Reviews

Homecoming was a fresh and wonderful way to kick off this new series of Spider-Man movies for the MCU but Far From Home is really inventive, incredibly funny and with wonderful charm from each actor involved. Many fans of Spider-Man might disagree but I really like this movie.

Tom Holland once again gives a wonderful performance as Spidey and we really see the inner struggles that comes from the events of Endgame in which his mentor Tony Stark was unfortunately killed. Tom plays those emotional moments so well and those scenes really show how talented of an actor he really is.

But the one who really steals the show here is Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio and Marvel's new take on the character is actually really well done. He's more realistic and funny in places, he's very deceitful and also on top of that, he's a really troubled human being with inner vengeance against Stark Industries which really mirrors the Vulture's motivation in Homecoming.

Zendaya is really cool as M.J who actually gets a bit more to do here than in previous movies and I really envy Tom Holland in actually getting to have romantic scenes with this stunning young girl. They play off each other so well which leads me to believe that they actually very good friends in real life. I know this version of M.J is nothing like how she's supposed to be and people don't really like it. But I don't mind her... fight me.

Also let's talk about that ending... everything seems to be going fine and then suddenly Peter's secret identity is revealed to the world and we also get the return of J.K Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson from those Sam Raimi movies and oh my god, it's like he's never been away, he IS Jameson to me, he always has been so I am so glad they brought him back rather than cast somebody else and I am really excited to see how Holland's third Spider-Man movie will play out. The future looks very bright for Spider-Man in more ways than one!

Avengers Endgame had a lot to live up to with Infinity War the previous year being the most successful movie of 2018 and with that shocking ending, it shouldn't have disappointed people. Thankfully it didn't.

THIS MOVIE WAS THE GREATEST THREE HOURS OF MY LIFE!

It didn't feel like a three-hour slugfest like Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, mind you, there are many elements of Return of the King in the final battle. The story was excellent and really personal and two of our beloved characters were killed off which was really heartbreaking. Both of them sacrifice themselves for their teammates. Black Widow and Tony Stark/Iron Man we have sadly lost and may never see again (The Black Widow movie will be a prequel, by the way.)

Yes, you heard right, Marvel Studios had the balls to kill off their biggest character who started it all. Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man. He dies really heroically and the whole shocking event is set really well throughout the movie. He takes the stones from Thanos's gauntlet and uses them against him by saying these awesome words: "And I... Am... Iron Man!". The same words he said at the end of his first movie!

Another stand-out of the movie is Chris Evans as Captain America. From having him fighting himself from the past, lifting Thor's hammer and getting his shield back at long last. Cap is amazing in this film. I'm going to miss Chris in that role so much. He finally got to say "Avengers Assemble!" in this movie and also got a happy ending by living his life with Peggy Carter, growing old and handing over his shield to Sam Wilson. Brilliant moment.

That final battle was amazing, seeing every character from the MCU duke it out against Thanos and his army. So many great moments like Cap lifting Mjolnir, Pepper Potts kicking ass as Rescue, Scarlet Witch taking on Thanos and Spider-Man doing his thing.

The Russo Brothers really delivered on the action, comedy, emotional weight and the scope of the film. Alan Silvestri's music really makes the movie come alive and that track that plays during Stark's funeral "The Real Hero" really makes you burst into tears, it's a beautiful piece that makes the scene flow with emotion. The only things that let movie down is Thor becoming fat and a drunken fool as well as some of the time travel elements being a bit too much but all in all this a great conclusion the Infinity Saga.

So, all that's left to do is to say goodbye to this era of the MCU and look to the future which hopefully will start up another amazing story arc as Endgame puts an end to the Infinity Saga. Let's look to the future and see how the MCU carries on being awesome. I still prefer Infinity War as that movie does so many things right but Endgame does deliver as much great fan service as that did. The MCU will continue to expand and I know we are all worried about the future but they'll keep on being badass and amazing with every movie they do.

Bryan Mills is back for the final time and this installment could have been the epic conclusion to the Taken Trilogy, but after starting off promising with an interesting new meaning to the word "taken", it falls flat on it's stupid face.

Lenore being murdered was a great idea as it takes the film's title and puts it in a new context. Bryan Mills has had his wife "taken" from him, within death. Then you get to the rest of the movie, which is really messily done, the camera angles are really odd, the fight scenes are hard to follow (The Bourne movies did it better, just saying.) but at least all the dynamics between Bryan and his daughter Kim are really nice to see.

Forrest Whittaker is introduced in this movie and he always delivers. His chemistry with Liam Neeson is fantastic. But the thing that really lets this film down is the twist reveal that it was actually Kim's step-dad now played by Dougray Scott that killed Lenore... that is completely stupid. It's like his character is so inconsistent with the character they established in the first movie, who has nothing against Bryan, but in this one, he hates him for no good reason. Messed up and stupid.

This movie was a disappointing ending to the trilogy that in the end felt rushed, messy, dull and inconsistent with the first two. Maybe just the one film was all it had to be in the end, even the rebooted TV show failed. But on the whole, Liam Neeson really makes these movies entertaining. A phenomenal actor with a really impressive and diverse range.

When Taken 2 came out back in 2012, of course I had not seen the first movie, I was very puzzled as to what it was and what it was about. It wasn't until much later when I watched all three of those movies.

This one is decent. It has some good action, an okay story and as always great acting. The plot revolves around Bryan Mills taking his family to Istanbul, unaware that the kidnappers' family and friends from the first movie are hatching a revenge plan for them. Bryan and his ex-wife Lenore are "taken" and it's up to Bryan to get her back to his daughter Kim who spends most of the movie on the run following daddy's orders as she doesn't want to get "taken" again.

This movie mainly relies on the fights. The bad guy may look menacing but he's a bit underused and there isn't really a concluding battle between Bryan and him. But there are some great themes about vengeance and evil woven in, especially in that final scene.

There's also subplots that expand on the characters a bit, like Kim finding romance in her life and Bryan meeting the boyfriend. It's built on even more in the third movie.

This sequel to Taken is just okay, it's not brilliant, but it's okay.

Ant-Man and the Wasp was great fun. Even though it came right after Infinity War which had the most devastating ending, this movie comes along and cheers everyone up! This dominated the UK box office all summer and for good reason.

Paul Rudd returns to the role as if he's never been away, Evangeline Lily returns as Hope Van Dyne and this time she gets to put on the Wasp suit, in this movie, she really kicks ass!

This movie also sees a brand new villain in the form of Ghost who is one of the most sympathetic Marvel villains I've ever seen and Lawrence Fishburne is pretty fantastic as well. Even though they don't really turn out to be the real villains in the end and Ghost gets cured at the end of the movie thanks to the Quantum Realm particles.

Speaking of which, I love Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne. It was quite weird casting to me as she's also played Catwoman as well but who am I to complain, she's such an amazing actress. Even though she barely appears in the movie, they made her addition worthwhile, with Marvel Studios showing off their de-aging effects on both her and Michael Douglas who as always is a magnificent Hank Pym.

Michael Pena returns as Luis and he's as funny as he was in the first movie and the additional side characters really sell me, especially Cassie. Her chemistry with Scott Lang is really nice to watch. The chemistry between Ant-Man and the Wasp is really good too, this really makes the movie enjoyable, it's funny, charming, warm and witty. Possibly one of the best superhero combos ever.

Overall, this is a fantastic movie and really fun to watch. It's a shame that people weren't really hyped for it just because Infinity War and Endgame. This really is a gem and it shouldn't be overshadowed as it's a really enjoyable ride, as a movie should be.

With all the characters coming together and a big bad to fight, this MCU movie has to be at the top 5 of most people's lists!

Everything that fans wanted from Marvel's movies you will get from this! This has to have one of the biggest movie casts in cinematic history. Over 30 superheroes coming together for one big story, a part one of the culmination of the entire MCU.

