update and Spidey review
Suppose I should update a tad. Right now I'm just trying to get my eyes to uncross from the headache from hell I have.
Heh, who wants to edit that last sentence?!
Anyway, haven't been up to a whole lot. It's hell week at work, so of course everything that can happen IS happening. So on top of all that, our meter machine broke. Yay. It's so much fun I just don't know what to do with myself.
Really.
Ok maybe it's just the headache mixed with a pinch of boredom talking *g*.
Anyway, right now I'm counting down the days until vacation. Oh glorious vacation that can't come a moment too soon. Sure I'll be doing alot of driving, but I WON'T be here. And hopefully I can get internet hookup at the hotel we are staying at since stephiny got me the hookup with a wireless card (yippee!). I can hopefully update to my little hearts content to keep me happy and make you all jealous.
Can't.
Wait.
Moving on though, this weekend I watched Spider-Man 3 with shui79, so I may as well update about it!
First off, we WERE going to see the movie at the new IMAX that just opened near where I live. Damn thing hadn't been open 24 hours yet and already Spider-man had been sold out for the weekend.
Bummer.
We got the digital showing though...which did nothing except make me long for HDTV. Seriously, that stuff is the BOMB and soooo crisp its scary. I likes, I likes ALOT.
Anyway, the movie, I'll just run down why I liked this movie and fanboys didn't (or that I've read so far).
1. The characters. This movie's heart IS the characters. Not the action, not the SFX, but the characters. Each movie has been leading up to this, so I wasn't surprised to see the characters brought more to the front. This movie wasn't "Oh poor MJ" "Oh angry Harry" "Oh dorky Peter". Sure, those moments were still there, but the characters really shown in this movie.
2. Plot. Though the plot wasn't perfect (Sandman really wasn't an integral part to the plot or the developement of the characters), but it was more than just action. I personally enjoyed that aspect of the movie. There was still quite a bit of action, and some of the parts were very cartoony, but...it's SPIDER-MAN! That's like balking that Sin City is shot to wierd and is over the top noir...well that's because it's a COMIC BOOK!
3. I can't say that I liked the dialogue, I'll give the fanboys that. It was...bad. Alot of the Bernard dialogue needed to be scrapped. The whole exchange near the end between Bernard and Harry was just contrived and silly. And no I'm not talking about that "I loved your father the way I love you bit". No, the explanation afterwards. It was shoddy writing, I'll give one towards why this movie failed in alot of people's eyes, bad dialogue.
4. Venom. I LIKED how they did Venom in the movie. Sure, Venom wasn't the driving force in the movie, but Doc Ock wasn't in the last movie either! Doc Ock may have had more time, but most of the last movie was spent with Peter coming to gripes with actually BEING Spider-man (kind of a page torn from Buffy lore that one). This movie focused most on Peter learning how to stop being Spider-man and focus on things important to HIMSELF. And people who complain that Venom got so little screen time (which is debatable since Eddie Brock was in the movie often), all I can say is Venom got WAY better than Angel in X-Men 3. Seriously, Angel was a novelty in that movie, at least Venom was an actual bad guy, a formidable foe.
5. Sandman was a let down. Though I think Thomas Hayden Church DID work really hard to get the physique of Sandman (and did an excellent job at it, dude is HUGE), but it also looks like he pulled a Gary Shandling and botox'd up before the movie! It's hard to convey emotions when it looks like your pained just to open your mouth. I liked the storyline, but other than the moral, it really served very little purpose in the overall movie.
6. Forgiveness moral. Like alot of comic books, the movie had an overall moral, which was forgiveness. I liked it, it was a moral that forced Peter to grow up in front of the audience in just 2 hours and 20 minutes. It worked with every element of the script up to that point, and wasn't nearly as contrived and silly as it could have been.
***SPOILER*** ***MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD*** ***SPOILER***
7. Death scenes. Anyone who wants to say that Harry's death scene was over the top and cheesy needs to rewatch the first movie. It really had shades of Uncle Ben's death, but with Peter actually getting the opportunity to say to Harry things he didn't get to say to Uncle Ben. Peter was able to make amends in the end with Harry. It was sweet, and really reminded you that Peter is still learning as he's going along, and still makes major mistakes along the way. I even liked the revisiting Uncle Ben's death as well. Personally I don't think making it an accident took Peter's guilt out of the equation. Sure it wasn't the guy Peter THOUGHT killed his Uncle, but it was still his negligence in the long run that allowed his Uncle to be killed. Had Peter stopped the thief Sandman might have taken his Uncles advice and just left, or at least wouldn't have been startled by the guy making him accidentally pull the trigger. Peter still isn't without responsibility in the matter, but it allowed Peter to face something he hadn't to make him a BETTER hero for everyone. Peter had never faced the anger and pain he had, he never faced the need to forgive what happened to his Uncle. Sandman forced that on him, which makes Peter more human in the end.
***END SPOILER*** ***END SPOILER*** ***END SPOILER*** ***END SPOILER***
Anyway, I think overall the movie was good. Not as awful as the critics are saying it is. Sure it could have used a little work, there was a definite need for a clean up in the script department, but it certainly wasn't the worst movie ever written (I think I'm reserving that place for Hollywoodland). I have high hopes for a fourth, because the series is definitely maturing as it goes along, and I think that's what's bothering alot of people. Spider-man 3 is NOT the first movie. I'd go so far to say it's better than the first simply because it has more developement to it. I don't think it's better than the second...well because who can beat Alfred Minola as a villan? The third installment wasn't as strong in the villan department as the second, and I don't think it was because it was two villans. I think it was because both villans were written as more or less caricatures (as many villans are written), which took alot of heart out of the picture.
I say definitely go see the movie. This might not have as many special effects as the first two, but it does have it's moments, and the plot is worth seeing.
Heh, who wants to edit that last sentence?!
Anyway, haven't been up to a whole lot. It's hell week at work, so of course everything that can happen IS happening. So on top of all that, our meter machine broke. Yay. It's so much fun I just don't know what to do with myself.
Really.
Ok maybe it's just the headache mixed with a pinch of boredom talking *g*.
Anyway, right now I'm counting down the days until vacation. Oh glorious vacation that can't come a moment too soon. Sure I'll be doing alot of driving, but I WON'T be here. And hopefully I can get internet hookup at the hotel we are staying at since stephiny got me the hookup with a wireless card (yippee!). I can hopefully update to my little hearts content to keep me happy and make you all jealous.
Can't.
Wait.
Moving on though, this weekend I watched Spider-Man 3 with shui79, so I may as well update about it!
First off, we WERE going to see the movie at the new IMAX that just opened near where I live. Damn thing hadn't been open 24 hours yet and already Spider-man had been sold out for the weekend.
Bummer.
We got the digital showing though...which did nothing except make me long for HDTV. Seriously, that stuff is the BOMB and soooo crisp its scary. I likes, I likes ALOT.
Anyway, the movie, I'll just run down why I liked this movie and fanboys didn't (or that I've read so far).
1. The characters. This movie's heart IS the characters. Not the action, not the SFX, but the characters. Each movie has been leading up to this, so I wasn't surprised to see the characters brought more to the front. This movie wasn't "Oh poor MJ" "Oh angry Harry" "Oh dorky Peter". Sure, those moments were still there, but the characters really shown in this movie.
2. Plot. Though the plot wasn't perfect (Sandman really wasn't an integral part to the plot or the developement of the characters), but it was more than just action. I personally enjoyed that aspect of the movie. There was still quite a bit of action, and some of the parts were very cartoony, but...it's SPIDER-MAN! That's like balking that Sin City is shot to wierd and is over the top noir...well that's because it's a COMIC BOOK!
3. I can't say that I liked the dialogue, I'll give the fanboys that. It was...bad. Alot of the Bernard dialogue needed to be scrapped. The whole exchange near the end between Bernard and Harry was just contrived and silly. And no I'm not talking about that "I loved your father the way I love you bit". No, the explanation afterwards. It was shoddy writing, I'll give one towards why this movie failed in alot of people's eyes, bad dialogue.
4. Venom. I LIKED how they did Venom in the movie. Sure, Venom wasn't the driving force in the movie, but Doc Ock wasn't in the last movie either! Doc Ock may have had more time, but most of the last movie was spent with Peter coming to gripes with actually BEING Spider-man (kind of a page torn from Buffy lore that one). This movie focused most on Peter learning how to stop being Spider-man and focus on things important to HIMSELF. And people who complain that Venom got so little screen time (which is debatable since Eddie Brock was in the movie often), all I can say is Venom got WAY better than Angel in X-Men 3. Seriously, Angel was a novelty in that movie, at least Venom was an actual bad guy, a formidable foe.
5. Sandman was a let down. Though I think Thomas Hayden Church DID work really hard to get the physique of Sandman (and did an excellent job at it, dude is HUGE), but it also looks like he pulled a Gary Shandling and botox'd up before the movie! It's hard to convey emotions when it looks like your pained just to open your mouth. I liked the storyline, but other than the moral, it really served very little purpose in the overall movie.
6. Forgiveness moral. Like alot of comic books, the movie had an overall moral, which was forgiveness. I liked it, it was a moral that forced Peter to grow up in front of the audience in just 2 hours and 20 minutes. It worked with every element of the script up to that point, and wasn't nearly as contrived and silly as it could have been.
***SPOILER*** ***MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD*** ***SPOILER***
7. Death scenes. Anyone who wants to say that Harry's death scene was over the top and cheesy needs to rewatch the first movie. It really had shades of Uncle Ben's death, but with Peter actually getting the opportunity to say to Harry things he didn't get to say to Uncle Ben. Peter was able to make amends in the end with Harry. It was sweet, and really reminded you that Peter is still learning as he's going along, and still makes major mistakes along the way. I even liked the revisiting Uncle Ben's death as well. Personally I don't think making it an accident took Peter's guilt out of the equation. Sure it wasn't the guy Peter THOUGHT killed his Uncle, but it was still his negligence in the long run that allowed his Uncle to be killed. Had Peter stopped the thief Sandman might have taken his Uncles advice and just left, or at least wouldn't have been startled by the guy making him accidentally pull the trigger. Peter still isn't without responsibility in the matter, but it allowed Peter to face something he hadn't to make him a BETTER hero for everyone. Peter had never faced the anger and pain he had, he never faced the need to forgive what happened to his Uncle. Sandman forced that on him, which makes Peter more human in the end.
***END SPOILER*** ***END SPOILER*** ***END SPOILER*** ***END SPOILER***
Anyway, I think overall the movie was good. Not as awful as the critics are saying it is. Sure it could have used a little work, there was a definite need for a clean up in the script department, but it certainly wasn't the worst movie ever written (I think I'm reserving that place for Hollywoodland). I have high hopes for a fourth, because the series is definitely maturing as it goes along, and I think that's what's bothering alot of people. Spider-man 3 is NOT the first movie. I'd go so far to say it's better than the first simply because it has more developement to it. I don't think it's better than the second...well because who can beat Alfred Minola as a villan? The third installment wasn't as strong in the villan department as the second, and I don't think it was because it was two villans. I think it was because both villans were written as more or less caricatures (as many villans are written), which took alot of heart out of the picture.
I say definitely go see the movie. This might not have as many special effects as the first two, but it does have it's moments, and the plot is worth seeing.