the-kool-kyle

[the-kool-kyle]

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review

It's been 42 years now since we were first introduced to massive blockbuster franchise Star Wars in 1977. Created by George Lucas it has become one of the greatest pieces of science fiction in history and one of the most popular franchises of all time spawning billions of fans world wide thanks to it's fun action, unforgettable adventures, tear jerking moments and best of all....it's lovable relatable characters. Such as Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker the brave selfless Jedi, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia the strong independent rebel, Harrison Ford as Han Solo the scoundrel with a heart of gold and Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca the hulking yet gentle giant Wookie. Over the last 40 years the franchise has had the prequel movie trilogy, Graphic Novels, comic books, TV shows and countless video games. But now this decade we have the “Sequel Trilogy” which is the new Star Wars movies set 30 years after “Return of the Jedi”. The trilogy focuses on the remnants of the Empire now known as “The First Order” trying to conquer the galaxy and the Resistance lead by General Leia trying to stop them.

The Sequel Trilogy has gotten something of a mixed reception from the fans and critics since the release of “Force Awakens” some people like them and some hate them but overall everyone can agree their not as good as the original trilogy. But overall the trilogy has done a great job in introducing and building it's new characters like Rey the scavenger turned Jedi, Finn former Stormtrooper who defected to the resistance and Po ace pilot and cocky rebel. The trilogy also brings us a new villain Kylo Ren leader of the Knights of Ren and son of Han and Leia who shows no mercy and uncontrollable rage. The movies also use the original cast like Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie.

But were getting off track. Were here to talk about the newest instalment and final movie for the Skywalker story line....Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film picks up after “The Last Jedi” where Kylo Ren is now the supreme leader of The First Order after killing “Snoke” and now seeks to conquer the galaxy and destroy anything that stands in his way. While the resistance continues to fight for freedom and peace in the galaxy....Rey tries to bring balance to the force. After the controversial and hugely discussed Last Jedi the fans are divided on what has become of the franchise. Mainly due to the massive backlash over Luke Skywalker's death and the many hated characters that were introduced in Last Jedi. However I can truly say that from the bottom of my heart.....that Rise of Skywalker is....the best Star Wars movie since Empire Strikes back! It was exciting, action packed, tear jerking, full of twists and turns, had great character arcs and truly did the franchise justice. I'll be honest there were times that I shed a tear in both excitement and sadness. Yep it's that amazing. This film was without a doubt the perfect way to end the Skywalker Story and end with a bang.

But that's just my opinion every Star Wars has always had their own crazy views and thoughts on all Star Wars material. Overall “Rise of Skywalker” is entertaining and provides answers to some questions raised in the last 2 movies but there are some plot holes and new characters who don't make much of an impact as the old ones which leads to the conclusion that the studio didn't have any of these movies as well planned out as expected but then again most franchises aren't. So there new movies are nowhere near as legendary as the original trilogy by George Lucas but still have a lot of heart and ambition.

Ever since Disney took over....the Star Wars franchise has been changed forever...but above all has divided the most of the fans. For example ever since the they cancelled the Clone Wars TV in exchange for Star Wars Rebels which was more family friendly has sparked outrage due to the fact that a lot of fans preferred the Clone Wars more mature and darker take on the franchise. Well I can't blame them since sometimes it's good for a franchise to mature with it's audience and to have more mature themes and darker story lines. Most of which were used for the Knight of the old Republic and Force Unleashed games as well as the Clone Wars TV series and comic books. Sadly how ever since Disney bought the rights most of the “Star Wars Extended Universe” has been declared non-canon. This was created after the original trilogy to continue the stories of Luke, Leia, Han and the rest of the characters as well as introducing new characters through comic books, novels, video games and other media. However since acquiring the Star Wars media Disney has removed most of these stories from canon. This has really been a major disappointment to the older Star Wars fans. But honestly why did they have to do this I can't see why most of the Extended universe and canon can't fit together. So in conclusion this new generation of Star Wars media has divided the fan base and it may never be whole again.

The Star Wars franchise's strongest suit has always been it's characters. Rey played by (Daisy Ridley) the young woman who has evolved from the lonely orphan scavenger to a strong, independent, no nonsense Jedi that has become one of the best female leads in Star Wars history like Leia, Padme and Bastila. Having been trained by Luke him self she has become a powerful, strong and the last Jedi. Daisy Ridley really works hard on bringing this character to life and earns respect for it.

Finn former stormtrooper played by John Boyega has really developed as a character since he defected from the first order and tried to run away from the war. Since then he has become the team's moral compass and greatest soldier who is always willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good which he has done many times. Proving that not all stormtroopers or first order soldiers are there by choice and just want to do whats right.

Po fighter and the greatest pilot in the resistance has really stepped us from being a background character from Force Awakens to a fun relatable hot head that will go to extreme and crazy lengths to end the war and save the galaxy. Oscar Isaac really does a great in portraying the cocky, stubborn yet brave pilot.

Chewbacca aka Chewie the iconic Wookie and Han Solo's best friend returns. Chewie is one of the most beloved characters in the franchise due to hulking size, gentle personality, fierce loyalty and iconic roar. He has appeared in over 7 Star Wars movies and can be found in a lot of the SW extended universe media due to a Wookie's long life span of 400 years and Chewie is only 200 in Return of the Jedi.

Carrie Fisher returns one more time to play the strong wise leader of the resistance Leia Organa. Princess Leia rebel and sister of Luke Skywalker. Leia has become Sci-Fi royalty in both the Star Wars universe and science fiction itself she has evolved from the Damsel in distress to a strong tough female character that still has a soft side as well as the iconic haircut. Following actress' tragic death in 2016 the studio had to take a few liberties but even with these restrictions they were still able to give give the character a perfect send off. It was the best way they could have done it and it's what Carrie deserved.

The film's main villain Kylo Ren returns this time with The Knights of Ren who the movies have only mentioned. While Adam Driver does a great job in portraying this Sith villain he has gotten something of a mixed reception from the fans and the critics. Some dislike the characters portrayal as a moody, arrogant and whiney teenager. Others like him mainly for his badass mask design and his cross guard lightsaber. But overall he doesn't quite live up to the villainy expectations of Darth Vader, Maul, Revan or any of the other Sith lords we've seen throughout the years. While some like the character and others don't he still has his redeeming qualities like his mentioned cross guard lightsaber and new battle damaged mask.

Final Verdict: So in conclusion not all the fans are gonna be happy...so people are gonna like this movie and some are not. But that's what the fans have always been like since the beginning and it's what makes them so unique. SO wether or not this film was able to stick the landing of 40 years of story telling is entirely up to the viewer. But for me the film was awesome!

Final Score: 9/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Spider-Man Far From Home Review

This is my review for the MCU's newest movie Spider-Man: Far From Home. I must inform you readers that this review does in fact contain spoilers for Avengers Endgame. Since the movie is set after Endgame and it's been a few months now since it's release I believe that your reading this after seeing Avengers 4. But if you haven't please don't read any further.

Spider-Man Far From Home takes place eight months after the titanic fallout from the events of Avengers Endgame after Professor Hulk used the Nano gauntlet to bring back the trillions of people and creatures that Thanos killed during the events of Infinity War. Soon during the epic final battle against The Mad Titan...Iron Man aka Tony Stark made the ultimate sacrifice to stop Thanos for good and with a snap of his fingers(and in a clear sense of irony) destroyed Thanos and all of the soldiers and servants who were loyal to him. But at a great cost. The incredible power of the Infinity Stones severely wounded him and he slowly died from his wounds surrounded by his friends and family. After witnessing the death of his friend, Mentor and father figure to him Peter Parker aka Spider-Man has been driven to become the great hero and Avenger that Tony believe he would become but at the same time must deal with his feelings for MJ, picking up the pieces of his own personal life after being dead for 5 years from the snap and have time to mourn the loss of the man who made him an Avenger.

Far From Home is centred around Peter and his class mates taking a trip to europe for a vacation. While on this trip Peter plans to have fun with his friends and tell MJ the girl he likes how he feels about her. Along the way we are shown how the world has been affected by The Snap and how it's picking up the pieces. But in the end the world will never again be the same. But his trip is immediately interrupted when monsters made up of fire and water known as the elementals have attacked the continent. Their attacks have also been followed by the illusive and powerful man of mystery....Mysterio. This plot really has a great blend of teen romance, mystery and superhero action the likes of which we haven't seen since the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie in 2002. It does exactly what a sequel should do and be better than the original as Far From Home is a lot more bigger and ambitious than Homecoming. It also has the best visuals in a Marvel movie since Doctor Strange. This movie is a fish out of water comedy that is full of heart, humour and fun that was all executed very well and it both builds up the next stage of the MCU brilliantly and ends phase 3 with a bang.

Tom Holland returns as the iconic web swinging hero Spider-Man. He was born to play Spider-Man as he has the slim spider like look and the personality to play this badass smart ass superhero that's also an awkward and nerdy teen. He has really developed as a character after the tragic death of his mentor Tony Stark and has been driven to become a better hero and he Avenger Tony always believed he would become. He feels more dead serious at times and more focused on being a hero in order to honour Iron Man and to earn what Hulk and Tony gave to him and the rest of the earth. Throughout the movie Peter dons over 4 different Spidey suits. Some we recognise like his iconic red and blue Stark suit and the nano tech Iron Spider armour as well some new suits such as the new black stealth suit and the upgraded red and black suit that looks very similar to the suit from the very first Spider-Man issue. Tom Holland once again pulls off a spectacular performance as the lovable web head that I personally have loved since I was a kid and is definitely the best spider-Man actor ever.

Zendaya stars as MJ one of the class mates and the girl that Peter has a crush on. Mary Jane Watson has always been known as the kind hearted red headed girl that Peter Parker had been friends with since childhood and as they reached their teen years they began a relationship and eventually fell in love. Soon becoming one of the most famous couples in comic books and in some versions got married and had a daughter who eventually became Spider-Woman. However this movie takes a completely different turn and makes her a completely different character than her comic book counter part. She is sarcastic, quirky and rude but also has a soft part for Peter. This is a completely crazy depiction of the character that has really sparked debate as some people think this is completely disrespectful to the source material while others think that it's an interesting a bold move to evolve and show more diversity in the MCU. So wether you love or hate this casting choice Zendaya still provides a great and professional performance as the strong young woman that doesn't take crap from anyone.

Jacob Batalon returns as Ned Peter's best friend. He once again steals the show as the nerdy, funny and loyal partner in crime for peter who helps him fight bad guys as his “Guy at a laptop” and eye in the sky. This is probably the first original Spider-Man character to be first introduced in the movies and not in the comics and so far has become a hilarious side character some of us may know in our own lives.

The film's main antagonists that we have seen in the trailers are shown to be The Elementals. Creatures that are made up of the elements Earth, Water, Air and Fire. But as all comic fans know is that the real villain is the Illusionist Mysterio. If that sounds like a spoiler trust me it's not Mysterio is one of Spider-Man's oldest enemies and has been for decades...you should all know this by now. Mysterio is one Spider-Man's oldest villains......He is the master illusionist who uses mystery and trickery to trick people into believing he's he has mystical powers. While Jake Gyllenhaal may not have been entirely the best choice for this character he still does a pretty good job in portraying this mysterious and mentally unstable character. The costume however is incredibly accurate to the comics with his green suit, purple cape and of course his dome helmet that earned him the nickname “fish bowl head”. While he may be a decent villain for this movie in the end.....He's a total joke who's too goofy to be taken seriously even in the fictional comic book world....I guess some things never change.

