'X-Men: Apocalypse' review

X-Men: Apocalypse is the latest in a series of films based upon the immensely popular Marvel Comics series. Apocalypse serves as the third in a prequel trilogy, following First Class and Days of Future Past, but is ultimately the ninth cinematic X-Men outing after its predecessors, an original trilogy, two Wolverine spin-offs and a Deadpool spin-off. X-Men: Apocalypse follows Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto (Michael Fassbender) in 1983 as they encounter a new and dangerous mutant opponent in the form of En Sabah Nur, known better as Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac). As Apocalypse's forces grow, Xavier's new students, including the young Scott Summers / Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), must battle to save the world. As a far warning, while this review will be spoiler-free for Apocalypse, there will be some spoilers for both First Class and Days of Future Past. 

This new X-Men trilogy has embraced a fascinating idea from the beginning. Following the 1960's setting of First Class, each film in the trilogy has focused on the subsequent decades. Days of Future Past was based within the 1970's and now Apocalypse finds itself rooted within the 1980's. It's an interesting and fresh gimmick which gives this trilogy a unique aesthetic, and allows us to look upon the most important moments in the fictional mutant world, almost as though flicking through a history book. However, this is an element which Apocalypse struggles to manage. 21 years has passed in Apocalypse since we first saw Xavier, Magneto, Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult) in First Class, yet none of them look as though decades have passed. An offhand comment is made that a returning character doesn't appear as though she has aged a day as the film shows it's aware of the problem the trilogy has made for itself, but it doesn't help how jarring it can be when the characters refer to events from previous film as though decades have passed, despite their being little sign of aging with anybody. Another issue is that by jumping significant portions of time between story, it can be a little jarring to see where characters have ended up, This worked to the benefit of Days of Future Past as we learned more about why Xavier and Magneto had ended up where they were at the start of the film, but in Apocalypse there were a few situations where I struggled to think of a coherent way for a character to have evolved from where they were at the finale of the previous movie to where they were now, and it would have been interesting to see the film develop this more. 

Speaking of characters, this has usually been a strong suit of the X-Men franchise as everything is usually heavily character driven, with the superhero spectacle being the icing on top. However, Apocalypse falters in this regard a fair few times. Returning characters such as Magneto have significantly weaker arcs this time around as compared to their previous appearances. Some character arcs feel like they're retreading ground the characters have already covered that, within the context of the narrative, would have been resolved decades ago. Several new characters suffer immensely from being two-dimensional and simply being on screen for the sake of giving the X-Men opponents to battle against. Upon his arrival, Apocalypse quickly gathers four followers to aid him. While one is a major character with significant development, the other three feel as though they're just there for the convenience of the story. None are really poorly acted, but it's more an issue that the actors aren't given enough material to prove themselves. Apocalypse's own character is rather underdeveloped. The film provides a baseline motivation for him so we can understand why he's doing what he does, but it's not an interesting one. His character is hindered even more by the fact his plan feels paper thin and as though he's making it up as the film rattles along. Isaac feels wasted in the role as Apocalypse falls into the pit of underdeveloped comic book movie villains. The X-Men all have strong characters, with Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) being a personal highlight along with Sheridan and Turner's portrayal of classic characters Cyclops and Jean Grey being surprisingly captivating. Mystique's character was perhaps one of the rockiest of the film. Her development sometimes felt natural from the events of the previous films, but other times it felt like it was contradicting elements of her character just to capitalize on Jennifer Lawrence's star power. Perhaps the strongest performance here is unsurprisingly from Fassbender as Magneto. His performance often felt like it was surpassing the material he was given, with corny scenes given an emotional boost by him.

The story of X-Men: Apocalypse is perhaps one of the weakest in the entire franchise. Perhaps this is due in large part to the failures of Apocalypse as a villain, as I feel given a stronger antagonist, the narrative would have felt more coherent and driven by his character. With two and a half hours for a running time, there isn't much excuse the film can give for not developing its villain, especially when a significant portion of the film features characters going to a new setting on a detour that provided nothing for either their characters or the narrative other than allowing a cameo to be shoehorned into the film. This is all precious time the film could have devoted to allowing us to understand Apocalypse more and therefore letting the narrative be driven more by his plans. The other problem is that Apocalypse doesn't manage to cover a lot of new ground that we haven't already seen. As it stands, X-Men: Apocalypse is a series of disjointed scenes held together loosely by a series of jarring conveniences (such as a character just happening to appear in time to everyone's rescue, or another character's unconvincing change of heart at just the right moment) as the film drives full force into its gigantic climactic action setpiece between the X-Men and Apocalypse. The final fight is somewhat of a let down, too. Sure, the spectacle is there. But gone is the character driven climax from the previous two installments and the creative use and demonstration of the abilities, as here they are replaced with a heavily CGI reliant sequence in which characters slog it out until one side emerges victorious in an exhausting resolution. It's far from the triumphs of First Class and Days of Future Past, but makes more a satisfactory enough mindless action film. Given the strengths of the franchise, though, it's nowhere near enough to make Apocalypse a must see, especially when there are at least six stronger entries in the franchise. 

In conclusion, there's enough spectacle in X-Men: Apocalypse to make it a satisfactory film for hardcore fans of the franchise, and some strong performances may help more casual fans enjoy it more. However, with both the earlier films in the trilogy being considerably stronger films, plus the first two films in the original trilogy, and additional spin-offs in The Wolverine and Deadpool all being more entertaining, smart and enthralling, there feels like little reason for anybody else to check out X-Men: Apocalypse. It plays a lot like the Greatest Hits montage of the franchise, but one that consists entirely of weak covers by lackluster bands instead of the original classics. There's a scene in the film where a character states that the third film in trilogies is usually the worst. It feels like a sly dig from Bryan Singer at the third film in the original trilogy, X-Men: The Last Stand, which was the only one he didn't direct and was considerably worse than the first two. However, the joke blows up in Singer's face when Apocalypse also turns out to be a massively disappointing third entry in an otherwise fantastic trilogy. 

X-Men: Apocalypse  -  5 / 10

'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End' review

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is the fourth and final installment in Naughty Dog's PlayStation exclusive Uncharted series. Following the events of the first three games, protagonist Nathan Drake has settled down from treasure hunting to enjoy a normal life with his wife, Elena. However, when his brother Sam resurfaces with the promise of one final adventure, Nate is dragged back into his old ways. Uncharted 4 is the first of the series to debut on PlayStation 4, and as such the series' finale has received a fitting upgrade in terms of scale as Naughty Dog are able to cut loose and push Uncharted to places it has never been. Can A Thief's End meet the high expectations fans have after the previous three fantastic installments?

The answer is quite simply a resounding yes. Naughty Dog are no strangers to delivering some of the best games on the market, with their Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter games considered classic gems by many, and more recently the Uncharted series and the absolutely masterful The Last of Us showing they're still willing to push their limits. Uncharted 4 shows that Naughty Dog are still constantly evolving as it is undoubtedly one of the best looking games you'll be able to find on the market. From the amazingly detailed and convincing character models to the lush environments you visit, Uncharted 4 rarely misses an opportunity to stun you with the graphical capabilities of the game. The hyper-real character models lends a window into Naughty Dog's true trump card too, as the emotions of the characters pour through the detailing in their faces, allowing the player to engage with the characters on an emotional level that ND proved they were capable of providing masterfully through games in The Last of Us. 

The characters of Uncharted have always been one of the series' true triumphs. While the graphics are always outstanding and the gameplay is always a blast, what keeps the games close to the players heart are the characters and their personal stories. Drake returns with Sully and Elena and the bond between them has long been one of the highlights of the franchise, and it's on full form here as their story comes to an end. Among the action and gunfights, Uncharted 4 has emotional scenes that help you engage in the game on a level deeper than the superficial spectacle that makes your actions feel like they have true weight. Beyond that, the story of the game is equally as engaging. The Uncharted franchise has always incorporated isolated stories, with the character arcs carrying through each installment. The same is true with A Thief's End, as the main plot is one newcomers can thoroughly enjoy without having to worry about three games worth of narrative to understand. However, as previously stated the character arcs do carry on throughout all four games, and any new players will probably benefit from playing the original three, or the remastered Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, if they want the character beats to pack a weightier punch. 

As with the previous entries, Uncharted 4 follows Nate as he uncovers a legendary treasure, and as more details come to light about the treasure it becomes apparent that the truth behind it is much more sinister. The game allows opportunities for the player to dig deeper into the mystery behind the treasure as optional notes can be found hinting towards a larger conspiracy, and it shows the developers embracing the video game format once again after Last of Us and telling a deep and interactive story in a way mediums can't. The story of the treasure is indeed an intriguing one, and one that fits well thematically with the issues the characters deal with throughout the game. There is a strange moment within the resolution where the actions of one character doesn't fit within the theme of the game, but it's a minor bump on an other wise extremely smooth journey. Another minor issue I had with the game was the handling of the antagonist. There is definitely enough interesting motivation behind the villain to make him the franchise's best, but the game doesn't highlight them until late in the third act, and even then they are mostly told in passing and not fully explored within the context of the narrative. It feels like a missed opportunity to give Drake and his final rival a truly interesting relationship and explore it more, but thankfully it's not an issue that hinders the enjoyment of Uncharted 4 too much. 

Fantastic characters and stories would be wasted if the game as a drag to play. Luckily, Uncharted 4 features the most refined gameplay of the franchise. Because of the attention to detail that Naughty Dog pour into each location, exploring the environment ends up being funner than previous entries, especially as the locations in game are considerably larger than previous games. The fights with in the game have a raw feeling to them, helped by the spectacular graphics and sound design of the game. Things feel truly desperate as you continue to find yourself outnumbered in fights as bullets whiz through the air and bludgeon the cover you hide behind for safety. Action receives a shakeup with Nate's grappling hook, which allows you to swing through the scenery and get the advantage on your enemy. The action in Uncharted 4 frequently feels ripped straight from a blockbuster, with the franchise's staple setpieces returning to great effect, although this game feels like it was missing a definitive action beat such as the train crash in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves or the plane crash in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. 

Fans can rest assured that there's more to the game than the spectacular fifteen hour campaign, as the game comes with a Multiplayer mode. I haven't poured in enough time to give a detailed insight into the multiplayer, but from the few matches I have played the game manages to provide a fresh feeling to multiplayer shooters as Uncharted's gameplay mechanics fit better with the online format than you would expect. In conclusion, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is another masterpiece from Naughty Dog. Thrilling stories, layered characters, stunning graphics, incredible sound design including a cinematic score and compelling voice acting, enthralling gameplay and more. Uncharted 4 is truly another triumph, and a fantastic send-off, for Naughty Dog's thrilling blockbuster franchise. Like The Last of Us before it on PlayStation 3 (and remastered on PS4), if you own a PlayStation 4 and don't try Uncharted 4, you're doing yourself a disservice. It's games like Uncharted 4 that convince even gamers who don't have a PlayStation 4 to buy it, forcing them to buy a new console in the process. With Nathan Drake's adventures receiving a fitting conclusion, I can't wait to see what Naughty Dog have up their sleeves next. 

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End  -  10 / 10

'The Flash: Season One' review

The Flash is a CW superhero show that started life as a spin-off from Arrow. The show follows forensic scientist Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) who, following a freak accident, is blessed with inhuman abilities that make him the fastest man alive. Barry vows to use these abilities to stop other powered humans like himself who are using their abilities for crime, and to finally uncover the mystery behind his mother's murder at the hands of a supernatural force for which his father is wrongly imprisoned. Season One aired in 2014 to 2015 and consists of 23 episodes. With the second season about to wrap, I decided to write up my thoughts on the first and why The Flash is currently my favourite superhero TV show. Some extremely mild spoilers for the season may follow, but none of the major reveals will be discussed here. 

The show follows Barry Allen as he begins his new life as a superhero, the Flash, helped by his new friends from Star Labs: Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and the mysterious Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), who help Barry discover the true limits of his abilities and to defeat his enemies. The Flash quickly builds a strong cast of characters that support Gustin's Barry and help keep the show grounded among the spectacle of the super-powered action. The heart of the show definitely comes from Barry's relationships with his friends and family. This comes particularly strong from the chemistry between Grant Gustin and Jesse L Martin who plays Joe West, Barry's adoptive father. Additionally, strong chemistry between Gustin and John Wesley Shipp who plays Barry's real imprisoned father (and once played Barry himself in the 1990's Flash show) helps drive the emotional stakes for the show as Barry Allen continues to uncover the mystery of his mother's murder and finally free his father. 

The strong cast of characters is definitely the core strength of the show, as the majority of characters are not only written well but acted incredibly. Grant Gustin portrays the Flash with a certain charm and humanity. He definitely steps up to the level in the heroic sequences, but Gustin's true strength is the emotional he brings to Barry as he gives the superhero a sense of depth that keeps you invested in his development. Jesse L Martin is a delight to watch as he helps Barry as he discovers his powers, and exists almost as a moral compass guiding him to do right. Tom Cavanagh gives an extremely interesting portrayal of Harrison Wells. He manages to convey enough mystery with each episode that you want to know what the truth behind the character is, yet also does so in such a likable way that you can't help but enjoy him as Barry's third paternal figure in the show, despite knowing that not everything is as it seems. The other regular cast start good and end even stronger, and Flash faces a revolving door of special guest stars as his antagonists, including Wentworth Miller chewing the scenery as Captain Cold and Mark Hamill returning to his Trickster villain from the 1990s Flash.

The show isn't entirely reliant on its cast, however, as the writing in the show gets shockingly good. With 23 episodes, having some filler story arcs are inevitable, and a handful of episodes focus on a villain of the week and don't advance the main plot enough. But when the gears begin turning on The Flash and the main story comes into play, the writing cleverly keeps even the most knowledgeable fan of the comic guessing to where the story is going, and it all comes together in an absolutely fantastic and endearing season finale. The filler episodes are rarely a drag too, as the show always injects the right amount of heart, humour and spectacle to make each episode feel entertaining, and the show stays true to its roots to provide fun comic book adventures consistently. The Flash also frequently sprinkles treats in its episodes for fans of the comic book genre, such as crossovers with sister show Arrow, smaller heroes appearing throughout, and key hints to the larger Flash mythos. 

The technical aspects of The Flash are always on point, too. For the most part, the visual effects of the show are impressive. The effects department have a lot on their hand, as not only do they need to give convincing effects to the Flash's speed, but they also need to detail his Rogues Gallery such as a metahuman (the shows word for superpowered human) who can control the weather, freeze and heat guns, and at one point even a giant gorilla. While the effects do occasionally stumble, such as a Flash model that seems particularly video gamey, it's easy to forgive the show given how impressive the rest looks, and considering the scale of the show. The score for the show, as done by Arrow's Blake Neely, is also impressive, as he manages to add extra emotional depth to Barry and his family while also granting unique and memorable themes to each member of the Flash's extensive villains. 

All in all, the first season of The Flash is spectacular television at its best. A grand cast of well written and well acted characters keep the show grounded with heart and emotion, while the show is aware of its comic book roots and ensures that it allows the characters and audience to have fun with the concept. The Flash is a show that provides it all for the audience. The thrills, excitement and spectacle of superhero action, anchored down with the emotional story of Barry that gives the action meaning within the narrative. 23 episodes may seem like a large commitment, and like most television shows the opening few are rockier than the rest, but if you're a fan of the genre you'd be doing yourself a disservice to not watch The Flash - Season One. 

The Flash: Season One  -  10 / 10

'Captain America: Civil War' review

Captain America: Civil War is the thirteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the third film in the 'Captain America' franchise, but the fifth detailing the adventures of the titular hero. Confused yet? If so, you might need to do some research on previous films before seeing Civil War, because the latest Marvel film wastes no time getting the audience up to speed. Instead, the plot focuses on a government reaction to the battles waged in several earlier Marvel films such as Avengers Assemble and Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a new set of rules become forced upon superheroes. This causes a rift between several such heroes, particularly Captain America and ex-Avenger teammate Iron Man, leading to war between the two sides. Captain America: Civil War is a direct continuation of both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, so make sure you've seen both of those, plus the first Cap and Avengers films, at the very least before checking out Civil War. 

While Captain America: Civil War is definitely punishing to any newcomers to the franchise, long time viewers may feel rewarded as we see perhaps the largest roster of superheroes ever witnessed in a live action film. Pretty much all the surviving heroes from Age of Ultron and The Winter Soldier return to action here, and are even joined by new heroes such as Ant-Man, who starred in his own origin story last summer, as well as new characters to the franchise Black Panther and Spider-Man. With so many big characters in one film, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the plot will strain under its own weight. However, here is where the strengths of the directors, the Russo brothers, come into play. The film focuses majorly on continuing the exploration of the relationship between Captain America (Chris Evans) and his old friend Bucky (Sebastian Stan), now the Winter Soldier, while also showcasing the battle between Cap and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr). The Russos manage to cleverly balance all twelve superheroes plus the supporting characters in a way that is true to the core story between Cap, Bucky and Stark, while also ensuring fans of the other heroes will leave satisfied. 

However, while the film manages to balance its enormous cast of characters incredibly well, it does begin to strain as it juggles several plots together in an attempt to unite them into one cohesive narrative. As previously mentioned, Civil War is a direct continuation from The Winter Soldier as it does continue to explore the relationship between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, but it is also a continuation of Age of Ultron, which contains events that set the political plot of Civil War into motion. While the script does find a clever way to unite the Winter Soldier and Civil War plots together that makes sense within the context of the film, it becomes hard to shake the feeling that you're watching two films rolled into one at certain points as the two elements sometimes clash. A major action setpiece of the film arrives as the culmination of the Civil War story arc, yet it doesn't quite blend with the Winter Soldier story arc and the scene, while undoubtedly spectacular, feels somewhat out of place. This problem isn't helped by a third major story arc which, while I won't go into spoilers, pretty much goes nowhere and takes the long way around. Even with the hefty two and a half hour running time, the film feels like it struggles to manage so much in such a short time and it leads to the narrative not flowing as well as the previous Captain America film.  

However, even with these narrative issues, the film is still impressively crafted. Civil War is careful in not making one side of the main argument feel like an obvious choice, with both Captain America and Iron Man's viewpoints having strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the decisions of all of the characters is one suitable to their own personal arcs in previous films. Captain America doubts the government because of the events of The Winter Soldier. Iron Man feels like the Avengers need to be put in check after Age of Ultron. Even the smaller characters (no pun intended) like Ant-Man manage to feel true to how we've seen them before. In fact, some of the best moments of the film are just the smaller character moments and seeing how these characters we've known for years reacts in a dire circumstance such as this. Considering Civil War has ten returning heroes with two brand new ones, this is an impressive feat and a definite win for the Russo brothers. Speaking of new characters, Civil War introduces audiences to the third live action Spider-Man we've seen within the last decade, and to the first live action rendition of fan favourite character Black Panther, both of which are fantastic and fit right in among the familiar faces.

The action in Civil War is some of the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with one particular action scene guaranteed to be talked about for years to come. The final two action beats of the film are definitely the strongest however. One of the opening action scenes was shot more frantically than others, which was a particularly bad experience with the 3D effects available for the film. As we've come to expect from Marvel films now, the CGI is fantastic with plenty of spectacle on show as the heroes wage war against each other. Henry Jackman returns to compose the new score from The Winter Soldier, and it manages to perfectly capture the epic scope of the battles, the heroic elements of the heroes within them, and the tragedy of friends becoming enemies. The acting is perfect all around, with particular highlights being Robert Downey Jr. giving perhaps his best performance as Tony Stark, Chadwick Boseman stealing the spotlight as Black Panther, and Daniel Brühl as Zemo, a role I won't spoil. The directing is mostly fantastic as the Russos prove The Winter Soldier was no fluke, and show that their incredible management of a large ensemble is exactly why you'll see them at the helm of Avengers: Infinity War in two years. 

In conclusion, there's a lot to love in Captain America: Civil War. Dynamic characters that we've grown to love over the years are at their best here. The material is treated with a sense of seriousness that gives the actions of the heroes some weight, but the film manages to avoid becoming too somber and still providing plenty of laughs and excitement for the audience. The price of admission is worth it for the gigantic action spectacles alone, but the value for money comes from the character moments here that push our heroes to the next level. Despite struggling with jamming the various narrative threads of the film into one smooth plot, Captain America: Civil War remains one of the better installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is one that fans should definitely check out.

Captain America: Civil War  -  8 / 10