Wednesday, July 24, 2019

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: PHASE 4 ANNOUNCED!


I've been a comic book nerd since I was a kid in single digits. Specifically I've been swept up in the Marvel Comics universe since I saw my very first episode of the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno INCREDIBLE HULK television series (in syndication) in the 80's. Every year since, my fandom for Marvel Comics' stories and characters grows larger and my knowledge runs deeper (because I keep reading both new and old stuff as I get it). For better or worse (some days I can't tell which) I am deeply invested in these characters and stories, hence the post you see right here.

When Marvel Studios came along and began presenting super hero films and film franchises in a different way, I was instantly taken by it. The first IRON MAN film was maybe the last movie I saw five times in a movie theater. Like my personal investment in Marvel Comics, I have become similarly invested in what Marvel Studios has done and is continuing to do. When Marvel Studios announced its schedule for Phase 3 WAAAAAY back in October of 2014 I made a post about it expressing my enthusiasm for what was coming. What's even more amazing is that Marvel Studios actually delivered on everything they promised for Phase 3 (with one Inhuman exception). Even if I haven't agreed with everything they've done, what Marvel Studios has accomplished is truly mind-blowing and unprecedented.

Likewise, San Diego Comic Con 2019 has come and gone and with it Marvel Studios officially announced the schedule for PHASE 4! Here it is and here's briefly what I think:
What we're getting are ten projects between 2020 and 2021 across two platforms: five theatrical film releases and five television shows releasing exclusively on the upcoming streaming service, DISNEY +. Remember when Marvel Studios released six films in four years (Phase 1)? Now it's five films in two years. Simply amazing. And, for the first time ever, we're getting television shows that (purportedly) ACTUALLY connect to and will effect the MCU.

Sadly it appears true that every Marvel television show outside of these Disney + shows are not officially canon or connected to the MCU like we were all led to believe. Agents of SHIELD, Daredevil, and everything else are NOT MCU canon. These new shows connecting to the movies are what I thought the old television shows released prior to this were originally supposed to do. The untapped potential I saw when they first announced Agents of SHIELD appears to be the fulfilled with these new television shows.

Alright, let's get into it.

First off we're getting...
Release Date: May 1st 2020

Black Widow, the Marvel female super hero that everybody was asking for a solo movie about, is finally getting her solo film debut. It's long overdue but, in a way, I'm glad Marvel Studios didn't force this film into the previous phase when it was never planned for. They had a plan, and even though fan outcry for Black Widow was intense, Marvel stuck to their plan. But patience has been rewarded (or will be rewarded in May of 2020).

I'm excited for this film for the prospect of seeing some of Black Widow's past finally shown. I like the idea of a grounded espionage film following Black Widow. I'd like to see the scene where she first encounters the Winter Soldier as well as her first meeting with Hawkeye and the long referenced "Budapest" mission. Task Master should make for an interesting villain and it looks like seeds for the Soviet super hero team, the WINTER GUARD, are being planted as well. Marvel actually has a rich history of Russian characters so I hope we'll be receiving more of them here too. I hope the action is intense and brutal and we're given a slightly more mature Marvel film. Because, let's face it, Black Widow's character is quite dark and mature.

Next up:
 Release Date: Fall 2020

Marvel's first DISNEY + television series! These Disney + shows remain largely an unknown element at the moment. Yet therein lies great potential. With a theatrical movie, like the previously mention Black Widow, there are certain expected quantities. We know roughly the scope of what we're getting in a Marvel film. But with these television shows it's harder to know what to expect.

Anyway, here's what I know: Falcon and Winter Soldier will be joined by Sharon Carter and Baron Zemo (in his comics accurate purple mask! YES!!!). This will likely be the closest thing we'll get to a Captain America film in this next phase. Like Black Widow, I expect this to revolve around a lot of espionage and secret mission stuff. I hope to see the criminal underworld explored a bit more like what has happened to the remnants of Hydra, A.I.M., and maybe the groundwork for the THUNDERBOLTS laid here. Beyond that, I have no idea what this show will shape up like. But what I'm most excited about here is the return of Baron Zemo! It would be sweet if they brought in GHOST as well, she'd be perfect for espionage stuff.

Next up:

Release Date: November 6th 2020

I've read the Eternals volume by Neil Gaiman and I've read many other stories featuring the Eternals. The Eternal I know the best, and the one I like the most, is Sersi. I feel she's the most developed of the Eternals in the comics and the most fascinating, but... She's not in it? Most of the core characters from the Eternals comics are cast save for Sersi, most notably Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek (both of whom I'm excited for). Who knows what this movie will be like.

