Amph Underappreciated Films

Peter and Mary Jane weren't actually married in the movie. in fact, a plot point is that Peter tries to propose but doesn't really get a chance and the resolution to that happens in the timeframe after the movie ends (although the movie strongly implies that it will happen and ultimately work out). I will agree that I thought this was one of the stronger elements of the movie.

The villains motivations were shown; Harry/New Goblin wanted to avenge his father's death (as set up by the previous movies). Flint Marko/Sandman simply wanted to steal the money needed for his sick daughter. "Brock. Eddie Brock, Junior"/Venom wanted revenge for what Peter had done (or he thought he had done) to him in civilian life (revealing the fraud photos and ruining his career, and stealing his girlfriend), coupled with the fact that he enjoyed having the symboite and being bad.

I'll concede that it starts to fall apart when it works to get Harry and Marko to that construction site. The butler telling Harry about what really happened needed more rewrites (even if you follow the director's suggestion that Harry was imagining the butler in that specific scene as he worked through reconciling the truth with the lie). Sandman's teamup could make some sense (since Spider-Man has been foiling him since the beginning of the movie and Sandman did try to whack Venom, thinking the latter was the web-slinger), but there should've been more buildup. Also, while I admire the intent of the scene with Peter forgiving Marko, it was too abrupt a shift, given that the last we'd seen of Marko, he was all for Venom's plan. Not deal breakers for me, but among the flaws of the film.

(Actually, some of the other franchise media, like the novelization and video game, there are key differences in the climax -- like Sandman's motivation -- which makes sense given that that scene was being rewritten during filming; the original intent was that Venom kidnapped Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane was the one who went to get Harry to help. I for one kind of think that the actual movie climax made more sense; if Venom wanted revenge on Peter, having the symbiote would let him know that Mary Jane was the person who meant the most to Peter. Also, after the incident at the jazz club, there needed to be something in the movie that would show Mary Jane that Peter still loved her and that he had straightened his life out for the reconciliation at the end to be believable.)

I think the ending worked as far as the themes of this movie went. Revenge and forgiveness was the main theme of the story, and by the end of it, we see the characters either forgiving (or not in Venom's case, which leads to his downfall). It also wrapped up the main stories of the trilogy, the Green Goblin legacy, Peter's Spider-Man career, and Peter and Mary Jane's relationship.

The Green Goblin legacy was ended when Harry chose to burry the hatchet and wound up dying a hero. If the first movie was about Peter deciding to become Spider-Man in the first place and the second was about how he handled the job when it got rough, this one was about how he mishandled it when it got too easy. While there could be more exploration as to the future of his career, it ended at a point were the journey seems complete in and of itself and that Peter's come a long way from the kid who got that spider bite and has learned along the way. The Peter/Mary Jane relationship, while we never saw them tie the knot or anything, was left off at a point where it's heavily implied that they're going to be okay and the plans to heal the rift will be successful. It also bookends the series, since the first thing we learn in the series is that Peter is in secretly in love with Mary Jane, and now the last thing we see is that they're choosing to stay together).

EDIT: I didn't see that there was a request to keep things on topic and avoid criticism of the movies mentioned until after I posted this. Sorry.

 

Could I mention an underrated TV show? I'd say Hell on Wheels is highly underrated.

I watched the first season on account of it was an AMC series. At first I thought it was just ok but by the middle of the first season it was one of the best shows for me on TV and I've been following it since. I think it's a very original and very gutsy series and I'm glad it actually survived for as long as it did, and got through to the end (the last half of the last season is about to premiere).

 

I always thought the Voyager and Enterprise TV shows in the Star Trek franchise were underrated.

 

Interstellar. IMO a totally amazing film. Great actors and a concept that blew my mind. Reading The Science Of Interstellar really helped me appreciate all the work Nolan put into it in trying to make the science as real as possible. It should have won a bunch of Academy Awards, IMO.

 

It's made to be watched once IMO, but that soundtrack is amazing. It got an Oscar nomination, but lost to Alexandre Desplat's score to Grand Budapest Hotel.

 

The Arrival starring Charlie Sheen. A bit cheesy and made for TV feeling, but entertaining none the less.

 

I just watched Kingpin last night. Second feature from the Farrely Brothers after Dumb and Dumber, and I think it was the last film where Woody Harrelson was in a leading role. I didn't necessarily like it, but a lot of its comedy segments were way ahead of its time. It's so utterly bizarre and outlandish that I can see why it flopped.

 

I'm going to add Reign of Fire here. Not sure why the critics didn't like it, but I really enjoyed it.

Also just watched Midnight Special and Take Shelter by Jeff Nichols. Not so much underrated but underwatched. Both were great but I'd say Take Shelter is more compelling viewing, especially if you're married.

 

Ya, Take Shelter resonated a lot more for me, for more than one reason, but I also liked Midnight Special. Despite a bit of violence, it's a pretty benign sci fi story, somewhat uplifting if a bit bittersweet and disconcerting. It would be easy to gripe about its superficial resemblance to "Tomorrowland," but it's a much better film and doesn't deserve the comparison really. much.

I'd add it to my list of recent small movies that add so much more to sci fi cinema than any of the megabudget stuff like The Force Awakens

Moon
Under the Skin
District 9
Ex Machina
Midnight Special
Primer
World of Tomorrow

 

I really really want to see Midnight Special (I loved Mud so damn much) but I really don't like the film title. It just sounds dirty for all the wrong reasons.

 

Everyone should see the documentary For All Mankind. It explores, through amazing footage and real interviews, how astronauts felt to be the only humans to go to the moon. A very poetic and beautiful film with a great soundtrack by the great Brian Eno.

Here's a clip:

 

Netflix also has the Last Man on the Moon documentary about Gene Cernan. Very entertaining.

 

Thanks for that list Rylo Ken. I've seen most of them and will try to see the others. I would add Safety Not Guaranteed to the list.

There were a few gems in the 80's I would like to watch again -- like Cocoon and Starman. I wonder how well they hold up to the test of time?

 

agreed about Safety Not Guaranteed! fun movie

 

outland essentially its High Noon in space. Sean Connery is a Marshall on a Jupiter mining operation investigating and trying to stop an illegal drug that's responsible for the deaths of some of the workers. Cue a countdown to the next shuttle arriving that will contain assassins from the drug ring coming to put a permanent end to his meddling.

 

The Ninth Gate.

 

Oh I loved Outland. A movie with a bit of an Alien feel to it. Grubby, blue collar space.

Of course heads don't expand like balloons in a vacuum.
And Gravity isn't affected by whether you have air or not.

 

Do we have an Underappreciated Games or Books thread as well?

Or should I just post them here?

 

I think the clue is in the title.

 

I agree. It was a wonderful film aesthetically. Also, I enjoyed reading that. Nice book.

 

The Killing
Directed by Stanley Kubrick

 

I'm sorry guys but MM simply ruined Interstellar. There is a reason why you don't cast people who sound like they should be hunting buck deer or punching cattle as astronauts.

 

I'd seen Story Musgrave on TV so much MM's portrayal actually came so naturally for me.

 

Interstellar was ruined as much by its terrible and incoherent story as it was by anything else.