Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Director: James Gunn
Screenwriter: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Elizabeth Debicki, Maria Bakalova, Sylvester Stallone, Nathan Fillion, Linda Cardellini, Asim Chaudhry, Mikaela Hoover

How many trilogies really stick the landing?

In 2018, writer-director James Gunn was unceremoniously fired by Disney after some bad taste jokes from his early days as a comedian were unearthed on Twitter by right-wing trolls who objected to Gunn’s outspoken political views. Following a passionate campaign from fans and Gunn’s friends and colleagues, a year later he was brought back on board at Marvel to finish what he started. If you love this particular bunch of a-holes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is going to be an emotional one.

Scoundrel-turned-superhero Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is in a dark place after making a mistake that doomed half the universe and lost him the love of his life, Gamora (Zoë Saldaña). The Guardians were restored following the defeat of Thanos, but a different Gamora – one who doesn’t even like Peter let alone love him – now stands in his paramour’s place. When an attack on the Guardian home base of Knowhere leaves one of their number mortally injured, the team set out on a quest that brings them into conflict with mad scientist the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) and causes Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) to confront his traumatic past.

What James Gunn has been hiding in plain sight up to now is that the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy is really about Rocket above anyone else. This is his journey, one that takes him from a bad start in life to being a full and happy person with people in his life he can trust and rely upon.

Much like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, if Rocket didn’t work as a VFX creation, then nothing else in this instalment (where he’s driving pretty much all the action) would either. Thankfully, the time-lapse transition between a terrified caged raccoon and Rocket’s older, cynically twitching nose that opens the film puts those doubts immediately to rest. Gunn’s empathy for all living things, but particularly those who have been mistreated, is what gives this story its power, and Bradley Cooper’s pitch-perfect vocal performance has the strength to make you feel all the feelings. Just as a raccoon crying over his lost tree friend made us shed tears in 2014, his relationship with his fellow abused creatures brings on the waterworks all over again here with some almost unbearably intense scenes in captivity. We don’t get to spend all that long with young Rocket’s animal experiment friends Lylla the otter (Linda Cardellini), Teefs the walrus (Asim Chaudhry) and Floor the rabbit (Mikaela Hoover), but we quickly grow to love them just as deeply he did.

This does have the feel of a victory lap, bringing everything full circle and giving everyone their time to shine. Everyone loves the literal-thinking lunk Drax (Dave Bautista) and towering tree-man Groot (Vin Diesel) but it is stoic cyborg Nebula (Karen Gillan) and eager-to-please empath Mantis (Pom Klementief), previously both pretty one-note, who end up being the undisputed highlights here. The former’s gruff and tough personality has gradually been eroded over her time with the Guardians, and the rare occasion when she lets down her guard and lets emotion overwhelm her really hits hard. The latter is the heart of the team, gets most of the funniest lines, and her unique power helps her and her friends out of a few tough spots in some unexpected ways.

Newcomers to this universe include Borat 2‘s Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the talking psychic cosmonaut dog who has an adorable film-long argument with space pirate Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Will Poulter as genetically engineered gold man-child Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary, arguably the most evil and irredeemable bastard in the galaxy who will mutilate, torture and thoughtlessly dispose of countless living things all in service of his delusional mission to create a “perfect society”.

The action is all very polished and exciting, and because this is the team’s last ride it all feels a lot more dangerous for our heroes somehow. A fight in a corridor in the final act might be the finest couple of minutes of action in the MCU to date – not only is it meticulously choreographed, ludicrously entertaining and set to a killer Beastie Boys track, but it lets the team work in violent harmony and gives every member of the team a chance to showcase their special abilities, each getting their own big character moment at the same time.

James Gunn has always happily leaned into the sillier visual and conceptual aspects of space opera, and rarely have such strange ideas been more convincingly brought to life as here. From a bio-formed space station seemingly made of meat to learning that the city of Knowhere (built inside the skull of a dead space god) can actually be driven to a new location, and even to a mirror image “Counter-Earth” populated by humanoids forcefully evolved from lower lifeforms, big swings are taken. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an epic, galaxy-spanning quest, but all this imagination vitally remains in service of a very intimate story. 

A minor criticism that could be levelled at this particular Guardians iteration is that the soundtrack isn’t as memorable or pitch-perfect as in the previous two films, with John Murphy’s (Sunshine, The Suicide Squad) original score extensively incorporating choral singing provoking a stronger reaction than the vast majority of the needle-drops. Similarly, the final act of the film, after over two hours of putting every Guardian through one life-threatening incident after another, keeps piling on the jeopardy to an almost absurd degree even when it is already fit to burst.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 brings this unlikely team’s journey to an immensely satisfying and appropriately epic conclusion. It is spectacular to look at and really funny, but it is also easily one of the darkest stories in the Marvel universe and does not pull its punches to make its pretty explicit discussion of abuse and animal testing any more palatable. We may see some of these characters again down the road, but for now it’s a fond farewell to them all, especially the acerbic Racoon who just wanted to be loved.

