Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron is as close as filmmaking has come to capturing the feel of reading a super hero comic book. It’s jammed full of thrilling action scenes, muddled plots and subplots, sci-fi techno babble, obscure character cameos, and iconic images. An elaborate fight scene near the end is staged in slow-motion, almost like the individual panels of a comic. It’s not a great film, and it’s certainly not as well conceived or paced as it’s predecessor, but it sure is a joy to behold if you’re a fan of the genre, and especially so if you like super hero comics.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Now THIS is how you make a movie! I don’t even like the Mad Max series or the post apocalyptic genre, but this film is a 10. When the last frame cut to the credits I found myself applauding, and I wasn’t alone. Everything is perfectly crafted in this film–perfect plot, perfect character development, perfect art design, perfect cinematography and editing, perfect action choreography; even the violence was handled perfectly–not overly gory or mean spirited but still realistic and scary. There’s not a wasted frame or a self-indulgent moment–except maybe that electric guitar flamethrower that everyone is talking about. I’ve read some reviews complaining that the film’s story is too simple, but I think that’s one of the its strengths. Fury Road‘s story is stripped downs and iconic, like a western, and most of it is shown rather than told, a unique trait of cinema that most blockbuster directors have ignored in recent years. Mad Max: Fury Road is my favorite film so far this Summer, and maybe the coolest action adventure film I’ve ever seen–right up there with Raiders of the Lost Ark. If you like movies at all you should go see it right now!
Jurassic World
Jurassic World is a bizarre, laughable parody of the original Jurassic Park. Where the original was beautifully crafted and paced, this “soft reboot” as some are calling it is flat and one-noted. Park was full of wonder and hard science fiction, World is jaded and made up of goofy dinosaur fan service. It may not be a bad cheesy monster movie, but it’s no science fiction classic like Spielberg’s original. Avoid this film unless you just want a good chuckle.