Avengers: Age of Ultron (7/10): And the Build-up continues...

"I know you're good people. I know you mean well. But you just didn't think it through. There is only one path to peace... your extinction."

Age of Ultron doesn't live up to the first Avengers mostly because the novelty of seeing all these superheroes together has warn off, but it is still a very entertaining film with some positive elements to take out of it. First of all, the villain voiced by James Spader is an improvement over most others we've seen in the Marvel Universe. He is actually a menace to the heroes, and although Ultron isn't as charismatic as Loki, he still represents a much more dangerous threat for them so we feel there is much more at stake. The addition of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch also enhances the franchise. Olsen is an actress I've admired ever since her screen debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene, so it was exciting to see her play this role alongside other fantastic actors. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver wasn't used as well as he was in X-Men, but it was still fun to see him on screen. Quicksilver was the highlight for me in the latest X-Men franchise, but here he is simply another new character. It was much more fun to see his quick movements in slow motion instead of at such a rapid pace. The returning characters also enhance the sequel and make it entertaining. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is by far my favorite character in the franchise and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk always delivers some of the best comedic moments. Age of Ultron delivers plenty of fun scenes, but it also tries to take itself a bit more seriously, and that didn't work as well for me considering I found Captain America The Winter Soldier to be a slightly better and interesting serious thriller. In summary, it doesn't match the comedy of its predecessor and it doesn't stand out as a more serious film either. The run-time does begin to feel a bit heavy, but I still have to admit that I had a fun time with the movie. There is a lot going on and with the addition of the new characters some of the scenes feel rushed and the plot gets a bit convoluted.

The main problem  with these Marvel movies is that they're getting more and more difficult to view as individual films. They seem to be always building up to something and I expected all the build-up in the previous films was going to lead to something important in this second Avengers movie, but what we get instead is more of a build-up to the next phase of the Marvel universe. Ultron presented a great threat to the heroes, but everything was rushed and it seems it was resolved all too easily by the end. It's still hard to resist a film with so many likable characters and charismatic leads, but I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed with Age of Ultron when the introduction of the main villain seemed promising. Spader's voice work stood out for me in this film as one of the best performances. I was also happy to see Jeremy Renner get much more screen time with his character, Hawkeye, as well as Scarlett Johansson with Black Widow. This is probably as close to an individual film about them we'll get. Captain America and Thor however, are underused and I really didn't care too much about them here.

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My Review: Lucy (5/10)

"We've codified our existence to bring it down to human size, to make it comprehensible, we've created a scale so we can forget its unfathomable scale."

I've always been a fan of Luc Besson's work so I was expecting great things from Lucy considering I had read several positive reviews, but personally I was disappointed. And I'm not trashing this film simply because the assumption that humans only use 10% of their brain is erroneous; that wasn't an issue I had here. I just found it hard to engage with the character of Lucy, the philosophical themes explored here were silly, and the entire premise simply bored me. There were some similarities between this film and Johnny Depp's Transcendence where despite some solid visual styles the philosophical themes hurt the overall narrative. Scarlett Johansson delivers another solid performance, but her character really didn't work for me as well as former Besson leading ladies such as Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element and Natalie Portman in Leon. Perhaps it was all the philosophical and scientific mumbling that ended up hurting the narrative story for me. However I do have to give Besson credit for trying something different and taking risks because the film goes to unexpected places at times. I do feel that comparisons with 2001 are unfair. Some of the CGI didn't really work for me either, especially the one with the neanderthal during the opening scene. Besson also experimented with the use of imagery that seemed to be taken from a National Geographic channel which overlapped with the narrative serving as an analogy, but those scenes felt forced and they also took me out of the film. This sci-fi film might have taken several steps to stand out from other formulaic movies by not following the standard structure of a genre film, but the result didn't really pay off. I felt as if Lucy was trying to be this sort of profound philosophical film, but it turned out to be fairly silly and incomprehensible. Perhaps it may be that I use less than 10% of my brain and therefor just didn't get it, but for my limited brain capacity Lucy wasn't worth my time or money. 