Score: 21/24

Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

Even so, 2022 has proven to be the first non-pandemic year since 2017 to not enter a comic book adaptation into the billion dollar movie club, and has reportedly been tumultuous for the genre behind the scenes at almost every studio. As we press into 2023, Marvel continues its pursuit of longer form storytelling on its multitude of direct-to-streaming series and has come under criticism for building a cinematic universe in which everything must get bigger and bolder to remain satisfying to those who’ve already seen it all, while Sony succumbed to an internet meme to re-release Morbius without understanding that they were the butt of a joke, and DC most publicly of all faced scrutiny for late-in-the-year decisions regarding the future of the DC Extended Universe (now to be without Henry Cavill as Superman only weeks after his return) and a public falling out with the world’s highest paid actor, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, regarding his long-gestated DC film Black Adam.

Following 2021, a year of memorable debuts and the ultimate in superhero movie fan service, the comic book genre was forced to diversify in terms of its styles of storytelling in 2022, and as such offered everything from a David Fincher-tinged detective thriller to a horror master’s take on a superhero dealing with issues of the mind, from shallow children’s television-esque nonsense to deep ruminations on grief.

In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are comparing each of the 9 major superhero movie releases (not including direct-to-VoD features like Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse) in terms of their quality, their impact on our culture, their importance to the genre, and their attempts at evolving comic book adaptations beyond their previous limitations. These are the 2022 Comic Book Movies Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

9. Black Adam

For a passion project from a former professional wrestler who earned his career and reputation for being one of the most charismatic men on the planet, it was utterly nonsensical that Dwayne Johnson would play the role of a superhero completely absent of personality. The man formerly known as The Rock, who’d regularly brag about holding the “millions… and millions” in the palm of his hand, was essentially playing a narrative trigger rather than a character, a floating and invincible agent of violence who’d be better named as Mr. Anti-Charisma than the titular Black Adam; his self-serious (but not in a funny Peacemaker way), angsty and hyper-aggressive presentation proving a vacuumous presence that sucked the life out of what was already an uninspired mess of a movie.

With visuals that look like they were taken directly from a mid-2000s historical fantasy film, Black Adam was surpassed visually by even The Rock’s poorly presented Hercules (2014) and the black and blue drabness of fellow 2022 comic book release Morbius. Worse still, Black Adam himself was barely present for large periods, his role in the film taking a backseat throughout the 2nd act as a lengthy list of side characters went in their own directions, each equally as lacking in any kind of truthful essence.

With a narrative filled with conveniences and utterly illogical character decisions, a yellow hue over the entire presentation, a backstory twist that is among the most poorly presented in the history of cinema, and enough poorly generated CG-scapes to take even the most hardened of superhero moviegoers out of any given moment, Black Adam was among the worst superhero films of the decade and must certainly be considered the worst comic book film of 2022.

Recommended for you: DC Extended Universe Movies Ranked

The Suicide Squad (2021)
Director: James Gunn
Screenwriters: James Gunn
Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi

2016’s Suicide Squad was doomed before it ever hit theaters. Batman v Superman had flopped while Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War made over one billion dollars at the box office. Warner Bros. screened two cuts of the film, one from director David Ayer, and the other from editing company Trailer Park who created a lighter version driven by flashy graphics and classic pop music. The latter went to theaters, and while it performed well enough, the film was another sign of Warner and DC’s inability to create works on par with Marvel. Zack Snyder’s DC work was too self-serious and complicated, while Trailer Park’s Suicide Squad was so blatantly smashed together to become the complete opposite – lost in its levity and music was any real character or sense of what DC was going for. It felt like a wannabe Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Suicide Squad shows Warner Bros. might finally be on the rails after a shaky start to their DC transmedia universe. Following a dismissal from Disney, director James Gunn arrived at Warner, and he and his team have turned any Guardians comparisons into praise. The Suicide Squad brings fun, humor, and music, along with gory bits Marvel can’t show in their films. The Suicide Squad reaches deep into the DC villain roster to find effective and comedic characters that help balance the fun with somewhat serious-feeling comic book stakes. Watching it feels like watching a graphic novel come to life, and what more could one want from a bombastic comic book film about a group of villains?

The Suicide Squad follows the ragtag Suicide Squad as they infiltrate a country on behalf of the US government to halt experiments on an extra-terrestrial being run by a super intelligent scientist called The Thinker. The group explore their various backstories and bond through violence as they travel to the mission, making introductions and exposition more organic than the first film. While the action scenes are rather enjoyable, the relationships and dynamics are what drive the story, aided by stylized lighting and camera movement that is missing in Marvel’s house style.

