"The Avengers" (wonderful) and "Safe" (fine Jason Statham action flick)
Just a quick note:
I saw the earliest showing at my nearest multiplex today, at noon, and then slipped into a showing of "Safe" that was starting a few minutes after "The Avengers" let out.
I got a big kick out of the "Avengers" movie, which displays many of Joss Whedon's strengths and few of his weaknesses as a storyteller. His version of Tony/Pepper and of The Hulk are both far more compelling and believable than in the two "Iron Man" films or either of the "Hulk" films. And Thor and Captain America were both very much in keeping with their own films (the best aspects of their own films) from last summer. I expected to barely tolerate Black Widow and Hawkeye, but they ended up being surprisingly compelling and likable spy/assassins!
As for "Safe", Jason Statham (whom I really enjoy in most of his roles, if the movie is even half-watchable) was really good in it, and the little girl playing "Mei", the Chinese schoolgirl being used instead of a computer by the Chinese mob in New York City, was very believable. Jason Statham may've destroyed less of New York City in this film than the invading alien army in "The Avengers", but he still managed to demolish a goodly amount of it, and I enjoyed the life-affirming conclusion of the film.
I saw the earliest showing at my nearest multiplex today, at noon, and then slipped into a showing of "Safe" that was starting a few minutes after "The Avengers" let out.
I got a big kick out of the "Avengers" movie, which displays many of Joss Whedon's strengths and few of his weaknesses as a storyteller. His version of Tony/Pepper and of The Hulk are both far more compelling and believable than in the two "Iron Man" films or either of the "Hulk" films. And Thor and Captain America were both very much in keeping with their own films (the best aspects of their own films) from last summer. I expected to barely tolerate Black Widow and Hawkeye, but they ended up being surprisingly compelling and likable spy/assassins!
As for "Safe", Jason Statham (whom I really enjoy in most of his roles, if the movie is even half-watchable) was really good in it, and the little girl playing "Mei", the Chinese schoolgirl being used instead of a computer by the Chinese mob in New York City, was very believable. Jason Statham may've destroyed less of New York City in this film than the invading alien army in "The Avengers", but he still managed to demolish a goodly amount of it, and I enjoyed the life-affirming conclusion of the film.