Movie Review: "Spider-Man: Far from Home" (2019)

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Movie: "Spider-Man: Far from Home"

Director: Jon Watts
Year: 2019
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 9 minutes

In a post-snap-and-blip world, Peter Parker is left pondering his position as Spider-Man and what role he wants to take as an Avenger as a new threat emerges to put the world in danger.

Movie Review: "Avengers: Endgame" (2019)

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Movie: "Avengers: Endgame"

Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Year: 2019
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 3 hours, 1 minute

After Thanos successfully wiped out half of all life on earth, the Avengers are left mourning the loss of their teammates that were snapped out of existence. As some of the remaining Avengers search for a way to move on with their lives, others seek a solution to bring all of those who vanished back into the universe.

Movie Review: "Captain Marvel" (2019)

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Movie: "Captain Marvel"

Director: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Year: 2019
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 4 minutes

A Kree warrior known as Vers chases an alien race of shapeshifters called Skrulls to C-53, AKA earth. Once there, she begins to uncover the truth about a hidden past she didn't know she had.

Movie Review: "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018)

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Movie: "Ant-Man and the Wasp"

Director: Peyton Reed
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes

Hank Pym and his daughter Hope van Dyne break Scott Lang out of house arrest and build a new machine to help in retrieving Hope's mom/Hank's wife from the Quantum Realm. However, a woman with the ability to phase through solid objects known as Ghost has her own plan for Hank's new machine and will stop at nothing to get it.

Movie Review: "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)

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Movie: "Avengers: Infinity War"

Director: Anthony and Joe Russo
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 29 minutes

The Mad Titan Thanos is closer than ever to finishing his quest to collect all six infinity stones and wiping out half of the world. Now, superheroes from all across the universe must come together to try and stop that from happening.

"Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same." (Image Source)

After 10 years and 19 movies, you'd think it might be hard for Marvel to live up to the expectations they have made to bring those movies and heroes together once and for all. Wouldn't you know it, they met (and at times even exceeded) every expectation we had. "Avengers: Infinity War" is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who have directed other Marvel films like "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Captain America: Civil War." Considering those are two of the best entries in the MCU, we are happy to see them get the reigns of this film. The film is by both Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, who have written every "Captain America" movie in the franchise. This film stars just about every actor in the Marvel Universe with the exception of a select few (who shall remain nameless). "Avengers: Infinity War" brings the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin), front and center as the supreme villain of the universe. On his own, he is extremely powerful, but he hopes to make himself unstoppable with the help of the six infinity stones (space, reality, time, soul, power, and mind), which have made numerous appearances throughout the series. Now, the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Wakandans, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange must come together to try and stop Thanos from obtaining the stones.

"I'm sorry, Earth is closed today." (Image Source)

We expected "Avengers: Infinity War" to be big and bold, but we didn't anticipate it being this big and bold. By the end of the film, we sat with our mouths agape with what had just transpired. We were shooketh, to say the least. We can't mention specifics because we want to avoid spoilers, but let's just say it certainly lived up to the hype. This installment gave us what we wanted as both movie fans and as fans of the MCU: an epic flick of epic proportions. This is 110% a big picture film that must be seen on the biggest of screens.

"I'm beginning to think we should have stayed in bed." (Image Source)

Most of the relationships between characters have been explored and developed elsewhere, so you really can't go into "Infinity War" knowing nothing. You should have seen the previous 18 movies to fully understand all of the characters, their motivations, where they have been, who they are, and their relationship to one another. The exception to this is Thanos. He is a wonderfully developed villain and has an amazing presence each time he's on screen. He has been slowly introduced over the years, and this movie spends some additional time bulking up his character. We understand his motive, we know his ultimate goal, and we can surmise what he's willing to do to achieve it. Hell, he's even sympathetic for half a second.

"The world's on fire and you're asking for forgiveness?" (Image Source)

This story certainly results in a lot of heavy drama, but there's also a hefty dose of levity and humor from characters where it feels appropriate, not forced. It's bursting with great action, lots of well-choreographed fight sequences, fun interactions, intense sorrow, and dueling egos. "Avengers: Infinity War" is full of high stakes, is supremely exhilarating, and is emotionally moving. It ventures into dower territory from time to time, but every tonal shift is handled seamlessly. It met every expectation we had, and not because we expected what was going to happen (because we certainly didn't). This movie does not line up with the story we had in our heads at all. Still, we absolutely love what wound up on screen. It is amazing and is definitely worth watching multiple times.

My Rating: 9.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 9.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~9.1/10
RT Rating: ~84%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

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Movie Review: "Black Panther" (2018)

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Movie: "Black Panther"

Director: Ryan Coogler
Year: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 14 minutes

Prince T'Challa returns home after the death of his father to officially become the king of Wakanda. Meanwhile, Erik Killmonger and Ulysses Klaue hatch a plan to steal Wakandan vibranium and sell it on the black market, but one of them may have a grander scheme in the works.

We are now 18 movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and if "Black Panther" is any indication of what's to come for the rest of this universe, it's in pretty damn good shape. "Black Panther" is directed by Ryan Coogler. We loved his other directorial efforts "Creed," and "Fruitvale Station." Coogler also helped write this movie's screenplay with Joe Robert Cole. The film is based on a comic book series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It stars Chadwick Boseman reprising his role as T'Challa, aka The Black Panther. After the death of his father T'Chaka, T'Challa is heir to the throne and will soon be crowned king of Wakanda. Once he becomes the king, he must defend Wakanda and its population. As the Black Panther, however, T'Challa must protect his people and keep the country's most precious resource, vibranium, from falling into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) teams up with the military trained Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) to steal some vibranium and sell it on the black market, though one of them may have the long game in mind. With the help of his personal bodyguard Okoye (Danai Gurira), a Wakandan spy named Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and his tech-wiz sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), T'Challa hopes to end whatever scheme Klaue and Killmonger have hatched, and also must defend the country's valuable supply vibranium from any invaders.

This film deals with complex political ideals of isolationism versus duty to the global community. T'Challa as a character has a very good arc in that aspect as his views on the situation evolve over the course of the film, as do his views towards what he thought to be the truth. He discovers that good and evil, right and wrong, are not always so black and white and that the line between the two is a very blurry one. The turmoil in "Black Panther" is far more intimate than it has been in any of the past MCU films. It isn't a case of "if I fail, the entirety of mankind will be wiped out." It means "failure now means bigger problems later down the line." The situation and the anger here are far more personal to all of the characters involved.

One of the bigger problems comic book movies have faced in the past is failing to properly develop each villain. We have seen this issue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we have seen it in the DC Extended Universe, and we have seen it in the Fox and Sony properties as well. Luckily, "Black Panther" does not have that problem. Killmonger is one of the most well-developed villains in the MCU. He is a fully fleshed out character, and we understand his motivations and can even sympathize with them at times.

The acting is great across the board. We have always been big fans of Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Andy Serkis, and Martin Freeman for a long time, and they are all wonderful in their respective roles. T'Challa is powerful, tough, smart, and always tries to do what is right for his people and his country. Killmonger is an excellent villain who threatens to burn it all down. Oyoke is fierce, strong, and loyal to her country. Nakia is badass, empowered, and still vulnerable when she needs to be. Klaue...C'mon, is there anyone better than Andy Serkis to play an unhinged maniac arms dealer? Though all of these characters are enjoyable, it's Letitia Wright's character Shuri who really stole the show for us. Talk about brilliant! She's funny and a smartass, wise beyond her years, and is an excellent "sidekick" that we hope to see more of in the future. Now, "Black Panther" does have a few problems as some of the CGI, especially in the climactic showdown, becomes a little too video game-like. We must admit, it was a little distracting. Also, we felt there were a couple of pacing issues early on in the film as characters and situations are being set up. It isn't until Killmonger finally shows up that the story really gets going. Still, these are still minor complaints.

"Black Panther" is another wonderful addition to the MCU. It is its own separate entity but fully combines with the rest of the cinematic universe and will take us right into "Infinity Wars." Ryan Coogler did an incredible job directing this movie. Rachel Morrison's gorgeous, striking cinematography makes it even more compelling. The costume design by Ruth Carter is colorful, iconic, authentic, and brimming with culture. If Marvel keeps churning out quality like this, they have very little to worry about moving forward.

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My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~97%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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Movie Review: "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017)

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Movie: "Thor: Ragnarok"

Director: Taika Waititi
Year: 2017
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

When Hela The Goddess of Death is released from her prison, she attacks Asgard and declares herself queen. With Thor stranded and imprisoned by The Grandmaster on the distant planet of Sakaar, he must find a way to break free and return to Asgard to defeat Helena. 

There are now 17 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and out of all these movies, the "Thor" installments have always been considered the weakest entries. Taika Waititi, director of films like "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," has been tasked with raising the "Thor" series to new heights. And boy, does he deliver! Back to play the God of Thunder once again is Chris Hemsworth. Also returning is Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. New to the franchise are Cate Blanchet as Hela (the Goddess of Death), Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Karl Urban as Skurge, and Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster, just to name a few.

Hela has been released from her prison, and her first order of business is to take the throne of Asgard for herself. This is a job she quickly accomplishes, knocking Loki and Thor to the far reaches of the galaxy onto the isolated planet of Sakaar. Sakaar is trash planet run by The Grandmaster, who holds gladiatorial tournaments and intends to make Thor his latest contestant. If Thor hopes to make it home to save Asgard, he will have to fight off an old friend in the ring, escape Sakaar (which is supposedly inescapable), and defeat Hela all without his hammer Mjolnir, which Hela destroyed with great ease.

Taika Waititi is a director known for his signature style of hilarious but touching comedy. His movies have tons of joviality and heart, so it is not a surprise that "Thor: Ragnarok" is a comedy-forward film. It matches closer in tone to "Guardians of the Galaxy" than it does "Thor: The Dark World," which is a good thing in our minds. This is not to say "Thor" hasn't had plenty of joking in the past as the original installment focused strongly on a comedic fish-out-of-water scenario (which people seem to forget). Either way, we laughed immensely throughout "Thor: Ragnarok" and we were thoroughly entertained throughout its runtime. That being said, the banter and jokes come at such a steady, rapid pace that the moments that should have been more emotionally impactful aren't quite as effective as they could have been.

Given a chance to do comedy, Chris Hemsworth opens up an entirely new side of Thor that we have not seen before, and we really like this new and improved version of the God of Thunder. Tom Hiddleston is excellent once again as the trickster Loki. As the two brothers have evolved over a three-movie arc, now Thor has come to terms with the fact that he and Loki are extremely different and that he may never be fully able to trust him. Hiddleston and Hemsworth get some fantastic lines and scenes together, including the "get help" scene. Since Mark Ruffalo's Hulk/Bruce Banner has been noticeably absent, Marvel has found a way to incorporate the big green giant into this latest Thir flick seamlessly. Ruffalo gets to showcase himself as Hulk a little more than usual, but when he finally turns back into Bruce Banner, he gets one of the single funniest moments of slapstick in the entire picture. Now for the newcomers. Cate Blanchet is one of our favorite actresses. We never thought we would see her in a Marvel movie, but thank the gods, here she is, and she does it up right. Blanchett is fabulous as Hela, though her character is underutilized at times. Since Thor spends the majority of the film on Sakaar dealing with the Grandmaster, it feels like Hela's scenes are a bit shoehorned into the movie. However, when she is on screen, Cate Blanchett is fierce and flawless as this villainess. We would have loved to see her with the Grandmaster at some point, but c'est la vie. And speaking of the Grandmaster, Jeff Goldblum is wonderful in this role and gets to do his whole Jeff Goldblum-esque thing, which we have always found to be hilarious. His makeup, costuming, and mannerisms are quintessential Goldblum, and he also gets a lot of comedic moments as well. Finally, the best character in a movie called "Thor: Ragnarok" is not Thor at all. No, it is Tessa Thompson's portrayal of the awesome character Valkyrie. It's really refreshing to see more badass women in the group, and Thompson is remarkable in this role. With a past that has shaped her character for better and for worse, she is tough as nails, intense, and compelling. We cannot wait to see more of Thompson in the future and if Marvel knows what's good for them, they will continue expanding the Valkyrie's character arc.

"Thor: Ragnarok" is a damn good time and a total blast to watch. It is colorful, vibrant, and retro, pulsating with a fantastic score and fitting soundtrack. Taika Waititi's directorial efforts are excellent. The characters come together to make one bitchin' cast. We would have liked a little more emotional pull in what are meant to be the heavier scenes, but that's our only chief complaint. The final battle is wonderful and we finally get to see Thor live up to his moniker as the God of Thunder. This is definitely a must-see for those interested in the MCU.

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My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~93%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017)

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Movie: "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

Director: Jon Watts
Year: 2017
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 13 minutes

Peter Parker tries to fully prove himself to his mentor Tony Stark by fighting crime on the streets of New York as Spider-Man. His attempt to bring down a high-tech illegal weapons manufacturer may wind up being more than he can handle, especially when he has to balance his evenings of crime fighting with his school work.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" is directed by Jon Watts, who is known for directing the indie films "Clown" and "Cop Car." This is yet another reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, only this time, Sony and Disney came to a deal to put Spidey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This version of Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, was introduced in "Captain America: Civil War." "Homecoming" picks up a short time after the events of that film. Peter is allowed to keep the suit Tony Stark made for him, much to his shock. Parker begins to use it in order to practice his crime fighting skills in Queens. However, his suit has been made with several restrictive modes, and Parker is also under the constant watchful eye of Stark and Happy, played by Jon Favreau, though they usually can't be bothered with Parker's minute problems. One night while trying to stop an ATM robbery, Spider-Man discovers a group of criminals using high-tech weaponry to pull off the heist. He wants to find the source of these weapons but may be in over his head when he has to face off against the leader of this illegal weapons manufacturing ring, Adrian Toomes, played by the incomparable Michael Keaton. All of this happens while Peter is just trying to live a normal high school life and dealing with everything that comes with being a teenager.

We have been excited to see this movie ever since Tom Holland's version of Spidey popped up in "Captain America: Civil War." He was great for the few minutes he was on screen, we just hoped Holland would be able to carry that presence through an entire feature-length movie. We can now say with great delight that he is most certainly able to do so.

Holland emulates the character of Spider-Man perfectly. He is funny and is able to portray the wide-eyed wonderment a kid with newfound superpowers may have upon learning his abilities. On the flip side, he is still capable of kicking major ass and getting serious when he needs to be serious. The supporting cast in fantastic as well. Jacob Batalon, who plays Peter Parker's best friend Ned, is absolutely hilarious and has stellar comedic timing. He acts as a sidekick of sorts to Parker when he gets in a jam. Batalon is extremely likable and is so charismatic that he even eclipses Tom Holland in some instances. Batalon is a true standout here, and his character gets even better once he discovers his best friend is Spider-Man. Zendaya doesn't get much to do in this movie, but she brings a great presence to the screen as Michelle, even when she's being brooding and awkward. We hope she makes it back for the inevitable sequel. Finally, Michael Keaton makes a tremendous villain. He always has a commanding on-screen presence and the role he plays here is no exception. Adrian Toomes is an extremely well-developed villain with motivations the audience can easily understand. He is a blue collar villain and was simply working a normal job as a salvager until his company lost its government contract. Now, Toomes is just trying to make a living in order to take care of his family. Sure, what he is doing is a liiiiittle bit less than legal, but at least we understand his motives, which has been a chief complaint about Marvel movies since the beginning.

In many ways, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is a coming-of-age story as Peter Parker tries to mature as both an individual and as a superhero. It is a really engaging story. When it was all over, our faces hurt from smiling so much. It's that enjoyable. This movie is a great addition to the MCU and is a wonderful film in its own right as well. We are so incredibly happy this didn't wind up being another Spider-Man origin story because everyone already knows that tale by now. We are thrilled for Tom Holland and everyone involved in this project because they have made one truly kick ass film.

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My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017)

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Movie: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Director: James Gunn
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 16 minutes

After the Guardians offend a race of aliens with a superiority complex, they are  pursued across the universe. This leads them to come face to face with Peter Quill's biological father Ego, who tells Peter about his true heritage and his intended purpose.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is once again written and directed by James Gunn. It is the sequel to the fabulous "Guardians of the Galaxy" and is the 15th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel all return to reprise their roles as Peter Quill aka Starlord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket, and Baby Groot, respectively, as the titular "Guardians of the Galaxy." Also returning are Michael Rooker and Karen Gillan, who reprise their roles as Yondu and Nebula.

The Guardians open this film fighting a battle for money against a gigantic intergalactic space slug with heinous sharp teeth and a nasty disposition, as they typically do. They wind up offending their latest employers, an elitist race of gold-tinted aliens known as the Sovereign, which results in them being attacked and endlessly pursued by their army of drone soldiers. The Guardians wind up crashing on a planet and splitting up after they are saved by a man named Ego, played by Kurt Russell, who turns out to be Peter Quill's biological father. From there, the pasts of Peter, the other Guardians, and a few newcomers are divulged in greater detail with a hefty dose of wit, a high body count, and brilliantly flashy colors.

Many sequels are simply about rehashing the original, just with 50% more of everything. To us, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" avoids feeling like a rehash as it truly does add much more depth to the characters we have now grown to love. It goes beyond surface level adventures and has ventured into a much more mature character building stage, sacrificing a big story in favor of learning about these personalities, though there are still jokes to be had at every possible turn. "Vol. 2" lets the audience know there is more to each of the individuals beyond what we may have already known and seen from them, and doubles down on bringing some previously secondary characters into the fold and closer to the forefront to the point where we as the audience finally realize why they are the way they are. We learn about Gamora and Nebula's sisterhood, Quill and Gamora's "unspoken thing," as well as Yondu's life and hardships. In addition to the standby crew, there are also a couple of very welcome new characters, one being Kurt Russell's Ego. Though his character is heavy on exposition, Russell feels like a welcome addition to this universe as Ego and his son get to know one another as Peter wrestles with figuring out why his father left his mother to die on Earth. Russell is just the right amount of cocksure and has the perfect touch of mysticism about him to guide the Guardians into all sorts of happiness and/or mischief. Another newcomer who we really enjoyed is Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff. Mantis is an empath, and her abilities allow for both comedic and kick ass moments. She and Drax share fantastic chemistry with one another and have some truly laugh-out-loud exchanges.

This installment is still a blast, though we admit it is not as perfect and wonderful as the surprisingly brilliant original. It is still insanely funny with many of the best moments coming from the overly literal Drax. This is the role Bautista was born to play and he acts the hell out of it. Of course, Baby Groot lays the cute on pretty thick, though he now has the mind of a child to go along with his tiny stature. One of our biggest critiques is that The Sovereign as villains are rather disposable, but they are really only secondary villains who serve as a catalyst to start their adventure, bring in the true villain, and give a little taste of what may be coming for their future.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" had a very high bar to try and reach. The original was like capturing lightning in a bottle, and though this sequel doesn't quite do that again, it is certainly still very electric, and we were not disappointing in the slightest. The tone of this movie isn't always light and fun as it brings a great insight into what it truly means to be a family. It also has a lot of unexpectedly moving moments in the third act, ones we were not prepared for in the slightest. It is amazingly fun, bright and colorful, and a great addition to the still strong MCU. An in-theater must see for fans of the original!

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My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~82%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

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Movie Review #514: "Doctor Strange" (2016)

Movie: "Doctor Strange"
Director: Scott Derrickson
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

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Renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has the nerves in his hands destroyed following a horrific car accident. After spending his fortune on medical procedures trying to fix them, he is led to Nepal where he must find the Kamar-taj and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who once helped a man with a severed spinal cord walk again. There, the ancient one teaches Strange of a new way to look at the universe through magic and sorcery. 

"Doctor Strange" is directed by Scott Derrickson and is the 14th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Much like many other Marvel films, this is an origin story. It tells the back story of how neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange, played by the perfectly cast Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, became Doctor Strange, sorcerer supreme. Many will be annoyed with the fact that this is yet another origin story, but we personally knew nothing about Doctor Strange before going into the film, so we're not too upset about it. Marvel certainly sticks to their (so far) winning formula, that's no lie.

The film is certainly a visual spectacle to behold as Strange and many others he encounters travel through multiple dimensions of the infinite and vast universe in a breathtaking, crazy, and sometimes terrifying display. Some of these dimensions border on being a pure acid trip in terms of their randomness and levels of lights and colors and moving parts, but dear lord are they spectacular. The effects bend our world like it's an M.C. Esher painting with staircases going every which way in a physics-defying feat. The effects alone are worth the price of admission to this flick.

Benedict Cumberbatch does a good job as Doctor Strange. He certainly has the physical look of the character. We think Marvel made the right choice in waiting for Cumberbatch to play this role because he can certainly portray a character that is beyond an arrogant egomaniac and still manage to remain likable. We see Strange's transformation from being wholly self-centered to someone who is willing to be self-sacrificing, but is also still a little bit of a prick. Joining Cumberbatch is Oscar nominee Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, the centuries old Celtic sorceress and head of the Kamar-taj, who trains Strange in the magic of the mystic arts. Assisting The Ancient One is Master Mordo, played by Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is a devout follower of hers. They all must battle against Kaecilius, played by Mads Mikkelsen, a zealot who seeks eternal life from the dark dimension.

There have always been complaints that many Marvel villains are simply disposable with a few notable exceptions. BigJ and I have always understood most of Marvel's villains to have a deeper purpose than what is shown on a surface level, but unfortunately in the case of Kaecilius, he is not only disposable, but completely undeveloped to boot. He has some nifty powers and offers interesting and cool action sequences, but not much else. It's too bad, especially considering Mads Mikkelsen has such a great on screen presence and the ability to deliver excellent, villainous performances. Kaecilius is too poorly written and feels underutilized here. Speaking of underutilized, Rachel McAdams unfortunately falls in this category as well. Her character Christine Palmer seems to be in "Doctor Strange" because these movies are supposed to have a female character that is part of the hero's emotional support system. McAdams herself is fine in her limited capacity, but Palmer only exists to humanize the dickish Strange, nothing more, nothing less.

This latest addition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe offers a lot fun and entertainment. It is super enjoyable and very well acted, though it doesn't quite reach the level of "Captain America: Civil War" from earlier this year, not that the two should be compared because they are so very different. That being said, there are moments of slowness and some thinly written characters. We are certainly looking forward to seeing more from the character of Doctor Strange and his egotistical, snarky, cocky ways, and it will be interesting to see where the Marvel overlords go with this character in relation to the Avengers and other characters in the MCU.

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~90%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review #421: "Captain America: Civil War" (2016)

Movie: "Captain America: Civil War"
Director: Anthony and Joe Russo
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 26 minutes

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As the Avengers perform their duties worldwide, collateral damage caused by their actions continues to increase. It has reached a point where Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) no longer believes the Avengers can operate without oversight of some kind. A United Nations coalition headed by Secretary of State Ross (William Hurt) is constructed to enforce that oversight. However, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) believes a committee like this could prevent the Avengers from performing their duties properly and could be corrupted like S.H.I.E.L.D. This leads to a conflict between Rogers and Stark that could tear the Avengers apart from the inside.

WOW.

Directed by the Russo Brothers, "Captain America: Civil War" is the 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Some might think that after 13 films, the franchise is losing steam and running out of ideas. Those people would be wrong. Somehow, Marvel Studios keeps churning out movies with compelling stories and interesting new characters. "Captain America: Civil War" is just the latest example of their overall success.

This installment puts the two most prominent figures in the MCU film series, Captain America/Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, and Iron Man/Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., against each other. They come to an impasse regarding the way they believe the Avengers should be run. Iron Man thinks they need to be put in check and must have someone to answer to, whereas Captain America believes the Avengers are the ones who should be making all of the calls regarding when and when not to act. Cap. believes having a third party calling the shots would be bad because those individuals could also be too influenced by personal agendas and politics. This struggle over who should control the Avengers comes to a head in an epic battle between the two as the other members of the team are forced to choose sides. Half of the Avengers support Tony's idea and the other half support Steve's line of thinking. Existing characters such as Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson, Vision played by Paul Bettany, War Machine played by Don Cheadle, Falcon played by Anthony Mackie, Hawkeye played by Jeremy Renner, Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen, The Winter Soldier played by Sebastian Stan, and Ant-Man played by Paul Rudd, are essentially torn apart in one fell swoop, as are their "leaders." The aggression mounts and mounts until it spills over into one badass action fight scene where everyone's powers and personalities are put on full display for the audiences to marvel at.........................get it???

Two brand new Marvel characters are also introduced to the franchise, including the very popular, very anticipated Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, and Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman. Both these characters are welcome editions, and we must say, it is extremely cool to see Spider-Man in a film alongside the Avengers. We thought it might never happen, but the day is here. Both newcomers perform their parts wonderfully and fit right in amongst the veteran Avengers. Holland, in just a few short minutes, has solidified our faith in him where his stand-alone Spidey film is concerned. Much younger than past incarnations of Spider-Man, many were skeptical of newcomer Holland, and boy, were they and we wrong. Holland bring a fresh and snarky but nervous geekiness to Peter Parker. Never judge a book, man! We have been huge fans of Chadwick Boseman in his past movies, from "42" and "Get On Up." We have always known him to be a good actor, but his performance as Black Panther is really something else. We get a bit of a back story into why his character is the way he is and why he does the things he does. His abilities, and his fly suit featuring some killer claws, are showcased just right. Again, another stand-alone film we cannot wait for. It seems as if "Civil War" gives us some hints as far as what to expect from both of these individuals movies.

One might think with this many characters, the movie might feel bloated or unfocused. To us, we do not feel this way at all. Filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo do a great job keeping the movie honed in on its narrative, pushing the story forward exactly where it needs to without a lot of unnecessary detours. Even the new characters, as we mentioned, receive a good amount of development, and we never once felt bored or disinterested in them or anything else. The action sequences are both expertly shot and expertly choreographed. We never felt like were watching a movie, but rather, it's as if the things happening on screen could actually happen somewhere, someway, somehow. There are tons of exciting sequences mixed in with a lot of engaging human drama, some appropriate laughs, and a couple of standout performances. You'd think we'd be tired of Robert Downey Jr., but we're not. Downey finds ways to keep his character developing every chance he gets. We thought we were clearly Team Captain America going into it, but "Civil War" will keep you switching sides until the very end credit roll. The Russo brothers have brought a wonderful balance to darker subject matter while keeping it fun, enthralling, and entertaining. The first thing we said to each other when this movie was over was: "this is what we wanted for "Batman v. Superman," a well-rounded movie you can both get invested in and be constantly surprised by, something that doesn't feel like a drag to get through, and something with outstanding special effects, good dialogue, and great characters. If that makes us Marvel nut-huggers, we're fully prepared to open wide at this point. Do yourself a favor and watch this on the big screen, it's well worth your money.

