Hulk CONFIRMED to appear in Thor: Ragnarok!!

Happy Back to the Future day! Let's celebrate by discussing the Norse Apocalypse!!

It's been confirmed by multiple movie news outlets that Mark Ruffalo's Hulk is set to have a major role in the upcoming third movie in the Thor franchise, Ragnarok. The film, which is currently eyeing director Taika Waititi to helm the project, is set to be released on November 3rd 2017, in-between Spiderman's first solo outing and the Black Panther solo film. The news also states that Thor will find Hulk on a distant planet and the film will see our heroes team-up on a cosmic adventure.

Accompanying this news is also the confirmation that Tom Hiddleston will return as Loki. So to those who were a fan of the "puny God" scene from the first Avengers, you're in luck!

When I heard this news I was excited but to me it also made perfect sense. It wouldn't make sense for the character of the Hulk to ride the fence during Phase 3 up until Infinity War. There were those who speculated around the time of Age of Ultron's cinematic release that Hulk would appear in a Phase 3 film in some capacity, which at the time everyone thought was going to be Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.

What this news could mean is the possibility of at least glimpses of the famous Planet Hulk storyline which Marvel has been so reluctant to do despite enormous fan pressure on them to do it. If it turns out Thor finds Hulk on a distant planet then we could well be seeing the Hulk fighting in gladiator pits just like in the famous comic book storyline. I think this would appease a lot of fans.

But on what planet would Thor find him? I assume he would find him in space somewhere as opposed to Earth given the nature of how this news has been reported. Most likely it could be one of the planets which make up the 9 realms of the cosmos.

In case you didn't know, the nine realms are connected by Yggdrasil, or the Tree of the World. These realms are not other dimensions, they are in fact planets from across the universe connected by this large tree. So far in the movies we have seen Asgard, Midgard (Earth), Jotunheim (Loki's home), Vanaheim and Svartalfheim (the Dark World).

Is it possible that Thor could find Hulk in one of these distant realms? It's definitely possible. But Asgardians still have the ability to travel to locations outside of the 9 realms. Remember the post credits scene of Thor: The Dark World? Here we see Sif and other Asgardians deliver The Collector the Aether (which has been confirmed to be the Reality Stone). Its fun to speculate.

Also, how and why does Hulk travel into space? Last time we saw him he was fleeing from his duties as an Avenger using the Quinjet's stealth mode. I don't know if the Quinjet can perform interplanetary travel; maybe Hulk was taken? Again, it's fun to speculate over these questions.

What we do know is that Ragnarok is "the end of all things" in Norse mythology. Expect some monumental stuff to go down. In fact, I remember Kevin Feige saying that Thor: Ragnarok was the linchpin movie of Phase 3; the film that would change the landscape of the MCU and pull the carpet from under our feet, similar to Captain America: The Winter Soldier's "SHIELD" revelation in Phase 2.

If Ragnarok is close to the source material we should see Thor and Hulk fight Surtur and the fire demons of Muspelheim. But what about a certain Mad Titan hell-bent on collecting infinity stones to complete his newly acquired gauntlet?

I think Thanos is going to have a role in Thor: Ragnarok. Whether he has a small one or is the main villain of it I can't tell yet. Just bare in mind that he's now off to collect the Infinity Stones himself. One such stone is hidden inside the Tesseract (the Space stone) which is currently on Asgard in the custody of Odin...

... or at least what Thor thought was Odin. In actuality it's Loki. Remember back to the first Avengers film? Loki's scepter and the gem powering it was given to him by the Other, Thanos' servant. Loki failed to conquer Earth and lost the gem which Thanos presumably gave him. The God of Mischief has some serious debt to pay. So what if Loki somehow causes Ragnarok to happen... and when Asgard is in ruins, Thanos can come and retrieve the Tesseract for his own personal use...

Whatever happens, this news that Hulk will be appearing in Thor: Ragnarok gets me even more excited for a film which will have massive repercussions for Infinty War and everything else after it!


Thanks for reading,
Matt

The Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Trailer is AWESOME!!!

What a perfect trailer. Honestly. A trailer which gets you unfathomably excited for a film showing a bunch of new stuff we have yet to see whist at the same time not spoiling anything and telling us things we didn't already know. This new trailer for The Force Awakens (my most anticipated film of 2015) should act as an exemplar for those who work in Hollywood marketing films.

The footage they showed off and the way the trailer built up and built up sent shivers down my spine and goosebumps up my arm. And the reason why this happened was because it genuinely felt like Star Wars to me. In terms of it's overall aesthetic; the iconic musical score, the sound design, the costumes, the sets, the visuals, the cinematography... It all felt like Star Wars. Remember that feeling of awe and wonderment the first time you watched the original Star Wars films? Watching this trailer felt like I was doing that all over again.

It didn't spoil anything I didn't already know:

 - Daisy Ridley's character Rey is a scavenger on Jakku with an awesome pet BB8 droid.

 - John Boyega's character Finn abandons The First Order and teams up with Rey.

 - Adam Driver's Kylo Ren is part of a Darth Vader cult that vows to finish the "work he started".

 - Han Solo has a large role in the film and The Millennium Falcon will make a return.

 -  Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron is a kick-ass Resistance fighter pilot.

 - The Resistance and The First Order are currently at war with each other in a conflict that probably won't even resolve itself at the end of this film.

This new trailer spoiled nothing for me. I still don't know if Rey has a connection with a Solo or a Skywalker? I don't know how her and Finn come across Han Solo? How do General Hux, Captain Phasma and Supreme Senator Snoke fit into the film? I don't know, and I'm so happy I don't!

This trailer is definitely the most action-oriented trailer we've seen from The Force Awakens so far. And while the action set pieces look phenomenal my 2 favourite moments of the trailer are as follows:

1) The shot which pans around Finn and Poe Dameron by the X-wing. That shot is pure JJ Abrams class and something which you would have seen in the original trilogy and not in the prequels.

2) John Boyega's face when Adam Driver's Kylo Ren is about to swing his lightsaber at him. The look of fear and the instant realisation that he is woefully unprepared summarises the entire situation beautifully, and gives the character of Finn room to develop as the trilogy progresses.

I can't stress to you how excited I am. In 2 months time I am going to go to a movie theatre and watch a brand new Star Wars film. It really doesn't get any better!


Thanks for reading, and may the Force be with you!
Matt

Sicario Movie Review

 



 

Sicario is directed by Denis Villeneuve (the director behind Prisoners and Enemy) and boasts an incredible cast of talent including Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro. Sicario tells the story of Kate (played by Emily Blunt), an idealistic FBI agent who involves herself within an operation with the intent of tracking and taking down a major player in the Mexican drug cartel. Here she finds her morals questioned as she becomes determined to find out what is really going on.

 

Before we start I'm just going to say it off the bat, Sicario might be one of my favourite movies of the entire year. Denis Villeneuve has proved to me once and for all that he is one of the brightest talents working today in mainstream cinema as his direction of this film is near flawless. The way he introduces us to these characters, the way he sets up intrigue and mystery, the way certain revelations are revealed are all done expertly by a man who clearly has immense understanding as to how to tell a story and how to structure a movie around it.

 

I say it's one of my favourite films of the year because of one simple reason; it's the most thrilling thriller I've seen since Whiplash. The first 2 acts of this film exhibit a consistent level of slow to medium-burning tension when every once in a while it explodes into life. The third act of this film culminates in some of the most effective and pulsating thrills I have seen in a very long time. I think serious credit needs to go to Denis Villeneuve for creating an enthralling finale which was unrelenting in it's high levels of suspense and tension. In a thriller like this, I should be biting my nails and clenching my fists. I was doing just those things during Sicario, which I was so pleased about.

 

It's not often I have a physical reaction to a film. When Sicario ended, I sat there for a good couple of minutes just so I could catch back my breath. I'm not exaggerating but this film honestly had a deep impact on me. Not only is it immensely impactful as a thriller but it might just be the best constrcuted film of the entire year when it comes to telling an interesting story. The screenwriting of Sicario as well as the dialogue are also very strong, which made it for me the best film of the year in terms of its overall construction.

 

This film may not be as entertaining as something like The Martian or Mad Max: Fury Road, but for someone who loves excellent filmmaking Sicario is nothing short of a wet dream. It doesn't share the same happy and hopeful tone of optimism The Martian had where no matter how desperate the situation, you can always remain positive. Sicario's tone is purposefully hopeless and dire at times; no matter how large the situation you solve in one place, that same problem will continue to manifest somewhere else. I was a huge fan of it's dark, serious and at times disgusting tone. It reminded me a lot of Se7en, one of my all time favourite films.

 

I feel like I've been saying this a lot in movie reviews recently but this is honestly one of the best looking films of the entire year. The genius that is Roger Deakins was the director of photography on this film and you can really tell. His grand, epic and inventive cinematography makes this movie (which is already structurally fantastic and unbelievably thrilling) better than it already is. I could tell from the opening shot of this film that Deakins was behind the camera which is testament to his incredible talent. And the pounding musical score which swells up at just the right moments is also truly great, acting as just one of the components which made some scenes in this film almost unbearably intense.