Scarlett Johansson has taken several risks in the past year delivering some very solid roles in films like Her, Under the Skin, and now Lucy. The risks seem to have payed off considering she is catching the attention of talented directors and I'm glad she isn't going for the easy roles in rom-coms or standard action flicks. Despite enjoying her performance, this film lost me halfway through it. I enjoyed the supporting cast as well. It was great to see Choi Min-sik (better known for his role in Oldboy) play the villain here although I wish he would have been given more screen time. Perhaps my favorite performance was that of Amr Waked who played the officer helping Lucy (or should I say simply riding along with her?). Besson switched the genre roles here as usually it is the other way around, where the male character is the one doing all the work and the female only riding along. Morgan Freeman might just be the weakest link in this film as he is the one responsible for all the scientific and philosophical blabbing going on (my least favorite thing about Lucy). For a film that tries to take itself seriously with profound themes about wasted human potential, there are way too many flaws involved. I understand that most of these flaws were needed as an excuse to introduce some of the action scenes which this film would have suffered without. There are some fun scenes like a car chase across Paris, but there isn't much more to this whacky film. For all the scientific rambling there is very little substance to Lucy despite its ambitions.

My Review: Chef (7/10)

"I may not do everything great in my life, but I'm good at this."

Oh please don't be so humble Jon Favreau, you do everything pretty much great, and you proved it once again by directing, starring, and writing this charming and feel good family film. If there were ever a time where the term food porn could be applied to a film review, this is it because everything looked so tempting and delicious. Please don't watch this film on an empty stomach because you will be tortured by every single scene where Favreau is preparing food, whether it be a complicated dish for his fancy restaurant or a plain cuban sandwich from his food truck. But this isn't just a film glorifying food, it uses this passion people have for it and metaphorically shows us how it's never late to reinvent and discover ourselves. It is quite a change of pace for Favreau whose latest films were big budget productions (Cowboys & Aliens and the first two Iron Man movies), but this small family road trip film served its purpose in its own way for Favreau to reinvent himself once again and go back to his origins. Chef was an improvement from his last two films, but I still think Iron Man and Elf are Favreau's best ones. What Chef has going for it despite a pretty simple premise is how charismatic and natural the characters are in this film. The family drama feels authentic and it's never forced like so many films in the genre are. The film takes its time to introduce each character and doesn't simply rush things to the fun parts (the road trip). It's a feel food film but one that avoids cliches and forced situations and simply takes us along for a reinventing and natural ride. 

The premise is pretty simple, but the way in which Favreau presents each character is refreshing in its own way. He is likable in the lead role despite being a flawed character who remains friends with his ex-wife (played by Sofia Vergara) and is trying to balance out his time working in a respected restaurant while trying to connect with his young son, Percy (Emjay Anthony). He seems to have lost his creative freedom and is restrained by the owner (Dustin Hoffman) to continue serving the same dishes that have given the restaurant its fame (nice nod to the movie industry in Hollywood which restrains the creative instincts from its talented directors so that they continue to serve their audience the same dishes). But when a famous food critic (Oliver Platt) criticizes his dishes an online twitter war breaks out between them. Favreau decides it's time to move on and following his ex-wife's advice he travels with his son to Miami and buys a food truck. This is where their road trip begins and the two begin bonding. John Leguizamo and Bobby Cannavale play Favreau's assistants, and they both are the reason why the film is so charming. I was surprised with Anthony's performance as well. Having seen a couple of old films recently I can't help but realize how child acting has improved over the years. You never get the feeling that Anthony is ever acting or reading out his lines because every word and reaction felt completely natural. There were also plenty of funny and warm moments throughout the film. It was good to see Robert Downey Jr. and Favreau reunited once again although it was only for a couple of minutes. There was nothing groundbreaking about Chef, but it was so authentic and charming that it was hard to resist. The cast plays a key role in the success of this film and so does the food.

My Review: Under the Skin (4/10)

"Do you live alone?"

Jonathan Glazer's latest film has received much praise from critics and film lovers alike for it's artistic, minimalist, and experimental style. It's a surreal film that never feels pretentious. Under the Skin says a lot (almost entirely through imagery) about beauty and seduction and how it is perceived differently by men and women. Scarlett Johansson gives a powerful performance, but somehow the imagery didn't stick with me as it did with most audiences. I enjoyed the first 20 minutes of the film and I was creeped out with the direction it was heading as Johansson's character seduced and lured men into her van, but after she experiences a sort of inner struggle concerning who she is, I felt the film went downhill from there and lost my interest. There are many interpretations as to what each scene means and that is where Glazer succeeds considering his film has affected many viewers, but it really didn't do anything for me. The final hour of the film dragged and I felt emotionally detached despite the fine performance from Johansson and the eerie score that played a big role in setting up the  unique atmosphere of the film. I don't want to go into details because the less you know about this film the more unique of an experience you will have. Under the Skin will be on many critics top 10 list by the end of the year, and I can understand why, but it simply didn't work for me and I can't force myself to enjoy this or give it another watch. The images didn't seem to haunt me in the same way the score did. But by all means don't listen to me because you may have a completely different experience with this unique film.

