Tag Archives: Movie-Review

When the Captain America: The First Avenger was nearing it’s release, I remember having a conversation with an old friend over coffee. He wondered what would be done with the character on film, the undertone being that he was concerned that Cap would be reduced to the hard-fighting, propagandized embodiment of the “American dream.” I refuted that the character has a long history of being much more than that, and the capacity was certainly there if the writers chose to realize it. Certainly they did in the first film, and I had high hopes…and high standards… for this week’s debut of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I also find myself recalling another conversation with another friend who collected comics as I do. He operated a comic book interest group in the city where we lived, and said in one of our conversations that comic books provide a snapshot of where our culture is or has been at any given moment in history. I think that’s true. I also think that the potential for this is even greater as our heroes leap from the page (some beautifully, some less than spectacularly) onto the screen. If ever there was a super hero story to date that wrestled with the changing times in which we find ourselves, it is this film. If ever there were a character to wrestle with these massive issues and give hope in our fight to defend…or even to understand…our identity, it is Captain America. If ever there was a time to put these questions onto the screen, it’s now.

Oh, and those high standards? They were exceeded in nearly every way.

Steve Rogers, remember, is a man out of time, a member of the “greatest generation,” the product of an era when true freedom was felt to be threatened and a nation of people were willing to do whatever it took to defend that freedom. He is displaced to our current time, and left to sort out a country extremely different than the one for which he fought. Captain America symbolizes everything that we would want in a hero…good for the sake of good, annoyingly good, an ideal that is more powerful in spirit than in any physical capacity. You likely recall his line from the Avengers, when, saying that he had been told that America won the war when he emerged from his icy hibernation, he added, “They didn’t say what we had lost.” It’s hard to look at where we are and wonder if we haven’t lost a great deal. The ideal of sacrificing for what we believe isn’t in question. The question of our age is rather, what is it that we’re sacrificing? How far is too far, and what is it, exactly, that we believe?

This film does what the super hero genre is most uniquely qualified to do, and pulls that lingering question under a spotlight to be examined. Were I to isolate a single theme for The Winter Solider, it would be this: What is freedom? Nick Fury holds one ideal, and guides SHIELD in that path. “We take the world as it is, not as we’d like it to be.” He’s angry that Captain America won’t accept that ideal. After all, he reasons in early and very meaningful dialogue, Captain America’s generation got their hands dirty protecting freedom, and did things that they weren’t proud of. The Captain’s response is that they did indeed, but that they did so for freedom, not fear.

In a post-terror-attack world, has our definition of defending freedom become a reactionary one driven by fear? Conspiracy theorists would tell you that this has given rise to those who say that there is such a thing as too much freedom, those who would act for what they see is the greater good of the entire country without that country’s consent or permission. Our surveillance society concerns of today is the example that most likely leaps to mind, and the movie captures this fear, wrestles with it, forces the audience deeply into both sides and the answers at which they arrive to the questions, the questions that have to be asked. The movie asks them, in a way that I can’t recall a super hero story doing since the Watchmen came into print. And, while that might be shockingly high praise that will be off-putting to some, I’ll say in my defense that, in order to explore the character of Captain America as a sequel deserves, the writers had to delve deeply into the anxieties of the times, into the questions that we all have on our lips, just as Moore did with his anti-heroes. The difference here…the thing that Captain America symbolizes above all else…is that there is hope.

Captain America, after all, may be the first super hero, but he is also much more than a super hero. He is a symbol of the everyman, and someone who must probe the questions that we are frightened to probe. This film is simply just deeper than the rest of the Avengers canon, and, while the films preceding it have certainly laid the foundation for this, there just hasn’t been a film to date that was more capable than this one of exploring the issues at hand, and I am so glad that Brubaker, Markus and McFeely did not shy away from doing so, because this screenplay is simply, unquestioningly superb.

Fitting Marvel’s history of placing all-star casts in the Avengers films, this certainly is no exception. Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson all bring outstanding performances to the screen, as do Cobie Smulders (who we discover may play a very important role in upcoming films?) and Anthony Mackie as he debuts the Falcon to our lineup of heroes. Evans allows Steve Rogers to develop as a character is huge ways here (his scene opposite Hayley Atwell is…wow…). Also, for long-time comic book fans, Agent 13 makes an appearance, hopefully the first of many, and I’m happy to see the thorough evolution of the Black Widow (and, if I may interject and channel the voices of long-time fans everywhere…please, Marvel…she needs her own film!).

My only complaint with the film, if this is a complaint at all, is that the themes which it explores are so huge, and it’s treatment of them so thorough, that the Winter Solider story arc (which I won’t spoil if you’re unaware of who he is) lacks a bit in where it could be taken. That is, by the end of almost two-and-a-half hours in the theatre, I wanted to see him developed more.

From a closer perspective, the choreography of the action sequences are generally excellent here, although the final and climactic face-off between Captain America and the Winter Solider became a bit too predictable. The pacing is ideal, giving the audience just enough time to relax before returning to the edges of their seats, and the plot twists…well, let’s just say I didn’t see this one coming.

Captain America is an iconic character for reasons that many don’t realize. He simultaneously symbolizes and calls into question our nation’s identity. This film realizes that potential, and I can’t imagine anyone not taking something huge away from the movie. Super hero fan or not, Avengers fan or not, you will not be disappointed here, you will be enriched.

And, just in case you’re not conditioned for it yet, don’t leave when the credits roll. There are not one, but two hidden endings, one of which introduces three important new characters to the Marvel universe.

I give Captain America: The Winter Soldier a solid ten out of five stars.

We now know that earth is but one of nine realms, known beyond our planet as Midguard. We know that we’ve been visited by beings from another realm known as Asgard, beings so powerful that they spawned mythology and were thought to be gods by ancient cultures. We know that this visitation led to all sorts of issues for New York and led to the formation of a loosely-knit team of heroes called the Avengers.

What we didn’t know until now, but what Asgardians at least knew, is that once in a very rare while, the nine realms become perfectly aligned. Gravitational and reality-bending phenomena occur during this alignment, and the release of powers that were previously impossible can occur. This alignment is known as Convergence, and Convergence is where we begin Thor’s second installment in the Marvel cinematic canon, two years after his original disappearance back to Asgard.

The last time Convergence occurred, a war-mongering race called the Dark Elves sought to unleash a power known as the Aether. While the Dark Elves were defeated by Odin’s father, the Aether itself is unable to be destroyed, and was buried deep in an unknown place in some un-named realm where it would never be found…until, through the events taking place in Convergence, a hapless Jane Foster not only stumbles upon the Aether, but is possessed by its power.

And nothing brings Thor into the battle more quickly than his true love being in danger.

Thor: The Dark World outshines Thor’s first film in every way, and I say that acknowledging up front that I loved the first film. In this second film, though, we see Thor as every bit the reluctant hero, not seeking any glory for himself, and even less eager in the character flaw that is his love for a good fight. Here, we see Thor nobly defending the one he loves, and defending the earth that he has sworn to protect. Yet, we still see Thor as the warrior he is, and as he brings Mjolnir to bear as he rushes into battle (and his first entrance onto the screen is an outstanding one), you’ll find yourself cheering more than one jaw-dropping occasion as he fells his enemies.

This film leaves you with no doubts that, when the lightning sears the sky and Thor of Asgard swoops into the battle, things just got serious.

And, while every super-hero story must revolve around that climactic battle of good against evil, that battle is not what this movie is about, at least not in the physical sense. The battles that are fought within the characters are so much more profound, and stay with you after the film ends so much more. They wrestle with impossible hope, they wrestle with grief, they dig deep for courage. Each of our major characters in this film franchise are developed at a much deeper level in these two hours, skillfully painted by the Yost, Marcus, and McFeely. We find ourselves standing taller at Thor’s belief and hope that even the most evil can be redeemed, and stand for what he believes, even when it means possibly being ostracized by the father whose favor he so desires. We sympathize with Selvig’s self-doubt, and we warm to Jane Foster’s scattered distraction against what she feared would be a broken heart. We even find ourselves touched by a level of humanity in Loki that we never thought possible, even if it is a fleeting one.

The pacing of the film is superb. You find yourself knowing that someone is going to die in these battles, and I felt the anxiety well up in my stomach as I was completely uncertain as to who that might be. The comic relief is expertly-timed, and prevents the tragic moments in the film from becoming overbearing. This superb craft on the part of the director shines even more when combined with outstanding performances by each actor involved. Hemsworth gives a range to Thor that we had yet to see prior to this film, and Portman’s few seconds of scattered dialogue when she first encounters Thor again accomplishes more for her character than many actors could accomplish in an hour. Skarsgard brings a new dimension to Erik Selvig, who has not fared well since the invasion of New York, and, of course, Hiddleston continues to evolve Loki in a haunting way. We also see Odin’s faults at the fore, thanks to a top-notch performance by Sir Anthony Hopkins.

The visual effects are epic, and draw the viewer through an exploration of the nine realms with breath-taking expanse. These visual effects are also quite prominent throughout the film, as the numerous CG artists in the ending credits will attest. If you’re the sort of purist who thinks that a good film doesn’t involve a green screen, then you may have problems with this.
I should also mention…and I won’t do spoilers here…that you should be prepared for plot twists.

Otherwise, in fairness, I’m really trying to come up with a reason that one wouldn’t enjoy this movie, whether or not you are a comic book fan. Perhaps this is because Marvel studios has done so well at making those who weren’t already fans into fans. This film, as objectively as I can see, though, is simply well-written, well-acted, and well-directed, and it’s a high-fantasy adventure that found me as reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons at times as it did the comic books of my youth. Thor is, perhaps more than any other hero in the Marvel universe, and hero of conviction, and will defend what he believes to be right and good despite the cost. His films continue to hold a unique place in the Marvel universe as he continues to be a hero to which even heroes aspire. Make the time to see this if you haven’t already (this review comes a couple of weeks after it’s release). You will not be disappointed.

And, in case you haven’t learned this yet (although I can’t imagine how you wouldn’t have), stay through the credits for not one, but two hidden endings. The first made me think of classic Dr. Who, and the second…well the second is just simply what we were (im)patiently awaiting for the other two hours.

I confess, I’ve been a bit out of the loop lately. I didn’t realize how imminent Iron Man 3 was until after Christmas, and still it managed to take me by surprise on opening weekend, so much so that it took me nearly a week to make it to a theatre to become eagerly absorbed in the next film in the Avengers canon. Waiting a week to see a film based on the comic books of my childhood is…well, nearly unheard of for me, so much so that I grabbed the first show that I could when my schedule permitted, even though it was in (what I consider to be vastly over-rated) 3D.

I had, of course, heard rumors abounding of how this Iron Man film was taking a different directorial approach than the first two, and I tried to distance myself from those, because they’re the sorts of rumors that make me nervous. And, let me say up front that the rumors proved true, but not in a bad way. This is a new tone for an Iron Man film, but its consistent with the evolution of Tony Stark’s character that unfolds during it’s two hours and fifteen minutes.

This film walks us through Tony’s past, before he became the self-sacrificial hero that we witness him become in the Avengers. The story is connected with flashbacks to Tony’s self-absorbed history, during which we discover that his arrogance is at least partly responsible for spawning the villains with which he is confronted today. This is a technique of comic book storytelling that has a thorough history, and I think that it’s done well here. Favreau show his artistic depth as he explores a different way to tell Iron Man’s story.

Stark has always been a fragile person behind his bravado. This was seen in the comics in his struggle with alcoholism. Iron Man 3 picks up with the emotional aftermath of the Avengers, with Stark experiencing what is likely post-traumatic stress symptoms that are crippling his health as well as his relationship with Pepper. He begins making rash decisions as his flashbacks and anxiety escalate, and he becomes absorbed in his technology during his sleepless nights. He forms, in fact, a relationship with his technology, even more symbiotic that we have previously seen. He tells Pepper early in the film, “I am Iron Man,” and the undercurrent is explicit to the audience that his self-perception of his identity is completely enwrapped in his armor.

Robert Downey, Jr. delivers another outstanding performance as he portrays an insecure and nearly broken Stark who can’t move past his near-death experience shown in the Avengers. His insecurity, however, escalates into foolish bravado in the face of an attack on those close to him by a terrorist known as the Mandarin, and impulsively challenges the villain on the airwaves in a manner that places everyone near him in mortal danger. The writing of the screenplay shines, though, as Stark comes full circle to a repentant stance as he apologizes to Pepper for placing her in danger, and promises that he will never do so again.

The bulk of the film involves the Iron Man without his armor, a broken Tony Stark struggling to not only win confrontations with powerful villains but also to come to terms with himself as he finds himself stripped of the identity behind which he has hidden. The process of his working through this crisis in fascinating, and there’s almost a theology of a broken man relying on his creations to make him whole, only to find his creations also imperfect in his image, at play here. Ultimately, Stark chooses to accept his imperfections and confront them with his own humanity instead of attempting to mask them with seemingly perfect technology, and becomes more whole for it…complete with new relationships as evidence of his change. This, I think, is a new component of the nature of a hero.

Now, back to the 3D. This film is actually worth it, as the effects are not overbearing or distracting, as many 3D films are. The action sequences are all well-paced and well-choreographed, but I’m a bit disconcerted with Stark’s raw motivation for revenge in this film, and his willingness to use his weaponry so quickly in lethal force (he even instructs J.A.R.V.I.S. at one point to “terminate with extreme prejudice”). The level at which this occurs seems contrary to how we’ve seen Stark’s character develop in recent films.

Rhodes returns, not as the War Machine, but as the Iron Patriot, an extension of Captain America’s symbolism for the country and one of many (and the most subtle) references to the Avengers scattered throughout the film. The continuity here is excellent, but long-time comic readers will find it a bit odd to see Rhodes in the armor at its inception. The Extremis virus is a central plot point in Iron Man 3 (you might want to familiarize yourself with the Iron Man: Extremis animated mini-series before seeing this film…it’s available on Netflix), but what transpires with it seems a bit too wild in the very end…I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers.

The major disappointment of the film is the Mandarin. While visually stunning, this arch-villain of the Iron Man comics is transformed into a character that is quite impotent here, and to say that liberties were taken is to call major body work a paint job. I am left frustrated with Marvel’s failure to make such a rich villain into a critical character. It was as though two villains are too many to introduce in one film…which makes me think that the writers shouldn’t have tried.

While this is a good film in general, it left me feeling empty and disconnected, especially after the compellingly complex storyline of Iron Man 2, and the amazing experience that was last summer’s Avengers. While Stark’s character evolves in striking ways here, the overall plot of the story I found wanting…an odd juxtaposition of a thorough through-line with conflict that fell flat.

Still, I’ll call it necessary viewing for super hero or comic book fans. And, as if you haven’t gotten used to this by now, yes there’s a hidden ending after the credits. A humorous, but odd,  hidden ending that will leave you with little to go on regarding upcoming Marvel events. Which, while perhaps disappointing in its own right, is in step with the rest of the film: a character-driven interlude that left me snatching in the air for something more, only to leave with a tasty appetizer instead of a delicious feast.

There are a few movies that are so great that I remember where I was the first time I watched them. Those are the movies that I can quote a large portion of dialogue with when I watch them because I’ve seen them so many times. They’re just that good. You have a few pop into your mind when I say that, I’m sure.

The Bourne Identity was one of those movies. I have a fond memory of watching it with friends for the first time in a small apartment, and then again, and then again, until I finally just purchased my own copy. The following two movies in the trilogy followed a similar pattern. The plot was engaging, the films exciting, the dialogue sharp and amazing, the action sequences well choreographed (remember that car chase from the first movie?). Moreover, there was a deeper message in the story, a through-line that weaved its way across all three films and required you to see all three to truly appreciate its depth.

Call me cynical, but when three movies are of such high calibre, I’m suspect of a fourth that boasts a parallel story arc, or a completely different take on the story. This cynicism is the reaction with which I met the first trailer for the Bourne Legacy. Knowing that Ludlam’s original series has continued with some success, though, I decided I’d give it a try at some point. It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve when some family decided to watch the copy that they’d received as a gift that I finally got around to watching the film.

And I’ll foreshadow the rest of this review by saying up front that staying awake through the movie was an issue for me.

Expecting any sort of parallel to the original Bourne story arc will leave you with profound disappointment. This movie is a completely different story line that is only loosely based on the same premise, this time with yet another incarnation of the covert assassination program that produced Jason Bourne. I already took issue with the premise, because having the program killed and then secretly resurrected was believable in the first three films. Having a third spin off defies believability, even if this is supposedly one of the first versions of the program. What’s worse, this time (and I won’t tell you the name of the program’s incarnation, I’ll just say that compared to “Treadstone” or “Black Briar”, it’s very bland) the program is designed to make the operatives highly advanced, bordering on super-soldiers, by keeping them on a steady diet of medications. Aaron Cross is in need of this medication, and spends a good part of the film attempting to find it after his superiors begin killing off his fellow agents in an attempt to tie up loose ends when the Bourne debacle begins to occur.

The premise itself, then, tinkers with the original story line by assuming that Aaron Cross’ program is the first, and thus making Treadstone and Black Briar seem less believable. This is in contradiction to the title, “Legacy,” which implies something that comes after. What’s most tragic is the manner in which the director has attempted to tie this story in with the original films by cutting away to scenes from the other movies in an attempt to make you see where this film’s events take place with respect to the other three, connections which felt random and completely contrived, almost as though they were tossed in as an afterthought to pay respect to the other films. Characters from the original movies are toyed with, leaving us with a different disposition for Pamela Landy, and calling into question who was loyal to whom. Again, completely contrived attempts to tie this movie in with the rest at the expense of the character development from the other films.

The story for this film moves hopelessly slow, with long sections of poorly written dialogue punctuated by brief and violent action sequences that felt far more gratuitous and far more poorly directed than those of the other three movies. Both lead actors turn in disappointing performances, showing difficulty in finding any motivation for lengthy sequences of dialogue that inevitably fall flat.

Perhaps I’m erring in making a comparison between the Bourne Legacy and its predecessors. That’s difficult not to do, however, when the movie is a continuation of the series. It just seems a shame to attach the name of such an excellent film franchise to such a hopelessly under-performing movie. This is a film that was made purely to earn profit from the excellent craft of others by keeping a name. Even if the goal were simply to make an action or espionage film, this would have been a poor endeavor, and there’s certainly no higher message to the film, at least not that I could find.

If you’re a fan of the previous Bourne films, then I would encourage you to not watch the Bourne Legacy. You don’t want the bad taste in your mouth. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend this film for any viewers at all because, when the goal of any creative endeavor is simply to make more money at the expense of good craft, I have a hard time justifying supporting that.

Go back and (re-)watch the first three, instead.

“Chronicle” was an eagerly-awaited addition to our Netflix cue since I first read about it, not only because it is a super-hero, science-fiction film, but also because it’s an interesting take on the genre. Staged as a sort of video verite adventure among high school students, Chronicle is a Cloverfield meets Blair Witch meets Heroes mash-up that, despite how that may leave your head spinning, works extremely well.

Part of the reason it works as well as it does is because it follows the adventures of three high school boys through the lens of the camera of one of them, who films life as a coping skill and a type of escapism from a tragic family life that includes an extremely ill mother and an abusive, alcoholic father. The camera lens follows the three boys as they discover a sort of alien artifact (or ship, or something…we’re never entirely certain) that irradiates them and endows them with a series of telekinetic abilities. The three grow stronger as they experiment in the use of their abilities, getting into pranks as teenage boys will, and building unlikely friendships with each other. Andrew develops into the strongest of the three, but is unaccepting of the societal norms that the other two agree should govern the use of their new powers.

What’s fascinating about the development of the story is that the camera…and eventually other cameras…become an extension of Andrew’s character. He verbalizes at one point that he prefers the lens of the camera as a barrier between himself and the rest of the world, and the perspective of any camera lens soon transforms for the viewer into Andrew’s perspective, as he perceives himself as an all-powerful “apex predator” over the rest of humanity. That is, until we meet Casey, who turns her own camera lens to the world in order to enact positive influences. Eventually, the perspective of the viewer leaves the confined realms of these two cameras, and explodes into every camera viewing the climactic action, be they helicopter cameras, police dash cameras, or the swarm of mobile phone cameras with which Andrew surrounds himself as he hovers mid-air at one point. The intentional directorial choice to frame the film in this way is an unusually fresh take on a super-hero film.

Also intriguing about this directorial choice is the stage-like theatrical quality it lends to the film, as special effects are minimal and key parts of the story (was it an alien ship, a meteor, or what??) remained unexplained in a completely acceptable way. The mysteries of the story are maintained in a manner that would cause a more widely cinematic take on this story to fall flat.

As the three main characters explore their new-found powers, Matt ultimately chooses the role of hero, Steve the role of antihero, and Andrew the role of villain. When Steve ultimately turns to a more positive role with his abilities and attempts to turn Andrew away from evil exercises of his power, his fate leaves Matt to step in and engage Andrew in a final epic battle of good against evil. What makes this fascinating, even though it is the only true way such a storyline can evolve, is that it evolves with all three character types in an extremely realistic transformation of everyman characters into superhumans, to say nothing of the fact that we feel sympathetic to the development of the villain.

Chronicle uses the super-hero genre to explore the ultimate view of human life as either utilitarian and expendable (Andrew’s view as he sees himself atop an evolutionary ladder), or as inherently valuable and worth preserving (Matt’s view as he acts heroically to save lives, even of a man he knows to be abusive). Matt displays the nature of a hero in choosing to use his abilities for good instead of evil.

Chronicle is a dark but amazing film that deserves your attention if you enjoy science fiction or the super-hero genre at all, or even if you’re looking for a good suspense film. Add this to your cue, and you won’t be disappointed.