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The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight brings us back to a world where a masked vigilante has taken over the streets, fighting the corrupt and aiding those in need. Picking up a few years after Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City and The League of Shadows’ attempt to cleanse humanity, Christopher Nolan’s second installment into this new Batman story shows that Gotham City has become a place where villains fear the night and choose to operate in smaller numbers. Not only have the villains united in order to ensure their money is protected, but the citizens of Gotham are split in their opinion of our caped crusader. This review will focus on the central theme of chaos within The Dark Knight, the importance of the Joker and Two Face in furthering this theme, and the choices Bruce has had to make since the destruction of Wayne Manor.

In thinking about the creation of this series, we began with Batman Begins, which focused on fear, and now with The Dark Knight, we get a focus on chaos. In this next chapter of the story that we get with Bruce Wayne, the viewer gets exposed to a new villain, one that was just briefly introduced at the end of the previous movie. The Joker opens the movie with a bank heist where as each piece of the plan falls into place, one henchman takes out another until the bus is loaded up and The Joker finally reveals himself. This is the first time we see a single villain who appears to be a master tactician.

As the story continues, the Joker continues to prove that he is not a conventional villain. Rather than just show up to a meeting with all the other criminals of Gotham to discuss how to keep their money safe, he instead both entices them to catch Batman and threatens them by having a stack of grenades sewed to the inside of his coat. The Joker continually proves that he does not fit with the status quo as he shows that his own villainy is superior to that of the lowly underground criminals. He kills at will in order to further his goals and even puts the average citizen to the test in an attempt to prove that every person has an evil side that can be tapped into.

The Joker’s abilities as a master tactician are solidified when he gets himself captured by Gotham City PD then pits Batman and Gotham’s finest on a chase to try and save both Harvey Dent and Rachel. He proves that even two options can create chaos because Batman has to decide whom to save, the obvious choice being Rachel. He further proves his cunning when he’s able to destroy the Gotham Central precinct by grotesquely, while cleverly, hiding an explosive device in the body of a recently admitted inmate.

Now, this movie doesn’t just have one villain. Harvey Dent begins this movie as Gotham’s newest District Attorney. Harvey ends up finding a way to lock away Gotham’s evil underground in one fell swoop with the help of Batman. In this story, we find that Harvey Dent is the civil servant that Gotham needs because he’s willing to stand up for the people and bring peace back to Gotham City. However, following The Joker’s plot to make Batman decide between love and justice, Harvey is severely injured in the explosion, leaving half of his face fleshy and exposed.

This is the origin of TwoFace; this experience exposes the evil within Harvey. The Joker realizes that he can now tap into this side of Harvey and use him to further his plot to create more chaos within Gotham. TwoFace has finally learned that man cannot control everything. He uses his once “lucky coin” to determine the fates of those he believes deserve to be judged for their actions. Having lost Rachel, he finds that he must take justice into his own hands because he feels as though Batman stole her from the world by trying to save him. TwoFace even attempts to force Gordon to make the same decision that Batman had to make, leaving everything to chance and stealing his ability to save everyone. The irony of TwoFace is that Harvey Dent was once a man who fought for justice; however, following the loss of Rachel, TwoFace has determined that fate must be determined by chance.

From the very beginning of the film, it becomes clear that Gotham City has become a bit more chaotic. From the bank robbery scene where each of Joker’s henchmen are picked off one by one, to the secret meetings of Gotham’s criminal underground, to the Joker’s final test where he pits average citizens against Gotham City’s worst criminals. Not only has Joker affected the chaos that exists within Gotham, TwoFace furthers this chaos through his use of chance. This movie has a way of making each new scene feel just a little more complex and like a little harder of a test for either Gotham’s finest or for Batman himself.

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Batman Begins

In considering superheroes, Batman’s story is iconic, has been told through a number of mediums, and has been portrayed by a wide array of actors. Batman Begins is no exception in the franchise as it chooses to provide not only Batman’s origins, but introduce viewers to a more modern and realistic representation of Gotham City. Christopher Nolan directs this new rendition of Batman with Christian Bale playing the role of the mysterious, wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne. In considering Batman Begins, this review will look into the overarching theme of fear and the roles and importance of the villains used to further that theme.

Batman Begins by reintroduces the viewer to Bruce Wayne both in his origin as the son and heir to the Wayne family as well as in his creation of Batman. Young Bruce is portrayed as carefree until he falls into a covered well on the Wayne property and ends up swarmed by bats. This is unique because it does not just play off of fear; it is the actual creation of fear. Bruce’s new fear then gets the best of him at the opera when there are bat characters that come down on the stage. Bruce’s fear is what he believes creates his ultimate downfall, the loss of his parents. This moment impacts Bruce significantly, to the point where he even questions his own morality when his parent’s murderer is released from jail.

We then find that Bruce Wayne, the man, is seeking a means in order to both avenge their death and address the growing corruption that exists within Gotham. In this search, Bruce ends up in a prison in Bhutan and eventually is introduced and inducted into the League of Shadows. Bruce is exposed to a psychotropic drug that affects his senses and causes deep hallucinations. In this experience, Bruce finds that the League of Shadows’ purpose is to end societies that are beyond saving. This strikes a chord in Bruce as he remembers the vision his father had for Gotham and that he must return to help restore order to Gotham.

In considering the League of Shadows, Ra’s al Ghul, and Scarecrow, the main villains of Batman Begins, each has a unique perspective into the importance of life and the role fear plays within humanity. The League of Shadows and Ra’s al Ghul find that humanity follows a standard course and that societies must be helped to come to a conclusion in order to restart and rebuild. They find ways to quickly end societies or cause enough of a change that the society must be forced to change. As part of their plan to bring Gotham to its knees, they’ve enlisted Scarecrow to fill Arkham Asylum with criminals through the use of the same psychotropic that Bruce was exposed to in his training.

In thinking about Batman and Scarecrow, specifically in thinking about their effectiveness as either superhero or villain, respectively, each relies on devices to carry out their goals. Batman relies on Lucius Fox and the Wayne R&D department in order to put together his tools, devices, and vehicles in order to bring proper justice to Gotham and against the League of Shadows. Scarecrow similarly has to use a psychotropic drug to attempt to be successful as a villain. While posing as an expert psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Crane, Scarecrow then uses the drug supplied by the League of Shadows in order to further their plan.

In the creation of a new Batman franchise, the choice to pit two people against each other that truly do not have any extraordinary powers brings some realism to the story. This also helps to further the idea that fear is something that exists within someone, something that was created by their own mind. Knowing that fear is unique to each and every individual, fear itself can be used to control and change a person. This is the fundamental theme that exists within Batman Begins and the driving force within the need for change within Gotham City.

As a whole, Batman Begins presents Bruce Wayne’s formation of Batman in a way that’s modern and accessible. By focusing on the theme of fear, it allows the creation of Batman to be authentic and to further explain the importance that fear plays in Bruce Wayne’s own need to fight for Gotham City. In considering the number of iterations that Batman has gone through and the sheer number of actors that have portrayed this iconic superhero, this version brought to us by Christopher Nolan is easily one of the top versions produced and helped to bring a new generation into understanding with this iconic superhero.

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Avengers: Age of Ultron

If a movie ever aspired to be nothing more than a series of action scenes strung together, Avengers: Age of Ultron does just that, and it does it well. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has found a way to make each movie a combination of feeling unique and also feeling like a chapter in a larger story. This movie is not an exception to that rule. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, we get greater character development of the different Avengers that we’ve already been made aware of, and we get introduced to new characters. Something that this movie does is almost acknowledge that it is a piece in the larger story that is the MCU, but does so in a way that helps to further the overall story. In this review, we will be looking into the presentation of good and evil, the importance of Thor’s Hammer, and the irony of the Avenger’s mission and the destruction that ensues.

Good and evil and the embodiment of either is one of the central themes in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In a movie where Tony Stark and Bruce Banner join together to attempt to build Ultron, a global peacekeeper, they’re working under the presumption that there’s a greater evil that threatens Earth. This comes after the attack on Earth by an extraterrestrial race that occurred in the first Avengers movie. In doing so, they utilize Loki’s scepter that seems to have something similar to the neural network of a brain. The goal, as stated, is to create a global peacekeeper, something or someone who will protect Earth from all outside and inside threats and bring everlasting peace.

Something about Ultron that should be explored is how he is able to justify his actions as moral. Despite having the intention of annihilating humanity, Ultron makes reference to the extinction of the dinosaurs as just another time in which life ended and started anew. Ultron has adopted an ideology that there will ultimately be peace on Earth without any humans to create conflict, that the eve of humanity has come to fruition upon his creation and he will be the one to carry the world into a new era. Ultron’s flaw is that he believes himself to be infallible and ends up creating a new synthetic body made of vibranium into which he places the mind stone. This results in the creation of Vision, home to the mind of J.A.R.V.I.S and the direct foil to that of Ultron. There are a few scenes where Ultron and Vision stand opposite each other, a direct embodiment of light and dark, good and evil. But, as will be further detailed, this is not the only representation of light and dark seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

