Search Page

Building up to the next instalment of the MCU, I couldn’t help but have a few worries. Yes, Marvel make great movies but, also yes, they have a few reoccurring troubles which I wasn’t sure if this film would avoid or not. Rather than posting the concerns, I thought I’d review the film considering them. I’ve linked to the full details of those concerns in an appendix/footnotes style. A few very minor spoilers ahead but let’s get on with it.

Worry 1: the plot with be fragment and/or chaotic (1)

We are introduced to a Ragnarok storyline with a thoroughly well embedded Planet Hulk subplot. The two are weaved together nicely and Hulk’s story does not feel gratuitous in the slightest. The story itself gives us some idea of what Thor and Banner have been up to for 2 years as well as the status quo of Asgard in general. The pacing is fast but this does not put off the viewer at all. Through the introduction of Hela, we are granted an expanded glimpse into the history of the...

This film caught my eye upon first viewing the trailer. Having enjoyed biopics/semi-biographical films such as Creation (Charles Darwin), Finding Neverland (J M Barrie), and Black Mass (Whitey Bulger), the idea of a human story behind one of the most beloved childhood stories seemed a sure bet. What I experienced did not let down and whilst it was not perfect it was a warming, enjoyable, and emotionally engaging story.

We meet A. A. Milne post-world war one, despondent with the way people are acting as if nothing happened and sure of humanity repeating their mistakes. Through the struggles of family and the world, we experience the journeys of both Milne and his son Christopher which ultimately leads to the creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories. The principle characters are wonderful, engaging, and convincing from the start. From the troubled but good intentioned Alan Milne (Domhnall Gleeson, About Time), through the detestable Daphne de Selincourte (Margot Robbie, Suicide...

It’s fair to say that I was excited for The Defenders. The Netflix MCU branch has been strong throughout (bar Iron Fist, comments about which you can see in my review) and the potential in a get-together was high. Much as Avengers Assemble brought together the feed from five films into one of the best superhero movies ever, Defenders was poised to do the same with five shows feeding into a more gritty and aggressive cousin of the film epic. What we were handed did not live up to that hype nor potential. It wasn’t overall bad but just suffered in several ways in which it shouldn’t have. It wasn’t the meh of Iron Fist but it didn’t capture what it was set up to do. But let’s stop being mean, what did the show do well?

Its first strength was not starting us off with an assembled team. The show felt like a natural coming together of four independent stories. We start with our heroes in their respective lives working through events following on from their recent shows. Bit by bit...

Hero Conventions’ Edinburgh Comic Con was a first for me on two grounds. Firstly, it was my first ever con (or simply anything like it) and, secondly, it was my first time going anywhere with a press pass. I was both excited and nervous as well as slightly unsure what to expect on either account. One of the biggest things which struck me was the shear inclusivity of it all. There are certain stereotypes about gender which are totally smashed by the diversity of the attendees and that was utterly wonderful to see (though, I suppose a little saddening that I found that note-worthy!). Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience which has sparked my interest in conventions and as such I’m hoping to go to many more in the future! But enough about me, let’s talk about EdiCon.

Firstly, venue and location. The venue was only a 10-minute walk from Haymarket station which was great. Haymarket is a well-connected station and being within walking distance was super convenient. It...