"Marvel's The Defenders" Series Review - Don't Avenge, Defend

Marvel are the kings of the cinematic super hero movie arena right now, that's an undisputed fact. Since moving into Netflix in 2015 originally, however, some will argue that they are even challenging DC's traditional title as the better of the two companies at making TV shows. No doubt, they got off to an excellent start. Both of the first two series of Daredevil as well as Jessica Jones were practically universally acclaimed, and for good reason. The later two series of Luke Cage and in particular Iron Fist were met with more mixed reviews, again for good reason. That said, it was all ultimately building up to this, the team-up between all four of their Netflix heroes: The Defenders. Well, that time has finally arrived, and does it live up to the hype? Yes and no. In the story department, The Defenders certainly disappoints to a certain extent. The story revolves around the characters of Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) being brought together by their own separate circumstances to face off against an ancient evil which is not only threatening the entire city of New York which they call home, but also all of their closest friends and family. This evil: the Hand, returning from Daredevil season 2 and season 1 of Iron Fist, headed up by Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra and her various associates. This sounds like an engaging conflict on the face of it as more revelations are given about the Hand after their previous set-up, and especially since the episode count is much lower than other Marvel Netflix shows at 8 episodes rather than 13. Unfortunately, it fails to come across as such. Surprisingly, the plot is burdened with a great deal of filler which feels excessive and unnecessary, and I often found myself distracted while watching the show. Even then, when the show does choose to focus on the story, the plot itself soon reveals it's rather generic nature, and unfortunately there's very little to be found here than most of us won't have seen before. The show begins with the four characters wisely separated, forced to come together by their own circumstances. This initially seems a wise decision. However, the pacing problems of the entire series are perfectly summarised by the face that it takes until the very end of episode three for all of them to finally converge and come together in the same scene. The writers chose to keep them separated for far too long, a mistake which only seems more severe after later episodes, and unfortunately then the writing can seem rather unfocused. It almost appears near the beginning that we are watching four separate season premieres for the next season of their respective shows rather than a team-up. The only other issue I have with the story is the ending. I'm not including spoilers here so don't worry about my revealing anything major if you plan on watching the show, but I found the ending very manipulative. It leads the audience to believe that something has happened to toy with their emotions, but it ultimately comes across as predictably pointless. On further analysis, the whole instance is actually quite clichéd, and leads me to wonder why they bothered with this inclusion in the first place. However, with all that said, the show does still have high points despite the weakness of the story. Once the main heroes come together, and being to interact, that is where the main strength of the show lies, and, to a certain extent, it makes some failures a tad more excusable. Not entirely, but at least slightly.

With regards the acting, of course the only place to start is with the four leads of the show: Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil; Krysten Ritter as PI Jessica Jones; Mike Colter as the unbreakable Luke Cage; and Finn Jones as Danny Bland...sorry, Danny Rand, the Immortal Iron Fist. As you might guessed from that, Finn Jones is still the outstanding problem in the series, in large part because it seems that no writer can find a way to make his character particularly interesting. He comes across as a pouting child for most of the series, only really shining in any way when he is given he chance to bounce off of his larger than life co-stars. Admittedly, the four of them do have great chemistry with each other, and it is the often hilarious interactions between them that are the golden high points of the series, in a similar way to the first Avengers flick. I again only wish, however, that they had brought them together sooner, especially since it would have kept Danny more consistently enjoyable. The rest of the team, however, continue to excel. Mike Colter is once again a cool customer as Luke Cage, easily the least morally confused of the four, and is a fun presence in large part due to his adamant stance that the mystical nature of the villainous Hand organisation is in no way magic. Charlie Cox is the heart and soul of the show as Matt Murdock, as the writers continue to explore the key theme of heroism that has ran through both series of his own show, as well as the internal conflict the character is constantly going through, as he attempts to balance his day job as a lawyer with the urge to return to his night life as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. This is certainly the most interesting and engaging character arc in the entire series and one which the writers thankful devote a large amount of time to. However, Krysten Ritter stands in my mind as the MVP of the entire series as Jessica Jones, once again bringing the perfect non-caring attitude to the role, as she is the member of the team least interested in being subject to the events of her own series, particularly at the hands of Kilgrave. She is consistently the most fun character to watch, and brings a great deal of humour in making fun of the other characters she is acting alongside. What makes all of these characters work, however, is the shared mindset that none of them are heroes. They don't regard themselves as such because of everything else they have done. They are four troubled people trying to help people and make their way in the world, and to see them forced to come to terms with the idea that they could become something more is one of the main areas where the script succeeds.

The Devil of Hell's Kitchen, the Smart-Ass Detective, the Righteous Ex-Con, and the Kid With The Glowing Fist

