Marvel

  • Review: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ spins a web of action-packed fun (Includes first-hand account)

    Since Marvel came back into the fold, Spider-Man has flourished. No longer an emo man-child, he exudes youth and teenage sarcasm in a manner inherit to the character. In other words, Peter Parker really looks and feels like the boy next door now. Moreover, bringing him back into the greater MCU allowed for more interesting storylines as he built a paternal bond with the ever-aloof Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). If you haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame, then you really should before watching this picture because it opens with a major spoiler (which also can’t/won’t be avoided for the remainder of this review — fair warning). Having announced this movie would close out Marvel Studios‘ phase three rather than Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home took the baton and slung away.

  • Review: ‘Dark Phoenix’ goes up in flames (Includes first-hand account)

    Fans of the Phoenix saga generally came to the story in one of two ways: through the X-Men comics or via the ‘90s animated TV series. The last couple of attempts to incorporate the fiery narrative into the film franchise didn’t amount to very much and definitely didn’t do the epic storyline justice. Now, they’ve given the immensely powerful mutant her own picture in which to explore her abilities and unleash the rage that accompanies it. But it’s not all fire and brimstone as there’s a lot of complex emotions to deal with as well. Dark Phoenix tries to encapsulate all of these things while telling one of the superheroes’ most beloved narratives.

  • Review: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is what fans want but not what they expected (Includes first-hand account)

    After 11 years and 22 films, the penultimate movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s phase three brings it all full circle. With only a handful of Avengers left to fix the world — most of whom are ready to hang-up their superhero costumes — it was obvious they’d need to find a way to reverse Thanos’ snap. But who or how remained to be seen. As the Russo brothers swore everyone to secrecy via social media, anxious fans bought their movie tickets and prepared to find out just how a defeated group or heroes save a world that no longer exists in Avengers: Endgame.

  • Review: ‘Captain Marvel’ is a galactic force to be reckoned with (Includes first-hand account)

    While the Marvel Cinematic Universe consistently delivers entertaining films, they are less committed to sticking to a linear timeline. Consequently, the movies must be rearranged like puzzle pieces to get the full picture. The latest movie is about to bring things full circle by going all the way back to the beginning (or actually, just before the beginning) before swinging back to the present debacle caused by Thanos. In spite of featuring some very strong female characters in their films, it unfortunately took Marvel 20 outings to make a movie with a female lead. Nonetheless, the moment has finally arrived with Captain Marvel.

  • Review: ‘Once Upon a Deadpool’ is a fun but fleeting experiment (Includes first-hand account)

    Those who grew up watching certain movies on cable — with commercials — before finally watching an uncut, recorded version on VHS/DVD/laser disc/Blu-ray, know what it’s like to discover scenes, coarse dialogue and graphic images they’ve never seen before. It sometimes changed the whole dynamic of a film and made it impossible to ever go back to the shorter, sanitized version to which you’d been accustomed. Of course, the television cut wasn’t really any less good, but it was unquestionably different. This feeling is gaining relic status with the adoption of streaming and video-on-demand, but Fox has decided to recapture the experience with its PG-rated rendering of Once Upon a Deadpool.

  • Review: ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ delivers fun in multiple sizes (Includes first-hand account)

    One of the last times anyone saw Ant-Man, he was 65′ tall and swatting at Spider-Man as Captain America and Iron Man battled over who should sit at the head of the Avengers table in Captain America: Civil War. There’s been some amusing conversation about where the tiny superhero was during the epic stand-off with Thanos and his cronies in Avengers: Infinity War part one, but no definitive answers. Since Germany, Scott Lang has simply been off the grid. But he’s finally resurfaced and he’s brought a friend in Ant-Man and The Wasp.

  • Review: ‘Deadpool 2’ remains true to its foul-mouthed protagonist (Includes first-hand account)

    After a record-breaking box office for an R-rated movie, the sequel to Deadpool became one of the most anticipated follow-ups in 2018. For more than a year, teasers have built an appetite for the film by first revealing Cable would be involved, then by requesting casting suggestions, and eventually with nonsensical videos and photos that, if nothing else, ensured they’d retained their sense of humour. A commitment to have fun while remaining spoiler-free has resulted in a hilarious promotional campaign leading up to the release of the movie. And now, Deadpool 2 has made its “superhero landing.”

  • Review: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ makes a big and powerful statement (Includes first-hand account)

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been laying the groundwork for this epic crossover for years. First, post-credit sequences included unrelated characters; then they began to interact with individuals from other storylines; and finally, those characters began to appear in each other’s narratives, including a movie featuring unparalleled in-fighting. Now, all of this preparation is culminating in possibly the greatest — and most ambitious — superhero movie to date. A villain that’s lurked on the periphery for some time is ready to make his big move in Avengers: Infinity War and it’s going to take everyone in the MCU to stop him.

  • Review: ‘Black Panther’ excels by not compromising (Includes first-hand account)

    Even though Marvel Studios launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its better-known properties, they haven’t been afraid to take a chance on less mainstream characters. One of the reasons is each franchise is approached in a manner that best suits its unique personality. Of course, there are numerous similarities that can be seen across any number of stories, but it’s the elements that make them different that appeal to audiences (and make the many team-ups more attractive). All superheroes battle villains, but it’s how they do it that creates fans. Black Panther is the latest protector to get his own theatrical release and they didn’t cut any corners.

  • Review: ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is the wittiest Marvel movie to date (Includes first-hand account)

    With Thor not being included in Captain America: Civil War, Marvel appeared to take to social media to explain his absence via hilarious short videos about him attempting to assimilate to civilian, human life in Chris Hemsworth‘s native Australia. This was followed by an amusing post-credit sequence in which the God of Thunder has an awkward sit down with Doctor Strange and a bottomless beer stein. While it seemed like the studio was just having some fun with one of its more popular characters, it turns out they were actually laying the groundwork for their latest superhero picture, Thor: Ragnarok, which takes a decidedly lighter approach to the franchise.

  • Review: ‘Spider-Man — Homecoming’ finally gets it right (Includes first-hand account)

    In an age of remakes and reboots, it’s becoming frequently common to see one character played by multiple actors in the span of a couple decades. This is especially true in the superhero universe where the stories are seemingly infinite, but the performers’ commitment comparatively brief. Even a multi-picture deal typically runs down in 10 years or less, leading studios to start anew after each cycle. The latest franchise to be rebooted with a fresh face is one of Marvel‘s youngest heroes in tights: Spider-Man. In the first standalone film of the reboot, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker is still learning to flex his superhuman muscles.