Film Review: The Avengers

Certificate: 12A (intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference)
Directed By: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stellan Skarsgård
Budget: $220 million
Runtime: 142 minutes
Trailer: Watch

Mischief maker Loki returns to wreak havoc as Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D desperately assembles Earth's mightiest superheroes in a bid to thwart his alien invasion. As stories go this isn't about to win any pulitzer prizes, but then this also isn't what makes The Avengers the satisfying culmination of five origins movies and hundreds of millions of dollars that it is. In many ways it was always going to be difficult to live up to the extreme expectations of comic book nerds the world over, but fortunately it comes pretty darn close to quenching the hype.

Director Joss Whedon's task of managing this variety pack of egos isn't an enviable one, but it is one which he satisfyingly achieves with some added gusto for good measure. Maybe somewhat inevitably the film does tilt toward a certain iron clad person, however it is evident that Whedon has gone to excruciating lengths to never let one character run away with events. This balancing act extends to all quarters of the film, be it from managing the inflated super egos on show, attuning plot, characters and action while maintaining a healthy equilibrium between wit and emotional drama. Admittedly it is rather enjoyable to spend the first two-hours watching these jacked-up slabs of cool develop their inchoate bromances, but this is also one of those films which could have stood to show more of them fighting as a team rather than homoerotically checking out who has the bigger muscles.

For an action film it might be surprising then that The Avengers focuses more on the interactions of its egomaniacs rather than on who's exploding what and why. This is particularly noticeable with its brittle framework of a plot involving bland alien cannon-fodder which could be considered the quintessential definition of a macguffin. To its credit The Avengers attempts to be more than just superheroes being cool, however this ironically draws attention to the genre's inherent weaker points. Ordinarily asking questions of an unashamed spectacle would yield little other than headaches, but the fact The Avengers does not treat its audience like idiots only begs for answers. What happened to Loki and how did he survive the events of Thor? How did Thor come back to Earth if the rainbow bridge was destroyed? Also, who are these aliens and why are they allied with Loki? Certainly one can switch off and simply enjoy the film as is, but there is also something more cerebral at work which just craves further expansion. While commendable for its ambitious scope and desire for more depth than your typical action film, it is this recognisable cavate which make it slightly disappointing it's not fully realised.

Where The Avengers really succeeds is in its characters. Given the expositions we were given in the prequels the film wastes no time reintroducing us to our heroes, instead jumping straight in to the nitty gritty of group dynamics. This is done with an abundance of charm and humour, and thankfully does not rely exclusively on the witticisms of one Tony Stark. The biggest risk to The Avengers was always that it might become 'The Iron Man plus super-friends show', however Whedon maintains an impressive handle on our men in tights knowing exactly when to cut off those basking in the limelight for too long. It is a potential problem tackled to impressive effect as each character fulfils their function exceptionally. Downey Jr's Stark is still the Stark we all know and love while Chris Evans' Captain America provides the anchor, still confused by this world he's awoken in yet still the most invested in it. Hemsworth's Thor is no longer as tempestuous as when we first met him, and while he probably could have done with some more interaction with his comrades he nonetheless graces us with his godliness. However it is Mark Ruffalo's Dr. Bruce Banner who threatens to run away with the show. His introverted, gentile persona contrasts starkly with the green beast lurking inside in such a pleasantly unexpected manner while his scenes, particularly those with Tony Stark, sparkle with humour.

But this isn't just the bards of thunder gods and men of iron; The Avengers is uncompromisingly generous with its human antagonists too. Samuel L. Jackson takes a preeminent role this time rather than merely showing up at the end while Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow turns out to have more depth than merely being a kick-ass babe. Likewise, new Bourne star Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is subject to a quivering plot-line as he's subjected to both sides of the coin. Perhaps most extolling of all though is the treatment of Agent Coulson (Gregg) whose monotone exterior we've seen in the prequels is charmingly shattered when he asks for the Cap's autograph and takes on Norse gods. Speaking of which it would be a travesty not to praise another fantastic performance by Tom Hiddleston as Loki, displaying an even more fiendish streak this time round after being 'wronged' in Thor. Indeed, he is bestowed some of the meatiest lines in the film, delivering with aplomb one of the most sneeringly vicious onscreen insults in recent memory.

It would be fair to note that in all likelihood no Avengers film would have ever lived up to all the ridiculously high expectations. However, this is damn close to the best anyone could have hoped for. The main problems with The Avengers mirror those of its prequels in that it is essentially an origins movie itself. Consequently it goes through the same motions of finding its footing and establishing its arcs which inevitably leads to similar imperfections. Yet given the high hopes and the unremitting fan love for Earth's Mightiest Heroes Whedon has done a fantastic job pulling it all together. Most of the criticisms are largely captious when considering the scale of the task, but with this first outing pleasingly accomplished and a tantalising teaser for another Avengers film (stay through the credits), Marvel can only go from strength to strength with this franchise.

Film Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

Certificate: 12A (intense sequences of violence and action, some drug material)
Directed By: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Kelly Reilly, Stephen Fry
Budget: $125 million
Runtime: 129 minutes
Trailer: Watch

After the mega success of 2009's Sherlock Holmes it is hardly surprising that Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law should reprise their roles and rekindle their latent bromance. This time round Holmes (Downey Jr) must connect a spate of terrorist attacks which threaten to plunge Europe into war with the well respected Professor Moriarty (Harris) suspected of being behind it all.

The immediate distinction of A Game Of Shadows from the first film is its scope. It is a globe-trotting adventure which takes Holmes from London to Paris to Germany, only to end in Reichenbach Falls - a site familiar to those acquainted with Arthur Conan Doyle's novels. The problem with this however is that its grand ambition causes the plot to lose sight of itself in a way which sacrifices the deductive reasoning for which Holmes is famed. Where the first film was at least coherently intricate enough, here the pieces of the puzzle are clunkily positioned for Holmes to assemble. For all intents and purposes the first film was in many ways 'cleverer' where here everything feels strangely disjointed, which is a little disappointing given the precedence. Likewise the puzzle itself hardly seems befitting of the supreme intellect that Moriarty, "the Napoleon of crime", is said to command in Doyle's novels. Where the original Sherlock Holmes enjoyed playing intellectual tricks on its audience, this is an altogether more straightforward affair.

What director Guy Ritchie has done is try to bring James Bond into nineteenth-century Victorian Britain as action takes priority. A Game Of Shadows features more brawls with assassins and slow-motion action sequences which, while still looking cool, serve to dilute their purpose. Indeed, slow-motion is ostensibly used to illustrate Holmes' powers of perception which was used to great effect in the first outing, but here it is used too unsparingly to the point where it loses meaning. It is literally more, much more, of the same which manifests in a general feeling of lacklustre. The mechanics of sprightly spontaneity which made the original such a success are no longer fresh which consequently casts a shroud of inevitability over events. Indeed, one won't be nearly as enjoyably surprised as before.

A Game Of Shadows is a prime example of overemphasis on style which causes the plot to suffer and undermine the actors' sinew. Noomi Rapace for example is criminally underdeveloped, merely hanging around without adding anything to proceedings. Likewise, there is a tangible sense that Holmes and Watson (Law) are just itching to release their unbridled intellects but are just cut short by another relentless action sequence. While admittedly the first film was also foremost an action film, at least it left room for intellectual pondering. Here Ritchie has sought to blunt that notion which is disappointing ultimately because it is Holmes' cerebral abilities which we celebrate, not his brawn.

This might seem a little harsh on A Game Of Shadows as despite all of this it is still undeniably good fun. This is primarily down to two outstanding performances. Of course, Downey Jr's portrayal of Holmes is once again enjoyable in a manner similar to that of Depp's Jack Sparrow. Eccentric and flamboyant as always, he bears uncanny resemblance to his other anchor role of Tony Stark in Iron Man. However, it would be fair to say that Holmes is ultimately the more toothsome of the two to watch. While both are unmatched geniuses with unrestrained egos, Holmes displays more humanity than Stark which makes him easier to relate to. For all Holmes' brilliance, he is also a much more vividly damaged human being like the rest of us. It is also worth noting Stephen Fry's enjoyable little cameo as Holmes' brother, a high-up official in the British Foreign Office who is unusually nihilistic for one involved in the formalities of diplomacy and high-politics.

Perhaps more deserving of credit however is one Jared Harris who is outstanding in his portrayal of arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty. Harris is no stranger to the role of nutty professor, also having been delectable as evil genius David Robert Jones in TV series Fringe. The best bits of A Game Of Shadows inevitably occur when the two behemoth intellects of Holmes and Moriarty clash, but unfortunately this is not something which happens often enough. If anything Harris, probably the best thing about the film, suffers like many characters here and is disappointingly underused.

Still, despite the flaws this isn't wholly disappointing. It is confident and amusing and this serves well to mask many of its problems. The main problem with A Game Of Shadows though is that it tries to be both beauty and brains. It's incessant insistance on luxuriously choreographed action sequences form tears in the fabric of what Holmes is supposed to be about; his smarts. And as one might deduce, God doesn't give with both hands.

Another Avengers Trailer

This just keeps looking more and more awesome.

Film Review: Due Date

Having achieved great success with The Hangover, Todd Phillips' latest film can understandably command a certain degree of hype. Certainly my hopes were high regarding Due Date and on paper it appears to have a lot going for it. Not only does Todd Phillips direct, but it features one of Hollywood's most popular and charismatic actors in Robert Downey Jr. alongside one of America's hottest new comedy stars, Zach Galfianakis - in a vehicle. So far so good.

Peter Highman (Downey Jr.) is a highly-strung, uptight architect on his way back from Atlanta for the birth of his first child in LA. What should be a routine trip however is soon thrown into chaos when he crosses paths with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Galfianakis), signalling a chain of unfortunate events which sees them both put on a no-fly-list. Having lost his wallet in the confusion, Peter has no alternative but to hitch a cross-country ride with Ethan and his dog if he's to stand any chance of making it back in time.

This is a mismatched buddy comedy which pulls all the expected strings of slapstick and sympathy. While inevitably Due Date will be compared to Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Phillips has clearly tried to go for an edgier version. However, Due Date fails in this regard, relying heavily on gross-out comedy such as masturbating hounds for shits and giggles. To put it simply, it isn't very funny, scarcely eliciting a smirk. In fact, I can say without a doubt that the best part of the movie is where the duo get stoned in the car. Not because the 'trip' (pun intended) is particularly hilarious, but purely because Pink Floyd's 'Hey You' is blasting in the background. Other than that, the set pieces and encounters the pair have along their journey end up feeling somewhat hollow.

To be fair to Due Date, there are a few reasonably amusing moments scattered about, but for every one of these there are more perturbing ones. While by the end of the film you do, kinda, feel Peter might have learned from his experience and grown as a person, you detect no such thing with Ethan, which somewhat defeats the purpose of this kind of tale. Indeed, Galfianakis is quickly becoming typecast as an uncouth slob, making for more profoundly annoying rather than loveable oaf. Maybe another Hangover was too much to hope for, but I was expecting better.