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Movie Review: ‘The Avengers’
0May 4, 2012
Leave it to Joss Whedon, the creative force behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, to be the filmmaker capable of making The Avengers as successful as the years of hype and marketing have promised it to be. While moviegoers have been hit with a deluge of comic book adaptations in recent years, the movies have been mediocre, on average, with a few being good (Iron Man, X2) but most being terrible (Jonah Hex, Daredevil).
The Avengers, though, is the rare surprise that will not only please the high expectations of fanboys, but will entertain mainstream audiences even if they are not familiar with comic book mythology. While it is helpful to be familiar with the previous movies inspired by the Marvel Universe (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger) in order to fully enjoy The Avengers, it is not required. Whedon, who wrote the script (based on an early draft from Zak Penn), sets up the world of the movie very clearly as we meet our gang of misfits.
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is the director of the top secret government agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. When he discovers that an otherworldly god-like entity known as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) plans to use an infinite power source called the Tesseract to wage intergalactic war with Earth, Fury sends out word for the Avengers to assemble. The Avengers, as they will come to be known, include billionaire playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), better known as Iron Man; Captain America (Chris Evans), formerly Steve Rogers, a genetically manipulated soldier who has been entombed in ice for 70 years; Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a hammer-wielding being from another dimension who is also Loki’s brother; and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), whose alter ego, the Hulk, is always lurking under the surface. Fury’s team also boasts superspy Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johannson) a.k.a Black Widow and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) whose amazing archery skills have earned him the code name Hawkeye.
Since so many of the characters are easily recognizable, regardless of whether the viewer has seen the previous Marvel films, The Avengers hits the ground running very early on. Though each hero is more comfortable working on their own, Fury brings them together as one team in hopes of defeating Loki, a force he knows none of them could take on individually. Each has his or her own role to play, with Captain America being the strategist and tactician, Iron Man being the Big Picture guy, the Hulk providing the muscle and Thor being capable of mass chaos.
Though the film was converted to 3D in post-production, the effects are never distracting and do actually provide another level of engagement for the audience. As with many 3D films, the effects do tend to blur with rapid camera movement, but that is almost to be expected at this point. Most impressive, visually speaking, is the digital creation of the Hulk, who is intimidating for the first time since Lou Ferrigno. In the two previous disasters, Hulk and The Incredible Hulk, the character has looked more cartoonish than frightening. The Avengers finally gets it right.
Whedon is clearly the sole reason The Avengers is as successful as it is. The actors are all terrific in their roles, but it is Whedon’s well-written script and brilliant vision that makes the film work. Though this is Whedon’s first big-budget film, it is obvious his small screen successes were the perfect training ground for him to take on a production of this size. The Avengers is exciting, funny and definitely one of the best superhero films of all time.
Grade: A
The Summer of the Superhero Showdown
0May 2, 2012
This weekend, The Avengers will open in theaters nationwide, sating the appetites of fanboys everywhere and kicking off the Summer of the Superhero. While superhero movies have become as ubiquitous to the summer blockbuster season as bloggers at Comic-Con, no previous year has had as much anticipation and build-up as 2012, with three movies battling to be the king of the Superhero Showdown. With The Avengers (May 4), The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) and The Dark Knight Rises (July 20), moviegoers will have more than ample opportunity to geek out and unleash their inner-twelve-year-old selves.
While the source material for all three movies are classic comic book lore (The Avengers and Spider-Man from Marvel comics, Batman from the DC universe), the films couldn’t be more different in nearly every other respect. The Avengers, directed and co-written by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity), is the culmination of the myriad preparations that Marvel Studios has been getting in order since Iron Man (2008). Whedon, who has shown himself to be one of the most creative and ingenious filmmakers working today, will be tackling his first big budget movie with The Avengers. After assembling a rabidly loyal fan base with television shows like Firefly and Dollhouse, Whedon couldn’t have picked a bigger stage from which to launch himself into mainstream conversation.
If one considers Joss Whedon the perfect director to take over a blockbuster franchise, Marc Webb would probably be considered, by most, to be the least likely. With his witty and charming first feature (500) Days of Summer, Webb was pegged by most critics as a new voice in independent filmmaking. Instead, Marvel Studios selected Webb to direct The Amazing Spider-Man, a re-boot of the not-very-old Spider-Man franchise. After Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), each more cartoonish than the last, the studio wanted a Spider-Man who was based more in reality and comic book mythology (i.e. Christopher Nolan’s Batman). Webb, who showed he has a keen eye for impressive visuals and a clear sense of character development, may just be able to give Spider-Man the boost of confidence he deserves.
The film with the most to prove to audiences and critics (not to mention at the box office), is The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan’s third and final installment of his Batman trilogy. After the success of The Dark Knight, thanks in large part to the dazzling performance of the late Heath Ledger as The Joker, TDKR has a lot of pressure on it leading up to its July 20 release. Though Raimi’s Spider-Man, or more accurately Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000), may have launched the superhero movie bonanza, Nolan’s approach to the genre proved that movies based on comic books can, and sometimes should, be based in reality. The noir-ish nature of Nolan’s films is both an extension of Batman’s dark history and the style of illustration the stories took on in the 80s. Nolan’s previous two installments, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, were critical and box offices successes. Hopefully he can pull it off one more time.
So, to which audiences are these three potential powerhouses most likely to appeal? The clear fanboy favorite will be The Avengers, with no less than six superheroes packed into one movie. However, Whedon has already been involved in possibly the most inventive and entertaining film of 2012, The Cabin in the Woods, which he co-wrote with director Drew Goddard. Having garnered attention from both mainstream and indie audiences, The Avengers may see a more diverse audience than it initially anticipated.
The Amazing Spider-Man has three critical things going for it: Webb in the director’s chair; Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man; and Emma Stone as Peter’s love interest, Gwen Stacy. (If you count no Tobey Maguire, the movie’s got four things in its favor.) Webb clearly knows how to tell a story that is both humorous and engaging, so it will be interesting to see if his talents lend themselves to the superhero genre. Garfield, who dominated in The Social Network, has been poised to break out as a star for some time. And Stone…well, she’s just fantastic (and not too bad to look at).
The Dark Knight Rises, with its unbelievably talented cast and visionary director, will appeal to both serious film aficionados and general moviegoers. Nolan is known for making “indie-minded” pictures that are staged like big-budget blockbusters (just look at Inception), allowing him to gain the respect of industry execs and true lovers of cinema. With luck, TDKR will be the beginning of a new stage of his ever-evolving career.
By the beginning of August, it will be clear which film will have earned the title of King of the Superhero Showdown. In the long run, though, it may not matter since moviegoers are the ones who will ultimately win since a summer this exciting only comes around about once a decade.
So, which movie are you most excited to see? Leave your comments below.
The Avengers trailer
The Dark Knight Rises trailer
The Amazing Spider-Man trailer
Movies Every Guy Should See: ‘Cool Hand Luke’ (1967)
0April 18, 2012
“Yeah, well, sometimes nothin’ can be a real cool hand.”
With those words, one of cinema’s most iconic characters was born. Among the greatest films to come out of the 1960s, Cool Hand Luke is a sardonic condemnation of pretty much everything that was happening in America at that time. Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is an aimless punk who gets thrown into a prison camp for cutting the heads off parking meters. He wasn’t stealing the change from them, he just couldn’t think of anything better to do. In the camp, he gains the respect of the other prisoners by his infinitely cool attitude and endless patience.
Luke is a natural born troublemaker, bucking authority of any kind the first chance he gets. Luke escapes from the prison several times, only to be captured and brought back fairly quickly. We get the impression that his escape attempts (like the destruction of the parking meters) stem more from wanting to get a rise out of the guards and warden than from a genuine desire for freedom. After all, what else does Luke have to do?
One of the film’s most famous scenes involves Luke and the other prisoners laying blacktop on a stretch of gravel road that seems to go on forever. While the others are working at a nice leisurely pace, Luke begins breaking his back to lay the tar as fast as he can. The others join him (because why not?) and eventually they realize they’ve run out of road. The sun is still up, so the men get to enjoy doing nothing for just a little while. The imagery (later echoed in Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption) is a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit.
Director Stuart Rosenberg allows the film to amble along at its own pace, reflecting Luke’s approach to life and his situation. Filled with dry humor and witty dialogue, Cool Hand Luke evolves from a light comedy into a much more serious film with deeper meanings being revealed as the story progresses. Luke is neither counterculture nor a part of the establishment, so he doesn’t really fit any mold of how a person should act. He makes up his own rules and moves through life as a loner.
What he doesn’t realize (and what soon becomes too much for him to handle) is his laid-back, easy-going attitude is irresistible to the men around him since he doesn’t let any of the world’s negativity affect him. As they begin looking to him as a beacon of hope and inspiration, Luke becomes more withdrawn and reactionary, lashing out to avoid being idolized by the men. The film itself is a manual for finding meaning in one’s own life and not looking to others or society for purpose or reason. Luke isn’t a hero or anti-hero; he’s just a man making his way through life the only way he knows how.
Movie Review: ‘The Raid: Redemption’
0April 13, 2012
Drop everything you’re doing this weekend and go see The Raid: Redemption. The film, which blew audiences away at the Sundance Film Festival last year and at South By Southwest this year, is the most adrenaline- fueled and violent film since…actually, The Raid has no predecessors. This action spectacular is in a league all its own and is destined to become a cult favorite in a very short time.
In 2002, The Bourne Identity raised the bar for fight choreography in action movies. Ten years later, The Raid makes Jason Bourne look like Jake LaMotta at the end of his career. Writer/director Gareth Evans constantly escalates the film’s fight sequences until the climax crescendos into an all-out battle where the actors are executing moves no human should be able to accomplish.
The plot is simple (some will say too simple, but ignore them). A group of elite police officers must invade a dilapidated apartment building in order to take down ruthless crime lord Tama (Ray Sahetapy) who lords over the structure and the occupants like a king, untouchable by anyone. Rama (Iko Uwais) is a young officer with a pregnant wife at home. All he wants is to come home safely, even though the mission seems like certain death. However, early in the film, we see Rama’s morning routine which includes unleashing a fury of rapid-fire blows to a heavy bag, moving so fast that the punches and kicks are almost a blur.
As the men ascend the building floor by floor, their progress is going well until one of Tama’s spotters sets off an alarm, alerting Tama, and the rest of the building’s residents, to the presence of intruders, i.e. cops. Tama orders his minions to evict the unwelcome guests in whatever manner they so choose. This involves machetes, machine guns and countless displays of dazzling martial arts skills. Rama and the other men must then decide to either complete their mission or attempt to escape with their lives.
Evans, an Irish native who has lived and worked in Indonesia for the past several years, made The Raid for two reasons. First, he wanted to bring international attention to the martial art known as silat. This style of fighting, which relies as much on speed as it does on strength, is essentially the equivalent of the national sport of Indonesia, but is relatively obscure in other countries.
In addition to highlighting silat, Evans also wanted to make his friend Uwais an international action star. Uwais, who appeared in Evans’ previous film, Merantau, is also one of the film’s fight choreographers, along with Yayan Ruhian, who plays the sadistic Mad Dog. Together, Uwais and Ruhian have created fight sequences so brilliantly arranged and perfectly executed as to be almost balletic. Uwais, both a handsome leading man and a master of silat, is likely to be a marquee name in no time.
The Raid: Redemption is an action picture unlike any other. Evans allows the fight scenes to last well over five minutes at times, an eternity compared to most action movies. The desperation of the characters is felt as the scenes become more and more violent and much more personal. Walking out of The Raid, all you will want to do is turn around and watch it again.
Grade: A-
Five Reasons You Should Be Watching ‘Community’
0April 3, 2012
Few shows currently on television are as funny, intelligent and innovative as NBC’s Community. Week after week, creator Dan Harmon and his brilliant writing staff turn sitcom conventions upside down and toy with the very nature of television comedy. Whether crafting episodes that are an amalgamation of tribute to and spoof of classic cinema (“A Fistful of Paintballs,” “For a Few Paintballs More) or setting almost an entire episode in several alternate realities (“Remedial Chaos Theory”), Community is consistently entertaining and mentally stimulating.
The show follows a motley group of friends who attempt to navigate the strange world of Greendale Community College which is overseen by Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) whose implied sexual proclivities are both fascinating and disturbing. Former lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) is the study group’s de facto leader since his magnetic charm is too strong for anyone to resist. Each week, the show either cleverly attacks a sitcom stereotype (“Cooperative Calligraphy”) or traces the absurdity of the college experience and what it means to be an adult.
However, much like another inventive show that was ahead of its time (Fox’s Arrested Development), Community is in severe danger of being cancelled. After a four-month hiatus, Community has returned to its Thursday night timeslot (up against CBS’ behemoth The Big Bang Theory) to finish Season Three, but NBC is yet to confirm whether or not the show will get a fourth season. If you aren’t already a loyal viewer, here are five reasons you should be watching Community each and every week.
5. Troy and Abed
Easily the biggest breakout stars of the series are Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) and Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi). These two unlikely best friends are usually the source of each episode’s biggest laughs. Troy is a former high school football star who ends up at Greendale because he broke his throwing arm right before leaving for college. Abed is, well…detached. He understands the world best through references to television and film and isn’t great at reading facial expressions.
Troy and Abed have inspired numerous additions to the pop culture lexicon, but the faux morning show they “host” at Greendale is one of the funniest running jokes on Community.
4. The Many Costumes of Dean Pelton
Even though he recently won an Academy Award for co-writing The Descendants, Jim Rash’s best work is on Community as the flamboyant and sexually adventurous Dean Pelton. Though it is always entertaining to watch Dean Pelton find a way to touch Jeff in every episode, it is his endless parade of ridiculous costumes that makes his character invaluable to the show.
3. Alison Brie as Annie Edison
What else needs to be said?
2. Season-Spanning Jokes
While most sitcoms are made up of self-contained, single episode jokes, Community has become known for setting up punch lines over multiple episodes or even multiple seasons. Here is just one example of how the writers are able to spread a single joke over an entire season. Watch the background carefully.
One of the show’s greatest supporting characters is Leonard (Richard Erdman), an elderly student at Greendale who is living the college life to its fullest. The recurring outburst of “Shut up, Leonard” followed by some insight into the senior citizen’s character is the highlight of any episode.
1. The Writers
Dan Harmon has amassed the most talented writing staff working in television today. Each episode contains hilarious jokes and brilliant dialogue with which no other show can compete. From the racist/sexist/ageist insults of millionaire businessman Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase) to Shirley Bennett’s (Yvette Nicole Brown) caring Christian/slightly judgmental worldview, Community is the most reliably funny show since Arrested Development.
The writers are also wonderfully talented at creating “meta” episodes that either examine existing entertainment archetypes or the show itself. Websites created by fans take joy in dissecting the show’s endless references to pop culture and film as well as to past seasons or episodes. However, one of the series’ most crowning achievements is “Paradigms of Human Memory,” which is a flashback episode comprised of events that we’ve never seen before. According to the numerous alternate stories we see, at one time or another, the group was held captive by terrorists, committed to a mental asylum and trapped in a haunted house. If this one episode doesn’t make you a believer in Community, then nothing will.
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