CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR - review

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
Director: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl, Martin Freeman, Emily VanCamp

Synopsis: With many people fearing the actions of super heroes, the government decides to push for the Anit-Hero Registration Act, a law that limits a heroes actions. This results in a division in the Avengers. Iron Man stands with this Act, claiming that their actions must be kept in check otherwise cities will continue to be destroyed, but Captain America feels that saving the world is daring enough and that they cannot rely on the government to protect the world. This escalates into an all-out war between Team Iron Man (Iron Man, Black Panther, Vision, Black Widow, War Machine and Spider-Man) and Team Captain America (Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Falcon, Sharon Carter, Scarlett Witch, Hawkeye and Ant Man) while a new villain emerges.

In line with tradition, the Red Haired Amazona, The Bear, the Sons of a Gun and I toddled off on opening weekend to see the latest instalment in the Marvel Universe, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. Normally on a Saturday night you can find us curled up on the couch with the boys tucked into bed, with a classic film, a cup of tea and our crochet, but this Saturday night we bundled up into the car and toddled off to the Sun Theatre for a night of cinema viewing (crochet in hand of course). Packed into a sold out session, we sat with our popcorn, choc tops and sodas settled in for a night of sheer viewing pleasure. We are superhero fans and general fantasy geeks, and this has been instilled into the minds of the little 'uns who love a superhero film as much as we do. Needless to say, we loved the film, and not just because we're all biased. It was actually bloody good. So good in fact that the Amazona did not even manage to get her crochet out of her bag *gasp*.

Anthony and Joe Russo have gathered together almost the same cast from THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, for this latest instalment of Marvel goodness, with some wonderful additions - Ant Man, Black Panther and Spider-Man. Yet again the Avengers must bad together to defeat evil, however this time their not-so-petty disagreement about accountability and who should be in charge of what they do with their powers tears them apart, leaving them not fighting their enemy, but each other. It's taken some time, but finally the idea of accountability for the destruction these heroes cause is coming to light. The countless lives lost, the buildings and cities destroyed all in the name of the greater good. Governments world wide have had enough and band together with the United Nations to put in place an agreement that no super heroes should act without the sanction of the UN. Of course this tears the Avengers apart - those who think it's a bloody great idea and those who think it's the worst idea they've ever heard. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) leads camp great idea, and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads camp worst idea ever. To make things even more interesting, they're all on the hunt for Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Steve's best friend and world-wide suspected terrorist.

Are you team Captain America or Team Iron Man?

Image via Marvel

I know what you're thinking - who needs lecturing on the evils of vigilantism? Blah blah blah, pessimism, pessimism, pessimism, who cares, just blow stuff up already!! But never fear, the dialogue surrounding this is actually really well written, and it's nice to see these guys do a bit of solid acting. To me it serves to make the characters a bit more well-rounded and whole. They didn't go to the BATMAN V SUPERMAN extremes where the whole concept was just so damn depressing, but they touched on it enough to carry the underlying story of Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and the division on team Avengers through. It also gave us some really beautiful moments like the one between Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), where he tries to cook her a dish from her homeland. Seriously sweet you guys, and did I mention I love Paul Bettany? *sigh*  Such a dream....anyway, I digress. The script has got some serious meat for the actors to sink their teeth into, along with the witty one liners and general comic relief we are so accustomed to in a Marvel film, although Stark did turn it down a notch in this film.

And action, well, let me tell you there is action a plenty in CIVIL WAR. I mean as the name suggests, it is a war after all. Both sides make some good points, but the Avengers choose sides, and then the really good bit happens - they recruit some new members!! Boo yah!! Black Panther and Spider-Man make their entrance into the universe joining Team Iron Man and Hawkeye comes out of retirement to join Team Captain America, and they recruit possible my favourite Avenger - Ant Man (Paul Rudd) - who has a serious fanboy moment when he meets the Cap. It's about time that Marvel had control of Spider-Man, and in my humble opinion, they've really nailed it with this version of Spidey!!

Hello Spidey - you're my favourite Spidey ever

Welcome to the Avengers Black Panther

Images via Marvel

To be fair, everything I know about the Marvel Universe is what I've learnt from the films, plus a few bits here and there from Sonofagun #1 who chimes in with some observations every one and then when he pops out of his own teenage universe. What that means, is I actually don't have a clue whether they've done a good job according to the comics. Some die hard, purist fans might have something different to say about it, but I loved it as did the Amazona, Bear and the kidlets. In fact, I think I enjoyed this more than AGE OF ULTRON *gasp*. It wasn't completely bogged down in action, there was a solid story line and some pretty decent acting.

If you're a fan of the Marvel Universe and you've been keeping up to date with the films, then I don't think you'll be disappointed. I certainly wasn't and it's definitely worth the 20-something dollars to go see this on the big screen. In fact I'm going to go back and see it a second time round with the SO, who couldn't make it last weekend and was a little disappointed I went without him! But you know, tradition is tradition and we go to the new Marvel film on opening weekend. Anyway, do it, it's totally worth it, both for the film itself and (at the risk of sounding objectifying) for the hunky spunks that feature in the film!

4 out of 5
Xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell

ANT-MAN - review

ANT-MAN
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer

Synopsis: Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burgular Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Alright, a bit behind the times on this review, I went on opening weekend and it's taken me a couple of weeks to get my butt into gear to pen this review, and although most of you have probably all seen this, I wanted to put my two-cents out there anyway.

I, along with plenty of other people, weren't convinced that ANT-MAN was the right choice for the next MCU film, although Ant-Man was one of the original Avengers in the comic book universe, he is much lesser known in the wider world of superhero appreciation. I also had some concerns regarding where they were picking up the Ant-Man story...the origin of the suit of Ant-Man is not covered and picks up a good 40 or so years after the suit is developed. You get a tiny glimpse in the first few minutes of the origin of the suit and then we pick up in current day with a much older Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and our soon to be hero Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). The concerns I had about all those things disappated fairly quickly into the film, and that made me happy.

Scott Lang discovers the suit

image via Marvel Studios

ANT-MAN is exactly what Marvel need right now. The only variation from their standard formula in a while, ANT-MAN is stripped back, down to earth, funny and with real world things at stake. It's not going to be a huge money making machine for Marvel, but for me, it's right up there with the cream of the crop of the MCU films. It has a slightly more realistic take on super heroes and villains, and yes, what Ant-Man acheives by the end of the film does in theory save the world, it's not in a high end, city-being-destroyed fashion. ANT-MAN is subtle, humourous and much more relateable than some of the earlier MCU films, and I liked it. There are still some very 'Marvel' characteristics about ANT-MAN - the villain has equal power to the hero, there is still a love interest, there are plenty of fight scenes - but it is essentially a heist movie, with some humour, fight scenes and serious kitsch thrown in.

The casting is wonderful, Paul Rudd is perfect for the role of Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, funny, charming, attractive, and yet unassuming, awkward and not super doooper buff. I'm a pretty huge fan of Paul Rudd, but I would tell you if I thought he was rubbish, but he wasn't, in fact I think he's a perfect fit for the Ant-Man character. Michael Douglas was an interesting choice for Dr. Hank Pym, and I would seriously like to congratulate the make-up artist who made Michael Douglas look like he was 20-something again! Cudos to you my friend, that is some talent you have got going on there! I forgot how much I actually liked Michael Douglas until I saw him in ANT-MAN, he's got good comedic timing and seems not to take the film too seriously which is a benefit to the film and to the role he is playing. The supporting cast in this film is well put together, and it is an instance of a true supporting cast - no one outshines anyone else, and they all have a great on screen chemistry.

Scott Lang and Hank Pym discussing the science of the suit

image via Marvel Studios

The cinematography and fight scenes are really well done, seemingly normal environments become extreme fight scene settings the instant Ant-Man shrinks down. A computer server room is a veritable array of high rise towers, the backyard is an extreme jungle setting, Thomas the Tank Engine is the equivalent of a giant freighter that would squash you in an instant. It's funny and refreshing, and the tiny fighting was thought to be all too hilarious by the Red Haired Amazona's sonofagun #2 (age 6) who couldn't get over how hilarious it was when a tiny ant was increased to the size of a golden retriever.

Ant-Man heading into battle through the carpet jungle

image via Marvel Studios

All in all, I think ANT-MAN was refreshing and hilarioius while still fulfilling all the requirements of a great superhero movie. If you haven't already I recommend spending the 20-something dollars on a ticket and seeing it on the big screen. And, as if you don't already know this about a Marvel film, stay all the way to the very end of the roll credits for a sneak peak at the next installment. There are two sneak peaks in ANT-MAN - one at the end of the graphic credits, and one at the end of the roll credits, so make sure you stay for both.

4 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell