Just watched Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
I really liked it! I thought it was great. However, it is a pretty messy movie and incredibly fast paced. The characters in particular Wanda, who is absolutely fantastic, are what hold the movie up. After the first quarter the movie is wild all the way to the finish line and goes to places I absolutely wasn't expecting. They kept a tight wrap on the antagonist of the movie, but I thought the villain was great. Legitimately one of the MCU's best villains. There's also been a lot of talk of this being the MCU's first horror movie, and I can testify that it's true, for a good half of it, and what's there is pretty damn good.
The movie oozes Sam Raimi's style. There's a weird mix of legit horror and Evil Dead camp. The camera work especially is very reminiscent of Evil Dead and in certain moments Spider-Man. I would also like to give praise for the violence in this movie. This movie is pretty damn brutal. There are certain moments in the movie that really push the PG13 rating and that makes me very happy. Really gives me hope for what they could do with Deadpool 3 in the future. I can imagine kids getting nightmares after watching this.
The performances are great, especially Elizabeth Olsen who is fuckin' FANTASTIC in this. This in my opinion is her best performance in the MCU thus far. I also quite enjoyed Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, though I don't think her more emotional really hit because of the pacing in the movie, which is pretty lightspeed. I do want to see more of her in the future! There isn't enough time given to characters to really develop too much. As for fan service, it's definitely there, but I'm really glad that it wasn't just two hours of fan service. They did the right thing and showed just enough to keep you entertained without taking over the whole movie.
Again, I thought the movie was great, but the plot and certain characters aren't given enough time to properly develop. However, what character development there is, is really good in my opinion. The movie isn't overloaded with fan service which I like, it's pretty damn scary, there's a great villain and it pushes the PG13 rating which is always a fun time.
Of course there's one mid-credits scene and one after credits scene, so make sure to stay back for that lol.
MASSIVE SPOILERS
I can't believe Wanda is the villain of the movie holy shit. She is absolutely unhinged in this. She gets legitimately scary at points.
Holy shit, Anson Mount returned as Black Bolt and John Krasinski makes his appearance as Mr. Fantastic! Also Captain Carter! And Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel! And of course the great Patrick Stewart as Xavier once again!
Strange mentions that he'd heard of Reed going on an expedition in the 60's so it looks like that's how they'll introduce the F4 in the main universe, with them getting lost in time and coming back in modern day!
Holy fuck Black Bolt's death was BRUTAL! Seeing his head cave in was fuckin' horrifying, and then Mr. Fantastic turning into string cheese, and then Captain Carter getting cut in half, and then Captain Marvel being crushed to death, and finally Xavier getting his neck snapped.
It's insane seeing a character who's been a hero since 2015 go down such a dark path is absolutely heartbreaking and they do a great job of showing what kind of damage an Avenger could do if one of them turned bad.
Wanda seems to die at the end but I doubt that's the last we've seen of her, at least for now. If Wanda decides to turn good again it'll be a really long road to redemption because of how much damage she did.
So Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness was a smorgasbord of a wild movie.
Enjoyable, but not without its faults.
Just... wow.
This is a film that goes to a lot of different places in the multiverse, sets up (and brings back) a lot of cool elements from Marvel's past, and has an interesting horror edge to it you don't usually see.
Man, Wanda in this film is such a menacing force. I think the jump between WandaVision and this is a bit too evil, considering in the former she seemed more like a witch with a dark secret, and in the latter she's fully embraced it, but I guess we can chalk that up to the Darkhold corrupting her off-screen.
Still, she was really scary and unnerving in this film. Can't believe they managed to keep most of that vague in the marketing.
America Chavez is a good audience stand-in for people unfamiliar with the shows.
Her power-set is also very cool, interested to see if/how it could be used in other films.
Also seeing her character visibly wearing a Pride flag the entire film was really neat. Get that representation. Woo.
Sam Raimi's directing really shows in the cinematography of the film.
Lots of facial close-ups and zooms. There's one sequence that had overlapping fade-ins which was unique. Plus, near the end of the film, when Corpse Strange was being possessed, the lightning and the rad electric guitar cues were so corny but fitting for his style. (At the post-credits, he still has the third eye... so he's okay then?)
Didn't see many close-ups of screaming women so that's kinda cool he's grown away from that.
Also, Christine's "Go To Hell..." moment was also very cheesy but... yeah that's his style alright.
Plus, the gore. My God. A lot of it was really pushing the PG13 rating, but it added to the scares. Good job Raimi for getting that I guess.
The Bruce Campbell cameo took me by surprise, but it was fun.
Speaking of, I like how this film also ties into What If a little bit, with the "two universes colliding" world as well as the whole "Strange and Christine never end up together".
The worldbuilding in this one was immense. Holy cow.
We got Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel.
Captain Carter in Live-Action (woooo)
Freakin' John Krasinski! An actor that has been fan-casted to the moon and back for years actually came true?! HOLY. CRAP.
And then the freaking INHUMANS?! Is that required viewing material now?? I've heard nothing but ire from the Marvel fandom about that miniseries who have all but ostracized it from the wider universe (and until now, so has Marvel Studios). That's crazy.
We also got Patrick Stewart as Professor X in his massive dishwasher chair lmao.
Then Mordo too! But not our Mordo! So I guess that'll continue in the next Doctor Strange... huh.
Whole lot of set-up for future stuff I'm very interested in.
As for the issues, well..
The pacing was extremely fast for the amount of content in the film. I felt like they needed maybe another 20-30 minutes just to let things slow down a bit.
Weird sequences like *Christine being somehow unable to open the superhero cage, despite being in charge of it? Or trying to make a dent in it with a measly fire extinguisher?
Wanda's whole arc revolved around finding her Kids, but I found the lack of Vision to be really weird (especially since this was written by the Lead Writer on WandaVision edit: lead writer on Loki). Doesn't she want to reunite with him too?
That Third Eye CGI. Oof. Looked really off to me. He gets it at the end (spooky), but then seems fine with it in the credits sequence after, and is he gonna have it forever now? Really weirdly unexplained point to leave off at.
Overall, it was very cool. Very wild film that has a great story, that @lupinb0y did a good point to mention -- doesn't focus on fanservice so much that you notice it all the time, like No Way Home did -- but feels very over-stuffed as a package.
Excited for what it sets up though!
Also, Lupin, thanks for noticing that "F4 60's" reference. I didn't notice Strange saying that at all. That's a neat detail that I guess we'll see more of in 2 or 3 years when their solo film is out.
Now to go and see Everything Everywhere All At Once... I've heard so many good things about it, not to mention the fact that it's a solo, unfranchised movie that's been doing really well with the same concept.
(Also, today I learned that Dreamworks' The Bad Guys is out! For a few weeks now! I thought that was coming out in July, for some reason...)
And then the freaking INHUMANS?! Is that required viewing material now?? I've heard nothing but ire from the Marvel fandom about that miniseries who have all but ostracized it from the wider universe (and until now, so has Marvel Studios). That's crazy.
That show has pretty much been de-canonised at this point so no. Also unless you enjoy watching terrible movies/shows then I'd say avoid it at all costs. They released the first two episodes of the series in IMAX in Australia and I foolishly went and watched it. It was absolutely painful and not in a good way.
Though I do hope they give Anson Mount the chance to play him again properly and not just to get his mind blown lol.
So Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness was a smorgasbord of a wild movie.
Enjoyable, but not without its faults.
Just... wow.
… more
This is a film that goes to a lot of different places in the multiverse, sets up (and brings back) a lot of cool elements from Marvel's past, and has an interesting horror edge to it you don't usually see.
(Spoiler)
Overall, it was very cool. Very wild film that has a great story, that @lupinb0y did a good point to mention -- doesn't focus on fanservice so much that you notice it all the time, like No Way Home did -- but feels very over-stuffed as a package.
Excited for what it sets up though!
(Spoiler)
Now to go and see Everything Everywhere All At Once... I've heard so many good things about it, not to mention the fact that it's a solo, unfranchised movie that's been doing really well with the same concept.
(Also, today I learned that Dreamworks' The Bad Guys is out! For a few weeks now! I thought that was coming out in July, for some reason...)
Doctor Strange 2 was really stupid, but I had a blast watching it. I wouldn't mind seeing it again which is not something I can say about the past few Marvel movies.
Very wowed and stunned by that ending and cliffhanger.
The whole tomb sequence and seeing the Heka Priests just doing their own terrifying human rituals was pretty freaky, but cool. Felt like something straight out of Indiana Jones or Uncharted, with a bit of Until Dawn
Not totally into the Layla/Steven/Marc love triangle. Just want Layla and Marc together, but I understand if that's been a bit strained lately.
