About Time: Review of X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director: Bryan Singer

By Alex Watson

 

The X-Men series has so far been one of the finer points of Marvel’s successful on screen saga, and these movies have been among the most entertaining comic book adaptations that we have seen so far this century. But the last two efforts have provided a bit of a misstep with Brett Ratner’s underwhelming ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ and Matt Vaughn’s interesting, but ultimately incomplete re-boot ‘X-Men: First Class’ Last year however, fans got a major surprise when it was announced that original director Bryan Singer was reuniting both new and old class members for one hell of a reunion. So finally everyone, we bring you X-Men: Days of Future Past!  Will this be the definitive version of this series? Or will too many cooks spoil the broth?

In 2023, the world is in a state of total destruction and a mutants are hunted by a series of killer robots called Sentinals. To help prevent this onslaught, Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) decide to send back their old friend Wolverine (Hugh Jackson) back to 1973 where weapons maker Boliver Trask (Peter Dinklage) is on the verge on landing a big deal with President Nixon to see mutants wiped out. Also Wolverine will have to convince a depressed younger Xavier (James McAvoy) to get over his regrets over losing his surrogate sister Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and aid them in rescuing the younger Magneto (Michael Fassbender) from a very complex prison.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is certainly the most fun and entertaining movie of this series in quite some time, and it is wonderful to see the original cast together in this, but also linking them with their newer cast also works. The playful feel to the early movies has returned and it adds to the joy of the movie- particularly during the thrilling and impressive sequence where the X-Men aid by new (and very cool) new recruit Quicksilver (Evan Peters) bust Magneto out of his Pentagon Prison. If you thought the Nightcrawler sequence in X-2 was stunning, prepare to be amazed here! But one of the more clever elements to Singers movie is the challenges that the characters now face in the past. Wolverine no longer has adamantium claws and the young Charles is a wounded animal who refuses to accept the future and dopes himself up on a special serum that is blocking his mind! Plus there is the added pressure of whether or not to trust old pal Magneto and throughout we are keep guessing his true motives.

The past setting is a good choice for Singer and he follows the lead of previous director Matthew Vaughn and there are many cute in jokes to that period, such as Wolverine waking up to seeing a Lava Lamp glow nearby and the connection to Vietnam and the loss of several Xavier students, which has contributed to his depression. One sequence through default introduces a certain Major William Stryker whose presence although minimal, has the desired effect on Wolverine! There is also a thrilling final sequence set against the shadow the Whitehouse and our heroes to battle to prevent each other from changing the future- which leads an unexpected result for all. Also worth watching sheerly for the part when Magneto raises the entire RFK Stadium in Washington.

But although X-Men: Days of Future Past looks splendid and is for the most part good viewing, the alternation between the two different universes does weigh heavily on the story and at times events feel a little confusing. Although it is nice to see old members Storm (Halle Berry), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) they don’t feel like neccessary inclusions, and after a point, it just feels like Singer is trying to cram as many old faces in as he can. The story to its credit, does tie up a lot of loose ends, but it is also highly underdeveloped, we never learn enough about villian Trask and his reasons for wanting to destroy mutants and this lack of knowledge lessens the impact of the character to the point where he feels irrelevant.

Hugh Jackman again takes centre stage in his most iconic role as Wolverine and once more, he has the presence to keep us entertained and his character has lost none of his impact, but a more sympathetic side has grown to him and watching him trying to reason with young Charles brings about some poignant moments. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are both equally impressive as the youthful Magneto and Xavier and they carry across their inner conflicts well from their previous time on first class. But while younger ones get their time to shine- Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are criminally underused when the movie demands more or their presence!

After his fine work on HBO’s Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage is not given a meaty enough character to sink his teeth into and although he is tries his hardest as Boliver Trask, he is not able to conjure up any kind of real threat. But real prize of the movie goes Evan Peters who a blast as super fast kid Quicksilver and through complete accident becomes the coolest thing in the movie- just watch his effortless ability to take out several guards while still having time to move bullets out the way, this kid is far too cool for school!

X:Men- Days of Future Past is a welcome return to form for this franchise and aside from a few bumps in the road, is a very entertaining movie. The reputation of the film may have been slighty affected by the rumours of Bryan Singer’s arrest for Sexual Assault, but the end result is one that is pretty decent. Any mistakes can easily be corrected for the highly anticipated, X-Men: Apocalypse. Good to have you back again fellas, it has been a while!

 

Along Came A Spider: Review of The Amazing Spiderman 2

The Amazing Spiderman 2

Director: Marc Webb

By Alex Watson

 

So far Marc Webb’s Spiderman franchise reboot has been getting some positive mentions and with a few decent touches, this could be something very interesting. Many may have sneered at this idea as just another money making suggestion, but so far you can’t argue with the results. This week, New York’s favourite web slinger returns and he has a major fight on his hands as he faces at least three tough villians in The Amazing Spiderman 2– but after the difficult choices made in the first movie, how will Spidey live with his decisions in this movie?

After saving the Big Apple from ‘The Lizard’ previously, Spiderman (Andrew Garfield) has become a hero to the city, but is struggling to maintain his relationship with girlfriend Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) after his pledge to her late father Captain Stacey (Denis Leary). Meanwhile ‘nobody’ Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) has a grave electrical accident which transforms him into villian Electro and his rages quickly devastate the city while Spidey works in vain to prevent them- but his problems will grow in sequence as baddie ‘The Rhino’ (Paul Giamatti) comes charging into view and old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) rolls into town with tricky intentions.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 makes for a solid sequel to the earlier reboot and there are flurrys of exciting actions throughout. Thankfully Webb skillfully avoids any urge to retread previous events and lets the new story play out. In this movie we see a Spiderman both loving and hating his new role as hero and he is continually haunted by the presence of Gwen’s father. The romance between the two young adults is the affecting part of the movie and rather than overplaying any potential sentiment and instead provides us with a love tale which is both sweet and very funny as the pair continually bicker over Peter wanting to make choices for their relationship.

But although we are kept entertained, the centre story feels a little lost in places and seems unsure what exactly to focus to on. The side story of Peter looking into the mystery of his beloved parents disappearence diverts the story from its intended path and at times we are not sure whether Webb intends this film to be either a mystery film or a superhero piece? Also although the new improved Harry Osborn is a welcome relief from the whiny brat of old, his tale of desperately trying to avoid succumbing to the same illness that has killed his father Norman (an excellent Chris Cooper) is interesting rather than completely neccessary and you would have to feel this could have been a stronger piece without the numerous distractions going on.

One of the strongest elements of The Amazing Spiderman 2 film is the excellent villians on display, there was a danger of having too many at once and it could suffer from the same problem that plagued Spiderman 3. But here there are given us to perfect measure and the introduction of the Electro is excellent. Max is a true loser who is continually ignored by all around him, but his transformation is spectacular and he demolishes Time Square, thrill levels are raised early on. But there is also a great human element to him early on as after years of neglect, Electro relishes his power from the electric current as well as the attention he gains as he sets about trying to become a god to the people . But his obsession with at first loving, then later destroying Spiderman sets the audience up for a great showdown! But although the electric blue man is given his day, Rhino feels underused and set aside a great closing battle, he never gets to demonstrate what he can do.

The action on display is of very high quality and there are moments which make the ticket price worth paying, including a finale where Spidey and Electro do battle in the midst of a hugh electrical plant and the city descends into chaos as the power goes out! But after the film has finished the action was almost seem secondary as in a single moment, the feel of the movie turns on its head and we are given a moment of pure shock which will last several moments after and most likely be a key ingrediant to the next Spiderman!

