MAN OF STEEL (Zack Synder, 2013)

I remember from way back, not sure if it was from a movie, or a TV show, or a conversation with a friend this question: what separates Superman from the rest of the superheroes, say Batman, or Spider-Man? The answer of course, is that Superman was born Superman, and Clark Kent is his cover identity, unlike Peter Parker who acquired powers through a spider bite, or Bruce Wayne who has to wear rubber nipples (I swear the joke originated from Tilda Swinton!). 

So what, say you? So he really is a SUPER hero. He is great in the greatest sense of the word, because he defends the human race even though he is not one of them (arguably, if you're going to point out technicalities). 

MAN OF STEEL works as a SUPERMAN movie, and as a reboot movie for that matter because it has  the element also present in IRON MAN 3 and CAPTAIN AMERICA and THE DARK KNIGHT- its heart in the right place, a matter most absent in THE GREEN LANTERN and SUPERMAN RETURNS. Zack Snyder and company knew where, when and how to trigger our emotional vulnerability. Hint: every time Kevin Costner is onscreen is a cue for some tears. Also, I don't know why I started crying but I did, but  Superman as a young boy fearful of his heightened senses was pretty effective for me. 

And the remarkable and most important thing to commend other than the quality of the script is the amount of dedication every cast member rendered. Diane Lane as Martha Kent is as motherly as anyone can get, so when General Zod and company are bullying her for information, and Superman furiously rants to Zod, "YOU THINK YOU CAN THREATEN MY MOTHER?," there ought to be some slow clap. 

Henry Cavill as Superman is muscular, gentle, but also the simpleton guy who is searching for answers. Not for one moment you'd mistake him as a bad guy. Meanwhile, Amy Adams as Lois Lane is not too sweet (oh my god that horrible LEAP YEAR!) nor too headstrong (I still prefer the looks of Kate Bosworth in SUPERMAN RETURNS as Lois) and the thing I liked best about her depiction of Lois Lane is that she didn't arrive as much of a damsel in distress. She's a reporter but she's up there with the big boys, not just hanging off a cliff somewhere waiting for rescue. Of course, there are moments when Superman rushes to her aid but that's beside the point.

Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Superman's father is incredibly solid and superb, compelling even. This makes us want to forgive him for LES MISERABLES. Almost. However, Crowe need not be appearing every time like an unwanted ghost. The shit is creepy. It's like SAVING THE EARTH FOR DUMMIES, with step-by-step instructions from Jor-El. 

Nothing beats Marlon Brando's Jor-El. Even in voice over, the man is able to send shivers up our spine. Good thing that this isn't a competition, and Crowe gives one hell of a performance for his character.

The thrill of the entire film is mainly because of Michael Shannon, who as General Zod is authentically menacing. The man knows how to diction his way out of an argument, and if he threatens you, you crumble. 

Story-wise, the film incorporates much of the stories from SUPERMAN 1 and 2, and told in a nonlinear fashion. The flashbacks, done tastefully did not seem awkward at all. The film rarely breaks continuity, or mood.  

Why MAN OF STEEL surpasses SUPERMAN RETURNS is due to a number of reasons: the filmmakers drop the humor (save for a one-liner by a female army captain in the end) in favor of a more heartwarming storytelling; the story is easy to understand, and it doesn't drag with unnecessary scenes, and; although I enjoyed Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor in SUPERMAN RETURNS (the man is an acting god), General Zod is way a better threat to Superman because they are of the same race, and the causes they fight for are pretty much the same. Hence, it is hard to destroy an opponent whose intentions are valid. 

Pretty obvious is that the dialogue in the film were well-thought of (David S. Goyer has extensive background in adapting comic books to film). Lines like "you want to know where I hang my cape," and "your'e the answer, son. The answer to 'are we alone in the universe?' " don't come often anymore. 

MAN OF STEEL may in fact be the greatest achievement of Zack Snyder's career, also thanks to a dark but inspiring vision by Christopher Nolan who serves as producer. The film is concise, not overly melodramatic, and pays respect to its predecessors. Oh, and lest we forget, thank heavens for Superman's laser beam shooting out of his eyes! The geek-o-meter just went overboard. 

RATING: 5/5

THE HANGOVER PART 3 (Todd Phillips, 2013)

We all knew what we are getting into once we bought a ticket to see this movie. Movies like THE HANGOVER PART 3 exist so we can postpone too much analysis, like on recent more serious fares like TRANCE, and SIDE EFFECTS, and remind ourselves we can still laugh every once in a while. Perhaps not as funny and inventive as the first movie, but also not as unfunny and as culturally insensitive as the second one, THE HANGOVER PART 3 still manages to deliver plenty of sidesplitting humor and a few surprises, too (watch out for the hotel balcony scene!). 

Part 3 is basically Alan's (Zach Galifianakis) story trying to get it together. Like in the previous movies, Chow (Ken Jeong) is the main cause of everybody's misfortune, this time because a mob boss (John Goodman) is out to settle a score with him. If it were me I'd kill Chow already, but as the movie progresses, I realized Chow was badly needed to make the plot work. Chow represents the black sheep in our families, or the sociopath classmate in our class who in the end will be instrumental in our transformation.

But going back to Alan, it's nice to see his character grow from mayhem to order. His relationship with Chow is emphasized, analyzed and resolved in the end- or is it? 

Meanwhile, Stu (Ed Helms) is still subjected to insane situations, and especially in the post-credits scene which you must not miss for the sake of your life. 

Phil (Bradley Cooper), aside from being the sizzler in the crowd (the young ladies in the audience were gasping with "oooohhhhs" and "aaahhhhs" even when the movie hasn't started yet) keeps it all together, like in the previous films. 

Also, Doug (Justin Bartha) is the object of retrieval, yet again. Alan jokes to the thugs, "can't you take Stu instead?"

If we learned any lesson at all from THE HANGOVER PART 3, it's that bad seeds die hard. (and old habits, too!)

Plus points for the movie, is the inclusion of Melissa McCarthy as a pawnshop owner. She balances Alan's wild side, and that lollipop scene is equal parts gross and hilarious. 

On the downside, I don't think animal rights activist will take lightly the decapitation of a giraffe, and the execution of a chicken in the style of BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD. Personally, I think the skits were uncalled for, and done in bad taste. It's one thing to suggest the killing of an animal, then there's the graphic representation. 

Still, THE HANGOVER PART 3 is a passable way to pass the time. It moves at a turtle pace, sure but when you get to the freaking balcony scene (oh boy here it goes again), all the wait is worth it. The montage at the end is heartwarming too. 

RATING: 3/5

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (Robert Redford, 2013)

Shia LaBeouf gives us the journalist character we'd love to hate in THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, and not since Hayden Christensen went lying his way to fame in SHATTERED GLASS had we an onscreen  antihero journalist so riveting. As ambitious newspaper reporter Ben Shepard, LaBeouf is chillingly effective. Nosy, narcissistic, and seemingly devoid of human emotion, he pursues the story wherever it may lead, and he's not coy of squeezing all his assets to stay ahead of the game. 

When a shot at a national news coverage breaks out following the FBI arrest of wanted militant Sharon Solarz (Susan Sarandon) after 30 years of hiding, Ben is hot on the trail, exposing Solarz' fellow Weather Underground member Nick Sloan (Robert Redford), who is hiding under an alias Jim Grant, and practicing as an attorney near Albany, New York. With that, Ben is catapulted to instant stardom, meanwhile Sloan has to quickly leave his hometown and protect his young daughter. 

At the same time that Ben is pursuing every lead, and getting one step closer to the truth, Sloan is fighting not only for his life but for the future of his young daughter. A second encounter between the two men near the end of the film has Sloan saying to Ben of what the young reporter might uncover about himself, now that he's figured the whole story. This would affect Ben for the rest of his life. 

Hence, the film not only deals with the moral ripples of journalism to its human subjects, but also serves as a study of activism long after the issues that have been fought for, in this case the Vietnam War. Julie Christie, who plays Weather Underground member Mimi Lurie mentions she will gladly surrender if the government and the corporations admit they are wrong. Robert Redford sure loves his political statements (remember LIONS FOR LAMBS?) but in the end, the film takes a responsible stand on activism, which is satisfying.

A who's who of Hollywood heavyweights render unmatched supporting performances that are neither useless nor unnecessary, from Chris Cooper playing brother to Robert Redford's character to young Brit Marling playing the girl with the big secret. Heck, even Nick Nolte is most welcome. 

And just when things start to get boring with the lengthy conversations, Sloan makes a covert attempt to contact Mimi Lurie through a telephone number used by the underground, through Richard Jenkins who acts as intermediary. Did someone yell spy stuff? Think RED without the guns and the sarcasm, and way, way into retirement. 

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP is a real nail-biter thanks heavily to its choice not to shove too much politics down our throats, and for making its characters realize the consequences of their actions. As a result we get to enjoy the thrill of Robert Redford do a Harrison Ford a la THE FUGITIVE. Shia LaBeouf is the real Tommy Lee Jones here, not Terrence Howard who plays the FBI agent. 

RATING: 5/5      

SIDE EFFECTS (Steven Soderbergh, 2013)

Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum) is finally released after serving four years' time for insider trading. He goes home to his wife Emily (Rooney Mara), a now distant, depressed and suicidal woman. After Emily intently drives her car against a wall, a psychiatrist- Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) is assigned to her care. Banks fears for her safety, and he should because for the entirety of the movie, Emily is a walking time bomb. Mara perfectly captures the psychological state of an unstable woman, and writer Scott Z. Burns and director Steven Soderbergh takes us on an uncertain ride filled with double twists and role reversals. 

The shit hits the fan when Banks allows Emily to take a new prescription drug called Ablixa to cure depression, after a recommendation by Emily's former psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The depression is cured, and Emily finally recovers her sex drive, but the pill has many dangerous side effects.

By the first half of the movie, Soderbergh throws in a huge plot surprise, setting things in motion. Suddenly, the dramatic mood of the film becomes a high stakes Hitchcockian thriller. 

Aside from the meaty plot that although talkative, is never boring, fantastic to observe as well is the cinematography, which is also done by Soderbergh (under the name Peter Andrews). At most times, his camera takes on the voyeur approach, making us watchful accomplices, or witnesses if you will, themes he so greatly discussed in SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE and THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE. 

At many uncountable times, we are questioning Emily's guilt/innocence. Soderbergh and Burns masterfully layers the storytelling with enough events for us to doubt our prejudice with Emily, and about who really is the accountable one. On a side note, the film also hovers around the idea of medical malpractice. 

The resolution was somewhat expected, and while I may have enjoyed the satisfaction of retribution and the buildup of events leading to the finale, I fear that the exposition of the finale and the way things ended was somewhat used already somewhere before. An open-ended ending may have been great as well, but what the hell, we knew we demanded this closure after two hours of witch hunting.  

RATING: 4/5

FAST AND FURIOUS 6 (Justin Lin, 2013)

A FAST AND THE FURIOUS movie isn't whole without Michelle Rodriguez. Let's face it, she's the element that holds it all together, and no matter who you fill in to replace her, it just isn't the same. Plus, her Letty is the yin to Vin Diesel's character Dominic Torretto's yang. I'm sure fans are eager to welcome her return to the franchise, one particular friend of mine included who is adrenaline high right now about Letty coming back.

FAST FIVE was crazy exciting enough with the gathering of some of the most colorful characters in the history of the beloved franchise and the inclusion of Dwayne Johnson as a muscle to match Vin Diesel. FAST AND FURIOUS 6 amps up the nitro not only with the return of Letty and the reunion of the gang, but with the arrival of MMA badass babe Gina Carano as an INTERPOL officer, and Luke Evans as a sinister foe deadlier than the gang ever faced, particularly because he's a mean ass driver. Now, every audience member's obvious question is, "What the hell happened to Letty?". Well now we get a definite answer. 

The action is still fast (that bridge stunt where Dom jumps out of a moving car to catch Letty catapulting from a flipping tank is insane), the cars more furious (yet the red, white and blue is a little bit of THE ITALIAN JOB, don't you think?) and Torretto and Brian O' Connor (Paul Walker) are deadlier than ever because the stakes have never been this personal. Luke Evans who plays international criminal Owen Shaw has a Heath Ledger-as-Joker moment in the climax where he sits there in his jail cell, smirking, and for the most of us we know that the game's not over. 

But after a while, the action gets somewhat overlong, and you just can't wait to get it over and done with (particularly in the ending scene). The plot resorts to familiar loopholes of the hero tale, where somebody somewhere gets kidnapped, and all hell breaks loose. 

Also, Dwayne Johnson is unbelievably unbelievable in this movie, and while we enjoy seeing him kick ass and take names, barking orders around all of a sudden in a NATO base (what is he, a dictator?) looked like somebody pumped too much machismo on paper. Jumping from one truck to another in what must have been a high vertical drop adds insult to the injury. So okay, he's wearing prospective vest and maybe he has the physique to accomplish such, but at times we may want to do a reality check. But if Evelyn Salt can do it, then why can't he?

Which brings us back to the bridge scene where Dom makes a heroic rescue to catch Letty's fall. Cinematically it appears beautiful, heart-stopping even. In real life, I'm surprised Dom's head isn't mush. 

But perhaps the best things about FAST AND THE FURIOUS 6 (yes, even better than the freaking tank) are Roman's (Tyrese Gibson) rapid-fire one-liners and the intense moments between Dom and Letty, particularly the confrontation after the race scene in London, where nostalgia is the name of the game. 

FAST AND FURIOUS 6 plays out like it's supposed to, an escapist high octane vehicle that never takes its foot off the gas. The villains are no jokes (I'm looking at you, Cole Hauser). Just look at Joe Taslim beat the shit out of Tyrese and Sung Kang. For those unfamiliar with Joe Taslim, start looking for a copy of THE RAID: REDEMPTION right now. 

Jordana Brewster who plays Mia, Dom's sister and Brian's wife gets little appearance here (but hey, so did Julia Roberts in OCEAN'S TWELVE yet Roberts did a fashionable job of impersonating herself in that movie) and I wish she played a bigger part in the story than the housewife. Nevertheless, FAST AND FURIOUS 6 will leave you breathless like riding on a Dodge Charger without brakes. And by that reference, is it just me or is there a NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND 2 throwback in the movie somewhere? Fanboys, speak up. 

RATING: 4/5

   

SOMEWHERE (Sofia Coppola, 2010)

As much as we adore Sofia Coppola's LOST IN TRANSLATION, at some point we have to move on. Coppola's fourth baby, SOMEWHERE sticks close with her most widely-regarded film in aspects of tone and subject matter and execution, and one would expect a showcase of grander emotions given that SOMEWHERE is a father-daughter relationship story. However, Coppola once again proves she is a filmmaker capable of making us patiently observe the minutest detail of her visual frame, even when nothing seems to be going on, and in Coppola's lens, something is always going on. 

Movie star Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is holed up in a hotel while recovering from an arm injury obtained while performing a stunt at one of his movies. The unexpected arrival of his daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) brings unknown levels of ambivalence to Johnny, and no amount of alcohol, or pole-dancing strippers, or late night booty calls can fix what's missing in Johnny's life. At a later point in the movie, he admits "I am nothing", which begs our curiosity as to why.

The film takes us on a seemingly whirlwind ride of a celebrity's day-to-day, from presscons and photo shoots to out of the country junkets, all the while with the POV shifting from Johnny to Cleo and back again, hence we get to see and feel what it's like to be one and the other. 

Cleo is in her formative years, and SOMEWHERE shows us how she is nuts about her father, and it is a ravaging and bittersweet experience to see a growing child bear the disappointment to both her parents, and yet still root for her freewheeling excuse for a father. But in all fairness, Johnny's character isn't the typecast sleazebag of a father who substitutes money for paternal duties. Sure, he likes to party, but he still shows how he will never let her daughter get hurt.

A film that begs our constant attention and possibly, repeated viewings, SOMEWHERE treads the line between indifference and heartbreak, and it is this quality that Coppola truly achieves her greatest, the way that we can be unfeeling in the beginning and be involved at the end, all the while utilizing minimum dialogue and emotion. But who dictates the intensity and impact of onscreen emotion? Is an afternoon soap opera with lots of screaming more powerful than a still shot of a little girl quietly bursting into tears? I think not. SOMEWHERE may not be as great as LOST IN TRANSLATION, but then again it'd be like comparing Spielberg to Scorsese. 

RATING: 4/5

IDENTITY THIEF (Seth Gordon, 2013)

Melissa McCarthy is fast becoming the next big Hollywood comedian. Proving to be a show-stealer despite established comediennes Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph in BRIDESMAIDS, and with the upcoming THE HEAT opposite comedy darling Sandra Bullock, McCarthy fires sarcasm and sight gags without so much as a sweat. In IDENTITY THIEF, she perfectly portrays the character of a sociopath with a heart. In fact, IDENTITY THIEF ought to be credited for humanizing an identity thief, a personality that is condemned by modern society.

Jason Bateman is mild-mannered Sandy Patterson, a corporate guy who becomes an unwitting victim of identity theft by plain nature of his gullibility. In this instance, IDENTITY THIEF stands out as a gargantuan visual reminder to the millions of victims of identity theft/online scams and to the millions of potential victims NOT to get fooled (again). 

Diana (McCarthy) pretends she's a representative of the credit card company, gets the vital information from Sandy and she becomes an instant one-day millionaire, much to the innocence of poor old Sandy. When shit hits the fan, Sandy tracks Diana in order to restore his life to normal, and that's when we all get a stunning revelation- Diana is actually a human being with normal problems and normal heartaches. Suddenly we root for the bad guy even though we are fully aware that her behavior is reprehensible. The film though does not condone her criminal behavior whatsoever.

Where IDENTITY THIEF goes south is when it plays out its road trip sequence like a cartoon, with villains unworthy even of a seat in the bad guy meeting in Wreck-It Ralph. We never know who or what happens to the sinister-looking inmate who wants to be the Godfather of the cell block. The black guy and the Latina hit duo (this sentence sounds like they are a couple of singers) are clearly racial stereotypes (T.I. tries desperately to be menacing, but fails). And Robert Patrick's bounty hunter character is so poorly-written it is a shame waste of his acting talent. 

Nevertheless, IDENTITY THIEF delivers a guaranteed laughter vehicle, credits mostly to McCarthy who saves the film from being another generic comedy. Seth Gordon ought to be credited too, for rising above the irreparable damage to our consciousness also known as HORRIBLE BOSSES, a film so blatantly aimed at "horrible bosses" and so hell bent on getting even that it refuses to be funny at all. 

RATING: 3/5