Spoiler Free Diet: Guardians of the Galaxy

Seriously? A walking tree and talking raccoon? -- Yes. And they're awesome.

When the movie was announced, I was immediately worried about Rocket and Groot coming off as stupid, Drax being boring, and the rest of the cast being a bunch of unknowns.

The commercials leading up to the movie still managed to get me hyped despite this, and I was, thankfully, not disappointed.

Guardians of the Galaxy is awesome.

Not only was Rocket done well, the little rodent was endearing and funny and had a fully fleshed out personality. Groot a bit less so, but he was surprisingly animated for being a walking, sort-of-talking plant. He easily got the biggest laugh out of me the whole film. Drax not only wasn't boring, they managed to make 'The Destroyer' funny.

I'm not a fan of Soldana, but overall didn't have any issues with the character of Gamora -- her motivations were underdeveloped, but she gets a personal antagonist to balance it out. 

Peter Quill, Starlord, was perfect. "Nuff Said.

More than just daddy issues, but it'll do.

The big bad, Ronan the Accuser, was done very well. His motivations could have used a bit more explanation behind them (there's a decent chunk of history that is only briefly touched upon), but the movie did enough for its purposes, and he seemed to be a real badass.

This movie definitely corners the "comedy" aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it totally worked. Even the few outrageous moments were well delivered and in context with the character (Quill will appeal to any child of the '80s or late '70s).

As for tie ins to the greater universe, there were a couple of plugs that weren't super obvious, which was nice. I'm a bit surprised they didn't do more or introduce more, considering the setting. I won't spoil anyone's hopes of seeing certain characters at this time, but I could have definitely seen one or two extra, minimal introductions or nods that would have been easy to sneak in there.

The action was strong, the humor better, and the story surprisingly reasonable. The greater universe is done in tantalizing brush strokes that make it feel acceptable that 99% of the movie is spent away from Earth. I was surprised that they were able to introduce us to so many worlds, so many characters, and so many protagonists without leaving us overwhelmed. I know very little about the Guardians comics, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment in any way.

Very happy with the CGI and the ship battles especially.

It took The Avengers several earlier movies to build up a group dynamic. I'm already happy with the Guardians as they're presented in this single film. I don't know where they'll go from here or what other large story arcs really take place in the outer limits of the Marvel Universe, but I'm more than willing to check it out when Guardians of the Galaxy 2 comes out -- this one really surpassed my expectations and I'm happy it did.

Arbitrary rating 9/10. It loses a point for a moment towards the very end that I found a bit too over the top, and the after the credits scene (which, in my opinion, wasn't worth the wait. It's a solid reference and on par with what you might expect from this film, but it doesn't add anything by way of connecting to future films or the greater Cinematic Universe, which is my preference.

Go see this movie. Now.  

Spoiler-Free Diet: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Solid cast, all around.

The most recent entry into the sometimes decent, sometimes awful X-men movie franchise is, fortunately, from the former category. I went with a group and most everyone liked it. The Wife fell asleep, but she ended work late and starts early, so that's understandable. Oh, and the movie doesn't try to engage folks not interested in the series already, which is a bit of a weakness.

Oh, and no spoilers below, so feel free to glut yourself on some nerdy review goodness.

The Good

Acting - The cast for this movie was pretty stellar, an

Future Sunspot, Kitty Pryde, Iceman, and Colossus

d no one dropped the ball. Moreover, everyone was somewhat interesting and had a place/purpose, even the folks set in the future, which we only see for a few scenes. This is in direct contrast to X-Men: Last Stand, which wasted talent, characters, storylines, and was just generally unwieldy. This was a decent sized cast, but it was handled well.

Story - Many movies that try, fail to make sense of time travel, or leave large plot holes. This movie didn't have any issues with it -- technically it was time travel lite, with simple rules and simple, well-defined consequences, but it helped in that it didn't detract from the story. I've read reviews online that say it were confusing -- they either watched a different movie than I did, or simply weren't paying attention.

