I felt like this was missing something and didn't live up to the full potential it could've. Maybe it was the title, "Multiverse of Madness", maybe it was all the trailers that did a great job misleading us while also spoiling all the best parts of the movie, or maybe I just didn't like how two dimensional they made Wanda after she spent an entire show already learning how her power can hurt people and exposing everyone to her grief. How many times did Wanda need to indirectly quote Thanos before we got the point? "I call that mercy", "They'll never know..." etc.
Overall this has kind of cut down my excitement for phase 4 a bit, and coming from someone who LOVED the infinity saga that hurts and worries me to say. I feel like the movie tries to over simplify things and these were characters that aren't simple. This needed to be deeper. I feel like we needed to see Kang here, even if just for a moment or two. I feel like we needed Loki too. The only trouble with opening the multiverse can of worms is now it REALLY doesn't matter when some of these heroes are getting killed, "Oh that's just Mr Fantastic from 818, this is 6 1 whatever".
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really good either, and with how much hype they put on it I'm let down. This needed a real villain. It's not that Scarlet Witch didn't make a good villain, it's that I didn't want to see her be one after the journey we've gone on with her, and her doing the right thing in the end doesn't excuse her murdering like a hundred people no matter what universes they were in and her logic was flawed from the start.
And where the F is "real" Mordo?
This is in many ways the exact movie that The Lego Batman Movie made fun of.
So, I can totally understand if this film reads like self-parody to some (I'll admit, the gravely film noir detective voice over was a bit much, it's been parodied to death at this point), but I'd argue that it's overall a refreshing take on the character in a well thought out story that includes some excellent performances. Paul Dano, Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz all nail their roles.
It's a typical Matt Reeves blockbuster in every sense. It's grounded, serious, and there's a strong emphasis on drama/tension, and less on action. The production and style of this thing are phenomenal. Excellent cinematography, which should be Oscar nominated (but probably won't), music, production value, costumes, directing, etcetera. It's grim, it's dark, it's gritty, but it doesn't feel like it's directed by a 16 year old edgelord either. I love how the colour palette of this film is restricted to black, grey, orange and red. It's perfect, taking clear influences from David Fincher films, neo noir detectives and '70s paranoia thrillers (maybe a hint of Marvel Netflix as well). I hope it reinvents the wheel for many blockbusters to come.
Its biggest problem are the pacing and the characters. I'm fine with defending longer films, but this isn't a smooth 3 hour ride. It holds its cards very close to the chest during the first half, to the point where it's hard to engage with and can get kinda boring. It's a lot of set-up, mood and atmosphere, and not much else. It doesn't really hook you with its characters or the dramatic intrigue of the story, as I didn't find this slow moving mystery compelling enough by itself (partially because it doesn't really engage the audience; you can't solve it by yourself). There's not even that much action to compensate, besides a few quick beats here and there.
It also relies too much on the cultural iconography of Batman and Catwoman that already exists in our current zeitgeist, and while I might know those characters as cultural icons, I don't know this Batman, or this Catwoman. It eventually gets there though, as The Riddler and Catwoman get a lot more interesting in their own right as the film goes along, but it takes a long time. I love that this Riddler is essentially re-imagined to be a radicalized 4 Chan incel , which feels very relevant for today. Still, we know very little about Batman by the end of it (besides his brooding indie rockstar behavior), which is mostly due to the general lack of Bruce Wayne in the film. Batman cannot be interesting without a good Bruce Wayne accompanying him. That's nothing against Robert Pattinson, he's very good in it, but the writing for his character is very one note. As a film, it would've benefitted a lot from a deeper dive into his psyche, because the emotional arc of his character doesn't feel earned by the end.
Still, these issues could easily be fixed in a sequel, it's a good enough foundation for a series of great Batman films.
7/10
A potentially great film being held hostage by its PG-13 rating and its messy, all over the places screenwriting.
By PG-13 I don't simply mean its visuals/goriness, but most importantly its dialogues, themes, and storytelling it tries to raise. Let me explain.
First, the dialogues.
The film opens with murder and Batman narrating the city's anxious mood. We get a glimpse of noir in this scene, but it soon falls flat due to a very uninteresting, plain, forgettable choice of words Batman used in his narration. Mind you, this is not a jab at Pattinson - Pattinson delivered it nicely. But there is no emotion in his line of words - there is no adjectives, there is no strong feelings about how he regards the city full of its criminals.
Here's a line from the opening scene. "Two years of night has turned me to a nocturnal animal. I must choose my targets carefully. It's a big city. I can't be everywhere. But they don't know where I am. When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning to them. Fear... is a tool. They think I am hiding in the shadows. Watching. Waiting to strike. I am the shadows." Okay? Cool. But sounds like something from a cartoon. What does that tell us about you, Batman?
Compare this to a similar scene uttered by Rorschach in Watchmen. "The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood. And when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. All those liberals and intellectuals, smooth talkers... Beneath me, this awful city, it screams like an abattoir full of retarded children, and the night reeks of fornication and bad consciences." You can say that Rorschach is extremely edgy (he is), but from that line alone we can tell his hatred towards the city, and even more so: his perspective, his philosophy that guides him to conduct his life and do what he does.
Rorschach's choice of words is sometimes verbose, but he is always expletive and at times graphic, making it clear to the audience what kind of person he is. Batman in this film does not. His words are always very safe, very carefully chosen, which strikes as an odd contrast to Pattinson's tortured portrayal of Batman as someone with a seemingly pent up anger. His choice of words is very PG-13 so that the kids can understand what Batman is trying to convey.
And this is not only in the opening scene. Throughout the film, the dialogues are written very plainly forgettable. It almost feels like the characters are having those conversations just to move the plot forward. Like that one encounter between Batman and Catwoman/Selina when she broke into the house to steal the passport or when Selina asked to finish off the "rat". They flow very oddly unnatural, as if those conversations are written to make them "trailer-able" (and the scenes indeed do appear on the trailer).
Almost in all crucial plot points the writers feel the need to have the characters to describe what has happened, or to explictly say what they are feeling - like almost every Gordon's scene in crime scene, or Selina's scene when she's speaking to Batman. It feels like the writers feel that the actors' expression just can't cut it and the audience has to be spoonfed with dialogues; almost like they're writing for kids.
Second, the storytelling.
Despite being a film about vengeance-fueled Batman (I actually like that cool "I'm vengeance" line) we don't get to see him actually being in full "vengeance" mode. Still in the opening we see Batman punching some thugs around. That looks a little bit painful but then the thugs seem to be fit enough to run away and Batman let them be. Then in the middle of the film we see Batman does something similar to mafias. Same, he just knocked them down but there's nothing really overboard with that. Then eventually in the car chase scene with the Penguin, Batman seem to be on "full rage mode", but over... what? He was just talking to Penguin a moment ago. The car chase scene itself is a bit pointless if not only to show off the Batmobile. And Batman did nothing to the Penguin after, just a normal questioning, not even harsher than Bale's Batman did to Heath's Joker in The Dark Knight - not in "'batshit insane' cop" mode as Penguin put it.
Batman's actions look very much apprehensive and controlled. Nothing too outrageous. Again, at odds with Pattinson's portrayal that seem to be full of anger; he's supposed to be really angry but somehow he still does not let his anger take the best of him. The only one time he went a bit overboard that shocked other characters is when he kept punching a villain near the end of the film. But even then it's not because his anger; it's because he injected some kind of drug (I guess some adrenaline shot). A very safe way to drop a parent-friendly message that "drug is bad, it can change you" in a PG-13 film.
And all that supposed anger... we don't get to see why he is angry and where his anger is directed at. Compare this to Arthur Fleck in Joker where it is clear as sky why Arthur would behave the way the does in the film. I mean we know his parents' death troubled him, but it's barely even discussed, not even in brief moments with Alfred (except in one that supposedly "shocking" moment). So... where's your vengeance, Mr. Vengeance? And what the hell are you vengeancing on?
Speaking of "shocking" moment... this is about the supposed Wayne family's involvement in the city's criminal affairs that has been teased early in the film. Its revelation was very anticlimactic: the supposed motive and the way it ended up the way it is, all very childish. If the film wanted the Wayne to be a "bad person", there's a lot of bads that a billionaire can do: tax evasion, blood diamond, funding illegal arms trade, fending off unions, hell, they can even do it the way the Waynes in Joker did it: hints of sexual abuses. But no, it has to be some bloody murder again, and all for a very trivial reason of "publicity". As if the film has to make it clear to the kids: "hey this guy's bad because he killed someone!" Which COULD work if the film puts makes taking someone's life has a very serious consequence. But it just pales to the serial killing The Riddler has done.
Even more anticlimactic considering how Bruce Wayne attempted to find a resolve in this matter only takes less than a 5 minute scene! It all involves only a bit of dialogues which boils down to how Thomas Wayne has a good reason to do so. Bruce somehow is convinced with that and has a change of heart instantly, making him looks very gullible.
