Film Review | Captain America: Civil War

Uncle Ben once told us that “with great power comes great responsibility,” but here’s the big question: who keeps us responsible.

The Story

Following the destruction of Ultron in Sokovia, the world is once again openly questioning its safety in the hands of the Avengers. Although it owes much to the renowned heroes, many people who hold powerful positions feel powerless and see the Avengers as vigilantes.

The story adlibs much from the original comic in the sense that it moves away from identity and privacy crisis to a more personal look into why the Avengers do what they need to do.

We see Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finding himself in need of a babysitter every time his ego gives way to his conscience. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) finds himself fighting for and against his past and present friends. The internal moralisation of each team comes down to minimising damage to civilians – whether it be through being tethered or ostracised by them.

The Cast

Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are pros after seven films. Arguably, Iron Man and Captain America are their most memorable – undoubtedly their longest – roles of their careers. After seven films, not to mention the rest to come, it’s not hard to see that these two know and love their characters.

Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland are the new comers who need special attention seeing as their alter egos ignited excitement just by featuring in trailers. Boseman takes on Black Panther, a loving son who has his father taken away from him and is hungry for vengeance. Holland takes on a more challenging role by taking the mantel of (previously Sony-owned) Spiderman.

Both new comers did a great job in making their characters their own. Bringing Black Panther to life gave the film that darker edge and retained the need to avenge the loss inflicted upon a person. Spiderman on the other hand is a little harder to play seeing as we’ve just seen a reboot. But I have to hand it to Marvel, Holland gave an impressive performance as the prodigal son comes home.

Overall…comic enthusiasts will be saddened by the changes, but will have an amazing time anyway. Look, if you love Marvel and anything to do with comics there’s no stopping you from watching this movie. You will enjoy every minute. Personally, I was looking for Joss Whedon’s touch when it came to the fight sequences, but I will commend the Russo brothers for sticking with their flair from Captain America: The Winter Solider.

sL Star Rating: ★★★★

Next on sL: X-Men: Apocalypse

Film Review | Avengers: The Age of Ultron

Evolution. It’s what humanity was made to do…but what about our own creations? Are they meant to evolve? Are they meant ‘get better’? And if they do, are they supposed to surpass us? Is technology’s purpose to completely override humanity?

What if technology could think for itself? What if technology could walk? What if technology was on the verge of becoming humanity?

Welcome, to the Age of Ultron.

The Story

I’m not too sure how close to the comics Marvel Entertainment’s latest Avengers movie is, but from what I know and what I’ve read, it’s different. The whole idea of technology evolving and becoming its own “person” is an existentialist’s dream come true. Take the concept of, Her, and place it into the Marvel world and you’ve got yourself a recipe for and epic explosion!

You have the usual battle between good and evil, but this time it draws from biblical themes of sacrifice, grace and the crux of what it means to be a fallen human. True, it doesn’t exactly follow the play-by-play of the gospels and Genesis as Thor does, but it does echo several quotes from Exodus, Matthew and Revelations.

The story, as the early trailers have provided, do carry an abundance of poetic elements for the character of Ultron – with a running theme of puppetry. It was almost as if his craftiness with words made him more threatening than being made out of the same metal Captain America’s shield.

It was also great to see Jeremy Renner’s character, Clint Barton – a.k.a. Hawkeye, get a back story to give his character more meat. (Not to mention gain a few friends along the way - *cough-Quicksilver-cough-Scarlet-Witch-cough*.)

Overall, the story was packed with so many elements of past literature, along with element of the comic’s plotline, it’s one I literally have to see again just to wrap my head around.

The Cast (New Cast)

Step aside Downey Jr., Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Evans, Johansson, Renner and L. Jackson – it’s time for the newbies to shine. (Although, y’all did an amazing job reprising your roles, yes Robert, you all deserve standing ovations for your prowess.)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen are going to share the limelight for this review because they were pretty much joined at the hip playing the Maximoff twins. Now since Marvel are still possibly in negotiations with Sony for the rights to the word "mutants," Taylor-Johnson and Olsen have been given a different back story as to their linage and their powers - i.e. children of war and human excitements ('mutants' without using the word 'mutant'). They've become in-between characters who constantly need to make a choice to either be on the “good” side or the “bad” side – and sometimes, as this film clearly points out, it’s hard to tell who’s who. Taylor-Johnson and Olsen both carry and sustain their Eastern European accents very well and embody their characters completely. They’re both very convincing and they draw you in like a moth to a flame almost instantly.

