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josephkalaivanar
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Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Close to perfection
I just watched CA:CW. Off the bat, I would like to say that I'm not prone to superlatives...always preferring a balanced outlook. With that out of the way...
IMHO, CA:CW was the best one yet! Previously, CA:TWS was the benchmark, followed by The Avengers. The Russos have hit the ball out of the park with this one.
It is packed with characters, plot-lines, conflict, action...yet manages to walk a fine line of coherence, fun and real stakes. It is a story you can easily follow with characters from both sides of the aisle you can sympathise with - both Cap and Tony make compelling arguments...and the audience is caught in the grey middle. No one is right. No one is wrong. In short, nothing is either black or white.
I actually care for these characters and you can sense the deeply fractured relationships are about to be torn apart at any moment - yet there is some inner motivation in them to try and preserve their comradeship in whatever form. Somehow, every character got a chance to shine. I'm not sure how the Russos managed to pull that off. Baron Zemo was fantastic. So too Black Panther.
As for Spider-man...I think this is the best live on-screen realisation of the web slinger that I've seen. I clapped and laughed at so many scenes that I lost count. They also did great justice to Scott Lang's Ant-Man. He was literally and figuratively AWESOME. Yet equally I was in dread of Tony finding out the truth about his parents and what his resulting actions would be and how violently berserk could Bucky get?
So many scenes looked like they just popped out straight from a comic- book panel.
However, this wasn't just a great comic-book movie. This was a great movie.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Nothing New to Hope
Massive Star Wars fan having watched the original trilogy at least a minimum of 300 times each.
I had high hopes for the Force Awakens as many. I was deeply disappointed. The entire movie felt like a homage rather than a film which stands on it's own two feet. I don't mind the occasional nod and wink to the original trilogy, but Force Awakens borrows WHOLESALE scenes and lines. This, to me, is unforgivable. A lot of the negative IMDb reviews are actually spot on, but the biggest issue I have with the film is character motivation.
What exactly is Rey's motivation in learning about the Force? I just don't get a strong enough drive for her to want to learn and be trained. Daisy did a great job for sure...but her character just doesn't have a viable grounding unlike Luke, who had real intent and inner motivation to come to the Force.
Similarly, Kylo Ren. You just don't get him. Was he abandoned as a child? Abused? Neglected long enough to be turned to the darkside. His childish impudence is seen again and again that it becomes a sick joke (twice where he trashes a room with his saber).
Finn just suddenly has a reawakening? How convenient! Still, I think he's an interesting character and could contribute from a rather unique perspective moving forward.
How could they kill Han Solo this way? It's so pointless and disrespectful. After all that he's accomplished, he bows out so lamely. We shouldn't even had witness his death.
Why is Luke just standing there? He looks so stoned and in a daze almost. By now he should be a wizened Great Jedi Master...but he looks so lost. He's just standing there looking morose without a single word.
I could go on and on...but I feel sad that this is what they've perverted Star Wars into. Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy were far superior and plausible than this mess of a movie by JJ.
JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time (2014)
Not for ages above 12
I'll keep it simple. It has a character called Karate Kid (!?) - yeah I'm not joking! The best scene features Bizarro and Solomon Grundy having a low IQ conversation. That's it. Bad beyond belief. Imagine the power of time travel preventing this flick from being made. That may be a better story.
As a side note, why are they making more and more preschool friendly animated movies? Marvel's Black Widow and Punisher movie was equally bad. The days of JL Unlimited storytelling seem to be over. :(
P.S. The guy who said that this is more watchable than JL: War clearly doesn't watch enough animated films.
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher (2014)
Impossible to review this movie
It was impossible to review this film because I fell asleep halfway and couldn't bring myself to continue.
Yes. It's THAT bad...and I'm a fan of comic-book animated films having watched most films in the genre.
I'm told that the Avengers do show up in the last 10 minutes. The challenge is to get through the drivel leading up to those 10 minutes. It seems Marvel is overplaying the drama between Punisher and Black Widow - but they are just not compelling enough to keep one engaged. After 10 minutes I felt as if I was watching an animated soap opera.
AVOID.
Justice League: War (2014)
Grade: C+ - a weak effort by DC Animation
Grade: C+
This was a weak effort by DC Animation (DCA), especially following The Flashpoint Paradox, Doom and Crisis on Two Earths. It was let down critically in several areas, namely in Voice acting, Characterization and Plot.
Voice acting & Characterization:
Superman - Alan Tudyk is miscast in this. He is unable to effectively personify the hero that Superman is and comes off a bit of douchebag in certain moments. The costume he wears in this is not classic...and IMHO it does not look great. They could have updated it without losing the iconic look too much (e.g. Man of Steel).
Supes himself comes off as having a God-complex in this film. He does not seem the noble, self-sacrificing, protect the innocent type of hero we've all come to know and love. He also seems mildly de-powered, though he is easily the most physically supreme of the lot. As usual he disappears half-way through the film and needing Bats to save his ass.
Batman - Jason O'Mara did an OK job with gravitas. Strangely he sounded a bit of a mix between Kevin Conroy and David Hayter (Metal Gear series) - which is a good thing. Bats is well characterized in this film and comes across as the investigative lone-wolf type hero.
WW - Michelle Monaghan admirably captured WW quite well. The character was also kick-ass (with a nice ass!) and very warrior-like. Well done!
Flash - Chris Gorham did Flash well. He was also portrayed well being slightly more mature in attitude without lacking the wisecracks.
Green Lantern - poor characterization. While Justin Kirk did the voice OK, the character lacks maturity and is not a leader-type. This is more the Ryan Reynolds version of Hal at work.
