Avengers Endgame Review

The Plot

In the aftermath of failure in their climactic battle with Infinity Gauntlet wielding Thanos,  the remaining Avengers unite to search desperately for a way to bring back the half of all life in the universe that has been cruelly wiped out of existence by ‘the snap’.

The Good

It’s an unquestionable delight for fans to see Marvel’s combined cinematic universe pooled together on screen for perhaps the last time, at least on this scale. It’s important to remember just how unprecedented it was for Marvel to assemble their Avengers in the first place and it’s a testament to the strength of the universe they built that it’s possible for almost every character to seamlessly integrate into this final chapter.

As with Infinity War, Endgame gives some characters more screen time and satisfying development than others. Inevitably those characters that felt neglected and overlooked last time tend to be given the greater prominence in this chapter. In particular characters like Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Nebula are brilliant examples of how the scale of the franchise has allowed even seemingly simple supporting characters to grow with surprising depth. All three are on scene stealing form this time.

Meanwhile many of the the key figures in the MCU clearly reach the end of their journeys in ways which are by turns either bittersweet, surprising, amusing or outright heart-warming. While there is at least some tragedy along the way, it’s nothing compared to the crushing conclusion of Infinity War, that emotionally sucker punched fans in such a deeply brutal way. To that extent Endgame definitely serves a valuable purpose by giving fans some much needed catharsis and restoring considerable joy to the MCU.

Speaking of joy, while Endgame has plenty of drama and seriousness it also follows the by now well established Marvel template of marrying this with a frequent stream of one liners and tongue in cheek gags. There’s certainly many moments and lines sure to prove instant fan favourites and ready made for lingering meme status.

Above all perhaps Marvel deserve credit for managing to keep so much of Endgame so firmly under wraps, allowing fans to enjoy this huge blockbuster experience with a genuine sense of mystery and excitement. Even if social media has become an instant minefield for those that haven’t rushed out to see Endgame instantly, at least Marvel didn’t ruin the experience by drowning fans with promotional material that gives away the entire film. A mistake so many studios fall into. Marvel have trusted fans to remain loyal to the franchise and this is yet another massive 3 hour reward for that patience.

The Bad

Avengers Endgame had a near impossible task of finding a way to draw a 22 film saga to a suitably epic and satisfying conclusion. While obviously impressive in both scale and spectacle it’s a little unfortunate that unlike Infinity War and some of the standalone films, Endgame feels slightly less carefully crafted with a narrative that leaves some obvious plot holes and logical inconsistencies which may prove difficult to entirely ignore.

Ironically the most special thing about Marvels shared cinematic universe had always been just how painstakingly well integrated each story was. Marvel took the unprecedented time and effort to ensure that unlike other franchises, such as the increasingly messy DC Comics, X-Men or Star Wars sagas, the MCU had a near perfect continuity. Having succeeded for so long in preserving that easy to follow shared narrative, it’s a little sad to see Marvel perhaps fall down at the final hurdle. Endgame risks that consistency somewhat with a plot built around sci-fi clichés that leaves far too many obvious questions unanswered.

Beyond overall issues many fans might have with dubious plot points in Endgame, the most divisive issue will likely be how the film handles some of Marvel’s most popular characters. It’s genuinely shocking just how much at least a couple of key characters are unrecognisably changed for this final chapter. In fact at least one of the core Avengers cast is completely reduced to the status of being purely comic relief. While some fans may enjoy this surprising twist, others will no doubt be dismayed to see one of their favourite Marvel character turned into a walking punchline for this important final chapter.

Endgame also features some fairly heavy handed attempts by Marvel to address lingering criticisms about the alleged lack of diversity in the MCU. Perhaps the clearest example being an embarrassingly awkward instance where the film conveniently gathers all its female characters together around the MCU’s last minute poster girl Captain Marvel. It serves no real purpose other than as a token flag waving gesture.

What’s even more ironic is that having hastily introduced Captain Marvel with her own recent film, the supposed new face of the MCU is actually an almost non-existent presence in this film. Brie Larson is given mere minutes of screen time and contributes far less than some of Marvel’s most minor figures. It almost makes it baffling why Marvel rushed the introduction of the character before Endgame rather than just using her as a more natural fresh start afterwards.

The Ugly Truth

Avengers Endgame is an unprecedented event in cinematic history and its record breaking box office glory is already assured. Although undoubtedly certain specific elements are likely to fiercely divide fans, overall there’s still vast amounts for everyone to enjoy, especially for those willing to actively forget about logic and just enjoy the ride.

Review by Russell Nelson

Hellboy Review

The Plot

Demonic hero Hellboy faces off against a host of wonderfully weird and deadly magical creatures when a centuries old witch called the Blood Queen, returns seeking vengeance by destroying all mankind.

The Good

Hellboy remains an absurdly fun character so the mere existence of this film should at least remind younger comic book fans to check out Mike Mignola’s iconic artwork. Despite having achieved critical fame and modest fan devotion, Guillermo del Toro’s film versions largely failed to succeed at the box office and it had long looked unlikely the character would get another big screen outing. While many may have preferred to see a concluding chapter to Del Toro’s trilogy, at least this film provides new life for the character.

