Official Trailer for SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

In what is possibly the most anticipated trailer of all time (sorry, Endgame), Sony and Marvel Studios finally released what the whole world was seemingly waiting on...we are going "into the spider-verse". Of course, anyone who has paid any attention to the MCU post-Infinity Saga fully expected this to be the case - especially given Sony's involvement - but whatever doubt hanging over the project that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield might show-up seems to only be erased by the final seconds of this trailer. There is a lot to talk about here besides those speculations though. First, this is the third in what we can only assume is a trilogy of Holland-centered Spider-Man films which feels weird to say given it feels like the young actor is just getting started with the character, but it would seem his future in the franchise will solely be based on what Sony chooses to do with him and that would seem to be more team-up/crossover movies than continued stand-alone adventures. In essence, Holland's run will be more episodic from this point forward which, as someone who grew-up watching serialized cartoons of these heroes and always wished something akin to a live-action version of that might be created, I'm not mad about. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has of course done just this with his cinematic universe, but now we're truly venturing from character crossovers to studio crossover and Sony has always been intent on milking its Spider-Man property for all its worth and have somehow managed to make a hit out of solo Venom movies making this idea of Holland continuing to play Peter Parker and his alter ego in a series of movies a viable one. Who knows how everything will shake out or even what implications No Way Home will have on both the Sony-verse as well as the MCU (don't forget Doctor Strange is in this movie too!), but one thing is abundantly clear: there is more of a desire for this character and all the cinematic baggage he brings with him than ever and Sony isn't going to miss out on their third opportunity with him; let's just hope they've learned from their mistakes from the first two rounds and don't overly mandate what these movies need to be, don't attempt to overstuff each installment with too many characters just to crowd please, and actually allow the creative teams they hire to see the visions they pitched and were hired for through to the end. Much of this is already a concern with No Way Home, but while this may be the end of a trilogy it is very clearly the start of something new and hopefully...grand. Spider-Man: No Way Home will feature Holland's web slinger reeling from the reveal of his identity at the end of Far From Home while looking to Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange for help. Jacob Batalon's Ned and Zendaya's MJ return along with confirmed supporting cast members Marisa Tomei, Angourie Rice, Tony Revolori, Jon Favreau, Hannibal Buress, and will open exclusively in theaters on December 17th. 

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME Review

Jon Watts' second Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, has a lot of things going on, but just as Thanos preached in Avengers: Infinity War, what keeps everything intact and moving at a sustainable pace in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a post-Mad Titan world is, somewhat ironically I guess, the fact Watts and the screenwriters are able to keep everything "perfectly balanced". What is most interesting in slating the sequel to Watts' 2017 film as the immediate successor to Avengers: Endgame though, is that it immediately signaled the type of tone Marvel Studios and "showrunner" Kevin Feige would be addressing the fallout of the monumental events that any average viewer of the MCU knew were coming. The fact remaining that while Endgame concludes on something of an uplifting note for Steve Rogers the ramifications for many other characters were nowhere near as...complete. There were countless questions that required the attention of the creators behind the curtain: what is the state of organized religion in a post-snap world? How did those who'd gotten re-married in the five years since the snap and weren't polygamists deal with the fact their husband and/or wife just showed back up one day? If kids not snapped away aged five years and presumably continued their schooling, why would they still be in the same grade as their counterparts that did "blip" away? As Betty Brant (Angourie Rice) puts it at the beginning of Far From Home, "it's been a long, dramatic, somewhat confusing road," and while the subject of our review today might be intended to bridge the gap and help audiences, "move on...to a new phase in our lives," the fact remains that this "bridging of the gap" could have been handled in a multitude of ways, but for one reason or another Feige and co. decided to place this responsibility on the back of their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and thus the question remains the same: why? Why is Tom Holland's sixteen year-old Peter Parker, the youngest avenger, the one to bear this responsibility? It all comes back to that aspect of tone and knowing what consequences to take seriously and place weight in while knowing which to laugh off; Watts' high school comedies dressed up as super hero flicks make an ideal vehicle to blend the heart and the humor and it doesn't hurt that the film becomes a pretty good "Spider-Man" movie along the way as well.

Official Trailer for SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

It's been quite the last couple of weeks for Marvel Studios with Avengers: Endgame opening to shatter every kind of box office record imaginable and becoming a cultural phenomenon in the process only to now, two weekends into that film's release, deliver a new, full trailer for what was previously thought to be a nice little palette cleanser after Endgame, but looks to be much more than originally anticipated: Spider-Man: Far From Home. Far From Home was carrying this facade of being only what Ant-Man and the Wasp was last summer post-Infinity War, meaning it was more a stand-alone adventure than anything that necessarily integrated the character into the bigger world, but given this spoilerific Endgame trailer Sony just spilled all over Marvel, it looks like Tom Holland's Peter Parker is about to step-up to become the next Tony Stark. Not only this though, but the fact the trailer explicitly states there will still be repercussions from "the decimation" and that all wasn't tied up with a pretty bow given the events of Endgame thus giving birth to the idea of a "multiverse" is truly insane and opens up all kinds of possibilities about what could happen in the future and how the MCU will be changing as it moves into this new era. Given the events of Endgame and the fact we haven't known until this trailer whether or not Far From Home would take place after or before the events of Infinity War, this is all a pretty big shock to the system. It was always going to be a tricky task to market a film featuring a character that supposedly "died" three movies prior, but we are now living in a post-Endgame world where the rules have changed, but more importantly-the characters are changing with it and while we knew Samuel L. Jackson would be back as Nick Fury it's good to see him still thriving and with just as much gusto as he had when he showed up in the post-credits of that first Iron Man movie eleven years ago. Jon Watts returns to direct this sequel that will see Peter Parker and his friends, including Zendaya's MJ and Jacob Batalon's Ned, going on a summer vacation to Europe where Peter and co. find themselves in a plot with Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio. Spider-Man: Far From Home also stars Cobie Smulders, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Michael Keaton, Angourie Rice, Martin Starr, Tony Revolori, J.B. Smoove, and opens on July 2nd, 2019.

Teaser Trailer for SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

It's been quite the a month or so for Marvel Studios-kicking things off with what feels like the ramp-up for their first film of 2019 with the much anticipated, first female-led Captain Marvel and of course following that up with the glorious teaser that finally revealed the title and our first real look at what we now know is Avengers: Endgame. And now, today brings us the first look at what will be Marvel's (in association with Sony, of course) third film of 2019 in the official sequel to 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home. Far From Home only just wrapped shooting in October, but while filmmakers and digital effects artists are now able to work almost simultaneously with one another, building sequences that require large amounts of CGI as dailies are being sent to them from set, this did leave one curious as to just how much has been accomplished in the three months of post-production as rumors began to swirl as early as the same week the Endgame trailer dropped that we'd be getting a Far From Home trailer. Sony no doubt wanted to give their animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie time to breathe before reminding people there would be another movie featuring the web-slinger hitting theaters in less than a year and good on them for it as Spider-Verse certainly deserves all the acclaim and accolades it is receiving, but no lie-this looks great and the effects look better than expected meaning we get more money shots here than I thought we might. Given the events of Infinity War and the fact we don't yet know what happens in Endgame it was always going to be a tricky task to market a film featuring a character that supposedly "died" in that movie, but this teaser makes no reference to that seminal work in regards to superhero films, but instead goes one further and confirms Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is also back from being dusted. Jon Watts returns to direct this sequel that will see Peter Parker and his friends, including Zendaya's MJ and Jacob Batalon's Ned, going on a summer vacation to Europe where Peter and co. find themselves in a plot with Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio. Spider-Man: Far From Home also stars Cobie Smulders, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Michael Keaton, Angourie Rice, Martin Starr, Tony Revolori, J.B. Smoove, and opens on July 5th, 2019.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Review

The thing that will forever allow Spider-Man: Homecoming to stand apart from the previous five iterations of the webslinger is that it is very much its own movie. Homecoming stands on its own and doesn't feel the need to repeat any of the beats from either Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield's stints as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Rather, Homecoming picks up after the first Avengers film, carries us behind the scenes of Civil War, and onto Peter Parker's first solo adventure where, as a sophomore in high school, he's already been bit by the radioactive spider and learned of the abilities he's adapted since that fateful encounter. Homecoming is a movie that embraces Parker's youthfulness in its character dynamics and his eagerness to become a hero in its action scenes. Most vital though is that Homecoming isn't the origin story we've all come to know, but it is still a movie about how Peter Parker truly becomes Spider-Man. Somehow, with six credited screenwriters, it is the screenplay that stands to be one of the strongest factors in Homecoming's corner when it comes to setting itself apart from a character that has had two previous actors portray them and five previous incarnations on the big screen over the last fifteen years. Most startlingly is the fact this isn't a film based around a bad guy who is trying to take over the world or a villain who is trying to obtain a large sum of money in order to take over the world or even an antagonist who wants to steal a device that will help them take over the world, but rather this is, funnily enough, a movie that is born from the repercussions of Tony Stark's actions and one of the many enemies he's made in the process. As much as Sony and Marvel Studios have pushed the presence of Robert Downey Jr.'s Stark in the marketing for Spider-Man: Homecoming Downey Jr. is rarely on screen, but his influence is everywhere. From the opening frame of the film we are aware of the fact that this is a Spider-Man who exists well within the same world as Thor and Hulk. From what motivates our villain to act in the first place, what is born out of those motivations, and how it has come around time and time again for Stark and his peers to have to dispel them Spider-Man: Homecoming is a result of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in more ways than one which is, thankfully, very much to its benefit. Thus, what we have is a movie that is very fun, yet another enjoyable entry in what is more or less a TV series on the largest scale possible, and while Homecoming is as fun as one could hope and entertaining as all get out it never reaches a point of greatness that pushes it into the realm of exceptional.        

Official Trailers for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

As we close in on a month until a brand new Spider-Man movie opens it is still strange this will actually be the third time in fifteen years that we've had a new Spider-Man. Of course, the difference with Spider-Man: Homecoming is the fact this latest version of the webslinger will be co-existing with the heroes that have come to define the Marvel Cinematic Universe and fighting alongside them. If anything has become clear through its marketing strategy thus far it's that Homecoming very much wants to take on this John Hughes-like approach to Spidey given Peter Parker's young age and prime high school status. This is taken as a point of pride here as opposed to twenty-somethings playing high school seniors as has been done in the past. This certainly makes the fact we're getting a new Spider-Man flick a win, but it also doesn't hurt that these newest trailers are the best Sony and Marvel have released and make this movie look like a ton of fun. Directed by John Watts (Cop Car) who, along with his writers room, have taken their opportunity to make as retro a movie as we've indeed heard have also made the smart move in not again telling an origin story. From the design of the logo to the very outspoken intent of making this an inexperienced Peter Parker who enlists Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark as something of a mentor (who designed Spidey's suit as we saw in Civil War) this is a fresh approach given this is now the story of a normal kid with super powers in a world where superheroes are more or less the norm. This is timely considering this too is what Spider-Man movies have become in an era where the Guardians of the Galaxy are as widely known as Captain America. All of that said, these latest official and international trailers have made me more excited for this latest Spider-Man movie than anything else we've seen. Still, I sincerely hope Watts has a lot more up his sleeve that will make this latest Spidey iteration stand apart from his protagonist's new pack. Spider-Man: Homecoming also stars Tom Holland, Jon Favreau, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, Marisa Tomei, and opens on July 7th, 2017.

New Trailer for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

It's still strange that we have a new Spider-Man movie coming that is again re-booting the series for the third time in fifteen years, but here we are. Of course, the difference with Spider-Man: Homecoming is the fact this latest version of the webslinger will be co-existing with the heroes that have come to define the Marvel Cinematic Universe and fighting alongside them. In the same way Power Rangers did this past weekend Homecoming seems to want to take on this John Hughes-like approach to Spidey as the major differentiators have always been Peter Parker's young age and prime high school status. This is taken as a point of pride here as opposed to twenty-somethings playing high school seniors as they've done in the movies before. This certainly makes the fact we're getting a new Spider-Man flick a win, but if this new trailer shows anything else it's that this won't simply be an origin story, but a full on action adventure picture. Directed by John Watts (Cop Car) it seems he and his writers room are taking their film as retro as we've indeed heard throughout most of the production. From the design of the logo to the very outspoken intent of making this an inexperienced Peter Parker who enlists Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark as something of a mentor (who designed Spidey's suit as we saw in Civil War), but who really just exists as a normal kid with super powers in a world where superheroes are more or less the norm. This is timely considering this too is what Spider-Man movies have become in an era where the Guardians of the Galaxy are as widely known as Captain America, but while this newest trailer delivers what we all expect from a Spider-Man movie I'm excited to see what else Watts has up his sleeve to make this latest iteration stand apart from his protagonist's new pack. Spider-Man: Homecoming also stars Tom Holland, Jon Favreau, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, Marisa Tomei, and opens on July 7th, 2017.

