hands either. All hell is breaking loose for him at the Daily Bugle, where he’s still trying to flog pictures of Spider-Man to loudmouthed arrogant (yet slightly noble) editor J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons). I think it’s fair to say that (as in Spider-Man) J.K. Simmons steals just about every scene he’s in. In terms of sheer hilarity, the man hit’s the mark and flies off the scale. There seems to be an aura about him that just makes it impossible to keep a straight face. That or, as is commonly perceived, he is just a really fantastic actor.
It seems that like Peter, loving old Aunt May is also somewhat low on money. One of the first really strong scenes built on action alone is of May giving her broke nephew the last scrap of cash she has. Returning director Sam Raimi seems to know that he can up-the-ante and does so to full effect at the most conveniently distressing of times. On that note, it seems like some kind of miracle that it’s so easy to follow the plotlines (for there are a lot). Maybe it’s down to Raimi’s ability to blend everything together and give everything a reason for happening but somehow everything just fits.
Considering it’s been 3 years since the release, it almost feels bad to say that the CG still looks absolutely wonderful. Usually, effects are dated within 6 months but somehow Spider-Man 2 (which won an Academy Award for its effects) stands tall and proud, still looking beautiful.
As ever with Spider-Man the camera movements are fluidly creative and generally incredible. Due to the extreme nature of the plot (It’s a man with the attributes of a spider!) you need to be inventive with your camera movements and Spider-Man 2 doesn’t disappoint for a second. Danny Elfman’s score naturally is superb and finally, the whole dialogue problem is sorted out. There may not be a great deal of stand out lines, but it’s generally better than the first film.
A special note for the legendary Bruce Campbell who returns in yet another cameo. This time Bruce is a character credited only as ‘rude usher’. To say anymore would completely wreck every fibre of the scene but it’s easily one of the stand-out parts of just about any super-hero film.
Before long Peter is invited to meet a doctor Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). One of the first impressions one might get are that he’s outspoken and opinionated (“Peter Parker: brilliant but lazy…”) but it doesn’t take long to learn that he is wise. Not just clever (as a scientist, that’s expected) but wise. However, as wise as he is who really holds a possibly cataclysmic experiment that has the potential to harness the power of the sun at the heart of New York?! Just destroy the city why don’t you…
Naturally, to harness the power of the sun, Octavius isn’t going to use his hands. We’ve gathered that the man is ambitious (overly so) but also wise. And so he crafted 4 metallic arms which connect themselves to his spinal column so he can control them. It all seems good until he puts the arms on, because it isn’t until that point that you truly see how much of a hideous spectacle they really are. Naturally, you can guess what happens…
As push comes to shove, we find ourselves in the midst of a ‘metal arm slaughter’ which is without doubt one of the most disturbing scenes ever committed to film. “But this is a children’s film,” you may cry “surely they’re clichéd as all hell?” I’m afraid not. There may not be any claret, but it’s a fine example of how suspense, great shots and set pieces have more effect than any bucket full of gore for your average teenage slasher addict ever will.
It seems rather petty to bring it up but one of the (admittedly) few problems with Spider-Man 2 is the transitions. It tries some new ones and frankly, they don’t work. I can’t imagine a star-wipe (or in this case spider-wipe) has ever worked in anything other than Star Wars. It seems that simple fades and cuts are best for the Spider-Man films.
The bank set piece is just plain coolness. The CG is smoking and remember those inventive, impressive camera movements? They’re flung into overdrive here. Generally, seeing Spider-Man [try to] dodge the car doors and bags of money thrown at him by Doc Ock is immense. Hell, seeing Ock throwing them is a remarkable in it’s own right. The design of the character is somewhat astonishing and makes for a great deal of creativity which is shown frequently. And if nothing else, the bank scene is great because once again, we’re treated to Mr Stan Lee saving someone once again. Looks like you don’t need super powers to be a hero.
As the film goes on it gets progressively darker, skilfully reflecting Pete’s perceptions on many the events and his responsibilities as Spider-Man.
One of the great things about Elfman’s score is that the cinematography and actors never have to push too far to show Pete’s pain in any kind of abstract way, but the score manages to create a strong emotion along with the acting in the context of the script.
The single biggest problem with the film has to be the inclusion of a song.Whoever decided ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’ should have been inserted into the film needs to be kept away from films from now on. It doesn’t matter if it was Raimi or Elfman, it just doesn’t fit at all. It just feels really cringeworthy and not in a “Wow, I can’t believe they did that.” kind of way. It just feels embarrassing in comparison to the darker tone that had successfully been built up before it.
Despite that, though, the good far outweighs the bad and this is definitely a must for all the fans of the first.
Darker, deeper and a little dafter. Spider-Man 2 is a perfect example of how sequels should turn out and shows in being one of the better Super-Hero films out there.
5/5
That score rises up once again and suddenly, we’re back. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you may have seen Spider-Man, both the general feel and the ‘recap’ put you right back in the mood. The recap is shown via some wonderfully drawn out reconstructed images from the first film. It’s more fun than a flashback and better than nothing.
