Whedon Week #7: The Avengers: Age of Ultron movie review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the oh so long awaited sequel to the highly acclaimed Avengers, and the latest film in the Avengers franchise. Like Avengers, and obviously in keeping with Whedon Week, this film was both written and directed by Joss Whedon. The film follows the avengers as they have to once again save the world from Ultron, an AI created for the purpose of peace and protection, but ended up wanting to kill all humans. The film stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, & Chris Hemsworth as the Avengers, and it also stars James Spader as the voice of Ultron.

Now, the first Avengers film was largely popular, and a huge success, due in large part to its use of the Avengers in the action. This film is no exception, giving you a huge action scene within seconds of the film starting. Not a quick one either, it lasts a good ten minutes. The pacing in this movie is really spot on, and where the last Avengers film kind of waited until the end to bring most of the action, this film gives you really good seamless action almost throughout. In that though, I could easily see this movie being a bit too much for some people. It'll go through a lot of action and a lot of fairly important plot details really quick, which could lead to some people missing something important. It's not that big of an issue, but it's worth noting.

When I first saw some of the trailers and read some of the reviews for this movie, everything seemed to point to the word "darker", which really concerned me, because if there was anything I didn't want The Avengers to turn into, it's Man of Steel. However, I'm glad to be able to say this film isn't by any means "dark". Sure, it's a bit more serious, and about halfway through it starts to get real with some of the characters story arcs, but that by no means makes the movie darker. If anything, it shows that this film takes itself a bit more seriously than previous films in the series, and it shows that the franchise is ready to take itself in new directions with its characters and story. In a lot of ways, Age of Ultron is kind of the perfect example of what a sequel should be. It doesn't try to do everything the first film did, while still remaining true to what makes the franchise good. It matures to the levels it needs to without getting to serious and turning into a cliche.

The writing in this movie, as with Joss Whedons fashion of writing, is absolutely spot on. The dialogue in this film, as usual, is witty, it never misses a beat, and it stays consistent. Even better in terms of writing is the way the characters are written. Now, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, we all know these characters will come out of this film being memorable. The two big surprises here are Hawkeye and Ultron. In the last film, Hawkeye never seemed to do much to contribute to the team. Here however, you walk out of the movie and Jeremy Renner ended up one of the most memorable parts of the film.

And then, of course, there's Ultron. Now, Marvel in it's recent years hasn't been great with it's villains. Loki was great, no question there, but we haven't really had a great villain like that since. So, going into Age of Ultron, I certainly had my doubts about the character, even with James Spader playing him. However, James Spader ends up delivering a villain so amazing it might actually give Tom Hiddleston some competition. He's cunning, he delivers his lines in a way that's really unnerving at some points, and he's threatening. Not to mention, he has a really good sense of humor. I feel like I should've expected that, with James Spader being the voice, but it caught me off guard in a really good way.

Final Rating
Avengers: Age of Ultron is an entertaining film, and a really good sequel, and overall a really solid movie. It gets you engaged, it tells a really compelling story with these characters, and it manages to do pretty much everything a good sequel should do, but not many actually do. The writing it solid, the action is great, and this movie has an outstanding villain. I'm glad I got to see Avengers Age of Ultron, I have no doubt it'll be sold out for the next few weeks, but if you can find the time I'd highly recommend seeing this movie.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron
 4.5/5

Whedon Week #6: Serenity movie review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

Serenity is a sci-fi action/adventure, which serves as a continuation (and a conclusion) to the prematurely cancelled tv series, Firefly. Like Firefly, the movie was made by Joss Whedon, and stars Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, and Ron Glass. The film also has two new actors, with Chiwitel Ejiofor and David Krumholtz.

Following in the footsteps of a beloved cult hit is no easy task, and a lot of the time, it fails miserably (I'm looking at you, S. Darko). However, Serenity is a big exception. Firstly, it takes full advantage of the fact that there's a tv series setting this whole thing up. The tv show did all the world building and all the character development, so you're already attatched to these characters going into Serenity. You know them, and you know them well. This allows Serenity to put a lot of focus onto the action elements. Without any need to explain much of anything, the film can focus on keeping its audience engaged and not spend too much (or any) time with exposition. 

Chiwitel Ejiofor did this movie quite a long time before his recent career jump with 12 Years a Slave. However, in my opinion, this movie shows off a lot of his acting skills in terms of playing a villain. This guy is a prime example as to why I will always trust Joss Whedon where villains are concerned, because this guy is so intimidating, and so cunning. He seems to outwit just about everyone, and you can feel his raw intensity, despite the fact that he's really calm pretty much throughout the film. Whenever this guy and Mal are in a room (which happens around three times), it creates this really eerie effect of Mal and the Operative being complete polar opposites of one another.

Now, I'm going to stop with the critical stuff for a second, because my thoughts on Serenity go beyond just being critical opinions. Like I said in my review of Firefly, it's among my favorite shows of all time, so the fact that it was cancelled totally sucks. To me, Serenity is more than just a continuation, it's some resolution for the fans. To me, Serenity is in a lot of ways the perfect end to what I will always retain was a perfect series, so it will always have value to me in more ways than just critical analysis.

Final Rating
This is hands down my most opinion based review. Critically alone, it's an awesome movie. If you want a cool sci-fi western, I'd say go watch Firefly, then if you're still interested, watch Serenity. To me, Serenity will always have sentimental value, and will always be an important film to me as a fan of Firefly.

Serenity
 5/5

Tomorrow: Age of Ultron

Whedon Week #5: The Cabin in the Woods movie review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

The Cabin in the Woods is a horror-comedy following two lab scientists who let loose demonic things on some twenty-somethings. That's pretty much all I can give you plot-wise, if you haven't seen the movie, go do that because I'm gonna be talking about some spoilers here. The film stars Bradley Whitford & Richard Jenkins as the scientists, as well Kristen Connelly, Fran Kranz, Amy Acker, Jesse Williams, Chris Hemsworth, and Anna Hutchinson. The film is also written by the always awesome Joss Whedon.

Before I get into what really makes The Cabin in the Woods the shere brilliance that it is, I'm gonna cover the basics first. First off, I think the cast mostly does a good job here. The twenty somethings are mostly forgettable, with the exception of Marty played by Fran Kranz (basically playing the same character he did on Dollhouse, only stoned). The scientists however are extremely memorable and steal every scene they're in, from their witty remarks, to their chemistry, to just about everything about these two characters is awesome and simply one of the most well-written duos I've ever seen.

When Cabin in the Woods came out, every critic was extremely vague about it. And with good reason, this is among the hardest films to talk about without giving away what makes it awesome. So, if you haven't seen the movie, I'm going to give you one chance right now to stop reading this review. Good? Okay.

So essentially the "twist" (if you can call it that) is that all horror movies are tie ins of some sort to this film. To be more specific, the cabin is being controlled by this government-ish agency, which uses demons and monsters and killers to make sacrifices in specific orders. What makes this special is that all the demons are references too famous horror movies, alluding to the idea that all horror films in general have this kind of group behind it all, which is absolutely genius to me.

One of my favorite parts about The Cabin in the Woods is that this movie holds the record for the longest a movie has stayed in my head. This movie plays on common horror cliches so well, but without making fun of them. Instead, this movie embraces them and uses them to it's advantage. And what this adds up to is that I can never watch a horror movie without thinking that the two scientists were behind it. Be it some kind of cliched mess like Ouija, or something surprisingly original like Oculus, I still cannot watch them without thinking of the two scientists being behind it all.

Final Rating

The Cabin in the Woods is an awesome movie. Personally, I love it, it's absolutely not just one of my all-time favorite horror films, but one of my all-time favorite films in general. Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins play some of the most memorable characters ever put to film in this movie, and I can never look at a horror movie the same thanks to this.

The Cabin in the Woods
 5/5

Tomorrow: The Movie Based on the Best Show Ever Cancelled

Whedon Week #4: Buffy the Vampire Slayer series review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was Joss Whedons first tv series, and the one that put him on the map as someone to keep an eye on. The series follows a young vampire slayer, who's name is Buffy. Pretty straightforward. Amongst vampires, there's also ghosts, werewolves, monsters, witches, demons, and other weird satanic stuff. The show stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, as well as Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stuart Head, James Marsters, and Emma Caulfield.

When all else fails... Well, a bazooka probably won't.

