Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

“There are no strings on me”

There is a scene in Avengers Assemble where the camera pans around said Avengers with each character giving a trademark signature before taking on a horde of Chituari. This is the climactic final battle for New York. Within the opening moments within Age Of Ultron we see a similar money shot where the Avengers vault in unison toward a battalion of bad guys. This is a perfect analogy of the pace, structure and character development that has Hulk-leapt toward an even better film than it’s awe-inspiring predecessor.

Synopsis: Upon a raid at a secret HYDRA base The Avengers reclaim Loki’s sceptre. The powerful device that caused a lot of trouble first time round. In using the Mind Gem which gives the sceptre its power, Tony Stark with the reluctant help of Dr Bruce Banner creates Artificial Intelligence that will ideally  “put a suit of armour around the world”. Ultron is created with the sole mission being to protect Earth, which he sees in danger from the threat that is humanity.

Joss Whedon is the king of geeks. Even way before he created a team of superheroes that come together to fight off gods and aliens he gave us Buffy, Angel, Firefly on the TV. A great run on X-Men in within comics,  Serenity in film and Dr Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog on the net.  Whedon revels in writing ensembles, creating interwoven lives in the way of mismatched surrogate families and everything that creates. Arguments, conflict, tenderness, team work, humour always feature by the bucket load. Age Of Ultron whilst being a similar beast to what came before is gargantuan in scale and vision(not yet, he comes later).  Age Of Ultron is a juggling act of epic proportions. How this many colourful, well drawn and heartfelt balls are in the air at any one time is a testament to Whedon’s genius execution and some razor-sharp witticisms amongst the needed expository dialogue.

There could be an official role call for the sheer scale of the cast within this movie. The original Avengers are back and more fully-formed than ever before. The biggest new additions other than Ultron are Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the Maximoff twins.  HYDRA experiments gone right. Pietro has accelerated metabolism and everything that goes with it. He’s really fast.   Wanda has reality altering powers along with telekinesis. She’s weird. Wanda is the real trouble maker for the Avengers giving each of them a vision into their own darkest fears and setting in motion the series of events preluding to Ultron’s lunacy.
So the titular antagonist Ultron. A Frankenstienian machine created to save us which poetically is why he tries to wipe us out.  James Spader brings Ultron to life with real menace, empathy and omnipotence.  Spader’s wispy drawl brings Ultron’s thoughts and plans to the fore with witty, condescending speeches. Since seeing the genius use of the Pinnochio – “There are no strings on me” line used in the trailer I’ve been very excited to see a new big bad for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  He’s does not disappoint. His view on destroying humanity is a fair one for we are destroying earth. His quips always sting which is fitting for anyone who’s father is Tony Stark. His menace is frightening within our modern times.  Ultron lives within the Internet.  So do piano playing cats and Twilight fan fiction but Ultron is even scarier than both those combined.  A megalomaniac you can relate to, appreciate and fear is a rare and beautiful thing.  Spader must feel no intimidation as he delectably cuts down this team of actors and heroes that have come together over the past decade.
Back to the Avengers and the sheer number of them it’s heartening to see Whedon has concentrated on the ones who haven’t had at least 2 solo films.  That’s not to say Cap, Iron Man and Thor are forgotten or underwritten but Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye are given the time and care they so deserve.  There’s a budding romance between the big green monster and the smaller but no less deadly black monster (Johansen has a superb flashback to her Russian spy training showing an even darker shade to the Black Widow).  Renner who has been criminally underused up until now is the cohesive glue that binds the bickering team together.  He may not be Super or made of Iron but his power lies in his heart of being a good Man.  Within the trailers we’ve seen shots of Vision.  This would of better been a surprise in being kept for the film for he is a lesser known hero but one that has a great impact.  Vision is a certified bad-ass. Excellently brought to life by Paul Bettany who has voiced J.A.R.V.I.S since the very first Iron Man film.  He may also feature in what is, out of limitless amounts of awe-inspiringly cool moments, the biggest laugh/cheer in the film.

