Peacemaker review

 

I came late to streaming and with one thing and another it took me till this year to watch Peacemaker. Luckily as soon as I’d watched the first season, the second one came along so I’ve been able to see it slightly differently from someone whose waited three years for a follow up. I wasn’t sure at first if I liked it as I often have an aversion to expletive heavy, overly violent, fast paced stuff that just seems not to be made for me in my quiet suburban life. Yet, guess what? This expletive heavy, overly violent, fast paced series turns out to be a multi faceted creature that can give you edge of seat thrills, gasps of laughter and then something really sweet. It’s epic in the best possible way yet also intimate when it wants to be. And it’s got the perfect cast. If you’ve not seen it and like me previously think it might not be for you then I’d give it a go.

Superman (2025) review

 

The umpteenth attempt to revive the perpetually ailing DC Comics film universe sees the best-known superhero in what is more of James Gunn film than a Superman one. The director / writer’s scrappy, humour heavy, music laced style is all over this movie. While it sometimes works in isolated scenes there is an overall sense of a cluttered canvas in which too much is happening and too many characters are involved. At the same time the fundamentals of storytelling are too easily skipped over in favour of effects heavy set pieces. There was no point during watching when I felt really excited about anything on screen and with an over reliance on special effects, especially the last section, the results are undoubtedly spectacular but strangely uninvolving.

Spoilers after the break... 

The Suicide Squad

Sort of a sequel to Suicide Squad (presumably the next will be titled Thee Suicide Squad) this madcap rollercoaster almost defies you to dislike it with enough thunder to kick up quite a cinematic storm. The premise is the same as the first film with some more wayward superheroes added into the mix yet some of the lessons of that first film have not really been learned. Its overcrowded and shouty with a Big Bad so preposterous that when I type it after the break I will not believe I am actually typing it nor that I actually saw it. Though macho arrogance is the movie’s calling card the best performances and the most interesting characters are all female. Sparks of intelligence are snuffed out by repetitive violence. Yet out of this melee there is a film you can definitely enjoy at least while you’re watching it.

 Ludricous spoilers after the break

 

Guardians of the Galaxy

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel
Written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman

Directed by James Gunn

 
The liveliest Marvel offering yet is funny, thrilling and wonderfully retro space opera.

If there really is a place where space battles happen you feel it is probably much more as
depicted in this film than either the gleaming or grimy universes usually imagined. Guardians of the Galaxy takes a lot of visual screen and comic influences, mashes them up and coats them in a deadpan humour garnished with a retro music feel that makes every minute of the movie so much fun you cannot fail to enjoy it. Even Iron Man will seem slightly po faced after this!