The very end was a little goofy. What happened to Grace is Cal’s fault. He even told Angelina where the extra key to the house was.
Much better than the season premiere. Yet I am still missing Ralph. Grant Gustin even blocked me on Instagram just for saying they should at least replace Ralph.
This episode is better than it has a right to be. Since the show isn’t as good as it once was. Feels like the show should end soon.
Bloodsport: “Nobody likes a showoff.”
Peacemaker: “Unless what they showing off is dope as fuck.”
James Gunn recently said in an interview that he finds superhero movies “mostly boring” right now. Anything ranging from safe and boring or technically well-made but disposable, at best. Gunn received at bit of heat from fans for those remarks, but in some sense, he’s not wrong. Because sometimes following the same formula will eventually wear fin and more risk taking needs to happen.
And here we have ‘The Suicide Squad’, the soft reboot to the 2016 film, but this time directed by Gunn himself, where he delivers a highly entertaining movie that is bursting with creativity and ultra-violence. James Gunn once again shakes up the superhero formula with a slick style. I’m just glad DC is finally letting directors have a voice and a vision, and I hope it stays like that.
The first 10-15 minutes tells you exactly what the movie is going to be.
I just can't believe we got something like this. It's 2 hours and 12 minutes long, but it's always on the move. It’s bonkers from start till finish, and I enjoyed every minute of it. This is probably one of the best shot movies in the DCU. The soundtrack is great as well and used effectively. The action scenes were insane and made the overall experience one of the most fun I had at the cinema in a long time.
A massive improvement over the 2016 film, AKA ‘the studio cut’, is that the movie doesn’t look ugly and isn’t chopped together by trailer editors. The movie is vibrant in colours that made it look pleasing to the eye. The structure at times is messy, and yet strangely well-paced, as there’s a lot going on.
Did I mention the movie is very gory? It’s cartoonish violence, or what people call "adult superhero movie", so it's not for kiddies or for the faint of heart. You would probably guess that not everybody on the team is going to make it to the end credits, so deaths are to be expected, but how certain characters “bite the dust” are so unexpectedly gruesome and brutal, it took me by surprise each time. The marketing for the movie was right, don’t get too attached. As I said before, James Gunn had complete creative control over the movie, and he doesn’t hold back on what he wrote and show on screen. But then again, it's a movie, it's not real, the actors who die on screen are fine in real life...I think.
All the cast members have equal amount of time to shine, and you like these super villains this time around, as each character had wonderful chemistry with each other. John Cena plays Peacemaker, who can be best described as a “douchebag version of Captain America”. An extreme patriot who will do the most horrific things for liberty. John Cena excels in the deadpan line delivery for comedic effect, but surprisingly enough, worked well in the serious moments. Looking forward to the spin-off show ‘Peacemaker’.
Margot Robbie once again nails the role of the chaotic but gleeful Harley Quinn. While the character isn’t front and centre this time around, more of a side character, but whenever the character is on screen, it’s instantly memorable.
Idris Elba plays Bloodsport, a contract killer who’s doing time in prison after failing to kill Superman with a kryptonite bullet, while also dealing with family issues, especially with his daughter. While the character may sound like Will Smith’s Deadshot from the 2016 film, but trust me, the execution here is much stronger. This is by far Elba’s best work in a while. Charismatic and a strong leading presence.
Polka Dot Man, played by character actor David Dastmalchian, a socially awkward, weird, and lame sounding character that has some serious mummy issues, which has a funny running visual gag throughout. However, because of Gunn’s writing and Dastmalchian's performance, the character is more than a joke, but a unique character to watch.
Ratcatcher 2, played wonderfully by Daniela Melchior, who brought so much warmth and heart to the film. I loved how they tied in her tragic backstory into the finale, as it honestly made me cry. And let’s not forget the king himself, King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone. He stole every scene he’s in, because he’s so adorable and has such kind eyes, but when he’s hungry, he can be a killing machine.
The rest of the supporting cast, even in the smaller roles, still manage to stand out amidst all the chaos. I liked Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag a lot more this time around, because the actor was given more to work with in terms of good material. Viola Davis is brilliant as the cold and ruthless Amanda Waller. And Peter Capaldi is always a pleasure to see. Also, I like the character of Weasel, who I can describe as a unholy offspring of Shin Godzilla and Rocket Racoon. He may not be beautiful to look at, but he's beautiful to me.
Like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, the movie has a lot of heart and I like how they took certain characters, who on page sound stupid and ridiculous but are handled with such love and depth, while also being self-aware of its own characterization.
You can literally watch this as a standalone movie and you won’t be lost or confused, as you don’t need to watch 22 other movies to understand it. This is by far the strongest entry in this jumbled mess of a cinematic universe.
Overall rating: Nom-nom!
Welp. That was depressing and dark as fuck.
Talk about getting the Bad End.
But if this is a taste of what Multiverse of Madness is going to be like... Consider me even more hyped.
[7.7/10] I was so pleasantly surprised by this! I didn’t really know what to expect, with this being Marvel Studios’ first foray into animation and the high concept premise of the show. But I really enjoyed what we got.
For a while, I expected that this was really just going to be the plot of Captain America: The First Avenger except with Peggy slotted in rather than Steve. And that would still have been perfectly fun! Watching this show hit the same beats of that film, except with small but significant difference thanks to Captain Carter being in the role rather than Steve Rogers would have been worthwhile on its own.
For one thing, I like how this episode, as Agent Carter did, focuses on how even with her accomplsuhments, Peggy faces discrimination because of her gender. Of all the people for the MCU to bring back, it’s funny that it’s Bradley Whitford’s returning from the all-but forgotten Agent Carter one-shot. But he makes sense as someone who always thought too little of Peggy, stepping into a leadership role after Col. Phillips is shot, and creating an internal impediment.
To the same end, I like how the episode flips the dynamic with Peggy and Steve, but tshowing how they still understood one another and would bond with one another, even if their situations were changed. The two still falling in love, only to have Peggy making the heroic civilization-saving sacrifice play instead, is still heart-rending, and a nice sign that even as major things change, some things stay the same.
But I also liked the places where this episode goes off the reservation! Howard Stark building a proto-Iron Man suit for Steve Rogers called “The Hydra Stomper”? Yes please! Captain Carter saving Bucky, thereby avoiding the Winter Soldier situation (at least with him)? Hell yes. Her finding the tesseract and bringing it back to the good guys on an early mission? Awesome!
The further along the plot of First Avenger that this episode gets, the more it diverges and makes its own rules and own story, and I really appreciated that. Her team’s attack on Red Skull’s stronghold made for a rolokcing conclusion. I don’t know who Red Skull’s “champion” was. (Hive? A Chithuri?) But watching Peggy fight a giant squid monster while the Howling Commandos rescue Steve made for a killer conclusion.
I was especially impressed by the fight sequences here. I have to admit that I had some reticence about the cell-shaded graphics. In truth, the vocal tracks didn’t always sink perfectly. But the action was surprisingly fluid and well-staged. The show uses the freedom of animation to add greater flow to Captain Carter’s badassery, and some of the combat has a more impressionsitic style that makes it top tier MCU fisticuffs. Even the use of lighting and color in these fights stand out. Going into What If...? my biggest concern was the visuals, but they came through like gangbusters.
Overall, this was an exciting start to this new show and raised my expectations for What If...? to be more than a shiny lark, and instead be a meaningful exploration of what these changes in the path might look like.
This episode is alright. Not as strong as the others, but it's still fun. The action scenes are cool, and Loki and Sylvia's banter is fun to watch. Although I enjoyed them venturing down this planet , some scenes seem either too easy or like a waste of time. They could pay stuff off later, but I'm unsure.
Anyway, I'm still invested, but I'm not in as much suspense as I was in the previous two episodes. Wondering "who is this variant Loki?" and "where did they go?" is a lot more intriguing than "how will they survive?!" Like, I don't believe they'll die, or that they'll use character instead of plot convenience to get them out. We'll see.
SCORE: 7/10
There are a few eye rolling moments, but this episode is mostly... riveting.bahdum tching lol
Jokes aside... of all the DC shows, Legends of Tomorrow still has the winning formula with their satirical elixir. Sure, each episode is a hit or miss, but they manage to weld it all together, like a well oiled machine.
Ok, I'll stop, no need to hammer the point home.
Ok, so let me see if I got it clear:
Writers took seasons (meaning years) to let Lena (Kara's best friend) gets into the "Super friends" circle, but it magically just took William A DAY to get in??? Literally he just had to ask for. ARE YOU SERIOUS?
A reporter gets full access and knowledge of the tower, resources, strategies and the people of the circle because they need the "approval of public opinion".
Please tell me that I am not the only one who think how ridiculous and reckless sounds that.
Wrapping it up with the title "Captain America and the Winter Soldier" was a nice touch :)
I did not go into the second last episode thinking my emotions would be all over the place, but it made me go through a whirlwind of emotions. I got goosebumps from watching this episode.
It’s a perfect episode; while it may seem slow placed, a lot goes on, and there’s a lot of character development at play. I felt like I was watching a different show at times because there would be wholesome family vibes and not superhero vibes, and I'm not complaining; I enjoyed it.
The ending left me wanting more, and I can’t wait for the last episode.
PS- don't miss the mid-credit scene; it's fantastic.
Funny how most people think this is boring filler stuff, or even dislike the whole show, while I do like it more and more.
For me it seems this is the first time that Marvel puts substance over effects. There is an actually story involved instead of just knitting together CGI shots. Of course there is an agenda in all of this, there is no denying that. But I don't see this as a bad thing.
And I'm looking very much forward to the final episode now.
the ending holy shit, this series is so good
[8.0/10] Now that’s more like it! This episode felt fresher, more endearing, funnier, more pointed, and a better harbinger for interesting things to come than anything we got in the first episode. I wish Disney had released the first two at the same time, because it would have left me much more enthused about the show’s potential than the relatively staid first outing we got.
Let’s start with the easiest improvement. Sam and Bucky play off one another really well. The sheer fun and combativeness of their dynamic buoys every scene they share. Chemistry is a tricky thing. You can’t manufacture it. It just has to happen. And the repartee between Sam and Bucky shows that it’s there. Their playful banter, their brotherly spats with one another, the way each knows what the other’s deal is with neither of them having to say it, plays really well in this episode.
And it also has to be said -- the show is strongly hinting at them as a couple, which is intriguing. I don’t think Disney has the stones to go through with it, which tempers my expectations a bit. But the two of them have a cool-down scene mid-fight where one lands on top of the other. (Something the MCU did with Banner and Natasha in Age of Ultron, among the umpteen other places that trope has shown up.) They literally go through couples counseling together, at one point even doing the “gaze into each other’s eyes” exercise.
It’d be really interesting to see if part of the answer for Sam and Bucky coping with the void that Steve’s departure left in both of their lives would involve filling it in with one another romantically, not just platonically. But I imagine these coy hints will be as far as a Disney show is willing to go.
That said, even if the queer-bating is questionable, their back-and-forth is still enjoyable, and the substance behind it is strong. Bucky is frustrated that Sam gave the shield away. Sam wishes Bucky understood why he did what he thought was right. The former is freighted with Bucky’s guilt over his past actions and Steve seeing the good in him despite that, a good that’s jeopardized if Steve was wrong about Sam. And Sam’s choice is freighted with both the pressure to live up to a public figure like Captain America and the episode’s racial undertones.
That’s the next most interesting thing about “Star-Spangled Man.” I assumed that John Walker’s replacement Captain America would be a straightforward baddie, or at least a dope. Instead, the show adds real nuance to him as a foil for Sam and Bucky. The episode opens with things that endear him to us. He understands the moral responsibility of stepping in for Steve Rogers. He didn’t ask for this, but rather is the good soldier who just tried his best and wants to help people. He’s not explicitly racist himself, with a best friend who’s Black and a wife or girlfriend who’s a person of color. The episode paints him as a decent guy, trying to do his best, who’s not plainly a baddie.
And yet, he centers himself in the narrative. He wants to commandeer Falcon and The Winter Soldier not as partners, but as his wingmen. He thinks he’s doing them a favor, not simply helping them because assistance is what’s needed, when he leaps in for the fight with the Flagsmashers or he springs Bucky from prison. He asks them to follow his lead, expecting that they’ll owe him and act accordingly, and then tells them to stay out of his way when they refuse.
There’s some real nuance to that. John Walker is not a cross-burning racist. He may not even be racially-prejudiced in a meaningful sense. But he views himself as the center of this, instantly assumes leadership and expects deference, in a way that not only makes Sam and especially Bucky bristle, but which leaves him lacking in the collegial spirit that Steve Rogers embodied.
At the same time, there’s more explicit racism at play in the episode. Sam gets hassled by the cops until they realize he’s an Avenger, an interesting intersection between the hero worship that’s been a part of the MCU from the beginning and the whiff of respectability politics that’s only recently come to the fore. Bucky introduces Sam to Isiah, a black super soldier (Black Marvel?) who Winter Soldier tangled with, whose complaints of imprisonment, experimentation, and deception carry the air of Tuskegee. “The Star-Spangled Man” is subtle about these things, gesturing toward them rather than making them explicit, but that gives them more power than grand speeches or more ham-fisted dramatizations of these ideas would.
That just leaves the Flagsmashers, who are far more interesting this week than they were the last week. I still have some questions about the show positioning the villains as proponents of open borders last week, and this week they’re in favor of the conspiracy theorist’s worst fear/wet dream -- a one world government. But their wants and motivations feel way more compelling here than they did in the prior installment.
For one thing, their position isn’t as reductive as “We want things to be the way they were when half the world was effectively dead.” Instead, they feel like the government is favoring the people who returned at the expense of the people who survived. Some view them as modern day Robinhoods, reallocating vital resources to people who feel, ironically, left behind after the end of The Blip. Their sense of combatting the “GRC” -- a vague quasi-governmental organization to help refugees whose decisions and actions they disagree with -- is far more compelling as an M.O. than generic dudes in masks punching things in a flash mob.
But hey, the punching isn’t bad here! While you can see the seams in the CGI, and the action isn’t exactly smooth, the fight aboard two big rigs running in parallel at least makes for a creative and exciting set piece. The indications that the erstwhile villains are supersoldiers, with strength founded on the same formula that Steve and Isiah received, is a nice lead for Sam and Bucky to follow, and along with banter about the “Big Three” (Aliens, Androids, and Wizards), sets up plenty of interesting threads for the Falcon and the Winter Soldier to follow. (And that’s all before the Zemo tease.)
All in all, “The Star-Spangled Man” feels like an episode from a much more confident, entertaining, and depth-filled show. I hope the series continues that trajectory, and instead of reverting to the generics of last week, maintains this far more interesting course.
i don't give the CW much credit, but this was actually a damn good episode and Eclipso looks great, comic book accurate for once. can somebody please tell me why Beth is a member of the team, she is literally useless and adds nothing, she is a liability
So far my fears about this moving to the cw have been for not. First episode and it’s hasn’t been CW nized let’s hope the rest of season 2 stays on point.
A great fun episode, and Omega continues to be endearing with her endless optimism. Also delighted to see Rafa and Trace back and maybe now people will finally start to see how great they are!
Interesting ending moment, my first thought was Ahsoka but I guess that wouldn't make that much sense... would it?
The world needs a mask to go outside but Caitlin Snow does not need one to perform surgery
Ralph was in the previous episode and was written out to have never existed now I guess. I meanwhile miss Caitlin and Cisco. I can care less about Iris coming back from mirror world.
The show will suck if Tom Cavanagh left as well. As it was this wasn’t a memorable premiere. Without Cisco and Caitlin.
Spoiler Warning: Agnes: do you want to take it from the top ? Wanda looked nervous that Agnes knows what is going on. Great scene.
Plus Agnes probably killed the dog. I think Agnes is who Vision’s co-worker is afraid of, not Wanda.
Awesome 80’s like opening credits as well. Such an awesome episode. Quicksilver from the Fox X-Men movies. So weird.
I thought the fighting was pretty good. He sure does take a kicking though. Who the hell was that guy?
Might be my second favorite episode of the season, right after the explosion episode a few back. I loved the single location Naomi episode. The show really brought out her struggle after being out in space and now fighting for the survival of herself and her friends. I must get bit cocky, in that I also thought of her solution. Interrupt the broadcast, to notify others something is up. admittedly i didn't think of interrupting the message as a whole to make a new message .. rather, I thought about putting intervals between broadcasts that would translate to a SOS. .. hers is better.
After some of the big emotional beats that permeated all of last episode, Hawkeye decides to step back and focus on another character in particular this time around - specifically that of Yelena Belova, the standout from Black Widow this past summer and her experiences during and after The Blip. In fact, Natasha's ghost is felt throughout this entire episode, and while it's called "Ronin" it's clear that Jonathan Igla and his writing staff is more interested in how somebody like Barton became the Ronin rather then the persona itself. Grief has been a consistent theme throughout Phase 4 and here it's clear that grief, once again, is what propelled Clint to do what he did and continues to rule over his entire life. Both him and Maya are two sides of the same coin in that regard and their scene together (plus a great action beat) is an easy highlight here.
But yeah, this is Yelena's episode to lose, and her interactions with Kate are the easy standout here. Florence Pugh is great as per expected, and while this episode doesn't shine visually or even camerawork wise like some of the prior episodes it's got some strong writing. Really love Yelena's almost nonchalant attitude towards talking to somebody who was fighting her just a couple of hours prior, and her comedic timing is impeccable here. The reveal at the end is also a gamechanger, not just for the show itself with our new mastermind unveiled but also for the rest of the MCU as the possibilities of who can show up and when has officially changed - let me tell you, I nearly screamed. Top tier stuff once again from Marvel.
Was this the first on-screen POV from someone who went through the blip?
Are you having fun yet? I sure am. This was fantastic. Oh, and by the way everyone, this is how you create inclusion with diverse characters and stories. I could write paragraphs more on what they did with Echo and Clint's loss of his hearing aide.
Where the hell did her parents vanish to during the attack? She was yelling all throughout the house, and her mom just reappears right at the end. Lol.
(I know it doesn't matter, but I thought it was funny.)
That musical was actually kind of great; I wouldn't mind seeing more of it.
I went into this blind besides knowing Hawkeye is a superhero character. Also have heard of Kate Bishop but again, don't know much either.
First episode was pretty entertaining in my opinion. I was intrigued from the start to the end. Little confused at times such as when Kate started to kick ass (mostly) effortlessly. From an earlier scene, it was shown she has a martial arts background so I guess that's how. But I just felt it like a normal character who suddenly easily fight like a superhero.
There some funny moments too, mostly from Kate's lines and delivery.
Camera work was good especially during the cellar fight segment. Cool battle choreography during that and the last fight scene.
Don't know much about Hawkeye yet but he seems like he'll be a likeable character. Though I'm interested in Kate's character the most so far.
Definitely going to watch the next episode. Especially after that cliffhanger with Armand's possible death & Hawkeye & Kate meeting.
Some memorable scenes: the opening, bell tower, dog + pizza, cellar fight segment, rest of the episode.
The previous two episodes felt like solid contributions to the Star Wars canon. But this one was hard to swallow... So many issues with established lore on physics, lightsabers, kyber crystals, Force use and timelines that needed more explanation.
I don't like to use the term "plot hole", but this one asked way more questions of the Star Wars universe than it answered. It felt more like a story inspired by Star Wars than an actual Star Wars story.
So, we're just supposed to gloss over the fact that they were breathing and talking while outside their ship, in outer space ? And what about the fact he was standing on the outside of his X-wing while it engaged it's hyperdrive .... LOL
[9.5/10] Holy hell. This was incredible. I love that after A New Hope pulled a lot from classic Japanese films like Yojimbo and The Hidden Fortress, the franchise is coming full circle. Japanese artists are now translating the tropes of Star Wars back into a feudal Japan setting, and it could hardly be cooler.
The art here is just gorgeous. This is the most beautiful blend of 3D animation with 2D flourishes since Klaus. The choice to go black and white, with only electronic things like lightsabers, droid lights, and whistling birds appear in color creates a striking aesthetic. And the design choices are downright stunning, from straw-covered R2 units, to the force-sensitive combatants and their artistically-conceived hair and clothing, to vehicles, weapons, and whole species reimagined with an ancient Japanese flair.
The basic premise works just as well. The notion of a Sith warlord coming to harass a humble village, while a calm ronin springs into action to save the innocent from their oppressors, fits wonderfully into this new rendition of Star Wars. That’s no shock. Episode IV reinterpreted a number of standard ronin tropes into a space setting, and watching those tropes reabsorbed and remixed back into a feudal setting is a thrill.
The action here is top notch. This is one of the best lightsaber battles we’ve seen in ages, with stellar choices in the blocking, shot-selection, and choreography. I love the little choices like letting the “camera” focus on the Sith’s hood floating away in the wind while we only hear the sound of her clashing with the hero. There’s a real mood and atmosphere which adds to the epicness of the confrontation. Intensity in the pace, eye-catching poses, and clever shifts and ruses to get the upper hand all make this a stand out among Star Wars skirmishes.
I’m also a big fan of the texture to this one: little moments that don’t contribute that much to the fairly simple “story” but which add color and intrigue to the world the characters inhabit. A ten-year-old being the chief because his dad’s asleep or ran-off, the hunched tea-maker fixing the droid, the bounty hunters fighting back against the Sith are all little details, but make this world feel more alive and lived-in beyond the immediate story.
On the whole, this is one hell of a coming out party for Star Wars: Visions. I’ll confess, I’m not much of an anime afficionado. But “The Duel” is enough for even a relative neophyte like me to sit up and take notice.
love andrew garfield’s peace sign before disappearing :sob::sob::sob:
also MATT MURDOCK?? BRIC!!
2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021-12-31T23:59:59Z