Month: April 2015

Starring: Robert Downey Jr (The Judge), Chris Evans (Scott Pilgrim vs The World), Chris Hemsworth (Rush), Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin), Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla), Paul Bettany (Priest), James Spader (Secretary), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

Writer/Director: Joss Whedon (Serenity)

Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes

Release Date: 23 April (UK), 1 May (US)

It’s hard to believe that the concept of an Avengers movie was absurd only a few years ago. Now, it’s a benchmark that all other Hollywood movies use as an example; everybody now wants their own shared universe franchise, but still nobody does it quite like Marvel. Topping the first movie is a daunting but certainly achievable task, especially now that the groundwork has been effectively laid, and so Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have reassembled to fight the good fight once more in Age of Ultron. Does it push the Marvel Cinematic Universe to new heights, or is it merely a placeholder as they bide time for their other plans?

Picking up right where Captain America: The Winter Soldier left off, Avengers: Age of Ultron jumps right into the action and doesn’t let up from there. The film’s plot is a bit more complex and personal than the first Avengers film, giving all the main characters their own personal stakes and arcs in the narrative, but it’s still primarily an old-fashioned “stop the bad guy from the destroying the world” story. There’s definitely some interesting thoughts regarding the automating of world security and man’s own destructive nature possibly being our downfall, but it doesn’t go political with it the way The Winter Soldier did. The story’s pacing feels a little rushed in the first act, a symptom of starting the film mid-action sequence, and leaves an uneasy feeling like we’ve missed something; perhaps a slightly more relaxed opening to ease us back into this world would have felt a little less jarring. However, once Ultron (Spader) makes himself known and the plot gets fully rolling, the breakneck pace feels far more natural and makes that two-hour-plus runtime blow by real fast. Joss Whedon’s sharp writing skills are on top form here, with plenty of his classic witty banter but also some really strong character moments and a few really nice surprises. The film’s ending is also strong, setting up the future of the MCU neatly but without resorting to a “to be continued” style cliffhanger, and that future is looking as bright as always.

I think after so many films, you’re all pretty familiar with the quality of the acting amongst these heroes, and everyone is as reliable as you’d expect. Downey’s smugness, Evans’ optimism, Hemsworth’s theatricality and Johansson’s allure are all in check and provide plenty of great moments of drama and humour. Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk gets some much needed screen time after disappearing since the last Avengers film, with his scenes with Johansson being among the film’s best emotional moments, whilst Jeremy Renner finally gets a chance to shine as Hawkeye after getting short shrift last time around. In terms of new faces, Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver and Olsen’s Scarlet Witch are welcome additions; their development at the start is limited, but what is there shines through and they fit in well with the rest of the cast. Paul Bettany’s Vision is similarly limited in screen time, but in very little time he leaves a strong impression and there’s certainly plenty of room for more in the future. But it’s James Spader as Ultron that is ultimately the real standout newcomer, effortlessly pulling off a villain that balances superiority and determination with empathy and wit. He’s far from a simple bad guy who wants to destroy the world because he can. He’s deluded, yes, but his actions come from an understandable place, and his personality is also a far cry from the typical “emotionless automaton who sees humanity as weak” character. He’s a fitting villain for The Avengers and easily among the best villains in the MCU so far.

As great as the first Avengers film was, its staging was a little flat at times in regards to cinematography and production design. In Age of Ultron, the ante has certainly been raised and this sequel’s technical presentation is far more impressive than its predecessor. The camerawork is far more engaging and frenetic this time around, and the film’s good mix of international locales also creates for a far more varied picture. The action sequences are also far more inventively choreographed, with characters interacting with each other more frequently in battle to create some wonderful little action beats; the Hulk vs. Hulkbuster sequence in particular is a standout scene that really shows off how far these fight scenes can go. The visual effects are very strong, especially in regards to Iron Man, Vision and Ultron, and Brian Tyler’s score does a good job of mixing themes from previous MCU films with new compositions.

I wouldn’t say Avengers: Age of Ultron tops the first film, but it certainly matches its quality, which still means it’s pretty damn fantastic. The story is fun and takes some interesting turns, the character interactions are wickedly funny and engaging, and the action scenes have been pumped up immensely for maximum popcorn entertainment. Whedon has certainly become more comfortable with blockbuster filmmaking since the first film, resulting in a far more fluid and visually engaging movie, but the first act’s impatience leaves a somewhat troubling first impression. Once past that initial stumble though, Age of Ultron delivers exactly what you want from a Marvel film and then some. We’ve still got a hectic summer movie season ahead of us, but the bar has certainly been set high already.

