I saw Infinity War (Part 1)...

They say that "Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War: Part 1" is the biggest, character team-up in cinema history. I've no cause to dispute that claim.

Within its nearly three-hour running time, "Infinity War" gives us Captain America (Chris Evans); Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr); Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman); Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson); War Machine (Don Cheadle); the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan); the Falcon (Anthony Mackie); Hulk (Mark Ruffalo); Thor (Chris Hemsworth); Loki (Tom Hiddleston); Spider-man (Tom Holland); Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen); the Vision (Paul Bettany); Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch); and crossing their imposing paths, those glorious Guardians of the Galaxy (Chris Pratt; Zoe Salanda; Dave Baustista; Karen Gillan; Pom Klementieff; Vin Diesel; and Bradley Cooper). There are also several suprise titans who accompany the headliners. (In fact, one will find a few costarring favorites straight out Marvel's previous blockbuster, "The Black Panther". How's that for respectful continuity?)

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (who performed a pitch-perfect job on my favorite entry, "Winter Soldier", as well as the contentious but colorful "Civil War"), and written by acclaimed Cap veterans Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, the action swings among Earth, space and connecting dimensions. It's no wonder with the pensive, intergalactic villain (and Eternal daddy to Gamora and Nebula), Thanos (Josh Brolin) manipulating the variables to seize the mystical infinity stones: six lovely chunks that house the universe's limitless essence. Thanos hopes to adorn them upon his enormous glove, though even an incomplete set gives the galactic thug significant leverage over the assembled Avengers. But by golly, our heroes still do their best to bring him down, along with his ruthless regiment of Black Order/Cull Obsidian generals. 

"Infinity War" plays, in this respect, like other Marvel movies, with lots of good fighting lots of bad. However, with the Avengers entering the mission more-or-less divided, they must put aside personal concerns to combat their common foe, albeit in specialized packs. The script, therefore, insinuates "X-Men United", though places the concept on a more sprawling scale. (I'm glad, by the way, that Team Rogers and Team Stark are at long last mending their ways. The "Civil War" rift never felt right to me, whether in comic or film form. In my opinion, animosity between/among friends, especially of the exalted, fictional sort, should be resolved within one story line, but I'm okay seeing it settled in two or three, as long as it happens somewhere down the damn, reachable line.)

Even with its unorthodox tensions referenced and stacked throughout, the film doesn't flip the franchise (the most financially successful of all time, I might add) on its head, unless one sees blasphemy in Cap's brooding beard, Widow's amber hair, or Spidey's shiny suit. (For the record, we gained a glimpse of Parker's new costume in "Homecoming", so it's use in an Avengers rally shouldn't be all that surprising.) 

But wait--what's that you ask? Is there truth to the rumor that an Avenger dies? Maybe even more than one beloved character? Well, if that's truly the case, it sure would be big, saga-changing news, but I'm not one to kiss and tell for the here and now. (You know how to reach me if you desire a confirmation.)  I'll say this much: The demise of any Marvel icon would be troubling, perhaps unforgivable, but maybe one could justify it within a well wrought plot. Keeping it more "Wrath of Khan" than "Force Awakens" would be the way to go, but with Disney and Paramount both involved, the woeful moment(s) could go either way...if such were to occur. (And if death were to strike, would any Avenger ever stay forever defunct? Come on, now... Why mourn? Why lament? Fantasy holds no limitations.)

Though the initial "Infinity War" projects much to anticipate and contemplate, its best asset might be the way it combines science and magic, but then, haven't the adventures of Thor and Strange already succeeded there? Also, when it wants to be, the film is as somber as "Winter Soldier" and yet at other times, as outrageous as a Guardians misadventure. Again, we've already seen these extremes on the big screen, though per divided presentations. That they work well within the same context, darting from out so many opposing vantages (and never turning cringe-worthy in the process), is quite a superheroic stunt. (Heck, "Infinity War" exceeds "Justice League" by leagues in this regard.) Say, maybe that's the film's thematic (and symbolic) point!

For those who've stuck with the saga since "Iron Man", it's essential to check this one out. Most will be satisfied with its epic delivery, and I bet "Part 2" will hit an even higher, satisfactory note when released next year.

So, fasten your seat belts and enjoy the high-adrenaline, emotional hills and valleys. As with most Marvel flicks, this ain't Shakespeare, though this one does at least scratch that surface on more than a few occasions. For now, that's all that should count. That's all that should suffice...

I saw Spidey Come Home...

After the mush-maddened and ticket-slipping "Amazing Spider-man 2", an overhaul seemed required for the webslinger’s cinematic image. Either the Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield format had to be revamped or Spidey needed to go into hiding a few years before a reboot (perhaps one even in the Sam Raimi vein) was summoned. The powers-that-be decided to move fast, however, with Sony, Marvel and Disney ironing out contractual concerns to make Tom Holland's Peter Park a spry, supporting part of "Captain America: Civil War". With Spidey’s significant but brief participation pleasing fans, he gained another headlining effort.

Jon "Cop Car" Watts was enlisted for this big revitalization, assigned to direct but also to develop the story, along with John Francis Daley; Christopher Ford; Jonathan Goldstein; Chris McKenna; and Erik Sommers. 

The result, "Spider-man: Homecoming", picks up where "Civil War" left off (well, at least after a couple flashbacks), its main carryover Avenger being Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Stark again takes Parker under his wing, advancing the youngster's suit to an even greater level, but the entrepreneur also relegates the youth to Manhattan's confines. Despite the lad's amazing abilities, Stark doesn’t see Parker as full-fledged Avenger material...not yet, anyway. (For the record, per comic lore, Spidey is always glad to assist the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men and the like, but never yearns to be a permanent part of any team.)  

At any rate, Parker's need to impress Stark becomes the film’s predominate theme: the story of a boy who so desperately wants to impress his mentor by helping others that he stumbles along the way and well, you know the rest. (BTW: The film's subtitle implies Parker's coming to terms with his strengths and weaknesses, his notions of right and wrong, paving a symbolic path that will lead him home, so to speak.)

The script also focuses on Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes, aka, the Vulture: a former salvage contractor, who after being financially stomped, grows a craving for conquest and with some extra cash (via some refurbished, alien technology) makes his ambitions a reality. It's sure fun to see Keaton in this ironic, villainous turn, though he more than tested the dark waters in "RoboCop ’15". It's also cool how the Vulture reflects Keaton's "Birdman" persona, which in its own right parodies his Caped Crusader portrayal, while simultaneously representing the type of baddie Batman would love to batter. 

Alas, there's no Daily Bugle to lure Parker and therefore no J. Jonah Jameson to berate him (pity, since the ol' hothead was physically non-existent in Webb's version). Stark's loyal pal, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is there, though, as well as the alluring Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Chris Evans also cameos as Cap America, along with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. 

In addition, the film features some new faces and reinterpretations of old favorites, which include Parker's this-time unrequited love, Liz Allan (Laura Harrier)--and don't let that darn surname fool ya--who's offset by cynical Michelle "M.J." Jones (Zendaya). There's also wide-eye, golly-gee chum, Ned (Jacob Batalon), who may or may not be the Bugle's Ned Leeds; naive Coach Wilson (Hannibal Buress); encouraging Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr); and trusty rival Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori), revised with copious smugness. 

Interestingly enough, Jennifer Connelly portrays Karen, the offscreen "Suit Lady", who guides Spidey through his fabric guise. For what it's worth, Connelly already held an Avengers link before winning the role, being married to Paul Bettany, who plays the Vision and prior to such, having voiced J.A.R.V.I.S.  Nonetheless, it's too bad we weren't granted a sly "Hulk" tie-in through the actress, but I guess the past is the past when it comes to certain ill-fated, Marvel ventures, though recasting is clearly okay. (Say, wouldn't Eric Bana make a terrific Kraven the Hunter?)

On the new henchmen end, we're introduced to Logan Marshall-Green's Jackson Brice/Shocker and Bookem Woodbine's Herman Shultz/Shocker (yep, two Shockers for the price of one!); Donald Glover's Aaron Davis, aka the Prowler; and Michael Mando's Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion. (Indeed, lots of history is being spread here, but wasn't that also characteristic of the previous flicks? Sometimes this layering-the-tracks can be clever, but other times too much, too soon. We can only keep our fingers crossed for Watt's restart.)

As seen in "Civil War", Holland (despite that brief, far-too-cocky run-in with Cap) is likable as high-schooler and superhero. However, this finely tuned double standard wouldn’t have quite the impact if not for Keaton’s embittered villainy. 

The Vulture (one of Spidey's oldest foes, though others beyond Toomes have seized the alias) becomes the film's most ubiquitous persona. Keaton's intensity heightens the conflict, injecting an unreasonable angst that makes the story's primary nemesis as intriguing as its titular hero. For the beleaguered Parker, Toomes becomes a devilish obsession, in which we can take delight sharing. Indeed, we don’t want the Vulture to reign supreme, but we can appreciate the madman's decisive drive, while despising his misguided motives.  

