Avengers Assemble (2012)

...And it all leads to this. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. One of the greatest superhero movies to date and probably of all time.

*Major Spoiler Alert* I recommend seeing the film before reading on.
When Loki and his alien army threaten to take over the world, Nick Fury and his tam of 'supers' must come together to save us from disaster.

We've met the characters before, but are they any different or better? I think so.
Captain America/Steve Rogers, leader of the Avengers didn't really leave a major impression on me as I found him forgettable. However, he has improved. He'd moved away from the sickly man to the empowered super soldier that he is supposed to be. He was more leader like and in control.
Iron Man/Tony Stark was his usual cocky self, but he underwent some character development. He went from being a self-obsessed genius to someone who would give his life to save others. Although this was somewhat predictable, I did like it. It made him more loveable. Beneath that metal suit is a mushy man.
Thor seemed to be going through a rough time, which made he a bit down. This could be due to the fact that he can't see his true love and his brother is trying to take over the world he loves (again). I just wanted give him a hug. He did have some great moments, godly moments.
You learn a lot about Black Widow in the Avengers. She hasn't always fought on the side of good, but she's trying to make up for it. You discover her weakness and that if you tried to hurt them she would go all kick-ass on you like in Iron Man 2.
Hawkeye encounters a few problems  in the film. It's a bad day for some when Loki takes over your mind and makes you kill people. You don't really see much of him in Thor, but in this you really see his skill set. Give the man a bow and arrow, and he could probably hit an apple on top of a moving vehicle, whilst abseiling down a building. I think he's awesome for a 'normal' person.
Loki, my favourite Avengers villain returns to reap some more havoc. He seems slightly like a stroppy child because he's not getting enough attention. I got the feeling that I didn't really know what was going on inside his head and i don't think he knows either. All you know is that he wants us to obey him. He looked ill and tired in the Avengers and this makes him seem more human. I also wanted to give him a hug.
Finally, the most impressive character of all, Bruce Banner a.k.a Hulk. The previous interpretations in my opinion weren't very good, but Mark Ruffalo's was brilliant. I liked the fact that Banner was portrayed as having accepted the fact that he had a 'problem' and that it didn't entirely rule his life. I also liked that he referred to the Hulk as The Other Guy. The CGI Hulk was also an improvement on the previous because he actually looked like Mark Ruffalo.  My favourite scene of the entire film involves him and you have to look out for it. the other Avengers have been fighting for a while and then he turns up. Best scene.

The majority of the Avenger's is set on Earth. The focus of the battle is New York and what I assume was the CGI destruction of the city was amazing. Although you knew it was CGI, it actually looked real, unlike the New York in Captain America. Stark Tower was an impressive looking building. I liked the fact that it was at the centre of the battle and it seemed to be practically untouched. There were only a few windows smashed. I also like the fact that the letter A(vengers) was the only one remaining from the Stark sign...coincidence I think not.
The sky ship has been used in previous films before (Sky Captain of the World), but this is the first that could really disappear. There could be one hovering over your house right now and you wouldn't know. I probably wouldn't go up there myself, but it is a good idea for a secret government agencies hideout.
Lastly, the most impressive 'set' of all was the alien home. It was really dark and mysterious. You couldn't see very much, but it looked like a place you wouldn't want to stay because it was stark and mountainous. It also looked like it was floating on clouds.

The narrative was slightly predictable, but great all the same. In terms of forming the Avengers it followed a similar structure to other films. At first all of the members don't get on and then someone (Loki) kills someone (Agent Coulson) that they all care about. So they form a team to defeat the murderer. I particularly liked this because Agent Coulson had been in all of the films so we were all emotionally attached to him and wanted them to avenge his death. It was truly a sad moment when he died. I had hoped that he wouldn't die :(
Obviously being a superhero film there had to be some fighting, but it wasn't just between the goodies and baddies. The battle between Iron Man, Thor and Captain America was both great and funny because neither one could get the upper hand and they ended up destroying more of the island than each other. The funniest fight was between Loki and Hulk. Loki states, 'I'm a God.' Hulk reacts in a Tom and Jerry fashion by bashing Loki back and forth into the floor.
As I've already said there are some funny scenes. A lot of the humour comes from the dialogue, but there are some scenes were the action makes you laugh. For example; just after the Hulk and Thor have defeated the flying whale things, Hulk punches Thor. I personally think that the humour is what makes the film great. A large part of the humour revolves around the 'bromance' formed between Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. They're perfect for each other. Two geniuses that are in love with each others scientific work.
The good thing about Avengers Assemble is that it answers all of the questions left over from the previous films. You discover what the cube is actually for and how Thor can return to Earth. You also find out what happened to Red Skull.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film and it definitely deserves to be the third highest grossing film of all time. I was amazing to have all the superheroes in one film and I hope there is more to come. Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 are due to be released next year and Captain America 2 the year after that.

Beautiful Blogger Awards



Until yesterday I had never heard of the Beautiful Blogger Awards and I'm amazed that I was even nominated. I wasn't expecting anyone to read my blog, I just wanted to write about my love of Film. I've only just started and I feel that I have a lot more to say. So, thank you for showing me that someone reads my blog.
Seven amazingly, probably mundane facts about me.

1. I have an evil name and there are stories behind the different choices that parents had. My name is Emily Rose Lindsay. Firstly, my dad is a gardener and ironically there is a rose named Emily. It's a peachy colour and it's rare. Secondly, having the last name Lindsay is not fun. Every two seconds someone calls me Lindsay and every time I have to correct them, 'No, that's my last name.' :P Plus, there are about six hundred (over exaggeration) spellings of Lindsay. It's the Scottish way. Not SEY, LYN. It's spelt properly. Final, my parents thought it would have been funny to call me Lynsey Lindsey Lindsay. Thank God they didn't.
2. I have hyper-mobile joints which means I'm more flexible that you normal people. It's not as severe as others, but I like to see it as I'm next step in evolution and it seems to have failed.
3. I'm a geek. I can quote some films and TV programmes word for word. I remember hundreds of facts about TV and film. Ask me a question and I can probably answer it. I have a t-shirt with a wookiee on it.
4. Apparently the worst thing I did was learn to talk (according to my mum). In our family it's known as verbal diarrhoea. I will talk and talk and talk. It annoys everyone and even me. I'm doing it right now in this blog post.
5. I have a fear of many things starting with the letter S. Steep Stairs, Spiders, Snakes and Sports I don't enjoy.
6. I have two cats, if that's what you can call them. Poppy, who is more like a dog and her sister Lily, who is grumpy. They're nearly 10 and they're both totally mad. I think we may have done something wrong.
7. I am quite tall for a girl. I'm 5ft 10 1/2inchs (the 1/2 counts) and I have six 9 feet.

Now for the my favourite blogs.
http://curiositything.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/beautiful-blogger-award.html This is the first lovely lady to nominate me. She writes a variety of blog posts that are funny, meaningful and brilliant.

http://thegirlwiththegreenumbrella.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/i-just-got-nominated-for-beautiful-blog.html This  is the second lovely lady to nominate me. She wants to be a journalist and this is her platform. She writes about life in general and she is one of my closest friends.

http://lightsoutwordsflow.blogspot.co.uk/ Although my friend hasn't written for a while I would like to nominate him because he is an amazing writer and deserves to be noticed. :)

http://highlyamusingurl.blogspot.co.uk/ I would also like to nominate this lovely lady. She's totally random when it comes to writing her blog and I can guarantee that you will enjoy reading her blog.

This is what to do now:

Put down seven facts about yourself,

Link to the blog of the person who nominated you,

Link to blogs who you think deserve the award,

Let these bloggers Know,

Simple as that.

Avengers Assemble: Captain America

I would like to apologise for the lateness of this blog post. I have exams to revise for and I got a new job. I blame the Avengers for coming out in the middle of my exams. I shall post this, but you may have to wait for my Avengers Assemble review.

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The final avenger to be created for our viewing pleasure, but the first to assemble. Captain America: The First Avenger was released shortly after Thor in 2011.

Set during World War II, the film follows Steve Rogers transformation from a sickly man to super-soldier, Captain America. To aid the war effort Rogers must stop Adolf Hitler's head of weaponry, Red Skull and his attempts at world domination.

Unlike the other Avengers, Captain America is packed full with British stars. The first of which plays the strong and independent Peggy Carter. Hayley Atwell depicts the character having two sides; the caring woman and the strict British agent (to the surprise of the male characters). Dominic Cooper players super genius, Howard Star, the father of Tony Stark. They have very similar characteristics (cocky, big headed, rich and smart) and they actually look quite similar. Another British Star is Toby Jones who seems to pop up in lots of American films. The recent Hunger Games star, plays Dr. Amin Zola, Red Skull's kind-of sidekick. He doesn't seem very evil, but I personally get the feeling that without Red Skull he would have taken over the world.

Now onto the THE American. Captain America, Steve Rogers is played by Chris Evans. His character is very unlike the other avengers as he is shy, caring and quite. It seems like he doesn't believe what is happening to him and you want to give him a big hug. The only minor problem I have is that Chris Evan has already played a superhero (Human Torch in Fantastic Four) and I feel that there is a slight expectation that the two characters will be similar. But, as I said, only a minor problem. Finally the villain, Red Skull played by Hugo Weaving. There is no doubt that Red Skull is evil as he is the head of weaponry in Adolf Hitler's regime. I personally feel that the character is lacking something and I don't think he is evil enough.

There are both good and bad points in terms of the setting. I loved the fact it was set in Brooklyn during World War II because I love that era and city. I also liked the use of Flushing Meadows because it links nicely to Iron Man. The bad point was that Brooklyn didn't look very real. you could easily tell that it was CGI and it made it hard to focus on what was happening.

The narrative followed the similar superhero story. You see what Steve Rogers was like before and how he becomes Captain America. This part of the narrative I found really interesting because you could see why they needed him and what they do to him. To cut a long story short, Steve Rogers ends up fighting in the war where he meets Red Skull and has to defeat him. Out of all of the avengers film, I found this to be the most forgettable in terms of narrative. (Sorry Captain America fans)

As per usual there are links to the other films. The most obvious being Howard STARK as I mentioned earlier, but there are some more subtle links. When Red Skull grabs the cube, the world of Asgard appears in the air (I had to point this out to my brother on multiple occasions) and Nick Fury makes an appearance at the end.

Over all I did enjoy the film, but it didn't really stand out for me. I would happily sit down and watch it again and I will pay money to buy it, but I personally prefer Iron Man and Thor.



Avengers Assemble: Iron Man

With two of his own films, a third in the works and a superhero collaboration film, Iron Man is undoubtedly a popular avenger, if not the most popular. In 2008, Iron Man was introduced, closely followed by the sequel in 2010 and calls from comic book fans for an Avengers movie.
The Iron Man films follow genius Tony Stark, his technically advanced armoured suit and the problems he encounters with technology and those who wish to stop him.

Just like Thor, Iron Man stars some big names. Jeff Bridges and Mickey Rourke are just two from a long list. however, unlike Thor, a well known actor was cast to play leading man, Tony Stark and the armoured superhero, Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr played the cocky, big headed, playboy, genius to a tee and I can't imagine anyone else in the role. He's the kind of character you want to hate because he has everything (he's smart, good looking and has loads of money), but you can't help loving him. you want to be his friend and help him, especially in Iron Man 2. I love Robert Downey Jr in this film because he is both funny and serious. He likes to joke about. Two films means two villains, the first  being played by Jeff Bridges. Obadiah Stane is a character that you expect to be a villain because of the way he looks, with his shaved head, bushy beard and expensive suit. I personally hoped he wasn't evil, just out of love for Jeff Bridges. But, alas he couldn't be good and as the villain, I think he did quite well. The second villain, played by Mickey Rourke, is seriously pissed off Russian Ivan Vanko. Out of all the avenger villains he is my least favourite because he seems to annoy me. I don't know why, I just don't think he's a great villain. He is covered in tattoos and harnesses Iron Mans power in whip form. I must applaud Rourke on his Russian accent because it couldn't have been easy loosing the American and learning a new language in a short space of time. The women of Iron Man are great role models because they are independent, smart and strong. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) must also be applauded for putting up with Tony Stark for so long. the best part about her character is seeing her interact with Stark. Her refusal to flirt back with Stark, gives you a reason to laugh at him because he doesn't get everything he wants. The multiple names S.H.E.I.L.D agent, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlettt Johansson) shows that women can kick any man's butt (women 1-0 men). I do have to quickly mention the director's cameo as Happy Hogan. Jon Favreau plays Strak's bumbling sidekick in a way. He is Strak's driver and without him he would be lost, especially at the race in Iron Man 2.
There's not a lot you can say about the setting of the Iron Man films as they are set in the real world. However, I like the use of Flushing Meadows for the Strak Expo and the role it plays in the narrative of Iron Man 2.
The majority of Iron Man is spent building and improving the suit, whilst kicking some evil butt along the way. You're practically taken step by step through the changes of the suit. The suit itself took me back to when i was a kid watching the animation. They look so similar. Improvements are made throughout the narrative of Iran Man 2 as well. Once again, just like Thor, there was comedy, action, sci-fi  and a little romance. the films seemed more real than the other avenger films because they were set in the real world and the stories seems more achievable. Maybe the Iron Man suit will exist in the future. If it does, I nominate Robert Downey Jr to control it.
There are obviously links to the other Avenger films. The S.H.E.I.L.D agent (Clark Gregg), Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) are present. The Stark Expo is similar to the one held by Tony Stark's dad, Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Overall, I think the Iron Man films are my favourite avenger films because I like the character of Tony Stark and the way Robert Downey Jr plays him. I also like the relationships he has with Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff and Happy Hogan.

Avengers Assemble: Thor

Thor, son of Odin, Norse god of thunder and comic book hero came to screens near you in 2011. The film tells the story of Thor, a god exiled from his homeland of Asgard to Earth by his father Odin, King of Asgard. Whilst on Earth, Thor forms a relationship with Jane Foster. However, he must stop the person who threatens to destroy Earth, Asgard and the home of the Frost Giants, Jotunheim.

From Anthony Hopkins to Natalie Portman, Thor starred some big names. But, lead character Thor was played by a less established, Chris Hemsworth. This lack of star typecasting made his character more relatable for the audience, than other superheroes. The cocky, big headed attitude and being brought down to Earth (literally in Thor's case) has been experienced by most people at some point in their lives. Thor is one of my favourite superheroes and in my opinion this has to be attributed to Hemsworth's performance. his cheeky smile, caring but, serious performance gave Thor's personality depth that doesn't tend to exist in superheroes. Where as Thor's brother, Loki, shows very little emotion which adds to your suspicions of which side he is on. Tom Hiddleston (Loki) creates a 'mask' to hide all of Loki's emotions behind. This can also be seen in Anthony Hopkin's portrayal of Odin, but to a lesser extent. Odin  is quiet, responsible and level headed. However, you feel that if you get on the wrong side of him the full force of the gods anger will be released on you. A rarity appears in Thor. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is smart and for lack of a better word 'normal.' This doesn't tend to happen in superhero films. Women who are smart tend to be glamorous. After watching Black Swan it was nice to see Natalie Portman playing a 'normal,' relatable character. The only character that I didn't rally like was Young Thor. He's only in a small scene, but in that time I just wanted to tell him to go to his room for being so full of himself. What else can you expect from a boy born to be a god and a king?

Set across three worlds; Asgard, Earth and Jotunheim, Thor is a prime example of how to create worlds using CGI that are, for the most part, believable. Thor's home, Asgard, and Jotunheim were constructed with amazing detail. Asgard's gold buildings, glass rainbow bridge (The Bifrost) and extravagant decorations, all showed off the wealth and power of the gods. The beautiful setting makes it the ideal place to go on holiday (minus the conflict, of course).Whereas, you wouldn't want to be taking your holiday snaps in the cold depths of Jotunheim. Inhabited by the Frost Giants the once great city is shrouded in darkness and falling apart. You feel cold just looking at it.

The costumes of the humans and Frost Giants aren't spectacular, just plain (the Frost Giants don't wear much). But, the costumes of the gods are just as amazing as the detailed Asgard. Each god has an individual style; rich colours, gold, metals, capes. Another way to show off their wealth and power.

In terms of the actual story, what was there was good. I particularly liked the mixing of myth and reality, science and magic. My favourite quote is "Your ancestors called it magic, but you call it science. I come from a land where they are one and the same." Thor contains action, sci-fi, comedy and romance. One of my friends complained that there wasn't enough action, but personally I liked the fact that there was less action because it was more like storytelling. It's what you expect from a film based on a comic book that is based on a myth.

Being an Avenger, Thor is linked to the other films. It features Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Nick Fury (Samuel L.Jackson). It also references Tony Strak (Iron Man) in the destroyer scene.

Overall, I really like the film because of the mythical content and it was different to your usual superhero film. Plus, Chris Hemsworth walks around topless in one scene and I feel that is a good enough reason to watch the film. :D

Note: I will remind you to do this in each post. Please watch to the end of the credits.

Avengers Assemble (Soon)

Calling all Avengers (fans), Avengers Assemble is released on the 26th April 2012; the long anticipated movie bursting with superheroes. In the run up to the release I will review the movies leading up to the Assemble (except The Hulk movies because they have no link to the others and in my opinion they're not as good as them either), ending with the review for Avengers Assemble.
So, stay tuned.

Note: If you decide to watch the films please watch through the credits to the end because there is a scene that links to the next/other films. 

The Hunger Games (2012)

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!

Sorry if I sound like a raving fan girl, but I finally had enough money to go to the cinema and see The Hunger Games. I had recently read the books by Suzanne Collins and my expectations couldn't have been higher. As with every film adaption of a book, I was expecting it to totally destroy the book, but to my surprise it didn't.
There is so much I could say about this film and I apologise if I seem to be rambling on.
I had already visualised the characters when I read the books and I wasn't entirely sure about their choice of some actors. My first concern was with the main character Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence. I could only imagine her playing the strong, hunter side of Katniss and I found it hard imagining her in the 'star crossed lover' scenes with Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson. But, I have to say now that I've seen the film I can't imagine anyone else playing Katniss. She palyed both sides of Katniss, the caring and the strong, really well. Another character I wasn't sure about was President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland. Snow wasn't exactly how I imagined the character to look, but his personality was perfect. You could really sense that he had an evil side hidden behind a mask. The rest of the cast was amazing. I expected a lot from Josh Hutcherson and his portrayal of Peeta was exactly how I'd imagined the character. He was my favourite character in the books and now the films. I also liked Amandla Stenberg as Rue because she seemed innocent.
The costumes for the tributes and the people of the Capitol were out of this world. Odd dresses, wigs, make up, but it was the girl on fire dress that made renowned designers get out their drawing pads, designing their own versions of the dress that was 'on fire'. The actual dress was amazing, bright orange with matching jewels and the effect that it was on fire. It was beautiful.
The most surprising part for me was the narrative. As I had read the book, I wasn't expecting to be surprised. Along with excellent cinematography, the director actually managed to make me jump, even when I was expecting it to happen. This is something that most film adaptions of books have failed to do. I was also surprised by something new altogether. Before I saw the film I had heard that they had added something to the narrative that wasn't in the book. You never 'see' the people running The Hunger Games, the Gamemakers. I'm glad that they added it because it made the games seem more horrific as it highlighted the fact that it was supposed to be an entertainment show for the people of the Capitol.
I did have one issue that isn't really with the film. The BBFC gave the film a 12A rating and some gore had obviously been cut out of the film to achieve this rating. But, parents are complaining about the rating being too low and I agree. It should have really been rated a 15 and they could have kept all of the gore. I know this throws up issues for some teenagers who aren't quite 15, but there were children in the cinema that I didn't think the film was really appropriate for because they were too young and probably didn't understand what was going on.
The Hunger Games met my expectations and exceeded them. It was a truly great film and I would happily watch it over and over again. It was an amazing adaption and I can't wait for the sequel.