Spider-Man: Far From Home

I had been cautiously optimistic in the run-up to Spider-Man: Far From Home. I had a similar reaction to the run-up to Homecoming’s release as well, where I didn’t like the trailers and thought there was too much Iron Man in my Spider-Man but then ultimately the film turned out pretty great. Same feeling with the trailers this time around but unfortunately the film pales in comparison to its processor. Read on to find out why.

CAUTION: AVENGERS: ENDGAME SPOILERS AHEAD!

After the events of Endgame and the death of Tony Stark, Peter is feeling the pressure from both the public and his family to become the next Iron Man. He’s still feeling the loss of his mentor and doesn’t really want to have to think about it too much, and with his School class about to go on a trip to Europe, he wants to take a break from Superhero-ing and just be a normal teenager for a few weeks. This doesn’t go to plan as Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, a superhero from another multiverse has teamed up with Nick Fury and Maria Hill to stop the threat of the Elementals destroying the world and they just happen to turn up on Peter’s first leg of his European trip.

My biggest problem with this film is that it’s far from (sorry) just being a Spider-Man film. It’s also an epilogue to Endgame, picking up some of the plot holes created by the Snap (now called Blip) and jokingly tries to sweep them under the rug. Any double bill with Endgame might render the emotional core of that film obsolete… It’s also a sequel to Iron Man, with the big question of who’s going to fill his shoes and despite trying to make Spider-Man his own character they keep making him do Iron Man like things, even turning his villain into one semi created by Iron Man…yet again. And then it’s a Spider-Man sequel, the supporting characters get a few more jokes, Ned probably has less to do and then there’s Michelle, seemingly the MCU’s Mary Jane; she gets fleshed out a bit more here thankfully but be warned, she still doesn’t act like her comic book origins and maybe if they didn't refer to her as MJ we wouldn't have to keep the comparison going.

Taking Spidey out of New York does a lot to establish this as something new within the many films made with him. I admire the originality, I enjoyed the fresh backdrop, but I’d be lying if I said that it still felt like Spider-Man film. You just can’t take the boy out of the concrete jungle… Still, kudos to them for attempting it, it’s still fun and the story overall is quite light and breezy and works within the high school genre it's going for. Everybody looks like they’re enjoying themselves, especially Jake Gyllenhaal who gets to ham it up as Peter’s new mentor, Mysterio. I love Gyllenhaal, he’s great in most things and he brings the spirit of Mysterio to the character despite not being the most accurate to the comics. His powerset also brings about some really stunning and trippy visuals scenes which also allow for some of the best Spider-Man action scenes.

When Peter dons the suit and heads into action, that is where this film soars. When he’s out of it that is where film misses a beat. The emotional core of this film just doesn’t land, which is odd because it doesn’t take much for me to be emotionally invested in Peter Parker, but here I just wasn’t fussed. Even the post-credit scenes on this one, as big as they are, don’t really work with what was trying to be said within the main arc of this film. Everything feels a little too far from (sorry again) the core of the character, and I could forgive it last time because the film was really well done, but here I was less charmed by it. It just never settles into its own, as I mentioned earlier, it’s just trying to do too much when it should just be a Spider-Man film. There’s an element of myself having to grow up and realise that this film wasn’t made for me, and future instalments are not going to be either. Even the audience I watched this with on opening day had a lot lower average age than other Marvel film audiences I’ve seen recently. And if they’re enjoying it then that’s great, the more Spider-Man fans the better. However, there is no doubt that my nostalgia of what Spider-Man is and means to me lowered my enjoyment of this film. Sometimes I can separate my comic book fan brain but this time evidently not.

There’s no doubt it’s a lot of fun and the characters are a joy to be around. The film itself embraces the breeziness of a high school comedy that’s mixed with the aftermath of the stakes of one of the biggest films of all time. Despite the action scenes feeling on point, the story and emotional weight just doesn’t feel like Spider-Man and I’m not particularly excited to see where they go next with it. The further we move away from Endgame and Tony Stark, hopefully, the more Spider-Man starts to settle into his own films. We’ll see but for now, Spider-Man: Far from Home is far from (this is the end I promise) what I wanted but it’s not a total disaster, I imagine most audiences will get a good kick out of it. I’m rating it a 3/5.

Let me know if you think I'm absolutely wrong in the comments below.

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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.

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Black Panther

It's been a while... I've recently moved house and been without internet for some time (thanks BT for your terrible service!). Anyway, there's been a pretty big release from Marvel...

Black Panther is the breath of fresh air I needed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although I still very much enjoy most of the films that are produced by the studio, I have started to waver a little with some of the basic premise recycling. Now don’t get me wrong this film has some Marvel ‘similarities’ but ultimately is its own new fresh thing. Read on to find out my SPOILER FREE thoughts.

