Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out is a whodunit that revolves around the death of a patriarch during a tumultuous family gathering as a detective tries to solve the case of this murder. The film is a suspense-drama that explores the murder of a man on his birthday with a detective questioning the motives of the man’s family as well as people close to him at this party leading all sorts of secrets and such in the family. Starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford, Lakeith Stanfield, Edi Patterson, Noah Segan, K Callan, and Christopher Plummer. Knives Out is an exhilarating and whimsical film from Rian Johnson.
A birthday party for a celebrated crime novelist happens as he is found dead the next morning where investigators and a revered detective try to solve the case with the man’s caretaker being a prime suspect. It’s a film that is essentially a simple whodunit where a family deals with the death of the patriarch but also become concerned about their future as family members become suspects due to their issues with the patriarch. Rian Johnson's screenplay mainly takes place days after the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) as his family including his caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) is met with investigators about what happened on his birthday. Thrombey’s two adult kids in the real estate mogul Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Walter who runs his father’s publishing company as well as Linda’s husband Richard Drysdale (Don Johnson) and daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) each talked about what they discussed with Harlan with the investigators lead by the private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) who is wondering who hired him believing that Harlan’s death was no accident.
Marta is a suspect as she was the last person to supposedly with Harlan that night as she also has a condition where if she lies, she will vomit as she assists Blanc though some believe that she did it. Adding to this toxic case of suspicion includes the presence of Linda and Richard’s son Ransom (Chris Evans) who is considered the black sheep of the family as he likes to stir up trouble. Even as it is clear that the family that also include Joni’s daughter Megan (Katherine Langford) and Walter’s son Jacob (Jaeden Martell) who is always seen on his phone and spouting alt-right views are full of trouble and might have motives as it pertains to Harlan’s will. Blanc believes there is a lot more that is going on while he also wonders who hired him anonymously with Marta gaining the ire of some of the people in Harlan’s family with a few exceptions including Ransom.
Johnson’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of its compositions but also has a flair for style in the way it presents certain scenes from different perspectives. Shot on various locations in and around areas in Boston, Massachusetts, the film uses the locations as characters with Harlan’s home being its main setting as it’s a home filled with antiques, animal heads, and all sorts of things that play into his many accomplishments. Johnson would use wide shots for some of the locations as well as capture the atmosphere of the birthday party to showcase how many people are there or in a high-angle camera shot. Yet, much of his direction is emphasized on close-ups and medium shots as it play into conversations between characters or tiny details that can relate to a clue in the investigation. Notably on floors, walkways, and other things in and out of the house that might lead to some kind of clue including vials in Marta’s medical bag as she knows the kind of medication Harlan needed as it is routine for her.
Johnson’s direction also play into some offbeat humor as it relates to the investigative tactics of Blanc as he is an intriguing figure who is good at what he does but is also good at reading people. He knows that not everything with Marta holds up but doesn’t see her as someone who has the motivations nor the heart to kill Harlan. Johnson’s direction does play into the idea of drama and suspense in its third act that include Blanc dealing with some of the intricacies of the mystery while Ransom becomes an integral part in the third act. Notably as into why he’s been the black sheep of the family as someone who never interacted nor did anything with the family preferring to live a playboy lifestyle. The mystery of Harlan’s death would come to ahead but also more revelations into who hired Blanc and why as it adds a lot more with some questions about what Harlan ultimately wanted for his family. Overall, Johnson crafts a witty yet riveting film about a whodunit on the death of a crime novelist.
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it does have elements of low-key lighting some scenes at night while emphasizing more on a straightforward look for many of its exterior scenes. Editor Bob Ducsay does brilliant work with the editing as it has bits of slow-motion cut along with rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and comedy. Production designer David Crank, with set decorator David Schlesinger and art director Jeremy Woodward, is amazing for the look as it play into the look of the house including a circular decoration of knives in Harlan’s study as well as the office and his room as the house is a major highlight of the film. Costume designer Jenny Eagan does fantastic work with the costumes from some of the stylish clothes that Joni and Linda wear as well as the clothes of the other characters with the more humbled look of Marta.
Visual effects supervisor Tim Keene does terrific work with the visual effects as it is mainly set dressing for a few scenes including one involving arson. Sound designer Al Nelson does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere as well as sounds that add intrigue into the night of Harlan’s death as well as sounds that add to the family chaos. The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is incredible for its orchestral score that help play into the suspense and drama as it is a highlight of the film while its soundtrack feature music from the Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, and other forms of music from pop to standards.
The casting by Mary Vernieu is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Frank Oz as Harlan’s lawyer, M. Emmet Walsh as a security officer at Harlan’s home, Marlene Forte as Marta’s mother, Shyrela Rodriguez as Marta’s sister Alicia, K Callan as Harlan’s elderly mother Wanetta who might’ve seen what really happened, Riki Lindholme as Walter’s wife Donna, Noah Segan as Trooper Wagner who aids in the investigation as he is also a fan of Harlan’s work, Edi Patterson as the family maid Fran who intensely dislikes Ransom as she was the one who discovered Harlan’s body, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a voice cameo as a detective in a TV show Alicia watches. Jaeden Martell is terrific as Walter and Donna’s son Jacob who spends much of his time on his phone while often says offensive that leans more towards extreme-conservative ideals. Katherine Langford is fantastic as Megan Thrombey as a college student who is always kind to Marta as she becomes concerned with the aftermath of the will while reluctantly takes part in the family schemes.
Lakeith Stansfield is superb as Detective Lieutenant Elliot as a local detective who takes part in the investigation as he is also someone who has some insight into what is really going on. Toni Collette is excellent as Joni Thrombey as Harlan’s daughter-in-law who is an influencer and guru who is a suspect due to failing business ventures as she is also someone who believes in a more healthy lifestyle. Don Johnson is brilliant as Harlan’s son-in-law Richard Drysdale as Linda’s husband who helps run his wife’s company as he becomes upset with Harlan over a discovery relating to Richard. Michael Shannon is amazing as Walter Thrombey as Harlan’s youngest son who runs his father’s publishing company as he walks with a cane due to an injured foot while having issues with his father over his plans that conflict with Walter’s ideas for his dad’s novels. Jamie Lee Curtis is incredible as Harlan’s eldest daughter in Linda who is suspicious about what happened to her father while becomes troubled by some of the revelations relating to her father’s will.
