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Man of Steel: A visual treat with plenty of punches!

One of the highly anticipated movies of the year finally hit the big screens. And no other movie could have seen such varying reviews and opinions from the critics and audience. There are those who have loved every minute of it, and there are plenty who were expecting much more. Rotten Tomatoes has a modest 57% voting on the movie whereas Imdb has recorded a strong rating of 8.3 so far. Like it or not, Man of Steel seems to be the most talked of movie this year. And not surprisingly so. One of the most beloved comic characters was making his return on the big screen after seven years. Everyone would have had an opinion on how the movie should pan out. It was never going to be an easy job to satisfy them all, was it? 

Man of Steel wipes the slate clean for the Superman franchise and begins with the story of the origins of this Kryptonian. This movie is more about Kal-El, the birth name of Superman, than of Superman of Earth. The movie starts on Krypton, a far away planet, about to see the end of its civilization. The military commander General Zod (Michael Shannon) orders a coup to overthrow the ruling council. It is in this mayhem that the chief scientist of Krypton, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife decide to send their newly born son to a far-away planet , Earth, using an escape pod. The child Kal-El lands in Kansas and is raised on a  farm by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane). As Kal-El grows up and realises his extraordinary abilities, he seeks to understand his origins. The older Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is being investigated by a tough journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who wants to uncover his story. Things are however to take a serious turn when the threat of General Zod returns. And it is then that Kal-El aka Clark Kent aka Superman will have to find out what kind of a person he is within.

Man of Steel scores top points for its visual appeal. The red and blue cape of Superman shines in the warmth of the sun, it sways with the breeze and it fits well on Henry Cavill. One of the things you have to complement the director Zack Snyder on, is that he knows how a shot should look. The scene when we first see Superman in his suit, as he steps out into the cold, is a treat and could not have been executed so craftily by anyone other than Snyder. Apart from the well used bright colour palette in this movie, Man of Steel is packed with action. Right from the beginning where Jor-El has to take out a few guards to ensure his son's safety to the dramatic finale of the movie which is like a big non-stop action flick in itself. The action scenes drive much of the movie, and stand out in their uniqueness with Superman and his adversaries moving at incredible speeds, dolling out punches that would flatten an elephant. There is great camerawork on display here, lovely CGI effects and this is when you can really understand how Superman is different from so many other superheroes. He's simply too fast and strong! Great job again by Znyder. 

The movie however falls a little flat in connecting the soul of the movie with the audience. The challenges that Kal-El has to face on Earth, the way he has to learn to adapt, those were recurring themes during the movie, but somehow never make you pity the kid. The screenplay was written by David Goyer with inputs by Christopher Nolan, and so I was expecting a bit more heart to the story. It wasn't completely missing, and that responsibility largely lay with the two fathers, Jor-El of Krypton and Jonahtan Kent of Earth. Some of the best lines of the movie come from these two characters, portrayed by accomplished actors in Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner, and it is their belief in the ability of the young Kal-El and their love for him, which becomes one of the highlights of the movie. 

As for the lead roles, Henry Cavill as Superman fits the bill perfectly. He has worked rigorously to look like the powerful Kryptonian and his youthful charm only further adds to the credibility of the superhero as we knew him from the comics. If this was to be the beginning of a franchise, a whole new generation could remember Superman as Henry Cavill, the way an older generation can think of no one else than Christopher Reeve in that suit. Amy Adams was one of the surprise performers in this movie, with a gutsy role of a journalist that she delivers perfectly well. It is good when the script of a movie of such genre does not make the lead actress end up only screaming and crying pitifully (though Amy Adams does have her moments), and this was one performance that I enjoyed as much as that of Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwall) in Captain America.

Michael Shannon shines as General Zod, delivering his lines with the right amount of emotions (which is usually minimal), looking like the military commander that he was supposed to be. He is ruthless and uncaring of anyone that comes in the path he has chosen for the Kryptonians, a message he informs Superman in no unambiguous words. To be the antagonist to such a powerful entity as Superman is a tough ask, and not only has the character of General Zod well scripted, it has been perfected on the screen by Michael Shannon. The movie boasts of a great acting cast, even in smaller roles, which can only be a good thing, right? So just like The Dark Knight franchise pulled in talented actors to create a great acting crew, Man of Steel completes things with Diane Lane as Clark Kent's mother and Laurence Fishburne as the editor of the newspaper Lois Lane is working for.   

