Avengers (2012): Hollywood doing what Hollywood does best - blockbusters

 

Avengers is an entertaining, action-packed, big-budget summer blockbuster encapsulating a massive series of superhero franchises from Marvel.  I’m not generally a fan of popcorn movies, but Hollywood have pulled out all the stops here and made a genuinely likable, easy-going piece of universal entertainment.

There’s not much of a plot, it’s really all about the characters and action.  At just over two hours already, it would be impractical and a different kind of film to introduce deep emotional complexity in every character – and that’s not the purpose of this flick.  It’s all about entertaining action and great characters. 

I haven’t seen the Captain America film but I will definitely watch it now - lines like “it seems to be powered by some sort of electricity” typify his quirky old-fashioned style.  Hollywood being the booming voice of patriotic America, Avengers isn’t subtle about making a Hitler analogy of the villain, Loki, when Captain America confronts him: “You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."  This sort of America-laying-it-on-thick sentiment perfectly suits the tone of this larger-than-life blockbuster: an export to the world from a Hollywood puffing up its chest and waving the stars and stripes.

The casting of the characters is spot on too.  Obviously Iron Man, Thor and Captain America were cast for their individual films beforehand, with the idea of a larger franchise in mind, but the newcomers are good too.  Considered one of the most attractive young women in the limelight at the moment, Scarlett Johansson gives Black Widow as much psychological mystique as sexuality – ticking the box for blockbuster eye-candy and feminist-friendly heroine.  As I’ve pointed out before, I really rate Mark Ruffalo, and his Hulk is widely accepted as having blown Eric Bana and Edward Norton’s efforts out of the water - as well as being the first to actually ‘be’ the green rage-monster through motion-capture.  Rufallo’s generally laid-back and slightly introverted demeanour (The Kids Are Alright, Shutter Island) lends itself perfectly to the Hulk’s alter-ego and galvanises the epic rage of ‘the other guy’. Tom Hiddleston provides a despicable villain in the form of demi-god Loki, brother of Thor, with wicked piercing eyes and a spitting thespian vernacular.

The main enjoyment of the film comes from the way the characters bounce of each other.  The chemistry is excruciating between certain characters and hilarious between others.  Captain America and Iron Man are quite similar in that they are both strong egos, both full of conviction.  Instead of trying to pretend they’re quite different, Joss Whedon and Zak Penn realise this and pit them against each other, creating a great conflict of personalities (which is later neatly overcome, of course).  The banter between the titan Hulk and demi-god Thor is typified by the moment Hulk punches Thor for fun.  Thor goes flying out of shot but we know he’s OK and we know it’s just a bit of tomfoolery between mighty superheroes.

One thing I didn’t get about the film is the unexplained tension between Hawkeye and Black Widow.  There’s an implied history between the two characters, although there’s no solid proof in the movie that this is romantic.  I can’t help but think that the producers tried to foster a superficial bond between these two characters in order to  generate more interest around them as they’re less well-recognised than the other heroes.

A uniquely good thing about Avengers and the rest of the recent Marvel superhero franchise is that they’re not afraid to use humour.  The relationship between the fanboy Agent Phil and Captain America (with the trading cards), the guy playing a computer game on the ship, the bit Hulk calls Loki a “puny God”, Captain America’s “Hulk: smash” line - are just a few memorable examples.  These gags are consistent and well-placed, keeping the tone of the film light despite its apocalyptic action.  A captivating mix of action, comedy, drama and sexuality is what the blockbuster audiences want, and that’s what Avengers provides.

Aesthetics-wise, while the CGI and VFX are overdone (of course they are it’s a superhero blockbuster) they aren’t utterly superfluous.  That is to say, while the film does feature gargantuan floating alien creatures snaking through the skies of Manhattan, it’s short and sweet and usually plays a part in the plot.  It’s not all guns and explosions for the sake of it; the action is well-balanced with  dialogue and  a progressing plot. 

I particularly  liked how Whedon handled the scenes in space with Loki and ‘The Other’.  They’re  done in an abstract and surreal style using close-ups and impressionistic aesthetic rather than a explicit theatrical feel.  This not only conjures a mystical atmosphere but ensures the identity of ‘The Other’ (rumoured as Thanos) is relatively obscure, thus creating excitement among speculative fans and, on a pragmatic note, means things like the final design of Thanos and his realm can remain open to alteration until the next Avengers film goes into production (which could take years).

Hunger Games (2012): don't believe all the hype, but don't give up on the franchise just yet

The Hunger Games isn’t as good as I thought it was going to be.  I had witnessed a lot of hype about it beforehand, so thought it was going to be remarkable.  It was enjoyable, but it didn’t match up to the hype in my eyes.  The box office receipts tell a different story though – the film remaining the top-grossing film worldwide for four weeks in a row.  There’s a lot to be said for word of mouth when selling a film.

I thought the visual effects were a little garish in places - particularly the scene where Katniss and Peeta are set on fire and paraded in front of a stadium of cheering fans.  The direction wasn’t particularly interesting – it was quite conservative and naturalistic despite the opportunity for a more sensational style considering the fantastical subject matter and younger target audience.  

The predicament for the director is that he had to portray acts of horrific violence, but keep it suitable for the 12A rating.  He kept it suitable for the kids, but at the expense of realistic violence.  The audience are never really shocked by the violence, but they should be, otherwise the film risks normalising such brutality instead of exposing how wrong and unnatural it is.

Gary Ross has decided not to direct the sequel and Francis Lawrence is reportedly taking his place in the director’s chair.  I am Legend shares similar elements with The Hunger Games world (survival in a dystopian future), so I’m confident Lawrence can make a successful follow up.  It could well be more visually exciting than Ross’ effort too – comparing their filmographies side by side it seems Ross fits well into more grounded dramas like Seabiscuit and Lawrence suits a more fantasy/sci-fi style (eg. Constantine).  

 

I have a couple of issues with the story too.  The parachute packages inspired an incredulous reaction from me, seeming like blatant plot devices and nothing more.  Yes, the film clearly shows they’re bought and sent (legitimately or not) by the contestants’ personal sponsors, but even at this, it seems like quite thin writing.  There are one or two things which just seem utterly implausible too: for instance, the fact that District 1’s Marvel was portrayed as a ruthless, powerful killing machine from the start but was fairly easily defeated by the somewhat underprepared pair from District 12.  I’ve never read the books, so for all I know these shortcomings could be a problem of the filmic adaptation, but much better expressed in novel form.  I’m not going to argue that books are a better storytelling medium than films, or vice versa – it’s like comparing chalk and cheese.

Despite my reservations, there are some parts to The Hunger Games which make me think that it’s not just another fantastical, coming-of-age action-drama aimed at teens and fans of the novels.  I like the issues raised about the dangers of a totalitarian state.  16 year old protagonist Katniss serves as a victim-hero who becomes disenfranchised and awakens to the inequalities of the system.  This theme is not only fashionable in film right now (eg. Dark Knight Rises, Coriolanus, etc.) but also serves as an incredibly relevant analogy (eg. the Occupy movement’s proposed reform of the global monetary system, the Arab Spring’s uprising against dictatorship and tyranny, etc).  The Hunger Games does well to express how not-so-far-fetched such a dystopian society could be.  Hopefully Catching Fire will take this theme and run with it, dealing more with the idea of active protest and revolution – and hopefully Lawrence can make it a little more exciting.

David Kay stands out at the Glasgow Comedy Festival

I went to see Scottish comedian David Kay at Oran Mor in Glasgow on Saturday night as part of the Glasgow Comedy Festival.  STV asked me to write up a review for their website too, so HERE IT IS.

I've actually known David for a number of years now, since he lives and works in my hometown where I grew up.  I used to be in a couple of bands and he was the tech guy for a council-run multimedia centre at the time (talk about multi-talented), so we used to go and pester him to help us record our needlessly heavy, typically teenage angsty songs.

He is one of the most laid-back guys I've ever met in my life, and this really reflects in his comic style.  It's an acquired taste, I think, but massively appreciated by those who 'get' it.  Me being one of those appreciators, obviously.

He's done a number of things for TV and radio and was talking to me after the show about an upcoming project for TV, which I'm not really sure I'm allowed to say anything about yet.  Needless to say, the guy's a (somewhat hidden) gem of Scottish comedy and deserves some serious recognition.

As well as writing up the review, I also helped film the show with the production company Small Majority as part of a DVD project he'll be offering soon.  It was all shot on sparkling HD on DSLRs, so it will look cracking.