I have designated May 2018 as my Ai Shinozaki Month, to celebrate her as the world's most beautiful actress. Every day I shall publish a photograph of her.
Senin, 30 April 2018
Ai Sinozaki Month Day 1
Watch Movies TV -
I have designated May 2018 as my Ai Shinozaki Month, to celebrate her as the world's most beautiful actress. Every day I shall publish a photograph of her.
I have designated May 2018 as my Ai Shinozaki Month, to celebrate her as the world's most beautiful actress. Every day I shall publish a photograph of her.
TV76: Updates on Some Great TV Serials: Black Sails, Mr. Robot, Homeland
Watch Movies TV -
Black Sails, Seasons 3 and 4
The final two seasons of Black Sails were very much in keeping with the first two seasons: a compelling, well-written and well-conceived plot (see original review (TV45) for characters and plot) along with intelligent and nuanced dialogue, excellent acting, lots of extraordinary cinematography and a great score. If anything, the amount of gratuitous sex and graphic violence decreased in these final seasons, so in some ways I liked them better than the first two seasons.
Watching the first season, it took me two episodes to realize that one of the characters was none other than John Silver. I understood immediately that this was one character, at least, who wouldn’t be killed off, but I didn’t fully realize until the end of the fourth season that the entire purpose of Black Sails was to provide a prequel to Stevenson’s Treasure Island. I should have guessed this, but I assumed the writers were just trying to throw in any pirates associated with the Caribbean at the time. Not so. This serial is carefully researched and brings together not only the key players we know from history, but also ends in such a way that it sets up Treasure Island perfectly (I know because I reread Treasure Island immediately after finishing Black Sails).
TV critics weren’t much impressed with Black Sails (other than the cinematography), which I can’t understand at all, especially since they tended to pick on the character development. I thought the characters were endlessly fascinating and that the character development was as almost as good as the best cable shows. I was generally very satisfied with the entire serial and if anything I am now inclined to give Black Sails somewhere between ***+ and ****. My mug is up (but remember that the show is quite violent at times).
Mr. Robot, Seasons 2 and 3
Unlike Black Sails, Mr. Robot gets rave reviews from critics. These are well-deserved, as Mr. Robot continues to be an incredibly compelling, intelligent, well-acted and beautifully shot TV serial (again, see my original review (TV44) for details about the plot and characters).
I didn’t like season 2 quite as much as season 1, but it was still great TV, and season 3 is almost as good as season 1. Unfortunately, the ending of season 3 didn’t work for me. As always, the sudden bursts of graphic violence in Mr. Robot turn me right off, but the final episode of the third season goes well beyond the pale in this regard and the entire episode left me rather unsatisfied.
Nevertheless, this cutting-edge surreal psychological cyber-thriller remains among my favourite TV serials of all time and retains its solid ****. My mug is up.
Homeland, Seasons 5 and 6
I promised to keep you updated on Homeland, a brilliantly-acted TV serial about the CIA that experienced a dramatic decline in its storytelling after the first couple of seasons. I became so worried about the writing in seasons 3 and 4 that I contemplated no longer watching the show, but Homeland was on my list of all-time Top Ten TV serials after season 2, so I couldn’t stop watching. Good thing.
The plots of seasons 5 and 6 are too complex to deal with here, but of particular interest is the involvement of Israel and the Mossad in both seasons, and how that involvement leads to major tensions between Dar Adal (F. Murray Abraham) and Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin). Carrie (Claire Danes) remains the show’s heart, of course, but Saul’s role is of paramount importance because of my previous worries about Homeland’s political direction (as expressed in my earlier reviews). Regular readers know how little respect (that would be zero) I have for the CIA and Mossad, so I am wary of any show that grants them too much respect.
In my earliest review, I noted that the only thing that kept my hopes strong in this regard was the presence of Patinkin, a left-leaning Jew with strong views about the Israeli occupation of Palestine. I was convinced that Patinkin’s tremendous integrity would not allow Homeland to go too far wrong. My patience was finally rewarded in the sixth season as Saul indicates to his sister that his views coincide with those of the actor playing him. So while the critics were less impressed with season 6 than with season 5, season 6 is one of my favourite seasons of Homeland. If only the last episode hadn’t gone off the rails. The ending of season 6 felt hurried, anticlimactic and downright crazy. Not impressed at all.
But even in that unimpressive ending, as well as in the ending of season 5, there were some wonderful moments in the midst of the chaos. As of now, Homeland retains its solid **** and remains among my favourite TV serials.
Retro Review: Lie With Me (2005)
Watch Movies TV -
Lie With Me
2005
Cast: Lauren Lee Smith, Eric Balfour, Polly Shannon, Mayko Nguyen
Genre: Erotic Drama
Estimated Canadian Box Office Gross: over $2 million
Plot: A young woman who's formed her sexual identity around anonymous one-night-stands considers the option of a committed, monogamous relationship
'These Movie's Hips Do Lie'
Lie With Me is an independent Canadian hardcore porn drama with a tepid story, tepid performances with sex scenes that left me feeling tepid. Although if it had a prettier looking actress as Lila, I guess it wouldn't have been so bad. In terms of the good-looking guy, they got it spot-on with Eric Balfour but with the lead female, they could have gone one better.
The woman, unattached video store clerk, Leila is sexually charged and sleeps around with several guys. When she meets David, an artist who is looking for a deeper commitment, she hops into bed with him and hoping he will make her change her promiscuous ways.But that doesn't stop her thinking about sex and having sex, even when David doesn't want to give into her desires.
Leila narrates a contrived monologue: a monologue so tedious and nauseating and making little sense most of the time because she constantly curses with her filthy mouth. She also uses that same mouth to give oral sex to a guy in David, who she bumps into. And the two have an illicit affair of sorts.
I don't like the film Pretty Woman, but for some reason Lie With Me, is like a hardcore porn version - only minus the rich/poor opposites, Leila is, even more, sadder and pathetic than Vivian, who only has one thing on her mind: and that is to screw, and it has highly charged erotic sex scenes. Sex - not love is what counts for her, and that I find sad in a character in Leila.
The dialogue is occasionally atrocious, the lead female character, Leila cannot seem to stop muttering the F-word and c**k and she looks a little thin, the performances are one-note and stiff & she came across as dislikable and shallow, who thinks so highly of herself along with the guy played by Eric Balfour. Both characters are not only sexually frustrated but emotionally, they are a mess too. It's a shame, therefore, the film chooses to skip on this aspect and that it just plays out as a nothing love story with no real emotions felt that go beyond the physical and erotic. Passion isn't just screwing with the other person and passion is something that both David and Leila lack and she is just too selfish. I think Lie With Me is a film that tries to have its cake and eat it: the problem is, the film presents itself as a sex flick and when it touches upon the characters feelings and emotions and tries to be meaningful and serious, it fails to convince and it's not strong enough. One also wonders why David would dump his blonde girlfriend for someone as, others would see it, plain looking as Leila.
The whole film leaves a lot to be desired and all attempts at coming across as a love story, fail. If one's idea of a love story is having a female character utter c**k several times, then one needs to re-analyse their intentions. With a dreary voice-over and slow pacing that put me to sleep, it was so nauseating to sit through. Besides the graphic & unsimulated sex scenes, Lie With Me doesn't attempt and doesn't even try to attempt to delve into any of the issues from an emotional perspective, the other side stories with the other characters are meagre and the conflict towards David and Leila is utterly weak.
This was a mess and a bore to boot.
Final Verdict:
Even if you are into the sex scenes, you can do better and look elsewhere for that, alone and as here they are not so appealing. If you are watching this to see some emotional and tangible character development, one is looking at the wrong movie. Lie With Me is not it, and it never will be.
This is a romantic drama that plays out like it is being clever and smart, that it wants us or me to feel like there is a real payoff. Yet the thing is, Lie With Me has a female character, who has a potty mouth who keeps saying the F-word, it's as if she has Tourettes or something.
Lie With Me has no pay-off and as a romantic drama, despite the eroticism, romance-wise, it's all a lie.
& it's beyond bad.
Overall:
2005
Cast: Lauren Lee Smith, Eric Balfour, Polly Shannon, Mayko Nguyen
Genre: Erotic Drama
Estimated Canadian Box Office Gross: over $2 million
Plot: A young woman who's formed her sexual identity around anonymous one-night-stands considers the option of a committed, monogamous relationship
'These Movie's Hips Do Lie'
Lie With Me is an independent Canadian hardcore porn drama with a tepid story, tepid performances with sex scenes that left me feeling tepid. Although if it had a prettier looking actress as Lila, I guess it wouldn't have been so bad. In terms of the good-looking guy, they got it spot-on with Eric Balfour but with the lead female, they could have gone one better.
The woman, unattached video store clerk, Leila is sexually charged and sleeps around with several guys. When she meets David, an artist who is looking for a deeper commitment, she hops into bed with him and hoping he will make her change her promiscuous ways.But that doesn't stop her thinking about sex and having sex, even when David doesn't want to give into her desires.
Leila narrates a contrived monologue: a monologue so tedious and nauseating and making little sense most of the time because she constantly curses with her filthy mouth. She also uses that same mouth to give oral sex to a guy in David, who she bumps into. And the two have an illicit affair of sorts.
I don't like the film Pretty Woman, but for some reason Lie With Me, is like a hardcore porn version - only minus the rich/poor opposites, Leila is, even more, sadder and pathetic than Vivian, who only has one thing on her mind: and that is to screw, and it has highly charged erotic sex scenes. Sex - not love is what counts for her, and that I find sad in a character in Leila.
The dialogue is occasionally atrocious, the lead female character, Leila cannot seem to stop muttering the F-word and c**k and she looks a little thin, the performances are one-note and stiff & she came across as dislikable and shallow, who thinks so highly of herself along with the guy played by Eric Balfour. Both characters are not only sexually frustrated but emotionally, they are a mess too. It's a shame, therefore, the film chooses to skip on this aspect and that it just plays out as a nothing love story with no real emotions felt that go beyond the physical and erotic. Passion isn't just screwing with the other person and passion is something that both David and Leila lack and she is just too selfish. I think Lie With Me is a film that tries to have its cake and eat it: the problem is, the film presents itself as a sex flick and when it touches upon the characters feelings and emotions and tries to be meaningful and serious, it fails to convince and it's not strong enough. One also wonders why David would dump his blonde girlfriend for someone as, others would see it, plain looking as Leila.
The whole film leaves a lot to be desired and all attempts at coming across as a love story, fail. If one's idea of a love story is having a female character utter c**k several times, then one needs to re-analyse their intentions. With a dreary voice-over and slow pacing that put me to sleep, it was so nauseating to sit through. Besides the graphic & unsimulated sex scenes, Lie With Me doesn't attempt and doesn't even try to attempt to delve into any of the issues from an emotional perspective, the other side stories with the other characters are meagre and the conflict towards David and Leila is utterly weak.
This was a mess and a bore to boot.
Final Verdict:
Even if you are into the sex scenes, you can do better and look elsewhere for that, alone and as here they are not so appealing. If you are watching this to see some emotional and tangible character development, one is looking at the wrong movie. Lie With Me is not it, and it never will be.
This is a romantic drama that plays out like it is being clever and smart, that it wants us or me to feel like there is a real payoff. Yet the thing is, Lie With Me has a female character, who has a potty mouth who keeps saying the F-word, it's as if she has Tourettes or something.
Lie With Me has no pay-off and as a romantic drama, despite the eroticism, romance-wise, it's all a lie.
& it's beyond bad.
Overall:
FIRST LOOK AT CHILLING THRILLER 'AGRAMON'S GATE'
Watch Movies TV -
Painted Creek Productions have released a chilling series of movie stills from their upcoming thriller, AGRAMON'S GATE. This new horror movie was written, produced and directed by multi award-winning filmmaker and actor Harley Wallen (Artificial Loyalty starring John Savage and Richard Tyson, Moving Parts).
This film stars Laurene Landon (Maniac Cop 1 and 2, Sky opposite Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger, as well as the upcoming Nation's Fire opposite two time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern) and Yan Birch (Wes Craven's The People Underneath the Stairs, Death House).
This much buzzed about thriller is the story of Richie, a young man with a dark past coming to pull him back in. At the age of 12 he shot and killed his father to protect his mother who was being assaulted by his deeply troubled dad.
Richie has just bought a house, gotten married and at the housewarming party along with a psychic medium something else comes through and haunts the people from the party. Is it Carter, Richie's father? Has Carter come back to settle the score? Or is it Sharon, his mother who’s been at a mental institution ever since? Or is it a spirit or a demon and if so, what can they do to combat it? Richie and his friends must solve the mystery before it's too late. Agramon will not be easy to stop.
For more information on AGRAMONS' GATE be sure to give the production companies Facebook page a LIKE:
Painted Creek Productions have released a chilling series of movie stills from their upcoming thriller, AGRAMON'S GATE. This new horror movie was written, produced and directed by multi award-winning filmmaker and actor Harley Wallen (Artificial Loyalty starring John Savage and Richard Tyson, Moving Parts).
This film stars Laurene Landon (Maniac Cop 1 and 2, Sky opposite Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger, as well as the upcoming Nation's Fire opposite two time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern) and Yan Birch (Wes Craven's The People Underneath the Stairs, Death House).
This much buzzed about thriller is the story of Richie, a young man with a dark past coming to pull him back in. At the age of 12 he shot and killed his father to protect his mother who was being assaulted by his deeply troubled dad.
Richie has just bought a house, gotten married and at the housewarming party along with a psychic medium something else comes through and haunts the people from the party. Is it Carter, Richie's father? Has Carter come back to settle the score? Or is it Sharon, his mother who’s been at a mental institution ever since? Or is it a spirit or a demon and if so, what can they do to combat it? Richie and his friends must solve the mystery before it's too late. Agramon will not be easy to stop.
For more information on AGRAMONS' GATE be sure to give the production companies Facebook page a LIKE:
Film Review: WASTELANDER (2018)
Watch Movies TV -
WASTELANDER ** USA 2018 Dir: Angelo Lopes 90 mins
This action/adventure/ sci fi follows Rhyous as he makes his way through the wasteland trying to find Eden believing it to be the last safe place in a world of poverty and war. As he goes through raided towns he finds himself amidst a war between raiders, known as The Scourge, and the towns folk just trying to survive and protect what is theirs. Along the way he makes a few allies amongst the enemies but will he be able to help them when/if he finds Eden or is this just another myth?!
For it's low budget the use of green screen visual effects and some pretty awesome costumes are very effective. Some of the visuals are better than others but they all add to the futuristic post apocalyptic back drop in a positive way. The costumes look great and seem to be somewhere in between Mad Max and the sand people from Star Wars. The use of voice concealers and masks are pretty cool. It is also great to see women in these costumes fighting alongside the men and kicking arse! I did however find that the dialogue dragged it along quite painfully which was a disappointment. Rhyous played by Brendan Guy Murphy did his best to carry it along and did an okay job of it but there is only so much one guy can do. The female characters on The Scourges side were alright but luckily they did not have bigger roles as they were a bit wooden. The same can be said of Carol Cardenas as Neve who certainly looked the part but was probably a bit out of her depth in this role. Their attempt at a comedy character was also a bit poor. Jon Proudstar played Solek who just kind of tags along because he has too and makes childish remarks like "I'm watching your six dickhole" but doesn't add a whole lot else to the mix. Those are the only things that I felt let it down anyway, I enjoyed the action scenes, setting and overall concept, you can't help but draw comparisons to other similar movies but on the whole not too bad.
Review by Sarah Budd
WASTELANDER ** USA 2018 Dir: Angelo Lopes 90 mins
For it's low budget the use of green screen visual effects and some pretty awesome costumes are very effective. Some of the visuals are better than others but they all add to the futuristic post apocalyptic back drop in a positive way. The costumes look great and seem to be somewhere in between Mad Max and the sand people from Star Wars. The use of voice concealers and masks are pretty cool. It is also great to see women in these costumes fighting alongside the men and kicking arse! I did however find that the dialogue dragged it along quite painfully which was a disappointment. Rhyous played by Brendan Guy Murphy did his best to carry it along and did an okay job of it but there is only so much one guy can do. The female characters on The Scourges side were alright but luckily they did not have bigger roles as they were a bit wooden. The same can be said of Carol Cardenas as Neve who certainly looked the part but was probably a bit out of her depth in this role. Their attempt at a comedy character was also a bit poor. Jon Proudstar played Solek who just kind of tags along because he has too and makes childish remarks like "I'm watching your six dickhole" but doesn't add a whole lot else to the mix. Those are the only things that I felt let it down anyway, I enjoyed the action scenes, setting and overall concept, you can't help but draw comparisons to other similar movies but on the whole not too bad.
Review by Sarah Budd
DANNY TREJO STARS IN SCI-FI ACTION THRILLER
Watch Movies TV -
Action superstar Danny Trejo is out to make a killing in Chris Le’s thrilling sci-fi action film CARTEL 2045 as it explodes onto digital platforms this May from Uncork’d Entertainment.
One last mission. Retrieve the asset. Go Back to Your Family.
Synopsis:
The year is 2045, the continuing drug war has caused havoc between The United States and Mexico. Gear Side International, a robotics engineering company on the brink of bankruptcy, sells off their technology to the Cartel on the black market. With the advanced military robotics technology in the wrong hands the cartel uses it to their advantage; replacing their enforcers, hit men, and soldiers.
From director Chris Le, and starring screen sensation Danny Trejo (Machete, The Devil’s Rejects) with Alexander P. Heartman (‘’Power Rangers Samurai”), Brad Schmidt (“House of Lies”), and Blake Webb (“Colony”).
CARTEL 2045 premieres on VOD 1st May 2018.
Action superstar Danny Trejo is out to make a killing in Chris Le’s thrilling sci-fi action film CARTEL 2045 as it explodes onto digital platforms this May from Uncork’d Entertainment.
One last mission. Retrieve the asset. Go Back to Your Family.
Synopsis:
The year is 2045, the continuing drug war has caused havoc between The United States and Mexico. Gear Side International, a robotics engineering company on the brink of bankruptcy, sells off their technology to the Cartel on the black market. With the advanced military robotics technology in the wrong hands the cartel uses it to their advantage; replacing their enforcers, hit men, and soldiers.
From director Chris Le, and starring screen sensation Danny Trejo (Machete, The Devil’s Rejects) with Alexander P. Heartman (‘’Power Rangers Samurai”), Brad Schmidt (“House of Lies”), and Blake Webb (“Colony”).
CARTEL 2045 premieres on VOD 1st May 2018.
Film review: FALLEN ANGEL (Otto Preminger, 1945)
Watch Movies TV -
In an attempt to procure funds to make himself more of a catch in her eyes, he woos June Mills, the good girl of the town, who’s sister has wealth to spare. The plan is to defraud her of her wealth so then Stella and he will marry and live the material life she feels she merits. But, in getting to know the shy organ-playing bookworm June, he struggles to separate his heart from his head.
The most interesting aspect of the film, however, is not the murder, but the depth of the central character. As Stanton reflects, he’s a loser. He’s gotten so used to losing at life, believing the dice are perpetually loaded, that he’s given up trying to fight it. That is, until he meets the ‘Fallen Angel’ (but who does the title refer?)
--
For more of my film reviews, including some of the films I've mentioned in this review: Arrival, Elle and The Handmaiden, click here.
Eric Stanton, a penniless, down on his luck conman arrives in a Californian coastal town and instantly falls for Stella, the resident siren. Unfortunately for him, he’s not the only one to have fallen under her spell, as all the men in the town are equally smitten with her.
Also unfortunately for Stanton is that he has no money, meaning the mercenary Stella refuses to marry him.
Also unfortunately for Stanton is that he has no money, meaning the mercenary Stella refuses to marry him.
Otto Preminger has directed several of my favourite films, including Laura, The Moon is Blue and the noirish exploration of drug addiction, The Man with the Golden Arm. Fallen Angel plays with two of the most familiar tropes in film noir: the femme fatale and the homme fatal, but offers a window of deliverance for the latter, to give the well-worn plot arcs and intriguing twist.
The ‘con artist falling for the person they’re attempting to swindle’ plot beat always makes for fascinating viewing, and indeed, it underpinned my second favourite film of 2016, the steam Korean heist flick The Handmaiden. In addition to the 18-rated sex scenes which wold never have stood in the Hayes Code era of Fallen, Angel, The Handmaiden was an excessively tricksy film, which is far removed from the more straightforward storytelling conventions they employed in classic era Hollywood.
But the simplicity of Fallen Angel suits the film. Scenes where Stanton worms his way into June’s heart (such as imbibing her first alcoholic beverage) are filled with a simple charm as Faye winningly depicts how her sheltered character comes out of her shell. Yet they are also underscored with tension and dramatic irony, as the audience knows the principal character is doing it with ulterior motives.
The protagonist yo-yos between the two women, the vampish, sultry but extremely selfish Stella (Linda Darnell) and the virtuous innocent who’s too trusting for her own good (Alice Faye). You will him to go for the nice girl, but Darnell’s vampish allure, all thick eyelashes and withering looks, cannot be overstated, and as such, it’s not hard to see why she has half the town under her cosh.
The virtuoso camerawork by Joseph LaShelle was some of the best for its time. The way the camera rests on Darnell’s pulchritudinous form accentuates the actress’ sexuality. The use of shadows, and light and dark effectively ramp up the dark sense of foreboding of the film, contributing to the ominous feeling that in any scene, someone could be – and probably is – lurking around the corner.
The murder plot, a somewhat surprising turn of events late on in the film, makes for a genuinely twisty whodunit. Trying to work out the perpetrator genuinely puzzles the audience Darnell has four men lusting after her in the film, Faye’s character has the obvious motive of jealousy, and her sister, who was burnt by a slimy man in the past who conned her, has the motive of trying to protect her sister (and her assets).
Whilst the reveal does rely on some improbabilities, this is not new to film noirs. Suspend your disbelief over how conveniently everything lines up in La La Land movies, as I did for Mildred Pierce, Sorry, Wrong Number and one of the greatest noirs of all-time, Double Indemnity, and the film is more enjoyable for it.
The most interesting aspect of the film, however, is not the murder, but the depth of the central character. As Stanton reflects, he’s a loser. He’s gotten so used to losing at life, believing the dice are perpetually loaded, that he’s given up trying to fight it. That is, until he meets the ‘Fallen Angel’ (but who does the title refer?)Dana Andrews, who had previously collaborated with Preminger in 1944's Laura, a film commonly regarded as one of the all-time greats, does fantastic work under the same director again. In his understated, precise way, conveys each of these disappointments and unfulfilled dreams with just a look or a barely discernible shrug of the shoulder. Andrews is fully attune to his character's backstory and how that has clouded his perception of the world, and captivates the audience with it in his rounded, humane performance.
This subtle style of acting was particularly impressive given it came in a classic era film, where characters emotions tended to be more explicitly telegraphed for the audience.
This subtle style of acting was particularly impressive given it came in a classic era film, where characters emotions tended to be more explicitly telegraphed for the audience.
In modern films, such a nuanced form of acting, where it doesn’t feel so much as the performer is acting, but reacting, makes for some of my favourite performances: Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years, Amy Adams in Arrival and Isabelle Huppert in Elle, to name a few.
That Andrews mastered it 73 years ago, is really something.
8/10
--
For more of my film reviews, including some of the films I've mentioned in this review: Arrival, Elle and The Handmaiden, click here.
Avengers: Infinity War
Watch Movies TV -(M) ★★★★½
Director: Anthony and Joe Russo.
Cast: Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel.
Look at all those names up there. That's almost every hero in the MCU, all Hulk-smashed together into one movie. Having already done the ultimate crossover with The Avengers (six superheroes!), and then upping the game with Avengers: Age Of Ultron (11 superheroes!), and then hitting it out of the park with Captain America: Civil War (12 superheroes!), Marvel have decided all the superheroes is the only place left to go.
After all, this is the moment Marvel has been waiting for (or, rather, one of the many moments). Ten years on since they rolled the dice with Iron Man, and six years on since they planted the first Thanos seed, the Marvel Cinematic Universe reaps what it has sown. And what a bumper crop it is.
The plot centres on big bad Thanos, who is hellbent on reducing the over-population problem he feels is crippling the universe. To do this, he requires the infinity stones - a series of MacGuffins that have been popping up throughout the MCU since Captain America: The First Avenger way back in 2011.
It's up to the heroes of Earth and space to stop Thanos from collecting all the infinity stones and wiping out half the universe. But are they up to the challenge?
If you don't know your Vision from your Falcon, than you may struggle to make head or tail of this. Avengers: Infinity War is that kind of mega-franchise movie that requires some prior learning (a la the latter Harry Potter films or recent Star Wars movies) to fully grasp what's going on. It's assumed you've seen at least some of the previous MCU films, but preferably all of them and that you know who and what Iron Man is, and who knows who and who doesn’t know who. Don’t expect to find out why there’s a wizard guy with a flying coat or a tree playing video games - this movie doesn't have those answers.
As such, Infinity War isn't big on character development or arcs, with one notable exception - Thanos. The Russo Brothers had said in pre-release interviews that this is Thanos' film, and they weren't kidding. The big purple titan, played by a mo-capped Brolin, is one of the most intriguing villains to grace the screen since Heath Ledger dyed his hair green and slapped on the grease paint.
Thanos' ambitions and motives are far from one-dimensional, and there are moments when you can almost empathise with him, which makes for a fascinating superhero movie. Marvel's villains have been regularly criticised for their one-note natures (except for Loki) but there is no such criticism here. Thanos is a great character and the film is his.
The rest of the characters - ie. the dozens of superheroes on display - don't get as much in the way of arcs or development, but we do get to see them placed under extreme pressure, which is fascinating to watch. The way they react and interact is the key here - after 18 films of the MCU, this is the place where many of our ultimate team-up fantasies come home to roost. Some of the best highlights come from seeing these characters talk to each other for the first time, not to mention fight side by side. That sounds super-nerdy, I know, but that's what has made these films work. It made The Avengers a giddy thrill, and Thor: Ragnarok such a blast.
But what's so special about this film aside from the fact it's got a busload of heroes and a decent villain? To answer this question fully would require spoilers, but the spoiler-free answer is that Infinity War makes some bold choices that render it not only surprising, but also devastating. It goes to the darkest places yet in the MCU, and while still brimming with the franchise's typical humour, this is no sunny walk in the park.
There is an utter confidence and comfortableness to Infinity War that comes with the MCU having rarely delivered a bad film over the past 10 years (I'd say only two are genuinely bad). The script is remarkably efficient, partly because it expects us to know who these characters are, but also because it knows how to use them. Add to that a cast who seem very much at home pulling on their supersuits and you've got a blockbuster that seems utterly effortless.
For fans, this is the pay-off you've been waiting for, which is saying something. The stakes are so high and the expectations are off the charts, yet somehow, they've pulled it off. What did most people want out of Infinity War? They wanted all their favourite heroes together on screen, taking on the ultimate big bad, cracking wise while cracking skulls. This is that film. It’s the most epic MCU film to date.
What's that you say? You want all the MCU films ranked from best to worst?
Director: Anthony and Joe Russo.
Cast: Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel.
 |
| The new judges of The Block were unimpressed with the feature staircase. |
After all, this is the moment Marvel has been waiting for (or, rather, one of the many moments). Ten years on since they rolled the dice with Iron Man, and six years on since they planted the first Thanos seed, the Marvel Cinematic Universe reaps what it has sown. And what a bumper crop it is.
The plot centres on big bad Thanos, who is hellbent on reducing the over-population problem he feels is crippling the universe. To do this, he requires the infinity stones - a series of MacGuffins that have been popping up throughout the MCU since Captain America: The First Avenger way back in 2011.
It's up to the heroes of Earth and space to stop Thanos from collecting all the infinity stones and wiping out half the universe. But are they up to the challenge?
If you don't know your Vision from your Falcon, than you may struggle to make head or tail of this. Avengers: Infinity War is that kind of mega-franchise movie that requires some prior learning (a la the latter Harry Potter films or recent Star Wars movies) to fully grasp what's going on. It's assumed you've seen at least some of the previous MCU films, but preferably all of them and that you know who and what Iron Man is, and who knows who and who doesn’t know who. Don’t expect to find out why there’s a wizard guy with a flying coat or a tree playing video games - this movie doesn't have those answers.
As such, Infinity War isn't big on character development or arcs, with one notable exception - Thanos. The Russo Brothers had said in pre-release interviews that this is Thanos' film, and they weren't kidding. The big purple titan, played by a mo-capped Brolin, is one of the most intriguing villains to grace the screen since Heath Ledger dyed his hair green and slapped on the grease paint.
Thanos' ambitions and motives are far from one-dimensional, and there are moments when you can almost empathise with him, which makes for a fascinating superhero movie. Marvel's villains have been regularly criticised for their one-note natures (except for Loki) but there is no such criticism here. Thanos is a great character and the film is his.
The rest of the characters - ie. the dozens of superheroes on display - don't get as much in the way of arcs or development, but we do get to see them placed under extreme pressure, which is fascinating to watch. The way they react and interact is the key here - after 18 films of the MCU, this is the place where many of our ultimate team-up fantasies come home to roost. Some of the best highlights come from seeing these characters talk to each other for the first time, not to mention fight side by side. That sounds super-nerdy, I know, but that's what has made these films work. It made The Avengers a giddy thrill, and Thor: Ragnarok such a blast.
But what's so special about this film aside from the fact it's got a busload of heroes and a decent villain? To answer this question fully would require spoilers, but the spoiler-free answer is that Infinity War makes some bold choices that render it not only surprising, but also devastating. It goes to the darkest places yet in the MCU, and while still brimming with the franchise's typical humour, this is no sunny walk in the park.
There is an utter confidence and comfortableness to Infinity War that comes with the MCU having rarely delivered a bad film over the past 10 years (I'd say only two are genuinely bad). The script is remarkably efficient, partly because it expects us to know who these characters are, but also because it knows how to use them. Add to that a cast who seem very much at home pulling on their supersuits and you've got a blockbuster that seems utterly effortless.
For fans, this is the pay-off you've been waiting for, which is saying something. The stakes are so high and the expectations are off the charts, yet somehow, they've pulled it off. What did most people want out of Infinity War? They wanted all their favourite heroes together on screen, taking on the ultimate big bad, cracking wise while cracking skulls. This is that film. It’s the most epic MCU film to date.
What's that you say? You want all the MCU films ranked from best to worst?
Quick Sips - Tor dot com April 2018
Watch Movies TV -It’s a rather full month of stories from Tor this April, and also one that leans heavily towards fantasy. From gifting someone prophetic penmanship to alternate histories with hippopotamus riders, from cities full of corruption and song to cold waters full of blood and bone, the pieces look at magic and people trying to find connections in a dangerous and mysterious world. Many of the pieces focus on relationships, on main characters in love or looking for love or falling out of love. Their partnerships might be full of violence, or full of hope, or full of music, but they all show people trying to find ways to be together. And it’s a rather sweet (and occasionally creepy) collection of stories, perfect for the first breath of spring. Let’s get to the reviews!
 |
| Art by Alyssa Winans |
Stories:
“Played Your Eyes” by Jonathan Carroll (6022 words)
No Spoilers: A woman finds she’s received a strange bequest from an ex, a man who was in some ways the love of her life and yet who, at the end of their relationship, became cruel in his need to push her away. He’s left her his handwriting, which at first seems just weird but as the story progresses turns out to be much more than that. Though she doesn’t really know what it means, it’s her first step down a rather trippy rabbit hole that could end up letting her into a very select group. The piece focuses largely on the woman’s relationships—to both her ex and the new man in her life. It’s quiet, slower, with a careful unrolling mystery that leads to a series of odd revelations.
Keywords: Inheritance, Foresight, Handwriting, Loss, Secret Societies
Review: You know what, going back through the story I’m not sure the main character is actually named, which I’m not sure I was super aware of as I was reading but that pops out now that I’ve gone back specifically looking. Huh. In fact, there really only seems to be one named character in the story—Mr. Bellport, the lawyer/messenger. And for me it lends the story a certain blurriness. A certain, even, mystery. Because a lot of the story seems to me to be about the mysteries of life that don’t need to be answered. That part of the joy of living is dealing with not knowing things and letting those mysteries push your actions forward. The main character is essentially offered knowledge of the future—her own and the world’s. In some ways she’s being offered the power to shape some of it, too. And yet doing so would mean that she would know beforehand the answers to all the mysteries. And while there is a certain pull there, it’s one that she turns away from because she knows that knowing the ending does indeed spoil some of the joy of the surprise. And that, for ex, it meant that he did things that hurt them both in order to try and prevent a greater hurt, when really they both probably would have preferred if he had just not known so that they could be there for each other. I mean, part of the issue here is that the main character’s ex seems just a bit an asshole, full of the confidence that comes with knowing the future and yet still unable to see his own bullshit. Assuming that it justifies being cruel because he thinks he’s doing something good. That’s also, I believe, a reason she turns away, because she knows that with that knowledge would come her own attempts to influence things, and that it wouldn’t make her happy. It would hurt her and hurt others and I think the story does a nice job of bringing her to the place where she can see that. It’s an interesting read and definitely a story to spend some time with!
“The Heart of Owl Abbas” by Kathleen Jennings (6943 words)
No Spoilers: In Owl Abbas, wealth and power are horded by the Little Emperor, who desires all things opulent and pleasurable. It’s a place of inequality, where people toil in terrible conditions in part because they don’t know it can be any other way, and in part because they are placated by songs that make their lives seem brighter than they are. Excelsior is a writer of such songs, which are rather ho-hum until he hears the singing of Nightengale, an automation sent to the city to capture the heart of Owl Abbas. When Excelsior hears and is inspired by Nightengale’s singing, though, and begins to write new songs, less safe songs, the careful balance of the city might just be lost in the resulting passion and chaos. Framed as a bit of history, part anecdote and part fairy tale or myth, the piece is quietly moving and archetypal, sweeping and sweet and dark all at once.
Keywords: Music, Automations, Songwriting, Revolution, Hearts, Ghosts
Review: In some ways I see this story as a commentary on how revolutions and movements can start. Not necessarily out of the high morals or philosophies of Great Minds, but rather out of the frustrated affections and longings of people just trying to live their lives. It springs out of corruption, and people finally opening their eyes to how difficult their lives are, and how wrong it is that they must toil and others not for simple accident of birth. The story shows how so much upheaval and fighting for something better starts with a good thing. A good thing that eases a bit of pain. A voice. A song. And how this good thing actually gets people to a place where they aren’t just numb from their work, from their hurts. Where they do want to do something, because when that small good thing is taken away, they have to feel the full weight of their situation again, and it’s unbearable. So they rise. So they fight. So Excelsior writes not things to mindlessly please the masses, but things that will remind them of what they have lost, and what they can gain. It’s a piece that looks very much at the almost accidental power of small good things. It’s not precisely happy, for while there are positive elements (and a gorgeous ending), there is also a darkness here as well. A recognition that none of these people really intended to cause so much death and carnage. But that sometimes anger and revolution have a momentum of their own, and it rolls over everything, leaving not the happiness that some might have hoped for, but at least wiping away the corruption that was at the heart of some of the tragedy. Which makes for something of a strange read, but also an enjoyable one, moved by prose that felt to me a mix of historical text and mythic poetry. The world is richly imagined, and shadowed enough to feel real and alive. And overall I think it’s a fine read!
“Worth Her Weight in Gold” by Sarah Gailey (2642 words)
No Spoilers: Fast and rather funny, this story finds Winslow Remington Houndstooth in a bit of a pickle. Ruby, his noble hippopotamus steed, refuses to get up and go. With a sack full of gold and a trail of bodies that might be in the process of being discovered, Houndstooth sweats as he tries to figure out what the problem is. What it turns out to be definitely puts something of a wrinkle in his plans, but thes tory moves quickly and stays on the lighter side of things, showcasing mostly the bond between Houndstooth and Ruby. That, despite Houndstooth being a crook and a cheat, the regard he has for Ruby outweighs most everything else. Charming and with a bit of a wicked edge to it, the story gives a brief glimpse into this world, enough to whet the appetite for more hippopotamus riding action.
Keywords: Hippopotamuses, Heist, Dentistry, Gold, Alt-History
Review: Really, most of this story seems to me to be a fun romp into the world of the story—the American past but a bit different than remembered. There’s an almost Western feel to things but complicated and twisted with a speculative flourish. Houndstooth is a conman and thief, but it’s his care and kindness for Ruby that makes him a more rounded human being. The thief with the heart of gold might be something of a trope, but it’s one I like and one here paired with an adorable giant hippo and tell me that’s not a new take on a classic! The story comes alive mostly because of the warring impulses inside Houndstooth, this bravado and arrogance but also the way that he’s willing to part with his newfound riches to make sure his mistakes don’t end up hurting Ruby. Plus his animosity with Dr. Bantou is cute and well rendered, the two always at each other while secretly one suspects they care much more about each other than they’re willing to admit. What results is a light read, which doesn’t mean that it’s shallow, but rather that a lot of its depth seems like it would unfold the more familiar you are with the world and the characters. For me, who hasn’t yet gotten around to reading the other work in this world, it’s a nice taste of what the mood and style might be like. And for that, it’s a pleasure to read!
“Into the Gray” by Margaret Killjoy (5683 words)
No Spoilers: The narrator of this piece is in love, obsessed with spending their time with the Lady of the Waking Waters, a mermaid who loves them but also uses them to bring men to feed on. The piece opens on one such murder, where the narrator brings a man, a soldier, to the pool the Lady lives in for to be devoured. And in so doing kicks off a series of events that grow beyond the narrator’s inner struggle—their desire to stay with their love. The piece is quiet and full of the weight of violence. No one is good, really. They’re all murderers after a fashion, and they’re all living by their own codes. The world is vague, a fantasy that involves mermaids and knights, and yet it provides enough of a skeleton to set the narrator apart. As someone caught between the land and water, murder and theft, always having to move one ahead of someone trying to kill them. It’s their voice and perspective and yearning need that drives the story forward, and it makes for a haunting, powerful read.
Keywords: Mermaids, Witches, Queer MC, Bargains, Murder
Review: Change and desire battle in this story, and for me so much of this becomes about the narrator and their desire to be fully with their love. They are a person who moves from place to place, who is used to (if not perhaps wholly comfortable) changing a lot about themselves. They desire to become like a mermaid, to become a creature of the water even over the objections of those around them. What I read from them, though, is that they are searching for a way to be comfortable with themself, to feel like something is enough. They are a thief and a maker of deals, and in some ways they seem to like being seen, feeling that there is something definite about them. Something absolute. To me, at least, it pushes their actions to try and get their body, their being, to be one thing. And only when everything seems to fall apart, when their actions bring about a new flight, a new challenge, do they seem to really see that any transformation might just leave them with the same problem. That perhaps they can embrace themself fully as they are, without magic to change their body. And it’s just a complex and wrenching read, one where there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer for the narrator. And that in the end they choose to live with that, and it’s a powerful moment that caps off a rather amazing read!
---
Minggu, 29 April 2018
Predator 2 (2½ Stars)
Watch Movies TV -
The sequel to "Predator", made three years later in 1990, has one advantage over the original: Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't return. It doesn't have much else in its favour.
Some things are made clear which were only hinted at in the first film. The alien creature (which is never called a Predator in the films themselves) is a fair hunter. It doesn't attack victims who are unarmed. The police agent Leona Cantrell is armed, but it doesn't kill her when it sees that she's pregnant.
The first film took place in the jungle. The second film takes place in Los Angeles. The creature is killing drug dealers, presumably because they're the most heavily armed opponents it can find. The creature doesn't just kill someone and run away. It wants to keep the body of the victim as a trophy, even if it means having to go back after the fight.
The creatures respect good fighters. After Lieutenant Mike Harrigan is witnessed killing several gang members he becomes the main target. When he finally kills the creature other creatures come and present him with a reward for winning the battle.
The film seems somehow cheap in its production quality. It was a moderate box office success, but the critics savaged it, rightly so. It's not scary enough to be a horror film and not intelligent enough to be a science fiction film.
The sequel to "Predator", made three years later in 1990, has one advantage over the original: Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't return. It doesn't have much else in its favour.
