Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man 3
Director: Sam Raimi
140 minutes
2.39:1


This little spider spins a tangled web indeed.

The film adaptations of the Spider-Man and the X-Men comics have kept the genre prospering to levels unseen before. Apart from the X-Men films, the Spider-Man films have also made this genre respectable due to the depth of their dramatic arcs. (These same arcs also contributed to the less than stellar reviews of other film adaptations of comic books even though those films stayed true to their origins.) Spider-Man 3 simply continues the intricate storytelling tradition of the previous Spider-Man films.



Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has got a good thing going. His Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) is sorted out in a nice apartment, his grades at school have improved, his love life with Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) is just sparkling and at long last, Spider-Man has become a beloved NYC hero. Peter can sing “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” for a Rogers & Hammerstein revue and meant every word of it.

Trouble however is brewing just underneath the surface. His best friend Harry (James Franco) is bearing a deadly grudge against him. Peter finds out that Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), his uncle’s actual killer, has escaped from prison. Peter also faces a fierce competition against Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), a dangerously determined freelance photographer, at The Daily Bugle. To top it all off, a gooey stringy black substance from space has grown attached to Peter. Can he handle all of this by himself?



Working with writers Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent, who also worked on the first two Spider-Man films, director Sam Raimi once again tells a great story that is full of drama and action. In fact, with a running time of 140 minutes and all of the plot points and new characters, it almost feels like the movie would collapse under its own weight. Almost, but thanks to Raimi, it didn’t. Some of the scenes were laugh out loud moments while some of the action sequences were enough to give you sweaty palms and acrophobia.

Helping Raimi to sustain the look and feel of this alternate New York that Peter Parker lives in is the production team. Director of photography Bill Pope makes each scene look fresh and beautiful every time, even in Peter’s crappy apartment. Production designers Neil Spisak and J. Michael Riva’s work is invisible most of the time because it can’t glaringly pop-up, with the exception of two nail-biting cliffhangers. Costume designer James Acheson delivers in spades again, not only for the non-descript wardrobe for the entire cast but also for the creation of the tough-to-shoot black Spider-Man and Venom costumes, and the not-so -green New Goblin costume. Editor Bob Murawski must have had a tough time to deliver scenes that are concise yet full of meaning and impact at every level.



The visual effects of Spider-Man 3 also reached dizzying heights, figuratively and literally. Visual effects supervisor Scott Stokdyk and visual effects designer John Dykstra brings a new look and feel to the film’s many effects shot. Created mostly by Sony Pictures Imageworks, the effects are almost seamless and realistically done. Using signature elements from Danny Elfman’s original Spider-Man score and his own, Christopher Young crafts a score that helps sustain and create tension and drama. Supervising sound mixers Kevin O’Connell and Greg P. Russell, and supervising sound editor/designer Paul N. J. Ottosson deliver a powerful sonic rush as well as subtle environmental cues that make the film come alive.

The original cast is excellent and that is to be expected, having comfortably performed the roles in the first two movies. Even so, Franco finally proves that he is an actor worthy of praise after all, at least in these films. His character has more range than before. Grace and Church’s performances are great, delivering subtlety and quiet sadness in their very short and few scenes. Another great performance comes from Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy, Peter’s lab partner. Unlike most of her other film roles, she is vamped up as the beautiful and smart blonde.



The world that Peter Parker lives in may never be normal and permanently free of danger. That is the beauty of these Spider-Man films, in that it is a reflection of the everyday struggles of regular people striving to be happy and stay happy to the best of their abilities. That is why the first two films were blockbusters.

With Spider-Man 3, another fantastic trilogy is complete. Assuredly more sequels are being planned, but whether or not the actors or director involved will come back is yet to be seen. Regardless of the outcome, Spider-Man 3 is a great and satisfying film that bookends these incredible stories of a humane superhero.

Sunshine

Sunshine
Director: Danny Boyle
110 minutes
2.39:1


What this movie needed most is an extended director’s cut. It is not a bad movie. In fact, it is a great movie. However, it could have been perfect.

Sunshine tells the story of a crew of eight scientists aboard a giant space ship. Their goal is next to impossible: recharge the sun so that it doesn’t collapse into itself. Failure would result in a black hole sucking in the entire solar system. Success would mean life continuing on Earth.



The premise is intriguing scientifically, sociologically and also psychologically. What director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland explored in the movie is mainly the psychological effects of this dooms day scenario, coupled with a healthy dose of science. What would have made the movie resonate more is the sociological perspective of how the human race is forced to deal with this scenario and why these scientists chose to be a part of this mission. The back stories may be haunting and illuminating. Hence, it would have been perfect if the film was just a little bit longer.