This tottering dynamic gives the film a winsome spurt: a big relief since there's lots riding on "Homecoming'"s success. In fact, I had stated last year that if "Homecoming" adhered to "The Legend of Tarzan" format, it could succeed. However, “Tarzan” had several drawbacks that went against its hero's grain. "Homecoming" at least stays truer to its source, again retelling a tale that doesn’t need to be retold, but due to its faithful delivery, rises above expectations to retake its core audience. That’s not to say "Homecoming" is flawless or presents the perfect place and time for its hero, but even so, it respects the dutiful traits that Stan Lee/Steve Ditko invested in their creation. 

All the same, there must come a point when Spider-man truly becomes a man. Tobey Maquire and Andrew Garfield lost the chance to mature in their roles. With Holland, we’ll have to wait a decent spell for sure, due to the actor's overwhelmingly youthful guise. Will there be enough sequels for the new Spidey to reach logical adulthood? One can only hope...presume. Keep in mind, Kal-El didn’t remain Superboy his entire life. The same goes for Spidey, and this should be addressed on the big screen, just as it was on the short-lived (and inexplicably shamed) CBS television series.

If those now attached to the saga wish to do right by this character (i.e., get him ever closer to his symbolic home base), they must set forth a progressive path and maybe along the line implant some seriousness to the cause. More sophistication would allow the movies to improve, thus making the ongoing adventure more than a coming-of-age rehash and finally a franchise where the only costumed entity our hero needs to impress is himself. 

Collectible Time #22: Titan Hero Tech Hulk/Hulk Buster and Gary Shipman Hulk Print

As a further warm-up to "Age of Ultron", I decided to go for several new Hulk items.

First up (to go along with my Titan Hero Tech Captain America, referenced in Collectible Time "21) is the Mark Ruffalo 12" Hulk. When you press Hulk's tummy, he grunts such cool things as "Hulk crush tin man", "Hulk's the strongest" and "Hulk smash puny robot", along with a series of calamitous sound effects. The facial structure is certainly Ruffalo, and in keeping with comic-book tradition, the sculpt is both imposing and enraged. 

To interact with the Hulk, I also purchased the 13" Titan Hero Tech Hulk Buster. In essence, Hulk Buster is a pumped-up version of Iron Man, right down to an expansion of Tony Stark's trademark coloring. 

In addition to the figure's "jackhammer" punch activation, lights and sound effects, it spouts such phrases as "Avengers assemble", "Hulk Buster powering up" and "Oh, yeah, this is power". When set to interact with the Hulk figure, it says things like "Whoa, big guy," "Hulk, stop tearing up my armor" and (my personal favorite) "Bruce, it's time to calm down". 

Hulk Buster is quite a fine looking hunk of plastic, and for the $40 price range, well worth the purchase. (I'm also certain that many a kid--and adult--will have fun staging these two figures against each other.)

Next up is a rippling 11" x 17" Gary Shipman Hulk print (a nice addition to the Cap and Winter Soldier prints, also referenced in Collectible Time #21). Due to Gary's immense talent, this representation aptly captures the Hulk's imposing muscularity and rage-wrought expression: a fine salute if ever there was one to the big, green fighting machine. 

The above gives one some insight of Shipman's impressive design, but in no way captures the full fury that the piece invokes when one sees it in person. The same can also be said of the Cap/Bucky prints. (If you have a chance, do yourself a favor and check out the Esty site for more awe-inspiring Shipman prints.) 

Collectible Time #21: Gary Shipman Captain America/Winter Soldier Prints and Titan Hero Tech Cap

To further my cheer for "Age of Ultron'"s advent, I've obtained two excellent Gary Shipman Avengers prints: Captain American and Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier!!!

These prints, like the Hulk, are 11" x 17", and as you can see, full of dynamic tension even in their stationary poses. I really like the way Cap's shield is featured in each.  (You can obtain the prints through Etsy, where other superb Shipman creations are available.)

Also, got a cool 12" Titan Hero Tech figure...a Chris Evans Cap, no less! The interactive Cap utters such gutsy statements as "I am Captain America", "Avengers, assemble", "Hulk smash" and "We're winning this one, Avengers."

It's a spiffy, sturdy, patriotic looking figure, and for that, I like it...a lot!!!