This is the most Y2K movie in existence. The excessive slow-mo, the drum ‘n bass influenced soundtrack, the dumb nu metal cover of the theme song, give me a break. It’s trying way too hard to be cool, and watching it now (or as someone with good taste in 2000, I’d imagine) you can’t help but laugh at these choices. The charm of the man who made Hard Boiled and Face Off is completely missing here, instead it feels like a film directed by a meathead. The action’s forgettable and poorly edited (e.g. why the cross fading during the opening car chase?), the plot and characters are disposable (also, why the love triangle?), there’s too much of a 007 influence creatively and it doesn’t even use its location to the fullest extent (why does so much of this take place in the suburbs?). I only really like some individual moments, for example the rock climbing scene is pretty memorable (despite being superfluous to the story) and there are some good stunts during the motorcycle chase. The cinematography is also decent, and some of the better actors in the cast elevate the material at least a little bit, but this is overall a complete misfire.
3.5/10
The title really says it all here. Arnold gets silly as a tough guy cop, undercover in the classroom, who finds his young students twice as terrifying as the pimps and addicts he normally wrangles.
Following closely after Twins, his first lighter role, this represents a further softening of the Governator's image and a broadening of his popular appeal. He still gets to fire big guns, wear intimidating sunglasses, toss chumps around the room - actually, he probably does too much of that stuff - but he also reveals an unexpected gentle side and an effective, self-aware sense of humor. Sure, many of the laughs revolve around how the big guy speaks (anyone who was around in far-off year of 1990 has probably barked "It's not a toomah" in a bad Austrian accent once or twice) but it never comes off as mean-spirited or in poor taste and Schwarzenegger really leans into the stereotype for maximum absurdity points.
Arnold's great with the kids, too, and under the improv-friendly gaze of director Ivan Reitman, they more than hold up their end of the bargain. The best bits are where the youngsters go off-script and ramble, or climb all over the action hero like a jungle gym, or go silent and simply goggle at his reactions. Those moments give the film more staying power than its paper-thin plot really deserves. Granted, it leaves plenty of space for on-set serendipity, but it also takes forever to get started and fails to settle on an appropriate tone. Was this premise really calling for a bullet-riddled climax in the school bathroom?
This movie has always been a favorite of mine. It’s pretty long so I don’t watch it very often but I always enjoy it when I find the time. I think the story is very cute overall and it’s fresh, which is what I like about any movie, and the characters are all likable except for the protagonist of course.
A lot of people comment about how bad this is, but I respectfully disagree (rather than the toxic way the people tend to disagree with criticism on this site and the more toxic way Trakt allows it). The acting is quite good, the story might not be for everyone and there’s no action at all, just a light and dark drama that explores an interesting question of “what if death offered you a bit more time on this earth to show him around?”.
A couple people mention the Jamaican accent and how stupid it was, but it always made sense to me because death is something different for everyone and is everywhere and at all times, so why wouldn’t he speak in a way that is perfectly clear to those spoken to? I actually found it entertaining and a bit funny to see this blonde haired blue eyed Brad Pitt talking like that, and I think he did it quite well! When the movie starts, death talks to Parrish in Parrish’s own voice, but once he shows himself in Brad Pitt’s body the mannerisms and patterns are the same, only the tenor of his voice changed, so talking to the Jamaican woman, to me, is identical, except he’s in Joe’s body, if he wasn’t then the lady would presumably hear her own voice, and it would have the accent.
This was made when entertainment was entertainment, there was no narrative to prop up, no agenda to push, just a story told over a few hours that keeps you tuned in, I wish there were more like this today.
This movie caused me to get an instant crush on Claire Forlani, she is a beautiful woman and the role she plays is very cute, even in subsequent roles it comes out that she seems to be like this in real life.
My Content Analysis
Acting: :star::star::star: (Average)
Plot: :star::star::star::star: (Good)
Political Agenda: :star::star::star::star::star: (None)
LGBT Content: :star: (None Noticed)
Based on personal experience with this show or movie, LGBT content provided only as a representation of how much of the show is focused on queer content so the reader can determine if that type of content is not enough or too much for their taste and does not indicate my personal preference or bias, only my observations.
There was so much about this film that I wanted to review favourably, but after 2.5 hours its weaknesses became irritating to a distracting extent.
The obvious comparison here has to be Se7en - but where Se7en makes successful commitments in tone and character, Prisoners tries to walk a line that leaves the viewer perplexed and unfulfilled. Jackman's character does become beastly, but never actually pulls the trigger in the dramatic fashion of Pitt. The realistic atmosphere is undermined by the coincidental presence of several weirdos, including one who seems to exist as nothing but a red herring. The motivation of the villian feels dull and arbitrary after the long wait for a reveal that never really builds, but just sort of happens (not unlike most of the plot of Bladder Runner 2049).
Before Se7en and True Detective this might have offered more material for discussion, but it comes off plain in comparison to both. The shooting was fine and the soundtrack was consistently ominous. Ghyllenhaal and Jackman seemed like imperfect castings, though the former clearly tried his best with the material he had (for a detective who has supposedly solved EVERY ONE of his cases, his character was much more lackadaisical than you might expect). What the hell the police were actually doing for most of the film remains an unsolved mystery. The decision to fade out rather than show several significant scenes, including the final one, is another.
There's some good in this, but the bad was too fundamental to ignore. The gripping suspense of Sicario and Arrival is much preferred.
I believe that I am about to disagree with quite a few people now. You see, I did not like this movie.
Not that this came as much of a surprise to me. What I got was pretty much what I expected. From a technical point of view the movie is quite well done. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart are doing good jobs as always. The action scenes are good. The cinematography is not at all bad. If you are into tragic drama and do not mind the super hero twist of the movie then this is a movie for you. The technical qualities is why this movie gets any stars at all from me. If I would judge it by story only then it would have gotten zero, null, nada, nicths, rien, ingenting.
For me it was depressing, boring and not at all fun to watch. The only reason I watched it is because I, as a X-Men fan, simply had to watch it as well as having it in my collection but I would have been happier it this movie had never been made.
Wolverine is more or less an unpleasant drinking bum clad in filthy ragged clothes. Professor X is half insane and apparently dangerous to himself and the people around him. We get absolutely no explanation as to how this sad state of affairs.
The entire movie is dark in spirit with the X-Men all but died out and Wolverine and Professor X just waiting to die. Then in comes this female child who later turns out to be a female version of Wolverine. She pretty much lacks any form of charisma and she and Wolverine spends almost the entire time in a state of conflict, much due to Wolverine who seems to think everyone should go fuck themselves so that he can continue to self destruct.
The bad guys are the usual evil corporation doing experiments on X-Men, genetics etc. Supposedly they were behind the almost extermination of X-Men but of course they keep their own little army of “enhanced” humans that doggedly harasses Wolverine & Co. There are some nice action sequences but there is really no good overall boss. No one with enough Charisma to take the role of the main adversary unless you count X-24 who only took part in a few parts of the movie.
By the way, why the fuck do Wolverine, Laura as well as X-24 have to grunt like horny monkeys when they fight?
The story is rather predictable with no major surprises, little depth and low on logic. A typical Hollywood drama. Not really anything to write home about.
The movie is just so depressing from start to finish. As a last farewell to Wolverine and Professor X it is almost insulting. I know a lot of people seem to like it but I cannot understand why. At least not if you are a X-Men fan.
This is the Unforgiven of superhero movies, a brutal yet tender portrayal of former heroes growing old. Logan is tired and world weary, waiting for death to take away his pain. Charles is 90, riddled with drugs to mute his mind, his "super weapon." Despite their friendship their relationship is fractured. Into their lives comes a new mutant and a road trip begins.
I don't want to say much more, having given away a little of the premise already explored in the films trailers. This is a tough, violent and sad film with few moments of humour. There is action but not of the blockbuster kind, one key car chase is like something from a 70's thriller.
This is the swan song of Logan and Charles, both actors giving it their all in their final performances as these characters. To bring them back after this film would undermine their work and the story here.
The film is brilliant and I can't recommend it enough - don't expect a traditional X-Men movie and you will be blown away. If the film itself were a mutant I would say its genes had been spliced with Mad Max and Shane, with a little bit of Children of the Corn (and I mean that in a good way). Excelsior!
A much stronger film than the previous Wolverine film, it's nice to have a summer film that doesn't forget to develop the characters and is willing to take the time to do so. Whilst essentially another standalone film from the X-Men films, it does pick up threads from that series and Famke Janssen makes a welcome cameo. The action is rather bloodless given all the blades flying around, but It does feel grounded, which is a welcome change from CGI destruction. Jackman can play this role in his sleep now, but he is great to watch and he has great support here from his largely Japanese cast. The final confrontation is a little anti-climactic and also predictable if the audience has been paying attention, but it doesn't spoil the film. A mid credits teaser is also sure to have the audience smiling in anticipation for the next X-Men film, already undoing some of the damage from The Last Stand in one fell swoop.
Extended Cut : doesn't really change the review but the additions are welcome as they make the fight sequences a little less bloodless. It is difficult to see why anything here was cut, except to maintain a lower rating.
The Five Emojis of X2
:heart_eyes:
Amazing opening sequence, introducing us to one of the more interesting mutants from the comics, Nightcrawler.
With the base set in the previous film, Bryan Singer puts focus on developing characters further and fleshing out the world, while keeping everything interesting by adding new elements, of which the greatest one is the magnificent Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler.
The visuals have been hugely improved from the first film and still look really good.
X2 is a funnier and more exciting film, with higher stakes and a faster tempo.
This film some of the finest scenes in the franchise, such as the opening scene, the assault on Xavier's and the visit to Bobby's parents.
All the regulars are still amazing and we get a lot more beautiful Wolverine action.
Bigger, bolder and more natural action scenes really help make this sequel worth a watch.
Great to see humanity, lead by the tragic Stryker (expertly portrayed by Brian Cox) as the main villain of the film, since that deepens the main theme of the franchise.
The other villains are also more compelling compared to the first one.
Amazing score adds just the right tone to the more intense scenes.
Feels a whole lot more like an X-Men team-up film, with the script allowing the characters to complement each other.
That whole final act by the lake is dragged out but very well-paced, creating one of the stronger finales in the genre.
Incredibly powerful ending.
Hits the right emotional notes by being funny, touching and exciting.
:smiley:
Anna Paquin feels a lot more comfortable and natural as Rogue this time around.
Significantly better paced and divided between the school stuff and the X-Men stuff.
Bobby Drake and Pyro are given bigger roles and complete the cast in smaller roles.
Cool to see the uneasy alliance between Magneto and the X-Men as well as the build-up to the the third film.
:neutral_face:
The film kind of forgets about Storm, Cyclops and Jean for large parts.
Mystique still isn't particularly interesting.
Nightcrawler is sadly undetutilized.
:frowning2:
:face_vomiting:
The Final Emoji: :heart_eyes:
3 Thoughts After Re-Watching ‘Scream 3’:
I hesitated rating this entry a 9, but it’s definitely somewhat inferior to the first two… HOWEVER, not by much AND there’s a lot it gets right. It pays homage to the original in more ways than the second did. The character development is on point. Sid gets some great moments (“I’ve heard this shit before!”). And the ending is literally perfection. The series truly could have ended here, with the biggest and most beautiful bow on top.
What might make it feel inferior is that it felt a little too Hollywood, with its rando cameos and over-the-top scenes and plot points (that voice changer is quite a stretch). But this could be excused by the fact that Hollywood is a big part of this chapter, and that this series is ALL about making movies. In the end, it gives the franchise a fresher feel… something sequels tend to fail remarkably at.
Another reason why it doesn’t reach the heights of the last two is the supporting cast (minus Parker Posey, of course). But the truth is, our legacy trio are the heart and soul of this franchise. Every other new face, since the original, will always and forever pale in comparison.
Bonus Thought: Roger Jackson is an icon. This whole series would be nothing without his Ghostface voice.
This movie could be so much better, I am not saying it is a bad one but here is THE one point that made me feel extremely uncomfortable:
This part is going to sound like a pure rant mostly because someone has to explain to me how the hell Darwin's death is within logic? Let me get you see the serious flaw of logic here. Darwin's supernatural power is making him to adapt to anything. He can literally adapt to everything and anything. One time his powers realized that it would be so dangerous to fight with the Hulk so they ended up teleporting him to another country. Another time he became a cosmic ball of energy and then rematerialized as a human being to you know.. not die? And another time he was shot with a gun that was made to kill anything that has a nervous system, and you know what he did, turned into a freaking sponge. He literally touched a goddess of death once and his powers turned him into a death god himself to prevent his death. And after all of these, seeing him die because of a pathetic ball of kinetic energy from Shaw? Seriously guys, am I the only person who sees the flaw here? They killed the mutant whose power is about nothing but SURVIVAL. And Shaw says "Adapt to this"?? well, he should have been able to! I will never get over his death, in my mind he turned into an energy ball and ascended to another existence so he would not have to deal with this nonsense.. okay, rant over.
Thank you for reading my rant.
It's seems this movie has garnered a lot of hate, I can say that as a person who use to hate Ben Affleck with a burning passion (No clue why really) He's been pumping out movies that are making me like him. I'll admit that yes this movie needs to kinda get its timeline straightened out or at least use the 2 hours to maybe explain things better or maybe run 2 hours and 30 mins for some more explanation the ending feels way too rushed. Now as for a shooting movie goes it's not bad I've seen better and I've defiantly seen worse honestly it works out for me I enjoyed it. Brax being the brother I caught pretty fast I think we all did, I also think they should have not made it so obvious until the moment they meet more suspense that way Some good actors overall with some B-rated actors throw in cause you know budget or whatever.
Over all:
Story: 7/10- Kid with a form of autism becomes the most bad ass accountant and elite assassin! can you get any better than that? Nah, but maybe if you put the time skips in a nicer order, change some of the scenes around and explained some more stuff this would be a better film.
Visuals: 8/10- Who doesn't like the outdoors so outdoorsy that you can shoot off your sniper rifle at a miles distance without anyone complaining so backwoods that shit, you name your company ZZZ and you laundry money through a fucking laundry mat! wtf
Over all, anyone who doesn't like this film is either not a big fans of guns blazing films or isn't a big fan of the story. Like I've said the story needs work but I still like this movie.. Adding it to my very very very small list of movies that star ben that I like
wow. thist was unexpected. this movie is greaT!!!. if you love oceans and have nothing against women. then youre gonna have a blast.
it manages not to be a re-hash of the original. it REMINDS you of the original. and adds its feminist touch.
the performances are mostly great. and rihanna of alll people.... believable performances!!!
the presentation cinematography. all top notch.
there is an ocean tag on the movie. so yes. there will be some automatic comparisons with the movie. and it just barely does not live up to the original. but its right there.
what it lacks is a bit chemistry. and some of the lovely ladies are underused. mindy kaling especially. she is underused!! . could have been better. but wont dissapoint for sure. im going to see o11,12,13 all over again now.
there was also a tiny issue where it just seemed weird that danny ocean(george clooney) is dead and now her sister is mourning her. the thing is she is added later in writing and its difficult to believe it and u simply miss george clooney
there are some genuine twists of the "oceans" standard. it will be like . HAHA GOTCHA. its cute. and you can just have fun in that.
will repeat, all performances are superb and movie is watchable alone for that. the writing is smart. music is perfect.
hate to bring up that movie. but this is not a Ghostbusters 2016 nonsense which ive read somewhere. this is a great movie. and ghostbusters 2016 was a disaster.
please go watch in theatres!! we need to support such films with ensemble cast and fun themes. ocean's 9!!!
Wisely retaining the visual aesthetic of Azkaban, albeit with a little more colour, this does lack the visual flourishes and background details that characterised the previous entry. The filmmakers have also recognised the need to streamline Rowling’s novels and keep the focus largely on Harry, though Brendan Gleeson is also a great addition to the secondary characters as Moody. It’s a shame then that a large portion of the plot focuses on a tournament that offers very little except some fun set pieces and the coming of age themes involving teenage jealousy, friendship difficulties and attraction don’t feel as integrated into the plot as last time. Part of the problem is that much of this feels largely inconsequential to the impending return of Voldemort. His return has been teased for three entries and right from the start, it’s clear the film is building to it. Fortunately, the final portion of the film doesn’t disappoint and Ralph Fiennes is deliciously arrogant, evil and appears to be having a great time. There is an intensity and ultimately a sadness to the end of the film as the central trio are faced with mortality and death that takes the series forward into more uncertain times and a recognition that a darker more adult world awaits them beyond the seemingly safe confines of their environment.
Harry and friends return for a second term, where they're quickly caught up in a long-standing plot to rid the school of so-called "impure" students. Between the celebrated, absurdly deep cast, the charming, nuanced world at large and the constant manipulations of a shadow-clad foil, this picture had an awful lot going for it right out of the gates... so why does it feel like we're just treading water? A large swath of The Chamber of Secrets seems inessential and redundant, which isn't to say it's without merit, just that it could be using this time to fry much larger fish. Did we need to reinforce the idea that Harry's adoptive parents are cruel people? Didn't our hero avoid an attempt on his life on the Quidditch pitch last time around? For that matter, wasn't the entire endgame eerily similar in the preceding installment? Too much time smelling the roses when there's a fire down the block.
Of course, it's not all bad news. The CGI, though still not without the occasional hiccup, has vastly improved since the last picture. That doesn't excuse the force-fed inclusion of an all-digital supporting character, but at least these appearances are kept mercifully short and to-the-point. Although it's the longest installment in the Harry Potter franchise, this chapter skims along at a strict pace and feels much shorter than it actually is. Though seemingly inconsequential as a whole, the plot does drop frequent hints at a darker side of the Hogwarts mythos before, ultimately, allowing such things to continue lurking in obscurity. It shows promise in spades, and will certainly capture the hearts and minds of the younger audiences it's primarily there for, but more demanding viewers will likely find it too thin and sugary for serious digestion.
Hogwarts. A boarding school where children...:
– Are placed in four different houses and pitted against each other.
– Learn how to fly in a broom, without any safety measures and supervised only by an incompetent professor.
– Are rewarded every time they break any rule.
– Are allowed to play a brutal sport in which serious injuries are quite frequent.
– Are punished by being sent to an "strictly off-limits" forest at midnight. (I wonder what would be the punishment for wandering in the Dark Forest without permission...).
– Are scored through all the year, earning or losing points for their houses... only to have the least scoring house win at the last minute, because of 4 people.
Seriously. What's with the House Cup? How many students are there in Hogwarts? 200, 400? The whole Gryffindor scored something like 360 points in the whole year. But since our trio decided to go on a (completely forbidden and extremely dangerous) adventure, they are rewarded with an extra 170 points and win. From 4th to 1st. If I were any of the other students, I'd feel betrayed, to say the least.
What's worse, there wasn't any need for the adventure. The stone was actually well protected, Quirrell couldn't get it from the mirror. So... well done, guys.
:zany_face:
As a completist, I'm forced to type up something about "The Avengers". Here goes. It's big, it's fun, it's bright, it's exciting, it's funny. There. All done. Hmmm...that doesn't seem complete really.
The most compelling characters are the Hulk and Iron Man. The Hulk is great here. But, and this is going to earn me zero comic book geek points, I find Ang Lee's Hulk monster more appealing. In that movie, you can knock him on his ass and shoot him up. He takes a second or two to shake it off and then he comes back for more. The "Hulk smash" scenes in that movie are intense and real. In "The Avengers", he's just another indestructible super-thing. Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner character is much preferable to Eric Bana's, though.
Robert Downey Jr. is once again perfect as Tony Stark. He wisecracks and outsmarts plenty here and is the one who holds the whole thing together.
Captain America seems a bit under powered being that Thor is effectively a god. They try to add a superpower for Cap with the shield, but he's relegated to fighting with the other second-tier Avengers crew. Speaking of Thor, he misses out on a lot here. Like Superman, he's just too powerful.
For as many characters as there are, everyone has their moments. The story does feel a bit under told, but the movie is so viscerally exciting and bombastic that the lack of clever or emotionally impacting moments can be forgiven. This is an ideal summer blockbuster.
I don't know how many times I've seen this film but it never gets old, just gets better.
Robert Zemeckis has done a great job on this film. The film tells a story of a not so bright guys life and all the adventures he takes, the events that take place in his life, people he meets on the way, and his best friend that he grows up with Jenny.
They were like peas and carrots.
It shows you that he runs like the wind blows and It's got a bit of every genre, bit everything for everyone, It sets of sad and happy emotions, It's quotes are beautiful and always gives off positive vibes and good advice.
The picture in this film shows how beautiful are world really is, shows there's much more to explore and I think all actors did fantastic and had great chemistry, Also Tom Hanks showed off a great performance to show how great he is as an actor and he's proven that in future films ahead of this film.
I was sad that they've not made a book on this film, would love to read other than watch as the book they’ve based it on was about a guy called Forrest Gump that crashed landed on an island, where he was captured by cannibals but only the name Forrest Gump followed.
Life is like a box of chocolates because you don't know what you're gonna get. Well I'm glad i got to see this film for the first time years back because It's honestly a film to watch before you die and the best film I’ve ever seen.
From the comments here I think people are missing out the idea I think is behind the movie and it's actually a good one.
The level below doesn't exist. I think Goreng died at the bottom and threw the Panna Cotta because the rules of not keeping the food should still apply but didn't, as part of his illusion. The little girl couldn't survive the last level and was too clean for the place, also an illusion.
I think she's the Panna Cotta, which found it's way up and we see it in one of the earlier scenes, where the head chef tried to find whose hair is on the dish.
Goreng thought that his message doesn't need a messenger, that it will be clear - but it was missed. The administration, which I think is a analogy to God which is mentioned a few times in the movie and at every level the question of belief is asked, misses the whole point of it and is clueless to the pain and the suffering of the people below (Imoguiri worked for them, didn't know what the people really go through and thought there are only 250 levels).
They make everyone their favorite food of the highest quality and they probably think it's enough for everyone because each one should get his. The people being people, take more than they should or have to and as a result there's only enough food for the first 50 levels and the familiar hierarchy (the rich take most of the food that can be enough for everyone).
Such a mess of a movie.
I didn' t expect much and haven't watched the trailer before but apparently this movie is focusing on the younger audience only and not on the people who watched the first movie back in the day. It's one of these moments when you realize you get old.
Way too young cast, a dumb plot, so no-one needs to think about anything, degrading this movie to a shut-your-brain-off popcorn flick/time waster you forget instantly after leaving the cinema, clichès as far as the eyes can see, cringe dialogues, incredibly studid decisions by humans and aliens.
Liam Hemsworth is the actor to draw in the young audience and a total miscast for this kind of movie but he fits in with all the other young actors who are out of place as well. But that also means he will be the more or less tragic or cool hero and "win" a gorgeous woman at the end of the movie. How could it be different?
Hemsworth's literally horny sidekick is annoying the moment he appears, throughout the whole movie and is the deliberate comic relief and simply hateable as his character is written so blatantly obvious and without any care. You instantly know what trope his character is and what role he will have the rest of the movie.
You are in the alien ship and he carelessly jumpscares you: haha, how funny!
He's talking loudly, called out on it to be quiet and keeps going being loud, endangering all of them: haha, how funny!
He is fawning over the beautiful, "unreachable" daughter of the chief in command on the moonbase we all know he will get later anyway for no reason other than "we went through this sh*t together": soo original.
Liam Hemsworth is peeing in front of the aliens to distract them: haha, how funny and mature.
...and the aliens even fall for that crap.
The whole movie could only happen in its entirety because of the first major decision that was made for no other reason than plot.
Levinson is some kind of an authority when it comes to aliens but he is ignored to enable the movie when he says not to fire at that spherical spaceship, that looks so difficult to the others and behaves totally different as well. That appearance wasn't even foreshadowing, it was an obvious spoiler to how they would be able to win this time against the aliens and took out any kind of suspense there could have been from the get go.
The movie is predictable all the time and doesn't even try to avoid (or hide) it, ultimately leading to me not being entertained at all.
Recurring actors were all a total waste, except perhaps for Goldblum.
Brent Spiner, who plays Dr. Okun, was additionally unbelievable and simply unnecessary.
Using a poweroff button as sign for the resistance against the aliens was preeeetty lazy as well in the design department.
Easy cash grab movie. I have no doubt the next ID movie will be even worse. Here goes my hope for a good Stargate reboot down the drain. I hoped it would give the franchise a possibility to relaunch a series or so but I heavily doubt that now.
But to not only say negative things about this movie: the CGI effects weren't bad.
Before Anthony and Joe Russo were directing superhero movies, they worked on a little show called Community. The series, oddly enough, had some common ground with The Avengers. Both were about seven people from different backgrounds who came in with their own damage, bounced off one another in interesting ways, but would, now and then, come together to do amazing things.
But one of the most remarkable things about the was its mastery of tone. The series was pitched as a comedy, and true to that billing, it was a damn funny show. And yet it could just as easily shift into something quiet and personal, something unremittingly dark, or something complex and difficult without the easy answers that are seemingly required on a network sitcom.
So when watching Captain America: Civil War, I couldn’t help but see how the Russos had brought that amazing ability to balance different characters and tones and translated it onto a much bigger stage without missing a beat.
Because Civil War is hilarious. It is action-packed and all kinds of fun. It’s full of impressive moments and inventive sequences and fights big and small that are filled with feeling and imagination. And at the same time it is, in its own way, a very dark film. It touches on big ideas like moral responsibility and guilt and the dangers of unchained power, but grounds them in characters, and individual moment, and personal relationships. It is a smorgasbord of moods and stories that makes you laugh, makes you gasp, and make you feel the tragedy of a given moment, without letting it clash. And that is one hell of an achievement.
That achievement is all the more impressive given how many moving parts there were to this clockwork behemoth of a film. Civil War features no fewer than twelve heroes, three major villains, and a bevy of supporting characters, and nearly all them get a moment in the sun. Nevermind the fact that on top of all of this, the film had to introduce two new characters slated to get their own films -- one of whom was under the radar for most non-comic book fans, and another who was laden with the expectations that come from being a household name with two prior uneven franchises under his belt.
But Black Panther was far from a third wheel amid the super-powered clash at the top of the card, and his motivations and outsider status with The Avengers gave him a unique role to play in the narrative, an important arc in the film. Spider-Man, for his part, had the kind of chummy-if-overwhelmed vibe with Tony Stark that you’d hope for, and proved himself an enjoyably free spirit in the big battle. And everyone else in the film, from Ant-Man’s show-stealing humor, to Vision and Scarlet Witch’s endearing connection, to Rhodey’s loss, had an important part to play, without anyone getting lost in the shuffle.
That balance is made all the more difficult by how much oxygen Captain America and Iron Man take up at the top of the card. There is a history between the two characters. They have never seen eye-to-eye, and the films in the MCU have never shied away from that, even as they’ve brought the two of them together for their shared struggles. And again, Civil War does well by using the disagreements and difference between these two men as symbols for a larger debate, for bigger issues between them, while never detracting from the personal side of their beef.
To be frank, it took some work to convince me that Tony Stark would be in favor of the Sokovia Accords, which put The Avengers under the supervision of a U.N. Committee. And yet, the film shows Tony’s interaction with a woman whose son perished in the rubble of Sokovia. He’s seen the collateral damage of their actions and he’s feeling the guilt of it. The film does well to couch Stark’s position in terms of his weapons dealing -- he made his living in an industry where his seemingly harmless actions were leading to innocent people being hurt and killed, and he realized he had to do something. For Tony, this is no different. He’s worried about the collateral damage from their actions.
Steve Rogers, for his part, is understandably much less trusting of government supervision. He’s the one who blanched at the discovery that Shield was using Hydra technology to create weapons; he’s the one who saw Hydra take over the organization he worked for from the inside, and use good people to ill-ends, and he’s the one who’s seen his best friend brainwashed and used as a weapon for geopolitical conflict when the higher ups felt it necessary.
At the same time, he’s also concerned about there being a need that he can’t respond to because of red tape. He’s worried that innocent people will suffer, that people who need saving won’t be saved, because the people who try to do right will be too hamstrung by procedure and approval while the good people suffer. He’s worried about the collateral damage from their inaction.
But these are not simply grand philosophical difference between the two of them. Civil War ties it into their unique psychological baggage, which comes to a head in a confrontation between the two of them in the second act of the film. Tony has lost the people in his life that matter to him -- Pepper and his parents, and their absence casts a major shadow over his part of the film. This fight, this struggle, has kept him from the parts of his life that made it all worth it for him, that gave him his Batman-like need to protect them, to create a world where no one would have to suffer that kind of loss.
But Steve, despite his status as a man out of town, found his family. The Avengers, new and old, gave him a place where he felt like he belonged, people who had fought alongside him like the Howling Commandos once had, and became his brothers and sisters in arms. Steve is this close to signing the accords until he finds out that because of them, Tony has Wanda Maximoff under what amounts to house arrest. That’s a bridge too far for Captain America. He isn’t worried about getting people back; he’s worried about outside forces taking them away.
So there is a schism, caused by Secretary (nee General) Ross from above, and Zemo from below. The former is the liaison of the Sokovia accords, who attempts to maneuver his way into corralling more superheroes after his run-ins Hulk, and the latter is a man who lost his family thanks to The Avengers, and is determined to use any means necessary to tear them apart, to have their empire crumble from within. And in the middle of that schism is Black Widow, who’s pragmatic enough to know that Tony’s right in the logistics of it all--that they’ll get a better deal agreeing to conditions than having them forced on the group, but sympathetic enough to understand why Steve can’t get on board, what his connection to her and this group means, and the threat posed by anything with the ability to forcibly sever it.
And then there’s Bucky. While Black Widow is a tie that brings Captain America and Iron Man together, The Winter Soldier is a wedge that drives them apart. When Steve sees Bucky, he sees his childhood friend, the one who knows his mother’s name and, with the death of Peggy Carter, is his last real tie to the life he used to live and the man he used to be. He sees family, and connection.
But when Stark sees him, he sees, by dint of Zemo’s machinations, the man who killed his parents, who took away his last chance to tell his father that he loved him, who, brainwashing or no brainwashing, snuffed out a light that Tony needed desperately in times like these. He sees the end of family, and the severing of a connection he will never be able to get back.
That’s what makes Civil War so powerful. In a genre of escalating bombast, it brings the conflict back to the small and personal. The film’s opening action scene gives a moment in the spotlight to each of the new Avengers; the subsequent chases and rumbles featuring The Winter Soldier are a visual treat, and it all culminates in an internecine conflict among the heroes that stands as one of the most creative, entertaining, and thrilling action set pieces since the Battle of New York in the first Avengers film.
But instead of that continued escalation, the film narrows its focus after that. The climax of the film comes from a personal reveal -- not only that Bucky was the Starks’ assassin, but that Steve knew and had the gist of it, if not the specifics, but never said a word. A film with so many characters and themes and stories comes down to a conflict between three people. That is the heart of the film -- a dispute, a wedge, that is as personal as it is philosophical, that is as meaningful because of the characters as we’ve watched them grow and develop as because of the fact that it’s two icons locked in combat with one another.
And that too, was one of Community’s strengths. For as outrageous and absurd and cartoony as the show could get, at its best, it drew all that weirdness and humor and conflict back down to the simple, emotional, and human. Tony Stark is still quick with a witty, sarcastic remark. Steve Rogers can still take a beating and deliver one in return. And their conflict is the culmination of more than that, of difference of opinion, of lifestyle, of their place in life and their place in relation to one another, with their team and their family.
As grandiose and ambitious and multi-faceted a film and narrative as Civil War presents, at its core, it’s a story about two people who care about each other breaking away, about the elements of their relationships and their histories and psyches that drives them to do it, and the extraordinarily human reasons that both pull them back together and tear them apart. These are the kinds of themes the Russos brought with them from their old gig, and they make Civil War more than just the flash and excitement of the good guys coming to blows; it’s a film that crystallizes from the connections between its characters, between the emotions and experiences that drive them, between the humanity, humor, and heart that drives the Marvel Cinematic Universe and produced what may be its greatest film to date.
The Winter Soldier is a different kind of beast to most Marvel Cinematic Universe films. The franchise is largely known for its mix of typical superhero action and comedy one liners, but Captain America: The Winter Soldier delivers something different. Whilst, yes, it's still a Marvel superhero film and therefore contains all of the heroics that you would typically expect, the tone is much more grounded and serious.
I watched this film tonight on Blu-ray 3D, and let me tell you the 3D is absolutely incredible. Shields fly out, guns protrude out of the screen and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) flies right towards your eyes. It's a truly breathtaking experience, and one that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of the MCU.
3D always tends to work well with films that contain plenty of intense action sequences, for reasons which are pretty obvious (3D being all about offering spectacle). So it helps that the Winter Soldier has some of the greatest action sequences in the entire MCU. From the opening fight on the boat to the amazing and truly iconic elevator sequence ("Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"), the action is so well choreographed. The cinematography is on point too, shot with this shaky cam style that offers some real grit to proceedings. It feels like something straight out of a Paul Greengrass Jason Bourne movie, and it gives this film a really distinct and unique flavour away from the rest of Marvel Studio's filmography.
It's something that judging by the trailers, I can imagine the upcoming Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) movie having a similar style to, especially as her scenes here are some of the highlights of this movie by far. She's always been one of my favourite characters in the MCU, because she has this really mysterious back story that's honestly quite intriguing; we learn a little more information about it here, as well as get some fight sequences that honestly manage to rival Steve Rodger's (Chris Evans) superhero antics in the film.
One thing that's really weird is seeing Agent Carter (Hayley Atwell) as an old lady. It feels so odd seeing Hayley Atwell in elderly make-up, given that we are so used to seeing her look so much younger. Her scenes with Steve are tragic though, as Steve pays her a visit and we see she has some form of dementia. It's sad seeing her suddenly act as though she's just seen Steve for the first time since World War 2, and forgetting that she'd already seen him since. It's handled so well too, as this is what dementia is like when you know somebody with it. You live through that pain of them slowly starting to lose their memory of you, like this cruel disease that keeps eating away at their brain.
It's clever how this is reflected in the story of the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Like Peggy, he too has been losing his memories in regards to Steve, although in this case it is due to his Hydra brainwashing rather than any form of dementia. The script really plays into this, as we see Steve's determination to trigger Bucky into remembering, and it recalls his stance from the previous film, 'I can do this all day'. Steve doesn't give up on his friend, he keeps pushing for him to break the immoral programming that Hydra have placed him under. He knows his friend is still there, and can bypass the killing machine Hydra have turned him into, and he won't stop until he gets through to him.
This film is also the first to introduce Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), who will of course later become Captain America himself. Already you can see the qualities that will later make him a worthy holder of the shield. He's someone who will always help, who believes in Captain America and shows a great degree of loyalty towards the cause of battling those who seek to spread hate or misery. Sam, in short, is the perfect fit for the tales of Captain America, and it's not hard to see what Steve Rodgers likes about him.
Armin Zola (Toby Jones) returns in this film, this time with his mind inside a computer. He has created an algorithm of those he considers to be a threat to Hydra, both in the present and the future, and Hydra plan to use 'Project Insight' to eliminate these threats. This is a prime example of one of the elements I like the most about this sequel. It brings back so many past memories for Steve Rodgers; from Bucky to Hydra and Armin Zola, it's like his past is coming back to haunt him, like ghosts who will not leave him alone. It means that despite the now modern setting, it still feels intrinsically tied to The First Avenger. The algorithm allows them to throw in some really cool hints to future aspects of the MCU, such as Stephen Strange (who would later pop up in his own solo film, entitled Doctor Strange). It has that really strong thematic through line of the past and present (with hints of the future) colliding throughout, and it works extremely well.
Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a prime example of how to write a sequel. It keeps its thematic ties with the original film, whilst also offering something fresh, new and distinct. This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is better than the first film, and it's no wonder that the MCU still looks to it for inspiration.
