Captain America: Civil War

I’ve finally seen it; I’ve finally seen Captain America: Civil War! Read on to find out my SPOILER FREE review of the latest Marvel film.

If you haven’t seen the film yet, then go in blind, it’s better that way. All you need to know is that The Avengers begin to learn that their actions have consequences, and how to deal with those consequences splits the group in two.

You know the cast by now but we do get two fresh faces in the limelight and they come in the form of Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa aka The Black Panther and Tom Holland as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. They both do an amazing job in their roles and really are standout performances in the film.  We’ll get back to Spider-Man later though... My favourite performance of the whole film goes to Robert Downey Jr, he gives the best version of Tony Stark/Iron Man we have seen since his first solo outing. The Russo Brothers are great at directing actors, in The Winter Soldier they made Samuel L Jackson act in a role where beforehand he was just being himself and they do exactly the same here with RDJ who really breaks new ground and is more than just himself, he really sells that Stark is a man broken and defined by his experiences. The rest of the cast all do a great job as well, nobody stuck out as being bad or less than satisfactory.

My biggest worry with this film was that they were trying to fit too many characters into the story. Was I right to have that fear? Yes and no. This is definitely more of an Avengers film with a slight emphasis on Captain America. I mean it does follow on from The Winter Soldier and Cap is the most prominent role in the film however, there is just so much going on around him that it’s difficult to say that this was his solo film. If anything I would have just called this film Civil War and have it be a chapter within the Marvel Universe that shifted the status quo, because at the end of the day that is all this film does. It’s not a bad thing though, this film kind of proves all the good that can come from an extended and shared universe, this is the kind of film that us fans have been wanting to see from the start and although it takes a little while to get going, when it all kicks off it kicks off in spectacular fashion. That airport scene, oh boy that airport scene!

This isn’t Age of Ultron though, it isn’t just set up, there is a well thought out and interesting storyline here that does make you very invested. Instead of setting up later films, it instead introduces you to a different side of the MCU, mainly in the form of The Black Panther who I have been waiting to see for years and he does not disappoint.  It’s a lot more personal and smaller Avengers film that I think we all kind of wanted from Age of Ultron but didn’t get. The marketing made you choose a side and I was Team Cap throughout but in the film it’s really not that simple. By the end I was switching sides every 10 seconds, they worked the two sides of the argument so well that neither side was wrong, both made sense and you were fully invested in the outcomes, for the first time in a Marvel film there felt like there were real stakes involved. Nearly every character serves a purpose here and they all get their chance to shine, there are a lot of fist pumping moments. However the highlight character of the film for me was also the one who served the least purpose to the plot...

Spider-Man. You all know by now that I am a huge Spider-Man fan so I was very excited and little bit nervous to see him enter the MCU in this film. My Spider-Man has always been older than the high school version that everybody seems to be shipping recently. Maybe it was because when I read/watched Spider-Man he was always older than me and now in Civil War he’s younger than me, either way, I do respect where they were going when they cast really young, it makes sense and it contrasts the rest of the heroes very well. Tom Holland sold it as Peter Parker for me and even more so as Spider-Man, he cool, he’s funny, he’s annoying and even though he’s out of his league he holds his own.  Basically Marvel have made Spider-Man the way he should be. He brings some much needed humour to a film that isn’t as comedy centric as some other Marvel outings. His involvement in the film is purely down to the fact that Marvel and Sony have made a deal, he doesn’t do anything to serve the plot apart from bring a while load of joy and big smile to my face. It’s too early to say if he can top Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker or Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man as he has had barely any screen time, but the signs are looking very good. I cannot wait for Spider-Man: Homecoming next year!

In terms of cinematography, the film looks like an action film, there isn’t much inspiring here, the action scenes are cool and gritty like in Winter Soldier, but it’s pretty standard in terms of the look of the film. The music as well doesn’t add much, maybe it was my cinema showing but I really didn’t feel it was loud enough to emphasise anything. When I was re-watching The Avengers recently the score really emphasised how epic the film was, it worked so well and I feel we haven’t had something like it since.

Another thing that hasn’t been as good since The Avengers has been the CGI. It’s not awful but there are some moments that have the characters (especially Black Panther) looking a bit rubbery. It’s a shame because Black Panther really kicks ass when he doesn’t look like a computer animated rag doll. Most of it looks great though, there was just the odd moment that caught my eye.

I don’t think this was my favourite Marvel film but it definitely is one of their better ones. It’s a lot of fun and really works in terms of emotional investment and character stakes. I wish it had been renamed though as this wasn’t really the third solo Cap film I was hoping for, however it definitely was the Avengers film I was looking for last year. The film is a celebration of a shared universe and really shows off the potential in storytelling you can have with one. It’s not perfect but it’s definitely the best superhero film we have had this year. I am rating Captain America: Civil War a rating of 4/5.