And of course the ending is very weak and disappointing. First, Riddler's final show directly contradicts his initial goal to expose and destroy the corrupt elites. What he did instead is making the lives of the poor more difficult, very oxymoron for someone supposed to be as smart as him.
Second, the way Batman just ended up being "vengeance brings nothing and I should save people more than hurting people" does not get enough development to have him to say that in the end. Again - where's your vengeance? And how did you come to such character development if nothing is being developed on? And let's not get to how it's a very safe take against crime and corruption that closely resembles Disney's moralistic pandering in Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
Last, the visuals.
I'm not strictly speaking about gore, though that also factors in the discussion. The film sets this up as a film about hunting down a serial killer. But the film barely shows how cruel The Riddler can be to his victims. Again, back to the opening scene: we get it, Riddler killed the guy, but it does not look painful at all as it looks Riddler just knocked him twice. The sound design is very lacking that it does not seem what The Riddler done was conducted very painfully. Riddler then threw away his murder weapon, but we barely see blood. Yet when Gordon arrived to the crime scene, he described the victim as being struck multiple times with blood all over. What?
Similarly, when Riddler forced another victim to wear a bomb in his neck. The situation got pretty tense, but when the bomb eventually blow off, we just got some very small explosion like a small barrel just exploded, not a human being! I mean I'm not saying we need a gory explosion with head chopped off like in The Boys, but it does not look like what would happen if someone's head got blown off. Similarly when another character got almost blown off by a bomb - there's no burnt scar at all.
Why the hell are they setting up those possibly gory deaths and scars if they're not going to show how severe and painful these are? At least not the result - we don't need to see blood splattered everywhere - just how painful the process is. Sound design and acting of the actors (incl. twitching, for example) would've helped a lot even we don't see the gore, like what James Franco did in The 127 Hours or Hugh Jackman in Logan. In this film there's almost no tense at all resulting from those.
I'm not saying this film is terrible.
The acting, given the limited script they had, is excellent. Pattinson did his best, so did Paul Dano (always likes him as a villain), Zoe Kravitz, and the rest. Cinematography is fantastic; the lighting, angle, everything here is very great that makes a couple of very good trailers - perhaps one could even say that the whole film trades off coherency for making the scenes "trailer-able". The music is iconic, although with an almost decent music directing. And I guess this detective Batman is a fresh breath of air.
But all that does not make the movie good as in the end it's still all over the places and very PG-13.
Especially not with the 3 hours runtime where many scenes feel like a The Walking Dead filler episode.
If you're expecting a Batman film with similar gritty, tone to The Dark Knight trilogy or Joker, this film is not for you. But if you only want a live-action cartoon like pre-Nolan Batmans or The Long Halloween detective-style film, well, I guess you can be satisfied with this one.
Started out alright, a bit different from usual Marvel movies. Continued to be alright, though definitely had its issues, but then the third act turned into a generic, uninspiring superhero movie. I liked Florence Pugh as Yelena, and I think she'll be good in the MCU going forwards. I was never particularly a fan of the Black Widow character, and I always felt that she was a bit out of place in the main Avengers line-up (same with Hawkeye). I'll feel the same if Yelena is put into that role, but at least she seems to have a bit more charm/sass to her that I think I'd rather have. I had mixed feelings about David Harbour's character. On one hand, I quite liked him, and I found him amusing. But I was annoyed that he was only ever used as comic relief and never really got a moment to shine. A lot of the action in this movie feels quite silly, and the main characters have really ridiculous plot armour, surviving horrible car wreck after car wreck. It makes sense when someone like Captain America survives these situations, but when a regular woman with literally zero super powers or physical enhancements survives, it's downright annoying. It's a superhero movie, I get it, it's not supposed to be over the top realistic. But this was just too much.
Overall, the movie wasn't a bad way to spend two hours. It was alright, and it's nice to see the Black Window character get her own movie as a sendoff. Just don't expect anything more than a generic action flick.
In Captain Marvel, I didn’t like the main character, but I thought the movie around her was quite solid.
Black Widow is the exact opposite: I quite liked the two leads, but the movie surrounding them doesn’t really work.
Pros:
- Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh are easily the most entertaining part of the film.
- I liked the first act. It feels like Cate Shortland is trying to do an impression of a Jason Bourne movie. It’s fairly humourless, the cinematography is bleak, and the score is intense. It has a tone that no other MCU film has.
- The action (minus the final battle) is fairly well done. As per usual, less editing would’ve made it better, but at least it feels weighty.