Christopher Plummer is marvelous as Harlan Thrombey as a crime novelist who is at the center of the story as a man who cares deeply for Marta but also has concerns about his family where he makes some decisions that would upset them while his own death remains a mystery. Chris Evans is remarkable as Ransom Thrombey as Linda and Richard’s son who is the black sheep of the family that likes to cause trouble as he was first seen walking out of his grandfather’s office angrily where he reveals to have issues with his family about their possible inheritance as it’s a darkly comical performance from Evans who gets to steal the show at times. Daniel Craig is phenomenal as Benoit Blanc as a Southern private investigator who is hired by someone he has no clue about as he is trying to figure out what is going on as well as lead the investigation where he is aware that something is off where Craig is funny but also someone who is smart and is aware of his own flaws. Finally, there’s Ana de Armas in a tremendous performance as Marta Cabrera as Harlan’s caretaker who is a kind-hearted woman that helps Harlan in a lot of ways while is becoming a suspect over what happened to him as she also gets into greater trouble as it relates to Harlan’s wishes where de Armas is a revelation in displaying a woman’s innocence as well as her inability to lie without puking.
Knives Out is a spectacular film from Rian Johnson that features great performances from Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Christopher Plummer, and Daniel Craig. Along with its ensemble cast, suspenseful screenplay, evocative setting, and Nathan Johnson’s sumptuous score. It’s a whodunit that manages to have a lot of twists and turns while being filled with interesting characters and situations that are engaging and full of delight. In the end, Knives Out is a sensational film from Rian Johnson.
Rian Johnson Films: Brick - The Brothers Bloom - Looper - Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - (Knives Out 3)
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the Marvel comics series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Avengers: Endgame is the sequel to 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War in which members of the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and several others band together to battle Thanos following the events of the previous film. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film follows the troubling aftermath that forces the Avengers and their allies including new ones to make sense of what happened and get revenge towards Thanos. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Brie Larson, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Danai Gurira, Tessa Thompson, with the voice of Bradley Cooper, and Josh Brolin as Thanos. Avengers: Endgame is a grand and supremely epic film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
Following a battle against Thanos, remaining members of the Avengers and various allies deal with the troubling aftermath as they vow revenge and to find Thanos yet things become more complicated. It’s a film that does play into the fallacy of revenge but it’s more of a study of loss, failure, action, frustration, and the inability to change anything. Yet, there is also this story of hope and second chances as it relates to not just the six original members of the Avengers but also the allies who have survived. The film’s screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely opens with the whereabouts of Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) who had been absent in the Avengers’ conflict with Thanos as he gets a shocking glimpse into what Thanos had done. It would lead to an arc as someone consumed by grief and loss as he would become a rogue assassin until Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) finds him and takes him home. Romanoff would also deal with the fallout of Thanos’ victory as she is trying to keep the peace with members of the Avengers who are still dealing with issues relating to past events as she sees this schism as a family coming apart.
Much of the film’s narrative takes place years after the defeat from Thanos where the members of the Avengers struggle to move on with Barton going rogue and Romanoff feeling lost during its first act. Bruce Banner/the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) eventually finds peace in being both while Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) both living different lives. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) meanwhile would become a recluse troubled by his inability to save those he cared for as he is the most reluctant to re-join the Avengers following a re-appearance from Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) who had been stuck in the quantum realm for five hours (quantum realm time) as he believes there is a way for the Avengers to undo what Thanos did. With the help of Lt. Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper), they would take this one chance to make things right as they would also revisit events from the past in key sequences during the second act. The third act does relate to Thanos and his mission from the previous film as well as why he felt the need to gather all six of these infinity stones as a way to bring balance to the universe by getting rid of half of its population. Due to the aftermath and the Avengers’ desire to undo all of that, Thanos would have a final confrontation with the Avengers realizing how stubborn they are in their refusal to accept defeat.
The direction of Joe and Anthony Russo is definitely gargantuan in the world that it sets though it starts off in a simple presentation with Barton teaching his daughter how to shoot a bow-and-arrow while his sons are playing catch and his wife Laura (Linda Cardellini) is preparing for the family picnic. It’s a moment that sets up the dark reality of what the Avengers are facing as its first act that would also involve Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) who is powerful enough to defeat Thanos by herself yet things become complicated as she along with Okoye (Danai Gurira) would briefly appear in the second act providing the Avengers news about the universe. Shot mainly in the Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Atlanta, the film is set in a grand universe though much of it is set on Earth in upstate New York at the Avengers compound as well as parts of the universe including a few other planets and the African country of Wakanda.
While it is a film with some heavy themes, the Russo brothers do know where to put moments of humor as it relate to Rocket and Banner traveling to Norway to meet with Thor as they would also meet Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) who has managed to survive with some Asgardian refugees. Other moments of humor play into the mission during the film’s second act with some references to past stories but also somber moments as it relates to loss for Thor, Stark, and Rogers. The usage of wide and medium shots doesn’t just play into the locations but also in getting all of the characters in a single shot including the film’s climatic showdown. There are also close-ups that help play into the emotional reaction of the characters and a few funny moments such as an exchange between Rhodes and Nebula during a mission as it relates to a character. The Russos also know how to maintain that need of awareness in ensuring that the audience is aware of what is happening, where, and when as it play into the mission at hand during its second act.
