Don't Spoil "Avengers: EndGame"

Avengers: EndGame (2019)

Rated PG-13

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Josh Brolin, Brie Larson,

Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo

The Story:

After the conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War, what remains of Earth's Mightiest Heroes attempt to go after Thanos, retrieve the Infinity Stones and snap everyone back to life.

Buckle up for the 22nd installment of the greatest ride in cinema history.

No other franchise, no other studio has been able to do what Marvel Studios has done, 22 movies, 11 years of sustained excellence that have proven to be successful with audiences AND movie critics.

It all culminates here.

Go see it in theaters now, and prepare to have your list of favorite Marvel films be re-ordered.

Again.

:)

Labor Intensive Viewing..."Ghost In The Shell"

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano

Directed by Rupert Sanders

The Story:

In the future, Major (Johannson) is an elite soldier that has been cybernetically enhanced to face criminals that mean to do the world harm. However, while most people get enhanced parts, Major is the first to have her life put into a completely cybernetic being. Now someone is killing those behind her creation, and it's up to Major to stop them.

I enjoyed this one a lot more 30 years ago when it was called RoboCop.

:)

I can't tell how this compares to the Manga series of the same name, I would imagine that having the lead Japanese character played by Scarlett Johannson is the first of many departures from the original.

Because, oh yeah, when they recreated Major, she was previously a Japanese girl, and the body they opted to put her in was decidedly not Japanese.

They also decided to put her in a movie that really seemed overlong, rather boring, and completely uninteresting.

I did watch the whole thing instead of shutting it off, but at the end of the film, I have to ask myself, "did I enjoy what I just watched" and "would I ever want to watch it again" ?

The answer to both, a resounding no.

I hope this doesn't hurt Scarlett's shot at a solo Black Widow movie.  That, I do want to see!

 Final Grade: D+

"Sing" Was A Bit Pitchy, Dawg.

Sing (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly,

Directed by Christophe Lourdelet and Garth Jennings

The Story:

Buster (McConaughey) plans a singing competition to keep his struggling theater alive. But when a typo changes his $1000 prize into much, much more, hundreds of critters are there to audition the next day. The show truly must go on, but what will happen to the singers that are chosen when they discover the prize isn't nearly all it's cracked up to be?

From Illumination Entertainment, the folks that brought us Despicable Me, and have been coasting on that success ever since...

;)

Comes Sing. Anthropomorphic animals that decide to have a talent contest to save an old theater from going out of business.

It sounds cute and harmless, and it pretty much is just that.

It's also very bland.

To the credit of the movie, it actually gets better by the 2nd act, once all of the characters are established and their storylines start to build towards the finale.

The vocal cast was fine, both in dialogue and singing.

It's weird that McConaughey was the lead character, as his usual Texas twang is nowhere to be found in Buster at all.

Or if it was, I sure didn't hear it.

It's fine enough for kids, but it's definitely not on my list of favorite animated films of the year.

Maybe someday they'll make the cut, but with more sequels to Despicable Me, Minions and a Sing 2 on the horizon, I somehow doubt it's coming any time soon.

Final Grade: C

Just As Long As There's No Singing... "The Jungle Book"

The Jungle Book (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johannson, Christopher Walken,

Directed by Jon Favreau

The Story:

Mowgli (Sethi) is a man cub growing up in the jungle, raised by a pack of wolves. However, Shere Khan (Elba) is ready to exact vengeance, so they decide it's time to return Mowgli to the man village. Bagheera (Kingsley) leads him through the jungle, hoping to keep him safe until they reach their destination. But the jungle is full of interesting creatures, and Mowgli is an inquisitive little boy...

So Disney returns with their lastest live action update of their animated classics.

For those keeping score at home, we were deadlocked at 1-1.

Maleficent was an interesting take on Sleeping Beauty and added something new to the legend.

Cinderella was a straightforward bore, partially due to the fact that it is one story that has been told in many different forms over the years, and has been done better.

So it's up to the Jungle Book to break the tie.

Would I love it, or would I be indifferent.

Well, for starters, like Life of Pi, this movie is absolutely gorgeous. Whether it's all green screen, or they actually went on location to the most lush jungle imaginable, there isn't a jarring CGI blip in the action, so it's totally believeable.

The talking animals, well, you either love or hate that aspect of films. They did a good job and the animals all look pretty realistic, and the voice cast does a wonderful job with their roles.

And let's face it, that animated film had some of Disney animations' finest voices on that film.