Otherwise, Sunshine is a stellar production. Production designer Mark Tildesley created a believable late 21st century space craft and filled it with the right things. Costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb provided the finishing touch with her subtly futuristic designs, complemented by make-up and hair designer Christine Blundell’s work. The visual effects by the Moving Picture Company, headed up by visual effects supervisor Tom Wood, is amazing to watch.





Capturing all of this is director of photography Alwin Küchler who made it all devastatingly beautiful. Accompanying the visuals are the work of sound designer Tom Sayers and the thrilling score by John Murphy and Underworld. Putting all of this together is editor Chris Gill, who maintained a sense of isolation and danger in every frame. Simply put, Sunshine is a visual and aural feast.

The cast is small and brilliant. Lead by Cillian Murphy who plays Capa, they crafted their silent scenes to speak volumes. Apart from Murphy, stand out performances to watch out for are Christ Evans as Mace, Rose Byrne as Cassie, Michelle Yeoh as Corazon, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Kaneda. Cliff Curtis as Searle, Benedict Wong as Trey, and Troy Garity as Harvey round off the main cast.




Sunshine in its 110-minute running time is a must-see movie, even though the cerebral nature of the story predetermined its destiny as a cult sci-fi film. Boyle and Garland did a great job at bringing to life this scientifically possible story. Hopefully just like what 20th Century Fox did with Ridley Scott’s Kingdom Of Heaven, Fox Searchlight will eventually release the extended director’s cut of Sunshine on Blu-ray Disc sometime in the future.

300

300
Director: Director: Zack Snyder
117 minutes
2.39:1

In the last decade, there have been many outstanding adaptations of comics for the big screen. However, few of which accurately represented the look of the comics. It took the Wachowskis’ The Matrix to remind audiences of the beautiful, expressively drawn panels that these movies were inspired from. Ironically The Matrix itself is not a comics-based film even though it was heavily influenced by comics and manga. Since then, more directors have embraced this intricate visual style.

300 is based on Frank Miller’s 300, a graphic novel that explores the Battle of Thermopylae, a devastating battle between the Spartans and Persians that occurred in 480 B.C. King Leonidas, played by Gerard Butler, was informed by a Persian emissary that King Xerxes, a self-anointed God from Persia, will be landing on the Grecian shores soon. The emissary gave the king two options: submit to King Xerxes and receive clemency and support, or fight to suffer a certain defeat and the obliteration of Sparta. Like all great leaders with back bones, King Leonidas chooses the latter and a great story is born.



The only drawback to 300 is that Snyder has not managed to squeeze the emotional core of the story. There is a lack of connection between the audience and the Spartan warriors’ fight ethic. But was there one from the graphic novel to begin with? That is a question only those who have read Miller’s 300 could answer.

Otherwise, Snyder must be commended for executing this movie almost perfectly. Beautiful in its cinematography and art design, courtesy of DP Larry Fong, production designer James Bissell and costume designer Michael Wilkinson. Enhancing the look of Greek topography and ancient battles falls under the direction of visual effects supervisor Chris Watts, and make-up and creature effects supervisors Shaun Smith and Mark Rappaport.



300 also owes its visceral impact to aural manipulation. Sound effects supervisor EricA. Norris and his team of sound effects editors – Derek Vanderhorst, Jon Mete, David Werntz, Brad North and Rick Hromadka – augmented the action with an involving sonic delights. Finally Tyler Bates provided the rousing score that doesn’t overwhelm.

The cast gave a great performance. Butler’s King Leonidas has enough charisma and frailty. Lena Headey’s Queen Gorgo shows resolve and courage. Dominic West as Theron has a devious charm. Rodrigo Santoro’s King Xerxes is an enigmatic and creepy figure. Tom Wisdom as Astinos, Vincent Regan as the Captain, and Michael Fassbender as Stelios were given limited acting range but they acutely portray the dedication of the Spartan army. David Wenham as Dilios carries the most burden as both a high-ranking Spartan soldier and the narrator of the tale. Another thing to note is that all of them looked great in every single frame they are in.




Like Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s Sin City, Snyder’s adaptation works brilliantly with an amazing palette of color and violence. It is an instant classic among its target audience. Whether 300 can withstand the test of time like the Battle of Thermopylae, may be decided in just a few years.