Review: Deadpool 2 (2018) (Lives Up To The Hype? Plus Plus?)

SPOILER-FREE

“Family was always an f-word for me”

I enjoyed the first Deadpool movie. Sure, it sent up comic book film tropes whilst strictly adhering to them, but Ryan Reynolds’ dedication to the role was infectious and the film was fairly funny. I had some hopes for a sequel: whereas the rule for regular film sequels is that they will be worse than the original, the same rule rarely applies to comic book films sequels. With the origin story out of the way, the comic book film sequel has more scope to explore themes, characters and plots. Think of the great superhero films and you think of Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, X-Men 2, etc (with the MCU things are different: more often than not, the sequel tends to be worse than the original. But that’s something for a different time!). Could Deadpool 2 be the sequel its marketing made it out to be?

Marvel Cinematic Universe Films Ranked From Worst To Best!

Well, with Avengers: Infinity War out now, I think it’s time to rank the MCU library! Ten years ago, Iron Man kicked off the massive franchise, and since then we’ve had nineteen films! Yes, nineteen films in the most successful franchise in history (I’m basing that solely on my own thinking! Surely it must be?). They’ve ranged from fantasy, to WWII drama, to sci fi opera, to political thriller…and have ranged from great to god awful. So here’s my (definitive?) ranking of the MCU library…

Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018) (Worth The Ten Year Build?)

SPOILER-FREE

“So this is it? It’s all been leading to this”

I have no words. I have no words. Well, that was my initial reaction as the credits rolled up for Avengers: Infinity War. Hell, that was my initial reaction after the first ten minutes of Avengers: Infinity War. For ten years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building to this moment of cinema. For ten years, we’ve been waiting for this moment of cinema. Was it worth it? You bet your life it was worth it!

Review: Thor: Ragnarok (2017) (Thor-Some?)

(SPOILER-FREE)

“I know what you’re thinking: how did this happen?”

Thor: Ragnarok is the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film to get a shedload of critical acclaim. I’ve seen it advertised on Twitter as the “best reviewed Marvel film yet.” Of course, whenever something receives high critical acclaim, my Spider-sense tingles. It’s true, Thor: Ragnarok is enjoyable. You’ll laugh yourself silly. But I felt a little nonplussed when the credits started to roll. The third Thor film has little in common with its predecessors. The tonal shift is jarring, the characters involved are used mainly for laughs, and the story seems to have been written on the fly…

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 (2017) (Another Uninspired MCU Sequel?)

“Showtime, a-holes”

Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2 was released on DVD/Blu-Ray here in the UK today! I did manage to watch it at the cinema, but felt uninspired to write anything about it. Yes, the film was alright…but’s that about it. It contained flashy and entertaining action sequences and a surprisingly emotional ending. Kurt Russell as Ego portrayed one of the best MCU villains out there. But the majority of it felt like an exercise in box-ticking rather than an attempt to improve on the original. Just like the soundtrack, GOTG vol.2 felt like a tired retread of the original.

Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) (Time To Celebrate?)

So, Spider-Man has come back home to Marvel. Well, sort of. Sony have gone halves on Spider-Man with Marvel Studios after their first reboot of the franchise flopped. We first saw Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. Now, he’s got his own movie, Marvel Studios style! The critical reaction is fairly positive, with most critics comparing it to a John Hughes movie with glued in action scenes (I’ve even read a review that calls it the best Marvel film in years). I’d rate it as the best Spider-Man since Spider-Man 2, but that’s no hard feat, is it? In fact, I left the cinema disappointed.

Review: Doctor Strange (2016) (Just Another MCU Origin Story With Trippy Visuals?)

“Stephen, everything is about you”

Fourteen movies in, the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows no signs of slowing down. The latest movie, ‘Doctor Strange,’ has just had an opening weekend in the US of $85 million. Not bad for a film about a superhero few people know about. As we all know, success is not a guarantor of quality. I watched ‘Doctor Strange’ when it opened here in olde England. It’s taken me a week or so to pin down my thoughts about it. Is it a quirky adventure that sets itself apart from the wider MCU? Or is it the generic MCU origin story with magic and eye-popping effects? 

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) (This Is How You Do A Sequel!)

“On your left”

Before ‘Captain America: Civil War’ came out and took the place of number one MCU film for me, there was ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.’ The first Captain America (‘The First Avenger’) was one of the weaker films of the MCU’s first phase, let down by a second half that felt more like a montage than a story. However, ‘The Winter Soldier’ showed the MCU how a sequel should be done. ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘Thor: The Dark World’, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’…they were all mediocre sequels. ‘The Winter Soldier’ mixed an intricate, ‘70s style conspiracy thriller with awe-inspiring action sequences to become one of the best comic book films of modern times…

Review: Ant-Man (2015) (A Big Success?)

“Don’t let your past determine the future”

It’s a wonder that Ant-Man is on the big screen at all, after its difficult development history and change of directors. But, the Marvel Universe machine is relentless, ploughing through any obstacle that is in its way! Edgar Wright’s name still looms large over the whole thing, and many reviews seem to focus on what the film would have been like if Wright carried on as director. However, the ‘what if,’ while intriguing, does not shed any light on the end product. Ant-Man came to the screen in spite of his departure, and that’s what we’re left with, at the end of the day. And we’re left with a fun, enjoyable film, but a film that shares the flaws common with most films of the Marvel Universe.

Review: Iron Man 3 (2013) (Where’s Iron Man?)

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

“We create our own demons”

Iron Man 3 had the unenviable task of following ‘The Avengers’ (read my review here), but succeeds by reducing the ‘superhero’ element to a few scenes here and there. Iron Man 3 features very little of Tony Stark as Iron Man; instead, Stark is usually remotely controlling the Iron Man suit. The Avengers gave us some of the best superhero action scenes in comic book film history. Why attempt to better them? Iron Man 3, while not brilliant on all levels, gives us the deepest character introspection in the Marvel Universe. And the “could have been the best” Marvel Universe villain…