Film: Avengers - Infinity War

GENRE: Epic Action Adventure

RATING: PG-13 for violence and some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 29 minutes

STARRING: Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes)

Josh Brolin (Deadpool 2, W.), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Vacation)

DIRECTORS: Anthony & Joe Russo (CA: Winter Soldier & Civil War)

WRITERS: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (Civil War, Narnia)

PLOT: The Avengers unite to keep Thanos from getting the infinity stones and killing half of earth’s population.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.

STORY STUFF: Wow. That was a lot of story. This is truly an epic tale. There are six or seven main plotlines going on at the same time as there are a lot of people to cover. Along with all the adventure, there is a slew of deeply emotional moments for those who have become attached to their favourite Avenger. I did find a couple moments that dragged a bit and felt the ending reminded me of LOTR: Return of the King with its overly drawn out multiple ending. Overall, it was pretty intense, in a fun way. There is a lot of death but I’m pretty sure I know how some things are going to turn out in the next Avengers next year.

ACTING STUFF: Every actor and actress gives it their all. They know what is at stake and don’t want to let their MCU fans down. Let me just say that the chemistry between these large-than-life superheroes is magnificent. My favourite pairing would have to be Chris Pratt’s StarLord being ultra-jealous of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: It’s epic. It looks awesome. Check out all the CG artists while waiting for the singe post-credit sequence. I’ll just say it’s impressive.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like Marvel films and want your mind blown.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Deadpool 2, Solo

Film: Isle of Dogs

GENRE: Animated Adventure

RATING: PG-13 for animated violence
RUNTIME: 2 hour and 41 minutes

STARRING: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Argo, Trumbo)

Koyu Rankin (newcomer), Edward Norton (Moonrise Kingdom)

DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rushmore, etc.)

WRITER: Anderson (Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, etc.)

PLOT: A boy looks for his dog that was exiled along will all the other dogs in Japan.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am in love with Wes Anderson films.

STORY STUFF: I always find that Wes Anderson’s scripts are engaging and full of whismy. This one is no exception. Colourful characters, detailed lists, clever dialogue and fun flashbacks. It’s all there. Everything you expect from a Wes Anderson film. So I love it. But it might not be for everyone. Oh, and it's also a story about deportation, which seems relevant for today.

ACTING STUFF: Along with Cranston and Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum and Bob Balaban provide the voices for the main dogs. They are fantastic. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Goldblum’s gossipy Duke the best.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: The animation is incredible. It would say it even outshines Mr. Fox. The hair on the dogs (and their constant humorous coughs) is wonderfully detailed. I loved the way they animated the dog brawls and the many different artistic touches throughout. I thought the songs could have been a bit better though. I usually love his soundtracks.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like Wes Anderson, even if you hate dogs.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Avengers: Infinity War

Film: Ready Player One

GENRE: Sci-Fi Adventure

RATING: PG-13 for language and violence
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 20 minutes

STARRING: Tye Sheridan (X-Men: Apocalypse, Mud, Tree of Life)

Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One, Bloodline)

DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Minority Report, E.T., The BFG)

WRITERS: Zak Penn (X-Men: Last Stand) & Ernest Cline (Fan Boys)

PLOT: It’s a race between avatars as they try to find a hidden Easter Egg in a virtual reality world.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Was looking forward to nostalgia.

STORY STUFF: I haven’t read the book but apparently it is vastly different: the main idea is the same but that may be it. Spielberg engages his audience with some slick action and set pieces. The last quarter of the movie seems to get away from him though. The ending battle looks clunky and the part with the lone gunman was ridiculous. It kind of limped to the finish line, which is too bad because it started really well.  

ACTING STUFF: The chemistry between Sheridan and Cooke is sweet, even if they are avatars for most of the time. Spielberg always does well directing young actors. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, Dunkirk) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) are almost unrecognizable with their American accents as the creators of the OASIS. Unfortunately, Mendelsohn isn’t menacing enough for my liking.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The special effects are outstanding with amazing CG and camera work. Of course, the big draw is the 80’s nostalgia (also dips heavily into 70’s and some 90’s). Great callouts to Robert Zemekis and John Hughes. Absolutely loved the major nostalgia pieces from The Shining and The Iron Giant. Fun stuff.

VERDICT: Three and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like video games, Easter eggs and Iron Giant

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Isle of Dogs