There is a great scene early in the movie that should be explored. At the end of the house party hosted by Tony Stark, the Avengers are gathered around Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir. At this point, each Avenger is aware of the fact that the Hammer is mythical and that one must be worthy of the hammer in order to carry it. Thor challenges his fellow Avengers to attempt to lift it. Cliff Barton starts it off, Tony and James Rhodes try lifting it with the help of their suit hands, Bruce jokingly attempts to lift it but restrains himself from becoming the Hulk, and finally, when Steve Rogers attempts to lift it, it shifts only slightly. Thor’s composure complete changes in this moment but he candidly plays it off as though nothing happens. In considering each of the Avengers that attempted to lift it, it would make the most sense for Mjolnir to react to Captain America simply because he’s the only truly morally good character of the series and does not falter in his belief of what is right and wrong.

Ultimately, the discussion of the Avenger’s mission and the irony in which they carry it out must be covered. The movie opens right into an action scene involving the Avengers attacking a Hydra base in an attempt to recover Loki’s scepter. The area in which this takes place in is remote and away from society. While the Avengers prefer to have the open space in order to take out enemy forces, that isn’t always the case. Once the Avengers learn that Ultron has gone to Wakanda in search of vibranium, they proceed to attack the arms dealer and Ultron. This time, much closer to populated areas. As a result, the Hulk loses control and ends up in the heart of Wakanda. As soon as Iron Man realizes Hulk’s location, we’re introduced to the aptly named Hulkbuster suit. However, in their attempts to subdue the Hulk, mass destruction of Wakanda takes place, including a major structure that Tony uses to attempt to corner the Hulk into. Once they’ve finally wrestled the Hulk into restraints, we find that there have been contingency plans put into place, to include the Stark Relief Foundation, which presumably is used to rebuild any infrastructure and provide aid to those affected by the damage caused during an Avengers mission.

The idea that the Avengers were formed to bring peace and stability to the world always seems to be overshadowed by the fact that any time they act, they themselves bring chaos and destruction to the world. In a movie where the goal was to bring to life the ultimate peacekeeper, humanity itself becomes threatened by the very mechanism created to protect it. The Avengers are shattered and beaten to a point where each one questions their motives and their role in the world. This movie acts as a precursor to a larger dialogue that the Avengers may not be as wholly good as they originally were meant to be. The threats against the world continue to grow and those that hope to see the destruction of humanity end up being closer to home than originally thought. Overall, this story simply helps to develop the depth of each character and helps to define what is good and what is evil. Unfortunately, we find ourselves, as the viewer, questioning just how solid those lines are and find that more often than not, superheroes will live in the grey of that spectrum.  

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Avatar

If you’ve ever wanted to watch a movie that somehow makes all the right decisions, I would encourage you to watch Avatar. For a movie that could so easily rely solely on its visuals, it doesn’t. Between the movie’s presentation of Pandora, to the depth it provides regarding the Na’vi, and finally the way it shows the struggle to define humanity, Avatar is a movie that finds a way of telling a new story in manner that welcomes the viewer to a new world. This is something that Avatar does brilliantly in the way it not only brings the main character into this new world, but it brings the viewer along the way. In this review, we’ll be looking into the choices made in the introduction of Pandora and the Na’vi, the social issues addressed in Avatar, and development of the main character from beginning to end.

With Avatar being a movie that introduces an alien world, one that’s portrayed to be within the Alpha Centuri system, we find very quickly that while this world is incredibly beautiful, it is also incredibly dangerous. When the aircraft lands everyone must mask up and is warned immediately how dangerous not only the atmosphere is, but how dangerous the indigenous beings are. And while it is the paramilitary forces that provide security for the corporation and science teams present this, it immediately impacts the viewer into thinking that these people should not be on the planet or interfere with the development of the society that they’re encroaching on. This creates an interesting power struggle between the humans and Na’vi. As Jake rolls down the loading ramp from the aircraft, we see an excavator drive by with a number of large arrows having pierced its wheels. This confirms the fact that the Na’vi have not welcomed the humans to their planet.

It is important to note that there is also a great divide between the humans and the Na’vi technologically. As the humans have found a way to safely travel this great distance between Earth and the Alpha Centauri system, it shows that a great deal of advancement has occurred on Earth which has allowed them to begin their space exploration. The Na’vi, conversely, can be most easily equivocated to that of the Native Americans. They spiritually value the land and all that it can provide, are keen hunters and riders. Their spiritual deity, Eywa, seems to be able to communicate directly to the Na’vi through the connection hidden in their braided hair. The Na’vi completely reject technology as represented in their rejection of the sky people and the “demons” that are the avatars controlled by Grace and her team. The Na’vi aren’t naïve in their rejection of technology in that they just adhere to their religion that seeks to find a balance between all lifeforms on the planet, a balance they believe has been disrupted with the arrival of the humans.

