Community: Superhero paintball

Rating: Null/10 (7 May 2016)

Few thoughts, based on 2 viewings on release-day, almost back-back, in different cinemas, one on an IMAX screen, albeit without the IMAX print, darker-toned in spite of digital 4K.
Avengers 2.5, not Cap 3. But not a bad thing at that. Since the story at its core is more like Winter Soldier part 2.
Getting the Russo brothers to spearhead/direct 'CA2: Winter soldier' was perhaps one of the most inspiring things done by Marvel's Kevin Feige, almost on par with his hiring Firefly's Joss Whedon for the 1st Avengers movie, still the best, in this series.
Other than the political shenanigans in that one, one of its characteristics was its being a consistently high-energy, kinetic action set-piece showcase, which were tied together very, very well.
However, this one also has a lot of weak plot-elements, and while (in my head) they're so big that they should derail the entire movie, they don't, because whatever's good is so strong that the movie stands up to be its own great epic-feeling experience.
Confused about whether to begin with the weak stuff, or the strong ones.
Before that though, here's the sequence of the movies in the Marvel universe, beginning all the way with 'Iron Man'. Every time there's a release of one of these, all these movies play the night before, and there are hardcore fans out there, few of them friends of mine, who binge-watch them all every time.
Iron Man, The incredible Hulk (Norton, Roth, Hurt), Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The 1st Avenger, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor: the dark world, Captain America (2): The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers (2): Age of Ultron, Ant-man, CA(3)/Avengers 2.5: Civil War/....this one......
OK Lemme begin strong (heh-heh):
* The superhero smack-down sequences, all the way to the end. 3 larger-than-life action set-pieces. And though the one at the end does not come close to bettering the ones that came before, and this IS a kinda let-down, they've all been intricately staged and executed. * Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. All of his angst, in spite of being clichÃ©d, do work. * This is gonna be controversial, but the absence of Thor and Hulk, is actually believable here, and makes sense, even with a little lip-service. * The original person who brought the Avengers together, Ant-man, not Hank Pym like in the comics, but Paul Rudd's Scott Lang. A hoot, in each and every sequence he's in. Cannot wait for Ant-man 2. A. Ma. Zing!!!!!!! * Spidey in an action sequence. Excellent in-action character interplay. * The airport, nee, runway, showdown. * The chase in Vienna (or what stood-in for Vienna). * Finally, decent runtime. Finally. For the Falcon, Sharon Carter, and even William Hurt's Ross. * United Nations getting in on some Avengers action. Not enuf (see below), but some of it. * The 3D. * Couple of Zemo-twists, at the end, that ultimately turned out to be weak (see below), but were effective on first viewing.
Now, and this is to get it outta my system, the (Very, very) Weak stuff:
* No Nick Fury. No Maria Hill. No explanation for their not being there. Even the absence of P.Potts, nvr a major plot-device, except for 'Iron Man 3' is given a cursory once-over, but their absence after their presence all over the last one? * My favorite Ross was Sam Elliott in the first, and absolutely fantastic 'Hulk', made by Ang Lee, in the Kenneth Branagh style of grand Shakespearean tragedy, not William Hurt from the Transporter style of Leterrier's filmmaking (tho Tim Roth stood out, along with Norton). So, guess what? No Elliott, only Hurt, and perhaps one of the weakest rounders-up ever, especially without Nick Fury around. * 10 minutes to Spider-man, for no reason? Seriously? Iron man had to go bring this guy for help? Against Cap? That entire segment might have made more sense in the stand-alone Spider-man movie, and this could just have been just a call from 'Stank' to him. 10-minute runtime, I would have edited out, never mind all the hysterical whistling in the cinema, by public who think they know these chaps! * * Love Marisa Tomei. But, she's aunt May? Come on!!!!! All shapes and sizes, indeed.... * Sebastian Stan's time from when he falls off the top of the train in Cap 1, until Winter soldier, is still a little bit shrouded. Who saved him (Hydra, I know)? How did that save come about? Lazy storytelling. And these guys squeezed Spider Man 0.5 at the cost of Winter Soldier. Sad. * Very less runtime for Hawkeye, Crossbones, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch. * * Speaking of Wanda what about her angst regarding the death of Quicksilver? Doesn't mtr anymore? * Rhodey. L4-S1 after that? Seriously? * The Vision: Drone and drone and drone.....and drone some more. Yawn! * The action set- pieces, which need to be better than the one that came last. Here, however, the one in the middle, so to speak, is the best of the lot. * How about a non-US SoS heading the UN Avengers initiative? Do away with Ross, or have them partner, or don't call it the U.N., for chrissakes. 'Hannibal' (the movie) was more international, with Giancarlo Giannini playing a prominent character on the trail of you-know-who. * Now, and this is perhaps the weakest link in all Marvel movies. What does it take for a superhero to die? In the comics, Steve Rogers' Cap mantle is taken on both by Bucky, as well as the Falcon. Where are the surprises? I'm not asking them to go full GoT on this, but hey? Elements of surprise are good.....