Let's talk about the supporting cast members now, and, again, the acting here is on point. Various supporting cast members from all of the separate character shows return here, including Rachael Taylor's Trish Walker from Jessica Jones; Elden Henson's Foggy from Daredevil; Simone Missick as Misty Knight from Luke Cage; and Iron Fist's trusted ally Colleen Wing, played by Jessica Henwick, from Iron Fist (obviously). All of the actors do well in their own right, and are given solid foundation to play a role in the story, each popping up not only when the plot demands it, but also to play a relevant role. Unfortunately, none of these characters receive much by the way of development and some even seem to halter the story at times. Simone Missick's Misty Knight in particular is of concern to the main story, in large part because she in investigating the criminal conspiracy the Defenders are fighting to uncover, but is forced to uncover information at a much slower rate than the main characters. Therefore, when the episodes do decide to cut back to her, it can often bring the pacing of the show to a snail's pace, and the scenes themselves are incredibly dull and repetitive. Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page and the aforementioned Elden Henson as Foggy can also be an issue for the character of Daredevil, with their continued input into the show often hampering the appearance of the character in his iconic suit. The show also has an array of villains, and some of these far much better than others. Elodie Yung returns as assassin warrior Elektra from season 2 of Daredevil, and is as enjoyable a presence here as she was there, this time receiving more development in regards to some revelations in that earlier series and standing as one of the most enjoyable parts of the entire show. Wai Ching Ho is also as brilliant as ever as Madame Gao, also returning and remaining one of the Defenders' most intimidating foes despite her seemingly fragile body. However, the most high profile addition to the series has been the brilliant Sigourney Weaver as the head of the Hand, Alexandra. Weaver brings her all to this role, crafting a character who is so much more than a moustache-twirling villain, but is actually a three-dimensional human being. Although she must appear intimidating for a person in her position, she is given many vulnerabilities and secrets which allow the audience to sympathise with her to an extent and understand her desperation to acquire what the Hand is seeking. Also, she has great chemistry with all of the heroes, making her seem even more intimidating as she talks down to them even when she is seemingly under threat from them. She's an excellent head villain. Unfortunately, other members of the Hand do not fare so well. Many of them are significantly underdeveloped, fail to come across as intimidating (despite ripping scenes straight out of better shows like Game Of Thrones) and one consistently comes across as more annoying than villainous. To be fair, this is a returning character from Iron Fist so what more could I have been expecting. A mixed bag, but at the very least, the head villains work.

Sigourney Weaver stars as the head of the Hand, the villainous Alexandra

If there was one area where The Defenders absolute needed to excel, however, it was in the action sequences which have been a staple of every Marvel Netflix show. With the Hand as the main villains, that was a particular necessity, as these are villains who specialise in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, and therefore the stunt choreography needed to be on point throughout as well, and could not rely on CGI to pull this off. Season 1 of Iron Fist was very similar in this capacity, and was only partially successful, making me slightly worried to see how this show would turn out. Thankfully, it is much better than that show for the most part. Most of the action is much more inventive and enjoyable, helped in large part by the fact that there are four heroes working together for the majority this time round. Of course, there is a hallway fight scene which, as regular viewers of these series will know, has become a staple of the Marvel Netflix universe. The hallway scene in this show is actually the first sequence with all four of the heroes together, contesting not only against various members of the Hand but also head assassin Elektra. It's an extremely engaging action beat, which deviates itself from it's predecessors by splitting into different rooms, showing the different heroes, and also having them work together and mix their power sets together in unique and constantly fun ways. The rest of the group scenes are also fun, particular when that fun back-and-forth between the characters makes its way into these scenes. There are also some brutal one-on-one scenes between characters, which are often more exciting than the group set pieces. One scene which stands out in particular is a fight between Daredevil and Elektra at the tail end of the series. Not only is the scene extremely brutal, well lit, and excellently choreographed, but it is also extremely emotional due to the relationship between the two and the difficult position Murdock in particular has found himself in by this point in the series, determined to save Elektra not only from the Hand, but also from herself. At this point, he knows he needs her, that he can't continue to go on without her while he knows she's alive, and the weight of that feeling can be felt throughout the entire sequence. It's simple brilliance. That said, while that scene and the hallway are excellently executed, there is often an issue of cinematography throughout the rest of the fight scenes in the show. Although that isn't an issue with he show normally, and scenes during the day are fine, it is abundantly clear that many of the directors of the series do not know how to competently direct action sequences. The editing here is sometimes very sloppy, cutting more than is necessary to hide what is happening in the scenes, while a great deal of shots are taken from a low down angle, as if we as an audience are looking up at the fight taking place. None of this is helped by the often dreadful lighting, leading to me and my friend often leaning forward to make up what was happening. It's a shame when this happens because, for all the fun that all of the action proves to be, it is small failures like these which keep the show from reaching the level of greatness the early Marvel Netflix shows were capable of.

Elodie Yung returns as Elektra, this time sporting a true fan service costume

Another area where The Defenders is consistently excellent is in it's editing, and this is something you will definitely notice when watching it, even if you're not used to looking out for it in film or TV. The transitions between scenes are done extremely stylishly so that they are always interesting to see. They feel smooth and natural yet are also extremely inventive throughout the show. It might seem like a small thing to pick up on in this instance (which it is normally, but I'm picky so there you go), but it makes the entire series seem far more creative than a lot of other TV shows and gives the entire project a real flair to it. It's something a lot of other TV shows lack more often than not, so it's refreshing to see a show take this so seriously and professionally. The music is also excellent. John Paesano, who also composed the scores for the first two series of Daredevil, returns to compose for this show, and does a great job once again. Small pieces of the main themes for all four shows are ingeniously implemented throughout depending on who the main focus of the show should be, and often in instances where it is more appropriate. After all, it makes sense to use the Jessica Jones theme when the heroes are investigating, or the more soft Daredevil piano theme during emotional sequences. That said, there is one small issue of music when it comes to Luke Cage. The use of hip hop made sense in the context of his own series, but it often accompanies his entry into most scenes during the series, particularly early on. Although it isn't particularly irritating or off-putting, it's entire use does feel a bit...on the nose to put it politely, especially considering the character is from Harlem. The opening title sequence is another area which I really enjoyed every episode. It's a small area a lot of people will not particularly care about, but I personally have always enjoyed title sequences, especially when well-designed. I love a lot of HBO show openings in particular (seriously, look up the openings for Game Of Thrones, Westworld, and especially season 1 of True Detective to see what I mean). This opening was another one which I appreciated in large part because of it's use of colour, brilliantly using the colour schemes of all four of the Defenders' own series, accompanied by their silhouettes against the backdrop of a sprawling New York City. Stylish, beautiful, and a perfect indication of what the show would be, it's an excellent opening which sets the tone for each episode. However, on the note of colour, the lighting in the show can often be extremely irritating. It makes sense that the showrunners and directors would want to use the colours of each character, but the use of the colour filters in each episode is often extremely forced. A red filer for Daredevil scenes; purple for Jessica Jones; the yellow for Luke Cage in particular is often very off-putting. It's a shame, because it's one of the only other production areas behind the scenes where the show seems to have dropped the ball, coming across more as unimaginative than at all stylish.

Interactions and conflicts between the characters are the easy highlight

In short, The Defenders is a bit of a mixed bag, and may be helped in my eyes party because of my familiarity and love of the source material. It's true that there are a great deal of problems with the show, and that largely comes down to the script. The script is not kind towards the supporting cast of the show, often sidelining them and offering very little by way of development. Although most are given uses, the implementation of some characters sometimes feels forced, as their purpose only serves to slow down the story. A story which has pacing issues at the best of times. And let's not even start talking about the character of Iron Fist. It's a shame that it would be more appropriate to call Danny Rand Danny Bland. On that note, the story is also fairly dull and predictable, ultimately offering nothing to audiences that we have not seen before. Throw in some often dreadful cinematography which makes it difficult to see what is actually happening most of the time. With all that said, the show also has many high points. The main four characters are great and have fun interactions and chemistry, while the villains are also strong in their own right. The action is solid, as is the action throughout the entire show. Other behind the scenes factors are also excellent, including the editing and score, though the lighting is often a little strange. With all that said, what elevates The Defenders to the score I have given comes down to the aforementioned interactions as well as the emotion injected into the script through the themes of heroism and life. The show takes a mature stance on life and mortality, acknowledging that death is inevitable and the constant struggle of the human race to try and avoid it. The leads are also not as perfect as those of the movies. These are not super soldiers from WWII, billionaire philanthropists, or Asgardian gods. These are troubled and broken people, people who truly do not believe that they are heroes or deserve to be regarded as such, but, when the time is right, step up to help others and defend their city. This is why the Marvel Netflix shows are so enjoyable and often superior to the movies. They understand the humanity that characters require to become liable icons that an audience can aspire to. Of course we can't all be PIs with super strength, or a kid with a glowing fist, or a man with unbreakable skin, or even a blind lawyer who has super-hearing and fights crime by night, but the show is meant to inspire an audience to stand for what they believe is right, and fight for it. For all it's problems, at least The Defenders conveys this. Don't avenge your ideals and others after they have been beaten. Defend them.

Pros

• Solid acting for the most part
• The often emotional exploration of themes
• Great character interactions
• (Mostly) intimidating villains
• Fun action
• Editing
• Great score

Cons

• An often terrible script, particularly with supporting characters
• A dull plot
• Iron Fist is still a boring character
• Often questionable cinematography

Rating: 7/10

Release Date: 18th of August 2017

Starring Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Deborah Ann Woll, Simone Missick, Elden Henson, Eka Darville, Rachael Taylor, Jessica Henwick, Rosario Dawson,  Carrie Anne Moss, Scott Glenn, Elodie Yung and Sigourney Weaver

Editorial: Top 10 Performances In Comic-Book Movies!!

Did you know that I love comic-book movies? If you've been reading my stuff for a while then you might have noticed a trend with how I talk about these, and tend to inject a little bit of knowledge of the source material into my reviews or thoughts on a trailer. That said, because of that knowledge, I may often be slightly more critical of the writing of a character who is begin dated to the big screen. For the most part I can be accepting even if the adaption isn't a perfect copy from the comics but it is the performance given in the movie that I am more concerned about. It is a performance as much as the writing which can give the characters the heart and soul they are imbued with in the comics, and there have been a number of great performances across the years in this genre. Thinking about those, I decided to count down the top 10 best performances actors have given in a comic book movie. There are some basic criteria which I'll be following here as well. First off, I'm including any performance given in a movie which is based on a comic book. Baring in mind that there are comics and graphic novels outside of Marvel and DC, there will be a few performances on here outside of those studios. Secondly, and finally, the movie in question must be cinematically released. That therefore excludes any animated movies, and (unfortunately) any TV shows or Netflix series. Therefore, I can't include Stephen Amell from TV's Arrow, or Krysten Ritter or David Tennant from Marvel's excellent Jessica Jones. With that out of the way, let's jump into the list!

10 - Karl Urban as Judge Dredd (Dredd)

Remember how one minute ago I said this wasn't just going to be Marvel and DC movies? Well, let's just jump in with the most recent adaption of the Judge Dredd series, which came out in 2012 with Karl Urban in the lead role. Safe to say, it was a substantial improvement over Sylvester Stallone's effort featuring Rob Schneider in 1995, and that was in large part down to Urban's work as Dredd. Less like a caricature and more gritty, Urban takes a more faithful approach to his turn as the character, crafting a troubled and dark mentor figure. It's a supremely enjoyable performance, but is only so admirable in that it takes what could have been such a simple, one-note character into a three-dimensional human being. It's a difficult task but Urban undertakes it with confidence and passes with flying colours, and it is that skill on Urban's part that makes this one of the best performances ever to grace a comic-book movie.

09 - Hugo Weaving as V (V For Vendetta)

Did you know that 2006's V For Vendetta was based on a DC comic-book from 1995? These are the kind of surprises I like to throw into this list, and I'm glad that I have, because it lets me include Hugo Weaving's stunning turn as head anarchist V. Having previously worked with writers the Wachowskis on their Matrix trilogy, Weaving entered this project as the second choice for the rule and blew all expectations out of the water. Impressively keeping his face hidden throughout the entirety of the movie behind the now iconic Guy Fawkes mask (although iconic for perhaps infamous reasons), Weaving regardless imbues the character with a strange charisma, a key personality trait to keep the audience on his side, regardless of his actions throughout the entire film. It's an extremely admirable performance in this regard, brilliantly ensuring his likability even when he chooses to go further than some might have expected the "hero" of the story to go. The movie and it's script lives or dies on the success on the portrayal of it's protagonists, and, with Weaving at the head of the cast, he succeeds in making sure this goal is accomplished.

08 - Chloë Grace Moretz as Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass)

Kick-Ass is a fairly unconventional superhero movie to say the least, and I wouldn't hold it against someone if they didn't class it as one at all. Regardless, it is based on a comic-book and I can therefore hold it on this list. It was a pretty close race between two actors to be honest with you as a reader. Nicolas Cage does brilliant work in this movie as Batman lookalike Big Daddy, and it was one of the actor's best performances in years. That said, he simply doesn't match the work done by Chloë Grace Moretz in the film as teenage assassin Hit-Girl. It's an insane role for an actress of her age at the time to tackle, but she does so superbly. She carries out action sequences excellently, somehow making everything her character accomplishes to an extent believable, intimidating, and, above all (and most importantly) extremely enjoyable to watch. Not only that, but she is excellent at carrying both the roles of Hit-Girl and her schoolgirl alternate persona Mindy. The balance she strikes between the two is extremely fun to watch, and her internal conflict between how she can continue to live both her lives is an engaging one throughout both movies in the franchise. She is simply one of the most enjoyable actors to watch across the series, and her character actions alone make her stand as one of the most memorable comic-book characters ever to be translated to the big screen.

07 - Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy)

The Guardians of the Galaxy were one of the biggest surprises of the MCU since their introduction in late 2014, becoming the second band of misfits Marvel has introduced into their universe. The heart and soul of the team is Peter Quill, who you may know as Star-Lord though he mostly just calls himself that. Chris Pratt plays the perfect intergalactic cowboy, perfectly coming across as the 80s kid torn from his world and dumped into a whole wide universe of aliens, scavengers, and insane dictators determined to find an all-powerful ancient artefact which will let him destroy entire planets. Pratt has the perfect comic timing to carry off the character's quips and charms, while he is also helped in large part by his natural chemistry with the rest of the cast. Strutting though the cosmos with his natural swagger and a wink of an eye, Pratt is the perfect actor to bring the natural coolness that comes hand in hand with the character of Star-Lord. As a reader of comics, it's rare that you ever see a character almost leap from the pages to the screen. Normally that's not something that bothers me, as changes are possible and sometimes they are necessary to work. That said, Pratt is the perfect embodiment of the character of Star-Lord, and it's difficult to see the role being cast and played any better than it has been done here.

06 - Colin Firth as Harry Hart (Kingsman: The Secret Service)

Another comic-book movie you might not have known was based on one, some might consider this a cheat of an entry since Harry Hart was not actually a character from the book. That said, this is my list. The movie is based on a comic and I'm not judging how faithful an adaption this is, so let's talk about Colin Firth's brilliant performance as Harry, now one of the best British secret agents to grace cinema. The big surprise with Firth was in his skill in knocking out the action sequences the movie demanded, but he excelled at the choreography and making the action look incredibly realistic, a key factor in keeping audience immersion. Not only that but Firth has the charm and charisma on screen to become what most would regard as the definitive idea of a British spy, suave and sophisticated with a real air of Sean Connery's James Bond about him. His interactions with the villains of the film are particularly enjoyable, rolling out puns consistently, and his status as a mentor figure is equally enjoyable and engaging. In short, it's a truly brilliant performance that stands as one of the true highlights of the spy genre and indeed the comic-book movie genre in recent years.

05 - Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (Deadpool)

Right, obviously I'm talking about X-Men Origins: Wolverine's Deadpool here. Because that was dreadful. Unspeakably so. Offensively so even. But Deadpool as he appears in 2016's Deadpool solo movie, played once again by Ryan Reynolds? Near perfection. Reynolds is the perfect Wade Wilson and is the embodiment of the Merc With A Mouth as he appears in the comics. He has all of the humour and comic timing necessary to create the ideal version of the character I could only have dreamed of (especially after the aforementioned nightmare), and is able to execute all of the action sequences perfectly and work through the costume and make-up that he is burdened with throughout most of the movie. It's a difficult task to inject emotion into a character who is mostly quips and jokes but Reynolds also manages to do this, making the character somewhat more human than he is in the comics, where he prefers to sit around, eating chimichangas, dying, and then having sex with Lady Death to bribe her into bringing him back to life when he rarely does die. Making the character more human is something which is certainly necessary for a live-action movie, and managing to accomplish this, along with retaining all of the key traits from the comics, that makes Reynolds' performance so impressive and enjoyable to watch.

