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Category Archives: Review

Captain America: Civil War

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Arrested Development, Community) returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe this week with Captain America: Civil War, the highly-anticipated follow-up to The Winter Soldier. Civil War marks the beginning of Phase Three in the MCU, and what a beginning it is.

Civil War is loosely based on the comic book event of the same name, and, like most of the Cinematic Universe entries, incorporates elements from several other storylines in addition to original material. However, it comes as no surprise that this film utterly transcends the rather mediocre source to become something incredible.

The action begins in Lagos, Nigeria. Steve “Captain America” Rogers and his new team of Avengers are following the movements of Brock Rumlow, AKA Crossbones, former SHIELD operative and Hydra agent. Crossbones, last seen at the end of The Winter Soldier recovering from having a large portion of SHIELD headquarters collapse on him, is out for revenge. He leads his own team in an assault on the Institute for Infectious Diseases, stealing a biological weapon to draw out Cap’s Avengers. In the ensuing battle, Crossbones detonates a bomb in an attempt to kill Cap, ultimately failing thanks to the timely intervention of Scarlet Witch. Her powers save Steve, but numerous nearby civilians are still caught in the blast, injuring and killing several.

Enter Secretary of State Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Best known as the general in charge of taking down the Hulk, Ross is now coordinating with the United Nations to bring the Avengers under international oversight. Reminding the team of the collateral damage they caused in their previous battles in New York, Washington D.C., and Sokovia, Ross invites the Avengers to sign the Sokovia Accords, which would require them to act only when authorized to do so by the UN. The members of the team are clearly conflicted. Tony “Iron Man” Stark is wracked with guilt over his involvement in various incidents, including the deaths of civilians in Sokovia, and feels that signing the accords is the only safe move for the superheroes. Cap, on the other hand, can’t help thinking of the failure of similar initiatives in the past, including Project Insight and the way that people with personal agendas can manipulate and control others. Other Avengers begin to choose sides, with nobody wanting to have to go against their friends.

The rift between Tony and Steve only grows wider at the meeting to sign the accords. A bomb goes off at the UN, killing King T’Chaka of Wakanda, who had been on a diplomatic mission following the use of his country’s greatest resource, vibranium, in the disaster in Sokovia. Steve’s best friend, Bucky, is blamed for the explosion. The ensuing manhunt spirals out of control as Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, and Scarlet Witch go rogue in an attempt to clear Bucky’s name, and Iron Man and the remaining Avengers follow orders to bring them in. Fear, paranoia, and doubt begin to gnaw at them all as the two forces clash, and a new enemy, Helmut Zemo, works to drive them to destroy one another.

This film is easily the pinnacle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at least at this point. The Russos prove that they are more than worthy of inheriting Joss Whedon’s mantle for the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War films and that the wild success of Captain America: The Winter Soldier was no fluke. Civil War takes us around the world, from Lagos to Bucharest. Our returning heroes and villains sport new gear and strategies that enable them to continue to surprise allies and audience members alike. And while the overall tone of this piece is rather somber, the banter between characters prevents things from getting bogged down. Every major character gets considerable screen time (an impressive feat, considering the sheer number of heroes returning or being introduced), and no one feels like they’re being left out. Chadwick Boseman rules every scene he’s in, balancing the solemnity of T’Challa’s royalty with the ferocity of a man bent on revenge. Tom Holland nails the role of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, capturing the exuberance of the adolescent superhero. I have great hopes for both Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming, as Civil War left me wanting more of both of these characters. I’ve honestly been burned out on Spider-Man for a long time after the last, you know, five movies… but now I’m honestly excited about the character again. As for Black Panther, there’s no doubt in my mind that the new king of Wakanda will be the king of the box office as well.

In short, Captain America: Civil War was everything that I’d hoped for and more. The only true low is that, as the first film in Phase 3, it had to leave a lot left partially unresolved. With Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, Ant-Man and Wasp, and Avengers: Infinity War all on deck, there’s a lot to look forward to. We’ve gotten a very brief taste of what’s to come, and I need more. If you’ve loved the Cinematic Universe thus far, there’s no reason for you to wait any longer to catch this film. All of the action and humor you’ve enjoyed is there in abundance. And as always, stay through the credits. You won’t regret it.

The massive cast includes the return of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanov/Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier, Paul Bettany as Vision, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross. Civil War also introduces Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo, and Tom Holland Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: A Review

Yesterday afternoon, I had an opportunity to catch a screening of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Based on the 1939 short story by James Thurber, the film tells the story of a seemingly ordinary man who encounters the extraordinary via “zoning out” into elaborate and fantastic daydreams.

