Genre: Action/Science Fiction Directed by: Anthony Russo; Joe Russo Written by: Christopher Markus (screenplay); Stephen McFeely (Screenplay) Starring: Robert Downey Jr; Chris Evans; Chris Pratt; Chris Hemsworth; Tom Holland; Karen Gillan Review by: Barry Vance Nineteen Marvel films and snippets of the biggest and boldest villain in the galaxy have all led up to the arrival of “Infinity Wars.” Does the heavily star-filled film win or lose as Thanos attempts to acquire all the Infinity stones and, obliterate half of the universe? Well, yes and no. First of all, it’s hard not to go into this film with an excited anticipation, that is, if you’ve been following the Marvel storyline (if you haven’t, you’ll be lost because this isn’t its own story but rather a culmination of many stories prior to it). From the off, it’s easy to see why Marvel enthusiasts will be swept away or, have been swept away, due to its record breaking opening weekend and on-going success. Will it be the highest grossing film of all time? The Russo Brothers, Winter Soldier and Civil War, have carved out a cinematic spectacle which delivers many candy coloured treats to the senses. Let’s not beat around the bush. This is Thanos’s story and boy does he deliver. He should do. After all, we’ve been waiting 10 years for his official arrival. The motion captured performance from Josh Brolin is menacing, powerful, and tender (Yes, Thanos has some tender moments). The screen time for Thanos is perfect. It isn’t necessary for him to be in every scene but, you always feel his over-bearing malevolence throughout. He is the star player and, his presence leaves a lasting impression. Now, we never could have imagined a film like this being made in the past as it attempts to bring all the cream of the crop together in a Marvel crossover. It was a tough task, even for its 2hrs 40min running time. Does it work? Well, some characters are given more to do than others, which is an early indication that there wasn’t enough room for everyone to shine. However, the ones that shine, well… really do. Thor and The Guardians of the Galaxy are a pleasure to watch and, there are some genuine laugh out loud moments from them all (especially, Drax, the scene-stealer) Why did these characters hit home the most? Maybe, because of Thor Ragnorok still being fresh in the mind or, perhaps it’s just down to The Guardians being the freshest and most original thing to hit the MCU since it all began. It leaves you anchoring for more from these players but, instead, we’re taken along necessary but prolonged subplots as the characters are juggled together. Other stand-out turns include Robert Downey Jnr as Iron Man. The lone hero we started with all those years ago has some excellent moments on screen with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. It really is a clash of egos. There is earnestness in Downey Jnr’s performance, particularly in the final third, which adds another interesting and heartfelt layer to this already multi-layered Playboy. Captain America (Evans) is underused as is new fan favourite Black Panther (Boseman). It just seems that some characters are taking more of a back seat position; perhaps till part 2? In a 90min or, perhaps a 2hr film, their on-screen time would be sufficient but, in a film of this length, the gaps until we see them again… seem long. Instead, we’re given contrived subplots involving Wanda (where did that Russian accent go), Vision, and Hul… I mean, Banner. Yeah, that’s right. The usual main draw, The Hulk, is on-screen for a matter of minutes. Why? You’re conclusion is as good as mine as it wasn’t explained. Sure, you can put two and two together (has The Hulk gone soft?) but, it really isn’t that interesting to dwell on. What we do get is a mildly funny Mark Ruffalo bickering throughout with his alter-ego. I can only imagine that some scenes may have been cut before the film’s release as a certain scene involving The Hulk running towards the screen (in the trailer) is nowhere to be seen, I’m afraid. We are treated to an old friend from Age of Ultron, though, which involves some of worst CGI in Marvel history. You’ll know when you see it. The film has some real surprises for the audience, and there are a few moments which catch you off-guard. However, if you’re a reader of the comics or have a good knowledge of future films in the Marvel universe, then, these moments may lack the gut-punch the directors were intending. Then again, they may not. They are 2 different mediums which can affect you in different ways. And, let’s just say that, I know people who were completely sold into these scenes and those that weren’t. Sadly, I was the latter. The unnamed 4th Avengers film will be upon us next year and, I for one can’t wait. Yes, this does have its flaws but, it will be hard to see Marvel fans walking away from this and not grinning from ear to ear. Does it work as a film on its own? No. How can it? You have to have seen all the previous Marvel films. Does it go one step closer to completing ‘Phase 3’ of the Marvel canon? Yes. Is it a cinematic spectacle? Yes. Is Thanos everything we ever wanted? Yes, and more. Is Marvel going anywhere, anytime soon? Hell no! It is here to stay… big time!

Genre: Fantasy/Action Directed By: Ryan Coogler Written By: Ryan Coogler; Joe Robbert Cole Starring: Chadwich Bosemen; Michael B Jordan; Lupita Nyong'o; Danai Gurira; Letitia Wright Review by: Derek Griffiths Going into the film, I was of a very mixed mind. The main problem was, for me, Black Panther was never my favourite character. I followed Marvel heroes like Spider-Man, the Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Iron Man. Those were big stars for me, and watching them come to life on the small screen or in movies was always exciting. If the film or series turned out not to be that good, fine. It still didn't ruin my enjoyment of the character. Even with the Guardians of the Galaxy, who I don't think I'd ever really heard of before the big MCU film, I was still excited to see how these space heroes would fit in with the rest of the films. I had heard that Thanos would be in it, who was a character I knew from comics. I heard it was a good film from others even before I had seen it. With Black Panther… I didn't have that excitement. I'd seen Black Panther in comics and cartoons, but he'd never really been that exciting to me. His appearances alongside other heroes were usually one episode or one issue long. He'd appear, help Spidey or the Avengers take some villain down, then disappear. He never left a lasting impact on me and so, I never felt the need to look any further into him. So, I was seriously considering missing Black Panther altogether. Maybe just catching it when it came out on DVD or showed up on TV, ad breaks and all. It would have been the first MCU film I deliberately missed (I didn’t watch a few others at the cinema, but mainly because at the time, I didn’t have the time/money/confidence). But then the film received so many positive reviews. I saw one person mention that the film had gotten a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (at time of writing, it’s at 97%). And as much as I try not to pay attention to reviews, I couldn’t help but be curious. The film had already been spoiled for me in certain regards, but… I think I went to see the film more out of a loyalty to Marvel than anything else. I went to see it just in case anything in the film would be important to Infinity War. So I went and… do I think it’s worth 98%? No. Definitely not. I’d give it a 80%, personally. And Spoilers below. Cast and Culture The cast was very good, I'll agree with that much. It's perhaps a touchy subject for me to speak about, being a white male from a mainly white society. The film certainly appeals to a more ethnic audience - it was apparently hugely successful in Africa and with black people around the world. I can certainly understand why. According to those audiences, African culture was portrayed excellently, and the cast being mainly composed of African or black actors means that they seem right at home. The few scenes taking place outside of Wakanda, being set in Oakland, London and Busan, I believe, were well done, and contrasted with the Afrofuturism of the Wakandan capital and the rural Wakandan countryside. Actors in those locations were well utilised and diversified the cast. Chadwick Boseman plays the title character, and while his expressions do feel flat and monotonous at times, this feels more like a limitation of the character than a criticism of him as an actor. Letitia Wright's Shuri was a surprisingly popular humorous foil for Chadwick's seriousness. Michael B. Jordan's performance as the villain Killmonger was certainly well done, providing us with a few memorable lines and astounding scenes. Andy Serkis's Ulysses Klaue, first introduced in Age of Ultron, was a great character in this film. His sense of humour was a welcome addition to the film, and his knowledge of things that were supposed to be secret was fascinating. I’m very disappointed the film killed him off, since I think it’d be amazing to see him use his iconic sound-based powers in future Marvel films. Problems Most of the problems I have with the film are, admittedly, somewhat petty gripes. But the big, glaring omission is the connecting thread this film needs to draw to the rest of the MCU. The other three films that are isolated from the rest of the MCU are Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. The difference is, these characters weren’t previously introduced. Black Panther, on the other hand, had a full starring role in Captain America: Civil War. We already knew that he was from Wakanda. At the end of the film, we knew that Captain America and Bucky were laying low in Wakanda. We expected the last, as yet unrevealed Soul Stone to feature in the film somehow… Instead, the only connection we really got was a flashback of T’Chaka dying. Please don’t misunderstand. I definitely didn’t want the film to be Captain America teaming up with Black Panther to take some villain down. I definitely wanted Captain America to just sit back, maybe make one brief appearance where he’s guarding Bucky’s cryogenic chamber. Something like that to remind us between Civil War (which we’ve had 4 films since, and more MCU content if you keep up with the TV series) and the highly anticipated Infinity War, that Cap and Bucky are now worldwide fugitives and hiding in Wakanda. We didn’t even get to see the Soul Stone, which I can only guess is because Thanos is going to already have it? It really seems like they missed a chance here. But, I did say most of my problems weren't very significant, so here they are: So, the first gripe I have with the film is the scene where Black Panther is attacking the convoy. The convoy gets disabled and everybody is plunged into darkness. But when the bullets come flying, I definitely needed to shield my eyes. The film felt as though it was designed to blind the audience in certain parts. And this was one of them. I’ve never seen a gun in action (nor do I plan to) so I don’t know how realistic this scene was for the muzzle flashes, but even so, just when my eyes had adjusted to the dark night scene in a dark cinema, the film starts violently flashing at me. The film felt slow at times. Recently, I binged all of the Marvel Netflix series (excluding The Punisher, which I haven’t started yet), and was amazed at the hallway and stairwell fight scenes in Daredevil, which mainly rely on one continuous cut. A similar single-cut fight scene takes place in the 2003 film Old Boy, which I’ve also watched recently. These types of scenes are amazing, and the casino scene in Black Panther does seem to have very few cuts, but the rest of the fights were quite choppy. Another, even more minor gripe… why was “Oakland, California” specified? Why not “Oakland, USA” or “California, USA”? If you’re going to specify which state a city is in, but not the country, why do you specify the country but not the state for the other locations? What’s wrong with putting “City of London, London” or “Busan, Yeongnam”? Heck, why not just forgo telling us the locations altogether. Black Panther already said he was going to Korea (though I don’t think he specified South Korea) so why does the film hold the audience’s hand through this transition? Conclusion But, if you’ve gotten this far in my review, and are still undecided about whether to watch it, I’d say that if you’re only concern is watching it just because it’s a part of the MCU, I’d give it a miss. Maybe watch Infinity War first, then watch this as a “flashback”. It was a tasty side dish, but I'm still eagerly awaiting the main course.

Genre: Science Fiction Drama, Western. Written By: Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, Halley Wegryn Gross Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright, Jimmi Simpson, Ben Barnes, Shannon Woodward Review by: Amber S A/N: There a few links to videos about the show at the end of the review. 'Westworld', which first aired on the 2nd October 2016, is a science fiction drama set with a mixture of western and modern themes. It is based on the 1973 Michael Crichton film of the same name. The show follows both, the action in the park and the lives of the hosts -- The robots that look after the park and creates adventures for its guests -- and the behind the scenes of the park were we see the running of the amusement park by the creative director Dr Robert Ford, who is brilliantly played by Anthony Hopkins, and his team. Despite the efforts of Dr Fords team, Bernard Lowe (Wright) and Elsie Hughes (Woodward), the host start to become self-aware, creating new twists for the story and new problems for Dr Ford as the company, Delos, tries to push him into retirement using the broken hosts as evidence that he is no longer fit for work. The twists are some of the best twists I've seen on TV and film in a while, there are many throughout the show since it follows many different character storylines. Most are unexpected and leave me with the need to pause the show so I can gather my thoughts together again before continuing. Some of my favourites are the 'Man in Black' twist and the 'Arnold' Twist. They are written very well and smoothly sowed through the development of the story so they seem natural when it is finally time for the big reveal. Every episode is a little under an hour long, with the pilot feeling the longest. At first, I wasn't fully invested in the show and ended up going back to it a little over six months later. I started the season again and realised the three episodes I had thought I had watched before was actually just half of the first episode. When I became more dedicated to the show and actually paid attention to the episodes they did feel shorter since they followed a few different storylines and was packed with information and entertainment. The actors were all incredible in their roles, especially the hosts who had to change emotions and accents a number of times in a single scene as they are being tested and checked by Dr Fords team. I have only seen a number of the cast in other projects but they all acted brilliantly for their characters. Thandie Newton is one of my favourites on the show due to her performance as Maeve Millay, the brothel madam, who becomes self-aware and starts to make a plan to escape the world of Westworld. Season 2 will hold a lot of the same characters, although some of their storylines seemed to have ended in season 1 I am intrigued with how their character story will continue. Overall, I enjoyed the show and look forward to season 2 and what it will bring. Just a forewarning for those who have yet to see the show, there is a lot of nudity due to the fact that when a host is being tested they don't wear any clothes. -- 1. Westworld: What Makes Anthony Hopkins Great 2. Evan Rachel Wood Calls Westworld the Acting Olympics 3. Film Theory: Westworld's Secret Location - REVEALED!