About Being Normal
Post 714:
With most (if not all) of my reviews and commentaries, I tend to avoid the big tent movies and shows, i.e. Star Wars and comic books, Disney, etc. I do this because so many people are already on the internet, passionate and focused on interpreting and appreciating those works under very specialized microscopes.
If you look at my blog or YouTube channel, you’ll find a lot of indie films and older books and movies. It’s pretty random. Whenever I think there’s a point to be made, I try to do it.
But here’s the truth. I’ve seen most of the big movies, same as everyone. I may give off the impression that I’m questing for pretension, but it’s not true.
I’m a big nerd. One that loves too many books, TV shows, and movies. Really, it’s ridiculous. Give me a good story. I don’t care what “category” it falls under.
All that out of the way, I have to say I’m not a big fan of the Marvel movies. I enjoy the first two acts almost every time, but the third act usually ends up with the hero fighting the big bad deal and roll credits. The Winter Soldier was the bomb, but even that got a little nutty at the end.
I admire the skill and work that goes into these movies, but they don’t keep me invested all the way through. Not generally. There’s a lot of these flicks now. Great characters. Amazing art direction and tons of funny dialogue. And yet, mostly I get bored. One happy exception: Spider-Man: Far From Home.
My opinion, the best Marvel movie. It’s just a good movie-movie, regardless of genre. The jokes are not laugh-out-loud, but they are continuous and clever, sometimes on multiple levels. The stakes are interesting. The kid that plays the lead is likeable and actually heroic. The villain is grimy and just a big jerk—his motivation is so petty and self-serving—it’s great.
I guess it’s more of a comedy than anything, and I’ll admit that I was close to my boredom redline at the end when the explosions and CGI got ramped up. Close, but not all the way. The script is quick and efficient and there’s a ton of setup/payoff writing that totally works.
I liked all the characters through the whole film. Good fun. The premise is actually a little deeper than your standard supervillain vs. superhero deal.
Great, sharp writing. Peter Parker wants to be authentic and normal. The bad guy wants to create illusions and be worshiped. The juxtaposition is on the nose but it works because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Tone. So important.
That’s it. I talked about a comic book movie. Yay! I feel normal already. Now I’m going to go watch some black and white French movies from the 60s that make no sense. I’ve got to get back to being pretentious.
Cheers and see you after.
