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.

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

Cinema Review - The Cabin In The Woods

The words 'expect the unexpected' could not be applied to a film more than the latest horror film to hit cinema screens, The Cabin In The Woods. The brainchild of two of the most creative minds in the industry, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, it can only be described as the horror event of the last decade.


As such a tale of intricacy and twists, it would not be fair to divulge the full details of the premise of The Cabin In The Woods, as it is essentially a movie you should enter knowing as little as possible. What you should know are the basics. A group of friends are setting off for a break away from everyday life to party and have a good time. Amongst these are your stereotypical horror movie individuals; a jock, a geek, a stoner, a sexy blonde and the virginal shy girl. Heading out to a secluded cabin in the woods, owned by the jock's brother, the gang proceed to get the party started, unaware of the threat that they are about to face.


A simple premise you will agree, but within its simplicity Cabin weaves out what is truly one of the best and cleverly made horrors for a vast amount of time. Whedon and Goddard, who have previously unleashed the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost and Cloverfield upon audiences, have clearly done their homework on the genre and set out to create something special. and special Cabin certainly is.

As is with many of these films, the acting can become rather one dimensional, but luckily in Cabin we witness some truly brilliant performances from all involved. As the most famous face in the proceedings, Chris Hemsworth takes the role of the jock and this plays out perfectly, with the Thor actor satisfying with another notable performance. Although Hemsworth's status is more established than his co-stars it is in fact Fran Kranz who outclasses his co-stars, with what is a hilarious and well presented representation of the conventional stoner character. Kranz has fun in his role and gradually ramps up the laughter levels to great effect. 


It will have you gasping, jumping in your seat and, most of all, laughing until it hurts. Such is the variety in the source material, that the reactions to the events are ever-changing, and usurping all those previous is the fact that the movie is filled so much with OMG moments you will feel almost perplexed upon exiting the cinema after viewing the incredible 90+ minutes. 


The Cabin In The Woods defines horror on a whole new level. It grabs the audience, throws them in a familiar situation and then pulls the rug from underneath to immerse you into an unimaginable scenario one could never foresee. It's a class above so may horror movies of late and proves that, when handled with care and benefiting from stark originality, the genre can be revitalised and continue to live on. 


Film rating: 5 out of 5 F's