Avengers- Infinity War

The lights go down, the movie starts and within the first five minutes someone dies, but it's not one of the insignificant baddies, it's one of my favourite characters (??? Why did you do that Marvel), just like that at the hands of Thanos...

Suddenly, our heroes don't have the upper hand, their safety isn't guaranteed because Thanos simply cannot be destroyed- can he?

What follows is an epic battle, seamlessly brought together by an enormous creative team. Each character is carefully brought into the fight, each one given the focus they deserve yet not distracting from the tremendous story that is unfolding. Split into unlikely groups, our heroes work together to try and protect the Infinity Stones, and save each other, and the world- not too much of a challenge right? Well actually, quite shockingly-wrong.

Moment after epic moment, it's impossible to look away as groupings like Star-Lord, Iron Man, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange use everything in their power, and I mean everything, to achieve the ultimate goal, but nothing seems to work as it should.

There's only so much I can say without giving anything away, but what is clear is the stakes are higher than ever. Marvel has done a brilliant job at bringing all these incredible universes together and the result is amazing. What I would add is that so many of our favourites actually DIE and it's incredibly sad and unexpected- it can't be final right? Here's hoping they will be saved in the next act- there are so many heroes with countless incredible tricks up their majestic sleeves, surely even one could bring them back (please)!

5 out of 5

Hop to it

The Peter Rabbit movie is a glorious adaptation of the treasured collection of books written by Beatrix Potter, and the cartoons and live action programs that have been aired since. This version offers a lot to be loved by children and children at heart, and is sure to be one that is affectionately watched many times over.

We begin with the frightening Mr. McGregor mowing his lawn as Peter and co are overcome with the need to break into his garden- mostly for the fun of it of course. Peter collects quite a salad before setting off a rabbit trap and Mr. McGregor along with it. What follows is quite funny to watch and reminiscent of so many scenes from the peter rabbit cartoons that we know and love.

Then, it happens. Mr. McGregor dies as a result of all the excitement (and perhaps a few other things), and the triumphant Peter announces that all of the animals are free to take their rightful place in the house, free to eat as many vegetables as they like and protected by their rabbit-loving neighbour, Bea.

Of course, if things were that simple, there would hardly be a story to tell, so there is very quickly trouble in the newfound burrow of Mr. Peter Rabbit.  Young Mr. McGregor (or Thomas), a distant relation to the elder, inherits the house. Thomas lives in London and loves his job at Harrods, until he misses the chance to be promoted because of a colleagues family connection, and he basically takes it all out on a teddy bear. The ‘good news is, there is a new house and potentially a new life waiting for him on the farm, not that he has much choice in the matter as he is “escorted” out by security.

When Thomas arrives at the farm, he is completely out of his element. His pristine life is suddenly full of dirt, half-eaten vegetables and wild life, and the battle between Thomas and Peter Rabbit begins- in private that is.

Thomas and Bea soon fall in love and begin a relationship that is really cute to watch, the only problem is, Bea thinks that Thomas loves the rabbits as much as she does, while he is setting up electric fences and explosives to get rid of them, so as you can imagine, things don't run smoothly for long.

The film is filled with references to the original stories and there are even moments where the old cartoons feature. There’s also a little bit of music but not too much, and it is incorporated in a very clever way. The moments of characteristic mischief are to be enjoyed just as much as the developing relationship between Bea and Thomas in what proves to be a heart warming tale.

5 out of 5

 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇

Wakanda Forever

Wakanda, a picturesque African nation hidden in plain site and home to the great T'Challa. We'd been given a brief glimpse into this utopia in Civil War, along with its hero, but seeing it in all its glory was something else.

We begin with a creation story, not so distant in style from that of Wonder Woman's homeland and equally as visually stunning. It is made clear that even in its infancy, the unique store of Vibranium would be the root of jealousy and danger for Wakanda, who so thrived on the precious metal.

            *Feel like you've heard of Vibranium before, it's just a little thing I like to call THE MAIN ELEMENT OF CAPTAIN AMERICA'S SHIELD!!! As you can see, I find this little fact pretty awesome...

Fast forward a few hundred years and T'Challa's (Black Panther's) uncle N'Jobu betrays Wakanda while on mission, T'Chaka (Black Panther's father) kills his own brother to save Zuri, a warrior turned Master of Ceremonies; and so two sons- one whose father is a betrayer, another whose father is a king- begin traveling along two very different paths.

The story then fast forwards to the present, T'Challa's father has just been killed (as we saw in Civil War) and so T'Challa is right in the middle of transitioning to king status. The king-to-be's uncertainty, feelings of unworthiness and guilt all come with the territory when so many are soon to place their trust and lives in your hands, but throw in a few villains, especially one cousin who is particularly angered by your existence (Killmonger- the cousin whose father was killed by T'Chaka), and things suddenly get far more complicated (by the way, each marking on Killmonger's chest is for someone he's killed...).

What follows is an epic display of what Wakanda has to offer, both in the resources of its vast lands and, most importantly, in its people. We see the return of Everett Ross (the guy from the CIA in Civil War) in a surprisingly big way, the introduction of a number of exciting and complex characters (particularly T' Challa's sister Shuri and her impressive inventions), and a culmination of inner frustrations and outward aggression in all out war with friend against friend and brother against brother.

*The soundtrack is also quite spectacular by the way. It's very different and suits the film very well.

As each new character has been added to the growing group of Avengers, a new dimension has been given to the complexity and dynamics of the group as well as their individual struggles and situations. This film is no exception, there is a lot of heart and equal parts strength that come along with this hero and his allies old and new. I am really looking forward to seeing more of these characters in the next Avengers... (Wakanda Forever)

Superb 5 out of 5

A Beautiful Masterpiece

The Greatest Showman is one of those magical masterpieces that comes out of the blue and captures the imagination with the first word.

The film itself is just as inspiring, unexpected and intriguing at every stage as the colourful characters themselves. The thing is that there isn't just one aspect of this film that makes it wonderful, but a combination of acting, singing and dancing talent, a beautiful storyline, a powerful soundtrack, a strong message, and a lot of heart that bring it all together.

The show begins with P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) performing in the very centre of that which is his masterpiece. Before long, everything falls silent, and we are thrust into a childhood of poverty, grief, mistreatment and hopelessness. The sweet voices of the young P.T. Barnum (Ellis Rubin) and his future wife Charity Barnum (Skylar Dunn), give the audience a window into the past of the great showman and provide insight into some of the inspirations behind his soon to be famous Circus.

As Barnum begins his quest for intriguing acts, the complex lives and challenges of each are beautiful portrayed and combined with hidden talents that are both entertaining and inspiring. It soon comes to light that not all acts are as obvious as others, as embodied by the downhearted Phillip (Zac Efron)
who becomes Barnum's reluctant business partner.



Intertwined with the main story are the individual and equally spellbinding tales of the bonds forged between the acts, particularly that of Phillip and Anne Wheeler (Zendaya). It's hard not to shed a tear as each overcomes their own challenges and supports each member of their new found family through their own struggles- even P.T. Barnum himself when the time comes.

This film is colourful, complex, full of heart and extremely entertaining.

In the words of P.T. Barnum himself, "The noblest art is that of making others happy", and this is certainly on show here.

I won't give anymore away, but I assure you that I certainly can't wait to watch it again when it comes out on DVD (and sing along with the songs in my car :) ) - 5 out of 5.

Moustache on the Orient Express

This is a movie which takes much of its inspiration from another movie, which gets inspiration from a book by Agatha Christie. Hercule Poirot, who considers himself to be possibly the greatest detective alive (debatable) is in the middle of solving yet another troublesome case- he just can't seem to be served two eggs of the same size for breakfast, and a relic has been stolen from Jerusalem with three religious leaders the accused. Turns out none of the suspects are guilty, and when Poirot brilliantly solves the case, he's off on a well deserved holiday, where he hopes to find himself with too much time on his hands.

Poirot gains a place on The Orient Express, along with a number of colourful characters, and it soon becomes clear that a man by the name of Ratchett plans to make himself known to the detective very quickly. Ratchet is on the run from more than a few dark characters, but Poirot smells a rat and refuses to protect him, despite the many "enthusiastic requests" issued by the amateur art dealer.

Yet Ratchett doesn't have to worry for long, since he is rendered very dead by an enemy. The journey of The Orient Express very quickly comes to a halt, as does the short-lived holiday of the great detective, and  Poirot begins the great process of questioning all the suspects. 

Through the very detailed accounts of each passenger, it isn't long before we and Poirot release that each alibi is steadfast, despite the very vast grounds for motive each individual possesses. The case becomes more a question of morality than guilt.

For the most part, the characters, landscapes, storyline, direction and soundtrack were outstanding. Each character was superbly brought to life so as to warrant individual movies, but consequently, it seemed that each was constantly pitted against the other for centre stage. While the provision of detailed character origins can be considered a merit of this film, they also get lost in the back-and-forth design of the plot, so that it becomes difficult to piece the facts together. One cannot help but think that if the film had been delivered in the form of a play it would have been all the more riveting,   considering that in the format of a film, characters teetered on the edge of being so theatrical so as to almost be unrelatable. 

Don't get me wrong, this is a good film. It was an enormous feat of all involved to take so much complicated material and turn it into such an elegant piece, especially with so little time to work with. I can help but feel that all the elements worked wonderfully on their own, but simply didn't come together as neatly as they could have. Did I enjoy the film-Yes, am I anxiously awaiting the release of the DVD so I can watch it again- Probably not (sorry).

3 out of 5 

Thunder and Lightening

Immediately we find our hero dangling from the ceiling, bound by chains in a fiery cavern, and just when we think he is breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to us, we realise that instead he is striking up a conversation with... a skeleton. The scene is then set: Asgard is doomed to face Ragnarok (the end of all things) and Thor's current predicament suggests his imminent fate is not too far off from that of his homeland. An epic battle ensues between Thor and Surtur (the blazing captor) and ends with Thor claiming the crown that had the power to wipe out Asgard, and finally returning home.

Cue one of my favourite Marvel characters ever: Loki (Who gets a lot of screen time in this film I am very pleased to say) The god of mischief has been very busy building his kingdom since Thor has been away searching for Infinity Stones, and there are a lot of new family issues to overcome. There is a quick appearance from Doctor Strange, and father and sons are reunited and made aware of the arrival of  Hela- the goddess of death who also happens to be Thor and loki's older sister.

The Grandmaster soon takes control of the brothers, but while Thor is forced to have a battle to the death with the Hulk, Loki is welcomed into his inner circle. This won't be a return to old ways for Loki though, and when the opportunity presents itself, he is a key player in organising an escape. 

Many very exciting battles down the track, and we find the Asgardians on the brink of extinctinction- and this is where I leave you, as I have already given too much away!

My advice: go and see this film... right now! I have to say that when the movie first started, I was a little worried about the tone, it seemed a lot more comical than previous Thors, and even other films in the Marvel Conematic Universe; but it soon found the perfect balance. The film is action packed with the right amount of heart and there is a lot of character development, which was super enjoyable to watch. You'll find that your perceptions about certain characters and their place in the battle to come may have changed by the end of this film, and that is quite amazing at this point in the story. Well done Taika and all those involved.

4 out of 5 

Simian Rivalry

Last time we left Caesar he was in a bit of a tight spot. Having just made enemies of a number of humans, war against the apes was certain. Was it fair that the actions of a few apes had turned humans against them, would the few humans on the side of the apes be able to protect them? Such were the questions we were left with as the credits started to roll and we feared for the future of our (pri) mates. Fast forward to War for the Planet of the Apes and we are thrown into the thick of the predicted battle.

There is a rumor going around that the great Caesar is in the process of building and strengthening his army in a hidden and well protected stronghold. The humans find that this is at least partially true, and yet are surprised to discover that the aim is defence and peace. A powerful act of mercy on the part of the apes teases a tentative chance at harmony between the not-too-different species, and yet once again it is the humans who foolishly seek out a fight. 

Fear and its cruel collateral damage threaten to shake the great leader's core principals, and he finds himself separated from his apes and his home, out in the wilderness on a doomed mission along with a few of his closest allies, some new (very cute) friends, namely Bad Ape; and a young girl infected with a disastrous disease threatening to wipe out the human race as we know it.

Caesar soon discovers his fatal flaw in leaving his people to pursue an act of revenge, something which haunts him just as keenly as the ghost of Koba. A very emotional series of events ensue, with Caesar both trying to save as many apes as possible and fighting a battle within himself.

Once again I am very impressed with this latest addition to the Apes universe. This film is intensly emotional and gritty simultaneously, and convinced me once again to feel for the plight of the apes despite the human race being the opposing force. I am inclined to even go so far as to suggest that this is the best in the series yet and cannot wait to see what the creative team has in store for future additions, of which the director has promised there will be many.

Well and truly sold- five stars.