What did you think? Best Marvel film to date? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Avengers: Age of Ultron

We've already had the magic and amazement of seeing our comic book heroes team up in 2012's incredible The Avengers, and now, three years later, they're back and bigger than ever. But does their second outing hold up to the first? Read on to find out in my SPOILER FREE review of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The main Avengers are back and this time they fight off against, Ultron, an A.I set on saving the world by destroying the human race, mo-capped and voiced by James Spader. It's your usual A.I philosophical tale but this time done on huge budget with superheroes. New to the cast of the film is Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Aaron Taylor Johnson as Quicksilver and Paul Bettany as The Vision. The less you know about The Vision the better, just know that he is awesome in every way, steals the show and leaves you wanting more!

Seeing the main characters on screen in the first film truly was an experience, one that is hard to replicate in Age of Ultron. Instead, director Joss Whedon decides to just go full out and show you these characters working as a team from the offset with loads of incredible action and geeky visuals. In fact the who film is made up of insane action scenes, probably the most we have seen in a Marvel film so far. There is never a dull moment and the whole film is well structured and interwoven into a fast paced two hours and twenty minutes thrill ride. This however, is sometimes its flaw, one of the great things about this film is that you get to see these cool characters interact and engage with each other, and although we get this, for me there weren't enough moments where they slowed down and interacted in other ways rather than just fighting. I mean, we do get these scenes, but personally I just wanted more. The film basically goes from one set piece to another, and although these set pieces are incredible, I just needed some more down time every now and then to catch my breath.
There are pretty much ten main characters to deal with here and they all get their time to shine, even if it's for a small amount of said time, I felt Captain America and Thor could have been given more to do, but apart from that it works, every now and then you realise a character hasn't been seen recently but with the amount of cool stuff going on in the mean time, you can let that slide.

Like the first film, there is a lot of comedy, something I think worked better throughout this film than its predecessor. It's really funny and pretty much all the jokes land and I was laughing out loud throughout. There are a few running gags which really do work, especially one which involves most of the team winding Captain America up about a comment he makes early on in the film, it's hilarious. That's not to say that this film doesn't get dark, it's not all fun and games, but it gets the tone right and the jokes never feel out of place like they do in Iron Man 3. There are a few moments that definitely hit me right in the feels. I still think Captain America: The Winter Soldier got the tone perfect and more so than here, but this still walks the line between seriousness and comedy well, but never really packs too much of a punch.

Ultron is very cool, he looks great and is a good match for The Avengers, however I was a little disappointed at the fact that for me, he wasn't as scary or intimidating a character as the trailers made him out to be. I truly thought this would be Marvel's best villain but he didn't blow me away like I thought he would. He's still menacing but at times he just sounds like a robot Joss Whedon. The two new characters Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch however, did surprise me. I wasn't sure what they would be like but I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they fit into the story and their character arcs as a whole, even their Eastern European accents worked. Scarlet Witch turned out to be one of my favourite characters in the film and her powers truly looked awesome on screen, especially her mind manipulation which creates some very cool sequences for the Avengers to deal with. Talking of favourite characters, Black Widow really stood out for me in this film. I found her annoying in the first Avengers film and a little bit better in The Winter Soldier, but in this film I truly enjoyed watching her on screen and her development as a character throughout. Another character who might surprise audiences is Hawkeye, in fact he gets more character development than most and you will enjoy his character as part of the roster a lot more than previously.

There is an emphasis on saving people in this film and it was refreshing to see this within the superhero genre, which has not shown much of this recently. I definitely think the genre has learnt a lesson from the backlash to Man of Steel and I really enjoyed seeing the heroes putting civilian life first before then going to stop the villain. There are still some 9/11 looking destruction that may upset some, but the emphasis on saving civillians was something I really enjoyed about their second outing.

My last little niggle with the film was the music, there wasn't as powerful a score here and the main Avengers theme is only heard a couple of times and didn't really give me the same feeling it did when I first saw The Avengers. This film as whole didn't have that same kind of feeling you got when you first saw the characters assemble on the big screen, but it gives you enough nerdy comic book moments to forget this and just enjoy what was going on.

The film is a comic book come to life, and although it doesn't pack as big a political punch as The Winter Soldier did, it still is one heck of an enjoyable watch. Joss Whedon knows how to make a fun film and although it does lay the seeds for the next instalments, its still its own thing and not just a trailer for Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It will be a shame to see Whedon leave the franchise, but with The Russo Brothers helming the next instalment means we should still be in for another great ride.

It's not the best Marvel film but it sure is good still and is definitely a worthy sequel to the first Avengers. I feel it deserves a second viewing (like I did with the first film) to fully solidify my views, but for now this how I feel and I am rating Avengers: Age of Ultron a 3/5.

What did you think of the film? Do you think it was better or worse than than the first? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Daredevil TV Show Review

I don't usually review TV shows here, but after binge watching Daredevil this week, I thought I would make an exception. From the first trailer I knew Daredevil would be good, but I didn't know it would be this good! Here are my SPOILER FREE thoughts.

For those who haven't read the comics or were fortunate enough not to see the 2003 adaptation (it had its moments, but not many although Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin was one of them.), Daredevil is about Matt Murdock, a lawyer who was involved in car accident when he was younger, where toxic waste blinded him but also heightened his other senses. He uses these heightened senses to fight crime as a masked vigilante. All of this takes place within the same Universe as The Avengers films, but apart from the odd remark here and there, this show has very different in tone. This ain't for kids, this is a violent and brutal story, like nothing we have seen in the Avengers Universe before.

The show gives you the basics of the origin within the first scene, but then skips ahead to an already semi-established crime fighting blind man. You get to see bits and pieces of the origin throughout, but for the most part it skips over the boring stuff and starts where the fun begins.

Charlie Cox, from Stardust and Boardwalk Empire fame, plays Matt Murdock. He is absolutely brilliant and is very likeable as the blind lawyer and masked vigilante. He brings a new level to the over used 'tortured hero' trope. He plays Daredevil in such a way that makes you feel like he enjoys what he's doing, as well as being very passionate about his reasons for beating up the scum of Hell's Kitchen. Sign him up for Captain America: Civil War ASAP Marvel! The character of Daredevil is awesome and Cox really does him justice and looks awesome in the early black costume, flipping around and kicking ass!

Equally as great (if not slightly better) is Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin. He is hands down the best villain Marvel has made in this Universe. Not only is he incredibly violent, scary and intimidating but sympathetic as well. D'Onofrio plays him with a slight child like quality and you really do feel for him and empathise with him at times. Apart from the fact he isn't the size of a sumo wrestler, D'Onofrio looks almost identical to the comic book version, just watching him made me nerd out. I'm so happy to see him in this Universe and done so well at the same time.

There is not one bad casting in this show and other highlights include Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Ben Urich, Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Marianna, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple and Toby Leonard Moore as Fisk's right hand man Wesley. In fact, Karen, Vanessa and Claire may be some of the best female characters the Marvel Universe has come up with so far!

The writing in the show is something to be applauded, there is some really great lines and brilliantly interwoven storylines played out over the thirteen episodes. Being able to tell this story over many episodes means it isn't rushed and you get some smaller, quieter more personal moments which you won't always necessarily get on film. It begs you to keep on watching and you can, because it's all on Netflix right now! It took me less than a week to finish...

You can go a whole episode without having to see Daredevil and you will not care because the character of Matt Murdock, and those around him, are so engrossing and engaging by themselves. However one of the coolest things about show is the fight choreography. Not only are they some of the best fights we've seen in the superhero genre, but they're also so well written into the script as well. You know the motives behind every punch thrown by hero or villain and the fights can be emotionally powerful. And for once there are real stakes involved, Daredevil isn't invincible, he's just a man and a lot of the sequences are very tense and thrilling. And yes, the fight sequence done in seemingly one take is as cool as everyone is raving about!

It does dark and gritty better than most films who have attempted to do so with the superhero genre but also has the right amount of comedy to counteract this. It may take influence from Nolan's Batman triliogy with its tone ,but I would argue that it pulls it off even better. It sticks very close to the comics in term of what the characters are like, especially Frank Millar's run in the 90's on the series. The minimal lighting in the show enforces this tone, although it does go a bit overboard on the reds and yellows during the first few episodes!

I hope this show gets a second season because it truly has blown me away. I'm worried because Marvel has got Jessica Jone, Luke Cage and Iron Fist shows in the works for release over the next couple years, that we won't get a second season in 2016, but I really hope they decide to do it! I want more Daredevil in my life now! If this is the kind of quality we will be looking at for the rest of their shows, then colour me extremely excited, especially for when they all come together as a team for The Defenders. 

If this was a film I would rate it 5/5. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now. It may be too fresh in my mind still, but this may be the best thing Marvel has produced, it's easily the best show of the year so far. Avengers: Age of Ultron has a lot to live up to. This isn't like any other superhero TV show, you don't need to be a fan of the genre or read comic books to enjoy how good this is, though there are loads of easter eggs planted throughout for those who do. I don't know how I'm going to watch Arrow, The Flash or even the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D TV shows after this...

