In Marvel Studios’ “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany)—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. ★★★★★ Directed by: #KatCoiro Produced by: #KevinFeige #LouisD’Esposito #VictoriaAlonso #BradWinderbaum #KatCoiro #JessicaGao Starring: #TatianaMaslany #GingerGonzaga #JameelaJamil #JoshSegarra #JonBass Released: Aug. 18, 2022 TV review by: Ahmed Abbas | Published: Aug. 18, 2022 Watching the four screened episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law quickly had me reminiscing about my childhood, when I’d wake up early on a Sunday morning to catch the Marvel cartoons on TV. The weekly, fun, episodic adventures into the world of Marvel that were once a staple of my childhood have returned in my adulthood, matched in tone and creativity in She-Hulk’s four debut episodes. The series achieves what Marvel hasn’t pulled off in the past – a light-hearted tone that doesn’t take itself too seriously and adopts a meta-approach, matched perfectly to the material. While Marvel has certainly delved into comedy in the past, occasionally the tone may not feel right for a project, or a joke may not land. So far, the tone of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law feels natural and suited to the series. After the initial teaser trailer’s debut, countless fans were outspoken regarding the title character’s animation quality. While the series’ debut was still three months away, that didn’t defer the discourse. Having viewed the first four episodes on the big screen, I am happy to confirm that the CGI was in fact, much improved by the series’ release, as many expected. In fact, there are certain shots that look unexpectedly real. As usual, Marvel’s standard of CGI is met, whether it be virtual environments or giant abominations. Of course, there is room for improvement in certain cases, but the degree met more than satisfies. The quality of the CGI featured is surprising, as there is a myriad of visual effect types, from monstrous behemoths to magic-wielding sorcerers; this is not to forget that the lead character is in She-Hulk form for a lengthy amount of the episodes. This series certainly has more demanding effects than Marvel’s other streaming releases yet executed them the best. The visual effects quality is certainly not a concern in this release. The plot surrounding a legal department for super-powered individuals is a fantastically creative concept that grants the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) a sense of verisimilitude, being that if super-powered people did exist, a legal department catered specifically for cases involving them would undoubtedly exist. To fans of legal dramas, the episodes don’t accurately abide by courtroom procedure, but for a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is inconsequential and only noticeable to those who know the intricate ins and outs of a courtroom. The story intertwines Jennifer’s superhero and courtroom duties perfectly, relating her clients (or legal opponents) to the situations which require a Hulk’s touch. This keeps the narrative’s pace organic and without awkward stops as several other shows are guilty of. Looking back, the show gets straight to the point and transforms Jennifer into She-Hulk within the first five minutes. On the one hand, this is a positive in that we quickly get to the series’ title character. However, for a nine-episode season and with She-Hulk now having been confirmed to have a long-term future in the MCU, it may have been better served to elongate Jennifer’s life before the transformation to contrast the two periods and provide the character with long-term growth, so viewers can trace her journey project-to-project. This approach does keep Kevin Feige’s (President of Marvel Studios) promise of no more origin stories – instead, it opts for a brief flashback, quickly bringing viewers to speed on She-Hulk’s genesis, before continuing her post-transformation adventures. The fleeting origin misses out on presenting a proper view into Jennifer’s pre-Hulk life and the ensuing bedlam spawned by the transformation, which would have brought some much-needed depth to the episode. Past this, the debut four episodes have excellent pacing, with a recipe that fuses the procedural and serialised formats: each episode is its own self-contained story that introduces a character to become the central focus of the following episode whilst a looming storyline is slowly being set up. The series remains faithful to the character traits from the source material, maintaining Walters’ iconic fourth wall breaks from the comics. This presents an interesting notion for the future of the MCU, as a character confirmed for future ensemble projects solely possesses a cognizance of the viewers watching her, and it appears this may be addressed in upcoming releases. Beyond Walters, the series makes fourth wall breaks of its own, almost eerily showing how in touch the writers are with the fanbase, even to the extent of typical online debates amongst fans on social media, recounting their words verbatim. This is a testament that not only have the creators done their research into the various sects of fans, but they too are fans that witness these frequent discussions. While I do often maintain that Marvel occasionally goes too far with its humour, the series has yet to make this transgression, and in fact, with the distinct nature of Walters’ personality, the series has been able to go beyond a few mere cheap laughs, even going as far as cheekily verbalising the thoughts of the viewers, leading to a room full of flustered laughs in the screening. This self-aware sense of humour is one of the greater benefits of employing fans to develop your projects and one I encourage the MCU to implement more in the future. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law features a delightful performance from Emmy® Award-winning actress Tatiana Maslany. While the series has made fantastic use of her upbeat, comical, and innocent attributes, I hope the series utilises her full potential. Having seen her several performances in Orphan Black, Maslany has demonstrated, perhaps more than anyone in Hollywood, the scope of her acting range. To not utilise her solemn potential (during appropriate moments) would be an incredible waste of her ability. There was a lick of this side of Jennifer’s character in the first episode, but more of that side of her would go a long way for the series. Maslany comes packed with her range from previous performances, illustrating why she is deserving of a mainstay in Hollywood’s most successful entertainment franchise. The ensemble cast members are just getting started, but it remains to be seen if they’ll have their chance to shine. Knowing the fans, Jameela Jamil, Ginger Gonzaga, and Josh Segarra will undoubtedly become fan favourites. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law goes back to Marvel’s roots, recreating the simplicity and tonal majesty that seized the hearts of fans in their youth by adapting a source material perfectly catered to Marvel’s cinematic enterprise.

Last Friday evening, the cast and crew of Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel gathered for a virtual press conference less than a week before the series’ debut. Notable moments discussed the process of adapting such a popular comic character to live-action and the changes necessary to integrate her into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as well as some of the stars’ backgrounds in Marvel fandom long before being cast in the series. MS. MARVEL CREATOR ON ADAPTING THE CHARACTER TO LIVE-ACTION Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved. During Friday’s press conference, Bisha K. Ali (Head Writer and Executive Producer) spoke about adapting Kamala to the small screen and working alongside Sana Amanat (creator of the Ms. Marvel character) to produce and write the series: “[Kamala is] live-action in the first instance. I think it was an incredible process, and the thing that felt like such a gift is the fact that Sana was involved in this project from the go, and having Sana around really felt like, ‘OK. There are borderlines and things we can do in how to stay true to the character in the comics on the pages and still add something new, add a freshness, add a vitality and a contemporary edge to what we’re going to see onscreen.’” THE "GROUP DECISION" BEHIND MS. MARVEL'S POWER CHANGE Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved. A note of dialogue among many fans since the very first look at the series was Ms. Marvel’s altered powers, appearing to differ from her Inhuman powers in the comics. Many theories were proposed as to the purpose of this, but Bisha went on to resolve the questioning among fans and explained the reasoning behind the deviation in Ms. Marvel’s powers for the series, noting the “group decision” to better fit Kamala into the MCU: “That was really a group decision talking through how she’s going to exist in the MCU, how she’s going to fit into this web of storytelling that Marvel Studios has done in live-action over the last decade and putting all those pieces together while staying true to this beautiful, incredible character that Sana had created over on the publishing side.” As Bisha explained, the change in powers appears to be a decision made to better gear her for a future in Marvel’s storytelling, and it may be important to note her upcoming appearance in next year’s The Marvels, a crossover movie between Kamala, Captain Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, all of which have “energy-based” powers in the MCU. I believe the writers have an opportunity to use this connection to their advantage, as Kamala is famously a huge fan of Captain Marvel, and acquiring similar powers to her hero may feed into her growth. RISH SHAH HID HIS MARVEL FIGURES TO AVOID ALARMING MS. MARVEL CREATOR Rish Shah as Kamran in Marvel Studios' MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved. Having been asked about his reaction to receiving the call that he got the role, Rish Shah (Kamran actor), after being nudged by Sana, revealed he was in his kitchen, surrounded by the Funko pops he had been collecting for years and was worried his fanaticism would shock Sana: “Oh my god, all my Funko pops [LAUGH] that I've been collecting and arranged in my mom's kitchen in, like, a specific, you know, all the battle sequences over the years.” Rish divulged. “Yeah, I was worried I was gonna freak Sana out” Sana then revealed that Rish was so anxious from the call that he actually hid some of his Funko pops from her: “He hid some of them.” Sana joked. “He's like, “Yeah, but there's, like, more behind my computer. I just felt embarrassed.” [LAUGH]” Rish then revealed his life-long connection with Marvel and how that informed his decision to audition for the role of Kamran, as well as his reaction to finding out he got the part: “Yeah, so obviously I was freakin' out,” Rish recollected. “I mean the first toy I ever received from my dad was an Incredible Hulk action figure. You know, so it really was something, yeah, like all of us have grown up with. So, to be able to play Kamran, I immediately… When I was at university, I used to go to the comic shop called Forbidden Planet in London and I'd see the comics. And when I found out this was happening, I begged to get into the room, and so yeah, I was basically crying with tears when I found out.” Of course, Rish is not the only cast member who is obsessed with Marvel. Fans will be delighted to know that just as Kamala is engrossed in a room full of Avengers memorabilia, so too is the actress, Iman Vellani. In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Iman went into depth about growing up with the MCU, and the obligations of being a fan: “I grew up with the MCU, but when I was in seventh grade, something clicked,” Iman said. “Marvel fandom is demanding. We’re 34 projects in, and you need to keep up with everything. There’s the subreddits, the fan forums, fanfic, cosplay, and fan art. Then there’s breaking down the trailers, frame-by-frame, and breaking down the posters, inch-by-inch. That’s how I grew up and that’s how obsessive I was over Marvel.” THE POSSIBILITY OF A FUTURE AVENGERS CONVENTION Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved. After being asked by an audience member whether Marvel would consider hosting a convention in the near future, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that the filming of the Avenger-Con event in the series actually inspired Marvel to seriously consider a real-life Marvel convention, speaking to how crew from Spider-Man: No Way Home (which was filming next door) would sneak over to see Ms. Marvel’s Avengers Convention: “We were definitely talking about that on the set. We shot that right, you know, in the middle of COVID protocol, so there hadn't been a convention for a very long time. And it was very cathartic for all of us to see that. And we were shooting Spider-Man: No Way Home on the stage right next door, believe it or not. Actually, the scene with the three Spideys,” Kevin recalled. “And a lot of that crew kept sneaking over to see, and attend Avenger Con, walking around. So, I think that might be fun to do it sometime,” Beyond the crew, a special guest from the Spider-Man set took a keen interest in Ms. Marvel’s convention: “Tom Holland came back to come and see Avenger Con,” Adil El Arbi (Series Director and Executive Producer) said. Will we get any version of this convention soon? Kevin revealed that fans may soon be able to get a taste of the convention Kamala attends in the show: “There might be a few places you can go and visit the Ms. Marvel version of Avenger Con,” Kevin teased. I strongly suspect that Kevin is referring to an upcoming addition to Disneyland’s Avengers Campus in the near future, considering how promptly the attraction has been integrating material from Marvel Studios’ most recent releases, including Disney+ releases such as Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Moon Knight. In fact, Sana let slip that she believes some of the show’s props will circulate among the Disney campuses: “Some of our props, I think are going to be circulating, I think on the Disney campuses” From all accounts, it sounds like everyone involved in the series, both cast and crew, are huge fans of Marvel, as well as the Ms. Marvel comic series in particular. From casting a real-life Kamala Khan, to bringing in the creator of the character as a writer and producer, it sounds like Marvel Studios endeavours to make this series faithful in spirit to the source material. Adil echoes these sentiments, stating: “[Viewers] can see the show, fall in love with Kamala Khan with her friends and her family. Because you know, she has superpowers, but her real powers are the love and the care from the friends and the family. So, this magnificent cast here that brought these characters to life, that's the real main reason to watch the show. And I hope, you know, it's gonna be their family, the same way that we all became family.” Ms. Marvel is available weekly on Disney+, starting Wednesday, June 8th.

After more than 30 years as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it. ★★★★ Directed by: #JosephKosinski Starring: #TomCruise #MilesTeller #JenniferConnelly #JonHamm #GlenPowell #LewisPullman #EdHarris #ValKilmer Released: 27th May 2022 Film review by: Ahmed Abbas | Published: 25th May 2022 It was only two months ago when a friend of mine approached me, raving about the new Top Gun movie finally releasing in May. At this point, I had not seen the original film, but was familiar with it, having noted references to it time and time again in popular culture. With its cult classic reputation and the sequel imminent, I decided it was finally time to set foot in the Top Gun franchise. With the rising trend of sequels being made to decades-old releases, there is a common trap of said sequel behaving less like a follow-up and more like a remake, repeating the story and shifting the original lead character in the mentor role. Plenty of recent sequels are guilty of succumbing to this oversight. Despite its plenty of call-backs to the original 1986 film, Top Gun: Maverick is not one of them. The film makes standout use of characters from the original. For example, Maverick (Tom Cruise), the title character from the first, is not reduced to a mentor role that watches from the side-lines as the new characters fill his role, he remains the lead in the sequel, while new characters are still introduced and given plenty to do. Nearly four decades later, none of the characters are left the same. Time has passed and everyone’s lives have moved on – the film remembers this and uses it to its advantage, evolving relationships between characters, such as that of Maverick and Rooster (Miles Teller). This is a bond that takes centre stage and is a phenomenal, tear-jerking journey throughout – forget fighter jets, this reunion of the pair is the movie’s core story. Miles Teller reminds the world why he is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors One of the newly introduced characters is Penny (Jennifer Connelly), Maverick’s love interest. Penny replaces Charlotte, the romantic interest from the 1986 original, and does so without explanation. While their relationship has touching moments, I did find the chemistry in the first film to be noticeably stronger and felt their relationship could have been tied to the main story in a more meaningful way. Having later learned that a relationship with Penny was mentioned in a line from the original, it may have worked in the film’s favour to refer to this romance in a flashback, making their reunion all the more momentous. The film takes great advantage of its newly developed miniature IMAX cameras, filming inside the jets in order for the viewers to genuinely feel trapped inside the claustrophobic cockpit moving at Mach 10 – this makes it a must for IMAX viewing. At no point in the movie did I question whether anything was computer-generated or green-screened, which is rare of an action feature of this calibre. Having later read that Tom Cruise (who also served as a producer) fought for there to be no green screen in the sequel is no surprise, with various behind-the-scenes clips displaying how much was shot practically. The labour applied to Top Gun: Maverick is to be respected, as most blockbusters would opt to recreate these scenes digitally. Researching all of this only highlights the care put into the movie, and the filmmakers’ efforts are certainly reflected on screen. This allows for action scenes better choreographed and easier to follow than the first, with the authentically filmed cockpit scenes accentuating actor emotion, raising the tension of the scenes. Despite the iconography of its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick is one of the few sequels to improve on the original in almost every respect and is a feature worth the wait. The film understands what the fans want – a continuation of Maverick’s story, with him still as the focus, while showing how his relationships have evolved 36 years later. Mark my words: Top Gun: Maverick will become the template that sequels follow in the future. This wasn’t a film I would have taken an interest in beforehand but is an unexpected delight that will surely earn it status as one of the cinematic highlights of 2022. I had avoided reading the duration of the film prior to seeing it and was very surprised to find out the runtime was 137 minutes. The film breezed right past; it felt like a breath of fresh air in movie form. With a high number of media screenings and an embargo lifting weeks before release (a rare feat), Paramount show their hand, revealing their utmost confidence in the film’s quality; I can safely say their boldness is not misplaced. Kosinski and co make a statement, demonstrating to filmmakers around the world how a decades-later sequel should be made, delivering a slick, emotional, action-filled romantic family drama that takes your breath away. Top Gun: Maverick is now available, exclusively in cinemas.

When Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life, he discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac). As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt. ★★★★ Directed by: #Mohamed Diab #JustinBenson #AaronMoorhead Produced by: #KevinFeige #LouisD’Esposito #VictoriaAlonso #GrantCurtis #BradWinderbaum #OscarIsaac #MohamedDiab #JeremySlater Starring: #OscarIsaac #MayCalamawy #KarimElHakim #F.MurrayAbraham #EthanHawke Released: 30th March 2022 Film review by: Ahmed Abbas | Published: 29th March 2022 | Edited: 5th April 2022 It was December 2015 when Oscar Isaac’s first appearance as a Marvel character in the X-Men: Apocalypse teaser trailer was ridiculed. And yet, the special screening of the first two episodes of Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight was met with a standing ovation. Isaac’s iteration of the Steven Grant-Marc Spector biformity trades the bright blue makeup of the X-Men villain for an awkward, yet endearing gift shop worker conjoined to a brash, unprincipled mercenary. Moon Knight takes us on a journey with Grant as he uncovers his newfound, suppressed personality and unravels the never-ending train of troubles his alter ego precipitated. The series first portrays Spector as an invader of this innocent man’s body, before subtly hinting that this narrative may in fact, be the inverse. Isaac’s performance of these polar opposite men surrendering control of their body to each other, is a performance unparalleled. The “bodymates” are juxtaposed in all manners but must come to terms with each other, as their shared body can only be controlled by one of them at any given time. Stephen’s gentle nature is exhibited by the care of his goldfish, while Marc’s brash psyche is evinced by the aftermath of Steven’s blackouts. The events of the first four episodes have the pair forgo their differences, but place their ethics as a major dilemma between them – Spector has no qualms with his barbarity, while Grant takes great issue with his body being used for lethal acts – a contention the series seems poised to resolve in the episodes to come. From the opening scenes, we waste no time with unnecessary scenes and immediately meet our antagonist, and protagonist(s). Arthur Harrow’s (Ethan Hawke) introduction in the opening moments is an automatic improvement to the pacing of Marvel shows, as Moon Knight opts to reject the slow burn approach of many of Marvel’s previous outings. We have an unprecedented four-way relationship between Grant, Spector, Khonshu, and Harrow, where each character in this relationship acts as both an antagonist and a protagonist for the other three at various times within the series’ first four episodes. Ethan Hawke’s tremendous performance takes full advantage of this, as the empathetic and apologetic identity he adopts while he drains the life from a supposedly innocent, elderly woman leaves viewers unsure of how they should feel – his charisma is welcoming and evokes trust, while his actions say otherwise. This is even replicated with one-half of the main character, as Harrow appeals to Grant’s timid nature. Throughout the four episodes, you simply cannot tell whether Harrow truly cares for Grant, or whether the character is performing to gain Steven’s trust and remove his rival’s most powerful weapon. This is a masterclass on display, where both writing and acting have synergised to deliver a character who compels the audience to undergo a prescribed ride of emotions. Powerful performances are not exclusive to Isaac and Hawke. Moon Knight is among the better-cast Marvel projects, as the entire ensemble gives it their all. No better actor could have been chosen for each role, and even more encouraging is that the show features a consortium of Egyptian performers, which is appropriate for the extent of the show set in Egypt. May El Calamawy, an Egyptian-Palestinian actress, is the most notable example of this, and actually used her experiences for reference, allowing her to offer insight into her character and uplift her character on paper as well as on-screen, transforming her into the heart of the show. The effort given by the cast is reflected across the board. This is evident from the show’s visuals, as the cinematography is among the best I’ve ever seen. The marriage between the director's & cinematographer’s artistic styles and the production designer’s craft birthed a revolutionary mechanism of storytelling. If one were to watch Moon Knight on mute, the main character’s dissociative identity disorder is visually conveyed just as well as it is written. The set design is incredible, employing an abundance of reflective surfaces as apparatuses for the two main characters to perceptibly confront each other. Moreover, the practical design of locations ranging from the streets of Brixton to the tombs of Egypt are unbelievably believable, and remarkable work was put in (as can be read in the press conference breakdown). Mohamed Diab’s (executive producer and director) insistence on minimalizing the use of green screen is apparent and sets Moon Knight apart from any Marvel production. Moon Knight effortlessly manages to evolve the standard of humour in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), whilst also creating Marvel Studios’ most mature project yet. Within the first half of the debut episode, viewers are treated to more blood within a single shot than has been seen in the entirety of Phase 4 to date. That is not to say that Moon Knight is overly violent, but rather that previous efforts have felt somewhat suppressed – it is a breath of fresh air in the MCU. The humour itself is also situational and not laboured – the title character isn’t going to take a break from a life-and-death moment to make a gag to the viewers. Dotted throughout, are plenty of horror-like segments, ranging from the display of Khonshu, the God of the Moon and of Vengeance, as a grand and powerful figure that is to be feared, to the numerous, true horror scenes in a single episode, which were tense and genuinely superior to sequences within several horror pictures in recent years. Moon Knight learns from Marvel’s past, taking what worked from Marvel’s most acclaimed projects, and combining them into one smorgasbord of a series. It fuses the best parts of FX’s Legion, Marvel’s Daredevil, and Marvel’s The Punisher, incorporating such genres as adventure, horror, action, fantasy, and psychological thriller, and it just happens to feature the “Marvel Studios” banner above its title. Moon Knight is not another superhero piece to be skipped or saved to the ‘watch later’ category; it is among the best of the comic book genre and is one to be viewed and discussed by all on a weekly basis. Moon Knight has all the makings of an iconic show, and if it sticks the landing in its final two episodes, it’ll be placed among the ranks of the “greatest shows of all time” – Marvel’s first masterpiece could arise. Bold, sincere, and surreal, Moon Knight is a complete reinvention of the MCU, taking viewers on a psychedelic expedition inside the broken mind of Marvel’s latest, most lovable protagonist. Moon Knight is available to stream now on Disney+.

By Ahmed Ab From Marvel Studios, exclusively for Disney+, comes the all-new, original, live-action series Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy. Moon Knight is due to premiere exclusively on Disney+ on March 30th, with weekly episodic releases. The story follows Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a mild-mannered man who lives a mundane life, plagued by blackouts and mysterious memories of a life somehow separate from his own. After one fateful encounter, Steven discovers that he has Dissociative Identity Disorder and shares a body with Marc Spector—a former mercenary and the ruthless avatar of Khonshu, the Egyptian god of the moon and vengeance. With their enemies converging upon them, Steven must learn how to adapt to this revelation and work with Marc. With other godly motives at play, the two must navigate their complex identities amid a deadly battle played out among the powerful gods of Egypt. In August 2019 at the D23 conference, Marvel Studios announced that a Disney+ series based on Moon Knight was being developed. In preparation for the series’ release this March, the studio assembled the cast and filmmakers for a press conference, streamed live to reporters across the world. On hand to take questions were actors Oscar Isaac (Steven Grant), Ethan Hawke (Arthur Harrow), and May Calamawy (Layla El-Faouly). Executive producer Grant Curtis, joined by executive producer and director Mohamed Diab, were both in attendance, alongside directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. During the 40-minute press conference, topics ranging from performance methods to costume design were discussed, with the reporters in attendance hoping their questions would be selected following the brilliant reception to the first four episodes which were released to press all around the world. The project really took form when Mohamed Diab was brought on board as executive producer and director. Despite Diab receiving offers for high-budget movies in the past, one aspect that attracted him to helming Moon Knight was the Egyptology that was so integral to the series’ concept: “The other aspect that really attracted me was the Egyptian part of it”, the director says. “The present and the past, the Egyptology of it.” The importance of faithful Egyptian mythology in this series was reiterated by executive producer and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who stated in the production brief: “We have fascination and reverence for Egyptian history… it was very exciting to take Moon Knight’s origin story, which is grounded in Egyptology, and infuse it with globetrotting adventure, intensity, and mystery.” Diab, the first Arab director to release a Marvel project, also saw this series as a tool to correct many of the past portrayals of Egypt in filmography that he feels are not representative of his, and many others, own experiences as Egyptians: “As an Egyptian, we always see us depicted or the Middle East depicted in a way that is – we call it orientalism, when you see us as exotic and dehumanized…”, he says. “Imagine Paris and you’re seeing Big Ben in the background. That’s how we see our country”. A part of Diab’s proposal to rectify this was the hiring of Production Designer Stefania Cella, who designed sets to not only be accurate to the spirit of Egypt but also convey the series’ themes of duality and identity, a feat most apparent in the Burial Chamber set. With much of the production taking place in Budapest, Hungary, many large-scale practical sets had to be built on soundstages. Even the museum scenes required an entirely original Egypt exhibit, an undertaking that took the art department several months to complete. Khonshu's on-set performance actor Karim El-Hakim corroborates the realism of the production design, joking that the team “brought Egypt to Budapest, down to the license plates, even the t-shirts – everything in Arabic”, the actor states. “It brought me back to being in Cairo. It was like a flashback; it was so realistic – the smells, the smoke, the cars, the tuk-tuks, even down to the food and the types of fruit that were on sale in our marketplace. It was really impressive”. May Calamawy also recalled the attention to detail Diab wished to replicate on-screen: “One of the main things he wanted was for people to watch and to not be able to tell at all...”, she says. “That was very important to him. It’s down to the newspaper clippings that have been torn on the floor; that’s the precision that we’re talking about”. Mohamed Diab spoke to his keenness to shoot practically and on location: “I’m all for reality”, he says. “I’m all for minimizing the green screen as much as possible, especially with a story that could be in the mind of someone”. As a testament to the effect of Diab’s methodology, it came as a surprise to a sample of the London-based reporters (who viewed the first four episodes) that the street scenes in London were recreated in a Budapest market street, which was altered to replicate a real-life Brixton street. When discussing the signing of Ethan Hawke as the series’ central villain, Diab spoke to the unorthodox means of developing the character of Arthur Harrow, revealing he implored Hawke not to read the script before signing: “When it came to the signing, Ethan is someone that is – everyone sees him as this great, legendary, independent film actor, and joining the superhero world is something big. So, when Oscar first approached him and then I talked to him about it, we pitched him the idea, but I told him please don’t read the script. Not that the script is bad, but when you work with him, you have to get from him. Like, I think Harrow is his son, in a way, it’s a ping pong between us all but definitely his son. So, to trust us and sign without -- he told me this was the first time in 35 years that I signed something without reading a script. And he did it.” As revealed in an interview by On Demand Entertainment during the Moon Knight UK Special Screening, Hawke actually rejected Marvel roles in the past, a fact which has only heightened fans’ expectations that after fourteen years, Arthur Harrow, the role Hawke finally accepted, must be incredibly special. Having followed up Diab’s comments regarding signing on blind, it appears the collaborative freedom between the actor, writer, and director to sculpt the story and character is what enticed Hawke to join the project: “In my whole experience, usually when there’s a huge budget, there’s a tremendous amount of fear. And the people in charge are incredibly controlling, and creativity is reduced. In my entire experience, with you Grant, and with Marvel, it’s the opposite of that. You guys have translated your success into confidence and the confidence to -- yes, we are going to cook in your kitchen, but if we stay in the kitchen, we can do what we want. And there was a lot of playfulness and a lot of willingness to fail and a lot of willingness to have bad ideas. Because you can’t find a great idea if we don’t say some dumb ones and make mistakes… And that’s what collaboration is… and that’s why you don’t sign on without reading a script. But I’m really glad I did because I think it’s better because of the way it evolved.” Hawke followed up to reassure prospective viewers he chose correctly, speaking about his experiences on set, and praising every department involved with the project: “As somebody who’s never worked on a Marvel film or series and hasn’t even worked inside this genre in any way, I’ve had the best production design of my life, the best costumes, the best craftspeople”, says the actor. “The cinematographers are incredible. I’m working with Oscar every day, and we have time to do it right. We have time to rehearse. We are trying to make five to six hours of really quality entertainment and that’s a heavy lift, but we have the tools that we need to do it.” A promising, compelling rendition of the hero-villain dynamic was expressed by the actor, speaking to past stories basing the villain’s conduct on mental illness, and how Moon Knight reverses this relationship, giving viewers something they haven’t seen before: “Well, the history of movies is paved with storytellers using mental illness as a building block for the villain. I mean, there are countless stories of mentally ill villains, and we have a mentally ill hero. And that’s fascinating because we’ve now inverted the whole process. And so now, as the antagonist, I can’t be crazy because the hero’s crazy. So, I have to kind of find a sane lunatic or a sane malevolent force. And that was an interesting riddle for me to figure out how to be in dynamics with what Oscar was doing. And Mohamed was really embracing his mental illness as a way to create an unreliable narrator. And once you’ve broken the prism of reality, everything that the audience is seeing is from a skewed point of view. And that’s really interesting for the villain, because am I even being seen as I am? … It’s especially interesting to take your hero and present him with a real source of pain in mental illness. It’s not a joke. He’s a guy who’s really struggling, and it’s very interesting to have a protagonist who’s in a tremendous amount of pain and who is not a classic hero…” In order to maintain an authentic and sensitive approach to the series’ exploration of mental health themes, the production sought consultation from Dr. Paul Puri, a board-certified psychiatrist, who is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA and past president of the UCLA Psychiatric Clinical Faculty Association. Particularly, this focused on dissociative identity disorder, helping the filmmakers and cast understand the disorder and its implications. This expertise allowed Diab to, from a director’s perspective, convey mental health themes visually: “What got me excited about this opportunity is that this is a superhero that we haven’t seen before, someone who’s struggling with himself,” says Diab. “His inner conflict is actually visual. You can see his internal struggle. It’s a great room for character development.” As we learn in the synopsis and throughout the show, Steven Grant’s dissociative identity disorder mentally divides him from his Marc Spector persona, resulting in a pair of characters with polar opposite natures, necessitating two vastly different performances from Isaac. When questioned on how he achieved such a feat, Isaac shared his approach; Isaac’s brother (Michael Hernandez) would play opposite him, accent, and all, to give Isaac something to play off of. Having to perform each scene numerous times, switch around, and give two separate performances, became taxing for Isaac: “I really wanted to do a character study, a point of view experience, so you’re not sitting back and just watching the story unfold; you are within the eyes of Steven and experiencing this thing that’s happening to him. And it’s quite terrifying.” As exciting news to the audience, directors Benson and Moorhead maintained only the highest possible praise for the cast: “The most fulfilling aspect of making ‘Moon Knight’ for us was working with Oscar Isaac, May Calamawy, and Ethan Hawke”, the pair assert. “To witness Oscar’s perfectionism firsthand was an honor, to see May bring so much heart and humanity to this story was inspiring, and to learn from the wisdom, work ethic and performance mastery of Ethan Hawke every day was an experience we’d only ever dreamed of.” Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight is available to stream, exclusively on Disney+.

"It’s not just a call... It’s a warning." From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne. Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens. When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City. It was a rainy summer day when Robert Pattinson's casting had been officially announced back in 2019. DC fans and the internet alike drove in volumes to Twitter to protest the "sparkly vampire" from Twilight being selected as the new Batman, but I maintained the notion that he was the best choice for the role and counted down the days till he would prove me right. Come the end of this week, that day will emerge for fans worldwide. As you likely know thanks to Reeves' words, this feature begins with a young Batman, and is not a full origin story, but Bruce is not yet the iconic character we know and love. This makes sense: Bruce didn't become the Batman in a week, nor did he stay the same throughout his career; he must have developed, he must have changed and grown, yet we have never truly seen that on the big screen - The Batman marks the first chapter of that. From past adaptations, all the iterations we've seen feature Bruce wearing the Batman mask at times; this time, Batman wears the Bruce mask - this is evident from the opening scene. Rather than donning a playboy persona, Bruce keeps true to his mindset, adopting a depressed, reclusive attitude. It seems this story (and any follow-ups) will be a long-form origin story for Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne to eventually become the caped crusader from the comics, and this is true for the entire ensemble, as will become apparent. Speaking of masks, perhaps the most prominent theme in the movie is the question of identity. When the Riddler's first look was revealed, many fans criticised the uncharacteristic costume and the use of a mask, but the mask is vital to the theme. In this feature, wearing masks is not about hiding identities, it is about revealing them. As I spoke of Batman being Bruce's true identity, the same can be said for the Riddler, and their dichotomy is the heart of the film. It's this meaning that never allows the pace to falter - the movie does not feel remotely close to three hours. This theme wouldn't be anywhere near as impactful if it was not sold by the pairing of Pattinson and Dano. While every cast member goes above and beyond, the standout has to be Paul Dano. Dano sells this intelligent, unhinged, childlike Edward Nashton and it gave me chills. Dano also sells the fearless, terrifying, unbeatable Riddler: two characters, two performances. Robert Pattinson too adopts this philosophy and perfects his on-screen chemistry with every supporting cast member, most notably with Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman, who explores her own storyline that makes you root for her. Colin Farrell not only has the perfect look through the use of prosthetics, but nails the performance. Andy Serkis is the Alfred this feature needed - I was a little hesitant on this at first as I had always seen Alfred as a harmless-appearing butler with a renegade side, but Serkis was the perfect choice for this Alfred. The entire supporting cast give it their all, and I have never seen such a quintessentially assembled cast in any form of media. The Batman is a feature so well cast that even the extras have standout performances. The cast make sure not to play their characters from the comics, but to take a step back as they become them. This isn't a Batman origin story; this is a Gotham origin story. Gotham, in fact, is portrayed better than any past feature: yes, portrayed. Much like the television show of the same name, Gotham is written as its own character and given an identity on screen, and Liverpool was a great casting choice for the role. As Andy Serkis reiterated in an interview, the film is timeless, and that is in large part due to Gotham's style. The architecture (both classic and modern) only adds to the tone of the city, uplifting the movie's noir feel. The city's identity was one of the few flaws in The Dark Knight trilogy, and Reeves made sure to correct this from the very first scene. The world goes hand-in-hand with the world-building, and while the film works as a one-off, the world-building sets up an entire universe very well. I highly anticipate both the Gotham PD and Penguin shows, as well as the inevitable sequel. Despite my words on this iteration being an almost "proto-Batman" (or rather "proto-Bruce Wayne"), there are so many moments that made me giddy. Even shots from the trailer surprised me and carried so much more weight when played within the movie. In fact, these shots are so well produced by cinematographer Greig Fraser and compliment the tone of the movie so well, that The Batman is the most beautiful film I've ever seen. For Batman fans, especially fans of the Arkham games, this movie is a smorgasbord of some of the best Batman moments on-screen. Reeves also follows suit in keeping the comic-book genre alive. The Batman is not a superhero movie, it isn't even a Batman movie, it is an intelligent screenplay that chases its own ambitious story and draws elements from the Batman IP, but ultimately adapts them however it sees fit. As audiences are beginning to grow tired of what has now become standard of the genre, movie studios are beginning to adapt comic-book material into movies of other genres - this is an intelligent way of doing so but is adopted by so few filmmakers. Following such features as Logan and Joker, The Batman is a welcome addition to their ranks. The Batman is up there among the better comic-adapted movies and a breath of fresh air in the genre. From the first act, it took the spot as my personal favourite Batman film. Perhaps it's time to retire the "best Batman movie since The Dark Knight" and now set The Batman as the new staple. After decades of cinema rushing toward the latest tropes, The Batman is a much-needed (and long-overdue) return-to-form. About the Film Critic Ahmed Abbas

For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero's identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse. ★★★★★ Directed by: #JonWatts Produced by: #KevinFeige #AmyPascal Starring: #TomHolland#Zendaya#JacobBatalon #BenedictCumberbatch #MarisaTomei Released: 15th Dec 2021 Film review by: Ahmed Abbas | Published: 15th Dec 2021 | Edited: 24th Dec 2021 Almost exactly two years prior, I sat perched on the very same seat in Leicester Square’s IMAX for the end of a popular saga, one obnoxiously riddled with attempts to please the fans and ultimately left viewers very underwhelmed. Yesterday, in that same seat, I witnessed a masterclass of how this should be properly executed, a masterclass created by director Jon Watts and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal, known to the masses as Spider-Man: No Way Home. Spider-Man: No Way Home achieves something I’ve never seen any movie ever do to the same level. When watching the movie, you can really feel the energy on set as the stars bring their A-game. Every actor truly gives their all, allowing for this movie to have the best acting out of all the Spider-Man instalments, if not all comic book movies; this is especially true for the leading actor. Every movie in which Peter Parker (Tom Holland) features in, Holland is given an intimate scene to display his acting tour de force, and each subsequent performance tops the last; this makes sense, as Holland develops his acting ability through more and more experience in his early years. Each of his performances come closer and closer to breaking my lifelong tradition of never shedding tears in a movie, with his latest finally achieving the impossible. No Way Home features Holland’s crème de la crème in acting and is worth the price of admission alone – he truly cements why Marvel made the choice to recast the role just four years after the previous reboot and shows they were justified – Tom Holland gives the performance of a lifetime. Spider-Man: No Way Home undoubtedly has the largest scope of the trilogy but manages to simultaneously have the most personal storyline to Peter Parker – a true character study – the movie breaks him down, shows his vulnerabilities and what makes him tick, and builds him back up with new motivations and sense of purpose. The supporting characters have more to do, despite the extended cast, and not only that, but each character has a defined arc in line with their last appearance, giving the audience an emotional journey with each of them. The step-up in cinematography only adds to the emotion. Scenes are beautifully and befittingly lit, with flawless chroma key compositing and stunning set design. Paired with the scenic attributes, is a technological achievement through flawless de-aging that I didn’t notice or even consider for the briefest of moments, despite the fact I knew it was being used beforehand. Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios clearly pulled no punches in the production of this instalment. The film is not formulaic and is certainly the least formulaic of all Spider-Man movies, which is one of the few, yet most recurrent criticism of Marvel movies. The movie feels like a breeze and at no point ever drags. It manages to keep the fun, vibrant feel of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and the classic comics (which I believe is essential to this interpretation), while going deeper in both story and emotion than any MCU or Spider-Man movie, with the most interesting premise. It addresses any and all criticisms of the previous movies and the character as a whole. The writers left no room for the same complaints to circulate the Twitter space. No Way Home is the only movie I’ve ever seen that, coming out, I instantly wanted to purchase another ticket and see the next screening. The film gave me everything I wanted as a Spider-Man fan, and a Marvel one. I’d go as far as saying it gives everyone what they want, but in a meaningful way that makes sense both logically and with the direction the franchise is moving in, unlike the other saga-ender I mentioned in my introduction, which threw characters and references at viewers without meaning or explanation. I had high expectations, and No Way Home not only met them, but shattered the ceiling. In every possible aspect, Spider-Man: No Way Home has reached the top of my tier list for Spider-Man movies, as well as for comic book movies, and it will be a difficult feat for the next movie to top, but I find myself saying that approximately twice a year. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the gift that kept on giving – the perfect Christmas delight! With Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the majority of their releases had fans stating that each respective movie couldn’t be topped, and said the same at the next, and the next, finally culminating in the masses proclaiming this for one last time with Endgame. For No Way Home, fans will once again go back on their word. Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have done it again, and truly raised the bar for the blockbuster market. As other movie studios will now inevitably be taking notes, Spider-Man: No Way Home pioneers a new era in cinema. Having seen how the movie ends and what it sets up, I’m extremely excited for the future of Spider-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Please see this movie before any spoilers make their way to you, and do your best to avoid them, as clips and images are all over the internet, despite the movie only releasing in one territory the morning of writing. As has become commonplace in my reviews, I suggest the ideal format to experience each film, and No Way Home, with its format-exclusive aspect ratio of 1:90, simply must be experienced in IMAX Digital, which has now become a must for MCU instalments. Like Endgame and Infinity War before it, Spider-Man: No Way Home was filmed entirely in IMAX, which is a very rare feat in cinema. The scale of this movie deserves the bigger screen & taller expanded aspect ratio – visiting your nearest IMAX guarantees 26% more picture. If anything deserves the IMAX experience, let it be Spider-Man: No Way Home. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★