DC chose for the characters to resemble their traditional comic designs, no matter how absurd. John Cena manages to play Peacemaker – an assassin dedicated to peace at all costs – entirely straight in an outfit that Burt Ward’s Robin could laugh at. Gunn uses Peacemaker’s ridiculous helmet to shoot a fight scene, and it’s an interesting, creative way to use a costume. Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) and Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) stay true to their comic outfits while receiving interesting backgrounds that play into the general themes of the Suicide Squad. On the other hand, Bloodsport gets a redesign that boosts the strong performance brought by Idris Elba. He engages in banter, but he’s the most serious of the costumed individuals, and who knows how difficult that might have been without Elba and the costume.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Suicide Squad film without Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. She gets her own storyline which keeps the wider narrative from feeling too stagnant. There are plenty of colorful lights throughout the film, but Quinn’s segments are what allow Gunn and company to bring a strong sense of expressionism, each moment stemming from her insanity being as comic book adjacent as you might expect. She has the kind of arc that adds to the feeling of episodic storytelling found in comic books – this is the one where Harley Quinn is taken captive by a dictator and he proposes to her; what shenanigans will she get into next time? With this film, it has become clear that Robbie and Quinn are ballasts for the new era of DC transmedia without being tethered to the Joker.

The Suicide Squad also uses Gunn’s proclivity for giving character to the animated. King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone, is a bipedal man-eating shark that the animation and characterization make lovable. Ratcatcher 2 is flanked by a sentient rat who is essentially a live-action Disney princess sidekick, and he steals several scenes with his cute little cape. There’s even a starfish creature that is imbued with plenty of character despite its simplistic, comic-accurate appearance. The CGI for the animal-adjacent characters is not quite on par with 2019’s The Lion King, but it still looks solid with plenty of expression. The only complaint to be had about the animated characters is that Sean Gunn’s Weasel is woefully underused, but there are so many bizarre characters that he may have been one too many.

There aren’t many other complaints to be had about The Suicide Squad. Perhaps it could be said to be overly long (it runs for 2 hours and 12 minutes), or that it loses a bit of steam by the end, but that will ultimately be relative to the viewer. An issue with the 2016 film was the over-powered magical villain that should have outclassed the Suicide Squad. While the villain here is quite powerful, it’s not unreasonable that this group of super villains could actually take on The Thinker, or loads of soldiers with bullets.

Fans like to think of Marvel as the quippy franchise, but it’s a style that works for all comic book movies, and DC films like Aquaman, Shazam, and now The Suicide Squad show that DC doesn’t have to make something too different from Marvel to be successful. Putting the right people in charge with a specific visions for their films will lead to the best results. Maybe DC will never achieve the continuity standards Marvel has set for the industry, but it can at least produce enjoyable works that will get viewers into individual films that happen to be DC, rather than the property itself holding value as a brand universe.

It should be noted that the film does feature a post-credits scene that is sure to be a lead-in to new HBO Max episodic series, so it’s not like DC isn’t viewing this film as a springboard for further transmedia content. However, it’s far from guaranteed that any The Suicide Squad spin-off will manage to be as successful as Marvel’s recent spate of Disney+ series.

20/24

Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
Director: Adrian Grunberg
Screenwriters: Matt Cirulnick, Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Adriana Barraza, Yvette Monreal

The first four films in the Rambo franchise aim to celebrate the individuals fighting for good in complicated situations. First Blood deals with how poorly Vietnam veterans were treated after returning home from war – while the conflict was wrong in the first place, the soldiers didn’t deserve to be held accountable for the actions of their government. Men like Rambo, who were lucky enough to be physically intact, came home traumatized and broken. Part II is again about the treatment of veterans, but this time it’s about those who were believed to be (based on real theories that were factually incorrect) left behind in Vietnam by the government. III and Rambo (the 4th movie) show the plight of locals caught in the middle of wars in Afghanistan and Burma. There are innocents being preyed upon by the foes in the film, and the films give off an air of empathy for the people affected by those conflicts in reality.

The franchise’s latest offering, Rambo: Last Blood (2019) is a huge deviation from the preceding films by focusing more on Rambo himself than any particular place or people. Rambo (Stallone) lives on his ranch in Arizona with his friend Maria (Barraza) and her granddaughter Gabrielle (Monreal). Rambo is a father figure of sorts after taking on the role following the death of her mother and resulting adoption by Maria. When Maria discovers that Gabrielle’s father is in Mexico, Gabrielle wants to go and see him. Rambo advises against it, but she goes anyway and ends up being kidnapped by a cartel. Rambo, naturally, must leave his life of ranching and go on one final mission to rescue the person he values the most.

This film does take a new visual direction for the series. The jungles, deserts, and smalltown US lack the striking lights on display in Mexico. The streets, homes and clubs are filled with blue and yellow lights foreshadowing danger, and cautioning the protagonists against physical and emotional pain. The bold lighting may be the best aspect of the film, especially in comparison to the flat, emotionless landscapes of Part II, III, and Rambo. Last Blood also improves on the CGI gore in Rambo, which looks primitive by comparison. The camera work may also contribute to the improvement, with the composition of shots allowing for more subtlety. 

The performances were also really strong for the most part. Sure, Sly is over the hill, but his physical presence was more intimidating than I expected for someone in his seventies. There’s nothing he does that is particularly unbelievable for an old person, and that’s what matters most about Rambo and his particular style of gruesome presentation. Additionally, Gabrielle’s friend Jezel (Pineda) shows a lot of range in her small amount of screentime, and will convince anyone watching that she truly is the character. The cartel leaders were also both menacing and cruel, the actors playing their single note to a tee. What more can you expect from what is essentially a dumb action film? 

Where the film struggles is in its pacing and its narrative. Last Blood isn’t novel, and feels more like a vehicle for box office revenue than a necessary chapter in a story that appeared to be finished. The plot could do with being a bit more straightforward, as momentum starts and stops as the script tries to hit specific beats rather than flowing naturally. For example, the film shows Rambo imparting wisdom on Gabrielle, but then she has a house party that doesn’t matter and barely happens, and then she goes to Mexico alone. The picture also jumps from America to Mexico, then back again, and so on, changing perspective so many times it borders on the nonsensical. Why not just have Rambo go down there with her in the first place? Why not have the whole film take place in one location, Mexico, like the previous iterations? There are other questionable decisions made throughout, including introducing a journalist that is barely a character, and having a third act that is a bit discordant with the rest of the film.

That third act is marvelous, though. It’s everything a fan of the Rambo films has ever wanted to see, and truly brings the character’s arc full circle. Without revealing too much, Rambo busts out his guerilla fighting skills against an enemy with greater tech and numbers. This is undoubtedly an intentional parallel with the Vietnam War, as Rambo rigs incendiary devices and uses a confusing location to his advantage. It’s brutal, and, like in Rambo, the camera doesn’t shy away from the violence. It’s definitely the most creative and exciting final act in any of the films.

For as much as critics have read it as a Trumpian work demonizing Mexico or its people, I didn’t see any sort of intentional political message in Last Blood. I won’t deny that the film seemingly paints a negative picture of Mexico, with scary men on every corner and cartel agents in every nook and cranny, but no character ever speaks ill of the country. At one point, Rambo criticizes Gabrielle’s father for being a bad guy, and the film makes explicit mention of why, but he never criticizes Mexico or Mexicans in any way. From reading about production, it seems the studio was pushing for a story about Rambo fighting the cartel, and I doubt a movie studio (whose ultimate goal is to make money) would go out of their way to make a racist film in 2019. It would also be out of character for the series to suddenly become xenophobic. The films have never aimed criticism at a particular country or ethnic group, aside from implicit denunciations of the imperialist, militarial actions of Russia, Burma, and even the US. Last Blood isn’t exactly cerebral, and I don’t see any kind of message in this film at all except that Rambo is a badass and fights for those he loves. Any claimed instances of racism or xenophobia are based more upon lazy interpretations than the filmmaker’s willful impression. 

Conclusively, Last Blood is basically Taken in Mexico, but I’d take this movie over the other any day. There’s a little more personality to Rambo in civilian life and seeing him care for people as family members was a relateable and positive addition to his characterisation. This, coupled with the positives, audience satisfying final act, make Last Blood a must-watch for fans of action, movies like Taken and Sylvester Stallone. 

14/24

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Demolition Man (1993)
Director: Marco Brambilla
Screenwriter: Peter. M. Lenkov and Robert Reneau
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Gunton, Glenn Shadix, Denis Leary

Imagine a film about a defrosted Sylvester Stallone, a nightmarish sexual simulator and Wesley Snipes saying “what’s your boggle”. Well, you don’t have to imagine it anymore, because it exists, and it is absolutely worth your time.

In the year 1996, John Spartan (Stallone) is a devil-may-care L.A cop who is constantly deviating from the rule book. John’s ‘hands-on’ approach to law enforcement is a little off colour – but I can assure you – the path to justice was paved with rubble from buildings he demolished.

Everything seems to be hunky-dory for the massive arm of the law until he is framed for murder by his nasty nemesis Phoenix (Wesley Snipes), and sentenced to be cryogenically frozen. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?

Luckily, 36 years into the future hosts a peaceful and harmonious ‘San Angeles’, where Taco Bell restaurants (or Pizza Hut) are the only restaurant available. The tranquillity is cruelly taken away when Phoenix escapes during his parole hearing. The police force, who now cower in the face of violence, are no match for him and the world is his for the taking

Spartan is whipped out the freezer and tasked with capturing the man who framed him for murder and ruined his life. What is there not to like? What more could you want? If you were thinking Sandra Bullock then you are in for a treat! Bullock plays 20th Century addict and action-starved Lieutenant Huxley, and now Spartan’s new partner.

