After barely surviving a mandatory shutdown in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the executive class running some of the largest film studios in the world decided that they weren’t quite ridiculously rich enough yet and furthermore they hadn’t taken enough liberties – financial, creative and moral – with those employed by them.

And so the actors and writers collectively said no and downed tools for five months in a dispute over pay (including residual payments in the age of streaming), working conditions, and especially the increasing threat of artificial intelligence being used to not only write screenplays based on algorithms but to steal the likenesses of actors (living and dead) and store them in perpetuity without just compensation.

With Hollywood productions quiet for half the year and none of the “talent” allowed to promote those movies that were completed prior to the strikes, we ended up with a more limited and less enthusiastically received slate of major releases. Not even superhero movies or franchise sequels fronted by Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise were guaranteed hits anymore.

Despite all this, 2023 ended up being a pretty good year for cinema, with plenty of examples of not only memorable blockbusters but of distinct filmmakers leaving their mark and under-represented communities providing vibrancy and freshness to a myriad of new stories. Based upon UK release dates, these are my 10 Best Films of 2023.

Follow me @SSPThinksFilm on X (Twitter).

10. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Review

2023 has been a great year for films about how Gen-Z processes their major life experiences, and this delightful, hilarious little film starring most of the Sandler clan (including Adam as an adorably schlubby dad) is up there with the very best.

As she approaches her her 13th birthday and the Jewish coming-of-age ritual, Stacy Friedman (Sunny Sandler) is determined to make her Bat Mitzvah the most perfect and memorable of her peer group, including that of BFF Lydia (Samantha Lorraine). But things get a lot more complicated as hormones, teenage crushes and petty but damaging psychological manipulation via social media enter the mix.

Five years ago, Bo Burnham made his memorable feature debut with Eighth Grade and told one of the most connective, visceral stories about becoming a teenager in years. Sammi Cohen’s film has the same aim but demonstrates how seismically culture has changed in just half a decade, all through a Jewish cultural lens. There may have never been a more challenging time to be growing up in an always-online age, and Alison Peck’s insightful script in addition to the across-the-board wonderfully naturalistic performances help to make this an unexpectedly profound crowd-pleaser.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Review

#JusticeforJamesGunn incarnate, the final chapter of the unlikeliest a-hole superhero team’s story shatters expectations and satisfyingly delivers on almost every level.

After years of defending the countless worlds together, the Guardians team has reached a precarious place. Their leader Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) has slumped into a depressed, alcoholic stupor after losing the love of his life Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), and Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) past as a bio-engineered test subject comes back to haunt him in a very real way. Can the team come together one last time and save the galaxy, and themselves?

Marvel is seen as a pretty risk-averse studio and certainly much of their recent output has been received with a shrug from many viewers, but Guardians Vol 3 shows what happens when one of the best directors they partnered with is left to finish the story he wanted to tell. The action has never been more polished and visually dazzling, the performances from people and animated raccoons alike so honest and full of pain, Gunn’s love of animals so prominent as the team go up against a truly detestable figure who causes pain for the hell of it.

Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

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

Over the course of more than a quarter of a century, this one-time American Sweetheart has been an ever-present, transitioning from gossip magazine front covers to internet memes, all the while evolving his acting career from independent cinema to big budget Hollywood and back again. On the screen, this 1990s and 2000s heartthrob has worked with some of the film industry’s most respected names – David Fincher and Terrence Malick, to name but two – whilst his work behind the scenes has developed into a respectable collection of character-led films in its own right.

To date, the Good Will Hunting co-screenwriter has directed five films, the majority of which have arrived on the big screen with critical praise and adoration. In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are analysing each and evaluating them in terms of artistic merit, critical reception and public perception, for this: the Ben Affleck Movies Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter. 

5. Live By Night (2017)

The biggest financial flop of Affleck’s directorial career, Live By Night was so damned by audiences that it ultimately lost Affleck his place in the director’s chair for his own Batman movie.

This crime drama, centred around New York and Florida gangs during the prohibition era, starred Affleck in the lead role alongside a plethora of talented names including Brendan Gleeson, Elle Fanning, Zoë Saldana and Chris Messina, the latter of whom believed so much in the project that he gained forty pounds to play his character Dion Bartolo. The stacked cast – a feature of each of Affleck’s directorial pieces to date – wasn’t enough to bring in audiences, and the expected awards season push didn’t come, leaving many prominent voices to exclaim that the film was “like a ghost of a sensational movie” and “the worst of his excellent filmography to date”.

Live By Night is far from a bad film, but given its subject matter and the lack of popularity for gangster films in the modern era, it had to be great to be greeted with open arms by audiences and critics, and it simply wasn’t that. It is, as of this date, Affleck’s worst feature, though that is far from the criticism it may be in other editions of Ranked; a fact that pays testament to Affleck’s overall quality of work in the director’s chair.

In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are taking a look at these 8 films, the Best Picture nominees that found massive box office success. These are movies that smashed records and received critical praise, while managing to reach the masses and enthral Oscar voters. From pioneers in special effects to genre-defining stories of love and loss, these blockbusters pursued the highest artistic integrity, became touchstones in cinema, and stayed with us long after the lights went up. From fantasy epics to disaster movies, supervillain origin stories to legacy sequels, here is Every $1Billion+ Best Picture Nominee Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

8. Joker (2019)

Joker Review

Set against the backdrop of the increasingly volatile and corrupt home of Batman, Gotham City, Joker tells the story of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), an aspiring stand-up comic who just can’t catch a break. After an assault on the subway results in a violent and deadly confrontation, Arthur slowly descends into madness and unknowingly becomes the symbol of the oppressed and downtrodden.

Joker’s success can largely be attributed to our collective thirst for something outside the increasingly predictable, paint-by-numbers formula of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gone are the witty one-liners and post-credits scenes; say goodbye to the colorful and smooth spandex suits and lengthy action sequences. Instead, director Todd Philips opts to paint a grim and intimate portrait of a man just trying to get by; a man largely ignored and abused by the system. Clearly inspired by the films of Martin Scorsese, namely Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, Joker is frustratingly self-serious, desperately trying to say something deep and meaningful without saying much of anything at all.

Whilst Joker falls short thematically, it excels in performance. Joaquin Phoenix, who won his first Oscar for this role, is tremendous. Following in the footsteps of Cesar Romero, Jack Nicolson and Heath Ledger, Phoenix makes the Joker his own, breathing new life into a character that has been a constant presence for comic book fans for more than 80 years.

Despite the divisive response amongst audiences and critics, Joker no doubt made its mark on the superhero genre. In addition to its nomination for Best Picture, the film was nominated for a total of 11 Oscars, breaking The Dark Knight’s previous record of 8 nominations for a superhero movie.

Recommended for you: 2020 Oscars Best Picture Nominees Ranked

7. Avatar (2009)

James Cameron is no stranger to box office success. With Avatar, Cameron managed to beat his own record, unseating Titanic as the highest-grossing film ever made. At the 82nd Academy Awards, the film was nominated for 9 Oscars including Best Picture, and won 3. The film was in development for roughly a decade whilst Cameron waited for the right technology to become available. When it eventually premiered in 2009, Avatar was groundbreaking – showing off numerous innovations in visual effects, including motion capture.

Avatar takes place sometime in the distant future. Earth’s resources are depleting and humans have set their sights on mining and colonizing the moon of Pandora. Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is selected for the avatar program and tasked with earning the trust of the indigenous Na’vi people and convincing them to relocate. But when Jake meets and falls in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), he must decide whose side he’s really on and what he’s willing to fight for.

While Avatar’s visuals were unmatched at the time, its storytelling leaves something to be desired. The dialog is often stilted and the characters, especially Jake and his fellow Marines, sound more like video game Non-Player Characters (NPCs) than real people. The narrative is one we’ve seen countless times before, and although the story is largely predictable, it’s also accessible, which no doubt helps with regard to the film’s wide appeal.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Director: James Cameron
Screenwriters: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore

After thirteen years (unlucky for some), the box office juggernaut that is Avatar finds itself with a sequel, The Way of Water (2022), the first of several to be released in the upcoming years. Returning to a planet we all forgot existed, director and co-writer James Cameron (The Terminator, Aliens) resurrects Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), for round two of the 3D spectacle, where we find that the sky people have returned. Here, Jake must hide with the water clans, become one of them, and then fight the humans with their machines and their metal and their guns.

Let us not take anything away from the team of artists and technicians and geniuses at Weta, who are behind the graphics and CGI and motion capture, because these are the people that have actually made the film. Avatar: The Way of Water looks, as we all expected, absolutely gorgeous. One could take almost any frame from this film and have it as their desktop wallpaper for many years. And, by the time the next decade comes around, it’s possible that most of the visuals will still hold up. Cinematographer Russell Carpenter should also receive much applause, because it is his eye and attention to colour and light that makes the film as sumptuous as it is. These are the heroes, and the hundreds of thousands of cumulative hours that have gone into making this film look as good as it does deserves to be recognised. This isn’t James Cameron’s film, it isn’t 20th Century’s film, it is the film of those geniuses working long hours for nowhere near enough pay. On behalf of cinema, we thank you.

But there, unfortunately, the praise must come to a grinding halt. Avatar: The Way of Water has a very large problem in that it is mind-numbingly dull and unbearably stupid. Beginning with a several minute montage (complete with the annoying voice-over narrations continued from the first film), and waiting for a good five minutes before setting up an actual storyline, it is obvious that this is going to be a long, slow film. A quick rearranging of these scenes, and beginning with the humans setting out for Pandora once more before the titles could have set the film off on the right foot. It also continues to use, right from the get-go, the voice-overs and dialogue in a manner that all-but assumes the audience is blind (even the ones wearing 3D glasses), explaining everything in the most upsettingly bland, sledgehammer fashion imaginable.

Further on, with perhaps thirty minutes gone, The Way of Water proceeds to unveil its master plan; to repeat, almost beat-for-beat, the same plotlines, character arcs, story moments, devices, and messages, as were present in the first Avatar film (2009). The old story of asking to copy someone’s homework but changing it a little so that nobody notices is on display here in every pixel and decibel, and the double-whammy is that it is Cameron plagiarising himself. Is the passage of thirteen years enough to create a legacy sequel? Is this a reboot or a remake? We certainly don’t learn anything fundamentally new about the world; we’re just introduced to the same ideas in different disguises.

Furthermore, pretty graphics and an orchestra can’t hide shoddy editing, cringe-inducing mid-pan zooms, or the overwhelming feeling that the big-wigs at the production companies found their wallets down to their last few hundred million and thought they knew exactly how to get it all back.

Let this be a public service announcement… there is a very easy way to watch Avatar: The Way of Water without giving more money to those who would believe that the highly intelligent cinemagoer is a fool. Simply run a bath, set up the laptop or TV somewhere it won’t drop into the bath, then watch the first Avatar film, making up the runtime of this film by flicking on the last half hour of Titanic. Here you have the same film. You’re welcome.

Score: 9/24

THR | Deadline – 20th Nov 2019

Henry Cavill has told Men’s Health that while “the outfit is in the closet”, he is still very much the DC/Warner Bros Superman.

Men’s Health – 19th Nov 2019

The Mission: Impossible franchise has added Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star Pom Klementieff to its cast for the upcoming 7th and 8th instalments. The director of the upcoming films, Christopher McQuarrie, announced the talent acquisition via Twitter on Tuesday.

.@PomKlementieff, How do you spell femme fatale? #MI78 pic.twitter.com/OYnPYxGOZM

— Christopher McQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) November 19, 2019

Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle and Sebastian Stan are in talks to join new Steven Soderbergh project Kill Switch. If hired, the trio will play criminals in 1950s Detroit who are hired to carry out a home invasion. The story was written by Men in Black and Bill & Ted scribe Ed Solomon.

Collider – 19th Nov 2019

Noah Hawley, the creator of the ‘Fargo’ and ‘Legion’ TV series and the director of 2019 sci-fi film Lucy in the Sky starring Natalie Portman, will write and direct the next Star Trek movie for Paramount. The film is set to feature returns for all central cast members and will retain the involvement of JJ Abrams as an executive producer via his Bad Robot label.

Deadline – 19th Nov 2019

The cast of The Batman continues to grow, with director Matt Reeves tweeting to confirm reports that The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Transformers actor John Turturro will be playing the role of Gotham crime lord Carmine Falcone.

🦇 I said… #CarmineFalcone pic.twitter.com/wa5zNuVwPg

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) November 22, 2019

Idris Elba is set to star in an upcoming Western from They Die By Dawn director Jeymes Samuel (also known as The Bullitts in music circles) for Netflix; a role that will see Elba play a man fresh out of jail following a murder from over 2 decades ago. The Last Black Man in San Francisco star Jonathan Majors will star as the grown child of the murder victims. Jay-Z is set to produce.

Deadline – 18th Nov 2019

Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers star Zoe Saldana is set to play the lead in a new fact-based thriller about the American pursuit of intel on ISIS from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and I Think We’re Alone Now director Reed Morano.

Deadline – 19th Nov 2019

Game Night and The Irishman actor Jesse Plemons has joined Benedict Cumberbatch in the upcoming Jane Campion film The Power of the Dog. The film, an adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, will be distributed for theatrical and streaming release by Netflix. Plemons replaces Paul Dano who had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts with The Batman.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

Graham King, the producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, has secured the rights to make a Michael Jackson biopic from the deceased singer’s estate, with a deal reportedly giving the producer the right to use all of Jackson’s music in an upcoming film.

Deadline – 22nd Nov 2019

Ben Affleck is set to direct King Leopold’s Ghost, a fact-based drama about the plunder of the Congo by Belgian royal King Leopold II in the late 1800s. The director, whose next on-screen project will be in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel (which Affleck co-wrote), will be working with Apocalypto screenwriter Farhad Safinia on a script for the project.

Deadline – 21st Nov 2019

A director for a new Star Wars film, set for release in 2022, will be announced in January following the release of the final Skywalker-saga franchise entry The Rise of Skywalker this Christmas. This news comes despite uncertainty surrounding Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy’s future as head of the studio under the Disney banner.

THR – 20th Nov 2019

Little Monsters director Abe Forsythe is replacing District 9 and Chappie director Neill Blomkamp as the director of the upcoming RoboCop sequel RoboCop Returns. Blomkamp had to exit the project reportedly due to “scheduling issues”.

THR – 20th Nov 2019

Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher is set to direct a film about Dracula’s servant Renfield set in the modern day. The film was an idea pitched to Universal by “The Walking Dead” comics creator Robert Kirkman and is being written by ‘Rick and Morty’ writer Ryan Ridley.

Variety – 20th Nov 2019

Marvel Studios have revealed release dates for five yet-to-be-revealed Marvel Cinematic Universe cinematic releases: 7th Oct 2022; 17th Feb 2023; 5th May 2023; 28th July 2023 and 3rd November 2023. With 2023 being particularly busy, rumours are rife over the possibility of the next Avengers film being released that year.

Empire – 18th Nov 2019

Directors UK, the professional association for screen directors, has set the UK’s first guidelines for directing nudity and simulated sex just a day removed from Last Christmas star Emilia Clarke publicly stating her discomfort at filming a number of early ‘Game of Thrones’ sex scenes.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

New Clint Eastwood movie Richard Jewell has come under criticism from the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for suggesting that its former reporter Kathy Scruggs offered to trade sex for information about the 1996 Olympics bombing in Atlanta.