Some things are made clear which were only hinted at in the first film. The alien creature (which is never called a Predator in the films themselves) is a fair hunter. It doesn't attack victims who are unarmed. The police agent Leona Cantrell is armed, but it doesn't kill her when it sees that she's pregnant.
The first film took place in the jungle. The second film takes place in Los Angeles. The creature is killing drug dealers, presumably because they're the most heavily armed opponents it can find. The creature doesn't just kill someone and run away. It wants to keep the body of the victim as a trophy, even if it means having to go back after the fight.
The creatures respect good fighters. After Lieutenant Mike Harrigan is witnessed killing several gang members he becomes the main target. When he finally kills the creature other creatures come and present him with a reward for winning the battle.
The film seems somehow cheap in its production quality. It was a moderate box office success, but the critics savaged it, rightly so. It's not scary enough to be a horror film and not intelligent enough to be a science fiction film.
 |
Order from Amazon.com |
| Order from Amazon.co.uk | |
| Order from Amazon.de |
Avengers: Infinity War
Watch Movies TV -
(spoilers!)
This is what happens when you don't call Hawkeye.
A huge cinematic accomplishment, that's for sure. 18 movies came prior to it, which makes that movie a spectacle and a 'finale' moment. However....it's not really a grand finale at all. It's just something that needed to happen...for finale to occur. Next year.
Once again since 1. I already wrote shorter version of this review on letterboxd 2. I am lazy 3. it is becoming a tradition on the Corner that CBMs more often than not get list-style review, here is my list-review for Avengers: Infinity War.
THE GOOD:
- That voice in the beginning? That's Kenneth Branagh who directed first Thor. Very nice touch.
- They Alien3-ed Ragnarok which was very cool and that opening was shockingly bold. Not only was it shocking to see MCU film begin with villains walking around next to piles of dead bodies, but it was seriously brutal.
- Poor Idris Elba. First Dark Tower happens, now he lost that MCU money. He got a proper send-off, though, doing something important.
- Hiddleston was brilliant and he will be missed in those films. His death scene - if it sticks and hopefully it will - was the most daring moment in the film. While I had a feeling Thor's "you really are the worst brother!" was played for laughs - it got HUGE laughs in my cinema - nonetheless, this is the last thing Thor says to Loki. And Loki doesn't even get the last good dig at the villain, he tells Thanos he will never be God but that means nothing, since this was never Thanos' intention or desire. I was handling that shit pretty well but holy fuck, think of the children.
- Every single joke in the movie landed, which was delightful because I always feel so embarrassed when something was meant to make the audience laugh and didn't. Huge, huge laughs from the crowd. In fact during Thor/Guardians scenes I had to read subtitles because people laughed so hard the dialogue was impossible to hear. This is easily the funniest movie in 2018 and I doubt it will lose that title by the end of the year. I laughed so much.
- Personally my favorites were Thor referring to Rocket as 'rabbit' and Cap's pure and adorable "I am Steve Rogers". And most of Stark's lines. "Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards". Also Tony's exasperated silence at Mantis' "kick names, take ass!" was hysterical. RDJ is truly a treasure and his acting makes everything that is supposed to be funny so much funnier.
- The funny/dark tones mixing didn't feel jarring at all.
- Fantastic interactions between the characters and lovely chemistry, especially Thor and Rocket and Tony and Strange. It was so much fun watching all these characters interact. So many moments which will make this movie so rewatchable - Strange appearing and Tony asking if he is there to sell tickets, Drax's "invisible" scene, Bucky and Rocket during the battle...it was so entertaining.
- The film was very well paced. I was a bit bored at times but not "150 mins long movie" bored. I didn't feel that run time.
- It's impressive that they managed to bring back Red Skull and managed to fit in Pepper.
- Okoye FTW. She is now my favorite female character in MCU. There's nothing better than her utter disgust at men acting stupid and/or incompetent. God, I love her.
- While we are on the subject of Wakanda, the single most epic moment of the whole movie is the chant followed by T'Challa screaming "WAKANDA FOREVER!" and beginning to run. Chills.
- Chills also because bless Disney for not blurring out that gigantic bulge in T'Challa's costume. My eyes were locked on Cap but then T'Challa started moving, THAT was there and I went:
- The short - way too short - scene of Cap and T'Challa charging ahead and fighting was glorious.
- Speaking of glorious, so far, in 2018, Chris Evans with that beard, rolling in Wakandan mud is the most beautiful thing I've seen this year. Holy God. It really is a waste we didn't see Drax's reaction to him. If Thor is pirate/angel hybrid and a God-man, then what the hell even is Cap? There are no words.
- Oh yeah, Drax's reaction to Thor and everyone dragging Star-Lord was wonderful.
- There is this shot when Thanos arrives in Wakanda and Cap runs and slides on the mud and I thought I was going to explode right then and there. So many were about to die but My God I WAS LIVING.
- That trailer shot of Cap managing to hold Thanos' hand. Turns out there was no magic involved. No trickery. It was just his courage. Just how noble he is. This is enough to make him so strong. Please don't take him away from us. We need our noble Disney prince alive.
- "We don't trade lives, Captain".
- Silvestri's score is fabulous but the best part is when we go to Wakanda and Black Panther's theme plays.
- Doctor Strange was about 1000x cooler here than in his own movie. I loved every single one of his scenes.
- Every single actor - with the exception of Johansson who NEEDS TO GO - is wonderful here. The standout is definitely Tom Holland but Robert Downey Jr. comes pretty damn close perfectly balancing out funny moments and excruciating ones.
- Chris Hemsworth really gets to shine, particularly in the film's brutal opening.
- It was great for MCU to finally give more to do for Wanda, it's too little and too late, but it's something.
- It was a nice touch to allow Paul Bettany to show up without make up - it made it easier to think of Vision as someone who has human emotions etc. and it made me care about him more.
- Zoe Saldana was brilliant. I do hope Gamora stays dead because otherwise it cheapens this whole movie and Thanos' quest.
- Josh Brolin is great and Thanos is the best MCU villain yet but of course there is little competition. Still, with all the motivation they give him he is still a bit underwritten to me and he still comes off as a mad villain and not some complex character. Of all the beings in this universe what makes him so special that he is the only one who has the will to do this?
- I did not cry but that Spiderman/IronMan scene near the end came very close
- Rocket having to watch Groot die - AGAIN - was fucking brutal. Oh my God.
- Speaking of Groot, I loved him giving a part of himself for Stormbreaker to be made. I love that cutie pie so much.
- Chris Evans' delivery of "Oh God" near the end. That was heartbreaking.
- Dinklage showing up is always awesome.
- The film really did feel very grand and there were few very brave scenes - the whole opening was honestly shocking. The scene with Thanos and young Gamora near the end was very profound and the very last scene was a brave choice. The villain gets the final scene. That's very unusual.
- My favorite action scene was the attack near Sanctum with Ebony Mew (very cool villain) and Tony and Strange fighting him, you really felt the dread. I loved the way it began, with the camera following Tony.
- The end credits, all white on black and the title disappearing were awesome.
- The post credits scene was fantastic and definitely gets me hyped for what is to come but as someone who only watches these films and doesn't follow the comics had I not read about this scene before watching the movie I'd have no idea who they are referring to.
- Bless MCU for almost allowing Samuel L. Jackson to say "motherfucker!"
THE BAD:
- The special effects of people turning into dust were horrendous. When Bucky started disappearing I was hoping it will get better but nope. It looked so cheap. This right here looks 1000x better:
- Also the way the scene was handled....it was too fast, I didn't think the gravity of it was felt. It was felt more in the post credits scene. If we actually saw a montage of people all over the planet disappearing it would better. It was just terribly executed. I cry during everything and here I was just so puzzled about how BAD it looked that it kept me from being emotional. It was probably because of horribly ugly backdrop on Titan and that bland forest in Wakanda, because the effects looked much better in post credits scene.
- And Sam crawling through the bushes pathetically, lol I was dying.
- What is shocking to me is how shocked people are about that ending. This isn't the last movie. Also some of those who died in the awful dust CGI have sequels announced. Why are people shocked? The next one where some if not all of original Avengers inevitably die a noble death to reverse what happened is gonna be shocking and emotional, not this. Honestly if all it takes is 5 minutes of googling to find out that Spiderman, Black Panther and Strange have sequels in the works and there is another team-up movie next May, then this isn't much of shocking ending, ain't it?
- This film is getting praise for being bleak. I'd give you that if not post credits. We are clearly given to understand that Fury uses the last resort. Someone so powerful he didn't call that person during the previous horrible events in MCU but he is calling that person now.. If that's not hope, I don't know what is. Brie Larson is gonna swoop down from Heavens and kill that fucking bitch.
- We are told Wanda and Vision love each other and that Thanos loves Gamora but it's not earned. It's "tell don't show".
- There are comparisons to Fury Road being made online and I just...no. Doctor Strange does cool stuff and it's fun watching characters fight side by side but on visual level/action movie scale there was nothing particularly memorable here. That Wakanda scene where some alien creatures are charging at them? Oh, give me a break. That battle was such a non-event.
- Think about that - Winter Soldier has that elevator fight and the highway fight. Civil War has airport fight with tons of cool stuff. Avengers has stuff like Natasha jumping off Cap's shield. Not one single breathtaking action set piece here.
- Thor's scenes are massively overhyped. Bridge scene in Ragnarok was better. So he flies in on the middle of a field and drops a one liner. Big freaking deal.
- Wanda, where's your accent at?
- The running joke of Bruce not being able to hulk out was the worst thing here. I repeat - the worst thing here. I felt bad for Mark Ruffalo and Hulk fans. Utterly humiliating. I was dreading we are gonna get Viagra joke.
THE INFURIATING:
- Cap's team has so little to do. Widow is almost laughably underused and what she has officially made her into insufferably boring and annoying character. She doesn't do or say much BUT of course they have her in a cat fight with Promixa Midnight for some reason. That only made Widow look dumb as fuck. By all means, taunt the powerful enemy as your friends' lives are in danger. Johansson looks bored playing the part and Widow isn't even an interesting character to begin with. The fact she is getting a solo now that is unnecessary (we just had Atomic Blonde and of course Jennifer Lawrence's Whore School and Widow's past was shown in reprehensibly sexist, awful and terribly handled flashback's in Age of Ultron), overdue (they are at 20+ movie and NOW they are gracious enough to give her a movie?) and frankly a waste (give Okoye her solo instead).
- This is what she did when Thor landed. Woman, what the hell are you acting to?!
- Here she is biting her nails as aliens arrive. I can't even.
- Missing trailer shots which for the love of God, were better than what was in the movie. The most epic shot of Wakanda battle (heroes running) was not in the movie. Thor rising his hand - obviously with edited out Stormbreaker - with Rocket and Groot watching in awe was not in the movie. Cap's "let's go" not in the movie. I appreciate all the stuff they did to surprise people but when the trailer is more epic than the actual film.....that ain't good. Also they even took out RDJ saying 'wow!' in Star-Lord scene which crippled the joke and took me out of the movie because I was so puzzled as to why they took it out. It's not my fault for watching the trailer, it's their fault for putting it in the trailer and taking it out of the movie.
THE HORRIFYING:
- I'm not sure the situation where people say Strange is stupid because he gave up the stone to save Tony is what writers intended for people to think, because good lord they do. It's very clear to me that he is giving it up because in one outcome he saw them win Tony was alive but that's not really signaled well, whereas the possibility to make another gauntlet (the form in the forge) is telegraphed. The worst offender of laborious writing to make people care more because something is gonna happen is having Petter and Tony discuss having a kid. Good God.
- It's such a contrivance that ALL the original Avengers are sill alive. You just know we are losing some of them in the next movie. MCU God help you if you kill off Cap so that Star-Lord can live. God help you.
75/100
(spoilers!)This is what happens when you don't call Hawkeye.
A huge cinematic accomplishment, that's for sure. 18 movies came prior to it, which makes that movie a spectacle and a 'finale' moment. However....it's not really a grand finale at all. It's just something that needed to happen...for finale to occur. Next year.
Once again since 1. I already wrote shorter version of this review on letterboxd 2. I am lazy 3. it is becoming a tradition on the Corner that CBMs more often than not get list-style review, here is my list-review for Avengers: Infinity War.
THE GOOD:
- That voice in the beginning? That's Kenneth Branagh who directed first Thor. Very nice touch.
- They Alien3-ed Ragnarok which was very cool and that opening was shockingly bold. Not only was it shocking to see MCU film begin with villains walking around next to piles of dead bodies, but it was seriously brutal.
- Poor Idris Elba. First Dark Tower happens, now he lost that MCU money. He got a proper send-off, though, doing something important.
- Hiddleston was brilliant and he will be missed in those films. His death scene - if it sticks and hopefully it will - was the most daring moment in the film. While I had a feeling Thor's "you really are the worst brother!" was played for laughs - it got HUGE laughs in my cinema - nonetheless, this is the last thing Thor says to Loki. And Loki doesn't even get the last good dig at the villain, he tells Thanos he will never be God but that means nothing, since this was never Thanos' intention or desire. I was handling that shit pretty well but holy fuck, think of the children.
- Every single joke in the movie landed, which was delightful because I always feel so embarrassed when something was meant to make the audience laugh and didn't. Huge, huge laughs from the crowd. In fact during Thor/Guardians scenes I had to read subtitles because people laughed so hard the dialogue was impossible to hear. This is easily the funniest movie in 2018 and I doubt it will lose that title by the end of the year. I laughed so much.- Personally my favorites were Thor referring to Rocket as 'rabbit' and Cap's pure and adorable "I am Steve Rogers". And most of Stark's lines. "Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards". Also Tony's exasperated silence at Mantis' "kick names, take ass!" was hysterical. RDJ is truly a treasure and his acting makes everything that is supposed to be funny so much funnier.
- The funny/dark tones mixing didn't feel jarring at all.
- Fantastic interactions between the characters and lovely chemistry, especially Thor and Rocket and Tony and Strange. It was so much fun watching all these characters interact. So many moments which will make this movie so rewatchable - Strange appearing and Tony asking if he is there to sell tickets, Drax's "invisible" scene, Bucky and Rocket during the battle...it was so entertaining.
- The film was very well paced. I was a bit bored at times but not "150 mins long movie" bored. I didn't feel that run time.
- It's impressive that they managed to bring back Red Skull and managed to fit in Pepper.
- Okoye FTW. She is now my favorite female character in MCU. There's nothing better than her utter disgust at men acting stupid and/or incompetent. God, I love her.
- While we are on the subject of Wakanda, the single most epic moment of the whole movie is the chant followed by T'Challa screaming "WAKANDA FOREVER!" and beginning to run. Chills.
- Chills also because bless Disney for not blurring out that gigantic bulge in T'Challa's costume. My eyes were locked on Cap but then T'Challa started moving, THAT was there and I went:
- The short - way too short - scene of Cap and T'Challa charging ahead and fighting was glorious.
- Speaking of glorious, so far, in 2018, Chris Evans with that beard, rolling in Wakandan mud is the most beautiful thing I've seen this year. Holy God. It really is a waste we didn't see Drax's reaction to him. If Thor is pirate/angel hybrid and a God-man, then what the hell even is Cap? There are no words.
- Oh yeah, Drax's reaction to Thor and everyone dragging Star-Lord was wonderful.
- There is this shot when Thanos arrives in Wakanda and Cap runs and slides on the mud and I thought I was going to explode right then and there. So many were about to die but My God I WAS LIVING.
- That trailer shot of Cap managing to hold Thanos' hand. Turns out there was no magic involved. No trickery. It was just his courage. Just how noble he is. This is enough to make him so strong. Please don't take him away from us. We need our noble Disney prince alive.
- "We don't trade lives, Captain".
- Silvestri's score is fabulous but the best part is when we go to Wakanda and Black Panther's theme plays.
- Doctor Strange was about 1000x cooler here than in his own movie. I loved every single one of his scenes.
- Every single actor - with the exception of Johansson who NEEDS TO GO - is wonderful here. The standout is definitely Tom Holland but Robert Downey Jr. comes pretty damn close perfectly balancing out funny moments and excruciating ones.
- Chris Hemsworth really gets to shine, particularly in the film's brutal opening.
- It was great for MCU to finally give more to do for Wanda, it's too little and too late, but it's something.
- It was a nice touch to allow Paul Bettany to show up without make up - it made it easier to think of Vision as someone who has human emotions etc. and it made me care about him more.
- Zoe Saldana was brilliant. I do hope Gamora stays dead because otherwise it cheapens this whole movie and Thanos' quest.
- Josh Brolin is great and Thanos is the best MCU villain yet but of course there is little competition. Still, with all the motivation they give him he is still a bit underwritten to me and he still comes off as a mad villain and not some complex character. Of all the beings in this universe what makes him so special that he is the only one who has the will to do this?
- I did not cry but that Spiderman/IronMan scene near the end came very close
- Rocket having to watch Groot die - AGAIN - was fucking brutal. Oh my God.
- Speaking of Groot, I loved him giving a part of himself for Stormbreaker to be made. I love that cutie pie so much.- Chris Evans' delivery of "Oh God" near the end. That was heartbreaking.
- Dinklage showing up is always awesome.
- The film really did feel very grand and there were few very brave scenes - the whole opening was honestly shocking. The scene with Thanos and young Gamora near the end was very profound and the very last scene was a brave choice. The villain gets the final scene. That's very unusual.
- My favorite action scene was the attack near Sanctum with Ebony Mew (very cool villain) and Tony and Strange fighting him, you really felt the dread. I loved the way it began, with the camera following Tony.
- The end credits, all white on black and the title disappearing were awesome.
- The post credits scene was fantastic and definitely gets me hyped for what is to come but as someone who only watches these films and doesn't follow the comics had I not read about this scene before watching the movie I'd have no idea who they are referring to.
- Bless MCU for almost allowing Samuel L. Jackson to say "motherfucker!"
THE BAD:
- The special effects of people turning into dust were horrendous. When Bucky started disappearing I was hoping it will get better but nope. It looked so cheap. This right here looks 1000x better:
- Also the way the scene was handled....it was too fast, I didn't think the gravity of it was felt. It was felt more in the post credits scene. If we actually saw a montage of people all over the planet disappearing it would better. It was just terribly executed. I cry during everything and here I was just so puzzled about how BAD it looked that it kept me from being emotional. It was probably because of horribly ugly backdrop on Titan and that bland forest in Wakanda, because the effects looked much better in post credits scene.- And Sam crawling through the bushes pathetically, lol I was dying.
- What is shocking to me is how shocked people are about that ending. This isn't the last movie. Also some of those who died in the awful dust CGI have sequels announced. Why are people shocked? The next one where some if not all of original Avengers inevitably die a noble death to reverse what happened is gonna be shocking and emotional, not this. Honestly if all it takes is 5 minutes of googling to find out that Spiderman, Black Panther and Strange have sequels in the works and there is another team-up movie next May, then this isn't much of shocking ending, ain't it?
- This film is getting praise for being bleak. I'd give you that if not post credits. We are clearly given to understand that Fury uses the last resort. Someone so powerful he didn't call that person during the previous horrible events in MCU but he is calling that person now.. If that's not hope, I don't know what is. Brie Larson is gonna swoop down from Heavens and kill that fucking bitch.
- We are told Wanda and Vision love each other and that Thanos loves Gamora but it's not earned. It's "tell don't show".
- There are comparisons to Fury Road being made online and I just...no. Doctor Strange does cool stuff and it's fun watching characters fight side by side but on visual level/action movie scale there was nothing particularly memorable here. That Wakanda scene where some alien creatures are charging at them? Oh, give me a break. That battle was such a non-event.
- Think about that - Winter Soldier has that elevator fight and the highway fight. Civil War has airport fight with tons of cool stuff. Avengers has stuff like Natasha jumping off Cap's shield. Not one single breathtaking action set piece here.- Thor's scenes are massively overhyped. Bridge scene in Ragnarok was better. So he flies in on the middle of a field and drops a one liner. Big freaking deal.
- Wanda, where's your accent at?
- The running joke of Bruce not being able to hulk out was the worst thing here. I repeat - the worst thing here. I felt bad for Mark Ruffalo and Hulk fans. Utterly humiliating. I was dreading we are gonna get Viagra joke.
