Avengers: Age of Ultron. A Review.

   First, a counter-factual review of a film which never happened.  Avengers: Attack of Ultron, as directed by Justin Lin (Fast and Furious) is solid blockbuster action flick. The action sequences shine as the Avengers take on Ultron (Jean Claude Van Damme), and while it is a shame there were quite so many shots of Scarlett Johansen’s cleavage, and it seemed out of character for Bruce Banner to drink so much Corona, on the whole it will appeal to the main audience.  This film never came to be, but it isn’t all that hard to imagine. The fact is, we are a spoilt cinema-going audience. Age of Ultron was made with huge amounts of heart and soul, and deserves to be recognised as more than just a cash-in designed to sell action figures.  

    Age of Ultron, as you’d expect, focuses on the rise of Ultron, an artificial intelligence gone wrong and hell-bent on destroying the Avengers. There is great deal of plot going on in AOU, however it all boils down to the Avengers deciding what their place is in the world. If Avengers Assemble brought the team together, AOU begs the question - was that really such a good idea? The great thing about Joss Whedon’s script is that you will root for the heroes all the way, while still questioning whether they are doing the right thing. AOU is no simple tale of good versus bad, instead it is a film where there really aren’t any easy answers, and our heroes have to go through a great deal of pain to find any resolution. 

   AOU is a ridiculous ensemble cast. Perhaps we have come to expect A list stars in our A list movies, but to see Robert Downey Jr and co all on screen at one is a real treat, and one that the film doesn’t take for granted. Rather than relying on star power to sell the story, instead the story gives its stars a chance to show depth and growth. Obviously there just isn’t room to give every character a fully fleshed arc, instead the film treats the team as its central character, a character going through some severe growing pains. Marvel’s smart casting is a great strength; Johansen is tormented as the Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth is hilarious as Thor, and Chris Evans makes the most of the straight man role. James Spader is on maniacal form as Ultron, rather than the antagonistic A.I. being a cold and distant, he is charismatic and compelling. Ultron has a few fantastic monologues, during which his grudge against the Avengers seems almost relatable. Just as with Avengers Assemble, AOU uses Tony Stark sparingly, and while Stark’s hubris is essential to the plot, that doesn’t mean AOU becomes the Robert Downey Jr show. The interplay between these characters is what really makes the film work, and it doesn’t need pointing our every 10 minutes that they are a family (looking at you Fast and Furious), instead  Whedon’s trademark witty dialogue is allowed to come to the fore - to the point that their disagreements feel real rather than machinations of plot. 

   From the very first frames, AOU is a great looking film. With so many characters on screen at once, the camera is forced to swoop and swing through the action, at times it is almost like watching Cirque du Soleil with so much acrobatic mayhem happening that you want to pause the film so you can take it in. As the end credits roll, there is a legion of effects people and prop makers, all of whom deserve credit for making the world of AOU beautifully realised. All the filmmaking elements come together to create a visual feast, and while this is by no means the film’s only selling point, you feel as though you are getting your money’s worth as an audience member. The production design of AOU sets it apart from the competition, the pseudo-science cooked up by Marvel is fantastic and futuristic, however it all looks like it could work. Furthermore, the colour palette of the film is wonderfully bright and vivid, you definitely don’t feel as though you need night-vision goggles just to see what’s going on. 

                  

   AOU is by no means a perfect film. Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson suffer from the many cooks syndrome, they are short-served on character development, for which shaky Eastern European accents does not quite compensate. AOU is also not a standalone film, it carries with it the weight of the whole Marvel Universe to this point, and there are brief moments where it seems as though the film may buckle under that weight. Thor is given a mysterious sub-plot, Loki’s sceptre from the first film becomes an important maguffin, Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury appears but doesn’t quite account for the fallout from Captain America: The Winter Solder. Interestingly, these issues stem from one of AOU’s greatest strengths. It is more than a film, it is part of something greater, an important gear in the vast Marvel machine that is giving us some of the best fantasy in cinematic history. AOU works as a standalone film, its villain and plot are some of Marvel’s best, however the smaller subplots and setups may leave the casual viewer non-plussed. A Marvel acolyte however, will enjoy these when subplots pay off a thread from a previous film, and take on faith that questions will be answered eventually. Marvel have so far managed to walk the tight-rope, their films work as compelling action-fantasy for the average cinema goer, yet offer unique rewards to fans who have been paying attention.

An open letter to Joss Whedon....

          Dear Mr Whedon. I am writing to express my sincere thanks for all the effort you have put into Avengers: Age of Ultron. I know it cannot have been easy, juggling an enormous cast, complicated script, and the obligations of working towards to larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. There must have been the temptation to phone it in, string together a couple of set pieces and call it a day. We are a spoilt audience to expect so much of a director and film crew, and should consider ourselves fortunate that such an epic blockbuster film was made with such care and attention to detail. You have more than earned a rest. 

WHO - James Spader, evil and loving it. 

WHAT - The still glorious sight of our avengers on screen together. 

WHY - Because in the cinematic Age of Comic Book Movies, Age of Ultron stands head and shoulders above the rest, thanks to smart writing, stellar action, and pitch-perfect performances. 

WHEN - Today. And then again next week, after it’s had a chance to sink in. 

                                            

(Art from: http://geektyrant.com/news/avengers-age-of-ultron-teaser-poster-by-matt-ferguson)

Guardians of the Galaxy. A Review

Its safe to say that Marvel are on a bit of a roll. Since the success of 2008’s IronMan, the comic book giant has had hit after hit. With all this success under its belt, I find it strange that nearly every review I’ve read has referred to Guardians of the Galaxy as something of a risk. Well the film is excellent, but that didn’t take me by surprise, here I give you my imaginary pitch…

Hello mr Hollywood Producer man, I’d like to make a movie under the umbrella of the current box office champion Marvel studios. Its going to be a sci-fi, you know kinda taking influence from that little indie StarWars film. Marvel has done pretty well hiring geeky passionate left field directors (hi Joss Wheedon) so I think I’ll keep that winning formula going. Hmm we should probably have some big names on the poster so how about Vin Diesel of the Fast series and Bradley Cooper from the Hangover? Those guys not sci-fi enough? What about Zoe Saldana from Avatar and Karen Gillen from Dr Who? What’s that you say, audiences love cute animated stuff? What about a wise cracking racoon with a rocket launcher?  I’ll throw in a talking tree too, just ‘cause. I’ll see myself out…

Okay so maybe there were risks, who knew if Chris Pratt could carry off the leading man role? Who knew if James Gunn would be able to sell Marvel’s galaxy far far away? Who knew if wrestler Dave Bautista could act? Happily these questions are all answered within the the first 20 mins of the film. Chris Pratt is a joy to watch as Peter “Star-Lord” Quill, and earthling beamed into this new galaxy with nothing but a walkman and some 80s references. He steals nearly every scene he’s in, cracking quips and kicking ass in equal measure with and ease that would make Indiana Solo jealous. Pratt has a slew of leading roles coming up, including Jurrassic Park 4, it seems Hollywood is buying into his screen presence and its easy to see why. Sci-fi films can become overly complicated and expositionary, George Lucas if you’re listening I don’t give a crap what little microbes make the force work, can Qui Gon fight the red ninja man now please? Gunn treats the audience as though we are actually paying attention to the film and doesn’t explain everything 5 times. We soon figure out what the reavers are, who Nova and Kree are, and why Lee Pace is upset. He also seems to understand that if a picture is worth a thousand words then a moving picture is worth even more, for example a shot of Rocket Raccoon’s scarred back tells us more about the nature of his origin than some wordy backstory. The result is a film that unfolds organically but quickly, and you never have chance to think somethings ridiculous because something even brighter and funnier will be along. If Chris Pratt is a bet that paid off, Dave Bautista is a revelation. I’ve read that he was very nervous about his performance and didn’t want to let the side down (sterling features as ever at Empire!), he needn’t have worried, it seems like the role he was born to play, he expresses naiveté and earnestness while grabbing some of the film’s biggest laughs including my favourite literal interpretation of a metaphor ever! 

GOTG is funny too, I mean properly funny. The back and forth between the Guardians is always enjoyable, and often hilarious. Sometimes its outrageous lines, sometimes slapstick, sometimes just the chemistry between a cast that is even more remarkable considering two of the principals added their talents in post. The supporting cast all add to the comedic element, whether from comedy veterans John C. Reilly (whose character has a touching sign off) and Peter Serafinowicz,  Glenn Close in a pitch perfect cameo, or a spaceship full of hillbillies. Gunn has managed to get the tone almost perfect, matching the raucous humour with high stakes action and some more touching moments. 

GOTG is not without the usual problems that plague superhero-origin-space-comedy-actioners…. Villain Ronan (Lee Pace) is on good form but is not given enough to do, he is not as criminally shortchanged as Christopher Eccleston was in Thor: The Dark World, however he sacrifices a lot of his screen time to the assembling guardians. Also bullying Pace for screen time is Josh Brolin’s Thanos - Marvel’s big bad. I like that they are moving forward and including Thanos outside of an after credits easter egg, but it does take away from GOTG that it’s primary villain is nothing more than a pawn. Another issue is the amount of destruction in the film’s final act. Of course there needs to be a suitable amount of peril to earn the film’s ending, and the destruction is by design rather than wanton, but it still seemed the nameless folks of Xandar got a rough ride. Neither of these issues are deal breakers, they simply serve to highlight how hard it is to cover all bases when creating such a vivid and varied world. I would also say I would have happily sat through another half hour so that Gunn could add depth, but then again with blockbusters becoming more bum numbing every year, GOTG’s relatively fleet footedness is a welcome example that you can tell a grand tale in two hours. 

I could go on for hours about all the little touches that make GOTG so good; the soundtrack, the set design, Benicio del Toro! Really all I need to say, is that I enjoyed GOTG in the same way that I enjoy Raiders of the Lost Ark, is there any higher praise? Gunn has crafted a film with wit and soul, the thousands of hours of work from the production team build a world I’m dying to explore, and the cast fill the world with character and a real rebel attitude. 

WHO: Chris Pratt’s Star Lord. An earthling lost in a strange galaxy and having a blast!

WHAT: Awesome Mix vol. 1. Best soundtrack of the year. 

WHY: To vote with your feet that Marvel’s “risk-taking” is paying off.

WHEN: Yesterday. Seriously you should already have seen this film.

(Art from: http://designbump.com/brilliant-guardians-galaxy-fan-art/)