Venom (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
“Hello Venom? Yup 1995 called… they’d like their superhero film back please”. Venom is an odd film – much like its titular character it’s a film that has two very different personalities. But for the most part is JUST works. Okay so it could have done with being a hard 18 but for the most part Tom Hardy’s spirited performance carries the film. Right up to the point it does a Fantastic 4 and just stops the story it’s telling and heads straight to the CGI finale for no reason with two characters taking a massive narrative swerve for no reason. It’s kinda crazy that this still happens and that Sony have learnt nothing both from their own disasters and the successful template laid out by Marvel. It’s not the disaster critics have said but it is a mess…

Best Bit: Tom Hardy

Cinema, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Spider-man 3, Spider-man Homecoming, Spawn

★★★★★★★★★★

Grosse Point Geek: The Marvel MCU Best To Worst (to Ant-Man & The Wasp)

by Will Strong Grosse Point Geek The Blogs

Phil’s Quick Review’s own master blogger Grosse Point Geek takes a look at the ENTIRE Marvel MCU to rate films os far from BEST to The Incredible Hulk… get ready for a few surprises (Yes he really does rate Iron Man 3 that low!!)

Updated as and when a new film arrives…

Avengers Assemble
Thor Ragnarok
Guardians of The Galaxy
Avengers infinity War
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Thor
Spider-Man homecoming
Iron Man
Captain America: Civil War
Ant man
Thor The Dark World
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Antman and The Wasp
Captain America
Dr Strange
Iron Man 3
Black Panther
Avengers Age Of Ultron
Iron Man 2
The Incredible Hulk

Click HERE for related content

Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Cinematic Universe (inc. Ant-Man And The Wasp )

by Phil's Quick Review Best... Other Cr*p

Our ongoing look at the Best To Worst of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films! Updated as and when a new Marvel (Studios) film is released… Note scores reflect my original IMDB ratings.

[divider]

Best: Captain America Winter Solider

A cold war thriller with Robert Redford and a mini Avengers team up. Add in the always awesome Frank Grillo and a genuinely interesting script and you have Marvel’s strongest cinematic outing.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Massively far out of Marvel’s usual comfort zone, Guardian’s introduced spaceships, talking racoons and a giant tree person. Cracking script, expert action and a heap of fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man film that broke a lot of Marvel fans, Shane Black took the playbook and ripped it up. Twists, turns and a cute central relationships made this a different take on the norm and was all the better for it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Thor: Ragnarok

Well this was a bundle of fun. The previous Thor films have been okay but Ragnarok delivered a brilliant romp which dragged in The Hulk, a handful of memorable new characters (Korg!) and some great set pieces to end up being one of Marvel’s best films yet.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

5. Marvel’s The Avengers

All the groundwork paid off as Marvel delivered it’s first ever super hero team up. The Hulk was back (and done right this time), Hawkeye and Black Widow joined the team and director Joss Whedon delivered the goods.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Spider-Man Homecoming

Funny, charming, with Marvels best villain and best Spiderman (yup sorry Andrew Garfield) Homecoming is a joy of a film that is by far the closest to what the comic book Peter Parker is.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Avengers: Infinity War

Shocking, well paced and with one of Marvel’s greatest screen villains Avengers Infinity War ALMOST delivered on it’s considerable promise. Almost.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

8. Iron Man

The Film that started it all… Iron Man was a rock n roll action movie with an unlikely lead, an even more unlikely director and enough balls out moments to wow.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Loud, silly and funny as heck, Vol. 2 isn’t quite the tight film that it’s 2014 original is but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Add in an amazing cast (including Stallone, Hasselhoff and Russell) and you have another winner from Marvel…

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a heist movie. With Ants. And fights on toy trains. It’s crazy but it’s also full of charm, humour and fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. Black Panther

Black Panther takes a different approach to the usual Marvel film, yet falls into a lot of the same traps of relying a bit too much on visual effects at times. That said it’s one of Marvel’s most intimate stories and whilst not perfect is a really strong entry into the increasingly bigger MCU.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

12. Ant-Man & The Wasp

Ant-Man & The Wasp is GREAT fun. It’s also totally forgettable and delivers what is possibly Marvel’s weakest villain to date. Not bad by any stretch just off pace of the original.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

13. Doctor Strange

Off the big screen Doctor Strange looses a little but this visually stunning film shows that marvel are still interested in pushing the envelope as far as you can in mainstream blockbusters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

