Thunderbolts

Image credit: IMDb

Reluctant, unexpected, and antiheroes are characters that always add a bit of fun and spice to a genre that can be stifled and restricted by its narrative binaries of good vs. evil. While the superhero genre works similarly to fantasy, with magic being replaced by science-fiction explanation, it ventures further into the unexplored frontier of the human condition than the former, examining the swings between anticipated and contradictory behaviours in people in tandem with their personalities and their social, mental, economical, and geographical environments. The narrative aspect of the antihero or unexpected hero is a popular one in the superhero genre, as it explores the dichotomy of good and evil by truncating and localising it to within the personal parameters of the individual. It then grows from there, case in point: Batman.

What station did this train of thought come from? I recently sat down and watched Marvel’s Thunderbolts.

A group of mercenaries are sent on an assignment by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fonataine to eradicate some loose ends that tie the director to the O.X.E Group’s ‘Sentry’ project to create a new ultimate superhuman. But upon arrival they realise that the assignment is a trap and they are the ‘loose ends’. Working together to fight their way out, the group then make it their mission to ensure that Valentina is impeached for her crimes, but things take a turn when one of their number is revealed to be a successful patient of the ‘Sentry’ procedure. Unfortunately, the procedure also empowered the dark alter-ego of Bob, the amnesiac patient, and suddenly a quest of revenge turns into one of saving the world from The Void.

Thunderbolts has been loosely labelled as Marvel’s Suicide Squad, but the similarities between the two films really do stop at the fact that the superhero group is made up of not-superheroes. While Suicide Squad was about villains being put into a position where they have to save the day, Thunderbolts is made up of a rag-tag team of impressive people who are remorseful about their past actions. The line-up includes former Black Widow Yelena Bolova, Red Guardian Alexei Shostakov, Captain America understudy John Walker, Ghost Ava Starr, and the Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes.

Image credit: IMDb

The film is an exploration into the mental minefield of anxiety and depression and the ways we can get through it. Imposter syndrome rans rampant throughout the team, but it’s through external support as well as internal fortitude that they can overcome their mental humps and help other people. While subtlety is not necessarily at the forefront of the film, with the Big Bad being a literal bipolar opposite to the Sentry, the nods to and explorations of various mental illnesses as well as everyday anxiety and depression bring the heroes down to earth and delivers a very encouraging message about exceptional people going through the same shit we do.

Like its predecessors, the film is a good balance of action, narrative exposition, character development, and comedy, with a refreshing take on the Avengers origin story of a group of exceptional people brought together to become something more.

Director: Jake Schreier, 2025

Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Geraldine Viswanathan, & Wendell Pierce

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Image credit: Wikipedia

There is something to be said for genre or franchise films that are ‘tried and true’. Of course, when you know a formula works, why would you mess with it? If you’ve seen one Alien movie, you’ve seen them all. The same can more or less be said for Scream, Predator, and of course Jurassic Park. Despite the Jurassic World movies being rather garbage all around, it seems that Universal are going to ironically try to pump as much life into this T-Rex skeleton as they can. Can you tell, I went and saw Jurassic World: Rebirth recently.

The novelty of dinosaurs has officially run its course, with many species dying out all over again. But it seems man is not quite done with them yet. A pharmaceutical company hires a team of mercenaries to lead an expedition into isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three specific prehistoric creatures in order to make groundbreaking advances in medical science.

Set five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion, which I have not bothered to watch at this point in time, Rebirth does breathe a little bit of life back into the franchise, by taking the screenplay back to basics: a group of people suddenly find themselves in a very dangerous situation where survival becomes the only goal. Pretty much all the standard plot twists make their way onto the screen at some point, resulting in the expected amount of emotional payoff and smug comeuppance.

While the opening scene has us holding our heads in disbelief at the bad decisions and even worse security measures of a dangerous facility, the film still manages to provide a reasonably enjoyable movie experience thanks to a cast of relatively interesting and likeable characters, fairly measured action sequences that balance the gore and suspense, and of course that wonderful, recognisable soundtrack.

The film is definitely carried by Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, the leading lowlifes with strong senses of duty and honour. Johannson is strong with that classic flirty aloofness, and Ali is the one you would definitely help to the best of your abilities: a man doing questionable things but for the right reasons.

Image credit: Los Angeles Times

There isn’t much to say about a Jurassic Park/World movie that has not already been said. After the cringe of previous trilogy, Rebirth is a somewhat self-aware resurrection of an exciting franchise. It works perfectly well as a standalone movie and while it’s not a tremendous cinematic experience, it still proves to be a nice night out.

Director: Gareth Edwards, 2025

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain & Ed Skrein

Deep Blue Sea

Image credit: Wikipedia

Can the weight of words ever really cease to be a surprise to anyone? We know that words have the power to wound, support, inspire, and confuse; but they can’t do these things alone. The real weight of words comes from the people who say them and the relationships that these people have with the people they are saying them to. This philosophical train of thought was inspired by the latest film that I have added to my cinematic history.

Deep Blue Sea is not a film that I particularly had much interest in watching until the coagulation of a content creator I enjoy praised it on a particularly entertaining videogame stream and the fact that my partner and I have enjoyed many a cosy night on the couch with dumb eco horror films. But this was the film that broke Partner and my cinematic drought over the weekend.

In an isolated research facility in the middle of the ocean, a group of scientists are trying to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Their test subjects: sharks. Success is just within reach until a disastrous turn of events that sees the sharks, now made smarter and vengeful thanks to the scientific process, escape from captivity and viciously attack with the aim to drag the entire facility and all its workers down into the deep blue sea.

Of course, this movie is no Jaws: no fresh and groundbreaking piece of cinema that boosts the genre of eco horror up a couple of notches. It is merely a fun sci-fi eco horror with a hunter/prey survival narrative that takes minimal brain power to follow and promises an hour+ of mindless enjoyment. Think Alien, but with a trio of sharks and nowhere near as good.

Within the narrative and environmental confines of a survival story in a rapidly sinking ‘ship’ we have a relatively enjoyable motley crew of characters experiencing the terror of being hunted by something that promises to deliver a gruesome and painful death as well as the breakdown of professional and social relationships under pressure. The performances are all fine, but nothing to write home about: with the characters only being minutely established, thus eradicating any real audience relationships being formed with them and putting the pressure and payoff into the lingering, hunter shots, POV sequences, and jump-scares.

Image credit: IMDb

The real fun of the movie comes in the form of trying to guess who’s going to be eaten next, but there are a number of fun and original ways in which the characters attempt to fight back. Deep Blue Sea is a just a rather enjoyable shark movie.

Director: Renny Harlin, 1999

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Jacqueline McKenzie, Michael Rapaport, Aida Turturro, Stellan Skarsgard, & LL Cool J

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

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It’s an odd feeling when a franchise gets rebooted, to fairly positive applause, and then gets a sequel that just doesn’t hit the same heights or notes of the reboot. It just goes to show that rebooting beloved cinematic greats are a slippery slope indeed. This train of thought comes from going along to see Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, after quite enjoying Afterlife. All I can say is that the sequel is fine, but nowhere near as enjoyable as its predecessor.

The new Ghostbusters have set themselves up in the old haunt from days bygone, and while there is plenty of work to keep them occupied, it is not without its problems. Constantly getting in trouble for damages to both private and public property, the strain is really put on when Mayor Peck threatens to shut them down if Pheobe (still being a minor) continues to work for them. As familial tensions begin to run high, a new spook threatens humanity: one that will literally leave its victims frozen in fear.

I think everything about this movie was fine and nothing more. Alongside the age-old threat that gets unknowingly unleashed and threatens to bring about a second Ice Age, we have the emotional dramas of teenage angst and its role in familial conflict. Pheobe becomes the annoying adolescent who thinks they know everything and while there is absolutely some truth to this – seeing as she is up against ‘dickless’ from the very first movie – it nevertheless becomes annoying very quickly as well as narratively predictable.

Alongside the family drama we have another ancient evil that threatens the world: a pretty cool exhibition of creature design and computer wizardry. Equipment, gags, and scenes from the original classic are back in the spotlight causing the same problems as before, but because the capturing and containment of apparitions became a science back in the ‘80s there are a number of cool and fascinating upgrades that come into play.

At the end of the day, I just found this sequel a bit lacking. The personal dramas of the characters that run alongside the central conflict are predicable and even lackluster, the character growth is kind of boring and minimal, and there aren’t really any new jokes to lift the film’s spirit.

Image credit: IMDb

Filled with action, chases, drama, and a race against time, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a fine and kind of fun way to pass the time, but I definitely feel that there is more love and enjoyment to be had from its predecessor.

Director: Gil Kenan (2024)

Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lind, Kumail Nanjiani, Ernie Hudson, Dan Akroyd, Annie Potts, & William Atherton

The Marvels

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It’s really nice to have those moments in one’s life of cinematic appreciation where one’s enjoyment of a franchise is pulled back from the precipice and put back on the safe path of enjoyment. Having both started to suffer from MCU fatigue with the last couple of films, partner and I treated ourselves to a little date night on Friday night and watched Marvel’s latest cinematic instalment: The Marvels. And we absolutely loved it!

Whilst investigating a strange cosmic interference, Carol Danvers’ powers become entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing the three of them to work together in order to save various worlds from having their resources stolen to rebuild the Kree home world of Hala.

The Marvels recaptures that fun and quirky vibe of some the more supporting Avenger movies in the later part of that saga. You know, before that vibe became so micromanaged that it no longer felt authentic. I think this comes from the great cast, the reduced runtime, and the succinct way that everything is timed to satisfaction. The film has this wonderfully nonchalant sense of humour, nothing in the script comes across as forced or trying too hard to get the laughs, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable to watch. Indeed some of the film’s more hilarious sequences are done so simply and the punchline is so obvious that you can’t help but feel warmed and happy watching it play out.

