AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: Satisfyingly More Of The Same

Now playing at every multiplex in the galaxy and beyond:

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

(Dir. Joss Whedon, 2015)

If you live on planet Earth, you?re aware that today the Marvel machine is rolling out the biggest super hero movie of the year - sorry, ANT-MAN, but, c?mon!

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (from this point on, A:AOU), the sequel to the biggest superhero movie of 2012, THE AVENGERS, and the 11th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise that began with the first IRON MAN back in 2008, is here to officially kick off the summer 2015 movie season - sorry, FURIOUS 7.

But if you?re reading this, you most likely know all that, and just want to know if this highly anticipated, star-studded, and CGI-saturated production lives up to its huge hype.

I?ll say - yeah, it does. I had a tremendous amount of fun watching the reunited team - Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), The Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) ? working together with lots of wit and energy to defeat the powerful robotic villain Ultron (voiced by James Spader).

This adventure begins with an already-in-progress action sequence, involving the comic book crew storming the castle of Hydra leader Baron von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) in the icy terrain of the fictional European nation of Sokovia.

Amid the standard chaos and wisecracks (most of which are pretty funny) we are introduced to a couple of new characters, brother and sister duo Pietro/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). ?He?s fast, she?s weird,? is what SHIELD?s Maria Hill (the also returning Cobie Smulders) says of their powers, which means that Pietro can move at supersonic speeds, while Wanda can manipulate minds with magic.

The Avengers rescue Loki?s scepter, one of the McGuffins of the series, and return to their headquarters at the Stark Tower Complex in Manhattan, where we actually get to hang out with the guys as they party, and engage in a game of taking turns trying to lift Thor?s hammer. Meanwhile, Stark?s Ultron project, which is supposed to be a global peacekeeping program, is co-opted by the scepter and becomes sentient.

That means Spader, who in addition to providing the voice, performed on set in a motion-capture suit, takes over as the movie?s major villain, and sets out to wipe out humanity (?There is only one path to peace... your extinction?).

As if he thinks we don?t have enough characters to keep up with, Whedon keeps piling them on. We meet Barton?s (Renner, in case you forgot) wife (Linda Cardellini of Freaks and Geeks and Mad Men fame) and kids living at a ?safe house? farm where the Avengers lay low between battles, geneticist Helen Cho (Claudia Kim) who gets co-opted by Ultron, arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis, a motion capture master himself), and the re-occuring role of Stark?s A.I. companion J.A.R.V.I.S. (voiced by Paul Betttany) is expanded via a red and green android body (Bettany in the flesh).

There?s also the many cameos from the MCU including Don Cheadle getting in a few good one-liners again as as James ?Rhodey? Rhodes/War Machine and Anthony Mackie getting in a few glaring grins as Sam Wilson/Falcon, along with appearances by Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and of course, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, who no Marvel movie should be without. And yes, there?s a Stan Lee cameo, but, c'mon, you knew there would be.

Yes, A:AOU covers every single fan-pleasing base it can in its 2 hour and 21 minute running time and is a pretty bloated affair because of it, but it swiftly juggles all these strands until they collide in the big climax set on a ginourmous hunk of a Sokovian city land mass that Ultron has lifted from the earth and is planning on crashing down. The Avengers try to save the city's people while warring with the armies of robots that are all forms of Ultron (in a MATRIX sort of way I guess).

The special effects, of course put together by thousands of digital artists, are flawlessly top notch, but it?s the human moments that give a lot of heart, soul, and humor to this enterprise. A romance blooming between Ruffalo?s Banner (another invested portrayal - where's this guy's Hulk movie?) and Johansson?s Romanoff adds a thoughtful touch, and while Downey Jr.?s Stark is still full of snark, there?s an unmistakable conscience behind it. The rest of the gang also have their moments, but Hemsworth's Thor is still my least favorite Avenger.

Spader, even with only a mechanical presence, makes for a powerfully worthy foe, one who gets his share of well delivered quips and takes delight in destruction.

If this is Whedon?s final fling with the super hero franchise, he went out with a multitude of big bangs. Maybe they?re all riffs on the familiar formulaic tropes of the genre we?re all used to, but that doesn?t make them any less effective. 

A:AOU is winningly and satisfyingly more of the same; it?s everything a superhero superfan would want out of a Marvel movie. Non fans who haven?t been won over by any of the movies in the series before won?t be converted by it, but I seriously doubt many of them will have read this far into this review anyway.

More later...

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: Satisfyingly More Of The Same

Now playing at every multiplex in the galaxy and beyond:

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

(Dir. Joss Whedon, 2015)

If you live on planet Earth, you?re aware that today the Marvel machine is rolling out the biggest super hero movie of the year - sorry, ANT-MAN, but, c?mon!

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (from this point on, A:AOU), the sequel to the biggest superhero movie of 2012, THE AVENGERS, and the 11th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise that began with the first IRON MAN back in 2008, is here to officially kick off the summer 2015 movie season - sorry, FURIOUS 7.

But if you?re reading this, you most likely know all that, and just want to know if this highly anticipated, star-studded, and CGI-saturated production lives up to its huge hype.

I?ll say - yeah, it does. I had a tremendous amount of fun watching the reunited team - Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), The Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) ? working together with lots of wit and energy to defeat the powerful robotic villain Ultron (voiced by James Spader).

This adventure begins with an already-in-progress action sequence, involving the comic book crew storming the castle of Hydra leader Baron von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) in the icy terrain of the fictional European nation of Sokovia.

Amid the standard chaos and wisecracks (most of which are pretty funny) we are introduced to a couple of new characters, brother and sister duo Pietro/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). ?He?s fast, she?s weird,? is what SHIELD?s Maria Hill (the also returning Cobie Smulders) says of their powers, which means that Pietro can move at supersonic speeds, while Wanda can manipulate minds with magic.

The Avengers rescue Loki?s scepter, one of the McGuffins of the series, and return to their headquarters at the Stark Tower Complex in Manhattan, where we actually get to hang out with the guys as they party, and engage in a game of taking turns trying to lift Thor?s hammer. Meanwhile, Stark?s Ultron project, which is supposed to be a global peacekeeping program, is co-opted by the scepter and becomes sentient.

That means Spader, who in addition to providing the voice, performed on set in a motion-capture suit, takes over as the movie?s major villain, and sets out to wipe out humanity (?There is only one path to peace... your extinction?).

As if he thinks we don?t have enough characters to keep up with, Whedon keeps piling them on. We meet Barton?s (Renner, in case you forgot) wife (Linda Cardellini of Freaks and Geeks and Mad Men fame) and kids living at a ?safe house? farm where the Avengers lay low between battles, geneticist Helen Cho (Claudia Kim) who gets co-opted by Ultron, arms dealer Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis, a motion capture master himself), and the re-occuring role of Stark?s A.I. companion J.A.R.V.I.S. (voiced by Paul Betttany) is expanded via a red and green android body (Bettany in the flesh).

There?s also the many cameos from the MCU including Don Cheadle getting in a few good one-liners again as as James ?Rhodey? Rhodes/War Machine and Anthony Mackie getting in a few glaring grins as Sam Wilson/Falcon, along with appearances by Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and of course, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, who no Marvel movie should be without. And yes, there?s a Stan Lee cameo, but, c'mon, you knew there would be.

Yes, A:AOU covers every single fan-pleasing base it can in its 2 hour and 21 minute running time and is a pretty bloated affair because of it, but it swiftly juggles all these strands until they collide in the big climax set on a ginourmous hunk of a Sokovian city land mass that Ultron has lifted from the earth and is planning on crashing down. The Avengers try to save the city's people while warring with the armies of robots that are all forms of Ultron (in a MATRIX sort of way I guess).

The special effects, of course put together by thousands of digital artists, are flawlessly top notch, but it?s the human moments that give a lot of heart, soul, and humor to this enterprise. A romance blooming between Ruffalo?s Banner (another invested portrayal - where's this guy's Hulk movie?) and Johansson?s Romanoff adds a thoughtful touch, and while Downey Jr.?s Stark is still full of snark, there?s an unmistakable conscience behind it. The rest of the gang also have their moments, but Hemsworth's Thor is still my least favorite Avenger.

Spader, even with only a mechanical presence, makes for a powerfully worthy foe, one who gets his share of well delivered quips and takes delight in destruction.

If this is Whedon?s final fling with the super hero franchise, he went out with a multitude of big bangs. Maybe they?re all riffs on the familiar formulaic tropes of the genre we?re all used to, but that doesn?t make them any less effective. 