What did you think of the show? Do you agree with my rave review? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

While We're Young

I'm very sorry it's been a while! I'm studying my final year of University at the moment and the work is starting to pile up, as are the episodes of Marvel's awesome new show, Daredevil! I did get chance to go to the cinema the other day though and catch Noah Baumbach's new film, While We're Young. Here are my thoughts.

While We're Young follows the middle aged couple of Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, who's marrige and careers are overturned when they meet the young hipster couple of Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried.

I am a big fan of Adam Driver and his work on HBO's Girls and love watching him on screen, he was yet again great in Noah Baumbach's latest, which marks his second film with the director after 2012's brilliant Frances Ha. He may not be as loveable as he is in Girls but he is great to watch against main character Ben Stiller, who is really great to watch in this film. I love how Stiller can go from over the top comedies and then come to more natural ones like this and still be very funny and believeble. Naomi Watts impressed me as well, I haven't liked her in much recently but found she was a likeable character in this. Amanda Seyfried is also good but unfortunately her character sometimes fades into the background and gets forgotten about.

I liked this film, it was funny and the characters are likeable and interesting, revealing more about themselves as the story goes along. It's a film about films, documentary films to be specific. It also offers a funny critique on the difference bewteen younger and older generations without being over the top, poking fun at both out of touch adults and the young hipster culture in New York.

It's all great until the thrid act of the film where things get a bit muddled. I felt as if the film was unsure as to what it was trying to say or acheive. What started as a film about a middle aged couple trying to find youth through a new younger couple, turns into film about documentary film ethics that doesn't really go anywhere. Characters do sudden and unexpected things and the film leaves you wondering why it's doing what it's doing.

Overall I liked this film, it's really nice but juts gets confused in the thrid act. It's not as good as Noah Baumbach's previous work but it is more accessible to a wider audience. Check it out if you get the chance. I am giving While We're Young a rating of 3.5/5.

What did you think of While We're Young? Let me know in the comments below.

Big things lie ahead this month. Keep an eye out later this month for my review of Avengers: Age of Ultron!

Thanks for reading!

Spider-Man Joins The MCU!

Unless you have been living under a rock, you may have heard that Spider-Man is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You probably all know by now that I am a huge Spider-Man fan so I could not be happier with this announcement. And although you may be sick of hearing about the news I thought it would only be right to write a small bit on what I think of this exciting team-up between Sony and Marvel.

So we all heard about the Sony hack from a couple months ago, I believe that this had an impact on the deal that went down between Marvel and Sony. After a disappointing critical and financial backlash from the rebooted The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, Sony didn't know what to do next, and this was evident when rumours of Aunt May spy films started making their rounds on the Internet from the hacked emails. I personally believe that Sony were left with no choice but to hand Spidey over to Marvel in order to get some credibility and much needed life brought back into the character. Now Marvel still don't own the rights or the final creative control of Spidey but the fact that they have barely put a foot wrong in their universe shows that the webslinger is in good hands. 

However with this good news comes a minor setback: Andrew Garfield will not be back to play Peter Parker. Now his take on Peter may not have been the most comic book accurate, but his take on Spider-Man was the best we have had yet. Although I am not overly upset by his leave, I still did enjoy the way he became a great spokesperson for the character of Spider-Man, and you could really tell that he was genuinely a fan of the character. Who knows who they will cast to replace him but if they really wanted to surprise us they could always bring in the character of Miles Morales instead, a young man who took up the mantle of Spider-Man in the Ultimate universe after Peter Parker was killed. This would be a great device to shock audiences, especially if they stick close to the source material and have Spidey reveal his identity publicly during Captain America: Civil War. Imagine going to the cinema without knowing who had been cast and then revealing under the mask is not Peter but Miles instead, It would definitely make an impact! But do Marvel have the guts to keep hush on their newly bought character and could the internet keep is casting a secret? Peter or Miles, I cannot wait to see Spider-Man back on the big screen and hopefully with a more faithful adaptation of the source material.

We might even see the new Spider-Man this year! The post credits scene for Avengers: Age of Ultron has not been filmed yet and is rumoured to feature a new set of Avengers. Maybe this will be the first time we see Spider-Man? Wouldn't that be awesome! If not, we will be seeing Spidey next year in Civil War and then his own solo film in 2017. This unfortunately means that Black Panther has been pushed back a year, which upsets me because he too is also one of my favourite comic book characters. I personally would have held off on a new Spider-Man film and instead made a TV show for Netflix about him. The best thing about the Spider-Man comics is the relationship and everyday life struggles that Peter has to endure as well as being a superhero. I think Spider-Man is a character who is best suited to the serial from of television and would love to see his character developed on that medium before bringing him back to the big screen to kick ass. But hey, that's just me and I'm still super excited to see Spider-Man alongside the Avengers as well as bringing his awesome gallery of villains to the MCU.

What are your thoughts on the news? Are you as excited as me? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

My Most Anticipated Films Of 2015

Here we go, another year of great films. 2015 is going to be massive! Here are my most anticipated films of 2015:

10. Spectre (November)

I always love a good Bond film, and after the brilliant Skyfall, I can only expect the follow up to be even better. Obviously Sony had a pretty rough year in 2014 so I reckon they will be hoping to make this one as good as possible! Now, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding a leaked script for Spectre, but I imagine that this will just be great motivation for whoever is doing the rewrites to prove everyone wrong. Plus Christoph Waltz was born to play a Bond villain. Bring it on 007! 

9. Jurassic World (June)

The trailer came out to mixed reactions but I have faith that director Colin Trevorrow will do the latest instalment in the franchise justice. His previous film Safety Not Guaranteed was amazing and if he brings that kind of heart to a big blockbuster film then he will be in for a win. Also, I want to see Chris Pratt in more things, he was awesome in Guardians Of The Galaxy. I can't wait to see the Park open and back on the big screen!

8. The Good Dinosaur (November)

Pixar took a break in 2014 and they were definitely missed, so I look forward to their next project. This is the second of two films they have coming out next year and they are both original pieces! The studio is at their best when making new original stories rather than sequels and prequels. I hope The Good Dinosaur brings out the best in Pixar, their other film, Inside Out, looks and sounds great but I really like the premise of this one: 'Arlo, a 70-foot tall teenage Apatosaurus, befriends a young human boy named Spot.'

7. Midnight Special (November)

Jeff Nichols has proven himself to be one of the best directors around at the moment with Take Shelter and Mud. For that reason alone I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next. His new film follows a father and son on the run, after the dad learns his child possesses special powers. With Micheal Shannon attached, this is one is not to be missed.

6. Ant-Man (July)

The second of Marvel's two films for 2015 is Ant-Man. A troubled production may have cast a cloud over this one but I'm sure it will turn out great. Although I would have loved to have seen Edgar Wright's version of this film, I will still be turning up on day one to see if Marvel have produced another gem with Peyton Reed at the helm. Guardians Of The Galaxy proved that they could take any source material and turn it into gold and I hope that they do the same here with the relatively unknown Ant-Man.

5. The Hateful Eight (TBD)

It's always a great year when a new Quentin Tarantino film comes out. The Hateful Eight may have been in and out of development after script leaks but now it will finally be made, and I cannot wait to see what Tarnatino does with this one. His films are always a joy to watch and I imagine this one will not be an exception.

4. Silence (TBD)

Martin Scorsese is my favourite director so I am going to see whatever he makes. His latest is a passion project about two priests in the seventeenth century who travel to Japan to locate their mentor and spread the gospel of Christianity. With two brilliant actors, Andrew Garfield and Liam Neeson attached, this will surely be another awesome film added to his list.

3. That's What I'm Talking About (TBD)

For the last two years now, Richard Linklater has topped my favourite films of the year and he may do it again with his 'spiritual sequel' to Dazed And Confused. Not much is known about the film apart that it will follows the lives of college baseball students in the 80's. I have no doubt that Linklater will produce another awesome film, and because of time period it should also feature another one of his epic soundtracks! I for one cannot wait to see this.

2. Avengers: Age Of Ultron (April)

When the first Avengers film came out in 2012 I was over the moon, never did I think I would see these characters on the screen together. Joss Whedon did not disappoint and I have feeling that Avengers: Age Of Ultron will blow the first film out of the water. I cannot wait for this film, the trailer was great and Ultron is even better and more menacing than I expected. I hope this lives up to my expectations.

1. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (December)

I knew this film would be on my list but it wasn't until the awesome teaser trailer appeared that it topped it. When the Millennium Falcon appeared in all it's glory I was taken back to my childhood, watching the films, playing with the action figures and being completely obsessed with the world. From the moment that the trailer ended the excitement started and I only wish the film was coming out earlier, because the anticipation is agonising! This is definitely my most anticipated film of 2015.

2015 is going to be an awesome year for film, there are loads more that I am excited for, not just the ones above. I hope everyone has a great New Year and remember to keep up with my blog to find out what I think about these films when they come out and more!

