The Avengers
Time/place: Midnight showing at Foothill Towne Center with James, Katy, Jim, Edna, Jessica, Danny, Lisa, Mike, etc.

Hey, James!

After watching, and loving, The Incredible Hulk, none of the other Marvel movies have done anything to interest me at all.  Captain America is very likable as a character, but all of the non-Hulk movies haven’t been good.  Heck, in Thor I was more invested in, and rooting for, Loki – who was apparently supposed to be the villain.  I’m not a very big fan of the writer/director Joss Whedon and the trailers for this movie did nothing to really interest me, so I was going in completely unsure of how it all might play out.

I was very pleasantly surprised .

The Avengers is actually very good.  Strike that, I can describe it better.  The Avengers is very fun.  It’s odd, being an origin story that involves characters whose origins we’ve already seen.. so it’s not QUITE an origin story.  That comfortable familiarity with the characters from prior incarnations helps quite a bit, because the story still has to work on getting all of these characters together.  This movie really is an ensemble piece, and though there are leaders in the group, everyone really is given equal time and focus.  Even the characters who I didn’t really care for in their own movies, Thor and Iron Man, played better here, and I realized why – they were among their own kind.  On more than one occasion, these characters smack each other around, but whether it’s from alien strength, radiation, or a mechanical suit.. they can all take and return what the others dish out.  Conversely, when the purely human characters, like Hawkeye or Black Widow, do something really physical, they feel it.

One thing most folks will probably talk about actually leads to one of my few complaints – the humor.  Now, this movie did what few movies do (make me laugh out loud – that due to Hulk and a “ragdoll” moment), so I’m not complaining about the actual humor, but Whedon packed the jokes in so tightly that, with the audience’s reaction, I missed the next bit of dialogue on more than one occasion.  I actually prefer quick, smart comedy… but Joss was working on a huge theater-packing movie.  He should’ve known better .

Really, though, that was my only complaint.  The Avengers won’t be my top movie, or anything, because it failed to do the one thing that my favorite movies do (capture my heart), but it was very well done, and a heck of a lot of fun.  Even that one, horrible thing that Joss Whedon likes to do with characters you love, out of the blue and for no reason (if you know what I’m talking about, you know what I’m talking about), is done in this movie… and while it may be sudden, it actually has a purpose.  As the audience quietly reacted to the moment, I just shook my head and said, “Freaking Joss Whedon,” with a smile on my face.  This echoes my captured-heart comment, though, because at no point did I really feel emotionally invested in any of these characters.  Perhaps it’s because the movie was TOO funny or TOO “super”, but that element was never there for me.  Heck, just the new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises that I saw for the first time here, did more to bring about a breathless, emotional reaction.  I don’t think these movies are supposed to do that, though.  That’s why The Incredible Hulk stands out to me, and why I cared about Captain America (even though I didn’t like his movie)… those experiences were more than just fun and cool.  This movie, though, was plenty of both… and I’m okay with that .

On the side of miscellaneous comments, I really loved the cinematography.  As the city is getting destroyed in the midst of battle, and we keep cutting to civilians running and hiding, it all felt very grounded and real, and that was in large part to the fact that the color palette wasn’t bold and studio-perfect.  Considering how much destruction there was, I actually would’ve rather seen a more visceral take on just how many freaking people must’ve died – but that would’ve made the scenes much more serious and less fun, so I get why it was avoided.  Also, while there were definitely a few moments that seemed to enjoy Scarlett Johansson’s body in her tight bodysuit, there is one scene that made me (and a few other folks in the audience) laugh at its obviousness.  Joss Whedon likes Scarlett’s butt, apparently .  Speaking of liking things, I know I’m not alone in enjoying the final after-credits moment, but it was very perfect.. and very Mark .

The Avengers is something you probably don’t need me to tell you about for you to form an opinion about, but if you need any encouragement to give it a whirl, take it from the guy who hasn’t liked most of Marvel’s other current superhero movies.  This really is a movie that breaks down into conversation between friends of “Remember that part?” – a list of moments, lines, shots, and even an actor cameo (at least, for me), that folks will be going back and forth about after they see it.  While it may not hold the emotional gravitas of Batman’s current iteration, I don’t think it’s supposed to.  Marvel has set up a universe of fun and spectacle at the far other end of the spectrum – and it makes for some very satisfying summer entertainment.

Grade: A (for Avengers)

P.S. – Stay tuned later for a new Avengers-related poll.

Journey
Platform: PS3

After thatgamecompany’s previous endeavor, Flower, blew my mind and tugged on every heartstring I have, I eagerly awaited their new release.  I picked up minimal amounts of info when it was first announced, but didn’t read any reviews or watch any trailers.  I knew I would be buying it the day it came out, so why bother?  Last week I finally had it on my PS3, ready to go, and I tell ya… it was a wonderfully breathtaking experience .

It’s not a long game, I completed it in two nights, but that doesn’t matter to me at all.  I’m going to finish writing this, study for a test, and then play through it again later tonight.  Then, I’ll probably play through it again… and, most likely, again.  The story is simple, there are no character names or dialogue, and there are only two buttons that do anything (aside from joystick movement), but in its uncluttered poignancy, I found greatness.

To begin with, Journey is one of the prettiest games I’ve ever seen.  The player controls a little character as it makes a journey toward a mysterious mountain, through various types of wilderness, and once again I am so thrilled to be an adult videogame player during this generation.  I got lost for minutes on end, at points, simply laughing in uncontrollable joy as I made visible paths in the sand or snow.  The character struggles to climb up steep hills, slides down the other side, and interacts with the environment in ways that almost feel like a tech demo made to show off some new game hardware.

For a game by this company, the controls are actually more complicated than I would have thought.  While motion control is available, I could actually move the character and camera with the joysticks… which I always appreciate.  Also, not only were 2 buttons assigned to different actions, but one of them varied on how long you hold it.  Again, for any other game this would sound retarded, but when Flower only used motion control and the X button, this is a step toward something more .

Along with the beautiful visuals, Journey sounds amazing, as well.  The characters in the game don’t speak, but rather chirp a single-note tune with a button press.  This is the long-hold button I mentioned, that results in a stronger chirp and little twirl into the air.  The music, often led by a somber cello, is absolutely beautiful.  Like Flower, the game has emotional highs and lows, but Journey doesn’t start out quite as chipper.  It’s not depressing, at all… but there is certainly a stronger feeling of uncertainty.

The game is more than just eye/ear-candy, though.  This is a bold statement, especially considering how much affection I have for Red Dead Redemption, but Journey has the most pleasant online experience I’ve ever had.  You start the game alone, but after only a few minutes, you may come across another identical creature in your world.  This is actually another player experiencing the journey along with you at the same time.  There are no PlayStation ID’s, no mics, no invite system, no way to communicate (other than the character noises mentioned above)… absolutely nothing to take you out of the experience.  The anonymity only served to make me all the more engrossed in this world and my time with this other player.  When the game ended, it did display a list of the players I’d met, but since every character looks the same, if I lost track of my companion and “caught up” with them later… it may very well have been a different person.  I liked that .

You have most likely heard it said that “Life is not the destination, but the journey,” and this game perfectly embodies that.  During the last half of my travels, through some of the most harsh weather and foreboding atmospheres, one other player and I stuck together – waiting for the other one when necessary, and celebrating with joyous chirps when reuniting or making a cool discovery.  At one point, after making a poor choice and trying to race to the next hiding place, I was caught by one of the evil creatures and damaged (there isn’t a health system, but the distance and time a character can jump/fly is increased by finding special items… and the villains hamper that progress when they hit you).  So, after a violent and frightening attack, my little fella lay face-down in the snow, and my companion came to find me.  The metaphor isn’t explicitly set out on the table for you, but it’s there… from birth to eventual death, this game emulates the ups and downs of a lifetime’s progression, and masterfully includes the many random folks who join us – either for a brief encounter or the entire trip.  Heck, even for how ominous and distant the end seems at the beginning of the voyage, time goes fast… and if that doesn’t mean anything to ya about life, you’re not living .

Journey was everything I hoped it would be and more.  It IS on the short end of playing time, but seeing as it’s so easily re-playable and none of the sections felt like a chore (which hinders some games’ replay value for me), I don’t think of it as an issue.  Besides, for them to have crammed such an emotional experience into such a small package, makes it as worthy as any other game I could’ve spent my money on.

Grade: A

The Grey
Time/place: 8pm showing at Metro Pointe with Vinay, Lalit, and others.

Though I haven’t yet seen it, of course, The Dark Knight Rises has some surprisingly strong competition for my favorite movie of the year after tonight.

Yeah… I liked this that much.

