Ant-Man and the Wasp "Spoiler-Free" Review

Seems that it's no longer a rarity for me to wind up all alone in theaters anymore. In just my last two recent outings - The Incredibles 2 and this time around - I've been the only soul in the theater...and I love it! Thank God (again) for the early morning showings

Time to get back into things Team Marvel after the devastation witnessed in Avengers: Infinity War. This takes place about 2 years after the events of Captain America: Civil War, and just prior to the events of Infinity War. This catches up on the events of one of the wild cards from Civil War (Hawkeye still somewhere in the ether) and the story lets us explore the dynamic of Scott Lang's life after the fallout. He's under house arrest, has a better relationship with his family (even with his Ex's current husband) and he and his crew of delinquents (Luiz, Dave and Kurt) have set up a security firm. The only thing that's not working out for him is that Hank Pym and his daughter Hope have basically abandoned him since his little dalliance with Cap. He's basically going through the motions so he can get done with his house arrest stint and revert to living a normal life. That all changes when he somehow ends up quantum-entangled with Janet Van Dyne, the previous incarnation of the Wasp and also a Pym; so this movie sets out to unlock the secrets of the quantum realm in order to free her. Since Hank and Hope have had to go off-grid, not only do they have the FBI on their backs, but their black market dealings have invited a two-faced seedy character (Sonny Burch) into their lives. As if that wasn't enough, they have the ethereal "Ghost" hot on their trail for the keys to the quantum realm, which might be her only way of finding a solution to her condition.

I really enjoyed this movie for much the same reason that people are giving it so much grief. First off, the stakes are not as high in this movie, which is fine; this wasn't meant to be another movie in the tune of Infinity War. It is so diametrically different from the first Ant-Man that they can barely be compared: the first movie was a wonderful heist film mixed in with some industrial espionage in the same right as the first Iron Man; the sequel keeps matters close to the chest and seeks to close the Janet Van Dyne arc that it started in the first movie by having us explore more profoundly the concept of the quantum realm (which comic book/cartoon fans would recognize because Hank Pym has used it to house criminals).

Another complaint about this movie is that Marvel has yet again given us a movie with a weak villain. Well, to truly expound on that, this movie has no real villains. (to-may-to, to-mah-to!). In my opinion, the movie doesn't suffer one bit from this turn of events. Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) is a villain in a portrayal similar to Iron Man's "Justin Hammer"; to him, this is all about business and he's just trying to land the biggest score. Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) is a most unfortunate character who's merely out for her own survival; her problem is that "the end essentially justifies the means" in her mind. Considering how rough her childhood was, you can't exactly blame her for not truly developing a sense of empathy. The collision of all these competing interests still provides enough conflict to elegantly propel the story forward. (I would argue that Captain America: Civil War also played around with the villain in the same way. The only true villain they had was "Crossbones", and after his speedy exit we get "Baron Zemo" whose machinations only revolved around him setting up conflict within the heroes' ranks).

The characters from the last outing are all present here and mostly share the wonderful chemistry set up in the first Ant-Man. Thanks to the fallout from Civil War, Scott Lang's relationship with Hank Pym and Hope gets set back to zero, with even more disdain than he faced last time around. Hope sheds her business suit and has more screen time as her alter ego, and she gets to more intensely utilize the combat skills that she previously took out only on Scott. Thankfully, they also got rid of her horrific haircut from the first movie and allowed her to loosen up a bit more. Among the newcomers, Hannah John-Kamen nicely captures the other-worldliness of the antagonist; Laurence Fishburne's turn as Bill Foster was also a pleasure to behold - part nemesis to Hank Pym and part father figure, his stake in the film was relatable. Randall Park plays a pretty by-the-numbers FBI agent Jimmy Woo; though, I instantly recognized him as the patient from House MD who tried to circumcise himself with a pair of box-cutters, but I digress.

As usual, the visual effects are a feast for the senses. The alternate shrinking-growth melds really well with the fighting and looks just as believable as it did first time around. Ghost's phasing ability is so gloriously rendered that it would be considered a cool superpower, if it wasn't for the fact that it causes her a great level of pain. This movie also did its bit of scientific research and you will be impressed by how well they are able to represent the cuddly yet deadly tardigrades.

