Avengers: Endgame

11 years in the making, the Endgame is here. After this, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same. I want to start this review by saying that it is fully SPOILER FREE, no story points, nothing. Which means it is quite vague and a bit short, maybe I'll write something about with spoilers in the future but for now I just wanted to give you my initial thoughts on Avengers: Endgame, despite knowing full well that this epic of a film is going to need a rewatch before any thought is solidified in my mind!

This film truly is the culmination of 22 films, its the end of an era and Marvel knows it, closing this chapter of the MCU with a victory lap of fan service of epic proportions. If you're not a fan, you're probably going to hate it. If you are a fan, then like me, you're going to be grinning so much it will probably hurt. However, fan service only goes so far, this film is not perfect, in fact, Infinity War was much more complete and satisfying on a story level compared to Endgame, which is more satisfying on a fan level. This film is bursting at the seams with everything it has to handle, walking the line between a sombre film about grief and a hokey superhero movie, occasionally not getting that balance 100% correct. There are some choices made with some of the characters that kind of work, but at the same time, they're quite the choices! Either way, as always it's great to see these colourful characters interact with each other no matter what the circumstances.

What I like most about the Russo Brothers direction is how they are able to get the best performances out of their actors. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans in particular, work so well with the Russo's, really sinking their teeth into the performances and giving some of their best yet within this film. The whole ensemble cast is working hard, the original six truly showing how far they've come since 2012's first Avengers film.

This film gets nuts, like absolutely bonkers and ridiculous at times, like I said, choices are made, some odd, some that will get you punching your hand in the air out of pure geeky joy. I was 14 when Iron Man came out, I'm now 25, I've spent a big chunk of my life watching these films, being obsessed, being hyped. It's a very satisfying conclusion to just over ten years worth of storytelling, it has the right to pat its self on the back, though maybe at times a little too much!

The special effects are great, not one character seems to have been shortchanged, every single one feeling part of the world, no matter how or small the task of bringing them to life was. Other technical achievements include the music, it feels like a long time since the criticism of the MCU's melodies, I think everybody can hum The Avengers theme tune now and it is used to great and emotive effect in Endgame.

The MCU will carry on, but it won't be the same. It's an odd feeling. I 100% need to watch this film again but for now, this is how I feel. Endgame is far from perfect but it's a very satisfying conclusion and film unlike any before it and most likely after it as well. I'm rating Avengers: Endgame a 4/5. I'm going to miss being excited for this film.

Make mine Marvel!

What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Top Ten Films 2018

Another year and another "Top Ten" list. 2018 was a great year for film, both studio made, independent and everything in-between. It was actually relatively difficult making this top ten list because I had to leave so many great movies off. So to start I just want to list some honourable mentions that you should really check out if you haven't already: Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Upgrade, BlackKklansman, The Rider, Mandy, Shirkers and Shoplifters.

Now onto the big ten, the films that were my personal favourites of the year 2018. Read on and enjoy!

10. Dogman

This story of a dog groomer being reluctantly dragged into the crime world had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The main character, Marcello is one of this years most lovable characters whilst simultaneously being one of the most infuriating. Nearly every choice he makes is a bad one, setting him down a tragic path. It's not all doom and gloom, there's still a lot of humour to be had with the story that will really surprise you with the places it goes. Read my full review here.

9. A Quiet Place

John Krasinski's latest film is also his best. Every element of this film is so well done, every element of filmmaking working to tell a simple story of family and love. It was also the scariest film of the year, yes Hereditary was creepy but I've never heard a packed cinema crowd be so silent, every slight noise scaring the crap out of everyone in unison. It's a masterclass in how to build tension, my body exhausted after viewing it, every muscle tensed in anticipation of what was going to happen. Read my full review here.

8. Roma

Easily the most beautiful film of 2018. Every shot is a masterpiece, every camera movement used to tell the story and reveal more about the characters. It's a slow burn but it crescendos to a climax that feels like an outburst of emotion, even the coldest of people would have a hard time keeping a dry eye. It's a love letter to a person in the directors own life but also to cinema itself. Despite wanting to see it on the big screen, you will not be killing cinema if you see it on the small screen (it is a Netflix release.), I saw it at home and it still made it's way on to this list. Read my full review here.