This is a story about characters. Yes, there's obviously a big-bad event that causes the future to go awry, but the solution doesn't lie in stopping the event, rather in changing the players involved. It's a different take on a super hero movie and not done completely well -- without a major focus, the movie does seem to drift a bit from time to time and, scaled against super hero movies, even runs a bit on the boring side. It's never bad, and it ends well and with interesting results, it just wasn't quite as focused as it could have been.

Action - Early on, there are two amazing action scenes. The rest of the movie moves away from them and there isn't too much fighting until the very end, and it doesn't really compare to the beginning sets. Either way, it was worth it (and still had more fighting than Godzilla... heh).

Correcting wrongs - The X-Men movies have been full of plot holes and errors, especially since X-Men: First Class, which tried to set itself apart from having to correct the wrongs of Last Stand. This movie, using a bit of time travel, does fix some of these issues, which is nice. It also more-or-less gives Last Stand the middle finger, which is very good. There are still some issues, which I could go into but won't, but they're not quite as glaring as they had been. Sort of. Hey, at least they're making an effort. And, really, it's consistent with the X-Men comics in the '90s -- overly convoluted with too many writers and no real cohesion.

The Bad

Mystique - This is definitely a personal issue, but I hate Mystique. I've never liked the comic or movie character, and I think the movie version looks stupid. Jennifer Lawrence was fine, but the fact that the movie focuses on her so much (figuratively and literally, those close-ups, man) annoyed me. I'm very much on the side of "there are so many MORE interesting X-Men characters....", and it does sometimes impact my ability to see past things such as "movie rights" and silly things like that. The plot device she's used for makes some sort of sense (kind of, and was worked in from First Class), but there are several other mutants that would have made more sense and been much more interesting. The focus on Charles' relationship with her always annoys me, though conceptually I understand a need to tie characters together on a deeper emotional level.

But still, Mystique. Ugh.

First Class - The "back in time" portion takes place ten years after the events in First Class, but the intervening ten years are only briefly mentioned and hardly seem to fit. I didn't see a reason for that particular time jump (heh), and it grated for me whenever they mentioned it in passing.

Comics - The "future" portion was a mash-up of the comic arcs "Days of Future Past," the issues that introduced Bishop/Apocalypse's dark future, and the "Age of Apocalypse" (thanks to Blink's presence) arcs. This, to me, was a waste. Bishop's future, in the comics, was so much more interesting than the briefly touched upon "Days of Future Past," timeline. It was nice seeing him in the film, but I'm a bit bummed that, should he appear in the next one, it will lesson the normal impact of his character on the X-Men universe.

Also, the future wasn't used nearly enough. A couple snapshots of an apocalyptic wasteland are really all we see, then it focuses very closely on the Future group, never straying far from their hideout. I wanted to see more of why the future was rubbish -- it's my favorite setting.

Sentinels - The future ones look too similar the The Destroyer from Thor. The past ones don't do much. These are iconic X-Men enemies in the comics, but they were under-utilized in the extreme here.

Future sentinel. It's face opens in a familiar manner...

Focus - The story, lacking a major, stand out villain, loses focus. Is Trask the target? Is Magneto the true enemy? Can the future even be changed? Etc... This wasn't assisted by an unnecessary scene or two in the future, which dragged our attention further away, without adding the intended suspense.

The focus on characters wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be either. The most interesting character in the entire film was introduced and cast aside fairly early. And the comic arc had followed Kitty Pryde back to the past, not Wolverine. True, I think Wolverine worked in this aspect, but super hero movies in general need stronger female leads, and the writers of this missed a great opportunity to use a wonderful actress (Ellen Page) to her fullest extent.

Wasted opportunity, not having this shot somewhere in the film.

... Despite my constant gripes, I liked the movie. I also liked it a TON better than I expected. But I do have my gripes. Arbitrary rating of 7/10. I'm now fairly excited for the next movie (stay after the credits!).


