The Shield, The Arrow, And The Snark

So the new Avengers movie is coming out this weekend. I thought to get things underway I'd do an image blog. Enjoy!

Just A Wee Bit Of A Disagreement

“We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are our own.” ~ Captain America

“We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I’m game.” ~ Tony Stark

“Captain, while a great many people see you as a hero, there are some who prefer the word vigilante. You’ve operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That’s something the world can no longer tolerate.” ~ Thaddeus Ross

“Look, man, I know you know a lot of super people, so... thanks for thinking of me.” ~ Ant-Man

“If you do this, they will never stop being afraid of you.” ~ Vision 

“I can’t control their fear, only my own.” ~ Scarlet Witch

 “Are we still friends?” ~ Black Widow 

“That depends on how hard you punch me.” ~ Hawkeye

“I’m trying to prevent you from tearing the Avengers apart.” ~ Iron Man 

“You did that when you signed.” ~ Captain America

Marvel Studios continues its run of comic book adaptations with Captain America: Civil War, which could easily be titled Avengers: Civil War, since almost all of the team turn up through the film. The film brings back brother directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed the previous Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as well as previous cast members, all while introducing some key new characters. Along the way, the story ties closely to the previously established continuity of the Avengers world, and ends up pitting heroes against each other... all while a villain pulls strings from behind the scenes.

The film opens years in the past, with the brainwashed Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), otherwise known as the Winter Soldier, dispatched by Hydra on an assassination mission. In the present day, months after the Avengers defeated Ultron, Captain America (Chris Evans) and some of his fellow Avengers work to bring down a familiar adversary, though there are casualties along the way. The team are informed that the UN wants oversight on the team; the news is delivered by the Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt, reprising his military officer role which he last played in The Incredible Hulk).

The issue has the team seeing things differently. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who’s been feeling guilty about creating Ultron in the first place and the destruction caused by it, supports the initiative. Steve Rogers has more faith in himself than in government agencies. One can see the validity of both arguments, but the dilemma has the team becoming fractured, particularly after the assassination of an esteemed African king at the hands of the Winter Soldier.

The screenplay is by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who wrote the two previous Captain America films, as well as Thor: The Dark World, and the Chronicles Of Narnia series. The story really comes across as a continuation of where things left off with The Winter Soldier, while also playing off the events of Avengers Age Of Ultron. It takes elements from a comics big event called Civil War, which threw the idea of superhuman registration into the mix. One character created for that event is reprised here, the notion of regulation is explored, and two opposing viewpoints expressed most strongly by Cap and Iron Man are clearly designated. That said, the film takes those plot points and goes off in a different and much better direction (the original limited series, written by a hack of a writer named Mark Millar, can be avoided).

Rather than an epic war torn film, the script plays like a psychological thriller, with hints of the Western here and there- with clearly drawn lines and little shades of grey. It’s hard to pick sides between the schism that forms up in the Avengers, but it’s easy to understand both points of view, and that comes across through the script. The story plays around with themes of personal and public responsibility, the loyalties of friendships, and political intrigue. And while it deals with heroes finding themselves on opposing sides of an ethical dilemma, the script does allow for villainy to rear its head, giving us an adversary who’s drawn differently from his Marvel origins, and yet is just as devious. Markus and McFeely’s script even brings in some humour, while maintaining the established characterization in what turns out to be a very large cast.

The Russos did exceedingly well with The Winter Soldier, and so it makes perfect sense to bring them back to direct this film. They’ve already shown that they have a good take on action, something that’s pretty much essential in a Marvel adaptation, but they also have the right touch in letting characters shine, which happens throughout- a difficult task when one is dealing with such a sizeable cast. The film was shot in various spots around the world, suitable since the story features globe-trotting locations, both real and Marvel-created; the use of a German airport- strangely not that busy- features heavily in the film, for instance. And I really liked the look of the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda.

While many of the characters through the film are previously established in other films in terms of costume design and other such details, three new characters key to the film show up, and I like the way the production crew gave their looks. Spider-Man (Tom Holland) makes his debut in the Marvel cinematic universe (thanks to a deal with Sony, who have apparently gotten tired of rebooting the character), and the character’s look is very much in the tradition of the comics. 

Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) also makes his debut, and I really liked the sleek, high tech look of the character’s uniform, fitting with his African origins and totally badass. Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), a villain from the comics, on the other hand, does not have any of his traditional look- no mask, but the character’s look fits what the story has in store for him. In addition, the Russos brought back Henry Jackman to compose the score- he did the tense, slightly nihilistic score for The Winter Soldier- Jackman’s score expands on where he started from and moves in new directions.

The cast is a big one, but everyone feels cohesive to the purposes of the story. Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit) turns up as an American government official, Everett Ross, tied to the Panther in the comics, somewhat ambiguous in terms of his world view. Marisa Tomei turns up as Peter’s aunt May Parker- still too young, but filling the maternal worrying aspect of the character. Alfre Woodard appears as Miriam Sharpe, a character from the comics, fulfilling the same role as she did in the Civil War limited series- making Tony Stark feel profoundly guilty, while not being nearly as obnoxious as her comics counterpart. William Hurt reprises his role as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who’s moved on from his military days spent hunting the Hulk to politics; he’s still as dismissive of heroes as ever, still comes across as a man bearing a permanent grudge.

John Kani was a surprise appearance as T’Chaka, the ill fated king of Wakanda; I really liked his work in The Ghost And The Darkness, and his appearance here was welcome. Emily VanCamp reprises her role from The Winter Soldier as Sharon Carter, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who’s moved over to the CIA. Sharon has history with Cap, and the two characters have a common world view and good chemistry. Frank Grillo also returns from The Winter Soldier as the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Hydra loyalist Brock Lumlow, aka Crossbones, still imposing as ever (the look the production crew give him here suits him), and still bearing a serious grudge, which certainly comes across in how Grillo plays him.

Daniel Bruhl, who I last saw in Rush (opposite Chris Hemsworth- with the absence of Thor in this film, there’s a missed chance to have a double-take between the actors) plays Helmut Zemo, the villain of the film. He’s a man of facades, a military officer turned terrorist from Sokovia, the country devastated by the events of Age Of Ultron, and obsessed with revenge against the Avengers for the destruction in his country. It makes his motives understandable, at least- he’s lost loved ones and blames it on the heroes. Zemo’s quite different from his comics counterpart, in terms of background and his look, but the character in the film is devious, clever, and knows how to pull strings. Bruhl certainly plays to that, giving Zemo a ruthless, manipulative touch that fits into the Marvel universe very well indeed. He’s a bastard, but a relatable one, and he ends up making a compelling villain.

Paul Rudd reprises his role as Scott Lang after last year’s Ant-Man. The character is recruited into Cap’s faction, and Rudd provides some of the humour of the film, particularly in how he meets Cap for the first time. Some of the other humour comes from Tom Holland, debuting as Spidey; the character’s young, but already powered when we meet him (wisely the story doesn’t need to rehash the Spider-Man origin yet again). Holland gives the character the right degree of snark (he never seems to shut up), while the character takes part less out of any real principle than out of the personal relationship he has with Tony Stark- something of a mentor and student dynamic.

Chadwick Boseman is new to the Marvel universe as T’Challa, the young African prince turned king also known as the Black Panther, a royal title as much as anything else. The actor previously appeared as Jackie Robinson in 42, so I was looking forward to what he would do with this character, and he fits T’Challa perfectly. For the story, the character is a third voice, a different point of view from Steve and Cap, and his motivations are very personal in where he stands. T’Challa is royalty, coming to inherit his father’s throne in a way he would have never wanted, and I like the way the story features him trying to find balance between tradition and the modern world. The Panther comes across as the brilliant but mysterious man I would have expected from his best comics appearances- when the solo film comes along, the writers would be wise to follow the comics works of Christopher Priest, whose writing style really paid off for the character.

Paul Bettany’s been involved in the Marvel cinematic universe from the beginning, giving voice to Tony Stark’s AI program JARVIS through the Iron Man and Avengers films until taking on the role of the android Vision in Age of Ultron. He plays the character with a combination of logical and naive, a curious being searching for the meaning of humanity. Elizabeth Olsen reprises her role as Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, having had debuted in Age of Ultron as the character. Wanda is somewhat conflicted, having had lost her brother in battle, and there’s some interesting chemistry between her and the Vision, while the position she ultimately chooses is entirely understandable.

