Logan - Movie Review

Directed by James Mangold

Cast:
Hugh Jackman
Patrick Stewart
Dafne Keen
Stephen Merchant
Eriq La Salle
Elise Neal
Richard E Grant
Boyd Holbrook

First review this year. It's late. I actually thought of not reviewing this movie because I was so late, but after watching it, there's no way I can't.

Logan is Fox's latest X-Men film (technically), and is by far the best of them all, with second place Deadpool being considerably behind... Which is really saying something. I'm sorry Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller, but you've just been outshone. Although, the existence of your movie's R Rating probably made this movie's brilliance possible, so thank you for that.

Logan is Hugh Jackman's last movie as the Wolverine (supposedly) and is set in 2029 with little to no relation to the events of any other X-Men film to date. James Mangold returned to direct this film after The Wolverine, but this time, he had free reign to produce something spectacular.

This is not a comic book movie. Well, loosely, it is. This is an Oscar-worthy psychological thriller that will mess with your emotions and squeeze every form of life out of you and into you. Wolverine is old, wearing and in a broken mental state. Charles Xavier is all of those things but worse. They're just two heaps of sand waiting for the wind to carry them away. Very few mutants remain and the world is a bleak, hopeless place.

If the trailers didn't reveal it, the movie is about X-23, and that is all I'll say about that because I have a no-spoiler policy. Dafne Keen is the rare find of a great child actor - as are other child actors in the film - and whatever future she has as an actress is bright. This is a hard role to play. When Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman are sharing a screen with you, there's a lot to live up to. There were scenes in this movie in which she was the centre of attraction.

Speaking of, Hugh Jackman killed it, as he always does. This was probably more difficult than any of the other films he's done as the Wolverine, but his ability as an actor was never in question. The portrayal of Wolverine in this movie is astoundingly dark, but the movie does a great job to justify why.

Patrick Stewart delivers the best performance of the film. Prior to this, I preferred James McAvoy's Professor X, but after watching this movie I've switched sides. Professor X has lived a life, and the way Stewart performs reeks of a horrible past and incredible level of intellect. This was not easy at all. I realise I've said that about all three characters I've talked about thus far, but it is true. These are challenging roles that take dedication and pure, raw talent, and the three front line actors deserve credit for being able to meet those requirements. Professor X had the most emotional weight, at least for me, in this film, and there was a stabbing in my heart every time he was on screen.

I like Boyd Holbrook from Narcos and I was excited to see him in this movie, and I took a real liking to his antagonistic character and performance in the first half of the movie. Things changed a little in the second half, but overall, he did a good job.

The movie isn't without its negatives, however. In particular, there are two. The first is a plot device that came of as a lazy way of telling a story, and in context didn't really make much sense. I can't give away any details because it would be heading into spoiler territory. The second is a character whose existence in this movie I did not completely understand and who took a little bit away from the film, at least for me.

Regardless, Logan is still a heart-wrenching film. There is action throughout (pretty sadistically amazing action), but Logan's biggest strength is in its character moments. The least eventful parts of the movie are the ones which add the most to it, and they add a lot to it. The nature of the story itself allows for an emotional rollercoaster, and it is a story which deserves praise for everything it is.

This isn't a film made for someone who would like to see mindless, over the top action. This is a film for those who appreciate characters, story and the beauty of little moments. There are character developments and arcs which are central to the story. This is a film which will pick you up and send you through the Earth and repeat, over and over and over, until it finishes and you just want more.

It is a film which deserves a full rating but I just can't award it that because the few flaws it has are fairly noticeable. However, I do have a feeling that this, the first film I've watched this year, will end up being the best film I've watched this year.

On a scale where M is the lowest, and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating:

Logan: MIHIR

Top 10 Movies of the Year, 2016

2016, more than most years in cinematic history, has had rather wild ups and downs with its released films.

The biggest concept of the year, especially the Summer, has been remakes, reboots and sequels, and disappointingly, most haven't had the pay off expected. That isn't because nobody saw them, it's just because they're bad. Really, 2016 has been a stale cup of hot chocolate with the occasional marshmallow popping up here and there.

If I was writing this list, say, in 2014, it would have been hard, but funnily enough I actually had to put films I wouldn't have even considered for this list in, particularly #10 and #9. That's because there was a terrible lack of great films this year (although, from number 6 and above are some truly exceptional movies), and filling in ten spots was quite an effort. The aforementioned #10 and #9 are really a result of having to choose 'what are the least mediocre' from a bucket of mediocre movies.

Anyway, let's get into it. Also, keep in mind that La La Land definitely would have had a spot on this list, but unfortunately I wasn't able to watch it.

Honourable mentions:
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Doctor Strange

Finding Dory

#10: The Jungle Book

Even though this is only #10, I will say this: The Jungle Book was, for a large chunk of the year, my favourite cinematic experience (until Doctor Strange came along), and I truly appreciate that.

Jon Favreau helmed a project that oozed of Jon Favreau, and I think that's The Jungle Book's biggest plus point. I dragged this movie down to this spot only because it's a remake, and I am not the biggest fan of the concept of remakes, but Favreau managed to make this stand out from the original because he put his own mark on it.

Oh, and did I mention that it looks spectacular? Well, it does.

#9: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Perhaps the biggest reason this movie is here, at this spot, on this list, is because I had no expectations whatsoever going into it. Harry Potter has a place in my heart (a rather big one), but I was skeptical about the idea of having a new franchise on film. Whenever something like this happens, a voice in my head always tells me it's for the money. And really, it is. That makes me think a project lacks heart, and the best thing I can say about this movie is, it didn't.

It was an originally written screenplay by JK Rowling herself, and David Yates' fabulous, beautiful directing, screamed out that Rowling was really having fun with it. Accompany that with some strong performances, particularly from one of my favourite actors, Edward Redmayne, and along came a movie that I walked out of smiling a little wider than I expected to, and that made me excited for the future prospects of this prequel-ish story arc.

#8: The Fundamentals of Caring

And on we head into independent filmmaking territory.

The Fundamentals of Caring is an exquisitely innocent Netflix original movie starring Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts and Selena Gomez, written and directed by Rob Burnett. The story follows a retired writer who, despite warning signs, decides to step up as caretaker for a disabled teen who is the opposite of adventurous. Essentially, it's a road trip movie, which progresses into a love story at the same time, as Selena Gomez comes into the frame.

I watched this movie because I really like independent films, and when this was on Netflix I played it hoping for the best. It isn't by any stretch, a classic, but it is a pretty memorable movie, at least for me.

While at the surface it has appeal, there's really more to this film that you discover as you go along, particularly about Paul Rudd's character. Even more so, this is a coming of age tale (which I am a huge fan of) and the main character's age perhaps made the entire film quite relatable for me. 

Overall, I do think this gem is worth checking out, especially for people who love to take a break from the mainstream and enjoy simple, focused film.

