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!

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.

Thanks for reading!

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!

Thanks for reading! 

How I Would Reboot Spider-Man

As a screenwriter, one of my dream jobs would be getting tasked with writing the script for my childhood hero, Spider-Man. Spider-Man hasn't had the best of runs on the big screen recently, with (in my opinion) only two of the five films made, being any good. When Marvel Studio's finally got the chance to bring the webhead into their shared universe I was extremely happy, they have now got another chance to get the character right, as well as making him part of something bigger and being able to see him interact with other Marvel heroes.

Spider-Man is first going to be seen in next years Captain America: Civil War, before then getting his own film in 2017. How is Marvel going to make their take different from the previous attempts? This is something I have been thinking about for a while now and it got me wondering, how would I write a new Spider-Man film that felt different from the previous films but also stayed true to the character that people fell in love with in the comics? So instead of just thinking this I decided to go about actually writing the opening to what I think would make a great new Spider-Man film. Below is the opening five pages to a Spider-Man script that I feel would be something exciting and original but also familiar. After the script pages, I have given a brief overview of the story I am intending to tell as well as some dream casting for the parts that have yet to be publicly announced my Marvel. Now, don't take this script as my idea of what a new Spider-Man script should definately be like, it's just something I think would be cool and a bit of fun. Take it all with a pinch of salt because none of us know how Spider-Man will end up being like after the events of Civil War! But please do enjoy!

So there you go. Spider-Men. This is a concept that I think would be an interesting route for Marvel/Sony to go down. There has been a big debate as to the ethnicity of Spider-Man prior to the casting of Tom Holland. My personal preference in that debate was that I would like to keep Peter white because that is what I am used to in the comics, however, if it had turned out an actor of different ethnicity was to play him then I wouldn't be angry or upset either. Obviously some people thought different and I know that the casting of Tom Holland was a disappointment to many. My inclusion of the black hispanic Spider-Man, Miles Morales in the script was not to pander to an audience who wanted more diversity, but because I think he is an awesome character! In my opinion, the story of Miles Morales in the Ultimate Spider-Man comics has been some of the best spidey stories we have seen out of Marvel in the last few years. Now I know in those comics he is a legacy character to the deceased Peter Parker but I don't think his character is one that needs to stick to that format. In fact I believe that through Miles Morales, we could find ourselves a more complex origin to Peter Parker without having to show him being bitten by a spider again!

In my script I would have Peter only being about a year into his Spider-Man career and he is getting pretty comfortable with it. Then you have the even younger Miles come along and he has only just gotten his powers, and although he is a pretty decent guy, he hasn't had the whole 'with great powers come great responsibilty' speech yet. Miles also has a pretty cool yet sleazy and manipulative uncle, who is also a master thief named The Prowler (Yes the Ultimate Comics version of the character) and after figuring out his identity, he uses him to help steal equipment from other bad guys, including The Shocker's gauntlets who we see in the opening scene. Using Miles, he slowly begins to become a more powerful and sinister villain.  In order to show how much Uncle Ben had a part in Peter's life and superhero ethics, I would have Peter trying to pass the lessons he was taugh onto Miles. Peter has to take on Miles along with his own superhero career, school and love life in the form of his new neighbour who has taken an interest in him, Mary Jane Watson (wouldn't it be great to get the line 'face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot' in somewhere as well!). Whilst getting to know and trust each other they open up to one another, Miles tells Peter of his Uncle's criminal and manipulative ways and Peter's tells Mile's one of his biggest guilt's, he believes it is his fault his own uncle died. Nearing the final act of the film, I would have the two them fully have each others trust and friendship with Peter then making Miles his own set of web shooters and his own cool costume. Then together they work to take down The Prowler before he gains too much power in the criminal underworld.

Obviously this is different to anything we have seen on film and also not something we have seen entirely in the comics. This doesn't mean that Miles and Peter will team up in every Spider-Man film but the possibility should be there, as well as Miles being able to spin off and have his own solo film adventures within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So who would my dream cast be to join Tom Holland and Marisa Tomei in the main roles?

Miles Morales

(Michael Rainy Jr)

Michael Rainy Jr first impressed me with his performance in LUV, where even as a young child he was able to pull off a incredible performance as the lead in the film. He has since been seen in Lee Danial's The Butler and Orange is the New Black. He is now 14, soon to be 15 years old, near about the right age for Miles but more importantly younger than Tom Holland, which in the end is all that really matters for this to work. He also has already proven to have great chemistry with actor I would choose to play The Prowler...

The Prowler

(Common)

Common appeared alongside Michael Rainy Jr in LUV as his Uncle, so they already have that to work with. As I have previously mentioned, in the film they have great chemistry and I believe that Common could play a great Prowler as in LUV it showed that he could play a likeable yet flawed man with a dark side. Anybody taking on the role of this version of The Prowler would have to be able to play it cool enough for the audience to believe that he truly could manipulate young Miles into doing his dirty work and I think Common could do just that.

Mary Jane

(Maika Monroe)

You may recognise Maika Monroe from two brilliant stylish horror films from the last couple years The Guest and It Follows. Both were extremely good films and both featured Maika giving brilliant performances. Yes she may be blonde but that didn't stop Sam Raimi from casting Kirsten Dusnt for his Spider-Man films. Dye her hair red and I believe she would make a great easy going and fun Mary Jane to Tom Holland's (hopefully) awkward Peter Parker. 

The Shocker

(Aaron Paul)

I'm not the first to say this, I believe a few people have thrown around the idea of Breaking Bad star as The Shocker. The Shocker in my film is more of a secondary villain to The Prowler but that doesn't mean he can't be just as cool and menacing, something I believe Aaron Paul would just revel in once he puts on the costume. I'm The Shocker bitch! (Okay maybe I wouldn't have him say that...)

So there you have it, my take on one of the many ways Spider-Man could be rebooted! This won't be everyones cup of tea, I understand that. It's just something I think would be cool. The rumours so far for the next solo outing is that it will be very 'John Hughes' like in nature and may even have Kraven The Hunter as the villain. That all sounds good, though personally I would wait until we have an older and more mature Peter so Marvel could adapt Kraven's Last Hunt onto the big screen! If not, an animated film like DC's The Dark Knight Returns would be sweet!

I've never done a post like this before so I hope you enjoyed it. If I ever have an idea for any other takes on characters maybe I'll do this again, that is of course if you liked it, so please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Now Spider-Man is babysitted by Marvel Studios I am sure that whatever route they take it will be a good one and true to the character of Peter Parker. However if you are reading this Kevin Feige and think it's an absolutely amazing idea please give me a call! 

Thanks for reading!

Avengers: Age of Ultron

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading!

Daredevil TV Show Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading!

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!