The Avengers

The Avengers is a very ambitious movie. After all, it took 5 movies (Iron Man, Iron Man II, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America) to set up all these comic book characters. And that's not even counting the Ang Lee-directed Hulk movie. With a star-studded cast and an out-sized Hollywood special effects budget, this was a big roll of the dice for Marvel/Disney. Not to mention the fact that they filmed the whole thing in 3 months. Frankly, if I didn't know better, I would expect this movie to be a big, shiny piece of Hollywood schlock, à la Michael Bay.

Except this isn't a Michael Bay film. It's a Joss Whedon film, and not only did he direct it, he co-wrote the script. Once I found that out, I started getting pretty excited about the movie, and the early buzz was good. Very, very good. People I know who wouldn't ever consider reading a comic book came out of the theater gushing about much they liked The Avengers. And I can happily say that the buzz is true—The Avengers is almost everything you could want in a summer blockbuster. The dialogue was good, the action was very impressive, the special effects were shiny, the story was tight and well-paced, and the acting solid—not Shakespeare, but very appropriate for the genre. There isn't much emotional development for the characters, but then again, most of them have already had a movie or two dedicated to them individually, and the character development already took place. It probably helps if you have seen the movies that lead up to this one, but The Avengers brings you up to speed quickly and relatively gracefully. I haven't seen most of them, and I didn't feel lost. Most of all, it's a very exciting movie that is a lot of fun to watch.

To put it succinctly, this is a superhero movie that does everything right. Is it the best superhero movie of all time? Probably not—I would give that title to The Dark Knight or Spider-Man 2. But The Avengers is close, and it does it all at a pace and scale that defy the skill of most movie-makers. Given all the pitfalls and pressures of such a crazy big-budget superhero team-up movie, it should have been mediocre. But thanks to Joss Whedon, it's much more than that. If you're part of the half of the country that still hasn't seen the movie yet, I highly recommend it.

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Super 8

If you grew up in the 1980's you remember movies like The Goonies or Stand By Me: coming of age stories that have now become cult classics. J.J.Abrams is channeling that same vibe in Super 8, and the result is a film that is part blockbuster, part homage to that decade and the films it created. And most importantly, it is really fun to watch.

The viral marketing advertisements for Super 8 were intentionally uninformative, so I didn't know much beyond the basic premise: a bunch of kids in 1981 are filming an amateur movie (on Super 8 film) when they unwittingly witness and film a massive train crash. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, because things get weird from there, and part of the joy of this movie is wondering along with the characters what is going on. The young actors are very good, and I actually liked the portrayal of teenage relationships, dysfunctional families, and young love.

J.J. Abrams has made a big name for himself with television series like Alias and Lost, and movies like the new Stark Trek. But he brings an even bigger name to the table in Steven Spielberg, the producer. At this point, Spielberg is practically a secular saint of film, and his influence on this movie is unmistakable. Super 8 is replete with references (some more subtle than others) to the classic Spielberg films of this era. That may be a distraction for some people, but for a movie about making a movie, I thought those nods seemed right a home. This is a story that has been told many times before— it's essentially a mash-up of Stand By Me, E.T., and Cloverfield—but it's a great story, told by some of the best people in the business. Super 8 is fun, moving, thrilling, and hilarious. In short, it's a must-see.

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Gnomeo & Juliet

When I sat down with my kids to watch Gnomeo & Juliet, I wasn't expecting much. There are so many computer animated movies every year, I can't keep track of them all and I don't think most of them are much good. But this one had a couple things going for it that made me enjoy it more than most. First off, as the title suggests, this is a Romeo and Juliet story. With garden gnomes. Yeah, silly, I know, but the plot really does follow the play reasonably closely, and it's a very enduring story. And the movie makers had a fun time throwing in other Shakespeare references here and there. That alone would have probably kept my attention most of the time.

The second thing that is worth mentioning is that Elton John was the executive producer, and his music is used heavily throughout the movie. It could have been overkill, but for a campy sort of movie I thought it worked. The Romeo and Juliet story is full of drama, fights, and romance, and Elton John's vast music catalog can cover it all.

In general I thought Gnomeo & Juliet was reasonably well done. The voice acting (primarily by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, but also Maggie Smith and Michael Caine) was quite good. And there were some very notable voice cameos by the likes of Dolly Parton, Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne, and Sir Patrick Stewart. This was a fun little animated romp with a good balance of silly humor for the kids and cultural references for the adults.

***

Page Eight

Page Eight is a slow-paced spy movie with brains, charm, and none of the usual pitfalls of that genre. There are no guns, no chase scenes, no explosions. Those customary elements are replaced by intelligence reports, political intrigue, and secret sources, the real tools of modern espionage. And while it is certainly more realistic, this approach could be dreadfully boring if it weren't for tight writing and an absolutely brilliant cast. Bill Nighy plays the protagonist, an aging intelligence analyst who has managed to stay out of departmental politics and survive government changes for thirty years. That all changes when his friend and boss (played by Michael Gambon) gives him a top secret file that indicates on page eight that the British Prime Minister (played artfully by Ralph Fiennes)  knew about secret American torture prisons. His life is further complicated by a run-in with his neighbor, played by Rachel Weisz, who is pretty enough to be a Bond girl, but far too smart and understated to actually be one. 

The plot has overt political elements, which could have been tedious in the hands of a lesser writer and director.   (Oh, no, it's the evil Americans again.) But David Hare seems to know where his political leanings get in the way, and lets the stars do their job. And it's a fine job in indeed. Nighy's off-beat delivery works in a strange sort of way. I also enjoyed the lesser roles,  such as Judy Davis as Nighy's conniving coworker, Ewen Bremner as a journalist-slash-informant, and Saskia Reeves as the love-to-hate-her Home Secretary. 

The ending is left open enough for sequels, and the rumor is that a second and third movie may be in the works. I sincerely hope that's a case, because a smart spy movie is a surprisingly rare thing, and I would love to see more of them. 

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TRON: Legacy

When they announced a sequel to the now-classic 1982 movie TRON, I inwardly cringed. Reviving fads from the 80's is a Hollywood pastime nowadays, but really? TRON? That movie really is only remembered for its pioneering computer generated graphics, which are now comically out of date. And did it even have a plot? I can't remember much of one. So I didn't expect much. And then I saw the trailer. This new world of TRON was dark, sleek, and beautiful, and yet somehow managed to keep the same look and feel. And I decided right then that I had to see it, if only for the visuals.

At its heart, this is nothing more than a fancy 3D eye candy movie, so I almost feel foolish admitting that I liked TRON: Legacy as much as I did. But sometimes it's fun to watch pretty things on the screen, and TRON: Legacy is undeniably pretty. I rather liked the updated design of the computer world, and new disc battles and light cycle matches are exciting and suitably three-dimensional. The 3D effects are particularly suited to the computer world environment, and they subtly enhanced the movie throughout. The acting is not Oscar material, but it wasn't meant to be. It certainly helps that Jeff Bridges has become something of an icon in the past 28 years. And thanks to the minimal storyline in the original, the sequel's plot is probably more complex. Perhaps my relatively low expectations enhanced the experience.

The bottom line is that TRON: Legacy is a great movie to see in 3D, and a fitting homage to the previous generation's TRON.
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Ponyo

Ponyo is the most recent film by celebrated Japanese director/illustrator/writer Hayao Miyazaki. Like many people, I love Miyazaki films for their lavish imagery, attention to detail, and sense of wonderment. And Ponyo doesn't disappoint. Based roughly on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," Ponyo tells the story of a magical fish who is rescued by a little boy and turns into a girl so she can be with him. This is a great movie for people new to Miyazaki as well as long-time fans. It is both accessible and magical. I think Ponyo comes the closes to capturing the feel of My Neighbor Totoro, which is my favorite Miyazaki film. The love of Ponyo and the little boy is rare, innocent, and precious.

Miyazaki films have become more popular in the U.S., ever since Spirited Away won and Oscar. Disney/Pixar's John Lasseter is a huge fan, and thanks in part to him, the U.S. release doesn't suffer from bizarre marketing or sub-par voice-overs like some of the previous releases. I prefer subtitles to dubbing, but with a voice cast including Liam Neeson, Betty White, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, and Matt Damon, you can't go wrong either way. Ponyo is a movie I would recommend to young and old alike.

∗∗∗1/2

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

In 1922 F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote an unusual short story about Benjamin Button, who was born and old man and grew backwards, becoming younger every year. This unusual foray into science fantasy is whimsical and often humorous, but it has a melancholy aspect to it because Benjamen feels out of sync with the rest of the world. In this adaptation to the silver screen, the filmakers seized on that melancholy, and emphasized a line of romance that was almost nonexistent in the story.

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is born a full-grown man in the original story, which Fitzgerald never bothered to explain, but he is a miniature old man in the movie. His mother dies shortly after childbirth and his father abandons him outside an old folks home, leaving him to be raised by a young black woman who could not have children herself. The choice to set Benjamin's growing-up years in an old folks home works well for the movie, and we get to watch Benjamin learn about life from people about to depart it. While at the home he meets a little girl who will become the love of his life (Cate Blanchett). Their friendship and later romance are touching at times, but also turbulent as they struggle with the fact that he grows younger as she grows older.

The filmakers essentially gave the short story the Forrest Gump treatment, following Benjamin's life through two World Wars, multiple continents, and changing eras of American history. None of this is in the short story, of course, but it works well in the film. The make-up used on Brad Pit as an old man is quite good, and there are some very fine performances by Pitt, Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton.

My biggest complaint about the movie is that the story is largely told through the memories of his aged sweetheart as she dies of cancer in a New Orleans hospital during Hurricane Katrina. This attempt at connecting the story to a recent and sensational event is unnecessary and distracting.There is also an attempt to explain why Benjamin grows backwards (something about a magic clock) but that's distracting too. F. Scott Fitzgerald never bothered to try to explain why Benjamin Button was the way he was; Fitzgerald was satisfied with taking his audience along with Benjamin's backward life.

The film's best moments are ones that capture that fantastical melancholy of the story. The most bittersweet of these is when Benjamin dies as an infant in the arms of the old woman who once was his lover. I sat thinking about the movie for a long time after the credits started to roll.

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