Welcome Home Web-Head! "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr.

Directed by Jon Watts

The Story:

Peter Parker (Holland) is trying to adjust to life as Spider-Man all the while waiting for the next call-up to something big by Tony Stark (Downey Jr.). When he discovers that a new bad guy, the Vulture (Keaton) is up to something really big, Peter gets tired of being ignored while he tries to enlist help, so he tackles it on his own. Needless to say, his web-slinging and high school problems are going to cause more problems than your typical high schooler has to endure.

Welcome home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spidey!

The deal that allowed Marvel Studios to use Spider-Man pays off huuuuuuge for Sony as they craft the best Spider-Man film so far.

For those of you that loved the Raimi trilogy...or at least Part 2, you're welcome to think that's the best Spider-Man ever.

I never cared for Tobey in the role, nor Dunst as M.J.

I much preferred Garfield's take in the role, but those films weren't without their flaws.

Now along comes Homecoming.

Holland is quickly winning me over as Peter/Spidey.

It also helps that Keaton's Vulture is an impressive and logical foe to set this whole thing up, and he is great as the film's bad guy.

Are there flaws?

Probably.

Am I willing to overlook those?

Absolutely.

The biggest complaint I could see is the characterizations of most of Peter's supporting cast.

I simply remember: this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not the comics.

Then yeah, I'm good.

What else can I say at this point?

1) The Spider-Man theme song makes an appearance.
2) Possibly the best ending of any Marvel movie.
3) There are indeed 2 scenes that appear after the credits.

I highly encourage you to stick around for both!

Congratulations to all involved, I'm now going to type what I thought unthinkable just 2 short months ago...

Sorry Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.... there's a new favorite movie of the year in town!

Good luck Thor: Ragnarok... you've got your work cut out for you.

Final Grade: A

April Showers Bring Christmas Movies! "Love The Coopers"

 

Love The Coopers (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring John Goodman, Diane Keaton, Ed Helms, Steve Martin, Amanda Seyfried, Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde, Anthony Mackie, Jake Lacy,

Directed by Jessie Nelson

The Story:

The Coopers are all coming home for the holidays. Along the way they are going to confront some uncomfortable truths about themselves and their family. After all, that's what the holidays are for.

While stacked with a lot of comedic actors, this movie isn't so much funny as it is amusing.

It's a dramedy about family dynamics and life choices that don't always turn out the way people want or expect them to.

You've got the parents (Goodman & Keaton) who are going through the motions for the benefit of their children. This will apparently be their last Christmas together and the reasons why are not immediately recognizable but will be slowly unearthed as the movie progresses.

The oldest daughter (Tomei) who runs into a bit of problem with the law (Mackie) trying to decide what to get her sister for Christmas.

The youngest daughter (Wilde) is not ready for another year of being looked down upon, so she grabs a stranger (Lacy) and convinces him to be her fiancée for the holidays.

Then the son (Helms) whose marriage has tanked and he's having issues of his own being a good dad.

Finally grandpa (Arkin) who has the sweetest story of the bunch about his relationship with a young waitress (Seyfried) at the local diner.

Marriages on the rocks. Feelings that have been hurt for years, it will all culminate in the happiest ending possible for this family.

All tied loosely, and rather strangely by narrative from the family dog (Martin) which is rather annoying because he's the dog, and sometimes they use his narration, sometimes they don't. An omniscient narrator would have been just fine, and slightly less annoying.

Worth a viewing, but doubtful to become a beloved holiday tradition in many families.

Final Grade:  C+

A Great Movie Made With "Spare Parts"

Spare Parts (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring George Lopez, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Lee Curtis, Carlos PenaVega, Jose Julian, David Del Rio, Oscar Javier Gutierrez II

Directed by Sean McNamara

The Story:

Four Hispanic high school students (PenaVega, Julia, Del Rio, Gutierrez) come together by different circumstances to form a robotics club under the mentorship of new teacher, former engineer Dr. Fredi Cameron (Lopez). Cameron is using teaching as a stopgap while he tries to get back into engineering and doesn't really care to be part of the robotics team at first. But with a trip to the underwater robotics championship on the line, the team is going to attempt to pull off a miracle.

Can they do it?

Should I mention that this is based on a true story?  Well, it is.

Think of this as an underdog sports movie, but now replace the sports with science.

Underdog nerds!

: )

Now, while Lopez, Tomei and Curtis receive top billing, it's the boys that carry the movie, and they do a remarkable job.

It's when the team arrives at the competition that things take an interesting turn.

They decide to take their high school team out of competition with the other high schools because they'd rather come in last taking on the college teams than coming in last against other high schools.

It's an insanely brilliant plan, but a funny thing happens on the way to failing.

I would prefer you watch for yourself, I think you'll like it.

As for me, it's one of a very small handful of movies in the running for best of the year honors.

Final Grade; B+

Hugh Grant Is In Fine Form Once Again... "The Rewrite"

The Rewrite (2014)

Not Rated (PG-13)

Starring Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney,

Written and Directed by Marc Lawrence

The Story:

Keith Michaels (Grant) is a former Oscar winning writer who has had a few bombs since then, and now cannot find work. His agent gets him a gig teaching a screenwriting course back east. So he swallows his pride, heads back east and grudgingly begins his next career as a teacher.

Marc Lawrence and Hugh Grant have been great as a team since they teamed together in 2002 with Two Weeks Notice. Lightning struck again 5 years later when they worked on Music and Lyrics together and created another great romantic comedy.

Then the inevitable happened, the third time was not the charm, and Did You Hear About The Morgans tanked. I've seen that one, and it wasn't that bad.

Now, it wasn't nearly as good as the other two movies, but there were some witty moments in there, mostly on the charm and wit of Hugh Grant.

So, after nearly 6 years away from the big screen, the two re-team and tell a bit of a biographical tale that closely follows the lead of Music and Lyrics.

A formerly successful writer finds love when and where he least expects it.

This romantic comedy takes the slow build, but you know it's coming, and it's actually a refreshing and fun change of pace.

Hugh Grant returns in fine form, and he hasn't missed a beat over the decades and has grown perfectly into the role of the disenfranchised middle aged romantic lead.

It was also nice to see Tomei back in a comedic role for what seems like the first time in a long time.

Plus there is a nice comedic turn by Simmons that's pretty fun to watch.

Welcome back Marc Lawrence, and looking forward to the next project with Grant!

Final Grade: B

Guilty As Charged... "My Cousin Vinny"

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Rated R for language

Starring Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne, Jim Trotter III

Directed by Jonathan Lynn

The Story:

Two Yootz (Macchio and Whitfield) are on their way from New York to California to attend college.  Stopping in a local sack of suds for some refreshments, as they continue their adventure, they are pulled over and arrested for the robbery, and murder, of the clerk!  Facing the death penalty, they turn to a family lawyer: Vincent Gambini (Pesci).  Except Vinny isn't exactly all he's cracked up to be in the lawyer business.  With his girlfriend (Tomei) in tow, the two head south to face an uncompromising judge (Gwynne) and attempt to win his cousin's freedom and very first case, all at the same time.

This is one of those movies that you can forget about over time, which is a shame.

Pesci owns the screen, his first real taste of leading man status, and he kills it hilariously as the lawyer-in-training.

He was surrounded with a great cast, including the star-making performance for Tomei as the sassy girlfriend who bails him out more than he realizes in the relationship.

Watching the dynamic of Vinny interacting with the Judge and other southerners is a wonderful fish out of water feeling throughout the movie.

The courtroom scenes never fail to make me laugh every time I watch this film.

The aforementioned Two Yootz... the magic grits...

Excellent writing, wonderful delivery.

Closing in on 25 years, if you haven't given Vinny some attention in a while, you might want to dust off this classic.

The Story:

Final Grade: Solid A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: An easy movie to forget how fun it really is. I do own it, but I'd say it only creeps out every 5  years or more.  Might have to work on that.

These Kids Today..."Parental Guidance"

Further proof that there's no school like the Old School...

The Story:

Phil and Alice Simmons (Tom Everett Scott and Marisa Tomei) need to go on a weekend retreat so he can get an award for his prototype "future house".  The problem? Who will watch their 3 lovely children?  Naturally, Phil's parents will be out of town on a cruise... so they are forced to contact... the "other" grandparents, Artie and Diane (Billy Crystal and Bette Midler).  They fly out to Atlanta, but their parenting style is way different than the 21st century way that the kids have been brought up.  Things are about to hit the fan!

So just by reading that little bit of the plot, you know what's going to happen.  This might be the 2nd most filmed story-line right after "Boy Meets Girl".

But hey, sometimes you want familiar and fun, and so these films get made.

I enjoyed it the most in the house.  My kids seemed indifferent and mama threatened to walk out a few times. : )

But me?  I'm here for one reason: Billy Crystal.

I love the guy, and if I often remark that actors only play themselves and it works as a put-down, I would offer Billy Crystal as the exception to that rule.

Whether he is allowed to write his own material or improvise as he goes or read directly as written, it doesn't really matter to me.  His delivery is pitch perfect every time.

Besides the typical old vs. new school of raising kids, they toss in a subplot that really isn't that necessary with Artie wanting to find a new job, but really, the reason behind his job bubbles under the surface and it made Artie who he is, and the dream that he's lived for a lifetime.  It's brought out beautifully at the end in the final act when all of the problems that the kids had with the grandparents and the daughter had with her parents are resolved in a by-the-numbers but still enjoyable finale.

It was also very nice to see Bette Midler back on screen.  She still hasn't lost her comedic touch, and she pairs up nicely with Crystal.

Plus Marisa Tomei always does a great job, but hasn't been seen (at least by me) in recent years.

And for the record, I'm with Artie.  I can't stand the "can't say no... don't keep score... everyone's a winner..." generation of children that is being raised.  It's a setup for failure in the real world.

Ah well... back off my soapbox.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again.  It might be alone... but I could do it! : )