Knives Out Review

Knives Out

Dir: Rian Johnson

Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, and Christopher Plummer

It was Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick! 

Everyone loves a good, old fashioned whodunit; that stealthy murder mystery suspense thriller in the vein of an Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle novel. The kind of mystery story that starts with the discovery of a dead body and weaves through a group of people, where everyone is a suspect, leading towards the final reveal of the devious plans and the uncovering of the murderer who tried to get away with it all. 

Writer/director Rian Johnson, who last helmed the monolithic “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, takes a step back with a smaller more restrained film and also into the past with “Knives Out”. Johnson, obviously influenced by films like the Agatha Christie adaptation “Death on the Nile”, Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s “Sleuth” starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, and “Deathtrap” from Sidney Lumet, crafts a clever and entertaining whodunit with an exceptionally talented cast of players. 

The mystery takes place at the sprawling, ornamented estate owned by world-renowned mystery author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). His family, a group of ravenous vultures who have become dependent on the immense wealth Harlan has cultivated with the production of his library of novels, is celebrating his birthday when at the end of the evening, Harlan is found dead in his study. 

Funeral arrangements are made, the last will & testament reading is planned, but the police (LaKeith Stanfield and Noah Segan) have some final questions concerning the circumstances of Harlan’s death. Most especially interested is Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), a sort-of-famous investigator, who’s involvement in the proceedings is dubiously unknown. As are the motives of Harlan’s caretaker Marta (Ana de Armas), his arrogant nephew (Chris Evans), belligerent son (Michael Shannon), and entitled daughter (Jamie Lee Curtis). Everyone is a suspect.

Rian Johnson clearly understands the setup and execution of these specific narratives, spending a meticulous amount of time building the maze of clever clues, amusing MacGuffins, and witty fake outs. Johnson understands that what makes these types of films so enthralling is that viewers will place themselves into the story as amateur gumshoes, analyzing background objects, dissecting comments made by characters, and following the many diverting bread crumb trails. Johnson executes this component effectively throughout, building the mystery and revealing secrets in interesting, if sometimes familiar, ways. There are only a couple of moments when the twists and turns overtake the pacing and momentum of the story.

The cast is exceptional and part of the reason the film works so well. Everyone in the film has a specific motivation and each has very identifiable character traits that set them apart from one another. Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, with a thick southern accent and showy gestures, swaggers through scenery with confidence and glee. Jamie Lee Curtis, playing the stoic figure of the family, is having fun giving long glares and sly smirks. Michael Shannon, playing Harlan’s son, is consistently amusing to watch as he stumbles and grumbles from scene to scene. The entire ensemble is provided an opportunity to shine.

“Knives Out” is a meticulously crafted environment and story from start to finish. While there are a few moments when the film reveals its tricks too early and sometimes too plainly, Rian Johnson ultimately displays a masterful understanding of how to craft a good ol’ fashioned whodunit.

Monte’s Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

Avengers: Endgame Review

Avengers: Endgame

Director:Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Starring:Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Tessa Thompson, Paul Rudd, and Josh Brolin

How do you say goodbye? It’s not a question we often think about in our everyday lives, but in cinema it’s a theme that is often explored, sometimes with intense emotion and depth of character. Remember Andy saying goodbye to his toys in “Toy Story 3”, the cowboy riding into the sunset in “Shane”, or the Paris scene in “Casablanca”; saying goodbye is hard, emotional, and sometimes complicated.

Almost one year ago, comic book movie fans were left stunned as 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe converged and ended with a question mark for the fates of their favorite superheroes in “Avengers: Infinity War”. It was a cinematic event, one of those pop culture happenings that people will recount in the future when asked when and where they watched the movie. 

Now, the culmination of a film world, which took 11 years and spawned 22 films, prepares for a goodbye of sorts with “Avengers: Endgame”, an epic cinematic event that does it best to wrap up one long story with charming humor, an emotional heart, and cheer-worthy heroics. 

The Avengers have been wounded. With one snap of his titanic fingers, Thanos (Josh Brolin) destroyed half of all humanity. Very soon after this catastrophic event, Captain America (Chris Evans), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) are left scrambling for answers and on a quest to find Thanos to exact some revenge. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) are stranded in the depths of space, left starving and running out of air. The how and why of everything else after this introduction will be left spoiler-free. 

The term “fan service” is often thrown around in conversations concerning influential films in pop culture. For those who may be worried about Marvel not committing towards giving fans everything they want with “Avengers: Endgame”, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. “Endgame” delivers 11 years’ worth of fan service throughout the course of the massive 3-hour long runtime, paying homage to the characters and films that have led towards this monumental culmination of heroics. 

The first hour of the film is near perfect. Examining the relationships between our heroes but also the limited grasp they have with the normal world around them, that world where they can establish a sense of normalcy, and the joys associated, beyond the powers that have come to define them. It’s opportunity for these actors to shine, to display the complicated emotions their characters have with themes of duty, servitude, and selflessness. 

Robert Downey Jr., who has emotionally morphed throughout the journey as Ironman, and Chris Evans, who brings more insight than expected into a character who remains the steadfast compass of honorability for the Avengers, each shine bright in this early portion of the film. These two characters carry the heart of the story, and have throughout the course of these films. “Ironman”, with Downey’s foundation-setting performance, is still one of the best films of the entire franchise. One of the highlights of “Endgame” is watching Downey portray Tony Stark. 

The second hour of the film is where much of the fan service takes over, unfortunately in some negative ways. “Endgame” develops a dense maze of plot devices, some that don’t always make the most sense, spanning over the course of the 11-year history of these stories. It’s overly convoluted, often silly in both humorous and puzzling ways, but its focus is clearly set on the fans that have taken into this journey for so many years. If so much passion and heart weren’t dedicated throughout the entire film, with character development specifically, this centerpiece narrative would unravel the first act completely; it’s a compliment to the skill from directors Anthony and Joe Russo that they have weaved this immense story so well. 

Chris Hemsworth, who’s Thor has changed from a humdrum Shakespearean prototype into a witty and arrogant college jock of sorts, and Mark Ruffalo, who has always supplied a charm to the portrayal of the big green Hulk, are provided some scene stealing moments during this middle piece. These two characters compose most of the humor for “Endgame”. These Marvel films have established the value of having humor within the narrative, it helps when watching a grown man turn into a massive angry monster or listening to someone call themselves the “god of thunder”. 

The finale returns to form, mostly accomplishing the challenging feat of tying everything back together, offering some of the brightest moments for our heroes to do what they do best, and giving fans exactly what they have waited for…a fitting goodbye to 11-years of humor, heart, and heroics that have come to define the Avengers and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Where do we go from here? I’m sure Marvel already has the next 11-years planned. 

Monte’s Rating

3.75 out of 5.00

Captain America: Civil War Review

Captain America: Civil War

Directed by: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, William Hurt, Emily VanCamp, and Daniel Brühl

A splash page in comic book terms is a full page, sometimes two page, illustration that is meant to set the mood and grab the reader's attention. These iconic images would often show the hero meeting the villain for the first time or introduce the reader to a new world in a far off planet or alternate dimension. However, none grabbed my attention more than the images of hero verse hero altercations and few were as effectively captivating as Marvel Comics "Civil War" saga that set an entire team of heroes against one another.

The Marvel cinematic universe has crafted an exceptional world were all their superhero characters can coexist with one another if the setting calls for it. While inviting more people to the party has potential to confuse elements, Marvel's world has taken meticulous steps to establish all the characters and their motivations, we know who and what Captain America stands for, we know how Iron Man will respond to conflict; this is one of the primary reasons a film as jam packed with characters and storylines like "Captain America: Civil War" is works so well.

The Avengers have battled hordes of flying aliens and a powerful living automaton. They have prevented the world from coming to an abrupt end numerous times; though in the process have left a trail of damage, destruction, and devastation. After a recent battle to prevent another weapon of mass destruction from getting into the wrong hands, significant collateral damage in Lagos, Nigeria provokes the action of world leaders to put limitations and stipulations on the activities of The Avengers. Steve “Captain America” Rogers (Chris Evans) is conflicted with the decision to comply with these measures while Tony “Ironman” Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is assured that the actions of The Avengers have consequences and they need to held accountable and regulated. This becomes a significant rift within the team, placing allegiances on the side of Captain America and Ironman. Further complicating the situation is Captain America’s old friend Bucky “The Winter Soldier” Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who reappears as the primary target in a deadly explosion.

The superhero film continues to get bigger and bigger, packing more action and more characters into their films in a consistent game of movie one-upmanship. However, Marvel has taken their time, over many years now, establishing these characters. Ironman has three standalone films and Captain America has two, the viewer has an in-depth understanding of the history shared individually and between each of these characters, which is why the subsequent battle brings about as much emotion as it does. It should be stated that for those coming into this film without any prior Marvel character film knowledge may have a difficult time keeping up, however the film does its best to try and explain the events that have led up to this point.

While this film may have a primary emphasis on Captain America this is very much an Avengers film. Most of the team is here, with the exception of Thor and Bruce “The Hulk” Banner, but there are also some new recruits. The Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), the prince and protector of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, joins the team to capture the wanted Bucky Barnes. In a clever addition directors Anthony and Joe Russo give a refreshing spin to the familiar Spiderman (Tom Holland) story. In every scene the teenage Peter Parker, with a finally recognizable New York accent, adds a youthful comedic charm to cut into the serious tone just when it seems to be taking over. Even the recurring characters have their place in the film; Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff continues to play a critical role within the team structure of The Avengers, Wanda “Scarlett Witch” Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) have an interesting chemistry, Sam “Falcon” Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Clint “Hawkeye” Barton (Jeremy Renner) have some good moments with Captain America, and Scott “Ant-Man” Lang (Paul Rudd) steals every moment in his small cameo in the film. Again, just reading these last few lines may call out warning signs to some viewers thinking that this many characters all in one film would be a mess, they are all utilized effectively and play their role, big or small, within the film excellently.

We’ve talked about a wealth of heroes, but what about the villain? Here lies the small issue with “Captain America: Civil War”. Talented actor Daniel Brühl plays Zemo, a mysterious terrorist with an equally mysterious motivation. Mr. Brühl is hardly utilized and the villainous plot that he puts into action doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It’s not hard to question the lack of attention paid to this aspect when the whole reason for this film is to see Team Ironman faceoff against Team Captain America. And once the amazing, jaw-dropping action scene everyone is waiting for happens at an airport, it becomes much harder to pick out the flaws when you just watched a comic book splash page come to life, however once the dust of settles questions arise.

“Captain America: Civil War” is an enjoyable and fun experience even though the film tackles more serious subject mater this time around, you can sense darker days on the rise for the characters in the future. While some narrative points, specifically those concerning the villains, don’t completely connect one action to another in the long run, the superhero franchise at work here has established enough confidence throughout their film journey that they can pull off a showcase this complicated with ease. While “Captain America: Civil War” may not be the best film in the Marvel cinematic universe, it is definitely one of the best ensemble superhero films the studio has put together so far.

Monte’s Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Dir: Joss Whedon

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

The Marvel cinematic universe continues to grow. A comic-book fan’s dream is being shaped and molded into a collection of films that will continue well into the future. The team of The Avengers returns, led again on creative fronts by Joss Whedon, and the result is as expected, the film is an action-packed, clever and funny summer blockbuster.  With added heroes and bigger baddies, the film bursts at the seams with characters and exhausting and exhilarating action. While the thrill of seeing all these heroes on screen together wears off after a few scenes, Whedon adds his patented touches and makes the cluttered narrative connect and the characters shine bright throughout. Still, where the first Avengers film seemed to hit on many notes, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” misses in some places.

The film begins with The Avengers assembled and fighting together against the last of Hydra’s forces. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are back and ready. The scientists are working on a secret project that gets foiled by the Avengers but not before two genetically altered twins, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), plant a seed in the mind of Tony Stark. The twins have a past tarnished by Stark and the weapons his company employed before he became Ironman. Stark has an idea to build a safety net A.I. program that takes charge of threats before harm befalls humanity, the program is called Ultron. After a night of celebration The Avengers meet Ultron (voiced by James Spader), embedded into one of Stark’s assisting robots, who threatens the death of The Avengers and ultimately the world.

Joss Whedon has this wonderful quality of building characters with genuine personality and emotion. Though with so many characters battling for quality time on the screen, some of the characters are left with fleeting moments of minor worth. Though the heroes that are given time are exceptionally composed. Hawkeye is given a much-needed backstory that humanizes the film by making him the character envied because of his personal life, white picket fence and all. We also see Hulk and Black Widow battle the turmoil of a budding relationship, both willing but reluctant because of what their past has produced and what their futures hold. This human quality is provided to all The Avengers but some aren’t given this kind of specific care. Still, you can feel Whedon’s familiar touch throughout the narrative; his humor and sensitivity make the breaks in action have substance, like a scene where the witty banter to challenge the worthiness to lift Thor’s hammer is immediately disrupted by a life threatening situation. In this moment, and many others throughout, Whedon is in control.

Unfortunately the clutter of new characters disrupts some of the tone in the final act. A character is forcefully introduced and awkwardly placed in the middle of the chemistry of the team that just enlisted Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch minutes before. The finale feels very much like the first film, substituting alien for robotic hordes. The narrative also makes leaps that are somewhat disjointed in order to wrap things up and prepare for the future of the franchise. Still, in the capable hands of Whedon and the cast, all who clearly have a firm grasp on the characters, these flaws feel so minor it’s very easy to overlook and just sit back and enjoy the delightful ride.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” is an entertaining film amidst some minor complaints. Whedon evokes some interesting sentiments about heroes and the extent of their roles both personally and in times of conflict. While the villain Ultron isn’t as memorable as Loki in the first film, Whedon still composes the film with wonderful moments that will undoubtedly satisfy. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” may not be as good as the first film but it doesn’t hurt the entertainment factor.  

Monte’s Rating

3.75 out of 5.00