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Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Now You See Me 2 (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The new Lionsgate film Now You See Me 2 is a sequel to the 2013 film of
the same name.
It brings back most of the same cast members: Jesse Eisenberg as J.
Daniel Atlas, Mark Ruffalo as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes, Woody Harrelson as
Merritt McKinney, Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, and Dave Franco as
Jack Wilder. It introduces Daniel Radcliffe as Walter Mabry and Lizzy
Kaplan as Lula. It is directed by Jon Chu.
This film picks up some months after the first film ends, with the Four
Horsemen in hiding, and Dylan Rhodes pretending to try to track them
down for their crime of thievery from the rich insurance tycoon that
withheld paying Rhodes’ fathers’ life insurance claim 30 years earlier.
The movie is fast paced and full of special effects, but it is certainly
fantastical and unbelievable. I am not sure there was even a little
realism in the entire movie, but it was fun to watch.
The banter between characters was funny, and it was interesting, if not
believable, to watch the effects used to create the magic tricks in the
movie. I thought that the movie was suspenseful, and I had one ending in
my head, but that isn’t the way it turned out, so it was sufficiently
twisty to hold my attention.
My friend that accompanied me has not seen the first movie and was able
to follow the sequel just fine, due to the narratives that tie the two
movies together. Regarding this film, she says: “Just when you think
you’ve got it all figured out, its something else altogether. The movie
was light hearted, adventurous, funny and suspenseful.”
For me, the effects in the movie make it one that ought to be seen on
“the big screen” but I would be hard pressed to go during any time when
it was full price, rather, I would catch it at a matinee or with a
coupon or at the second run theatre.
the same name.
It brings back most of the same cast members: Jesse Eisenberg as J.
Daniel Atlas, Mark Ruffalo as FBI agent Dylan Rhodes, Woody Harrelson as
Merritt McKinney, Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, and Dave Franco as
Jack Wilder. It introduces Daniel Radcliffe as Walter Mabry and Lizzy
Kaplan as Lula. It is directed by Jon Chu.
This film picks up some months after the first film ends, with the Four
Horsemen in hiding, and Dylan Rhodes pretending to try to track them
down for their crime of thievery from the rich insurance tycoon that
withheld paying Rhodes’ fathers’ life insurance claim 30 years earlier.
The movie is fast paced and full of special effects, but it is certainly
fantastical and unbelievable. I am not sure there was even a little
realism in the entire movie, but it was fun to watch.
The banter between characters was funny, and it was interesting, if not
believable, to watch the effects used to create the magic tricks in the
movie. I thought that the movie was suspenseful, and I had one ending in
my head, but that isn’t the way it turned out, so it was sufficiently
twisty to hold my attention.
My friend that accompanied me has not seen the first movie and was able
to follow the sequel just fine, due to the narratives that tie the two
movies together. Regarding this film, she says: “Just when you think
you’ve got it all figured out, its something else altogether. The movie
was light hearted, adventurous, funny and suspenseful.”
For me, the effects in the movie make it one that ought to be seen on
“the big screen” but I would be hard pressed to go during any time when
it was full price, rather, I would catch it at a matinee or with a
coupon or at the second run theatre.
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
It’s been thirteen years since Director Peter Jackson first took us to middle earth and showed movie
audiences that large scale fantasy could be done right on film with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. And
now the final trek through middle earth is here with the third and final film in the Hobbit series.
Picking up at the climatic conclusion of 2013’s The Desolation of Smaug, The Battle of the Five Armies is
less about the journey and more about the war between the various armies of middles earth over the
massive riches in the mountain home they journeyed to reclaim. After the exciting beginning that serves
to tie up the previous film and sets to table for this one, we begin to see the brotherhood between the
dwarfs, a wizard, a few elves and a Hobbit that focuses on the bonds of friendship and loyalty. This
builds on itself as it leads to the climactic battle of the five armies. The battle is on the grand scale you
would come to expect from these middle earth films, only at times this battle seems to rely on a bit too
much CGI and thus almost plays out cartoonish. Granted, this is a fantasy world were Dwarfs, Elves and
Men are fighting Orcs so it is really not that hard to suspend disbelief in the first place. Thus the film is
entertaining in its own right as it wraps up one trilogy and bridges to another.
