Not going to lie - with that trailer and the reviews, Gemini Man isn't looking like a great prospect for my next cinema trip. But while some of Ang Lee's latest endeavours haven't really tickled my fancy, he's still a fantastic director who's crafted many strong films. Here's my ranking of his films.
Note: have yet to get around to Pushing Hands and Eat Drink Man Woman
11. Hulk ✭✭
This is an interesting failure of a comic book film which really tries to replicate everything about the medium onto the silver screen. What results is quite the interesting concoction of a considerable amount of cheesiness - including one of the most hilarious death scenes ever put to screen - while taking the whole idea of the Hulk quite seriously, best represented by Eric Bana's overly morose performance. It's a strange blend that never comes together but the least that can be said for it is that it has an original vision and daring, even if the execution is very flawed.
10. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk ✭✭
Tempted to switch between these two for the 'bottom' slot as this was much more of a disappointment than Hulk for me, personally. In what should be a somewhat emotionally potent tale of US soldiers coming back from Iraq and a particularly intense firefight to a publicity tour across the States, we follow a frightfully bland lead character in a story that never quite kicks off despite throwing every cliche in the book at you. It's not a film entirely without merit - there's a couple of interesting supporting turns from the likes of Steve Martin and Chris Tucker, the extra high frame rate while distracting for the most part does lend an interesting visual palette - but on the whole it's a maudlin
9. Taking Woodstock ✭✭ 1/2
Not a particularly bad nor good film, just a very average by the numbers dreamed with some mildly amusing performances. The story of the Woodstock festival does seem like it has potential for more that isn't really realised here, but as it is it's not a terrible type of this sort of film. It could've perhaps used a bit more focus, as it feels like it tries to grapple with too much with the festival, the protagonist dealing with his hiding his homosexuality, and a wide group of perhaps too many characters, in fact one aspect of the film involving the protagonist's Vietnam veteran buddy does seem like it has potential but it's too rushed as well.
8. Ride With the Devil ✭✭✭
An Ang Lee Civil War western sounds like a great proposition for a film. Well, this isn't a great film, but it is a decent one with some genuinely great scenes in the midst of it all. What really needed work here was some editing to relieve the slog of the midsection, and tightening of focus, as the whole idea of following guerrilla soldiers and outsiders to the Civil War is pretty interesting, despite some slightly weak acting by some of the supporting players. The dynamic between German-American immigrant (Tobey Maguire) and the freed slave (Jeffrey Wright) is one element that could've had a film entered around it, but as it is it's a good film with some particularly striking costume design and action set pieces.
7. The Wedding Banquet ✭✭✭✭
A slight but satisfying 'US-Asia-cultural-differences-comedy', this is an entertaining, cute and at times rather affecting film about a gay Taiwanese immigrant who has to hide his relationship from his parents when he undertakes a fake marriage with a Mainland Chinese woman. It's a very well made comedy of manners so to speak with just enough depth to resonate, and even though it ends perhaps a little too neatly, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable flick worth catching.
6. The Ice Storm ✭✭✭✭
70 suburban drama isn't necessarily my favourite genre but this is a pretty solid example of it, with Lee really getting some substance out of the genre by a uniformly strong ensemble - with Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen, and very young Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood giving terrific performances - and capturing a real sense of community and distance within the two neighbouring families at its centre. It's not the easiest watch, particularly its exploration of sexual frustration and a particularly upsetting ending, but a worthwhile one.
5. Life of Pi ✭✭✭✭ 1/2
Adapting this novel to the silver screen was always going to be a nearly impossible task, and credit must go for just about pulling it off. With a fantastic leading performance by Suraj Sharma who's acting opposite a CGI tiger for the most part, it's a poignant survival tale with stunning technical elements, particularly the cinematography and score. Lee creates a very intimate yet grand scope with his directorial vision in a film that I'll admit I don't love, but I certainly like it a great deal.
4. Brokeback Mountain ✭✭✭✭ 1/2
First and foremost just a phenomenal acting showcase for both Jake Gyllenhaal and the late great Heath Ledger, this romantic Western just hits all the right sweet spots for such an old-fashioned sort of tearjerker. I'll admit that certain segments while the two main characters are apart are a bit less interesting, but any scene with them together is just fantastic as we see two characters grow together and apart in such a heartrending fashion, directed with such nuance by Lee. Bonus points for that ending which is one of the best scenes of both his and Ledger's career.
3. Lust, Caution ✭✭✭✭ 1/2
Quite literally a film of two halves, an espionage thriller and erotic romance all in one, in which you can tell Lee is having a lot of fun playing with the contrasting styles with. The leads Tang Wei and Tony Leung Chiu-wai sizzle with chemistry in every scene, with the latter actually giving something of an underrated performance in his line of work, in this tale of a university student who goes undercover to seduce a Japanese collaborator. Though it's a divisive film I'd confidently refer to it as one of Lee's very best, escalating the tension and emotional stakes with equal aplomb.
2. Sense and Sensibility ✭✭✭✭ 1/2
One of the very best Jane Austen adaptations, lovingly adapted to Oscar-winning by Emma Thompson her in giving her Oscar-nominated turn, and playing the iconic Dashwood sisters to perfection. The whole cast is perfectly cast down to the smallest role, with particular mention to Alan Rickman's incredibly moving portrayal of Colonel Brandon, but what's particularly worthy of note is how Lee manages to in his first entirely English-language production capture the essential British-ness of the source material and time period with such dexterity. It vibes along with such a great sense of time and place while telling its timeless story with such style and is just a fantastic novel adaptation overall.