THE INFURIATING:
- Cap's team has so little to do. Widow is almost laughably underused and what she has officially made her into insufferably boring and annoying character. She doesn't do or say much BUT of course they have her in a cat fight with Promixa Midnight for some reason. That only made Widow look dumb as fuck. By all means, taunt the powerful enemy as your friends' lives are in danger. Johansson looks bored playing the part and Widow isn't even an interesting character to begin with. The fact she is getting a solo now that is unnecessary (we just had Atomic Blonde and of course Jennifer Lawrence's Whore School and Widow's past was shown in reprehensibly sexist, awful and terribly handled flashback's in Age of Ultron), overdue (they are at 20+ movie and NOW they are gracious enough to give her a movie?) and frankly a waste (give Okoye her solo instead).
- This is what she did when Thor landed. Woman, what the hell are you acting to?!
- Here she is biting her nails as aliens arrive. I can't even.
- Missing trailer shots which for the love of God, were better than what was in the movie. The most epic shot of Wakanda battle (heroes running) was not in the movie. Thor rising his hand - obviously with edited out Stormbreaker - with Rocket and Groot watching in awe was not in the movie. Cap's "let's go" not in the movie. I appreciate all the stuff they did to surprise people but when the trailer is more epic than the actual film.....that ain't good. Also they even took out RDJ saying 'wow!' in Star-Lord scene which crippled the joke and took me out of the movie because I was so puzzled as to why they took it out. It's not my fault for watching the trailer, it's their fault for putting it in the trailer and taking it out of the movie.
THE HORRIFYING:
- I'm not sure the situation where people say Strange is stupid because he gave up the stone to save Tony is what writers intended for people to think, because good lord they do. It's very clear to me that he is giving it up because in one outcome he saw them win Tony was alive but that's not really signaled well, whereas the possibility to make another gauntlet (the form in the forge) is telegraphed. The worst offender of laborious writing to make people care more because something is gonna happen is having Petter and Tony discuss having a kid. Good God.
- It's such a contrivance that ALL the original Avengers are sill alive. You just know we are losing some of them in the next movie. MCU God help you if you kill off Cap so that Star-Lord can live. God help you.
75/100
13 Erotic Ghosts (4 Stars)
Watch Movies TV -
Today I watched the re-edited new release of "13 Erotic Ghosts", a film which is supposedly one of Fred Olen Ray's most popular erotic films. I can't judge if that's true. I like them all.
Fred made a series of 32 films using the pseudonym Nicholas Medina, which has led to them being referred to as the Medina Collection. You can find a list of all 32 films, with links to my reviews, in the sidebar, as long as you're viewing my blog on a PC. If not, they're listed again in this post.
This is the second film in the Medina Collection to be re-edited and released in widescreen format. The first was "Bikini Carwash Academy". In the case of "Bikini Carwash Academy" big differences were obvious, such as changes in the music and the opening credits. When I watchaed "13 Erotic Ghosts" today the only difference I noticed was that the personal introduction by Fred Olen Ray was missing. I intend to watch both versions side by side next week to look for other differences.
The film follows the (mis)adventures of a television team who visit a haunted castle. Jay Richardson is the leader of the television team and Julie Strain is Baroness Lucretia, one of the ghosts who has been haunting the castle for the last 100 years. The ghosts can be seen but not filmed, which means the television show will be a failure.
"Bikini Airways", the second film in the Medina Collection, will be re-released at the end of this month, also in widescreen format. It's the third film that I'm most interested in, "Haunting Desires", so I hope Fred will continue with the re-releases in order. I would be even happier if he could release the films on Blu-ray, but it's possible that the source tapes aren't of sufficient quality and would need an extensive remastering.
Today I watched the re-edited new release of "13 Erotic Ghosts", a film which is supposedly one of Fred Olen Ray's most popular erotic films. I can't judge if that's true. I like them all.
Fred made a series of 32 films using the pseudonym Nicholas Medina, which has led to them being referred to as the Medina Collection. You can find a list of all 32 films, with links to my reviews, in the sidebar, as long as you're viewing my blog on a PC. If not, they're listed again in this post.
This is the second film in the Medina Collection to be re-edited and released in widescreen format. The first was "Bikini Carwash Academy". In the case of "Bikini Carwash Academy" big differences were obvious, such as changes in the music and the opening credits. When I watchaed "13 Erotic Ghosts" today the only difference I noticed was that the personal introduction by Fred Olen Ray was missing. I intend to watch both versions side by side next week to look for other differences.
The film follows the (mis)adventures of a television team who visit a haunted castle. Jay Richardson is the leader of the television team and Julie Strain is Baroness Lucretia, one of the ghosts who has been haunting the castle for the last 100 years. The ghosts can be seen but not filmed, which means the television show will be a failure.
"Bikini Airways", the second film in the Medina Collection, will be re-released at the end of this month, also in widescreen format. It's the third film that I'm most interested in, "Haunting Desires", so I hope Fred will continue with the re-releases in order. I would be even happier if he could release the films on Blu-ray, but it's possible that the source tapes aren't of sufficient quality and would need an extensive remastering.
New Release! Avengers: Infinity War (2018) [Spoiler-Free 1st Section]
Watch Movies TV -
Spoiler-Free Section - Have No Fear!
Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will almost definitely love, or at least highly enjoy, Infinity War. Those who are apathetic or even averse to the ever-sprawling juggernaut of superhero films will hardly be won over. In fact, the latter group may very well despise this movie.
Tying together many tiny threads that have been laced throughout the previous 18 MCU films, Infinity War follows Thanos, the "Mad Titan" from the so-named moon, whose grand ambition is to gather all six of the immensely powerful Infinity Stones, gems that allow dominion over aspects of existence such as mind, space, time, and others. Most of the stones have been intermittently introduced in previous MCU films: the Space Stone back in Captain America: The First Avenger; the Mind Stone in The Avengers, and so on. Thanos is an incredibly powerful alien who has long waged a campaign to basically "thin the herd" of populations which have grown too unwieldy to manage themselves. When he determines that a planet has reached such a point, he brings in his armies to kill half the population, at random, leaving the remaining half more than enough resources to flourish. Thanos's ultimate scheme now is to gather and control the six Infinity Stones, granting him the power to eliminate half of the population of the entire universe with no more than the snap of his fingers. To stop him, the many heroic characters from the previous films must use every resource at their disposal.
Right off, I'll admit that Infinity War isn't the best MCU movie. The scale is so epic, and the number of balls needing to be juggled is so large, that there was no way that a single film could provide satisfaction on every possible cinematic and storytelling level. In this movie's case, what gets sacrificed is real emotional depth and notable character development. The movie does actually provide a bit of depth to the imposing Thanos, a character who has only been shown in brief glimpses a handful of times in the previous six years. And there is a sense of loss concerning a couple of key characters. Also, for those who have followed and enjoyed any of the individual characters from previous MCU film series, the third act is bound to have some impact for you. On the whole, though, this is as purely plot-driven a film as the MCU has offered us to date. Anyone who has preferred the smaller-scale MCU flicks like Ant-Man or Spider-Man: Homecoming, thanks to those films' greater focus on a few people and their relationships, may find the flashy, rip-roaring pace of Infinity War too dizzying and shallow.
For my part, I greatly enjoyed the movie. The directing duo Russo brothers had a lot of moving parts to rein into a single narrative, and they actually did an admirable job of it. This movie is bringing together no less than twenty different characters from well over a half dozen different movie "franchises," and having them band together to try and save quite literally half the universe. The main appeal of such an enterprise boils down to two things: what will the dynamics be when different characters interact, and how exactly will they stop an immensely powerful and determined force like Thanos? Well, the tale does an excellent job of entertaining us through these aspects of the film. Within the first few scenes, we get Spider-Man and Iron Man meeting up with Doctor Strange, and before long Quill and the Guardians of the Galaxy run into a very familiar Asgardian. As the disparate characters begin to coalesce into various teams and fill each other in on exactly who Thanos is and what he wants, the tale comes together in a rather satisfying way. As the heroes attempt to rebuff the initial attacks by Thanos's underlings, their powers, creativity, and mettle are tested in ways that make for some fun viewing.
The ending of this film is already causing some mixed reactions among movie-goers. Though one can assume that certain developments will be undone (the Infinity Stones are virtual game-breakers), there were certainly a few heroes who seem to have truly met their ultimate end. This was bound to upset fans of those particular characters. And while I was expecting a slightly more self-contained movie, I found the ending fine for what it is. The MCU overlords have always billed this movie as the first of what is basically a two-part story, with the second, still-unnamed, chapter set for release in May of 2019. It will feel like a rather long wait for the follow-up, but I believe that it is set up to actually be the stronger of the two films. Much of Infinity War had to be given over to set-up and Thanos's blitzkrieg attack, and when it is all said and done, it will likely feel more like acts one and two of the greater whole.
Infinity War is a success, for what it is. It's what DC films like Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman were trying to be in many ways but mostly failed to be. Short of making a TV-style, five or six-hour mini-series, this movie was never going to have enough time to please everyone across the movie-viewing spectrum. I think the Russo's trimmed away what they needed in order to create a cohesive movie. It's far from the most heart-felt or ponderous MCU flick, but it's strong popcorn entertainment for those looking for fantasy action/adventure of the superhero variety.
Spoiler Section!! Beware!!!
Here is where I get into a few of the details that I enjoyed or didn't, and nearly all of them could potentially ruin some of the fun for you, if you haven't seen the movie yet.
As covered generally above, the greatest weakness of this movie is simply that there just isn't enough time for any character, or even group of characters, to particularly shine. One thing I've loved about my favorite among the MCU movies is that several of the characters have developed clear personalities, which themselves can carry a movie. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are the two most obvious, but even less prominent characters like Doctor Strange or Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier have compelling enough backgrounds to make them engaging. Due to the reality of time constraints, however, no character is given much more than fifteen minutes of total screen time, and much of that is action. Amazingly, the writers did work in several solid dialogue exchanges that included some solid humor, but the scope of the film and its plot demands were such that one was bound to be disappointed by how little exposure their favorite characters would get. Ant-Man and Hawkeye aren't even in the film at all, despite the former having one film on the shelf and a sequel coming in a mere two months.