7. Blindspotting

When the world is in political turmoil our art reacts but rarely does it react so thoughtfully and as well as it does in Blindspotting, a timely story that delivers a powerful message whilst traversing the the dark and gloomy with joy and humour. It will take you through the whole scale of emotions and leave you completely satisfied on the way out. It's creative, unique and totally original. It's one of the most poignant films of the year and a must see if you haven't gotten around to it yet! Read my full review here.

6. First Man

A somewhat overlooked gem of 2018 despite its wide release. To be fair Damien Chazelle taking on a biopic was a strange turn for the director who's last film was La La Land but he managed to take this epic tale and wittle it down to a singular emotional beat; grief. Not stopping at the story, the film is also incredibly shot, with its own look, taking it back in time. The space scenes were incredibly done, grounding the action within the spacecrafts, grounding the story and creating spectacle by surprising the audience rather than just going for the obvious; it's an incredible film. Read my full review here.

5. Sorry to Bother You

Boots Riley appeared as one of the freshest voices in cinema this year, debuting his feature film that was totally original, creative, unique and yes, absolutely bonkers. Sorry to Bother You holds a mirror to our own society and reflects an askew but familiar version of it back to us. It's rebellious and anarchistic and revels in the joy of its own creativity. No doubt it will split it's audience down the middle with its crazy twists but it's rewarding if you stay on board and I for one definitely had a hell of a time with it. Read my full review here.

4. Black Panther

2018 was the year I started (and finished) working in a cinema and the first big film of my new job was Black Panther. It was amazing to see how much joy this film brought to a lot of people but it was also amazing, as a fan, to see Wakanda brought to life on the big screen. It was a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre and sign of the future, to know that Marvel was learning from past mistakes and were pursuing a more diverse and unique future for their franchise. No film made a bigger stamp on the cultural landscape this year, and it helps that every element works so well together, creating an amazing story of power, race and family. Read my full review here.

3. Suspiria

I would never moan at the word "remake" if all remakes were treated with this much love, care and affection. Director Luca Guadagnino is speedily becoming one of my favourite filmmakers around, his eye for detail and love for the craft can be seen in every frame of this film. It's a love letter to the original film whilst also being it's own unique thing. This is how remakes should be done and there is no doubt that this film will be being studied in the years to come. Tantalising, breathtaking, creepy and beautiful, this film will lure you in and not let go. On a side note, Tilda Swinton deserves all the awards possible for her role(s) in this film, she won't, but she should. Read my full review here. 

2. First Reformed

This film came very close to being first... From the moment it started I was transfixed to the screen. The academy ratio draws you in and the crisp and clear imagery allows you to get up close and personal with the subject, studying their every move. The subject in question is Ethan Hawke, a lesser actor would not be able to pull off a performance quite so intimate and personal, the struggle between faith and environment so perfectly portrayed in every frame of the film. It's an incredible film that creates discussion, takes you on journey and then leaves you hanging on an ending that will definitely not please everyone but it left me thinking deeply about this film since the first time I saw it. It could have been the best film of the year but that fanboy in me got the better of me... Read my full review here.

1. Avengers: Infinity War 

The geek fanboy in me has seeped it's way into this top ten list and yes, Avengers: Infinity War is my number one film of the year. Many of you may close this page when finding this out but no other film brought me so much joy in the cinema. I could't believe what I was seeing, it was like a comic book come to life and it wasn't a mess. It baffles me how well this film is structured, edited and actually makes sense when there is so much going on with so many different weird and wonderful characters. This could have so easily fallen on its face but not only is it good, it's a downright masterpiece, delivering some of the most jaw dropping moments of the franchise yet, with real stakes and emotion. It's my favourite film of the MCU and yes, even with a lot of contemplation and multiple viewings, it definitely is my favourite film of 2018. You can read my full review here.

Not a bad list even if I do say so myself. If you want to know my ranking of every new release in 2018 then you can check out my list on Letterboxd here.

What were your favourite films of 2018? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy New Year and thanks for reading! 

Podcasting: Rampage & Infinity War

Very recently I was lucky enough to be asked to join my friends on their podcast Cinebois2Cinemen. I've always been a big fan of podcasts and always wondered what it would be like to be on one, so I jumped at the chance to give it a go. I recorded an episode reviewing Rampage with them and an episode when we get down and nerdy with Avengers: Infinity War. I really enjoyed chatting films with these guys, they really have a good thing going with this podcast and I would recommend it to anyone even if I wasn't on it! That being said, I have embedded the two episodes I featured on below and would really appreciate the support if you would give them listen. Warning, we do go into spoilers on Infinity War!




Recording these podcast really got me motivated to do more when it comes to talking film... maybe even get my own podcast started... who knows. Watch this space!

Thanks for reading/listening!

Avengers: Infinity War

Big Marvel fan boy here and although I may have been critical of some of the films in the past, this review will no doubt be full of bias but most importantly: it will be SPOILER FREE. We’re just going to jump straight into things, if you’re a fan you already know the basic premise, if you’re not then a bad space guy is coming and it’s going to take all the superheroes to stop him. It’s 10 years and 18 films in the making… So, what did I think of Avengers: Infinity War?

This is not a film. It is a comic book come to life on the big screen. Everything about it, the tone, the structure and the fantastical mythology made me feel like a child again. It reminded me of the first time I saw Iron Man in the cinemas - the awe of seeing the Nick Fury even tease The Avengers - I never expected this would happen ten years later. I was so blown away by it all, it makes me a tad emotional just thinking about it.

And breathe…

It’s important to recognise that, just because this film blew my little nerd mind, does not mean that it will for everyone else. It’s very long and if you’re not invested by the time the Marvel logo rolls then you’re going to find it exhausting. It breaks so many of the ‘usual’ parameters of what a film should be, it’s pure entertainment made for the one audience that Marvel has spent ten years building. This is not like The Avengers where you could jump in fresh and still understand everything going on, this is a film with 18 prequels, some more essential than others but all hold something that rewards us fanboys in the endgame.

This film is an epic, its story sprawls through the galaxy; the Marvel universe has never felt so big and comic-book-y. And boy does it feel like a comic book. Our heroes are split into different groupings across the galaxy and each group has quite a lot of time at once given to them, to the point where one group may not be seen again for another thirty minutes. To some this may be jarring. To me it felt like each segment was an issue of a comic book, each book bringing the characters closer and closer together until they are all impacting the story at once. The glue of this particular story; Thanos.

Marvel have had their problems with villains before but here they give more time to him than most of our villains. His plan may be typically evil sounding but you really get the sense that he has to do this, rather than just wanting to. Thanos takes his mission as a burden but ultimately sees himself as the good guy. And unlike most fully CG villains, you believe it. This was helped by the fact that he looks incredible, he’s imposing and you really feel like he’s a threat to your heroes whenever he appears on screen. He may not be as charismatic or make us feel as empathetic as others but he truly is one of Marvels best villains. The stakes feel pretty real in this one.

This the first film by Marvel to be fully filmed on IMAX cameras and it shows. IMAX cameras are super high quality and the end result in Infinity War is a really crisp and clear picture, where the colours pop and the CG work (for the most part) is very photorealistic. Added with iconic Avengers score from Alan Silvestri, the sense of scale is truly represented and really makes this film feel like the event it is.

Unless this is the first time reading you’re reading this blog, you know I’m a massive Spider-Man fan; so I’d thought I’d say something about his presence in the film. Marvel continues to make decisions with Spider-Man that don’t always sit well with me. He should have been my favourite character in this film by default but he was not. I enjoyed his part to play but he is still not ‘my’ Spider-Man and yes that Iron Spider suit is still ugly. He has his moments, there’s some great action beats with him and few lines that definitely felt like Peter Parker but the characters I enjoyed most in this film were probably Thanos, Thor, Rocket, Bruce Banner, Gamora and Doctor Strange. That being said, every character gets a moment - even if it’s one action beat or a cool line of dialogue - your favourite character gets something cool to do. The character interactions are great and the unlikely pairings are amazing to behold, even if there aren’t as many quiet moments where we can just see our characters relaxing together like in previous team up films.

As you can tell I was very blown away by this film, not just at the characters coming together but for the sheer scale, scope and awesomeness of the story. I recognise it’s not for everyone but it wasn’t made for a general audience. It was made for people like me and it is not ashamed to be that; a big nerdy comic book movie. This felt like the first time a comic book had been properly visually represented on the big screen and I could not have been happier with the results. I had high expectations and they were exceeded. Marvel have made a film I never thought I would see and it made me so happy, I cannot stop thinking about it. It’s pure enjoyment and I’m rating Avengers: Infinity War a 5/5.

Make mine Marvel.

Let me know what you thought of this film in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!