Showing posts with label Mark Ruffalo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Ruffalo. Show all posts

Sunday, 28 April 2019

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Spoilers ahead! I never cared much about superhero movies, but then the Marvel Cinematic Universe happened and, every year for the past eleven years, they've been the movies I was looking forward to seeing the most. No matter how disappointingly awful some were, I was still excited to see what would come next. And after Avengers: Infinity War ended with that huge cliffhanger, Avengers: Endgame became my most anticipated Marvel film ever. And boy, I was not disappointed. 

The story picks up after the devastating events of the previous film, with the remaining Avengers — Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) — joined by Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), and Nebula (Karen Gillan) to track down Thanos (Josh Brolin), steal the Infinity Stones and reverse his action. Unfortunately, they learn upon finding him that he had destroyed the stones, and Thor kills him. Five years later, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) comes back from the Quantum Realm and proposes the others to travel back in time and prevent Thanos from finding the stones in the first place.

While it's a bit convoluted and confusing, the time travel plot not only makes perfect sense — and even if it didn't, I still wouldn't get why many people are vigorously complaining about it being nonsense. Have these people forgotten its a superhero movie involving time travel they are talking about? — as it manages to combine the storylines of the twenty-two previous movies beautifully, but it pays tremendous homage to the fans who have been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe for more than ten years, and to the characters — Captain America gets to reunite with Peggy — I don't get why people are complaining about this, Cap deserves a happy ending and him staying in the past doesn't mean he changes the past/future, it simply means that he created another timeline and that at present time there are two Steve Rogers, one old and one young as he's been defrosted as he was supposed to be —, Tony Stark gets to see his father, Thor his mother and Jane, and Bruce is finally at peace with the Hulk.

As for the characters, many viewers didn't appreciate the treatment some of them got, especially Thor who, according to some people, has been reduced to a pathetic comic relief as he's now a fat alcoholic other characters, specifically Rocket, often make fun of. I, on the other hand, think that the writers wouldn't have done anything better than that with him. Sure, we are so used to seeing this muscular, powerful and confident man, it feels weird seeing him in this as he's the opposite of that. But keep in mind that he has lost everything — his father, his mother, his brother, his best friend, the woman he loved, Asgard — and on top of that, he blames himself for failing to kill Thanos when he had the chance in Infinity War. So much has happened to him, it's only natural that he has become the man he is here. And what the did with the character of Tony Stark over the years is beyond impressive — not only he's no longer the selfish, arrogant he used to be and has taken the young Peter Parker under his wing, but he gets to the point of giving up his happiness, his chance of having a family to save the universe. With Endgame, we also get to see more of those characters who either weren't in the previous film, such as Hawkeye and Ant-Man or were barely in it, such as Captain America. I was a little disappointed with how little they used Captain Marvel though.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The cast does an excellent job, from Chris Hemsworth who embodies to perfection this new Thor with an incredibly humorous performance to Scarlett Johansson who finally gives a strong, compelling performance as Black Widow to Tom Holland who is barely in the film and yet manages to still the scene as he shares a touching moment with Robert Downey Jr.. There are also many wonderful and unexpected cameos from Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Rene Russo (Frigga), Tilda Swinton (the Ancient One), John Slattery (Howard Stark), Robert Redford (Alexander Payne), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), James D'Arcy (Edwin Jarvis), Michael Douglas (Hank Pym) and, of course, Stan Lee.

The film is also filled with memorable scenes from Captain America finally grabbing Thor's hammer — the reaction of the audience was insane! — to the scene with all the Marvel women — I actually cried at this point because a boy sitting right next to me was very excited as he said, "it's all the girls".

The film is, as always with Marvel, visually spectacular, it has a killer soundtrack's and it's wonderfully paced — the three hours running time flies by — but most of all, it's rollercoaster of feelings and emotions with its homages, and the graceful combination of moments that make you laugh, moments that give you goosebumps and moments that will make you cry.

Friday, 27 April 2018

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Though I couldn't wait to see all those characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to meet in one film directed by the Russo brothers (and to see Chris Evans and his glorious beard on the big screen), I had some reservations about the Avengers: Infinity War. Instead of getting part 1 and part 2 as we were promised years ago, we got only one movie. Actually, we got two movies squeezed together and the result isn't that good.

Intergalactic despot Thanos (Josh Brolin) is determined to collect all of the Infinity Stones in order to bend reality to his will and the now-torn-apart Avengers must team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop Thanos before he puts an end to half the universe.

Without diving into plot details, that's what the Russo brothers want, I'll only say that Avengers: Inifity War's plot is simple, definitely too thin and so very thought through. It isn't always engaging nor interesting (my mind was wondering multiple times and it wasn't only when Chris Evans was on screen) and because of the way the multiple storylines are handled and the fast cuts, instead of feeling like a single story, it feels like a collection of stories, fragmented stories.

With all those main characters reunited in one movie, it was obvious that some would be left behind. Unfortunately, it feels like they all were left behind. Some characters arcs are developed --Wanda finally gets the attention she deserves-- but overall, there's not much development and no one gets enough screen time. However, the superheroes are one of the reasons I still enjoyed Avengers: Infinity War. While the merging of storylines is handled poorly, the interaction between characters from different movies --the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Wakanda-- works very well. These alone are probably worth the money as it's these moments that bring a lot of effective humour into the film. And of course, the fact that the cast has a wonderful chemistry helps a lot.

As for Thanos, I'm not sure how I feel about him. On the one hand, I appreciate that they gave him some backstory and that they showed an emotional, tender side of him; on the other hand, I don't like that he's given ridiculous motives and that we are even supposed to empathise with him. They tried to do what they did with Killmonger but I'm not sure it really worked this time. His sidekicks are terrible though. They are not even one-dimensional, they are zero-dimensional.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Other than that, I think it's safe for me to say that Avengers: Infinity War is a pretty solid film. It delivers plenty of humour, full of banters, Thor: Ragnarok-style, and you will definitely be laughing a lot during this. If you didn't like that about Thor: Ragnarok, you'll still be able to enjoy Avengers: Infinity War as the Russo brothers manage to deliver plenty of tension and suspense, and their combination of humour and drama is spot on. Yes, this is the kind of movie that you make you cry. A lot. Because, without spoiling anything, major characters you care about die in this one.

As for the action, there's a lot of it. Though its execution makes you think you're watching a Michael Bay film at some points, it's pretty good, entertaining and exciting. There's this scene with Thor that is beyond glorious. The epic battle scene from the trailer is missing though. The film is also visually beautiful and has a pretty good soundtrack --not as good as Guardians of the Galaxy's though.

And as I'm writing this, I realise Avengers: Infinity War isn't as bad as I first thought. Sure, it feels incomplete, more of a set up for the next Avengers movie than a movie, but it's still pretty fun and entertaining.

Friday, 27 October 2017

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

I'm a sucker for Marvel and I'd watch anything they make. Those terrible movies with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garden and whoever played the Punisher are the proof.  What I'm trying to say is that's pretty obvious I was excited for Thor: Ragnarok. However, this time there wasn't just the fact that it's an MCU flick, but especially the fact that Taika Waititi directed it. Last year, he left me speechless, in a very good way, with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and that's the real reason why I was really looking forward to seeing this. And once again he left me speechless. This indeed is the most entertaining, exciting and fun Marvel film since Deadpool.

Set after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and picking up when Thor: Dark World left, first Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds out that his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has taken over Asgard; then a new menace arrives, Hela (Cate Blanchett), the ruthless goddess of death who wants to steal the throne and rule Asgard, he gets imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a deadly gladiator contest where he has to face an old friend of his, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), in order to survive and save Asgard.

It's a rather simple plot, a little predictable at times and it doesn't always make a lot of sense but it does have a few aces in the hole and the pace is just perfect which makes it very compelling.