The film’s third act have the Russos take a page from the epic cinema of the past as it relates to the climatic showdown between Thanos and the Avengers. Yet, to call it epic would understate what the Russos have done for this gargantuan battle sequence as it all relate to Thanos’ biggest fear. The stakes are big as it relates to not just the infinity stones but also preventing Thanos from using it all over again where everyone play a part as it would also include a moment of how much all of these people whether they have superpowers, gifts, or other things can matter. The ending is about sacrifice and what some will do to make the universe a better and safer place. They are people, aliens, or beings from different worlds and planets who care more about those who can’t fight or don’t have any kind of power but refuse to bow down to some monster. It would be followed by what is probably one of the most touching and heartfelt endings captured on film that would be fitting to these characters who have done so much to make the universe in what it is no matter how flawed or how stubborn they can be. Overall, the Russos craft a tremendous and exhilarating film about a bunch of superheroes going one more round with some evil supervillain.
Cinematographer Trent Opaloch does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of lights and moods for the look of the film’s climatic battle scene as well as well as the exteriors in some of the planets as well as the interiors for scenes in the day and night. Editors Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt do excellent work with the editing as it help play into some of the film’s humor with some montage-style cuts as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense, action, and drama. Production designer Charles Wood, with set decorator Leslie Pope and supervising art director Ray Chan, does amazing work with the look of the Avengers compound as well as some of the sets that the Avengers go to in their big mission during its second act. Costume designer Judianna Mokovsky does fantastic work with the costumes in the suits that Avengers and Guardians wear as well as the quantum suits they would wear for the big mission.
Special makeup effects artists Carlton Coleman, Nancy Cummings, Tim J. Hays, Jonah Levy, Gaby Macias, Bart Mixon, Jon Moore, Christopher Allen Nelson, Taylor Schulte, and LuAndra Whitehurst, along with key hair stylist Michelle Diamantides do terrific work with the hairstyles of Romanoff, Danvers, and Thor including in some of the makeup that some of the characters would wear including Nebula. Special effects supervisor Daniel Sudick, along with visual effects supervisors Dan DeLeeuw, Philip Leonhardt, and Kelly Port, do incredible work with the visual effects from the look of Thanos and various characters to the aging of a few key characters from the past along with the look of some of the planets and places in the film. Sound designers David Farmer and Shannon Mills, with co-sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects that is created along with the sounds of objects and the atmosphere of certain locations including the array of sounds for the film’s climatic battle.
The film’s music by Alan Silvestri is marvelous for its bombastic orchestral score that is triumphant at times that include themes from previous films but also some low-key and somber themes that play into the drama and the sense of grief while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a wonderful soundtrack that features a different array of music from the Rolling Stones, Traffic, Redbone, the Kinks, and Harry James with Kitty Kallen along with previously used score pieces from Richard Sherman, Michael Giacchino, Pinar Toprak, and Christophe Beck.
The casting by Sarah Finn is great as it feature some notable cameo appearances from Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, Marisa Tomei as May Parker, Jacob Batalon as Ned, Angela Bassett as Queen Mother Ramonda of Wakanda, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, James D’Arcy as Edwin Jarvis, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, John Slattery as Howard Stark, Rene Russo as Frigga, Taika Waititi as Korg, Maximiliano Hernandez as Jasper Sitwell, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, Ross Marquand as Red Skull, Kerry Condon as the voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y., Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Terry Notary as Black Order member Cull Obsidian, Tom Vaughn-Lawlor as Ebony Maw, Michael James Shaw as Corvus Glade, Monique Ganderton as Proxima Midnight, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
Other notable small roles include Emma Fuhrmann as the older Cassie Lang, Alexandra Rachael Rabe as a young girl named Morgan, Hiroyuki Sanada as Yakuza boss Barton is tailing after, Ken Jeong as a storage facility guard, Yvette Nicole Brown as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, director Joe Russo as a grieving man at a group meeting, and Stan Lee in one of his final film cameos as a man in the 1970s. The voice of Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, and Zoe Saldana are terrific in their respective roles as Guardians of the Galaxy members Groot, Drax the Destroyer, Peter Quill/Starlord, Mantis, and Gamora while Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright, and Winston Duke are superb in their respective roles as King T’Challa of Wakanda/Black Panther, Princess Shuri of Wakanda, and M’Baku. Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Elizabeth Olsen, Evangeline Lily, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, and Tom Holland are fantastic in their respective roles as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Hope van Dyne/Wasp, Dr. Steven Strange, Wong, and Peter Parker/Spider-Man as they all play a key role for the film’s climax.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Tessa Thompson are wonderful in their respective roles as Pepper Potts and Valkyrie with the former nursing Stark back to health and the latter watching over the remaining Asgardian refugees in Norway as both of them would play key roles in the final battle. Danai Gurira and Brie Larson are excellent in their respective roles as Okoye and Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel with the former as a Wakandan royal guard who is watching over the state of planet Earth and the latter as the powerful warrior who had been fighting in the galaxy as she would help the Avengers find Thanos as they would also take part in the final battle. Don Cheadle, the voice of Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, and Paul Rudd are brilliant in their respective roles as Lt. Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Rocket Raccoon, the android Nebula, and Scott Lang/Ant-Man as allies who suffered major losses as they also want to make things right with Lang providing a key idea that could help everyone while Nebula deals with her own relationship with Thanos as well as other troubling aspects that she believes would cause trouble. Josh Brolin is incredible as Thanos as the alien despot whose quest to find the six infinity stones has him believing he’s succeeded only to later realize that his mission to defeat the Avengers is far from finished forcing himself to get back in the fight.
Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner are marvelous in their respective roles as the super-assassins Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Clint Barton/Hawkeye as two gifted mercenaries who both deal with loss as Johansson cope with the aftermath of war as she tries to get everyone together while Renner displays the mad grief and loss that Barton endures as someone who had everything only to lose it in the worst way. Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth are remarkable in their respective roles as Bruce Banner/the Hulk and Thor with the former as the scientist who becomes a monster when he’s angry as he finds a balance between the two as he tries to figure things out while the latter is a fragile Nordic god who believes he’s failed as he is afraid to fail again only for the Avengers to help him regain his confidence. Finally, there’s Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in great performance in their respective roles as Steve Rogers/Captain America and Tony Stark/Iron Man as the two leaders of the Avengers who both endure an uneasy reunion only to later put aside their issues and fight with the former as a man letting go of his ideals and the latter trying to make peace with his own faults.
