Entertainment Value: Movies I Saw This Week - July 8th, 2013

(descriptions and information gathered from IMDB.  The opinions rendered below these, however, are mine. Using a 5 star rating system.)

The Lone Ranger**** 2013
Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.
Director: Gore Verbinski, Writers: Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott Stars: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson
This was a total treat.  With Johnny Depp in the role, Tonto takes the front seat in this one (in case you didn't already know).  That's a good thing, here.  His underplayed, overdressed style perfectly matches the odd, slightly mystical humor of this movie.  The action is over the top, as well it should be and it matches the train-heavy silver-mining plot very well.  Filling in the cracks are the many homages - a soundtrack that loves Ennio Morricone's "Once Upon a Time in the West", a frame device and American Indian perspective brought forward from "Little Big Man", numerous John Ford references including the location shooting in Monument Valley, and, of course, the characters and horses from the 1949 radio serial.  Great bad guys, both hideous and lowly, and evil and powerful, round it out.

A fun romp, though prepare the sensitive ones for lots of violence.

The Out List***  2013
Activist and actor, politician and provocateur, drag queen and athlete all share personal stories that set them apart and tie them together, revealing a poignant, familiar journey to find themselves and secure a place in modern society.
Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Stars: Ellen Degeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Cynthia Nixon
This ends up being a tear jerker, even though it is nothing but talking heads.  It's all about who the heads are and what they're saying.  An important historical perspective in time captured.  Not so long from now, this will be truly history.

Beyond** 2012
A detective teams with a tabloid psychic to track down a missing child.
Director: Josef Rusnak, Writer:  Gregory Gieras, Stars: Jon Voight, Teri Polo, Ben Crowley
This one reads like a TV pilot, but it's one I'd watch.  Tight pacing, intriguing plot, seasoned actors, all contribute to the enjoyability of the story, but it's still, finally, a forgettable one.


Dare to Dream: the Story of the U.S Women's Soccer Team***. 2007
Documentary chronicling the rise of U.S. women's soccer. Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and other players of note are profiled.
Writer: Ouisie Shapiro, Stars: April Henrichs, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Billie Jean King
This is a great opportunity to watch some absolutely amazing moments in women's soccer.  It was hard, however, to avoid noticing that after all the successes of the women's team in the world, compared to no success at all on the men's side, there's still hugely more support for the men's professional league in America. Ugh.  The main reason this movie is so important, is that it's one of the few opportunities to actually see women play soccer.  Am I whining here?  Yep.

The Amazing Spiderman****  2012
Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.
Director: Marc Webb, Writers: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans
I wouldn't have watched this, except for Emma Stone, who really can do no wrong.  It's worth it, as a matter of fact, just for Emma Stone's performance, and the writing that created her character.  The set up is really great and fun.  The first half of the movie, then, is fantastic.  Aside from a really amazing sequence wherein cars and buses are suspended off a bridge by "webbing", the action portion of the film is nothing new.  If you like things falling off of big buildings, and giant lizards and the like, it'll work for you.  The very ending, with the tiny tiny smile on Emma Stone's face, again, makes the whole thing worth it.