Something instantly different about Spider-Man 2 is that it instantly focuses on humour. Within Spider-Man, humour was there, but it was used mostly to show us more about the characters, or move the plot along. With this film, however, now that the ‘origin story’ is done and wrapped up, there’s time to play around. But as well as that, the opening scene, a hyper-active depiction of Pete’s job as a pizza delivery boy, shows that sometimes his life is just as epic as his alter-ego’s, which is always a good thing because we get to see what everybody wants: the ability to use super-powers for their own agenda. But never fear! Spider-Man is still not selfish, as we see when everyone’s favourite mutant arachnid saves a few children from a bus. It seems that pizza delivering isn’t all that Peter has on his hands either. All hell is breaking loose for him at the Daily Bugle, where he’s still trying to flog pictures of Spider-Man to loudmouthed arrogant (yet slightly noble) editor J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons). I think it’s fair to say that (as in Spider-Man) J.K. Simmons steals just about every scene he’s in. In terms of sheer hilarity, the man hit’s the mark and flies off the scale. There seems to be an aura about him that just makes it impossible to keep a straight face. That or, as is commonly perceived, he is just a really fantastic actor.
It seems that like Peter, loving old Aunt May is also somewhat low on money. One of the first really strong scenes built on action alone is of May giving her broke nephew the last scrap of cash she has. Returning director Sam Raimi seems to know that he can up-the-ante and does so to full effect at the most conveniently distressing of times. On that note, it seems like some kind of miracle that it’s so easy to follow the plotlines (for there are a lot). Maybe it’s down to Raimi’s ability to blend everything together and give everything a reason for happening but somehow everything just fits.
Considering it’s been 3 years since the release, it almost feels bad to say that the CG still looks absolutely wonderful. Usually, effects are dated within 6 months but somehow Spider-Man 2 (which won an Academy Award for its effects) stands tall and proud, still looking beautiful.
As ever with Spider-Man the camera movements are fluidly creative and generally incredible. Due to the extreme nature of the plot (It’s a man with the attributes of a spider!) you need to be inventive with your camera movements and Spider-Man 2 doesn’t disappoint for a second. Danny Elfman’s score naturally is superb and finally, the whole dialogue problem is sorted out. There may not be a great deal of stand out lines, but it’s generally better than the first film.
A special note for the legendary Bruce Campbell who returns in yet another cameo. This time Bruce is a character credited only as ‘rude usher’. To say anymore would completely wreck every fibre of the scene but it’s easily one of the stand-out parts of just about any super-hero film.
Before long Peter is invited to meet a doctor Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). One of the first impressions one might get are that he’s outspoken and opinionated (“Peter Parker: brilliant but lazy…”) but it doesn’t take long to learn that he is wise. Not just clever (as a scientist, that’s expected) but wise. However, as wise as he is who really holds a possibly cataclysmic experiment that has the potential to harness the power of the sun at the heart of New York?! Just destroy the city why don’t you…
Naturally, to harness the power of the sun, Octavius isn’t going to use his hands. We’ve gathered that the man is ambitious (overly so) but also wise. And so he crafted 4 metallic arms which connect themselves to his spinal column so he can control them. It all seems good until he puts the arms on, because it isn’t until that point that you truly see how much of a hideous spectacle they really are. Naturally, you can guess what happens…
As push comes to shove, we find ourselves in the midst of a ‘metal arm slaughter’ which is without doubt one of the most disturbing scenes ever committed to film. “But this is a children’s film,” you may cry “surely they’re clichéd as all hell?” I’m afraid not. There may not be any claret, but it’s a fine example of how suspense, great shots and set pieces have more effect than any bucket full of gore for your average teenage slasher addict ever will.
It seems rather petty to bring it up but one of the (admittedly) few problems with Spider-Man 2 is the transitions. It tries some new ones and frankly, they don’t work. I can’t imagine a star-wipe (or in this case spider-wipe) has ever worked in anything other than Star Wars. It seems that simple fades and cuts are best for the Spider-Man films.
The bank set piece is just plain coolness. The CG is smoking and remember those inventive, impressive camera movements? They’re flung into overdrive here. Generally, seeing Spider-Man [try to] dodge the car doors and bags of money thrown at him by Doc Ock is immense. Hell, seeing Ock throwing them is a remarkable in it’s own right. The design of the character is somewhat astonishing and makes for a great deal of creativity which is shown frequently. And if nothing else, the bank scene is great because once again, we’re treated to Mr Stan Lee saving someone once again. Looks like you don’t need super powers to be a hero.
As the film goes on it gets progressively darker, skilfully reflecting Pete’s perceptions on many the events and his responsibilities as Spider-Man.
One of the great things about Elfman’s score is that the cinematography and actors never have to push too far to show Pete’s pain in any kind of abstract way, but the score manages to create a strong emotion along with the acting in the context of the script.
The single biggest problem with the film has to be the inclusion of a song.Whoever decided ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’ should have been inserted into the film needs to be kept away from films from now on. It doesn’t matter if it was Raimi or Elfman, it just doesn’t fit at all. It just feels really cringeworthy and not in a “Wow, I can’t believe they did that.” kind of way. It just feels embarrassing in comparison to the darker tone that had successfully been built up before it.
Despite that, though, the good far outweighs the bad and this is definitely a must for all the fans of the first.
Darker, deeper and a little dafter. Spider-Man 2 is a perfect example of how sequels should turn out and shows in being one of the better Super-Hero films out there.
5/5
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