... I hadn't bothered to post about it, but my rating for Godzilla is an 8/10 and am super excited to see what they do next with the series.

Spoiler Free Diet: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I was able to see The Winter Soldier this weekend with the Wife and friends, and I loved it. Most everyone I've spoken to has felt the same, some even suggesting it is the best Marvel movie to date. At this time I can't think of any complaints I have for the entire film, while I'm able to find something for every other Marvel movie, so maybe I even agree.

Maybe.

If you're aware of the comic book arc surrounded the Winter Soldier, you're unlikely to have many surprises. Even so, each character was handled well, the three or so major reveals in the film were masterfully maneuvered, and the story line was very well paced (which is something Marvel doesn't always do terribly well -- looking at you, Iron Man films...).

This movie has some of the most intense fight scenes I've ever witnessed. You could almost feel some of the hardest blows, and Captain America REALLY showed his worth when kicking ass and taking names. In the comics, he rarely comes off (to me) as a character that stands shoulder to shoulder with super-powered heroes when it comes to fighting. Generally his trademark is throwing his shield, and that's pretty much it. On screen, where you're not having action sequences drawn panel to panel but instead see every fluid moment, Chris Evans shines. He's appropriately acrobatic and his enhanced strength, while not remotely close to Hulk level, still makes combat against normal folks REALLY one sided. And when he's pitted against super-strong foes, he is still able to hold his ground reasonably. This just doesn't come through the comics that I've read with Cap, but was really amazing to see on screen. Even the shield throwing was pretty badass, and I didn't think that was possible.

If you thought Fury was BA before, wait until you see him now...

One thing I really appreciate is the growth in character. His physical abilities have grown since The First Avenger, which makes sense with his constant training. His relationships with the other characters and SHIELD has also grown, and in interesting ways. This is not a stagnant character, though he is consistent in what he views as right and wrong. It's nice to have a character that's not completely beset by self-doubt.

As far as villains go, the Winter Soldier is pretty intense, but hardly the most interesting character in the film. Fortunately, he's not completely alone...

That's most of what I have to say on the film without spoiling anything. Maybe I'll do a follow up post down the line, or maybe I'll just wait until all the Phase 2 movies are released...

SUGGESTION: Watch Captain America: The First Avenger right before seeing the film. You'll appreciate the refresher, I strongly believe.

I rate the movie a 9/10. I rate the first Captain America film an 8/10. For a character I dislike in the comics, I'm absolutely loving him in the films. Chris Evans has found his role, and I'm glad his past as the Human Torch didn't prevent him from being Captain America. For further comparison, I rate The Avengers and the first Iron Man at an 8/10... So it may be safe to say that The Winter Soldier is my favorite Marvel film to date as well...

Maybe.

Spoiler Free Diet: The Wolverine

Love this poster.

Did you hold off on seeing The Wolverine this weekend? Too afraid of another X-Men: The Last Stand or Wolverine Origins? Read below to find out if you made the right choice or not.

Oh, hi. You got here pretty quick. Hold on, a little bit farther down.

Ha. My thoughts on The Wolverine were surprisingly positive, but let's give a rundown of my thoughts going in and then what I liked and disliked.

---X-Men in films--- (This is a pseudo rant, skip to the next session for Wolverine specifics)

In general, I am disappointed with the X-Men movies. It feels as if they don't have a single person working on the movies who has even picked up an X-Men comic book, they just tried to get the gist of it from Wikipedia.

That doesn't work.

And it doesn't really work that the movies really focused on Wolverine, because that just gets confusing: Origins-->X-Men-->X2-->Last Stand-->The Wolverine is the actual series order for Wolverine's story. First Class... well, he makes a cameo, I guess.

It has led to senseless character changes that really hurt the series as a long-running entity. Maybe they didn't expect it to do so well and wanted to hit the big names that would draw people in. Maybe they were just confused. Maybe they Sony needs to release them back to Marvel...