For the most part Marvel has suffered a little when it comes to diversity, people of colour usually take a backseat to main characters and there isn’t a really any excuse for it to have taken this long for a black superhero to have their own standalone film within the universe. Marvel aren’t the only problem though, Hollywood in general has been slow to this game for a while and although we have had black superheroes, we’ve never really had anything like Black Panther before; a film with a predominantly black cast representing Africa in a way that’s never been seen in a big mainstream blockbuster and that means something. I’m a white dude, I’ve seen a lot of them on the big screen, I’ve been represented, it’s time to get our films as diverse as the world around us. The cast in speaking is one of the best Marvel has assembled, the main players being: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Angela Basset, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whitaker Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman. The story follows T’Challa, the newly appointed King of Wakanda, after the events of Civil War he struggles with his new mantle as the country decides if/how it will change under new leadership.

 

The first thing that Black Panther does excellently is give you a real sense of Wakanda, the secretive and extremely modern city of Africa, powered by a massive source of vibranium. Throughout the whole film you get to see a lot of the country and the people that live there. |The film is never afraid to embrace the weirder side of the mythology and it made me realise that Thor really missed an opportunity to establish Asgard in the same way.  Wakanda feels lived in, it feels like it has a history and it’s definitely a place I would like to see more of in the future. If it wasn’t connected to the MCU, Wakanda could have a whole franchise to itself, that’s the kind of scope director Ryan Coogler has been able to create around the character’s first solo outing.

One of the reasons this feels like a fresh film in the MCU is the fact that superhero business is secondary to the main story; a story of monarchy, politics and change. The action set pieces are cool but they don’t stand up to the spectacle we’ve had so far in the franchise, not that this is bad thing - it feels right within the context. The jokes are not as full on and if I was to criticise the film for anything it would be that the small amount of humour mainly lands flat. But this is a more serious affair; bringing in themes that are very relevant in the world right now. This may not be the first time Marvel has woven mature themes into its narrative but it does feel like the first time that they have felt this important.

On top of great characters and an interesting and satisfying story, the film is also one of the best looking and most colourful of Marvel’s so far. There’s the odd bit of dodgy CGI every now and then but it doesn’t take away from breath-taking scenery as you swoop into Wakanda for the first time. Accompanied by a unique music that excellently blends a traditional score with African instruments and hip-hop.

As you can probably tell from the amount of praise of already heaped on the film - I very much enjoyed it. It’s personally one of my favourite MCU films and has calmed some of my fears that the studio isn’t afraid to take so-called “risks”, mix it up and embrace the fun mythology of the comic book source material. The only way stop superhero fatigue is to tell great stories that just so happen to have a superhero in the them and Black Panther is an excellent example of this. Onward and upwards. I’m giving Black Panther a rating of 5/5.

What did you think of Black Panther? Where does it rank in the MCU? Let me know in the comments below!

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Thor: Ragnarok

I’ve been waiting to see this one for a little while now and to start with, this is a great film to watch in the cinema, especially with a large crowd which, even after a few weeks of being out, my cinema had. As great a ride as it was, it wasn’t without its flaws.

Marvel has had a shaky time with Thor, his films have been released to a mixed response but the characters are still very much beloved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Third time round the studio decided to hire Taika Waititi to direct Ragnarok, the brilliant New Zealander who directed films like What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. And Waititi definitely brought his humorous style of filmmaking with him. When a director as unique and original as Waititi comes along, you expect a different flavour of film and Ragnarok definitely feels like Waititi in the dialogue department. However, it doesn’t really do anything different with Marvel’s formula of storytelling, despite poking fun at it throughout.

There’s signs that Marvel are changing their ways; female characters aren’t love interests (and are allowed to be villains), Earth doesn’t have to play a significant role, the film has some weird and wacky design elements and the old cast is out for a new take on the god of thunder. However, the story is just another case of the big bad being bad and the hero needs to stop the big bad in the final act. There’s a lot of fun to be had in between the setup and the conclusion but ultimately this is another film that follows the basic tropes of what Marvel has already perfected many a time. Spider-Man: Homecoming looked to be the start of a different kind of Marvel film but ultimately we’ve gone a step backwards with Ragnarok. If I hadn’t enjoyed the comedy and characters so much then I might have disliked this one a lot more.

This film really does rest on its characters backs. Chris Hemsworth proving once again he’s a comic to be reckoned with, with his brilliant timing and almost Monty Python esque Thor. Tom Hiddleston kills it as Loki again although that was always to be expected. Cate Blanchett hams it up in a good way as Hela and although the villain is better than most of the bad guys Marvel has put on the big screen, she still didn’t feel iconic enough to be classed as a truly great antagonist. Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie was a very cool addition to the cast, she’s a drunk and a badass, it’s a fun combination. Mark Ruffalo returns with a more developed version of The Hulk and Jeff Goldblum essentially plays himself and it’s a much-welcomed addition to the franchise.

The middle act of the film is primarily set on the planet Sakaar, a junkyard planet with weird and wonderful characters and some odd and medieval cultures. This section of the film is the best, it’s a love letter to artist Jack Kirby and also features some great synth scores. This should have been the film in my opinion, with Hela maybe left to make an impact in the future and the crazy adventures of Thor, Hulk and Valkyrie the main show.

I feel like I’m criticising a film I enjoyed watching, so if nothing else, Thor: Ragnarok is a Saturday morning cartoon come to life complete with some cartoon-y CGI. It’s a fun ride, it’s got a lot of humour but the story just might feel a little familiar after sitting through seventeen entries in the franchise. Mix it up Marvel, we’re going to watch a film with your name on it either way. However, the characters endure and are a joy to watch together as well as being very funny. I’m rating Thor: Ragnarok a 3.5/5.

What did you think of the film, the best Thor of the bunch or the worst? Let me know in the comments below.

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Spider-Man: Homecoming

Big Spider-Man fan over here, but you guys probably already knew that. I’ve been quiet on my thoughts for the latest Spider-Man reboot, trying to keep my expectations at a minimum and not release a mega Spidey post for a film that could have disappointed. I’ve been cautiously optimistic, I haven’t liked all the decisions made, it was starting to look like Iron Man 4, but Marvel studios have rarely let me down so it was in good hands. Or was it…

I’m kidding, I believe I can safely say that this is a good Spider-Man film, not the best ever (Spider-Man 2 will probably never be beaten) but a solid entry into the character’s history. Read on to find out why.

Back in the capable hands of Marvel Studios, Spider-Man: Homecoming catches up with Peter Parker post-Civil War, trying his best to impress ‘Mr Stark’ for a place on The Avengers, dealing with the dilemmas of High School life whist attempting to stop an underground arms dealership that’s being run by the deadly Vulture. Tom Holland is back as Spider-Man and now being supported by Michael Keaton as The Vulture, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Laura Harrier as Liz and Zendaya as Michelle. Jon Watts is now in the directing chair, he proved himself as a capable director with the small indie film Cop Car and has transitioned well into blockbusters because he got a Spider-Man reboot right, not an easy thing to do!

What this film got right that the previous reboot did not is that it is completely different to what has come before. I was worried about a Spider-Man who was younger than me but it works, mainly because the cast is so young as well, so they look the part, but also because this feels like a high school drama mixed with a superhero film. It’s jarring but it works because it highlights the struggle Peter Parker has to go through constantly. It also helps that the soap opera ‘John Hughes’ High School drama is handled very well. We also get a different Spider-Man to what we’ve seen before, not only is he young but he’s also hasn’t got a handle on his superpowers, constantly making mistakes and learning the ropes throughout the entire film. He’s definitely a very ‘friendly neighbourhood’ Spider-Man because apart from one set piece in Washington, he pretty much sticks to Queens, so don’t expect Spidey swinging around skyscrapers just yet. It leaves you excited to see them develop his character in future films.

With every hero must come a villain and The Vulture I’m happy to report is great. Michael Keaton kills it as Adrian Toomes and has a great physical presence in the film, in and out of the costume. The design of Vulture looks awesome on film and with his wingspan being pretty huge he’s a scary and intimidating threat when he comes across the wall crawler. He’s not just another punch bag, he has depth, motivation and a little bit of sympathy as a working man adapting to the world around him to make ends meet. Easily one of Marvel’s better villains and on a smaller more grounded scale, something I hope they keep for new villains in the next instalment.

Tony Stark was another worry of mine, I didn’t like him being so integral to Spider-Man, making his suit or having too much of a leading role in his film. Thankfully though he doesn’t outstay his welcome, this is still very much Peter’s film and he’s still learning about ‘great responsibility’ without Stark. The gadget filled suit looks great but Stark’s involvement isn’t to my taste still, although there are some great sequences throughout the film with him testing the suits abilities that come close to redeeming that. Instead of world building, the film is more interested in placing Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so I have to throw away some of my ‘comic book accuracy nerd annoyance’ and accept that this version is going to be shaped by a world with super powered beings already inhabiting it and being very present in his home town. Though any time Spidey needs saving from Iron Man will always hit a sore spot with me!

Back to the tone of this film, it’s very funny! This is something we’ve come to expect from Marvel films now but it feels more at home with Spider-Man. He’s an awkward kid and it comes across and there are a lot of jokes at his expense. Not all of them land, there’s a lot of emphasis on Aunt May being hot which came across as little bit creepy rather than funny. There’s a good ratio of action to down time, and when the action scenes roll out they are all well done, but there are occasions when Spider-Man looks more like a cartoon character than something ‘real’ in the scene. The light-hearted nature of the film is helped along by a good score from Michael Giacchino, it’s not iconic but it’s different, more playful than other entries in the MCU and differentiates itself from other heroes, something I hope future MCU films continue.  

There are some decisions made in the film that still make me cringe a bit but revealing them could be considered spoilers so I’ll stay clear for now. Some of the smaller characters don’t get a lot of development and Zendaya’s Michelle is very under used to the point where I’m not sure why she’s such a big part of the marketing. Depending on your age and fondness of high school dramas, some of the scenes may not be as easily relatable, but for me it was nice to see a younger perspective in the MCU. Is Tom Holland my Spider-Man? No (or at least not yet), his character may have been easier to relate to because of my age but I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I have been before and this feeling was made apparent near the end of the film, as a ‘classic’ spidey moment plays out and I wasn’t quite sure if the film had earnt it yet.

The more I talk/write about this film though, the more I like it. It’s not my favourite Spider-Man film but it’s a solid entry and a refreshing take on the character that differentiates itself from the films before. We haven’t seen a fully developed Spider-Man in the MCU but he is a teenager and has a lot more developing to do, so it’s actually quite exciting to see where they go with the character next. Who knows, this could be our best Spider-Man yet, only time will tell. I’m rating Spider-Man: Homecoming a 4/5.

What did you think of the latest (and hopefully last reboot of the character for some time!) Spider-Man film? Hit the mark or too much Stark? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

I was travelling in California with my family when the first Guardians of the Galaxy came out. Being the Marvel fanboy that I was and still am, I begged them to go watch it opening day. After many grumbles about how I was taking time out of the holiday to see a film about a talking tree and raccoon, they gave in and we saw the film at the Cinemark Monterey 13 cinema. They were not ready for how US audiences enjoy films because unlike us British, they are loud about it. I’ve never had a movie-going experience quite like it, there was clapping and cheering throughout, it was well deserved and I absolutely loved it! My parents, well they left the cinema exclaiming how it was one of the best films they had ever seen and how much they loved Rocket and Groot!

Now here we are; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. My parents loved it, so there’s their review. Me, well I’m the film guy, I like to go a little more in depth with my opinions and although this film was a fun watch, it was a little bit messier than its predecessor. Read on to find out my SPOILER FREE verdict.

In their second outing the Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. All the main players are back as well as few new faces in the form of Kurt Russell as Ego, Pom Klementieff as Mantis and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha.

If you think that description of the story is vague, that’s because there’s not much more to it than that and that’s where the film trips over for me. In what feels like a TV episode structure, the film’s plot is pushed along by one or two characters of its ensemble cast, whilst the others are just reacting to what’s going on, trying to make sense of it. Yes, most of them have their small arcs which do work nicely into the film, but if you were hoping characters like Groot and Drax were going to be more than comedic relief then you will be disappointed.

Thankfully where the story doesn’t add up, the character interactions do. They’ve set up the family dynamic really well for the group, they’re brilliant to watch together and bring a lot of laughs. You know how you could watch the The Avengers just chilling out drinking beer together for two hours, well you could definitely do the same with the Guardians, the chemistry between the group is amazing. This film is full on comedy, it’s the most jokey of all the Marvel films so far and thankfully most of them land. It’s a load of fun to watch with a large audience and because you care for the characters a lot, when the going gets tough, you do genuinely feel for them. And with film being about father – son relationships, it does have some emotional punches.

I could honestly watch this team together all day, even when the story doesn’t hook me, the characters are so good and well defined that in the moment it didn’t matter. Drax stole the show in the first film and he is just as funny here, but for me Rocket was the MVP of Vol. 2. The CGI was flawless and you get to see Rocket be a full on badass when he takes out a whole bunch of guys single handily with just his fists and few gadgets. The music is great yet again and I love how it still plays a big part in the film, even if the playlist isn’t as good as the first (this is becoming repetitive, I know) but that is of course subjective.

You guys get the gist, it’s still good, a lot of fun but not as well balanced or (some would say) as perfect as the first. Another solid entry into the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is great time at the cinema, I’m rating the film a 4/5.

What did you think of Marvel’s latest cosmic adventure? Loved it, hated it? Let me know in the comments below.

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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!