There’s Gonna Be A Film Made About The Life of Lee Chong Wei

lee chong wei

Malaysian badminton superstar Datuk Lee Chong Wei will have his life story told in the medium of film.

The Memorandum of Understanding for the film rights were signed at a ceremony yesterday between Lee’s brother and Malaysian film producers, C8 Pictures.

The story of Malaysia’s most successful Olympian will be titled Rise of the Legend and will be released in theatres in 2018, according to reports.

Filming is slated to begin next year and will be produced by C8 Pictures in association with Mahu Pictures, on a production budget of RM4.5 million.

The film will feature a story of Lee’s life and relationship with his family.

[caption id="attachment_1611" align="alignnone" width="521"]C8 Pictures C8 Pictures[/caption]

Both director Teng Bee and producer Josiah Chieng expressed how it took three years for Lee to finally agree to the movie.

“For three years we have been trying to get Chong Wei to give us the rights to film his life story and finally, he has agreed,” noted Chieng.

Lee could not be present at the signing ceremony as he was in Denmark for the Denmark Open.

Nationwide auditions for Lee’s character will be conducted from December this year.

‘Apprentice’ Selected As Singapore’s Entry For Foreign-Language Oscar

Apprentice

Boo Jun Feng’s critically-acclaimed ‘Apprentice‘ has been selected by the Singapore Film Commission as Singapore’s contender for the foreign-language Academy Award.

The film made its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival back in May, appearing under the Un Certain Regard section.

It was released in Singapore theatres in June and had an extended run given positive word-of-mouth amongst viewers.

The film explored the theme of capital punishment through the eyes of the protagonist, an apprentice to the country’s executioner.

Apprentice explores complex and sensitive themes while preserving an honest insight to the characters’ internal conflict and emotions,” said SFC director Joachim Ng. “We believe the film will resonate with international audiences following its successful world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”

The film is poised for a festival run in Toronto and London later this year.

The World’s Highest Paid Actors and Actresses 2016

Back in July 2016,  has taken that list and rounded up the top 16 highest paid actors and actresses from it.

Although Taylor Swift topped the overall highest paid celebrities list, there is a clear gender pay gap when it comes to acting with only four women appearing in the top 16 amongst actors and actresses.

Some names are household to many, including the likes of Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr and Tom Cruise, while other may be slightly more obscure.

Without further ado, here are the 16 highest paid actors and actresses of 2016:

16. Brad Pitt (US$31.5 million)

While Brad Pitt hasn’t had a major starring role in recent years, Mr Angelina Jolie has been producing various films and shows including the very successful The Big Short, which was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and made over US$133 million worldwide on a US$28 million budget.

15. Akshay Kumar (US$31.5 million)

Akshay_Kumar_at_Star_Guild_Awards

A slightly lesser known name to most, Akshay Kumar is a highly successful Bollywood actor, producer and martial artist, appearing in over a hundred Hindi films since the beginning of his career in the 1990s. In fact, Kumar came in 9th last year in the list of highest paid actors. Known as the “Indian Jackie Chan”, Kumar is in fact Canadian and is married to another highly popular celebrity Twinkle Khanna.

14. Melissa McCarthy (US$33 million)

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Actress and comedian Melissa McCarthy has seen her roles change over the last couple of years. From mastering the art of comic relief in countless supporting roles, McCarthy has been receiving a fair share of leading roles – some great, others not so – including Identity Thief, Spy and The Boss. While McCarthy has had a rocky year so far with flops such as The Boss and Ghostbusters, she reportedly banked US$14 million from one film alone (Ghostbusters). It’s clear that she’ll be having the last laugh after all.

13. Shah Rukh Khan (US$33 million)

Shah Rukh Khan is one of those names from Bollywood that remain familiar to even those who haven’t watched a Hindi film in their lives. Referred to many as the “King of Bollywood” or simply “King Khan”, Khan has appeared in over 80 films and has been regarded as one of the most successful actors in the world in terms of drawing both audiences and box office revenue. Besides acting, Khan is also a co-founder of a production company and co-owner of an Indian Premier League cricket team.

12. Robert Downey Jr. (US$33 million)

Who doesn’t love Robert Downey Jr? It’s hard not to be on a highest paid list having launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe to where it is today. While no specific salaries are disclosed, reports strongly suggest that RDJ is the highest paid Marvel actor by a very huge mile. In fact, Downey made US$40 million last year from his appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron alone while Chris Evans only made US$6.9 million. This year, Downey’s main sources of income was his appearance in Captain America: Civil War and an HTC endorsement deal worth US$12 million.

11. Vin Diesel (US$35 million)

While you may not normally associate range with Vin Diesel, it hasn’t seem to stop him from raking in the big bucks. As lead actor and producer of the Fast and Furious films, Diesel has made a bankable franchise that will last the years. To top things up, his role in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 and the new xXx film sums up a tidy US$35 million for the year.

10. Jennifer Lopez (US$39.5 million)

 

Jennifer Lopez is many things at once but she certainly isn’t lazy. This actor, singer, dancer, fashion designer, producer, author and talent show judge has been working her butt off this past year and it’s a surprise she isn’t higher on the list. Besides the US$17.5 million from American Idol judging duties, J. Lo also starred in a TV drama called Shades of Blue, voiced a sabre-tooth tiger in the new Ice Age film and has a Las Vegas show, just to name a few.

9. Sofia Vergara (US$43 million)

The Colombian-American, known to many as Gloria from Modern Family, comes in No. 9 with her $350,000-per-episode pay check from ABC sitcom, as well as lucrative endorsements with Cover Girl and Heads & Shoulders. She also owns her own talent management company and is set to appear in an upcoming heist-comedy The Brits Are Coming, which is currently in post-production.

8. Ben Affleck (US$43 million)

Once shun as the worst casting decision of all time (Batman), Ben Affleck is now the shining light of the DC Extended Universe and he has the paycheck to match. Affleck’s appearance in Batman v Superman alone was reported to make up the bulk of his earnings for the year by having a piece of the box office return as part of his deal. Affleck will also be appearing in an upcoming crime movie The Accountant. 

7. Jennifer Lawrence (US$46 million)

Jennifer Lawrence is not only the seventh highest paid actor but also the highest paid actress on the list, which reiterates the issues surrounding the gender wage gap in Hollywood. Lawrence also happens to be the highest paid amongst the three “superheroes” on the list, above Ben Affleck (Batman) and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) from her role as Mystique in the X-Men franchise. Lawrence’s acting range has brought in multiple roles from both action-filled blockbusters to Oscar-worthy dramas, diversifying her sources of income.

6. Johnny Depp (US$48 million)

When Johnny Depp’s not busy making apology videos about smuggling dogs into Australia, he’s busy making money. With Alice Through The Looking Glass performing well internationally and with the new Pirates of the Caribbean filming under wraps, Depp has made a tidy sum of US$48 million.

5. Tom Cruise (US$53 million)

Tom Cruise and superstardom are two words that definitely go well together. Tom Cruise rakes in box office cash like very few can and he does it from his insistence on doing his own stunts as seen in last year’s Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. In fact, the back-end (portion of the box office return) from that film made up a part of his earnings on top of his role as Jack Reacher in the upcoming sequel out in October.

4. Matt Damon (US$55 million)

Matt Damon has US$10 million up on his Boston buddy Ben Affleck and he has his reprisal of his role as Jason Bourne to thank for. The role alone made Damon US$25 million richer despite the mixed reviews it garnered. Damon will also be starring in a massive period action film The Great Wall, which drops later this year.

3. Jackie Chan (US$61 million)

While we may not have seen Jackie Chan in recent Hollywood films, the martial artist and action star has focused his attention to China, with majority of his films made and released for audiences there. Non-Chinese fans need not fret though as some of his films have received limited released internationally and he’ll be expected to reprise his role as Mr Han in Karate Kid 2.

2. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (US$64.5 million)

Dwayne Johnson has steadily made himself the bankable action star that studios can rely on to either kickstart a franchise or save one from obscurity. He was brought in to rejuvenate the Fast & Furious and GI Joe franchise and will take on the leading role in the upcoming Baywatch reboot. He also makes bank from appearances in WWE and his role on HBO’s Ballers.

1. Kevin Hart (US$87.5 million)

Kevin Hart topping the list of highest paid actors may come as a surprise to many, either because some may not regard his as an actor or because his acting roles have been fairly limited thus far. Screen Rant clarifies that Hart has had a fair share of acting roles, from Ride Along 2 with Ice Cube, to Central Intelligence with Dwayne Johnson and a voice acting role in The Secret Life of Pets. Regarding all that bank he made, well they are mostly made up of his sell out comedy gigs at stadiums and arenas across the US and around the world.

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So there you have it, the 16 highest paid actors and actresses in 2016.

Did any surprise you? Let us know in the comments below.

Source:

New Star Wars Rogue One Trailer: Darth Vader Appears

Star Wars Rogue One

After a string of teaser videos and behind-the-scenes footages, the first full official trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has finally landed.

Fans had high hopes that cinema’s most beloved villain would appear in Rogue One, and it isn’t until the final frames of the trailer that we see Darth Vader appear, full of heavy breathing and shine on his helmet.

The two-minute clip was filled with new scenes and footages that had not been showed before.

For instance, we got a lot more of Forrest Whitaker and we also finally get to hear Donnie Yen’s character mention the ‘F’ word: The Force.

“I fear nothing,” Chirrut Imwe (Yen) says as he walks toward the frame. “All is as the Force wills it.”

The dialogue comes as we see Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso character recruit team members with Diego Luna’s Captain Cassian Andor.

We also get a fair share of K-2SO, a comically re-programmed Galactic robot, and a very good glimpse of a TIE fighter that flies up close to Jyn Erso.

It’s safe to say that this Star Wars film will be like no other. Slated as a war film and an immediate prequel to A New Hope, we’re going to get a glimpse of the galaxy like we never seen before.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in cinemas this December.

 

Malaysian Bags Prize At Film Festival In New York

Malaysian director Dharius Zulkefli made his nation proud last week after winning the ‘Best Editing’ award for his short film Kun Fayakun at the United International Film Festival 2016 in New York.

The film competed against 45 other films from across the world to win the award, which was presented on 31 July 2016.

Kun Fayakun, which translate from Arabic as “to be … it is”, follows the story of a man in a vegetative state who has to battle his inner demons to find salvation and recover.

Zulkefli explained that the inspiration for the film originated from a conversation with his parents on how choices are the greatest gift of all. This led him to explore a story of a man trapped in a realm that is neither heaven nor hell.

The film took minimal resources and time to complete – a total of two and half a month – but Zulkefli insists he is a true believer in the term “Malaysia Boleh“, which loosely translates as “Malaysia Can Do It”. The film will be screened at various other film festivals across the United States along with Zulkefli’s other short, Fado.

Besides his short films, Dharius Zulkefli collaborates closely with singer and fellow Malaysian Ariff AB, filming several of the latter’s music videos.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8kb2ZPdTDk[/embed]

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5 Must-Watch Trailers From Comic-Con 2016

It’s that time of the year again where millions of comic book and sci-fi movie lovers wait up hoping that the film studios participating in the San Diego Comic-Con would release the trailers and clips they’ve showed to attendees on to the Internet.

Unlike recent years where we’ve seen absences from top studios, this year’s top trailers include entries from the likes of Marvel Studios, Warner Bros & DC, and some top TV show trailers from the networks and Netflix.

Let’s get straight to it.

1) Justice League

There was a time when the Internet completely dismissed Ben Affleck when he was casted as Batman. Shortly after Batman v Superman released, he was regarded as the only good thing about that movie. Good thing for us is that it looks like he’ll be the leader and main good guy in the upcoming Justice League movie that sees him assembling his team Ocean’s Eleven style with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman (more on her later).

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gglkYMGRYlE[/embed]

 

Film: Justice League
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa
Release: November 2017

2) Doctor Strange

Benedict Cumberbatch can almost do no wrong at this point of his career. Almost anything he touches turns to gold and his versatility in working from critically acclaim Oscar-worthy dramas to explosion-packed family-loving blockbusters makes him a studio, critic and audience favourite. The unsung hero in all of this – Marvel’s success – is its casting director, who has time and time again delivered on every level, from Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark to the latest announcement of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. Behold Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, another testament to the brilliant casting choices at Marvel. I think I’ll be changing my Wi-fi password to “shambala” from now on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSzx-zryEgM

 

Film: Doctor Strange
Studio: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Studios
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton
Release: November 2016

3) Wonder Woman

Speaking of brilliant casting choices, Gal Gadot is proving to be a big hit amongst DC fans and comic book lovers as a whole. It’s not hard to see why. The trailer sees a whole introduction to the Amazonian world she comes from and the chemistry between her and Chris Pine’s character. It’s a refreshing change for once to see a woman take lead in a superhero film, with a leading actor such as Pine taking on a supporting role. Even towards to trailer’s end do we see a commentary on the treatment of women in that era, which to some extent is still prevalent in our society today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lGoQhFb4NM

 

Film: Wonder Woman
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine
Release: June 2017

4) Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

This is arguably the best trailer we’ve had so far for the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s spin-off tale. The trailer sees Newt Scamandar, played by Eddie Redmayne, travelling to America in mid-1920s when his creatures escape from his magical briefcase, ensuing chaos and a bit of fun and adventure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdgQj7xcDJo

 

Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell
Release: November 2016

5) The Lego Batman Movie

Spinning off the success of the highly acclaimed The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie focuses on Lego Batman, a massive departure from character we’ve seen in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy or Ben Affleck’s dark and brooding Bruce Wayne, which makes it all the more humourous. Will Arnett did a brilliant on voice duties for The Lego Movie and I can’t wait to see how this one plays out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrMgOg3RjpE

 

Film: The Lego Batman Movie
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera
Release: February 2017

Bonus Mentions:

Beyond the film trailers, Marvel and Netflix also dropped trailers for Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders series, which will see all of their Netflix characters team up against a common foe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymw5uvViqPU

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCSPda7xQ3s[/embed]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBZtM8q2Z1g

 

 

There’s A Fourth Star Trek Movie In The Works

Star Trek

TV & Film Weekend Roundup: 25 April – 1 May 2016

What a difference a week makes! In the last 7 days, we’ve seen new film releases, unexpected movie announcements and big TV news.

Let’s jump straight into it. Here are the top news in TV & Film for the week.

1) Alicia Vikander is the new Lara Croft 

You heard right! With top notch performances in Ex MachinaThe Man From U.N.C.L.E. and her Academy Award-winning role in The Danish Girl, Alicia Vikander has been cast to play Lara Croft in a Tomb Raider reboot. The film will follow a similar premise to the 2013 game of the same name, which itself was a reboot in the gaming franchise. The film is currently in pre-production and a release date has yet to be announced.

2) Does Taylor Swift have a cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse?

We’re still unsure on this one, but there are certainly hints to validate the rumours. There’s a character in the X-Men universe called Dazzler, a mutant with the ability to turn sound vibrations into light beams and energy. Could the famous pop star be playing Dazzler?

Well, last year, long-time X-Men writer Simon Kinberg posted an image with Tay Tay alongside James McAvoy and Sophie Turner who plays Jean Grey. So when Turner posted on Twitter a hint to Dazzler in the latest film last week, rumours sparked and rightly so!

https://twitter.com/SophieT/status/725970347674243072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

3) The Punisher is getting his own Netflix series

With high praise from both audiences and critics in his appearance in Daredevil Season 2, it’s no surprise that Netflix has given green light for The Punisher’s very own series on the streaming network. Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle in addition to the various Marvel and Netflix projects already lined up, including Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders. Fans will rejoice at the news, especially since The Punisher was the key highlight from the latest Daredevil series.

 

4) Marvel has Creative Control over upcoming Spider-Man film

Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, confirmed early this week that Marvel will have creative control over the next Spider-Man film. While the rights for the character on film will still be held by Sony, Marvel Studios will have the majority of say over the direction of the film. Spider-Man: Homecoming will see a much younger Peter Parker compared to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the character. After rave reviews of Tom Holland for his appearance as Peter and Spidey in Captain America: Civil War and the addition of Robert Downey Jr. in the film, 2017 could not come any sooner.

5) 20th Century Fox pulls out of Comic Con 

Due to higher risks of leaks and piracy, Fox has decided not to pull out of Comic Con 2016. It’s a huge bummer for Con-goers who were expecting to see footages of upcoming Fox films and panels with the cast members of these productions. Some of Fox’s upcoming releases include Gambit, Deadpool 2, Wolverine 3, Maze Runner and the highly-anticipated Assassin’s Creed starring Michael Fassbender.

6) First Trailer for Snowden Released

The first full trailer for the upcoming film Snowden was released showcasing the controversial whistleblower in his fight for justice and truth. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the titular character, with accurate hairline and near-perfect accent. The film also stars Shailene Woodley, Nicolas Cage and Zachary Quinto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlSAiI3xMh4

 

10 Must-Watch Films This Summer 2016

It’s that time of year again when major Hollywood studios pull out their big guns and cash in on their blockbusters for the year.

While big names like Fantastic Beast and Where To Find Them and Doctor Strange are only opening at year’s end, we have plenty to look forward to this summer, which in Hollywood, starts in April.

Here are 10 films to watch this summer 2016:

1) Captain America: Civil War (28 April) 

Marvel’s latest film is not going to disappoint. Regarded as possibly the best Marvel film to date, if not the best comic book movie ever. With a stunning 17-minute action sequence to the introduction of Spider-man, Civil War is a must-watch for all. What’s more, it’s certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 94% rating. Don’t forget, there are two after-credit scenes, so stay put!

Read more: Six reasons why Civil War is the best comic book movie ever. 

2) The Jungle Book (15 April)

If you haven’t been keeping up with the production of this live action retelling of this 1967 classic, the brand new The Jungle Book, directed by Iron Man’s Jon Favreau, is almost completely rendered in CGI. Fear not though, as reviews for the film are largely positive, sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes as we speak. Many have attributed this to the hyper-realistic use of computer generated graphics and chances are, we won’t be able to tell what’s real and what’s not.

 

3) Bad Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising (20 May)

Were you laughing yourself silly at the first Bad Neighbours? Because we were. That’s got us pretty excited for the new installment in a series even if we weren’t really asking for one. Zac Efron returns but he’s on the other side of the battle, joining forces with Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne to take on a new enemy in the neighbourhood: a sorority. Led by Chloë Grace Moretz, this sorority ain’t gonna let Rogen and Co. off easy.

 

4) X-Men: Apocalypse (27 May)

Director Bryan Singer returns with the gang from Days of Future Past for an epic continuation of the X-Men story. Set in the 1980s, our favourite mutants find themselves pitted against the first and most powerful mutant known as Apocalypse. With a name like that, the battle is bound to be loco. This film introduces new or rebooted characters such as Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp) and Olivia Munn as Psylocke.

5) Warcraft (10 June)

Anyone excited for Warcraft? Were sure fans of World of Warcraft and DotA are. Based on the video game of the same name, Warcraft is an epic fantasy film where humans battle orcs for survival. The cast is made up of relative unknowns but we’re ok with that! As long as the action is good and the CGI holds up, we’re game!

6) Finding Dory (17 June)

Ellen Degeneres, who has been campaigning for the film, finally makes a return to our silver screens as Dory, our favourite amnesiac fish. Set six months after the events of Finding Nemo, the story follows Dory in search for her family, accompanied by Nemo and Marlin. We’ll meet old and new friends including a whale shark, Destiny, and an octopus named Hank.

7) Jason Bourne (29 July)

When Universal Pictures attempted to carry on the legacy of Bourne with a set of new cast members, led by Jeremy Renner, audiences didn’t particularly go crazy. Thankfully, that resulted in the return of Matt Damon to the titular role which made him into the movie star he is today. Known for unconventionally violent methods of defeating opponents, Jason Bourne promises to deliver on brute hand-to-hand combat and two hours of heart-pumping action.

8) Sausage Party (12 August)

When the trailer for Sausage Party dropped, the Internet went nuts. Never in our wildest minds could we imagine a feature film of talking sausages would ever get made. Seth Rogen and his gang of wild-thinking writers defied gravity and we cannot wait for this hilarious animated movie to release. Fair warning though, this one is NOT for kids!

9) Suicide Squad (5 August)

Unlike Batman v Superman, which didn’t sit too well with both critics and audiences, we have a feeling DC’s second film this year, Suicide Squad, would fair much better. The film takes on a lighter tone and unconventional story-line of a team of villains recruited by the government to executive dangerous Black Ops missions. It also features a stellar line up of cast members including Will Smith, fan-favourite Margot Robbie, Emmy-winner Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne and Jared Leto as The Joker.

10) Central Intelligence (17 June)

Kevin Hart has been churning out so many films lately that’s it getting hard to keep up. In Central Intelligence, the comedian is teaming up with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to take on crime on a whole different level. The story follows a once-bullied overweight kid (Dwayne Johnson), who grew up to become a CIA agent. He enlists the help of his former high school buddy (Kevin Hart) to take on the world of spies, shoot-outs and espionage. If you’re not convinced, just let this GIF of The Rock entice you.

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This summer is so packed with movie goodness that we had to leave a few out in our top 10 list: a long-awaited sequel to Independence Day, the third instalment of Star Trek and the ‘3-years-too-late’ addition of Angry Birds The Movie. Nevertheless, we’re going to watch them all and make full use of the summer!

6 Reasons Why Captain America: Civil War Is The Best Comic Book Movie Ever

Ever since Marvel held its press preview of Captain America: Civil War, there has been nothing but raving reviews for the film. Scouring through the Internet, the narrative remains constant no matter which site you enter: Critics are calling this the best Marvel movie ever. Some are even going one step beyond that and are calling it the best comic book movie ever.

We’re not surprise by the optimism, however. Marvel themselves appear to be very confident about the film, having screen the movie for the press about a month prior to the release as well as lifting the embargoes for reviews a week later.

Rounding up the reviews from our favourite critics, here are 8 reasons why you should definitely pay to see this movie opening weekend.

1) Best on-screen Spider-man

Make no mistake about it. Spider-man is Marvel Comics’ most popular and most beloved superhero of all time. However, as Marvel Studios built its Marvel Cinematic Universe beginning with the first Iron Man, the rights for Spidey were held up at Sony Pictures. We were feasted and then shoved two versions of the web-crawler, both of which had high points but very low ones as well. Not long after, it was apparent: Sony had no idea what to do with Spider-man.

Hence, when the news broke that Sony and Marvel Studios had somehow carved out a deal that would see a brand new Spidey in the MCU, every single fanboy in the planet lost their minds. But then came the even bigger questions, how would this MCU Spidey turn out?

Well, turns out, he’s freaking amazing.

Critics have called Tom Holland and Marvel Studio’s version of the character as the best Spider-man we’ve seen on film. Unlike Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions, the MCU Spider-man is way younger (probably 16) and that’s what makes it special.

 

2) Every character gets a moment

Some of the early fears coming into this movie were that there might be too many characters on screen. With that, some of our favourite characters might play second fiddle and get underused as a result. Well, turns out, that’s not the case at all.

Critics have raved that directors Anthony and Joe Russo have paid special attention to the characters of the film, with each having a moment to remember. Each character is said to have their motives and stance clearly shown and it’s often hard to choose between the sides.

 

3) There’s an insane 17-minute fight scene

When the trailers for Civil War broke, many were skeptical about a particular scene set at a German Airport. There were concerns that the fight between both Team Cap and Team Iron Man would look slightly underwhelming given that it was a huge space only filled with about 5 players on each team.

Luckily for us, they didn’t show us everything. In an interview with Collider, the Russo Brothers revealed that it was an intentional decision to leave out the good parts from the fight scene so that fans and movie-goers could experience it for the first time in the cinema.

Some critics have called the scene the best in any Marvel film ever, while John Campea of Collider has gone so far as to refer is as probably the best action sequence of all time.

 

4) Great introduction to Black Panther

While some of you may not be too familiar with T’Challa aka. Black Panther, Marvel’s first ever black superhero is a beloved character to a healthy population of comic book geeks.

As this is the first ever film appearance of the king of Wakanda, many fans were anxious as to how he’ll turn out on screen.

Thankfully, the results are nothing short of amazing. Chadwick Boseman who plays the character was hailed as a credible and fitting actor to play the role. Directors Anthony and Joe even described the lengths that Boseman was willing to go to in bringing this character to life: he created Black Panther’s accent.

“He found a regional accent based on where Wakanda would be,” director Joe Russo revealed to IGN in an interview.

5) That “Ant-Man on Hawkeye’s Arrow” Moment 

When the Ant-Man was released, fans knew that it was inevitable that both Ant-Man and Hawkeye would share some screen time together eventually. And if that was the case, one image comes to mind when both characters are thought of at the same time.

So when it was announced that both Ant-Man and Hawkeye would be on the same team (Team Cap) in the upcoming movie, comic book hopefuls prayed hard that the day would finally arrive when Ant-Man would ride on Hawkeye’s arrow. Well this happened…

6) It’s a fight between characters we know and love

It has been 8 years since the first Iron Man rocked the comic book movie genre. Since then, Marvel has been building these characters and laid the foundation either through solo movies or ensemble ones. This has resulted in audiences genuinely feeling and rooting for these superheroes on a much deeper level than (hate to draw comparisons but…) Batman v Superman.

Moreover, the motivations and reasons for why each side is fighting is clear. Neither side is wrong, both sides are friends and yet the stakes are very very real.

It’s a testament to the patience Marvel had in rolling out these films and the trust they had in each filmmaker to carry the story of each character again and again.

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We don’t know about you but we sure can’t wait for the film to be released. Whether or not you’re prepared to jump on the hype train, one thing’s for sure: It’s gonna be one hell of a ride.

Captain America: Civil War opens in Singapore on 21 April, Indonesia on 27 April and Malaysia on 5 May.