Yahoo! – 22nd Nov 2019

CW: Sexual Assault/Molestation:

Apple are delaying their theatrical and streaming releases of drama The Banker starring Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie and Nicholas Hoult because following allegations of sexual molestation made against the film’s co-producer Bernard Garrett Jr.

THR – 22nd Nov 2019

New Roman Polanski film An Officer and A Gentleman this week topped the French Box Office despite calls for a boycott following fresh rape accusations agains the director, this time from actress Valentine Monnier.

THR – 21st Nov 2019

And finally… 

Oscar-winning actor Michael J. Pollard, known for his roles in Dick Tracy, Roxanne and Scrooged, has passed away aged 80. The actor, nominated for his supporting role in Bonnie & Clyde, was the inspiration behind Michael J. Fox including the initial in his name.

THR – 22nd Nov 2019

Uncut Gems and The Farewell led the list of nominees for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards as announced on Thursday 21st November.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Screenwriters: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chadwick Boseman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Karen Gillan, Carrie Coon, Pom Klementieff, Sebastian Stan, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Letitia Wright, Vin Diesel, Danai Gurira, Paul Bettany, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Mackie, Benedict Wong

Unforeseen and unprecedented, Avengers: Infinity War delivers a conclusion of a lifetime that you’re going to want to see on the big screen and ahead of someone spoiling things for you. May you never have concerns about Marvel’s lack of conviction again…

10 years and 18 movies in the making, Infinity War was asked to juggle the massive expectations of its audience as well as the need for each of its franchise leading characters to be served appropriately. And, through some of the Russo Brothers’ now trademarked story-centred action, a premise that demanded attention and stakes, and a strong effort to invest in the arc of the villain, this full stop on the first 10 years of the MCU has managed to do just that. This is more than a superhero movie, it’s a defining moment in modern cinema.

The most pressing positive from the film comes from the brains at Marvel Studios – headed by studio head Kevin Feige – whom seem to have listened to concerns regarding the quality of the universe’s villains and made rectifying that issue their first port of call regarding Thanos in Infinity War, ensuring that the character’s desires were not left without explanation; that we were given the correct amount of insight into the tyrannical titan’s motivations, as well as his – for lack of a better term – humanity. In the space of a few hours, the most important of peripheral MCU figures became directly important to the story of the film and the future of the franchise, spearheading the direction of the conflict not as “generic ‘unwelcomed other’ number 4” but as a genuinely believable monstrous being with all the bells and whistles needed to make him a credible threat – on a scale of Malekith in Thor: The Dark World to The Dark Knight’s Joker, Thanos was a lot closer to The Joker.

That’s not to say that Thanos encompassed the entire film in the same way that The Joker did however, as the directors and their writing team did an incredible job in ensuring that each of the heroes was given their moment to shine too, with the franchise’s most prominent figures each finding room to manoeuvre in a cast of characters larger than arguably any in history. Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Starlord and Captain America were each given important direction and a lot of screen time through which to fulfil their tasks, and their interactions with secondary characters made for moment after moment of fan service that reached levels so high that Infinity War is almost untouchable in such a regard. This hectic and all-encompassing presentation did make performances harder to judge, and it’s fair to assume that there won’t be a single Infinity War cast member being nominated for their role in the movie at next year’s Oscars, but that’s not to deny the gravitas of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt and Chris Evans in particular, each of whom offered tidbits of how special each of them are at important moments in the film; with Josh Brolin’s Thanos performance also being notable in its own right despite being so heavily masked by CGI.

Questions will also be raised about the quality of Infinity War to viewers unfamiliar with the franchise’s predecessors as the movie clearly placed a lot of its content against the backdrop of an expected familiarity between those watching the film and the characters within it. And sure, to a person fresh to the universe, Infinity War is hardly the film it would be to a person who’s a fan of the MCU, a reader of the comics or even a film goer who’s seen the vast majority of other Marvel movies, but to judge the 19th instalment of a universe with such traditional film criticism credentials would be to misunderstand the very nature of this once in a lifetime beast. Infinity War isn’t a film that 99.9% of people will begin their Marvel Cinematic Universe journey with, and though they’ll need a lot of catching up if they do choose to go down that route, the film’s lack of exposition and direct-to-action approach is actually to the movie’s benefit, keeping the run-time as low as it can be, the action and excitement high, and the story at the forefront of everything on the screen.

It’s in the story that Infinity War, and particularly the work of the Russo Brothers, comes to bare fruit, because for a film with so many must-see names, characters and moments, set across planets in different galaxies, everything somehow miraculously not only fits together, but also makes sense. The film’s narrative through-line is so strong that Iron Man can be fighting in one place while Star Lord fights in another, and at no point does it seem unnatural to be with one character as opposed to someone else, and while the film is filled to the brim with action set pieces and beautifully put together CG, the Russo Brothers ensure they never lose touch of the main arc of the film in what can only be described as a spectacular feat in direction – one that is complimented by every other aspect of post-production.

In short, this superhero-war-action movie is a moment in time that you shall never forget. This is a film so entwined with the history of a genre its own predecessors have come to define that it cannot be overlooked as anything other than a year defining, decade defining, genre defining all-time classic that belongs in the same echelon as The Dark Knight and The Empire Strikes Back in terms of quality blockbuster material. If you get the chance to see this on the big screen, do it. This is an event invitation you’re not going to want to pass up on; the near perfect comic book movie.

22/24

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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.

After the resounding disappointment that was Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) combined with the mass anticipation for the Star Trek Golden Anniversary, Trekkies turned inside out from sheer excitement when Beyond was released. My goodness, it wasn’t a disappointment either; which is awesome because of how so many of Hollywood’s big franchise Blockbusters as of late have been leaving audiences all over the world underwhelmed. Perhaps just as importantly, it was a such a fitting tribute to the enterprising sci-fi series as it reaches its huge milestone.

The movie zooms three years into the Enterprise’s five-year mission: Kirk is no longer a reckless juvenile delinquent, but has sobered into a steely young captain, commanding the fleet’s flagship. However, it’s instantly noticeable that in his apparent maturity, his zest and mischievousness from the previous movies has disappeared. He has become weary of deep space exploration and he is left wondering why he got into the job in the first place. Kirk is in the midst of an existential crisis which is made worse by his impending birthday which makes him a year older than his father was when he died; a factor he considers his original inspiration for joining Starfleet in the first place. After another not-so-successful diplomatic mission, James T. is contemplating fading into the background of Starfleet bureaucracy at the Federation’s newest, shiniest Space Station: Yorktown.

Side Note: Dear Mr. Studio bosses, I know I complained that Captain Kirk was a reckless man-whore in the first two reboot movies … but that didn’t mean I wanted you to murder his soul!

Kirk inevitably gets a good boot up the arse when he volunteers himself for one last mission into uncharted space in response to a distress call which turns out to be… a trap!

With the third movie of the new series, this whole action thing in space was in danger of becoming shagged out. Therefore, the writers must be commended for getting us all to cluck in sympathy at a downtrodden Kirk and then immediately made us reel in our seats as we watch our heroes become separated and dumped all over some godforsaken planet patrolled by ruthless killers – talk about keeping it fresh!

Pushing the crew well out of their comfort zone created opportunities that were never taken in this movie’s two predecessors. In Star Trek and Into Darkness it was pretty much the Kirk and Spock dude-bro show with the occasional appearance of the almost exceptionally badly used Uhura. Now, I can’t deny the dynamic between Kirk and Spock from ever since the Original Series is iconic and I cannot even begin to articulate the effect it has had on pop culture. However, in the attempt to make the Star Trek movie franchise a near straight-up action series, the writing for Pine’s and Quinto’s Spock and Kirk will never be as emotive, tender or brave as The Original Series, and as such simply becomes dull in comparison. It was absolutely infuriating just how lacking in attention some of the most popular secondary characters were, with some being relegated to reductive and simplistic comic relief. But, after watching Beyond, I could have kissed the ground in thanks for such a wonderful, character-driven narrative. As an anorak-wearing die-hard Trekkie, that is just what I wanted to see!

In Beyond each of these wonderful, widely adored secondary characters were given their own world and story, with new and striking crises added to their already long established back stories and portrayals. Sulu really showed his mettle and bravery as a commanding officer in the field, doing everything he can to keep the crew safe; despite the prospect of never seeing his young family again looming over each of his decisions. Spock and Uhura are left at odds as Spock’s survivor’s guilt catches up with him – I mean how do you go forward in a relationship when your boyfriend is wanting to make little Vulcans and not with you? And Spock being the logical and most physically strong, he is wonderfully full of such raw emotion (in still a distinctly Spock way) as he is left facing death on all fronts.

These character arcs are just the tip of the iceberg of the rich yarns that intertwine to create this tale which keeps you on edge from start to finish. Each individual character’s stakes and personal demons drives this story which is aided by unrelenting action that doesn’t bore or fade into background noise. The special effects featured in Beyond don’t dazzle you as much with this being the third movie of the current series, but this being a more heart-felt narrative, I thought it was more effective at leaving your heart in your mouth. And, even though they are perhaps less impressive, the craft of them was perhaps more appreciated: Justin Lin’s Yorktown complete with its gravitational cross-streams was unique and innovative, and a nice little nod to Space Odyssey. In fact, I am just going to outright produce it: Simon Pegg and Justin Lin (the pair of fanboys they are) made this movie a success. Their love for the Star Trek series makes Beyond the truest of the Reboots to the show’s hopeful ethics and campy heart. The Enterprise crew’s counterattack to Krall’s forces descending on Yorktown, and Jim’s final encounter with Krall were one of the most warming and human moments in modern blockbuster sci-fi cinema. Humanity must strive for peace, forgiveness and self-betterment. Oh, and Bees hate rock music.

What really helped make the action and drama so tangible was Idris Elba’s alien and ferocious performance as Krall. His genesis provides a stark allegory of the spirit of man being consumed by hatred and the want for vengeance. Despite this, Krall’s part in the story was the movie’s greatest weakness. His villainy was a cliché: a troubled soul with a chip on his shoulder was already written for the previous two movies. This lack of originality even detracted from the surprising twist in Krall’s tale, and his brief conflict with Kirk at the end was the most underwhelming of all of the action scenes.

Amongst all this brilliant action and drama, what fully won over audiences were the little nods to the series in honour of the anniversary. I am surprised that everyone involved managed to reign in their ‘trekkiness’ and not let the film be drowned in homage and tribute [something I would have likely done had I been in charge] but decided to use very small moments. Very small moments that were so damned effective! The cinema was filled with gasps and some barely contained screams, and I confess that my own eyes got suspiciously damp.

I feel like I may be massively biased, as I was excited for this movie for two whole years, so I’ll try my best to wrap this all up with a balanced paragraph or so. Star Trek Beyond was not the most gut-wrenching or poignant movies of the year, but it surely was one of the most enjoyable. In comparison to some of the bombs of this year’s blockbuster calendar, it was surely a standout in every positive aspect. It also has a solid footing in the realm of “Good Trek Movies” and will certainly be a cheeky favourite of mine from the series. In fact I think this movie has the potential to entice audiences into discovering Star Trek from its auspicious beginnings, and just in time for the anniversary and the rebooted television series.

18/24