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Robert Downey Jr

Comfort Films #7: Air Force [GLASS]

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When times are tough, what stories do you turn to? Our new series, Comfort Films, is designed to look at the stories that are important to us and why they help bring us up with everything feels down. This week, Seeing and Believing’s Wade Bearden and Kevin McLenithan return to chat about uncovering the truth in Shattered Glass, good vs evil in Air Force One and life-giving honesty in Chef.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Dolittle: A High-Seas Adventure that Never Fully Sails

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Dolittle re-introduces the world to Dr. John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.), a reclusive man who lives in solitude in his lush manor in 19th-century England. Dolittle’s gift is that he can understand the language of the animals, with whom he speaks to on a daily basis. However,  when young Queen Victoria becomes sick, the doctor and his furry friends are called back into action as they embark on an epic adventure in order to save her life..

Directed by Stephen Gaghan (Syriana), Dolittle is a film with aspirations of classic childhood adventure films but, unfortunately, never quite lives up to its full potential. Derived by critics, there really is more to like about the film than some have given it credit for. On the one hand, Gaghan creates a world of whimsy that has echoes of the charm and heart of the original work, combining the childlike joy of colourful animals with an emotional journey for its lead. Distancing itself in style and tone from the successful Eddie Murphy films of the late 90s, Downey Jr. proves to be a good choice for the titular character of Dolittle himself. Always willing to play with child-like wonder, Downey brings his signature charisma to the role in such a way that he always makes you want to go on the journey into the unknown with him. 

On the other hand, however, the film struggles to maintain a consistent tone, dropping the more classic feel for bathroom humour that simply doesn’t work, especially in the awkward dragon finale. (Although not uncommon by any stretch, rumours of rewrites to include more ‘silliness’ into the film plagued it’s marketing upon its release.) Also, the film seems to lack an overall energy which seems odd, considering the pedigree of its cast.

Even so, what appeals to me about Dolittle is its interest in exploring what it means to deal with the pain of our past. Once known as a grand adventurer, the death of his wife has caused Dolittle to become a recluse from the human race, fearing any experience of loss of relationship in the future. Broken by his past, Dolittle has lost his passion for life and only agrees to the journey because he has been urged into action once again by the Queen herself. While this may seem heavy-handed on paper, the film does handle the topic of grief and loss at a level appropriate for children and may even provide some healthy questions for engaging the struggles in their own life. 

What’s more, Dolittle also points to the fact that healing best comes through community. Whereas some films simply point to healing as ‘moving on’, Dolittle acknowledges that the best healing comes when we realize that there are people holding us up along the way and share our burdens with them. (In fact, without any spoilers, Dolittle’s engagement with the dragon even highlights this idea of grieving together as a manner of healing. If only that scene hadn’t… sigh… if only…) As he processes his grief along his adventure, Dolittle’s journey helps him to appreciate the joys of the past and accept the grace required to move forward. 

Because of its interest in helping show what it means to process our feelings, Dolittle does have something positive to say to the children of this generation. With a heart of adventure, the film has so much potential yet it never comes to fruition. So, unfortunately, while there are some who will enjoy the ride, this may ultimately not be a trip worth taking.

Dolittle is available on VOD and Blu-ray now.

GIVEAWAY! Copy of DOLITTLE!

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Dr. John Dolittle lives in solitude behind the high walls of his lush manor in 19th-century England. His only companionship comes from an array of exotic animals that he speaks to on a daily basis. But when young Queen Victoria becomes gravely ill, the eccentric doctor and his furry friends embark on an epic adventure to a mythical island to find the cure.

To enter, tell us your favourite animal and why. For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram.

The winner will receive a copy of Dolittle.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Tuesday, March 31st, 2020.

He Is Groot: 1on1 with Terry Notary

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Avengers: Infinity War offers the (penultimate) event of the Avenger universe. When evil overlord, Thanos, threatens to destroy the galaxy in the midst of his hunt for the Infinity Stones, the Avengers must assemble one more time to attempt to save humanity from his violent clutches. Billed as the ‘biggest cross-over event in history’, Infinity War features Iron Man, Black Panther, The Guardians of the Galaxy, Dr. Strange and more as they share the screen for the first time. However, given the film’s emphasis on special effects and CGI work, there are many people essential to the film that you many not immediately recognize onscreen.

One such actor is performance capture artist, Terry Notary, who plays both Teenage Groot and child of Thanos, Cull Obsidian, in the film. A veteran movement coach, Notary affirms that taking on roles such as these are an incredibly emotional experience that cause the actor to explore the deepest parts of themselves.

“I was in Cirque du Soleil for five years but I was a gymnast at UCLA before that,” he recalls. “I learned this technique of gymnastics, but it wasn’t until I joined the Cirque that I learned how to perform… and what I try to do is take a lot of the same principles that we used at Cirque creating characters and build upon those with techniques that I’ve learned. There’s a sort of balance between the technical aspects of things versus the emotional and everyone has their own emotional blueprint. Everyone is different. Basically, your life is a blueprint of your body is a blueprint of your life. It is a reflection of everything that you’ve been through: all your past traumas, your experiences, your successes, your identity, your sense of self, or who are you, When you have an experience, it marries itself into you. Basically, the work that I do is not movement it but really it’s about life and learning about who you are.”

“What I do, if we start sitting in a chair, is a lot of the sort of Alexander work and I can sort of get a sense of the blocks, tensions, habits that are sort of innate the person. Then, we can start to work through those and identify with what they are, the emotions behind those things so that we become a blank slate.”

With this in mind, Notary recognizes that one of the chief obstacles to an actor’s performance consists of one’s own fear. Still, he also believes that, once we embrace it, fear can also be a powerful motivator.

“People think [they] shouldn’t feel afraid at all, but that’s was quite the opposite,” he explains. “[Whether] you’re an actor, acrobat or athlete, it’s all the same. You have to embrace the fear and, when you embrace it, then you extinguish its power and you can use it as a fuel to propel you into action. You can use fear to widen your peripheral, sharpen your senses, listen, hear, feel and become more alive. Basically, when you fight fear, you empower it and, and it’s the worst enemy of an actor, acrobat or just a normal business person, it doesn’t matter. So, when people think I shouldn’t feel afraid, that’s wrong. Fear is great to have. Fear is energy. Fear is anticipation and the ultimate fuel. When you learn how to stop trying to hide from fear or your real issues, it creates a presence that you have in yourself that is open, aware, vulnerable, and soft with integrity. So, it’s like finding a balance [between] the mind and body.”

For Notary, much of the process of bringing authenticity to his performance comes through one’s ability to relax and open space for creativity instead of pressuring themselves.

“It’s like undoing habitual muscle that’s constantly grabbing [you]. It’s undoing this sort of idea that it needs to be hardworking. We’re trained as human beings that hard work is rewarded. You grimace your face, you tense up where we kind of discouraged [ourselves] from daydreaming and going off into these super creative soft places that are actually more creative and more rewarding. So, it’s kind of like undoing the idea of hard work and embracing the sort of trust that things will unfold in this body in your new state of being that will actually make you more interesting. The mind becomes a guide rather than a boss. You’re actually watching yourself do this and you’re continuing to allow it to happen. That’s the sort of the final step is continuing to allow it to happen and unfold.”

Further, Notary also argues that, part of the process in creating a realistic character stems from one’s ability to recognize the value of mistakes as well.

“I say that we should make tons of mistakes so that we know what it’s not,” he claims. “In the mistakes, you find little gems and go, ‘Whoa, that’s amazing. What did I just do?’ Then, you start discovering these things that are screaming out to come out subconsciously and, all of a sudden, you can start to create beautiful moments with those subconscious things that are trying to speak through you.”

In Avengers: Infinity War, Notary has the unique challenge of playing two wildly different characters on screen. As both Groot and Cull Obsidian, he found himself discovering, not how to play the roles of both hero and villain, but also creating different mannerisms as well. In the end, however, Notary enjoyed the challenge, seeking to learn something about himself as well.

“I love working with that… I don’t see it as strange to play these two very different characters. It’s kind of fun,” he says. “When I put the nametag on for Groot, it’s totally different than when I put the name tag on for Cull Obsidian. They’re totally different creatures. With every character that I play, I try to find something out about myself. I try to always learn about who I am by making the mistakes of the character and trying to figure out who or what it is.”

“Then, I just go on walks on the beach and I’ll just start really tapping into who it is or what it is. For me, Cull had this a voice and intelligence. He had an inner dialogue that was going on. You kind of get a sense that this is not a hulking, brutish crusher without any feeling. He’s actually got a lot of feeling going on, which I think is really fun with that character. Once I found that voice inside, then I had this internal dialogue and I could just be in my own world and play the world, as I thought, through his eyes.”

Given the advancements in both technology and ability in motion capture technology, there has been much discussion in recent years about whether or not these actors should be recognized come awards season. In light of this, Notary feels that, ultimately, the technology does not interfere with the authenticity of the actor’s performance.

“What I tell people when they ask me that question is [that] you should watch the performance without the Ape.,” he contends. “I had scenes with Andy [Serkis] where I said, ‘Holy mama! What was that? Where did that come from?!’ then, you know, I don’t even think they can translate some of that goodness yet within these characters. The grading system—or however they decide—should be viewed on the performance, the actual actors with the camera on. Then, they can watch that performance and ‘OK, I see it. It’s all on camera. It’s all in the shots. It’s all there. We thought it would be great to just watch the movie with just us in our performance capture suits, because I’m sure it’s really interesting. So, my answer to that is absolutely yes. I think that once people feel that someone’s performance is being tweaked or modified, that it’s not a true performance. But I think when you see the performance in its original state, you would change your mind on that.”

Over the years, Notary has been involved with a number of high profile projects, such as Avatar, The Hobbit, and Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy. When asked if there has been anyone who particularly mentored him in his process as an actor, he speaks highly of many of the directors with whom he’s had the privilege to work.

“When [James] Cameron called me up and said he wanted me to come down and read this script called Avatar, I was honored…,” Notary remembers. “He’s a great director because he’s really good at pushing people to become the best that they can be. He expects that. He hired me on the spot when we had our conversation after I read the script. [Avatar] was his baby of 10 years that had all this incredible technology and groundbreaking, cutting edge stuff that was going to happen and he trusted me. I went home and I just started doing research, studying tribes and this and that. I just poured myself into it because of his belief in me. He sort of instilled this sort of belief in myself that I could do it and I owe him a lot for that by actually trusting me.”

“It’s the same with Peter Jackson,” he continues. “I worked with him for two years on the Hobbit trilogy every day and he became a good friend and a mentor. We jumped on the film and we just liked fixing things together. He became like a mentor to me as well and he’s inspired me to direct my first film. There’s been quite a few. Matt Reeves is another. He’s just been really cool friend and you know, I think it’s about like, like if you’re a musician and you hit the gym with good musicians, you become better.”

Avengers: Infinity War is in theatres now.

For full audio of our amazing conversation with Terry, click here.

Meet The Rocket Man: 1on1 with Sean Gunn (AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR)

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While he is perhaps best known from his time playing the affable Kirk Gleason in Gilmore Girls, Gunn has stepped into the forefront recently for his role as Kraglin in the Guardians of the Galaxyfilms. However, he has also found himself in the unique position of serving as physical stand-in for CGI fan-favourite Rocket the Raccoon as well. As Gunn prepares for the return of Rocket in Avengers: Infinity War, he credits his brother, Guardiansdirector James Gunn, for bringing him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Really, it was when my brother got involved,” he starts. “I know that my brother, James, was at a point in his career where he was a little down on directing movies because it was such a hard job to get it on one of these big tent-pole movies. Then, when he ended up being up for Guardians, getting that job, I was totally ecstatic for him.”

“I play both Kraglin on-screen and I also play Rocket [the Raccoon] on-set. That kind of came about during the first movie. [James] and I had worked together so much on various things in our career and he knew that he wanted an actor that he knew, trusted and had worked with to be able to play Rocket on set so that he’d have a real actor there to do it and not just a tennis ball on a stick or a PA holding up script in their hands or something like that. So, he asked me to do it and we ended up kind of figuring out on the go what the method was for that to work. Then, it turned out that it was basically me just getting down on my hands and knees and playing Rocket just as though he was there and it was really helpful to the other actors and the visual effects team. They weren’t able to use me for reference them when they started to animate the character and then I think it was a matter of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. So, then you know, it worked so well for the first movie that I ended up doing it again for Guardians Vol. 2and then for both Infinity Warmovies as well.”

Though most people associate Rocket the Raccoon with Bradley Cooper who supplies his voice, it’s Gunn’s work that lays the groundwork for the performance. By providing much of the physical acting for the character, Gunn appreciates the hard work of the animators who can take his movements and bring Rocket to life.

“I play Rocket the entire time on-set…,” he recalls. “Then, the visual effects team then goes in and they start to put together a draft based on what I did–our movements, hand movements, and particularly my face, some facial expressions, things like where Rocket’s looking… For just little things like that, the animators will use what I’m doing as a reference. Then, later Bradley Cooper comes in and he does the voice of the character and they can change things then. He’ll flesh the character out and sort of put his thing on it and then if they want to make some changes based on either what he’s doing or some combination thereof, they can make those changes at that point as needed.”

Of course, playing two different characters within the same film brings its own set of challenges as well. During scenes where Rocket and Kraglin shared screen time, Gunn claims that he had work twice as hard in order to be prepared.

“There are four different scenes where [Rocket and Kraglin] are not only together [in Vol. 2], but they both have dialog. We really would just kind of shoot around each character and plug me in as much as we could. I always think that the preparation and focus are the most important components to go to acting on set and I had to sort of double my preparation and double my focus on those days. It wasn’t easy because I can’t really squat down as Rocket in Kraglin’s wardrobe. So, I was also having to do these costume changes where I would get and jumpsuit, which is a little stiff and hard to maneuver, and into my Rocket sweats, which is basically a track suit that I’m wearing. So yeah, we’d just have to go back and forth. We’d really have to just take a little longer to shoot and I would be doing the scene twice from the point of view of each character.”

Of course, the Guardians franchise signaled a shift in tone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe upon its release. While offering more humour and brighter colour schemes than other franchises (and not to mention the best soundtracks in the MCU), the most interesting thing about the Guardiansfranchise has been its ability to help audiences fall in love with the anti-hero. When asked about whether he feels this franchise looks for the good in the ‘bad guys’, Gunn argues that the backstories of characters like Rocket gives them the chance to explore what it means to be a hero.

“Well, I certainly don’t view them as bad guys,” he explains, “but they’re not motivated by altruistic qualities the way that the Avengers are certainly… But, I agree with your premise that over the course of the movies, I think the arc of those characters are still learning to identify the goodness that’s already inside of them. I think they’d had lives that have encouraged them to squash the goodness, like Quill living with the Ravagers or Rocket having been where he’s been, sort of lonely most of his whole life. They’ve been encouraged to not think about the good inside of them so I think part of the movies is them finding that.”

Having worked with an ensemble cast on Guardians, his experience on Avengers: Infinity Warmoves to another level entirely. Billed as the ‘largest cross-over event in history’, the film features most (if not all) of the major characters that Marvel has introduced to audiences over the last decade. Nevertheless, Gunn believes that the film honours each character and hopes that the fans agree.

“There are a lot of characters and I think that that’s handled particularly well over the course of the two movies–which, if I can’t talk about the first one, imagine how little I can say it about the second one,” he muses. “We filmed them back to back. There’s still some additional photography to do for the second movie as is always the case and but I think the way that that issue of all these different characters participating in one story is really interesting and I think it works really well. We’ll have to wait and see what people think about. It certainly is a lot of balls in the air to juggle.”

Providing the motivation for the Avengers to assemble this time is the impending threat of alien overlord, Thanos. Hell-bent on destroying the universe, Thanos’ quest for the Infinity Stones is rumoured to give the film a darker tone than other entries into the MCU. Despite its intensity, Gunn also feels that Infinity Waralso balances it with Marvel’s trademark humour.

“I haven’t seen the movie yet so I’ve got to start with that,” he begins, “but I do think that it has a heaviness to it that I think is super cool. I think it’s warranted, personally. I mean you can’t have all these disparate franchises that you’re tying together under one massive banner and be sort of glib about it. I think that these movies are going to be serious. There’s certainly plenty of comedy though. I mean, you know, we have the Guardians in there. We’ve got the crew from Ragnarok in there. I think there’s a lot of laughs, but I think the overall tone of piece is not super light. I think fans will like that because it’s pretty serious. Thanos is serious business.”

Furthermore, one of the highlights for Gunn of working on Infinity War was the opportunity to combine the Guardians crew with a more diverse cast, allowing new interactions and conflicts.

Says Gunn, “I think every actor in one way or another helps define who the character you’re playing is, particularly from Rocket’s point of view. Rocket has been in space his whole life. He knows very little about Earth or the people who live there other than what he knows through his friendship with [Peter] Quill. So, his whole relationship to the earth is based on what Quill has told him and when he comes across any of these people from the Avengers universe, he has a very different perspective of them than any of us would have of them from down here. If anything, I think they’re not quite so impressive to Rocket.”

With his success in the Marvel Universe and Gilmore Girls, one might wonder what Gunn hopes to do next. Still, rather than get preoccupied with what is to come, he prefers to simply focus on looking for great stories to help bring to life.

“I try not to prognosticate or wish too much about where my career is going to go because then you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment. I’ve been very, very lucky to work with incredibly talented people with my brother in Guardians, with the Russos and everyone else they’re working with on Avengers and the list goes on and on, but also with Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, Dan, on Gilmore Girls. They’re such great writers and I’ve been so lucky and I really just try to chase the words. I think story is king still. Good stories and good content still rule the day and I just want to keep doing stuff like that. I’d love to revisit Kirk on Gilmore girls if we ever make more, which I don’t think would happen anytime soon. I’d take a look at the character again at some point down the line. I’d love it.”

To hear full audio of our conversation with Sean, click here.

Avengers: Infinity War opens April 27th, 2018.

Spider-Man -Homecoming: Webswinging Fun

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With great homework comes great responsibility.

Spider-Man: Homecoming brings us back to Peter ‘s high school years (he’s fifteen) as he tries to balance his family, friends, homework, and an ongoing application to join the Avengers.  Publicly claiming to be a member of the ‘Stark Internship’, young Peter is secretly being mentored by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the ways of being a ‘friendly neighborhood’ superhero.  However, when Peter stumbles across a plot to sell pieces of alien technology to local criminals, he is drawn into a battle that forces him to ask hard questions about his identity and calling.

Although he made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in last year’s Civil War, Homecoming is Spidey’s true introduction to the world of the Avengers.  In a move that many felt would never happen due to Sony’s ownership of the film rights, allowing Spidey to join the MCU was easily the smartest decision that the company could have made.  By joining forces with Marvel, Sony frees itself of rebooting their franchise for the second time while also allowing access to iconic characters such as Iron Man and Captain America to make appearances.

Through its heavy emphasis on Spidey’s high school adventures and Holland’s contagious enthusiasm, Homecoming manages to pull off the one thing that seemed impossible for this franchise: it feels fresh.  Similar to his experience on the original Iron Man, Downey Jr. has compared the environment behind the scenes as one of freedom and creativity and the results appear onscreen.  This film has all the pop and flash of other Marvel entries yet also carries with it the teen angst of a John Hughes ‘coming-of-age’ film.  (In fact, there is even a brief reference to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.)  In other words, despite the Avengers, alien technology and a villainous Vulture (an energized Michael Keaton), it’s the realities of Spidey’s youth and inexperience that are front and center here.

As the film opens, Peter is filled with excitement and the mammoth aspirations of becoming an Avenger.  With superhero glory in full view, Peter has begun to lose sight of his everyday life and responsibilities. (“I am so far beyond high school right now,” Peter argues.)  Desperate to prove that he’s more than ‘just a kid’, Peter feels boxed in by Stark’s ‘training wheels protocols’ and tries to force his way up the superhero ladder.  (“I hate that Mr. Stark keep treating me like a kid!” he exclaims.)

But Peter’s immaturity prevents him from recognizing the value of the ‘small’.

In a world of Galaxy Guardians and Incredible Hulks, Homecoming is a reminder of the importance of those things and people that so many believe to be unremarkable.  Though Peter may be able to hold a ship together, he also must do his homework.  Though he wants desperately to be fight alongside Iron Man, he also needs to stop a local bicycle thief.  Though Vulture is stealing alien technology, so much of his motivation lies in simply getting by financially.  Gone are traditional MCU tropes like world domination and government conspiracies in favor of dinners with Aunt May and struggling to pay the bills.

In a story that echoes Jesus’ call to let the little children come to Him, Homecoming reminds us that everyone’s story matters, regardless how small.  The responsibility to care for the most seemingly insignificant people of the world carries the same importance as saving the entire planet.  (In fact, one of the film’s most subtle but significant moments comes through Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), Stark’s driver, as he confesses to Peter that, “I really don’t know what I would do without this job [working for Tony].”  Despite the fact that we’ve known him to do amazing things with his superhero billionaire, he too is simply a man who needs help.)  Moreover, as Peter realizes the value of the ‘small’, he is solidified as a true hero, not just to the world but to everyone.

Because there is power in being the ‘friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man.’

Captain America 3.0: Dents in the Armor #SPOILERS

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captain2A year ago, as ScreenFish was born, we rallied to cover Avengers: Age of Ultron. I had glowing things to say about this popcorn genre film that reached for the stars and shared a vision of our humanity. A year later, Marvel/Disney dropped close to our anniversary, and my partners in crime were awestruck.

I, on the other hand, refuse to drink the Marvel Kool-aid. Without further ado, here’s my dissection of the film- it’s not for the faint of heart (or those trying to avoid spoilers.) You’ve been warned.

Yes, there were some high points to the film. Let’s hit those first.

captain3Chadwick Bozeman might be the big winner here. T’Challa has always been on the cool, mysterious side of the Marvel Universe, but as the only character in the film to show a single ounce of character development, I couldn’t be more excited to see the standalone Black Panther film. As one of my fellow theater goers commented, “That’s how you introduce a new character, DC!” [This went better than their use of Nemo (Daniel Bruhl), who suddenly switched from timeless Nazi to low-level Sovakian military. Or the promotion of Ross (William Hurt) from General to Secretary of State. Hello, Red Hulk?]

Tom Holland (Spider-Man) and Paul Rudd (Antman) tie for secondary awards. These two brought the customary Marvel sense of humor and panache to the second half of the film that was missing in the first. [Yes, this also highlights the bi-polar “two parter” segmentation of the film. And the fact that they spent almost 2.5 hours setting us up for a showdown and let the tension dissipate without reconciliation? That’s just poor.] Stan Lee’s cameo here might be his best yet- yes, Tony stank!

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Visually, the film takes us to some cool places – just not as cool as the upcoming Doctor Strange film. There were some solid battles. Crossbones (Frank Grillo) versus Cap’s undercover team was solid [Crossbones was the baddest villain in the film]. While I’m over the good guy versus good guy battles (thanks, Batman V Superman), the final confrontation between our heroes might have actually been one of the best. Again, unfortunately, in a good versus good battle, the writers can’t make us believe that any of them really give up any ground because they need them for their solo outing.

In the comics, the action is caused when a group of rough-around-the-edges superheroes pull a television stunt that ends in tragedy. You might say that Scarlet Witch’s tragic rescue of Captain America carries more direct weight because they’re principal heroes, and I’d accept that. BUT, in the comics, the forcibly divisive law put into place was the Superhuman Registration Act. This is wildly more politically charged than the Sokovia Accords because it was about identity and the families of masked superheroes.

For what it’s worth, it’s interesting to note that the current Republican frontrunner is promoting growing legislation about ‘registration,’ even though Republicans have historically been more interested in local government and individual responsibility. In Civil War, Cap’s questions about responsibility crash into the armor of Stark’s own personal interaction with the mother of a man lost as collateral damage. The head versus heart argument might apply here, but the film doesn’t ask us to care too much about any of these characters in poignancy or emotional depth.

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The Sokovia Accords divides our heroes because of collateral damage, but forces the plot around the Winter Soldier storyline while also ignoring the responsibilities of pro- registration heroes when it comes to innocent lives.

Seriously, Iron Man is infuriated over the death of his parents twenty-five years ago, at the hands of a guy who wasn’t in control of his own actions, but his pet android gets all mushy, paralyzes his best friend, and he ignores the implications? Please. [For the record, yes, comic fans know these two mismatched, star-crossed lovers can tangle, but cooking with paprika was a little weird.]

Seriously, this no-name villain with no powers, no help, no plan, no NOTHING, is able to manipulate two friends who’ve battled universe-destroying, villainous armies into nearly killing each other? At least in Batman v Superman, Luthor had an actual plan, continually manipulated, and had a host of financial resources tied to his character. [No, that doesn’t make B v S a better movie, but it did provide us with a more reasonable explanation of the conflict, and the tension.] Zemo is a weak villain – and one which highlights the Cap versus Iron Man divide.

That leads to my largest frustration of the whole film: that superheroes would turn so dark. I wasn’t thrilled with Affleck’s Batman obsession with taking down Superman, but I wonder where we’ve gotten to when we would actually have people leave the theater on #TeamIronMan? Seriously? This guy was an inch away from killing Cap, and Bucky. Sure, they’re beating on each other, but Cap draws the line at incapacitation. Where’s Iron Man’s line? Is this where we begin to see Marvel delve into his alcoholism? What separates Iron Man from Zemo, as men bent on revenge after a major injustice? Thankfully, Cap can at least look himself in the mirror.

