The ‘Mendgame’

Film review: Avengers: Endgame

MANILA, Philippines — After Infinity War left half the world in tatters, and half our Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superheroes presumed expired, we all knew that the stakes placed on the concluding installment Avengers: Endgame would be sky high. Endgame would be the film where superhero survivor grief would be addressed, mending would occur, and the final answer to Thanos would be addressed. It would be the culmination of all the interconnected MCU films since Iron Man in 2008, and would spell the future of the MCU. In truth, it would be both end and beginning; and we all held our breath, waiting in anticipation.

Now that Endgame has finally arrived, it’s being asked whether the 181-minute behemoth delivers on its promise, and sets a new standard for the superhero film genre. A standard that can carry the torch that Black Panther established earlier this year, as the first superhero film included among the Oscars Best Picture nominees. If you recall, the furor started back in 2008 when The Dark Knight was snubbed as Best Picture, even if it received eight nominations, which included the Best Supporting Actor that Heath Ledger won posthumously. It’s only with last year’s Black Panther that a superhero film finally made it to the Best Picture list.

So Endgame basically picks up from where Infinity War left us. And for the first hour, we’re really talking about stages of grief, the varying reactions of the surviving superheroes and how they cope — whether with on-the-surface success, or abject futility. This is as emotional a gut punch as we can get from any film, and at times, it does look like we’ve stumbled upon a drama about despair and sublimation, rather than a comic superhero film.

With Endgame led by the acting prowess of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America, we are fascinated, subscribing to this film loaded with “gravitas.” For the first hour, the only shafts of humor come from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and to a lesser degree, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd); and you’ll have to love the willingness of Hemsworth to continue to mine this comedic direction that really gave Ragnarok its special quality. He is hilarious here, and we’re thankful for the relief it provides amidst all the hand-wringing and furrowed foreheads.

After the 60-minute mark, there’s finally the semblance of an action plan for the surviving superheroes, and a wonderful plot device is set in motion; one that allows us to be treated to one cameo after another, a virtual gallery of all the major and minor characters we’ve encountered through the previous 21 MCU films. It’s nostalgia with a capital n, and you can audibly hear the exclamations of surprise and delight from the audience as this section unfolds. It’s an obvious salute to the moviegoers who count themselves among the MCU faithful and it’s great to see Marvel acknowledge this unabashedly.

At the 120-minute point, a galactic battle of epic proportions gets underway; and here, finally, is the justification for regarding this as an action film. If in the past there were films where the action bit was the letdown, here is the one that lives up to its billing. It’s been often said that Marvel films are primarily about character, plotting second, and action a close but definite third. This may still hold true for Endgame, but “coming in third” just got much stronger.

Marvel has always set its own path and direction with its films. And the really great surprise with Endgame is how it invests so much in character study and development. After all, we’ve been following some of these superheroes for a decade now, so it’s the narrative and the reactions that can catch us unaware, or bring forth a new facet of  personalities. This is as emo a superhero film as we’ll ever get, so while it may snag a Best Picture nomination in the 2020 Oscars, don’t be surprised if both Downey and Evans will also be part of the conversation when it comes to Best Actor.

Endgame is a MCU fan fantasy come true. And you’ll be left open-mouthed and in tears as mantles are passed, new storylines and partnerships established, and we’re treated to glimpses of where the MCU is headed for in the years to come.

source: philstar.com

Batman celebrates 75th birthday in Hollywood style

LOS ANGELES | Ker-pow! Batman is celebrating his 75th birthday this month with a series of comic-book, video-game and other events putting Gotham’s famed Caped Crusader firmly back in the spotlight.

July 23 is officially Batman Day, and to mark the occasion in Hollywood, Warner Bros. has organized a VIP studio tour including Batmobiles, masks, capes and other souvenirs of the Dark Knight.

“The world has no heroes… Batman gives you some hope and some faith,” actor Danny DeVito, who played the caped one’s nemesis the Penguin in the 1992 movie “Batman Returns,” told AFP in an interview.

Batman was born in May 1939, the creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, who were tasked by DC Comics with creating a new superhero in the wake of the success of Superman.