I went into this film with very high expectations despite never having seen a film from Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast and Birth) because I had read a lot of positive things about it. Perhaps having seen this right after the epic martial-arts action film, The Raid 2, affected my overall experience considering it is much slower in pace. Under the Skin is more about the shocking imagery and the underlying message behind each scene rather than focusing on a traditional narrative structure. Although you may not know it, this film has more in common with Borat than what you would think. It is experimental in the sense that Glazer and the producers placed hidden cameras in the van while Johansson tried to seduce and lure men into her van without them knowing it. The experiment payed off well because these were the most interesting scenes in the film, but it wasn't cohesive enough with the other controlled aspects of the film. There is just something strange about this film that didn't really work for me. I just felt alienated and didn't care much for the direction it was heading and it never got under my skin the way it has most of the people I've spoken with about it.

My Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (8/10)

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. The ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. He's a ghost, you'll never find him."

The film opens with an action sequence in a freighter that made me worry I was going to be let down as I was with the first Captain America. Out of all the Marvel films the first Captain America film was my least favorite. This sequel opened with some shaky camera work and quick editing cuts, but once the story began to get going I was pleasantly surprised. This is very different from the rest of the Marvel films that relied heavily on CGI and light storytelling, The Winter Soldier is a bit more serious and tells an interesting story. At times you forget you are watching a superhero movie and it turns into an interesting espionage thriller. Even Captain America became much more interesting in this film and I'm sure fans will appreciate this sequel directed by Joe and Anthony Russo (You, Me and Dupree) much more than they did the first. Not only is this the best Captain America film, it also is the best film of Phase 2 (post The Avengers) for Marvel. The story is really entertaining and gripping, the film also looks really good considering it has much more live action scenes than CGI. After the disappointing opening sequence, the rest of the action scenes completely worked and they managed to keep me invested in what was going on. Sure the twists were a bit predictable, but the story was really well developed and the framework for the next sequel has been set. The new characters in this film also added a lot more to this franchise and I really enjoyed the pacing of this movie. This sequel delivered thanks to a gripping and suspenseful story and well developed characters.

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely teamed up again for the adaptation of this sequel which takes place some time after the events of The Avengers. Captain America (Chris Evans) is now in Washington DC as he continues struggling to adjust to the present while working for SHIELD under the guidance of Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson). It's a different world now and Captain America realizes that there are enemies disguised as friends even inside SHIELD headquarters. With very few people he can trust, Captain America teams up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to try to expose the conspiracy and traitors in the department before the world is attacked yet again. As they begin to dig deeper, a professional assassin known as the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is sent to stop them. Knowing that they can't expose the conspiracy on their own, Captain America finds an ally in Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a veteran who knows where Steve is coming from. He becomes the Falcon and together they begin to expose the corruption in SHIELD.

Chris Evans is comfortable yet again playing one of the most beloved comic book superheroes. Captain America might be the simplest of the heroes from the Marvel films, but he doesn't negotiate his values and is true to his word. Someone with his morals is hard to come across with in the present and that is why he finds it so difficult to establish meaningful relationships. Scarlett Johansson is great once again as the Black Widow and it's always great to see her fighting off the bad guys. As for the new characters I really enjoyed Anthony Mackie's performance as the Falcon. He really has great chemistry with Chris Evans and both their characters have similar values. Mackie also delivers some of the funniest lines in the movie in an otherwise pretty serious thriller. Sebastian Stan is also impressive as the Winter Soldier. His character is very interesting although I think he did try a little to hard at times to look cool. His posture and attitude reminded me of a rock star, but I still enjoyed his character very much and though he was a great addition to this film. Like the other Marvel films, you should stay for the credits as there are two short but interesting scenes. This was a huge upgrade for Captain America and it is my favorite film of 2014 so far. The climax is formulaic and we know what we are going to get, but the journey getting there is what made this film such a wonderful experience for me. This film actually had some interesting character development and it wasn't just an excuse to run from one incoherent and noisy action scene to the next like some other recent superhero films.