Cons:
- The story itself isn’t that interesting. The themes and main mcguffin are oddly similar to Captain Marvel, though it’s not executed as well. The villains also fail to make an impression.
- This movie really loses its identity as it goes along, to the point where it turns more into a generic Marvel movie as it goes on, and eventually a generic action blockbuster by the third act. Everything gets way too big and bloated for its own good.
- Not a fan of the Russian accents, they sound very tacky. Just let everyone speak with a normal American accent, I can look past the fact they’re Russians. Besides, they even had a story based reason to ditch the Russian accents entirely.
- I found David Harbour quite cringeworthy in this.
- The main characters are protected by strong plot armour. Most characters should’ve been killed 3-4 times based on the things that happen during the action scenes. This isn’t even a ‘suspend your disbelief, it’s an action movie’ situation, it gets really ridiculous, to the point where it’s almost Fast and Furious level.
- The pacing is a bit inconsistent, you really feel it slowing down during the second act.
Finally, I want to address that I already find the use of Nirvana songs in movies like these quite distasteful, but the cover that's used during the credits literally sucked all the life out of the song.
4.5/10
Not only is Endgame the most ambitious movie Marvel has made, but it also is the grandest. Even more so than Infinity War. No other movie can utilise the emotional ties that have been embedded within our hearts over the build of 11 years. And boy does it use them well. Stringing together scene after scene of nothing but impactful tension in the third act. But this doesn't leave the other two boring or bland. It allows these parts to build off of the aftermath of Infinity War. Never once was I bored, or felt like I was sitting there for three hours. For the action is no letdown, lovely dynamics are interwoven for a fantastic spectacle.
I don't want to say much, but it is hands down the best Marvel can offer. It is not Infinity War, Part II. It's something much better, the true culmination of everything and I do mean everything. The fan service here is through the roof and done so damn creatively. Not one thing feels hammered into the story. Even some major elements in its plot stem from the smallest details of previous movies I would have never seen coming. Taking even lesser liked fragments and stringing them into a more meaningful poetic story than the original movie would have ever told.
Using style and grace to tell this bold epic is strong with this movie. Gone are the golds and purples of Infinity War. And in comes a bleak atmosphere with hope lingering yet far. Visual storytelling is a bit lacking, but that is not what you come here to expect. You have been supported with all the exposition you need in previous movies. Since this is the case, it must be judged as a singular part of a series.
The themes in this movie are unity, utilisation, and more importantly; revelation. Kevin Feige has given this movie a lot to work with through these themes and has finally made his magnum opus.
Yes, there are a few hiccups. But that's to be expected. Captain Marvel was not given her full potential again sadly. But worked well with what was given. There is an amazing moment within the third act that truly gives her and a certain cast of characters time to shine. Plus the time it takes to leave out is a bit jarring. Not to mention, that to me Thanos seemed less threatening than in Infinity War because of something that happens. Still great impact by Josh Brolin of course.
Everyone will cry. Everyone will laugh. Everyone will leave sad yet satisfied with this amazing conclusion to the MCU so far. It's no Dark Knight, but then again, that was more drama than superhero epic. But this is modern hero gold. Here is the Holy Grail of superhero cinema.
9.6/10
8/10 After second viewing - Hype obviously had its hands around my neck I admit. Review doesn't meet my current thoughts about the film
Check here for my rankings on the MCU:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/my-mcu-rankings?sort=rank,ascCheck here for my 2019 movie rankings that I've seen:
https://trakt.tv/users/corruptednoobie/lists/best-to-worst-2019-movies-so-far?sort=rank,asc
The flaws of the previous sequel are more readily apparent here as the focus shifts to the “real” world which is populated largely with uninteresting characters that were poorly developed in the previous film. As before, the film is stronger when it focuses on what is going on in the Matrix and Neo’s own struggle to understand his role and the fallout from his discoveries. It is a shame then that most of the plot centers around a large scale assault on Zion that quickly becomes tiresome as characters who we care little about face off against an overload of CGI machines that really needed cutting down. That the film grinds to a halt in its biggest action sequence says a lot about how badly thought through this part of the film was and without the juxtaposition of scenes within the Matrix that made the “real” world sequences bearable in the last film, it never really recovers from it, even if it does improve slightly as it shifts its focus back to Neo. It doesn’t help that whereas in the last film plots elements from the “real” world were rushed, here it’s the elements related to the development of the Matrix that feel rushed and forgotten about for large parts of the film which make the final sequence difficult to care about. It’s not unwatchable by any means, but as the culmination of a trilogy it can’t help but disappoint.
