Tom Holland

  • Review: ‘Onward’ is infused with magic and emotion (Includes first-hand account)

    Growing up, there’s a subconscious pressure to have a mom AND a dad. Yet, in spite of what most sitcoms tell you, the majority of households don’t consist of that dynamic. Some parents separate or suffer untimely deaths, while others may be same-sex. There’s no “traditional family” anymore as families come in all shapes and sizes. But that doesn’t mean a kid won’t still feel the stress of not having a mom and dad at home, creating a longing that may be impossible to fulfill. In Onward, a teen wants nothing more than to spend a day with the father he never met.

  • Review: ‘Dolittle’ is fluent in dog and fun (Includes first-hand account)

    Even though we know animals probably don’t think the way we do, it’s nonetheless fun to project human reasoning and emotions onto them. People have imaginary/one-sided conversations with their pets and add humorous narrations to nature videos. Consequently, anthropomorphism is very prevalent in fiction as animals can be used to tell stories of social commentary as well as entertaining ventures. The more amusing narratives usually fall into the drama or comedy category, and have been presented in live-action, animated and the ever more popular CGI formats. Dolittle is a mix of these as it puts its personal twist on the tale of a doctor who can speak to animals.

  • Review: ‘Spies in Disguise’ has fun with the spy’s love of camouflage (Includes first-hand account)

    The secret agent is an appealing character in fiction because they’re human, but capable of accomplishing amazing feats. They’re constantly in mortal danger, but almost never really at risk of dying because they always find a way to escape. They have the best tech money can buy and imaginations can create, making difficult situations easily manageable. They’re also able to blend into any environment, using the most meagre to incredibly elaborate disguises to avoid detection. However, even when things go wrong, they still have to get the job done as demonstrated in Spies in Disguise.

  • 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: ‘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.

  • Review: ‘The Lost City of Z’ pits ignorance against elusive evidence (Includes first-hand account)

    To this day, archeologists continue to discover evidence of previously unknown civilizations, and biologists regularly find new animal and plant species in formerly unexplored lands. But just more than a century ago, the most cultured societies were convinced those found living beyond the borders of establishment could not have developed any level of sophistication worthy of acknowledgement or examination. Referring to these people as “savages,” their value to humanity is dismissed and they are relegated to servants and slaves. In The Lost City of Z (pronounced “zed”), one man tries to convince the world of the existence and value of the yet undocumented Mayans.

  • ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ trailer is packed with villainous mayhem (Includes first-hand account)

    Considering the number of Spider-Man movies that have been released in the last 15 years, including two reboots, it wasn’t entirely surprising they decided to introduce the new actor in a Marvel team-up instead of a standalone film. But now it’s time for Tom Holland to don the blue and red suit in his own picture… with a little help from Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). One of the most reassuring things about the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer is it doesn’t appear audiences will be forced to sit through yet another origin story.

  • Review: ‘Captain America: Civil War’ delivers on the big things (Includes first-hand account)

    Even though the team found a way to put their differences aside, cracks in The Avengers‘ armour began to show in the last ensemble film. Superheroes no longer exist in a world in which there are no consequences for their actions — Batman v Superman recently dealt with similar themes. But who gets to decide when and where they’re deployed? And if they disagree, whose decision has greater authority? There’s a fine line between regulation and control; and while one may appear essential to co-existence, the other is a significant and probable risk. Captain America: Civil War addresses these questions, dividing The Avengers into opposing factions.

  • Spider-Man re-casted for Sony, Marvel reboot

    It was announced earlier this year Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios would be teaming to reboot the Spider-Man franchise. Today, they made a joint announcement to reveal they’ve found their new web-slinger as well as the person who will be calling the shots behind the camera. Peter Parker will be played by Tom Holland and the yet-to-be-named new adventure will be directed by Jon Watts.