Ben Stiller plays Walter Mitty, a sixteen-year veteran employee of LIFE Magazine in charge of processing photographic negatives. Unfortunately for Walter and his coworkers, LIFE is in transition from print media to an online presence, and massive downsizing is taking place. As the staff prepares what will be the final printed issue, Walter receives a set of photos from Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn), an elusive freelance photographer who still works with film. Sean requests that negative #25 from the set be selected as the final issue’s cover photo, but much to Walter’s dismay, negative #25 is nowhere to be found. When clues from the rest of the photographs in the set point to Greenland, Walter sets off to save his job by finding O’Connell, in the hopes that he might still have the missing negative.

As a fan of Ben Stiller’s work in comedy, I was very excited to see him taking on a far more dramatic role than he usually plays. As Mitty, he presents a man whose life is so dull and dreary that his fantasies are initially his only likable quality. They give glimpses into the man he could become. Interactions with his coworkers, family, and crush, Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) quickly prove that there’s more to Walter than meets the eye. As his attempts to find the last photo lead him around the world, Walter Mitty learns that his “secret life” in his dreams is nothing in comparison the beauty and splendor that can be found in reality.

With a soaring soundtrack to match the vivid cinematography, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a solid and thought-provoking film. Transitions into and out of Walter’s daydreams are brilliantly done, to the point where Walter himself has trouble distinguishing fact from fiction as his adventures grow. As the film goes on, the motto of the magazine becomes more and more relevant. “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life.” 

I loved this movie, plain and simple. If you have the time, give it a shot.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson’s first prequel to his sweeping epic Lord of the Rings film trilogy premiered last week. Thanks to some forethought, my friends and I were able to attend a midnight release here in Colorado.

The Hobbit has been one of my favorite books since before I could read. When I was a child, my father would read the book to my siblings and me, and we would pretend that we too had been swept away into grand adventures in Middle Earth. Naturally, like many other fans, I was curious as to how Jackson would be able to adapt one shorter book into a film trilogy. I was not disappointed. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is but the first film that will present the beginning of the story we saw concluded in The Return of the King in 2003.

Now this adaptation covers the first portion of The Hobbit, but it expands upon it, including bits from Tolkien’s extensive body of work. Characters and events from The Silmarillion and the other tales from Middle Earth are brought into play for the film, adding a considerable depth that is expected of Jackson’s adaptations (for example, the love story between Aragorn and Arwen in the LOTR film trilogy is told in an appendix at the end of The Return of the King in the books).

The Hobbit opens with the incredible Sir Ian Holm reprising his role as Bilbo Baggins as he is preparing for his 111th birthday, as shown in The Fellowship of the Ring. He begins to reminisce about how things came to be, and we are soon transported sixty years back in time. Martin Freeman (best known as John Watson from the BBC’s Sherlock) portrays a younger Bilbo, and magnificently captures all of the mannerisms first portrayed by Holm back in 2001. Bilbo is quite content to stay at home until a chance encounter with Gandalf (again played  by Sir Ian McKellen) brings a host of dwarves to his door.

What do you mean we "all look alike"?

What do you mean we “all look alike”?

The dwarves (Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Balin, and Dwalin) promptly and hilariously make themselves at home at Bilbo’s, much to the hobbit’s bewilderment, but answers quickly appear with Gandalf’s return and the arrival of the dwarves’ leader, Thorin Oakenshield. It seems that years ago, Thorin’s ancestors were driven from their home in Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, by the arrival of a terrible dragon known as Smaug. Now they seek to return to Erebor, kill the dragon, and claim his treasure hoard, all with Bilbo’s help (as the scent of hobbit would be unknown to Smaug, unlike the smell of dwarf, elf, or man).

The next morning, Bilbo finds that the dwarves have gone on their way, and he quickly rushes off to join them, realizing that is his chance to experience a true adventure. He is soon swept up in a journey that takes him from the Shire to Rivendell to Goblintown and beyond. Bilbo slowly transforms from quiet homebody to burgeoning adventurer.

As is expected of a Peter Jackson film, the visuals are simply breathtaking. Going back to Middle Earth feels like going home. The score is just as entrancing, aided by lyrics from Tolkien himself. Despite the expansion from the texts, the film never felt too long. The casting was perfect, with the dwarves being highly individual (my initial fear, as there are thirteen of them). The plot is well balanced, establishing moments that we know will be coming, such as the inevitable confrontation with Smaug. The shining moment of the entire film, however, is the riddle contest, in which Bilbo first encounters Gollum and finds the ring which sets so much in motion. Gollum is again played (motion capture and voice) by Andy Serkis, and he’s more real than ever before.

And so, to make a long story short (too late), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a great beginning to another powerhouse trilogy. I can’t wait for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 2013, but until then, I’ll be sure to see part one at least two more times. Don’t just take my word for it. See it for yourself.

