(film review) - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

I would usually be quicker with the review, especially on an MCU movie, but I did not get the chance to see this movie in the cinema. Since its release, it has been a minefield trying to avoid spoilers and everything to do with the movie's villain. Compounded with what is happening with Jonathan Majors at the moment, every week there is something to be said and with his involvement in the MCU for the long haul and on a large scale, there have been certain elements/scenes of the movie that have been spoiled for me. Everyone wants to talk about things, scenes, and actors in a movie the moment it has finished and while some people will mention or try to state, "there will be no spoilers" and that their review will be a non-spoiler review, they would put up a spoiler-ry picture as the thumbnail or give it a few days before it is simply up for discussion. This is incredibly difficult to avoid and if you garnish that with the way people feel about this movie, what they ultimately thought about the experience and story, well...people do not like it. Now that is wild to me. I have waited this long getting a few things spoiled for me and for people to generally not like the movie (but liking it more than Thor Love and Thunder) only to simply watch it myself, I...well...I like it! I'll explain.

After the events of Avengers Infinity War and then Endgame, the world is still dealing with the ramifications of the event, and how people are now reacting and coping with the aftermath. Cassie, Scott Lang's daughter is all grown up and whilst Scott was away, she spent her time trying to learn and understand the quantum realm. While Janet would be the best person to ask, Janet has not been forthcoming about her experience and refuses to talk about it, until a signal is sent into the realm and they are all sucked in and have to deal with the menacing threat of who dwells there, Kang the Conqueror.

Let me get rid of the negatives first. Green screen, everywhere! Needless to say, you cannot venture to the quantum realm for practical effects and scenery, but Pandora is not a real place also and Avatar 2 looks breathtakingly real. The story is actually decent, but the execution is terrible. Maybe terrible is too harsh a word, but thinking about the plot, while great, the film does not do enough to make it seem as if it sits well narratively after the events of Endgame. The transition is not smooth at all and it seems as though there are a great deal of things retconned into this movie simply to make it work. Weird and wonderful is great, but there needed to be an explanation as to why specific groups of people look a specific way and that is not addressed. A character design and story plot point and story arc were forced into the movie which was very unnecessary and it simply looked ridiculous. While the character was cool, their motivations and the overall story seemed rushed and inadequately interjected into a movie that has a lot of things going for it. Some of the humour was simply a turn-off. Maybe I will need to watch it again, but the score did not seem to jump out at me like the second and first films did. Oh and one last thing, nanotech is simply silly now, I feel like everyone has it and I would prefer if people suited up rather than a click-click and suit!

So as for the positives. The overall story is great. The reasons why things happened the way they did, the motivations behind the actions of several of the characters and to a degree, the execution of the story was really good. Paul Rudd owns the character of Scott Lang at this point and you completely buy his relationship with his daughter and the Pym family. He is funny and for the most part, a lot of the heavy lifting is on his back and shoulders. Jonathan Majors, with the little time he has, whilst not written like Killmonger, so lacking in depth, Kang is a great villain and Jonathan absolutely kills it. Every moment he showed up, he owned the screen and the range he has in this movie is similar to a James McAvoy in Split. I would have liked a bit more depth with his character to flesh him out that little bit more, but I am assuming we will learn and know more about his character in many movies and shows to come. The action set-pieces were great and the third act was also really good to watch. What I will say, which is a slight negative though, is the trailer oversold this movie to be darker, to have more stakes and carried a tone that presented an Infinity War climax, but the film's tone is certainly not as light as the first movie, but definitely not as dark as other movies or at least what the trailer alluded to and this is where I believe Marvel dropped the ball. The interconnectivity felt loose and slightly disjointed. Also, there did not seem to be much weight to the future of these characters and their choices. For example, It was teased that Thanos was a huge threat, so when he finally appeared, you felt it. You felt his presence and the threat level due to the build-up. This movie only had a TV show as the build-up to the villain of this movie and while he owned the role, ultimately, he simply felt like a one-and-done. And imagine if you had not seen the TV series Loki? Killmonger earned his menace through great writing and execution in a single film, while Kang does not...similar to Gorr the God Butcher.

