Suit Up

With the release of Iron Man 3 this past Friday, Marvel studios officially kicks off their much-awaited "Phase Two", a series of films that leads up to 2015's anticipated sequel The Avengers 2. Starting the ball rolling with Iron Man and making it work was very important for two big reasons. First, Robert Downey Jr.'s irreverent interpretation of Marvel's "genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" is easily the most popular of its superheroes, widely out-grossing the still-successful films featuring fellow Avengers Captain America, Thor and the Hulk at the box office. Second, while the newest sequel is seen more as a followup to Joss Whedon's excellent The Avengers than it is to the previous Iron Man titles, it still carries the stain of coming after 2010's terrible Iron Man 2, easily one of the worst released that year. And so Iron Man 3's co-writer/director Shane Black (taking over from the departing Jon Favreau) upped the ante by introducing Iron Man's strongest foe (The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley) and one of the original comic book's most famous stories, as the movie is loosely based on Warren Ellis' 2005-2006 Extremis storyline. Top it off with more Iron suits than one man could possibly have use for (or so one would think) and you have all the makings of a potentially amazing Iron Man sequel.

This is his indoor attire.

Following the events of The Avengers, Tony Stark (Downey) is trying to get back into his daily routine as a billionaire inventor with a great girlfriend in Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and an amazing gig as famous world-saving superhero Iron Man. But he's having difficulties sleeping, his worldview irrevocably changed by the events in New York City, and exacerbated by the terror attacks of The Mandarin (Kingsley), an international criminal guilty of bombings around the globe. When one of those attacks hits a little close to home, Stark gets it in his head that he will handle the menace, exposing himself and everything he holds dear to urgent danger. But everything is not what it seems, and soon his past comes back to haunt him. Surrounded by enemies, Stark must rely on his wits if he wants to survive what comes next.

However, he cheats at Rock Paper Scissors

Shane black does an excellent job pulling together his own rendition of an Iron Man story while melding it with the existing cinematic mythos. His signature black humor fits in nicely with where Favreau had gone before, and his history with Downey (the pair worked together on the cult favorite Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) makes great use of the tongue-in-cheek storytelling that comes from their pairing. Black has a great feel for directing - as much as Downey does playing - Tony Stark, one of the few superheroes more interesting in his everyday manner than he is in costume, unlike "mild-mannered" Clark Kent or boring entrepeneur Bruce Wayne. In fact, the whole second act of the film features Stark without working armor in the middle of Tennessee (sans southern accents, strangely) and teamed up with a precocious brat (Ty Simpkins), and it's the best part of the whole movie. Black's ability to avoid cliched pitfalls works wonders for his star; Stark is eccentric and confident and yet plagued by demons, as three-dimensional as a character in comics can get these days. And that's even BEFORE he straps himself into a flying tin can and fights evil. To that end, The director also does a great job humanizing Stark's world and pits him against more grounded villains, while still keeping the supernatural and super-powered elements of the Marvel universe.

Might be time for a tune-up.

Black also does an excellent job directing the required action scenes, especially considering his relative lack of experience. Sure, he carries a massive special effects budget behind him, but had he failed he certainly wouldn't have been the first director to balk under the pressure of a major production. Instead the visual effects are flawless, the fight choreography is well-done, and there always seems to be a reason behind every action. The action sequences, from my personal favorite of Iron Man attempting to rescue seventeen people thrown from a plane to a battle royale between dozens of automated armored suits and an equal number of super-powered baddies, are expertly conceived, and while not everything works perfectly it does manage to at least match the intensity of what we've come to expect from this franchise.

You never see a good performance from him coming.

Unfortunately, while Downey is amazing as Stark, his side characters leave a lot to be desired. In most cases, it's an example of incomplete character development rather than lack of acting talent that sabotages these roles, though in the case of Rebecca Hall it manages to be both. Sadly, Paltrow wasn't much better, despite being a perfect down-to-earth foil for Downey's perfectly flamboyant performance. She's simply not given enough to do, and when she is the results are underwhelming. The same can be said for Don Cheadle, whose return as the military equivalent of Stark can be summed-up in two words: "paint job." Favreau also returns in an acting role, and shows that the expansion of his character wasn't remotely necessary. The villains are definitely better, with Guy Pearce once again showing that he should have made it to the big time years ago. But while Pearce is great, moreso is Kingsley, who terrifies despite relatively little screen time. Both make excellent bad guys, although if there is a failure it's that their motivations are never fully made clear. Still, it's better than the plain silly villain we sat through in Iron Man 2. That was just insulting.

And now, the ultimate test of her antiperspirant.

There are also some storytelling gaffes, not the least of which are the murky goals of the bad guys or the pointlessness of the secondary characters. Besides that, Iron Man 3 gets a little... dark in the latter half, with Tony Stark becoming a bit more amoral than most of his superhero bretheren (actually, he's about on par with Christopher Nolan's Batman, and not in a good way). While that might not be the best side-effect of Black's command, at least it can be forgiven by the fact that it matches the mood of the scene. Also, minor plot threads such as Tony's supposed post-traumatic stress disorder and relationship woes with Pepper are introduced in the first act, only to be resolved without explanation by the end of the second. Okay, they might have been a bit out of place (especially the PTSD) in a family-friendly action flick, but in that case why introduce them at all? There's also a nice, probably unexpected twist that might upset a few fanboys, but audiences ought to get a kick out of it. Finally, the ending is a bit TOO clean, to the point where an opening isn't left for potential future sequels. When we were introduced to this new Marvel movie universe, our understanding was that heroes would continue on, with or without their original actors. If this is Downey Jr's last Iron Man flick, Black and company definitely didn't leave it open for anybody else to take up the reigns in the future. And when the future shows at least two more Avengers pictures, that's an odd oversight.

Poker night's going to get a bit rowdy.

In the end, Iron Man 3 is easily the best movie we've seen in 2013, though that was admittedly an easy task. In some ways it's the best of the current Marvel crop, and in others it doesn't quite match up with the fun and intensity of the first Iron Man. Still, while it's still no match for The Avengers, it a great movie and a major step up after the Iron Man 2 debacle. Yes, you'll probably have to go back and rewatch all of those movies to understand what exactly is going on, but is that really such a bad thing? Iron Man is fun, funny, action-packed and simply amazing. Hopefully this won't be the last time we get to see Downey don the red and gold, but if it is at least he goes out on a spectacularly high note. This is as close to "must-see" as summer blockbusters get, despite even its most glaring flaws. If you're even remotely interested in comic books, explosive action and expressive humor, this is your jam.

Going After Bilbo

Well, THAT was fun.

Like most of the northeast, I was subject to the whims of mother nature as the blizzard affectionately known as "Nemo" tore through the area and was easily the heaviest snowstorm I've personally lived through. It was probably the biggest since the legendary storm of '78, a blizzard my parents have referred to in stories for nearly 35 years. Though I've seen my share of wonky winter weather, this was the first time (in my memory) that not only was the T (the local transit) shut down as a precaution, but remained offline ALL WEEKEND due to extensive cleanup. Yes, Hurricane Sandy also shut down the T when it rushed through last year, but service was back up and running the NEXT DAY, so it really wasn't a hindrance. Naturally, that means one simple thing: I sure as hell did not get out to the movie theater over the weekend.

Fortunately a little snow did nothing to change the fortunes of Identity Thief, directed by Horrible Bosses' Seth Gordon and starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy. With so few mature comedies in theaters right now (Bullet to the Head doesn't count), this was the right time for something offbeat and offensive to make itself known. It's also Melissa McCarthy's first major starring role, and her first big one since blowing (there's my storm pun, folks) everybody away with her Academy Award-nominated spot in Bridesmaids. If there's any comedic actor ready to break out on her own right now, it's McCarthy, and her presence is the main reason anybody should be giving this flick a shot.

Honestly, does that EVER work?

When financial expert Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Jason Bateman) is informed by his credit card company that he has gone over his limit, he is confused. After all, he knows for a fact that he never came close to his limit, as he's being fiscally responsible for his family. Then, when he is arrested by Colorado police and informed that he missed his court date in Florida - a state he's never even visited - the evidence becomes clear; Sandy's identity has been stolen by Diana (McCarthy), a Florida resident and professional con artist. With the authorities unable and unwilling to help, Sandy finds himself traveling to the southeast, where his only hope is to force Diana to confess to her crimes. But he's not the only one chasing her, as an assortment of people not only want the foul-mouthed thief for themselves, but buried six feet under as well.

Would you trust that face?

Despite a talented cast (Besides Bateman and McCarthy, there's also Amanda Peet, Jon Favreau, Genesis Rodriguez, Eric Stonestreet and Robert Patrick) and an intriguing premise, I couldn't quite get into Identity Thief, at least not for the first few acts. Most strained is the humor, which usually relies on two types: physical and sexual. While Horrible Bosses churned out at least one good laugh per scene, you can sit through most of this picture without even cracking a smile, frankly unacceptable for an R-rated comedy. The fault likely lies less with the director Gordon and more with screenwriter Craig Mazin, whose "best" work includes The Hangover Part 2, Superhero Movie and the last two Scary Movies. Each scene feels completely independent of the others, as if each one were a bad SNL skit featuring the same two performers. Instead of telling a cohesive story, we're subjected to gag after gag while the director waits for something to stick. It never does, and as a result the movie flounders very, VERY quickly.

McCarthy and Stonestreet in one of Identity Thief's few redeeming scenes.

But where the humor doesn't necessarily come through, there are some bits that make seeing Identity Thief almost worth it. Reason number one is McCarthy, who fully justifies her first leading role with a character that manages to defy the limitations of the script. While McCarthy manages to garner sympathy and understanding from the audience, she never goes so far as to justify her absolutely wrong actions. Striking that delicate balance is a true feat, and one we can expect to see from the actress in the future; while she excels at the physical humor and witty repartee, it's when she actually forces her character to break that mold and command a scene with pure acting skills that you can see how talented she really is. The rest of the cast are decent but unimaginative. Bateman plays his usual blend of snarky/professional, and while he's still a likable sort I'd love to see him break out and try something truly different. Meanwhile, Peet and Favreau are undeveloped, Rodriguez is stifled in a small role that doesn't take advantage of her talent, and Stonestreet - whose appearance signifies the film's first genuinely pleasant sequence - is sadly underutilized. Only Robert Patrick as a violent bounty hunter is remotely interesting, and he like the others appears both randomly and not enough to make a real impact. Besides, it's another case of Patrick playing to his type instead of against it.

No, no... just let her go.

Unfortunately, McCarthy and a solid final act cannot right a capsized ship, and that's the unfortunate truth of Identity Thief. Humor that doesn't work will still kill a comedy even if the players you bring in do the absolute best they can. The cast and crew do what they can, but for a good McCarthy flick we might have to wait until she teams up with Sandra Bullock in The Heat, which is just a few months away. Until then, Identity Thief is the #7 movie of the year, which wouldn't be such a bad spot if it wasn't behind Texas Chainsaw 3D. That's much lower than it should have been especially with the talent involved. This is a movie that steals whatever it can, most notably two hours of your time. Do yourselves a favor and wait for the DVD.

Best Pun Ever

How many comic book movies are we up to now? Thanks especially to illustrated paper giant Marvel Comics' rush to get every major hero out into the theaters in record numbers (Thor, X-Men First Class, Captain America), the comic book film has been the definition of cinema in 2011. It hasn't just been the two major comic book labels (along with DC's Green Lantern) that have been releasing screen material either: independent comics have been adapted for the big show in 2011, including Dynamite Entertainment's Green Hornet and the Korean comic Priest. Not all of these films have been worth watching, but the success many of them have garnered is a positive sign for future projects in that vein. The latest to join their ranks is Cowboys & Aliens, based on the graphic novel from Platinum Studios. Combining themes of westerns and alien invasion, the film's trailers boasted of explosions, big-name stars (Daniel "007" Craig and Harrison "Indy" Ford), and the helm under the control of Iron Man director Jon Favreau, fast proving himself a talented action director. The real question going in was whether this particular title would be closer to Favreau's excellent work in the first IM film, or if it would be more akin to the train wreck that was Iron Man 2.

Obviously, the aliens worship Prince concerts...

It's 1873, and Jake Lonergan (Craig) suddenly awakes in the middle of the Arizona desert. He has no idea of who he is, what he does, or how he came to be in his current predicament. He certainly doesn't know how he came to be in possession of the strange metal bracelet stuck to his wrist. Stumbling into the closest town, he is recognized by the local authorities as a wanted felon, and news of his arrival reaches the ears of retired Civil War Colonel Woodrow Dollarhyde (Ford), who wants Lonergan to return the gold our amnesiac apparently stole. As this is going on, strange alien crafts attack the town and kidnap many of the local populace, leading Lonergan (who discovers his bracelet is a kick-ass weapon) and Dollarhyde to put aside their differences and hunt down the monsters who kidnapped their townsfolk, hoping to take them back.

Whew, that must have been a REALLY fun night!

Westerns as a genre haven't been major plusses in cinema in recent years. With forced hybrids like Wild Wild West, Jonah Hex and The Warrior's Way failing at every turn, the genre right now is a far cry from its heyday of Gunsmoke and The Magnificent Seven. The day of legendary western directors like Sam Peckinpah can be chronicled by my friend Brian, but these days success in that area is rare as the past year has featured a couple of major victories in the True Grit remake and the animated Rango. That doesn't make the idea of creating a western film any less hazardous to your financial backers, however. If anything, it will make some people too hopeful for the fading western genre to make a comeback, and disappoint many in the process.

He'd better hope there are no snakes... he hates snakes...

Still, regardless of the status of the western in this day and age, I had a lot of fun in Cowboys & Aliens. While the western angle is somewhat cliched (references to the Civil War, hostile Native Americans, wanted felons, corrupt authority figures, etc.), the sci-fi elements respond aptly by being just as if not more cliched. The result is surprisingly a film that feels fresh and almost original, thanks especially to a story crafted by a small army of screenwriters and expertly told by the ever-expanding Favreau, back on top after last year's IM2 debacle. The film has not a boring moment, and while some parts are so insane as to be unbelievable, my enjoyment at the theater never ebbed, which is more than I can say about most of the films I've witnessed this year. With a well-rounded cast of characters each with their own personal motivations, Favreau does a wonderful job developing them from somewhat-contrived personas to somewhat-contrived people we can root for. The story may be the weakest part of the film, but it considering some of what I've seen this year, here it is but a paltry criticism..

Don't make the mistake of fist-bumping him

It helps that those characters are played by some of the most talented folk in Hollywood. With the future of James Bond in serious question, Daniel Craig was very much in need of a new career direction. I'm not sure how I feel about him doing films like this, but he certainly takes to it naturally. The English actor makes for the most unlikely American desperado, but effective he is. Even though Jake Lonergan doesn't have much that is different from many a western anti-hero, it's still fun seeing his past unfold, and to watch Craig believably learn it alongside us. Harrison Ford is also amazing as the "bad guy" Dollarhyde. Ford has played the Hollywood hero so long it's somewhat strange to see him play such a gruff and cruel character, but when you think about it you can see where the progression of his career naturally pushes him to this point. Perfectly blending rich honcho with concerned parent in a way that makes him even more compelling than Craig, Ford once again proves to us that he still has "it.". The two are easily the best the film has to offer. I wish I could say the same for Olivia Wilde as mysterious traveler Ella. While she starts off interesting as a gun-toting self-capable woman on the frontier, poor development and lousy dialogue sabotage what could have been a very good performance. Sure, Wilde has the looks and a good head for the business, but I'm starting to wonder when that great performance is going to arrive on the screen. The secondary characters in Cowboys & Aliens are a good bunch, manned by talented character actors who take their jobs seriously and know exactly what they have to do to be believable to the audience. Sam Rockwell, Clancy Brown, Adam Beach, Raul Trujillo, Walton Goggins and Keith Carradine all expertly play their roles, from Rockwell as a mild-mannered saloon owner to Brown's rifle-wielding priest to Goggins' sycophantic bandit. And as my compatriot Paul has often said, "There's no such thing as a bad movie with a Carradine," in this case the local Sheriff. Sure, these roles are anything but original, but this cast really works their chemistry and makes the hard work pay off, creating an authentic western setting to blow up with ray guns and plasma discharge.

Is Craig channeling a little Christian Bale here?

Sure, it's riddled with flaws. The story is comprised of two cliched genres that don't do much to deviate from their set procedures with the notable exception that they coexist in the first place. The special effects are top notch, but it is the stellar core cast and the smart directing from Favreau that separate this film from your average Syfy Original movie. While it's far from the best action film I've seen this year (or am likely to see), it inhabits that same realm of cool that was already kept warm by fun thrill-rides Fast 5, Captain America and Battle: Los Angeles. If you're tired of the typical adventure film and want something very different, Cowboys & Aliens should be right up your alley. At the very least, go see Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford out-act most of Hollywood for a couple of hours.