I thought I'd cover another month full of fun action, and I figured I'd go with sequels, or "part 2s" that, according to many, manage to outweigh their predecessors. Combined with a replay through of PS4's 'Spider-Man', I really wanted to revisit 'Spider-Man 2', which many consider the best of the original, or Raimi trilogy. If I'm perfectly honest, I still lean towards the first one, myself. But the idea that this is a sequel that does a better job than the origin story is completely understandable, and I recognize I'm in a minority. I kinda see the two films as equals, but each delivering something making me appreciate them individually. I would say that as far as getting things to feel like a 'Spider-Man' comic book unfolding on the big screen, this one nails it the best. The first one did a better job of making things feel like an epic movie version of 'Spider-Man'. As far as the third one goes, we're gonna pretend that it doesn't exist because it's pretty much the 'Batman & Robin' of the 'Spidey' franchise altogether. Of course, this is all just humble opinion, so one might not view them in the same differing lights that I do. But again, if this one nails the comic book feel the best, shouldn't that be the best reason to appreciate it as still one of the best comic book movies of all time? The story picks up where the first one left off, which can be read about here. Two years have passed, and Peter Parker's (Tobey Maguire) still trying to use his great powers for great responsibility. But it's interfering with his day-to-day life because crime never sleeps. He's falling behind in school, and can't commit to his friends, namely Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) who just wants him to attend her new play, as she's since become a Broadway actress. Meanwhile, Harry Osbourne (James Franco), now head of Oscorp's genetic and scientific research division, sponsors a project on fusion power, headed by Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). During a demonstration using mechanical arms with an artificial intelligence, an accident occurs, breaking the arms' inhibitor chip, which gave Octavius control over them. Now, the arms controlling him, he becomes Doctor Octopus, hellbent on funding another experiment, hoping to show the world that one can create a self-sustaining fusion reaction. Most of this one represents that first example of the superhero trying to balance his two lives. Does he do what's right for him, or does he do what's right for everyone else? At the time, it was a fascinating take on a comic book movie, bringing in some real world problems instead of having it a simple good vs evil story. Yeah, the first film did that too, but so much of that was already familiar. There's even a great scene in here where it's Peter talking to an imaginary Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) about the downside of what his superhero life has become. He has no time for the other people in his life that he loves. Even with Mary Jane aside, he still has to take care of Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), and try to be responsible with things like jobs, which we see him struggle with as the film opens. The film is well-balanced, keeping the deeper side of it contrasted with the fun comic book action we came to see. It's slow in parts, but when the action picks up, it's a lot of fun. Perhaps the most memorable fight takes place on a speeding subway train, and it was enough to earn the film an Oscar for its visual effects, against films like 'Prisoner of Azkaban'. As a whole, this is a great follow-up to its predecessor, and to this day has one of my favourite endings - before post-credit stingers were a thing. It's truly sad that the studio had to put their hands so deeply into the third film though, because the ending here still represents a whole lot of promise lost. In this day and age, we have a new, very much appreciated Spider-Man in Tom Holland, who plays the perfect combo of Pete and Spidey, and has pretty much been embodied in the role now. It's fun looking back on Tobey, but it's not the same now. You see someone who was in his late 20s at the time instead of the teenager that Holland eventually made him. Also, the dated melodrama of some of the dialogue here can be a little tough to get around at times. But at the same time, that's just Raimi's Spider-Man, which at the time I DID consider awesome. I guess with so many different incarnations, this has just become kinda dated. Nevertheless, if you find yourself curious about looking back at the 'Spider-Man' of the early '00s, it still totally holds up for what it is. While today's 'Spider-Man' is very much its own thing, these first couple of movies will give the hardcore comic book fans something a little closer to what they might want to see. For my money, the new Spidey has been the best Spidey, but if that's not quite the Spidey you want, this is where you want to look.