Director Neil Marshall has his own fanbase amongst horror fans and those audiences will likely welcome the more blood drenched and violent version of Hellboy he provides. Particularly those that considered Del Toro’s Hellboy franchise to be a bit too comical and bloodless may welcome a more authentically dark take on the character. While Del Toro had Hellboy drunkenly crooning along to Barry Manilow, by contrast Marshall has him brutally severing Giant limbs with a 15 foot sword.

This film also definitely offers up a host of monstrous fantasy creatures, doing its best to match the impressive effects and world building that made Del Toro’s Hellboy series such an eye watering treat. More devoted fans of the original comics will definitely welcome seeing some of the characters and lore that as left unexplored by Del Toro finally brought to life on screen.

The Bad

Stranger Things star David Harbour has an awkward gravel voiced charisma that should make him a suitable fit for playing Hellboy. Unfortunately a potentially decent performance is largely lost under layers of makeup that sadly fails to capture most of the character’s distinctive visual charms. It’s simply impossible to avoid obvious comparisons with the far superior character design and makeup that perfectly transformed Ron Perlman in Guillermo Del Toro’s past film adaptations. Harbour’s Hellboy is far more sincerely ugly and lacks the pleasant cartoonish simplicity of Mike Mignola’s original artwork. It’s a shame that one of the most crucially important elements of the production feels so badly out of place. In all honesty Harbour looks more like a comic con fan in cosplay than ever coming close to embodying the real character.

Beyond Harbour’s serviceable portrayal of the gruff voiced monster hunter, sadly the rest of the cast offers relatively little. Sasha Lane playing Hellboy’s psychic sidekick Alice gives a performance worthy of a school play. Meanwhile Deadwood star Ian McShane is oddly cast as a suspiciously youthful Professor Broom, Hellboy’s supposedly octogenarian father figure. Milla Jovovich playing the film’s main villainess, the ominously titled Blood Queen, sadly does little to distinguish her performance from any of her other typically stilted displays. While she remains agelessly beautiful, she lacks the necessary menace and gravitas to make her a memorable movie monster. In truth the film never seems to fully unleash her despite obvious potential.

While it’s unfair to constantly compare this version of Hellboy to Del Toro’s past versions, sadly it’s also unavoidably. While the previous Hellboy films were a masterclass in practical effects wizardry, sadly this new version is more heavily reliant on CGI and excessive blood splatter. At times it feels and looks more like an expensively produced video game than an authentically real world. Ultimately it makes it harder not to wonder whether the material would have been better served by a full on animated treatment rather than this live action hybrid. Though there has been several straight to DVD Hellboy animated efforts, it’s a shame that the studio couldn’t have explored the option for a more lavishly realised animated feature that could have finally captured the unique style of Mignola’s striking artwork. Sadly this live action film misses the mark, leaving audiences with generic Resident Evil style CGI action and a regrettably ugly looking Hellboy.

The Ugly Truth

Sadly this ill-favoured reboot doesn’t do nearly enough to step out from the daunting shadow of Mike Mignola’s iconic comic books and Guillermo Del Toro’s past big screen adaptations. Excessive CGI gore can’t hide a generic plot and some weak acting performances in a film that largely squanders excellent source material in ways that feel disappointingly… low budget.

Review by Russell Nelson

BAFTA Games Awards 2019 Winners

BAFTA has announced the winners of the British Academy Games Awards, which celebrated the very best in games of the past year. The ceremony was hosted by Dara O’Briain at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

God of War, the mythology-based action-adventure game, won Audio Achievement, Best Game, Music, Narrative, and Performer for Jeremy Davies for his role as The Stranger.

Return of the Obra Dinn, the puzzle game developed by Lucas Pope, won Artistic Achievement and Game Design.

Nintendo Labo, the creative cardboard-based game that brings toys to life with the Nintendo Switch, won Family and Game Innovation.

Fortnite, the hugely popular online multiplayer game, won Evolving Game.

Another six games won BAFTAs on the night. The turn-based strategy gameInto the Breach won Original Property. Florence, the interactive love story, won Mobile Game. Yoku’s Island Express, the platforming pinball adventure game, won the BAFTA for Debut Game. A Way Out, the co–op adventure game, wonMultiplayer. The open-world racing game Forza Horizon 4 won British Game. My Child Lebensborn, the story-driven nurture game about the child of an enemy solider, won the BAFTA for Game Beyond Entertainment.

Old School Runescape collected the EE Mobile Game of the Year, the only award voted for by the public.

Full list of nominations below with winners in bold:

Artistic Achievement

• Detroit: Become Human
• Gris
• God of War
• Spider-Man
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Return of the Obra Dinn

Audio Achievement

• Battlefield V
• Detroit: Become Human
• God of War
• Spider-Man
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Tetris Effect

Best Game

• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
• Celeste
• God of War
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Return of the Obra Dinn

British Game

• 11-11: Memories Retold
• Forza Horizon 4
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• The Room: Old Sins
• Overcooked 2
• Two Point Hospital

Debut Game

• Beat Saber
• Cultist Simulator
• Donut County
• Florence
• Gris
• Yoku’s Island Express

Evolving Game

• Destiny 2
• Elite Dangerous
• Fortnite
• Overwatch
• Sea of Thieves
• Rainbow Six Siege

Family

• Lego The Incredibles
• Nintendo Labo
• Overcooked 2
• Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu / Eevee
• Super Mario Party
• Yoku’s Island Express

Game Beyond Entertainment

• 11: Memories Retold
• Celeste
• Florence
• Life is Strange 2
• My Child Lebensborn
• Nintendo Labo

Game Design

• Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
• Celeste
• God of War
• Into the Breach
• Minit
• Return of the Obra Dinn

Game Innovation

• Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
• Celeste
• Cultist Simulator
• Moss
• Nintendo Labo
• Return of the Obra Dinn

Mobile Game

• Alto’s Odyssey
• Brawl Stars
• Donut County
• Florence
• Reigns: Game of Thrones
• The Room: Old Sins

Multiplayer

• A Way Out
• Battlefield V
• Overcooked 2
• Sea of Thieves
• Super Mario Party
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Music

• Celeste
• Far Cry 5
• Florence
• God of War
• Gris
• Tetris Effect

Narrative

• Florence
• Frostpunk
• God of War
• Spider-Man
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Return of the Obra Dinn

Original Property

• Dead Cells
• Florence
• Into the Breach
• Moss
• Return of the Obra Dinn
• Subnautica

Performer

• Christopher Judge as Kratos in God of War
• Danielle Bisutti as Freya in God of War
• Jeremy Davies as The Stranger in God of War
• Melissanthi Mahut as Kassandra in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
• Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan in Read Dead Redemption 2
• Sunny Suljic as Atreus in God of War

Mobile Game Of The Year (Public Award)

• Brawl Stars
• Clash Royale
• Fortnite
• Old School Runescape
• Pokemon Go
• Roblox

Dora And The Lost City Of Gold Official Poster

Check out the first official poster for Paramount’s live action Dora The Explorer movie, starring Isabela Moner as the iconic children’s character. Full official synopsis bellow.

Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner) for her most dangerous adventure ever – high school. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego (Jeffrey Wahlberg), a mysterious jungle inhabitant (Eugenio Derbez), and a rag tag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents (Eva Longoria, Michael Peña) and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost city of gold.

TIFF Announces New Appointments In Key Roles

Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director and Co-Head, and Joana Vicente, Executive Director and Co-Head, today announced several appointments to the Senior Management team at TIFF.

Diana Sanchez has been appointed to the newly created role of Senior Director, Film, effective April 15, 2019. Sanchez will oversee the programming strategy for the Toronto International Film Festival; TIFF Cinematheque; Film Circuit, the organization’s nationwide film network; and Theatrical release programming at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Sanchez has a long-standing relationship with TIFF that began in the Festival’s Guest Office in 1998. A lover of Spanish-language cinema, she has been responsible for selecting the Festival’s films from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal since 2002. In that time, Sanchez has developed strong relationships with a wide range of filmmakers, including Pedro Almodóvar, Lucrecia Martel, Guillermo del Toro, and Sebastián Lelio. In addition to her work at TIFF, Sanchez has worked as the Artistic Director of the Panama Film Festival since its inception in 2011, and programmed for the Rotterdam Film Festival, the Miami Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival, where she served as Programming Director.

“The Senior Director of Film position was created to bring our curatorial strategies for the Festival and year-round film programming closer together,” said Cameron Bailey. “Diana and I will work with film programming teams to amplify the cumulative impact of TIFF’s singular resources: a prominent film festival, a globally respected cinematheque, one of the best art-house cinemas in the world, and a national network of Film Circuit groups that reaches film lovers and knowledge seekers across Canada. I look forward to beginning work with Diana as she makes her transition to the new position, and am excited for her to be part of the future of TIFF.”

On the operational and revenue-generating side of TIFF, Laura Ryan, who has been with the organization for four years, takes on the role of Vice President, Visitor Experience. Ryan’s responsibility encompasses all teams that curate customer experience at every touchpoint at TIFF, which include the Event, Technical Production, Ticketing Operations, Retail, and Customer Service teams. Prior to TIFF, Ryan worked in Finance and IT, leading groups responsible for Sales and Customer Service globally.

Jennifer Frees takes on the role of Vice President, Partnerships, which oversees over 100 partner accounts. Frees, who has been at TIFF for eight years, will continue to provide senior sales, negotiation, and property-development direction for the organization’s corporate, festival, event and hospitality partnerships. Under her direction, TIFF Partnerships has become one of the most successful partner programmes in the film festival world.

“We are very excited that both Laura and Jennifer have taken on these newly created leadership roles with TIFF,” said Joana Vicente. “Both of these individuals possess an incredible business acumen and overall leadership vision that will benefit the organization for years to come. Their hard work is a large part of the current day success of TIFF, and we are privileged to have their voices on the Senior Management team.”