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ✭✭✭✭✭
Lee's masterpiece well deserving of the hype at the time, and really features everything there is to love about a great Ang Lee film. The technical elements are all great but really great on an altogether different level with regards to the regal score, the sumptuous set design and costumes, the great cinematography and action choreography. The story is simple and straightforward but carried so well by the vividly realised characters and performances, and whether it's leaping through the trees, skulking across the palace grounds, a desert flashback or a passionate declaration of love, Lee creates a martial arts extravaganza like no other.
With the first episode of the record-breaking 14th season coming up, what I consider to be the greatest television comedy of our time, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has had so many amazing episodes. Here's my choice of the 30 best ones which was a very, very tough process.
HM: 'Charlie Catches a Leprechaun' (Season 11, Episode 8)
A fantastic episode I hate to leave off the list among many others, just for Sweet Dee's ridiculously stereotypical Crazy Paddy persona and Dennis' obsessive dealings with the customers he wants to offer an 'authentic Irish experience' to. 30. 'Hundred Dollar Baby' (Season 2, Episode 5)
One of the earliest examples of really letting Kaitlin Olson and her comedic sensibilities loose - with Dee's iconic delivery of 'I will eat your babies bitch' being a particular highlight of the show letting her in on the fun - the whole episode is just hilarious subversion of the usual boxing tropes, with the rest of the gang acting as the world's worst trainers and the ending a darkly hilarious subversion of Million Dollar Baby. 29. ‘Mac and Charlie Die’ Parts 1 and 2 (Season 4, Episodes 5 and 6)
Definitely a take it or leave set of episodes, but these are a pair of hilarious episodes which feature some of the best Charlie and Mac hijinks as they ineptly try to fake their deaths, as well as one of the most inappropriate yet funny fake funeral tributes, plus Dennis and Frank trying to go all 'European' and Andrew Scott Cummins as Luther is always a more than welcome presence. 28. 'Thunder Gun Express' (Season 7, Episode 11)
It's an episode that goes on random wavelengths with the cast in their race to get to a screening of the latest Thunder Gun movie on time, but a good example of that where everyone gets a chance to shine, especially Dennis' self-appraisal of his sex tape recordings in the car and Frank's oddly sweet and hilarious recounting of the gang's escapades when masquerading as a ship captain which is a highlight of Danny Devito's time on the show.
27. 'The Gang Goes to Hell'' (Season 11, Episodes 9, 10)
Really just a retread of the gang's greatest hits, from Mac dealing with religion and his sexuality so ineptly to Dee revealing her own D.E.E. system to Dennis finally showing his creeper antics in full actions. It's wonderful until they get locked into the ship's chamber where it become a random yet so enjoyable series of skits, the best of which is Mac's fake dinner party and Dennis and Dee's warring impressions.
26. 'The Gang Broke Dee' (Season 9, Episode 1)
Just a fantastic showcase episode for Kaitlin Olson as Sweet Dee is really taken through the ringer, awful standup routines and hilarious groaning and all that. She's the centrepiece of the episode, but everything else is top notch Sunny too, with the final switcheroo is surprisingly dark and built up too marvelously thanks to the cast all being particularly on point.
25. 'Mac is a Serial Killer' (Season 3, Episode 10)
Admittedly a bit of a dated episode in some regards, this is still a great episode of misunderstandings with the first taste of Charlie as an incompetent bird lawyer, Dennis taking a crack at Chris Hansen and the beginnings of his serial killer obsessions, and that darkly hilarious twist ending which is never brought up again.
24. 'Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life'
The titular shennanigans involving a particularly weird cameo from Sinbad are worth the price of admission alone, but what makes this classic Sunny is everything involving Sweet Dee and Charlie switching places as we get to see the first of Dee's 'dry heaves' which is just some phenomenal psychical acting.
23. 'The Gang Dines Out' (Season 8, Episode 9)
A great bottle episode where Dennis/Mac, Frank/Charlie and Dee cause chaotic situation after chaotic situation in the restaurant playing off the perfect straight man in Michael Naughton's nameless Waiter, with glorious moments such as the staring contest between Charlie and Mac thrown into the mix.
22. 'The Gang Buys a Boat' (Season 6, Episode 3)
A fairly low-key episode all things considered, with the highlight of course being the glorious 'The Implication' scene which is simply one of, if not the, best acted scenes in the whole series with Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenny perfecting the differing wavelengths of Dennis and Mac with regards to seafaring etiquette. The rest of the episode is solid sunny of course, particularly Dee's dance moves and Charlie and Frank's antics, but 'The Implication' is what truly stands out.
21. 'Gun Fever Too: Still Hot' (Season 9, Episode 2)
Note: I do enjoy the original 'Gun Fever' episode which is a good example of pre-Frank Reynolds Sunny. This however takes the discussion of the gun issue up a notch with hilarious scenes such as Dennis and Dee failing miserably at purchasing guns, Frank getting creepy Uncle Jack to help him promote the gun issues, and Charlie and Mac trying to implement their own brand of vigilante protection to a middle school.
