"Beauty and the Beast (2017)" Trailer Reaction

It's been great to see Disney returning to some of their animated classics over the last few years, albeit to varying degrees of success. For example, last year's Cinderella being very well received by audiences and getting largely positive reviews from critics while other movies such as Maleficent had a far more mixed response. Now, in continuing this trend, Disney has decided to produce a live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, the first and one of the only films to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. So far, announcements made regarding the production have only bene met with positive reactions, and with a star-studded cast (check out the pictures below to see who everyone is playing), there's a chance that this could turn out to be Disney's best live-action retelling yet. The first teaser trailer has now arrived and given me much reason to doubt the movie yet. Then again, it doesn't really show much in the first place.

Yeah, there really isn't too much to see here. OK, admittedly it's a teaser trailer so the purpose of it is to inform casual moviegoers about the film and to start building excitement around it. That shouldn't be too hard because what's on show here is a love letter to fans of the original and Disney fans in general. The music in particular is on point here. The use of the original movie's opening theme is enough to get lovers of the animation excited immediately before the short hint at Beauty and the Beast at the very end of the trailer. The movie has bene confirmed to be a musical and the score is being composed by Alan Menken, who some might recognise as the same composer responsible for the 1991 classic. He won the Best Original Score Oscar for that movie, and it looks like he is recreating the same magic for this new take on the tale.

Emma Watson plays Belle while Dan Stevens plays the Prince/Beast. Luke Evans plays the villainous Gaston with Josh Gad playing his sidekick, Le Fou

I also have to say, the cinematography and set design on show here is incredible. Beast's Castle from the outside looks fantastic and the glimpses we get at the different rooms of the castle are picture perfect replicas of the animated movie. The designer of the ballroom set should be especially applauded for his contribution. That brings me quite nicely to the editing of the trailer. The before and after effect of the different rooms is excellent and is likely taken from the opening act of the movie, with the icicles of the chandeliers and the cobwebs of the castle growing after the Prince becomes the Beast. While all of these technical aspects should be commended, the trailer unfortunately did nothing to end my main worry for the movie: the effects. This is a movie about walking and talking clocks, wardrobes, teapots, candelabras, and a massive Beast. This will have to look extremely good and realistic for Disney to justify this movie being live-action. However, as we saw in "The Jungle Book," Disney do have and are willing to use the money necessary to put these effects into action, so I have faith that this movie will look every bit as good as it needs to.

Ewan McGregor plays Lumière, Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Plumette, Emma Thompson portrays Mrs. Potts, and Sir Ian McKellen plays Cogsworth

The only cast member that we see in this trailer is Emma Watson as Belle in an obscured close-up. However, we hear another 2 characters towards the end of the trailer: Ewan McGregor as the candelabra Lumière and Ian McKellen as the clock Cogsworth. When the cast list was announced for this movie, my initial reaction was extremely positive. Everybody in this movie seems perfectly cast. This trailer did little to change my opinions on these 3 cast members. Ian McKellen seems to have nailed the cynical nature of Cogsworth and I'm sure Emma Watson will be great although she is not shown a lot in this trailer. The same applies for Ewan McGregor, who definitely has the charm required to play Lumière. Hopefully his French accent won't sound so strange by the release of the full movie though.

Kevin Kline plays Belle's father Maurice, Audra McDonald plays Garderobe, Hattie Morahan plays the Enchantress and Adrian Schiller plays Monsieur D'Arque

Overall, this is a very small but encouraging first look at this movie. Director Bill Condon seems to have nailed the atmosphere, music and cinematography, at least in this trailer. However, I do think that we need to see more of the cast and the visual effects work to settle some of the understandable concerns that I for this production. This teaser trailer has succeeded in it's main job, however, and made me excited to see more of this movie and only confirmed that Disney know exactly what they are doing with their live-action slate of movies.

Beauty and the Beast is releasing on March 17th, 2017.

Starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Josh Gad, Emma Thompson, Kevin Kline, and Stanley Tucci

New Power Rangers Movie Costumes Revealed!

I've talked time and time again about reboots in Hollywood, and how they can be both good and bad. For example, the trailer for The Magnificent Seven reboot looks pretty good. Fantastic, on the other hand, is complete and utter garbage that you should avoid at all costs. Clearly this practice can produce both good and bad results. So when a new Power Rangers movie was announced with a 2017 release date, I was skeptical to say the least. When they announced that they would be sticking with the original character names, fans (yes, believe it or not there are some adult Power Ranger fans) were given some hope for this movie. However, some recent pictures of the costumes featured in the movie have suggested that this is going to be quite different from the old show. Now, the new costumes for the Rangers have been revealed, and there is no spandex to be seen. Check out the new, more...anatomically correct costumes below.

