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.

Thanks for reading!

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!

Captain Marvel

Here we are, film 21 one of the MCU and there is no denying, it's a little bit embarrassing that this is the first film in the franchise with a sole female lead. I'm happy it's here now but there is no doubt it has been a long time coming.

Captain Marvel follows an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls, whilst simultaneously fighting with the recurring memories of her - unknown to her -  former life as an Air Force pilot on earth.

The title character is played by Brie Larson and she is joined by Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch and with it being set in the '90s, a digitally de-aged Samuel L Jackson and Clark Gregg reprising their roles as Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.

You can tell Marvel no longer want to do origin films but with a character like Captain Marvel, it's hard to do without one because her story is a mix of the earth and cosmic based lore, which is unlike anything we've seen before. It's also quite confusing; I didn't actually know that much about Carol Danvers going in so I can't comment on comic accuracy but I can say that it takes a little while to get your head around everything going on. You can tell the film is struggling as well, exposition is clumsy and contrived, the opening is just a little more disorderly than we're used to from a Marvel film.

When we get to Earth things are a lot smoother, it feels a lot more familiar, reminiscent of phase one of the MCU. However, I think I might be as torn as Marvel must have been on this film. I want something different, and they definitely cater to that but it's confusing and messy, but when it's familiar it feels bland and too much 'been there, done that'. It comes together in the third act, which makes the good parts of this film quite difficult to talk about without spoilers, but I will say that when certain story elements are revealed, it really elevates the film to something quite different and something a bit more poignant.

Brie Larson is a great addition to the MCU, though I think we've just seen the tip of the iceberg of her potential in her first outing. She clearly has the acting chops, but the writing did sometimes let her down (this is not Marvel's funniest film) and despite her doing a lot of training for the action the editing and camerawork does not showcase just how hard she worked. That being said, she plays the stoic hero very well and her more human moments are touching. It'll be interesting to see how the Russo brothers handle her in Endgame, as they really seem to have a handle on character, story and structure within the confines of a feature film. Not that this film handled it badly, it was just a lot of new and complex balls to juggle. With the information dump out the way, the future can only be less complicated.

One element of this film that was great to see, was the Skrulls faithfully realised on the big screen. The make-up and costuming look awesome and Ben Mendelsohn absolutely kills it as Talos, making for yet another unique and complex antagonist. Marvel really seems to have a handle on that now. They've also got a handle on the de-aging CGI process, with younger Nick Fury looking pretty flawless. Coulson looked a tad smooth at times but I'd be surprised if general audiences would even notice. It's a cool technology that's well used here.

Overall this is quite a middle of the road Marvel film, it's quite the complex story to tell and it does struggle but it's an okay start for the new Captain. The stuff it does well, which is unfortunately spolier-y, is very good; you've just got to sit through some pretty so-so stuff to get there. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, it was okay. I'm rating Captain Marvel a 3/5. I'm still excited to see where they go next with the character.

What did you think of the film? Love it or hate it, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Spider-Man VS Aquaman

Another day, another superhero movie, well actually two this time. It's Marvel VS DC, Spider-Man VS Aquaman. Who is going to win? Or are they both just good films? Read on and find out!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Apart from Miles Morales, the comic books have never made me fall in love with another Spider-Man that wasn’t the original - Peter Parker. Although ‘love’ may still be too strong of a word for Into the Spider-Verse, I actually did want to spend more time with the crazy cast of characters the film put on the big screen. It was a Spider-Man fan’s dream: a film that gives a fresh take on the superhero whilst keeping true to what makes Spider-Man, Spider-Man and opening the character up to the whole world - anybody can be Spider-Man. It’s crazy to see an animated superhero film treated with such love and creative flair, balancing different and unique animated techniques with crazy characters, stylised action and a great story. Through all the weird multiverse stuff that goes on, the film still manages to adapt Miles’s origin relatively faithfully and continues to bring the story back to him and his place in the world as a new Spider-Man. I think it would have been cool to see even more Spider-People - even if just for brief cameos or jokes like the post credits scene (make sure you stay, it’s hilarious!). However, the film still works and is a lot of fun with just handful. It’s so strange to see this work, especially after reading similar comics come out over the past couple years where it hasn’t. We got Spider-Ham on the big screen and it actually worked and hell, this film might even get an Oscar. Between this, the PS4 game, Homecoming and the latest run of comics, Spider-Man really is making a resurgence after a bumpy few years! 

4/5

Aquaman

I think I need to apologise to director, James Wan and DC for being quite negative about this film up until its release. There was nothing in the marketing that made me think this film was going to any good and yet I was proven wrong when I finally sat down and watched the actual film. Aquaman is a weird, bombastic, all over the place, completely out there and absolutely tonnes of fun. Now for the first twenty minutes or so I thought I had been proven correct: the film was full of exposition dumps, melodramatic acting and contained every superhero trope in the book. I can’t pin point the exact moment this changed for me, but I settled into it and the ride the film took me on was one that never really let up. It’s like DC thought they might never get a chance to make an Aquaman film again so decided to make seven in one. There’s so much going on in this film that I’m surprised that it actually flows quite nicely - balancing all the action, story and world building so that it’s accessible and mesmerising all at the same time. The film could have very easily been thrown in with this year's Venom as yet another awful superhero film, yet somehow keeps itself afloat - despite the fact that it contains a slow-motion sequence of its leads walking out of the sea set to a cover of Africa by Pitbull. It’s bizarre that this film works at all really - every idea seems to have been thrown in and yet the bizarreness is endearing - I walked out of the cinema with a massive goofy grin. DC seem to be getting it now - the source material is weird, and we should embrace it, less Disney Channel show dialogue would have been great but the absolute balls to the wall craziness this film gets up to and relishes in is a joy to watch. 

4/5

It's good to see the studios finally grasping that if they want comic book movies to stick around then they need to make them completely unique. These two films came out on the same day, both center around superheroes and both are completely different to each other. Most importantly though, they are both good films. 

What did you think of either of the films? Agree or disagree with my opinion? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Venom

There’s been a lot of negative reviews for Venom, the new comic book film based off of the villain of Spider-Man, but is it as bad as everyone is saying? NO, YOU’RE ALL WRONG IT’S A MASTERPIECE!!!

Who am I kidding, it’s bad, like really bad. Read on a find out why.

Venom follows Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who’s trying to take down the head of the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake. While investigating one of Drake’s experiments, Eddie’s body merges with an alien symbiote – Venom - leaving him with superhuman powers and a twisted alter ego.

The film was produced by Sony who have had a bit of trouble with making Spider-Man films over the last few years. With Spider-Man now semi back with Marvel Studios, the company have now gone down the route of making money from the villains of the superhero instead. Now producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach have had a boner for the character of Venom for a long time, trying to greenlight a movie since the 90’s and shoe horning him into Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 despite the director’s doubts. I’m going to assume that the producers are like most people who say they “like” Venom but they don’t actually know that much about the character - instead just like how cool he looks. Personally, I don’t think Venom is that good of a character, I find him quite boring. His origin is pretty cool and is well done in the Raimi films but overall he’s not that interesting. He’s just a bit of a zombie Spider-Man and it wasn’t until recent times in the comics with new hosts that his stories became less repetitive. So, as you can imagine, I’ve not been that excited for this film.

Despite my lack of excitement for the character or the film, my interest was piqued by the cast. Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock/Venom, he’s joined by Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate. That’s a pretty stellar cast and if you’re into your films you might be suckered into thinking that there must be something in Venom that grabbed these high-class actors’ interest. Well let’s just say there must have been a lot of money on the table for this one… Michelle Williams especially looks like she’s so bored with the film and her chemistry with Tom Hardy is so non-existent. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Only Tom Hardy looks like he’s having any fun with character and you can tell that he definitely puts his all into the character - it’s enjoyable to watch and despite the lack of comic book accuracy to the Eddie Brock character. He is actually a solid choice and it would be good to see in a more thought out film. I don’t blame the cast, they all have done and will do better.

So, the film is bad you get that but unfortunately, it’s not even one of those films that’s so bad it’s good. The whole thing just feels so uninspired and dull: the story is choppy and the heroes/villains seem to have little to no motivation for their actions. It takes way too long for Venom to actually come into play and although the film perks up a little when he does, the character just feels messy and incomplete. His powers are all over the place and his changing intentions come out of nowhere. The film feels like it was made in the early noughties, when studios weren’t as sold on superhero films and we got dumps like Daredevil and Catwoman. This film even comes complete with dodgy CGI and messy visuals that disorientate you during action scenes. It’s crazy to think that the producers - having wanted this film made since the 90’s - did not give any reason as to why this film should be made other that it being a cash grab for the suckers who think Venom looks cool and believe they’re in for a more adult take on the character. It’s dark alright but I’m talking more in terms of the lighting.

This film frustrates me because it feels like uninspired and lazy filmmaking personified. No offence to the crew that no doubt worked their butts off to try and make something out of this but it was tainted from the get go. I think it deserves this scathing review because it gives superhero films a bad name. When made with love and effort superhero films can soar - look at Black Panther - but when these films are made with no other thought than greed, well they look like Venom. As a fan of comic books and Spider-Man in particular, I should be the prime target for this film; but I couldn’t care less. I also really don’t care for the Spider-Man Villain universe without Spider-Man that Sony are trying to set up, leave the characters alone.

Venom is not a film, it’s a product. A product that looks cool but when you bite into it, it’s mouldy and makes you ill. So yeah, I’m rating it a 1.5/5. Give it a miss.

So what did you think of the film? Am I right or am I wrong? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

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!

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!

Thanks for reading!

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.

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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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Logan

I’ve finally seen Logan, the third film in the least coherent trilogy of all time, only this time it’s good, like really good. You’ve probably heard the hype by now and I’m here to tell you that yes, it is pretty much all true, we finally get to see what a man with blades coming out of his knuckles can do and it is gloriously brutal. Read on to find out my SPOILER FREE thoughts.

Logan is set in a what seems like a not too distant dystopian future, with the mutant now struggling to make ends meet, driving a Limo and caring for an old and unstable Professor X. That’s until a new mutant comes along, with a power set not to dissimilar to his own, who he reluctantly decides to try help escort to the Canadian border, far away from an evil company that is tracking her down.

This film is unlike any superhero film you’ve seen before and it is very refreshing to see. I was excited not to know where this film was going from scene to scene, ever wondering where the story may end, unlike previous Wolverine and superhero films where you know he’s going to have to fight the big bad at the end and save the day. You can tell that this film had a lot of thought put into the story and character before adding all the flashy elements, for the most part it plays like a Western where it just so happens the characters inhabit superpowers. It’s shot very nicely, the production design is beautiful and more importantly real and the characters feel very flawed and human. Time has taken its toll on these larger than life characters and grounded them in a way that makes them feel more relatable. The story still falls into some obvious movie tropes but for the most part, this film is about living and what it means to be human and these are the bits of the film that really stand out, not just the brutal action scenes, but yes those are pretty cool as well.

Yes, this Wolverine film is R rated, or if you live in the UK like myself, it’s got a 15 certificate. You won’t be bringing your kids to this one. As I stated at the start, Wolverine using his claws is gloriously brutal, nothing gets covered up, you get to see what would happen if somebody did have blades shooting out of their knuckles and then punching people in the head and although I thought this may grow old, it never did, the fight scenes are some of the best in the whole X-Men/Wolverine franchise and they are little more than Wolverine or Laura (the young mutant) killing hordes of mercenaries. It’s not just the violence that is upped in this film but the language and darker story themes as well. The language takes a little getting used to at first because we’ve only really heard Logan curse a few times in the franchise, now he’s swearing a lot and it works for his character and the place he is in. The one character I didn’t think it worked for was Professor X, thankfully he doesn’t swear as much as the film goes on but near the start he does quite a bit and it did feel a bit unnecessary, like James Mangold, the director, was trying to make full use of the adult rating for the sake of having it.  Where the adult content works best however is in favour of the themes of the story, nothing needs to be sugar-coated here, this is about a character who is at the end of his tether and has had enough of the world, things get dark for him physically and mentally and it was nice to see a film handle this maturely.

This is Hugh Jackman’s final film as Wolverine and although he will probably be recast in the next five years, it was nice to have this film be a great send off to the actor and the character. It sucks that in his seventeen years as Wolverine, his final film is the one he is truly allowed to sink his claws into, pun intended. This is without a doubt one of the best performances of Hugh Jackman’s career and easily his best performance as Wolverine. He has put his stamp on this character, so much so that when people talk about Wolverine, I rarely see the comic book version anymore (no matter how much I want to see that costume in full glory on the big screen one day), I see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. It was also nice that in this film we could be introduced to another great performance from a 12-year-old actress, Dafne Keen, who is destined to be a star.

Although this film is great I did have some problems with it, the biggest being the emotional moments didn’t always hit with me. Maybe that’s just me, maybe I need to watch it again but I felt that this was the fault of the X-Men franchise/universe being non-coherent as a whole, I never felt sad or worried that a character might get hurt or worse, the likelihood is that we’ll probably see some version of them again in the future. There are some great moments but I just don’t think that I was as emotionally invested as the film wanted me to be at the time.

I now want to take a moment to talk about the future of superhero films as R rated cinema in the future. It worked for this story and for this character at this point in his life, that does not mean that we need to do it for everyone. Spider-Man does not need to be R rated and neither does Batman or a lot of big superhero characters, that is unless the story calls for it. The worry is that some future superhero films will have adult content for the sake of having characters swear and show brutal violence, even Logan doesn’t always get away with this throughout the duration of the film. What this film shows is that filmmakers and studios need to think about the story and character first and leave the spectacle to last, and then only if the story calls for it. Marvel seem to be getting the hang of this and for the most part, have been pretty good at delivering good quality stories, but other areas of the superhero genre need to get to grips with the fact that not every superhero film needs to be the same or audiences are just going to get bored of them.

Logan is a refreshing addition to the superhero genre that treats the story and character with care, it sends Hugh Jackman out on a high in a way that we’ve never seen before in the genre. Some of the more emotional moments lacked levity for me but for the most part, it’s a great story and excellent film. I’m giving Logan a rating of 4/5.

What did you think of the film, a masterpiece or just another comic book movie? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

SNIKT!  

Doctor Strange

Marvel's latest is finally here! I was always a little apprehensive about this one due to my disliking of Marvel films going too 'fantastical', my little knowledge on the character and Benedict Cumberbatch's American accent which sounded a little ropy in the trailers. I was however silly not to be excited because Marvel have come out with yet another hit and it might just be one of their best films yet. Find out why in my SPOILER FREE review.

Doctor Strange follows a former neurosurgeon as he embarks on a journey of healing only to be then drawn into the world of the mystic arts. The film has a very impressive cast with Benedict Cumberbatch finally getting to take centre stage in a big blockbuster film, supported by the likes of Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong and Rachel McAdams. All do very well in their roles and put everything into bringing some of the comic-book characters to life. Though it is unfortunate that Rachel McAdams is not given much to do in the film apart from being the 'will they, won't they' love interest, one of its biggest flaws. It is forgivable though, this film could have been all over the place, introducing new characters, introducing magic and mysticism while still having an easy enough plot for audiences to follow is a hard task. The director, Scott Derrickson, thankfully pulls it off though and even brought the film in at just under two hours in length. The plot is tight, the pacing is fast and there is not one boring moment I can think of. 

The biggest criticism I have seen of this film so far has been it's 'paint by numbers' origin story. Now yes, there are certain elements that have been seen before but then there are also certain elements that are in every film, such as the character having and arc and overcoming their flaws. This is not something to criticise of this film, if anything it takes the tropes of the origin stories and plays with them, it feels fresh and exciting, there are elements which would be too spoilery to mention that made me so happy about how they went about settling things. Every action scene felt unique and creative, I was blown away by just how good the action was, it felt like something we had never seen before even if the comparisons to Inception are definitely going to be and have been made. Each action sequence was so character driven, each time Strange learnt something about himself and it moved him forward as a character. And yes the same might not be said about the villain, but Mads Mikkelsen still manages to make his presence felt, he might not be the most memorable villain but he definitely isn't the worst. This films is one of the most unique films I have seen Marvel pull off and only second to Guardians of the Galaxy. There’s a lot to get your head around here and they pull it off in great fashion, it’s not their funniest of films but the humour is injected in order for this film not to take itself too seriously and it does, and doesn’t take anything else away by doing so.

Now let’s talk about the visuals, one of the main elements of the film that most people agree with, this film looks stunning. The effects are amazing, they never felt out of place, they're trippy and magical and the people behind them must have had so much fun being able to play outside the box and do whatever they wanted with them. We're living in a day and age where these sort of effects can now be used so eloquently and so masterfully to make comic-book films look even more like their source material. And talking of comic book accuracy, bravo to the costume designers of this film, I might have read maybe one or two Doctor Strange comics in my lifetime but even I got chills when you first see Benedict Cumberbatch in full costume for the first time.

I was really surprised by how much I liked this one, I went in hoping for something better than Ant-Man and came out watching one of the best Marvel origin stories since the first Iron Man film. Seriously this film is brilliant, I even liked it more than Captain America: Civil War. I think in a world where superhero films are now being mass produced it's nice to have something that feels different, this is why people took to Deadpool so well and its why they're also going to take well to this one. More of this Marvel, more of this. I'm giving Doctor Strange a rating of  4.5/5.  Best superhero movie of the year. 

What did you think of Doctor Strange? One of Marvel's best or just another superhero film? Let me know in the comments below!

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