Man of Steel

THE PITCH

WORTH

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THE VIEWING


Clark Kent - age 9: The world's too big, Mom.
Martha Kent: Then make it small. Focus on my voice. Pretend it's an island out in the ocean. Can you see it?
Clark Kent - age 9: I see it...

    Man of Steel accomplished everything that it set out to do.  Wholly ‘apart’ from any Superman movie in the past.  Which is why, I believe, they didn’t use the words ‘Superman’ in the title and hardly in the story... I digress. Darker than your conventional Superman movies, although I didn’t feel the word “dark” is truly accurate.  It was a more desolate or outcast type themed that really worked.  Competitive; If Marvel truly wanted competition, it has it.  If DC COMICS decides to combine just the two, Henry Cavil & Christian Bale, for an answer to Marvel’s  Avengers movie(s)... well, I shudder to think.  Man of Steel alone matched all the action in Avengers plus some.  Even as I type this fresh out the theater I still see residue images of destruction and planetary chaos involuntarily skating around in my brain. I shake my head to focus on what I’m writing but it remains... terrible part is I like it.

        The imagination and ingenuity used here is just amazing, specifically on planet Krypton. The sheer wonder saturated me to the point where I almost lost myself and may have missed some of the story.  Re-watch value really didn't need any help but I just added that onto the list for a second reason to visit the theater.   

         Just when you thought you’ve seen everything you realize that you haven’t.  All you've learned in the past is just a precursor to what the future holds: limitlessness.  The work done with CGI, especially on the planet Krypton, is just unbelievable! The function between science, design, physics, form  all looks and feels foreign, alien and not an ounce of human or earthly familiarity resides in those scenes besides the actors and actresses themselves.

         I liked the direction of the story but did not love it.  I feel some character introductions may have been too short.  Most of the collateral characters barely got established before they were thrust into the peak of the plot but again, the course that the film took to get from beginning to middle to close justifies the minimal personage build up.

     I have to talk about the score music.  Again, being a film void of any prior franchise influences the music had to be original.  This will mark the first Superman movie since Superman(1978) that didn’t use any of the original score music from the great[est] film composer John Williams.  The baton now rest in the very capable hands of Hans Zimmer.  He is, right now, my most favorite composer and it is not going to be fair to compare the two.  As iconic of work Hans did for the Batman movies he just barely fell short of a great, or should I say, ‘classic’ sound for this new Superman series under Zack Snyder.   Don’t get me wrong, the music was powerful, riveting, and extremely good... just not great.  At least not yet, perhaps I should give it some time.

                 Is Man of Steel worth your money? Emphatically yes!!!  I can see myself not only going back to theater next week to view it without the 3D but purchasing the bluray the very Tuesday it get’s released.  

   

            letter grade: A

Now You See Me

THE PITCH

WORTH

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THE VIEWING

" Catch up agent Rhodes... Catch up"

I   found Now You See Me very intriguing and fun to watch.  From the very beginning this movie reels you in with some very good and one incredible magic trick that literally got me!!  Yes in the auditorium, in Michigan... as it will impress you wherever you are at.  The character build up was short and sweet for every main character so that they can keep us in suspense while dangling on their line.   Around the time they took the metaphorical ‘hook’ out the jaw, I was semi-disappointed. Nice twist, but I was still left empty.  The reasoning for the elaborate stunts is still baffling to me.  A distant departure from very promising & impressive opening scene(s).

         Who was the lead in this movie? I had trouble deciphering between Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson.  I know, at least I think I know... Jesse was the leader but Woody's character had all the attributes of a leader.  Maybe Woody just stole all the scenes he’s in because of his superhuman charisma, it wouldn’t be the first.  Anyone remember how tense No Country For Old Men was until he popped on the screen; Or maybe Friends With Benefits?   In each of these pictures he was not the main character but when his scene starts, you simply cannot not engage.  This power is a good thing especially with his character's occupation in this movie along with the dynamic of this super group of magicians.

    This movie is very much worth watching in the theater.   A treat, especially in the wait for the summer’s real blockbuster giants: Superman Man of steel, Thor 2 and others.  Something tells me that it won’t be as good on home video... *shrugs*

          letter grade: B-