Falcon And The Winter Soldier: Power Broker

Written by Luke Barnes

Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 3 Power Broker is the third episode in the Marvel Disney + series. The plot sees Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan), break Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), out of prison so that he can help them find out more information about the super soldier program and the Flag Smashers.

I thought this episode was on the whole good, not as good as the previous episode however, for reasons we will get to later. I thought it moved the story along and introduced some interesting new elements and locations to the MCU that I hope to see again in other films and Disney + series.

It was nice to see Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) return. Though she did not do a lot, really she was just there to spout exposition and to remind the audience she was alive. However, she did manage to make an impression due to one very graphic, for the MCU, and well-choreographed fight scene.

My issues with this episode are twofold. Firstly, I think the two separate storylines, the boys hunting down answers about the super soldier serum, and the stuff with the fake Captain America (Wyatt Russell) are starting to clash. Personally I think the stuff with the fake Captain America is going in a very obvious direction and I would rather they just get it over with so we can focus on the more interesting matters at hand.

Secondly, and this is linked to the previous point, the idea of Bucky and Sam going rogue and the Government coming for them for freeing Zemo feels very phase 3, very Civil War era and I get that it is a stylistic inspiration for the show, but personally I think the MCU is past it and I don’t really want to see it go back.

Overall, still a strong episode, but some of the tonal and plot issues are starting to show.

Pros.
Zemo

Bringing back Sharon

The ending

Cons.

They do use Sharon for anything interesting

The storylines are starting to clash

A bit too Civil War like for my taste

3/5

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Falcon And The Winter Solider: The Star-Spangled Man

Written by Luke Barnes

The Star-Spangled Man is the second episode of Marvel’s Falcon And The Winter Soldier. The episode revolves around the introduction of the new Captain America (played by Wyatt Russell), as well as further developments with the Flag Smashers, and an exploration of the ideas around the super soldier serum and it’s continuation beyond Steve Rogers (Chris Evans).

I was deeply disappointed with the first episode of TFTWS, but I have to say this episode was a lot better and really got the series going in the right direction.

First off I want to say how excellent the Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) twist was it showed us a whole otherside of the super soldier project, which helped us recontextualise it in our minds whilst also expanding the wider mythos of the MCU to an interesting new dimension.

Secondly, the series is greatly helped by now having Sam (Antony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) on screen together. After watching this episode it only becomes clearer to me that one of the biggest issues with the first episode of this series was keeping its two main men separated. Luckily this episode fixes that and brings them together. Mackie and Stan have terrific on-screen chemistry together and really make the show what it is, their easy banter and shared pains make you want to watch the show and give a damn about the characters.

Thirdly, I enjoyed how this episode showed us the new Captain America in a wider light, we get to see him as both a villain to Bucky and Sam (the former takes an immediate dislike to him), as well as a hero in his own right. The ending of the episode teases us with bigger things to come and no doubt the new Captain America will have his character explored in further depth, but this is a nice start.

My only issue with this episode is that despite marking a quarter of the series being over, (as it is only 6 episodes), it still feels like it is arranging the pieces, which really should have been done in the first episode. An example of what I am talking about is that Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), was said to have a large role in the series yet now we are a quarter of the way through it, and she is yet to appear. The pace should either have been quicker or there should have been more episodes commissioned to better fit this slow style.

Overall, a much, much stronger episode, however pacing still remains an issue.

Pros.

Bringing Bucky and Sam together

The reveal of Isaiah Bradley

Zemo

The new Captain America and his character work

Cons.

The pace is still too slow

4/5

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Godzilla Vs Kong: A Pretender To The Throne

Written by Luke Barnes

Godzilla Vs Kong is a science fiction film directed by Adam Wingard and set in the Monsterverse. The plot sees the two Kings do battle, as there can only be one.

As many of you know, I was not a fan of King Of The Monsters, I thought it was loud, dumb and devoid of charm. However, whilst to a point that is still applicable here, I am please to say I enjoyed this film far more.

The logic of the film is still very dumb, the humans turn on Godzilla almost immediately despite realising how much they liked him at the end of the last film- only to later realise they like him again. There are a ton of plot holes, and broken plot threads that go nowhere, but you aren’t watching this for the plot.