This being a Marvel movie that ties into a bigger universe obviously features a ton of cameos and plenty of universe-expansion.  With many nods and winks towards to the bigger picture and some tantalising set up for the next few films Marvel have on their gamma-radiated roster it had the prospect of being just another set up movie but no.  Whedon balances the what’s gone before, what matters now and what’s yet to pass with an uncanny magic that would have me struggling to think of a better director in the galaxy to have given us 2 great Avengers movies.  Age of Ultron is the first summer blockbuster movie. The last one is the 3rd highest grossing Box Office film of all time.  This has monumentally big boots to fill and fill it does.  In such a mainstream movie it also rewards you for paying attention and even more-so for being a geek.  Many times I smirked at the mention of another element from the comics.
Age Of Ultron is a spectacle to behold.  A bigger, darker and more important film than Assemble but it still delivers the giddy fanboy moments of Thor hammering Cap’s shield toward bad guys or Stark double suiting in the Hulkbuster armour to tackle a maddened green rage monster.  With a charismatic ensemble this big and to leave feeling wholly satisfied is a dream for fans and an achievement to be noted.  Age Of Ultron is an event movie and say what you will about the franchising of movies with the cinema industry but Marvel are the forefathers of that movement and boy do they do it the best.  Inspired casting, fan-pleasing storylines, visually-arresting scenes, heartfelt characters, contemporary themes and so much more. Like with this film there is so much more to delve into before I even hit spoiler territory.  But for the sake of pacing and patience, something Age again gets top marks for I’ll shut up.

I saw a young boy in the screening I went to dressed as Iron Man.  A blissful feeling of happiness coursed through me in being able to share this spectacular event with mini Iron Man.  In having flashback of my own costume wearing days (those days are not entirely over) it encapsulates what these movies do. They unify a diverse community in sitting together and taking in a visual feast.  Whilst Avengers:Age Of Ultron may not be art house cinema it is nonetheless art in cinema. A tantalisingly fun, rewarding and perfectly paced piece of art which is the absolute sum of its many parts.  This is what a sequel should be. This is what a summer blockbuster should be. This is what a superhero movie should be. This is what cinema is.  A boy in an Iron Man suit collecting memories.

READERS ASSEMBLE!

Words and fanboyism by Aaron Farrell.

Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Raiders Of The Lost Malarkey.

I’ve just come home from seeing Guardians Of The Galaxy. I’m feeling euphoric. I have to be up stupidly early for work but here I am writing this reaction/review of what most certainly is the best blockbuster of the summer and the most refreshing blockbuster of recent years. A film’s job is evocation of feelings and emotion. Guardians does this in spades. Good feelings. Sincere emotions. I’m only talking about a tree and a racoon so far.

Synopsis: Earthling Peter Quill(personified gloriously by funny-bone filled Chris Pratt)  is abducted from Earth as a child. 26 years later he is pillaging the galaxy one  space tomb at a time and one or more exoticly beautiful alien at a time. Amidst his cosmic tomfoolery he comes across and befriends a ragtag group of outlaws. Unknowingly setting in motion an evil plan from Ronan The Accuser(doesn’t do quite as much accusing as his name suggests) to destroy a peaceful world and with Quill’s  recently attained mysterious Orb.

Guardians had been likened to Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Star Wars recently. Possibly because Chris Pratt’s quip making, goofy-cool oozing, sidearm firing Han Solo/Indiana Jones-esque Peter Quill…sorry I mean Star Lord. Maybe some to do with tomb raiding and spaceship flying. It is all of these things and then some. It’s a sense of spellbinding fun and adventure. You feel and care because no matter if there’s a Chewbacca or Groot, a Rocket or Yoda you relate in some out there way to these characters whilst they’re doing things our wildest dreams can just about fathom. I smiled and laughed more in this film more than anything in my recent memory. Apart from the sad parts. Or the times where I’m telling a young couple or a bunch of kids to shut their air suckers and watch the film.

James Gunn (more like James Funn *Sorry that was terrible*) has painted a masterpiece here. A director who does have a cult following but isn’t exactly massively mainstream. A director who had never had a big budget or a huge studio behind him but always has quirk, humour and buckets of style. Marvel Studios used Joss Whedon’s talent to together our individual and known heroes. It worked phenomenally well as we all love The Avengers. Taking a chance with Gunn (in many people’s eyes) has paid off as he has hit the ball out of the stratosphere.

Gunn had grounded a film about deep space, alien races, mystical items, hot pink chicks in the back ground. Then in the foreground is a group consisting of a genetically engineered racoon, a green lady assassin who’s daughter to a mad titan, a green rage monster( no not that one) who’s out to avenge his family, a walking & talking organic tree creature and a human man raised by ravages after being abducted from Earth as a child. There’s a premise for five different films right there. Somehow Gunn puts these all together and not only makes it work but makes it thrive. There isn’t a weak character only yoyr 4th or 5th favourite character.  You can feel Gunn and Co have poured a real love and passion into these character in the knowledge that we have to buy into these protagonists for us to buy into the vast galaxy faring worlds and vistas.

Each character brings a sense of uniqueness and heart. For me personally Star Lord is the stand out. As I mentioned earlier he is like Han Solo and Indiana Jones combined. Always with the one liners or getting out of a tough situation by the skin of his teeth. Chris Pratt’s seemingly effortless portrayal of the goofy but capable hero really drawing you in to the madness. The real challenge was Rocket. He so easily could have been a CGI mess of tackiness and annoyance like Jar-Jar Binks but he exceeds your expectations and then shoots them with a giant gun and a mean quip. Bradley Cooper has really ran with the character showing versatility and open mindedness. Groot is the beating heart of the group. This could have been the easiest job of Vin Diesel’s career but you really feel the sense & emotion behind each “I AM GROOT” he utters.  Groot can put a root up your nasal passage and fling you about or he can give a heart warming touch or smile to these other hardened bad asses. Dave Bautista in his first big acting gig nails Drax’s slightly unhinged, mercenary who’s had lost everything.  Bringing the mass but more surprisingly the sass.

The look of the whole movie is perfect. From the colourful backdrops of space and it’s Star clusters or asteroid fields to the worn, lived in look of the prison & bars. Each race or species has a unique look and tint to them which instantly adds it’s own story and mythos surrounding them. Much like Lucas did with Star Wars giving us such a vast variety of the lived in universe and then letting our imaginations fill in the blanks. There is a sweet balance of awesome CGI work and practical effects. All the physical actors being in real make – up adds so much to the look of the film. CGI is used brilliantly for Groot & Rocket but you can’t beat good old fashioned prosthetic’s, paint and make-up to bring a character to life. As a lover of Sci-Fi it’s nice to see a real colour pallette brought back into the spaceships the lifeforms and the galaxy as a whole. We all love the more grounded Sci-Fi like Gravity or the dank look of Alien but when you have gun toting racoon why not add some visual flare and beauty to it all.

The story as a whole is hugely satisfying giving us enough to think about and churn over but not too much so thst we can really get to know our many new additions to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. As always I won’t delve into spoilers (if you want spoiler talk then comment on here or find me on twitter) but this takes Marvel’s Universe to bold new places and is very much it’s own creature apart from a few nods and characters drawing us back to the Avengers more earth bound tales.

There’s plenty of action going on here as there is in any Captain America movie or Iron Man flick. You have gun fights, sexy alien hand to other sexy alien hand brawls, space set dog fights and even some shaved hamster type alien illegal betting fights. Think mongoose vs snake fighting but with added colour and dexterity. Some of the best character building is during these wicked action scenes. So are some of the funniest lines in the film. And there are many. I have a stupid, loud booming laugh which I can’t contain so the packed cinema heard it quite a lot and I didn’t care a bit.

You hear “popcorn flick” or “big summer  blockbuster” thrown around and whatever their exact meaning I think Guardians fills that role. Is this film for children? No. Is this film for geeks? No. If this film for families? No. This film isn’t for any one group it is for everyone. Whilst some may be put off by the very Sci-Fi nature or odd creatures on the posters I’d challenge anyone to go watch it and not have anything but a great time. These characters are all outsiders who don’t falter but never sell out. They are brilliantly unique and throughout the movie they accept eachother as we accept them as a new favourite ragtag group of misfits.

Since the  first trailer for this movie came out I was very excited humming along to Blue Swede’s  ‘Hooked on a feeling’ and waiting in anticipation for what I felt was gonna be a film that looked like it was made for my interests and imagination. I was blissfully ignorant having never read a Guardians comic as opposed to knowing most major developments in all other superheroes stories. Welcoming the madness of what looked like my Sci-Fi/Superhero movie wet dream. After seeing it it still somehow surpassed my mountain high expectations. This showing that an open mind to the different or unknown is what we need in our galaxy.

Guardians Of The Galaxy is a joyously  fun, space faring romp that uses old school and new school film making to create an authentic and unique take on spaceships, aliens and the like. It uses its influences of Star Wars & Indiana Jones as inspiration and then runs with its own feel and look. So many films try and fail to emulate other popular movies of the genres but there’s nothing like originality and creative ingenuity. This is the most Star Wars-y film since Star Wars. It is also my favourite film of the year. Yes, that good.

As ever in any Mavel film stay after the credits roll. It’s awesome. It’s in tune with the whacky,  wonderful  & out there nature of the film.

Thanks for reading.
I AM GROOT.
Twitter: @farrell1991

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 

“Looks like you’re giving the orders now Captain”

 

Synopsis: We find Captain America in Washington just living quite a normal life for a guy who just saved earth from invading aliens and gods.  He works directly for SHIELD as their not so secret weapon.  After bumping heads with Nick Fury on the idealisms held and the moral compass of SHIELD.  A mysterious, deadly assassin appears and so Cap sets on his own adventure to find out who the Winter Soldier is and how he can stop SHIELD slipping into becoming oppressors of freedom.

 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same.  This review doesn’t contain spoilers so don’t fret and please read on.  I just make that statement as a sign of how brave this sequel has been.  It’s a more direct sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger than it is to the more recent Avengers but it holds all the plot points drawn up in both of these films and runs at a super-soldier speed with them.  A lot happens here for Cap’s follow up film and it makes bold changes to the formula of not just the universe it exists in but the superhero movie.

 

This is a spy thriller before it is a superhero movie but it is all blockbuster.  Whereas its predecessor felt like it hit all the superhero movie ticks on the checklist, the brilliantly appointed Russo brothers who have stepped up from the superb TV comedy ‘Community’ to direct Cap here have changed it all for the better.  There is mystery, intrigue, bad-assery, humour, emotion and some awe inspiring action.  This is one of the longest Marvel Cinematic Universe films but its such a fun ride due to the on point pace of the story.  I wouldn’t say its relentless because it does let you catch your breath, if only for a few seconds before throwing you into a different direction on awesome.

 

Chris Evans has been a so-so Captain America so far.  Possibly due to not being given a whole lot to do, possibly due to Cap being quite a one sided character.  He is purely good.  He doesn’t falter, even when he falls.  With pretty much every other superhero being an Anti-Hero in some way or another it’s refreshing to see Cap being the good guy because that is just what is right.   Cap shows his funny bones here more so with some light hearted winks to fans and geeks everywhere.  He carries a to-do list for things he’s missed out on.  On that list is ‘Watch Star Wars’.  I probably would have watched it as soon as I was broken out of a seventy year ice sleep but at least he has good intentions. The script gives us the Captain America we have all wanted to see,  Chris Evans seems to be enjoying his role a lot more and I think it’s due to a really sharp script and a story that he get can stuck in to.   We also haven’t seen Cap kick ass quite like this before.  He looks more Super than ever, with him front kicking bad guys off boats and using his shield in as some indestructible Frisbee.

