Film: The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Sometimes you go into a film with such optimism that you forget to keep yourself in check. I'm not sure why I thought this would be different in a declining MCU, but that's okay - I forgive myself. What I don't forgive is this film for being so awful.

The trouble is that I can't quite put my finger on why I found it to be so bad. The acting was fine, the plot alright, the production overall passable. Maybe that's just not enough these days and I've just been spoiled by a certain recent superhero movie?

But it's okay - this wasn't really the main event anyway. That will all happen next year and I'm 100% certain that those films are going to be brilliant. Sigh. 

Film: Superman

Sometimes a film comes along that you just vibe with, that you get, and seriously enjoy. For me Superman is such a film - from the immediate start to the almost constant humour (even during the darker times) through to the telling plot and acting, there really is very little I am able to complain about with this movie - I even liked the dog.

It manages to both pack in a lot (particularly of note is the wider superhero cast) and remain concise in way that makes me want to watch it again and again. It's fun, breezy and even managed to prove an effective troll for certain cohorts in real life.

I guess there's not much else to say without more gushing except that Superman is very much recommended and quite probably will be my favourite film of the year.

Film: Jurassic World: Rebirth

I don't think there's anything wrong with going back to where it started. After the wildness (and I don't mean in the wildlife sense) of the second trilogy Rebirth goes back to basics - we have people stranded in a jungle with dinosaurs going after them. That alone makes this more of a Jurassic Park film than at least two from the Pratt era.

The structure of the movie has pros and cons. On the one hand, it's almost like a video game, with three separate levels almost treated as the independent set pieces that they are. On the other hand... the plot is as thin as that of a video game.

Overall though, I liked Rebirth. It was a solid dino movie, not a patch on the original, but making its way back to the place that made the first so special. 

Ilford in Conversation: One Year On Since the General Election: Breaking the Two-Party Nightmare

To be clear, I didn't ape into today's talk because of the presence of one Jeremy Corbyn - although having the three of Leanne Mohamad and Andrew Feinstein and him made for a compelling panel already.

No, today was what I thought would be the announcing of a new project, maybe even a party. On this I was a little disappointed given how it turned out to be not much more than a political rally.

But seeing it for what it actually was, the launch of a series of political sessions down the road in the politically interesting Ilford North, was exciting and something I do look forward to participating in. They could be huge, but even if not I suspect there'll be lots to learn in attending them.

Film: F1®: The Movie

Yes that is the full certified title, but I have to be honest, this wasn't the puff piece I was expecting it to be. I'd be cheating if I described it as "Top Gun on Wheels" but the parallels are undeniable, even when you discount the makers of the film. Speed? Check. Fabulous set pieces? Check. Charismatic washed up old guy coming out of retirement? Check. Female interest that has very little to do with the film? Check.

I liked Top Gun and indeed this was close to being an enjoyable movie - I even found myself laughing out loud at the charms of Sonny Brad at times. The issue with it was how it had been poisoned by the very subject matter it was trying to film - F1 is a very technical sport and much of its nuance can't be told just by an action scene alone. And so we had a constant level of narration and real time exposition which would have been only mildly annoying until I realised how essential it was... at which point it became really irritating.

So yeah, it was fun enough but not really the summer blockbuster it wanted to be. One for the home I think.