FINAL VERDICT: 9.5/10

Starring: Vin Diesel (Guardians of the Galaxy), Paul Walker (She’s All That), Jason Statham (Crank), Dwayne Johnson (Hercules), Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar), Tyrese Gibson (Transformers), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (Max Payne), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), Djmoun Hounsou (Gladiator), Jordana Brewster (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning), Kurt Russell (Escape from New York)

Director: James Wan (The Conjuring)

Writer: Chris Morgan (Wanted)

Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes

Release Date: 3 April (US, UK)

As ridiculous as it is that we now have seven films in the Fast & Furious franchise, you can’t fault them considering they’ve actually been getting better. What began as basically a rip-off of Point Break with cars has now gone full bananas and turned into essentially Mission: Impossible with cars. I wouldn’t call myself a fan of the series, as I only got into them around the time Fast Five came out, but this recent re-invention of the concept is certainly convincing me to become one. Fast & Furious 7 has had a tough production owing to the tragic passing of star Paul Walker but, with some extra tinkering and a whole load of insurance money, the film has finally hit the streets and its engine is roaring loader than ever.

If you’re actually trying to analyse Furious 7’s plot, you’ve immediately missed the point. The story is a flimsy hodgepodge, full of plot holes, questionable logic and a complete disregard for the laws of physics, but the movie moves so fast that you’re not given enough time to care about such matters. Much like Mission: Impossible, the plot is an excuse to visit some exotic locales and smash cars into them, and Furious 7 does that job in exceptional form. The action set pieces are just beyond ridiculous, to the point where me describing them would sound like a six-year-old on a sugar rush, but even in their lunacy you can’t deny that they’re being creative. I’ll leave the jaw dropping moments for you to discover, but cars are crashed, punches are thrown, public property is destroyed, and most of it is followed by so-bad-it’s-good one-liners. The film runs for nearly two and half hours, but if you’re enjoying yourself as much as I was, you will not notice your watch over the massive grin plastered over your face. That is, until, the film’s final moments. I won’t say much more but, even if you’ve never seen a Fast & Furious movie, it’s hard not to feel emotional about how they pay tribute to Paul Walker. It’s not a flawless send-off, as that could have only been done if Walker was alive to film it, but the heart is in the right place and the filmmakers have done the best job they can to honour the man’s legacy.

The franchise has assembled an incredibly diverse cast over the years, and Furious 7 is no exception. Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and Walker’s Brian O’Connor haven’t changed much, but their chemistry remains strong and the franchise will certainly never be the same without Walker’s presence. Rodriguez, Ludacris and Tyrese aren’t much different either, but they fulfil their respective roles of the tough chick, the tech genius and the butt of all jokes as reliably as ever. Jordana Brewster and Dwayne Johnson are pushed to the sidelines for this outing, but in the latter’s brief screen time he leaves a hell of an impression; every moment Johnson has an opportunity to steal a scene, he will take it. Having Jason Statham as the new villain is about as awesome as you’d expect, kicking off the movie in the most nonchalantly badass way, but I wish he was in it more. He disappears for sizable stretches of the movie, before inevitably showing up out of nowhere in the middle of an action sequence like Nemesis from Resident Evil 3; he’s great when he’s around, but for the main bad guy he really should stick around more. In terms of other fresh blood, Nathalie Emmanuel adds some more diversity to the cast as hacker Ramsey, whilst the presence of Kurt Russell should certainly please fans of classic action flicks.

With Justin Lin’s departure from the series so he can go venture where no man has gone before, horror director James Wan takes the driver’s seat of the franchise and doesn’t miss a gearshift. For a director inexperienced with action movies, let alone one this massive, he’s acclimated to the genre tremendously. It never really feels like a James Wan film, but that would probably be inappropriate anyway. Fast & Furious has had a distinct flavour since its inception that simply grows rather than changes, and Furious 7 has all those same trappings. The name of the game here is bright colours, blisteringly fast editing, ear-piercing sound effects, a deluge of rap and electronica songs, and cinematography that will take any opportunity to show off the rims of an automobile or the posterior of a scantily clad woman. It’s not exactly refined or progressive, but it’s a style that works.

If judged with the mind of a serious person, Fast and Furious 7 is a shoddy, insane and downright idiotic film. But this film was not made for serious people. I know this is so often used as an excuse, but it is genuinely true here: if you go into this movie expecting it to be anything other than what it is, you’re the idiot. This is honestly the most fun I’ve had watching a movie so far this year (barring Kingsman, of course), and I say that with very little embarrassment. It’s an entertaining and carefree party of a movie from start to finish, screaming nonsense at the top of its voice and paying no attention to the obvious illogic in its thinking. If this is not your sort of movie, you probably already know that and should walk the other way. But if you’re in this movie for what it is, you are going to have so much fun.

FINAL VERDICT: 8/10