AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Release Date: Malaysia, 24 Apr 2019

Genre: Action / Adventure

Running Length: 3:01

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Don Cheadle

Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo 

Screenplay: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely 

WARNING: Eventhough this is a spoiler-free review, I would still recommend you to turn away if you've not watched Avengers: Endgame and especially the last movie Avengers: Infinity War as I'll be making references to the events that happened in Infinity War. If you want a full-on 100% spoiler-free experience, avoid any sort of reviews, commentaries and even crowded places. 

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Still here? Ok, you've been warned. 

AVENGERS: END GAME picks up almost immediately after the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War. With whoever is left, the Avenger assemble once more in an attempt to undo Thanos' actions. 

"Whatever it takes"

The story structure to this film is clearly broken into 3 parts. 

1. The first one showcases whatever's left of our superheroes; all of them tries to move on with their lives but just can't.    
2. The second part focuses on our superheroes trying to undo what Thanos did.
3. The showdown. This part deals with the consequences of trying to undo what Thanos did.   

I like the first two parts because it feels like a drama. Our heroes are the most "human" here instead of the usual explosions and fights. I've not seen anything like this in any of the MCU movies. It's moving and affecting thanks to the performances of our ensemble cast, especially from the original Avengers.  

The usual signature random funny scenes are present here thanks to The Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Don Cheadle's War Machine but overall, the atmosphere of this movie is bleak.

I also like the approach that the filmmakers took for the middle section of the movie. Let's just say it feels like a "Best Of" episode but with a fresh take on it.  

"Why so serious?"

Did the filmmakers take any risk in this outing in comparison to the last one? Yes, they did. 

Although not as "shock-to-the-system" impactful as Infinity War, but this movie still carries an emotional punch to the gut. In fact, I was "punched" a few times. 

Overall, comparing the two latest Avengers movies, Infinity War has a stronger narrative and is more focused. The stakes felt really high. Endgame does a good job in mixing the quieter dramatic elements with big special effects sequences but there are some pacing issues here and there, and a few things to nitpick. Also, I had a lot of questions after the film but thankfully (don't click if you've not seen the movie!) I got most of the answers from this link. 

In conclusion, Avengers: Endgame is a super satisfying ending for me that has the right balance of closure and setup for future installments for some characters. 

RATING: 9/10 

(this "9" is a shade lower than the "9" I gave for Infinity War)

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (Malaysia, 25 Apr 2018)

Genre: Action / Adventure
Running Length: 2:29
Cast:  Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Bradley Cooper, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista
Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Screenplay:Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

Passage taken from the Scriptures regarding the Rapture:

"Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."  Matthew 24:40-42

Indeed AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR was a spiritual experience for me! It felt like watching Armageddon unfold in-front of me, where the conflicts and battles are of Godly proportions. And the lives of the human race and other beings in the universe are at stake as our heroes are running out of time to save them.

What's this movie about?

Earth's mightiest heroes and other heroes from the galaxy have to team-up to prevent Thanos (Josh Brolin) from acquiring five infinity stones; which, if united, will give him so much power he could wreck the entire universe with the snap of his fingers.

What I like about this movie?

• The wait (10 years in the making) was worth it! This overall film is just one big satisfying climax. 
• Thanos. A protagonist is only as good as the antagonist. To me, this is actually Thanos' movie. He is not your traditional big bad villain who's out for power and dominion as his higher calling for his madness is definitely debatable. He's like this tragic Shakespearean figure. He's way more complex than what we've seen in the trailers. Brolin's performance here is very memorable. 
• The danger is real. I was complaining that Captain America: Civil War had no consequences whatsoever. Despite the massive trashing and bashing, no one really died. But in this movie, there are major deaths right from the start (kinda reminds me of the animated motion picture Transformers opening scene) and it sets the tone for the entire movie. Whenever Thanos appears, you know sh t is going to happen.
• The continuity is excellent. All the superheroes from Thor to the Guardians of the Galaxy carried the same style they had embodied in their standalone movies. These characters just picked up smoothly where they left off. The Russo brothers deserve high praises to be able to juggle all the different characters in this mammoth of a movie while still maintaining their unique personalities. 
• The pairing choices. It's a brilliant decision by the filmmakers to put different characters in a few core groups and sending them off in their own mini missions before getting them all back together. The choice of which hero to pair with whom made a lot of difference. For example, the banter of the egos between Iron Man (Downey Jr) and Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) was fun to watch. 
• The battle scenes. In most Hollywood movies, one can't really see the fight scenes with all the shaky and stylistic camera work. But in this movie, you can clearly see what's going on.
• Balance. There seems to be a good balance of almost everything; a solemn mood with fun bantering, loud mindless battle scenes with quieter dramatic moments. 
• The surprising ending. There was no evil "ha ha ha" gloating. Just like that, it was all over. 

