Review #1,476: 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)

It feels like an eternity since the bald, purple alien madman Thanos (Josh Brolin) assembled his impressive gauntlet with all of the infinity stones and snapped half of our universe out of existence. It was a bold move by writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and although there were many fanboys in the crowd who knew beforehand that what they were seeing was essentially the first part of two-act structure, the sight of many beloved superheroes dissolving into nothingness was a shock for those who had never read a comic-book in their life.

It's actually only been a year since Avengers: Infinity War, but the secrecy surrounding the plot of Avengers: Endgame (the title was only revealed a few months ago) has kept audiences desperate to see how the remaining heroes will react to their failure. The main question hanging over Endgame's head is how they will handle the devastation left over by Infinity War, and whether certain characters who met their demise last time around will in fact stay dead, or, as is the case in the comic-books, find their way back into the story via one of various means (cloning, parallel universes, time travel, etc.).

Without spoiling anything, Endgame establishes quite early on that there are indeed irreversible consequences to Thanos' victory, and no amount of magic or technological advancement can set things back to how they were. The decimation happened, and those lucky, or unlucky, enough to be left behind are forced to deal with it. Those that didn't fall victim to the snap consist of the original Avengers crew - Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), who we find drifting hopelessly in space with only Karen Gillan's Nebula for company.

There's also Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye, an integral member of the crew and surprise no-show in Infinity War, who perhaps has more reason than anybody to avenge the loss of half of all life. The sight of Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) disappearing before our eyes may have been shocking, but Endgame's opening scene pulls the snap right back to a personal level. With his family gone, Hawkeye adopts a new persona and has taken it upon himself to take out criminal organisations Punisher-style.

As the trailer pointed out, people find a way to move on, but our heroes don't. Bolstered by the arrival of uber-powerful hero Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), the gang - along with Don Cheadle's War Machine and Bradley Cooper's Rocket - head into space to make Thanos pay for what he has done. Naturally, things don't go quite according to plan, but when Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) - previously believed to have been a victim when in fact he was trapped in the Quantum Realm - re-emerges with Pym technology and an ambitious plan, the Avengers are handed a glimmer of hope.

I'm deliberately leaving out specific plot points for fear of spoilers. This is a three-hour film, but every second counts in some way to moving the complex plot forward or explaining the mind-bending mechanics at work. While Infinity War barely paused for breath, Endgame begins on a sombre note, before launching us into a breathlessly exciting second act that serves as both as inventive way for our heroes to stand a fighting chance, and a celebration of Marvel's ground-breaking 22-film, 11-year spanning arc.

The third act, a colossal battle between the forces of good and evil that is almost too overwhelming to comprehend, throws lots of fancy effects and punch-ups at the screen. In most other big-budget epics, these climactic smack-downs are when my attention start to wander, but here they are involve characters I have watched evolve over the course of a decade and have grown to love, and when that Alan Silverstri score kicks in at just the right moment, the heart-flutters are inescapable. I'd also be lying if I said I didn't well up on multiple occasions. After all, we knew contracts were up and we'd be forced to say goodbye to at least one of the original heroes, but the future also looks bright for Marvel. For the moment, until Spider-Man: Far from Home arrives in a couple of months at least, Endgame is a near-perfect way to wrap up 11 years of storytelling and character-building, and a warm thank you to the fans who have been there since 2008.


Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Karen Gillan
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,441: 'Bad Times at the El Royale' (2018)

Bad Times at the El Royale, the latest offering from former Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias and Lost scribe Drew Goddard, was shrouded in secrecy before its release. The trailer promised a dazzling ensemble, a noir-ish crime aesthetic, and a hotel setting where the characters would likely spend the whole film double-crossing each other or figuring out what the hell is going on. This mystery hinted at something more, even something special, but Bad Times is little more than a sporadically fun throwback to the dialogue-heavy crime capers of the 1990s, which were mostly inspired by Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, even though Hollywood had walked on similar terrain going back decades. It reminded me of Ben Wheatley's recent Free Fire, which pitted various groups against each other in a singular location. And just like Wheatley's disappointment, Bad Times tricks you into believing you're on the road to a shocking revelation, before underwhelming as it struggles to live up to its promise.

Inspired by the Cal Neva Lodge & Casino, the El Royale is a kitchy and somewhat shady hotel located on the border between California and Nevada in 1969. A line separating the two states is proudly displayed within, with each side offering different draws. Catholic priest Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is already there when the film begins, apparently staring into space as our next player arrives, singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), a member of a Supremes-esque group on her way to Vegas to make it as a solo act. As the two strike up a conversation and enter their home for the night, slick-haired salesman Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm) is also there, waiting patiently at the reception for a room he is intent on reserving. We are soon joined by the fourth member of this mysterious group, no-nonsense hippy chick Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson), who proudly signs the register with a 'Fuck You'.  Eventually they are given their rooms for the night by the nervous Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman), who appears to be the hotel's only employee. As day becomes night, backstories and true intentions unfold before the arrival of unpredictable cult leader Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth).