#7: Moana

I watched this movie just yesterday, and it managed to sneak its way onto this list.

Moana, by all accounts, is gorgeous. The animation in this film really overdid itself, and Disney are getting to closer to one day making animated films that are seemingly not animated.

Even more so, there is heart to this movie. I won't really explain the plot because it's a little too complicated to explain (it's presented well), but the message behind this film is one I can fully understand and one that I think needs to be promoted more: If you're going to be safe all the time and not take risks, can you truly discover who you are?

A story that factors around that has to be great, and it was. Paired with amazing voice acting, creative storytelling and good music, there's a recipe for success. Exploring the culture that it did also made for a fresh breath in this film, and the symbolism in the ending (no spoilers) makes this a film that I think deserves to be remembered.

#6: Deadpool

Nothing is more synonymous to the phrase 'passion project' as this movie is.

After years of trouble, Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds pushed and pushed for this film and Fox reluctantly gave them a small budget for it. It turned out to be so good that a sequel was immediately greenlit.

Deadpool understands Deadpool so well, and that really comes down to the people behind it, particularly Ryan Reynolds. Sure, the story wasn't the most extraordinary, but the way the film was made, in its simplicity and cleverness, make it something special. Reynolds' best performance ever, accompanied by a cracking script, aided Deadpool in taking the world by storm.

Well, I suppose the marketing campaign helped a bit too.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Movie Review

Directed by Gareth Edwards

In rather unorthodox fashion (at least for me), my friend Abhijit and I decided to vlog a review for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

We watched it on opening night but didn't receive a chance to do this until now, which is an explanation for why this is so late.

Attached below is the video. Note: We're no professionals, so it's not the best looking thing. We're just two Star Wars fans who wanted to talk about this movie.

That's pretty much it.

Promising or Oversaturated?: An Analysis of the Comic Book Movie

From the days of being amazed at seeing Superman on the big screen, to now just going to another superhero film, comic book movies have come a long way.

What used to be rare visitors to theatres - even rarer were good ones - have now become the most popular films in the world, continuously dominating the box office year after year.

This article is not a review, but an analysis of the current state of comic book movies.

This year, there have been six comic book movies released: two from Marvel Studios, two from 20th Century Fox, and two from DC (Warner Brothers). These six films answer the question posed in the title. The answer is both.

Of the six films released, three were, without a better choice of a word, good. This is not to say the other three were bad - in fact, if they were released a mere ten years ago they'd be considered iconic for cinema - but given how high the bar is now, they don't meet the mark. Interestingly, they're all for different reasons, and I'd like to thank the filmmakers for that, as it makes my article easier to write and for the reader to comprehend.

The three good comic book movies this year were Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange. Go on, call me biased towards Marvel. I'm not. This is the view of a person that wants everyone to succeed.

Deadpool, perhaps, is the best comic book film of 2016. Why? Because Deadpool is so incredibly different from the rest of its kind, that its originality alone makes it stand out. The project itself took a really long time to get off the ground, but it paid off. Deadpool didn't care about anything other than being a great movie, and indeed it was. The story was very basic, making it not a mess, and it had good characters. Furthermore, it didn't follow the 'formula' that can be associated with these films, and made for a movie experience that really is rare with this kind of movie.

The highest grossing movie of the year, Captain America: Civil War, could have fallen flat on its face. I will explain why later. But the fact is, it didn't.
The film was made off a gimmick that followed it through everything, including the marketing campaign (the marketing for Deadpool, by the way, was something crafted by the Gods of Asgard themselves). The gimmick was a splitting of sides, #TeamIronMan and #TeamCap, and my biggest fear for the film was that it would be too focused on having meaningless, eye-candy level action than having a good story. It did have that - it had probably some of the best action ever put on film - but that wasn't at the forefront. I was surprised at how deep the film really was, having incredible emotional weight and reason behind everything that happens. The personal telling of the tale almost made me forget I was watching a comic book movie, and just a great movie.

Doctor Strange, although I wasn't too kind to it in my review, is a milestone. At least I consider it so. The movie was made in a way that reminds me of old comic book films, the initial ones, in the way that it was so mad it could have been an explosion of weirdness. Indeed it was, but it worked so well because it understood itself.

Now let's head to the opposite end of the spectrum.

Words cannot comprehend how excited I was for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. What's funny now is, a movie that people should still be talking about because they were blown away rarely comes up in conversation at all.
This movie does have its admirers and that's okay. I'm just not one of them. There are things in it I liked and things I certainly didn't. The biggest problem, and something that the modern comic book movie often has (case in point, Avengers: Age of Ultron) is that there was just too much. It was hard to really get invested in anything when there were the two titular characters, Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman and Lois Lane who all had their own agendas. The plot for the film was so questionable that I can list out problems with it. And you know what? I will. At the end of this article, to not stop my flow here.
This was actually a film I  gave a full score with my review, but over time as I've actually thought about the movie, my opinion has drastically changed.
The point is, though, that Batman v Superman was a mess. The first act is a grounded, political movie. The second gave us probably the most underwhelming fight in a comic book movie, ever. It was alright, it was just ridiculously short considering the very title of the movie. And the third act was a pile of CGI vomit with a shoehorned Doomsday and a chickened out death. I think that covers it. The movie was trying so hard to set up something bigger than itself, and forgot to be a good film in its own right, which is, I think, the biggest problem comic book movies have today. Other examples include the aforementioned Avengers: Age of Ultron and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. That's why I called Deadpool the best comic book film of the year. It was all about itself, and that focus made it great.

X-Men: Apocalypse. No combination of words is more synonymous to 'generic' as that. I walked out of that movie wanting to punch the seat in front of me, because my time was wasted. There was absolutely nothing original about the movie. Apocalypse himself was incredibly one-dimensional and there was destruction everywhere with no consequence whatsoever. Not to mention the ending was so abrupt it fit the film perfectly.  
It was two and a half hours of nothing memorable. It was completely formulaic. It lacked substance and was all about flashy images and meaningless destruction. It was one of those comic book movies that are made, not for the art, but for the money. That's the sad truth.

We come now to the last film I am talking about, and what I consider to be the worst comic book film of the year: The heavily anticipated, very messy and horrendously lazy Suicide Squad.
Look, I want DC to succeed more than most people. But when they come out with a film as bad as Suicide Squad was, I'm not going to say it's good just because I want them to succeed. They're three films in now and still haven't found their footing. If Wonder Woman doesn't land then the future of the DC Extended Universe remains unclear. And the worst part is, the three films they've made have been successively worse, peaking off with this villainous creation (pun intended).
Suicide Squad had absolutely no idea what it was trying to be. It didn't even have a reason to exist. It was a two hour long music video with pointless action thrown in with bright colours, a Joker that had virtually no role, a team that - bar two of them - really had no substance, a villain that was laughable in every way, and a layout that merged the second and third act into one big, repetitive action sequence. While Batman v Superman was an editing mess, and X-Men: Apocalypse was a generic waste of resources, Suicide Squad was a bit of both and a whole lot more. There's a lot I have to say about this film, and honestly you can just refer to my review for an all-out rant.

So, to wrap up this analysis, comic book films have indeed come a long way, and that's exactly why only 'good' isn't good enough anymore. The average fan is used to a high standard now, and producing films that are any less than that are inadequate for studios, and they are bound to be given bad rep by people like me. Films like that are the oversaturated ones, and honestly, they deserve the criticism they've received from legendary filmmakers like Steven Spielberg. But films like Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War, the ones that break the barriers of traditional comic book films and have real depth and substance, that's what everything needs to live up to.
I'm a firm believer in the market system. Yes, economics, but hear me out. It's a good thing there's a lot of competition today. This will spur studios on to produce better products than before, in a process of continuous improvement. If studios don't take advantage of the mechanisms of capitalism and don't improve, or at least try to, with every film, then the fatigue will come around.

Comic book movies can be truly exceptional. It's just that every one of them need to work towards being that. The only two real phenomenal comic book movies, at least to me, are The Dark Knight and The Avengers. They were revolutionary in their own right. Just below come Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man. Why? Because they're all just fantastic. Yes, they're all Marvel. Again, shoot me. The Dark Knight proved that DC can be on top of everything. They just need to find that again.

Now, as I promised:

Everything wrong with the plot and characters of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:

• For 18 months, a giant lump of kryptonite was just lying in the Indian Ocean, without a single hint of alarmingly high radiation in the area being noticed. 
• Without the Ultimate Edition, there is no explanation of why everyone thinks Superman killed people, which is a key plot in the whole movie. 
• In this world, Superman, the symbol of hope and strength, is apparently not happy with helping people. This negates the primary characteristic of the character. Saying this is a 'dark' universe is a stupid excuse for this. It's like making Thor a Greek God instead of a Norse one. 
• Why. Does. Lex. Luthor. Act. Like. He's. On. Cocaine?
• WHY DOES A KRYPTONIAN SHIP SIMPLY ALLOW LEX LUTHOR ACCESS TO EVERYTHING IN ITS DATABASE?
• Batman, known for having a moral code of never killing, is dropping people dead without a thought. It's not even explained why. 
• When the courtroom explodes, Superman, instead of helping all those people in need, flies off. Is this really supposed to be Superman?
• Also, without the Ultimate Cut, it's not explained how Superman can't see the bomb through the wheelchair. 
• Bruce Wayne, well known genius and supposedly the world's best detective, LEAVES A BAT SYMBOL AT THE SITE HE STOLE THE KRYPTONITE FROM. WHAT WAS HE THINKING?
• Lex Luthor magically knows which night Batman plans to take on Superman, and carries out his plan of kidnapping Superman's mother. At the same time, Batman just... Waits for Superman to turn up, as if he was expecting him. There is no evidence that Luthor and Wayne are working together, and yet they coincidentally make their plans perfectly align. 
• When Superman is first hit with kryptonite, he doesn't know it weakens him. He proceeds to take a full-blown swing at Batman. He just tried to kill him. The reason he went there was to talk to him, and he yet blindly tried to whack his head clean off, 
• Martha. The raw stupidity of this scene is absurd. Why would anyone say "He's gonna kill *insert mom's name here*" "Instead of he's gonna kill my mom"? And at this point, Batman is ready to murder Superman, so the fact this his mother is in danger should be no reason for him to stop. The whole movie builds up how Bruce Wayne thinks Superman is a danger and why he thinks he should be stopped. The fact that he has a mother is just not enough to stop him from killing him. It isn't. 
• Lois Lane somehow knows exactly where Batman is about to murder Superman. 
• Doomsday is in this movie. The character who is known for being the first thing ever to kill Superman gets thrown in this for the last act, simply to be killed by the Trinity. Wow. (And the CGI was horrendous). 
• Lex Luthor creates Doomsday. Let's say Doomsday kills Superman. Then what? Does he think he'll just obey him? He created a monster and was about to set him free, when his only agenda, apparently, was to deal with Superman. 
• LexCorp somehow has details about all the Justice League members. How? Who cares, right! LexCorp somehow knows everyone's secret identity too. Someone even crafted out logos for everyone. Plus, this was the laziest way to set up the Justice League. It really was. Had no place in the film at all. 
• Lois Lane throws the kryptonite spear into the water for no reason whatsoever, and then decides to try and get it back for no reason whatsoever, leading to a stupid, unnecessary sub-plot in the already messy last act. 
• Without the extended cut, there is no explanation of how Lex Luthor knows anything about Darkseid, 
• Even so, with the extended cut, the amazing answer to the question is that Steppenwolf just showed up and left. Why? Pfft... Does that really matter? The Justice League's coming! All this film had to do was set it up, with or without reason!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Movie Review

Directed by David Yates

Not going to bother listing the characters on this one.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is... Complicated. A book with the movie's title exists within the Harry Potter universe and is a kind of encyclopedia about magical creatures. This movie follows Newt Scamander, the author of the book, on one of his journeys while writing it. The story this movie follows is an original composition by (now) screenwriter JK Rowling, and so, it is the first Harry Potter movie that doesn't have to live up to the godly expectations of us book geeks.

I went into this film with zero expectations, because the trailers just didn't click for me. I was happy that David Yates returned to direct (and subsequently, the four planned sequels) but the style of the trailers seemed all over the place.

Indeed, that slightly carries over to the finished product as well. The tone in this movie is a bit up and down (not nearly as much as in Doctor Strange). However, this is something that mostly sticks around in the first act, after which the movie really finds itself. Because of this, it took me a while to really get into this film. There were possibly one too many subplots in this movie, and it was really struggling to get them all off the ground in the first act.

However, having said that, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them pleasantly surprised me. I think most of this is because it had no primary material to rely on. If it did I'd probably be fuming at how much it deviated from the ever so precious books (this isn't sarcasm or mockery, this is how I am when it comes to Harry Potter). After the first act it started getting better and better, and became my favourite sort of film - one that progressively gets better as it goes along.

Let's talk about the cast. What a cast this film has. There were a couple of unexpectedly huge cameos in here, and having Eddie Redmayne helm the lead is always a welcome for me. His character, however, wasn't the most popular with the audience I was with (one person said aloud, ignoring all political correctness, "he's acting like a retard"). For the record, he wasn't. This character, while already existent within the Potterverse, is original. Therefore, he could have been absolutely anything and nobody would have the right to complain about his characteristics. No matter what though, Redmayne makes him incredibly likeable. His character is clear with simple motivations, which actually parallel situations in the current real world and make it easy for an audience to connect with him. I really appreciate that Rowling did that.

Another performance I need to mention is Colin Farell, who isn't really in the spotlight at all, but does deliver a great performance. If you've watched The Lobster, you'd know that there is nothing he can't act as, and even though his character seemed one-dimensional, he  didn't fail to deliver.

A surprise appearance (at least for me) in this movie is by Ezra Miller. His character I thought went in the most predictable direction; his performance shows how far he's come as an actor since The Perks of Being a Wallflower (where he wasn't bad either).

What's also worth mentioning is that, after The Jungle Book, this is the most visually compelling film I've watched all year. This isn't to do with CGI, on which front Doctor Strange has no competitor, but the direction of the film. Only through visuals the location, 1926 New York, is well established, and the beauty of the wide shots, lighting and even costumes made it a detailed production, something which I appreciate of all the Harry Potter movies.

There is, however, one achievement/flaw with this movie that strikes more than all the others, and it's that you have to be a true Potterhead to actually understand everything. I appreciate how the film makes no effort to dumb itself down (although there is one heavily expositional scene), but at the same time the film lost its value to the general audience. I know this because pretty much everyone in the theatre yesterday verbally said something that confused them. One person (pretty surprising considering the fact that the time period of this film was pretty obvious) said "Isn't Dumbledore dead?" in response to a reference to him in the film. Another (the same genius who said Redmayne was acting like a retard - wasn't shutting up the whole time... Maybe I should write a post about annoying people at the movies one day), despite the fact that the book for this story does not exist, confidently stated "I bet the book for this was better".

This is not an example of me calling these people stupid, or anything as such. How could everyone be expected to know so much? The movie, too, doesn't seem to care. Gellert Grindelwald plays a significant part in this film and yet receives absolutely no depth whatsoever... If you haven't read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that is. Because I have, I know the importance of the character, and pretty much everything there is to know about him (without spoiling anything, he makes a very minor appearance in the film and the casting choice, at least to me, is highly questionable).

Everything I mentioned above can be a good or bad thing. I hate it when films try to not give its greatest fans the most importance, but at the same time I feel as if everyone else who was in the movie theatre was robbed of an experience.

In any case, there are four more of these planned. How and why? I'm not sure. I don't think all of them will be direct sequels (or I should say, I hope all of them won't be). Perhaps we'll get A History of Magic featuring the stories of Bathilda Bagshot, or an Albus Dumbledore film telling the story of his family and his relationship with Grindelwald. Those aren't even jokes, I won't be surprised if they happen. I really want to see the latter. (I am too much of a Potterhead). Perhaps they'll focus on making films set in different parts of the world, like this one was set in America, to see how magic is in those parts (Still have to get used to No-Maj).
All I hope is that one of the planned films isn't The Cursed Child. Actually, I really really hope that. I want to be the one to do it.

So finally, on a scale where M is the lowest and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating (actually can't highlight as I'm writing this on my phone, so it'll just be bold and italic):

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: MIHIR

Doctor Strange - Movie Review

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Characters:
Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)
The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton)
Baron Mordo (Chiwetal Ejiofor)
Christine (Rachel McAdams)
Wong (Benedict Wong)
Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen)

Doctor Strange is the 14th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, arguably the greatest - or at least smartest - movie franchise in history. 

Ever since Iron Man in 2008, Marvel have created an empire with their films, and the quality of these movies has been so consistent that people go into a Marvel production with high expectations, and critics often praise Marvel Studios' work. 

As every film has been made, Marvel has expanded its arsenal. Iron Man was an incredibly strong opening entry. Captain America: The First Avenger explained the history in this cinematic universe Marvel was building. Thor introduced the idea of realms and the role of mythology. The Avengers changed the world of the comic book movie. Guardians of the Galaxy showed the world the scope of the universe in which all these characters exist. 

And now Doctor Strange has taken it a step further, possibly the most risky one yet. Magic. 

Up until now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has leaned towards science explaining everything, even the concept of realms and Scarlett Witch's powers. That has now been abandoned, however. 

This is probably my biggest praise for Doctor Strange. It was so different, not only to other films in the MCU, but comic book movies in general, and the originality made it something authentic. Marvel have been experimenting with the 'comic book' genre lately, producing films that almost use it as a secondary genre. I would call Doctor Strange a science fiction film more than a comic book movie, and I'm glad I can say that. There's a distinctive style to this movie that made it feel fresh, and director Scott Derrickson's horror background also shines through in a good way (something which really caught me by surprise at the very beginning of the movie).

As is expected from a Marvel movie, the casting is perfect. Particularly compelling in this movie is the credibility and pedigree of the actors that are on display, an indication of how far comic book movies have come. Rachel McAdams' character was good, as was her performance. Chiwetal Ejiofor, who is one of the best actors working today in my opinion, brings excellence to the character of Baron Mordo, someone who I hope to see go far in the MCU. Using this film as an introduction to the character was a great move, and it was nice to see some dynamics to him in this film as well. Tilda Swinton plays a commendable Ancient One, but the direction of the character itself felt cliched, at least to me. 

This movie was supposed to release in July, like Ant-Man did last year, but was changed to November. The reason? Marvel were pretty big on Benedict Cumberbatch playing the character, but he had scheduling conflicts because of Sherlock, the BBC show. So Marvel changed their own schedule just so Cumberbatch could play the part. I love that. And they made the right decision, because nobody could have played a better Doctor Strange. You can say this about every main character in this franchise, but the casting was perfect. If there's one thing Marvel never gets wrong, it's this. Cumberbatch brings a certain charisma to the role that nobody else could have, and even though he isn't particularly the best person, Cumberbatch's performance actually makes the character pretty likeable. The handling of the character as well, script-wise, was a really good job. 

There are certain films that you simply have to watch in a theatre, that you have to experience. This is most certainly one of them. Doctor Strange is so visually astounding, that even in this age of computer supremacy, I found myself asking 'How is this possible?'. It's not just the way the visuals are crafted - which is flawless - but the action in the film makes use of this, with sequences that are incredibly original and seemed to have been a great challenge to film. I'm not the biggest advocator of visuals and CGI being a selling point in a movie, but with this one, it's so smart and enthralling that it would be disrespectful to everyone that worked hard on them to not recognise the brilliance of it all. There are also several Easter eggs thrown in there that any comic book fan would appreciate.

Now, having said all that... This isn't Marvel's best work. 

Professional critics are praising this movie quite a bit, and in my opinion, it's not justified. Doctor Strange is, by all means, a piece of art, and something that deserves to be remembered for years and years to come, but it has problems. 

Across fourteen films, for the majority, Marvel has had a serious villain problem. I thought that would be different with this film, because they got Mads Mikkelsen to play the antagonist. Maybe I expected too much, given the very acclaimed actor they cast, because this film seriously missed the mark with its villain. For the first half of the film, I thought Kaecilius would actually be a memorable bad guy, but after a point he just... Fades. His character falls out of focus, and his motivations and actions - which were being built pretty well up to that point - lost their way and left me wondering how such little attention could be given to the character. In the first half, he's menacing, purposeful, reasoned, and pretty hands on, but then all of that just seems forgotten. Every other bad Marvel villain was at least bad from the start. Kaecilius felt like infinitely wasted potential. Take nothing away from Mikkelsen, though, as he delivers a strong, compelling performance. 

The structure and tone of this film are questionable. The second act was by far the strongest. The first, while alright, had one particular plot point that felt incredibly convenient, and also (I'm surprised nobody has pointed this out yet) quite unexplained. This very plot point kicks off Strange's journey to becoming a sorcerer, and it feels incomplete that it was built around something so... Vague. If I have to credit it to anything, it'd be lazy screenwriting.
The second act is pretty great. As far as structure and story goes in this, it's almost perfect. The film clearly peaked at this point.
The third act, though, is where Doctor Strange lost me. As already mentioned, the villain is basically ignored, and while the concept of what happens in the climax of this film is an interesting one, the execution didn't hit the mark. After everything the movie had done up to this point, the way it all came together wasn't as cohesive as it was meant to be, and the film felt a bit like a mess towards the end. 

Finally, I want to talk about the tone of the movie. Marvel have been known to interject quite a bit of humour in their films, and more often than not it works. With this film, though, there was simply far too much of it. Littered across this movie are so many incredible moments, but only a handful sunk in. Why? Because for most of them, the moment was completely lost thanks to an unwelcome quip or gag. If these decisions hadn't been made, this film would have had a lot more weight to it than the actual final product does, and it feels like a shame because some of the areas in which humour is thrown in are pretty laughable (no pun intended). It baffles me how anyone can look at these important moments and decide to ruin them by losing the moment completely. 

I'll finish though, on a high note. The two post-credits scenes in this movie are possibly the best Marvel has ever put in their films, especially the second one. Do not get up when the movie ends. 

Doctor Strange lost its way as the movie progressed, and had some questionable creative decisions in there. However, it deserves to be watched simply for the experience, the compelling, irreplaceable performances and the different feel to the film that makes it authentic and gives the comic book genre a breath of fresh air. If this film was made a few years ago, I probably would have called it one of the best movies ever. In the end though - and maybe this is just because Marvel have such a great track record - I walked out of Doctor Strange slightly disappointed with what I got. 

On a scale where M is the lowest, and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating:

Doctor Strange: MIHIR

Suicide Squad - Movie Review (no spoilers)

Directed by David Ayer

Characters:
Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel (Margot Robbie)
Deadshot/Floyd Laughton (Will Smith)
Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman)
Amanda Waller (Viola Davis)
Enchantress (Cara Delevingne)
El Diablo (Jay Hernandez)
Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney)
Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)
Katana (Karen Fukuhura)
The Joker (Jared Leto)
Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck)

Warner Brothers are back with their second DC film this year, and the third in the DC Cinematic Universe. Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer, is a story of a group of supervillains coming together to stop a threatening force. That's pretty vague, but it is what it is.

I'll start with what I liked about this movie. More often than not, it captured the spirit of the characters involved, and everyone had good chemistry. Margot Robbie was greatly cast as Harley Quinn, whose character remains to be herself even in the most serious of situations. Will Smith as Deadshot had me sceptical before watching the film because I feared he'd play Will Smith more than he did Deadshot. After watching the movie, I liked his performance overall and he did have some great characters moments, but there were times when I felt like he was playing the generic Will Smith character more than he was Deadshot.

Jared Leto as The Joker didn't click with me at the beginning, but as the movie progressed, he grew on me. He became more like the Joker I know and love, and I'm happy he didn't just do the same thing Heath Ledger or Jack Nicholson did. This universe's Joker really has his own traits that set him apart from the rest; and while I do understand some people wouldn't be happy with that, I see The Joker as a versatile character who's had so many iterations, you can be flexible with him as long as you capture his core mentality and characteristics, which is what Leto did. I'm not going to compare this version of the Joker to any previous ones yet, because he's barely in the movie, but I hope we see more of him in this universe. He's certainly my favourite thing about this movie.

The Batman cameos were well done in this movie, although, there was a really strange moment involving Harley Quinn and him that made absolutely no sense and is something that made me both cringe and stare at the screen in disbelief at the same time.

There's also another cameo in this movie that was a welcome addition.

Now let's turn the coin. This movie was all over the place.

The movie's first major scene involves Amanda Waller explaining her idea for Task Force X at a dinner, which we see in the trailers. Immediately, I understood something that would be evident for the rest of the movie. It was lazy. It was really lazy. Everything in the whole movie is exposition, and the way Waller introduces the characters at the start includes their actual biographies popping up on the screen. It put me off right from the start, because only a handful of characters actually get some depth, and even so, it's all pretty much directly told to the audience. Characters like Killer Croc and Captain Boomerang get no depth whatsoever, the latter of which I enjoyed despite him being generically Australian, and the former of which was just not Killer Croc. I don't know what he was, but he wasn't Killer Croc.

Furthermore, the laziness of this film is showcased with the introductions to Katana and Slipknot (who I haven't even billed because the character is pointless in this film). Katana, the last major character to be introduced, just showed up, with no explanation of her reason for being there and how she was working with Amanda Waller's organisation. Even worse is Slipknot. After the whole team has been assembled and they're about to leave to the city where all the bad stuff is happening, a car pulls up and Rick Flag just says "Oh, and this is Slipknot", as if he's nothing but a throwaway (which he is). I would have appreciated a little bit more effort in the script. Even the dialogue seemed like it was just pandering to modern audiences, with jokes that tried too hard to work and didn't click at all.

Suicide Squad is really sketchy when it comes to the editing, which I will get more into later. The film doesn't follow the typical three act formula, which is fine because I like it when things deviate from what they're usually supposed to be. However, what we get instead is a first act of nothing but exposition, and then the rest of the movie is weightless, meaningless, repetitive and completely needless action sequences. Some of these clearly look like they're from re-shoots because they're totally out of place and have no story value. Occasionally there were random character moments that were supposed to connect with me, but instead they were sandwiched between explosions and guns, and I couldn't feel anything. Most of the movie is set at night and at some instances, I could barely even see what was happening.

The villain. They've done a good job of keeping this a secret. One thing I liked: The villain had a connection to the most human main character of the bunch, Rick Flag, which added a nice dynamic to the film. What I didn't like: Everything else. The character, the motivations, the dialogue and everything else were so clichéd, generic and unoriginal that I had no reason to even try to understand why this person was doing what this person was doing. This character spends the majority of the movie standing in one place and powering this 'machine' that will destroy the world, just like every single comic book movie imaginable. There was no effort whatsoever to try and be even a tad bit original here. And when it comes down to the ending, it suffers from what I now like to call X-Men: Apocalypse syndrome, which is when a movie ends so abruptly and so stupidly that you question whether or not it's actually over.

There's one final thing: This is a two hour long music video.

I like music integrated into film, when it's done right. Within the first ten minutes of the film, I knew what I was getting into because the music just doesn't stop. It goes from track to track to track and forgets that it is a movie. This is one of the major reasons why I couldn't connect with the film at all. There would be a few lines of dialogue and it'd cut to the next song. I'd estimate out of the two hours four minutes run time, one hour and thirty minutes were songs. I don't know what the producers of the movie were thinking with this decision. I wanted this movie to be fun but cramming music down my throat isn't the way to get that to happen.

Immediately I made a comparison to Guardians of the Galaxy, possibly my favourite Marvel film. The music used in that film wasn't at the forefront and the tracks that play during some scenes are relevant to that scene, and instead of taking weight from the movie, they added weight to it. And the majority of the movie isn't washed away in music either. Maybe that's what was aimed for, but it missed the mark by a long, long margin.

DC have had three films in a row that have fallen short. One was bland and ignored the basic morals of one of the most iconic characters of all time, one had enjoyment but was tattered with so many problems that it'll be remembered for its sub-par performance. And now there's this. If Wonder Woman doesn't work, then they'll need to work hard with the Justice League movie to win back my faith. I want them to succeed, as much as anyone in the world, but they can't do that if they don't make movies that are great. Not even good. Great. The standard today is too high for just 'good'.

I'm afraid Rotten Tomatoes was accurate on this one.

On a scale where M is the lowest, and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating:

Suicide Squad: MIHIR

Finding Dory - Movie Review

Directed by Andrew Stanton and Argus MacLane

Characters:
Dory (Ellen DeGeneres)
Marlin (Albert Brooks)
Nemo (Hayden Rolence)
Hank (Ed O'Neil)
Destiny (Kaitlin Olsen)
Bailey (Ty Burrel)

 

Where do I start with this movie?

Finding Dory is Pixar's film of the year, Disney's new big picture and the long anticipated sequel to the classic beauty that is Finding Nemo. 

This movie was one of my most anticipated of the year, and there are so many reasons why. Without listing them, it should be pointed out that it lived up to the hype. And it far exceeded it. 

What could have been a droning irritation actually became a movie that I could call my best of the year. 

Finding Dory, unlike Finding Nemo, focuses mainly on the titular character, and the way that it is handled is exquisite. Dory's mental condition is handled in a way that complements every minute of this movie with a twist of added brilliance, and the way the film is written is arguably the smartest of the year. I don't think a lot of people will make that claim, but I do. 

Critics are calling this a good movie, but nowhere near as good as Finding Nemo. While opinion is opinion, I think that is partially because of the nostalgia involved. I do see Finding Nemo as a revolutionary movie in the genre in more than one way, but I think at the end of the day, Finding Dory is just better. Nemo had a unique story, remarkably beautiful animation and the heart you come to expect from Pixar. Dory has all of those and more, and a technique of storytelling that might come off as a cliche, but works so well for it. 

I haven't even gotten to the supporting characters. The entire movie is focused on Dory so much that it could even be said to be told from her point of view, but the supporting characters are so meaningful and fleshed out. They're not just there because the movie needed more characters. They had a purpose. The returning Marlin and Nemo play off each other, in a way that while Marlin is Nemo's father, he really learns a thing or two from his son over the course of this movie, which are essential to the plot. The whales Destiny and Bailey each have their own motivations and flaws, and those play off well in the story of the film. Idris Elba's in this movie too as a walrus, but he's not in it much. I don't need to mention how good Idris Elba is.
However, by far my favourite supporting character is Ed O'Neil's Hank, an octopus who forms a bond with Dory somewhat similar to Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde in Zootopia. His character is taken places that really establish him as an important figure, and O'Neil's voice acting is great. 

Ellen DeGeneres, of course, is once again perfect for Dory, who is a character that has an immense amount of emotional weight in this movie. I was really surprised at how far the character went and just the overall incredible heart that's put into her. You find yourself sympathising for her so much that you may even be her.
Her character arc in this film is just the most touching thing. Quite a few characters have arcs but the most important one hits you where it should.

Finding Dory is also a really fast movie. You're into it as soon as it begins, and you never stop for a breather. Place, to place, to place, to place, to place... And all for valuable reason. That's why I called this one of the smartest written films of the year. Every single thing has a reason for being how it is. 

There are moments in this movie that I won't spoil, obviously, but they have Pixar written all over them. There's no more to say. 

After the major slump of Cars 2 and Brave, Pixar hit back with Monsters University, and solidified their spectacular return to form with Inside Out. While many will call Inside Out better than Finding Dory (me, I'm not so sure), what this movie does is bring us back to the heart and soul of my favourite movie studio, one that simply wants to make beautiful movies, inspire children and adults alike, and leave people looking at life in a completely different way. In a year where Zootopia has already stolen my heart for its magnificence, me calling Finding Dory even better is really something. With the success of Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War and this so far (albeit the disaster of Alice Through The Looking Glass), Disney look like they really know what they're doing this year with many more scheduled releases. 

I think Finding Dory is my favourite movie of the year so far. I have to consider it with Captain America: Civil War, but it is definitely up there. I had the widest grin I've arguably ever had while watching a movie during the last five minutes of this film, and also while I was walking out of the theatre. 

Finding Dory really is a masterpiece. 

On a scale where M is the lowest, and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating: 

Finding Dory: MIHIR

Captain America: Civil War - Movie Review (no spoilers)

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

I'm not even going to list the characters because there are way too many. 

After a year and a half of anticipation, Captain America: Civil War is finally here, and it is absolutely phenomenal. 

After directing this movie's predecessor, the Russo brothers are back, and they're back to prove that they know exactly how to make a comic book movie.

I am going to talk about this movie based on the characters in it, because really, that's how the story is shaped too. 

This is first and foremost a Captain America movie, and a sequel to The Winter Soldier. That beautifully complements the overall story and establishes Steve Rogers as a character. However, to talk about Steve Rogers, one really needs to consider two other characters, because these three characters really blend well to develop an overall arc.
James Barnes, or The Winter Soldier, makes his return from the previous film and is pivotal to the plot, and he has grown as a character. He is split, he is constantly at war with himself, he isn't sure what he knows and doesn't know... You can really feel for him. He makes Captain America in this movie because one of Rogers' main viewpoints concerns him, and that inevitably makes the movie what it is.
Tony Stark is the second character I am talking about, because his view contradicts Rogers' in the scenario that they are presented with. But, and I cannot stress this enough, I felt like Tony Stark was a better character. I have never liked Tony Stark before in the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline as much as I do now, and I love Tony Stark. I would have renamed this movie Iron Man: Civil War. Don't get me wrong, Captain America was a brilliant character in this movie as well, but Tony Stark's character and especially the way his character goes in the third act was simply brilliant.
Something happens involving both Carters in this movie, that seems a bit out of place, but if you see it with a more keen eye, that scene is something that is essential to the emotional weight of this movie.

Now, this movie has so many characters that it could have been a mess and some of the characters could have just been there for the sake of being there. That was not the case for any of the main characters. Not a single one. Scarlett Witch's powers in this movie are expanded (not quite to her comic book scale yet) and she has her own, very important arc in this movie. She is very important indeed, and Elizabeth Olsen's performance was much better than her part in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Paralleling her in some ways is Vision, who, like in the comic world, seems to be developing a very strong connection with Scarlett Witch, and in a literal sense, he is much more humanised than he previously was. Falcon and War Machine serve the same purpose on either side, but they are the best right hand men anyone could ask for. Ant-Man comes in very late, but something happens that blew his character out of proportions and gave him a very special moment. Black Widow is really in the background for this movie, but with good purpose. She could be argued as the most important character of the lot. Hawkeye also comes in late, and he is probably the weakest of the characters. That isn't a bad thing though, because that is in comparison. He is still a good character. 

Marvel had to debut two new characters in this movie, and they did it with perfection. Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, or Black Panther, actually had much more screen time than I expected, and was handled in a way that I didn't think was possible. The very motivation for the character stems from the plot itself, and interwoven things like that highlight the cohesiveness and wit of this movie. The iteration of the character was fantastic, and he was handled in a way that reminded me of Wonder Woman's treatment in Batman v Superman, in the way that she had her own music when she appeared. Black Panther also had that, and it made him feel like a presence, and really gave the character what he is due. Black Panther, being the last movie before Avengers: Infinity Wars Part 1, has immense potential.

The second new character isn't really new, but he is to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it is safe to say that this is the best Spider-Man we have ever seen on screen. I heard a lot of people saying that before I watched the movie, and I thought that was partly based on the prejudice that this is done by Marvel and the previous were done by Sony, but it isn't. At all. Tom Holland's Peter Parker and Spider-Man combined both Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's, and gave us a character that was ripped straight from the source material. The way he's brought into the movie is great too, and Robert Downey Junior's confirmed appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming only excites me more for that movie.

I'll be making quite a few comparisons to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, not to blindly say one is better than the other, but to provide context. 

Captain America: Civil War, much like Batman v Superman, is a film that is essentially made for comic book fans at heart. That's just a fact. Casual fans are likely not to view this film as great as hardcore fans would. But other than that, someone who doesn't have a wide eyes can also critique the movie in a few ways, but you really need to read between the lines in a few instances.
A lot of people are going to say that Crossbones is wasted, but in essence, and if you really think about it, Crossbones kick-started the plot for the entire movie and tore The Avengers apart. I won't spoil how, but if you look at it that way, Crossbones is a very important character. The main villain, Zemo (who is Baron Zemo, just very different from the source material), is one of my favourite Marvel villains (even though that isn't really saying much), and I truly believe that people are exaggerating when they say he isn't good. He isn't in the forefront a lot, but he had motivations, and he had a very detailed plan that was also key to the whole movie. And his character was interesting as well. Unlike usual, the reasons for his doings are very slowly hinted at and built up, and I respect that. By the end, one can truly feel for him and understand him. Those are the best kind of villains. Plus, he initiated the final sequence, which I will get to later. The thing about this villain is that he did something that no previous Marvel villain has done before, and for that too, you need to look beyond the screen and think. I won't say what it is because it's a spoiler, but Daniel Bruhl's Zemo really is one of my favourite Marvel villains there have been.

Now, to talk about this movie as a movie. From beginning to end, I was endlessly engaged, and each act was brilliantly balanced. There was so much action in this movie that it becomes quite hard to believe the amount of heart, emotion and weight that it packs. I'll compare it to Batman v Superman and say that this movie has more meaning to it. It has more substance. Characters' views and reasons were much clearer, and that is one thing that is so spectacular with this movie. I walked into this film neutral, but both views of the main characters' completely had me divided through the whole movie. Both had strong arguments, and they were both right! Nobody was an antagonist here - both sides were actually right. And that made the movie a roller coaster, psychologically.
Acts one, two and three of this movie are great in their own way, and the action in the second act is some of the best action ever put to film. Everyone has a moment, everyone is important, everything looks spectacular, there's bits of humour thrown in there, it felt exceptionally real, and the way people shuffled between each other was smart and fluid. That one sequence makes this movie special. It's truly magnificent.

However, I was skeptical that this wasn't the last act of the movie, and a little bit disappointed... Until the last act actually happened. If the movie at this point was a 10/10, then the final act made it 11/10, because everything that happens really gets to you. Pieces fit together, things get much darker and the movie just becomes something much, much bigger than I thought it would ever be.  Now look, I don't mean to make this comparison as to say that Batman v Superman is a bad film (I still stick to my full rating), but if you compare this to the last act of that, there is a clear winner. In all honestly, the last act of Dawn of Justice was a bit of a mess and felt like the editing for it wasn't completely done. The last act of this movie feels, quite simply, perfect. And, as I mentioned earlier, Tony Stark in the last act really pulls your heart strings.

The way the movie would end was something I kept speculating about for months, and the way it did end was really good. It couldn't have been done much better. You might not like it when it happens, but upon thought it becomes clearer. It, like most of the movie, hit me where it matters and adds an intriguing beginning to the Infinity Wars/Gauntlet story. That, however, is two years away. 

Sadly, the theatre I went to stopped the movie when the credits came on, so I didn't get to see the post-credits scenes. 

Overall, Captain America: Civil War was everything I wanted it to be, and much more. Marvel just put out arguably their best movie yet, and the fact that the Russo brothers are directing Infinity Wars is great news too. 

On a scale where M is the lowest, and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating:

Captain America: Civil War: MIHIR

If there was a rating higher, I'd give it. But I don't. And I'm not cheating like I did on my Daredevil season one review. So just consider it a rating higher than my highest.

Captain America: The First Avenger/Winter Soldier - Combined Movie Review

Captain America: The First Avenger directed by Joe Johnston; Captain America: The Winter Soldier directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

With Marvel's Captain America: Civil War releasing tomorrow in North America and India, here is my last promised Marvel review (listed on the left; except for the last one, of course) before I review the movie itself. Obviously, it had to be these two movies. 

Captain America: The First Avenger was released in 2011 and was the last of the Marvel Phase 1 movies leading into The Avengers. That being said, the post-credits scene is an actual trailer for The Avengers, which is a little disappointing in hindsight. Anyway, the movie. 

Set in the 1940's, the story follows Steve Rogers, and you all know the story. It's been in popular culture for over half a century. The focus of this is the setting, and the movie did such a great job of establishing that it was the 1940's, and it felt like an old American movie, which was absolutely the best way to go. The tone of this movie is completely different from any other Marvel film, and it needed to be. From the beginning to the end, it was classic action movie material. 

I loved the performances as well. Chris Evans is simply perfect, and Marvel's casting has to be praised. Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull was also a great choice, and he did a great job. Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones and the rest are fine as well. The action sequences are great too. One thing this movie gets slammed on is its pacing and structure, but I'm actually a fan of it. It was different and it had a really good arc to it. 

However, there are gaping issues with this movie, and the most  important one is the characters. Other than Steve Rogers, and perhaps to an extent, the villain, every character is very one-dimensional. The important people in the army are only army people, the bad guy, even though I loved the way the character was, was just a bad guy. James Barnes is nothing more than a friend. The characters in this movie are weak. 

Even though I mentioned many more positives than negatives, that one downside takes a lot of points off the movie. 

On a scale where M is the lowest, and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating:

Captain America: The First Avenger: MIHIR

 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was Marvel's third Phase 2 film, and completely changed the game for Marvel. After The Avengers, two mediocre films in Iron man 3 and Thor: The Dark World lowered the bar for Marvel, but this movie pushed it way back up. The Russo Brothers (also directed Civil War, confirmed to take on Infinity Wars) completely revitalised Captain America and made arguably the best movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. 

Taking a twist on the superhero genre, The Winter Soldier is a political thriller that changes SHIELD and the wider Marvel universe along with it, and makes for a movie that is more serious than anything seen before, more mature, and more deep. Unlike its predecessor, it features characters that truly have motives, and backgrounds, and depth. The story is something unique and twisting, and the visuals are breathtaking. 

I really have no faults with it. 

Even the post-credits scenes are two of my favourites.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: MIHIR

Captain America: Civil War - Complete Preview

With Captain America: Civil War releasing in most of the world today, and sadly for everyone here, a week later in North America and India, I've decided to do an in-depth preview of the movie, which would tell you what to expect, how the movie has been promoted, and predictably how good it will be.

Captain America: Civil War was announced at Marvel's Phase 3 announcement in October 2014. The story is an adaptation of the 2006-07 seven-issue (although there was a lot more in extended lines) graphic novel series, in which catastrophic events push the government towards implementing the Superhero Registration Act, which would have the government have control over superheroes. Tony Stark agrees, and Steve Rogers disagrees, subsequently dividing the whole Marvel universe (with some exceptions and the Mutants) into an all out war over the matter.

Now, I've decided to start on that, because what a lot of people assume incorrectly is that this movie is going to be an accurate adaptation of the story. It isn't. It'll have the same basis, but it will be different in many ways. While Civil War was a conflict of ideologies, this is going to be personal. Need proof? Watch the first trailer, released on November 25th last year, on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.

From this trailer, I knew that we're in for something special, simply because of the heart and choreography of the last thirty seconds. I don't think I've watched a trailer as many times in my life as this one.

There was no other promotional material until February, but I'll get to that later. It should be noted that after all, this is still a sequel to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and it's very evidently so. The movie will focus a lot on the friendship between Steve Rogers and James Barnes, and really, all the government intervention, although related, will take a backseat to this primary story arc, and to be honest, that's a good thing. There can't be a movie that is completely about heroes fighting over a proposition, which in this case is known as the Sokovia Accords; there needs to be something that will grip the audience emotionally. In fact, The Russo Brothers have said this movie is more of a psychological thriller than anything else. From the first trailer, the very opening thirty seconds are about finding Bucky, and that should be an indication of what to expect.
On the same note, even Crossbones is in this movie, who was in the previous one. I won't get into details of him, though.
So if you're wondering why it's a Captain America movie, there's your answer.

All of this serves as evidence for something I've been saying for a long time - The Captain America trilogy may well be one of the greatest of all time. All three movies are completely different to each other, and if this one is anything like what critics are saying it will be, then none of them are bad. Certainly, The Winter Soldier is arguably the best Marvel movie to date, which was a political thriller. The First Avenger was a page-by-page classic superhero story. And this one sees the Avengers go head to head.
Let me put this in context. The Spider-Man trilogy has three movies that are basically the same genre. So does Toy Story. And Iron Man. And many more. Perhaps the Dark Knight trilogy has variety, but certainly not to this extent.

Okay, back to promotion. In February, Marvel released a 30 second Superbowl trailer, which gave us our first looks at Ant-Man and Vision, and a pretty sweet clip with Tony Stark and Bucky.

Around this time, the real promotion really kicked in. Actors were appearing on more talk shows, Marvel were putting together a few more teasers from what we had already seen, but there really was nothing new until March, when the second trailer launched, and set the internet on fire.

Now is the time I start talking about the two major character introductions in this movie. The first one was confirmed when this movie was first announced, and Chadwick Boseman had already been cast as T'Challa or Black Panther. Black Panther was already seen in the first trailer (and was arguably the highlight of it), and even in the second one, there were some great moments featuring him. It's safe to say Marvel are going to handle this character very well.
The second new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Spider-Man. The deal between Sony and Marvel was made in February last year, and immediately the character was confirmed to appear in this movie, which was in the middle of production. It took a while, but Tom Holland was finally chosen to be the one. It was obvious to me that he won't be in the movie for very long, but I was also doubtful at how he would be handled in such short notice. However, from the reviews I've heard or read, he is supposedly our best Spider-Man yet (on-screen). You'll have to judge for yourself.

The thing about Spider-Man was that we hadn't seen anything with him prior, and there was speculation that he would be revealed in this trailer, and he was. In the same way that Vision was in the third Age of Ultron trailer. The thing that caught everyone's eye was how he looked, and I'm a huge fan of it. It's classic Spider-Man! And the expressive eyes are a good touch. Here's the second trailer.

The two trailers for this movie really had some great contrast between them. The first was much faster paced and really could be called a Captain America trailer. The second one was much more focused on everyone as a whole, and had a slower, more connective pace. The music in both trailers was phenomenal, however.

After trailer 2, Marvel went on an all out marketing madness spree and released multiple clips lifted directly from the film, which could be something good and bad. Thankfully, although a good seven or eight minutes have been released for free, nothing major has been spoiled. Here are a few of those clips.

However, after these four clips, the first reviews for the movie came in, and they were exceptionally positive. The movie currently sits at 8.7 on IMDB and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Kristian Harloff from shmoesknow gave it a 4.5 out of 5 and Jeremy Jahns gave it an Awesometacular, which is his highest rating. Reviews like these prompted Marvel to release this TV spot, which also gave us our second look at Spider-Man.

There was another spot involving Spider-Man but I won't share it because I don't want to show too much.

One thing I'm certain about in this movie is that someone will die. I don't know who, though. If the story goes along with the actual Civil War story, then it'll be Captain America. But he is supposedly confirmed for Avengers: Infinity Wars, so one can never be sure. It's certain that it won't be Black Panther, Ant-Man, Vision or Spider-Man because of their future films or relevance, and now Iron Man, because Robert Downey Junior has recently been confirmed to appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Could it be War Machine, from what we've seen in the trailers? I can't be sure.

So my final Marvel review (listed on the left) will come out before Captain America: Civil War, and then I'll review the movie itself, hopefully a week from now. For everyone in the world who gets it early, consider yourselves lucky. It's strange because India got Age of Ultron early last year, but we're behind on this.

Captain America: Civil War, don't let us down.