Marvel | Fast Lane Film

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned rivalry. As I write this review I’m trying to think of a fitting analogy to describe the comic rivalry that is Marvel vs. DC. The best recent comic book movies have been Marvel editions, from Captain America: Winter Soldier to Logan. However, The Dark Knight still reigns supreme, and Wonder Woman has rejuvenated DC. Regardless of how cool The Avengers are, when it comes to iconic superheroes, Batman and Superman are the standard bearers.

I’m still settling into the idea of Ben Affleck (Live By Night) as Batman/Bruce Wayne, but he at least looks the part, checking all the superficial boxes. I don’t get any real depth of character from him, but where Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises) brought an air of refinement to Bruce Wayne, Affleck is more of a rugged Everyman. In Justice League, he is the catalyst for their coalition. Still reeling from the loss of Superman, Bruce is rather downtrodden. Sensing trouble on the horizon, he feels compelled to gather a team who can be ready when impending doom finally darkens their doorstep.

Methodically and effectively, director Zac Snyder (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel) introduces us to the Justice League. We’re familiar with Bruce and Diana (Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman), and now we meet Cyborg, Aquaman (Jason Momoa, Once Upon a Time in Venice) and The Flash (Ezra Miller, Suicide Squad). Bruce’s sense of foreboding is confirmed with the appearance of “Steppenwolf,” a sinister being also known as the End of Worlds. He seeks to unite three motherboards, which are gleaming mythical cubes of energy/life force found in separate, remote locations. Their unification can bring about the end of the world, and the Justice League must stop Steppenwolf from obtaining all three.

One motherboard is on Themyscira, under Amazon guard on Diana’s home planet. I read that Justice League was re-shot to include more scenes with Wonder Woman, after the success of the solo film earlier this year. That was a shrewd decision, and it was effective from a storytelling perspective. Bruce challenges Diana to embrace her iconic role and to be more proactive than reactive, leveling the same criticism at the character that some feminists aimed at the Wonder Woman film. I’m paraphrasing, but he essentially states that all it took to break down this warrior woman was a little heartbreak. I thought that bit of dialogue was a clever nod to the fan base and legitimate acknowledgment of a perceived flaw in our beloved heroine.

Bruce Wayne has never been so humble and self-deprecating. He comically acknowledges that being rich is his only super power, and the rest of the team often challenges his quiet air of authority. The Flash is funny, his youth refreshing compared to his more jaded, skeptical counterparts. Cyborg has not fully embraced his altered body, still gingerly navigating his newfound abilities. Aquaman is aloof, but devoted. While they don’t always share the same approach, when they are called to action they are in perfect unison, highlighting the shared chemistry attendant of ensemble films.

Justice League was nearly as good as The Avengers, and much better than last year’s Suicide Squad, which felt like a hodgepodge collection of misfits. I appreciate a plot that isn’t needlessly complex, and I wasn’t disappointed here – although the premise is a trite one. As long as it continues to bring out the best in each franchise, the Marvel-DC rivalry is great for moviegoers. Justice League was simple, yet funny and entertaining. I can’t say unequivocally that one character stole the show, which is a testament to the shared star power on screen. There were no weak links, and now I have to think twice about what super squad I’d want to save me.

Grade: A-

This is my favorite time for movies, even more so than the so-called Oscar season. Summer blockbusters might not be the most critically acclaimed movies, but they sure are entertaining, and with me that counts for a lot.

Marvel has proven successful in bringing the iconic heroes of comic book lore to the big screen. The Avengers franchise combines some of the most individually popular characters for one collective ensemble of awesome star power. 2012’s The Avengers was wildly successful, leaving little doubt that a sequel would be forthcoming. Last weekend I got to check out the highly anticipated sequel The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the first blockbuster of the season.

The sequel finds our heroes more comfortable with each other, as their shared chemistry reveals an amiable familiarity and easy rapport. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) complement each other perfectly, and the opening scene highlights their collective strength. The movie begins with the Avengers attempting to infiltrate a base controlled by Hyrdra, the rogue sub-agency within SHIELD. Despite the aforementioned chemistry, the Avengers face a new challenge as they encounter two uniquely worthy foes. Hydra has trained a pair of orphaned twins to counter the Avengers. They are gifted with super speed and telepathy, respectively – and their initial salvo against the Avengers deals the crew a crippling early blow.

The opening scene was successful, because it was action-packed and wasted no time giving us what we wanted. However, the convoluted plot is introduced in the first fifteen minutes, and I found myself struggling to piece it all together. I’ll try to recount it for you, giving only the most pertinent details. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner had been working on new technology in the form of Ultron, an elite global peacekeeper with enhanced capabilities on par with the Avengers. When combined with an element from Thor’s home planet, Ultron comes to life ahead of schedule, but he has been corrupted with evil. He is not a peacekeeper, rather he seeks to destroy the planet – and the Avengers are no match for him. Ultron disables Tony’s trusted cyber soldier Jarvis, and he is hell-bent on going from a computer program to a physical being. The bulk of the movie follows the Avengers as they try to thwart his efforts and save the world.

Age of Ultron strives to give us a deeper insight into the insecurities and personal lives of the Avengers. Natasha has a thing for the good Dr. Banner. Hawkeye actually has a family, and perhaps Tony is the most layered of all. He feels guilty about having created Ultron, but his ego won’t allow him to completely abandon the technology or the ambition that allowed him to create it. The team becomes fractured, as vulnerabilities are revealed. For example, it’s not often that Captain America and Thor get their asses kicked, but the twins and Ultron prove too difficult for them, and even the Hulk. If they want to defeat their enemies, they will have to work together and trust each other.

The film’s first act simply captivated me with the action-packed fight sequences, but the plot details quickly became muddled. Admittedly, plot is secondary in movies like this – but it was confounding nevertheless. At first I thought it was dope, but by the time the credits rolled I thought the movie was just pretty good. The storyline was deficient, but the action and chemistry amongst the cast mostly made up for it. Of the recent Marvel entrants, I thought Thor 2 and Iron Man 3 were among the worst. Avengers: Age of Ultron is definitely better than those, and I put it on par with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s worth checking out. Grade: B+