2010-2019, Film Review

Joy (2015)

Posted on January 26, 2016May 29, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

joy — **Image is property of Fox 2000 Pictures, Davis Entertainment Company, Annapurna Pictures, TSG Entertainment and 20th Century Fox**

Joy – Film Review

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd

Director: David O Russell

Synopsis: An account of the life of Joy Mangano, and her journey as an inventor and entrepreneur, with her main invention, the Miracle Mop.

Review: To become a very successful entrepreneur, a person would need a lot of charisma, determination and a relentless desire to succeed, as well as having an obvious passion for the product or products they are hoping to bring to the market. But if you happen to have a somewhat dysfunctional family life, and find things going wrong here there and everywhere, it would almost certainly make the challenges even harder than they already would be. These are the challenges that face Joy as she aims to revolutionise the market with her invention the Miracle Mop.

A mother who refuses to get off her bed and does nothing but watch TV, ex-husband living in the basement, deadbeat dad, as well as a mother to two children, Joy has just about everything she could going against her, but through all of this, she does possess that relentlessness, that desire, and that belief in her product, and it ensures that David O Russell’s third team up with Jennifer Lawrence as the titular character is an interesting watch, but it is not all plain sailing for Joy as she bids to get her product to market, things go wrong, a lot of the time. Yet that belief and will to succeed persists her to keep going in spite of the adversity she does go through is extremely uplifting.

As she has been in her last two links up with Russell, Jennifer Lawrence is once again excellent in the main role. She possess the aforementioned charisma and relentlessness in abundance, and it’s her performance that drives the plot forward, because except for a kind of comical performance from Robert DeNiro, the majority rest of the cast are just not interesting or engaging enough for the audience to really care about. There is one exception to this, that of Bradley Cooper’s character who does a massive favour for Joy, but even then his screen time is fairly limited. This is once again the Jennifer Lawrence show, and she clearly thrives under the direction of David O Russell. It’s by no means her strongest performance under Russell’s tutelage but it ensured another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Yet it does not have the emotional punch that the likes of The Fighter or Silver Linings Playbook had, or the brilliant ensemble cast that American Hustle boasted, with that awesome humour. The film takes its time to really get things going in the beginning, the film doesn’t quite know where it really wants to go, and is a little bit messy when it comes to its script and direction. Is it a happy film, or is it a sad film? In reality it’s probably a bit of both. Once it finds its spark, however it runs with it, and by the end there is some satisfying closure. Yet the build up in getting there was frustratingly slow. Although the film’s title is clearly referring to the main character and not the emotion, there’s not a lot of joyfulness to be found here.

A strong lead performance by Lawrence, but the film is bogged down by a lack of connection for the rest of the cast, as well as a real inconsistency in terms of the film’s tone and direction.

2010-2019, Film Feature

Top 10 Best Films of 2015

Posted on January 24, 2016May 30, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

2015, a year that broke box office records here, there and everywhere! A return to a galaxy far far away, more dinosaurs, more superheroes, a fair few spy movies, the revival of some long running franchises, and some original pieces of work thrown into the mix as well. It was a promising year for movies, and it some cases it delivered, some it did not. In any case, there were more than a handful of great movies that came out in 2015. With all that said it is time, now that some of those limited release films that came out at the end of the year have reached me here in the UK ( I am classing these as 2015 releases, as per IMDB) With that said, I now give you my picks for the 10 best movies of the year.

One thing to bear in mind, is that grades here do not matter, a film may get a high grade or the perfect grade, it will not necessarily mean that film will be the best film of the year, this is my list of my favourite movies that I had the most fun with or enjoyed the most. Before I get into the body of my list I do have some honourable mentions, films that were awesome and that didn’t quite make the list with there being 10 spaces, but were still a lot of fun.

The first of these is Kingsman: The Secret Service, this movie knew it was a silly spy movie, but it was extremely entertaining and very violent in places, but the action was extremely exciting, and we got to see Colin Firth beat people up! Next up is Spectre, the 24th James Bond film. Now I know some people, including one very good friend of mine, did not like this movie at all but I thought it was a well directed film with some great action sequences, and a very sexy but badass Bond girl in Lea Seydoux. The villain played by Christoph Waltz was admittedly a little underutilised, and while it did revert to established Bond formula a bit too much, it was still a blast to watch, although it’s not on the same level as Skyfall or Casino Royale. Third is The Walk, the new film by Robert Zemeckis, this was a gripping watch, telling the true story of Phillippe Petit, the man who strung a tightrope between the Twin Towers. While a little slow to get going, the scene where he walks the wire was among the most gripping scenes I saw all year.

