Archive for Chris Evans

THE AVENGERS (2012)

Posted in 2012, 3-D, Aliens, Based on Comic Book, Cinema Knife Fights, Comic Book Movies, Joss Whedon, Marvel Comics, Superheroes with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 7, 2012 by knifefighter

CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT: THE AVENGERS (2012)
By Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

(THE SCENE: a massive flying aircraft carrier, hovering in the sky. CLOSE-UP reveals MICHAEL ARRUDA & L.L. SOARES at the controls.)

MA:  For a minute there, I thought I had prepared for the wrong movie, BATTLESHIP.

LS:  Nope. This is a Helicarrier, one of Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s prize possessions. If he ever finds out we took it, he’s gonna be soooo pissed. (cackles)

MA:  Yeah, I know what it is. You want to tell me again how it is we’re sitting at the controls?

LS:  Fury and the Avengers are all out celebrating their victory over the bad guys, and everyone else is dead tired, so I slipped a friend of mine who works here some cash, and we get to take this baby for a brief spin. Just long enough to review the movie. Don’t worry. We’ll get her back without a scratch.

MA: I hope so. This is an expensive piece of equipment. I wouldn’t want to have to pay the bill if we damaged it.

LS:  You worry too much. Why don’t you start the review?  I see some buttons and controls I want to play with.

MA:  Today’s movie, THE AVENGERS, is the long-awaited, much-anticipated Marvel superhero movie that’s been on moviegoers’ minds ever since the after-the-credits final scene of IRON MAN (2008) when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) approached Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) about the Avengers Initiative.

There was also some anxiety surrounding this one:  with all the hype and expectation, would it be as good as fans hoped for?  I’ll cut right to the chase and say yes, it’s every bit as good and then some.

LS: That might be a bit premature, but go on.

MA: In THE AVENGERS, the villainous Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s half-brother, is still bitter from having to live his life in the shadow of his famous sibling, and so he accepts a role from the Chitauri, an alien race that wants to conquer the galaxy. Loki will help the Chitauri conquer the Earth, and in return, Loki will become King of the Earth. To do this, Loki steals the Tesseract, an energy source of unlimited potential that had been in the possession of one Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).

LS: Yeah, a lot of this stuff comes from the previous Marvel movies. The Tesseract (called “The Cosmic Cube” in the comics) is something we last saw the Red Skull trying to get in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) . Loki,  the sniveling brother of Thor, was also the main villain in THOR (also 2011). THE AVENGERS just brings this all full circle.

MA: To save the world and stop Loki and the Chitauri, Fury activates the “Avengers Initiative,” which pretty much means rounding up the local superheroes to battle the bad guys. The Avengers include Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.,) Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).

LS: Yeah, we previously saw the Black Widow in IRON MAN 2 (2010), and Hawkeye in THOR. So these are familiar faces as well. It’s actually pretty cool that all of the actors returned to reprise their original rolls. Too often in blockbusters like this, some actors, for whatever reasons, have to be replaced, and it’s just not the same. In THE AVENGERS, the only original actor who isn’t returning is Edward Norton, who was Bruce Banner in 2008’s THE INCREDIBLE HULK (or, for real hardcore Hulk fans, Eric Bana, who was played the role in Ang Lee’s 2003 movie, HULK). Here, Banner (and the Hulk) are played by Mark Ruffalo. A great actor, who actually makes you forget those other guys, so I wasn’t too sad to see him as part of this cast.

MA: What makes this movie so interesting is none of these guys like each other nor do they trust each other, and they don’t even trust Nick Fury, so even before they’re battling the bad guys, their battling themselves, and it’s these skirmishes that make up the best part of the movie.

LS: Well, yes and no. Not all of the skirmishes are equally good.

MA: Nit-picker!

LS:  I wonder what this big red button does?

MA:  Should you really be pressing a button that’s big and red?

LS:  Too late. I already pressed it. Hmm. Harmless.

(MA looks out his window and sees an engine falling from the Helicarrier.)

MA:  Do me a favor and don’t press any more buttons.

Where was I?  Oh yeah.

But these folks are superheroes, and so eventually, they all patch up their differences and set their sights on working together and defeating Loki and the Chitauri in a climactic battle sequence that is one for the ages. I joke about this, that they’re superheroes and so of course they eventually work together, but one of the strengths of THE AVENGERS is very little of it plays like a predictable superhero tale. The movie is exceedingly fresh.

LS: I’m not so sure about that, either. The movie is good, it’s exciting. But “exceedingly fresh?” That might be pushing it a little bit.

MA: I absolutely loved THE AVENGERS. It’s the best movie I’ve seen this year. It just has so many things going for it.

Probably the most impressive thing about THE AVENGERS is with all these characters in this movie, I never felt cheated. Not only do all these guys get sufficient quality screen time, with plenty of key moments, but some of them, Captain America and Thor in particular, were more enjoyable and more satisfying here than in their own movies CAPTAIN AMERICA and THOR.

LS: What about the Hulk?

MA: Yeah, the Hulk, too.

Robert Downey Jr. also returns to top form, capturing the magnetism and seemingly endless “bad boy” playboy energy he showed back in IRON MAN. He too is much better in this movie than he was in IRON MAN 2.

The cast is downright impressive. Downey Jr. is my favorite here, because I really enjoy his interpretation of Tony Stark, but he’s far from being alone in this movie, although I would say he’s the unofficial leader of this group and its most captivating and entertaining character.

LS: Yeah, Downey is great as Stark/Iron Man. But “the most captivating and entertaining character?” I don’t know about that. What about the Hulk?

MA: The Hulk’s cool, but Tony Stark is more fun to watch than Bruce Banner.

Chris Evans shines as Captain America, and I liked him better here than in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, as his character is better defined. He’s out of place in the 21st century, at first, and he’s disappointed that the nation isn’t quite the bastion of patriotism and heroism it was when he last saw it during World War II. But he adapts, and he brings his sense of patriotism and pride to the fight. On the battlefield, he’s also the Avengers’ strategic leader, directing the team and giving them their duties.