 

That brings us onto the action.  The most visceral action in any superhero film to date.  Yes you can have the CGI epic fights of Man Of Steel or Hulk punching a giant flying slug alien thing but here it is so much more real.  The first tasty fight is between Cap and real UFC champion George St Pierre’s Batroc.  It is brutal.  There were some big hits and almighty thuds and that gives us a much better look at Cap’s power.  He is supposed to be of an Olympian standard, with the super soldier serum but he really his faster, stronger and tougher than any normal human being and even some superheroes.  His kicks will make bad guys soar for 10 feet and his punches and throws end with impactful crashes.  Captain America kicks all sorts of ass now.  The first real meeting between Cap and his nemesis The Winter Soldier ends up with a knife vs shield showdown and it is just a treat.  If you’re a fan of the flinch inducing action of The Raid then this is the Superhero version of that hyper real fighting.  There’s the more traditional CGI bloated action sequences with The Falcon flying around( more on him later) but this film excels on the action front when it keeps it real. (read that in an Ali-G voice)

Much like The Avengers this is more of an ensemble effort.  Scarlett Johansen’s Black Widow is nigh on par with Cap for screen time and she’s as brilliant as ever and is becoming one of the more interesting characters of this universe.  My only niggle with Black Widow which may not be a niggle at all, is that it feels from Iron Man 2 to Avengers to Cap 2 we have seen a different character.  Maybe it’s the mystery of Black Widow’s past and that she is ever changing to be mysterious but I hope they stick more so with this iteration of the ballsy, not so emotionally void Widow for the future.  Samuel L Jackson has his biggest role yet as Nick Fury who brings some mystery and surprisingly some emotion to proceedings.  Robert Redford lends his many years of acting experience to Alexander Pierce who is SHIELD director/chief/boss. Redford brings much needed gravitas for this to be the characters first film in this bug universe and yet be the one in command of SHIELD. Anthony Mackie is a decent Falcon and is actually a better character than I thought he would be.  I thought it was just going to be an extra superhero in the mix but his character lends genuine help to Cap and Co and brings some great one liners.  Finally the titular Winter Soldier.  If you don’t know who the not so mysterious Winter Soldier is because you haven’t read the comics or can heroically stay away from internet spoilers or even not see the casting bill and put 2 and 2 together then touché.  I’ll draw blood for biting my tongue not to spoil it but he is certainly big, bad and villainous.  Coming across as near unstoppable and with some of the best action scenes and a super cool metal arm he is equal to Cap in every way and that equates to a good villain.

 

The themes of the film suit Captain America’s ideals.  In this information age that more so than anyone Cap has to get used to, are any of us truly free of the constraints of society and government and secret agencies when everything is tracked, recorded and filed on digital databases.  Captain America fought the Nazi’s as they weren’t too big on freedom so this threat resonates with him and then through to us as we can relate to Cap’s pin up with the new ideas of SHIELD and other secret agencies.

 

All in all this is a super strong addition to the Marvel Universe and superhero films alike, showing that changing the formulaic approach of a checklist of do’s and don’ts you can achieve a very good film that exists in multiple genre’s.  With taking contemporary problems and matters and weaving them into a fantastical world it can make a hero more believable and the film more emotionally resonate for audiences.  Its brave to say the least and nothing will be the same for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes from here on out.  The Russo’s brothers have done quite a job here making what could have been a stepping stone toward Avengers 2 and making it one of the strongest efforts in super hero blockbusters and something that changes the playing field for action blockbusters.

 

 

I’ve held my tongue massively not to spoil anything for this film because as a big old geek who doesn’t miss many a reference when it comes to name dropping a character from the comics or an underlying plot thread woven from superhero history, this has something for geeks everywhere.  New Appearances, reappearances and some teeth shattering smile inducing references and easter eggs for what’s to come for Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

 

Be sure to stay for a mid-credits scene and an end credits scene.  Both awesome, both important and both a look to the future of the Marvel Universe and Captain America.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Aaron Farrell