THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 - SPOILER FREE REVIEW

First up, let’s talk about 2012’a “The Amazing Spider-Man”. Whilst it looked good and had plenty of good moments (including one of the best Stan Lee cameos), it was definitely lacking a lot of the charm of what we know as “good” Spider-Man, plus the Jekyll & Hyde Lizard was rather hackneyed if well portrayed. What we need for the sequel is more bang for our bucks, more humour, more Gwen Stacey’s delectable smile. Looks like someone was listening…

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” does many, many things right. First up is a noticeable shift towards peter Parker and his alter ego being a complete wiseass. Right from the start as he tries to stop an armoured car heist, Spider-Man is in with the funnies before the fists, and it makes everything so much more enjoyable. Like in Brian Bendis’ “Ultimate Spider-Man” series, half the battle is in the dialogue. This movie has completely different writers to the last, and boy, does it show. 

How about a tragic but powerful villain? Oh yeah, we got one of those. Jamie Foxx is Max Dillon, a rather pathetic man who is walked all over by just about everyone. The problem is that he’s also a very smart man, and unappreciated smart people can be tricky if they, for example, get turned into living electrical generators. Anyone for a big dose of revenge? Foxx puts in a good performance as Dillon, both before and after his transformation into Electro, although the before is much better for actually sculpting a characterisation. 

The other notable figure in the film is Harry Osbourne, son of Oscorp head honcho Norman, who was also The Green Goblin in the original trilogy. Dane Dehann has a look about him of Leonardo DiCaprio after a visit to Slimy Evil Villain school, but he does at least invest Harry with a passable excuse to act like a total asshole.

Naturally, the whole thing revolves around Peter Parker and Gwen Stacey. Andrew Garfield seems more at home in the role this time round, and handles the snappy dialogue like a pro (which he is, natch), as well as the inevitable anguish that comes from being Spidey. Emma Stone is once again stunning as Gwen, with the Oscar for eye make up seemingly in the bag. True love never has run smoothly for Peter Parker, and so it’s no surprise when this relationship has it’s ups and downs, especially when peter is haunted by the presence of Gwen’s dead father, warning him to keep away from her or put her in ganger. Cute couple, though.

I’m not going to spoilerize the plot here, hence not mentioning anything that’s not in the trailer. The next film is neatly set up at the end, although unlike some I didn’t feel that this was just an elongated trailer. Mark Webb (yeah, we’ve done those jokes) directs with more style and panache then before, including some very effective uses of slow motion to show just how Spider-man’s enhanced senses and reflexes work. Some of the fight scenes are genuinely brilliant, and there’s a mini slapstick scene at Oscorp that is a one minute marvel. To be hinest, this all feels closer to what a Spider-man movie should be than any since Spider-Man 2, so let’s hope the next one is better than the shambles that was Spider-man 3. If they keep the writing team, it may well be the case. 

Final Trailer - Do NOT read the comments under it as they will ruin the movie!

 

FILM REVIEW - "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Okay, this one was exciting to fans as soon as the title was released. Those who know the comics story of the Winter Soldier were no doubt salivating at the prospect of Ed Brubaker's first class story being committed to celluloid. Then again, we were led to believe that The Wolverine was based on Frank Miller and Chris Claremont's legendary Japan set book, but it really, really wasn't (although it WAS fun). What I'm saying is: Don't expect too much, fanboys.

In reality, the film borrows from the aforementioned Brubaker book pretty heftily as far as Cap's mystery protagonist is concerned, but it also borrows heavily from the 1989 story "Nick Fury Vs S.H.I.E.L.D". Squish the two together, add the ever sexy Black Widow plus regular comics partner The Falcon and you have what is a pretty damned good movie.

The second movie to headline the out of time hero sees the franchise dive straight into espionage territory, with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D deciding to protect the world by wielding the sort of kill power that encourages Cap to comment "That's not protection, that's fear". Shit hits the fan pretty quickly with the introduction of the titular Winter Soldier, a masked assassin with a robotic arm who seems to be Cap's equal. Cue layer on layer of mystery, resulting in an almighty mess for Captain America, Nick Fury and the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D that certainly should change the direction of the operation's TV series when it comes to season 2.

It's hard to say too much without spoiling things, as is often the case with plot driven thrillers, so I won't. The fact that this even is a plot driven thriller has elevated it above the usual "Super guy gets bwah ha haaa bad guy" comics film that people are becoming used to. This shit is smart, no doubt about it. Many character names have been pulled from the 1989 book, but with personalities and roles changed, so no clues there. They even mention Steven Strange very briefly, which may point to the fact that a Doctor Strange movie is a hot bet for a future project.

So this is a very, very strong film, with excellent fight scenes, mad car chases and a surprising amount of actual plot. Much ass is kicked, many lives taken and saved. Definitely less comic booky than the first one, mirroring the direction crime specialist Ed Brubaker took the Captain in. Two things remain: Does Stan Lee appear? of course he does! Try keeping that cameo whore out of a Marvel movie! Second: Should I stay for the credits? Oh yes. Marvel have realized by now that the way to go is a short sequence, followed by a massive set up for the next movie, before the loooong boring credits, and trust me, true believers, this one is fucking awesome for those who like comics.

Official trailer:

 

Album Review: STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – “No Going Back”

If you’ve never heard their stuff beyond a few old punk rock tracks, forget everything you thought you knew about Stiff Little Fingers. Firstly, they are not really a punk band, and secondly they have in their ranks one of the best lyricists in the business. Oh yeah… they also make fucking great music.

“No Going Back” is the 10^th SLF album, and I was amazed to realize it’s been eleven years since their last one, the powerful “Guitar & Drum”. As with many bands these days they’ve been funded through Pledge Music, surely one of the best ideas in music history. Go Pledge!

The band first came to my attention with their 1997 “Tinderbox” album, and I was amazed at how melodic they were, not even remotely like a punk band in the traditional sense. Vocalist Jake Burns, who had an angry growl when they started out in the late 1970’s, has quite a unique sound to his voice, a voice that spits pure venom when politicians and bankers come into the lyrics. When he’s not shouting at the powerful, however, he has a real melodic pitch that has defined the band’s sound for over 30 years now. 

“No Going Back” has twelve tracks and is seriously as good as anything the band have ever done. It’s got some powerful, killer guitar tracks, but that’s true of any album by SLF. The rwal selling point if that it’s also stuffed with killer hooks, plenty of melody and choruses that have you singing along on your first listen. It opens with “Liars Club”, a track about politicians that the band have played previously on tour, and this powerful track sets the tone for the album. Jake Burns has always written about things that, basically, piss him off, and “No Going Back” doesn’t sway from serious topics, including Burns’ own depression in “My Dark Places”. Final track “When We Were Young” has a real retro SLF feel to it, not only in the riff and structure but also because it includes a snippet of their old single “At The Edge” if you listen closely. It has the great line “They said that it’s all over, I said like hell it is, They say it’s self delusion, I say it’s self belief”, and that encapsulates the sheer determination of this band and their indomitable frontman to keep on making great music and telling it like it is.

I know I’m banging on a bit, but this is so far the best album of the year, it’s such a pure release or raw energy and talent. There’s nods to the band’s history, there’s politics and personal life in the lyrics, there’s some superb songwriting in general, and there’s music that just kicks ass and gets you fired up from the first listen. The crowds at the gigs may only want to hear the old songs, but I hope Jake Burns and co play as many of these songs as possible on the upcoming tour, because they’ve never sounded fresher and more determined. Absolutely brilliant. 

SLF Website

"Liars Club" Live in Bristol  2010

ALBUM REVIEW - H.E.A.T - "Tearing Down The Walls"

Exactly six years after their surprisingly excellent debut, Swedish sensations H.E.A.T are back with a fourth album that seems to be a massive “fuck you” to anyone who doesn’t play music for the sheer joy of it. Anyone who has seen them live will know that these lads bounce about like a hyperactive kid in a sugar factory, doing their best to transfer the smiles on their faces to the audience, and once again they’ve carried this attitude onto an album.

“Tearing Down The Walls” is absolutely stuffed full of first class AOR tracks, showing a band who really know how to put together a catchy tune. This may seem an obvious way to go about things, but there’s a hundred average AOR albums out there for every one that makes you play air guitar and sing along at embarrassing volume whilst walking your dog on the beach (like I did this morning).

Even on such a quality album there will be stand out tracks, and for me there’s a few. Lead single “A Shot At Redemption” is an absolute killer (and perfect single choice), that will blow many socks off live, as will the title track, which is a full on lighter waving anthem with a chorus that begs to be joined in with. I have to single out “We Will never Die” as well, as it would have fitted perfectly on the debut and will have you going “Woah woah!” by the second minute. I also love “Inferno”, a full on rock track that belts along like Usain Bolt with his arse on fire and has a cool, early TNT vibe about it. With that said, the tracks on offer are so pure in their AOR-ness (is that a word? Should be) that bits and pieces will constantly ring little bells in your mind, but as a whole they are pure H.E.A.T. Well, all except one…

Six tracks in, we get to “Mannequin Show”, a mid paced melodic chugger that totally, and I mean TOTALLY, steals the chorus tune from Britney “none more rock” Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again”. From the first time I heard it to the last it totally ruins the track for me, and is an unfortunate blot on an otherwise pristine album. In fairness, I played it to several other people without saying what I thought, and every single one spotted the similarity within ten seconds. Even the totally guitar free ballad “All The Nights” is preferable to hearing Britney in my head. In fairness, the ballad is actually pretty good anyway.

So full marks to H.E.A.T on completing four albums without fucking up. The sound on “Tearing Down The Walls” is excellent thanks to producer Tobias Lindell, and every single band member gets their chance to shine through the mix. Special mention must go to guitarist Eric Rivers for some inspiring and uplifting solos, and I suppose it goes without saying that vocalist Erik Gronwall doesn’t put a foot wrong with a powerful performance. An almost perfect mix of old school AOR and modern teen friendly rock, “Tearing Down The Walls” is as good as, if not better, than anything H.E.A.T have done before. Except for the Britney Spears one, obviously…

ALBUM REVIEW: ASIA - "Gravitas"

Some of you may remember that a couple of years I went a bit mental over Asia’s “XXX” album, a fantastic piece of work that resulted in much singing along and many embarrassing Google searches. It was, to be honest, an almost perfect album, full of pace and melody, the best , for me, since “Astra” way back in the Eighties. Understandably I’ve been waiting for the follow up with baited breath.

One of the problem’s I have had with Asia in the past is their propensity for releasing albums full of mid paced, samey songs. This is one of the reason’s I loved “XXX” so much, as it really rolled along and showcased varying speeds and styles. “Gravitas” does not do this, not even a tiny bit. Opening track “Valkyrie” will have you singing along, but only because John Wetton sings that very word over and over. Next is eight minutes of “Gravitas” that feels more like fifteen, with a dull two minute intro (to build gravitas, I suppose) and a nice opening riff that dissipates into five more minutes of mid paced averageness that threatens to be good but never quite makes it. It only wakes up at the end when we finally get a sweet guitar solo. The most interesting track is “I Would Die For You”, which rolls in at just over three minutes and has absolutely no flab on it anywhere.

“Gravitas” is a rather uninteresting album overall. If a few of these slow tracks, like “Russian Dolls” and “Nyctophobia” had been part of a pacier album then they would have been fine, but when the vast majority of an album is so unchanging and mediocre it does begin to grate. There’s no real flow to many of the tracks, no sense of urgency, none of the passion of “XXX”.  In short, “Gravitas” is boring. It’s not Prog-boring, as Asia have never really been a Prog band, it’s just dull in a generally dull way. I have a feeling this will be the biggest disappointment of the year for me, and that sucks. 

Official Band Website 

ALBUM REVIEW: MAGNUM – “Escape From The Shadow Garden”

You can’t keep a good band down, and like any other good band Magnum just won’t lie down and take it easy, perhaps with a nice cuppa and a biscuit. Nope, Bob Catley, Tony Clarkin et al are determined to plough on until we get bored of them, something that, thankfully, doesn’t look like happening anytime soon as they release this, their seventeenth studio album.

Much has already been said about the quality of “Escape From The Shadow Garden”, and I have to agree that, once again, this is a very solid offering from a band who have certainly changed their sound from the old days. Whereas the Magnum of old were a cross between melodic and prog rock, Magnum post 2000 are a more guitar driven beast, and never more so than on this album. It seems that Tony Clarkin has rediscovered the fact that he is in actual fact a lead guitarist, and as such he is at liberty to deliver big, fat riffs (Check out “Too Many Clowns” for evidence of this) and to rock out as much as he bloody wants. Bob Catley, too has changed, with age giving him a rock growl that wasn’t evident when he was telling us a bout storytellers and vigilantes. 

Whilst some bands throw out as little as they have to, it’s refreshing to hear an album these days that’s over an hour long, and even more refreshing that the quality is high throughout. I’m sure a crowd favourite on the upcoming tour will be “Midnight Angel”, a haunting song of over seven minutes that demands a singalong at the start. The aforementioned “Too Many Clowns” should also be a cracker live, as it’s a real rocker with an interesting honky tonk piano line that creeps in towards the end. It’s not all perfect, as a few tracks meander on without really trying to soar (“Don’t Fall Asleep” I’m looking at you), but in general this is certainly on par with the last album “On The 13^th Day”.

So the Magnum machine keeps rolling on, and there’s not much here that won’t be devoured by eager fans. It’s heavier than you might expect, but this is in no way a bad thing, but there’s still plenty of the melody and poetry we are used to. I have to admit that I don’t expect Magnum to blow me away with a five “R” album these days, but “Escape From the Shadow Garden” shows a band that still have a lot of strength and a lot to give.

Official Website

 

COMIC REVIEW - "DREDD - UNDERBELLY"

So yeah, it looks like we’re not getting a sequel to the excellent “Dredd” movie, but do we really need one when there’s a constant supply of first rate Dredd stories in the 2000AD and Megazine? Well, yes, I know we REALLY want another film regardless, but at least the chaps at head office have met us half way with this official sequel, carrying on a little while after the movie left off.

I suppose the first thing that has to be said is that this 32 page downloadable comic genuinely does the job well. It’s a tight, solid story concerning drugs,  psychics and the fact that Mega City One doesn’t let mutants in, meaning they have to be smuggled in by nasty people who aren’t likely to just let them go with a pat on the back and a sythi-banana. 

The script, by 2000AD stalwart Arthur Wyatt, is crisp and easy to follow, and long term artist Henry Flint produces some gritty visuals that suit the set up, as this is Mega City One not some shiny seventies dazzling city of the future. Judge Anderson, now part of the burgeoning “Psi Programme”, has gained some of the sass she is known for in the comics (where she first appeared back in 1980, three years after Dredd), whilst Dredd himself is his usual stony faced self, accepting of Anderson’s new fangled approach but still preferring to kick in doors and punch faces until a crime is solved. You know – the old fashioned way!

Overall, “Underbelly” is a successful attempt to flesh out the world of the film and even move it on a little. A good script and art make up for the fact that it’s rather short, but even then the length makes sure it’s tight and never outstays its welcome. 

I have reviewed this as a digital download, which you can get for under two quid, but it IS available as a one shot physical comic book as well. The thing is, it sold out in about four nanoseconds, which means that wankers on Ebay are asking silly money for it. The good news is there’s going to be another print one, so if you really want it on paper don’t go to the rip off merchants, okay? It should be available from 18^th February so go to your local comic shop and put an order in. 

Download At http://shop.2000adonline.com/products/digital_dredd_underbelly