A:AOU is winningly and satisfyingly more of the same; it?s everything a superhero superfan would want out of a Marvel movie. Non fans who haven?t been won over by any of the movies in the series before won?t be converted by it, but I seriously doubt many of them will have read this far into this review anyway.

More later...

The Judge

***DISCLAIMER*** The following review is entirely my opinion. If you comment (which I encourage you to do) be respectful. If you don't agree with my opinion, that's fine. To each their own. These reviews are not meant to be statements of facts or endorsements, I am just sharing my opinions and my perspective when watching the film and is not meant to reflect how these films should be viewed. Finally, the reviews are given on a scale of 0-5. 0, of course, being unwatchable. 1, being terrible. 2, being not great. 3, being okay. 4, being great and 5, being epic! And if you enjoy these reviews feel free to share them and follow the blog or follow me on Twitter (@RevRonster) for links to my reviews and the occasional live-Tweet session of the movie I'm watching! Robert Downey Jr. is in the film?  Shut up, that's all I needed to know.

The Judge ? 4 out of 5

Ever since Robert Downey Jr. started to get involved in the social media scene (or when his publicist started to impersonate him on the social media scene, I don?t really know if it is him or not), I?ve been following the guy because I?m a fan. When The Judge was coming to theaters, Downey promoted the hell out of it on Facebook?sharing pictures from the set, sending thinly veiled threats that if I don?t see it I?ll never see my children again, and sharing the trailer. I admit, I was interested but with how expensive it is to see movies in the theaters and with the fact my local theater has gotten wise to the way I sneak into the movies (apparently telling them that I "totes bought a ticket and it is inside the actual theater" no longer fools the ticket-taker), I sometimes have to wait for movies I?m interested in.

I'm guessing he's looking into a mirror and informing his reflection that he is
awesome.  I know I would if I was RDJ.

Hank Palmer (Downey) is a hotshot and silver-tongued lawyer in the big city. One day, he finds out his mother has died and is now forced to return to his small hometown and face the man he doesn?t speak to anymore; his Judge father Joseph (Robert Duvall). While visiting and catching up with his brothers; Glen (Vincent D?Onofrio) and Dale (Jeremy Strong), his father is charged with vehicular manslaughter of a man his father once sentenced. Reluctantly. because of his animosity he feels towards his dad, Hank decides to defend him in court against a ruthless prosecutor (Billy Bob Thornton).

He's Sherlock Holmes-ing the court case right now.

The mainstream critics (read that as the ones who get paid for this and don?t just have a blog where they ramble incoherently about the movie they just watched like anybody really gives a shit) have been mixed on this one. The performances are praised but they said the film is pretty formulaic and clich?. I won?t argue that fact but I sure enjoyed this film.

I wonder if he still enjoys the smell of napalm in the morning...

Like the other critics, I agree that this film has some tremendous performances. Everyone in the film is just amazing and the chemistry that all the actors share feels real. Whether it is a scene between Duvall and Downy or a scene that shows all the Palmer brothers or even a scene between Hank and an old flame played by Vera Farmiga, the performances are incredibly strong and make this film entirely about their growth and their ordeal. The actors take characters that, on paper, could be clich? and nothing really new (like the cocky big city lawyer), and they really make them interesting and easy to invest in. The problem becomes, however, the acting is so good that when the story does little with a character, I felt robbed.

Hey look, Iron Man and the Kingpin are brothers...a bit of a change from the comics.

Jeremy Strong's performance was very strong...
I'm here all week!  Be sure to tip your waitress!

In the film, Vincent D?Onofrio and Jeremy Strong play Hank?s brothers and both are giving their all to their role. Hell, D?Onofrio, Strong, and Downey all come off like legit brothers and the chemistry shown and teases of their history makes me want to see more development from them. For example, it is teased that Hank and Glen had a dark event in their past and Dale is mentally challenged. These character points made their bond and brotherhood interesting and I wanted to see more that involved the three and their relationship. Sadly, Dale is played only for his handicap and Glen too often gets pushed into the background?and that was a crime because D?Onofrio is a tremendous actor and he is just on fire in this role.

And later in the movie we find out that he's an alien bug in a Edgar suit.

