2016: The Year in Film: "Captain America: Civil War" Review

Every single person who's ever read this blog is surely aware by now that I'm a Marvel nerd of the highest order. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, a shared universe where events and characters reverberate across different characters' films in the same way that comic books have operated for 50 years is by far one of the coolest developments in popular culture in the last few decades.  Through films featuring Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant Man (so far) and team up films featuring the Avengers, Marvel studios has created a rich universe full of interesting characters and shared threats. Most importantly, they've shown an ability to greatly expand the universe by bringing in new characters, as each new character has served to enrich the greater universe. Of course, this expanding universe serves to complicate matters for new and/or casual fans, but it is incredibly rewarding for those nerds among us who really care about these things. Last year, Sony and Marvel FINALLY signed an agreement to allow Marvel to use Spider-Man in its films, and with Doctor Strange and Black Panther movies on the horizon, the MCU promises to get much, much bigger.

Thus far, Tony Stark/Iron Man has been the star of the MCU. In what I would argue was the single best piece of casting in the history of film, Robert Downey Jr., who was such a risk at the time that he was cast as Tony Stark that he was literally uninsureable due to his long and troubled history of criminal behavior and drug addition has become the highest paid actor on the planet largely on the back of his charm, charisma and wit in turning Iron Man into one of the most bankable characters on the planet. However, through two Captain America films and two Avengers films, Chris Evans' Captain America has become its heart and soul. Inspiring and fundamentally good, decent and kind, through Captain America we're given a glimpse into what makes superheroes popular in the first place. They are myths for our time and cultural touchstones in an age where little ties large segments of our population together the way that religion and culture did a century ago. Through the MCU thus far Cap (who always had a rebellious streak if it meant doing what was right) has transformed from the loyal soldier to someone who will fight anyone and anything that stands in the way of what a less cynical person might call Truth, Justice and The American Way.

Enter: Civil War. Following the events of the second Avengers film, where the Avengers' battle against Ultron resulted in a city falling from the sky, the original lineup has been scattered. A new lineup of Avengers, funded by Tony Stark is protecting the planet from threats great and small, but there is growing concern over the collateral damage from their battles.

The Good: Chris Evans has turned himself into just maybe the best part of the MCU and a bona fide star. He simply IS Captain America at this point and his decency, charm and resolute sense of wrong and right makes it easy to see why people would follow him through the fires of hell at this point. The rest of the cast is just as good. Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark has an edge of mournful humanity to him that hasn't always been there, and given the tragedy that he's endured through 5 films, it's easy to see why. Other MCU veterans like Scarlett Johannson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle and Paul Bettany are getting better as they grow more confident in their roles, making the most of their opportunities to flesh out supporting characters. There is a TON going on in this movie, with the location bouncing from Nigeria to the United States to London to Berlin and back again, when, coupled with the sheer number of characters, could have easily sunk this picture under the weight of all it was trying to accomplish. The fact that it services so many existing characters (Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine, Hawkeye, Ant Man, Winter Soldier and Scarlet Witch all return from at least one previous Marvel film appearance) while simultaneously introducing new characters and hitting so many locales with a dense plot is a testament to the skill of the filmmakers involved. The Russo bros. cut their teeth on TV comedies, having worked on shows like Community and Arrested Development, and their experience there surely guides their ability to service a massive ensemble cast so deftly. Marvel's films have always excelled at fan service, and Civil War is no exception, giving the many Marvel nerds in the audience plenty to cheer about at numerous points in the film. Every single character is given at least one moment to shine, with two newcomers given several. NOT ONLY does Civil War manage to service nearly the entirety of the existing MCU, it also introduces Black Panther and Spider-Man (!!!) who is finally a part of the MCU. Both of these characters are done so damn well that I'm not sure how they could be improved upon, and the only reason they don't each steal the whole movie is that there is so much good stuff going on everywhere else. Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman, is amazing. He has his own self contained storyline within the larger plot, and every aspect of the character is knocked out of the park. He's going to be a lot of fun within his own film and within the larger MCU moving forward. Spider-Man is Marvel's premiere hero and has existed within his own separate movies up to this point. He's had some pretty darn good movies on his own.... but there's never been a Spider-Man that felt this TRUE and honest to what the character is and means to so many people until now. Every aspect of this Spider-Man is pitch perfect and every single moment he's on screen is an absolute blast. Marvel's action sequences keep getting better too, as they keep managing to top themselves by mixing huge effects and spectacle with good character work and plenty of fun fan service. The largest set piece in this film is just maybe the best superhero set piece we've seen yet, and there are at least 3 separate set pieces in this film that are simply as good as anything that's ever been in a superhero movie. The climatic fight sequence is harrowing but EARNED, which is something Snyder/DC never figured out. What makes action scenes great isn't the spectacle alone, that's what video games are for, it's the personal stakes. Marvel keeps raising the bar and I can't wait to see what happens next. Finally, decent villains have been a problem for the MCU. The films ultimately service the characters so the villains tend to be one-off throwaway rivals with the exception of Loki of course. The villain here is comparatively solid, with Daniel Bruhl (of Inglorious Basterds fame) playing an embittered, calculating Zemo, quietly pulling the strings. Ultimately, this is a movie about superheroes and friends fighting, and to pull that off you risk making everyone involved looking stupid and/or unreasonable. The fact that Marvel largely avoids that with the stakes escalating in a germane and believable way is a testament to what they've built and the quality of the actors, writers, and filmmakers involved. Thumbs up, guys.

