The Marvels (2023)
Director: Nia DaCosta
Screenwriters: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik
Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Samuel L. Jackson

Previously on the MCU…

In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers became the most powerful woman alive when she absorbed the cosmic energy of an exploding alien reactor. In ‘Wandavision’, astronaut Monica Rambeau gained the power to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum when she passed through a barrier of chaos magic. In ‘Ms Marvel’, teenage superhero fangirl Kamala Khan’s inert extra-dimensional mutant powers were unlocked by a magical bangle passed down through her family. Now…

When three superheroes with light-based powers mysteriously start switching places across the universe, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) must team up to find the root cause of their conundrum and stop fanatical Kree warlord Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) from doing untold damage to the universe.

The debate about whether it’s a good move for buzzworthy indie directors to make the leap to superhero blockbusters so early in their careers continues. Cop Car’s Jon Watts managed to keep some of his directorial voice intact when he swung into the MCU with Spider-Man: Homecoming, ditto Taika Waititi taking up Thor’s hammer straight after Hunt for the Wilderpeople, but other filmmakers like Cate Shortland (going from Berlin Syndrome to Black Widow) and Chloé Zhao (following Nomadland with Eternals) have struggled to make their superhero movies stand out. Nia DaCosta (previously behind the Candyman reboot) seems to find herself somewhere in the middle of that scale, bringing plenty of personality to her story but perhaps having to temper her darker impulses to fit the studio brief.

The sheer charm of the central trio’s dynamic makes you forgive the film a lot of sins. This is what you’re watching for, to see this unconventional surrogate family unit – an absentee aunt, a grieving daughter and an over-enthusiastic younger sister who just wants to be included – puzzle out their predicament and support each other through their trials. The problem is that exactly what Captain Marvel has been doing since her movie debut, referenced in brief flashbacks and confronted directly at this film’s close, sounds a lot more interesting than the film we are actually watching. Rather than grappling with the responsibility of what to do with your near-unlimited power, seeing her make what will prove to be disastrous decisions that impact the lives of billions of extra-terrestrials, more often than not we’re hurtling around the universe searching for space trinkets for undefined reasons. 

There are some admittedly eye-catching sci-fi vistas on display, with glittering futuristic cities and spectacularly collapsing planetary bodies aplenty. There is also, disappointingly, still the odd uninspiring brawl that amounts to repetitive punching with added fireworks, usually in pretty featureless added-in-post environs. 

The action highlight is unquestionably the bravura fight sequence in the first act that is given its lifeblood and rhythm by sterling work from editors Catrin Hedström and Evan Schiff, hilariously inopportunely zipping the three Marvels in and out of their brawl taking place at three different points in the galaxy every time they use their powers. This unexpectedly not only puts the Khan family and their Jersey City home in the firing line but also keeps the powered trio physically apart and unable to effectively coordinate a little while longer.

You can’t really accuse DaCosta and co for playing it safe, mostly because of how prominently they feature multiple Flerkens (chaotic alien cats that can consume just about anything with their disguised tendrilled maws). The film also finds room for not one but two musical, or at least musical-inspired sequences to break up its more generic action. The more self-aware of these scenes that references an infamous piece of bad pop culture is the better and most memorable of the two by far and will doubtless be doing the rounds on social media as soon as The Marvels is released digitally.

This is one of the funnier Marvel movies, but most of the humour comes from the performances (especially Vellani’s insatiable excitement levels) rather than what was written on the page. The script could have used another pass for sure, and it contains very little that might be considered quotable. The warm interplay of Kamala and her protective family, the undoubted heart and highlight of her solo show, is always welcome, plus it’s amusing that they gave her parents (Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur, both great value) more to do in this than Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury.

The Marvels has probably the most boring villain since we completely lost Christopher Eccleston behind his prosthetics to play Malekith. Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn is literally carrying around her Kree uber-bastard predecessor Ronan the Accuser’s hammer and making foreboding pronouncements, sneering through metal-capped teeth completely straight-faced without the luxury of a Star-Lord dancing to puncture her pomposity. We know she’s after a pair of magical MacGuffins and she wants to destroy a sizeable portion of the universe (which is bad) in order to save her own dying world (which is goodish), but she has no other personality or nuance to make her feel like anything more than a driver of plot.

You do wonder how much this movie was whittled down in the edit and whether DaCosta would have wanted to delve further into Carol’s costly mistakes and dwell on the dark implications of godlike power a little more in addition to delivering a fun space romp driven by sparky interplay between three gifted female performers. As it is, The Marvels is a decent enough time at the movies that doesn’t quite come together as a satisfying whole. Fans won’t need to be told to stick around during the credits for a couple of pleasant surprises. 

Score: 16/24

Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

As I made this list, I wanted to give an overview of film history, honing in on pieces that are important in Western (especially American) cinema’s evolution. While the Koker Trilogy is undeniably great, its reach in shaping the broader cinematic medium, especially in the West, is limited (despite reflecting present-day leanings towards found footage and maximal realism). I have also chosen to avoid films I have not seen all the way through. I’ve seen the Odessa Steps segment in Battleship Potemkin and studied Eisenstein’s revolutionary editing techniques, but I could not recommend a film I have not seen as one of the best of all time no matter the expert consensus.

