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.

Loki is my King

 Hey guys, I'm the ever Marvel loving girl, TheCinemaChick! If you don't know, Thor: The Dark World has finally come to theaters and fans are flocking to it. I have seen it as well, on Thursday when it was completely empty. Seriously, there was only about thirteen of us in there. I'm guessing early showings are losing steam since the last few have been utter disappointments to me. At the same time, I don't mind because even though I'm totally against distractions during a movie, I'm the jerk who never shuts up. Seriously, I notice things that I feel should be pointed out so I'm going to point them out.


I have to admit that last night, my Marvel knowledge was put to shame but that's another story for another time.


And yes, I am a week late in writing and posting this, but my sincerest apologies! I had 2 exams and 2 quizzes last week so I had to spend all my time studying so I wouldn't fail miserably. I didn't exactly do well but I didn't do horrible.


Ah, enough about my scholastic life. You're here to discuss the latest installment of Thor! I can say this right off the bat, this movie is not about Thor. This is all about that mischievous, conniving and all around, somehow loveable Loki. While he is a fairly minor character and doesn't get much screen time, he steals the entire movie. When he is present, he commands presence. You focus on him and only him. That isn't to say Thor, Jane, Odin, Frigga and Darcy are just standing around idle, but you have to admit, Tom Hiddleston brings a great charisma to the character.


I don't want to spoil this movie because it truly is worth watching. However, I didn't care for it as a whole. There were parts of it that dragged for me and there was far too much...I don't know how to say this...there were tons of flat characters. I'm sorry but Thor, not Chris Hemsworth, has absolutely no personality. He's just some big, hulking Norse god who is moping over a girl. You are Thor! He's supposed to be a badass, not some emo! Then there's Jane, who has spent the last, roughly 2 years I want to say, looking for a way to get Thor back. Seriously? You're a physicist!


I make no secret of my dislike for Jane Foster. She's about as exciting a paper towel. I'm also not a huge fan of Natalie Portman but I think she is a decent actress. This just isn't her strong suit. In “The Dark World”, she is what we like to call a Mary Sue. She's borderline useless. She has a few times where she seems like she could be useful but then she does something stupid. Her best moments come at the end during the big battle with Malekith. Before that, I don't care about her. Darcy is far more interesting, animated and she has a wicked sense of humor. I would much rather hang out with Kat Dennings.


Let's talk about the evil guy for a moment. I freaking love Christopher Eccleston. I make no secret of that. He is wonderful as Malekith and he is delightfully sinister. He's unrecognizable in full makeup but his voice is obvious. I would have loved to see more of him but his screen time is limited so it can focus more on Thor and his relationship with Jane.


Oh, can I point out how stupid Jane is? I'm not bashing her but come on! She gets trapped in a pocket universe and sees a strange object that doesn't make sense. The normal reaction would be to find a way out and get to safety. Nope. She touches the thing and becomes infected with the Aether. Seriously. I can't help but think how dumb that is. You never touch the creepy object when lost in a strange place. You don't know where that's been or who's touched it! That's something we learn as kids. Don't touch strange objects. If she hadn't touched it, she wouldn't have awakened Malekith, pit the universe in danger and oh yes...oh wait, I can't say that one. That would be a spoiler. But trust me, it's a huge surprise. I sure didn't see that one coming.


Sorry. I just really don't like Jane. The movie is fairly straight forward. This happens, which causes a chain reaction. A lot of things are shown in the trailers or if you are internet savvy, you've seen a lot of things on Pintrest, Facebook and Tumblr. By the way, whoever posted the end of the movie on Tumblr, shame on you! How dare you ruin the movie for the rest of us? And no, I did not seek out spoilers. I enjoy that site because there are loads of pages dedicated to different fandoms, like Tom Hiddleston, Supernatural, Doctor Who and lots and lots of cat pictures. Beware those sites. Spoilers ahead. Browse at your own risk.


The film felt very long to me, too long honestly. Like I said, the scenes with Loki are the best because he brings sass. There is no other way to put it. He is sarcastic and cracking jokes the whole time until...well, I can't say. Trust me, I want to say what happens but I do not believe in spoilers. Trust me, I'm going to put myself through hell this coming weekend with the Doctor Who special. I have to wait two extra days until I see it. I know...hell.


Also, let's discuss plot holes. In the first film, Thor destroys the Rainbow Bridge, making it impossible for him to go back to Earth. In “Avengers”, Loki implies that Odin used dark magic to get him there. Well...now the bridge is fixed. How did this happen? How do you fix a mythical bridge like that? Seriously, this is something that has bothered me for a while. While we're given an amazing description of Malekith and the Aether and the Dark Elves, almost nothing else gets a decent explanation. It's like, Eric Selvig's storyline. How did that come about? Why does Darcy have an assistant? Where did he come from and what is his major? I hate movies that just bring things up then never tell us why this happens. It's like we just have to accept what happens.


Basically, I can see why people are flocking to the theater to see this. It has some great action, the story is mostly solid and the characters are memorable. While Odin isn't at his best and Frigga...WHY?? I can't tell you what happens but it's almost like Joss Whedon planned this movie. If you don't understand, Whedon likes to kill characters. Ok, I just spoiled it for you. She dies. However, she dies in a badass way. The post credit scenes are mediocre, but the second isn't worth sticking around for. I know, I know, it's a Marvel movie therefore you have to by unspoken obligation to stay.


The ending was a twist I did not see coming and usually I can predict these movies. However, ir feels like a transition film. It's like, we needed to see what Thor was doing between his first movie and the second Avengers movie. Apparently, he becomes a mopey, mildly whiny man with the hots for a mortal woman. Sounds like a typical romantic comedy, only with no comedy. That's why Loki becomes a necessity for this franchise. He is bringing in the masses. Well, Tom Hiddleston has skyrocketed to stardom because of these movies. He's not really even in the first half of the film but he dominates the screen when he's there. He brings dimension to the wooden acting around him.


There are people actually petitioning to get Loki his own film and I welcome that idea. I would like to see what happened to him between “Thor” and “The Avengers”. However, if its purely a fangirl film, where its made solely to appeal to the audience because of a name, I won't see it. If a Loki film does happen, it needs a strong plot with equally strong actors.


I would say if you are going to see “Thor: The Dark World” skip the 3D. Once again, it adds absolutely nothing to the overall effect. You aren't missing anything but seeing it in 2D. I saw it in XD 3D which honestly, was a waste of money for me. Then again, I went to a triple feature so I paid a little more than the average ticket price.


Guys, I am so sorry that I have not been as active this year. I got burned out a little for some reason and for a few months, I had no desire to review. I never meant to abandon this thing entirely but I plan to rebound. I will be a better CinemaChick and I will do my best to bring you more snarky commentary on the new releases. I also plan to resume “Bad Movie Bonanza” and “Trailer Trash” with Kit Kat in the near future. I will also take another look into my past to pick up the “Back to Basics” series. I have also wanted to look at some old school Disney films and the ones you may not have seen or even heard of. I have a lot of ideas in mind so there's a lot to look forward to in the end of the year and into 2014.


For those who have stuck with me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To any potential new fans, welcome to the fold.



I'm TheCinemaChick and I am actually in class at this very moment.