My Review: Don Jon (7/10)

"For these, and all the sins in my life, I am sorry."

I found Don Jon to be a solid feature debut from Joseph Gordon Levitt as a director who also starred in and wrote the original screenplay for this raunchy romantic comedy. He's a very talented actor, but here he gets to prove his skills as a director and a writer as well. This isn't your typical rom-com and it will probably make you feel uncomfortable from the start because it is not a family film. The writing may have some flaws and at times you may feel like JGL is hammering his message way too much, but I thought he was going for a similar style that Scorsese went for in The Wolf of Wall Street in which several excesses were repeated over and over again to make a point. I found it rather funny that despite how much the message was hammered many people still didn't get the point of the film which was much more than pointing out that pornography is a dangerous addiction that affects relationships. Yes, that is one of the messages behind this film which shows hoy pornography can affect intimacy in a relationship by turning sex into something unilateral. It's about what I can receive from a relationship instead of losing oneself in the other and actually experimenting what love really means. But the film explores much more than pointing out the dangers of pornography addiction. It also is about how disconnected we've become as a society. JGL's character is disconnected due to his addiction, his girlfriend believes love is all about the other person giving up everything for her (which is something she's learned from the rom-coms she eats up almost on a daily basis), which also turns her into someone who is looking for love in a unilateral form, his father is obsessed with sports and if his son isn't interested he doesn't consider him to be a real man, his mother is desperate for him to find a girl so she can be a grandmother, and his sister is completely disconnected and spends almost the entire film speechless on her cellphone. But despite how dysfunctional everyone is in this family, somehow the only person that really sees that Jon's relationship isn't a solid one is his sister who notices what everyone else doesn't see about Jon's girlfriends. By doing this I felt that JGL was pointing out that even that person that seems more disconnected than the rest of society might surprise us. We tend to see the problems in others, but we rarely look at our own defects. Don Jon may hammer its message, but it is not just about Jon's addiction with pornography, there is much more to it.

The story centers on - and is narrated by - Jon (Joseph Gordon Levitt), better known to his friends as Don Jon for his ability to conquer women. In his voice over narration he tells us that the only things he cares about in life are his body, his pad, his ride, his car, his family which includes his father Jon Sr. (Tony Danza), his mother Angela (Glenne Neadly) and his sister Monica (Brie Larson), his church, his boys Bobby (Rob Brown) and Danny (Jeremy Luke), his girls, and his porn. He spends a great deal of his time on these things, he visits his family frequently, he works out in the gym daily, he spends time at the club with his boys looking for women and rating them on the 10 point scale, he goes to church every week and confesses his sins to the priest, and most of all he watches porn and loses himself in it. He confesses that he enjoys it even more than actual sex, but he has evidently developed unrealistic expectations from it. One night at the club, he meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) and completely falls in love with her, but he continues to struggle finding true intimacy with her and building a strong relationship. Along the way he meets a fellow student named Esther (Julianne Moore) who sort of opens his eyes about love and relationships.

Despite the fact that Shame explored a similar theme recently, it's a subject we rarely see in films. Don Jon is a real exploration of modern relationships and how they've been affected from the way media and films sell sex everywhere. We are bombarded with sexual images in the media all the time creating one sided expectations about love and sex and the film opens by presenting several of these images sort of setting the tone for the rest of the movie. JGL plays a very different role from what we are used to seeing him in and he also worked out a lot for it. HIs character follows a certain routine in life, and the film makes sure it repeats this to get the point across. There are a lot of interesting points this film raises and it really is a comedy with a strong message about how disconnected we've become. The performances in this film were all solid.

My Review: Her (8/10)

"She's not just a computer."