Aside from going so far off the comic book path, X-Men: The Last Stand wasn't good. And it felt like the writers were trying to write off the series. And then we got Wolverine: Origins. The movie suffered from the same off-comic book script that would have been MUCH better if they tried to stick a bit closer, but only really got bad when the writing got lazy. Really, Striker KNEW that two adamantium bullets to Wolverine's head would give him amnesia and WOULDN'T be fixed by his healing factor? Nonsense. A machine to wipe minds, which was mentioned, would have been acceptable, especially since the comics have so many explanations (and the real one wouldn't fit the movies), but this lazy writing actively killed the movie for me.

Enter First Class, and no one even knows if this is a reboot, a re-telling, or an honest-to-goodness prequel! Well, it looks like a prequel in the end, as long as you don't mind them slapping the timeline of THEIR OWN MOVIES across the face. This could possibly be rectified in Days of Future Past, but it shouldn't have been needed.

---Ok, I'll actually talk about the movie now---

The Wolverine directly follows Last Stand, with references to Origins (though I didn't see any to First Class, not that that's important). So you should see the original trilogy before going to see the Wolverine if you want to know what the deal is with one of the characters in the movie (ooh, spoiler-free makes this sound more interesting than it was).

The Good: The character of Wolverine was done well. They've had four movies to work on it, and this is the first one that I feel they hit the important elements of the character, from his inability to remain a pacifist to his desire to protect younger/smaller female figures (well documented in the comics).

Mariko and Wolverine.

The movie doesn't follow a comic run per se, but it also doesn't step on any toes and does tie in characters in a relatively appropriate fashion. This is easily the least damaging movie to the comic storyline.

There weren't quite as many fight scenes as I had expected and there were a few missed opportunities, but I enjoyed those that were in the film and really enjoyed one sword fight in general.

The supporting cast plays their roles well enough. Again, the character roster is actually pretty small considering the comic book Japanese history Logan has, but this made for an easier to control movie where we know who was important/interesting

Yukio and Hobo-Wolverine.

The 3D for this movie was actually really beautiful. I normally don't care for 3D, especially since it is a gimmick that feels more appropriate in a Michael Bay film, but it wasn't used for overt action sequences in The Wolverine, it actually just gave a nice field of depth to the whole movie. I loved the opening pan done with the 3D technology and this is the first movie I honestly suggest spending the extra cash when you see it. The Wife, who hates 3D, agrees with me on this one.

There is an appropriate after-the-credits scene, which is something Sony usually sucks at.

The Bad: There aren't really any surprising moments. This means the plot is easy to follow, but the attempted plot twist is very weak.

The ending doesn't go in any direction I wanted it to. It has promise for the future, but I sincerely doubt it will get much focus in later movies, which is unfortunate.

Wolverine has a much larger history with Japan in the comics. As far as I can tell from this movie, this is no longer the case. What we have was done well, but it is an example of missed potential.

I really disliked one of the villains they chose. I don't think they are mentioned anywhere so, to remain spoiler free, I'll just say that I felt they looked stupid and had zero interesting points. In fact, they could have easily been removed from the film and it actively would have been better with all of their scenes removed. They have one gimmick that got them in the film, and it could have been replaced VERY simply.

It could have been shorter. Some scenes dragged on and others could have been removed entirely.

The Verdict: This is a strong entry into the Wolverine storyline. One of the strongest, honestly, because the focus is clear and doesn't stay from the title character, who goes through several changes throughout. It was a good comic book movie in the sense that it doesn't outright ruin any comic stories for future films and it still remained in the realm of plausibility. The writing was better than Origins, though there were a few points I'll contend with if I am motivated to do a Spoiler-Full review.

As it stands, any comic book fan should see this movie. Anyone who remotely liked the X-Men films should see this movie. Fans of Hugh Jackman will enjoy this movie. Fans of over-the-top action films... will find it a bit slow.

My arbitrary rating would be a 7/10.