And that's because of the direction Thor: Ragnarok took. Instead of being another dark-toned family drama like the previous Thor movies, Waititi's film relies more (like only) on humour. I'm sure many will complain about this, maybe saying that the dark tones were the only thing separating the Thor movies from the rest of the Marvel movies that all look the same (DC fanboys are so going to say this), but it works here. The humour is spot on (very close to Deadpool's): the jokes never feel forced and there are plenty of funny moments. This film is basically like a buddy-superhero movie with some sibling rivalry.

All that comedy though kind of throws away Thor's development achieved with the previous movies. Thor isn't indeed the serious God anymore, but he a funny guy. But this change is more than welcomed as Chris Hemsworth does comedy way better than drama. Seriously, I had no idea he could be so funny. The reason why I liked this Thor better though is that for the first time the God of Thunder is shown in all of his strength. Without the hammer.


The humour isn't the only charming side of Thor: Ragnarok. The visuals are just as charming, which makes of this one of the most beautiful to look at Marvel movies. The film is an explosion of vibrant colours, the photography and editing are stylish and the locations are just stunning. The CGI could have been better though. While it's great during the action, sometimes the background looks a little flat.

Just like the characters since there's no development whatsoever in here. I'm still trying to understand what the writers were trying to do with Hela's henchman played by Karl Urban. That character was such a mess. It's not like Tessa Thompson's alcoholic Valkyrie was that better. Or Cate Blanchett's Hela. Blanchett is very charismatic and her presence is just perfect for Hela, but the character itself wasn't that strong which is pretty common with Marvel. She did get more screen time than most Marvel villains though.

Worth of a mention are Benedict Cumberbatch who reprises his role of Doctor Stranger and Jeff Goldblum who plays Grandmaster, the host of that gladiator contest I mentioned above. The first has a hilarious cameo at the beginning of the film, the latter, although his performance reminded a lot of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, is very amusing.

Saturday, 14 March 2015

Foxcatcher (2014)

Genre


Director


Country


Cast

Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller, Anthony Michael Hall, Guy Boyd, Brett Rice, Samara Lee, Jackson Frazer, Jane Mowder, Daniel Hilt, Lee Perkins, David Bennett

Plot

The film tells the dark and fascinating story of the unlikely and ultimately tragic relationship between an eccentric multi-millionaire and two champion wrestlers.

Opinion

Finally released in Italy last Thursday, I went to see it last night. I don't like wrestling and I wasn't expecting much from this film, but it disappointed me in a good way. Foxcatcher is a story about defeat, that goes beyond the sport, and delves into the complexities of the protagonists' psychologies.
The acting is excellent. Channing Tatum proves that he is not just a pretty face, but he act and he is quite good. The way his character punished himself reminded me of "Of Mice and Men"'s Lennie. Forget about the sex comedies guy, because this Steve Carell is different and unrecognizable - great job on the make up - and he delivers an excellent performance, definitely his best so far. Mark Ruffalo gives a superb performance.


Quotes

John du Pont: You're going to do great things, Mark.
Mark Schultz: I'm gonna give you everything I have.

Rating

8.5/10

Saturday, 24 July 2010

Marvel's THE AVENGERS: May 4, 2012!! Mark Ruffalo Is THE HULK!

YES! This is the news we have been waiting for (other than official confirmation that THE AVENGERS will be shot in native 3D)! Today at Comic-Con, director Joss Whedon walked on stage at the tail end of the CAPTAIN AMERICA and THOR panel with the entire top line cast for THE AVENGERS armed with a release date - May 4, 2012!!

Who are THE AVENGERS? Robert Downey Jr. as IRON MAN, Mark Ruffalo as THE HULK, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Chris Evans as CAPTAIN AMERICA, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth as THOR, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Clark Gregg as Coulson.

I don't have to say that this movie has the potential to be the all time greatest comic adaption. Better than SPIDER-MAN (my personal fav). Better than BATMAN (Ok, maybe not TDK!). Better than SUPERMAN. What a cast!

I have a few requests for Marvel and I would like to hear yours too! First, native 3D. Second, I want to see the Hulkbuster Iron Man armor. Third, make the darn thing LEGENDARY. How about you?

Photo courtesy of FirstShowing