Andrew Garfield once again makes for a wise choice for Spiderman and he is being to make the role his own. He easily handles the films laughes, but more vitally he raises his game in the more emotional content and gives a more real feel to this character. Emma Stone equally matches him on both grounds and proves to everyone that she is on the most reliable and promising young actresses around at the moment. But its Jamie Foxx who steals the show as Electro, nerdy and desperate to be seen to the early stages, Foxx succeeds in capturing audience sympathies but then wisely gives Max a 360 turn of badness when he realizes that his hero isn’t the man he thought him to be! After that he is given a thrilling sense of menace and he becomes Spideys most troublesome nemesis in some time.

While it may not be this years most advanced sequel, The Amazing Spiderman 2 is still another another step in the right direction for Webb, Garfield and co and with a little polishing, any flaws could be avoided for the next adventure. Welcome back Webslinger, we’ll see you again soon!

 

 

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold: Review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo

By Alex Watson

 

After his last outing defeating the mighty Hydra force, Marvel’ s Captain America returns to our screen this week. The previous tale of ordinary man Steve Rogers becoming America’s new hope was a very entertaining adventure and so far he has proven to be one of the more charismatic yet conflicted creations. But after saving New York from Loki and friends, the Cap now faces a far sterner test on home soil as he learns that some enemies can be closer to you than you realize! Also he has a  master assassin waiting in the wings to cause mayhem in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is adjusting to life in the 21st century after being unfrozen from his ice tomb, but although he is still the front line of defense for the nation, Captain America is struggling with his new spy role and is beginning to doubt if the agency he works for- S.H.I.E.L.D is really helping protect people or just looking out for its own interests? But soon a deep rooted conspiracy will rear its head and his own agency will turn on him, leaving him to wonder just who he can trust? Also the emergence of legendary assassin, The Winter Soldier really doesn’t help matters!

After a few previous missteps, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a much more improved affair and goes to show that this character is fast becoming one of the more impressive Marvel movie creations. Whereas last time dealt with Rogers becoming a super soldier, this one deals more with him still trying to fit the role and his early crisis of conscience is well played out. After a beginning mission tackling French/Algerian criminals on a ship, the Captain has begun to resent what S.H.I.E.L.D and Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) stand for and rather than being contented being protector of the nation, he rather sees his part as “holding a gun to the nations head” After having his confidence shaken- from there is begins to shatter completely as the dark side of the organisation continually rears its head with devasting results!

The central story is admitly, a little creaky and the conspiracy plot anchored by shady S.H.I.E.L.D agent Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) is a bold one, but ultimately feels very muddled in places and isn’t helped by a messy transition where an old enemy rears its head. But this fact aside, this movie still has plenty of thrills to keep people going, after a slow start, things kick into life when in a crowded lift, the Captain cooly asks “Before this goes down, does anyone want to get out?” Cue fist flying mayhem! The action compared to other previous Marvel movies is a more realistic affair and unlike the previous battles by lasers and trains in the first movie, this sequences in this movie are a more exciting affair and thankfully the Russo brother decline to use montages and by letting the story play itself out, the result is far better.

When the main enemy, The Winter Soldier appears though, the result is both good but yet slightly underwhelming, as a creation this soldier is fantastic and through his metal arm and piercing gaze, a great showdown is promised- but sadly this character doesn’t quite come with the threat needed that the Red Skull was able to produce last time, and when his true identity is revealed- it is a predictable affair. However, in spite of this we are willing overlook this fact as it sets up an emotionally charged battle sequence for the finale and despite once again there being a battle in the air (which has just become Marvel stock these days) it begs serious questions of what both men are willing to do to end things?

Chris Evans once again scores big as Captain America and over the course of the three movies he has appeared in, Evans has grown into the role well and is able to bring across a great sense of humour and a terrific sense of moral confusion this time. Last time he was all about protecting the nation, but in this film, Evans invests a more troubled side of this character which really gives the Captain a big lift emotionally. This man is fast becoming a dependable character actor and Marvel should hang on to this one for the future!

In the supporting ranks, Robert Redford has great fun as the devious Alexander Pierce and proves that even with age, he is still a very compelling presence on screen and it is wonderful to see this man back again! Scarlett Johansson enjoys her biggest slice of screen time so far as Natasha Romanoff/The Black Widow and provides the movie eye candy along with providing the Captain with a strong sidekick. Elsewhere there is an intriguing new partner for our hero in the shape Anthony Mackie’s Sam- an ex special forces soldier turned confidant.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a movie that does exactly what it says in tin- it provides great thrills and laughs for all and it is a great set up for the next Avengers movie in 2015. But this is one franchise which could have a solid foundation for the future- at ease Captain Rogers!

Mr Law & Order: Review of Dredd

Dredd

Director: Pete Travis

By Alex Watson

Many people’s memories still quake with fear as we remember Sylvester Stallone’s previous outing as Judge Dredd. What started as fans delight quickly dissolved into a corny nightmare with its wooden acting and truly terrible storyline and not to mention Sly repeatedly slurring “I AM THE LAWWW” So imagine peoples scepticism when a re- boot of the franchise was announced! But with no real star names attached, this effort looked to be more promising and fans began to believe again? How will British Director Pete Travis take his new vision on a comic legend in Dredd?

Based in the futuristic Mega City One, the world has become a vast wasteland and people are becoming more desperate everyday! The city’s top cop Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) has his work cut out for him as more crime is committed! But even worse a new drug called Slo-Mo has hit the streets from gang leader MaMa (Lena Headey) and is deadly addictive. Soon Dredd is called to mentor rookie Judge Anderson and together the two go on a routine bust inside MaMa controlled tower, Peach Trees. But very soon the two find themselves sealed inside and very soon the only way out is to fight their way upstairs!

Thankfully Dredd sheds the ham factor of its predecessor and is thankfully stripped down to its bare elements by Director Travis and screenwriter Alex Garland. The plot here is minimal and unlike before there is no back story for Dredd and because of this there are no unnecessary sub plot diversions. Here we have a man who will keep law and order, no matter what the cost! The more simple touches allow this film to fire on all cylinders and finally fans get the Judge Dredd their patience has deserved! It is to the credit of Garland and Travis for restoring the faith!

Although the visual effects are rare in this piece, they are none the less spectacular and in 3D this is a worthy experience! In particular, several stunning sequences demonstrating to us life through Slo-Mo eyes. But more than anything, the more grainy cinematography gives us a grittier feel than Stallone’s effort and for the time we see just how bad life in Mega City One has become!

But one area where Dredd falls down is in the centre story line, the idea of cops fighting their way up a drug baron controlled tower block feels dangerously similar to the Indonesian film The Raid by Gareth Evans (reviewed earlier this year) and in the beginning part it becomes a game of spot the similarities. This isn’t to say that the story is any less interesting, but this premise does feel a little cut and pasted.

However, any flaws in story are made up by the excellent portrayal of Dredd, never once is his helmet removed (although we his head once from behind) and this man is all business so in Travis & Garland’s world- humour doesn’t exist with this man because there is peace to preserve. The villainess, MaMa however isn’t quite as brilliant; although she is a cunning and chilling lady- she doesn’t quite conjure up the threat need to drive such a movie.

As the aforementioned Judge, Karl Urban is excellent is this role! A capable supporting man of recents times in RED, Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but when pushed into leading man mode, Urban truly holds the screen and never relents. His performance is made all the more impressive as he is behind a helmet throughout- his chin alone deserves an Oscar for its efforts!

Though Lena Headey looks the part as the scarred MaMa, she doesn’t quite have the menace to go with it. Which is a shame seeing as her work as evil Queen Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones has brought us one the best villains on TV! Olivia Thirlby gives solid support as rookie Anderson who has learn fast as the baddies close in around her!

The redemption of Judge Dredd is finally here (and no Rob Schneider in sight!), Dredd is a fine adaption of John Wagner’s comic and we can begin to forget Stallone’s original effort and embrace the true bad-ass that Urban has brought to our screens. – Fans let the healing process begin!