Avengers: Endgame - Spoiler Time

I haven't done an entire post dedicated to my spoiler-filled thoughts regarding a film before. Whenever I feel the need to discuss spoilers, I've always done a brief section at the end of my regular reviews. However, most of my opinion on Avengers: Endgame does revolve around specific details so I felt the urge to do this. So, let's get into this.

If you have not seen this film yet, I recommend you do not read this, check out my review that I wrote a few days ago. That gives my overall thoughts with little to no detail. As for this, we'll be going deep into spoiler territory. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 

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What I Liked 

I'll attempt to go in chronological order of these events in the film. The opening sequence with Hawkeye's family fading to dust was the only scene I knew was coming. I thought it was handled really well. The lack of music and somewhat slow reveal of events made this a really tense opening scene and it appropriately set the tone for what was on its way. I am glad they chose this to open the movie and didn't make it a post credit scene to follow Ant-Man and the Wasp or Captain Marvel because I think it worked well here.

In terms of the introduction to the Avengers post Infinity War, I thought it was done interestingly. At first I felt it was paced badly due to the fact that within the first fifteen minutes or so they confront Thanos and kill him. It is also revealed that he used the stones to destroy the stones. But, the fact that these occurred so early on made the rest of the film more engaging. I think everyone expected this to be about the Avengers fighting Thanos, so the fact that he's killed almost instantly made me wonder where the rest of the film was going to go. That and he's killed by Thor chopping his head off. In other words, "going for the head", which was a great joke and one of many that relies on your knowledge of previous movies.

What follows for the rest of the first act are a lot of slow scenes. Usually you'd see this in my 'What I didn't like' section but here it didn't bother me. This was because it felt justified. The characters couldn't just brush off what happened in Infinity War and the opening sequence like it was nothing, they needed time to think about where on earth they're going to end up next. Five whole years to be exact. This makes the characters feel more realised as people and I felt more connected to them in this first act more so than a lot of other movies in the franchise. Cap and Black Widow in particular. The former runs a therapy group and hears about how people are coping with losses, which strikes a chord with him as he lost the love of his life, Peggy Carter, only recently. As for the latter, she is just lost and doesn't know what her future holds. The tone felt very appropriate and despite the lack of action and excitement, I wasn't ever bored to a large extent. 

But, Ant-Man then shows up. He has spent five years in the quantum realm, but to him it has only been five hours or so. He manages to escape thanks to a rat that scurried over the control panel and started up the machine, lucky. He then searches around the somewhat empty city, finding a huge memorium dedicated to people who 'vanished'. He searches for his daughter, Cassie's, name but finds his own. He then returns to his home to find that Cassie is now a teenager and supposedly all alone. But, he also realises that the way time works in the quantum realm could be used to save their fallen friends. I liked what they did with Ant-Man in this movie, apart from some bad jokes, he was a likeable screen presence and the stuff when he's tiny is as fun as ever.  

Once the plot regarding time travel as a way to save everyone is set off, the film really starts to get entertaining. Seeing all the characters go back to various scenes from previous movies felt very rewarding because I've seen and loved all (well, most of) the movies they revisit so it felt like a nice trip down memory lane as well as being a reminder of some of the best moments this franchise has offered. Going back to the New York battle was a lot of fun and it allowed for a lot of clever jokes. The best of which revolve around Cap. The part where he whispered "Hail Hydra" into Crossbones' ear when telling him why he has the sceptre was hilarious, but what came next with him fighting himself and responding to past Cap say "I could do this all day" with "I know" was even better. It was also nice to see the return of previously forgotten characters like Alexander Pierce and the Ancient One. 

As for other moments of retrieving the stones, seeing Thor go back to Thor: The Dark World actually had me looking back on that film with fondness, so you can tell this movie did something right. They actually make fun of how stupid that film was, which is much appreciated. While some moments in this scene were played for laughs, it was still nice to see Thor's arc being explored further after Infinity War. Another moment involving getting a stone was on Morag (where Star-Lord finds the orb) and it was great to see him lip syncing to 'Come and Get Your Love' and looking like a complete idiot. This was made even better when he was knocked out in a comical fashion. 

But the stone I was most curious to see the retrieval of was the soul stone. With it requiring a sacrifice of a loved one, I didn't know how it could work. What they did was heartbreaking. Black Widow and Hawkeye, while not having any romantic chemistry, were still good characters to choose for this scenario as they have shown a sort of love for each other in previous films, especially in Civil War during the airport battle. Seeing them fight over who gets sacrificed was so intense because it always seemed as if one person was going to jump off the cliff and die but they're quickly saved and then it happens to the other. And they properly fight, even when Hawkeye jumps off, Widow saves him and then sacrifices herself. This scene alone served as an enforcement of the love they have for one another, as neither of them want the other person to die. So, it was a really powerful scene, and it was even better to hear the same piece of music that plays when Gamora is sacrificed in Infinity War. Regarding Widow's death, I hope it is permanent. They do say it can't be undone in the film, and if that is true then it is a bold move made by Marvel. My friend / fellow Marvel fan said this was a missed opportunity to have Cap meet the Red Skull, but while that would've been neat, it would've sacrificed a really powerful moment and undercut a heavily foreshadowed moment.

When the gang lose the Tesseract, they realise they have to go even further back to get another version of it. They couldn't have chosen a better time. I loved seeing Tony run into his father. Although on paper it sounds extremely bizarre, the execution of it is great. They discuss what it's like to be a father, and what Howard's hopes are for his newly born son (Tony). This created a sweet moment when Tony feels as if he has pleased his father even though he is no longer with him in the present. Cap also had an endearing moment in which he sees Peggy and realises how he missed the opportunity to live his life with her, which serves as great foreshadowing for a later scene. 

So, everyone (except Widow) gets back nice and dandy and it seems as if everything is going to be just fine. They do show the true struggle of wielding the infinity stones when Bruce, being the strongest, attempts to put it on. But, Nebula has brought Thanos to the Avengers base and informed him about the presence of all the stones. This brings me onto my point about Nebula. She was a really boring character in both Guardians movies and Infinity War (as well as aggrevating because she could've held Star-Lord back before he lost his temper!!!!). But here, she was actually interesting. She feels more like an actual person mostly due to her interaction with Tony and the other Avengers. However, it was really interesting to see that she actually had an arc. While retrieving a stone, past Thanos accesses past Nebula's memory file, which shows memories from present Nebula. This reveals to Thanos that he has the chance to get all the stones at once, as at the point in time he is from, he is hunting them down. Nebula realises that she has betrayed Thanos in helping the Avengers. She feels the need to please him. This is what prompts her to summon Thanos' ship to earth once all the stones have been gathered. But, her and past Gamora discuss what the future holds, and she realises that her relationship with her sister is more valuble than her one with Thanos. She then turns on him once again but only when it's too late. This really added some nuance to the character and I didn't feel like her presence was pointless or irritating, as I had suspected. 

But then, the film gets better. Thanos no longer feels the need to wipe out half the universe as he sees from present Nebula that the result of it is not what he was hoping. He instead plans to restart the universe, and make himself a deity of some sort. This leads to a battle with three of the original Avengers; Iron Man, Cap, and Thor. And this has all sorts of great moments. The action feels grounded and the stakes feel real which made the fight more tense, but what made me adore this sequence, was when CAP WIELDED MJOLNIR!!! We all knew he could do it after he made it twitch in Age of Ultron, and this was finally the moment we saw him use it. This was the first of many moments that the audience I saw it with actually cheered. It felt so amazing, but nothing could've prepared me for what came next...

At this point, you've kind of forgotten that they managed to bring back the fifty percent of the universe that died, so imagine my excitement when the following happened:
- Sam calls Cap and claims he's brought backup, walking out into the scene saying "on your left" to him
- Black Panther walks out of a portal onto the battlefield
- The comrades lost on Titan including Doctor Strange, the other Guardians, and Spider-Man arrive
- Valkyrie on her Pegasus and Korg show up
- Scarlet Witch arrives
- The Wasp is back and Ant-Man becomes Giant-Man
- Pepper Potts has her own Iron Man suit
- EVEN WONG SHOWS UP
- And after the most grand shot of the entire film, which shows almost every single character in the scene, Cap says with all his remaining energy, "AVENGERS... assemble"

This is the dream-like scene I briefly touched upon in my review of the film. I adored this scene. The fighting choreography is bonkers yet still easy to follow and comprehend. The character team ups are still entertaining and awesome, there are still subtle callbacks such as Wasp referring to Captain America as Cap after criticising Ant-Man for calling him that, and more tremendous fighting and battles than I could ever have imagined. This scene alone is better than the entirety of Infinity War and probably the whole of the rest of the MCU, and in my personal opinion, this is one of the most epic and spectacular scenes in cinema history. We all say the "I am you father" moment from Empire Strikes Back, or the boulder scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, or the "We don't need roads" scene from Back to the Future, or the reveal of the first dinosaur in Jurassic Park are some of the most iconic and exciting scenes in film, but I think that in a few decades time, people will look back on this one mighty scene, and realise that no matter how difficult to film or how impossible an idea may seem, it can be done. And I think that it will soon become one of the greatest scenes that cinema has ever seen, and will ever see. I don't think I can possibly praise it any higher than that. 

As if this scene didn't have enough characters in it, Captain Marvel shows up. Before I talk about the real punch of the scene, I was glad to see the latter wasn't in the film too much. We'd just seen her solo adventure and I was pleased to see it wasn't her that delivered the final blow to Thanos, and that the filmmakers left it to the originals to do the job. Probably a smart move as that would've ticked off a lot of fans, myself included.

But it somehow gets better. The man who began this entire series, as well as being the man we've followed for most of this journey, is Iron Man. He has come a long, long way since his first appearance in 2008. If there was anyone who had to give the ultimate blow, it undeniably had to be him. Thanos seemingly has all the stones in his possession and is ready to restart the universe. But, his snap does nothing. Tony managed to grab all the stones and he now wields them all. After saying his debatably most famous line, "I... am Iron Man", he snaps his fingers. All of Thanos' forces, himself included, begin to fade to dust. Last time we saw the heroes, now we see the villains. But, the snap has fatally wounded Tony. Pepper, Rhodey and Peter all go to see him. They exchange some tearful expressions, and are assured that Tony can finally rest. As they are, Tony's arc reactor goes out. He closes his eyes. He's dead. This was the death I knew had to happen, and they pulled it off in the most resonant way possible. The one we've seen the most progression of over the last decade, faces the enemy he's spent years dreading, and dies saving the ones he loves from him. You can't get more satisfying than that. This was when the tears began to make their way. Just when I thought it couldn't get much sadder, the original arc reactor is placed upon a small bush and floated out across a river. The camera then pans to essentially everyone who has ever been in this franchise, who watch and remember their fallen friend. That is another level of resonant. And then, the cherry on top, Happy tells Tony's young daughter about how much her father loved cheeseburgers, making us reminisce about the first time we saw this character, making us realise how truly big this journey has been, and making us feel rewarded for being there along the way. 

But, is that it? Not quite. The stones have to be returned to where they were taken from, so Cap sends himself back in time to do so. But, he doesn't return. Sam then sees an old gentleman sitting on a bench, overlooking the lake. He goes over and it turns out to be a 100 year old Cap. He decided to change the past so he never have sacrificed himself, and instead lived out his life. He has the original shield, and gives it to Sam, his most trusted friend. He then looks back on the life he just had, thinking about all the memories he has made, most notably, being able to live with his lifelong love, Peggy, and dance with her until the end of time. And with that, the film ends. This felt so thematically appropriate and necessary despite the few plot holes it opens up. While it isn't explicitly said that Cap dies, it is implied to an extent. I hope that this was the last thing we see of him because it ties up everything regarding this character so well, that I think calling it a day is the best call. That's the other thing. Even though I know the MCU hasn't finished, far from it, I wouldn't be annoyed if this was the final entry. It has two really solid and emotionally rich farewells, and it feels like the ultimate culmination. That said, I can't wait to see where this franchise goes next, but I strongly hope that Iron Man and Cap stay out of the picture from now on. Because part of the journey is the end, and the end has been reached for them, in such a perfect way. Stan Lee is no longer with us, but he would be proud.

Even the credits were something special. It begins with a sombre wartime song to fit the theme of Captain America, but it then shows the best moments of every single character, and honouring the cast of the original six while Alan Silvestri's thunderous score plays in the background. This felt like a celebration of the people who made this universe a reality, and I loved it. The movie also features no end credits scenes, so that would even further enforce how this could be the end of the series. But, I actually like this because it makes this feel like the end of a large chapter of the MCU, even if it isn't the end of the end. Given how terrific this film concluded, the proper end of this franchise is truly something to look forward to.

What I Didn't Like 

There was really one major problem I had with this movie. Thor. The decisions they made regarding him were questionble to say the least. He goes away from the gang for a while but he's visited by Banner and Rocket in 'New Asgard', populated by the remaining Asgardians. They run into Valkyrie and she explains how they only see Thor once a month. This all seemed hopeful at this point. I expected them to have to convince a miserable and depressed Thor to not give up the fight and that there's more to life than just drinking alcohol. After some convincing from Banner, he'd agree and follow them. Nope. That's about the opposite of what they do. Instead, they make Thor a drunk and goofy alcoholic with a huge beer belly that stays in his house to play Fortnite with Korg and Meik, and uses Stormbreaker as a bottle opener. The only resemblance of what I wanted is that Thor does act odd when Thanos is brought up. This was such a disappointment because, while it was somewhat entertaining, it didn't feel like it correlated with what they'd set up with Thor. If they had done what I wanted, then Thor's one to one battle with Thanos in the final battle would've felt so much better because we've seen Thor believe he can take down Thanos, fail doing so and have to watch half his comrades die in front of him, finally kill Thanos with no effect, lose motivation and think he's hit rock-bottom, before realising that there is still a chance, and he is still capable of saving everyone he failed to protect before. Then when he faces Thanos one to one, he achieves something. Even if he doesn't finish the fight, he still contributed and redeemed himself. But, instead, we had to watch a fat Thor plod around and constantly make jokes. You may be wondering why I have an issue with this when Thor Ragnarok has a similar version of Thor and that is my favourite MCU movie, but that doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest. That's because that film was comedic by design. Here, I wanted a more consistently serious tone with jokes and quips peppered throughout. The Thor in Infinity War was perfect because he made jokes and was entertaining alongside being serious. It was the perfect balance for the character. So, Thor being treated like a joke really didn't work for me. As he survived the movie and has supposedly teamed up with the Guardians, I am keen to see where he goes next, but I think Cap has reclaimed the spot as my favourite of the original six Avengers after what happened here. 

Because that was my only issue, and because it is an issue that is so easy to fix, you can tell how close to perfect this movie was. I may actually raise its rating if this becomes less problematic upon rewatching, which I'm sure it will, hopefully. 

Conclusion 

Wow, this may be the longest thing I've ever written. I think I put more time and effort into this than my history homework I had to do this weekend. Hopefully now you understand my thoughts on a lot of the specific details in Endgame and I hope you enjoyed reading through them. To summarise, the slow scenes in the first act were fine and justified, the time travel plot allowed for creative and heartbreaking moments, the character of Nebula is much better now, the final battle is one of the best and most magnificent things I have ever seen in a film, and the deaths they chose with Iron Man, Widow and supposedly Cap, were necessary and bold. My only issue is that the direction Thor took wasn't the best. Beyond that, I still don't know if I prefer this to Infinity War. I can safely say it's superior to the first Avengers and Age of Ultron, but I don't think I can make the comparison with the predecessor until I've rewatched this, which I will try to do once my exams have finished. Also, linking to that point, I think that it is very neat that the Endgame for the Avengers is at the same time as the Endgame for me. My final exams are less than twenty days away and they'll most likely be the biggest things I've dealt with so far, much like how this is the biggest threat the Avengers have seen. So, there are some personal reasons to my enjoyment too. So, this was everything I was hoping for, and I couldn't be any more pleased.

In case you missed it, Avengers Endgame gets a 9/10 

I don't know what film is next on the agenda, but I'm not convinced it'll compete with this.

Avengers: Endgame - Movie "Review" - Was it everything we wanted and more?

This film is a 12A, was released on April 25th 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS, I will do my very best and be as vague as possible. 

Introduction 

Is an introduction necessary? I think you've got the idea by now.

Thoughts Going In 

The week leading up to Endgame was a weird one. I'd done my very best to avoid all reviews / discussion about the film so I could go in as indifferent as possible, and on the day of release, I felt a bit anxious. I couldn't even eat my tea I was that nervous. But once I arrived in the incredibly packed cinema and realised I had three hours and one minute of new MCU material ahead of me, and that my questions about Infinity War were about to be answered, I sat back and relaxed. 

The Story 

The remaining Avengers have to find a way to save their fallen comrades. That's all you need to know. 

What I Liked 

To give credit where credit is due, the Russo brothers deserve enormous praise. This is the second time they've made a gigantic, somewhat incomprehensible film feel coherent and make sense. It's amazing how despite the grand scale of everything, it still feels easy to follow and make sense of. I think that's one of the best successes of this film, the fact that it managed to be as coherent as it was. 

As someone who has been a fan of this franchise for a fair amount of time, this film felt very rewarding. There's a concept in this plot which, when explored, allowed for many callbacks and references to previous entries into the franchise. I won't go into much more detail than that but it felt like a reward to see all these things be mentioned and it reminded me of just how fantastic this series is. That and many of them allowed for some great jokes.

The cinematography and special effects are stunning. I don't watch these films and think "wow that's some stunning CGI" anymore because it's so realistic and the world is so well realised that you just accept it as real and you admire it and it allows for you to be more invested in the film. That kind of goes without saying at this point but what I also appreciated was the cinematography. It captures the enormous scale and makes the whole environment feel huge. Despite the fact I saw this on a fairly big screen, I wish I could've seen it in IMAX. That would've allowed for a much more interesting and exhilarating experience.

But, the very best thing about this film, is the emotions. I was holding back tears towards the end. The film took bold risks and the pay off to some of them felt unbelievably satisfying. It is really difficult to talk about this without going into spoilers, so I'll have to expand another time. 

The last thing I'll mention, is that this film contains what I think is one of the best scenes I have ever seen in a film in my entire life. I can't say a thing about it, but it was so phenomenal and glorious, it's almost like my wildest dreams had become a reality. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it, because it's the thing we've all dreamt of. 

What I Didn't Like 

I have few criticisms with this film. My biggest issue is that even though I praised some of the humour earlier, there were sadly a lot of jokes that didn't land. This is a shame because Infinity War got the perfect balance of seriousness and humour, and while this film does get it right for most of the time, there were a lot of jokes that were either played out for too long, or weren't funny. This resulted in a somewhat mixed bag in terms of comedy and tone.

I wasn't fond of certain decisions regarding certain characters, one in particular. I won't elaborate here but I just didn't think that the direction they took this character was the right one. 

As much as these things may seem problematic, they're things I think I can look past and things that I'm sure won't be as bad upon rewatching. I say this because I had similar issues when I first saw Thor Ragnarok, and that has grown to be my favourite MCU ever, so I think the same thing will be applied to this film, hopefully. 

Conclusion 

Wow. I am in both shock and awe right now. They have done it again. Avengers: Endgame is more than just a film. It's a reward, a tribute, an experience, a journey, a thrill-ride, and an unbelievably spectacular film. This was beyond what I could've imagined. I am beyond relief that this film is as great as I was hoping. It is just magnificent. The question that now remains is, is it better than Infinity War and where does it rank among other Marvel movies. Well those are comparisons that I don't feel prepared to make yet as I've only seen this once and my opinion on it is most likely skewed by that one scene I mentioned. So, I will see it again after my exams are over (I'm sure it'll still be around by then) and after that will I make comparisons as well as be fully sure of my opinion. But as for now...

I'm going to give Avengers: Endgame a 9/10 

If you think this review was very shallow, which I know it is, I'll shortly do a spoiler review and be much more in-depth and clear there. Only read it once you've seen the movie though, because as much as you may not care, I don't want to ruin this for you.   

All 21 MCU Movies Ranked

To quote Doctor Strange, "We're in the End Game now..."

Well Avengers: Endgame is in fact out and I have seen it, but before I share my thoughts, I thought it'd be fun to go through every single addition to this franchise and rank them from the worst, to the very best. I have seen every entry since becoming a fan around June 2015, and these films have been one of my primary sources of exciting and fun entertainment since then. 

I should begin by saying that the worst rating I'd give any of these films of a 5/10, so I don't think any of them are bad. The worst they get is just bland. The best rating I've given to one of these films is a 9/10, with one that almost got a 10/10, but didn't quite. Also on ratings, they don't necessarily impact the order here, so don't be shocked if, for example, a film with a 7/10 can be above an 8/10. I also should say that even though I have seen every single one, some more than others, so if I'm vague about a film then I probably haven't seen it many times. Also, don't expect in depth thoughts here, these will be more like what you see in the conclusions of my regular film reviews. SO, let's get started!

Also, try to keep count of every time I say MCU, because it's a lot. 

21. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It's kind of annoying that this film is part of this franchise because it's so inessential. The action is fine and there are some good moments, but I really have a hard time remembering anything noteworthy about this film. Edward Norton does a fine job as Bruce Banner but he's no Mark Ruffalo for sure. So, definitely not a big fan of this one and I really think this could be removed from MCU canon and it wouldn't make a slight difference. 

Rating: 5/10

20. Thor (2011)

Another really bland movie. I can't remember much of what happened in this film but what saves it are some scenes. The whole fish-out-of-water trope being applied to Thor had some good moments but the Thor we see in this film and really the majority of this franchise is too bland and serious for my liking. Tom Hiddleston is fantastic as Loki and Natalie Portman also does a good job as Jane, one of the more interesting MCU love interests. But on the whole, this is really just okay at best. 

Rating: 6/10

19. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

I haven't seen this one in ages, almost 2/3 years but from what I remember, it was alright. I like the World War aesthetic and I think it is most appropriate for Captain America. The general problem with this and a lot of these phase 1 movies is that Marvel weren't really settled on a particular tone and were generally warming up, so they all lack a lot compared to more recent entries. I can't remember much else from this movie, but it's higher than films like Thor because without this film, we wouldn't have two of the best films in the MCU. So I appreciate it more. 

Rating: 6/10

18. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

I think this is much better than the original Thor simply because the events, while essentially inconsequential in the grand scheme of this franchise, were a bit more exciting. That's not to say it's much better because it's still bland and boring Thor and the villain is very weak and unmemorable, but it passed the time better than its predecessor. 

Rating: 6/10

17. Iron Man 3 (2013)

The biggest issue with Iron Man 3 is that there really isn't enough of the titular character. There's plenty of Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr is as good as ever but I really think this film is lacking the right amount of Iron Man himself. Beyond that, this is a pretty standard movie, a bit bland and not an awful lot of great things in it. It does get better during the climax as you finally see some actual Iron Man, but that doesn't make up for what's really just a middle-of-the-road entry into this franchise, but an improvement from a lot of the offerings from phase 1.

Rating: 6/10

16. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man 2 also isn't adding much to the MCU and doesn't have an interesting villain or story, but there are some things that make me like it a bit more than other films in the series. The characters introduced are good, Don Cheadle is a much better Rhodey and Scarlett Johansson, while slightly bland in this film, is still perfectly fit as Black Widow. There are also some interesting set pieces and a few action scenes that I can remember, so it definitely isn't a great movie, but I had enough fun while it was on. 

Rating: 7/10

15. Captain Marvel (2019)

I've written a review of this so you can see that if you'd like to hear my thoughts. But, in summary, this is an adequate Marvel movie that does have weak storytelling, an unremarkable style and a slow first half, but the lead performance, the music, Goose the cat, and some of the action make this a perfectly fine and enjoyable watch.
Rating: 7/10

14. Iron Man (2008)

Despite the fact that a lot of people think this is one of the best in the whole of the MCU, I disagree. It is by far the best of the solo movies in phase 1 and has a great lead performance, but I feel like it's just a bit standard when you put it up against some of the more recent films. Despite that, I do really like this film and I have massive appreciation for it because this was the film that kick started this entire franchise, so I have to respect it for the effect it had. That and it's a really entertaining and engaging movie. 

Rating: 8/10

13. Black Panther (2018)

Ah, this is the ranking that most will probably disagree with. Don't take this as me being against Black Panther or not a fan of it at all. I really like this film, the great action, excellent performance by Michael B Jordan as Killmonger, interesting themes and nice sounding score make it a great film. The reason why it is so low is because there are simply more films that I like more than this, and also because this feels the least like a Marvel movie out of the recent ones. There isn't enough of the quippy charm or charisma from the lead in this film and it makes it feel less like a Marvel movie which means it'll be lower in my list of Marvel films. Seriously, T'Challa as a character was really dull and his role in Civil War was more interesting. I should also mention that the best picture nomination for this film was slightly hyperbolic in my opinion. If the academy were finally willing enough to nominate a superhero movie, films like Spider-Verse or Infinity War were more deserving in my opinion. That said, I was glad to see it get the nomination because it should hopefully mean more appreciation for the genre, and I was also really pleased to see the impact it made culturally, so this is still a brilliant film and proof Marvel is more than just explosions when it comes to their filmmaking, it just doesn't hit all the marks with me. 
Rating: 8/10

12. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

I've written a review of this film so if you'd like to hear more in depth thoughts you can check that out, but to summarise, this is a really fast paced and energetic film that fully utilises its concepts of changing the size of things. The only thing I didn't like was the amount of characters, some of which were pointless. Aside from that, this is a great, albeit somewhat irrelevant, Marvel flick.  
Rating: 8/10

11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Much like Ant-Man and the Wasp, this is a great follow-up to an already great origin story but what I like more about this one and the Guardians movies in general is the characters. They're all so likeable with such quirky characteristics and the dynamic between them feels very genuine. Additionally, the visuals are great, the action is exciting, there's some much appreciated emotion and the soundtrack is spot-on. Plus it has Baby Groot, which is one of the best things ever and something everyone needs. 
Rating: 8/10 

10. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

My opinion on Age of Ultron is slightly skewed because I have some personal attachment to it that makes me like it more. It was the first MCU film I saw in the cinema and one that I think is really good fun. The villain, while not the best these characters have seen, was still entertaining and interesting. The characters are all still likeable and the whole climax is really well executed, juggling some literal earth-shattering threats with some genuine excitement. Sure it has its issues, and it is the weakest of the Avengers films, but what works is more than enough to make up for those things. 
Rating: 8/10

9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

An example of a film in the MCU that does more with its story than you'd expect in an interesting way is definitely this. As you'd expect, there's an excellent array of tense action and great characters, but unlike other offerings from this franchise, a message about trust and secrecy. So, it isn't one of my favourites in the franchise, but I largely appreciate this film for trying to do something beyond what you expect to see on top of delivering more of what you do expect to see. It is also one of the best standalones in the MCU.  
Rating: 8/10 

8. Doctor Strange (2016)

If there's one film that delivered a thoroughly entertaining origin story about an obscure character, it's Doctor Strange. Lead by a fantastic performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, an excellent supporting cast, the standout being Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as some of the best action and most dazzling visual effects in the whole franchise. This also works well on its own and is overall a very solid Marvel movie. This is the minimum of what I want to see from these films.
Rating: 8/10

7. Ant-Man (2015)

If there's another film that delivered a thoroughly entertaining origin story about an obscure character, it's Ant-Man. What gives this the upper hand over Doctor Strange is that the idea of shrinking in size as a super-power is much more interesting of a concept in my opinion. The film fully utilises this concept and delivers some fascinating visuals and terrific, small-stakes action. Beyond that, the performances, particularly from Paul Rudd and Micheal Pena, were absolutely fantastic. So as a whole, this is a very entertaining, fairly straight forward film, and that's really all I want from a film called "Ant-Man."
Rating: 8/10

6. Avengers Assemble (2012)

I had an odd experience with this film. I always liked it but it was quite low on my list. But upon rewatching it recently, I enjoyed it so much more than before. I have so much appreciation for this film. This was the cinematic event that reinvented the superhero genre. Of course, the cinematic universe concept is heavily exploited nowadays, but this was incomprehensible at the time. This was the first of all the MCU films to have settled on the tone that is still apparent to this day, that being tons of fun yet still somewhat dramatic. Without this film, we wouldn't have the great things we get from the MCU nowadays. This is definitely the best of the phase 1 bunch. Additionally, the villain is terrific, the action is exciting, and the cast are all at their best here. Sure, it doesn't have a great amount of depth, and the style may be a bit plain compared to other entries, but this is one of the most important films in the entire series, as well as another brilliant one in general. 
Rating: 8/10 

5. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

The peak of origin stories in this franchise for me is this. For one reason only, the characters are so likeable. I actually prefer this set of characters to the original six Avengers. Chris Pratt is the stand out as a great lead, and everyone else is brilliant. The story also has a lot of heart, there are countless entertaining action scenes, and the film manages to get the perfect balance of story and humour. That and it is hilarious, one of the best comedies in the franchise. 
Rating: 8/10   

4. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

I originally had Winter Soldier higher than this, but when I really thought about it, there are so few things problematic about this film. It has such a grounded conflict and actual consequences to a lot of the events, something rare in an MCU movie. That and the impact this film left on the MCU is remarkable. It divided the main team, introduced my favourite version of Spider-Man and fan-favourite Black Panther, as well as reshaping the series going into phase 3. Of course all the usual stuff like action and performances are top notch, but as I said regarding consequence, it's more grounded and thus more investing as the stakes feel real. And it's enforced as we see the gradual conflict between Cap and Iron Man develop. So, this is a great entry into the franchise, I love it so much and never have a problem rewatching it. 
Rating: 9/10

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

There's a reason why I'm so happy Civil War introduced Tom Holland's Spider-Man, because it gave me one of the best solo MCU movies ever. Spider-Man: Homecoming succeeds not because the action or other typical elements these films is great, even though they are, it works because it's a blend of a superhero movie and a teen movie, two genres I really enjoy. Some people complain about the amount of slow scenes in this film, but I think they strengthen it because I really enjoyed seeing Peter Parker when he wasn't being Spider-Man. It made the character more engaging as I could relate to him more. Beyond that, there's a terrific action scene at the Washington Monument, the characters are super likeable and endearing, especially Peter, Happy and Ned, the villain is great and feels genuinely threatening, and it has an understandable and powerful message. So, I'm really fond of this movie and have high hopes for its sequel later this year. 
Rating: 9/10

2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

I've talked about Infinity War so much over the past few months almost to the point where this feels like overkill. But, in case you didn't know, I adore this film and thought it was super satisfying to see all these films culminate into one coherent, emotional, hilarious, shocking, entertaining, exciting, and all round brilliant film. I thought it might be my favourite in the whole franchise, but there's one thing that the number 1 film has above this.  
Rating: 9/10

1. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) 

The one thing that Thor: Ragnarok has above Infinity War is its simplicity. As much as I adore watching and enjoying the latter, it is so enormous and complex that I feel like it is sometimes tricky to enjoy on its own. Thor: Ragnarok, despite being the third in the Thor franchise and the seventeenth film in the MCU, works well on its own and as its own thing, and that is why I like it so much. But what this also has above other standalones in this franchise like Winter Soldier or Homecoming is that this embraces the nature of the source material unlike any other comic book movie. The visuals are eye-catching and colourful, the action is unbelievably bonkers, the new characters are really charming and likeable, and it is ever so funny! Putting this solo series in the hands of one of my favourite directors, Taika Waititi, was exactly the right move because his flare for comedy is so well implemented here as nobody needed it more than Thor, the most dull of the original six Avengers. It makes the film such fun to watch. Even though the humour undercuts some genuine drama, there's enough of a story there for me to appreciate. So, all that combined is what makes this my favourite MCU movie ever.   
Rating: 9/10 


Franchises Ranked 

Before we finish up, I thought I'd quickly just rank all the franchises within the MCU, just to show which set of films I like the most. They also have their average ratings next to them.

6. Iron Man (7/10)
Definitely the series with the most standard set of movies, but not bad ones. 

5. Thor (7/10) 
The only thing this has above the Iron Man franchise is the fact that this has my favourite MCU movie, so I can look past the other installments, regardless of how bland they are.

4. Ant-Man (8/10)
Some of the most straight-forward as well as unique MCU movies, offering plenty of interesting action with some small stakes.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy (8/10)
The most entertaining of the MCU films in terms of comedy and definitely with the best set of characters.

2. Captain America (8/10)
The most real and grounded conflicts along with some extremely well executed action.

1. Avengers (8/10)
The best MCU films are generally the ones with huge arrays of characters and the Avengers films have tons of great characters with some of the most exciting set pieces and stakes.

Conclusion

Well, that's all of them. As I said, I have seen Avengers: Endgame but I didn't include it in this list because I feel like I can only truly add it once I've seen it again. But, I'll still have a review hopefully out by next week at some point.

As for other upcoming MCU movies that I am aware of, Spider-Man: Far From Home is the only one in near sight and I hope it's as good as Homecoming, delivering more of what that film offered. I also heard there's a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 which I also hope will be really good, especially as James Gunn is back to direct after briefly being fired. 

So, did Marvel add another phenomenal film to their already solid series?

"Whatever it takes..."

Shazam! - Movie Review - A fun time or just silliness?

This film is a 12A, was released on April 5th 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS 

Introduction 

As much as I've rambled on about superheroes over the past few months, you may have noticed there's one studio that specialises in these films that I haven't spoken much of, DC. The only reason why I haven't seen any films from DC, more specifically the DCEU, is because they weren't well received and I just didn't think they were worth my time. Plus I want to stay a solid Marvel fan and not support its rivaling franchise. However, the films seemingly have gone up in quality, with Wonder Woman seeming to be a powerful and inspiring film, and Aquaman being a mindless but fun caper. But the film that finally convinced me to check out one of these films was Shazam!

Thoughts Going In 

I didn't know what to expect from Shazam!, it was getting some very good praise from critics and fans alike. The reasons I chose to see it was because, firstly, I'm overloaded with exam revision and felt it could cheer me up, and secondly, it just looked like fun and perhaps could convince me to jump on board with the DCEU. So, I decided to give it a chance. 

The Story 

14 year old Billy is a foster child who runs all over his home city to find his mother. However, he is put into a foster home where he meets a lot of new 'siblings', one being another boy named Freddie, who is obsessed with superheroes. After being chased by a pack of bullies, Billy ends up in a mysterious cave where he meets a mystical wizard, who grants him all his remaining power. Billy is then turned into a grown superhero by the name of Shazam! But, he doesn't know what he is capable of. So, he and Freddie have to find out what he can do before Mark Strong's villain, who was deemed unworthy of the the same power, tries to kill him. 

What I Liked 

This film is SO FUNNY! I honestly didn't expect to get this much out of the film in terms of comedy. Zachary Levi as Shazam! is such a likeable screen presence and his childish personality within his grown body makes him a really endearing character. There are numerous entertaining scenes with Billy and Freddie trying to get an understanding of what Shazam! can do, resulting in situations like deliberately asking to be shot by robbers to see if he's bulletproof, or crashing into buildings when seeing how high he can jump. This was a superhero movie in which the comedy was much stronger than the action, I laughed thoroughly throughout. 

Alongside all the humour, the story has plenty of heart and doesn't lose sight of some of the themes tackled. Not everything is explored in great detail, but it was nice to see the filmmakers wanting to make this all seem realistic and believable alongside all the bonkers action. That and the fact that a 14 year old is the main character gave the film a nice tone and charming setting within a school. It reminded me of Spider-Man: Homecoming, in that there's plenty of action and thrills, but a great story and a nice tone alongside it. 

The other thing I enjoyed was the villain. Of course there is a slight bias coming from me as I'm a big fan of Mark Strong after seeing him in Kingsman, but he was really enjoyable and was clearly having a lot of fun with his scene-stealing villain. 

What I Didn't Like 

My biggest problem with Shazam! was that I think it was overly long. The film is about two hours and fifteen minutes and it definitely felt that way. A lot of scenes dragged on and felt kind of boring and tiring at certain points. This is most evident with the final battle. I'm not sure exactly how long it was, but it felt at least like it was half an hour. A lot of times during this scene felt repetitive of moments earlier in the same scene. There are two epic suit up to Shazam! moments and multiple "all seems lost" moments. So it felt quite shallow as a final battle and this wasn't helped by the fact that seeing all the characters fly around or get smashed into walls and such got a bit fatiguing after a while. So that's really my major criticism with Shazam!, if the final battle was condensed and the pacing was better at certain points, I would've liked it much more. 

Conclusion 

I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I really like a DCEU film! Shazam! isn't by any means a classic nor is it a stand out in the superhero genre, but it is a really funny, thoroughly entertaining and tonally charming film that I think works very well on its own and will serve as a nice watch on almost any occassion. I enjoyed it so much that I may even check out some other offerings from the franchise. It's much better than Captain Marvel for sure, but I don't think that it'll be the best superhero movie of the year... 

I'm going to give Shazam! an 8/10        

Missing Link - Movie Review - Can Laika keep it up?

This film is a PG, was released on April 5th 2019, and this review will contain NO SPOILERS 

Introduction 

Stop-motion is my favourite form of animation. Sure, what we see from CGI nowadays has infinite levels of fascination and intricacy, but the tactility and characterful charm of stop-motion makes it much better and more satisfying to watch. However, we don't get an awful lot of stop motion in the mainstream these days. Of course, we get Aardman, but they don't give us frequent offerings, and there's also Wes Anderson, but his stop motion films are few and far between. But, there is one other stop motion animated film studio we do see a lot of, but I just can't bring myself to like them. 

I'm of course talking about Laika. What I don't like about their films is that they have mostly enforced the stereotype of stop motion being a genre for supernatural / horror films. While this does work for some people, I like the idea of stop motion being as universal as CGI in terms of genre, hence why I like Aardman so much. However, Laika's last film, Kubo and the Two Strings, which I think is one of the best animated films of the decade, began to show they're venturing into new, more adventurous areas, and this was somewhat confirmed by Missing Link. 

Thoughts Going In 

I had fairly high hopes for this film. From the trailers, it looked quite entertaining and like something I was sure to enjoy. There wasn't much throwing me off, so I was fairly sure it'd be absolutely fine. 

The Story 

Famously unsuccessful explorer Lionel Frost is desperate to join a society of adventurers. He sees his chance when he receives a letter from the 'Missing Link' - the supposed link between mankind and apes. When he finally meets the link, he learns that he only wrote to him because he needs help getting to species like him, in the Himalayas. So, Frost and the link, later called Susan, along with Frost's ex-wife, set out on an adventure. 

What I Liked 

The thing I liked most about Missing Link was the tone. It feels so much like an Aardman film. It has plenty of heart but also a lot of comedy. This was good to me because it shows Laika's progression out of the supernatural into other genres. There were countless jokes that landed, a good mix of slapstick along with clever, talky jokes. Even when one didn't work, it didn't matter because there were plenty of others that did. So, the tone of this film and the comedy really benefited it as well as the studio's future. 

The animation was gorgeous. Part of the wonder of stop motion is the tactile nature of the characters and settings. Here, because all the small details like the textures and materials are real, it looks so carefully handled and has a high fidelity, and when you arrive in bigger areas like mountain ranges or the ocean, there is a great sense of scale to them. It's not quite as good as Aardman's work where you can literally see the fingerprints of the animators nor does the character design have the same level of charm, but this is a beautifully animated film. 

Another great thing that is both a strength and a weakness, but more of the former, is its simplicity. I love to go and see films that have huge, expansive casts, giant amounts of effects, as well as intricate and complex storylines and character arcs. But, that doesn't mean that the complete opposite can't work. I don't mind to see a film that is just a straight forward, here-to-there story with simple characters. Sometimes it doesn't matter if a film will have a huge impact or not, what matters is whether I enjoy the film as I'm watching it. And I'm glad to say that I enjoyed Missing Link as I was watching it. 

What I Didn't Like 

Despite the fact that I praised the simplicity of the film, it is also a weakness. In the long run, this is really just going to be remembered as a film that I saw and enjoyed on one occassion and maybe never again. This film could've added some more nuance and depth into the story to make it a bit more long lasting and beyond a harmless, fairly straight-forward film. This also means it is deep within the shadow of Laika's previous film, Kubo and the Two Strings, which had such a clever narrative to accompany its gorgeous visuals.

Conclusion 

As a whole, Missing Link isn't the most memorable film I've seen so far this year nor is it one I think I'll be rewatching immediately, but that doesn't matter. This is a beautifully animated, thoroughly entertaining, and easily enjoyable film that anybody can get something out of. Honestly, I think a lot of studios that are desperate to make the next record-breaking film or the next awards-season hit should take notes from a film like this. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just having a plain film that people will see and enjoy once, like I did. I don't know if I will see this again, but I'm happy that I saw it and managed to get something out of it when I did. 

I'm going to give Missing Link an 8/10