Another factor in my selection process was the overall trajectory of the filmmaker(s) involved to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing. While The Matrix is a great movie and highly regarded within its era, the Wachowskis’ later works have polarized audiences and critics considerably. It’s important to note that my list leans heavily male, reflecting both a historical bias in the industry and my personal gravitation towards directors who cater to male viewers. This list also restricts itself to feature-length films, ruling out shorts like the Lumiere brothers’ 50-second The Arrival of a Train. I also tried my best to include a variety of genres, otherwise this would devolve into a list of the 10 best crime films of all time.

With these considerations in mind, here are my selections for the 10 Best Films of All Time. You may have seen some, but I encourage you to watch those you haven’t, as they are sure to entertain and enlighten in various ways. These films are presented in no chronological order because ranking them is an impossible task, as they are each exceptional in their own right.

Follow me on X (Twitter) – @JacobFilmGuy

10. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

Do you hate the idea of silent movies but are curious about giving one a try? Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin may be an easier starting point, as their comedic styles have a timeless appeal that resonates across generations. However, if you find yourself intrigued by the dramatic offerings of 1920s cinema, The Passion of Joan of Arc should be your first choice.

This film immerses viewers into Joan of Arc’s harrowing trial for heresy at the hands of English-aligned Frenchmen during the Hundred Years’ War, faithfully adapted from the event’s historical records. The director, Carl Theodor Dreyer, is hailed as one of the silent cinema’s maestros, standing tall among Europe’s early cinematic innovators.

As a silent film, it places emphasis on the visual aspects of film in a way that theater cannot replicate, showing the unique artistic power of cinema to put viewers right in the face of subjects. Renée Jeanne Falconetti’s portrayal perfectly conveys Joan’s torment and unwavering resolve. Dreyer’s directorial style is uniquely his own, blending techniques from various European cinematic movements to craft this masterwork.

Created on the cusp of the sound era, it may even be considered the pinnacle of the silent era, representing the apex of a crescendo that laid the foundation for the visual elements of the movies we know and love today.

9. Seven Samurai (1954)

Akira Kurosawa worked in many genres and eras, but is best remembered for his films about historical Japan. Rashomon and Yojimbo have stood the test of time, but Seven Samurai is undoubtedly his greatest work. It’s a simple story of a ragtag group of warriors who come together to defend a village from bandits, told exceptionally well in a way only film can.

Seven Samurai may be the breeziest three-hour film of all time, with not a moment wasted and excellent pacing to boot. The group’s interactions with each other and the villagers are what really make the film, and frequent Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune stands out for his attitude and posturing as a 16th century ronin. Kurosawa and cinematographer Asakazu Nakai’s talent as visual artists is shown in the stunningly composed shots that capture the Japanese countryside, intense action, and the good but complex nature of the film’s heroes.

The film also represents a cultural exchange between Western and Eastern cinema that will continue as long as those traditions exist – John Ford was an influence on Kurosawa whose films inspired directors like Sergio Leone, George Lucas, and the folks at Pixar who made A Bug’s Life… not to mention the film’s influence on the concept of team-ups in general.

No matter what type of film or genre you prefer, Seven Samurai and its influence is nearly inescapable within cinema.

Recommended for you: Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune: Cinema’s Greatest Collaborations

Universal’s crown jewel, which includes three Jurassic Park movies and a further three Jurassic World films, has left an indelible imprint on cinema and has become a box office and merchandising phenomenon, earning around $10billion in revenue to date. Perhaps more impressively, it has forever changed our culture, its visual representations of dinosaurs coming to define their very image for the past thirty years (whether that image is factually correct or not).

Initially released as a Steven Spielberg-directed adaptation of respected author Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, the Jurassic franchise has mixed themes of environmentalism, the ethics of cloning, and astute commentary on conglomerated big business, with the blockbuster tropes of thrilling action, sharp comedy and wondrous special effects – the work of visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic has redefined visual effects techniques forever, ensuring the franchise’s indelible mark on the industry as a whole.

In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are revisiting every film from the Jurassic franchise – all three Jurassic Park films and the further three Jurassic World releases – in order to decipher which of the Jurassic Park / World movies is the worst and which is the best in terms of artistic merit, enjoyability, purpose, meaning and message. These are the Jurassic Park / World Movies Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

6. Jurassic Park III (2001)

When Joe Johnston took over from Steven Spielberg at the helm of the Jurassic Park franchise following success with his mid-90s family hit Jumanji, he seemed like the most natural fit to continue the franchise’s legacy. The director, who would go on to helm Captain America: The First Avenger among other notable films, was a long-term understudy to Spielberg throughout the 1980s (even acting as director of visual effects on Raiders of the Lost Ark) and was stepping into the franchise just as Spielberg had seemed to lose his passion for it. Unfortunately, Jurassic Park III turned out to be a cursed production, its spot at the bottom of this list due in no small part to the shoot beginning before a script was ever even finished.

Jurassic Park star Sam Neill returned to his role as Alan Grant from the 1993 release 8 years prior, his character a continual reminder of the better film many at the time could catch on TV or home video. Here, his respected palaeontologist is conned into heading to the island of the 2nd movie, The Lost World, to rescue a teenager stranded there as the result of a holiday mishap. Tonally, Jurassic Park III is all over the place – supporting characters as annoying as they are stereotypical, inappropriate jokes made to cover cracks in the narrative, inspired horror elements side-by-side with poop jokes – and it never really gets going like every other Jurassic film does, the pace picking up just once beyond the threshold of the narrative’s inciting incident.

Of all the Jurassic movies, Jurassic Park III is simply the most forgettable. And, while there are moments of genuine inspiration (most notably the bird cage sequence) and points of tension here and there, the film’s lack of awareness as regards its own cheesiness and silliness (both massive steps away from the more earnest Spielberg outings), made this the only franchise entry worthy of being mocked on the internet: a Velociraptor talking directly to Alan Grant is cheesy, cheap and not even played for laughs.

Jurassic Park III is likely the result of “too many chefs in the kitchen”, a situation in which the director, screenwriters, producers and studio all had distinctly different visions of what should have been another mega-hit franchise entry. The result is poor to mediocre, and certainly more boring and unpleasant than the other franchise entries. Jurassic Park III is the film that would end the franchise for some 14 years, and that should be proof enough that it is deserving of the number 6 spot on this list.

5. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Thrusting Jeff Goldblum into the lead role of The Lost World: Jurassic Park after a film-stealing performance in the original film seemed about as logical as Dr Ian Malcolm himself, but tacking on familial interests and a strange romantic angle seemed to remove the mystery surrounding him, watering down his cool-factor in the process. In revisiting his role as the prophet of doom, The Lost World: Jurassic Park became eternally bonded to the character’s cynicism through focusing so much of its narrative on his journey, the movie losing touch of the awe and majesty of the 1993 original as seen through Richard Attenborough’s wide-eyed John Hammond and Sam Neill’s more pure and (reluctantly) kind-hearted Dr. Alan Grant.

Not only was The Lost World: Jurassic Park missing that cool character we’d all come to love as a part of the original’s ensemble of strong, instantly recognisable icons of the screen, but Ian Malcolm was now a father having an existential crisis about his girlfriend going missing while navigating issues of divorce; The Lost World was simply more cynical than any other Jurassic movie.

In the decades since the release of this Jurassic Park sequel, many have placed The Lost World in the lower echelons of Steven Spielberg’s filmography, this 1997 movie marking a point at the height of Spielberg’s fame in which the director seemed much less interested in money-making ventures than he was by passion projects such as Amistad (released the same year) and Saving Private Ryan (released the year following, 1998).

While Spielberg’s legendary blockbuster-leading trademarks are still present in The Lost World (elevating a relatively mediocre script), the bedrock of this Jurassic Park sequel seems to reverse the original film’s stance on armed intervention and mass governmental control by film’s end, and this weak structural base simply fails to provide enough of a springboard for a less-than fully motivated director (even one as great as Spielberg) to overcome. There are glimpses of greatness here – the cracking glass over the edge of the cliff being one particular highlight – but The Lost World is missing the intention and politics of the four films to come, its on-the-nose efforts futile in the face of the deeper realisations of the Jurassic World movies and the original Jurassic Park.

Recommended for you: Jurassic Franchise Directors Ranked

Last year I watched Die Hard for the first time and it is now my favourite Christmas film ever. That’s why I thought I’d finally take a look at one of my other cinematic blind spots: Steven Spielberg’s 1993 dinosaur-based classic Jurassic Park.

For the first time in this miniature series, expectations were high. The opening did not disappoint.

Could Jurassic Park have the most intense opening scene in any blockbuster ever?

I thought this was a nice film that had some dinosaurs in, but a man is eaten in the first scene! Is this not for children?

After the dinosaur is fed, we meet our team.

First we have John Hammond played by Richard Attenborough – it appears that overall I have very few issues with this film, but one of them is Attenborough’s accent; is he supposed to be Scottish? – who is a wealthy businessman who has managed to clone dinosaurs and wants to create a theme park to help others share in his awe. But first he needs the help of a merry band of experts to sign off on his science and give their blessing to the park being opened.

Our band consists of: stuffy lawyer Gennaro (Ferrero); mathematician, chaos theorist and sex symbol Dr. Ian Malcom (Goldblum); Palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Neill); and Palaeobotanist and bad ass Dr. Ellie Sattle (Dern). Samuel L. Jackson appears later constantly smoking, even when talking. What an absolute dream cast.

Jurassic Park is a strong movie from the opening credits, but the reveal of the dinosaur is something else. It’s pure Marty-approved cinema.

