Tomorrowland

Directed by Brad Bird

Starring George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, and Thomas Robinson

Backstory

Tomorrowland was one of those films that tried to be all dark and mysterious about it’s origins and what it’s about.  They announced this project about 3 years ago by unveiling a big box of retro-futuristic stuff and asking, “What does it all mean?  How does it all tie together?  Gotta see the movie!”  But I had faith, for behind the camera was Brad Bird, who made my all-time favourite movie, The Iron Giant.  That alone would be enough to get me to see it.

Plot

Casey Newton is a bright young woman with an almost instinctual knowledge of how things work.  She’s also a dreamer, with hope and optimism for the future.  It’s such qualities that soon lead a mysterious girl named Athena to give Casey a special pin.  By touching this pin, Casey is given visions of “Tomorrowland,” a city where all the best and brightest of society can gather and literally shape the future.  But, Tomorrowland is in jeopardy.  With the help of a jaded Tomorrowland exile named Frank Walker, our three are off on a quest to return to Tomorrowland and save it, before the whole world suffers.

What I Liked

Brad Bird really knows how to put together an action scene, as the action scenes are quite exciting.  There’s some great visuals involving rocket ships and Tomorrowland itself that are just spectacular.  And young actress Raffey Cassidy is wonderful as Athena, making her just the right blend of mysterious and matter-of-fact.

What I Didn’t Like

Well, it’s got your rather routine “chosen one” plot, and while I did appreciate the film’s message (“Let’s start being positive about the future again!”) it did get kind of preachy at times.  Especially near the end.  And I’m still not quite sure on the villain’s motivations

Final Verdict

It was OK, but from the director of my favourite movie of all time, I was hoping for a little more.

3 Nibs

Mad Max: Fury Road

Directed by George Miller

Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, and Zoe Kravitz.

Backstory

Mad Max is another of those embarrassing gaps in my personal movie history.  I have fuzzy memories of watching Beyond Thunderdome when I was a kid, and that’s about it.  But, like most folks, when the trailers for Fury Road came along and looked incredibly insane, I grew curiouser and curiouser about this film.  Throw in incredibly good reviews and a desire to get out and do something on the May long weekend, and I was off to the movies.

Plot

After the collapse of society, thanks to nuclear wars and growing disputes over the remaining natural resources, most of the planet is a desolate wasteland.  In this wasteland roams a lone warrior named Max.  Max is captured by a gang led by a dictatorial ruler named Immortan Joe, and Max is to be used as a blood bank.  Max soon gets dragged along to be used as a blood bag when one of Immortan Joe’s best drivers, the Imperator Furiosa, goes rogue, and Immortan Joe’s troops pursue.  Furiosa is smuggling out Immortan Joe’s harem…young women that he’s been forcing to bear his children.  Max soon gets swept up with Furiosa and the women as they seek to escape Immortan Joe and head to fabled land known only as “The Green Place.”  Will Max, Furiosa, and the women outrun Immortan Joe and his gang and make it to the Green Place?

What I Liked

Wow.  They’re not kidding when they say this movie is mostly a car chase.  And what a car chase!  There’s such insane rigs and cars and vehicles and it just barely lets up.  Well, it does let up once in a while, to give the characters a chance to catch their breath, and some character development.  Tom Hardy makes a good Max, as he really is a man of few words.  Charlize Theron is easily Max’s equal as Furiosa, and all the women get a chance to shine.

What I Didn’t Like

As much as I like car chases and explosions, it does wear on after a bit.

Final Verdict

An excellent summer film.  Highly entertaining, great action, great characters.

3 Nibs

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Directed by Joss Whedon

Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Backstory

Well, here we are, gang.  Phase II of Marvel’s grand cinematic plan comes to close with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes assembling once again.  As another critic pointed out, this isn’t so much a sequel to The Avengers as it is a sequel to Iron Man 3 AND Thor: The Dark World AND Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  That’s a lot of story to get through.  But, seeing all these heroes together on the big screen is always a treat, so I was hoping to get treated once again.

Plot

The Avengers have HYDRA on the ropes, and finally manage to recover Loki’s Scepter.  Analyzing Loki’s Scepter, Tony Stark sees the keys to creating an artificial intelligence.  With an AI, Stark and Bruce Banner can re-start on of Stark’s projects:  Ultron, an AI driven army of androids to create “a suit of armor around the world.”  Stark and Banner succeed, but Ultron quickly determines that the best way to bring peace to the world is to destroy it.  Quickly teaming up with the Maximoff twins (that would be Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch), Ultron puts his plan into motion, but Scarlett Witch’s powers soon rock the Avengers to their very core.  Will the Avengers be able to face their demons before Ultron’s plan can come to fruition?

What I Liked

Holy moly!  The action sequences are amped up from the last film.  Every fight is just bigger here.  And that Hulk vs Hulkbuster fight we’ve seen in all the trailers is amazing on the big screen.  The characters are good, too.  The visions that the Scarlett Witch gives our heroes gives us some good glimpses into their backstories, such as Black Widow’s history.  Hawkeye is a real standout this time out, as we learn so much more about him, and his pep talk to Scarlet Witch is great stuff.   And James Spader is spectacular as Ultron, as we finally have a villain who can dish out the quips as good as Tony Stark.

What I Didn’t Like

With so many characters, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle.  And as much as like the whole concept of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, too many callbacks to the previous installments and too many set-ups to the next phase can add to the confusion.

Final Verdict

A solid superhero ending, setting up the next phase quite nicely.

3 Nibs