Marvel's Avengers: Age Of Ultron

RECOMMENDED

The follow up to 2012's Marvel's The Avengers has finally arrived, and in a scale so huge that even the big screen can barely contain. Director Joss Whedon had been tasked with a daunting challenge, "How do you top the Avengers, the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time?" His answer: Ultron, a villain he wanted to put on the big screen even before the first Avengers film was finished. 

Marvel's Avengers: Age Of Ultron picks up the avengers from where they were left off in their solo films. Iron Man is still haunted by the events of the first Avengers film and began working on a peace-keeping project called Ultron. However, with Ultron realising that the only way peace can be achieved is through human extinction, the avengers must team up once again to thwart his plan for world destruction. 

To start off, the film was genuinely as fun and entertaining as you would expect from any Marvel film. The action was unlike anything I have seen and it showed us creatively what more the avengers could do as a team. The film likes to show off with numerous long takes that show the avengers fighting together as a team which make it really fun to watch. We get to learn more about the dynamics of the avengers, the friction between some characters as well as the internal struggles of each individual avenger. Hawkeye also played a larger role in the film, which is a plus considering how he was downplayed previously. 

On top of that, the scale of the movie is just massive. It is expected for a sequel to strive to be bigger and better than it's predecessor but there are so many things going on in Age of Ultron, it felt exhausting at times. I felt that the film served too many purposes and was bloated with content, making it difficult to keep up with every detail. It not only picks up where each of the previous solo films left off, but sets up the universe for future films in Phase 3, introduces new heroes and villains into the universe, while building a coherent story of it's own. It's a incredible task that Whedon pulled off pretty well, but not perfectly. 

Speaking of bloated, one thing that bothered me was the film's soundtrack, which was a confusing mix of music from the previous films. The music of the film is composed by two composers, Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman, both incredible artists on their own, but together made the soundtrack feel like it was at war with itself. Alan Silvestri's original Avenger's theme was weirdly interwoven with the themes of the Iron Man, Thor and Captain America and the essence of it got lost in translation. There wasn't a hook in the music that got me like the first film did. Perhaps the law of diminishing returns has begun to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

On the other hand, the film's main antagonist, Ultron is undoubtedly the most terrifying villain this universe has put to screen. Marvel Studios have been struggling with creating compelling villains for their heroes over the years, with their only major success being Loki. However, Ultron made himself a worthy contender in this film. What I particularly enjoyed about Ultron is the irony of how an artificial intelligence which is supposed to know everything, acts like a delusional newborn that knows nothing. He thinks he knows the solution to the world's problems and his recklessness in going about achieving his goals makes him simply frightening. 

One other thing I liked about the film is the fact that the essence of a superhero movie is still intact. Superheroes are supposed to be about protecting the innocent civilians from harm and it is the core of what this film is generally about. Amidst all the battles with Ultron, the avengers' main priority is the safety of civilians in harms way, a quality that some superhero films tend to forget. 

In all, I felt that although Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron did not top the original Avengers, it is still an impressive and entertaining film. It may have been better if Marvel stayed more grounded on what it wants the film to be and stop trying to build the universe too quickly and put everything in. However, director Joss Whedon still managed to pull everything together and create a film many will enjoy.

Furious 7

RECOMMENDED

I have not been an avid follower of The Fast and Furious Franchise but I wish I had, because Furious 7 was one of the most fun and thrilling films I have watched this year. The film not only boast strong cast of cool and fun characters, it is also densely packed with amazing action sequences while leaving room for some really heartfelt moments.

I went into Furious 7 not knowing what to expect other than the fact that the film is going to pay tribute to the late Paul Walker, who passed away in a tragic car accident before filming could be finished. Although I am not familiar with any of main characters, or what happened over the past 6 installments, they do not stop me from immediately connecting with the characters during the film. It was then I regretted not having followed the franchise more closely.  The film helped a lot in subtly and seamlessly introducing characters to non-followers. I greatly enjoyed the dynamic of the group, or should I say “family”, and how each of them had their moment to shine.

One thing that Furious 7 was never short of was action. The film was jammed pack with scene after scene of intense car chases. I’m not going to give anything away in this spoiler-free review but the scenes left me on the edge of my seat with adrenaline pumping through my veins. The film also incorporates a lot of humor into their action sequences and adopts light tone. The down side of this is that it made me feel as if none of the characters were in actual danger and that they were going to make it out of every scenario unscathed. Perhaps the franchise has already dealt with death in the past and wanted to avoid another similar scenario, especially after Paul Walker’s passing.

The film ended with a tribute to Paul Walker and I have to say that it was genuinely heartfelt and beautifully done. It clearly captured Paul’s legacy in this film and served as a touching goodbye to the series’ main star. The studio had made the right approaches on overcoming such a tragedy and managed to finish the film in memory of Paul. In addition, the visual effects team has also done a great job in creating a CGI version of Paul for the unfinished scenes, of which I could hardly notice the difference.

In all, Furious 7 has struck the balance between creating an action packed thriller and creating an emotional tribute to their late star. Viewers, regardless of whether they followed the franchise, are definitely going to be entertained and it is definitely not a film to be missed.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent

GOOD ONE TIME CATCH

Hello. I first have to apologize for being on such a long hiatus from blogging. The truth is, I went on a long overseas detachment at the end of last year and never had the urge to post new entries ever since. However, my mind changed after watching The Divergent Series: Insurgent. I am a fan of the novels written by Veronica Roth and watching the film has generated a lot of thoughts in my mind which I really hope to share. So, here is my review for The Divergent Series: Insurgent.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent takes off almost immediately after the events of the previous film, and we see Tris, Four, Caleb and Peter taking refuge in Amity. Tris plans to plot her revenge on Jeanine, the leader of Erudite.  Meanwhile Jeanine finds a box in the home of Tris’s parents which she believed contained a message from the city founders that could help end the divergent problem.  However, the box can only be opened by a Divergent and thus leading to Jeanine beginning her hunt for Divergents.

I think that people who have not read the books would find the film rather enjoyable to watch, it is action-packed, visually stunning and it conveys the themes of heroism and individual identity very well. But, readers of the Veronica Roth series would be slightly disturbed by the fact that the film differs greatly from its source material, especially with the addition of “The Box” (seen in the film’s trailer) in the film’s storyline.

I understand why the filmmakers have to change almost the entire narrative of the film. Veronica Roth’s Insurgent is a lengthy book crammed with vivid details of the numerous twists and turns in the plot. A 2-hour film simply cannot support such an amount of content and thus an enormous amount of story had to be cut out or changed and the concept of “The Box” had to be incorporated to make the storyline coherent. I personally enjoyed some of changes as it brought in some level of originality to the film. Despite reading the books, I still would have no clue as to how a particular scene or moment would turn out. However, I felt that some of the moments from the books that impacted me the most were lost in translation and made up for with visuals to make the film look nicer.

I was also disappointed that the film adaptation downplayed of many of the supporting characters. Veronica Roth’s novels introduced us to a diverse list of supporting characters from the start, each with a unique personality and connection with Tris, and many of them had an integral role to play in the plot of the Insurgent novel. However, the film decided to focus more on the relationship between Tris and Four, as well as the tensions between Tris and Caleb and Peter that these supporting characters were either completely cut from the film or given mere seconds of screen-time.

In all, The Divergent Series: Insurgent is an intriguing, action-packed with incredible visuals that would, at the very least, entertain the audience. However, the film compromised a more intricate plot that the source material had to offer, as well as the development of many supporting characters for a predictable plot that is easier to follow and a more focused development of the two main characters. The film hits you where it wants to hit you but when it does, it lacks the intensity to leave a lasting impression behind.

Guardians of the Galaxy

MY RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Marvel Studios has done it again with another outstanding entry to its Cinematic Universe!! 2014 has really been a huge year for Marvel comic-based movies with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past scoring big in the box office. This time, Marvel Studios attempts to introduce a team mostly unknown by the mainstream public, making it one of it's riskiest film since Iron Man. But a movie about an epic and colourful space adventure with an old-school 70s vibe to it and a talking raccoon carrying a machine gun, who would want to miss it? 

Simply put, Guardians of the Galaxy is about a the unlikely alliance of a group of criminals, each with their own agendas, to save the galaxy against an all-powerful adversary, Ronan the Accuser, who plans to destroy it using a powerful orb.

What I am surprised by this film is that it uses a style practically unused by any other comic-book movie. It is colourful, upbeat, retro, witty, and it could be considered a comedy more than it is a thriller. Director James Gunn really nailed the tone of the movie, creating a spectacle that is entertaining in both its comedy and action. The plot is also great as well. Marvel Studio has been coming up with great stories with its films but the writing for this film is exceptionally incredible because they not only able to bring together the Guardians of the Galaxy, a ragtag team of misfits with different agendas, they are also able to introduce numerous supporting characters like The Collector, Yondu and Nebula and weave them seamlessly into the plot with each having their moment to shine.

The actors were really great in this film. Chris Pratt was perfect for Star-Lord as he brings a lot of comedy into the character, making him a lovable goof-ball. I also love the choice of Bradley Cooper as Rocket and Vin Diesel as Groot. It must have been a great challenge for Vin Diesel to bring so much life and expression to a character only through the use of three monosyllabic words. James Gunn mentioned that Rocket to him was the heart of this film but I felt that Groot was the one who stole the show. He is unexpectedly funny and simply adorable at times. 

Being thoroughly entertaining, there weren't many downsides to this film. However, one has to constantly pay attention to understand what is going on in the film, for they do not make use of any form of monologue to share details about the storyline or the cosmic universe but instead plant them through dialogue between the characters. Also being a very colourful film, some of the action scenes in space gave me a sense of motion sickness but it's a minor issue. 