Her is a beautiful and melancholic film written and directed by Spike Jonze which benefits from a wonderful and sweet performance from Joaquin Phoenix (who goes through a 180 degree transformation from his disturbed and troubling character in The Master to this sympathetic one) and one of the best voice performances I've seen on screen from Scarlett Johansson. I wonder if this film would've worked without her considering that Samantha Morton was originally the voice of Samantha, and only during the editing process did Jonze feel something was missing and decided to recast Johansson. In a film like Her where the need for connection is vital, Jonze found it between Phoenix and Johansson creating a believable and unique love story. It is a touching film that the audience can identify with because it deals with universal themes such as trying to move on from past relationships that we thought would last forever and the void that's left from it. Phoenix captures that melancholy perfectly through his facial expressions contrasted with those flashback scenes where he seemed blissfuly in love. This need for connection is perfectly represented in this film, which also manages to introduce a social commentary as to where we seem to be heading with all the technological advances. The sci-fi elements work really well because we definitely seem to be heading towards this futuristic world and Jonze blends those elements with this beautiful and sad love story. Her is philosophical at times and despite turning into a pretty much standard love story halfway through the film it still manages to be a great meditation on our need as humans for establishing connections (and they no longer need to be human connections). Her is a genuinely nostalgic romantic film that manages to touch its audience and speak to the heart.

The story centers on Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) a letter writer who's been separated from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) for an year, but still hasn't found the strength to sign the divorce papers. He is very good at his job as he excels at expressing feelings through letters, but he's not doing so well at managing his own feelings around others. He is rather lonely and spends most of his time playing video games when he's not at work. He does have a very close friendship with his neighbors, Amy (Amy Adams) and Charles (Matt Letscher), especially with Amy as they both seem to share a sort of brother sisterly kind of love. His life turns around when he purchases a new artificially intelligent operating system, OS1, and immediately connects with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the voice behind the system. As they continue to spend more time together they begin falling in love with each other which excites Theodore because he's starting to feel alive again, but at the same time fills him with doubts and fears as he's conflicted about having a relationship with an operating system. Samantha also begins to grow intellectually as she experiences new things and is capable of having human emotions. Their unconventional love is what's explored in this film as the two connect and bond with each other.

Jonze has crafted a very unique and original story which I found to be a great psychological study on human relations. I wish I would've connected more with this film as I've found it to be on most of my friends top 10 lists for best films of the year, and despite liking this film quite a bit it still didn't manage to make my list. The premise is very interesting and Jonze directs this film masterfully, but I couldn't help and feel that halfway through the film it does become a rather conventional love story (at times it felt like a normal long distance relationship) with some familiar trials that couples go through. I actually never felt a true connection in their relationship until a key moment near the end of the film and that is where I really bought their love story. The elements I connected the most with where the nostalgic feelings of lost love as we got to see some interesting flashbacks between Theodore and Catherine. I also loved the score of this film, the music was lovely and touching. I also enjoyed the social commentary quite a bit which never felt forced. The scene where Theodore is worried about how he will be perceived by his friends for having a relationship like this and how relieved he is when Amy approves is proof that we not only seek connections in life, but we also search for social approval. It's a clever and melancholic film and one that we can all come out of experiencing something completely different (and that is a good thing).

My Review: Hitchcock (7/10)

¨That, my dear, is why they call me the Master of Suspense¨

Biographical films can be tricky because you can enjoy the movie based solely on your love or passion for the person which the film is based on. I knew it was going to be hard for me not to like Hitchcock because I am a huge fan of his work and love to hear every small detail about his life. Hitchcock was one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, and Psycho is considered to be one of the best horror films of all time so I was excited about this project. I really enjoyed this movie, but I can´t say if someone who isn’t a fan of Hitchcock´s work might enjoy this film or not. Hitchcock was directed by Sacha Gervasi, who also happened to direct one of my favorite documentaries: Anvil: The Story of Anvil; and the screenplay was adapted from Stephen Rebello´s book ¨Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho.¨ You can´t possibly go wrong with a movie dealing with such an influential director on the making of one of his masterpieces. It is part of the Hollywood history, and everyone who enjoys films will probably appreciate this work for at least trying to give us a glimpse of Hitchcock´s mind. The film might not be as deep as other recent biographical films, but it is a pleasant experience. The major complain most people had is that it didn’t spend as much time on the set of Psycho as it did dealing with his relationship with his wife, Alma. We would have all enjoyed this film a little more if more emphasis was placed on the making of Psycho rather on his disputes with his wife. What I did love about this film is how they focused on the huge risk that Hitchcock was taking by making this movie on his own despite being a well known figure. He decided to step out of his comfort zone and try something new. You are never too old to take risks and follow your heart and that is exactly what Hitchcock did when he decided to make Psycho.

If you can learn one thing from Hitchcock´s life is that the phrase ¨behind every great man there is a great woman¨ is completely true for Alfred and Alma. The story centers on the period of Hitchcock´s (Anthony Hopkins) life when he was coming up with the idea of filming Psycho. It was 1959 and he had recently had success with North by Northwest, but some questions about whether or not he was ready to retire began to creep in his mind. It was time to try something different and when he got his hands around a novel titled Psycho, he knew it would be his following picture. This horror novel seemed impossible to adapt at the time considering all the tight regulations being placed, but Hitchcock took this as his next challenge. Paramount isn’t happy about this risky move so Alfred decides to finance the film on his own with the support of his wife Alma (Helen Mirren). Alma on the other hand begins to collaborate with a friend named Whitfield (Danny Huston) on a screenplay that Alfred has decided to overlook at the moment. Alfred was known for his controlling habits over his lead lady´s and productions, and this being a film financed by him made the tension even worse. He decides to hire Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) for the leading role after Alma´s recommendation and Anthony Perkins (James D´Arcy) to play the psychotic Norman Bates. His former lead lady, Vera Miles (Jessica Biel), was set to play the secondary role. Thus the challenge began for Alfred as he had to manage his personal life with his professional one.

I found it funny how in a couple scenes they brought up the failure of Vertigo, which is now considered to be Hitchcock´s masterpiece. Criticism for that movie wasn’t well received, which shows us how ahead of his time Hitchcock really was. He could have continued to listen to the big production companies and made the same films over and over again, but he decided to face and challenge them bringing something unique and new to the table. This serves as a modern criticism towards Hollywood which continues to make the same films over again without wanting to take any risks. If it weren’t for people like Hitchcock who stood up to these corporate giants we wouldn’t have had films like Psycho. There are some directors today who have been influenced by Alfred and continue to take risks, but for the most part most continue to bend over to the big Hollywood producers. Hitchcock, the movie, doesn’t seem to take any big risks and plays it safe with this biography, but it works thanks to some strong performances from Hopkins and Mirren. Scarlett Johansson, James D´Arcy, and Jessica Biel all share unique resemblance to the original actors. Credit has to be given to the makeup and hairstyling artists who rightfully earned the only Oscar nomination this film received. This was a pleasant experience although the superficial biopic wasn’t groundbreaking; the story was still worth it.

  

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My Review: The Avengers (9/10)

¨Maybe your army will come, maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you! Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it!¨

Along with many others, The Avengers was one of my most anticipated films of 2012, and I can honestly say that it didn’t disappoint me one bit. It was even better than what I had anticipated and every single person in the theater seemed to have had the time of their lives. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments where everyone just cheered and the movie never ceased to entertain. The Avengers is one of the best superhero movies ever made, and I would say only The Dark Knight surpasses it, although comparing these two movies isn’t fair because this film is much lighter and self aware of its premise. The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon (who also wrote the screenplay) is masterfully put together, meshing the incredible special effects and action scenes with the beloved characters and perfect cast. Everyone is really great in this film and it entertains from the very beginning. This is what a popcorn summer movie should be. I was worried so much hype for this film could`ve ruined the film for me, but I was wrong. All the hype only built the momentum for this great action comedy superhero flick. Ever since the first Iron Man came out these films (Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and The Incredible Hulk) have been a sort of teaser trailer for this big movie. Those films helped build the characters and build the momentum for what we truly wanted to see: The Avengers. I assume this is how kids actually felt during the early 50`s when they were expecting for the next Marvel comic book issue to come out. This film definitely captured that essence and magic thanks to such a magnificent team of cast and crew.

The movie opens with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) attacking the SHIELD agency directed by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in order to retrieve the cube which would enable him to open a portal to another universe and send an army to destroy earth. Loki is successful and manages to steal the cube and force Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) to join him by taking away their free will. In order to stop Loki, Nick Fury decides it`s time to assemble the team of superheroes which he has kept a close eye on for several years. He sends Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to get Dr. Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) to call on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Fury decides it`s time to get Captain America (Chris Evans) back into the action, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) comes all the way from Asgard to try to stop his villainous brother from destroying Earth. These superheroes are assembled together, but aren`t ready to work as a team. They have some issues at first and have to learn to work together if they want to stop the evil Loki.

 The premise is pretty simple, but what really makes the film work is the interaction between all these great characters. This film could have relied so heavily on the special effects that it would`ve lost the magic of the great characters created by Stan Lee, but fortunately it decides to focus more on them. The tension they face working together is what really makes the movie work. There are plenty of funny moments as we have these superheroes fighting and mouthing each other. Robert Downey Jr. has showed us he can play the part to perfection, but every actor in this film really had great scenes. One of my greatest fears was that so many actors would not have enough screen time, but somehow everyone manages to be in this film for quite a while. Even minor characters such as Black Widow and Hawkeye get great exposure. Another thing I feared before The Avengers was that I thought Loki was one of the weakest villains of all the Marvel movies, but he is really great and dark in this film. He proved to be a great rival. But without a doubt, the best thing and most surprising for me was Mark Ruffalo`s performance as The Hulk, he really owned the movie and he had the best and funniest scenes in the entire film. Pairing him with Downey Jr. was really the best thing the producers could have done. Hulk is perhaps the best character in this film and the one I was least expecting to enjoy. Everyone in the theater was truly satisfied with the film and especially with the Incredible Hulk. He was amazing and so was the movie for that matter.  

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My Review: We Bought a Zoo (9/10)

¨You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.¨

2011 brought us some surprisingly great family films such as The Muppets and Dolphin Tale, but I think Cameron Crowe just won me over for the best one of the year with We Bought a Zoo. I`m a huge Crowe fan and have loved most of his films (I even loved Elizabethtown and am not ashamed of admitting it despite being hated by nearly every critic), especially Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire. I think this film is up to par with his best work despite being over sentimental at times. I think that what I like best about Crowe`s films are his dialogues. I think he`s a good writer and he creates some interesting characters. He usually writes his own stories for his films, although this time he based it on a true story and adapted the screenplay from Benjamin Mee`s biography, but he still should receive credit for his adaptation. The story isn`t the only thing that works, a lot of credit has to be given to Matt Damon for his performance in the lead role and to the rest of the supporting cast. Scarlett Johansson had strong chemistry with Damon and her performance felt believable, Maggie Elizabeth Jones was cuter than any other character on screen this year, Elle Fanning is almost as amazing as she was in Super 8 (she`s turning into my favorite young actress along with Chloe Grace Moretz), while Thomas Haden Church, John Higgins, and Angus Macfadyen provided most of the laughs in the movie. Colin Ford had to play kind of the rebellious teen son and he did a decent job although he perhaps had the least interesting character. The animals also play a huge part in the overall effectiveness of the film.   

The film is based on a true story about a father named Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) who after losing his wife has to raise his two children on his own in Southern California. His fourteen year old son, Dylan (Colin Ford, a young Bon Jovi lookalike) is going through a very dark time and is having trouble at school. He ends up being expelled for stealing some money and for painting a very dark mural. His seven year old daughter, Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) is a lot closer to her father and is cuter than any other girl her age. She is sweet and always smiling, a complete contrast to Dylan. Benjamin becomes tired of the city life and quits his job as a journalist and decides to buy a new home in the countryside. This new home is big, has lots of space, but it comes with one special responsibility: it is a zoo. Benjamin decides it`s time to begin a new adventure and decides to repair the zoo in time to open it for the public in the summer. The zoo is pretty much abandoned, but with the help of a few workers left Benjamin begins putting his life savings into it in order to restore it in time before the next inspection. Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) has worked at the zoo for several years and becomes his right hand helper, along with Peter (Angus Macfadyen), Robin (Patrick Fugit), and her thirteen year old niece Lily (Elle Fanning). Benjamin`s accountant brother Duncan (Thomas Haden Church) warns him about the financial risks involved, but he decides to go with his heart and live a new adventure.

If you`ve seen a Cameron Crowe film before then you know this won`t just be a family film. Crowe loves music and he always includes some really great soundtracks in his stories. He also manages to include one or two dialogues based on music. He makes a reference to Dylan being named after the great Bob Dylan, but later we realize he was really named Dylan for his dog. Just like the Crowe humor isn`t missing here, the romantic stories aren`t left out either. Crowe is a romantic at heart. We`ve seen some of the most famous romantic lines in movies like Jerry Maguire, such as ¨you had me at hello,¨ but here he also includes a few lines that will be memorable like the ¨twenty seconds of insane courage¨ one. The film is really worth a watch, it is for everyone, it has a love story, several funny scenes, an inspiring story, and several cute animals. Adults and children will enjoy this film alike. I was surprised to hear the characters in which this film was based actually had a cameo near the end of the movie. The real Benjamin and his two children were the first in line to climb the fallen tree in order to reach the zoo. Matt Damon is such a reliable actor; he has had a great year, but the true heart of the film here relies on the cuteness of Elle Fanning, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, and the animals. Yes this film might be over sentimental and cheesy at times, but it`s so cute that it`s hard to resist.

