spiderman – Movies of the Soul

Vampire Owl: This is not the kind if superhero that we were looking for.

Vampire Bat: I am pretty sure that this is an anti-hero.

Vampire Owl: All vigilantes are not really anti-heroes.

Vampire Bat: Well, this one seems to have less heroism than others.

Vampire Owl: Sometimes villains are the true heroes.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about Thanos, aren’t you?

Vampire Owl: I always wished that they ended the series with The Avengers: Infinity War.

Vampire Bat: I also agree that a dead character should stay dead.

Vampire Owl: Well, death is only the beginning.

Vampire Bat: Yes, as far as the dead keep rising.

[Gets a vanilla shake and three cups of iced tea].

What is the movie about? :: Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe) is a much-feared drug lord and crime boss, and he moves to Ghana with his sons after the death of his wife, only to have his sons attacked by a lion and one of them even leaves him after seeing that his father brutally killed the animal. The family feels broken down, but the younger son stays with the father, whom considers him to be too weak to continue his legacy. The elder son Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) goes on to become Kraven the Hunter, an entity whose real identity is known. The younger son Dmitri Kravinoff (Fred Hechinger) lives with his father, but has no part in his crime business. Sergei goes on as a vigilante who hunts criminals. After assassinating an arms trafficker in a Russian prison, and following it up with a few others, he travels to London for Dmitri’s birthday where there is a family reunion including the father. But their reunion is short-lived, as mercenaries abduct Dmitri despite the best efforts of the big brother to stop the effort.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The man who was behind this kidnapping, Aleksei Sytsevich (Alessandro Nivola) has been an opponent of Nikolai. He also has the strength of a rhinoceros along with its skin, after an experiment which was conducted a few years ago. Aleksei proposes an alliance with the brothers to overthrow Nikolai, and after agreeing to this, he says that they would be partners. As there seems to be no solution, Aleksei lures him to a monastery in Turkey, but the ambush is not successful. Aleksei hires the Foreigner (Christopher Abbott), a hypnotic assassin to kill him. Sergei’s only support it Calypso Ezili (Ariana DeBose), a lady who had also helped him earlier to survive when he was attacked by the lion as a child. Now, it remains to be seen if a deal or a raid could be done, as Nikolai is not ready to pay the kidnapper. Still, it is to be seen if the assassin would kill Sergei even before that. He finds himself searching without results, but some result is sure to come soon.

The defence of Kraven the Hunter :: There is the usual anti-hero dose being provided here, and there is a look at the environmental concern and the love for animals, as if an emergency of our times. The action scenes in the forest and grasslands bring a certain amount of variety here and there. A connection between the wild and the domestic is established easily. The actors seem to very much capable of working through the side of action, and the anti-hero side is indeed well-maintained here. The fights do feel more raw than stylish, and that often comes as a welcome change. The mystical elements do run through here. The antagonist is indeed strong, and there is more than one that goes with the title, all of them strong enough to make an impact. There is a lot of idea left for a possible sequel, as the ending seems to suggest more to come, and there is surely some mystery to be solved later. The anti-hero elements do work better than what Deadpool has been turning out to be with its ridiculous nonsense.

The claws of flaw :: The movie never manages to raise its level that much as it keeps moving through the safe zone and keep it even safer. In this world of too many superheroes, some risk needed to be taken in the right way to bring variety through innovation and not through strange representation and change of races and ethnicities. The movie also struggles with its special effects, and even its antagonist could have scored further with better computer-generated imagery. There should have been some Spider-Man connection made here, and without that presence even in the end credits, we struggle to believe in the seriousness here. The negative opinions about Madame Web might affected this one too, as the world of spiders surely seems to be in a crippling state – we miss The Amazing Spider-Man more than ever. There are complications about his position in this world, and the lack of clarity regarding his powers would mean more confusion – well, it is that kind of a family where everyone seems like an anti-hero or a villain and we do wonder about the situation being like this with just a hunter around.

The performers of the soul :: Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads the way pretty well as the anti-hero who goes on hunting without remorse, as he chooses the worst people. There might be the question if someone bigger would have been there, but this would feel good enough due to his dedicated work. Even though Ariana DeBose as Calypso Ezili manages pretty well, Diaana Babnicova who played the younger version seemed to match the character the best, and a deviation from the past is visible around there. Alessandro Nivola makes a fine antagonist, and even with lesser graphics and special effects, he is indeed a menacing villain and a match for the protagonist. Christopher Abbott plays the other villain, and the menace should have been given more time as we look at it. About Russell Crowe, we see a certain amount of grey side here, and it is also something to remember as we move away from this movie. Fred Hechinger who made a point will surely have more to make in the sequel as we notice the ending moments.

How it finishes :: Kraven the Hunter adds to that list of lesser-known anti-heroes, even though it might never be as popular as Venom and Deadpool who became the main characters out of Spider-Man and Wolverine. This is that movie which seemed to have been missed by too many people around here. Unlike those earlier superhero movies, this one is the flick which came with no hype at all, and most people also failed to realize that this one existed in the theatres nearby. They would expect many things here, but they would no not much about him, as this man is no hero that the people in this part of the world have ever known. All these are happening in a timeline where fine superhero movies like Minnal Murali and Gundala and brought about by those industries which have not been known for creating this kind of a universe. With that long comic support, it is surprising that people of Spidey are struggling to make an impact. I would for a better work with a sequel even though this one did work well enough.

Release date: 13h December 2024
Running time: 127 minutes
Directed by: J C Chandor
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, Russell Crowe

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

✠ I would be surprised if the loyalties of the fans have not shifted from my favourite superhero of the childhood to what could be termed as the Iron Man mania or the Batman addiction. They have taken over, and my other childhood superhero He-Man is nowhere to be found. The Revival of the interest in Spider-Man can go back to the Tobey Maguire – Kirsten Dunst starring adaptation of the same and its sequels. Still, the favourite actor of the series happened to be James Franco, thanks to Spider-Man 3. As everyone was waiting to watch The Dark Knight Rises, there was a little lack of interest in the same, but I am glad that the movie has managed to survive. Spider-Man was my favourite comic-strip in the Sunday newspaper, and I remember waiting eagerly for it, even as for the cartoons section, the winner was Ducktales. I had a good collection of Spidey’s graphic novels, and I can remember buying despised chewing gums just for getting the Spidey stickers free, giving the gums to my friends. Spider-Man defined my childhood, even as I never tried to climb the walls. I would add that Spider-Man is also the first “typical superhero” video game I played.

Count Dracula: Spider-Man? Seriously? I mean you are the Vampire Bat, always wearing that black costume and pretending that you can fly, and you still like Spider-Man? You should like Batman, he is your kind sharing the “bat” added to your names – he comes in black, while this spider person comes in red and blue. Even Robocop comes in black pretending that he is Judge Dredd, and it is the new trend. Think about it – Spidey boy is too thin for you; it might feel okay for you now, but from the way you are gaining weight, you might become Vampire Bane and not Vampire Bat.

Vampire Bat: I have no special interest in the character, nor am I interested any spider. I have a fair share of spiders and their webs in my room though. I used to raise a little spider on my motor-bike, but it wasn’t radio active, and went missing on a rainy day. I didn’t have photo of it, which is why I couldn’t ask people if they have seen the little one. Do come here, and count the spiders. I wake up every day, and see a lizard or cockroach, thats how I usually start my day. If you need a centipede though, there are some beautiful pictures right here at Harsha’s place (http://allresourceupdates.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/centipede-they-are-quite-fastarent-they/)

Count Dracula: No, thanks. There was a time when a centipede got into my coffin. I won’t blame it as I am obviously the dead Count walking. It seemed to love the time in my ear, and I had to use drown myself in blood to get it out. I had to run after the local village people with an axe three times a day to reduce the fat that I had gained by taking in too much dark elf blood. Thank God for Goblin Markets, otherwise it would have fed on my brain and the childish zombies would have mocked me. Let me tell you this though, no centipede or a spider will ever become a vampire.

Vampire Bat: But Peter Parker is bitten by the spider, that too a genetically modified one. As you know, the abilities were transferred like vampirism. Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, along with most of which you already know – of Spider-Man Origins as the man becomes Spider-Man after his uncle’s death. That would leave the question about what are the two different things – they are Gwen Stacy and Dr. Curt Connors a.k.a The Lizard. I would say that they both score better than our heroine and villains of the earlier Spider-Man trilogy. I wouldn’t just judge our hero in comparison yet though.

Count Dracula: Only one villain? That is depressing. I heard that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will have two of them, The Rhino and Electro. It is usually the number two movie that comes up with the best villain. Now that is going to be a cliche for sure.

Vampire Bat: I doubt that. I know who you are referring to, but I loved Batman Begins, and Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul is my first preference for a Batman villain in the new trilogy. The Scarecrow could have been so much better too. But we just can’t deny our Lizard his due. We don’t have an evil man there; he is no Joker, as he falls to his tragic flaw rather than anything that motivates a normal villain. He is the victim of science. He succumbs to that feeling that he can use technology to his advantage in doing the right thing, but ends up doing the exact opposite.

Count Dracula: Someone I know said this “Ah, it is the fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain”. It was someone I despise a lot. But the situation here demands that to be true.

Vampire Bat: Yes, I remember Van Helsing. But it doesn’t begin or end there. The Lizard’s only possible true comparison is with Doctor Octopus of Spider-Man 2, another experiment gone wrong and another bad man created. The emotional turmoil, the consequences of his actions and the way their minds deviate – lots of things might be similar. Lizard’s clear advantage is the more advanced CGI and the movie being the origins story. Spider-Man 2 was the last good story in a series and this one is the first. I would still think that the Spidey villains need to get better, as Ra’s al Ghul, Joker, Bane, General Zod – they are all scoring for DC. Marvel’s only hope lies in Loki along with Magneto and his side-kicks as long as they are not taken away by Krrish.

Count Dracula: Talk about Andrew Garfield. He is surely Spider-Man, as the one that you might have read in those Sunday comic strips. He looks young and surely looks like the youngest superhero that is popular with us. He is not burdened by experience as Batman, nor is he troubled by his alien existence like Superman; he has not the need to be He-Man and protect a universe of magic either. He is more or less closer to being the comparatively normal superhero than he is. At least he is closer to being what he claims than you are; you still can’t fly.

Vampire Bat: Why should I fly? Even Batman doesn’t fly. I have a logo like him and I even have dark costumes which can scare people at night. Why don’t you concentrate on Wichita instead? I mean Emma Stone. I can’t get over that name at all – thank you Zombieland. She looked so good in it with the black hair, but this character needed this colour change. This movie has a better romance than the former trilogy, thank God. No overdose of crying romance to follow, we hope. But we can only hope that the Venom episode would be handled much better.

Count Dracula: It took them only five years after the trilogy ended to release the first movie of the reboot franchise. I don’t think that this one can offer too much difference from the previous adaptation. Batman and Superman got rid of the style of wearing underwear on the outside, but as Spider-Man never had that practice, that gesture is not possible. The dark style might not suit him either. May be he can dress like me and hold a spider in his hands. The symbol of ‘bat’ worked for Batman, and the alien nature worked for Superman. Neither the spider symbol or the nerdy character can do something like that for Spider-Man.

Vampire Bat: There are a few things that the trio of superheroes, Superman, Batman and Spider-Man can offer, and one of them is great delight in the form of box-office success. There are many others for sure, but along with Wolverine and Iron Man, these three carry immense potential to break records. The only character from the west who might be more well-known than these should be you. You are our synonym for vampire, and if there is something that they relate with sucking good amount of blood that is you, even as I know a few mosquitoes who might disagree.

Count Dracula: That is not right. I have maintained the disguise of a simple farmer here. I just cultivate corpses, and keep the environment undead. Don’t you have your own vampires out there, the vampires of wealth in the form of celebrities and politicians, vampires of food in the form of restaurants, vampires of truth in the form of media and so on? Do not bother me with that – try your superheroes instead. They shall entertain you and make sure that your childhood concepts remain almost the same.

Vampire Bat: The dignity of superheroes was stolen away by Krrish. It has been partially saved by Thor, but only with the next sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man that it can be claimed back completely. It is up-to Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone to keep the work going. The villains will help, and so will the CGI.

Count Dracula: I am not the kind of person who would believe in superhero stuff. But let me tell you a few things I am sure about. The first thing is that Spider-Man will never be my favourite superhero. The second thing is that I still believe in Spider-Man movies. The simple light shade that the Spidey manages gains my respect.

Vampire Bat: Yes, the movie is excellent in many ways. There are not many flaws to be associated with it. We loved the performances and the way in which they have shaped the story. It is still too early for a reboot and there is nothing spectacular tried this time, and no attempt to deviate into another path like what happened with Batman. Get that DVD, my friend.

Count Dracula: Yes, I think I will. Good bye, brother in fangs.

Vampire Bat (to himself): How can we ignore our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man just because there have been an overflow of superheroes? There is no chance for such a cruelty towards the first Hollywood superhero movie to release in the theatre near my place. There will be no such avoidance. This movie will be more recommended than any other Spider-Man movie. As the origins story has been setup already, the sequel is only going to be better, and I am very confident about it.

✠ The Amazing Spider-Man is another superhero movie which you have to watch. Even without any particular innovation of supreme significance, the movie is a treat to all the fans of the genre as well as the Spidey lovers. The web is stronger than ever this time, even as it will not win any awards in an arachnid competition. Watch this one as the origins story, and there is a lot more to come. You may or may not like spiders, and in most cases loathe them, but lets make sure that this is one creature of the web who gains our attention. Even Count Dracula does that wall crawling stuff very well, and he would indeed love to see something really amazing from the two-legged partial arachnid who just cannot stop itself appearing again and again. Along with the two villains that we have in the upcoming sequel, lets hope for the other interesting villains like Mysterio and Chameleon, as its going to be a long race for the Spidey.

Release date: 3rd July 2012
Running time: 136 minutes
Directed by: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, Martin Sheen, Sally Field