What I didn't like?

• There isn't much actually except perhaps knowing that this is a comic book movie after all. I just hope the filmmakers don't undo much of the satisfying and ballsy ending of this film in the as-of-yet unnamed "Infinity War" sequel (2019).
• Okay maybe one more. I'm sure some audience who doesn't know much about the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies could still follow what's going on but I think they will be bored out of their mind as half of the time, they would be wondering who's who. But this film was made for the fans or at least for movie goers like me who have been following the MCU movies. 

Despite being filmed simultaneously with the sequel, Avengers: Infinity War doesn’t feel like half a movie like Hunger Games or Harry Potter. Eventhough not much is resolved, it still feels like a complete movie. One thing’s for sure, I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel!

RATING: 9/10 

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

Genre: Action / Adventure
Running Length: 2:13
Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Laura Harrier, Jacob Batalon, Bokeem Woodbine, Zendaya, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Donald Glover
Director: Jon Watts
Screenplay: Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Jon Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers

Tom Holland's Spider-Man in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is the most relatable Spider-Man to me. When I was growing up, I read the comic strip off The Star newspapers and I would have a very specific voice for Spidey in my head whenever he talks or even thinks. Somehow, Holland's version of Spidey matches this voice to the T. This IS the Spider-Man that I grew up with.

There are just a lot of nice tiny details of Holland's performance which made his portrayal of our beloved superhero believable (and I really like what they did to the eyes on his suit whenever he emotes). And speaking of tiny, there are just a chock full of easter eggs in this latest iteration which will definitely please fans.

I think what the filmmakers did right this time (after the disastrous Andrew Garfield's reboot) was that they didn't set out to make another superhero movie but a genre movie. Just like Logan, that movie was more of a quiet Western flick than your typical giant beam from the sky kind of superhero movie. As for Spider-Man: Homecoming, it felt like more of a high-school coming-of-age kinda movie. In fact, the filmmakers here inserted a tribute clip to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

Overall, I was OK with the movie's light and fun tone with the occasional emotional moments; like when an eager-to-prove-himself Peter Parker was confronted by his "mentor" Tony Stark. But the final 1/3 of the film took a turn into "this shit just got real" territory and that saved the movie for me.

The surprising reveal really upped the risk for Peter Parker as he now has a personal connection to the villain (played brilliantly by the ever dependable Michael Keaton), which then led to the highly tensed conversation in the car. That scene is arguably the most memorable scene for me. The other memorable scene is when Spidey got really vulnerable when he was trapped under some really heavy concrete slabs.

That said, there are some things in this film which didn't work for me like Parker's irritating best friend and the hot Aunt May. And after 6 films, they still couldn't get Spider-Man's swinging right; he still looks very CGI to me when he swings from building to building. That said, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a legit and complete standalone movie and doesn't feel like a set-up to other up-coming Marvel movies.

Note: Stay right to the end of the credits roll for one of the best post credit scenes in recent times.

RATING: 7.5/10

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

Genre: Action / Adventure
Running Length: 2:26
Cast: Chris Evans, Daniel Bruhl, Martin Freeman, William Hurt, Tom Holland, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Emily VanCamp         

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

There are two major themes in  CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR that are conceptually interesting on paper but wasn't fleshed out effectively in execution.