LS: Yeah, Evans is better here than he was in the CAPTAIN AMERICA movie. I also think Cap is a much more interesting character in the modern world. I’m not as psyched about his adventures in a fictionalized past as I am with him being a fish out of water in current times. He’s more compelling now. And his “boy scout” image isn’t so black and white anymore. The time change forces him to develop more as a character.

By the way, WHAT ABOUT THE HULK?

MA: What is it with you and the Hulk, anyway?  Hey!  Watch where you’re going!

(The Helicarrier accidentally takes off the top of a skyscraper)

LS: Woops. Now we’re in for it. Fury is bound to lower our security clearance for this.

MA: Our security clearance? I just hope he has some good insurance on this thing. Anyway, now that you have us back on track, I’ll get back to the review.

Mark Ruffalo enjoys a strong debut as the Hulk.

LS: Finally!

MA:  Honestly, I didn’t miss Edward Norton one bit, and this surprised me, because I thought I would. Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is very likeable, and he plays him less haunted and more introspective. I also like the way they made the Hulk’s face resemble Ruffalo’s.

LS: Yeah Ruffalo is great in this role, and you’re right. The reason why the Hulk finally works so well here, is because he doesn’t take himself so damn seriously. Banner has a really sarcastic/ironic sense of humor that sets him apart from the more angsty/tortured previous Banners. And the Hulk himself actually has some funny scenes. While I like the darker, more tragic Hulk, I thought this version was a breath of fresh air and more interesting for the movies. And yeah, the CGI effects, where the Hulk’s face actually does look like Ruffalo’s, are pretty good here. And for the record, I thought Hulk was the best thing in this movie.

MA: What a surprise!

Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, and although I mentioned I enjoyed him more here than in THOR, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy him in THOR. He’s excellent in both moves. I just enjoyed his scenes a bit more in this one.

LS: I like Hemsworth and Thor a lot. For some reason I thought he was a bit more subdued here than in his own movie, but Thor is always an enjoyable character. And I thought the skirmish between Thor and the Hulk was the best of the Avengers’ infighting battles.

MA: Scarlett Johansson is excellent as Black Widow, and she just might have more screen time than any of the Avengers!  And you know what?  I didn’t mind one bit!  When will she have her own movie?

LS: That might just happen, because she is very good here. I wasn’t as excited about her scenes in the midst of battling aliens, where I thought she was outgunned, but the one-on-one scenes of her and the other characters are terrific. It would have been nice if she at least tried to have a Russian accent, though.

MA: Jeremy Renner is very good as Hawkeye, and Samuel L. Jackson finally gets to do a lot as Nick Fury, and he doesn’t disappoint.

LS: I think you’re selling Hawkeye short.

MA:  No, I just thought I’d let you talk about him.

LS:  Yeah, right.

Renner does a fine job as Marvel’s master archer, even if he does spend half of the movie in the thrall of Loki. But where the hell is his mask? It’s not like the character’s costume in the comics is so complex. That cool mask of his would have been nice. Are Hollywood actors so egotistical that they have to show their faces as much as possible? In Iron Man’s case, it makes sense that we see Stark’s head inside the armor, because Iron Man’s mask is completely expressionless. But if the characters in the comics have masks, I think the characters in the movies should as well. Even Captain America here “loses” his mask in the midst of battle toward the end. Although I didn’t think that was necessary.

Masks are important!  (reaches into a bag. )  Here, put this on. (places a mask over MA’s face. Then puts one on himself.)

MA:  Cool. Thanks!

LS:  Gee, it’s dark in here.

MA:  Dark?  Your mask doesn’t have any slits for eyes!  Take that thing off!  (rips off LS’s mask and his own. )  What are you trying to do?  Get us killed?

LS:  Stop your worrying. This thing can practically fly itself!

As for Nick Fury, I never really cared for the character much in the comics, and he doesn’t do a lot for me here, either. I like Sam Jackson, and he does provide a link between all the characters, so he makes sense in the movie. But I could take him or leave him.

MA: Clark Gregg returns as likable agent Phil Coulson, and when your cast includes Stellan Skarsgard and Gwyneth Paltrow in supporting roles, you know you’ve got something good going. Skarsgard of course plays Selvig, the brilliant scientist we met in THOR, and Paltrow is Pepper Pots, Tony Stark’s love interest.

LS: In some ways, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson is actually more compelling than Nick Fury, as a character, although his slavish worship of the superheroes (like his wanting Captain America to sign his trading cards) seemed a bit condescending at times.

MA: I thought it was pretty funny. Besides, Coulson is the stand-in for us. He’s the fanboy of the group.

LS: I realize that. But they make him look a little too geeky, when he’s supposed to be a professional. His “big scene” here, though, is pretty good. Although I think they put way too much importance on him as an inspiration to the others.

MA: I liked that scene.

LS: Also pretty good here is Cobie Smulders as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill. Most people will recognize Smulders as Robin on the hit CBS sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. But she’s very good in this more serious role, as well.

MA: And Tom Hiddleston turns in a fine performance as Loki, although Loki is still not one of my favorite villains. He’s simply not powerful enough, either in strength or mind, to really wow me. I never get the feeling he’s actually powerful enough to defeat the heroes. Not a good trait to have if you’re a villain. He’s like the Rodney Dangerfield of villains. No respect. Well, he hasn’t really earned it.

LS: Now we’re getting into what I didn’t like about the movie. THE AVENGERS has a lot going for it. It’s a lot of fun, the fight scenes are great, the characters—for the most part—are very well done. But my biggest beef with this movie is that it just didn’t have a strong enough villain. I thought Loki was a letdown. We’d already seen him in the THOR movie, and didn’t need to have him be the bad guy here, too (even if, in the original issue of THE AVENGERS # 1 way back in 1963, it was Loki who brought the team together to fight him – and he didn’t need Nick Fury back then to do it).

