After a brilliant but arrogant surgeon loses the use of his hands in an accident, his search for healing takes him beyond science and medicine to strange realms of magic.
With new power comes new responsibility, as though that’s a common theme to all Marvel plots or something. Our reality is under threat, and Doctor Strange has to fully embrace the powers he only half-understands in order to fight back.
New York is in danger from gun-wielding ninja gangs, robot samurai, and corrupt scientists. The citizens have only one hope, and no one knows about them.
April O’Neil, a reporter who is more intrepid than her job allows, discovers hints of the existence of a secret vigilante force: a group of ninjas who are also giant talking turtles.
Continue reading “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) – Review”
The Punisher is another adaptation of a Marvel comic, but one that came earlier than the current plague of them, and one that is much, much darker in tone.
Unlike the majority of Marvel’s stable, The Punisher is more vigilante than hero, and more likely to savagely beat someone to death than leave them conveniently webbed near a police station.
Thomas Jane plays Frank Castle, an undercover cop whose job is to take down the big players in the criminal underworld. Shortly after that, he plays Frank Castle, happily retired and enjoying time with his family. Shortly after that, he plays the Punisher, a vigilante striking back against the criminals who killed his entire extended family and left him for dead. There’s a lot of plot development in the first half hour. Continue reading “The Punisher (2004) – Review”
Set after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War shows a world in which the civilian population has suffered catastrophe after catastrophe. Alien invasions, plummeting cities, general super-powered destruction and death.
In order to deal with growing public outrage at collateral damage, the UN takes control of the Avengers. Those who sign up can only intervene in situations when instructed. Those who refuse to sign are arrested, or forced to retire.
Captain America (and friends) end up on the other side from Iron Man (and different friends). While they fight over philosophical differences, future Nazis search for cryogenically-frozen super-soldiers.
Continue reading “Captain America: Civil War (2016) – Review”
I was initially a little reluctant to watch Deadpool; he’s a character who seems to have more than the usual number of fans who don’t know when to finish conversations. I was worried that the film would be pandering, full of fan service and self-conscious edginess.
When I was finally dragged to watch it though, I was pleasantly surprised. Deadpool, due to the concept, was always going to be a difficult film to pull off, but it’s actually rather well done. Continue reading “Deadpool (2016) – Review”
I love superhero movies, but they can get a little dull. There’s a clear formula, and film after film follows the same pattern – the same archetypes play out the same moves again and again, with the only changes being the specific powers and threats to humanity.
Ant-man, while not a total departure from the formula, does play around with it a little. Enough is changed that it feel fresh, enough is kept that it still provides the experience viewers are expecting from a Marvel film. The trailer is below.
I don’t go to the cinema very often – there are only a few films that I make the effort to see on a big screen, generally preferring a comfortable sofa to a seat in a room full of rustling popcorn. Currently though, I try to go see the Marvel superhero films; they tend towards grand spectacle, and work better when able to be larger and noisier.
Avengers: Age of Ultron continues on from both the previous Avengers film and the various films of the separate superheroes who make up the Avengers. There are aspects of character and situation that you’ll have to catch up on if you missed one of the earlier films, but the basic idea is simple, and the film makes sense even if you don’t understand every little detail. Continue reading “Avengers: Age of Ultron (Review)”
Inconsistent Pacing 