"Elvis" Review

 

by John Zenoni

Absolutely loving the latest Baz Luhrmann film, ‘Elvis’ -- and its soundtrack. Having grown up in a family with women who loved, no, worshipped Elvis Presley, I knew I had to check out this latest film about his life. Let me preface this review by saying I had only watched one of Luhrmann’s films in its entirety, 2013’s ‘The Great Gatsby’, which I did really like, and had seen snippets from ‘Moulin Rouge’, which my daughter and her teenage friends watched multiple times when it was released, which I thought was strange because to me that movie was so weird (or so I thought at the time). But, it seems like that was THE movie at the time to watch when it was released in 2001. I just never could get into it, other than listening to that excellent version of Elton John’s ’Your Song’, performed by Ewan McGregor.

Anyway, for anyone who is a true Elvis fan, I do think that you will find this film to be favorable overall. The film does take a different approach in that it's told from the perspective of Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks, who does a great job as usual, and who is the ‘enemy’ in the eyes of most people that followed Elvis during his career. Parker tells his side of how he discovered Elvis and took him from a kid born to a poor family and turned him into the most famous person in the world! I will say that there is a lot of story told in this film - it's almost 3 hours long - and a good bit of going back and forth that it could have done without.

What I did enjoy was the film showing Elvis’ humble beginnings and how much gospel/R&B influenced him and his musical style. You can see and hear it throughout the film. Needless to say, the sounds and music are huge focal points in the film. As far as the other performances, the other standouts are Olivia DeJonge as Elvis’ wife, Priscilla Presley, and Helen Thomson as Elvis’ mom, Gladys. But the knockout performance is definitely that of Austin Butler, who portrays Elvis Presley. When I first saw the trailer for this film, I didn’t think Butler looked anything like Elvis, but now having seen the film, I could not have been more wrong. He gives an absolutely amazing performance and definitely needs to be considered during award season. The similarities to Presley's looks and mannerisms are uncanny. Kudos to him and to Luhrmann for going with an unknown. It definitely paid off.

#cinemafiends

#fullycinematic

#elvispresley

#elvismovie2022

#bazluhrmannelvis

The Hulk's 4 Best Movie Appearances

Like most of the Avengers, Dr. Bruce Banner's journey as an onscreen hero has sadly come to an end. But most of his -- and his alter-ego's '-- live-action movie appearances are infinitely rewatchable. With the possible exception of The Dark Knight's Harvey Dent, never has a dissociative disorder been so captivating. Not even Tyler Durden is crazy enough to join a fight club that includes the Hulk. Legendary comic book writer Stan Lee dreamed the Hulk up in 1962 and actors Eric Bana and Mark Ruffalo brought him to life in spectacular fashion years later (so did Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno but we're sticking with movies on this one).





4. Hulk

                                                                                                  

                                                                

Hulk is the only movie to provide an in-depth origin story -- a logical and compelling one, at that -- for the big, green monster. It's also a far superior film to the one named for the character that is an official installment of the MCU. That movie, 2008's The Incredible Hulk, is so disappointing that Marvel has downplayed its existence almost since the moment that it was released.

Hulk explains how maverick scientist David Banner conducted experiments on himself which resulted in an alteration to his DNA, which was passed on to his son Bruce. Years later, this genetic abnormality allows an adult Bruce to survive a lab accident in which he's bombarded with radiation. However, this same accident combined with his unique genetic make-up transform him into a gigantic and invincible monster during times of stress.

The most underrated Hulk movie, this origin story is the only one to possess the tragic weight and gravitas of the 1970s television series, which itself was a departure from other small screen superhero fare like the ultra-campy Batman and Wonder Woman series. Hulk also goes a long way toward explaining how and why the man became a (part-time) monster.