Anyway, I have absolutely no idea what to expect from this film. I've heard rumors that the film will feature events from the beginning of time (at least the birth of Earth), throughout history, up to the present. That would be cool. I've also heard that we may see some of the Titans (Thanos' people). I would love that and I'd love to see Josh Brolin reprise his role as Thanos in a flashback. And I am stoked to see more of the Celestials (first shown in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and the creators of the Eternals in the comics).

Next up:

Release Date: February 12th 2021

I've been a fan of Shang Chi for quite a while now and let me say that this is one of the forthcoming projects from Marvel that I am looking forward to the most! I kinda knew it was coming because the last few months a few production leaks had made their way onto the internet, but still, I am super stoked for this movie! Shang Chi is basically the Bruce Lee of the Marvel Universe. He's the deadliest fighter in the whole Marvel universe next to Iron Fist and Karnak of the Inhumans. All I have to say is this film's action sequences better be far and away the best we've ever seen in the MCU.

The next item of note is the subtitle: And The Legend of the Ten Rings. Again, I had heard a brief mention that the Mandarin (the REAL Mandarin) may resurface sometime somewhere. My mind began thinking that he'd make a good fit in a Shang Chi movie, even going so far as to say that the Mandarin could outright replace Fu Manchu as Shang Chi's father. My thinking has proved fairly on the nose so far. I am stoked that the Mandarin may finally get his proper debut here and I hope he is as amazing as he is in the comics (but not a racist caricature, let's be clear on that.). Now, my outlandish hope (one that I'm not holding my breath for) is that this movie (or a sequel Shang Chi film) will bring FIN FANG FOOM to the big screen! We'll see! I'll say it again, I AM SO STOKED FOR THIS MOVIE!

Next up:

Release Date: Spring 2021

This project is again largely unknown with not much information out right now. It's the second Disney + television show. All they've said is that the show is "WEIRD" with an extra emphasis on the weird. That sounds good to me as it should be weird given her character. They've also said that this show will directly tee up their next movie: DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. That's probably the biggest revelation right there. This may signal a shift from Scarlet Witch as merely a powered person to exploring the "magic" side of her. There's a 50's Leave It To Beaver esthetic to it as well which may end up going very dark and twisty by the end of it.

In the comics their is a story about Scarlet Witch's secret origin and her connection to the dark elder god, CHTHON (see Avengers #185- #187). That story involved the grimoire The DARKHOLD and Chthon's earthly servent (and former Midnight Sons member) Modred the Mystic. If WandaVision is teeing up Dr. Strange 2 like they say then it stands to reason that the show will feature horror/supernatural elements given that Dr. Strange 2 is a horror film. I'm expecting hallucinations and "created" alternate realities from Wanda's powers. Paul Bettany will be back as Vision but I'm expecting it to be as a hallucination or manifestation of Wanda's powers or through the power of the Darkhold. It would also be cool if this show also saw the long awaited return of Wanda's brother, Quicksilver! All this speculation and possibility has me very excited for WandaVision. Here's hoping my line of thinking is correct (watch, I'm probably WAY off and this show will be nothing like what I've outlined here...).

Next up:

Release Date: May 7th 2021

Doctor Strange 2! YESSSS! This is easily the film I'm most excited for in this phase! All we've been told so far is that WandaVision directly sets this film up, Scarlet Witch herself being a central character in this film. And they've said that this film will be the MCU's first "scary" film albeit still rated PG-13. There's been some very good PG-13 horror films in the last few years so there's hope that this movie could still bring some quality horror. Fingers crossed. Scott Derrickson is back to direct and I have faith he can deliver a strong PG-13 horror movie. Marvel's signature humor will still be present of course so expect to laugh and shiver. Not much else is known beyond that.

Derrickson mentioned wanting to do the villain NIGHTMARE in a Dr. Strange sequel, so there's a possibility of who the villain might be. With Nightmare could also come the various Fear Lords like D'Spayre, Dweller in Darkness, and Satannish. Hell, maybe even Mephisto (though I doubt it given his character was tied up with the Fantastic Four rights).With Scarlet Witch involved there's the possibility of Chthon and Modred the Mystic and the Darkhold. There was also a deleted tweet of Derrickson's featuring Dr. Strange and Namor the Sub-Mariner (DUDE!!!). How cool would it be if this film also served as a staging ground for Namor's debut in the MCU? Then there's the possibility that this film will be the "test site" for a branch of the MCU revolving around Marvel's horror themed characters (Marvel Studios did announce Blade too so it stands to reason that this is the beginning of Marvel's supernatural side). If they do in fact use the Darkhold, through that evil grimoire Marvel could seed all of the horror elements they want, from vampires and werewolves to demons and monsters.

Alright... coming back to reality... I am well aware of all of the hopes I'm placing upon this movie (much of which I placed upon the 1st Doctor Strange film too). It probably won't be any of this, and I'm preparing myself for it to be something totally different from what I'm expecting. But this sounds like the perfect opportunity to delve into Marvel horror!

