‘The Gospel According to Ultron: Biblical Narrative and Whedon’s Avengers Sequel’ -OR- ‘Ultron is God’

“Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man; from His loins and downward there was the appearance of fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of brightness, like the appearance of glowing metal… He said to me, ‘Do you see this, son of man? …They have filled the land with violence and provoked Me repeatedly… Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.’” — Ezekiel 8:2,17-18 (NASB)

“I was meant to be beautiful. The world would’ve looked to the sky and seen hope, seen mercy. Instead, they’ll look up in horror.” — Ultron

[REVIEW] In Defense of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’

What I set out to write as a straightforward review quickly metamorphosed into something else. The result is mostly a reaction to the other reviews I’ve been hearing and reading and an exploration of the shift in storytelling style that Marvel’s cinematic universe (MCU) is undergoing as it moves more fully into a long-view, semi-serialized format. Consequently, this post doesn’t have all that much to say about my personal likes and dislikes. I may return to those in the future, but feel free to ask about particulars using the comment box below if you get curious in the meantime.

[REVIEW] Guardians of the Galaxy

At this point, there are probably as many reviews of Guardians of the Galaxy as there are stars in said galaxy. If you’re interested in reading about how awesome the special effects were—and they were awesome—or how James Gunn laudably managed to catapult C-list (at best) comic book heroes to Hollywood superstars, please go read one of them. I’m not terribly interested in retreading the same generic territory. What you’ll find below is simply my personal reaction to the film: emotional impressions, fanboy nitpicking, and the odd idiosyncratic mental connection. Light spoilers are likely, but I figure most of you have either already seen the film, or couldn’t care less about it. In which case, why are you even bothering to read this?

[REVIEW] X-Men: Days of Future Past

Before we begin, a disclaimer: I can’t even feign objectivity when it comes to the X-Men. I was an avid viewer of FOX’s Saturday morning cartoon at an impressionable age, and I’ve been a bit of a fanatic ever since. I still regularly read most of the X-titles, past and present, and many of the characters feel something akin to old friends at this point. When I watched the film in question, then, my experience couldn’t help but be shaped by two decades worth of expectations. I say this now, so there will be no mistake. What you’re about to read is not a fair, neutral review. It’s a fanboy bemoaning the perceived mangling of a beloved IP. If there’s a way to enjoy the X- franchise simply as a fun sci-fi romp, I’ll probably never find it. I’m not sure I can. (I also apologize for my first sentence; it’s a doozy.)

[REVIEW] Captain America: The Winter Soldier

This is the movie I’ve been waiting for since the moment I saw Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky hyped up on a bastardized super soldier serum and going toe-to-toe with the eponymous green goliath in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. At that time, the prospect of a Captain America film existed only as internet rumor. A longtime Marvel comics fan with no particular investment in the Cap character, I’d followed speculation with a detached interest. However, as I watched the diminutive Roth dodge, duck, dip, dive, and discharge firearms into the face of his enormous foe, I suddenly realized the potential of the franchise. If superhuman agility could be depicted on film so believably, Captain America could be cinematic gold.