Firstly, the concept of a government body stepping in to regulate the honest actions of superheroes in causing civilian casualties during their epic battles with supervillains. (Interestingly, this similar premise was explored in the recent brood-ish Batman v. Superman). Among all the superhero movies, the X-Men stories have done a much better job at exploring this theme.

So, I personally found this reason a little weak for team Captain to clash with team Iron Man ("Lionheart" CapAm is against the accords while "pro-capitalist/anti-war" Iron Man is for it). As a result, the climatic royal rumble between the two camps felt restrained. Despite a lot of flying action, pummelling and blowing things up, it played out more like a spectacle than an all-out war. You can kinda expect no superheroes will die during this battle.

That said, somewhere towards the end of the movie, an intimate fist fight between Captain, Iron Man and The Winter Soldier is more dramatic and powerful. Because it's personal, there is a possibility that someone will die. It felt more real.

As for the second misstep, the theme of "a house divided against itself" is the most interesting but the journey to get to that point seems overly convoluted.

Although it's jam packed with characters, the movie doesn't feel bloated. It's probably because we are familiar with the back story of 90% of these characters which were introduced throughout the years across different movies in the Marvel Productions Universe (MPU). Not counting the re-introduction of a younger Spider-Man (brilliantly played by Tom Holland), the only new character is Black Panther.

Overall, Civil War is entertaining but it’s not as gripping and tight as Captain America: Winter Soldier. Oh, one gripe. As adorable as Marisa Tomei is, but as the new Aunt May...really?

Rating: 7/10

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015)

Genre: Action/Adventure
Running Length: 2:21
Cast:  Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, James Spader, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Director: Joss Whedon
Screenplay: Joss Whedon

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON plays it safe. Most summer tent pole sequels tend to up their offering ie. more of the same but bigger explosions, more body counts or more over-the-top action sequences (think the Transformers franchise) but Age of Ultron is just...more of the same. Granted that there are some interesting camera work but the action scenes are more frantic than exciting. Although the big battle CGI laden final scene is loud and energetic (which echoes Zack Snyder's Man of Steel wanton city carnage), it's just way too long and boring. I was actually fidgeting in my seat waiting for the movie to be over. Thankfully, the quieter moments paid off especially scenes involving the characters who don't have their own franchise. And they are given more screen time and back story. Although the love affair between Black Widow and Bruce Banner/Hulk feels forced, it's still pretty sweet. And Hawkeye's "secret" do lead to an emotional payoff at the end of the film. However, the "A-list" superheroes do not fare as well; Robert Downey Jr's Ironman seems to have lost his panache, Chris Evan's Cap Am is wooden and Chris Hemsworth's Thor just stands around looking handsome and spewing out funny one-liners. Although Ultron is somewhat an interesting villain because of his "daddy issues", his big bad evil plan is lame and overly convoluted. Overall, if the film makers could have just taken some risk to challenge its predecessor, this movie could have turned out to be less lazy.

Rating: 6/10

CHEF (2014)

Genre: Family/Comedy
Running Length: 1:55
Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Amy Sedaris, Robert Downey, Jr
Director: Jon Favreau

Although it's not, CHEF felt like an autobiographical movie of Jon Favreau; the writer, actor and director of this wonderful film. The story of a celebrity chef rediscovering his love for life, family and food do share some resemblance of Favreau's career; rediscovering  his indie roots after his recent big budget dud Cowboys & Aliens. CHEF is a small, intimate and light hearted movie that will guarantee to get you craving for Cuban sandwiches the second you walk out of the cinema. The wide range of music used, the road trip, the soul and culture of each locations and the food (the FOOD, OMG!) are infused so flavourful together to support the heart of the narrative - a father and son story. Emjay Anthony who plays the boy character has a very authentic and endearing chemistry with Favreau, especially the quieter moments between the two. A special shout out to John Leguizamo who plays the role of a loyal friend to Favreau's character, as he injects so much joy and energy into the film. The scenes with him, Favreau and Anthony on the road are so much fun to watch.  And thankfully the big cast of recognizable cameos was not a distraction ie. spot the cameo moments. In the end, the resolution was pretty simplistic but the spirit of passion still shines. Oprah Winfrey's quote expresses this appropriately, "Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you."

Rating: 8/10