The Grey really exceeded my expectations, and my trepidation with saying something like that is that I have now built it up for YOU, but I can’t avoid it in this review o’mine… I loved this movie.  If you’ve ever seen a movie with me that I really love, you’ll know it because I walk out with a dopey grin on my face, a far-off look in my eyes, and I haven’t much to say.  I walked out of the theater this way, tonight.

First, I have to say, this was a very odd movie-watching experience for me.  I saw it with a friend, his dad, a friend of my friend, and the friend of my friend’s teenage niece and boyfriend.  At two points during the movie, the sound cut out… the first actually happening at the first big standoff between the humans and wolves – the audience had fun with it, though, howling and barking to keep up the scary atmosphere.  To wrap it all up, midway through the movie, some guy in the theater yelled at someone else to turn of their bleeping cell phone – and, again, the audience had fun with that, too.  None of that has to do with the movie, itself, but for all of these oddities and distractions, I was still completely invested… so maybe it DOES have something to say about the movie .

I’m still dealing with a broken extended entry, so as much as I probably could include a spoiler section of the review, I won’t.  I feel like it deserves it, the detail and depth with which I could talk about things is certainly prominent in my mind, but I also feel as if I almost, personally, wouldn’t want to.  I’m prone to giving short reviews to my favorite movies, and that’s because I like to keep the value and appreciation inside.

What I do have to say about The Grey, though, is that I think it hit every note perfectly.  It’s a survival movie, sure, but that’s nothing if you don’t get wrapped up and involved with the characters.  The moments and interactions all felt very real – not really very dramatic or time-consuming.  These characters were dealing with survival, so most of the time they respond accordingly.  Of course, they don’t always get the chance, as there are certainly a number of moments that jump right outta nowhere.  Trust me, I’ve spoiled nothing by saying that, because that’s established pretty early on, and it really screws with the audience’s expectations.  At any point, you’re not sure if a long, drawn-out shot/moment is going to be suddenly interrupted, and I really thought that worked great, here.

For as realistic as things are, there’s a pretty high body count, and plenty of other violence throughout the movie.  I’m pretty sensitive to graphic things, but it wasn’t overwhelming.  I glanced away from the screen a number of times, but I felt like I was able to almost predict when I’d have to, and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by doing so.

Also, for as realistic as things are, it’s also not.  The wolves in this movie are animals, sure, but it’s also sort of a symbolic-esque monster movie.  There are conversations between the surviving men about faith and personal value, and the dramatic threads that run throughout the movie felt anything but tagged on.  They are, more than anything, what the movie is actually about.  That’s what I wasn’t expecting.  Liam Neeson’s become this tough-guy star since Taken, and I loved that movie, too… but it wasn’t necessarily deep and personal.  It was very good, and very cool, but it was a man on a mission.  The Grey is men on a mission, too, but the story and its character-developments reach far beyond that.  Not that it’s some slow-paced, sappy story, by any means… the wolves and the environment make sure of that .

Speaking of environment, the fact that they were actually out in the wilderness shooting this, added so much (saw an interview with Neeson, in which he explains that all of the weather is real… it was so intense that they could only generally manage 4-hour shooting days).  One of my favorite elements in this movie, though, was the sound.

We’ve all seen the now-common aspect in movie trailers of cutting from loud, chaos to sudden quiet… then, after a “chilling” pause, abrupt chaos.  Now, imagine an entire movie that employs such a technique throughout its entirety… and uses it well.  The crash that results in our main characters becoming stranded is one of the most fascinating I’ve ever seen in a movie, and that is due, in large part, to the sound design.  Likewise, the wolves (in true, horror monster fashion), are heard more than they’re seen… and it’s often a horrifying, surrounding symphony of howls and guttural growls.  Like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, the sounds of the wolves seemed almost unnatural at times – but in an unsettling and fantastic way.

The Grey had me from its opening moments, and it really took me places I wasn’t expecting at all.  It was tense, hilarious, cool, scary, interesting, and absolutely wonderful.  A truth reveals itself, very simply, near the end, that solidified the smile on my face that only grew as the conclusion came to a head before the final credits rolled.  The movie’s a little gruesome and rough, and these guys swear like sailors, but it was a beautiful ride… and I wouldn’t have changed a thing .

Grade: A+

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Time/place: 6:50 showing at Westpark 8

I’ve been waiting for this for awhile.  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a cold war British espionage movie, and it’s everything I hoped it would be.  It’s subtle, slow, still, smart, and it’s so much more about the players than the game.  In fact, to see the sleek trailer, some may be led to believe that it’s maybe more exciting than it actually is.  There were certainly some tense and/or shocking moments, but it wasn’t an epic spy movie in the sense of gunfire and big, cool things.  It was very indicative of what the “cold” in cold war stood for.  The pacing was steady, and constantly thinking.  Yes, I just used the word “thinking” to describe the pacing.  It’s appropriate, here.  I’m a huge fan of still and calm camerawork, and so much plays out in wide or singular shots… it’s all about the characters and the lives they lead in the midst of this dangerous game they play.

Of course, I love Gary Oldman, and he’s amazing as always.  I’m sure he loved playing someone so subdued, and yet he shines as much as he ever does.  The whole cast is just drool-worthy, though… that was half of the excitement for seeing it, to begin with.  Not everyone has a lot to do, sadly, but my two favorites (Oldman and Mark Strong) get to do plenty… as well as the others.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is cause for a very short Mark Mushakian review, and you know what that means .  As an actor, alone, it’s probably something I could see a second time in theaters… just to watch ‘em all.  As a regular ol’ moviegoer, it’s just as engaging.

Grade: A

The Artist
Time/place: 1:00 showing at University 6

I read about a modern silent movie being made, some time ago, and my interest was piqued… but I forgot about it.  When I first saw the trailer for The Artist, my interest came right back – and tripled .  I’m happy to say that I was not at all disappointed.

This movie is not a “method actor” when it comes to taking the idea of being a silent movie completely seriously.  It IS, however, a loving tribute to the era (and artists, in general, which I’ll mention below).  The Artist plays with the conventions of a silent movie… in ways I won’t spoil, here.  It’s all there, of course: title cards, the music, very visual performances and camerawork, but for those who go into this movie expecting a pure recreation of a movie as it would be if made in the pre-talkies period, there’s more to it than that.

Technically, I loved everything.  The one thing that often makes silent-era movies boring, for me, is the music.  It’s constant, bland, and doesn’t always work for me in the way that I’m accustomed to.  Not every silent movie is that way, for sure, but The Artist is obviously made in a modern world… and I think it benefits from that.  The score fits the on-screen beats wonderfully, and I was actually surprised by how often the audio dropped out completely – always for a great emphasis, though.  I’ve always talked about movies only needing beautiful images and music, and this one does NOT fall short in either category… especially with its images.  The Artist is one of the prettiest movies I’ve seen in quite awhile.  It’s a necessity, sure, to create great visual interest when there’s no dialogue/sound, but I was constantly pleased to see that the moviemakers really pulled off some beautiful cinematography.  There are some visual treats and surprises, but I’ll let you discover those on your own .

Likewise, the story itself, I won’t go into.  If the basic premise in the trailer interests you, just go see it.  The Artist doesn’t have the most complicated story ever told, but it doesn’t have to.  It’s far from just a “gimmick” movie, and beyond everything else the story says, I loved its representation of an artist.  Heck, it’s the darn title of the movie.  There’s a love story, sure, and I actually really, REALLY loved how it plays out (especially the ending), but the bigger arc involves the art and its creator.  It deals with frustration, pride, and the ups and downs that comes with artistry, and it does so against one of the most obvious divides in movie-making history – the transition from silent movies to talkies.

Selling us this lovely story, are some fine actors.  In a silent movie, a poor actor could do too much or too little, but I think everyone here nailed it just right.  There is some silent-era hamming it up, certainly, but that’s part of the movie’s charm.  It’s a big ode to that period of time, and it never comes across as over-the-top or mocking.  Speaking of charm… I can’t leave this without saying that that lil’ dog deserves top billing.  He steals every scene, is the perfect best-friend/comic-relief, provides one of the most heart-breaking moments, and is darn adorable.  Not to put down the human actors, of course, because they were all great… I just had to mention that little guy, and I could do so without spoiling anything.  I will say, though, that the lead actress has a moment of tears that impressed the heck out of me for it’s reality… even while being confined within this particular genre (meaning, the crying isn’t ugly and “real” in a modern sense, but it was far more genuine and “real” than what a silent-era performance would normally produce).

The Artist was even more than I was thinking it might be, and I can wholeheartedly agree with the critical attention it’s getting.  Next week it moves to two other theaters in southern Orange County, but I hope it garners enough success to spread even more.  It really is a fantastically charming and fun movie, in a classic, feel-good kinda way… exactly as it should be .

Grade: A+