Second Opinion - Marvel's The Avengers

Previously, this blog called The Avengers “the best comic book movie ever.” This week, I was asked to write a second opinion after seeing the movie a second time, but in 3-D IMAX. And in the case of The Avengers, bigger does mean better.

Prior to seeing the Avengers, I considered Spider-Man 2 to be the best comic book movie I had seen. But a second viewing of The Avengers only confirms that it is hands above and beyond that film. And a lot of credit has to go to Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed The Avengers. Whedon not only builds upon the foundation laid down in the five prequels, but the writing is smart and balances humor along with a lot of action. Humor is not something I would have associated with the Incredible Hulk or Thor, but Whedon makes it work very well.

While a lot of credit should go to Whedon, the actors deserve a fair share of the praise as well. Many of them are reprising roles they had previously played. Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) have all have played their parts before, but they are not delegated to sketches of their former selves. In some cases, as with Hawkeye and Black Widow, their parts are expanded from prior appearances. Everyone is significant in this film.

The only major part that is not a reprise for the actor is Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. Previously played on the screen by Eric Bana (Hulk) and Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk), the Hulk was never much of a character. Humorless and one-dimensional in previous screen appearances, Ruffalo manages to round out the character, making him funny and likeable. Where was Ruffalo when those other films were made?

The Avengers definitely delivers and delivers big. If you haven’t seen The Avengers, then you need to see it. And if you’ve seen it in 2-D, then make an effort to see it in 3-D and IMAX while you can. It is one of the few summer movies that is well worth a second viewing.

Stubs - The Killer That Stalked New York

THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK (1950) Starring: Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin, William Bishop.  Directed by Earl McEvoy. Screenplay by Harry Essex. Based on a story by Milton Lehman. Produced by Robert Cohn. Run Time: 79. Black and White. U.S. Film Noir, Crime, Drama.

I am an avid fan of the film noir and one of the things that I’ve learned is that the film doesn’t have to be well-known or even well-made to be a gem. Sometimes the rougher the production values, the better. But that is unfortunately not the case with The Killer That Stalked New York. While the film has many of characteristics of the semi-genre, including a femme fatale, Sheila Bennet (Evelyn Keyes); a voice over narrator (Reed Hadley) and it takes place mostly at night and it in the shadows, it sometimes feels more like a public advert for getting an immunization than a suspense-filled mystery.

Sheila Bennet arrives in New York from Cuba with a T-man or Treasury agent on her tail. She is smuggling $50,000 worth of diamonds and the agent has been tailing her the whole way home. But while she mailed the diamonds home to her husband, Matt Krane (Charles Korvin) she is still carrying something more sinister with her, small pox. Based on true events surrounding the 1946 small pox outbreak, the movie seems to be more about the search for the source of the outbreak than it is about the diamonds.

Matt tells Sheila to stay away from home for a couple of days and she checks into the Hotel America. But she is feeling ill and with a team of Treasury agents on her trail, she escapes with the help of the bell hop. While she is supposedly on her way to seek medical help, she stops herself. It is only when she nearly faints on the street that a policeman takes her into the clinic. It is there that Sheila meets and infects six-year old Walda Kowalski (Beverly Washburn) and the outbreak is officially on. The head of the clinic, Dr. Ben Wood (William Bishop) misdiagnoses Sheila and gives her some medicine to take.

While Sheila has been away, Matt has been carrying on with her sister, Francie (Lola Albright), but he is planning to leave when the diamonds arrive without either one of the Bennet sisters. But his plans are thwarted when his fence tells him to wait ten days to let things cool before selling the hot diamonds. Matt then goes into hiding. Distressed about her betrayal of her sister and Matt’s betrayal of her, Francie takes her own life.

Sooner or later, everyone Sheila comes in contact with seems to develop the disease and authorities seem to be at a loss to find her. Similarly, Customs agents have lost Sheila, but neither side knows for a while that they are both looking for the same person. Sheila for her part is unaware that she is carrying small pox and it is only the search for Matt that keeps her going. She knows that her husband has betrayed her and she is out to kill him.

Meanwhile, Customs and Health authorities finally put the pieces together and realize they are looking for the same person and they combine their efforts. They close in on her at the flop house her brother Sid (Whit Bissell) runs, but he delays them long enough for Sheila to escape. Perhaps ominously, she must go through a cemetery to do so.

Sheila though is getting sicker and sicker as the days go by. Having left her medicine when she fled authorities, she goes back to the clinic for more. There, Dr. Wood tells her that she is gravely ill, but she resists his attempts to subdue her. Instead, she shoots him in the arm as she makes her escape. She is now driven by revenge.

