Avengers: Age of Ultron finds us
approximately 3 years after the events of Avengers
Assemble. Whilst the first film brought our heroes together for the first
time, in Age of Ultron the Avengers
are now a close-nit unit, led by (the wonderful) Captain America. The film
follows the fall of SHIELD and the Avengers are trying to mop up what is left
of Hydra and recover Loki's sceptre which is in the hands of Hydra thug, Baron
Strucker. Meanwhile, after the near-demise of New York (and the planet) in Avengers Assemble, Tony Stark is trying
to design a robot army who can defend the planet so that the Avengers no longer
have to. When Stark messes with artificial intelligence, Ultron is born, a psychopathic
robot with a hatred of mankind and, in particular, the Avengers.
As with Avengers Assemble, the thing that makes Age of Ultron a great superhero film is
the fantastic ensemble cast (matched by few). Joss Whedon has once again done
what most directors could not and managed to fit 6 big personalities into one
film without overloading it and falling into the trap that Spider-Man 3 (oh
dear, oh dear) fell into. The 6 characters are each so different and complement
each other so well. I particularly enjoyed the Stark/Rogers/Thor banter in this
new instalment. As Agent Hill says, "testosterone".
The new
members of the cast can also hold their weight amongst these big personalities.
We are introduced to "the twins", Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet
Witch and Quicksilver who, in the comic universe, are the children of X-Men's Magneto)
played by to Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Olsen and Johnson
deliver strong performances (in particular Olsen) and interesting new
characters. And in terms of our new bad guy, I believe Joss Whedon wanted James
Spader for Ultron from the beginning, and you can certainly see why. Although
of course Ultron's body is CGI, Spader has amazing presence in this film; his voice
oozes menace.
The other element
of this film which is particularly notable is the script. You know a Whedon
script when you hear one. As with Assemble,
Age of Ultron is quick and funny and
also at times intelligent and moving.
Of course,
what we all really go to see any superhero film for, Avengers included (other than, of course, Chris Hemsworth's face),
is the action scenes. Age of Ultron is
possibly even more action-packed than assemble. It offers many and varied
battle scenes and amazing special effects. I think we were all eagerly
anticipating the battle between the Hulk and Iron Man in his "Hulkbuster"
suit and it did not disappoint! But for me the best action sequence is a scene at
the very beginning of the film when the heroes are battling in Russian forests
as they seek out Strucker and Loki's sceptre. There is a brilliant continuous sequence which
moves between each of the Avengers and which harks back to one of the best
scenes in Avengers Assemble, a long
continous scenein the battle of New
York.
Having
praised the film so highly, I must admit that for me it did not quite reach the
standard set by Avengers Assemble.
The best and funniest moments in the script could not match such wonderful
moments in Assemble as "puny
God". I'm not sure either that Ultron can really match the genius that is
Tom Hiddleston's Loki, but to be fair, that bar is set very high! Avengers Assemble is one of, if not the,
best superhero films ever made (as far as I'm concerned) and I find it hard to
believe that it could ever be matched. Age
of Ultron and Captain America: Winter
Soldier came close. Perhaps Civil War
is up to the challenge…
I was very eager to go see "The Grey" this weekend. I have seen many 4 star reviews in reputable magazines (aka, not "Zoo", "FHM" or "Hello"). But then when I looked online I could find practically no viewings in Bristol, so, of course, instead of giving up on my weekly trip, I inspected what other goodies were on offer and found "Like Crazy". I'd seen a trailer for this in the cinema about a month ago and forgotten when it was coming out, but it had very much appealed to me at the time, largely because I love Felicity Jones, but also because the subject matter seemed intelligent and not like your average rom-com and the advert displays several Sundance Film Festival award wins:
This is the film of Anna, a young British university student studying in LA, who falls in love with American student, Jacob and decides to stay there with him after their study ends. But Anna comes into problems with her visa and is refused entry back into the US. Subsequently, they struggle through an on-off-relationship, trying to find the best solution to make them both happy. I completely agree with the repetitive 4 star review this film has received. It delivered all I hoped it would, a fantastic performance from Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin, a moving and natural script and a very insightful look at long-distance, seemingly doomed relationships.
