Review and Aftermath: Avengers Endgame
I will spare the “Oh it’s the best movie ever” line, because I feel this film is in a category all of its own. There are few words that can describe what I saw in Avengers Endgame. It’s a movie that will have you processing what happened for days. It’s also a flick that you’ll want to know as little as possible about going into it. Let me just say that I give Endgame 6 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. Yes, that’s right. I have it above 100% mainly because of how well it closes out the past 21 movies and sets up the next era. I am curious as to how someone who hasn’t invested the time I have into the Marvel Cinematic Universe would feel watching it. Certainly it wouldn’t have the same impact, but there is so much there for everyone that it really is something unique. Hands down it’s the best comic book movie to date, and I don’t think that’s a title that will be taken by another any time soon.
As I mentioned there is a lot to process, so let me break down what this sets up for the future. I don’t want to focus on what’s in the film because its something unique for everyone. Instead, I’ll talk about how things will shape up from here on out. This contains some speculation and SPOILERS, so be warned. If you have seen it I’d like to know what you think… Ready? Final SPOILER WARNING….
LOKI: Disney+ has announced a live action Loki miniseries. We now know that this will center around the much more malevolent trickster than we’ve seen recently. This isn’t the semi-hero Loki, but the one who tried to destroy New York in Avengers 1. It’ll make for very interesting storytelling to see what the god of mischief will be up to.
Sin: This one is just my mind as a writer, but it answers the question of what happens to Red Skull. He is now just a wraith with no purpose or stone to guard. Could he inhabit the dead body of Black Widow and return to Earth as a villain for current times? They don’t need Scarlet Johansen to play the role as her corpse would decay giving her a skull like appearance. Sin in the comics was Red Skull’s daughter and villain. This would be a good passing of the torch and make for an interesting story and proper closure for Red Skull.
Falcon and Winter Soldier: With Sin as a possible villain at some point just speculation, we know for certain that Bucky and Sam have lots more to come in the Disney+ show. Sam being the new Cap could go many places. My only issue with Endgame was how Bucky really didn’t go to visit his friend on the bench. It just seemed to convenient and not as believable, but it’s a minor gripe. Either way I look forward to this show.
X-Men: While there is no real connection to mutants, there is a line explaining that since Thanos used the stones there has been a spike in meta-human abilities around the globe. Could that have caused mutants to begin exhibiting abilities? Who knows, but I can’t imaging this line was used as a throwaway.
Spiderman Far From Home: This is said to actually be the final Phase 3 film, serving as an epilogue of sorts. Spiderman clearly needs a vacation at the end of Endgame, so it’ll be good to see some final tie in references here.
Captain America 4: Well I didn’t think this would happen, but we could see a Captain America 4 with Chris Evans. Now that he stayed in the past with Peggy there certainly is room for him to fill this role well into his older years. We could also see Steve be a mentor to Sam in the years to come and present day. Another thing that could be done is he and Peggy have a daughter who becomes Captain America for a time. In the comics there was an alternate Earth where this happened, so it’d work as a nice prequel of sorts in the alternate timeline created by him staying in the past.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3: The search for Gamora? Certainly seems like the case. Keep in mind we have chubby Thor with Stormbreaker. Could this be how they introduce Beta Ray Bill? It is after all about time to do so and Thor is clearly at the end of his part of the saga.
Young Avengers: Cassie Lang is older now and able to soon take up the mantle of Stature alongside Wasp and Antman. Hawkeye has a show coming out on Disney+ where Clint Barton will be training a replacement female Hawkeye. They could easily change his daughter’s name to Kate Bishop in a witness protection sort of way and have her take up her father’s mantle. Iron Lad could be introduced with Harley Keener (the young boy from Ironman 3). He came in as an unexpected cameo at Tony Stark’s funeral. Also there’s Morgan Stark. In the comics Morgan was Tony’s cousin and a male who became Ironman 3000. In the films, Morgan is his young daughter. I can’t imagine her not becoming IronHeart once she is old enough and using her mother’s rescue armor as a beginning to her tenure. Throw Spiderman in a lead role here and you could have a well rounded set of heroes.
A-Force: It goes without saying that one of the coolest scenes was seeing all of the female heroes assemble in the final battle. They could easily make a spinoff revolving around them, though they’d have to take caution in doing so. It wouldn’t make sense for only the females to be involved as it would seem forced, but there are ways to pull this off in a very cool and exciting way.
Maestro and She-Hulk: This is more speculation on my part, but She-Hulk needs to be introduced. We could also see the lesser liked Red Hulk if Banner goes rogue. Why would he? Well Professor Hulk being scarred by the stones could also be internally. If they tainted his mental state, we could see him become the villain in a future hulk movie as Maestro. This is something I’d actually love to see more than most of the others with She-Hulk teaming up with Red Hulk and the former of the two ending up as the new Hulk character.
Valkyrie: Valkyrie is now in charge of New Asgard on Earth. Maybe Thor will find a suitable planet for them to inhabit along his journeys with the Guardians. They could do it so that Thor transfers some of his power into her sword. It wouldn’t be Mjolnir, but could set her up as the new female Thor. It’s a stray from the comics, but it’d be just as interesting as bringing in Beta Ray Bill as I mentioned earlier.
Doctor Strange 2: Wong has been Sorcerer Supreme for 5 years and Strange no longer has the Time Stone. The power struggle between the 2 and it’s been said that they’d like to introduce Nightmare as a villain could be very fun and dare I say… Strange?
Black Panther 2: M’Baku has been in charge of Wakanda for 5 years. Surely he made some changes and they haven’t always seen eye to eye. Black Panther’s return makes for a lot of exciting political conflict.
WandaVision: Another Disney+ confirmed series. The question is will this be when Scarlet Witch and Vision lived together before the events of Infinity War? Or will she somehow use her powers to bring back a less colorful (like in the comics) version of Vision, where the story revolves around her trying to reconnect with a very cold emotionless version of her former android lover?
Black Widow: Well, this movie will obviously take place before the first Avengers movie. I’m assuming with the references to Budapest between her and Hawkeye that this will occur there, or we’ll have more clarification on what those events were.
What If: Although this is animated and a confirmed Disney+ series with the original actors voicing the roles, it’s hard to imagine that some of the timelines spinning off from the actions in the past won’t be addressed here.
Cameos: Stan Lee’s final cameo was in this film, and what a way to make him eternally young with his appearance. Sadly he has passed, but now that the Fox/Disney merger is completed I could see Ryan Reynolds suiting up as Deadpool and breaking the 4th wall in every movie after this. I think Stan would approve.
What are your thoughts? Did I miss anything? Am I overthinking this? Did you like Endgame and where do you think it will go? Comment below.
Review: The Punisher season 2
Well Frank Castle is back and better than ever in the Marvel Netflix team up that’s better than its first season. Season 2 does have some minor things that bother me, but for the most part, this is what I would expect for this character.
If you go into this season thinking that there is going to be a straight forward simple story, then you’ll find yourself mistaken. There are two arcs that run throughout the entirety, and they both wrap up nicely.
Without focusing too much on the plot, so that I avoid spoilers, I do want to point out my one slight issue. Jigsaw. Billy Russo was not quite taken from source material, but with a new take on him. Instead of his face really being the scarred part, it was his psyche that was shattered from the events at the end of season 1. On that note as well, the amount of trauma that the Punisher himself experiences physically should have had him just as scarred as Billy, but at the end Frank is unmarred when he fully dons the vigilante persona. Okay, so there is suspension of disbelief with that, and the way that everything flowed during this season was better than ANY of the other Marvel/Netflix shows.
Amy, Madoni, Curtis, John Pilgrim, and the rest of the cast were just as exemplary in their roles as Frank and Billy. It was a job well done by all.
It didn’t drag on in parts and wrapped up everything nicely. I hope we see more of the character soon. Personally, I’d like a Nick Fury/Winter Soldier/Punisher team up, but that’s just me.
What were your thoughts? I give season 2 of the Punisher 4 out of 5 sCrypt ratings.
Think, Sip, Write: ep 56 – Marvel vs DC
In this episode of #thinksipwrite, my son Tony sits in for Roberta as we talk about all things Marvel and DC. Who is the better comic book universe and why? What are your thoughts and favorite characters?
Review: Luke Cage season 2
Luke Cage continues to be one of my favorite Netflix marvel shows. This season took what made the first season good, and made it better. It doesn’t drag as much, and the story continued to draw me in. Could it have been a few episodes shorter? Sure, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t chock full of good writing.
The use of the characters was executed well to where the viewer can feel a connection with them all. Bushmaster, Nightshade, Shades, Misty Knight, and Maria Stokes (Dillard) all served an equal part of the plot. Some were set up for more future usage, but the most interesting part is how Luke was left at the end of the season. Will he become a villain? It’s doubtful, but it sure as heck looks like he’ll be going down a darker path.
I refuse to say much more than this because it really summarizes how I feel about the season. One thing I can add though is the episode with Danny Rand showing up really has me excited for Iron Fist Season 2. In the meantime, I’ll be happy with Luke Cage and give season 2 of his show 4 out of 5 sCrypt ratings.
What were your thoughts? Comment below, so we can discuss.
Review: Ant-man and The Wasp
I didn’t expect much more than a fun popcorn flick going into Ant-man and The Wasp, and that’s exactly what I got. As far as Marvel movies go, it doesn’t rank that high on the scale, but that doesn’t mean it is a bad movie. In fact, it is a lot of fun from start to finish.
Paul Rudd (Scott Lang) and Michael Douglas (Hank Pym) shine as both Ant-Mans, but Evangeline Lilly is really the one who makes the movie that much more enjoyable. As the Wasp, a hero long overdue in the eyes of Marvel fanatics, she is the balance to the chaotic men of the story. While Hank Pym is an overeager scientist who holds one too many grudges, Scott Lang is a goofy dad who comes off as a bit of a dolt. Hope (Lilly’s character) seems to be the only one who can bring either of these men to focus on the task ahead.
Herein lies my problem with the film… In the first movie, Lang had a bit of knowledge of how engineering and science work, but in the sequel they seemed to have scrapped all of that. Also in the first film, Pym mentioned that he couldn’t shrink any more because of the many years of doing it taking a toll on his body. It could be fatal to him. But then we see him step into the quantum realm in a new Ant-Man suit. Now maybe this suit cancels those negative effects, but without mentioning it is a slight issue for those who have seen both. If you haven’t seen the first and only see this one, then these aren’t real problems.
Other notable points of interest in the movie were Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne/Wasp and Laurence Fishburn’s Bill Foster/Goliath. I love how both were introduced with a past, even if they were a bit underutilized in the film.
As far as villains go, well Sonny Burch was not much of a challenge but worked well to counter Luis and the X-Con security guys. Ghost is less a villain than she is an obstacle, and it’ll be interesting to see where they take her from here on out.
With all Marvel movies, Stan Lee’s cameo was funny as usual, and the mid credits scene brought a heavy weight with it. Slight spoiler, it has to do with Infinity War’s Thanos snap, and is almost as if everything Ant-Man worked for in this movie is gone (at least for the time being). The post credit scene was less than amusing. As a matter of fact it is one that actually irritated me because it was just a throwaway gag that made little sense.
Overall I give Ant-Man and the Wasp a 3 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. It was fun, non-stop action, and a different feel to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What did you think? Did you see anything in the quantum realm? Supposedly there are hidden things there (I think I spotted one, but am not really sure what it was). Comment below with your thoughts.
Review: Avengers Infinity War
I’m a little late with the review for this because I really didn’t want to say much after seeing it. This will be a short overlook, as I feel that people need to see this with as little spoilers as possible.
Was it worth it? Yes yes and yes. The film was outstanding in so many ways, BUT I wonder if someone who isn’t familiar with the other Marvel movies will be somewhat lost. There’s so many characters that its hard to keep track, but the Russos did a great job of not making it feel crowded.
The narrative played out quite well and unexpected with plenty of surprises and shocking moments. Thanos IS THE BEST MARVEL Villain yet. I literally have no complaints about the film, except that I have to wait for the next movie to see what happens.
Here’s where we get into little SPOILERS with my speculation:
– Is Red Skull the movie version of Death now or after the Soul Stone was grabbed did he revert to his former human status? I’d like to think the latter would be better, but it isn’t necessary. At least we got closure to that.
– The stones are at least drained of power, which makes me think that the snap will be reversed. The Russos did claim that the deaths will stay, so that means goodbye to Loki and Heimdall. Notice how I didn’t say any others. Here’s why. The snap only erased people from existence. It didn’t technically kill them. Gamora was sacrificed to retrieve the soul stone, so if it’s anything like the comics she wasn’t killed but instead trapped within it. And Vision, well he was a grayed out husk at the end, but Shuri probably retrieved enough to have a less emotional version of him live on without so much color. Maybe she will even use what’s left to build Jocasta or something. Either way, Vision as we know him is gone, but there is room for an offspring of sorts.
I give the movie 5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. It made me laugh, get choked up and had me on the edge of my seat for the non stop thrill ride. What did you think of Infinity War? What do you think will happen next?
Review: Black Panther
When it comes to Marvel movies, it’s no secret I’ve been entertained every time. Going into this one I had high hopes as usual, and I wasn’t let down. Minor Spoilers ahead.
The Good:
This is a totally fresh movie that is far different than the other comic book superhero films out there. It’s political without pushing any agendas. It’s got a great mix of action, humor, and sincerity that make it an all around great standalone movie. You don’t need to see any of the other films in the MCU to see this one (although you might get confused by the final end credit scene if you are not watching all of the films). The main characters of T’Challa and Killmonger are perfect with the latter even donning his comic accurate costume in the beginning, only to get a much better upgrade. Finally, the usage of characters like Klaw, Man-Ape, Shuri, Nakia, Everett Ross, and Okoye are done well as a supporting cast. Oh, and how could I forget another outstanding cameo by Stan Lee.
The Bad:
I am a little upset with Klaw’s fate, but realize why they did what they did. Some of the things like Black Panther jumping from a plane without a parachute don’t sit well with me, but the explanation of how Vibranium absorbs kinetic energy makes me suspend disbelief just enough to let the ridiculousness pass.
Overall:
Black Panther was just fun from opening until end. It had weight in the series, and was relatable to the real world on some levels. I put it up there with the Captain America Trilogy as my favorite so far giving it a 5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. So what did you think?
On a side note here’s some speculation and clarity btw:
Antman and The Wasp will be here soon, and it looks like that will be another stand alone movie to give us more back story and introduction of characters. Bucky is looking like he will get a cybernetic vibranium arm and is a hero again. Maybe we will see him as Captain America. And though people are saying “Where is the 6th Infinity Stone?” let me explain to you where they all are. The Tesseract is the SPACE Stone, and is floating in space with the SOUL stone, which was the Eternal flame from Thor Ragnarok. Thanos shows up at the end of that, so I’m assuming he has both now. The REALITY stone Aether is in the Collector’s possession after Malekith was defeated. The MIND stone is in Vision’s head. Doctor Strange has the TIME stone in his Eye of Agamotto amulet. This leaves the POWER stone with the Nova Corps after they got it back from Ronan. All the stones are there. I don’t get why people are saying the Soul stone hasn’t been represented yet. They did the same thing with the mind stone when it was still in Loki’s staff. Think about what the Souls stone might do… It restores or takes life presumably. That is exactly what the flame did in Ragnarok.
Thoughts?
Review: The Gifted season 1
A freshman season of a superhero tv show that isn’t horrible? That could never happen, right? Wrong. The Gifted made its way in for 13 episodes of really compelling story telling. This is tied in to the already existing X-Men movies, but does a great job of distancing itself.
I do have to clarify the timeline a little. This story takes place as Blink and Thunderbird first meet, but in the new timeline established at the end of Days of Future Past. Confused yet? I’m not done. If you recall, Blink and Warbird (Thunderbird’s brother) were characters in DOFP, so this is a really great way to connect the films to the show. Let’s add in that it seems to take place before Logan, but after the (SPOILER ALERT) X-Men and Brotherhood are apparently killed off by Xavier’s out of control powers referenced in the Logan movie.
So the show plays out with an underground network of mutants trying to survive in a world that hates them. They don’t know what happened to the X-Men or Brotherhood, but it no longer matters. Sentinel Services is on their backs. The organization is tied to Trask industries, but they have acknowledged that the giant robot sentinels were an issue in the past (Days of Future Past), and have moved to smaller robotic drones and hound mutants (brainwashed mutants) to help them.
Comic characters Pulse, Dreamer, Trader, Fenris, and Evangeline Whedon play small roles, while a brand new character Eclipse takes center stage as one of the co-leaders of the mutant underground.
The season plays out a little slow at times, but builds as it goes, and doesn’t make the mistake of harboring on one story line or cliffhangers for too long. It does have a theme throughout the season, which seems to be resolved at the end. (More Spoilers) Polaris seems to be following in her father’s footsteps (Magneto) and joining the Hellfire Club with the Stepford Cuckoos. The remaining mutants are homeless with nowhere to go. Presumably they will take refuge in the sewers and become the Morlocks of comic fame, but that is something for season 2 to tackle. And I’m hoping Dr. Campbell is not dead (He’s Ahab in the comics, so I’m sure he’ll be back in some form.)
What we have is a great X-Men B-list of mutants and humans who are surrounded by decent story telling. The great part of the show, however, is the Strucker family. Not only is their back story very deeply rooted in the source material, but they are characters you care about. All four of them really steal the show along with Agent Turner of the Sentinel Services. They are believable (at least their situations) and solid all around. The comic book connections are just icing on an already good cake.
I can’t wait to see what season 2 brings, as it looks to be more related to the comic books, but until then this was a good breath of fresh air for the superhero genre on TV. I give The Gifted first season, 4 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. What did you think? Where do you think it will go from here? Chime in with your comments below.
Review: Inhumans TV series
I won’t spend much time on this because it has already sucked the life out of me. I watched every episode hoping for some pay off, but to no avail. Here’s the basic gist…
- Heroic characters who can’t use their abilities (Medusa gets her hair cut off and Blackbolt is too powerful to show his powers more than three times.)
- Other heroic characters who are not well developed (Lockjaw the dog with horrible CGI, Crystal the teenage girl who could have stopped the problem on her own, but didn’t for some reason, Gorgon the man who you never actually see his hooved legs clearly, and Triton who dies and then is suddenly not dead because of a plan that no one really knows about even when it is revealed.)
- A villain who is basically more hero than the heroes (Maximus is portrayed in just that way, so at the end it almost feels as if the bad guys have won, even though it shouldn’t)
- Karnak was enjoyable to watch, but every scene he was in felt like it brought his character down.
- Atillan, the city on the moon, was the best thing about the show and even that gets destroyed at the end.
- And the Inhumans are now on Earth, so will they cameo in Agents of SHIELD or will we forget about them entirely? If they do cameo, then I hope its done in a way to completely not refer to this show at all because I’m trying hard to forget.
I hate to be the bringer of bad news. I’m not one of those comic nerds who sit in their basement and act like keyboard warriors hating all things done. If anything I’m the opposite. I’m a fan who grew up reading this stuff and am happy to see it on screen, and most of the time forgive the “problems” others have with it all. This was the exception. It was just boring from start to finish, and had no climax at all.
This officially marks the lowest score I’ve ever given to a show or movie, and I feel a pang of guilt for doing it, but I have to be honest. I give this show a 0.5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings, and that’s only because a zero would mean I hadn’t watched it.
What did you think? Have you seen Marvel’s Inhumans? Am I being too harsh? Chime in with your comments.
Review: Marvel’s Punisher
The Marvel and Netflix combo hit again with their newest series The Punisher. My expectations were very high for this show, because I was an avid reader of the gratuitously violent anti-hero vigilante. There was something about the character that went beyond just the gore and killing. He was a decent human being that lost his family. He wasn’t just a murdering psychopath.
We already got a taste of Frank Castle during Daredevil season 2, so going into this I was worried that the audience wouldn’t be able to connect with him. With all the violence in today’s society it is hard to find a reason to see him as a hero, but this show was done perfectly to exude that feeling.
While some may complain that it was way too slow, I think most will agree that the paced narrative was necessary to make the audience cheer for the main character and feel for him. He’s not out for revenge. He’s out for justice. It may not be what the government deems as just, but for the people he’s taking out, it is what he feels needs to be done.
There is a suspension of disbelief seeing him get tortured, beaten, and shot beyond a level suitable for any one human to take, but isn’t that how any show like this would go? There were some references to the comics that were done tastefully. The final three episodes go from story telling to hard core (at some moments almost unwatchable combat). Yes, there was more than one moment where I had a difficult time seeing what was on screen, but it held my attention because at that point in the story the villains really needed to have that done to them.
SPOILER ALERT: The final battle with Billy Russo and Punisher was my favorite scene. I got worried at one point that they’d kill off the big bad. I knew that in the comics he becomes Jigsaw (basically the antithesis to Frank Castle with a horribly scarred face. At one point he even wore a costume similar to Punisher’s). Thankfully, Frank had reason to let him live, and with all the foreshadowing done throughout the episodes, how could he not?
Will we see The Punisher and Daredevil team up again to take down a Kingpin/Jigsaw/Bullseye combo? Who knows, but it’s something that I hope happens at some point. END SPOILERS
At the end of the day it comes down to this… The Punisher season 1 is a well told story. It is a tragic story. It is a love story. It is a story about corruption and justice. It is a story about political agendas and dealing with PTSD. Throw in some really action packed scenes to live up to the name Frank Castle bears, and you end up with something completely new for Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. It went beyond my expectations for a good story, and appeased the comic book fan in me.
What did you think of Punisher season 1? Comment with your thoughts and predictions of where they may take the character(s) after this.
Review: Spider-man Homecoming
Spider-Man is back at Marvel, but how did he fare swinging into action on home turf? I’ll say this. It was not the movie I wanted it to be. I expected it to be the best of the existing Spidey films so far, but it fell just shy of Spider-man 2, which I feel remains at the top of the list. So what was good and bad about it?
