Tribeca Film Festival announced today that Joss Whedon's upcoming film "The Avengers" will be the closing film of the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, which takes places on April 28th. The film is one of the most anticipated films of the upcoming summer movie season. "The Avengers features an all star cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson. In conjunction with this announcement, Marvel Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures has released a still of the film.


Press Release:

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express, announced today that Marvel’s The Avengers, presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures, will close its 11th edition on Saturday, April 28. Closing night will take place at Tribeca BMCC PAC and is sponsored by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin.

Honoring the spirit of the Tribeca Film Festival, the screening will allow the opportunity for Marvel’s The Avengers to celebrate everyday heroes from police agencies, fire departments, first responders and various branches of the U.S. military. These local heroes will have an opportunity to attend the screening and meet the cast.

Marvel Studios’ producer Kevin Feige says, "We are proud that Marvel's The Avengers is the closing film of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and we are excited to welcome local heroes to the screening as special guests. We all know and love our iconic Super Heroes, but when it really counts, it's our real-life heroes who save the world every day by making it a better place for all of us."

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is an engaging, character-driven story packed with action, adventure and special effects. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins to assemble the iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

“Marvel’s The Avengers is an exciting ride that absolutely transports audiences,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It is the perfect way to end our 11th Festival.”

Comments director Joss Whedon, “Showing at Tribeca is both an honor and a double homecoming for me, who grew up in Manhattan, and for the movie, which wrapped production there. I’m thoroughly psyched to be closing the festival with our intimate little think-piece.”

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is produced by Marvel Studios’ Producer Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon, and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film releases May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

The 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 18-29, 2012.

Visit www.tribecafilm.com/festival for more information about TFF’s 2012 programs and the full line-up of films.

How you end up enjoying “Due Date” will depend on how much time you spend comparing it to other road trip movies that it resembles, namely “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” For the most part, it follows the same story and pattern as that film of two guys who are an odd couple in the most inconvenient of ways, and they could not be anymore different from each other if they tried. Of course, they come to see the similarities they share and eventually end up becoming best friends not matter how unlikely it seems. For me, I tried my damndest not to compare the two because there’s no way Todd Phillips (the man behind “The Hangover”) latest film could even come close to topping that John Hughes classic. In the end, it shouldn’t matter because you are just looking to laugh at the movies, and this one certainly delivers in that regard. That’s all that matters, right?

Indeed, I laughed my ass off at a lot throughout “Due Date,” and we’re talking serious belly laughs which I never expect to get as much of like when I was a kid. Pairing Robert “Iron Man” Downey Jr. with Zach “Hangover” Galifianakis turned out to be a terrific piece of casting, and the two work very well off each other.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter Highman, an architect of the most seriously high-strung variety. Peter ended up reminding me of myself in junior high and high school when I took things and myself WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. When he comes into contact with Zach’s character of Ethan Tremblay, Peter’s luck quickly erodes as he stupidly ends up on a no fly list and is forced to go cross country by car. You see, Peter needs to get to Los Angeles in the next couple of days so that he can witness the birth of his son. With all other options out the window, he has no choice but to go on a long car ride with Ethan in order to make it to his final destination.

Zach’s character is not all that different from the one he played in “The Hangover” in that Ethan is so socially irresponsible that it makes you wonder if he has anything resembling self-awareness. I mean, we see him masturbating in the car while Peter is trying to get some sleep, and Ethan’s only suggestion is that Peter should close his eyes and not look. Of course, Peter’s problem has more to do with the sound. You can’t help but laugh out of sheer nervousness because the possibility of Ethan accidentally “exploding” over Peter certainly crosses ones mind, and that’s even if he’s not pointing in his general direction.

Robert basically plays the straight man to Zach’s crazy ass character, and they each managed to score laughs without trying to outdo one another which is cool. Zach is especially good here because he plays Ethan in all seriousness, never acting like he is in on the joke. Seriously, there are only a couple of comic actors who can really sell a line like this one:

“Dad, you’ve been like a father to me…”

Zach may very well wear out his welcome by playing this same type of character before he knows it, but you have to admit that he plays this character brilliantly.

Robert Downey Jr. still has his dry sense of humor, and those bewildered stares he shoots off in every other scene are priceless as they reflect our own bewilderment as to what is going on. Robert also has a classic scene in dealing with the annoying kids of a drug dealer which had me in hysterics in that things take an unexpected turn. I guess you can only be nice to kids for so long before you snap. Let’s just hope Peter doesn’t do that to his child when he gets older.

But if there’s anything “Due Date” is lacking in, it is with the screenplay as the characters lack any serious depth. Much of what goes on between Peter and Ethan has the feel of a sitcom which, while making you laugh out loud really hard, after awhile feels somewhat shallow. Zach has a little more to work with as Ethan, but Robert’s character is more often than not made out to be an unlikable prick. If it were another actor instead of Downey Jr. in the part, this could have very likely sunk the picture. I kept being reminded of how Ferris Bueller described his best friend Cameron:

“Pardon my French but Cameron is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks you have a diamond.”

This is where those comparisons between “Due Date” and “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” become hard to ignore. In that one, Steve Martin and John Candy (he is still missed) played two men who were essentially good people but whose trip to Chicago really brought out the worse in both of them. With “Due Date,” these characters are already in a frazzled state and dealing with their own issues. The excursions they have together make their already unbridled personalities even worse, and neither comes out it any different from where they started. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that these guys could ever possibly be friends after all they’ve gone through just to get to Los Angeles.

Going into “Due Date,” we know that it is not an original movie, but we end up being reminded of others which came before it and had such better developed and more memorable characters. But keep in mind, a lot of these criticisms I have of the movie really came to me a couple of days after I saw it. My initial reaction involved a lot of convulsions of laughter, and I am always thankful that there are still some movies that make me laugh to the point where I almost pass out. Where would we be without laughter like that in such hard times?

There are a couple of other actors worth mentioning here as well. Michelle Monaghan plays Peter’s pregnant wife, Sarah. Michelle is always a wonderful presence whenever she is onscreen, but she doesn’t have much to do other than wait around for her husband to show up. It’s always a shame when actresses get stuck with a character they can’t do much with. Juliette Lewis fares better as Heidi, a drug dealer giving Ethan his “medicinal” marijuana. Juliette has been making a comeback in movies, and she looks to be doing really well with this and “Conviction.”

Jamie Foxx is also here as Peter’s friend Darryl, but he’s actually not in the movie for that long. Jamie comes into the movie at around the midpoint and ends up disappearing far too soon. It would have been cooler actually if “Due Date” were a threesome with these actors as Jamie scores some good laughs, especially when he makes an embarrassing blunder while making coffee.

You also have Danny McBride doing his usual scene stealing work as Lonnie, a Western Union employee who does not take well to Peter’s snide remarks and will defend himself despite some physical difficulties (see the movie, and you’ll get what I mean). RZA has a cool cameo at the beginning as an airport screener, and he’s one of the cooler ones you could ever hope to find at the airport. Seeing him get into Downey Jr.’s face was one of the first real highlights.

Seriously, I did enjoy “Due Date” and had a good time. It’s hard not to recommend it as it has good actors and will have audiences in hysterics. But in retrospect, the aftertaste it leaves serves to show that it won’t have the same staying power as other road movies have had. If the script had more depth, it would have been even better than it already was. All the same, if you are looking for some good comedy, it’s hard to pass this one up.

**½ out of ****

Iron Man 2
Year: 2010
Director: Jon Favreau
Studio: Paramount Pictures / Marvel Entertainment
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 124 Mins

This past weekend, the 2010 summer film season kicked off, with a film that I have been looking forward to all year. Yes, I’m taking about Robert Downey Jr’s latest film “Iron Man 2”. This is a film that I’ve been waiting for, since the end of the first film.

The film picks up where the first film left off with Tony Starks (Robert Downey Jr) having to deal with the world knowing that he is “Iron Man”. The government isn’t helping matters by wanting the suit and technology for themselves and facing pressures from the press and the public that wants him to share the technology with the military. He also having trouble in his personal life as something strange is happening to him and he doesn’t want his friends to know about it. If matters weren’t worse, a Russian scientist (Mickey Rourke) find out that Starks is Iron Man and wants to exact revenge for what Starks’ father did his father and claim the technology for himself. In order to stop him, he must uncover the dark secrets of his father’s legacy and find out what’s happening to him, before something unthinkable happens. The film also co-stars Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Samuel L. Jackson.

"Iron Man 2" picks up, where the processor left off. Jon Favreau’s direction was as good as the first film. Favreau does a good job keeping your interest considering that most of the big action scenes don't take place until final act. He’s able to keep your interest; by the way that he directs his actors. The performances were very good here. Robert Downey Jr. is still very good as the title character. He brings the energy that is needed to make Tony Starks very likable. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role, as Downey Jr has that it that is needed for the role. The supporting performances were also very good, as Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow were also good here as they brought a presence to their roles, which also makes this enjoyable.

What also makes Favreau's direction good was the fact that he didn't get too crazy with the use of special effects until the last act of the film. I liked, how he was able to let the film's story become one of the film's focal points as the material in the screenplay was good. He also goes a good job moving the film at a reasonable pace, so that you are drawn into the story and not the effects.
The screenplay this time around was handled by Justin Theroux, who only has one screenplay to his credit ("Tropic Thunder", in which he co-wrote with Ben Stiller back in 2008). If I had known this going in, I probably would have been feeling nervous considering how material like this is being handed to inexperience writers. Thankfully, I never knew that going in, because I expected a good time and enjoyed it.

For the most part, I liked how Theroux handled the characters in the Iron Man universe, even though I thought that Paltrow's character was a little bit under used here. I would have to have more tension between her and Downey Jr. Besides that little gripe; he does a good job making sure that each of the characters has their moment. It makes the material fun to watch. Theroux also does a good job exploring the trouble and backstory of Tony Starks and his corporation. It really makes the character more interesting and it gives material that Downey Jr can work with and make it as one of his own characters, Also, I liked about that script was the fact that most of the main action sequences were held back until the second half of the film. It doesn’t feel cramped in to that point that you're feeling like your watching an effects film. Overall, this is a very fun film and a good entry in the "Iron Man" series.

“Iron Man 2” isn’t a films that going to win on style points, but it’s sure to make fanboys like me happy with the material and the way the property is being handled. This is a fun start to the summer movie season, as “Iron Man 2” is fun and entertaining.

Review Rating Four Stars

DIRECTED BY
Jon Favreau

STARRING
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tony Stark/Iron Man
Terrence Howard - Jim Rhodes
Gwyneth Paltrow - Pepper Potts
Jeff Bridges - Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
Leslie Bibb - Christine Everhart
Paul Bettany - Jarvis (voice)
Shaun Toub - Yinsen

Year - 2008

Score - 4 Howls Outta 4


Let me make something perfectly clear: I'm a huge Marvel comics geek. It's been almost 10 years since I bought a comic, but I still catch up on my favorite characters through graphic novels every time I go to a Barnes and Nobles and take the time to read it through. One of my favorite heroes has always been Shell-Head himself, The Invincible Iron Man. Not only is the armor suit cool and can do really awesome things, but the man underneath that suit [Tony Stark] is very human with his faults and addictions. Though sometimes you would shake your head at the choices Iron Man tended to make, you never stopped rooting for him, hoping he'd find the way to make things right for himself and the world around him.

So upon hearing that an IRON MAN film was being made, I was kind of apprehensive. Can you blame me? Ever since SPIDER-MAN 2, Marvel films have been going down the hill. Remember ELEKTRA? GHOST RIDER? Those silly FANTASTIC FOUR films? What about the disappointing X-MEN: THE LAST STAND and SPIDER-MAN 3? Yeah, it hasn't been a great few years for Marvel comic fans. But hearing that Jon Favreau, a devoted comic book fan, was directing and bringing along Robert Downey, Jr. to play Tony Stark sold me on the get-go. And watching those trailers got me pumped up more, hoping those weren't the best scenes in the film. And to my relief, they aren't and the film is probably the first one to start off the summer movie blockbuster scene right. Make Mine Marvel!

PLOT
Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), alcoholic and ladies man, is a billionaire from making weapons for other industries and countries. He goes to Afghanistan to showcase his newest weapon that happens to be some massive missile deployment system that he deems Jericho. His travel is cut off by an attack on his convoy, which happens to cause him to be injured by one of his own missiles. He's taken prisoner by an organization called the Ten Rings, who want him to build their own Jericho along with another prisoner named Yinsen (Shaun Toub). Almost fatally wounded and now having to live with a pacemaker for his heart that Yinsen constructed, Stark reflects on his last hours before the trip. We see where his priorities had lied, as he would rather have sex with women and drink than maintain friendly contact with his best friend Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), his mentor and business partner Obidiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), and long-time assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

This flashback gives him the motivation to do something right for a change. Instead of making Jericho II, Stark and Yinsen get parts together to create a metal suit. Stark manages to escape captivity and return home, where he sees the error of his ways and decides that his true purpose in life is to protect those he cares about. While trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his friends and the public, Stark decides to improve on the suit to destroy the weapons he's made that have fallen in the wrong hands. However, Stane is totally against that, stealing the original Iron Man prototype to create a Iron Monger of his own...

REVIEW
Summer 2008 at the movies has officially started and IRON MAN was the perfect choice to start the season. This film was so heavily buzzed that I was feeling that I was gonna be disappointed at how Tony Stark and company would be translated onto the big screen. I've never been so glad to be wrong. IRON MAN is an awesome AWESOME film with a terrific cast, excellent direction and CGI, and a fantastic story that will not only please comic book fans, but bring in new fans who have never took an interest in Iron Man before.

