Daredevil Series Review

The initial response I had to Marvel’s Daredevil were flashbacks to a terrible movie involving Ben Affleck, a strange Colin Farrell, and an annoying Jennifer Garner.

Thankfully, every single aspect of the 2003 Daredevil was rectified in Marvel’s official take on the hero of Hell’s Kitchen. 

Daredevil starts right off with the show’s hero, Matt Murdock, played by Charlie Cox, snapping someone’s kneecap and brutally beating several other sex traffickers. It’s clear from the beginning that Daredevil is nothing like anything else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Daredevil’s tone is incredibly dark, dealing with ground level issues instead of an alien invasion, or one of the infinity gems from the Avenger films. Daredevil is an outlier, and because of this separation, it is truly able to shine.

The fighting in Daredevil happens frequently and many of the scenes capture the desperation and grueling physical toll of battle. Murdock is utterly broken after several fights despite winning, lending a great credibility to Daredevil’s premise of a very vulnerable man trying to clean up his neighborhood. 

One scene that stands out is Murdock battling six or seven thugs in one long, continuous shot in a narrow hallway, and the result is mesmerizing.

Murdock is fighting the vices of organized crime; sex trafficking, heroin use, bribery, and extortion. These ground level issues and the singular focus on the setting of Hell’s Kitchen really make Daredevil the most self-contained story in the MCU, and allows it to flourish and stand on its own.

The show attempts to make subtle references to other big Marvel heroes such as Thor and Captain America, but they are awkwardly executed, and are of little importance to the show’s plot.

Speaking of the plot, it takes its time to develop, with both the protagonist and antagonist methodically planning how to take out, or draw out the other. It does in fact slow down a little too much in the second half, but it eventually picks back up.

The show’s plot centers on Hell’s Kitchen, and the need to save it. The city itself feels like an infected dying patient with King Pin and Daredevil as two surgeons who have conflicting methods on how to save it.

Although everyone has a fairly strong performance in Daredevil, the show is held up by its two central characters: Daredevil, played by Cox, and King Pin, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, who recently starred in the blockbuster hit, Jurassic World. Cox plays a low-key, clever lawyer who practices with a good sense of humor and keeps his actions within the law. Cox as Daredevil, however, is relentless and unforgiving. He proves that he is not someone you cross. Several great scenes where he conducts interrogations certainly come to mind, as he conveys his brutal nature by threatening to and ultimately breaking his victims’ bones. 

King Pin is the primary antagonist of season one, but I felt Marvel cleverly decided to dig a little deeper into the character, and turn him into an anti-hero. Straying away from the source material of King Pin as a stereotypical bad guy really made his story, which consumes a considerable chunk of the show, a lot more compelling. 

Daredevil hit the ground running, and showed an assured confidence right from the first episode. The show wiped my memory clean of the 2003 Affleck disaster, as director Drew Goddard’s lethal execution shines, and lands more than a few haymakers. Marvel deserves applause.

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen earned his keep with 4/5 beaten-to-a-pulp apples

Jurassic World Review: “We Need More Teeth”

The original Jurassic Park is one of those movies that people must see at least once in their lifetime. It is a cultural phenomenon, and it is one hell of a movie.

The success of Jurassic Park in 1992 spawned two sequels: The  highly underrated The Lost World in 1997, and the highly disappointing Jurassic Park Three.

Now, 14 years later, we have Jurassic World; a film that fans of the beloved series have had their hopes pinned on since its release date was announced back in 2013. In the mean time, it has become one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2015.

So, does Jurassic World live up to the hype and act as a palate cleanser for the bad taste Jurassic Park Three left? In short, it certainly does.

The opening of Jurassic World follows two brothers who are being sent to Isla Nublar, the island that is home to the Jurassic World theme park, to stay with their distant aunt, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, who is also one of the cogs behind the park’s creation. Sound familiar? The kids in the original film visited Richard Attenborough’s character John Hammond, who was their grandfather and the founder of the original park.