This bridge is what surprised me most. We received a bit more insight to some of the higher beings and
their understanding that villain in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is slowly returning to power. These
sequences are entertaining and great for fan service, but they seem to be handled a bit to simply as it
makes us wonder, if they knew this dark figure was alive, why did they wait so long (The Lord of the
Rings Trilogy) to do something about it. Still, it is nice to see the story wrapped up into one complete
adventure that viewer could connect all the way through.
In the end, those fans of the books and previous films will be pleased with the action, pace and way this
film wraps everything up. Other than the sequence of Bilbo’s interaction with Smaug in the last film, The
Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the best film in the Hobbit Series.
audiences that large scale fantasy could be done right on film with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. And
now the final trek through middle earth is here with the third and final film in the Hobbit series.
Picking up at the climatic conclusion of 2013’s The Desolation of Smaug, The Battle of the Five Armies is
less about the journey and more about the war between the various armies of middles earth over the
massive riches in the mountain home they journeyed to reclaim. After the exciting beginning that serves
to tie up the previous film and sets to table for this one, we begin to see the brotherhood between the
dwarfs, a wizard, a few elves and a Hobbit that focuses on the bonds of friendship and loyalty. This
builds on itself as it leads to the climactic battle of the five armies. The battle is on the grand scale you
would come to expect from these middle earth films, only at times this battle seems to rely on a bit too
much CGI and thus almost plays out cartoonish. Granted, this is a fantasy world were Dwarfs, Elves and
Men are fighting Orcs so it is really not that hard to suspend disbelief in the first place. Thus the film is
entertaining in its own right as it wraps up one trilogy and bridges to another.
This bridge is what surprised me most. We received a bit more insight to some of the higher beings and
their understanding that villain in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is slowly returning to power. These
sequences are entertaining and great for fan service, but they seem to be handled a bit to simply as it
makes us wonder, if they knew this dark figure was alive, why did they wait so long (The Lord of the
Rings Trilogy) to do something about it. Still, it is nice to see the story wrapped up into one complete
adventure that viewer could connect all the way through.
In the end, those fans of the books and previous films will be pleased with the action, pace and way this
film wraps everything up. Other than the sequence of Bilbo’s interaction with Smaug in the last film, The
Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the best film in the Hobbit Series.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) in Movies
Sep 30, 2019
Curse of the Sequel Strikes Again!!
So the 1st Lego Movie was a big and very enjoyable surprise to me. I went into it not knowing what to expect and came out with a big grin on my face. So going into the 2nd Lego movie I had high expectations that it just didn't live up to.
There was still some spark but it lacked the same level of fast gagtastic pace. A lot of the gags felt a bit flat and the increase in real-world action didn't enhance the film. I know it's a Lego movie but the story just was all over the place and didn't tie anything together. For what seemed to be a simple story of sibling rivalry there was a lot of new characters; in particular Rex; that I didn't feel hit the right spot.
I was left underwhelmed.
There was still some spark but it lacked the same level of fast gagtastic pace. A lot of the gags felt a bit flat and the increase in real-world action didn't enhance the film. I know it's a Lego movie but the story just was all over the place and didn't tie anything together. For what seemed to be a simple story of sibling rivalry there was a lot of new characters; in particular Rex; that I didn't feel hit the right spot.
I was left underwhelmed.
David McK (3204 KP) rated Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) in Movies
Mar 21, 2020
Also known as "Salazar's Revenge" (instead of "Dead Men Tell No Tales" in certain circles - I think maybe Dead Men is the American subtitle? - this is the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film, with Johnny Depp again reprising what is (for me) his most iconic role of the Pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.