The TL;DR version of the good: Chris Evans' Cap is amazing. Spider-Man & Black Panther are perfect. The action is great. An absolute joy.



The Bad: the first third of the film is a little bit of a mess. The action is jumping from location to location very quickly and sometimes abruptly, and there are a few points where the whole thing risks falling off the rails completely. It doesn't, but it's close, and there's definitely a little bit of location fatigue while all the film's pieces are being assembled. There are some head-scratching character moments as well, but to be honest that's going to be necessary to get heroes to fight each other.

Ultimately, this is one of the top 2 or 3 Marvel movies yet, and considering how many legitimately great Marvel films already exist, that's quite the compliment. Cap 2 changed the MCU fundamentally, and Cap 3 does so again, with several new characters to play with. Once you reach the halfway point, there is nothing NOT great about this film.

8.5/10.

2015: The Year in Film: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" Review

So, if you're new to this blog and/or the idea of me, let me inform you: I'm a Marvel nerd and have been since at least 1990. I'm a Joss Whedon nerd. (I have a "Firefly" art print hanging in my living room) The first Avengers is one of my favorite movies and I feel one of the more watchable flicks of recent years. So, I'm pretty much this flick's target audience. If you don't like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (in which case, quit being such a spoilsport), Joss Whedon, or the first Avengers, you should bear what I just told you in mind while reading this review, and my review of all things Marvel. ("Daredevil" is awesome too guys!)

So, the Marvel Universe is one of the great successful experiments of our time. They've managed to, through 11 movies now and counting, (The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Thor, Thor 2, Captain America, Captain America 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers) create what we would have thought just 10 years ago was impossible - a cohesive comic book-style universe through a number of related and interconnecting movies. They've done this by hiring a number of talented filmmakers and by hitting home runs with all of their casting decisions. (they grabbed Robert Downey Jr. off of the scrap heap and turned him into the biggest movie star on the planet) Above all, they've done it through a commitment to quality. Even the worst Marvel movies (looking at you, Iron Man 2 and Thor) are better than your average superhero fare, and they remain pretty darn watchable, despite their flaws.

Enter: Avengers: Age of Ultron. We're shown that our heroes have been kicking ass and taking names off-screen since their last adventure, as they are clearly much more of a team now than they ever were in their first go-around. The Avengers are hunting Hydra and searching for Loki's staff around the globe as they strive to keep the world safe.