Next up:

Release Date: Spring 2021

The third Disney + show... or the second? Dates for Loki and WandaVision both say Spring 2021 so I have no idea which is coming first. All that's known about this show is that it is following the mischief caused by "alternate timeline" Loki who escaped with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame. What this means, who knows? Loki is in another alternate timeline so he may be able to only mess up that timeline. Or maybe he finds a way to the "prime timeline" and, in a sense, is resurrected in the MCU. And maybe this show tees up the next THOR film, which would make sense. Anyway, the great Tom Hiddleston is back as Loki and I love everything this character does.

Aside from the above, I've no idea what this show will entail or shape up like. The prospect of seeing more Thor characters is exciting though. There are so many great characters from the Thor comics I'd love to see show up like Ulik, Mangog, Enchantress, Fafnir, and more. I sincerely hope this series showcases more Thor characters rather than Loki messing with human characters and such. This will be interesting to say the least.

Next up:

Release Date: Summer 2021

The fourth Disney + show. This will be an anthology series of sorts, kinda like the TWILIGHT ZONE. It will be animated (the MCU's first cartoon series) and the character of Uatu ~ The Watcher will be the host. It will showcase various alternate timelines where characters and events from the previous 23 films went in different directions from the movies we've seen. It will feature many characters previously established in the past 23 films and the actors who portrayed them in the films will reprise their roles as the voices. This all sounds very neat but I'm not so sure about it. And besides, didn't portions of Avengers: Endgame kinda explore alternate timelines already? Or is this show exploring the alternate timelines created as a result of the Avengers messing up these timelines in Endgame?

I love the nod to this classic Marvel comic series. As a kid I always thought the WHAT IF...? comics were cool, but I never bought many because I knew they didn't really contribute to the continuing saga. They're just fun little excursions that carried no extra weight or importance beyond the time it took to read them. What was weirder still was the What If...? issues that future writers basically stole later on and became canon, such as "What If Ghost Rider Was a Woman?" and "What If Wolverine Was an Agent of SHIELD?" and "What If Punisher Wore the Venom Symbiote?" and more and more. In a way the What If...? stories were basically robbing writers of other ideas for the future (well, not totally as some writer did outright steal these What If ideas back), but you get what I mean, right? Why do these inconsequential What If stories when they could be used for future in-continuity stories? I guess we'll see...

Next up:

Release Date: Fall 2021

This is the fifth and final Disney + television show for Phase 4. Jeremy Renner is back as Hawkeye and it will purportedly showcase more of Hawkeye's time as Ronin (in between Infinity War and Endgame) as well as his life after Endgame. And it is confirmed that he will be training his protege, Kate Bishop. Beyond that there isn't much more to tell.

I love that Jeremy Renner is coming back for this (although it would be nice if he received a solo movie as I think he deserves it). It makes sense that they'd bring in a replacement Hawkeye too as Jeremy Renner I believe is mostly done with the Marvel movies. So, if the Black Widow movie tees up the next actor to play a Black Widow successor, this tv show essentially does the same thing. I've heard from many people that the Hawkeye comic book by Matt Fraction and David Aja is wonderful (although I haven't read it myself) so if they're basing the show off of that then they should make a lot of fans happy.

Next up:

Release Date: November 5th 2021

The last feature film of Phase 4. Taika Waititi (the director of Thor: Ragnarok) is back. If you recall I wasn't that keen on what they did in Thor: Ragnarok. I like Taika Waititi's films, especially Hunt For the Wilderpeople, but I'm not quite sold on his Marvel work yet. Anyway, I'm preparing myself for a similar sojourn to Ragnarok i.e. a loose adaptation of characters and source material. They've said that Valkyrie will be in it and looking for a female lover. And Jane Foster is returning and will be wielding Mjolnir and becoming... Lady Thor? Jane Foster Thor? The Mighty Thor? Valkyrie 2.0? Err... whatever confusing moniker she goes by in the comics.

I don't care for Lady Thor nor Valkyrie looking for a mate. Thor as a romcom? Meh. It'll be fun for sure but I don't know about staying power for me. I'm more excited to hear who the villain will be (Enchantress maybe? It'd would make sense if the film is focused on "love" and relationships). Also, Thor was last seen as a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Are the guardians going to be playing a role in this movie? What about Beta Ray Bill or Lady Sif? Is Thor finally going to acknowledge the death of his BEST FRIENDS in the Warriors Three? Sadly, with the current state of the Thor franchise, I have more questions coming out of this announcement and the details they're giving me answer none of those question and do nothing to get me excited about this film. Like I said, it'll be fun. We'll laugh. We'll feel good for about two hours. Which is, I guess, all we can really ask for... right?

So that's it! That's the entire PHASE 4 schedule! I am mostly excited about everything here and hopefully the things I'm not too keen on will surprise me when they finally come out.

But the announcements didn't stop there. BLACK PANTHER 2 and CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 are currently in development and once James Gunn is done with Suicide Squad 2 he'll be going straight to work on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. And yes, Marvel does have the Fantastic Four and the X-Men back but nothing is underway with them yet. Hopefully Marvel will take their time and organically work both franchises into the MCU properly and it won't be a mess. Because, seriously, Marvel Studios has proven that they don't need to rely on the X-Men or Fantastic Four to succeed. They can succeed with even the most obscure characters as long as the content is quality. That being said, I still want to see wonderful new X-Men and Fantastic Four films along with the adjacent characters i.e. Silver Surfer and so on.

And then in the final announcement, actor Mahershala Ali was introduced as the MCU's next big character...

Okay, the logo sucks. But regardless... BLADE!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally!! Mahershala Ali is a great choice too! Not only is he a great actor but he looks the part too. All he's gotta do is bulk up a bit and he'll be perfect! This also means that vampires are coming to the MCU. And vampires suck (no pun intended) if there's no blood on screen and so far Marvel shows very little, if any, blood on screen. Does this mean that Blade will usher forth a new mature R-Rated umbrella of Marvel films?

Oh, I hope so! I certainly don't want a watered down bloodless vampire flick that makes me say, "The Blade films from 25 years ago were WAY better!" The opening sequence of the original Blade film, just rewatch that for a second, is outrageous and amazing and still shocking today. That's the tone established from the beginning. Man, Marvel Studios has big shoes to fill. And it all makes sense with the direction they're taking Doctor Strange in now. They're clearly bridging the MCU we know with a new area and frontier for the MCU movies, that of horror and supernatural elements.

What I've wanted for years now seems to be finally seeded, that of individual corners of the MCU going off in their own directions, independent yet connected to each other. If Doctor Strange 2 is a success and Blade takes the horror and dark content one step further (into bloody and R-Rated terrain) we may see an R-Rated GHOST RIDER film down the line, BROTHER VOODOO, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT, and who knows what! Seriously, if there was a line of MCU films all horror and all R-Rated I'd be in heaven!

Anyway, there was no announcement of when the new Blade will appear or if he'll appear in another film before getting his solo film. It won't be in Phase 4 but it could be in Phase 5. And if not, then I'd be shocked if it wasn't in Phase 6 (good lord, just think about Phase 6 and what that may look like?). So, at the earliest, we may see Blade in 2022.

NO AVENGERS 5?

Worthy of note is that there was no Avengers movie announced for Phase 4 nor even a crossover film of any kind. I don't think it's a bad thing. It's kinda refreshing actually. I can see them keeping the Avengers franchise dead for a while, letting the embers smolder a bit, before announcing a new Avengers film later down the road and cash in big time on the nostalgia accrued over said time. Personally I'd rather see other franchise team movies come about before the Avengers are resurrected again. Give me the Infinity Watch, the Defenders (the REAL Defenders, I mean), and the Midnight Sons. Yeah yeah, I'm probably the only one who wants these but still...

And that's it! Let's hope these films are successful and, most importantly, that I like them! May of 2020 can't get here soon enough!

For all of my thoughts on the MCU and all things Marvel, check out the posts below!

THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)



 
COMIC REVIEWS
 
 
THE INFINITY ENTITY

THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL #2
 
DECODING THE DnA OF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (PART 3)
DECODING THE DnA OF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (PART 2)
DECODING THE DnA OF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (PART 1)

 
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Monday, July 15, 2019

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: CRAWL (2019)


Giant monster movies, creature features, and "When Animals Attack!" films have long been guilty pleasures and, with a few notable exceptions 'cough' (JAWS) 'cough'... are looked on as the dregs of the horror genre. Once in a while though a truly great film comes along. Jaws was the lone standout in the "When Animals Attack" genre for a long time. There are others of course, but this genre remains disproportionately in favor of schlock. I love schlock. I'd take a series of ZOMBEAVERS movies if they'd give them to me. But I do enjoy when these films ascend to the next level as truly amazing and intense thrillers.

CRAWL is one such film that takes the genre to the next level. Directed by Alexandre Aja (who gave us such films as HIGH TENSION, PIRANHA 3D, and HORNS) and produced by Sam Raimi, Crawl is an alligator flick to last the ages. It is one of the best, if not the best, alligator movies I've ever seen. As a kid I was of course fond of dinosaurs and that affinity thusly translated to reptiles as well. I thought alligators, snakes, lizards, and turtles were so cool. They were maybe my favorite class in the entire animal kingdom (next to sharks). As such I tried to see as many reptile horror films as I could.

I must admit that there aren't many killer reptile films I go back to often. But Crawl will definitely be one.

I loved this movie!

THE PLOT

A hurricane has hit the Florida coast. Haley's parents house is among the homes in the path of the storm. And she hasn't been able to get in touch with her dad. Haley drives to her parents house where she finds her father's truck parked out front and the doors to the crawl space beneath the house wide open. Dark, muddy, and rising with water, Haley hesitantly descends into the crawl space. She finds her dad unconscious in the mud, his shoulder ripped open and his leg broken. Haley goes into panic mode as she tries to get him help, not noticing the hungry alligator who has taken up residence in the crawl space with them.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Generally speaking, you don't go into these movies expecting to get much out of them. These are pure unadulterated popcorn films. There's no agenda, no politics, and really no deeper meaning than a harrowing survival story. They're simply people trapped and trying not to get eaten alive by killer animals. And that's exactly what Crawl is. And it is wonderful. And refreshing as it's been a while since there's been a quality killer croc flick.

Simplicity works in this film's favor too. There are only two actors that really matter in this film. Any others that show up are merely victims for the alligators and an excuse for a little (or a lot) of bloodletting. Actors Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper (who were both in the Maze Runner films together) are fantastic as the leads and make for a really convincing and genuine father/daughter duo. Although one has to wonder why these two are so hard for the alligators to kill yet everyone else that shows up are such easy pickings. The simple answer is that these two know that they're beset by alligators whereas most of the others are caught unawares.

The tension and suspense is set up well. That's the other element needed for this movie to succeed: good actors and great setups for terror and suspense. Alexandre Aja and Sam Raimi use their extensive experience to wonderful effect here delivering one scary and intense thriller. There really isn't much more to it. It's just pure exciting entertainment done very well. I don't really have any nits to pick with this film as it is such a purely wonderful genre experience.

THE VERDICT

Simple and effective, Crawl is the perfect summer movie pallet cleanser against all of the blockbusters, super hero movies, and Disney inundation forced our way. It's a small, intimate cast and story with high stakes for those involved. There's no extra garbage to think about or politics thrust in our faces. Crawl is one of the best thrillers I've seen this year and one of the best "When Animals Attack" films in the last decade. I loved it. It's the JAWS for alligator films.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10

For more films by Alexandre Aja and When Animals Attack films, check out these other posts below!



wow, I need to review more When Animals Attack films!

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Wednesday, July 10, 2019

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE ROUND UP: THE BEST AND WORST OF PHASE THREE

THE BEST AND WORST OF...

Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come to an end with the release of SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME. Eleven movies in total, Phase Three was Marvel's most ambitious phase by far, nearly as many films as Phase One and Phase Two combined in only four years. Never before has one franchise produced so many films in such a short amount of time. And if Phase Four is just as long, if not more, then in a few years this will be the biggest film franchise in cinema history. Until then, James Bond, Zatoichi, and Godzilla remain the top franchises (in terms of number of films).

I have been a reader of Marvel Comics since I was a kid. I've invested a great deal of time, money, thought, and commitment into these characters and worlds therein. As such I've developed my own personal preferences in characters and stories over the years. All of my prior knowledge of the Marvel comics universe has both helped and hindered my enjoyment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some expected and unexpected ways. And then there's the high quality marks and precedents set by Marvel Studios themselves with past films which have shaped my opinions of the films that have come after.

And since this is the internet, the place where everybody has a voice and an opinion on everything, here are my thoughts on the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Three! As you can imagine there are going to be quite a few discrepancies between my favorites and yours and that of the critics and pop culture in general. To make things worse I also reserve the right to change my mind at a later date too.

But before we get into all of that, let's recap which films comprise all of Phase Three:
This blog began in 2014, Blood Work's first MCU film review being the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie from that year. 2019 marks the first time that Blood Work has kept up with an entire phase from Marvel Studios. As such, we won't go into full reviews of each film here as we list our favorites. Check out our individual film reviews for our long-winded over-inflated opinions! We'll try to provide a brief coherent summary of why we've placed the films in the order we have here and why we prefer some over others.

DISCLAIMER!

Before we begin let's make one thing clear: THESE ARE OUR PREFERENCES! Because we don't prefer one over another doesn't mean that one film is truly better than another. We're not saying any of the movies here are bad or that anyone else is wrong for liking something different. I will try to keep the reasons for why we prefer the films that we do over others as coherent as possible, but we make no promises 😉

On with the list already!

THE WORST


#11
AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Fresh in my mind and still aboard the "hate train," my feelings toward this movie haven't gotten better. Putting aside the egregious adaptation of the source material and my own fanboy "hopes and wants" for the film, this movie still lands as one of the most poorly written entries in the entire MCU. Plot holes and inconsistencies galore place this film as my least liked among Phase Three. Then there's the unbalanced character treatment (some characters are illogically favored over others) and employing the dumbest plot devices Marvel has ever used (i.e. the fact that a rat is the true hero of this film! And that's just the tip!). All this is to say that even when I put away all of my personal fanboy baggage this movie still has far more problems than most MCU films.

But, the fact that this movie works at all is a miracle. Endgame is an unprecedented film event that may or may not be repeated again. Marvel Studios did something truly remarkable here (although it could've been done better) and is one helluva achievement. Perhaps the strongest aspect of this film are the character beats and emotion conveyed to the audience. Those heartfelt "moments" and long standing character beats are felt and resonate with the audience. It's like they knew they had a terrible story so they cashed in all their chips on connecting with the audience emotionally to distract from how lame the story was. And Nebula, oh how I love Nebula, is treated so well and goes through one of the best character arcs in the film. Nebula is perhaps the shining aspect of the film for me.

Anyway, even though my love for this film is rapidly diminishing, there are still some great things in this movie. But just like the ensemble treatment of the characters, this movie is terribly unbalanced, the balance skewing towards more failings than successes in my eyes. But I have been told by optometrists that my vision is 20/200 in one eye, so...

For my full long-winded review click the following link: AVENGERS: ENDGAME






#10
CAPTAIN MARVEL

Captain Marvel is the one film on this list that doesn't feel like a Phase Three film, but rather a Phase One film. It feels like a generic origin that plays it safe rather than going for something truly wild and amazing. A "by the numbers" super hero origin film if you like, which isn't bad, but doesn't showcase how far the genre has come unlike Black Panther. The world building is subpar (especially when compared to Black Panther's world building achievement) and the continuity with the rest of the MCU is sketchy at best (especially when compared with the Spider-Man films). Other than that, this movie tells a good story and has some strong character moments.

There's also the hump you have to get over of another egregious treatment of the source material. To me, Captain Marvel feels analogous to the first Captain America, both in terms of placement/release stratagem and assemblage. The film feels obligatory and largely unnecessary to the MCU at the moment. Captain Marvel is in the same position as Captain America was in after the first Avengers film: she's merely there. If Captain Marvel is to go on to mean something important (aside from the obvious agenda/need for female super heroes) her next film needs to be of WINTER SOLDIER caliber.

For my full review click the following link: CAPTAIN MARVEL 






#9
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

 This film is probably the strongest example of how knowing the source material is a massive hindrance rather than a boon. I love the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics, so much so that I really have a hard time enjoying these films. Reading the comics will only detract from the experience. If I knew nothing of the comics I bet I'd enjoy these films far more. Aside from that, I do love what has been done with Nebula (she is my favorite aspect of the film). I love the inclusion of Mantis and Pom Klementieff's performance. And I thought they did the best translation of Ego to the screen that they could've done. But the adaptation of the Guardians 3000 is gawd-awful (don't get me started!).

Aside from my personal trouble with getting past the adaptation of the source material, my dislike of this film stems from other aspects as well. As an ensemble piece Vol. 2 isn't nearly as balanced as Vol. 1. While every character is given moments to stop and contemplate, really dive in to who they are (which is a strength of this film), many characters contribute little to the plot and some are completely ineffectual to the film's outcome. There's also the fact that all the progress of the characters from first film has to be repeated. They have to learn to work together... again. They have to learn to trust each other... again. And there's more repetition as well. Aside from Nebula this film feels like a lot of wheel spinning. The humor feels annoyingly forced, especially with Rocket and the Ravagers.

For my full review click the following link: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2







#8
THOR: RAGNAROK

Coming off of the first Thor film and followed by Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok presents the audience with a jarring tonal shift. This radical departure from the previous two films was obviously intentional (a response to the negativity surrounding the first two films from the online community no doubt). As a result this is either your favorite Thor film or your most reviled Thor film. For me it's the latter. Marvel took what was a serious fantasy/sci-fi epic and leaned hard into the inherent absurdity of such a story when viewed from the outside through cynical unimaginative eyes. It embraces the absurdity, sure, but still feels irreverent to the source material, not to mention the actual Norse mythology.

The movie is loads of fun and there is no other movie quite like it outside of the 80's (makes me think of KRULL or MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE). I do enjoy the "FLASH GORDON" style, music, and colors. I like the use of Led Zeppelin. I love the Jack Kirby heavy design of the planet Sakaar. I hate the nihilistic destruction of most of Thor's supporting cast. And I kinda hate how Ragnarok was ultimately treated as a comedy rather than an apocalypse. I also don't care for Hulk's portrayal or such a loose adaptation of the comic story PLANET HULK. In trying to adapt both Ragnarok and Planet Hulk, the filmmakers weren't able to do either story justice. I'm totally cool with Thor going into outer space and having a cosmic adventure (which he has been known to do once in a while). But ultimately Thor, after this film, feels like he's become just another comedic character amidst an ever-growing crowd of comedic characters.

I wish Marvel would've said, "Screw the online haters, let's have a serious MAD MAX style apocalyptic finale and deliver a cohesive, consistent trilogy." Clearly that's not what they said.

For my full review click the following link: THOR: RAGNAROK








#7
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

The whole basis of this movie is flawed and not something I care for. The way the blame is placed on the heroes, the Sokovia Accords, and the super hero registration doesn't make much sense. Then there's the nonsensical adding of Spider-Man to Tony's team (a non-registered, untrained, child hero) and Ant-Man to Cap's team (a guy who just got on the right side of the law, trying to do right by his family, now breaking major international laws on a whim). Okay, there's a lot in this movie that makes no sense, but I'm going to straight up admit that I love the action in this movie. Shallow, yes. But, wow, is the action ever so intense. Few others in the MCU have managed to achieve such a level in their filming of the action sequences. I like how this film ultimately becomes about Bucky and less about the Sokovia Accords by the end. I really enjoyed seeing Baron Zemo as the grand architect of it all, but yet he's not completely evil either. And I love seeing the sheer number of characters present, most of which are depicted very well.

Vision is perhaps the only character here that isn't treated well. It bothered me back when this movie came out (and still bothers me now) how Vision does very little during the massive airport battle. Everything is setup prior in the film for Vision to play out like he should've (i.e. Vision by himself takes out all of Cap's people before any damage can be done. This leaves Wanda as the only one strong enough to lock him in a stalemate necessitating the others to fight). This clued me into a failing of this particular team of filmmakers: they don't know how to handle high power-level characters. They find ways to sideline stronger characters so the weaker characters are given more display (this tactic of theirs runs through both Infinity War and most rampantly through Endgame).

This movie has a lot of failings, but it is still quite entertaining. That action is hard to beat.

For my full review click the following link: CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR








#6
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME

Fresh on my mind from having just seen it a week ago, I really enjoyed this film. I loved the humor, I loved the character balance and treatment. And I loved how it incorporated the continuity. Admittedly I am not much of a Spider-Man fan in the comics. As a result I didn't have a lot of that "comics fanboy baggage" going into the movie as I did with the previous films on this list. Over the years I've come to realize that I enjoy, not all, but most Marvel films if I don't have an attachment to them from the comics.

There isn't much at all that I can point to and say, "I wish they wouldn't have done that," or "I hated that." I truly enjoyed nearly 100% of this movie. I wish I had more to say here. What I do have to say will just be repeated in the next entry on the list. Check out my full review for a little more detail on my thoughts of this movie.

For my full review click the following link: SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME






#5
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

With Homecoming and Far From Home, to me these movies are nearly equal in quality. They're both amazing (as they should be). I love this new approach to the Spider-Man character. It feels fresh compared to the films that have come before. I love how they continue to introduce new villains rather than try a rehash of villains already featured in past films. And I love how Spider-Man is placed in the grand scheme of the MCU, a street level hero who's in over his head most of the time. For a super hero, he's very human, awkward, and flawed. He rarely nails it on the first try and really has to fail in order to know how to win. A lot of the time I suck at life too. It's wonderful seeing Marvel's most popular character depicted in such a way.

What really stands out with both Homecoming and Far From Home for me is how they take full advantage of the MCU world when crafting their story. No other films in the MCU wedge themselves between so many different elements of the continuity and (largely) pull it off. Captain Marvel's continuity was sketchy at best. Both of these Spider-Man films pull it off masterfully. I've come to realize that working within a greater continuity is a skill, one that these filmmakers are very adept at. Sadly not all of the MCU filmmakers are. What ultimately places Homecoming ahead of Far From Home, for me, is Michael Keaton's performance as the villain. Who'd have thought that the Vulture, THE VULTURE, would be such a wonderfully realized character.

For my full review click the following link: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING







#4
BLACK PANTHER

Perhaps the best example of all of Marvel's films for amazing world building is none other than Black Panther. I can't remember the last time I watched a movie and felt like I had been transported to another world. It felt like I was a kid again watching Star Wars for the first time. The different tribes of Wakanda, the rituals, the dancing, music, and dress, all of it adds to something that feels truly authentic and breathtaking. And then there's the actors and characters, all of which are simply incredible. From M'Baku, Shuri, Nakia, W'Kabi, Okoye, to Klaue and Kilmonger, all of them are endearing and wonderful. Together with the world of Wakanda, Marvel has created something truly amazing here.

If anything stunts this movie a bit, it's the story and fight scenes. The story ultimately feels like a rendition of the Lion King. There aren't really any surprises and the plot is a little predictable. It's not bad by any means, merely formulaic, which is okay. Then there's the action. The final fight between T'Challa and Kilmonger at the end is a rough looking CGI slog. Okoye has the best moments with the action but this film's action in general is mediocre at best and nowhere near the level that the Captain America team has achieved. Aside from these things I think there's a lot of great things in this movie. It'll be real interesting to see what Marvel does with a sequel.

For my full review click the following link: BLACK PANTHER







#3
DOCTOR STRANGE

If there was ever an opportunity to blow the MCU wide open in terms of what they can do and where they can go, it's with Doctor Strange. First off, the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch is picture perfect. I can't imagine someone better for the role. The fidelity to the source material in this movie is amazing. This is the movie that demonstrates how the filmmakers don't need to unabashedly desecrate the source material to make these characters work on screen. All of the characters work well in this movie too. In addition to the characters, I love the finale to this film. I love how, rather than destroying a city, the ending is about rebuilding a city. And then how Doctor Strange defeats Dormammu is brilliant. Dr. Strange wins by losing over and over again in a time loop.

What I don't like about this movie is how generically "Marvel" it feels. The "Guardians Effect" is strongly felt here with the "dad rock," bathos, and heavy humor. Scott Derrickson is a great horror director and Doctor Strange ventures quite often into the realms of horror in the comics. There was an opportunity here for Marvel to really embrace the "Strange" in Doctor Strange, but barely got their toes wet. Here's hoping Marvel will be more daring with a sequel. Other than that, this film is an incredible realization of Doctor Strange and a strong foundation for what I hope is a great and long-running series. I cannot wait for the sequel!

For my full review click the following link: DOCTOR STRANGE








#2
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

I love this movie. Evangeline Lilly knocked my socks off as Wasp. Likewise, Hannah John-Kamen killed it as Ghost, the character herself making for a compelling story and unique action sequences too. The fight scenes were a mix of fun and badass, thrilling and inventive. Shockingly I feel this movie has some of the best action from any MCU film (I never would've guessed that). As far as the humor goes, I felt it worked very well for the most part, handled well and balanced. I also felt the ensemble-cast was handled perfectly, far better than Guardians Vol. 2 and Civil War. Everybody is given enough to do to make you care about them and we don't spend too much time with ancillary characters that don't contribute too much anyway. 

What I really love is the "high concept" sci-fi plot running through the film. Everything with the Quantum Realm is intriguing and exciting (in this film. I don't like what they did with the Quantum Realm in Endgame). The inter-cutting between the action on Earth and the trek through the Quantum Realm made for a really exciting sequence. There is very little I dislike about this movie and I'm hoping the same team of filmmakers are allowed to do a third film and complete the trilogy. Honestly, I never wanted this film, but I am so happy that it's here!

For my full review click the following link: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP








#1
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

This movie exceeded my expectations in ways I never thought it would. There are a lot of problems with this movie, I'll admit, but ultimately this film delivers on a long-standing promise. Unprecedented film franchise territory is explored here, merging at least seven different series, paying off numerous plot threads and character beats, and delivering an ending the likes of which few films prior have done. I knew what happened to half the universe after having read the comic book. But I never thought Marvel, let alone Disney, would ever go through with such a bold choice.

I'm not a fan of Thanos' white-trash, wife-beater and sweatpants design. But aside from that, I am very happy with how Thanos turned out. There are power level inconsistencies galore in this film, but ultimately things end up where they're supposed to. I used to complain about how comedy heavy the MCU films had become post Guardians Vol.1. But after so many comedies, the death and destruction on display in this film was shocking and powerful and carried the extra weight Marvel wanted. Thor returns to his pre-Ragnarok persona for a bit, which was nice. And Dr. Strange is fantastic as well with some show stealing-moments. But ultimately this film is Thanos' and he single-handedly rocks the entire MCU. As someone who loves Thanos from the comics, it was wonderful to see him portrayed so powerfully.

For my full review click the following link: AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

THE BEST

 And there you have it, my personal ranking for the phase three films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! I am very curious to see where the next phase goes and how Marvel will even begin to try to top the INFINITY STONES saga.

What are your favorite films from Phase Three?

Let us know in the comments below!

And for more Marvel Cinematic Universe posts and top ten lists (yes, we're counting this as our top ten list for this month) check out the posts below!

THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU)



TOP TEN LISTS

TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES  
 TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS  

 
 
TOP TEN ACTION MOVIE HEROES   TOP TEN GREATEST TURTLES TOP TEN GODZILLA MOVIES
TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS  
 TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
  TOP TEN FAVORITE NES GAMES
TOP TEN SNES GAMES

 
AND HERE'S TO A WONDERFUL PHASE 4 OF THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE! 
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