It is no secret that I love my Bourne films. Not only were they a breath of fresh air when it came to cinematic superheroes, but they introduced an enthralling world of espionage and high-speed chases that I still find myself thinking about and wishing could be true even now that the films are eight years old. However, while I may still pine for the action-packed adventures of Jason Bourne, a new generation of villains has made its presence known and demanded my attention. Now is the perfect chance to redress the lack of teenage vogueing in my reviews, so let’s get to it.
The Magnificent Seven
The first new villain for me to encounter was one that I will call The Magnificent Seven (mainly because that is how I found out about him). The Magnificent Seven is a gang of ruthless, modern-day cowboys who ride into town and leave carnage in their wake as they make their way to the jail. Now, I love a good heist movie as much as the next person, but the reality is that these guys were very unrealistic. First of all, how the hell does anyone get away with committing seven bank robberies in one jurisdiction? Furthermore, they were all wearing masks, so it is unlikely that they got away with everything, or even most of what they did. In some places, especially California, robbing a bank is such a serious crime that you need an expert to help you navigate the legal system and get your sentence reduced down to something manageable. So while this may have been a hilarious anecdote to tell your friends, it is very unlikely that this would actually happen.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Another one of my favorite films of the year is The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. There are many reasons why this is one of my favorite films of all time, but one of the main reasons is because it featured the very first female werewolf (I think she was a she-wolf, but either way). While there are a lot of fantastic films in The Twilight Saga, this is the one that I keep coming back to – the other films just don’t hold up as well in comparison. Breaking Dawn – Part 2 introduced a whole new layer to the already wonderfully complex relationships that the Twilight Saga is famous for.
X-Men: First Class
Speaking of layers, X-Men: First Class was an enlightening experience for me, especially since it was the first X-Men film I had ever seen. If you have never seen the X-Men comics, let me give you a little bit of a primer: the X-Men are divided into four teams – the traditional X-Men, the New Mutants, the X-Men Blue, and the Omega team. First Class focuses on Storm – a.k.a. Kate Kane – who is a.k.a. the mutant Inhuman with the power to control the wind. She lives in Manhattan and has a very professional wardrobe, which may or may not be a metaphor for how businesswomen act in real life – I’m not sure. Anyway, Storm is an interesting character because her power makes her essentially untouchable, yet at the same time, it leaves her extremely vulnerable. Her lack of super powers makes it feel a bit like a true X-Men movie rather than a watered-down adaptation of a well-known Marvel Comics storyline.
Hancock
Hancock is another Marvel Comics adaptation that was both interesting and unique in how they approached the story. Much like with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Hancock is told in a series of self-contained vignettes that all connect to a larger story – the story of an obsessed superhero who wants to keep checking things off his bucket list. Through these various vignettes, we get to see Hancock perform all kinds of amazing feats, from catching bullets to saving people’s lives to stopping bank heists to preventing nuclear war. All of these things sound fantastic, but sadly, most of them are done with effects rather than live action, which was a bit of a bummer. While it’s great to see these things on screen, it would have been even greater if they had been done with live actors. That way, we would have been able to enjoy their spectacular performances even more. Instead, the effects are done so well that they almost seem real. One of the greatest things about Hancock is how it manages to be both superhero and comedy movie all at the same time. Hancock is filled with action, adventure, and loads of funny one-liners, which makes it a combination of everything I love in a movie. Plus, it features one of the greatest comic book cameos of all time. So yes, even if you have never read a comic book in your life, you should still know what is going on in Hancock, since it is based on one.
Logan
Finally, let’s come back to the main reason why I started this little series of film reviews in the first place: to discuss Logan. Logan is the story of Wolverine, a.k.a. James Logan, who is a.k.a. an immortal mutant with the ability to grow his own adamantium claws. In a nutshell, Wolverine is the complete badass – he can’t be killed, and he is more than willing to give life a try. Along with his friends X-Men: First Class and Gambit, Wolverine travels across Europe in search of a cure for his mutant ability, while dealing with the ever-looming threat of an apocalyptic mutant virus called the Adamantium Rage. Like I said, a nutshell. Logan is full of action, adventure, and lots of cursing. So, if you are looking for a straightforward superhero movie that will have you laughing in addition to the thrilling part, look no further.
That is all for today. Next week, I will resume my reviews with The Avengers, which is one of the greatest superhero teams in cinematic history. Thanks for reading.