Avengers: Age of Ultron - Review

"There are... no strings on me."

This is it... Finally! A Villain that can finally go down in comic book cinema history as one of the great ones! A Villain that will finally show that MARVEL knows how to create credible threats!............... Or so I thought.

The Plot

The Avengers are back! Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are now a fully functioning team operating on their own terms in taking down the remnants of HYDRA! But when Iron Man, Tony Stark, discovers a method of creating an artificial intelligence that can police and protect the world, he enacts on his desire to create a "suit of armor around the planet." But that program calculates that the only way to save the world, is to cause humanity's extinction. That program is Ultron (James Spader)! Aiding him in his vendetta against the Avengers are enhanced twins, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), who have a bone to pick with Tony Stark, but unaware of Ultron's true intentions. Can the Avengers stop this robotic threat?

Review

I'm just going to flat out say this. The movie is....good. Maybe even okay. But it is not the excellent game changing film that it was expected to be. There are a lot of things this movie does good, but there are a lot of things that the movie.... doesn't do wrong but horribly executes with bad editing. The pacing is completely all over the place and doesn't have the build up the previous film had. However in this film's defense, the opening of this film is a thousand times more exciting than the previous one.

Okay, I shouldn't compare it to the first one. But the problem is, because of how the Marvel Cinematic Universe functions, you not only have to think about the first one but also the third and fourth Avengers movies coming in the future. The film suffers from cramming in too many story lines from previous films as well as setting up what is going to happen next. This hurts the main plot of the Avengers going up against Ultron, because there are so many things in the mix that wasn't really necessary to the plot. And while those seeds are necessary going forward, I didn't feel like they were warranted to the story, which should have been about developing this ultimate threat: Ultron.

James Spader can do no wrong as far as voice work goes. This Ultron's personality is a far cry from his comics counterpart, mainly because he does have a personality in this film. I loved that director Joss Whedon tried to do something different with the robot villain archetype by not having him be robotic, but rather more human. He is portrayed as a dark mirror to Tony Stark, but lacks the menace that was displayed in the trailers. His actions are, but his personality just doesn't fully match up. He is still one of the best villains ever put on screen in the MCU. But he is nowhere near as good as Tom Hiddleston's Loki in The Avengers.

But speaking of Tony Stark, let's talk about The Avengers! You know them by name, and you know who play them. They're all great. Hemsworth amps up the comedy as the outlandish alien god, Thor. Evans does great as Captain America. And while Ruffalo does a good job playing Dr. Banner and the Hulk, it feels like his character devolved instead of evolved. Last time we saw the Hulk, he was in full control of his anger, but in here, he still has a problem with his anger and devolves back to the character he was in the Ed Norton Incredible Hulk movie. His character has a small progression with Johansson's Black Widow, whom we finally learn her backstory, but the romance aspect between them wasn't handled too well. The only two characters who really feel like they've grown are Downey Jr.'s Stark and Renner's Hawkeye.

Stark is still reliving the trauma of what he experienced in The Avengers and the fallout from Iron Man 3. It is his paranoia about not wanting to experience such trauma ever again that causes him to create Ultron, which works brilliantly well for him. But the real standout of the team is Hawkeye, because in here we not only get to see him as the sarcastic character he is known to be, but also get a sense of who he is and why he wants to be an Avenger. He is pretty much the most developed character among the original core team, but there are new kids on the block. And one of them steals the show.

Paul Bettany is probably best known as voicing JARVIS in the Iron Man films, but in here he appears in full physical form as Vision, a fan favorite who is directly linked to Ultron. He is arguably one of the best parts of the movie, despite being quickly developed, it felt appropriate and well handled. Which is more than Ultron's enhanced human henchmen, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Johnson and Olsen do what they can with what they're given in bringing the iconic twins to life. There is the stigma of Evan Peters playing a far superior and effectively used Quicksilver in X-Men Days of Future Past that completely downgrades Johnson's portrayal of Quicksilver. Still, Johnson does fine, but it definitely is not a highlight. Neither is Olsen, who does a good job playing creepy, but comes off really campy with her fake Russian...Sokovian accent.

Final Thoughts

All in all though, despite lacking a sense of development for all the players on the board, as well as rushing way too many plot lines in a mad dash to the finish line, the film still works fine. It is an entertaining piece of cinema that will probably go down as one of Joss Whedon's weakest film outputs, unless something else he directs comes along to take that title. But even though it is not the strongest film in the Marvel catalogue, it still delivers the promise of spectacular entertainment with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I don't know if I'm willing to watch this movie again in theaters, but I'll definitely be buying the Blu-Ray. And hopefully, just hopefully, Whedon's original 3 hour Director's Cut makes its way on Blu-Ray to clear up all the mess wrought upon this film. Still good though.

SCORE: 7.5/10 - This was not easy to do...and it really shows in the final product

Lucy - Analysis and Review

The Dr. Manhattan movie starring Scarlett Johansson

If you know who Dr. Manhattan is, then you pretty much know where I'm going with this. If you don't then just read the review.

The Plot

When Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) gets tricked by her boyfriend to deliver a briefcase to some shady people, her life goes spiraling out of control. She is forced to become a drug mule for a new drug that gets sealed insider her stomach, along with three other strangers. However while in temporary captivity before she makes her drug run, her captors savagely beat her which causes the drugs to enter her system. This drug begins amplifying her brain capacity to a level far beyond what anyone can imagine. And a ruthless drug lord is unaware of what kind of goddess he created.

Analysis

The once widely accepted belief that humans only use 10% of their brain capacity has recently been proven false. At the time that Bradley Cooper's film Limitless tackled a similar idea it wasn't met with a lot of hostility as much as this film. I'm putting that out there because I know there are several film critics, youtubers, and various other individuals who call bull shit on this premise. They hate this "archaic" defunct belief so much that they automatically assume the movie is stupid for still holding on to a now false theory. But the thing about it is, even though I know this, it really serves the purpose of the story. I'm not going to defend its scientific inaccuracy mainly because stories require something to drive them, and that is what this movie needed. 

Review

When I think about this movie as a whole, I think of it as really cool ideas that never really figured out how to work properly. Yet at the same time while it may not mesh well together, that's not to say it isn't entertaining. It is weird though. From opening the film with a prehistoric woman to immediately jump cutting to modern times with very little idea of pacing or how to properly do so was very jarring. The editing of National Geographic footage in scenes in order to sell a metaphorical point was kind of weird. This movie is just weird. I like weird. Did I say this movie was weird?

This movie is like a weird mash up of the best sci-fi films (ex. 2001: A Space Odyssey) and the best sci-fi animes (ex. Akira) that don't really add up to much. We're not really sure what is the drive of the story because when one believes the plot will be one thing it might also be about another but turns out to be neither. 

When Johansson's Lucy gains her superhuman powers, she becomes emotionless and is driven solely by...... nothing. One would think that a woman who gets abused by the Korean mafia would seek out revenge, but that wasn't the case. Because she becomes emotionless, when the opportunity comes to kill the man responsible (played by Oldboy's Choi Min-sik) for her abuse, she doesn't kill him. Simply because she is no longer driven by anger. She does gain a mission of wanting to spread her newly acquired knowledge after talking to an expert in the field (played by Morgan Freeman) but that does not seem so urgent. It is not what propels the story forward. In fact she is so emotionless and so invincible that one may not be able to find anything relatable to her. 

There was one singular plot point that could've been the drive of the whole movie. Lucy wasn't the only one who had drugs sewn inside their bellies. And in a scene where she discovers that she is disintegrating and requires more of the drugs to keep her alive, we finally see some vulnerability to the invulnerable character. So one would think that she has to hunt down those other three drug mules in order to keep herself alive. No, she gets the police led by a French detective played by Amr Waked to do the hunt for her. It completely takes away something that could've been the central drive of the story, but then again seeing as how Lucy has evolved too emotionless and extremely efficient, she knows how to handle things more easily. 

To put it simply, you're watching this movie because you're fascinated by what Lucy is eventually going to become. You're not watching it because the story is so engaging, because it almost doesn't exist. And despite having Choi Min-sik playing the villain (who does an excellent job in I saw the Devil) he is not really given much to do other than shoot people that piss him off. So really, you're only interested in watching because you're more fascinated into what Lucy is turning into rather than whatever story they're trying to tell.

I'll give the supporting cast a unified decent performances all across the board. Waked was a good detective and...love interest? Choi Min-sik does mysterious evil well...mainly because there was nothing else about his character other than he's evil. Morgan Freeman was...Morgan Freeman. It is really Johansson who delivers a great performance. However the performance was so emotionless because she evolved to not feel emotions that it is hard for one to connect with her. So....it is great to watch but not a very compelling performance.

I should note that there are several special effects shots in this movie that look like they belong in a PS3 game rather than a movie. They're passable, but compared to other special effects films this year, this was weak in comparison. Given their low budget, it is indeed impressive that the effects are as polished as they are. But again, having been spoiled by films that cost five times the price of this movie, the effects just come off as weird. Which is fine because...this thing is weird.

Final Thoughts

Lucy is an enjoyable experience just to discover what the end result of the titular character's evolution will be. If you were expecting a revenge story in which a woman gains superpowers and abuses them on those who wronged her, this is not that movie. The villains in the movie think its that movie, but the main character has evolved far beyond the plot to even care what the villains think. It is a fun watch and nothing more.

SCORE: 6.5/10 - I'd definitely buy it, but if you think about it there really isn't much in it

Her - Analysis and Review

Yes, this is the best original story of 2013

Spike Jonze definitely knows how to make an original film. Sure, his most well known work is Where the Wild Things Are, but he has made some incredible films. By films I'm talking about short films as well. The guy creates worlds that can only be compared to the quirky worlds of Michel Gondry sans Green Hornet. Yet in each of those films he does have a message that he wants to convey. And the strongest point of an original film is the subtext. Although this one is obvious, the emotions of what he's trying to say can truly be felt.

The Plot

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is an introvert who works as a letter writer for people who can't seem to write letters to their loved ones. After updating his computer's OS system to a new form of A.I. called Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) the two of them become emotionally close and inevitably fall in love. It is the story about a man and his computer, and what it really means to love someone. No matter who or what they may be.

Analysis

In a technological age, it is not too far fetch of an idea that something like this would happen. While the concept may not be as inventive as his other work Being John Malkovich the real inventiveness is the world that he created for this story to inhabit. I'm aware that Malkovich and Adaptation were scripted by Charlie Kaufman, but it takes a filmmaker like Jonze to really make these work as commercial films. I've always admired his films as being off or far out, even though this film is not too far out there. It still holds his touch just from the world building and how true to the nature of our world that this film touches.

The fact that this film may be a weird idea yet is not too far from being believable does tell us something about our world. Jonze sees this and it is definitely clear that this is a real commentary about the nature of love. What is it? How do we know we're feeling it? What is this emotion that draws individuals to others? That's something that he explores very deeply in this story. And the relevancy of this film is very much appropriate for the time that it was made. This is the technological age where we live on the internet. Some may even find love on the internet without actually seeing the other person's face. Is that real love or is it fake because it is not physically real? If we were to simplify it as that, then yes it is not. But love is not simple. It is complex. And with this film, the complexity level just shoots higher.

Review

It is hard to believe that a man can fall in love with an Operating System that is really just a voice on one's phone or computer. Yet in this film it is very easy to believe that such a thing is possible. Phoenix and Johansson give an incredible heartfelt performance as the unlikely couple. Phoenix is lovable as the introvert Theodore but the person who really shines here is Johansson. To top it all off, she's never seen in the movie once. Only her voice. It is a credit to a voice performance to make us believe that an OS can actually think and feel like a person. When she speaks it's almost as if she is present. Because we know what Johansson looks like we may even picture her standing there next to Phoenix. Her voice acting in this film is incredibly top notch and gives me some excitement knowing that she might voice Kaa in the new Disney adaptation of The Jungle Book. 

The rest of the cast does a pleasant job as well. Amy Adams is charming as a game designer and documentary filmmaker who serves as someone that Phoenix's Theodore can talk to about his relationship. Rooney Mara and Olivia Wilde play pivotal roles as Theodore's soon to be ex-wife and potential new love. Mara's character offers a look at the reality of the situation that Theodore is in while Wilde's offers a reality of his inner desire to just want someone physically rather than emotionally. Everyone of the supporting cast just adds something that shapes Theodore's perception of his relationship as well as build up Samantha's advancement beyond just being an A.I.

Also, not since Looper have a I seen a pretty realistic depiction of the future. While Looper is more depressing but not too post-apocalyptic, her instead shows a future that seems more optimistic and can come into existence in a matter of days instead of years. It is a testament to Jonze for selecting a mixture of different clothing styles from the past with tech from the present to make it feel like a tangible future.

The story may be what one would expect, but the emotional journey that the story goes through is definitely anchored by both Phoenix and Johansson. An interaction between an actor and a voice could easily fall apart, but luckily for them and Jonze brilliant directing it solidifies the film. 

Final Thoughts

It is very easy to see why this film won the 2013 Best Original Screenplay award. It really is an original film that feels not so original because of the world that we live in. It is a poignant love story that deals with the very nature of love and what it really means to love someone. I can say though that this movie is not for everyone. It is original and new, meaning general audiences may be turned off by its slow yet poetic pace or its large use of dialogue. But that is what this film is. If you believe you're incapable of sitting through something like that, then I don't recommend watching this film.

SCORE: 8.7/10 - A truly incredible original love story

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Analysis and Review

One of the best outings by Marvel since Iron Man

I remember seeing this film at the "midnight" (11:00pm) showing at my not so local theater with a group of friends. That night would've been awesome if we didn't hang out at a nearby coffee shop/pub (weird those thing exist) that had nonexistent parking resulting into my car getting towed. Fortunately the film was an hour away and lucky for me and my good friends, the impound lot was just 20 minutes away. So I wound up spending 245 dollars that night (movie ticket included), to which my friends joked after watching the movie, "So, was that movie worth $245?" Well.........

I said it's one of the best since Iron Man, right?

The Plot

Comic book fans will know this famous Captain America story, but for the general public they're in for a treat:

After saving the world with The Avengers, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) joins the international intelligence agency S.H.E.I.L.D. to continue to serve as the legendary Captain America. Under the orders of Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) Rogers discovers that the America that he is fighting to protect is not the America he originally believed in. With the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) showcasing the darker side of their missions he starts questioning the organization that is suppose to be protecting the world but instead tries to submit it into fear. But when a dangerous threat known as The Winter Soldier emerges, enemies from outside and within are revealed causing Cap to put his faith in a new ally, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to take on the battle head on.

Analysis

The statement I make in the headline is a personal belief of mine. Iron Man to me stood as Marvel's one true movie that was obviously created as not only a testing ground for their properties but as a nice balance with The Dark Knight. The subject matter was serious and the drama felt more real in the film than any other Marvel movie to date. Some still praise The Avengers as Marvel's greatest achievement, which it rightfully is, but I do not believe it is their best film. It is definitely a better movie than the others made post Iron Man but what i always hoped for was that sense of drama and real intensity. It is easy to argue with me that it is there, and I saw it was there the first time I watched it. But repeated viewings made me realize I did not care about the movie until the big battle finale, something that I should never be feeling for a movie other than a Transformers sequel. 

Even after The Avengers with Iron Man 3 they definitely had the right direction of how to bring back that dramatic effect like the first one did. However that film fell apart despite being filled with the right elements. And yes, I will contend that Iron Man 3 was a better third film than The Dark Knight Rises. But at least The Dark Knight Rises doesn't fall apart halfway through. It falls apart at the end. 

I do like Captain America: The First Avenger because I love retro pulp heroes and the film references that genre. But I would also like to point out that I like to call the film "Montage: the movie" because it really was a big montage of cool events. I get that they were trying to cover ground with WWII but it really made it seem like there was so much more happening that's being left out. Which is one thing I always wanted to point out: SET STORY FOCUS. Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, Thor The Dark World, and Iron Man 3 had set story focus in that the story was within a short time period and only moved through a few locations. The First Avenger moved around too much despite having a story in place.

So come my surprise when I see a film that not only has the drama that I felt was missing since Iron Man and the set story focus of the other Marvel films (except Iron Man 2). 

Review

This is not a superhero movie. This is a spy thriller. And I'm not talking about the James Bond or Bourne films, this is an actual espionage spy thriller. Well... having superheroes in it does make it kind of like a Bond film but nevertheless it feels like an American conspiracy spy thriller. Which works so well for the next step in Captain America' evolution as a character. Or rather enforcement of his character rather than evolution. The one attribute that I like about this film is that it enforces the boy scout superhero who obviously lives in a dark world yet still believes in it. This is a criticism many people have with Superman but people tend to forget that Captain America was created at a time when Superman existed. So moral wise he is the most "DC moral" hero compared to the flawed Marvel heroes that populate it. He does have some flaws, but that flaw is perhaps his optimism for a better future. This is where I commend Chris Evans for playing a man who believes in the good in people but knows that there is evil in the world yet still hopes for better things. This isn't the story of a hero who finally realizes how messed up the world is but more of a test of how strong his morals are. And they are strong.

The cast of the film do a great job with their performances. The standout being Anthony Mackie who plays Sam Wilson aka The Falcon. He has the same optimism as Cap and also unwavering in his beliefs. In a world surrounded by lies it was perfect to have Cap America find an ally who is not only a veteran but shared his beliefs. Scarlett Johansson does a great job with the evolution of Black Widow from being a person who takes orders to someone who questions them. I'm still bothered by lack of a Russian Accent, but oh well.

The silent villain The Winter Soldier is definitely a terrifying villain. While he is not Loki level of having a lot of depth and memorable lines, the action set pieces between him and Cap America are by far one of the best superhero combat ever filmed in a Marvel film. I'm not joking. The combat is the best superhero combat film ever put in a Marvel Studios film And to think that this was directed by the guys who made episodes of the comedy show Community. Bravo Anthony and Joe Russo! However, the final showdown was lackluster. Like most superhero movies it builds to the world is at stake and has a big finale. It really did nothing for me compared to the other action set pieces in the film which have been excellent. 

Final Thoughts

So no, to me this movie does not surpass or equal the first Iron Man in my eyes. And for those who compare it to The Dark Knight, there is no comparison because The Dark Knight is a legit movie. This film could've been but that final battle as well as the firmly established Marvel color palette really prevents it from being seen that way by me.

Having seen this film twice, I know my answer to the question asked above. This movie is not worth seeing for $245. But it is still awesome.

SCORE: 8.8/10 - The best film Marvel has made since Iron Man post Avengers