The Belated Yet Somehow Inevitable Post About the Avengers Movie

I don’t think I have to tell you that the Avengers movie is a huge hit, statistically there is no one in the western world who hasn’t seen this Joss Whedon film.  And like many I loved it. The movie worked, and I’m amazed. If you would have told me five years ago that the crazy plan at the end of Iron Man would not only happen but become the second biggest superhero movie of all time (soon to be the biggest I’m predicting) I would have laughed. This movie should have been impossible. To make a sequel to five separate films that share a world and continuity, that’s big. As in possibly game changing big.

Since I’m two weeks to late on this (if your reading in Europe a Month.) I won’t review the film many have done so and done so better than I could. But I will say Hulk stole the show, and Marc Ruffalo, should play Banner forever. Scarlet Johansson in 3D, I’ll just let that explain itself.  And the end credit sting, damn! So what I’m gonna do instead is give you my humble opinion of what would be best for making sure the inevitable Avengers 2 is as good as the first.

1.  Keep the slow burn. Disney I know Avengers is printing money for you right now but don’t , please don’t, rush the sequel. A big part of why this movie is so successful right now is that we as fans have been anticipating it since Nick Fury showed up at the end of Iron Man five years ago. And every movie that led to the Avengers built on that excitement until it was released this May. The same should be done for the second. If an Avengers 2 gets released without a full four movie cycle like the first it will not be as big of a hit. 
2.  Keep Joss Whedon happy. I had my doubts about Joss Whedon as the director, but he was defiantly up to the task. Keep him. Do anything it takes, agree to his new show on ABC, let him make more Dr Horrible, build a Serenity ride at Disneyland. Just make sure he doesn’t bail.  
3.    Don’t change the team.  Seriously, this group of superheroes works, they compliment each other well , and all have something to do in the scheme of things. Now the urge to get more of the characters from the comic in there is strong but it should be resisted. Adding more characters can severely gum up the works for an already complex movie. Same goes for the actors, try to keep as many of them as possible and don’t change the Hulk again, Ruffalo was amazing.  I seriously want to see a Tony Stark Bruce Banner buddy film. 
4.  Make a bigger better story. Let’s not mince words here the weakest part of the Avengers was the plot. It was literally stop Loki and seal the hole in the sky.  Luckily the movie was made by a guy like Joss Whedon, so the interactions between the characters was the real point and main event. But a sequel, it has to be bigger and the plot has to be a functioning part of it. But if you saw the reveal in the credits, you know this won’t likely be an issue. 
5. And seriously stop killing beloved characters Joss. There are other ways to move a storyline this is seriously becoming a crutch almost as bad as M. Night Shayamalan’s twist endings. My brother, cousin, and I were even making bets on who he’d kill. I don’t mind death in my movies and stories, but I like it to be something other than a plot contrivance. But more on that when I make my “Troubles I have with Joss Whedon” post.  

So there you go the things that I feel need to happen to make avengers 2 as good as this one. I loved Avengers,  and I’m looking forward to the next few years of Marvel Movies.  

Critiquing the Critics: Green Lantern.

Hidy Ho neighbour.
Every so often there is a movie that just pisses off film critics, for whatever reason. And it never seems to make much sense me the slightly more than average filmgoer.* When this happens it seems almost as if the critics are colluding to destroy said movie. And despite what everyone says about how much they trust critics, it works. I don't think there is a great conspiracy or anything but when critics are unanimous it creates buzz. That is how a godawful peice of bovine droppings, like "Dances with Wolves" is considered a classic, and a movie that did the crime of being just okay, Like "Revenge of the Sith" is considered irrevocably awful. This is currently happening to the, until last weekend, biggest movie of the summer "Green Lantern"

Well your humble narrator, has just seen, this supposedly awful movie and you know what? It was pretty good, I would also say I liked it. I wouldn't say it was Damn good like earlier in the month's "X-men First class" but I thought it was at least "Thor" good (though it didn't have the Foo Fighters but I digress). Sure it had plot holes, but unlike some action movies, they never took away from my enjoyment of the movie. As I said above this movies only crime it that it was just okay, and I think it's pretty good which last I checked was a step above okay. It was a good entertaining superhero movie, that my brother whom is a bigger Green Lantern fan than me thought was true enough to the book, in fact he also likes the movie more than me.

I think the thing with the critics is two fold. Chritics Hate computer animation in live action movies, it's a fact just live with it. And this movie had a lot of computer animation. And second, I think critics are tired of superhero movies. Many have felt that superheroes where gaining critical mass this year with so many superhero and movies based on comics coming out the bottom had to give at some point and I think "Green Lantern" with it's more outlandish premise gave the critics their opening to express this subject fatigue.

So here's what I thought worked about it minor spoiler warning though I'll try not too. Ryan Reynolds was good, and he made this lighter Hal Jordon a joy to watch, in fact I kinda wish he was lighter like this in the comic as well. I in fact liked all of the casting especially Hector Hammond. I liked that they kept Sinestro as a good guy for the entire film, something that is very hard for super hero movies to do. I wish "X Men first class (the movie that will definatley have a sequel) did the same. The Action was good the constructs imaginative and fun, and yes the famous fist does make an appearance. I thought OA was cool looking as where the Gaurdians.

Now what I didn't feel worked. The computer animated costumes. As well designed and executed as they where, they never quite got to the point where you believed them, especially the mask. I also thought (and this is true of many summer movies) that the sub plots about the corps. would have made a better movie. Like many first superhero movies, it took a bit to get started, and wasn't particularly interesting until he met Abun Sur, (who was played by Jango frikkn Fett BTW).

Above all I think it's a good start up film that would probably have a bitchin' sequel. Kinda like how the abysmal "Batman Begins" led o the "Dark Knight". But will it get one? the actors are attached, but if the box office keeps going the way I hear it is (I don't watch figures I just hear about them in the abstract) it's unlikely and that makes me sad. But back to the present, if you wanted to see this movie don't let a bunch of pissed off critics, deter you from seeing it. If you want to see it, go see it! and make your own decision if it is good or bovine excretions.

That is all.

* Before you brand me an egotist for my slightly more than average filmgoer line, I call myself this because, I have written for comics and screen (student work when it comes to screen), and have been a storyboard artist. So I know a bit of what it takes to craft a film. I was not saying I was some sort of superior film viewing being.

image of course (c) 2011 Time Warner and DC Comics.

Hobo With A Shotgun

Last Saturday I saw a movie, it was probably the most wonderful and intense movie I've seen in a loooong time. It is called Hobo With a Shotgun. Based on a fake trailer, that was a promotion for the movie Grindhouse. It is a story of a Hobo, played by Rutger Hauer, who wanders into a lawless town. And when he's had enough of pain and suffering of the people "stops begging and demands change". The movie has a great 1970's look especially, in the lighting, and has many a great violent action scene involving and not involving the eponymous weapon. It's not playing everywhere but if you like horror or exploitation flix I do recommend tracking down a theater that has it playing.
Check out it's official website: http://www.magnetreleasing.com/hobowithashotgun/