Man of Steel

Man of Steel (2013) is the most recent remake of the Superman story. This, by my count is the seventh Superman movie – there was one Supergirl film (1984) – geewhiz, can't believe I missed that one. The first film was done in 1951, Superman and the Mole Men. I will have to look for that one. The iconic Christopher Reeve did four of these movies... all of which I dutifully attended during the 70s and 80s. Hollywood probably should have stopped there, but they didn't, and there's no stopping them now. Of course, a sequel to Man of Steel is in the works... look for it sometime in 2016 "Batman (Ben Affleck) versus Superman"—I have no idea who the actor is who plays Superman–I guess I don't care, okay, okay, his name is Henry Cavill.

I'm usually not in favor of remakes. I prefer original storytelling when possible. However, because it was a slow Monday night for television and HBO was offering this DC comic classic—I couldn't resist. I was pleasantly surprised, somewhat entertained, and generally felt as if I had not completely wasted two hours of my life. The story was in the same fashion as the previous "origins" films, nothing really new here. It was just reimagined for the computer-generated graphics action-thriller 21st-century audience. In that respect, the producers and directors did a decent job. I enjoyed the sci-fi look and feel of the film. Superman's suit was pretty cool, much better than the blue tights and red underwear Christopher Reeve had to wear. The interstellar space scenes and special effects were quite nice. The action sequences, especially some of the fight scenes were quite well done. I always feel sorry for New York City though, it seems that every superhero has to fight to the death in the streets of that city... Kevin Costner and Dianne Lane as the Earth to Kansas parents of Clark Kent were fun to watch. Russell Crowe as Superman's biological father was passable. Amy Adams as Lois Lane was rather silly, but she looks nice on the big screen. There was some terrible dialogue, and some rather corny scenes, but I expected that – it is based on the comic book after all. So, if that's what you are looking for, this might be worth a rental. However, if you're looking for an original story, dramatic acting, or some deeper intrinsic value—don't bother, you're not going to find it here. Maybe the sequel will be better.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, is two hours and forty minutes of nonstop Peter Jackson inspired J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy! If you're a fan of Tolkien, you have probably already watched this movie. If you're not a Middle Earth fan, or you are on the fence because the previous Hobbit movie was a bit of a disappointment, fear not – sally forth and rent this movie.

However, before you do, against my advice and previous review of the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – I recommend that you watch that movie first. It's not as well done, but it does set up the second movie very well... Without watching it you may be lost.
Smaug is the fifth three-hour plus movie based on the books, I believe there's just one more to go, thank you very much. That makes over 18 hours of couch potato movie experience – perhaps rereading the books would have been a better use of my time, but since I enjoy movies, fantasy and relentless action, my time hasn't been completely wasted. Peter Jackson delivers! His artistry is clearly on display in this film. The special effects are wonderful. The scenery is great. The good characters are especially good, and the bad are fabulously evil. The Orcs are nasty. The Elves are as arrogant as ever. The Dwarves are loyal and brave. Bilbo the Hobbit is a wonderful hero. The Dragon, Smaug, is expertly rendered and fearsome, and Gandalf the wizard leads the way! It's an adventure not to be missed.

Saving Mr. Banks

Saving Mr. Banks, tells the story of how Walt Disney made the movie Mary Poppins. I wanted to watch this movie because I've always admired Disney's work, and can remember very vividly watching the movie Mary Poppins as a young child, and then sharing the wonderful film with my son years later. The movie, Saving Mr. Banks, is based on truths, or shadows of the truth, so this made it intrinsically interesting to me. I had no idea that Disney struggled for over twenty years to get the rights to create the film. I had no idea who wrote the book, Pamela Travers, or anything about her story. I never read her book, but I certainly love the movie. Now I understand that the book and the movie are actually very different stories, and after reading some more about Mrs. Travers, I understand that the movie Saving Mr. Banks is also very different from reality. I understand why... Disney believes in happy-endings.

The acting was good, Tom Hanks was decent, but not at his best. Emma Thompson was great. The music and supporting cast were excellent, giving it a very authentic flavor to Disney's empire, and the making of the movie. The movie was well-written, nicely paced, and a refreshing break from the intense, drama filled, action-packed, movies of late. If you are looking for high drama or action, this is not your cup of tea.
So, who is Mister Banks? Without spoiling the movie, I can tell you that he is the father in the original Mary Poppins movie and book, and that he is based on a mix of childhood memories of their own fathers – Disney and Travers, mostly Travers. The movie is not about Mary Poppins. It's about the drive and determination that Disney and Travers had to create timeless masterpieces, and how their very different visions melted together to create the classic movie. This is enough of a story to create a decent movie, but had the writers gone a little bit deeper, I believe this could have been a much better film. First of all, we are told almost nothing about Mrs. Travers adult life. All of her memories are based on her childhood. By adding more information about her later life, some of the quirky and unique behaviors of Mrs. Travers would have been better played and more meaningful. Secondly, Mary Poppins does not even appear in the movie until we are almost towards the end. Sadly, I wanted to know more about Mary Poppins – showing I guess, how powerful the original Mary Poppins character really is... I recommend this movie, if you are interested in learning more about Walt Disney and the reflection of reality in the Mary Poppins story.