Demolition Man might be a bit tacky but its ahead of its time in a number of ways. Not only did it predict Arnold Schwarzenegger’s political career, it also plays about with the leads ‘assumed gender’ roles.

Huxley, who yearns for the adrenaline of violence, is a far cry from Under Siege’s Erika Eleniak or Willie from Indiana Jones Temple of Doom. This woman is alone in her need for “some action around here”, while appearing to be a high ranking and well respected police officer – as far as female sidekicks go, she did good. Similarly, Spartan is able to integrate into a world where his presence (as a masculine archetype) is outdated and unnecessary, evidenced when he openly expresses loneliness and knits jumpers.

Snipes steals the show with his playful yet deadly Simon Phoenix, in a performance which is arguably one of his best. Phoenix provides comedic relief without detracting from his ability to do damage – a mixture so few are able to get right.

Overall this film is in a league of its own. It’s a one-stop-shop of plots, themes and visuals – and of course The Three Seashells.

You’ll either love it, or hate it. If you do hate it, then there is going to be some serious boggle between us.

19/24

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Star-Lord and crew are back for the most anticipated Marvel sequel in years, and with a few notable stars added to the mix, and a host of 70s and 80s pop gems providing the musical backdrop, James Gunn and company have managed to capture a lot of the original’s magic in a funny and colourful romp that didn’t quite manage to spark lightning in a bottle for a second time but was still mountains of fun.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is, first and foremost, evidence of the sort of summer blockbuster tentpole movie that we, as audiences, deserve and have come to demand. Typically, such movies are modes of escapism filled with oceans of beautifully constructed CGI, so many high profile names that the movies barely know what to do with them, a rocking soundtrack and the oh-so-important comic relief at times of high stress; and Guardians 2 is all of these things. Where James Gunn’s movie separates itself from the lesser appreciated members of its genre, like Suicide Squad, X-Men: Apocalypse, Ben-Hur and Independence Day: Resurgence, is in the filmmaker’s loyalty and admiration for the characters at the heart of his movie and the ways by which he trusts the audience to work some things out on their own. Guardians 2, much like its predecessor, is more than its genre’s simple constructional parts, it is a character driven spectacle movie that successfully combines awe with empathy and vitally doesn’t let marketing interfere with story. As is the case with any film of its ilk, there are moments of forced connection where a rising score works to try and create a sense of empathy where there isn’t one, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 seems to hit the emotional beats nine times out of ten, and nine out of ten ain’t bad.

Guardians 2 is, despite this, quite a stretch from being as great as the first movie. The ways in which it seems to falter the most are due to a number of developments that have occurred between the two films. Firstly, the Guardians’ huge critical and financial success in 2014, and their confirmed involvement in Avengers: Infinity War, have placed different demands on the filmmaking process that have seemingly restricted Gunn to a sensibility much more like the film’s Marvel Cinematic Universe brethren than the original movie ever came close to being. What was once a standalone product with self-referential and almost meta humour (including, remember, a dance-off as the epic final show-down between good and evil), has filtered much more into the typical Marvel way of doing things, with much less of the convention busting jokes and therefore just a little bit less heart and originality than Guardians 1 so marvellously contained – pun intended. Second of all, it seems that the success of the movie’s original gifted Gunn the sort of budget that the filmmaker didn’t really know what to do with and thus was freely done away with in scene after scene of ‘cool CG’ battle shots, aircraft boarding, etc. that left the earlier parts of the movie feeling heavy and slow in comparison to the picture’s quicker and much more satisfying second half. Along the same lines came a seemingly more typical presentation of the story too, with countless establishing scenes for the movie’s many characters precursing a huge universe-saving battle – revolving around an entire planet – which was the centrepiece of the movie (much like every Avengers film ever). We’ve seen it all countless times before and, despite providing a relatively high-stakes version of the trope courtesy of a well developed villain – somewhat of a rarity in Marvel movies – and a much more convincing threat to our heroes than in the original or much of the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 still couldn’t quite overcome how over-used its formula was.

This did, however, create the spectacle that Guardians 2 needed as an excuse to present its outstanding visuals, the likes of which are without comparison in the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each scene was filled with a vibrancy unlike much of the ‘clear as day’ cinematographic techniques in the rest of Marvel’s central Avengers franchise, separating it from the pack in terms of visual appeal. As referenced above, the CGI was also hugely impressive and leaps beyond much of the work done in The Avengers or Avengers: Age of Ultron. There were a few sequences in which the camera worked against the wonderful work of the CG to create an effect whereby the film felt like more of a top-end video game than a cinematic work of art, but these were small missteps in an otherwise fantastic piece of visual artistry.

Crucially, the camera was also pointed at the right people. The Guardians were their usual fantastically individual and different (for action comic book movies, at least) selves, only with improved individuality for Gamora (Saldana) and Nebula (Gillan), two characters of whom much of the original’s criticism was dealt courtesy of being underdeveloped. The building of each of the core group’s members was as cleverly constructed and well performed as in the original only with the benefits of not having to introduce them anymore, with this movie tending to lean towards more typically emotional fare than much of what occurred in Guardians 1, something that helped to grow the characters of Rocket (Cooper) and Yondu (Rooker) substantially and brought out some of the best work from its cast. The crucial addition of Kurt Russell was a welcomed one too, with an immersible performance to boot, but Sylvester Stallone and Elizabeth Debicki who played Ogord and Ayesha respectively, seemed more like bonus features by the film’s end than any meaningful casting choice or character addition, with each performer bringing very little to their roles. It was, however, the Guardians as a collective upon which the film hinged, and in the writing of their group dynamic and the strong comedic performances by much of its cast (particularly Dave Bautista as Drax), the same sense of comrardery between them felt as real and present as ever, with a closer family dynamic seeming to occur naturally as the result of their actions in Guardians 1.

The group was, of course, brought together by music, a theme that is highlighted throughout much of the franchise and is present from the very opening sequence in Guardians 2. The promotional material for the film paid the music a great deal of attention and the film delivered on its promise of using it as creatively as in the original. The soundtrack was a symphony of classic hits with some of the titles being highlighted by the characters themselves as being useful metaphors for the situations they were going through or had been through in the past. Usefully, this brought about a more conscious attention as to the meaning of the songs being used in the film and thus utilised them as a source for emotional input for characters who were holding emotions back at certain points, therefore enhancing them as heroes worth routing for without the need for expository dialogue or out-of-character declarations.

Where Guardians 2 most prominently succeeds is in the presentation of the family of outcasts that it brought together in the original, and the ways in which they’ve grown to appreciate each other despite each of their less likeable qualities. Much like the franchise originally was to Marvel, the group are different to everyone else, and James Gunn’s presentation of the ways in which their differences make them the only people capable of defending the good of the galaxy is one of the more drawing aspects of the franchise as a whole, and particularly this second movie. The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is much like the misfit toy we all played with as children or that many of us felt like at certain points in our lives, and that is what is truly identifiable about it and particularly the group of heroes. It is this connection that fuels the success of everything in this movie and does the most difficult job of making you care.

Conclusively, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 may not be quite as good as the original, but through the passion of its screenwriter-director and the world class work of its cast and crew, creates an identifiable group of characters on a romp of an adventure that could be the blockbuster of the year and is certainly worth your ten bucks.

18/24

Author’s note: if you haven’t seen this yet, be warned that there are five post-credit scenes.

Most people cheered at the mention of another ‘Rocky’ movie. Ok, so it has a new name, but just the mention of Golden Globe winner Sylvester Stallone was enough for people to flock to the cinema the minute it was released. Creed follows the story of Adonis Johnson, Rocky I, II, III & IV character Apollo Creed’s son who never knew his father because he died in a famous match in Rocky IV – Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) versus Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Conveniently enough, his wife was pregnant with a baby (although this is never mentioned in the original movies) and then sadly passed away once he was born.

Adonis Johnson, adopted by his mother’s sister, wants to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a boxer. His aunt is constantly trying to dissuade him from doing so, but he refuses to listen. No one wants to train him, and his cocky attitude in the ring makes him slightly unbearable from the start. Johnson tries to do the noble thing of refusing to fight under the name Creed because he wants to be his own person – he doesn’t want to be judged nor treated differently because of his family ties – but, he travels to Philadelphia to visit Balboa’s restaurant to try to convince the Italian Stallion to train him. Although Balboa repeatedly turns him down, he eventually gives in to Johnson’s borderline blackmail: “I feel that you owe me because of dad.” They create a relationship of mutual respect for one another, and by the time it comes to the boxing match, both seem friends with one another.

I will always be biased and say that Stallone’s acting was wonderful. He deserved the Golden Globe he won for this role purely for his years of great service to the movie industry, but Creed, generally, was just another rip-off of Rocky V (training Tommy), just with the added bonus that Johnson and Balboa remain friends at the end. With some subtle jokes aimed at Stallone’s age: “What Cloud?” (iCloud), and; the way he trains Adonis using the same techniques that Mickey used for him, such as chasing and catching a chicken, Stallone just becomes more likable because he doesn’t care if his methods are out-dated in anyone else’s mind – he is happy with how he does things.

The opposite can be said about Michael B. Jordan’s likability as the new protagonist. He comes across as such a spoiled and selfish individual, almost forcing Balboa to train him, thinking his methods are stupid and just generally complaining about everything in his life. Add the cliché of a woman who he loves because of her independent attitude, and you have the typical run of the mill story which has been told a hundred times before and did little to showcase the ability of its lead actor.