Avengers: Endgame is an outstanding film from Joe and Anthony Russo. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visual effects, an engrossing story of loss and redemption, gorgeous visuals, offbeat tones, and a bombastic music score. It’s a film that isn’t just this grand epic superhero film that does everything it needed to do but a true cinematic event that is willing to explore humanistic themes as well as those who are willing to fight for the helpless whether it’s on planet Earth or any other planet in the universe. In the end, Avengers: Endgame is a magnificent film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Post-Infinity Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania -Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the comic series by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and the comic storylines The Infinity Gauntlet by Jim Starlin and the Infinity series by Jonathan Hickman, Avengers: Infinity War is the story of the fractured superhero group who reunite to stop an alien who is trying to collect six stones in the hopes of destroying the universe as the Avengers seek help from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley, the film is the first of a two-part film series in which the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up with other heroes to stop this being known as Thanos in collecting the stones and save the world.
With an all-star cast that include Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Pom Klementieff, Don Cheadle, Winston Duke, Letitia Wright, Benedict Wong, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Karen Gillan, Peter Dinklage, Carrie Coon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, plus the voice work of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, and Josh Brolin as Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War is a sprawling yet visceral film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
Set a few years after events that broke up the Avengers, the sudden arrival of alien ships featuring members of the Black Order who serve the alien despot Thanos have arrived to Earth to find two of the six infinity stones left on Earth forcing members of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop it from happening. It’s a film with a simple premise with stakes that are huge as the six infinity stones are all based on the elements that arrived after the Big Bang where Thanos is seeking to get all six and put into a gauntlet where he can destroy half the universe with the snap of his finger. The film’s screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley is a multi-narrative script which picks up following events in which Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is stopped by Thanos and the Black Order as he later meets up with the Guardians of the Galaxy who agree to help Thor.
Back on Earth in New York City, Tony Stark/Iron Man meets up with Dr. Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) where they received a warning from Bruce Banner/the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as they’re confronted by two members of the Black Order who want Strange since he carries the time stone as Iron Man is later aided by Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland). Banner would call Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) about what he saw as Rogers, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) deal with the other half of the Black Order who are trying to get the mind stone from Vision (Paul Bettany) who had been in hiding in Glasgow, Scotland with Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) as they all turn to James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) for help despite Rhodes being ordered to arrest Rogers and associates for going against the Sokovia accords. They, along with Banner, would go to Wakanda to get help from King T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) who is aware that Thanos and the Black Order is after Vision. For all of the strands of narrative to occur as it all play into the same thing of these heroes trying to get the remaining infinity stones from Thanos.
There are also so much more that is happening as it relates to Thanos who is this alien figure that is in the belief that he wants to restore balance to the universe and he is convinced that by killing trillions of beings. He can save everything and he needs the six stones to do it as it’s something his adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana) knows as she is the only person that knows where the mysterious soul stone is as there is this unique relationship with the two in an established flashback as he would save her as a child while he and the Black Order wipe out of her home planet. It would play into a sense of conflict for members of the Guardians of the Galaxy including Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt) who had fallen for Gamora as he wants to protect her from Thanos. It’s not just this arc over Thanos/Gamora that invests into a lot of emotional moments as the storyline for Vision/Maximoff is just as important as they’ve become a couple that are deeply in love and Maximoff is desperate to protect Vision. It would later lead to all of the Avengers including Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), T’Challa’s allies, and the Guardians to fight for the universe.
Joe and Anthony Russo’s direction is definitely grand in terms of not just what is at stake but also for the fact that it’s set both on Earth and various parts of the universe. Shot largely in Pinewood Studios near Atlanta, Georgia with additional locations shot in New York City and Atlanta. The film does play into a universe that is big where it opens with Thor being attacked by Thanos and the Black Order where it is a very menacing sequence as it play into what kind of figure Thanos is and how ruthless he is. The Russos’ direction would include a lot of unique compositions in the wide and medium shots to get a scale of how big this war is between the Avengers and Thanos as well as the fact that there’s several factions in the Avengers and Guardians that are trying to get whatever infinity stones that Thanos hasn’t acquired yet. While it is a dark film with some nihilistic elements that is intense in terms of how it impacts the story. There are elements of humor in the film.
Among them involves Thor’s interaction with Quill as the latter doesn’t seem fond of Thor because the former is cooler and gets along easily with Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) while another funny exchange involves the banter between Stark and Dr. Strange as two men with big egos who think they’re better than everyone. Still, the Russos do know when to take the break from the action as it relates to the Avengers trying to understand the infinity stones and what is at stake as well as Thor, Rocket, and Groot traveling to a mysterious planet to create a weapon that can kill Thanos with the help of a giant elf in Eitri (Peter Dinklage). By the time Stark, Dr. Strange, and Parker would meet other members of the Guardians including Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Gamora’s adopted sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) at Thanos’ home planet Titan. The film’s climax which takes place both at Wakanda and at Titan is intense where most of the Avengers take on Thanos’ army and members of the Black Order while Stark, Parker, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians take on Thanos as it is followed by something that is a real punch to the gut.
It plays into the possibilities of what happens if Thanos succeeds in his mission and the costs as it’s not just Thanos who would do something to achieve that. The Avengers and the Guardians would also pay a major price in their attempts to stop him where everyone knows what is at stake but some completely lose sight of that in favor of personal gain with some willing to make sacrifices. Its ending is really unlike many superhero/blockbuster films as it revolves into something much bigger than everyone. Even in the film’s lone post-credit sequence plays up into this sense of a universe that is now shaken to its core as it all goes back to Thanos’ nihilistic idea of the universe in general. Overall, the Russo Brothers craft a visceral and rapturous film about a collection of heroes trying to stop a madman from destroying an entire universe.
Cinematographer Trent Opaloch does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in the way the planet Titan looks in its pink-like shading as well as the scenes in space along with the exteriors in New York City and other locations. Editors Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidtt do terrific work with the editing as it is conventional in terms of its approach to the action with its fast-cutting while allowing scenes to simmer as it does establish what is going on without going into frenetic speed cuts. Production designer Charles Wood, with set decorator Leslie Pope and supervising art director Ray Chan, does brilliant work with the look of the spaceships that Thanos has for the Black Order as well as the look of the different planets the characters go to as well as the Avengers home base and Wakanda. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does nice work with the costumes as it include the look of Spider-Man’s Iron-Spider suit as well as the clothes of the Black Order.
Special makeup effects artists Laura Dandridge, Andre Freitas, Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Tim J. Hays, Christopher Allen Nelson, and LuAndra Whitehurst do fantastic work with the look of the characters including the members of the Black Order and some of the smaller characters that Thor and Thanos would meet. Special effects supervisors Daniel Sudick and Patrick Edward White, along with visual effects supervisors Jeff Capogreco, Dan DeLeeuw, Varun Hadkar, Kelly Port, and Doug Spilatro, do incredible work with the visual effects as it play into the action including some chilling scenes involving Thanos and what he can do with his gauntlet as well as some of the powers that relate to Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and the other heroes. Sound designers David Farmer, Nia Hansen, and Shannon Mills, along with co-sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the sound effects in the film as well as how some of the weapons sound and the noises the spaceships make. The film’s music by Alan Silvestri is phenomenal as it feature some soaring orchestral themes for the heroes as well as some somber pieces and some bombastic themes for Thanos while music supervisor Dave Jordan provides a fun soundtrack that includes Black Panther’s theme and the Spinners’ Rubberband Man to introduce the Guardians.
The casting by Sarah Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jacob Batalon as Peter’s friend Ned, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Benicio del Toro as the Collector, Gwyneth Paltrow as Tony’s fiancé Pepper Potts, Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s adopted brother Loki, Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s sister Princess Shuri, William Hurt as defense secretary Thaddeus Ross who wants Steve Rogers and other associates arrested, Peter Dinklage as the legendary weapons creator Eitri who helps Thor create a weapon to stop Thanos, Winston Duke as the Jabari tribe leader M’Baku, Danai Gurira as the Dora Milaje leader Okoye, Kerry Condon as the voice of Stark’s A.I. tech, Ariana Greenblatt as the young Gamora, and Benedict Wong as the mystic arts master Wong who helps Doctor Strange and Stark deal with members of the Black Order. In the roles of Thanos’ disciples in the Black Order, the performances of Terry Notary as the big monster Cull Obsidian, Michael James Shaw as the vicious Corvus Glaive, Tom Vaughn-Lawlor as the telekinetic Ebony Maw, and Carrie Coon as the powerful Proxima Midnight are superb as villains who are loyal to Thanos.
The performances of Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, and Sebastian Stan are superb in their respective roles as Sam Wilson/Falcon, James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier as members of the Avengers who take part in fighting Thanos’ forces with Rhodes being the one to defy the world’s council orders while Barnes feeling more at peace in his time in Wakanda. The performances of Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper/Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel/Terry Notary, and Karen Gillan are fantastic in their respective roles as Guardians of the Galaxy members Drax the Destroyer, Mantis, Rocket, Groot, and Nebula as the space warriors who are willing to fight Thanos with Bautista and Klementieff as the comic reliefs while Gillan provides a weighted role as Gamora’s adopted sister who has a legit grudge towards Thanos. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are excellent in their respective roles as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch and Vision as they provide some of the emotional moments in the film with Maximoff trying to protect Vision as she copes with the idea of losing him altogether.
Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana are brilliant in their respective roles as Peter Quill/Starlord and Gamora as members of the Guardians of the Galaxy who have fallen for each other as Pratt provides some humor in his banter towards Thor and Stark while Saldana brings a lot of weight to her role as Gamora who hates Thanos but knows she couldn’t lie to him. Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland are amazing in their respective roles as T’Challa/Black Panther and Peter Parker/Spider-Man with Boseman as the reserved king of Wakanda who leads the battle against Thanos in his country while Holland is funny as Parker who says a lot of pop culture things that annoys Stark and Doctor Strange. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. are remarkable in their respective roles as Steve Rogers/Captain America and Tony Stark/Iron Man as the two leaders of the Avengers who both battle Thanos in separate narrative threads as they endure the reality of their situation with Evans as a hardened Rogers who knows what needs to be done and Downey as a determined Stark who has issues with Thanos over the chaos he had brought to him many years before.
The performances of Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo in their respective roles as Doctor Steven Strange, Thor, and Bruce Banner/the Hulk are incredible with Cumberbatch being the mystic arts master who is trying to figure out every scenario as he’s protecting the time stone while Hemsworth brings a weighted performance as Thor who copes with failure and anger and Ruffalo provides a comical performance of sorts as Banner who endures anxiety over the Hulk’s brief fight with Thanos. Finally, there’s Josh Brolin in tremendous performance as Thanos as the alien despot who is hell-bent on destroying the universe as it’s a chilling performance that has Brolin using motion-capture to provide the terror of Thanos where it’s calm but eerie in the way he explains his motives as he creates a villain for the ages.
