Alfred Gough

Even after fifteen years of an insane output in the genre of superhero films, "Spider-Man 2" stands solidly as the cream of the cream, with only a small handful of later films comparing favourably. It is in my mind sometimes a little blemished by the mediocre and confused third installment, but that just makes every rewatch another stunning reminder of just how good "Spider-Man 2" really is. My sole complaint of any note is that (as with the other Raimi Spider-Man films), Spider-Man never show more makes a single quip. The constant banter when in-costume is one of the more memorable and fun aspects of the character, and its absence is a definite loss. Still, thanks to the perfection that is J. K. Simmons' J. J. J. portrayal, the film is hardly lacking for humour. Warmly recommended to any fans of the genre. This extended cut doesn't really make a huge difference to the casual viewer, but it contains a lot of little extras and longer scenes for fans like myself. And is probably worth it to anyone for seeing J. J. J. hop around his office... show less

It's 1961. Former special ops guy, turned film preservationist David Toland, is tapped by (beautiful, of course) CIA agent Lana Welles to restore a movie print from World War 2. Both are shocked when they see the results. It shows Hitler being gunned down in his bunker. But then the camera pans around the room and reveals that the gunman is Hitler! Obviously the dead man is a Hitler impersonator (why not a clone?) and the real Hitler is still alive.

What follows is a fairly entertaining read show more as Toland and Welles, on the run from the CIA, which has somehow compromised her mission so she essentially goes rouge, travel around the world to find the truth. With a little sex thrown in for good measure.

Entertaining, but why only 2 stars?

For one thing, the story is unbelievable. Welles somehow has access to enough cash to get them from Washington, to Moscow, to Paris, to Madrid, to Brazil. Also to buy clothes appropriate for the climate (it was Christmas Eve when this adventure started), weapons, rental cars and luxury hotel accommodations. Someone is on their trail the whole way and they just avoid being killed numerous times. And even still I might have given it 3 stars except for the ending.

By the time they got to Brazil, with about 80 pages to go, I was pretty sure I'd be unhappy with the ending. Based on where the story was it didn't seem there would be enough pages to come to a conclusion without some sort of radical plot device. I began to think they were going to leave me hanging with a sequel.

SPOILERS

OK, here it is. Lana Welles turns out to be Hitler's secret daughter. Give me a break. She and Adolf (who has undergone radical plastic surgery) get the drop on Toland. He's fallen in love with her but she shoots him anyway. Right in the chest. Does he die? of course not, he had something in his vest pocket that slowed down the bullet. It all goes downhill from there.

I imagine that the authors have a sequel planned. Earlier in the book someone, in on the Hitler is still alive and planning world domination plot, told them that the Party had infiltrated Nazis into every government in the world, including the US. Removing Hitler from the top doesn't seem like enough to bring down this plot, some 15 years in the making. Since, as far as I know (and of course, how would I know), the world isn't secretly being run by Nazis today, at least one sequel is necessary to unravel the the plot and save the world.

I won't be reading it. show less

It doesn't have the pathos of the first two films, since the fight with the mummy seems much less personal to the protagonists this time around. The jokes are also not given the same room to breathe which, while they're not technically much more cheesy than in the previous installments, makes them feel rather more forced and dumb. Finally, recasting the female protagonist is unfortunate, as her every moment on screen feels like a reminder you're watching a spin-off product (through no fault show more of the replacement actor). All that said, it's got decent entertainment value, and if you're looking for a light action adventure without much substance, it's not the worst way to spend 100 minutes. show less

Quite enjoyed it, I read the series years ago and really want to revisit it now.

The world of men fell to apocalypse and from the ashes rose other races, man is still around but they're not the top of the food chain any more. Wil Ormsford has just lost his mother and he goes to find a life but instead finds someone who robs him, a druid who insists that he has a mission to save the world and an elf princess who seems to like him. Wil is a half-elf and too elvish for humans and too human for show more elves. The magic in the stones he gets hurts him and will do him damage but it might be the only thing between humanity and the demons.

Amberle is the first elf female to be chosen, the tree is giving her images of destruction and intimating that no-one else can do this. She fears what this will entail but the quest will take her and Wil to strange places and involve the raider Eretria and start some questions about her past.

Interesting reflection of the stories, makes me want to read them. show less