Telling the same story from multiple perspectives was a fad that thankfully burnt itself out by the early 2000s as audiences grew aware that they were being forced to watch the same thing over and over again with little to no pay-off. Goddard does his best to mix things up and keep the unravelling story intriguing enough to hold our attention for the most part, but at two hours and twenty minutes, there's a lot of needless padding to unnecessarily wade through for what is ultimately a routine crime thriller. The film creates a major problem for itself in the opening scene by delivering a well-staged set-piece that concludes with an explosion of violence, something the rest of the film never really feels like topping. If you've ever seen Goddard's Daredevil on Netflix, you'll be lamenting the lack of dizzying camera-work and knuckle-bruising action. What ultimately saves Bad Times is the cast, who are all eager to make their mark when given the opportunity from some one-on-one time. Particularly Bridges, who seems to wander in from another film to deliver a heart-breaking monologue that reveals more information about his past, as well as his current state of affairs, and Hemsworth, who repeats his Ghostbusters trick by stealing the entire film with only a modest amount of screen time. Bad Times doesn't justify its hefty running-time, but you'll likely be left remembering its good parts.


Directed by: Drew Goddard
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,332: 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)

Ever since that post-credits teaser at the end of the The Avengers, now 6 years ago, fan anticipation has been building for the arrival of Earth's Mightiest Heroes' deadliest foe, the giant purple 'Mad Titan', Thanos. With a tease here and a fleeting appearance there, Thanos' quest to gather all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's McGuffins, the Infinity Stones, represents the culmination of 10 years of universe-building, during which Marvel Studios have emerged from a risk-taking independent studio looking to achieve something no other studio has before in terms of story-telling scale, to one of Disney's most reliably bankable divisions, regularly raking in over $1 billion, something that was achieved mere months ago with Black Panther, a cultural phenomenon if ever there was one.

After 18 movies, Avengers: Infinity War is finally here, and in the safe hands of sibling directors Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers were responsible for two of the MCU's finest films, the Captain America entries The Winter Soldier and Civil War, and have taken on this seemingly impossible task to bring in dozens of huge characters with a sure and steady hand. Infinity War really is everything you would want it to be. While the tone sometimes shifts uneasily between dark and humorous, and character development isn't on the same level as their previous efforts, the Russo's deft balancing of our heroes' path-crossings with introducing the most formidable foe the universe has to offer, is nothing short of astonishing. It has the power to make you punch the air, laugh-out-loud, and pretend to have something in your eye. 

The story picks up almost immediately after the events of Thor: Ragnarok, with Thanos (Josh Brolin) already in possession of the Power Stone, and seeking the Space Stone from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Back on Earth, Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) receive a warning of Thanos' pending arrival from Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and the Master of the Mystic Arts quickly recruits Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) for help, with Spider-Man (Tom Holland) in tow. In Edinburgh, the romantically-involved Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are laying low, but are soon set upon by two of the Black Order, a four-strong band of henchman consisting of Thanos' 'children'. The heroes are eventually assisted by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), who decide the safest place for Vision, who possesses the Mind Stone in his head, is Wakanda, the technically-advanced African nation ruled by Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).

While it's certainly a thrill to see some of these characters interact for the first time (Stark and Strange's instant dislike for one another is particularly memorable). Infinity War brings the Guardians of the Galaxy into the fold for the first time. Answering an Asgardian distress call, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) bump (literally) into Thor. Watching some of the MCU's most comedically-gifted performers together for the first time is a real joy, with the Russos further developing Thor as one of the universe's most compelling and charismatic characters after Taiki Waititi gave him a new lease of life last year. Throw in the likes of Bucky (Sebastian Stan), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Shuri (Letitia Wright), and you have one hell of a packed cast.

Not every character is given the attention you would expect. Both Cap and Black Panther, two fan-favourites, are oddly sidelined, while the likes of Dr. Strange and Gamora have larger roles, although the Russos have stated that this will be counter-balanced in the as of yet untitled fourth instalment. While our heroes jostle for screen-time, our protagonist emerges as Thanos himself. Standing eight-feet tall and with - as Star-Lord puts it - a chin like a nutsack, we witness his deadly quest to balance out the universe through the Titan's eyes. Every villain is a hero in their own mind, and there is logic to his mission. Ever since Ultron underwhelmed, Marvel have been knocking out of the park with their bad guys, and Thanos is their most fascinating yet. He is terrifying and utterly brutal, but also misguided and tragic. The CGI is near-flawless, but nevertheless it is Josh Brolin you witness delivering one of the best performances of his career. With 6 years of build-up, the Russos make sure you understand that Thanos isn't fucking around within the opening minutes.

For years studios have insisted on 'grounding' comic-book stories, fearing to venture out into space and terrified of embracing the colourful, weirder aspects of the medium. Infinity War goes some way to disprove the idea of translating page to screen requires vast reconstruction. As a piece of story-telling, the movie barely pauses for breath, instead opting for what can be summed up as a two-and-a-half-hour superhero splash panel. But this has had ten years of build-up, with obscure D-list characters breaking out along the way and earning the adoration of millions of new fans in the process. This is one for the fans, for those who were there for that post-credit teaser in 2008 when Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury appeared and first uttered the word 'Avengers' to a fresh-faced Tony Stark. Although this was advertised as something of a closure to Marvel's first ten years, it really isn't. Infinity War ends on a note that guarantees you will there on opening day when part four finally comes around.


Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,260: 'Thor: Ragnarok' (2017)

One of the fairest criticisms aimed at Marvel's now 9 years in-the-making Cinematic Universe is that mastermind Kevin Fiege has worked out the perfect superhero blockbuster formula and has stuck with it. It's a cookie-cutter approach, so much so that entries like Iron Man, Ant-Man and Doctor Strange seem almost indistinguishable on paper. The MCU has now raked in over $13 billion at the box-office, so it's clearly doing something right. But recently, Marvel have deliberately selected directors capable of leaving their fingerprints, such as Ryan Coogler being handed the task of tackling the Africa-set Black Panther (due next year), and Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi - a choice met with both confusion and sheer excitement on its announcement - to handle the Norse apocalypse. Although I enjoyed 2011's Thor for all its Shakesperian campiness, 2013's sequel The Dark World was mediocre at best, and the God of Thunder was in major need of a kick up the arse.

In fact, the sight of 'the strongest Avenger' receiving a boot up the backside wouldn't look out of place in Waititi's bright, 80's-inspired cosmic wet-dream. Marvel's have always peppered the heroics with humour and sight gags, but Thor: Ragnarok represents the first time they have opted for full-blown comedy with an occasional action scene in between. Waititi was clearly hired for this very reason, and anybody who fell in love with vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows and last year's surprisingly touching Hunt for the Wilderpeople will find plenty of laughs here. The director's goofy, playful sense of humour can be found all over Ragnarok, and anybody concerned that this will be to the detriment of taking the film's end-of-the-world premise seriously can be rest assured. Characters are offed or mutilated without pausing for breath, and the climax changes the universe of the MCU forever. The good guys also face their most formidable threat yet, the Goddess of Death herself, Hela (a striking Cate Blanchett).

We first meet up with Chris Hemsworth's Thor as he lies chained-up and imprisoned by fire demon Surtur, after having spent the last two years travelling the cosmos searching for those pesky Infinity Stones. When he finally arrives home, he finds his mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) posing as their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), allowing Asgard's many enemies to gain more power as a result. They travel to Earth and, with the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), locate their father, who is apparently waiting to die in Norway. He warns his sons that Ragnarok is coming, as is their sister Hela. After a skirmish that sees the hammer Mjolnir destroyed, Thor is blown into space and lands of Sakaar, where most of the universe's garbage ends up. He is captured by scrapper Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) is forced to become a gladiator for the amusement of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Here he meets his old friend Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), who has been in Hulk form for the past two years and clearly enjoying his life as a celebrity warrior.

Waititi promised a buddy road-trip through the cosmos and that is exactly what we get. Hemsworth has always had a gift for comedy and he is given free reign here, with the bulk of the dialogue made up of improvisation. Ragnarok is truly daft and care-free, even finding the time to squeeze in jokes about masturbation and a wormhole called 'The Devil's Anus'. The director himself also shines on camera as well as behind it, lending his voice to the gently-spoken rock monster Korg, who steals every scene he is in. There are weaknesses: Not all the jokes land, and Blanchett's Hela comes across as a one-note distraction from the events on Sakaar, where Thor, Loki, Valkyrie, Banner and a Jeff Goldblum at his most Goldbumiest are having a much better time. But when Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song kicks in near the end, you'll be too busy punching the air to care about such flaws. Very much like how The Winter Soldier finally nailed Captain America after a stumbling start, Ragnarok elevates Thor from the runt of the litter to one of the leaders of the pack, reminding us just why he's called the God of Thunder.


Directed by: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblum, Idris Elba, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,095: 'Ghostbusters' (2016)

There was talk of a Dan Akroyd/Harold Ramis-scripted Ghostbusters sequel for years, with Colombia Pictures understandably keen to reignite the love showered on what is their most commercially successful franchise. While Akroyd and Ramis had an idea in mind, Bill Murray, going through a career renaissance after his lauded performance in Lost in Translation (2004) and working frequently with Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch, was not interested. Then in 2014, Ramis passed away, and all hopes of seeing the original foursome together again died with him. However, it didn't take long for Sony to announce that Paul Feig would be taking the franchise in another direction, and changing the gender of the main cast in the process.

For some, including myself, this announcement was an interesting idea. After all, Feig had handled a female comedy ensemble before with Bridemaids (2011), which was well-received by both critics and audiences, and had a muse in the form of Melissa McCarthy, who he had worked with on The Heat (2013) and Spy (2015). McCarthy and fellow Bridemaids star Kristen Wiig were cast as the leads, and would be supported by Saturday Night Live alums Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, completing the titular group of ghost trappers. Yet Feig's vision also inspired one of the ugliest online backlashes in memory, and while fan opposition can always be expected when dealing with a remake of a beloved piece of nostalgia, there was also racism and misogyny, resulting in the film's trailer being voted the most hated in YouTube's history.

Such repugnant trolling only made me want to love the film more, despite my own dislike of what I saw in the trailer and desire to see a childhood favourite well and truly left alone. After a promising and unexpectedly creepy opening, in which a tour guide is chased and attacked by a malevolent glowing goo, and an enjoyable introduction to three of the main characters, Ghostbusters 2016 fails to hit the mark on almost every level. The biggest crime is how tight a leash Feig keeps on Wiig and McCarthy, both wasted here as the 'straight' guys, forced to speak scientific gobbledegook in an attempt to explain the plot, while McKinnon and Jones get to do the goofy stuff to grating effect.