The central cast are great together, bouncing off each other’s emotional journeys and personalities really well. Brie Larson as a Carol Danvers that is trying to be a leader and role model, while simultaneously taking most confrontations head-on to avoid the emotional backlash of plans going potentially sour is really wonderful to watch, as you can tell that there is so much stuff happening internally, yet she keeps this nonchalant veneer up all the time. To then see her come around is beautiful. Iman Vellani plays the excited fangirl perfectly, providing much of the film’s comedy, but also most of its more heartwarming moments. And then Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeu is level-headed, calculating, and the voice of reason trying to find the balance and cohesion between Danvers’ emotional blocking and Khan’s emotional sharing. The three of them together are fantastic.

Image credit: kincir.com

Then there are the ever-awesome achievements of the costume designers, artists, set designers, and computer wizards. We get to see some very cool and exciting fight scenes as well as vibrant and fairytale-esque cultures on other planets, and some tantalising stingers that confirm the imminent arrival of another group of beloved Marvel characters as well as the bud of a new ‘team’ tying in with the TV series on Disney+.

The Marvels is a really fun film that managed to pull me out of the Marvel slump and remind me why I grew to love all these films in the first place.

Director: Nia DaCosta, 2023

Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Mohan Kapur, Zenobia Shroff, Saagar Shaikh, Leila Farzad, Abraham Papoola, Gary Lewis & Samuel L. Jackson

Spider-Man: No Way Home

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I don’t know how this happened, but somehow it appears that I missed out on reviewing this movie after I went and saw it in cinemas. While that oversight is strange and disappointing, the silver lining is that I can review it now having actually sat down and watched it a second time. While I am a collector of movies and there are many that I go back and revisit, I have found that in the last several years, there are few films that I’ll watch at the cinemas, buy the DVD or Bluray, and then sit down and watch again. One of the few films that I have revisited within this period has been Spider-Man: No Way Home.

After Mysterio’s final stab of outing him as Spider-Man, Peter Parker turns to Doctor Strange for help. But disaster strikes as Peter attempts to rewrite the spell too many times and ends up creating a tear in the multiverse. Suddenly there are a handful of strange villains appearing out of nowhere and attacking Peter and his friends. While he’s never seen them before, they certainly seem to know him, or at least Spider-man, and soon it becomes apparent that not only is his city and friends in danger from these guys, but the whole multiverse. With great power comes great responsibility, and as Peter battles and plans how best to save multiples worlds, he learns what it really means to be Spider-Man.

One of the truly most emotionally moving stories about coming of age and finding one’s identity, Spiderman: No Way Home is a fantastic film that gently yet solidly allows audiences to come to grips with the multiverse, a confusing concept that has already been established within the franchise, but only really fleetingly and still rather vaguely. Translated by an insanely smart teenager, the whole thing becomes a lot less intimidating and this movie does a fantastic job of exploring the idea of the multiverse while having fun at the same time.

The story is emotionally gripping and heartbreaking while the action is captivating and memorable and there are fabulous pops of that classic comedy peppered throughout that gives this film its fun and rollicking edge. But the best, the absolute best, part about this movie is the appearance – or rather reappearance- of characters and their actors from the other Spider-Man movies. Our favourite villains are back on the screen with Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina, and Willem Dafoe stealing every scene they’re in while Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield are swinging about and providing a lot of humour about the problems of being a slightly more mature superhero.

Image credit: spidermannowayhome.movie

Considering that there is a lot happening in this movie, it’s perfectly balanced and an absolute romp from beginning to end, with a beautifully handled scene of signature Spider-Man drama and realisation in the middle. Hands down, one of my favourite movies in the post-Avengers wave of Marvel films!

Director: Jon Watts, 2021

Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Favreau, Benedict Wong, Jamie Foxx, Aldred Molina, Willen Dafoe, Marisa Tomei, Andrew Garfield, & Toby Maguire.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

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It’s a sad, yet somewhat liberating feeling that comes with the realisation that the highest point of a phenomena that you love has passed. That the doors are about to close, that the next instalment won’t be nearly as good as the one before. I’ve been experiencing this sort of cinematic melancholia in regards to the Marvel movies. With the exceptions of Shang-Chi, Multiverse of Madness, No Way Home, and Quantumania practically all of the latest films have left me with a feeling of ‘eh’ at the end, replacing what was previously excitement and stimulation. My conclusion that – at least for me- the high-flying time of the Marvel films has passed has been cemented by the last instalment I sat down and watched: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

When a strange assassin attacks the Guardians and leaves Rocket in a critical condition, Peter, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula determine to go on a rescue mission and find the passcode that is the only thing that can save Rocket’s life. Doing so means delving into Rocket’s past and going up against The High Evolutionary, a deluded being with a god complex who’s mission is to create the perfect race of beings. To make matters a little more difficult, the Guardians enlist the help of the Ravagers which includes Peter’s lost love, Gamora.

I’ve loved every part of the great Marvel ride that has featured the Guardians, so I was really looking forward to this one. Perhaps this is what made the disillusionment all the more pronounced at the end, but hey that’s how emotions work. Half told in flashback and half-chronicling the present narrative, the film centres on Rocket’s story and really is a haphazard baton-pass in the Guardians story. The parts that tell Rocket’s backstory are by far the more engaging of the two narratives, filled with a lot of emotional shaping and really sweet characters. While the central rescue story is sturdy, but lacks the fun of the other two films.

A little like the last Disney movie I saw, which was The Little Mermaid, it felt like everyone was phoning it in with this one. That fresh and fantastic flare that captured audiences with the first film has faded completely, Quill’s character feels distant and uncertain (arguably that is the point considering the ending, and by extension of this argument Pratt does a very good job), and there’s a strange either tension or communal lack of enthusiasm that colours everything here. Special recognition has to be awarded to Chukwudi Iwuji who plays the villain. Maybe he sensed the same lacklustre infecting everything that I did and bless him, he tried to add flavour and spice to the mix with his performance. It’s a shame that this villain wasn’t more interesting, but I really do applaud Iwuji for giving it his damnedest.

Image credit: Radiotimes.com

While I am still invested in this cinematic universe, it can’t be denied that this interconnected cinematic and televisual work is one of the most interesting recent movements in the artform, Guardians 3 has really hit home that feeling of burn-out that comes with oversaturation. But despite this, I still did enjoy this movie just fine. It does still hold good action scenes, enjoyable banter and meaningful dialogue between the characters, and a fun soundtrack. It’s not a terrible film, it’s just a delicious fruit that’s a bit past its prime.

Director: James Gun, 2023

Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Chukwudi Iwuji, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter, Linda Cardellini, & Sylvester Stallone

Morbius

Image credit: ACX Cinemas

While good cinema is always a treat, it’s not necessarily what you want all the time. In the wonderful world of movies, where there is an ever-replenishing reservoir of content, sometimes you just want to curl up with a movie that is dumb, fun, mindless, and decidedly not amazing. Here in Australia, we recently had a long weekend and, for me, that weekend was spent in bed with partner watching dumb movies. And you know what? It was the perfect way to spend it!

Biochemist, Dr. Michael Morbius, has spent his life trying to find a cure for a rare blood disease that threatens his life and the life of his best friend Milo. While his other triumphs in the medical field have been incredible, a cure remains out of reach, and he resorts to unorthodox experimenting in the hope of finding one. When he finally does, it comes with a dangerous side effect: vampirism.

I remember seeing the trailers for this film and instantly knowing that it was going to be a dumb, fun, popcorn flick in the same vein as Venom. Thanks to Disney’s Marvel cinematic universe, the Spiderman villains are getting a string of anti-hero movies that are proving to be entertaining and refreshing fillers between the anticipated Marvel blockbusters. Various stingers have already hinted that these characters are about to make an appearance in the Marvel-movieverse and I’m rather excited about it.

Morbius, while being wholly predictable and relatively short, doesn’t disappoint. A textbook action movie with a dark and gritty palette; annoying for the most part but saved a little bit by the interesting pops of colour found in the cool special effects, it’s a film that you go into knowing that you’re not going to love it and then having that expectation completely satisfied. Aside from the aforementioned special effects, which are a bit of a throwback to The Matrix spliced with the wizard fight in Harry Potter 5, there is nothing particularly thrilling or engaging about this movie. It’s just a fun one to curl up with in the hope of killing some cold, winter hours.

Image credit: Tvovermind

Jared Leto delivers a fine performance as the anti-hero himself, definitely keeping us on our toes regarding his moral alignment (for want of a better word). And Matt Smith as the villain is stable and unoffending.

It’s most certainly not a movie to rave about, just a fun way to fill time, and if you’re a fan of the Marvel-movieverse and the movies that make it up, then it’s worth giving it a watch.

Director: Daniel Espinosa, 2022

Cast: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Tyrese Gibson, Al Madrigal & Jared Harris.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

 

Image credit: theepoctimes.com

And finally, bringing us up to date with the MCU, a much lighter expedition into a whole new world: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. After Wakanda Forever, I feel that it was important to have a light-hearted romp as the next instalment of the MCU, and what better way to do that than with Ant-Man.

Personally, I have a real soft spot for these movies. They began as the fun, family film of the bunch, but of course Ant-Man ended up being crucial to saving the world. I don’t think anyone really put that much stock into them, but I feel that they are the real underdog films of the MCU and I love them for it. With an Ant-Man film, you know you’re in for some fun and Quantumania was no exception.

Scott’s life is a funny thing. He went from being a crim, to a superhero, to an Avenger, to a best-selling author. Right now life is comfy and safe, but that’s not enough for some people. Scott discovers that Cass, amidst her stints in jail for actively protesting various things, has been conducting research into the Quantum realm and disaster strikes when, during a demonstration, her signal is picked up and reversed, pulling her, Scott, Hope, Hank, and Janet into the Quantum Realm. Separated from the others, Scott and Cass quickly become the prisoners of a powerful being called Kang, who compels Scott to find Janet and retrieve something very powerful that she stole from him. Meanwhile Janet comes clean about her time in here: a time of betrayal, rebellion, and attempts to keep the monstrous Kang, exiled to the Quantum Realm, from breaking free and wreaking his revenge on the multiverse.

Similar to Thor: Love and Thunder, this movie is just another enjoyable romp in the MCU. Touching on the multiverse, the infinite timelines, and the dangers of divergents and incursions, a la Loki, Quantumania sees Scott even more out of his depth than he’s ever been before, literally.

Falling into a universe beneath ours, the design and execution of the Quantum Realm is very cool and rather reminiscent of the classic sci-fi adventure stories of Jules Verne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are some definite inspirations taken from Journey to the Centre of the Earth, which gives the movie a subtle throwback vibe to Disney’s adventure movies of the 1960s. Only with much more CGI. The computer magic is fabulous, as has come to be expected from the Marvel films, mixing sleek and shining Wakanda-esque architecture with effervescent, primal space jungles. It’s all very cool.

Image credit: ohhword.com

The emotional journey of Scott centres on a theme that got touched on in Hawkeye: after saving the world, how do superheroes live? Do they ever really retire? We know life can never go back to normal for Scott, but the film begins with him happily living the closest thing to an everyday existence. This is what causes tension in his relationship with Cass, as she tries to convert him to her cause of helping people. While Scott doesn’t necessarily go on an emotional journey of self-discovery, he does get a taste of the concept of ‘the bigger picture’ and I guess his journey is one of the mind seeing further than its own immediate bubble.

Packed with action, adventure, some heart warming scenes, and a whole lot of comedy, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is perfect for a fun trip to the pictures. What more can I say? It’s a romp!

Director: Peyton Reed, 2023

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors, Katy M. O’Brien, William Jackson Harper, & Bill Murray

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

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 Continuing on with catching up on my Marvel movie reviews, it’s time now to talk about one that I think many people were nervous and, of course, saddened about: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. May Chadwick Boseman rest in peace. I have to say that this film was a beautiful dedication to the late superhero, visually stunning and with some truly moving performances.

Wakanda’s relationship with the rest of the world is strenuous. Their technology and resources are great, but their allies are non-existent, as other countries attempt to steal their resources, forcing them to remain in isolation, as they mourn the loss of King T’Challa. So when a group of highly weaponised and outlandishly tech-savvy bandits attack an American ship searching for vibranium, Wakanda is falsely accused. The same bandits attack and kidnap Princess Shuri and, with no allies to call for help, Wakanda is forced to protect their home from an invasion of ancient and powerful beings alone.

This is definitely the more dramatic of Marvel’s cinematic instalments to date. Alongside the central drama of invasion and Wakanda trying to make friends in the world, it’s a film about coping with grief, rising to inherited responsibilities, and growing into the person you need to be. The central character arc is, of course, that of Princess Shuri who struggles with the loss of her brother, the fear of her responsibilities as future queen, and her anxiety that, should she take the Black Panther journey, she would find that she’s more like Killmonger rather than her brother. It’s a very emotionally loaded movie and applause must be given to the central cast, who rose to the challenge and gave absolutely incredible performances.

Image credit: bojtv.com

We then have the visual aspect to talk about. In every Marvel movie, but more and more in the recent ones, we get to discover a whole new world. Some original and breathtaking feat of imagination, design, and computer magic. In Wakanda Forever, it’s the underwater city of Talokan. The city and its people are a truly stunning display of wizardry with the underwater scenes being some of the most beautiful and mesmerising of the film. Everything from the costume design to the architectural artwork, to the CG execution is absolutely breathtaking and the film is worth seeing for it alone.

While it’s a filler movie keeping us up to date with Wakanda and how its people are coping after the tragedies of Endgame, it still manages to keep audiences intrigued with new villains and potential long-game drama. But absolutely the power of Wakanda Forever is in the performances from the central cast, in memorandum of our king.

Director: Ryan Coogler, 2022

Cast: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michael B. Jordan, & Martin Freeman

Thor: Love and Thunder

 

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It’s been a while since I wrote a movie review, the main reason being that I haven’t really been going to the cinemas very much anymore. It’s not that my love and adoration for the medium has been extinguished, rather I’ve just been preoccupied with streaming services and online content. But, seeing as I now have a spare moment to catch up where I’ve fallen behind, it’s time to share my thoughts on a few of the latest Marvel movies, starting with Thor: Love and Thunder.

Thor has been travelling around the galaxy with the Guardians, unable to settle after the events of The Blip and Thanos’ brief reign. Listless and uncertain about his own purpose and relationships in the world, a glorious distraction comes his way when he learns that there is a being terrorising the galaxy, one that has the ability to kill gods. Unable to face this great evil on his own, he enlists the help of Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster to save the gods from extinction.

Taika Waititi broke the mould with Ragnarok, giving Thor a fantastic character turn and his films, their own unique edge in the MCU. I guess the problem of doing something so good and having it received so well is that when the opportunity comes to do it again, the higher powers become adamant that it needs to be a repeat of the predecessor. Love and Thunder is a whole lot of fun, visually impressive with memorable action scenes, relationship drama, and a whole lot of heavy metal homages.

However, having spoken to other people who watched the film around the same time I did, the common thought was that it was a mindless filler movie: a fair amount of fun, but nothing particularly critically linking in ways of an over-arching story. Almost like a stand alone Thor film to remind people he’s still here. The feeling I got was one of phoning it in. The humour and the visual aspect were very good and reminiscent of Ragnarok, but the film did have this slightly lacklustre vibe of just doing what it was told, rather than everyone really putting the love into it. A going-through-the-motions sort of vibe. This is the risk I mean when I talk about filmmakers doing something that’s received so well, that the money-grubbing higher powers don’t let them take new risks and try new things when they get the green light for another film.

But, to be fair, this is the only area in which I can say that the film was unsatisfying. Everything else is really rather great and in keeping with what we’ve come to expect from a Thor movie. The balance of action, comedy, and drama is perfect, the costumes, special effects, and set design is immaculate, and the performances are all great. Special shout out has to go to Christian Bale who makes an excellent villain.

Image credit: nme.com

The problem with the MCU at the moment is that most audiences are suffering from Marvel fatigue, a come-down that’s particularly affecting how audiences view the movies. Disney has done a very smart thing to have the TV shows happening simultaneously and tying a lot of crucial plot points into them. Without that crucial move, the entire phenomenon could have just fizzled out. As it stands, there is the threat of Marvel fatigue about, but the shows are working to lessen and soothe the symptoms so that the films don’t suffer as much at the box office.

Director: Taika Waititi, 2022

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Kat Dennings, Bradley Cooper, & Russel Crowe

Everything Everywhere All At Once

 

Image credit: A24

We all know that art imitates life and becomes ok or not depending on the social and cultural trends of the time. The fascinations of the day are explored in many mediums and it’s particularly interesting to watch how filmmakers tackle them, especially in a strange cultural climate where trends are changing so rapidly and people are consuming more and more media at such high speeds and volumes. For a little while I have been concerned that the cinema has been suffering; not keeping up, or clinging to a bygone vibe and formula, but last night I watched a film that changed my mind and restored my faith: Everything Everywhere All At Once. 

The film follows Evelyn (Michelle Yoh) and her chaotic and unfulfilling life running a Laundromat with her husband. While struggling to gain her father’s approval, accepting her daughter’s homosexuality, and overcoming the language barrier as her business gets audited, she is visited by a version of her husband from an alternate universe, who warns her that there is a great evil threatening the multiverse, one that only she can stop. Suddenly thrust into a quest to save her world and her family by jumping between various forms of herself within various universes, Evelyn goes on an insane journey of space and self to find love, strength, and method in madness. 

A combination of martial arts, inter-dimensional action thriller, and pop-culture comedy, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a real assault on the senses in the absolute best way. Underneath the inter-dimensional verse-jumping story is a really lovely message about the importance of love, family, and acceptance with the central ‘villain’ being the difference in generational views regarding family and culture. 

The rapid shifts in language between English, Mandarin, and Cantonese best convey this underlying drama with the older generations speaking in their first language while conversations between parents and daughter are in fragmented English, highlighting the familial disconnect as well as the cultural divides between immigrant and first-generation Asian-Americans. 

Image credit: A24

The film is a high-octane visual treat with all the weirdness inspired by the pop-culture theories of the multiverse literally being thrown at you with great gusto, matching the rapid-fire pace of the martial arts fight sequences as well as the sound design. The performances are all incredible, the story –despite its complex nature- is actually not too tricky to follow, and there’s a fantastic continuous thread of comedy that runs all the way through, heightening all the other emotional strings that are being tugged. 

I’m not sure if any of this made sense to read, it’s a very hard to film to write about, but I would absolutely recommend that you watch Everything Everywhere All At Once. It's delightfully strange, original, and brilliant. 

Director: Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, 2022

Cast: Michelle Yoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tallie Medel, Harry Shum Jr., & James Hong

Star Wars Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker

Image credit: StarWars.com

It’s that time again, time for another epic conclusion. Of course, I am referring to the much-anticipated final instalment in the new Star Wars trilogy: Rise of Skywalker. While I definitely enjoyed the movie more than I did The Last Jedi, I have to admit that I am just a little over the whole franchise: there’s a large portion of the fan-base that is downright toxic, the narrative and character arcs have not changed in over forty years, and the newer films ride strongly on the nostalgia of the franchise rather than bite the bullet and try to make it better and more adapted to modern cinema. I guess, if it still makes Disney money, what’s the problem right?

Rise of Skywalker follows Rey (Daisy Ridley) and the remaining members of the Resistance as they face the First Order for the ultimate battle. As Rey learns some disturbing truths about herself, she and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) draw ever closer to meeting their destinies, coming face to face with the ultimate choice at the farthest end of the galaxy.

After feeling so screwed over by The Last Jedi I was really wary of going to see this movie, but you have to right? But I am pleased to say that I was surprised and more or less satisfied with how everything tied together. There was a nice level of nostalgia woven throughout without making my brain restructure them to the fit the frames of the originals, and overall it really did feel like a Star Wars movie. So I definitely appreciated that subtle emotional tug.

The stories all tie together well, though there are a lot big reveals and revelations that just didn’t have the desired effect on me because I really have not come to care about any of the characters. That and a lot of them felt rather forced (no pun intended).

The film is balanced reasonably well between drama, action, and comedy, and it’s done well enough that even though the outcome of events are totally predictable and offer no real surprise, there is a small flutter of suspense and anxiety that flits across the audience during some of the more dramatic scenes and that’s good.

Image credit: The Spinoff

Ultimately, The Rise of Skywalker is nothing special, but it is a relatively exciting and enjoyable final instalment in the new Star Wars trilogy, and after being so angered and screwed over by an oversaturation of nostalgia in the previous one, I was pleasantly surprised by this and felt content when I left the cinema. So well done everyone involved.

Director: J. J. Abrams, 2019

Cast: Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher (archive footage), Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Kelly Marie Tran, and Ian McDiarmid

Godzilla

Image credit: Wikipedia

I’ve mentioned before that one of my (of the many I have) favourite things about cinema is the fact that there is a certain level of enjoyment and satisfaction one can get from watching a bad movie and then analysing why it’s bad. When it’s brought up in conversation, a ripple effect starts and fantastic discussions ensue, bringing more thoughts, opinions, and analysis to light.

We had such a discussion the other night after revisiting 1998’s Godzilla.

This American monster movie (that completely misses the notion of metaphors) tells the story of a giant, dinosaur-esque monster, the product of French nuclear testing, who travels to New York to nest and threatens to overrun the city with miniature monsters. Those trying to defeat it are the unlikely team of the US Army, the French secret service, a reporter’s assistant trying to forge a career, and a biologist.

I’m sure, back in its day, this movie was something cool, but nowadays it’s just become a really annoying and cringing piece of cinema with a laundry list of personality disorders. The first being that the filmmakers really didn’t grasp the point of Godzilla, or indeed the concept of metaphors, full stop. Upon discussing this with friends, one person came out with the best response to this: “the ‘90s didn’t metaphor.” A large portion of the film’s problem is that it’s a monster movie where there is no deeper point to the monster. Just a big animal doing animal things: not very engaging.

As more scenes play out, it really becomes apparent how much the film takes from Jurassic Park (and one scene from Jaws). While cinema is all about reflecting what’s trending, there’s a difference between referencing other popular blockbusters and straight up plagiarising them.

Image credit: Vulture

Then we have the immaculately boring characters and a completely ridiculous romantic story. The central romance between the reporter and the biologist really is like a man’s fantasy that his gorgeous, blonde ex is still totally hung up on him (even though she broke it off) and will some day come back. Even in cinema today it’s apparent that some screenwriters cannot write female characters, but back in the ‘90s it must have been like learning a whole new language. The central female character in this movie is weaker than a biscuit that’s been left out in the rain, her role being solely for the writer to live out his own ‘romantic’ daydreams.

While Jurassic Park did it better, a polite round of applause still needs to go to the monster design team because Godzilla was still pretty cool, though how he could vanish completely and then sneak up on the army so silently really requires you to suspend your belief.

At the end of the day, this movie really doesn’t hold up (if it ever really did).

Director: Ronald Emmerich, 1998

Cast: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, Arabella Field, Vicki Lewis, Doug Savant, and Malcolm Danare

Men In Black: International

Image credit: IMDb

Rebooting or remaking a franchise is always a risk, but the emotional satisfaction is so good when the gamble pays off. Of course, it does all depend on what you’re rebooting, as some films and characters pose less of a risk than others. Case in point, Men in Black and now, Men in Black: International.

The film tells the story of Molly (Tessa Thompson), a woman who saw MIB in action as a child and aspired to be one of them, so much so that she becomes the first person to apply for a job rather than be recruited. On a trial period, she’s assigned to the London branch and finds herself teamed up with MIB big-shot Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) on an escort mission. But when their ward is assassinated, their mission goes from simple to a convoluted task of saving the world from a particularly nasty scum of the universe.

After MIB 3 sort of demolished the simple and fun, sci-fi adventure vibe of the first movie, MIB International came as a nice return to that warm, popcorn flick feeling that originally made us fall in love with agents K, J, and Z. While the central story has a few twists, turns, and red herrings, there’s a nice predictability about it that allows the film to focus on its characters and their own development and stories.

The combination of Thompson and Hemsworth, which we all fell in love with in Thor Ragnarok (like basil and strawberry) works to wondrous effect here, with Hemsworth playing the arrogant, but still surprisingly competent (a la Sterling Archer) agent role to great effect, while Thompson’s confident, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed newbie role is sweet and highly relatable with.

Image credit: Gizmodo

The computer wizards, art and creature design departments give us a dazzling exhibition of what their departments are made of, with the film being filled with incredible, but still fathomable alien creatures and futuristic technology that doesn’t make one feel like they are watching a high-res sci-fi dystopia flick.

MIB International is a perfect return to the simple, enjoyable popcorn-flick vibes of the original film with a solid story, great character development, and enough shimmer, aliens, and gadgets to create a different world, but still one that we recognise and, therefore, can identify with. It’s a really good film.

Director: F. Gary Gray, 2019

Cast: Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Liam Neeson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Kayvan Novak, Laurent Bourgeois, Larry Bourgeois, Spencer Wilding, and Emma Thompson

Pitch Black

Image credit: Wikipedia

Fusion is a wonderful thing. In the world of culinary delights it works to stimulate our tastebuds and inspire us to mix flavours and cuisines. In literature and film it offers all sorts of wonders by blending multiple genres together to create something with depth, complexity, and that looks both like and unlike anything else. One great example of this is the film Pitch Black.

A strange, yet interesting film to say the least, Pitch Black tells the story of a ship carrying a variety of passengers that gets struck by the debris from a comet and crash lands on a barren, alien planet. While exploring, the ship’s passengers –a preacher, his sons, a couple of prospectors, a merchant, a cop and his prisoner- soon discover they are not alone, but that the planet is overrun by vicious and carnivorous aliens that come out at night… and a solar eclipse is imminent. When the darkness hits, the group’s only hope for survival is have Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel), the murderous criminal whose eyes have been fixed to see in the dark, to lead them back to their ship.

A science-fiction action horror movie, Pitch Black is the classic story of a bunch of misfits banding together. A mixture of The Breakfast Club, Con Air, and Alien –if you can imagine such a thing- it has a very simple survival plot, recognisble to no end, that is made just that little bit different by its being set in the distant future.

Image credit: Pinterest

But what sets the film aside from others like it is definitely its ironic use of lighting. For the majority of the first half, the film is dramatically lit, to the point that it’s almost in complete sepia tones reminiscent of the silent era. The other half, of course, takes place in either total or semi darkness with suspense and jump scares dominating with grand aplomb.

The development of a handful of characters is relatively engaging, despite most being pretty typical archetypes of the genre, and the creature design was definitely something unique and frighting.

Mostly, Pitch Black is a mindless and mediocre horror movie set in space, but who doesn’t love a good one of those once in a while?

Director: David Twohy, 2000

Cast: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Claudia Black, Rhiana Griffith, John Moore, and Simon Burke

Captain Marvel

Image credit: Wikipedia

It has to be said that Marvel studios have smartly created their own cinematic ‘flourishing’ season. From around March the excitement and exhilaration begins as the trailers and year’s instalments of the cinematic universe hit screens of all sizes and it’s actually quite a lovely experience that fans around the world can share. Marvel has kicked off this year with the film that had got many fans excited since the devastating end of Infinity War: the arrival of Captain Marvel!

One of the coolest and refreshing origin stories that we’ve had in awhile, Captain Marvel chronicles the galactic adventures of Vers (Brie Larson), a Kree soldier fighting in the war between the Kree and the Skrulls. When a rescue mission backfires, resulting in her capture, she ends up stranded on Earth with a group of Skrull. Things take an interesting turn then when she discovers that she had a former life on Earth as pilot Carol Danvers and, with the help of a young Shield agent named Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), she discovers that there are two sides to every story and sometimes the heroes are fighting on the wrong one.

Officially claiming the title of sixth-biggest box office success worldwide opening since 2002 (it raked in over $456 million) Captain Marvel is the film to start your fresh filmic season with! Now that the Oscars are over, the fun and exciting movies are having their time in the limelight and it’s definitely shining bright on this beauty!

Now that the phase 3 Marvel movies are experimenting with blending genres and subgenres, finding new recipes that make explosive blockbusters, audiences are being completely spoilt with a degustation of delicious, inspiring, enticing, and empowering movies and characters. Captain Marvel stands proud as the first superhero movie (that I can recall anyway) that really depicts glorious and genuine female empowerment and gender equality. Fury as a supporting character is just as charismatic and strong as Vers and what’s most refreshing about this movie is that there is no clichéd and ridiculous love story, indeed the central relationship is actually the friendship between two women and it’s one of the most beautiful things that I’ve seen on screen in a long time.

Despite it’s generic superhero-literally-saving-the-world narrative, Captain Marvel is also a movie about reshaping identities and changing minds: it may not appear on screen to be as poignant or deep as that sounds, regardless the theme is there loud and clear in its seeming obscurity and that is what makes this movie so great!

Image credit: Daily Express

Being half set in space and half set on Earth, everything at this film’s disposal works to create two distinct tones between the two settings. When we’re out of the Earth’s orbit things are pretty serious and this is where the movie revels in its sincere and gritty science-fiction war movie vibe with its orchestral score, CGI magic, and most of the grander battles and fight sequences. However, as soon as we touch town on Earth the movie relaxes and allows its funny, sweet, and vulnerable side to show, giving it more of a misfit cop-duo-against-the-world type vibe. What brings the two sides together is the character development and reflective shift in performances from both Larson and Jackson, as well as the impeccable soundtrack, which doesn’t quite reach Guardians standards, but comes pretty damned close!

The trailers may have made it seem like a generic superhero movie, and in many respects it is, but Captain Marvel is so much more; offering its audiences the expected Marvel thrills as well as a funny, memorable, and surprisingly moving filmic experience!

Director, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, 2019

Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelson, Jude Law, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Akira Akbar, and Annette Bening