What are you looking forward to watching? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading!

SDCC Thoughts #4

Fourth and possibly last of my post about the latest from Comic Con. Don't hold me to that but I might not get chance to do another as I am on my way to Calafornia itself tomorrow, a weekend too late however... This post features big news from Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man and Mad Max: Fury Road.

So the big panel at the con last night was Marvel's which included a first look at footage from Avengers: Age of Ultron. Unfortunately footage will not be officialy online for quite some while but here is a detailed description of it from Io9. And next to the footage in the now fully formed concept art poster of our heroes in action.

We see the Avengers sitting around trying to untangle the "whosoever is worthy" thing, regarding who gets to hold Thor's hammer. And they all think it's a trick, or a circus sideshow. "If I lift it, do I get to rule Asgard?" Tony asks. And Thor says yes. Tony says he will be fair but firm, and maybe work out the "wench clause." Tony can't lift it — even after he puts on an Iron Man glove and gets Rhodey to help him. Soon everybody is trying to lift it — including Bruce Banner, who gets kinda upset — and only Steve Rogers even comes close. Black Widow doesn't even want to try lifting it, because "That's not a question I need answering." Tony guess it's keyed to Thor's finger prints, or some other biometric, but Thor says the answer is simpler: "You're all not worthy." Then there's a ringing sound and they're all deafened, and Ultron strides into the room, with a crude Avengers logo painted on his slightly misshapen chest. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers," Ultron says. "You want to protect the world, but you don't want to it to change. There's only one path to peace: your extinction." Then a shit ton of robots burst through the wall and attack all of the Avengers, plus Maria Hill.

Then we hear Ultron's voiceover saying he had a vision of the whole world screaming for mercy, and everybody tangled in it. And we see glimpses of some city in what looks like Africa being reduced to rubble by an attack. There's a closeup of Loki's staff, and everybody looking freaked out on the Quinjet — most of all Bruce Banner, who is holding himself and shaking with a terrified look on his face. People are running everywhere, and the debris is flying like crazy. Ultron gives a menacing look, as he surveys all the destruction. Then there are some hero moments: Captain America enters a place shooting some guns. Stuff is blowing up. Banner staggers to his knees in a snowy forest, looking sickly. Thor uses his hammer to smash a tank. Black Widow is in a medical bay, reaching for some surgical tools. We glimpse Nick Fury looking the way he did at the end of Winter Soldier. And Scarlet Witch is on a bus, approaching some people at the back of the bus with magic in one hand. Tony Stark is looking forlorn and guilty. "It's the end, the end of a path I started us on," he tells Black Widow, who says everything ends. Scarlet witch sinks to her knees shouting. And there are more shots of Scarlet Witch using her powers, just quick glimpses of her projecting magical energy.

At this point, the trailer strts playing the clasic song "I've Got No Strings." Tony, in Hulbuster armor, confronts Hulk on a city street, and there are several shots of them brawling and Tony getting the shit beat out of him. Quicksilver runs through a crowded room that seems to be standing still. Captain America is fighting someone in what looks like a knock-down brawl. And because this is Joss Whedon, there's a glimpse of girls doing ballet. Then we're back to Black Widow shooting shotguns, and more of the Hulk/Hulkbuster brawl. Thor grabs Tony Stark's throat and lifts him off the ground. Captain America is riding a motorcycle and then running. Cars are tumbling in mid air. Black Widow touches her hand to the Hulk's massive green hand, like she's calming him down. We glimpse a confrontation between Black Widow and Scarlet Witch. And then Ultron finishes the song saying, "There are no strings on me," clenching a fist as he celebrates that he's no longer a puppet. And we go a shot of Captain America's shield — shattered to fragments. We pull back, and all of the Avengers are lying prone, apparently dead, in the rubble. Tony is leaning over them, and he looks totlaly horrified and ashamed.
Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=104583#kHxQGzdFT5HaQiiK.99

Other big news included Josh Brolin being confirmed as Thanos and the announcemnet that Guardians Of The Galaxy will be getting a sequel in 2017!

Ant-Man confirmed that Evangaline Lily will indeed be in the film and will be the daughter of Hank Pym, Hope Van Dyne or Hope Pym if you will. Corey Stoll was also confirmed as the villain of the piece Yellow Jacket!

Finally a look at the trailer for the next installment of the Mad Max with Tom Hardy in the front seat this time. It definitely looks very cool, check it out below:

It's been a good Comic Con yet again, even if I am sitting at home experiencing it!

Thanks for reading!

