'Avengers: Infinity War' Review

The evil Thanos (Josh Brolin) is on a path to bring destruction to the world by collecting the 6 Infinity stones. With these gems, he can wipe out half of the entire universe at the click of his fingers. Earth's mightiest heroes and many more will need to come together to save the entire world from Thanos' sick plans.

10 years and 19 films later, Marvel have continuously been raising the bar and pushing the boundaries for how franchises and cinematic universes. This culminates with Infinity War, the biggest Marvel film to date which features characters from nearly every single film within the franchise. Featuring basically every hero shown on the big screen to date, this could very easily have been a completely bloated, incoherent mess. Thankfully, it's another hit from Marvel. 

The pacing of the film is relentless - for better or worse at times - as each minute is used to further the many storylines and character set pieces as possible. Due to the focus on many different characters who are separated, the different stories come fast and furious at you with little time to catch your breath. This harms the films more emotional moments or reunions as something potentially powerful may be on the cusp of happening but is rushed and transitions into the next scene. In a film with fewer characters and stories being told, these could really have been capitalised on. Instead, they are mainly replaced for more spectacular moments. However, when the film reaches these moments, they knock them out of the park. There may not be as epic or memorable a shot or scene as in previous Avengers films or Civil War, but there are many great moments to satisfy the audience. The 2 and a half hour runtime completely fly by as there is plenty of action, great characters, humour and serious moments to satisfy. As far as big budget popcorn blockbusters go, it doesn't get much better than this. 

With an abundance of stars and characters, some do get lost in the shuffle throughout the film which may leave some fans dissatisfied. With this comes a few surprises, including a standout performance by Zoe Saldana as Gamora. Saldana is very key in the story and provides a powerful, emotional performance which is up there with the best of the franchise. Each character does have a moment to provide some fan fair, with Robert Downey Jr excelling yet again in his beloved Iron Man role. Marvel continues to do right with their villains - one of the biggest criticisms they've faced over their 10 years - as Josh Brolin's Thanos poses a great threat to our heroes. Brolin is excellent and menacing throughout the whole film, with clear established goals and reasons that make him one of the best Marvel villains to date on the big screen. Thanos brings a whole new level of stakes to the film which is showcased immediately in the film. From the start, you know exactly how big a threat he is and how Marvel isn't messing about this time around. Like never before, there are real risks to these superbeings and they are believable - until perhaps the next film - but this brings a lot of weight to the story and actions regardless. 

Epic is the only word that can really be used to describe this complete spectacle. Alongside the huge action set pieces, Alan Silvestri's score does an incredible job at maintaining the epicness of the film. From a score standpoint, Silvestri's is by far the best the MCU has ever had. A mix of past themes and new music combine tremendously well, leaving a lasting impression and one that will induce goosebumps. From triumphant action scenes and character introductions/returns to the more emotional scenes, Silvestri's score captures the feeling excellently, maintaining a high level of consistency throughout the film. 

Over the years, Marvel have been criticised for playing it safe and not taking a lot of risks. This is absolutely not the case with Infinity War which is best shown with its ending. The finale of the film is really unexpected and is something Marvel deserve high praise for as they look to expand on the superhero movie in any way they can. Not only is it bold but it is incredibly effective, leaving a satisfied feeling but one that you can't quite believe at the same time. 

Another hit for Marvel in what will surely be the highest grossing film of 2018, this is entertainment in its finest form. Fun with great action but some decent moments of seriousness sprinkled throughout, Infinity War is a fan's dream and will have you eagarly anticipating its follow up immediately after the film.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

'Captain America: Civil War' Review

If it wasn't clear that Marvel were the kings right now in the superhero genre, it most certainly is now as they extend their lead over their competitors.  It comes at no surprise that the successful Marvel franchise has only been elevated with its latest incarnation. 

The damage and lives that have been lost in the events in New York, Washington, Sokovia and now Nigeria have finally caught up with the Avengers and the government are now pressuring for the superheroes- or vigilantes- to be put in check and not have free will. A clash of opinions splits our heroes and tensions only build from there with Captain America Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) having very different views. The latest movements of Cap's old friend Bucky- also known as The Winter Soldier- have made things very tough for Rogers and Stark and has also created a new enemy in the form of the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). A combination of the two makes the rest of the heroes make a crucial decision: who's side are you on?

From the synopsis and even the poster alone, the film does seem quite overcrowded and there is a lot to get through. This has been a problem for many superhero films in the past with the characters being rushed or the film just becoming a total mess due to it- see The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as an example. The tittle having Captain America may also be an attempt to make it seem not as filled to the brim but the film features all but two of the heroes we have seen, also adding more to the mix. In saying this though, The Russo brothers were able to create a jam packed film in a very good way. With there being so many mouths to feed within the film, each hero is given a moment to stand out and fills the movie with memorable moments. This is extremely impressive as you see each side as 5 or more heroes and for each of them to have equally great moments that all have great effect is something that movies with only a few heroes struggle to do. 

Our beloved cast once again deliver with Robert Downey Jr standing out as this portrayal of Tony Stark takes a much more serious look at situations than before. A good progression of the character as he looks to put in place what he believes in, no matter who disagrees with him, not even some of his closest companions. Evans again delivers as Steve Rogers and plays the character incredibly well at this point with his brave and courageous ways. Elizabeth Olsen was fantastic as the all powerful and mysterious Scarlet Witch, just as she was when she was the most underrated part of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Paul Rudd made his first appearance with the rest of the impressive cast and he really showed his comedic talents as he hit every joke he made out of the park. Although he might of been a questionable casting at first, he has only proved himself furthermore within this film. The casting for the Marvel Cinematic Universe has proved to be very good and quite importantly consistent with all members including the likes of  Sebastian Stan, Paul Bettany and Scarlett Johansson really delivering in their roles.

The old cast aren't the ones taking the full limelight. Chadwick Boseman looks to be perfect as the Wakandan Prince and is awesome as Black Panther. One of the best looking suits we've ever seen in a superhero movie and Boseman makes sure it isn't just an impressive looking character. His boldness and fighting for what he believes in can be quite similar to the traits of Steve Rogers. We can certainly look forward to seeing more of this character with an solo film already been announced.

For me, the thing I was most looking forward to was seeing the newest addition of my most favourite superhero, Spider-Man. With there being two previous attempts, I was looking forward to the new and fresh look at Peter Parker with Tom Holland on board. It was made clear that Spidey would be younger which would be something different to both Maguire and Garfield's portrayals. What's even better is that Holland was able to be a combination of the two bringing us the best Spider-Man we've ever seen. He has the awkwardness of Peter Parker that Maguire brought us and improves on the attitude shown by Garfield where he is quick witted and has a change of attitude when in the suit. This new Spider-Man is incredibly fun to watch as he trash talks his opponents whilst dealing with them. Due to this, a solo Spider-Man movie led by Tom Holland cannot come quick enough!

As you would expect in such a high budget superhero movie, the action in this is phenomenal. From the first piece of action in Nigeria with Captain America, Falcon, Scarlet Witch and Black Widow all coming against a familiar foe, the standards are set early on. A very positive thing from this is that the action always looks to impress with a fantastic chase scene to eventually the greatest action scene in comic book movie history. I won't go into too much detail but the airport scene is one that we are going to be talking about for many decades to come. A truly fantastic scene with lots of great action, allowing the heroes to fully show their strengths, it is one that will be referenced to death.  The Russo's have brought the great action from 'The Winter Soldier' into Civil War and most importantly improves on it. The Russo's also bring some nice ways to film a lot of their action with the chase scene showcasing many different angles to get some rather impressive shots with. 

The Marvel movies have all been created with good senses of humour within them. This is carried on in Civil War and boy does it deliver. With the likes of Ant-Man being introduced with the comedy shown in his solo film and the original cast members, the humour flows easily throughout the film. Arguably two of the funniest members of the film are an unlikely pairing but bounce off each other very well but you will have to see that for yourself. Although Tony Stark is more serious this time, he simply cannot help himself at times with his one liners or by making some sort of remark. The cast have great chemistry together and this shows in the comedy as they can bounce off each other with ease.

A criticism that can be given to the film does come within its storytelling. At first there is a lot of government driven policies to put the Avengers into check. The film seems to distance itself from that as the film goes on and becomes much more about personal agendas. It builds up the government looking to do this but after an event in Vienna, it kind of loses track of this. There is also a villain on the side of the film, that does feature quite a bit. However I do feel that the story surrounding him does fall flat a little. In saying this, it does leave it up for the character to potentially return and have an even bigger effect in the future. 

Final Verdict = 

A very good inclusion to the MCU, one that will be great for multiple viewings. Great performances once again, great humour and even better action. One of the best from the MCU and most definitely worth seeing! P.S: There are 2 scenes within the credits for those wondering.

So have you seen 'Captain America: Civil War'? If so what did you think of it? I hope this review was helpful and if you do go to see it, I hope you have as good a time as I did! Once again, thank you so much for reading, it is much appreciated!

Ranking the Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies!

The 29th of April brings us 'Captain America: Civil War' and with that is the introduction of phase 3 for juggernauts Marvel. The film is my most anticipated for the whole of 2016 and I couldn't be more excited! The studio have already powered out 12 films in the first two phases that have reached critical fame and have been a huge success at the box office. There is a huge demand for the superhero genre and due to this, a schedule with 11 films set to come out by 2019. I feel that this is a good time to have a look back at the current films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and see just how good they were. So here's my list ranking the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from best to worst!

The films excluding the TV show 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D' in the MCU

To clarify, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is centred on a series of comic book films that share a fictional universe. This has been done by interacting plot points, settings, cast and characters. Although a film may feature characters from Marvel comics, it does not mean that it is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Several different studios own the rights to certain franchises that keep them away from the MCU. Due to this, the likes of the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man movies will not appear on this list.  This is also just a list for the movies so TV shows such as 'Daredevil', 'Agents of Shield' and 'Agent Carter' won't appear on this list. This list is in my personal opinion and if you disagree that is more than fine. I'd like to hear how you would rank it differently!

12. Thor: The Dark World

For me, 'Thor: The Dark World' is the worst of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film has some nice action scenes and Tom Hiddleston is wonderful as Loki but the film just has nothing to it really. The film has possibly the most forgettable story in the MCU and also in my opinion the weakest villain. The movie as a whole isn't really that memorable and doesn't stand up with the rest of the MCU. The beautiful looking set pieces doesn't cover up for the fact that 'The Dark World' is the most boring and least entertaining of the MCU.

Final Verdict = C-

11. The Incredible Hulk

'The Incredible Hulk' was the second film in the MCU but unfortunately comes in at second last in my list. The only film to have its main character have a change of actor later on in the MCU with star of 'The Incredible Hulk' Edward Norton being replaced by Mark Ruffalo later in the MCU. This incarnation of the Hulk does feature some good moments that are better than previous attempts of making a film about the big green rage machine. However some of the CGI isn't up to standard including villain The Abomination not looking that great.

Final verdict = C-

10. Thor

To me, Thor is the least interesting character in the MCU and I found that to be very clear in the solo movies that he was the main character in. I never really developed an interest in the character despite the creators best attempts. The film really is quite beautiful and Chris Hemsworth does produce a good performance as Thor. Tom Hiddleston as Loki though is fantastic and does make 'Thor' worth watching as he is magnificent. I was just unable to really feel connected or be overly intrigued about the character in the solo film.

Final Verdict = C

9. Iron Man 2

Possibly the most disappointing sequel of recent years was Iron Man 2 that really failed to live up to the standard set by the original. The combination of having Justin Hammer, as a rival weapons supplier and Whiplash as the villains was nowhere near strong or built up enough to succeed as well as the first. Robert Downey Jr again is phenomenal as Tony Stark and the introduction of Black Widow was fantastic as we finally got a great and powerful feminine hero.

Final Verdict = C

8. Iron Man 3

A slightly better addition to the Iron Man trilogy which needed picking up after the second addition. There are some great action scenes in this film and we see Stark really struggling to cope with anxiety as he becomes much more humane in this film. However there are some let downs, none bigger than the introduction of the famous Iron Man villain 'The Mandarin' which was a terrible decision to make. Iron Man 3 if done right could have been great but it really doesn't deliver to what many people expected. Still more than entertaining enough for casual viewing and worth watching if you're a fan of Downey Jr's performance as Iron Man.

Final Verdict = C+

7. Captain America: The First Avenger

I really enjoyed watching a young Steve Rogers who was always full of courage transform from a weedy and hopeful brave volunteer to become the fantastic leader during the war. Seeing the courage and smarts that he had led to one of my favourite origin stories in the MCU and brought us a character we could really root for. The villain 'Red Skull' could of been done better for sure and is probably the biggest criticism of the film. Again a great villain with the talented Hugo Weaving portraying him, the film could've been elevated to being a bigger success. I feel that this is up there as quite an underrated superhero movie.

Final Verdict = B

6. Avengers: Age of Ultron

The follow up to the smash hit that was the Avengers brought us some fantastic action and visuals. The introduction of characters such as Scarlet Witch, Vision and Ultron were very good and added to the film when others thought it would only overcrowd it. It kept the tone set by Marvel very well and was entertaining from start to finish. However a lot of the film was used to set up future films that definitely hindered the film. Also some confusing scenes in it didn't allow the film to be quite the critical success that its predecessor was.

Final Verdict = B+

5. Ant Man

At number 5 and narrowly beating AOU is the film that came out in the same year, Ant Man. Nobody thought that we would get an Ant Man film which wouldn't be completely ridiculous or that would work. However Marvel pulled it out of the bag and brought us one of the funniest films of recent years. Paul Rudd killed it as Scott Lang along with a great performance from Michael Douglas as Dr Hank Pym. Michael Pena was hilarious in this visually stunning, hilarious movie from Marvel. Ant Man showed that size doesn't matter when it comes to making an impact.

Final Verdict = B+

4. Iron Man

For many years Iron Man was the best Marvel film and it would be hard to beat. However that may not be the case now but it can't be denied that without the huge success of Iron Man, it would not of opened the door for the rest of the MCU. Perhaps the most important film on this list. One of the best origin story along with Jeff Bridges as a solid villain and great action made Iron Man a hit. The introduction of Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark would become one of the greatest castings of all time and will go down as arguably the best superhero portrayal of all time.

Final Verdict = A

3. Guardians of the Galaxy

The only film on this list that is yet to interact with any of the characters in the other MCU movies is Guardians of the Galaxy. Nobody expected this unheard of crew led by Chris Pratt to become the summer highlight of 2014. Perhaps the biggest gamble from Marvel as they took an obscure comic book and decided to put it onto the big screen. Its wonderful action and great humour made it one of the main talking points for movie fans as it was a worthwhile gamble. The funniest movie in the MCU which also has by far the best soundtrack.

Final Verdict = A

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

As a fan of the first Captain America, I was more than pleases with 'The Winter Soldier' as it surpassed the original in every way which not many sequels can say they did. This film took a new look into the superhero world with more of a spy, thriller, action movie that did change it up a little. 'The Winter Soldier' is the best standalone MCU film with its great storyline as well as once again, incredible action. The story between Captain America Steve Rogers and long lost friend and newly become 'Winter Soldier' Bucky Barnes is one of the best in the MCU and makes it a must see!

Final Verdict = A