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My Review: Iron Man 2 (8/10)

¨ If you could make God bleed, people will cease to believe in Him. There will be blood in the water, and the sharks will come. ¨

(8/10) Jon Favreau does a great job again with the direction of the sequel to his 2008 hit, Iron Man. He has made a sequel that is just as good and entertaining as the first movie was, and he even had some screen time as Tony Stark`s personal bodyguard in this second installment. Just like in the first film, the secret to the movie`s success is Robert Downey Jr. `s performance as Tony Stark, who unlike other superheroes is even more fun to watch as himself than when he suits up. The film is highly entertaining and the two hours the movie lasts just fly by. This is what summer movies are all about and Iron Man 2 has lifted the standards for entertainment this season. The problem most sequels have is that the novelty of the first movie is gone, and yes Iron Man 2 misses that, but the film is still so entertaining and it is so fun to watch Downey Jr. playing Tony Stark that we just can`t get enough of him. The special effects, the characters, the action, are all good, but the true success of this film (like the previous one) relies on Robert Downey Jr. `s performance and how fun it is to see him playing this character. There are new villains, new superheroes, a new plot, but none of that outshines Downey Jr. and we just want to see more of him without caring too much for all the other elements. This is not a superior movie than the first one, but it is just as equally as entertaining and if you enjoyed the first one then you will enjoy this one. This time the screenplay was written by Justin Theroux (who also wrote Tropic Thunder) and there were some very funny lines and dialogues. The plot was also smart and up to standards for superhero movies, but I will not get tired of repeating it, Jon Favreau hit a homerun when he casted Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.

The movie picks up where the first one ended; Tony Stark is telling the world that he is Iron Man and that he wants to maintain world peace after all the destruction that his company had caused in the past. Somewhere in Russia an old man is watching this statement on TV and telling his son, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), that that should be him and not Tony Starks. Right after he says this he dies and Ivan gives a vengeful cry and begins working on some sort of powerful weapon. Six months go by and Stark`s confession has caused the government to try to force him to turn in the suit so that they can use it as a military weapon. They have tried to make another suit with the help of Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a weapon specialist and clearly one of Stark`s rivals, but he has failed, so now they are trying to take his suit through legal actions. Tony has a bigger issue to deal with; the pacemaker like device he is using as a heart is deteriorating his blood and he is heading towards a painful death if he doesn`t discover another element that can replace the one he is currently using. Because of this Tony decides to appoint Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) as the CEO and president of Starks Industry and hires the very attractive and sexy Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) as his secretary. His best friend, Lt. Col. James Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle instead of Terrence Howard who played him in the first version) works with the government and is forced to ask Tony to collaborate with them by giving them the suit after an incident with Ivan has showed the world that Iron Man (God) can bleed.

Iron Man 2 is one of the most entertaining movies of the year. There is nothing new about the sequel, but it still provides a lot of entertainment. As sequels go, I think The Dark Knight was a much better one as it introduced some new elements, an unforgettable villain, and was even superior to Batman Begins. Iron Man 2 is not superior to the first one, but it is entertaining enough to equal it thanks in most part to Robert Downey Jr. who has really found the perfect role. The villains were also interesting enough; Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke are great actors and they contributed to this film. Don Cheadle is a talented actor, but I really didn`t like the switch they made with Terrence Howard, I think he fit the character better and this is probably one of the only negative aspects about this movie. Scarlett Johansson was placed mostly for eye candy (although no one can argue she is a great actress as well) and she didn`t disappoint either. Jon Favreau also has some funny lines as Happy Hogan and delivers some laughs. Samuel Jackson has a couple of good scenes as Nick Fury, and you can`t help but get excited for The Avengers movie since this one serves as a sort of transition for that. Overall I really enjoyed this movie and recommend it. If you liked the first one then you won`t be disappointed although I can`t say it is better because it is more of the same, but same is good enough for me as far as entertainment goes.