QUICK REVIEW: The Last Witch Hunter Teaser Trailer

Howdy ladies and gents and welcome to another trailer review. It feels like I barely do any of these types of blog posts regularly any more and yet besides my film and TV reviews I always seem to find time to talk about trailers when I’m in the right mood. Anyways, today I get to talk about the teaser that dropped online recently for the upcoming Vin Diesel film, The Last Witch Hunter. I’ve been looking forward to finding out more about this film ever since it was announced way back when and I’m glad that we finally have some footage to work with. So is it good or not? Well read on and find out!

Check out the trailer below:

So my first thoughts after seeing the trailer? Looks interesting enough, I have to see more.

I guess with the first images that were released for this film, I hoping for a more fantasy style of film with action and adventure thrown in, this seems like an action film with some fantasy elements, and while it is too early to tell what the story is going to be like, it does look fairly large in scope. From Michael Caine’s monologue it seems like Vin Diesel’s character has been up to a lot, he’s done many things and it has been documented, he’s a good soldier and that’s his story isn’t over yet. Seems like Diesel is some sort of chosen one to do battle with the forces of evil armed with different weapons including a gun and flame sword. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of combat this film gives Diesel to work with. Oh and going back to Caine again, from his attire it looks like he’s a priest right? So I assume that this film will have something to do with religion and have close connections to church and god and stuff? Possibly? I don’t know I’m just taking stabs in the dark here.

It seems like there will be a lot of different locations some taking place in fancy interior locations to the snowy mountains and even in the USA as well. While it is not specifically mentioned, from the way Caine’s character talks about Diesel, it seems like Diesel’s character is pretty old, maybe this character’s been living for years slaying witches and now has to do it again in modern times? Who knows? But that’s the vibe I’m getting from this film. There looks like there will be a lot of travelling as there are many locations on display and that again adds to the scope of this film. Oh and in the trailer you can see Game of Thrones‘ Rosie Leslie looking nice and Elijah Wood too, man where the hell’s he been all this time? Hope they have decent parts in the film.

My fear for this film is that it is just going to be another generic action film with a lazy/boring story that only serves to justify the action like the recent Clash of the Titans. I like Vin Diesel, I think he’s a fun and charismatic person and deserves to take on new films that aren’t part of long running series’ like Fast & Furious or Riddick.

In conclusion The Last Witch Hunter looks interesting. It could either be pretty good or really pants, it is hard to judge until I see more footage and get an understanding of what the story is going to be. I hope that it is good though.

So have you seen the teaser for The Last Witch Hunter and if so what do you think of it? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to leave them in the comment section below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

When You Have a Gaming Addiction/Obsession

Howdy ladies and gents and welcome to another blog post. Today’s subject matter is one I wanted to write back December during the Christmas season, but I never got around to discussing it until now. Video games are one of my favourite forms of entertainment and at several points in my life I how found them consuming my life to the point of addiction and it took me til 2014 to realise that I’m totally obsessed with it all over again.

Now gaming addiction, anyone within the gaming community knows of it and has seen what it has done to certain gamers when there is no moderation or control. And while the media have tried to understand/show what it is through the news and documentaries, it is mainly just the dark/sad side of things shown and while some of it is true, it isn’t the only form of gaming addiction. To me I think that there are different levels and types of addiction and it also doesn’t have to be so much an addiction as an obsession that just needs to be fed.

So what’s my gaming addiction? Well I think it is just the need to play games and obtain more to extend my super fun time experiences.

You see gaming, it makes me feel like this.^^ Milhouse knows. 😛

But in all honesty my obsession comes from childhood. I’ve been gaming since around the mid to late 90’s with my Sega Mega Drive and Nintendo Game Boy Pocket, and then with my additional sessions with Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and Sony Playstation. From Sonic the Hedgehog to GoldenEye to Mortal Kombat, my life has been full of video games of all genres and sometimes it can just be like the best feeling ever. Just you and your games, it can be one of the most engaging experiences and people who haven’t played games can’t begin to comprehend how satisfying a good gaming session can be. But it doesn’t have to be alone, it can be done with friends and family. Besides having some of my favourite gaming memories with my friends, at the same I have shared a lot of my gaming experiences with my sister. We both played game franchises like Pokemon, Mario, Sonic, Kingdom Hearts and Zelda to name a few either together or individually. It is one of our major bonding points.

This was pretty much me and my sister in the late 90’s to early 00’s along with the sleeping father in the background too haha. 🙂

But growing up into my teenage years, I was able to full dive into the world of gaming and find myself getting lost in gaming for days/weeks/months/years on end. I think it was towards the end of my college years in 2010 when I started to move away from gaming and started getting more interested in films, this was mainly due to my only consoles being my Wii, PS2 and DS, so I was limited for choice when it came to new and varied games. But it wasn’t until late 2011 when there was a resurgence and again in 2013 when my gaming fire was relit. By 2014 I was back to being the gaming madman that I remembered from my youth and it was a gorgeous feeling. Going to uni definitely helped as it reminded me why I loved video games and how it really is the best thing for get together or solo activities. But what’s become clearer to me in recent years is that gaming experiences doesn’t end with one game, you need to have more. I mean sure you could play a really good game and you play it anywhere from a few days to a few years, but, once it is over you know you need to find the next best thing, whether it is the same genre or a different one. I’ve always had more than one game on the go, sometimes even leaving a game to play a new one, but the point is that I’m never locked into one game, I’m constantly looking for new experiences and that’s half the fun of gaming; find something new and becoming obsessed all over again. I even buy games when they’re on sale just because they’re games that I like or could want in the future.

Now I just want to talk about some of the games and franchises that have made me feel that insatiable need to play and find similar experiences:

Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II

In the summer of 2004 my friend lent me this game for the Gamecube and it left the biggest impression on me. PSO Ep  1 & 2 is one of those kind of games that hooks you and never let’s go. Once you get into the game mechanics you want to level grind, find better items, beat more enemies and just see how far you can get. Make no mistake the game is not easy and you’ll get beat a lot if you’re unprepared, however, even in defeat you jump back in because you want to do better and get stronger. This is one of the best RPG’s I’ve played as the combat is real-time, challenging and best experienced with others. I lost weeks of my life to this game and I am not ashamed, that was addiction.

Sonic Generations

I’ve always loved playing Sonic games especially the games on the Mega Drive and the Adventure re-releases on the Gamecube, but it wasn’t until Generations came out in 2011 that I found that I’m still just as obsessed with Sonic games as I was as a child. Generations was the best of both worlds; the classic gameplay from the 90’s mixed with the modern speed-based gameplay from more recent games like Rush, Unleashed and Colours. I bled through the demo, bled through main game in a few hours and played so many of the stages on repeat because I loved the music, gameplay and nostalgia.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

If you’re a regular on this blog then you would have seen my recent post on Skyward Sword, but for those who didn’t read it to put it bluntly, I really like this game. Sure it is not the best Zelda game when it comes to the difficulty, side quests and introduction to the game mechanics at the start of the game, at the same time the game was a very refreshing take on the series with motion-based combat, a different approach on dungeons and a more lively and character-based story. I think the game is charming, fun and interesting. The main things that keeps my coming back to the game is the combat, inventive boss battles, character interactions, item crafting and the presentation. I have spent an absurd amount of time just listening to the music, riding on the Loftwing and exploring the different locations below and above the clouds for treasure chests, that stuff is super addictive.

Terraria

Before Terraria, I’d played a few games on Steam like Microsoft Flight, Super Crate Boy and Fieldrunners, but this game was the first to change my opinion on games that could be fun on PC for me personally. This game is like the 2D equivalent of Minecraft, but for me it was way more interesting for me. What I like about the game is the crafting, exploring and fighting, it is simple and yet so gratifying, plus even you really get into the game then you can get lost in it for hours and that’s happened to me on many occasions.

Pokemon series (Pokemon X & Y)

It wasn’t until I started playing Pokemon X upon its release that I realised how closely I’ve been associated with this series since childhood. I spent the majority of my childhood and teenage years with the Pokemon series on my Game Boy Pocket, Colour and Advance. I mainly have love for the first two generations mainly because that was when the series was still new, special and crazy popular, and when you’re young, Pokemon just seemed so much more fun. Pokemon X brought me back to my childhood and gave me that same sense of discovery, mystery and fun that I felt was missing from previous entires. The graphics and music was incredible, the online features were awesome, the new region was fun and the game mechanics had changed just enough so that there was new things to experience for veteran characters. I wasted so much time listening to music and trading random Pokemon with people online, it was great while the fun lasted.

Super Smash Bros. series (3DS & Wii U games)

Then we have the Smash Bros. series, oh how I love it. Since the first game on N64, the SSB series has become more and more dense, inventive, fun and addictive. I have to say that the peak of my SSB obsession was with Melee due to the fact that I played it for so many years before the release of Brawl and still went back to it because of the faster and more chaotic gameplay. But with the release of SSB for the 3DS it felt like I was getting back to basics with the game, having fun and beating up characters with stylish attacks. Playing Smash on the go was something I wasn’t sure that I would love but I honestly couldn’t get enough and the Wii U version is no exception. With the HD graphics and 8-player fights, stage builder and additional music, I find myself getting lost in this madness.

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Now we move onto my most recent obsession. I first played this game in the early part of 2014 and I was addicted. Not since Pokemon X had I felt such a rush and a need to play a game nearly all of the time. I never played any FE games prior to this but since there was so much hype behind it I decided to give it a try and I can say that the hype was to be believed. This is one of the best games I have ever gotten into thanks to the game mechanics, leveling up, various weapons, character relationships and job classes. I spent 47 hours on my first playthrough, but then I had to get rid of it. However a few months ago I bought the game and fell in love with it all over again, my current playtime is around 54 hours. This game is the main reason I turn on my 3DS these days as I love to come back to the game mess around fighting the Risen or Streetpass players.

To conclude video games, they have become my jam again and while I still love my films and going to the cinema, I have really gotten back to gaming and am not satisfied with having one good experience. I need more. I’m constantly on the hunt for more games that will feed my obsession/addiction and I love it. Well that’s another blog post done, thanks for reading and I’ll catch ya later!

 

New Dragon Ball Series Entitled “Dragon Ball Super” To Debut In July!

Howdy people of the internet, time for some TV news, more specifically anime related news. It has been a good while since I posted any news on this blog, but I just haven’t been that interested in posting anything in the world of films. HOWEVER, today I’m chilling online and I see this these crazy words on my Facebook news feed, “New “Dragon Ball Super” TV Series Announced For 2015.” and I’m like “WHAT!?!” I don’t believe it, but then I check on Google and it is true, Dragon Ball is coming back and it isn’t another version of Dragon Ball Z, but something new entirely and this is something I have to talk about.

The following information comes from Kanzenshuu:

“A new Dragon Ball TV series has been announced: Dragon Ball Super will debut this July and will run as a weekly series at 9:00 a.m. on Fuji TV, taking the time slot of the Dragon Ball Kai TV series. The story and characters will be developed by original manga author Akira Toriyama himself and will star veteran voice actress Masako Nozawa.

The “Dragon Ball SSSS” website provided quotes from the cast and production staff in conjunction with the announcement, most of which was also reiterated and translated in an English-language press release from Toei Animation:

Toei Animation Begins Production on Dragon Ball Super
Drawn From a Plot By The Brand’s Original Creator, Dragon Ball Super Is The First New Series In
Eighteen Years

TOKYO (April 28, 2015) – Toei Animation has announced production on Dragon Ball Super (Japanese title; tentative for English release), the first all-new Dragon Ball television series to be released in 18 years. Following the recent events of the hit feature film, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, Dragon Ball Super will debut in Japan in July 2015.

Reuniting the franchise’s iconic characters, Dragon Ball Super will follow the aftermath of Goku’s fierce battle with Majin Buu, as he attempts to maintain earth’s fragile peace. Overseen by Dragon Ball’s original creator, Akira Toriyama and produced with Fuji Television, Dragon Ball Super will draw on its historic past to create a bold, new universe welcoming to fans and endearing to new viewers.

Introduced as a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump (published from SHUEISHA Inc.) in 1984, Dragon Ball has evolved into a globally beloved brand. Seen in more than 70 countries, with over 230 million copies of its comic books sold, Dragon Ball remains one of the most popular anime series of all time.

“Having loved Dragon Ball since childhood, it is very exciting to be a part of this project,” said Osamu Nozaki, producer for Fuji Television. “Mr. Toriyama has developed a plot that’s not only a dream come true for Dragon Ball‘s millions of fans, but one that will foster in a new generation of viewers.”

“When I joined Toei Animation, one of my first assignments saw me working on the production of Dragon Ball Z,” said Atsushi Kido, producer for Toei Animation. “While there for only a short period of time, being a part of the series left a lasting impression. We look forward to carrying on Dragon Ball‘s tremendous legacy, bringing audiences a brand new Dragon Ball with the same sense of heart and commitment that went into past Dragon Ball productions.”

“I’ve used the word ‘cho’ (super) in so many commercials, games and other media, it is fantastic that the long awaited Dragon Ball Super will finally begin,” said Masako Nozawa, Japanese voice actress of Dragon Ball’s Son Goku, Son Gohan and Son Goten. “I hope that this series will last a long time and have the same impact around the world as its predecessor.”

Much like with the arcade and PlayStation 2 fighting game Super Dragon Ball Z, the chō in the new TV series’ title (ドラゴンボール超) is accompanied by a sūpā pronunciation as Dragon Ball Z Super.

The new TV series will be directed by Kimitoshi Chioka, whose only work with the franchise thus far was as a story boarder in Battle of Gods, and will be produced by Osamu Nozaki (Fuji TV), Naoko Sagawa (Yomiko Advertising), and Mutsumi Kido (Toei Animation). While Nozaki and Sagawa were both recent producers for Dragon Ball Kai, Kido served a short time as an assistant producer during the production of Dragon Ball Z.

Fans are sure to question whether or not this new series’ timeframe will overlap or lead into Dragon Ball GT. While the new series is said to pick up in a period of peace following the battle with Majin Buu, there is not yet any word on the specific timeframe (for example, a year in the “Age” calendar) that the story may take place. The 2013 and 2015 theatrical films — Battle of Gods and Revival of “F”, respectively — have both taken place in the ten year time skip between the defeat of Majin Buu and the 28th Tenka’ichi Budōkai. Toei Animation’s various guide books place the events of Dragon Ball GT as beginning in Age 789, five years after the events shown at the end of the original manga.”

So I’m just like “Damn, it’s actually happening? Wow… Fuck yeah gimme!” Now I have to admit I’m not the biggest Dragon Ball fan these days, DBZ used to be my life, it introduced me to the world of anime and I will always love the crazy, nostalgic fun it provides. But after my teenage years I became more of a One Piece kind of guy and discovered more anime shows. With that being said, any time some new Dragon Ball material surfaces I get all giddy and can’t wait to see what new stories can be told with today’s animation technology. That’s why I liked Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!, that’s why I really liked Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and that’s why I hyped to see Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’. It’s like how all Star Wars fans are freaking out about The Force Awakens, it is the same for most of the Dragon Ball community.

Even though I’m super surprised about this announcement, at the same time I knew that this would have to happen. Given the fact that the world of Dragon Ball has been getting more and more attention in the animation department in terms of OVAs, new films and footage for video games, it feels inevitable that a new series would have to come. I mean it just feels right that this classic franchise would return to the world in these times of long-awaited sequels and reboots. Dragon Ball (especially Dragon Ball Z) has always been something of a nostalgic property in the world of anime and only people in their 20’s and older would know about it. A lot of fans have wanted to see new material for many years, but it just seemed unlikely because of Akira Toriyama’s lack of involvement, but now it seems like the times are a changing and he’s back in the game to give us some more adventures with Goku and the crew, and I’m totally down for it. 🙂

So now one has to wonder what will this series be like? Right now we’re really scarce for details, however, it has been stated that this series takes place after DBZ but before Dragon Ball GT and to be honest that’s fine with me because the less I see of GT the better. I just wonder what will be the catalyst that starts the Z fighters up again? Who or what breaks the peace? Will there be more transformations, team-ups or fusions? Will there be returning characters who haven’t been seen for ages (like from Dragon Ball)? Will the series be primarily serious or take the Dragon Ball approach having a combination of humour and seriousness? So many questions and yet we have so long to wait. I guess we’ll get more information nearer to July and when the series eventually debuts. I’m just happy to know that the kids of today will get to experience one of my favourite shows in present times.

So have you heard about this news and if so what do you think of it? Please be sure to leave your comments below. Until next time, laters! 😀

 

I Got A Liebster Award Again, Huzzah!

Howdy ladies and gents, recently I was nominated for a Liebster Award and I’m really jolly about it. This is my second nomination as my first was given to me two years ago (man it feels like ages ago now), and this blog post is a little late since I was nominated almost two weeks ago I think, though I was always going to get around to it, so today I’m gonna talk about it.

Firstly I have to thanks to the lovely lady at Coolsville (whose name I’m not aware atm), she’s a delightful person who does really interesting reviews and while I’m still quite new to her material and have yet to make her acquaintance as a blogging friend, at the same time I enjoy her material and hope to see more from her in due time.

So now let’s talk about those rules that I have to enforce and they are as follows:

1. Thank the blog who nominated you and link back to them.
2. Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
3. Tell your readers 11 random facts about yourself.
4. Nominate up to 11 other bloggers to receive the award.
5. Give the nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog.

So here’s the questions presented to me from Coolsville:

1. What advice can you give to a blogger just starting out?

Find a subject matter, write with passion and stick with it. If you remember those key things, you’ll be fine. There’s no proper answer to give to new bloggers starting out, with that said, what I said before is what has kept me going. I write because I love it, I love to share my thoughts with the world and I like to get into discussions with people about stuff, especially films.

2. Imagine eating the perfect meal. What’s on the menu?

Pizza. Straight up. I love many forms of food, but I’m not too fussy and if you were to ask me off the top of my head then it would be pizza, a meat feast. That would make my life. 😛

3. What’s your favorite album of all time?

This a tough one, I have a lot of love for many albums by many artists, but if I had to pick one I would go with Jamiroquai’s Dynamite album from 2005. That was a very big part of my teenage years and defined my summer of 2005.

4. If you could nominate one book as required reading for high school students, which one would it be?

I don’t know about this one. I don’t really read books. Maybe The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Haha. That’s a mandatory book whether it is for learning purposes or otherwise.

5. What’s your favorite black and white film?

I would probably say Strangers on a Train, that film left an impression on me after I saw it in college.

6. Name three things that bring you joy.

Food, games and films.

7. Coffee, tea, or juice?

Juices for sure, coffee and tea are nice but I good glass of OJ can just feel so nice! XD

8. What is your astrological sign?

I’m an Aries, haha we’re a funny lot.

9. What’s your favorite element on the periodic table?

Probably Zinc (Zn) or Hydrogen (H), they just sounded cool.

10. If you could be fluent in another language, which one would you choose?

Japanese for sure, I would consider myself all-powerful and would be able to watch anime and Japanese films without subtitles.

11. If you were given a yacht, what would you name it?

The SS Badass! Haha, kind of cheesy and lame but hell its my yacht so that’d be a good enough name for me.

11 facts about myself:

1. In primary school I smashed my arm through a window and my dad had to take me home in front of all the kids in the playground.
2. At this current point in time I’ve seen Avengers: Age of Ultron twice.
3. I have yet to own a full driver’s licence (sad I know).
4. I LOVE the first three seasons of Spongebob Squarepants, but after that the show went to shit.
5. I have a massive man crush on Hugh Jackman and I am not ashamed!
6. I’ve always wanted to go to Venice, because I went there in a dream.
7. I love a clear night sky full of stars.
8. My idea of a perfect day is just a hang session with my friends, maybe a few drinks and some sunshine with a breeze
9. I can’t stand Brussel sprouts, WORST VEGETABLE IN HISTORY.
10. I’m still waiting for a live action adaptation of Moon Knight, he’s so underrated.
11. I need to get back into my scriptwriting as my mind has so many stories that need penning down.

Here’s my nominations:

1. Tim The Film Guy
2. My Kind of Movie
3. Sidekick Reviews
4. Writer Loves Movies
5. Mikes Film Talk
6. Film Grimoire
7. Dan the Man’s Movie Reviews
8. Vinnieh
9. My Reel POV
10. What About The Twinkie
11. Films and Things

And here’s my 11 questions:

1. What is your favourite type of weather?
2. Is there a film that makes you cry?
3. Is there a film you can quote from with ease?
4. How many times have you seen a film in the cinema?
5. What’s your favourite colour?
6. If you were a fruit which one would you be?
7. If you had a super power then which would you have?
8. Jelly, do you like it or not?
9. Which do you prefer: Star Wars of Lord of the Rings?
10. VHS or DVD?
11. Do you play video games?

Well that’s me done. Thanks for reading and I’ll see ya on the next blog post, laters! 😀

 

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review (NO SPOILERS)

Howdy ladies and gents, time to talk the film I’ve been waiting to see for AGES, this is big one, my most anticipated film of 2015, of course I’m talking about Avengers: Age of Ultron. If you’ve read this blog you know that: 1) I’m a big fan of Marvel and 2) That I REALLY loved The Avengers back in 2012, so the wait for this film has been super painful to endure, but luckily I got to see it yesterday in IMAX and I am ready to pass judgement. So please, sit back, chill out and read my non-spoiler review.

So plot for this film can be summarised as the following:

“When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and The Avengers 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 team to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for a global adventure.”

Now I will say that this film is not without some problems and potential nitpicks, but the good totally outweighs the bad and it really is about personal preference. Your experience and enjoyment of this film will be dependent on you as the viewer and what you choose to take away from the film. With that being said I would like to talk about what I liked about the plot.

I thought the plot overall was very enjoyable. The film that deals with cause and effect, the corruption of artificial intelligence, tampering with unknown power, dealing with one’s insecurities and the bonds between people, and it is all handled in a very dark, twisted, humourous and human way. For those worrying that the film would be too dark, be at ease as there is plenty of humour in this film and balances out perfectly with the more serious aspects of the story too. In addition to that this film is full of fan service, it pretty much gives you more of the same but with new, exciting and different scenarios. There was a very global scale to this film as the Avengers travelled to different parts of the world together and individually to find answers, stop the bad guys and save the world, it just makes the stakes feel higher and let you know that this is not an isolated incident and involves the lives of many people across the world. Another thing I appreciated about the film was the use of other characters from previous films crossing over into this one, it is not only great for fans to see these characters acknowledged again beyond the solo films, but it also gives a better sense of cohesion and continuity in this cinematic universe. I won’t say who shows up but needless to say the use of certain characters is definitely humourous and satisfying. So is there anything I didn’t like, well yes there was. This film had a lot going on with the numerous plot lines taking place and while for he most part it was executed well, I feel like some of them could have been handled better or been cut out entirely, plus I do miss the streamlined stories of some of the previous MCU films too. And there is an argument to be made that this film rehashed a few elements from the last Avengers film too, but in the grand scheme of things this will be stuff that only fanboys and harsh critics will pick up on.

As for the cast they are all very good and what I loved so much is that with the extra layers given to them thanks to the script, we get to see more sides to them, and learn more about their personalities and see them interact.

Let’s start with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, RDJ is still awesome and does well in this role. It’s like Joss Whedon found a way to bring back the funny and cocky aspects of the character, while also continuing to mature him and see how he feels responsible for the team and the world, and show how his insecurities bring about the dangers that follow. Chris Evans is great as Steve Rogers/Captain America, this time round Cap is more settled into present times, he’s focused and has that leader-like quality about him. It was nice to see his character evolve and grow a bit more, and when him and Tony butted heads, it was great. Evans and RDJ have such good on-screen chemistry. Chris Hemsworth as Thor was awesome, I’ve always loved this character and in this film they’ve given him his best material since the last Avengers film, here he is funny, awkward and totally badass. We discover more secrets about him, also see him battle in the most coolest way in the MCU so far, and we also see that he has great banter/competition with Tony Stark.

Mark Ruffalo is once again really good as Bruce Banner/Hulk. Banner is still just as witty and fun as he was in the last film, but he is definitely a little more on edge with his powers and troubled by what his future holds, as not only part of the team but also with personal relationships. It is also interesting to see how the Hulk was humanised quite well in this film and really makes me curious as to how they will handle him in a future solo film. Scarlett Johansson is still great as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, besides being absurdly gorgeous, this woman finds new ways to kick ass and look like a force to be reckoned with. But beyond that we learn more about her past, and see a more different side to her in regards to her relationship with Banner/Hulk. Ruffalo and Johansson have really good chemistry together. And Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye was awesome! Anyone dissatisfied with the character’s treatment last time will be very happy with this film as Hawkeye gets a lot of love here as he’s more dominant in the action, story and humour, plus he has some of my favourite lines in the whole film.

Now let’s talk about the new villain, Ultron played by James Spader. I thought Ultron was going to be super serious, but this film really did flesh him out and gave him more personality and human traits, it made him a little easier to relate to but also understand how his mind works. I loved how he could be totally calm and collected one moment and then freak out in another. Spader did quite well with this role and gave us the most memorable villain in the MCU since Loki. Then there’s the twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Johnson. I thought they were both really good, adding new flavours to the MCU and creating interesting situations for the Avengers to deal with. I bought the sibling-like nature and they worked well together and individually. Paul Bettany as  J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision was really good. Bettany does well to transition from a computer AI program to a fleshed out humanoid character, it gives his performance some variation and I really liked how Vision was handled, the dude was really intriguing and cool. Olsen was wonderful as this creepy yet vulnerable individual with strange powers and Johnson was totally cool, cocky and aggressive as the overly protective sibling. I liked the depiction of their powers as they looked cool and lead to some really great action scenes. Samuel L. Jackson return as Nick Fury and does a nice job and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill is just a good as I remember her being too. Oh and Andy Serkis was totally awesome as Ulysses Klaue offering a humourous, smart and devious supporting role. Thomas Kretschmann as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was pretty good but I wish he had been used a lot more and lastly Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes was awesome, I liked his interaction with the other team members and was glad to see that he had some good screen time.

When it comes to the presentation it is pretty damn impressive. Visually this film has some of the best action to come of the MCU with awesome fight sequences, good CGI and comic book referenced material too. Whether it is the Avengers team fighting together or seeing Captain America go up against Ultron or seeing Quicksilver running around messing stuff up, it is all so cool and it is pure fan service for the fans as there are a good few moments that made me smile with glee thinking, “Yes, this is the Avengers I wanted to see in live action.” I will say that sometimes the action does get a bit too chaotic and some of the action is hard to follow either because it moves too fast or is zoomed in too close, but that’s nitpicking. And the soundtrack handled by Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman is awesome, I’m not sure if it quite outdoes the previous soundtrack by Alan Silvestri, but it does include parts of the themes from previous MCU films and has plenty of powerful, heroic and beautiful moments, plus they kept the Avengers theme intact and it still sounds gorgeous.

In conclusion is Avengers: Age of Ultron pretty damn cool. While there are a few stumbles a long the way and there is some magic from the first film that arguably could not be recaptured this time round, make no mistake, this film gives fans what they want while delivering new and intriguing mysteries to be discovered. And at the end of the day the film is fun and when a film like this really entertains me there’s not much to complain about. 🙂

Rating: 8.5/10

So what did you think of Avengers: Age of Ultron? Do you feel this sequel leaves up to the hype or not? Also how do you think it more compares to not only the prequel but the other MCU films? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to leave them below and I’ll see ya on the next blog post yo! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: The Fantastic Four Trailer #2

Howdy people of the internet and welcome to another trailer review! Well I was having a nice casual day re-watching some Phase 1 Marvel studios films, and during a break I saw on ComicBookMovie.com that there was a second trailer released for The Fantastic Four. Now this film has been under fire from fans for the longest time, but after the first trailer dropped a good few people have changed their tunes about wanting to see this film. So what’s the second trailer like? Well read on and find out.

Check out the trailer below:

So my immediate thoughts after seeing this teaser? Well, I’m conflicted. On one hand the additional footage looks very intrigued and promising, while other parts left me not as impressed or as hopeful. But overall it is certainly making me interested in the film more so than before.

Now for this review I’m going to keep my thoughts as brief as possible since not too much has transpired in this trailer to make me go into full-on analytical mode, but I will highlight certain things that worth noting.

Firstly let’s talk briefly about the trailer as it does the following things:

1. It establishes that there will be humour in the film (which I believe is necessary considering that these people will not only have to become a family, but also because humour is pretty much part of Johnny Storm’s persona)
2. We get a little more background into the characters and their early interacts
3. It is also made known that Sue is the adopted child in the Storm family AND that her father is the man behind the research that leads the team’s eventual journey
4. These characters will travel to an alternate dimension/world (I know that was technically already known, but this trailer confirms it visually and verbally)
5. The Thing is on display A LOT
6. The powers of the characters are seen more so than before

The first trailer basically sets up a bit more of the story with us finding out that Johnny and Sue’s father has been researching into something to help understand and potentially safe the world. He’s been at it for a while, some people (probably the government) have been giving him a lot of money for the research and want answers, but it is due to Reed Richards’ intellect Dr. Storm and company have been able to take the one step further. The early appearances and interactions between the main four characters is interesting as it tells us what their personalities are and how they may butt head later on. It also looks like once these guys travel over to the other dimension, they are changed and it doesn’t look like the aftermath is good. These lot are on operating tables, showing off their powers in weird and violent ways, like a horrible transformation.

What I like about this trailer is the humour, that means the film isn’t all doom and gloom (thank god), the CGI for the most part looks very detailed, clean and has a strong art direction too especially for the other dimension stuff. I like how Sue Storm seems to be wearing something that looks very in line with the comic book costumes. Oh and the use of their powers is pretty cool with Reed stretching, Sue and her force fields and Johnny on fire and flying.

My only nitpicks are:

1. Dr. Doom, we only get a glimpse of him and yet it looks so odd, like he has a melted metal face. I know changes need to be made and maybe the film will justify it with the plot, but for now I would have preferred the standard mask (for all it’s problems I actually like the look of the old Doom from the 2005 film, yeah I said it).
2. The Thing, wow. Now I saw the images of The Thing released beforehand and he’s definitely taken a more detailed and more realistic approach, but seeing it in action is a totally different thing. At certain angles he looks kind of cool, but at other he looks hella ugly. I mean maybe he is meant to look bad to emphasise the horror of his transformation, but still he’s not that hard to ruin, and now I’m thinking I may actually like the big old orange version from the 2005 film (again, I’m saying it because I’m not afraid of the hateful comments!)

In conclusion the second trailer for The Fantastic Four is pretty interesting, but I can’t say I’m totally sold on this film yet. There are things that I liked, but there are also things that I didn’t like or just left me wondering why such things are happening. That is not to say that I won’t watch the film, it certainly looks like it at least deserves a watch and if they get the core elements of the characters and mythos right then I shall forgive all of the radical changes in a heartbeat.

So have you seen the second trailer for The Fantastic Four and if so what do you think of it? And are you more or less interested in seeing the film than you were before? Whatever your thoughts are drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

The Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer #1 Review

Howdy people of the internet, today I have another trailer review for you and today’s one is another important one as it’s the teaser to  the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now after the awesome Star Wars: Episode 7 trailer recently, I thought that there wouldn’t be another great trailer to watch for a while, however, Batman v Superman leaked online and being the nerd that I was I just had to see it, and then it officially got released I think a day later. So how does it look? Well read on and find out!

Check out the trailer below:

So my first thoughts after seeing this trailer? Cool, pretty damn cool, I want more please.

This trailer was pretty much exactly how I expected it to be; dark, muted in colour, and in line with the tone of Man of Steel, however what I didn’t expect was how the inclusion of Batman would make me even more excited for this film than I was before. I make it no secret that I’m more of a Marvel fan than DC fan, that being said I love me some Batman and I feel like that is the key aspect that has me interested in this film. No offence to Superman, but Batman is friggin Batman, the dark knight, caped crusader, creature of the dark and all-round badass and in this trailer I got that vibe from him.

This trailer pretty much gives off a “these are the dark days” kind of vibe, from the voice overs and imagery on-screen, it looks like things have not progresses well since Superman’s last outing. What this trailer does well is that it helps illustrate what the state of the world is in the DC film universe and world after the events of Man of Steel, people question Superman’s existence, and ask things like is he a saviour? Is he doing the right thing? Looks like Superman these days is subject of controversy with some who like him and some who hate him, the guy even has a statue made in his honest but it has the words “false god” on it, so yeah Superman has a lot on his plate these days. I also love some of the lines from some of the voice overs like:

• “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
• “Human beings have a horrible track record of following people with great power.”
• Lex Luthor: “Devils don’t come from hell beneath us. They come from the sky.” (clearly Jesse Eisenberg sounding pretty cool and Luthor-like from this line of dialogue)
• Alfred: “That’s how it starts. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men… cruel.” (This is my favourite quote, it is very classic Alfred and Jeremy Irons says it with such style and poignancy.

The imagery for this film looks very nice and distinctive, it reminds me of the style of Watchmen (but then you could argue that it is the same style that Zack Snyder does in all of his films). I don’t know if it is just because it is because of the way the world looks or if it is because of the inclusion of Batman, but this film seems bleaker and more grey than Man of Steel. There are more dark clouds, extra emphasis on the lighting and shadows, with shots in the daytime that look pretty bright while shots at night are dark but have plenty of light sources to highlight the action (like lighting, fire, explosion, artificial lighting, etc). That shot of that man reaching to the sky towards Superman’s direction, it looks very fantasy-like, like he really is reaching out to god-like being with Superman almost silhouetted by the sun, that is a pretty shot. Oh and that shot of Batman (I assume) inside that building (that reminds me of that place where Superman killed Zod in Man of Steel), it looks very dramatic and the use of smoke, lighting breaking through the window and the colour blue really makes the scene look cold and dramatic. I can tell that the film will have a lot of special and iconic-looking shots in its cinematography.

Oh but the best thing about this teaser is inclusion of Batman, period. For me the main selling point of this film is the introduction of Batman, I know it is a sequel to a Superman film, but he’s not really as interesting or cool as the beast that is the Batman, and thankfully he looks frigging badass, we get a few looks at him and even get to see Ben Affleck outside of the suit as Bruce Wayne too.

Just looking at this image above, Affleck really looks cool. Even though Affleck has a very recognisable face and screen presence, here he really looks serious and badass and I am feeling a Bruce Wayne vibe from him. It is that look in his face and his black shirt that just feels very Bruce Wayne-like and leads me to believe that he will kill it in this role.

But what is more impressive is the Batman costume. For a while now, I’ve always said about each of the live-action Batman films that my only nitpick is that the Batman suits have never looked comic book accurate. I know that with adaptations things have to change and there were limitations with certain films because of the different points in time. For me the Tim Burton suits were the best and closest to the comics, while the Christopher Nolan suits were interesting variations but not very accurate to comics. This new suit, DAMN, now that’s what I call badass! It is very close to the suit from The Dark Knight Returns, it also retains that iconic Batman looks from the cowl to the cape to the grey coloured suit underneath. And that shot of Affleck in the suit as he rises up looks so beast! He looks like a frigging tank and you see him in this suit and you;re like, “Bloody hell, I don’t wanna meet that guy on a dark night.” That is the look of an imposing anti-hero and I love it. Oh and another thing to note is that shot of Batman on top of that building with his cape blowing in the wind looks really cool and again really taps into that comic book style.

And then there’s the final scene with Batman and Superman (which some of us had scene last summer from the Comic-Con trailer), the two stare each other down, one from the sky and the other from the ground, all the while with the rain, thunder and lightning, and then Superman comes down to the ground, and that’s pretty much the point before the fight will take off. I really like the way Batman’s armoured suit looks, it is very cool and sharp, but this scene is mainly notable for the quote that Batman drops: “Tell me, do you bleed? You will” That is some hardcore words there, and fan across the internet are already freaking out about it.

Oh man, it looks like things are about to kick off yo. The rain really reminds me of a Matrix Revolutions type of battle (I know, bad film to make a comparison to but it had to be done).

In conclusion the first trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice looks pretty cool. I can tell that this film will be something to talk about for ages after it comes out if any of this footage is an indication of what’s to come in the final film. From the very pretty visual style to the shots of the batwing and batmobile and seeing Superman in this god-like manner, it feels like it is tapping into the comic book material and is making fans happy for sure. It is super dark, moody and very atmospheric and Batman looks frigging awesome. While this trailer blow me away personally, it was a lot better than I was expecting and I can’t wait to discover more about this film later on in the year.

So what do you think of the teaser trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Are you over the moon and freaking out about it or are you disappointing or just okay with it? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review. Laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser #2

Howdy people of the internet and welcome to a new trailer review! I was going to review the Terminator Genisys trailer at some point soon since the new trailer dropped, but since the second teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. dropped online today I just had to talk about that instead.

Here’s the trailer:

So my thoughts after seeing this trailer? It sounds something like this: “Why is December so far away? I want this film now!”

With all the big films coming up this summer like Avengers 2, Jurassic World, Terminator 5, Mission: Impossible 5, Ant-Man and Fantastic Four just to name a few, it is easy to forget that a little old franchise by the name of Star Wars is getting the 7th entry in that film series since the last film in 2005. The hype for the first teaser nearly broke the internet back in December and that was only 90 seconds, but here we get more, we get more scenes of characters, action and spectacle and it looks GORGEOUS! I know that it is just a preview of what is coming up and the film could still be bad, however, with footage like this it is hard for me to feel anything but joy. It looks like J.J. Abrams and the people behind this film has everything under control.

Since there’s so much going on in this teaser trailer, like the last review I’m just going to talk about the main things I took away from this trailer. No bare in mind I’m no Star Wars boffin so there will be things that go over my head or I won’t be able to discuss in nerdy fashion, so don’t kill me.

Fallen Star Destroyer

Having this as the opening scene is perfect. For fans of the Original Trilogy this is a scene that is nostalgia as I believe we’re on that sandy planet that looks like Tatooine again (it is apparently called Jakku) and we see a speeder driving by in the background, and as the camera pans to the right we see the remains of a HUGE old star destroyer. Just that moment put me in a state of awe. That ship was insanely big and it really establishes the scale and scope of this new film in contrast to the original films and to some degree even the prequels. I just like how the remains from the old films still exist here in an old, decayed, but visually distinctive manner, and the fact that the old Star Wars music is playing in background with it, that just hits home in such a lovely way.

That Old Vader Helmet

Bloody hell, this was another really chilling and nostalgic element. Seeing that helmet of Darth Vader was both cool and super creepy. I love Vader and I was gutted when he died in Return of the Jedi, but the man did die a hero and was burnt in fire. But seeing is old, deformed/melted helmet, it was so creepy and horror-like to me. I can’t look at it too much, it just creeps me out. I assume that it is look possibly looking at the helmet, unless it is someone else, if so who?

New Kids In Danger

We get to see a few new looks at John Boyega and Daisy Ridley individually at different points, but this trailer establishes that they are not only in the same location but how they also have to work together too. And this shot is awesome, seeing them running for their lives from the destruction behind them. And this shot is even better before BB8 is along for the ride too.

Action, Spectacle & Chaos!

The Star Wars films have always been known for their incredible attention to detail when it came to visual effects, cinematography and action sequences, and looks like this film will take what we’ve come to expect and improve upon that foundation tenfold with the use of improved CGI and modern styles of cinematography. The action in this film looks off the hook, the amount of madness going on whether it is X-Wings flying above water on a Earth-looking planet or Tie Fighters chasing down the Millennium Falcon through the remains of huge ship or some crazy battle in a hangar bay with a Tie Fighter shooting at Stormtroopers, it all looks SO clean, detailed and shiny and I want a piece of it!

Stormtroopers & Crazy Cool Sith Man

Firstly I’m really liking the new look of Stormtroopers, they look new, but familiar. I like how there are still a good number of them lurking around after all these years and I can’t wait to see them in action/ They look cool standing around and getting blown away, but I want to see more from them and understand just how John Boyega fits into his role as one of them. Oh and that dude in the dark hood from the first trailer, we can see his face! Well, sort of. I know the guy has a name but I forget what it is. Anyways, he wears a cool-looking mask and looks like he’s going to be throwing down in this film swinging his lightsabers and using the force too, I just want to know how much of a force he’ll be and who he’ll run into over the course of the film.

Chewie & Han!

And after that incredible short chase sequence with the Millennium Falcon, the icing on the cake was clearly last scene, seeing Harrison Ford back as Han Solo alongside Chewbacca with him saying “Chewie, we’re home.” That was just perfect and sort works both as return for the characters in the film but also for us fans that have been waiting to see them in this universe again after so many years. On and I just want to highlight how good Ford looks, sure he’s old for sure, but the make up and costume people have done well to make him look like a more seasoned version of Solo, I just hope he can still move a fair amount though.

In conclusion the second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is frigging amazing. It feels like the perfect blend of old and new, again it is only a teaser, there isn’t much information on the story or characters, but what we do see is hella cool and exciting. It is only the second trailer and I’m already feeling like this film will be the amazing experience I hope it will be. There is so much to like and again, I can’t wait for December to come, MY BODY IS READY! 😀

So how do you feel about the second teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Are you hyped more or less than before or were you unimpressed? I would love to hear your thoughts, please be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Ant-Man Trailer #2

Howdy people of the internet, today I return to give you a new trailer review for the next Marvel film, no not Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the other one coming out later on in July and that’s Ant-Man. Now, the first trailer for this film didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but I’ve still been interested in seeing how this turned out. So today the second trailer’s dropped today and I’ve seen some positive feedback lurking around online, so is it good or not? Well read on and find out!

Check out the trailer below:

So my first thoughts after seeing this trailer? Well this is certainly better than the last one for sure, and the hype level has definitely gone up for sure.

I am going to keep this trailer review as simple as possible. Basically, this trailer expands upon what we saw in the previous trailer by giving us more details on the story, characters and action. We see more Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and A LOT more of Corey Stoll.

When it comes to the story it looks like we have a better understanding about what the technology behind what the Ant-Man suit can do and what its original purpose was for (being used for the military and being super stealthy), and it seems like Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) is the main man behind the technology and is looking to sell it to everyone. While on the other side of things you have Dr. Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne (Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly) who see Cross as bad man who has to be taken out, so Pym finds Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and recruits him to steal tech away from Cross (I assume) and become a hero. I like how Hope is integral to the story and understands the technology behind the Ant-Man suit and trains scott to fight and understand how his powers work when he’s small. I also appreciate how we get to see more of Stoll as the bad guy, he clearly looks like he has an aggressive villain who will give our hero a lot of trouble.

What it interests me the most about this film again is the action sequences. I know that it’s mainly CGI, green screen and motion capture, but man it looks SO good, the level of detail is so sharp and beautiful, loving the colours and the way things seem a little slower and stylized in the smaller world. Seeing Ant-Man running with the heard of ants or taking out dude with his miniature super strength, it all looks pretty slick and intriguing as a form of combat. But the best stuff for me is seeing Ant-Man and Yellowjacket fighting, all of the jumping, flying, lasers and explosions is badass.

Oh  there’s a fair amount of humour in the trailer, like most Marvel films, whether it is joking about the ‘Ant-Man’ name or talking about breaking into a place to steal something or seeing Paul Rudd get punched in the face by Evangeline Lilly, it looks humourous, and that final moment of the trailer when Yellowjacket was about to get hit by the Thomas the Tank Engine train and you just see the train just hit and fall over, that was funny, best funny moment in the trailer.

This is perfect, really random, but funny too. Any person who knows about Thomas will get a kick out of this.

In conclusion the second trailer for Ant-Man is pretty good. This is looking like it will be a very different kind of adventure like Guardians of the Galaxy last summer. I’m just curious to see how this all pans out, the costumes are looking hella good and the action seems better and better with each trailer. I’m not stupidly over the moon about this film yet, but I definitely want to see it more than before.

So what do you think of the second trailer for Ant-Man? Are you more or less excited for the film than before? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review. Laters! 😀

 

Marvel’s Daredevil Season 1 Review (NO SPOILERS)

Howdy ladies and gents, today I come to you with my review of Marvel’s Daredevil. You know the show’s only been out since Friday, but I just had to binge it as best I could while having to go to work on Friday and Saturday night haha. Since I already did an impressions blog post on the show, I don’t want to repeat myself for those who have read it, so I’ll try to focus on points that I didn’t mention before and abbreviate previous topics. So how has the first season of Daredevil fared? Well read on and find out!

So what this show about? Well, the show involved Matt Murdock, a man who at a young age was blinded by chemicals and because of that incident his other senses were raised to superhuman levels. So by day he is a lawyer but at night he fights crime and tries to improve the state of Hell’s Kitchen as costumed vigilante, Daredevil.

This show’s structure has been described by the actors and producers as a 13-hour movie and rightly so, this show has a sequence of episodes that all connect to each other, whether it is from episode to episode or if there are elements in earlier episodes that come to pass in the latter half of the season. Everything is connected and it gives off a great sense of continuity and cohesion. I also like how some episodes bleed into each other, like say how certain events that take place at the end of one episode will be picked up immediately in the next, it again makes things feel connected.

The show feels like a crime drama but also mixes it together with a lot of the cool superhero codes and conventions and references we’ve come to expect, there is an origin story but it is handled in a brief and smart way through flashbacks that relate to the action at hand (like Arrow). What this show does well with the stories is that there is a lot of mystery, intrigue, humour and drama, it is all mixed together in a very natural and fulfilling manner. The consistency for the most part is great, from the first episode you a given a very gripping near hour of TV and that quality continues as the season advances, and that in turn makes the show very addictive. I also like the pacing of the show, this show moves fairly quick, a lot of story and character elements are set up and established, but it never feels like things are moving too fast as there is enough time delegated for all of the events in the episodes.

Episode highlights include:

• Into the Ring (personal favourite)
• Cut Man (personal favourite)
• In the Blood (personal favourite)
• World on Fire
• Condemned (personal favourite)
• Stick (personal favourite)
• Shadow in the Glass
• Speak of the Devil (personal favourite)
• Nelson v. Murdock
• Daredevil (personal favourite)
  

When it comes to the cast, the cast do a really good job at establishing these characters and give such wonderful performances. Firstly there’s Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, he is great, he rides the line between good and evil very well, Murdock is as a person who wants to do the best for his city and protect the people he cares for, but goes to very extreme measures to get what he wants. Cox is very charming and convincing in this role and I love what he’s done with this character. Equally or more impressive is Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, wow, what a beast! This version of Fisk is a little socially awkward and is a little more vulnerable than what we’ve seen before, that being said, when he’s angry, he’s like a bloody force of nature and the stuff he does in this series is nothing short of insanely brutal. D’Onofrio was perfect for this role, he has the right level of subtly, mystery and anger and I loved his scenes when he was delivering the pain, but also when he learnt more about his backstory.

Elden Henson as Franklin “Foggy” Nelson is another strong character. He could have been a one-note character because of his comic relief nature, however he gets into the thick of the action, is a very charismatic and resourceful person who has an importance to the story. Together Henson and Cox have great chemistry and you really by the friendship that Foggy and Murdock have. Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page is great too, she is a valuable person in this show as she brings a lot of fun and emotion to this show, she’s surprisingly tenacious and stronger than she appears. She has some great chemistry with both Murdock and Nelson too. Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple is lovely, I appreciated that she approached her situations with a calm, yet firm and realistic manner, and Dawson acts with such care and beauty, whenever she was gone I wanted to see more of her. Toby Leonard Moore is awesome as James Wesley, he was Fisk’s right hand man and I liked how confident, suave and efficient he was. Moore was so good as being such a reserved man, but on occasions showed just how smart and dangerous he could be. Then there’s Vondie Curtis-Hall who did a great job as Ben Urich, Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsley offered a lot of interesting and tactical flair and Ayelet Zurer was very beautiful and impressive as Vanessa Marianna. And finally Scott Glenn as Stick, what a legend. The played the gruff, emotionless teacher that trained Matt in his early days and has a mysterious connection to other mysterious parties beyond America. Glenn was so slick, cool and funny in this role and his contribution to this show was one of my favourite parts.

 

As for the presentation, it is gorgeous! This show looks incredible, so much attention has gone into the visual style of the show with the great cinematography, use of colour and lighting and the crisp detail of the picture quality. Oh and the action, OH MY GOD! I love fight scenes in film and TV and this is some of the best work that’s been produced in the MCU, fights are ferocious, aggressive, rough and wonderfully choreographed. Beyond the cutscenes the stunt work is incredible, all of the running, jumping and flipping for Daredevil and some of the enemies he fights is SO good, the stunt work is lovely. Also the soundtrack by John Paesano is pretty good, at times it feels like he is tapping into The Dark Knight Trilogy style of music, but for the most part this music is dramatic, energetic and badass.

So are there any problems with the show, yes, unfortunately there is. I would say that there are moments where some of the characters and story elements aren’t quite as compelling as others and certain decisions made towards the end of the series I would not have agreed with. In addition to that, as I stated before the level of consistency for the quality of this show for the most part is excellent, however, the two episodes prior to the season finale were not nearly as compelling as the episodes that had come before.

In the end the first season of Marvel’s Daredevil is awesome, I had so much hope for this show and luckily it delivered the goods. This show is violent, action-packed, dramatic and just a lot of fun to watch especially if you are binge watching it. While it is not perfect, when it comes to TV-based superhero adaptations, it doesn’t get better than this and I cannot recommend it enough. This has given me much hope for Marvel’s other upcoming Netflix shows, and I can’t wait for season 2, I’m ready for more! Woo! 😀

Rating: 9/10 (Solid, exciting and brutal fun)

So have you seen Marvel’s Daredevil and is so what do you think of it? As a fan of the source material are you impressed with it or think that more could be done? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters. 🙂