SDCC 2014 Thoughts #2

Another day and a load more cool stuff coming out of San Diego Comic Con. This post features awesomeness from Interstellar, Avenger: Age of Ultron, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

Mathew Mchonuaghey and Christoper Nolan both made suprise appearnaces last night at SDCC, promoting their new film Interstellar. A trailer was shown but unfortunately it won't be online for a few weeks yet. Reports were all posotive though and I thought I would share a few interesting tidbits from screenrant.com who were at the panel:

-Nolan wants to create a realistic viewpoint from inside of a space craft to outer soace.
-The Movie is important noe because Nolan says we're at the "cusp" of space exploration.
-2001: A Space Odyssey is the Interstellar's inspiration - Nolan wants his film to be equally as ambitious.
- He joked about not listing everything that's influenced Interstellar to avoid people knowing what he's copying from.
-Nolan says the story is really about what it means to be human and our role in the universe. 

Alright, alright, alright...

More posters have been released for Avengers: Age of Ultron and soon enough we'll get the full image that they'll make up. The two latest feature Quicksilver, Hawkeye and more importanty, our first look at The Vision! I've also included a new still from the film which features Black Widow riding a Harley Davidson whilst sporting Captain America's shield.

Very, very cool. Joss Whedon has also been talking up the film and said in an interview said that there will be 'four prominent female roles' in it. So far we know Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and Maria Hill will feature in the sequel but who could the fourth be? Ms Marvel maybe? Who knows, all could be revealed in the next couple days.

In Game of Thrones new, several new cast member have been added to the show, including Jonathon Pryce who will be playing the High Sparrow in season 5. Take a look at the video below where the new cast reveal themselves.

The Walking Dead have released a trailer season 5 of their show. I am starting to get a little tired of this show but the new trailer looks promising and seems to take whats left of the group in a new direction. Take a look below:

That's it for today. Check back later for more news! 

Thanks for reading!

SDCC 2014 Thoughts #1

Last year I did a few posts on some of the news coming out of San Diego Comic Con and my thoughts on it. Since every SDCC is like a second Christmas, full of pop culture news and announcements for us nerds, I thought I would do the same this year as well. I'll be posting all things that I think are cool from the Con so not every piece of news from every angle of the event will be reported. Man do I wish I was there...

 It may just be the first day of the con but we have already been treated to some gems, beginning with a bunch of awesome exclusive posters including The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Mockingjay Part 1 and The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies which can be seen below.

I especially love the Avengers ones, they are awesome! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that some form of teaser trailer will be released at SDCC and then online over the weekend! In other news Warner Brothers brought the cowl and cape of Batman from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice to the show. It doesn't reveal much else to what we've already seen apart from the fact that it is dark grey and not a shade of blue that a lot of us fans would have liked to have seen. However I do still like the look they are going for with the Batfleck costume.

And if you wondering where the man himself was, well WB have just released a new official pic of The Batfleck.

Looking good! All this and it's still just Thursday, it's a good weekend to be a nerd.

Check back later for more updates on what going on at SDCC.

What do you think of all the latest SDCC news? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading! 

SDCC 2013 Thoughts #5 - Marvel Edition

So after Marvel came and surprised yet again at Comic Con. Keep reading for news on The Avengers 2, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men Days of Future Past!

So if you weren't already aware (the Internet did explode!) the sequel to the incredible Avengers film was given a title by Joss Whedon, a title that made all us Marvel fanatics very, very excited! Accompanied by a short teaser trailer which showed off a first look at villain Ultron, the name of the sequel is Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Ultron is a classic villain for the Avengers so this is great news that we will finally be able to see him on the big screen. Ultron is actually created by Hank Pym, so will we see Ant Man make his debut in the sequel before his own solo film later in 2015? Apparently not, according to Whedon who says they are tweaking the villains origin story and could be the creation of one of the already established heroes.  Hopefully the teaser will make its way online soon either officially or leaked!

Now over to Thor, where Tom Hiddleston rocked the house with his entrance, all dressed up as Loki!

