What do you do when you’ve made multiple successful films in New Zealand, graduated to Hollywood blockbuster franchise installments while maintaining your idiosyncrasies and then won an Academy Award? In the case of Taika Waititi, the answer is to make another blockbuster where the idiosyncrasies are even more pronounced, to an extent that may amuse…
Avengers: Endgame brings the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) third phase to a close in splendid fashion, designating much of its three-hour runtime to character arcs and the wider narrative, versus intergalactic fireworks and fisticuffs. In fact, Anthony and Joe Russo’s finale is an intelligent film, introducing novel MCU concepts, “hard” science and a supervillain worthy…
Somber is the mood in the first trailer for Avengers: Endgame and rightfully it should be. As you should recall, Thanos — after piecing together the Infinity Gauntlet — has eliminated half the population of Earth and decimated the ranks of the superhero team at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War.” The remaining Avengers and…
Choosing a third remake of A Star Is Born, a classic rags-to-riches movie that has a history of attracting legendary talent from Fredric March to Judy Garland, as your directorial debut is a risky move, but it’s one that Bradley Cooper pulls off quite well. The actor’s rise from TV sidekick to cool comic relief…
Over the past decade, Marvel Studios have proved time and again their mastery of the superhero genre. Central to this success is the combination of superhero tropes with other genres: World War II film with “Captain America: The First Avenger,” conspiracy thriller with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” heist movie with “Ant-Man,” high school comedy…
Dusting off the smell of the superhero ensemble disappointment of “Justice League” comes the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War and it does not disappoint. Putting differences aside that forced a split between the Avengers in “Captain America: Civil War,” the heroes — with the aid of Black Panther, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange,…
SPECIAL GUEST REVIEWER: I am Groot. Much like our guest reviewer, I was delighted with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It balances action, humor, character dynamics and stunning effects both visual and practical with multiple plot strands and explorations of family, regret and reconciliation. It is all the more impressive considering what it has…