The monsters fighting is quite well done and does not become repetitive as I had feared it might do. I think that this was far more of a Kong film with the odd appearance from Godzilla here and there, and I didn’t mind that.

I thought the emotion was spot on; that is my biggest compliment of the film. Firstly, you cared about the human characters, which is shocking, and not only that but they have impactful emotional arcs both between themselves and with the titans which greatly enhances the film as a whole.

Overall, a step up from the previous film that manages to do the impossible and make you care about the human characters.

Pros.

The human characters

The emotion

Fun monster fights

Cons.

It is dumb and the logic doesn’t make sense

It feels a little underwhelming after all the titans featured in the previous film

3.5/5

SAS Red Notice: Ruby Rose Finally Gives A Good Performance

Written by Luke Barnes

SAS: Red Notice is a British action thriller film directed by Magnus Martens, based on the book of the same name by Andy McNab. The plot sees the British government turn on a family of mercenaries in their employ when one of the many atrocities committed runs the risk of being traced back to senior figures. A cat and mouse game ensues.

This seems to be a week of humility for me, first I was wrong about the Snydercut and now I am wrong about Ruby Rose- well partially. So, as some of you may know I have strong doubts about Rose as an actor, in that she can’t act or emote with her face. However, the one thing she can do is be a convincing action star and this film proves that. She commands the screen as the unhinged psychopathic villain intent on making the world pay and manages to sell herself as an action presence.

However, Rose is easily out acted by veteran performers such as Noel Clarke and Andy Serkis. By and large the acting in this film is good. The lead performance from Sam Heughan is a little weak, but maybe that was on purpose as the film reveals his character to also be a psychopath and to struggle with emotions.

The film does focus a lot of its time and energy especially in the third act on psychopaths and how they differ from everyone else, and whilst I think it is a fascinating aside that I would love to see more explored elsewhere, it does steal focus away from the film and derail it a little bit.

Though for the most part I enjoyed this film my main issue with it would be that it reduced Hannah John- Karmen, a very gifted actor (who has appeared in Netflix’s The Stranger, as well as playing Ghost in Antman And The Wasp), down to basically a damsel in distress/ girlfriend character, which feels incredibly reductive.

Overall, a strong action film with a few interesting asides, sadly these asides derail the plot and from that position the poor performances are even more visible.

Pros.

Rose as an action star and not as an actor

Some good action/ thrills

Clarke and Serkis

The ending

Cons.

Derailment

Poor acting from some of the cast

4/5

Falcon And The Winter Soldier: New World Order

Written by Luke Barnes

Falcon And The Winter Soldier is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the second Disney + offering. The plot sees Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), existing in a post Endgame and post Captain America world.

As far as first episodes to event TV shows go this one is quite slow. There is a fairly tame opening action set piece to start with, but the main purpose of this episode entitled New World Order is to function as a character study of the two leads- and to clearly define where they are at, both as heroes and as people.

This episode delves into some quite deep areas, such as loss, accountability and self-loathing and is far darker than most content coming out of the MCU in recent years. The show feels mature, and the themes and ideas explored further this as they feel very real and lived rather than fantastical.

Moreover, this episode also has a socio-political/ racial message to it, which again is a first for the MCU. Whilst not being overt and choosing to use the returned people after the blip as a standin for oppressed Black Americans, the metaphor is clear. Sadly, this will make the episode polarising as there will be those asking to keep real world politics out of this action/ fantasy show.

In terms of wider lore building this episode introduces us to the new Captain America (Wyatt Russell), who will factor into the events of the show heavily going forward. Likewise the new villainous group the Flag Smashers are also introduced, and this is important as comics wise this group has ties to the New World Order, The Masters Of Evil and The Dark Avengers- so might be an indication as to wear the MCU is heading.

Overall, not what I was expecting, far slower and more introspective, however it does do some great character work and sets up a series of interesting events to come.

Pros.

Bucky’s arc

Sam’s arc

Setting up battles to come

Cons.

It is very slow

It might be too political for some

The new Captain America reveal feels a bit rushed

2.5/5

Zack Snyder’s Justice League: The Day Is Finally Upon Us

Written by Luke Barnes

The Snydercut or as it is sometimes more formally known Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, serving as a remastered cut of the 2017 Justice League film that Snyder had to step away from due to personal reasons. The plot focuses on the formation of the Justice League in an attempt to fight off the invading forces of Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) and Darkseid (Ray Porter).

So as many of you know, I have thought for a long time that this film was going to be bad, or at the very least unnecessary. However, I can admit when I am wrong and am pleased to tell you this film is a vast improvement over what we got in cinemas 4 years ago: now I am not saying it is perfect, but I am saying it is a marked improvement, buckle up this is going to be a long one.

Firstly I want to address something that for me was a glaring issue with the film and that is the overly sexualised nature of the female characters. Sorry Snyder fans this is going to upset you, but there is a recurring theme in Snyder’s work of ogling women and that is very much here as well. Wonder Woman’s (Gal Gadot) skirt seems shorter, the Amazonians are basically just wearing fancy metal underwear in some cases with their midriff fully exposed, because that is wise in battle? Iris West (Keirsey Clemons)is included just as a plot device and a damsel to be saved by Barry (Ezra Miller), and of course I would be remiss if I did not mention the camera’s fascination with Gadot’s behind.

Though Cyborg (Ray Fisher), is given more to do, his look and crucially the CGI aspects of it are still quite a ways off and are distracting throughout the film, if they could remove the light in his forehead it would look infinitely better. The same can be said of Steppenwolf the other major CGI character who looks like he has come straight out of a videogame and is again distracting.

The film does benefit from better pacing with the 4 hour runtime allowing the film to feel grander and more epic. I feel that by stretching the film out more a lot of things that didn’t make sense the first time around through lack of context suddenly do, and the world as a whole feels better explored and created.

Oddly enough despite the sexualisation Snyder seems to understand Wonder Woman better than Patty Jenkins, and after watching this I think the reason the first Wonder Woman film was so good and the second was so bad was Snyder’s involvement. Snyder gives Wonder Woman a lot of good character work that makes her feel far more central to the narrative, and also far more interesting. Moreover, by redoing the bank scene and the Amazonian battle scene Snyder it able to make both more inspiring and appear better on screen; the shortening in the Whedon cut really hurt the film.

Similarly, Snyder finally seems to understand Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill), here as well, moving away from some of the edgy aspects of their characters from his previous films and giving us a more comics accurate portrayal.

I think the tone is much better here than it has been in a lot of the other DCEU films as there are moments of levity amongst an otherwise serious affair, but they aren’t treated like dumb cringey jokes like in the original version of Justice League here they feel far more natural to the characters and importantly work.

I think this film is improved by being a Snyder film and from having his sensibilities applied to the project, I think his trademark use of slow motion is often used to great effect especially with the Flash stuff. I also feel like this film could be viewed as somewhat of a spiritual successor to Watchmen,also directed by Snyder, and think it would make for an interesting double bill.

Ezra Miller’s flash does still stand out for all the wrong reasons, and I do hope in future films they tone down the character and his awkwardness as it does become cringe at times, but not as much as in the previous version. Likewise, I also found the amount of problematic people cast in this film off putting as you have Miller (who choke slammed a fan allegedly), Amber Heard (who is the internet boogeyman) and Jared Leto (look it up), all rubbing shoulders with each other in a troublesome trifactor. Though I will give Snyder the benefit of the doubt the incidents involving two of them didn’t come out until it was too late to change it, but it is a shame.

The score by Junkie XL is terrific and really does bring the film together, with the music really adding a lot to the fight scenes in particular; with the new motif they have for Wonder Woman probably being my favourite.

Sadly, there is a large amount of product placement in this film that really does cheapen the film to an extent, admittedly only brief sections feel almost like adverts within the film.

The things added that have made this film R rated are a mixed bag, the blood does add to the intensity of the battle scenes, though the swearing really adds nothing and on the whole the film does not need to be R rated.

Moreover, the reach around line from Joker, is creepy and needless and should have been left out of the film.