Once at the park, the classic John Williams Jurassic Park theme music roars into the background, and the audience is welcomed to the new and improved Jurassic World theme park, and it’s a thing of beauty.

By the time the film begins, the park has already been established as one of the top tourist attractions in the world, and believe it or not, visitors are becoming bored with the dinosaurs on display.

In the hopes of instilling new life and excitement to their attraction, the park’s genetics team has been working to improve the quality of their assets by creating genetic hybrids. Their newest creation is called “Indominus Rex;” a dinosaur that is mixed with a variety of genes from different dinosaurs and other animals. The result is a terrifying and intelligent killing machine, and it looks awesome.

The original Jurassic Park had the best CGI of its time. Even with 22 years of technological innovation, the film’s CGI holds up. In Jurassic World, CGI is heavily relied upon, and even though it’s 2015, I have to admit that Jurassic Park’s visual effects look more realistic.

The CGI in Jurassic World is good, don’t get me wrong, but the old dark, gritty style of Jurassic Park’s CGI made the dinosaurs seem like living, breathing animals. That style has been replaced with a sleeker and shinier one, and it’s not as believable.  Perhaps there is a practical reason for it, as the genetically-enhanced dinosaurs are meant to look bigger, sexier, and come equipped with more teeth.

Chris Pratt’s performance as Owen Grady, a raptor whisperer of sorts, was great, as he continues to grow into a true hollywood star. His character was very similar to his character of Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, and provided just the right mixture of action-hero persona and comedy.

Yeah, he’s a badass.

Howard’s performance as Claire Dearing truly surprised me, as I went into the movie thinking that she was going to be a stern, uptight female authority figure who lacks a likable personality. While her character is a little uptight, she brings a lot to the table in terms of emotion, humor, and personality. I really bought her performance, and she and Pratt had excellent chemistry.

Unfortunately, none of the other performances stood out for me. I was not a fan of Vincent D’Onofrio’s character, as he was just an obnoxious, stereotypical, and cliche military personality.

I was gad to see comedian Jake Johnson play a small role. While his character was also a stereotype, I thought he provided necessary comedic relief.

While there were some funny scenes in Jurassic World, not all of the jokes hit their mark. There were a lot of moments where I didn’t laugh despite recognizing something was meant to be funny.

The action, however, is the highlight of the movie and it hits its mark big time as the scenes involving the Indominus Rex are thrilling, fun, and intense. The last thirty minutes won me over, as it provided a satisfying conclusion to the film.

Jurassic World is not a perfect film, and it can’t recapture the magic of the original, but it is a hell of a lot better than JP3, and is a fun-filled thrill-ride with terrific performances from Pratt and Howard.

4/5 prehistorically ripe apples.

Mad Max: Fury Road Review

A film like Mad Max: Fury Road is a rarity nowadays in the year 2015. Unlike typical action films, this one employs very little CGI special effects and instead contains hyperrealistic practical effects to convey the violent and furious atmosphere of its world.

In terms of action, Fury Road succeeds marvelously, and in my opinion, cements itself as one of the best action films in the last decade.

Seasoned veterans of the Mad Max series will fondly remember Max being portrayed by a young, budding Mel Gibson. They will also fondly remember George Miller’s ambitious manifestation of a post-apocalyptic world where gas and water are sparse, and a medley of aesthetically creative vehicles driven by war hungry mad men rule the land.

Miller’s 1979, 1981, and 1985 Mad Max films presented a world that was indeed ambitious, but perhaps a little before their time. The world that Miller was trying to establish was missing 30 years of technological innovation.

Now, instead of Mad Max looking like this.

it can now look like this.

And even this…

Yes, technology has transformed Miller’s Mad Max world into one of both grit and beauty, and the visuals are only the beginning.