20. 'The Gang Wrestles for the Troops' (Season 5, Episode 7)
An absolute bonkers episode with such classic moments such as Frank's iconic salute to the troops to Seal, to the memorable guest appearance by Roddy Piper and best of all, Rickety Cricket and Frank Reynolds going head to head as the ultimate heel 'Talibum', and the 'villain' turned Hulk Hogan superstar The Trashman.
19. 'The Gang Gives Back' (Season 2, Episode 6)
The Gang doing community service goes as well as expected as this is another one of the crazy converging episodes that results in a particularly riotous basketball match finale. Everything from Franks' Vietnamese gambling buddies, the incompetent coaching techniques of Dennis, Mac and Dee, and Charlie's downwards spiral into increasing depravity with his obsession over the waitress.
19. 'The Gang Reignites the Rivalry' (Season 5, Episode 12)
The Gang at their pettiest as their 'underdog story' of trying to win at 'Flipadelphia' is a hilarious sports movie subversion of sorts. We get a taste of how Dennis' alpha status may well be a fabrication with his unfortunate encounters with a university frat culminating in some of Glenn Howerton's greatest breakdowns on the show, and the climax is one of the funniest scenes in the whole show, hands down.
18. 'The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award' (Season 9, Episode 3)
This incredibly meta episode - subtext being the inexplicable lack of Emmy nominations for the show over the years - involves the Gang trying and failing miserably at making Paddy's Pub more 'appealing', which results in glorious mess after glorious mess, the highlights being Mac's awful attempts at being the 'cordial' barman and Charlie's glue-inspired spider song.
17. 'Mac and Dennis Break Up' (Season 5, Episode 9)
A classic Dennis and Mac-centric episode as we watch the 'break up' and eventual restoration of the bromance (that might be a little more than just that). It's just so funny to watch the two clash off one another over Jason Statham's physique, Dennis bothering Dee with his juvenile requests for an apple to be peeled, and some more of the usual nonsense with Charlie dealing with a cat stuck in the wall, as you do.
15. 'Chardee Macdennis: The Game of Games' (Season 7, Episode 7)
The Gang devising a game that only their frenzied minds could possibly conceive for a boring day in is another great bottle episode, where it's again all about characters clashing with one another to hilarious effect. The most famous and indeed the most hilarious being 'Dennis is asshole, why Charlie hate?' and the subsequent response, but really every scene in this episode is comedy gold.
14. 'Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack' (Season 4, Episode 10)
From start to beginning this is one of the great Sunny episodes, though you really need to have watched every other episode beforehand to get the full measure of its greatness, as we watch each character deal with 'improving' their lifestyle. Whether it's Frank losing his mind and culminating in a great reference to one of his earliest and most notable film roles, Dennis and Dee's attempts to get 'fit' that results in them turning to substance abuse, and Mac and Charlie working at an office which results in Charlie Day's finest scene on the show with 'Pepe Silvia'.
13. 'Making Dennis Reynolds a Murderer' (Season 12, Episode 5)
A fine parody of programmes such as Making a Murderer and The Jinx, this episode takes on this procedural format for the 'mystery' surrounding Maureen Ponderosa. It moves from that concept into a frankly hilarious deconstruction of Dennis' psychopathic psyche with the highlight being his thousand-yard psychopath stare, though there's a lot of other stuff to love about the episode from Mac's awful Borat impressions to Frank's Robert Durst-esque confessions, and a welcome few appearance as always from Bill Ponderosa.
12. 'The Aluminium Monster vs Fatty Magoo' (Season 3, Episode 5)
A crowning episode for early season egotist Dennis with more than a few classic moments here as he tries to make it big in the fashion world, with the iconic 'I haven't even begun to peak' scene, his ridiculous mistreatment of a model, and taking matters into his own hands with Judy Greer's Fatty Magoo. The rest of the episode is fantastic too with Frank and Mac co-ordinating a legally dubious garment factory/sweatshop and Charlie and Dee's terrible fashion designs.
11. 'The Gang Hits the Slopes' (Season 11, Episode 3)
An amazing subversion of 80s skiing films, down to the mocking of their often rather dated view on sexual antics and Glenn Howerton going full on 80s villain to aplomb. It's classic Sunny in all regards despite taking a very different approach in fulling embracing the parody, and is particularly notable in having Charlie as the 'straight man' and giving him his own 'hero speech' which just makes things even funnier.
10. 'Frank's Pretty Woman' (Season 7, Episode 1)
Alanna Ubach's criminally underrated guest appearance as Frank's favourite prostitute Roxy is just the icing on the cake to a brilliant episode which takes into different directions before cohering into a surprisingly moving yet also darkly funny finale. We have on one hand Charlie conjuring up the stupidest possible plan to find Frank the 'right woman', and on the other hand Dee trying to help rehabilitate Roxy to hilarious effect, and to top it all off the first appearance of Fat Mac and Dennis' attempts to prove 'I'm healthier than you bro'. It covers everything from crack addiction to Tiger Woods in such a glorious fashion.
