REVIEW: X-Men Apocalypse (12A)

The X-Men reunite for a final foray to conclude the Bryan Singer trilogy started by X-Men First Class and then, by default, meets up almost with the 2000 smash hit X-Men. X-Men (2000) was a movie that redefined superhero movies as genuinely good movies... rather just an exercise in punching baddies and over powered people in brightly coloured suits. Unlike that particular part three, X-Men: The Last Stand, this trilogy's conclusion is well, how shall I put it? First class.

Well balanced with chatty exposition and interspersed with action, this movie continues 10 years on from the 70's to 1983. Various X-Men are doing their thang - Erik Lensherr (aka Magneto) is now earning a living in Poland and is a family man. A number of mutants are still fretting about their place in the world including a girl in Egypt who can control the elements and another lady who sports an amazing latex purple outfit. 

The movie starts though many years before - in fact in Egyptian times - where some dude with powers (we discover is Apocalypse very shortly into the movie) is getting on a bit. In order to keep him living forever he must take the life force of a younger, stronger person - human or mutant, to continue on. Apparently if he snaffled a mutant he also gains their abilities. A suitable host is found - a very unconscious Poe Dameron (Oscar Isacc) who draws the short straw and gets shlucked up by the evil megalomaniac. I'm joking, it's not Poe Dameron but is certainly the same actor. Even back then he has four horsemen and some of the people take umbrage to this shucking of people's souls or whatever it is so end up destroying the place he is performing the ritual and he's buried under rocks until some silly people on 1983 decide to bring him back. Once he returns the quest is on for him to find four powerful mutants to take on the world as his four horsemen.

Meanwhile some lad is having problems at school with his eyesight, goes to the toilet and zaps the wall with his eyes - so his brother Alex, take him to Professor Xavier's school for the gifted to help him control his eye lasers. This is where we meet most of the others including Jean Grey (Sophie Hunter - Sansa from Game of Thrones), Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicolas Hoult reprising his role) and a Chinese girl  I would put money on is Jubilee but is never name checked. 

Mystique returns and is out and about and discovers Angel and Nightcrawler and that is pretty much the main selection of characters. Until Quicksilver appears too. Other mutants are referenced or mentioned with one notable cameo; but the roster, as you can see is huge. For all there are many of the it does a good job of trying to balance them all. Sadly the new additions to the roster - like Storm, Psylocke and Angel aren't very well developed and Storm is never mentioned by name. Nightcrawler is great comic relief but it's hard to take him seriously with a very stereotypical German accent and a jacket right out of a Michael Jackson music video.

Jean Grey is played well by Sophie Turner, at times looking like she's raided Dr Beverly Crusher's wardrobe for inspiration. McAvoy and Fassbender are great as usual and they have settled into their characters well and made the characters as believable in their younger years as Stewart and McKellan have in their later ones.

As the film approaches it climax, it does not disappoint. The film is great and I really enjoyed this one. My only complaint was that some of the dialogue was very predictable. For example there seem to be a lot of sentences with a long pause in the middle of then and you just knew what they were going to say.

Unlike Prometheus, which seemed to shoe horn the aliens reference in within 10 minutes in the end of the film, this movie is different. Singer seems to have really thought out the links to his original movie so it all goes together. This is Singers episodes 1,2,3 and they are all really very good movies. Maybe this one is the worst of the three but saying it like that does not mean it is a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination.  Overall, a strong conclusion to the latest X-Trilogy and will be up there with the best.

X-Men Apocalypse is out now at all good cinemas.

POPSCORE: 8/10

What am I talking about? X-Men: Apocalypse movie
Where can I find out more? http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/x-men-apocalypse
If you liked this try: Any of the other X Men Movies really

Anything else?

This has the biggest cast of heroes yet.
This movie is not officially part of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) because the movie rights currently belong to Fox.
It's on for quite a long time - nearly 2hrs and 30 minutes!

REVIEW: Deadpool (15)

After many, many debates on whether this movie would be made, Deadpool finally hits our screens and hits it does. Ryan Reynolds has stepped up to the plate twice now in his attempt to break into the superhero genre as a superhero himself. As well as featuring for Marvel in Blade II as Blade’s sidekick, his first real outing was actually as Deadpool in the luke-warmly received X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. Although it was generally in the lower rated echelons of superhero movie opinions, the Deadpool portrayed there had his mouth sewn shut and was a complete waste of a character much loved by many. As if to rub salt into the wounds, or maybe take a distance from Marvel, Reynolds defected to DC to star in similarly panned Green Lantern which may have had a decent run as a franchise if it wasn’t so badly made and relied on too much CGI. Although Ryan Reynolds is a likeable guy and a great actor – he plays smarmy, arrogant or wisecracking as you require it. So he would be the ideal choice for Deadpool. But, he’s already had two strikes – this one needs to be the home run. And do you know what? It is!

 

This new Deadpool movie is all what you would expect from a movie and more and is full of blood, guts, gore and one liners. Some of the insults are both creative and zany, and with the inclusion of X-Men’s Colossus, it adds a flair to the proceedings. Poking fun at everything it can and highlighting it via quips and jokes about poo, death, blood and just about everything else, Deadpool is a Marvel movie unlike any other but also as you would expect.

 

Once again, as expected, this introduction to the character is an origin movie and charts the wise-cracking Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) in flash back format from two-bit mercenary for hire to the Merc With the Mouth. The film slams straight into the action as Deadpool takes on a multitude of enemies and proceeds to tell backstory while doing it. Once up to date, Deadpool carries on from where we left off in the most basic story of revenge, but the quips, special FX and soundtrack (which includes some Wham! and Salt 'n' Pepa to name but two).

 

Even though it is a very different Marvel movie (the closest to it would most likely be something like a Blade movie or The Punisher) and not yet a part of MCU, all the hallmarks of a Marvel movie are there – ties to other movies (in this instance the X-Men) and, of course, Mr Stan Lee features as a cameo. With added self referential items – which without giving anything away do include said X-Men mentioned above among other things, this movie is all a Deadpool fan would want. With a strong supporting cast and a funky soundtrack to boot, strap in and enjoy the ride as Deadpool is your host on this Marvel’s version of Taken. It’s a great start to 2016’s bumper crop of superhero movies to come but it’s set the bar high.

 

Of course, you have to stay to the end of the credits because it’s a Marvel movie isn’t it?

 

Deadpool is out now at all good cinemas and it’s dead(pool) good.

POPSCORE: 9/10

What am I talking about? Deadpool movie
Where can I find out more? http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/deadpool
If you liked this try: Any of the other Marvel movies but especially Blade II, The Punisher and possibly the Daredevil (Netflix series), Ghost Rider and also the latest X-Men Movies but ...
DEFINITELY NOT X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE OR GREEN LANTERN!

Anything else?

Ryan Reynolds has been Deadpool before in X-men Origins: Wolverine and there is at least 3 sequences in the movie where he makes a reference or there is a reference to this.
Colossus, one of the X-Men, features in this movie.
This movie is not officially part of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) because, like the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises, the movie rights currently belong to Fox.

REVIEW: The Fantastic Four (or Fant4stic)

Never has a film caused so much of a stir as Josh Trank’s “offering” Fantastic Four. Rocked by controversy and even Twitter updates from the director before release, this film had everything going against it. Stan Lee doesn’t cameo in it and even the trailers looked lack lustre. My blog, as you may have read, celebrates all things geeky, movies, music and more. I should have been excited for this, I should have been chomping at the bit just like I was for Avengers: Age of Ultron. But you know what? I was quite happy to pass it by.

However, I didn’t and watched the movie – and I’m sorely disappointed.