Replacing Gibson as the mysterious Max is Tom Hardy, who most will remember as Bane from The Dark Knight Rises. His performance is suitable for the role, as the character of Max seldom talks, and is a man of mystery. Besides an opening monologue, Max doesn’t have much to say. However when he does speak, Hardy’s lines exude sarcasm and humility. Despite Max’s delusions throughout the film brought on by the insanity of his world, his moments of dialogue are the voice of reason. When Max does seldom speak, he portrays the level-headed voice of reason that connects their world to ours.

From old film to new, Max knows he is a badass. The opening of the film nicely captures his renegade character. At the same time, Max’s character lacks the pretentious attitude sometimes possessed by male action heroes (ex: Tony Stark). The foil to Hardy’s character is Nick Holt’s character, who unlike Max, spends the majority of the movie attempting to prove his worth. Holt’s performance conveys this brilliantly, and due to the animated nature of his character versus Max’s, he ends up outshining the film’s protagonist.

While the trailer may paint this film out to be a barrage of manly horse-powered testosterone, the female characters stand out, and like Holt, ultimately have a more lasting impact than Max himself, especially Charlize Theron. Her character, for me, absolutely stole the show. She provided sleek confidence in a dreadfully filthy world. Each female role was well done, as Miller quietly relays a feminist message in the midst of numerous explosions.

Ah yes, let’s talk about explosions.

The explosions in Fury Road, minus one or two, are all practically realized. Aka, no CGI. In 2015 where filmmakers rely often too heavily on CGI to create visually stunning action sequences, knowing that those are real cars being blown to bits by real explosions is quite refreshing. There are plenty of them, too.

Aside from explosions, the tone of Fury Road’s post-apocalyptic wasteland is perfectly conveyed through the look of not only the characters, but the vehicles they drive, which come equipped with a gritty, rusted, and appropriately reckless look and feel to them. The characters’ outfits and faces perfectly capture the bleak and desperate tone of the world they attempt to live in.

The word “reckless” is the perfect descriptor for this movie, as the exhilarating action and constant speed at which the movie operates emits recklessness.

I mean, just look at this maniac wielding a flame-spewing guitar.

Mad Max: Fury Road is everything a moviegoer could ever want from an action movie; beautiful explosions, awesome characters, and ridiculous action sequences. It is one hell of a way to kick off what will hopefully be a great summer for movies, and sets the bar at a high-octane level. It is an exhilarating joyride from start to finish.

5/5 Explosively juicy apple

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

Back in 2012 when the first Avengers movie made its long awaited appearance on theater screens across the world, the film was hailed for its stellar accomplishment; bringing a comic book nerd’s dreams to life by featuring Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk together in the same movie.

Four years later, the magic of seeing my favorite heroes together on screen was just as thrilling with Age of Ultron as it was back in 2012; even with a couple of newcomers added to the mix.

Director Joss Whedon is able to recapture the witty and entertaining dialogue between the heroes, and shows again why he’s the master of banter. One scene involving Thor’s hammer is was one of the more enjoyable dialogue-driven scenes in the movie.

Each actor perfectly portrays his or her hero. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark once again steals the show with Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth flexing their muscles as Captain America and Thor.

The biggest surprise for me was Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. In the first original, Renner’s Hawkeye got the short end of the stick since he was Locki’s personal puppet for half the movie. This time around, the character is fleshed out and has more to work with.

Age of Ultron is able to take full advantage of not having to waste time with a back-story, as the first 10 minutes of the movie get right to the action, which is top notch and continues the fun tradition Marvel has established. There are plenty of “jaw-dropping” and applause-worthy moments, along with a lot of teaming-up between Captain America’s Shield and Thor’s hammer.

The highlight of the action for me was the big battle between Tony Stark’s “Hulkbuster” suit and The Hulk. That scene alone is worth the price of admission, and is cluttered with incredible action sequences.

The newest additions to the team include Elizabeth Olson as Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver. While they are vastly overshadowed by the star-power of the other heroes, they are still enjoyable additions, even if I preferred Quicksilver’s portrayal in Days of Futures Past. My favorite new inductee was The Vision played by Paul Bettany. Vision instills a sleek confidence which was missing from the gritty group of heroes, and his introduction opens the door for future events in the Marvel universe.