However, while this new found ability to travel space seems to be second nature to all involved, the idea of capitalism is alive and well in this universe. As portrayed by the administrator, Parker, greed has extended outside of Earth in the search for unobtanium. Parker’s involvement on the planet is to ensure that the work done is profitable. Space travel, the creation of the avatars, and maintaining a large security force on the planet is easily understood as an enormous cost. However, the moment that he reveals their reason for being on the planet, unobtanium, the view gains a better understanding as to how and why they can continue to operate in the manner that they are. At a value of $20 million per kilogram of unrefined unobtanium, RDA is able to maintain constant and uninterrupted operations on Pandora.

The issue that often accompanies greed is a lack of humanity. When referring to the Na’vi, the terms “savage,” “blues,” “hostiles,” and even “blue monkeys” are used and always in a completely derogatory sense. Rather than just calling them by their race, Na’vi, or finding another terms that does not indicate that judgment has already been passed upon them, the humans have found that their developmental state is enough to deem them unworthy of humanity. There’s a moment where the Omitacaya clan has accepted Jake and they’ve discovered that there is a direct link between the Na’vi and their ancestors through their sacred sites. The RDA in their pursuit for unobtanium subsequently destroys one of these sites. Parker demonstrates that he is not concerned with the loss of life that this mission would result in and that even Jake’s attempt to stop the excavator is an act of treachery against the RDA. The acts that are committed against the Na’vi by the RDA act as a foil in that the acts themselves are far more savage than the Na’vi have ever been toward the humans.

Right from the beginning of the movie, we get the perspective of Jake Sully and the decision he had to make in order to carry on his brother’s research. While Jake and Tom Sully were two very different men, one an injured, veteran Marine, the other a PhD level scientist, Jake presents himself as a willing and forward thinking individual. Almost immediately, he becomes outcast by the scientists his brother worked with and worked for, and welcomed back to the Marine brotherhood upon his mission provided by the Colonel. This distinction of value and who has placed value upon Jake is something that should be paid attention as it greatly affects each character’s perspectives later in the movie.

Overall, Avatar is a movie that is deserving of its critical acclaim and one that finds a way to make all the right choices. As a movie that truly is a visual and technical masterpiece, the story does not lack or suffer from this. In a world as rich and expansive as Pandora, we find characters that are both working for and pitted against each other. Corporate greed and the humanity shown to those different from us are some of the major themes that are addressed within the story and are done so both directly and effectively. Certainly a movie that will speak to the minds of the curious and hopefully will further our ambition to see what the universe around us holds.

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Austin Powers in Goldmember

Austin Powers in Goldmember is the best way the Austin Powers trilogy could have ended. While this was obviously a comedy series, there was a surprising amount of character development that takes place in this final chapter of the movies. A number of new approaches were taken in this movie while it stayed true to the series in its use of reoccurring bits and reviving jokes from the previous two films. The choices made in this final rendition of the Austin Powers prove that an old dog can learn new tricks, and that comedy is really a bit of a science. This review will focus on the chances that Goldmember took in its creation, the overall character development that the central characters underwent, and ultimately how this final movie really pulled the trilogy into a set of movies that should be considered classics.

There’s no way to talk about Goldmember without talking about the opening scene. In considering that Austin Powers started out as a satire to your traditional ‘60s spy movie, the way it developed and evolved from International Man of Mystery to The Spy Who Shagged Me, there was already an expectation that Goldmember would only be better. In the outside of the film, we get a glimpse into a possible Hollywood rendition of Austin Power’s life with Tom Cruise as Austin Powers, Gywneth Paltrow as Dixie Normous, Kevin Spacey as Dr. Evil and Danny DeVito as Mini Me. The movie pans out and we see Austin as an advisor to Steven Spielberg.

The number of major personalities that were included in this movie goes beyond that of the movie world. Austin pans into a sound stage where Quincy Jones is conducting a symphony that is actively playing the background music for the film. Then, for another throwback, they pan into a warehouse where pop icon Britney Spears is filming her music video for “Boys.” It seems like this sequence was shot for really one purpose: to show that anything can happen regardless of where you started. The beauty of this opening sequence is the way the film chooses to end, with a body replacement where John Travolta is playing Goldmember. The irony of this, known only to the viewer, is that Mike Myers plays all the main characters: Austin Power, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and Goldmember. To have Hollywood glamorize the story and put A-list celebrities in their places really plays into the feel of what the Austin Powers franchise has become.

As was previously mentioned, Goldmember takes the series a step further than it had previously dared by building upon the main characters and their history. This is seen first when Austin Powers is knighted by the Queen and his father is missing from the ceremony. After Austin goes to visit Dr. Evil in his prison, we get a clever flashback to when the two attended spy school where Dr. Evil is the top of the class. This leads us to meeting Number Two, who also happens to be second beyond Dr. Evil. The school holds its annual awards ceremony and Austin is awarded the International Man of Mystery over Dr. Evil, and lo and behold, Nigel Powers is missing once again. This all comes to a head when Austin finally counters Dr. Evil on his submarine just before he’s supposed to start up the tractor beam to destroy the Earth. Nigel steps between the two and reveals that they’re brothers. While Nigel has always been an absentee parent to Austin, he finally tries to redeem himself by bringing the two together to save the world.

Ultimately, Goldmember takes chances in its approach to the final chapter in the Austin Powers franchise. From finding ways to tie in A-list celebrities, to adding depth to each of the characters, we find Austin confronting an issue that was prefaced in The Spy Who Shagged Me. This movie takes the characters and what they stand for one step further. We see Austin truly affected by an absentee father and we find out why Dr. Evil is evil. Albeit, the reason he is evil is that Belgians raised him, and the only reason that Belgians are evil is because they’re neighbors to the Dutch. We find that Scotty has accepted that he is the son of an evil madman and that he wants to not only join the family business, but also take it over. In the end, we find Scotty back in the Evil headquarters behind the Hollywood sign, having lost his hair and perfected his evil laugh. Goldmember finds a way to take a franchise built on satire and the idea that even the most untalented man can end up with the most beautiful of women, and turn it on itself and make it a fun, family driven comedy that turns the bad guy into a good guy in the end. Moral of the story: you’re only as evil as you allow yourself to be, and a little love goes a long way.

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Austin Power: The Spy Who Shagged Me

When it comes to sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me is one of the exceptions to the rules. Following a movie that takes chances and somehow found a way not to flop, this movie learns from the mistakes of the first movie and ends up with better results. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me’s greatest feat over its predecessor is that it finds a singular plot and sticks to it. While we find that Mike Myers has found a way to keep the franchise alive, there are a few repeating themes that were carried over from the first film into this that showcase his refined comedic timing.

In keeping with the first movie, this one finds ways of making references to other movies. It begins blatantly with a reference to Star Wars by having an opening sequence that sets the stage for the viewer. The main difference is that this is one is narrated, a fairly minor detail but in keeping with the cinematography of the Austin Powers series. One thing that the viewer will notice is that there are fewer transition scenes of Austin and crew dancing to stereotypical 60s music. This is likely the result of improved writing and direction that we see in this movie and so there happens to be fewer opportunities for the need to include an identifiable shift in timing and a need to reset the pace of the movie.

A new addition to this movie is the use of breaking the fourth wall. It happens early enough in the movie that the viewer notices it and done in a way that allows Austin to truly interact with the audience. This new comedic ploy is then followed by Austin’s signature nude adventure through the hotel. Tying these two bits together allows this movie to remain connected to its predecessor without feeling like he’s overusing jokes. The objects change, as does the location. Whereas before it was always in the privacy of his hotel room, Austin becomes a bit more daring and enters into the hotel itself, riding elevators and entering conference rooms. One thing to note is that the objects put in place to block Austin’s nudity are far more phallic than in the previous movie. While Austin has adapted the symbol of masculinity, it’s interesting to see how the director plays with this and more often than not, everything blocking our view ends up being shortened or removed. This easily could have been done as a precursor or an allusion to what will happen to Austin later in the film.

The transition made at the beginning that allows Austin to return to his swinger lifestyle also allows for Austin’s focus to shift back to being a spy and chasing Dr. Evil. With the removal of Vanessa, a new damsel-in-distress is allowed to be created in that of Felicity Shagwell. Once again, Austin gets the attention of a new woman who also partners with him when he returns to the ‘60s. This seems to be a reoccurring trope for Austin, along with the need to save the world.

Something that needs to be focused on is not only the way that Dr. Evil is a terrible madman, but also the way he also finds myself surrounded by assassins/accomplices that are equally as bad at their job. Dr. Evil starts off by having a time machine made…sorry, “time machine,” that he doesn’t know how to operate. Then, when back in the ‘60s, he surrounds himself with Number Two, Frau Farbissina, and Mustafa. Number Two has emotional control issues despite appearing to be the most stable one in the room. Frau has no control over her love of Dr. Evil, giving in to him when he drinks Austin’s mojo. And Mustafa is by far the worst assassin, despite being given the best opportunities to kill Austin. Mustafa’s downfall is probably the funniest in the movie because he’ll answer truthfully after being asked the same question 3 times. The way this plays out when Austin and Felicity run into him ends in yet another tragic downfall, literally, for Mustafa.

Finally, we get to see some greater emotional depth to Austin. Mind you, it’s not much simply because the tone of the movie doesn’t want to or should change too much, but once Austin loses his mojo, we find that Austin is even more greatly affected than previously shown. This does something that the audience has not seen before, but it draws empathy to Austin for the first time in the series. With how quickly Austin was able to move of from finding out that Vanessa was a FemBot to realizing he was single again, there has always been an assumption that Austin really only has two emotions: happiness and horniness. But following his interaction with Ivana Humpalot and the loss of his mojo, we see Austin lose all of his confidence and even turn away Felicity when she begins her advance. When Austin goes on his drive to figure out what’s changed within him, it becomes likely one of the first relatable moments in the movie. The important moment is that Austin addresses this directly with Felicity, which allows him to internalize the significance of emotional depth.

Overall, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me is a movie that took chances to build upon a starter movie and the character created by Mike Myers. The mistakes that were made in the beginning were corrected and created a movie that allows for greater character development while also maintaining a wide berth of comedy. This movie is a great expansion to the first because it finds the bits that works, adds on to them without overusing a break in the 4th wall, and honed in on the main problem by giving the movie a proper plot.

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Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery disappointed my childhood. Watching this movie 20 years after its release not only shows its age, but also actually did a surprising job of showing how far comedy movies have come in the last twenty years. For a movie that sparked a trilogy of Austin Powers movies, movies that gained a massive following and actually garnered bigger names to appear in the subsequent films, this movie as a whole is not good. In this review, we will be focusing on the underwhelming plotline, the lack of true character development, and the poor cinematography.

This movie, as we’ve already discussed, has aged, and not gracefully. The movie begins in 1967, in the heart of the Swinging ‘60s in London, England. Our protagonist, Austin Powers, is a vivacious, daft spy working for British Intelligence. We get introduced to the series’ villain, Dr. Evil, early on, but do not see his face until later. From the beginning, we get a sense that Austin finds himself very much in the right place at the right time, his abilities more based on luck than on skill. Austin also proves to be counterproductive. Following the communication from Basil Exposition, Austin goes to the exact location that he’s been told there would be activity from Dr. Evil’s associates.

Following the cryostasis process endured by both Austin and Dr. Evil, we find that neither character has really learned about the world that they were kept from over the last 30 years, nor do they really care what has changed. Dr. Evil endures ridicule from his peers about the inflation that has occurred and yet has chosen not to learn what has been done with his company since he froze himself. Austin assumes that the Swinging ‘60s have just carried on through the last 30 years and doesn’t acknowledge that society constantly changes as it continues to develop. The match these two are for each other is nothing less than intelligent design, with intelligent being the least apt word to use.

Ultimately, the plot comes down to the most basic of hero tropes. The problem with Austin is that he knows he’s trying to be a hero. However, instead of utilizing a damsel-in-distress to counter his hero, Austin fights for the world. Dr. Evil is the epitome of a mad man, the problem being that he isn’t smart. He acknowledges his shortcomings, both as a father and as a mastermind. This is seen when he traps Austin and Vanessa in the room with the killer sea bass when he even states that he’s going to place them in an “easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death.” Dr. Evil’s demise ultimately is and will be his overcomplication of his plans and his expectation for a small margin of error, countered by his lack of attention to detail. By and large, Dr. Evil is the worst at being an evil madman.

Visually, this movie lacks in every aspect. The best looking scenes are at the very beginning when Austin goes to the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club. The lighting and feel for those scenes really brings the viewer back to the era, but it’s such an insignificant part of the movie. After that, the cinematography goes downhill. There are random scenes of Austin in a band with women doing essentially nothing that are used to transition from one scene to the next. Any time there are big spots of a single color, they appear blown out and grainy.

The flow of the scenes matches the flow of the cinematography as it jumps from person to person, and decides to center on and focus on individuals. There are also far too many scenes where a green screen is used and it shows Austin driving with canned footage of the Las Vegas strip or it shows Austin and Vanessa “walking.” It seems a bit excessive for the circumstances and clearly shows how low the budget was for the film. In the end, the only truly well filmed scene is when Austin and Vanessa have to use object to cover their genitalia as they move around the room. Something interesting to note about this scene is that the communicator that Austin uses with Basil is that of an old personal diary organizer. The buttons are all original but they put in a video in post-production over where the organizer’s screen is.

Needless to day, this movie has not held up over time. The comedic timing is lacking, at times almost purposefully so. The political aspect does not hold up as the politics have changed drastically, demonstrated by any of the jokes regarding political figures and that of the World Security Council. And most importantly, the quality of the film shows just how far movies have come in the past 20 years. What was once a comedic treasure has become a movie that should be hidden away and only watched as a joke.

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American Sniper

Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, the tribute and story of SEAL Sniper Chris Kyle, is an example of what a war movie should be. The life of Chris Kyle was noteworthy in both his military career and his home life. This movie, based on his autobiography, does not take any extraneous liberties to make Chris Kyle more than the man he already was. In the modern era of war, this movie finds a way to balance the conversation between deployment and being stateside. In this review, we will focus on the directorial choices while down range and those when back home and the contrast that brings to the movie.

The beginning of the movie makes a very unique decision by starting at the beginning of the war and the first introduction we have to Chris Kyle. We find him up in an overwatch position, keeping the Marines on the ground safe from any imminent danger. And this is where the story really starts, as it flashes back at the trigger pull to his first kill as a child out hunting with his father. This comparison of the taking a life, whether that be a human life or an animal, is simple and immediate. It allows the viewer to understand the simplicity of the act and the connection that was drawn.

This is where the director takes the opportunity to go back in Chris Kyle’s timeline and give the viewer a better understanding of his origin and how he’s come to be a SEAL Sniper. When it finally gets to his BUD/S training, the first hints of being military conditioned come through. It almost seems to be an extension of himself, but now slightly intensified and more refined.

Something interesting and a choice that I feel Bradley Cooper felt necessary in his portrayal of Chris Kyle was ensuring that Chris was portrayed as an American with a true and unwavering sense of morality and justice. This begins with his words when he first meets Taya at the bar and his confidence that what he’s doing is to protect her and all other Americans. This goes further when he returns to Afghanistan for his second tour and his fellow SEALs are starting to question their roles in the war and if their presence is necessary. Chris throughout this does not change his stance, does not change his perspective on the importance of the role he plays day in and day out as they continue their mission.

Having mentioned that this movie includes pieces of his different deployments down range, it is important to note the change in feeling that the movie portrays when Chris is either down range or home. Following his first tour, the emotion we get from Chris is dissatisfaction of the results of the war. Having gone in headstrong and with a clear picture of his mission, it appears that Chris comes back out of his deployment recognizing that the enemy is unknown and the battlefield is not clearly defined. When he returns home, he does not know how to communicate this to Taya and as such, it begins to divide them. Chris sees this as a way of protecting her once again because it allows him to avoid the topic all together, but in reality, he just ends up closing himself off from the one person to whom he should be able to say anything.

In returning to the battlefield, both physical and mental, two figures are focused on within the movie and by Chris directly, Mustafa and the Butcher. One interpretation of this is that Chris has found a way to place a face upon his enemy, which makes the battlefield feel smaller and more intimate. Having an objective set by his moral need to avenge his brothers who lost either their limbs or lives on the battlefield, this allows Chris to maintain his focus and continue to move forward, even in the most dangerous or difficult of situations. The other interpretation is that these two targets are the corporeal embodiment of Chris’ own inner demons. While it takes time for Chris to realize that the war has changed him, Mustafa and the Butcher become almost like obsessions while deployed and eliminating them is his one true purpose.

The final symbol that should be considered is in the scene with the sandstorm that is blowing in. As this is at the end of Chris’ final tour, during which he is injured after eliminating Mustafa, the sandstorm can be seen as both a physical barrier and element that demonstrates that the war has shifted and there has been a true change in the war. Not only can this be seen in the vehicles and aircraft that are being utilized, but Chris’ own mentality has changed as well. Having accepted that he cannot continue with what he’s doing, Chris finds himself home and facing the actual mental demons he thought he was fighting down range.

Overall, I feel like this movie is how a modern war movie should be made. It draws the connections for the viewers in order to better understand the demands and strain placed on warfighters. It doesn’t rush through action scenes just for the simple delight of a few explosions. And it’s honest, which is something Clint Eastwood has always strived for. The pacing and tone of this movie address the real issues that warfighters and veterans face every day and does so in a way without making it feel or sound hopeless. It displays the great life that Chris Kyle led and the work he did as a veteran in service to other veterans in a way that’s easy to connect to and does not demand the viewer to assume that what was portrayed was not real.

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13 Hours

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is not a movie for those who oppose the United States’ involvement in Libya. This movie serves as a memorial to the American spirit and the men who gave their lives for the ideals they vowed to defend. As this movie is based on the book of the same name written by Mitchell Zuckoff, the story itself is currently well known and has been a point of contention in the political space. The movie as a whole suffers from that of the Hollywood standard of a “war movie” in that a large portion of its value comes from the battle scenes. Unfortunately, because of this standard, there are moments where it comes to a screeching halt and leaves the viewer wondering if the movie is about to end. The use of pacing and directorial decisions will be explored primarily as they affect the movie the most.

The pacing of 13 Hours is clearly set in the introduction. Quick snippets of the location, the history of the Libyan revolution and the current state of affairs that the movie will enter into helps to set the pace of the action to come. Choosing to start the movie with Jack Silva landing in Libya, rather than have him leave his family, keeps the movie focused on this location. As a way to keep up with the pacing set in the intro, the movie utilizes jump cuts to bring the viewer into this unfamiliar landscape. It shows that Libya is a country of turmoil, uncertainty, and of people who are trying to decide what’s best for their country. A reminder of the harsh conditions of the Middle East is mentioned briefly as Jack mentions the temperature almost immediately upon his arrival.

This movie does one thing consistently, and that’s inconsistency. From the airport to The Annex, the pacing changes three different times between fast travel through Benghazi to being stopped by a local militia to a rapid fire tour of The Annex. This not only forces the viewed to pay closer attention to what’s happening and what Jack is entering into, but it also throws the viewer off balance because there isn’t any opportunity to relax after the encounter with the militia. Michael Bay takes this one step further by grounding the GRS team and reminding them that they’re nothing more than hired help.

This continues throughout the movie, periods of quick action that builds up to intense explosions to periods of stagnation and a call to hold. While this is a war movie, it almost builds too much suspense. This causes the viewer to get frustrated along with the operators because they know that something needs to happen, especially in the scenes surrounding the ambassador’s compound. There is one moment where this is truly effective; unfortunately, it’s pointed out by Tanto when he gets the feeling that the initial attack was just to bring everyone together. The atmosphere of that scene is already thrown off with the sheer number of militiamen standing around the compound doing absolutely nothing.

In considering this movie from a directorial standpoint, there are a few locations that were poorly filmed in the beginning which affects the viewer’s perception once they become crucial. Namely, the size of the ambassador’s compound is poorly explained when the GRS team meets with the State security detail. This becomes important when GRS finally gets to respond to the attack on the compound because the viewer struggles with comprehending how much distance there is between the front and back gates as well as the size of the home. Knowing that the attack on the compound is technically more decisive in the United States’ involvement in Libya, specifically Benghazi, the lack of scope surrounding that location almost diminishes the fact that a US Ambassador to Libya lost his life.

With Michael Bay’s background being in action movies, it seems as though he learned his lesson from the compound scenes as the action shifts from the compound back to The Annex. The advantage that The Annex has over the ambassador’s compound is that GRS and the CIA have active knowledge of both the layout and the reinforcements available to them at The Annex. This is demonstrated through the use of drone shots that show the tactical members on the roofs and along the walls, each covering their respective fields of fire.

However, the best cinematic piece occurs while at The Annex. In the scenes involving the mortars being fired upon the Annex, it appears that the director felt that the magnitude of destruction that follows that of a mortar was enough to do a close in shot of the mortar as it falls on the operators. Between these close ups of the destruction of the Annex, and the detailed views from the Predator circling above, the director felt it more important for the viewer to understand the scope of the action and the efforts that were made by all the parties involved to survive and see the sunlight.

In considering that this movie is to commemorate the men that endured the attacks in Benghazi, I feel as though there were too many directorial liberties taken in the portrayal the events of that day. While this movie isn’t meant to necessarily be American military propaganda, there are scenes where war is glamorized. This is unfortunate because this day was not glamorous and the United States was far from being victorious. In the ending credits, the movie goes on to say that Libya is now a failed state. Despite feeling thankful for those who lived and made it out of Benghazi, the emotions felt by the viewer at the end of the movie are conflicted because of the choices made by the director. The constant shifting between scenes of suspense and scenes of boredom cause the viewer to question the motivation of the director and the emotional status of the operators. Overall, this movie contains some good pieces of cinematography, but ends up lacking in value when it comes to the story and the emotions that the viewer must endure while watching.