The plot involves Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) banding together the latest iteration of his Expendables Special Forces team, under the guide of government agent Marsh (Andy Garcia), to stop some stolen nuclear devices from being activated. His right-hand man Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) joins up with old regulars Gunner (Dolph Lundgren) and Toll Road (Randy Couture). Along for the ride are new recruits Easy Day (50 Cent), Galan (Jacob Scipio) and Lash (Levy Tran), with Lee’s on again-off again girlfriend Gina (Megan Fox) also in tow.

No-one goes into these films expecting Oscar-worthy scripts, but the dialogue this time around is especially wooden and has no natural flow to it whatsoever. We know these people can act because we’ve seen it before, but ‘The Expendables 4’ seems to have been mapped out with no consideration for what’s come before, a complete lack of character development and a basic misunderstanding of what a classic 80s action film was all about.

The cast do what they can with the poor material laid out in front of them. Sylvester Stallone is in it more than I expected, but it’s still woefully underusing him and his talents. Jason Statham must be exhausted because he’s carrying this entire film on his back, but even he can’t work miracles in these trying circumstances. Megan Fox is a decent actress when she has the right material (‘Jennifer’s Body’ is an absolute classic and she is brilliant in that), and I’ve been a fan of her work in the past. She is obviously a siren, and dutifully portrays this in the film. But her character is so thinly put-together it’s absurd. She will no doubt get stick for this film, but a better writing team can easily make her character useful, and not just the seemingly obligatory eye-candy.

Dolph Lundgren’s character has historically been wasted in this franchise as an inside-joke that no one asked for. His comic relief is awful, and that’s no fault of his own. It’s completely down to the awful writing he has had to endure. Lundgren is a good actor – give him better material for the love of God. An absolute waste of a talent. Andy Garcia chews up the scenery, 50 Cent offers nothing of real substance and Levy Tran is completely wasted as Lash. However there are some positives. Randy Couture is still solid and Tony Jaa steals the film as Decha, a former ally of Barney who helps Lee out mid-film. Iko Uwais is always a joy to watch onscreen, and Jacob Scipio does a fantastic job playing Galan (who is meant to be Antonio Banderas’ character’s son). Banderas was meant to reprise his role of Galgo in this movie, but scheduling conflicts prevented it. So, (in the only good move the writers made with this entire film), they repurposed the character to be his son. Scipio does a remarkable job channelling Banderas trademark charisma.

How it took four writers to come up with this story is beyond me, but we have Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, Max Adams and Spenser Cohen to thank for this mess. Not forgetting Scott Waugh’s poor direction which frequently opts for close-up action when a wider shot would have been far more satisfying to see the impressive set-pieces play out in. The fight between Jason Statham and Iko Uwais was great, as was any scene featuring Tony Jaa, but its impact was always affected by the way the sequences were put together, from its cinematography right down to its editing. Thankfully this isn’t ‘Taken 2’ levels of bad epilepsy-inducing action, but it also doesn’t hit its (very easy attainable) marks. Do the basics right and you win half the battle.

‘The Expendables 4’ is a massive missed opportunity and a complete waste of a chapter. Especially when we’ve had 3 very enjoyable movies already. And with the cast aging out soon, it seems like this is even more wasted time to deliver action fans a good, all-star ensemble. It was a long gap of almost 10 years between ‘The Expendables 3’ and this ‘Expend4bles’ mess, so we are running out of time. So please hire better writers and a proper action director if we are to get one more round with these characters. There is a market for this if anyone is willing to actually invest the proper time and attention this franchise needs. The fans deserve a much better finale than this.

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Megan Fox, Randy Couture, 50 Cent, Dolph Lundgren, Andy Garcia, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Levy Tran, Jacob Scipio Director: Scott Waugh Writer: Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, Max Adams, Spenser Cohen Certificate: 15 Duration: 103 mins Released by: Lionsgate Release date: 22^nd September 2023

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In all regards, this isn’t really a Minions film, it’s a ‘Despicable Me’ prequel set in the 70s that focuses on the young boy Gru (Steve Carell), who seizes an opportunity to join a legendary gang of mega-criminals that he idolises. When the leader of the Vicious 6 Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin) is ousted, Gru takes his place, but after a few choice mishaps he manages to anger the collective. Now on the run from them, he teams up with Wild Knuckles to seek guidance and perhaps an inspirational friend along the way, with his trusty Minions by his side and along for the zany ride too.

The first big problem with ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ is that it’s a quasi fourth ‘Despicable Me’ film, and sadly not a good one. The Minions aren’t the main characters here and audiences will feel quite short-changed with this. They have the odd good sequence (the one at the airport used in the trailer being a particular highlight), but its all just random gags scattered around. The choice to focus on a young Gru isn’t a bad one, but the story is quite underwhelming and doesn’t utilise its impressive vocal talent to full effect.

Aside from Steve Carell and the brilliant Pierre Coffin who voices all of the crazy Minions himself, the film boasts a truly special and eclectic ensemble with Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michelle Yeoh, Taraji P. Henson, Danny Trejo, Jimmy O.Yang, Lucy Lawless, John DiMaggio, Will Arnett and RZA joining franchise regulars Julie Andrews, Steve Coogan and Russell Brand. These new additions to the film have a lot to offer but the film doesn’t give any of these characters anything to really do. In fact you’d struggle to even identify any of them given how poorly written the film is. ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ would have been a great deal more entertaining if it used these well-known talents properly and actually used their star-power to drive the narrative forward. The cast are all wasted here with the exception of Alan Arkin, but that’s because his role is much bigger.

The end result is a film that looks as wonderful as it usually does, but without any engaging story to grip you. The animation is crisp and the nods to the 1970s are well observed. But you need much more than just a painting-by-numbers story to get you from A-B, and utterly wasting its supporting cast is a ridiculously amateur move to make, especially this many years down the line. Unfortunately, ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ feels like an afterthought of a film that will test the resolve of even its younger audience members. It’s disappointing to see this as its clearly just a cash-in. The narrative element of Gru and the Minions story was what made these movies so entertaining. And if you call a movie ‘Minions’ perhaps focus on those crazy critters instead of making them a supporting character in their own film.

Cast: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Steve Coogan, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michelle Yeoh, Taraji P. Henson, Danny Trejo, Jimmy O.Yang, Lucy Lawless, John DiMaggio, Will Arnett, RZA Director: Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val Writer: Matthew Fogel, Brian Lynch Certificate: U Duration: 87 mins Released by: Universal Release date: 1^st July 2022

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If there was an award for the most amount of movie crammed into one single film, then Aquaman would win hands down. In his attempt to bring this much mocked and most unlikely of superheroes to the big screen, director James Wan has held nothing back in the process. Over two hours and twenty-three brain-frazzling minutes he gives us frickin’ sharks with armour, an octopus playing the drums, and a goat doing a double take. They aren’t even the weird bits.

But make no mistake, this is vibrant, fast-paced, silly, colourful, and balls-out fun filmmaking from Wan. None of which are terms usually associated with the DC movies of the Snyder-verse. The tone is wild, switching in almost every scene between bonkers, irreverent, melodramatic, and grandiose. But crucially, Wan knows it, and so do the cast. So even with every conceivable madness happening throughout the film, it somehow just keeps zipping along, tongue firmly in cheek.

After a couple of less than inspiring appearances in Batman v Superman and Justice League, Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) is finally given a proper origin story with this film. Riffing on everything from Arthurian legend, Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, Norse Mythology, all the way to The Karate Kid, Gladiator, Ron Howard’s Splash, and everything in between, the plot (like everything else in Aquaman) is overstuffed to the extreme.

The son of a lighthouse-keeper and a Queen of Atlantis (Nicole Kidman), Arthur has chosen a life on the surface, where has lived all his life. He spends his days getting drunk with his dad (Temuera Morrison), partying with the locals, and occasionally doing the odd bit of superhero action such as demolishing a crew of pirates who have commandeered a nuclear sub.

Meanwhile in the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, King Orm (Patrick Wilson) is planning to go to war with the human race. In order to achieve this he must unite the seven kingdoms under his banner, by politics or through force. Arthur is seen as the only person who can stop Orm, and so Princess Mera (Amber Heard) journeys to the surface to recruit him. Needless to say he is reluctant to get involved. But before he can challenge Orm he must first find some mystical trident, which will unite the peoples of Atlantis behind him.

Between the machinations under the sea, the bizarre quest movie happening on the surface, and a tedious subplot involving Aquaman’s comic book nemesis Black Manta, it’s all a bit much to be honest. Thankfully James Wan, as he showed in Fast & Furious 7, is a master of insane action. The CGI set pieces in this film are a visually bonkers delight. Everything is so over the top, but in fairness I think it had to be. Aquaman is an inherently ridiculous character, and I think you either commit and embrace the silliness, or it just won’t work.

Jason Momoa gets it, and he is clearly having an absolute ball. Unshackled from the terrible script and dude bro-isms he was lumbered with in Justice League, he is free here to give the character some of the charm and humour it desperately needs. A shout out must also go to Patrick Wilson, who hams it up to delirious levels.

So yes, it is completely nuts, visually, plot-wise, the performances, even the score which vacillates wildly between rock riffs, soaring orchestras, and Vangelis style synths. But it’s never anything less than entertaining. Yes it’s overlong, and a bit silly, and goes off on seemingly bizarre tangents that end up becoming part of the main plot, but I can’t imagine anyone sitting down to watch this and not having an absolute blast.

Also, if special features are your bag, then prepare to be very happy, because the Aquaman blu-ray comes with more than 80-minutes of bonus features. Becoming Aquaman focuses on Jason Momoa in a fun mix of behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews shot before, during, and after the movie.

Going Deep into the World of Aquaman is the main making-of documentary on the disc, looking at all aspects of the movie, with exclusive access to the cast and crew. James Wan: World Builder focuses on the man at the helm of this insanely ambitious film. This short featurette explores some of the challenges he faced in bringing this film to life.

The Dark Depths of Black Manta is a short piece about Aquaman’s deadliest foe from the comics. Heroines of Atlantis features interviews with Nicole Kidman and Amber Heard talking about their roles in the movie and the roles their characters play in Arthur/Aquaman’s life.

Villainous Training is a short feature about Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II preparing for their epic physical battles with Jason Momoa. A Match Made in Atlantis is a cute piece focusing on Momoa and Heard, and how their off-screen friendship added to their on-screen chemistry.

Atlantis Warfare looks at the astounding special effects and stunt work in the film’s finale. It would have been nice had this been a bit longer and gone into more detail, but it’s fascinating all the same. Creating Undersea Creatures is a more detailed look at the incredible work done by the film’s art department.

Aqua-Tech is another featurette with the director James Wan, exploring some of the technology and techniques they developed for the film, to ensure the visuals were as bold as the storytelling. I will never not be astonished by the genius of these people.

There are three detailed Scene Breakdowns for some of the most exciting action sequences in the film. In Kingdom of the Seven Seas, Dolph Lundgren talks us through the history and movie mythology they created for Atlantis. And last but by no means least, is a sneak peek at Shazam! – the latest entry into DCs Extended Universe.

Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison Director: James Wan Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick & Will Beall Released By: Warner Bros. Certificate: 12 Duration: 143 mins Release Date: 8th April 2019

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Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren take centre-stage for these new videos that showcase what fans can expect from the latest Boxing drama, but it also finds the two legends reminiscing about their work on Rocky IV and how they came to work together. It’s fantastic to see Stallone and Lundgren revisit the film and look back at key moments from their past and the legacy of the Rocky franchise.

Check out our review of Creed II

Creed II stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby and Phylicia Rashad and is the latest instalment in the beloved Rocky saga, which now runs at 8 movies.

The first Creed movie came out in 2015 and was a critical and box-office smash hit. With awards season recognition thrown in for good measure too, Creed put Rocky firmly back on the cinematic map for new generations and old. Creed II allows audiences to relive the classic movies and look forward to a bold new era in the saga of Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed.

Michael B. Jordan steps between the ropes once again as Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed’s son, with mentor and trainer Rocky Balboa back in his corner for a high-stakes fight, but tensions run high as the past comes back to haunt both men. Rocky Balboa is once again played by screen legend Sylvester Stallone.

Watch all of the Rocky and Creed training montages ahead of the release of Creed II

Steven Caple Jr. takes over directing duties from Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler, who still acts as an executive producer on the film.

Steven Caple Jr. has most recently worked on the TV series Class and Grown-ish, and the feature film The Land. He most recently directed Rapture, a documentary TV Mini-Series.

The supporting cast for Creed II includes Andre Ward, Michael Buffer, Monica Haynes, Myles Humphus, Darin Ferraro, Ivo Nandi and Kristina Aponte.

As Rocky fans remember all-too-well, Ivan Drago killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) in the ring at the start of Rocky IV, before Rocky Balboa defeated him in a bruising bout in Russia. With plenty of unaddressed history and emotional pain, Adonis now must square up to Viktor (Ivan Drago’s son) in a boxing bout that will define both of their legacies, as Rocky and Ivan also prepare to revisit their shared past.

Check out the latest Creed II featurettes below;

The post Sylvester Stallone & Dolph Lundgren discuss Rocky IV in new Creed II featurettes appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

Creed II follows on from the first film and now Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is ready to take on the champ for the title. In the aftermath, an unexpected opponent makes himself known; Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). The son of one of Rocky’s greatest adversaries Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), Viktor is a formidable foe who has no problem dredging up the past. Ivan killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in the ring and has returned to redress the balance after his loss to Rocky over 30 years ago.

Adonis immediately wants to take the fight, but as his relationship strengthens with Bianca (Tessa Thompson), he must make some tough choices – some which are made tougher to handle when Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) refuses to train him for what he sees as a no-win fight. With family ties straining and responsibility mounting, Adonis must face up to his greatest opponent yet, whilst honouring the legacy of a father taken away from him too soon.

The ingredients are all here to have made another knock-out movie. The story set-up is good, bringing all of the Rocky movies together in a tale that nods to the past whilst setting up the future. This is ultimately a story about fathers and sons, and in that respect Creed II is fantastic. The unresolved drama from the past with Apollo, along with his new future alongside Bianca gives Adonis plenty to deal with in this movie and Michael B. Jordan once again proves that he is the man for the job. Jordan is fantastic here and really strikes a chord with the viewer.

It’s always a joy to see Sylvester Stallone back on the big screen and the legend does exceptionally well once again as his greatest ever character, Rocky Balboa. His story has moved on having put his cancer into remission, with Rocky now looking to reconnect with his estranged son. This part of the storyline really doesn’t make much sense given how good a job Rocky Balboa did in reconnecting him with his son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia). Robert’s absence was felt in Creed, but this story does make strides to redress that balance, with Ventimiglia returning for a cameo.

Speaking of cameos, Brigitte Nielsen returns as Ludmilla, but this is where I start to have problems with the story. It’s great to see her back, but she has nothing to do here and that’s a massive waste of a set-up. The story of Drago looking for a win through his son is interesting, but the plot never really delves too deep which is a massive shame. Dolph Lundgren is a good actor but shy of a great tête-à-tête with Rocky in his restaurant, he isn’t afforded much opportunity to break free from the one-liners and grimaces which is a huge missed opportunity. His strained relationship with Vikor is outlined well, and Florian Munteanu does well as a son just looking for validation from his stern father. But again, there was much more mileage in this part of the story that could, and should, have been explored more. To not have a scene with Ivan speaking with his ex-wife Ludmilla is madness.

Creed director Ryan Coogler brought a very distinct style to his movie and it was a shame that he didn’t return to direct this one (although he still executive produces the film). Instead Steven Caple Jr. steps up to lead the film. I wasn’t a fan of his choice of shots when it came to the boxing – for me he came in close when wide angles were better and he doesn’t give any of these scenes the vibrancy and dynamic energy they needed. Even the key montage training sequence feels poor compared with the others. This is a personal preference on visual style, but for me Creed II lacks electricity in the action scenes and that was a hard punch for me to shake off.

The family aspect of the film works far better than the boxing side of things, but Creed II is still an entertaining watch. As a lifelong Rocky and Creed fan, I was expecting more and was disappointed in how glaring opportunities to add weight and depth of the characters went begging. There was too much untapped potential here to make this the easy win it should have been, and I’m disappointed for that because I think Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and the cast deserved a little better. Bring back Coogler for Creed III and expand on the well-laid groundwork to bring this champ back to his feet.

Watch all of the Rocky & Creed training montages here

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Milo Ventimiglia, Brigitte Nielsen Director: Steven Caple Jr. Writer: Cheo Hodari Coker, Sascha Penn, Sylvester Stallone, Juel Taylor Released By: Warner Bros Certificate: 12A Duration: 130 mins Release Date: 30th November 2018

The post Creed II review appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The ‘Who’s in your Corner?’ featurette and clip focus on the narrative theme of family that runs throughout the story, with the Creed II cast discussing what the stakes are for each man fighting.

The TV spots showcase lots of quick-fire sequences from the movie in preparation for the most anticipated fight of the year.

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby and Phylicia Rashad, Creed II is the latest instalment in the beloved Rocky saga.

Creed II (Creed 2) opens in cinemas nationwide on 30th November 2018.

Creed first burst onto the scene in 2015 and quickly picked up momentum as a critical and box-office smash hit. With awards season recognition too, Creed put Rocky back on the map for new generations and old to relive the classic movies and look forward to a bold new era in the saga of Rocky Balboa.

Michael B. Jordan, fresh from his recent stint in Marvel’s Black Panther, steps between the ropes once again as Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed’s estranged son, with mentor and trainer Rocky Balboa back in his corner for a high-stakes fight. Rocky Balboa is once again played by the legend that is Sylvester Stallone.

Steven Caple Jr. takes over directing duties from Black Panther 2’s Ryan Coogler, who this time around acts as an executive producer on the film. Steven Caple Jr. has most recently worked on TV series such as Class and Grown-ish, and the feature film The Land. He also most recently directed Rapture, the TV Mini-Series documentary.

Check out all of the Rocky & Creed movie montages to get ready for the release of Creed II

The supporting cast for Creed II includes Darin Ferraro, Ivo Nandi, Michael Buffer, Andre Ward, Monica Haynes, Myles Humphus and Kristina Aponte.

As Rocky fans remember all-too-well, Ivan Drago killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) in the ring at the start of Rocky IV, before Rocky Balboa defeated him in Russia. With plenty of unaddressed history and emotional pain, Adonis now must square up to Viktor (Ivan Drago’s son) in a boxing bout that will define both of their legacies.

Check out the latest Creed II clip below;

The post New Creed II featurette, clip & TV spots arrive with Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson & Sylvester Stallone appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The new featurette is called Art Imitates Life and plays as a montage to showcase how impressive Adonis Creed’s opponent is this time around – Viktor Drago. Played with imposing menace by Florian Munteanu, this man-mountain has certainly followed in his father’s footsteps as he looks to destroy Creed in their bout.

The extended clip focuses on Adnis and Rocky, and why Adonis feels that he has to take on the fight of his life.

Creed II (Creed 2) opens in cinemas nationwide on 30th November 2018.

Back in 2015, Creed took everyone by surprise and became a critical and box-office smash hit. It even got awards season nods as new life was put into the beloved Rocky franchise, a film series that has now run for 8 films.

Michael B. Jordan, fresh from his recent stint in Marvel’s Black Panther, steps into the ring as Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed’s son, with mentor and trainer Rocky Balboa in his corner. Balboa is once again played by screen legend Sylvester Stallone.

Steven Caple Jr. is in the director’s chair for this latest instalment with Black Panther 2’s Ryan Coogler acting as executive producing the film, after gaining huge success working on Black Panther and the first Creed movie. Caple Jr. has most recently worked TV series such as Class and Grown-ish, and the feature film The Land. He also most recently directed the TV Mini-Series documentary Rapture.

Check out all of the Rocky movie montages to get ready for the release of Creed II

Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby and Phylicia Rashad star in Creed II – and that’s an impressive ensemble.

Rocky fans will no doubt remember that Ivan Drago killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) in the ring at the start of Rocky IV, before Rocky Balboa defeated him in Russia. With plenty of history and pain, Adonis now must face up to Viktor (Ivan Drago’s son) in a bout that will be explosive.

The supporting cast for Creed II includes Darin Ferraro, Ivo Nandi, Michael Buffer, Andre Ward, Monica Haynes, Myles Humphus and Kristina Aponte.

Check out the latest Creed II clip below;

The post Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone & Florian Munteanu star in new Creed II featurette & clip appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

Ivan Drago is the main focus of the new featurette with the cast discussing what Drago has been doing for the last few decades and why he feels that this is his time to return to the world stage. Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) is well aware that he killed his father in the ring and feels he has to step up to beat Drago’s son in the ring to get some closure.

Michael B. Jordan once again steps between the ropes as Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, with mentor and trainer Sylvester Stallone reprising his role as the legendary Rocky Balboa.

Steven Caple Jr. is directing this latest instalment with Black Panther 2’s Ryan Coogler executive producing the film. Caple Jr. has most recently worked on the TV series Class and Grown-ish, and the feature film The Land. He also recently directed the TV Mini-Series documentary Rapture.

Along with the new featurette also comes a stunning new poster art that depicts the generational conflict of Rocky Balboa, Adonis Creed, Ivan Drago and Vikor Drago.

Creed II (Creed 2) opens in cinemas nationwide on 30th November 2018.

Creed was a huge box-office success back in 2015 and managed that impossible task of being a critical hit whilst also being loved by the fans. It even got some awards season buzz and re-established the franchise as one of the longest serving dramas to ever come out of Hollywood.

Creed II stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby and Phylicia Rashad.

Rocky fans will remember that Ivan Drago killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed in the ring in Rocky IV, before Rocky Balboa defeated him in Russia. With plenty of unresolved history and tension, Adonis now must face up to Viktor in a bout that will test them to the very limits.

The supporting cast for the film includes Darin Ferraro, Ivo Nandi, Michael Buffer, Andre Ward, Monica Haynes, Myles Humphus and Kristina Aponte.

Watch all of the Rocky movie montages to get ready for the release of Creed II

Check out the latest Creed II poster artwork below along with the latest trailer;

The post New Creed II poster & featurette released starring Sylvester Stallone & Michael B. Jordan appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

Creed was a massive box-office and critical hit, gaining Oscar-buzz and re-establishing the Rocky saga as one of the longest and best boxing dramas to ever come out of Hollywood.

Michael B. Jordan once again steps between the ropes as Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, with mentor and trainer Sylvester Stallone reprising his role as the legendary Rocky Balboa.

Steven Caple Jr. is directing this latest instalment with Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler executive producing the film, fresh from being recently announced as the director of its sequel; Black Panther 2.

The new featurette explores the legacy of the franchise with new director Steven Caple Jr. a focus in the behind the scenes segment. Slyvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan discuss what it means to bring back the characters for a sequel that promises to be bigger. Dolph Lundgren and Tessa Thompson also tell us their thoughts behind the film and where Adonis finds himself in life now.

Creed II (Creed 2) opens in cinemas nationwide on 30th November 2018.

Creed II stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby and Phylicia Rashad.

Florian Munteanu plays Viktor, the son of Rocky’s former nemesis Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lundgren).

Drago killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed in the ring in Rocky IV, before Rocky Balboa defeated him in Russia. With plenty of unresolved history, Adonis now must face up to Viktor in a bout that will test them to the very limits.

The supporting cast for the film includes Darin Ferraro, Ivo Nandi, Michael Buffer, Andre Ward, Monica Haynes, Myles Humphus and Kristina Aponte.

Check out all of the Rocky movie montages to get ready for Creed II

Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.

We can’t wait to see how it all plays out!

Check out the latest Creed II trailer below;

The post Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone discuss Creed II in a new featurette appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

After the huge critical and box-office sensation that was Creed, the team reunite for the next round of the Rocky saga.

Once again leading the line is Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, with mentor and trainer Sylvester Stallone reprising his legendary role as Rocky Balboa.

Steven Caple Jr. steps into the director’s chair, with Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler acting as executive producer on the film.

The new poster art focuses on the main characters Adonis and Rocky. It remains to be seen whether Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) or his son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) will get similar promotion artwork, or whether they will remain in the shadows in terms of marketing, waiting for a big reveal in the film itself.

Fans will of course remember that Ivan Drago killed Adonis’ father Apollo Creed in the ring in Rocky IV, before Balboa defeated him. So with a lot of dark history to unpack, Adonis must face up to Drago’s son Viktor, who has also followed in his father’s footsteps and become a fighter.

Creed II stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Russell Hornsby and Phylicia Rashad.

The supporting cast includes Darin Ferraro, Ivo Nandi, Michael Buffer, Andre Ward, Monica Haynes, Myles Humphus and Kristina Aponte.

Check out all of the Rocky movie montages to get ready for Creed II

The official synopsis for Creed II reads;

‘Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring.

Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family.

Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history’

Creed II (Creed 2) opens in cinemas nationwide on 30th November 2018.

You can see the new Creed II poster artwork below;

The post Michael B. Jordan & Sylvester Stallone star in new Creed II poster art appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

Super 7 have a set of 4 Masters of the Universe characters up for pre-order to mark their first wave of figures. These are the classic designs of the original figures, but with a paint-job that mirrors their looks from the classic Filmation TV series.

The first wave is fantastic, and is made up of all the principal characters – He-Man, Skeletor, She-Ra and Hordak!

A live action movie came out in 1987 starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor. Whilst being panned by most, I think it has a lot of charm and is great fun to watch. Granted it’s not the Masters of the Universe film we should have got, but it’s the only one we have, so I look back on it quite fondly.

And speaking of Masters of the Universe on the big screen, a reboot has been talked about for decades with various creatives hired and then fired from the project before it’s really taken flight. One thing is for sure, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe deserve a proper cinematic adventure, with the scale and depth of a Lord of the Rings film – such is the rich back-story to take inspiration from.

Super 7 have got a lot of amazing He-Man and the Masters of the Universe goodies available for purchase. Along with these figure they have a MOTU Classics and a MOTU Club Grayskull line which always sells-out. There’s plenty of retro-inspired fun on their website, check them out – https://super7.com/

As for She-Ra, she will soon be heading to Netflix (around November) for a brand new animated series. With a contemporary animation style, the early teasers have split audiences but it certainly looks to be an unmissable watch.

The series – now titled She-Ra and the Princesses of Power – stars the vocal talents of Aimee Carrero as Princess Adora, with AJ Michalka as Catra, Sandra Oh as Castaspella, Lorraine Toussaint as Shadow Weaver, Christine Woods as Entrapta and Keston John as Hordak.

Check out the first image from Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

As for these Super 7 Masters of the Universe figures, they will be highly sought-after and are thankfully not a limited-edition run, like a lot of their lines. But you’ll still want to get your hands on these amazing looking figures soon because they really are awesome, including some amazing artwork inspired by the original pack designs.

And to relive the past some more, check out the iconic opening credits to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power from Filmation – by far two of the greatest cartoons and theme tunes ever made!

The post He-Man & She-Ra return in new Masters of the Universe retro-inspired toys appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

It’s the final superhero movie to hit the big screen in 2018, and not to put the pressure on, but it’s been a pretty good year for the genre so far. DCs recent history has been a bit patchy to say the least, and the character of Aquaman has long been a running joke and subject to endless memes about his useless powers.

But this latest iteration of the character with Momoa in the lead role has seen him resurface as cool, powerful, and kind of a badass. With a strong cast and a great director behind the camera, we’re hopeful that Aquaman will end the year on a cinematic high.

Here’s everything we know so far about Aquaman…

When will Aquaman be released?

Aquaman will be released in the UK on the 12th December 2018 – a week ahead of the US release.

Who will star in Aquaman?

Reprising his role from Justice League, Jason Momoa returns as Aquaman, the half-human, half-Atlantean King of the Seven Seas. He will be joined by Amber Heard as Mera, Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Willem Dafoe as Aquaman’s mentor Nuidis Vulko, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, and none other than Dolph Lundgren himself as King Nereus.

Who will direct Aquaman?

Aquaman will be directed by James Wan. Best known as a horror director, Wan launched the hugely successful Saw, Insidious, and Conjuring franchises, which he continues to oversee as a producer. He also directed Furious 7, one of the most gloriously fun action movies ever made, and the seventh highest grossing film of all time at the box office.

Who will write the screenplay for Aquaman?

The screenplay has been written by Will Beall and David Leslie Johnson. It is based on a story by Will Beall, James Wan, and former DCEU supremo Geoff Johns. The original Aquaman character was created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.

What can we expect from Aquaman?

According to the official synopsis, the film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be… a king.

This is suitably vague, but I think beyond that we can expect the film to be visually stunning, with incredible action sequences. Wan has proven himself time and time again to be a terrific orchestrator of high-octane thrills, spills, and chills, so his involvement bodes well for Aquaman. Hopefully he has been given the freedom to imbue the film with his own style and visual palette, and not the murky noir tones we’ve seen in the backstreets of Gotham and Metropolis.

As well as being an origin story, Wan has teased that the film will be an almost classically Shakespearean drama about rivalries between brothers, which given the mythical setting immediately draws parallels with a certain Norse God. But hey, I’m not complaining.

When will we see a trailer for Aquaman?

The first trailer screened at San-Diego Comic-Con on Saturday 21st July 2018. You can watch it below:

An extended preview of Aquaman can be viewed below:

Go behind the scenes of James Wan’s epic underwater world in this brand new Aquaman featurette.

And here it is…the official final trailer

Where can we see the posters for Aquaman?

Ahead of San Diego Comic-Con, the first poster was released as a teaser. You can see it, and the latest artwork below:

In anticipation of the film’s release, each of the main characters has been given their own poster, which you can see in the below slideshow.

With the release date coming ever closer, Warner Bros. have released two further one sheet posters. See them below:

Will there be more films after Aquaman?

Yes indeed, but how many more of them will feature the current crop of DCEU characters is definitely up for debate. After Aquaman is released, we have Shazam! Wonder Woman 1984, Cyborg, and Green Lantern Corps to look forward to. Beyond that is where it becomes a bit fuzzy.

There are so many conflicting projects it’s hard to know exactly what Warner Bros and DC are planning. The most interesting aspect however, is the talk that the standalone The Flash movie will follow the arc from Flashpoint – an alternate DC universe where only Barry Allen aka The Flash is the same, but everyone else has changed.

If this goes ahead it could potentially pave the way for a “soft reboot” of the entire DCEU. Watch this space.

Keep this page bookmarked and check back frequently for the latest information on Aquaman

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