The introduction of new heroes, however, adds to an already clustered ensemble. While Whedon does the best he can and is mostly successful, the crowded-ness does take away from other parts of the movie.

For example, James Spader’s Ultron is not given an rigorous back story, as his origin feels rushed. With a stronger back story, Ultron could have been a much more compelling villain. However, once Ultron establishes himself as the “bad guy,” Spader excels at conveying Ultron’s intentions and detest towards mankind’s current state.

Hulk, smash?

My biggest gripe with the movie was the random romance between Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner. The reason’s for their interest in each other makes sense, but the relationship is totally out of left field and feels unnecessary, especially for a film that is tasked with balancing so many story-lines at once.

Also, some scenes involving Scarlet Witch and members of the Avengers seemed a bit out of place, and detracted from momentum in certain junctures of the movie.

Overall, Age of Ultron is as much fun as its predecessor. Whedon succeeds yet again at meshing these larger than life personalities, while giving each the appropriate amount of screen time. The action is breathtaking and rekindles the magic of the first one. Not once did I think, “oh, I’ve seen this before. Despite a rushed origin story for Ultron, and a shoe-horned romance between Johansson and Ruffalo, I never felt bored while watching this movie.

5/5 Just-as-ripe-as-the-last apples

American Sniper Review: Bradley Cooper is the Man

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure to see the much-anticipated war movie, “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper and directed by the legendary director/actor, Clint Eastwood. Watching the trailer to this movie, I assumed it would be an intense war movie that had plenty of explosions, gun fights, and yes, a lot of death. The most important thing going into the movie for me was would Eastwood be able to deliver a film that captured the terror and reality of war itself.

I am very happy to say that Eastwood does just that, and while American Sniper is no Saving Private Ryan, it is still a very well directed and acted war movie.

The star of the movie is hands-down Bradley Cooper. The actor has sure come a long way since being the pretty boy in the “Hangover” trilogy, huh? His roles in “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle,” and yes, the voice work for Rocket Raccoon in the summer blockbuster “Guardians of the Galaxy” have pushed Cooper up my list for favorite current actor.

Cooper plays a wannabe cowboy who decides to enter the Navy Seals and hone his skills as an elite sniper for the U.S. military. His character goes through a major transformation throughout the course of the movie, and Cooper does an excellent job conveying his inner struggle as he continues to realize the effects war can have on the soldiers involved. The result is a role that could very well earn Cooper a nomination for best actor in next year’s Oscars.

The romance between Cooper and actress Sienna Miller worked for me in this movie, and while things move pretty fast for the couple, I never felt as if it was being rushed. The portrayal of their relationship felt natural, and I felt sympathetic to both sides.

The tone of this movie was well done by Eastwood, as the movie had me on the edge of my seat during particular moments. The reality and cruelty of war is visualized respectfully as well much like another one of my favorite war movies, Lone Survivor. The enemy the American soldiers are just that; the enemy. However, the film doesn’t toot the USA horn and portray all of the middle citizens to be this evil entity. Evil surely exists, but there are plenty of innocent people trapped within the situation, and the film does a good job in showing that side as well.

One of my only gripes with the movie is the the side characters. Honestly, the only characters I cared about were Cooper and Miller. Besides them, nobody really brought anything special or memorable to the table.

Also, the fact that Cooper is portraying a military “legend” in Chris Kyle is fine, but he is referred to as “legend” a lot throughout the movie, and it gets a little stale by the film’s climax. Perhaps that was actually how other soldier interacted with the real Kyle, but it became a little to excessive in the movie.

Other than those two things, I really enjoyed American Sniper and Eastwood’s direction. It’s a great portrayal of the struggle war has on the people and soldiers involved, and Bradley Cooper knocks it out of the park.

4/5 delicious, blood-red apples.