This Tues itself closer to the original trilogy that the lady entry ("On Stranger Tides"), with the return of certain key characters from that trilogy 'bookending' the plot, and with a close familial tie to one of the key characters of this.
Indeed, we're also back to basics with the plot of a supernatural threat to Sparrow, and of his wish to reclaim the captaincy of the Black Pearl (his ship), ALONGSIDE the return of Captain Barbossa (yet again)...
This Tues itself closer to the original trilogy that the lady entry ("On Stranger Tides"), with the return of certain key characters from that trilogy 'bookending' the plot, and with a close familial tie to one of the key characters of this.
Indeed, we're also back to basics with the plot of a supernatural threat to Sparrow, and of his wish to reclaim the captaincy of the Black Pearl (his ship), ALONGSIDE the return of Captain Barbossa (yet again)...
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated The Dark Tower (2017) in Movies
Dec 2, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ahh, the Dark Tower, Stephen King's epic tale that spans 8 core books and crosses over with almost everything he has ever written as well as some he hasn't (unofficially of course). A Saga that has inspired many and disappointed a few (well I'm told the end of book 7 is self indulgent, I'm only at book 4 and that was a while ago). Anway, the Dark Tower books are epic and so they try to put all this epicness in to a hour and a half film and when you consider that IT is only one book and that took 2 films with another possibly on the way and the Stand is only one book and has a hole mini series you can imagine that there is a bit of editing of the source material.
The Dark Tower bring three of the characters from the books; Roland, the gunslinger, Jake, a boy from our world and the Man in Black aka Walter. Unlike the books the film focus' mainly on Jake, a boy who is having dreams about Roland and Walter and who is being hunted by Walter's forces.
The story line is loosely based on the books as Roland hunts the Man in Black across not only his own world but ours as well and attempts to kill him in revenge for his father's death whilst Walter is attempting to destroy the Dark Tower and bring darkness to all the worlds.
Interestingly, although there are many nods and easter eggs to Kings other works, the film version of The Dark Tower is linked more to the Shining and Doctor Sleep than IT or the Stand as it gives Jake 'The Shine' and makes it an integral part of the plot.
As long as you're not expecting too much of the books 'The Dark Tower' is quite a good film, it has a slightly more Sci-Fi feel that the books and the final battle would feel at home in most first person shooter games but, when seen either as it's own thing or possibly as a tie in to the two shining films it's quite a good action film.
The Dark Tower bring three of the characters from the books; Roland, the gunslinger, Jake, a boy from our world and the Man in Black aka Walter. Unlike the books the film focus' mainly on Jake, a boy who is having dreams about Roland and Walter and who is being hunted by Walter's forces.
The story line is loosely based on the books as Roland hunts the Man in Black across not only his own world but ours as well and attempts to kill him in revenge for his father's death whilst Walter is attempting to destroy the Dark Tower and bring darkness to all the worlds.
Interestingly, although there are many nods and easter eggs to Kings other works, the film version of The Dark Tower is linked more to the Shining and Doctor Sleep than IT or the Stand as it gives Jake 'The Shine' and makes it an integral part of the plot.
As long as you're not expecting too much of the books 'The Dark Tower' is quite a good film, it has a slightly more Sci-Fi feel that the books and the final battle would feel at home in most first person shooter games but, when seen either as it's own thing or possibly as a tie in to the two shining films it's quite a good action film.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Matrix Revolutions (2003) in Movies
Jun 2, 2019
So as we left our heroes, the last human city, Zion, is coming under imminent threat from the army of robot "squiddies" hurling toward them at lightning speed and Neo has discovered he has superhuman powers and can do lots of cool stuff.
After Agent Smith visits the Oracle at the beginning of the film, he really disappears along with Neo while the large dogfight between the humans who are using these Avatar/Aliens type robot machine things to defend Zion.
Most of the battle scenes are mediocre at best. The whole time I was thinking I had seen all of this done better in other movies.
