'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Review - Marvelous!

Let's face it, I'm already a self-confessed Marvel Fangirl, so I went into the screening of Avengers: Age of Ultron with really high expectations. 

I am not exaggerating when I say that not only were my expectations met, they were fantastically exceeded. 

Yes, of course, this much anticipated entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an excellent popcorn movie. That was to be expected. But it's the unexpected that makes this film a home run for writer/director Joss Whedon. 

First of all, imagine taking such a formidable cast, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) all accomplished actors in their own right and treating them, not just as an ensemble, but each as the stars they are. Whedon absolutely accomplished this in Age of Ultron.

He has taken six characters, heroes no less, and not only developed their heroic mythologies, but deepened their personal characters and advanced their relationships in a very satisfying way. 

The screenplay accomplishes this in a wonderfully compelling story which is moved along by absolutely jaw-dropping action scenes. Juxtaposing those two things was no small feat. 

Again, coming from an Uber-Nerdy Fangirl perspective, I was blown away. 

Even the introduction of a few new characters, notably, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen), even they are given a chance to shine in their own right.  Their backstory makes you love and hate them all at once. That was just genius. 

The Super Villain, Ultron (beautifully voiced by the awesomely talented James Spader) is a very credible match for the world's six most amazing superheros. 

I have to add here that the dialogue and the comedy in the film truly delivers real belly laughs. Much more so, dare I say, than many films calling themselves comedies. The one-to-one moments between the characters, (particularly the celebration that ends badly) are just as enjoyable as the action scenes. And for this type of film, that's saying a lot.

The action scenes. Ah, this is what this movie is all about, isn't it?

Yes, the world is about to be annihilated by Ultron. Of course.

But what makes this particular story more compelling than the usual the-world-is-in-peril-and-we're-all-surely-going-to-die is what I would call the "little" moments. Whedon makes us worry about a litte boy, a dog, and a family trapped in a high rise building all while the world appears to be coming to an end. I won't get into the minutia, but this is where Joss Whedon as storyteller absolutely shines. 

This type of thing is what makes us as the audience so invested in the action sequences. 

In the film's best moment, which I won't give away, the Avengers reveal that they aren't really fighting to save the world, they are fighting to save a very simple way of life depicted by a typical middle America farm with the stars and stripes proudly displayed. This humanity is what adds to the genius of this film.

I hope you appreciate how much self-control this fangirl has displayed in not giving away any of the film's best, most revealing moments. I will just say that it was an absolutely satisfying movie. 

What makes it so fantastic is that when you leave the theater, after spending 141 minutes of your life in this world, your appetite is absolutely whetted for more. 

Bravo, Marvel. Agents of Ultron is not just a home run, but a grand slam.

Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theaters everywhere today, May 1st, 2015.

Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron - Press Day

I should probably start with a disclaimer about how this post is going to have lots of photos (you can thank me later) and be really long and fangirly (<--is that a word?) and I'm probably most definitely going to be gushing.

(Oh, no! There's going to be gushing?)

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron Press Junket at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. 

And I just had the distinct pleasure of typing that last statement and can hardly believe it actually refers to my real life, but that's not important right now.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that the newest Avengers film - Avengers: Age of Ultron is going to be coming out in theaters on Friday, May 1st.

I promise to write a review on Friday to give you my thoughts on the film (Warning: there will probably be gushing), but today I just want to share what it was like to attend the press junket and interview the amazing cast. 

The interviews were held in the Walt Disney Studios Main Theater, which is an automatic set-up to expect something magical. 

And just in case we were a little confused about who we were interviewing, the names of the participating talent were prominently displayed in front of each seat and its corresponding microphone. 

Right here is where the pinch-me-is-this-really-happening moments began.

This is the list that we got before the event.

·       Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man”)

·       Chris Evans (“Captain America”)

·       Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”)

·       Scarlett Johansson (“Black Widow”)

·       Mark Ruffalo (“The Hulk”)

·       Jeremy Renner (“Hawkeye”)

·       Cobie Smulders (“Maria Hill”)

·       Elizabeth Olsen (“Scarlett Witch”)

·       Aaron Taylor Johnson (“Quicksilver”)

·       James Spader (“Ultron”)

·       Paul Bettany (“Vision”)

·       Joss Whedon (Director)

·       Kevin Feige (Producer)

And suddenly, there they were in the flesh. I know. Pinch me, please. Although I have to confess that I was a little disappointed because I really, really wanted the moderator to say, "Avengers, assemble." It would've been fantastic, right? I know.

The fun began as soon as they all sat down. 

First of all, I was kind of blown away by all that star power. And I just started clicking away with my camera hoping to capture what it was like to be in the same room with all that talent. 

Wait. I was in the same room with all that talent. *sigh*

 I was half listening to their answers to the very thoughtful questions being asked.

Because I was also appreciating how much fun they all seemed to be having together. And again, that I was there in the same room with all that awesome. (Did you pinch me yet?)

I did, of course, have moments of great and intense focus. (See what I did there?)

But the distractions were many.

Which was a related question asked of filmmaker Joss Whedon, the director.

QUESTION - Can you talk about, what were the biggest challenges that you faced putting together the story and then shooting the film? What were the things that surprised you on your journey?

JOSS WHEDON - There’s like 47 of these people. I really didn’t think that through, and I regret very much doing this at all. You know, it’s just making sure that everybody’s, you know, got their moment, that everybody’s got their through-line, that it’s connected to the movie. I have all these people. I love all these people. They’re extraordinary. But making sure that they’re not just all being served, but all within the same narrative structure, that they’re in the same movie, that it’s all connected to the main theme. At some point during the editing process, I could not have told you who they were, who I was, what movie I was making, I got so lost in it. But I think it all came together, and you know, it’s just about making these guys look good, which takes a long time.

Without giving too much away, I'd say he did an amazing job with each story arc and keeping them all connected to the same theme. Again, more on the film itself coming soon. I was still just trying to track what was being said and I couldn't decide where to direct my focus.

KEVIN FEIGE (Producer - on what the experience has been like for him as the man with the grand plan to make all the films and bring these characters to life) - It’s crushingly overwhelming expectations, particularly on this movie. But it’s incredible, and it’s incredible, to look down the line and the table keeps getting bigger and bigger. It’s the greatest ensemble ever assembled in cinematic history, and it is amazing to be a part of it.

I have to agree with Mr. Feige. Just look at this group.

We had already asked a few questions  and were about halfway through the interviews when Robert Downey Jr. (much to my everlasting delight) jumped in with this:

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. - I must be mellowing with age, but I want to say this very clearly. The next time I’m not asked the first question, [LAUGHTER] I’ll f___ing walk out. I read Joss’s script, I said, I think this is great. Now, ask Kevin, didn’t I say that? I said that.

KEVIN FEIGE - You did say that.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. - Thank you. I said: "I think this is great."

Kevin said, “You never say that. You can’t mean that.”

I said, “Yeah, I think it’s great. Let’s go shoot it.”

I thought it was a Swiss watch to begin with and Joss really created some great new situations for Tony to be in, so rather than dig in my heels and try to rewrite every scene, to make them even better, if possible, I showed up and it turned out great.

He was very obviously the ringleader of this merry band and pretty proud of what they had accomplished together. I loved that they all collapsed in laughter as he joked about it all with a straight face. 

Those of us in attendance just felt accidentally cool to be in such awesome company and privy to this delicious banter.

I think you get a great taste for that same camaraderie in this (my favorite!) scene from the movie.

I am afraid that if I keep writing I will definitely let loose with the spoilers. Let me just say this: if you're a Marvel fan, this film is super satisfying. (<--no pun intended.) Again, I promise I will tell you all about it on Friday. 

Was that fangirly enough? Also, is "fangirly" a word? That hasn't been determined yet.

Le sumba. You know?

Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theaters everywhere on Friday, May 1st, 2015.

Thor: The Dark World - A movie review (and love letter)

A few nights ago, my son, Jonathan and I had the pleasure of previewing the film, Thor: The Dark World in LA.

If you don't already, please read about my great über-nerdy love of the character of Thor here.

I was so thrilled to receive the invitation from Disney Pictures to see the film. Especially because I got to share the moment with Jon.

But just before we went in...

Me (engulfed with a sudden surge of insecurity): "Jon! I'm wearing orange."

Jon: "What does that matter, Mom?"

Me: "We're in LA! Everyone knows you're supposed to wear black and attempt to look hipsterish in LA."

He smirks at me.

Jon: "Quick! What's the name of the realm where Thor lives?"

Me: "Asgard. Duh."

Jon: "What's the name of the gatekeeper of Asgard?"

Me: "Heimdall. Why?"

Jon: "Where was Loki born?"

Me: "Yodenheim. To the Frost Giants. What's your point?"

Jon: "I think you're good, Mom."

That, as any middle aged mom knows, was truly the highest praise. In we went to watch the 2nd installment of Thor: The Dark World.

In Real 3D. There's a mellower, realistic quality to Real 3D, as opposed to just regular 3D. For once, I really enjoyed it . Who knew?

Our consensus on the film: Chris Hemsworth as Thor is still magnificent as The God of Thunder. Particularly when he bursts out of nowhere and expertly wields Mjolnir. That's the name of his hammer. Pronounced: "Mee-yol-neer." (Wow. You probably had no idea I was this über-nerdy.)

Tom Hiddleston is the best good guy/bad guy ever. You hate him. You love him. You laugh at him. You root for him. You trust him. You don't trust him. He's evil. He's conflicted. He's hurt. He did what? Your mind is blown. Seriously, Marvel. Thank you for such a wonderfully watchable and complex character.

I'm not going to go through each member of the cast or spoil the movie, but when you see it (and all you über-nerds out there, you MUST!) please pay attention to Rene Russo as Frigga, Thor's mother. Her scene is one of the most brilliant and beautiful mom moments ever. (I may or may not have gasped and cried. Your interest is piqued now, isn't it?)

Thor: The Dark World is beautifully made. The story is compelling. The characters are all utterly engaging. I liked Natalie Portman as Jane! The special effects enhance the plot and move the story along which is not always the case in these days of easy CG effects (I'm looking at you, Transformers).

Best of all, I got to enjoy it and spend an über-nerdy evening with my teenage son. We talked about all the plot twists and turns all the way home. And for that gift, I'm über-grateful, Disney Pictures and Marvel.

Also, be sure to sit through all the credits until the very end. But if you're a Marvel über-nerd, you already knew that.

Thor: The Dark World opens in theaters everywhere on November 8th, 2013.