Josh Trank had a great run with the ever-so-popular Chronicle – so he knows how to make a good movie. Although Chronicle was a decent enough movie (not that I particularly thought it was the best myself), his credentials suggest he was capable of stepping up and making a mark with a superhero movie in the mainstream. I was excited at first, but then saw what he wanted to do. He changed the race of Johnny Storm and was starting to make other changes too. I questioned the casting – yes, Kate Mara is a very pretty girl – but was unsure of her Sue Storm. Aside from the whole Human Torch debate, Jamie Bell cast as Ben Grimm/The Thing was another issue for me. I have nothing against Jamie Bell as an actor – and he even hails from the same town as me - but I didn’t think he was the best choice for the role. Miles Teller – who puts in good performances in Divergent and Whiplash was cast as Mr Fantastic too – but again, he wouldn’t be my choice for Reed Richards. However, I have been wrong before – I wasn’t happy with the casting of Daniel Craig as James Bond and Chris Evans as Captain America at the start – but they both were, and still are, excellent actors (and nice guys) and won me over because they are world class actors and made the role theirs. The key point here is that they convinced me that they were the characters that they played.

So onto Fantastic Four. The runtime is around 1 hour and 30 minutes and this is disconcerting for a reboot. I’m not sure how much stuff you can get into a movie that length – especially if it’s not an animation or kids movie. However what I experienced was that, yeah, you can’t get much into it.

Fantastic Four is a reboot of Marvel’s First Family and the truth is – it was my first exposure to Marvel and comics I had followed by Spiderman. I have a soft spot for them and I appreciated the previous movies even though they are generally described as bad. However, this movie takes us back to the days when they were not sure about superhero movies and not the awesome blockbusters we are used to now.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

The movie starts with a young Reed Richards in school saying he will do great things at the ridicule of others. Fast forward a few years later (7 actually) and he’s at a Science Fayre where he is selling his wares and inexplicably Franklyn Storm and his adopted daughter, Susan, give Richards a chance to make his idea a reality. Teaming up with Victor Von Doom (who is stereotypically goateed and grumpy) and Sue they set to work on his idea. Meanwhile Johnny Storm is doing a Fast & Furious racing and when he prangs his dad’s car he is kind of grounded and gets forced to work on the project by his dad with the others. After a montage of working lots and about 30 minutes of run time (or more) Ben Grimm gets a phone call to ask if he fancies popping by to have a go at this new device they reckon can get them to another dimension called Planet Zero. Ben, of course, thinks this is an awesome idea and turns up and off they go. Disaster ensues when they visit - they get some powers and leave Doom behind as they think he’s bought the farm. They return a bit injured and, we now at around 50 mins into the film they are tested upon by the government.

Right now we are nearly two thirds through the film and really nothing much has happened. The last 30 minutes is condensed into – oh Dooms alive let’s bring him home, I’m home now I want to go back, let’s go back and fight, the end.

END OF SPOILER

Considering the movie is 1 hour and 30 minutes and it takes nearly 2/3rds of that to get going, this is a massive opportunity wasted for Marvel’s First Family. The characters are bland and uninteresting – it’s as if the writer is thinking “we all know who they are …let’s just get on with it” and then hasn’t a clue what to do with them. Sue Storm spends most of the movie rapping computers and when she does get powers spends most of her time holding her breath and flying around in force bubbles. The Thing doesn’t even have blue eyes (another change which I was not happy about), is completely naked (for the love of Mike, why!?) and spends most of his Thing state begging Reed Richards to help him. Reed himself is a flimsy geek stereotype and not the strong leader we know and love in the comics – he even naffs off for some of the movie and leaves the others behind. No real role stands out except for Reg E. Cathey’s Franklyn Storm who has the deepest voice known to man and comes out with some nice thought provoking statements.

It’s hard to say what exactly went wrong with Fantastic Four without mentioning – well pretty much everything. The casting was suspect, the story makes no sense at all (complete with major plot holes) and the changes the director opted for just doesn’t work. It might have been a decent movie if it wasn’t the Fantastic Four and a bit more of an awareness with continuity and sense but as a Fantastic Four movie it’s just terrible. I’ve never seen such an awful adaption since 1996’s The Avengers (which was based on the 60’s spy series of the same name). The movie is confusing and slow and it’s a massive wasted opportunity. I would love to see what Marvel would do with this franchise if they had control of it – and I’m sure it would be awesome, but as it stands it’s really, really bad.

POPSCORE: 4/10

ARCHIVE: REVIEW: Iron Man 2

hey guys, I've always reviewed movies and here's an article I wrote a long time ago - and it was when Iron Man 2 came out. I really liked this movie, but here it is from the archives for your reading pleasure...

FILM: IRON MAN 2

Starting pretty much straight after the last one, after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) announces that he is IRON MAN it seems that he is on cloud nine and is doing really well for himself. Starting a rather nifty Stark Expo that runs for a year and, according to Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), it will also drain the finances of Stark Industries.  It's a needless folly but the public like it. Meanest of whiles, an evil is brewing from all sides.  The army want the Iron Man suit to use as a weapon.  Stark's competition, Hammer Industries, want to develop similar suits but fail miserably.  And, a disgruntled son of Starks father's work colleague (Mickey Rourke) decides to have a crack at taking Iron Man down. For the lads, theres a rather nubile Natalie (Scarlett Johansson) working with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to try and convince Stark that there's a bigger game to play than the one he thinks he is involved in.

Tony Stark is finding that the power he gets from that thing in his chest (you can tell I'm very accurate here can't you?) is killing him, so a side part of the film is his quest to try to save his own life as well as that of others.  He also has some great lines - and on his birthday he dresses up in his Iron Man suit and answers the most question he gets asked from people - how do you go to the toilet in the suit?

Add a sprinkling of War Machine (Ironman's colleague) and a rocking soundtrack from AC/DC I think you get very much a good bang for your buck. Robert Downey Jr is one of may favourite actors and his portrayal of Tony Stark is spot on - he's a bit arrogant but a bit witty but has his heart in the right place. Scarlett Johansson plays a really sexy part in the film and can kick ass as no one else can, and the remaining characters help the story along.

There is always that problem of the difficult second movie.  But retaining the original cast, moving on from what was developed in the first film and the immediately likeable Tony Stark - this film is fantastic and I'm sure there will be another sequel. There have been a lot of questionable Marvel films out - but this is totally in line with X-men and Spiderman blockbuster standard.

Brilliant movie, if you like action or comic book movies it's a must see.

POPSCORE:  9/10

Oh and as an addition - I really think you should sit through the credits... they may be a surprise at the end... ;-)

REVIEW: Ant-Man (12A)

Ant-Man (don't forget the hyphen) is out at cinemas now and is the latest offering from the House of Ideas. Starring Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and the inheritor of Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) suit, Ant-Man is the latest Avenger to have a stand alone movie. Rocked by director fall outs and trouble from the outset - plus living in the shadow of the most recent Avenger's movie - can it live up to expectations... and is it any good?

Ant-Man starts with a nod to the 80's where an aged Peggy Carter and Howard Stark are trying to reach a deal with a younger Hank Pym over his Ant-Man technology - but the plan doesn't go too well. Although the sequence is just a bunch of people in a room - the special effects are subtle but brilliant. Michael Douglas is de-aged to look younger, while the ever pretty Hayley Atwell is computer generated to look older. We then fast forward to present day - a brawl in a prison where Scott Lang (Rudd) is serving time for burglary (not robbery because that implies violence - he's a cat-burglar). He gets released on the a same day and goes back home in an attempt to connect back with his estranged daughter Cassie, who views him as a hero.

Lang gets back to his friends apartment as he needs a place to crash, and by a friend through a friend through a friend (which is done in a comedic fashion) he learns that an old bloke has left his house empty and there's something of value in the safe. Working out that he needs money to get a place so he can see his daughter, Lang reluctantly takes on the job. After a really clever break, in all he finds is "a motorbike suit and a helmet". They escape without incident and Lang decides he's taking the suit anyway and goes back to the apartment.

Lang gets curious over this suit as it is not your run of the mill bike suit so, like all of us would, he tries it on... but for some reason stands in the bath tub. As he fiddles around he finds it shrinks him to the tiniest size and becomes Ant-Man. While small and negotiating a running bath tub, nightclub and falling out of a window, Hank Pym's voice in his helmet explains to him that the place he broke into was the Pym residence and he let him take the suit. He then recruits Scott Lang to take over the mantle of Ant-Man and take on the might of the disillusioned Darren Cross and the YellowJacket suit - built for war and to be able to take on the myth that was Ant-Man.

There's an array of great cast members all working together on this movie - Atwell is in it only at the beginning (again in a flashback) but Evangeline Lilly plays a great Hope Van Dyne - Pym's daughter. The movie is slightly comedic and funnier than the previous Marvel ones and I think they took a risk with this one. There are a lot of people reviewing this movie and hammering it - but to be honest I found this movie quite good. No, it's not anywhere as near as the Iron Man or Avengers movies, not even Captain America. But it's infinitely better than the Marvel's of old - Fantastic Four and Spiderman. I really enjoyed this - though I had my reservations about Rudd as Lang and that Ant-Man would be in a stand alone movie.

The special effects are used in a different way - instead of seeing BIG - which we all know Marvel can do with ease and panache - it's all about the small. Ant-Man controlling ants as allies, clever moments like fighting inside a briefcase or a toy train track are both inspired and funny in a strange way.

I think this movie needed to be made regardless of whether it was good or not because it's needed to take the overall story of the MCU forward. The incorporation of these characters and in particular the tech (suit, Pym particles, etc) will help set up Phase Three. I erroneously stated in my Age of Ultron review that AoU was the end of Phase 2 - but it isn't - this movie is. If you stay to the end of the credits you will know why.

Overall this movie was good. Funny moments, a different perspective and sets up the next phase nicely. Yes it could have been better - but it will do. Roll on next year for Captain America. If you still  want your Marvel fix though, Fantastic Four - or Fant4stic will be out around 8th August.
 

Ant-Man is out now in all good cinemas.

UPDATE: I have been to the cinema to see this a second time in 3D - nothing to write home about but still good fun to watch a second time around.

 

POPSCORE: 8/10

What am I talking about? Ant-man movie
Where can I find out more? http://marvel.com/antman

If you like this try: Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015), Iron Man trilogy

Anything else?
This is actually the end of "Phase 2" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or MCU. Definitely. I'm right this time.
One of Lang's friends goes undercover as a security guard. He says "Can I whistle?" and Lang comes back with, "No, don't whistle." He does so when he's undercover and whistles the tune "It's a Small World After All."
The movie was originally due to be directed by Edgar Wright, but he left and it's now directed by Peyton Reed.
Thomas The Tank Engine and Baskin' Robbins are featured in this movie.
There IS a sequence a few minutes into the credit sequence so don't leave as soon as the credit roll - and there's an even BETTER bit at the end.
Apparently, Ant-man WILL return...  

BYTE: Jovial June

Welcome to June - yes, yes I know I'm a bit late and it's nearly over! but better late than never eh?



Awesome sentiment from Marvel.

Lots of turmoil has been happening in this world this month - and it's been very sad to see the events that have unfolded earlier on today. Also Patrick Macnee, wrestler Dusty Rhodes and Sir Christopher Lee all passed away over the last few weeks. Sad times indeed.

What's been going on? Well let's look at the movies first - the much anticipated Jurassic World hit our silver screens this month - and hit it it did - even knocking Avengers Assemble for six in the box office stakes. Chris Pratt once again took on his Marvel companions and beat them into submission with his Velociraptor squad. Featuring more than a few nods and homages to the original, Jurassic World is definitely one of the best movies of this year - and a worthy follow up to the ones before it. Check out my review here to see what I thought of it - and you can leave your opinion on there too.

Where's Owen when I need him?

 I happened to be in London for a Piano Guys concert - and I reviewed that too. There was a big hoo-ha at Waterloo Station too - where Velociraptors were trying to break out of containment. So I did what anyone else would do - get a picture of them!

I visited the new Madame Toussaud's Star Wars exhibition in London and it was really rather good - however some over zealous customer broke Yoda's ear so we couldn't see the iconic little green man. I did however get to sit with Princess Leia and Jabba the Hut (I think they wanted to watch the Simpsons) and reached out to Darth Vader (see below) and saw an abundance of other Star Wars scenes and characters. This is featured at the end of the standard Madam Toussaud's experience and follows on from the Marvel 4D experience and the traditional wax works they are famous for.



"Luke! I am your fath..."
"I'll stop you there, mate, my name is not Luke..." 

Other stuff I've been up to this month also includes getting tickets for the Sheffield Film and Comic Con - I'm gonna try and meet some wrestlers, a horror icon and goodness knows what else - but keep it locked here in August for a full rundown and some pics of what I get up to with that.  The line up for the London one looks like a fanboy (or girl) dream - but I can't make it this year due to spending all my money on subscription boxes, other cons and...

 

...The Smithsonian Rise of the Superheroes distance learning online course. I've just completed the 5 week course and I found it really interesting and fascinating. Professor Michael Uslan and none other than Stan Lee, take you through the history of superheroes and tell you about your favourites. Complete with videos, assignments and reading lists - this course is fantastic for people who love history, comics and erm, Marvel. It was the first time they ran this course so I'm in the first class alumni - but it was so successful they are running it again. If you pay for the course - which I recall was about $50 then you get an exclusive art print digitally signed by Stan Lee and Prof Uslan - and a certificate from the Smithsonian. You can also do it for FREE but won't get credit or the exclusive artwork. Originally it sounded like you would get the print as a proper signed piece of work - but later they elaborated to say it was an exclusive signed print - but it was done digitally. I was a little disappointed at this - but the course was really good and to be fair that was the only disappointment. I will do a review soon of it in full - but until then, why not check it out and join me as an alumni?

 

Looking at the latest stuff as well:

>   Xbox Live:  Games with Gold this month includes the full game of Thief on XBOX 360 and for the posh 'uns who have XBOX ONE you are treated to Pool Nation FX (still) and Massive Chalice (?!) to download free if you are a subscriber. Major Nelson posted July's offerings and they look very good indeed!

>  PSN: PS Plus this month you have Metal Gear Solid 5 and Skulls of the Shogun on PS4, Futuridium EP Deluxe and Super Exploding Zoo as a bundle for PS4 and Vita and Call of Jurarez: Gunslinger and Cloudberry Kingdom on PS3. As always you need to be a subscriber, and stay one, for these games to continue working.

 

If you are interested in any of these games you will have to get a wriggle on as they are valid until the end of June. Also out this month is the Arkham Knight special edition PS4 and there is talk of 1TB models being released for both PS4 and Xbox One. But the most surprising news of this month is that Xbox will become backwards compatible! That's right! Xbox One will play Xbox 360 games - the exact intricacies are not yet available but support will be added gradually. I'll let you know more when I get it.
 

As always we have Loot Crate and Nerd Block unboxings to look forward to...

 

...AND Marvel Collector Corps: Ant Man edition!

I've had a crack at doing an unboxing video - I'll tweet the link when I manage to understand how to edit. If anyone is good at this sort of stuff feel free to send me some tips!
 

Anyway I've wrote enough now - have a Jovial June and I'll see you soon.

 

Keep being awesome!

 

Until next time

Paul