Cyborg - well done Shemar! Super character to introduce in greater detail.
Captain Marvel - welcome back Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee)! Great job and good character as a boy with Superpowers.
Darkseid - poorly executed. They reduced him to a brawler instead of a master schemer. Insanely powerful though, able to resist the entire Justice League all at once.
Animation style: This is more Korean anime style (as opposed to Japanese anime) which I find more appealing. It tends to moderate between Japanese and Western animation styles. Those who dislike Japanese anime style may find this more tolerable.
Plot: Weak JL genesis plot. Darkseid's invasion play has no clear motive other than to obtain Kal-El. The rest of the heroes are just there because...well...they need to be there to.become.the.Justice.League. Right? ;)
Overall: Poor effort by DCA. I feel they let themselves down by approving an underpar script and miscasting Superman. It doesn't compare favorably to past efforts though still watchable for fans.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The Desolation of Peter Jackson
Watched it over the weekend in HFR 3D. My mini-review:
But first a note about HFR 3D - simply unreal experience. It was like watching a 3 hour demo of the most expensive 3DTV in a store. The HFR makes everything just pop out the screen. Very video game like. Though I'm not sure if I had an actual 'cinematic' experience. See it to believe for yourself if you can.
My grade: C+
Overly long. I love the Tolkein cinematic world more than most and like spending time in it but this movie was too much of a stretch. Definitely feel that Peter Jackson has lost what it means to tell a compelling story - more in love with his 'precious' CGI tech instead.
The plot ducks between two and half narratives: 1. Journey to Erebor 2. Gandalf's Necromancer quest 3. Love triangle (Kili-Tauriel-Legolas) / Legolas + Tauriel Orc hunt
The love triangle element was tiresome and seems forced. It wasn't compelling - as compared to that between Aragorn and Arwen. Completely unnecessary and distracting. However the Tauriel character was welcome and well portrayed by Evangeline Lilly.
Bilbo's and the dwarfs journey to Erebor was getting tiresome. Also Thorin is not a leader / hero you can root for. His motives seem suspect. Unfortunately the film spends more time on him instead of Bilbo who remains for me, more compelling a character showing most growth.
Gandalf's Necromancer quest to me was more interesting but we already know that the bulk of that is not the meat of this trilogy.
Jackson unnecessarily weaves in and out of these narratives stretching the patience of his audience. He seems more comfortable showcasing the setting of the quests rather than why the quests exist in the first place - and thus not propelling the plot faster.
Smaug - very well done. Cumberbatch's voice-work and the dragon animation were superb.
The movie itself suffers an even worse case of middle-movie syndrome than The Two Towers. At least in that film, the dread was palpable and victory sweet, setting the stage for an even bigger dread. This film on the other hand, failed to do so. It ended with a "is that all" kinda feeling. We already know how Smaug will die.
I really wanted to enjoy this movie and I did in parts. But overall, it was average at best.
Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip (2013)
Almost as good as the TV show
Was looking forward to this ever since I saw leaked shots of the filming on the web.
Very little fooling around here. Just cars, cars and more cars with beautiful scenery and superb music.
The ending was unexpected!
The usual nonsense of the presenters are there (Clarkson cheating, Hammond's 'exotic' food aversion, making fun of James May, etc.)
Somehow Top Gear UK loses some sparkle without James May, which is the case here. The banter between Jeremy and Richard lack a little pizazz at times, but its still good.
Being Top Gear UK fans, my wife and I had an enjoyable evening watching this!
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Spider-Man. The twilight edition.
I have seen this movie and came away disappointed yet happy that Raimi's work is there for re-watch – which I did after TASM. The difference is night and day. Raimi's work stands the test of time.
I didn't support a remake in the first place simply because it's too soon and the whole exercise smelled of money grabbing. But after the second trailer I changed my opinion and thought, TASM could be a good movie – I was wrong.
Initially I thought Garfield would make a good Spidey, and felt that Tobey was too downbeat as Parker. I was wrong. They both played their characters well – the best version would be a combo of both. Tobey played nerd well. Garfield plays Spidey as a smart alec. Though Tobey showed some glimpses of that as well. Go re-watch the first two of Raimi's films and you'll know what I mean.
Now for the review – C
The film struggles to stay average.
The plot is quite weak and the pacing is slow. You'd expect the pacing to pick up after the initial half of the film after Parker gets bitten etc. but it never really hits a high comparable to Raimi's works – all three of em.
Just to get it out of the way, comparisons between Raimi's trilogy and this are inevitable and you will do so yourself once you start watching.
The action is not special and the transformation of Parker to Spidey is hum-drum. The musical score was a detriment to this film. James Horner did a real disservice to this film with his heroic score but failed to account for the youthfulness of his characters.
The saving grace to an extent is the relationship between Parker and Gwen, ahem I mean between Garfield and Emma. You can see they really like each other
a lot!
The whole subplot about his parents, scientific work is so thin it's almost laughable if it wasn't for Rhys Ifans Lizard who lends an element of credible menace. But it's resolved too readily at the climax.
The mid credit scene was poorly executed. It gives no real anticipation of what's coming next. Webb is clueless in how to do so. Overall the film barely makes it in my opinion. It pales to the more recent Marvel films (though this is by Sony) and is no where near The Avengers or Dark Knight as others would have you believe.
Raimi's work was truer to the comics genesis plot. Webb's work majored on the minor – Gwen instead of Mary Jane, web shooters instead of organic web. It lost the soul Spidey's beginnings and weaved in the missing parents 'plot' simply to differentiate and little else. Even this is unresolved and is not very interesting to begin with.
Sorry Spidey fans. This is not a good movie to re-watch again and again.