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.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Review

Source: Wikipedia

Continuing the trend of Hollywood's blockbuster sequels in 2011 is the unmistakable Tom Cruise-driven Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, the fourth instalment of the massively popular saga. In a record breaking year, MI4 is one amongst a staggering 28 follow-up films and it's safe to say it can be ranked high up that list.

Once again delving into the world of politics and global relations, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol sees a return to the first Cruise Mission Impossible outing, specifically with the IMF being disavowed following an incident at the Kremlin. When a bomb goes off at the famous site, Ethan Hunt and his team are found at the scene of the crime and immediately the blame is pinned on them. With this revelation reaching government agencies globally the IMF is shut down and they soon find themselves going rogue in an attempt to clear their names.

The IMF now consists of just four members, each with their own separate part to play. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is at the heart of the operation, heading towards any situation involving danger. Benji (Simon Pegg) continues to aid Hunt and his team through his technical and computer wizardry. Jane (Paula Patton) is an agent mourning the death of a close personal partner and is out for retribution. And, Brandt (Jeremy Renner) is a senior analyst with field experience looking to help uncover the real truth behind the Kremlin bombing.


With their unique skill sets, the foursome travel across the globe, from locales spanning Dubai, India and beyond, confronting the threat posed by villain, Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), and his crew. Can the IMF uncover the truth with limited resources or does this sound the end for Hunt and his motley crew?

Following the conventions of its predecessors, Ghost Protocol is very much a Tom Cruise movie. He is the main attraction of the show and, truth be told, as usual he continues to show his credentials as one of the best action movie stars there is. Despite a huge focus on the less-than-tall Hollywood heavyweight, he is backed up by a superb gang in the form of Simon Pegg, Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner, each with unique performances to admire.

In terms of humour, Simon Pegg's Benji is a show stealer, delivering the best one liner's in the movie and convincingly portraying the computer geek. The addition of Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner are welcome ones too; Patton adding a powerful and beautiful female to proceedings whilst Renner introduces further brawn and  superb acting abilities.

In addition to the exceptional cast, director Brad Bird creates some truly unbelievable set pieces throughout the 2 hours+ duration, most notably a scene in Dubai that may well be one of the best of 2011. Involving the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa tower, we witness Tom Cruise (who incidentally did not use a stunt double) proceed to climb the staggering structure and eventually jump from it. Hearts will flutter throughout that particular moment, no doubt.

For Brad Bird, directing his first ever live-action film, this is a monumental success story. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol delivers in every aspect of an action movie; beautiful locations, a solid storyline with some neat twists and turns and plenty of adrenaline-filled chase and fight sequences. Capping off 2011 with a bang, Ghost Protocol is one of the best action films of the year.

Cinema Review - Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D

Fairytales have seen somewhat of a resurgence in film over the past year or so, with two Snow White films, a future Jack and the Beanstalk film and now one based on Hansel and Gretel. Released today, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters focuses on the title characters following their encounter with a witch in the famous candy house.

Sworn to protect the people from the witch menace emanating from the dangerous woods, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) soon find themselves up against an evil witch (Famke Janssen) as children are kidnapped in order for a Blood Moon ritual to be complete. It is up to the brother and sister to halt these proceedings before further terror is unleashed.

Forget those lousy reviews that came from America, sit back, relax and enjoy 90 minutes of pure blood, guts and fucking fun. It doesn't take an expert to realise that Hansel And Gretel isn't going to be a masterpiece, instead far from it, but for what it presents itself as it is a complete and utter riot.

Bringing us a brilliant double act in Arterton and Renner, the film oozes style, with the pair appearing comfortable in their roles and creating that brother and sister bond. They get their asses handed to them plenty of times and come out on top on other occasions, and that is exactly how a film like this should be (certainly not like Alice dominating in Resident Evil).

The premise is pretty simple and the continuation of a much-loved fairytale proves to be well set out and developed with a solid villain in the form of the always sultry Famke Janssen. Wielding their unique weaponry, the siblings unleash an unholy amount of violence upon us in glorious 3D as blood, limbs and arrows fire at us from all directions in what is a decent use of the extra dimension.