What makes IRON MAN work so damn well is how the story is presented. Most superhero films try to force the whole "I got superpowers so now I have to fight crime and be this good guy for society [even though I'm an asshole] while making sure evil people don't succeed in their manical schemes". IRON MAN doesn't work that way. Tony Stark is believably transformed from a man who revels in screwing as many women as he can and drinking as much alcohol as possible to a man who really believes in his heart that what he does is the right thing, no matter the consequences. This level of touch and class that allows our hero to become more responsble for his actions and attempt to make up for his past sins while still being an alcoholic and a prick is extremely realistic. He doesn't change personalities at the snap of a finger and become Dudley Do Right. He's always flawed, and that's not a superhero story. That's a human story of a man who wants to be good but is never really sure what that "good" is. Whether he gets there is up to him, but it's great watching him.

I also appreciated the humor in the story, especially by Downey's Stark. As with most comic book films, humor is planted inside the script for fans who know inside jokes and for the children and teenagers need to be entertained when things aren't blowing up. Sometimes this works, like in SPIDER-MAN. But recently, in films like GHOST RIDER and the FANTASTIC FOUR films, the humor has done more harm than good by not adding much to the plot. While the film has large amounts of humor, due to Downey's improvized ad-libs, it never feels forced or cheesy. It's totally natural and we can buy this billionaire to be such a smartass. I thought it gave the character a ton of personality, which makes me care alot about him and increases my want for him to succeed in his goal.

The CGI was also incredible, to the point where sometimes I would question whether certain effects were natural or not. The suit was made to perfection, as the right kind of light and shadow dawned on it and the way it moved was fantastic. The Iron Monger also looked great for the same reasons. The explosions and the array of weapons from the Iron Man suit were right on. I have no complaints about the CGI. That's a first because I usually have something to complain about these comic book films. But this one pleased me like no other.

I personally hope Jon Favreau directs every other Marvel Studios film from now on. Better known as an actor, Favreau took what he did right with ELF years ago and exceeded everybody's expectations. For a two hour film, the origin story never feels rushed or forced. The pacing is very strong and full of energy from beginning to end. The action was well shot and focused [loved that last scene, though it could have been a bit longer but I'm okay with that]. The film is also very balanced and is visually stunning in its telling. Favreau did a phenomenal job bringing this baby to the big screen. Perfectly directed in my opinion, and since he's doing the sequels, it should only get better.

The acting was great here. Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Tony Stark. They're pretty much one and the same. He looks like the character. He shares the same demons with the character. He brought humor to the character that was refreshing and real. Even in the suit, Downey gave Iron Man a lot of personality. The man has been through hell and back due to his addictions, but with every fall, he's always stood back up bigger and better each time. He's a fantastic actor and I'm glad he's finally gotten the recognition that he deserves because of this film. The best superhero in a long time, in my opinion. He owns Iron Man from the start and I can't wait to see what else he'll bring to the table in the sequels and spinoff.

The other actors did well with what they were given. Jeff Bridges was delightfully evil as Obidiah Stane a.k.a. the original Iron Monger. With a bald head and that evil goatee, he definitely looked villainous. He could have been more fleshed out, but it didn't really bother me or take away from the film. You knew the moment you saw him that he was bad news and that's enough for me. Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow were very good as Jim Rhodes and Pepper Potts respectively. I'm sure Howard will get a juicier role in the sequels when the War Machine arc pops up. And Paltrow, who I never found hot in my life, changed my mind as she looked F-I-N-E wearing a red wig and walking in those tight business suits and high heels. Plus she was a feisty little thing and I like that in my women. Growl.

There are also cameos by Favreau himself as Happy Hogan, Stark's driver. We also get another one after the end credits by Samuel L. Jackson. If you went home during the end credits, you really didn't miss much. Just something about the Avenger Initiative and...well, I'll S.H.I.E.L.D. you from the rest. Nothing to see here. Just move along and assemble.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE WATCHING IRON MAN

- Nothing to write here. I was too busy getting my geek on to be thinking of a list to write here. But I will say this: Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" is still a kick ass song after all these years. Ozzy is one rich bastard.

THE FINAL HOWL
IRON MAN is the best film I've seen all year. And it's definitely the best Marvel Comics film since SPIDER-MAN 2 in 2004. It exceeded my expectations and can not wait for the sequel in 2010 and the proposed THE AVENGERS flick that's being worked out with Downey protraying Iron Man in that film as well. Favreau is also attached to that project as well, giving me a lot of hope for Marvel Studios. Rank IRON MAN as one of the greatest comic book films ever made. Who knew? The summer has started with a bang and if you're not one of the $200 million worldwide who hasn't seen this film yet, please do so. Now.