Anyone else feel the movie suffered from a bit of "unfulfilled potential" in not really closing the full circle of its plot?
So much wow.
I'd wondered how this movie would manage to handle so many varied superheroes and their interactions. I'll just say here that: It works.
And now I'm going to be wondering for the next year: What the heck did Stephen see?
And why was Nick's unquestioning impulse to send a message to them/her?
I suspect we won't know much on those until the releases of Captain Marvel and Avengers 4.
Who else saw moments in which Magnifico looked a bit like Homelander?
My impression after just finally watching this...
First 40-45%: 4/10.
So many scenes felt clipped, rushed into the next, with not nearly enough connection to follow what was going on or why. Visually impressive, and I had the distinct impression that something big and interesting was going on, but I was very confused about what it was.
Last 55-60%: 7/10.
A little after we meet Sator, events started flowing somewhat more understandably. Still a bit confused here and there, but not as much. And the big ambitious sequences closer to the end were mostly well-executed (and in stunning detail), including some loopbacks that belatedly filled in some of the earlier-on confusion while completing the story well. Still not quite up to the greatness level the ads promised, IMO, but better.
I have the impression that a second watch would make more sense, in part due to some of the revelations near the end. My issue is that a second watch shouldn't be this necessary to get the story enough to appreciate it.
While I appreciate some degree of mystery and confusion up front that gets explained later on, that doesn't quite work any more when the confusion reaches a level that I don't understand why people are doing what they're doing.
I suspect that this would have been much better if given the additional time to flesh things out, especially the first half. Maybe as a limited series over four to six hours.
This is kinda like a two-episode prelude a few months before Day Seven. Perhaps not entirely necessary to watch and understand Day Seven, but the bit of background is definitely helpful.
That, and any excuse to watch Jack save some people and fight off an evil strike team is good enough for me.
Something about MJ standing firm, wielding that mace, seems worthy of an approving I-like-this-one look from Thor.