American Sniper Review

The first film of my 2015 watchlist begins with a flashback from the past of the titular sniper himself, Chris Kyle (Cooper). Straight away there is a high sense of cliched Texan upbringing. Father teaching his son how to hunt, how to act, what not to do, how to be a man. Or rather how to be exactly like his father. Now, this is by no means a bad thing, as the way it flits back and forth between both Kyle's past with his father and his present with his wife (Sienna Miller), and his tours of post-911 Iraq, is entirely necessary. It also works to great effect to force home one of American Sniper's more valuable points, and that is the brutality of the "War on Terror", and the toll it takes on the men and women who participate in it.

Comparisons are immediatley drawn to Academy Award winning The Hurt Locker, which I am a fan of. However, where that effort was more of a series of shocking episodes only tied together by Jeremy Renner's adrenaline junkie bomb disposal engineer, the various set pieces in American Sniper gradually weave a web of connection. That connection spawns a somewhat personal mission for Kyle, where he and his overly-eager infiltration squad find themselves in the crosshairs of the insurgent's very own 'Angel of Death', named Mustafa. This benefits the film greatly as it smoothens the flow of the story and adds further depth to the stern lesson he learns from his father in an early flashback. That lesson is that the world is made up of three kinds of person, sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. Long story short, Kyle has a concept buried deep inside him by his father, that some men are selected as 'sheepdogs', and must watch over the 'sheep', by taking down the wolves that hunt them, or at least those who he deems to be wolves. This is a conundrum that Kyle is consistently faced with as a sniper watching over his squad. His job is to basically play judge, jury executioner (over the course of a few seconds). He picks off gunmen, bystanders, women, children, anyone who he judges to be smuggling and IED or weapon beneath their clothing. It's a nerve-wracking ride, when these scenes are on, and it's what made American Sniper hugely enjoyable for me.

Bradley Cooper is certainly very likeable as a person, and with previous escapades including Limitless and American Hustle, he is a very talented and entertaining one too. Prior to taking on the role of SEAL Chris Kyle, Cooper bulked himself up big time, and it shows. The Philadelphian is barely recognisable with his veteran's beard, sniper's cap, gruff Texan accent and thick neck that tells his squadmates he means business and is here to get the job done and "do his duty". This entry into his filmography does nothing to dampen my respect for him.

As I said previously, American Sniper is the first film this year I've made the effort to go and watch at the cinema, and I'm delighted I did. Brilliantly crafted, unbearably tense, and quite emotional in places. It ticks all the boxes required for an award winning war film, although it could easily be considered an anti-war project by many. It is a must-see in my book and dares to ask us, "what is the personal cost of conflict?" and "what might the resulting heroism cost a man?". Great start to 2015.

Guardians of the Galaxy Review

After two viewings in three days, here's my review for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Ok, first of all, I went into my first viewing of Marvel's latest escapade already a committed fan and very much aware of who the titular gang of misfits were. However, despite this, Guardians of the Galaxy was always going to be the biggest leap of faith Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige had taken to date. The reason being, regardless of all the so-called 'True Believers' like myself out there chomping at the bit to see this film, Marvel Studios will always have Hollywood to contend with, and Hollywood runs on the opinion and, most importantly, hard-earned money of film-goers of all shapes and sizes. The lowdown is, despite the unbridled success of Avengers Assemble in the summer of 2012, the collective crowd of non-Marvel Comics fans would take some good convincing to go and watch a team that basically includes a talking Raccoon with an unhealthy ammunitions fetish, and a walking humanoid tree with a very limited vocabulary, team up to go on a space adventure. It was always going to be 'the movie' for Marvel. The one that would make or break their Phase-by-Phase Universe-building masterplan, that Kevin Feige claims will run till at least 2028. So, did they pull it off? In the now immortal words of Rocket Raccoon, "Oh, yeeeaaaahhh".

Guardians of the Galaxy has every right to be crowned "Best Marvel Film Yet". It's hilarious, thoughtful, feel-good, good-looking, has tonnes of effortless swagger and, in some moments, heart-breaking. First up we have Peter Jason Quill, who very much likes to get the word around that he's to be known as Star-Lord. He is very much your Han Solo-type character. He travels here and there, sleeping with women he has no intentions of getting to know or staying with, he steals mysterious artifacts that he does have intentions of fencing to any interested broker, and, essentially, he has an impossibly cool ship (the Milano), which is tastefully decked out in red leather. He is, not surprisingly, immediately likeable (unfortunately not relatable). Boy would I love to be Star-Lord. See what I mean? The Han Solo of the 21st Century. He's played wonderfully by Chris Pratt, who has certainly come a long way really fast. I was always convinced he would pull effortlessly pull off Star-Lord's charisma and charm. The real challenge would be to nail those tender moments where comedy has no place and we, the audience, is meant to stop, and just feel. I tell you what, the guy's a natural. I was sold very early on, but there is a moment near the end of the film where I came to the conclusion in my mind, no one would've been able to balance all these emotions and manage to captivate fans as convincingly as Chris Pratt. Perfect casting number one.

Next up, is also the second major casting that was announced in the film's production stages. Zoe Saldana brings beauty and dangerous presence to the role of Gamora, an intergalactic assassin and adopted daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos (glimpsed in the Avengers Assemble mid-credits sting). Unlike Pratt, I needed no convincing on whether this was an inspired casting or not. Saldana showed the world she was no stranger to athleticism and knife-skills when she took to the complete motion-capture role of Neytiri in James Cameron's Avatar. The experience shows straight from her introduction, as she is sent by Kree extremist Ronan the Accuser, to intercept the aforementioned Star-Lord on the planet Xandar (still with me?). Acting as a neat way to introduce multiple characters at once, this doesn't go to plan, as a delightful double act are also hot on the heels of Pratt.

Arguably the two members of this eclectic cast with the largest Hollywood reputation find themselves on voice-over duty. In hindsight probably not a bad idea at all as these two bounty-hunters, potentially, could've been the Jar-Jar Binks combined of Marvel movies. Bradley Cooper (The Hangover Trilogy, Limitless, A-Team, Silver Linings Playbook) takes on the role of Rocket, who, let's face it, is a straight up RACCOON. To non-comic readers anyway. He absolutely kills it as the loveable rodent as we are treated to some perfectly-timed wise cracks and some serious firepower. His relationship, his bromance, with Humanoid plant Groot, showcases, in my opinion, some of the best CGI in cinema history. They really are magnificent works of art. Best of all, thanks to Groot's (very) limited dictionary, we are treated to some properly hilarious banter between the two, that I'm sure isn't a coincidence that it resembles Lassie 'talking' to her owner. Comedy gold at times.

Last but not at all least we have yet another wrestler-turned-actor in the form of former WWE star Dave Bautista (Batista) as Drax the Destroyer. Even though I already knew the intricacies of the vengeance-driven backstory of the hulking brute, overall it didn't hit as hard as say, Gamora's or Quill's. I mean, the motivation was there, but I just didn't feel it in my heart as much as I did the others. Don't get me wrong though, Bautista actually gets my vote for biggest surprise of the movie. He seriously has some of the best quotes and definitely brings the muscle and ferocity to the role. In short, he did what was required of him and, like the other four Guardians, is a welcome addition to the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Above all this, all these fantastically entertaining misfits, the one aspect of this movie that stands above the rest, is the superbly chosen soundtrack, aptly named "Awesome Mix Volume 1 by Star-Lord. Without it, the unique tone of the movie simply wouldn't exist. Right from the beginning we witness Quill prepare himself for a heist of the film's MacGuffin, by plugging in his 1980's Walkman (his only memory of Earth) and lose himself in Redbone's "Come And Get Your Love", whilst delightfully dancing through ruins akin to Raider of the Lost Ark. I myself have already downloaded it off iTunes.

In the end, the only (slight) negative point I can give to the film is the fact that the villain, Ronan, although incredibly powerful, just felt generic to me. Just another villainous fanatic who wants to bring death and destruction to the Universe. Yes, Christopher Ecclestone's Malekith, I'm looking at you. This is most definitely the only sour patch in an otherwise flawless adventure that delves in to far reaches of Cosmic Marvel, and pulls a blinder. It's both the funniest movie you'll see this year, and the coolest. It made me feel 10 years old again. There's so many other points in the film I want to rabbit on about, but the verdict's already confirmed. It was as soon as the credits rolled on my first viewing.

Verdict: 9.5/10
Guardians of the Galaxy is the best Marvel outing to date. Not to mention being a kick-ass sci-fi odyssey with buckets of humour, wit, gripping action, and heart-warming relationships. Roll on the Blu-ray!

Transformers: Age of Extinction Review

Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Ok *sharpens critical knives*, I will quickly say that I went into my showing of Michael Bay's latest desperately wanting to enjoy it, I really did. So, now that I've got that unfortunate controversy out of the way and created a nice, unbiased atmosphere we can begin.

It was shit. There were some positives sure but it was mostly awful. Firstly, I'd never have thought that a film would bore me with explosions. CONSTANT EXPLOSIONS. Sometimes I think to myself that maybe Michael Bay is on a personal crusade to somehow spawn better quality Summer Blockbusters by drowning his in a sickening amount of fake, unrealistic and unecessary eye candy. If Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is anything to go by, it's working a treat. Keep up the good work Michael! Also, every last shot I swear is taking a pervy Michael Bay-look up Nicola Peltz's impossibly short denim shorts (nicely pointed out by father Mark Wahlberg). How was X-men director Bryan Singer caught up in a sexual harassment scandal when Michael Bay consistently hires actresses for the sole purpose of just "being there". To clarify my opinion on this matter, I swear to you there was absolutely no point whatsoever in having Nicola Peltz's character in this movie. Or her pathetically cheesy "Oirish boyfriend" for that matter. I mean she's insanely hot, the guy in me sees that clearly, but that wins you zilch brownie points in the film industry Michael.

All these bad points and it's looking pretty grim for Extinction, but don't worry! We have Dinobots to look forward to! NO WE DON'T!!! Saying the Dinobots played a meaningful part in Age of Extinction is like saying Brazil played a meaningful part against Germany in the World Cup semi-final. When I went into the showing I had it in my head that Grimlock and the Dinobots held the key to me giving the movie a positive rating. My god was I let down. You what I have to ruin this part for to fully explain my meaning. You don't see the Dinobots truly until over two hours into this monstrosity. TWO. WHOLE. HOURS. Cinema goers left frustrated by Gareth Edwards' Godzilla should count their blessings. We don't even get a proper explanation as to how these Cybertronians came about. Ok, yes we do get an opening scene set 65 million years in the past, but the introduction 2 hours later is so rushed and clumsy it feels like the anti-climax of the century.

Mark Wahlberg does provide at least some respite, with his acting clearly surpassing all those around him. Some genuinely funny moments during the first act did give me some hope that the terrible regurgitated "humour" of the previous Transformer movies had been extinguished. What a fool I was. If anything it's back with a vengeance and vastly outweighs the few kick-ass moments. So many utterly pointless characters with, frankly, no development to their names. It was almost too much for me at one point.

There must be something I've missed out, umm. Ummm. Oh! I liked the intergalactic assassin Lockdown. He was badass. With allegiance to neither Autobot nor Decepticon, I had hoped for him to slay every last one of the wastes of space this diabolical mess had already thrown at me.

Verdict: 4/10
Transformers: Age of Extinction has left a bad taste in my mouth. The build-up to this film actually hade me genuinely excited at one point, I mean I love the Transformers, I grew up with them, but once again Michael Bay has obliterated film-making as an artform. Temporarily at least, as Guardians of the Galaxy and Interstellar are still to make their entrance.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Review

Ok, How to Train Your Dragon 2.

I'm not going to waste any time at all in saying this. You won't see a better animated movie in the next 10 years, and good luck in finding a better one in the past 10 too. Frozen can suck it. I can literally feel the crosshairs on my forehead as I'm typing this.

Firstly, the sheer level in detail in the animation is simply jaw-dropping on countless occasions throughout the film. The wind blowing through Hiccup's hair as he and the ever lovable Toothless share an incredible rollercoaster ride of synchronized gliding is nothing short of spectacular. It really is. Like "falling, but with bags and bags of style", I'm paraphrasing. Not just the expressions on the characters faces but the frighteningly realistic scenery that wouldn't look out of place in James Cameron's Avatar or Eden HD. The first time we re-encounter our heroes after a 5 year absence, we are treated (very appropriate word) with a vista that I have since convinced myself was actually taken from the islands of the South Indian Ocean or The mountains of New Zealand, because oh no there's no way anyone's going to tell me that was CGI, don't be silly.

There's also the small, but in my opinion essential detail that is shown wonderfully in the way the characters have actually aged. An interesting mechanic that isn't noticed in other big-hitting children's films like the Ice Age and Shrek franchises. Yes I am aware Andy aged throughout the Toy Story trilogy, but his beloved miniature companions didn't. Dragon 2 also succeeds with plenty of nice, charming, family-friendly laughs. Some brilliantly playing off the post-teenage attitudes of Hiccup's peers, "Babe, I grew facial hair for you".

And finally, you don't get to see an animated film in this day and age without striving to maintain your manliness and not shed a tear or two. How To Train Your Dragon 2 is most certainly no exception in this respect. Can't say anymore unfortunately for fear of spoilers but you won't be disappointed. Another thing, this movie had balls. It threatened to tread dark ground that is considered taboo in children's films , and it followed through in some areas. You know what? I love that ambitious nature. You know another thing? How To Train Your Dragon 2 is the best animated movie of all-time for me and you owe it to yourself to see, nay, experience it. Go ahead Frozen fans, blow my brains out.

Verdict: 10/10
Instant classic. Raises the bar for animation technology in the future. Also, Toothless, I want one.

The Wolverine Review

I suppose the best way to start with this review is to debate how relevant it is to people, especially keen followers of the X-Men lore. After 2009's X-Men Origins film, fans can be forgiven for thinking of The Wolverine as a sequel, the next step in the iconic mutant's timeline. Not so. Set some years after X-Men The Last Stand, we find Logan in Japan. Also, being set after the 3rd X-Men film, this is the true next step in the saga. So is The Wolverine essential viewing for X-Men fans, or can it just be passed up?

Well to start, many considered X-Men Origins: Wolverine to be a bit of a flop. The majority of this opinion comes from well-read comic-book fans. I, for one, can agree, mainly because Origins is the one clear weak spot in the X-Men movie timeline. Without going into too much detail (that would take years), when the original X-Men hit cinemas in 2000, it was clear Fox had no idea how far they would eventually take the mutant franchise as, with a little nit-picking, faults can be found in regards to what happened when and who met who when. This really is nit-picking though, don't get me wrong, these 'faults' don't ruin the whole experience. The same can't be said however, for the first solo outing for Logan, X-Men Origins. Coming from a reader of comics it can be quite frustrating at how obscure Origins is in the whole timeline. If you compare the largely enjoyable X2 with the latter, both Wolverine origin stories in their own right, X2 comes out head and shoulders above it's companion due to one, being a more well-constructed film, and two, it just fits like a glove when it comes to Logan's vastly complicated life, and how he ends up in Japan.

So with the anti-Origins rant over, I can get on to giving you my verdict on The Wolverine. Firstly, it has an intriguing story. If you're going to the pictures expecting an all-out action flick then you won't be disappointed as such, just don't expect it every 5 minutes. However, this is where, I believe, director James Mangold has got it right. During the film, I never got bored, and at the same time I didn't feel like I was being overwhelmed with action and endless shaky cams (trust me it's possible). I got the impression that Mangold was knew that it was important to take some time out to explore Logan's character and his inner self. All in all, I think he struck a comfortable balance. One moment Logan is enjoying 'the peaceful life' and finding himself on the edge of a tranquil Japanese lake, the next his knack for encountering trouble and unexpected brawls lands him in the middle of a spectacular fight-scene set atop the famous Bullet Train (you couldn't really have a film set in Japan without it). The Wolverine also has helpful, subtle nods towards the previous X-films, in the form of dream visions of Famke Janssen's Jean Grey. These spectral appearances also do a very good job in showing that, beneath that impenetrable adamantium shell, Logan's past and memory (or lack of it in some cases) could be the final twist of the knife.

The knife in question is his immortality. It turns out living forever isn't all it's cracked up to be. Before I go any further, this is what makes The Wolverine quite hard to review, because the story is basically one big secret. You think you know the general gist, you've seen the trailers, they want you to think it's all about Logan finally getting his wish and being released from immortality's grasp. To an extent that much is true, it's the who, when and why and how that is hidden from you. Personally, I thought it was cleverly done, and utilises the Japanese setting well, dropping an unknowing and slightly naïve Logan into a web of intrigue with the Yashida Clan, Japan's equivalent of the mob. This brings me nicely onto my next point, and you can read this both as a negative and a positive, The Wolverine doesn't feel like your average superhero movie. In fact it didn't feel like a superhero movie at all when I watched it. I don't feel like I'm criticising it when I see this as The Wolverine is a well constructed film, it just never feels the need to cram the screen with hundreds of mutants at a time, a la X-Men Origins. James Mangold never falls into this trap and the film is better for it.

So far this review's looking pretty peachy for The Wolverine yeah? Not so I'm afraid. I said the director succeeded in avoiding the 'too many mutants' trap. Unfortunately, I really do feel he copped out on the ending.  Obviously I can't go into detail why, but I personally feel it could've been dealt with in a smoother way. Mangold may have struck the right balance with his mutant-count, but sadly, for me, he does descend into the same old 'big end battle' we've come to recognise as all too familiar these days. End battle sequences aren't a bad thing per se. Take Avengers Assemble for example, a film that needed it to satisfy fanboys and general movie-goers alike. It was a massively enjoyable film all-round. With The Wolverine, a film that spent the best part of 2 hours weaving an intriguing plot involving at least 3 different parties, all set with a beautiful Japanese backdrop, to end on a battle which is essentially just 'kill all the bad guys and get the girl', it just felt out of place somewhat.

All that said though, I did enjoy The Wolverine. It provided something different (mostly) than other superhero movies do. That is partly why I rate The Dark Knight so highly. It paid just as much attention to the normal human beings and the general public in the city of choice, as it did to the title character and his nemesis. The Wolverine is a well-crafted movie, but not essential and not ground-breaking. A solid 7/10.

Comic-Con 2013: Biggest News Round-up

I'm back after a five-day hiatus. The main reason that? I was soaking up all the news and big announcements from the San Diego Comic-Con, that's what I was doing! All while struggling to keep my cool and stay in a professional mood for my next article, then I thought, to hell with it, I'm going all-out comic-book geek on this one. So as Jurassic Park-era Samuel L. Jackson would say, hold on to your butts. Amazing Spider-Man 2, Avengers 2, X-Men, Captain America, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Man of Steel sequel, The Flash, The Justice League! News on all below folks... get reading!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Ok I'm going to start with the first big reveal I, personally, heard from San Diego. That big reveal being the first real look at Jamie Foxx's take on the Spider-Man villain Max Dillon, aka Electro, and as first impressions go, I'm impressed.

Now, without wishing to tread dangerous and controversial ground here, I was sceptical when Marc Webb first announced that Electro would be his ASM2 villain and that Jamie Foxx would be playing him. The reason for this scepticism, and I can't stress enough that I am not in anyway discriminating, was that Jamie Foxx is black, and that Max Dillon is not portrayed in any of the Spider-Man comics (Amazing and Ultimate) as a black man. Despite this, I had faith in Webb, and indeed the highly respected Foxx, that Electro would be given the best treatment possible to make his big-screen debut a memorable one. The main thing that pleases me with the above image is that Foxx does indeed prove me wrong, and pays wonderful homage to the Ultimate version of Dillon (right). Take my advice, look at the image to the right. Now look at Foxx's take at the top. He really does look the part. The Amazing Spider-Man was received in a mixed fashion by comic-book fans a year ago. I actually thought it was alright, but just that, alright. It was good enough, but not enough to feel significant so soon after the end of Raimi's Tobey Maguire trilogy. Next year's reboot sequel however, seems to be showing that it's treating itself more seriously. It seems to have thrown off the shackles that come with an already-done origin story and is now going to let Spidey and Electro have a good ol' thrash about in the streets of Manhattan. Colour this critic excited.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Now to possibly the largest main cast ever assembled (no Marvel pun intended). X-Men Days of Future Past's casting department has certainly been busy, bringing back 90% of the cast from both Mathew Vaughn's First Class and the original X-trilogy. All this as well as adding four new mutants to the world of cinema. These newbies being the energy-absorbing Sebastian Shaw-like Bishop, human-solar panel Sunspot, and the controversial inclusion of the brother and sister Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. So controversial because, only days before, director of Avengers 2 Joss Whedon had announced that Pietro and Wanda Maximoff would be somehow involved in his 2015 Marvel team-up sequel.

Well, controversy aside, the important thing for us comic book fans to contemplate is that this is clearly a massive undertaking for Bryan Singer, and possibly a very risky one too. 2007's Spider-Man 3 was slated by many simply for getting way ahead of itself and including one or two too many villains in the mix. DOFP is expanding on it's predecessor's cast with over 50% more characters.

I've mentioned all this and yet, there's more. Other big X-Men news is that, after all the Pucks and the MODOKs (really?!), Peter Dinklage has been officially confirmed to be playing Bolivar Trask, creator of the futuristic Mutant-exterminating Sentinels. The Terminator-esque death machines have also been given their long-awaited unveiling in San Diego, and they seem to have taken some inspiration (not much) from I, Robot. I'm assuming that the helmet in the above image will be scaled up somewhat, as their comic counterparts are giant, lumbering leviathans. All in all though Bryan Singer's return to the X-Men timeline is certainly looking like an interesting one.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Say hello to your 80's political  sci-fi thriller folks, as Captain Rogers is taking on mercenaries, teaming up with Russian spies, and y'know, saving Washington from a brainwashed cyborg.

It's no secret that the mysterious metal man seen in the concept art and leaked set photos, marks the surprising return of James 'Bucky' Barnes, Cap's best friend during the events of World War II. No spoilers here though, as the surprise is not meant for the audience. Co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo state that Rogers will be the one shocked by the revelation. This revelation being, for non-comic book readers, that Bucky Barnes somehow survived his supposedly fatal fall off the moving Hydra train in The First Avenger, and has been given the same cryo-sleep treatment as our hero, only this time waking up in the modern world under the influence of some pretty handy (and somewhat believable) Russian brainwashing. The photo to the right is one of those aforementioned leaked set photos, and one of the first for that matter, of Bucky in his sleek Winter Soldier reincarnation. All I can say is bravo to the costume department at Marvel Studios (yet again), as they really have kept true to the famous Winter Soldier/Captain America comic story-arc with this particular get-up. Everyone may be looking towards 2015 as the year to remember for superhero films, and I couldn't agree more, but please don't let that prevent you from paying close attention to the films we have before then. Very promising stuff.

Thor: The Dark World

The other sequel to come out of Marvel's post Avengers Assemble Phase 2, is Thor: The Dark World. Seeing as this was announced quite a while ago, and has already spawned a full trailer, there wasn't much news to come from the Asgardian's second solo-outing. Nothing midgard-shattering anyway.

So what do we already know about The Dark World? Well, we know that Natalie Portman's Jane Foster will make her return and seemingly book a flight to the realm of Asgard (one-way ticket?). This arrival, judging by the editing in the trailer, is much to the dismay of Lady Sif, who clearly doesn't appreciate having her blonde heart-throb taken from her by some puny Earthling. One who can't even wield a sword! Can you believe that! We also know that the movie's villainous race, replacing the Frost Giants of Thor's debut film, will be the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim. Leading them will be the terrifying Malekith the Accursed, portrayed in the picture below by former Doctor Who actor Christopher Ecclestone.

To put in a little bit of bias into the article (just a smidgen), I will say that the Cosmic Marvel Universe is where I believe it truly shines. Kenneth Branagh's Thor was actually my favourite Marvel movie pre-Avengers era, and Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor's take on The God of Thunder is looking spectacularly Marvellous.

Oh, did I forget to mention? He has an army.


Avengers: Age of Ultron

Arguably the most surprising news to come out of the Marvel booth in Hall H was Joss Whedon arriving on stage, unexpectedly, and announcing that the official title of his massively anticipated sequel to the 3rd highest grossing film of all-time, is Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Yes after many months of speculation that Marvel's Mad Murdering Titan Thanos would certainly be the villain for The Avengers 2, Joss Whedon has raised many an eyebrow by introducing everyone to The Age of Ultron. Ultron in this case being a super-A.I. gone rogue (like genocide-level rogue). Originally created by Dr Hank Pym, who goes on to become Ant-Man, Ultron gradually developed it's own intelligence and becomes self-aware. This leads to the A.I. building itself some armour, a physical, empowering body, with a taste for human genocide. That is the general gist of it though, as I couldn't possibly detail the complete story without writing a novel. Dr Pym goes on to live his whole life in deep regret for creating his very own Frankenstein's Monster. Interestingly, Edgar Wright's eagerly-awaited Ant-Man 2015 movie is due for release in Marvel's 'Phase Three', after the events of Age of Ultron. Now at first this naturally led to fans speculating that Pym would be introduced as a scientist under the employment of S.H.I.E.L.D, where he would later become develop his molecular structure-shrinking Ant-Man suit, supposedly to make-up for his own mistakes with Ultron. This rumour has however, been swiftly put to death by Whedon, stating that neither Ant-Man nor Hank Pym would be making an appearance during the Avengers sequel.

The full statement goes, “Well, because there was a book called 'Age of Ultron' quite recently, a lot of people have assumed that is what we're doing, but that is not the case,” Whedon reportedly reveals in the interview. “We're doing our own version of the origin story for Ultron. In the origin story, there was Hank Pym, so a lot of people assumed that he will be in the mix. He's not. We're basically taking the things from the comics for the movies that we need and can use. A lot of stuff has to fall by the wayside.". "We're crafting our own version of it where his origin comes more directly from The Avengers we already know about.” Whedon reportedly continues. “It's a little bit darker than the other film because Ultron is in the house. There's a science fiction theme that wasn't there in the other one. Ultron is definitely something that evolves, so we're going to get together a couple of different iterations. Nothing can be translated exactly as it was from the comics; particularly Ultron."

Now, with the Internet being the Internet, many Marvel fans have taken to the forums to vent their disgust in this origin story re-hash. I can already see how this is going to turn out: fans not happy with new Ultron origin story "this film's going to suck", trailer released "can't wait for this, going to own 2015", and finally, "just got back from seeing Age of Ultron, best film of year". Sorry, but, that's the sad truth of some fans out there, they jump to ridiculous conclusions way too quickly. Be patient, Marvel know what they are doing, oh and by the way, these character's are their creations. So by right, they can do what they want with them.

As far as where this leaves our buddy Thanos, well this is also interesting, as Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has confirmed that he will play some part in his cosmic adventure. Joss Whedon has, despite his newly-announced title, also confirmed that the purple villain is to make himself known during The Avenger's second outing. The Mad Titan seems to be coming out on top as the mastermind of the Marvel attacks, after all, he ended up being the mysterious figure bestowing our Loki with the "Glowstick of Destiny". The Mad Titan seems to be all but confirmed to face Earth's Mightiest Heroes faces-to-purple face come The Avengers 3.


Guardians of the Galaxy

Touted as the biggest risk of Marvel's Phase 2, and pretty much unheard of amongst non-comic book readers, The so-called Guardians of the Galaxy are also unofficially known as Tomorrow's Avengers, or the Space Avengers (that last one is sure to sell it). Now I immediately have an advantage with this piece, because I have had the absolute PLEASURE of to have followed the Guardians' journey's in print. All I can say is just get on and read them! Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best titles to have been spawned from the furnace of Marvel's comic book production line in many a decade (my opinion of course). It is truly fantastic, blending action and genuinely good comedy. It takes obvious nods from the Star Wars Saga when it comes to crafting a narrative that involves cantinas filled with various races of all shapes (walking trees?) and sizes (talking, swearing Raccoons?!). Long story short, and in the wish that you people go and discover the brilliance for yourselves, I urge you to try it.

Now, as I'd really like to get this article published and for you folks to read it as soon as possible, but also really not wishing to sacrifice information quality, I am going to move on swiftly through this article and the next. However, this also gives me more time to do what I really, really want to do, and that is sell The Guardians of the Galaxy to you people who are still debating whether it'll be worth your Marvel film-time. This means, next week, I will be bringing you a full bio on each of the members of Tomorrow's Avengers and their most famous villains, and who has been cast as who in 2014 film. I can barely wait.


The Bat Returns

And finally, I bring you the last of my news round-up bulletins from the San Diego Comic-Con 2013, and it's fair to say, this is by far my favourite. Yes, the news that succeeded in turning me once again into a ten-year old kid, was the fantastic announcement from Zack Snyder himself that the Man of Steel sequel will arrive in cinemas in 2015 (alongside Age of Ultron), and will introduce the new Batman to our screens.

It was unbelievable news to comic book fans the world over as Hall H exploded with screams, cheers and applause, in utter amazement of reveal. I have to praise the way in which it was revealed too, as Zack Snyder asked Henry Lennix (who portrayed General Waller in MoS) to come onto the stage and "read something that will help you (the audience) understand".

Lennix proceeded to read, in wonderful prose, "I want you to remember, Clark. In all the years to come. In all your most private moments. I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you". A famous extract from a most famous story-arc, The Dark Knight Returns. The screams then began until Henry Cavill's Superman logo appeared, and Hall H positively trembled with crown noise as a large and re-mastered Bat-symbol loomed behind it with all the menace and presence we have come to expect and demand from the Batman. No more has been stated on the reveal. Snyder and Goyer, simply leaving the audience to simmer and soak up the sheer anticipation of such a premise. 2015 is going to be one hell of a year for superhero films I can safely say. Almost like 2012 all over again.




Thank you very much for reading this article as I really did want to give you ladies and gents a nice juicy summary of, not all the reveals obviously, but of the ones that left people thinking and discussing, waiting with bated breath. Again, please feel free to comment below and even request any news, something I misses and you want it written about? Ask me in the comments and it will be done! Also share me around. Thank you again.

New Godzilla 2013 Comic-Con Poster Impresses

This is more like it! If you're going to release a series of teasing posters and/or cryptic images to whet the appetites of fans worldwide, make sure they have a certain presence about them. That is exactly what people have been treated to recently in San Diego at Comic-Con, with the much-anticipated reboot of the Godzilla franchise, due to release sometime in 2014, revealing a monstrous poster for the world to see.

The above spread has certainly made the 10-year old inside me giddy with excitement for Gareth Edwards' monster-mash return. I suppose it's the sheer scale of the image (those choppers next to THAT TAIL!!! JUST IT'S TAIL!!!) that immediately defines what a Godzilla movie should be about. Yes we all enjoy a good, deep, and emotional drama, but if the terrific Pacific Rim made me realise anything a few days ago, it's that we really do need to occasionally throw our sensible film-critic hat to the ground, pop on our childhood nostalgia cap, and enjoy a bloody great action film. Which is exactly what Pacific Rim is, but more on that in my next blog, which will be my verdict on Guillermo Del Toro's latest.

This is a superb example of what a teaser poster should be about, showing a bit of the movie's main focus, but not too much as to spoil the surprise, and being able to inform the viewer exactly what to expect from it come the release date. Roll on 2014. I can almost hear that ever-so-iconic Godzilla scream echoing the halls of Comic-Con as I type this. Wish I was there!

Why Robin MUST be included in the Batman reboot (minor spoilers for the Dark Knight Rises)

It's 2005, and innovative British film director Christopher Nolan has succeeded in the task many despairing comic book fans thought nigh-on impossible; resurrecting the Batman franchise after Joel Schumacher had all but blown it to smithereens.

Now seeing as I feel that Schumacher's infamous 1997 Batman and Robin is nothing more than worthless, embarrassing tripe, I will swiftly wave it by and talk about the trilogy that made the 'Modern Batman' the icon he now is. Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins began 2005 as a surprising rank-outsider in the world of film, partly down to Schumacher's monstrosity of a film leaving Mr. Wayne's legacy in tatters, and partly down to Star Wars: Episode III and Darth Vader soaking up the limelight. Thankfully, the faith of the audience prevailed and Begins brought in a worldwide box office total of $370 million. This obviously kick-started a brand new franchise for the Caped Crusader and allowed the billionaire orphan a new, much needed lease of life. There is one major factor in Nolan's critically-acclaimed trilogy that many cinema-goers believed was key to it's success; the exclusion of Robin.

The character of Robin, to people who have not indulged in Batman comic books, is one with a somewhat tainted background. Non-comic readers' only lasting images and knowledge of Robin (the first Robin, Dick Grayson) is that of Burt Ward's infamously camp "holy cow" portrayal, and of Chris O'Donnell's equally camp Bat-nipple wielding sidekick. Although it has never officially been stated, this unfortunate reputation is most likely the main reason why Nolan opted not to include young Grayson in his trilogy, as it may have damaged his aim of creating a new "gritty, realistic" take on the story of Bruce Wayne. With the upcoming Justice League film though (whenever it arrives), DC films have been granted a welcome blank canvas on which to begin weaving it's fresh new universe. This of course means the inevitable reboot of the now-coveted Batman franchise, and I say it's a perfect time to give Robin a much-needed movie reboot of his own.

Now, firstly I am a reader of the Batman comics, and have seen the real take on Robin, and I am happy to proclaim myself a big fan of each of the character's aliases. With Dick Grayson being the most well-known and, more importantly, first Robin in the Bat-timeline, I feel he simply must be introduced into the new DC Cinematic Universe straight away. Also, without the 'realistic' restraint holding the new franchise back, the next director is free to bring the full, complete Batman comic book universe to the big screen. You could argue that Bruce Wayne's partner in crime-fighting did make an appearance in the Nolan trilogy, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt revealed his legal name to be 'Robin' in the closing scenes of The Dark Knight Rises. This however, does not count I'm afraid. It simply served as a way of allowing the audience to predict "what could happen next". Whoever takes on the new Bat-franchise needs to understand that Robin is definitely NOT 'some kid in pixie boots and tights', and more a modern-day ninja in his early twenties, who is exceptionally talented at detective skills and agile combat. Agility is key here; adding Robin into the mix also provides interesting and potentially more entertaining fight scenes. Where Batman attacks his foes with a clear and distinct brutal fighting-style, Dick Grayson utilises his acrobatic past with his deceased family's circus act Haly's Circus, and launches himself at criminals with devastating speed and dexterity. Viewers of the aforementioned The Dark Knight Rises caught a glimpse of what could be, when Batman and Selina Kyle engaged themselves in a brawl with a mass of highly-trained killers while atop a Gotham City apartment building. The stark contrast between the physicality of Mr Wayne's fighting-style to the slinky, flexible, striking motions of Miss Kyle, was such a refreshing moment for the trilogy, and I believed it to be one the best moments of the film; succeeding in showing us two sides of the same, damaged coin, joining forces when they are forced to.

Now comes the, issue shall we say, of Robin's colours, his bright drapes. Well firstly I would like to point you towards the recent Zack Snyder film Man of Steel. Superman has often been known as 'The Big Blue Boy Scout', and recently movie-goers don't seem to be too keen on bright colours. I fail to see a problem here, Zack Snyder has clearly shown in Man of Steel that bright blues and reds can be toned down slightly to provide a touch more '21st century' to the film industry. The same principle can be applied to Robin with his famous red and green attire. All that needs to be done, if anything, is to deepen the red and green and there you have your 'modern' Dick Grayson. Colours are not all that you can alter though, although alter is not the right word to use as changing too much of a character's costume can be a killer. Other incarnations of the Robins have had him wield blades and a staff, as well as sport a rather fetching hood (a potential winner with today's uninformed audience).

So, we've discussed the general look and background of The Boy Wonder, finally now, we come to the potential storylines and spinoffs the character can kick-start (that means more money if you happen to be reading, Warner Brothers). Another aspect of the many lives and stories of the Robins is that of Dick Grayson, and his rise to independent stardom as the other Batman prodigy Nightwing. Now Nightwing will be very unknown to non-comic book readers, this is a crying shame, as I believe that the film industry is missing out on one of the most entertaining and genuinely likeable characters to ever grace DC Comics. As Robin, Grayson was always witty and relatable alongside the brooding Dark Knight, but as Nightwing, as his own man, all grown up and matured, he is a super-vigilante in his own right. Of course this can only really happen if Robin is finally immortalised and given an impressive and well-received performance in the Batman reboot. If you ask me, the possibilities a well-done Robin creates, are almost limitless.

Quick Introduction and Taster of Things to Come (Hopefully)

First things first, welcome to The Caped Reviewer's blog ladies and gentleman! Now I've finally got round to setting this up I will aim to post reviews, previews and general big news on everything in the world of film, games and other topics that are just worth hearing about and discussing. Feel free to comment on and share my work. Publicity and feedback are very much appreciated!

Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy!

p.s. I have recently had the pleasure of watching Pacific Rim, Looper, and Django Unchained. So stay tuned in to The Caped Reviewer to catch my thoughts on the trio. Plus of course reviews on older films and classics.

Man of Steel Review

So, Man of Steel. With the astonishing success of the fantastically entertaining Avengers Assemble, as well as the series of individual films leading up to the famous team-up, Marvel Studios has understandably claimed total dominance in the genre of motion picture known as the Blockbuster. Now with the much-anticipated arrival of Man of Steel, DC Comics aims to replicate and eventually surpass their long-term rivals. Warner Brothers, with the weight of the expectation of millions of DC fans on their shoulders, had one job to do. To make us truly believe a man can fly. Have they succeeded? In a word, yes. Man of Steel is everything Superman is, triumphant, explosive, inspiring, and emotional. That last word is key here, for me, because if there is one aspect of Man of Steel that separates it from the Marvel Universe series, it is that it is emotional. You really do get a feeling that Superman, Kal-El, is a member of an extinct race, who never knew his real parents, and has the responsibility of a whole planet resting on his conscience; A planet that is quite clearly not ready for the power and sheer destruction that occurs upon the revelation of meeting Superman, and the arrival of a fellow Kryptonian, General Zod. Michael Shannon as General Zod is ruthless, tyrannical and will stop at absolutely nothing to achieve his goal (which I will not disclose for spoilers). More importantly though, he does what a great comic book villain should do; he pulls at the heart strings of us, the audience. There is no escaping the fact that, despite the genocidal path he takes to get there, Zod’s eventual destination is only to see the survival of the people he loves and the thing that matters most to him. Action-wise, there is only one thing I can say. Films such as the aforementioned Avengers Assemble and even Michael Bay’s ‘no acting skills required’ Transformers trilogy need to take a back seat. Man of Steel has, hands down, the most mind-blowing and devastating destruction and action in any film I have EVER seen, period. Honestly I was starting to wonder towards the end of the movie if there was going to be any left of Metropolis come the sure-to-happen sequel the Chitauri and Decepticons should take notes from the Kryptonians, Superman included. Henry Cavill played a PERFECT Kal-El. He was awe-inspiring, and in the heart-stopping climax, tear-jerking. Can’t say anymore for obvious reasons, but the ending to Man of Steel is sure to stick in the minds of many a movie-goer for a good few years. There’s that word again, EMOTIONAL, the word that will separate future DC films, and Justice League, from the fun but less serious Marvel films.

 

Verdict: 9/10. Did what it had to do. Epic and intense.