The ending has to be one of the most shocking endings I have ever seen in a movie. With the snap of Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet, half of the Avengers cast disappears including Spider-Man in a scene that was improvised by Tom Holland himself, now that is dedication!

There is a lot to get out of this, the pacing is good, the interaction between all the characters is superb, fantastic music and performances especially from Josh Brolin as the mad titan Thanos.

Everything in this film works and Marvel have worked a long ten years to get to this movie. That is a really long time since the first Iron Man movie and that is quite an achievement, hopefully they don't slip up anytime soon.

Batman Arkham Origins was the first Arkham game I ever played and it really was fun to play. Although story-wise it does have it's problems and the game is a bit buggy.

But Arkham Origins has brand new voice actors and is developed by a different studio (not Rocksteady). WB Montreal did a decent job in developing a Batman game and Roger Craig Smith has become one of my favourite voice actors for Batman, but Troy Baker as the Joker... ehh... he's okay but he's no Mark Hamill!

The story is pretty well paced, but a lot of the plot points are a bit rushed and they re-use way too many elements from Arkham City. Much of the story relies on plot-twists, easter eggs and foreshadowing references that kind of feel a bit predictable, especially once you find out that the Joker turns out to have been Black Mask for the entire first act of the game. That was so cheap and lazy.

But story aside, combat and predator is great fun and I've actually almost completed the game to 100% in the 5 years that I've owned the game. The DLC for the game was pretty cool, you get to play as the best assassin in the DC Universe Deathstroke and he plays pretty good, his move set feels badass and his additional skins are awesome. You also got a challenge map pack named "Initiation" which was really cool as you played as a pre-Batman Bruce Wayne which harks back to Batman Begins which details the origins of Batman in his training years. Finally you got what was easily the best DLC story-add on in the game "Cold, Cold Heart" which is a retelling of "Heart of Ice" from Batman: The Animated Series. It was so good to play through and they really nailed the character of Mr Freeze and made you care about him just like that episode did.

The music in this game is done by Christopher Drake (replacing Nick Arundel from the previous games) who has previously worked on the DC Animated movies such as Batman: Under the Red Hood from 2010 and the two-part adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. His music really makes this game for me as there are references to the music in Die Hard with the sleigh bells. This is genius as the game, just like Die Hard takes place on Christmas Eve (Cold, Cold Heart takes place a week later on New Year's Eve). The music in Arkham Origins gives you a Batman Forever and Dark Knight Trilogy vibe with dramatic over the top trumpets and cellos as well as some synthesizer elements. Everytime I free roam in the game, I always tend to listen to the different themes that play when you either explore the city or beating up Gotham scumbags, it's really fun to listen to and Drake's music really sells it as that type of music is what I think works best for Batman. Thankfully DC brought him back for the Injustice series in which he recycles some of his Batman music for both of those games as well as coming up with some new stuff. A really talented composer.

Given that this is the first Arkham game I ever owned or played, it's not my favourite and it's not the best but it's not a bad game. I really recommend it as a game to play if you like Batman, DC or just superheroes in general, you get a lot of great stuff from this game and the voice acting, graphics, music and gameplay really sells it. Story not so much but the game itself is really underrated and I've certainly had lots of fun with it.

Taika Watiti and Marvel Studios delivered a radical new formula for the character of Thor, and they gave us a fun crowd pleaser that looks and feels like a classic Marvel comic book!

This movie has great performances, particularly by Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum, as well as stunning visuals and great improvisational comedy from the actors involved.

Sometimes the humour went a bit over the top and Asgard getting destroyed was kind of tough to watch but nevertheless, this film was another one of Marvel's best movies which many Superhero films will take inspiration for years to come.

Spider-Man Homecoming was really what the fans needed... mostly.

Tom Holland is an excellent Peter Parker and Michael Keaton gave a fantastic performance as the Vulture. A great cast in this film as well as Robert Downey Jr cameoing as Tony Stark.

I really like that Spider-Man is less experienced and never faces consequences for his actions as that is something that the previous movies only touched on briefly. It really feels like these are Spidey's early years. Getting used to his abilities and the high-tech suit that Tony made for him as well as the crazy upgrades.

It has issues with some of the side characters, Zendaya playing a character with the nickname "MJ" when Mary-Jane is not in the movie was a bit of cop-out. Flash Thompson goes a bit too overboard with the name-calling but Ned Leeds is always very funny and the chemistry between him and Peter was really entertaining to watch.

It's funny, charming, quirky and great fun as a Spider-Man movie should be!

I was really looking forward to finally watching this and I then after the credits rolled, I felt let down.

I was astonished about how different from the book it was. A contemporary re-telling can work as long as you don't do it wrong. It's such a shame really.

Tom Cruise did the best with what he was given even though by this time in his life, he married Katie Holmes, became a dad and started jumping on Oprah Winfrey's couch on live TV. Although much of the characterisation of many of the other characters is a bit boring. Dakota Fanning can't stop screaming, Justin Chatwin is a typical teenager and Tom Cruise is struggling to keep his marriage together.

The ending is also lacklustre and anti-climatic. But there are many elements of HG Wells' novel that are used like the sinking of the ship (though not a battleship and not called "Thunderchild" for some reason), the red weed, the blackbirds and the Autumn leaves blowing when Tom and Dakota return home.

Also, the Martian tripods in this are not called Martians. They've been under the Earth before man... really, Spielberg?

So it pains for me to say it. This is a bad adaptation of HG Wells' classic and also one of Spielberg's weakest movies. It's become clear to me that Spielberg over the years is not as good at making movies as he once was, which makes me dread Indiana Jones 5 which still has no title and has not yet been filmed.

My only wish for War of the Worlds is that we finally get a movie adaptation of Jeff Wayne's musical version. That would be amazing.

The Enemy Within has tremendous story problems and they take risks just for the sake of taking risks.

Riddler, Harley Quinn and Mr Freeze in this have to be the WORST versions of these characters. Their voice actors get on my nerves and they are not the same as how these characters are supposed to be.

The only characters that are represented well are Amanda Waller, Catwoman and most of the all THE JOKER.

The Joker in the Telltale series is so unique and one of the most relateable versions of the character. What's really cool is the fact that you can turn him into two different versions of the character in Episodes 4 & 5, which unfortunately is ruined by the fact that the concluding battle that we've all been waiting to see as well as some of the Joker character design choices are so lacklustre.

Telltale aren't as good as making games as they once were, and their take on the Batman mythos sends me up the wrong way and is much more divisive than how the Arkham games ended.

The whole standout of Batman: The Enemy Within is the Joker and that's kind of it. The way it was building up was so exciting, it's just such a shame that we'll never get to see more of him as Telltale Games are closing for good.

First and foremost, Episode one is the strongest episode. It's sets up each of the characters very well. The music throughout the game is amazing and some of the voice-acting is just ok.

Episode 4 introduces the Joker and he has to be one of the most amazing versions of the Joker yet.

Episode 5 is action packed but the whole structure of the story feels disjointed and has less stakes than previous episodes.

Now for misgivings: Oswald Cobblepot in this is not how he's supposed to be, making Vicki Vale the main bad guy is a stupid idea, Thomas Wayne as a mob boss doesn't make sense either (If I was a mobster who was about to get gunned down in front of my family, why would I not be carrying a gun?), see Telltale, the changes you made are just for the sake of trying be creative and clever when really you are giving new fans the wrong idea about what the Batman universe is.

It's a unique and great game that unfortunately is let down by the occasionally questionable writing. This is the start of the decline of Telltale Games as a company and probably the reason why they are shutting down.

While Pixar may have been slipping up in recent years with films like the Good Dinosaur and Brave, this sequel felt so fresh and they only reused two jokes from the original film. I had a great time watching it and the family was just perfect from start to finish with Frozone along for the ride.

I loved all the moments where Bob has to look after the kids as that was so relate-able and really made you understand how parenthood works. Finding out that Jack-Jack had powers was really hilarious to watch and watching Edna Mode bond with him really took the cake.

The whole villain while really tightly woven in, was not so good. The villain was really cleverly revealed but I could see it coming a mile off. It was a bit predictable, it's something that we've seen a million times before.

But once again, this sequel was passable thanks to the really funny dynamic between the whole family we've grown to love. Was it worth the wait? I don't really know but it's hard to hate it.

My big problem with "Captain America: Civil War" is that not only does it drag in places near the beginning, but the big gripe is that it features many Avengers characters and it feels like this story should have been it's own standalone thing or just an Avengers movie. It's not really just about Captain America in this.

But on the whole, it's not the best of the trilogy but it is still a good watch towards the second and third act. I love the dynamics between all the characters (including Spider-Man, played to perfection by Tom Holland!) and I also appreciate the emotional moments towards the end when the Avengers are broken and it's two leaders are forced to fight.

A recommended watch but it's not as enjoyable as Cap's first two movies.

Ant-Man may sound ridiculous on paper as a movie project but director Peyton Reed managed to make it work and the visuals in this film are simply stunning. The way that they show the Quantum Realm, the shrinking, enlarging and even the sequences where Ant-Man is tiny are amazingly well done!

Paul Rudd is an excellent Scott Lang, Michael Douglas is Hank Pym through and through, Michael Pena steals the show as the enigmatic and lively Luis. While the villain Darren Cross isn't really anything special, Corey Stoll does his best to work with what he was given and also props to Evangeline Livy as Hope Van Dyne who is given even more character development in the sequel which I have yet to see.

Overall, it was a good film even though it's smaller scale (pun intended!) in terms of storytelling and it doesn't really kick off til after the 30 minute mark.

This is one of Marvel's best movies and one of Marvel's best characters who is very important to the Marvel mythos, the Quantum Realm will play a significant role in Avengers 4 as will Ant-Man and the Wasp.

I only watched this once, so the rewatch was pretty fresh. I agree with many people that some of the storytelling, humour, the character of Ultron and some characters' motivations are a bit off. But that's something that you can expect from Joss Whedon when he's TOO in control.

For this film, he had many guidelines for what Marvel wanted to see in this sequel and some of the decisions were OK. This movie is not as bad as people say, I quite enjoyed it the second time round.

The criticism that many people would agree on is to introduce the character of Hank Pym as a side character, have HIM create Ultron just like in the comics and the Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon, then when he turns up again in the Ant-Man movie that follows this film, he could redeem himself by handing over his Ant-Man persona to an ex-convict and helping to redeem Scott Lang in response to what Hank did with Ultron. I think that would have worked a lot better.

Overall, this isn't as bad as people say. It has great moments like Hawkeye being given more deeper character development, the introduction of Vision, the fight between Hulk and the Hulkbuster armour and the dynamic between each of the Avengers. The fact that they are starting to get on better really makes me happy and hopeful.

This film was a big surprise. These characters were very obscure to the comic book world and they were brought to life on screen by director James Gunn.

A fantastic film with only one criticism of the weak villain but thankfully he'll return for a prequel appearance in 2019's Captain Marvel, so that should flesh out the character a bit more. But in this Ronan was lacklustre.

The story is amazingly woven together, the characters are really likeable although Rocket took a bit of getting used to, amazing world building and overall just a fabulous science fiction film. One of Marvel's best.

Captain America is back and less boring and more interesting than he was in his last outings.

The Russo Brothers have worked their socks off trying to make a Captain America that's fresh and different than what we expect. This movie lays the ground for multiple stories and plotlines for Marvel to explore.

It introduces Sharon Carter (Niece of Peggy), Crossbones, Falcon and the WInter Soldier who turns out to be Bucky Barnes (gasp!)

This movie has certainly gone down to be a true fan favourite and in my opinion is the best movie in the Captain America Trilogy. And after seeing the Russo Brothers work their magic for Civil War and Infinity War, I can't wait to see what they'll do for Avengers 4!