Iron Man: The One That Started It All

Iron Man is a Marvel Comics superhero film directed by Jon Favreau. The plot sees billionaire weapons dealer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), get captured by terrorists who use his weapons. This leads Stark to rethink his business model, it also leads to him becoming the superhero known as Iron Man.

This is were it all began, this was the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and likely without it, said universe might not have happened at all. This film was responsible for setting up one of the most complex characters in Marvel’s shared universe as well as for setting the tone for future adventures.

Personally, I enjoy that this and other early MCU films, pre full Disney, had more of rough around the edge’s kind of charm. A bit more adult and far less of the incredibly safe content that would come later.

Downey Jr. gives the performance of his life, resurrecting both his career as well as the character of Iron Man who had fallen out of mainstream popularity long ago. The life and energy that Downey Jr. brings to the role is truly extraordinary and would very hard to replicate with a different actor.

Overall, a very enjoyable film, the best Marvel film to some, and in my top 10 for sure.

Pros.

Establishing the world

Robert Downey Jr’s performance

The humour

The rough around the edges feel of it

Cons.

A weak forgettable villain

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Captain America Civil War: The World’s Most Bloodless War

Captain America: Civil War is a superhero film in the MCU directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The plot sees the Avengers become torn as the US government wants to bring in new legislation that will force heroes to register with them and be subject to government oversight. So, rather than move to a different country that didn’t have said legislation, the superheroes get angry at one another and have a fight.

I think this is probably the worst of the three Captain America films, mainly because he is side-lined in favour of an ensemble and this is basically just an Avengers films. Many people have a soft spot for this film as it was the first film to introduce Spiderman (Tom Holland), to the MCU, but upon rewatching said introduction feels gimmicky.

Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), is one of the weakest villains in the MCU, yes he has strong motivation, but his character is ignored for the most part in favour of superheroes battling in the street, so he feels underdeveloped. It is an interesting twist to see a villain’s plan work, before Infinity War obviously, that helped the film to feel fresh.

My main issue with this film is how bloodless it is. It is called Civil War, my question to you is it a war if no one dies? I know they like to play it safe but come on, you couldn’t even kill off one of the pointless side characters, to make matters worse they tease a death with War Machine (Don Cheadle), and then don’t follow through.

Overall, more spectacle than substance, a bloodless waste of a potentially good Captain America film.

Pros.

Watching the superheroes fight is cool for 10 minutes

It introduces some fun new characters

Cons.

No one dies

The villain is forgotten about and barely used

It is dumb, so very dumb

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Project Power: Popping Pills

Project Power is an action science fiction film directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. We are shown a version of New Orleans where a dangerous new street drug that gives people superpowers is all the rage. Who is behind it is unclear, but that doesn’t stop one former army major (Jamie Foxx), from trying to bring in all down and save his kidnapped daughter.

I thought this film had a very cool concept, I enjoyed the gritty very real world feel it had; despite a premise that could easily have gone in a silly, superhero direction. It is made very clear to us the audience that these people aren’t superheroes, they’re regular messed up people who are just doing what they can to try and take control of their own reality.

The soundtrack nicely pushes this authentic feel, with each song feeling very necessary and well attached to a certain scene; there was only one song that I found to be clunky and out of place and even slightly awkward.

The performances were stellar from all three leads; however I think anyone would tell you that this is Foxx’s movie and he makes the most of every second he is on-screen. It is also nice to see Joseph Gordon Levitt pop back up, I feel like its been a while since I have seen him in a big budget film.

My one complaint would be that it feels very Netflix. It is of course a Netflix action film, but therein lies the problem, because Netflix seems to keep to a formula with these kind of movies they all end up feeling very samey and there are times when this film feels like it is falling into that trap. Not a huge indictment of the film itself more one for Netflix’s action movies in general.

Overall, a fun ride with a lot to say and some great performances not one that I would need to watch again, however.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Deathstroke, Knights And Dragons: The Real Dark Knight Of The DC Universe

Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons is an animated film set within the DC animated universe. The plot tells the story of Slade Wilson (Michael Chiklis), the world’s best mercenary who is targeted by the villainous organisation HIVE. They take Slade’s son hostage and he has to get him back.

This was a very cool unexpected release, the animation style of this is pitch perfect. I loved the very obvious anime influence and the way the character looked and moved, I thought quite a few of the action scenes were beautifully done and looked very impressive.

I enjoyed the dive into Slade and who he is, with a focus on his family and the effect his work has on them. It was nice seeing him in more of an antihero role rather than as a villain as he normally appears, I think the character has a lot of potential and I would like to see his character get the live action treatment in the DCEU.

