Reviews

*Spoilers*

Just when Comic book films were truly starting to enjoy a time of true artistic relevance and seemed to be on the verge of officially casting off the shackles of stereotypes and bias that have plagued the genre for decades, along comes a film to firmly entrench it in every single hackneyed cliché and trope that have been the deservedly derided by the educated community.

The Avengers is, by far, the most uninspired CBM story I've seen from the CBM genre to date, disguised by draping a cheap, easily exploitable crossover gimmick over it, not so dissimilar to the various other poorly conceived amalgamations that have been presented to us over the years in various mediums (Cartoon All Stars, AVP, Freddy v Jason, and, most recently, Dawn of Justice).

Poorly executed, nonsensical characterization ("i'm Always Angry", basically the 2012 version of "Your mother's name is Martha too?"), forced interactions and stock 'argument' dialogue (We're not a team, we're a time bomb.", subtle.), and a total lack of dramatic heft give a very light (story-wise, not tone), one-note, TV episodic feeling to what should have been a complex, multi- layered epic.

Overall, a conglomeration of "fanboy" moments vainly stitched together to attempt some sort of narrative.

This product of media (I refuse to dignify it as a "film" or "story"), is stunningly incompetent in every measurable facet.

• Atrocious, hokey, poorly delivered dialogue - massive plot holes at every single turn - terribly wooden acting - completely direction-less "plot" - pointless, hollow side characters shoehorned in for "fan service" that drag the film horribly at points - Potentially important character scenes drastically underwritten and frantically rushed - raping of basic physics - notorious, sub-Syfy level specials effects - hack, stale cliché after hack, stale cliché executed without any sort of wit or cleverness applied - and just so thoroughly boring throughout

There isn't one single measurable aspect of this film on any level that reflects even a remote element of talent, wit or heart. It's as phoned in as a product of "entertainment" can possibly get.

With by far the most difficult task ever given in comic book films (being a worthy successor to The Dark Knight, killing the Comic trilogy curse plagued by far inferior fare such as Sam Raimi's atrocious Spider-Man 3 and Brett Ratner's lazy, laughable X3 affair), Nolan manages to accomplish both of these tasks with intelligent character writing, witty style and heart pounding, adrenaline pumping action that rivals any action blockbuster ever made.

The film simply drips with charisma, with every cast member delivering an exceptional performance. Anne Hathaway redefines the Catwoman character, creating the greatest incarnation to ever hit the big screen, splicing the tough exterior of action heroines from the 80's and 90's with the of classic sophistication of big screen icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Gloria Swanson.

Tom Hardy's Bane provides the film with cinemas most intimidating big screen antagonist since Heath Ledger's Joker, a criminal mastermind that is both intelligent, cunning and physically powerful. It is not difficult to see why his character has endured in pop culture significantly more than forgettable villains from other properties (Lena Headey's Ma-Ma and Tom Hiddleston's Loki).

But the true journey lies with our protagonist, Bruce Wayne, played with astonishing soulfulness by Christian Bale, who's journey from broken man to shining beacon once again for the city of Gotham (which feels like a character more than any other Metropolis in film) is filled with tension, despair, hope and a real solid sense of pathos.

With the always excellent Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman rounding out the Oscar calibre cast, The Dark Knight Rises provides many heart felt moments and surprises guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat trying to what comes next.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated that life was a journey, not a destination.

One could only wish that Jumanji director Joe Johnston would have taken that timeless quote to heart when directing the final instalment of the Avengers' prequels.

Instead, he opts to give us a film that was about as winding of a journey as a trip to the mailbox.

Steve Rogers' journey from frail young man to, well, strong young man, presents us with the tale of one of the most one-dimensional, uninteresting protagonists in recent memory, as any amount of internal conflict or struggle is tossed to the wayside from virtually the opening frame. The only thing in the film that has any substantial development is the titular character's muscular frame.

Along with Evans of lacklustre supporting cast, including Hayley Atwell, who's monotone Carter provides a one-dimensional and particularly shallow love interest (any interest whatsoever in Rogers literally occurs after his CGI rendered frame is replaced with his natural torso), and a ultimately pointless villain in Red Skull (considering Hitler's role in the war at the time) a quickly forgotten about Richard Artimage, and a slumming, emotionless Tommy Lee Jones, all form a rather toothless cast.