Ah, yeah, and the fresh-looking blood, bits of flesh strewn about, auditory disembowling, and that one moment where the zombie Heka tries to stab Layla with its own exposed bone was extremely unexpected moments thid episode, coming from Disney Plus. Yeesh.
What a wild ending. Definitely don't believe this is all in Marc/Steven's head, that trope has been done to death, and this is the MCU for crying out loud, plus all the other weird stuff, but kudos to them for going to this surreal fake reality shift. Must be some afterlife the other gods conjured up.
I already know I'm gonna like Hippo lady.
Her CGI is definitely still unfinished, but I guess with a release date 3 months away they kinda had to release something. Looks fun though! I like that they leaned into the snu snu lol. I wonder if a certain other lawyer will make his appearance in the series.
I'm super excited for She-Hulk. She's been my favorite Marvel character for years because of the craziness of her comics. It looks like they'll have the wacky people with powers that she'll have to defend, but hopefully they'll bring in the humor and the fourth-wall breaking, Deadpool without the gore, feel that her comics have.
Marvel has signed a 20-year deal with Stan Lee Universe, a venture between Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment, to license the name and likeness of Lee for use in future feature films and television productions, as well as Disney theme parks, various “experiences” and merchandising.
“It really ensures that Stan, through digital technology and archival footage and other forms, will live in the most important venue, the Marvel movies, and Disney theme parks,” said Andy Heyward, chairman and CEO of Genius Brands. “It’s a broad deal.”
People don't go to Marvel movies just to see the Stan Lee cameo. The success of Shang-Chi, Eternals, NWH, and plenty of the TV Series should attest to that.
Make a statue of the guy if you need to. But digitally creating a 'ghost' of him. Euugh feels wrong.
And what about Jack Kirby? Steve Ditko? Those were the iconic trio.
In some very, very good news. There are reports that a Disney Plus Daredevil series is coming together, with a writer and executive producer attached.
Apparently a Daredevil series is in the works at Disney Plus with Matt Corman and Chris Ord, creators of the series Covert Affairs, set to write and executive produce.
It's not officially announced by Disney themselves but an article by Variety that claims to have learned this from "sources" has picked up a lot of speed so it's possibly true.
Just came back home after watching Doctor Strange in Multiverse of Madness. I wasn't actually that hyped for the film itself so I went in with an open mind. From what I have heard, they said this film was so different compared to the previous MCU films and it was more of a horror film than a superhero one, considering director being Sam Raimi himself. And guess what? They weren't wrong. This film was nightmare fuel. They pushed the PG-13 to a whole new level. It's almost the same as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the pg-13 originator.
I wouldn't say this film one of the best comic book films but I will say this is probably the best directed MCU film of the entire franchise and Sam Raimi deserved to make this after being absent from cinema for almost a decade.
Wanda was easily the best part of the film and this is probably Elizabeth's best performance she has ever delivered.
There is one part that is both a positive and a negative at the same time
Of course I am talking about the Illuminati Avengers. I loved to see Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Professor X and John Krasinski casted as Mr. Fantastic. Even though I haven't seen the What If series or the first two Captain America movies, I was impressed to see Carter as the Captain for those avengers. I think the most shocking part about those Avengers is that they were BRUTALLY murdered by the possessed Wanda. Those must be the most shocking deaths of the entire franchise, beating the ending of Infinity War in every way. I can see why some fans would be pissed about the execution of those characters, I myself despised the fact that Mr. Fantastic didn't even get to throw at least one punch. Seriously, why is the Fantastic Four brand so cursed? Is there at least one media (Besides the comics) the Fantastic Four are actually...fantastic heroes? Despite that, I really loved how they took that risk to kill those characters in such a brutal way. Could it have been better? Yes. Does that mean those moments sucked? No.
I am glad to have seen this film in theaters. It was a blast. I think we can all agree that we love this film because of Sam Raimi's direction and almost nothing else. He is one of the best and deserve more freedom with his creativity. Stop with the fucking interference and leave him alone.
My goodness, what a series. Especially when talking about Oscar Issac. Man really did some fantastic acting, making Marc and Steven distinctly separate people.
The story was very self-contained from the rest of the MCU which felt really neat.
The beginning psychological thriller aspects were a really great hook, and the CGI turned out pretty good at least for the many Moon Knight sequences.
The show -- and especially the score -- have such an Epic vibe. The whole discovering a mystery involving the cabal of Egyptian Gods, uncovering ways to stop the Ancient Evil from resurfacing, all felt like a great action-adventure movie which was nice.
The Last Episode had some really neat action scenes, with a giant God kaiju battle (though sometimes I think it overshadowed the human fights), plus the Moon/Mr. Knight switching combat.
Layla's bird suit was cool, but I wasn't really wowed by her combat that much. Didn't feel like she got enough to do.
Harrow just doing a bunch of purple ray beams was also kinda meh. Dunno why, just parts of that left me feeling unimpressed.
Tawaret is absolutely adorable. The "Laylaaaaa!!" line was perfect, and the idea of inhabiting dead bodies was neat, if a bit creepy in implication. I do hope she returns in a future season. Love her actress.
The resolution of "don't kill Ammit/Harrow, you'll be just like them" felt a bit shallow in the moment. She is literally the God of Death, He is literally willing to die for his "loyalty" to her. They will do this again, guaranteed.
And in the end, ooh, finally, mystery 3rd alter revealed. Also he actually doesn't let the villain live! What a surprise! Felt like a really interesting reveal, and I hope if there's a second season, we get more insight into that. Khonshu in a white suit is also super dope.
Very awesome. Again, if you want a show with similar vibes in psychological thriller/mystery, please check out Mr. Robot. It's a bit sadder and frightening in that it involves real-world economic/power struggle themes, but it is a superbly-made show.
First episode of Ms. Marvel is out and I thought it was great! I was pretty darn excited for this show when it was announced cause I love the character, though my excitement definitely diminished a bit when they revealed the power change, but I'm happy to say that they did a great job with it so far.
They absolutely nailed the character of Kamala Khan, especially with her personal conflict of being so westernised in comparison to the rest of her family who are much more traditional. Of course Iman Vellani did a wonderful job portraying her and I'm already looking forward to seeing more of her in the MCU. I also enjoyed the side characters so far, especially Kamala's parents. The episode was also really vibrant, and had a lot of style, as well as a ton of cute animated things that felt like something out of Scott Pilgrim. I especially like the way they handled showing text messages in this, where you see the messages blending into the environment around the characters rather than just having a text box pop up. As for her powers, I'm still pretty iffy on the whole Purple Lantern thing but there's still five more episodes to go, so I'll give it a bit to really pop up more.
Overall I thought it was great, and to me it's one of the strongest of the MCU D+ premieres so far.
Marvel Studios is officially working on a Thunderbolts movie, with Jake Schreier to direct and it will be written by Eric Pearson, who previously wrote the Black Widow movie.
Spider-Man No Way Home will be re-released in theaters on September 2nd with extended and new scenes and it's going to be called "Spider-Man No Way Home The More Fun Stuff Edition".
Sony is DEFINITELY getting my money again come September, especially since I've still only seen the movie once. To do it again but with more would be fantastic.
However, they are being pretty greedy here, even more than they were with the Far From Home extended cut.
In FFH, there were a few scenes in trailers (restaurant robbery, passport + other chores) that didn't appear in the film. They were deleted scenes on the DVD version, but they released an "extended cut" of FFH some time later that kept them in the film. -- And that Theater release was the only place to ever see them re-inserted into the movie.
Now, we have NWH, which, apparently doesn't even have Deleted scenes on DVD. So they withheld them. Just so they could release it in theatres and make more money.
Possibly, they'll release another DVD version after September that includes those deleted scenes. The release structure of this has been pretty poor to milk extra money here.
Spider-Man No Way Home will be re-released in theaters on September 2nd with extended and new scenes and it's going to be called "Spider-Man No Way Home The More Fun Stuff Edition".
Shut up and take my money.
Really liked episode 2 of Ms. Marvel, even more so than the first.
The episode delves more into Kamala's culture and religious background, which I enjoyed, especially with how they incorporated it into her powers. I also really like how they make it a point to show that her being too wide eyed and in wonder of her new powers that she loses focus of the situation, which could end up hurting people. It's pretty much the Spider-Man thing, she's got the power but she hasn't learned the responsibility yet. There were also few nods to the wider world of the MCU, which is always a fun time.
Nakia also gets a more formal introduction in the series. In the comics she's one of Kamala's closest friends and they did a great job bringing her to life. The main cast in general is great, they have really good chemistry with one another. Ms. Marvel is shaping up to be pretty great, I hope they manage to land the ending lol.
My cousin is really into the comics. She pretty much read all Ms Marvel comics and even tried to cosplay as her once. Glad to see you also read the comics as well.
Really liked episode 2 of Ms. Marvel, even more so than the first.
The episode delves more into Kamala's culture and religious background… more, which I enjoyed, especially with how they incorporated it into her powers. I also really like how they make it a point to show that her being too wide eyed and in wonder of her new powers that she loses focus of the situation, which could end up hurting people. It's pretty much the Spider-Man thing, she's got the power but she hasn't learned the responsibility yet. There were also few nods to the wider world of the MCU, which is always a fun time.
Nakia also gets a more formal introduction in the series. In the comics she's one of Kamala's closest friends and they did a great job bringing her to life. The main cast in general is great, they have really good chemistry with one another. Ms. Marvel is shaping up to be pretty great, I hope they manage to land the ending lol.
Sony finally gave Disney the streaming rights for the original Spider-Man films on Disney Plus! The Tobey Trilogy, the Andrew Duology, pretty surprising.
I guess they're officially quasi-part of the MCU viewing-canon now!
I wonder if this means the MCU Trilogy is gonna appear in the near-future.
I enjoyed episode 3 of Ms. Marvel, though I will say it's probably the weakest episode for me at the moment lol. Mainly because there's a ton of exposition, and also because the fight scenes in this are pretty weak, though they do get a little creative with Kamala's powers which I liked.
Big fan of the wedding in this! It was really fun and there's even some really cute dance choreography. Again I can't help but mention how good the chemistry between a lot of the characters are. I absolutely love the main cast in this series. They did something pretty interesting with Kamala's powers which I don't think anyone was expecting. They do some really deep comic book lore cuts in this. There's also an interesting connection they establish at the start of the episode and I'm interested to see how it all comes together.
Overall, good but not great. Still had fun!
Spoilers
Looks like Kamala's bracelets are directly connected to the Mandarin in MCU. In Shang-Chi, they reveal that the Ten Rings are of alien origin, and at the start of the episode Clan Destine find the bracelet attached to a disembodied blue hand. The Kree are also blue aliens, so I wonder if it'll be revealed that both the Ten Rings and Kamala's bracelet are ancient Kree technology that somehow made their way to Earth.
I have no idea who the fuck Clan Destine are. I've never heard of them until now.
So Kamala's origin has been twisted. Instead of being an Inhuman, in the MCU she is part Djinn. Which is an interesting turn of events.
Damage Control seems really oddly antagonistic in this. Not like they were particularly nice before as observed in the Spider-Man Home trilogy, but they really have it out for "enhanced individuals" in this.
It's a nice first episode. I'm not very familiar with the character, but I think Iman Vellani plays an Avengers super-fan Kamala Khan very well, probably because she literally is one.
A lot of scenes feel very natural and realistic in dialogue, I think partly because the actors aren't articulating all the time? Maybe it's my TV sound setup, but I found some words or sentences in conversations to be very quiet. Bit strange but I think it added a nice touch to a grounded story so far.
The show is fun and cute as a young-adult coming-of-age series. Something about the trailers made it feel a bit childish, but here it feels more teen-oriented, struggling with issues of future planning, expectations, rebellious teen nature, stuff like that.
There's lots of style too in its artsy, paper-cut, presentation of Kamala's creative, day-dreamy brain. The visual effects team are doing a great job. Feels very Scott-Pilgrim like, too, with the added unique cinematography and editing. This one shot following Kamala as she lies in bed, but the camera flips all the way around too was neat.
The nonchalance of untranslated Urdu language peppered in the script is a unique touch I feel. I don't understand it, but I can sort of get it through context clues which is nice.
I'm not really familiar with her comics powers other than from fan-art I saw in prep of the show and bits from the SQEnix game, but I don't mind this crystally look. Her normal stretchy, growy limbs powers looks fun in the comics, and it's a shame that Feige/Marvel Studios feels it's too similar to Mr. you know who, so it has to go, but this feels like a nice "cosmic" looking twist on it (there's still a Big Hand moment in episode 1) that further ties her to her Captain Marvel fandom.
I really like the end-credits sequence too. Most of the other series has been "CGI Showcase Reel #25" for each character. But this one is a nice "Real New Jersey with CGI Avengers Graffiti". Got some really good music too.
There's also a mid-credits scene at the end of EP1. That's new for a Marvel Series. They always hold those till the last episode.
Episode 2 of Ms. Marvel done. This show feels like a much different genre than the other series. Really feels like a coming-of-age superhero film, no hint of a main Marvel villain so far, just average "I'm a teen who discovers powers and must balance this and my normal life".
Again, really interesting how much they focus on the Muslim culture, the dinner scene in particular was neat -- just a conversation all about family history.
Wonder if any internet group is getting up in arms about all this, but I suspect they've been doing thst since before the show even premiered. Anyway...
Kamala's powers may be some genetic thing. Interesting... (is that normal for Mutants in the comics?)
Not too jazzed about the inevitable Bruno fallout from Kamala fawning over Kamran. However...
That'll probably go south anyhow since Kamran is super SUS. Dude looks like he's in his early 20's for one (maybe just weird casting), is a random new school student, seems to vibe with Kamala instantly on everything, plus that thing at the end where he's coincidentally able to save her from the DODC. Veeeery suspicious.
Plus, about the DODC: it's neat to see that agent guy from NWH make an appearance here.
But with how things have been going, this group is really turning into bad guys. The main guy seems to have a hard-on for anti-superhero ideology, and with them trying to "infiltrate" the south-asian communities now? Eeeeghhh bad vibes all around.
To think this group started out as a "superhero aftermath cleanup crew" seems like they're meddling more and more into law enforcement against them.
I wonder if they're going to turn into that group that hunts down Mutants? Or something like that for Ms. Marvel since Mutants haven't been established yet.
Really liked episode 4 of Ms. Marvel, definitely a step up from last weeks. There's more family stuff which continues to be great, more insight on Kamala's powers and the antagonists, better fight choreography for the most part especially towards the end, and even more talk of the partition which continues to be really interesting to see and learn about. It's pretty cool that a historical event like this is getting so much spot light. The only other time I've seen western media portray the partition was in an episode of Doctor Who. Unfortunately, still not really feeling the antagonists. I just don't find them very interesting, but maybe that'll chance, there's still two more episodes left.
There's an appearance made by a comic book character that I feel like I really should have expected lol. The episode also ends in a very interesting way, looking forward to seeing what happens next week!
Spoilers
Red Dagger, one of Kamala's love interests, makes his appearance in the show! I have no idea why I was so surprised, the events leading up to their meeting follows pretty closely to the comic.
Looks like Clan Destine aren't actually Djinn, it was just a name given to them because of how foreign they were to humanity.
That prison breakout scene was pretty weaksauce not gonna lie. The location was really cramped but you'd think there'd be more guards around to help take in these super powered beings.
Speaking of the DODC, we actually got our first look at the prison and the police team from the She-Hulk trailer!
Kamala saw her first death, I wonder if that'll come in later considering she's just a kid.
Really interesting to see Kamala get placed right at the train station during partition. I wonder if it's time travel or some kind of vision of the past. I assume she's there to see her family get out of the country.
I really liked episode 5 of Ms. Marvel, which gives us a look into Kamala's family history during the partition. It felt like I was watching a completely different show and the production value was wild. I wonder if they actually got that many people and built that big of a set or if it was just really good CG. However after it's over, the next couple minutes is some of the roughest superhero content I have seen in the MCU lmao. Not great effects, rushed writing and some off acting by everyone involved. But after that's over and done with it goes back to being alright again, it's just that one moment which really stuck out to me as being rough.
I have no idea what was going on behind the scenes here, like did they use up all their budget making the rest of the episode then had to finish off the story or something. It also ends up tying up some big knots and I was really confused because there's still one episode left, then the show reminded me about one more lose end, so I wonder how that'll work out.
Overall, really great three quarters of an episode. Still interested to see how it all ends but man, Marvel Studios needs to give these shows more than six episodes worth of run time. The main issue in nearly every single one of these shows is that at a point, it just feels rushed.
Spoilers
Love the flashback with Kamala's great grandparents. It feels very reminiscent of the opening for Shang-Chi.
I just think it's cool that the MCU is putting a big spotlight on such a historic event.
It's pretty nuts that they built such a big set and had all those people organised for just one episode. It really felt like I was watching a completely different show.
That scene with the portal and the end of the Clan Destine was terrible. Terrible effects, acting and writing. Such a stark difference to the rest of the episode.
Could they not just have quick scene of Kamala walking up her light stairs instead of just having a reaction shot lol.
On another note, the effect they use for the death of the Clan Destine is a similar effect that Agents of Shield used when it came to the Inhuman terrigenesis, but with a skeleton.
