The Avengers (2012)

When it’s over, The Avengers was low on substance, but high on thrills.  It was everything I expected it to be.  It was insanely over the top, but I expected nothing less than an overdose of CGI and egos as large as Hulk’s massive body.  The film joins Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow and the team of Shield led by Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) to battle against Loki and his army.  It merges the cast and storylines from four separate films without any hiccups.  Even if the film had been a complete disaster, the cast alone would be worth the viewing.  With all the big stars sharing the screen together, one of the pitfalls I feared for this film was too many characters vying for screen time, thereby suffering the fate of too much going on, sending the film in varying paths, like X-Men 3: The Last Stand did in 2006.  In the capable hands of Director/Writer Joss Whedon, the story stays on course and successfully develops each character equally, giving the film the balance it needed to make the film feel like a whole rather than broken up stories that lead nowhere.   The character developments are tid-bits, but are enough for the viewer to understand just a bit more about each character and their motivations, which is enough for a film like this, because the core of the film is essentially about a team fighting to protect earth, not individuals trying to define themselves.  The cast was great and seemed to blend well together, even in their “not-so-friendly” scenes.  Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Hemsworth reprised their roles as Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor without any glitches as if they made this film back to back from their previous films.  Brit actor, Tom Hiddleston, returned as the power hungry Loki.  I had hoped Loki would be more menacing, but Whedon played it safe by keeping the character somewhat likable allowing a few jokes to slip by.  Originally, I wasn’t sure if Scarlett Johansson would pull off the Black Widow persona, but I think she did a terrific job.  She held her own in battle and served to be a neutral player amongst the explosive male egos that surrounded her.  Jeremy Renner was right on target as Hawkeye, and showed that a mortal man without super powers could still outwit evil with his archery skills.  Mark Ruffalo seemed an unlikely choice as The Hulk, but proved to be smashing as a man torn between two personalities.  And lastly, I was surprised and glad that Whedon developed Agent Phil’s character.  Actor Clark Gregg has portrayed Nick Fury’s right hand man for three of the previous films leading up to The Avengers, and it seemed only fitting for Agent Phil to have the biggest gun with the biggest blast. 

My rating: 4 out of 5

 

Haywire (2011)

When it's over, relative newcomer to the silver screen, Gina Carano, kicks butt as the hard as nails, and sometimes feminine, covert operative, Mallory Kane, who seeks retribution after she is double-crossed by her handler (Ewan McGregor).  Having a strong background in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) specializing in Muay Thai (a combat sport similar to kickboxing),  Carano was well casted for this role, and serves to be the highlight of Haywire.  However, having the pleasure of watching the woman in action, doesn’t save the film from its shortcomings, mainly, a weak storyline with too many loose ends.  It suffers from too many players and not enough playtime.  We have all these violent fight scenes, but none of them serve to build up the story or the characters, except who’s a better fighter. Some questions that leave the viewer hanging are: Why the elaborate deception when the journalist could have easily been killed?  What’s the purpose of setting up Mallory?  What’s the deal with the guy in the car when Mallory makes her getaway at the diner?  And what’s up with the title?  It’s catchy, but hardly relates to the film.  Mallory wants revenge, but she’s hardly going haywire about it.  Clearly, the fight sequences were the driving force of the film, and because of this, a better selected cast of male action stars would have served the film better.  Don't get me wrong, I liked the cast, and the sequences were well choreographed, but the men (including Michael Fassbender and McGregor) Carano fights just aren’t in her league – physically or in skill.  Channing Tatum fits the age, but not the skill.  She didn’t have a chance to fight Antonio Banderas, and although I like Banderas, I don’t think the fight would have amounted to much.  The filmmakers should have included some form of fighting between the two, since Carano had already fought half the cast.  How about a gun fight or a sword fight?  Some names I would have really liked to see her go neck to neck with are Jason Statham, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Daniel Craig, or Christian Bale.  Any of these actors, or all, would have given her some serious competition.  Interesting enough, Carano will have her chance to meet her match as she is reported to be starring opposite Diesel and Johnson in the upcoming The Fast and the Furious 6.  She’s attractive, she’s tough, and she isn’t afraid of the camera.  I think she’ll go far in Hollywood.  Rounding the cast of big names are Michael Douglas and Bill Paxton.

My rating:  2.5 out of 5

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

When it’s over, do we really need another Pirates of the Caribbean?  I’m a fan of Johnny Depp, but I think it’s hide tide he hung up the Jack Sparrow hat.  In this fourth instalment, Jack and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) team up to find the Fountain of Youth, but little do they know that Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter (Penelope Cruz) are also after the same treasure.  On the journey, Jack encounters deadly mermaids, a woman from his past, and enough waves to shift his tide.  There are a few laughs and some good jokes, but overall, the whole series is getting redundant and stale.  If the producers were looking to re-invent the series, which was evident they were trying to do by introducing new cast mates, then, they should literally re-invent it.  Instead of having Jack do the same things using the same devices (ex: the compass), why not give Jack some new toys and a new mission.  Why not have Jack time travel?  Imagine the possibilities in that.  Searching for the fountain of youth has been the focus of so many films in the past, so why not put a new twist on it and raise the stakes by making the fountain precious and cursed at the same time by adding elements such as an eternal imprisonment for the one who drinks from the sacred water or immortal guardians who protect the fountain at all costs and must be destroyed before getting access to the fountain.  I especially liked the introduction of the mermaids, which added a new layer of intrigue, so at the end of the film, I found myself asking, what happened to the mermaid and her man?  All I saw were two mermaids swimming in the shadows.  Was I to assume that this was Philip (Sam Claflin), the clergyman, and the mermaid he befriends?  Their small love story served to be the only fresh thing about the film, but their conclusion left unanswered questions, adding to the overall disappointment factor.  

My rating:  2.5 out of 5

 

Retreat (2011)

 

When it’s over, where’s the tension?  After a recent tragedy, a young married couple (Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton) retreat to a secluded island off the coast of Scotland to try and rekindle their relationship only to have it interrupted by an intruder (Jamie Bell) who claims a deadly virus has swept through Europe.  The film’s not about the results of a pandemic, but rather the struggle to avoid it.  With a cast of three characters, the film's main focus was to pit the characters against one another, building the conflict that would eventually explode in the end.  And the end was the best part of the film.  I didn’t see the ending coming nor guess the story would take the turn it did.  However, the last 15 minutes would have been more powerful had the suspense been better built up.  The film was slow to start and by mid-way, it was still struggling to meet the peak it needed to reach by Act 3.  The characters were not very well developed, and although I knew where each stood emotionally, I couldn’t get myself to sympathize with them.  I think this has to do more with the script than the acting.  Also, the audio was a notable problem and served to be annoying, and I’m sure I missed a lot of story development due to this.  I found myself struggling to hear the conversations since much of the dialogue was in whispers.  There's nothing more frustrating during a film when you can't hear the dialogue and you need to strain to hear the words only to ask the person next to you, "What did he say?" and they shrug their shoulders in reply.  

My rating:  2.5 out of 5

Trespass (2011)

When it’s over, I liked the plot twists and turns, but didn’t like the film as a whole.  It’s like eating a fancy meal.  You appreciate all that’s gone into the meal, but it doesn’t taste all that good, and that’s disappointing.  Nicholas Cage and Nicole Kidman play a wealthy married couple, Kyle and Sarah Miller, who seem to have it all until a home invasion reveals the lies and deception the two harbour.  Think Panic Room (2002).  Think Funny Games (2007).  Think Hostage (2005).  But, don’t think Trespass is better, because it’s not, but does share similarities.  The story moves fast, and the script was smart enough to keep the plot shifting, leaving enough guessing room as to which direction the film will turn as the body count escalates.  However, a good story isn’t enough if the performances can’t live up to the text.  This is the unfortunate case for Trespass.  Cage and Kidman, both talented actors, weren’t at their best in this film, leaving their characters bland and one dimensional.  The weak supporting cast including Cam Gigandet and Liana Liberato didn’t offer much lift either.  The level of concern for the family was nil, leaving me emotionally detached from the characters, and once you lose interest in the characters, you lose interest in the story.  Joel Schumacher has made some notable films in the past, and this isn’t one of them. 

My rating: 2.5 out of 5