 

And of course the acting is great, as is the writing surrounding the 3 main characters. Emily Blunt puts in one of her best performances and once again proves herself capable of doing her own stunts and being convincing whilst doing them. I loved the way her character was introduced and how she develops as the movie progresses. You route for her because of her determination, but you like her because of the vulnerability she radiates at the same time. Josh Brolin's character also has a really good introduction and as a character works for comedic effect.

 

But this is Benicio Del Toro's film. His performance is so subtle yet so breath-taking in a role which he disappeared into. His character is also by far the most interesting one to watch and the one you want to keep going back to. He has the best character arc by a long way. I think this is mainly due to the purposeful mystery that surrounds his character. We're not told instantly who he is and who he works for, we have to wait and find out. And when you do find out, it's immediately gratifying and sets up a finale with some of the best suspense filmmaking I've seen in a very long time.

 

Sicario is not a fun time filled with hope and optimism, it's rather the opposite. But if you're a fan of great movies then Sicario will give you everything you want and more. It's one of the best theatre experiences I've had all year and is one great thriller which is exactly what a thriller should be; thrilling! When I make my favourite films of the year list, Sicario will feature very highly I can promise you that:

 

 

Rating - A

 

 



 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading,

Matt 



 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ant Man and the Wasp" confirmed for 2018!!

Considering how successful both critically and commercially Marvel's Ant Man was, it should probably come as no surprise that a sequel to the film will be released on July 6th 2018, entitled "Ant-Man and The Wasp", the first Marvel film to be named after one of their superheroines. However, 12 months ago Marvel released their Phase 3 plans dating movies all the way to May 2019, and an "Ant Man 2" was nowhere to be seen. This led a lot of people to believe that we'd have to wait until Phase 4 to see Marvel's smallest hero return in a solo adventure.

Well it appears that if one of their properties is popular amongst fans and efficient at the box office, they will be willing to change their plans and fast-track in sequels. What this has meant is a re-shuffle of the Phase 3 pack with movies moving from their original dates yet again. This is now the second time Marvel has changed their future movie line up in 2015 alone; last time people were going crazy over the inclusion of a certain web-slinger.


Updated Phase 3 schedule

Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe now looks like this:

The inclusion of an Ant Man sequel has pushed some movies forward, and others back. Black Panther, which was originally pencilled in for a November 3rd 2017 release was moved to July 6th 2018 after Marvel acquired the rights to Spiderman. It's moving in the opposite direction now, coming out on February 16th 2018. It will be the last MCU movie before the Infinity War spectacle. Fans are happy that his solo adventure will be brought to us at least a couple months earlier.

Fans are not so happy with them pushing back Captain Marvel. It will still be placed in-between the Infinity War films but will now come out on March 8th 2019, 4 months later than previously scheduled. This is the second time Marvel has pushed her back, and I don't blame them considering there is no actress or director attached to the film. And those who are complaining that Marvel is purposefully delaying the release of their first female led superhero movie for "other" reasons, I don't understand you. This new film is led by a female superhero. An iconic one at that, with an actress who seriously kills it as that particular character!


Sequel ideas

I really enjoyed Ant Man and am pleased that we're getting a sequel as there's a huge amount of story potential and interesting character arcs for Scott Lang, Hope van Dyne as well as Michael Douglas' Hank Pym. I kind of feel like the title "Ant Man and The Wasp" has duel meaning; it could be referring to the modern incarnation or Hank Pym and his wife Janet, who is currently lost in the Quantum Realm.

Speaking of the Quantum Realm, I think it's going to have a huge role in this sequel. At the end of Ant Man when Scott successfully returns, Hank begins to wonder. If Scott can return, maybe his wife can be saved. If I were to predict I'd guess that this was going to be the plot of the movie as it was eluded to in a not-so-subtle way in Ant Man's closing stages.

If you want to read more about the Quantum Realm and how it may have an important role in not just an Ant Man sequel, but other Phase 3 films, click here: http://movieswithmattharrison.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/ant-man-quantum-realm-theory.html



Phase 4?

With this news also comes three new release dates for future MCU films. Some believe these films will be part of Phase 3, which I completely disagree with. I still get the sense that Phase 3 will end with the second Infinity War film, with Inhumans acting as it's epilogue and a bridge into Phase 4.

Below are my incredibly early predictions for what these films could be. Yes, I'm sat here predicting what films will come out in 2020. Don't judge me.


