Movie Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Hello, movie fans!

Are any of you in the mood to talk about superhero movies? I always am, so today I am continuing my goal of reviewing as many Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films as I can in 2021!

Time sure moves quickly. While I wasn’t part of the fandom for the MCU yet, I remember when this movie came out. Now that was 6 years ago!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This review is completely spoiler free for this film and for all others in the franchise. Because it is such a complicated “universe” of films and so much happens, I will be more vague with each coming review. I want you to experience all the twists and turns for yourself without worry that I’m telling you too much!

I’m here to help you get the best experience, so do as I say and not as I do. With so many movies there has to be a way to organize them, right? Well, there is! There are two ways in fact of watching. They are:

In the order which they were made:

Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014), Avengers: The Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Dr. Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), & Spider-man: Far From Home (2019).

Or chronological order:

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain Marvel (2019), Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: Dark World (2013), Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: The Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Spider-man: Homecoming (2017), Dr. Strange (2016), Thor: Ragnorok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), & Spider-man: Far From Home (2019).

If you have never seen a Marvel movie, then this one probably isn’t the best to start with. At the very least it is best to see The Avengers (2012) first, as this is the second on in that series. It isn’t vital, but nice addition to that to know some backstory from characters that I listed above. Enjoy!

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015):

Based on: The Avengers comics - by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

“No matter who wins or loses, trouble always comes around.”

The Avengers have stepped into a rhythm of keeping the earth save. On one mission they run into a strange duo: a boy breaking the possibilities of speed and a girl who’s strange power puts foreboding thoughts into ones mind. Or are they visions of the future? Scared, one of the Avengers decides to build peace keeping technology that would work as a shield around the entire world, named Ultron. With something of that big a magnitude, something is likely to go wrong. This protector revolts, becoming a weapon with a mind of its own. The Avengers face a never before seen threat: a robot that can replicate itself, move around the globe in seconds, and wants to destroy the world instead of saving it. Ultron joins up with the super siblings and each Avenger has nightmares put in their heads from the girl and are now afraid of losing everything. How will they beat this trio in addition to the hundreds of new robots Ultron created? Will making a new piece of technology strengthen their chances or only weaken them?

‘“No way we all get through this...”

“I got no plans tomorrow night.”’

Genres: Superhero, Action, Science-Fiction.

Length: approx. 141 minutes.

Script: 7. There is an amount of swearing and name calling. But, I am a lot like Captain America who is always telling everyone not to swear. It backfires a few times which is funny. I appreciate the effort of course!

“Whoa ho ho! You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Crew: Directed by: Josh Whedon. Written by: Josh Whedon.

Starring:

I’m not going to tell you everyone who is starring in this movie because there are so many spoilers. I’ll only name a few and you’ll have to guess the rest by pictures and be surprised by others.

James Spader as Ultron. “It is fortunate because I am mighty.”

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff.

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff.

Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S..

Linda Cardellini as Laura.

Claudia Kim as Helen Cho.

Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue.

Idris Elba as Heimdall.

Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig.

Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill.

Costumes: 8. Average, I would say. Nothing bad and people have really cool costumes/suits that go with their capabilities as superheroes.

Cinematography: 8. I get a little annoyed with how much CGI there is, but that is a minor quibble when there are so many neat things! I especially like how the scenes with the Maximoffs are done.

Cinematography by: Ben Davis.

Music: 8. It has the classic Avengers theme, of course, which makes me very happy whenever I hear it. The rest seems more dramatic than dynamic, but that’s no a bad thing.

Music by: Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman.

Notes: A fun fact is that this is the second most expensive film ever made! The production cost clocked in around 365 million dollars.

Quotability: 9. No one can deny Marvel’s knack for amazing lines! There is so much I quote from this movie especially that I could write a whole post about everything that Clint ever says.

“You didn’t see that coming?”

Content: 7. There is violent fighting, with people getting hurt and killed. In addition to that there is one or two fairly suggestive lines. I didn’t appreciate one comment about “multiplying faster that a Catholic rabbit”, but that’s just me. Ultron feels like he is a “god” so there is a lot of discussion around that. It really depends on the day how I feel about that. Sometimes I feel that it’s well done when with others I think it’s overdone. It has great messages, I just want you guys to be aware of that stuff.

“You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed... walk it off.”

Originality: 10. Fighting robots is classic sci-fi, but this took it up a level! I love the introduction of new characters as well as the simple camaraderie between the avengers. This movie is an excellent example of character driven stories! Everything is fueled by the characters. They make mistakes then try to fix them. It’s the human condition and it’s what I love to see!

Good For: Anyone who loves characters with fantastic arcs, anyone who likes superhero movies, anyone who likes found families, anyone who loves stories where characters sacrifice a lot.

Age Range: This is PG-13 and I agree with that. It is very intense with the fighting, but I would actually say it isn’t as extreme as others because it is fighting against robots and not humans. This could be fine for kids younger than that because of how it’s all handled, though the machines themselves are terrifying. It all depends on the tolerability of the person watching.

Overall Score: 8!

Worth watching?: Yes! These characters mean so much to me and this is a fabulous step in all of their arcs. It gives such a dark view of humanity from Ultron’s perspective but our brave heroes fight against it showing how much people matter. I love it! The first time I watched it I was recovering from having my wisdom teeth pulled and it was perfect to captivate me.

Will I watch again?: Yes, yes, yes! Watching Marvel movies is a big commitment because once you see one you want to watch all other 22, but regardless of knowing that I want to see this again soon. I always get something new out of it.

Bonus thoughts:

“Already tried the mind-control thing. Not a fan.”

This movie somehow takes something seemingly ridiculous and makes it a complex problem to solve. This is said to be one of the least liked films in the franchise, yet the majority of people I talk to about it love it. Why? Because you are so attached to the characters. Each has morals, goals, while fighting fears--even about themselves--and you want them to win so badly. Do they? You’ll have to find out for yourself. Granted, it took a twist with a character that no one was prepared for. Some people don't like it, and I don't blame them as I was surprised, but it's my favorite character so I can't bring myself to have any problems with it. In hindsight it was a brilliant addition!

I am a sucker for sacrifice for the sake of a cause or person, so this film has some of my favorite moments in the universe. It’s obviously not for everyone, but I would say it’s well worth a chance.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Tell me where you are on the spectrum of liking this movie? Let’s talk about all things Marvel! I have a lot of posts planned for the end of this month, participating in several blog parties, so stay tuned for that!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Black Panther (2018)

Hello to all of you.

I was so sad to hear a month ago, on August 28th, that Chadwick Boseman had passed away from cancer. I had already been contemplating reviewing a movie with him in it several times this year with the goings on, but this helped me make up my mind.

I can't tell you how many times I've started this review. I write something, delete it. Try something new, and delete it again. It's weird to talk about a movie when the main actor isn't with us anymore. I know that I talk about old films all the time, and this isn't any different, yet it seems like it for some reason. I'll try to get one with it anyway.

The film is Black Panther (2018). I was originally going to review all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies in order that they were released, but this circumstance made me change my mind, so I could write this as a sort of tribute to him. If you want to watch this, and haven't yet, there are two ways to do it. This is one of those things were you do as I say, not as I do, because I've watched all of the MCU movies in random order (and I still haven't seen a few). 

You can watch them in the order in which they were made:

Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: Dark World (2014), Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014), Avengers: The Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Dr. Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), & Spider-man: Far From Home (2019).

Or chronological order:

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain Marvel (2019), Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: Dark World (2014), Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: The Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Spider-man: Homecoming (2017), Dr. Strange (2016), Thor: Ragnorok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), & Spider-man: Far From Home (2019).

I've been the worst example with the MCU, watching things in a helter-skelter way which has caused a lot of confusion. If you're not that interested in the MCU, but still want to see Black Panter (2018), you can do that, but his story begins in Captain America: Civil War (2016). And another semi-important character's story begins in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

I think I've covered all of the bases, so it's time to get started on the actual review!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


Black Panther (2018):

Based on: the comic books by Stan Lee.
Long ago, five tribes came together where they found a meteorite containing the valuable metal vibranium. Since then they have created technological wonders, but have hidden from the world. T'Challa is preparing to take the throne in Wakanda. That comes with the duties of the Black Panther to protect his people. When he hears of someone dealing with and selling vibranium, he and a few others go to South Korea to track him down. That releases a series of events that reveals a past to T'Challa that he wasn't aware of, and he begins to wonder, how will this change things?

"You get to decide what kind of a king you're going to be."

Genres: Action, Superhero, Science Fiction.
Length: approx. 134 minutes.
Costumes: 9, they are so vibrant and vivid! I love the colors and design that went into all of them. They won an Oscar. There are only a few times when some guys aren't wearing shirts, but it's when they are in a planned fight and there is war paint, and it is fine.
Costumes by: Ruth Carter.
Script: 8, a couple of bad words. But, just two or three, I believe.

"Please don't make me listen to your music." (My sisters say this to me all the time.)

Crew: Directed by: Ryan Coogler. Written by: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole, Stan Lee, & Jack Kirby.
Starring:
Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa.

Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia.

Danai Gurira as Okoye.

Letitia Wright as Shuri.

Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger.

Martin Freeman as Everett Ross.

Angela Bassett as Ramonda.
Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue.

Daniel Kaluuya as W'Kabi.
Winston Duke as M'Baku.
Sterling K. Brown as N'Jobu.
Forest Whitaker as Zuri.
Florence Kasumba as Ayo.
John Kani as T'Chaka.
Connie Chiume, Isaach De Bankolé, Danny Sapani, Dorothy Steel as Tribe Elders.
Marija Abney, Janeshia Adams-Ginyard, Christine Hollingsworth, Maria Hippolyte, Marie Mouroum, Sydelle Noel, Jénel Stevens, Zola Williams, & Shaunette Renée Wilson as Dora Milaje.
Seth Carr as Young Killmonger.
Atandwa Kani as Young T'Chaka.
Ashton Tyler as Young T'Challa.
Denzel Whitaker as Young Zuri.
Cameos: Stan Lee, Sebastian Stan, & Trevor Noah.
Cinematography: 9, the costumes help add to this, but the cinematography is really good! The action scenes are never dull, the lighting in South Korea is so impressive, and there are a couple of scenes with a waterfall that just make you say,"Wow!" I took one little itty bitty point off for sometimes when the CGI felt too much like CGI, but other than that it was impressive.

Cinematography by: Rachel Morrison.
Music: 10, it has streaks of the MCU theme while taking on different levels of Africa instrumentals which are woven through out.
Music by: Ludwig Göransson.
Quotability: 8, "Wakanda forever!" is an endlessly quotable line. In addition to that there were a couple other good ones.

Oscars won: 3: Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design. It was nominated for Best Picture.
Content: 7, there is fighting, injuries, killing, and death. Maybe it was something about the CGI that didn't make it seem that gruesome, though? If that's case, then I might be fine with that. In addition to that there is a rude gesture, one character who purposely hurts himself, and one character has mechanical arms that are gross at times. I know that doesn't make sense, but my brain can't figure out another way to say it.
Originality: 7, the structure and storyline was...kind of predictable. But, the elements were very unique in their own right!

Good For: Superhero fans, everyone.
Age Range: PG-13 for the violence, and intense scenes and I'd agree with that. As I can't go without saying, it depends on the person though.
Overall Score: 8!
Worth watching?: Very much so! For the visuals alone I'm glad I watched, but I'm also glad I watched to learn about all of the awesome characters.
Will I watch again?: My older sister still hasn't seen this, so yes, I'll watch it with her sometime.

Bonus thoughts:
This. This film. This is an important movie. With everything going on this year, especially in the U. S., I keep thinking about it. This is the ONLY superhero movie to ever have been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It was the second highest grossing film of 2018. It is currently the twelfth highest grossing movie of ALL TIME. I feel that this will become one of those movies that everyone sees sometime in their life, not necessarily because of the story (which is still good!), but because of the statistics and all the records that it broke.

Now, Chadwick Boseman was the perfect person for T'Challa. I loved this movie for his sake. For the journey that T'Challa goes through! Chadwick was so regal in his performance. He gave the character a grace and dignity. He made him someone who is always looking for a better world. The way he and Letitia Wright played the relationships between siblings was one of the best parts of this movie. He will be missed tremendously.

My thoughts are just kind of scattered lists right now, but I'm getting emotional so I should stop. Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think of this movie, or if you haven't seen it tell me your favorite superhero movie (you can tell me that even if you've seen it!)!

One last thing:

"Wakanda forever!"

MovieCritic

Movie Review: The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Hello, to all of you!

It seems to be a trend to take some classic cartoon (whether it is in print or a tv show) and make a movie where they change it into digital animation. I wasn't a fan of the concept, but a few of the results have turned out pretty well! One of them is this movie! I wasn't very familiar with the Tintin comics before this, but I really enjoyed this movie and since then have liked the comics that I've gotten to read!

This film takes you on quite and adventure, are you ready for this review?

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


The Adventures of Tintin (2011):

(aka The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn)
Based on: the comics by Hergé.
"Nothing is an accident."
Tintin is a young journalist who stumbles upon a new mystery by purchasing an antique model of a ship. The moment he does someone tries to buy it from him, but he doesn't sell it because this has really caught his interest. Through this tiny ship he finds himself on a trek around the world, and through history, where he meets friends and foes. What mysteries does the ship The Unicorn hold, and is there more that one?
"What secrets do you hold?"

Genre: Mystery, Family, Animated, Adventure.
Length: approx. 107 minutes.
Costumes: 8, animated so there isn't a lot of focus on it, but I don't mind. Nothing bad!
Script: 10, Captain Haddock swears a lot, but there aren't any bad words! He just kind of yells whatever comes into his head. His favorite is: "Billions of blue blistering barnicles!" Which my sisters and I now yell a lot, too.
Crew: Directed by: Steven Spielberg. Written by: Steven Spielberg, Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, & Hergé.
Starring the voices of:
Jamie Bell as Tintin.

Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock. "I don't remember anything about anything."

Nick Frost and Simon Pegg as Thompson and Thompson. "I am not your sidekick, you're mine."
Daniel Craig as Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine.

Toby Jones as Aristides Silk.

Gad Elmaleh as Omar ben Salaad.
Joe Starr as Barnaby Dawes.
Enn Reitel as Nestor & Mr. Crabtree.
Tony Curran as Lieutenant Delcour.
Sonje Fortag as Mrs. Finch.
Cary Elwes and Phillip Rhys as pilots.
Kim Stengel as Bianca Castafiore.
Nathan Meister as Market Artist.

Animation: 10, ACK. As you all know, digital animation is not my favorite, but this is absolutely spectacular! The transitions from scene to scene are phenomenal! Plus, the way that they included the original animation is brilliant. I couldn't find the image that I wanted to show you, but believe me, it's amazing.

Music: 9, it's just so much fun. It totally gets you into a mystery mood! It goes so well with the opening credits (which have the original animation) and it is great.
Music by: John Williams.
Quotes: 9, as I said above, my sisters and I quote Captain Haddock quite a bit. Tintin also has some good lines!
"The library should have the answer."
Content: 7, there is death, gross things, smoking, a lot of drinking, and violence.
Originality: 10, love it! Afterwards the mystery seems so obvious and I couldn't believe that I had missed it, but it also is super complex.
Good For: mystery lovers, literally anyone!

Age Range: It's rated PG because there is that violence and drinking. I would say anyone over 8 would be fine, but it always depends on the individual.
Overall Score: 9!
"There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin, you can never let it beat you."
Bonus thoughts:

Do you know those movies where you just have such good memories of you watching them? Well, this is one of those for me. The first time I saw this was at my grandma's and I was sitting eating orange "snow balls". The opening had me hooked and I never looked away! I made my sisters watch it as soon as they could, and it is one of our favorites! The characters are so endearing and loveable, you love to watch them. Tintin is so resourceful, and Captain Haddock has gone through some rough things but you continue to route for him. I will not forget my precious little Snowy! That dog is so adorable and I love how he gets Tintin in (and occasionally out of) trouble! If nothing else, watch for the outstanding animation! If you can't tell, I'm so impressed.

Have any of you seen this? Tell me your favorite animated mystery movie! Stay safe and healthy!

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: STAR WARS VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

Hello!!!!
The time has come for me to do another STAR WARS review! And I only do these on very special occasions therefore today must be special! (I mean, every day is special, but STAR WARS related). Today, September 25th is Mark Hamill's birthday, and because he is the last jedi, that is exactly what I'll be reviewing.

I am very excited about this because A New Hope will always be my favorite because it is the original, but this one is a very close second! I also have visited two of the locations where they did a lot of the filming! Eeek!

Time for my necessary note: If you watch the STAR WARS movies you have to watch them in a certain order, or a lot of things will be spoiled. This series is awesome, and so please don't spoil it for yourself. Watch it in this order:
IV: A New Hope (1977), V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), I: The Phantom Menace (1999), II: Attack of the Clones (2002), III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), VII: The Force Awakens (2015), and VIII: The Last Jedi (2017).

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

STAR WARS VIII: The Last Jedi (2017):

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."
The Resistance has been found! With the First Order right on their heels, and running low on supplies, they don't know what they will do when time runs out. Finn, Poe Dameron, and Rose decide that desperate measures must be taken. They come up with a plan to hack into the First Order's security long enough for them to get away, but that involves finding a master code breaker. Meanwhile, Rey wants to become a jedi, but Luke Skywalker has given up. She wants him to be her master, but is he hiding the truth about the past?
"We are the spark that will light the fire the will burn down the First Order."

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy.

Length: approx. 152 minutes.

Costumes: 7, nothing amazing, and there is a scene where someone isn't wearing a shirt.

Script: 7, there are a few bad words (thank you, Finn and Poe).
"Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you see it then you'll never make it through the night."

Crew:

Directed by: Rian Johnson.

Written by: Rian Johnson and George Lucas.

Starring:
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. "The galaxy may need a legend."

Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa.

Daisy Ridley as Rey. "Something inside of me has always been there and now it's awake."

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren.

John Boyega as Finn.

Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico.
Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron. "Happy beeps."

Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke.
Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Holdo.
Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux.
Benicio del Toro as DJ.
Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO. "Wipe that nervous expression off your face."
Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata.
Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma.
Veronica Ngo as Paige Tico.

Cinematography: 10, it is amazing. I know since I've been there. There is just one thing which looked really cool, but when I think about it it doesn't make a lot of sense. Oh well. In the storyline it helps the opposing side.
The animals are CGI, but they are so cute!

Cinematography by: Steve Yedlin.

Music: 10!! Forever and ever I'll give it a 10.

Music by: John Williams.

Quotes: 10! "That's how we're going to win this war, not fighting what we hate, but saving what we love." (This might be my favorite line of the whole franchise).

Storyline: 7, there is a lot of violence, torture, and shooting, then killing and death. There is also one suggestive line (thanks Maz) and a few gross things.
"There are things that you cannot solve by jumping into a cock pit and blowing something up."

Good For: STAR WARS fans!

Age Range: It is rated PG-13 because of the violence, but I think it just depends on what each person is comfortable with. I've known younger kids to watch more violent things and be fine.

Overall Score: 8.5!

Bonus thoughts:
Okay, I know that quite a few STAR WARS fans didn't like this one, but I love it! A lot happens in the 2 and a half hours and there is never a quiet moment. I really relate to Luke Skywalker, and Mark Hamill did such a great job playing him (as always)! I have watched this movie so many times but never get tired of it. This movie deals a lot with fear and selflessness. Ack, these characters are so amazing!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Hamill!

Thanks to all of you for reading! Have you seen this? If you have I would love to chat about it in the comments! Have a great day!

MovieCritic