The Bad:
The Shocker felt like a rip off. Which one? It doesn’t matter. Were either of these guys Herman Schultz? Again, it doesn’t matter. It was explained that the technology could shatter their arms, so that’s why the quilted yellow jacket was used. Is it so hard then to put a mask on the men? I’m just tired of half assed villain appearances. Hopefully they bring him back soon.
Zendaya’s character was a waste. Why was she even there? She’s clearly not the MJ that we know as in Mary Jane Watson (At least she better not be). And the whole team going to Washington DC? How did anyone else not figure out that Parker and Spider-Man happen to be in both places? Flash Thompson didn’t seem like Flash Thompson at all.
The Spider-Man A.I. suit is just stupid. Get rid of the computer and give him spider-sense already. This isn’t the hero comic book fans want. And Aunt May is hot of course, but her presence was lacking. No mention of Uncle Ben either, but Peter did say his Aunt had been through a lot, so that can slide.
The Good:
I know I said the AI suit is a bad thing, but I do like the different web settings. This actually can explain a lot. The spider-tracers were also awesome to see, as well as the search light. I liked the mentor being Tony Stark too. It worked really well.
Adrian Toomes/Vulture, and The Tinkerer were perfect. The way they were handled was done quite well, though I feel the final battle was a bit anti-climactic. Ned was also a good friend for Peter to have and share his secret with.
The scene with Adrian Toomes in the car with Peter was very cool. The little speech Keaton gave was chilling. I’m not sure Liz as his daughter felt right, but it didn’t matter because she too was a welcome addition.
From Damage Control, to Spider-man/Peter Parker himself were great. And shall I say that I think Tom Holland is our best Spidey/Parker yet! I look forward to seeing him many more times in the role.
Overall assessment:
Homecoming is not the best Spidey movie because so much more could have been done to correct the minor plot holes. That being said, it is certainly not the worst, and comes in right up there with Spider-man 2 as a close favorite. I give it 4 out of 5 sCrypt ratings.
Where can it go from here? I can easily see Spidey battling the Sinister Six with an ally or two. I realize he’s got a role in Infinity War and more, but why not see what he can do against the likes of: Vulture, Scorpion, Tinkerer, Shocker, and two others. I suggest a proper Rhino and Prowler. It’s clear that Miles Morales exists in this universe, so make him Spidey’s ally and give the fans something to remember. What did you think of Spider-man Homecoming?
Review: Marvel’s The Defenders ssn 1
Netflix surely has a hit with its Marvel TV shows, but that doesn’t mean they have all been great. Daredevil season 1 and 2 as well as Luke Cage were outstanding. Iron Fist started strong, but underwhelmed in the latter half of the season. Jessica Jones had a great concept, but could have been done in 4 episodes because 13 was much too long and drawn out. So with the Defenders coming out I had a bag of mixed emotions. How did it fare?
The Defenders had an amazing first two episodes. They filled in the gap of what was happening with each character after we last saw them all. It was story building at its finest. People complained that they all don’t even meet until episode 3, but they obviously have no desire for substance. It is well worth the wait.
At that point I was worried that with such a great buildup, that the last 4 episodes would fall short. They did not. The action sequences and story held up to standards, and even though the post climax was drawn out, the 8 episodes made for in my opinion the best Marvel Netflix show yet. Even at the end of the credits we get a surprise teaser trailer for the Punisher coming later this year.
There were plenty of twists and turns, and a few things left unsaid. The ending left me wondering whether the Hand was done, and who survived of the four stuck at the bottom of the shaft? Surely Matt Murdock could not have escaped on his own. So, who got him to the surface?
As for the characters individually here’s how I see them:
Luke Cage & Daredevil were as expected. I think both were flawless and exactly how portrayed before. Jessica Jones was still herself at the core, but her interactions with the other characters, in particular Matt Murdock, were so much more likeable. She worked better with a team than alone. Iron Fist finally made that transition to hero. He was much more deserving of the title in this than his own show, making it more exciting anticipation for his next season. Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, Karen Page, Foggy, Trish, and Stick were all used sparingly enough to not overcrowd the plot.
Overall it was an enjoyable and fun ride. I’d call it the Avengers for adults, and am eager to see them all team up again. I’ll give it 4.5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. What did you think?
Review: Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD ssn 4
My season end reviews kick off with Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD season 4. I did a review mid season, so I won’t get into too much detail other than a few minor spoilery things, and general thoughts.
Overall, this season was superb. The writing strayed from campiness and into darker territory. While this can be a curse for a lot of shows or movies, the darkness worked here because of Ghost Rider’s inclusion and the Dark Hold. Both were handled very well.
The second half of the season gave us an alternate “What If” world created by AIDA. Her role as Madame Hydra was surprising, but also a welcome addition to the plot. Usually I’m not for the combination of characters, but in this case it was handled well. The emotional buildup especially with Mack and the loss of The Patriot, gave the show a more realistic feel.
It’ll be interesting to see where it all leads next season. There’s Mack and Yo-Yo who will obviously be in a strained relationship, but they aren’t the only ones. Fitz and Simmons have an interesting new dynamic with Fitz’s dark side having affected everyone, and Coulson and May also have some places to go.
We are left wondering a few things: 1) Where are they at the end? Is this a SWORD installation in space? 2) With the Inhumans on the run again, will this be how they introduce the new Inhumans show? I’d like to see Daisy make an appearance somehow. 3) Where did Ghost Rider go exactly? and finally 4) Who will be the big bad of season 5?
Time will tell. From what was once a cringeable series, it has now become something I look forward to. It’s not quite up there with Netflix shows, but that’s to be expected. Season 4 gets 4 out of 5 sCrypt ratings from me.
What did you think? Comment below with your thoughts and speculation.
Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy vol 2
This is one of those movies where the trailer doesn’t do it justice. I went into this thinking there was going to be a corny forced humor that wouldn’t sit well with an overall semi-serious Marvel Cinematic Universe. I was proven wrong. Is that to say there weren’t some moments like that? No, of course there were, but those moments were done tactfully and worked for the moment.
There will be spoilers from here on out, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you can scroll down to the last paragraph for my rating.
A flashback to 1980 has us seeing a young Kurt Russell and how his character of Ego met StarLord’s mom. I can’t help but notice something here, and let me know if you think the same. In the 80s there was a movie called “Starman.” It was about an alien man who fell in love with a woman and drove cross country with her. At the end of that movie the Starman left and she was assumingly pregnant because of the sexual scenes in it. The movie to me was a good movie, but left too many open ends never to be addressed. The character in Starman was played by Jeff Bridges. Kurt Russell’s younger CGI self looked almost identical to Bridges in that film. I know they are two different universes, but could James Gunn have used this as inspiration to give answers to a film that never gave them? Who knows, but it made it that much more enjoyable for me.
Rocket, Star-Lord, Gamora, and Drax were pretty much spot on with how they were at the end of the last movie. Star-Lord realizing he is part Celestial was worrisome, but what was a risky maneuver of changing his comic book history, really played out well. Toddler Groot was a waste to me. I know it was done for the cute factor, and it made sense as he’s more grown than the end of the last movie. I don’t think any other way would have been good for him to be presented, but at the same time he just felt like he was there. There really wasn’t much for him to do. My main example is the battle in the beginning with the alien squid like creature. All Groot did was dance, like Star Lord did in the opening sequence of the first one, which to me was the worst part of the first movie.
Skipping back to Ego, who was my second biggest concern going into this, we get an actual comic book representation of the character plus more. Ego always fascinated me, and to see that they actually showed his full on form and gave him a good origin, made the film. He was easily my favorite part of the whole movie. Everything about Ego made sense and didn’t feel stale.
The true father figure in Yondu was heartwarming, and I think it was wise to have Yondu sent off that way. Michael Rooker is always enjoyable to watch, but his character’s death brings together what was a falling apart team, and then some. Oh, and he had his longer head fin, which was my gripe about his appearance not having it before.
The Gamora vs Nebula story felt strange in a way. I’m still not sure I believe that Nebula would have spared her sister, but the explanation worked. I just think that she’d have been better beside Thanos during Infinity War than against him.
Taserface was exactly what Rocket pointed him out to be. He was nothing more than that, but served his purpose for humor and the slight bump in the road that he provided.
Finally we get the other characters. A Cameo from Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster was only in the scrolling credits, which makes me wonder if he originally had a role in this and in Thor Ragnarok. It was strange placement. Cosmo the Space Dog also only shows up in the scrolling credits. Howard the Duck is present again in another great few seconds of appearance. I love that they do things like this for the fans. The quick spots by David Hasselhoff and Pac-man were silly, but for my generation were great additions.
The post credits scenes were quite a mix. 1) Yondu’s dart impaling Drax by accident was funny, but not really necessary. 2) The reveal of Adam Warlock’s cocoon is huge. Although it was in the last movie as a post credit thing, this time we actually get a good look and confirmation of who is inside. I’m assuming he will start off as a villain for Volume 3. 3) Teenage Groot, while unnecessary, showed purpose. While only a funny throw away, it pretty much confirms that from here on out we will see adult Groot. Teenage Groot was great, but I really think this was done to transition the character. 4) The Ravagers original team headed by Sylvester Stallone was awesome. This sets up a potential union between them and the Guardians for either Infinity War or Guardians 3. If you didn’t know who they were, then the characters (played by well known actors) were: Starhawk, Martinex, Charlie 27, Aleta, Kruggar, and Mainframe.
5) Stan Lee being revealed as one of the Watchers makes a lot of sense, but I feel ripped off. He should have been in Watcher form here like the others. So it begs to question… was he just an informant to the Watchers, or is he an actual Watcher. It’s something that will probably never be addressed again, but time will tell. At least they are tying this in. This also makes for an interesting thought. Watchers can see many realities. This basically says that anything Stan Lee has cameoed in could in some way be tied into the Marvel universe. This includes other studios, versions of characters, etc.
So what did you think? The soundtrack to me wasn’t as good as the first, but is bound to be open to many more things from here on out. Overall it was a very funny, action packed, and visually stunning film that is worthy of being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I give it 4.5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings.
Review: Marvel’s Iron Fist on Netflix
Unlike most of my reviews, I’m going to keep this one straight to the point and less in depth. The reason is because of the amounts of positive vs negative the show had. My negatives are NOT what other people complained about. I guess I’m a purist and less concerned about appeasing to the masses, because the negatives that I’ve read is more along those lines. That being said, there is a lot of positive too, that isn’t given enough credit.
Let’s set the record straight. This is not the best Marvel Netflix show. It is in my opinion tied with Jessica Jones for last place, but certainly not bad. The controversial casting is absolute crap. Danny Rand as a white guy has always been. The actor did a great job with what he was given, and I’m hoping his mannerisms are corrected as this is sort of an origin to the Iron Fist character. My complaints? Use a razor. I’m tired of the scruffy look. Danny should in my mind be clean and youthful looking. He was with monks after all. We already have Daredevil, Jessica, and Luke being total badasses. He should be just as kick ass, but not so tough looking.
The Hand played a decent role in the show, with the highlight easily being Madame Gao, and Davos. The latter of these two also had a good set up for becoming the next villain (Steel Serpent). Claire is obviously the glue to bring the Defenders together, so her role although it felt sort of forced, worked for what it was. Colleen and the Meachums were also very good in every scene.
Action wise this played out just like a classic kung fu movie, with heavy story and not a lot of fighting until the end. The problem here is that the fighting seemed subpar. For someone who is supposedly the best fighter in the world, he sure gets beat up a lot.
The first five episodes really had me hooked. Then episode six came and it slowly went down hill. The final episode was great, but then they threw on that extra two minute ending and I wanted to forget everything else. That ending was not good. They threw it there to get people to come back and see what happens next, but it felt disrespectful to everything else it had done over 13 episodes.
In my opinion Iron Fist doesn’t really work on its own. I think it has to be Powerman and Iron fist or a heroes for Hire. That would be worth the time. I wanted to really love this show, and though I liked it, I can’t claim I’d ever rewatch it. Other reviews say Danny should have been an Asian guy. Stop changing races and looks of characters!!! We get that enough. If any thing I’d think that’d be offensive to Asians to be typecast in that role. Danny being trained by Asian monks is what makes the idea work. They just need to figure out how to do all of that.
One final thought… they could have done a little better of explaining how he got his powers. I know, and comic readers know, but any new comer will be left slightly confused by the lack of information.
Iron Fist gets 2.5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings from me. It is enjoyable at its good moments, and disappointing at its bad ones. These fall 50/50 throughout the whole thing, so I’ve voted right down the middle.
What did you think? Comment below.
Review: Logan
Dafne Keen. Remember that name, because she’s a talented young actress in a movie filled with every aspect of the emotional spectrum. I’m going to review Logan in my typical breakdown, so if you don’t want spoilers, then skip down to the final paragraph for my rating. Otherwise, stick around for my character break down and feel free to share your thoughts on the film.
James Howlett/Logan/Wolverine – Hugh Jackman gave us what we wanted. He may not have always had the best material with which to work, but the man cared about what he did. His portrayal of the character in this movie is the best out of them all. The dynamic of his healing factor being practically gone made him very vulnerable. Combine that with his care free attitude, and you’ve got a grumpy old man who is being poisoned by his own adamantium. I must say that I’m happy he perished in the end. I don’t want to see anyone take up the mantle of wolverine for a very long time after this (UNLESS it’s X-23). We will get to that in a moment.
Professor Charles Xavier – As with Hugh, Patrick Stewart always shined in his role as the psychic mutant, but in this movie we are given another shift in the standard. He’s got borderline alzheimers, and needs caring for. I love that they addressed this disease in a mutant. Imagine if in real life, one had his abilities and had no idea what they were doing with them. There was a brief mention that he was the one responsible for the X-Men dying. I’d have loved to have gotten a little more explanation on that, but I think it would have been unnecessary in the long run. I was surprised he died the way that he did, which is a good thing. It happened at a moment that was him confessing his own guilt. What a perfect way to go (not in the manner that he died, but the fact that he’d gotten it all off his chest.
Zander Rice – Although a small role, it suited its purpose. This was more about the characters, than the actual story, so he didn’t need to be doing more than he was. We got his back story, and a nice tie in to the original weapon X program that his father ran. In a way they respected all of the previous movies to an extent, despite the timeline being reset. It shows that some of those original events may have happened the same or slightly different.
Donald Pierce and the Reavers – I was really hoping for Omega Red, a return of Lady Deathstrike, or Sabertooth as the villain. When I heard the reavers were the antagonists, I shook my head and thought it was going to be a failure. I am SO glad I was wrong. They managed to make decent villains that matched the tone of this film in a way that was akin to Mad Max. It worked really well.
Caliban – I loved Stephen Merchant in this role. I don’t know why they recast him since Apocalypse, but he looked very similar, and for anyone not paying attention I’m sure they didn’t notice. He played the part better than his predecessor, but I wish we’d have gotten a mention of his younger years in that way. We were also presented with Zander Rice saying to gather the body, when Caliban sacrificed himself. It set up 2 possible scenarios. 1) Caliban could be cloned and come back as a more deformed version (like in the comics) or 2) in the original Days of Future past storyline (in the comics) they used mutant hound trackers to locate the mutants. This would make sense, as the anti-mutant sentiment was strong in this film.
Laura/X-23 – Remember that name I mentioned, Dafne Keen? Well she played this part so well, that I think we can have a very VERY good version of wolverine from here on out. In the comics, she’s the current Wolverine after the death of her father. They’ve set it up, so I think she’d be perfect in all future incarnations. I’d love to see her as part of the X-Force movie. She did an outstanding job with her rage, caring, and rebellious nature, but when she was crying, “Daddy,” at the end I lost it. I never cry in movies, and I could feel the tears trickling. Excellent job, little lady.
Rictor and the New Mutants – Who were the new mutants? Who knows, but the presence of Rictor could mean an X-Factor reference or set up. While I’ve no real care for these characters in the comics, it’s nice to have this sort of nod in the movies, and despite James Mangold constantly saying this is a stand alone movie, the references to the greater universe seem to be abundant. The use of the children here wasn’t overwhelming, but a decent nod to what’s possibly to come. Could they be X-Factor like I said, or maybe recruits for Cable, or even a set up to what eventually could be an X-Men 2099? Like I said, these don’t need to be all made into movies, but it’s fun for continuity and discussion sake.
X-24 – Here’s what I feel was a low point at first, but then my mind changed. Hugh Jackman is basically younger here and more primal. He’s even got a haircut and style to match what Sabretooth had in the first Wolverine movie. Why then wasn’t Sabretooth used? We never got a final showdown between the two. It would have worked just as well as X-24. Hell he could even have gotten his wish and become X-24 with Adamantium skeleton. (Remember that is what he wanted originally). So I complain about this, but then think to my childhood and how there was once a character named “Albert.” Albert was a robot created by the Reavers that looked like Wolverine. His storyline also involved a little girl that Logan had to take care of. Okay, it got way more complicated than that, but I feel like this is not a coincidence. I believe they used this angle to replace the elements they couldn’t use from the original Old Man Logan storyline.
Enough rambling from me. Here are my final thoughts for potential on what this movie COULD mean for the X universe. Here’s my speculation: GAMBIT is in the works. Where he falls into this all remains to be seen, but he could be a good element to X-Force since Archangel was killed off in Apocalypse. Now that Wolverine is dead, perhaps the film could see this lineup: Cable, Deadpool, Domino, X-23, and Gambit… NEW MUTANTS is in the works as well. Maybe this will center around the new team of kids, but who would lead them? Again, there’s no telling, but if James McAvoy’s run ends then we could see Cyclops, Jean, and Storm leading the new team. I realize there is a time problem here, but when hasn’t there been in these movies, and with Cable involved this is all possible.
In conclusion: Logan was a film made for comic book fans, and movie goers. It reminded me of an old western with comic elements. It was a roller coaster of emotion that didn’t disappoint. There will be bigger nerds than me complaining about certain little things, but who cares? This was the best interpretation of Wolverine yet. Stewart and Jackman played the roles better than they ever have, and Keen showed talent rare for even veteran actors. She’s a natural. I’ll give the movie 4.5 out of 5 sCrypt Coffins. What did you think? How would you rate it? Comment below.
Day 23 #authorlifemonth – 5 Star reads
There’s a few 5 star books I’ve read recently, and they range in genre.
First up is “The Patchwork Girl of Oz.” I’ve been reading L. Frank Baum’s Oz novels along with my daughter. I have her choose a character in the book to be, and she reads those lines, while I read the rest aloud to her. For this book she was Scraps, the patchwork girl; Bungle, the glass cat; and Dorothy Gale. It’s one of my favorite books in the series so far, second only to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Second is a return to my childhood, as I read “Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage” with my son. He is the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and has loved every page. It’s one of my favorite Spidey stories to date.
Next is H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine.” It was the first classic movie I remember watching, and one of my favorite all time books. When I began writing my next novel (A COURSE FOR HUMANITY – will be available next month), I wanted to check out some already existing time travel stories, and this was one of them. I always find researching through fiction is just as important as through fact, because you don’t want to do something someone else has already done. What fun would that be and where would be the originality?
As research goes, I do always try to base as much of my Fiction work in fact, so I also read “Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein’s Outrageous Legacy”. If you’re a science geek, then this is for you, but if you aren’t this is still an interesting and informative book.
What is on your shelf? What have you read recently? Share in the comments below.
Review: Luke Cage Season 1 Netflix
Netflix and Marvel successfully do it again. The question is whether it was as good as the other shows, and if it warrants a second season. Here’s my breakdown of the characters in the show, how they factored in, and a little bit of speculation on where it could go from here. There are spoilers, so if you don’t want to see them, scroll down to the final paragraph for my rating.
Luke Cage/Power Man/Carl Lucas: I said it before and this series backs that claim… Mike Colter is the perfect pick for the main character. He looks as if he enjoys his character, and Cage was presented without flaw in my opinion. The back story of Carl Lucas, the references to his classic Power Man costume and name, and the evolution of Luke Cage was spot on. If there was anything I thought could have made it better would be Pop’s barbershop becoming a new place with Heroes For Hire. Although they didn’t show that, the H4H was certainly set up that way. Luke was always a character I liked, but never spent much time thinking about. Now I wonder why he wouldn’t have been the new Captain America instead of Falcon in the comics, but that’s going off on another tangent.
Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes: I’ve never seen Mahershala Ali in anything before, but his acting made Cottonmouth worth watching. He turned what was a very lame character in the comics into a badass. I didn’t see his death coming as early as it did, and who’d caused it. His actions were always a surprise, and though he wasn’t as much a crime lord as Kingpin in Daredevil, he certainly had a great presence. If I’d have changed anything, it would have been how he didn’t seem like much of a threat in the episode he died. I felt he should have gone out stronger than he did. I see why they did it however. It was a way of making you feel for the character right before ripping him away. All in all? Great storytelling regardless of how it was approached.
Mercedes “Misty” Knight: Simone Missick was just proof of more great casting choices. I love the buildup and portrayal of Misty, and felt sorry for her along the way. She was the single character in this whole series that had more to deal with than anyone else. Constantly being stuck in a hard place didn’t mean she couldn’t kick ass either. Aside from her central role in the story we also got a few other comic references with her. When she was shot in the arm there was even mention that she could lose it. This was in reference to her bionic arms in the comics. Her outfit at the end, when she reentered the club undercover was straight from the pages of Marvel, and her tearing the piece of paper from the light post also gave a nod to another character whom she’ll eventually meet, Colleen Wing.
Hernan “Shades” Alvarez: Theo Rossi was irritating in a good way. This was THE character that you hated to love. He’s the type of antagonist that makes the viewer want to see punched in the face, but also never go away. In the comics, Shades had a visor similar to Cyclops from X-Men. I’m extremely happy that they took away that aspect and left him as a right hand man for the bosses. He seemed to have no particular allegiance to anyone, which makes me question one thing… He could pull off being a mob boss on his own, so why does he always end up being someone’s lackey? And what is it about him that scares his bosses? I say that because it seemed he could say anything he wanted to them, and there’d be no consequence.
Willis Stryker/Diamondback: Erik LaRay Harvey was a good pick for the character, but I don’t feel Diamondback was one to be taken seriously. Sure, he was crazy, but that’s what made it seemed out of place to me. His motivations were lacking and childish, and I can’t see why Cottonmouth was afraid of him. Okay, that aside, he was a major threat to everyone in the story, including Cage. The Chitauri metal being used as bullets that could penetrate Luke’s skin was an interesting addition, especially since we got to see how they could possibly do surgery on him. The final battle with Luke gave Diamondback a comic appropriate costume that made sense, and we’re obviously going to have him getting similar powers to his half brother in the second season or Defenders, after that ending. I look forward to seeing him return in a less mentally awkward role, and more of a physical threat.
Claire Temple/Nightnurse: Rosario Dawson’s character finally got some good screen time. She received some more back story, and even talked about how she wanted to help people with powers. This set up her role as the Night Nurse in Defenders.
Mariah Dillard/Black Mariah: Alfre Woodard has to take the prize for best acting in the series. She’s stellar in her performance of the corrupt politician. She’s got motivation and I’m glad to see her overall role remaining a presence. This woman came off as more of a threat than Wilson Fisk did in DD. I’m eager to see what will happen with her if she returns.
Comic book cameo roles: Trish Walker was heard over a radio broadcast briefly. Turk Barrett returned, and though it felt like a forced placement it was welcomed. Comanche played a role as Shades’ partner in prison, and though I can honestly say I know nothing about that character’s comic book portrayal, it was cool to see another D-lister appear in some way. Stan Lee’s poster was seen again in the background, just like in the other Netflix shows, and the references to the incident in Avengers as well as the other Netflix heroes brought it all together.
Various other roles: Detective Scarfe, Pop, and the countless other thug and police roles, as well as the countless musicians involved were nothing but pleasing to see. Method Man’s appearance was downright awesome!
Speculation: here’s what I think. Defenders are set up (all but Iron Fist, but he’s coming). We’ve got Luke Cage, who will obviously get out of prison due to a certain Daredevil lawyer. Aside from those two heroes there’s Misty Knight, The Night Nurse, Jessica Jones, Punisher, and the soon addition of Iron Fist and Colleen Wing. We might even get Trish as Hellcat. But who will be the threat? It was just announced that Sigourney Weaver will be the main villain for Defenders. Who she will be remains to be seen… Perhaps Madame Hydra?… regardless she has a ripe picking of villains to add to her antagonist army… Diamondback will now have abilities, Mariah Dillard, Shades, Kingpin, Turk and I’m sure I’m missing a few. I thought Avengers was highly anticipated when it was coming out, but now I’m beginning to think Defenders will be much the same.
Overall review: The music and acting were superior. Comic book references made old school fans happy. Real world events fit into the storytelling without pushing an agenda. This was some great storytelling with some flaws. It didn’t drag out like Jessica Jones did, and it did give us a good origin for multiple characters. It’s not perfect, but its earned one of the top places in my book for great action and attention. This was the first series of ALL of the Netflix shows that I think I could have literally watched all the way through without stopping in one sitting. I’d never do that, nor have the time to, but it was compelling and really decent. I give it 4.5 out of 5 sCrypt Coffins for my review. Keep them coming, Netflix and Marvel.
Review: Ant-man
I’m a bit late on this one as I’d seen it weeks ago, but got tied up with multiple projects. I’ll post some spoilers in here, so if you just want the basic review, scroll down to the final paragraph.
At first I’ll admit (much like I did with Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy) that I wondered how they were going to make a movie from a background character and make it work. I have always loved the character of Ant-Man, but to stand alone in a feature film was another whole story. I had faith in Marvel, and was pleasantly surprised with one major problem in story writing. Here’s my breakdown:
Scott Lang / Ant-Man II: Paul Rudd did an amazing job. He was a criminal with a purpose. He stole in order to pay child support so he could see his daughter. Sure this seems like something a derelict would do, and does, but in this case you could actually see Lang cares immensely for his little girl. She’s his world. Once he is unexpectedly in this micro sized world of Ant-Man it takes a lot for him to become a hero. I like his struggles and lightheartedness despite the serious situation. It was also set up for him to become Giant-man later down the line because of the fact that he was able to make it to the feared micro-verse and come back. Supposedly there was an easter egg hidden in the microscopic world, but there was so much to take in I missed it. The visuals were absolutely stunning.
Hope Van Dyne / Wasp II: Evangeline Lilly played the part well, and I echo her words in the mid credits scene “It’s about time.” This is in reference to her becoming the Wasp, much like her mother before her but in an updated suit. I have no problem that this skips over the whole original Wasp for the most part. It makes sense in this movie universe.
Paxton, Luis, Kurt & Dave: The Paxton character made sense and was a welcome part, but Luis and Dave seemed a bit too goofy for me. Sure I know it was supposed to be (and IS) humorous, but I couldn’t take them seriously… especially Luis. Kurt also bothered me because his accent seemed off. They were fun supporting characters, but short of Paxton I could have done without the others. They DO work in the lightheartedness of it all however, so its less a complaint than it is an observation.
Sam Wilson / Falcon: Anthony Mackie’s surprise appearance in the film tied it in perfectly to the rest of what has happened so far. The fight between Falcon and Ant-Man was epic and a great tease to letting the fans want to see more hero vs hero… He not only setup Civil War in that way, but with Bucky and Captain America at the end it all fell in nicely. Mackie’s character was the perfect choice to take the role here.
Hank Pym / Ant-Man I: Michael Douglas said a while back that he wanted to be in a Marvel movie. I’ll admit at first that I was skeptical of him being Hank Pym. Not because of his acting, but because that meant the Ant-Man I grew up with was going to be much older. They appeased me however by doing some flashbacks. We saw Peggy Carter and Howard Stark in the beginning of the film, and even Pym working along side a costumed Wasp I / Janet Van Dyne. The passing of the torch was played well, and the reason for Janet’s absence was well written.
Darren Cross / Yellowjacket: I thought originally Yellowjacket would be the villain way back when this movie was still in development, but I figured it’d have been Scott Lang in the role with Hank Pym defeating him and making him realize the err in his ways. While I enjoyed the way the character looked in suit and the epic final battle between him and Lang, I was really disappointed. Here we got another repeat villain. A bald mad scientist who is trying to take over a corporation by his own means, and becomes the villain. We saw this in Ironman 1 & 2 practically. We see it in countless other superhero films as well, so why did they go this route? To me it felt lazy. Were the effects and both Ant-Man incarnations not in it, this would have ruined the movie for me. Darren Cross was too predictable and unoriginal for me.
Stan Lee: Probably the briefest cameo he’s ever had, but still fun to see his face. This was for me one of his worst cameos though. This is not a complaint at all. I’m just stating that it wasn’t the best use of such an icon.
All in all Ant-Man was a fun ride. Aside from the villain it felt like a fresh and original movie that still fit in with the rest of the Marvel Universe. I can’t wait to see him link up again as an Avenger in Captain America 3. Scott Lang is the new Tony Stark as far as wit and personality, and it’ll be good to see the onscreen interaction among them all. Marvel does it again! 7 out of 10 sCrypt Coffins for a fun and visually stimulating time.
Marvel TV shows review: Daredevil, Agent Carter, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I decided this year to review all of the live action shows related to Marvel Comics in one article, so it will be more brief, but will contain some spoilers. If you just want my ratings then scroll down to the final paragraph of each break, which will be spoiler free.
First up, Daredevil. What is there to say? A lot, but so little. To me, this is the best Marvel live action thing to date, and that is saying a LOT. Never once have they nailed a character and realism as well as they had with this series. It also opens up opportunities for so much more, and yet still pays tribute to that which is already established. It connects the existing cinematic universe without using it as a springboard and does it tastefully. So, on to the characters:
Daredevil/Matt Murdock is played by Charlie Cox. From the acting, the abuse that the character takes both mentally and physically, and the way he perceives the world through his senses, you can really get a feel for what it is like to be in his shoes. His first costume is on point with one of the comic versions, while his final costume and why he dons it are closer to what we all know and love. Cox really takes us on the ride of not just knowing DD’s origin, but why he does what he does. He’s not just a hero because he has to be… he’s a hero because he WANTS to be.
Wilson Fisk/Kingpin , played by Vincent D’Onofrio, is believable from the start. This isn’t just Murdock’s origin as the hero, but moreso Fisk’s origin as the Kingpin. The look into his childhood says a lot as to why he is who he is, and what he goes through in these 13 episodes shows us why he will become what he has by the end of the season. He is cunning and powerful in more ways than one, and I doubt those bars will hold him for long.
Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, & Ben Urich: These three drive the series home, and while Foggy was quirky at times he grew on me. Ben was absolutely outstanding and I wish we could have seen more of him in the future. Karen proved that she will do what is necessary to survive, and support her friends. Daredevil would not have been complete without these three supporting characters.
Vanessa & Wesley: Like the above 3, supporting characters I can’t stress how much these two were needed for Fisk. Vanessa although falling a bit too fast has a dark side that is well balanced with a lighter side, making the perfect compliment for the lead villain. Every scene that included Wesley was enjoyable because of his dedication and coldness.
Leland Owlsley/The Owl: Bob Gunton always seems to play the same character no matter what his role, but his acting perfection in that role gave Owlsley the life he needed. My only regret is that we didn’t get to see the full comic book adaptation of The Owl, but I understand why. There was no room or need for him to become his better known comic half other than to serve the role he already did in the series.
Claire Temple/Nightnurse played by Rosario Dawson was utilized to the perfect amount. She didn’t need to do anymore than what she was there for, and I’m glad that they got away from the romance between her and Matt that I thought was going to begin.
Stan Lee: Yes I have to include his cameo, because he’s the man. I can understand if you missed it but he’s there in spirit. Behind the main desk of the Police office building there is a framed photo on the wall of who might be the chief of police or some retired police hero. The photo is of Stan Lee in uniform. His cameo and the avengers references were enough to make any fan boy smile.
Stick: Aside from the brief cameo we see by his partner Stone, Stick was crucial to the history of the man who would become DD. His persona is countered by the Catholic Priest and I believe it is both of these things that shape our hero and allow him to know what is right and wrong and which lines to cross.
Madame Gao: There are many speculations as to her actually being the Crane Mother, and they are justified. She knocked DD on his ass and barely had to break a sweat. Then she claimed that she was from a place much farther than China, so the only thing that could be is another realm… not to mention the symbol that is known to be part of the Iron Fist background. All of this aside, her role, and the brief Hand ninja appearance became ground work for the future of this series, and others to come.
All in all, I have to rate DD with a 10 out of 10 sCrypt Coffins. This is definitely NOT for young children, evident by the language and violence, but I think us adults needed something more mature to enjoy in this amazing universe. Kudos to the writers, producers and cast for an outstanding job.
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Marvel’s Agent Carter is our second review, and while I was very skeptical at first, I found myself surprised by this 8 episode series. Here are the highlights:
Hayley Atwell breathes life once again into Peggy Carter. From coping with the “death” of Steve Rogers to dealing with the sexism of the time, she proves herself worthy in so many ways. With Edwin Jarvis and Howard Stark there to support her, she rises against the odds, kicks ass, and all while feeling real.
Doctor Faustus & The Black Widow program prove to be the perfect villains for the series while The Howling Commandoes become a wanted sight to assist Carter.
Stan Lee once again appears as a guy getting his shoes shined, and again you can’t help but smile at his presence.
All in all I found the series to be unnecessary, but enjoyable. The cast and setting were a decent escape from the norm, and it provided an origin to the organization that would one day be called SHIELD. That being said, I wish this was a one shot. There is no need to further tackle this subject in another miniseries, but ABC has officially announced season 2. Overall I give Agent Carter 6 out of 10 sCrypt coffins.
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And finally Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2…
It began with a bang, progressed on to more boring issues, then got interesting, but not necessarily great. Then the ending came and the finale went out with a bang. Here are some of the more notable things:
Phil Coulson has become less interesting, and while I’m a fan of everything Clark Greg does, I’m convinced the newly appointed director of SHIELD may have his days numbered.
Carl Creel/Absorbing Man was easily the BEST thing about this season. He was given a mention in Daredevil as well, so I think the powers that be know his worth. The special effects and interesting way that they made him appear (yes even with his ball and chain) had me convinced that this season was going to be absolutely amazing.
The second best thing about this season was the introduction of Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird. She is what the SHIELD team needed to feel more connected to Marvel’s universe. She’s an enjoyable character to watch and more likeable than most of the characters.
FitzSimmons is annoying on a whole different level than they were last season. Fitz has become more likeable, but his memory issue seems to have been a bit overdone. Simmons on the other hand; for the love of God, she needs to go. There was no point to her even being there other than being a very annoying character.
Agent 33 is a mystery. I’m not sure where I stand as of yet on her reliance with Ward, but could she be Madame Masque? If she isn’t I dont see much of a point to her either.
Raina took a back seat through most of this season, but I like that they introduced her as the Raina character from the comics. Sure she may have been a C-rate character, but the usage was done nicely.
Daisy/Skye/Quake is the primary focus of the season, and while she has been revealed as being one of the Inhumans, she is not up to her full capacity yet. This needed to be done with Skye, because if not she’d be another person that would have felt forced if anything at all. I’m interested in seeing her develop more especially since she will be on a team of powered people working for SHIELD next season (at least that’s what they led you to believe).
Cal/Mr. Hyde Definitely one of the most enjoyable aspects of the season. He’s a bit nerdy, a bit psychotic, and a bit melodramatic, but I’d never in a million years have thought I’d see him in a live action adaptation. While I hope for more known characters to appear, Hyde is what this show needs. It is a less than perfect show, so why not use less than perfect characters that will enhance it? He is exactly that but it works well.
Deathlok 2.0 is still meh. I like Mike Peterson, but he is still not the Deathlok I want to see. I only hope that this version of him will continue to evolve into what he should be. We know they can pull it off, so they need to make it happen. I’d much rather see him and mockingbird than the lesser inhuman people.
From characters, to Age of Ultron and movie/tv show tie ins, to the Kree and SHIELD rising and falling, this season had a lot going for it, but also a lot of room for improvement. It has been renewed for season 3, but if they don’t do something interesting fast then it will get the boot. I give it 5 out of 10 sCrypt Coffins for season 2. There was enough to make me interested, but much to forget about.
Review and discussion: Guardians Of The Galaxy
If you don’t want to be spoiled as to certain plot points, then I recommend skipping to the last paragraph to get my overall spoilerfree review. Otherwise, from here on out the discussion will be about major points in the movie, and I invite those who have seen it to comment below and add to the discussion.
I was always aware of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics, but never followed the characters or plots until the relaunch last year, where I picked up trade paperback to catch up and familiarize myself with them. One of the taglines for this movie has been “The Star Wars for the current generation”. I have to agree, but at the same time this movie is something that is very new and hasn’t been done before as a whole. Sure, there are elements rehashed here and there, but if you want something fresh and unique, then stop reading now and go see it if you haven’t. All happiness aside, I do have a few complaints about elements in the movie, so I’ll do a breakdown of the good and not so good (notice I didn’t say bad), and speculate on a few things to come.
The Plot was intelligently written, with plenty of action, humor and suspense. The effects were visually stunning (though I can’t imagine seeing this in 3D.) In regular format this was breathtaking but the fights (especially with Drax involved) were shaky camera at times, and the spinning spacecrafts in the aerial battles were dizzying at times. I’m not saying this was bad, because it made you feel as if you were a part of it, but the problem with this is that for some people it is a turn off. Myself included if I’m trying to follow whats going on screen. In 2D it is great, but I think I’d puke in 3D.
The soundtrack was just plain awesome. I loved all the songs in there (I’m partially biased because I grew up listening to a lot of those), and it worked, also setting up a new similar soundtrack for the next movie. The Easter Eggs and tying into the existing Marvel Comics movie universe were fanboy/girlgasmic. I’ll get into that in my character breakdown, which begins now:
Peter Quill/Starlord: Chris Pratt plays the sarcastic, egotistical Quill very well. He brings the perfect amalgamation of Captain James T Kirk, Indiana Jones & in his own words “Marty McFly” together. The movie shows his evolution from a shy kid to what will become a decent leader. I personally could have done without the over the top cheesy dance sequence in the beginning. After Spiderman 3 I could do nothing but put my head in my hands when I saw this happening at the beginning. Somehow, I didn’t mind it as much during the final faceoff with Ronan.
Gamora: Even with prosthetic facial enhancements and green skin, Zoe Saldana is still appealing to the eye. Aside from her beauty though, she kicked some major ass, just as you would expect from the adopted daughter of Thanos. I even enjoyed the little bit of tension between her and Starlord. I just hope they don’t give into it too much in the future. It’s nice to have that unresolved extra angle in there.
Drax The Destroyer: I’ll admit that when I heard Dave Bautista was going to be Drax, I shivered. I didn’t want to see a wrestler whom I felt had little to no acting ability taking on a character like Drax (who has little to no personality). Yeah, you see my problem there? I was wrong. Bautista nailed the part. I actually wanted him to have more screen time. My only problem with Drax in this movie was some of his lines in the beginning. They seemed a bit too forced but this was a writing issue. I know Drax speaks strangely, but the first few lines he delivered were sub par in dialogue.
Groot: While I held out hope that Vin Diesel would play a big baddie for Marvel at some point, his delivery of “I Am GROOT” was awesome each time it happened. It wasn’t overdone, and Groot’s special effects looked amazing. I am left wondering though if some of his abilities in the movie were indeed in the comics as well. I’m not too familiar with the character other than I knew he could be planted to grow again once destroyed. Speaking of which, the end of the movie, while unnecessary made me smile. I really enjoyed watching baby Groot swinging to the music.
Rocket Raccoon: I wish we’d have had a little more background on Rocket himself, but his presence was welcome for every second. I forgot Bradley Cooper was doing his voice because he seemed like his own little furry personality. A little bit selfish, a little bit of a dick, and just all around rabid feistiness made his part of the team the highlight.
Ronan The Accuser: I remember this villain from many Fantastic Four comics, and knew how menacing and deadly he could be. My problem in this movie wasn’t the portrayal of him. I think Lee Pace did an excellent job. The problem for me is that they are building up Thanos to be a massive badass (which he is), and the guardians plus an entire planet of Nova corps could barely beat Ronan. So then how the hell will the universe be able to battle Thanos at this point? I can’t imagine a movie big enough to do that. With my faith in Marvel I will have to wait and see. His presence proves that the body in Agents of SHIELD tv show was a Kree alien, so now with that cleared up we will have to wait. I loved his look in GOG and the wise use of his hammer and abilities. Even Drax couldn’t stand up to him and that was before Ronan used the infinity stone (gem).
Yondu and Nebula: Both of these characters played by Michael Rooker and Karen Gillan respecitvely added to the whole plot, and I’m glad that they will both be most likely playing a role in the sequel. I really loved the space pirate feel that Yondu gave off, and Nebula’s battle with Gamora was something I could watch over and over just for the tactics alone.
The Nova Corps: While I cannot stand John C Reilly, he surprisingly didn’t irritate the hell out of me in this movie. I thought his presence would have dumbed it down, especially with his delivery in the trailers, but again I was proven wrong. He was used well, and while I didn’t see him as a serious Nova Corps member, he was a welcome addition. There was plenty of setup here with Glenn Close’s Nova Prime and the destruction of most of the city that a path has been paved to have the main Nova (Richard Rider) become a defender of earth in the sequel. Especially with Yondu and Quill’s dad probably wanting to destroy the planet in the sequel.
The Collector: Benicio Del Toro’s role was smaller than I anticipated, but it was more than a glorified cameo. In fact, his entire base of operations was full of cameos including: Slither, Howard The Duck, and Cosmo the Spacedog. Oh yes and one of multiple references to Celestials. I can’t wait til the dvd to pause and see what else is in there. I understand that Adam Warlock’s coccoon (first seen in Thor 2 ending) was now open, leaving his presence open for the future. The infinity stones (gems) were finally explained here. I’ll touch on that in a few minutes.
Thanos: I’m not sold on the whole CGI thing, but Josh Brolin’s delivery and the life he brought to Thanos is downright frightening. The fact that this could end up being the most powerful villain we’ve ever seen on screen is a scary thought, but one I’m anticipating greatly.
That being touched upon, what do we know and where can it go? The infinity Gems. Let’s see. The Tesseract from Captain America and the Avengers movies was the Space Gem (now in the hands of Loki who also has the gauntlet used to contain the gems). We know that now. We also know that Malekith The Dark Elf was using the Aether to change the universe in his image and liking. Hence the Reality Gem (In the hands of the Collector). Ronan used the Power Gem in Guardians of the Galaxy to give him enhanced powers (in the Nova Corps safe). Loki’s Staff in the Avengers had the Mind Gem in it. This was not confirmed by Marvel, however they said that it could be. It only makes sense, AND I can argue this with anyone and prove it if they want to debate it. I’d invite the discussion actually. Anyway, the Mind Gem is in the presence of Baron Von Strucker (we see this at the end of CAptain America 2.) Now with there being six gems in all, that leaves the Soul Gem and the Time Gem.
I think one of these (most likely the soul Gem) will be used in the Doctor Strange movie. It’s been confirmed for 2016 this movie will be an “acid trip” unlike any other movie. Delving into magic and the soul will make this movie completely unique and it only makes sense to tie in this gem with whoever else will be a part of it.
As far as the Time Gem, I don’t want to speculate too much about Avengers Age Of Ultron, but if they do anything similar to the comic storyline of Age of Ultron, then Time Travel could be involved. Did earth somehow get a hold of the Time gem to use? Why do I say this? In the little footage we have seen of this movie, there is a scene where everyone but Tony Stark is dead. That’s what it appears to be. Could he reverse time and change that or maybe Scarlet Witch will alter the probability that this is what happens. Who knows. The Antman movie is supposed to happen around the same time as well, so maybe Hank Pym will have had it in his lab and is studying it. Only TIME will tell. 🙂
There are also 5 unannounced films coming before 2019 by Marvel, and that is in addition to Captain America 3 and Guardians of The Galaxy 2. One of these will obviously be Avengers 3. Another I think would HAVE to be Black Panther. Thor 3 is also in there as most likely. So what about the last 2? I’d like to see a female Ms. Marvel movie in there. All of that should come before the last 2019 movie, which could be called “THE THANOS IMPERATIVE”. It’d be a great long buildup to a part one movie. This could literally be centered around Thanos gathering the gems. It would be a part one and then for 2020 they could bring in part 2 “THE INFINITY WAR”. Now…. the ONLY way that this can happen and even be thinkable as a way to defeat Thanos with his gems is to have everyone in existence team up. No, we don’t need people like Hawkeye or even Captain America. What we need is Thor, Hulk, Adam Warlock and Nova, Ms. Marvel, Doctor Strange, and a few others to go against Thanos. Maybe even Loki who will want the power for himself will join in the attack against the Mad Titan (after all, Thanos will have to steal from him to get what he wants). I even hold out hope that some of the rights to other characters will revert to Marvel, but who knows.
So what do you think? After this long winded review and speculation, I have to give it a rating. Originally I was going to give this movie a point lower, but BECAUSE of it’s originality and the ballsy move that Marvel made taking the chance on such a masterpiece, I’m going to give it 8 out of 10 sCrypt coffins. Please, comment and feel free to discuss your own speculations and feelings toward the movie.
Review: X-Men Days Of Future Past
Fox studios has just released its seventh movie in the massively popular X-Men franchise, and it looks to be another hit based on ticket sales. One of the biggest complaints by comic book fans about Fox’s version of the X-Men is that it strays too far from the comics and there are so many continuity issues. I’m tired of going to blogs and hearing someone say “Marvel needs the rights to X-Men back”. I’m telling you right now, that while I want to see X-men with Marvel characters on screen, if they do this it wouldn’t be a good thing at this time. Why? Because everyone who isn’t a comic fan knows what the movies have brought to our eye. Don’t forget that Bryan Singer brought us X-Men and X2: X-Men United at a time where comic book movies were just becoming popular. X-2 is one of the BEST of the whole franchise.
Then X-Men The Last Stand came along. I enjoyed that movie for its high points, but I do acknowledge its flaws. Of course at the end of that movie, the only confirmed “Death” was that of Jean Grey. We never saw Cyclops’ body, and his glasses were left floating in the air. To me, this always meant that she never killed him. Everyone got their powers back that lost them, and Professor X transferred his mind to a new body.
Of course, this was followed by the X-Men Origins Wolverine. Again, there were parts that were strong, but what they did with all these characters left a bad taste in most people’s mouths. X-Men First Class and The Wolverine finally came about and reinstilled energy in the franchise. It gave faith back to those who had lost it, except for the whiny die hard X-Men comic fans who can’t imagine that the movies won’t be EXACTLY what they read in the pages. Those are the same people who claim that the Avengers is a perfect comic movie, and yet don’t realize that most of what Marvel has put on the screen has strayed from core source material.
I’m one of those fans who is a comic fan AND a movie lover. I go into these with a very open mind, and yes I get upset when I see certain things that don’t do justice. When I saw some of the trailers for Days Of Future Past I shook my head. Then I started hearing talk about it and became enraged. “Why would they do this and ruin it more?” I learned my lesson however to NEVER assume anything from a trailer. Everything this movie presented corrected most of what people whined about, while creating another flaw that is gladly accepted over the appaling other ones that were there and are now gone. From here on out in this review there will be MAJOR SPOILERS. I’m also going to speculate where this will take the franchise. If you want to know my review, scroll down to the last paragraph for my rating.
The future we are given to kick off the movie is dismal and dark. We are shown over and over how deadly the sentinels are, and presented with some moderately graphic death scenes. It is everything that I pictured the future to be in this story. Then we go to the past, which picks up a few years after the First Class movie. It’s the 1970s, and the X-Men aren’t even together anymore. Two different periods of time, and both very effective. Let’s check out the characters involved.
Wolverine/Logan: One flaw I found with Wolverine is that they don’t explain how, after the events of The Wolverine, that he has metal on his claws again. We can only assume from a comment made by a young Magneto, that the older Magneto put the metal back. It makes sense and probably would have confused anyone that didn’t see The Wolverine as to why they just let this go. It’s implied, but not flat out explained. Regardless, Hugh Jackman continues to own this role. He’s at his largest in body size, and you can tell he genuinely cares about the role. Whether talking about the old Logan or the pre-Weapon X young counterpart, Wolverine is cleverly used here. In his future version we see yellow and blue in his “costume” as a little nod to his classic comic book outfit. Another Easter egg thrown in was when Magneto impales him with the rebar and bends it around his body. This closely resembles the scene in the comics when Magneto stripped the adamantium from Logan’s bones. My only issue with Logan here is that he is pulled out of the water after what is obviously a few hours at minimum, and he suddenly just starts coughing the water from his lungs. Does his healing factor just do that? Every few minutes the lungs try to work? If so, then that could be an eternally painful death for Wolverine were that the case. I don’t know what it is, but it is a scary thought.
Professor Xavier: Patrick Stewart’s portrayal in the future is classic. He’s always done well in this role, and I loved that he had a hover chair as well. James McAvoy not only could pass off looking like a younger Patrick Stewart, but he equally owns the part. I was kind of turned off at first by the self pity he was wallowing in, and the fact that Hank made a drug to help him to walk might explain how Xavier could walk in his brief cameo at the end of Origins Wolverine. Then again, because his face was so badly CGIed in Origins, perhaps it was supposed to be a projected image of himself just like he did with Mystique in the airport. DOFP was more of an established origin for Professor X than first class was because he also accepts that he will become the man he was meant to be.
Magneto / Erik Lensherr: Ian McKellen had little screen time in the future, but like everyone I felt he was utilized well. If he had a little more dialogue I’d have been happier, but maybe less is more, and they sent him off well. Michael Fassbender easily became the villain in this more than almost the sentinels. I liked the nod to him being Quicksilver’s father, and the plastic prison that will again become a part of X2. I am wondering how far magnetism can go however. Does he have an engineering background where he suddenly knows how to control robots? I can see him gaining control of the sentinels (he did often in the comics), but he sort of just let’s them loose on the “mutants”. He’s a mutant too, so why wouldn’t it just attack him? I also thought it was flawed that he was just able to leave at the end. Xavier should have stopped him. Wouldn’t the government people who watched Mystique stand up against him suddenly believe that they helped him escape if he could have been stopped? Or did Xavier place a thought in their minds?
Raven Darkholme / Mystique: Jennifer Lawrence is a MUCH better Mystique than her predecessor, and she looks equally as menacing. The fight choreography of the character and her becoming the unpredictable “hero” really had me smile. I was glad that they did what they did with her. My question is this…. does her appearance as Stryker at the end mean that she killed him? I have a theory about this that I’ll mention in my speculation at the end.
Storm: Of all the characters in the X movies, Halle Berry was never one of my favorite choices to play a role. Storm was sent off well here as well. She didn’t need much dialogue. They gave her shorter hair (a mowhawk would have been a good nod, but what she had was nice). Her taking out the Sentinel carriers the way that she did showed how powerful she really can be, and her impalement by the sentinel’s spear hand was a relief. My favorite part is that Logan flat out tells a younger Xavier to remember Storm and seek her out along with Scott and Jean. That means most likely a recast as younger versions in the next movie.
Rogue, Cyclops, & Jean Grey: Their cameos as well as Kelsey Grammar as Beast was a great way to acknowledge all of the past mistakes. It means that them being there confirms that the everything is open for the future. Origins Wolverine, X-men, X2, The Last Stand, & The Wolverine will no longer happen. They can literally do anything with a younger cast and the results of this movie give us a fresh beginning, only keeping First Class & DOFP (the past elements) as something that is continuity.
Kitty Pryde / Shadowcat: Ellen Page had a minor, but significant role. Her time phasing powers are not part of the comics, but being as she was the one to go back in time in the comics instead of Logan, I felt this was a good way to include her in the whole segment. There was no other way to do this because of all of the prior continuity errors, and adding a mental time phase to her existing phase powers felt naturally logical. I also liked the slight nod at the end to her and Colossus’ relationship from the comics.
Hank McCoy / Beast: One of my issues before seeing this movie was hearing that Hank would be very “Hulk” like and only turn to beast when he became angry. The way they explain it is redeemable though. He created a serum to give him the appearance, but he obviously will embrace his inner beast as Grammar is in full Beast makeup at the end. It’s a good tool to use, but I hope they get rid of this for the next movie.
Bolivar Trask: Bryan Singer explained that this is not Trask from X2. So who is Trask from X2? Is he Peter Dinklage’s son? Doubtful. I guess he is just another Trask. Aside from this continuity issue, Trask was perfect. His purpose and usage was not over or underdone. The slight change from the comics is that the future is caused by Senator Kelly’s assassination. In this case, they had to change it to Bolivar Trask because Kelly was already established in X-1, and there couldn’t have been a better substitute for character swaps.
William Stryker: He is only a major in military rank in this one, and there IS a continuity flaw with him. In Origins Wolverine, Stryker and Logan met during Vietnam. Here it is a few years later and it doesn’t seem like he knows him at all when he sees him. The mention of his son Jason was nice (Jason Stryker was the mutant “Mastermind” in X2 who cast illusions into Xavier’s mind). His purpose could have been filled by any other military character. Why they chose to throw him in and cause another continuity issue is beyond me, but at this point I’ll bet they were just trigger happy with the cameos. I really wish they hadn’t used him.
Quicksilver / Pietro “Peter” Maximoff: Nightcrawler was my favorite in an X-film so far, but Quicksilver has replaced him. At first I hated the costume he wore from the ads, but now it makes sense after seeing it. His main scene was so beautifully executed and the nod to him being Magneto’s son was awesome too. As much faith as I have in Marvel for cinematic excellence, I don’t know how their Quicksilver will top this one. I can’t wait to see more of him in Apocalypse.
Cameo X-Men: While most of these had no or little dialogue, they were all utilized well. Bishop was awesome! Colossus finally got some epic battle time. Blink’s powers looked awesome, so much so that I made sure I wasn’t blinking so I could fully capture what was going on. Sunspot and Warpath were nice additions, though were of very little use. The same could almost be said about Iceman, but we finally got to see his ice slide move, which gave plenty of chills I’m sure. Havok, Toad, Ink, & Spyke had a fun little scene and I wonder where they will be headed off to.
Mystery mutants: If anyone knows who the white haired guy was at the beginning, who found the X symbol and then was killed, please let me know. I assumed this was a young Cable, but it could have just been a generic mutant. Also, Bryan singer confirmed that the little sister with Pietro was NOT his twin, Scarlet Witch. But if not her, then perhaps it was younger sister, Lorna Dane? I know that might be a stretch, but it is the movies, and since Polaris (Lorna Dane) is also the daughter of Magneto, maybe they planned that.
Sentinels: This was just plain awesome. The Sentinels in the 1970s reminded me of watching the old cartoon from the 90s. They were fun to watch destroy and I waited for the “Surrender Mutant” line of dialogue somewhere, but it never happened. In the future, the Nimrod sentinels were downright terrifying. Just plain amazing!
The Chris Clairmont (He wrote DOFP storyline in the comics) cameo, and mentions of other characters here and there were fun easter eggs for any comic book fan, but my favorite was En Sabah Nur. I have wanted to see Apocalypse as a villain since Xmen 1. Now we are getting him. His post credits scene had my jaw dropping, and I noticed that his 4 horsemen were sitting in the background while the young mutant pharaoh built the pyramids. I cannot wait til Apocalypse.
My only real regret with this movie is that they killed Azazel and White Queen. The problem isn’t with Azazel, because he could have impregnated Mystique somewhere along the way and still had Nightcrawler. The issue is with Emma. With her dead, there is no way she’d ever be a part of the X-Men later down the line. It’s nothing that will make me lose sleep, but they could have thought of another way.
Now that I’ve exhausted my opinions of the characters and plots, I want to speculate on where this could all lead based on what we know as fact from where we stand at the end of Days of Future past. X-Men Apocalypse will have Xavier’s new recruits taking on Apocalypse and his horsemen. Who will be with Xavier? They set it up for a young Storm, Cyclops and Jean Grey to accompany Professor X and Beast. It is also confirmed that Quicksilver and maybe Scarlet Witch will play a role somehow, in addition to Gambit, played by Channing Tatum. We also know that it takes place in the 1980s. Who will the horsemen be? Here’s my theory… I think Mystique killed Stryker and rescued Logan from the water. Why? She is working for Apocalypse who has been watching from the sidelines. Wolverine will get metal back on his bones, but not from Weapon X now… instead he will become the Horseman of death. There was a brief stint in the comics where this happened. Making Logan a bad guy would be so smart because it will really put the team to the test, and he finally won’t be a hero. Wolverine, Mystique and two others as horsemen (sorry, no archangel, because he’d be too young in the 80s). I also believe that Nathanial Essex would be a servant to Apocalypse, setting up the next movie where he could be Mr. Sinister and take young cyke and jean.
Wolverine 3: With no weapon X program, he’d probably (after being released from Apocalypse’s control) join up with Alpha Flight. They could take on Omega Red and have Sabretooth return to turn against his “brother”, Jimmy (Wolverine’s birth name).
Deadpool: MAKE THIS MOVIE RATED “R” and Give Ryan Reynolds the chance to show what he has as this character.
Sorry for such a lengthy review. I’m sure I even missed stuff, but there was just so much scale to this movie. After just over 2 hours, I felt I could have watched another 2 hours and not gotten tired. This was non-stop action and suspense from the beginning until the end, and executed really well. While fixing a plethora of mistakes, they created only 2 real flaws, and neither of them matter. I have to rate this at a 9 out of 10 sCrypt coffins. What did you think of the movie? Did I leave something out? Where do you see it going from here? Fox has earned the rights to use these characters and I am not disappointed by the scope of what they’ve accomplished. Well done, Singer and crew.
Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1
After 22 episodes I decided to do a brief review of the season as a whole. Having faith in Marvel has proven to be a good thing, because in all honesty, the first nine episodes of this season were utter garbage. Then there was a break and someone woke the hell up on the writing staff. Warning… Spoilers ahead, so if you want my rating skip down to the last paragraph.
Low budget effects? yes for the most part, but that’s what to expect from a television show, and they got better sans a few, toward the end of the season. When this show started, I actually could not stand most of the characters. Clark Gregg’s Phillip Coulson was the ONLY reason I hung on. The tie ins with the existing universe really only worked with Captain America The Winter Soldier, because for the most part, all of the name drops felt forced. That being said, there are some exceptions to that rule. Let’s look at the characters, both main and guest spots.
Agent Coulson: Clark Gregg is easily the highlight of this show. He has proven his adaptability from bad scripts to good ones, and plays the role well. Sure, there were a few moments that felt off, but I don’t think this was him more than it was the direction of the show. The huge build up to find out how he was still alive after Avengers, came at somewhat a relief and a let down; but now I’m more intrigued to see where this will take him as a character. Something in his brain is obviously amiss, based on what happened at the end of the season finale with him writing on the walls. There is still something mysterious about him, and I’m eager to find out what.
Agent May: When she kicks ass, she is fun to watch, but her dull lack of emotion for the most part, didn’t seem believable at all times. Thankfully, in the last few episodes, she lightened up slightly.
Ward: I don’t put agent in front of his name because he has been revealed as part of HYDRA. I liked this turn because he was a likable character with a seemingly good heart. I do see that there is internal conflict there though. He NEEDS to stay as a bad guy. His actions are not redeemable, so if they decide at one point to have him back on the team, then I will be really pissed off and probably lose interest all together.
Skye: Easily the best looking person on the show, she is gorgeous and intriging. I didn’t buy into her becoming a member of the “team” at first, but I don’t mind it now that they made up for that. There is obviously something about her that is super powered, but we don’t know yet what it is. I just hope they don’t hold onto this information for too much longer. My guess? Her real name will be revealed soon enough, and we will find out she will become Spider Woman. I think this because it fits her profile for the most part.
Fitz and Simmons: Ugh. In the first half of the season I just wanted these characters to die off. They are NOT government like agents. Honestly they sucked bad. By the end of this season I at least have grown to like Fitz. Simmons… not so much. I just don’t think her quirkiness works.
John Garrett: Bill Paxton probably saved this series. I was NOT happy with the lackluster reveal of him being the Clairvoyant that was a huge buildup to another disappointment. I AM happy that he is John Garrett from the comics, who is a cyborg. We see the full reveal of his comic book costume at the end of the season finale, but his life is quickly ended. This is a good thing. He played his purpose, and we can move on.
Viktoria Hand: For the little screen time she had, it was enjoyable. She WAS her comic counterpart. I was just shocked to see her killed at the hands of Ward. IF this is somehow a “faked” death, then I’ll be pissed at that too. They’ve used the fake death enough. It’s overplayed. Let it die… literally.
Deathlok / Mike Peterson: I predicted him being Deathlok 2 episodes before it happened, and I’m glad he is there. He is finally free with his own will power after Garrett’s death, and I want to see more of him. His costume however needs to evolve. I want to still see the real Deathlok look, or at least some of it. This gaudy chest armor does nothing for me. The leg is cool, but update his face to half cyborg. Make him look the part, because he plays the part well.
Agent Triplett: The PERFECT replacement for Ward on the team. He’s a much better character as a hero, and is likable as well.
Raina and Ian Quinn: Both of these characters have similar antagonist roles, but I only find Ian Quinn as enjoyable. The Raina character bothers me and I can’t quite figure out why. She feels forced where she is at. Quinn on the other hand is serving a purpose.
Blackout / Marcus Daniels: His role, while a small guest spot, was awesome. I liked what they did here, though honestly, I’d rather him have been the Blackout that is Ghost Rider’s enemy, but all the same, it was done well.
Blizzard / Donnie Gill: His origin as the Ironman villain was set. Now bring him back as Blizzard full on. I want to see it.
Graviton / Franklin Hall: Same as Blizzard. origin featured, but we need a return and with him as the comic villain.
Maria Hill and Nick Fury: I LOVED both of these cameos, especially toward the end of the season and in the finale. Nick handed the reigns over to Coulson to reform SHIELD, but I’d love to see him back at some point. Maria will definitely be seen again, probably in Avengers 2 as well.
Lorelei: This was the BEST guest villain to date. She was right spot on with the comics, and believeable as well. It was refreshing to say the least.
Lady Sif: Similar feel that I got with Lorelei. Best hero cameo, and a shift of pace for the show.
Sitwell and Koenig: I’ll put it this way… I was glad to see Sitwell as a member of HYDRA in Cap 2. I don’t want to see him again, because he isn’t believable. Koenig is just annoying and I was excited to see him die in the show…. but of course he had a twin brother, so we are stuck with him for at least another episode. SMH. NOT a good role… NOT a good character… NOT a convinceable agent of SHIELD.
Colonel Glenn Talbot: I hope we see more of him in the future. They have the perfect actor for the role, and although his appearance was limited, it made me think more about the possibility of seeing Bruce Banner in a future episode… after all, they did mention the Leader & Abomination’s statuses after the events of the Incredible Hulk.
So what did you think? Am I wrong? Do you have more to add? Did you give up on the show and if so, will you muscle through to earn back your respect for what will come of this show? All in all I have high hopes for season 2. If they don’t continue with better scripts and get rid of stupid characters like Koenig, then this show WILL fail. I think they are smart enough to correct their past mistakes however, and I’m highly anticipating season 2. All in all I have to give it a low rating. 4 out of 10 sCrypt coffins because of a really crappy first half and a redeemable second half. Trust me… the redeemable part is worth it. Just because I gave it a low rating doesn’t mean the show sucks anymore. In fact I think it has become actually really good, but the first half and quirkiness, plus lack of actual comic book “looking” attire, I had to give it a low score. Remember, this is rating for the WHOLE season, not just the last half. Were I to break it down by halves, I’d say first half of the season would score a 1 out of 10, while the second half would get a 7 out of 10. Here’s to hoping for season 2 to go above and beyond with more comic related material.
A look back at 2013
It’s that time again, where a year has ended, and another is beginning. Here’s a look back at some of my favorite comic book and horror moments from 2013, and what’s coming in 2014. I’ll also mention what I accomplished in the past year, as well as what is in store for next. What are your resolutions? What are your favorite moments? Comment below. What are you looking forward to?
Comic book and horror adaptations that hit high on my list this year: The Wolverine, Man Of Steel, Kick Ass 2, Arrow, Thor The Dark World, Ironman 3, Finneas and Ferb Mission Marvel, Teen Titans Go, Ultimate Spiderman, RED 2, Superman Unbound, Justice League The Flashpoint Paradox, Lego Marvel Superheroes the game, Deadpool the Game, Arkham Origins the game, Lego Batman the movie, Hannibal (TV show), Warm Bodies, This is The End, World War Z
Comic book and horror adaptations that fell short on my list this year: Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, Ironman Rise of the Technovore, Ironman and Hulk Heroes United, Beware the Batman, Avengers Assemble, Hulk and the agents of SMASH, Evil Dead (remake)
Coming in 2014: Ironman and Captain America Heroes United, Big Hero 6, Captain America The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spiderman 2, X-Men Days of Future Past, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Justice League War, Son of Batman, Batman Assault on Arkham, The Lego Movie, Godzilla, The Flash (TV series)
Of course, this doesn’t cover it all, but those are what stood out at the top of my mind. I also recently got into listening to books on tape, and found that graphic audio is a wonderful experience. For myself, this year I published my novel about angels and demons and their war brought to earth in “Devil’s Dessert.” sCrypt Comics also published “Souls 4 Supper: Ghostly Hauntings”, as well as the start of “Munchies and Deedoos” free online comic strip. If you haven’t had a chance yet, check out my podcast as well: www.thinkaboutthis.podbean.com
In 2014, I will release my novel about technological takeover. “Techno Feast” will be released in March. By the end of the year, I will have the second trilogy released in a collective just like the first. It will be called “The Pandora’s Chaos Trilogy”. Munchies and Deedoos will pick up with some more stories, and gearing up for the next comic with sCrypt “Devil’s Dessert: Demonic Entities.”
sCrypt Publishing 