Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

True believers, I bring glad tidings! :)

*spoilers*

I wasn't sure whether this movie would work, seeing that Robert Downey Jr's star is still cruising along the Ascension Drive, I was a bit afraid that The Avengers would revolve around him. Thankfully, the film keeps its eye on the word 'ensemble', and gives everyone their time to shine. Even Scarlett Johannson's Black Widow does her fair share as part of the team, and I'm really glad that she has purpose and is not just there to be eye candy, like in Iron Man 2.

[I always thought that making ScarJo a spy was just an excuse to get her in the movie. And into a black catsuit.]

This brings us to character development. Marvel Studios has a very good track record with this, as we can see from Iron Man, Thor, etc., and The Avengers takes the time to flesh out the possible conflicts between all these characters, from their own movies, meeting/working/coming together for the first time.

This is where the movie gets a bit draggy.

In setting up the foundation and formation of the Avengers, there's roughly an hour and a half's worth of in-fighting and quibbling, so much so that in the second half, you don't disagree when the big bad of the piece, Tom Hiddleston's Loki tells Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark that they (the heroes) are too busy fighting each other to combat an invading alien army.

All these catfights (physical and verbal) were only alleviated by some action sequences in-between (either hero-on-hero, or hero-on-Loki), but barely. At one point, all the heroes were even put in a room to see how far and furious egos and mouths can fly. This entire bit was noticeably tedious the second time around (yes, I watched this movie twice!).

Other than inner conflict, the pacing is superb, and the movie starts with Loki arriving to Earth and causing a lot of property damage in his wake. Since we already know the cast from the previous movies (with the exception of newbie Mark Ruffalo, but then again, who doesn't know that he's playing Bruce Banner/the Hulk), little time was spared on introductions to the major characters.

Another highlight of the film is the screenplay. Iron Man has to be credited with some of the funniest dialogue and back-and-forths that even made us moviegoers forget that a comic book movie should have more action, and I'm glad this tradition (humour, not non-action) is carried onto The Avengers. There are just so many priceless quotable gems from this film that I could rave about, most of them from Robert Downey, Jr., because what would a movie be without good ol' RDJ sarcasm, eh?

I also noticed that Thor and Loki's speech pattern is a lot more... formal (still no 'verily's or 'thou's, but close) than they were in Thor, but maybe that's just me; I haven't seen Thor in a year.

[For some reason, HBO doesn't seem to want to air it :S]

One of the bright spots in the film is when they tone down the action (and the arguing!) and focus on regular one-on-one conversations/interactions between characters, may it be hero or villain. This is especially where the actors shine, and you can see how comfortable they all are in their roles, since most of them are playing the same character the second time around. Scenes to look out for are Stark/Banner, and Thor/Loki, when Thor first lands on Earth.

The second act is where the Avengers get their act (pun totally intended!) together, and where the action is kicked up a notch. The humour is also knocked out of the park from here on out, with a very, very, very unexpected character being a major source of that humour. You'll know what I mean when you watch the movie. We also get to see Chris Evan's Captain America organising the team and plan of attack, which is a fantastic nod to the comics since in canon, Cap'n is the leader of the Avengers.

CGI? Don't get me started. Huge explosions, huge set-pieces, it's all very grand and awesome. 'Nuff said.

This is one of the rare films that actually lives up to the hype generated, and unless you've... not been in touch with the world lately (is it me, or is 'living under a rock' cliched?), the hype is MASSIVE! Four years' worth of excitement building up to this moment, and it surprisingly delivers.

9/10. Three, fairly oft-used sentences, people: Best. Entertaining Movie. Ever.

[Yes, even with the in-fighting.]

P.S. Don't watch the 3D version, it really isn't much to shout about.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

I liked Iron Man 2. 


[This is quite overdue, by the way. So, SPOILERS!]

The storyline isn't as plain and simple as the first movie, which is a bit like Batman Begins except funny enough to make me not hate it. Overcrowding and some unnecessary inclusions (yes, Scarlett Johansson looks superhot in black leather/latex, but minor role S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? Come on) in the plotline aside, it's still a fun movie, the main highlight being the racetrack sequence a half hour into the film, where  Whiplash/Crimson Dynamo amalgamation Mickey Rourke was introduced in his arc-reactor-powered glory.

Oh, and don't forget all those minute details that lead up to the main movie event of 2012-3: the Avengers movie. Though admittedly, the final scene after the end-credits wasn't as cool and history-making as the one in the first film.

Anyway, the race scene brings me to the downside of the film: the final fight scene.

It's a whole lot more disappointing compared to the one in the first movie (between Warmonger and Iron Man), because Mickey Rourke was a totally freaking bad-ass villain. And he didn't deserve to go down after ONE MINUTE OF FIGHTING. ONE BLOODY MINUTE.

While Warmonger got seven.


That aside, Robert Downey Jr. is awesome, as usual, and everyone else does a stand-up job. Not to hate on Don Cheadle, but I miss Terrence Howard. Originals are always better, and I hate it when they replace actors in a series.


[Rampant Rumor: Howard was paid more than Downey in the first movie. O.o]

Lousy anti-climactic fight scene and plotholes aside, I loved the movie. Even Garry Shandling, whom I found funny for once, and was reminded of when he hosted the Emmys some 10 years ago.

7/10. I would've watched it again on my office's Movie Night if I weren't so swamped with work at the time.

2010 movie list!

Early Happy New Year, everyone! In time to kick off 2010, here's a list of next year's movies that I'm most looking forward to, by date, and their trailers! :D

1) Alice in Wonderland (March 5th)
It's a new take on the old story, as Alice returns to Wonderland in her teens. Tim Burton is directing, so get ready for Johnny Depp, some trippiness, and the awesomeness that is Danny Elfman's music.



2) Clash of the Titans (March 26th)
I've not kept up with news on this, but the recently-released trailer looks fricken', fricken' awesome. It stars Sam Worthington as Perseus, as well as many, many mythological beasts. Check it out below:



3) A Nightmare on Elm Street (April 30th)
The only reason this is on my list is because Jackie Earle Haley takes on the stripes and knife-claws, and because I'm curious as to whether Freddy Krueger was wronged, or is actually a child molester / murderer like in the original films. Trailer below:



4) Iron Man 2 (May 7th)
The first one was only good because Robert Downey Jr. was in it, and I'm only excited about IM2 because of that little scene after the credits in the first movie. War Machine looks fantastic, and I can't wait to see whether they set anything up for The Avengers that'll be out in 2012.



5) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (May 28th)
Pushed back a year, I kinda lost interest till I saw the trailer, which looks seriously cool. I'm still not used to Jake Gyllenhaal with an English accent, but his 'jumping from one building top to another' sure brings back memories. All we need now are wall spikes.



6) The A-Team (June 11th)
This movie has been making the 200- movie list rounds since the beginning of time, and it was only this year they'd manage to get the director and cast. Starring Liam Neeson (as John "Hannibal" Smith), Bradley Cooper (Templeton "Faceman" Peck), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (Mr. T B.A. Baracus) and Sharlton Copley ("Howling Mad" Murdock), no trailer has been released yet, so enjoy this picture below:

7) Toy Story 3 (June 18th)
The toys and their voices (pretty much, R.I.P Jim Varney) are back, and I got all nostalgic and teary just from watching the teaser. New and full trailer below!

 

8) The Sorceror's Apprentice (July 16th)
If you've seen Fantasia, you already know the story, except that it's now set in modern-day New York, and has Alfred Molina playing the bad guy. It also gives Nicolas Cage another excuse to use the same hairstyle he's been using the past 10 movies or so.

[Looks like I'm more excited than I thought.My apologies for putting the Toy Story 3 up again. Below is the correct trailer.]

9) The Expendables (August 13th)
Featuring many, many action stars, this movie about a group of mercenaries is also the umpteenth movie Jet Li and Jason Statham has starred together (I kid, it's only the third). The Expendables is written and directed by Sly Stallone, and so long it's not another Rambo or Rocky sequel, it looks VERY promising. And why did I only find out now that Statham's English and not Australian? Damn, I'm losing it.



10) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (November 19th, 2010)
The beginning of the end, though the seventh Potter movie is adapted from the seventh book, it's not the last, 'cuz they split the book into two. Blasted Hollywood execs. Anyway, Part 2 has a release date of July 11th, 2011, so at least we won't have to wait long to finish the series. As of now, no trailers have been released yet.


Well that's it for me. Ten movies to look out for this year, and if anything else interesting comes along (as in, trailers), I'll be adding to this list. See you on the other side, folks! :)

Hawkeye now?!!!

No, not another Marvel movie in development. I'm referring to his upcoming appearance in Iron Man 2.

That's right; apparently, Hawkeye will also be making a cameo in next year's Iron Man sequel. No word on who has been cast yet, but expect Ultimate Hawkeye, since they've pretty much confirmed that they're basing it all on the Ultimate Universe with Sam L. Jackson (who plays Nick Fury).


This one says that Will Smith should be Hawkeye. Ugh.

Iron Man 2 Comic-Con footage!

In which there are many awesome scenes to behold! Plus, Garry Shandling gets work!



The sound is lousy, but Whiplash looks awesome.

Sam Jackson no action in Iron 2?

[Sorry for the lack of updates, work's been killer.]

According to MTV.com, Nick Fury won't be pulling any punches with the villains in Iron Man 2; instead, he'll just be talking. And stuff. Yeah.

But no worries, Jackson says that he's looking forward to expanding more on Fury (in terms of action) in The Avengers.

Now, THAT's one movie that I cannot wait for.

2012!!!

It's still early...

...but this picture made my week.

Comic book cross-overs translated onto screen.
With their ORIGINAL actors portraying the heroes, to establish continuity in the series, who (probably) won't be bitches and hold up production.
We already know ONE who's not likely to be.
Robert Downey, Jr.
Because he's already signed onto the Avengers movie in 2012, and hasn't acted like a self-righteous money-grubbing bitch so far.

*cough*EdNorton*cough*

Eric Bana might be game for it this time around.

Superhero movies leading up to one, MAJOR, major event: A big-budgeted Ensemble Movie.
Movie. History.


[I hope the end of the world doesn't happen before May 4th.]

First photo from Iron Man 2!

Courtesy of USA Today

It's cool to see that Tony Stark still keeps his previous work-in-progress suits, from the klunky one on the far left, the bulky one that looks like War Machine, the slightly-dusty red one second from the right, to the more refined suit that we all know and love.

Iron Man 2 comes out May 7th, 2010, and includes Don Cheadle (replacing Terrence Howard as James Rhodes), Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell as the main newbies.

CANNOT WAIT!!


[When will we be seeing the Mandarin?]

EDIT: I just found out that Genndy Tartakovsky storyboarded the movie. How awesome is THAT?!!
For those who don't know, Genndy Tartakovsky is the creator of animated greats like Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack, and was director of many other cartoons, including the awesome Star Wars: Clone Wars (the 2003 one, and not the 3D series that just came out).