Finally, I just want to talk about some of the stuff from the end of the film. Batman’s attempted self-sacrifice does still feel needless though it is handled better here, and the Nightmare section feels forced in at the end for no real reason. With the nightmare section it is clearly Snyder setting up for another film that he does deserve but most likely won’t get. Furthermore, the film does not really neatly address the Flashes’ warning from the previous film, and there are a number of other outstanding questions left to be answered as well.

Overall, a moment of triumph for the DCEU, something far better than the recent offerings (BOP and WW84), though sadly let down by sexual objectification, poor CGI and product placement.

Pros.

Solid world building

Good character work

The battle scenes are far more intense

A lot of the scenes flow better with more context which is allowed for with the longer run time

Cons.

The sexualisation and using of women as a plot device

The reach around line

The poor CGI

The product placement

3.5/5

Mechanic Resurrection: The Most Pervy and Exploitative Film Of 2016

Written by Luke Barnes

Mechanic Resurrection is an action thriller film directed by Dennis Gansel. The plot follows Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham), a very effective assassin who gets roped into pulling of a series of puzzling murders, after someone from his past kidnaps his girlfriend (Jessica Alba). Apparently this is a sequel to the 2011 film The Mechanic though I wasn’t aware of that until I started writing this review.

From that brief description of the plot you can see how this film is furthering the sexist damsel in distress stereotypes but hold on dear reader- it is far worse than that. Not only does this film want to carry on old cliches and stereotypes, it also takes every opportunity, and I do mean every, to ogle Alba’s body. This film seems averse to Alba wearing many clothes at all and frequently objectifies her, including in quite a icky sex scene; honestly after watching this film you need to take a shower.

The film is made better than some other subpar, Statham flicks by the fact that it is mostly played for laugh, or at least that is how I took it, and it never tries to be too serious. Though this does not translate over into Statham’s performances and he plays the role deadly serious, without even a hint of charm in the entire film.
Overall: I guess my takeaway from this film is that the days of Statham being in good action films like the Transporter series, or Crank are long over, and now he seems content to just make mediocre, sexist action fare and collect a pay check.

Pros.

The film doesn’t take itself too seriously

The dumb and over the top kills

Cons.

Statham plays it far too serious and has no charm

The way they treat Alba’s character throughout

Everything to do with Tommy Lee Jones’ supporting role

2/5

Raya And The Last Dragon: A Win For Kelly Marie Tran, A Loss For Everyone Else

Written by Luke Barnes

Raya And The Last Dragon is an animated action adventure fantasy film directed by Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada. We follow Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a warrior who sets out to collect all the pieces of the dragon gem, to save the world from a dark evil.

So before I get into this review, I just want to say how nice it is to see Kelly Marie Tran come out swinging like this after all the hate she endured online, it is truly inspiring.

I enjoyed the premise and thought the story was a neat idea, it was original yet also a little familiar.

However, sadly that is where my praise for this film ends. I did not hate this film, but I did think it was very, very generic.

So firstly, none of the characters feel likeable- they just don’t click. They all have their moments here and there across the course of the film, but these aren’t enough and the second the film ends you forget all about it and its character’s none of them leave an impact on you.

Likewise the emotional heart of this film feels very hollow. The two big driving forces in terms of the heart of the film, are Raya being able to revive her dad and Raya’s rivalry with her arch enemy Nammari (Gemma Chan), both of these plot threads are resolved, but the payoff leaves you feeling cold and unmoved. Disney animation needs to take a few cues from Pixar to fix this.

Another fault of the film comes with ancient dragon Sisu (Awkwafina), who is the comedic side kick of Raya for most of the film. The issue with Sisu is that the narrative builds her and other dragons up to being these immensely powerful beings and yet they don’t show the dragons doing anything to justify this reputation. Moreover, Awkwafina is not funny in the role and doesn’t not nail the performance, her character feels like it is trying to be Eddie Murphy’s Mushu and Robin Williams’ The Genie, all at the same time and yet doesn’t bring the charm of either.

Overall, this is very watchable and is fine fare for families just looking for something easy to watch. However, I would not say it is worth the price point, as the film itself is deeply average. Wait till June.

Pros.

Kelly Marie Tran gives a good performance

The lore and the world is interesting

Cons.

The emotion doesn’t stick

Awkwafina is badly miscast

It is very safe and predicatable

2.5/5

Nest Of Vampires: Sucking Blood In The UK

Nest Of Vampires is a British action horror film directed by Chris Sanders. The plot sees an MI5 officer become wrapped up in the affairs of a vampiric cult after trying to find the people responsible for the death of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter.

There is something of an early Neil Marshall here, still rough but full of promise.

I enjoy British horror quite a lot, not knocking anywhere else’s horror, but there has always been something special to me about homegrown horror; there is just a certain edge to it that I haven’t seen elsewhere. The last Marshal comparison I will make today, in Dog Soldiers you can see what I mean about this edge, the dark countryside area, the rough practical effects, the gore- there is just something to it.

That is very much the case here as well, there is a grime to it all- I think that is the best word for that special British something that I am talking about. The grime makes everything just pop that little bit more. The violence stands out and becomes even more visceral, and the characters and the world feel real and lived in.

I enjoyed the plot of the film for the most part, there were a few pacing issues here and there, but I thought it worked well and I have not seen a vampire film like this in a while and it had almost a retro like appeal to it that I enjoyed.

I thought the horror of the film was strong, I wouldn’t call it scary rather oppressive as the action elements often stop there from being jump scares and that sort of thing. However, I do think the action and the horror work well together to create almost a dark fantasy film, which again is an under represented genre in current cinema.

Overall, a very entertaining watch, more so perhaps if you are already a fan of British horror cinema.

Pros.

That special something

The action

The horror elements

A strong villain

Cons.

A few light pacing problems

The lead could do with more development

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Wandavison: The Future Of The MCU Is On Disney + ?

Written by Luke Barnes

Wandavison is a superhero TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Matt Shakman. The plot follows on from the events of Avengers Endgame that saw Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), lose the love of her life Vision (Paul Bettany), in the fight against Thanos. This makes things odd when government agency S.W.O.R.D starts picking up reports of a town that has been turned into a sitcom, with Wanda and Vision at the centre of it- what is going on?

So this was the big first series of the Disney + Marvel era, how was it? Well for the most part it was solid and just what you would want out of the MCU, however, there was also a tinge of disappointment as I finished the series. Now as I am writing this series review, I am torn.

First things first, the opening few episodes won’t be to everyone’s speed. They are very different from the wider MCU, and instead focus on being a faithful homage to different classic sitcoms, with Marvel easter eggs being thrown in to keep people invested. If you are a lover of classic American sitcoms then you will definitely get more out of this show. However, with episode 3 things start to progress quickly, and crazy shenanigans begin.

That brings us to my first little issue with the show, so for the most part these shenanigans are good, and they nicely feed that MCU itch we have all had for over a year now. However, the series has far too many characters, and can’t balance its cast at all. This becomes an issue when you have the return of Kat Dennings’ Darcy, who yes, has a few moments in the lime light but for the most part feels relegated to a bit player when she could have been so much more.

This is contrasted with the main performances from Bettany and Olsen, who both benefit from more screen time and a wider focus on their characters. Olsen and Bettany really make the show as good as it is, and the final scene they share is a testament to both of them as actors, a dry eye will not be found in the house.

The ending of the show poses, a few interesting questions about where Wanda is going in the MCU, and what we might see from her in the future. With the final post credits scene (there are two), being particularly interesting. Also the new costume is rad as hell.

I found myself disappointed by the finale, not because like many I had read theories online and expected all kinds of crazy nonsense to happen, but rather because I was expecting the finale to be bigger to feel more impactful. Yes, the ending we get is intimate and personal and serves as great character work, but I really thought the ending of the first Disney + Marvel series was going to end with more of a bang. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Overall, as long as you realise that for the most part this is atypical MCU fare, and don’t read articles online about wild character reveals, there is plenty to like here especially if you are a fan of American sitcoms or the wider MCU.

Pros.

The intimate love story

The crazy mystery

Olsen

Bettany

Peters

Cons.

The ending doesn’t have as much of a bang as you would want or expect

There are a few too many characters

4/5