Is Spider-Man true literature or big screen gold?

While some may argue whether comic books are true literature or not, there is no debate over whether or not they'll make it on the big screen.  Superhero movies are what summer blockbusters seem to be made of lately and the newest one to kick off this year's season just opened last night. 

As an author, I love books.  Duh.  I also adore movies and I write reviews on for several web sites.  Be sure to subscribe to my Movie Review Maven blog!

Movie Title:     The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Grade:  B

In a Nutshell:   

This new installment of the Spider-Man franchise successfully makes you feel like you’re reading the panels of a comic book, but also has the effect of a choppy story that is common within that genre.  The flick is full of acrobatic stunts, impressive car crashes, and electrifying villains that young kids will get a kick out of.  I saw a few little ones walk into the theater wearing their Spidey costumes.  Adorable.  Most teens and parents who still have the Toby Maguire DVD sitting in their cabinet at home are asking “Why are they doing a remake so soon?” 

Uplifting theme:   

• Peter Parker’s girlfriend, Gwen (Emma Stone), gives the Valedictorian speech at her high school graduation that pretty much sums up the theme for the movie: “It’s easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too.  There will be days when you feel all alone and that’s when hope is needed most.  No matter how bad it gets or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope.  Keep it alive.  We have to be greater than what we suffer.  My wish for you is to become hope.  People need that.  And even if we fail, what better way is there to live?”

Things I liked:

• The beginning of the movie sheds more light on Peter Parker’s parents and their unique mission which caused them to leave their young son.
• The slow-motion sequences were really great.
• Where else can we see Jaime Foxx with bad comb-over?
• The audience I sat with thought it was hilarious when Spider-Man sticks to a vehicle while it drives down the road.  He says to Gwen on the phone “I got a little stuck in traffic.”
• I pretty much love Emma Stone in anything.  This is a much softer version of her sass.
• This installment in Spider-Man is stuffed with villains.  Some say too many.  I rather liked the fact that the formula wasn’t “fight bad guy-win-happy ending-the end.
• (No spoiler alert)  I loved the story line and ending with the brave little boy.

Things I didn’t like:

• While Garfield and Stone have some chemistry, there’s no magical kiss like the one Maguire/Dunst created in their famous upside-down scene.
• It’s hard for Spider-Man to be really amazing when we’ve seen so many truly awesome CGI movies lately….with and without Superheroes.
•  Is it just me or does it seem like all of the villains in movies lately aren’t really bad, but just misunderstood?
• Before the movie started at the Regal Theater I attended, a bizarre announcement played with Emma Stone and a drugged out looking Andrew Garfield with a fake British accent.  They were encouraging patrons to upgrade to a particular ticket after the movie with access to additional content.
• Spiderman’s clever banter with bad guys just isn’t very clever at all.
• Some of Spiderman’s webs magically hook onto thin air.  What the?
•  The story line turns Peter Parker’s girlfriend into a successful Valedictorian with a loving family, much different from the Kirsten Dunst's wounded character. 
• I love Paul Giamatti, so I thought he was seriously underutilized in this film.
• Peter and Aunt May (Sally Field) fight in almost every scene they're in.
• Why do evil scientists always speak with a German accent and laugh after every sentence?

Inspiring lines:

• “What makes life valuable is that it doesn’t last forever.  What makes it precious is that it ends.”  - Gwen’s graduation speech
• “Time is luck, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.   Make yours count for something.  Fight for what matters to you, no matter what. Because even if we fall short, what better way is there to live?” – Gwen’s graduation speech
• “You’re not a nobody.  You’re somebody.”   - Spiderman  
• “The world cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”   - Albert Einstein, as quoted by Norman Osborn

Funny lines:

• Max tells Spider-Man “I will be like a god to them.”  Spiderman quips “A god named Sparkles?”

Things to look for:

• I love it when Stan Lee makes his cameo performance in Marvel movies.  Look closely in the high school graduation scene.  Stan sees Peter Parker with his Spider-Man mask on and says “Hey, I think I know that guy!”
• Some of the high school students decorate their graduation caps with little toys or words.  My oldest son just graduated from college last weekend (proud mama!) and I didn’t see any of the students decorate their caps, but I thought it was a cute idea.
• Peter Parker’s ring tone on his cell phone.
• Peter Parker’s cute “Thrasher” t-shirt.
• Aidy Bryant from Saturday Night Live is wearing a Statue of Liberty costume and says to Spider-Man “Nice costume!”
• Don’t bother looking for a fun sneak peek at anything after the credits roll.  When the movie is over, it’s actually over. 

Tips for parents:   

• Kids can learn about battery power and electric charges…
• The profanity is lean with only a few “mild” bad words, but there is, of course, a lot of violence.  Young children with dreams of becoming the next Superhero may need to be counseled “Do not try this at home.”
• If you missed the first Andrew Garfield Spidey, you can get it here:

Want to see the Toby Maguire version? You can pick it up cheap right here:

Are comic books literature or big movie magic or both?

Some might argue that comic books aren't true literature, but they sure make for great movies!  I have a cousin who has a business that certifies comic books with a grading system once they have been autographed.  He has worked with Stan Lee many times and has a list of upcoming signing events on his web site. It's big business on paper, as well as on the big screen!

Below is my review from my movie review maven blog from this weekend:

Movie Title:   Captain America: The Winter Soldier [HD]

Grade:   A-

In a Nutshell:   

A great marvel!  This mile-a-minute action flick is the second installment in the Captain America franchise and a terrific stand-alone story that is compelling and complex.  Sequels are notorious for not being as good, but this gritty one is winning high praises from Marvel fans and newbies alike.  It’s a smart political thriller that makes you feel like you just saw a real movie.  It’s brave enough to tackle serious issues such as national security, government surveillance and the price of freedom.

Marvel is really doing it right, pumping out one fun flick after another.  The Amazing Spider-Man , X-Men: Days of Future Past , and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers hit the big screen in just weeks!  It’s a little bit helpful to have seen the first Captain America film, but if not, don’t worry…you’ll catch on quickly.

Uplifting theme:  Wouldn’t it be great if American patriotism were cool again?

Things I liked:

• The Winter Soldier is an interesting villain.
• Three Days of the Condor [HD] star Robert Redford reminds us how cool those 1970s espionage movies were.
• I love clever banter between fun characters.  Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff who steals scenes with Rogers (Captain America), played by the impressively buff Chris Evans.  You’ll most likely see a trailer before this movie that features Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming film that looks like it has some good potential: Lucy
• I love Sam Wilson’s evolution into a superhero with the aid of his uber-awesome jet-powered wings.
• The opening scene with Chris Evans in an Under Armour shirt…wow.  My kids gross out whenever I talk about male actors like that, but hey, I’m not dead.
• Scenes where everyone points a gun at everyone else in a stand-off always crack me up.
• I’m glad we get to see the man behind the mask.  The Winter Soldier’s mask gets knocked off fairly early in the film and we learn more about him as the film develops.
• The CGI was great and believable. 
• I thought the slow-motion scene toward the end was great.
• I thought the list of things Captain America made of things he needed to catch up on was pretty cute.  It included Tai food, Disco, Moon landing, and Marvin Gaye.
• I LOVED the finale of How I Met Your Mother: The Complete Series , so I enjoyed seeing Cobie Smulders again.
• I love it when Stan Lee makes his cameo performance.  His big line in this installment of his Marvel character movies is “Oh man!  I am so fired.”  Ha ha
• I loved watching a middle-aged woman in a dress suit kick bad-guy butt.

(PHOTO ON LEFT:  One of our pastry students at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, where I teach, designed a special sugar structure to celebrate Captain America!  Everything in her design is edible!)

Things I didn’t like:

• It didn’t have as much humor as The Avengers or Iron Man movies.
• Some people may criticize the movie for being unrealistic.  Well, duh…it’s a superhero movie.

Funny lines:

• Nick Fury says “We’re gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen.”  Captain America replies “I thought the punishment came after the crime.”
• Natasha asks “Hey fellas, either one of you know where the Smithsonian is?   I’m here to pick up a fossil.”  Captain America says “That’s hilarious” as he gets in her car.
• Falcon yells “How do we know the good guys from the bad guys?”  Captain America yells back as they run towards danger “If they’re shooting at you, they’re bad!”
• Natasha asks “You doing anything fun Saturday night?”  Captain America answers “Well, all the guys in my barbershop quartet are dead…so, no, not really.”
• Captain America says “You don’t have to come with me.”  Falcon replies “I know.  When do we start?”
• Falcon says to the Cap “You know you’re a lot heavier than you look.”  Captain America chirps back “I had a big breakfast.”
• A soldier on a plane that Captain America jumps out of says to another soldier “Was he wearing a parachute?”  “No, no he wasn’t.”
• “Secure the engine room.  Then find me a date.”  - Captain America
• “You’re wrong about me.  I do share.  I’m nice like that.” – Agent Nick Fury
• “I do what he does, just slower.”  - Falcon, referring to Captain America.

Did you know?

• The Avengers was almost a rated R movie.   Some of the violence was a bit too much, so the directors had to tone it down and resubmit it.  There is LOT of violence in Captain America: The Winter Soldier [HD] , but they tried hard to not get an R rating so that kids could watch it.  Parents, be prepared for lots of shooting, explosions, and collateral damage.
• Robert Downey Jr. has already convinced us how cool he is, but he took it up another notch when he invited 20 kids to join him at his house to watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier [HD] .  He posted this note on his Facebook page “What better way to spend my birthday than recognizing the cosmic miracle of Captain America 2 opening the same day.”  Nice.
• Agent Nick Fury trades in his eye patch for a set of cool shades.  You even get to see what’s underneath his patch.
• If you’re currently watching the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show, see this movie first, and then continue watching the TV series.
• Keep watching after the credits roll for a teaser.
• If you liked the Trouble Man song from the movie, check out the entire Marvin Gaye album:

Tips for parents:  Try having a conversation with your kids about which is more important: freedom or security.  I liked the line Captain America said “Soldiers trust each other.  That’s what makes it an Army.”  Have your kids write some letters of encouragement to some soldiers who are willing to give their lives to protect our country and you.