Steve Ditko – People Talking

Movie Review – ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ – The Gang’s All Here

Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

Written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (screenplay), based on the comic book story by Jim Starlin, George Pérez, & Ron Lim, based on characters created by Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, and Jim Starlin

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Jacob Batalon, Isabella Amara, Florence Kasumba, William Hurt, Terry Notary, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Carrie Coon, Michael James Shaw

Soundtrack: Alan Silvestri

It all comes down to this.

(Until Ant-Man and the Wasp comes out in ten weeks, which I’m actually more hyped for, but whatever.)

Eighteen movies in ten years have all been building up to the conflict to end all conflicts (until the next one).

The Infinity War.

So, what do we got?

Well…that kind of depends on the question.

As far as its purpose, which is the joining together of multiple sub-franchises to form, more or less, a single, cohesive story, I think this film does an admirable job of hammering the puzzle pieces together, but it’s not seamless enough to transcend the limitations of adapting one medium to another.

To put it another way, there’s very little about Infinity War that’s bad on its own; pretty much every scene unto itself works just fine, but I don’t think it cuts together well. Frankly, I found the whole thing rather overwhelming (perhaps a second look would be worthwhile, but I’m not sure).

One big problem is that the audience is expected to carry too much into the movie (metaphorically speaking). I’ve seen every MCU film, I assume most people who are going opening weekend have as well, but most of the emotional payoffs in Infinity War rely on you to remember why they’re important, and, as good a memory as I have, I just don’t have that kind of RAM for this, and as such a lot of the emotion of the movie fell flat for me (not to mention there haven’t been many real consequences in the MCU to this point, so…yeah, I’ll just leave it there).

Second, and I know I’ll be in the minority here because it’s the point of all of this for a lot of people, but there’s too much mind-numbing action, which I don’t normally find myself saying about these films. I like action fine, I can even enjoy nonstop action when it’s done right, but let me ask you this:

If two CG characters are fighting each other, why does the camera need to shake so much?

One positive I will mention, because I didn’t hate this movie and want to end on a good note, I actually liked Thanos as a character. Sure, he’s a villain who must be stopped, but at least he has an ethos and isn’t just another bitter revenge dude.

Other than that, hardcore fans will probably eat this one up, but I’m not convinced it has that much staying power for general audiences. Check it out if you want, especially if you’re pot committed to the MCU, but don’t feel bad about seeing it at a discount.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

P.S.
Shoutout to Alamo/Mondo for the swag.

Movie Review – ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ – What Could Go Wrong?

Directed by Jon Watts

Written by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley (story and screenplay), Jon Watts & Christopher Ford (screenplay), and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, based on the comic book by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko

Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau. Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Abraham Attah, Hannibal Buress, Kenneth Choi, Selenis Leyva, Angourie Rice, Isabella Amara, Martin Starr, Garcelle Beauvais, Michael Chernus, Michael Mando, Logan Marshall-Green, Jennifer Connelly (voice), Christopher Berry, Tunde Adebimpe, Tiffany Espensen, Chris Evans, Kerry Condon (voice), Andy Powers

Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino

Generally speaking, I like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and, based on a limited sample size, I think Jon Watts is a quality filmmaker.

From that alone, you’d think I’d have nothing but excitement for Spider-Man: Homecoming, but it’s unfortunately more complicated than that. The fact that there are six credited screenwriters (more than any other MCU film) is a bit unnerving, but much bigger than that is the fifteen years of baggage.

Spider-Man as a cinematic property has a rather checkered history (to say the least) since the “original” Sam Raimi film in 2002 (which, frankly, is the only other Spider-Man movie I’d recommend outright). That trilogy ended in disaster with the notoriously awful Spider-Man 3, and an attempt to reboot the character with another trilogy barely five years later was prematurely terminated with the equally disastrous Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014.

What has happened in the meantime is somewhat mysterious, but, for whatever reason, Sony finally cried uncle and began leasing out its star IP to Marvel Studios for inclusion into the MCU, starting with 2016’s Civil War, and continuing at least through 2019.

This was cause for celebration among fans worldwide, but I’m slightly more cynical, because the fact that Sony still has [what I assume to be] a sizable stake in it makes me nervous.

However, much like with Baby Driver, my fears were quickly allayed once the actual movie started.

To say that Spider-Man: Homecoming is the best Spider-Man film ever made is like saying Jaws is the best killer shark movie. It’s just that obvious (and, at first blush, I think it easily makes my top five MCU movies, if not top three). This is not to say it’s entirely perfect, but, it does have have an actual plot, and characters, and action that’s in accordance with the story. These things may seem trivial to point out, but given how many movies these days feature bare-bones frameworks to hang action upon (and then, on top of that, aren’t even fun), I do not take these elements lightly.

Also, boy oh boy is it refreshing to see a [non-sequel] superhero movie that isn’t an origin story, particularly for a character that’s had theirs told multiple times already (why D.C. feels it necessary to take us down Crime Alley incessantly, I’ll never know).

As far as the cast goes, it’s pleasantly jarring to see young actors in a high school movie who look like they really could be (if not actually are) in high school, Tom Holland naturally being the head of the class; he’s terrific in this (although I did rather enjoy Zendaya’s performance, even if she’s not in the movie nearly as much as expected). In addition, you’ve got Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. putting in quality shifts, as well as a colorful group of supporting characters (I’d say something about Marisa Tomei, but she just doesn’t get a lot of screen time, so there’s not much for me to comment on).

Most importantly though, the movie is simply a joy to watch. It blends action and humor like few of its contemporaries, while still maintaining a genuine sense of weight. Some of the high school stuff and some of the end action is a bit much for me, but, on the whole, I really have to hand it to Marvel. Just when I think I’m about to begin tiring of them, they find another way to keep it fresh, in this case being able to successfully craft a smaller, more intimate story in an undoubtedly larger universe.

Spider-Man: Homecoming, for a comic book/superhero movie, is very much down to earth in the way that For Your Eyes Only is down to earth relative to other James Bond movies. There’s a climactic ending, to be sure, but there are no blue lasers shooting up into the sky, and no vast terror plot to destroy humanity.

Truly, Homecoming is about our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)

P.S.
It’s an MCU movie, so of course you’re not leaving during the credits (it’s totally worth it).

Shout out to Mondo for the sweet glassware once again.

Movie Review – ‘Doctor Strange’ – Escher’s World

You didn’t think People Talking was dead because there hasn’t been a post in three weeks, did you? I certainly hope not. Vacation is a wonderful thing, but, it’s time to get back to the movies.

Directed by Scott Derrickson
Written by Jon Spaihts & Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill, based on the character created by Steve Ditko
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino

So, what happens when a Marvel movie about a Buddha is helmed by a Christian guy who makes horror films?

Well, apparently you get one of the better movies of the year.

I had no idea what to expect from ‘Doctor Strange’ going into it. I knew absolutely nothing about the character or the comics, and all I could glean from the trailers is that it looked like the lovechild of ‘Inception’, ‘The Matrix‘, and maybe some ‘Harry Potter’ (which, from a cinematic perspective, is true, and I’m more than okay with that).

I get nervous sometimes when I see that a movie is receiving overwhelmingly positive reaction, but, in retrospect, I should have believed the hype, because recent history has shown that the Marvel Cinematic Universe does well when it’s not afraid to get a little weird (e.g. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Ant-Man’), and, well, this one has “Strange” right in the title.

I’m not going to talk about the plot (it’s an origin story), because you either know what it is already, or it’ll be there for you to discover, but, the movie, as they say, is a trip, and not the bad kind. It may not boast the same level of visceral realism as, say, ‘Interstellar’, but I’d be lying if I said the visuals weren’t impressive and clever in their own right, which is important in a film as ambitious as this one (at least relative to other superhero movies).

Also important are the performances, and I can honestly say I didn’t spot a poor one in the bunch. Rachel McAdams is a stand-out despite minimal screen time, Mads Mikkelsen is a proper villain without being a scenery-chewer, and, controversial casting choice aside, I think Tilda Swinton knocks it out of the park as The Ancient One.

However, if you’re wondering where my praise for Benedict Cumberbatch is, I think he’s more than serviceable, it’s just that in my opinion he doesn’t establish himself as indispensable in the titular role. Part of this is not his fault, because he’s following in the footsteps of Hugh Laurie, but, because he’s a British actor playing an American doctor, it’s difficult not to imagine him merely doing a “House, M.D.” impression, and thus I can’t help but wonder how someone else (perhaps, I don’t know, an American actor?) might have played the role.

Similarly, Michael Giacchino delivers a fine score, but the melody of the main theme sounds suspiciously similar to his recent work on the Star Trek films. Whether this is a case of temp track fever, self-plagiarism, or something else, I don’t know, but it definitely gnawed on me throughout the movie.

Realistically though, these are minor criticisms compared to the movie as a whole.

In the end, ‘Doctor Strange’ is an enjoyable adventure that’s balanced out with the right amount of fun and serious stakes. Certainly one of the better movies of 2016, and one of the better Marvel movies ever made. Kudos to writer/director Scott Derrickson and everyone else involved.

Rating: ★★★★½

P.S.
As usual, thanks to Alamo Drafthouse [Yonkers] and Mondo for the swag and for getting into the spirit of the thing.