Captain Marvel Film Review

Tags

Avengers Endgame, Bire Larson, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel film review, Captain Marvel Review, Carol Danvers, Kree, Marvel, Marvel Comics, MCU, Nick Fury, Samuel L Jackson, Skrull

Captain Marvel

Review by Paul Bowler

Get set for a cosmic thrill-ride as Captain Marvel blasts onto the big screen! Staring Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, this action packed addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially introduces Carol Danvers to cinema audiences

As a member of the elite military, Starforce, Captain Marvel charts the story of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the Earth’s most powerful heroes after the Earth gets caught up in a galactic war between the Kree and Skrull Empires. With a mission to locate a secret device on Earth, Captain Marvel must embark on a path of personal rediscovery, while battling shape-shifting aliens led by Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), and being pursued by secretive US agents. Set in 1995, Captain Marvel propels Carol Danvers into a cosmic battle to save the Earth and offers a fresh new direction and insight into a previously unseen era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As well as heralding a new chapter in MCU lore, Captain Marvel also marks the debut of Brie Larson as the first female character to front a Marvel Studios movie, and of course the film has been eagerly anticipated by fans. Brie Larson is superb in the role of the intergalactic warrior, combining noble empathy and feisty fun in her quest to save Earth, solve the mystery of Project Pegasus, and ultimately harness the full potential of her powers.

Captain Marvel also has something of a tempestuous partnership with a much younger, and still two eyed, Nick Fury, brilliantly played as ever by Samuel L Jackson (his face digitally regressed to portray the younger Fury) , and fan favourite Clark Gregg returns as Phil Coulson.

Carol Danvers also makes a loyal friend during her training in the US air force, Maria (Lashana Lynch), there’s guidance from a mysterious character played by Annette Bening, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) is a Starforce commander and Danvers’ mentor, we also have fellow soldiers Mini Erva (Gemma Chan) and Korath (Djimon Hounsou), Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace) has yet to become the radical zealot we first saw in Guardians of the Galaxy, and there’s the loveable scene-stealing cat, Goose!

Directors and co-writers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck bring an interesting new spin on the superhero origin movie. Sure, all the familiar tropes are there, but Boden and Fleck have crafted an engaging and fun mashup between the 90’s setting and the formative aspects of the MCU to deliver a thrilling stand-alone superhero adventure in its own right

With its stellar cast and fast-paced direction Captain Marvel is another sure-fire hit! Boasting stunning visual effects and epic set-pieces, Captain Marvel is a fantastic film, Brie Larson proves inspired casting and makes the role her own, and the movie even manages to ingratiate itself with April’s hotly anticipated Avengers: Endgame, so be sure to stay for the credits!

Follow @paul_bowler

Spider-Man Far From Home Teaser Trailer Released!

Tags

Avengers Endgame, Avengers Infinity War, Cobie Smulders, Jacob Batalon, JB Smoove, Jon Favreau, Martin Starr, Marvel, Mary Jane Watson, Mysterio, Nick Fury, Peter Parker, Samuel L Jackson, Spider-Man, Spider-Man Far From Home, Spider-Man Far From Home Teaser Trailer, Spider-Man Far From Home Trailer, Tom Holland, Zendaya

Spider-Man Far From Home Teaser Trailer Released!

The first trailer for Spider-Man Far From Home has arrived webspinners!Peter Parker returns in Spider-Man™: Far From Home, the next chapter of the Spider-Man™: Homecoming series! Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter’s plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent!

I think its a great looking trailer, wery excited for Spider-Man Far From Home, what do you think?

Directed by Jon Watts, with Screenplay by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, staring Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, with Marisa Tomei, and Jake Gyllenhaal

Spider-Man Far From Home opens on July 5th! 2019!

MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2019 MARVEL

Follow @paul_bowler

Captain Marvel Official Trailer Two Released!

Tags

Algenis Perez Soto, Ben Mendelsohn, Brie Larson, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Official Trailer 2, Captain Marvel Trailer, Captain Marvel Trailer 2, Carol Danvers, Clark Gregg, Djimon Hounsou, Gemma Chan, Lashana Lynch, Lee Pace, Marvel, Mckenna Grace, New Captain Marvel Trailer, Nick Fury, Rune Temte, Samuel L Jackson

Captain Marvel Official Trailer 2 Released!