As can be expected with a Whedon style show, the highlight of Buffy is its characters. This show is full of them, and this being Joss Whedons only show to last more than a couple of seasons (Agents of Shield is in season 2, we're still holding out on that one), so a lot of characters kind of come and go. You still have the main group, being Buffy, Giles, Willow, and Xander. However, you've also got characters like Spike, Dawn, Faith, Oz, Anya, or Tara who are one the show for a good couple of seasons, but leave a lasting mark in your mind because they're really interesting characters. They're all well written, they all have unique things that make them them, and they each have their own emotional moments, which is especially surprising with the more comic releif characters like Xander or even Willow having really emotional moments here and there.

The action is at the core of what makes Buffy unique. Most tv shows relating to the supernatural or demon stuff rely pretty heavily on CGI, which isn't in any real way a bad thing, it's just common. What Buffy did was it relied almost exclusively on makeup, costumes, and props for its horror effects. Even more impressive is that this show was in that late 90s to early 2000s era, that point in time shortly after Jurassic Park and The Matrix came out, and everybody was using CGI. So the fact that this show stuck (mostly) with low budget makeup practical effects is impressive. Now, obviously with practical effects, sometimes it kinda shows, but with this show it adds to the charm of it all rather than detracts.

When it comes to an overarching plot, Buffy usually ran with one storyline per every season. While some shows stick with an episodic approach right up until the final episodes, and others stick with one storyline for an entire season, Buffy does a little bit of both, having this kind of freak of the week feel, but also adressing that it's connected or at least building up to the season finale. And each season would have its own villain, each with their own style to make them a unique villain. Personal favorite villain, hands down, Mayor Wilkins. This guy had so much energy, and was really charming, and plays one of the most strangely friendly villains I've ever seen, for most of the season.

Final Rating

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best demon related series ever made, and one of the best shows just in general. Me being the big Firefly geek that I am, I can't say it's my favorite Joss Whedon show, but it's way up there. The cast does a great job, the writing is clever, it's a witty show, and it used practical effects during the time when practical effects were pretty much dead. If you like vampires, supernatural things, or quirky characters, I'd say this is without a doubt the show for you.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
 5/5

Tomorrow: The most self-aware horror movie ever made.

Whedon Week #3: Dollhouse series review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

Dollhouse is another cancelled Joss Whedon show. It follows this secret organization which uses people as these blank slates, which they can then program with individual personalities for different jobs, such as a hitman, bodyguard, hostage negotiator, marine, the list is seemingly endless. The show stars Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Dichin Lachman, Fran Kranz, Enver Gjokaj, Olivia Williams, Amy Acker, and Tahmoh Penikett.

Much like almost all of his other shows, Dollhouse shows off a lot of Joss Whedons talent and originality as a writer. The concept that this show has is kind of ingenius, one of the smartest ideas for a television show specifically. Why? Because every single episode is completely different from the last. It's not just a new adventure for these characters, it's more like new characters every episode. This comes from the fact that Echo, the protagonist, can be reprogrammed with a whole ton of different roles. Like I said, she can be turned into anything, really. And each role she's programmed to play has a new personality. Most important here is that Eliza Dushku sells the living hell out of it, making each different character feel like a new personality. 

As can be expected with Joss Whedon, this show is pretty packed with action in each episode. We're told that most of the jobs Echo has to do go smoothly, however this being a tv show, these are obviously not the ones we're seeing. However, it's when things start to go badly that the action kicks in, and shows off all the perks for, once again, the genius of this shows key gimmick. Sometimes it could be a glitch in the programmed personality, other times she could turn back into a blank slate again, things like this. This builds intensity, and keeps your interest at a consistent high throughout the show.

Final Rating
So yeah, this review is a bit shorter than most, and it's because I haven't watched all of Dollhouse, so my review is going to be a bit cut off. However, from what I've seen so-far in the series, it's really cool, and really worth your time. It's original, it's well acted, it's smart, and the gimmick to this series is one that actually works, something not as common as it should be for most tv shows.

Dollhouse
 4.5/5

Tomorrow: The show that arguably started Whedons career in TV

Whedon Week #2: Firefly series review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

Firefly is the cult hit sci-fi series, which most people know for being "the greatest show ever cancelled". The show was created by (you guessed it) Joss Whedon, and stars Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk, Summer Glau, Jewel Staite, Gina Torres, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and Ron Glass. The show follows a group of criminals who fly around space, doing all sorts of jobs for various employers. The hook is that everything about the show, be it the writing, the set design, or even the characters themselves, it all feels like a western.

