Movie Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron begins without much preamble, dropping us right into the action. There are no individual superhero entrances this time around. The Avengers are a team or so the world thinks, and they are there to protect the Earth against all evil forces, alien or human. But the challenge in this thrilling sequel to The Avengers is neither alien or human. Instead they are faced with an A.I. out to ruin them all.

The key to enjoying Marvel's Cinematic Universe films is to remember that they're all connected. The movies and TV shows all borrow heavily from the comic books in which all the characters are created. So if you saw last year's Captain America: Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy and followed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Agent Carter, you'd know that the evil group Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. breaking it down to its core. Only a few remain dedicated to the real purpose of keeping the world safe. The Avengers are part of the few and dedicated, only in this film their methods of getting that done comes into question.

After recovering Loki's staff from Hydra and running into new Enhanced entrants to the films (the Wonder Twins,  Pietro and Wanda Maximoff), the Avengers return back to Stark Tower thinking that the battle has been won. Wrong, the water has gotten murky.  The science brothers Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) decide, on Stark's urging, that the Ultron program must be put to the test now that the staff is in their hands. Loki's staff, in case you've forgotten from the first film, contains one part of the famed Infinity stones given to him by Thanos. Control them all and you control the universe. Remember this, it will come in handy during future films.

The result of this unnecessary human meddling is the birth of Ultron (voiced by James Spader) who doesn't want to do the bidding of Avengers and wants to get rid of them altogether. As expected, this puts the Avengers at a crossroads. Steve aka Captain America (Chris Evans) and Tony have differing viewpoints on how to handle this. And after taking a beating going up against Ultron, Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), the Avengers regroup at a safe house.

There are loads of revelations in this film. Each of the Avengers has hidden secrets and pasts they're not ready to confront. When up against evil forces, they are united but we've been given a sense that it won't last long. There are new recruits to the Avengers team and it looks like they might last. The Avengers, eventually, are just a unit of superheroes. It's not supposed to matter who's in it as long as they're together and can vanquish evil.

The newest recruit (literally, he was born yesterday!) is The Vision (Paul Bettany) who's a fascinating addition to the team. His introduction is the standout scene of the film. The film has way too many characters and each one is given a moment. It would be wonderful to linger on the Hulk (who really does need his own proper movie - the first two don't count!) and even Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) to figure out where they're coming from. But this movie is the link to what happens in the next upcoming Marvel films. Stay tuned to Captain America: Civil War where all will be revealed, it seems to hint.

This film is also the last time where Joss Whedon will be directing a Marvel film. The success of the first Avengers allowed directors like James Gunn and the Russo brothers to be signed onto the Marvel universe. His unique voice will definitely be missed in future films. The actors playing the Avengers seem to be at it for so long that playing their alter ego comes naturally to them, especially Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. However, the real star of this film is CGI effects. Over 3000 of them!

The battle sequences are insane and take place all over the world. Thank you for sparing New York, Joss, I bet it's still recovering from the last one. Ultron and his army of lookalikes, the Hulk, the Hulk Buster, the Vision and Wonder Twins' abilities all loom larger with the amazing effects. The Avengers was extra-special because it was the first time you saw a superhero movie with such a grand scale all together on the same screen. Since then, many have tried to duplicate that, even this film, but nothing can really come close. I'm sure most of you out there will be watching but Avengers: Age of Ultron is really for the fans for the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe, stay tuned for the next chapter!

Written and Directed by Joss Whedon; Based on the characters created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee; Cinematography by Ben Davis; Editing by Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek; Music by Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman

Additional cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Linda Cardellini, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgard, Claudia Kim, Thomas Kretschmann, Andy Serkis, Julie Delpy

Rating: 

Avengers: Age of Ultron New Trailer!

They're back! The wildly popular gang of superheroes return in Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron where we see more of the new enemy they face.  Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) are all up against Ultron and the relentless army he's created. Besides the glimpses at the other new characters in the film, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), the big matchup in this trailer is the Hulk going up against the... Hulkbuster??? What have been creating in your spare time, Tony Stark? What did you think of the second Avengers trailer? Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron reassembles May 1, 2015 worldwide.

New Trailers: Tomorrowland, Foxcatcher and Focus!

Shortly after the first images were released from Disney's Tomorrowland (2015), the first teaser was unveiled too. Starring Britt Robertson as Casey as young girl who stumbles across a secret world (aka Tomorrowland) by possessing a very special pin. This first teaser shows us how Casey comes about that pin. Also making an appearance in the trailer is George Clooney as former boy-genius Frank Walker who promises "a secret place, where nothing is impossible. A miraculous place where you could actually change the world." I'm ready to go, Frank! Tomorrowland releases worldwide on May 22, 2015.

  

Director Bennett Miller's (Capote, Moneyball) next is based on the true story of millionaire Jon du Pont (played by an unrecognisable Steve Carell) and his involvement with the Schulz brothers, Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave (Mark Ruffalo).  This longer trailer shows how du Pont's sponsorship of Mark for national and international competitions complicates relationships between them all.  And spoiler alert, things do not end well!! Miller has already won the Best Director award at Cannes this year and big things are expected from Foxcatcher this awards season.  Foxcatcher releases November 14, 2014.

There was a time when Will Smith dominated the box-office with his films. But since taking a four-year hiatus from films and coming back with less than stellar cinema (Men in Black 3, After Earth), Smith needs to bring back some of his old mojo. Focus, a romantic thriller, pairs him with Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) as two con artists who were once romantically involved. Three years later, they meet again in Buenos Aires and throw a wrench in each other's con games. Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Recqua (Crazy, Stupid, Love.), Focus releases next year on February 27, 2015. I've missed a good Will Smith movie and this one hopefully shows Smith back in form. Unfortunately, the release date (right after the Oscars) is maybe not the best opening for the film. Fingers crossed!

Movie Reviews roundup: Blackfish, World War Z, Now You See Me and more!

So I saw quite a number of movies in September and since it's almost the end of the month and I'm a bit pressed for time, here comes the cumulative review roundup of some of the films viewed.

This shocking documentary directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite tells the incredibly sad story of Tilikum, the killer whale.  Here his name is literal as Tilikum has killed three people since he was captured. Blackfish examines the circumstances and the handling of this magnificent creature and ill-treatment he has endured over the years from the fellow whales in captivity and the humans in charge who only view him as a money making machine.  With interviews from the former animal trainers who worked with him to orca researchers to tourists who witnessed Tilikum's first attack on a swimmer, Blackfish shows how repeated behaviours over the years have been ignored.  This documentary is a must-watch for us, we must not ignore what it is saying.  The home videos (mostly from tourists) are sometimes hard to see and especially hard hitting for me was the shot of the stuffed animal orcas that are so prevalent at the marine parks. I had one too as a kid, probably from SeaWorld.  I always believed the whales liked doing all those tricks and shows and never thought about what the whales might be going through.  Until now.  Blackfish is an eyeopener. I hope it leads to more changes in the laws of treatment of animals at marine parks than just putting the animal trainers behind barriers.  That's just the start.

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite; Written by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and Eli B. Despres; Cinematography by Jonathan Ingalls and Chris Towey; Edited by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and Eli B. Despres; Music by Jeff Beal

Rating: 

Now You See Me is light film that revolves around the world of magic and illusion featuring a cast of actors from ever dependable Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine to leads Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher.  A mysterious figure recruits four diverse illusionists to come together to perform illusionist events that end up robbing the rich and paying the poor (i.e. the audience).  Hard on their heels is a frustrated FBI Agent Rhodes (Ruffalo) and Interpol Agent Dray (Melanie Laurent) who aren't sure how much to believe.  There are some great exchanges between Harrelson and Eisenberg with Ruffalo as the believers and non-believers clash. The magic is, of course, mostly CGI and visual trickery of the movies but as Freeman's character Thaddeus Bradley keeps insisting that everything can be explained. It usually can.  Because of its star cast and shadowy man in the dark handling all the strings, Now You See Me is a enjoyable two hours spent. You won't be bored.

PS-Brace yourselves, a sequel is in the wings after this film's surprise success.

Directed by Louis Letterier; Story and Screenplay by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt; Cinematography by Mitchell Amundsen and Larry Fong; Editing by Robert Leighton and Vincent Tabaillon; Music by Brian Tyler

Rating: 

Another great documentary that aired on PBS earlier this year was The Central Park Five by Ken Burns, his daughter Sarah Burns and her husband David McMahon. It tells the forgotten story of five men whose lives were changed by one fateful walk in Central Park one April night. It became one of the decisions that they would regret the rest of their lives.  As the world knows by now, a young woman was raped that night in the park and the young men were the suspects who were later tried and convicted for the crime. Except these young men were innocent and yet spent their formidable years in prison and juvenile centers where their spirit may have been crippled but their conviction in their innocence never was. It is astonishing how facts and logic were completely ignored as a witch hunt to convict them and find a resolution to one of the most heinous crimes in New York City grew. The last line of The Central Park Five by Anton McCray (who we only hear) will break you silently, "The truth came out." Amen.



Written and Directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon; Cinematography by Anthony Savini and Buddy Squires; Editing by Michael Levine; Music by Doug Wamble

Rating: 

Drinking Buddies, a Joe Swanberg enterprise, tells the tale of two co-workers and friends, Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) at a small beer brewery.  We see their work routines, their relationships with their significant others (Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston) and their friendship and relationship with each other.  Each time, you think something will happen, the exact opposite happens.  The camaraderie and entanglements shown in the film are very real.  I really liked the casting and chemistry between Wilde (who's also produced the film) and Johnson.  A updated and sorted look at relationships today.









Written, Edited and Directed by Joe Swanberg; Cinematography by Ben Richardson

Rating: 

Young Onata Aprile as Maisie is entirely appealing and endearing as the titular character in this adaptation of Henry James' 1897 novel What Maisie Knew.  Here it has been updated to contemporary New York city with Julianne Moore as Maisie's rocker mom and Steve Coogan as her absent dad.  They repeatedly claim to love Maisie and want the best for her but instead become petty and selfish in their custody separations.   However, the lone ray of hope in Maisie's life turns out to be her parent's significant others, her new step-parents (Alexander Skarsgard and Joanna Vanderham).  The update works well, as in any era, the effects of neglect on a child has various consequences.  But the film eventually shows what Maisie knows, even at a young girl, that her parents may not be the best for her.  Watch for little Onata, she will steal your heart.






Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel; Written by Nancy Doyne and Carroll Cartwright; Based on the novel by Henry James; Cinematography by Giles Nuttgens; Edited by Madeline Gavin; Music by Nick Urata

Rating: 

I had read all about the troubled production of World War Z and the various reshoots the film went through. Thankfully, the redoing does not show onscreen but I certainly felt that the length got affected because of it.  Brad Pitt is Gerry, a mysterious UN employee, who gets pulled back in the game when an unexplained virus affects the entire world.  Entire cities and countries are devastated when zombies, yes, zombies take over.  Gerry travels around the world to find Patient Zero and a cure but time is running out and no one in the world is as smart as him.  No, not really but it seemed that way to me.  Also why didn't no one else figure out that Gerry was bad luck, wherever he went, people ended up injured or dying? Anyway, what's not lacking in the film are the stunning CGI pieces of  entire cities being affected by the zombies, the sequence in Jerusalem especially.  And there's a harrowing piece set in an airplane that could only have been written by Damon Lindelof who surprise, surprise is one of the writers.  World War Z has a lot going for it but I don't know I kept feeling there was something more to be told. Unsurprisingly, I think it might be continued in the sequel. I'm still undecided if I will tune in for that.  I might end up reading the book on which its based after all.

Directed by Marc Foster; Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Godard, Damon Lindelof; Based on the novel by Max Brooks; Cinematography by Ben Seresin and Robert Richardson; Edited by Roger Barton and Matt Chesse; Music by Marco Beltrami

Rating: 

I also saw the horrendous The Big Wedding, but I'm saving that one for my end of the year best and worst list. No prizes for guessing where it falls.

Around the World in Posters: The Book Thief, Her, The Monuments Men and more!

 

Poster for Markus Zusak's novel adaptation The Book Thief. One of my favorites in the past few years, hoping the film adapts the book's themes well.

 J.C. Chandor's All is Lost starring Robert Redford - Basically Life of Pi for old people and without the tiger!

Simple words on the poster for Her, A Spike Jonze Love Story. 

Daniel Radcliffe has left Harry Potter far, far behind. Here he is in Kill Your Darlings as Allen Ginsberg.

 Directed by Oscar-magnet George Clooney, the all-star cast features Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin and of course, Clooney.  It's The Monuments Men.

Philomena is in my top 5 of movies I want to see by the end of this year. 

The always lovely Judi Dench and Steve Coogan star.

 Thor (Chris Hemsworth) vs. some guy. 

Actually it's Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda in Ron Howard's F1 racing thriller Rush.

In his fantasies, Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) can go anywhere. 

Welcome to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

You had me at Mark Ruffalo.  The poster for Thanks for Sharing featuring Ruffalo,
Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Pink and Joel Richardson.

The first film made in Saudi Arabia by a woman with a young lead who enters a competition 

so she can win a green bicycle. I'm definitely rooting for Wadjda.

Thank God It's Friday!!!

I don't know about you but there's hasn't been promising film news coming out this week.  First Sam Mendes says he's not coming back for the next James Bond film.  My mind screamed 'Nooooooo!' when I read this.  I enjoyed the last Bond film, Skyfall, primarily because of Mendes' deft direction in allowing us to glimpse in Bond's past and his emotional connections to the people he works with.  The film won a BAFTA for Best British Film and 2 Oscars, one for that haunting 'Skyfall' song sung by the amazing Adele.  I am not pleased by this.  At all.

Then Mark Ruffalo went ahead and confirmed on Twitter than there is no Hulk movie in the works as yet and we won't see him go all angry again until Avengers 2 in 2015. What? This is insanity.

Twitter / Mruff221: A lot of folks have been asking ... via kwout

But wait, the week's not over.  Thank God then we have this hilariously entertaining video of Mila Kunis on the press junket for Oz the Great and Powerful having quite possibly the best interview ever!

Thank you, Mila, for saving my week! Can we please see a part two the next time you're in town to promote your film?

Movie Review: Margaret

I was drawn to see this film particularly because of its troubled path to release.  For years, Margaret has been stuck in limbo due to problems that arose during the editing process between the director Kenneth Lonergan and the studio and producers.  But the buzz grew that Margaret was too good to be ignored with a great cast to boot.  There are many champions of the film and therefore we get to see a film edited down to 150 minutes from its rumored three hour director's cut which lay unfinished.

Margaret is a very unusual film.  That's the best way to introduce it.  It shows the ordinary life of a New York teenager Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) whose life is changed profoundly when she witnesses an a gruesome accident.  This may venture a bit into spoiler territory here but I believe the reason it affects her so deeply is that she begins to feel guilty about her own role in the accident that she can't manage to shake off it of herself as you would with a change of clothing.  It seeps into every aspect of her life.  Into her relationship with her parents, especially her mother, her friends and even the people she meets as a result of the accident's aftermath.

Lisa makes some spontaneously terrible decisions as only a teenager can, with little thought to the consequences.  And yet sometimes she overthinks things too much.  What she is doing though through her actions is calling out for help and no one knows how to deal with Lisa, least of all Lisa herself.  Her mother (J. Smith-Cameron) is bewildered and emotional most of the times.  Her well-meaning attempts at any help are brushed aside.  Her teachers offer counsel but other than some fascinating classroom discussions, that too, doesn't lead to anything.

The film is well intentioned and wants to show a young person's perspective on life but stumbles in its execution.  The editing cuts are strange at times, we are left out of some conversations deliberately; sometimes the scene linger on, uncomfortably so.  Is it intentional?  Maybe, maybe not.  As the film was shot so long ago, it feels from another time yet strangely relevant and the actors look like slightly younger versions of themselves.  Matt Damon, playing a high school teacher, barely looks out of school himself.

Anna Paquin carries the lead role well even as her character get shriller and shriller trying to understand this event that has changed her life.  I was glad, though, that Lisa finally got the emotional catharsis she needed before the film ended or else she really would have exploded.  The supporting cast are old Lonergan familiars and they flit in and out of the film.  If you were wondering about the title which doesn't refer to any character but instead a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Despite being able to finally view the film, I really do wish I could get to see the director's cut, however long it may be.  It might have brought in some clarity to what the director was trying to say.  If you do watch the film, allow the film to grow on you.

Written and Directed by Kenneth Lonergan; Cinematography by Ryszard Lenczewski; Edited by Anne McCabe and Michael Fay; Music by Nico Muhly.

Additional cast: Matthew Broderick, Allison Janney, Mark Ruffalo,  Jean Reno, John Gallagher Jr., Kieran Culkin, Jeannie Berlin, Olivia Thirlby, Kenneth Lonergan, Michael Ealy

Rating:

Recommended Links: Avengers Edition!

As is the case where the whole world is a bit Avengers crazy at this point, this time's recommended links are too.  Here are some more required readings on The Avengers!

(Photo: Entertainment Weekly)

• Here's a behind-the-scenes of the "secret scene" that everyone has been talking about in Entertainment Weekly.  Not so secret anymore though.  
• One of the real scene-stealers of the movie is definitely the Hulk.  A look behind the scenes into the making of the CG Hulk at ILM incorporating Mark Ruffalo's look and mannerisms into the character.  The best decision was to desaturate all that green.  Much better looking this time around. 
• More special effects talk on Iron Man and his new rocket pack from the hardworking crew over at Weta.
• If you're like me and you're already waiting for The Avengers DVD to come out, good news!  Joss Whedon says the DVD will end up up with 30 minutes of more superhero goodness. Yay!
• Finally, have you ever wondered what kind of an Avenger you'd be? Empire has a hilarious new flowchart to help you find out. 
• ETA: I can't believe I forgot to add this link!  Mark Ruffalo has signed a deal with Marvel to play the Hulk in six movies.  Considering everyone wants more of the Hulk after this film, I'd say this is exactly what the fans want too.  

Movie Review: The Avengers

The Avengers is the first co-production between Disney and Marvel and expectations are high.  After the lackluster collection of John Carter at the box-office, The Avengers has to be the start of a successful franchise.  The marketing for this film has been much better (and everywhere).  It's been hard to escape the posters, trailers and images on TV, the internet and around every corner.

Getting back to the review, The Avengers opens with Loki capturing the Tessaract (the glowing blue box first found in Captain America) from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his S.H.I.E.L.D team, also managing to kidnap Hawkeye aka Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), previously from the Thor universe.  This worries Fury immensely and he sets out, along with the spy-for-hire Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to recruit Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans) into the Avengers Initiative to fight against Loki.  

After some persuading, they eventually come aboard the superhero control center in the sky and get to know each other.  This is putting it nicely as some of the superheroes (We're looking at you, Stark) don't "play well with others" and are naturally wary of each other's presence.  A run-in in Germany with Loki leads to the Avengers first banding together to bring him back to the sky lair.  But he manages to escape and bring the fight to New York city and Stark Towers. Ah, poor New York, a city that gets battered through alien attacks, superhero fights, end-of-the world disasters and even Godzilla.  This time around, there are aliens from another realm (Loki's army) and six superheroes to make it into their personal battleground.

The Avengers is a fun start to the summer blockbuster season filled with action and adventure to satisfy any movie fan's superhero appetite.  This is a superhero film times three.  Directed by Joss Whedon who handles the difficult task of making sure that all of these superheroes (most of which have their own film franchise) don't get shortchanged and receive enough screen time.  This being a Whedon film, the characters all spout quippy dialogues and don't spend too much time feeling sorry about themselves and get on with the action.  Most big special effect blockbusters (Green Lantern, the Star Wars prequels) suffer from bad and cheesy dialogue but not this film.  I enjoyed the first interactions of Captain America and Tony Stark with Thor (Chris Hemsworth).  Basically every line out of Stark's mouth was a gem, from calling Hawkeye "Legolas" to addressing Loki as Reindeer Games.  Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) also got some big laughs in his role.

I saw this film at an advance fan screening so the audience reaction was pretty positive.  Throughout the superhero introductions during the film, Thor got the biggest claps but the loudest cheers were saved for Bruce Banner's The Hulk.  I must say, this is the Hulk we fans were waiting for.  Mark Ruffalo's portrayal is the best Hulk out of the bunch.  I loved how the Hulk was allowed to finally be himself in the climatic sequence.  "Hulk...Smash!" He sure does.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark with such ease, it's almost like his second skin.  It was also nice to see Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Jarvis (Paul Bettany) make a brief appearances as Stark's support team; we'll see them again in Iron Man 3. Captain America and Thor fit in well with the rest of the Avengers but you know the good stuff is yet come in their respective upcoming sequels.  Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow kicks major ass as the lone female fighter in the group.  She fits right in and I had major Buffy flashbacks at some moments.  While Hawkeye spends the first half on Loki's side before coming, literally, to his senses.  His archery armor would make Katniss Everdeen very envious.

The supporting cast, namely the S.H.I.E.L.D team of Nick Fury, Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Agent Coulson don't get to join in as much of the action as the heavy lifting is done by the Avengers team.  The villain of the piece is Loki, brother of Thor and presumed dead at the end of Thor.  We know they rarely stay dead long.  Besides, he's a god as he tells the Hulk.  It leads to my favorite scene in the film which I will watch on repeat when I get the DVD.  Basically, any scene with the Hulk was my favorite.  I think the fans will definitely demand a new Hulk movie. 

But back to Loki.  Denied a kingdom of his own in Asgard, he wants to rule over Earth.  The Avengers team will make sure that won't happen.  Tom Hiddleston plays Loki with a evil smile ever present.  He relishes the role of the baddie given to him.  Stay tuned until after the credits roll for the post-credits scene which has now become mandatory for franchise films.  Overall, The Avengers is great fun and the 3D works extremely well in the battle sequences.  Make it a must-view to start off the summer.

Directed by Joss Whedon; Story by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon; Screenplay by Joss Whedon; Based on the comic books by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Cinematography by Seamus McGarvey; Edited by Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek; Music by Alan Silvestri

Rating: