Iron Man 3

• Released Internationally on 24/04/13
• Released in Malta by KRS on 01/05/13

Preview (as published 01/05/13 in VIDA Magazine)

If you thought Iron Man’s exploits ended with the multi-hero love-fest that was last summer’s Avengers, then you might be pleased to know that that was apparently only chapter one. Most of the superheroes in question will continue to have their own individual outings, and we can probably assume that this gigantic cash cow will be milked well into the next decade. Personally, I thought Iron Man was the most entertaining of the related films so far, although the period setting of Captain America added some class to that character. Most of Iron Man’s credit goes, of course, to Robert Downey Jr., who managed to combine effortless panache and good acting to make him likeable, but in a ‘roll your eyes’ way.

His new antagonist, because there must of course be a bigger and badder one each time around, is ‘The Mandarin’, portrayed with interesting hair arrangements by Ben Kingsley (Elegy, Gandhi). So Downey Jr. might have met his match in the class and acting departments too. Gwyneth Paltrow returns as the hero’s steadfast partner, and Don Cheadle (Ocean’s Eleven) returns as his sort of sidekick. Guy Pearce (Memento) and Rebecca Hall (The Town) are other high-profile additions to the cast. It remains to be seen how much of what happened in The Avengers will be referenced here, since this film is set after those events. So why exactly is he back working solo?

 

Review (29/04/13)

3-word review: Better than 2.

The song that kicks off this highly entertaining film wasn’t exactly a good start, but it did the job of transporting me back to the turn of the millennium, for an amusing flashback sequence set during one of the many overhyped New Year’s Eve parties that ushered in the year 2000. It reminds us of the Tony Stark of the first film, and also shows us how easily he made friends and enemies.

Fast forward to the present day (at Christmas-time, which is odd for a summer blockbuster), and Tony Stark is having a bit of a delicate moment. The epic events depicted in last summer’s Avengers have taken their toll, and he doesn’t exactly like to talk about them. Which might be why he doesn’t meet his superhero friends for drinks (or a shawarma). Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts gets a bigger, meatier role this time around, and she is clearly one of the few things holding Tony Stark together.

A sort of forced timeout helps Stark regroup, rethink and get his act back together, which is helpful, since the new nemesis, The Mandarin (a wonderful and surprising Ben Kingsley), is proving to be too much for the authorities to handle. The action unfolds with enough twists and surprises to keep it entertaining, and the science-fiction element is taken to even greater heights than it was in Avengers.

As expected, the various Iron Man suits Stark has built over the years feature prominently, and this film provides a sort of greatest hits of all his past models. The film cleverly highlights the man himself, however, clearly showing the suits as mere tools, and ones which can be used and abused as necessary. Once the aura that used to surround the suits is dampened, Stark himself can emerge as the true hero, and hopefully a more stable one than he was in the previous film.

The trilogy is nicely wrapped up by the end of proceedings, and whether or not Iron Man or Downey Jr. return, this chapter is most definitely closed. Everything is rounded off by a wonderfully stylized and scored end credits sequence, and the by now obligatory post-credits scene. I left smiling, and much more entertained than I thought I’d be.

 

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/marvel/ironman3/

 

Iron Man 2

 

• Released Internationally on 28/04/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 05/05/10

 

Preview (Published 01/04/10 in VIDA magazine)

In a nutshell

Although The Dark Knight rightly received most of 2008's attention, that summer provided another smart, slick superhero film, with Robert Downey Jr. bringing zest and charisma to the lesser-known character of Iron Man and his alter-ego Tony Stark. So, before the ironing starts piling up, he's back.

Why we’re hyped

Not only was the original an entertaining and well-written action film, but it also succeeded where many superhero films fail - it gave us interesting characters and a good story. The ending was particularly ingenious, and left us with a cliff-hanger as the world's media finally found out who Iron Man really is. So this sequel was never in doubt.

Who’s in it?

For the sake of continuity, it's good to see that director Jon Favreau has kept his chair, and of course so has Downey Jr., whose renaissance continues to land him great roles which he pulls off in style. His assistant and intermittent romantic interest, Pepper Potts, remains in the hands of Gwyneth Paltrow. The role of his partner James Rhodes has been given to Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Ocean's Eleven), and Paul Bettany (Creation, Wimbledon) returns as the voice of JARVIS. Two exciting new faces have been added to the arena - Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Sin City) looks menacing as 'Whiplash', and Scarlett Johannsen (Match Point, Lost in Translation) might cause a few chest pains as 'Black Widow'. The script was a collaborative effort, but the main contributor seems to have been Justin Theroux, who co-wrote Tropic Thunder, and has also acted in Mulholland Drive and American Psycho. Veteran rock band AC/DC joined A-list composer John Debney to provide the music for the film. Let's hope this sequel is at least as good as its predecessor, rather than sinking under the weight of so many big names.

 

Review (04/05/10)

He's back

Iron Man 2 succeeds in feeling like a continuation, rather than a sequel. With the prologue picking up during the final scenes of the 2008 hit, the story arc and characters continue unabated, and the vibrant freshness that was so enjoyable first time around is thankfully evident once again. Downey Jr. is clearly enjoying himself developing this superhero, and he perfectly balances the style and showmanship of Tony Stark's public persona, with the recklessness and inner demons which threaten to derail his success and health. Similarities with the actor's own history are probably more than co-incidental, and they are milked for all they're worth.

Weapons of mass destruction

With Iron Man keeping America's foes at bay, he cheekily claims to have successfully privatised world peace. But the government is wary of him getting out of hand, and wants his armour handed over to the state for controlled use and possible replication. Stark isn't having any of it, and he reassures everyone that the technology of America's rivals is lagging years behind his. But that all changes when a certain Ivan Vanko ('Whiplash') appears on the scene during the Monaco grand prix, with a fancy costume clearly as powerful as Iron Man's, and less noble ideas about how to use it. The son of a former Soviet scientist who used to work with Stark's father, Vanko has inherited the secret to Iron Man's technology, and suddenly Stark's rivals want the unsightly Russian on their team. Rourke is suitably menacing and mysterious as the film's most obvious villain, shuffling through his scenes like he's had too much vodka but showing his skills when necessary.

All together now

I say 'most obvious villain' because most characters aren't so easy to pigeonhole. With even Iron Man himself getting a bit rusty at points, one of the film's plusses is that hardly any of the characters are all good or all bad, and those who, like me, aren't familiar with the comics might take some time to decide who is to be trusted and who needs to be ironed out. All the smaller roles are well-cast and interesting, with the actors managing to establish their presence despite having only sporadic minutes of screen-time to do so. Scarlett Johannsen doesn't need to do much apart from standing around looking, well, perfect, although she does get one scene where she can show off her choreographed moves, and in a catsuit, please note. Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable) returns as the spectral head of the S.H.I.E.L.D. organisation, which will apparently be a unifying thread throughout various upcoming Marvel comic adaptations. Sam Rockwell (Matchstick Men, Moon) also manages to make his role as Stark's competitor a memorable one, showing us what a slightly darker version of Tony Stark would look like.

Summer fun

Billed as one of this summer's main blockbusters, the film manages to meet expectations and will probably draw in the crowds over the next month or so. The effects are largely faultless, although the daytime flying sequences I enjoyed so much in the first film have been scaled back. The writing is engaging and interesting without getting too technical, and there are enough one-liners to make you grin without getting too cheesy. The encounters between our hard-headed hero and Whiplash are fun and spectacular, although oddly brief. The film sticks to everything that made the original so great, yet manages to flex its muscles as the bigger (and probably more expensive) sequel – with everything from lavish set pieces in Monaco to appearances by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

In the end

It’s big, it’s shiny and it’s fun. Yet, unlike other big sequels such as the Transformers one, the filmmakers haven’t gone overboard at the expense of story and soul. It’s not as great as the first film, but probably only because we’ve seen the fancy armour before. Summer is here.

 

 

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/ironman/

The Soloist

 

• Released Internationally on 24/04/09
• Released in Malta by KRS on 30/09/09

 

In a nutshell

Steve Lopez is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. One day he bumps into an unusual street act – an eccentric homeless man with hints of musical greatness. He delves deeper, and the friendship that forms between them changes both their lives in subtle but significant ways.

The real Steve Lopez

The two main characters in this tale are real and this story happened a few years ago in Los Angeles. After a series of columns chronicling his encounters, Steve Lopez published a book, on which this screenplay is based. The man we’re presented with doesn’t aspire to any great nobility or selflessness – he’s after a good story. But as he returns to the homeless man’s haunts again and again for the next chapter of his story, he can’t help being drawn in and trying to help bring this man’s life back on track. What he slowly realises, however, is that not all change is good, or desired.

The real Nathaniel Ayers

Nathaniel is quite a sight. With a patchwork wardrobe and all his possessions in one shopping cart, he roams the streets, taking in the sights and sounds of LA, but never leaving the world of his own. His pressure of speech reveals a turbulent flow of thought, genius and anxiety going through his head. In brief flashbacks we learn how a childhood dedicated to music quickly revealed a talent far beyond his peers, and how he was ushered out of his parent’s poor neighbourhood and into one of the country’s finest music schools. Then the voices started, and all alone in a big city Nathaniel is slowly driven from the road of musical concentration, and out of his apartment. He’s scared to return home, for fear of the voices returning, and a homeless man is born.

The real LA

Filmed on location in Los Angeles, the film makes extensive use of the real location nicknamed Skid Row, ‘home’ to a huge community of homeless people, and a hub of social outcasts and problems. Driven by his curiosity and work, Lopez ventures deep into this scary landscape, and slowly earns Nathaniel’s trust whilst keeping him among the structures he’s come to call home. The film doesn’t do LA any favours, but is a harsh reminder of the often unseen horrors that exist in even the most lauded cities.

Who’s in it?

The resurgence of Robert Downey Jr. (Chaplin, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder) continues with his portrayal of Steve Lopez. At times unlikeable, at times confused, but ultimately passionate and with past hurts of his own, he provides the average man that the audience can relate to. Sadly far from average is the man racked by schizophrenia, brought to life convincingly by Jamie Foxx (Ray, Collateral). The usual Foxx image is quickly forgotten thanks to a combination of hair, makeup and pained acting. The always interesting Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich, Capote) is Lopez’s ex-wife, editor, and point of reference. Sitting in the director’s chair is Joe Wright, who already has two gems under his belt – Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. He’s possibly to blame for the erratic editing and filming that proves unsettling through most of the film, and ultimately holds the film down.

In the end

It’s hard to pick out anything wrong with The Soloist, but there’s something in the final product that doesn’t gel as well as it should. Which is a pity, because with such a good story, and two such fine actors, this could have been something truly great.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thesoloist/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

Tropic Thunder

• Released Internationally on 13/08/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 24/09/08

Preview (01/09/08)

In a nutshell

In this big-budget action-comedy, three actors with huge egos set out to make the most-expensive war movie ever made. But once they’re deep in the jungles of their exotic location, they realise that this isn’t your everyday movie production.

Why we’re hyped

This is the movie that managed to knock The Dark Knight off the top of the US box-office ladder after four weeks of impressive business. Boosted by a lot of good press for its comedic performances, this all-star cast and crazy concept seem to have resulted in the best comedy of the summer.

Who’s in it?

Ben Stiller (who also directed and co-wrote the script), stars as the biggest action-star alive, and as we’ve seen in his numerous comedies over the years, when he’s not playing a hapless loser (Meet the Parents, There’s Something About Mary), he’s wonderful at playing over-the-top characters to whom humility is a foreign concept (Dodgeball, Zoolander). Which is why he’s probably written this character for himself. Robert Downey Jr., fresh from another of this summer’s huge successes (Iron Man), plays the potentially controversial role of an Australian method actor who will do anything to get his parts right, including undergoing surgery to play a black soldier in the war movie they’re filming. The starring trio is rounded off by Jack Black, who also undergoes a change of look – he’s sporting a blonde crew-cut – to play a comedian who thinks he’s much funnier than he actually is. Amongst the minor roles we find Nick Nolte, Matthew McConaughey and an appearance by Tom Cruise that might surprise you.

Review (23/09/08)

The greatest war movie(s) ever made

Tropic Thunder’s opening shot shows helicopters flying over the Vietnam jungle, and is very obviously intended to remind you of Apocalypse Now. They land, a breathtaking action sequence ensues, and within ten minutes Ben Stiller has paid not-too-subtle homage to Platoon and Saving Private Ryan. The references keep coming, and before long you will probably be reminiscing about Rambo and The Thin Red Line, or indeed any other war movie you may have watched. There’s even a direct musical reference to the Vietnam scenes from Forrest Gump. You don’t need to be Francis Ford Coppola to realise that this is the ultimate war movie satire.

Behind the scenes

But rather than make a simple movie spoof, which as we have seen recently is easier to mess up than pull off, Stiller has crafted a ‘film-within-a-film’ scenario where we get to see these big stars trying to make a great movie, trying to boost their career, and trying to get award recognition. The action goes back and forth between the dense jungles on set and the swanky Hollywood offices where the movie deals are dealt, and the result is a satisfying satire of the whole celebrity culture, rather than of those war movies they’re trying to emulate.

The stars are out

Apart from the all-star cast, the film is peppered with celebrity cameos which help add to the whole Hollywood aura, and at times it feels like we’re watching a movie special on E! Channel. The most extensive of these minor roles goes to Tom Cruise, who gets to play someone rather different from his usual characters, and although he overdoes it at times, it’s still fun to watch. Robert Downey Jr. is wonderful as the Australian method actor posing as a black soldier, as is Nick Nolte in the role of a brooding, scarred war-veteran whose story they are trying to turn into a blockbuster. Definitely original, and a fun concept to watch unfold, although I expected it to be funnier.

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/tropicthunder/ (High-Res Quicktime)