The Amazing Spider-man 2

Amazingly comic-booky film fully embraces tone of source despite overlong runtime and villainously deceptive advertising.  A fun physics-free farce featuring plenty of in-jokes, and a few electrifying tidbits of emotion.  Ray plugs in as Spidey takes a dip in the deadpool with endless thread of witty asides.  Oh, and Rhino.

Straight Outta Compton

Gritty, fun and incisive Nwapic is made potent and accessible by stellar casting and brilliant performances, particularly from Cubelet, E2, and Giamatti (gone straight from Mercy to Ruthless).  Suffers from a strange antagonist swap after F(orgett)ing the Police, notable absence of female characters, and an incurable stutter of an ending.

Love & Mercy

Masterfully presents the pitch perfect parallel performances of Dano and Cusack.  Integrates documentary, cinematic and surrealist styles with the flair and skill of Wilson armed with an animal army.  Banks certainly generates interest, but it’s Giamatti’s Eugene-ics that make for the most compelling and disturbing part of this Beach Boyopic.

12 Years a Slave

McQueen incorporates themes and realities of Hunger and Shame into masterful epic that chains his cinematic genius to a more conventionally narrative true story.  Ejiofor’s nuanced lead is perfectly served by empowered innocence of newcomer Nyong’o and impressively humanized inhumanity of Fassbender and Paulson, while producer Pitt plays weakest link.

Too Big to Fail

The economy hurts Hurt in this unrelated direct sequel to Margin Call.  Almost documentary table-talk film remains more entertaining than Stone’s Wall Street: Puts you to Sleep, and maintains appropriate amount of neutrality.  Phenomenal supporting cast perfectly portray 12 angry rich men.  Overall, insightful and cautionary but not a game-changer.

The Hangover: Part II

The Hangover Again, only this time it hurts. Phillips pukes this one out on its two year due date, and this underdeveloped clone struggles along the same path as its predecessor, never managing to outdo a single joke. On the bright side, the cast are still funny, if completely predictable.

The Ides of March

Old-fashioned political drama. Witty banter of a Sorkin script without clever plotting or potent subtlety. The messages are nothing new and story seems to build to shameless punch-line but even in spite of unrelated plot-points still carries suspense to the end. If Clooney went into politics it would be unfair.

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto

Rob Zombie somehow ropes Dawson and Giamatti into performing in this utterly disgusting, politically incorrect, overtly obscene and thoroughly enjoyable Southparkian grotesquery. Incorporates aspects of every other Zombie film and regularly pokes fun of itself. Glued together and made palatable by hilarious self-referential songs. Even Zombie can’t call this art.