Wiig is Erin Gilbert, a professor hoping to get tenure at Colombia University who tracks down her old pal Abby Yates (McCarthy) after she finds a book they co-authored years earlier about the existence of ghosts selling on Amazon. With ghosts starting to crop up all over the city, it isn't long before Erin is down with Abby's crazy-sounding ideas and, along with the latter's unhinged engineer Jillian (McKinnon), form the Ghostbusters. They hire the handsome but completely stupid secretary Kevin (Chris Hemsworth), and are eventually joined by subway worker Patty (Jones), who offers her 'street smarts' and knowledge of the city to make up for her lack of scientific know-how. The sudden appearance of ghosts is down to the work of disgruntled mad scientist Rowan North (Neil Casey), a bellhop who plans to bring the apocalypse.

The film makes a huge effort to pay its respects to the 1984 and 1989 originals, with homages made to the likes of Marshmallow Man and Rick Moranis' character, and featuring cameos from Murray, Akroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts. Yet while such nods are normally welcome, here they do little but gloss over the absence of any real laughs and emotional connection to the characters. There's also an over-reliance of set-pieces and special effects, with a thinly-drawn antagonist with the haziest of motivations. The funniest part of the movie is Hemsworth, who really does have a talent for comedy, but even he is embarrassed later on with a silly dance scene. To the online mob who may try to say "I told you so," - Ghostbusters isn't bad because of the gender switch or its audacity in trying to reboot a classic, it's bad because it simply isn't funny.


Directed by: Paul Feig
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth
Country: USA/Australia

Rating: **

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,069: 'Blackhat' (2015)

With every aspect of our life now so tightly intertwined with the digital world, criminals in the action thriller genre, or at least the clever ones, no longer burst into banks guns a-blazing to steal their cash, but sit behind a desk and tap buttons on their keyboards. Film-makers now face the task of making such a dull activity exciting, and you would assume that if anyone can make nervous glances at a computer screen filled with coding babble at least interesting, it would be Michael Mann. Sadly, Mann has been on a drastic downward spiral ever since Miami Vice (2006) and continues this trend with Blackhat, an incredibly dull movie that died a painful death at the box office.

After a mysterious hacker causes coolant pumps to overheat and explode at a nuclear plant in China, Chen Dawai (Leehom Wang), a military officer in the cyber warfare unit, is assigned to find the culprit. He discovers that a Remote Access Tool (RAT) was used in the attack, and that the coding was created by himself and his former college roommate, Nick Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth), now serving a length prison sentence for an unrelated hack. Striking a deal with FBI agent Carol Barrett (Viola Davis) to release Hathaway in exchange for his assistance and expertise, their investigations lead them to Hong Kong, Jakarta and Malaysia in search of the elusive cyber criminal.

For years, Mann delivered some of the coolest films in cinema, effortlessly blending a steely-blue palette with a heightened sense of realism and backed by some memorable, intense scores. Ever since Collateral (2004), he's shot digitally, allowing the rough grain of the picture to complement a beautiful aesthetic. He does the same here, succeeding in finding interesting way to frame his characters, who are usually staring anxiously at a computer screen and talking about things I barely understood. That isn't a criticism - I've read that real-life hackers have hailed Blackhat as the most realistic depiction of their world yet - and I would much rather be immersed in a jargon-heavy world than have everything explained to me in clunky scenes of exposition.

The main issue with Blackhat is that it's utterly preposterous, while having the audacity to be somehow incredibly dull at the same time. Characters portrayed as possessing high intelligence repeatedly do stupid things and make inexplicable decisions (Hathaway at one point finds himself with millions in his bank account, yet chooses to take a clumsily hidden screwdriver to a potentially life-threatening situation rather than simply buying a gun). As much as I like Hemsworth, his leading man potential is dubious, with a string of flops now in his wake outside of his appearances as Thor. Here he makes for an unconvincing tech-genius, and the inclusion of Dawai's sister Lien (Wei Tang) seems to be little more than an excuse for Hemsworth to repeatedly flash his abs. With classics such as Manhunter (1986), Heat (1995) and The Insider (1999) under his belt, Mann should simply quite while he's still ahead, as much as it pains me to say it.


Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Leehom Wang, Wei Tang, Viola Davis, Holt McCallany
Country: USA

Rating: **

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,016: 'In the Heart of the Sea' (2015)

When taking into account the reputation of Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick as one of the Great American Novels, it is surprising that so few directors have taken it upon themselves to adapt the epic tale of man against nature. The most famous and well-respected is John Huston's 1956 effort that starred Gregory Peck as the obsessed Captain Ahab and, dismissing the few straight-to-DVD efforts and TV movies over the past few years, it is really the only one of note. Ron Howard has also decided to side-step Melville's tricky beast in favour of the true story that inspired it, the sinking of the whaling ship Essex.