When she finally catches up to Matt, he falls to his death from a ledge while trying to elude police. She considers going over the edge herself, but Dr. Wood, who has been part of the search, tells her that Walda died. Suddenly remorseful, Sheila turns herself in and before dying herself, tells authorities who she has contacted since returning to New York. It’s a win-win for both Health and Customs agents.

Now the movie isn’t all bad, but I’m not a fan of pandemic film noirs. For some reason, 1950 seemed to be the year for such films. Panic in the Streets, directed by Elia Kazan came out the same year. Panic in the Streets combines a waterfront murder investigation with preventing the pneumonic plague from spreading in New Orleans.  While the public’s concern for pandemics is nothing new, it really isn’t the subplot that gets me going. I guess I’m more of the murder, blackmail, robbery kind of film noir fan.

There is a lot of realism in the film, which was shot on location in New York City. And there is always the threat that this could happen to you, remember recent bird-flu and whooping cough concerns. However, I don’t really like my entertainment to come with a message, especially one that is so obviously delivered. I prefer a little mystery and suspense stirred into the mix. That may be what this film is lacking for me. The film is rather predictable and that’s where it loses the fun factor. It’s not a film noir I would feel compelled to watch again.

The Killer That Stalked New York is available at the Warner Archive Collection:

Asura's Wrath Lost Episode 1 (DLC)

With Capcom nearing the end of their announced DLC schedule for Asura's Wrath, they've now released Lost Episode 1, which I'll of course be covering here. As with my other DLC reviews, I probably won't have very much to say given the amount of content. However, I would still like to throw my thoughts on it out there anyway to give you an idea of what it's like.

This episode isn't meant to explain anything, since it doesn't appear to take place at any point within the canon of the game, save for going to the moon post-Augus battle. That's not a bad thing at all really, since the player gets to play out a battle between Asura himself and Ryu from the Street Fighter franchise. Personally I found this to be incredibly awesome, mostly because the first half of their struggle uses the Street Fighter IV (SFIV) fighting engine to have them duke it out. I also liked it when in the second half they fight on a fully three-dimensional plane, since it allows the player for the first time to see what Ryu's attacks look like in this realm (perhaps a preview of what's to come with the upcoming Tekken X Street Fighter?).

On that note, it's really cool how they managed to inject SFIV into the Asura's Wrath formula anyway. While using the former's fighting engine, Asura's controls are adapted to suit the controls of a fighting game, minus blocking it appears, while still using his very simplistic controls and for the first time allowing him to combo heavily against an opponent and even perform air juggles while against a wall. The Ultra gauge is instead his own gauges conformed to the required shape, which made it even more fun to fire off a round of Burst. What really helps also is not only making the button prompts match specific moves from SFIV (specifically the Shoryuken and Raging Demon), but also keeping Ryu's character model from his native series on top of the graphics original to Asura's Wrath, giving it a unique crossover blend that's appealing to the eyes, especially since there's no shortage of over-the-top action scenes (including Evil Ryu being strong enough to fix the moon!). I think I should also point out that the episode explicitly states that the dialogue is only in Japanese, something I didn't really mind anyway as I felt it contributed to the non-canon vibe of the whole thing.

As a fan of both Asura's Wrath and Street Fighter, I think that this offering is really awesome. Fanboyism aside though, I think that Lost Episode 1 had a very solid presentation that felt unique and exciting with some crossing elements to help keep things fresh and fun at a bargain price of only $2. If paying that much for about 10 minutes of content doesn't seem worth it to you, especially for a cool crossover like this, then hopefully the extended replay value that comes from the SFIV-like Mission Mode will suffice, since it kept me busy for a good hour longer. Overall, this is a fun offering I can recommend and now I really can't wait for them to put out Lost Episode 2.

The Avengers - The Best Comic Book Movie Ever

At last, the event that the previous five movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building up to for four years has finally been released. After watching every single Marvel Studios movie again, I began to anticipate The Avengers even more with growing excitement. Having finally seen it opening weekend, and managing to avoid major spoilers over the last week, I'm proud to say that the end result does not disappoint in the slightest.

I wish I could describe the plot in great detail, since a lot happens, but sadly the only things I can say about it directly without spoilers would be basic premise. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) arrives at a S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility during an evacuation. While he is there, the Tessaract gives off an unknown energy, opening up a portal to Asgardian space, allowing the trickster god Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to arrive on Earth. Loki takes the Tessaract, using its power to enslave several agents, including Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). After Nick Fury fails to stop the theft, he is left only with the option to gather the Avengers together to bring back the Tessaract and prevent it from unleashing its full power.