Joss Whedon is no stranger to creating high quality characters, and to me, Firefly showcases that quality the most out of his work. Every character on this show is a unique, well rounded, three dimensional character, each with their own personality traits that set them apart from the rest of the group. Even better is that each of these characters gets at least one episode mainly about them, and they all have interesting backstories. No character is boring, bland, or just seems like filler. And each of them is played really well by their actors. Mainly Nathan Fillion as the lead, this guy makes Malcolm Reynolds one of the most likable and memorable lead characters on a tv show.

The premise of this series sounds fairly standard at first, the normal Sci fi TV show stuff. However, it's in the kind of western themes this show adds on that make it unique. The only thing this show doesn't have in common with most western films or shows is the fact that it's set in the future, and that's kind of it. The music is all country guitar, the sets are mostly deserts, the guns even all look like old fashioned revolvers. Each episode will even play out like a western, with betrayals and stand offs, and lots and lots of acoustics.

Now, with a show this unique, it obviously had a limited audience. With a limited audience comes low ratings, which led to the show being cancelled by Fox after only one awesome season. Of that season, it almost seemed like Whedon knew the show wouldn't last long, because every episode was memorable. Every episode was fresh, and had something new for the characters. So while the show only lasted one season, it's a season that has become a cult hit as one of the best shows. Granted, it's still unsettling to see four disks in a case listed as "the entire series".

Final Rating

Firefly is without a doubt the best show to ever be cancelled, and has made itself a huge cult following due to its unique atmosphere and world it builds. The cast of characters are all memorable and original people, each with interesting stories and unique personalities. And the tone of the show is so cool and unique, making a great show for fans of both Sci-fi shows and westerns.

Firefly
 5/5

Tomorrow: Joss Whedons other show to also be cancelled.

Whedon Week So-Far

The Avengers Movie Review

Whedon Week #1: The Avengers movie review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic reviews....

To those of you wondering what the hell "Whedon Week" is, basically I'm going to review one Joss Whedon movie or tv show every day leading up to the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron. So, I figured the best movie to start this out with would be the first Avengers movie, which came out way back in 2012. The film stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, and Clark Gregg.

The Avengers is (or was when it came out) a one of a kind movie. Before this, movies didn't usually have other movies to set up bigger movies. All of these actors (except for Mark Ruffallo) had played these characters before this movie came out. Robert Downey Jr. steals pretty all of his scenes as Iron Man, playing both witty, sarcastic, and fast talking, but also likeable as a hero. Mark Ruffallo also steals the large majority of his scenes, bringing a much needed sense of humour to a character who is usually kind of a downer. Another scene stealer, and arguably the biggest one, is Tom Hiddleston as Loki. The guy has essentially been the single best part of all the other Marvel movies he's been in, and for a lot of good reasons, he plays easily the best villain in the series.

As someone who doesn't read comics that often, I don't know much of anything about any of these characters prior to the movies existing. So, what I as a casual movie goer enjoyed about these movies was that they kept things simple, and didn't depend on the audience being familiar with the comics. However, that being said, The Avengers isn't without fan service, and gives comic book fans what they want, which is a movie that feels comic-ish. It feel like a comic book story, which could really be a good or a bad thing depending on how you looked at it. For me, it's definitely a good thing.

Joss Whedon is no stranger to good, quality action in his shows and movies. The only issue most of the time is that he's limited by a TV budget, or the budget of the average movie. However, the with The Avengers, you an tell Whedon went all out with this film on the action. They're big spectacle action scenes that go on longer than you'd think, and they keep the film entertaining for longer than I expected. Not only that though, the action is also really fast, keeping your mind engaged throughout the film. It's the kind of action that stays with you long after the films over, and that keeps you coming back for more.

Final Rating

The Avengers is an amazing, awesome spectacle action film, also sporting good writing, and great characters. Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffallo, and Tom Hiddlestone are constantly stealing their scenes, and make for a very memorable film overall. If you're into Marvel, you've seen this movie, that's just the reality of the situation. I'm not changing anyones opinion with this review, lets be honest here.

The Avengers
 4.5/5

Tomorrow: Firefly series review