Chris Pratt

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Director:

Anthony Russo

Joe Russo

Writers:

Christopher Markus

Stephen McFeely

Starring:

Robert Downey Jr.

Chris Hemsworth

Chris Evans

Chris Pratt

Mark Ruffalo

Don Cheadle

Benedict Cumberbatch

Tom Holland

Chadwick Boseman

Tom Hiddleston

Anthony Mackie

Sebastian Stan

Bradley Cooper

Paul Bettany

Vin Diesel

Scarlett Johansson

Zoe Saldana

Karen Gillan

Elizabeth Olsen

Danai Gurira

Pom Klementieff

Letita Wright

Gwyneth Paltrow

Plot:

The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Review:

Thor, Chris Hemsworth, and the Asgardians that escaped from Hela have been decimated by Thanos, Josh Brolin. Well, half of them, I’m going to assume Valkyrie got away with the other half because she’s not seen in the movie. Thanos beats the shit out of The Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, and for what might be the first time The Hulk gets scared and for the rest of the movie refuses to come out which puts our heroes at a disadvantage. Bruce may be smart, but they needed brawn more than another brain.

Tony, Robert Downey Jr., is settling into life, still not really facing his fears, but wanting to make a commitment to Pepper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and become a family man. I feel like I think he’s got certain issues, but he believes he has other ones entirely, and that’s why I never get to see any movement on his PTSD and anxiety. Seeing him and Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch, interact was one of the highlights of the movie. I also really enjoyed how each group or individual still had their own style. It was very clear when you were with Strange or the Guardians or the others, which I appreciated.

Star Lord, Chris Pratt, is the real fuck up of this movie. Everyone else is heroic, but he decided to lean more toward his roguish nature. He reacted entirely in character, which is annoying, cause everyone else rose to new heights with this challenge, but he was an ass and ruined everything.

Is Thor the mightiest Avenger now? I think there’s got to be a strong case for him. The Hulk is hiding inside Banner and Thor withstood the power of a dying star, after surviving floating in space for an undetermined amount of time. He’s grieving but still did what was necessary, plus he’s a cross between an angel and a pirate, I’d read that romance novel.

The final battle takes place in Wakanda, but Black Panther and his crew probably have the least amount of screen time, with maybe Cap and his people coming in next. There are a TON of people in this movie so it’s not entirely unexpected but I’m hoping that they all have more of a part to play in Endgame.

So many people are “dead” but you don’t see a lot of them actually disappear on screen so who exactly is gone isn’t quite clear. I believe the directors may have confirmed a few people, but I refuse to believe that Loki, Tom Hiddleston, is actually dead. He’s died too many times and he had to know what Thanos was going to do, he’s alive somewhere in the universe.

This movie felt more inspired by the older movies, so some of the things I’ve loved in the last few movies weren’t here. Thor was still awesome, but apart from Gamora, Zoe Saldana, and Scarlett Witch, Elizabeth Olsen, the female representation was light. Scarlett Witch and Vision, Paul Bettany, and their relationship felt really weird, in my opinion. I’m assuming it was something in the comics. I guess it was teased in Civil War, but it came off as more Vision being kind of creepy and Scarlett Witch being polite about it in that movie. I don’t know, they’re probably my least favorite characters, so while their story plays a key part to the movie it’s my least favorite. It doesn’t help that this is the most we’ve ever really spent with them so there hasn’t been as much buildup.

The end credit scene is nothing but hype for me, especially after watching Captain Marvel. Seeing Fury, Samuel L. Jackson, and Maria Hill, Cobie Smulders, again was just so exciting!

Infinity War is technically a complete story, but not really. We all know there is no way all of those heroes are staying dead and that Thanos is going to win. It just can’t/won’t happen. It is basically a two part story with an excellent first part, but what happens in Endgame is going to make a huge impact on it and could completely change my opinion of Infinity War. We’ll just have to see what happens.

Original Review

4/5

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Director:

James Gunn

Writer:

James Gunn

Dan Abnett

Starring:

Chris Pratt

Zoe Saldana

Dave Bautista

Vin Diesel

Bradley Cooper

Michael Rooker

Karen Gillan

Pom Klementieff

Kurt Russell

Plot:

The Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord’s encounter with his father the ambitious celestial being Ego.

Review:

We find the Guardians of the Galaxy fighting a giant alien as hired mercenaries for a race of snooty gold people. Rocket, Bradley Cooper, steals something he shouldn’t because he’s seemingly testing the boundaries and strength of his new relationships. Things don’t go well for the Guardians, but it’s okay Star Lord’s, Chris Pratt, father shows up and saves the day.

Yeah, so apparently Star Lord’s father, Kurt Russell, is an immortal planet, or something. He has spread his seed far and wide in the hopes of creating a prodigy that can help him destroy the universe, well create it in his own image.

Each of his children have failed, but when he learns Star Lord has held an infinity stone and lived he has hope. Unfortunately for him, being a being alive for millennia, he doesn’t understand that killing your child’s loving mother is like the worst thing you can do.

This movie was about Star Lord and Rocket’s stories. There were some dashes of Gamora, Zoe Saldana, and Nebula, Karen Gillan, they started to work out their issues, but probably not. We also got little doses of the odd relationship between Drax, Dave Bautista, and Mantis, Pom Klementieff. For the most part, though, it was Star Lord. We saw more of his backstory, more of his family, and the ending was mostly about him as well. The movie is called Guardians of the Galaxy, it would have been nice if it had more of an ensemble feel, like Avengers. Star Lord had 11 more minutes of screen time than the next person, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but even when he was not on the screen a fair amount of the story revolved around him.

Part of why I enjoyed the first movie was the other characters and by far my favorite parts of this movie had almost nothing to do with Star Lord. Basically, anything with Groot and Rocket was awesome. I really liked Gamora and Nebula working on their shit too. The weakest part of the story, in my opinion, was Star Lord’s.

Overall, I’m not sure what impact this movie had on the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. We now have Mantis, who plays her part with trying to distract Thanos in Infinity War. There are some allusions to a future Guardians plot, but no idea if that will impact anyone else.

The movie was a step down from the original. Oddly enough, I loved it on my first viewing. So what’s changed? Is it because I watched it so closely to the first? Is it because this is the first time I’ve watched it since Black Panther, Thor Ragnarok, and Captain Marvel? I don’t know. I still enjoyed the humor at least.

Original Review

3/5

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Director:

James Gunn

Starring:

Chris Pratt

Vin Diesel

Bradley Cooper

Zoe Saldana

Dave Bautista

Lee Pace

Karen Gillan

Plot:

A group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.

Review:

Peter Quill aka Star Lord, Chris Pratt, has a mother that loves him and apparently inspires a lot of love in those around her. When she dies, leaving behind a young, scared boy, he runs out of the hospital and is promptly abducted by aliens. Twenty years pass and we find Peter dancing and singing with a Sony Walkman that has somehow survived two decades while scavenging for a orb to sell.

Meanwhile, Gamora, Zoe Saldana, finally sees a chance to escape from the man that killed her parents and raised her to be a deadly assassin. The two meet while also running into bounty hunters Rocket, Bradley Cooper, and Groot, Vin Diesel. A somewhat unlikely crew is formed and further cemented when they are joined by Drax the Destroyer.

The group wind up learning exactly where their line is. They’re thieves, killers, not exactly the best of the universe, but even they won’t stand by and let someone destroy a planet.

Marvel movies have always had a shade of humor in them, but Guardians of the Galaxy adds more than usual. There are quips and one liners as well as gags and it makes what could easily be a dark movie significantly lighter. Which, again, is common with Marvel movies, but they take it a step further without taking away from the seriousness of the story.

The music in Marvel movies is mostly forgettable, in my opinion. You’ve got what Tony decides to blare, but the background music, besides the theme, is generally unobtrusive and forgettable. It sets the tone well, so does it’s job, but that’s about it. With Guardians of the Galaxy music played a much bigger role. Peter’s mixtape is filled with classic hits and is basically another character. This sets the stage for how music is used in the following movies, especially Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but also Captain Marvel.

Gamora and Nebula, Karen Gillan, were some of the most interesting characters of the movie, though, they contributed very little to the comedy side of things. Both were abducted and raised my Thanos so they have not had the best life experiences. Like Thor and Loki, though, they’ve reacted in different ways. Nebula seems to blame Gamora for the fact that her father prefers her. Gamora just wants to be free.

Drax with his inability to understand sarcasm and metaphor is freaking hilarious and a character you don’t see often. Rocket and Groot are wonderful together and alone and easily two of my favorite Marvel characters.

If I had to live anywhere in the Marvel universe I’d pick Xandar, though, I think Thanos ends up destroying it, so…bummer.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a nice change of pace from the mainline Marvel movies. It is still connected, but it’s so different that it shakes things up nicely and provides a needed break from the usual superhero movies.

4/5

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)


Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Director:

J.A. Bayona

Starring:

Bryce Dallas Howard

Chris Pratt

Danielle Pineda

Rafe Spall

Plot:

When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

Review:

Fallen Kingdom started off strong. Immediate dinosaur action, then some story explaining that Bryce Dallas Howard had changed from a corporate exec to a bleeding heart, dinosaur loving, activist. Meanwhile, Chris Pratt is building a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Then back to the dinosaur action. Throw in some exploding volcano and the first half of this movie is just perfect. It hits all the notes you want from a Jurassic Park movie, though, my husband was a bit peeved that the T-Rex was once again a hero.

Things started to slow down for the last third. Well, not really slow down, but I just didn’t care much about it. I didn’t like the introduction of the clone child. It could have been fine, but she was just sort of there in the background and then BOOM saving them. It was eh.

That last third just felt weaker and I can’t really put my finger on why. I didn’t like the kid, but I thought the cloning side of things was interesting, but it kind of expands past what I want from a Jurassic Park movie. Money as a motive was normal, but I didn’t like how easily Bryce was drawn in by the bad guy. She was so smart and capable in the previous movie and she was conned so easily. She didn’t question at all. She was still a badass, though, so I liked that. Chris Pratt helped the IT dude because he knew she could take care of herself.

I love Blue, but the whole Chris Pratt blue backstory was kind of eh. I like seeing a softer side, but it just seemed kind of odd. I feel like they tried to change the characters or make them deeper and not everything worked for me because it went against what I’d already built in my head. Bryce Dallas Howard is a badass corporate chick, while Chris Pratt is an animal trainer that can run.

Great movie. Beautifully shot, felt very much like a Stephen Spielberg movie, so kudos to J.A. Bayona. Music was spot on too. Looking forward to the next.

4/5

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Director:

Anthony Russo

Joe Russo

Starring:

Robert Downey Jr.

Chris Hemsworth

Mark Ruffalo

Chris Evans

Benedict Cumberbatch

Chadwick Boseman

Zoe Saldana

Tom Hiddleston

Paul Bettany

Elizabeth Olsen

Tom Holland

Danai Gurira

Scarlet Johansson

Josh Brolin

Chris Pratt

Letitia Wright

Plot:

The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Review:

SPOILERS

So I’ve seen Infinity War. Once. On opening day. That was pretty cool and even with pre-purchased tickets kind of a surprise. It happened though, so here are my thoughts.

My one desire for this movie was to see Tony, Robert Downey Jr., dead. I liked him in Iron Man 1 & 2, and I think RDJ is perfectly cast, but I am so freaking over Iron Man. He really pissed me off in Civil War and…I’m not going to get into that here, but I wanted him gone. He is not. He’s still there. Living. Breathing. Marrying Pepper. Color me annoyed.

Plus side Captain America, Chris Evans, is still alive too. Love Captain America, he’s awesome and all the things you want in a Leader. He was barely in the movie sadly and I hope that changes in the next.

Thor, Chris Hemsworth, was the Thor from Raganrok, so yeah! He was funny, and mourning, and determined, and his 1500 year old self kicked some ass. His interactions with the Guardians of the Galaxy were great.

The Russo’s managed to do a great job showing the differences between all the heroes and groups. Doctor Strange’s, Benedict Cumberbatch’s, fighting in particular was spot on. It is stylistically different from all the others and distinct and they did a great job showing that. Everyone sounded like they should and they reacted how you would expect them too, it was great.

I wasn’t much of a fan of Vision, Paul Bettany, and Scarlet Witch’s, Elizabeth Olsen’s, relationship. Well, not the relationship, but the focus. I just don’t care about those characters at this point. Vision is supposed to be this super powerful being but he’s forever getting his ass kicked. Scarlet Witch is pretty boring too.

The scenes in Wakanda were great, though I really wish we had more Shuri, Letitia Wright, and Okoye, Danai Gurira. The fight with Okoye, Black Widow, Scarlet Johansson, and Scarlet Witch was the worst filmed fight of the movie which was a huge disappointment. You couldn’t see what the hell was going on.

The movie had a huge cast so while I missed getting to see more of my favorite characters I understood it. So I’m not going to complain too much about it.

Thanos, Josh Brolin, while not as empathetic a villain as Killmonger, was still really good. You could understand his goal and motivations even if you thought he was fucked up in his methods.

The endings was expected, for me at least. It was definitely a downer, like Rogue One, but I fully expect it to get reset in the next Avengers movie. If that doesn’t happen, well, it will definitely end up impacting how I feel about this movie. Infinity War was a set up. Technically it was a complete story, but it was also buildup for the future movies so it’s going to be interesting to see what happens next.

4.5/5