Avengers: Infinity War is a spectacular film from Joe and Anthony Russo. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, high-octane set pieces, thrilling action sequences, a mesmerizing score, and a haunting story of destruction and nihilism. It’s a superhero blockbuster film that goes all out and more in terms of not just be entertaining but also going into places many films wouldn’t dare in delving into dark themes as well as the concept of loss in the grandest of ways. In the end, Avengers: Infinity War is a phenomenal film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the comic character by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon and the comic series storyline by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, Captain America: Civil War is the story where a major international incident involving the Avengers forces the team to confront their actions where Captain America and Iron Man diverge over ideals only to go into a conflict with several other members of the team taking sides. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film explores not just the idea of duty but also the aftermath of actions where both Captain America and Iron Man don’t see eye-to-eye where the former is forced to protect an old friend an incident that left people dead. Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Emily Van Camp, Daniel Bruhl, and William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross. Captain America: Civil War is a thrilling yet provocative film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
What happens when a group of superheroes are forced to make a decision where they have to answer to the United Nations in order to protect the world from evil forces while not all of them want to answer to anyone? That is pretty much what the film is about where an incident that unfortunately left innocent people killed forces the Avengers to make a decision through an accord created by the United Nations. The guilt-ridden Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) says yes to the accords feeling that the whole team needs to be in check and answer for their own faults. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) doesn’t want to sign as he isn’t sure about answering to any kind of authority preferring to trust his own judgment. The two would diverge further following an international incident in which Rogers’ old friend Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) a major suspect as everyone is unaware that a terrorist in Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) is trying to tear the team apart.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the subject matter of whether or not anyone should answer to the authorities in order to do their jobs but also into the mindset of the team. Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) and Sam Wilson/Falcon both know where they stand on the issue while Vision (Paul Bettany) also would make a decision as he tries to understand everything this accord is all about. Yet, there are those like Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) who do take sides but don’t want to split the team or cause any harm. Especially Maximoff who feels guilty for causing an accident that killed innocent people while Romanoff understands what Stark is saying but doesn’t want to go against Rogers who she’s become very close to. Once the team begin to diverge more where Prince T’Challa of Wakanda/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) wants to go after the Winter Soldier thinking he is involved as he, along with Rhodes, Romanoff, and Vision, would join Stark.
The script does have a structure as it relates to the events that would tear the Avengers apart where the second half would force both Stark and Rogers to turn to a few outsiders where the former would bring in Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and the latter would get Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) as it would lead to a showdown between the two factions. Yet, neither of them want to kill each other as they all want to do what is right though only a few would later realize what is really going on. The film’s third act is about Zemo and his motivations for tearing the Avengers apart but also make some startling revelations that wouldn’t just create a further schism between Stark and Rogers. It would be a moment that prove that, despite their intentions to do good, neither man have any clue on what is right for the world.
Joe and Anthony Russo’s direction is quite vast as it plays into a world that is quite chaotic yet there are those that want to do what is right. Yet, there’s a lot of post-9/11 imagery that looms into the film where the Avengers are forced to see that they unfortunately left people to die. While much of the film is shot in and around Atlanta and its Pinewood Studios with a few of it shot in Germany, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. It does have this feel of a world that is on the verge of change where safety is the main concern but who will be the ones to protect the people? The usage of wide and medium shots to play into locations as well as these meetings that occur as well as a scene where Rogers learn who Sharon Carter/Agent 13 (Emily Van Camp) really is and who she is related to. Even the close-ups add a lot to some of the dramatic moments as it says a lot of where the characters stand but also that not everything is black-and-white.
The action scenes are quite big and do have this air of spectacle as it relates to some of the powers that Ant-Man and Spider-Man would have as well as the intensity of the fighting. Even as they have this mix of humor from the two where it’s the latter that really shines as the character is someone that Rogers and other members in the team have a hard time disliking. The mixture of humor and action do help keep things entertaining while the Russos know when to give the action a break where there moments of exposition into what is going on. Yet, it doesn’t deter from the heart of the story as it relates to the conflict between Stark and Rogers where the two would have a showdown where they don’t just reveal what Zemo is doing but how he would tear them apart as it would also relate to Barnes and his work for Hydra. Overall, Joe and Anthony Russo create a sensational and compelling film about superheroes fighting each other over responsibility and who they should answer to.
Cinematographer Trent Opaloch does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to play into the look of the many locations as they feel vibrant and colorful while some of the interiors including the ones set at a secret base and in Siberia are quite eerie in their look. Editors Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt do nice work with the editing as it is straightforward in the dramatic and light-hearted moments while doing some stylish fast-cutting in some of the action while actually making sense of what is going on. Production designer Owen Paterson, with set decorator Ronald R. Reiss and supervising art director Greg Berry, does amazing work with the set from the look of the Avengers home base to the look of the international buildings including the council meeting and a secret base that appears in the film‘s third act. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does terrific work with the costumes in the way some of the casual clothes the Avengers wear as well as the suit of Black Panther and a more vibrant suit of Spider-Man.
Special makeup effects artists Andre Freitas and Bart Mixon do brilliant work with the look of Vision but also an old nemesis Rogers would confront early in the film. Visual effects supervisors Huseyin Caner, Dan Deleeuw, and Ray Giarratana do fantastic work with the visual effects in the way the action scenes are presented as well as the look of a young Stark during his presentation at MIT early in the film. Sound designers Nia Hansen, David C. Hughes, and Shannon Mills, with co-sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound effects as well as the sounds of explosions and such to capture the element of terror and chaos that looms throughout the film. The film’s music by Henry Jackman is wonderful for its bombastic score that plays into much of the action and drama as its usage of strings and woodwinds also add a lot to its suspense while music supervisor Dave Jordan provides a decent soundtrack that features bits of contemporary and old music from Rogers’ past.
The casting by Sarah Finn is incredible as it features some notable small roles from John Slattery and Hope Davis in their respective roles as Stark’s parents in Howard and Maria Stark, Kerry Condon as the voice of Stark’s A.I. program F.R.I.D.A.Y., Alfre Woodward as a woman who confronts Stark over Sokovia where her son was killed, Jim Rash as a MIT spokesman, John Kani as T’Challa’s father King T’Chaka of Wakanda, Martin Freeman as a government official in Everett K. Ross who tries to make sure the Avengers are in control, Frank Grillo as an old nemesis in Brock Runlow/Crossbones who tries to stage a theft in Africa where he battles Rogers, and Marisa Tomei in a fantastic performance as Parker’s aunt May who is kept in the dark about what her nephew is doing as she is met by Stark unaware of what is going on. Daniel Bruhl is superb as Helmut Zemo as this terrorist who has a big reason for unleashing havoc as well as trying to tear the Avengers apart.
William Hurt is excellent as Thaddeus Ross as the Secretary of State who is tasked with getting the Avengers to be in check for their actions as he tries to instill some authority that makes nearly everyone uncomfortable. Don Cheadle and Anthony Mackie are brilliant in their respective roles as Rhodey/War Machine and Sam Wilson/Falcon as two heroes who are both in different sides with Col. Rhodes being in agreement with the accords and Wilson on the opposite as he also has to contend with Bucky over Rogers’ allegiance in a funny manner. Emily Van Camp is wonderful as Sharon Carter as a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who works for the CIA as she tries to help Rogers find Barnes while providing an emotional connection as it relates to a person in Rogers’ past. Paul Bettany is terrific as Vision who tries to understand what the accord is about as he would participate in aiding Stark while trying to come to terms with the ideas of humanity as well as the fact that there are consequences.
Elizabeth Olsen is amazing as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch as a young woman with telekinetic powers who copes with an incident where she accidentally killed people as she also deal with the idea of authority where she sides with Rogers. Paul Rudd is hilarious as Scott Lang/Ant-Man who is asked by Rogers to aid them where he provides some very funny and exciting moments in the battle while Jeremy Renner is great as Clint Barton/Hawkeye who helps Rogers in the conflict as well as provide some funny banter of his own. Chadwick Boseman is marvelous as T’Challa/Black Panther as a prince who goes after Barnes over an incident as he sports a suit with cool nails as he proves to be a formidable warrior that can kick some ass. Scarlett Johansson is remarkable as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow as an assassin who is conflicted in her allegiance with Stark as she also understand what Rogers is feeling as she also realizes that not everything Stark wants to do is honorable.
Tom Holland is phenomenal as Peter Parker/Spider-Man as he’s just this regular teenager who is smart that is asked by Stark to help him where Holland exudes not just a lot of personality but also humor into his role as he is just a lot of fun to watch. Sebastian Stan is sensational as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier as Rogers’ old friend who copes with who he really is as well as knowing what could make him into this deadly assassin that couldn’t stop where he also is aware that is a target for something he didn’t do. Robert Downey Jr. is tremendous as Tony Stark/Iron Man as a man who is dealing with guilt and other issues who agrees to the accords while trying to stop Rogers and capture Barnes where revelations about Barnes would consume him. Finally, there’s Chris Evans in a spectacular performance as Steve Rogers/Captain America as a man who opposes the accords due to his distrust towards governments where he also copes with loss and responsibility where he also tries to protect his friend not fully aware of what Barnes had done forcing him to see the faults in himself.
Captain America: Civil War is a sensational film from Joe and Anthony Russo. Thanks in part to its large ensemble cast, compelling themes of regulations and responsibility, vast set pieces, and killer action. It’s a blockbuster film that manages to be a lot of things and more where it is entertaining as well as being very smart and provoke some discussions towards its audience without being heavy-handed. In the end, Captain America: Civil War is a phenomenal film from Joe and Anthony Russo.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One Films: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Marvel Phase Two Films: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Marvel Phase Three Films: Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the comic series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, The Avengers: Age of Ultron is the story of a group of superheroes who fight to save the world as they meet their greatest challenge in an artificial intelligent android who is bent on global destruction in his view of bringing peace. Written for the screen and directed by Joss Whedon, the film plays into the team known as the Avengers as they deal with fear but also in being forced to face an enemy who knows how to tear them apart. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Linda Cardellini, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgard, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany, and James Spader as the voice of Ultron. The Avengers: Age of Ultron is a thrilling and exhilarating film from Joss Whedon.
The film revolves around the superhero team known as the Avengers who are tasked with stopping evil forces including Hydra from unleashing terror into the world where a peacekeeping initiative in the form of an artificial intelligent being known as Ultron has threatened to destroy the team and bring global destruction in an act of bringing peace to the world. While it is a plot that is simple in terms of good guy vs. bad guys, it is much more complex considering that Ultron was created by Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) with the aid of Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as a program to help save the world after seeing a dark vision which was brought to him a young woman in Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) during a raid on Hydra by the Avengers. Wanda and her twin brother Pietro/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) would both aid Ultron in destroying the Avengers where the team would become very vulnerable with Stark trying to make sense of what he created.
Joss Whedon’s screenplay does have a more traditional structure as it sort of plays into a rise-and-fall scenario of sorts for the Avengers. The first act pertains to the Avengers having their first encounter with the Maximoff twins and Stark’s intentions in creating Ultron. The second act plays into Ultron’s plans with the Maximoff twins aiding him where Pietro’s speed is his power while Wanda is telekinetic and can manipulate people’s minds as she would be able to make the Avengers, with the exception of Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), vulnerable. Yet, the Maximoff twins aren’t exactly antagonists as they are essentially people who have a legitimate grudge towards Stark but they also display some humanity which makes them more intriguing. By the time the film’s third act emerges as it relates to a mysterious gem inside Loki’s scepter and a project Stark was involved in which could be the one thing that could save the Avengers and the world.
Whedon’s direction is definitely sprawling in terms of the world that is created as well as the fact that there is a lot at stake in what the Avengers are doing. Shot in various locations such as South Africa, South Korea, Bangladesh, New York, Italy, and some studio-based shots in London, the film does have a more global feel where it is about the Avengers trying to protect the world from evil as it would begin in Eastern Europe when the team takes down one of the last Hydra plants in the continent. While there are some great usage of wide and medium shots in the film to establish certain locations as well as play into what is happening when the team isn’t fighting the bad guys or each other. Whedon also finds way to create an intimacy as well as bring humor into the fray as it relates to Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) who has issues with the team saying profanity or the growing attraction between Banner and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) as the latter is the one person who can calm the Hulk down.
