STACK #138 Apr 2016

CINEMA REVIEWS

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ALSO SCREENING IN APRIL

Spider-Man's inclusion in Civil War is a game changer that will alter the future landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The new Captain America film is no longer just another solo outing for Chris Evans's patriotic Avenger, with a few special guests to assist – it's now an Avengers -sized behemoth with Ant-Man, Iron Man and Spidey in the mix. Choose your team before April 28 . CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

RELEASED: March 24 DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder CAST: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill,

Amy Adams RATING: M

Clash of the DC titans.

Z ack Snyder isn't known for his subtlety, but you can almost believe he's changed tack during the first half of this much anticipated clash of the DC titans. The set-up is measured, striving for the gravitas of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies and reintroducing the Gotham crusader (how many times have we seen Bruce Wayne's parents killed now?) who intersects with the Man of Steel's world. But then Snyder remembers he's the guy who made Sucker Punch , and it's time to unleash some CGI chaos to liven things up. So how do these superhero icons wind up at each other's throats? The collapse of Wayne Towers during General Zod's attack on Metropolis has something to do with it. So too the plans of one Alexander Luthor (another twitchy performance from Jesse Eisenberg, in bratty schoolboy mode), who's determined to stir up some anti-Superman sentiment by framing the Man of Steel for an explosive attack on the Capitol. Things get progressively muddled as the screenplay tries to shoehorn Wonder Woman and Doomsday into an already busy narrative, and a couple of surreal dream sequences don't help coherency. Characters disappear and reappear without any explanation, sub-plots are left dangling, and a major contrivance at a crucial moment is jaw-dropping in the wrong way. Perhaps a DVD director's cut will fill in the gaps? The bat-lash surrounding Ben Affleck's casting isn't really warranted, even if he is a little bland as Batman. It's Jesse Eisenberg

who is miscast – someone forgot to tell him he's playing Lex Luthor and not the Joker. Fans of the comics will see some of the major plot twists and surprises coming, and also spot a couple of nods to the upcoming Justice League . Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a dour and joyless experience. With this and the incoming Suicide Squad , DC appear determined to position themselves as the dark side to Marvel's light. Scott Hocking

CINEMA

The first part in the grand finale of this YA series sees Tris and her fellow Divergents venturing beyond ruined Chicago into what appears to be a sci-fi utopia run by Jeff Daniels. Jump the wall on April 7. THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT

FURTHER VIEWING: Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises

No Snow White this time, but Charlize Theron is back as the ice queen along with Chris Hemsworth, in a sequel that adds Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt. Looks better than the first one. April 7 . THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR

John Favreau's live-action (with CGI animals voiced by an all-star cast) version of the Disney animated favourite thankfully keeps The Bare Necessities – i.e. the song. Welcome to the jungle on April 7 . THE JUNGLE BOOK

APRIL 2016

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