Avengers: Age of Ultron

                Hello everyone, I’m the nerd you might love and enjoy hearing from, TheCinemaChick!  I’ve been busy as usual but I come bearing good news for a change.  Today is the first of May which means “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is now out in theaters.  Fortunately, I got to see it last night in a double feature so I can review it for you now.  I will try to remain as spoiler free as possible because I know everyone wants to see it this weekend.  And I don’t blame you.  Right now, Marvel is a hot company.  They’ve got a dozen movies lined up so this is all leading up to the highly anticipated “Infinity War”.

                I will say this, if you haven’t seen ALL of the Marvel movies to date, don’t see this yet.  Go catch up and make sure you’ve seen them then go see this one.  There are a lot of references that come up that you might miss. I’d start with the first Avengers, then all of Phase 2 up until this point.  Technically you don’t need to see “Guardians of the Galaxy” because it isn’t really mentioned except for a brief reference during a tiny montage.  However, you should see it anyway because it’s a good movie.  Plus, it’s Marvel and we all know they rarely ever have a misstep.  Let’s not go into my intense dislike of “Iron Man 3” or why I can’t stand to sit through “Captain America: The First Avenger”.  They’re both good in their own right but they are my least favorites.

                There is a lot going on in this film, not going to lie.  There are a lot of new characters, some huge plot twists added in and this is the movie that will lead us into Phase 3.  What’s going to happen in Phase 3 you may ask?  To which I will respond, “Where have you been?”  Everyone know what’s coming in the next wave of films!  To be fair, we will probably never see another Hulk film.  I’m not sure why to be honest but I would love to see another.  If you’ve see “Age of Ultron” already, then you might agree with me when I say that I would love to have a film showing what happens next for him.  That ending…I won’t spoil it for you.  You just have to see it and if you haven’t seen it yet, why not?  I mean, come on this movie just set a record!  It is now the second best opening ever at roughly $187.7 million. 

                Wondering what the biggest opening ever is?  “The Avengers” with $207.4 million.

                I will admit, all of the new characters can make the movie a bit hard to follow.  We have Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch added into the fold.  I have to admit, I loved their portrayal.  However, I didn’t care for Elizabeth Olsen’s portrayal.  Overall, I really liked her but she sounded terrible with her accent.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson was spot on and as much as I love Evan Peters…I’m sorry, Taylor-Johnson wins this one.  He was exactly what you want.  Peters brought more of a comedic edge to the character but traditionally, Pietro Maximoff isn’t humorous.  He’s hot headed, impatient and extremely volatile.  Yes, he does have some wonderful moments that made me laugh but I’m used to a more angry Quicksilver.  As for Olsen and Wanda Maximoff, again, for the most part, I enjoyed her.  She brought this mysterious yet slightly kooky vibe to her, which I liked.  I just wish she’d done a little more work on that accent.

                One really great thing about this movie is how things from all the previous films are starting to come together.  Little elements from “Thor” and “The Winter Soldier” are starting to come into play here.  There are things you notice from those films in this one.  The obvious thing is the yellow stone that showed up in one of the previews.  Comic fans will know what this is: The Mind Stone.  Ladies and gentlemen, the Infinity Stones are coming.  Remember in the first “Thor” movie, when they’re down in the vault and you see all those relics?  While the movie focused on the Casket of Winter, there is something else I hope you noticed.  Remember that glove you saw for a brief moment?  That is the Power Glove, the thing that houses the Infinity Stones.  Once someone has all the Stones in that Glove, they become damn near invincible.

                Thanos is coming.

                I have to admit, despite my dislike of Elizabeth Olsen’s lack of accent, the way she interacted with the other actors, in character was brilliant.  She was essentially what I had hoped for.  The Scarlet Witch comes off as slightly out of her mind, which she is.  I liked how her powers effected the Avengers so much that they had to leave and sort themselves out before going back to it.  It’s like the film is trying to get the point across that super heroes are vulnerable too.  Even they can lose their nerve.  But the best part of Wanda’s powers were the little dreams she brought out.  The audience gets to see little glimpses into the minds of each character.  Finally, we get to see some of Black Widow’s background, which made her more of a sympathetic person to me.  I’m not a huge fan of her but after seeing her story, I like her more.  Thor’s dream, however, is more relevant to the future of the Marvel movie universe, so I’d rather not spoil that.

                I would like to point this out though.  Earlier in the year, I had read an interview with Idris Elba where he confirmed that both he and Tom Hiddleston would appear in “Age of Ultron”.  Heimdall does show up, I won’t say where or how.  However, Loki is noticeably absent in the movie.  I’ve since read another interview, this one with Joss Whedon and he says that yes, Hiddleston did shoot some scenes but they were ultimately cut.  I understand his reasoning since there is so much going on that maybe having Loki in it as well would have made the movie feel cluttered.  As is, the film felt stuffed full of things I’ll need to remember into Phase 3.  I agree with the decision to keep Loki out of this movie but that has just made me curious.  What would his role have been?  Remember, they think he’s dead because in “The Dark World”, Thor believes he sees Loki killed but at the very end, we see the trickster sitting on the throne of Asgard with a cocky grin on his face.

                Anyone else wondering where Odin is?

                I’ll admit, I had hoped that Ultron, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch would play a larger part but I felt like they were underutilized.  I know, I know, this movie is about the Avengers and how they save the world.  In my eyes, the twins are some of the most interesting and possibly tragic characters in this movie but they aren’t in it as much as I’d like.  There could have been more added so we got to know them more but they were just pushed aside.  I wasn’t even a huge fan of Ultron.  Maybe it’s because I’m not familiar with him in the comic book universe, but to me, he was the least threatening villain ever.  Maybe it was because he was always so calm and philosophical but I never once found him to be a threat.  A nuisance maybe but never truly menacing.  I wanted him to be a little more sinister and they almost turned him into a comic relief.  I get that he’s new to the world and he intends to save it in his own way but having him apologize for hurting someone?

                I admit, that bothered me.  In the original “Avengers” movie, I had the sense of danger and urgency while they were looking for the tesseract and Loki.  In “Age of Ultron”, I never really got that feeling.  There were a few brief moments of “I wonder what will happen next” and a few times, I did say “Well, didn’t see that coming” but overall, it played out just as I had thought.  There weren’t any major huge twists or surprises.  I mean, we see the Hulk Buster armor in the trailer, so that wasn’t a surprise.  Hell, they even teased the reveal of The Vision.  Had they left that a secret, I would have been even more excited.  Trailers these days just give away too much. 

                I will say this, the trailer, while it did give away too much for me, also did a good job of teasing me to the point where I had to find answers.  Like, you see Captain America’s shield broken and you need to know why it’s broken.  Or, you’ll see Thor in that pool of water and question what that has to do with the film overall.  I can honestly say that even though it’s brief, it’s extremely important.  Thor’s dream is something you should pay attention to and listen to everything he says.  Again, this is all leading into Phase 3, The Infinity War.

                Spoiler alert!!  Kevin Feige has gone on record stating that the Gauntlet we see in “Thor” might not be the only one.  I can’t say more because I don’t know more but I need to know.

                I thoroughly enjoyed “Avengers: Age of Ultron” but it did have its faults.  There was too much going on and far too many characters were involved.  While the film does center on the main group, there are nearly a dozen additional minor characters as well.  I won’t say who because that would spoil the ending, which was brilliant as well.  The problem being, in my opinion, is that it took away from the overall feel.  Yes, I understand that they’re important and they serve a purpose in later films but did we need them?  Okay, they were needed at the end but all throughout?  The plot is straightforward but then there are so many side stories that I got bored several times.  I understand why its needed but maybe, just maybe, we could cut some of it out?  I am glad to see that Jeremy Renner gets far more screen time.  He also gets some of the best lines in the movie too.

                There is some dialogue that was absolutely perfect, both in the comedic sense and in terms of foreshadowing.  Joss Whedon is really careful with his words and I think that shows in the final product.  Quicksilver is always snarky while Scarlet Witch is always a little vague.  I would like to see it again because I know there will be things that I missed in the first showing.  Plus, we finally get to meet The Vision, who was amazing.  I like Paul Bettany and seeing him “come to life” so to speak in the movie…the way they did it was great.  I hope to see more of him in later films because he does possess an Infinity Stone.

                And before you jump on my case, no that’s not a spoiler.  It’s in the trailer!

                I would say “Age of Ultron” is another Marvel masterpiece, but like all of its other films, it is flawed.  It suffers from what my creative writing professor in college called “population control”.  There are too many characters, too many side stories and some of it just didn’t even feel necessary.  I think they over emphasized the idea that the Avengers needed to come together because they spend so much time on it. 

                I do recommend it, not just because I’m obsessed with the Marvel world.  It’s genuinely entertaining, it does make you think about things like artificial intelligence and it did get me excited for the next round of films.  I do hope there’s another Hulk movie in the future but we’ll have to wait and see.  We’ve got “Captain America: Civil War” to look forward to, along with “Ant Man”, “Doctor Strange” and the one I’m most excited about “Thor: Ragnarok”. 

                What can I say, I love mythology.

                Guys, once again, I just want to say thank you for sticking with me.  I know I’m not posting as often as I used to and I’ve been combining reviews but to know you’re still reading, it means a lot to me.  Cinema is a huge passion of mine, on a technical and artistic level.  I love writing this blog and I love being able to share my opinions with you guys.

                So, from the bottom of my nerdy heart, thank you.

                I would also like to say that the summer movie season is upon us, so be looking for my list of movies I’m geeking out about soon.  I can tell you that I will see “Mad Max”.  Who knows what else I’ll see?  Time will tell.

                I’m TheCinemaChick and what a lovely day.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 What's up everyone, I'm the only and possibly only film critic you know as TheCinemaChick and I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is that I have seen the newest Captain America film, so that's what I'll be talking about in this review with minimal spoilers. The bad news is that I will not be reviewing “Noah”.


Let me explain. First and foremost, I am not comfortable discussing religious matters because everyone's opinion is different. I might inadvertantly offend a reader, which I assure you, is not my intention in any way shape or form. Second, because there are many interpretations of how this story happened, there's a chance I will offend again. And finally, after speaking with several people, I have come to the conclusion that this movie is so wrong that it's out of my league. I know the story of Noah but this...pretty much the only accurate thing about it was Noah's name and that he had an ark.


Here is a brief list of things I find wrong about “Noah” (potential spoilers):

• the stone angels that look like a cross between the Ents from Lord of the Rings and prehistoric Transformers
  
• implied incest
  
• possible cannibalism (I'm not sure on this one. The scene was short but I'm fairly certain someone was carried off and killed for meat.)
  
• sexual innuendo (Methuselah makes several comments about “picking berries”)
  
• actual sex
  
• Russell Crowe playing a Biblical character
  

I have discussed that list with three people, two of which I have had serious religious discussions with before. They all agreed that the movie makes a great drama but if you want to see an accurate story about the Bible, this is not it. Skip this one and check out “The Ten Commandments” instead.


Now, let's move on to a far more positive subject. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” hits theaters today and I can say in all honesty, this one needs to be seen. Every Marvel fan should see it. Because of the new found popularity in 8 PM showings the day before release (what's up with that?), I saw it in a double feature last night, along with the first in the series. Let me go on record saying that the first one is not my favorite movie. It's pure exposition with very little action so for me, I find it almost painfully slow. It's just a huge setup for “The Avengers”, where he gets a chance to shine. Even then, he wasn't my favorite character because he was so “apple pie, all American good boy” and he never really strayed from that.


Fortunately, that changes in “The Winter Soldier”. Steve Rogers (still played by Chris Evans) is still that good old boy you love but when the action starts, he becomes hardened, a little darker. Needless to say, I finally see the why women think Captain America is so attractive. I like that his character has a little more depth to him. He's more relateable and less...perfect. Even better, he's got a sense of humor. Steve is no longer this lost little puppy trying to get by. It's good to see that he's better adjusted to the times and he's learned the wonders of the internet. I like seeing his progress, but that he's also still catching up. It's sort of cute.


If you've seen the previews, you know something big is going to happen in this film. You know that Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) returns and that we have the introduction of a new villain, The Winter Soldier. I won't spoil who it is for you but come on...it's really obvious. IMDB tells you who it is and the name itself should be a clue. Winter Solider...hmm...what could that mean...I won't tell you who it is. I'll leave that to you to discover. While I'm on the topic, the reveal is both awesome and heartbreaking. When Steve realizes who his enemy is...you just want to hug him and give him a cookie.


**Semi-spoiler: If you haven't seen the first “Captain America” OR “The Avengers” (and if you haven't, why haven't you?) DO NOT see “The Winter Soldier”! There are connections you will not be able to make if you haven't seen the previous two films. Trust me on this one guys. You MUST see those before seeing this one.**


Also, if you've seen the previews, you know that someone dies. I won't say who but keep one thing in mind...not everything is as it seems. That becomes a highly important thing to consider about halfway through the film.


Let's go into what I didn't like because surprisingly, there aren't that many things I hated. Like with many Marvel films, it takes a little while for the action to get started and the first act does drag by a little. There are some really lame jokes, a lot of comments about Steve's love life and other little things that don't seem to fit in. It's ok, it adds some light touches to a film that gets increasingly darker but it just gets old fast. Some of the effects didn't wow me like I had hoped and here's a huge question I have. Where the hell are the Avengers? I mean, I'm sure Tony Stark or Bruce Banner can spare some time to help Steve.


They're all a part of SHIELD, right? Even though things get really tangled (again, spoilers if I say how), surely Tony or Bruce could spare a few days to lend a hand. Hell, Thor could help out since he's on Earth now. And no, that's not a spoiler since “Thor: The Dark World” has been out since November is currently on DVD and Blu-Ray. I have a digital copy. But even then, why couldn't the other Avengers step in and help a little? I get that this is Steve's movie, but Natasha is present throughout. Why shouldn't his friends get a little action in this one? There's only one brief mention of the Avengers that you can't miss.


Also, don't forget to be on the look out for Stan Lee's cameo.


The film is roughly two hours and fifteen minutes long, which, in some cases, feels like an eternity. In this case, it feels like it's maybe half that. Even with the first act being a bit sluggish, the second and third act increase in intensity to the point where you are so absorbed in the story that you don't notice the time. The film creates an atmosphere of mistrust, danger, mystery and fear. They emphasize the idea of disbelief. Who can you trust? Who is your friend? Are you really safe when you're in your own home?


I honestly really enjoyed this film. Fry and I were guessing the entire time, trying to figure out, who was behind the whole thing, who did what and just what would happen. For the most part, we were wrong. We enjoyed the little twists and turns the film presented us with. The final confrontation had both of us on the edges of our seats, even if we basically knew what would happen. The characters are enjoyable, especially the addition of The Falcon or Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). He adds some humor and he seems to get along really well with Steve Rodgers. In fact, Mackie and Evans had great chemistry, like they're best friends off screen and this was just an extension of that.


Hey Marvel...please bring Sam Wilson back. Don't let his story be over yet.


And, as with every Marvel film, there is a post credit scene. Actually, there are two, post credit and mid credit. The post credit scene is really vague and possibly sets up for a spin off movie. I'm not sure if it was a happy, sad or angry scene but...if it does become a separate movie, I'd like to see it. The mid credit scene...oh my goodness, I was so excited to see it. This sets up the story for the next Avengers film. It features two very important (and somewhat controversial because of the casting choice...I'll get to that in a moment) characters that will play a huge part in upcoming movies. No matter what, stay for the credits!


About the casting controversy...in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Evan Peters plays him and people are not happy about that. They also hate his character design, which I don't see a problem with. HOWEVER, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he's played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. I'm kind of wondering how this is going two work out. Now I'm really curious...


I'm not going to lie, I loved “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and recommend it to anyone who's interested. Remember, you need to see the previous two films in order to understand some things in this one. The story gets really intense at some points and it really gets you hooked. It's already taken in over seventy five million in box office revenue overseas and I'm confident in saying that this weekend alone, it will take in over thirty million domestic.


What's next on my list? I have no idea! Perhaps I'll tackle an issue I've just noticed about the Marvel movieverse. Maybe I'll go into a “Back to Basics” and take a look st some of my favorite films. I know Kit Kat and I are planning on writing a Trailer Trash together where we look at the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trailer. After that...I still don't know. I'd like to see Oculus, the paranormal thriller starring Karen Gillan better known as Amy Pond. By the way, she is a very tall woman. She's also really sweet and I'm glad she came out to the Dallas Sci Fi Expo.


Speaking of conventions...the Dallas Comic Con is approaching and guess who's coming? Stan Freaking Lee is coming! THE STAN LEE! And I splurged on a Premium ticket so I have all the perks and privileges that come with it, including a VIP lounge.


I would also like to announce that this will be my final con. The prices are shot up, cosplays take a lot of time and money and honestly, it's no longer worth it. When I get the chance, I will attend the San Francisco Comic Con, the penultimate con for all nerds like me. Other than that, consider this my retirement from cosplay. I had fun and I will miss it, but again...the costs aren't worth it anymore. If I'm ever invited to be a media guest because I'm a blogger and I do podcasts, I think I could qualify. Don't worry guys, I'll add a link to the podcasts so you can enjoy them too.



I'm TheCinemaChick and look for me in the upcoming Avengers. I'll save the world with my super snark powers.