Double Feature: A Review of Skyfall and Wreck-It Ralph

Over the weekend, my girlfriend and I took the opportunity to catch a couple of the latest theatrical releases. First up on the schedule was the latest Bond film, Skyfall.

Caught up in development hell (primarily caused by a bankruptcy filing two years ago), this film has been four years in the making. Franchise fans can rest at last, knowing that every day of waiting has been worthwhile. Daniel Craig is back as James Bond, his third film as Agent 007. The ever-graceful Dame Judi Dench reprises her role as James’ boss, M, making her seventh appearance in a Bond film (a role she first assumed alongside Pierce Brosnan’s Bond in Goldeneye in 1995). Starring as the antagonist of Skyfall is Javier Bardem. Bardem brings an eerie boyish energy to the role of Raoul Silva, a computer hacker with a dark connection to M.

Skyfall’s release marks the fiftieth anniversary of the film series, and I can’t imagine a more perfect present to mark the occasion. Daniel Craig’s performance is emotional and sincere as the movie’s plot forces Bond to revisit his past and secure MI6’s future in a rapidly changing world. When hacker and cyberterrorist Silva attacks the security agency’s headquarters, James must return to England to protect M, who is now facing queries and pressure from oversight organizations. Can 007 succeed in a world where a man can “do more damage on [his] laptop in [his] pyjamas than [Bond] can do in a year in the field”? Is everything as black and white as it seems? Bond travels around the world, from England to Macau, leaving no beautiful woman unseduced and no martini undrunk, and he does it all with impeccable fashion, but as Silva chases M and Bond chases Silva, there’s no telling who might get caught in the crossfire.

Skyfall had a lot to live up to, given the delay and the hype that always surrounds a new James Bond film, and the script and cast do not disappoint. Neither do the breathtaking visuals, fast car chases, intense action sequences (Craig has always been a more physical Bond, as he proved in his free-running intro back in Casino Royale), and beautiful score (headlined by Adele’s “Skyfall” theme). Ladies and gentlemen, break out the suits and cocktail gowns and dust off your martini glasses. Bond is undeniably back.

After braving the cold of a November evening in Colorado to make a trip to the nearby brewery (delicious local stout was had, as was, of course, a martini), we returned to the theatre for the second film of the evening, Wreck-It Ralph.

Wreck-It Ralph is the latest animated feature from Disney, and it is a wonderful tribute to video game lovers everywhere. The film is set inside an arcade, where some games come and go, but others, like the (sadly fictional) Fix-It Felix Jr. remain popular decades after their release. Ralph is the villain of Fix-It Felix Jr., and as such, he spends his days climbing to the top of an apartment building (built over his bulldozed forest home) to destroy it, threatening the homes and lives of the Nicelanders until Fix-It Felix Jr. can come to the rescue with his magic hammer. When the arcade closes for the night, however, Ralph and the other video game characters are free to gather in the Game Central Station, a massive terminal where the characters can mingle, have a beer at Tapper’s, or pass through the power cables into other arcade cabinets.

On the eve of the 30th anniversary of his game, Ralph leaves a support group (hosted by Clyde) after hearing from other villains, and realizing that he’s not thrilled with the idea of remaining a villain. After crashing a party thrown by the Nicelanders in Felix’s honor, Ralph sets off to a first-person shooter to win a medal, believing that becoming a hero in another game will earn him respect. While initially somewhat successful (Ralph does get a medal), his quest is derailed when he accidentally ends up in the racing game Sugar Rush. The childish Vanellope Von Schweetz steals Ralph’s medal, and working alongside her is the only way for Ralph to get it back. Unfortunately, Ralph’s game-jumping could spell disaster for his own game (what happens when the villain doesn’t show up for work?) and potentially the entire arcade.

Wreck-It Ralph is a fun ride, filled with great cameos and background events taken from the long history of video games. You’ll find yourself cheering for Ralph from the get-go, and learn that being a bad guy doesn’t necessarily make you a bad guy. The animation is phenomenal, as we get to see the evolution of gaming graphics from 8-bit to high definition (animators apparently had the most trouble making certain characters move jerkily, having trained their whole careers to strive for fluid motions). The voice acting is spot-on, with John C. Reilly as Ralph and Sarah Silverman (in what may be her most sincere and heartwarming role to date) as Vanellope, and the soundtrack includes catchy 8-bit-inspired tracks by Buckner and Garcia (of Pac-Man Fever fame) and Owl City. By the time the credits roll, you’ll be wishing you could put another quarter in the machine and do it all over again.

The Dark Knight Rises: A Review

The Dark Knight Rises premiered at midnight on Friday, after four years of waiting since the release of it’s predecessor. Batman Begins showed us that Batman films could be done well, and pseudo-realistically. Its sequel, The Dark Knight, was an epic film, clouded by the untimely loss of Heath Ledger, but nevertheless a critical and commercial success. Now we have part three to director Christopher Nolan’s grand work.