The Good: Marvel can make these movies in their sleep at this point, and Joss knows how to write his way around an ensemble. The leads are so charismatic, RDJ and Evans in particular, and the characters so well-established and rounded after multiple movies that everything just sort of rounds into place. New characters are effectively introduced (Vision is especially memorable) while existing characters continue to have their development moved forward. (except for Thor, who really gets the shaft in both Avengers movies) The film's villain, Ultron, an evil artificial intelligence voiced by James Spader, is a better villain than most of Marvel's villains up to this point, and Spader fleshes out Ultron with a gleeful menace that really brings a sense of desperation to the plot. The action sequences are impressive, and the presence of a menacing villain really ups the stakes. (Let's be real, as fun as Loki is, he was never a match for the Avengers once they got together) This film is darker than any Marvel film to date - but still manages to poke Zack Snyder and DC in the eye by having the Avengers go out of their way to save as many civilians as possible.



The Bad: This flick is totally and utterly overstuffed and you can tell significant cuts were made in spots to keep the runtime manageable. As a result, parts of the film feel rushed and the plot jumps around in spots. I blame Iron Man 3, and here's why: Ultron is created by Tony Stark in an effort to keep the world safe. That's KIND OF what the plot of Iron Man 3 was, but it's also not, really... and Stark developing AI that would ultimately become Ultron would have 1.) made Iron Man 3 all the better in the grand scheme of the MCU and 2.) meant that this flick wouldn't have needed so much background to create its villain. Since the first third of the film is setting up Ultron, the rest of the plot (introducing new Avengers, saving the world, etc.) feels rushed and under-served, and there just isn't enough of the meaty part of the film. Somewhere there's a 3 hr. plus director's cut of this film, and that's the one I want to see. Additionally, this flick kind of feels like a placeholder. It doesn't significantly advance the "infinity gem" storyline that had gained so much momentum through Thor 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy and as a result it feels like it's Marvel treading water before the main event comes in a few years.

Ultimately, this is a well-done, fun, quality, if flawed, addition to the Marvel Universe. It's not the crowning achievement that its predecessor was, but that would have made Joss Whedon an all-time legend, so I'm happy with what it is - a fun time at the movies with a lot of fun characters, cool moments and quality actors. As a Marvel superfan, I'm happy, but not thrilled.

8/10.

2014: The Year in Film: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" Review

I think that anyone who knows me at this point probably knows that I'm a big, big fan of the grand experiment that is Marvel's Cinematic Universe.  I was a Marvel comics fan growing up, and what the studio has managed to do, creating an overarching and interconnected movie universe is unparalleled in film history.  It's also worth noting that it's all the more impressive considering that Marvel doesn't own the movie rights to what would have been, pre-Robert Downey Jr. becoming the king of everything, their three biggest properties, in Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four.  Marvel is calling all of their movies through Avengers "Phase 1" of their endeavor, meaning that Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and now Captain America 2 comprise what is now "Phase 2".  I know, needlessly complicated, but I wanted to give a quick primer for those who may be newcomers to the MCU or to this blog.  The flicks aren't direct sequels to one another, except within their own franchises (i.e., Captain America 2 is a sequel to Captain America, but not a direct sequel to Thor 2 or Iron Man 3 for example), but they are related in the same way that the overarching comic book universe is, in that large events reverberate throughout all of the stories and the characters occasionally meet up to take on a large threat. (i.e., Avengers)

Captain America may have been the biggest surprise of all of the first round of Marvel flicks. I was never a huge fan of Captain America as a character, and generally found him to be a kind of a corny cliche of what a "good guy" might be, However, the decision to set the first film almost entirely in the 1940's really played up Captain America's stronger elements as a character, and as he was ripped from his own time and brought to ours the character took on a fundamental naivete, sadness, and heroism throughout Avengers.  Consider Captain America's scene where he saves a building full of civilians and gets them to safety, while coordinating an evacuation of the city with police in Avengers.  It was probably the single biggest moment of pure heroism in any superhero flick to date, and sums up perfectly what Captain America can be when he's done right.

In Captain America: The First Avenger we meet Steve Rogers as he's recruited and given the super-soldier serum that made him into the superhero known as Captain America. After ditching his role as a propagandist and war bonds salesman he becomes America's greatest soldier, leading the battle to defeat the Red Skull and Hydra, the rogue secret Nazi science division. In the sequel we see what Captain America is up to in the modern day, running secret missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. and becoming increasingly troubled by the lack of moral clarity in the modern day geopolitical landscape. It becomes clear that more is going on at SHIELD than anyone was letting on, and Captain America finds himself forced to unravel the conspiracy while on the run from dangerous forces that plot against freedom everywhere.