The scenes between Neo and Trinity at the end tie the story of the three films together somewhat, but the ultimate climax is not very interesting and somewhat of a letdown.
Ultimately, Warner Brothers wanted to make The Matrix a film trilogy, and although the original will always maintain its status as truly revolutionary, the sequels will always be remembered as disappointments.
After Agent Smith visits the Oracle at the beginning of the film, he really disappears along with Neo while the large dogfight between the humans who are using these Avatar/Aliens type robot machine things to defend Zion.
Most of the battle scenes are mediocre at best. The whole time I was thinking I had seen all of this done better in other movies.
The scenes between Neo and Trinity at the end tie the story of the three films together somewhat, but the ultimate climax is not very interesting and somewhat of a letdown.
Ultimately, Warner Brothers wanted to make The Matrix a film trilogy, and although the original will always maintain its status as truly revolutionary, the sequels will always be remembered as disappointments.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Thor (2011) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 11, 2019)
Marvel films have become a staple for any movie fan’s diet over the past few years. We’ve had some bloody fantastic ones; Spiderman 2, Iron Man and the second X-Men to name a few; and we’ve had some pretty rubbish ones, Hulk, The Fantastic Four and Spiderman 3 are ones that spring to mind.
Here we stand, two years before the release of the much anticipated Avengers movie and the latest offering from Marvel blasts onto our screens: Thor, but is it a success?
Kenneth ‘Thespian’ Brannagh helms this more unknown superhero flick and surprisingly with his track record of Shakespearean cinema, makes one hell of a film.
Chris Hemsworth from Home & Away stars as the Viking god himself and is the perfect choice for the role; I can’t think of anyone better suited to playing him. 6 foot 6 with blonde hair and blue eyes, come on; it can’t just be a coincidence surely? Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and Stellen Skarsgard (Mamma Mia) also star but are unfortunately largely forgettable; Portman certainly won’t be receiving an Oscar for her performance here.
Thor takes place in the fictional realm of Asgard, ruled by an ill looking, but perfect as usual Anthony Hopkins as King Odin. Of course Asgard is created via special effects and these are flawless; from the rainbow bridge that connects that world to Earth, to the sweeping shots of the enemy Frost Giant’s home. It is here, in this beautiful place that Thor really shines, the story is dense and succinct with beautiful performances from all
the actors. The sheer scope of the film is literally immense and this could’ve dwarfed the characters, but thankfully it doesn’t.
Unfortunately, Thor’s banishment to Earth for reckless behaviour isn’t as exciting and these portions of the film feel a little flat in comparison to the bright lights of Asgard. Thankfully, Hemsworth makes sure that the usual Marvel humour is included which stops these scenes from being a complete failure. Portman and Skarsgard feel lost next to Hemsworth’s fantastic characterisation which is unfortunate as they have both proved themselves to be brilliant actors.
The constant tie-in’s with the upcoming Avengers film are shameless and an obvious marketing probe but they do little to detract from the film itself, the inclusion of S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t feel as laboured as it could have done and thankfully they play a good part in the film – even if it is in the less interesting Earth scenes.
Thor is a film as mighty as the legendary hammer its title character uses; it’s loud, occasionally obnoxious and unashamedly reliant on special effects, more-so than any other Marvel film, but this time, it works.
Kenneth Brannagh’s influence is apparent from the off, with the Shakespearean narrative at the beginning being a real highlight of the film. Thankfully, the highlights don’t stop there and apart from a few lapses in judgement, the film steamrolls itself to a decent, if little underwhelming climax.
Overall, Thor is fabulous, a really good attempt at creating a brilliant film from a rather unknown superhero. If Iron Man hadn’t been released, it would most definitely be the best of the Marvel films to date, as a result, it comes a really close second. A real treat!
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/05/19/thor-2011/
Here we stand, two years before the release of the much anticipated Avengers movie and the latest offering from Marvel blasts onto our screens: Thor, but is it a success?