Almost as if Howard was afraid that the sight of a group of battered, starving sailors drifting would be too boring for the audience to stomach for two hours, the story begins with Melville himself (played by Ben Whishaw) paying a visit to the only remaining survivor of the Essex's doomed voyage, Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson). After a bit of nagging from his wife (Michelle Fairley) and the promise of whiskey, Nickerson soon begins spilling the tale he has kept bottled up for years, and reveals that it is not just a story of a giant, extremely peeved-off whale, but that of two men - first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) and captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker).

The men sitting behind the desks at the Nantucket whaling company view Chase, despite his impressive record at collecting whale oil, as a 'landsman' - someone born outside of the vast whaling family. Pollard is inexperienced and envious of Chase's reputation and popularity, and there personalities soon clash. Most is viewed through the eyes of the young Nickerson (played by Tom Holland, the new Spider-Man), and just when the two potential father figures reach a mutual understanding and finally discover whales after months at sea, they are rammed by a giant sperm whale and left hundreds of miles from shore with limited food, water and supplies.

You would think that a story so packed with sea-faring adventure and the promise of an unknown monster lurking beneath the surface would be effortlessly thrilling, but sadly In the Heart of the Sea is not. While certainly an overrated director, Ron Howard has made exciting films before, but here the action is so laced with obvious CGI that it makes it impossible to truly engage with the action. The film actually works best during its quieter moments. While peppered with survival-movie cliches and sluggish character development, its well-performed by the (mostly British) cast, particularly Walker, whose character arc pleasantly surprised me, and Holland, who is surely destined to be a star in the future. Still, we wait patiently for the film that does Meville, or the story behind his greatest work, justice.


Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw, Paul Anderson
Country: USA/Australia/Spain/UK/Canada

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #867: 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe growing increasingly larger every year, returning director Joss Whedon was faced with an even more monumental task than he did in 2012 with The Avengers, the movie that finally brought together the superhero collection of huge personalities united by one goal, but each wanting to go about it in their own way. Each standalone film has developed key supporting players necessary to the character whose name is on the poster, and with The Avengers' climax allowing its Earthlings to gaze into a wormhole and last year's Guardians of the Galaxy unleashing aliens a-plenty, Marvel's world has truly become a universe.

The last time a director returned for a Marvel sequel, we ended up with Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 (2010), a messy let-down of a film that lacked invention, to the point that it felt like the guy behind the camera had lost all interest by the end. In a way, Age of Ultron suffers from some of the same problems. Like all Marvel films, it pits it's leads against a 'new threat', climaxing with a battle in the air that features lots of punches, blasts and quips. But for all it's narrative familiarity, Whedon still finds new ways for his heroes to batter their opponents, keeping the jokes fresh and genuinely witty, and ensuring the ragtag, flawed bunch are always eager to be at each other throats (quite literally - I think every character is grabbed by the throat at some point).

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is still suffering from nightmares and flashbacks of his journey through the wormhole and seeing the threats lurking amongst the stars. He and the Avengers, now led by Captain America (Chris Evans), attack the Hydra outpost of Baron von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), the monocled Nazy glimpsed at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) in possession of Loki's scepter. Von Strucker's defences are useless when faced by the Avengers, but that is until he unleashes the twins Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen); the former possessing super-speed, and the latter able to enter people's mind and unleashing their darkest fear. When Wanda screws with Stark, he sees his friends dead, powerless to stop it. She is like the ultimate bum acid trip.

After retrieving the scepter, Stark and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) discover an artificial intelligence hidden inside, and use it to kick-start the Ultron program, an independent-thinking army of robots designed to protect Earth from any threats, allowing the Avengers to retire in the process. But Ultron (wonderfully voiced by James Spader), having consumed huge amounts of data through the internet within seconds of being activate, concludes that the only way to save the planet is to eliminate the one's responsible for slowly destroying it - humanity. Upon discovering what Stark has created, Captain America and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) are furious. And so are the public, who are terrified with the amount of carnage taking place around them as Ultron journeys to Africa in search of vibranium, the near-invincible metal that will allow him to create the ultimate body.

On top of the character's already mentioned, the Avengers also consist of Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. Add to the mix the returning Don Cheadle, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Hayley Atwell, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba and Paul Bettany - who appears in the flesh for the first time as the Vision - as well as newcomers Linda Cardellini and Andy Serkis, and you have one hell of a hefty line-up. Whedon has juggled large ensemble's before with the tragically cancelled Firefly and it's follow-up movie Serenity (2005), as well as the first Avengers, but he has a noticeably weaker grip on his cast this time around. It jumps from one action scene to another, slightly smothering the quieter scenes in between, failing to allow them to breathe and flow.

The one exception involves a welcome retreat for the Avengers, who choose to lay-low at Hawkeye's (Renner) humble abode after causing more chaos with Ultron. Clearly feeling guilty at the shoddy deal Hawkeye got last time around, who spent most of the movie controlled by Loki, Whedon has finally made him interesting. He acknowledges his inferiority when compared an unstoppable green monster and the God of Thunder, and even comments on the lunacy of fighting off an army of killer robots with a bow and arrow. His warm relationship with his wife (Cardellini) and his children, as well as his various personal face-off's with Pietro, provide a human connection in the midst of a 90 year-old super soldier and a millionaire playboy genius.

With Marvel's Phase Three almost upon us (once Ant-Man is finally released later this year), Age of Ultron was always in danger of being little more than a stepping-stone to what's to come. Yet although it certainly hints at upcoming characters (the fictional country of Wakanda, home of the Black Panther, is mentioned) and future events (Thor is troubled by his Wanda-induced apocalyptic visions, which are to take place in Thor: Ragnarok (due 2017)), it also moves the story forward and evolves its characters. Marvel certainly needs to change its formula though (the paranoid thriller twist on The Winter Soldier was a stroke of genius); the smash-heavy climaxes have become tired. Ultron is also not really the threat he was set-up to be, but he's utterly electric when on screen, Spader providing a biting wit to his growls. It is far for perfect, and inferior to its predecessor, but riotously entertaining throughout.


Directed by: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #703: 'Rush' (2013)

As Asif Kapadia's gripping and extremely moving 2010 documentary Senna proved, cinema audiences have a thirst for the larger-than-life characters that inhabit the Formula One track. The sport itself is frightfully dull (although I'm sure plenty will disagree with that), but the sportsmen willing to lay down their life for a kick and a trophy are infinitely more fascinating, especially in the days of lax safety rules. The sport nowadays is little more than advertising on wheels, but when the likes of James Hunt and Niki Lauda battled it out on the track, epic rivalries were created, and no matter how talented these men were at driving these "coffins on wheels", every race could spell out death.

Rush portrays the clash of two opposing personalities. The long-haired, dashing Englishman James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) was all about the adrenaline, embracing the post-race parties and lying with the many women that would throw themselves at him. He was reckless, willing to risk his life and others in order to win, but, as described in the film, there was no better driver in the world in terms of raw talent. His rival, Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl), was focused, clinical, and even helped design the cars he would drive. He was the early-night type, 'rat-faced' and cold. In every sense, he's the perfect villain.

But where Rush succeeds the most is challenging our early conceptions of these two characters. There's little fun to be had with Lauda, but played by Bruhl, he evolves into the underdog of the movie, perhaps the only one that actually gives a damn about his own life and the life of his opponents. This, naturally, leads to tragedy and a particularly wince-inducing scene in which Lauda requires having his lungs vacuumed, but it's at this point that we realise just what these two drivers mean to each other. As Lauda watches Hunt claw back some points in the 1976 Formula One season, it becomes clear that these two need each other to survive. Their hatred of one another only serves to fuel the flames, and leads to Lauda's defiant early return to the driver's seat, scarred and bandaged.

Fast cars, beautiful women and exotic locations hardly sounds like a recognisable workload for Ron Howard, one of the most play-it-easy directors out there. His past films have been unjustifiably successful, critically and commercially, never stamping a recognisable directorial trait onto his work. Yet here, although the bright sheen of the 70's initially takes some getting used to, he has managed to create a world that is very much alive, using snappy editing, a pumping soundtrack and some growling sound design to re-create this world for petrol-heads. But he doesn't neglect his characters, and evokes the great work done on Frost/Nixon (2008), which was also a study of two giant, clashing personalities coming together on the world stage.

Rush is an exhilarating experience, able to distinguish each race from the next and literally putting us in the driver's seat with the use of digital cameras. Although it occasionally drifts into formulaic territory with the introduction of the 'wives' (played by Oivia Wilde and Alexandra Maria Lara, respectively), Howard cleverly uses this as an insight into Hunt and Lauda's personalities. Hemsworth is very good in his first 'proper' post-Thor role, but it is Bruhl that you take away from the film. How he gets you to initially loath him, only to be cheering him on at the climax is the work of a great actor, and it's a crime that he has been snubbed by the Academy this year. Hopefully this will inspire a host of decent sports movies, as Rush proves that you can mix character study and even existential musings with the thrill of sport.


Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara
Country: USA/Germany/UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #685: 'Thor: The Dark World' (2013)

One of the surprising successes to come out of Marvel's (now Disney's) ever-increasing catalogue of superhero CGI-fests, was 2011's Thor. Somehow Kenneth Branagh managed to avoid any possible silliness in the story of the super-powered, bleach-blonde Asgardian God battling against his greasy-haired brother and save Earth from destruction. Thor tended to stay away from the gold-plated, computer-generated tedium of Asgard and told a slightly comedic fish-out-of-water tale that was both charming and, even surprisingly, emotionally complex. The sequel, directed by HBO veteran Alan Taylor, spends less time on Earth and more time zapping around the other worlds that make up the universe's Nine Realms.

In a backstory-heavy introduction, we learn that a powerful 'Dark Elf' Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) was the leader of a powerful race that tried to use an energy source called the Aether to plunge the Nine Realms into darkness, but was overthrown by Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) grandfather, Bor. With Malekith defeated, Bor hides the Aether in a stone column, establishing a new era of peace across the Realms. On present-day Earth, Thor's old flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) accidentally discovers the Aether, which is absorbed into her body. Malekith, who has being lying dormant for years, is re-awoken by this event and seeks the Aether for himself, but not before Thor manages to whisk Jane back to Asgard.

It's a typically McGuffin-riddled story that Marvel have managed to turn into a multi-billion dollar franchise, that simply allows the superhero to get from point A to point B in order to face the new big baddie in town. The Dark World is a loud, convoluted and epilepsy-inducing mess of huge battles and CGI landscapes, but, even if you can't get your head around the ridiculous, head-spinning plot, it's sure entertaining. But what The Dark World lacks is the tongue-in-cheek charm of the first film, insisting on making the story and tone 'darker', and moves the action to the sickly world of Asgard.

What it does boast, is the return of the superb chemistry between Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, the latter as the imprisoned Loki, forced to reflect after the near-apocalypse of The Avengers (2012). It has been reported that Loki's involvement was beefed up significantly post-production, and his sneering, malevolent, yet wounded presence is welcome, especially when Thor is forced to team up with his brother to tackle Malekith. This, however, came at the expense of Eccleston's pointy-eared menace, whose back-story and screen-time were reduced so harshly that you almost forget he's there. Portman's Jane Foster is still, unfortunately, a bland bore, mad at Thor for not calling in two years. He was saving the world, love.

Ultimately, Thor: The Dark World is sporadically fun, punctured by moments of CGI tedium and head-spinning exposition (usually delivered by Anthony Hopkins' bored-looking Odin), that often evoke the unnecessary complexity of the rather painful Pirate of the Caribbean sequels. When the portals start appearing and the wrestling Thor and Malekith begin to throw each other between different worlds within the Nine Realms, I held my hands up and just gave up. And maybe this is the approach to take - just simply let it play out in front of your eyes, enjoy the charisma of Hemsworth - who delivers another delightful performance - and pray that someday Marvel will give Loki his own movie.


Directed by: Alan Taylor
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #461: 'The Avengers' (2012)

So here it arrives, at last, after five films, four years, and many an explosion, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are brought together (with the addition of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)) to become the third highest-grossing movie of all time (so far). While the individual films vary in quality, it is Joss Whedon who was chosen to handle such an big-name ensemble. The Avengers is hardly a masterpiece, but is one of the most effortlessly entertaining films I've ever seen, with a witty script, an extremely talented cast, and Scarlett Johansson's arse back in spandex.

Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's Asgardi brother, arrives on Earth via a portal created by the Tesseract cube, and destroys the headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., an espionage agency ran by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Fury calls on Steve Rogers (Evans) to help against Loki, who is busy causing a distraction as a Loki-possessed Hawkeye steals iridium needed to stabilise the Tesseract's power, and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) calls on Tony Stark's (Downey Jr.) expertise in understanding the power that Loki may now wield. Natasha Romanoff (Johansson) is sent to Calcutta to round-up Bruce Banner, while Thor moves in after Rogers and Stark capture Loki. Soon enough, the group are bickering on board S.H.I.E.L.D.'s giant Helicarrier, while's Loki's grand plan comes to fruition.

Joss Whedon clearly loves his comic-books. While the film in absolutely no way isolate's newcomers, this is a film for the geeks. Ever wanted to see the Incredible Hulk fight Iron Man? Or the Hulk punching Thor thity feet through the air? Iron Man mocking Thor with Shakespearian venom? What about the Hulk repeatedly smashing Loki against the floor (in possibly the most inspired moment of the film) by his legs? Well, nerds, you better start thinking about your gran before you spray your pants as The Avengers has them all and then some. It's a true indication of how the balance of power in Hollywood has shifted of late, with Internet chat-rooms providing a medium for many an uber-nerd to vent their opinions and approvals/disapprovals. With directors like Peter Jackson, Edgar Wright and Zack Snyder (as well as Whedon) amongst the directorial A-list, films no longer need to be bogged down with added romance or morality lessons to please the 'wider audience' producers thought existed, but instead go back to the source of what made the subject so beloved in the first place.

But the film is far more than great special-effects and action scenes (though they are here in abundance), and shows that a film doesn't have to simply ejaculate in your face a la Michael Bay to make mega-bucks. Whedon's screenplay is the key to the film and the scenes in which the group verbally interact (especially in the early scenes where they despise each other) provides plenty of wit and genuine heart. No character is forgotten either - Whedon has experience handling an ensemble with the tragically cancelled Firefly series, which led to the terrific film adaptation Serenity (2005) - and The Avengers' 140+ running time allows them all to breathe, without anyone being lost amongst the enormous personalities and emotional complexities.

Although it's not the best superhero film ever made, it's certainly the most fun. And with the darkness and psychological menace of The Dark Knight Rises still lingering in my mind, The Avengers offers a funnier, more care-free alternative in the genre (although The Avengers does have its share of genuine shocks). If there were any concerns about the film living up to its hype, they have been well and truly laid to rest, with Ruffalo's Bruce Banner providing yet another casting masterstroke after negotiations between Marvel and Edward Norton broke down (they can stop changing him now after three Hulk's in as many movies). Even though it does move a bit too frantically for its own good sometimes, Downey Jr. and co are just too magnetic for this to become a problem. The film offers yet another post-credits nipple-erecter, opening Marvel's universe even more, so hopefully there will be more of the same to come with The Avengers 2 (due 2015 according to IMDb) and Edgar Wright's Ant-Man (probably out next year).


Directed by: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Samuel L. Jackson
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #448: 'The Cabin in the Woods' (2012)

Over the past thirty or so years, the horror and science-fiction genre's of cinema have created vast armies of devotional fanatics, that they have somehow become somewhat powerful within the film making world. We now lovingly call them "fanboys", and as a public we view them as geeks. However, in the genre cinema world, their opinions, and attentions upon the minutia of a particular film, or film series, can sometimes alter the direction the film makers were originally going to take on the film. The horror genre is certainly one of these more scrupulously deconstructed filmic forms, perfectly illustrated with Wes Craven's Scream (1996 - 2011) films. But what The Cabin in the Woods does within this deconstructionist context, is to actually take a stab at criticising the level of involvement in the making of a film of the fanboys, and their connection with keeping something almost uniform, such as if the "conventions" of a genre are changed, it becomes an issue for the gimpy-kids.

Writer Joss Whedon and writer/director Drew Goddard have constructed a rather witty, and intelligent screenplay, that does everything within it's power to keep the conventions of a kids-go-to-the-woods horror movie. We follow five friends as they go to a remote cabin. They meet a desolate garage owner, who has no "gas". They begin acting within film-world stereotypes, and horror film images build. However, parallel to this action, we follow two white-collar workers begin their day at a production studio, pushing buttons at a console. These suit and collar workers structure, manipulate, and construct the horror narrative, making sure that every detail adheres to the set conventions.

Okay, so it could be argued that this is simply another criticism of reality television, and another apocalyptic view of our future entertainment. I would have to say that it is a little more complex than that notion. Whilst the films poster visualises a mechanical nature of this "puzzle house", the films secrets do not fully expose themselves to the climax. With many, many references to other horror films, - The Evil Dead (1982), gets the most - and a finale that will have horror fans delighted (if somewhat perplexed if they "get" it). The script is very knowing of horror history, and manages to maintain interest throughout, despite its more metaphysical concept. It's also good to see that Joss Whedon is finally getting the opportunity to flex his more cinematic muscles, instead of his usual relegation to television.


Directed by: Drew Goddard
Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Marc Ivamy

Review #60: 'Thor' (2011)

As Marvel's mega-budget Avengers (due 2012) film draws ever closer, the stand-alone origin films are slowly coming to an end. Only Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), starring Chris Evans, remains to be released. So Thor arrives, amidst a worry that a portrait of the God of Thunder arriving on Earth after being banished from his kingdom in the sky may look a bit silly, especially when played by actors rather than drawings in a comic-book. But Marvel's track record has been good so far, and even very good, in the case of the first Iron Man (2008) film. Their left-wing choices for both actors and directors, and bold decisions have made for interesting viewing, and it's no different here.

King of Asgard, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), sits proud on his throne after defeating the Frost Giants of Jotumheim and bringing peace to the Nine Realms. He has two strong warrior sons, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), one of which will eventually succeed him. But when Asgard is breached by Frost Giants trying to take back their precious Casket of Ancient Winters, seized by Odin, Thor invades Jotumheim with a small band of warriors including Loki, and starts a new war. Odin, livid with Thor's defiance, banishes him to Earth and takes away his all-powerful hammer Mjolnir, deeming him unworthy. When he arrives on Earth, confused and powerless, he is taken in by a scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), while Mjolnir sits in the desert, moulded to a rock, awaiting the touch of someone worthy of it. Meanwhile, back on Asgard, war is afoot and Odin lies near-death, while Loki starts to act suspiciously.

This may all seem ridiculous and silly, and it is. The opening ten minutes, which condenses the history of Asgard and its war with the Frost Giants, is a confusing and silly blur of CGI and narration. My hopes of another Marvel triumph were somewhat dashed, but thankfully, with the arrival of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and a bit of character development, the film started to become the enjoyable romp that it is.

Marvel's choice for Thor, Chris Hemsworth, whose CV consisted of a main character in Australian soap Home And Away, and a cameo as Captain Kirk's dad in the Star Trek (2009) reboot, is a stroke of genius. He has the charm, acting chops, comic timing, the physical presence to actually convince as a God. He was born to play this role, it seems. He juggles between irresponsible, immature and arrogant in the first half, to show off his skills as an action hero you can truly root for in the second. And when the film calls for him to play the fool, he pulls that off too.

The choice for Kenneth Branagh to take the directing reigns was a strange one. A director who is most at home directing literature, namely Shakespeare, would not have been my first choice to direct a blockbuster that could easily go tits-up if mishandled. Yet Branagh handles the duties with a natural flair and confidence. The film goes back and forth from Thor's growing humanity on Earth and his relationship with Portman, to Loki's evil plotting on Asgard without ever losing focus of the story at hand or the large collection of characters.

Overall, this is just a fun film, never taking itself too seriously, yet always maintaining a respect for the source material. The undoubted star to emerge from the film is Hemsworth, who I'm sure will go on to have a successful career. I'll be looking forward to see his character again in the Avengers film, which arrives sometime in 2012. Special mention should also go to Tom Hiddleston, who arrives from the London stage after winning several awards to play a menacing and pleasingly complex villain.


Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Rene Russo
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie