Saturday, April 28, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War Review

Avengers: Infinity War
Directors: Joe Russo and Anthony Russo
Cast Headliners: Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Hero Ever At Once Including: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Benedict Cumberbatch, Josh Brolin, Scarlet Johnnsson, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Elizabeth Olsen, so many many more!!
Original Release Date: April 27th, 2018



It's astounding to think of (aside from the fact how quickly that time seems to have flown!) the things Marvel has accomplished with their MCU universe over the past 10 years.  Each different superhero introduced seemed to build on the world of the others and expand the scope from just a bit more than our reality to the supernatural and cosmic and so on. The first Avengers film as a monumental cinematic achievement of mixing worlds. Then more came and the second Avengers film was somehow even crazier. This has blended into other films and new faces becoming wilder in all kinds of locations, colors, shapes, time periods and galaxies. All of this has lead to Avengers: Infinity War as the third roundup of characters. It's with amazing pleasure to say that this is the biggest superhero crossover film of history and raises the epic stakes in all the ways wanted. 
If this was television, it would be the first episode of a “two part season finale” if not even series finale. So it really, really helps to have seen all or at least most of the previous films in this one besides a few exceptions. But who would be seeing this without that, or moreso reading this. Without having done that!! This picks up on...nearly everything ever over the past few years, and quite stunningly so.
Specifically, the movie starts (uniquely for MCU immediately) in the midst of ultimate universe trekking villain overlord Thanos (Josh Brolin)'s attack on the remaining Asgardian's ship led by the likes of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Heimdall (Idris Elba) and the Bruce Banner /  Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as he searches for the godlike-power granting infinity stones for his gauntlet which have been spread across places (And films). This sequence is a chilling microcosm of the whole experience... many actors , exciting action, and darkness in one. This is just the tip of the iceberg that ultimately does what fans have been wanting and the film has been hinting at for years.. the fusing of the MCU's space-based cosmic side and its  Earth-based characters. Thanos' conquests bring (nearly. totally..sorry Korg, Kraglin, Valkyrie, and (what may be the penultimate chance for) TV characters etc as they're passed over here but it's fine as there's so much else exciting things going on !) everything, everyone, everywhere to a culmination that is what one would want.
This means there's a tapestry of tapestries, an Avengers of Avengers of groups and characters at play... seriously a record for spectacle and quantity. But it works almost with a single hitch.  The attacks soon reach Earth in multiple places. The film smartly divides up various heroes into groups, often times with both heartwarming reunions or intriguing and/or. first meetings across the planet and galaxy with their own quests before throwing things together when need be. Although one hopes in the future some more of these combinations come together for something even crazier the situation here calls for it.
Groups vary in what they do and who they meet to at times wildly different but fun results that feel ripped out of a comic book special event as the film goes on a journey through the MCU's theme park map of greatest hits.   Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Peter Parker / Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and for the first largest time to him Stephen / Dr.Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) contend with the likes of some of the alien “Children of Thanos” in Ebony Maw ( Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) and Cull Obsidian(Terry Notary) in New York. Elsewhere in Scotland Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) , Vision (Paul Bettany), Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanov (Scarlet Johansson), and Sam Wilson / Falcon (Anthony Mackie) content with the other minions Proxima Midnight (Carrie Coon) and Corvus Glaive (Michael James Shaw).  In deep space the Guardians of the Galaxy made up at this point of Peter Quill / Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel),  Drax (Dave Bautista), and Mantis (Pom Klementiff) finally make their debut on the connected-Marvel stage as well by aiding a friend in need and finding themselves rendezvousing when the time is needed. Impressively aside all this is including major supporting allies for all locations . This includes wizard Wong(Benedict Wong),  the late-game likes of Wakandans King T'Challa / Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) along peers Okoye (Danai Gurirra),  Shuri (Letitia Wright), now-in-a-sense Bucky / “White Wolf” / Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and M'Baku (Winston Duke)  plus long-timer James Rhodey Rhodes / War Machine (Don Cheadle) and wildcard Nebula (Karen Gillian) to more (understandably) momentary characters like Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Ned (Jacob Batalon), The Collector (Benico Del Toro) and General Ross (William Hurt). There may even be some total surprises which are highlights in their own ways that need to be witnessed firsthand. This is one to be experienced as fresh as possible.
Directors The Russo Brothers are an iconic character of their own way through their style. This is both moment to moment crispness yet also in their effective handling of interlaced storytelling and characters that began in 2016's Civil War but is wonderfully expanded upon with the numbers here. Every story has stakes, every storyline and perspective snaps to each other with tact and excitement. It makes one of the longest blockbusters ever feel nigh-perfectly brisk and exciting with not a moment wasted.  If one gets tired of hyper spectacle, this is not the movie for them.