CivilWar571fee863dfd0I am well aware that this film will bust charts (although at my theater, it was nowhere near The Force Awakens) but this film SCREAMED marketing spinoff for some new characters – and obvious sellout for Infinity War. Was it as telegraphed as the T’Chaka hand-on-cheek moment with T’Challa before he’s blown to bits? I’m not sure. But for all its smoke and mirrors, Captain America: Civil War qualifies as the low point for Marvel’s scriptwriting as far as I’m concerned.

Where Age of Ultron challenged us to grow, Civil War simply allows us to sink back into our own baser instincts, without challenging us to see heroism in our ability to grow.

[Oh yeah, and I’m #TeamCap.]

Captain America: Civil War — Conflict Breeds Catastrophe

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#TeamCap FightsLet’s get the basic questions out of the way before we begin the review.

Is Captain America: Civil War any good?  You bet it is!
Is it a perfect film?  Nope.
Is there lots of fighting? Oh yes. And then some.
How’s Spider Man? Well . . . He needs some practice.
Does the film leave the door open for future movies? I think you know the answer to that one.
So who wins the Civil War? Uh . . . I’m not going to tell you that. Why are you asking me?

Feel better?  No? Okay, then let’s review the film (with minor spoilers, if that).

If you’ve been under a rock for the last few years, Marvel Studios has been building a comic book-based empire on the strength of The Avengers, Iron Man, and Captain America. Captain America: Civil War adds to and builds on the previous movies, offering moviegoers a rollicking, fast-paced thrill ride that may take more than one viewing to adequately enjoy.

The story begins with the Avengers attempting to ward off a potential crisis in Nigeria.  However, something goes awry and innocent lives are lost.  This seems to be a theme of past films (New York and Sokovia, for example), so the governments of the world have decided it’s time for those with superpowers to have limits. Thus, the Sokovia Accords are drafted, giving the Avengers a choice: submit to governmental control or retire.

Avengers at Headquarters

If you’re a fan of the comics, you know there will be disagreements as to what should be done. Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) feels that limits will only breed more limits and make their jobs more difficult. Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) says that without limitations, they’re “no better than the bad guys.” Both are stubborn and won’t budge on their positions, gathering various Avengers to their separate points of view. Your favorite characters are all here: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johnasson), Vision (Paul Bettany), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Ant-Man (Paul Ruud), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and War Machine (Don Cheadle).  The addition of Black Panther/T’Challa (Chad Boseman) makes the situation more difficult (but man, is he an incredible character to watch on screen).

Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is dealing with a lot of things that spin the other part of the plot in motion. Captain America has a tie to him and this comes into play as the film advances to an inevitable clash held at the airport in Berlin. There’s lots of fighting, lots of gadgetry, and a few surprises along the way. But as Vision notes, “Conflict breeds catastrophe.” The question is whether the Avengers, Captain America, and Iron Man will figure this out before it’s too late.

Captain America Meets Spider-ManOh yeah, and there’s Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland).  He has a role in the fight in Berlin, but seems more in awe of the others than anything.  He’s also learning about his superpowers—with mixed results. One part of the film that irked me involved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei)—don’t go in expecting her to be old like in the comics. In fact, guys might even be smitten by her.

In the end, the themes of vengeance, love, family, and loyalty come into play, though I’ll leave it to you to figure out how and in what manner it happens. Suffice it to say that the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 mean something in Civil War.

The film is nearly 2 ½ hours long, but it doesn’t feel that way due to the hyperkinetic pacing by directors Anthony and Joe Russo. Fight sequences are everywhere, surprises abound, and details are peppered throughout that help drive the plot forward. I do wish the villain (played by Martin Freeman) had been fleshed out a little bit more, but that’s nitpicking when events are unfolding so rapidly. The music isn’t overpowering but adds little to the whole scheme of affairs.  You’re there for the action, so that’s what you’re going to get.

And you’re going to like it.

(PS – Stay for the credits, as there are not one but two additional scenes that will leave you talking on the way out of the theater.)

Captain America: Civil War – Whom to Follow

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Before the screening I attended of Captain America: Civil War, the screen was filled with a message encouraging people to take part in the social media strategy of the film by tweeting either #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan to designate which side they favor. Welcome to the political edition of the Marvel Universe. I’ll save my vote until later.

The film is built around a division within the ranks of the Avengers. After an Avenger mission in Lagos, Nigeria creates severe collateral damage, the governments of the world reach an agreement by which the Avengers will come under the authority and control of a U.N.-like body. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) supports the proposal as a step to keep the Avengers working for the good. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) thinks that the Avengers’ work is too important to allow for government interference. The others tend to fall behind one or the other of these leaders.

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When the accord is due to be signed, a bomb goes off near the site, killing several. It appears to be the work of The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers childhood friend Bucky Barns. Captain America sets out to keep Bucky from being killed by those sent to capture him, putting himself on the wrong side of the law. Soon the Avengers are divided into two camps (with a couple of notable non-Avenger additions from the Marvel Universe), one seeking to save and exonerate Bucky, and one determined to bring him to justice. In the meantime, a new superhero, Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), an African prince (now king) whose father was killed in the blast, operates in neither camp, but is seeking to bring his own form of justice to the man who killed his father. In time this leads to a battle royal as the two teams face off, eventually to a showdown between Captain America and Iron Man to save Bucky.

So the first political issue is whether government oversight is a good thing or a hindrance. The Avengers have done some serious damage in their attempts to save the world from whatever menace they have been facing. As a group of people with enhanced powers, they are something of a global superpower in themselves. How are they to be held accountable for all that collateral damage that accompanies their fight for the right? But if a government power is involved, won’t that reduce their effectiveness; maybe even prevent them from doing what needs to be done? Iron Man thinks that the team has to be held accountable and that government is necessary for that to happen. Captain America thinks that the government will only get in the way. How do you vote on that issue? TeamCap or TeamIronMan?

Then comes the idea of how we know what is right in a given situation. For Captain America, his loyalty to his friend Bucky transcends even the possibility that he has resumed his role as Winter Soldier. Even if Bucky is responsible for the attack, is he truly responsible or is it a matter of mind control? Should he be summarily done away with in the name of justice and vengeance? For Iron Man, it is just a matter of capturing (or killing if need be) the person who has done this. It’s not his job to wade through the facts beyond what seems obvious to all the world. Does loyalty to a friend (Cap) take precedence over loyalty to what all the world sees as justice (Iron Man)?

And then there is the whole issue of personality. Don’t we often pick our leaders based on some sort of personality cult? Let’s face it, Tony Stark is a bit arrogant, but he still believes in doing what is right (and if it turns a profit, all the better). Steve Rogers comes across as the incarnation of virtue. Yet, as the story plays out, it is Rogers who becomes the criminal and Stark who serves as the sheriff of superherodom. Which side of the law do you want to be on? Vote accordingly.

While I call this the political edition of the Marvel Universe, I do not mean that this is some sort of parody of the current election cycle. However, it is not hard to use this as a lens to consider how it is we pick sides in the election. Worse, we may even be willing to be combative, even with friends, over our visions of the world and those who we think should lead us.

Actually, I’m not willing to cast my vote for either Captain America or Iron Man. Both of them are utterly convinced of the righteousness of their cause. That makes it almost impossible for them to find common ground, but even worse, it makes it impossible for them to find any transformation for their character. Repentance is outside their vocabulary. Without some sense of flexibility, they are doomed to end up in those battles that make up much of the film. In short, neither of them really grows in the course of the film.

Beyond that, I don’t think either of them is the person who best represents the options that need to be considered in the film—nor even the most interesting characters. There are two minor characters that really drew me to them. I understand that this is a superhero blockbuster that uses broad strokes (sometimes too broad) to tell the story. But within that there should be room from some subtle looks at character growth and to give us people we can truly connect with because in spite of their superpowers they are like us.

The first of these characters is Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). She is consumed with guilt over what happened in Lagos. She is conflicted over the use of her powers. Her vulnerability as a character grows out of seeing the damage that can be done even with the best of intentions. As the Avengers discuss whether to agree to the new proposal, she is pretty much paralyzed by grief. She never really chooses a side, she is just brought in to one of them. Yet in the process, she begins to discover that her power is not her enemy. It would have been nice to know just how that happened.

They key character for me in the film was Black Panther. He has vowed vengeance on the man who killed his father, and like the two main characters he is convinced of the righteousness of his mission. But he is reflective enough to see the problems that come along with vengeance and can be transformed—and even repent of the course he set out on. This is the character who has the most growth and transformation in the story, but we see far too little of it. (The good news is that Black Panther will be getting his own franchise in the future.) So for me, when it comes to #TeamCap and #TeamIronMan, I say a curse on both your houses. Put me down for #TeamPanther.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures