X-Men: Apocalypse

I was a bit worried going into X-Men: Apocalypse, it came at a time when we had already seen three comic book movies within a space of a few months, and they had already showcased the best and worst the genre can offer. Its trailer showed off a film that made it seem as if we were about to watch Jennifer Lawrence and the X-Men and the early reviews were very mixed. Don’t listen to the nay-sayers though, what I saw last night really surprised me and although it may not be perfect, I enjoyed the hell out of it. Read on to find out why.

Ten years after the events of Days of Future Past, a lot of the cast return but are in very different places from where we left them (you’ll have to suspend your disbelief at the fact none of the cast have aged since...). Mystique is on her own, rescuing mutants where she can, Magneto has settled in Poland with a new family and Professor X has got his school up and running with a set of new students, most notably Jean Grey, played by Sophie Turner, Cyclops played by Tye Sheridan and Nightcrawler played by Kodi Smit-Mcphee. All is well until an old and very powerful mutant, Apocalypse played by Oscar Issac, is awoken, who then goes and recruits his four horsemen in order to destroy the world (I think?).

I’ll start by saying that this isn’t your usual X-Men movie; the scale is unlike anything you have seen in this franchise before. Whereas other superhero films have decided to go for personal stakes this year, X-Men has gone the opposite way and I believe this is where some of the criticisms comes from; we’ve seen world ending stakes before in comic book movies however, I would argue that because we haven’t seen it on this scale in the X-Men franchise it instead felt like an exciting new way to take these characters and it also made for some incredible action sequences.

Apocalypse is a very menacing villain and he has quite a screen presence however some of the descriptions of his powers and plans are a bit vague; is he a mutant Wi-Fi booster? Body shifter? Mover of Elements? The power to make characters more comic book accurate? Does he want to destroy the world or control everyone? This is ultimately where the film suffers most. Whether you get his plan or not it really delivers on full blown spectacle and he is very menacing character.

Thankfully the film doesn’t add spectacle at the cost of character development. Some characters get more than others mind but this film really sets up its newest mutants nicely and gives them a chance to shine as they’re testing the limits of their powers in very troubling time. This isn’t Jennifer Lawrence and the X-Men, but instead it’s an ensemble film without the plot leaning heavily on one character as many X-Men films tend to do. This helps this film feel more like an X-Men comic book than previous instalments, it feels like a team film, a team with a crazy bunch of powers which all get their shot in the limelight. It’s as if the films are leaning closer and closer to their source material and although we’re not fully there yet it does make me very excited for what we’ll see next.

I feel like this film has come about at the wrong time, I wish they would’ve waited a couple of months before releasing as I believe most general audiences might need some time away from the superhero genre after Civil War only being released under a month ago. I wouldn’t have minded them waiting either, they could have spent more time perfecting some CGI shots as some look more at home in a video game then a big budget summer blockbuster, or maybe they could have given Olivia Munn more to do as Psylocke who looked very badass but didn’t really get the chance to show off those awesome sword skills the actress has been posting online. Or even Storm, this time played by Alexandra Shipp who gets a bit more to do but not enough in my opinion!

If you’re a superhero fan but weren’t planning on going to see X-Men: Apocalypse this weekend then don’t be a fool, you’re going to have a lot of fun and get a kick out of how the franchise is now edging closer to its source material. It’s not ground-breaking in terms of what we’ve already seen from the genre but it is a different step for the franchise and you finally get to see everyone’s powers in full epic scale mixed with some great emotional characters beats and a pretty wicked score throughout. It’s not the best superhero film this year but it’s not the worst either! I’m rating the latest X-Men instalment a 3.5/5.

What did you think? Was it a hit or a disappointment? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

X-Men: Days of Future Past

I was worried about the latest X-Men film going in to the cinema. The trailers looked promising but you never know with this franchise, it's always been very hit or miss after X2. Saying that, the prequel film X-Men: First Class was my favourite film of the franchise. That's right 'was' my favourite, because X-Men: Days of Future Past just completely blew my mind and exceeded all my expectations! Read on for my spoiler free, full review of the film.

Set in a dystopian future where the mutants are being hunted down by Sentinels, the only chance they have left is to send Wolverine back to the 1970's where he can try stop the bad events of the future ever happening. The film seams together the old cast with the new in a very ambitious 'inbetwequel' of sorts to patch together the X-Men Universe into something more linear then it previously was.

The cast is huge and the main members get a good amount of time to shine, however some new additions such as Bishop are there to show off their powers rather then bring anything new to the plot. That being said it does make for some pretty cool action scenes, but more on that later. For once this film does not feel like Wolverine and the X-Men, he has a big part to play but it's not his film as it has been in the past. This film belongs to the relationship between Professor X, Magneto and Mystique which is played out so well throughout. The characterisation of all three is brilliant and I lreally enjoy the love/hate relationship between Charles and Erik, which is explored even further in this film. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence are the highlights of the film in these roles. Peter Dinklage also shines as villain Boliver Trask, he may not be getting the brilliant material he gets as Tyrion on Game of Thrones but it was a nice change to see a different kind of villain that isn't just going to end up in a big boss battle at the end of the film. I also love the fact that the actor's size is not referred to throughout, it isn't a defining trait of the character, Dinklage was just the best actor for the part.

This film has a lot of heart, a lot of the characters are in a bad place at the beginning and it's all about whether they can regain hope and compromise for the greater good of the world and mutantkind. Writer Simon Kinberg has done a brilliant job of keeping these themes throughout and the final edit of the film is a really tight piece that balances all the different characters, times and emotions perfectly. Having Bryan Singer back was a god send as he really knows how to direct these characters, you can tell he is in his element with the X-Men and I hope that the recent allegations against him are false so he can come back to do more!

Visually this film looked great and there were some awesome action sequences where we get a really cool look at some of the mutant powers in action. Because this is a bigger budget film and more technologically advanced then the previous ones, we get to see some really epic sequences that prove to be some of the best we have seen in comic book movies so far. One of the best action sequences in the film comes surprisingly from Quicksliver, how ever stupid he looks, when using his super speed on camera it is treat and turns out to be one of the highlights of the film. Days of Future Past has raised the bar high for Age of Ultron who will be using a different iteration of the character next year.

It feels different to previous comic book films and doesn't abide by all the same rules making it something more than your average superhero movie. With the inclusion of the Sentinels, this finally feels like the X-Men from the comics and make no doubt, this film is definitely for X-Men fans with many little nods to the source material placed throughout, along with its pretty faithful adaptation to the actual comic arc it's based on. Going in with no knowledge of the films that came before it may prove a bit confusing but either way it's a lot of fun. It's going to wipe the bad taste of Wolverine Origins film and X-Men: The Last Stand from your mind. I really can't find much wrong with this film!

Overall this is the best X-Men film to be released so far. In fact it's up their with the best of comic book movies. It truly is something special and I cannot wait to watch it again! I'm giving X-Men: Days of Future Past a rating of 5/5. Remember to stay after the credits for a taste of big things to come!

What did you think of Days of Future Past? Best of the X-Men franchise or another miss? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

My Most Anticipated Films of 2014

It's that time of the year where we can look to the future of films in 2014 and see which ones will be on our 'must watch' list. So before I go back and review this year, take a look at the films I am anticipating the most in 2014. And to make this list more approachable for American audiences I have not included films that came out this month in the states. If I had, Her and The Wolf of Wall Street would be at the top of my list! 

10. The Hobbit: There and Back Again (December)

Although I disliked the second outing in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, I am still cautiously optomistic about the third and final outing. It's going to be an epic spectacle with the showdown with Smaug and The Battle of Five Armies about to commence. I look forward to seeing a trailer for this one but I am still not going to get my hopes too high.

9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (November)

I was pleasantly surprised at how good Catching Fire was, which has made Mockingjay, the first part of a two part finale of The Hunger Games, go up on my list. It will be interesting to see what the first film contains after the studio have split the book into two films. As a reader of the books I know there are a lot more twists and turns in place that I cannot wait to see on the big screen. 

8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May)

Spider-Man is my favourite superhero but after 2012's disappointing first film I am being cautious about how excited I get for this one. The trailer looks awesome but they seem to have gotten rid of a lot of ideas and themes of the first film making this look like it could be just another Raimi esque film instead of taking a completely new direction. Sony have faith in the franchise now as they have just announced they are opening up the universe with spin off films for Venom and The Sinister Six, I won't know how I feel about this news until I see the latest instalment in May. Fingers crossed it doesn't disappoint. 

7. Muppets Most Wanted (March)

The Muppets reboot with Jason Segal turned out to be one of my favourite films, it was fun to watch and very, very funny. Although we are missing our human lead in the sequel I have no doubt that it will be great. I only need to leave the cinema half as happy as I did last time for this one to be great! 

6. Godzilla (May)

Any film starring Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen will have my money but if that film also happens to star Godzilla well then thats just a bonus. Wait, the film is also directed by Monsters director, Gareth Edwards? I want. I want now. This film has the potential blow your mind, just check out the trailer. This is definitely one to watch!

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April)

The Avengers made Captain America cool and now he just seems to be in his element after the new trailer for his second film came out earlier this year. It looks to be a lot of fun and no trailer has got me so excited for a new film like this one. I can't wait to see where they take Cap next!
4. Tusk (TBD)

Anything coming out of the weird and wonderful mind that is Kevin Smith's will put my bum in a cinema seat, unless of course it's a sequel to Cop Out. His latest film is based on an idea he had from one of his podcasts when he saw an advert on GumTree from a man asking for somebody to be his human walrus. Smith then turned this advert into an idea for a creepy messed up horror film that will see him re-teaming up with Micheal Parks to create a human walrus hybrid suit thing. It's going to weird but no doubt awesome.

3. Interstellar (November)

Any film from Christopher Nolan has my money. Any film starring Mathew Mcconaughey has my money. Well then Interstellar is a no brainer then because it has both! I think it's about space and black holes but who cares, it will no doubt be exceptional. 

2. X-Men: Days of Future Past (May)

With Bryan Singer back at the helm tackling the X-Mens biggest story yet, we will no doubt get excellence. Crossing over between the future and the past this could be an epic adventure that nothing can top. Oh wait, they just announced X-Men: Apocalypse for 2016!? The X-Men franchise is going to big places, I for one cannot wait!

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (August)

I want to see how Marvel handle this film because it's something a bit different to what we've seen before. It has a walking, talking, gun holding Raccoon. It could be awful but I have faith, especially with the leaked Comic Con footage from earlier this year looking very, very good. It tops my list because I can't picture how its going to look in my head but I have no doubt that Marvel wouldn't have invested in this risky project if it wasn't going to be amazing. I can't wait to see how Guardians of the Galaxy turns out!

What are you're most anticipated films for 2014? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

SDCC 2013 Thoughts #5 - Marvel Edition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SDCC 2013 Thoughts #2

So here's some more thoughts from myself on some of the news straight out of Comic Con. This time looking at news from X-Men Days of Future Past, Sherlock, Batman Arkham Origins and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

So people at the convention were treated to a surprise from the upcoming X-Men Days of Future Past. The reveal was a look at the head of a Sentinel, one of the X-Men's greatest foes that will feature in the new film. Take a look at the pictures here:

Now in the comics the Sentinels are massive, so I am hoping this is just a scaled down model of the real thing. Either way it's looking pretty cool! We were also treated to the first official photos from the film that include some pretty awesome costumes!

Now in the widely popular BBC show made its way to Comic Con but unfortunately the two main stars weren't there to answer questions, instead they pre-recorded quite a comedic video which you can check out by clicking on this link: http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/18/sherlock-comic-con-benedict-cumberbatch/

Now for some gaming new, villain Copperhead has been revealed as a villain in the new Batman game Arkham Origins. Check out the trailer below:

Although there is no more gameplay footage in this one, it still looks pretty cool. However I am still unsure as to whether this game can stand up against the two previous games. Only time will tell.

Now for some more Spider-Man news. Although the panel hasn't been yet, Marc Webb still let the world in on a few tidbits of information including the composer for the film. The composer will apparently be Hans Zimmer! The man behind the incredible Dark Knight and Man of Steel soundtracks. I for one am very happy with this news! Webb also told us that we will get a trailer in the panel although it won't show Paul Giamatti's full suited Rhino as the VFX aren't ready yet. 

 Check back in later for more of my thoughts on the latest news from SDCC!