Check out the brand new trailer for Marvel Studios Captain Marvel, it looks awesome! The films charts the story of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when the Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two powerful alien races. Set in the 1990s, “Captain Marvel” is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto, Rune Temte, Mckenna Grace, Clark Gregg and Jude Law, the film will be released in theaters on March 8, 2019

Follow @paul_bowler

The Amazing Spider-Man #9 Review

Tags

Alex Ross, Arachno-Rocket, Cam Smith, comics, Dan Slott, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Marte Gracia, Marvel Comics, Nick Fury, Parker Industries, Peter Parker, S.H.I.E.L.D, Scorpio Rising, Scorpio Rising Part 1, Spider-Man, Spidey, The Amazing Spider-Man #9, VC’s Cory Petit

The Amazing Spider-Man #9

Review by Paul Bowler

Scorpio Rising begins in The Amazing Spider-Man #9, as the wall crawlers new mission send him on a journey across Europe for a finale showdown with the international terrorist organization: The Zodiac! Their leader, Scorpio, is ready to instigate his master plan. Spider-Man and his allies must race against time to hunt Scorpio down, because if he succeeds, even Spider-Man and S.H.I.E.L.D won’t be able to stop him…

The Amazing Spider-Man #9 gets the first chapter of Scorpio Rising of to an exciting start. If you thought Spidey’s battle with Mr Negative, Cloak & Dagger, and his own Spider-Mobile in The Dark Kingdom was tough, then you better hang onto your webs because that was just a taster for what’s to come next! Writer Dan Slott and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli continue to work their magic with Marvel’s all-new, all-different The Amazing Spider-Man, as this action-packed new story-arc begins, and this time they are really going to put Peter Parker through his paces as he confronts the remnants of Zodiac!

Dan Slott rockets our global friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man’s adventures into the stratosphere, and beyond, in Scorpio Rising Part 1: One Way Trip, as Nick Fury turns to Peter Parker and Spider-Man to track down Scorpio before he can utilize the power of the Orrery – a mysterious mystical artefact Scorpio managed to escape with during the Zodiac’s attack on the British Museum in London. Now after Scorpio hacked S.H.I.E.L.D’s satellites, Nick Fury seeks assistance from Peter Parker at his New York HQ in the Baxter Building, but the “boss” of Parker Industries is unavailable, fortunately Spider-Man has devised a plan to reset the satellites manually – once Fury’s cleared them some airspace that is!

Yes, there’s a Spiiddeerr-Maaan waiting in the sky (Sorry I couldn’t resists that!) as Spidey and Nick Fury blast off into orbit to take back control of the S.H.I.E.L.D satellites. It’s a move that not even Scorpio or the looped timey-wimey abilities of Gemini could’ve predicted, as they monitor events from Scorpio’s base in Paris. Dan Slott strikes a perfect balance between all the drama and humour in this issue, with digital logos, emojis, a hilariously staged Gravity scenario for Nick Fury, and quite possibly the best built-in play list ever which all collectively make for a sublime blend of action and fun!

Following Matteo Buffangi’s excellent stint as guest artist for ASM #6-8, Giuseppe Camuncoli’s is back to provide the art for The Amazing Spider-Man #9, together with inks by Cam Smith, and this issue is a veritable feast of striking visuals, as Camuncoli brings us some of this new Marvel series’ most exciting scenes to date. The sheer level of detail lavished on each page by Camuncoli and Smith is staggering, from the initial scenes in the lobby of the Baxter Building, to excitement of the Arachno-Rockets launch, Scorpio’s menacing lair in Paris, and the beautifully realized action in space are all sublimely accentuated by colorist Marte Gracia’s exquisite tones and hues.

Everything in this issue builds towards the spectacular reveal of thirteenth a sing of the Zodiac, together with a nail-biting freefall from orbit, a brief interlude at Parker Industries London HQ with romantic and menacing ramifications, and a thrilling cliff-hanger ending. This issue certainly puts our wall crawling hero through the wringer! Featuring a gorgeous cover by Alex Ross, The Amazing Spider-Man #9, with its exciting story by Dan Slott and great art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, remains one of Marvel’s best new titles, and this Scorpio Rising story-arc looks set to be an action-packed thrill-ride of epic proportions for the Spiderverse!

Publisher: Marvel / Writer: Dan Slott / Art: Giuseppe Camuncoli

Inks: Cam Smith / Colorist: Marte Gracia

Lettering: VC’s Joe Caramagna / Cover Artist: Alex Ross

Follow @paul_bowler

A Look Back At Marvel’s Cinematic Universe Phase 1 & 2

Tags

A Look Back At Marvel's Cinematic Universe Phase 1 & 2, Avengers, Avengers 2 Age Of Ultron, Black Widow, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk, Iron Man, Josh Brolin, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel Films, Marvel Phase 1, Marvel Phase 2, Nick Fury, Thanos, Thor, Ultron

A Look Back At Marvel’s Cinematic Universe Phase 1 & 2

Marvel Studios have released this awesome look back at their Phase 1 & Phase 2 movies in order to celebrate the expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Follow @paul_bowler

Captain America The Winter Soldier Film Review

Tags

Anthony Mackie, Anthony Russo, Captain America, Captain America The Winter Soldier, Chris Evans, Joe Russo, Marvel, Nick Fury, Robert Redford, S.H.I.E.L.D, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlet Johansson, Sebastian Stan, The Black Widow, The Falcon, The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Review by Paul Bowler

Captain America: The Winter Soldier gets the next installment of the Marvel saga off to a fine start, as the shield-slinging Avenger continues to adjust to life in the modern world as his past returns to haunt him. This blockbuster sequel to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger sees Steve Rogers / Captain America settling into his new life following the events of The Avengers as he continues to work with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.

A new threat emerges after Captain America is involved in a rescue mission at sea after a ship is captured by Georges Batroc (George St-Pierre); Cap uncovers a dark conspiracy, one that challenges everything he stands for. When someone close to him is attacked Captain America teams up with Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, in his ongoing battle against the highly trained forces that have been sent against him, whilst also enlisting the help of a new ally, the Falcon, as they face a powerful new enemy, one with a secret past of his own – the formidable Winter Soldier.

This Marvel sequel is a real step up for the franchise. While his origin was handled well in Captain America: The First Avenger, the character was still finding his feet in The Avengers, now in The Winter Soldier we have a film that really capitalizes on the characters full potential. Chris Evans gives a great performance as Captain America / Steve Rogers, bringing an added depth to the character as Cap finds himself in a world where political corruption is now his greatest enemy. There is also the heartrending realization of everything he has left behind in his old life, it’s an underlying theme which The Winter Soldier uses to great effect, one that shows how much this franchise has evolved and grown.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is in many respects, as much a gritty conspiracy thriller as it is an all-out superhero action story, and as a result the tightly plotted screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFreely delivers its fair share of thrills and adrenalin pumping action sequences along with some well structured character development to balance the excellently choreographed fight scenes.

When Cap learns about a secret project and the Helicarriers created for it, each fitted out with new surveillance technology and weapons to eliminate potential threats before they can happen, the duplicitous and uncompromising nature of the project brings him into conflict with S.H.I.E.L.D and his boss Nick Fury. As the forces of the clandestine organization manipulating events from within begins to close in it falls to Captain America and the Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) to uncover the truth behind the conspiracy that now threatens to engulf them all. Samuel L Jackson also gets plenty to do as Nick Fury, giving a captivating and commanding performance, and Scarlet Johansson is excellent as the badass super-spy, Robert Redford stars as a Government official for S.H.I.E.L.D, while Cobie Smulders plays Mira Hill and Emil VanCamp is introduced as Sharon Carter. Hayley Atwell also returns, made up as the elderly Peggy Carter – the Captain’s former sweetheart from the 1940’s.

There is great chemistry between Cap and the Black Widow, with their opposing morals and personalities, forcing them together in such extreme circumstances like this makes for some really exciting moments. Anthony Mackie makes an impressive new addition to the series as war veteran Sam Wilson, who also strikes up a close friendship with Cap. Wilson is later transformed into the Falcon with the help of some special flight equipment, which he uses to join the battle.

The action in Captain America: The Winter Soldier hardly lets up for moment: with a thrilling fight on a ship at sea, a nail-biting car chase through Washington and assassination attempt on Nick Fury is perfectly staged, and there are also some brilliant aerial battles when the Falcon joins the fray and takes to the skies.

The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is ruthlessly efficient killer; he possesses a metallic arm, and has a flair for violence that will let nothing stop him from achieving his goal. The Winter Soldier also has a dark, terrible secret, one that also reaches back into Cap’s own past. Sebastian Stan gives an excellent performance as The Winter Soldier, as intense as the Terminator, with just a glimmer of the humanity beneath, his true identity and that of those he works for may come as no surprise, but his steely presence is more than enough to maintain the suspense.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a spectacular film which draws on every ounce of its dark premise, inspired by Ed Brubaker’s Winter Soldier storyline from the Captain America comics, and this makes for a hugely entertaining film. There are plenty of references, name-checks, and in-jokes for fans to enjoy, while still being enjoyable and accessible for those who haven’t read the comic book series. Captain America: The Winter Soldier really honours the character of the star spangled Avenger, events in this film look set shake up the Marvel Cinematic Universe quite dramatically, it is easily the best of Marvel’s Phase 2 films so far, the special effects are breathtaking, and it all builds towards a spectacular action-packed final act that will have you on the edge of your seat. A must see film, and make sure you sick around for those two post credit scenes as well.

Follow @paul_bowler