Captain America: Civil War [IMAX/3D]

A near-perfect superhero film that ties veryclosely with Joss Whedon's The Avengers as the best Marvel film thus far. Minor points deducted for over-enthusiastic fast cuts and weak bantering during the opening action sequence which was initially worrying, as well as a lack of any dramatic consequences or indepth thematic exploration to the "Civil War". However, major kudos to the ultimate fight - and easily every fanboy's climatic scene - in the end of the Second Act where the bantering improved much more, the brilliant inclusion of Spidey (the Russo brothers at least got his wise-cracking right) and Black Panther (can't wait for his own movie!), a strong Third Act which had traditionally been Marvel's weakest point and the lack of an under-developed villain (another weak point) was refreshing which made the story stronger and more grounded.

The Russo brothers follow-up to their excellent Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a solid winner, mixing humour, action and drama effectively over the brisk 147 minutes run time. There was sufficient easter eggs to make fanboys happy, yet exciting enough for the casual MCU movie-goer. Most things worked and the brothers do have an eye for action and ensemble drama, but with such a big cast it was clear that they did not get a good handle on the voices of all the characters. And some vital ones were sorely left under-developed (looking at you Wanda and Vision). This has, and looks like to be remain, always been the MCU's films biggest challenge. Unlike the comics and even the Netflix series where the secondary characters have been given time to be more better realised.

<mild spoiler> This Civil War was a departure from the comics and it seemed more in tune as a platform to introduce Black Panther and Spider-Man, and segue into the Inifinty Wars rather than a standalone Captain America movie. Hence, it lacked the pathos and dramatic consequences that made the comic series such a standout. Which similarly also was a waste for Marvel to make a "serious" movie. The potential thematic, moral and political discussions could have been fantastic. Instead, we end up with what was essentially an ego contest <end spoiler>

There were no big sets or large action sequences this time round which was good as it really helped to keep the drama/tension close to the characters. However, perhaps it is the 3D, the action sequences consisted of many fast edits and quick cuts - especially the hand-to-hand combats - which rather dilute the tension. Although when CGI kicked in, it paradoxically became more intense.

Speaking of CGI, that hilariously bad CGI of a young RDJ was terrifying! Definitely ain't no Michael Douglas!

A quick run down on some characters:

Chris Evans has embodied Steve Rogers although he looked really pretty this time round especially during the more emotive scenes.

Robert Downey Jr similarly is Tony Stark but his growth as a character seemed all over the place.

Sebastian Stan is sort of a blank here which is disappointing considering his brilliant turn in The Winter Soldier.

Elisabeth Olsen's wavering accent is back.

Scarlett Johansson seemed bored with her role already.

As does Jeremy Renner.

Anthony Mackie and Paul Rudd, on the hand, seemed like they were having fun, especially the latter who constantly drew laughs.

Emily VanCamp has zero chemistry with Evans - bring back the excellent Hayley Atwell!

Paul Bettany broods well but he his hampered by his makeup which does not allow the brooding to show.

Tom Holland is a dead ringer for a young Tobey Maguire and he makes me excited for Spider-Man: Homecoming.

So does Chadwick Boseman for Black Panther and Civil War (Avengers: Age of Ultron) is really making Wakanda a damn interesting place to check out.

Don Cheadle should just be glad he got to be around and wear a suit of armour.

Lastly, I am looking forward to seeing more of Daniel Bruhl in the MCU - he does villianous creepiness well.

This was a great film to kick-off Phase III of the MCU. It was fun and exciting, and like I said, that climatic superhero-on-superhero moment: worth the ticket price alone! IMAX was great but 3D may not be necessary here - this ain't The Jungle Book. Hopefully Marvel can keep up the momentum all the way till Benedict Cumberbatch's tricky Doctor Strange.

Stay till the end for the mid-credits and end-credits scenes!

Midnight Special

Jeff Nichols' newest film is perhaps his most genre film to date, but it maintained his high standard of artistry and quality. Beautifully directed and terrifically acted all around (except by Kylo Ren) with an engrossing mystery that was teasingly kept under wraps until the final, satisfying - and achingly beautiful - payoff at the end.

Written and directed by Nichols, this film is a family drama masquerading as a sci-fi thriller. The opening scenes quickly established the premise and teased you enough to keep you engaged and guessing throughout. And Nichols as smartly left breadcrumbs throughout to constantly interest the audience. Sure, the exact premise is not exactly the most original, and most genres movie-goers would have guessed it soon, but the satisfaction actually comes from the actors and how the answer is revealed.

Superb acting from Nichol's muse, Michael Shannon - showing once again that he is way overdue for some awards recognition, Kirsten Dunst - almost reprising her stunning performance in Melancholia, and Joel Edgerton - an under-rated actor that really sold his role with small actions and body language. Even child actor Jaeden Lieberher, was convincing in his role as our mysterious protagonist. Unfortunately, Adam Driver - aka Kylo Ren - was the weakest link. Driver's character looked perpetually bored and he lacked the scientific wonder that would have been expected from such a character. It could also be that his plot thread was the most underwhelming.

The music by David Wingo was beautiful and cinematographer Adam Stone did some glorious work here.

Another win for Jeff Nichols and despite heading into genre territory, he still maintained that high standard of quality and artistry that defined his works. An amazing director to always look out for!

The Jungle Book

A superbly, immersive 3D experience with amazingly photo-realistic animals that made this film utterly engrossing and a pure delight to watch! The voice cast were spot on and Jon Favreau's direction, with Justin Marks' script, layered the film's inherent child-friendly appeal with a dark, yet never overly bleak or scary, overture that made it as much fun for adults as it will definitely be for children.

The 3D-technology deployed here was astounding. It was never distracting and extremely immersive. Never since Avatar has 3D been so well utilised. Coupled with the most photo-realistic CGI tiger since Life of Pi, and multiplied it by 10 - or 20! - and you will be forgiven for thinking that you were not watching a NatGeo wildlife documentary.

Favreau's action sequences were fun to watch and the chases through the jungles really showcased what technology can do to amplify's audience engagement and entertainment. The only biggest nitpick was the final scene where the action happened in the night and the darkness, coupled with 3D, made the action difficult to follow.

The story was a classic and needs no introduction. Although there was nothing really original in this re-telling, it retained the heart and emotional core without becoming too sappy or didactic. And Idris Elba's Shere Khan was a brilliant villain - an antagonist that you could really root against.

Favreau and Marks retained some of the original cartoon elements and the throwback were fun. The musical elements felt organic to the story without being too whimsy - and honestly who does not enjoy Baloo singing "The Bare Necessities". Although Christopher Walken's King Louie's "I Wanna Be Like You" was slightly jarring in the beginning. And it was a wise choice to not have Scarlett Johansson's Kaa to sing "Trust In Me" until over the end credits.

Neel Sethi as Mowgli was perhaps the weakest "cast member" and seeing him does sometimes bring you out of the jungle. Otherwise, the whole voice case was brilliant. From Ben Kingsley's stately and aristocratic Bagheera, Bill Murray's bumbling yet heartfelt Baloo, Lupita Nyong'o's tender and motherly Raksha Elba's villainous Shere Khan, Johansson's terrifying seductress and Walken's oddly egocentric King Louie.

Cinematographer Bill Pope had many gorgeous images although it sometimes became hard to see what was CGI'ed and what was real - which really stood to highlight the amazing CGI here. The music by John Debney stood out too. Equal parts majestic, awe-inspiring and frightening but yet subtle although not enttirely memorable.

At 105 minutes, this simple and heartfelt story moved along steadily and will easily hold the attention of the young ones. Coupled with the immersive 3D it might even feel too short for some. And watching it on IMAX definitely enhanced the experience.