Geneticist David Banner's work centers on attempting to replicate the process by which soldier Steve Rogers was enhanced to the peak of human physical capability during WWII. Because the formula was lost with Rogers' apparent death (though Rogers isn't mentioned in the movie), Banner has to start from scratch. His theories involve combining human DNA with that of animals. But after being prohibited from moving forward with human trials, he uses himself as a test subject. Following the birth of his son, Bruce, Dr. Banner detects abnormalities in the infant that resulted from the experiments. And when the military learns what he's done, he's removed from the project altogether. After Banner accidentally kills his wife, he's sentenced to a long prison stint and Bruce is adopted by another couple, the Krenzlers.

Unaware of the familial connection, Bruce grows up to become a leading geneticist like his biological father. Ironically, his work with nanomeds, intended to repair damaged human cells instantaneously following exposure to low levels of gamma radiation, is also being eyed for military applications. After the machine used for emitting the radiation short-circuits during routine maintenance, Bruce is subjected to a lethally high dose when he selflessly shields one of his colleagues from the radiation.

While he's hospitalized and miraculously survives, Bruce's colleagues, including Elizabeth Ross, the daughter of the man who oversaw his father's work, are mystified as to why his exposure wasn't fatal. Meanwhile, his father, David, has taken a job as a custodian at the Berkeley Biotechnology Institute, where they work. When he reveals his true identity to his son, Bruce is initially skeptical. But he subsequently runs a DNA test which confirms the mysterious janitor's story.

After succumbing to stress, Bruce experiences a significant increase in size and strength and his skin and hair take on a green hue. Consumed by rage, he demolishes the lab. Betty's father, General Thaddeus Ross, questions Bruce about any possible collusion with his father and has him placed under house arrest.

While under home confinement, Bruce is contacted by David, who explains that his earlier transformation was the end result of his mutated DNA being exposed to the radiation. He also informs him that he's abducted Betty and plans to kill her in the hopes that Bruce will transform again. Meanwhile, soldier-turned-entrepreneur Major Glenn Talbot, Bruce's romantic rival for Betty's affections, who'd hoped to profit from their work, arrives at Bruce's home and threatens him. This angers the usually mild-mannered scientist, triggering another transformation and resulting in Talbot barely escaping with his life. After arriving at the location where Betty's being held, the monster kills the dogs that his father mutated into gigantic, exceptionally powerful beasts when they threaten Betty. Hours later, Bruce is arrested by Ross' men after reverting back to his human state.

After being transported to an isolated facility in the desert, Bruce is placed in sensory deprivation tank so that he -- and the monster -- can be studied. Meanwhile, David recreates the conditions that led to Bruce's hospitalization but when he exposes himself to gamma radiation, he discovers that instead of metamorphosing into a colossus, he attains the ability to absorb the properties of anything with which he comes into physical contact. He later surrenders to the military so that he'll be taken to the same location where Bruce is being held.

After a repressed memory of the incident in which his father killed his mother resurfaces during his sleep, Bruce awakens and transforms, breaking out of the tank. When Talbot fires an RPG at the Hulk in an attempt to obtain a tissue sample, the grenade ricochets and kills him. The monster then escapes from the site and proceeds to evade the troops equipped with attack choppers, tanks and fighter jets in pursuit. It isn't until he makes his way to San Francisco and encounters Betty that he regains his humanity.

After he's incarcerated and sedated in another facility, Bruce's father pays him a visit and attempts to provoke another conversion. After failing to enrage his son, David bites an electric cable and begins to absorb the city's electric power.
When some of the electricity makes contact with Bruce, the shock and pain is enough to unleash his inner beast, which immediately attacks David. The two fight their way to a lake, where the elder Banner absorbs much of the water, taking the form of an enormous liquid bubble. When he begins to draw the monster's raw power in as well, he discovers -- too late -- that its more than he's prepared to handle. While he's compromised, a missile fired at the two impacts, seemingly killing them both.

However, the military receives reports of unconfirmed sightings of the monster a year later.

3. The Age of Ultron

After joining the ranks of the Avengers, the team's first sequel features the big green monster pitching in to help save the world. And Dr. Banner finds love...temporarily.

After joining the Avengers Initiative in The Avengers, Bruce has become an invaluable, albeit unstable, member of the team. Three years after the Battle of New York, we see him raiding the Sokovian compound of terrorist Wolfgang von Strucker with Steve Rogers, Tony "Iron Man" Stark, Thor Odinson, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton and Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff. At the completion of the mission it's revealed that the latter (likely with Banner's help) has developed a method of calming the Hulk, which triggers a reversion back to his human state.

Later, at a party held at Stark Tower, Natasha makes advances toward Bruce and Rogers assures him that it's more than mere flirting. This new dynamic between the two is in direct contrast to their hostile introduction and subsequent interaction aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier three years earlier. Taking a break from the festivities, Banner and Stark experiment with Loki's scepter, recovered from von Strucker's facility, in a seemingly failed attempt to create an advanced artificial intelligence for use in a planetary defense system, called Ultron. However, after the two engineers accept defeat and return to the party, Ultron achieves sentience, overwhelms Stark's A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S. and notifies the Avengers of his intentions: to kill them before wiping out the rest of humanity, thereby protecting the Earth from its greatest threat. After using Stark's suits to attack them, Ultron is quickly defeated; but not before fleeing with the scepter. Possessing the ability to download himself in a variety of hardware, he constructs a new body and a drone army at von Strucker's compound.

After murdering von Strucker and recruiting Pietro and Wanda Maximoff -- a pair of Sokovian twins who developed enhanced abilities as a result of the former's experiments on them using the scepter -- Ultron heads to South Africa in order to procure vibranium (the substance used to make Rogers' shield) for use in the construction of a new, indestructible body for himself. When the Avengers track the trio to arms dealer Ulysses Klaue's Johannesburg headquarters, most of the heroes, including Banner, are targeted by Wanda, using her powers of mind-manipulation. While the others merely experience emotionally-compromising hallucinations, Banner is triggered into transforming into the Hulk and he proceeds to run amok through a heavily-populated area of the city. The monster is only subdued by Stark's assault on him donning his special Veronica armor, which he and Banner developed specifically to take on the latter's uncontrollable alter-ego. However, when footage of the rampage is circulated, the Avengers, and, especially, the Hulk, are branded fugitives; a warning from Maria Hill about the public outcry prompts the team to hide out at Barton's family farm. While the others regroup, Romanoff reveals her feelings to Banner but he rebuffs her, citing his inability to have a family. She, in turn, confesses that she was sterilized in her youth during her FSB training, and consequently, considers herself a monster as well.

After retrieving a new, experimental body, containing the scepter's gem (which Thor discovers is actually the Mind Stone), that Ultron intended to download his consciousness into, Banner and Stark upload J.A.R.V.I.S. into it instead. After Thor activates it with lightning, a new, synthetic lifeform, Ultron's ultimate Vision, is created. Banner subsequently sneaks into Ultron's drone factory to rescue Romanoff, who was captured during an earlier confrontation. After releasing her from her cell, Natasha pushes Bruce off a cliff in order to forcefully provoke his metamorphosis into the Hulk for the upcoming battle with Ultron and his drones.

Ultron's plan, which includes using a vibranium-based machine to raise Sokovia's capital city to a significant altitude so that it can then be dropped, resulting in planet-wide extinction. The Avengers, with the assistance of the Maximoff twins, who turned on Ultron after discovering his plan, manage to rescue most of the Sokovians and shatter the falling landmass. But Pietro is killed during the battle. During the aftermath, the Hulk flees the planet in a Quinjet, ignoring Natasha's pleas for him to return.

"The sun's gettin' real low."

2. Infinity War

The Hulk begins Infinity War on the Asgardian refugee ship that fled the destruction of their homeworld following the Ragnarok. Having been intercepted by galactic warlord Thanos' command vessel, half of the ship's passengers are being systematically murdered by his henchmen. Thanos' ultimate goal is to eliminate half of all life in the universe in order to prevent the overcrowding that led to the destruction of his homeworld, Titan. After having devoted many years of his life to this cause, he's realized that the task can be completed instantaneously with the help of the six Infinity Stones: unfathomably powerful gems that are as old as the universe. After a prompt from Loki, who's onboard as well, the Hulk attacks Thanos, only to be soundly beaten by the Titan. But before the latter can deliver a killing blow, Asgardian sentry Heimdall transports the jade giant to Dr. Stephen Strange's Sanctum Santorum in NYC via the Bifrost.

After awakening in his human state, Dr. Banner explains Thanos' intentions to Strange, Wong and the newly arrived Tony Stark. However, the exchange is interrupted by the nearby arrival of two of Thanos' lieutenants -- Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian -- who are in search of the Time Stone, which is housed inside Strange's amulet, the Eye of Agamotto. During the ensuing battle, Banner finds that he's unable to transform into the Hulk and has to be rescued at various points by the other three. Following Strange's abduction by Maw, who's pursued by Stark and Peter Parker, Banner uses Stark's phone to call Steve Rogers and alert him of the threat.

Later, Thanos lieutenants Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight ambush the Vision and Wanda Maximoff in Edinburgh, Scotland intent on retrieving the Time Stone from the android's forehead. After former Avengers Steve Rogers, Sam "Falcon" Wilson and Natasha Romanoff fight the two Black Order members off, the group joins James "War Machine" Rhodes and Banner at the Avengers training facility, providing the latter and Romanoff with an awkward and short-winded reunion.

In an effort to remove the Time Stone from his  head without killing him, the Vision is taken to Wakanda, with the others in tow to offer protection from any further attacks by Thanos' operatives. As expected, the Mad Titan's forces, led by Glaive, Obsidian and Midnight, blitz the African nation's borders in an attempt to seize the one Infinity Stone that remains on Earth. And during the engagement, Banner, donning Stark's Veronica armor, joins the fight but is still unable to summon the monster. After a protracted struggle, he succeeds in using his wits to kill Obsidian. He subsequently joins in an attack on Thanos himself, who entered the field late. Though Banner survives, the skirmish ends with Thanos, having ripped the Mind Stone from the Vision's skull, triumphantly snapping his fingers and snuffing out half of all life in the universe.

"We have a hulk."









1. The Avengers

Following an origin story and a better-off-forgotten solo movie that even Marvel pretends doesn't exist, the MCU's sixth entry features the green goliath working within a team for the very first time.

After being deceived into joining what turns out to be a clandestine meeting in Kolkata, India, Dr. Bruce Banner is recruited to the Avengers Initiative by espionage operative Natasha Romanoff. He's told that her agency's only interest in him is his gamma radiation expertise and that his task will be to track the newly-stolen Tesseract using its gamma emissions. During the encounter, correctly surmises that her assertion that she'd come alone was a lie and intentionally rattles her by pretending to become enraged -- the precursor to his transformation into the Hulk. When she threatens him with a previously concealed handgun, he assures her that the weapon, in fact, poses no threat at all. Banner makes the startling admission that he'd attempted suicide by shooting himself in the mouth only to morph into the Hulk, who, unharmed, subsequently spit the bullet out.

Banner meets the legendary Steve "Captain America" Rogers, a WWII hero imbued with enhanced abilities via military experimentation, when the two are flown to an aircraft carrier to begin the mission. Having learned about his condition, Rogers wonders how Banner controls his temper, thereby preventing his primitive side from emerging. After discovering that the carrier is also an aircraft itself -- a helicarrier -- Banner is introduced to arms dealer-turned-vigilante Tony Stark and the two attempt to locate the Tesseract. The carrier is equipped with a cell designed to trap and, if necessary, drop his alter-ego to his death (they hope) from high altitude.

Following an argument amongst several of the gathered heroes, whose animosities are amplified by Loki's captured scepter, and an assault by the latter's operatives, Banner is provoked into unleashing the beast. Because she's trapped in a corridor with the monster during the metamorphosis, the Hulk chases Romanoff, who only barely escapes with her life when Asgardian deity Thor Odinson intervenes. Frozen with fear by the experience, Romanoff is only awakened from her paralysis by a report that her closest friend, fellow assassin Clint "Hawkeye" Barton, is part of the invading force. Thor and the Hulk engage in brutal combat on the carrier's hangar deck, destroying jetcraft in the process. However, the Hulk takes a blow from the Asgardian's enchanted hammer, Mjolnir, to the face without sustaining any injuries. But, being unworthy to wield it, the monster's incalculable strength fails to allow him to pick the weapon up after its dropped. When a fighter pilot opens fire on him, the Hulk leaps onto his craft and proceeds to rip off the canopy in an attempt to get to the aviator, who only escapes by ejecting from the cockpit. The monster consequently falls to the ground with the aircraft.

After regaining conscious in an empty barn as Banner, the scientist is informed by a security guard who witnessed his fall that he seemingly aimed for an unpopulated area. Banner later makes his way to Manhattan on a moped as Rogers, Thor, Barton and Romanoff fight a losing battle against an alien invasion led by Loki. When Stark leads a giant Chitauri creature towards the group, Banner confesses to Rogers that thw secret to containing his angry outbursts is that he's always angry and immediately Hulks out before demolishing the alien with one blow. Astonishingly obeying Rogers command, the monster proceeds to attack the aliens with abandon before eventually discovering Loki in the penthouse of Stark Tower and beating him savagely.

After a nuclear warhead is launched at the island (on orders from the World Council), Stark steers it into the wormhole from which the aliens emerged before Romanoff closes it, on Rogers' orders. Miraculously falling through the breach unconscious at the last second, Stark is caught by the Hulk, whi cushions gim with his own body, before he hits the ground. When he initially fails to regain consciousness, Stark is snapped awake by the monster's roar.

"Target is angry!"

"That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry."

"Hulk, Smash!"

Originally Posted 6/20/19

All 10 Iron Man Movies, Ranked from Hot Garbage to Technologically-Advanced Greatness (including "Endgame" - SPOILERS BELOW)

Endgame, which marks Tony Stark's final appearance in the MCU, features him making the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect the Earth from Thanos. So we probably won't be seeing the self-described billionaire genius playboy philanthropist again anytime soon (if ever) -- especially since Marvel's got their hands full with the remaining Avengers, Black Panther, the Guardians of the Galaxy and, eventually, both the X-men and the Fantastic Four. But Stark's impressive Hollywood run deserves to celebrated. We've seen him go from a narcissistic arms-dealer to a selfless hero onscreen. From facing off against terrorists to surviving hostile deadly corporate takeovers to going toe-to-toe with a giant intergalactic warlord, Iron Man's big screen adventures have spanned from 2008 to 2023 and we still haven't seen him as much as we'd like. So until Tony makes his way back to theaters in a prequel we'll just have to re-watch the solo films, team-ups and guest appearances that we've already got. Here they are:





10. The Incredible Hulk

Tony Stark's role in The Incredible Hulk is limited to a pre-credits scene cameo. But his guest stint is still important because it marks the first time that two future Avengers appear in the same film, officially establishing the Marvel Cinematic Universe.









9. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man trilogy hit its lowest point with IM3. It only made a billion dollars because, being the first MCU release following The Avengers, moviegoers expected more of what they got in that movie. An Avengers sequel this was not. Intended to be an exploration of Tony Stark's attempt to cope with the PTSD he suffers as a result of his experiences during the Invasion of New York, Iron Man 3 is little more than a shit-show of bad CGI, lame storytelling and the corniest aspects of Iron Man lore (Extremis and the Iron Patriot -- smh).

8. Homecoming

Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey, Jr. must get along pretty well. This makes the fourth movie they've done together. You can catch 'em both in Chaplin, Only You, Civil War and Endgame. Of course, they're just reprising their Civil War roles in Homecoming. Tomei's the new Aunt May and Downey's Tony Stark/Iron Man. 

In Stark contrast (I know) to Tony's brief cameo in The Incredible Hulk, there's waaaay too much Iron Man in Homecoming. The most significant alteration to Spidey's conventional history comes in the form of his mentorship by Tony Stark. And believe me, Homecoming could've used a lot less Iron Man -- just look at the poster. As a matter of fact, the web-slinger more or less comes across as Iron Man-in-training. This Spider-Man reboot essentially relegates the star to a sidekick. If you've ever wondered what a Robin solo film would look like -- this is it. The worst thing about the movie is the preponderance of Spider-gizmos and the Iron Man-style Spider-suit Peter Parker gets from Stark. 

7. Iron Man 2

Though Tony Stark's second outing is more introspective than the first, the story's nowhere near the highlight of the movie. Loosely based on the Iron Man comics story "Demon in a Bottle", about Tony's struggle with alcoholism, Iron Man 2 is completely devoid of  alcoholism. If you can stay awake long enough, what you'll wanna see is Iron Man and War Machine battling Ivan Venko and his unmanned drones at the end of the movie. 









6. Iron Man

Iron Man is the movie that started it all. This story about a billionaire arms dealer who decides to dedicate his life to protecting the world from the instruments of war instead of profiting from them is the film that kicked off the MCU.

After he's critically injured during a terrorist ambush, genius weapons-supplier Tony Stark uses his time in captivity to build a crude metal suit of armor equipped with a flamethrower. Following his escape and homecoming, he decides to change his life. He not only shuts down his corporation's lucrative weapons division he also further develops his armored suit and uses it to battle terrorism across the globe.

Understanding that most non-comic book readers are completely unfamiliar with the character, Marvel Studios wisely presented the movie as an origin story -- establishing the precedent for the initial solo film of nearly every Marvel hero to come. Billionaire genius Tony Stark's (the man inside the Iron Man suit) motivations and inner-demons play a pivotal role in a couple of the later movies -- and the fate of the world -- and this one gives you an idea of what kind of guy he is.

While the movie's primary importance lies in its presentation of background information, what you'll love most is seeing Iron Man in flight -- and crashing. However, Stark reveals his previously secret identity to the world during a press conference at the end of the movie. As a result, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division)-director Nick Fury approaches him and lets him know that his organization is considering him for "the Avengers Initiative".

Including a Ghostface Killah song was a brilliant touch -- Tony Stark knocking Tony Stark....

5. Endgame

Tony begins Endgame on the brink of death: starving and nearly out of air aboard Peter Quill's starship with only Nebula (of all people) -- the only other survivor of the clash with Thanos on Titan (seen in Infinity War) -- for company. After being located by Captain Marvel and refusing to aid the remaining Avengers (Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow) execute a plan to find Thanos for Round 2, we catch up with Stark five years later, living in seclusion with wife Pepper and their daughter, Morgan. Following the previously-assumed dead Ant-Man's journey to Avengers HQ with a time-travel theory, the team once again attempts to convince their former colleague to re-enlist only to be rejected again -- angrily. 

However, succumbing to his life-long curiousity, the former playboy figures out how to make the zany plan (to go back in time and steal the Infinity Stones before Thanos locates them) work and offers to help -- with one caveat: that the team not undo the last five years (which would undo his marriage and fatherhood) and instead simply resurrect all of the Mad Titans' Snap victims. Tony even designs and constructs his own version of the Infinity Gauntlet. After participating in a couple of "time heists" with Steve Rogers, one of which brings him face-to-face with his father, Howard, Tony joins Captain America, Ant-Man, Hulk, War Machine, Rocket, Hawkeye, Thor, Nebula, and, eventually, the un-Snapped Avengers, Doctor Strange, the Wakandan army, Peter Quill, Groot, Drax, Mantis, the Ravagers, the New Asgardians, Pepper, the Wasp, Captain Marvel and even Howard the Duck in a last stand against Thanos' combined forces. 

Sadly enough, Endgame probably marks Iron Man's final appearance in the MCU for the foreseeable future given that he sacrifices his life using the infamous Infinity Stones to kill off Thanos and his army. You've gotta give it to him -- Tony Stark knows how to make an entrance and an exit.

He also gets the best line:

"And I am Iron Man."









4. Age of Ultron

Still shaken by his experiences during the Battle of New York, Tony concludes that the best defense against alien invaders is an army of artificially intelligent drones. After he and Dr. Banner seemingly fail at using Loki's scepter and some weird science to make this dream a reality, the resentful robot Ultron achieves consciousness. Ultron is more or less the physical manifestion of Tony Stark's megalomaniacal ego. And he accurately (unfortunately) calls out the Avengers for the killers that they are. Before long, the nearly-indestructible murder-bot concludes that the biggest threat to the planet is humanity and sets out to cure the globe's "infection" by raising a piece of the Republic of Sokovia so high that a subsequent crash back to Earth would amount to an extinction-level event.









3. Infinity War

Following a half-cocked attempt to protect Doctor Strange from extra-terrestrial kidnappers (members of Thanos' Black Order), Iron Man finds himself in a starship with no back-up, facing an alien torture-specialist until he realizes that Peter Parker ignored his wishes and stowed away on the same ship. After a tense but hilarious introduction to the Guardians of the Galaxy, the new alliance of heroes make an ultimately futile last stand against Thanos in an effort to prevent him from claiming the Time Stone, which Strange has been sworn to protect.

As the Avengers' slickest talker, Tony has some of the movie's best lines:

"He means beat it, Squidwirt!"

"Ok, Mr. Clean's on his own page."

"Missouri's on Earth, dipshit!"

Thanos' final words to Stark in the film prove to be prophetic:

"You have my respect, Stark. When I'm done, half of humanity will still exist. I hope they remember you."









2. Civil War

Tony's decision to sign the Sokovian Accords, which places the Avengers under direct governmental control, the team fractures with half following Stark and the other half leaving with Captain America. After recruiting a teenage Peter Parker to assist him in an effort to arrest the Winter Soldier and Cap, a 12-person super-brawl ensues at Germany's Flughafen Leipzig-Halle airport. And the revelation that Bucky assassinated Howard and Maria Stark  25 years earlier only deepens Tony's disdain for the two soldiers.

Already known for one-liners, Iron Man brings the funny with one word (his nickname for Spider-Man):

"Underoos!"









1. The Avengers

Although he squabbles with his teammates quite a bit (namely, Captain America and Thor), the former playboy but still billionaire/philanthropist gets down to business and helps to repel an alien invasion in the Avengers' first official mission.

As usual, Tony has the best lines, which include:

"Better clench up, Legolas."

"That man's playing Galaga -- thought we wouldn't notice."





Originally Posted 5/18/19


Related:



All 8 Captain America Movies, Ranked from Just So-So to Superheroic Greatness





The 7 Greatest Movies of the MCU





All 22 MCU Movies, Ranked from Hot Garbage to Interconnected Greatness

"The Upside" Works Because of the Chemistry Between Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston

by John Zenoni

I went to see "The Upside" expecting it to be one of those 'mushy, feel-good, happy ending' films and I was absolutely right. However, in spite of some of the predictable moments and 'cheesy' scenes, I believe the movie itself worked! The primary reason being the chemistry between Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. I believed the relationship and think that they both did a great job in their respective roles. I also appreciated Nicole Kidman, and given the role that she had, think that she did a great job as well. 

While the movie did lag in some parts it was still enjoyable. It not only entertained me for two hours but also made me think about what should be appreciated most in life. I also loved the placement of Aretha Franklin's music in the film and loved seeing that the movie was dedicated to her.

Originally Posted 1/13/19



Related:



Kevin Hart's "What Now?" Movie Review

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" is More Than Amazing But Not Quite Spectacular

Peter Parker's crush Liz Toomes

Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey, Jr. must get along pretty well. This makes the fourth movie they've done together. You can catch 'em both in Chaplin, Only You and Civil War. Of course, they're just reprising their Civil War roles in Homecoming. Tomei's the new Aunt May and Downey's Tony Stark/Iron Man. The biggest casting surprise of Spider-Man: Homecoming is Michael Keaton, who returns to superhero cinema for the first time in 25 years (since his starring role in Batman Returns). He's also fresh off of starring roles in back-to-back Best Picture Oscar-winning movies. In one (Birdman), he satirizes comic book movies and the actors who star in them. Now, he's Spider-Man's second-oldest enemy in the comics. He went from a bat, to a miscellaneous bird, to a vulture. Whatever, man. Last year we got Batman v. Superman. Now we have Batman v. Spider-Man. 

In the web-slinger's 2nd reboot in four years, a fifteen-year-old Peter Parker faces off against the Vulture. And the creative shot-callers behind the MCU should get kudos for making the Vulture compelling alone. He has always been exponentially lame on the page. But, surprisingly enough, he works onscreen. Oh yeah, a none-too-shabby Shocker comes along for the ride as well.

In fact, Spider-Man: Homecoming treats the villains much better than it does Captain America, who's back in his costume-shop-style suit from 2012's The Avengers -- even in a mid-credits scene which really amounts to a prank, as opposed to the usual future-movie-tease to which we've become accustomed.

That's just one of the changes. Flash Thompson is unfortunately no longer a jerky jock -- now he's a bench-warmer on the school's academic team. 

The most significant alteration to Spidey's conventional history comes in the form of his mentorship by Tony Stark. And believe me, Homecoming could've used a lot less Iron Man. As a matter of fact, the web-slinger more or less comes across as Iron Man-in-training. This Spider-Man reboot essentially relegates the star to a sidekick. If you've ever wondered what a Robin solo film would look like -- this is it. The worst thing about the movie is the preponderance of Spider-gizmos and the Iron Man-style Spider-suit Peter Parker gets from Stark. You have to wonder how much inspiration the filmmakers drew from Inspector Gadget. 

And I really could've done without seeing Peter whine because he worried that he was hopelessly trapped beneath a pile of rubble -- this despite the fact that he wasn't injured in the least when the various slabs of concrete landed on him to begin with. Note to Marvel: I know you guys pride yourselves on not taking yourselves too seriously but most of us would appreciate you not depicting our would-be heroes coming dangerously close to crying like bitches out of frustration or humiliating themselves while wearing cringe-worthy costumes in ridiculous PSAs.

There are some welcome additions as well. The object of Peter's crush is refreshingly not Gwen Stacy. Now he's got a thing for Liz Toomes -- captain of the academic team. And friendless oddball Michelle has a thing for him. And both of these new ladies happen to be African-American. Truthfully, Homecoming features more females of African ancestry in speaking -- even prominent -- roles than Wonder Woman. Having Michelle and an African-American security guard at the Washington Monument point out to a white academic decathlon coach that the structure was built by slaves was a nice touch as well.

Perhaps the biggest surprise here is the appearance of Donald Glover as Aaron Davis aka the Prowler. For those out of the loop, Davis is the uncle of Miles Morales -- the half-African-American and half-Puerto Rican Spider-Man in the comics. It gets deeper: Glover and the spidey pajamas that he wore on an episode of his former sitcom, Community, served as one of the inspirations that led to the creation of the mixed web-crawler in the first place. While Miles does get a mention in Homecoming, there are no plans to replace Peter in the MCU. Instead, Morales will be swinging to a theater near you next year in his own animated movie.

While most self-respecting superhero movies contain easter eggs related to comic books, Homecoming goes a step further. This thing is chock-full of references to classic high school films as well, including nods to Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Risky Business.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fun time and it surpasses the previous Spider-Man film adaptations but after so many missteps and so much build-up, it just wasn't quite enough. And unfortunately, it's more Batman and Robin than Batman Begins. 





Originally Posted 7/13/17

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