In all, Guardians of the Galaxy may be one of the best films released this summer and it is definitely one to catch. I am totally excited for the sequel as well as the crossover between Guardians and The Avengers, even though it probably won't happen any time soon. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

MY RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The summer blockbuster season is about to come to a close but Hollywood continues to deliver great films nonetheless!

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set 10 years after the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes where most of humanity is being wiped out by the virus that made the apes who they are. The remaining humans immune to the virus reside in a colony in ruined San Francisco. Meanwhile, Caesar has become the leader of a thriving community of apes living in the woods. However, following an encounter that left both species threatened by the other, both sides are inadvertently brought to war to determine which species triumphs over the other.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes undeniably exceeds all standards set by its predecessor. It boasts a strong, well-written plot which is executed well on screen. Not a minute is wasted on scenes unrelated to the plot and the film continues to capture your attention from start to end with it's trilling action and the numerous twists and turns in the storyline. What I like about the plot is that there is more than two sides when it comes to the war between the humans and the apes, in fact there are conflicts among the individual communities happening simultaneously and it is amazing how the film managed to string all these elements into one seamless flow.

The film also invests a lot of screen time in bringing out emotional scenes which I am very impressed by. It is great how motion capture technology today is able to bring out the facial expressions of actors in computer generated characters, allowing to characters to behave more life-like. I never imagine I'd be more emotionally attached to the apes than I was to the humans.

In all, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes contains every aspect of an amazing summer blockbuster with a powerful story, adrenaline-pumping action and incredible special effects. It is definitely a step up from the previous film and I highly recommended this for it is a film that anyone can genuinely enjoy. 

Edge Of Tomorrow

MY RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

The summer blockbuster season is in full swing and this time we get to see another sci-fi action-packed thriller movie starring Tom Cruise.

In Edge of Tomorrow, continental Europe has been invaded by an alien species referred to as Mimics. Tom Cruise plays Major William Cage, an officer who has never experience combat first-hand but is unceremoniously dropped into a suicide mission by the military to take back Europe. He is quickly killed but then wakes up the day before, realising that he is being thrown in a endless time-loop that forces him to re-live the day and then die, over and over again.

Edge of Tomorrow came as a surprise to me. I thought it would be another moderately good Tom Cruise action movie like Jack Reacher and Oblivion. However, it turned out to have a good plot, amazing CGI and enough action from start to end to make my heart race. The Mimics, I have to say, are the scariest alien beings I have seen so far on film, particularly because they are so fast and relentless.

What I liked about most about Edge of Tomorrow is how there is an endless number of ways the story could go and it gives the audience a feeling of suspense throughout. There were many times where I felt the movie was reaching it's climax but it turned out to be a dead end which forces the characters to take on a different lead. There was a couple of humour placed in the film, especially when it ties to him dying and resetting in several ridiculous ways.

For a movie where the plot repeats itself over and over again, Edge of Tomorrow clearly does not tire the audience out. It is thrilling, engaging, suspenseful and funny and will definitely earn the likes of audiences. I truly recommend this to anyone seeking out a good thriller. 

How To Train Your Dragon 2

MY RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

You have to admit, Toothless does remind you of Stitch from Lilo & Stitch. That's probably because the director of the How To Train Your Dragon franchise, Dean DeBlois, and the executive producer, Chris Sanders, co-wrote and co-directed Lilo & Stitch back in the days. This aside, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is such a thrilling film to watch! I am glad that this sequel was able to live up to the expectations set by the first film. With no Pixar contender this year, I could easily see this film clinching the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. 

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is set 5 years after the events of the first film and Hiccup has grown into a confident, skilled, dragon-riding teenager. Together with his dragon, Toothless, he ventures into new lands and discovers more about his past when he inexplicably ran into his long-lost mother, who turns out to be a dragon rider as well. Reunited, they have to take on a powerful adversary who threatens to seize all of the dragons under his control. 

What I really love about this film is that is brought back everything you like about the first film and added new elements to it that kept the film fresh and exhilarating. There were several unexpected twists and turns in the story that kept the movie interesting throughout and the audience wondering how is this all going to end. It is packed with adrenaline-pumping action that young audiences would enjoy as well as a number of beautifully-done heartfelt, nostalgic moments that children and adults alike would love. The tones in the film were also well-defined and I am surprised by how brave the producers are to introduce darker elements to a film meant for young audiences.

The animation in the film was extremely well-done. One of the best I've seen yet. I could really tell that they paid a lot of attention on the skin texture for both human and dragons as well as the fabric, although I have to concede that Disney did a better job animating ice and snow in Frozen than DreamWorks did in this film.

In all, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a film everyone, young and old, would enjoy. It is definitely a film I would recommend for parents who want to take their children out for a movie, or for anyone who loves animated films.