Kenneth ‘Thespian’ Brannagh helms this more unknown superhero flick and surprisingly with his track record of Shakespearean cinema, makes one hell of a film.
Chris Hemsworth from Home & Away stars as the Viking god himself and is the perfect choice for the role; I can’t think of anyone better suited to playing him. 6 foot 6 with blonde hair and blue eyes, come on; it can’t just be a coincidence surely? Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and Stellen Skarsgard (Mamma Mia) also star but are unfortunately largely forgettable; Portman certainly won’t be receiving an Oscar for her performance here.
Thor takes place in the fictional realm of Asgard, ruled by an ill looking, but perfect as usual Anthony Hopkins as King Odin. Of course Asgard is created via special effects and these are flawless; from the rainbow bridge that connects that world to Earth, to the sweeping shots of the enemy Frost Giant’s home. It is here, in this beautiful place that Thor really shines, the story is dense and succinct with beautiful performances from all
the actors. The sheer scope of the film is literally immense and this could’ve dwarfed the characters, but thankfully it doesn’t.
Unfortunately, Thor’s banishment to Earth for reckless behaviour isn’t as exciting and these portions of the film feel a little flat in comparison to the bright lights of Asgard. Thankfully, Hemsworth makes sure that the usual Marvel humour is included which stops these scenes from being a complete failure. Portman and Skarsgard feel lost next to Hemsworth’s fantastic characterisation which is unfortunate as they have both proved themselves to be brilliant actors.
The constant tie-in’s with the upcoming Avengers film are shameless and an obvious marketing probe but they do little to detract from the film itself, the inclusion of S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t feel as laboured as it could have done and thankfully they play a good part in the film – even if it is in the less interesting Earth scenes.
Thor is a film as mighty as the legendary hammer its title character uses; it’s loud, occasionally obnoxious and unashamedly reliant on special effects, more-so than any other Marvel film, but this time, it works.
Kenneth Brannagh’s influence is apparent from the off, with the Shakespearean narrative at the beginning being a real highlight of the film. Thankfully, the highlights don’t stop there and apart from a few lapses in judgement, the film steamrolls itself to a decent, if little underwhelming climax.
Overall, Thor is fabulous, a really good attempt at creating a brilliant film from a rather unknown superhero. If Iron Man hadn’t been released, it would most definitely be the best of the Marvel films to date, as a result, it comes a really close second. A real treat!
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/05/19/thor-2011/
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Half Baked (1998) in Movies
Jul 4, 2021
Ironically, not even that much better while high. I liked this for the majority of the runtime but that third act really tried my patience - falls into the exact line as other late 90s/early 00s buddy comedies in vein of 𝘋𝘶𝘥𝘦, 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘔𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘳? and the like that I just fucking hate, where the film completely gives up and a bunch of tiring 'wacky' stuff happens until it abruptly ends. Pretty typical hit-or-miss stoner comedy of the era but easy to forgive when the thing isn't even 85 minutes in length. It's agreeable enough with some seriously funny shit in it every now and again, mostly only holding its own in the sea of other similar movies due to its trio of three sharp, exuberant lead performances - Jim Breuer's final boss tie-dyed pothead steals the show with extreme prejudice (seriously, has anyone else in a movie ever exuded *more* stoner energy than this guy?). Can be lumped right in with 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 in the "kind of funny, semi-decent films written by people who are clearly above such work but also maybe that was the point of it to begin with?" pile. But Bob Saget's "I used to suck dick for coke!" bit remains as iconic and effortlessly hysterical as ever.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated The Nines (2007) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 22, 2019)
The Nines tells the story of Gary, Gavin, and Gabriel with each character given a specific segment in the film. The first segment tells the story of Gary, an actor who has more than a few issues. The second introduces us to Gavin as we're given a reality TV show look behind the scenes as he tries to get his show onto the air. The final segment is about Gabriel, a married man who designs video games. All of the segments are related and focus around the number 9. Discovering the truth about these characters and what they really are is what really makes the film worth watching.
