A Review With No Spoilers..."Avengers: Infinity War"

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Rated PG-13

Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Everyone Else! :)

Directed by The Russo Brothers

The Story:

Thanos (Brolin) is on his quest to unite the 6 Infinity Stones and wipe away half of the universe. Can the combined forces of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy stop him?

The answer may surprise you!

Buckle up true believers for the 19th installment in a 10 year ride that is the biggest emotional roller coaster of them all.

It comes out of the gate swinging and doesn't let up until the screen goes dark and the house lights int he theater come up.

You'll laugh.

You'll cry.

You'll repeat as necessary.

When it's over you'll want to see it again, and you'll also feel like the wait to get to Infinity War was nothing compared to the wait to see what happens next. 

As fans, we have invested 10 years of our lives in these characters.

So too have the actors invested nearly as long in portraying them on the screen.

We've been lucky to have them, and however this all ends, I'm glad to have had the chance to see all of these films with my kids.

I said at the start of the year that barring some surprise, I would be penciling in Avengers: Infinity War as my favorite movie of 2018.

I think we can put the pencil down, and grab the big black Sharpie.

Don't miss this one.

Final Grade: A+

Welcome Home Web-Head! "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr.

Directed by Jon Watts

The Story:

Peter Parker (Holland) is trying to adjust to life as Spider-Man all the while waiting for the next call-up to something big by Tony Stark (Downey Jr.). When he discovers that a new bad guy, the Vulture (Keaton) is up to something really big, Peter gets tired of being ignored while he tries to enlist help, so he tackles it on his own. Needless to say, his web-slinging and high school problems are going to cause more problems than your typical high schooler has to endure.

Welcome home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spidey!

The deal that allowed Marvel Studios to use Spider-Man pays off huuuuuuge for Sony as they craft the best Spider-Man film so far.

For those of you that loved the Raimi trilogy...or at least Part 2, you're welcome to think that's the best Spider-Man ever.

I never cared for Tobey in the role, nor Dunst as M.J.

I much preferred Garfield's take in the role, but those films weren't without their flaws.

Now along comes Homecoming.

Holland is quickly winning me over as Peter/Spidey.

It also helps that Keaton's Vulture is an impressive and logical foe to set this whole thing up, and he is great as the film's bad guy.

Are there flaws?

Probably.

Am I willing to overlook those?

Absolutely.

The biggest complaint I could see is the characterizations of most of Peter's supporting cast.

I simply remember: this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not the comics.

Then yeah, I'm good.

What else can I say at this point?

1) The Spider-Man theme song makes an appearance.
2) Possibly the best ending of any Marvel movie.
3) There are indeed 2 scenes that appear after the credits.

I highly encourage you to stick around for both!

Congratulations to all involved, I'm now going to type what I thought unthinkable just 2 short months ago...

Sorry Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.... there's a new favorite movie of the year in town!

Good luck Thor: Ragnarok... you've got your work cut out for you.

Final Grade: A

Here Fishy Fishy... "In The Heart Of The Sea"

In The Heart of the Sea (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Brendan Whishaw, Tom Holland

Directed by Ron Howard

The Story:

Herman Melville (Whishaw) is ready to write his next novel. He wants to base it on what happened to the ship, The Essex that was reportedly attacked by a white whale in 1820. For research, he approaches Tom Nickerson (Gleeson) and learns of the fateful attack and the horrific aftermath of the ship sinking and what the surviving crew members had to endure.

Based on a mashup of several bits and pieces of the true story that Melville would create the fictional novel Moby Dick with, the bulk of the story takes place via flashback aboard The Essex. Rookie whaling Captain Pollard (Walker) and perennial first-mate Owen Chase (Hemsworth) butt heads from the get-go, but their determination to fill the ship with oil and return to port to be rid of one another fuels most of the voyage. Along the way, a young Thomas Nickerson (Holland) learns from them and the crew as they are beset with tragedies and unspeakable horrors after encountering the white whale.

Historians can pick this movie to pieces, but they are missing the point.

The sinking of the Essex did happen.

What happened next did happen.

Melville based Moby Dick on those events.

This movie puts all of the above into a blender and hits "go".

It's here to entertain, not turn into a faithful historical adaptation.

Ron Howard brings confident direction to the tale that failed to find an audience in theaters.

Perhaps too long...perhaps not interested enough in "another Moby Dick adaptation", I can't venture to guess.

It kept me interested from beginning to end, and the performances by everyone in the cast were exceptional. Gleeson's Nickerson as the man who's hidden shameful secrets for so long is positively heartbreaking when he finally expresses what happened in the lifeboats as the survivors waited endlessly for rescue.

Hemsworth is a commanding presence as the man who should be captain, and while he is the focal point of the movie, his supporting cast rounds out the film nicely.

A flawed gem from Ron Howard, but they can't all be masterpieces.

Final Grade:  B-

If It Happened, Then "The Impossible" Is The Wrong Title For This Film...

The Impossible (2012)

Rated PG-13 for language and peril

Starring Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast

Directed by J. A. Bayona

The Story:

Henry (McGregor) and his wife Maria (Watts) are on Christmas vacation in Thailand in 2004 with their 3 children: Lucas (Holland), Thomas (Joslin) and Simon (Pendergrast).  As they are enjoying a wonderful day at the pool, they are suddenly and viciously hit by a tsunami.  The force separates the family, Maria and Lucas are swept one direction, Henry and the two little boys another.  As Maria fights for her very survival, Henry chooses to leave his sons to try and find the rest of his family.  Will they all survive? Will the family be reunited?

Well of course!

One, it's a true story, and that's what happened.

However, unlike many who have seen this movie, I was not emotionally traumatized and think this was a great movie.

It was okay, at best.

That's not to make light of the real-life tragedy of what occurred by any stretch of the imagination.

Somehow though, in the cold light of looking at this film, whatever emotional chords they are trying to pluck in me, it didn't work.

In fact, the most emotional scene in the movie...

SPOILER!

Is when the brothers are reunited.

That was a sweet moment, and seemed genuine and unforced, unlike the rest of the movie.

Those little boys looked absolutely thrilled to see their older brother.

Which makes me happy, yet angry as a father.

Sorry Henry, as much as you love your wife and other son, you make sure you get those 2 boys to safety, WITH  YOU, and then you work on finding the rest of your family.

Grr.

Final Grade: C...maybe even a C-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Not going to happen.