The biggest complaint about Man of Steel would probably be its 143 minutes long run-time. Due to the intensity of the action towards the end, the length of the movie is not really bothersome then, but it does become a drag somewhere in the middle. Reducing the run time could have resulted in crisper editing and brought in a more slickness to the movie. It is on those counts that Man of Steel will not be talked of in the same breath as Batman Begins, which was the beginning of another rebooted series. It has however started off well at the box-office with collections till Sunday estimated to be $120 million to $140 million. Strong earnings could set the ball rolling for this franchise and even maybe for a Justice League feature film soon. But that is a story for another day. So for today, whatever one may feel were the shortcomings of Man of Steel, it still turned out to be a wonderful ride. Superman is indeed back!

Schwarzenegger to be back as Terminator

I'll be back. He had promised. He always promises. And he's lived up to it. The most loved line of one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history is about to come true. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently declared in a summit in Australia that he's "happy the studios want  me to be in Terminator 5 and to star as the Terminator". That is exciting news for all Terminator fans! No matter how Schwarzenegger ages, no matter how the sci-fi landscape in cinema changes, some events just seem right. Like Schwarzenegger playing the Terminator. 

In an April Fool's Day post, we pulled a prank when talking on the directorial duties for the next Terminator movie. While that part may not be the truth (though in a weird world it might still turn out to be), many parts of that post were. "The rights to the movies had been sold off in an auction in 2011 by The Halcyon Company that filed for bankruptcy. And picked up by a relatively unknown studio, Annapurna Pictures, which is inching up now in the market having produced the popular Zero Dark Thirty. All the details of the deal have been finalized only as late as December 2012." The director is yet to be announced, though a writing team has been put in place. Schwarzenegger says that shooting is to start from January. So things are finally moving in this franchise, and better late than never as there are still loose ends to tie, to complete what James Cameron started (though he considered the first two movies to be complete in themselves), to knit together the timelines in this movie series. And hopefully this will be done with style and class, a manner befitting the Terminator of the old. Live up to the memories, Arnie!

Schwarzenegger is really making up for lost time as an actor it seems. He's also going to reprise his role as Trench in The Expendables 3. A movie where Sylvester Stallone is all set to bring in bigger and badder action stars together (the casting of this movie makes news that a superhero movie would be proud of!). There is even word out on a possible sequel to Twins. Before all this, Schwarzenegger will be seen next in Escape Plan in October of this year and then Sabotage early next year. So there is a lot of Schwarzenegger to take in. Hopefully, the man will live up to his size!   

A look back at Superman of the old

Before Henry Cavill put on the red and blue cape, it was donned by Brandon Routh. Before Routh, it was worn with pride and honour for a long time by Christopher Reeve. And before that it was the identity of George Reeves. George Reeves was one of the earliest actors to portray Superman on the big screen in 1951's Superman and the Mole Men. More like a trial run, this movie marked the beginning of the long-running TV series in the 50's, Adventures of Superman with Reeves continuing to play the superhero from Krypton. 

It was not before 1978 that the next depiction of Superman on the big screen was seen, with the story written by no one else but Mario Puzo. In one of the greatest castings ever done for superhero movies, an unknown actor was sought to play Superman and eventually a certain Christopher Reeve was cast who would go on to play the iconic role four times and largely define the appearance of Superman for many fans. Christopher Reeve starred in Superman (1978), Superman II (1981), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). While the first two movies are considered iconic in the Superman film saga, the third and fourth ones shared a fate quite similar seen later on for the Batman movies of the 90's. They bombed at the box-office and were panned by the critics and audience. Superman needed something new now, a fresh start and that was not going to happen anytime soon. 

There were multiple scripts discussed in the studios later on, some even reaching advanced stages of pre-production with shooting schedules finalised. Numerous writers were brought in and directors roped in, including the likes of J.J. Abrams and Tim Burton, at different stages to get Superman kick-started again. But it took almost two decades for the big guy to return to the big screen in the aptly titled Superman Returns (2006). The costume was handed over to another relatively unknown actor Brandon Routh (who looks quite similar to Christopher Reeve) and the story was continued from Superman II. The movie did earn well, but not well enough to meet the expectations of Warner Bros and its proposed sequel never really took off. 

With Christopher Nolan having successfully and quite artistically revived Batman, his pitch for a revival of Superman on the basis of the story by David Goyer was well received by the studio. Nolan came on board as the producer and Zack Snyder was handed the duties of the director. And continuing with the tradition, another unknown actor in Henry Cavill was asked to follow the steps of George Reeves and Christopher Reeve to make Superman soar to his greatest heights. How well will Cavill do in this famous cape (though now without the red underwear in front)... we shall find out very soon! 

PS: With the numerous line of actors that have ever auditioned for a role as Superman or have been considered or even have been linked to this evergreen character, Nicolas Cage would have been one of the few who came the closest and yet never starred in a Superman movie. He was all set to play Superman in a Tim Burton movie but the project eventually never saw the light of day. What we did get to see was how Cage would have looked in that famous suit, thanks to photos released quite recently. Well, this is how it could have been for Nic Cage.. but some things are not meant to be.

First Trailer of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

It was a very long day for the tired man,
Yet he pushed on as much as he can,
And just when he wondered if it was all worth it, 
He was then rewarded with the trailer of The Hobbit.

                                                                              -- A very tired man

Enjoy the return of Legolas in the first trailer of the much awaited movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. 

And the very first poster as Peter Jackson hands out the first treats to all those asking for candies! Now if only December was nearer...

Low budget film The Purge surprises at the box-office

I'll give you $3 million, what can you give me in return? That would have been the cry of the studios, Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse Productions, which have been quite effective in producing low-budget horror flicks in the past, to the team creating The Purge. But hardly anyone of them could have replied then that what they would create would be a horror flick which would generate revenues 12 times of its production budget in the first weekend itself! Yeah, you heard it right. On a production budget of a mere $3 million, the Ethan Hawke starrer The Purge raked in $36 million in the weekend gone by at the North America box-office. That has solidly put the film in the #1 spot, followed by Fast & Furious 6 which is in its third week, then Now You See Me (which has been another positive surprise, dropping only 34% in the second weekend) and the other new release The Internship.

Not many would have wondered much about The Purge before its release, but as low-budget horror flicks have had a way of surprising at the box-office, the exceptional results of this movie should thus not be surprising at all. Interestingly, the movie has really not gathered much positive reviews and does not even have the supernatural element; the broad story involves a world in 2022 when USA allows a 12-hour period each year wherein crimes are legalised, and it is then that Ethan Hawke is left with the task of protecting his family. Ethan Hawke is having a good time this year, with much critical acclaim already received for Before Midnight and now the commercial success of The Purge. He's got an action flick Getaway left for later in the year, let's see if he completes a hat-trick of success!   

  

In contrast, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in The Internship have failed to shine in the manner they did previously in The Wedding Crashers. Arriving fourth at the box-office on the opening weekend itself is as bad as it gets, and for now it seems that horror has scored a point over comedy. Fast & Furious 6 and Star Trek Into Darkness, both have crossed the $200 million milestone in North America, and Iron Man 3 is less than $6 million short of hitting the $400 million mark. So that is how it panned out for the last weekend, and now we are less than a week away... just a few days left... one can almost hear the swish as he flies by, the flutter of his cape... almost there!    

Now You See Me: Magic that entertains!

What is magic? It is deception, meant to entertain. It is trickery, that would still make you want to believe in the unbelievable. It gives you a sense of awe, of being around an extraordinary power, and even to the most skeptic it would still provide that teeny-tiny bit of fun. What are movies? Quite something similar, aren't they? Movies are magical acts too in a way. And so it most certainly is a grand act when you put one in the other. Magic and magicians in a movie. There are however not many that have managed to undertake this grand trick successfully. Christopher Nolan did it with much aplomb in The Prestige. And Edward Norton starrer The Illusionist is another which I recall that delighted with its magic tricks. So it has been refreshing for this year's summer lineup to include another trick up its sleeve in Now You See Me. 

Now You See Me begins with four street magicians (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco) showcasing their trickery individually until they are brought together by a mysterious benefactor to perform a set of shows. An year later, the group now known as The Four Horsemen are enthralling a huge crowd with their tricks which finally culminates in robbing a bank miles away from them. The magic trick is unimaginable and baffles all, including the FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) who has been handed this case along with an Interpol agent (Mélanie Laurent). Only one understands the sleight of hand that goes behind the magic, a former magician himself (Morgan Freeman) who now revels in uncovering magic tricks. But as the movie's tag line goes "The closer you look , the less you'll see", nothing is what it seems to be and the more you try to understand, the more baffled you are left. As Ruffalo struggles to understand the bigger picture, it becomes a race against time for him to stop The Four Horsemen from their next act, their next heist. 

The story for Now You See Me has been written by Boaz Rakin, who is the director of the classic sports movie Remember The Titans and has writing credits for The Rookie and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time amongst a few others, along with the less known Edward Ricourt. The screenplay credits too go to the duo along with Ed Solomon, who at his peak wrote 1997's Men In Black. These gentlemen need to take a bow! While Now You See Me benefits from its stellar cast, its first hero is the story itself. Gripping, engaging, thrilling, there is no break in pace right till the end. It is one trick after another, and just when you feel that things are becoming clearer, they in fact get murkier. The biggest tricks that happen in the movie are the illusions that the audience are led to believe in, with deceptions that feel real, deceit that seems right. The story/screenplay is not air-tight, let's be clear on that, it is not The Prestige perfect and if you reflect on the movie after you step out, there will be  quite a few unanswered questions. But it is befitting a summer entertainer, it does its best to connect the many dots, and since a long time I have not heard so many 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the crowd during a movie. 

The director Louis Leterrier does get the rhythm of the movie right in most places. Leterrier knows how to entertain the audience, be it with a simpler story or a more elaborate one. His directorial work in the past includes Transporter and Transporter 2, Clash of the Titans and The Incredible Hulk. While none of them may feature in your 'great movie' lists, each one scores high in terms of sheer entertainment by keeping a fast moving pace throughout the duration of the film. Now You See Me falls in the same category and is helped by the presence of a better story. And interlaced with the action and magic, there are enough moments of humour, made more appealing by the fact that the characters become more lovable as the movie progresses. 

While the movie begins with the four magicians and the formation of The Four Horsemen giving the feeling that it would have Jesse Eisenberg as the main protagonist, it is in fact a Mark Ruffalo movie. One can call it Mark Ruffalo versus The Four Horsemen. Each of the actors in The Four Horsemen become instantly likable after the opening scene itself, where each one of them is shown performing an individual trick. And then throughout the movie, they are generally seen together, as a group. Eisenberg's quirky charm and Harrelson's crude wit is what gets the ball rolling in the right direction early on. Isla Fisher is charming and affable, adding the feminine touch to the group and Dave Franco (younger brother of James Franco; you can make it out with the distinct smile!) completes things with his youthfulness and energy. Michael Caine has a slightly limited role but there is hardly anything he can do wrong in acting. Morgan Freeman is untouchable as usual, his oh-so-godlike voice adding further magic to this story, and he always seems to be the one in the movie who knows more than he tells. As the movie grows, so does the presence of Morgan Freeman, and that is always a good thing!

Mark Ruffalo is one of the most underrated performers in Hollywood, or at least was until he could showcase his talent to a bigger audience with The Avengers. His acting is effortless (not much unlike Freeman himself), there is a feeling of genuineness in his performances, it flows smoothly rather than being banged up. His helplessness in getting to the magicians is evident and it builds up well as the movie reaches its finale. And the French actress Mélanie Laurent (who starred in Inglourious Basterds) completes the equation with her role of the agent who is willing to be more open, see the sides that Ruffalo is unwilling to, and tries to make him understand things better. 

Now You See Me is a through entertainer, but it lacks a crispness in the complete package that could have elevated its level. It does not disappoint, it does not slacken its pace, but it may not erupt into the finale for some that would have been expected along the way. But it sure is one of the better movies of the year, an year which has seen a slew of disappointments from known actors and directors, and so for being genuinely what it set out to be, this movie is definitely recommended.