I completely forgot about Damage Control lol. Wild that they shot up Bruno's home.
Just watched Thor Love and Thunder and I was dissappointed. Thats the third movie from this new phase that I didn't like very much, the others were Black Widow and Eternals. Maybe Marvel is releasing too many projects, even No Way Home was just fan service, the actual plot is weak and flawed
Just watched Thor Love and Thunder and I was dissappointed. Thats the third movie from this new phase that I didn't like very much, the othe… morers were Black Widow and Eternals. Maybe Marvel is releasing too many projects, even No Way Home was just fan service, the actual plot is weak and flawed
Mostly the nostalgia, the plot of the villains and the other Spider-Men returning (obviously), but the entire movie actually. But it was fun, just nothing amazing at least in my opinion + the CGI and overall visuals were bad but thats just most Marvel movies.
Mostly the nostalgia, the plot of the villains and the other Spider-Men returning (obviously), but the entire movie actually. But it was fun… more, just nothing amazing at least in my opinion + the CGI and overall visuals were bad but thats just most Marvel movies.
I watched Thor: Love and Thunder. I liked it, I thought it was fun, albeit messy and awkwardly paced movie, similar to Doctor Strange: MoM. The main cast continues to be great, and I particularly enjoyed Mighty Thor (Jane Foster). She and their relationship had more development and substance here than the first two movies combined. I also enjoyed Russel Crowe's portrayal of Zeus, I thought he was a lot of fun! Humour is definitely more hit or miss here than in Ragnarok, apparently this movie had more "unscripted" dialogue and jokes so maybe that's why. There's also some tonal issues where the movie can't decide if it wants to be silly or serious, which is very strange. It's not like Taiki Waititi can't do serious, if anyone's watched Jojo Rabbit you'll know what I mean.
As for Gorr the God Butcher, I think Christian Bale did a great job with what he was given, and I honestly think he could have been one of the greats, if we actually saw some god butchering and were given more screen time. He has a great beginning, and a great ending, but there really isn't much of a middle. Apparently they cut out a bunch of scenes with him, which is really unfortunate, especially since I believe this is the shortest Marvel flick of Phase Four thus far. The movie also ends in a very interesting place for Thor, which I really like, and I'm interest to see how this continues on in the future since Thor definitely isn't done yet if Chris Hemworth and Taiki are to be believed.
Overall, while I definitely didn't enjoy the movie as much as I did Ragnarok, I had fun with it. Hopefully they manage to balance things out in the future.
Big ol' Spoilers
I definitely wasn't expecting them to kill off Jane, but I guess that's part of why Natalie Portman ended up returning.
I DEFINITELY wasn't expecting Idris Elba to return as Heimdall, even if it was only for like a minute.
Thor is now sole caretaker/uncle to Gorr's daughter, which is a really interesting spot to end it on. Fun fact, Christ Hemsworth's daughter plays Gorr's kid in the movie!
The actor who plays Hercules is fuckin' JACKED. He's almost as jacked as Hemsworth.
Really liked the Ms. Marvel finale. It has a more similar tone and presentation to the first couple episodes and the return of Kamala's friends and family. I cannot re-iterate how much I enjoy these characters. They're so charming, fun and earnest feeling. The Clan Destine story is over which is great and with them gone comes to return of Damage Control, who are fine. Not the biggest fan of the antagonists overall but in my opinion the protagonists more than make up for their pitfalls. The CG was also much looking here than the past couple episodes, though the crystal light still definitely doesn't look super real.
Overall aside from the villains I greatly enjoyed the season. Kamala is perfectly casted and I absolutely love the relationships with the characters around her. I also enjoyed the bit of history presented and how it all connected to Kamala. Not to mention incorporation of muslim culture into the story and characters, as well as some of the issues around it. There's also a pretty big revelation at the end that has me pretty excited for the future and maybe one other fun surprise. I hope that this ends up getting a second season after The Marvels. I'd love to see them adapt some of the crazy comic book stories and villains like Edison.
Spoilerinos
Kamala Khan is officially the MCU's first mutant! Which is a big change considering her Inhuman origins in the comics, but I guess they didn't want confuse audiences considering how similar mutants and Inhumans are.
The X-Men theme that plays after the reveal was credited as the opening theme for the upcoming X-Men '97 animated series. This really seems to help push the theory that the show will somehow crossover into the MCU which is pretty nuts.
Brie Larson makes an appearance as Captain Marvel along with a brand new costume! It's pretty funny that she gets transported into Kamala's room and all she sees are pictures and stuff of her face plastered everywhere. I wonder where Kamala went though lol.
Damage Control gets a really big PR hit in this, I wonder if this'll be carried forward in the future with people being less trusting of them.
Finished Episode 4 of Ms Marvel. It's a very enjoyable series so far.
Doing a whole shift to Pakistan was cool (actually filmed in Thailand though) and I assume it'll keep it up for maybe one more episode, before heading back to New Jersey for the big flashy CGI Battle.
I enjoyed the few moments spent between Muneeba and her mother, reconciling their issues.
What is it with so many films and shows this year tackling Generational Trauma?
They be doing a lot of world-building here, as Kamala meets yet another secret group of freedom-fighter-type-people.
Don't totally like how quickly and easily Kamala trusted the Red Daggers, with their exposition-laced meeting, especially since the last secret group she met up with literally just betrayed her on a heel-turn.
"Do all you American superheroes wear masks?"
"How do you know I'm not Canadian?"
Hehehe references
The fight choreography and chase choreography was impressive for the most part.
This is a weird thing to nitpick though, but the PG-influence on the script sticks out weirdly when Waleed got stabbed by a major knife in the back and he doesn't "bleed out" on the pavement.
It was still unfortunate for him and Kamala anyway. Just something that stuck out to me weirdly.
Ah, also what stuck out to me is that Kamala's papercraft CGI flourishes are just... gone. Even much of the smart texting CGI isn't there anymore. I wonder why? The budget just didn't account for it?
The show really had a lot of nice style in the first two episodes in terms of editing and flourish.
The new end credits was nice. Really cool they just shifted the whole sequence to Karachi footage.
Seems we'll be getting further Partition flashbacks now. Very interested in that especially since they've been highlighting it so much.
And while I'm on it, Episode 3 was good fun. The wedding sequence was great. I kind of like how they didn't do the whole song-and-dance of "mystery group lures in protagonist to do dangerous thing to help, & inevitably betrays protag." The way they got there felt so, so contrived. There was no set-up.
Just... "Kamala can you help us?" She agrees. The next day they decide "Nah, let's actually violently force her instead."
Uh.... what?! Why the sudden heel-turn? They've been waiting for years, can't they wait one day? One 12-hour period until the wedding ends at least?
What If Season 2
* Will feature an episode is set to be based off the 2003 limited comic series Marvel: 1602 which places superheroes in the Elizabethan Era. Other episodes and plot lines feature a story about Hela, Odin vs The Mandarin, Yondu giving young Peter Quill to his father Ego, Captain Carter meeting Winter Soldier Natasha and Tony on Sakaar with Valkyrie and Hulk.
* The season will release in 2023.
* A third season has also been confirmed.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year
* The show is no longer canon to the MCU and instead will be MCU adjacent. Meaning that certain events still happened and the series will still be set before Civil War, but different characters will make an appearance.
* Charlie Cox will be in the show voicing Daredevil.
* Some other characters that will make an appearance include Harry Osborne, Amadeus Cho, Nico Minuro, Chameleon, Scorpion, Lonnie Lincoln, Pyromaniac, Speed Demon, Tarantula, Doc Ock, Rhino, The Wizard, Daredevil, Doctor Strange and Norman Osborne.
* The show will premiere in 2024.
* A second season titled Sophomore Year has also been confirmed.
Marvel Zombies
* Other heroes that will make an appearance in the show include Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Kate Bishop, Jimmy Woo, Shang-Chi, Ms Marvel and Death Dealer and images also showed a Mad Max-esque Skrull Biker Gang.
* Zombified versions of characters in the series include Hawkeye, Captain America, Abomination, Ghost, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Okoye and Ikaris.
* Biggest news of all, the show will be rated TV-MA, making it unsuitable for individuals under the age of 17. It has, I believe, the same age rating as The Walking Dead.
* It will premiere in 2024.
X-Men '97
* The main team of the series will be Rogue, Beast, Gambit, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee and Cyclops.
* Other mutants that will make an appearance include Cable, Bishop, Morph, Nightcrawler, Roberto Da Costa as well as members of The Hellfire Club, Emma Frost and Callisto and Magneto in a new look who is the new leader of the X-Men.
* It will premiere in 2023.
* A second season has been confirmed.
My reaction to much of this can be boiled down to a sequence of various emotions but I'll try to boil it down to the cool stuff that's got me excited here.
What If Season 2
A third season has also been confirmed.
A lot of those episodes seem neat. Love the idea of the 1602 adaptation (I only know of that from some Bonus costume in a Spider-Man game, so it'll be nice to see an adaptation).
A third season is really cool news. Not all episodes were stellar but I love to see Marvel Studios's animation team thriving
Spider-Man: Freshman Year
The show is no longer canon to the MCU
Boooooo. Boooooo. Sony's death-grip on this character they're too afraid to use in their own slap-dash "Universe" is so infuriating.
I assume "adjacent" means: Based on MCU Events, but spins-off into a new direction? Well, the MTV Spidey I'm very fond of did the same thing for the OG Sony Spider-Man movie, so, I guess we'll see what original ideas they can bring to that. The plentiful comic characters and Spidey buddies is already great news. ...This is still a Marvel Studios project, right? Sounds like What If: Spidey Edition.
Feels a bit early for a Season 2 renewal. We'll get to it when we get to it...
Actually a lot of details were revealed about it today according to Reddit and it's sounding and looking very cool.
Art style is Very vintage Spider-Man.
and in terms of Adjacent stuff... they showed a little preview of a scene, referencing Tony showing up at Peter's apartment in Civil War. But here, it's Norman Osborn! Oooh.
Marvel Zombies
So, it sounds like they're expanding upon the What-If adaptation given much of that seems to be featuring MCU established characters. Hopefully they can tghten the writing so it doesn't come across as too campy, which the original episode suffered from in the face of its own dramatic stakes.
The TV-MA is super interesting news. I remember Moon Knight being close to receiving that (in pre-show rumors) but so far Disney has danced around Mature content in terms of their own products. But now they're going all in...?
Hmmm... The Walking Dead: Marvel Edition sounds like a fun time for me! Sign me up!
Now to start speculating when that damn MCU Deadpool flick might start-up...
Seems like a lot of today's SDCC stuff was all about Animation for Marvel. In the coming days we might get intel on what's next for the Live-Action slate.
Also the trailer for I Am Groot came out today and it's... yeah, Groot shorts. Could be a fun little thing.
Some news on the Marvel Studios animated front.
What If Season 2
* Will feature an episode is set to be based off the 2003 limited comic… more series Marvel: 1602 which places superheroes in the Elizabethan Era. Other episodes and plot lines feature a story about Hela, Odin vs The Mandarin, Yondu giving young Peter Quill to his father Ego, Captain Carter meeting Winter Soldier Natasha and Tony on Sakaar with Valkyrie and Hulk.
* The season will release in 2023.
* A third season has also been confirmed.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year
* The show is no longer canon to the MCU and instead will be MCU adjacent. Meaning that certain events still happened and the series will still be set before Civil War, but different characters will make an appearance.
* Charlie Cox will be in the show voicing Daredevil.
* Some other characters that will make an appearance include Harry Osborne, Amadeus Cho, Nico Minuro, Chameleon, Scorpion, Lonnie Lincoln, Pyrom… [view original content]
Comments
Just watched Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
I really liked it! I thought it was great. However, it is a pretty messy movie and incredibly fast paced. The characters in particular Wanda, who is absolutely fantastic, are what hold the movie up. After the first quarter the movie is wild all the way to the finish line and goes to places I absolutely wasn't expecting. They kept a tight wrap on the antagonist of the movie, but I thought the villain was great. Legitimately one of the MCU's best villains. There's also been a lot of talk of this being the MCU's first horror movie, and I can testify that it's true, for a good half of it, and what's there is pretty damn good.
The movie oozes Sam Raimi's style. There's a weird mix of legit horror and Evil Dead camp. The camera work especially is very reminiscent of Evil Dead and in certain moments Spider-Man. I would also like to give praise for the violence in this movie. This movie is pretty damn brutal. There are certain moments in the movie that really push the PG13 rating and that makes me very happy. Really gives me hope for what they could do with Deadpool 3 in the future. I can imagine kids getting nightmares after watching this.
The performances are great, especially Elizabeth Olsen who is fuckin' FANTASTIC in this. This in my opinion is her best performance in the MCU thus far. I also quite enjoyed Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, though I don't think her more emotional really hit because of the pacing in the movie, which is pretty lightspeed. I do want to see more of her in the future! There isn't enough time given to characters to really develop too much. As for fan service, it's definitely there, but I'm really glad that it wasn't just two hours of fan service. They did the right thing and showed just enough to keep you entertained without taking over the whole movie.
Again, I thought the movie was great, but the plot and certain characters aren't given enough time to properly develop. However, what character development there is, is really good in my opinion. The movie isn't overloaded with fan service which I like, it's pretty damn scary, there's a great villain and it pushes the PG13 rating which is always a fun time.
Of course there's one mid-credits scene and one after credits scene, so make sure to stay back for that lol.
MASSIVE SPOILERS
So Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness was a smorgasbord of a wild movie.
Enjoyable, but not without its faults.
Just... wow.
This is a film that goes to a lot of different places in the multiverse, sets up (and brings back) a lot of cool elements from Marvel's past, and has an interesting horror edge to it you don't usually see.
Man, Wanda in this film is such a menacing force. I think the jump between WandaVision and this is a bit too evil, considering in the former she seemed more like a witch with a dark secret, and in the latter she's fully embraced it, but I guess we can chalk that up to the Darkhold corrupting her off-screen.
Still, she was really scary and unnerving in this film. Can't believe they managed to keep most of that vague in the marketing.
America Chavez is a good audience stand-in for people unfamiliar with the shows.
Her power-set is also very cool, interested to see if/how it could be used in other films.
Also seeing her character visibly wearing a Pride flag the entire film was really neat. Get that representation. Woo.
Sam Raimi's directing really shows in the cinematography of the film.
Lots of facial close-ups and zooms. There's one sequence that had overlapping fade-ins which was unique. Plus, near the end of the film, when Corpse Strange was being possessed, the lightning and the rad electric guitar cues were so corny but fitting for his style. (At the post-credits, he still has the third eye... so he's okay then?)
Didn't see many close-ups of screaming women so that's kinda cool he's grown away from that.
Also, Christine's "Go To Hell..." moment was also very cheesy but... yeah that's his style alright.
Plus, the gore. My God. A lot of it was really pushing the PG13 rating, but it added to the scares. Good job Raimi for getting that I guess.
The Bruce Campbell cameo took me by surprise, but it was fun.
Speaking of, I like how this film also ties into What If a little bit, with the "two universes colliding" world as well as the whole "Strange and Christine never end up together".
The worldbuilding in this one was immense. Holy cow.
We got Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel.
Captain Carter in Live-Action (woooo)
Freakin' John Krasinski! An actor that has been fan-casted to the moon and back for years actually came true?! HOLY. CRAP.
And then the freaking INHUMANS?! Is that required viewing material now?? I've heard nothing but ire from the Marvel fandom about that miniseries who have all but ostracized it from the wider universe (and until now, so has Marvel Studios). That's crazy.
We also got Patrick Stewart as Professor X in his massive dishwasher chair lmao.
Then Mordo too! But not our Mordo! So I guess that'll continue in the next Doctor Strange... huh.
Whole lot of set-up for future stuff I'm very interested in.
As for the issues, well..
The pacing was extremely fast for the amount of content in the film. I felt like they needed maybe another 20-30 minutes just to let things slow down a bit.
Weird sequences like *Christine being somehow unable to open the superhero cage, despite being in charge of it? Or trying to make a dent in it with a measly fire extinguisher?
Wanda's whole arc revolved around finding her Kids, but I found the lack of Vision to be really weird (especially since this was written by the Lead Writer on WandaVision edit: lead writer on Loki). Doesn't she want to reunite with him too?
That Third Eye CGI. Oof. Looked really off to me. He gets it at the end (spooky), but then seems fine with it in the credits sequence after, and is he gonna have it forever now? Really weirdly unexplained point to leave off at.
Overall, it was very cool. Very wild film that has a great story, that @lupinb0y did a good point to mention -- doesn't focus on fanservice so much that you notice it all the time, like No Way Home did -- but feels very over-stuffed as a package.
Excited for what it sets up though!
Also, Lupin, thanks for noticing that "F4 60's" reference. I didn't notice Strange saying that at all. That's a neat detail that I guess we'll see more of in 2 or 3 years when their solo film is out.
Now to go and see Everything Everywhere All At Once... I've heard so many good things about it, not to mention the fact that it's a solo, unfranchised movie that's been doing really well with the same concept.
(Also, today I learned that Dreamworks' The Bad Guys is out! For a few weeks now! I thought that was coming out in July, for some reason...)
That show has pretty much been de-canonised at this point so no. Also unless you enjoy watching terrible movies/shows then I'd say avoid it at all costs. They released the first two episodes of the series in IMAX in Australia and I foolishly went and watched it. It was absolutely painful and not in a good way.
Though I do hope they give Anson Mount the chance to play him again properly and not just to get his mind blown lol.
Doctor Strange 2 was really stupid, but I had a blast watching it. I wouldn't mind seeing it again which is not something I can say about the past few Marvel movies.
Just finished Episode 4 of Moon Knight
Very wowed and stunned by that ending and cliffhanger.
The whole tomb sequence and seeing the Heka Priests just doing their own terrifying human rituals was pretty freaky, but cool. Felt like something straight out of Indiana Jones or Uncharted, with a bit of Until Dawn
Not totally into the Layla/Steven/Marc love triangle. Just want Layla and Marc together, but I understand if that's been a bit strained lately.
Ah, yeah, and the fresh-looking blood, bits of flesh strewn about, auditory disembowling, and that one moment where the zombie Heka tries to stab Layla with its own exposed bone was extremely unexpected moments thid episode, coming from Disney Plus. Yeesh.
What a wild ending. Definitely don't believe this is all in Marc/Steven's head, that trope has been done to death, and this is the MCU for crying out loud, plus all the other weird stuff, but kudos to them for going to this surreal fake reality shift. Must be some afterlife the other gods conjured up.
I already know I'm gonna like Hippo lady.
Little thing: Guardians 3 (and by association the Holiday Special) finished filming a week and a half ago.
crazy that we're still supposed to get the Holiday Special later this year. Feels so soon.
She Hulk Trailer!
This is gonna be 8 episodes, by the way.
Her CGI is definitely still unfinished, but I guess with a release date 3 months away they kinda had to release something. Looks fun though! I like that they leaned into the snu snu lol. I wonder if a certain other lawyer will make his appearance in the series.
I'm super excited for She-Hulk. She's been my favorite Marvel character for years because of the craziness of her comics. It looks like they'll have the wacky people with powers that she'll have to defend, but hopefully they'll bring in the humor and the fourth-wall breaking, Deadpool without the gore, feel that her comics have.
Not sure how many of you have heard of this recently, but something about it feels very wrong and exploitative.
We're all sad he's dead. Let him die.
Stan Lee Returns to Marvel Studios With Genius Brands, POW! Entertainment Licensing Deal (Exclusive)
People don't go to Marvel movies just to see the Stan Lee cameo. The success of Shang-Chi, Eternals, NWH, and plenty of the TV Series should attest to that.
Make a statue of the guy if you need to. But digitally creating a 'ghost' of him. Euugh feels wrong.
And what about Jack Kirby? Steve Ditko? Those were the iconic trio.
In some very, very good news. There are reports that a Disney Plus Daredevil series is coming together, with a writer and executive producer attached.
‘Daredevil’ Disney+ Series in the Works With Matt Corman, Chris Ord Set to Write
Apparently a Daredevil series is in the works at Disney Plus with Matt Corman and Chris Ord, creators of the series Covert Affairs, set to write and executive produce.
It's not officially announced by Disney themselves but an article by Variety that claims to have learned this from "sources" has picked up a lot of speed so it's possibly true.
Just came back home after watching Doctor Strange in Multiverse of Madness. I wasn't actually that hyped for the film itself so I went in with an open mind. From what I have heard, they said this film was so different compared to the previous MCU films and it was more of a horror film than a superhero one, considering director being Sam Raimi himself. And guess what? They weren't wrong. This film was nightmare fuel. They pushed the PG-13 to a whole new level. It's almost the same as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the pg-13 originator.
I wouldn't say this film one of the best comic book films but I will say this is probably the best directed MCU film of the entire franchise and Sam Raimi deserved to make this after being absent from cinema for almost a decade.
Wanda was easily the best part of the film and this is probably Elizabeth's best performance she has ever delivered.
There is one part that is both a positive and a negative at the same time
Of course I am talking about the Illuminati Avengers. I loved to see Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Professor X and John Krasinski casted as Mr. Fantastic. Even though I haven't seen the What If series or the first two Captain America movies, I was impressed to see Carter as the Captain for those avengers. I think the most shocking part about those Avengers is that they were BRUTALLY murdered by the possessed Wanda. Those must be the most shocking deaths of the entire franchise, beating the ending of Infinity War in every way. I can see why some fans would be pissed about the execution of those characters, I myself despised the fact that Mr. Fantastic didn't even get to throw at least one punch. Seriously, why is the Fantastic Four brand so cursed? Is there at least one media (Besides the comics) the Fantastic Four are actually...fantastic heroes? Despite that, I really loved how they took that risk to kill those characters in such a brutal way. Could it have been better? Yes. Does that mean those moments sucked? No.
I am glad to have seen this film in theaters. It was a blast. I think we can all agree that we love this film because of Sam Raimi's direction and almost nothing else. He is one of the best and deserve more freedom with his creativity. Stop with the fucking interference and leave him alone.
Thor has got a massive dong confirmed
Also that scene with the gang facing against Gorr in black and white looks really cool.
Finished the last episode of Moon Knight.
My goodness, what a series. Especially when talking about Oscar Issac. Man really did some fantastic acting, making Marc and Steven distinctly separate people.
Very awesome. Again, if you want a show with similar vibes in psychological thriller/mystery, please check out Mr. Robot. It's a bit sadder and frightening in that it involves real-world economic/power struggle themes, but it is a superbly-made show.
First episode of Ms. Marvel is out and I thought it was great! I was pretty darn excited for this show when it was announced cause I love the character, though my excitement definitely diminished a bit when they revealed the power change, but I'm happy to say that they did a great job with it so far.
They absolutely nailed the character of Kamala Khan, especially with her personal conflict of being so westernised in comparison to the rest of her family who are much more traditional. Of course Iman Vellani did a wonderful job portraying her and I'm already looking forward to seeing more of her in the MCU. I also enjoyed the side characters so far, especially Kamala's parents. The episode was also really vibrant, and had a lot of style, as well as a ton of cute animated things that felt like something out of Scott Pilgrim. I especially like the way they handled showing text messages in this, where you see the messages blending into the environment around the characters rather than just having a text box pop up. As for her powers, I'm still pretty iffy on the whole Purple Lantern thing but there's still five more episodes to go, so I'll give it a bit to really pop up more.
Overall I thought it was great, and to me it's one of the strongest of the MCU D+ premieres so far.
Marvel Studios is officially working on a Thunderbolts movie, with Jake Schreier to direct and it will be written by Eric Pearson, who previously wrote the Black Widow movie.
Spider-Man No Way Home will be re-released in theaters on September 2nd with extended and new scenes and it's going to be called "Spider-Man No Way Home The More Fun Stuff Edition".
Shut up and take my money.
Sony is DEFINITELY getting my money again come September, especially since I've still only seen the movie once. To do it again but with more would be fantastic.
However, they are being pretty greedy here, even more than they were with the Far From Home extended cut.
In FFH, there were a few scenes in trailers (restaurant robbery, passport + other chores) that didn't appear in the film. They were deleted scenes on the DVD version, but they released an "extended cut" of FFH some time later that kept them in the film. -- And that Theater release was the only place to ever see them re-inserted into the movie.
Now, we have NWH, which, apparently doesn't even have Deleted scenes on DVD. So they withheld them. Just so they could release it in theatres and make more money.
Possibly, they'll release another DVD version after September that includes those deleted scenes. The release structure of this has been pretty poor to milk extra money here.
I watched Morbius.
It was a movie I saw.
here lies lupin
killed by morbing
...
He's trying to Morb all over me! Someone help!
Really liked episode 2 of Ms. Marvel, even more so than the first.
The episode delves more into Kamala's culture and religious background, which I enjoyed, especially with how they incorporated it into her powers. I also really like how they make it a point to show that her being too wide eyed and in wonder of her new powers that she loses focus of the situation, which could end up hurting people. It's pretty much the Spider-Man thing, she's got the power but she hasn't learned the responsibility yet. There were also few nods to the wider world of the MCU, which is always a fun time.
Nakia also gets a more formal introduction in the series. In the comics she's one of Kamala's closest friends and they did a great job bringing her to life. The main cast in general is great, they have really good chemistry with one another. Ms. Marvel is shaping up to be pretty great, I hope they manage to land the ending lol.
My cousin is really into the comics. She pretty much read all Ms Marvel comics and even tried to cosplay as her once. Glad to see you also read the comics as well.
So.... At least I know in Canada...
Sony finally gave Disney the streaming rights for the original Spider-Man films on Disney Plus! The Tobey Trilogy, the Andrew Duology, pretty surprising.
I guess they're officially quasi-part of the MCU viewing-canon now!
