Deadpool 2 (2018)

Director: David Leitch

Cast:

Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool

Josh Brolin – Cable

Zazie Beetz – Domino

Julian Dennison – Russell

Morena Baccarin – Vanessa

Summary:

It’s here baby, “Deadpool 2.” Ryan Reynolds returns as the ‘merc with the mouth’ and he’s bringing some new people to the fold. Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz join him as Cable and Domino respectfully. Following the credits of “Deadpool,” we were teased with Cable casting and finally we are given Josh Brolin as the “Terminator” esque comic book character as he is sent back in time to stop a future threat. Deadpool puts himself between Cable and his target and this in turn leads to mayhem and destruction that only Deadpool could conjure up. Returning players to the fold include Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Karan Soni as Dopinder as well as Weasel, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Tim Miller did not return to the director’s chair due to creative differences between himself and Ryan Reynolds, but instead was replaced by “John Wick” co-director David Leitch. You can definitely feel Leitch’s touch as the action was top notch with the hand to hand combat being pristine as well as an epic chase scene that ultimately topped the bridge scene from the first film. The first “Deadpool” was marketed as a love story and it fit with its Valentine’s Day release and with this film, we have a family film. Family is the theme and it fits as the film sets itself up for X-Force with the eventual climax leaving you all warm and fuzzy inside. The comedy once again hits on all cylinders as Deadpool once again delivers authentic jokes that land a majority of the time. Brolin and Beetz were standouts as they brought their own gravitas to the film and there banter with Deadpool was perfect. Cameos appear in this film and they were all great. Minor issues that I found were a lack of fourth wall breaking from Deadpool as well as recurring story beats from the first film. Also, T.J. Miller wasn’t as funny as he was in the first film and that was a letdown. Otherwise, “Deadpool 2” is a sequel that lives up to the first film that introduces new characters while also upping the ante in the action, comedy as well as being a heartfelt family film.

P.S.,

Stay for the mid-credits scene as you don’t want to miss it.

Score: 4.5/5

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Director: Anthony & Joe Russo

Cast:

Josh Brolin – Thanos

Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man

Chris Evans – Captain America

Chris Hemsworth – Thor

Mark Ruffalo – Hulk

Elizabeth Olsen – Scarlet Witch

Paul Bettany – Vision

Benedict Cumberbatch – Doctor Strange

Tom Holland – Spider-Man

Summary:

10 years ago, “Iron Man” came out in theaters and it dawned in the age of the post credit scene. Now, after a culmination of 18 films that interconnect with each other, we finally have “Avengers: Infinity War.” This film takes place right after the events of “Thor: Ragnarok.” We find Earth’s mightiest heroes having to face their biggest threat to date, Thanos. An alien from another planet, his goal is to set balance to the universe by wiping half the human race and the only way to do so is through the six infinity stones. The Avengers must come together despite their past differences as they fate of the world once again lies in their hands. In order to prevent spoilers, I’ve decided to keep this review vague. The Russo brothers have once again returned to the director’s seat and this film by far is their most well crafted to date. Every action scene and set piece is delivered with master precision and the Russo’s capture it brilliantly. The script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who wrote the last two Cap films have so many different characters to balance out and they do an adequate enough job at showcasing every single avenger in the film. This film is filled to the brim with MCU characters recent and old. They all get their due for the most part as this two and half hour epic hits you with action, heart, comedy and loss. The performances from this incredible ensemble cast is great. The comedy bits throughout the film are extremely effective, despite some of them taking away the emotional impact of the film. The CGI in this film is good for the majority with it lacking primarily in the Wakanda scenes and it succeeding due to a magnificent look of Thanos. The visual effects in this film have never been better in a marvel movie since “The Guardians of the Galaxy.” Every visual effects shot can be framed on a poster as it is presented seamlessly in the film. “Avengers: Infinity War” is a 10 year process that brings together multiple characters from a universe under one banner and it succeeds at telling a captivating story from start to finish.

Score: 4.8/5

Black Panther (2018)

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast:

Chadwick Boseman – T’Challa

Michael B. Jordan – Erik Killmonger

Lupita Nyong’O – Nakia

Danai Gurira – Okoye

Letitia Wright – Shuri

Summary:

“Black Panther” comes to us from Marvel Studios and is directed by Ryan Coogler. Returning in the titular role is Chadwick Boseman who we saw don the outfit for the first time in “Captain America: Civil War.” In this film, T’Challa (Boseman) returns home to Wakanda to receive the Black Panther title but an outside presence threatens to overthrow Wakanda and expose its self to the modern world. This film has tremendous hype behind it and the movie lives up to it. I was mesmerized by how incredibly shot Wakanda was and how the D.P. Rachel Morrison turned the grainy colors into mirages of beauty. Ludwig Goransson’s score coupled with Kendrick Lamar’s soundtrack create the existential sound of “Black Panther.” Ruth E. Carter’s costume design was one of the standouts as each frame of Wakanda had an extra pop of color. The cast of “Black Panther” was one of the most incredible casts assembled in a film. Chadwick Boseman of course did a good job as T’Challa but even more impressive was Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. His character has a reason for what he’s doing and his arc is heartbreaking. The ladies of Wakanda also shine. Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’O kick a ton of ass and maintain a strong presence in the eyes of men. That’s what this film does so well is it adds an extra layer to each character and that elevated the film to another degree. My favorite character was Shuri played by newcomer Letitia Wright. She is the sister of T’Challa and is in many ways the Q of Wakanda. The James Bond element to the film was great as it showcased the tech savvy side of Wakanda. Ryan Coogler’s direction on this film was great as he once again captures the heart of his characters as well as shoot great action. My only gripes with the film was the undercutting of Serkis’ character and Killmonger’s plan at a large scale didn’t suffice with me as there wouldn’t be any through line finish. These are minor flaws that shouldn’t take away the fact that “Black Panther” is a cultural phenomenon that gets its political points across and establishes a social relevance in today’s society.

Score: 4.7/5

Wonder Woman(2017)

Director: Patty Jenkins

Cast:

Gal Gadot – Diana

Chris Pine – Steve Trevor

Connie Nielson – Hippolyta

Robin Wright – Antiope

Danny Huston – Ludendorff

David Thewlis – Sir Patrick

Summary:

“Wonder Woman” is the latest installment in the DCEU and features the titular character. This film is a landmark in many ways, as it is the first big screen adaptation of the character as well as being the first comic book movie to be directed by a female. The movie opens with a present day Diana recalling her youth on the island of Themyscira, home to the Amazons. This presents us, the audience with an in depth look at an island home to only females who happen to be trained and resilient warriors. We then turn to Diana as she trains and learns more about her heritage and of the Amazonian culture. Diana soon discovers a crashed plane and inside this plane is an unforeseen creature that becomes new to her, man. After an incursion with some rebel forces, she becomes fascinated with the outside world and she and Steve Trevor whom she rescued, travel to this world that is unknown to her in an attempt to stop a threat that she feels only she can solve and along the way Diana discovers her true self and what her purpose is in life. Right out of the gate I knew this movie was going to be different than any of the others to come out of the DCEU. The film is more vibrant and is presented in a much lighter tone than that of “Man of Steel” or even “Suicide Squad.” It was the perfect match of showcasing what Wonder Woman is all about, hope and courage and boy did it deliver in those regards. Gal Gadot was excellent once again in her portrayal of Diana. She was the saving grace in “Batman v. Superman” and she nailed this character once again. Her chemistry with Chris Pine was excellent as you could feel the unspoken love that they have for each other. Pine was also excellent as Steve Trevor, an American spy who crashes in Diana’s homeland of Themyscira. Patty Jenkins delivered on her part as she presented Wonder Woman as this being that could be thrust into hellfire and come out shining with grace. The action set pieces in this film were phenomenal and her use of slow-motion with the action sequences proved to be successful. The only negative to the film is that there is never really a threat possessing the film until the third act reveal that was clearly foreseen in the beginning of the movie. But in all honesty, this film never really needed a threat to match with Diana as the story, script and terrific performances are all that really needed to be there in the first place. “Wonder Woman” is a breath of fresh air in the comic book realm that knows what its character stands for, hope and courage and this in turn is what the DCEU needs in its continuing universe.

Grade: A-

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2(2017)

 

Director: James Gunn

Cast:

Chris Pratt – Peter Quill

Zoe Saldana – Gamora

Dave Bautista – Drax

Vin Diesel – Baby Groot

Bradley Cooper – Rocket

Kurt Russell – Ego

Michael Rooker – Yondu

Karen Gillan – Nebula

Verdict:

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is once again directed by James Gunn and continues to follow Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Drax. This film follows the crew on their misadventures when a being known as Ego reveals himself to the Guardians as Peter Quill’s father. This sparks intrigue as Quill has been wanting to know his entire life as to who his father is and the film deals with the family dynamic extremely well. It isn’t just Quill that’s confronted with a serious dilemma. Gamora must come to terms with her sister Nebula and Rocket and Yondu question themselves about what they really are in the galaxy. These three storylines are given an equal amount of time to establish a presence in the film and this was bugging me because it seemed to me that the film had no sense of story direction. Have no fear, as the film greatly forges these three plot lines into one and it establishes the main theme of the film: family. Guardians 2 establishes its sense of family and friendship in a terrific fashion that really gives the “Fast and the Furious” a run for its money. Other issues that I have with the film is it becomes a soap opera at times and there is a colony of people that present themselves in the film but have no real purpose or place in the film. Dave Bautista as Drax was once again terrific as he continues to show off his comedic talent and it is even better a second time around. Michael Rooker really establishes his presence in the film as he was great and Kurt Russell was just majestic as Ego the Living Planet. The entire cast was fantastic as a whole and you believe them to be a true family. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a delightful and action packed movie that isn’t as great as the original but stands as an enjoyable MCU film that truly shows the family dynamic is strong in the galaxy.

Grade: B+

Doctor Strange(2016)

Director: Scott Derrickson

Cast:

Benedict Cumberbatch – Dr. Stephen Strange

Chiwetel Ejiofor – Mordo

Rachel McAdams – Christine Palmer

Benedict Wong – Wong

Mads Mikkelson – Kaecilius

Tilda Swinton – The Ancient One

Verdict:

“Doctor Strange” is directed by Scott Derrickson and is the origin story of the Sorcerer

Supreme, Dr. Strange. In this film, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Dr. Stephen Strange, a

neurosurgeon who after suffering a severe accident loses his ability to practice surgery. In

a quest to regain his nerves again, he travels to Nepal where he meets the Ancient One

(Swinton) and she tells him that he can change his life. I found this movie to be enjoyable.

Where this movie shines is in its visuals. The “Inception” like sequences were incredible

as people were bending buildings and were fighting on the sides of the buildings. The

performances from the above cast were top notch. Mads Mikkelson as Kaecilius was a

formidable presence on screen, but overall he was a weak villain. Chiwetel Ejiofor played

Mordo, a disciple of the Ancient One and he was a great presence on screen and I look

forward to future outings with his character. Rachel McAdams and Benedict Wong were

good in their roles respectively. Like I said, the visuals were stunning and Derrickson

utilized that with action scenes and he made it unique and fun. The third act of the film

was different from your typical big battle scene as it made for a nice change. The problems

with the film was the weak villain, a sped up origin story of its titular character and the

humor hit fifty percent of the time. “Doctor Strange” is a new and unique take on a comic

book character that showcases incredible visuals but falters in its storytelling and its

villain.

Grade: B

Suicide Squad(2016)

Director: David Ayer

Cast:

Will Smith – Deadshot

Jared Leto – The Joker

Margot Robbie – Harley Quinn

Joel Kinnaman – Rick Flagg

Viola Davis – Amanda Waller

Verdict:

“Suicide Squad” is directed by David Ayer and stars Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot

Robbie among many others. In this film, due to the events of “Batman v. Superman”

Amanda Waller (Davis) wants to assemble a team of villains to take on suicidal missions.

So the team becomes assembled to go take on a villain that is very mysterious. This team

is of a very unique stereotype, they are all of a different race and these members are both

human and meta. Also, the Joker is involved with one of the members. All of this mashes

into one exciting comic book movie. Will Smith as Deadshot was phenomenal as he kicked

a lot of butt and his character is very fleshed out and you care about him. Harley Quinn and

the Joker were also good and when paired in a scene, it was the best part of the film. They

had the most psychotic relationship and you love the on-screen performances. Also, the

backstories in the beginning of the film presented the characters in a great way and there

is a relationship between the suicide squad’s handler Rick Flagg (Kinnaman) and

Enchantress (Delevigne). The problems I have are, the villain is pretty weak and the

CGI on those characters is awful. Last thing, I thought the cameo was controversial.

“Suicide Squad” was a fun as hell, entertaining comic book movie that delivered on

everything promised.

Grade: A-

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows(2016)

Director: Dave Green

Cast:

Megan Fox – April O’ Neil

Will Arnett – Vernon Fenwick

Laura Linney – Chief Vincent

Stephen Amell – Casey Jones

Noel Fisher – Michelangelo

Jeremy Howard – Donatello

Pete Ploszek – Leonardo

Alan Ritchson – Raphael

Tyler Perry – Baxter Stockman

Brian Tee  – Shredder

Sheamus – Rocksteady

Gary Anthony Williams – Bebop

Tony Shalhoub – Splinter

Brad Garrett – Krang

Verdict:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is directed by Dave Green and is the

sequel to 2014s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In this film, Shredder has escaped from

prison and is planning to take over the world with the help of Krang, and the turtles are

tasked with stopping them. This movie is a slight improvement over the previous film as I

feel the turtles are used in a better way as they are funnier and even sillier. This movie has

a ton of new characters. Megan Fox returns as April O’ Neil and she was super hot once

again. Stephen Amell plays Casey Jones, who is a cop that is tasked with escorting

Shredder and he was good for the amount of screen time he had. Bebop and Rocksteady

were a bunch of dumb knuckleheads and they were having a blast playing their roles. Tyler

Perry plays Baxter Stockman, a nutty scientist who teams with Shredder and I found his

character to be fun cheese. The movie has more action and one scene in particular,

involving the turtles and Bebop/Rocksteady was awesome. Negatives of the film I had was,

Krang was a complete cartoon, Shredder is useless in the film and Stephen Amell as Casey

Jones was good, but he resonated a side of Green Arrow and he wasn’t Casey Jones that

much. Finally, the story was all over the place and it lacked a strong central villain. With

that said, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a movie that has just

enough silliness and cheese that will make you see past the flawed villains and story.

Grade: C+

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2014)

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Cast:

Megan Fox – April O’ Neil

Will Arnett – Vernon Fenwick

William Fichtner – Eric Sacks

Alan Ritchson – Raphael

Noel Fisher – Michelangelo

Johnny Knoxville – Leonardo

Jeremy Howard – Donatello

Tony Shalhoub – Splinter

Tohoru Masamune – Shredder

Verdict:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is directed by Jonathan Liebesman and is the live action

remake of the classic comic/show. The movie opens with extreme exposition of how the

turtles were brought up to fight an evil group known as the “Foot Clan”, led by the evil

Shredder. After this, we are introduced to April O’ Neil (Fox) who comes across the turtles

and they make a connection which leads to the pairing of them against the “Foot Clan.”

This movie has good and bad to it. The good parts of the film are the silliness with the

turtles, and the action is good. The direction of this film is bad and the human element of

the story is very boring. The unfortunate thing is that the film primarily focuses on the

humans more than the turtles. The voice acting is good for the most part as Noel Fisher as

Michelangelo is the standout in the film. The plot is kind of boring and cheap as it rips off

the finale of the “Amazing Spider-Man.” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a feeble movie

that focuses more on the secondary characters than the actual prime suspects.

Grade: C

 

X-Men: Apocalypse(2016)

Director: Bryan Singer

Cast:

James McAvoy – Professor X

Michael Fassbender – Magneto

Oscar Isaac – En Sabah Nur

Jennifer Lawrence – Mystique

Nicholas Hoult – Beast

Rose Byrne – Moira Mactaggert

Evan Peters – Quicksilver

Sophie Turner – Jean Grey

Tye Sheridan – Scott Summers

Kodi Smit-McPhee – Nightcrawler

Ben Hardy – Angel

Alexandra Shipp – Storm

Olivia Munn – Psylocke

Verdict:

X-Men: Apocalypse is directed by Bryan Singer and is the newest installment in the

X-Men franchise. This time out, the X-Men are faced with their biggest threat yet. A long

time ago, the first mutant, En Sabah Nur was born. Time had passed and he had fallen

until he is resurrected by his followers and he intends to destroy the world. This movie has

a huge cast with new and returning members. The new mutants; Jean Grey, Cyclops and

Nightcrawler were fantastic in this film. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender were once

again dynamite. There were many great scenes in this movie that consisted of a fantastic

opening action set-piece, Magneto in the forest and the fight scene between Professor X

and Apocalypse. If you had watched the final trailer, they spoil a great cameo and it was

bloody brilliant. Quicksilver had another great moment that topped his last one.

Apocalypse played by Oscar Isaac was menacing and his Four Horsemen were cool, except

for the fact that they were all outshined by Magneto. Apocalypse’s plan didn’t seem well

conceived. Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique was more Raven, so once again we don’t get

enough blue-faced Jennifer Lawrence. The fight scenes in the film were great, the score

was epic and the film was very humorous. So besides those couple of negatives, X-Men:

Apocalypse was a great time in the theater with great performances and fun action.

Grade: B+