The Good: the film is as smartly written and concise, from a narrative standpoint, as any film that I can recall from the last several years. It's not just smart for a 2 hour Hollywood blockbuster, it's smart for a story, period. As Marvel moves deeper into its cinematic universe, it's taking more chances with its films, and The Winter Soldier really has the feel of a political/spy thriller at its heart, with all of the big action sequences you'd expect from a superhero flick. The "don't trust anyone" atmosphere really adds a palpable tension, and as Captain America finds his allies few and far between, the character development really ratchets up. Chris Evans is perfect as Steve Rogers/Captain America, combining a wholesome "aw shucks" naivete with a steely determination that just nails everything we're supposed to admire about the character. In an era where militarized police and NSA surveillance dominate the headlines, this film proved to be as spot-on and thoughtful on the topic as anything else I've come across. Framing it as a shoot-em-up superhero flick was a stroke of genius, and the film somehow manages to flawlessly wed a cautionary tale on police state style surveillance with an effective Marvel superhero film. I felt that Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was the weakest link in Avengers, so it was reassuring to see that she was pretty effective in a large role here. Robert Redford (!) was great, and brought and earnest and refreshing gravitas and real-feeling villain to the whole endeavor. In many ways, a professional bureaucrat can be as much of a villain as a theatrical superhuman in a mask. Newcomer Anthony Mackie wasn't given a ton to do, but the fact that his Sam Wilson/Falcon doesn't feel like a patriotic cornball is a credit to the writing and his performance.



The Bad: unfortunately, the downside to the shared cinematic universe is that sometimes it doesn't make sense when other characters are absent. In this case, a conspiracy involving SHIELD and threatening the entire world set on the east coast requires at least an explanation as to where Tony Stark/Iron Man is. I'm not asking for a lot. A 5 second scene where Black Widow explains that they can't trust Stark or they can't get a hold of him or whatever would do the trick, but Iron Man's absence simply doesn't make sense from a narrative perspective. There isn't a lot to criticize in this flick, but that's a biggie. Additionally, I know that this film was right on the edge of being too long and had a lot stuffed in, but it would have been nice to get a little more development on the Winter Soldier himself. It's fair to say that that will be saved for Captain America 3, but I feel like considering the title of the flick, he doesn't get a lot to do other than serve as a foil.

Make no mistake, though, when it comes down to it, this is a great example of what superhero movies can be, and why they're likely going to endure as a key part of the cinematic landscape for years to come. This film is at once a key part of the Marvel universe and one of the more effective political thrillers in recent years, It's a true achievement, and one that everyone involved should be very, very proud of. Full-disclosure, and other downfall of the MCU: knowledge of at minimum Captain America and Avengers is going to be required to enjoy this one.

8/10.

2012: The Year in Film: "Avengers" Review

The wait is over folks. The comic book movie to end all comic book movies is upon us, the culmination of a grand experiment begun by then upstart Marvel movie studios in 2008 that resulted in 5 separate and surprisingly, consistently strong movies culminating in the first grand comic book "event" movie. 4 separate characters that have each anchored successful films independently come together in the ultimate "team" movie, in an event that promises to change comic book movies forever, either for the better or for worse. Basically, Marvel Studios has run their film franchises like a comic book universe.. with a consistent continuity where each individual hero has their own storylines that overlap in particular instances resulting in occasional "events" where the heroes come together to face a threat they cannot face alone. Who better to handle such a task than Joss Whedon, the nerd-tastic mind behind "Buffy" and "Firefly" (shows renowned for their strong ensemble writing), who also penned a legendary run on "Astonishing X-Men" in comics? As someone who's read Marvel comics for basically his entire life and nerded out over every single movie Marvel has put out so far, I'm more or less their target audience.. please keep this in mind while reading my nerdgasm/review. So let's talk about the movie already, shall we?

