Avengers: Age Of Ultron Review

Source: Wikipedia

The last time we saw the collective band of heroes that make up the Avengers it involved a hell of a lot of shawarma. It's fair to say that, since their toast of success following defeat of the Chitauri, a lot has happened for our team. For instance, Tony Stark looked to have called it a day, while Captain America and Black Widow uncovered some truths about S.H.I.E.L.D. that sent more than enough ripples through the ranks. So where do Earth's Mightiest Heroes go from here? Joss Whedon answers just that with Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

The Avengers have banded together once again as Loki's sceptor has surfaced and is in the possession of Baron von Strucker (Thomas Kretchsmann), a man whose HYDRA connection sees him looking to eventually utilise twins Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).

Showing their enemies what a well-oiled unit can do, the team soon retrieve the sceptor and head back to Tony Stark's newly-built headquarters to kick back. Unfortunately, the party atmosphere is soon interrupted as Stark and Bruce Banner's experimental AI, Ultron (James Spader), finds a lease of life and a new mission is spawned. With Ultron intent on making the human race extinct, and the twins in tow, Earth's Mightiest Heroes have one hell of a task this time around.

Joss Whedon is a maestro in forging adventures that offer just as many thrills and spills as they do quick-fire laughs, and Age Of Ultron is no different. Looking to build upon the success of his mammoth box office smash, the Buffy and Firefly alumni smashes through the barriers at breakneck speed as he looks to grasp the audience in his palm and never let them go.

It all begins with a fist-pumping foray of money-shot moments and visual splendour as our famed team literally look to storm the castle, in this case, a HYDRA base. Having already established the team itself, the director immediately bypasses any re-introductions as the action takes centre stage. Heroes collaborating with their signature weapons, a slow motion leap of brilliance, and some creative camera flurries; this is what we pay for in a blockbuster and it paves the way for the rest of the film.

From then on, Ultron is dominated by the familiar wisecracks, some extra depth to some of the lesser vibrant characters and packed to the rafters with ample opportunity for the fans to descend into a rapturous state as comic book craziness takes over. The issue, albeit a slight one, is that this is a sequel that never quite hits above its predecessor, only matching the majesty of the first film.
For all the incredibly exceptional moments of heroic showcase, none ever quite feel beyond the reach of the finale set piece in the previous film, and often there is so much going on that there is a slight feel of over-exertion creeping in. True, Ultron is a job done fantastically in terms of fitting in a huge wealth of Marvel characters, it's just that it sometimes feels a tad overwhelming, especially in the big set pieces.

That said, the sequel does add further depth in the key areas; most notably in evolving team relationships and giving the smaller players their fair share of the cake. That couldn't be applied more to Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye, moving from the sidelines to become a pivotal force this time around. His background uncovered and nailing some great lines, this is more of the Hawkeye we require. The same can be applied to Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), her past endeavours teased and a simmering tension between her and Banner providing some of the strongest components of the film.

A film with such an ensemble, of course, requires great balance with its characters and Whedon manages to finely tune his use of each and every hero (and villain). The likes of Downey Jr., Evans and Hemsworth are still evidently having fun, while the addition of Spader to mix things up is inspired. The combination of Olsen and Taylor-Johnson also adds a great new dynamic to the series, as their brother-sister relationship is a strong bond that sees them as individuals who have plenty of say in events. As of others, let's just say some familiar faces may show up on the journey...

Avengers: Age Of Ultron is a fantastic and finely balanced blockbuster that copes incredibly well with a growing roster. Some of the creases from the first film are certainly ironed out, but at times it does feel a tad overwhelming in its scope, especially with an even bigger picture on the horizon. Needless to say, this is a mammoth picture that demands attention and once again ensures Marvel are at the top of their game and will be for some years to come yet.

LFF 2013 - Kill Your Darlings

It almost seems a blessing of sorts that Kill Your Darlings experienced issues initially with financing. After all, had the original cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Chris Evans and Ben Whishaw been banded together, we may have had a completely different film altogether. Thankfully, things changed along the way, and, spearheaded by Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan, Kill Your Darlings instead results in an utterly immersive and exceptional debut feature from director John Krokidas.

Based on a true story, the film tracks the early days of famous poet Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe) as he works his way through freshman year at Colombia in 1944. Plagued by his unstable mother's condition and his father's unwillingness to help her, Allen's life is about to change when he meets the rebellious Lucien Carr (DeHaan), as well as fellow students William Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston).

Initially a student more interested in producing his poetry and working continuously on his typewriter, Ginsberg is soon introduced into a world filled with drugs, alcohol and rebellion as the intrigue of Lucien and his friends turns into a whole new outlook on life for Allen. Witnessing the craziness of Lucien's life, Allen partakes in copious drug and alcohol-fuelled days and gradually sees himself being drawn in by the aura of the volatile Lucien.

As he gets more involved with this wild individual, the figure of David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall) makes himself known and adds a whole new dynamic to this blossoming relationship. Lucien cannot rid himself of this man, but there may be one way he possibly could have him out of his life for good...

A sheer joy for so many reasons, Kill Your Darlings is one of those films that is extremely difficult not to like. For a debut director to tackle an era that has so often been imitated in many a film gone by is one thing, but to have big expectations upon him, especially with a superb cast at hand, Krokidas has created a hugely memorable film outing that will certainly have the audience searching up the main protagonists upon exiting the movie.

Why the praise, I hear you say? Well, Krokidas' directing talents are clear for the eye to see in many an instance. Firstly, the use of music in the film is a wonderful device to set the tone and introduce us to the Beat Generation, with toe-tapping tunes and even our characters dancing away to the wonderful music. His use of surroundings is also inspired, whether the interior of the very homes of individuals, the realms of the library, or the party locations, each have their own quirkiness and nail the 1944 feel wonderfully.

Where Krokidas does revel is in his standout scenes, with so many to note and admire. From a scene where the effects of drugs slow down those around Allen and his friends, creating almost an alternate world for them for an instance, to three intermittent scenes all sharing one key similarity, the director cleverly uses his expertise impressively. Such are the nature of the scenes that the actors involved all share a strong connection and that bond is extremely difficult to break throughout the film.

At the core of the film, Dane DeHaan and Daniel Radcliffe both excel in the shells of two great individuals. DeHaan once again proves he is the best young actor around currently, with his unhinged rebel Lucien, while Radcliffe impresses with his American accent and his spawning from timid young man to confident admirer of DeHaan's aura. Their chemistry is at times utterly electric, and the moments in which we witness the two of them gradually acknowledging their growing connection are spellbinding.

As well as DeHaan and Radcliffe, the supporting cast are also on the top of their game. Ben Foster is once again the perfect co-star as the unsettling yet massively interesting William, with Huston's Jack a nice dynamic character thrown in, and the likes of Elizabeth Olsen and David Cross both throwing in tidy less prominent characters into the mix.

A hugely successful first outing for director John Krokidas culminates in Dane DeHaan producing yet another spectacular performance and Daniel Radcliffe showing that he has the acting muscle to remove any previous typecasts with relative ease. Kill Your Darlings is bold, powerful and beautifully presented drama that is simply impossible to ignore. A must-see at all costs.