I had been wanting to see this for awhile and I finally got around to seeing it today. It was actually better than I was expecting it to be. I haven't seen a film tie together multiple segments like this in a long time. Everything comes together quite well and it's pretty satisfying once all the cards are put on the table. Ryan Reynolds proves once again that his acting is quite strong and has more to him than being the casual funny man. Melissa McCarthy is also worth mentioning. She starts off being kind of irritating, but turns out being incredibly charming once the credits roll. Hope Davis was the last piece of the puzzle and is crucial to the overall story. At first, she just seems like the typical jealous and conniving female character who didn't get what she wanted. As the film progresses, however, her role becomes more interesting and it's revealed how important she is in Gary/Gavin/Gabriel's path to discovering what's really going on.
The Nines deserves a watch from anyone looking for something a little different. It'll definitely satisfy Ryan Reynolds fans and it'll probably meet or exceed what you expect from the film once it's all said and done. It surprised me quite a bit with a strong story, a great cast, and an incredibly solid script.
I had been wanting to see this for awhile and I finally got around to seeing it today. It was actually better than I was expecting it to be. I haven't seen a film tie together multiple segments like this in a long time. Everything comes together quite well and it's pretty satisfying once all the cards are put on the table. Ryan Reynolds proves once again that his acting is quite strong and has more to him than being the casual funny man. Melissa McCarthy is also worth mentioning. She starts off being kind of irritating, but turns out being incredibly charming once the credits roll. Hope Davis was the last piece of the puzzle and is crucial to the overall story. At first, she just seems like the typical jealous and conniving female character who didn't get what she wanted. As the film progresses, however, her role becomes more interesting and it's revealed how important she is in Gary/Gavin/Gabriel's path to discovering what's really going on.
The Nines deserves a watch from anyone looking for something a little different. It'll definitely satisfy Ryan Reynolds fans and it'll probably meet or exceed what you expect from the film once it's all said and done. It surprised me quite a bit with a strong story, a great cast, and an incredibly solid script.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
Apr 29, 2019
It has "all the feels"
***There will be NO SPOILERS in this review***
AVENGERS: ENDGAME is an emotionally and artistically satisfying conclusion to 11 years and 22 films of the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.
Closing out "Phase III" in the MCU, the concluding chapter for most of the "original" MCU characters/actors, ENDGAME picks up the Avengers story right after the conclusion of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR - a film which saw our heroes lose the battle to Thanos, who snapped his fingers and half the living beings in the Universe vanished.
Instead of downplaying the grief that a survivor would feel, Directors Joe and Anthony Russo (veterans of many MCU films) wisely decide to "lean into" this grief which gives this film something that is surprising for a SuperHero film - emotional resonance. You grieve with these characters that you have come to know - and love - and share their pain and sorrow.
It's a wise choice for it adds a layer to this film that many Superhero films fail to achieve. Along with action, fun characters that you want to root for, interesting visuals and (are you listening DC?) - HUMOR, this film has "all the feels" (to steal a phrase) and will leave the MCU fan (both hardcore and casual) satisfied with the experience.
Also...interestingly enough...this film stands on it's own quite well. The guy next to me in the theater was a "newbie" to the MCU, dragged to the theater with his friends to be "part of the crowd" in this experience. Over the first 5 minutes he was asking his buddy a million questions about who is who and what is what...but after that he just settled into his chair and enjoyed the ride for what it is - even jumping up and cheering at a spot late in the film where EVERYONE in the sold out IMAX showing I was in was tempted to jump out of their chair and cheer (yes - there is THAT kind of moment in this film).
There is also sorrow...loss...joy...relief...tension...excitement...as I said..."all the feels". I don't usually tear up at movies, but I felt some glistening in the corners of my eyes and a lump in my throat on more than 1 occasion - sometimes with sadness, but, sometimes, with joy and exuberance. Yes! I had tears of JOY jumping out of my eyes at a few moments in this film.
But, if it is Special Effects spectacle you are looking for - no worries. There are PLENTY including a finale that is worthy of being the Final Battle in the Final Film for this Phase of the series.
And...the humor...this film has a surprisingly large amount of light, happy moments as well. I give the Russo Brothers - and the MCU - credit for realizing that humor is a good counterbalance to sorrow, action and suspense. I also give them credit for what character they decided to use as the "comic relief" in this film. It's a good choice - and the performer tapped to play the humor is equal to the task.
But, of course, none of this matters if the characters aren't interesting enough to root for - and this film has it in spades. We've watched these characters grow, develop, bond and tear apart over the course of these past 11 years, so there is quite a bit of emotional investment in the characters - and this investment pays of handsomely (again...if you are a "casual" fan or a "newbie", you'll be fine). But...if you are like me and are "into" the MCU then there is payoff after payoff in this film that is extremely satisfying.
The actors in ENDGAME are, of course, at the top of their game. They know they are capping a special moment in their careers and they "bring it". Starting, of course, with Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. His character goes through a wide variety of emotions through the course of this film and - if this is his last MCU film - he's going out in style. As is Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America. These two are at the heart of this film - and at the heart of the MCU - and they take center stage with aplomb, tweaking their characters while respecting all that came before. To be honest, I never really bought into the Iron Man vs. Captain America "Civil War" storyline, but they tie that up nicely.
Of course the other 4 "Original 6 Avengers" - Chris Hemsworth's THOR, Scarlett Johansson's BLACK WIDOW, Mark Ruffalo's BRUCE BANNER and Jeremy Renner's CLINT/HAWKEYE/RONIN - are on hand and they all have their moments and take their bows as appropriate throughout. I also have to give some "props" to Don Cheadle's James "Rhodey" Rhodes/WAR MACHINE - kind of an unsung performer in these films and is a welcome sight who would have been missed had he not been there.
The other "survivors of the snap" - Bradley Cooper's ROCKET RACOON, Karen Gillan's NEBULA and Paul Rudd's SCOTT LANG/ANT MAN - fit in with the "original" Avengers quite well. This group of 10 is fun to watch. Add to them Brie Larson's CAPTAIN MARVEL to mix the drink and the concoction was intoxicating to me. A small "quibble" and I do mean a "quibble" - Danai Gurira and her character OKOYE is underutlized/underused for my tastes, but...that is just a "quibble".
Oh...and James Brolin is back as "big bad" Thanos - a worthy adversary, both emotionally, intellectually and physically for this group of SuperHero's to outwit/outlast/outplay.
Finally...without giving away any plot points...this story figured out a way to reflect on/pay homage to previous films in this Universe. It was a clever way to bring back stories/characters/moments from the past and to give some of these performers and moments a nice "cameo" curtain call.
I better stop now before I give away plot points - needless to say I LOVED THIS FILM - it was a very satisfying way to say "thank you and goodbye" to 11 years (and 22 films) of marvelous film making.
I'm looking forward to what the next 11 years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer - the bar has been set at the highest level.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
AVENGERS: ENDGAME is an emotionally and artistically satisfying conclusion to 11 years and 22 films of the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.
Closing out "Phase III" in the MCU, the concluding chapter for most of the "original" MCU characters/actors, ENDGAME picks up the Avengers story right after the conclusion of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR - a film which saw our heroes lose the battle to Thanos, who snapped his fingers and half the living beings in the Universe vanished.
Instead of downplaying the grief that a survivor would feel, Directors Joe and Anthony Russo (veterans of many MCU films) wisely decide to "lean into" this grief which gives this film something that is surprising for a SuperHero film - emotional resonance. You grieve with these characters that you have come to know - and love - and share their pain and sorrow.
It's a wise choice for it adds a layer to this film that many Superhero films fail to achieve. Along with action, fun characters that you want to root for, interesting visuals and (are you listening DC?) - HUMOR, this film has "all the feels" (to steal a phrase) and will leave the MCU fan (both hardcore and casual) satisfied with the experience.
Also...interestingly enough...this film stands on it's own quite well. The guy next to me in the theater was a "newbie" to the MCU, dragged to the theater with his friends to be "part of the crowd" in this experience. Over the first 5 minutes he was asking his buddy a million questions about who is who and what is what...but after that he just settled into his chair and enjoyed the ride for what it is - even jumping up and cheering at a spot late in the film where EVERYONE in the sold out IMAX showing I was in was tempted to jump out of their chair and cheer (yes - there is THAT kind of moment in this film).
There is also sorrow...loss...joy...relief...tension...excitement...as I said..."all the feels". I don't usually tear up at movies, but I felt some glistening in the corners of my eyes and a lump in my throat on more than 1 occasion - sometimes with sadness, but, sometimes, with joy and exuberance. Yes! I had tears of JOY jumping out of my eyes at a few moments in this film.
But, if it is Special Effects spectacle you are looking for - no worries. There are PLENTY including a finale that is worthy of being the Final Battle in the Final Film for this Phase of the series.
And...the humor...this film has a surprisingly large amount of light, happy moments as well. I give the Russo Brothers - and the MCU - credit for realizing that humor is a good counterbalance to sorrow, action and suspense. I also give them credit for what character they decided to use as the "comic relief" in this film. It's a good choice - and the performer tapped to play the humor is equal to the task.
But, of course, none of this matters if the characters aren't interesting enough to root for - and this film has it in spades. We've watched these characters grow, develop, bond and tear apart over the course of these past 11 years, so there is quite a bit of emotional investment in the characters - and this investment pays of handsomely (again...if you are a "casual" fan or a "newbie", you'll be fine). But...if you are like me and are "into" the MCU then there is payoff after payoff in this film that is extremely satisfying.
The actors in ENDGAME are, of course, at the top of their game. They know they are capping a special moment in their careers and they "bring it". Starting, of course, with Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. His character goes through a wide variety of emotions through the course of this film and - if this is his last MCU film - he's going out in style. As is Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America. These two are at the heart of this film - and at the heart of the MCU - and they take center stage with aplomb, tweaking their characters while respecting all that came before. To be honest, I never really bought into the Iron Man vs. Captain America "Civil War" storyline, but they tie that up nicely.
Of course the other 4 "Original 6 Avengers" - Chris Hemsworth's THOR, Scarlett Johansson's BLACK WIDOW, Mark Ruffalo's BRUCE BANNER and Jeremy Renner's CLINT/HAWKEYE/RONIN - are on hand and they all have their moments and take their bows as appropriate throughout. I also have to give some "props" to Don Cheadle's James "Rhodey" Rhodes/WAR MACHINE - kind of an unsung performer in these films and is a welcome sight who would have been missed had he not been there.
The other "survivors of the snap" - Bradley Cooper's ROCKET RACOON, Karen Gillan's NEBULA and Paul Rudd's SCOTT LANG/ANT MAN - fit in with the "original" Avengers quite well. This group of 10 is fun to watch. Add to them Brie Larson's CAPTAIN MARVEL to mix the drink and the concoction was intoxicating to me. A small "quibble" and I do mean a "quibble" - Danai Gurira and her character OKOYE is underutlized/underused for my tastes, but...that is just a "quibble".
Oh...and James Brolin is back as "big bad" Thanos - a worthy adversary, both emotionally, intellectually and physically for this group of SuperHero's to outwit/outlast/outplay.
Finally...without giving away any plot points...this story figured out a way to reflect on/pay homage to previous films in this Universe. It was a clever way to bring back stories/characters/moments from the past and to give some of these performers and moments a nice "cameo" curtain call.
I better stop now before I give away plot points - needless to say I LOVED THIS FILM - it was a very satisfying way to say "thank you and goodbye" to 11 years (and 22 films) of marvelous film making.
I'm looking forward to what the next 11 years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer - the bar has been set at the highest level.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)