jürgen fauth’s muckworld

Bill Campbell as all-American hero rocking an art-deco jet-pack, Jennifer Connelly in 30s evening gowns, Timothy Dalton as scenery-chewing Errol-Flynn stand-in onboard burning Nazi zeppelins — The Rocketeer is good old-fashioned serial-style action-adventure full of pulpy twists tempered by a wholesome gee-whiz attitude. Based on the comic book by Dave Stevens, the character also inspired a Cinemaware video game I used to play on my Amiga (screenshots). Not to be confused with Raketenmensch Tyrone Slothrop.

The Rocketeer. Joe Johnston, 1991. ***

Here’s a climactic scene at the Griffith Observatory:

The hype machine is in high gear, but for once there’s truth in advertising. As far as megabudget superhero adaptations go, Spider-Man 3 delivers exactly what it promises: more of the same. If you liked the first two installments, this is great news. Unlike the self-important Batman Begins, the Spider-Man movies know exactly what they are and what they want to be.

Again, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco engage in cheeseball humor and soapy storylines illustrating bromides like “everybody needs help sometimes.” As before, Sam Raimi’s crisp direction makes elaborate three-dimensional action set pieces as transparent as a few well-chosen comics panels would. Again, the bright color scheme, the iconic NYC locations, the funny bit players (J.K. Simmons and Mageina Tovah as Ursula), the swooping score, and the gee-whiz wholesomeness that leaves no doubt that this poppy entertainment is squarely aimed at kids.

There are three new villains: Franco turns into the hoverboard-surfing New Goblin, Sideways‘ Thomas Hayden Church becomes the Sandman (who, by film’s end, looks like the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock), and Topher Grace as Eddie Brock, who is covered with alien goo as Venom, the most wicked of the Spidey villains. Their tag-team battles are the most exciting of the series so far.

Peter Parker also undergoes some transformations. As a deft metaphor externalizing his anger and aggression, the alien symbiote colors Spidey’s costume black, and he ends up with a hipper haircut and a mean new attitude: the dweeb struts to a James Brown tune and turns into a sexual predator (or at least a dweeb’s idea of a sexual predator.) In mythic terms, the symbiote represents the Devil of the Tarot deck, but by the end of the movie, the Sun of forgiveness comes up over Manhattan. There’s room for plenty of sequels.

Spider-Man 3. Sam Raimi, 2007. ***

• Spider-Man 3 on Rotten Tomatoes
• In case you managed to miss it, the trailer:

Pompous & bloated. When was it decided that superhero comics were now to be treated like Shakespearean tragedies? Oh, the agony of being Bruce Wayne, playboy millionaire with a bat complex! The guilt, the fear, the fateful choice between vigilantism and revenge! Even Ang Lee’s Hulk had some jokes (and primary colors.)

Perhaps the thudding seriousness would be acceptable if the movie wouldn’t keep asking us to believe more and more outrageous conceits: first there’s the bat thing, then there’s a secret clan of ninja criminals, a stolen superweapon, a mad doctor who uses bummer hallucinogens to attack a city that only exists in a comic book universe… and most ludicrous of all, we’re supposed to buy that Katie Holmes is a D.A.? Come on. Stiff pseudo noir does not suit a pop hero franchise. Tim Burton’s 1989 version was far superior because it embraced its silliness and had some fun with it. In the immortal words of Joker Jack: “What this town needs is an enema!” So does Nolan’s Batman.

Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan, 2005. *

• Batman Begins on RT: 84%
• Watch the parade from Tim Burton’s Batman (with Prince’s “Trust”) and Jack at the museum (with “Partyman.”)

Alan Moore is the only comic book writer dealing with superheroes I can still get interested in. Top Ten is his amusing and inventive “science-hero” police force, which keeps order in a city where everybody wears tights. It’s not Watchmen, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, or Promethea, but I admire the density of ideas. You’ll have the sergeant, who’s a dog in a cyborg exoskeleton, argue with Large Marge the giant bordello madam while the size-shifting coroner takes care of the drunken over-the-hill Godzilla trying to bust out his gang-banging junior, etc etc. Hill Street Blues with superheroes, they call it. Wildstorm, 2001. ***

[tags]alan moore, comics, superheroes, police, 3 stars[/tags]

Solid, satisfying, fun. Characters, special effects, lots of different powers. WORLDS better than that raging bore Superman Returns, and shorter, too. Recommended summer entertainment.

I don’t know why I thought rewatching this was a good idea, but at least the second time around, I gotta hand it to Jordan: dull was just exactly the right word. I stand by what I said about the first Spider-Man movie and the comic transitions, but man this thing felt really lame the second time around. Kind of like King Kong without the tragedy, actually.

Alan Moore’s flagship book for his Amercia’s Best Comics line is an immensely appealing reworking of classic American pulp. Oodles of fun–this guy describes it well enough.