However it is understandable with a roster this large some are going to fade or be missed. It's pleasing to see that this seldom happens. Everyone (with meaning) has their chance to shine or do something from action to drama to humor.  Some are especially highlights of course. Downey's Stark finds himself literally confronting his inner demons that have been haunting him ever since 2012's film bringing leadership yet also bringing dual dramatic and humorous interactions new peers. Cumberbatch's Strange is great chemistry with him in a sort of magic versus technology, both headstrong playboys thing. They join their scene peer Holland as Parker in reaching a new level of superpower spectacle in addition to his heart in a movie filled with his (and others') charming heart just as often as it does despair.  Of all the original Avengers, Hemsworth's Thor makes most of an impact bringing ferocity and humor (particularly with who he ends up spending most of his time with) in spaces while reaching new emotional dramatic depths. Every galaxy Guardian is especially spot-on to their strengths from their films and it makes sense that some of the best characters in the franchise are the same for this film. Bautista's Drax , Pratt's Star-Lord, Klementiff's Mantis, and Cooper's Rocket greatly humor while Saldana's Gamora has some incredibly key dramatic confrontations with her former family in Nebula and Thanos that have been built on in her films for years. The likes of Captain America, Black Panther, Falcon,  Black Widow, Bucky , Scarlet Witch, and Vision and even moreso their underlings fall more to the wayside ( a little surprisingly so for the Captain) in all the mania but they have their usual attributes and highlights . Cheadle's Rhodey seems to have been given just a speck more meat this time.  One of the few disappointing factors with the film is how Ruffalo's Banner goes a little too hard on the comedic angle he learned in prior films and perhaps in Ragnarok. Some humorous and dramatic beats are not used that well for him although he has his own importance to things .  The villains (who aren't nameless alien troopers) face some similar mix of highlight and momentary-ness as it's their job to be fierce punching bags with perhaps Lawlor's Ebony Maw offering a unique chilling menace with his magic mastery to rival Strange's.
It makes since in a movie, and arguably the entire franchise to this point, about Thanos that he is a standout. Josh Brolin gives an incredible performance for what a 11 foot tall space ogre emperor can be.  The effects on him are convincing but in any event his performance carries through as well as how they use him. He takes the crown, as he should, for MCU and for good arguments the all time film villians. He is menacing, he is calculated, he has powerful combat abilities and chilling threats. He cracks a charismatic joke or two but without becoming too much of one himself.  What makes him stand out most of all his is dramatic sincerity. It's surprising that the some of the most emotion and growth in the film of so many others comes via him. One cannot wait to see what more he does in the already-said two part film. Because of that, don't expect total closure..that is also the exciting thing.
To match the epicenter that is the character count and side arcs is the spectacle and journies at place. The Russos take the  “airport scene” and ramp it up by by a thousand and then do that several different times throughout this film. Things are chaotic, fun, intense, epic all in one.  What adds to these are the many settings. There's some absolutely beautiful lush CGI visuals in this film. Colorful galactic worlds from the ruins of Titan to the mechanics of Thanos' ships to other surprising  cosmic places offering a whole mosaic of colors that were sometimes amiss in other Avengers or etc films. The more Earth-locations do not detract when they appear and even Wakanda seems to have  (mostly) upped its local CGI budget from the recent solo film.  Thanos (moreso) and his various levels of minions are aesthetically fierce and slick looking. Every superhero seems to have new tricks up their sleeves for a special CGI effects megaload that is amazing yet only at times is overwhelming. This is a pinnacle of MCU blockbuster visual spectacle which is aided by the stakes of how and where and what is going on. Just wait until the infnity stones themselves are used for some especially surreal stuff.  The soundtrack uses a good montage of the different corners of the universe (even some GotG retro!) with a sprinkling of notably better than usual orchestration. There's of course also the assumption that iconic heroic theme shows up..and the times it does are effectively highlights.
Really there's very little to complain about here because it all goes exactly how the fans would want it to go.  Marvel has been building up these happenings for many years and films and the clash is what it should be. The reunions and introductions of the nearly-entire universe of characters, epic intense stakes, weaving plotlines, humorous writing, beautiful visuals, stunning action  , shocking twists, charming fun, somber darkness, and more all come together as elements just as well as its many heroes' capabilities do. The Russo Brothers have made the third go-around of mega-crossover-classics a classic of heights all its own.
This is a  noteworthy cinematic event for the year, several years, and perhaps in a lifetime. Some things may get missed or come through a bit misshapen in the metaphorical pasta strainer but that adds to its message. The great, the mighty, the flawed in all that and more come together for something more.  This is just the beginning of the end ..or hopefully its just the end of the beginning. A year until the next part can't pass soon enough. If this is just a bar to be improved upon, we may not be ready for that level of excellence. Because this is something almost as special as it was the first time. 9.8 out of 10

