Reviews

Daredevil season 2 (I've seen Season 1 but this is a review for season 2)

There's a new vigilante on the streets known as The Punisher, a former war veteran whose family was murdered by the mafia. Daredevil has to stop him before any more blood is shed but he won't go down without a fight. Meanwhile the shady organisation known as The Hand is back and they plan something big for New York. Charlie Cox returns as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, a blind lawyer-by-day who fights crime as a masked vigilante by night. Jon Bernthal, Élodie Yung, and Stephen Rider join the cast for this season and it's one you'll be able to binge watch all week.

Like the first season the acting is solid and the three lead characters have great chemistry together. There are impressive visuals throughout, interesting characters like the mysterious Elektra and returning characters like Wilson Fisk played yet again by Vincent D'Onofrio. There are relatable characters like Foggy and Karen and it focuses a lot on them and their ordeals adding an extra level of drama to it. They are both constantly digging for answers and always seem to get the bad end of the stick. The court scenes are great to watch as they are intriguing and tense putting their relationships to the limit.

Thirteen episodes is a too much for any show but Daredevil Season 2 manages each episode fine. It starts off slow so it can build up it's characters and it doesn't slump towards the end with its final episodes being among it's best. It's the best of the Netflix series with some great acting, dialogue and cinematography. The action scenes are extremely violent with its many brutal hallway fights, prison brawls and shootouts. There are some amazing choreographed hand to to hand fights involving Daredevil, Elektra and a lot of highly skilled ninjas. Sometimes the ninja fights can be overwhelming but most of them look really good considering being shot in mostly dark environments.

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher was a huge standout - A man who was wronged by the mob and the justice system, he decides to take the law into his own hands taking out the mob one bar at a time. Castle chooses to kill his enemies whearas Matt Murdock / Daredevil likes to give them a chance and it creates a conflict between them which really gives the show it's edge. Seeing Bernthal share scenes with Charlie Cox are some of the most enjoyable parts of the show. They put flashbacks to good use giving us more clarity as to why Matt / Daredevil is the way he is and its also a good way to give new characters like Elektra some backstory too.

Like season 1, season 2 is definitely worth watching. Give all the Netflix Marvel shows a look because there is something there for everyone. I would highly recommend The Punisher too which is even more violent.

It's been over 40 years since the multi-Oscar winning Rocky hit cinemas with the equally good Rocky II coming out shortly after however the series got a little bit silly with the fourth and fifth chapters. It wasn't until 2006 when the series was reinvigorated and brought back to its more grounded roots with Rocky Balboa which I highly recommend! The first Creed came out in 2015 earning Stallone a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination. It was a spinoff to the franchise but it still focused on plot lines from those films while also creating its own legacy. It made Michael B Jordan a star and he's certainly one of the best actors working today.

Starring Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone. Adonis and Bianca settle down and plan to get married but Ivan Drago comes back out of shadows to pit his son against Creed. Ryan Cooglar returns but only as executive producer, thankfully the tone he set with the first film still remains untouched here. First time director Steven Caple Jr does a fine job with it pushing great performances from everyone. The film looks and sounds great and he builds on the characters and develops their stories even further.

With a screenplay by Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone the writing is a little more clichéd but it feels more and more like the original franchise with nods to all of the earlier films. There are a lot of emotional scenes and some good character moments and it delves further into their past than the last film did. There is never a dull moment there is always something interesting happening that pushes the story forward. There are things that work better than the previous film but there are also a few things that drag it down like the repeated story elements. At times there's a feeling of Déjà vu as it's structured in a similar way to Rocky III - It shows him at the top of his game, then there is a mid section defeat where he has to pick himself up and he even goes to train in an isolated location.

Annoyingly Drago is still a man of few words and his son played by real life boxer Florian Munteanu is in every way the same. 30 years after losing the fight to Rocky, Drago has been cast out from society ever since. His own wife disowned him and their son and so there's a feeling of empathy for them both. The pair don't get much screen time but they still have a good story arc regardless and Dolph Lundren gives a much better performance than his last outing as Drago which was wooden by comparison. There is a lot of drama in the film and the fight sequences pack a real punch, the sound effects are so good with each punch sounding like they really hurt. Seeing Stallone and Lundgren share scenes together is every bit as intense as you would hope. There's also more chemistry between Michael B Jordan and Tessa Thompson who both give terrific performances.

The opponent from the last film was more one dimensional than the one here. With him being the son of the man who killed Apollo Creed, it makes the fight more personal and we learn a few things about him as the film progresses. Sly Stallone was great and he gets some emotional scenes often reminiscing events of his past but the film didn't really need his presence here. He just lingers around most of the time with nothing much to do but it's still good seeing him in the role of Rocky. The music score by Ludwig Göransson has some great themes to it but it doesn't quite capture the same feeling of the previous films. With hip hop tracks by artists such as Future, Meek Mill, and White Dave the soundtrack gives it a modern feel which will connect with new audiences. There is already talk of another Creed film where we see Clubber Lang (Mr T) make a return with his son, hopefully this doesn't happen because it will most likely ruin the franchise, Creed II was a great send off to the series.

Ant-Man & The Wasp Review 3/5

It's insane to think all of this started with Iron Man back in 2008 which by comparison is more grounded and realistic. Now we have a hulk, talking raccoons, gods, witches, walking trees, giant men/tiny men, giant ants, aliens, robots and wizards. But it's based off comics so all of this crazy surreal stuff is normal. The great thing about the MCU is all of these crazy characters are set within our world and they manage to make it work so well (even if some of them go overboard with the comedy).

