Black Panther: Wakanda Forever! (2022), directed by Ryan Coogler

Wakanda is in mourning following the death of its King, T’Challa, and its future is in limbo. With the heart herb destroyed there is no way to anoint a new Black Panther and the nation is under siege for its Vibranium. Suddenly a new threat emerges, with another source of the precious resource discovered. The undersea God-Kingdom of Talocan wants Wakanda as an ally against the surface world to protect their mutual interests. Princess Shuri must choose between revenge and redemption to determine Wakanda’s future path. This is very much a female-led film, which makes for more interesting action sequences. It contains a moving tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman that fits perfectly within the story. Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o and Angela Bassett are solid performers and there are fun cameos from the likes of Michaela Cole and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. As ever with Marvel films it is too long, with some story inconsistencies skated over by the action. But it is entertaining, with unexpected depths it its exploration of grief on both an individual and national level.

Ant Man & The Wasp (2018), directed by Peyton Reed

Ant Man was missing from the last Avengers ensemble movie, Infinity Wars, and now we find it was because he has been under house arrest for two years, following his exploits in Germany with Captain America. Three days before the ankle bracelet is to come off, his freedom is put in jeopardy by the reintroduction into his life of The Wasp. She needs his help to retrieve her mother, lost in another dimension for 30 years. What follows is an amusing caper, with Ant Man trying to evade and outwit the FBI; a very shady businessman and his evil henchmen; and a mysterious, suited assailant. There is plenty of action, not over the top; a few laughs, perhaps not quite enough; and a bit of science, possibly too much. Paul Rudd’s appealing persona carries the film; Evangeline Lilly is fine as The Wasp; there is a nice cameo from Michelle Pfeiffer; and an entertaining supporting cast. A much smaller film than the usual Marvel epics, Ant Man & The Wasp is a bit on the sentimental side and certainly no Black Panther, but it’s all harmless fun.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) directed by Taika Waititi

Directed with a lighter touch than many of the Marvel comic book films, some of the humour is pretty lame but some hits the mark and is laugh out loud. It is an interesting juxtaposition seeing the overall theme of the film concerns the potential destruction of Asgard. Chris Hemsworth’s self-deprecating style enables Thor to carry the lighter tone very well. He is ably assisted by Tessa Thompson as the kickass drunken Valkyrie and Jeff Goldblum as the Grand Master. Cate Blanchett chews the scenery and has a ball as Hela the Goddess of death, while Idris Elba is suitably heroic, reprising the role of Heimdall. The casting of several New Zealand actors in small roles (including Waititi himself) kicks the comedy along; the accent alone makes the dialogue funnier somehow, perhaps because it is so unlikely. Hilarious cameos from Matt Damon and Liam Hemsworth add to the fun. The soundtrack is generally very good, with the use of a Led Zeppelin track to underscore action/fight scenes at the beginning and near the end of the film particularly appropriate. The actual plot is, of course, completely irrelevant. Suffice it to say that Asgard is not a place – it is its people.