9. 'Sweet Dee's Dating a Retarded Person' (Season 3, Episode 9)
One of the best episodes just in terms of the laughs quota alone. The title conflict is hilariously drawn out and actually never quite oversteps the line, in my opinion, with Dee and Dennis' 'competition' and Lil Kev's comeback being pretty darn great moments. There's also the music show which allows us our first insight into the Nightman and Dayman, culminating in one of my favourite scenes of the whole series where Dennis and Charlie create the beginnings of a masterpiece.
8. 'Dennis and Dee Go On Welfare' (Season 2, Episode 3)
Dennis and Dee falling down into the ultimate low points is always a recipe for success for any given episode, but none has done it better than here where in the words of Frank, they become literal crackheads. It's amazing how quickly the cast and Devito clicked with regards to chemistry as in this episode we already get such amazing moments, from Frank's cunning entrepreneurial instincts playing off Mac and Charlie's idiocy and Dennis and Dee's 'plan' that goes all awry.
7. 'The Gang Misses the Boat' (Season 10, Episode 6)
The gang breaks up - for awhile. The idea behind this episode is straightforward yet great in its simplicity. Mac trying to become a ladies' man, Frank finding a new gang for his schemes are all hilarious. Dee and Charlie trying to reinvent themselves for the better is a delight, particularly their cafe conversation as they struggle to understand one another. And Dennis dealing with his anger management issues is just brilliant, as is the return of everyone's favourite slab of ham.
6. 'Mac & Dennis Move to the Suburbs' (Season 11, Episode 5)
A fascinating atypical episode which is almost entirely a two-man show of Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenny, and boy is it glorious. Watching the two vitriolic best buds trying to adapt to the suburban lifestyle, overly pleasant neighbour Wally, Mac's Famous Mac N' Cheese, highway traffic, and more is just a treat. It features perhaps my favourite Dennis breakdown of all as he channels Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith all in the manner of great comedy. Plus, killer soundtrack.
5. 'Dee Gives Birth' (Season 6, Episode 12)
Probably the sweetest episode in the whole series, though don't get me wrong it's still incredibly funny in every regard. Charlie and Mac's interrogation of all of Dee's former flings, from Pondy to Rickety Cricket and more to track down the father are all hilarious, as is Dennis having to deal with his sister's needs at the hospital (with another great monologue), plus you get random yet hilarious interactions like the exchange between Ben the soldier and Z. And that ending, especially with the real-life subtext of Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson's baby, is just lovely.
4. 'Charlie Work' (Season 10, Episode 4)
Back off True Detective this is where television one-shots are at (hell we even have the Golden God's take on 'alright alright alright'). Honestly though this is an ingenious episode as we get to see a day through Charlie Kelly's eyes as he tends to his janitorial duties against time. It's surprisingly tense, immaculately directed, and consistently funny particularly when you begin to see his concoction of a plan come into action. Bonus points for Danny DeVito covering himself in paint and flushing his shoes down the toilet for no reason.
3. 'The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis' (Season 4, Episode 2)
An episode where everything just clicks together perfectly even when the plan doesn't. One of the Gang's flat-out most entertaining schemes of selling gas door-to-door involves some particularly hilarious exchanges between Dennis, Charlie and Mac with regards to the fallout of their plans, and Dee getting waterboarded by Frank is a particularly dark yet memorable bit of black comedy. The best part is their self-commentary on the gang dynamic throughout the episode in particular Charlie as the compromising 'wild card'.
2. 'The D.E.N.N.I.S. System' (Season 5, Episode 10)
Here we have Dennis on top form with Glenn Howerton giving one of the great monologues in history, period. There's endless payoffs to gags set up by Dennis' system, especially with regard to Mac's subsequent sloppy seconds system and Dr Mantis Toboggan and his magnum dong, no one is left out of the fun, with even Dee's bits are a hilarious bit of shennanigans involving her suspecting the really awesome Ben the Soldier of 'Dennis-ing' her, and Mae Laborde as the Old Lady/Dennis' 'ailing mother' (who incidentally features in both my top episodes) just adding to the delights.
1. 'The Nightman Cometh' (Season 4, Episode 13)
The grand finale to Season 4 features so many iconic Sunny moments it's hard to pick one out. All of the musical numbers are sublime, of course the 'Dayman' song which is just glorious, the Troll Toll song which is truly peak Danny DeVito, the incestuous duet by Dennis and Dee, Charlie's encore that no one asked for...they're not just great for a parody musical, they're just amazing, period. Then you get little touches like Mac implementing his karate moves into the Nightman character, old lady Gladys' little asides, and all the little bits in the rehearsal scenes which all add up to a masterpiece about a masterpiece.
Quentin Tarantino once again takes a revisionist paintbrush to history, his canvas this time around being 1969 Hollywood where former television star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) struggles with alcoholism and to make his impact as a fringe actor in Hollywood while his more content buddy, former stunt man and chaperone Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) gets into a series of hijinks which lead him to the infamous Manson Family, and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) moves in next door to Rick as her career blossoms... The Good:
- The heights of Tarantino's sleight of hand is as evident as ever here with regards to many of his stylistic choices. The choice of soundtrack this time round is not only as catchy as always but if anything, embodies the time period better than any of his previous works. The cinematography is excellent throughout, and the costumes, set design, are all pitch-perfect both in terms of accuracy towards the period will granting their own very QT-esque style. I will also say that aside from one reservation I'll get to later on that he definitely delivered on them with a lot more nuance than one might expect.
