Cindy Prascik's Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron

Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the cinema for THE FIRST TIME IN A MONTH. I know, right? Nearly forgot what the place looked like. At any rate, a new superhero blockbuster was just the ticket for drawing me out of retirement, so I ditched the office a bit early to see Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Spoiler level here will be mild, unless you consider starry-eyed, non-plot-related commentary on Jeremy Renner's arms, wardrobe, and screen time spoilerey. If that's the case, then read no more 'til you've seen the movie!

Earth's mightiest protectors face their most frightful foe yet. (I should just save that synopsis for every super-hero review ever.)

I presently harbor a simmering resentment towards Marvel for extorting fans into watching their crap product (*cough* Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. *cough*) just to be sure we can keep up with their good product (pretty much everything else...so far).

Having said that, nobody enjoys a dude in a cape quite like I do, so I don't think that had undue influence on my opinion of Ultron.

What does negatively impact the movie right out of the box is some ridiculously terrible CGI in the opening sequence.

For such a big-budget picture, it would have been inexcusable wherever it fell, but when it's the first thing you see it doesn't set a very good tone.

The movie also overstays its welcome by a good 20-30 minutes, and feels every minute of WAY TOO LONG. Having said that, it rebounds rather nicely from a sketchy start, spelling great action with some quieter personal moments among the heroes. If the wisecracking wears a bit thin, it also made me laugh out loud at times.

New good guys and new bad guys and new somewhere-in-betweens are smartly cast and fit well enough that you almost forget they ever WEREN'T there. As is always the case with a cast this size, some are a bit underused, but since it's not Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) this time, I'll not be complaining!

And how about Hawkeye? The only Avenger who didn't get a Doritos flavor OR a Dr. Pepper can in the promo buildup is actually sort-of featured this go-round, and even gets a back-story. A BACK STORY! Concerns about the new costume proved unfounded, as his lovely arms are frequently on display. The Renner prominence more than made up for any small disappointments I had with the picture.

The rest of the cast is expectedly terrific and, by this point, feels like a bunch of old friends. Various folks from the stand-alone movies turn up in what amount to little more than cameos, but it's still great to see them. Even with a bunch of Oscar nominees among the primary cast, though, there's no one else who is even in James Spader's orbit.

One of only two actors who has ever made me stand up and applaud in my own living room (the other is Peter MacNicol if anyone's asking...and I'm pretty sure they're not), the guy is simply incomparable. Ultron is a good enough movie, but overall nothing special; Spader makes it great.

Avengers: Age of Ultron clocks in at a bloated 141 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence, and destruction, and for some suggestive comments.

A big, loud, fun bit of brain candy, it's the perfect kickoff to summer blockbuster season.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Avengers: Age of Ultron gets seven and a half.

Until the Hawkeye standalone movie...erm...I mean, until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: EX MACHINA

Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller, EX MACHINA. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at an internet-search giant, wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain estate of the company’s brilliant and reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Upon his arrival, Caleb learns that Nathan has chosen him to be the human component in a Turing Test—charging him with evaluating the capabilities, and ultimately the consciousness, of Nathan’s latest experiment in artificial intelligence. That experiment is Ava (Alicia Vikander), a breathtaking A.I. whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated––and more deceptive––than the two men could have imagined.

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Corey Johnson

Release Date: Apr 10, 2015

Rated R for Graphic Nudity, Language, Sexual References and Some Violence Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.

Genres: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Alex Garland’s directorial debut is one of the smartest and sleekiest sci-fi films in recent memory.  Garland’s film is beautifully shot, delivering some stunning imagery throughout.  Thematically, it covers some well worn sci-fi tropes but it does it in a wonderfully engaging manner that rarely bores.  The actors and characters are all fascinating throughout with each actor delivering some multifaceted performances.  Oscar Isaac is quickly becoming a personal favorite of mine and he delivers as the reclusive tech genius.   Alicia Vikander is just mesmerizing as Ava.  The performance is measured and subtle, rarely overselling any moments but thoroughly engaging.  Domhnall Gleeson is solid but sadly he’s overshadowed by Vikander and Isaac.  The film is provocative and thoughtful until the final act where things devolve and starts to feel a bit too paint by the numbers.  Thankfully, Ex Machina is impressive enough to overcome that small misstep and make a big splash for Alex Garland.

A

Cindy Prascik's Review of Furious 7

Dearest Blog, this weekend a hundred fifty million bucks' worth of us trekked out to catch the latest installment in the Fast & Furious saga, Furious 7.

Spoiler level here will be mild, limited to trailer reveals and stuff you only could have missed if you lived under a rock.

Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) comes after the crew responsible for dispatching his baby brother (Luke Evans) in Fast & Furious 6.

There's not a lot of mystery to the Fast & Furious franchise; you pretty much know what you're going to get. If you pay for a ticket and then complain about it, shame on you; however, there's no denying there are better and worse entries in the series, and, sentiment aside, Furious 7 falls somewhere on the better side of the middle.

Fast & Furious' action objective seems to be: "bigger, louder, dumber." In that regard, Furious 7 is an unqualified success. The insanity of some of the stunts is, in the immortal words of Danny Butterman, "off the f*****g chain!," well worth your big-screen dollar. Unfortunately, much of the dialogue is painfully bad, and attempts at sensitive moments only highlight the limits of much of the acting talent. Michelle Rodriguez, in particular, is so terrible I was a little bit embarrassed every time she was onscreen. (She's generally a favorite, so no hate!)

A cast this size means limited screen time for most, and if your favorite is someone not named Vin Diesel, well, prepare to be disappointed. I'm a big Vin Diesel fan myself. I love Dwayne Johnson and am pretty fond of the rest of the F&F regulars, but when they're facing off with Jason Statham, with apologies to Dom's crew, my loyalty leans only one way!

Any other shortcomings aside, Furious 7's biggest problem is that it's just too damn long. The best action sequences seem to drag on, and even the Paul Walker tribute is over-sold. Heck, if they'd just cut half the shots of people's hands and feet shifting gears, they probably could have come in under two hours and been better for it. Having said all that, Furious 7 is still good fun, and, given the circumstances, I think most of us don't mind indulging the filmmakers if they wanted to hang onto this one just a little bit longer.

Furious 7 clocks in at 137 minutes and is rated PG13 for "prolonged frenetic sequences of violence, action, and mayhem, suggestive content, and brief strong language."

Furious 7 is a big, loud, crazy good time, though, for my money, not as entertaining as the previous two installments in the Fast & Furious franchise. If we're being honest, though, there's only one merit on which this movie is really being judged, and that's whether it's a fitting tribute to Paul Walker and a satisfying farewell to Brian O'Connor. In those respects, I haven't heard any complaints.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Furious 7 gets six.

Until next time...

 Good guy or bad guy, I'm with Statham! <3 span="">

MOVIE REVIEW: IT FOLLOWS

A sexually transmitted haunting plagues a Detroit teenager in this stylized horror film from director David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover). In the wake of sleeping with a handsome stranger, Jay (Maika Monroe) quickly learns that she has inherited a most unusual curse: wherever she goes, lumbering, half-naked phantoms follow, and their singular goal is to see her dead. Desperate, Jay turns to her younger sister and loyal circle of friends to for help. In time, however, Jay learns that her only hope for escaping death is to sleep with someone else, and pass the curse on. But the pursuing phantoms are invisible to Jay's friends and it soon becomes apparent that her time is running out. Now, with death closing in, the terrified young woman will be forced to make a difficult decision if she hopes to survive her terrifying ordeal. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: David Robert Mitchell    

Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto

Release Date: Mar 13, 2015    

Rated: R for graphic Nudity, Disturbing Violent Content, Disturbing Sexual Content and Language    

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.    

Genres: Drama, Horror, Suspense/Thriller    

Review:

The horror genre is a virtual wasteland of garbage littered with cheaply made lazy films.  If you’re a fan of the genre you really have to run through a lot of garbage to find a few gems here and there.  It Follows is one of those gem that hits all the right notes while turning some of the genre’s tropes on it’s head.  David Robert Mitchell’s film a tightly wound ball of tension with only an occasional splat of blood here and there.  Its DNA is laced with Carpenter’s Halloween, Craven’s original Nightmare on Elm Street and even a bit of Kubrick’s The Shining.  While there’s a clear linage on screen, the film works very well on its own merits building up a pervading sense of dread for the majority of the film.  It’s a dense film that’s got plenty of to say about budding sexuality, adolescence and self identity with an impressive level of authenticity, thanks in large part to a wonderful cast, that makes the film even better.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: GET HARD

When millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars. But despite James’ one-percenter assumptions, Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never received a parking ticket, let alone been to prison. Together, the two men do whatever it takes for James to “get hard” and, in the process, discover how wrong they were about a lot of things – including each other. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Etan Cohen    

Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip "T.I." Harris, Alison Brie, Craig T. Nelson.

Release Date: Mar 27, 2015    

Rated R for Pervasive Crude and Sexual Content and Language, Some Graphic Nudity, and Drug 

Material    

Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min.    

Genres: Comedy    

Review:

Get Hard is exactly what it presents itself as, nothing more and nothing less.  It’s dated jokes about race, sexuality and just about anything feels like a retread.  Anyone’s enjoyment or lack there of will depend on how much you like Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.  Ferrell and Hart have excellent chemistry together throughout and make even the laziest jokes work.  It’s all juvenile and sophomoric but if you were expecting anything deeper or more important then you walked into the wrong movie.  It’s a breezy film with enough laughs to keep it from getting stale.  It’s the definition of predictable and far from Ferrell’s best work, but still funny enough to make fans happy. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons' comic series is adapted for the big screen in this Matthew Vaughn-directed action thriller. The story centers on a secret agent who recruits a juvenile delinquent into a top-secret spy organization. Together, they battle a tech genius with diabolical ambitions. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Matthew Vaughn     

Cast: Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Mark Hamill.

Release Date: Feb 13, 2015     

Rated R for Sequences of Strong Violence, Language and Some Sexual Content.    

Runtime: 2 hr. 9 min.    

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy    

Review:

Kingsman: The Secret Service is the type of spy spoof that people always told me Austin Powers was supposed to be.  For whatever reason the Powers movies just never worked for me as a spoof but that’s neither here nor there.  Kingsman is a fun filled ride through all the spy tropes we’re familiar with done in the most gleefully and violent manner possible. Fans of Matthew Vaughn’s Kick Ass will find plenty to like here since its cut from the same cloth while laying down some groundwork for a possible franchise.  There are hints of its comic origins here and there as the film uses colorful ways to kill people ending with a “firework” display that plays out like David Cronenberg’s acid trip.  The action is top notch throughout and Colin Firth is shockingly at ease as an action star, showcased in an insane church sequence.  Taron Egerton delivers a star making performance as Eggsy while Sam Jackson and his lisp makes for a fun villain whose aided by a memorable hence woman.  There are a few issues here and there, the film could have been cut a tad and the much talked about joke at the end falls terribly flat even though I was expecting it.  They’re hardly fatal flaws but hopefully something that will get cleared up by the time the sequel hits.

B