James Spader’s debut as Ultron’s voice has you shivering from the moment he is brought to life. His poetic streams that are truncated by comic relief bring a delicate mixture of both light and dark to the film. The intricacy of his character is nothing without Spader’s passionate delivery of every line he utters. I am in awe.

Paul Bettany grabs your absolute attention, but I feel like if I praise him too much I would be giving too many spoilers. Yes, he is brilliant as Jarvis, but he is also brilliant as Jarvis’ alter ego. The way that Jarvis evolves in this film is so compelling that I’m still in shock with how his character has been developed in this film. Let’s leave it at that – great job Bettany!

Overall, for all you thinkers, see this movie twice – I will be! There’s so much in it to just take-in in one sitting. For all you Marvel fans, it will not disappoint. You will love every minute of it – I did! I do recommend watching all the other films before watching this one to tie some loose ends to jog the memory.

Star Rating: ★★★★★

Next on sL:  Pitch Perfect 2

Film Review | Captain America: The Winter Soldier

After the devastation of New York, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is still coming to terms with the changes of this world. But one thing’s for sure, the war he plunged into the arctic depths from is still very much the same war he woke up to. Now working for S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogers is hoping that the similarities would out-way the differences in the new world. But in a world full of war, who can you really fighting who?

The Story

Picking up from the first Captain America and Avengers films, CA: The Winter Soldier follows through the comic plots and opens up the world of S.H.I.E.L.D. as wells as other central characters. There are big character/plot developments for (and with) Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), which is fascinating in the greater scheme of The Avengers front. We also receive a new love interest for the Captain; Revenge’s Emily VanCamp makes an appearance as Kate – a.k.a. Agent 13.

The film engulfs the theme of technological advancement with the preservation of human minds via computer hard drives as well as cutting-edge weaponry that can wipe out masses in a “flick” of a switch. The idea in this film is annihilating the threat before it can even become a threat. With old enemies – even those who were once comrades – in play, this film questions who is good and who is evil?

The Cast

Chris Evans, I’ve always thought, captures the essence of a soldier who’s come back from – not just the dead – but also another time altogether, perfectly. Not only does Rogers have to overcome slight spurts of post-traumatic stress, he also has to come to terms with the fact that the past, though can manifest itself in the future, cannot be returned to. Evans understands the role and the fact that he has to bring the values of the 40s into the 21^st century. One thing I will commend the costume department for is this: Evans keeps his clothes on!

Scarlett Johansson, although retaining Black Widow’s kick-ass nature, is actually the main source of comic relief in this film. Her banter with Evans is playful and believable. Aside from her comedic streak, we see a different side to Johansson’s character in this film, which helps us really understand its attempts to tackle to philosophical battle of who truly is the ‘real’ enemy.

Samuel L. Jackson is brilliant as usual. Like Johansson, he gives you a few witty lines to laugh about. There are moments in this film where you really do feel for Fury as well, which is a good thing since we don’t really get to do that too often since he’s the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Robert Redford takes on the role of Alexander Pierce, fellow head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Not wanting to give too much away, Redford plays an excellent dual role. There are times where you question him just as much as times where you completely trust him. His relationship with Fury is an important one and the conflicting feeling you get with Pierce is exactly why I loved the concept of this film.

Sebastian Stan you’ll recognise from the first film, and for those of you who follow the comics religiously, you’ll know exactly who he is in this film. For those of you who are simply watching the films as they come, you’ll catch on pretty quick. Stan delivers a brilliant performance as a conflicted soldier just as much as Evans. Though his character is much more tortured that the Captain, he truly depicts the questioning aspect of this film really well.

Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders and Emily VanCamp are all great supports in this film. Mackie is a brilliant “wing man” as Falcon – again, another great source for comic relief, while Smulders and VanCamp took a more serious portrayals of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

I just wanted to give Aussie, Callan Mulvey, a shout out for his brilliant appearance in this film. I knew he was freaky in Home and Away, but Mulvey was an outstanding double agent in this film along side the rest of Rogers’ former unit.

Overall, this is totally a guy’s film. Like Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 it’s jam packed with action, gunfire and explosions of epic proportions. Although, ladies I think you’ll appreciate it just as much – like Amy, the winner of my #sLBdayComp, said, “Chris Evans, enough said”. But seriously, I enjoyed it more than the first one – not just for Mr. Evans! My one warning is this, be ready for a few scenes trying to layout “Captain America vs. Hydra” plots in the film – they are important though. Otherwise, everyone go see it – although probably not in 3D, like I keep saying, people are in 3D a flat screen doesn’t change that fact.

sL Star Rating: ★★★★

Next on sL: The Amazing Spider-Man: Rise of Electro