Two years after the events of Civil War, the Sokovian Accords have made it difficult for superheroes to operate and our characters once again have to go rogue. With just three days left on his house arrest Scott Lang is approached by Hope to help bring her mother back from the quantum realm.

It's complicated to explain but if you have seen the previous film you'll know that the quantum realm is a very microscopic place she has been trapped in for thirty years. Anyway scientist Hank Pym has made his own device to extract her but he needs a final piece to finish it. They have to buy it from an arms dealer played by Walton Goggins and naturally things go awry. It becomes a chase thriller where our characters are constantly being pursued.

Ant-Man & The Wasp takes it to even more ridiculous outlandish levels. All of this shrinking/enlarging technology is quite implausible but at the same time amusing - There are giant ant assistants, Hank Pym has a collection of cars which he can enlarge to regular sized cars and their lab can shrink and turn into a pull along case.

The action scenes are so entertaining and with all the size changing mumbo jumbo it just makes them more visually engrossing. It's not as intense as Civil War or Infinity War but with its lighthearted tone and some comedic moments it's in the same league as Guardians of the Galaxy.

With various story arcs and characters the plot gets a little thin from time to time as it relies on exposition to push the story forward - "Do you guys just put the word 'quantum' in front of everything" utters Paul Rudd, and it's the self deprecating humour like this that makes all this exposition almost forgivable.

It also requires you to have seen both Ant-Man and Civil War as it references those storylines quite a lot. If you haven't already seen those films I really recommend them, I recommend all of the MCU films (except Thor The Dark World and Incredible Hulk).

Ghost is an interesting character with a good backstory, she just wants to save herself from dying but she sometimes goes to extreme measures to get what she wants. However she doesn't really get much focus because of other characters like Walton Goggins' character who is just there purely for no other reason other than to pursue our protagonists.

It's one of the least memorable of the series because it mimics a lot from the first film and requires you to be upto date with the films, it doesn't really stand well as it's own film because it gets too concerned referencing the others. But if you can see past the flaws it's a wildly entertaining chapter to the MCU franchise with some great special effects, action and humour that even pokes fun at the previous films. Oh and the de-ageing effects used to make some actors look younger look flawless.

Darkest Minds Review 2/5

Millions of children suddenly die and the survivors each gain gifts of shooting electricity from their hands, fire breathing, telekinesis, mind control and intelligence. They are all categorised by colours green, blue, orange and red and they are kept imprisoned in concentration camps. Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2, 3) and starring Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) it's based on the first of three novels. Dark Minds doesn't offer anything new to the genre, it's just another young adult sci-fi adaptation similar to films like Divergent, Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. With such an interesting premise it never reaches the levels of those films often feeling like a cheap rip off of the X-Men films.

The acting is wooden, the characters are bland and there is no chemistry between the two leads. The visual effects are okay given the small production budget but the overall film feels rushed. There isn't even a proper music score, it's just peppered with current songs in an attempt to make the scenes feel more dramatic. Also the choice of songs make it feel even more awkward than it is. Just as you think it's going to delve into gripping political territory it quickly turns into a generic love story which feels completely out of place. The dramatic scenes lack any edge and the humour is cringy and forced. The actors do serviceable jobs but they don't give enough conviction to their roles. The film would have benefited from a 15 certificate but the producers opted for a 12A and so whenever someone gets killed the camera cuts away.

Once they escape the prison camp, there isn't a sense of real danger. These characters are supposed to be on the run but they get away with a lot. They can stay at motels, drive around in the same car and go to their old neighbourhoods without being caught by even a single person (This is a world where children are outlaws). Considering there was meant to be numerous bounty hunters they only get confronted by one and she gets defeated very easy. Everything is pretty much handed to these characters for the convenience of the plot - There's a scene where they break into an abandoned shopping mall where there is conveniently enough food and clothes for them all and there is also a radio for them to listen in on frequency.

Even though the plot is about millions of children being kidnapped from their homes, it never shows the adults fighting against the system which was a missed opportunity. They are shown to just go with it being promised that their children will be cured. Whereas in reality we all know how parents would react if their children were taken to concentration camps. If they had shown the effects of this around the world with news broadcasts, derelict schools etc it would have had a more worldly gritty feel. But given the scenario, it's fairly lighthearted with only a few dark moments.

With such an ambitious storyline the production budget should have been at least $80-100 million. It's like the producers knew it was going to be a bomb and so they only invested $32 million into it. They didn't even have enough money left over for advertising that's how poorly made the film is. It's predictable and formulaic and you just know it will end on a cliffhanger leading to another film. It should have been as good as The Hunger Games but it sinks to the same level as The 5th Wave.

After an absence of several years Superman/Clark Kent (Brandon Routh) returns to Metropolis. The world has moved on, Lex Luther is plotting another plan involving Kryptonite and Lois Lane now has a kid. Everyone is curious as to where he's been the entire time, but it turns out he went back to see the remains of his home planet. One big flaw about the Superman films/comics is no one ever knows about Clark when his only disguise is a pair of glasses. And it was even more obvious when he turned back up out of nowhere the same time as Superman.

Directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men, X-Men 2) Superman Returns is a reboot/loose sequel to the 1978 original. But even though it references a little bit from that film (be it a Marlon Brando cameo or the original John Williams music score) it's less a sequel and more of a homage to that film. It's done considerably well however it's best viewed as its own film. If it was a real sequel Lois Lane and Clark Kent would be in their late 50's with it being 28 years later.

Kevin Spacey is the highlight as Lex Luther, he's over the top and sometimes hammy but he appears to be the only one enjoying himself. The other actors do good jobs but they are often bland, but in a way that's oddly a relief because there are no goofy comedic performances. Clark Kent is not the cliché clumsy nerd this time and Lois Lane isn't as whinny as she was in the other films. There's also no annoying background extras.

There are a few intense action sequences, the plane rescue being the highlight but they tend to rely on CGI that looks dated even for the time. There are so many shots where Superman is recreated using CG effects and it looks like something taken straight out of a video game. His suit has a plastic look to it, but to be honest the Superman suits have never looked great, it was only until Man of Steel (2013) when they got his suit right. The bright colours and underwear are fine for the comic but they don't translate very well on screen.

Running well over two hours, the film runs at a sometimes plodding pace and some scenes are drawn out a lot. However the film has a solid story and great performance from Kevin Spacey. The tone of the film isn't too dark drawing a fine line between its lighthearted and serious themes. The cinematography, set designs, music score and editing are all great. It's a film that deserves to be watched even if it suffers from a slow pace.

The First Purge is a prequel to the franchise showing us how the annual event started. Usually whenever these films get political they are never as clever as they think they are. The First Purge is no exception as it repeats the same old political satirical style we've already seen in the previous films and it's even goofier. With lines like "pussy grabber" it's clearly aimed at today's Trump era and it's just played for cheap laughs.

The set-up is slow and meaningless because we already know what will happen and they spend a good twenty minutes building up the story and trying to create tension. The main villain is just a political figure in a suit who gives out stupid speeches about cleaning up society and we've seen it plenty of times before.

We never feel a connection to these one dimensional characters as a lot of them are annoying clichéd stereotypes. There are some okay scenes that look good and it's unpredictable sometimes in the way it just kills off characters. But in the end it's just repeats the things from the previous films in a way where it feels tedious. Beware because there is a TV spin-off coming soon.

It's in every sense the same as the first film because it recycles some of the same story elements and action sequences. The only difference is the story is more drawn out and the action sequences are more outlandish. The characters are written like cartoon characters with a lot of them doing stupidly bizarre things throughout like the US president deciding to kill millions of people to beat the war on drugs and the villain turning people into literal ham burgers.

Barely anything makes sense and it's really silly - There is no regard for the laws of physics, there are robot dogs, Elton John does a flying kick and the gadgets are insanely over the top. But it's all of this camp silliness what makes the film so much fun. The plot feels like a jumbled mess because of the multiple subplots, twists and it's numerous character arcs. Julianne Moore was an interesting casting choice for the villain and she has some great scenes too but unfortunately she's underused here.

Golden Circle has many flaws but it's saved by its crazy action set pieces and they are a visual delight even if they sometimes retread a little bit from the first film. It's certainly one of those films you will enjoy if you appreciate dumb action films. It's ridiculous, illogical, silly fun and the action has been considerably amped up from the first film.

Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) and starring Gabrielle Union. A mother takes her two children to stay at her fathers mansion only to find there are four men sneaking around searching for $4 million. It's well made in terms of lighting, editing and camera work however it's just a basic by the numbers home invasion thriller that tends to copy from similar films.

There are a few crowd pleasing moments, but it's often predictable and some characters are boring stereotypes. There are a few minor tense moments and some well edited fight scenes. It runs at lean 88 minutes but there are some scenes that feel tacked on such as the ending which feels more like an alternate ending added just to bump up the runtime.

There are also a couple of far fetched moments which you will find yourself questioning throughout. But it's not terrible, it's a standard fare c-grade movie with a few good moments throughout. It's good to watch if you have nothing else to do.

Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, a journalist who loses his job for questioning shady CEO Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) about his unethical experiments. He eventually gets approached by a woman who wants him to bring Drake down but one of the alien subjects merges itself to him taking over his body.

The film was originally supposed to be aimed at a mature audience but the producers decided on a light 15 rating (PG-13 in US) to grab a wider audience. Though there are some dark scenes they are not as dark as they should have to been. Whenever something brutal happens the camera cuts away and it's usually in a dark environment where we can't see much.

There are a few decent chase scenes, one throughout the streets of San Francisco and another in a laboratory where Brock (Hardy) is getting to grips with his strength. The acting is fine from everyone else, nothing memorable but fine. Riz Ahmed plays the cold, sinister villain but he's a little bit dull and just appears bored throughout.

It takes a while to get going but once the venom attaches itself to Hardy it gets interesting from there. Also voicing Venom Tom Hardy is easily the best part of the film, he's good at the dramatic scenes and he's very funny when he's mentally wrestling with the alien. It does some grim stuff like chewing off the heads of its victims and mentally tormenting Brock. But once they get to understand each other there is actually some chemistry between them.

Unfortunately it rushes its climax and some character motivations feel forced for the convenience of the plot. There are a few rough edges with it suffering from a few pacing issues, dumb moments and some poor editing, but it's nonetheless a good adaptation of the character.

Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman return for the fourth and final Superman entry. Released in 1987 it's by no means a good film, it received universal hate upon release for cheap looking special effects, inconsistencies and plot holes. But over the years the film has gained cult status due to its cheesy dialogue, poor acting and far fetched plot making it enjoyable for all of the wrong reasons. It set the standard for bad superhero movies long before Batman & Robin was released.

Superman/Clark Kent still works for The Daily Planet newspaper but it has gone bankrupt and tabloid tycoon Petty White takes over. His seductive daughter becomes the new editor and takes a liking to the bumbling clumsy Clark Kent. Lois Lane gets jealous and it becomes a pointless love triangle which (like everything else) leads nowhere.

Anyway, Superman wants to rid the world of it's nuclear weapons and so every country (including Russia...) decide to help him gather all of these weapons so he can launch them into the sun. Meanwhile with the help of his annoying punk nephew, Lex Luther escapes prison and in the most far fetched plan you'll ever see, he creates his own super villain known as Nuclear Man, complete with spandex and an 80's mullet.

Logic is thrown out of the window with this one, Nuclear Man takes a human being into outer space and she survives just fine.... We know it's about an alien who can fly etc but a human in space... It's like a 3 year old wrote the script. There isn't an ounce of respect for the previous films or the comics, Superman IV feels like a spoof. The first two films had their goofy moments and they were never 100% grounded in reality but at least they made sense. This one is just a jumbled mess and it's like they made it up as they went along.

It would have been interesting to see Superman go up against these nuclear weapon obsessed countries. But instead they wanted to have multiple/unnecessary plot lines involving Lois Lane, Lex Luther and Nuclear Man all of which just ruin whatever potential the film ever had. There are a few tiny moments in the film which they could have further developed, but clearly the makers of this film were less concerned about quality and more concerned in milking this franchise for some easy money. Overall there is about 10 minutes of decent stuff in the movie, the rest is just a joke.

The film was doomed from day one, with budget cuts and numerous other production troubles making the final product laughably awful. Reeve and Kidder both did good jobs but it eventually ruined their careers. Gene Hackman clearly had the most fun, but most likely because he received a big pay cheque for his return. There were also so many scenes left on the cutting room floor and it's very noticeable, they basically released an incomplete film. It's stupid, illogical and just plain dumb.

Wealthy businessman Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) discovers the hidden talents of Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor), a mischievous computer genius who embezzles money using his computer skills. Ross decides to use him, in a way to help Webster with his plans for economic control. When the man of steel interferes, Webster wants to get rid of him. When Gus' synthetic Kryptonite fails to kill Superman, it turns him in an evil incarnation of his former self.

With returning director Richard Lester (Superman II) and comedian Richard Pryor added to the mix the film stumbles a lot with its comedic inconsistencies. If you didn't like the slapstick elements of Superman II you're in for a treat because Superman III is full of this sort of nonsense.

The opening credits scene is just a prolonged slapstick sequence of people being clumsy. There are endless gags from robotic penguins turning on fire to a blind man causing chaos, it was a silly direction to go as it makes it feel like a spoof. Another annoying example later on involves Pryor jumping off a building with Skis and a pink table cloth. It's this sort of stuff that really weigh the film down.

At the core of it all it's quite a serious storyline because it involves computer hacking and the collapse of the civilised world and on top of that Superman/Clark Kent turns bad. With him turning bad what do they do? Well aside from him not helping people, he does petty acts of vandalism like wreaking a bar, blowing out the Olympic Flame and straightening the leaning tower of pesa.

With the computer hacking storyline characters hack a satellite and turn it into some sort of weather machine. They also use computers to stop oil coming into the country and its all about a millionaire who just wants to gain more money. He's basically the same egomaniac Lex Luther was and a lot less interesting. Superman III has some good ideas but it fails a lot in it's execution.

There are a few good things to take away from it, as always Christopher Reeve does a great job as Superman and aside from some cheap green screen effects the majority of the special effects look great. Evil Superman fighting Clark Kent was a highlight and it was really intriguing to see this side of him. Richard Pryor was miscast as computer programmer Gus Gorman and all of his scenes feel forced for the sake of cheesy humour.

Superman turning bad would have made for a great story alone, but the writers chose to add other storylines and characters that feel pointless. It was so unfocused to the point where you forget about certain characters who just randomly pop up later on and you'll be like 'oh yeah there's that person as well'.

The climax was ridiculous because there was so much going on making very little sense - Superman is stunned by a Kryptonite beam and rather than move out of the way he just stays in plain view of it. One of the villains gets turned into a cyborg and there are just so many genuinely cheesy moments like Superman getting imprisoned in a plastic bubble. Overall Superman III is flawed but at the same time it's enjoyable.

The Predator Review 2/5

The film opens with a Predator being pursued by another ship. It manages to escape crash landing on earth. Our lead character played by Boyd Holbrook is a special ops assassin who bumps into the predator and salvages some of its weapons. Considering it was written and directed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Nice Guys) it's an underwhelming letdown. It's bloated cast of characters are one dimensional and dull with barely any chemistry or development. If they'd have cut some characters out it could have been a more focused film.

It mocks mental illnesses like Tourette's and Autism and just has no regard for coherent storytelling. There are some good things to take away from it like the predator design which is great as always, the visual effects are good (apart from a few which look cheap) and the action scenes are not bad. The first 40 minutes or so it's actually a decent film exploring some things we've never really seen in depth like the alien technology and where they come from but it just falls apart once its second act kicks in.

The whole third act was reported to have been re-shot entirely from scratch and I won't spoil it here but it's all over the show. The music score is generic mostly using the cues from the first film. If you've ever seen a Predator film you'll know how each scene will play out because it tries to mimic what made the original film a success, it even puts its own cringy spin on the famous lines like 'get to the choppers' and 'you're one beautiful motherfucker'.

You'd think the predator would do most of the killing but it's actually the human protagonists and they have no remorse whatsoever near enough spitting out cheesy one liners after each kill. Tonally it's inconsistent and never really knows what it wants to be - Does it want to be a horror or a cheesy homage to 80s sci-if action films? It would have been a much better film if it stuck to being a horror because there are a few scenes where it works well.

It mostly fails with the action route thanks to its clunky editing and dark lighting making it hard to see what is going on. The hard R rating feels like a desperate attempt to reach out to fans and it just feels forced with the exaggerated CG blood effects and bad language. It's an ongoing trend to revamp franchise films from the 70s and 80s and they do work if done right but where films like Blade Runner 2049 and Planet of the Apes succeed there's always a failure like Solo and The Predator. It's just sad to see such a franchise suffer especially with a talented writer and director like Shane Black.

All in all the acting is fine but it's quite a boring film with a jumbled plot and an awful lot of predictable scenes throughout. The 2010 reboot is worth a watch because it is so much better than this. It's not as long and has a better pace. I hate to say it but Alien vs Predator is more enjoyable than this.

Gerard Butler stars as an LA cop assigned to bring down a gang of bank robbers. The biggest drawback for Den of Thieves is it borrows a lot from superior heist films like Heat and The Town and from this it just feels like it's ticking boxes. If you haven't seen those films then you'll probably enjoy it more just because it's so well made in terms of lighting, editing and sound which are done considerably well. It's sun drenched cinematography also looks great giving it a bleak atmospheric look.

It is nonetheless enjoyable with a few tense moments throughout. Gerard Butler chews the scenery and does a decent job. He's a rundown weary person who goes to extreme measures to get the job done. You'll find yourself feeling some sympathy for him as he goes through a divorce as well as battling with his own inner demons.

However less can be said about the lead characters who feel like they were taken straight from a Grand Theft Auto game. We are expected to root for them but they have no regard for anyone but themselves. We never really understand their motivations and they all come across as bitter with no morals. It even tries to make them relatable as some of them are shown to have families. But since the film introduces them as reckless cop killers it just makes them very unlikeable.

Don't be fooled by the trailers because it's more of a drama thriller with barely any action scenes which is good but it just isn't engaging enough. With a running of over two hours there will be times when you get bored with it. It would have felt less cluttered of it was 90 minutes because there are scenes thrown in that feel unnecessary. In the end it's a serviceable heist thriller with some good acting, relentless shootout scenes and a decent finale but it just lacks originality and often moves at a plodding pace. If you want to watch a great heist film I'd recommend Public Enemies or Heat.

The Dark Knight Rises Review 3/5

The expectations were high for this film given that it was a direct follow up to The Dark Knight. With a great storyline, memorable characters, groundbreaking action scenes and a perfect performance by Heath Ledger it was easily one of the best comic book adaptations to date. But even that film had its flaws but not as much as this one. At the time of its release a lot of the critics received backlash and even death threats from the rabid fans. The fans were even worse than the Star Wars fans. Anyway The Dark Knight Rises is far from perfect but it does have some enjoyable moments throughout.

Eight years have past since the events of The Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne is retired living his life in isolation, The Joker is locked away and Gotham City's crime rate is at an all time low. But the masked villainous Bane and his army are lurking in the sewers and he has a plan. After hearing about Commissioner Gordon being hospitalised and encountering a mysterious cat burglar Bruce Wayne decides to come back out of retirement. It's a real crowd pleaser when he comes back as Batman but he has to go toe to toe with his toughest opponent yet. He's not as fast as he used to be however that is what gives the film it's edge, we can finally root for Bruce Wayne because he is in a vulnerable state here. Bane is sort of like a 60s Bond villain taking the city hostage threatening to blow it up if anyone leaves.

The opening plane hijack sequence is breathtaking and like the majority of the action sequences it was shot in IMAX using practical effects. From miniatures to daring stunts we see real stuntmen hang off of the dangling plane fuselage. The overall action scenes are intense accompanied by an epic music score by returning composer Hans Zimmer. Although some of them suffer from bad editing they are still enjoyable and look spectacular. It's best to watch it with surround sound speakers as the sound effects make the experience more immersive from Banes heavy breathing, the bone crunching punch ups to the extremely loud gunshots and explosions. It's the most action packed of the trilogy but it suffers from a thin plot.

Christopher Nolan does a fine job directing the film but not much can be said about his screenplay. Unfortunately it's his worst writing yet making this the most implausible chapter. It's full of so many character storylines and it just gets confusing. There are a lot of things that make little to no sense. There isn't much logic to many of the scenes, there are some obvious twists throughout and a lot of things go by unexplained. Using flashbacks it harps back to previous plot lines and characters in an attempt to make it feel more connected to those films. On top of all that it runs at nearly 3 hours which is just too long considering how half baked the plot is.

Aside from all of this Christian Bale gives his best performance as a more weary broken Bruce Wayne. Tom Hardy is really good in the role of Bane and every time he's on screen he is physically imposing, very intimidating and he has some great lines of dialogue. Michael Caine is only in it briefly but he gives an emotional nuanced performance as family butler Alfred. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Anne Hathaway both do serviceable jobs - However with such a big cast the film didn't really need them, they are just there for fan service and to be honest their story arcs are not very interesting. But that being said Hathaways cat suit has a cool realistic look to it which fits well within the continuity of the Nolan franchise. That's one thing you can give them credit for is they make these films as grounded in reality as possible. But with outlandish characters like Bane and Catwoman there are a lot of things they have to compromise like Selina Kyle/Catwomans backstory. She wasn't resurrected by cats like the comics, she is simply just a woman who is very good at sneaking about. Bane isn't a raging hulk who gets pumped on steroid juice he's just a conflicted man who has been through some bad stuff. Overall it's a thourouly enjoyable film but it's let down by lazy writing full and plot-holes.

Skyscraper Review 6/10

Dwayne Johnson plays a retired SWAT officer who now works as a security expert. He is assigned to examine the infrastructure of The Pearl, the worlds tallest most technically advanced building. But before he can finish the job it gets taken over by a bunch of terrorists who set it ablaze. He has to make his way back into the burning building to save his family and the only way he can get there is by climbing a crane and jumping off the edge of it.

The film opens with a similar opening to Cliffhanger where our lead (Johnson) fails to save someone's life. A lot of film makers try to throw us off guard with such unpredictable openings but we already know where this film will go. It's generic and serviceable but Dwayne Johnson proves once again why he is a star. He really knows how to carry a movie and he is in his comfort zone here but he's ultimately let down by a predictable, poorly written script. It tries too hard to mimic similar films like The Towering Inferno and Die Hard. If it wasn't for Johnson it would be completely unwatchable.

One good thing about it is our hero takes a beating throughout and he gets in some tricky situations with his prosthetic leg. There are some good action scenes and some of them are quite tense but somehow we always know what the outcome will be because it's been done a hundred times before. Now other than the main character there is very little character development. The villain is one dimensional and we never really understand his motivations. To an extent it's an enjoyable film with a few fun moments however it's scattered with flaws from unrealistic action scenes, some needless CGI and a thin plot.

Directed by Taika Waititi it takes place a few years after Avengers Age of Ultron. After a long hiatus away Thor returns back to Asgard only to find out step brother Loki staged his own death to rule Asgard in the form of his father Odin. Meanwhile Odin has been living his last days on Earth as a recluse. From the help of Doctor Strange Thor eventually finds him to discover he has an evil sister more powerful than himself. Naturally she wants to rule Asgard and beats Thor and Loki by casting them out to a waste planet and then singlehandedly takes out an army.

It's reminiscent of films like The Running Man and Flash Gordon. The cinematography by Javier Agurresarobe looks stunning full of bright colours and textures. It's filled so many eye popping visuals from the retro 80s look of the waste planet Sakaar down to the exciting crowd pleasing action scenes. The music score by Mark Mothersbaugh also has a cool 80s synth vibe to it and it's one you will probably want to download on iTunes. Chris Hemsworth looks to be having the most fun with the role so does Tom Hiddleston and Mark Ruffalo. None of the actors look bored and it's probably down to director Waititi's wacky energy which also shows on the film. Tessa Thompson plays Valkarie and she is also a great addition to the series complete with an interesting backstory. Writers Eric Pearson and Craig Kyle bring so many fresh ideas to the film - It doesn't just feel like a bland rehash like the last Thor film and it's full of a few surprises along the way. We finally see Thor's true potential showing him to be the most powerful Avenger even without his hammer.

There isn't many problems with it really. There are only a few minor complaints. It's very lighthearted considering its serious themes like death, defeat and the apocalypse. There are some hilarious moments throughout but sometimes they feel a little bit overblown as they can often affect the dramatic scenes. Some of the CGI looks cheap and Cate Blanchett as the villain (although great) is a little bit hammy sometimes. Overall though it's a thoroughly enjoyable film that never slows down. There is never a dull moment and the action scenes are so entertaining. The constant gags are not for everyone but they oddly work the majority of the time. And Jeff Goldlum plays the best Jeff Goldlum yet.

The MIF team once again have to go rogue because the CIA threaten to shut them down. But it's down to Ethan Hunt and his team to bring down the shady terrorist organisation known as the Syndicate who have caused death and destruction in the past.

Tom Cruise returns for the 5th entry in the series along with actors Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Jeremy Renner. Rebecca Ferguson makes her debut in the franchise and she has some great scenes from her well choreographed fight scenes to her mysterious demeanour. Jeremy Renner is underused here but he is nevertheless great in the film. Simon Pegg gets some good scenes, his story arc is one of best as he gets put in some sticky situations. He's been a true asset to the team in recent years and it shows a more dramatic side to him. Not to say he doesn't have some funny scenes because he does but they are more subtle and well suited to his character. Simon Pegg needs to be in more serious roles in the future because he's sort of type cast as a comedy actor. Sean Harris is the cold hearted villain pulling the strings. He doesn't get much screen time however he's the best villain since Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie who does an impressive job taking the franchise to more serious levels. It's a film adults will enjoy more so than the kids. It's more darker than the previous film, a lot smarter with no annoying comedic characters, has a lot less CGI and just feels like a genuine Mission Impossible film. The franchise has been going for 20 years and they have somehow managed to make each film progressively better. It's on the same level as the underrated Mission Impossible III which was a very grounded film with realistic characters and great acting but at the same time keeps the elements what made the 1996 original so great.

Much like the very first film it's focused on a compelling story and has some gripping scenes. The only problem is it runs at a slow pace sometimes because the plot isn't always engaging. Even though there are plenty of action scenes to feast on they are very minimal. It's biggest action scene is used in the opening where Tom Cruise clings onto a plane taking off (which of course he actually performed this stunt himself). The cinematography is a bit dark but there are so many memorable shots.

There are a lot of dramatic scenes throughout from an opera assassination attempt to an underwater vault heist. It has an exciting chase sequence throughout the streets of Morocco but it does a fine job mixing the action, drama and suspense which is a refreshing approach to the genre. Nowadays film studios take the easy way out with their action/comedy plots which lack drama. With Rogue Nation it's very clear that they put the plot before the action. It's intriguing and full of interesting unpredictable characters. The ending is so well done, it's clever with a lot of surprises and doesn't just throw in the standard action packed ending we usually see in these films.

Directed by Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton and Jeremy Irons. Red Sparrow is based on the novel about a ballet dancer who suffers an injury forcing her to quit. Her uncle works for the Russian secret service and decides to recruit her to seduce a man. She eventually goes to a spy training camp but not all is what it seems. Forced to give their bodies to the government they are treated like pieces of meat as they are expected to sleep with the enemy to get information. The training is brutal and there are some winch inducing scenes involving rape and graphic violence which won't sit well with many. It's definitely not a film for everyone. The trailers promised an action thriller similar to the likes of Salt and Atomic Blonde but it's more of a thriller that sometimes plods at a slow pace. With it being set in Russia everyone oddly enough speak English to appeal to a mainstream audience (who can't be bothered reading subtitles).

It requires your full attention because it gets convoluted towards the end with its many twists and turns. But because it's such a slow moving film with a derivative story, its kind of hard to stay engaged. Veteran actors Jeremy Irons and Charlotte Rampling do serviceable jobs. Jennifer Lawrence does her best as always but the Russian accent is a little bit distracting. Joel Edgerton is great but like most of the actors he's underused and there is very little chemistry between him and Lawrence. However that being said the film looks great with an intriguing music score by James Newton Howard. It has a realistic feel to it as a real life former CIA agent advised the production of the film. With its violence, torture scenes and language it's a film that takes risks. And it's refreshing to see a spy thriller that doesn't just rely on action set pieces. It suffers from a slow pace but it's worth it.

I've been a casual fan of the series for years and even though there are a few flaws in this chapter it is a personal favourite of mine now and it's turned me into a hardcore fan. When most films get past their 3rd chapter they often run out of ideas and usually make fun of themselves. Take for example franchises like Fast & Furious, Terminator, Die Hard and Death Wish. But the Mission Impossible franchise is one where they improve with each one. They are on the 6th instalment now and even though it retreads a little bit its still full of new ideas and some surprises along the way. Apart from the goofy Mission Impossible 2 this is a near perfect franchise. Tom Cruise is a very committed actor who always does the majority of his own stunts. He raises the bar here performing a HALO jump, dangling off helicopters, doing his own driving (and piloting) and running across rooftops. Also being the producer he does a great job overseeing the wellbeing of the series hiring talented writers/directors like JJ Abrams, Brad Bird and Christopher McQuarrie who have each brought their own fresh ideas to the films respectively.

McQuarrie returns as director/co-writer and he really knows how to push performances from his actors while directing some breathtaking action scenes. It's the most action packed entry but not to the point where it defies the laws of physics. Each action scene feels somewhat grounded, they are well shot and edited with some bone crunching sound effects. They don't just rely on CGI fight sequences but instead focus on old fashioned stunts and car chases that remind us of the great action films of the 80s and 90s. One of the great things about this series is the cool gadgets (something the Bond franchise has been lacking in recent years) even though the technology is crazy there is oddly a certain believability to it in the films.

It's got a big cast from returning actors Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin while introducing new comers Henry Cavil and Angela Basett. They are all given enough to do (even Simon Pegg gets some action) but Henry Cavil steals the show as the shady CIA assassin. Rebecca Ferguson is a match for Tom Cruises Ethan Hunt as mysterious MI6 agent Ilsa who can really do some damage. The characters are so well written and we never know what they are going to do next.

A few gripes about it is the writers put the action set pieces before the story. The plot isn't as focused as the previous films it's a little thin in comparison. It does get a bit convoluted and there are a few tiny plot-holes. There are some references to earlier movies and a certain character comes back who just felt shoehorned in. It is a little bit too long, they could have easily trimmed 15 minutes from it. However nitpicking aside the film works on so many levels, its well paced, it's dramatic, there's chemistry between all of the characters, it's tense, it's funny and emotional and it has the best music score of them all. It's the most enjoyable action packed entry in the series and will turn you into a hardcore fan like myself. I've seen the previous films numerous times and feel like I need to re-watch them all again now!

X-Men is packed with a talented cast of actors from Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Adapted from the popular Marvel comic and directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects) Its full of themes like tolerance and prejudice which are conveyed very well in the film. The stigma these mutants face in their daily lives are very similar to our own and we can all connect with them to some extent which is the real driving force behind the film.

Although it has some visually awesome action scenes there is a lot more to it than that. There are some great story arcs focusing on the vulnerable sides of these characters rather than just their superhuman abilities. It's also great how it deals with the political side of things. Mutants can indeed be very dangerous which the politicians are quick to judge by labelling them as weapons. Deep down they are just like everyone else - They want to fit in with society and abide by their laws.

Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are really good in their roles. They really play off of each other here. Magneto (McKellen) can control all forms of metal. He is an interesting villain as he is more of an activist who fights for mutant rights though his methods can be extreme. He is just doing what he feels is fair and it's easy to empathise with him as he is older and been through some bad things in his lifetime. Charles Xavier (Stewart) can read people's minds while also manipulating them. He has also seen his fair share over the years but he still chooses to do good by giving mutants a place to live. He is all for mutants and humans living amongst each other but Magneto sees mutants as the next stage in evolution.

Wolverine was born in the 1880's he has retractable claws and can heal at rapid rates. Played by Hugh Jackman he is a lost man who makes a living as a cage fighter until he's pushed away once more. He meets a girl called Rogue who can cause harm to whoever she touches. They are both welcomed to Xavier's school for the gifted discovering that they are not alone. There are a few nitpicks to mention that won't sit well with everyone - The ending gets a little silly as it has a lame fight scene complete with and a cheesy one liner from Halle Berry's character "do you know what happens to a toad when it's struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else"... And some of the make-up effects look dated. But forget about all that because it's full of interesting characters, a great storyline, a nice music score and some brilliant special effects. X-Men is a film you can sit through again and again.

Rocky Balboa (2006) Review 4/5

Rocky has been retired for years now and runs his own Italian restaurant. He sees a computer simulation on the TV pitting him against the current champion and decides he wants to go for one more fight. It's a little bit preachy at times and has a few too many speeches but it's a nice film which brings the series back to its roots. Sylvester Stallone gives a very committed performance and it's his best in years. He was certainly robbed of the Oscar that year. The whole film was snubbed of any recognition from the awards. It didn't even get a Golden Globe nomination.

Stallone also does a wonderful job with the screenplay and shows he still has potential as a director. Burt Young is emotional and funny as his longtime friend/brother in law Paulie stealing every scene he's in. There is a lot more effort put into this film and it really shows on screen. It's in every sense the perfect Rocky sequel. The training montage is a crowd pleaser and so is the final fight. The music score by Bill Conti is incredible (as always) and it's just well acted from everyone. It does cram in a lot of themes like age, regret, family, loss and friendship but it succeeds with a knockout.

Sicario 2 is directed by new comer Stefano Sollima with writer Taylor Sheridan returning. It deals with the smuggling of immigrants across the Mexican border as well as terrorism. Josh Brolin is a lot meaner in this and once it involves terrorism his character resorts to even more brutal tactics to achieve his goals.

The action scenes are intense and realistic. The film is really atmospheric and the performances from Brolin and Del Toro are brilliant. But towards the end it becomes convoluted and starts to fall into familiar territory. It becomes unfocused because it deals with a few plot lines which feel irrelevant to the central story. One plot line that involves a young man being groomed into smuggling could have been left out as there was no room for it in the film.

It tackles themes like immigration, terrorism and drug smuggling and though those messages do hit the mark, some of them just feel forced while others just get brushed aside. The ending is unsatisfying as it feels implausible and it wraps things up too quickly even leaving some things unresolved. There is always going to be comparison to the first film which was so good. However Sicario 2 is a great sequel that builds upon the world that film created. Full of violent dramatic moments and some interesting characters, it mostly exceeds expectations even if it has some plot inconsistencies and a daft ending.

Terminator Salvation (2009) Review

It's a prequel/reboot of the Terminator franchise starring Christian Bale as John Connor. Bale is great in the role and gives more commitment than the previous actor who played him in T3. Anton Yelchin is a perfect casting choice for the young Kyle Reese and the film would have been a lot better if it focused on his story. Sam Worthington plays a hybrid human/cyborg and he does his best to carry the film but his character isn't really that interesting.

It is a good technical achievement in terms of visual and practical effects. The cinematography has a bleak post-apocalyptic look it. It takes the franchise into exciting new directions but it's squandered by dull one dimensional characters and often lazy writing. The ending feels rushed with a poorly rendered CGI cameo of Arnold that looks like it was taken straight out of PlayStation 2 video game. It isn't terrible it's actually quite enjoyable throughout and has some nice ideas but it's just full of flaws and a few too many plot-holes.

Terminator 3 (2003) Review

Follow up to T2 several years after they prevented Judgment Day John Connor is in his mid twenties and his mother Sarah Connor has passed away. Nick Stahl replaces Edward Furlong (most likely due to his recent drug hiatus) Stahl is actually quite good in the role. He plays him as a conflicted lost person who has nightmares about the apocalypse. Arnold is back and remarkably hasn't aged a day since the twelve year gap from last film. He once again plays the good terminator but this time to protect someone else too. Now of course Arnold is brilliant in the role, he was born to play this character and he always gives it 100%. The film elevates every time he's on screen.

The villain is female but this time is a step back from the last one. The T-X played by Kristina Loken isn't as terrifying as the other villains but is still very deadly. She seems like downgrade as she has an exo-skeleton with a liquid metal exterior but thankfully she can still imitate other people. We all know that exo-skeletons can be destroyed a lot easier than the T-1000 which was purely just liquid metal. But there are a few interesting things to her in that she can manipulate machines and vehicles to wreak havoc and she also has a built in gun which looks really cool.

Director Jonathan Mostow who previously helmed the Kurt Russell thriller Breakdown does a more than average job here. It's clear he wasn't in full control with so many producers breathing down his neck telling him how to make the film. He does his best with the often silly script by John Brancato and Michael Ferris. One thing he delivers well on is the action sequences.

T3 is full of great action scenes from two chase sequences, a police hold up which goes awry and an exciting bathroom fight. However some of these action scenes are exaggerated to the max with some of them going on for far too long like the bathroom fight and the first chase sequence. There is an awful lot of CGI - One scene where the terminator has to reconnect his head would have looked a lot better had it been done with animatronics. The bathroom confrontation between the two terminators also looks very cartoonish at times. There's a nice use of practical effects in parts but it ultimately relies on some often dated looking CG animations.

The majority of the time it delivers but there are too many self deprecating moments from the often cartoon like sound effects and the constant self referential gags to the first movies. There are a few dumb character moments, some annoying characters and it's peppered with one too many cheesy one liners like "Talk to the hand" and "I like your gun". But the film redeems itself running at a brisk pace of 100 minutes it has some good character interactions, effective action scenes, great cinematography and a surprisingly sombre ending. It's not a classic like the first two but it's far from terrible.