It’s been a fairly average year for summer films so far. Here’s what I’ve seen:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo
The first Captain America film from Marvel Studios had charming characters but no real plot to speak of. This sequel has both, plus well-paced action scenes and superbly choreographed fights. But unlike a lot of films these days the action doesn’t take away from the story, which is just the right balance of cheesy comic book camp and genuine spy vs. spy intrigue. Also, just enough time is given between action set pieces for the characters to breathe and develop, another thing sorely lacking in most recent blockbusters. Add in a villain that is just as menacing and complex as Bane from Nolan’s last Batman outing, a bigger, juicier role for Samuel L. Jackson, who has been criminally underused in genre films for the past decade, and you have a popcorn film that’s as stimulating as it is entertaining; a breath of fresh air in this age of slapped-together CG fests.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
2014. Directed by Marc Webb
This film has been called a mess. I’ve read critics who say it’s just a series of plot points thrown together, an unsatisfying and meaningless series of vignettes; but I beg to differ. As much as it irks me that Sony has rebooted Raimi’s much loved series, this sequel to the mediocre The Amazing Spider-Man is a much better film. It has stronger pacing and a more satisfying story. What seems like a series of disconnected scenes to some plays to me like the story of a very confused and stressed Peter Parker, torn by his feelings for his girlfriend, his self-appointed duty to the city, and his search for his lost parents. I’ll also add that the structure that no one seems to see is definitely there. In this rebooted world of Spider-Man, Oscorp, the company that Peter’s father worked for, has created both Peter’s alter ego, as well as a slew of other super-powered beings who Peter must deal with. The corruption of the company is at the heart of the film’s conflict, and creates some amazing moments where I found myself rooting for the villains, who find themselves fighting Oscorp for their very lives. Not often is a comic book film made that feels so much like a comic book, full of melodramatic pathos, tragic villains, and episodic adventure. I was on board from the first rousing opening shot to the last.
Godzilla
2014. Directed by Gareth Edwards
The original Godzilla film was a dark and somber sci-fi monster film that worked as both a piece of King Kong-like entertainment and a moralistic statement about the consequences of technologically advanced warfare. Every Godzilla film since has presented an increasingly heroic monster defending his homeland from external monstrous threats. This second American reboot of the series wants to have it both ways: it attempts to combine the horror of 9/11 with the fun of a monster wrestling match, and fails miserably at both. It also attempts to make a giant monster film in which the human characters are the main focus and the giant monsters are the backdrop. It fails at this also because the human characters are jaw-droppingly dull, and what they have to do is as uninteresting as it is implausible. I love the Godzilla franchise, and I really wanted to like this film, but it’s 9/11 grimness, coupled with it’s ugly POV aesthetic and dull story make it pretty much unwatchable. The only redeeming part of the film is the first fifteen minutes, which feels like an entirely different and better film.