If that wasn't great enough, here is description of the footage shown:
The footage begins in the middle of a battlefield. The Warriors Three are among those fighting. The rainbow bridge appears and Mjolnir comes through first. It hits one of the opponent soldiers and Thor is right behind it. He slams it against the Earth and soldiers go flying. Sif saves Thor from a spear at the last second. Over the hill a giant monster who looks like he's made of clay approaches. He's huge and angry. Nearly 20 feet. "I accept your surrender," Thor grins. The beast refuses and Thor smashes him to pieces with the hammer. "Anyone else?" Thor asks. The Marvel logo comes up and we're in London. Jane Foster is there and Thor arrives via the bridge. "I gave you my word I would return for you," he says. We see Jane in Asgard, exploring the wonder of it all. There's a brief, "Holy s--t" line from Kat Dennings as Thor and Jane vanish via the bridge. There's a brief, "Holy s--t" line from Kat Dennings as Thor and Jane vanish via the bridge. Thor goes to Loki. He's get in a prison cell with a big glass panel in front. "After all this time, you come before me, brother?" says Loki, "Why? To mock?" Thor says he needs Loki's help. We see a hand reach for a broken mask, I believe it's Malekith. "Your bravery will not relieve your pain," a voice (I think Eccleston) says. "Your family and your world will be extinguished." Loki sets off with Thor, Jane, Sif and the Warriors Three for a mission. Jane looks at a monitor and says something about the fabric of reality being torn apart. Sif tells Loki that if he betrays Thor, she'll kill him. Jane marches right up and slaps Loki in the face. "That was for New York!" she says. "I like her," Loki grins. There's a final shot of Thor on the ground, hurt, with Loki standing over him. He kicks Thor directly in the face. Thor reaches for his hammer, but Loki kicks his hand away.
Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=83787#tR32PqD5Oirgm3q8.99 
Sounding great right? I for one am very excited at seeing more Thor and Loki on the big screen!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is starting to kick off now and we will hopefully get a trailer for the film soon. But for now here is a description of the footage show to the audience in Hall H:
We open in an elevator. Cap is inside, looking out the glass window. I think we're in DC. We see him from behind. He's got the shield on his back like a backpack. He turns as more people (Frank Grillo among them) get on. His uniform is new. It looks a lot like the US Agent costume. The music is moody, like The Hunt For Red October. Cap looks Grillo up and down. He senses something isn't right. More people get on. Cap keeps looking at them. He notices many of them are armed. More and more get on with each floor. The elevator is packed. Cap takes another look at their guns. "Before we get started," he says, "Does anyone want to get out?" Grillo says something about it "not being personal" and a fight breaks out. It's a massive fight, mostly shot from above, in the confined space. Cap takes out every single guy. He kicks his shield, flipping it into his hand as he exits. The Marvel logo comes up. We see Robert Redford in an office. He saying that he joined SHIELD to protect the world. "To build a better world sometimes means tearing the old one down," he says. "And that makes enemies." We see the Helicarrier flying. Lots of Black Widow action. Fury shaking hands with Redford. Fury is talking to Cap. "I thought the punishment usually came after the crime," Cap tells him. We see Mackie running from a futuristic helicopter. He leaps off a building and we see the Falcon wings come out! Cap on his motorcycle, fighting the helicopter. The helicarrier falling out of the sky in flames. The final shot is Cap's shield on the ground, A metal hand reaches down to pick it up, revealing the Winter Soldier.
Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=83789#jYvJoLPrf4GjLf1L.99 
Marvel have also announced that this film will be the main gateway into Age of Ultron. I get the feeling this could be a completely new Cap, not like the first film, a complete new take on modern day Captain America.

Now for Guardians of the Galaxy in where we get more footage descriptions, prop pictures and concept art!

The Guardians of the Galaxy footage could be my favorite thing I've seen at Comic-Con this year. Guardians of the Galaxy footage just played, revealing the designs of all the characters, with plenty of laughs and action. Star-Lord gets arrested, disappointed they don't know his name. She's described as "Thanos' adopted daughter by Reilly." No word on the voice of Rocket, But he's feisty. He spits as his name gets read. Dave Bautista's Drax the Destroyer wear the body paint from the comics in what we saw while he's in prison. Groot, who is all CGI and has to lean down for his mug shot. Reilly calls him a "personal houseplant slash muscle." I AM GROOT! Then Star Lord, who very slowly does a jack-in-the-box flipping off Reilly. When he finishes, he mocks surprise. "Oh," he says ,"I'm sorry. I didn't know how that machine worked." As he's getting booked, he's very angry about a guard taking his headphones and listening to them. John C. Reilly: "They call themselves The Guardians of the Galaxy" Peter Serafinowicz: "What a bunch of A-holes."
Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=83791#i177tCfo4MEr3lH0.99

I was a bit worried about this film but now I am excited. Could this be the new Star Wars for the next generation?

And finally, the latest news from X-Men Days of Future Past in which the whole cast was there on stage! The biggest news we heard was about who was time travelling in the film and it will X-Men poster boy Wolverine who's conscious gets sent back to the 70's by Kitty Pride. How Kitty Pride gets time travel powers I don't know? However the cast is impressive enough to make this one of the biggest films of 2014!

The Con is almost over but check back soon for all the latest from San Diego!