May 1st 2020 - Untitled Spiderman film sequel

July 10th 2020 - Guardians of the Galaxy 3

November 6th 2020 - Fantastic Four/X-Men


A Spiderman film is almost a shoe-in. Guardians 3 is very likely. However, the third film is very difficult to predict. Possibilities are literally endless! If Marvel get the rights back for the X-Men and Fantastic Four characters in the next couple of years (which isn't actually that unlikely of a thing to happen) then we'll definitely see them incorporated into the MCU fold.

But I think at least one of these 3 films will introduce a new character or a new group of characters. As the X-Men and F4 have never appeared in the MCU before, they fit this description. But Marvel could use other characters. Nova? Namor? Spider Woman? She-Hulk? Blade? Who needs new characters when you could release either Doctor Strange and/or Black Panther 2? Could a Defenders movie be on the cards? What about finally giving us the Mark Ruffalo-led Hulk film we all want? Or will they give in and finally give us everything we could ever want... the return of Howard the Duck!

Jokes aside, predicting Phase 4 is almost impossible at the moment. The fact I'm sat her speculating films that will be released after Infinity War (which is still 4 years away) is testament to what Marvel has achieved with it's cinematic universe. If an Ant Man sequel means more content from Marvel, I can not possibly complain.


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Macbeth Movie Review

Directed by Justin Kerzel, Macbeth is an adaptation of the famous William Shakespeare play of the same name, telling the story of a Scottish Thane who after hearing a prophecy that he will one day become King of Scotland murders the King he once served. However after the fateful deed is done, he and his wife who spurred him on to commit the heinous act become consumed with guilt as they begin to lose touch with their sanity.

It probably comes to no surprise that the standout qualities of Macbeth are the acting performances delivered by the two leads, both of whom take to the roles as if they were born to do so. Michael Fassbender is truly terrific as Macbeth. His performance completely encapsulated the looming insanity of his character, striking a fine and measured balance between repulsiveness and sympathy. He is definitely Oscar-worthy in what turns out to be yet another stellar performance from a man who just might be one of the most committed and naturally talented actors in Hollywood.

But Marion Cotillard's portrayal of Macbeth's wife is just as good as, if not better than, Fassbender's work. She really has a lot of layers to work around with her character in a performance which asks a lot from her in terms of emotional range. She delivers acting of the highest quality as always. While some may argue the screenwriters missed a few opportunities to flesh out her character and make her even more compelling, I would disagree with them and say that I really enjoyed the direction the film took her. While Macbeth's perception of what is real and what is to be questioned falters, his wife seems to remain incredibly calm despite her involvement in the King's murder.

And I think one Cotillard monologue in particular which disproves my previous statement is my favourite scene of the entire film. Director Kerzel locks the camera onto her for a good couple of minutes in what became the most absorbing scene of the entire film for me. His direction of these scenes allowed the actors to truly showcase their unbelievable talent.

Macbeth is also a film which is visually immaculate. There are so many shots in this film which would give artsy filmmakers instant hard-ons. It is one of the best films of the year in terms of its aesthetics. A lot of the shots they accomplish do an excellent job at not just powerful, visual storytelling, but bringing to life the murky, cold and creepy environments in which the film takes place in. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the majority of the shots in this film could be framed as paintings, which is testament to the film's cinematographer Adam Arkapaw.

The musical score is also one of the year's best. However, despite the fact that this film may showcase some of the best acting and visuals of 2015 so far, there are still three things about Macbeth that I wasn't such a huge fan of. The first is to do with the film's pacing. The runtime doesn't overstay it's welcome however there are a vast number of scenes which seem to go on for way too long without clearly functioning as a character development scene or a narrative developing scene. Don't get me wrong, when this is done with the main focus on the acting performance being given it really works, but it doesn't all the time.

My second issue is something which may not bother you, but as someone who loves to examine the way film's are constructed I found issue with Macbeth's stylistic inconsistencies. For example, there is a battle sequence early on in the film where I thought the two different filmmaking styles in action didn't mesh well together. In fact, I think they came into direct conflict with each other on more than one occasion. One minute Macbeth is utilising a suspense-driven hand-held style, the next a deeply artistic style with focus on visual imagery, done so using super-slow motion techniques. To me, they didn't work well together at all.

And finally, my biggest issue with Macbeth is the dialogue. Because I'm stupid and I'm not well informed with Middle-English and Shakespearean language, I found the movie's dialogue hard to follow. For me, this hurt my viewing experience as I found it difficult to latch onto basic things such as character motivation. At times, the amazing visual imagery just wasn't enough for my own personal understanding of what was going on. But if you're well into Shakespeare you will love this new incarnation of the story.

Macbeth is not a film I can recommend that everyone should go see. It's definitely one to watch for people who love great acting and for aspiring cinematographers out there if you can get past the Shakespearean dialogue. However, I think fans of the original play will be very pleased with the way this film has turned out so to them I would thoroughly recommend you watch it:


Rating - B-

Thanks for reading,
Matt

The Martian Movie Review

In recent times Ridley Scott has found it very difficult to create a quality film that will be regarded as one of the year's very best. Despite his commendable consistency and considerable talent at creating a visually wondrous feature-length film, his most recent efforts (The Counsellor, Exodus: Gods and Kings) have been massive failures due to the piss-poor screenplays he was given. The Martian is based off of a novel with the same name written by Andy Weir which was adapted to a screenplay by Drew Goddard.

The Martian tells the tale of Mark Watney, a NASA astronaut, who after a fierce storm is left behind on Mars by his crew who assumed he was dead after being struck by debris. Alone and millions of miles from home, all Watney has is his optimism, his smarts and sheer force of will to survive on a planet where food can not grow. This storyline runs parallel with the rescue mission NASA are trying to coordinate back on Earth once they find out that presumed dead Mark is still very much alive.

Like every Ridley Scott film to date The Martian is a true beauty to behold. The incredible cinematography, practical and visual effects come together and make Mars look similarly convincing and beautiful. In fact, this movie is so good looking and so visually compelling that I am actually convinced that NASA gave Ridley Scott permission to shoot this film on location on Mars! Jokes aside, I expected this movie to be an aesthetic success as even the terrible films Ridley Scott has made in recent years (The Counsellor, Exodus) have been well lit, well shot and strikingly good looking flicks. But The Martian has so much more to offer and is by far Ridley Scott's best film in years.

Part of this is due to the immensely funny screenplay written by Drew Goddard. The man clearly understands comedy and a lot of the dialogue in this film is genuinely effective at being comedic and making light of some of the seemingly terrible and impossible things that happen. In fact my favourite aspect of The Martian was the comedic and light tone both Ridley Scott and Drew Goddard adopted with their directing and screenwriting alike. This film could have seen Watney jump from one disaster to another. It could've been a depressing film with an unforgiving slow pace and a negative tone. The Martian is anything but that.

It's not depressing. It's hopeful, optimistic, it's about the power of human will and groups of people coming together to do what is morally right. As a result, The Martian is a truly enjoyable and a refreshing experience simply because it consciously chooses to make light of Watney's impossible and hopeless situation. The positive outlook this movie has perfectly mirrors Watney's personality. In a movie like this whereby the protagonist has to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, as an audience member you have to feel a connection with him/her and route for him/her to succeed.

Matt Damon's terrific lead performance (which utterly radiates acting quality) made the character of Watney extremely likeable and relatable. As a result, the film was very thrilling and suspense-filled in scenes whereby Watney was in incredible danger. Therefore, when it was trying to be comedic The Martian worked. When it was meant to be tension-filled, suspenseful and dramatic, it really worked. Damon's performance isn't one which is "showboaty"; he doesn't have 5 or 6 power scenes in which he cries directly at the camera. Instead, he's great in that very subtle way which creeps up on you towards the film's finale.

And even when the screen time was not dedicated to Matt Damon, I was still having a great time watching The Martian. The huge supporting cast is flooded with talented actors who all know their place and all play their roles very, very well. Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain and Sean Bean all were great in their roles, but the one who stole the limelight every time the lens was on him was Chiwetel Ejiofor. His performance is comedically sharp and dramatically focused, and his character is for sure the most entertaining to watch interact behind Mark Watney. Even when the focus shifted from the riveting survival film on Mars, I was still captivated by the rescue mission being coordinated on Earth.

That is thanks to Ridley Scott's magnificent handle on pacing via his direction. It's so good to be able to go to a movie theatre and watch a great science fiction thriller helmed by the man who directed Alien over 38 years ago. His direction keeps The Martian consistently entertaining; there's never a dull moment in this film. No matter whether the film is on Earth, Mars or somewhere in-between, The Martian is such an easy film to sit down and watch. My one flaw with this film is the occasional over-reliance on science-themed exposition. It completely works with Matt Damon as his character is stuck alone documenting his adventure, but the stuff down on Earth became a little too bogged down in it for my liking.

Regardless, I still love this movie. It's entertaining, it works as both a light comedy and an action thriller. But it is Matt Damon's excellent lead performance, the comedic tone adopted in Drew Goddard's screenwriting and Ridley Scott's assured direction which makes The Martian a complete and utter success. It is for sure one of the best films of 2015 and if this film is any true indication, the rest of this year is (hopefully) going to bless us with some truly great films worthy to sit alongside this one:


Rating - A

Thanks for reading,
Matt