Story Stream: 12/19 - 12/25
Okay... prepare yourselves, friends. This could be a little bit shocking.
All I can say is I had a lot of extra time on my hands this week, and I was all hyped up from seeing Spider-Man: No Way Home last week. I went a little...um...crazy? What can I say? I'm currently slightly obsessed with the Spider-Man mythology, and having way too much fun exploring it. Judge me all you want. I'll receive it.
Okay, here we go.
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MOVIES
Spider-Man (2002)
I always hated this movie back in the day. Truth be told, I've just never really liked Tobey Maguire's acting. Like, in anything (excluding his cameo in Tropic Thunder). But, rewatching it this time around, knowing exactly what to expect from him, I was able to look past his over-acting, and see that he actually made a perfectly dorky Peter Parker / Spiderman. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it, at least not for its own sake, but I certainly didn't hate it. I've warmed up to it. Sidenote: I'm also not a fan of Willem Dafoe, and he especially drives me crazy in this movie. I won't be warming up to him. He's very, very bad. Streaming on Peacock Premium. (6/10 - Recommended)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
A slight improvement on its predecessor, this was always the only one of the original trilogy that I even remotely liked. That had far more to do with Willem Dafoe's absence than Tobey Maguire's performance. Almost forgot to mention, because of the first film, I always thought James Franco was a terrible actor, but I still liked this one enough despite his presence in it. It hasn't improved much with time, but I'd still say its the best of the original three. Doc Ock was always my favorite Spider-Man villain, so that's probably why I liked it originally. I couldn't go so far as to say it's a "good" movie, but it's worth a watch I suppose. Streaming on Peacock Premium. (7/10 - Recommended)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
This is the worst of the three by a pretty fair margin. It was in 2007. It is in 2021. They got Venom all wrong in my opinion (and still haven't gotten it right), and then, of course, the completely ridiculous "bad" Peter Parker sequence. I would never recommend this movie on its own merit, but as a part of the whole collective lore, I do certainly recommend it. By itself, it's just an all around bad movie. It does contribute to the overall story arc though, so it's not an entire waste of time. You will get a couple good laughs at the very least. Streaming on Peacock Premium. (5/10 - Recommended)
The Mupper Christmas Carol (1992)
I basically love ever version of The Christmas Carol. This one, however, is my wife's favorite. We watch it pretty much every year, and it never gets old. Michael Caine is a perfect Ebenezer Scrooge, and Kermit the Frog was born for the role of Bob Cratchit. Love, love, love this one. If you need something to keep the Christmas vibes alive this next week (after all, Christmas IS 12 days long), here's your answer. Or, at least part of it. Streaming on Disney Plus. (10/10 - Most Highly Recommended)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
I did like this when it came out, although I always had exactly the opposite issue with it than the original. Andrew Garfield played it too cool. Peter Parker is a nerd, and doesn't have a cool cell in his body. Rewatching it this week though, I saw it different. It's not just that Garfield played it too cool. (He did, but that's not all it is). This movie felt so different because they cast top tier actors for all the major roles, and each and every one of them delivered. I didn't notice it before. I just knew it didn't really feel entirely comic book-y. But that's because Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field, and Martin Sheen are almost TOO good in it. These people can ACT, and they did, even despite a plot and script which were honestly beneath them. I'm not sure now why I haven't seen this one a bazillion times. Or, even twice. It's actually really good. (Lame villain, but again, necessary for the lore). Available wherever you buy/rent movies. (8/10 - Strongly Recommended)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
If I'm not mistaken, this movie wasn't received very well. I know I saw it once in theaters, but never again until this week. I remember liking it mostly, and that's how I really still feel about it. It's good. Parts of it are even great (even if heartbreaking). But there are also a couple moments in the last 20ish minutes of the movie that were just...dumb. Those moment take me way out of it. Amazingly, they somehow managed to create a Green Goblin character even cornier than Willem Dafoe. Even still, all said and done, I'm way more a fun of The Amazing Spider-Man movies than of the original trilogy. They're far superior in (almost) every way. Available wherever you buy/rent movies. (7/10 - Strongly Recommended)
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Helpful context: I'm one of those rare few movie fans who genuinely loved not only the first film in The Matrix franchise, but the second and third as well. While SO many folks would find that to be a laughable notion, I can't help it. I loved the whole concept start to finish. Plus, Keanu Reeves. I'm always gonna love a Keanu Reeves movie. In fact, increasingly so as time rolls by. I had high hopes and cautiously low expectations for this franchise revival, and I must say: I was not disappointed. I loved it. Very much. I can imagine critics panning it, but I think they just need to spend some more time with it. It's a really, really clever angle. Is it perfect? I mean... probably not. But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna watch it a dozen more times and search for every hidden clue I can find. I definitely will. And you should join me! Streaming on HBO Max. (10/10 - Very Highly Recommended)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Love him or hate him, Chevy Chase was still really, really funny in 1989, and this is as much a Christmas classic as any film ever made. An annual must-watch. Enjoyed it more this time than ever to be honest, and I'm not even sure why. It just got me this time around. Streaming on HBO <code>Max</code>. (9/10 - Very Highly Recommended)
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That's pretty much it, friends! (There was actually a Spider-Man audiobook too, but I'll save it till I've finished so you all don't think I'm a total psycho). I hope that those of you who celebrate Christmas are having the loveliest time with the people you care about most, and I hope those of you who don't celebrate Christmas are having the exact same. You're the very best, each and every individual one of you. Happy holidays, neighbors! More soon!