Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

It’s been a tough summer for superheroes. Apart from causing comic book fatigue to a large percentage of worldwide audiences (the ones that don’t plan their annual calendars around Comic-Con), 2011 was the year in which every spandex-clad do-gooder that landed in our multiplexes seemed to come with a different set of problems. Thor’s Shakespearean pomp risked widespread derision, the X-Men propositioned yet another origin story and most viewers could not tell their Green Lantern from their Green Hornet.

Captain America: The First Avenger, the last in this summer’s line of superhero flicks, faces a different obstacle altogether: political controversy. Ostensibly a movie about an all-American war hero who likes to dress up in the US flag while dishing out justice, Joe Johnston’s film would have proved a tough sell had it been released at the height of George W. Bush’s war on terror or the occupation of Iraq. Even in the more eloquent Obama era, it seems unlikely that foreign viewers will take kindly to Steve Rogers like they did to Peter Parker.

The fact that Captain America never feels like an allegory for US propaganda comes as good news. Part of it may be down to the WWII setting (a time in which American intervention in the struggle against the Axis powers was highly praised), but mostly boils down to the characterization of the protagonist. In the film’s terrific first half Steve Rogers is introduced as a scrawny underdog with a heart of gold, who wishes to join the war not because he wants to kill nazis, but because he hates bullies, no matter where they are from. It’s these early scenes of unyielding determination which make his transformation into a physically enhanced, virtually flawless ubermensch worthwhile. It is thanks to Chris Evans’ tender portrayal that Cap never comes off as self-righteous; he is simply a very nice guy who has a knack for kicking ass.

It’s around the halfway mark that Joe Johnston drops the shield and doesn’t quite know what to do with his leading man, other than stick him in a flurry of bust-ups with some faceless goons headed by Hugo Weaving’s one-note psycho, the Red Skull. It is in these moments that Johnston’s shortcomings as a director become apparent. Lacking Jon Favreau’s affinity with dialogue and Kenneth Branagh’s ability to convey hefty themes, Johnston seems content to be merely a clever choreographer. Take for instance the action set-piece aboard a massive aircraft: visually impressive, but rushed into so abruptly, it actually takes a few minutes to realize it is the final showdown.

The film’s saving grace is a healthy dose of light-hearted humour, the kind which made the Indiana Jones films such a joy to watch. Steve may not be good at rapid fire wit like Tony Stark, but there’s fun to be had seeing him awkwardly prance around on stage in a gloriously cheesy USO musical number. Tommy Lee Jones’ innate talent for deadpan is also a very welcome plus.

The end result is little more than a solid comic book caper and a tantalising prelude to next year’s superhero epic The Avengers. However, with its growing reputation in the film industry, Marvel could have easily afforded an edgier, more leftfield choice for director. Like, say, Joe Wright. Remember the five-minute tracking shot of the Dunkirk evacuation in Atonement? Now imagine a scene like that in a Captain America movie…   

3/5      

Review: Horrible Bosses

The idea behind Horrible Bosses is pure comedy gold. Let’s face it, the thought of laying into a heavy-handed employer has crossed thousands of wage-slaves’ minds at one point or another. So the arrival of Seth Gordon’s quasi-black comedy, in which three drinking buddies (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis) agree to murder each other’s superior, is highly welcome. Yes, it’s as bit like Strangers On A Train, but with more sex jokes and a truckload of drug references.  

The casting of the titular bosses is spot-on. Colin Farrell goes through a hideous physical transformation to play cokehead chemical manager Bobby Pellitt and Jennifer Aniston turns in an astonishingly raunchy performance as dentist and part-time maneater Julia Harris. Meanwhile, anyone who has seen Peter Serafinowicz’s Acting Masterclass sketch will know that Kevin Spacey is at his most hilarious when playing a petty, ruthless, back-stabbing prick and his Dave Harken may just be a close relative of Swimming With Sharks’ Buddy Ackerman.

So far all the ingredients for a riotous laugh-fest are firmly in place, so you’d expect it would take a lot of effort on Gordon’s behalf to mess up what could’ve been the hit comedy to rival Hangover Part II. Unfortunately he goes and does just that. Like his protagonists, you get the feeling the director is out of his depth and never too sure of what he’s really doing.

First of all it would’ve been nice to come up with a half-decent plot to go with the terrific premise. Instead, we get the central trio aimlessly driving around LA trying to come up with gags and one-liners that may induce a few chuckles but never linger in mind.

Bateman and Sudeikis are both amiable and amusing as two average Joes taking their first awkward stab at murder. It’s Charlie Day who’s the problem. Pint-sized and shrill-voiced, he single-handedly manages to stink up every scene he’s in. It is clear from his fuzzy facial hair and quirky outbursts that he is supposed to be filling the Zach Galifianakis role in the picture, but has none of the latter’s charm. Why Jennifer Aniston’s sultry temptress is so desperate to bed him is beyond reason.

Finally, while the script’s lack of belly laughs has already been addressed, it is also opportune to tackle the underlying bigotry which permeates some of the film’s scenes. The one in which Sudeikis’ character drives his pals to a rough bar in search of a potential hitman for hire would’ve been a comedic highpoint had the venue not been exclusively populated by Hispanic and African-Americans. Instead, it comes off as ill-judged and racially prejudiced.