- Acting is, as per usual, strong on the whole and I love that QT found so many talented actors to play relative bit-parts that add so much to the overall picture. Highlights from the supporting cast would be Mike Moh's pitch-perfect Bruce Lee, Margaret Qualley's somewhat loveable, somewhat insane hippie Pussycat, and Julia Butters as precocious yet very endearing child actor Trudi Fraser.
- DiCaprio and Pitt are a fantastic combo. DiCaprio once again proving that perhaps comedy is where his true calling is with a hilarious portrayal of a down-on-his-luck wannabe superstar whose pursuit of acting perfection is both pathetically funny but also somewhat moving. And Pitt giving his best performance in quite sometime as the mysterious, soft-spoken and for lack of a better word, badass Cliff who is easily the highlight of the bonkers third act. And their chemistry together is fantastic.
- Some of QT's best individual scenes ever - I'll keep mum for fear of spoilers, but his handling of the action sequences and the 'fake film' interludes are some of his finest work to date. It's also arguably his most wholesome film to date which makes for a nice change of pace.
- Handles what could've been some major 'ehhhh' factors very sensitively and with maturity that you might not expect of QT. The Manson Family are genuinely quite creepy but the way they are depicted is in a way that does not exploit the original tragedies.
The Bad:
- Margot Robbie is lovely as Sharon Tate but I wish she'd had a bit more to do acting-wise. As it is her subplot is more of just a set-up for the third act.
- Absence of truly memorable dialogue I'd say, which is odd for a QT film as for all the reservations one might have with Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, there were certainly loads of memorable lines from those. It's still a great screenplay but perhaps less memorable.
- The film is deliberately aimless in its overarching tone which is fine, but there are several sequences I do feel could've been cut out, if not altogether excluded. The pacing is a bit off here and you do feel the extra length of the film which is not a problem I had with say, The Hateful Eight which I felt kept its breakneck momentum sustained throughout the whole nearly three hour runtime.
- QT really needs to stop using the narration motif in his films. It worked for Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds and somewhat for The Hateful Eight but here despite getting Kurt Russell to do it, it feels forced.
The Ugly:
- This film will ultimately be quite divisive, as with any QT film, when looked at against certain topics and critiques, particularly with regards to gender roles, its treatment of Bruce Lee, its treatment of real-life events, liberties taken with real people...personally, I'm giving it all a bit of room to breathe before giving more thought. I will say that I definitely have issues on these fronts, as with any of Tarantino's filmography, but not necessarily on the negative side, but I do think a debate in this regard is necessary.
Conclusion:
Having thoroughly loved his last three films, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is probably my least favourite of his most recent work in the past decade or so. However, it's still a strong, occasionally amazing, film from one of the industry's most unique voices, and I was thoroughly entertained throughout.
How does one follow up something like Avengers: Endgame? A whole lot of everything, apparently.
Black Widow - 1st May 2020 (film) directed by Cate Shortland
L - R: Florence Pugh, O.T. Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz, Scarlett Johansson
L - R: David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O.T. Fagbenle, Cate Shortland
Confirmed cast:
Scarlett Johnasson, reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
David Harbour as Alexei
Florence Pugh as Yelena
Rachel Weisz as Melina
O.T. Fagbenle as Mason
Hype level: B
Given the events of Endgame this is clearly expected to be a prequel, and the MCU has assembled quite the cast for this one, with the incredibly talented Pugh's inclusion being particularly intriguing. It'll be interesting to see what direction they go with this one, if it'll be a change of pace and a smaller, more intimate story given that it doesn't need to deal with added ramifications/more buildup for the MCU and can afford to be a more self-contained story, and we may well find out what REALLY happened in Budapest... The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Fall 2020 (Disney+ Series)
L: Chloe Zhao L - R (back row): Lauren Ridloff, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani (front row): Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Don Lee
Confirmed cast: Richard Madden as Icarus Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo Lauren Ridloff as Makkari Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos Salma Hayek as Ajak Lia McHugh as Sprite Don Lee (a.k.a. Ma Dong-Seok) as Gilgamesh Angelina Jolie as Thena Hype level: B Kudos to Marvel for embracing diversity in the right way, as this is a pretty intriguing mix of actors, and hopefully is also a sign that the MCU will continue to go bonkers with the Celestial/cosmic side of things. Zhao is also a brilliant director as evidenced by her breakthrough The Rider, hopefully her still will translate to a big-budget production like this. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - 12th February 2021 (film) directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
L - R: Destin Daniel Cretton, Simu Liu
Confirmed cast:
Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
Awkwafina as ???