The direction also has this air of nihilism as well as the many complexities and flaws about humanity as it relates to Ultron’s view of things. He sees humanity as Neanderthals who are unwilling to evolve as well as create chaos in an attempt to restore order and such. In some ways, he is right but he would take his views to the extremes which wouldn’t just prompt the Avengers to finally pull themselves back up and fight the fight. Even as they do whatever they can to even save the innocent and prove that humanity can be worth saving no matter how bad things are. Overall, Whedon creates a very exciting and compelling film about a group of superheroes and fighters who try to save the world from an android hell bent on destroying the world.
Cinematographer Ben Davis does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography in creating some unique moods and lighting schemes for many of the film‘s interiors such as the Avengers‘ main base as well as some scenes set at the Maximoff twins‘ home country in its exterior settings. Editors Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek do nice work with the editing in creating some unique montages for some of the dreams and flashbacks for some of the characters under Wanda‘s mind manipulation as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into the action and drama. Production designer Charles Wood, with supervising art director Ray Chan and set decorators Chris “Flimsy” Howes, Sheona Mitchley, and Richard Roberts, does amazing work with the design of the Avengers home base as well as the quaint safe house that belongs to Barton where the team would regroup as well as the lab where Ultron sees the next step into his evolution. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne does terrific work with the costumes as much of it is casual for the gang when they’re not working.
Hair/makeup designer Jeremy Woodhead does fine work with the look of the characters from the hairstyle of the Maximoff twins to the look of the mysterious being known as Vision. Visual effects supervisors Geoffrey Baumann, Huseyin Caner, Michael Mulholland, Katherine Rodtsbrooks, Ben Snow, Alan Torres, and Christopher Townsend do brilliant work with the visual effects in the design of Ultron in his evolving state from being one android and then another to the look of the Hulk as he rampages everything around him. Sound designer David Acord, with sound editors Christopher Boyes and Frank. E. Eulner, does superb work with the sound in the way some of the gunfire is heard along with sound effects that play into the action and suspenseful moments in the film. The film’s music by Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman is brilliant as it is this great mix of bombastic orchestral music with some electronic textures as it play into much of the action and drama that occurs in the film while music supervisor Dave Jordan provide a soundtrack that mixes old-school band music, classical pieces, and operatic pieces as it‘s a piece that Banner uses to soothe the Hulk.
The casting by Sarah Finn and Reg Poerscout-Edgerton is incredible as it features appearances from Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Don Cheadle as Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, Thomas Krestchmann as a Hydra leader in Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, Henry Goodman as Dr. List who was doing experiments on the Maximoff twins, Kerry Condon as the voice of Stark’s new AI protocol named F.R.I.D.A.Y., Julie Delpy as Romanoff’s Red Room headmistress Madame B. in a flashback, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter in Captain America’s dream sequence, Idris Elba as Thor’s friend Heimdall in a dream sequence, Andy Serkis as an arms dealer in Ulysses Klaue who provides Ultron some formulas he needed, and Claudia Kim as the geneticist Dr. Helen Cho who is a friend of Stark as she is also key to the thing that Ultron craves for and would be the catalyst to save the world.
Linda Cardellini is fantastic as Barton’s wife Laura as a woman who would provide the Avengers a safe house as well as be the person who can ground Barton and give him a reason to stay alive. Cobie Smulders is excellent as Maria Hill as a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who works for the Avengers in planning everything that is happening while being the one person she can bring Nick Fury in to help them. Samuel L. Jackson is brilliant as Nick Fury as the former leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. who tries to rally the Avengers to get their wind back after their huge defeat while revealing exactly more of what Ultron is trying to do. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is terrific as Pietro Maximoff as a man who can run very fast at impossible speed while Elizabeth Olsen is amazing as his twin sister Wanda as this young woman who is very dangerous with her telekinetic powers that can destroy anything in her path and having the power of mind control.
Paul Bettanny is superb in a dual role as Stark’s old AI companion J.A.R.V.I.S. and later the mysterious being known as Vision who is the key catalyst that could help the Avengers in the war against Ultron. James Spader is phenomenal as the voice of Ultron as an AI creation who sees Stark’s ideas for peace as something worse where he is filled with some dark humor as well as being someone that is dangerous in what he could unleash on the world. Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans are marvelous in their respective roles as Thor and Steve Rogers/Captain America as two heroes who are both powerful but become vulnerable as the former copes with visions he had relating to his home planet as the latter deals with the idea of what could’ve been if he hadn’t been frozen for 75 years.
Robert Downey Jr. is astounding as Tony Stark/Iron Man as the billionaire/scientist who tries to do good in creating Ultron only to realize what went wrong as he tries to shield the blame on himself though is aware that he is at fault. Mark Ruffalo is tremendous as Dr. Bruce Banner/the Hulk who finds a balance in being himself and the Hulk until his encounter with Wanda has him succumb to fear and uncertainty. Jeremy Renner is great as Clint Barton/Hawkeye as the great sharpshooter who is the glue of the team as he would be the one to carry them as everyone becomes vulnerable while revealing another life he has that few know about. Finally, there’s Scarlett Johansson in a radiant performance as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow as the skilled assassin who is also expressing feelings for Banner while becoming vulnerable by her own flashbacks where she copes with the fact that she too is a monster in some ways.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron is a sensational film from Joss Whedon. Featuring a great cast, an intriguing premise, compelling themes, and lots of exhilarating action and suspense. The film is definitely a blockbuster film that manages to be a lot of things but also provide some substance to have audiences talk about the ideas of war and peace. In the end, The Avengers: Age of Ultron is a spectacular film from Joss Whedon.
Joss Whedon Films: Serenity - Much Ado About Nothing (2012 film) - Justice League
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One Films: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Marvel Phase Two Films: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - Ant-Man
Marvel Phase Three Films: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
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