Thursday, April 12, 2018

RP1 Review

Ready Player One
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast Headliners: Tye Sheridan, Mark Rylance,  Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendehlsohn, TJ Miller, several others
Original Release Date: March 29th, 2018

Ready Player One's premise would have been exciting enough on its own. A Willy Wonka for a future age where people would rather live in virtual reality than this one. Add to that the fact that it's Mr.Steven Spielberg himself playing with he sci-fi genre, and a bit more of a gritty blockbuster scale again. Then there's the fact that in this film and world it's not just any VR game but one in which anyone's dreams are possible...often in the form of other franchises. This mish-mash of things would have made me see it anyways but there was also the wide praise of the original novel. Every bit of praise is deserved for that but it put my eyes in a certain perspective for the movie adaptation. It tries to skim through the potential of the original but makes tweaks, additions, and removals. However one must think of it objectively... and even at that still it's a highly enjoyable VR dystopian time.

In the film's 2045 there's a future which is not entirely outside of what our own can be. The most incredible massively multiplayer video game, community, and so much more ever exists in the OASIS.. a virtual realm where anyone's dreams can come true. Often this is through video game challenges, quests, and collaboration. This stands as contrast to the bleak , overcrowded, polluted and gritty futurescape of Columbus, Ohio where corporations such as internet provider IOI seem to have more power than the actual government. What drives the plot is that upon his deathbed the Oasis' creator James Halliday (frequent Spielberg collaborator Mark Rylance) has left one final clue within his game. There's three keys across the digital universe which will grant the finder unlimited virtual access and power. Somehow someway these must be won through challenges and homages to the Halliday's life and passions. Suffice to say it's an epic journey to get to the end of the en-devour .
On the “good” side of the net are the “gunters” (easter egg hunters trying to find digital clues to the meaning of it all) in the likes of main protagonist Wade Watts aka the blue punked out “Parzival” (Tye Sheridan) , the orc-like “Aech” (who's real name and portray-er should be seen firsthand although it is slightly less important than in the novel), badass charismatic Samantha aka A3rtemis (Olivia Cooke) , and the feudal Japan-inspired samurai Toshiro / Daito (Win Morisaki) and ninja Zhou / Sho (Phillip Zhao). Together these high five end up finding their paths leading parallel as the mysteries are solved.
Opposing them is the megacorp of IOI who seeks to win the contest and enforce restrictions on its use led by villain and (here) CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendehlsohn) and his henchmen across the real world in F'Nale(Hannah John-Kamen) and Oasis in iRok (TJ Miller). There's also noble flashback and etc appearances by the likes of the Oasis's creators in Halliday aka often “Anorak the wizard” and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg).
Spielberg films are often known for their ensemble of characters to an equal or more level than the individuals and the same applies here. Sheridan's Watts is...decent if typical. He offers some bits of emotion along his inspiration and adeptness but has mixed results on charm or humor. The “Dai/Sho” pair exists to be chiefly on the sidelines to an lesser extant than in the novel . Aech has humor aplenty along ingenuity but has a (purposefully considering the reason) slightly hard to comprehend voice filtering effect going on although this is slightly alleviated when their real world counterpart finally appears at brief intervals. Cooke's Artemis is a bit of a highlight, especially on the frontlines of battle as she has some of the most personality / spunk and aptitude of the games in the film. Although romance comes across in this film with mixed results and timing. Simon  Pegg is great in what little moments he has even with an accent...one wishes especially he could be at the novel's level of involvement. Mendehlsen gives a typical grimly evil performance although with much more screentime and variety than recent works while his peers fall to the wayside, Notable exception being TJ Miller's “mercenary” who's role is greatly expanded from the novel and offers both chilling vocal takes and a plenitude of laughs.
The casting that is almost pitch-perfectly spot on is Mark Rylance as Halliday. It's as if the book pages came to life. Whether as a Bill Gates-esque real person or a wise wizard avatar, Rylance immerses himself into the role and is nigh-unrecognizable from past works. This is key as it's a film about the life of this almost , to its world, mythical important figure and he delivers.
The script and character's add to one side of what Spielberg does best.... heart. From friendship to thwarting bad guys there's an appropriately old-school feel good charm that often comes up and is fitting of a movie that tries to celebrate all things gaming and the internet. This is aided by Alan Silvestri's score that leans more to old-school or at times a sense of whimsy and ambience is achieved through literal old pop and rock songs. The 1980s focus is definitely explained in the plot although only as to what the runtime allows.
Then there's the other side of Steven Spielberg as work … his visual spectacle. This rings mostly true in both realities. His 2045 Columbus has real seeming set design and locations that one can imagine themselves strolling through in perhaps even less years than that. Conversely, what is always going to be the highlight of the movie and the novel is the concept of the Oasis. The Oasis is accessed through gear from goggles to super-seat-pod things. Within, a world immerses audiences and players alike. Only momentarily curiously is the decision to render this space with a “electronic” filter resembling a high-fidelity video game or animated film cinematic. Nearly all characters, creatures, and locations on screen are CGI and surreal looking but ends up mostly working. One may be a bit put off by the fantasy facial designs of the avatars like Parzival, Art3mis, and Nolan but ultimately one gets used to it and it's almost, concept aside, a visually intense experience like... Avatar was years back. IMAX screening greatly adds to this.
Sequences Spielberg delivers on include car chases, walks through time and space, interpretations of other media and a final battle to rival most final battles ever done for spectacle and mania. These are aided by the fact that the Oasis offers not only original characters but allows anyone to bring in their favorite video game, movie, comic book, and etc material to use. This turns each viewing of the film into an easter “gunt” of its own with cameos that ultimately amount to fascinating set dressing. Don't be surprised to see such varied things as the Iron Giant, horror movie villians like Freddy and Jason, King Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog, Hello Kitty, and so so much more fighting against each other or side by side in the background. The movie did vastly more amounts than this (including some sorely missed recreations) but what does come through (or in truly one thrilling case added) is very neat to see come together.
Perhaps the greatest faults in the film come from how much it tries to pull together. This makes sense for the format of what it is but the challenges are stringed together with truncated versions of character growth from the book only sometimes thrown in. The ending's surroundings circumstances are also slightly new for questionable reasons. However the brisk pace makes it pretty easily digestable for the mass audience and it manages to make its lore exposition be tolerable to even a total newcomer. Get the keys, win the game and so on even with its just a scoop of the vast sundae that is the novel.
There's plenty of cheese within the film and it's deeper themes are just only poked at to how much the source did. But it's a shiny, gorgeous, surprising and fun ride worth seeing for the adventure and stakes it provides. Perhaps it's all intended as Halliday would want... to be fun. 8.7 out of 10