In all honesty, I don't hate it. The more high-tech designs make sense for a modern reboot, and the 5 Rangers look like their suits have been designed by Iron Man. Let's face it, this lot wouldn't just be going up against people with swords. The aliens that they'll be taking on in this movie will more than likely be armed with some guns or futuristic laser weapon, so this more armoured design makes sense.

Everything else, however, is just a bit....wrong. Mainly with regards the female Rangers. The costume designers look to have been working hard on making these outfits as detailed as possible, especially in some areas the old kids show certainly didn't make a big deal of. And then there's the high heels. Who thought this was a good idea? After the criticisms the character of Claire in Jurassic World received last year, mainly due to how she spent the whole movie running around in high heels, I cannot imagine anyone who would have green lighted this idea, especially since it suggests that girls have to wear high heels while the guys get the trainers.

Overall, I am not sold on this movie yet. While the designs are interesting, we just don't know enough about the movie yet to make a sound judgement. Hopefully it'll be good, but some costumes aren't enough to convince me that this is a good idea

Power Rangers is releasing March 24th, 2017.

Starring Dacre Montgomery, Becky G, Ludi Lin, Naomi Scott, RC Cyler, David Denman, Anjali Jay, Elizabeth Banks

"Captain America: Civil War" Review

Marvel are arguably the most consistent movie studio working today. Constantly delivering great characters, often hilarious writing, and spectacular action, their movies have taken audiences on a couple of thrill rides a year since 2008. As the cast of the MCU (the Marvel Cinematic Universe) continued to grow, we soon saw the formation of the Avengers, who have now had 2 movies together. DC Comics, on the other hand, have only just begun and put Batman up against Superman. The only reasonable response? Put Captain America up against Iron Man, of course! Now, a month after Dawn of Justice, the MCU has erupted into Civil War. Is it better than Batman v Superman? Civil War is not only better than that movie, but it is one of the best superhero movies ever made and the best movie of this year so far.

One of the main reasons that Civil War works so well is because, as I just mentioned, Marvel have been building up the relationships and character dynamics in their movies for 8 years, since the release of the original Iron Man. We have seen Captain America and Iron Man clash over their ideologies and thoughts on how the Avengers should be run before. It makes sense in this universe for the government to be so distrustful of the team because of the number of international incidents that have taken place since Iron Man, and this is a point that is raised in the movie. With the groundwork already placed, the central conflict of Civil War is already far more believable than that of Batman v Superman. Not only that, but directors Joe and Anthony Russo have succeeded in making it very difficult for audiences to actually choose a side to root for. Rather than simply portraying Iron Man as the villain of the piece, the motivations of Stark to support the main government act to regulate the Avengers is backed up by a very powerful scene beforehand and the evidence of how much chaos the team has been involved in. Cap's side is equally developed, however, with his patriotism and talk of freedom throughout being strong enough to give Mel Gibson a run for his money.

The acting in the movie is on point, which is to be expected from Marvel at this point. It is impossible to imagine anyone other than Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. playing Captain America and Iron Man at this point. Evans is an excellent Steve Rogers and he gets plenty of chance to show his emotional range throughout the movie, empahasising how far his character has come from being the little guy who was beaten up in seemingly every Brooklyn alley. Downey Jr. has provided the MCU with much of its humour in his own solo outings and the team-up films. However, he gets to give a much more dramatic performance in this movie, with the character clearly feeling a great deal of guilt over the deaths the Avengers were involved in and his creation of one of their villains, Ultron. His performance as Tony Stark gives the audience a reason to support his cause rather than simply siding with Captain America because his name is in the title. 

The supporting cast also get plenty of time to shine, particularly Bucky (played once again by Sebastian Stan) and new players Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany). The latter characters get to see their relationship develop over the course of the action (a sure pleaser for any comic book fans), with the two helping each other through their different problems, with Vision struggling with his humanity while Scarlet Witch continues to grow far more powerful and unstable. Bucky, on the other hand, goes on a rough journey over the course of the movie. His relationship with Cap is very much one of the focus points of the movie, with the the character's past as the Winter Soldier clearly haunting him throughout the movie. Stan does a great job of  One more character I have to mention, although he doesn't get a lot of screen time, is Ant-Man. Paul Rudd has a great comedic presence in the movie and brings one of the movie's (many) jaw-dropping moments.

However, there are plenty of new characters as well, who are just as well written as the returning players. Daniel Brühl plays the true villain of the piece, Zemo (no comic book fans, he does not don the iconic purple mask and suit). While I cannot talk a great deal about him without jumping into spoiler territory, what I can say is that he is certainly one of Marvel's best developed villains and his motivations make sense, even if it does take a while for his endgame to be revealed. A character I can talk about is Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther. The true standout of the movie for me, this character is given an emotional backstory which makes him relevant to the story but also a distinct personality that sets him apart from his co-stars. An example of his no-nonsense nature comes during one of the action sequences where he swiftly shuts down a conversation in order to get back to business. I can't wake to see more of the Panther when his solo movie rolls around in February 2018. Now, let's talk about the big one, the show stopper, the announcement that caused fans around the world to rejoice: Spider-Man. Yes, the web slinger is back where he belongs at Marvel (after a deal was reached which would see Marvel and Sony sharing the rights to the character) and he is definitely the best iteration of the character ever to grace the big screen. Tom Holland is a perfect Peter Parker and Spider-Man, successfully conveying the different characters of both of Peter's personas: the nerdy teenager and the joking, confident Spidey. Something that is also done very well is the relationship the character has with Tony Stark. Both Downey Jr. and Holland are excellent during their scenes together, and it'll be interesting to tee how the relationship develops in next year's "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

One aspect of the movie that has been heavily advertised is the action sequences, and for good reason. In this outing, the heroes aren't just fighting mindless drones, like the Chitauri in The Avengers; they're at war with each other. There are plenty of great scenes in the movie, such as the tunnel chase between Captain America, Bucky and Black Panther, or the climatic action sequence. However,  none of these compare to the airport scene that is featured in every trailer and TV spot. Some early reviews praised this section of the movie as one of the best action sequences in the history of the superhero genre, and you might have thought that maybe some were exaggerating due to excitement. After actually seeing this 15 minute scene myself, I can say without a doubt that this is not only the best action beat of any superhero movie, but one of the best set pieces of all time. The choreography of every separate fight is brilliant, and every character is given a chance to shine, and the effects work is absolutely spectacular. Even Spider-Man's new costume, which some were skeptical about after it began making the rounds in the trailers, looks incredible when it is actually in action, and never brakes the immersion of the audience. Whether you go to superhero movies as a fan of the source material, for the action, or just because you liked the other movies, this sequence is sure to impress.

It's not just in the airport sequence that the technical work of the movie is on point, however. Throughout the movie, the cinematography of the movie is excellent, with the pacing and speed of the shots never being so fast that the audience cannot understand what is happening, as is the problem with some modern action scenes. The set and costume designs for the movie should also be commended, with everything the production team have created matching the tone of the rest of the MCU. Overall, I can think of very few problems with Civil War. If anything, the movie does feel long, with the conflict of the movie taking a long time to be properly set up. Many scenes in the movie do feel quite lengthy. Don't get me wrong, the movie does feel like like it has had the majority of it's fat trimmed in editing but, nonetheless, some of these scenes could probably have been cut down.

The length of a movie does not ruin it, however. The fact remains that, although Captain America: Civil War may feel slightly long at some points, it never has a dull moment and never fails to disappoint. Flipping the Marvel Universe on it's head, and full of spectacular performances and action, this movie is one of the best entries in the MCU and is one of the best superhero movies ever made. Marvel have set the standards for how a conflict should be built up across a long period of time. By building their character dynamics over 8 years, the audience is guaranteed to feel an emotional connection to the conflict, watching the heroes tear themselves apart and be forced into a fight neither of them want to be in. All film and TV writers, take notes.

Pros

• The conflict feels earned
• Great character moments
• Phenomenal action sequences
• Black Panther and Spider-Man
• Brilliant visuals
• Cinematography

Cons

• Maybe a tad long

Rating: 10/10

Release Date: 29th April, 2016

Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Emily VanCamp, William Hurt, and Daniel Brühl.

"Jason Bourne" Trailer Reaction

In 2007, Matt Damon's Bourne trilogy wrapped up with "The Bourne Ultimatum." These 3 movies were all fantastic, and brought a new cleverness to the plot of a summer blockbuster. Ever since then we've been seeing a string of very clever stories popping up amidst the swarm of action and explosion ridden movies. Think an "Inception" among the Michael Bay Transformer movies. Bourne also redefined the spy genre in the same way, given that we were just coming out of the Roger Moore and Piece Brosnan Bond eras. "The Bourne Legacy," on the other hand, was seen as something of a step backwards by many, with the movie certainly not reaching the critical and commercial heights of the Damon trilogy. Thankfully, Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne in the latest instalment of this franchise to uncover more conspiracies and take out a whole bunch of bad guys. Check out the trailer below.

