Reviews

Wow people, I'm just shocked that some people not only didn't enjoy this movie, but are just hell-bent on smashing it to pieces. Now, I already posted another review of this movie that infact praises Spider-Man. I gave it a 10 out of 10 rating, and I recommended it to everyone who hadn't seen it yet. I am a true child of the movies, I love going to them, I love Hollywood, and I will love it until the day I die.

First off, I'm not trying to come down on anyone in this post, I'm posting a general statement to people who nitpick about movies (but with references to Spider-Man). I'm not an employee of any movie studio, nor am I some marketing exec trying to brainwash you guys. I am nothing more than a movie buff who was pleasantly surprised at what turned out to be a very well crafted movie.

Ok, the action left something to be desired, I wish I could have seen some more hand-to-hand combat between Spidey and The Green Goblin. I wish I could have seen some more scenes of Peter Parker discovering his new skills. But as I type this, I am reminded that what makes good movies is the fact that you are left wanting more. Spiderman is a comic that has as many dramatic and heartfelt elements as it does action elements. Sam Raimi did a great job of capturing the motivations of the characters, choosing to develop them rather than have them be pawns being moved from one action scene to the next. Sam Raimi does a similar thing with his classic "Darkman", where our hero is a tortured sole caught between two worlds and must hide his true self away from his loved ones. Tobey Maguire plays the part perfectly, putting just the right amount of geekiness in his character. But even before he gets bitten, there is a twinkle in his eye, I could see something about Peter Parker that was more than just the geek exterior, and it prevented his character from becoming a stereotypical nerd (which a lesser actor would have done easily). Kirsten Dunst is cute, but her wet t-shirt/sweater/dress/whole body scene was purely gratuitous (remember Halle Berry in Swordfish?). I hate her a lot less in this movie than in her other movies, and she was actually convincing as Mary Jane, right down to the hair color. James Franco as Harry Osborn is very good, and looks like he could be Willem Dafoe's son in real life (it's the cheekbones). I'm sure we will see more of Franco's Osborn in the sequel. Which moves us to Willem Dafoe...yes, the mask is a bit halloweenish, but it's a realistic twist on an otherwise unrealistic character. His portrayal of The Green Goblin was dead on, even the voice was good. His performance was multi-layered and very intoxicating. Even as he is going crazy, the scenes with his son are very interesting and even believable. The "talking to the mask" scene was pretty silly, but Dafoe does the best he can, and that's all I ask.

All in all, Sam Raimi's Spiderman is a great film. It is one of my all time favorites (along with a laundry list of others)and deserves to be part of the ranks of Batman and Superman. I believe it captured the spirit of the comic book perfectly, and without a "re-imagined" feel to it, it feels authentic and even a little 50's-ish. Finally a summer blockbuster with some substance to it, and a over hyped movie that delivers on its hype (at least in my opinion).

Frankly I'm just tired of the nitpickers who insist that everything has to be perfectly adapted from the book. Look people, it's a MOVIE. Our physical representations of feelings we all get from reading the book are not going to be exactly the same as the filmmakers', nor should they be. Let's face it, the movie will almost never be as good as the book, so don't ask it to be. I'm a big reader, and when they turn books into movies, I have certain doubts about the adaptation, but I just sit back and remember that a movie cannot capture everything a book has to offer. As for the people who saw it and didn't like the lack of action...well...I can sympathize, but go see it again, you might appreciate the story more when you see it a second time.

The bottom line is that people who viciously nitpick about stuff that they can't do any better themselves are missing out on the good stuff about Spider-Man, and I think that it pays to be a little more realistic when it comes to movies. Let the books be books, and let the movies be movies, and we'll all get along better that way.

Ok, if this movie had come out before September 11th, I admit I would have slammed this movie into the ground. But since I have a newly realized sense of patriotism, I happened to like that Hollywood finally made a modern military film that depicts The American Spirit in a positive way.

Hollywood has made plenty of films about the U.S. military. But the bulk of them tends to portray the U.S. as a big bully or a satirical icon. Or they simply choose to make films like Crimson Tide or A Few Good Men that depict the dark side of the military. When Hollywood does make military movies that show the U.S. Military in a positive light, they usually center on events that occurred during World War II (Saving Private Ryan, The Big Red One, Band Of Brothers, Pearl Harbor). We really haven't had a war as legendary as World War II, and let's face it, there are maybe a couple of movies that portray Vietnam as anything other than dark and nightmarish(Operation Dumbo Drop, Good Morning Vietnam, scenes in Forrest Gump). The Gulf War is now being adapted to movies (In The Army Now...to some extent, Courage Under Fire, Three Kings). I was afraid that our military efforts in Bosnia would be overlooked by Hollywood.

On to the movie...Owen Wilson was perfectly cast as Lieutenant Chris Burnett, the everyman main character who rose to the occasion despite his past. His performance redefined the concept of the American Hero. In the past, Wilson has chosen parts that emphasize his comedic talents (Meet The Parents, Bottle Rocket, Zoolander), and he brings elements of his comedic timing into his performance in Behind Enemy Lines. Which is not to say that he was comedic in his portrayal of LT Burnett, but it added depth to his character as a whole, especially since a lesser actor would have played his part as shallow as a puddle. At times, we see Wilson's Burnett as scared, other times he is laid back, and other times he is as determined to get the job done as any other action hero. Plus, Wilson had to do most his major lines by himself. It is that multilayered performance that I believe saved this movie.

As far as the supporting cast goes, Gene Hackman works the material to the best of his ability. But he gets the worst lines in the movie. It is unfortunate because Hackman is so good at playing the career military officer with a touch of roguish charm as he did in Crimson Tide. Joaquim De Almeida gives a minimal performance as the NATO Chief with his own agenda, and is the sole voice of opposition again Hackman's character. Almeida holds his own against Hackman, but we just don't see enough of him. Rent Desperado if you want to see Almeida in action. David Keith has done Naval movies in the past (Men Of Honor, U-571), and his performance in this one was solid. Olek Krupa also gives a fine performance as the leader of the renegade Serb troops that are after LT Burnett. He has little to do but scowl and bark orders, but he does it in a realistic way, with plenty of emotion to back it up. Gabriel Macht's performance as LT Stackhouse (Burnett's pilot) was very convincing and he plays off of Wilson's character very well. The friendship between Burnett and Stackhouse is one of the high points of the film. I only wish that we were given more scenes where the two friends get to interact more often and show more levels of their relationship.

People may call this "Top Gun In Bosnia", and I admit, the first quarter does seem like that. But after Burnett and Stackhouse crash, it becomes a different story altogether. What started as a film about young Navy pilots horsing around on an aircraft carrier a la Top Gun, it becomes a cat-and-mouse game a la Enemy At The Gates. There are many unbelievable moments, such as the few times that Burnett evades hails of bullets and mortars fired by Serb troops and emerges unharmed. The final battle scene with Marine Hilos firing grenade launchers and miniguns upon Serb troops(who are also firing their own weapons), and with Burnett caught in the middle of it all while managing to emerge unscathed yet again, caused me to roll my eyes a bit. But the film was fast paced and beautifully photographed, the film did make war-torn Bosnia seem picturesque in its own way. Some camera techniques seemed to be lifted directly from the Omaha Beach scene in Saving Private Ryan, but it is used effectively in this case as well. As in Saving Private Ryan, the technique is used to show the hectic pace by which battles are fought. The movie also uses freeze frames and close-ups effectively. John Moore's direction was technically flawless, using gorgeous cinematography to move the narrative along as well as establishing an overall theme of movement in the film; this film never slows down.

Overall, this film is exciting. With action scenes as mesmorizing as they are impossible, great acting by Owen Wilson and decent acting from the supporting cast, this film finally shows the modern American military in a positive light. If you see this movie, you will have a newfound faith in the American spirit, even if you do have to suspend your disbelief.

I give this movie an 7, on a scale of 1 to 10.