I just don’t think Loki is a strong enough character. And the generic aliens didn’t help all that much. It was like these great heroes get together to fight an inferior bad guy and a bunch of flying CGI effects. A strong villain would have made for a better movie. And if there is one flaw with THE AVENGERS, I’d say that’s it.

MA:  I can’t disagree with you there. THE AVENGERS lacks a compelling villain, but I liked the actual Avengers so much, I didn’t really care.

LS:  Also – what is up with Loki? Sometimes he seems to have unlimited power. Other times he doesn’t use his powers at all and seems kind of lame as a bad guy. Which one is it? Is he as formidable as Thor or not? If he’s taking on an entire team, you’d think he would have to be pretty impressive, but he’s not. The same goes for the aliens. Sometimes normal people like the Black Widow and Hawkeye are able to fight the aliens off. Other times, they are able to take on Iron Man (even if he is weakened at that point). And they just didn’t seem scary enough. Their living whale battleships were pretty cool, though.

MA: But the true star of THE AVENGERS is writer/director Joss Whedon. What a few weeks it’s been for Whedon. He wrote THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) which came out a few weeks ago, which was an excellent movie, and I have to say, THE AVENGERS is even better.

LS: Yeah, Whedon does a good job here. I could see a lot of other directors dropping the ball here, but Whedon does a great job juggling everyone throughout the movie and keeping them all—well, most of them—consistently interesting. It’s tough to direct a movie like this and turn out something as good as Whedon has here.

MA: Whedon does everything right here, and for a guy to do that with such an ambitious project like THE AVENGERS, that’s incredibly impressive. So yeah, there are so many ways this movie could have been disappointing, and Whedon avoids all of them.

The best part is he gives all these characters key scenes, and lots of them. You certainly don’t watch this movie and think there’s just too many characters involved. It’s the opposite. You’ll find yourself not getting enough of these characters.

LS: I agree there.

MA: I loved the interactions between the superheroes, and these scenes of in-fighting and bickering make for some of the best moments of the movie. When Iron Man first bickers with Thor and makes fun of the way he speaks, it’s a hoot. You have a three way fight between Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, a memorable bout between the Hulk and Thor, and the tension-filled scene with all of them at each other’s throats on board the Helicarrier. And we haven’t even gotten to the main battle to protect the world yet!

LS: I liked the in-fighting for the most part, even if I do think that Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk were in a completely different class from the rest of the characters. Captain America seemed pretty useless in comparison to the big boys, and the Black Widow seems completely out of her depth once the aliens show up. Hawkeye would to, except he has those amazing gadgets on his arrows, to keep him interesting.

Another thing about Hawkeye is, in the comics, he’s more wise-cracking and enjoyable. I thought Renner played him way too serious. And he could have worn the damn mask!

MA: You and that mask! Whedon’s screenplay also gets the humor right in this one. There are plenty of funny moments in THE AVENGERS, some are laugh out loud funny. Whedon’s dialogue is fabulous.

There are also some really impressive battle scenes here, very cinematic. The battle on and around the Helicarrier was amazing, and the climactic battle between the Avengers and the Chitauri is not to be missed.

LS: The big battle between the Avengers and the aliens is great because of the Avengers themselves. But the aliens are so generic, the team could have been fighting robots and it would have been the exact same thing. They needed a more exciting enemy.

MA: I saw THE AVENGERS in 3D, and I thought it looked excellent, though to be honest, this movie is so entertaining I bet it plays just as well in 2D. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

LS: I saw it in 3D, too. And while I thought it was fine, I eventually just forgot I was wearing the glasses, and didn’t really see why it had to be in 3D. I’m sure in 2D, it would have been just fine.

MA: THE AVENGERS runs 2 hours and 22 minutes, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It held my interest from start to finish.

LS: Me, too. I wasn’t bored at all. It is an exciting movie, despite my few complaints.

MA: THE AVENGERS is my pick for the most entertaining movie of the year so far. Yeah, I’ll admit, I’m biased because I really like the Marvel superhero movies, but as those things go, this one is one of the best. It just might be THE best. I love IRON MAN (2008), and I really enjoyed last year’s X-MEN FIRST CLASS (2011), and THE AVENGERS is every bit as enjoyable as these movies. What just might make it even better is THE AVENGERS is a bit more cinematic than those two movies. Joss Whedon includes some grand and memorable action sequences that lift this one to a higher level. Plus you’re dealing with an ensemble cast of characters that you’d be hard-pressed to match elsewhere.

LS: Yeah, THE AVENGERS is one of the best Marvel movies so far. Also, when I went to see it on Friday night, every single showing was already sold out. I had to see it at a Saturday matinee instead. So I’m sure this one is going to be a huge box-office hit. (Editor’s Note: since this review was written, THE AVENGERS went on to have the biggest movie opening weekend in box-office history, with over $200 million in the U.S. alone).

MA: Hands down, THE AVENGERS is a winner. I give it four knives.

LS: Well, it does have a lot going for it. A great cast, great heroes, and great fight scenes. But it’s not perfect. The first half of it, as S.H.I.E.L.D gathered up the heroes, did move a little slow at times. Not boring, mind you, but I found myself thinking “hurry up and assemble already!” And I still say the “big bad” left a lot to be desired (you’d think Joss Whedon, who added the phrase “big bad” to our lexicon in his BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER series, would have been more conscious of the need for a worthy bad guy).

One thing, though. Like most of these movies, there’s a hidden scene or “Easter egg” once the credits start rolling. But this time, it happens pretty early on and you don’t have to sit through all of the credits. In THE AVENGERS this extra scene gives us a major teaser as to who’s going to be the enemy in THE AVENGERS 2, and he’s way more lethal than half-assed Loki. So that got me excited, knowing what they have in store for next time. I’m not saying a word about who the classic villain is, though. You have to go see the movie if you want to find out. But I will say that Jim Starlin fans (of which I’m one) will be very psyched!

MA:  But if you do stay to the very end of the credits, there is an additional scene, but it’s played strictly for laughs and it’s not as important as the prior scene you just mentioned. Still, it cracked up those of us still sitting in the theater.

LS:  I liked this movie a lot, but I just didn’t think it was as perfect as you did. I give it three and a half knives. As in, it’s great and people should go see it, but it could have been even better!

MA: Well, there you have it. Shouldn’t we be returning the Helicarrier now, before Nick Fury notices it’s gone?

LS: I guess so.

MA: So what are you going to tell him when he asks about the giant scrape on the side of the Helicarrier?

LS: I’ll blame it on aliens.

MA:  Good idea!

—END—

© Copyright 2012 by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

Michael Arruda gives THE AVENGERS ~ four knives!

LL Soares gives THE AVENGERS~three and a half knives.

2 Comments »

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

Posted in 2011, 3-D, Blockbusters, Cinema Knife Fights, Comic Book Movies, Marvel Comics, Superheroes with tags , , , , , , on July 26, 2011 by knifefighter

CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)
By Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

 

(THE SCENE: A battlefield somewhere in Europe during World War II. Allied forces are caught in a fierce crossfire with Nazi stormtroopers. Suddenly, a man with a shield appears. On the shield are the letters CKF. The man is dressed in a red, white and blue costume. It is MICHAEL ARRUDA.)

MA: Back, you evil forces of darkness! (There is stunned silence.) What’s the matter? Who did you expect? Captain America?

ALLIED SOLDIER: Well, yeah! Who the hell are you?

MA: I’m Michael Arruda, Cinema Knife Fighter, and humble movie reviewer!

SOLDIER: Big friggin deal! What the hell are you doing here on the battlefield?

MA: This is a review of the new film, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER. It’s not the actual movie. And so I’m not the real Captain America. I’m just reviewing the movie.

SOLDIER: Well, tell that to that guy!

(A man in a RED SKULL costume stands before them holding a massive ray gun. It is L.L. SOARES. Suddenly, the ray gun goes off and hits some of the fighting soldiers, smashing them to atoms).

MA: Whoa! You take these characters much too seriously! You weren’t supposed to actually shoot anybody.

LS: It went off accidentally. Besides, I’m supposed to be the Red Skull. What do you expect me to do? Hand out candy?

MA: Okay. You have a point.

LS: By the way, no Allied Soldiers were harmed in this reenactment. The ray gun only hit Nazis.

Okay, let’s get started.

MA: Sure thing. I’ll start us off.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011) is the latest Marvel superhero movie, and the latest to tie in with next year’s highly anticipated superhero team extravaganza, THE AVENGERS.

It’s World War II, and young Steve Rogers wants desperately to enlist and help the American cause, but he’s having a difficult time getting accepted into the army because he’s both scrawny and unhealthy. He has asthma, for starters, along with a host of other maladies. However, Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) is attracted to the young man’s earnestness and persistence, and he offers Steve a chance to get into the army, as a test subject to one of his experiments.

LS: The Super Soldier program!

MA: The experiment is a success, as it turns Rogers into a new man (Chris Evans) who is muscular, strong, and nearly unstoppable. As Erskine explains it, his formula takes a good man and changes him into a better man, but it also could take a bad man and make him worse, which is exactly what has already happened, as back in Nazi Germany, the brilliant and demented Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) was Erskine’s first test subject (of course, over there, Erskine was forced to do this) and it turned him into the supervillain, the Red Skull.

With his newfound strength, Steve soon dons a costume and becomes Captain America, and helped by British agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), and millionaire Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), he takes on the Red Skull in order to save the world.

LS: Yeah, Atwell is the love interest. Tommy Lee Jones is good, but playing yet another war-weary officer, and Dominic Cooper plays the inventor father of Tony Stark, who we know better as IRON MAN.

MA: I thought CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER was a very good movie, and I enjoyed it a lot. However, that being said, it wasn’t quite as good as I expected it to be.

First off, I loved the look of this movie. It really did a good job recreating the World War II era, and many times I felt as if I were looking at a moving painting of the United States circa the early 1940s. The film is a feast for the eyes. It also captured the emotions of what it was like to be an American during World War II.

LS: Yeah, this movie did a good job of capturing the time period. A few times I thought that it almost felt like a recruiting commercial for the Army – except these really are the roots of the character. Captain America was created by writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby back in 1941 when Marvel Comics was called Timely Comics, and he was meant from the start to be a hero to punch out Hitler and help our boys win World War II.

MA: I also really enjoyed the Captain America character. He’s a very likeable superhero, and he’s easy to root for. I thought Chris Evans delivered a solid performance. I liked him better here than as the Human Torch in the FANTASTIC FOUR movies. Surrounded by extravagant special effects in a superhero fantasy world, Evans made both Steve Rogers and Captain America very believable.

LS: Yeah, I thought Evans did a good job, too. Even if Captain America is kind of a goody goody character, like Superman. The movie is pretty faithful to the comics, as far as the character’s origin story. And yeah, this is a bit more substantial role than the Human Torch, where he just made wise-cracks – he’s the lead character here instead of just another member of a team. He was cocky and “hot-headed” as the Torch, but he was supposed to be. Here, he plays good and earnest pretty well, too.

MA: The film enjoyed less success with its villain, the Red Skull. While I loved the look of the Red Skull a lot—.

LS: Gee, thanks!

MA: Not you! The real Red Skull! Though your make-up looks pretty good too.

Anyway, the Red Skull was really cool-looking—and while Hugo Weaving delivered a very good performance—the character doesn’t really get to do all that much as a villain in this movie. Most of the film, he’s on the run. He’s really not in control for very long. I wish Red Skull had been more of a menace here, a la the Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). I also preferred Kevin Bacon’s villain Sebastian Shaw in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011) to the Red Skull.

LS: I liked the Red Skull and I think he was a formidable villain—I mean, he wasn’t happy to just be one of Hitler’s minions, he wanted to take over the world for himself, and his plan for world domination was pretty ambitious. I thought he was a lot more interesting than the many Iron Man clones that IRON MAN has fought in his movies (Whiplash, the only villain who was interesting, also wasn’t given much to do).

But you’re right, while I liked Weaving’s performance—and I liked it better than you—I agree that he seems to be fleeing the scene of a battle 80 percent of the time. There is a decent brawl between Cap and the Skull toward the end, though.

Oh, and while the Red Skull here looks a lot like he does in the comics, since it was a movie, he also reminded me a bit of Dr. Anton Phibes, the skull-faced bad guy Vincent Price played in THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (1971) and DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972).

MA: Yeah, he did resemble Dr. Phibes.

Hayley Atwell is beautiful and tough as Peggy Carter, and she’s fun character. I also really enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Phillips. Phillips is a wise-cracking military man, but he nonetheless has the best interests of his men at heart.

LS: Yeah, I agree with you about Atwell, although it sure took them a long time even to have their first kiss! And I liked Tommy Lee Jones, but like I said before, it feels like he’s played this character several times before.

MA: Stanley Tucci is also excellent as Dr. Abraham Erskine. It’s another fine performance by Tucci.

Dominic Cooper delivered a nice performance as Howard Stark, the man who would become Tony Stark’s (Iron Man’s) father. The Iron Man connection here was fun.

LS: Yeah, Marvel is using these movies as a way to intertwine all of the origins of their various characters in ways they didn’t foresee in the original comic books. Even the supernaturally powerful weapon the Red Skull is using to rule the world is from the comics. He calls it a “tesseract” early in the movie (which is a four-dimensional cube)  and alludes to it being an artifact that was stolen from the god Odin (which brings us back to THOR). But in the comics it was called “The Cosmic Cube” and led to a major battle between good guys and bad guys back in the 1970s. We also get a brief explanation of Captain America’s shield, which was here created by Tony Stark’s father.

There’s also Sebastian Stan as “Bucky” Barnes, who was Captain America’s kid sidekick in the old comics. Kind of like Robin to Cap’s Batman. But here, they’re childhood friends and it’s kind of fun how, when the movie starts, Barnes is the one protecting Rogers, and later on their roles are reversed.

And of course, to bring us full circle, the movie begins with Captain America being found frozen in the the Arctic in modern-day, almost 70 years after the events of the movie. In the comics, the Avengers found him floating in suspended animation in an iceberg way back in AVENGERS # 4 (1964).

MA: The rest of the characters weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been. I wanted to know more about Captain America’s special team of soldiers. While they looked interesting, we never learn much about them, and so their battle scenes together are never that compelling.

LS: Yeah, that group of soldiers who join Captain America in battle don’t explicitly introduce themselves, but they’re clearly meant to be Nick Fury’s old unit back when he was Sgt. Fury, They were called his “Howling Commandos”—one of the few war comics Marvel put out in the 60s (in a sea of superhero titles) that took place during World War II—before they turned Fury into a modern-day James Bond type character, leading S.H.I.E.L.D, a little later in the decade. Long-time Marvel fans would probably recognize “Commando” Dum Dum Dugan (Neal McDonough), with his signature bowler hat and  mustache, right away.

MA: The action scenes, while nice to look at, weren’t overly exciting or memorable. I liked the train sequence, where Captain America and his men have to slide down a rope onto a racing train, and there were also a couple of cool chase scenes, one involving motorcycles, but other than this, the battle scenes didn’t do much for me. I also thought the ending, the battle between Captain America and Red Skull, was anticlimactic.

LS: I liked the train scene too, but liked the final battle between the two enemies a lot more than you did.

MA: Director Joe Johnston gets mixed results with CAPTAIN AMERICA. The movie looks great and it’s well-paced, but the action scenes for the most part are just OK. Johnston also directed THE WOLFMAN (2010), and that was another movie that looked great but could have used more memorable scenes.

LS: I liked THE WOLFMAN a lot. I think even a little better than CAPTAIN AMERICA. But Johnston does a good job here, too.

MA: I think they were about equal, but THE WOLFMAN definitely had more bite (heh heh).

(The WOLFMAN suddenly appears behind MA and growls menacingly).

MA: On second thought, THE WOLFMAN might have been a hair better.

(WOLFMAN pats MA on the head approvingly, howls, and leaps away).

LS: What a suck- up!

MA: The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely is OK. The story is fine, and the dialogue isn’t bad, but the characters, other than Captain America, aren’t fleshed out much. I enjoyed the script for X-MEN: FIRST CLASS much better, because it did a better job defining both its main characters and supporting characters.

LS: And there were a lot of them!

MA:  The 3D effects weren’t bad. I enjoyed seeing CAPTAIN AMERICA in 3D, but I bet it looked just as good in 2D.

LS: I saw it in 3D because it was the most convenient show time for me, but I felt robbed, as usual. Except for a few actions scenes where Captain America hurls his shield directly at the screen (and there aren’t many of these) the 3D aspect is hardly used at all. I felt it was completely wasted here. Yet again.

MA: You’re right. The film doesn’t take advantage of the 3D effects with any degree of satisfaction. Other than the depth factor, the 3D doesn’t add much.

I also thought the second half of the film was rushed. We never get to see Red Skull be all that evil. At one point he blows away some Nazi officers. Hmm, that’s pretty good, actually! We also never really see Captain America be tested. Everything he does succeeds. Victory comes easy for him. There’s not much conflict in CAPTAIN AMERICA, and the movie suffers for it.

LS: You thought it felt rushed? I thought, at over two hours, this movie seemed a bit too long. A 90 minute action-packed CAPTAIN AMERICA movie would have been a big improvement. I have no idea why all these superhero movies think they’re powerful epics that need such long running times. If it were shorter and faster-paced, I would have liked it more.

MA: Still, I really enjoyed CAPTAIN AMERICA. It’s not as good as X-MEN: FIRST CLASS which came out earlier this summer, as that movie had a better script, nor is it as good as the two movies that have set the bar for me for excellence in superhero movies, THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) and IRON MAN (2008). THE DARK KNIGHT had the Joker, and Red Skull is nowhere near as effective a villain, and IRON MAN had Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, and while Chris Evans is very good as Captain America, he doesn’t carry this movie the way Downey Jr. carried IRON MAN.

LS: Well, the main reason for that is because Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are very different characters. Because of his rich playboy persona, IRON MAN is always going to be more interesting than someone like the super-earnest Rogers. If Evans had turned in a similar performance to the one Downey gave in IRON MAN, well, then it wouldn’t have been CAPTAIN AMERICA.

MA: True, but as goody-goody Captain America, he still could have carried the movie, and as good as Evans was in the role, he doesn’t carry the movie. Let’s compare his Captain America to Christopher Reeve’s SUPERMAN for a moment. Superman is also a straight-forward earnest superhero, and I think Christopher Reeve in the first SUPERMAN movie (1978) made more of a splash in that film than Evans does here.

LS: Okay, he’s not Christopher Reeve at his prime, but I think Evans was fine. So was Weaving. But I did think the movie was a bit too slowly paced at times, especially in the middle. I liked this one and thought it was yet another decent superhero movie from Marvel Studios, but unfortunately, I’m starting to get a bit tired of the formula. All of these movies are starting to seem way too similar, and there are absolutely no surprises to be had, and for that reason I was a bit more bored during CAPTAIN AMERICA than I was during some of the previous Marvel movies.

MA: I give CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - three knives.

LS: I’m starting to find these movies rather formulaic. It’s not the fault of the filmmakers as much as Marvel’s philosophy – but these last few movies have seemed to be very “cookie cutter.” You go into a Marvel superhero flick knowing exactly what you’re getting. In one way that’s good, because you know there’s a bit more quality control than other franchises, but at the same time, it’s getting harder and harder to maintain excitement for these movies.

That said, I guess I give CAPTAIN AMERICA three knives, too. It was just as good as something like THOR, which I also gave three knives to. It was good, but not great.

MA: I still found this one pretty satisfying, though.

LS: By the way, this is yet another movie where you have to sit through ten minutes of end credits to get to a “secret scene” at the end. Yet another piece of the puzzle leading us to next year’s AVENGERS movie. And it even includes a big preview of that upcoming movie. So, if you’re a fan, you might want to stick around. That said, I am getting SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired of having to sit through tons of boring credits every time I watch a Marvel movie.

MA:  Well, don’t stay. Nobody’s forcing you to stay until the very end. I for one like these end-credits surprises.

LS: I almost am starting to hate the “Marvel Secret Scene” as much as 3D. So, there!

MA: Okay. You obviously feel stronger about it than I do. Anyway, looks like our job is done here.

LS: Yeah, let’s wrap up the role-playing and get a beer. (They both take off their masks)

(The WOLFMAN returns, holding a beer in each hand. He hands one to LS and the other to MA.)

LS: Gee, thanks, Wolfy!

MA: But what are you going to drink?

(WOLFMAN looks at them with narrow menacing eyes.)

MA: Remember, you’re a werewolf, not a vampire!

LS: I don’t think that matters. (Points to MA) Remember, he’s the one who didn’t like your movie as much as I did.

(WOLFMAN howls, then growls ferociously before leaping over them, attacking and devouring a group of Nazi soldiers who’d been sneaking up behind them.)

MA: Looks like Captain America has a new ally. Hmm. A Marvel/Universal tie-in. I wonder?

LS: Shut up and drink your beer, already, before it gets warm!

—END—
© Copyright 2011 by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

Michael Arruda gives CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - 3 knives

LL Soares gives CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - 3 knives

3 Comments »

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

Posted in 2010, Cinema Knife Fights, Comic Book Movies, Innovative Movies, Just Plain Fun with tags , , , , , , , , , , on August 16, 2010 by knifefighter

CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT: SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010)
by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

(The Scene:  a hip, upscale nightclub, invitation only. There are two bands playing simultaneously, blasting their music at incredible decibels, and the dance floor is jam-packed as lasers and other pyrotechnics ignite the scene. Outside the club, two burly bouncers block the entrance. MICHAEL ARRUDA approaches them.

LEFT BOUNCER:  What’s the password?

MA:  Swordfish. (MA looks over his shoulder and address the camera)  That’s a homage. (pulls out a cigar and impersonates Groucho Marx.)

(The Bouncers step aside and allow MA to enter.)

(L.L. SOARES approaches the Bouncers. He pulls cigar from his mouth and blows smoke in their faces.)

RIGHT BOUNCER (coughing):  What’s the password?

LS:  Let me in.

(Bouncers step aside and let LS enter.)

(Inside, LS chats with some scantily-clad ladies, then notices MA standing alone on the patio and follows him outside.)

LS:  What are you doing out here?  The party’s inside.

MA:  I know. I’m resisting.

LS:  Resisting?

MA:  I’m trying to resist the insanity that is Scott Pilgrim. I wanted no part of it. I didn’t want to see this movie, and when it started, I wasn’t into it, but then— I started to like it.

LS:  So? Just go with it. Why are you so resistant all the time?  Wanna talk about it?

MA:  Sure. I’ll start the review.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD begins with 22 year-old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) playing in a band with his friends and dating a 17 year-old high school student Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). He soon meets Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the girl of his dreams, and when she finally agrees to date him, he learns that in order to do so, he has to defeat her seven ex-boyfriends.

LS: Exes

MA:  Yeah, seven “exes.”  They’re not all boyfriends.

With the help of his friends, including his gay roommate Wallace (Kieran Culkin), Scott takes on this mighty task, while juggling his responsibilities to his band, and the relentless affections of his former girlfriend Knives.

In a movie like SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, the plot is secondary. Describing it doesn’t do it justice. What stands out in this film is the directorial style of director Edgar Wright, who was also at the helm of one my favorite horror comedies, SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004).

LS: No matter what doubts I had about this movie based on the trailer – they were balanced out by the fact that Edgar Wright made this movie. After SHAUN OF THE DEAD and the equally great HOT FUZZ (2007), this guy has a great track record. So I figured, there was a good chance I was going to like this one.

MA: This film is a visual tour de force. There is so much going on in this movie, visually, that it doesn’t take long for the style to take over and dominate everything that is going on. And it’s not a distraction. It’s not like INCEPTION, where I was scratching my head, wondering what was going on. Here, the storytelling is strong and precise. I knew exactly what was going on, even though the story was told in the most unconventional of ways.

LS: Actually this movie reminded me a bit of ZOMBIELAND (2009). First off, Jesse Eisenberg and Michael Cera, the leads from both movies, are very similar “types.” Then, there’s the way ZOMBIELAND would flash things on the screen, like you were watching a live-action video game. Except, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD takes this concept and blows it up like an atom bomb. Between the jokes and video game references flashing onscreen, to the fast cutting, to the sound effects and manic visuals, there has never been a movie before quite like SCOTT PILGRIM.

MA: I wasn’t into this movie from the start. I didn’t want to see it, wasn’t really interested in it, and thought I would hate it. When it began, I still wasn’t into it. Sure, it was creative, the jokes lively, and people in the audience were laughing, but I wasn’t. I felt like I didn’t “get it.”  There seemed to be an inside joke that I was missing. Why did people like this Scott Pilgrim so much?  Why should I care about him and his relationships?

LS: I think Michael Cera can come off as incredibly whiny and wimpy sometimes, like he did in movies like SUPERBAD (2007) (the reason to see that one is for the scenes with McLovin’ and the cops, not the “bromance” of Michael Cera and Jonah Hill) and JUNO (also 2007). However, Cera is perfectly cast here as Scott Pilgrim. Physically and personality-wise, he’s just perfect throughout and never seems to stumble. He’s finally won me over as a fan.

MA: Yeah. Like I was saying, I didn’t “get” this movie at first. Then a funny thing happened. I started to like it. About the time Ramona entered the movie, specifically, the scene where they go to her bedroom for the first time, things began to click for me. I started to buy into the movie then, and from then on, everything seemed to work. I was suddenly laughing at the film’s all-over-the place creativity and humor, and it is all over the place. I haven’t seen a movie this creative in years. Going back a long time, I had similar reactions when I watched movies like FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986), which, for its time, was very creative, and THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI IN THE EIGHTH DIMENSION (1984), but while that movie was often incoherent, SCOTT PILGRIM is not. The story doesn’t suffer from its off-the-wall super-charged style, and I think that’s what I liked most about it.

LS: I never understood why so many people love FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF. I think it’s a mediocre, overrated movie. And, while BUCKAROO BANZAI is interesting, SCOTT PILGRIM blows both of the movies you mentioned away, without even working up a sweat.

MA:  Not so fast, buckaroo!  While I agree with you that SCOTT PILGRIM is a better movie than BUCKAROO BANZAI, in terms of pure comedy, I gotta go with FERRIS BUELLER. For my money, that remains one of the best comedies around.

LS: You gotta be kidding me.

(Suddenly, a fat, bald NERD with glasses comes out onto the patio)

NERD WITH GLASSES: Aha! Here you are. It is I, Barney Booble, one of the League of Ex-Critics!

LS (rolls his eyes): Uh, oh.

BARNEY: And I am here to get my revenge on you two.

(BARNEY raises his fist and run at them. LS and MA pummel him into unconsciousness with lots of sound effects and “POWs” and “WHACKs” flashing on the screen. When they defeat him, he disintegrates into a hundred coins.)

MA: That was easy.

LS: Yeah.

MA: The League of Ex-Critics?  Sounds like the movie. If this plays out the same way, you think we’ve got six more of these guys coming after us?

LS: I hope not. Get back to the review.

MA: But underneath all the wackiness in SCOTT PILGRIM, there’s a strong undercurrent of sincerity. I thought Scott was a very likeable character. He’s someone easy to identify with. He’s the little guy, the nice guy, the “nicest guy I ever dated” Ramona says at one point. I was very happy to root for him. Usually, these characters end up the losers, or if they win, it’s with lots of help. Not so here. Nice guy Scott actually has a kick-ass persona and fights some hilariously wild battles. It’s all so very weird, but it works so well.

LS: It all works perfectly.

MA: And the whole thing with the ex-boyfriends also works because while on the surface it’s silly, having to “battle” seven exes—underneath it all is what most young people go through when they’re dating.

LS: The emotional baggage thing.

MA: Yes, you often have to “battle” the ex’s, and I thought that even though in this movie the battles are right out of a video game, they serve as an allegory for real battles we’ve all had to fight in the wild world of relationships.

The acting is very strong in this movie. By far, my favorite performance belonged to Kieran Culkin as Scott’s gay roommate, Wallace. He stole most of the scenes he was in, and his wry, witty style reminded me of a young Robert Downey Jr.

LS: Oh, totally, Culkin is a scene-stealer, and Wallace is a great character.

MA: I also really enjoyed Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim. He’s got the “nice guy” thing nailed. I think a big reason for his success here is he really keeps Scott a sincere character. There really isn’t much unlikable about Scott, and his character doesn’t suffer from this, as he’s not boring at all.

LS: Nope.

MA: Mary Elizabeth Winstead also delivered a very memorable performance as Ramona. She was just aloof enough to be interesting and attractive, and she never really crossed the line to bitchiness, where you didn’t like her.

LS: I dunno, she almost crosses over into bitchiness a few times. And there were a couple of scenes where I started to wonder why he was going through all these battles for her. But, by the end, I still dug her. And hell, she’s hot.

(A giant laser bolt explodes past them with a blast, burning a bystander in the background to a crisp.)

MA:  Very hot.

And Alison Pill, Mark Webber, and Johnny Simmons were also very good as the three members of Scott’s band, as was Ellen Wong as Knives Chau.

LS: Yeah, their band is called Sex Bob-Omb, which is an obvious reference to the San Francisco punk band Flipper (one of my faves), who’s most famous song  was “Sex Bomb.”Also, all of the music for their band was written by Beck (and the music by competing band Crash and the Boys was written by the band Broken Social Scene), which is why it sounds so good. In fact, all of the music in this movie sounds good. Which just adds to the adrenaline of it all.

MA:  That’s true. The music is excellent.

LS:  And Knives Chau is a great character, especially when she tries to compete with Ramona for Scott’s affections later on.

MA: But as I said before, the real story behind SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is the visual style of director Edgar Wright. There is just so much going on in this movie. The pace and visual gags are non-stop, and yet I didn’t feel exhausted or overwhelmed. I felt entertained. It just worked, and on more than one level as well, and that’s because Wright never sacrifices the story for his visuals. You never feel this is being creative just to be creative. No, it’s being creative to tell the story.

LS: The visual style rocks!

(A tall skinny guy with a mustache runs out onto the patio)

GUY WITH MUSTACHE: It is I, Freddy Fleegle, and I am here to destroy you two in the name of the League of Ex-Critics!

LS: Here we go again.

MA: I’ve never even heard of you.

FLEEGLE: Well, you’ll know my name now, when I rip your heart from your chest!

(FLEEGLE  shoots lightning bolts at them, and LS and MA retaliate with large red bolts of atomic power. The bolts smash the walls of the club, sending plaster flying everywhere)

MA: This one’s not so easy.

LS: We’ve almost got him.

(LS pulls out an enormous hammer and crushes FLEEGLE’s head to mulch, ending the battle)

FLEEGLE: Ouch.

MA:  He’s still yapping.

LS (hits him again):  Not anymore. Oh what fun.

MA: But back to the review. Edgar Wright also wrote the screenplay, along with Michael Bacall, and while the writing is very good, on its own, without all the visual stuff going on, it wouldn’t be the same movie. Sure, the screenplay might have called for all the visual theatrics, but it would have been so easy to overdo it and drown the story in overindulgence. Wright doesn’t do this.

LS: The screenplay is based on a comic book series (what isn’t these days?) by Bryan Lee O’Malley that’s put out by Oni Press.

MA: SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is a masterpiece of visual style.

LS: Yeah, there’s a lot to like about this movie.

I thought it was funny how most movies based on video games are pretty lame. And yet this movie, based on a comic book and trying to be a living, breathing video game actually worked very well. You know, with something this new and original, there are going to be copycats.

Oh, and don’t forget the other great performances – the evil exes! From Chris Evans (the Human Torch from the FANTASTIC FOUR movies) as a tough guy skateboarder/actor to Brandon Routh (my favorite ex, and also known as Superman in the completely underrated SUPERMAN RETURNS from 2006) to Jason Schwartzman (star of the indie classic RUSHMORE, 1998, among other films) as the leader of the League of Evil Exes, Gideon “G-Man” Graves. Even some of the lesser known actors were good, like Satya Bhabha as Matthew Patel (the first ex, with his own demonic Bollywood chorus) and Mae Whitman as Ramona’s one girl ex, Roxy (“It was just a phase,” Ramona says, breaking Roxy’s heart). In fact, they were all pretty formidable foes (except for the Japanese pop star twins, who weren’t developed as characters at all!). Even Scott’s ex, Envy Adams (Brie Larson) was pretty cool.

MA:  Yes, you gotta love the evil exes. I think my favorite was Jason Schwartzman as Gideon.

LS:  Anna Kendrick kind of bugged me, though. I normally like her a lot (she was one of the best things in those awful TWILIGHT movies), but every time they showed her talking on the phone to Scott (she plays his sister, Stacey Pilgrim), she’s supposed to be upset, outraged, and yet the camera lingers on her a little longer than it should, and she smirks, and totally ruins her scenes. This sounds like a minor thing, but it bothered me. I think because these were the only moments in the film that seemed “insincere.”

MA: I didn’t mind Kendrick that much. Still, it’s one weird movie, one I wouldn’t expect horror fans to like. I certainly didn’t expect to like it, but I did,  because Wright’s direction is so powerful you can’t help but laugh and enjoy it. Of course, it helps that the humor in this movie is funny.

LS: Why wouldn’t horror fans dig this? It’s a strong, entertaining flick by the guy who directed SHAUN OF THE DEAD. Sure, it’s not horror, but it’s a good movie. Isn’t that enough?

MA: Well, it’s not horror, so I would think that folks who like horror movies might not see any need to see this one. But they should.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD is a goofy yet highly entertaining movie that will draw you in and make you laugh, and it will win you over. I give it three knives.

LS: I totally agree, and I think I liked it even more than you did. I give it three and a half knives.

(A guy with a mustache and glasses enters the destroyed patio)

GUY: Aha! You think you’re done now, but I’ve come to finish what my flunkies started. I will pulverize you both to dust!

MA: It’s Michael Medved!

MEDVED: Yes, the same. And I find your reviews morally reprehensible. In the name of family values, I have come to crush the life out of you.

MA: But I don’t get it. Why are you calling yourself an ex-critic? Don’t you still review movies?

MEDVED: Yes, but I don’t call myself a film critic anymore. Now I’m a political pundit, or a cultural watchdog. It’s much better than being just a plain old critic.

And now that you know my secret, YOU SHALL DIE!

(MEDVED pulls out a huge knife and hurls it at them. LS and MA jump to the sides, and it misses them. MA pulls out a gigantic fly swatter and squashes MEDVED dead).

MEDVED: Drat!

MA: Squashed like the bug he was.

LS: You have done the film critic world a great service today, Young Michael.

MA: I know.

LS (looks bored): Oh well, we’re done. Might as well go home.

(MA and LS walk away from a huge pile of rubble, as the nightclub has been reduced to ash and cinders. Hundreds of club-goers flee into the night screaming. The ruins are still hot, and smoke is rising to the sky).

MA: See you next week.

LS: Okay.

–END–

© Copyright 2010 by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

Michael Arruda gives SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - 3 KNIVES

L.L. Soares gives SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - 3 1/2 KNIVES

3 Comments »

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