My only issue with the film is that the narrative repeats itself, it does this as Slade’s son is taken twice and he has to save him twice within the same film. I understand why it’s done to show his character growth and how he changed his approach the second time around, but I personally thought it would have worked better if the two hostage scenes had happened across two separate films.

Overall, this is one of the best DC Animated films I have seen in a long time, it is cool and badass, and just fun to watch.

Pros.

Showing Slade’s heroic side

The action scenes

The anime influence

The ending, teasing more to come.

Cons.

The narrative repetition

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Thor Dark World: I’m Guessing No One Was Happy On This Set

Thor Dark World is a superhero action film in The Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Alan Taylor. The plot finds the evil Dark Elves resurfaced with plans to plunge the entire universe into darkness, there is only one person who can stop them, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth).

This film is widely regarded as one of the worst, if not the worst film in all of the MCU and there is good reason for it. Unlike most of the MCU that is insanely rewatchable I have only seen this film twice.

The first Thor film was the underrated gem of the first phase of the MCU, and was far better than it had any right to be. Part of the reason for this for me at least was the relationship between Thor and the humans of Earth, but more importantly Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). I enjoyed the dynamic between the two characters, and I thought they had one of the best love stories of the MCU. How they managed to screw it up so much in this film is baffling. Thor and Jane no longer have any chemistry and Portman seems like she doesn’t want to be there, a pattern with her.

However, where the Thor and Jane relationship lacks this film does improve and build upon the relationship between Thor and his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), in a way which made them and the film better. This would lead well into Thor Ragnarök.

Another issue with this film is that they entirely waste Christopher Eccleston as the villain Malekith. Eccleston is one of the best British actors without question, so when they gave him such a bland and underserved character it was almost like an insult. I won’t go after the MCU for weak villains as it is an easy and well-worn target.

Also the supporting cast from the first film return and are either wasted or tarnished and embarrassed it is a mixture of the two.

Pros.

The Thor/ Loki plotline

Cons.

Ruins the romance

Wastes Eccleston

Spits on the minor supporting characters

It is dull

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Wonder Woman: The Shining Light Of The DCEU

Wonder Woman is a superhero film directed by Patty Jenkins. The plot centres of Amazonian warrior Diana (Gal Gadot), who becomes entangled with a WW1 plot and who finds out that she is a demigod. There is a lot going on, but hey it’s a superhero film.

Before I get into this review I just want to say that this film is probably my favourite DCEU film to date, closely followed by Shazam, and I believe it achieves a lot of what Captain Marvel was going for in terms of female empowerment, but is often short changed in favour of the inferior MCU film.

Gadot really did prove all of the haters wrong, she perfectly embodied the character on screen and became almost synonymous with the role. Diana as a character is easy to root for and is very down to earth and likeable despite not being mortal.

The colour pallet of this film and the use of humour really help this film to set itself apart from the wider DCEU and establish it as something with its own identity. I really think this film nails how to use comedy in a superhero film it has several funny sequences including the penis scene early on with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), which made me laugh, but hey I also laughed at the “what are those” line in Black Panther. The humour also doesn’t take away from the badass action, as is the problem with the MCU a lot of the time.

Yes, I know I can’t talk about the film without addressing the final CGI boss fight that does let the film down and ends it on some what of a sour note, it is a shame, but the rest of the film more than make up for it.

Overall probably the best DCEU film.

Pros.

The comedy

Diana and Steve

Gal Gadot

The Action

The WW1 setting

Cons.

The final fight

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Iron Man 3: The MCU’s First Slip Up

Iron Man 3 is a superhero action film directed by Shane Black. The plot sees Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), suffer with the consequences of being Iron Man. It is a very human story. The you have some nonsense with serums and old enemies seeking out Stark. However, at its heart it is a story about Tony finding a new place in the world and coping with it.

This review may be controversial.

So, this film had a big task to accomplish it had to follow Iron Man 1 and 2 (which I enjoyed), and also serve to end the Iron Man trilogy, that is a tall order by any means. I applaud Shane Black for making this a more stripped back story, focusing on Tony as a human being rather than a superhero. Having him have to use his mind to get himself out of trouble rather than this armour or his Superhero pals. As a character study piece it gets thumbs up from me, however, this is not a character study film this is a superhero film.

It is in that regard that I think this film falls apart. The promise of Ben Kingsley as the famous Iron Man villain the Mandarin was a tantalising one indeed, so when they revealed that the he wasn’t the actual Mandarin and was actually an actor it was more than a little disappointing. The real villain of the film was a one note baddy whose name I can’t even remember, the subversion didn’t work and was later undone in further material.

Overall an ambitious film in a lot of ways, it succeeds as a character study it fails as a superhero film.

Pros.

Making Tony Stark human.

Not including other Avengers (outside of Rhodey)

Giving Pepper something to do

Cons.

The twist doesn’t work

It adds nothing to the MCU as a whole and ends up feeling quite inconsequential

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Batman, Gotham By Gaslight: Boring Batman

Gotham By Gaslight is a straight to DVD superhero film directed by Sam Liu. The plot is an Elseworlds Batman tale set in a Victorian Gotham City that see the Caped Crusader go up against Jack The Ripper. This leads to a fight atop a burning ferries wheel and a traumatising reveal.

I have been looking forward to this for quite a while, but I have to say it was not good.

My main issue with this film is that it managed to make Batman fighting Jack The Ripper, an insanely cool premise, be boring. The pacing of this film is so poorly done that it becomes infuriating after a while, you just want to see the two of them fight, but they just keep padding it out and padding it out.

The characters lack any kind of charisma, they just feel bland. No new ground is tread here the only character that is slightly furthered is James Gordon (Scott Patterson), and that is in a very Elseworlds way; he is Saucy Jack.

The two things I enjoyed about this film are they don’t make Joker Jack, which would have been incredibly obvious, and I also love the characterisation of Selina Kyle aka Cat Woman (Jennifer Carpenter). I thought Selina in this was pitch perfect she was very take charge and was at the forefront of the fight back. I also loved how this film handled her relationship with Bruce.

Overall, not doing the obvious and having a good Bruce Selina dynamic is not enough to make up for the fact this film could not hold my attention.

Pros.

Selina.

Not making Jack The Ripper Joker.

Cons.

It wastes a great premise.

It was boring.

It feels long for an hour and 20 minutes.

It didn’t leave an impression.

1/5

Reviewed by Luke

Batman, Assault On Arkham: Fear The BAT

Batman: Assault On Arkham is an animated superhero film directed by Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding. The plot follows the infamous Task Force X/ or as they’re otherwise known The Suicide Squad as they lead an Amanda Waller directed raid on Arkham Asylum in an effort to retrieve an object of immense value from within its walls.

I have been meaning to watching this film for some time, I really like the DC animated movie universe, and this is yet another jewel in it. Though I liked it, this film is what the DCEU Suicide Squad movie should have been. An adult and gritty take on the Batman rouges gallery that isn’t constantly trying to get you to care about and root for its leads. This film knows that the members of the Suicide Squad are villains and treats them as such.

I like the lethality this film has towards its characters, it reminds me of the comic books, people die in the Suicide Squad all the time hence the name; so I appreciate that this film doesn’t pull any punches in that regard. I also enjoyed the Batman fight scene, I thought it was very Arkham esque; I later learned that this film was in the same universe as the Arkham games and that made sense.

Overall, I liked the tone and approach of this film. I also enjoyed the animation, I thought it was very easy on the eye and wasn’t too over the top. I would gladly watch another film set in this universe as I think there are more stories to be told and more characters to explore. That might be my only real issue with the film the characters were not flushed out at all.

Pros.

The animation.

The tone.

The fight with Batman.

The violence overall.

Cons.

The character feel very one note.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke.

Shazam: Big 2.0

Shazam is a superhero film directed by David F. Sandberg, it is the 7^th instalment in the DCEU. The plot follows Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a young foster kid who has spent most of his life trying to find his biological mum after she abandoned him at a fair. One day an old wizard calls upon Billy to take up the mantel of Shazam (Zachery Levi), and stop the evil that the 7 Deadly Sins have bought into the world, as well as defeat evil scientist Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).

Of all the DC Comics heroes Shazam is probably the one that I am the least familiar with, as such it was neat to learn his origin story. I think the story choice of having Billy be a foster kid that constantly runs away from foster homes to look for his mum, who he believes is the only family he needs, only to have it turn out that his mum deliberately abandoned him is an inspired choice. This choice was surprisingly dark for a family film and I appreciated that. What’s more this gave the moment when Billy finally excepts his foster family far more emotional weight.

As anyone who has ever seen Chuck can tell you Zachery Levi might be the most charming man on the planet, he was great in the Thor films though he only had a small part and he is terrific here in a larger superhero role. He perfectly captures the Big mentality, being a kid’s brain in the body of a grown man, as he plays the character with a healthy does of innocence and naivety. When his big hero moment finally comes it feels earned.

Furthermore, Mark Strong does a great turn as the villain, his character is threatening and menacing and dominates the screen every time he appears. Strong proves once again that he is one of the most versatile actors currently working. The boardroom scene is one of my favourites of last year, you will know why when you watch it.

I think this might be the most underrated and perhaps the best DCEU film. The emotional stakes are pitch perfect, Zachery Levi is magnificent, and the film isn’t afraid to get dark, which it does several times to great effect.

Pros.

Zachery Levi.

The darkness.

The humour.

The emotional stakes.

The wider universe.

Cons.

None, I have seen this several times and it holds up each watch.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke