Spectre Trailer

Bond is back and here’s the latest trailer for Spectre, Daniel Craig’s fourth and probably final outing as the iconic spy. The film finally reunites Bond with his most famous adversaries as sinister criminal organisation Spectre becomes part of the franchise after years of complicated copyright issues had kept the two apart.

Inside Out London Premiere Pictures

Amy Poehler, John Ratzenberg and director Pete Docter where among the guests walking the colorful carpet in London for a special gala premiere screening of the latest animated adventure from Pixar. Check out the pictures and the full length video from the fun packed london press conference below:

Jennifer Lawrence Joy Trailer

Check out the first trailer for new film Joy, director David O. Russell’s latest collaboration with his Oscar wining star Jennifer Lawrence. Official synopsis below:

JOY is the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, pave the road in this intense emotional and human comedy about becoming a true boss of family and enterprise facing a world of unforgiving commerce. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces. Jennifer Lawrence stars, with Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Ladd, and Virginia Madsen. Like David O. Russell’s previous films, Joy defies genre to tell a story of family, loyalty, and love.

Suicide Squad Trailer

The first trailer for Suicide Squad was unveiled at Comic Con and wasted no time in shamelessly showcasing Margot Robbie as fan favorite Harley Quinn. For the eager eyed it also revealed Ben Affleck’s Batman making his cameo. Of course the most immediate talking point is the reveal of Jared Leto’s Joker.

Essentially it seems like our new Joker sounds much like our old joker, he just has much worse dentistry and way more tattoos. Fans are already deeply divided over the Joker’s new look an unfortunately direct comparisons with Ledgers iconic portrayal are utterly unavoidable.

While Leto looks set to try to preserve the dangerous psychopathic traits that have defined the character, some fans are already unhappy with his new trendy gang banger style. Literally writing damaged on his forehead seems pretty heavy handed, as does needlessly covering the iconic villain in clown themed bodyart.

Though we can safely guarantee that by the time the movie is released in August 2016 at least one seriously misguided fanboy will already have gotten matching tattoos done. Till then, check out the trailer:

Ant-Man Review

The Plot

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in size but increase in strength, a well-meaning cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help reclusive genius Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

The Good

Guardians Of The Galaxy already proved that Marvel is more than capable of making superb big screen adaptations of some of their lesser known heroes. The perfectly honed Marvel formula of balancing self-aware humour with clever writing and impressive visual effects never fails.

Despite making his comicbook debut over 50 years ago and being a key part of the original line-up for the Avengers, Ant-Man clearly doesn’t have the same instant fan recognition that Iron Man, the Hulk or Captain America do.

Paul Rudd is universally acknowledged as one of the most indisputably charming Hollywood leading men. Rudd’s endearing hangdog qualities are a perfect fit for Scott Lang, as a kind hearted and reluctant criminal turned hero. His knack for wry humour is certainly put to good use alongside his newly athletic physique. Marvel choose very wisely in selecting someone as naturally charismatic to make Lang instantly likeable and entertaining.

Michael Douglas also becomes the latest elder Hollywood icon to make his debut in the Marvel universe. Douglas is a near perfect fit for Hank Pym, giving the genius inventor some gravel voiced gravitas. He also lends some much needed credibility to potentially absurd super powers like talking to Ants and making yourself very tiny. It’s great to see Douglas finally taking his rightful place in a big fun effects driven film.

Evangeline Lilly is another valuable addition to the cast, playing Pym’s semi-estranged daughter Hope. Given the somewhat unfair recent criticism of how Marvel has handled its female heroes it’s certainly welcome to see a strong female character given equal prominence this time. Lilly is more than a match for Rudd in screen presence and her character may prove to be an even more significant addition to the Marvel universe…

Ant-Man is consistently funny and can thank Michael Pena for many of its most memorably hilarious moments. In a rare treat his presence as a comedic sidekick is scene stealing brilliance as opposed to the usual annoying distraction such characters tend to provide.

Ant-Man does an admirable job of making the power of shrinking seems more fantastic than farcical. Accomplished special effects combined with just the right amount of knowing humour manages to keep things both fun and spectacular. Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish were largely responsible for the script and it shows. Particular highlights include a dramatic action sequence taking place almost entirely in a young child’s bedroom. It’s entirely the spirit of playful whimsy that this hero needs.

The Bad

Ant-Man might not quite have the instant cool factor that heroes like Iron Man or the Mighty Thor have but Marvel does the very best it can to introduce the character in a way that makes him feel like a worthwhile addition to its ever expanding cinematic universe of superheroes.  There’s little negative to say other than acknowledging that standing alongside the Avengers increasingly grand scale adventures, Ant-Man’s simple heist format might feel just a little small scale at times.

The Ugly Truth

Ant-Man proudly takes his places among Marvel’s amazing cinema universe in a light hearted big screen debut that proves that little heroes are capable of packing a big punch and big laughs. It’s another fun origin story that’s surprisingly well integrated into the wider Marvel world. It’s definitely the start of big things for a famously tiny hero.

Review by Russell Nelson