14. Captain America: The First Avenger

Solid, fun and well done, whilst it has little rewatch appeal Captain America again took a different approach and gave us a couple of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

15. Captain America: Civil War

It’s not bad. It just didn’t gel with me as much as it did others. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot to like and again it plays with the expected formula, but ultimately i’m just not that keen to go back to it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

16. Thor: The Dark World

I liked The Dark world MUCH more than others. Okay so it’s flawed for sure but it’s crazy fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

17. Thor

Thor was a sold film, tasked with the near impossible job of making a god fit in a world of men. It does it well but not one you’ll rewatch much.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

18. Avengers Age Of Ultron

Marvel’s first disappointment, Age Of Ultron was all show and little else. Too big, too dumb and too long.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

19. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It has charm and the casting works well but ultimately The Incredible Hulk (whilst FAR better than the Ang Lee version) just doesn’t have enough to recommend it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

Worst : Iron Man 2

The idea was fine but sadly most of the film misses. Even Mickey Rourke (yes one of the oddest Marvel villains ever) can’t save this.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

Click here for related content

Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Films! (Updated – with Avengers Infinity War )

by Phil's Quick Review Best... Other Cr*p

In our latest regular feature, coming out the first Friday of each month, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review) breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment from Best To Worst. This time out: Marvel Cinematic Universe films!

Note scores reflect my original IMDB ratings.

[divider]

Best: Captain America Winter Solider

A cold war thriller with Robert Redford and a mini Avengers team up. Add in the always awesome Frank Grillo and a genuinely interesting script and you have Marvel’s strongest cinematic outing.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Massively far out of Marvel’s usual comfort zone, Guardian’s introduced spaceships, talking racoons and a giant tree person. Cracking script, expert action and a heap of fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Iron Man 3

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Thor: Ragnarok

★★★★★★★★★★

——

5. Marvel’s The Avengers

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Spider-Man Homecoming

Funny, charming, with Marvels best villain and best Spiderman (yup sorry Andrew Garfield) Homecoming is a joy of a film that is by far the closest to what the comic book Peter Parker is.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Avengers: Infinity War

Shocking, well paced and with one of Marvel’s greatest screen villains Avengers Infinity War ALMOST delivered on it’s considerable promise. Almost.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

8. Iron Man

The Film that started it all… Iron Man was a rock n roll action movie with an unlikely lead, an even more unlikely director and enough balls out moments to wow.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a heist movie. With Ants. And fights on toy trains. It’s crazy but it’s also full of charm, humour and fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. Black Panther

★★★★★★★★★★

——

12. Doctor Strange

Off the big screen Doctor Strange looses a little but this visually stunning film shows that marvel are still interested in pushing the envelope as far as you can in mainstream blockbusters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

13. Captain America: The First Avenger

Solid, fun and well done, whilst it has little rewatch appeal Captain America again took a different approach and gave us a couple of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

14. Captain America: Civil War

★★★★★★★★★★

——

15. Thor: The Dark World

I liked The Dark world MUCH more than others. Okay so it’s flawed for sure but it’s crazy fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

16. Thor

Thor was a sold film, tasked with the near impossible job of making a god fit in a world of men. It does it well but not one you’ll rewatch much.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

17. Avengers Age Of Ultron

Marvel’s first disappointment, Age Of Ultron was all show and little else. Too big, too dumb and too long.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

18. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It has charm and the casting works well but ultimately The Incredible Hulk (whilst FAR better than the Ang Lee version) just doesn’t have enough to recommend it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

Worst : Iron Man 2

The idea was fine but sadly most of the film misses. Even Mickey Rourke (yes one of the oddest Marvel villains ever) can’t save this.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

Phil’s Top 5… Comic Book Movie Villains

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five. This time out: Comic Book Movie Villains

Close but no cigar: The Joker (Batman), Loki (Thor),Magneto (X-Men), The Joker (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm), The Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Lex Luthor (Superman)

5 – General Zod (Superman 2)
Zod had menace, power and proved to be more than a match for Reeves Superman.

4 – Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)
Tough as nails, driven and deadly Killmonger is yet another layered villain in the Marvel cinematic universe.

3 – Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War)
Thanos is a layered villain with menace. But combined with a believable agenda and a measured performance by Brolin, Thanos is by far one of Marvel’s best.

2 – Catwoman (Batman Returns)
Sexy, mysterious, deadly and seductive Michelle Pfeiffer steals the show from both DeVito’s The Penguin and Keaton’s Batman.

1 – The Joker (The Dark Knight)
Simply the best. Menacing, cerebral, unpredictable – Heath Ledger’s Joker is without a doubt teh best Superhero Comic Book Movie Villain ever.

Avengers Week: Spider-Man Homecoming – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

With Avengers: Infinity War opening this week, Phil’s Quick Capsule Review will be rerunning the reviews of some of our favourite Marvel Films!

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Marvel’s Spider-man works. Be it the excellent Tom Holland, one of the MCU’s best bad guys in Michael Keaton’s Vulture or even the appearances by Robert Downey Jnr & Jon Favreau as Iron Man & Happy, Marvel have finally nailed the web slinger. Gone are the memories of the lack lustre “Amazing Spider-man” films or emo dancing of Spider-man 3, in is real heart and soul, a witty script and an actor who actually looks like he should be at school. It even gets around the tricky last act with a few killer story developments. Time will tell how good this will be on second viewing but for now Marvel have done a top job. Oh and REALLY stick around of the end credits… this one’s worth it

Best Bit: End titles

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Spider-man 2, The Amazing Spider-man, Captain America Civil War

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

Author: Phil Hobden

Phil’s 5 Best Films of 2017

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

And that’s it. Another year in the rear view mirror and another reason to take a look back at the BEST, WORST and, well, others of 2017.

So here it is: my pick of the BEST films of 2017.

Film of The Year: Baby Driver

In Brief: Yup the Spacey factor makes this awkward for sure BUT the fact that it still remains as many favourite film of the year DESPITE of that should tell you just how good Baby Driver is. Edgar Wright delivers a fanatic, charming, 90’s style film that mixes True Romance, Bullet and many other great films to make what will probably be a modern classic. Oh and THAT soundtrack. Superb.

2. T2 Trainspotting
In Brief: : Silly title yes. Silly film? No. Few films are ever made about what it’s like to be middle aged, by T2 Trainspotting nails it. It’s not perfect but it hit where it counted.

3. Paddington 2
In Brief: Who saw this coming? Well anyone who actually watched Paddington 2 obviously. Charming, fun and silly Paddington has more heart than it can share. It’s just brilliant.

4. Raw
In Brief: This French horror film is a tough watch and will turn some people off for sure. But I found it captivating, brutal and, er, raw.

5. Star Wars The Last Jedi
In Brief: It’s a really good Star Wars film and an excellent blockbuster, up there with the year best. Full of massive highs and a few lows, The Last Jedi mostly lives up to expectation.

6. OJ: Made In America – Fascinating documentary

7. Blade Runner 2049 – One of the best SCi-Fi films in many years

8. La La Land – Charming, funny and heart breaking all at once.

9. IT (2017) – One of the best horror films for many a year.

10. Thor: Ragnarok – Marvel go three for three and Thor whilst not the obvious choice was the one, on reflection, I enjoyed most.

Bubbling Under: Shot Caller, Dunkirk , Spider-Man Homecoming ,Logan ,Prevenge, Logan Lucky , Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 ,Counterpunch, Jawbone , Silence, Hidden Figures

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! FINAL Edition (1st December 2017)

by Phil Hobden All Things Film Blog Other Cr*p Year In Review

So this is my semi-regularly updated of the BEST and WORST of 2017’s movies, as well as the best films I missed from last year and the Phil’s Quick Capsule Review Sharknado Award.

This will be the LAST Edition until our final end of year Wrap up.

All in my very humble opinion…

BEST Films Of 2017… So Far:

Baby Driver (9/10)
T2 Trainspotting (9/10)
Paddington 2 (9/10)
Raw (9/10)
OJ: Made In America (9/10)

Honourable Mentions:

Blade Runner 2049 (8/10), La La Land (8/10), IT 2017 (8/10); Thor: Ragnarok (8/10), Shot Caller (8/10); Dunkirk (8/10), Spider-Man Homecoming (8/10), Logan (8/10), Prevenge (8/10), Logan Lucky (8/10), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (8/10), Counterpunch (8/10), Jawbone (8/10), Silence (8/10), Hidden Figures (8/10), War For The Plant of The Apes (7/10), Wheelman (7/10), Happy Death Day (7/10)

WORST Films Of 2017… So Far:

Fifty Shades Darker (2/10)
Transformers The Last Knight (2/10)
Sleepless (3/10)
Assassins Creed (3/10)
Underworld Blood War (4/10)

Dis-Honourable Mentions:

The Mummy (4/10), The Circle (4/10), Power Rangers (4/10), A Cure For Wellness (4/10), Gaga: Five Foot Two (4/10), Leatherface (4/10), Hacksaw Ridge (5/10), King Arthur Legend Of The Sword (5/10), Live By Night (5/10), Sing! (5/10), The Boss Baby (5/10), The Dark Tower (5/10), The Limehouse Golem (5/10), Justice League (5/10)

**The 2017 Sharknado Award for Films So Good (!) They Cant Be Rated:**

2 Lava 2 Lantula & Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

The 2017 Films I just couldn’t Finish…

The Ghoul, The Lost City of Z

Great Films Of 2016 That I saw In 2017:

The Edge Of Seventeen, The Girl With All The Gifts, Train To Busan, Deepwater Horizon, Kubo & The Two Strings, Sing Street, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, 13th, I Daniel Blake

Phil’s Top 5… Marvel MCU Villains (Movie!)

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five. This time out: Specifically ONLY for the Marvel CINEMATIC Universe. No TV show villains here.

Close but no cigar: Aldrich Killian (Iron Man 3), Helmut Zemo (Captain America: Civil War), Alexander Pierce (Captain America: Winter Soldier )

5 – Ego The living Planet (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2)
It’s Kurt Russell. In a Marvel Film. As a living planet. Yup.

4 – The Mandarin (Iron Man 3)
Okay so most people hate the movie version of The Mandarin. It’s controversial for sure. But man this version of The Mandarin is hysterical. Trevor Slatrery. Failed actor and patsy. Genius.

3 – Winter Soldier (Captain America: Winter Soldier)
The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, former friend of Captain America and now the titular Winter Soldier. Assassin, killer and future good guy.

2 – The Vulture (Spider-Man Homecoming)
New entry and hot off the press, Michael Keaton’s Vulture in Spiderman Homecoming is the most street level villain to ever hit the MCU and wonderfully ties in events form previous films. A great and memorable villain.

1 – Loki (Avengers Assemble, Thor, Thor: The Dark World)
Come on it wasn’t really going to be anyone else was it? Loki has been ever present in the MCU and has delivered one of Marvel’s best and most endearing bad guys in The Avengers Assemble and both Thor Films.

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! 5th Edition (12th October 2017)

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

So this is my semi-regularly updated of the BEST and WORST of 2017’s movies, as well as the best films I missed from last year and the Phil’s Quick Capsule Review Sharknado Award. All in my very humble opinion…

BEST Films Of 2017… So Far:

Baby Driver (9/10)
T2 Trainspotting (9/10)
Raw (9/10)
OJ: Made In America (9/10)
Blade Runner 2049 (8/10)

Honourable Mentions:

La La Land (8/10), IT 2017 (8/10); Shot Caller (8/10); Dunkirk (8/10), Spider-Man Homecoming (8/10), Logan (8/10), Prevenge (8/10), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (8/10), Counterpunch (8/10), Get Out (8/10), Jawbone (8/10), Silence (8/10), Hidden Figures (8/10), War For The Plant of The Apes (7/10)

WORST Films Of 2017… So Far:

Fifty Shades Darker (2/10)
Transformers The Last Knight (2/10)
Sleepless (3/10)
Assassins Creed (3/10)
Underworld Blood War (4/10)

Dis-Honourable Mentions:

The Mummy (4/10), The Circle (4/10), Power Rangers (4/10), A Cure For Wellness (4/10), Gaga: Five Foot Two (4/10), Hacksaw Ridge (5/10), King Arthur Legend Of The Sword (5/10), Live By Night (5/10), Sing! (5/10), The Boss Baby (5/10)

**The 2017 Sharknado Award for Films So Good (!) They Cant Be Rated:**

2 Lava 2 Lantula & Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

Great Films Of 2016 That I saw In 2017:

The Edge Of Seventeen, The Girl With All The Gifts, Train To Busan, Deepwater Horizon, Kubo & The Two Strings, Sing Street, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, 13th, I Daniel Blake