Pete Messum Reviews...

It's almost impossible to explain the full context of Marvel Studios' ' Avengers: Endgame'  to the uninitiated. It's the twenty-second film in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe, the culmination of eleven years of story-telling, and the second half of a huge 10th anniversary crossover epic. This isn't the last Marvel film per say, but the last to feature many of the key characters featured throughout the series up to this point, with the intention of moving future stories forwards with the more recent Avengers - Ant-Man and the Wasp, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Black Panther and Captain Marvel, as well as Avengers yet to be introduced. Whilst to some people Avengers: Endgame may seem baffling, to the fans who have watched this series unfold over eleven years, it's an epic of never-before-seen proportions. That does sadly mean that ' Avengers: Endgame'  is stuck in the shadow of its own greatness. Whilst ' Avengers: Infinity War '  coul...

' Crimson Peak ' is the most gothic film Guillermo del Toro has ever made. It's brimming with the tropes and clichés of gothic literature, and it's no real wonder that the film didn't quite have the wide audience appeal needed to be a box office hit - it only made $74 million against its $55 million production budget. Ultimately, ' Crimson Peak ' represents a different kind of horror from what audiences typically expect now, and whilst I can imagine this doesn't appeal to some, this very much appealed to me. The story follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), who is trying to write a novel when she meets the enigmatic Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). As the two fall in love, mysterious circumstances lead Edith to live with Thomas and his rather unsettling sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) at Allerdale Hall, where the mysteries begin to unfold... Del Toro isn't exactly subtle with what the film is actually about. Earlier on in ' Crimson Peak...

Doctor Who's eighteenth season marked a clear change in direction for the show. With the departure of producer Graham Williams and legendary script-editor Douglas Adams (of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently fame), in came John Nathan-Turner (a production assistant prior to this) and Christopher H. Bidmead, taking on Williams and Adams' respective roles. Their goal was to revitalise Doctor Who for a new generation, and a new decade. New title sequence, new theme and incidental score, new TARDIS (police box, not interior), new costume for the Doctor, new companions, and by the end...a new Doctor. It's difficult not to think of Season 18 as a transitional season in the show's run, bridging the gap between Tom Baker's tenure as the Time Lord and Peter Davison's. So much of what made Tom Baker's era so unique is absent, replaced instead by new elements set to make the future Doctor's time more interesting. As someone who has grown-u...

This is a SPOILER-FREE review of the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. When I initially read the full published script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two, I remember feeling very disappointed in the final outcome. What could have been a simpler and more interesting story seemed to be thrown out in favour of dull twists, poorly-handled fan service and a lack of focus. An updated version of the script was published later, and to be honest I'm not sure how many differences there were. It's taken me quite a while to be able to see the show at Palace Theatre in London, and honestly...it's a hell of a lot better seeing it on stage. Firstly, the theatrical production is absolutely stunning. The stage crew have attempted something hugely ambitious (more so than I thought they would, even for a Harry Potter play), and have succeeded in all departments. The main set is incredible in itself, but the way it shifts and changes with differ...

The issue I'm currently having with DC's Shazam! is trying to place whether or not it's a good film or a great film, and I think that'll definitely be something I'll have a better idea of upon further re-watches, and seeing it in the full context of it's eventual franchise (which is both intended and somewhat inevitable at this point). Essentially, Shazam! is a New Line Cinema production made for around $80-100 million and directed by David F Sandberg, a director with a plethora of (mostly horror-based) short films and low-budget horror flicks to his name. On the one hand, hiring a horror director to make a superhero film isn't uncommon - see the likes of Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) and James Wan (Aquaman) - but this film is a passion-project from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (who will appear in future installments as a significant character), and a fairly mid-budget blockbuster from a studio who don't make a...

On Saturday 16th March 2019, I had the wonderful privilege to watch the new animated reconstruction of Doctor Who: The Macra Terror - one of the series' "lost" serials (having been "junked" by the BBC decades ago, and only surviving in audio form thanks to some select dedicated fans). Thanks to a hard-working animation team though, this story has been brought back into the BBC archives (hopefully for good this time) as an animated version. Of course, such a release isn't without its potential issues - this animated version is presented in full 16:9 widescreen and in colour, unlike the original 4:3 black and white presentation. There is an option to watch the serial in black and white, but I imagine that these noticeable inaccuracies will bug some fans. This animation project has taken a great number of creative liberties with The Macra Terror, with bits of set, costume and with the Macra creatures themselves - reimagined here to be more agile and terrify...

It's worth mentioning here and now that the second season of Marvel's The Punisher isn't very good, and the following review probably won't be too encouraging for those who haven't seen the season yet. Therefore, whilst I will try to avoid spoiling too much, I will probably touch on some spoilers for the show's final season. In short though: it's really not very good. Unless you're seriously invested, or want to give it a go for completist's reasons, don't bother. The season starts off strong, setting Frank Castle in a new direction. He's moved on from the death of his family, and with the mystery of their true murderer having been resolved in Season 1, he's starting a new life on the road. He even meets a new romantic interest, but soon becomes embroiled in a conspiracy: a mysterious group of people are hunting down a young girl called Amy, who's keeping secrets of her own. It's an intriguing set-up, but the pay-off very qui...