Guardians of the Galaxy Review

As I said in my Avengers review, I am a big fan of the Marvel cinematic universe. When I first heard about Guardians of the Galaxy, I was skeptical because it was a more obscure piece of the Marvel comics, one that I had no idea even existed. Also, the fact that a walking tree and a talking raccoon were lead roles didn’t exactly have me jumping with anticipation.

After finally seeing the movie last night, I can safely say that Guardians of the Galaxy is one of Marvel’s best, funniest, and most fun movies to date. Oh, and the walking tree and talking raccoon? They’re show stealers.

Guardians of the Galaxy is about a rag-tag group of misfits who join forces to stop a being known as Ronan from destroying, well, the galaxy.

The movie is directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, and the voice talents of Bradley Cooper as Rocket, and Vin Dielsel as Groot.

Pratt has proved his comedic talent in the show Parks and Recreation, where he plays the goofball Andy, and in his work in the Lego Movie. His talents are on display here again, as Pratt completely owns the role of Star-Lord, and is the perfect mix of badass and funny. One minute he’s doing something very heroic, and the next he’s cracking jokes. Pratt’s ability to transition from one to the other so seamlessly is impressive, and this role will probably earn him even more opportunities down the road. He also has some very nice dance moves.

That’s another thing about Guardians. It’s hilarious. Every character has their own comedic moments, and they each work. Bautista as Drax especially, as the wrestler turned actor has great comedic timing. Even the lovable Groot, who only says three words for the majority of the movie, is able to convey a lot of humor through his physical actions. Out of the group, Saldana’s Gamora is probably the least funny, but what she lacks in humor, she makes up for in ass kicking. She’s like the Black Widow of the group, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a cat fight between her and the actual Black Widow in the future.

If Groot is the Chewbacca of Guardians, then Rocket Raccoon is the Han Solo. I’ve heard a lot of comparisons between Guardians and Star Wars, and after seeing the movie for myself, I have to agree with them. The duo of Rocket and Groot is definitely very similar to Han and Chewy, and both characters will surely be fan favorites for most audiences. Rocket is definitely the show stealer in this movie, as his character is just a flat-out badass. He’s also hilarious, and his character shows as much emotion as any of the human actors. You almost forget you’re watching a CGI talking raccoon in certain scenes.

As much fun the movie is, there is also some heart and charm sprinkled in. You really feel for the characters by the movie’s conclusion, and some scenes are almost cry-worthy. Each character has a driving force that motivates them, and the movie does a great job fleshing them out. With so much humor, these types of scenes do a great job in bringing balance to the movie.

Like the Avengers, the interplay between the characters is what makes this movie special, and watching them become a closer team over time is both gratifying and entertaining. They all have such good chemistry with each other, and I would honestly pay just to watch these characters sit in a room together and have a conversation.

The soundtrack in this movie is awesome, and definitely one of the strongpoints of the movie. So many classic 70s and 80s songs are played throughout, and I almost felt like clapping along to the beat at times. If you don’t believe me, have a listen for yourself!     Star-Lord’s Awesome Mix Vol. 1

While there are so many good things to talk about with this movie, there are some things that could have been improved.  The Villain, Ronan, played by Lee Pace is pretty weak, and unfortunately falls into the category of forgettable marvel villains. Not everyone can be Loki I suppose. He just is bad for the sake of being bad, and doesn’t really have much motive behind his actions. He is basically a puppet for the all-powerful titan Thanos, a villain who will play a huge role in the MCU down the line. Thanos is teased in a couple of scenes, and he looks and sounds like a total badass. The Avengers look like they’ll have their hands full down the line. Since Guardians is so out there and different than any of the other Marvel movies, it took me a bit to get into it. There’s a lot being thrown at you in the first 20ish minutes, and it’s a lot to absorb. After it all soaked in, however, the fun really began, and I was able to enjoy the movie for what it was.

Guardians of the Galaxy is another great entry into the Marvel cannon, and is one of their best movies yet. It’s hilariously funny, and has some heart and charm mixed in along the way. The main cast is great, and their interactions are so entertaining to watch. I cannot overstate the music in this movie. Please click the link above and proceed to dance your socks off. The villain is weak, and movie is a lot to take in at first, but eventually you just have to enjoy the ride.