The soundtrack to the film was good, however. There was a mix of modern artists such as John Legend and Lupe Fiasco, as well as a few older songs from the likes of classic rap artist Tupac Shakur, which makes for an interesting mix of sounds. However, there was far too much music throughout the movie, made worse by the fact that it blares out of the speakers with such force it becomes unbearable. I understand that it might be trying to appeal to a younger audience, but for those who watched it because they grew up with the Rocky films, I can imagine that there was some complaining which took place. What baffles me most is: if you pay homage to so many scenes from the original Rocky films, why not also use the running music that everyone recognises? The scene was far less interesting and seemed to lack importance simply because it just didn’t have that edge to it, which made you think – yes, he’s really doing it!

Unfortunately it just seems so much like a knock-off of the original Rocky film – a kid from the poor streets fights to make a name for himself, is unsuccessful in winning (if we only count Rocky I), yet wins the hearts of the public. I feel as though Stallone and his little restaurant in Rocky VI were used for the nostalgic feel: “Remember how good Stallone was in those Rocky movies?!” There’s nothing really unique about this film, and although it is interesting to see what happened to the Creed family, there are so many scenes stolen straight from the original films – Mickey’s gym, running down the backstreets (with a modern motorcycle twist), the restaurant, Creed’s old trainer helping the opposition, the training methods used…. it just becomes a collage of all the films already made for the same franchise. It was acceptable as a stand-alone B Movie but was ultimately disappointing as a Rocky affiliated picture, especially given the talents involved.

10/24

Though it is arguable as to whether Dredd is a remake of Judge Dredd or not, there is no doubting that the character was rebooted in the 2012 movie so I’m going to give a pass for the sake of this piece.

The two films that are going head to head this week are Judge Dredd (1995), directed by Danny Cannon, and 2012’s Dredd, directed by Pete Travis. Both directors are British, and both have directed TV episodes of successful television shows – Cannon directed the pilot of Gotham but mainly produces, whereas Travis’ last directing job was on the rather good spy drama for the BBC, Legacy. My point here is that most people probably haven’t heard of these directors, so the films were relying on their ‘star power’ and source material to hook you in.

Back in the 90’s, Stallone was a rather big household name when it came to action films (apart from Antz, 1999, of course) and was the absolute perfect choice for Dredd. Also back in the 90’s, filmmakers didn’t really know how to tackle comic book adaptations. Of course, Batman Returns is the exception to the rule. The atmosphere of the film, the sets, the costumes, the typical 90’s actors appearing – including an over glamorised appearance from Twin Peaks’ Joan Chen (her character was borderline pointless) – all created the perfect set-up for a great film about a post apocalyptic world where Judges are the law, trying to clear scum bags off the streets of Mega City One. In the end, the film is let down on three fronts.

1. The explanation in the exposition – It’s just words on a screen, no visual. The first scene we see is Rob Schneider’s petty tech thief being released back into the city after serving time in jail. We, the audience, don’t really get a feel for the environment until the shooting starts and people start talking about ‘block wars’.
2. The script and story – The story is poor in that this film was meant to be an introduction to the character Judge Dredd, especially to those who weren’t familiar with the comics or comic lore at the time, and was meant to entice the die hard fans of 2000 AD. Instead, the story that is chosen is one shattering the named character’s life. He finds out he was part of an experiment and that his background was all a lie; not to mention that his previous evil partner is actually his brother. Seems all too much for a film that only has Dredd follow the law for about 15 minutes before he gets framed and arrested for murder. Maybe it would have worked much better to see a film where Dredd is in full action mode? All he really does in this film is scream ‘I am the law‘, making him seem more like a whiny child than a brutal badass force of nature. Granted, there are quite a few characters and storylines that cross over here, but really it’s just one big narrative mess.
3. A minor detail was massively overlooked – In the comics, Dredd never removed his helmet. In Judge Dredd (1995), he removes his helmet near to the beginning of the film. Illusion shattered. This was clearly a move to ensure that the star power of its lead actor was a factor in audience participation. It’s a small element but there is a lot to be said for following this important part of a cult character. Stallone is an absolutely perfect choice for Dredd as, despite the yelling and annoying lines, his jawline is perfect for this character… helmet and all. But, there in lies the problem: he looks the part but he’s not Dredd.

Looking at the posters, even they express a different meaning. One says ‘In the future, only one man is the law’ and the other presents the words: ‘Judgement is coming’. The first is all about one man and nothing else it seems, whereas the second is implying judgement is coming for all. The background also makes the world bigger than Dredd himself, indicating that there’s more to the story than this one guy.

With regard to 1995’s Judge Dredd, the only really impressive part of the film, I found, were the costumes designed by Versace.

And so, onto Dredd (2012); a movie I saw against my will in 3D. In comparison to its predecessor, this film is brilliant! 3D is certainly not needed. Dredd is played by Karl Urban who does an excellent job of playing the ultimate Judge. He doesn’t have the strong jaw line and his voice isn’t the deepest and most booming voice you’ve heard, but he has presence. His casting ensured that this wasn’t a movie about its star, like the Stallone starring predecessor, and Urban really does glide through the film with ease amid the violence and chaos. He also, importantly, gets quite significantly injured, which I thought was important to see as it reminded us that he’s not a God, he’s just a guy.

The story is also extremely entertaining. I actually watch Dredd whenever it rains or I don’t feel too well – for some reason it comforts me. Still set in Mega-City One, we are introduced to the sprawling city through a voiceover intro that is far more effective than the text of its predecessor. In the opening sequence we see the city, its people and the judges in action. The main plot focuses on one mega block where a drug gang has taken over; a mega block that is discovered to be the distribution centre for a new drug in the city. Dredd and his rookie, Anderson, are sent in after three gang members are found dead. They have to battle their way to the top floor take out the gang leader after the block goes into lock-down. It’s very bloody and yes, violent, but remains entertaining throughout. Oh, and Dredd never removes his helmet.

Although Diane Lane plays the ‘female’ judge in the 1995 film, she is literally just that. She is out-manned by criminals and needs assistance, then she makes mistakes in the courtroom and then only fights another girl in the climactic battle. Oh, and she kisses Dredd. But, in 2012, things are better. Not only is the main villain sadistic and crazy, but she is also a woman, complete with background story that you believe. There are also a few other women dotted around the film, including Dredd’s superior and a woman who helps the two judges escape to another floor in the building. The main female character, Judge Anderson, played by Olivia Thirlby, can hold her own, defending herself even when she is captured. She is used as a great contrast to Dredd in that she never wears a helmet in the film. I liked that touch (if it was deliberate). She has psychic powers which is why she doesn’t wear it. Another brilliant and overlooked success at Anderson and Dredd’s partnership is that there is literally no hint of romance. While watcing the film, you don’t think about this but once its pointed out you realise. It’s a true partnership or mentor/mentee relationship and it works so well.

Verdict: There are two ways to look at these films, as adaptations and as simple action films. As I don’t really know much about the original comics and have only tried to read one of them (I didn’t like the artwork), as adaptations I would say that both used elements of stories and characters to appease the fans but 1995’s Judge Dredd failed in consistency, whereas 2012’s Dredd was better as the writing was better,and the story was more compact while still in keeping with the film world of 2000 AD. If I was just comparing two actions films, then Dredd (2012) of course wins no questions asked.

Written by Katherine Hogan

In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are counting down each of the central Rocky movies from worst to best in terms of artistic achievement, popular appeal and critical consensus. These are the Rocky Movies Ranked.

Have an opinion? Make sure to let us know in the comments!

6. Rocky V (1990)

What happens: Rocky is declared bankrupt and returns to where it all began, soon finding himself in a new role as coach for a protégé who turns on him.

A Rocky movie without the most beloved boxing character of all time actually boxing a match was a bad idea, and the movie bombed with critics and audiences, making a relatively small $119million worldwide in comparison to the $300million Rocky IV made. In fact, the fifth instalment in the Rocky franchise was so far removed from what had brought the series to the dance, that even Sylvester Stallone has apologised for it. In an interview with the UK Sun newspaper, Stallone said “I’m greedy – what can I tell you? It was a mistake because the audience didn’t want to see the downside of the character. They wanted him to remain on top. I should have known that. I fell into a sense of self-parody.”

You have to at least appreciate his honesty, even if this is by far the worst film of the bunch.

5. Rocky Balboa (2006)

What Happens: Rocky comes out of retirement for an exhibition fight with the current heavyweight champion after the champ’s ego is knocked courtesy of a sports show’s proclamation that he’d never beat Rocky if the two were in their prime.

This movie is probably certifiably the second worst Rocky movie in the franchise, and it’s still pretty good. Sylvester Stallone told greaterunion.com.au regarding his choice to direct the film, that: “if I’m going to go down in flames I might as well be the one in the cockpit”.

It was a fair point for an actor-writer-director whose career was waning and whose own comeback story was evident alongside Rocky’s. The set-up of the narrative may have been a little unrealistic and the movie may not have reached the levels of the four better films in the franchise, but it was still a very solid standalone and a welcomed addition to the story of one of our most beloved characters.

After all…

“the world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place. And, I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you worth, go out and get what you worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying: You ain’t what you wanna be because of him or her or anybody.” – Rocky

4. Rocky II (1979)

What happens: Happy to stay at home and work out the issues surrounding his family life, Rocky is goaded back into the spotlight by embarrassed champion Apollo Creed who demands a rematch he inevitably gets. Rocky then goes one step further than he did in Rocky (1977), becoming the champion for the first time.

After two entire films dedicated to his underdog story of the everyday underclass man turned very best at what he does through hard work and determination, there was something so massively rewarding about finally seeing Rocky Balboa reach the top of the mountain and staying there.