Tune to The 2 Guys Named Chris Show every Monday to get the scoop on the latest new films and releases to DVD from a Canadian point of view. Julie Crawford, Film Critic for The Vancouver Courier, gives her two cents worth every Monday morning on Rock 92.
July 9th 2012
by Biggie Josh Ellinger,posted Jul 10 2012 8:44AM
In Theaters
The Amazing Spider-Man
Everyone is asking “why so soon?” after the other Spider-Man movies – Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 just came out in 2007 – but superheroes are really big business, so why not cash in and re-fresh the franchise. True fanboys might dicker with the details, but this film feels fresh thanks to indie director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer), who strikes the perfect balance between intimate story and big blockbuster action. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is bitten by that famous spider and begins to have special powers. He’s pretty clumsy with them at first (as is the trend: see Chronicle), wiping out an outdoor Starbucks the first time he tries to swing from a web. And while ultimately it’s all about how Peter must become a superhero and take on a giant lizard villain (Rhys Ifans), at its heart it’s a love story between Peter and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Great chemistry between these two, a real-life couple. The film is funny, it’s thoughtful, it’s action-packed, and it’s the first film in a while to warrant the Imax upcharge.
Magic Mike
Whereas Rock of Ages had a thin plot strung between musical numbers, Magic Mike has an even thinner story that we impatiently sit through until we get to see Channing Tatum take off his shirt again. The story of Mike (Tatum), a veteran stripper who brings in a young buck they name “The Kid” (Alex Pettyfer) who gets seduced by the money and the drugs that can accompany the business. Mike falls for The Kid’s sister (Cody Horn) and tries to get out of the exotic dancing business so he can build furniture, his true passion. But really it’s all about the bumping and grinding, and Tatum, who used to do this for real before he got into acting, is more than up to the challenge. Kudos to Matthew McConaughey, playing with his beefcake image and providing the most memorable strip scene.