I just stepped out of the theatre and I'm ready to write this review for you all. So, let me start off by saying, this movie is nothing like the other Star Wars movies. I was expecting something like Rogue One, but as soon as they started making jokes I knew it was going to be something different. I liked it though, I did. It was action packed, quite funny and a bit romantic. I dig it. The action scenes were probably my favourite thing about this movie, those were very well done.
Alden Ehrenreich did Han Solo proud. I didn't really know the actor before this, but he's good! Sometimes it almost felt like I was listening to Harrison Ford. It was great to see him and Chewbacca together en find out how their relationship started in the first place. I really enjoyed seeing them bonding and all that. Woody Harrelson never ceases to amaze me, to be honest. He is a brilliant actor if you ask me. I felt like his character stayed a bit in the background throughout the movie but I think Tobias Beckett sure made an impact on Han. Talking about making an impact, let talk about Qi'Ra (probably the coolest way to write Kyra). First off, I adore Emilia Clarke. I think she's a great actress and she's absolutely gorgeous. I had to get used to the idea of her in a space movie but she did very well. Her character is still a bit of a blur, to be honest, but I think Qi'Ra could be an interesting character to explore further. Donald Glover as Lando is perfectly cast. They truly did a great job. My brother said, "I thought he was the son of the original Lando". I think when people say that, you've done a pretty great job. I liked L3 as well, she was a bit much sometimes but she brought some humour to the movie.
Overall it sure was a fun movie to watch. It all looked very beautiful and the special effects were great. The only thing that bothered me was some of the creatures they created. I think they could've been "more real". I don't know if that makes sense, but maybe you notice it too when you're watching the movie. It could also just be me, I don't know, it confuses me a bit. I really liked getting a glimpse of Chewbacca's story and a closer look at the Millenium Falcon. That's one great ship with way too many buttons, isn't it?
I enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story and I'm going to rate it with a solid 7. I'm pretty sure there's more where this movie came from so I will be waiting patiently till then.
If you love Deadpool 1, you WILL be disappointed! But otherwise . Good movie on its own
Unless you are a fanboy(i mean this without being rude). its ok if you personally love it. But yes it is not as funny as Deadpool 1, full stop.
Deadpool 1 had a simple plot a simple storyline, simple budget. And so they killed it in writing, the jokes 4th wall breaks were off the chart. It was character driven story.
Deadpool 2 is a plot driven story. and the plot is just weak. The plot center is this kid Russell who is not well written and turns out to be annoying and not worth it honestly. But to each his own I guess.
Deadpool himself kills it and tries to carry it throughout. If you can love the movie solely on that. You will enjoy it.
Lot of jokes may not pander to international audience easily. I had hard time understanding few lines. But I can imagine they are funny. Will see it again with references
Cable was good, but underused in my opinion. I was expecting him to blow Deadpool's mind and imagining them to be each other's throat throughout the film.
That does not happen. The plot shifts. Cable joins deadpool. actually saves him in the end. while the villain is juggernaut. xmen 3 last stand memories anyone??
I saw DP1 again recently before seeing DP2 and I was laughing out loud at most stuff and the movie kept me hooked. DP2 does not do that. There are scenes in which I was waiting for things to move along.
It also suffers from the "trailer" effect. You know where you have seen most jokes and cool stuff in the trailer itself. And then in the movie you expect more but end up with nothing.
One awesome joke I found in trailer was Deadpool saying to Domino that YESS XFORCE IS DERIVATIVE!! . They cut it for some reason. He simply ignores her and says NO ONE ASKED FOR UR OPININON PETER. I mean why??
Some humor felt forced dare i say. I mean too much MCU and DC remarks.
but some humor really kicked ass.
In short I may not want to see it again on theaters. Deadpool 1 I could have seen it over and over agian.
Many people may disagree. I write this objectively.
Good Luck.
UPDATE:
went for it the second time. (because i had time to kill and i was nearby).
i do not want to redact anything. i stick by my comments and score. "you can enjoy this. but not as good as dp1"
there are lot of referential humour instead of contextual ones so some jokes will be hard to understand as i said before.
Initial Reaction
After two viewings
The Good
• Deadpool himself is as funny as ever. Ryan Reynolds keeps up a fantastic performance and really gives it his all.
• Cable is also really good. Josh Brolin, despite being in many movies this year. Has given a great performance.
• Jokes are really funny when they hit, and they hit hard.
• Secondary characters are also really well done. Some anyway. More on that, below in the spoilers
• It has a true charm to it. Making it more distinct than the first. But not outshining it.
• The action was on point. The director really knows how to capture a great fight scene, and there are plenty here to enjoy and marvel at.
• Villain. This point is actually a fairly good one, but also has spoils. So read below if you really want to know. What I can say is that Ajax is nowhere near as memorable compared to the bad guys here.
• The amount of balls this movie has. It just does things, I would never expect them to do. The first movie gave us shocks at what they could say and show. Now they just go and toy with that to the next level. And I loved it.
The Bad
• Plot. It's not the best. It's also not that simple. The first Deadpool was very straightforward even with the time jumps. Here, it's a bit of a mess. Not to mention it's kind of a rip off of T2. But it acknowledges this at least
• Some jokes don't quite land. They reuse some of the same lines from the first movie, and it feels as if it really is lazy writing. As far as it seems, they are trying to make Deadpool's catchphrases more clear. But to me, it was just annoying.
• The jokes seem to build off the story in this. Whereas the first one felt more improvisational and made it seem like the plot revolved around the humour. Here it just seemed like the comedy was slotted into this action film. But it's not all that bad, just let down the overall tone of the movie.
• CGI is actually pretty bad. It's so distracting, it takes away from the comedy they try to sprinkle over it.
• Wade. He is focused on more than the first. And I just didn't like how they were trying to go about it.
• Along with the focus on Wade, the emotional scenes don't mix that well with the comedy like they did in the first.
Other Things
• You're going to want to stick around for the mid-credit sequences. They are some of the best ever in a Marvel movie, and in movies in general.
• There are two mid-credit scenes (almost back-to-back) and no end-credit scenes.
Spoiler Things
• The X-Force joke is so damn good that I can forgive the lack of build in the team up until the very humorous end. Again such a great ballsy move. Props to the studio.
• The villains in this movie, aren't really present in terms of villains. The first Deadpool had a villain, he had to beat him. Done. This sets it up to be all about Cable, but it actually gives us villains that turn out to be the same as Wade. Which is great for a Deadpool movie to show anti-heroes having a connection with the villains they are fighting.
Conclusion
DP2 is not better than the first. It lacks the simplicity and catchy humour that it had. But, it does grab onto you and takes you on a ride that is not as funny, but is just as enjoyable than the original. I don't see it being as rewatchable like the first. But as its own movie, it holds itself up for a fun experience, wonderful character portrayals, and a damn good time.
Is Marvel just going to keep increasing the comedy value?
How much is enough?
Thor Ragnarok is a comedy action movie, or simply put ->
https://i.imgur.com/OqUYCJX.png
| FIRST THOUGHT |
Take Thor, mix it with Hulk.
Put your hand on the "comedy" button, press it and never release it.
It's this movie.
And it doesn't actually stop, throughout the entire time. You can't quite figure out how much it takes itself seriously. And it's so goddamn good.
Before you go on about and watch it, you need to put yourself in a spectrum where you're going to enjoy senseless beating and constant, crispy comedy.
It is definitely worth watching. It is worth your time, your money and putting on clothes to get out of your home. (Or just do it like me, I never put on clothes.)
| STORY & ACTORS |
Well, what can be said about the story on a Marvel movie?
However you want to put it, it's actually nothing so special, there's obviously no level of "deepness" to it. It's very linear, of course, with a happy ending - Although I have to admit, very enjoyable.
It's structured for the sole purpose of starting what is going to be the actual, gigantic movie: Infinity War - while closing down the history and settling the character of Thor for good. (Much better than what they did with Iron Man)
I think Marvel, with this one, truly captured the perfect combination of "comedy" and "action" to it's MCU. Sorting out everything that lacked in the second installment of "Guardians of Galaxy".
The comedy was throughout really enjoyable, it was predictable, but we can't pretend much of it - it's classical "Thor & Hulk" memes.
The story also doesn't hold to a very interesting villain. It's really unfortunate because of Hela's position in the comics, but at the same time I can understand what the movie wanted to speak about, so I really cannot be as frustrated as I did with other movies. cough*Wonder Woman*cough
It does, at the same time, bring up new, fun characters (To the MCU). Korg (voice acted by also director Taika Waititi) was an absolute blast and pure enjoyment at everything he said. It can come out as pathetic or annoying, but that just means that you shouldn't watch superhero movies.
I can't talk enough about comedy without entering the realm of "acting", and in doing so, eventually to the actors.
/I will only "in-depth note" some of the actors\
I'll say this, and it took me SIX movies to finally agree and accept it: Chris Hemsworth brought Thor to a level as high as Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Jackman did with both Iron-Man and Wolverine. I can't "unsee" a Thor that isn't Chris Hemsworth, and this movie put on that thought the final stone.
He showed passion to a character that ended up developing itself positively in barely 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Mark Ruffalo, boy, they finally made him lose that terrifying, horrible gloomy attitude of the Avengers movie. He finally embraced his nature, and so Mark had more room to depict a promising version of Bruce Banner.
Cate Blanchett was disintegrated by the flatness of how they shaped Hela. The villain was disregarded and had no soul. It was just big talk, terrible powers, besides being a Charlie's Angel and ultimately she didn't show anything positive for the movie, except some stuff you will need to see.
Tessa Thompson was a FANTASTIC Brunnhilde. She portrayed that character to a point where the seconds passed and I loved her more and more. I can really say nothing more or add to it, just watch her.
I won't talk about how the Hulk acted because you need to see it first-hand. He's the big star here, remember, this is Hulkhor: Ragnasmask.
Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster is fucking weird, man... Weirdly good?
| CINEMATOGRAPHY |
Here's where it gets interesting.
There's a load of color combinations that I found soothing, very soothing and that is perfect because it brings out from the screen the variety and SATURATION of what this movie actually is. The palettes were perfect.
I found the CGI, in some of the action/fighting scenes to be lacking a little bit, especially in very fast-paced shots it looked very unrealistic. And the same can be said about everything, to the brittle of walls getting destroyed, to some of the weapons portrayed.
I don't actually know what happened there, maybe I was too focused on it and eventually could see past the CGI (which is a big mistake to make), but unless you are actively trying to do so it's really minor.
Choreographies, I was actually impressed. The past "Thor" movies were just a bunch of "tank & spank" moves. Fortunately, this wasn't entirely the case, near the end, it lacked a bit, but it's not very noticeable considering everything that's going on.
Music, there was distinct moment where it went from a more classical route to then being mixed out with a more electronic feel, it was a really hearing stimulating oxymoron, so to speak.
I will never get tired of The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.
| FINAL THOUGHT |
All things considered, if we're about to take this logically...
The pros definitely beat the cons in this one.
It is, on that thought, WORTH A WATCH.
And I'll add something that might stir up some grunt:
My official "favorite MCU movie" has changed.
Movie: 8/10
Hulk: 11/10
Note that all of this is driven by my personal opinion. If I wasn't objective in some of the parts of what I've written, you're welcome to make me notice where.
Leave a comment to agree or disagree.
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Peace.
Unlike most Marvel movies, the interactions between characters were actually memorable. When Strange scoffs at the ancient one's chakra "nonsense" she kicks him out of his body. It's an awesome "welcome to the Matrix"-style intro to a mystical world. This movie is The Matrix plus Inception + the Marvel universe in the best possible way. This introduction to the multiverse sets the tone of the movie, and it carries through to the very end.
The special effects were phenomenal. The CGI sequences were more interesting in a visual sense and more artistic than most recent Marvel CGI scenes. It's nice to see something besides exploding buildings/spaceships/robots. The introduction to the multiverse was the most striking sequence. The universe made out of hands and his transition through a portal formed from his own retina were merely highlights of this delightful montage. Fight scenes were well choreographed, especially when focused around the folding world.
The hero characters were all interesting. The ancient one is dealing with the devil to try to help the human race. The baron feels conflicted about the means used to protect the planet. The likeable Dr. Strange goes through a pretty major transition from narcissist to hero. On the opposing side, the enemies were generic. Mads & co were from the common "we want power from the evil thing that destroys everything it touches, but it won't hurt us!" variety.
My favorite character was the cape! It had so much personality, and its scenes were a nice mixture of comedy and practicality.
I hope the Thor+Strange crossover feels more like this than any of the Thor movies.
Overall, this was quite entertaining and solid addition to the Marvel universe.
As a big marvel fan i first was very sceptical about this movie, could it be as good as they promised? My answer is yes and this could be a start of something beautiful. Actionpacked from beginning to end with an outstanding cast and in particular Tom Hiddleston as Loki is unforgettable. Also Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner delivers. All of the origin stories were already made so they didn't need to introduce all of the characters what really helped keeping the movie at rollercoaster speed. Josh whedon really did a good job keeping the story watchable with so much going on but you never get lost in the story. Special effects are one word "wow" especially the Hulk as he unleashes destruction all around him. The epic fight between the Hulk and Thor also unforgettable and without any spoilers the climax of the film in new york city is amazing. By reading reviews on other sites i was stunned how many people gave the movie a bad review because of the bad acting, bad story and all of the cliches it has. People it's loosely based on marvel comics, without the cliches there wouldn't be marvel, yeah there are good guys and bad guys, yeah it lacks emotion but do we want to see that in this kind of movie? And yeah the story is about a villain that wants world domination. Get over it and just enjoy a great superhero movie, and just can't wait to see part 2 age of ultron.
Fun movie!
As a comic book fan (and long-time reader/collector), I appreciated the nods to the comic version of the character, but like they did with all the other Marvel Cinematic Universe characters who've appeared on screen so far, the story is original and I think it can be followed and enjoyed by those who know nothing about Ant-Man before the movie starts.
I won't post any spoilers, but I will say I was satisfied how this character fits into the rest of the MCU and really enjoyed the special effects. The filmmakers did a good job of poking fun at some of the ridiculousness of tiny people fighting each other without it actually detracting from the story. The movie keeps a real sense of humor, which is one of the things I enjoy most about the Marvel movies. I'm interested to see how and what role Ant-Man will play in "Captain America: Civil War" next year.
Paul Rudd does a great job and is actually believable as a title character in an action film, (he's really come a long way from Clueless, huh?) and I love that bigger-name actors like Michael Douglas are all getting on board with these superhero movies. Evangeline Lilly, who already proved she can do action with the "Hobbit" movies, gets to kick some butt in this movie as well. I don't know anything about Corey Stoll, but he makes a pretty good bad guy.
Marvel seems to have figured out how to handle movies like this (ones where most of the mainstream audience knows little-to-nothing about the character.) Put them after most, if not all, the HUGE blockbuster movies of summer, but make them so fun that word-of-mouth will get people to come out. It worked with Guardians of the Galaxy last year, and I think it'll work with Ant-Man this year. For what it's worth, I liked Ant-Man better. I'd give this movie 3 out of 4 stars.
To the best of my recollection, no show has dealt with a major character death as well as this episode of Halt and Catch Fire.
Of the 5 principle characters (Joe, Gordon, Cameron, Donna, and Boss), it's safe to say that no character is as beloved as Gordon. He is hard working, genuine, and deeply care about people around him. He raises the bar for others to emulate. In my opinion, he's more responsible for bringing positive transformations for other 4 characters than anyone else.
All untimely death of a beloved character is filled with regrets. Haley is no doubt the most impacted. In the next remaining episodes, we will see how others will pickup the pieces, work toward healing each other, and bring "re-launch" into fruition in honor of Gordon.
Halt and Catch Fire is always beautifully shot, and unexpected lens flare in the middle of the episode was particularly effective (and I speak as someone who is sick and tired of lens flare tricks). It really stood out as something oddly unusual, foreshadowing Gordon's flashback later on.
The clash between Donna and Joe was my second favorite scene in the episode. In this final season, Joe has been the surprise understanding voice, always patient, always listening, and caring. He lost some of his composure with Donna, but the clash brought honesty and start the process of bringing Donna back into the circle.
And finally, Bos. His relationship with Cameron has always been very special. They fill much needed void they longed for. In a way, all five principle characters in Halt and Catch Fire are after filling a void. Donna falsely let her her ambitions take over, in a pursuit of filling her void. To Gordon, it has always been about family and friends. And Joe has realized the same by working with Gordon and Haley, bringing immense peace.
Silicon Valley is and has been that second wave California Gold Rush. At one point or another, all five principle characters got that piece of gold. But their dream is something else.
After somewhat slow start of this final season (amplified by the fact that first two episodes ran back-to-back), Halt and Catch Fire is back with full throttle.
This episode has a lot of heart. All 4 principals, Cameron, Donna, Gordon, and Joe are all decent people.
Equipped with immense talents, they are all haunted by desires to build something, ultimately proving themselves from their demons.
We all know where the show is heading. These four well-meaning people are awesome individually, but they clash with spectacular results when they cross each other's path. This time around, there is a lot more is at stake.
For Donna and Gordon, their daughters. And let's not forget that Gordon is not well, so I am sure his health will soon be an issue.
For Cameron and Joe, their inner demons, slowly boiling but never far from the point of eruption.
This episode sets things up in perfect motion with fantastic performances all around. Many memorable lines. Special kudos to Susanna Skaggs and Kathryn Newton for their awesome portrayal of Haley and Joanie.
