SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, FURIOUS 7 AND MAD MAX: FURY ROAD LIE AHEAD!
Summer blockbusters are looked down on by many as some sort of "mindless" type of entertainment, but that's giving the cinematic subgenre a mighty short thrift. Dating back to the very first summer blockbuster, Jaws, there's been a level of thought put into the best characters and plots of these movies that truly takes them to the next level. Would the original Star Wars trilogy be half as compelling without the complex arc that Han Solo undergoes? Even Independence Day, a movie that's got a plot whose dumbness would even give dirt a bad name intellectually, has its best moment hinge on the President of The United States give an inspirational speech even in the face of the immense amount of tragedy he's encountered.
Some of this years best films, which just so happen to also be big o'l blockbusters, have a similar level of care put into making sure their stories and characters thrive, but what I find interesting is that there's a specific theme running through three of these movies that's a primary component as to why they're so successful as pieces of cinema. Contrasting directly to the childish reputation of such mega-budgeted movies like Transformers: Age of Extinction, the idea of maturity has been running constantly through some of this years biggest movies.
I'm sure, by this point, you've heard of a little motion picture called Mad Max: Fury Road. There's soooooo much right with this movie, ranging from how the film uses visuals to convey a tremendous amount of story to every single mind-blowing action sequence. But the idea of maturity also helps make the rich character arc of Max (Tom Hardy) all the more enticing; Max has to learn to overcome his reclusive tendencies by aiding Furiosa in her quest to the Green Place. The brides that Furiosa is transporting also grow via this story element, with their viewpoints of the world expanding thanks to the numerous challenges they face.
The theme of maturity is also given focus in Furious 7, a feature which, like its predecessors, has a way to go in terms of acting in an adult manner towards women. Female derrieres take up the entire screen at several points and it's rare to see Mia Toretto being used as anything other than a damsel-in-distress in any of those movies (conversely, the franchise does earn legitimate points for being one of the few blockbusters to give prominent roles to women of color).
However, the finale, which serves as a poignant tribute to Paul Walker, suddenly introduces a mournful atmosphere to the story that doesn't feel out-of-place within the confines of the rest of Furious 7. The bond between Brian and Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), even in subpar films like Fast & Furious, has been so strongly developed that to see them separate is heart-rendering to watch. For a film that breaks the laws of physics in a rapid manner that would make the Road Runner jealous, the very realistic idea of loss is able to come into the world of Fast & Furious not as a contrived way to stir up the waterworks, but rather a testament to how strongly the bond between these characters has been developed.
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, growing up is a salient thought for all of the films characters, especially for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), whose growth from the start of Iron Man to the end of Age of Ultron is one of the most riveting parts of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. That growth has occurred over seven years of feature films, and with that amount of time spent in this universe, the characters that inhabit these MCU yarns are beginning to grow and change in intricate ways. At the start of AoU, Tonys PTSD from Iron Man 3 is manipulated by Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), who uses this to have Tony bring Ultron into the world. During a meeting after Ultron first attacks the Avengers, Tony, despite the grave circumstances facing everyone, bursts out cackling. The irony of the entire scenario is not lost on him or the audience; by trying to grow up and help protect his comrades, he's only put them in further danger.
That's, of course, the bitter truth of the real world. Good intentions being pushed out into this complex world can, more often than not, lead to tumultuous situation. As Tony comes to terms with his learning curve, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is more assured in the responsibilities he's taken on as an adult. After defeating Ultron, he returns home to his wife and kids, knowing full well that sometimes it's the things that are tiny in scale that are truly important. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) also grapple with the idea of having a real relationship, while Captain America (Chris Evans) tries to keep his inner turmoil beneath the surface. Though these characters are larger than life in concept, their quandaries revolving around the idea of growing up and taking on more responsibilities and tasks can feel all to real to viewers. Like us, these Avengers find that, no matter how old you are, coming to terms with the consequences of even just your own existence can be a whole other level of difficulty.
Now, it should be noted that growing as a character is par for the course when it comes to the arc of typical feature film characters, but what I find quite fascinating with these three films is how they embrace the idea of maturing as a crucial portion of their stories. So many aspects of pop culture glorify the concept of rejecting adulthood, but within Mad Max: Fury Road, Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, the idea of growing up is shown to be a critical part of our existence. It's a part of life that is full of tragedy and sorrow, but it can also offer, in unexpected ways, a chance to appreciate life and the ones we love.
No comments:
Post a Comment