I’m not sure what’s going on with James Wan’s blockbuster Aquaman. This is a bloated Franken-movie that cobbles together parts of many – mostly better (*cough* Black Panther *cough*) films. Yet by the time the climactic final battle takes place, I found myself cheering for our hero. How does that happen? As a director, Wan’s…
If you liked Deadpool 2 but were put off by the graphic language and violence, then Once Upon a Deadpool is for you. This teen-friendly version is surprisingly inventive and, in some respects, works better than the original. As you might imagine, cutting out a lot of the swearing and gore has trimmed the movie…
Arguably the most sophisticated animated feature I can immediately recall, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse lifts the bar on what’s possible in a cartoon medium. We’re introduced to Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (the voice of Shameik Moore) and the limitless potential of the Spider-Verse, where anyone can wear the mask. The movie centres on Miles’ adventures…
Yet another superhero movie featuring a second-tier character from the Marvel stable. Or should that be a super-anti-hero, because Venom isn’t your usual superhero? We first met Venom in the Sam Raimi-helmed Spider-Man 3, when he was played by Topher Grace. And despite its origins with Spider-Man, Venom sits outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The…
Marvel movies have two kinds of superhero. You’ve got your building smashers (Iron Man, Thor, Hulk) who are into saving the world. Then you have your (ahem) smaller heroes – your Spider-Man, your Hawkeye – and the eponymous Ant-Man and the Wasp. They bring a human dimension to superheroes. They may not save the world,…
Hard to believe Brad Bird’s groundbreaking The Incredibles came out 14 years ago. He already had a solid reputation from his beloved The Iron Giant, but The Incredibles shot him to another level. Now Bird and an expanded team are back with Incredibles 2 – and they’ve done it again. The Incredibles 2 picks up – literally – where The Incredibles…
Marvel’s most, um… inappropriate, superhero returns in Deadpool 2. And if you liked the original’s blend of raunchy humour and super doings, this has more of the same. David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) replaces Tim Miller in the director’s chair but the difference in style is largely imperceptible. Deadpool 2 offers pretty much a re-run of…
Superheroes? Check. Evil villains? Check. Massive battles? Check. Funny jokes? Check. Must be another Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, right? Well, Avengers: Infinity War is certainly that. But this latest from Anthony and Joe Russo – who brought us the Captain America installments Winter Soldier and Civil War – is more filler than killer. Avengers:…
Marvel Studios’ latest superhero flick, Black Panther, tells the tale of T’Challa, an African prince who takes on the mantle of king and the centuries’ old legacy that comes with it. Crossing racial and cultural lines, the groundbreaking Black Panther character is another creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He made his first appearance in the…
I’m well and truly over superheroes battling mega tyrannical villains, causing loud, elongated mass destruction. Now I enter the cinema to see one of these box office fancies fearing the worst … and so it was with Justice League. In this one, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) has a restored faith in humanity, inspired by Superman’s selfless…
