Ant-Man (8/10): Surprisingly better than Age of Ultron.

“Imagine a soldier the size of an insect, the ultimate secret weapon.”

I wasn’t too excited about this film considering the premise of a hero who can shrink to the size of an ant and telepathically communicate with them seemed a bit too far fetched even for a Marvel film. That and the fact that Edgar Wright decided to back down from the director’s chair after a dispute with Disney; it looked as if everything was set out for failure. Despite not being a huge fan I’ve enjoyed all the Marvel films, but I have become increasingly weary of them as well. The Thor films and the first Captain America being my least favorites, I was sure this one was going to rank somewhere among them. I definitely wasn’t expecting Ant-Man to be better than Age of Ultron, but I have to admit that the light tone worked here and this movie was much more entertaining. So, how did they pull it off? They got Peyton Reed to fill in for Wright as the director, and continued to build on Wright’s screenplay. If Reed was able to make a film about High School cheerleaders entertaining, than this Ant-Man premise would be a piece of cake for him. By lowering the stakes, approaching the material with a lot of tongue in cheek humor, and aiming at being a crowd pleaser, Ant-Man ended up being a fun and entertaining film. I wouldn’t go as far as saying this was as clever as Guardians of the Galaxy in its approach to humor and pop culture references, but it did come close. Perhaps it helped that I went in to it with very low expectations, but I walked out of the movie with a smile on my face. For once this felt like an origin story that worked on its own and didn’t have to be a gigantic setup for the next Avengers films. The premise is silly and stupid at times, but the film is big on laughs.

One of the main reasons why Ant-Man worked so well was because of Paul Reed’s lead performance as the titular character. Rudd delivers with his usual charm and perfect comedic timing. He embodies the character almost as well as Robert Downey Jr. does with Iron Man. With his smirky and cocky delivery, Downey Jr. makes Tony Stark more entertaining than when he’s wearing the actual suit, and that felt very similar with Rudd here as Scott Lang. He plays a con-man who is trying to make an honest living, but finding it incredibly difficult due to his criminal record. He has a seven year old daughter, Claire (played by the adorable Abby Ryder Fortson), who he isn’t allowed to visit until he can find stability and provide for her. Dr. Hank Pam (Michael Douglas) has kept a close eye on Scott and seems to have big plans for him. Hank has developed a special suit which allows him to shrink a man to the size of an ant and also increase his strength. Hank is too old for the suit now, but he believes Long is the ideal man for the job. He begins mentoring Scott, although his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) believes she should wear the suit. Ever since his wife died, Hank has had a terrible relationship with his daughter, but she has approached him after discovering that his former protege, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), has developed a similar technology and wants to sell the formula to the wrong people. Scott’s mission is to infiltrate Cross’s building and destroy what he has been working on before it is too late. 

Although it does follow a similar structure as most superhero films, Ant-Man feels at times more like a comedic heist movie. Of course due to the subject matter it also reminded me a lot of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (which also seems to be very fond of ants by the way). These elements gave the film a more breezy and light touch. Even in the final act of the film where the superhero movies tend to go big with a climactic battle scene, there are some great comedic moments involving a Thomas the train track and so forth, which continually downplay the film and lighten the mood. It is definitely a huge change of tone from Age of Ultron and The Winter Soldier, so it manages to stand out on its own as a superhero movie although it still shares some of its generic flaws. Despite the great visual effects during the shrinking scenes, there are still some structural elements that don’t work as well. The family dynamic between Hope and her father and between Lang and his ex (played by Judy Greer) seem to be recycled and silly at times. Hank waits for too long in the film to explain what happened to his wife, which was more of a plot convenience than anything else. However, Paul Rudd’s comedic performance elevate this film, as do the supporting cast. Michael Peña as Rudd’s sidekick, stands out during his scenes (especially during his monologues) and he delivered some of the funniest moments of the film. Lilly also proved to be a strong female character, while Douglas is someone you can always bank on as a solid actor. Stoll wasn’t a very menacing villain, and that seems to be a common flaw in most Marvel films, but considering the stakes were much lower here it wasn’t that much of a letdown. Ant-Man was a pleasant surprise despite its silly premise and I’m actually looking forward to what Rudd can bring to the Marvel franchise.       

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (6/10): Will you follow Peter Jackson one last time into Middle Earth?

“Will you follow me, one last time?”

Not only is Thorin asking his dwarves to follow him one last time into battle, but Peter Jackson is also asking us to join him one last time in experiencing his vision of Middle Earth. We all know The Hobbit was one short book (about 300 pages), but Jackson decided to adapt it into three full length movies so there is going to be a lot of characters and elements included that aren’t in the book. J.R.R Tolkien fans might be upset and most audiences agree that Jackson made a mistake in stretching the material because this trilogy hasn’t had the same emotional impact as the Lord of the Rings trilogy had. However, Jackson is still asking us to accompany him one last time into Middle Earth in order to tie everything together. He and the producers may have experienced their share of dragon fever by getting greedy and wanting to bank on the success of their first trilogy (it is kind of ironic when you take into account that the underlying message of the novels is that greed destroys the soul), but they are asking us to join them for one last time, and they deserve it. If you are a fan of the franchise this will be an emotional moment for you, but if you don’t care much for this world then you will find the film annoying. It does tie in the first two films of The Hobbit trilogy very well with The Lord of the Rings so it serves as a sort of closure for these epic films. At 144 minutes, this is the shortest film of the franchise and you sort of get the feeling that Jackson doesn’t know how to sum things up in less than 3 hours because this film feels rushed and overstuffed with characters and subplots. It also happens to be action packed with a battle scene lasting for almost an hour. It may be a bit too much, but there is no denying that Peter Jackson cares deeply for the material here and is devoted to it. Despite not being nearly as engaging as The Lord of the Ring trilogy, The Hobbit has its emotional moments with strong action sequences and some solid performances. Jackson is asking us to follow him for the last time, but it is up to us to decide if his passion and dedication is worth the journey. I joined him and was mildly entertained although I found several flaws. Despite not being as entertaining as The Desolation of Smaug, this is still an improvement over The Unexpected Journey.  

The Battle of the Five Armies picks up right where The Desolation of Smaug left us, giving me the feeling that I had paused the film and waited a whole year before hitting the play button once again. It took me a while to recall everything that had been going on, but with the opening action sequence I had to rush those memories in order to understand everything that was going on. The Hobbit is actually one film divided into three parts which makes it difficult to analyze apart from each other. There is a sense of cohesion among these films and we finally get the concluding chapter after an agonizing and extended fist part which felt completely stretched out and an entertaining second chapter where we were introduced to new and familiar characters and an impressive dragon voiced by the great Benedict Cumberbatch. This third chapter picks up with that very dragon destroying the nearby village where Bard (Luke Evans) and his children are. The film begins with an impressive action sequence and then the next hour is dedicated to build up what will be the ultimate battle scene with five different armies preparing for battle. This is where the movie begins to feel convoluted and overstuffed with subplots that feel too rushed. But at times the film does succeed when it centers on the relationship between Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and Thorin (Richard Armitage). We know that Jackson knows how to deliver spectacular visuals and action sequences, but what was missing from The Lord of the Rings trilogy was that character development we finally got to see here with these two characters. Unfortunately there are other elements included that don’t work too well (like the love triangle between Kili, Legolas, and Tauriel that feels misplaced). The build up and the action scenes might be a bit too much for audiences, and ultimately the film fails to stand out from other epics. It is an average film that has its ups and downs, but still manages to bring closure. Unfortunately this trilogy never lives up to the grandeur of The Lord of the Rings.

My Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (7/10)

"If you awaken that beast, you'll destroy us all!"

Peter Jackson has awakened my interest for the resolution of this franchise after a somewhat disappointing first installment. Being a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was disappointed with An Unexpected Journey and found the film long, tedious, and boring. The last 40 minutes of that film were what kept me interested for what Jackson could do in this sequel. I honestly didn't remember much about An Unexpected Journey, but I was glad that The Desolation of Smaug began more promising than its predecessor, and as the story unfolded my memory began to freshen up a bit. One of the issues I had with the first film was that the comedy didn't work too well and I really couldn't differentiate most of the dwarves. The dilemma was solved here because there were several funny moments to lighten up the mood, and the dwarves were developed much better and had distinct personalities with more meat to their characters. The film really picked up when Legolas and Tauriel entered the picture. I think Tauriel was my favorite character in this film considering how much I like Evangeline Lilly (sorry but being a huge Lost fan she will always be Freckles to me) and how well she executed each action sequence. The film has a couple of great action sequences, but the one that stood out above the rest was the barrel scene. It is honestly one of the best and funnest action scenes of the year. I was pleased with this film and would've given this a higher grade if it weren't for the overlong running time that did feel a bit tedious once again. The cliffhanger at the end worked really well for me as it definitely left me hooked for the final film of the franchise.

Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), and the 13 dwarves led by Thorin (Richard Armitage) continue their journey to Lonely Mountain to try to reclaim their kingdom. The film picks up right where the first one left us, as they were approaching the Mirkwood Forest while the orcs were right behind their backs.  Their journey to Lonely Mountain is not an easy one as they have to face all sorts of threats before arriving at their destination to try to reclaim the throne that was taken away from them by the gold digging dragon, Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). In the forest they first have to deal with giant spiders, but Bilbo who now possesses the ring is able to rescue them. Then they are captured by elves where they run into Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). Bilbo comes to the rescue yet again, but this is just the beginning of a long journey as the enemy seems to be getting stronger each minute that passes and he begins to become more self aware about the effects of the ring.

To say that The Desolation of Smaug is visually stunning is an understatement considering we have already seen what Peter Jackson can do with Middle Earth. Being the huge fan of Tolkien that he is, the attention to detail and love for his book translates to the big screen perfectly. The build up to the final confrontation with Smaug is full of thrills and excitements and the dragon is carefully crafted here. The face off of words between Smaug and Bilbo is also very well done. There are several scenes that worked masterfully here, but unfortunately there was simply too many things going on at times and the film felt overlong, although I must admit that the waiting does pay off. I was glad the characters were developed much better this time around and I was drawn into their world. This is an improvement over An Unexpected Journey and hopefully Jackson will end the trilogy with a bang. This was an exciting and thrilling adventure that sets the table for what is coming next.

My Review: Real Steel (9/10)

¨I wanted you to fight for me.¨

Real Steel is a fantastic and fun film that is so much more than simply a robot boxing movie. I have to admit that when I first saw the trailer I thought this was going to be another Transformer like fiasco, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well the movie was presented. The robots were simply secondary characters and the true heart of the film relied on the human characters and their relationship. It mixes sci-fi with the classic David against Goliath underdog story and some heartfelt drama focusing on the relationship between a father and his son. The special effects and the boxing robot scenes are great, but I am so glad that wasn’t the actual focus of the film; there was so much more to it. Hugh Jackman is a great actor and he really delivers a lot of heart in his performance, but the actual star in this film is the young Dakota Goyo who really shines in each scene he`s in; he has so much charisma on screen; I am sure he has a great future ahead of him. The relationship between his character and his father (Hugh Jackman) is the true focus of the film and what made Real Steel stand out above the rest of the summer blockbusters. Shawn Levy (Date Night and Night at the Museum) directed this film which is loosely based on the short story ¨Steel, ¨ and the screenplay was adapted by John Gatins. I found some parts of the screenplay similar to the original Rocky movie, so in a way Real Steel could be called the futuristic remake of Rocky.

Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) used to be a professional boxer before the sport was banned and displaced by robot boxing. He was an average boxer who could take a lot of hits, and stood his own against the then champion of the world. Now he barely survives as a boxing promoter, taking his robot across the state to small rodeos and promoting small fights. He is not very good at winning and owes a lot of people a lot of money. He lives with his former coach`s daughter, Bailey (Evangeline Lilly) who also loves boxing and works as sort of the robot engineer as she tries to fix the different parts and pieces of the damaged robots Charlie brings back. She admires Charlie, but also knows that his life is leading nowhere. Charlie`s life changes when he spends a summer with his eleven year old son, Max (Dakota Goyo), whom he had never met before. Max`s mother passes away so legally Charlie is in charge, but the boy`s aunt Debra (Hope Davis) wants to take full custody of the kid along with her wealthy husband Marvin (James Rebhorn). Charlie sees the opportunity of making some money off his son and offers to give them full custody of the kid as long as they pay him 100,000 dollars. Marvin makes a deal with him as long as he keeps Max during the summer while he travels with his wife to Europe. Max and Charlie don’t get a long at first, but their passion for robot boxing brings them closer together. Charlie can find a chance at redemption when Max finds an old and abandoned robot named Atom which was used for training, but with some few adjustments they might have found a winner.

Real Steel was probably one of the most fun films I`ve seen this year. Yes, it has some flaws, it`s not perfect, but it was really entertaining. The film has some corny dialogue, it can be predictable, but it is a winner thanks to the great cast. I`m also a sucker for underdog stories and this is probably one of the best sport movies I`ve seen this year. It has its emotional moments and I really loved the performances from Jackman and Goyo. The kid is just fantastic on screen and his charisma is unbelievable. You can`t help but route for this kid. I also enjoyed Evangeline Lilly being the Lost fan that I am and it was great to see her in a decent role. The scene where she talks to Max about how Charlie used to be a great boxer was great; you can tell how much her character cared for Charlie by the way her eyes light up when she talked about it. I wish she would accept more roles in the future; I loved seeing her on screen. The robot boxing scenes were also great; I can remember two or three fights that were absolutely engaging, and the final fight is just a great homage to the original Rocky movie. Real Steel is real fun and real entertainment. I absolutely recommend this film and it will surely be among my favorite films of 2011.

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My Review: The Hurt Locker (10/10)

¨There's enough bang in there to blow us all to Jesus. If I'm gonna die, I want to die comfortable.¨

The Hurt Locker grabs your attention from the very opening scene. It is thrilling and full of excitement. Director Kathryn Bigelow (James Cameron´s ex wife who directed Point Break, the cult classic film for surfers around the world) does an excellent job of putting the viewer right in the middle of the Iraq war. Kathryn doesn´t waste time at introducing the characters, it just puts us right in the middle of a tense situation in where a bomb squad is trying to disarm an explosive device in the middle of an Iraqi street. The tension is felt from that very opening scene and doesn`t stop during the two hours the film lasts. This is without a doubt one of the best movies of the year and recently won best picture at the Critics Awards. This was one of my favorite films of the year along with Inglorious Basterds and Kathryn Bigelow is just as well as deserving as Tarantino for the best director award because she does an excellent job with this war movie. She will have a lot of competition however from her ex-husband Cameron who just made the biggest box office hit of the year with Avatar. I think Bigelow is much more deserving however because she took a genre that has been overused and made an excellent thriller out of it. I know most audiences are tired of watching movies about the Iraq war, but trust me The Hurt Locker is worth your time and will grab your attention from the first minute. I think it is the best war movie made in recent years and I really loved the ending which connects perfectly with the opening quotes the movie presents.

The film is set in Iraq and we are introduced to the action immediately where an American Army Bomb squad is trying to deactivate an explosive device in the middle of a populated Iraqi street. The squad is formed by Sgt. Matt Thompson (played by Guy Pierce from Memento) who has the very difficult task of trying to deactivate the bomb, Sgt. JT Sanborn (played by Anthony Mackie) who is Thompson`s eyes in the mission and is in charge of protecting him from the very hostile environment, and Spc. Owen Eldridge (played by Brian Geraghty) who assists both Sanborn and Thompson in the mission. The team first sends a robotic box to try to disarm the bomb, but things go wrong so Thompson has to go in himself. Thompson isn`t able to disable the bomb in time and it explodes taking his life in the process. The team is devastated by the loss, especially Owen who has to see a shrink, but in war there is no time to lose and they have to continue with their mission. They are introduced to the new replacement, Sgt. William James (played by Jeremy Renner from S.W.A.T.) who proves to be nothing like Thompson. In the team`s first assignment he acts recklessly and disables a bomb with a fearless attitude and wastes no time in listening to his teammates. He has an alternative approach and the team will just have to adapt to his new methods. Jeremy Renner gives a terrific performance and one of my favorite of the year. The success of the movie coincides with his performance and the character he personifies. Ralph Fiennes has a small role in the movie along with David Morse and Evangeline Lilly (from the Lost series), but the less known actors are the ones who have more screen time and they all give great performances.

The success of this movie relies on several factors: Kathryn Bigelow`s direction that allowed her to make a great film out of an overused genre, Renner`s cool performance which allowed the audience to identify and care for the character he created and experience how war had become an addiction for him, and Mark Boal`s original screenplay (he had only written one other movie in the past, In The Valley of Elah) which allowed for some good dialogues. These three elements combined perfectly together to make this one of the best films of the year. Another positive aspect about The Hurt Locker is that it combined several different filming techniques allowing for some documentary style shots at times which gave it a more realistic feeling. I`m a sucker for films that have a good ending and I absolutely loved the ending in this movie which tied nicely to the opening quote of the movie which stated: ¨The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.¨ We find this to be true for Renner`s character after the final conversation he has with his baby. The Hurt Locker is also one of my favorite war movies so I highly recommend this film to all. I guarantee you that it will have you at the edge of your seat during the entire two hours. It is an excellent and near perfect thriller.