04 - Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man (All Appearances)

You knew this one was coming, because how could I ever leave it out as a self-respecting movie and comic-book fan? Robert Downey Jr., since first starring in the original Iron Man in 2008, has become the definitive version of Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, and is now almost universally regarded as irreplaceable in the role, and for good reason. Having seen this character develop since the earliest days of the MCU, Downey Jr. has continually excelled at displaying the cockiness and genius of Tony Stark, but has somehow remained, despite his often nasty nature early in the universe, entirely liable throughout. That's almost certainly down to Downey Jr.'s charisma and charm that he brings to the role, and it is what makes the character so enjoyable to watch. Always with a joke on hand despite the situation to disarm the audience despite the often colossal stakes, it is Tony Stark who has remained the centre tentpole of the MCU since the very beginning and it will be a sad day when that era comes to an end, likely following the end of Avengers 4 in 2019. That said, with everything he has brought not only to the role, but also to the universe, he will leave behind an incredible legacy, undoubtedly to be remembered for years to come.

03 - Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine (X-Men - Logan)

This is another predictable entry, but one which certainly deserves a place on this list all the same. 17 years ago, the world was introduced to High Jackman's performance as Logan AKA The Wolverine. Although at that time a relative unknown, it was immediately clear that Jackman was perfect for the part, brilliantly conveying the rage and brutal ferocity the character is renowned for, as well as the tragic emotion buried deep within that adamantium skeleton. No matter how bad the movie (looking at you Origins), Jackman continued to give the role his all up until his climactic appearance in this year's Logan. This is hands down the most faithful adaptation of a comic book character that I have seen in movies, and will likely continue to be regarded as such for years to come. It's a ferocious and brilliantly raw performance, and the character's success on the silver screen is likely down, in large part, to Jackman's attitude, skill and complete understanding of everything that the character stands for in the original source material.

02 - Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach (Watchmen)

"Dog carcass lay in an alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen it's true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drain finally scab over, the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about heir waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'Save us' ...and I'll look down, and whisper 'no'."

That speech alone gave me good reason to put Jackie Earle Haley's incredible turn as Rorschach in 2008's Watchmen on this list. As the first real dialogue in the movie, it perfectly sets the tone for what's to come in the rest of the movie, a dark and often unsettling movie, particularly when it comes to this character. It's a movie with it's problems to be sure, but Rorschach is a constantly engaging presence. Haley injects the character with a real ferocity, a determination to carry what what he deems necessary to wipe out and drown the "vermin" infesting this alternate version of New York City. Equally he also sells the emotional backstory of the character, making the motivation of the character believable and to an extent sympathise with him regardless of his actions. That said, you're not in this movie for the emotion, it's the action, and Rorschach is Ben Affleck's Batman if he went even further off of the edge. It's a fantastic and brutal performance, and without Haley's intensity and clear attention to detail, it would be safe to say that Rorschach would not be as memorable as he turned out.

01 - Heath Ledger as The Joker (The Dark Knight)

What other performance was going to take the number 1 spot? I wouldn't be surprised if you predicted this coming into the article, before even clicking on it you probably knew this was coming. The only performance in a comic-book movie to win an Oscar, the sadly late Heath Ledger's turn as The Joker as become legendary and has played a substantial role in forging who this character is now in the comics. Most comic movie villains are given some motivation, some sympathetic reason to understand their character, I've mentioned it enough with regard to all of the heroes and villains on this list. What makes The Joker so brilliant is that he doesn't have any of this, he is simply the embodiment of anarchy and chaos, a force of nature, and nothing more than pure evil incarnate. What makes Ledger so brilliant in this role is that not only does he perfectly convey the madness but at the same time genius nature of the character, but also crafts him into an interesting and constantly complex character. Did we ever find out exactly how he got his scars? Questions like these, and Joker's constantly changing stories keep us wondering if he is telling the truth, while his actions keep us questioning if he is even human. It deserves to win an Oscar, and it will go down in history as the definitive version of this character.

"Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" Movie Review - My Ultimate Guilty Pleasure?

I think that buying tickets for this film might have been the most embarrassed I've been in a cinema in a long time. Possibly the most embarrassed I've ever been. I urge you to try, just try, to go up to the desk and say "4 for Captain Underpants" and keep a straight face. That I did, and I couldn't believe what I had just spent money on. I get paid £5.55 an hour at my job so this effectively all in cost me 2 hours worth of work. A fantastic thought at first. Then the cleaners came out of our screen, and when they realised we were waiting for that one, one of them actually laughed. As in laughed out loud at what we were about to see. Yet another encouraging sign besides the admittedly dreadful trailers for this film that we were in for. So in we went, sat down, suffered through a few painful trailers for movies nobody has ever heard of, and the movie began. I don't know why we went and I don't know what I expected. All I know is that I'm glad we did because, against all odds, I can unironically say that "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" is one of the most fun films I've seen this year, a statement the rest of the group I was with (the youngest of whom was 17 for reference) agreed with.  First of all, the animation in the movie is absolutely adorable. The characters and landscapes retain a comic-book-esque style of artwork which is extremely close to the style of the drawings in the series of kids' books. Although the detail in parts of the body such as the eyes might initially seem lacking, and the other features like the size of the arms might seem in the vain of the "Despicable Me" franchise, the animators have managed to retain an impressive amount of detail to allow the characters to remain incredibly emotive throughout, even without these small details. It is this attention to the detail of emotion that separates the film from movies like those made by Illumination Entertainment, placing it on a higher level of value. There are also a few small moments of animation which harken back to the books once again, such as the "Flip-O-Rama" moment to showcase an action scene without showing the entirety. It allows the film some more fun and charming moments, and really separates it from anything else currently on the market. It's a testament to Dreamworks that they included segments like these, because it places the film on a different standard than if it had chosen to be content with telling it's story without these instances of style and flair.

The story of the movie is one which is incredibly original for modern animated movie standards, largely due to how self-aware he is. It involves two school friends, George and Harold, who hypnotise their principal Mr. Krupp to stop him from separating them into different classes. Subsequently, they turn him into their own comic-book creation, the incredible Captain Underpants, coincidentally just as a new super villain arrives in town with a view to remove the human ability to laugh. The inclusion of a character like Captain Underpants itself would seem to suggest that the movie is content with just being stupid and mindless, soulless fodder for parents to take their children to. However, not only is the movie incredibly self-aware, taking jabs at it's inherent silliness at most opportunities, but it also includes a rare and surprisingly mature message for kids. The film puts across the view that being able to laugh at yourself is actually fine, to an extent a part of life so long as others do not take it too far. Equally, it also shows that having a laugh and pulling a joke can be fine so long as you yourself do not take it too far. It's a rare message for kids, especially when a lot of kids movies would have children stay totally in line with the rules, and one which is somewhat in the vein of Dr. Seuss himself (the books, not the movies "The Lorax" or the horror show "The Cat In The Hat"). The writing in the movie is also very funny, and managed to make me laugh throughout. Self-aware humour makes up a large part of the script, and this is where a lot of my laughs came from. There's also a fair amount of toilet humour in the movie as you might have guessed and this is where I have a minor problem with the movie. Although it is implemented largely tastefully, a lot of people do not enjoy this kind of joke, and for fair reason. You may be slightly (read: very) annoyed watching this movie if you don't enjoy these jokes, and there's likely a few jokes which will not land with everyone because of the easiness - and often slightly distasteful - nature of the joke itself, although this isn't a major problem as it isn't overly done. However, what really surprised me was the number of adult jokes in the movie. Equally including jokes for kids like those I've already mentioned and small subtle quips for the parents and adults watching, this is a movie which is all but guaranteed a chuckle minimum out of everyone who watches it.

Say what you will, it's still more fun than Henry Cavill's Superman

The voice cast in the movie is also spot on. Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch star as school chums George and Harold respectively. Although both are similar in terms of their character, the two actors have great chemistry with each other and really manage to sell the dynamic between the two as friends from an extremely young age, the two of them against the world. They undergo some development which proves incredibly enjoyable to watch, and they are a great pair for the film to focus on. Ed Helms delivers his part perfectly as principal Mr. Krupp and Captain Underpants separately. Although one and the same person, Helms excels at making the two entirely distinct in their voice and mannerisms, effectively selling the hypnosis that the grumpy headteacher has been placed under to become the Waistband Warrior (they made that name up, not me, so please don't judge me for it). Lastly, Nick Kroll and Jordan Peele also make for great villains to the film. Kroll is the main adversary as the new science teacher on the scene at George, Harold, and Krupp's school, whose name is Professor Poopypants. Not the most tasteful joke in the film I'll admit, but it is drwn straight from the books and the character is given some interesting motivation which make his actions throughout the film somewhat believable. Not what he achieves you understand, but why, and to an extent you actually sympathise with the character. Peele is the probably the most stereotypical character in the movie as classroom "nerd" Melvin (the most clichéd nerd name in movie history? Possibly) but he has a fun dynamic with the rest of the cast of colourful characters in the film, so the writing shortcomings in terms of character are utterly forgivable. Essentially, all of the characters in the movie are great fun to watch, no matter when they are on screen, and the development and motivation given to each of them makes perfect sense to allow (shockingly) for us as an audience to connect to them on a deeper and more sentimental level. Of all the films that have and are going to come out this year, I didn't think I would say that about "Captain Underpants" of all films. Then again, I also didn't predict this would be one of the most charming movies of the year at well past the halfway point, and here we are.

Hair or devil's horns symbolism? I'll leave it up to you

The film also has a great score. Alright, I'll quickly get this out of the way. The movie does not actually end with a dance sequence (a thankful change of pace from the rest of modern animated films not made by Disney and Pixar) but does have a particular song which I was warned about before going into this movie. I was told it was terrible. I didn't think it would be THAT terrible. The song (which I have listened to more than once before writing this and have lost many brain cells in the process) ticks practically every box of the modern children's song, and comes across as the most clichéd garbage not even the darkest depths of YouTube could produce. I pray for the parents of children who want to stay for this song or the cinema workers who have to clean the screens while this song plays (likely to be repeated up to three times throughout the credits). That said, the actual score which accompanies the film is excellent. Theodore Shapiro's score takes jabs at the majority of modern superhero movies and is a great accompaniment to the superhero parody playing on the screen. The editing in the movie is also excellent. That might seem to be a strange thing to pick up on in an animated movie, but the use of comic panel-style transitions is a fun little detail which has been added into the movie, again harkening back to the film's roots as a kids' book which takes the layout of a comic book itself. Montages and sequences are also stylishly edited together to make them interesting to watch rather than the random jumble of clips a lot of modern animated movie studios seem to be content to leave the matter at. It's attention to small details like these that makes "Captain Underpants" such a joy and a pleasant surprise to watch.

What's funny about this?

What more is there to say about "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie"? I thought this film was going to be terrible, I truly did. I think a small part of me might have wanted it to be, just to see another bad movie to put a review up here. I know that's not right but I saw "Valerian" regardless so there you go. That said, at risk of all of my credibility and any right to call a film distasteful again, "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" was a supremely fun time watching. Beautifully animated and boasting an original story, the movie is constantly engaging and funny, including your often standard jokes for kids (even though even here the writers are able to innovate) and some jokes for adults as well. However, the true strength of the movie is in how self-aware the movie is. With fourth-wall breaking to an extent to rival 2016's "Deadpool", and jokes throughout indicating the writers own knowledge (and acknowledgment) of the inherent silliness of the concept, the movie embraces wholeheartedly it's nature, and is a heck of a lot more fun because of that. Fully prepared to admit what it is and adapt the books often more than faithfully, it is a movie which I urge you to try in spite of the title. It's funny, it's actually the most appropriate title they could have picked despite it's confidence. The movie was indeed great, and I hope that this is only the start.

Pros

• Adorable animation
• Constantly funny
• An original plot
• Brilliantly voice acted
• Fun characters
• A killer score
• Great editing
• Incredibly self-aware, adding to the fun/absurdity
• Appealing to both adults and kids alike

Cons

• Don't watch if you can't stand toilet humour

Rating: 9/10

Original Release Date: 24th of July, 2017

Starring Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Jordan Peele, and Kristen Schaal

"Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets" Movie Review - Valerian Ascending

I do not set out to see bad movies, Generally, I try to avoid them at all costs, and will typically not see a movie which has had some especially bad marketing. Quite why I then allowed Luc Besson's new movie "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" to break my rule I don't think even I'll ever really understand. The trailers were terrible and nothing about the marketing was particularly ambitious or interesting. Maybe it was the effects that lured me in? Maybe the promise of some at least interesting action? Maybe it was that the film was being hailed as the director's "masterpiece", even after he made movies such as "Leon" and "The Fifth Element"? I don't know, but I let whatever it was get the better of me despite my concerns and better judgement. The result of that was that I was subjected to one of the worst movies of the year so far, and something that is ultimately the definition of "all style, no substance". Let's be clear on that point first though. Luc Besson, in a similar way to Michael Bay at this point, has a real eye and talent for visual flair in his movies, and knows how to direct actors and the creation of a CGI landscape. The visual effects and CGI in the movie is absolutely stunning to behold, particularly when we are first introduced to the city of Alpha via a series of long shots through the different districts of the city, and the various species which inhabit them. The different alien creatures also look great (apart from a set of three irritating duck-like creatures which I found hideous to look at), and all of the effects seamlessly work through all of the action beats as well. It also keeps a very graphic-novel style of effect, almost cartoon like, which is somewhat admirable given the film's graphic novel origins. However, there is one unfortunate problem right off the bat with the landscapes. They are simple not very interesting to look at. The alien creatures are all inherently generic designs when you really look at them, and nothing comes across as very intriguing about any of them. It's like watching a swarm of "Ben 10" characters, and even they were more visually arresting. The city itself and all of the landscape is also inherently dull, and fails to really capture audience imagination. There's a red light district, a fishing district, and so forth. Nothing feels like anything that couldn't be seen on Earth, except that it is populated with alien creatures. Unfortunately, sometimes, that's not enough.

The basic plot of the movie is that the city of Alpha, which is home to the races and cultures of a thousand different planets, comes under threat from a mysterious force which seems to have origins thought impossible. Deployed to uncover the evil and stop it if possible are agents Valerian (Dane DeHann) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), who seek to do this while dealing with personal issues. You might have noticed that I used the words "basic plot" at the beginning of this section. The reason for that is because the movie often takes various pointless turns and introduces various subplots which go nowhere. One such instance includes a race of four-armed aliens and their king, which also introduces Rihanna's shapeshifter character called Bubble (because of course she is) who is introduced via a pole dancing scene in a intergalactic strip club. Coincidentally, this was also the point that my friend who dragged us to see this movie looked over at us and voiced "I'm sorry". With that said, let's now return to the main plot. When the story is eventually introduced to us after a pointless 35 minute opening action set piece, the writers suddenly remembered that they actually required a plot. Unfortunately, they decided to settle on one of the most standard plots known to this genre of film. It results in the rest of the movie becoming an even more boring and now predictable affair. Simply from common sense and maybe some knowledge from other movies, you can work out the basic plot of the entire movie within the first 10 minutes. Pay attention to the (I'll note dreadful) editing, and a few specific shots, and you can even work out the hopeful "twists" the writers were clearly banking on to spice up the plot. I'll drop a quick spoiler here: they don't. It's a shame that a movie with such potential for an interesting story has opted to be satisfied with this extremely standard plot. What's more, this skeleton of a script is so riddled with holes and contrivances that you will not struggle to find ways that the story could have easily been improved, and are likely to find yourself wishing that this movie had rather been made as a series of short films, showing the far more interesting (albeit still generic) subplots.

Don't worry, Drab 1 and Drab 2 are on the case

Not only does the movie fail to create a coherent and at least mildly enjoyable plot, but it also fails to create good characters. In fact, these characters are the exact opposite and of the spectrum, and are frequently annoying, stupid, or straight-up unlikable. Every single character in the movie is dreadfully written. No character is given any real development or motivation for their actions, and largely just come across as stereotypes. The two leads in the film are handed some incredibly dull characters to play. Laureline herself has no actual character and in fact comes across as bored with everything happening for most of the film. The film also tries to inject some comic relief in the form of 3 creepy bat-like creatures which occasionally make an appearance. I say "tried" because these characters are as annoying, if not more so, as the legendary Jar-Jar Binks. Seriously, good luck watching this film without getting annoyed by these horrors. However, the biggest problem is with Valerian himself. Rather than being the interesting and fun lead the movie needed, he comes across as incredibly unlikable for the entirety by his repeated stupidity, and even creepy by the way his would-be romance with Laureline is written. What was meant to be charming presumably now comes across as creepy and slightly sinister in some places. At least there is one area where the movie is somewhat consistent: the script, which will consistently infuriate you. The characters are only weighed down further by some truly terrible performances. I'll just admit now that I don't like Dane DeHann, the lead in this, as an actor. He's uncharismatic, irritating, and comes across as incredibly snide and cocky in every movie he is in. The trend continues here. His performance contributes massively to Valerian's unlikable nature throughout the film, and he has a complete lack of chemistry with Cara Delevingne, which only makes his continued advances even more unsettling, cementing this character in my mind as nothing more than a walking sexual harassment order. Delevingne is the second lead in the film and she really does try her best to inject any personality into her performance. Unfortunately, this is the equivalent of her trying to fly by flapping her arms in midair. Without support, in this case, from the script, she is going to fall to her death. Metaphorically, her character does the same regardless of her best efforts. The rest of the cast don't do much better, and thoroughly wastes a group of talented actors, like Ethan Hawke, Elizabeth Debicki and John Goodman. It's a truly sad state of affairs when Rihanna delivers the best performance in the movie. Have you seen "Battleship"? If you have, you know what I'm talking about.

See what I mean? It's like a dull version of the Na'Vi from "Avatar"

The movie does attempt to liven up the proceedings with an action sequence here and there throughout the movie. The action in the movie is actually somewhat enjoyable in some places. The use of future technology and gadgets is interestingly implemented, and the choreography is fun to watch when the characters come into conflict with robots, aliens or the like. However, these sequences are scattered are scattered few and far between, often leaving you pining for the next bit of excitement, however little, that the movie can possibly deliver, only for the film to leave you waiting for so long that you find yourself losing even more interest in what is happening on screen. You'll begin to wonder if that's even possible by the time you're waiting for (read: begging) the finale to the movie to kick start. The movie would have greatly benefitted from a few more of these action beats, but at the very least, what we got was fun and enjoyable to watch. Just a few more factors to mention before I can wrap up this review. As I previously hinted, the editing in the movie is terrible, and frequently either gives away future events too obviously or uses transitions which are more akin to something found in Windows Movie Maker. The soundtrack in the movie is fine, but is completely uninspired and you could likely find some stock sci-fi music on YouTube which could do the job just as adequately. Finally, technically, with regards to cinematography and lighting, the movie is adequate, but is slightly taken away from when you consider that the movie is largely CGI. When considering that some shots are completely computer generated, this would be somewhat akin to me complementing the cinematography in an animated movie. This is possible, if the frame is created stylishly, but the whole process lacks any ingenious flair or fun which could have made this really stand out as something special.

The next stage of Gungan evolution

It's a real, genuine shame about "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets". You can tell director Luc Besson was looking for a solid return to form after the disappointment of "Lucy" in 2013,  largely through the visual spectacle the movie certainly delivers on to an extent. The effects are nice, remaining faithful to the style of the original graphic novel the movie was based on, and remains great to watch during the often fun action sequences, which thankfully deliver some reprieve from the movie's faults. Unfortunately, those faults are many and are on screen for far longer than any of the action beats care to entertain you for. The effects, for how good they are, are frequently dull and boring, somehow making what should be a visually dynamic and thriving environment into a drab and uninteresting husk. The same can be said for the aliens. The plot is also predictable and standard stock for this type of movie, weighed down further by some unlikable characters and often dreadful acting.  Most unforgivably, however, the entire film is hopelessly boring to watch, and will make that 140 minute running time feel considerably longer than it actually is. This is a true example of style over substance, and is the latest example that effects do not make a movie. For all the great effects and cool action that's in the movie, I simply cannot give this movie a high score, and in fact I'm giving it a low score, because it seems like little to no effort has been put in in any other area of the film's production. We can only hope that filmmakers considering or in the process of making films like this one will actually inject some life and energy into the movie they are creating. Without the heart required to do so, the future of sci-fi film quality may be questionable to say the least.

Pros

• Visually great
• Some cool action beats

Cons

• Uninspired designs, both for aliens and locations
• A bland and nonsensical plot
• Incredibly predictable
• Generally terrible acting
• Dreadful characters
• Devoid of any emotion
• Sets and CGI landscapes are drab and artificial
• Editing
• The entire film is boring

Rating: 2/10

Original Release Date: 2nd of August, 2017

Starring Dane DeHann, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu, Elizabeth Debicki, and John Goodman