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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Pretty much everything (2 more)
Paul Bettany
The banter (especially between Thor and the guardians)
Not enough Bucky (1 more)
Not enough Captain America
Amazing
I love the Marvel Universe, both comics, movies etc and this film was no exception.

For me, this was has probably been the best addition to the franchise yet. Going into it, I certainly didn’t expect the wide range of emotions I would go through, I went from laughing with rocket and the guardians to being right in the middle of the grief.

What I like about this movie was that the ending was not one you may have necessarily guessed would happen but that’s what makes it more exciting. Personally I can’t wait to see the next instalment.

My only problem was...there was not enough Bucky or Captain America, they are my two favourite characters and would like to have seen more of them.
  
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David McK (3832 KP) rated Maul: Shadow Lord in TV

May 26, 2026 (Updated May 26, 2026)  
Maul: Shadow Lord
Maul: Shadow Lord
2026 | Action
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Despite limited screentime, and something like only two lines of dialogue in the entire film ("At last we reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have our revenge."), there's little doubt that Darth Maul was one of the standouts from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

So it's no surprise that, despite being (seemingly) killed off in the finale of that film that Lucas brought him back, first in The Clone Wars TV series, secondly as a cameo in 'Solo: A Star Wars movie" and (finally) as the main protagonist in this eight-episode animated offering.

And what an offering it is, with Sam Witwer's Maul as enigmatic as ever, and with a superb finale that sees a certain other Dark Lord of the Sith put in an appearance, showing why everyone (in universe) is just so afraid of him!

Well worth a watch.
  
John Wick (2014)
John Wick (2014)
2014 | Action, Thriller
Keanu Reeves (4 more)
The established hitman universe
Incredible gunplay
Solid fight choreography
Decipherable cinematography during action
That poor dog (0 more)
Best Action Movie Post-Matrix
The problem with many modern action movies lies in the bullshit concept known as "shaky-cam." Perhaps well meant at first, in order to make audiences "feel" the impact of punches and gunshots, it is now so overused that you can't even tell what's going on or who is hitting who in many action movies. Enter John Wick: not a single use of "shaky-cam." Not one. All camera shots during action sequences are stable and staged at angles that allow the audience to see exactly what is going on. I used to think Jason Bourne was the best action series post-Matrix, but John Wick and its sequel changed that as fast the titular character can shoot another goon in the head. The fight choreography is sublime, the script is simple but tight, and Keanu Reeves is slicker than ever. John Wick is the best action movie since The Matrix, and it just so happens to star the same bad-ass guy we've been dreaming of being since 1999. Now I have to go review John Wick: Chapter 2!
  
Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern (2011)
2011 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Boxing Glove ends up as Punch Line
Yet more proof that DC was capable of making slightly shoddy movies even before Zach Snyder was put in charge of their operation, Green Lantern may end up being better remembered as the butt of a whole series of jokes now that Ryan Reynolds has been much more successful playing a character for the opposition. Test pilot is given magic ring by dying alien which initiates him into universal police force (the 'Green Lanterns'); ring allows him to convert his willpower into giant green boxing gloves and anything else he can think of.

Too much blatant CGI, obviously, and also the storytelling is botched - the film is frontloaded with stuff about the Guardians of the Universe, Space Sector 2814, and many other things that could have been introduced more gradually in the course of the movie. Generally tries too hard to do too much and doesn't make enough use of Reynolds and Blake Lively (but, hey, they have kids now, so it wasn't like the movie was a total waste of time for them). Fingers crossed that DC get past this sometime soon and put a proper Green Lantern in one of their JLA-related films.
  
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Lee (2222 KP) rated The Nun (2018) in Movies

Sep 6, 2018 (Updated Sep 7, 2018)  
The Nun (2018)
The Nun (2018)
2018 | Horror
Taissa Farmiga (0 more)
Disappointing
I'm a big fan of The Conjuring movies. The original is one of my favourite scary movies, and while I enjoyed the sequel, for me it just didn't live up to the very high bar set by the first. Creepy doll Annabelle from the first movie landed her own disappointing outing, followed by a surprisingly enjoyable sequel/prequel in Annabelle: Creation. Now, next up in The Conjuring Universe is the turn of The Nun. After a brief, but very effective appearance in The Conjuring 2, The Nun movie looks to expand the universe even further, providing us with an insight into how the demon nun came to be.

We're in Romania, 1952. A large, remote, creepy looking convent is having trouble trying to contain something dark and evil, resulting in one of the nuns hanging herself. The body is discovered by Frenchie, a local farmer bringing supplies from the nearby village. When word gets back to the Vatican, priest Father Burke (Demián Bichir) is sent, along with Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) to investigate.

They learn that the convent was built in the middle ages by the Duke of St Carta who, while being possessed, also created a gateway from hell somewhere within its basement. Religious figures were able to seal the gateway using the blood of Christ, but during the second world war bombings resulted in the seal being broken, releasing the demon Valak. Since then, the nuns have engaged in constant prayer in an attempt to keep evil at bay.

As you'd expect, the whole tone of this movie is very dark, and very gloomy. It takes a while to get going, and there is nothing of interest to keep you hooked. Aside from Sister Irene, the characters are dull, and occasional attempts at humour fall flat. The tense expectation of chills and scares soon fizzles out when you're realise that there really aren't any. Just plenty of prolonged periods of quietness, followed by LOUD NOISE!! Which may work for some people, but I just found it annoying.

The characters wander around dark corridors, playing on the whole creepy castle vibe, and shadowy nuns are everywhere. Valak himself occasionally appears, but it's nothing more than an attempt at a jump scare. The whole thing just seems like such a wasted opportunity and I found myself looking at my watch even during the climactic scenes where they're trying to seal the gateway once more. Not good for a movie that's only 96 minutes long.

The one thing I did like is how they managed to link everything back to The Conjuring movies, in particular the opening scenes of the original movie where the Warrens are giving their lecture, and the consequences that brings for the rest of the movies. Aside from that I just found the whole thing disappointing.
  
The Darkest Universe (2016)
The Darkest Universe (2016)
2016 | International, Comedy, Drama
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Talk about a movie where you just don’t know where to start with!! Co-Directors (Yes Co) Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe have crafted what I can only describe as my favorite completely surreal yet right down to earth drama I have watched in 2016… Wait no… In years.

As I have said recently I am on a real Indie hidden gem kick right now and the ever amazing Phil Wheat of Nerdly.co.uk asked me to check this movie out suspecting that it would be right up my street. The Darkest Universe is an absolute gem of a movie for more reasons than I can explain, but I will try.

Co-Director and Co-Writer Will Sharpe plays highly strung and highly stressed Zac Pratt. We join Zac on the verge of a complete breakdown following the disappearance of his sister and Break-up with his girlfriend. We follow him on somewhat of a journey of self realization and discovery. Zac starts up a fledging blog making video diaries of his search for his sister due to his frustration with the police coming up short. During this time we have a wonderfully interwoven series of flashbacks showing us what happened and giving us breadcrumbs of information.

A movie like this can live or die in the intricate plot woven style and this one flourishes because there is not one unnecessary moment on screen, it all matters. We find that Zac’s relationship with his girlfriend Eva (Sophia Di Martino, Channel 4s Flowers and Casualty) is strained and fragile which leads to a wonderfully awkward marriage proposal failure. While Zac would like us to believe from the get go that his sister Alice (Tiani Ghosh Co-Writer and first time acting, You couldn’t tell) is unhinged we slowly find she is probably the sanest person in his life, as she meets mis-fit wanderer Toby (Joe Thomas Inbetweeners and Fresh Meat). The relationship between Toby and Alice is almost as captivating as Sharpe’s all round performance and is just such a delicious watch.

Okay lets just get to it Will Sharpe in this movie is bloody outstanding. Think about Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk about Kevin, that is how intense this role can get, but he can also switch-up and be this charming at times funny sincere chap. There were moments I just didn’t know where it was gonna go and his performance was layered as such. Of course the script helps aswell because its to the point, at 90 minutes long the movie gets in, messes with your head a bit and gets out. Also no spoilers from me but this movie is never what you think it is and the ending is just a thing of beauty.

I take nothing away from anyone else in this movie because for her first time acting Tiani Ghosh is well above par and her chemistry with Joe Thomas is undeniable. On that note Joe Thomas of Inbetweeners fame was a surprising delight for me in this. A cheeky little cameo from fellow Inbetweener Simon Bird was received well and rounding off our cream of Brit comedy crop Chris Langham (The Thick of It) does not disappoint as Toby’s dad.

I really don’t think you will disappointed if you give this movie a shot, it has all the ingredients of what I would call an indie classic, people will find this movie and talk about it for years to come. Sharpe and Kingsley are a directing duo you have got to keep an eye on. I myself am pissed I never saw there first effort (did I mention this is just there second directorial outing) Black Pond but I will rectify that. They are miles ahead of there Ages and show a level of film-making maturity that most directors will struggle to get to. Effortless and beautiful I am so glad I will be ending 2016 with this movie.
  
The New Mutants (2020)
The New Mutants (2020)
2020 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Character-driven storyline rather than wham-bam Marvel action (1 more)
Illyana Rasputin - great character
Very reminiscent of "Glass" (0 more)
"Glass" - Half Full.
So, I've heard a lot of bad word-of-mouth about this X-Men flick, but otherwise knew very little about it. As such, I went in with low expectations. And although there is nothing remotely novel about the movie, I didn't think it was too bad at all.

The plot: So, my review title suggests that the plot is very closely aligned to M Night Shymalan's "Glass" - his "Split" sequel from last year. A Victorian-style hospital-cum-prison similarly forms the claustrophobic setting for the majority of the movie. This is where the troubled teen Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt) is taken after being suddenly orphaned in dramatic and mysterious circumstances. The only doctor present, Dr Reyes (Alice Braga), says she is being held there for her own - and society's safety - while her puberty-driven mutant tendencies emerge.

Locked away with her is Rahne (Maisie Williams), Charlie (Sam Guthrie), 'hot' Brazilian hunk Roberto (Henry Zaga) and the gloriously named Illyana Rasputin (Anya-Taylor Joy). Danni's arrival sparks a serious of escalating events that literally lead to all hell breaking loose.

Blu is the warmest colour: What made this Marvel movie stand-out for me, from the normal glass-shattering standard, is that it is predominantly a character-led piece. We spend quite a bit of time (for a Marvel movie) in building relationships between the teens, including a sweet lesbian-coming-out 'will they/won't they' tension between Rahne and Danni.

I was also very much attracted to the performance of Blu Hunt. I admit that this might not just be due to her interesting performance (the indigenous / LBGT angle is intriguing) but because she reminded me strongly of a girl at school who I had a mad crush on and completely failed to get off with! Blu is actually native American (from the Lakota tribe). Given she is the lead and has to carry the movie, it's a surprise that she is only about 5th in the billing: I'd have been upset with the director (Josh "A Fault in our Stars" Boone) about that.

Maisie Williams is also effective in this, and gets top billing, although arguably Anya-Taylor-Joy has emerged - with her wonderful "Emma" - as the bigger star since filming.

But it's Taylor-Joy's Rasputin that really stands out as the most interesting of the characters on show. There's a scene where she goes into action - eyes blazing and 'daemon' hovering - that would make a splendid PC screensaver! Stuff the "Black Widow" standalone movie: I'd go watch Illyana Rasputin kicking ass in her own follow-up movie! (Of course, Anya Taylor-Joy was also prominent in "Glass", which unfortunately cements the similarities between the films.)

The movie has had a long and tortuous path to its final release, being made waaaaaayyyyy back in 2017. As an X-Men movie, it's appeared after the X-Men universe finally imploded (with the disappointing whimper of "Dark Phoenix"). So in that sense it's a bit of a ghost of a flick.

Overall, it's a mixed bag. There's a sense of great familiarity with the contents - particularly with the strong echoes of "Glass", actually filmed after this one (but with 'inversion', who knows anymore?). Even the "Indian legend" that runs through the movie swaps a bear for a wolf but ends with a familiar, rather groan-inducing, motto. (It was used in "Tomorrowland" I think?)

But the young cast are attractive and entertained me for the (pleasantly short) running time. It's not going to win any prizes for originality, or indeed anything else. But it really wasn't the X-Men bust I expected it to be.

(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2020/09/08/x-men-the-new-mutants-2020-glass-half-full/ . Thanks.)
  
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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Avengers (2012) in Movies

Mar 9, 2019 (Updated Jun 20, 2019)  
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers (2012)
2012 | Action, Sci-Fi
A Blast
I remember the trepidation of going to see Marvel’s The Avengers. Could they really pull a team-up like this off? Could the whole really be a sum of some awesome parts? I wasn’t sure. That trepidation turned into utter lack of interest. X-Men: The Last Stand left a bad taste in my mouth, but the Avengers crew was regaining my interest in the superhero world movie by movie. Good thing I gave the movie a chance because I ended up having the time of my life.

In Marvel’s The Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes take on the evil Loki who is hell-bent on world domination.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
The gang’s all here and what a gang. I appreciate that each of these superheroes are battling their own inner demons which affects how their characters interact with the other heroes. it’s what makes them a good team. They come to understand each other’s dysfunctions and deal with it. This is the first movie where you start to see the team use their strengths in tandem and work together as a team. Their initial lack of chemistry is hilarious to watch as they are forced into a unit.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10

Genre: 10
Bringing all these characters on the big screen at once was a monumental accomplishment. It was a risk that paid off. A damn good movie was made here and deserves a ton of credit for setting a standard in the way superhero movies should be done.

Memorability: 10

Pace: 10

Plot: 10
The story weaves together the backstories of the other characters in seamless fashion. While there aren’t many twists and turns to throw you off or keep you guessing, I would also argue that twists weren’t necessary for a film like this. Tell the story you need to tell and if we can see some awesome superpowered battles along the way, great! Job well done here.

Resolution: 10
Solid ending capped off with some fun end-credit scenes that pave the way for films to come. The entire movie is meant to entertain and I was happy that they finished strong. It’s a capper that leaves you wanting to see these guys team up again.

Overall: 100
Seven years later and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still going as strong as ever. I’m going to see Captain Marvel tomorrow, a film that wouldn’t even be possible without the success of The Avengers and other lesser-known properties like Guardians of the Galaxy. Seven years later and this movie still never ceases to excite me and make me laugh at the same time.
  
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Parfs (178 KP) created a post in Avengers: Endgame (Discussion)

May 4, 2019  
So like most moooovie lovers and general nerds and geeks (still not sure what category I fit in to) I absolutely loved this movie and wanted to have a place to discuss some of the scenes and see what everyone's general opinion was. If you choose to read on and haven't seen the movie there are likely to be spoilers so you have had a warning.

1st off the whole 5 years later bit I believe places the time line now in 2021 as a discussion between Thanos and Nebula back in 2012 (pretty sure that is what was on screen during this portion of the moooovie) said that the other Nebula was from 9 years in the future. If that is the case Peter Parker is returning to school in 2021, 5 years after being dusted. I am really hoping Spider-Man - far from home covers this off as it seems weird to return to school with all his school friends and still be in the same class. I assume they were all dust too for convenience.

2nd, one of my favourite scenes is during the end battle where Pepper lands in her suit and then all the female characters all line up behind her doing their various we are here to kick your butt poses in a pure cinema moment which was just awesome too see. Now there is a but, this just felt a little bit forced from a plot point and did feel like the big bosses wanted to have a look at us moment. It also made me feel sad that Black Widow didn't get a chance to be there as she has been the driving force for this mesaage during the whole marvel cinematic universe.

3rd, the Black Widow point comes up again. Why at the end when they are Tony's wilderness retreat and laying the floating wreath was there not one for Nat? Did she not sacrifice for the entire universe too? Seems they missed a very poignant moment there.
  
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Bohan Reviews (215 KP) May 8, 2019 (Updated May 8, 2019)

Your first point is one that I thought about almost as soon as I left the theater. I liked the idea of the movie being five years later because that adds a sort of legitimacy to the pain that they are all feeling, but I do think that it adds in a weird dynamic. Theoretically, everyone alive is now five years older than everyone who was dust, so if they don't address that in the new film, that will feel like a hole.

As for the Black Widow thing, I'm glad that they didn't give her her own funeral. For me, it wouldn't have felt in line with the character and it wouldn't have been something that she wanted. I like that Bruce and Steve have their own moment where they kind of acknowledge it at the end and for me that was enough closure.

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Parfs (178 KP) May 8, 2019

Yeah, I can see that, fair point. Just feel there could have been a little extra to acknowledge it with the whole team.

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Terry Gilliam recommended Pinocchio (1940) in Movies (curated)

 
Pinocchio (1940)
Pinocchio (1940)
1940 | Animation, Classics, Family

"""Let’s go to Pinocchio, Disney’s Pinocchio. That was a truly, utterly magical movie. The world was so beautifully detailed and so fantastical, and yet believable at every point. I love that movie. It’s really stuck with me, because it was at a level of craftsmanship that was so unbelievably high, and it’s maintained that position in my head for all the years. Great songs, great everything. Great characters. I don’t know what else one can say about it. It’s just a great story. I think the first film I saw was probably Snow White. That’s the advantage of being old. You get these films when you’re at the right age. But those two in particular really, really stuck with me because I just hadn’t seen anything so beautifully crafted. The great thing, it made me a big fan. It took me years to discover that Cliff Edwards was the voice of Jiminy Cricket. I always loved “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and he was singing that. Now I’m a great fan of Cliff Edwards. His music is brilliant, but most people have forgotten him. I just think he was known as a singer, and he played the ukulele. He just ended up with a wonderful voice. I think his voice was also used in one of the other Disney films, which I can’t remember. But it was his singing that is just right. I think that’s Pinocchio. I saw Pinocchio maybe 20 years ago again, and what amazed me about it is how, as a child, I remembered this vast universe, huge world. In fact, it’s tiny. You go from Geppetto’s workshop and the little village to the bad boys’ island just like that. Bing. It’s so tight the way that they do it. The next thing, you’re in Monstro’s belly. It’s a great one to watch just to see how succinct you can be and still create a universe. It’s a lesson I’ve never learned, the succinct part."""

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