As far as the story being clich?? I wont? argue that one either. The story throws no surprises at you at all. You pretty much know the path the film will travel but that didn?t limit my enjoyment. What made the formulaic story work and not bore me were the performances and the characters. However, I won?t say that the story didn't have some problems I couldn?t overlook.

I was going to put a "I'm King of the World" caption here but, instead, I'll just
write the word "poop."

I get that Hollywood always wants to insert a love story into all movies and I have no problem with that. The back and forth between Farmiga and Downey is charming and adorable. The problem that occurred with their relationship comes in the form of the (no shocker here) that Hank might be the daddy of Farmiga?s character?s baby. This, too, is a tad clich? and not an overtly bad problem but this film adds another element in the fact that Hank kinda/sorta made out with this potential daughter (in his defense, he had no idea it might have been his offspring and said offspring was played by Leighton Meester). This dynamic alone could have been a movie about a big city lawyer returning home and finding his old flame but it feels shoe-horned into the trial/family-heavy story and, when it is resolved (and sorta weakly), it comes with no real fanfare and is just sort of spat out and forgotten about.

I'm pretty sure if the talented and beautiful Robert Downey Jr. and the
talented and beautiful Vera Farmiga actually had a baby,
it would probably become a god.

Finally, in any court-settings in a film, you need a strong persecutor to go up against the defense. It seems that this film was going to have it with Billy Bob Thornton. He?s filmed as menacing and tough-as-nails and built up to be a true obstacle in Hank?s case for his father but, like the result of the film?s paternity test, nothing really comes of it. While Thornton?s performance is good, he?s just not given enough screen time or enough depth to really be something that stands in the way. It just goes to make the trial that you already have a firm grasp of knowing where it is going be all that more predictable.

The only man named Billy Bob that I wouldn't fear was going to rape me in the
backwoods.

Even with its problems, I really enjoyed The Judge. The story may be ridiculously predictable and the film doesn?t develop the supporting characters enough but the performances are never terrible. Hell, the film even has some very decent comic relief from Dax Shepard as Joseph?s first choice of defense. Even with its issues, I still found The Judge to be a charming and fun film that may not be breaking ground on any new sort of drama (a father and son reconciling their differences over the course of adversity, nothing new there) but it never gets boring or pretentious.

I say this a lot but Dax Shepard needs to be in more films.

Movie Review: Ironman 3..the thrusters work well, but run out of steam

The highly anticipated blockbuster of the summer, Ironman 3 starts off exactly as you want it to. The machinery seems perfectly in order, the script seems to have been given due thought, the pacing is just right. At a perfect, unexpected moment the thrusters kick in and the bird is in motion with some jaw dropping action. Brilliant, this is exactly what you came to see ? you settle in deeper in your chair for more of the same and a thrilling Avengers-esque experience yet again. Only..that doesn?t happen (and hence the title ? the thrusters run out)

Ironman 3 has a lot to offer. Excellent visuals, typical Tony Stark humor an over-abundance of action, very good special effects and cinematography. The performances are also pretty good with Robert Downey Jr. donning the Ironman suit with consummate ease and Gwyneth Paltrow doing a good job with Pepper Potts, who has a meatier role this time round.

However, it pains me to say this but what could have been an explosive and emotionally packed superhero movie or just good old plain action masterfully presented..ends up being neither of the two resulting in almost average fare as the credits roll in. Its not a bad watch per se, don?t get me wrong, but by the end of it all it comes closer to becoming Ironman 2 rather than the origin movie, which I would still rate as the best movie of the franchise yet

What?s worse is that this didn?t necessarily need to be the case especially since the first half of Ironman 3 is wonderfully done. Picking up after the events of Avengers rather than the Ironman movies was a smart move and there is an instant connect. The build up is near perfect and the glimpses of the nemesis are exactly how they ought to be. In fact, Ironman 3 almost offers one of most menacing villains in recent times (and I don?t consider the Joker recent any more so don?t start comparing) . I say almost for a reason; it was a smart ploy but it kinda fell flat for reasons I can?t explain just yet, you?ll figure out when you watch it. As for the 3D of the movie ? well, its strictly okay. Ironman 3 could comfortably be seen in 2D though some of wide angle sequences could be considered worthy of the IMAX experience

In a nutshell, this installment of Ironman had the potential to be the best. But by going the tried and tested action explosion route in the second half, it ends up being just another Ironman movie. Whether that does enough for you is your call