Today is a sad day for fans of animation and talented voice actors: The prolific, legendary and iconic June Foray has passed away at the respectable, impressive age of 99. She was just weeks away from the big 100. You may not know her name, but I guarantee you're familiar with her voice. She gave life to the characters of Rocket J. Squirrel (from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show), Nell Fenwick (from the Dudley Do-Right cartoons), Granny (From Sylvester and Tweety/Looney Tunes), Lena Hyena (The crazed toon that chases Eddie Valient through Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Witch Hazel (from Looney Tunes), Cindy Lou Who (from the original How The Grinch Stole Christmas cartoon), Lucifer (the cat from Cinderella), Natasha Fatale (from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show), Talky Tina (from The Twilight Zone), Wheezy (The main weasel in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and many more. When I heard the news, I felt like a part of my heart had died.
I remember when I was a kid, I often found myself up in the early morning hours for whatever odd reason. During these times, I would turn on Cartoon Network and idly watch re-runs of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show to pass the time and keep myself occupied. Thus, in a weird way, I kind of grew up with that show (Naturally I also watched Looney Tunes quite a bit when I was younger as well). It's interesting that she voiced so many memorable, beloved characters but it's Rocket J. Squirrel that she is most fondly remembered for (Speaks volumes about the Rocky character and his wide-ranging, age-less appeal). June left a mark on the young and young-at heart, and was a huge part of many people's childhoods. I know I'll certainly miss her, as will millions the world over. RIP June, you brought joy and happiness to the world.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING IS A RETURN TO FORM FOR THE WEB-HEAD
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, after the events of Civil War Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) idly passes his time in Queens thwarting robberies and various small time crimes as he waits for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to give him a call welcoming him into the Avengers. While the call takes longer than Peter would like, he finds a new opportunity to prove himself when Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) turns to crime with the assistance of a cool flying vulture suit.
Tom Holland perfectly nails his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He plays Peter as an insecure, friendly, nerdy, sarcastic (at times) high schooler who is still learning about his powers and himself. This film is classic high school Spidey all the way (my favorite version). He is often caught making it up as he goes along, he makes mistakes, and it feels good to see a hero who will stop fighting a villain to protect or save civilians. A good deal of the film is just Spidey on normal, slow days when he deals with smaller crimes (His time in high school is really the focus here, and his school feels real and lived in, and is populated by a beautifully diverse cast). This was refreshing, different and felt new. Holland is super charismatic, and he easily makes for the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man we're likely to get on the big screen.
Robert Downey Jr. continues to be an icon as Tony Stark, who gifts Peter with a brand new Stark tech suit and acts as a mentor to him for the few scenes he appears in (I counted 4). RDJ continues to be one fine actor, and he makes every one of his scenes count. Jon Favreau returns as Happy Hogan, who is tasked with being Peter's contact. Favreau is a lot of fun here, as Happy isn't all that pleased with his new role. Jennifer Connelly also appears as the voice in Spidey's suit for a few scenes, named Karen. She is very funny, cool, has a cute personality and shares good chemistry with Holland.
Jacob Batalon is great as Ned Leeds, Peter's best friend. He is very likable, and even gets a cool cheer-worthy moment. It's definitely believable that these two have known each other for a while and are best buds. Tony Revolori is actually perfect as Flash Thompson, school bully and all around jerk. In Homecoming, Flash still retains some of his trademark jock attributes (He's shown to be good at gym, and he drives an expensive car) but is also a member of the Decathlon team. Revolori pulls off the whole punchable face thing surprisingly well Zendaya is entertaining, cute and very funny as Michelle, one of Peter's reluctant buddies (She's more o the sides, but is still quite memorable. She is quietly observant of the goings-ons around her, and is whip-smart and always handy with a quick comeback or funny remark. Laura Harrier is very pretty and cute as Liz Allen, whom Peter crushes on from afar (Peter's pining for her is not as large a part of the film as you think it would be). Marisa Tomei is also perfect as Aunt May, she seems to understand Peter and is great pals with him (Their relationship is almost more like a friendship).
Michael Keaton turns on the slime and the scares as Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture. He is very intense and threatening, but has an empathetic backstory and motivation. He also looks very cool whenever he is in his Vulture get-up (even when it's just that cool jacket sans the flying contraption). Bokeem Woodbine and Michael Chernus are great as well as Herman Schultz aka The Shocker and Phineas Mason aka The Tinkerer respectively, goons who work for Toomes. Schultz acts as some muscle as he has a nice gadget that deals a heavy blow and Mason creates the nifty gadgets for Toomes. Donald Glover only has two scenes as Aaron Davis, a well-meaning small time criminal. He has limited screen time but is easily memorable, here's hoping that maybe he gets to return in the next film.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first Spider-Man film to be made with the assistance of Marvel, and boy does it show. This is a high quality movie, and it's clear everyone involved worked their butts off to ensure they got it right this time. The usual Marvel logo is underscored by a beautiful new take on the classic Spider-Man theme (by Michael Giacchino, who also did the score for the film). Appropriate, seeing as Homecoming is itself a modern update that takes the material back to its classic roots. Jon Watts directs, and the film feels almost like a John Hughes version of a super-hero movie. It's all very small scale, and the stakes are personal. It's nice to see a super-hero film where the fate of the world or universe isn't held in the balance. The film itself has some great, memorable scenes including one of the most definitive Spidey moments in any of the Spidey flicks (It gave me serious chills and had me tearing up). The only real negative is that Homecoming does mess with/change some pieces of Spidey lore in a way that may confuse or bother some fans.