How do you like them apples? These apples are out of this world tasty, and only get better the more you eat them. A few sour bites along the way, but not nearly enough to ruin the experience.

4/5 galacticly fresh apples.

 

My Favorite Movies: The Avengers

I have a very wide taste in movies. I like little indie flicks like 500 Days of Summer, but I also love big summer blockbusters, and I am a huge fan of the ever expanding Marvel movie universe.

Back in 2008 when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) graced movie screens around the world with his presence after the end credits of the first Iron Man, Marvel fans went into a nerd frenzy (myself included) because they knew what was coming in the future. Four years and four movies later, Marvel released their game changer…..The Avengers.

The movie is filled with star-studded actors, including Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, Scarlett Johansen as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Needless to say, the movie is pretty crowded with Heros and talented actors, and all the pressure in the world was on director Joss Whedon to deliver a fantastic movie.

He did exactly that.

With such a talented roster, the biggest concern going into the movie was the distribution of scenes from actor to actor. Would Jeremey Renner’s Hawkeye be a weak link in the movie? Would Robert Downey’s Iron Man dominate screen time? The answer to both of those questions is no. Whedon does a fantastic job giving each actor their moment in the Limelight, and does not give anybody the short end of the stick.

The performances in the movie are excellent, and while we already knew Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect Iron Man, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth really came into their own as Captain America and Thor. Even newcomer Mark Ruffalo did a fantastic job as The Hulk, my personal favorite character in the movie. Scarlett Johansen and Jeremey Renner kicked ass as Black Widow and Hawkeye, despite the fact that they are just humans fighting alongside and against Gods, superhuman, and aliens. They each found their niche in the movie, and Whedon does a great job at illustrating that during the big fight scenes as the two of them focused more on the human devastation. Clark Gregg reprises his role as the lovable Agent Coulson, and does another good job in the role, and Samuel L. Jackson plays himself wearing an eyepatch……which is completely okay and awesome.

A problem most Marvel movies have faced is their villains. Luckily, Tom Hiddleston saves the day (kind of) as the mischievous Loki. He is one of the most dynamic villains comic book movies have seen since since Heath Ledger’s Joker due to his depth as a character. He’s not just bad for the sake of being bad. He has a history which justifies his actions, and you can tell there is an inner struggle going on inside of him, which creates a sense of sympathy. He is also one of the funniest villains to every appear in a movie, which makes him more likable to an audience.

The interaction between the characters is what really sets this movie apart from other blockbusters. While the epic fight scenes and explosions are awesome, the interplay between the characters is what makes the movie. Seeing Captain America and Iron Man go at it while Thor just laughs in the background at how petty humans are is very entertaining to watch, but it’s their growth as a team that sucks an audience in. Like they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and that is exactly what these heros do. They put their differences aside and fight together as a team, and it’s fucking amazing to watch unfold. The third act of the movie is worth the price of admission alone, as you really get to watch each member find their role in the fighting, and the creative ways Whedon has them work with each other is clever, and awe inspiring.

The humor that marvel has established in their previous movies is back, and it continues to be a strong point of each film. The humor is well timed, and never feels silly, or out of place. There were multiple times where I found myself LOLing.

Seeing this movie in a packed theater on the Thursday night release was an experience I won’t soon forget. There were so many moments where fans literally got out of their seats to scream and clap in appreciation. It was the most fun I’ve ever had at the movies.

It’s rare that a movie with so much riding on it, and so many years of planning pays off in such grand fashion, but The Avengers accomplished this and then some. It set the bar for big budget superhero movies, and is Marvels best movie to date (until Age of Ultron comes out….fingers crossed).

How do you like them apples? I adore these apples. They’re the type of apples I want to eat every time I go to the orchard, and they’re the type of apples that everyone should try at least once. If you’re not a fan, then you’re seriously missing out.

5/5 awesomely fresh apples.