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Before I get into this, the format in which I credit the cast for this film is "voice/guy in suit", as each main character here has one of each, including Tatsu for whatever reason... moving on, however. Going way back to being about 6, I was introduced to these guys through a handful of close friends. For me, it was word of mouth at school. I checked out the cartoon, was instantly hooked, and got quite the haul of Turtle toys over the next few years. It can't be explained, but there was just something about them we all loved. This particular movie is about as close as things get to the original source material. Not the cartoon, I'm talking the old, black and white comic book that made these guys dark, totally badass, and every one of them wore red bandanas, not just Raph. Instead, they were really only distinguishable by their weapons. However by the time this movie came along, the cartoon and the toys were what we were focused on. So the film combined the efforts of the comic book with the cartoon to give us kids everything we deserved. To this day, I still claim this as the end all, be all of 'TMNT' films. Okay, so basic plot - a backstory within the film tells us a brief origin of the characters, and those taking the time to read this probably already know it. Hell, you probably know it from today's material anyway. These guys never really went away or took a break. Basically, lost ooze in sewer = 1 mutant rat named Splinter (Kevin Clash) and 4 mutant turtles named after Renaissance artists, Leonardo (Brian Tochi/David Forman), Michaelangelo (Robbie Rist/Michelan Sisti), Donatello (Corey Feldman/Leif Tilden) and Raphael (Josh Pais). They find themselves up against a gang of ninja thieves known as the Foot Clan, headed by Shredder and his lackey, Tatsu (Michael McConnohie/Toshishiro Obata). These guys are going all around the city of New York, robbing it blind. Their paths cross with news reporter April O'Niel (Judith Hoag) who is doing a story on the whole situation. The turtles get involved when Raph finds her in the subway, having been attacked in an attempt to keep her lips sealed. He takes her back to their lair for recovery, but is unknowingly followed. Shit really hits the fan when their master, Splinter, is soon kidnapped by the Shredder, who holds him captive, trying to get answers from on how the turtles know how to fight like they do. April ends up helping them out, and caught in the middle of it all are one runaway teenager named Danny (Michael Turney), who's caught between helping the turtles and working for the Foot, and Casey Jones (Elias Koteas) who's kind of a random addition to everything, but makes for some decent comedy relief and is a great help in a fight. It might sound crazy, but this is one of those childhood films that I don't only love due to nostalgia, but love because it actually does tell a good story about characters I care about. You can watch this as an adult and see it as a sort of coming of age movie, as the Turtles have to learn to work as a team, have to come into their own to rescue Splinter, and have to take Splinter's teachings seriously in order to do it. While Leo and Don are doing pretty well, we do get that Mike and Raph have a bit of growing to do - Mike with his immaturity and Raph with his temper. I could always find myself empathizing with those two characters the most, especially after the bonfire scene, which I'm not ashamed to admit manages to move me when I see it these days. I mean, while it's a fun movie, one may argue "for kids", it actually does get pretty deep at points. It's not just some action movie where you see these turtles kicking ass and taking names. They take the time to get some messages across subtly, and a big part of it all is how important family is - remembering that family can also mean friends! Anyway, as I mentioned before, the 'Turtles' never really went away or took a break. They simmered down here and there, but have pretty well remained a constant in pop culture. But I can probably say with all sincerity that they were never, ever as big as they were in the late 80's and early 90's. They were everywhere back then! If the cartoon didn't give us enough (which was already an overload), the movie pretty much marked their taking over of the world (at least in my head). So, if you're a fan who hasn't taken a look at this 1990 classic, I strongly urge you to do so. Parts may be a bit dated, but everything that made this movie great is still there, and that includes the master puppetry of Jim Henson's Creature Shop when the man was still alive and kicking! Wrapping up Stoner Movie Month is the epitome of a "leave-your-brain-at-the-door" comedy. This film takes the very basics of stoner life and somehow manages to make an adventure comedy from it that single-handedly launched the careers of John Cho and Kal Penn, and resurrected the career of Neil Patrick Harris. Some may remember the trailer for this, mentioning that it starred "that Asian guy from 'American Pie'" and "that Indian guy from 'Van Wilder'", being the relatively unknown Cho and Penn at the time. As for NPH, the story I heard was that the creators of 'How I Met Your Mother' approached him, wanting that basic character to be the role of Barney. The rest is history. Anyway, 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle' simply profiles two stoners who get high one night in their apartment, get a case of the munchies, and after seeing an appealing commercial, head for White Castle. It's a basic road trip stoner comedy where a bunch of crazy stuff happens to them along the way. Some of it, common stoner problems, but most of it pretty damn ridiculous. Like for example, I'd say the most extreme thing they do here is have them get stoned and ride a cheetah. And speaking of "extreme", there's also an interesting nostalgia attached to this movie, as there are parts of it that take you back to the early '00s in a big way. Perhaps the biggest example of this are a group of extreme skate punks who constantly pick on Harold and Kumar, using the "extreme" cliche to their comedic advantage. For those who don't remember, quite basically, all the snack food was eventually labelled "extreme" in an attempt to be more appealing and fun. You can still find "Extreme" foods today, but they're not plastered all over the place like they once were. I'm not 100% on it, but I feel like this is where the energy drink phase kicked in as well. But I digress. This is one of those movies that I can just kinda throw on any old time.The beautiful thing about it is that it IS an extremely (I've gotta stop using that word) basic idea. I mean, what was the pitch? "Two guys get stoned, get the munchies, and have an adventure on the way to get some fast food"? It also speaks to anyone who gets the munchies, not just stoners. If you've ever had that fast food craving, and just had to go out for some burgers and fries, you'll get it. Of course, do bear in mind that it's a stoner comedy, and often pretty off the wall and stupid. But in a way, I've always found this movie to have a certain charm to it. I can't quite put my finger on it. I fully realize the film is altogether pretty dumb, but because it's a movie about stoners going out for food, it's like you just can't expect anything more. That sounds bad, but I say that as an against-the-grain statement. A lot of critics hate this movie 'cause it's not exactly anything new. But again... it's a comedy movie about two stoners getting food. That's it. You CAN'T expect too much from this. Over the years, it's actually become a pretty major stoner comedy, ending up on a lot of Top 10 lists on the subject near the top. I honestly think its overall simplicity is what makes it so good for that. It doesn't pretend that it's anything more than a stoner comedy, and the message at the end of it all is seen from a mile away, but still works. I like this one for getting me out of my slumps. It's not my big go-to, but it really never fails to cheer me up either. What can I say, sit back, relax and enjoy. That's all this was made for, and, at least for me, it works. The first three movies reviewed this month represented the early start of the modern superhero genre, but I needed a good spot to review 'Deadpool' before the release of 'Deadpool 2', so here we are, jumping way ahead to 2016. Now, going BACK to 2016, it just took one thing for us geeks to hear before we were foaming at the mouth like wild dogs in anticipation for this movie. And that was that it was a 'Deadpool' movie with an R-rating! All we could do was imagine all the possibilities, and it delivered on all fronts. Fourth-wall breaking aplenty, sure, but also sex, violence, foul language, suggestive moments, y'know, everything that makes Deadpool awesome was pretty much there. We needed that R-rated 'Deadpool' movie (especially after we saw whatever the hell that 'Mortal Kombat' Baraka thing was in 'Origins: Wolverine') and we GOT IT! Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a mercenary for hire. After he meets the love of his life, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), life is looking better than ever. But, life gets in his way in the form of cancer in various vital parts of his body. When the end is near, desperate situations called for desperate measures. He agrees to an offer that will cure his cancer, but is lead into a torturous nightmare instead. However, in the process, Wade gains an incredible fast healing ability, and the ordeal leaves him deformed. After that, vengeance time! So much of this movie is so brilliantly done! They make references to 'Origins Wolverine' and the fact that the whole thing was a mess. The opening credit sequence may be hands down the best opening credit sequence of all time. The dialogue will have you laughing out loud. But what is perhaps the most brilliant aspect of this movie is Colossus! The reason being that, if you pay attention, he's essentially playing the PG-13 rating that has been chasing this property down. I actually didn't think of that the first time seeing it, but it makes total sense. This movie WILL go down in history as one of the most successful comic book adaptations of all time. It already holds the record for highest weekend box office earnings for an R-rated film, and currently stands at #26 on the all-time weekend list, which is NOTHING to sneeze at as an R-rated film. The next one on the list is at #60, and that was 'The Matrix Reloaded'. But more than that, is that the studio ACTUALLY wised up and let the crew do what they wanted with the movie. Considering that AND the fact that it was an R-rated fourth-wall breaking character, the possibilities were endless, and the crew said "This one is for the fans!" and cranked out one of the greatest superhero adaptations of all time. Newcomer Tim Miller directs, along with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick ('Zombieland'), and they make a hell of a team here. The writers have returned for 'Deadpool 2', but the director has been switched up to David Leitch, who's known for movies like 'Atomic Blonde' and 'John Wick', but as a stunt guy. So I'm expecting more action than comedy for '2', but we'll see in a few more weeks. Hot on the heels of 'X-Men', I think a lot of us can remember seeing the first teaser for an upcoming 'Spider-Man' movie. After 'X-Men', Spidey was probably the next logical step, and this was when the superhero genre was really coming to fruition. Sadly, after this, almost every Marvel film up to 'Iron Man' was pretty mediocre, with the exceptions of a few sequels, which I'll get to another time. Of course, I don't need to get into how Spidey has gone through the motions when it comes to his movies. It's kinda crazy to think that since the release of this, back in 2002, Spidey is already in his third incarnation. But the character has finally seemingly found his footing with Tom Holland in the role. But that's not to say that the older 'Spider-Man' movies should just be ignored, either. In fact, the first two are still among my favorite superhero movies. Being that Tom Holland's Spider-Man skipped over the origin story, which was frankly a great decision on the studios' part, one might be curious as to the most accurate portrayal of his origin in film. Well, 'The Amazing Spider-Man' didn't do a bad job with things, necessarily, but 2002's 'Spider-Man', with Tobey Maguire in the lead, is probably the better option of the two. If for no other reason, he faces the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) right away, who is probably considered his arch nemesis. It depends on what you wanna see, but I also consider this to be closer to giving out the comic book vibe than 'Amazing' did. That said, 'Amazing' has accuracies like his web shooters (they just kinda come from his wrists here), and a much, MUCH more likable love interest in Gwen Stacey, who is useful, as opposed to Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) here, who is pretty much just someone to be saved who screams a lot. Those things aside though, I'd say this is the superior origin film. Now that I'm on my fifth paragraph, maybe I'll get into the actual movie. Well, Peter Parker (Maguire) gets bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip, gains superpowers, and uses them to stop crime after the important lesson his uncle gives him - "with great power, comes great responsibility". Meanwhile, Norman Osbourn (Dafoe) becomes the Green Goblin after rushing a lab experiment and having it go wrong. It kinda brings out the evil within him, makes him stronger, and has him going up against his authorities. The catch - he's Peter's best friend Harry's (James Franco) father. Unfortunately, due to time and changing Spider-Man up twice, this one has started to feel kinda old. Where watching 'X-Men' meant watching the first title of a series that just wrapped up last year, watching 'Spider-Man' was more like a nice piece of nostalgia. The movie's still a lot of fun, but it's kinda just the old version of something now. It doesn't help that Holland has become my definitive Spider-Man, and is in the driver's seat now. But Maguire is at least still in the passenger seat while Andrew Garfield is stuck in the back seat - he's a great Spidey, but a lousy Parker. So, if you're looking to see what many consider the definitive Spider-Man origin story, I'd say go for this one. 'The Amazing Spider-Man' works pretty well too, but as I said, it all depends on what kind of 'Spider-Man' movie you wanna see. Personally, I enjoy this one more, but it IS perfectly debatable. Watch for yourself, and find out what Spidey works for you. Let's hit that rewind button again, and go back to 2000. Largely, this was an era in which movies were trying to find some footing. This was just coming off that era of disaster movies, and the biggest name in movies was pretty much 'Star Wars Episode I', so... yeah. There were a few gems in between it all, but for the most part, there weren't a lot of great movies during this time. But the superhero era would soon find it's place, following on the heals of R-rated 'Blade', with PG-13-rated and far more popular 'X-Men'. The story here is that mutants are among us, and feared for what they could be capable of. Senator Kelly (Bruce Davidson) tries to pass a "Mutant Registration Act" in congress which would make mutants have to reveal what they can do to the world, taking away their basic freedoms. On one side of the mutant coin is Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), a mutant on the side of peace who has the ability to enter, read and manipulate people's minds. He runs a school for mutants who don't fully understand their abilities, and can learn how to use them to their advantage. They can also get their basic education here, and feel safe among others who are much like them. On the other side of that coin is Eric Lensherr/Magneto (Ian McKellen), a mutant who sees a war in the making based on his experiences in Nazi concentration camps as a child. He understands hatred toward race all too well, and is willing to go to extremes to put an end to things. The main plot, however, revolves around Rogue (Anna Paquin), who has an ability she fears as it doesn't allow her to touch anyone without seemingly sucking the life out of them. But of course, she's only half of it. The obviously more important half being Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who has since been in every single 'X-Men' movie (except technically 'Deadpool'). Xavier promises to help him to understand his foggy past if he helps out. Truth be told, I haven't gone back and rewatched the 'X-Men' films in quite some time, so one might wonder how it all holds up. I think the funny part of it is that the uniforms are the black leather 'cause it looked cooler than "yellow spandex" at the time, which is an actual joke quote from the movie in which Cyclops references Wolverine's comic/cartoon costume. But nowadays, that's what we want to see. We wanna see what we see in the comics brought to life in a much more physical sense. While the 'X-Men' films have grown that way to some degree, they still seem to like slapping that leather on them for some reason, save maybe 'First Class' and the end of 'Apocalypse'. Costume accuracy aside, however, this movie hasn't dated itself really at all. The effects hold up pretty well, and the roles are nearly perfect casting, but besides the basics, it's a great idea to bring to the screen. The 'X-Men' are mostly compared as a metaphor for homosexuality, how things are confusing, few understand what it means to be in those shoes, and yeah, some of the more ignorant people may even fear you. But I tend to consider it more about prejudices of all sorts, and that's what makes the 'X-Men' so incredibly relatable. You can understand what these mutants are going though if you've ever experienced any kind of prejudice first hand, really. In this particular day and age where movies about that sort of thing are praised ('The Shape of Water'), this is a pretty solid title to go back and check out again. HEY YOU GUYS! So, imagine being about 10 years old. Your mom calls you up to the living room and tells you that 'The Goonies' is on TV that day. Not quite thinking right, you're imagining to yourself something like "oh, that movie I keep seeing at the video store with the creepy puppets coming out of the toilet. I've been curious about that for some time now, because the image is so silly." That's all true. I was convinced I was gonna be watching something called 'Ghoulies', and video stores totally existed! So you sit and watch this movie unfolding before your eyes that's about a group of kids who go after a pirate treasure they only know from stories their parents told them, and all the while they're being chased by criminals, and their lives are constantly in danger. Top it off with one of the kids befriending a misunderstood creature, and something clicks in your brain that says "thank GOD this wasn't what I thought it was!" I still, to this day, have never seen 'Ghoulies', have little to no desire to, and 'The Goonies' is one of my all-time favorites that I can watch again and again, and never have it get old. It's also fun to take a look back on some of these actors before they got where they are now - namely the two lead brothers, Mikey and Bran (Sean Astin and Josh Brolin, respectively). This is also one of Corey Feldman's better roles (perhaps a focus this month?). One might also recognize Jonathan Ke Quan from 'Temple of Doom'. The film does a fantastic job of making sure that these kids are humanized and relatable, and it feels like one of those movies where anyone can see a bit of themselves in one of these characters. Also, if you're really into the whole pirate thing, this is a great classic to look back on. It's not straight up pirate stuff, but there's a whole mythology behind the treasure the Goonies are after, complete with a character one could consider Mikey's personal hero; One-Eyed Willy. It's just so neat to have a sort of bedtime story acting in the background the whole time, and it really adds to that sense of adventure, and even dread. It has no qualms about letting you know these kids are in danger the whole time. This is just a classic, through and through, and it's a fantastic family adventure. It's a little bit tough at times - not quite 'Indiana Jones' tough, but again, these kids are in perpetual danger throughout the film. However, there's nothing over-the-top going on here, and it's a lot more fun than it is scary. To this day, I'm glad to know that I have 'The Goonies' to rely on if I find myself craving nostalgia on a rainy Sunday afternoon. If you haven't seen this yet, add it to your to-do list, no matter what your age is. It's a great time! While everyone in the world was seemingly still preoccupied with the battle of 'Frozen' vs 'Tangled', with 'Frozen' kinda crushing it because of one very annoying song, some of us went the other direction by 2014 and absorbed this movie as our escape from those "Princess Wars". This was just a straight up animated family feature about, for lack of a better term, superheroes. The last time it happened was 'The Incredibles', and we were ready to see what else Disney could pull out of their superhero box. Or at least anything but princesses for once in a few years. The interesting thing about this one was that it was an animated Marvel movie, and thus far the first and only Disney/Marvel animated film to exist on a theatrical scale. That said, this movie is NOT canon in the MCU. The creators have expressed that this is a Disney film over being a Marvel film. 'Big Hero 6' tells the story of a 14-year-old prodigy child named Hiro (Ryan Potter), who's a bit of a genius with technology, and upon seeing his brother, Tadashi's (Daniel Henney) school decides he wishes to go there. When it's discovered that someone has stolen the technology that Hiro uses to wow the school's recruiters, Hiro assembles a team of talented teens to get it back. Joining the cast here are the voice talents of T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr, Genesis Rodriguez, and Scott Adsit as the real star of this movie, Baymax; a medical assistance robot that Tadashi creates with the desire to help people in need. This is just such a great movie, through and through. Without spoiling anything, I can admit that this is one of those titles that manages to engage my every emotion, and it pulled me in very quickly. The truth of the matter was this was only my second viewing of it. I somehow managed to miss this one in theaters, saw it in the summer of 2015 for the first time, and just watched it recently to see if I liked it more or less. The answer is clearly more. Although it may be more effective the first time around considering all that happens, there's something to be said about revisiting it with your love for these characters, particularly Hiro, Baymax and Tadashi. This is a title well-worth checking out without having to be a Disney or even a Marvel buff. It's good fun for the whole family, and even remains a bit tough, focusing on deeper issues to do with separation, friendship and even revenge. I'll have to see about it's watchability over the years, but there's a very solid chance this MIGHT be my all-time favorite Disney animated film... MIGHT be. Either way, it's pretty damn good. With all the hub-bub about 'Episode VIII' lately, it seems the world is divided (as if it's the first time this has happened with a 'Star Wars' film). One half of the world thinks is stupid, and on par with something like 'Episode I'. Others, like myself, certainly see the stupidity in it, but also see, and respect the ballsy steps that it did take. And lets keep in mind that some of our unanswered questions CAN still be answered in 'Episode IX'. But I digress. The point of pointing this particular title out to fellow 'Star Wars' fans is something I'll have to get to in the end. What we have here is a movie about four hardcore 'Star Wars' geeks who decide to take it upon themselves to storm Skywalker Ranch and steal themselves a copy of 'Episode I' long before it's release. Although this was only just talked about among them for years, the final decision in the execution of the plan lies with one of them having been stricken with cancer. Seeing the film becomes the group's mission, and it's mostly met with hilarious circumstances, albeit some of the language used throughout isn't entirely "PC", so I feel it necessary to forewarn about such things. That said, a lot of the jokes and humor aren't what truly makes this movie special to me. It's the ending. It could easily be passed off as another raunchy road trip comedy, but the way it ends has stuck with me over the years as something truly relatable. Not so much delving into cancer territory, but what this particular character with cancer has to say about what makes 'Star Wars' so good (which can be read at the end of my 'Last Jedi' spoiler review, although there's a bit more to it). One must bear in mind while watching this that it's depicting the time when 'Star Wars' had made it's tremendous comeback. The "Special Editions" had been released, geeks came out of the woodwork, and we all knew that a prequel trilogy was on the way, and I don't care who you were, if you appreciated 'Star Wars' at all, you were psyched for it! A lot of that fandom comes through here, and the film actually ends with a rather brilliant punchline. But the few minutes before the end are, in fact, very touching, and I'd love for 'Star Wars' fans as they are now to give it another watch, if only for that little moment. Of course, I'm not out to just change anyone's mind here. An opinion is an opinion, and I say stick to it, if you're very sure. But I am trying to show people here that there was another time much worse than whatever happened with 'Episode VIII', and maybe to try to put things in perspective with some of the final words of this movie. It managed to work for me, being the actual main reasoning behind my leniency when it comes to reviewing 'Star Wars' movies. If the touching ending doesn't sell you, however, perhaps a bunch of cameos will. Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, William Shatner, Ray Park, two Seth Rogens, the list goes on. It's a movie that was totally made for us 'Star Wars' geeks, and I personally love it for what it is... though, again... not as PC as some may want it to be. So just be ready for that. Here we have an interesting 2007 film for those of you who are adventure-seekers. Written and directed by Sean Penn, the story is based on the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name, written itself by Jon Krakauer. As far as the story itself, it's a biographical depiction of the two years Christoper McCandless (Emile Hirsch) spent traveling. Headed northbound to Alaska, Chris changes his identity to "Alexander Supertramp", and meets several interesting people along his journey. His reasoning is simply to get away from everything society calls "living", and to get back to the nitty gritty of a life consisting of himself, nature, and nothing much more. Meanwhile, his parents, Walt and Billie (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden) struggle through the pressures of having a missing son. This is along with his sister, Carine (Jena Malone), who co-narrates (along with Chris) and has always expected Chris to do something like this some day. Some of the additional cast includes the likes of Catherine Keener and Brian H. Dierker as a couple of hippies; Vince Vaughn as the runner of a harvesting company; Kristen Stewart as an unsure of herself teenage folk singer; and Hal Holbrook as a lovable and caring old man, more than willing to help Chris out. As I mentioned at the beginning, this one's for those real adventure-seekers. It's a great film either way, but it will speak to survivalists and the like a bit more. I don't know for certain, but it seems like some of the survival techniques this guy attempts seem more realistic than most movies would attempt. It seems quite grounded in the story that it's based on. That said, there's also something here for the artsy, as it IS a bit of an artsy film. This Chris guy wasn't just an adventurous type, he was also well-educated and really quite poetic by the looks of it. Throughout the film, he paints a great picture with his words about the wilderness, survival, the fear that comes with it, and just his emotions. So be fairly warned that it is a deep and poetic film. But there is something about it that pulls you in. This title came to mind after checking out 'A Walk in the Woods'. The thought process basically being that I wanted to share with you what I assume to be a truly wonderful man-embracing-nature film. Indeed, perhaps my favorite of it's kind. |
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