Pacific Rim: Uprising Review

Pacific Rim: Uprising
Director: Steven DeKnight
Cast Headliners: John Boyega, Cailee Spaeny, Charlie Day, Scott Eastwood?
Original Release Date: March 23rd, 2018

     Pacific Rim: Uprising presents a conundrum. On one hand, it's great that it exists as it faced numerous delays and behind the scenes changes in what is a fascinating universe of robotic jaegers and monstrous “kaiju”. On the other hand one of those losses along the way was original director and creator Guellirmo Del Toro departing. In this second film, he only has some loose ideas and production whilst Steven Deknight steps into the director chair. So too is just some of the old cast and ideas used and yet like him some totally original concepts as well. The result is... a fun if mixed bag. It shows that sometimes the way things were were for a reason.
Picking up 10 years after humanity repelled the kaiju back to their alien planet with their massive jaeger mecha suits is a world that's changed. Bootleg jaegers run in the streets and police ones aim to stop them. New generations rise from the ruins and latest technology. The main protagonist of this film (with the previous one only getting some all too brief mentions) is in Jake Pentecost(John Boyega) so of the previous film's jaeger Commander Stacker. Through his scavenging (and a goofy typical “nameless minor bad guy gang” chase scene) he meets young inventor Amara (Cailee Spaeny). Their actions land them in trouble with authority figures including the first film's Mako (Rinko Kikuchi).
Therein lies the premise for the film. In a world devoid of kaijus invading a young academy of teens is lead by pilot veterans Jake, Mako, and Nate (Scott Eastwood) to prepare for their possible return. Of course problems arise from mysterious rogue jaegers and other entities lurking out there.
While the “acadamy” shtick is fitting for Del Toro's original anime roots it is also one of the film's biggest flaws. It's not to say every film needs to have experienced warriors in the lead but there's a line between character growth and sheer in-narrative incompetence.  This derives from the weakness of the kid's training plot between the momentary (cool) action. Stereotypes and silliness abound, from Spaeny's Amara having a rivalry with a peer to the other kids existing as one note. Seeing Kirk fail at his tests in Star Trek was fine because he quickly learned how to win the challenge. Here this takes hours with less effectiveness.
It's not as if the other characters are more than a note or two either. Eastwood's Nate is as generic as they can be aside from a bit of his real dad's dry humor. His love interest Jules (Adria Arjona) may have literally less than 4 lines in the film. Kikuchi's Mori is given far less to do in this film.  The cheese is evident in additions in support through inventor Shao (Jing Tian) and commander Mashall Quan(Zhang Tin).
There is highlights however. Boyega's Jake brings the charm and enthusiasm he has as Finn and other such roles in other movies with a bit of extra ham. He's nothing record setting but he has some sense of ingenuity, sincerity, and humor. The surprisingly increased roles come from returners  cane-touting Dr.Herman Gottleib( Burn Gorman) who's fierceness and humor have been dialed up and his peer Dr.Newton Geizler (Charlie Day) who has as well...perhaps too much in what as to be seen firsthand to see why. In the latter's case, it certainly isn't boring but is questionable.
These films aren't about characters and acting though (although the first suffered , if less so, in the same departments). They're about the wild action. That's one thing that DeKnight gets kind of right. While action is sporadic, when it happens its as destructive and large as one would expect. New weaponry and ideas are used in this one for some sweet if at times missed opportunities of  situations. This is aided by a pumping score and pace for when it gets going its brisk. Of paticuliar note is the jaeger vs jaeger duel and the mania of the last act.
The aesthetic takes a turn that some may view as either an improvement or not. The battles take place almost entirely in broad daylight, unlike Del Toro's dark , rain and neon infused scenes . This makes for clearer views and yet also shows of special CGI effect that range from awe-inspiring to undercooked.  These two have some overly ridiculous moments at times.
It's definitely not perfect, and a bit of a bar below the first film, but this movie has fun value. Aside its narrative oddness there's big dumb monster fun inside. Fans of the first may enjoy where the worldbuilding has gone. Hopefully if a 3 ever comes it can learn from the changes of this and focus on the strides. 7.41 out of 10