04th May2012

Assembled!

by Mr. Joseph

I have really been looking forward to today. Today is the culmination of four years of work by Marvel Studios. Today, we get to see The Avengers. The Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures production, rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference, stars Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, and Samuel L. Jackson. This movie has the potential to set the bar high for any other superhero movie franchise, but would it?  Would it have the courage of its convictions, or would it sink faster than Daredevil?  Only one way to find out.

The movie begins with the evacuation of a joint facility between NASA and S.H.I.E.L.D. to discover the power of the Tesseract (last seen in Captain America: The First Avenger). Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård, reprising his role from Thor) is working with S.H.I.E.L.D. to harness the power of the tesseract to provide unlimited power for the entire world. Meanwhile, Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) survived the events from Thor, and is working with a race called the Chitauri to exact his revenge. Back on Earth, the facility is being evacuated because the tesseract is active, and it’s opening a door to the other side, allowing Loki to come through and reclaim the cube for the ultimate goal of universal domination. Loki dispatches the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with ease, saving Dr. Selvig and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) to aid in his escape. He does get away, despite the best efforts of Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), leading Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to assemble Earth’s most dysfunctional heroes: Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in a last-ditch effort to save the world.

What did I like about this movie? Well, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I can narrow it down to one thing. The cast performed as admirably as to be expected, with Mark Ruffalo and (in my opinion) Cobie Smulders stealing the show. I was really impressed with Ruffalo, primarily because he portrayed Bruce Banner as a nebbish and feeble man, but Hulked out to be a menacing figure. It also didn’t hurt matters that he actually performed as the Hulk by using some of the same motion capturing that Andy Serkis used to give life to King Kong, Smeagol, and Caesar. The score was fitting, and the scope was spectacular. I also liked the little touches they added in: Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) coming in for a bit, Thor checking on Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) via Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), Paul Bettany returning to give voice to the incredibly snarky artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S., just tiny little touches helping to bridge the gaps between the movies.

Sadly, I have to mention what I didn’t like about this movie, because there was something I didn’t like. The low camera angles really bothered me. I would’ve been fine with a minimal amount of it, but it got to the point where it was really detracting. I appreciate the thought, but I really don’t need to see up their noses as much as I did in the early going. Thankfully, this petered out as the movie went along.

The movie is directed by Joss Wheedon, and to call him a geek icon would be like calling fire hot; saying it alone doesn’t do it justice. Wheedon – who also co-wrote the script – brings a love for the subject material the likes of which have never been seen before. The film has all of his trademark quirks and foibles, and the cast wears it like a suit of pride. Alan Silvestri did the score, and it was phenomenal. He didn’t go over the top, and he didn’t undetstate it; he pretty much hit it right on the nose.

So, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I really loved this movie. As much as I would like to say it was everything I was looking for, I’d be lying to myself. It exceeded my expectations, and it was a treat to see something comic book fans thought they’d never see: a true adaptation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It gave me everything I wanted and nothing too severe that I didn’t, so I feel comfortable in saying this movie is Five Times More Epic Than Love Jones. Oh, and don’t leave right away; there’s something you need to see.

Trust me; there is no assembly required here.

Category : Entertainment
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30th Apr2012

Heading Back Before Moving Forward

by Mr. Joseph

On May 4, one of the most ambitious movies ever made will be released to theaters here in North America.  That’s right; I’m talking about The Avengers.  This has been a franchise in the making for at least four years, due in large part to the rousing success of the 2008 film Iron Man.  When that took off, Marvel Studios decided to bring the core group of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to film.

Now, I’ve seen all of the movies, and I think all of the reviews are available here.  If not, they should be.  At least most of them are.  Anyway, you know my format for these, so let’s not lollygag any further, shall we?

Iron Man – 2008

The movie that started it all.  This movie was the kickoff to the resurgence of one Robert Downey, Jr.  He commands the screen as the rambunctiously blunt philanderer Tony Stark, and the Academy Award Nominee is supported by a veritable who’s-who of Hollywood talent.  Academy Award Winner Gwynneth Paltrow shines as Virginia “Pepper” Potts, future Academy Award Winner Jeff Daniels chews the scenery as Obadiah Stane, and Academy Award Nominee Terrence Dashon Howard (as he used to go by) plays the beleaguered James “Rhodey” Rhodes.  Director Jon Favreau had a chore on his hands, and he handled it magnificently.  A driving, rock-based score by Ramin Djawadi sealed the deal for this blockbuster film.  The only complaint that comes to mind is the finale that subscribed to the same tropes as most other Hollywood popcorn films.  The final confrontation could have been so much more, but it looked good for what it was.  On top of that, it introduced the “Avengers Initiative” to the rest of us, and set the stage for what we are looking forward to now.

The Incredible Hulk – 2008

Most comic book movie fans tend to discount the first botched attempt at making a movie about the green superhero, and so shall I.  The movie I’m talking about is the re-imagining starring Academy Award Nominee Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Academy Award Nominee Tim Roth, and Academy Award Winner William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.  The movie in and of itself wasn’t a bad movie; in fact, it was pretty entertaining.  Liv Tyler’s voice began to grate my nerves after a while, because it was more akin to a high-pitched whine than a speaking voice, but it was only a minor gripe.  It didn’t falter near the end; in fact, it made me happy that it ended strong.  Plus, having RDJ pop in as Tony Stark was just as entertaining.

Iron Man 2 – 2010

The inevitable follow-up to Iron Man brings back the principle good guys, with the exception of Terrence Howard; he was replaced with Academy Award Nominee Don Cheadle.  The cast also included Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Academy Award Nominee Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko, and Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman/Black Widow.  With the exception of my final rating – I’m knocking it down to Three Times More Epic than Love Jones, my review can be found by following the link.

 

Thor – 2011

This was one of those Iron Man-type movies: second tier property with a relative unknown, surrounded by a pretty strong cast.  What could go wrong?  Not much.  Chris Hemsworth became a household name as the Norse God of Thunder, Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman did her due diligence as Jane Foster, Stellan Skarsgard as Erik Selvig, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and a host of other characters too numerous to mention in this brief synopsis.  Instead of repeating myself from my original review, you can find my initial thoughts by clicking on the link.

 

Captain America: The First Avenger – 2011

The final piece in the Marvel Cinematic Universe puzzle is Captain America, and he is represented well on the big screen.  Chris Evans stars as the titular hero, and he’s accompanied by Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt/Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes Stanley Tucci as Howard Eskine, and Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark (yes, Tony Stark’s dad).  I already gave my thoughts about it earlier, and I invite you to check it out by following the titled link.

So, there you have it.  Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Samuel L. Jackson) – are coming to take over the movie theaters.

The world had better be ready.

Category : Current Events, Entertainment
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31st Jul2011

Thumbs Up, Soldier!

by Mr. Joseph

I paid a visit to the movies today for the first time in a couple of weeks, and I knew exactly what I wanted to go see. I may have missed out last weekend, but I was bound and determined to check it out this time. Today, I went to go see Captain America: The First Avenger. The Paramount Pictures/Marvel Studios production – rated PG-13 – stars Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, and Stanley Tucci. The movie is meant to to serve as the final tentpole in next year’s superhero blockbuster The Avengers. It’s known by many comic book fans, but not so much by everyone else outside of the imagery itself. Will this be the strong tentpole like Iron Man and Thor, our would it be a bit wobbly like Iron Man 2? Only one way to tell for sure.

The movie begins in present-day, where a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are summoned because someone found what looks to be an airship buried in the Arctic. Upon further investigation, they find a red, white, and blue artifact iced over in the wreckage. The movie then shifts to Tønsberg, Norway in 1942, where Nazi officer Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) is searching for a tesseract which will provide the ultimate power for the ultimate weapon. Meanwhile, in a time where people are being drafted for service, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is trying to enlist in the Army for the fifth time. Unfortunately, he is rejected just like the other times due to his health and physical issues. Meeting up with his old friend James "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan), they attend the Stark Expo being presented by Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) and Rogers again attempts to re-enlist. This time, he is greeted by a German defector named Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci). Erskine sees something in the frail, sickly Rogers and allows him to join. During boot camp, he meets Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) of the Strategic Scientific Reserve; where Col. Phillips is nonplussed at the miniature recruit, Carter sees something that Dr. Erskine saw as well. Rogers is selected to be the recipient of the scientific Super Soldier Serum. The procedure is a success, but it comes at a high cost, and the movie takes off from there.

So, what worked in this film? Well, for starters, the idea to place the bulk of the film during World War II was nothing short of a stroke of genius. Certain movies work well in the element it’s supposed to be in, and Captain America is definitely this movie. In fact, I think it’s one of the few Marvel movies that won’t work well in a modern-day setting. The character of Captain America is so keenly based in the ’40s, that it would feel awkward to tell his origin story in any other time. Chris Evans does a fantastic job of playing Steve Rogers as a man of character and great conviction, and it really shows in his portrayal of the frail Rogers. Now, there have been multiple stories on how Evans played the frail Rogers, but it was great how he did it. The rest of the cast performed admirably, and I really love how they actually treated Carter with respect instead of treating her like "some dame." I really loved Hugo Weaving in this; his character sounded muted and calm, but his actions certainly spoke louder than words.

What didn’t work? Well, not much, and the little bit that didn’t seems a bit petty. For starters, where I loved frail Steve Rogers, I only liked healthy Steve Rogers. I understand why he played him like he did, but the frail Steve was more convincing to me. Another thing was the score. Don’t get me wrong, the score was great; my problem was that it was a bit overstated at times. In the grand scheme of things, both are minor gripes. Another problem I have doesn’t come from the movie itself, but to some people who complain about how they handled the multiracial Howling Commandos. Just a quick bit about the Howling Commandos, they’re an elite Army battalion comprising of a Brit, an Irishman, a Frenchman, a Black man, and a Japanese man. Most people aren’t complaining, but there are some people who are saying that the inclusion of Derek Luke is an insult to the brave black soldiers of WWII. To them, I say, shut up. It’s a work of fiction; get over it, and get over yourselves.

The movie was directed by Joe Johnston, and he does a spectacular job of directing the stuff during the 40s. In fact, some of the best stuff takes place in the 40s. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise; one of Joe Johnston’s best films is the grossly underrated The Rocketeer. It’s kind of difficult to say how he directs the modern day stuff, because it comprises the totality of about 20 minutes of screen time, but it’s rather immaterial in the grand scheme of things. The point is, he makes it work. Alan Silvestri did the score for the movie, and I’ve already discussed how I feel about it.

All in all, I really did love this movie. Everything worked well, and the movie was certainly a sum of its parts. It looked beautiful, it sounded beautiful, and it was a good time. So, with that in mind, I’m gonna consider this movie to be 4.5 times More Epic Than Love Jones. The only reason it didn’t get a full 5 was due to the fact that I got bored with the score. Other than that, it was definitely worth the price of admission, and it’s definitely serves as a wonderful setup for The Avengers next year.

Bravo Zulu, Captain!

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