Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

A Disappointing Summer Blockbuster

That time of year is coming when large, expensive would be blockbusters put beautiful people through their paces pretending to have improbable and uninvolving adventures, or in plainer words: the summer movie season is coming. Perhaps things haven't changed much in this respect, as Sam Peypes description of a disappointment from May of 1664 sounds oddly familiar:
There by Captain Ferrers meeting with an opportunity of my Lord’s coach, to carry us to the Parke anon, we directed it to come to the play-house door; and so we walked, my wife and I and Madamoiselle. I paid for her going in, and there saw “The Labyrinth,” the poorest play, methinks, that ever I saw, there being nothing in it but the odd accidents that fell out, by a lady’s being bred up in man’s apparel, and a man in a woman’s. Here was Mrs. Stewart, who is indeed very pretty, but not like my Lady Castlemayne, for all that.
Which for whatever reason reminds me of Chaucer's interview with a young 'lady' who is also not all that...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen any of these films yet.....But Kathy and I are going to see Spiderman 3 this weekend. The last two Spiderman films have just rocked. And with the same creative team behind this one, I am not expecting any less. They have also been the best and most dead on faithful comic to film adaptations I have seen. I am really not sure what other "blockbusters" out there that are coming out.

Darwin said...

Oh, I don't know. I just liked the Peypes quote...

I'm curious to hear what you think of Spiderman 3, however. The last two have definately been very good.

Anonymous said...

I just got done seeing Spiderman 3.....and sadly I found it a bit dissapointing.

The last two films where great at suspending my sense of disbelief and keeping me in the story. In this film there where too many scenes that went "nudge, nudge, wink, wink....look aren't we being cute in front of the camera"? I was taken right out of the movie.

Given Sam Raimi's reputation as director I almost got the feeling that the studio felt the film was to dark and insisted that more humorous (and unneccesary) scenes be added.

One scene that really bugged me was one where Peter Parker can suddenly play the piano. While it's possible that his character may have had some lessons earlier in his life it seems unlikely that he could have played with the level of virtuosity that he demonstrated in this scene. We are talking a level of playing ability that a musicians spends a good portion of their lifetime attaining. If his character could have played piano this well, his life would have taken a different direction. It reminded me of those corny old movies (the ones that are not deliberate musicals) where the star sings a song and suddenly there is an entire ochestral arrangement backing them up, even though there is no orchestra anywhere in sight.

The film trys to have a message about revenge and forgiveness which is admirable but it never really comes though effectively.

There are a lot of great scenes in it, and it feels like there is a really great movie just screaming to get out, but in the end we are left with just an "ok" movie.

I was happy to own the first two, but I don't think I will bother owning this one.

Maybe there will be a better "Directors cut" version and this film will be redeemed.