tfrizzell

A young Superman (Henry Cavill) must finally come to terms with his place on Earth and his birth on his home planet of Krypton in "Man of Steel", yet another cinematic retelling of arguably the most popular and beloved comic book superheroes of all time. Michael Shannon leads a group of militaristic Kryptonies to Earth in the hopes of resurrecting their lost civilization on a new planet and also along for the ride is Amy Adams (dare I say making us yearn to see Margot Kidder or Kate Bosworth instead) as our heroine/Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane who constantly seems to be putting herself in danger's way. "Man of Steel" makes itself out to be revolutionary and creative, but it struggles the whole way with strange casting, an interminable running time, offbeat pacing, and a resolution which is more migraine-inducing than memorable (and also more reminiscent of something this side of "The Transformers" rather than something from the "Batman Begins" series). Flashbacks strangely are the most compelling and interesting parts of the movie as we are transported back to seeing a young Clark Kent in Smallville slowly coming to terms with who he is and what his true purpose for existence is. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner (Costner, in particular doing quietly some of his best cinematic work in years) shine as the titled character's adopted parents. Russell Crowe is also on hand (and never seems to disappear even after his early demise) as Superman's biological father/accomplished scientist of Krypton. Superman's home planet destruction is a fascinating side-board as we get deep into politics, failed science, and even an unhinged militaristic coup. In the end, "Man of Steel"'s main story pales in comparison with its sidelines and this makes the film basically a special effects-heavy would-be tour de force which unfortunately never does really take off in the end. A shame too because Cavill's performance and the aforementioned attributes were right in line to make "Man of Steel" much more memorable and critically successful than it really is. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Highly impressive animated feature which is tame enough for the youngsters and surprisingly entertaining and thought-provoking for adults. A young chameleon (voiced pricelessly by Johnny Depp) is accidentally thrown into a town of dirt which is in desperate need of a sheriff. Oblivious to the politics of the town, there seems to be a group trying to control the city's water supply (which of course is needed by the town's inhabitants for survival). Shades of some of the more interesting live-action westerns of the years past and even Roman Polanski's contemporary classic "Chinatown" as under-rated director Gore Verbinski creates a cartoon that has depth and ingenuity ala Walt Disney's earliest feature-length ventures or newer productions like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" and the "Toy Story" series of films. Innovative, smart, technologically impressive, perfectly-realized production which succeeds on various levels with a wide-range of moviegoers. 5 stars out of 5.

Sixteenth U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (a mind-blowing part by the seemingly always flawless Daniel Day-Lewis) struggles to get his policies for emancipating all enslaved African-Americans passed through the Legislative Branch of government as the bloody final days of the Civil War continue in early 1865. An amazing cinematic achievement by director Steven Spielberg as he primarily uses the the nearly unending novel "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin to create a portrait of quite possibly the most polarizing political and social reforms in this country's long history. In a time now when bi-partisanship is a romantic idea which seems more hypothetical than realistic, Lincoln struggled with North vs. South and Republican vs. Democrat just as contemporary presidents today do. Tommy Lee Jones steals every scene as Thaddeus Stevens, a politician trying to get all of Lincoln's policies through Congressional meanderings. Sally Field is also on hand as Lincoln's wife who struggles herself with the death of the couple's young son. Field's emotional fire has to be tamed though as her part could almost be an entire movie to itself and in the end the 16th President's ability to somehow immerse himself further in the nation's civil war and its possible political future uncertainties even after a potential emotional breakdown after his family's personal tragedy. "Lincoln" is deeper than an ocean. It has a bare minimum of action and is highly talkative ala something in the line of "Lawrence of Arabia" or even "Gandhi". Spielberg almost makes the film feel like an elaborate stage play with top-of-the-line performers going effortlessly from scene to scene and creating emotional fireworks. Day-Lewis is the catalyst, but his supporting cast never backs down from his challenge of acting excellence as they all add to his almost mythic portrayal of quite possibly our most important commander-in-chief. As usual, Spielberg creates a historical atmosphere (basically showing Washington, D.C. as a small village which doubles as a mud trap of a town with moist soil at least a foot deep in almost every direction) which puts his audience in another time and another place. Towering achievement on many various cinematic levels. "Lincoln" is destined to be one of those rare productions which will likely survive time, its critics, and those who fail to believe in the power of the cinema to educate, influence, and enlighten. Total excellence. 5 stars out of 5.