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Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Asgardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2.5
Marvel attempts to fix some of the flaws in Norse mythology, by including a few more spaceships and the Hulk, and also its own series of Thor films, by basically doing another Guardians of the Galaxy-style knockabout comedy. Obviously the former is less controversial than the latter.

Boisterous entertainment, of course; technically extremely accomplished and often very funny indeed. My only issue was that this was the third Marvel Studios movie in a row to basically be played for laughs, and something with a slightly more adventurous tone would have been welcome. But it manages the trick of actually making one excited about seeing more movies with Thor as the main character, so I guess that counts as mission accomplished.
  
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2019 | Sci-Fi, Thriller
Amazing film!
Contains spoilers, click to show
I loved the whole film, I don't think I've ever laughed and cried that much in one film before!
 the only downside for me was the way that Captain America's story arc ended. It seems selfish of him go out like that when he's been so selfless up until now..
I love how Bruce and the hulk finally managed to coexist with each other, it made that character much better!
It is a shame about Iron man but honestly with the way the character began as a playboy who doesn't really care about anything, I think it was the perfect ending for him, to have come full circle and save the entire planet. We love you 3000 Tony! <3
  
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers (2012)
2012 | Action, Sci-Fi
The dynamic between The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man is hilarious! (1 more)
Comic Book action at its best
Avengers Assemble!
The Avengers or Avengers Assemble depending your country of origin is a Marvel Comics collaboration story bringing together Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and Black Widow into one super-team to defend the Earth in time of crisis. Traditionally the team also includes the character HawkEye, however for the film he has been turned to the bad guys' side!

If you haven't seen the individual films for Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, then some of the early film may be a little difficult to follow. Personally, I haven't watched the Captain America film yet, so was a little unsure as to what was happening in bit that brings Captain America into the film. The villain of the film is Loki, half-brother of Thor, so again, if you haven't seen the Thor film, you won't know who he is or what his significance to the story is.

S.H.E.I.L.D. agents Coulson and Nick Fury make a reappearance this film. Agent Coulson has appeared in both the Iron Man and Thor films with S.H.E.I.L.D. head Nick Fury appearing in all the previous films.

Marvel fans will be delighted to know that in this film we get to see the flying S.H.E.I.L.D. headquarters, The Helicarrier. A large portion of the film is set aboard with scenes both inside and out!

As a standalone film it is alright, however knowledge of the previous Marvel films from which the characters are taken makes it is much better and easier to follow.
  
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2019 | Sci-Fi, Thriller
Sheer scope and spectacle (2 more)
satisfying conclusion to the Infinity/Avengers saga
Pretty much a 90 minute end battle scene
Unfair arc for some characters (1 more)
The end of an era! #cry
Love you 3000 - *Seriously - S P O I L E R S*
Contains spoilers, click to show
Well, what a long, strange, amazing trip it's been.

Assuming that everyone who sees this film is invested in the MCU, this doesn't disappoint. Although I'm a fan of the comics, you can't really compare the comic universe to the cinematic universe in terms of plot, it stands alone with its own intricacies, strengths and weaknesses.

I don't have a lot of negative things to say about this one, it's an involving, dramatic, action packed and beautiful piece of work from the Russo brothers, but I'll start with the one or two gripes I had.

From the start, they went with an odd route, one that I wasn't expecting . *SPOILERS* - Thanos as we know him, dies in the first 15 minutes of the film. Honestly was not expecting that. Robbed the satisfaction of build up for me, but ultimately the build up starts again, as the Avengers then go about stopping an alternate timeline Thanos from BEFORE the events of Guardians of the Galaxy by going to retrieve the infinity stones from different points in time (and the MCU movies), before Thanos finds them, so all is not lost on that front, there's still a Thanos to face.

One gripe was the arc of one particular character - our big green rage machine. After the events of infinity war, you'll remember, Hulk was left somewhat lacking, after getting his arse handed to him by Thanos and then refusing to come out for the rest of the film. I felt there was atonement due for him. Here we see Banner has now found catharsis with the Hulk, by staying in Hulk form with his own personality in the five years since the snap. That's all well and good, but after the death of a certain other member of the Avengers after retrieving the Soulstone, I thought - right. Now Hulk will smash. Now we have to see him go ham on someone. Nothing. Not even an action shot of Hulk fighting in the entire last battle scene, which only would have taken 20 seconds out of an entire 90 minute battle. I would have liked to have seen Hulk Vs Thanos, even if for a brief moment, whether Banner came out on top or not. Banner actually using his own anger, which by his own admission in Avengers Assemble, he has. All the time. It felt an unfair way to end one of the major characters stories, for seemingly what would have taken so little to make. it's not like they lacked the CGI budget, after all. Instead, Scarlet Witch gets a showdown with Thanos, and she's not even a particularly major player within the Avengers team, again don't get me wrong, after Vision she deserves a shot. But Hulk more so... It seemed silly to me.

The other negative for me, was Thor. Another slightly disappointing arc for the god of thunder. I felt he was robbed of all the awesomeness Taika rejuvenated him with from Ragnarok, which then continued into Infinity War. They turned him into God of amazing lightning and patron saint of badassery, with a new axe that just gives him a look as cool as they other side of the pillow. Now, the Russo's have had him drink himself to death, making him bloated and filled with sadness and regret. Don't get me wrong. Thor has more reason than most to be that way, he's lost everything over his story arc. I think that by letting him kill Thanos at the beginning, they robbed him of his real purpose, which is to be the strongest of the avengers (arguably) and just be the badass we all know he is. The one positive thing about this, is Thor's new aesthetic actually makes him look like a viking, which was amazing. Braided beard, heavy set, long hair. Great stuff, made him feel much more realistic in that sense, just again I think it was a bit of an unfair arc for him. Although, as he's now set to join GOTG, there's plenty of time to atone.

That's my two cents on the negs of this one. Now for positives:

My god, the scope and sheer spectacle of the MCU films rarely disappoint, this is no exception. just some absolutely jaw dropping sequences, especially when you have the big three (Stark, Cap and Thor) trying to stop Thanos before the major battle scene. It's stuff to make you weep tears of pure joy.

Following on from that, the moment where it's confirmed the snap has been reversed and the portals open up, the armies of Wakanda come out chanting along with just EVERYBODY, and that Avengers music starts up... goosebumps just thinking about it.

The involvement and rounding of previous MCU films in the first half of the movie is intense and satisfying, as the group split up into different places in time to retrieve the stones. Lots of nods to different franchises, nice bit of exposition, and certain parts in particular are just happy, like seeing Tony talking to his father back in the 70's without him realising who he is. Wonderful Stuff.

We all knew there would be deaths, I felt that these were handled gracefully and tactfully, giving the best service for the characters and fans. At the same time, they were not predictable, which i felt was definitely important.

As a last word, anyone who's ever watched a marvel film or had interest in the comics needs to see this. There is a list published of the films you need to see beforehand to fully appreciate the time travel segments, but it's not absolutely necessary. It just helps you appreciate the thought that has gone into rounding off the biggest cinematic series in history, all the in jokes and nuances that the Russo's included to really make this serviceable to the fans.

The end of an era, and as a crescendo to the the symphony started by the rest of MCU, it's just plain beautiful.

Love you 3000, folks.

- Rob
  
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers (2012)
2012 | Action, Sci-Fi
The first Avengers movie is a real treat - it was at the time of the release and it is now. In 2012, the culmination of the first handful of MCU movies was just glorious, seeing all these heroes together for the first time. Now in 2020, we've become accustomed to that, spoilt by the more recent Infinity War and Endgame, it's easy to forget just how special Avengers is in it's comparative humbleness, especially for people who grew up reading these stories in comic books.

The main bulk of the cast, comprised of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo (in his first appearance as Bruce Banner/Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson, and Jeremy Renner all bounce off of each other so naturally. The balance of dramatic moments and back and forth humour on display laid the blueprint for many MCU films to come, most notably Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tom Hiddleston steps up his game from the first Thor film and gives us an instantly iconic villain in Loki, one that has only been rivalled since by Thanos in terms of character development and story.

The set pieces are fantastic as well, most memorably, the Hulk and Thor battle on the Helicarrier, and of course the huge and ridiculous final show down in Manhattan, and the CGI still looks great 8 years down the line. A big event movie such as this was only made possible by introducing the individual characters slowly over a number of years, and it's proof that patience pays off. A formula that Marvel Studios have since mastered.

I know that none of these films are The Shawshank Redemption or Citizen Kane, but fuck me, films like Avengers Assemble (it's UK title) are so stupidly entertaining, and everything a kid who grew up reading comics could possibly want.
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Incredible Hulk (2008) in Movies

Feb 11, 2020 (Updated Apr 7, 2020)  
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
2008 | Action, Sci-Fi
The second entry into the ever expanding MCU has it's flaws, but it's still an entertaining enough monster movie featuring one of Marvel Comics most beloved characters.

Edward Norton is a fantastic actor, and his involvement here as Bruce Banner is an inspired choice. It's a shame that behind the scenes politics resulted in him leaving the franchise so soon, even though I love Mark Ruffalo!
He plays Banner as a fairly broody individual, but with an awkward edge, a man who's constantly in fear if what he can turn into.
Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross, and she's pretty much just Liv Tyler throughout. She's actually pretty charming as the character and it would be nice to see her turn up in future MCU films (hey, if they can get Natalie Portman involved again then surely it's a possibility!)
Tim Roth and William Hurt play the antagonists to Banner, and are both enjoyable in the more villainous roles, even if Roth is more or less relegated to spouting out cheesy one liners. Hurt has of course reprised his role in later films and is a welcome main stay in the franchise.
We also have Tim Blake Nelson and Ty Burrell, set up as future characters (The Leader and Doc Samson respectively), but neither of these have yet to come to fruition, so as it stands, both feel like wasted opportunities.

The narrative is pretty straightforward as Banner is pursued across the planet, but it gets the job done, ending in a big showdown between Hulk and Abomination in the middle of Harlem.
One of my main criticisms stems from this scene actually, with the film climaxing in a big CGI fight, between the hero, and an evil version of the hero, exactly like in Iron Man, and unfortunately, in a fair few MCU films further down the line (Iron Man 2, Black Panther, Ant Man). The CGI, whilst still good enough, doesn't hold up anywhere near as well as Iron Man however (which came out in the same year), and the green/grey colour scheme of both characters, and the night-time setting, gives the whole scene a dull edge, even if Hulk does tear a car in half and use both halves as boxing gloves...

The Incredible Hulk is a mostly decent film, but it shows signs of a franchise still finding its feet, and these signs grow in obviousness the older it gets, which is a big contrast when compared to the confident nature of Iron Man.
It also feels a bit stuck in the "look at this cool shot" superhero formula that became rampant during the 2000s.
It's still a fun film however, and deserves it's place in a Marvel movie marathon.
  
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
2019 | Sci-Fi, Thriller
Robert Downey Jr (0 more)
Hulk and Thor (1 more)
Little screen time for many favourite characters
Solid end to an epic series.
So back in 2008 (which is 11 years ago at the time of writing - where did the time go!) the film Iron Man came out starring Robert Downey Jr. I loved that film but little did I know at the time that over the course of the next 11 years we’d have such a huge universe created for us by Marvel over a plethora of films culminating in one 3 hour epic film (no consideration for my bladder.) The whole scale of this movie is mind blowing in that context.

This film has plenty of action and lots of homage to the films in the franchise. It does a solid job of tying things off. It's just not going to be one of my favourites (although an improvement on Infinity war.)

Now the Marvel universe has built up a heck of a lot of characters, some I love, some less so but fundamentally we just have too many characters. Trying to cram them into one film is just unwieldy and we lose the sharpness many of the films had. For me, unfortunately this film focuses more of the characters I’m less keen on. The ones I do love, that were front and centre, seemed to have all undergone personality changes to make them terrible. OK I get it seeing half the life in the universe wiped out is going to ruin anyone's mood but the changes we saw in Hulk and Thor were just way off for me. Downey fortunately manages to carry a lot of the film, with some great revisiting of tension between Stark and Cpt. America. Only Rocket seemed vaguely recognisable as a character I love. Many barely get a line in when they do turn up.

The fun that is so evident in most of the best marvel films didn’t feel as present, I just needed more of that Marvel feel before a big huge battle to save the day.
  
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
2016 | Action, Sci-Fi
This: "Are you Tony Stank?" (2 more)
And This: "Hey guys, you ever see that really old movie, Empire Strikes Back?" "Jesus, Tony, how old is this guy?" "I don't know, I didn't carbon date him. He's on the young side."
And This: "Oh, you're going to have to take this to the shop." "Who's speaking?" "It's your conscience. We don't talk a lot these days."
No Hulk :( (1 more)
No Thor :(
A Marvel Classic
What's not to love about a war between superheroes? Probably the clean up... It was an excellent film, with the introduction of the new gen Spiderman and everyone's favourite emo kid, Bucky (who has the prettiest eyes you could ever imagine). This Marvel fan thoroughly enjoyed it, though if I had to fault it (which we won't talk about, because it's Marvel lol) the plot was a little weak, could have been fleshed out a little more, but that being said, I will definitely watch it again :)
  
Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years
Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years
David Litt | 2017 | Biography
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A book of hopey changey during the Obama years
This funny, poignant look at the White House from the perspective of a speechwriter, humanises those who worked for Obama and the former president himself.

From hilarious anecdotes, where David Litt was literally found with his Hulk pants down on Air Force One, to harrowing experiences watching Obama sing Amazing Grace after the racially-motivated Charleston shooting -it's like a real-life series of West Wing.

His admiration for the ex-chief is rather sweet, turning from full-blown hero worshipping to quiet respect for POTUS as a person as in his own words: "We are not perfect but we have the capacity to be more perfect".

Hence the ending seems bittersweet - Litt was part of Obama's legacy that is being decimated so for him it is personal. He asks "Was Barack Obama a good President?" And without hesitation he agrees that he was.
  
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Dean (6925 KP) rated the Xbox version of The Suffering in Video Games

Aug 26, 2018  
The Suffering
The Suffering
2004 | Action, Horror
Original ideas (1 more)
Cool enemy design
Great Survival Horror
Until I played this game the only survival Horror games I had played were some of the early Resident Evil games. This was actually a very good and very creepy game. One of the first that used a flashlight mode I think? A lot of the game had you wondering what was going to be around the next corner.
Set in a prison after being found guilty of killing his family. You have to try and escape as some creatures have taken over the prison. Along the way you can help others or not... The decisions affected flashbacks towards the events that happened. You could also use your anger to turn into a a mini Hulk rage type creature yourself. It was a big game taking a long time to complete as well.
For the time a lot of the ideas were quite new and original.