I enjoyed the movie as a whole, whilst it could have been stronger, I liked what they did, ultimately. Of recent, the MCU has not been firing off all cylinders and this, along with a few others, is proof that the MCU needs more time in the oven. Black Panther was really good, Spider-Man: No Way Home was excellent, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could have been meatier, Thor: Love and Thunder was simply a joke-fest and not as strong as Thor: Ragnorok, Black Widow, years too late and some choices made in that movie hampered it, Eternals was different, but I enjoyed it and Shang-Chi, Werewolf by Night and Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special are all really good. While we can accept not every movie is going to be excellent, compound this with an also "wishy-washy" TV series, phase 4 does not seem to have the momentum it needs to push the franchise forward as hard as previous phases. I have also heard people not liking phase 4 either, but I simply boil that down to two things, people's personal expectations and lazy writing/execution. We as the audience are expecting quality filming like Infinity War and/or Endgame. There has been a build-up to those movies and we are ultimately forgetting how phase 1 was for us. We did not know how things were going until Thanos was teased. I feel a lot of people are forgetting this fact and are projecting. But with that said, with over 10 years of filmmaking, a franchise that has got soo good with interlinking the stories to present something bigger over a grander story arc across many movies, the MCU is somewhat sophisticated, and while the quality has been only a little touch and go between different projects, there is reason to argue/debate, that the quality has dropped and the spectacle has raised presenting something that is lacking. Something that is only visually engaging than narratively engaging. People will complain and state superhero fatigue, but when you have other companies/intellectual properties within the same film genre doing well, you begin to wonder, it must just be lazy writing and poor execution. The end credits scenes are good, but ultimately, with a film that should carry a lot of weight and feels steady on its feet, the post-credits scenes as interesting as they were, lacks gravitas. I would definitely not place this in the top MCU trilogies (or maybe I would, Ironman, Thor [well, the trilogy part of course]), I would not say the film was terrible as I did really enjoy it, but just like Multiverse of Madness, it is the execution and the MCU needs to do better as more movies like this, that are serviceable and other movies that are just ok, they will see a decline and they have come too far to become washed up. At present, Marvel has raised their own bar soo high, they are failing (in places) to even meet the bar anymore. This could be down to Disney beind the scenes management, but hopefully, Iger is back, so maybe, just maybe, Marvel will get back on form.

(trailer review) - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

"I don't have to win, we both just have to lose". I mean, that trailer is a major step up from the last trailer as if the first trailer was just not good enough. What is Marvel doing? We cannot say, "well Phase 4 isn't good so they had to step up with this movie to get everyone back on track". People need to understand, Marvel is a very well oiled machine at this point. This movie has been completed and shot, ages ago. Marvel have hit the hard reset button after Endgame and whilst we are all thinking what and why and how, Marvel are thinking when. It is 3D chess they are playing here and if Black Panther Wakanda Forever did not show you that, this movie will.

You see, I believe Phase 4 is the introduction to many things. Laying the breadcrumbs for everything else we are about to witness in the next few phases. We are thinking about Phase 4 and 5 whilst they are outlining Phase 7, 8 and possibly 9. A lot of things do not seem to make sense right now, but it will, especially having heard that this movie is in the vain of an Avengers movie. I even said as much in my last trailer review "This trailer looks great. Although labelled the 'official trailer', that second trailer is going to hit different and I am pretty sure, it is going to be the one that pulls you in". "However, I do not believe this trailer does enough to pull us in yet, to confirm to us, this is a must see." And what is this trailer doing to you right now?