Perhaps Horrible Bosses would have benefited from a rewrite before going into production. Had the screenwriters polished a few gags and got rid of a couple of characters, those thousands of wage-slaves out there would have been treated to the revenge flick they craved so badly. As it turns out, all they get is a so-so comedy in which the bosses are the best thing in it.          

2/5        

      

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

It’s been ten years, seven films and a gargantuan amount of box office earnings since Harry Potter, the spectacled literary hero of JK Rowling’s acclaimed children’s novels, made his big-screen debut in Philosopher’s Stone. What started off as a magical tale about a prepubescent boy learning the ways of witchcraft and wizardry has over the years matured into an epic fantasy saga sprinkled with hefty themes, such as betrayal, teenage angst and fears of abandonment. It’s not difficult to see why Rowling’s work has connected so deeply not just with kids and adolescents, but adults as well.

The Potter films have always been a bit of a hit and miss affair. Chris Colombus’ first two entries are without doubt the blandest and most forgettable of the bunch, Azkaban and Goblet of Fire are generally credited for taking the series’ to more creative and ultimately darker new heights, while Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince cranked up the pathos whilst also injecting a fresh dose of hormones to the mix.

What’s harder to determine is where Deathly Hallows stands. Whether the final chapter would have worked as a three-hour long film is debatable, but the decision to split it in two also has its drawbacks. While the first part released last November only just functioned as an over-padded prelude to the tantalising finale, part two is purely one big final act to the whole proceedings. Granted, it is a gripping climax, one which allows director David Yates to unleash his inner Bay by including jaw-dropping visuals of Hogwarts being obliterated by magic bolts. But there remains the nagging sensation that these action-packed sequences would have had more cathartic oomph had they been tagged onto the previous entry.  

At the centre of all the commotion we find Harry and Voldemort duking it out one last time in grand, OTT style. Much has been said over the years about Daniel Radcliffe’s mechanic delivery and his apparent lack of acting chops but here the young star turns in a quietly heartfelt and vulnerable performance. Meanwhile Ralph Fiennes seizes the opportunity to channel copious amounts of malevolence in his final appearance as the Dark Lord and he doesn’t disappoint (although the brief moment we see a bloody, near-fetal Voldemort sprawled across a white floor may be a tad too extreme for young viewers).

However, with so much attention focused on the two characters, there is little time to dedicate to the support players. Some of them have their deserved moment in the spotlight (Neville Longbottom, take a bow), while others are barely granted a line (Robbie Coltrane’s Hagrid). At least Ron and Hermione get that long-awaited kiss in a moment that is both romantic and highly amusing. And hats off to Alan Rickman, who makes the most of the brief screen-time he is given by revealing an unexpectedly more human side to Snape in a dramatic flashback sequence.

Overall, Deathly Hallows Part II’s main flaw is that it doesn’t quite work as a standalone film, as casual viewers may have a hard time keeping up with the disjointed and occasionally convoluted plot. But as a finale to a much-beloved series it works a treat and fans will be immensely satisfied.

3/5  

    

Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

For his review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, incendiary film critic Mark Kermode resorted to placing himself in front of a camera before repeatedly banging his head against the lens. A bit over the top maybe, but Kermode definitely got his point across. The third (and most definitely not final) instalment in the Hasbro franchise is not so much a movie, but a visual and acoustic assault on our senses.

For what it’s worth, the story this time involves an Apollo 11 conspiracy theory which saw astronauts Armstrong and Baldwin uncover the hibernated body of legendary Autobot Sentinel Prime on the dark side of the moon back in 1969. Apparently he is to play a big part in mankind’s struggle against the Decepticons. And where does all this leave occasional hero Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf)? Well, he’s got enough trouble trying to find a job and hold on to his new girlfriend (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley).

Now before going any further, a quick premise. Their status as blockbuster behemoths  means the Transformers movies never aspired to be anything more than pure, unadulterated popcorn entertainment. These are the kind of films where you can check in your brain at the cinema's entrance and wallow in the lush spectacle without having to worry about petty claims such as theme or catharsis. You know that, the critics know that and, most of all, director Michael Bay knows that too.

However, there is also such thing as quality blockbuster entertainment. The first Transformers was fun because it managed to seamlessly combine impressive action scenes with genuine humour, all whilst being held together by a more or less linear plot. Dark of the Moon, much like the critically panned Revenge of the Fallen, displays an overly complicated storyline, takes the action a few notches too high, while the comedy feels forced and sometimes a little too juvenile for its own good. Furthermore, the running time is agonisingly long. You know there’s something amiss when you are periodically checking your watch throughout a 45-minute giant robot smackdown.

Another one of Transformers’ strengths was the casting of veteran actors in amusing support roles (John Turturro’s Agent Simmons being the series’ highlight), but this time the players involved feel wasted and superfluous. Frances McDormand has little to do in what is essentially a faceless bureaucratic role, while John Malkovich makes a hilarious entrance as Sam’s boss, only to be forgotten shortly after the first act. And the less said about Ken Jeong’s excruciatingly annoying cameo, the better.

Just to be clear, this review is not implying the franchise is past its "Prime" (couldn't be helped). Dark of the Moon boasts all the necessary ingredients to be a hit with the multiplex crowd and Michael Bay is surely going to be laughing all the way to the bank as the box office figures come in early next week. It’s just that it would be nice to have seen a bit of brains to match all that brawn on screen.

2/5