This movie is a great addition to the MCU and something lighter for you to get into after Infinity War. It is not mere filler: it is a more down to earth family-oriented movie. Enjoy it for what it is, Grade A in my books.

Thor: Ragnarok "Spoiler-Free" Review

So, Thor: Ragnarok basically showed up in theaters this Wednesday, and I've basically been waiting for a long time to watch this movie. This is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) second last single outing before we get into the massive team-up event of "Infinity War". Up to this point, the MCU now has 3 complete trilogies, which have yielded varying degrees of success. The hallmark has been the Captain America trilogy which went from strength to strength, first with a World War II period piece, then evolved into a beautiful spy thriller for its second outing, and came full circle with the mash-up that was "Civil War". Next up is the Iron Man trilogy; Iron Man is considered the starting point of the MCU, but his movies have had a strange trajectory with each entry being weaker than the last. With the completion of the Thor trilogy, we can take a look at the course these movies have taken.

Thor's characterization has been difficult to pin down. Asgard and all the realms associated with Thor's universe are what bridges the rest of the MCU with each other. How else could disparate properties like "Guardians of the Galaxy" and pretty much everything terrestrial in the MCU be brought together if not through Thor? The first movie was like a Shakespearean play: big hero who's heir to the throne does something unbecoming and ends up being stripped of his powers and summarily banished to earth; after learning some humility and showing some regard for human life, he gains back his powers and his place as the rightful heir. The second movie took a much darker path, digging further into the lore of Asgard and introducing an infinity stone in the form of the Aether; having Jane Foster play the unwitting host to the Aether was a move to introduce her to the Asgardians (one which probably wasn't appreciated too highly by the fans).  

As I've mentioned before, Thor has been hard to place in this MCU. They've gone with the "Ultimate" version of Thor's universe, therefore, rather than being magical god-like creatures, Asgardians are really just a technologically advanced race; but then again, Thor typifies a Tony Robbins' quote that I ran across a while back,

"It is not necessary to understand everything to be able to use everything"

Technologically advanced the Asgardians may be, but you get the feeling that Thor doesn't really understand how it all works (not the sharpest tool in the shed). At some point in this movie, Thor chides Hulk for being the dumbest avenger, but that might be a toss up between the two of them. In the past 2 movies, Thor barely fits in with the Midgardians (human folk), with the exception of the Avengers. He is a god among men, and out of place even when juxtaposed against the posse (Jane, Darcy and Erik) that is meant to humanize him.

So this movie takes a totally different route. It puts a spanner in the works, putting a stop to the increasingly serious tone between the first two movies; instead, this one serves up the laughs aplenty. Also, the human element is almost lacking from this movie; if Thor is a god, let's get to see what he's like among other gods (lesser or otherwise). Especially when it comes to the laughs, you'll pick the tonal shift very early. He's talking to a heavy-hitter, and the humour was a tad overpowering. This was the only part where it took me out of the moment, much in the same way I couldn't take Tony Stark's PTSD arc in Iron Man III serious.

Fortunately, the action kicked into top gear and the movie pulls you back in. Shortly after, we get to see how things are falling apart since Loki's being hiding under the guise of Odin. It's priceless to see Loki's death scene from Thor: The Dark World played to comedic effect with the most surprising of cameos (I seriously doubted my eyes the whole time I was watching the scene play out). It's a quick trip from there in search of Odin, which brings us to earth and a wonderful encounter between Dr. Strange and the Asgardians. It's hard to tell how much time passes in the MCU and where the movies fit into the timeline, but from the dexterity with which the good doctor handles the magical arts, you can tell that he's finally settled into his role as the sorcerer supreme. Handling the Asgardian presence on earth (particularly Loki's) as something of a nuisance, he reunites them with Odin to ensure the safety of earth.

The reunion is short-lived, but enough for Odin to let us know that something bad is coming; his foreboding is not limited to the event itself, but he lets us in on a dark secret that lets us know that he is in a way responsible for what's coming. The trailers and clips have given us a bit of exposition concerning the encounter between Thor, Loki and Hela, and how exactly they end up on Sakaar, and how they end up meeting the rest of The Revengers team members - Hulk and Valkyrie - but maybe not in the way you're expecting. In an era when poorly constructed trailers threaten to expose entire movie plots willy nilly, there's a surprising amount of randomness in which the story comes together. A traditional buddy cop movie (like happened in Iron Man III), this is not. However, dysfunctional or otherwise, this is the team that needs to get back to Asgard to deal with the big baddie.

I think this movie achieved what it's going for. It's a beautiful movie with vibrant colours and expansive worlds. More than that, it also expands the lore in a welcome direction. Multiple story arcs have been assembled to come up with this version of the story. There's a touch of the Ragnarok, Planet Hulk, and Gorr the Godbutcher storylines; probably more things in there too, but they are tastefully amalgamated. Thor, despite all the comedy, finally comes into his own. Despite feeling hapless for losing Mjolnir, he comes to embrace his role as the god of thunder, and all innate abilities and responsibilities therein. And if there's anything he learns quite well, it's that "Asgard is not a place, but its people".

Loki has also morphed into an entirely new character. When we first met him, he was finding himself in his role as the god of mischief; in The Avengers, he was pretty much an astringent villain; but here he still makes mistakes, but he's beginning to embrace himself as somewhat of an anti-hero.

Bruce Banner/Hulk does not feel like an afterthought either, and that's probably because The Planet Hulk storyline so organically implants his presence in this movie. It is a travesty that we haven't gotten a new Hulk movie to expand the character for this new universe (I refuse to count 2008's Incredible Hulk as having brought anything useful to the MCU). The Banner/Hulk relationship is more tenuous this time around, with Banner totally buried within their fractured psyche since he fled on the Quinjet at the end of Age of Ultron. As per the comic, Banner's presence made no sense on Sakaar because the world was too hostile to accommodate his puny physique; however, since they're shifting thing around for this adaptation, some exposition would be great for exploring this fractured psyche.

Cate Blanchett is a wonderful addition to the cast as the villainous Hela. She has a ravenous appetite for violence, but in her own way she reflects an individual who is looking for recognition in the only way she knows how. Her path partially mirrors that of Loki, someone on the outside looking in, hoping for acceptance and validation. Her exposition gives us a peek into a darker less benevolent Asgardian past, and I feel like she would be a welcome villain in future MCU installments. (Might even prove to be a worthy foe for the likes of Dr. Strange).

Tessa Thompson as wonderfully cast as Valkyrie, a seemingly incorrigible drunk with a traumatic past who is initially the bane of Thor's existence on Sakaar; but her bad habits aside, she steals every scene she's in, and her path towards redemption is worth the watch.

Even Jeff Goldblum is a welcome addition. Even his typical "mannerisms" only add more zest to the ridiculous entity that is the Grandmaster. He is wonderfully egotistical, and he infuriates Thor to no end with his frequent mispronunciation of "Asgard" or Thor's title.

The humour also melded well, despite the serious tone that "Ragnarok" is meant to imply. After a really rough bump at the start, I feel like it was the right tonal choice for this movie. This movie must be preparing us for the kind of loss that we're going to experience during the Infinity War because some people meet rather untimely ends in this movie. It just happens with a finality that'll shock you, and you barely even get a chance for it to sink in. I'm hoping that there's a chance for rebirth, like that shown in the comic, such that we will get a chance to meet some of these fallen heroes again. (One can only wish...)

It's been hard to put words to this review without giving spoilers, so perhaps I might just have to delve into spoiler territory with another review to further contextualize what I was unable to say. Suffice it to say, this was a great movie (A+), and a wonderfully good time. I might just be up for watching this again come next weekend; who knows, might even treat a friend to it (time will tell).

God Bless.

  

Logan Review (spoiler free)

This was an unusual entry into the X-men universe. This finally makes this series a trilogy, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. People give the first entry in the series more grief than it deserves. As I remember it, it had the dubious honour of having a critic review an unfinished leaked copy of the movie, and then it was all downhill from there. Anyway, that's a tangent for another day.

This trilogy has been quite unique; in some ways as unique as the Captain America trilogy. It basically employed the same format, starting with one director, then shifting to a second director(s) who helmed the second and third movies. Despite this being the same director, the 2nd and 3rd movie are stylistically very different. In Captain America, it was because the Russo brothers had morphed "Civil War" into Avengers 2.5; in this case, James Mangold was aiming for a movie straddling multiple genres (Dystopian future/Western/Road Movie).

As you know from all the media hype about this movie, mutantkind has for the most part disappeared. What remains are a few vestiges; what we see of those vestiges are  Wolverine, Caliban and a 90-something Professor X. Logan's invulnerability isn't what it used to be, and the Professor is more liability than saviour at this point in his life, with major repercussions for any humans in his vicinity. Things can only get worse when Laura aka X-23 is introduced into their lives.

It was hard to watch these 2 X-men brought down to this level. Wolverine has always been the Lone Wolf who is sometimes called upon to be the ever reluctant hero. Despite all the bad that humankind has forced upon him, at least he always had invulnerability to rely on, and the choice to hit the road when he so desired. The pillar that was Prof. X is now also a distant memory; in a change of roles, Logan is now tasked with eking out a living to cater for the Prof. and his many special needs. The antagonism between the two of them gives the movie a lot of heart, sometimes intensely engrossing, and at other times hilarious when the Prof. exhibits petulant outbursts.

However, ever the heroes that they are, Laura's needs are a call to action, and even a chance to earn some redemption.

All things considered, this was a great movie, beautifully shot and well paced. I remember the joy of seeing Wolverine break out into a berserker rage in "X-men: Apocalypse", and this movie managed to one-up even that bit of gruesomeness! The R-rating on this movie is definitely used to good effect, whether it's Wolverine or X-23 doing the eviscerating. Though it's set in the near future, the movie is mostly grounded in the present, with the reavers and minor elements reflecting anything of futuristic proportions.

I have to come out and state that this movie is really its own story. Coming into it, there had been talk about them adopting the "Old Man Logan" storyline (definitely a great read if you come across it), but apart from the "Open Road" element of that comic, there isn't much of similarity worth noting.

This is (somewhat) a Marvel movie, so the complaint may arise that the bad guys are not really captivating. I don't think this will be the movie to change your mind about the dearth of characterization for villains in the Marvel stable. On the plus side, though, reflecting on Logan's tribulations will make you understand that the baddies are just an unfortunate hurdle. It could've been anything really. Anything that pushes against him so hard when he's at his most vulnerable seems downright insurmountable.

Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Dafne Keen are the heart and soul of this movie. What surprised me most was how many times Prof. X dropped the F-Bomb in this outing; all his typical decorum is thrown out the window, and he must've picked up some Wolverine-isms after being cooped up with him. For the most part, Hugh Jackman is reduced to brooding, but his emotions cover the whole range of the spectrum...with the rare smile chipped in. Even though Logan is even more reluctant to be a hero in this outing (Prof. X seems to be the one more concerned with looking out for X-23), Jackman imbues even the neglect with a true humanity. And Dafne Keen will not be afflicted with the "bad child actor who ruins a good movie" title. She has little dialogue for most of the movie, but her facial expressions and physicality convince you that she's more than a little bundle of joy. I look forward to seeing her take her rightful place in the X-men franchise.

I feel like this movie has emotionally drained me; it will take the love you have for these characters and beat you down with it. But, if ever there was a way for the roles of Prof. X and Wolverine to be retired (by their respective actors), this was it. Five star performance that's definitely worth watching. I still feel like there's more left of this story to tell, but maybe the X-men can give us that in a future installment that involves X-23 and Nathaniel Essex (aka Mr. Sinister), who was teased at the end of X-men: Apocalypse, but sadly didn't make it into this movie. Maybe some other day.

God Bless