Infinity Wars

Infinity Wars

I was skeptical that this movie would work. With the confluence of super heroes there were too many egos to manage. But the narrative worked and this was the glue that kept this movie together. The story shifted from different scenes and different battles but you could follow the connections.

There are too many super heroes to mention, but some featured more than others. Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy had more leading roles. On one level the story is simple. The bad guy, Thanos, wants to collect the six mythical stones giving him tremendous power threatening the universe. Each stone is in a different location in the galaxy, including earth, and this is where the battles take place. Thanos is played by a computer generated avatar of Josh Brolin, nearly unrecognizable except for his voice. The movie does not take itself too seriously, with banter and good natured jabs contributing to the movie’s enjoyment. The film ties in prior movies giving it recognizable reference points.

The special effects were of course amazing. They had to be to maintain the nearly three hours attention span needed to watch the film. Honestly, it did not feel like three hours because the movie was well paced. The production budget is between $300m-$400m meaning they have to clear about $1b in box office to make a profit. I attended the 9:30 am Imax show and the theater was nearly full.

As for the ending, I am not even going to talk about the ending. When I got up to leave I noticed no one else was leaving. So I sat through the credits. There were so many credits it turned the screen white. The reward was coming attractions, albeit quite short but they portend a sequel.

For fan boys and fan girls a must see. For you civilians you could do worse.

Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

This movie mildly met my expectations. As a package it was fun to watch and in many ways nostalgic. Anyone who saw the iconic 1984 version would be naturally curious. Some performances were weak while others acceptable, but none were wickedly funny. The problem with a “reboot” is it wants to hang on to its linage but at the same time has the challenge to be fresh. The director and writers played this movie safe. Cast chemistry was very good. No one character dominated.

Melissa McCarthy has two basic personas, Tammy (wild woman) and Maggie from Saint Vincent.  Here Maggie as the lead scientist appeared. McCarthy was too low keyed and mostly unfunny. Her signature physical antics were absent. A subdued Melissa McCarthy is like watching strippers dance with their clothes on.

Kristin Wiig was the other scientist. Aside from some horny physical attraction to Hemsworth she was relegated as a mumbling worry worth. She is a very witty actress and could have contributed more to her role.

Kate McKinnon was the ordnance maven. She fabricated all sorts of ghostbusting weaponry (reminiscent of the 1984 movie). She sported a frozen a mad scientist look. Even with a limited guise she was funny in several spots even with little dialogue.

Leslie Jones has been described as a force of nature (I describe her as the last person you want to be stuck in an elevator with). Her performance in SNL is aggressive and wild. Here she was relegated to being a mere human. She was essential to the film but restraining here character was a mistake

At first I was not enthusiastic with Chris Hemsworth. The beefcake blond bird brain stereotype was obvious and unimaginative.  But his role grows on you and he has some funny skits. If the writers had more nerve they would have exploited sexual angle with Wiig. A three some with a ghost would have been edgy; calling Patrick Swayze. 

The movie was more effective when it was physical. Being slimed is still fun and fighting specters is what ghostbueters do. There are some end of the world battles. Chaos was done well.

Interestingly the special effects were not much different from the 1984 original. After thirty-two years you would expect some significant innovations. May be the director wanted to connect with the past.  Sadly, the Marshmallow Man did not appear.

There were some wonderful  nostalgic cameos from the 1984 movie.  The big names all seemed to have a good time and boosted the movie. Missing was the “Key Master”, Rick Moranis. He was asked but declined to appear.

This movie has its weak points, but there is enough to make it watchable. For those over sixty this s a nostalgic walk. Hey, for the rest of you can do worse. Until the “Suicide Squad “opens.

p.s. Theme music is the same as the original-why mess with perfect.

Thor: The Dark World

This was an entertaining movie. It had the requisite battles to destroy and/ or save the universe; fighting against hideous creatures with dark powers. For sci-fi fans this type of apocalyptic battle is the de rigueur. What makes this movie work is the chemistry of the cast. The audience buys into them. Twirling the hammer is fun to watch, but do you like the guy at the other end of the handle?

The other guy at the end of the handle is Chris Hemsworth, a worthwhile addition to the Australian acting roster working in American cinema: Hugh Jackman, Sam Worthington, Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) and others. He plays Thor with both graveness and a human touch. Hemsworth is most appealing when he is not using his Thor voice and just doing human things like asking for directions to a train station. His relationship with Natalie Portman’s character is heating up and this will take us to the next sequel. Maybe there will be little Thor’s?

Natalie Portman is an actress with credentials (Black Swan, V for Vendetta, Garden State and other movies); it was a surprise to see her in the first Thor movie. This is light duty for her, but with the reduced voltage she is integrating herself well with the cast. She is Thor’s main squeeze and they work well together.

Antony Hopkins should pay the producers for letting him play Odin. He is having too much fun to call this work. His one eyed glare rules over Thor and Loki. Hopkins was such a ham he could be served at a Thanksgiving dinner.

I cannot say that Loki is likable, because he is despicable, but he is an indispensable part of the landscape. Thor without Loki is like a hot dog without mustard. Not to give anything away Loki is an integral part of the story and there is chemistry, even if it is corrosive.

Darcy Lewis, as played by Kat Dennings, is the film’s second banana. She has more air time in this movie than the first (thank goodness for focus groups). She serves up many funny lines. She is still an intern in this movie, but she has an intern who will likely be the third banana at some point.

There are other notable actors who make up Thor’s merry men and a merry woman. It was nice to see Renee Russo on the screen again (she plays Thor’s Mom).

The movie is the whole of its parts. Let’s hope the producers keep these Lego blocks together.

N.B.-DO NOT LEAVE UNTIL THE CREDITS ARE FINISHED!!