We see the characters react before we see the reveal, Spielberg tightening in on how overawed each of them are as they react like dominoes one after another, increasing expectations and the film’s child-like wonder all at once.

They even react as you’d believe each character would – Dr Sattler is so impressed by the plant life that she does not see the giant dinosaurs next to her; Dr Grant exclaims ‘It’s a dinosaur!’ and falls to the ground; Ian Malcom is impressed stating ‘You did it. You crazy son of a bitch you did it’; whereas our lawyer is, well… a lawyer: ‘We’re going to make a fortune with this place’.

Hammond says ‘Welcome to Jurassic Park’ – and honestly, what could possibly go wrong?!

The “Welcome to Jurassic Park” song begins, and that John Williams really knows how to make an emotive score, huh? Now I wish I had seen this in the cinema, full surround sound blasting it into my soul. Have no doubt, this is a soundtrack I will be listening to forever and ever.

I was 100% convinced that Hammond was evil 25 minutes in. Not pure evil, like leaving his grandchildren to be eaten by dinosaurs, but more like he gets a God complex and thinks he is above everyone else – needless to say I was not impressed by the way that he imprints Twilight-style onto the baby dinosaurs. It actually turns out that his character is evil in the novel, but because he was played by the lovable Richard Attenborough it turned out he couldn’t possibly be evil in the movie.

In general, I love the way that Spielberg frames the narrative – we are at the theme park with the characters. We go on the tour with them, we even learn about DNA with them. If only we could actually get in the cars.

Spielberg also masterfully builds anticipation for that first major T-Rex reveal by promising us two other dinosaurs on the tour and then disappointing us with their failed appearances, subsequently hitting us square in the face with the impressive and later scary presence of the T-Rex.

How did this film come out in 1993? This dinosaur is genuinely impressive – it still stands up!

Here comes the film’s sudden turn – a man is eaten by a dinosaur while on the toilet, there are cars in trees and children in mortal danger.

Jurassic Park actually uses fear in a really interesting way. Dinosaurs are of course scary, but we know they aren’t a genuine threat to our everyday lives, which is why it’s so important and genuinely harrowing to see the characters not only have to navigate these monstrous pre-historic creatures but also very normal dangers such as heights and electrical fences. It’s so very, very clever.

With this in mind, our young friend Tim seems to have 9 lives! The car he’s in gets crushed and pushed over a hill into a tree, then he gets electrocuted by 10,000 volts in a very tense scene, and he even survives being hunted for food by the smartest of all the dinosaurs, the Velociraptor.

I think we ought to dub him: Big Tim – Human Piece of Toast!

Recommended for you: Jurassic Park / World Movies Ranked

The most surprising and definitely my favourite part of Jurassic Park was its very real sense of girl power.

For 1993, Jurassic Park is very progressive – the dinosaurs are all females and still manage to pro-create because we don’t need no man, while Laura Dern is the hero and saves the day.

While Goldblum is injured early on and spends the rest of the film laying down looking pretty, and Sam Neill is the one left looking after the children for almost the entire second and third acts, Dern is kicking ass and saving the day.

More of this please.

Overall, I absolutely loved Jurassic Park. I don’t really know why I have only just seen this for the first time – it has everything you want in a family friendly movie, and it all comes with (pardon the pun)… a bite!

This surprisingly feminist tale is one that baby Annice would have appreciated; definitely a new Sunday morning favourite.

Goodfellas (1990)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriters: Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese
Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, Frank Sivero, Tony Darrow, Mike Starr, Frank Vincent, Chuck Low, Samuel L. Jackson

Goodfellas is one of Martin Scorsese’s best received works and startlingly this year sees his mob masterpiece reach the tender age of 30. Unsurprisingly it remains as vital as ever and is still one of the finest films of the past 3 decades, as well as in the entirety of Scorsese’s legendary filmography. In light of the success found in his return to the genre with 2019’s The Irishman, it is worth revisiting one of the high points of a genre with which Scorsese has so clearly associated.

Goodfellas, whilst not being a hugely successful film at the Box Office in 1990, has become a cult favourite and one of Scorsese’s most recognisable films. With legendary critic Roger Ebert writing upon its release that “No finer film has ever been made about organized crime – not even The Godfather“ in an indication of public sentiment towards the film, Goodfellas is currently placed at 17 on IMDB’s top 250 films of all time and is Scorsese’s highest placed film on this particular list.

The film takes a detour from the narrative route Scorsese had taken with the likes of his character studies Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, to focus Goodfellas on the life of Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill, from childhood to his fully formed part of Mob life. It is an unflinching look at the brutality of the life these characters choose to lead with violence aplenty.

Goodfellas is one of the finest acted films Scorsese has released and features the best career work of Ray Liotta as well as a strong supporting performance from Robert De Niro in what was at this point his 6th collaboration with Scorsese – his first since The King of Comedy 7 years earlier. In one of her earliest roles, Lorraine Brasco excels and was rightly nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress, this performance coming 9 years before her acclaimed role in ‘The Sopranos’. A case could even be made for Karen being one of Scorsese’s best female characters, certainly in his mob films. Some 3 decades on, and it’s Joe Pesci who remains the film’s particular highlight and the master of its superbly acted ensemble however, the actor displaying his full range and proving explosive in almost every scene, his performance winning the Oscar for Actor In a Supporting Role.

As one would expect with a Scorsese picture, the period attention to detail is sublime, really evoking the decade each section is set in. The early part of the film focuses on Henry’s childhood in the 1950s and the picture subsequentily works its way through the 60s to the 80s. Brilliant soundtracks are one of Scorsese’s hallmarks, and this is one of his finest, comprising an eclectic mix of soul, rock n roll, jazz and blues classics to fit the mood of the particular period the film is focused on. The sound makes use of a plethora of tracks from the Rolling Stones and features other iconic acts such as Muddy Waters, The Who and George Harrison. Scorsese would of course go on to make acclaimed documentaries on both Harrison and The Rolling Stones.

Watching Goodfellas after having watched 1995’s Casino and The Irishman, the trio work incredibly well as nuanced variations on mob life as they all touch on different aspects of the lifestyle. The Irishman and Goodfellas in particular are only really similar in subject matter, and as overall films are actually worlds apart in both message and style. It is perhaps a sign of the quality of Goodfellas that Scorsese’s subsequent films in this genre live somewhat in its shadow, Goodfellas remaining a high point in a career that has also brought us the aforementioned films and Scorsese’s only Best Directing Oscar for The Departed.

While there have been a fair few films focusing on the mob since 1990, few have achieved the same staying power, legacy and adoration as Goodfellas. Arguably it is not only Martin Scorsese’s most critically revered of the past 3 decades but it is also his most beloved by fans. In a genre that has produced some of the finest films of the 20th Century, from the Godfather Parts I & II, to Once Upon a time in America, Goodfellas rightly sits in the top tier of classics and showcases one of America’s finest directors at the top of his game.

22/24

Written by Christopher Connor

You can support Christopher Connor in the following places:

Twitter – @chrisconnor96

In this edition of ranked, we’re ranking each of these 9 releases from worst to best based on artistry and cultural significance.

Have an opinion? Make sure to leave a comment or tweet us!

9. Hellboy

Lionsgate
Director: Neil Marshall
Starring: David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, Thomas Haden Church

In a year of many highs for the superhero/comic book movie sub-genre, the Hellboy reboot from Centurion director Neil Marshall and Lionsgate wasn’t one of them.

Coming some 15 years after Guillermo Del Toro first introduced the character to the silver screen, the remake was perhaps inevitable, but in the midst of Del Toro’s resurgence as a leading Hollywood creative figure following his Best Director Oscar win in 2018 for The Shape of Water, comparisons were perhaps even more likely to be negative than they may have been previously, the 2019 version opting to take a gamble on gore being its defining factor; perhaps using it as a mask for the missing creativity apparent in its creatures, narrative and action set-pieces.

This was a misfire that may warrant a sequel as being unnecessary.

Recommended for you: 2018 Superhero Movies Ranked

8. Brightburn

Sony Pictures
Director: David Yarovesky
Starring: Jackson A. Dunn, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman

Marketed as a James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) project asking “what if Superman was evil?”, Brightburn excited many a comic book movie fan for its intriguing idea that stood out from the rest of what we had become used to seeing. A superhero-horror movie seemed like a huge step for the sub-genre, but it offered way too little by the way of its superhero promise, the film instead being “structured and paced more like a contemporary possession or haunted house movie”, according to Jacob Davis in his The Film Magazine review.

Shallow in terms of character and world building, and ultimately underwhelming in other aspects given its promising premise, Brightburn was a gamble we’re glad Sony Pictures took, but one that ultimately didn’t pay off in terms of quality of product, critical reception or box office dollars; making it a somewhat unexpected 2019 superhero movie dud.

7. Dark Phoenix

20th Century Fox
Director: Simon Kinberg
Starring: Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Tye Sheridan, Nicholas Hoult, Alexandra Shipp, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Dark Phoenix was re-shot and rescheduled in the build-up to its Summer 2019 release, and with issues behind the scenes regarding its studio 20th Century Fox being bought out by Marvel overlords Disney, and the likelihood of Marvel Studios incorporating the X-Men IP into their studio because of that purchase, Simon Kinberg’s passion project seemed sent out to die. Perhaps that’s why they removed “X-Men” from the film’s title…

What Dark Phoenix did right, it did pretty well – there was a fantastic train battle sequence that was reminiscent of some of the X-Men franchise’s greatest moments – but the film suffered from a lack of originality in a number of key aspects (including a finale massively similar to Avengers: Infinity War) and looked cheap; the re-shoots probably being to blame for the massive lack of cinematic qualities on offer in a number of sequences.

To say goodbye to nearly 20 years of the X-Men like this was disappointing, and to still be waiting for a good Dark Phoenix Saga film after two tries is beyond disappointing, but Dark Phoenix managed to offer sparks of something special that at least lifted it from our bottom spot.

Recommended for you: Every X-Men Movie Ranked

The Wrap – 5th Nov 2019

Warner Bros. are in talks to sign up In Bruges, The Lobster and Dumbo actor Colin Farrell to play iconic Batman villain The Penguin in their upcoming Matt Reeves directed feature The Batman.

Deadline – 5th Nov 2019

Former Batman Ben Affleck has joined new Robert Rodriguez directed action-thriller Hypnotic as the star, signing on to play a detective searching for his missing daughter and discovering a secret government program.

Variety – 6th Nov 2019

Michael Keaton (Birdman; Spider-Man: Homecoming), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction; Spider-Man: Far from Home) and Maggie Q (Divergent) are set to star in a new A-List action-thriller from 007: Casino Royale director Martin Campbell titled The Asset. Millennium Films, the production company behind The Expendables, are reportedly in charge of the project.

THR – 5th Nov 2019

Iconic actor James Dean is to be resurrected via CGI to star in an upcoming war film from directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh titled Finding Jack. The production will use old footage and photography to create a full body render of the famed star of Rebel Without A Cause who died in a car accident in 1955.

Empire – 6th Nov 2019

Ken Watanabe (Inception; Godzilla) is set to star in a new film from Philomena producer Gabrielle Tana and debut feature screenwriter-director Patrick Dickinson. Wild Rose star Jessie Buckley has been lined up to support Watanabe in what is being described as “a universal portrait of love, acceptance and family loss”.

THR – 6th Nov 2019

The Scream franchise is being resurrected by Spyglass Entertainment. According to sources at Bloody Disgusting, Gary Barber’s Spyglass Media Group is developing a new film without Scream 1, 2 & 4 screenwriter Kevin Williamson, the rumoured screenwriter for the new project being Blade, Batman Begins and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice screenwriter David S. Goyer. It is unknown whether the new film will be a reboot or a new entry into the pre-existing film canon (of which every entry has thus far been directed by the since deceased Wes Craven).

Bloody Disgusting – 6th Nov 2019

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon has signed on to direct Newsflash, a biographical drama about legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite that is set to star Star Trek and Wonder Woman actor Chris Pine. The film is to be set on the day Cronkite must report the assassination of President Kennedy.

THR – 7th Nov 2019

Anchorman, The Big Short and Vice director Adam McKay has signed a first-look film deal with Paramount Pictures. The screenwriter-director-producer and his production company Hyperobject Industries will, at least for the foreseeable future, give Paramount first-refusal rights to any feature project they put together. McKay has a similar deal for TV, streaming and podcasts with Warner Bros. owned HBO.

THR – 8th Nov 2019

Jon Spaihts, the showrunner for the upcoming HBO ‘Dune’ series, has exited his role with the TV show to focus on writing the sequel for Denis Villeneuve’s 2020 Dune movie.

THR – 5th Nov 2019

Yesterday screenwriter and Love Actually director Richard Curtis is set to adapt his own children’s book “The Empty Stocking” for an animated feature from London-based animation house Locksmith Animation. The film will reportedly be made for streaming platforms.

THR – 6th Nov 2019

The third Fantastic Beasts movie will begin filming in Spring 2020, with Brazil the apparent destination for the cast and crew including Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Jude Law.

Deadline – 4th Nov 2019

Carrie Fisher’s brother Todd Fisher has revealed in an interview with Yahoo! that the original plan for upcoming release Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was to see Fisher’s Princess Leia character become a powerful force-wielding jedi, developing the building blocks put in place in The Last Jedi (2017).

Yahoo! – 6th Nov 2019

The 2019 European Film Awards nominees list was revealed this weekend – here.

The Film Magazine – 10th Nov 2019

And finally… (CW: Sexual Abuse)

Jurassic Park and Thor: Ragnarok star Jeff Goldblum this week moved to defend Woody Allen against decades old allegations of sexual assault against a minor, stating in an interview with i that there “is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty” and that he “would consider working with” the director again following a minor role in Allen’s 1977 film Annie Hall.

i – 6th Nov 2019

French director Christophe Ruggia, who was recently accused of the sexual assault of Portrait of a Lady on Fire star Adele Haenel when she was just a minor, has released a statement to the same publication the actress first went on record with her experience, stating: “The adulation and hope that I placed in her may have seemed, given her young age, troublesome at certain moments. If that is the case and if she is willing, then I ask her to accept my apology.” He also affirmed to have “never engaged in the physical gestures and sexual harassment”.

Mediapart via THR – 6th Nov 2019

French-Polish director Roman Polanski has been accused of rape by French actress Valentine Monnier, who claims the filmmaker behind Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist assaulted her in a ski chalet in Switzerland in 1975 when she was 18 years old. The director won’t be charged as France has a 20-year statute of limitations, but this latest accusation fuels the backlash the filmmaker continues to face for his suspected rape of a 13 year old girl in 1975; the trial for which his refusal to attend still makes him a wanted criminal in the United States.

Le Parisien via Variety – 8th Nov 2019

Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Director: Jon Watts
Screenwriter: Erik Sommers
Starring: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Colbie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J.B. Smoove, Martin Starr, Angourie Rice, Remy Hii, Tony Revolori

The latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Far From Home, is the second Spider-Man movie in the MCU and realistically concludes their Infinity Saga, the 22 film marathon that has been going for over a decade. Peter Parker heads on a class trip to Venice, where he must team up with Nick Fury and a new superhero, Mysterio, to combat elemental monsters from another dimension. The film is a solid summer blockbuster that nicely wraps up Spider-Man’s first character arc, but there isn’t anything radically new or earth-shattering to be found here.

Tom Holland perfectly portrays the skittish teenager who finds himself conflicted between what he wants and what Fury urges him to see as a greater responsibility. The internal struggle between hiding in the shadows or stepping into the light is the real conflict of the film, and the lead actor nails this effortlessly. Jake Gyllenhall’s performance in the film’s largest supporting role is also strong, the veteran actor swinging from kind to wrathful in seconds. There’s a quiet moment in a bar between the two characters, which is perhaps the best part in the film, where CG and action set pieces are replaced by an emphasis on the struggle of the Spider-Man character in particular, the acting of the starring pair coming to the fore in an absolutely wonderful way.

The scenes without all the action sequences are undoubtedly the best in the movie, because the big blockbuster moments, while fun and exciting, are fairly typical Marvel spectaculars. You’re not going to see anything radically new from it. There is a several-minute sequence playing on reality that is fairly disorienting and fun, but in terms of the explosions and fight scenes, there’s nothing revolutionary along the lines of Kingsman: The Secret Service’s church fight. You go in knowing what you’re going to get out of it.

Far from Home isn’t going to be completely ripping up the rulebook like Infinity War did, but neither is it as bland as a Marvel entry like Thor: The Dark World. It’s a decent entry into the MCU with a strong central premise and good acting. Marvel movies were made for increasing popcorn sales, and this is what Far From Home does. It’s two hours of a fun time that bookmarks the end of an era, and begins to put in the groundwork for the next sprawling narrative.

17/24

Follow Kieran on Twitter: KJudgeMental

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The current lady-of-the-moment is an Oscar and BAFTA-winning actress with a long list of reputable works. For over ten years, Larson has been working on an array of mainstream and independent movies, as well as her own pieces such as The Arm (2012) which won the Short Film Special Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival.

If you’re interested in catching up on where our Captain Marvel has been and what we can hope to expect from her in the future, here’s a list of Brie Larson’s best silver screen performances from her career thus far.

In no particular order…

1. Room (2015)

Brie Larson’s staple movie has to be Room.

An adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s 2010 novel of the same name, this piece enabled Larson to bag multiple awards, many for Best Actress. This intriguing and moving story follows a woman who has been held captive for seven years and, in that time, has given birth to her son who is now five. Born in captivity, the boy knows nothing of the outside world and his mother has lost seven years of her life, yet their relationship holds a bond like no other. This is an eye-opening and enchanting narrative, showing the range of Larson’s acting talent.

2. Captain Marvel (2019)

Brie Larson’s recent success comes directly from her achievements with Marvel Studios. Captain Marvel, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is the most recent instalment in the franchise, and ties in with Avengers: Endgame. It is the twenty-first film in the Marvel franchise and is based on the Marvel Comics character Carol Danvers. Portraying an iconic female lead, Larson has branched out to a much wider audience, becoming a solid role model for young girls and MCU fans alike.

3. Unicorn Store (2017)

Larson’s feature-length directorial debut premiered on Netflix in 2019 almost two years after its initial showing at the Toronto International Film Festival. The coming-of-age comedy movie follows Kit (Larson), a failed artist who moves back home after getting stuck between a rock and a hard place. After finding an office job, she receives a mysterious letter inviting her to ‘The Store’, a place that sells “what you need”. Enigmatic and quirky, this movie has been highly rated by critics, calling it a “willfully quirky wisp of a film”; Larson’s direction and performance anchoring every minute of the film.

4. The Glass Castle (2017)

Starring alongside Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts, The Glass Castle shows Larson in another solemn role. Adapted from the memoirs of Jeanette Walls, the film explores the life of the author and her childhood. Although reviews for this film were mixed, the performances from Larson and Harrelson in particular have been highly praised.

5. Short Term 12 (2013)

This independent drama has been recognised for its realism and understanding, with Brie Larson’s performance being greatly received. Grace (Larson) is the young supervisor of Short Term 12, a group home for troubled teenagers. Director Destin Cretton based Short Term 12 on his own experience working in a similar facility and cast a plethora of up and coming names including Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out), Stephanie Beatriz (“Brooklyn 99”) and Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody). Hard-hitting and emphatic, this movie is a prime example of why Brie Larson is such a reputable actress, her performance here being possibly the most underrated of her career.

