Showing posts with label superheroes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label superheroes. Show all posts
Monday, August 04, 2014
A change to when I see films means I'm moving Review of the Week to Monday nights. Reviews will be published on here before what I'm actually writing them for, but I'm not going to make you hold out until nearly a week after their release if it's not an advance screening.
This week, I would really like to know what people think of the film. I'm torn as to whether Guardians of the Galaxy was worth including in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise...
Guardians of the Galaxy (M)
MISFITS in this world get along by
mixing with others of the same sentiment, those who for one reason or
another fail to fit into the general norms of society. It's a
foundation of the superhero genre, and a fact that Marvel Comics has
jumped on to make its billions.
It's no surprise then that the Marvel
Cinematic Universe has been expanded past the Avengers' group and
individual tales. For some the inclusion of the Guardians of the
Galaxy comes as a surprise, but others will know the odd group fits
well within the Marvel sphere of weird.
And weird this group is. Peter Quill
(Chris Pratt), taken from Earth as a kid in 1988, is an outlaw raised
by crooks. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is turning her back on family for the
greater good of the universe because they are an evil bunch, while
Drax (Dave Bautista) is a surprisingly intelligent brute wanting
revenge for his family's death.
Then there's comical duo Groot (Vin
Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper). A tree with limited speech and a
mutant racoon make for an unlikely pair but one that brings the
laughs in this story of acceptance and friendship.
The Avengers these guys ain't. While
they too are a bunch of misfits brought together under circumstance,
the Guardians of the Galaxy are a more friendly bunch towards each
other. Their camaraderie is more genuine by the story's end, where
one's ego doesn't overtake the others and individual interests aren't
the most important.
Director James Gunn wants to make us
believe that idea of genuine friendship is something found in the
good old days, throwing the audience back into a not-so-forgotten era
with a peppy 70s soundtrack. Marvel gets retro with this lot, but it
overcompensates in the family friendly stakes when paired with the
usual wisecracks this franchise has come to be known for.
The story itself is a simple one to aid
the introduction of the new group. After Quill gains possession of a
valuable artifact he becomes a target, and the group are thrown
together out of circumstance to try and keep it out of villainous
hands.
There's a little bit of a Thor complex
in there as Gamora becomes central to the plan - her family,
including Ronan (Lee Pace) and sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) are the
story's bad guys as they plot to destroy the people of planet Xandar.
There's a touch of Iron Man too, with Quill's desire to be known as
the edgy hero Starlord.
It's a hard ask for audiences to be
accepting of this group as part of the Marvel universe, with next to
no tie-ins with any of the characters previously focused on. To Gunn
and Nicole Perman's credit, the script contains some of the laughs we
should expect. But while Pratt and Saldana are great leads (Pratt
particularly comfortable with comedy), John C Reilly as Xandarian
officer Corpsman Dey and Benicio del Toro as The Collector don't get
enough screen time.
While not meant to be viewed as a
standalone film it easily comes across that way. It's because of that
the standard drops just a little bit within the Marvel story. These
guardians provide plenty of action to keep you entertained, and bring
something different to the Marvel spectrum - but ultimately serve as
what seems to be an unnecessary distraction for what lies ahead.
Rating: 3.5/5
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Charlie's Country.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Found this while searching for a photo to accompany this week's review. Pretty cool retrospective.
 |
| Photo: IFC |
Man Of Steel
(M)
IT’S been
seven years since we thought our Kryptonian superhero was back to save Earth
for the long haul – but while that didn’t work out, to the delight of both
Superman and superhero genre fans he wandered into the hands and minds of
Christopher Nolan and David S Goyer.
The producer
and screenwriter, with Watchmen’s
Zack Snyder on board as director, sought to present a Superman story in a
modern world. There’s no Lex Luthor, and he’s no spring chicken, brought to us
as a 33-year-old with serious identity issues.
Kal-El/Clark
Kent (Brit Henry Cavill) is a wanderer, moving from job to job without a sense
of purpose. He is in control of his superpowers, and in times of need doesn’t
hide them.
He
eventually discovers a vessel that helps him learn about where he comes from,
catching the attention of roving reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and General Zod
(Michael Shannon).
Zod is a
warrior designed to save the Kryptonian race, matched with Superman in powers
but opposed in views on how to relocate their people. Michael Shannon is
delightfully evil in the role, a determined Kryptonian with a haunted past of
his own.
Zod first invades Metropolis in a chilling scene, made to feel relevant and real as we continue to wonder in reality whether we are alone in the universe. Juxtaposed with beautifully ethereal flashback scenes to Clark's childhood, it's unsettling as we see one man's struggle to do good.
 |
| A beautiful image... |
Kal-El is no Bruce Wayne though; although with its dark moments, Superman's story is one of inspiration as he comes to discover and know his destiny.
Not based on
ideas from any particular comic book or previous adaptation, the team has
tweaked Superman’s story to good effect. The inclusion of Zod makes for a great
story to challenge the hero in his early days in office.
Cavill, with
big shoes to fill, is solid (in every sense of the word). His Kal-El is
curious, his Clark gentle and Superman a hero sure of his purpose. Russell
Crowe gives father Jor-El authority, while Adams is feisty as the clued-up
Lois.
The minds of
Nolan, Goyer and Snyder are made for this kind of material. While not hitting
the heights (/expectations) of The Dark
Knight Rises, it’s a sturdy start to their new journey - a bridge to rich
potential of exposing Superman to a new generation.
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 29/6/2013
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of World War Z.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Lois Lane loves Superman. Superman loves Lois Lane.
Since seeing Man Of Steel last night, I've had this unconventional love story in my head.
I've mentioned in the past how I thought glamour in journalism came from fictional characters. Watching Man Of Steel was not just a solid return for the Kryptonian to the big screen (you get to read the review tomorrow), but the return of their story to my consciousness. And realising that these two could well have subconsciously been my reason for becoming a journalist.
Just look at Henry Cavill for a minute here. He rocks this cape like a boss and manages to mix gentility and extreme sexiness with little effort. It's fair to say the way he's looking at Amy Adams is how
Do you blame me for wanting to be Lois and find my Superman?
I know that Hollywood is king at presenting people with hope in fictional worlds. And fantastic stills like this one. I'm hopeful though, even if our reality is nowhere as idealistic - of both becoming a cool journalist and finding the hero. Not so much on meeting Henry Cavill unfortunately.
***
While I'm on the subject of Henry Cavill:
The photos don't do him justice... I didn't even think it was possible for a human to be that ripped and not be on steroids or tanned up with veins popping out. Five thousand calories a day for six months is how you get started apparently. Intense.
***
Since your mind is your own private territory, you can give any new idea a private audition for a few days.
(So I really can be Lois Lane and find Superman... excellent.)
There are some people who live 70 years, and there are some people who live one year 70 times, repeating what they're doing over and over in the name of the gold watch or whatever.
If you're looking for love it will always elude you. If you're looking for happiness it will always elude you. When you become these things, it's all you will have to give away.
Stop blaming your spouse for your unhappiness, your parents for your lack of motivation, the economy for your social status, the bakery for your excess weight, your childhood for your phobias, and anything else to which you assign blame points. You're the sum total of the choices you've made in your life.
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Those two words, that consequently make a name, give me chills of excitement whenever I hear them. Out of all the superheroes I followed as a kid and into adulthood, Parker's alter-ego is the one that struck a chord with me the most (and my brother I'd say, although I can't truly speak on his behalf).
I'm pretty big on superhero movies. Not so much the comics themselves though, although I did read Watchmen and all the Sin City novels before the adaptations were released (the graphic novels are more my thing).
But we had toys of Spider-Man as a kid that were still found lying around years later battered. My brother had the DK definitive guide with descriptions of all the bad guys. Heck, I stole his poster of the first movie after he (stupidly) decided to take it down (his loss, it's still above my bed with others in my room back home). I also refused to give my cousin's badge from his fourth(?) birthday back to him when he'd given it to me and then after having it on my high school backpack for some time was devastated to lose it. Geek much?
Though as the Sam Raimi films have entered our psyche over the last 10 years (my goodness, that's scary), for me it's been more about the discovery of Peter Parker and who he is. As such, I've met every new film with that little more anticipation than other crusaders and their adventures... I'd go as far to say that Peter Parker is probably my favourite character. As in of all time.
I don't know what it is. Maybe it's that he's the nerd-turned-cool but remains irresponsible, or his genuine naivety comes from teenage cluelessness; there are so many hints given to him about how he must face his challenges through Uncle Ben and Aunt May but it takes him an age to figure it all out. Either way he's all the cliches in one - a charmer, geek and has that 'it' factor. He just seems so much more relatable than any other hero - just a normal guy, and one that we are given so much information on to feel like we know him (not as mysterious as say, Batman). I'd take one-on-one time with Parker anyday.
***
The latest release was somewhat different - I hadn't heard about as much of the hype, only to read about casting at the time after Raimi, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst et al decided to be dominos and let the franchise fall. But seeing Andrew Garfield strut his way through his classroom hallways, camera (and skateboard here) in hand, the shivers of excitement inside whenever I see (a) Peter Parker made their way back.
Garfield has that young look about him to fit the role of Parker just about perfectly. And this is coming from someone who has adored Maguire's hot nerdness forever before. As such, that's the only problem I have - that half of The Amazing Spider-Man HAS been done before. If this was a prequel where chunks of the first Spider-Man didn't exist, it would've been much easier to accept. The Garfield films, however many there may be, could've easily been segued into Maguire's dramas with the bigger guys and Mary-Jane.
Where they go from here I don't know. A part of me still wishes so much that the original franchise had never gone to pieces (in my mind there's always hope of them coming back for another; remember, the collapse wasn't on bad terms), but at the same time I'm glad to see a younger-looking Parker in action.
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I'm a bit torn really.
*Read my full review of The Amazing Spider-Man on Saturday.
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