Independence Day: Transformers and Poetry
Dear Lord time goes by fast. July 4th is just about here. Some of us have plans. Some of us have no plans. Some of us will be with family or giving thanks for our country, some of us will be doing no such thing.
But there’s something we all have in common: We are all free, and we all like big robots and explosions.
I haven’t seen Transformers: Dark of the Moon yet. But I’m going to. Have I gotten amnesia? Have I forgotten the wasted hours and dollars I spent seeing the first two Transformers?
Yes, maybe I have. Because from the moment I saw the trailer for this flick, I just knew I had to see it. Word on the street is it’s the best of the bunch. Normally, I would give up on a team of “creative” people after they tried twice to make a good movie (the same movie). Maybe it’s because they spent so much darn money on them. Maybe it’s because they shot it in 3D–and the 3D action is being called far and away the best since Avatar. Maybe it’s the girl who’s replacing Megan Fox. But I’ll give Michael Bay his third and final chance to make a Transformers movie that doesn’t have me leading the movie theater with a wince or a headache.
/Film has reported on the great divide between critics and audience members when it comes to this latest movie, which opened on Tuesday in select 3D locations. I read the critics a lot. I don’t always agree with them, but we usually see eye to eye more than me and middle America do. (Speaking of critics, the other “big” movie opening this weekend is the Tom Hanks directed Larry Crowne, which he stars in with Miss Julia Roberts. I’ve read two reviews- LA Times savagely trashed the film, to the point where I knew I had to get a second opinion. Vulture had me covered. David Edelstein says of the “gentle” Larry Crowne, “I found it easy to understand why its trailer is so, so lame—the tagline might as well be ‘Come Smile Awhile.’” Tell your parents to let me know how it is).
But I digress. My point is, while I’m generally on the sides of critics (as opposed to the mass movie going public, or the bureaucratic, elitist, insider sludge of the Academy) I don’t really give a damn what the critics say about Transformers 3 (even the oft-reliable Peter Travers gave Tranformers 3 zero stars, claiming, “Watching it makes you die a little inside.” I hope that shows up on the Blu-ray sleeve). I’m sure the pain of a film like the second Transformers making soooo much money despite their critical warnings is still fresh in the minds of many film critics. I can understand their bitterness. But, while I might have forgotten the utter disappointment and hysterical unhappiness the first two Transformer films evoked in me, I have not forgotten why I saw those films in the first place.
I wanted a good action movie.
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FILM REVIEW: ‘Super 8′
For reasons I can’t explain, Super 8 is the film I’ve been most anticipating of the Summer movie season. As the movie got closer to release, I was sure they would release more footage or give some kind of hint as to what the big mystery was. They didn’t. For some reason, I assumed that film reviewers wouldn’t spoil it either. Cautiously, I looked at Variety’s recent review of the film. THE VERY FIRST SENTENCE of the film review spoiled it. I was furious. I didn’t even finish the review or figure out if it was a good review or a bad review. I just couldn’t believe they spoiled it for me. And, while I certainly won’t do that to you, the fact is: it didn’t make a difference. After all, any film that can truly be spoiled isn’t a film worth watching. Super 8 can’t be spoiled. It’s just too much fun.
Super 8 is first and foremost a monster movie. Big special effects, scary sound effects, and a mysterious monster “terrorizing” an unsuspecting town in 1979. There’s plenty of CGI and sci-fi elements, and yet, Super 8 feels like a throwback, back to the early days of summer blockbusters, when a cool original concept and some great characters were enough to warrant an “event film.” You don’t need the destruction of the entire world, or even an entire city. You don’t need a comic book property or instantly recognizable brand. Just a handful of preteens running around trying to uncover the greatest mystery of their short little lives.
35mm: Thor Surprises, Almost Amazes
I don’t know why I felt so obligated to see Thor. The marketing for the film was pretty dull. But I often find myself getting inextricably caught up in fan-boy hype. And there was plenty of fanboy hype surrounding Thor. It is after all, the third film from Marvel Studios, and a major moment as we march towards Joss Whedon’s sure-to-be-an-event 3D spectacular The Avengers in 2012.
I’ve been getting pretty geeky about Marvel lately, despite my comic book ignorance. I’m even excited for Shane Black having a go at the Iron Man franchise (any departure from Iron Man 2 is welcome). Mark Ruffalo replacing Edward Norton as the Hulk? Yep. Excited about that too. I love continuity, but, damn it, I love Ruffalo more.
Yet Captain America–and even moreso, Thor–completely failed to excite me. I knew I would see them, probably opening day, and probably enjoy them. But I know nothing of the characters and didn’t really cared much. It was more a sense of obligation.
Good thing I felt obligated to see Thor, too. It sets the bar for the Summer film season. It’s a highly enjoyable, surprisingly funny, fantastical romp through the nine realms (or whatever).