Sethis' Mowgli is in 95% of the movie, and he does a great job as the little man cub who has to grow up and learn the ways of the jungle, all the while allowing a little bit of his humanity to seep into the character.

And I loved the ending did not send Mowgli back to the man village.

Yay!

So did I like it? Yes I did.

Did I love it...

Well, I probably would have...

But...

Then they let the animals sing.

:: sigh ::

No offense, but I thought they would let Murray whistle "The Bear Necessities", or even just use part of it as dialogue.

But then they sang, and I felt myself cringing. It's just out of place and wrong that late in the movie to suddenly become a musical.

But okay, I guess I can forgive this one moment...

Wait, what?

King Louis (Walken) is getting angry and starts talking, and then breaks into song...

No.

NO, this is too much.

I could feel the review crumbling as I watched, there was no coming back from this.

So yes, I hammer this film for the singing, and it falls from Best of the Year contention, to just another movie that I watched.

Final Grade:  B-

Be Bored By Those Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear..."Hail, Caesar!"

Hail, Caesar! 

Rated PG-13

Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johannson, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton,

Written and Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

The Story:

Eddie Mannix (Brolin) is a "fixer" for Capitol Pictures in Hollywood in the 1950s. He makes problems for the stars...go away... As he is dealing with a usual day at the office, one of their biggest stars, Baird Whitlock (Clooney) goes missing.

This is not the fun, farcical tone that the movie trailer suggested. It's a dramedy, to be sure, but if you're expecting a comedy, expect to be disappointed.

If you're expecting a movie with Clooney as the focus, also prepare to be disappointed.

Neither of these issues really bothered me.

If you're expecting a good movie, prepare to possibly be disappointed.

And that is the camp that I fall into.

This loving look back at Hollywood in the 1950s lacks really...everything.

The stars are present.
The scenery is magnificent.

You will believe the 1950s live again!

But really...nothing happens, and everything happens, all in the span of about a day.

A really long day, but you get the idea.

Ah, but it's a Coen Brothers film, so it's probably not about Hollywood at all, but is an allegorical tale about Christianity.

Oh.

Well that changes everything.

Except the part about it being a good movie.

B-O-R-I-N-G.

I do believe I made it through the whole thing, all the while wondering if there was a point to any part of it.

Weeks later, I don't believe I can look back and find the point.

I would have preferred a movie that focused more on Mannix, and maybe less sideshow stories and make a bigger case or two for him to try and solve.

As it was, it just seemed like a whole lot of loose ends that are vaguely tied together by his role.

But, I will award points for the look of the film.

And a reminder that if you want a better film about 1950s Hollywood, do yourself a favor and watch Trumbo instead.

Final Grade:  D+

There Was A Lot Of Hate Directed Towards "Avengers: Age of Ultron"

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle,

Written and Directed by Joss Whedon

The Story:

Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) enlists the aid of Bruce Banner (Ruffalo) to create a worldwide peacekeeping solution called the Ultron Program. However when the program becomes sentient and becomes Ultron (Spader), it decides that the Avengers are part of the reason why there is no peace on the planet and sets out to exterminate them.

Avengers, Assemble!

So, was Avengers 2 as good as the first Avengers film?

Absolutely not.

However, not for really a lack of trying.

Avengers was the first time that crazy concoction of teaming up all the characters had ever been done before, and it was lightning in a bottle.

But if you go back and look, you'll find glitches and plot holes abound in that one as well, fans were just eager to see the big-screen spectacle, we either didn't notice, or didn't really care.

This time around, the bar was already set too high, and it was bound to fail to reach those lofty heights, but you might as well try, right?

And they did.

And there is SOOOO much to enjoy about this film. The banter amongst the Avengers is wonderful, and it makes them human and it also foreshadows what's to come in upcoming films. There's a lot of different opinions and egos on this team, and it will come to a boiling point in the next film, and it should.

However, I happily watched this installment and walked away very happy.

The action sequences were well done, and the giant cast of characters seemed to share the screen and story in equal chunks so that everyone, and no one, is the absolute star of the film.

It was nice to see Hawkeye's (Renner) role fleshed out a bit more. I always enjoyed the Avengers that weren't super-humans, yet found a way to hold their own with the big boys, and Hawkeye and the Black Widow (Johansson) continue to shine in this role.

In fact, the only thing I didn't really care for was Ultron. Spader put too much personality or himself into the role, and it came across as...weird... I guess.

Ultron is a relentless program whose sole purpose is to upgrade, upgrade, upgrade in an attempt to be the best possible Ultron...and kill the Avengers...

Cracking wise... that's not Ultron.

My biggest gripe, but when he's the main villain, it starts to stand out as the film wears on.

Still, a good movie, but not the best Marvel film of the year.

Final Grade: B+

"Lucy" Is Not The Missing Link Of Action Films

Lucy (2014)

Rated R

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Amr Waked, Min-sik Choi,

Written and Directed by Luc Besson

The Story:

Lucy (Johansson) winds up as a drug mule for Mr. Jang (Choi). When the drugs burst into her system, her brain starts utilizing more of its potential. This leads Lucy to try and contact Professor Norman (Freeman) the man who has hypothesized what potential that could be for humanity. Lucy heads to Paris to meet, and with the help of the police captain (Waked) she is going to ensure Jang never runs drugs again.

So here you go, a superhero movie disguised as a thriller.

Strangely, I was not hooked into the narrative like I normally am with Luc Besson films.

The film seemingly meanders around trying to explain how Lucy is becoming self aware of her newfound powers, and then it would punctuate with an action sequence.

Of course, this becomes similar to watching a movie with Superman in it. When you have a force that cannot be stopped, where is the danger and conflict for the audience to connect with?

Once Lucy becomes aware and adept at her powers, of course she's going to survive the gauntlet she's about to run.

Without the tension of "will she make it?" I started to let my mind wander by that point, and just waited for the movie to end.

Never a good sign.

Final Grade: C

A Movie You Can Sink Your Teeth Into... "Chef"

Chef (2014)

Rated R

Starring Jon Favreau, Oliver Platt, John Leguizamo, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Vergara, Emjay Anthony

Written and Directed by Jon Favreau

The Story:

Chef Casper (Favreau) is preparing a master feast for the premiere restaurant critic in town (Platt) . However, the owner (Hoffman) wants to play it safe and go with the old standby, after all, that's what made them famous. The critic tanks the place, Casper loses his mind, and his son (Anthony) just wants to hang out with his dad. However, when Casper gets an old food truck, his best friend (Leguizamo) and son and go on a cross-country trek during the summer, Casper rediscovers the magic that had been dormant for so long and his food is going viral, but in a good way. :)

See also the autobiography of Jon Favreau replacing food with movies. ;)

Favreau started as an indie crowd pleaser before getting called up to the big leagues to helm big studio hits (Elf, Iron Man).

Apparently along the way, he lost a bit of himself and what he wanted to do was see if he could reclaim his magic.

In Chef, he does just that.

He brings his indie sensibilities back to the forefront, but this time he's able to bring some of his A-list pals that he's made along the way with him.

They are brief, but memorable characters, but at the end of the day, this is a story about a man reconneecting with the passions in his life:

1) Food
2) Son
3) Wife

Now is the part where I have to dock Favreau just like everyone else or then I appear to be a hypocrite.

The story of a son and father reconnecting?
That's PG-13 fare my friend.

Dial the language back a bit, broaden the audience, let me share a pretty fun road trip with the family, and you've got an instant addition to the library.

Again, that's me and my soapbox.

To me, a few of the tirades are fine (and funny).  However, that's the point of language.

Restrain it, and when you do unleash profanity, it underscores the emotional impact of the scene.

Use it all the time, it's just another adjective or adverb that keeps the audience limited.

My two cents.

Either way, still a good movie and worthwhile viewing.


Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again, and like I said, had the language been toned down, this would have been a no-brainer for best of the year honors.

Celebrate Columbus Day By Rediscovering "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Rated PG-13 for action, violence and pure awesomeness

Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo

The Story:

A year after the events from The Avengers, Steve Rogers (Evans) is working for SHIELD, but he's not exactly happy about it.  He doesn't want to compromise his principles, yet it seems like all of the missions from Nick Fury (Jackson) are making Cap uneasy.  However, a far greater threat is lurking to undo everything that SHIELD stands for, and Captain America and the Black Widow (Johannson) may not be able to stop it.

So back during my Birthday weekend, Marvel Studios was nice enough to release this film.
That review, many of you have already read right here:

Cap 2

So, what has changed since April with finally seeing it again in the fall?


Not much.

I still maintain that The Winter Soldier is Marvel's answer to a spy thriller with a 70s feel, and they nailed it.  The spies have super-powers, but hey, didn't it always seem like Bond was a little more than human back in the day?

This is a smart action thriller that just so happens to also have some costumed heroes running around in it.

Take out the costumes, the movie still would work.


It just works better as a vehicle for Captain America.

This is still the movie to beat for Best of the Year honors.

We will see if the awesomeness of Guardians of the Galaxy is able to dethrone it.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: There are 2 movies on my Christmas list. Both are mentioned in this review.  I'm counting on you Santa.  :)

S.H.I.E.L.D. - The Early Years? "The Nanny Diaries"

The Nanny Diaries (2007)

Rated PG-13 for language

Starring; Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Chris Evans, Nicholas Art

Directed by Shari Springer Berman

The Story:

Annie (Johansson) has graduated college, but is unsure what to do with her life.  When she saves a little boy (Art), she is mistaken for a nanny and employed for the summer by Mrs. X (Linney).  A demanding, east-side New Yorker, she demands much from Annie as they prepare the boy for a privileged life that Mr. X (Giamatti) demands.  But Annie isn't sure that the X's have the best interest of their son at heart, and with the eye of the Harvard Hottie (Evans) in the building as well, Annie's life is spiraling out of control.  However, before the summer is over, a lot of people are going to learn a lot about life, all thanks to Annie's being a part of it.

I hadn't seen this film since it was released.

I remembered it was pretty cute, but not much else.

Watched it recently again, and yep, it was a pretty enjoyable experience.

Based on a book by the same name, the storyline seems a bit extreme in a few instances, and yet...

This is New York.  So perhaps, it's not nearly as out-there as we might like to imagine.

:)

From what I gather, the book spanned a year, the movie-makers wisely condensed it to a summer.

Johansson and Evans make a wonderful pair.  If they aren't friends in real life, then their onscreen chemistry is really good acting, as the duo have worked together in several different films, long before they donned the spandex and saved the world, in the Avengers.

All of the cast does a great job.  It's hard to feel any sympathy for the New York socialites who use nanny's to raise their kids for them while they shop. 

Must be nice, if you don't want to interact with your children.

Nanny's meltdown at the end is pretty powerful stuff, and changes the lives of all the characters for the better.

The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime if you are a member.

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would have no problems adding this to the library, or watching it again in the future.  Like I said, pretty cute film.

Spoiler Free Review Of The # 1 Movie In The World... "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Rated PG-13 for action, violence and pure awesomeness

Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo

The Story:

A year after the events from The Avengers, Steve Rogers (Evans) is working for SHIELD, but he's not exactly happy about it.  He doesn't want to compromise his principles, yet it seems like all of the missions from Nick Fury (Jackson) are making Cap uneasy.  However, a far greater threat is lurking to undo everything that SHIELD stands for, and Captain America and the Black Widow (Johannson) may not be able to stop it.

Marvel Studios has done it again.
Not content to sit back and let the "summer movie season" begin early in May, they decided to just give April a shot at kicking off the season.

Of course, as Marvel has proven since pretty much the beginning, these aren't just mindless popcorn films.

The story of Captain America provides continuation of the story of Steve Rogers, man out of time, but also serves as a vehicle to showcase SHIELD and the Widow as well.

When Thor: The Dark World came out last year, and ended the year as the Best of 2013 on my list, I was impressed on how it improved on the original film and surpassed it.  I also noted that it was also a competent Science Fiction film feeling to it, with superheroes.

Now, The Winter Soldier is an updated look at Bond/Bourne... but with superheroes, not just spies.

This is the everyman action film filled with car chases and fights to fill the action quota easily.

I haven't decided yet if The Winter Soldier surpasses The First Avenger or not.  If nothing else, they are close equals, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I would say with 2 films, Captain America is now my favorite of the 3 solo hero franchises.

Anthony Mackie makes a fine addition to the universe as Sam Wilson.  Still with the social worker heart, Wilson's origin works perfectly for the movie, and I don't have any problem if the Falcon never soars in a more traditional costume.  This scenario worked like a charm.

So welcome to the franchise, I have a feeling the 3rd Cap film will be called Captain America & The Falcon.  The comic had a healthy run in the 70s using that very moniker.

Also, as Marvel has been doing lately, they switched directors to allow the Russo brothers to tackle Cap, and they knocked it out of the park.  It was interesting to note that they had been selected to finish the trilogy, and I look forward to what they have to offer..

So much to see.

So much to enjoy.

Quit reading the review and go get tickets.

:)

This is the movie to beat for Best of the Year honors.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I will be owning this one, no doubt.  This is up there with The Avengers as one of Marvel's best films.