The plot is filled with poorly executed clichés (the kissing scene with the blonde, in particular, feels so forced that you could practically see Atwell standing behind the scenery waiting for her 'cue'), tepid dialogue, plot holes and boundless leaps of logic (discovering the underground base by going in through an above ground window, wearing a brightly coloured suit when infiltrating a base to rescue soldiers, and the ending, which I'll get to), and rushed pacing.

What makes this film seem more of an contrived Avengers prequel than its associated films is the ending, which features Rogers commandeering a plane with a nuke.

After taking manual control, instead of jumping out of the plane after diverting it at the last minute to save himself and let the plane crash on its own, or diverting it to a warmer, isolated climate where it would do no harm, he instead chooses to go down with the plane.

There is no logical reason for Rogers to do this except for the fact that he wouldn't be part of the Avengers film if he didn't (also to give some forced pathos between himself and Atwell's character).

Overall, Captain America: The First Avenger is a paint-by-numbers origin that seems more of a bullet point presentation than a fully developed final product When it comes to the several years of audience buildup and putting the pieces into place for the upcoming Marvel crossover, it's little wonder why The 'First' Avenger, was given the 'Last' slot.

Christopher Nolan's magnificent contribution to the comic book genre has been easily attested to as one of the most influential films of the 21st century, and with good reason.

Unlike other films of the genre, Batman Begins gives its characters true depth and phenomenal texture, not to mention an astonishing amount of heart in the performances and writing. Bruce's journey is simply the most fascinating, richly layered adventure I've ever seen in cinema, superhero film or otherwise.

The remaining cast is sensational, with Liam Neeson giving a subtle yet menacing portrayal of Ras Al Ghul, perfectly balancing roles as a sympathetic father figure, misguided freedom fighter and megalomaniac at once.

The supporting cast is excellent, with Michael Caine Alfred giving a great dynamic as the other father figure attempting to guide Bruce along a straight path while embracing/tolerating Bruce's attempts to bring fear to the criminals of Gotham, but also giving moments of levity with his sophisticated level of humour that Caine brings to so many great films.

Gary Oldman 'is' Jim Gordon, as perfect a casting choice as Christopher Reeve's Superman, portraying the moral cop surrounded by people on the take and feeling that it's an endless cycle until Batman makes his debut.

Cillian Murphy's Crane/Scarecrow is utilized perfectly here, allowing him to give a subtly creepy performance, but never overshadowing the main antagonist. Nolan avoids the tropes of having two super villains 'team up', and instead, has Scarecrow working for the more deadly and complex Ghul.

Rounding out the cast, Morgan Freeman gives a naturally charismatic and charming performance as Lucius Fox and, like Caine, also provides the film with levity and wit during Bruce's evolution.

Nolan also knows how to take limited actors and make them fit into their roles. Katie Holmes' Rachel Dawes could have been portrayed as any typical damsel in distress, but instead of just being the eye candy for Bruce to save, we see someone who embarked on her own path to clean up Gotham that is radically different from Bruce's (and Ghul's for that matter). She also provides the film with one of its greatest, most complex moments near the end.

And, of course, Christian Bale (tied with Daniel Day-Lewis for best modern actor) gives a dynamic performance in Bruce Wayne, and his transition to Batman is nothing short of breathtaking, displaying a wide array of characteristics that make Bruce more than just a man and more than a symbol. I have never encountered a character that made me feel so much for the man behind the mask.

The screenplay and direction are incredible, providing many bombastic and subtle moments that compliment each other.

The impact felt by this film outside the genre is awe-inspiring, branching beyond the superhero genre and into other mediums such as James Bond, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes. Yet what's even more remarkable is just how well Batman Begins stands up to those films over the last eight years, being regarded by many viewers and critics as still being the best product out of a medium it basically helped create/elevate with regards to reboots and detailed origin stories.

Ironically, most films out of the CBM genre itself over last few years that have tried to emulate BB's quality, have ultimately come off as watered down and generic in many aspects by comparison (i.e. Amazing Spiderman, Iron Man) with X:Men First Class being the one film that can be called quality, while the best quality emulators came from outside the genre.

Batman Begins did for film what Nirvana did for music, it changed the formula while keeping some of the better aspects.