My Rating: 9.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 9.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~90%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!
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One year ago, we were watching: "Hector and the Search for Happiness"

Movie Review #282: "Ant-Man" (2015)

Movie: "Ant-Man"
Director: Peyton Reed
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes

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Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), while working for S.H.I.E.L.D., developed a technology that allows a person to shrink to the size of an ant, yet retain all of his strength as if he were normally sized. Hank used this technology in his youth as a soldier and was known as Ant-Man. In 1989, higher powers tried to steal his Ant-Man technology for themselves, so Hank leaves the agency and buries it away, hidden for decades. Now, Hank has his own company called Pym Tech. that is being run by his protege Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), who has been secretly working on developing Hank's shrinking technology, which he now calls Yellow Jacket. Cross plans to sell to the highest bidder. In order to stop Darren, Hank hires on a an ex-con named Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) who did time in prison for burglary. He gives Scott his Ant-Man suit and teaches him to use it with the help his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly). Hank wants Scott to use the Ant-Man suit to break into Pym Tech. and destroy the Yellow Jacket before it falls in the wrong hands.

We don't buy into the whole Marvel vs. DC Comics thing. It doesn't matter where an origin story began. If we like a movie, we like it, regardless of any other ongoing beef. That being said, chalk this one up to another win for Marvel. "Ant-Man" is the 12th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe theatrical series and it doesn't miss a step from its other counterparts. There was a lot of concern in the development stages of this movie since the original writer left the project. From that point on, it seemed as if it was being rushed into production, especially considering Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man, was also helping to pen the script. But, after 11 successful box office hits and 11 movies with overall positive reviews, we may have to accept that Marvel might actually know what it's doing at this point, especially when considering how well "Guardians of the Galaxy" was when no one had ever heard of it and people questioned why it was being made into a movie in the first place. We know there are people out there just waiting for the one film that will be panned universally and flop flat on its face, showing a break in Marvel's seemingly endless winning formulas, but those haters will just have to wait a little while longer. Collectively, Marvel knows how to make fun, entertaining, action-packed movies, and "Ant-Man" certainly falls into this category as well.

Now, sure, this isn't the absolute best film in the MCU, but it really doesn't have to be because it's still awesome nonetheless. First of all, the acting is fabulous all around, starting and ending with Michael Douglas. He is great as Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, who is now too old and too broken to continue using the suit himself. This is why Hank needs the much younger, more expendable Scott Lang, played by seasoned veteran actor Paul Rudd, to fill his shoes as the new Ant-Man. Paul Rudd is the kind of actor who is confident in his goofiness, cocky in all the right ways, and we think, the perfect fit for such a character. Rudd as Ant-Man begins slowly, but learns how to handle the suit with relative ease. It's fun to watch him fall flat on his face, while also learning tips and tricks along the way to become the best superhero he can be. He also makes a wonderful Scott Lang, as we believe his want to be reunited full-time with his young daughter, so much so he's willing to go above and beyond at great lengths just to make it happen. Next, there's Michael Peña's character Luis, Scott's good friend who has also been in and out of prison for thievery. He certainly brings a lot of laughs and is excellent in this role as a gabby, talkative friend who can never quite get his words out in a relatively short time frame. Corey Stoll steps in as the main antagonist Darren Cross, aka Yellowjacket, and does an excellent job as the sinister bald villain, something Marvel has been known for in the past. A combination of genius and crazy, Darren Cross seems wholly unstable, but also just crazy enough to pull off duplicating Hank's work on the suit. There is another layer to Darren beyond just money and power. He also desires respect and approval as he has some unresolved personal issues as Hank's younger protege who was never told the full, true story about the technology surrounding the Ant-Man suit. Bobby Cannavale has a smaller part at Scott's ex-wife's new husband, Paxton, a cop who has a penchant for being in the right place and the right time when it comes to seeing Scott arrested. He is commanding in the few scenes, where he is able to shine. Finally, we have Evangeline Lilly, who plays Hank's daughter Hope. She has a chip on her shoulder from the start, not understanding her father's need to put someone else besides her in the Ant-Man suit, even though she knows her ish. Strong, fierce, poised and collected, but also mildly snarky in her own right, she will play a much more pivotal role in the years to come. There are actually a lot of laughs in this film as it is much more light in context and contains a lot of humor than some of its other, darker MCU buddies.

The premise of the film allows for some great special effects as Ant-Man and Yellowjacket shrink and grow throughout their battles. We constantly see different elements of the scenes on different scales, which is something of a spectacle to watch unfold before your eyes. This constant size shifting brings some outstanding and often very funny and epic fight scenes to the screen, such as ants growing to large dog sized levels and scenes you won't want to miss featuring the likes of Thomas the Tank engine and The Cure. Bringing it down to such a big versus small level also showcases that Marvel is more than just a one-trick pony, and while the action is all well and good, the story surrounding the action can be just as clever and enjoyable outside of The Avengers. All in all, "Ant-Man" is a wonderful, welcome addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we look forward to what they have in store for us in the upcoming years.

PS: There are 2 after credits, one mid-credit and one after everything is done rolling. Though short, stay for both!

My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 79%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)

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Movie: "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
Director: Joss Whedon
Rating: PG-13
Running Time 2 hours, 21 minutes

The Avengers have been hunting down Hydra cells around the world in search of Loki's missing scepter. Meanwhile, Hydra has been using the scepter to develop new technology, as well as developing a pair of enhanced humans, Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), aka Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch. The Twins had their home destroyed and their parents killed by weapons made at Stark Industries, and now, they want revenge. In the battle to retrieve Loki's scepter, Scarlet Witch uses her mental powers to show Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) a nightmare future where all the Avengers have all been killed. This nightmare inspires him to use the retrieved scepter and develop an artificial intelligence based on its technology with the sole purpose of achieving world peace. This A.I. is called Ultron (voiced by James Spader). Ultron scans the Avengers' computer J.A.R.V.I.S. (Paul Bettany) and the internet to learn the history of the Avengers and mankind. Ultron then determines the only way to achieve peace is to eliminate the cause of war: humans. Now, the Avengers must stop their own invention, the most powerful A.I. in the world, before he destroys the human race. 

The Avengers are back in part two of their collective story and they are just as great as ever. The film opens with the Avengers raiding a Hydra stronghold, which sets the tone for this action-packed affair. Just because there is a lot of action in the film doesn't mean it is short on a good story. This is a silly argument we have heard many times online, that people are tired of the amount of "formulaic action" in these Marvel movies, but we say, why call it an action movie if there is no action? More on this later.

A few new characters are introduced, including the super A.I. called Ultron, voiced brilliantly by James Spader, who carries a hefty mix of both cynical and snark in his voice. Since we do not see his face, our perception of how imposing and scary Ultron is is contingent solely upon this voiceover, and Spader is absolutely magnificent and menacing to boot. Much to our fears and as many movies involving artificial intelligence have determined in the past, the only way to achieve peace is to eliminate war's primary cause: people. Unlike the Avengers, who are reactive and try to eliminate conflicts as they arise, Ultron is proactive and wants to eliminate the possibility of any problems before they ever get a chance to begin. Joining Ultron are Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and her twin brother Pietro Maximoff, played by no stranger to comic books adaptations, Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Wanda is also known as the Scarlet Witch and her powers involve telekinesis and telepathy, as well as the ability to create energy fields. Pietro is also known as Quicksilver and he has the ability to move at least hypersonic speeds, if not faster. These two grew up on the front lines of a war-torn country called Sokovia, fueled by weapons built by Stark Industries. They are both sympathetic villains who are simply victims and collateral damage of a war they did not cause or partake in, and much like the Avengers, they are simply reacting to the threats against their home. The Maximoff twins are drawn in by Ultron's powerful influence, initially aligning with Ultron's want to destroy the Avengers, and this produces some really excellent scenes of fighting between the two groups, who may have more in common than they initially think. By using her powers of telepathy and telekinesis, the Scarlet Witch begins to tear the Avengers apart from the inside, showing most of the dark scenes from their past or future that will shake them emotionally and break them down mentally piece by piece. These flashbacks and flash-forwards provide a great gateway to bring back some old characters who were already introduced and set the stage for movies yet to come, which is a staple within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is also the brief introduction of Ulysses Klause, played by Andy Serkis (GIVE HIM THE OSCAR, ALREADY!!), who will likely appear again in the upcoming "Black Panther" film since he is the Panther's nemesis. The final addition to this movie is another A.I. Android called Vision. Though he is a new character, he is played by a familiar voice in Paul Bettany, who has been the voice of Tony's computer J.A.R.V.I.S. since the original "Iron Man" movie. Vision is a bad ass character and is a phenomenal addition to the Avengers, and will also be a great addition to future movies, too. Paul Bettany's voicing of J.A.R.V.I.S. has always been a wonderful element to the "Iron Man" franchise and to see him come to life is just awesome and brings a much-needed voice of reason to all the destruction.

Beyond all of these new characters, many of the existing characters start to receive more depth and we also get to see some new developments about them as well. We get a much deeper look into Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye and his life beyond the Avengers. This is a much needed and very welcomed addition as Hawkeye has never had his own standalone film and he has always been the least developed of all of the Avengers. It looks like filmmakers knew there would never be a major motion picture specifically with Hawkeye in mind as the main character, so "Age of Ultron" serves as his coming out party. Hawkeye knows he is the least talented and leave favorite Avenger, and his self-awareness about this fact makes for a lot of hilarious moments of self-deprecation and reflection about his place on the team. It was fun to see Hawkeye shine while he had the chance. Filmmakers also begin to plant seeds of conflict between Captain America and Iron Man, of course, reprised by Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. These small lines of dialogue made a big impact on us since we know the future film "Captain America: Civil War" will serve as a catalyst for more strife between the Avengers as a whole. Another newly introduced storyline here is the blossoming romance between Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk, and Black Widow, played by Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson. There are some tender moments between the two, and this is where some of the heart-wrenching parts of the film come to fruition. Oh, and Chris Hemsworth's Thor is still in this fight, too, doing his same old Thor thing, being a general bad-ass and all godly and stuff, making women swoon, you know, that old chestnut.

Though all of the individual characters get their moment in the sun so to speak, to us, the film all comes together quite well and we're not really sure why people are complaining. Right off that bat, you will notice there seems to be a lot going on in this film, and there is, but like we said, it's not hard to follow if you simply pay attention. One must also realize that despite having a bunch characters, many of them have been developed in past films. If you are going to watch this movie, it does help to have seen the previous 10 movies in the series as they all converge into this one film. It is a mighty undertaking, but you're truly missing out on some great movies if you choose not to watch them. Coming into "Avengers: Age of Ultron" saying you don't understand all the characters or items or plot points in the film is like beginning a television series halfway through its second season and complaining that not enough was explained in "that one episode." Sure, this movie differs from the comics here and there, but this has happened a lot within the Marvel universe, and we ain't complaining. We're not "fanboys," we're just fans of good movies, and folks, this is a good movie.

In the end, "Age of Ultron" manages to be both rich in story and in fun. If you can sit in the theater during this film and not have a good time, we might question whether or not you even have a soul, because films like this are what fantasy action films should aspire to be. Michael Bay and all the writers he employs for movies like "Transformers" and the new "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboot should take some notes from Marvel and realize that it is possible to make great action films with compelling characters that don't have to be completely mindless and dumbed down to infantile levels. Chances are, if you're a fan of fun, you will at least be able to say you enjoyed this movie a little bit, but hopefully, a lotta bit.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 75%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!
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For our "Iron Man" review, click here.

For our "The Incredible Hulk" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 2" review, click here.

For our "Thor" review, click here. 

For our "Captain America: The First Avenger" review, click here.

For our "The Avengers" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 3" review, click here.

For our "Thor: The Dark World" review, click here.

For our "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" review, click here.

For our "Guardians of the Galaxy" review, click here.

Movie Review: "Iron Man 3" (2013)

Movie: "Iron Man 3"
Director: Shane Black
Year: 2013
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

A supervillan by the name of 'The Mandarin' (Ben Kingsley) is terrorizing the globe with bombings, killings and general intimidation. He is an Osama bin Laden type and doesn't hesitate to kill women and children. He basically taunts the United States into confrontation, and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has had enough. He threatens The Mandarin with cameras watching, giving out his personal information to entice him into a fight. Tony's world is then turned upside down and must go after those responsible and fight for the things he loves the old-fashioned way. Meanwhile, an old friend of Pepper's (Gwyneth Paltrow) named Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) comes back into her life with a proposal for Stark Industries.

Iron Man is back for a third time, baby! In the darkest flick of the trilogy, "Iron Man 3" shows that Tony Stark is more than just some guy in a suit. This movie is more character driven than the others in the saga, focusing more on the development of the life and brain of Stark as opposed to the superhero in the suit. Since the incidents in New York and the close brush with death that Tony faced while pushing a nuclear missile through the wormhole, he has since suffered severe anxiety attacks and he must find a way to manage them. Tony also spends a large portion of this film out of his suit when his home is destroyed by Aldrich Killian. He is able to show that Iron Man is more than just his set of suit-al skills, because even when his suit is rendered inoperable, Tony is able to use his ingenuity and technical know-how to create makeshift weapons on the fly. That, combined with his physical training, even without the suit, Stark is still a formidable person.

What sets this movie apart is its deviation from the comic book series itself. This film did upset a lot of the fans of the comic book because the Mandarin was turned into a false front for Aldrich Killian. The revelation of Ben Kingsley as a pawn is both humorous and unexpected, especially if it's your first time seeing it. Killian was the mastermind all along, and this allowed him to show off his Extremis-driven fire power. Extremis allows those who have taken it to heal quickly and they can even regrow limbs. The people who have taken it can also generate really high heat inside their bodies, allowing Killian to even breath fire. Those who have used Extremis also risk becoming unstable, and without a moment's notice, they can explode, killing anybody within a reasonably close radius. Despite this take on the Mandarin, we still enjoyed the film overall because anything with Tony Stark in it is bound to be a good time. He faces his toughest test yet in Killian and it's still as bad ass as ever. We also don't think that this film is the last we will see of the Mandarin character, but we could be wrong. As we have always come to expect with Marvel movies, "Iron Man 3" contains quite a bit of humor laced in with the action, drama and big booms. For people who watch the movies and haven't read the comics or have an open mind to the changing of source materials, you will more than likely enjoy this film. Robert Downey Jr. is always fun to look at, too.

My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 79%
Do we recommend the movie:
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For our "Iron Man" review, click here.

For our "The Incredible Hulk" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 2" review, click here.

For our "Thor" review, click here. 

For our "Captain America: The First Avenger" review, click here.

For our "The Avengers" review, click here.

For our "Thor: The Dark World" review, click here.

For our "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" review, click here.

For our "Guardians of the Galaxy" review, click here.

Movie Review: "The Avengers" (2012)

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Movie: "The Avengers"
Director: Joss Whedon
Year: 2012
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 23 minutes

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has returned to Earth and has stolen the Tesseract, a source off unimaginable energy. He plans to open a portal that will allow an alien race known as the Chitauri to attack Earth after which he will take over as ruler of the planet. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) reactivates the Avengers initiative and brings together Tony Stark, aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), and Bruce Banner, aka The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), to try and Stop Loki. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is sent by his people to stop Loki and to return him Asgard for punishment as well. All the Avengers initially butt heads as attitudes clash, but they all must find a way to work together in order to save the planet.

The accumulation of the previous five Marvel films finally comes to head in "The Avengers." There are no more origin stories to be told, leaving plenty of room to develop this particular story, as well as the characters a little bit more within the context of the group of superheroes. When Nick Fury initially assembles the Avengers, they don't exactly get along, particularly Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. Rogers is a patriot and a soldier, through and through. His primary concern is about following orders and fighting for America at any cost. Conversely, Tony Stark is all about individuality and regularly defies authority, which doesn't sit well with Rogers. The seed has been set early on between Cap and Iron Man, which will also come to a head in "Captain America: Civil War" in 2016. Bruce Banner, on the other hand, is just doing his best to stay calm and keep The Hulk under control, which is quite an undertaking on its own. When Thor first hits the scene, it is to take Loki back to Asgard to face justice there. Instead, this causes a conflict with Iron Man and Captain America, who need Loki to locate the Tesseract. Their conflict seems to be all part of Loki's plan as he can use it to drive a wedge between them and keep the only people who can possibly stop him from working together. The less powerful Avengers both get larger parts in this film as well. This movie is the first time we really see Jeremy Renner's far-sighted Hawkeye in action, and though she got to show off a bit in "Iron Man 2," Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow has a more pivotal part and gets to show all of her capabilities, including her interrogation techniques and methods. She is also responsible for bringing the principle Avengers together to start their quest in locating the Tesseract.

"The Avengers," like the previous Marvel films, does an excellent job of combining comedy and action. It also throws in some emotional moments that can move the audience to tears, if you're suckers like us. The final battle is impressive as all of the Avengers finally come together to battle Loki and the Chitauri in New York City, the perfect battleground for any superhero flick. Each of their abilities is on full display here. Captain America's leadership abilities take center stage, Stark's ingenuity is shown frequently and heavily, Thor's strength and battle experience aids them all in their moments of need, and of course, Hulk's ability to Smash is a big part of winning the battle. BigJ and I just gets so happy when Captain America tells Hulk to smash, it's like being a little kid again. Between all of the sci-fi action, the perilous adventure and the ass kicking, "The Avengers" never forgets its humility, and it never forgets that these brave heroes are doing their part for America and the world, even if the public at large might be skeptical of them at first. It is a smart, fun, funny, explosive, dynamic film, and a great time and an enjoyable experience to sit through. We love it! It is highly re-watchable and we don't mind viewing it over and over again, sometimes even finding things we missed before. This is the definition of a blockbuster film, but it is so much more than that. It has heart, character, development and an engaging story to keep audiences both interested, enthralled and rooting for the Avengers, both now and forever.

My Rating: 10/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 73%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!
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For our "Iron Man" review, click here.

For our "The Incredible Hulk" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 2" review, click here.

For our "Thor" review, click here. 

For our "Captain America: The First Avenger" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 3" review, click here.

For our "Thor: The Dark World" review, click here.

For our "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" review, click here.

For our "Guardians of the Galaxy" review, click here.

Movie Review: "Thor" (2011)

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Movie: "Thor"
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Year: 2011
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is from a race of superhumans that live in a realm called Asgard and serve as protectors of the Nine Realms. The Asgardians were worshiped by early Scandinavians as Gods. Thor is the heir to the throne of Asgard, but when a group of Frost Giants break into their vault, Thor is quick to want revenge, even at the risk of all out war. Thor launches an assault on the Ice Giant planet, and as punishment, Thor's father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) strips Thor of his powers and banishes him to Earth. In Thor's absence, Odin is stricken ill and his adopted son Loki (Tom Hiddleston) takes the throne. Loki makes a deal with the Frost Giants to take Odin out permanently, and he decides to try and attack and kill Thor on Earth while he's mortal to secure his permanent place on the throne. Thor must regain his powers to defeat Loki, save Earth and save his father. 

"Thor" is the 4th film in the Marvel Expanded Cinematic Universe. Though all the films in this series are fantastical, Thor is the first character to be extraterrestrial, as well as the first one to naturally have superhuman powers. This movie is all about the origin story and character development of Thor himself, with a couple of cameos thrown in here and there. It also serves to introduce fans to the concept of the Nine Realms and Asgard, which will come up again and be revisited, as well as tie into other Marvel films yet to come in the series. Thor, while he is on Earth, is a comedic fish out of water. He begins the movie as a massively arrogant god who is used to having powers with no restraints on them. Once on Earth, he doesn't understand the social customs of our planet, which creates some awkward but funny moments. He must come to terms with his new mortality, and this also leads to some comedic moments where he overestimates his abilities as a mortal and ends up flopping at whatever he's doing. This is a good way for Thor to learn some humility and will hopefully aid him in his new-found quest to earn redemption in the eyes of his father, who wants to put his trust and faith into him, but can't unless he learns to control himself.

Chris Hemsworth, keeping on track with Marvel's excellent casting record, was the perfect choice for Thor and it seems like he was born to play the part. Hemsworth has it all: the physical looks of a deity, the sultry, luscious voice which can be both puny and intimidatingly verbose, and the ability to be both arrogant and charming when he wants to be. Loki is also introduced in this movie as a slightly sympathetic villain. Tom Hiddleston steals the show as he displays a large acting range from jealousy and envy to empathy and heartache. He has the desire to be loved and he is also quite the charmer, too, which works well with his deceptive nature. Thor and Loki have some awesome scenes together and these two gentlemen make this flick all the more fun. Natalie Portman also stars in this movie and plays the part of Thor's love interest, scientist Dr. Jane Foster. It's not that she isn't right for the role, but Portman just seems like someone who thinks she is above doing a Marvel movie, like she is only in this role for a quick, expensive pay day. Her and Chris Hemsworth have a decent enough story together, but it's nothing short of what Disney has pandered to kids for decades. Stellan Skarsgard makes his series debut with his reoccurring character Dr. Eric Selvig, who pops up many times from here on out and serves as a brainiac and another source of comedic relief. Jeremy Renner does has a brief cameo, too, introducing his Avenger, Agent Clint "Hawkeye" Barton. Idris Elba, Kat Dennings and Anthony Hopkins are also in this movie and do fine in their parts, though Dennings serves a more useless assistant role compared to the other two, who have much great positions of power.

"Thor" winds up being a good mix of action, sci-fi and comedy with just the right sprinkling of drama and emotion. The special effects are amazing, the story is compelling, and the tie-in with Thor to the Avengers is set early on. We really, really like this movie and find it a fun, entertaining and easy film to watch.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 77%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!
~~~~~~~~~~
For our "Iron Man" review, click here.

For our "The Incredible Hulk" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 2" review, click here.

For our "Captain America: The First Avenger" review, click here.

For our "The Avengers" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 3" review, click here.

For our "Thor: The Dark World" review, click here.

For our "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" review, click here.

For our "Guardians of the Galaxy" review, click here.

Movie Review: "Iron Man 2" (2010)

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Movie: "Iron Man 2"
Director: Jon Favreau
Year: 2010
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 4 minutes

Since Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) revealed he is Iron Man, he has stayed busy, keeping those who would commit evil at bay. Despite Tony's efforts to uphold justice, the U.S. government isn't too keen on having the Iron Man device in the hands of a private citizen. They are making every effort to get a hold of the technology themselves. Meanwhile, a Russian physicist with a vendetta against the Stark family named Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) develops his own arc reactor and uses it to make his own suit that uses energy whips as its main weapon. When Vanko's first suit isn't enough, he is defeated and arrested. Stark rival and weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), impressed by Vanko, breaks him out of prison to help Hammer Industries develop their own Iron Man suit, but working with Vanko may be more than Hammer bargained for. 

Iron Man is back and is as cocky as ever in part two of his story within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr. continues his perfect portrayal of Tony Stark, balancing the levels of arrogance and charming likability amazingly, and he even adds a dash of humility from time to time. This time around, there is also the addition of a sub-plot where Tony is battling fatal blood poisoning since his arc reactor is leaking a toxic chemical into his system. This helps Tony with that small bit of humility we mentioned above as he faces his own mortality and whether or not he'll be around to make a difference for much longer. As with most comic book franchises, when a new film is made, a new villain is required, and here, this role is filled by permanent bad guy face Mickey Rourke, taking on the part of Ivan Vanko. Ivan has a past with the Stark family as his father helped Tony's father design the arc reactor many decades ago. When Vanko wanted to sell it for a profit, Howard Stark cut Vanko out of the project. This is where Ivan's want and need for vengeance comes from. Vanko is not alone, though. Sam Rockwell is also a villain in this film, though he is one more out of ignorance and want for respect than anything else. Rockwell is great in the roll as Justin Hammer, cocky in his own right, but uber bitter at Tony Stark and all of his success. In a moment of wanting to destroy Stark, Hammer bites off more than he can chew and hires Vanko to build his own version of an Iron Man suit  for himself, and he quickly learns this was a bad move to make. All of these men clash eventually, and once again, we get a bitchin' ultimate showdown towards the end of the movie, but it's still not as great as the very first "Iron Man" film. "Iron Man 2" is also introduces Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, who will move on from this film and become part of The Avengers. Samuel L. Jackson is able to expand on his Nick Fury role from the after credits of "Iron Man," and again, this is another example of a perfect casting choice for his part. Don Cheadle is a newcomer in that starting now, he takes over the role Lt. Col. James Rhodes from Terrence "Baby Wipes" Howard. Rhodes gets to dawn his own suit, becoming War Machine, the military's response to the Iron Man suit: a fully loaded, weaponized for destruction killing machine way more than Iron Man himself.

"Iron Man 2," though not quite as perfect as the first film, is still quite a fun and exciting movie in its own right. Another great thing this film does is it contains tons of little references to other characters in the Marvel Universe, as well as allusions to past and future movies. Every single one of the main Avengers is referenced to in little easter eggs throughout the film, and we really like the cohesion these movies bring to the universe as a whole. The main detractor here is a big one, and that is Ivan Vanko. Though Rourke looks the part of a grizzled man who has been hardened by life, he is not the best villain and leaves little to be desired as a character. He does have a few cool scenes where he slices some stuff up with his energy whips, but he never really becomes a compelling villain despite him supposedly being the Russian counterpart to Tony Stark. In our minds, he's not Stark by a long shot. Rourke's Russian accent is also quite lacking and sounds more like a stereotypical caricature than an actual human person. Still, we enjoy watching this movie every now and then, and it's cool to watch them all in succession back to back with one another.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 73%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!
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For our "Iron Man" review, click here.

For our "The Incredible Hulk" review, click here.

For our "Thor" review, click here. 

For our "Captain America: The First Avenger" review, click here.

For our "The Avengers" review, click here.

For our "Iron Man 3" review, click here.

For our "Thor: The Dark World" review, click here.

For our "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" review, click here.

For our "Guardians of the Galaxy" review, click here.