Before discussing any more about that however, I'd like to get my casting praise out of the way, since I believed every choice and performance out of them to be absolutely perfect. Robert Downey Jr. continues to show that he's the best Tony Stark in history, Chris Hemsworth outdoes his previous bout as Thor and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers is still a very excellent decision. Mark Ruffalo is an interesting choice for Bruce Banner, since he replaces Edward Norton in the role. However, his acting skills as both Banner and the Hulk help to finally make a proper cinematic Hulk come to life and now he appears to have been the perfect candidate. Scarlet Johansson's Black Widow I believe was performed rather well, a sentiment I share about Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye acting. Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulsen, also make their characters as enjoyable as ever.

What really makes acting interesting regarding Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Banner however is the fact that their personalities all seem to bounce off each other remarkably well. Whether its a tense or humorous moment, the performances compliment each other to a degree that you can really believe the dynamics each of them have. This is aided by the instant friendships made and what specific characters have in common with each other despite their initial bickering, which only makes the relationships go even deeper. It is this that creates character growth and development throughout the film, something that I really enjoyed watching play out and expand. The ability for the Avengers to work as a team is tested to great degree and it was nice to be able to see them overcome it all and work as a single powerhouse of a unit.

That said, this movie is filled with action like you wouldn't even believe, even from the first few minutes alone. The two biggest setpieces however would be those of the vast helicarrier and New York City, the target of Loki's plans. In the first, the heroes haven't yet started to work together yet and have some infighting, though at least a couple of them are still trying to solve the task at hand despite enemy advance and the immediate scenes following this demonstrate just what could happen if they don't work closer as a team. Until they get to the second major setpiece, they grow to trust on another better and show just what they can do as a team, defending Earth in some of the most spectacular ways possible.

There are some times where you get to see each hero's individual skills at full capacity. For Hawkeye, that would be seeing his amazing trick arrow arsenal at work as he willingly selects what head is at the end for differing results, as well as his uncanny precision with an arrow, including one moment when he fires an arrow behind his back and still hits, dealing a major blow to his target. In the case of Iron Man, it would be the awesome technology at his disposal, including the introductory sequence of his Mark VII armor. Captain America and Thor both have the same strategy of throwing their weapon at their enemy and having it return, but their own plans of attack beyond this are fun to watch and show off their tactical strengths. Finally for Hulk, it's exciting to see him smash in ways that are more creative than other Hulks before him. When the characters team up is also cool, like when Iron Man is fighting alongside Captain America and he is able to use Cap's shield to redirect his laser fire.

But even when there are some very serious or action-packed sequences, I was very happily surprised by the fact that the movie is a major laugh riot. Some clever writing and witty dialogue, no doubt a product of Joss Whedon's screenplay, help create a more engaging atmosphere that forms audience-wide laughter at all the right times as some jokes either take off once or actually continue throughout, thanks in part as well to the performances. It is when the humor goes hand-in-hand with the action (Hulk vs Loki, anyone?) that is especially thrilling and helps make the movie all the more memorable.

I must say as well that I also appreciated the various nods made throughout the movie to the Marvel Universe and the individual heroes. Some are more subtle like Tony Stark wearing a Black Sabbath shirt, which was a pretty nice touch, to the more obvious references to the previous movies like Steve Rogers' familiarity with the Tessaract. It is enough to satisfy the comic book nerd in everyone, like myself, as well as the more casual reader or filmgoer. All in all though, it is the most rewarding for those who have seen every Marvel Studios movie beforehand.

The special effects were very impressive, and there is a lot of them. Tony Stark still has the most wondrous tech on the planet, which includes being able to manipulate an image in three-dimensional space or his new tower being able to pull the suit apart as he walks. Effects used to create the Hulk are also more impressive and realistic than ever before, helped by the fact that the transformation resembles Mark Ruffalo to create a singular identity and make the beast more lifelike in motion by his own acting. These are of course only samples of what can be expected and every instance of amazing effects would be too numerous to list here.

I also liked the individual character designs. Captain America's costume for instance is a good combination of a new design with some old-fashioned elements used in a way that it doesn't look silly or goofy, a look I would be happy to see onscreen again. I didn't mind Thor's sleeveless look, partly because it allows the audience to see his raw strength, or the return to the circle design on Iron Man's awesome armor. Loki has some interesting elements as well, with shoulder pads that don't look unwieldy and in fact more representative of the kind of being he is now. Hawkeye and Black Widow also have cool designs, all-black of course, that give them a certain personality to help them stand out too.