The Spider-Man Homecoming 3D experience isn't all that satisfying. There are some shots and scenes that look good in 3D, but not all that much jumps out of the screen, and the added depth is decent at best. In 3D, the film can be murky, dark, and some of the action can be hard to make out. Spider-Man: Homecoming is definitely worth your time and money, but to maximize your experience I'd recommend seeing it in 2D instead.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a big-budget superhero movie that feels like a heartfelt independent feature. It's a lot of fun and very funny. Perhaps most impressive is that it stays true to the character of Spider-Man, and gives us the best and most faithful iteration of that character yet (a lot of classic Spidey moments can be found here, including that definitive moment I mentioned above). Spider-Man: Homecoming is Marvel's welcome home celebration for Spider-Man. It's easily the best Spider-Man film we've gotten thus far. Spider-Man fans rejoice!
5 STARS
Tom Holland perfectly nails his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He plays Peter as an insecure, friendly, nerdy, sarcastic (at times) high schooler who is still learning about his powers and himself. This film is classic high school Spidey all the way (my favorite version). He is often caught making it up as he goes along, he makes mistakes, and it feels good to see a hero who will stop fighting a villain to protect or save civilians. A good deal of the film is just Spidey on normal, slow days when he deals with smaller crimes (His time in high school is really the focus here, and his school feels real and lived in, and is populated by a beautifully diverse cast). This was refreshing, different and felt new. Holland is super charismatic, and he easily makes for the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man we're likely to get on the big screen.
Robert Downey Jr. continues to be an icon as Tony Stark, who gifts Peter with a brand new Stark tech suit and acts as a mentor to him for the few scenes he appears in (I counted 4). RDJ continues to be one fine actor, and he makes every one of his scenes count. Jon Favreau returns as Happy Hogan, who is tasked with being Peter's contact. Favreau is a lot of fun here, as Happy isn't all that pleased with his new role. Jennifer Connelly also appears as the voice in Spidey's suit for a few scenes, named Karen. She is very funny, cool, has a cute personality and shares good chemistry with Holland.
Jacob Batalon is great as Ned Leeds, Peter's best friend. He is very likable, and even gets a cool cheer-worthy moment. It's definitely believable that these two have known each other for a while and are best buds. Tony Revolori is actually perfect as Flash Thompson, school bully and all around jerk. In Homecoming, Flash still retains some of his trademark jock attributes (He's shown to be good at gym, and he drives an expensive car) but is also a member of the Decathlon team. Revolori pulls off the whole punchable face thing surprisingly well Zendaya is entertaining, cute and very funny as Michelle, one of Peter's reluctant buddies (She's more o the sides, but is still quite memorable. She is quietly observant of the goings-ons around her, and is whip-smart and always handy with a quick comeback or funny remark. Laura Harrier is very pretty and cute as Liz Allen, whom Peter crushes on from afar (Peter's pining for her is not as large a part of the film as you think it would be). Marisa Tomei is also perfect as Aunt May, she seems to understand Peter and is great pals with him (Their relationship is almost more like a friendship).
Michael Keaton turns on the slime and the scares as Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture. He is very intense and threatening, but has an empathetic backstory and motivation. He also looks very cool whenever he is in his Vulture get-up (even when it's just that cool jacket sans the flying contraption). Bokeem Woodbine and Michael Chernus are great as well as Herman Schultz aka The Shocker and Phineas Mason aka The Tinkerer respectively, goons who work for Toomes. Schultz acts as some muscle as he has a nice gadget that deals a heavy blow and Mason creates the nifty gadgets for Toomes. Donald Glover only has two scenes as Aaron Davis, a well-meaning small time criminal. He has limited screen time but is easily memorable, here's hoping that maybe he gets to return in the next film.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first Spider-Man film to be made with the assistance of Marvel, and boy does it show. This is a high quality movie, and it's clear everyone involved worked their butts off to ensure they got it right this time. The usual Marvel logo is underscored by a beautiful new take on the classic Spider-Man theme (by Michael Giacchino, who also did the score for the film). Appropriate, seeing as Homecoming is itself a modern update that takes the material back to its classic roots. Jon Watts directs, and the film feels almost like a John Hughes version of a super-hero movie. It's all very small scale, and the stakes are personal. It's nice to see a super-hero film where the fate of the world or universe isn't held in the balance. The film itself has some great, memorable scenes including one of the most definitive Spidey moments in any of the Spidey flicks (It gave me serious chills and had me tearing up). The only real negative is that Homecoming does mess with/change some pieces of Spidey lore in a way that may confuse or bother some fans.
The Spider-Man Homecoming 3D experience isn't all that satisfying. There are some shots and scenes that look good in 3D, but not all that much jumps out of the screen, and the added depth is decent at best. In 3D, the film can be murky, dark, and some of the action can be hard to make out. Spider-Man: Homecoming is definitely worth your time and money, but to maximize your experience I'd recommend seeing it in 2D instead.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a big-budget superhero movie that feels like a heartfelt independent feature. It's a lot of fun and very funny. Perhaps most impressive is that it stays true to the character of Spider-Man, and gives us the best and most faithful iteration of that character yet (a lot of classic Spidey moments can be found here, including that definitive moment I mentioned above). Spider-Man: Homecoming is Marvel's welcome home celebration for Spider-Man. It's easily the best Spider-Man film we've gotten thus far. Spider-Man fans rejoice!
5 STARS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)