Unlike Superman, the new hero was given a dark side, and rapidly became a global pop culture icon, decades before the latest generation of superheroes like Captain America, Spiderman or Iron Man took to the big screen.

While Superman represents the archetypal hero with super-human powers, a brightly colored costume and appears in daylight, Bruce Wayne is a wealthy tycoon who changes into a mask and dark cape to bring justice to Gotham City.

DeVito said Batman’s success stems from the lack of faith in the political and business class. “We look around at us, our leaders and the young people we are supposed to look to.

“There’s really nobody you can have faith in,” he said.

Bruce Wayne has remained popular through the decades thanks to the varied formats, from the 1960s TV series “Batman” with Adam West and Burt Ward, the success of which re-kindled sales of the original comic books.

“The passion of fans is very, very high, it’s a way of life,” said Jim Lee, artist and co-editor of DC Entertainment, the parent company of DC Comics, at the presentation of the Warner Bros exhibition.

“People tattoo images of Batman all over the body. It’s amazing to see how Batman has become a huge part of pop culture, he has really captivated the imagination of the entire world,” he said.

BATMAN VERY MUCH ALIVE

Film versions have kept the Batman brand alive, including the “Dark Knight” trilogy by Christopher Nolan in 2005, 2008 and 2012, with Briton Christian Bale in the brooding title role.

Overall the seven Batman films (including the first four in 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1997) have made $3.7 billion around the world, according to the boxofficemojo.com website.

In terms of merchandise, apart from the usual T-shirts, baseball caps and posters, Batman video games are apparently all the rage.

At the recent E3 video games conference in Los Angeles, studio Rocksteady tempted fans with their new game “Batman: Arkham Knight,” in which the hero has an ultra-light Bat-mobile which can transform into an armored tank.

In 2016, Batman will be back on the big screen, for the first time along with Superman, in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Ben Affleck will play the caped crusader, although some have been skeptical about his casting.

It will be interesting to see how he plays the Dark Knight, three-quarters of a century after Batman’s birth.

source: interaksyon.com

Superman and Batman to face off in ‘Dawn of Justice’

Time Warner Inc’s Warner Bros. studio on Wednesday unveiled the title of director Zack Snyder’s anticipated superhero sequel, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” in which the two legendary DC Comics heroes will face off.

The film, scheduled for release on May 6, 2016, is the follow-up to last year’s “Man of Steel,” which grossed $668 million in worldwide ticket sales.

“Dawn of Justice” will see Henry Cavill reprise his role as Superman opposite “Argo” actor and director Ben Affleck as Batman, a choice that split many fans of the franchise.

The film will also star Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.

source: interaksyon.com

Latest trailer of ‘Man of Steel’ reveals more of Superman’s new enemies

And it’s not Lex Luthor. In fact, the most famous nemesis of the DC Comics superhero is not even in “Man of Steel”, Zach Snyder’s highly anticipated reboot of the Superman film franchise.

But the filmmaker who specializes in the science fiction genre (“Watchmen”, “300”) is bringing back another famous villain that became a household name from “Superman II”. Yes, General Zod, that pesky Kryptonian who held a grudge against Superman’s old man, Jor-El, is back to wreak havoc in the new film.

Originally played by British actor Terence Stamp, the megalomaniac Kryptonian general with the same superpowers as Superman will now be essayed by acclaimed character actor Michael Shannon, who received an Academy Award nomination for Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road” in 2008.

Aside from Shannon, the trailer dubbed as “Fate of Your Planet” also includes a glimpse of Lawrence Fishburne as Perry White, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Planet newspaper where Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent works as a reporter. (British actor Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent, as well as Kal-El and Superman himself.)

There’s also a close-up of German actress Antje Traue who plays Faora, a member of Zod’s surviving Kryptonian army. In “Superman II”, Zod’s lone female follower Ursa was played by Sarah Douglas.

Also starring in “Man of Steel” are Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent and Russell Crowe as Jor-El. Christopher Meloni, Harry Lennix, Michael Kelly and Richard Schiff round up the rest of the cast.

In “Man of Steel”, a young man embarks on a journey after he learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not from this Earth. But with the world on the brink of annihilation, he must find the hero in him and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film opens in the Philippines on June 12 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular theaters nationwide.

trailer

source: interaksyon.com