In all, Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters proves to be a bloodthirsty treat of a film that clearly doesn't take itself too seriously but also offers up its own stylish swagger. Its leads are hard not to enjoy and one cannot help rejoice at a troll stamping on heads and crushing skulls into a bloody pulp. An absolute riot and a fun frolic of a film.

Film Rating: 3 out of 5 F's

Cinema Review - Avengers Assemble

It's been four years in the making, and after six films of build-up, Avengers Assemble has finally hit cinemas. Undoubtedly this has been one of the most talked about films for 2012, and months of build-up has culminated to the main event. With expectation levels at their highest peak and director Joss Whedon in place to tackle what is one of film's biggest tasks, does Avengers Assemble deliver in aces? Unsurprisingly, it's an astounding yes.


Following on from the events in the most recently released Marvel films, Captain America and Thor, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is in possession of the Tesseract, a powerful cosmic cube that, if put in the wrong hands, could mean the end of the world as we know it. When Loki (Tom Hiddleston) infiltrates the S.H.I.E.L.D. base of operations and steals the cube, Fury has no option but to reignite the 'Avengers Initiative' and bring together the world's most mightiest heroes in a fight to save mankind. With Loki banding together an invasion army, it's up to Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow to prevent the imminent threat.


With such a heavy burden put on his shoulders, Joss Whedon could have easily crumbled and dashed any hopes of a superhero-ensemble ever working to its full potential; fortunately the man knows his stuff and shows here why he is such an icon. Avengers Assemble is a film that appeals to comic book fans, film fanatics and, basically, people of all ages.


It's without any hesitation that it should be said that Whedon has carefully considered every aspect of the film in order to provide for the masses. With perfectly flowing dialogue as well as action sequences that are nothing short of near perfection, Avengers Assemble wipes the floor with those films Marvel have previously released. It’s testament to Whedon’s directing ability that he is able to conjure up so many memorable moments of sheer humour combined with an impressive character development process and some hard-hitting, pulsating action sequences.

For a film littered with so many high-end stars (as well as characters) the end result could have been a pure mish-mash of personalities that clash rather than accentuate, but the cast all-round is solid as Thor's hammer. Whilst Chris' Evans and Hemsworth continue their sharp performances similar to those in their first outings in costume, it is Robert Downey Jr and newbie Mark Ruffalo who steal the show as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Dr David Banner/Hulk respectively. Downey Jr continues to inject his one-of-a-kind charm and wit to the Tony Stark character, whilst Ruffalo's take on Banner is one of great presence, clearly indicating a man who is still attempting to embrace 'the other guy' in his life. On villain duties, Tom Hiddleston returns as Loki and furthers his performance in Thor in leaps and bounds. Cutting a dark and evil figure, Hiddleston escalates in providing a truly worthy opponent for our heroes and lays the foundations for villains in years to come.

With an impressive showing from all involved, Whedon had to get it spot on with the action sequences and in maintaining pin-point pacing to the film, the anticipation levels heighten with the film's duration, leading to the grand finale battle. Whilst some may cast similarities with the climax of Transformers, Whedon's final battle shys away from the off-putting shaky cam and produces action of such fluidity and grace it wipes the floor with many blockbusters seen previously. Focusing on each character's fight in equal measure, the director teases and taunts with some run-of-the-mill action before unleashing a storm of superb shots involving the heroes banding together throughout the city. 


Avengers Assemble could have easily been a disaster. With a massive audience following and expectations possibly higher than any film before, Joss Whedon and his team had a mountain to climb. Fortunately the man knows what the people want and provides with a well-presented and ultimately astonishing superhero ensemble piece. Heading to the peak and vastly improving on its predecessors that led to this big event, Avengers is a movie experience not to be forgotten and sets the bar for blockbusters to come in 2012.


Film Rating: 5 out of 5 F's