This trailer is great! I am even under the impression that Scott may not even make it out. I am also under the impression, Kang will not make it out, but in the trailer, it says "witness the beginning of a new Legacy" and if you are not aware, the next avengers movie is called Kang Legacy. I am telling you, this movie will be the catalyst that will bring fourth the future and the past and make it all make sense. I mean, even M.O.D.O.K looks great! M.O.D.O.K in live action...great! The future is bright and the future is here and Kang, he is going to be a problem. Let's just hope Johnathan Majors has signed a 9 picture deal, as I need to see more of this guy. Menacing! Oh...and the MUSIC!!!

(film review) - Ant-Man and the Wasp

So, recently we had Infinity War and Thanos came and shut things down.  He did what he came to do and that is (in case you didn't know), reduce the galaxy to half.  I won't go into his reasoning as that would be spoilers for those who may not have seen Infinity War yet, plus I've said enough already, but I can assure you, the post credits scene is something to look out for at the end of this movie.  But with that said, this movie is also a must see to give us an idea of what is to come next AND the fact that this movie is absolutely hilarious and a nice palette cleanser for what had JUST HAPPENED in the MCU.  I'll explain.

After the events of Captain America: Civil War, The Avengers have disbanded and everyone has gone their separate ways.  Due to Ant-Man's involvement, this has driven both Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank into hiding.  Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is on house arrest and spends his time trying to entertain himself and his daughter when she comes around and only has a few days left.  Hope and Hank (Michael Douglas) are planning on a rescue mission to the quantum realm and as Scott having been there, Hope reaches out to Scott to bring back a ghost from the past.  Meanwhile, a Ghost and a black market dealer Sonny Birch (Walton Goggins) are also after the technology making things difficult for both the mission and Scott.

First of all, this movie is a tremendous palette cleanser for the previous MCU movie as this movie is light-hearted and incredibly funny, the polar opposite to Infinity War.  There are moments that are touching, moments that are serious and lots of action with a ton of funny moments.  A comedy heist just like the original Ant-Man movie but this one may actually be funnier.

There are some great acting from the supporting cast members such as Michael Peña, Hannah John-Kamen and David Dastmalchian, the former and latter being returning characters.  The score is superb and Peyton Reed has done it again and I can only dream and Hope for a 3rd movie directed by him because he knows what he is doing to bring light-hearted fun and entertainment combined with action.

It was great seeing Lawrence Fishburne come over from DC and the ending credits is something that is required to stay behind for due to the nature of these Marvel Cinematic Universe movies which give you an insight to what may happen next.  If you can, watch it, you will laugh your head off and it is a feel good movie.

(film review) - Ant-Man

People make me laugh. I mean, I'm not entirely sure what it is, as I have thought about it for a little while, but I can only assume, 'popularity/familiarity'. I'll explain several experiences I have been through recently.
Upon watching the trailers, for this film, I have heard from females (might I add) "Ant-Man? Really? No, not watching that?" When I ask, "why not?" and the reply was always "Ant-Man? It sounds stupid! Ant-Man? C'mon!? And he can communicate with Ants? Nope, this sounds stupid". I cannot remember the exact verbatim, but along these lines. I usually laugh it off and encourage them to watch it but, I don't know. However, these same people may love the hell out of a Spider-Man or even Batman? Maybe it is the fact that he communicates with ants or because he can shrink in size. Anyway, I digress. But what I want you to do is, go in with an open mind.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a father who has not been doing well in his life. Incredibly smart, a great thief, but has a daughter in which he is trying to connect with, but due to his problems being out of work and incarcerated on occasion, Scott needs to change his life around. Scott crosses paths with Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) who offers him a job. Being down on his luck, Scott wants to make a difference and to be there for his daughter and takes the job, but the main objective upon taking this job requires Scott to steal something in a daring heist which will hopefully be the life/game changer he has been waiting for. Well, hopefully.

The films ongoing theme is fathers and their daughters and with that said, this film is brilliant. Exercuted very well. For those who don't know the history behind this film, it was meant to be made and released several years ago. When I say several, I mean before Ironman 1. But this film has gone through soo many writers and when Edgar Wright (known for Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz & At World's End) left the project, most people thought the project was doomed. But I guess, 'In Marvel We Trust'? They haven't really failed us THAT bad, right? But due to Ant-Man having soo many issues, Story-Arcs and history of such marvel characters have been warped and twisted to servce the cinematic purpose, ie.e around Tony 'Ironman' Stark as it was really Hank Pym who created Ultron.

Michael Douglas on screen is great. The dynamics of the characters are fairly plausible too. With how the film was shot, could not have been shot any better as the cinematography is fascinating and engaging. When Ant-Man shrinks down to the size of an ant, that is when the film really shines. Interacting with the ants could have been silly and/or cheesy, but it works really well. With the ability to shrink and grow at will, laced with comedic elements, this film is a must see. Even Michael Peña who plays Luis, who is a friend of Scott Lang and is undeniably the funniest character in this film is evidently the character who will stand out to you more than anything. Some great dialogue, themes, scenes and quite a few laughs. If you don't laugh at least twice in this film, you are absolutely dead inside.

What you see in the trailer is not all of what you see in the film. The villain does seem like he is an after thought and the plot is similar to what we have seen before, but who cares? DC Fan Boys. You ought to enjoy this film. Well, at least if the trailer does something for you...then the film will definitely do something for you. Have a watch and enjoy!

(film review) - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

So, it has been a year since I last did a review on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and it has come around again in which the sequel has just come out and I have seen it and it is absolutely great.

Just so you know from the get go, I liked the first hobbit film a great deal. One thing I didn't mention in my review was, although the film was beautiful and was at a steady pace, I did feel at a certain point that this film was dragging a little or possibly I was expecting a little bit more than just a steady pace. It might have been when my mind clock/stopwatch alerted me to the fact that this film has gone past the 2 hour mark, in which I'm sure this happens with a lot of people. But for the sequel in the Hobbit Trilogy, my clock/stopwatch may have done a single beep rather than alarm bells ringing for 5mins.

The film starts with Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) in a Bar and gets approached by Gandelf the Grey (Ian McKellen). They have a conversation which then takes us to where we last left off in the first Hobbit film. The Dwarfs and Bilbo (Martin Freeman) are still trying to make their way to the Mountain because they need to obtain the Arkenstone and potentially slay a dragon. However, as the adventure would go, they come across Spiders that want to eat them, Elves that want to kill them, a Bowman who is trying to hide them and a Dragon who is trying to burn them...oh, and everything else in sight.

There isn't any real point in going on about the film to be honest as I'd only be repeating what I had said before about the previous Hobbit film and the sequel trilogies. Peter Jackson is an epic storyteller and his direction is great. Yes, he is milking the book for all it's worth, but when you tell a story like this, to me, it only makes sense. A lot of people might feel disappointed with this film and/or pleased that this film has elements added to the very thin book which is the Hobbit or some "key" elements taken away from the book. Some might argue that some parts of the film is relevant to the story and are not needed, but sometimes in story telling, the very detail which is unheard of or not mentioned can also play a key role in some cases.

The cinematography, the acting, the flow of the film, in which I might add was much faster paced and laced with more action and tension than the first film. The action, like I said, the fight scenes, MORE majestic. As I mentioned earlier, I did think during the film, "this is a long film", but I knew it was and I stayed engaged, where in the first film, although I loved it, there was more of a sigh when I remembered how long the film was during watching it. And although I care not much for the Dwalfs, I absolutely love their dynamics and co-ordination. They flow like 1 constant conscience although they are all very different individuals. The comedy was there as well and not to mention Legolas. Legolas for me was the reason why I was more hyped about this film over the first film. Legolas drew me to this film as I absolutely love his character. Such a bad ass.

If you love the sequel trilogies and the first Hobbit Movie, you will love this sequel in the prequel Trilogy. When you get to the Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) part as well, you will be fuming at the very end. Yes, 365 or so days until the next film, There and Back Again. Enjoy!