This is one of the best depictions of a young relationship, still in the honeymoon phase: utterly devoted to each other, unaware how to live without each other. When you watch the film, you feel like it is a documentary or just select recordings some of your friends have made to detail their relationship, its ups and downs. It feels so natural for several reasons: The fantastic performances, the great chemistry between Yelchin and Jones; the hand-held camera style, that gives an un-airbrushed, non-Hollywood feel to the film, you feel like you're watching a home video or even that you're right there with them; the lack of pop songs, pre-published songs, in the sound track, it merely uses a score written for it, using pianos and other classical instruments and a lot of the time there is no music at all, which all adds to the natural, real-life ambiance.
The film is very well-paced. It has to cover several years of relationship and so the editors had to pick out the key moments, which is done very well. There is little focus on the early days of the relationship, because what matters is the difficulties they face once Anna is denied entrance into the US. Their first date, however, is included and its definitely a bonus in this film. It helps the audience build a clear image of their relationship, helps you feel invested in it, as you've known it from the start. And it is just a fantastic scene. The dialogue is awkward as they try to think what to say to this person whom they are clearly interested in, but don't know all too well and have definitely never been in a romantic situation with before. This is your typical, honest first date. The chemistry between the two throughout the film is undeniable.
After my last, "Avengers"-orientated post, I decided that it was really time I got around to re-watching "Thor", which I did on Saturday night and I have to say, though it doesn't have the impact at home as it does on the big screen, it is still jolly good fun. I do think the contrast between the scenes in Asgard and the scenes on Earth is stunning. "Thor" has what no other super-hero film has, a completely different world, the world of the (almost) Gods, which is giant, glorious and gold! This allows Marvel to use their special effects to new, more exciting uses. Chris Hemsworth is fantastic as Thor. He's brilliant at playing the rash, aggressive and naive God of thunder, but he's also hilarious. A prime example of the films humour is the scene in the cafe, when Thor, not used to human civilisation, smashes his cup of tea and demands: "Delicious, I'll have another!" And you have to admit, with the long blonde hair and beard and the immenseness of his pecs, he is a God-like sight to behold. I think he may well be my new number one Avenger, edging out Downey Jr's sarcy, smart, sexy Stark (I am owning the alliteration).
For this week's Top 5 I am going to look at my Top 5 Directors, considering the films that have put them on my list:
Tim Burton
Edward Scissorhands
This man has been my no.1 since I was like 6 and my parents introduced me to "Edward Scissorhands" and soon after "Beetlejuice", still two of my favorite films. I love his gothic style, you know you're watching one of his. I love his characters who never fit into the world they are born into. Characters like Edward, who in their loneliness and feeling of misplacement, are achingly beautiful. Other masterpieces by Burton are, as I have already mentioned in an earlier post, his two "Batman" films, "The Nightmare Before Christmas", based on his story and his characters, though directed by "Coraline"'s Henry Selick, and "Sleep Hollow", which I must have watched about ten times when I first bought the video in 2010.
Ridley Scott
I have always argued that "Gladiator" is a perfect film. Every aspect of it is perfectly chosen and conducted: the acting, the script, the scenery, the music. It is not to be faulted! Another masterpiece of his is "Blade Runner", whose beauty and depth go beyond the visuals, but in the way Scott addresses the question of good and bad and right and wrong. It has one of the best endings of any film ever, when Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer battle it out on the rooftops. Also, "Alien" - need I say more?
Christopher Nolan
I'm sure I've said it too many times now, how much I love "the Dark Knight" and even "Batman Begins", which hadn't yet reached the complexity and genius of its sequel, but is still fantastically directed and an incredibly unique take on filming the comic book hero. That said, I have seen all of Nolan's feature-length films and none were bad. He seems to get better with every film, but we mustn't forget the older ones, like "Momento", one of the most cleverly edited films I've ever seen, and "The Prestige", with its brilliantly complicated and twisted plot, its outstanding performances and scenery.
Peter Jackson
Because no one else could have done "the Lord of the Rings" so perfectly and so in keeping with the atmosphere and life of the book. Though Guillermo del Toro is also amazing and would have made an incredibly dark and haunting "Hobbit" I am sure, Jackson was born to make this prequel.
Hayao Miyazaki
Howl's Moving Castle
Because he directed all of the best Studio Ghibli films, some of which are my most beloved films of all time, for example "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Spirited Away". The Studio's films are totally unique and surreal and the studio is Miyazaki essentially. The artwork, the stories, the characters. His signature is on all his films and no one else can possibly claim to be similar to the style of Ghibli.
Film news: They are definitely onto filming "Star Trek 2", which has me all excited, because I am a BIG fan of the first film and slightly in love with Zachary Quinto, ever since he terrified us in the first series of "Heroes". There are many sequels being set up at the moment, including a "Ferris Bueller 2", that's right, it's 26 years after the first one, Matthew Broderick is now 49, but they're doing it. Also in the pipe-line are "Terminator 5", though who is directing it or starring in it is yet to be confirmed and "Fast and the Furious 6" - seriously guys?
The Gangster Squad
In other, very important news, I have discovered a new film to be released on November 9 starring the love of my life, sorry, I mean Emma Stone, alongside Ryan Gosling (repairing them after last year's "Crazy Stupid Love"), called "The Gangster Squad", looking at the LA mafia in the 1940s and 1950s. Sean Penn and Josh Brolin also star, but I was sold at Emma Stone, who has yet to do a film that I haven't liked.
This week I am singing the praises of Empire, my favourite magazine! One of the reasons why I have chosen this oh-so-informative of monthlies as THE source of film facts for the past 5 years - yes, I have every issue since November 2006 - is their consistently beautiful front covers and oh what a display we have this month. Every now and again they supply their loyal readers with alternatives. A few months ago we had Batman vs. Bane, for "the Dark Knight" we had Batman vs. the Joker and this month we have an "Avengers" selection, with the options of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Black Widow (though why anyone would select the last choice I have NO idea,well not NO idea).
Now the big question you have to ask yourselves, other than which cover you are going to chose, but are you prepared for the coming "Avengers" film? Have you watched "Iron Man" 1 and 2, "The Incredible Hulk", "Thor" and Captain America"? If not, I am here to rescue you. I will give you a brief overview of each film to keep you up-to-date - look away now if you don't want any spoilers! - Though I'll try not to go into to many details, I don't want to ruin some very fun films for you.
Iron Man 1 and 2:
Tony Stark's father designed basically all American weaponry and had his hand in almost every technological jar. Now Stark Sr. is dead, Tony is the company's leading man, a "genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" as he rightly reminds us in "the Avengers" trailer. While held captive, wounded with shrapnel in his chest, in Afghanistan, Stark designs a robotic suit which not only magnetically prevents the irremovable shrapnel from piercing his heart, but enables him to kick some serious butt! In both 1 and 2 Stark faces opponents wearing similar suits, usually based on his own. At the end of 1 he reveals himself to be Iron Man to the press and has since helped Nick Fury to drum together fellow Avengers. Other important characters: PA Pepper Potts, Stark's love interest (Gwyneth Pultrow) and best friend and, after 2, fellow suit owner, James "Rhodey"Rhodes (Terrence Howard in 1, Don Cheadle in 2). You'll see references of, and even appearances from, Tony and his father, Howard Stark, and their business "Stark Industries" in the other Avengers films (e.g. Dominic Cooper plays Howard in "Captain America"), pretty much whenever weaponry or money is mentioned.
We also have an appearance from Scarlett Johansson (the Black Widow) as undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Natasha Romanoff, in Iron Man 2.
Iron Man 1: ****
Iron Man 2: ***1/2
The Incredible Hulk
This version of the Hulk skipped the intro story because Ang Lee's "Hulk" (2003) covered that part, but basically, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton, now to be played by Mark Ruffalo in the "Avengers") is a scientist helping the military, who are trying to create super soldiers (boy, does that sound familiar), and who accidentally transforms himself into a great green goliath of a monster. This transformation only occurs when Banner's pulse reaches 200bpm, so he is not allowed to get angry or make love to his beautiful girlfriend (Liv Tyler). Banner is on the run from the military, knowing the dangers of his new form, because he does not want the magic formula that makes him mean and green to become a weapon.
***
Thor
There is a long-standing animosity between Odin, King of Asgard, and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, whom the Asgardian warriors defeated in a battle long ago to prevent them from seizing the nine realms, including Earth. Odin is Thor's father. The Asgardians are not Gods as many would believe, but merely incredibly powerful aliens. Thor is set to soon take his fathers place as king, but when he disobeys direct orders, he is banished to Earth, seperated from his source of power, the hammer Mjolnir. There he befriends scientists Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard. Thor must return to his home, where his father is in a comma and which is under threat once again from the Jotunheim. At the end of the film, Thor returns to Asgard, his path to Earth presently severed.
****
Captain America: The First Avenger
In 1942, all Steve Rogers wants is to become a US soldier, but his tiny stature and slight build, despite his great courage and perseverence, holds him back. Meanwhile, an evil Nazi, Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), invades Norway and is clearly up to no good. The US army need a test subject for a super soldier (surprise surprise) programme, a brave, loyal citizen, to fight for their cause. And guess who is the perfect candidate?? In his new and improved form, Roger becomes the poster boy for American heroism and the USA's only hope against the Nazi terror that confronts them. The end of the film sees Rogers crashing a plane in the Arctic. Supposed dead but actually frozen, Rogers is found and reawakened in the present day - explaining his failure to age between WWII and the "Avengers" - and recruited by Nick Fury.
***1/2
I would find it hard to chose between the Iron Man cover and the Thor cover, but as I have a standing order for Empire magazine, I receive it monthly in the post with a special, members only front cover. It's well cool. So I didn't have the tough, though admittedly exciting, decision of picking a cover, I got this bad boy instead...
Avengers News: In an interview with Empire magazine, Neal McDonough, who plays Dum Dum Dugan in "Captain America" has declared that, as well as "Iron Man 3" and "Thor 2", which Marvel already has set for 2013, a "Captain America 2" and a "Nick Fury" or "S.H.I.E.L.D." film may be on the cards for 2014. Watch this space!
As I said, I went away to study in Frankfurt, unfortunately I subsequently dropped any blogging activities, which I intend now to recommence. I’m back in England, studying in Birmingham, and back to weekly cinema visits.
That isn’t to say however that there have been no cinema visits since leaving for Frankfurt. To give a comprehensive list of the films I have been out to see (trying not to miss any out): Source Code, Beastly, Arthur, Your Highness, Thor (the last 4 within 4 consecutive days!), Pirates of the Caribbean 4, the Hangover Part 2, X-Men: First Class, Transformers 3, Harry Potter 7 Part 2, Horrible Bosses, Captain America, Arietti, One Day, Friends with Benefits, Troll Hunter, Jane Eyre, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Crazy Stupid Love, the Three Musketeers, and I bring you up to date with last week’s visit to see the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. Not to mention all the films I have watched in the comfort of my – or a friend’s – own home.
For this week’s top 5, I shall do the top 5 of these films I have watched over the past 7 or 8 months:
1. X-Men: First Class
My favourite film of the year, this immediately also became my favourite of all of the X-Men films. I almost missed this in the cinema, being in Germany and not being surrounded by my usual gang of nerdy chums, but I am SO glad I persisted. Michael Fassbender is my new God and the chemistry between him and James McAvoy as the two lead males is impeccable. They are both very funny but also capable of very serious moments. My favourite scene of the entire film has to be the two of them – Xavier and Eric – out on the lookout for new mutants. It may be a cheesy montage, but it’s hilarious. Plus the film has good X-men action at the end when the mutants face Kevin Bacon (who cannot be out-creepy-ed), the film’s villainous mutant, and the American navy (led by none other than Michael Ironside from Starship Troopers!!). This film drew my attention right from the start as the first 15 minutes or so involve young Eric and then older Eric (Michael Fassbender) moving through an amazing variety of languages – German to French to Spanish to English, which as a linguist, I gotta appreciate. So many aspects of this film recommend it to a true comic book or adventure film fan.
2. Harry Potter 7, Part 2
As Part 1 was one of the best films of 2010, of course I believe that this is one of the best films of 2011 and probably the best of all the Harry Potter films. The main reason? Alan Rickman! Though Helena Bonham Carter, as always, is just fabulous and the embodiment of cool and what I want to be, she does not feature as much as I would have liked. Alan is one of the few adults in the film given decent screen time and he uses it SO well. I think an Oscar may be necessary. The Pensieve montage of his memories would break anyone’s heart and is played out so beautifully. Adding to this the fact that the film mainly consists of one giant fight in the Hogwart’s grounds, how could it not be entertaining? As with any HP film, there are a few details from the book which they have changed and I do not approve of – Neville is WAY cooler in the book, though he is still pretty cool in the film – generally I think it did justice to the fantastic finale of a fantastic series.
3. Arthur
This film was so much funnier than it should have been. The advert drew me in straight away: “I don’t trust horses. Their shoes are permanent. Who makes that kind of a commitment to a shoe?” There are so many great lines in the advert, but unlike many comedies, they are not the only ones in the film. I find Russel Brand very endearing, and anyone who finds him annoying should steer clear, but I think this is a sweet, funny-until-the-end film.
4. Troll Hunter
This is a brilliant Norwegian mock-umentary about three young amateur film-makers following a guy they initially believe to be a rogue bear hunter. Like all Scandinavian films it is well-acted, well-written and has a brilliant atmosphere. It doesn’t try to overdo it on the giant troll action scenes, you genuinely feel like you are watching a documentary.
5. Thor
Another film that was much better than I expected. There has been a multitude of comic book films this year, Thor, X-Men, Captain America, the Green Lantern, and I think I expected the least from Thor. But I’d say, after X-Men, I enjoyed it the most, even more than Captain America which may be the better film... It’s fun and Chris Hemsworth proves that choosing a relatively unknown lead can pay off. He’s hot, he’s funny and he’s likable. It looks amazing – much of it being set in Asgard, the home of the “Gods” – and it has good action scenes as well as the standard romantic subplot (with Natalie Portman) which isn’t as annoying as many are in superhero films.
Film updates: Still to look forward to for superhero fans we have the Amazing Spider-Man and the Dark Knight Rises next year, which both boast fantastic casts (as Christopher Nolan films always do). For the rest of this year I am looking forward to 50/50, coming out this Friday the 25th, starring the AMAZING Joseph Gordon Levitt (JGL) and Seth Rogan in what all critics are saying is a funny - while not overlooking the serious content -, heart-warming film about two best friends trying to deal with the fact that one of them – JGL – has cancer. It was written by Will Reiser, who fought cancer and on whom JGL’s character is based and not only that, but Seth Rogan is playing the part of friend which he played to Reiser in real life. I am also looking forward to the next in the Guy Ritchie - Sherlock Holmes franchise, A Game of Shadows, coming out December 16th, and the American remake of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – though I still think it’s too soon -, coming out December 26th.
I’m currently in my third year of a Modern Languages degree at Birmingham University and so am on my year abroad. I was in Valencia (Spain) between September and January and am going to be in Frankfurt (Germany) between April and July. The main problem with going to two such developed countries is that they are able to dub most films, meaning that if I want to go and see a mainstream film such as Harry Potter when I am there, I have to see it dubbed. Imagine Alan Rickman dubbed! I know, it upsets me too. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 came out during my term in Spain and the big geek that I am I coordinated a home visit with the opening weekend so that I could get the proper experience. Dubbing is bad for several reasons: 1) In a franchise such as this you are used to certain voices and only these voices go with the faces on screen, 2) Foreign films often use weird voices to dub, 3) The sync with the mouthing is always off.
Luckily for me I get back from Frankfurt around the time HP and the Deathly Hallows part 2 comes out, so crisis obverted, unluckily for me I am missing several other crucial films. Any fellow geeks out there will also have noticed and enjoyed the surge in comic book films coming out in the past decade, especially in the past few years since Disney bought marvel. Both Marvel and DC seem to be building up a collection of heroes to allow them to create an Avengers and a Justice League franchise respectively. This year’s Comicon announced the cast and crew of 2012’s the Avengers. Every summer sees at least one superhero on the screen, last year’s Iron Man 2, most importantly 2008’s the Dark Knight. This summer has gone all out: (April) Thor, (June) X-Men First Class, The Green Lantern, (July) Captain America – The first four of which I shall not be in the country for! Why do this to me? Why bring out this many the one year I won’t be guaranteed to go and see all and as soon as they come out? If I come back home for a visit I am going to have to coordinate my arse off to get to see as many of these as possible.
Superhero films to get excited about in 2012: (May) The Avengers, (July) The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises.
Top 5: I have decided to do a top 5 theme for this blog. This entry I have decided on…
Top 5 Foreign Films (appropriate as I am on my year abroad)
1. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Japanese
This is my favourite Studio Ghibli film. I prefer the more recent films as I believe Miyazaki has developed greatly in his drawing style – I find his older films slightly basic in style, whereas here looking at the drawings is half the fun - but also I prefer his more surreal plots. Sophie, the main character, is turned into an old woman by a witch’s spell which leads to her living in a moving castle with the wizard Howl. English dubbing I find can work on animated films and in this film the voices (Christian Bale and Billy Crystal especially) are perfectly cast. It’s beautiful, it’s romantic, it’s fun and it’s sad: my top Ghibli and my top anime. If you like this, the other Ghibli films to watch are Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, also beautiful and surreal.
2. The Lives of Others (2006)
- German
It’s a brilliant and tragic German film that beautifully represents the struggles to have independent thought in East Germany during the GDR years. The acting is perfect and like most European films, the film makers don’t have the option to just go for the most attractive, most “it” actor of the moment. Foreign films are all about talent over commercial success. I can find foreign historical films dull – I was not a fan of Downfall, though it is considered one of the better German films – but this keeps you drawn in and tensed up throughout.
3. The Educators
- German
This is probably my favourite German film. You have to love Daniel Brühl, the closest thing Germany has to a movie star, who plays the co-lead male, Jan, who, along with Peter (Stipe Erceg), breaks into rich families’ houses and leave messages such as “The years of plenty are over”, trying to shake up the capitalist system. They end up kidnapping one victim and we are presented with the debate between capitalism and socialism. People my age will love this because most students – like me – like to go through a hard-line left, idealist phase. Furthermore, though political, it also has a love triangle and relatively attractive youths and can almost be seen as a thriller for a German film. Though this could be criticised for being quite black and white in areas – the youths’ opinions are very “capitalism is evil” - you are presented with an empathetic opposition figure in the right wing Hardenberg. A friend of mine has also criticised the excessive use of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah – remember that period when it was in everything? I like this song and am much less willing to see fault.
4. The Motorcycle Diaries
The main perk to this film – and to most Hispanic films I have seen – is Gael Garcia Bernal’s face. If you are interested in Che Guevara this is a good look at what created a revolutionist out of a medic. If you want a good look at Che Guevara’s later, revolutionary years, Che Part 1 and 2 are a very good example and Benicio del Toro appears to have borrowed Che’s face.
5. Paris, je t’aime
- French
I love this film because it’s not just one film, but lots of little films placed next to each other with one thing in common, the setting of Paris, a layout which is relatively unique in films. You are likely to find some of the short films dull – like with short stories it takes a lot for me to become engrossed in something so much shorter than a regular length film – but you are also likely to enjoy some of them, it contains such a rich diversity. There are few directors that I can name that haven’t contributed and for me, a massive fan of being able to name actors in films, the genius cast is very exciting: Steve Buscemi (what isn’t he in?), Elijah Wood, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Gaspard Ulliel (have you seen his face?!), Natalie Portman, etc. The genres are is so diverse – from a gothic, black and white vampire short to an understated conversation between ex-husband and wife in a fancy restaurant – anyone could be pleased by this.
Note: New York, I Love You, a sort of spin-off, is also fun just for its multiple plot lines and enormous cast, but in removing the obvious distinction between films – Paris, je t’aime has titles and directors named at the beginning of each and is cut in such a way that each is like a new entity – merely blending into a new one like a new scene and repeating characters in different shorts, it loses what makes the French version special. Also, it is much more miss than hit than Paris, je t’aime is.
