Our focus today comes in the shape of the second installment of his popular movie franchise (the latter above) Creed II, heavily influenced by the legendary Sylvester Stallone and his iconic Rocky movie franchise. Creed II is without a doubt one of the biggest movies of the year which we were lucky enough to see at a glamorous and exclusive premiere at the recently revamped Sandton City movie cinema all thanks to the gorgeous folks at Ster Kinekor. We’ve been to many but this especially stood out mainly because the main stars (Michael B. Jordan and Florian Munteanu) as well as the director, Steven Caple Jnr. graced us with their presence on the night. It was a great experience indeed that many in attendance no doubt enjoyed.

Cast – Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Florian Munteanu, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad & Dolph Lundgren

Director – Steven Caple, Jr.

Genre – Drama/Sport

Running Time – 2h 8m

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.

Onto the movie, Creed II is very intense and is a roller-coaster ride full of emotions. It features the best of drama, action and lighter moments that all keep you hooked and dedicated to it throughout. It’s the type of movie that forces you to pay attention to it from start to end with no moment/scene feeling out of place or forced, and that’s what all great movies have in common, no doubt this is one of them. Pure movie fans of the drama, action genres and pure sports fans (especially boxing) will no doubt enjoy this one.

If the fight scenes don’t have you at the edge of your seat then we don’t know what will and in Jordan and Stallone, the movie has two characters with a great synergy that blends the best of old and new school. The supporting cast also do a great job in amplifying the intensity with old timer Dolph Lundgren and newcomer Florian Munteanu (set to be a massive star) doing a fantastic job in playing the so called “villains” of the movie. Female star power also comes through with both Tessa Thompson (who we are growing fans of) and the legendary veteran Phylicia Rashad also coming through strongly with (again) the perfect mix of new and old school.

Creed II includes a predictable story line but executed in a fantastic way. In addition to everything else, it left us inspired and motivated (generally) which is something not many movies can attest to doing successfully. That to us further adds to why it’s a great watch. Everything about it just works effortlessly and delivers thoroughly on its promise. At the end we were left speechless and something close to being blown away. A knockout (pun intended) 8 out of 10 rating is what it gets from us. The movie opens this coming Friday, clear your schedule and go see it!

Our thanks to Ster Kinekor for the great spectacle which will no doubt live long in the memory.

Cast – Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo & Anthony Hopkins

Director – Taika Waititi

Genre – Fantasy/Science fiction film

Running Time – 2h 10m

The Plot

In Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok,” Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok – the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization – at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger – the Incredible Hulk!

One of the movies I’ve been anticipating (no guesses why) has finally landed on the big screen. Needing no introduction, the character Thor has firmly established themselves in the Marvel Universe. Played by the oh so cool Chris Hemsworth (who I admit to having a small “man crush” on), our hero returns in a new edition simply titled Thor Ragnarok.

I always make it a point to check what the guys at Rotten Tomatoes (one of the most reliable movie sources) make of any movie before deciding whether or not it’s worth checking out. Surprisingly and utterly blown away to find out that Thor Ragnarok is rated at an astonishing 96% from a 100! A very and I mean very rare rating for any movie especially since the site includes the harshest of movie reviewers around. Losing my mind over the prospect, I couldn’t wait to check it out. Thankfully MNet Movies and Ster Kinekor came to my aid with a cool pre-screening.

Shot in Australia and featuring two Aussie actors in the main cast: Hemsworth and Cate Blanchett (who plays Hela, the first female villain to appear in the MCU), the movie’s events are set two years after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and perfectly sets up the next big MCU ensemble movie, Avengers: Infinity War.

It’s no secret I love comic book based movies and one of the reasons why is they allow you to escape the real world and into a fantasy world that’s usually mystical or magical in some way. Thor Ragnarok has this and more, including cool action sequences and hilarious moments throughout, the humour is what sold it the most for me. It’s a well put together movie with a cool plot that’s not difficult to follow or believe.

Unlike DC, which is usually dark and mysterious in its approach, Marvel has always been lighter, Thor Ragnarok is another good example of this. After finally seeing it I can declare that it’s the best superhero movie this year. Should be interesting to see if it takes the bragging rights outright especially with DC’s much-anticipated Justice League movie also coming through later next month…so once again, over to you DC!

Marvel comes through and kills it once again. Thor Ragnarok is less serious in its approach but the same can be said for many of Marvel’s other offerings. A good warm up for the main event, The Avengers: Infinity War, Thor Ragnarok will easily appeal to any movie watcher who just wants to check out a good, light hearted movie that also has cool action sequences. Best comic based movie for 2017 so far, go check it out…and no it has nothing to do with my man crush…okay maybe a little. Bottom line is you won’t regret it, Thor Ragnorak get a cool 4.4 out of 5 rating from me.