Don Cheadle returns as James Rhodes, the military officer and best friend of Tony Stark who uses the War Machine armor. He’s been playing the character in two of the Iron Man films and Age of Ultron, still the hot shot pilot who puts up with Tony for some odd reason- and Cheadle continues to make him a more compelling character than the actor who originated him in the first Iron Man film (thank Odin for recasts). Anthony Mackie also returns as Sam Wilson, the Falcon, whose choice to join Steve’s side in the dispute is never in doubt- the two have been working awhile as partners, and there’s a lot of mutual respect between them.

Jeremy Renner reprises his role as Hawkeye; the character’s settled into a quiet life with his family. Yet he comes back and takes Steve’s side in the dispute- while finding himself on the opposite side from his oldest friend. Part of that seems to be out of an obligation to Wanda, whose brother saved his life by sacrificing his own. Scarlett Johansson returns as the Black Widow, and she’s as enigmatic as ever playing the character. She’s conflicted between the two sides over the issue of oversight, and I like that she sees both sides of the issue and that she’s even a voice of reason.

Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The character has been through a lot- presumed dead in the war, brainwashed, and put into cryogenic storage on a regular basis in the decades since. He’s in a state of turmoil through the film, struggling with the darkness of his past and what was done to him. What side he’s on is a question throughout the film, as is the state of just how brainwashed he still is. Given all of that, feeling sympathy for him seems natural.

Robert Downey Jr. has been integral to the cinematic universe from the start as Tony Stark. The character’s been a wise ass, often given to try creating some new technology without thinking through the consequences. As sarcastic as he is, though, the character finds himself preoccupied by guilt- his role in creating Ultron did have consequences, and the film plays to that throughout, making his stance on the issue of oversight seem fitting. And a secret stands revealed through the story that makes things deeply personal for Tony- and perhaps putting him in a position where he can’t compromise. Having him in a position where he’s at odds with a friend and teammate makes for a compelling turn for the character.

This of course is still a Captain America film (even with almost all of the Avengers appearing in it), and Chris Evans returns as the title character. Steve Rogers is a man of principle, integrity, loyalty, and basic decency. He’s a natural leader, which we’ve already seen makes others follow his lead. While he’s strongly against the idea of oversight (rather libertarian, actually), it comes from a perspective of distrust in government officials, understandable given the events of The Winter Soldier. And as morally centered as Cap is, he’s stubborn too, not willing to concede that others might not share his integrity, not seeing the other point of view. His sense of optimism is increasingly challenged throughout by frustration, and it’s interesting to watch Evans bring that across through the film.

While Captain America: Civil War deals with serious issues, it doesn’t abandon a sense of fun along the way- a hallmark of Marvel, both comics and the cinematic universe. It has a large cast of characters- and yet none of them seem shoehorned in, and everyone gets a chance to shine, even while introducing new players. The film presents an ethical debate (amid a whole lot of action) that doesn’t really have a right answer, and in the end brings the Marvel cinematic universe to a crossroads- all while thoroughly entertaining the audience.

The High Price Of Freedom

I'm doing a movie review today, but I'd like to also point out Norma's review of this one for your consideration. Now then, shall we get to it?

"Can anyone direct me to the Smithsonian? I'm looking for an old fossil." ~ Natasha Romanoff

"This isn't freedom. This is fear." ~ Steve Rogers

"This is the age of miracles... and there's nothing more horrible than a miracle." ~ Baron Wolfgang von Strucker

The Sentinel of Liberty returns in a current day sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger in a film that wrestles with the question: is security worth the cost to freedom? The question looms large over a film that plays more like a political thriller than a superhero adaptation. Captain America: The Winter Soldier owes much to the work of comics writer Ed Brubaker, who in the last few years established arguably the definitive run on the character and the world he inhabits, by daring to do what was unthinkable and bring back a character long thought dead- and succeeding wildly. The film itself deals with themes like power, responsibility, and the infiltration and corruption of an agency meant to do good but turned on itself.

The film opens in a quiet way with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) meeting Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a meeting that quickly establishes a rapport between them that'll pay off later. He joins his fellow Avenger Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), in a S.H.I.E.L.D. operation to rescue agents being held hostage in the Indian Ocean, and out of that mission, he finds himself asking troubling questions about his purpose. Coming from a past where the difference between right and wrong was very clear, Steve finds himself in a present day where the lines are not so clear.

Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. are working on a new generation of helicarriers with new capabilities, including taking out threats before they become a problem. Steve is disturbed by the notion of preemptive strikes, Fury argues that his agency must work with the world as it is instead of an ideal world. We meet an old friend of Fury, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), a political leader, member of the council overseeing the agency, and one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. And into the mix of all of this comes a violent force of nature and a mystery man, the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). He's a relentless masked assassin with a robotic arm, extraordinary resilience, and a skill for killing people. Soon Cap finds himself on the run, marked as a fugitive by his own people, uncertain who to trust.

The film is directed by two brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, who have a background mostly in television comedy. This comes across as a surprise, because you wouldn't know that in how skillfully they orchestrate action sequences. They employ the sort of touches you might expect in one of the Jason Bourne films, both in terms of fight sequences and chase sequences. They also keep the story moving along at a brisk pace, driving up the tension along the way. We can keep track of what's going on while it's going on- a vital element in a film like this. The directors and their camera and editing crews give us just the right amount of distance in an action sequence that we don't get lost. At the same time, they know when to give the audience a breather.

The story comes to us from screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. A look at their credits reveals much; they already have experience in the Marvel cinematic universe, with the previous The First Avenger, as well as the recent Thor: The Dark World. In addition, however, they also took part in writing the screenplays for the three Chronicles of Narnia films of recent years. The story they tell here is a conspiracy tale, of an agency corrupted from within by an old enemy. It's true to the history of Captain America in the comics too; there have been occasions when the character has been disillusioned by the direction of his government, exiled from America, or turned into persona non grata. Those qualities are on display in the story, which is dark and troubling at times. They deal with the struggle between security and order on the one hand, and the price to liberty on the other. I found myself thinking at times that a certain former Vice President (coughDickCheneycough) would look at the rationale behind the dark plans of the antagonists the writers give us, and say, "you know, that would have been a great idea."

They strongly emphasize character, and use dialogue to reinforce that. This is best shown in the dynamics between Cap, the Widow, and Sam Wilson, who steps into action as the Falcon. There is respect between all three, a fundamental trust. It's there right off the bat with Sam for Steve, but with Natasha, it's a bit harder to come by; she's more pragmatic about the sort of things that need to be done, even if that's a gray area. The trio have good banter with each other, and that starts off with the writers. Even in small details, the writers pepper the story with revealing moments. There are nods to other elements of the Marvel cinematic universe, such as verbal or visual mentions of Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor, Hawkeye- and one yet to come in a blink and you'll miss hearing it name, not to mention two other coming attractions, so to speak.  

The film was shot both on stage and on location in Cleveland and in Washington. The crew outdid themselves in their work, including rigging complicated and intricate action sequences, as well as the required special effects, only used sparingly and when needed. The world of S.H.I.E.L.D. is explored more in depth, including their headquarters, which looks ultramodern and has secrets of its own. Even more effective, strangely, is a throwback bunker with old, old technology and a hidden, malevolent presence, rendered well by the crew. Aside from the previously established characters, two new characters owe a good deal to the costuming and technical side of things. The Winter Soldier's look is very much based on the comics design, and the costuming team render it well in how they made the actor look. The Falcon's somewhat different from the comics counterpart; his flight suit is more tech-armour than what the comics version is, but it works wonderfully, and feels quite real world as he soars through the air and into battle. The designers did terrific work in how they worked out the Falcon's look. 

The cast suits the film ideally, and I'll start with smaller roles. Georges St. Pierre is one of those mixed martial arts types- I don't understand the appeal of that sport- and is cast in a cameo role as Batroc, a mercenary who appears early on leading the hostage taking. The character has a long history as an adversary to Cap, and it was a nice touch to have him in the film, with the potential to bring him back in the future. Even without the mask and costume of the comics version- which probably wouldn't work in film- the essence of the character comes across on screen. St. Pierre has merely to play him as the supremely dangerous fighter through his time on screen. Another actor who plays an adversary is Frank Grillo. When we first meet him, he's an agent, but his true loyalties will soon be revealed, and for a comics reader, hearing his mere name is enough to mark him as a villain. His character manages to carry on through the film, and he plays the role with a tenacity and ruthlessness- suiting the man as he should be. There's a brief cameo appearance in the credits- stay for both scenes by the way- by the great character actor Thomas Kretschmann, playing the villainous Baron von Strucker, a formidable adversary with a lot of bad history with Cap. In just a minute's time, Kretschmann conveys the arrogance and menace of an utterly ruthless and sadistic man. Emily VanCamp turns up here and there as a neighbour of Steve, actually an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. named Sharon, another character comics fans will know well. And there's a cameo from the first film in the form of Hayley Atwell, who played Peggy Carter, Steve's love interest. We see her both young and old, and the conversation between the two characters has heartbreaking poignancy.

There's another holdover from the first film, though he doesn't look like we last saw him. Arnim Zola (Toby Jones), the HYDRA scientist, has cheated death in a manner of speaking, and we hear the voice and feel his presence. His new form of existence is one that comes across as bone chilling as the audience begins to understand his capabilities. And from The Avengers, Cobie Smulders reprises her role as agent Maria Hill, one of the few people Nick Fury knows he can trust. She gets a good deal to do this time out, particularly as the film heads towards a climax. She plays the role as a woman who's professional and dedicated to her work... with just a hint of a sense of humour. 

The main characters inhabit their roles as we can expect them. Redford might well have been perfect for the lead role in his youth. Here he must play a complicated role, with a poker face at first. It's a character with history and hidden depth, and his own driving forces; beyond that, I can say nothing other than he plays the part well, and is compelling to watch. Jackson gets a great deal to do this time out, perhaps even more so than in The Avengers. He struggles with the ethical consequences of his actions versus the responsibilities to society. He comes across as highly resourceful on more than one occasion- particularly when he personally comes under attack by gunmen posing as police officers. And there's a profound grumpiness to the character that fits who Fury is. The antagonist- if you want to call him that- carries some surprises with him. Sebastian Stan plays the tragic Winter Soldier, a man of great skills and few words. We've seen him before, of course, but he's much changed since last he appeared in the Marvel cinematic universe. Through much of the film, there's a profound relentlessness to the character, the sort of fellow who, in short, is a very dangerous man. But as the audience starts to learn more about him, we see he's been used and abused in the worst of ways, brainwashed into a killing machine. He earns our empathy and compassion, and Stan conveys that sense of tragedy in the film's final act.

The three lead protagonists play their roles very well indeed. Anthony Mackie's appeared in other work that I've liked, including The Adjustment Bureau and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. We get to like him pretty much right off the bat as Sam Wilson in how he relates to Cap, and the writers wisely keep us from knowing that he already has experience in flight from his military days with a flight suit that's rather unusual. It's a different take on the character from the comics, but Mackie gets Sam's personality just right. He's courageous, loyal, and daring, and the directors chose well in casting him. The film could have easily been called Captain America & The Black Widow, because Evans and Johansson are together through most of the film. Johansson plays Natasha as the thoroughly dangerous woman she is, and this is her third go at the character. She's pragmatic enough to know that some things have to be done for the greater good, and has elements of her past she'd prefer to keep buried, and yet is willing to turn rogue because it's the right thing to do. Johansson gives the character the ingenuity, intelligence, and ability to improvise that we'd expect from her, and there's strength in her performance- as well as a dash of humour. This is also Evan's third time in his role, and he's the bedrock of the film. His Captain America is a man out of time, trying to get used to the modern world. He's also a man of fierce principle and integrity, not knowing who to trust in a world that's gone morally gray. Beyond that, however, is a man who's a natural leader, decisive and determined. And on top of that is the sort of guy whose sense of personal decency allows him to feel empathy for a friend turned enemy. 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier turns the entire Marvel cinematic universe upside down. It's a gritty political action thriller and conspiracy film that deals with betrayal and the clash of security versus liberty. The film is a rousing, dark one, and a splendid addition to the franchise.