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as The Mandarin
Hype level: A -
Well talk about some major throwbacks, as we go back to the very beginning with the Ten Rings, the terrorists essentially responsible for spring boarding Tony Stark's journey into Iron Man, and his antagonist in Iron Man 3 the Mandarin - but this time for real, and pitted against the MCU's first Asian hero. Liu seems like a good casting choice, I like Awkwafina, but I have to say the biggest boon here is casting the legendary Leung in a role I hope they'll give the required complexity and nuance to. Plus this is being released on my birthday. Hype, for sure. Loki - Spring 2021 (Disney+ Series)
Tom Hiddleston
Confirmed cast:
Tom Hiddleston, reprising his role as Loki
Hype level: C -
Hey, I love Loki as much as anyone else, and Hiddleston certainly delivered throughout each of his appearances, smaller or more substantial, as the God of Mischief. I do however, think that he got the perfect sendoff in Infinity War and frankly, that exploring more of the Loki who goes AWOL in Endgame in the '2012 alternate timeline' doesn't really pique my interest. I'm all for exploring the multiverse but honestly, I don't know how much more Loki has to offer as a character especially if he's going to be removed from the Thor storyline. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness - 7th May 2021 (film) directed by Scott Derrickson
L - R: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen
Confirmed cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch, reprising his role as Doctor Stephen Strange
Elizabeth Olsen, reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Hype level: A
Now the idea of making a Doctor Strange horror film is a fantastic idea, given how some of the best elements of the first film verged into this territory and Derrickson's background in the genre. All bets seem to be off if you're going to blend the powers of Strange and Scarlet Witch together (though don't forget Wong, and maybe Karl Mood will be back), as visually speaking this may be even more of a trippy affair than the first film. And honestly there's no better individual to explore the multiverse concept now than the Master of the Mystic Arts. WandaVision - Spring 2021 (Disney+ Series)
L - R: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Confirmed cast:
Elizabeth Olsen, reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Paul Bettany, reprising his role as Vision
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
Hype level: B-
I'm not quite sure what to expect from this, except that it'll definitely be quite experimental in nature, which is a good thing, but could potentially feel a bit extraneous in the overall MCU canon. I'm all for getting Olsen and Bettany back to reprise their roles, though, and I'm sure that this will find some way to bring some more meat to one of the more thinly sketched MCU relationships. What If...? - Summer 2021 (Disney+ Series)
Jeffrey Wright
Confirmed cast:
Jeffrey Wright as the voice of The Watcher And featuring the vocal reprisals of - Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther Josh Brolin as Thanos Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark David Dastmalchian as Kurt Michael Douglas as Hank Pym Karen Gillan as Nebula Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster Sean Gunn as Kraglin Chris Hemsworth as Thor Djimon Hounsiou as Korath Toby Jones as Arnim Zola Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan Natalie Portman as Jane Foster Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye Michael Rooker as Yondu Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk Stanley Tucci as Dr Abraham Erskine Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier Chris Sullivan as Taserface Taika Waititi as Korg Hype level: B A series exploring a series of hypothetical 'what if'-scenarios over the MCU chronology, in an episodic Twilight Zone style format sounds intriguing. It seems like the kind of format where the MCU can afford to be hit and miss and be a bit daring since there's no risk at all. And Wright's voice as an omniscient overseer seems pitch perfect. Hawkeye - Fall 2021
Jeremy Renner
Confirmed cast:
Jeremy Renner, reprising his role as Clint Barton/Ronin/Hawkeye
??? as Kate Bishop
Hype level: C
I'm all for seeing more of Jeremy Renner onscreen and him getting those hefty Disney pay checks. However, the direction they seem to be going in with this series - exploring more of the Ronin phase of the character in between Infinity War and Endgame...I don't know. It doesn't sound particularly intriguing to me on paper, and I kind of like how the film left much of it to the imagination. Nevertheless, I'll approach it with an open mind. Thor: Love and Thunder - 5th November 2021 (film) directed by Taika Waititi
L - R: Taika Waititi, Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson
Confirmed cast:
Chris Hemsworth, reprising his role as Thor Odinson
Tessa Thompson, reprising her role as Valkyrie
Natalie Portman, reprising her role as Jane Foster
Hype level: A+
Okay, that title is what gets me halfway there in terms of excitement, as it seems that they're really ready to let Taika Waititi loose with whatever he wants to do with Thor the character and Thor the story. Overjoyed for the reprisals, and though Jane Foster wasn't the best written character in the previous films, I'm sure that choosing to develop her story arc into 'female Thor' could result in something quite special and exciting (plus Portman's adeptness at comedy has often been overlooked - take a look at her SNL appearances).
Mahershala Ali will play Blade
L - R: Kevin Feige, Maheshala Ali
A very good casting choice for the role, although he had a really thankless character in Alita: Battle Angel the whole aesthetic was basically a prevision to how he'll probably look as Blade. Wesley Snipes was iconic in the role but I'm sure Ali will find a way to own it and make his mark. Black Panther 2, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Captain Marvel 2, Fantastic Four, Mutants in the works
More details will probably be announced at next year's Comic-Con. Particularly excited to see who they cast as the new Fantastic Four.
Sources: Reddit, IGN, Variety, Entertainment Weekly
I really didn't know what to expect from Season 3 of Stranger Things. That ending tease to Season 2 aside, everything had wrapped up pretty neatly and I was interested, but also wary, about the direction the Duffer Brothers and co. would take the series in.
On the whole - I was impressed. Though there were faults and perhaps some of the series' nadirs in the first few episodes, more in terms of the balance of tone, and some of the writing - not a fan of making Hopper into an entitled goofball, and a little bit of teen romance goes a long way -, it remained compelling in its slow burning yet never slow pace, a feast for the eyes and ears, consistently humorous and ultimately quite emotionally compelling.
Crux to the show's popularity is undoubtedly the character dynamics, and I have to say that in this department the show did not disappoint, despite a few odd exclusions (no Will and Jonathan Byers scenes frankly makes the latter seem really redundant). The kids remain as electrifying as ever in their interactions forever, whether it be just shooting the breeze or planning how to once again deal with the Upside Down. The connection between Mike and Eleven, though a bit soppy, did end up going somewhere, and Joyce and Hopper, though it took a while to get going, ended up being rather heartfelt and impactful. The highlights of the season in this regard, however, ended up being in somewhat expected yet unexpected places.
'Dude! You did it! You won a fight!'
First off, I'm so glad they did not forget about the glorious chemistry between Steve (Joe Keery) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). The two are simply a delight in every scene they're together in, and credit to the Duffer Brothers for realising this and yet not overplaying this note. It just simply felt natural for the two to once again be lumped in together with some madcap scheme that somehow ends up becoming contingent to the plot. Even through some of the rough patches of the earlier episodes, I have to say Dustin's plans saved the day and grabbed my attention back every time.
It would be too easy to perhaps just do the same thing as last season with these two characters, but I loved the subversion this season of Steve being more hapless than ever and yet subsequently all the more endearing, as well as actually being so enthusiastic about joining in with the antics of Dustin. The way the series has developed Steve from jerk jock to endearing schmuck has been perhaps the highlight of the series' arcs, and credits to not only the writing, but Keery for pulling it off. "I can't believe I'm gonna die in a secret Russian base with Steve 'The Hair' Harrington." As icing on the cake - or perhaps, a whole cake in itself - was the inclusion of Robin (Maya Hawke). The way the series integrates new characters so seamlessly into the storyline is commendable, and this particular choice of giving a new sparring partner for Steve and Dustin was inspired. Hawke's performance was easily the highlight of the season for me, and I loved every scene we spent with her Robin. Sarcastic yet affable ice cream server to intrepid translator, the more she got involved with the Stranger Things storyline the more absorbed I was with her character, to the point that I started to care about her predicament even more than some of the more firmly established characters on the show.
Her big scene in the bathroom with Steve, which took on a direction that not only was unexpected but also made complete sense, was perhaps one of the best written, directed, and acted scenes in the series so far, and I have so much respect for how they pulled it off, making it feel organic, unforced and very, very moving.
'Hopp, he did ask for cherry...'
Speaking of moving, how about that random Russian scientist we met in the first scene who we'd most probably expect would meet a gruesome and satisfying death by the series end? Alexei (Alec Utgoff), or 'Smirnoff', ended up being one of the biggest surprises for me in the season. Not only was it such an effective way of essentially humanising the 'enemy', by showing a scientist who was pretty much an innocent pawn in their game, finding such joy in the simple things in life. Alexei was one of the funniest parts of the season, and honestly brought much needed life into some heavy exposition scenes, and his eventual departure was I'll admit a truly saddening moment, up there with some of the most moving deaths in the series.
'Seven feet...'
If that was unexpected though, what they ended up doing with Billy (Dacre Montgomery) absolutely floored me. I'll admit that in the previous season I'd found the character a bit extraneous, a bit of a caricature, but this season made sense of it all. Billy was, frankly, quite terrifying here as a sort of 'minion' to the Upside Down, through Montgomery's physical performance and some excellent, genuinely creepy sequences showing how being possessed by the Mind Flayer makes him both stronger than ever while also revealing the character's inner fallibilities all the more. This all builds up to Billy being the unlikeliest hero of all. Which if you'd told me this last year I'd have scoffed at you, but the execution of this was I have to say, the most emotionally resonant scene in the finale for me. See, I still love the show for the original reasons - Eleven's story, the soundtrack, the visual creativity - but it's nice to see it also surprise me with new things to be delighted by at every turn.
If you've seen Avengers: Endgame. The hype. You get it. If you haven't...what're you doing here?
SPOILERS AHEAD
The 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, running at a grand three-hour length, has shattered box-office records across the globe and received so much acclaim for the efforts of the Russo Brothers, Kevin Feige, and the collaborative cast and technical teams behind this decade-long journey beginning with a genius playboy billionaire philanthropist forced in a rusty suit, and culminating in Earth's Mightiest Heroes fending off a massive purple megalomaniac. The buildup of so many films, superheroes, villains, and everything in between has resulted in an objectively epic universe. After Endgame, some characters' journeys will continue - the snapped returnees, with the likes of Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Falcon, Scarlet Witch and many others likely to pave the way for the new Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy continuing their wacky exploits, and the arcs of Endgame showing that Rocket Racoon, Nebula, War Machine and especially Ant-Man still have roles to play in the universe. Plus with the Fantastic Four and X-Men rights...exciting times ahead.
Now, however, let's play tribute to the OG sextet of Avengers. Some will continue on in different wavelengths, some have waved their final goodbye...we shall see. 'None of this makes sense' - Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)
Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) took a bit of time to find his niche in the MCU. It's tricky to find a place for an archer, albeit an exceptionally skilled one, within the parameters of the increasingly large scale scope of the MCU. But find it he did. While he might have been a bit of a plot device in the first Avengers, by Age of Ultron for all the faults of that film it must be given credit for developing him into. the quipping, wisecracking and all too self-aware everyman and family man we've grown to love in Clint. Endgame placed him into some truly dark times and it's remarkable how it struck the perfect balance between this darker, grim transformed Clint while still letting us root for the sympathetic individual looking to do right, no matter how overwhelming and ridiculous the odds may be. He may well pop up again sometime soon in some capacity, but I kind of hope he just gets his happy ending with his loving family. 'That's my secret Cap. I'm always angry' - Bruce Banner aka The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)
Now while I do think having Professor Hulk in Endgame might've deprived us of the crowd-pleasing Hulk antics we've all grown to love, it does serve as a pretty natural endpoint for a character whose transition into the universe, while not the smoothest, has ended up being one of two major re-casts in the MCU that really worked well. Ruffalo's take on the Hulk has been remarkable in making for such a likeable geeky presence juxtaposed with the unease and paranoia of a man constantly on edge about being on edge. The CGI has only improved all the more with each film with regards to the big green guy, with Ragnarok being a particular high point in its use of the Hulk, and with Infinity War and Endgame we've seen him come full circle into accepting both sides of himself into one. He might not have gotten a lot to do here, but don't forget that his ultimate task this film was essential in causing a snap change in the Avengers's stakes against Thanos. 'I'm only alive because fate wants me alive' - Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth)
No character has made a bigger leap from 'serviceable' to 'great' than Thor in my eyes, and so much credit has to go to so many collaborative efforts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hemsworth has always been rock-solid in the role, he really is Thor and no one else could've introduced the thunder-wielding, Mjolnir-thrashing character like him. Admittedly however, in his earlier films he was a tad overshadowed by his nefarious brother Loki, and in the Avengers film by the more dynamic arcs of the other heroes. Over his last three appearances however, he's become in short, an absolute beast. Ragnarok exploiting his natural talent for comedy and badasses so well, Infinity War bringing such emotional poignancy to his characterisation, and Endgame merging the comedic and dramatic sides of our loveable, flawed yet WORTHY hero so well. I'm glad we'll be able to see more of him again soon enough in a Guardians of the Galaxy film. Though really. Have a salad. 'I have no place in this world' - Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)
It's easy to forget how long Nat's been part of the MCU, since Iron Man 2 where she was the sexy, sultry, enigmatic undercover spy. She's always been a welcome part of the universe, but I will say that it's the Russo Brothers films where she's really excelled in. From being a perfect partner to Captain America in The Winter Soldier to her conflicting arc between doing what she thinks is right and what she feels is right in Civil War, and to her absolutely heartbreaking culmination of her arc in Endgame, Natasha has gone from steely assassin without a family and any real connection, to perhaps the most empathetic of all the Avengers. The ultimate tragedy of someone with no real familial connections and a haunted past, making the ultimate sacrifice for the family she found along the way. Her conclusion to Endgame was perfect even though it unfortunately left her out of the grand finale, and my only nitpick would be I'd have loved if she'd had a little more screen time with Banner.
'I can do this all day.' - Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans)
Cap's been my favourite Avenger ever since his first solo film. While not without its own set of flaws, it was a great introduction to a man who's so much more than just the product of a bottle of super serum. No one could play Steve Rogers as well as Evans, a scrawny kid from Brooklyn who overnight becomes a national hero, yet never loses sight of what has always driven him: doing right by people, doing the right thing. Whether it's going to strength to strength in his old-values hero learning to adapt to modern society across the first two Avengers film, or showing how his optimism and will to do good results in an arc where he realises he can't save everyone, and how he simply can't compromise his ideals in The Winter Soldier and Civil War when it comes to his ol pal Bucky Barnes (a true bromance for the ages). In Endgame I thought Cap was just terrific, period.. By this point, you follow Steve Rogers wherever he goes. He just is unquestionably the hero everyone strives towards, sometimes without even saying a single word, in showing the simple yet brilliant resilience of the First Avenger. Evans in his portrayal manages to be heartbreaking, hilarious (his fight with himself is a particularly golden moment), and incredibly rousing in giving us some of the most goosebump inducing moments in the MCU, and I'm so glad he finally got his dance. 'I am Iron Man' - Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.)
The road for Tony Stark has both on films and within the film universe, not the smoothest. From the risky initial casting choice of RDJ and setting up a universe with a somewhat well-known yet not household name comic book character, to taking the risky approach of introducing Tony Stark as a damn charismatic, yet not immediately 'hero material' protagonist, 2008's Iron Man could've absolutely tanked. Luckily Jon Favreau, Downey Jr. and co absolutely nailed the terrific origin story Stark and while Iron Man 2 was a massive step-down in quality, both films helped to set up Stark and his iron-masked alter ego as the cornerstone of the film universe. Downey Jr.'s arc hasn't come in the most flawless of films sometimes, but he's managed to make every step count, from the PTSD afflicted Tony of Iron Man 3 and Age of Ultron naturally segueing into the Tony determined to keep heroes in check at all costs and avoid future collateral in Civil War. Going on from that he developed the growing family man in Tony with his dynamic with Peter Parker and his relationship with Pepper Potts finally blossoming into a marriage and in Endgame, a sweet child. In these past two films, Tony Stark has gone through hell and back. He's gone through the grief, anguish of defeat by Thanos, and the subsequent acceptance of the new life. And the sacrifice of that new life for the sake of the universe. It's never an easy journey for Tony, but he ends up finishing where he started: the man who started the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ends by, well, saving it. Because he's Tony, who will make the sacrifice play.
