Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

Spider-Man has had a pretty complicated movie history in the last fifteen years having six movies, three actors, and two reboots you can see where the confusion comes from.

However, in Civil War Spidey has been successfully established in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with promise of another trilogy on the way. And while most people loved his appearance in Civil War, could Tom Holland carry a whole film to himself?

Spider-Man:
Having watched this movie, I'm fully on board with Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. No disrespect at all towards the previous actors, but I do think that Holland does an excellent job with this character. He had that nerdy frantic personality, constantly wants to help people, and still has that room for growth in future movies. Moving forward, we'll see Peter during his high school years, which is where some of the best Spidey stories take place. In the past, the movies were always in a hurry to get Peter out of school, but here it takes its time to see the character change and improve in his skills. Holland plays the part of a teenager perfectly well and you're fully invested with his character. Another thing they do well is making his life as Peter just as epic as his life as Spider-Man. A huge plus for this movie.

Vulture:
Michael Keaton plays the main villain here and he does a good job. Marvel movies don't have the best villains overall, but Keaton does stand out. I appreciate that the movie shows his past and how he became an arms dealer alien technology. He doesn't overplay this part, but just manages to give you enough menace to make him a threat, yet you completely understand where he's coming from. I also appreciate that they show him having a sense of honor to his family, his cohorts, and even to Spidey.

Other Characters:
This movie knows how to do supporting characters extremely well. 
Peter's friend, Ned has a great partnership and chemistry with Holland;

Marissa Tomei as Aunt May was fun to watch and how she's far more aware of Peter's actions than what she lets on.

It was great to see Tony Stark and Happy Hogan again as the mentor/student relationship with Peter. Again, great interactions done in a natural way.

Liz was a fun love interest that doesn't have any sappy moments. It's fun and even cute to see her with Peter. And the twist that happens with her in the movie had great mounting tension.

It was great to see several villains show up prior to most of them having powers/skills. Nice seeds planted for sequels in the potential Sinister Six.

Final Thoughts:
While I do love the previous five movies, I have a huge passion for this movie. Everything moves at a smooth natural place, the action and character moments keep you invested, and the dialogue is realistic and charming. Overall, it was a great optimistic feel good movie. I think it was a smart decision to play this a teenage comedy without any of the cliques that features a superhero. It's lighthearted approach was needed after the emotional weight from both Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2. I for one highly look forward to the rest of the trilogy and the crossovers that Spidey will have.

Next Time:
War of the Planet of the Apes.

Beauty&The Beast (2017) Review

Disney doesn't really have the best track record when it comes to live action remakes of their famous animated films. They kept trying to be edgy and flashy whilst completely missing what made the original great. That being said, I was initially skeptical when Disney announced one of my favorite Disney films was getting a remake. Even though Little Mermaid was a rebirth for animation, Beauty and the Beast did set the highest of standards with this art form. So much so that it was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture! An incredibly high bar was set with movie, so did Disney deliver again? Only one way to find out!

Since both versions are extremely similar, I won't be covering plot summary. Instead I'll cover the differences between the two--which changes work and which ones didn't. 

Belle:

Now, many people were uncertain when Emma Watson was cast as Belle, but she does a good job in this role. She has all of Belle's wit and charm that we fell in love with, but she does add a more inquisitive mind to this part by her asking more details about the curse and how she can help out. Her chemistry is good with everyone, especially with Kevin Kline as Maurice. Definitely one of the highlights of this movie.

Maurice: As mentioned, Kevin Kline has great chemistry with Watson, but his version is far less zany than his animated counterpart. I like this change, because we see more of his love for his family. Also have to give points that he stands up to Gaston, even though it backfired. Not to mention he had a part in helping Belle escape. 

Gaston:

Luke Evans as Gaston wasn't as fun to watch as the original, but he still did a good job. I appreciated how Evans shows how he manipulates the town to his advantage. However, I'm not keen on him attempting to kill Maurice. Gaston would only kill wild animals or individuals that he perceives to be wild animals. It's a small change, but I give it to original Gaston. 

LeFou:

I'm not going to get into the whole "controversial" issue with this character, but I'll just say that it's subtle enough. Besides that, I liked the other changes Josh Gad made here such as his friendship with Gaston, that he respects the town and his goofy nature is toned down. All of which made him a third dimensional character.

Cogsworth: 

It's Ian McKellan. What else can I say?

He doesn't stray too far from the original, but they do add a far more "take charge" attitude when dealing with everyone. 

Lumiere: 

Ewan McGregor had a challenge with Lumiere by having a natural Scottish accent and playing someone with a heavy French accent that sings. Now, Jerry Orbach will always be Lumiere to me, but I don't hate McGregor. He still has plenty of his good qualities and does an acceptable job.

Mrs. Potts/Chip:

These characters are the closest to the first movie and Emma Thompson does a good job with being affectionate yet still tough. Chip still acts like rambunctious boy that we care about. 

The Beast:

Dan Stevens had a challenge by being almost entirely in motion capture and yet still give a convincing performance. Showing his life in the castle before the curse was a fantastic idea and giving clues about his parents was a plus. However, I don't think he quite nails all of the lines like Robby Benson does. I know Stevens is a good actor, so I think it was the direction he was given. Although I do love that this Beast is also a book nerd, so that he and Belle have more things to bond over.

Other Differences--

1. The Curse:

This movie manages to explain what the consequences of the curse is! It affects the memories of the local village, so no one knows anything about the Prince, castle or the staff. Because of this, Mrs. Potts' husband has no idea that he has a family until the curse is lifted.

Also, we know that the servants were turned into enchanted objects, but were still able to have their personality, speech, movement, and mind. But if Beast couldn't find love before the last petal fell, then not only would he be a beast forever, but all the servants would lose all humanity and become literal objects without any sentience. This led to an extremely heartbreaking scene near the end.

They also made it vague as to how long the curse has been going on, which disproves other questions. 

2. The Enchanted Book:

So, not only does Beast have a magic mirror that allows him to see anything, he also received a magic book that allows him to travel anywhere. This change was not needed at all. Belle and Beast use it to travel to Paris, where she discovers that her mom died of the plague when she was a baby, but that could've been said in dialogue. Also when she finds out Maurice needs help, she could've used the book to go there but she just rides the horse instead. I'm not a fan of this change, but it doesn't hurt the movie.

Songs--

All the best songs are here, along with some new ones. I was happy that Maurice and Beast each have a song, but they are a little forgettable. All of our favorite songs sound good, but I do have to give it to the original voices more. Not saying the new cast is bad, but it's just a difficult act to follow. Regardless, they're still catchy for you to enjoy. 

Final Thoughts--

If you're a fan of the original, you have nothing to fear. Disney did a respectfully great job with this remake and clearly put a lot of thought behind it. All the plotholes from before have now been cleaned up and it was a joy to see everything in live action. But I'm going to give it to the original movie that told the better story. Those voices and acting choices really stood out to me. Everyone does a fine job here, but it just doesn't stick out to me as much. This is a solid A. This movie and the live action 101 Dalmatians are the two best live action remakes from Disney. Definitely go see it!

Next Time: Guardian's of the Galaxy Vol. 2.