Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Cast
Chris Pratt
Zoe Saldana
Dave Bautista
Vin Diesel
Bradley Cooper
Michael Rooker
Karen Gillan
Screenwriter
James Gunn
Director
James Gunn
Running Time
136 min

Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.[Metacritic]

Most of the jokes fell flat for me and it’s mostly jokes.

Doctor Strange

Cast
Benedict Cumberbatch
Tilda Swinton
Rachel McAdams
Mads Mikkelsen
Benedict Wong
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Screenwriters
C. Robert Cargill
Scott Derrickson
Director
Scott Derrickson
Running Time
115 min

After a tragic car accident, talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[Metacritic]

Perfunctory.

Captain America: Civil War

Cast
Chris Evans
Robert Downey Jr.
Scarlett Johansson
Sebastian Stan
Anthony Mackie
Don Cheadle
Jeremy Renner
Chadwick Boseman
Paul Bettany
Elizabeth Olsen
Paul Rudd
Emily VanCamp
Tom Holland
Frank Grillo
William Hurt
Daniel Brühl
Screenwriters
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
Directors
Joe Russo
Anthony Russo
Running Time
146 min

Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain. [Marvel]

It felt overstuffed but it was all great.

Ant-Man

ant_man posterCast
Paul Rudd
Michael Douglas
Corey Stoll
Evangeline Lilly
Bobby Cannavale
Michael Peña
Screenwriters
Andrew Barrer
Adam McKay
Gabriel Ferrari
Director
Peyton Reed
Running Time
117 mins

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. [Marvel]

I liked it but somehow didn’t connect with it. Whether that was just this time and another time that wouldn’t have happened I don’t know. Maybe it seemed more like a Paul Rudd comedy than a Superhero movie I’m not really sure but there was something.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

avengers_age_of_ultron posterCast
Robert Downey Jr.
Mark Ruffalo
Chris Hemsworth
Scarlett Johansson
Chris Evans
Jeremy Renner
Samuel L Jackson
Cobie Smulders
Screenwriter
Joss Whedon
Director
Joss Whedon
Running Time
141 minutes

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. [Marvel Studios]

It was fine but I was disappointed overall.

Guardians Of The Galaxy

Cast
Chris Pratt
Zoe Saldana
Dave Bautista
Bradley Cooper
Vin Diesel
Michael Rooker
Lee Pace
Karen Gillan
John C. Reilly
Glenn Close
Benicio Del Toro
Djimon Hounsou
Screenwriter
James Gunn
Director
James Gunn
Running Time
121 minutes

Brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits — Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.[Metacritic]

An enjoyable adventure but perhaps too frantic. It works as an origin story and fleshes out the team well for future films. The villains however were so minimally drawn that Lee Pace and Karen Gillan always seemed to be those actors in painted faces rather than characters. I felt explaining how Groot’s language works and characters including the meaning of his response when they conversed with him undermined the wonder of that idea.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Cast
Chris Evans
Samuel L. Jackson
Scarlett Johansson
Anthony Mackie
Robert Redford
Sebastian Stan
Frank Grillo
Screenwriters
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
Directors
Anthony Russo
Joe Russo
Running Time
136 minutes

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, lives quietly in Washington, D.C. trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy.[Metacritic]

When the film is a spy thriller it’s surprisingly great but then it drifts back to a CGI heavy adventure movie which is less so. I watched it in 2D which is the right choice because a lot happens at night and the fight scenes consist of fast cuts, both of which would be difficult to follow in 3D. I said in an Iron Man review that it would be great to see Scarlett Johansson actually fighting but this indicates it’s never going to happen, you don’t see her face during all the hand to hand fighting which must only be because it’s a stunt woman. A problem I think is that Steve Rogers doesn’t come across as charismatic enough and so some of the dialogue scenes with him drag. Chris Evans’ performance seems to work best in a comedic setting like the scene in the last Thor movie. If it had been a Black Widow or Nick Fury film I think it would have been stronger.

Thor: The Dark World

Cast
Chris Hemsworth
Natalie Portman
Christopher Eccleston
Idris Elba
Anthony Hopkins
Chris O’Dowd
Ray Stevenson
Benicio Del Toro
Kat Dennings
Zachary Levi
Stellan Skarsgård
Tom Hiddleston
Jaimie Alexander
Rene Russo
Stan Lee
Screenwriters
Christopher Yost
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
Director
Alan Taylor
Running Time
112 minutes

Thor fights to restore order to the cosmos, but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. [Marvel]

I enjoyed it but it seemed insubstantial. A supporting character dies which was genuinely emotional but highlighted how hollow everything else felt.

Iron Man 3 3D

Cast
Robert Downey Jr.
Guy Pearce
Ben Kingsley
Gwyneth Paltrow
Don Cheadle
James Badge Dale
Screenwriters
Shane Black
Drew Pearce
Director
Shane Black
Running Time
130 minutes

Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? [Marvel Studios]

There was lots of good stuff but a little long and too hectic, the 3D made the action scenes harder to follow. I appreciated it more than loved it.

Marvel Avengers Assemble 3D

Cast
Robert Downey Jr.
Chris Evans
Chris Hemsworth
Tom Hiddleston
Scarlett Johansson
Mark Ruffalo
Jeremy Renner
Samuel L. Jackson
Clark Gregg
Gwyneth Paltrow
Cobie Smulders
Stellan Skarsgard
Screenwriter
Joss Whedon
Director
Joss Whedon
Running Time
142 minutes

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

I saw it in 3D only because I thought that was my only choice according to the cinemas website on Friday, although as it turns out I could have seen it as filmed in 2D at an earlier showing. Reading subtitles in a 3D film is disorientating. Anyway I thought it was really good.