Another unfortunate result of the massive scale of the movie is that the losses don't have the emotional impact that one would hope for. Part of this is because of the limited dedication to emotional depth. Again, if one has fallen in love with certain characters, then the impact will be there, but that will have to have come from your previous viewing(s) of those characters' own movies. The deepest emotional tale in the movie involved Gamora and Thanos, but Gamora's death will only have resonance if one has enjoyed the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies (and for my part, I never found the connection between her and Quill terribly organic). And the demise of Steve Rogers, one of the linchpins of the MCU and its clear moral compass, lacks the power that it could have had in another stand-alone "Captain America" movie. This is all to say nothing of the fact that the mere existence of the Infinity Stones tells us that whatever happens can be changed or undone, which is what I fully expect will happen in next year's follow-up film.
Oh, and we never get to see the Hulk really "smash," which is something I've greatly enjoyed in the previous two Avengers movies and Ragnarok. It is pretty cool that Thanos's raw physical strength is made clear by his almost dismissive thrashing of the jade giant early in the picture, but it would have been nice to see him leaping around and pounding a few platoons of alien invaders into Wakandan rhino meat.
Those are my "superhero fanboy" gripes, and they are what keeps Infinity War from being among my absolute favorite MCU movies. When I set aside my fandom and just look at it as an objective cinephile, the movie fares worse, for reasons I mostly cover in the first section of this review. But I am a massive fan of these films, so it is in this vein that I describe what I enjoyed.
As stated, I think the actual plot is extremely well-managed. While Thanos's motivation is rather simplistic, I can justify that when I consider that most massive-scale zealots become that way by oversimplifying complex dilemmas. Rather than try to use creativity or imagination to solve large-scale population problems, Thanos falls back on brutal genocide and justifies it by telling himself that he is doing an honorable and difficult task which only he has the strength and will to carry out. I'm glad that the writers did find a way to add a couple of extra layers to the giant purple killing machine in the way of his backstory and his connection to Gamora. They weren't exactly high emotional drama, but they worked well enough.
And the many heroes' planet-jumping dash to find and stop the Mad Titan is spun very well. Especially if one has followed the various characters in the previous films, there is a very logical progression as to how they seek each other out and ultimately muster for their grand defense in Wakanda. Speaking of, I actually rather enjoyed the movie's use of the fictional African country as the staging ground for much of the ultimate battle. Even though I had just rewatched Black Panther the weekend before seeing Infinity War, I was far from tired of the setting.
With where things stand in the MCU currently - with literally half of the population obliterated, including half of our beloved heroes - this should be a great moment for the MCU to "clean things up," so to speak. I think if Infinity War shows us anything, it's that there is a breaking point for just how many "superhero" characters one put in a a movie and still have that movie provide depth as well as rousing action. Captain America: Civil War was just barely on the right side of that line, while I think Infinity War crossed over to the wrong side of it a bit, watering down what is in many ways a fun flick. Now, however, if MCU president Kevin Feige and his creative team play their cards right, they can pare things back a bit. Once Thanos is dealt with and much of his damage undone (I presume the Time Stone will play a fairly big part in this), the universe can probably be reworked a bit, allowing the future films' creators to go in directions different from what we've yet seen. I'm still well on board, even these ten years later.
Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will almost definitely love, or at least highly enjoy, Infinity War. Those who are apathetic or even averse to the ever-sprawling juggernaut of superhero films will hardly be won over. In fact, the latter group may very well despise this movie.
Tying together many tiny threads that have been laced throughout the previous 18 MCU films, Infinity War follows Thanos, the "Mad Titan" from the so-named moon, whose grand ambition is to gather all six of the immensely powerful Infinity Stones, gems that allow dominion over aspects of existence such as mind, space, time, and others. Most of the stones have been intermittently introduced in previous MCU films: the Space Stone back in Captain America: The First Avenger; the Mind Stone in The Avengers, and so on. Thanos is an incredibly powerful alien who has long waged a campaign to basically "thin the herd" of populations which have grown too unwieldy to manage themselves. When he determines that a planet has reached such a point, he brings in his armies to kill half the population, at random, leaving the remaining half more than enough resources to flourish. Thanos's ultimate scheme now is to gather and control the six Infinity Stones, granting him the power to eliminate half of the population of the entire universe with no more than the snap of his fingers. To stop him, the many heroic characters from the previous films must use every resource at their disposal.
Right off, I'll admit that Infinity War isn't the best MCU movie. The scale is so epic, and the number of balls needing to be juggled is so large, that there was no way that a single film could provide satisfaction on every possible cinematic and storytelling level. In this movie's case, what gets sacrificed is real emotional depth and notable character development. The movie does actually provide a bit of depth to the imposing Thanos, a character who has only been shown in brief glimpses a handful of times in the previous six years. And there is a sense of loss concerning a couple of key characters. Also, for those who have followed and enjoyed any of the individual characters from previous MCU film series, the third act is bound to have some impact for you. On the whole, though, this is as purely plot-driven a film as the MCU has offered us to date. Anyone who has preferred the smaller-scale MCU flicks like Ant-Man or Spider-Man: Homecoming, thanks to those films' greater focus on a few people and their relationships, may find the flashy, rip-roaring pace of Infinity War too dizzying and shallow.
 |
| Yep - that is indeed Spider-Man and Iron Man grouped up with a few members of Guardians of the Galaxy. Such cross- over teamings are part of the fun of Infinity War. |
The ending of this film is already causing some mixed reactions among movie-goers. Though one can assume that certain developments will be undone (the Infinity Stones are virtual game-breakers), there were certainly a few heroes who seem to have truly met their ultimate end. This was bound to upset fans of those particular characters. And while I was expecting a slightly more self-contained movie, I found the ending fine for what it is. The MCU overlords have always billed this movie as the first of what is basically a two-part story, with the second, still-unnamed, chapter set for release in May of 2019. It will feel like a rather long wait for the follow-up, but I believe that it is set up to actually be the stronger of the two films. Much of Infinity War had to be given over to set-up and Thanos's blitzkrieg attack, and when it is all said and done, it will likely feel more like acts one and two of the greater whole.
Infinity War is a success, for what it is. It's what DC films like Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman were trying to be in many ways but mostly failed to be. Short of making a TV-style, five or six-hour mini-series, this movie was never going to have enough time to please everyone across the movie-viewing spectrum. I think the Russo's trimmed away what they needed in order to create a cohesive movie. It's far from the most heart-felt or ponderous MCU flick, but it's strong popcorn entertainment for those looking for fantasy action/adventure of the superhero variety.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58794729/DQ8Z5eNXkAQ6ddd.0.jpg) |
| Fun fact - this exact scene never actually happens in the film, but scenes very similar to it do unfold. Good to see Okoye get a few good moments and one-liners in there, too. |
Here is where I get into a few of the details that I enjoyed or didn't, and nearly all of them could potentially ruin some of the fun for you, if you haven't seen the movie yet.
As covered generally above, the greatest weakness of this movie is simply that there just isn't enough time for any character, or even group of characters, to particularly shine. One thing I've loved about my favorite among the MCU movies is that several of the characters have developed clear personalities, which themselves can carry a movie. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are the two most obvious, but even less prominent characters like Doctor Strange or Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier have compelling enough backgrounds to make them engaging. Due to the reality of time constraints, however, no character is given much more than fifteen minutes of total screen time, and much of that is action. Amazingly, the writers did work in several solid dialogue exchanges that included some solid humor, but the scope of the film and its plot demands were such that one was bound to be disappointed by how little exposure their favorite characters would get. Ant-Man and Hawkeye aren't even in the film at all, despite the former having one film on the shelf and a sequel coming in a mere two months.
Another unfortunate result of the massive scale of the movie is that the losses don't have the emotional impact that one would hope for. Part of this is because of the limited dedication to emotional depth. Again, if one has fallen in love with certain characters, then the impact will be there, but that will have to have come from your previous viewing(s) of those characters' own movies. The deepest emotional tale in the movie involved Gamora and Thanos, but Gamora's death will only have resonance if one has enjoyed the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies (and for my part, I never found the connection between her and Quill terribly organic). And the demise of Steve Rogers, one of the linchpins of the MCU and its clear moral compass, lacks the power that it could have had in another stand-alone "Captain America" movie. This is all to say nothing of the fact that the mere existence of the Infinity Stones tells us that whatever happens can be changed or undone, which is what I fully expect will happen in next year's follow-up film.
Oh, and we never get to see the Hulk really "smash," which is something I've greatly enjoyed in the previous two Avengers movies and Ragnarok. It is pretty cool that Thanos's raw physical strength is made clear by his almost dismissive thrashing of the jade giant early in the picture, but it would have been nice to see him leaping around and pounding a few platoons of alien invaders into Wakandan rhino meat.
Those are my "superhero fanboy" gripes, and they are what keeps Infinity War from being among my absolute favorite MCU movies. When I set aside my fandom and just look at it as an objective cinephile, the movie fares worse, for reasons I mostly cover in the first section of this review. But I am a massive fan of these films, so it is in this vein that I describe what I enjoyed.
 |
| The movie does a decent job of elevating Thanos above being a mere mindless, power-mad force of destruction. This has been a severe weakness in many of the MCU films. |
And the many heroes' planet-jumping dash to find and stop the Mad Titan is spun very well. Especially if one has followed the various characters in the previous films, there is a very logical progression as to how they seek each other out and ultimately muster for their grand defense in Wakanda. Speaking of, I actually rather enjoyed the movie's use of the fictional African country as the staging ground for much of the ultimate battle. Even though I had just rewatched Black Panther the weekend before seeing Infinity War, I was far from tired of the setting.
With where things stand in the MCU currently - with literally half of the population obliterated, including half of our beloved heroes - this should be a great moment for the MCU to "clean things up," so to speak. I think if Infinity War shows us anything, it's that there is a breaking point for just how many "superhero" characters one put in a a movie and still have that movie provide depth as well as rousing action. Captain America: Civil War was just barely on the right side of that line, while I think Infinity War crossed over to the wrong side of it a bit, watering down what is in many ways a fun flick. Now, however, if MCU president Kevin Feige and his creative team play their cards right, they can pare things back a bit. Once Thanos is dealt with and much of his damage undone (I presume the Time Stone will play a fairly big part in this), the universe can probably be reworked a bit, allowing the future films' creators to go in directions different from what we've yet seen. I'm still well on board, even these ten years later.
Langganan:
Komentar (Atom)