First, I feel like this is the perfect, quintessential comic book movie. It encapsulates perfectly what makes comic books so fun and popular. The sense of wonder, the bold, soundbyte-ready dialogue, the high stakes, the epic personalities, if you're wondering why comic books have continued to be so beloved and popular over decades, look no further than what Marvel's managed to do here. This flick could have been an absolute mess. Take a look at the middle third of Iron Man 2, all of Spider Man 3, or any number of crappy DC adaptions over the years to see how superhero movies end up when they drift too far into campy silliness or neglect character in favor of action. Marvel has done something truly remarkable here.. they've made something that successfully builds on every single one of the prior films while also working effectively as a stand-alone film. That is no small feat. Of the 5 prior Marvel films (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton version), Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America) I would say that watching at the very least "Captain America" and "Thor" will greatly aid in your enjoyment of this one. Of course, I watched and nerded out over every single one and have grown up as a total Marvel nerd, so the richness of the world created by Whedon for this film is just rewarding on multiple levels. You can get as into this one as you'd like.

Thor's brother Loki, Norse "God" of mischief, returns to earth seeking to harness a source of great power in order to conquer the earth. Top secret intelligence division, S.H.I.E.L.D., finds themselves overwhelmed, and in response to this great threat to the planet, seeks to "assemble" "Earth's mightiest heroes". Introductions ensue, and the group seeks to gain some common ground in order to counter Loki's threat.


What makes this movie great is the characterization.  Something that could easily have felt stuffed, confusing and crowded instead feels rich and full, with very little fluff and wasted time even despite a runtime nearing 2 and a half hours.  Every single character gets at least one moment to shine and they almost all get more characterization than many comic book characters receive in entire movies.  As is to be expected with Whedon, the film is very, very funny.  There were several moments where the crowd was laughing so hard that I actually missed bits of dialogue.

Iron Man is the star of this one.  Tony Stark is given the strongest material to work with, and his arc actually seems richer than Stark's did in either one of the Iron Man flicks.  We may have just seen the definitive Bruce Banner as well.  Ruffalo knocks Banner out of the park, and this version of the Hulk is by far the best of the three we've seen in the last decade.  Captain America's arc is extremely effective as well, and he emerges to take his proper place among the group.  If I have knocks, they are thus: Thor wasn't given as meaty an arc as the rest of the super-powered Avengers, and ScarJo simply played the Black Widow too flat.  But these are minor, minor criticisms.

Whedon directs a hell of an action scene and writes incredible dialogue.  The effects are pitch-perfect, and the interplay between characters is everything you could possibly want from an Avengers movie.  As should be expected, Robert Downey Jr is simply great.  His version of Tony Stark is so damn smart, witty and charming that it's simply not possible to find yourself glued to him when he's on screen.  Ruffalo and Chris Evans are right there with him.  Hemsworth, Renner and Sam L. all are very effective and hold their own.  As Loki, Tom Hiddleston had a crucial part, interacting with virtually every other major character, and if he had fallen flat, the movie would suffer hugely.  Rest assured that he does not. ScarJo had some strong scenes.. I think the problem may be that Black Widow is simply not as interesting as Joss Whedon thinks she is.  But that's seriously my only criticism.  That Thor's part isn't as meaty as Cap's, Iron Man's or Hulk's, and that ScarJo seems to be comparatively distant, considering how all-in everyone else seemingly is.  When we're talking about a 145 minute movie with at least 8 major characters, massive effects and the seemingly impossible task of balancing characters that each are beloved and designated franchises in their own right, the fact that those are seriously the extent of my criticisms is down right incredible.

Make no mistake, this isn't "The Dark Knight".  It's not a dark, metaphorical look at philosophical ideas.. it's a comic book story written and developed for the screen.  The stakes are high, characters are given moments in the sun, and there's a whole lot of fun to be had.  This may well be the most entertaining movie I've ever seen.  I saw it at midnight in a theater full of dressed up nerds.  We laughed, we cheered, we enjoyed the hell out of it. 

9/10.  We now have the definitive Summer Blockbuster.  Couldn't have happened to a better group of people.  Oh, and more than half of the flick was filmed in Ohio.