Bourne is back kicking and shooting! This looks exactly like the original Bourne movies, which is by absolutely no means a bad thing. The action looks incredible here, from the heavily publicised one-punch knockout that can be seen once again at the end of the trailer to the car chase on the Las Vegas roads to the riot scene that takes place in Athens (in the movie, at least). All of the action sequences look to be keeping the brutal, realistic style that Bourne is known for, such as the quick cuts of Bourne knocking a random henchman into a chair. The swift and quick movements are also great to watch, like when Jason pulls a molotov cocktail straight out of a rioter's hands to use for himself. Basically, the action all looks incredible, which is helped by the fact that barely any CGI is on display here, if any at all. Practical effects will always look better than some computer-generated effects, and the movie should be highly commended if it focuses on the use of these techniques throughout the entire run time.

The plot of the movie looks to have been updated for the modern world, bringing in a story surrounding hacking and technology, with Scott Shepherd's character saying near the beginning of the trailer that a new breach of security could be "worse than Snowden." This kind of plot is unlike any that we've seen in a Bourne movie before but that's not the only difference between this and the other movies. The entire dynamic between the FBI and Bourne looks to have flipped in this newest instalment. Whereas it was only really Joan Allen's Pamela Landy who supported Bourne and believed that he was trying to help, it looks like Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones (the director of the CIA) will also be on the side of Bourne and help him track down the real villains of the story, potentially played by Vincent Cassel. I am happy to see these additions to the story this time round, rather than just a re-run of the stories that took place in Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum.

This movie also looks to have had some real star power injected into it, with the aforementioned Tommy Lee Jones, Vincent Cassel and Alicia Vikander going the cast in addition to the returning Matt Damon and Julia Stiles. While Jones and Cassel are both great additions to the line up, the real member of the cast that I am most excited to see is Alicia Vikander, who has done some amazing work in both "Ex Machina" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." last year. Thankfully, she looks to be playing a strong female lead in the CIA opposite Tommy Lee Jones, and hopefully she'll be able to show off her talents to a mainstream audience in this role. All of the cinematography and production design also looks excellent, with the action all being very easy to see and understand despite it's fast-paced nature.

I love action movies. I love smart plots in movies. What I really love to see in a movie is an equal balance of strong, action sequences and an intelligent plot to drive the story forward. The Bourne franchise has always had this and Jason Bourne thankfully looks to have all of this. With some great-looking performances, set pieces which will be scattered throughout the world and some amazing technical work. It's definitely not hard to see why this is the movie many people are most excited for this summer and, thanks to this trailer, I am one of those people.

Jason Bourne is releasing on the 29th of July, 2016

Starring Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Julia Stiles, Vincent Cassel, Scott Shepherd, and Riz Ahmed 

"The Magnificent Seven (2016)" Trailer Reaction

As the years go on, it's becoming to look more and more like Hollywood are relying on remakes and reboots of old franchises to make money. This isn't always the case, but for some it's seen as ridiculous. So, when a remake of "The Magnificent Seven" was announced, it was met with a fair amount of scepticism. What was the need to remake this classic movie which has become an icon of pop culture since it's release in 1960? Two movies released last year even had titles which were pretty similar to this (Quentin Tarantino's successful Hateful Eight and Adam Sandler rightfully panned Ridiculous Six). Westerns, however, have been on the decline for a few years now, so perhaps MGM saw a chance to bring the genre back by remaking one of the most popular Westerns ever made, while making quite a bit of money on the side if it's successful. The first trailer has just been released, and it looks pretty encouraging for this reboot. Check it out below.

Overall, this movie looks quite gritty but also a lot of fun. The one thing that the trailer has sold me on is the dynamic between Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt's characters. It looks like they should have some fun banter, with Washington playing the tough bounty hunter while Pratt is the relaxed, explosion-loving scoundrel. Hopefully, that was not just the one scene we're seeing here. However, my main worry from this trailer is that the remaining 5 members of the group will not be developed as well as these two, partly because of their star power. In a movie about a group of criminals, bounty hunters and killers banding together, there has to be some interesting conflicts and team dynamic throughout the movie. Wouldn't it be boring to see these characters, who are used to being on their own and against the law, immediately work together as a flawless unit? Just look at Suicide Squad. This is something that the movie needs to achieve, and will hopefully be a main focus in some of the later trailers.

That said, as a Western, the movie is not just about fun character interactions and drama, but also some lengthy action set pieces throughout. From what we see here, the movie seems to have given us everything we wanted in that regards. Bows and arrows, gatling guns, mini cannons, revolvers, and horses are all on display here, which will hopefully be spread throughout the movie. A lot of the action looks like it will be very claustrophobic and close combat despite the use of ranged weapons. Just look at the scene with Denzel Washington in the bar scene, where glass is exploding all around him and he is fighting some gang members in close proximity. If all of the action is as detailed and as well filmed as this scene, then action lovers have got something to look forward to.

Not only the cast and the action looks great though, but also the production value of the movie. All of the sets and costume design look pretty typical of a Western movie but it all still looks incredible. I'm also going to praise the trailer for it's editing work, with the clips being put together in such a way that it doesn't give away all of the story and set pieces but still gives enough to set the tone and give audiences an idea of what to expect. This, of course, does not always reflect the outcome of the movie itself, but trailer editors need to be recognised nonetheless for their incredible contribution to the final profits of the movie. Great marketing can make or break a production.

Look, reboots are a part of the modern film industry nowadays, whether we like it or not. There's no point in complaining about it, so we might as well accept it and try to enjoy it. That said, this version of the Magnificent Seven looks like a fun remake of the classic. As long as it doesn't discard drama and characterisation, this movie looks like it should have a great team dynamic, a stellar cast and some big action sequences, all of which should make it well worth a watch come September.

The Magnificent Seven is releasing on the 23rd of September, 2016

Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun, Manuel Garcia Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Peter Sarsgaard, Haley Bennett

"The Jungle Book (2016)" Review

There are plenty of trends going around Hollywood nowadays, whether it is a constant stream of superhero movies, pointless sequels or terrible holiday movies directed by Garry Marshall. Disney have got their own trend going on right now, remaking many of their old animated classics into live action, such as Sleeping Beauty which became Maleficent or Cinderella which became...Cinderella. However, the decision to remake The Jungle Book into a live-action/CGI hybrid was met with a fair amount of scepticism. Mainly because there is only one human character in the movie. Released in 1967 and famously the last movie to receive the special touch of Walt Disney himself, The Jungle Book has remained a classic ever since it's released and brought us some of the most famous songs to come out of the company. Fortunately, the new version of the movie not only remains faithful to the original, but has been beautifully recreated in CGI to the point of realism.

Look, if you've seen the original Jungle Book (either the 1967 animated or the live action version) then you will know exactly how the plot of this one goes. The "man cub" Mowgli is raised in the jungle by a wolf pack and a wise panther called Bagheera. However, when the vengeful tiger Shere Khan arrives in his neck of the woods (or, in this case, jungle), Mowgli is forced to leave for the man village where he will be safe, encountering many fun and interesting characters along the way, including the relaxed bear Baloo. However, director Jon Favreau has made sure that enough new content has been added to keep sone surprises in store even for the biggest fan of the animated movie.  The writing in the movie is excellent and adds some great development to many supporting characters, such as the main members of the wolf pack, Raksha and Akela.  There are also a lot of emotional scenes in the movie, something I found quite surprising given the mainly humorous nature of the old movie.

However, good writing is nothing without great acting. Thankfully, this movie succeeds in that regard. Idris Elba in particular is menacing as the sinister Shere Khan. His entrance to the movie carries an atmosphere of fear and strength, which sets up his character brilliantly for the rest of the action. Bill Murray is also a perfect Baloo, and brings the majority of the movie's funny moments. However, one of the most underrated performances in the movie is Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, the wolf mother. Despite not being in the movie a great deal, she does great in the scenes that she is in, especially the scene where Mowgli leaves the pack. She does very well conveying the motherly instincts you would expect from this character. Special mention must go to Neel Sethi as Mowgli who does well in the movie, despite interacting with nothing as he is acting in a computer generated environment. Adult actors with a lot of experience would struggle to do this, so it is very impressive to see a first-time actor succeeding in this role.

Of course, as it's based on the animated movie, the movie includes some of the old Disney songs are included. However, one of these is a little bit jarring, as there is no transition into it. The character just starts singing. Normally this would be fine, and it's not a big problem, but this is not a musical, and I was caught a bit off guard because of it. This particular song is " I Wan'na Be Like You," sung by Christopher Walken playing King Louie, who growls out his lines through the song like a mafia boss. "The Bare Necessities," on the other hand, is great in the movie. Bill Murray is great singing the song while floating down the river, and it is implemented in a smooth and well done way. The rest of the score, composed by John Debney, is great as well, particularly due to the how well it reflects each moment of the movie. Shere Khan's menacing melody is present in all of the movie's dark moments while the jazz tunes of the Bare Necessities provides some uplifting background music for the movie's most joyful scenes.

I've been building up to it, but the obvious big aspect of the movie I've not talked about yet is the visual effects of the animals and environments in the movie. The detail on characters like Baloo and Shere Khan are hyper realistic and deserve the recognition they are receiving. I read recently that the work on Baloo is so detailed that it required 5 hours of work for each frame of the movie. After seeing the movie, I can completely believe that. The other characters in the movie also look fantastic, with not a detail missed even in the most fast-paced action sequences. I would normally talk about set design, but the environment is all also completely CGI, besides for a few real-life sets. Fortunately, this is also so detailed that you will forget that everything you are seeing on screen was created using a computer. It is not crazy to suggest right now that the work done here is Oscar-worthy, even though we're only really 3 months into the movie year.

The movie does not only succeed in the visual effects department, but also every other technical aspect. The cinematography in the movie is very well done, with some amazing shots following the animals for long distances and the clear shots during the animal fights so that we can actually see what is happening during these intense sequences. Not only that, but the sound design and editing of the movie is also on point. Again, these were all crucial aspects for a movie so reliant on CGI and ensuring that a sense of realism is maintained throughout the movie and that the immersion of the audience in the world is not broken.

All in all, if you love the old Jungle Book so much that you don't want to see it changed in any way and are unwilling to accept something new, then you should stay far away from this. For the rest of us, I highly recommend this movie because it is fantastic. There is very little wrong with this entry in Disney's catalogue, with excellent writing and acting, with absolutely amazing visual effects and cinematography to boot. There have been quite a few movies out so far this year, and some great looking movies coming as we go into summer. However, you aren't likely to get as fun and uplifting an experience watching "Batman v Superman" than you are watching The Jungle Book.

Pros

• Fantastic writing
• Voice acting
• Beautiful effects
• Cinematography
• The score

Cons

• One strange song entry

Rating: 8/10

Release Date: 15th April, 2016

Starring Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken

New Title for 2017 Spider-Man Movie Announced!

The Marvel Universe just keeps growing and, now that everybody's favourite web slinger is back home, my excitement just keeps building for the future. Now, after Marvel stupidly registered a URL a few weeks ago which seemed to reveal it's name, the title of the 2017 MCU Spider-Man movie has now been confirmed as "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Check out the official logo!

For me, that logo is amazing. I know some people have shown some distaste for it, but I love how it reflects the old cartoon series with it's comic-book style lettering. The small touch of the spider logo taking over the "O" in Homecoming is a nice touch too. That's not even mentioning how great it is to see the official Marvel logo sitting above a Spider-Man title for the first time rather than Sony! We've known for a while that this would be set in the Marvel Universe, but that doesn't make it any less great to see everything coming together. The colouring of the logo may also be quite important. If you take a look at the logos of the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb Spider-Man flicks, they are completely grey and silver. It might just be me looking too deep into it, but I think that the addition of more colour and character may be a suggestion of more humour and fun being added to this movie, making it potentially much closer to the comics than any of the other movies.

The title itself, however, is just fine. It's not horrible, it's not spectacular, just fine. Of course, it doesn't give any real indication of the plot. It likely refers to Spider-Man returning to his job as a hero after the events that take place in Civil War, but with the addition of more heroes, as has been confirmed by Marvel. It certainly won't be based on the comic book of the same name, because it took place when Spidey returned to Earth after an event called "Secret Wars," and he came back with the black symbiotic which would eventually become fan favourite Venom. For any fans reading this hoping for Venom, don't get your hopes up because Sony are reportedly still making a Venom movie which will not be part of the MCU. The only villain that is even rumoured at this point is Vulture, who may just be the opening fight for Spidey. 

There is undoubtedly plenty to look forward to when it comes to Spider-Man in the MCU, including this movie. I love the logo and hope that it does indicate more fun for this character, but the title does not excite me. It doesn't give any indication of villains, plot or what to expect. I'm sure it will be something to be excited about when it is revealed, but right now, I'm more excited for the hero to make his appearance in Civil War.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is releasing on July 7th, 2017.

It currently stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May with more cast members to be added in the future