One thing the movie does so well like the previous MCU movies is actually add in moments that were pulled straight from the comics even some from the issues in came out in the 1960's. Which I thought was very clever as that was the decade that Mysterio was first introduced and shows respect to the early days of the Spider-Man franchise. But of course there are also some easter eggs here and there that only true comic book fans will notice.

Final Verdict: Spider-Man Far From Home is a whole lot more entertaining and ambitious than Homecoming. It is the perfect blend of Superhero action and teen romance that really develops the main characters and builds up chemistry between Peter and MJ. But best of all it ends The MCU Phase 3 with a bang and makes us wonder what's next for the MCU now that Iron Man, Captain America and Hulk are gone.

Final Score 8.9/10

[the-kool-kyle]

John Wick 3 Parabellum

It's been 5 years now since the release of the first John Wick movie which completely took the world by surprise with it's thrilling stylish action, great world and best of all the man him self John Wick played by the badass and awesome Keanu Reeves. Now the new instalment John Wick 3 is the best John Wick movie to date by bringing back it's fast adrenaline fuelled action scenes where John shoots bad guys left and right and racks up kills like he's playing Call of Duty on easy difficulty. To put it simply the John Wick franchise is 80% head shots and John Wick 3 dials that up to 90. John Wick is one of those few 3rd instalments that's actually good and is a total garbage fire. It does the impossible and becomes one of the best in the series so far and will definitely lead to fans discussing which one is the best.

John Wick 3 picks up immediately after John Wick 2. Where John broke the rules of the assassin underground after killing Santino D'Antonio on continental grounds and is now “excommunicado” meaning he is now a marked man and is on the run. With a $14 million bounty on his head he has become the primary target for every hit man and secret group in the world.....but he begins with a one hour head start. Now with no help John must fight is way throughout the city and all of the world in order to find “guidance”. With assassin's around very corner and no help he really puts his skills and experience to the test and must now choose if he should die as a man or live as “Baba Yaga” Aka the Boogey Man.

Keanu Reeves returns as the awesome, dangerous and sympathetic John Wick ex-assassin and action hero. He exploded onto the screen in 2014 as the baddass, awesome, deadly and all round lovable assassin that is and I quote “A man of focus and commitment”. He doesn't disappoint fans of the franchise by doing what he does best throughout the entire movie such as killing bad guys in over 100 creative ways, keep getting up no matter what gets thrown at him and at the same time being a caring and sympathetic man mainly to his dog and to the memory of his late wife. John's history and origin is explained more in this instalment and really builds the lore of his character and how he came to be the underground legend many people fear to meet. Keanu Reeves does a brilliant performance by doing his own stunts, shooting with great accuracy and murdering in very creative ways. Reeves trained with real Navy Seals and other military personnel to provide the perfect and most realistic performance of the world's deadliest assassin. He gives us another reason not to mess with him in real life.

The film brings back many familiar faces and a bunch of new characters that really fit into this world very well and don't feel generic and reused. Many familiar faces return such as Lance Reddick as Charon the concierge at the continental hotel in NY and the polite kind hearted man that looks out for John's dog. Ian McShane returns as the wise Winston the owner and manager of the hotel who has known John since he first joined the ranks of the underworld and has become something of a friend and mentor to him. A new character exploding onto the screen is Halle Berry's Sofia and deadly assassin and old associate of John Wick who is accompanied by a pair of lethal German Shepard attack dogs. She provides a great performance as a non-nonsense and deadly woman that must never be messed with. While she did give us one of the best moments of the movie I feel like Halle Berry could have been used a little more and felt kinda wasted. Lawereance Fishburne also returns as Bowery King, leader of the homeless and underground crime lord. While he wasn't used as much as in John Wick 2 he stills gives us a crazy performance as the king of the bums and is actually the first time he's worked with Keanu Reeves since The Matrix trilogy.

Now as I mentioned in my John Wick 2 review there isn't much story to discuss because these movies and the audience only care about one thing.....the action! This film has thrilling over the top action sequences that keep us all entertained and has more than ever this time. Their bloody, fast, brilliantly shot from great angles, have intense tracking shots, and cool POV moments that make you feel like your actually there. The gun and fist fight scenes are fast adrenaline fuelled moments that really satisfy the fans with background music that fits the moment and are hard hitting. John once again takes on wave after wave of bad guys with the fighting skills he took from the Matrix to take them all down with ease and his marksman ship gives us a movie that's 90% headshots. Fans with be pleased with how well these movie's action stays fresh and stylish despite being the 3rd movie.

The story also does a great job on building on the world, introducing new characters, and expanding on the lore. With new twists and opportunities to make way for more future sequels and prequels that I can't decide if we really want or need. But I'll take it!

John Wick 3 satisfies and quenches the demands of the fans of the franchise with it's thrilling action, interesting and well developed characters, rich lore and awesome action that we all know and demand. It really opens up a lot of doors for future sequels and prequels to build on the franchise. But best of all Keanu Reeves acts like a total badass that both wow's us and makes us love him even more since he's a nice guy at the same time.

Final Score: 9/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Avengers Endgame Review

Well, this is it ... Avengers Endgame. The film we've all been waiting for ever since the shocking ending to Avengers Infinity War and the end of the MCU's Infinity Saga. Well, I can say without a doubt that Avengers Endgame does more than a perfect job in finishing up 10 years worth of movies in one epic conclusion. Endgame is an emotional, shocking, heartbreaking but best of all epic movie that is a must watch for every human on earth! The movie takes place right after Avengers Infinity War and is during the fallout of “The Snap” when Thanos attached all six infinity stones to the infinity gauntlet then with a snap of his fingers single handily wiped out half of all life in the universe (including some of our favourite heroes) to create what he sees as “balance”. This movie takes place right after that where heroes and other characters are now dead thanks to “The Mad Titan” (Thanos) and now the only ones left are the original six Avengers introduced in phase 1 and a few others. Which consists of Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye (who is Ronin now), Black Widow and War-Machine who are also getting help from Rocket Raccoon, Captain Marvel, Nebula and Ant-Man. If there's one thing Infinity War taught us it's that movies' with a large number of characters can be great and while Endgame's roster is as bigger as Infinity War it does an excellent job on focusing on the original six Avengers and the newcomers to the team and really convinces us this team can save the universe.

Endgame's plot is very complex, long and very hard to describe without seeing all of the previous MCU movies since the first Iron Man or spoiling the movie. Basically, it's unique, emotional, tear-jerking but is still epic, funny and awesome as any MCU movie should be. Its tone is dark and dead serious and really shows us that these are dark days for the MCU with their defeat and half the universe being dead. Ok now apart from the scenes from the teaser, the fact that this takes place right after Infinity War I can't really take about the plot because everyone wants to find out themselves. What I can say is that Endgame more than earns it's 3 hr runtime as it ties up more than a decade of movies very well which has become known as the infinity saga. It deepens the importance of the previous movies and makes them feel a whole lot more important than they already were to us. The movie's runtime gives each of the characters their own moments to tie up any loose ends or unanswered questions. Its story feels like it was written for fans by fans which is just the way we wanted it to be. This movie, however, has few laugh moments as this is a dark time for the Avengers and almost everyone has lost hope. Endgame has some of the darkest, most emotional and shocking scenes and moments in the MCU's history as well as tear-jerking moments we never thought we'd see in a Marvel movie. This movie's plot is without a doubt the perfect way to end the infinity saga.

The heroes and villains are the heart of and soul of this movie and at moments really feel like a family and makes this version of the Avengers more realistic and unique.

Robert Downey Jr returns for the 9th time as Iron Man (Tony Stark). The first hero ever introduced in the MCU and the iconic armoured hero who has always been a fun loving, smooth talking, badass looking engineer genius and playboy has unfortunately become an angry and cold man after the events of Infinity War. During which he fought Thanos one on one and only drew a drop of blood from the Mad Titan after throwing literally everything he had at him and completely getting his armour destroyed in the process. Then after seeing Peter (Spider-Man) die in his arms from The Snap he now feels like a failure as both a hero and a father figure. While he does still have his iconic sarcasm and funny personality he's a more dead serious and darker version of himself and has made it clear that he's had enough. Robert Downey Jr is the perfect match between actor and role for the golden avenger and does an excellent performance that is definitely one for the ages.

Chris Evans returns as Captain America (Steve Rogers) The First Avenger. He wins our hearts and our respect by being a total badass who cares more about his country but also his team, his friends and all of the world. Throughout the movie even though his best friend and partner were killed he still never stops fighting, never backs down and never gives up to complete his mission. Proving that no matter what the universe throws at him and no matter how many times he gets knocked down he always gets back up because it's what he was raised to believe. As we all know he can do this all day. Chris Evans was born to play Captain America and I can't see anyone else playing as this legendary hero. P.S he's my personal favourite Avenger. Plus throughout the movie, he dawns a whole bunch of awesome suits that are both old and new like his stealth suit from “The Winter Solider” Suit (seen in the first teaser) and his new white suit (seen in the other trailer).

Chris Hemsworth lights up the screen as Thor God of Thunder. The son of Odin has really evolved from a spoilt arrogant prince to a funny heroic warrior that will do to protect the people of Asgard. However in Endgame Thor struggles to remain a strong hero and king of Asgard after feeling a sense of failure and defeat after almost dying to forge Stormbreaker and still fail to stop Thanos in Infinity War, save the remainder of his people and the rest of the universe. So while he is still the lovable bad boy, the fallout of the snap has transformed the once mighty hero into a shadow of his former self.

Jeremy Renner returns as Hawkeye (Clint Barton). The somewhat underappreciated and not very well loved archer that has beenovershadowed by the other members of the team. But in Age of Ultron became everyone's 4th or 5th favourite Avenger and after Civil War is now an official favourite to everyone. Now driven by the snap he has become the deadly vigilante Ronin. Armed with a sword and awesome new hooded suit Clint has become a darker and more dead serious character that isn't messing around this time cause he missed out on Infinity War but suffered as much as everyone else has. Oh man I feel bad for this guy first he wasn't anyone's favourite Avenger, he missed out on Infinity War and now he's gone mad from the snap. BTW this was all seen in the trailer so these aren't spoilers.

Mark Ruffalo returns to the MCU as Dr Bruce Banner and The Hulk. The big angry monster that does only one thing ... SMASH! He stole the show back in Thor Ragnarok as the closest thing we'll ever get to the “Planet Hulk” version of the character. However, he only appears once in Infinity War to fight Thanos but immediately gets his ass kicked and for the rest of the movie refuses to come out of Banner. Forcing Bruce to use the Hulk-Buster Iron Man suit to fight. Kinda Ironic if you ask me The Hulk is piloting the Hulk-Buster armour. While he isn't as awesome as he was in Ragnarok and felt underused most of the time he still melts our hearts by being a brainy kind-hearted scientist that would do anything for the team. Best of all Mark Ruffalo really put Edward Norton and Erica Bana to shame or as I call him....Mark Ruffa-Hulk.

Don Cheadle returns as Iron Man's partner War-Machine (Rhodey). Who pilots a similar but badass looking, heavily armoured, well equipped and high tech Iron Man suit. He's a decorated soldier that's just as patriotic as Captain America. While he felt a littleunderused in the last few movies like Iron Man 2, Age of Ultron, Civil War and Infinity War in Endgame he makes a much larger impact and really contributes well to the plot and has earned to the recognition he deserves. Best of all his War-Machine suit his more tactical, high tech and looks more badass than ever even more than Tony's suit.

Scarlet Johansson is back once again as the highly trained super spy Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff). Despite not getting her own movie she has appeared regularly in other MCU movies and has become one of the best, oldest and most recognisablemembers of the team. She is something of a mystery to most people as she never knew her parents, was raised to be the perfect agent, has never had a real family and at times has forced to choose between duty and what's right as was shown in Civil War. However, since the fallout of Infinity War she has become a depressed and alone as she never got to fight alongside her partner Hawkeye during the fight against Thanos and hasn't heard from him since the events of Civil War. But she is still a strong independent woman that many women and girls can look up to as they can be just as awesome and badass as many male comic book heroes. But there is one thing I didn't like about her in Infinity War and Endgame....her hair cut. She has ditched her iconic long redhead look for a short Mark Hamill styled her cut that looks horrid. But other than that she still and always will be an awesome character. Paul Rudd explodes onto the screen as the fun-loving, energetic and awesome Ant-Man (Scott Lang). After making 2 successful movies and giving us the best scene in Civil War he has quickly become a fan favourite especially for me. After the ending in “Ant-Man and The Wasp” he became trapped in the “Quantum Realm” just before The Snap. Since the Quantum Realm is a completely different part of existence he survived...unfortunately the same can not be said for his Mentor and his predecessor Hank Pym or Scott's love interest Hope Van Dyne aka The Wasp who were killed when Thanos snapped his fingers. Because of this he has really evolved as a character and makes a really major impact through the movie and really feels important as he should be. He has been driven to fight after and do something about the fallout of The Snap since he has lost everything. While Paul Rudd is still a fun comedic character he has really developed into a more serious and focused character. He has earned to right to be called an Avenger.

Josh Brolin steals the show as the movie's or more importantly the whole MCU's primary villain ... The Mad Titan Thanos. He has been seen in many of the MCU's previous movies building up as the universe's greatest and most powerful villain. His plan was to gather all six of the Infinity stones, attach them to the Infinity Gauntlet and use it to wipe out half of all living creatures in the universe to create what he see's as “balance”. Thanos is a whole lot more menacing and evil in Endgame than he was in Infinity War and feels a lot more like his comic book counterpart with his smirking evil look and epic armour that makes him look even more badass. Josh Brolin does an amazing job in voicing and doing the motion capture for this legendary and truly evil villain making it feel like the real Thanos leap right off the pages of the Infinity comic books and into the movies. This is definitely the MCU's greatest villain and one of the best movie villains of all time.

Now, what would this film be without....action! This movie has some of the best moments ever pulled from the comics that no one saw coming and only true Marvel fans will recognise. Their epic, fun, memorable and unforgettable plus the special effects and CGI were amazing and really blended well with the practical effects. While it is frowned upon, there were moments that made everybody including me stand up and cheer as the scenes are so epic and awesome they get us super excited. This is some of the best action ever see in a movie is really gonna be loved by everyone for years to come.

Final Verdict:Avengers Endgame is the perfect Marvel movie which brilliantly ties up a decade of movies, gives us a finale worthy of winning awards, and is gonna be loved for generations to come. It more than earns its three-hour runtime by tying up all loose ends, giving each of the characters their own chance to shine, and reminding us how much we love them. In the end, it's emotional, epic, unique, heartbreaking, shocking, entertaining, fun and most importantly makes fans cry, fans cheer and say ... what!? Especially with the moments that were pulled straight from the comics. It is a must watch for every human being on earth and will be loved by all fans old and young.Final Score: 10/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Shazam! Review

It's been 6 years now since the DCEU began with Man of Steel and while most of the films have been either hit or miss recently we've seen DC movies really hit the mark with critics and fans such as Wonder-Woman and Aqua-Man. Now the DCEU's newest hero Shazam has been given his own movie. While most people aren’t all that familiar with the character this movie is probably the most fun, uplifting and joyful DC movie since the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie from 1978. It is packed full of great performances, easter eggs, important life messages and plenty of moments of action and fun.

The character Shazam (originally known as Captain Marvel) wasn't a DC comics creation and was instead first introduced in All American Whiz comics in 1940. Captain Marvel once over took Superman in popularity but due to copy right issues he eventually became part of the DC universe due to his many similarities to Superman. DC licensed the character in 1972 till they eventually bought him in 1991. They were also forced to change his name to “Shazam” due to the rise of Marvel comics and their own character of the same name. The character is basically a young orphan boy named Billy Batson who after being summoned by the wizard “Shazam” is given the powers of greek gods. Which consists of Solomon's wisdom, Hercules' strength, Atlas' stamina, Zeus' power, Achilles' courage and Mercury's speed. Which spells out “Shazam” nicely. Once this power was granted to Billy he simply needed to say the word “Shazam!” and he would transform into the grown up superhero champion with his red suit, lightning emblem and white cape. The reason the wizard chose Billy to become his champion was to fight injustice and cruelty, he believe that his power was best passed down to some young and pure of heart.Both of which Billy had. While the film did tweak a few things in the origin story it was still true to the source material and was more of a mix of both the original 1940 origin story and the DC New 52 origins. This film did and excellent job in bringing to life Shazam or “The Big Red Cheese” as he is known as a lighter version of Superman.

The best part of this film was the casting choices. The DCEU has made some really great decisions in choosing the actors to portray their characters and most of been complete success'. Zachary Levi was born to play as the superhero Shazam and looks exactly like the character as he is in the comics in his comic book accurate costume(despite the look change to the boots) it was totally worth the one million dollars it cost to make. Yep the Shazam suit cost 1 million dollars to make. He is just hilarious in most of the movie as he a grown man with god like superpowers and the mind of a teenager. Asher Angel plays Billy Batson very well as a brave, smart, kind but stubborn young boy who tries to find the family he's always wanted and learning many important lessons about life and being a superhero. These two actors as the same character were amazing and felt like the same person at times as if Zachary Levi really is a grown up Asher Angel.

Mark Strong plays as the film's villain “Dr Thaddeus Sivana. Unfortunately this bad guy came off as boring and underwhelming. However he did have understandable motives and good reasons for being evil which was explained every well in his origin story. So he wasn't all that bad.

The rest of the characters like Billy's best friend Freddy and his adoptive brothers and sisters such as Mary, Darla, Eugene and Pedro were all great and felt like a real family. Billy's crippled friend Freddy acts as the mentor and brains of Billy becoming a Superhero and is both a kind and funny kid. Mary the oldest and also awkward young adult who while doesn't have enough screen time still acts as the wise older sister and den mother that looks out for all of her foster siblings. Darla the young girl acts as the sweet innocent little sister who wants nothing more than to hug her family members. Eugene is the brains of the family and also something of a crazy nerd who yells a lot and plays video games. Pedro spends most of his time acting as the weird fat kid who doesn't talk much but eventually comes around.

Now the one thing a comic book movie can't do with out....action! Shazam succeeds in providing moments for action that feel like they were directly inspired from both the comics and the campy 1978 Superman movie. It blends well with the fast paced and well shot techniques of today to give us moments that felt really fresh and original. The one thing that's separates this movie from the rest of the DCEU is that it has heart felt moments that made us feel. Throughout his adventure Billy learns moral and important lessons about being a superhero, the importance of family and learning from his mistakes. Showing us that while being a superhero is the highest of honours it is also the greatest of all responsibilities.

Unfortunately there was one problem I had with this film it had a very slow and boring start. It took quite a while for anything fun or interesting to happen but if your patience like me that won't be much of problem.

Final Verdict: While Shazam isn’t a big of a deal or amazing as Wonder-Woman or Aqua-Man and does have a slow sluggish start it eventually becomes a joyful, fun movie with a light and happy tone we haven't seen in a comic book movie since the Christopher Reeve Superman movies that blends modern comic movie tropes with camp very well and the end result is effortlessly entertaining movie for everyone.

Final score 8/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Captain Marvel Review

Disclaimer: This review will start off with a couple of spoilers to Avengers: Infinity War. So if you haven't watch that yet don't read any further....but come guys we all know you've watched it.

It's been almost a year now since the shocking ending to Avengers: Infinity War where the mad titan Thanos used The Infinity Gauntlet with all six Infinity Stones to kill %50 of the universe population and also killing off a couple of our favourite characters as well. Setting up what is definitely the darkest time in the MCU's history. However before he disintegrated into dust Nick Fury sent out a distress call to an old friend of his.....Captain Marvel. Who is probably the best, last and only hope to undo the Mad Titan's plan. Now we've been given a origin story that's also a prequel to introduce this new character and how she'll play a role in MCU's later films.

Plus since this takes place 12 years before Iron Man this movie has a lot of references and foreshadowing to the other MCU movies.

Captain Marvel is a fun, thrilling, well written, perfectly acted and visually mind blowing movie that despite feeling a little out of place in phase 3 still explodes onto screens feeling like a much more fresh and original approach than anything we've seen in the last 3 years. The character Captain Marvel has been passed to many people throughout the marvel comics over the years and has also been known as Captain Mar-Vel. But this film is focusing on the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel.

Carol Danvers was originally known from the comics as being the love interest for the original Captain Mar-Vel and a damsel in distress (which was a bio product of the time). She eventually gets her own powers to becomes Miss Marvel and a member of the Avengers. However the film takes a more different approach to the origin story and she is instead introduced as a solider for the alien civilisation known as the Cree who experiences nightmares and flashbacks to her past life. She eventually crashes to earth in the year 1995 and must face a race of evil shape shifting aliens known as The Skrulls.

Brie Larson as Carol Danvers Aka Captain Marvel was the perfect choice for this iconic Avenger who is also a great match between actor and role. She plays a super-heroine that has something of a no nonsense but playful attitude and is also a strong independent female lead that really shows women can be great superheros just as much as men can. She's one of those comic book characters thats warm and friendly to her friends but deadly and shows no mercy to her enemies as she shows throughout most of the films runtime. But best of all she explodes onto the screen with her badass looking suit with the mohawk helmet that I personally really dig and her awesome super powers that include strength, flight, energy absorption and the ability to fire photon blasts from her hands.

Sam L Jackson returns as Nick Fury who in this movie is a junior agent at Shield and has two eyes!Since this is a much younger and inexperienced Fury he acts less of the wise, mysterious mentor with the iconic eye patch and more like a fun loving, stubborn young man with a great sense of humour. He shares a classic buddy cop friendship with Marvel which feels like something straight out of a classic 90s Tv show that really fits the decade this movie takes place in. So while he isn't as intimidating or as badass as he was in the other movies he still stands out as the cool, smooth talking secret agent.

As you may have noticed from the posters and trailers is that there's a cat in this movie known as “Goose”(which is a Top Gun reference). He straight up steals the show like Korg from Thor Ragnarok thanks to his adorable appearance and many crazy things he does...that I can't in good conscience spoil for you guys.

The many set pieces and locations in this movie look amazing both in outer space and earth. Since this movie is set in 1995 it has a lot 90's styled references and easter eggs like Blockbuster video, gameboys and ripped jeans. Plus this film's killer soundtrack contains many classic vintage tunes that rival Guardians of the Galaxy and reminding us how awesome the 90's were.

Unfortunately like many of the other MCU movies...this one's villains fell flat. We've all had to deal with disposable, generic villains that only last one movie and Captain Marvel's “The Skrulls” are no different. The Skrulls are a race of aliens that can shape shift into any form of any species making them the perfect enemies to hide in the shadows and pull strings from behind the scenes. While they are cool in the comics in this movie they are a far cry away from many of the MCU's good villains like Loki, Hela, Ultron and Killmonger. So once again we have forgettable boring villains in a superhero movie. But I will say this their shapeshifting scenes are really well done and look really real.

The supporting cast ranged from fun and cool to just generic and boring. Jude Law plays as Cap's commanding officer Yon-Rogg who is actually not all that interesting. While Law is a great actor he just doesn't really belong in this kind of comic book movie as he just basically acts like himself in real life and not like a Star-force Commander who is driven by belief and who is meant to be inspirational. Clark Gregg returns as a young agent Coulson who we were really looking forward to see since we haven’t seen him since the first Avengers or Agents of Shield but unfortunately he's barley used in the movie and felt wasted which was a bit of a let down. However Lashana Lynch's character Maria Rambeau really felt like someone we know in our own lives. She plays as the badass best friend of Carol Danvers that you don't really need to help out cause she can hold her own against anything plus she is seen as an equal to many of the films more powerful and independent characters with playful competitiveness. I found her as a very well played and respected female character.

Now the one thing that really blew this movie out of the water was it's visuals, CGI, costumes and action! The action was both thrilling and engaging and felt like moments ripped straight from the comics as Captain Marvel battles enemies in epic space battles in the cosmic void of space and the many familiar set pieces of earth. It truly is some of the best action sequences in the MCU to date. The CGI and visual effects were really well design and animated especially well during the space battles and epic fight scenes between Cap and the Skrulls. The CGI blended very well with the practical effects making it look a lot more real instead of just relying solely on CGI especially on Cap's suit. Which brings me to the costumes. I gotta give a 10/10 for the costumes that were used for the Skrulls, the Cree and Captain Marvel herself. Captain Marvel's suit looked really awesome with it's red, blue and gold colour design and it looks especially awesome when she uses the mohawk helmet. It makes her look even more badass and I think it's awesome that they used her own hair as the mohawk because it just makes really cool and was never used in the original old Miss Marvel comics. CGI was also used on Nick Fury to make him look younger in this film and while this has been either a hit or miss in the past they really nailed it for Fury. He looks exactly like what he'd look like if he were 20 years younger.

One thing that I feel I should mention is that some people saying that this movie has a major flaw. Since this movie is an origin story it feels out of place at this point in the MCU because were nearing the end of phase 3 and origin story movies mainly took place in phase 1. I really don't see how this is a problem so just make up your own mind if you feel this movie belongs in phase 1.

Final Verdict: Captain Marvel is an awesome, thrilling, entertaining movie with a well told story, plot twists, easter eggs galore, excellent acting but most importantly must be seen immediately because it ties in heavily to Avengers: Endgame and must be seen if your a true MCU fan like me. Because....Endgame will soon be upon us.

Final Score: 9/10

P.S. I got a bit emotional at a point in this because it has a tribute to Stan Lee.

[the-kool-kyle]

Alita Battle Angel Review

Alita Battle Angel to put it simply is a visually stunning, well acted, entertaining and fun to watch action that doesn’t have much going on with it's plot and characters. While it is Robert Rodriguez's best movie in recent years and has some of the most impressive CGI this side of Avatar and action that will keep you entertained the other half of the film falls flat due to it's poor screenplay, lack in character development and a plot that was just all over the place. However to some people this movie is considered a great live adaptation of the manga but to others a typical CGI fuelled action movie that they will immediately forget about as soon as their home from the theatre.

This movie is based off a cyberpunk styled japanese Manga series of the same name that takes place in a devastated earth after a great war set in the 25th century where humans cyborg humanoids struggle to survive in their poverty stricken world known as “Iron City” while trying to reach the wealthy city that lives above them known as “Zalem”. The film and Manga both follow the story of a martial arts Cyborg heroine known as “Alita” and her many other friends as well as enemies that well get to later in the review.

Now unfortunately this film's story is probably one of it's weakest points. While for most people it's par the course for them to the fans of the manga it felt like a poor structured plot that doesn't quite live up to it's source material. Primarily because it story covers the first 4 issues of the manga it failed to fit all of the critical plot points in and left out many critical moments of character development and world building. It seems this movie feel victim to the similar problem that “The Last Airbender” suffered from and by that I mean it crammed in so much plot into a roughly 2 hour movie that it failed to make room or even focus on the point of the movie. Plus it was really desperate to get to next epic fight scene and over the top action sequence that it felt rushed at times. So while ABA's source material was rich and interesting this movie's plot wasn't.

Now the main reason this film wasn't a total disaster is because of it's action! The fights and action sequences are without doubt some of the best I've seen in recent years it's fast, well shot even in the slow motion matrix styled shots and completely over the top. It really does a great job in capturing the martial arts styled fighting with Alita and the crazy oversized weapons and hidden gadget attacks the other cyborgs use through the movie. It is just a lot of fun to see the characters go toe to toe with each other and can be watch over and over and still looks amazing. So if all you care about in your movies is action then you won't be disappointed.

This movie has probably one of the most beautifully designed and well detailed worlds in the last decade it's just another one of those movies that looks amazing and needs to be seen at the cinema to be experienced at it's full potential. It's CGI, motion capture, set pieces and visuals are all oscar worthy. The many characters, robots, cyborgs and humans look really cool with their Japanese cyberpunk style appearances especially Alita herself. But I have to be honest in some of the scenes some the cyborgs with humans faces looked a little fake at times which is understandable since it can be a challenge since this whole movie is about badass looking cyborgs. So while they don't always look amazing it's something that won't bother most of us since they mainly in the fast paced action scenes. The city of “Iron City” looks exactly like what it is like in the comics with it's japanese styled buildings with a bit of futuristic touch to fit in with the time it's in. So this movie has visuals and CGI that could win an award.

The film's main character “Alita” is a powerful, strong, warm and emotional character that is brought to life brilliantly well by her actress Rosa Salazar who is just phenomenal. She is instantly steals the show with her heroism, bravery and humanity but sadly since this film cut out major plot points from the manga it feels like she could have become the more powerful and inspiring character she was in the source material. One thing a feel I should mention is....Alita's big bulging eyes. While they aren't as bad as Henry Cavil's mouth from Justice League they are as equally distracting. But I guess that's the whole point since their meant to look like a japanese anime character. But none the less...very distracting.

The movie's other characters felt a little wasted and underused. Especially Alita's adoptive father Dr Dyson Ido played by oscar winner Christoph Waltz this actor's talents felt like a missed opportunity to build a strong father daughter relationship with Alita and he felt more like the boring rule explainer guy. The movie's villains (like many villains these days) were pretty boring and dull compared to the other characters in this movie and were ultimately more forgettable than the villains from a few other comic book movies.

So in conclusion Alita Battle Angel wasted it's supporting actors, had a plot that felt less like a well structured story and more like a loud dumb action blockbuster that doesn't full respect it's source material and characters. But has action, visuals and a perfect leading actress that kept it from being a total disaster plus it tried and succeed in doing something new with movies these days. But I have to be honest it's really desperate to set up a sequel and I never had high expectations for this movie since it was first announced.

Final Verdict 7/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Aquaman Review

Aqua-Man is one of DC comics most well known heroes and also on of the most controversial. For many decades he has been criticised for being being seen as a dumb and uncool character who never quite reached the type of praise or fame like many of other DC's champions have received like Batman and Superman. Mainly due to his boring stories, dated look and unimpressive powers FYI: talking to fish. But now with the newest instalment of the DCEU we've been give an Aqua-Man movie that does what 60 years of comic books couldn't do and make him into a badass acting, awesome looking and down right cool character throughout a movie that is surprisingly a very entertaining popcorn movie that gets more awesome every time you see it. Plus people can now see Aqua-Man as a real superhero and not a dated and dorky comic book character we all know and use to tolerate.

“Aqua-Man” is the best DC live action movie in the DCEU to date. With it's perfect acting, great pacing, easter eggs, stunning visuals and memorable moments. As well as costumes and moments ripped straight from the comics which has become the DCEU strongest suit since Batman V Superman. This film proves that any character from a comic book can be made into a relatable and loving person that can inspire everyone.

Jason Momoa stars as the best and most awesome live action portrayal of Aqua-Man(Arthur Curry) to date. His take on the character with his big dumb tough guy attitude, badass look and epic one liners. This is a major improvement over what the character is like in the comics by ditching his blonde hair and goody two shoes personality for a version of the character that's both modern and likeable for young and old audiences. He has become to most liked character in these movies since Batfleck appear in BVS and has really made an impact on veteran readers who always saw him as the worst superhero ever made and can now see him as a total badass and a real superhero. But best of all Jason Momoa was the perfect choice they just couldn't have gotten anyone better to play him he is probably one of the best superhero castings of all time.

Amber Heard stars as Mera Princess of the Xebel tribe from Atlantis and well known from the comics for being Aqua-Man's love interest and future wife but is also known for her unique power of Hydrokinetic and telepathic powers that allow her to control aquatic environments and water at will and as well as her iconic long lush bright red hair. She completely pulls off a perfect performance as this female superhero as through the film she is seen as a no nonsense royal that delivers exposition and having a “love-hate” relationship with Arthur. But most importantly she is a strong empowering female character who has great chemistry with Arthur. Which I see is a great portrayal of this type of character rather than being the typical defenceless damsel who instantly falls for the hero because he's “The Hero”.

Now over the last decade it's become something of a hot button topic with comic villains in these movies as most of the time their generic, forgettable and disposable villains that only last one movie and don't make that much of an impact but some times they get them right. This movie however has two villains that are both great at being evil, have justifiable motives and good reasons for doing what they do and both make huge impacts on the film's narrative.

Orm king of Atlantis and Aqua-Man's half brother played by Patrick Wilson is the movie's main antagonist and one of Aqua-Man's arch enemies . Throughout the film Wilson is really committed to his role and bring to life this largely unknown villain from the comics. While he does have some cheesy dialogue that feels straight out of Shakespeare the one thing that makes him a great villain is because he has justifiable motives. Orm being the king of Atlantis cares about his people and will go to extreme methods to keep them safe and during this goal he has come to hate the surface dwellers because they pollute the sea, dumb all their trash into it, kill billions of fish and other aquatic creatures and generally just destroy the oceans beauty. So while he does make some dark decisions and acts like a complete monster can we really blame him for hating the surface world? So basically he's an evil character who is actually right which I think is a very interesting way to show us that not all super-villains are evil for no apparent reason to be good. Orm or “Oceanmaster” is probably one of the best DC villain to date .

The movie's second villain is of Aqua-Man's arch enemies.....Black Manta. Black Manta is one of Aqua-Man's most famous villains since his earliest adventures who is instantly recognisable for his black scuba suit and bug like helmet with big red eyes cable of firing a powerful laser beam. While the previous DC movies have had some pretty boring villains they finally give us a bad guy who is finally awesome because Black Manta is badass as hell! While he could have been used a little more he more than makes up for his limited screen time by stealing every scene he's in thanks to his dark and cold personality, epic lines of dialogue and best of all his costume. While Aqua-Man's classic costume is still up for debate Black Manta's costume is just awesome because it looks exactly like the comic book counter part with a few minor upgrades making him look both awesome and terrifying. Thanks “Iron Head”. One thing that really makes his unique is that in a way he is the hero of his own story and has a understandable reason for wanting to kill Aqua-Man.

So this movie has two great villains that feel like they were ripped straight from the comics, had justifiable motives and were both awesome. That's a major win for the DCEU.

Now this movie's best feature is it's visuals. This movie just looks amazing it's probably one of the most visually stunning movies in recent years with perfect CGI that makes all of the scenes underwater and the actors (while filming)look like their actually floating around in the depths of the ocean. Plus all of the movie's locations and set pieces such as Atlantis were stunning they looked so real and felt more like they filmed in real locations rather than created using CGI and green screens. The movie's action was just non-stop and all of the scenes were both really awesome and unique in their own way. The action was filmed using tracking shots and one shot takes that made the acton a whole lot more exciting as well as a few camera angles in certain shots that made the action more real and made us feel like we were actually in the movie instead of relying on multiple camera angles and quick cuts.

I have to give a 10/10 for the costumes and props this movie used. All of the main characters looked almost like their comic book counter parts their costumes were incredibly accurate and looked so awesome especially for Aqua-Man, Mera, Orm and Black Manta. Plus the many props they used throughout the movie looked so cool like Aqua-Man and Orm's Tridents, Black Manta's helmet, Mera's Crown and the weapons the Atlantian soliders wielded.

The story surprisingly did a good job sticking to original origins of Aqua-Man where his father was a lighthouse keeper and his mother was a queen of Atlantis. It also had great pacing and did a great job building up this world that Aqua-Man takes place in and also included so great flash back sequences which didn't feel out of place. Many of the films side characters were portrayed very well by their actors like Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Willlem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko and Dolph Lundgren as Nereus. Additionally if your a big DC fan like me I suggest you keep and eye out for the many easter eggs this movie had hidden in certain scenes so keep an eye out.

Final Verdict: Aqua-Man is the best DCEU movie to date thanks to it's great casting choices, classic story, awesome villains, great hero, strong women and stunning visuals. It's living proof that the DCEU isn't dead and is catching up to Marvel and is close to fully competing with them full time.

Final Score 8.5/10

[the-kool-kyle]

BumbleBee Review

Transformers is consider one of the best franchises of the 80's it's success of the show spawned action figures, comic books, video games and of course movies. Over the last decade we've been given 5 Transformers movies all directed by Michael Bay and have had something of a controversial and mixed reception from fans and movie goers alike. Now in this new Transformers spinoff/prequel “Bumblebee” we are (surprisingly) treated to a great, entertaining and heart warming tale full of action, humour and tear jerking moments that actually make you have feelings for this franchise again. To put it simply this movie is the best live action Transformers movie to date.

Now for some people they find these movies as guilty pleasures but to most people they are just straight up hated mainly due to the many cliches and tropes that Michael Bay uses in each of his films like: Slow motion shots, extreme american patriotism, racism, stereotypical and annoying characters both human and transformers, low angle shots of people getting out of cars, glistening face sweat, terrible toilet humour, product placement, objectifying and disrespecting women and of course unnecessary and unrealistic explosions. But now we finally have a Transformers movie that has none of those things.

This Transformers movie takes place in 1987 before the first Transformers movie from 2007. It's about the Autobot Bumblebee who's on the run from the Decepticons and the US military and along the way he is helped and befriend by a young girl named Charlie who throughout the film builds an powerful relationship with the gentle robot and the two of them become the best of friends. It also has a lot of child friendly humour and no lazy racist, sexist and toilet jokes like the Michael Bay movies.

Bumblebee is well known for being the little yellow Autobot who transforms into a Volkswagen Beetle. The one thing that makes him unique and so loveable is that he is portrayed as the young inexperienced soldier/scout of the Autobots but never gives up and never backs down thanks to his courage and bravery but also shows moments of light hearted innocence. All of which is done very well throughout the film and really brings the character from the 1984 pilot of transformers to life brilliantly. However one thing that people are divided on about this character is that in these movies he is a mute after have his voice modulator damaged in battle and communicates by using sounds from the radio. For some fans of the franchise this is seen as a disrespectful feature for the character as they prefer him as grunt scout who talks and acts like a young kid who fights along side his bigger and more mature comrades. But some think this makes him more of a fun character so whether or no that the whole mute Bumblebee is a good or bad thing is all within the eye of the beholder. So this version of the character is actually a lot better than the version from the Michael by films cause his look and vehicle mode closely resemble his Generation 1 appearance from the original 1984 show.

Hailee Steinfeld stars as Charlie the films female protagonist. Who is a typical brash and impulsive 80's teenager that really knows cars. Throughout the film she is shown to have some what of a rocky relationship with her family and feels alone most of the time due to the lack of friends and finds happiness by working on cars. This leading character is a strong young woman who has both a soft side and pushes back when life pushes her. She actually shares a more realistic, dramatic, caring, loving and powerful bond with Bee than Shia LaBeouf did in the previous films since they end up changing each others live's forever kind of like the Iron Giant story. I can honestly say that this is a completely amazing and inseparable friendship between human and robot.

One particular reason I found this film enjoyable was it finally gives us Transformers that finally look like the robots we fell in love with back in 1984. Apart from Bee himself there were scenes where we got to see some of the original Autobots in their Generation 1 forms like: Wheeljack, Arcee, Cliffjumper, Brawn, Ironhide, Ratchet and of course Optimus Prime who is voice by the legend Peter Cullen. As well as the Decepticons like: Soundwave, Blitzwing and Shockwave. Mostly the movie focused on Shatter and Dropkick who aren't as memorable or likeable as the some of the others and felt boring and under use for most of the runtime. So yeah this films main villains are just generic and forgettable. While the other Transformers looked awesome causing a rush of nostalgia they felt unused and only got a few minutes of screen time. While the film is mainly focused on Bumblebee they could have done a lot more with the other Transformers and felt like a wasted opportunity and didn't make that much of an impact like they should have. But still may have great potential in future films. But over all it's good they took the characters back to their roots.

One thing a feel I should mention is that this film finally gives us fights scenes between the Transformers that are actually easy and fun to watch where you can see what's going on. Cause let's face it in the previous films all the fights scenes looked like digital junkyards doing Kama Sutra in a hurricane

John Cena stars in this film as Jack Burns a generic military guy from Sector 7 who shoots first and never asks questions at all. This is something we've seen before a solider who thinks that the Transformers all need to be destroyed even though some are not trying to hurt anyone and always end up aiding the Decepticons. This character didn't offer anything new to the formula. One big problem is that John Cena seems to only be good at being tough gruff solider and not much else at acting so they could have had a better casting choice.

Now one thing a saw that could be used to build on from this movie is Transformers home world of Cybertron. While we only got a few brief scenes of the planet it looked very similar to it's G1 appearance and I gotta say they really should have used it more. Basically if they set an entire movie with this style, tone and story entirely on Cybertron these movies maybe more entertaining, fun to watch and maybe award material. This is a chance for the Transformers movie franchise to start fresh and provide us some quality entertain and actually trigger a rush of nostalgia fans of the original series can appreciate. Just a thought.

Final Verdict: Bumblebee is the best live action Transformers movie to date because it returned to it's roots, gave us loveable and relatable characters, provided great action, humour and love and best of all got rid of Michael bay! But still could have done a lot more with it's unused characters, missed opportunities and let's face it the whole franchise should have started out this way to begin with so it hasn't completely redeemed the franchise but is still a fun movie to watch overall. Final Score 7/10.

[the-kool-kyle]

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Review

We've seen many Spider-Man movies over the years and while some are better than others they all have one thing in common....They feature one of the greatest and most Iconic Superheroes of all time Spider-Man! As well as his many friends and family but also all the many awesome villains from his rogue gallery like The Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. Now this new animated Spider-Man movie takes a different turn and presents us it's own story that brings together many different other Spider-Men from the Marvel universe and give us an awesome bold story full of Heart, Humour, Superhero action, amazing comic book style animation, the importance of comics and what they tell us and of course....Easter Eggs.

Into The Spider-Verse is primarily set in the Marvel Ultimate Universe showing us how Miles Morales is forced to take up the mantle of Spider-Man as well as the many lessons, difficulties he must learn and what it truly means to be Superhero and what makes him Spider-Man. Miles has become a very loved character from the comics in where he becomes the new Spider-Man after Peter Parker's Death and trying to take his place in protecting New York and it's people. Miles is known for being the first African American to take up the mantle as well as his many iconic powers like: The wall crawling, Enhanced reflexes, The Spider-Sense and his own different powers that make if different from Peter like the Bio-Electrokinesis or Venom Blast and his ability to Camouflage. Like in the comics is shown wearing the Spider-Man halloween costume since he doesn't get his iconic Black suit right off the bat but when he does get the full suit....It has been slightly tweaked but still looks totally awesome. But most importantly the movie does and excellent job in showing us his journey about learning the importance of being a Hero and how he filled the void the original Spider-Man had left.

The other Spider-Men this film introduces throughout it's story completely steal the show with their own unique backstories and personalities. Like Spider-Woman or Spider-Gwen to her fans who is from a universe where Gwen Stacey was bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter. In this film she is portrayed as a fun, friendly and free-spirited Superhero that shows us just how lovable and relatable female superheros can be these days and that they can be just as awesome or even better than male characters.

The Peter Parker Spider-Man in this movie this shown as a grizzled and disheveled version of the iconic hero who is Miles' reluctant Mentor throughout most of the runtime and tries to teach him how and what it truly means to be Spider-Man. He is shown to be a older and more experience superhero but is also quirky, sarcastic and lazy at times. This was a truly wild take on Spider-Man but is beyond priceless and is definitely one for the ages.

Legendary Actor and fellow comic book fan Nicholas Cage stars as the Noir Spider-Man a version of the character that's from a universe set in 1930's. While Nick Cage does an excellent job in portraying the character there were some major changes to the character since in the comics he's a more darker and gritter take on the Spider-Man in which he grows up during the great depression, his uncle's murder was more brutal but most notably he prefers to kill his enemies and use guns. But his may have been for the best since throughout movie he was seen as a man out of time with dated dialogue, hilarious reactions to world he's in and is more comedic than his comic book counter part which is something we've all become a custom to these days. He also has is comic accurate costume like the trench coat, fedora and WW1 airman inspired suit.

Kimiko Glenn swings into this movie as Peni Parker a largely unknown and underrated Marvel character mainly because she's and anime version of Spider-Man only seen in japan. While she isn't as memorable as Peter or likeable as Miles there are moments where she steals the show with her adorable looking anime design, her high intelligence and awesome looking robot companion named SP//dr Suit which she shares a powerful telepathic bond with and looks exactly like any of the robots seen in japanese anime these days....which I find badass.

Now the last character anyone ever expected to appear in this movie was the silly, cartoonish and  stupid sounding......Spider-Ham. Basically Spider-Ham or Peter Porker is a character from a Marvel comic book series from the 80's in which all the characters are portrayed as animals like Captain Americat and Iron Mouse. He's mostly shown as a funny looking, scene stealing cartoon character that feels like he came straight out of an marvel themed Looney Tunes episode....but that's the whole point and what makes this character so unique. So while a cartoon pig may never be as Badass as the mainstream Spider-Man he's still fun to have around at times and fit into the movie perfectly.

One thing I really like about this film was it had villains Galore! I completely lost count of the number of iconic super villains this film threw at us like the Green Goblin, Prowler and Kingpin who in this film has a very disproportionally small head. There are a ton more villains but I'll let you guys find out for yourselves since it would spoil the story. But I think some of them you won't know so maybe reads some of the comics before you see this.

Now the main reason this film stands out against all of the other Spider-Man films is because it's plot was really bold and clever in showing us how we can all be real superheros in our daily lives and what to do to achieve that. The story is also full of humour, heart and action that keeps us entertained and wanting and sequel right away. One thing that is very noticeable is that some parts of the plot were straight out of the comics but there were a few moments that had to be improvised since their doing their owns story in this film and most of the plot had to be made up on it's own. But in the end this film's plot fit perfectly and really felt original.

Final Verdict: Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse is a lovable animated movie full of iconic heroes and villains, awesome action, epic easter eggs and comic book style visuals that are perfect and make this one of the best animated movies of the decade and something that will age well with time. Final Score 9.5/10

P.S this film has 2 post credit scenes and the perfect way to say goodbye to the late Stan Lee.

[the-kool-kyle]

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Review

The Harry Potter movie franchise has become of the greatest cinematic universes in history thanks to it's epic stories, lovable characters, action packed and tear filled moments that will remain with you forever. But now let's talk about the franchises new prequel series “Fantastic Beasts” which is a series of books introduced in the Harry Potter universe to educate young witches and wizards about the many fascinating and dangerous creatures that exist in their world which a pretty wild move to make to give the world more Harry Potter movies but is still easier said than done as some of the Lore and history to the franchise had to be altered and made up on it's own since their basing it on a creature guide. Any let's talk about the new Harry Potter film....Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.....while it is an entertaining film it feels like a major step back from the previous film and all the others that came before it.

Now one thing that kept this film from being a total bore is it's stunning visuals. Every time we were introduced to a new creature they were shot brilliantly and animated so well they looked so alive and real that make us wish some of these creatures were real. Many of the locations and set pieces also looked amazing I couldn't tell if they were using a set or green screen but I guess that's the magic behind the making of these movies. It also really opens up the world and has really fleshed out the universe these movies take place in. There were almost of a few transformation scenes from human to creature that were animated brilliantly and really made the scene more magical. I have to admit most of the this film's visual effects were absolutely stunning and amazing. These may be the best animations since Doctor Strange.

One particular area in which these struggle in is the characters. Almost none of these characters are as memorable or lovable as everyone we were introduced to the Harry Potter films and while there are some likeable witches, wizards and others they really felt like an uninteresting gang of spell casters.

Eddie Redmayne reprises his role as the Newt Scamander the “Magizoologist”(Wizard and Zoologist). While he's no where near as lovable as Harry Potter Redmayne still provides a strong and dedicated performance as the wacky wizard. Throughout the film he is constantly forced to make hard decisions that go against his moral compass forcing him to choose a side rather than stay neutral. Katherine Waterston returns as Tina Goldstein the MACUSA Auror who has something of mixed relationship with Newt. Waterston like Redmayne she provides us a strong performance but doesn't really get anything to do most of time and doesn't have as much screen time as the previous film so it feels like they wasted such a great character that had a major opportunity to develop.

Once again Newt and Tina's will they won't they relationship has become something of an annoyance and a problem in these films. As they can't really decide if their lovers or just friends mainly due to the fact that their both socially awkward. But I think the most likely scenario is that they love each other but they just can't say it which I think is a major problem cause it doesn't really develop their characters very well and feels like a miss opportunity because theor feelings for each other don't feel forced in any way.

Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski WW1 Veteran and Mugel also felt like a wasted character as he was probably the only likeable character from the previous film. Throughout the film you mostly forget that he's there and doesn't really appear as much so he became really forgettable and boring which I found disappointing because of his clumsy and funny personality makes him a favourite to some. Jude Law appears in this film as Harry's future mentor and father figure Albus Dumbledore. While he is in fact a very skilled actor he doesn’t quite have the charm or offer anything unique while playing as Dumbledore that made him a major favourite from the last 8 Harry Potter films which feels like a real let down.

Ezra Miller returns as the disturbed and angry Credence Barebone a lonely young man that is constantly mistreated due to his Obscurus parasite. While he was well introduced and developed in the previous film by being shown as a lonely orphan that was constantly abused by his mother in this film he feels brooding, sad and not much else. Despite being a major plot point he doesn’t really have much going and devolves into a boring and forgettable side character.

However one thing that surprised me was Johnny Deep's performance of the films main antagonist Gellert Grindelwald. While he may never be as memorable, evil or that big of a deal as Lord Voldemort he still gives us a villain that is intimidating, sinister, creepy and above all evil that perfectly fits into the world and gives out heroes a real challenge. So we may actually have a descent villain to root for or against and may be one of Deep's best performances in recent years.

But still sadly most of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald characters range from boring, wasted and forgettable which is a shame cause the Harry Potter universe is so rich with amazing character everyone can relate to.

Unfortunately the main problem I have  noticed with this film is the pacing. Almost half of the film's runtime was being shifted from one plot point to another which felt very badly structured and made the film appear to be all over the place. I mean first we're in one part of the story then 5 minutes later were in another story it just didn't give us time to become completely invested in the individual stories. This felt sloppy as this film really opened up and fleshed out the world but didn't really give us anything unique or new.

Final verdict: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald may have a few stunning visuals and solid performances but it still enough to make up for the wasted and boring characters, the bad structure and undeveloped romances that occur with some of the characters. Final Score 7.4/10

P.S is it me or has 2018 had a lot of mixed bags at the box office.

[the-kool-kyle]

Venom Review

Venom....one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains of all time (and my personnel Favourite) has officially received his own spinoff film and well to put it simply.....its a mixed bag. By that I mean it doesn't quite exceed mine or anyone else's expectations but at the same time I found it more enjoyable than I thought. The film was considered to fail as soon as Sony announced it because it wasn't going to star Spider-Man or any other Marvel characters. Sony are still having issues and debates with the rights to the character since Disney made a deal to use Spider-Man in the MCU. Now let me explain exactly what I like and disliked about this movie.

This movie is a spin off of Venom the Alien known as a Symbiote which is a being that bonds with anything it sees as a strong life form and offers it's host enhanced abilities and becomes a powerful force to be reckoned with. Over the years in the mainstream comics this character has become difficult to classify as it's sometimes a hero sometimes a villain and has bonded to many other characters in the Marvel universe such as Spider-Man, Eddie Brock, Flash Thompson, Matt Gargan and Deadpool. It started out as a new costume for Spider-Man during the secret wars crossover in 1984 where Spider-Man comes in contact with an alien being that bonds with him to create his iconic black suit and offer him enhanced abilities and at the same time darkened his personality (While it has been confirmed that Deadpool got the Symbiote first it's mainly important that Spider-Man became the host for the Symbiote). After Spider-Man forced the Symbiote to flee by using the sonic waves from a bell tower it then attached itself to Eddie Brock and thus become the iconic villain venom that gave him Spider-Man's power since the alien had developed a fondness for Spider-Man and the Symbiote is able to copy it's host's powers and abilities and give them to a new host.

Now in this movie “Venom” Tom Hardy plays as Eddie Brock a photo journalist who becomes the host of the alien Symbiote Venom and they become a powerful unstoppable monster that in this universe is an Anti hero. While it was an interesting idea for the iconic character be given his own movie much of the story had to be made up on it's own as this movie doesn't have access to the major Marvel elements that make up what the character is like in the comics: Spider-Man, Battle world and the rest of the Marvel Universe. How ever there were I few things I really like from this film because it turns out while there are leaps in logic the film actually sticks really well to the source materiel for the Venom Symbiote. Such as Venom being one of an entire race of Symbiotes, that lived on a dark and cruel world where survival of the fittest was the rule of the land and the only way to survive was to bond with a host and protect themselves from bigger predators and after a permanent bond is formed they suck the life out of their host and move onto the next victim since they were born without their emotions. This version also has the main weakness of this alien race such as sonic vibrations and fire because the planet they came from is cold and dark so they are highly susceptible to high heat.

Tom Hardy surprisingly did an amazing job on bringing his character Eddie Brock to life. He was really passionate about this role as he  steals every scene with great humour but so so charisma. This talented actor really doesn't disappoint in not only giving us a great Eddie Brock/Venom but also completely puts Topher Grace from Spider-Man 3 to shame. He also does the voice of Venom and while it sounded perfectly like an alien that shows no pity or remorse to it's victims it sounded a little too sarcastic and funny like many comic book characters are these days in movies. As in the comics he's talks more dark and sadistic so while it wasn't completely bad the character could have been darker and more evil. But to be honest I preferred him as Bane.

Michelle Williams plays as Anne Weying Eddie's ex girlfriend who maybe a talented and experienced actress she doesn't quite make this character a favourite mainly due to her lack of screen time and  zero chemistry with Eddie to make us believe they'll ever be together. So sadly like a few other comic book movies this one has a not so interesting love interest.

Riz Ahmed stars as Carlton Drake the villain and corporate overlord of the LIFE foundation a company that experiments on the Alien Symbiotes. Just like so many other Comic book movies this nothing but a forgettable and boring villain with a typical evil villain plan with zero originality. This is something we all probably saw coming since after all we knew there wasn't going to be any of the other awesome characters from the comics to create a great villain. It's a really bad when the movie's villain is this under developed.

The films CGI could have used a touch up but I still found it pretty impressive on how they used it on Venom and the other characters. Venom in this film looked very much what he's like in the comics with the big bulky build, sharp teeth and snake like tongue. It seems they used a mix of looks from both the main stream and ultimate Marvel universe to make the character's look in this film where he has a black skin gooey looks and doesn't have the spider symbol on his chest. While some of the action scenes were hard to follow they were still very entertaining to watch since that's mainly why you saw it in the first place. The film did have a few pacing problems as it too quite a while for the film to start and for anything interesting to happen but when it does it truly delivers. Unfortunately for many people the films plot was a bit predictable as they may have been able to piece it together from the trailers and the comics.

Final Verdict. Venom tries to hard to build up it's character and world in a universe that lacks many of the Marvel elements that make the character what he's like in the comics that doesn't do anything to exceed expectations. However it still provides plenty of action, humour, easter eggs and a Venom we've wanted that looks badass and acts so awesome he almost makes us forget about Topher Grace's horrible version........almost and at the end of the day that's all you really need.

Final Score: 6.4/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Mission Impossible: Fallout Review

The “Mission Impossible” movie franchise (That's based off an old TV show from 1966) has become a hugh cinematic hit over the last 20 years thanks to it's epic action, badass characters and unforgettable story lines. Now the franchise's 6th and latest instalment “Mission Impossible Fallout” is possibly the best MI movie to date. It's packed full of pulse pounding action, fun, sleek style, excellent stunt work and lovable cast members but mainly Tom Cruise. While it does have a familiar story that we've all become a custom to since the original back in 1996 we still find it entertaining since this story is full of twists and turns none of us saw coming keeping it fresh and awesome!

The casting choices for these movies has always been one of the franchise's best strengths since they always find great IMF agents and deadly villains. Tom Cruise returns to these movies as IMF agent Ethan Hunt the badass protagonist who's been the hero of these films since day one and still brings plenty of passion, charisma and professionalism to the role. This is the roles that Tom Cruise was born to play and whether you love or hate him in these movies he's the perfect match between actor and role where he does the many awesome things he does in real life to bring his iconic character to life by either doing a death defying stunt, acting like a complete ladies man, doing a pumpy arm run and basically act like himself till the director says cut. I mean seriously watch MI3 there's a 15 second uninterrupted scene of him running.....this guy never skips leg day.

The other cast members also did excellent jobs on making their characters likeable and evolve beyond forgettable and replaceable as most were back in the original. Simon Pegg returns as Benji the funny, goofy nerd that mainly spends the majority of the movie being the guy at a laptop who can hack any system, unlock any door and panics every time they get into a problem cause he's not cut out to be a field agent. Ving Rhames the only other guy apart from Cruise to stick around for these movies since day one returns as Luther the IMF agent who's basically just kinda there most of the time but always does a great job at moral support and or kicking ass. While he's not a fun or as memorable as Benji it's still great to see someone from the original movie aside from Tom Cruise.

Henry Cavil enters this movie as CIA agent Walker a man who prefers to do things his own way that don't completely agree with what Ethan Hunt believes in and actually becomes his rival. In most scenes he acts and fights like a beast! Due to his build from playing as Superman Henry does an awesome job at fighting like a total badass and making criminals reconsider their life choices. So while he may not offer much at first Henry Cavil was a great character in this movie. PS this film is the reason his lip was CGI back in Justice League.

Rebecca Ferguson returns from “Rogue Nation” as Ilsa Faust the mysterious former MI6 agent that spends most of the movie either being a team member or someone we can't trust as what she did in the previous film. While she basically does the same things in this film her character has really evolved from “Rogue Nation” and has become a bigger part of the plot and has now become more memorable and likeable. Sean Harris returns as the evil mastermind and leader of the Syndicate Soloman Lane This guy was a great villain back in the previous MI movie and once again provides a great portrayal of a psychotic, cunning and deadly bad guy with no pity or remorse. Truly a great villain casting choice.

Now the one thing that makes these movies so pulse pounding and exciting is the incredible stunt work. Tom Cruise has gained a reputation of being a dare devil and adrenaline junkie for his deadly stunt work in these films. The most memorable of his career was when he climb the Burj Khalifa in Dubai while filming “Ghost Protocol” without a safety net or the time he was filmed holding onto the side of a cargo plane while taking off 8 times! MI Fallout provides many other dangerous stunts one of which was a HALO jump or High Altitude low opening jump which is used by soldiers to sneak into foreign countries without being detected and this something Tom Cruise has been planing of over 4 years. Basically the scene involves him jump out of a military plane at 25,000 feet and not opening his parachute till at 2,000 feet. The suit he wore while filming the scene was both a prop and a deceive require to survive the jump and the effects team did a great job on making it look both real and work since it's impossible to breath at that altitude Tom Cruise even spent 20 minutes breathing in pure oxygen to prevent decompression sickness before they filmed the scene which took multiple takes. But the end result was amazing the scene was shot perfectly you actually feel like you there with him and it's probably one of the most dangerous stunts of his career. There was also another scene where Tom Cruise had to pilot a real helicopter and spent many months of filming to take lessons and they really paid off cause it gave us one on the most exciting scenes ion the movie. Also in the interviews before the movie's released Tom cracked three ribs and broke his ankle film one scene where he jumps to a building and still kept going while limping. Though this guy maybe be a complete adrenaline junkie I admire his dedication and passion to do so many dangerous stunts to keep us entertained and on the edge of our seats. This is something only a few other actors can pull off and I think we should respect him for it since many other stunts in the film industry are done with green screen and stunt doubles.

The one part many people find extremely awesome in these films are the fight scenes. Also all the fight scenes used John Wick styled fighting which allowed Tom Cruise and Henry Cavil steal almost every scene by completely kicking ass and looking awesome while they do it. You'll never want to miss a moment when you witness these well shot, perfectly edited and brilliantly acted scenes that put the James Bond fight scenes to shame. Speaking of which many people think these MI movies are trying to be the new James Bond franchise and that in some ways rips off the bond movies.....but that isn't entirely true. I've noticed that these movies are actually grounded in reality where instead of crazy gadgets, unnecessary love interest's and villains straight out of the Adam West Batman. Instead we get equipment and gadgets that are real and scientifically accurate, the women aren't used as sexual objects and the villains we see are more cunning, intelligent, cruel and some actually have justifiable motives. So the MI franchise is a more realistic take on modern spy and secret government agencies that may or may not exist which is one of the things that separates it from James Bond.

Final Verdict: Mission Impossible Fallout is a awesome, incredible action packed thrill ride that never fails to excite, amaze, thrill or terrify it's audience. I have to admit it this movie is probably the best Mission Impossible movie to date and one the best acton movies of the decade that will never be forgotten thanks to Tom Cruise mainly thanks to his great acting and his unbelievably amazing stunt work. Frankly this movie almost makes up for The Mummy back in 2017.......almost. Final score 9/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Ant-Man and The Wasp Review

Over the last 10 years, the Marvel cinematic universe has done a great job on introducing and/or building on their many characters like Iron Man, Captain America and The Guardians of the Galaxy. But they've also brought in many unknown or forgotten characters from the comics, and have had forgotten or under appreciated actors portray them to make awesome movies. Recently the MCU has introduced Ant-Man, a super with the power to shrink and grow in size as well as communicating and controlling ants telepathically. While some found this character silly at first, many now see him as a interesting and badass character. Now lets talk about ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’, a film that many of us were really excited about, and in many ways it has lived up to or even exceeded expectations. ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ does exactly what a sequel should do: took everything from the original and make it bigger and better!

Now, first things first, many people were wondering where this movie would fit in the timeline, and if this movie would tie-in heavily with ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. The film takes place immediately after ‘Captain America: Civil War’, where Scott Lang (AKA Ant-Man) is under house arrest after the fallout between Iron Man and Captain America, while at the same time, tries to become the father his daughter Cassie deserves. We've also learned that Doctor Hank Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dyne are also trying to find the truth about what happened to Janet Van Dyne, the original Wasp. While the film did have areas that need improvement, it soon evolved from a typical comic book movie to a warm and playful story about family which I thought was smart move since it actually had meaning rather than focus heavily on action. Another thing I noticed is that the movie felt and acted more confident in it's execution than the original. But most importantly it truly delivers on fun, acting, action, humour and Marvel comic references and Easter eggs.

Paul Rudd reprises his role as Ant-Man and does exactly what you'd expect from this character: act like a total badass superhero in half the scenes, and do Paul Rudd things in the other half. By which I mean provide great humour and comedy to the character with his silly and quirky personality. While many were sceptical about this casting decision at first, Paul Rudd does a awesome job at bringing this cool, interesting and silly character to life. One thing I loved about this character was the awesome looking costume, while I didn't quite like it at first, I've come around to it and actually looks like something I'd love to cosplay at comic-con, but to be honest the Civil War suit was the best one. A truly great casting choice.

Evangeline Lilly returns as Hope Van Dyne, the new Wasp and love interest of Scott Lang. This time however she has really improved from the original Ant-Man. Back in the last film, she was a pretty boring and wooden character with a rocky relationship with her father due to the supposedly death of her mother Janet who was also the original Wasp when Hank was Ant-Man. In this movie she becomes a full on badass as the Wasp with her awesome looking suit, her ability to shrink and fly as well as her tough, no nonsense attitude toward Scott, but still showing a soft side in certain moments. I think Marvel have done a great job on evolving this character from a boring stiff woman to a strong female character who's now a total badass!

Michael Penya returns from the original as the hilarious and lovable Luis, the mastermind criminal and best friend of Scott Lang. He plays the comic relief and steals every scene he's in, mainly due the one thing people know this character for “telling stories in a hilarious way”. While it does seem silly and random at first it is a complete stroke of genius for Marvel to do this, which left many fans wanting him to tell the events of “Ant-Man” and “Captain America: Civil War” in this film and... he did! So while he may be a side character we love this guy and we hope to see more of him.

While this film had a lot of scene stealers, they didn't have quite as much impact on the film or the plot as characters Hank Pym and Bill Foster. Michael Douglas returns as Dr Hank Pym, creator of the Pym Particle and the original Ant-Man. While he makes major impacts in the Marvel comics he doesn't exactly have that exact effect in these movies. This is mainly because Marvel are using a point in the comics where Scott Lang is Ant-Man and Hank has retired and also doesn't do any of the crazy things he does in the comics or create the many other alter egos he's had like: Giant-Man, Goliath or Yellow Jacket. But to be honest I prefer this version of Hank Pym since in the comics he's not as chipper as he is in the movies. Lawrence Fishburne (and his iconic tooth-gap) enter the MCU as Bill Foster, known by many comic book fans as Black Goliath. While it is interesting they've brought in this character from the comics he doesn't really contribute much to the plot and spends most of his time just being “there”. So It's a shame they didn't do much with this character, but I hope they do use him more in later movies.

As we all know the MCU has had a lot of generic, disposable and forgettable villains over the years who most only last one movie which many of us find disappointing. The villain of this movie was Ghost, a girl with the ability to turn invisible and walk through walls. While this character did seem cool in the trailers and has had a interesting history in the comics, in this movie the villain ends up being a one dimensional character who doesn't quite reach the greatness of Loki, Ultron and Killmonger. The character wasn't completely true to the comics since The Ghost has been one of those character's whose Identity and Backstory have been shrouded in mystery for decades and when they were finally revealed we still have trouble understanding them. I can see why they did major tweaks to this character, because I'm sure they did the best they could to make this character easy to understand for those who don't read the comics and they've did a pretty decent job. So while Ghost isn't the best MCU villain of the year, they still have a lot more potential to improve in later films.

The films tone, while not as stylish as ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ or ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, it took a different turn and ending up having a more lighter and fun tone along with a very colourful style.

Now the one thing that really impressed me was the action. Because it isn't a Marvel movie without great action scenes. This time these moments were clever and inventive and really used the whole shrinking and growing technology the heroes had to good use making them both exciting and funny to watch. The use of CGI and slow motion was excellent, it made me feel like I was actually there with Ant-Man when he shrunk down and made the normal areas he was in appear more dangerous and real. This movie's animation and CGI was really well crafted, and also had so pretty good practical effects, such as the awesome costumes!

Final Verdict 9/10 : ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ did an awesome job, both improving and building on the original and has become one of Marvel's best sequels in years. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and all the other actors do their character's justice I couldn't ask for better casting decisions. It also gave us more action, humour and love that they really knocked out of the park proving once and for all that Marvel can build a franchise around just about anybody.

P.S: Very important! There's two post credit scenes and they both tie into ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ so be sure to stay seated until the credits are completely over!

[the-kool-kyle]

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review

Jurassic Park is well known for being one of the most beloved movies of all time thanks to it inspiring wonder, it’s memorable moments that will last a lifetime, lovable characters and iconic theme song which has made it an all-time classic that to this day stands the test of time. But now the franchise has become more well known with people these days thanks to the 2015 ​reboot​ ​“Jurassic World” and while it didn't quite​ capture the magic of the original​, it's still an enjoyable movie to watch with friends and family but now let's talk about it’s sequel “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”. 

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom takes place 3 years after the previous film and this time the franchise is leaving behind everything we've known about ​the previous films. It does this by giving us one of the most interesting set pieces of the year where the island where most of the films took place, Isla Nublar, is about to be destroyed by its erupting volcano which will kill every single one of the dinosaurs, sending them into extinction.....again. I saw this as a really bold move but also saw it as exactly what the franchise needed since it will no longer take place on the same place as the other films did so I like that they’re trying something new this time around. However, I have to be honest​, some moments of this film fell flat due to many leaps in logic that left us with many unanswered questions and by also jumping from set piece to set piece without taking a break which felt really rushed but it's a Jurassic Park movie so these kinda things happen all the time. 

But of course the film still provided us with plenty of action, humour and emotional moments that we know a movie like this needs but then it takes a different turn and gives us moments that were specular due to its use of claustrophobic suspense which made the scenes more intense, thrilling and pulse-pounding. This is something the franchise hasn't done since that one scene in “The Lost World” where the raptors were hunting the humans in the area with the long grass and I gotta say this was a great idea since it makes the predators more terrifying and scary.

Now the main reason these films are so memorable is because of its colourful characters and while some are better than others this film really delivered in giving us some humans and Dino's that​ ​we either love or hate. Chris Pratt reprises his role as Owen Grady​,​war veteran and dino trainer who steals almost every scene in the film by being a total badass when it comes to action and charming everyone with his cool and quirky personality. Not to mention his unshakable bond with the Velociraptor named​ Blue that really shows us the ​true emotion and love that makes these characters stand out from others in the franchise.

Bryce Dallas Howard returns as the on-again-off-again love interest of Owen and while not many people find her as interesting or as likeable as Pratt​, I actually preferred her in this one. Because she evolved from being a very stiff and wooden lady who became famous for running from a T-Rex in High heels to an actual sympathetic and more memorable character who contributes more the plot which I thought was a real improvement. But of course, this film also had many characters that were just plain forgettable or unlikable all together​.Like Franklin Webb​, the wimpy little nerd who basically shouldn't​ ​be on a dinosaur-filled island in the first place and Zia Rodriguez​, the Dino protection activist who does a perfect job in some scenes but unfortunately doesn't have enough charisma or screen time to become a favourite.

One character I actually found interesting was Maisie​, the mandatory child who's either an orphan or child of divorce. However , ​this time I actually like this character because she wasn't annoying like Tim, boring like Zach, useless like Kelly or unrealistically crafty like Eric. Instead, this character actually had an interesting background, was pretty useful most of the time and is a character people would actually like to return for future movies of the franchise. So yeah​, after 25 years the franchise gives us a kid that may become a likeable memorable character that contributes to the plot. Unfortunately, one particular area where the film preformed poorly was its villains. Yes, I know the franchise hasn't been known for good human villains but this one really fell flat. I'm not gonna give away who the villains were but I'm pretty sure you've already guessed that they’re basically dopes in suits trying to make a mint by smuggling the dinosaurs off the island and selling them for a large profit. But of course,​ ​that sinister plan ultimately backfires. If that sounds like a spoiler trust me it​ ​isn't because as we've seen in literally every other Jurassic Park movie, someone tries to something like this and it never works cause these are just Doctor Evil levels of stupid and are never a good idea.

Now one thing that has really made the Jurassic Park franchise such a success is its specular use of practical effects. When I first saw this movie​,I was convinced they were going to completely rely on CGI and​,​while they did use some CG​,​most of the dinosaurs in the movie were completely done with practical body parts such as dinosaur heads, claws and other body parts.

These visual effects and puppets made the dinosaurs look more alive and real which shows us that using old movie techniques can really improve the movie’s imagine. This is a real major improvement since the previous Jurassic World relied heavily on CGI and Jurassic Park 3 has been well known for having the worst visual effects in the franchise , making all their on-screen creatures look completely fake. I guarantee you that if there's one thing that makes a film pure Spielberg magic , it's brilliantly crafted visual and practical effects. 

Another thing that I​ ​(but not many people noticed) was the incredible amount of the detail and references to the previous films that were lying in the background in certain scenes. For example, the T-Rex from both this and the previous Jurassic World film has scars on her neck and head from the battle with the raptors from​  the end of the very first movie and more recent scars from her fight with the Indominus Rex, this basically means this is the same T-Rex from the very first movie. I also noticed in the background of one scene that ​someone had a copy of Ian Malcolm's book “God Creates Dinosaurs” which was a pretty clever easter egg. So keep an eye out for more cause I'm sure there are​ ​more that I missed.

Final Verdict: So yeah, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom may not have exceeded expectations due to its dull story, boring villains, leaps in logic and forgettable characters. But it still gave us tons of action, humour, love for both humans and Dinos, callbacks to the originals, amazing CGI and Practical effects from being a total failure​ in previous films. But what really makes this film good is that ​they've made a bold move to leave everything we know from the previous films and take the franchise in a new direction which I think is what's best for the Jurassic World movies. 8.0/10

[the-kool-kyle]

Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

Star Wars has become more popular than ever with Disney buying the rights and expanding the universe by giving us new instalments in the franchise with these new sequel, anthology and spin off's that have become highly debatable among the fans both new and old. Now I'm here to tell you about the new Star Wars film “Solo a Star Wars Story” which is basically a spin off about Han Solo the gun slinging scoundrel that becomes one of the most beloved characters in the franchise mainly due to his clever one liners, skill with a blaster and of course the excellent performance by the main actor of the character Harrison Ford. How ever this movie doesn't really offer anything new or memorable to the franchise but still provided the right amount of action and humour to keep the audience entertained.

The main reason I found this film “ok” was that it really doesn't build up to where Han started in a New Hope basically the character starts and ends the film as the same character and while Alden Ehrenreich did a pretty good job in portraying the young Han Solo it wasn't near as good as Harrison Ford and felt more like his own version of the character which doesn't quite set up to what Han is like when Luke and Ben first meet him on Tatooine.

Chewbacca on the other hand was really well used this time in fact even better than he has in the last 2 movies and while the circumstances of how he and Han first met wasn't as cool as it was told to the EU he was still given plenty to do and did and excellent job in keeping the action alive and providing some funny moments due to his hulking size and iconic roar. I can definitely say this film did a great job in making this iconic and lovable wookie into a total badass.

The other characters in the film were well debatable some were good and some didn't entirely feel like Star Wars characters and were basically just forgettable. Woody Harrelson plays as Tobias Beckett who is basically the wise, tough crook who's basically mean't to be something of a mentor to Han and while he does act like a badass in most of the scenes he doesn't really feel like someone you'd immediately know if someone said his name or cosplayed him so he is unfortunately not that memorable or likeable. One thing that really got a lot of controversy when this film was announced was Donal Glover playing Lando Calrissian the cape wearing charmer who many know as Han's old friend from Empire Strikes back. While many had their doubts Glover really does an incredible job in bringing this under rated character to life with is smooth talking and quirky personality which everyone loves about the character.

The droid in this film L3-37 is actually considered to be one of the few droids in the franchise that's female and while there were moments where she provides enjoyable humour and action this character doesn't reach the standards that would make her a memorable and lovable droid like BB-8 or R2-D2 and doesn't have the personality or quirkiness like Rogue One's K2-SO. But I have to be honest I definitely found her more interesting than C3-PO cause let's face it he's annoying as hell.

One character that I feel could have used some serious improvement was Emilia Clarke's character  Qi'ra who is basically Han on and off again love interest. She is basically seen as a strong willed character who's fighting to stay alive no matter what the cost and while there some moments where she really shows the values she mostly spend the film as a boring stiff character who hates being the damsel in distress.This character had a lot of chances for improvement but failed to make herself likeable and is just another one of the franchises least favourite characters.

So basically while half of the characters were liked and memorable the other half  were boring and forgettable which can really effect the image of the film since some of them were used on the posters and marketing campaigns.

One thing I particularly found impressive about this film was it's use of practical effects instead of  relying heavily on CGI. Through the film most of the sets and locations were filmed in real world area's and most of the backgrounds didn't use green screens. Plus all of the costumes and props that were used looked incredible and really fit the style of the universe this will definitely lead to many people cosplaying some of the characters from the film since a lot of people are dedicated to many movie accurate costumes these days and while they did use CGI it actually looked really good compared to the other Star Wars films. The reason we all found this impressive is because back in the day with the Star Wars prequels they relied heavily on CGI even most of the extras were created using CGI unlike in Solo were the Storm Troopers and other extra's look more alive than what they did in the prequels which one of the reason's why the prequels are hated.

Now the action is where this movie really shines. Almost all the action scenes used the iconic Star Wars theme music that make the moments more epic and fun. The moments that had the Millennium Falcon were definitely the best of the film since that was one of the reasons why this film was made cause it's showing how Han got the Falcon. Anyway during the space battles we witnessed some really impressive shots that put the space moments from The Last Jedi to shame and is probably what saved this movie from being a total disaster. So yeah moments that get exciting is what makes the film really enjoyable so if you love action and space battles this film is for you.

Final verdict: Solo may not have completely lived up to many expectations and maybe a little disappointing to some but still provides plenty of action, humour and awesome looking characters  to keep you entertained. The some of the actors do their characters justice and some not so much but still way better acting than Hayden Christensen. So if your looking for a movie with some good acting, brilliant practical effects and action scenes that are like roller coaster then this Star Wars film is what your looking for. Final Score 7.7

[the-kool-kyle]

Deadpool 2 Review

Ever since his first appearance in the 90's we've all been in love with Deadpool AKA the merc with a mouth due to his badass appearance, epic stories, his powerful healing factor and of course is potent/silly personality which has made him one of marvel's most beloved characters. Deadpool 2 is the sequel to “Deadpool” from 2016 a smash hit that is considered one of the best R rated movies of all time simply because it out grossed every other comic book movie that came before it(Even DC) and now Deadpool 2 does exactly what any action movie sequel should do take everything from the original and add more of it as well as build on the world it's set in.....and that's exactly what they did in the movie. Deadpool 2 is more action packed, more gory, filthier, and completely 100 times more funnier than it's predecessor because as soon as the movie starts it immediately gives the fans everything they've wanted this film to have ever since the first teaser dropped.

This film picks up two years after the last movie and does an excellent job on keeping the audience entertained with action, comedy, comic book references and Deadpool himself. How ever I have to be honest this films plot had some pacing issues and moments that felt messy and had no aim what so ever which kinda made parts of the plot forgettable but then again everyone pretty much expected this since after all a Deadpool movie is trying to provide humour, action and moments right off the page of a comic book. it's not trying to win an oscar.

But the one thing that made this film so fun was Deadpool him self. There's no denying the fact that Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool. Because he dominates every scene of the film by doing what he does best. By which I mean spectacularly bringing this indestructible psychopath to life with his humorous and silly personality, comic and pop culture references that perfectly fit the moment his in and of course his signature fourth wall breaking making him a one of a kind character. I can honestly say that Ryan Reynolds has succeed in accomplishing every goal he hoped to achieve when he signed on for this role like.....Providing a better version of Deadpool that makes us completely forget the terrible version of the character from X-Men Origins and make up for his biggest mistake which was appearing as Hal Jordan in that god awful Green Lantern movie and believe me he hated that role since he made fun of it the last movie.

One thing I was really looking forward to seeing this movie when first one ended was the appearance of one of my favourite X-Men characters.......Cable. There's was some controversy when it was announced that Josh Brolin would be playing the character but in the end he did and awesome job in making Cable look and act badass as hell! Cable is well known in the comics as a time traveling cyborg mutant, being from the year 4952, the son of Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor and being Deadpool best Fr-enemy since he always hates dealing with Deadpool's crazy and silly personality as any sane person would. In the film however we don't get to see a lot of Cable origins and their world he's from probably due to budget issues which left much of this character undeveloped and left many movie goers confused since many of them haven’t read the comics. But for those who have read the comics didn't really mind this since they know about Cable's history and understand him better. However this didn't really bother a lot of us since this portrayal of Cable was badass and was a brilliant casting choice.

Now if there's two things this film truly delivers on it's action and comedy. Every single one of the action scenes is just beyond awesome which will leave you completely stunned with amazement which is really something since this is the first time I've said this. The humour in the film is just gold Ryan Reynolds and the other cast members say the corniest and cheesiest things that really drill down on your funny bone and give you the best belly laughs. It was also packed with filthy moments that are really disturbing that will be permanently stuck in your brain traumatising you for life. So yeah Deadpool 2 is packed with moments that will both Haunt and Delight you for a life time.

Another thing I particularly loved about this film was it's epic soundtrack. The songs they used fit the moments perfectly making them more awesome and badass. They used dub-step, Rock, 80's and 70's which are perfect categorises for this movie plus they've also even created a remix for this movie “The X-Force Rap” based off the Deadpool rap. I gotta say this can really rival the Awesome Mix.

But we all know the main reason this film will be a complete success is because of Deadpool himself. Because the thing about Deadpool is (And I'm quoting Stan Lee) he's not like a fictional comic book character he's like a real person. He acts and talks like any regular person would he thinks the same way, he's as disrespectful as most people are, you'll never know what he'll say or do next and most importantly he's like someone you wished live next door to you and would be your best friend. That's why we all love Deadpool and why this movie will be a success.

Final Verdict: Deadpool 2 may have a bit of a messy plot but it still provides all the things fans love like fast action, Badass characters, cheesy dialogue, tons of gore, extremely funny moments and moments that will haunt and disturb you for life. This could be another great R rated movie that’s gonna de-throne Infinity War. 8.5/10