The balance between innovation and homage is a difficult one to strike. This is especially so when dealing with established and beloved properties. Spider-Man: No Way Home takes on the formidable task of balancing the demands of a standalone film, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the wider presence of Spider-Man in cinema and popular…
Writer/director Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”) puts a contemporary spin on Louisa May Alcott’s nineteenth century classic novel in Little Women, now in its eight film version. Alcott’s semi-autobiographical story about four sisters growing up in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the Civil War stands out for its warmth and celebration of family, its exquisite period…
Two teenagers walk along the Charles Bridge in Prague, and as they do so their fingers brush and they nearly take hold of each other’s hands. Nearly, but not quite, as teen awkwardness gets in the way and they lack the maturity to express themselves. This is a tiny moment in Spider-Man: Far From Home,…
The title Spider-Man: Far From Home may be lacking, but at least we know Spider-Man is alive and well following his disintegration in “Avengers: Infinity War” (and subsequently, “Avengers: Endgame”). Here Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is quite clearly making a concerted effort to reintegrate himself into teenage life, going so far as to leave his…
When Sony announced its plans for a theatrical release of an animated Spider-Man film, even hardcore fans of the web swinger may have considered it to be just another unwarranted adaptation. “Haven’t we seen enough portrayals of Spider-Man?,” those with comic-book movie fatigue asked, and yet in his seventh major solo theatrical release since 2002,…
With Venom it’s Tom Hardy’s turn to get in on the comic book movie craze. In it, he takes a turn as Eddie Brock (please forget when Topher Grace had a turn in “Spider-Man 3”), a down on his luck journalist. But as luck would have it, his weakened mental state makes him a perfect…
If The Post was little more than a piece of agitprop beating the drums for the value of a free press in a democracy, it would more than justify its reason for being. The fact that it is so much more is a testament to the skills of director Steven Spielberg and the talents of…
