ON THE SILVER SCREEN: HEAVY METAL (MAN OF STEEL) 3.5K
Total Views: 46 By Brian Lafferty June 14, 2013 (San Diego) – The original Superman was entertaining in the moment, but terribly flawed upon further reflection, especially the ending. As much fun as I had watching it, the ending was one giant mass of plot holes. I remember liking the somewhat turgid Superman Returns when I saw it in theaters seven years ago. Today I can’t remember a single thing about it. Other than that, I had limited exposure to the silly Superman II. Man of Steel is overlong. Even for a comic book film, the performances could have been much better and memorable. It’s enjoyable, it’s clear the series will get bigger, better and bolder. Still, out of the small sampling of Superman films, this one gets it the most right. Quite a grand achievement, I must say, considering the director is none other than Zack Snyder. I’ve already made plain my distaste of Sucker Punch – perhaps too many times – so I won’t rehash it here except to say it made it difficult for me to give Man of Steel the benefit of the doubt. Instead of attempting an awkward continuation like Bryan Singer did with Superman Returns, producers and screenwriters David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan make the logical choice to start anew. Krypton is nearing its inevitable end. General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his small militia attempt a failed coup and are punished. Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sends his newborn son Kal-el to Earth. Kal-el grows up in Smallville, Kansas as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), who grapples with his powers and identity crisis. Now an adult and pursued by Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams) he now must save Earth from the awakened Zod. Goyer and Nolan reveal, through flashbacks and interviews Citizen Kane-style, a portrait of a young “man” suffering from perpetual inner anguish. This first manifests itself in a touching flashback scene in which Kent’s superpowers emerge. Well, “emerge” is too weak a work. His x-ray vision, hypersensitivity to sound, and telepathy come on strong like nobody’s business. Moral issues arise to further complicate things. Is it wrong to use your superpowers to save a submerged school bus full of drowning kids, thus inviting suspicion, even if that’s the only way? Before I discuss the aesthetics, I must preface what I’m about to say with a small disclaimer that the screening I attended was a 3D presentation, so the 2D presentation might be different. (There was an option to see a 2D projection on Wednesday – a first in the three-plus years I’ve attended press screenings – but I chose to attend last week’s for transportation and deadline reasons.) The glasses the ArcLight La Jolla – the San Diego multiplex to go to for mainstream films – handed out were the darkest and dimmest, but a few periodic lifts of the glasses gave me reason to believe the image was overbrightened to compensate. That said, Man of Steel’s character psychology and philosophy are far from its only grim qualities, as the desaturated colors and shadowy lighting schematics show. Krypton, a once-prosperous planet, is now a hideous and desolate planet of true despair. In a way, its self-destruction is a mercy killing. In the Smallville sequences, the same style brings out a different, yet equally potent effect, this time on an emotional level. It subtly illuminates Kent’s tortured, confused mental state stemming from his knowledge that he’s not like other kids, but someone – or in this case, something – else entirely. The second half is packed tight with as much thunderous and ambitious action and fight scenes as one could possibly cram in. Despite that, it still leaves time and energy to mentally step out and witness Kent’s emotional build-up come into play in his fight against Zod. Not since the Transformers films have I witnessed so much destruction. No structure is safe. Concrete is smashed to bits the same way little kids practice karate moves on Styrofoam. I’m certain you’ve at some point in your life heard the familiar phrase “pound the pavement?” The pavement and streets are pounded all right. After all the destruction, I’d hate to be Metropolis’ Chief Financial Officer. You won’t find me griping about the relentless action, though. I draw a distinction between Michael Bay destruction and this kind, which grows out of the story and characters and from that becomes so personal, a genuinely vested interest in the outcome forms. Zack Snyder is billed as the director. However, I feel uncomfortable calling it a Zack Snyder film. Rather, it’s a Christopher Nolan film. It’s a relief not to see that annoying and pretentious “Zack Snyder Shot.” It’s that now-tiresome shot that starts at a normal speed, then quickly slows down to enunciate a specific action (such as a punch or jump) before going back to normal. Apparently, Nolan wouldn’t have any of that. Indeed, Nolan’s familiar visual style borrows heavily from his Batman trilogy, as his propensity for psychological drama. Don’t worry, all similarities end there. After the misguided Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and the major misfire Sucker Punch, it’s my sincere hope that being under Nolan’s tutelage means Snyder is back on the same path he was when he made 300 and Watchmen. And hopefully, no more Zack Snyder Shots. B Man of Steel is now playing in wide release. A Warner Bros. release. Director: Zack Snyder. Screenplay: David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, based on “Superman” created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Original Music: Hans Zimmer. Cinematography: Amir Mokri. Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, and Laurence Fishburne. Running Time: 143 minutes. Rated PG-13. Brian Lafferty welcomes letters at brian@eastcountymagazine.org. You can also follow him on Twitter: @BrianLaff. Printer-friendly version
3.5K viewsON THE SILVER SCREEN: CLASS ACTION 11
Total Views: 36 By Brian Lafferty June 5, 2011 (San Diego) – Most comic book movies that are the first in a franchise feel like a feature-length first act. I had this feeling with X-Men and Spider-Man. They’re good movies but they functioned more like set-ups for X2 and Spider-Man 2, which also delivered the goods better. But not X-Men: First Class. Set in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis it explores the first X-Men. The centerpiece is Erik Lehnsherr’s quest for vengeance against Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Shaw is a former Nazi who murdered Erik’s mother during the Holocaust because he couldn’t move a coin on command. The future Magneto’s vendetta eventually morphs into a showdown between the First Class and Shaw and his henchmen, who intend on creating World War III. Unlike most comic book movies, this one isn’t predictable. Rich in story, First Class is driven by its characters rather than through action and special effects. The screenwriters (director Matthew Vaughn among them) weave the film’s numerous stories and characters in a complex but comprehensible fashion. Another surprise is the tone. Although rated PG-13, the film neither dumbs itself down nor does it cater to teenagers and kids with an adolescent subtext. It is very mature and extremely dark. Despite the high body count and scenes of stabbing, blood is only shown once or twice, apparently to ensure the film wouldn’t get an R-rating (a film like this doesn’t need the blood, anyhow; it’d be out of place and the dark atmosphere is effective enough). So even though the movie is PG-13, don’t take your eight year-old to see it. It isn’t just the story that’s rich and detailed. Director Matthew Vaughn and cinematographer John Mathieson have an acute eye for color and its emotional effects. The colors have dark tones. The sylvan, woodsy, snowy colors and exteriors in Russia emit a “cold” feeling. The dark mahogany interiors of Sebastian Shaw’s office have a sinisterly quality that further reveals itself when Shaw kills Erik’s mother Although Vaughn and Mathieson use different colors for different environments, it never comes off as color-coding. The lighting and cinematography in each scene gives a sense of the time, place, and the dark atmosphere of both. The special effects, however, are hit and miss. The make-up is top-notch and the smaller special effects, such as Havok’s weaponry, are above average. The larger scale special effects, however, leave a lot to be desired. I won’t reveal the end but there are numerous effects that look way too CGI and fake. Even in a movie like X-Men: First Class and other comic book movies, these poorly executed effects can easily take one out of the moment. Matthew Vaughn is a suitable choice for director. Like Ridley Scott, Tim Burton, and James Cameron he prefers visual storytelling. Stardust boasted gorgeous cinematography and outstanding visual effects. They didn’t overpower the story and characters. Instead, they helped tell the story. Kick-Ass relied less on special effects but it contained plenty of well-executed action and plenty of black humor. Vaughn has only four movies to his credit (I wasn’t impressed much with Layer Cake, but that’s a minor quibble). Nevertheless, he is a director I’m beginning to respect more and more. In an age where many action movies are offensively mindless and brainless, he is willing to dare to make smart movies. X-Men: First Class is now playing in local theaters. A 20th Century Fox release. Director: Matthew Vaughn. Screenplay: Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn (screenplay), Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer (story) based on characters by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Chris Claremont. Cinematographer: John Mathieson. Original music: Henry Jackman. Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Oliver Platt, and Kevin Bacon. 132 minutes. Rated PG-13. Brian can be reached at brian@eastcountymagazine.org. You can also follow him on Twitter: @BrianLaff. Printer-friendly version
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