I wonder if this means the MCU Trilogy is gonna appear in the near-future.
I enjoyed episode 3 of Ms. Marvel, though I will say it's probably the weakest episode for me at the moment lol. Mainly because there's a ton of exposition, and also because the fight scenes in this are pretty weak, though they do get a little creative with Kamala's powers which I liked.
Big fan of the wedding in this! It was really fun and there's even some really cute dance choreography. Again I can't help but mention how good the chemistry between a lot of the characters are. I absolutely love the main cast in this series. They did something pretty interesting with Kamala's powers which I don't think anyone was expecting. They do some really deep comic book lore cuts in this. There's also an interesting connection they establish at the start of the episode and I'm interested to see how it all comes together.
Overall, good but not great. Still had fun!
Spoilers
Started Ms. Marvel today.
It's a nice first episode. I'm not very familiar with the character, but I think Iman Vellani plays an Avengers super-fan Kamala Khan very well, probably because she literally is one.
A lot of scenes feel very natural and realistic in dialogue, I think partly because the actors aren't articulating all the time? Maybe it's my TV sound setup, but I found some words or sentences in conversations to be very quiet. Bit strange but I think it added a nice touch to a grounded story so far.
The show is fun and cute as a young-adult coming-of-age series. Something about the trailers made it feel a bit childish, but here it feels more teen-oriented, struggling with issues of future planning, expectations, rebellious teen nature, stuff like that.
There's lots of style too in its artsy, paper-cut, presentation of Kamala's creative, day-dreamy brain. The visual effects team are doing a great job. Feels very Scott-Pilgrim like, too, with the added unique cinematography and editing. This one shot following Kamala as she lies in bed, but the camera flips all the way around too was neat.
The nonchalance of untranslated Urdu language peppered in the script is a unique touch I feel. I don't understand it, but I can sort of get it through context clues which is nice.
I'm not really familiar with her comics powers other than from fan-art I saw in prep of the show and bits from the SQEnix game, but I don't mind this crystally look. Her normal stretchy, growy limbs powers looks fun in the comics, and it's a shame that Feige/Marvel Studios feels it's too similar to Mr. you know who, so it has to go, but this feels like a nice "cosmic" looking twist on it (there's still a Big Hand moment in episode 1) that further ties her to her Captain Marvel fandom.
I really like the end-credits sequence too. Most of the other series has been "CGI Showcase Reel #25" for each character. But this one is a nice "Real New Jersey with CGI Avengers Graffiti". Got some really good music too.
There's also a mid-credits scene at the end of EP1. That's new for a Marvel Series. They always hold those till the last episode.
Episode 2 of Ms. Marvel done. This show feels like a much different genre than the other series. Really feels like a coming-of-age superhero film, no hint of a main Marvel villain so far, just average "I'm a teen who discovers powers and must balance this and my normal life".
Again, really interesting how much they focus on the Muslim culture, the dinner scene in particular was neat -- just a conversation all about family history.
Wonder if any internet group is getting up in arms about all this, but I suspect they've been doing thst since before the show even premiered. Anyway...
Kamala's powers may be some genetic thing. Interesting... (is that normal for Mutants in the comics?)
Not too jazzed about the inevitable Bruno fallout from Kamala fawning over Kamran. However...
That'll probably go south anyhow since Kamran is super SUS. Dude looks like he's in his early 20's for one (maybe just weird casting), is a random new school student, seems to vibe with Kamala instantly on everything, plus that thing at the end where he's coincidentally able to save her from the DODC. Veeeery suspicious.
Plus, about the DODC: it's neat to see that agent guy from NWH make an appearance here.
But with how things have been going, this group is really turning into bad guys. The main guy seems to have a hard-on for anti-superhero ideology, and with them trying to "infiltrate" the south-asian communities now? Eeeeghhh bad vibes all around.
To think this group started out as a "superhero aftermath cleanup crew" seems like they're meddling more and more into law enforcement against them.
I wonder if they're going to turn into that group that hunts down Mutants? Or something like that for Ms. Marvel since Mutants haven't been established yet.
Really liked episode 4 of Ms. Marvel, definitely a step up from last weeks. There's more family stuff which continues to be great, more insight on Kamala's powers and the antagonists, better fight choreography for the most part especially towards the end, and even more talk of the partition which continues to be really interesting to see and learn about. It's pretty cool that a historical event like this is getting so much spot light. The only other time I've seen western media portray the partition was in an episode of Doctor Who. Unfortunately, still not really feeling the antagonists. I just don't find them very interesting, but maybe that'll chance, there's still two more episodes left.
There's an appearance made by a comic book character that I feel like I really should have expected lol. The episode also ends in a very interesting way, looking forward to seeing what happens next week!
Spoilers
Red Dagger, one of Kamala's love interests, makes his appearance in the show! I have no idea why I was so surprised, the events leading up to their meeting follows pretty closely to the comic.
Looks like Clan Destine aren't actually Djinn, it was just a name given to them because of how foreign they were to humanity.
That prison breakout scene was pretty weaksauce not gonna lie. The location was really cramped but you'd think there'd be more guards around to help take in these super powered beings.
Speaking of the DODC, we actually got our first look at the prison and the police team from the She-Hulk trailer!
Kamala saw her first death, I wonder if that'll come in later considering she's just a kid.
Really interesting to see Kamala get placed right at the train station during partition. I wonder if it's time travel or some kind of vision of the past. I assume she's there to see her family get out of the country.
I really liked episode 5 of Ms. Marvel, which gives us a look into Kamala's family history during the partition. It felt like I was watching a completely different show and the production value was wild. I wonder if they actually got that many people and built that big of a set or if it was just really good CG. However after it's over, the next couple minutes is some of the roughest superhero content I have seen in the MCU lmao. Not great effects, rushed writing and some off acting by everyone involved. But after that's over and done with it goes back to being alright again, it's just that one moment which really stuck out to me as being rough.
I have no idea what was going on behind the scenes here, like did they use up all their budget making the rest of the episode then had to finish off the story or something. It also ends up tying up some big knots and I was really confused because there's still one episode left, then the show reminded me about one more lose end, so I wonder how that'll work out.
Overall, really great three quarters of an episode. Still interested to see how it all ends but man, Marvel Studios needs to give these shows more than six episodes worth of run time. The main issue in nearly every single one of these shows is that at a point, it just feels rushed.
Spoilers
Love the flashback with Kamala's great grandparents. It feels very reminiscent of the opening for Shang-Chi.
I just think it's cool that the MCU is putting a big spotlight on such a historic event.
It's pretty nuts that they built such a big set and had all those people organised for just one episode. It really felt like I was watching a completely different show.
That scene with the portal and the end of the Clan Destine was terrible. Terrible effects, acting and writing. Such a stark difference to the rest of the episode.
Could they not just have quick scene of Kamala walking up her light stairs instead of just having a reaction shot lol.
On another note, the effect they use for the death of the Clan Destine is a similar effect that Agents of Shield used when it came to the Inhuman terrigenesis, but with a skeleton.
I completely forgot about Damage Control lol. Wild that they shot up Bruno's home.
Just watched Thor Love and Thunder and I was dissappointed. Thats the third movie from this new phase that I didn't like very much, the others were Black Widow and Eternals. Maybe Marvel is releasing too many projects, even No Way Home was just fan service, the actual plot is weak and flawed
"Just fan service"
Which type of fan service are you referring to, exactly?
Mostly the nostalgia, the plot of the villains and the other Spider-Men returning (obviously), but the entire movie actually. But it was fun, just nothing amazing at least in my opinion + the CGI and overall visuals were bad but thats just most Marvel movies.
I said "What type of fan service?", not "What fan service?" The movie didn't use fan service only to please the fans.
And he said nostalgia.
I watched Thor: Love and Thunder. I liked it, I thought it was fun, albeit messy and awkwardly paced movie, similar to Doctor Strange: MoM. The main cast continues to be great, and I particularly enjoyed Mighty Thor (Jane Foster). She and their relationship had more development and substance here than the first two movies combined. I also enjoyed Russel Crowe's portrayal of Zeus, I thought he was a lot of fun! Humour is definitely more hit or miss here than in Ragnarok, apparently this movie had more "unscripted" dialogue and jokes so maybe that's why. There's also some tonal issues where the movie can't decide if it wants to be silly or serious, which is very strange. It's not like Taiki Waititi can't do serious, if anyone's watched Jojo Rabbit you'll know what I mean.
As for Gorr the God Butcher, I think Christian Bale did a great job with what he was given, and I honestly think he could have been one of the greats, if we actually saw some god butchering and were given more screen time. He has a great beginning, and a great ending, but there really isn't much of a middle. Apparently they cut out a bunch of scenes with him, which is really unfortunate, especially since I believe this is the shortest Marvel flick of Phase Four thus far. The movie also ends in a very interesting place for Thor, which I really like, and I'm interest to see how this continues on in the future since Thor definitely isn't done yet if Chris Hemworth and Taiki are to be believed.
Overall, while I definitely didn't enjoy the movie as much as I did Ragnarok, I had fun with it. Hopefully they manage to balance things out in the future.
Big ol' Spoilers
I definitely wasn't expecting them to kill off Jane, but I guess that's part of why Natalie Portman ended up returning.
I DEFINITELY wasn't expecting Idris Elba to return as Heimdall, even if it was only for like a minute.
Thor is now sole caretaker/uncle to Gorr's daughter, which is a really interesting spot to end it on. Fun fact, Christ Hemsworth's daughter plays Gorr's kid in the movie!
The actor who plays Hercules is fuckin' JACKED. He's almost as jacked as Hemsworth.
Really liked the Ms. Marvel finale. It has a more similar tone and presentation to the first couple episodes and the return of Kamala's friends and family. I cannot re-iterate how much I enjoy these characters. They're so charming, fun and earnest feeling. The Clan Destine story is over which is great and with them gone comes to return of Damage Control, who are fine. Not the biggest fan of the antagonists overall but in my opinion the protagonists more than make up for their pitfalls. The CG was also much looking here than the past couple episodes, though the crystal light still definitely doesn't look super real.
Overall aside from the villains I greatly enjoyed the season. Kamala is perfectly casted and I absolutely love the relationships with the characters around her. I also enjoyed the bit of history presented and how it all connected to Kamala. Not to mention incorporation of muslim culture into the story and characters, as well as some of the issues around it. There's also a pretty big revelation at the end that has me pretty excited for the future and maybe one other fun surprise. I hope that this ends up getting a second season after The Marvels. I'd love to see them adapt some of the crazy comic book stories and villains like Edison.
Spoilerinos
Kamala Khan is officially the MCU's first mutant! Which is a big change considering her Inhuman origins in the comics, but I guess they didn't want confuse audiences considering how similar mutants and Inhumans are.
The X-Men theme that plays after the reveal was credited as the opening theme for the upcoming X-Men '97 animated series. This really seems to help push the theory that the show will somehow crossover into the MCU which is pretty nuts.
Brie Larson makes an appearance as Captain Marvel along with a brand new costume! It's pretty funny that she gets transported into Kamala's room and all she sees are pictures and stuff of her face plastered everywhere. I wonder where Kamala went though lol.
Damage Control gets a really big PR hit in this, I wonder if this'll be carried forward in the future with people being less trusting of them.
Finished Episode 4 of Ms Marvel. It's a very enjoyable series so far.
Doing a whole shift to Pakistan was cool (actually filmed in Thailand though) and I assume it'll keep it up for maybe one more episode, before heading back to New Jersey for the big flashy CGI Battle.
I enjoyed the few moments spent between Muneeba and her mother, reconciling their issues.
What is it with so many films and shows this year tackling Generational Trauma?
They be doing a lot of world-building here, as Kamala meets yet another secret group of freedom-fighter-type-people.
Don't totally like how quickly and easily Kamala trusted the Red Daggers, with their exposition-laced meeting, especially since the last secret group she met up with literally just betrayed her on a heel-turn.
"Do all you American superheroes wear masks?"
"How do you know I'm not Canadian?"
Hehehe references
The fight choreography and chase choreography was impressive for the most part.
This is a weird thing to nitpick though, but the PG-influence on the script sticks out weirdly when Waleed got stabbed by a major knife in the back and he doesn't "bleed out" on the pavement.
It was still unfortunate for him and Kamala anyway. Just something that stuck out to me weirdly.
Ah, also what stuck out to me is that Kamala's papercraft CGI flourishes are just... gone. Even much of the smart texting CGI isn't there anymore. I wonder why? The budget just didn't account for it?
The show really had a lot of nice style in the first two episodes in terms of editing and flourish.
The new end credits was nice. Really cool they just shifted the whole sequence to Karachi footage.
Seems we'll be getting further Partition flashbacks now. Very interested in that especially since they've been highlighting it so much.
And while I'm on it, Episode 3 was good fun. The wedding sequence was great. I kind of like how they didn't do the whole song-and-dance of "mystery group lures in protagonist to do dangerous thing to help, & inevitably betrays protag." The way they got there felt so, so contrived. There was no set-up.
Just... "Kamala can you help us?" She agrees. The next day they decide "Nah, let's actually violently force her instead."
Uh.... what?! Why the sudden heel-turn? They've been waiting for years, can't they wait one day? One 12-hour period until the wedding ends at least?
Some news on the Marvel Studios animated front.
What If Season 2
* Will feature an episode is set to be based off the 2003 limited comic series Marvel: 1602 which places superheroes in the Elizabethan Era. Other episodes and plot lines feature a story about Hela, Odin vs The Mandarin, Yondu giving young Peter Quill to his father Ego, Captain Carter meeting Winter Soldier Natasha and Tony on Sakaar with Valkyrie and Hulk.
* The season will release in 2023.
* A third season has also been confirmed.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year
* The show is no longer canon to the MCU and instead will be MCU adjacent. Meaning that certain events still happened and the series will still be set before Civil War, but different characters will make an appearance.
* Charlie Cox will be in the show voicing Daredevil.
* Some other characters that will make an appearance include Harry Osborne, Amadeus Cho, Nico Minuro, Chameleon, Scorpion, Lonnie Lincoln, Pyromaniac, Speed Demon, Tarantula, Doc Ock, Rhino, The Wizard, Daredevil, Doctor Strange and Norman Osborne.
* The show will premiere in 2024.
* A second season titled Sophomore Year has also been confirmed.
Marvel Zombies
* Other heroes that will make an appearance in the show include Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Kate Bishop, Jimmy Woo, Shang-Chi, Ms Marvel and Death Dealer and images also showed a Mad Max-esque Skrull Biker Gang.
* Zombified versions of characters in the series include Hawkeye, Captain America, Abomination, Ghost, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Okoye and Ikaris.
* Biggest news of all, the show will be rated TV-MA, making it unsuitable for individuals under the age of 17. It has, I believe, the same age rating as The Walking Dead.
* It will premiere in 2024.
X-Men '97
* The main team of the series will be Rogue, Beast, Gambit, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee and Cyclops.
* Other mutants that will make an appearance include Cable, Bishop, Morph, Nightcrawler, Roberto Da Costa as well as members of The Hellfire Club, Emma Frost and Callisto and Magneto in a new look who is the new leader of the X-Men.
* It will premiere in 2023.
* A second season has been confirmed.
My reaction to much of this can be boiled down to a sequence of various emotions but I'll try to boil it down to the cool stuff that's got me excited here.
A lot of those episodes seem neat. Love the idea of the 1602 adaptation (I only know of that from some Bonus costume in a Spider-Man game, so it'll be nice to see an adaptation).
A third season is really cool news. Not all episodes were stellar but I love to see Marvel Studios's animation team thriving
Boooooo. Boooooo. Sony's death-grip on this character they're too afraid to use in their own slap-dash "Universe" is so infuriating.
I assume "adjacent" means: Based on MCU Events, but spins-off into a new direction? Well, the MTV Spidey I'm very fond of did the same thing for the OG Sony Spider-Man movie, so, I guess we'll see what original ideas they can bring to that. The plentiful comic characters and Spidey buddies is already great news.
...This is still a Marvel Studios project, right? Sounds like What If: Spidey Edition.
Feels a bit early for a Season 2 renewal. We'll get to it when we get to it...
Actually a lot of details were revealed about it today according to Reddit and it's sounding and looking very cool.
Art style is Very vintage Spider-Man.
and in terms of Adjacent stuff... they showed a little preview of a scene, referencing Tony showing up at Peter's apartment in Civil War. But here, it's Norman Osborn! Oooh.
So, it sounds like they're expanding upon the What-If adaptation given much of that seems to be featuring MCU established characters. Hopefully they can tghten the writing so it doesn't come across as too campy, which the original episode suffered from in the face of its own dramatic stakes.
The TV-MA is super interesting news. I remember Moon Knight being close to receiving that (in pre-show rumors) but so far Disney has danced around Mature content in terms of their own products. But now they're going all in...?
Hmmm... The Walking Dead: Marvel Edition sounds like a fun time for me! Sign me up!
Now to start speculating when that damn MCU Deadpool flick might start-up...
Seems like a lot of today's SDCC stuff was all about Animation for Marvel. In the coming days we might get intel on what's next for the Live-Action slate.
Also the trailer for I Am Groot came out today and it's... yeah, Groot shorts. Could be a fun little thing.