10. Ant Man

Read my Ant-Man review

When the year began and we had two new MCU films to look forward to, nearly everyone was more excited for Avengers: Age of Ultron than Ant Man, yet for many, the former was a bit of a disappointment, perhaps suffering from very large expectations. And while Ultron certainly was not a massive failure, it was not nearly as enjoyable as Ant Man. When Edgar Wright exited Ant Man, many thought it was a doomed project destined for failure, yet it came through in great style. Paul Rudd was tremendous as the titular character, Michael Douglas was fantastic as Hank Pym and Evangeline Lilly was also in great form, it exceeded all expectations and ensured a sequel has been added into Phase 3 of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.

9. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Read my Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation review

The fifth entry in this franchise that continues to pack awesome action and among the handful of spy movies that were released in 2015, Rogue Nation is arguably the best, and has a claim to be the best Mission Impossible movie to date. Tom Cruise as usual doing all of his owns stunts including actually hanging onto a moving plane, as well as the introduction of the awesome Ilsa Faust played by the amazing Rebecca Ferguson, as well more awesome humour providing by the great Simon Pegg. Christopher McQuarrie’s screenplay and direction was excellent and it’s no surprise that he’s back on board to direct the sixth film in the franchise.

8.The Martian

Read my The Martian review

A real return to form for director Ridley Scott, whose recent films were disappointments to many, so to see him come back with a truly great movie was awesome to see. Matt Damon was brilliant in the lead role as a man who is left behind on Mars. The screenplay was sharp and surprisingly very humorous given the dire nature of his circumstances, and the rest of the very large cast were also great with the likes of Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels and Sean Bean all giving excellent performances, with amazing visuals and outstanding special effects that were almost a throwback to Scott’s early science fiction roots.

7. Mad Max Fury Road

Read my Mad Max Fury Road review

The fourth film in this franchise, and the film that could and should rewrite the book on how to film action movies. It was an utterly thrilling film filled with practical effects and mind blowing action sequences, with cars, explosions and flaming guitars to boot, and not a shaky camera to be found anywhere. Tom Hardy didn’t have much dialogue but he was excellent in the title role, but the person who stole the show was undoubtedly that of Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, showing Hollywood writers how to write an awesome badass female character who doesn’t need a man to show what a strong character she can be. Take note please writers and directors!!!

6. The Hateful Eight

Read my The Hateful Eight review

The eight film by Mr Quentin Tarantino, and another superb addition to his near flawless filmography. A brilliantly shot film with wonderful cinematography, a terrific score by Ennio Morricone, and a tremendously talented cast including Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Samuel L Jackson, it’s not quite on the same level as Inglorious Basterds or Django Unchained, but it was still a well written and very entertaining film with a great mystery at its core that was just fascinating to witness on the big screen, of course with Tarantino’s signature dialogue and violence.

5. Creed

Read my Creed review

The seventh instalment of this series, and it might just be the best the series has ever produced, certainly one of the best performances ever from Sly Stallone that has been ensuring he has received well deserved awards nominations and victories, but another top notch performance from Michael B Jordan. The fight scenes were tremendously well handled, and the story to boot, whilst taking many notes from the original, was an inspired decision as we have a new Rocky for a new generation.

4. Ex Machina

Read my Ex Machina review

In this age of films when prequels, sequels and reboots dominate, it is always refreshing to see an original film be brought to the table and when they’re as thrilling, intriguing, and exciting as Ex Machina was, then that is a bonus. This was a mesmerising take on what is very familiar ground in the sci fi genre, artificial intelligence. The main trio of actors, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander were all magnificent in their roles in a beautifully directed film with a very sharp screenplay from Alex Garland which also marked his directorial debut.

3. The Revenant

Read my The Revenant review

Sixth time lucky in terms of landing that elusive golden statue for one Leonardo DiCaprio? He bagged the Golden Globe so here’s hoping but if he doesn’t win it for his terrific performance in this film, I don’t know what will win him the honour. His dialogue is minimal but he threw everything into this role and it was a gripping and enthralling movie from beginning to end, with another great performance from Tom Hardy who has had quite an extraordinary twelve months. The action scenes, most notably with the bear did not make comfortable viewing, but the cinematography was perfect, it was a visual masterpiece and is being bestowed with some well deserved awards and cemented Alejandro G Iñárritu’s reputation as a truly formidable director.

2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Read my Star Wars: The Force Awakens review

The anticipation for the return of Star Wars was off the charts, with real pressure on the shoulders of JJ Abrams to deliver a satisfying film after the disappointments that were the Prequels. However, Abrams pulled through and ensured this franchise returned to form. Like with Creed, it did borrow a lot from previous films, but with seven films now in the franchise, there is kind of an established formula to follow that all six films previously tried to follow, with some being more successful than others. However, the story was thrilling with exciting new characters like Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo Ren, as well as the old cast all returning. It got the new trilogy off to a perfect start, and is still raking in the dough.

1. Inside Out

Read my Inside Out review

The animation juggernaut that is Pixar has produced some of the most beloved animation films of all time. The likes of Finding Nemo, Toy Story and The Incredibles all jump to mind. And after some sequels, they reverted back to the original ideas and produced what for me, might just be their best film yet, in Inside Out. This film, exploring the inner workings of a girl ‘s mind and her emotions after she moves home, was simply put, genius. As human beings we all experience different emotions at significant moments in our lives, and to see this portrayed on screen was just a joy (see what I did there?) to witness. These animations do work on two levels that give lots for kids and adults to enjoy, but this film definitely panders more towards the adults with its story that will resonate with all who see it. Gorgeously animated with a mixture of great humour and some very emotional moments that will bring you to tears, and a tremendous cast of voice actors including Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling. Inside Out is certainly one of the best animated films so far this decade, and my favourite film of 2015!

So there you have it, my best films of 2015. What were your picks? Comment below and tell me what were your favourite movies of 2015, or feel free to tweet me at @TTSilverScreen, and be sure to like me over on Facebook!

2010-2019, Film Review

Creed (2015)

Posted on January 21, 2016December 9, 2018 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Creed – Film Review

Cast: Michael B Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew

Director: Ryan Coogler

Synopsis: Adonis Creed is the son of the legendary boxer Apollo Creed, and when he realises he wants to emulate his father and become a professional boxer, he seeks out his father’s old rival, the one and only Rocky Balboa, to train him.

Review: You would think when a film series gets to its seventh instalment, that it’s possibly running out of ideas and that it may be time to put the series to bed. Yet certain franchises keep roaring on with some making over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. While not quite making those mega bucks the likes of Star Wars and Fast and Furious has been making, the Rocky franchise has come out fighting with a remarkable revival and has reinvigorated the it when many thought it was on the ropes and down for the count for good.

The main focus of this new chapter is on that of Adonis “Donnie” Creed, played by Michael B Jordan who despite being in a decent well paid job, strives for something different, namely to become a legendary fighter and to emulate the great achievements of his father. With six chapters coming before it, the production team behind the film had a choice, do you go with the established formula that the previous films set out, or try to reinvent the wheel and start fresh. Thankfully, the decision was evidently made to go with the former and tread familiar ground by using most of the notes from mainly the very first film in the franchise, and it does this in glorious fashion, providing a brand new Rocky for a brand new generation.

With the abysmal critical and commercial failure that is Fant4stic unfortunately attached to his CV, Michael B Jordan really shows us what he’s all about as the titular character. He’s driven and determined, but at the same time, feels weighed down and somewhat insecure by the name that he possess and also the legacy of his father. His breakthrough role came with 2012’s Fruitvale Station (which Coogler also directed) and with this, he truly cements himself as one of the finest young actors working today. It is his movie, and he owns it, and was mighty unlucky not to land himself an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Stallone as Balboa, in arguably the role that also made his name in Hollywood, is equally tremendous and gives quite possibly the finest performance ever in his long and illustrious career. The sheer enthusiasm of the young Creed gives him a new breath of life, after watching all those he loved slowly fritter away, and when Creed is offered a massive opportunity, it spurs Rocky on even more to see the young fighter succeed. Stallone has been getting nominations and awards aplenty, and a well deserved Oscar nomination too.

Coogler’s passion for the franchise is very apparent, and through his expert direction and the striking cinematography, the fight scenes are tremendously well handled. They’re extremely gripping to watch as you will Donny to succeed in his fight against some extremely obnoxious opponents. As the audience, you want him to succeed in his quest to become as good as his father was.

A perfect example of the underdog story, using the benchmark that was laid down by the first movie, and done right is just about every way possible. This re-imagining of the 1976 classic ensures that franchise is once again pulling punches aplenty, and will probably have a lot more fights in it in the years to come.

Uplifting, powerful and gripping, producing arguably career best performances from both Jordan and Stallone, Coogler has maybe given the franchise its best movie yet.

2010-2019, Film Review

The Revenant (2015)

Posted on January 17, 2016May 29, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

The Revenant – Film Review

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Synopsis: When a fur trapper is viciously attacked by a bear and left for dead by his men, he sets out on a quest for revenge against them who left him to die.

Review: From a story about a man who was a washed up superhero trying to put on a Broadway play in one year, to a chilling tale of revenge for another man in the 1820s, it is quite the contrast for Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu. His 2014 effort Birdman for all its eccentricities, won the director three Academy Awards. Yet he surpasses himself with this true story, about one man’s fight for both survival and vengeance in equal measure, and with a whopping total of twelve Academy Award nominations received, it makes what has been a well documented troubled, delayed and hellish shoot all the more worth it, especially as it is almost certain to take home a few golden statues this year.

This frighteningly true story focuses on DiCaprio’s Hugh Glass who is part of a fur trapping expedition in the USA and after being brutally attacked by a bear protecting her cubs, he’s left behind principally by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and left to die, except he doesn’t die, and after personal tragedy, he’s now on an angry quest for revenge, as well as a difficult struggle to survive the severe force of nature, that is well, nature. The bitter cold that the characters find themselves in almost filters its way through the audience as the incredible cinematography makes the audience feel as if they are in this perilous and horrendous situation that Glass in particular finds himself in. It’s a chilling 156 minute tale.

The aforementioned cinematography is simply flawless, and is almost certain to bag a hat-trick of Oscars for DP Emmanuel Lubezki after winning for Gravity and Birdman. The decision to use natural lighting was a masterstroke, giving a real look of authenticity and the film is visually magnificent with more than a handful of spectacular shots that will take your breath away. It is without a doubt one of the most visually impressive movies that has ever been made.

Through all the stunning cinematography, there are a handful of really unpleasant and brutal scenes, namely the bear scene. It is a tremendous visual achievement, and is gripping to watch, but also equally disturbingly realistic and gory. The performances from all of the cast are all excellent but the two that stand out by far are those of Tom Hardy and Leo DiCaprio, the latter of whom really threw himself into the role, to the point where he must have got hypothermia on several occasions.

You watch with suspense as he crawls across the landscape, driven by a fierce desire for revenge and the sheer will to survive against the uncompromising force that is nature. You root for him and you want him to succeed and again, it could be the role that finally lands DiCaprio the Oscar at the sixth time of asking, and also gives Hardy a decent shout at getting his first statue.

Hardy is also equally mesmerising as the film’s villain, yet there were times when he was very difficult to understand, often reverting to his sort of trademark mumble. Will Poulter and Domhnall Gleeson, who has had quite the year after Ex Machina and Star Wars, are also tremendous. Yet this is the DiCaprio show, and he totally owns it.

The violence on show here is pretty intense and certainly not for the faint of heart, yet for all the production problems, rebellion by the crew, and the delays to the shoot, which forced Hardy to drop out of this year’s Suicide Squad. Their efforts paid off, in a big way, with an equally tremendous score to go with it. It is uncompromising, brutal, and one of the best movies of not only the past twelve months, but this decade and one of the most riveting pieces of cinema you will ever watch.

Visually magnificent, with tremendous performances from DiCaprio and Hardy in particular, this is an incredible film-making achievement and is not to be missed.

2010-2019, Film Review

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Posted on January 10, 2016May 29, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

The Hateful Eight – Film Review

Cast: Kurt Russell, Samuel L Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Bruce Dern, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Demián Bichir

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Synopsis: When eight strangers become trapped in a lodge during a ferocious blizzard in Wyoming, USA, a mystery begins to unfold as to whether some people are who they say they are.

Review: When you walk into a film written and directed by the one and only Mr Quentin Tarantino, chances are you know what to expect. After all he is a man who has made his name in Hollywood for his extremely well written characters, excellent dialogue, and some VERY bloody violence. All are on show and then some with his eight feature film, which is his second Western after the glorious Django Unchained, which happens to be his highest grossing film of all time.

While Django was set pre Civil War, Mr Tarantino takes us post Civil War in this film, with the focus being on a group of individuals (eight in total funnily enough) who get acquainted with one another while they are trapped in a small building during the blizzard that has set them back on their way. Yet immediately something is off, the suspicion and mistrust begins to grow amongst the characters, as some have doubts as to whether they are who they are claiming to be. There’s a mystery that needs to be solved and it isn’t long before things start to get a little bit messy.

Tarantino is one of the finest directors working today, his movies are synonymous with terrific writing, sharp dialogue and very strong characters. All of the ensemble cast truly shine in their roles with each and every one of them giving truly excellent performances. However, there are a couple of performances that truly deserve special praise and could well be in with a shot of picking up some awards. Principally, Tarantino regular Mr Samuel L Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh give arguably the best performances of this incredibly talented cast, but that should take nothing away from all of the other performances, because they are all superb. It is at times a very dialogue driven film, but this is not a problem, because the dialogue is so riveting and so well written, that the audience is captivated the entire time, watching these characters interact and develop distrust and suspicion.

As is the case with nearly all of Tarantino’s films, the great acting is matched with great writing, and the Hateful Eight is no exception. In this over three hour story, the first hour or so is all build up, getting to know the characters, meeting them one by one. The tension here remains at a minimal level, but there is not exactly a warm feeling between anybody. The early build up is a little slow, until we get to Minnie’s Haberdashery, and that’s when any warm feelings are immediately turned as cold as the weather outside, and the tension and suspicion gets stronger with each passing minute of screen time. Tarantino does enjoy some good monologues and there’s a few to be witnessed here. It wouldn’t be a Tarantino movie if there was no violence and when the axe finally drops and it begins, boy does it provide some glorious and bloody entertainment for the audience and then some!

The cinematography on show, provided by another frequent Tarantino collaborator Robert Richardson is gorgeous, capturing the setting of a chilling winter in the USA perfectly. The audience feels the freezing temperatures the characters find themselves in. The score composed by Ennio Morricone is also equally superb. Like with The Revenant, this cannot have been an easy shoot for the cast and for the crew, but for all the troubles of everyone involved, it was all worth it to deliver another extremely good film from Tarantino that is sure to receive a bunch of Academy Award nominations in this upcoming awards season, and they would be very well deserved ones at that.

A little slow in the early stages, but it pays off big time in the end, with superb writing, tremendous acting, terrific directing, and a top score. Another superb edition into the near perfect filmography of Quentin Tarantino.

2010-2019, Film Review

Most Anticipated Films of 2016

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Most Anticipated Films of 2016

It is 2016!!! And with a new year comes more films for film fans across the globe to get excited about. Those who may have been hoping for the death of the comic book franchise are set to disappointed with a considerable number of both old and new comic book properties to get films. The Coen brothers are making their return, and of course there are plenty of sequels to come, with some new stories from franchises we know and love. 2015 was quite the year in terms of the Box Office, but 2016’s offerings could very well give 2015 a very good run for its money. Lots to be enjoyed, with hopefully some great gems.

I know a lot of Oscar type movies like The Hateful Eight, Creed, The Revenant, The Big Short and others are all out in January in the UK, but I am counting these as 2015 films and as such they will not be featured here. Also I do have some honourable mentions:

Bourne 5, I can’t quite get excited because there isn’t much to go on, as we haven’t had a trailer yet, but Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass reuniting should mean some more greatness from this franchise, with the likes of the very talented Alicia Vikander joining the cast.

Fantastic Beasts, I really enjoyed the Harry Potter films and the expansion of this world is very intriguing, with Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne in the lead, with David Yates at the helm, it looks like more magical fun from the wizarding world.

Passengers, a film with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, directed by The Imitation Game’s Morten Tyldum. Don’t know much more about it than that, but the stars as well as the director of my favourite film of 2014, yes please!

The Nice Guys, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, two very good actors, in a comedy directed by Shane Black. The trailer was extremely funny so sign me up please!

With all that said and done, I give you my top ten most anticipated movies of 2016 starting with:

10. Finding Dory

The long awaited sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo, in which the focus turns on the lovable but forgetful Dory, voiced by the awesome Ellen DeGeneres, as she goes in search of her family. Last year Pixar triumphed with Inside Out, and while some of their sequels haven’t always delivered, hope remains that this can match the quality of the 2003 hit, which definitely ranks among Pixar’s best.

Release date: 29th July

9. Hail Caesar!

The next film by the Coen brothers looks set to be extremely entertaining. focusing on 1950s Hollywood and the production of a film incidentally called Hail Caesar! With a very large and very talented cast that includes George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, and Josh Brolin. It promises that eccentric, but brilliant humour that the Coens are so good at, with a very interesting and unique story among the many sequels we will get this year.

Release date: 4th March

8. X Men Apocalypse

The climax of the trilogy that started with 2011’s First Class, then continued with the brilliant Days of Future Past and will end with Apocalypse. No one knows this franchise better than Bryan Singer, and with primarily the First Class cast as well as younger versions of popular mutants such as Jean Grey, Storm, Cyclops, and Nightcrawler facing off against the incredibly powerful Apocalypse played by Oscar Isaac. It promises to be an even bigger spectacle than Days of Future Past was, even without Mr Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, with a very impressive and large cast.

Release Date: 19th May

7. Doctor Strange

The second helping of Marvel that we will be treated to, and unprecedented territory as we venture into the world of magic with Dr Stephen Strange, who will be portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, along with a decent cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor. With the director of Sinister Scott Derrickson at the helm, this could be a very interesting and very different kind of film from Marvel.

Release date: 28th October

6. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

DC’s icons are going head to head, with two of the biggest ever superhero characters fighting. After 2013’s Man of Steel, this along with Suicide Squad will kickstart the DC universe at long last. Ben Affleck looks great as Batman despite the naysayers, Gal Gadot looked sweet as Wonder Woman, but the latest trailer did reveal A BIT too much. That being said, it’s still on this list because of the aforementioned fact that Batman and Superman are gonna kick the shit out of each other, and that is AWESOME! I just hope certain things such as Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor works, cos I am not 100% convinced.

Release date: 25th March

5. Star Trek: Beyond

The third film in this rebooted version of the Star Trek franchise. Unsurprisingly since he went off to make Star Wars, JJ Abrams is not directing this instalment. The captain’s chair is now occupied by Justin Lin of Fast and Furious fame. While the new trailer does promise lots of action, it does have the feel of Fast and Furious in space. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but with all of the same cast back and Idris Elba as the villain, this does have a lot of promise.

Release date: 22nd July

4. Deadpool

The Merc with a Mouth is getting the proper big screen treatment. With the plethora of superhero films we have had in recent years, we have not had one that looks set to be as violent and as vulgar as Deadpool is looking set to be, and all the better for it! Ryan Reynolds is back as the titular character and from the trailers and various promotional material we have seen, this could well prove to be an absolute smash, and a very bloody one at that!

Release date: February 12th

3. Rogue One: A Star Wars story

The first Star Wars anthology movie that is set somewhere before the events of the first Star Wars movie, in which a band of rebels, led by Felicity Jones, set out to steal the plans for the first Death Star. Not much is known beyond this, except for the fact that Godzilla’s Gareth Edwards is in the director’s chair. 2015’s The Force Awakens reinvigorated the franchise, and has recently passed the one billion dollar mark at the global box office, and counting.

Release date: 16th December

2. Captain America: Civil War

2014’s The Winter Soldier was for me, the best movie the MCU has given us so far, and with the Russo brothers back directing this follow-up, yes give it to me. The story focuses on the Superhero Registration Act (or Sokovia Accords as per the trailer) and a divide between the heroes with Captain America and Iron Man on opposite sides of the spectrum. With Cap being against the act, and Iron Man being for it, it promises an epic clash between arguable the two most popular Avengers. The trailer that was released teased some very interesting set pieces, and some cool action sequences, including our first look at Black Panther. The film looks set to be a big movie for Marvel, and the launch of Phase 3 of their Universe, with some possible big ramifications going forward.

Release date: 29th April

1. Suicide Squad

Those who know me well will know that I am a big fan of Marvel and their cinematic universe, but it’s this story from the new DC universe that has me the most excited and earns the title of my most anticipated movie of 2016! As director David Ayer put it: it’s not your usual good vs evil that we so often see in comic book movies. This time it’s bad vs evil, and that is an unprecedented premise for the superhero genre. In addition, the film has a top cast, including Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Will Smith as Deadshot, Cara Delevigne as the magical Enchantress and Jared Leto as a new incarnation of the Joker. The trailer that was dropped at Comic Con last year was awesome, with a very eerie and sinister tone to it, and I just get the feeling this could be DC’s answer to the Guardians of the Galaxy, except with a lot less humour, but hopefully the same amount of awesomeness that Guardians had.

Release date: August 5th