Finally, I also liked the music. The major contributing factor to this is the fact that Alan Silvestri, known for scoring such movies as Predator and Back to the Future, has composed something that brings the best emotion out of any given scene. His work here shows just how talented he is, as it increased my enjoyment of the film much further. The credits also have a good selection of rock, though it might have been better if it had a bit more kick to it to close it out with stronger pulse-pounding excitement.

As the first major event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers is a very spectacular and awesome movie, setting a new bar for the comic book movie in the process. While it would still be considered a summer blockbuster, the writing is much more witty and clever than others of its ilk and the well-written characters help make it a more well-rounded movie that doesn't depend entirely on special effects to pull it through. If this hasn't helped me recommend the movie to you already, then let me say that I guarantee you'll want to see it again. Just make sure you stay for the extra credits sequences, of which there are two; you will not be disappointed.

Second Opinion - Captain America: The First Avenger

To cap off building up to The Avengers, I have recently re-watched Captain America: The First Avenger, the (at the time of this writing) penultimate movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When I first saw this movie in a theater, I did not see it in 3D due to my experience with Thor, but at the end I still found myself wanting to see it again. I have seen it again a couple times since its home video release, and each time I still found myself wanting more Captain America.

While I'm not too familiar with Captain America from the comics, I think they did a fantastic job telling the character's origin story before fast-forwarding to the present day. There's plenty of thrills, drama, and humor to go around to keep the viewer invested until the very end. Particular credit goes to Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America; when you see him on-screen, you get the sense that he wants to do good and protect people, even if he's short (at first) or has to sacrifice himself, which is why in the story he was made into a super soldier. Hugo Weaving also does a good job as the villain Red Skull, who wants to destroy anything in his path no matter what it takes, even if the one in his way is from his own country. That isn't to say the rest of the acting isn't good, since every named actor manages to deliver an amazing performance no matter what their role is.

One thing I enjoy about this movie is how they work in things about Captain America, though I only know them based on what I've read or heard. For instance, the movie manages to use his original costume in a way that it doesn't look silly (though it gets revamped later) and the very first issue of the comic makes an appearance, which, for the uninitiated, proudly displays Captain America punching Hitler in the face. There is also some clever foreshadowing employed at early points in the movie, mainly hinting at Steve Rogers obtaining his iconic shield and the identity of Red Skull. Seeing stuff like this is fun to watch, though I'm sure people much more familiar with the comics would enjoy them even more.

Having seen this movie multiple times, I can still say that Captain America: The First Avenger is an excellent comic book movie that should not be missed by anyone, especially if you plan on seeing The Avengers, for which the very first trailer is shown after the credits. If you own the Blu-ray of this movie, I would also suggest checking out a special feature, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer. As with The Consultant on the Thor Blu-ray, it is a short feature that is definitely worth watching. Now hopefully I can avoid any spoilers before I get to see The Avengers this weekend.

[OLD] Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One - Not One 4 All

During our buildup to Sly 4 later this year, we have come to the last game in the Ratchet & Clank series, All 4 One, released just last year. It was in fact the release of this game that got me more into Ratchet & Clank in the first place; I had considered playing it, but decided it would be better to get more familiar with the characters first by going through all the other games, starting from the very beginning. To this moment I do not regret that decision, despite the various ups and down I came across during my experience. And now without further ado, let us dip into Ratchet's latest next-gen outing.

Some time after the events of the comic, Ratchet and Clank are escorting Galactic President Qwark to receive the Intergalactic Tool of Justice Award in Luminopolis. In actuality, it is a trap set by Dr. Nefarious as he reawakens a light-eating Z'Grute from cryosleep to devour Qwark. However, this plan backfires, causing Lawrence, Nefarious' butler, to leave his master behind. This forces Ratchet, Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious to work together in order to stop the Z'Grute. Once they succeed, the four are abducted onto a mysterious spacecraft, leading them to embark on an adventure as they learn the value of teamwork.

The story of this game may not have the same cinematic feel as the Future Trilogy, but it is engaging enough to make you want to keep playing. Some of the focus, as well as some of the comedic moments, focus on the relationship between Qwark and Dr. Nefarious, specifically how they gradually become more friendly towards each other during their journey after being bitter enemies for most of their lives. In fact, Nefarious sees plenty of character development in this game, since the titular characters try to get him to use his abilities for good rather than evil. Though he turns on the others again once the universe is saved, there is a rather touching moment after the credits where he seems to actually miss being a hero with the rest of the group.

The gameplay is as solid as ever, though this time the game is more multiplayer focused than before, to where that was the way the game was marketed. However, rather than focusing heavily on competition like most modern games do with this option, it is instead all about co-operation, which you drop in and out of at any time, online or off. As such the gunplay is more centered around this concept, where if two or more players fire with the same weapon at the same enemy, the power of the attack increases based on the number of players. While it is entirely possible to go through the campaign of the game by yourself, I found myself having a lot of fun with a second player on the couch (or futon in my case).

While this game may be all about teamwork, there are still moments of competition to be had. There are plenty of things players can do to try and outdo each other, be it bolt collecting, sucking up small creatures, or even surviving the longest, among others. This adds to the overall experience, rather than hindering it, by throwing in an incentive for parties to get to the end of the stage.

In a turn from the Future trilogy's more realistic next-gen look, All 4 One employs a more stylized art style, making it look somewhat more cartoonish than previous installments. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, since the game world still manages to look rather impressive and detailed, as do still images used to show the past. While the character designs may be a little different than before, they still remain nice to look at and I wouldn't mind if this style was used again. The music, also as expected, is enjoyable to listen to, one of the high points being the end-of-level music, and helps to match the level or whatever mood is required in cutscenes. The voice actors, for characters both new and old, turn in solid performances for their parts, including Steve Blum as Mr. Dinkles, making the dialogue between them even more enjoyable.

Overall, I thought Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One was a good experience that would definitely appeal to the multiplayer crowd. However, if you are more of a fan of single player, you are probably more likely to enjoy the game less. On the other hand, if you are a Ratchet & Clank fan and you have not picked up this game, I would suggest at least giving it a try.

Playing the Ratchet & Clank games for the last several months has introduced me to some memorable characters and moments, and I have enjoyed it for the most part. I am aware that there is a game that was made for cell phones, Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile, but I haven't had a chance to play it because, as far as I know, I do not have any way to access it. Regardless, I would consider myself a Ratchet & Clank fan and I can't wait to see what Insomniac does next with the franchise.

Asura's Wrath Episode Pack Part IV (DLC)

Capcom continues their DLC schedule for Asura's Wrath, this time with an episode pack billed as the "True Ending" to the game. This pack promises to continue where the game's True Episode 18 left off, offering full closure on just what the heck happened at the very end. Fortunately, like the other offerings, this bundle does not disappoint.

Prepare for heavy spoiler tags, because some things are just too cool or interesting to keep to yourself.

Contained within are four Episodes, numbered 19-22. The story they hold feels a lot like a natural extension, showing that no matter how over-the-top you believed the rest of the game was or how crazy you found the revelation with the Golden Spider to be, you should still prepare to have your mind sufficiently blown wide open, because things are about to get even crazier. I don't really want to spoil anything, especially regarding the Golden Spider's true form Chakravartin, but what I will say is that what goes on provided a very satisfactory ending to me and I didn't feel cheated at all for having to drop $7 to see it. It also manages to conclude the character arcs of Asura and Yasha in a way that not only shows what they'll do to save the world, but also just how well they see each other as friends and not enemies. I'll admit that a couple of times, particularly the more silent moments, it was heartbreaking to see their final fates partially because they finally find peace within themselves and are willing to accept how they go out. I also found the after credits sequence to be a nice touch, including the interlude that follows it.

While the graphics and gameplay remain exactly the same, there are still a couple of things different about what you get. For one thing, the button prompts that pop up seem to be more unique and inventive, introducing interesting actions that seem to show that they took some time with this one rather than cut it off to make a quick buck. The fights also consist primarily of ones against Yasha and Chakravartin, though they are fun and engaging and bring something new to the table, including what is perhaps literally the biggest fight ever in a video game, putting Bayonetta and God of War to shame, where Asura becomes the size of a planet to fight off Chakravartin, who throws planets and stars at you as both rapidly pass by galaxies and systems in a ludicrously epic fashion. My favorite one of all though has to be the very last one against Chakravartin, where it not only has the first instance ever where a boss uses their own button prompts against the player, but you also essentially get to have a fist fight with God (in the context of the universe). Graphically speaking though, there is a little more semblance of variety in the effects and I do commend the development team for thinking of ways to keep it fresh when needed.

If there's only one complaint I have, it would be this: occasional skipping. The episodes have a noticeable lag, at least for me, that would sometimes prevent me from hitting the correct button when prompted, resulting in a lower grade. Perhaps they should have ironed out all of the bugs before release.

Overall, I believe that CyberConnect2 did a very great job with Part IV of Asura's Wrath. The story helps give the character more depth, the villain has a genuinely ominous presence, and the way things are wrapped up is very satisfying. On top of all this, there is a sequel hook at the very tail end, which is now brewing some  interest in me for a potential full-fledged sequel to this wonderful game. If $7 doesn't seem like too much to pay for four episodes to do all that and provide a truly epic climax, please download this bundle and witness the True Ending for yourself.