Aladdin

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Aladdin is the newest in a long line of animated Disney movies to receive a live action remake. This may be the one I was the most curious about, as well as the most cautious. For those who may not know, the original Aladdin from 1992 is actually my favorite Disney movie, as well as one of my favorite movies of all time. So, this is a film that I think could have easily been a coin toss as to whether or not I liked it. OK, the final product is actually a movie I enjoyed. The film is legitimately well-acted, especially by Will Smith as the Genie and Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Will Smith as the Genie was something where I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about it. Smith is one of my favorite actors, but the late, great Robin Williams is so linked to this character. I was also curious to see how Guy Ritchie did with directing this movie. In all honesty, his direction is fine. Some of weird quirks were a little distracting, and didn't feel like they added anything to the film. For the most part, I felt that the characters were in tact. However, there were two exceptions to this. Iago (voiced by Alan Tudyk) had lines here and there, but completely lacked personality. The same could be said of the Sultan (played by Navid Neghaban). I am far more likely to remember the lovable dimwit from the animated version than this version. The effects are a bit of mixed bag to me. There were points where I thought they worked well-enough, such as on the animals. On the other hand, some of the backgrounds were pretty noticeably fake. I know that my review for this movie has been pretty all over the place, but that also kind of mirrors my overall thoughts and feelings about this film. There is both a lot of good in this film and a lot of bad. Yes, I do think the good just barely outweighs the bad. It is enough for me to give this film a soft recommendation. Do I think you need to rush out and see this film? No. But, I would recommend renting it when it comes out on video.

6 / 10  

The Avengers

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Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) arrives on Earth seeking to rule the planet (along with some other elements to his plan that are admittedly fairly muddled). Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) responds by assembling a group of heroes for what is called the Avengers Initiative. In comparison to the Avengers films that would follow, this film almost seems quaint. That isn't a bad thing, by any means. And I really don't want to downplay the importance this film truly has had on cinema as a whole. If this wasn't the movie it was, then the Marvel Cinematic Universe might have just died with this film. The characters are almost all well-established. I will admit that Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye feels a bit underutilized (especially because he's the character that was given the least amount of actual screen time in previous films). But, there is still a lot of things about this film that still hold seven years later. The actors still give good performances, and their chemistry with one another still holds up. It also helps that I am a fan of Joss Whedon's. Most of the writing he gives this film is still smart and extremely clever, especially when it comes to the dialogue. Something Joss Whedon really seemed to understand is that these people who all very different personalities are going to clash at first. As much as I love the action in this movie, I really think the character moments are where it shines. It doesn't really matter if it's two heroes talking, or a hero and our main villain. Many of these moments actually help progress things forward, and help get the plot going. Overall, despite a couple of minor flaws that have become more noticeable with time, The Avengers is still a really good movie that deserves the recognition it has gotten from Marvel fans over the years.

9 / 10 

Captain America: The First Avenger

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Last year, I reviewed most of the Marvel movies I had missed leading up to Avengers: Infinity War. Now that Avengers: Endgame has passed, I am going to go back to review the last couple films I have left in the franchise. Captain America: The First Avenger follows the origin of Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) as he is chosen for the super soldier project that ultimately turns him into the superhero known as Captain America. He is set on a path that puts him at odds with the villainous Red Skull (played by Hugo Weaving). One of this movie's strongest elements is the tone it takes. The movie has something of an old school 1940s pulp adventure serial. The closest comparison I could possibly make is that of the Indiana Jones films. At the same time, this almost feels like it's one of the weaker Marvel movies. That doesn't make this film bad. Part of the reason could easily be knowing some of the Marvel movies that come later. More than anything, I can see this as a stepping stone in the larger Marvel Universe. Red Skull is a solid enough villain. Hugo Weaving does everything he can with what he is given. However, I also don't mind that Red Skull isn't one of the stronger villains. For a movie like this, it makes sense that he's a bit more one-dimensional than some of the other Marvel villains. Chris Evans as Captain America really is the element that makes this movie. He is just so good at playing the wholesome patriot who would do anything to fight his country. There is a lot about The First Avenger that works exceptionally well. I've discussed the film's acting and tone. I think it should also be noted that the film has pretty solid visual effects that mostly hold up. But, the film kind of suffers from being one of the films that is just kind of lost in the shuffle. Part of the issue could be director Joe Johnston. He doesn't do a terrible job by any means, but this is one of those films that easily could have been directed by anyone. It feels like he's almost trying to capture something of a Spielberg tone. Part of the issue is, he doesn't come off as a director with a style of his own. I would say this is probably his best film overall. Captain America: The First Avenger is a film that I can best describe as being good. Not great, but good.

7 / 10