Teaser Trailer for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

As happened last year with the release of The Force Awakens every studio and their mothers are releasing trailers for their biggest films of 2017 in hopes of getting them attached to prints of Rogue One which will undoubtedly be seen by more eyeballs than any other movie in theaters this year. One that is something of a given though is that of the first glimpse of our new Spider-Man (Tom Holland) in action as the Sony Pictures/Marvel co-production exists at least partially under the Disney banner. One can bet that Disney will pair their new iteration of the webslinger with as many prints of Rogue One as possible so as to both let those who are unaware we're getting a new Spider-Man movie in 2017 aware of that fact while also giving those who anxiously await that film something to look forward to once the anticipation for Rogue One has passed. It's a win/win all around and this first look at the footage from director John Watts (Cop Car) John Hughes-inspired take on Spidey certainly makes the fact we're getting a new Spider-Man flick just that: a win. In the short tease that was dropped yesterday the fact Holland's Spider-Man would sport the webbed wings that allow him to fly through the air only signaled that Watts and his writers room would be taking their film as retro as we've indeed heard throughout most of the production. From the design of the logo to the very outspoken intent of making this a very young, very inexperienced Peter Parker who enlists Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark as something of a mentor (who designed Spidey's suit as we saw in Civil War and are told in this trailer), but who really just exists as a normal kid with super powers in a world where superheroes are more or less the norm. It will be interesting to see how Homecoming brings the newly minted Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if this first footage is any indication it seems it will pose no issue at all. Spider-Man: Homecoming also stars Jon Favreau, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, Marisa Tomei, and opens on July 7th, 2017.

THE BIG SHORT Review

In the context of the film it makes perfect sense, but to audiences smothered in cinematic choices this holiday season The Big Short is unfortunately one of the more forgettable titles. It helps marginally that the faces on the poster are four of Hollywood's heaviest hitters with Brad Pitt bringing in the biggest pull (and ironically putting in the least amount of screen time), but even this won't be enough to distract moviegoers from what might be a saturated market made worse by a complicated story that has been relayed in sardonic terms by the director of Anchorman. Of course, if you've payed attention to any of Adam McKay's work you'd know the director of Anchorman and other such Will Ferrell comedies including Talladega Nights and The Other Guys is actually the perfect choice for a film that desires to tell of the housing market crash that occurred in America in 2008. It is a story in need of sharp social commentary, of a mind that might give the boring numbers game an insightful twist and McKay is able to deliver on all fronts by crafting a final product that is as funny and stinging as it is heartbreaking and tragic-a detriment, almost, to the American spirit. And yet, throughout the over two hour runtime the film never ceases to be breathlessly entertaining. There is so much going on, so many words being spoken, so many deals being made, and so many new characters being introduced at such rapid rates that we never have time to settle in, but rather stay perched on the edge of our seats. With its hands in so many different pots it would be easy for the The Big Short to go off the rails, but somewhat unexpectedly the film finds a certain groove in its latter half that, while not matching the frenetic speed of the first two acts, brings in the necessary levity that strikes the perfect balance between both the ridiculousness of the situation and the dire real world consequences. McKay, working from his and Charles Randolph's screenplay that is based on the book by Michael Lewis (The Blind Side, Moneyball), is able to remain so laser focused on what makes these characters so interesting in their own right that the fact they exist in this compelling real world situation is only icing on the cake.

First Trailer for LOVE THE COOPERS

Christmas movies are almost as old as the medium itself. In my own, limited time on this earth I've come to love only a few that I can watch over and over again when that time of year comes around. While I enjoyed The Family Stone (which this trailer trades off of given it was produced by the same person) it isn't one I've returned to over the years. Maybe Love the Coopers will be a little different as this first trailer indicates a pretty solid family dramedy with a solid cast. Of course, you could describe The Family Stone that way as well...and I did like it...maybe I need to re-visit that this year instead of watching The Santa Clause for the billionth time (who am I kidding? I'll watch both). Anyway, in this new Christmas comedy that is once again led by Diane Keaton playing the matriarch of a somewhat large family (the Cooper's, duh) four generations come together for an annual Christmas Eve party. Naturally, things don't go as planned when a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday. Sounds about right, right? And yet, as I watched the trailer I chuckled enough times and was happy enough to see certain actors show up to make me think this might actually have some potential. I like that Jake Lacy (The Office) is getting more work and strangely enough it's good to see Olivia Wilde back in comedic territory after seeming absent from it for a couple of years. Love the Coopers also stars John Goodman, Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin, Anthony Mackie with Steve Martin as the narrator and opens on November 13th.

TRAINWRECK Review

Judd Apatow is something of an enigma due to his seeming omnipotence over the comedy world in television and film. In truth though, he's only made five feature films and directed a handful of TV episodes for series he had a hand in creating. I understand the complaints lodged against Apatow and his comedies, but regardless I'm a big fan of his. In a strange way, Apatow seems to want to do with comedy what Christopher Nolan is doing with mainstream blockbusters. His movies are large in length, deep in character and entrusted with themes bigger than just those intended to make people laugh. Apatow is telling human stories and including the humor so often involved, but so difficult to naturally convey. To capture the genuine way we exchange laughs and cultivate jokes through piles of conversation and inside references is no easy task, but Apatow is attempting to crack this the best he knows how and, if nothing else, he should be applauded for the effort. Apatow wants to make comedy as epic and cutting to others as it is to him. While his last two features (Funny People and This is 40) didn't receive the warm critical reception of his first two (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up) I couldn't help but feel I understood the journey he was on and the goal he was trying to reach. With his latest, Trainwreck, Apatow has ventured into new territory which is likely for the best when considering his career trajectory while simultaneously keeping his legacy intact. Trainwreck, though, doesn't feel like an Apatow film. This is due to the fact that it really isn't. Trainwreck is an Amy Schumer film through and through and there is nothing wrong with that, but any seasoned comedy director could have delivered this product. This is Apatow's first feature directing gig where he didn't also write the script and the lack of investment becomes apparent. Beginning with a shot that elicits the quality of the photographs produced in the early eighties I imagined we were going to get a full throttle collaboration between two solid, comedic minds that understand perception and honesty to the point of delivering it in a funny manner. The comedy isn't the problem, the characters aren't an issue and the story is fine for what it is, but the directing seems to default to autopilot rather quickly so as to competently document The Amy Schumer Show. Apatow let's Schumer take the reigns and doesn't infuse the project with his own flavor, making him feel more like a director for hire than a collaborator.

First Trailer for Judd Apatow's TRAINWRECK

I remember watching the "Finding Ben Stone" featurette on the Knocked Up DVD and wondering what it might have been like were Judd Apatow not clearly positioning that film as the breakout lead for Seth Rogen. This featurette included a handful of mock auditions of other major and up and coming comedians in the role of the lead character. The audition I remember the most was that of Bill Hader's. He had just started his run on Saturday Night Live at the time and instead of acting like a regular guy kept doing different impressions in each take. Ever since Hader left SNL as one of the more celebrated players of that shows illustrious history I have been waiting for him to take a leading role in a major comedy that might allow him that transition from cast member to movie star. While the latest from Apatow, after the commercial and somewhat critical failures that were Funny People and This is 40, is his first film he hasn't also written it does come from the mind of and stars Amy Schumer. Schumer has become well-known and regarded for her stand-up comedy and Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, but I have not listened to or seen the show so have no opinion on her outside of what I just saw in this first trailer. Needless to say, this makes my anticipation for the project based more off the inclusion of Hader as a headliner and Apatow at the helm, but will admit it's nice to see a change of gender roles in the rom-com as the girl is the one slaying the guys this time around and I'm anxious to see what else Schumer may have done with the rom-com formula that we aren't being shown in the trailer. Trainwreck also stars Colin Quinn, Brie Larson, John Cena, Marisa Tomei, Ezra Miller, Tilda Swinton, Vanessa Bayer, Mike Birbiglia, LeBron James and opens on July 17th.

LOVE IS STRANGE Review

Love is Strange isn't about the tragedy at hand, but more the tragedies that circumstance forces us into and the way life seems to backhand those circumstances into more dire consequences. What we see and what we are receiving are two different things as on the surface this could simply be taken as a movie about the current struggles of homosexual couples. In reality though, this is about little more than a single emotion, an emotion the title glorifies as odd and the film describes in several different scenarios and stages. Sure, the hook is that it deals with the homosexual relationship between Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) because it is their relationship that serves as the catalyst for the events that occur in the film, but they are rarely even seen together. This is, of course, intentional as them being apart tells the audience more of their relationship than it ever could if we saw them together constantly. And so, what Love is Strange has to offer is a melancholy tale cloaked in Saturday afternoon sunshine that makes it feel more light and frothy than it has any right to perpetrate. While there is  a certain amount of vitriol in the screenplay from writer/director Ira Sachs and writing partner Mauricio Zacharias it is a very measured amount to the extent that none of these characters play into archetypes, but instead deliver the most poignant moments in the film by portraying these characters as human beings most will seemingly be able to relate to. I would like to assume there is a certain amount of understanding in humanity where we can drop the facades of acting the way we think we're supposed to and just speak in truths of empathy, but I also realize how much wishful thinking that actually is. This is why Love is Strange is so powerful in its execution and its presentation of these characters that everyone might not agree though as it is still able to relay a part of the viewers life to the point of understanding even if their orientation differs. I came to the film not knowing much about it other than the fact its two lead performances were being highly praised, but as it slowly sneaked up on me I felt it was rather middle of the road until the final scene hit me with the subtlety it had been playing at all along.