Captain Marvel (2019)
Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Screenwriters: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mandelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Rune Temte, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Akira Akbar

It has been eleven long years since the MCU began, Jon Favreau’s Iron Man rocketing the newly birthed Marvel Studios into the stratosphere, and while female figurehead The Wasp may have been a titled co-star for the Ant-Man sequel in 2018, it has taken until the Universe’s 21st movie for us to finally get a female fronted superhero film from the monarchs of all things action-fantasy-adventure. In Captain Marvel, through the creative visions of screenwriter-director duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (It’s Kind of a Funny Story; Mississippi Grind), the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally has its own franchise-leading female – a woman so powerful she can single-handedly defend planets against invasion, but one whose extra-terrestrial qualities never out qualify her central-most gift: being human.

Told across multiple timelines in conjunction with the heroine’s re-establishing of her long-lost memories, Captain Marvel offers a complex study of repressed grief and overcoming barriers (mental and physical), though it is never dragged into any realm one could consider less than “fun” – fun ordinarily being a lazy word with which to explain superhero movies, but a word entirely encapsulating of this often comedic action film that maintains a “living on another planet” element of light-hearted oddness throughout its run-time.

The picture in this respect isn’t all that deep – it isn’t the sort of character study one could analyse like a Black Panther, for example – but it does ensure that the multi-universe-spanning, planet defending plot of the film remains easy to follow despite the picture jumping between memory and reality. Captain Marvel is easy to invest in and the hero at the centre of the piece, Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) therefore becomes the hinge around which all thematic exploration and narrative twists and turns tend to orbit – she truly is the star of the film, and Brie Larson delivers a performance worthy of grabbing your attention.

Written with a certain sensibility that separates her from the rest of Marvel’s quietly established female heroes, the character of Carol Danvers was already quite strong on the page, but the work that Brie Larson does in establishing her as a likeable and ultimately relateable superhero is quite the achievement. Larson, whose work on the likes of Room and Short Term 12 is well known for its quality and gravitas, has typically been able to give a legitimately human touch to each of her characters, her portrayal of a character with a lot of self-doubt but inner strength defining her career milestone performances, with her performance as Captain Marvel in this film being no different. In the shape of Larson, Carol Danvers isn’t just an almost all-powerful superhero, she’s vulnerable and sad, though she’s also the sort of person that would spark a smile and tease you for liking the cat if you ever tried to get her to open up. It’s somewhat apropos that Larson offers such vulnerability underneath an upbeat persona in a movie she is supported by one of the very best at doing so, Annette Bening. Few could have argued the choice of her casting when she was announced, but as of now it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else in the iconic super-suit.

So-impressive-it’s-almost-unnoticeable de-ageing and a bunch of 90s nostalgia moments – slow loading times on computers, pagers, even Nine Inch Nails t-shirts – earn Captain Marvel a unique spot in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe from a visual standpoint, though much of the action tends to feel vague in the same fashion we’ve become accustomed to in the less creative of Marvel’s big-budget offerings (we’re not getting Russo Brothers levels of action here, that’s for sure). It seems to be the curse of the franchise-openers Marvel offer, and does tend to make this picture in particular drag on throughout several sequences – sequences that may have been cut by a studio more intent on maintaining engagement.

The length of the film (just over 2 hours) is perhaps the biggest downside to Captain Marvel as it’s quite easy to see where a good 30 minutes or so could have been cut. The elongation of a story that would have satisfied the hardcore Marvel fans as a 90 minute intermediary between Avengers films and offered a quick, fun standalone for those less familiar with the MCU, ultimately damaged the momentum of a picture already struggling to establish meaningful opponents for the would-be hero. It seems like now, even after 20 films, Marvel still struggle to offer antagonists worthy of their screen time, and that the good and the bad of their movies are still presented to us as a part of the story we just have to accept, rather than something we’re taught to believe. At times, this film was bogged down by the necessary action beats the Marvel formula dictated and it seemed more obvious in this film than many others just where the powers at Marvel and the directors had different intentions, with the directors clearly pushing for stronger elements of backstory and drama against Marvel’s typically quippy and action-heavy formula. The disconnect between the two visions was ultimately one of the movie’s most damaging aspects, halting momentum at key points and sometimes derailing trains of thought that developed as the movie went on, though it must be noted that this never quite detracted from the overall positivity surrounding the picture.

It is, after all, the positivity surrounding Captain Marvel that makes it such an important film, and while the finished product is hardly of the standard of the franchise’s biggest breakout hits Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther, it remains a watchable and at times exciting release that has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from Marvel: incredible CG, a strong hero, talented and interesting side acts, and a mild feeling of empowerment. Larson is the hero we’ve all been waiting for and Captain Marvel is the sort of movie that lives up to its billing. This is not only an enjoyable and rewatchable superhero movie, but one that could act as a sturdy springboard for one of our next generation’s most important superhero icons. You won’t have your socks blown off, but it’ll be a fun couple of hours for those expecting Marvel-tinted wish fulfilment.

15/24

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