Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The wait is finally over. The incredible story that began years ago with the very first Iron Man film - but was most recently continued in Avengers: Infinity War - comes to its final conclusion with this film. And what a conclusion it is: it holds the title of being the only Marvel film so far that has made me cry.

I must be very careful what I write, and how much I tell of the story here, as there may still be people out there who haven’t seen the film yet. Sure, it’s been in cinemas for nearly a week, but not everyone goes to movies the day that they open, and any small detail could spoil the enjoyment or suspense for you.

The story picks up shortly after the final events of Avengers: Infinity War, with Thanos having obliterated fifty percent of all living creatures on Earth. As you may recall if you were among the audience, this also included a large number of our heroes: Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, nearly all the Guardians of the Galaxy, Scarlet Witch and the Wasp, to name but a few.

The remaining Avengers - Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) are desperately seeking some way that they can reverse Thanos’s (Josh Brolin) destruction, bring back their friends and family, and save the world yet again.

We know from the trailer (so this can’t be a spoiler) that there are some new additions to the team who weren’t present during Avengers: Infinity War, namely Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and brilliant comic-relief character Ant Man (Paul Rudd).

To be honest, I really don’t think I can say any more than that in terms of the plot. I realise that anyone could probably have worked out that much on their own without ever seeing it, but honestly, anything else I say past those few opening scenes would inevitably contain significant spoilers, and I don’t want to do that.

The script for this film, by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely is very good, beginning with the incredibly bleak tones one would expect following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, moving on to the attempts to salvage whatever hope these heroes can, to the ultimate conclusion of the film almost three hours later (yes, it is a long film, but there is a lot that has to happen). These writers stay true to the characters at all times, which makes for some interesting - yet satisfying - conflict. The script is infused with just the right amount of humour at various points to provide a welcome break from the serious dramatic nature of the story (I spent a fair amount of the film’s running time in tears, and these funny moments throughout were definitely welcomed).

Trent Opaloch’s cinematography is incredible, with plenty of contrasting moments between light and dark, and beautifully-framed shots of the action sequences. I know I’ve said this before with other comic-book-to-film adaptations, but every frame of this movie (especially the high-action moments) looks just like it could have been lifted straight from the pages of a comic book).

The score, composed by Alan Silvestri, works perfectly with the high-action moments, but also with the moments with less tension and excitement. It may not be as innovative a score as that from Black Panther - another Marvel film - but it is still a beautiful score nonetheless.

The performances of the entire cast (and there is a huge cast in this one) are superb. Hemsworth and Rudd in particular have really stepped up for this final film in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, special mention should go to Robert Downey Jr. who, though appearing in basically every Marvel film in the entire MCU, is a far better actor in this film than in any of the others, in my opinion.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo (who also directed Avengers: Infinity War) have really outdone themselves with this film, bringing us a story that will thrill audiences the world over. Take my word for it, if you have enjoyed any one of the Marvel films (and I mean any single one of them), then you must see this film. If you are able to, see it on the big screen with an audience; it’s well worth the expense.

This is without a doubt the single greatest film Marvel has ever done.

10 out of 10.

Captain Marvel (2019)

So, where to begin with this week’s Currently Playing Review? This movie has been so highly anticipated since the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War, and I am so incredibly hyper-aware of not wanting to give away any spoilers. I think everyone (and especially fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) ought to see this film, and I really don’t want to ruin anybody’s enjoyment of discovering it for themselves.

Veers (Brie Larson) is part of a force of Kree (inhabitants of a particular planet out there somewhere in the universe) fighting a race called the Skrulls. With her is her commander and mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), who leads a team of about six highly-trained operatives, of whom Veers is one.

Unfortunately, Veers doesn’t have any memory of how she came to be a part of this team, or anything of her life from more than about two years previously.

After receiving counsel from a powerful AI who advises (and in some ways, rules) the Kree, known as the Supreme Intelligence (Annette Bening), Veers is off on yet another mission to annihilate the Skrulls, who she is told have been terrorizing race after race of other alien life forms, and taking over their planets.

Following an altercation with a group of Skrulls, led by a warrior named Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), Veers falls to Earth (known to her as Planet C-53), and must find a way to get in touch with her team and return to her home planet.

It is on Earth that she encounters S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), who join her in her fight/mission.

That really is all I feel I can say (if I haven’t already said too much, ha ha).

I don’t think it is too hyperbolic a statement to say that this is – hands down – the best Marvel film I have ever seen. From the opening title card (a truly emotional tribute to the late great Stan Lee) until the final post-credits scene, this is an absolutely incredible and beautiful movie that also sets the stage for the upcoming Avengers: Endgame (rest assured, I will be reviewing this when it is released in April).

Firstly, it is such a great thing for Marvel that they have released a female-led film like this. Brie Larson is stellar in her portrayal of Veers (known by the Earth name Carol Danvers, later as Captain Marvel), and is the perfect choice of casting to lead this film. The film is filled with strong female characters, characters who stand up for themselves oftentimes in spite of the men around them. This film – and the characters in it – set a great example for young girls and young women, in much the same way as DC’s Wonder Woman film did back in 2016 (Wonder Woman was the most popular Halloween costume of 2016; perhaps this year Captain Marvel will be the same).

I really enjoyed the soundtrack to this film as well. See, when Veers falls to Earth, and meets Fury and Coulson, it is the mid-1990s. Hence, the soundtrack is populated with songs from that time period, the time when I was in high school; a lot of the songs in the film are songs I ‘grew up’ listening to, songs that helped me understand who I was, and helped put words to my complex array of emotions and struggles.

The script (by directors Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, along with Geneva Robertson-Dworet) is so clever, peppered with clever insights into the time period, small gems of nostalgia for audiences old enough to remember the 1990s, while also having so much to say to this time as well.

As with all recent Marvel films, the visual effects are so seamlessly intertwined into every shot as to feel so realistic in the moment. Also, the way the shots are framed and composed feels just like a comic book come to life; this is another great thing about Marvel films, every single shot is full of so much action, vibrancy and colour.

Every single element of this film just works, and all ties perfectly together into a beautifully unified whole. The score, the editing, the sound mixing, the production design; nothing is out of place here. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this film, and would gladly see it again if I thought I could get another ticket (it’s proving very popular, and my pre-release showing from which this review is written was probably about the only chance I will have for some time yet).

And as an additional nod to the 1990s, Stan Lee’s cameo in this film gives a wonderful nod to another filmmaker who defined so much of my life and experience in that period, the great Kevin Smith.

Speaking of post-credit sequences (as I did above), this film has two. The first, following the main end titles, will whet your appetite for Avengers: Endgame, coming in April (it is a great sequence, make sure you see it). The second, coming at the very end of the entire credits, is just a very short scene, but is fantastic nonetheless (I would suggest staying for that one too, it will definitely make you smile and/or laugh).

To everyone involved with the making of this film, I say thank you. Thank you for one of the best films I have seen in a long time, certainly one of the best I have seen so far this year. Thank you for taking a chance on a slightly lesser-known character from the comics, and making a strong female-led film that will no doubt inspire the next generation of girls and women. Thank you for not being afraid to try something new; it really has paid off.

If you’ve made it this far into the review, it probably won’t surprise you at all to discover I’m giving this the highest possible rating.

10 out of 10.