The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the events of the first film, and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has been living in the shadows, though this time without his cape and cowl. Batman is retired, and has been for most of the eight year timeskip. He’s become a recluse, choosing to hide away as criminals are put into Blackgate Prison by the Gotham City Police Department. The public remains convinced that former Gotham City DA Harvey Dent was killed by Batman during the events of The Dark Knight, and so Dent is a celebrated martyr in the war against organized crime and the truth remains hidden by both Bruce Wayne and his chief ally, Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman).

Bruce is under pressure from the Wayne Industry board of directors. A planned clean energy project had been funded and then canceled, costing Wayne nearly half of his fortune and prompting his board to ask for him for his resignation. Luckily for Bruce, new love interest Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) arrives to provide financial backing and take over operation of the company. Meanwhile, Batman is forced back into action by the combined efforts of cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and genius bruiser Bane (Tom Hardy).

Bane quickly establishes himself as a major threat to Batman, both physically and intellectually, finally being portrayed in accordance with his comic book origin. Tom Hardy is nowhere as difficult to understand as many critics feared, and his mask only serves to enhance to sense of terror and unknown that his victims must feel when he arrives. His face is as inscrutable as his motives, as he appears to be a fierce mercenary with a hidden agenda for Gotham City. As Batman’s most deadly foe to date, Bane will leave you wondering if Batman can ever survive their final confrontation. In Gotham, after all, nothing is what it seems.

Nolan’s final foray into the world of Batman does not disappoint. Everything about this movie felt right, from the phenomenal cast to Hans Zimmer’s elegant score. The plot is complex, but not overly so. The cinematography and effects are everything that we love about Christopher Nolan’s filmmaking techniques. I’ve never seen a conclusion to a trilogy leave me feeling so satisfied and still so hungry for more. Thank you, Christopher Nolan, and all of the cast and crew, for giving us three unbelievable Batman films over the last seven years. I could not ask for more than what you gave us with The Dark Knight Rises.

P.S.

This guy was at my theatre in Colorado Springs. Epic Bane costume. He was generous/friendly enough to let me take a photo of him before the movie started.

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The Avengers: A Review

This morning I had the pleasure of viewing the local premiere of the latest foray into Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, The Avengers. I’ll warn you all in advance. This review may contain spoilers of the tie-in films, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and Iron Man 2. If you’ve not seen any of them, odds are that you’re not that interested in The Avengers anyway. However, your Avengers experience will remain spoiler-free. See? You can’t say I don’t care about you.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Chris Evans as Captain America. Mark Ruffalo as The Incredible Hulk. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Written by Joss Whedon. It’s geek heaven.

Whedon directed an all-star cast and managed to give every one of the heroes (not to mention Hiddleston’s delightfully evil grinning villain) a good deal of screen time.

The Tesseract (the Cinematic Universe name given to the Cosmic Cube) used by HYDRA scientists to develop weapons during WWII was lost in the ocean during the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. Eventually, it was recovered by Howard Stark while he searched for the body of Steve Rogers and brought back to America. In the modern day, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are experimenting with the cube in an attempt to harness the potentially unlimited clean energy that it could provide. Soon, however, the Tesseract is activated from elsewhere in the universe, and Loki arrives on-scene at the S.H.I.E.L.D facility, mindcontrolling Dr. Selvig and Hawkeye and fleeing with the cube.

After surviving the destruction of the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, Nick Fury pushes the reactivation of the Avengers Initiative, gathering heroes from around the world (and beyond, in the case of Thor) to defeat Loki and reclaim the Tesseract, which Loki wants to use to open a portal to another world, so that an alien army can conquer Earth. Pretty standard comic book fare. The heroes in question, however, don’t necessarily want to work together from the start, and a good portion of the film is dedicated to the working out of their own issues with one another before they can form a team strong enough to defeat Loki and his Chitauri army.

Along the way to the climactic showdown between the Avengers and Loki’s army in Manhattan, we’re treated to brilliant humor, courtesy of Joss Whedon’s writing, and graphics that rival everything that we’ve seen in the tie-in movies thus far. The Avengers is solid, with cohesive storytelling and equal emphasis on every character who has been a part of the buildup. I highly recommend going to see it. Go see it multiple times, because odds are that you’ll be laughing so hard at one of Whedon’s jokes or cheering so loud at the heroic action that you might miss something subtle.

Please be prepared for more sequels and tie-ins in the future, as well. Sequels to Captain America and Thor are in development, along with a 3rd Iron Man film, potentially Black Widow and Hawkeye movies, and Avengers 2. Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is just getting started, ladies and gentlemen. The Avengers is a fantastic step forward for Marvel, and for superhero movies, and cinema in general. Go see it. Watch through the credits. You won’t be disappointed.