008. Review - The Bling Ring

A24

The E! Network has always been known for its classy television, and one of the many jewels in its repertoire was 2010’s Pretty Wild, which followed Los Angeles socialite Alexis Neiers and her sisters Gabby and Tess.  The show was initially yet another attempt at replicating the popularity of Paris Hilton and yet it took a surprising turn when, halfway through the first episode, Alexis was arrested in connection with the so-called “Bling Ring”, a group of teenagers that were robbing celebrity homes in the Hollywood Hills.  While the program was soon cancelled, the Vanity Fair article that resulted from the teenage thievery, “The Suspects Wore Louboutins”, caught the attention of Sofia Coppola, daughter of Francis Ford and director of such films as Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.  She acquired the rights, wrote a script, gathered a cast, and thus The Bling Ring was born, a stylish and tense and curious film.  Following this year’s surprise trend from Spring Breakers and Pain and Gain, it highlights the quiet depravity of our culture, albeit in a much more elegant manner.

007. Review - Man of Steel

Warner Bros.

The comic book community and its superheroes, from DC to Marvel and all those in-between, is enormous, but there are few figures within it that measure as tall as Superman.  From the first Max Fleischer cartoons to the last filmic attempt in 2006’s Superman Returns, the character has stood not only as a landmark superhero but as an important cultural icon.  The story of a lost Kryptonian raised on Earth to later become one of its greatest protectors is known the world over, and such it is that any new adaptation is met with great interest.  Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder, written by David S. Goyer, and produced by Christopher Nolan, is that new adaptation, the beginning of a fresh Superman franchise.  Starring Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod, and Henry Cavill as the new man in blue, the film gives us the classic tale for a new age, a stirring visual feast that, despite its weak and even illogical writing, still manages to succeed.

006. Review - This is The End

Columbia Pictures

Ensemble comedies are a staple of the genre, from classics like It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World to recent fare like Bridesmaids.  It’s always great to see comedians riffing off of each other, building jokes to heights that couldn’t have been reached with one man or woman alone.  Such is the case with the new action comedy This is The End, starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride as a group of friends struggling to survive as the world teeters on the brink of apocalypse.  The concept is taken a few steps further here, however, as each of the actors play exaggerated versions of themselves, holed up in James Franco’s art deco house in the middle of a burning Los Angeles.  At first glance, This is The End might seem like a punchline taken to feature film length, but it rises high above expectations thanks to a fantastic cast and nearly non-stop laughs.

005. Review - Arrested Development, Season 4

Netflix

Arrested Development is one of the indisputable comedic masterpieces of our generation, a virtually flawless showcase of character work, meta-narrative, and whip-smart humor.  Created by Mitch Hurwitz and produced/narrated by Ron Howard, the series focuses upon the borderline-sociopathic-but-still-somehow-loveable Bluth family, played by the ensemble cast of Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter. The show was critically lauded as one of the best comedies of the decade and yet all but ignored by the viewing public during its three year run on FOX.  Ironically enough, the show gradually gained popularity well after its death thanks to rising DVD sales and positive word-of-mouth.  Soon there was a sizable portion of viewers that knew exactly where the money was, what it meant to “blue” oneself, and the important difference between a trick and an illusion.

004. Review - Star Trek Into Darkness

Paramount Pictures

I grew up with a passing familiarity with the Star Trek franchise; while I recognized Kirk, Spock, Picard, and even Khan, most of that knowledge was periphery pop culture trivia.  My real introduction to the Star Trek universe came through the 2009 reboot, heralded by science fiction’s golden child J.J. Abrams.  With an amazing cast, great action set pieces, and a real sense of wit and heart, the film was one of my favorites of the year.  So now we arrive at Star Trek Into Darkness, the next installment in the Abrams universe, with Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise crew battling against the dread terrorist John Harrison, played by the dashing Benedict Cumberbatch.  I entered the theater excited and hopeful, but when the lights came up, I was leaving baffled, confused, and somewhat aggravated.  There were fun moments and some great Abrams action, but something about the whole affair felt off. For all its flashiness, Into Darkness is still a poor installment in the franchise, perhaps even disastrous.  More thoughts, with spoilers included, after the jump.

003. Review - The Great Gatsby

Warner Bros.

First take F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 The Great Gatsby, the quintessential Great American Novel following a young New York writer and the torrid love affair of his luxurious and mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby. Then add Baz Luhrmann, ostentatious Australian director of such films as Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!.  Throw in some big budget 3D visuals, add in a pinch of contemporary alt rock and hip-hop, bake for 143 minutes, and you get 2013’s The Great Gatsby.  Starring Tobey Macguire as Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as the elegant Daisy, Joel Edgerton as her polo-playing husband Tom Buchanan, and Leonardo DiCaprio as the eponymous Gatsby, the film has all the pomp and circumstance of the original novel but none of the passion, resulting in a beautiful but ultimately hollow picture.

002. Review - Iron Man 3

Marvel

Five years ago Marvel Studios officially stepped into the movie-making game with Iron Man, the first film in what would later become known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film not only brought to life one of the company’s flagship characters in an action-packed yet surprisingly complex movie, but also shot the once-languishing Robert Downey Jr. back into orbit, turning him from a forgotten Hollywood punch line into one of the world’s biggest stars.  Fast forward five years and four movies later and Marvel, now owned by the Walt Disney Company, effectively holds dominion over the superhero genre, with a memorable cast of heroes and villains, a plethora of different writers and directors at the helm, and one of the highest-grossing films of all time in 2012’s The Avengers.  With Phase One now complete we begin Phase Two, appropriately enough, with Iron Man 3.