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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) in Movies
Apr 12, 2020
Our introduction to Captain America withing the MCU gets a bad wrap.
I see it labeled fairly regularly as weak entry into the ever expanding saga and I just don't think that's the case.
It's got a solid narrative for a start as we watch Steve Rogers go from frail Regular Joe to bonafide hero who truly believes in fighting for the good of humanity over the course of two hours.
The WWII setting provides a touch of historical reality, collided with the fantasy of the Tesseract, our first glimpse of the now infamous Infinity Stones, and in this narrative, providing Red Skull with cosmically charged weapons the gain the edge in the war with Allied Forces.
The First Avenger has a fantastic cast. Chris Evans is pretty much perfect in the titular role and has played the character solidly for the last 10 years.
Hugo Weaving as Red Skull is an undeniable highlight. He plays the villain with evil glee, and looks so comic book accurate that it hurts. It's a real shame that he has never returned to the role.
The supporting cast is strong as well. Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, and Stanley Tucci are all great, and relish in a tight screenplay.
I do think that the film feels over long at times, although the story being told is undeniably important in the run up to The Avengers.
The effects are mostly decent and still hold up, with an exception here and there, primarily before Steve Rogers goes all buff, but these are small gripes with an otherwise solid origin film.
I see it labeled fairly regularly as weak entry into the ever expanding saga and I just don't think that's the case.
It's got a solid narrative for a start as we watch Steve Rogers go from frail Regular Joe to bonafide hero who truly believes in fighting for the good of humanity over the course of two hours.
The WWII setting provides a touch of historical reality, collided with the fantasy of the Tesseract, our first glimpse of the now infamous Infinity Stones, and in this narrative, providing Red Skull with cosmically charged weapons the gain the edge in the war with Allied Forces.
The First Avenger has a fantastic cast. Chris Evans is pretty much perfect in the titular role and has played the character solidly for the last 10 years.
Hugo Weaving as Red Skull is an undeniable highlight. He plays the villain with evil glee, and looks so comic book accurate that it hurts. It's a real shame that he has never returned to the role.
The supporting cast is strong as well. Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, and Stanley Tucci are all great, and relish in a tight screenplay.
I do think that the film feels over long at times, although the story being told is undeniably important in the run up to The Avengers.
The effects are mostly decent and still hold up, with an exception here and there, primarily before Steve Rogers goes all buff, but these are small gripes with an otherwise solid origin film.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Black Widow (2021) in Movies
Jul 16, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
Black widow is part Russian spy movie, part 'Fast and Furious' with a bit of marvel thrown in.
The Russian spy movie part is obvious, Black widow is a Russian spy, she doesn't even have any powers. After finding out that the man who ran the spy program was not dead (that's what happened in Budapest) and had improved on the training Natasha joins forces with her old 'Family' to try and bring him down.
We have car chases, bike chases, flying fortresses, planes, helicopters and family. No one goes to space but I'm sure that, if they had spoken about Family for even a few seconds more then 'Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)' would have crossed franchises to give them a thumbs up and maybe even lend them a car or two.
(Most) of the film takes place between Captain America: Civil war and Avengers: Infinity war whilst the Avengers are still separated and (almost) no other characters from the franchise appear in the film, the avengers are mentioned (one appears in a photo) and there are nods to things that have happened (what happened in Budapest plays a part in the film) but it is mostly original (to the Disney MCU) characters.
One major difference to the comics and the one thing that has ruffled some fans feathers is the character of Task Master, but the character works for the film so I didn't have a problem with it.
Over all a good addition to the marvel franchise and a glimpse of how they are going to link the films and the new series' together.
The Russian spy movie part is obvious, Black widow is a Russian spy, she doesn't even have any powers. After finding out that the man who ran the spy program was not dead (that's what happened in Budapest) and had improved on the training Natasha joins forces with her old 'Family' to try and bring him down.
We have car chases, bike chases, flying fortresses, planes, helicopters and family. No one goes to space but I'm sure that, if they had spoken about Family for even a few seconds more then 'Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)' would have crossed franchises to give them a thumbs up and maybe even lend them a car or two.
(Most) of the film takes place between Captain America: Civil war and Avengers: Infinity war whilst the Avengers are still separated and (almost) no other characters from the franchise appear in the film, the avengers are mentioned (one appears in a photo) and there are nods to things that have happened (what happened in Budapest plays a part in the film) but it is mostly original (to the Disney MCU) characters.
One major difference to the comics and the one thing that has ruffled some fans feathers is the character of Task Master, but the character works for the film so I didn't have a problem with it.
Over all a good addition to the marvel franchise and a glimpse of how they are going to link the films and the new series' together.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Daredevil (2003) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘺?"
"𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴..."
*Director's cut*
Old proverb states: can a movie *truly* be bad with a Colin Farrell performance this fuckin' gonzo? Just as hokey as you remember, that playground fight is one of the worst things to make it through to pass in any superhero movie - and it's hilarious. Really funny when it tries to be, too though - for that matter. Overstuffed and contrived for sure but not too much more or less cartoonish than most of the stuff in the Raimi 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳-𝘔𝘢𝘯 movies, and this at least endearing market-tested clumsiness is - at the very least - twenty times more palatable than the intolerable formula market-testing in most of the Phase One/Three MCU flicks. This at least tries to have some fun, good humor, comic book replication, varied story beats, and a palpable edge beyond just its superficial emo-ness. I just can't help but smirk at the moon physics fight sequences or corny needledrops ("All this time I can't believe I couldn't see" with a lingering cut to Matt's eyes, come on man lmao). There's also a pretty rock solid backdrop in here about how most of the characters - good or bad - are motivated by greed or self-interest, so ultimately what we have to judge in the end is what's left when that wealth, pride, and/or power is unceremoniously stripped away from them. That final fight/scene with Kingpin is epic. Comes out much more sorta dorkily awkward as opposed to corporately sinister than it did in its day, because of what this has been replaced with and how immeasurably worse it is.
"𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴..."
*Director's cut*
Old proverb states: can a movie *truly* be bad with a Colin Farrell performance this fuckin' gonzo? Just as hokey as you remember, that playground fight is one of the worst things to make it through to pass in any superhero movie - and it's hilarious. Really funny when it tries to be, too though - for that matter. Overstuffed and contrived for sure but not too much more or less cartoonish than most of the stuff in the Raimi 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳-𝘔𝘢𝘯 movies, and this at least endearing market-tested clumsiness is - at the very least - twenty times more palatable than the intolerable formula market-testing in most of the Phase One/Three MCU flicks. This at least tries to have some fun, good humor, comic book replication, varied story beats, and a palpable edge beyond just its superficial emo-ness. I just can't help but smirk at the moon physics fight sequences or corny needledrops ("All this time I can't believe I couldn't see" with a lingering cut to Matt's eyes, come on man lmao). There's also a pretty rock solid backdrop in here about how most of the characters - good or bad - are motivated by greed or self-interest, so ultimately what we have to judge in the end is what's left when that wealth, pride, and/or power is unceremoniously stripped away from them. That final fight/scene with Kingpin is epic. Comes out much more sorta dorkily awkward as opposed to corporately sinister than it did in its day, because of what this has been replaced with and how immeasurably worse it is.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) in Movies
Dec 18, 2021
Willem Dafoe (2 more)
The on-screen bickering between characters.
The Doc Ock, Doctor Strange, and villainous team-up action sequences.
The humor doesn't always land. (2 more)
Peter's idiotic logic.
Lizard is supremely underutilized.
Riding the Nostalgia Train
Spider-Man: No Way Home picks up immediately after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) has revealed to the world that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is Spider-Man. The world is torn in thinking that Peter is either still a hero or behind the drone attacks on London like Beck stated before his death.
Peter is now in a relationship with MJ (Zendaya) while Ned (Jacob Batalon) tags along as the third wheel more than the guy in the chair. As the three attempt to get into MIT and other colleges, MJ and Ned are punished for being associated with Peter. Feeling guilty, Peter takes it upon himself to contact Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who eventually agrees to perform a spell that would make everyone forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. However, Peter’s motor mouth and constant need to change Strange’s spell botches it and ends up opening the multiverse.
Early on, the humor in Spider-Man: No Way Home is lacking and a little lame. Much of the film rides on Peter’s relationship with MJ. Peter, MJ, and Ned have become inseparable in the film thanks to the events of Homecoming, Far From Home, Infinity War, and Endgame. Nearly everything boils down to them making decisions as a trio even when Peter is out there as Spider-Man. The humor in the film doesn’t really find its footing until the villains come along and even then it starts off pretty rough (making fun of the Otto Octavius name in the trailer is a prime example).
Peter’s solution to all of these villains invading his universe from their own is pure stupidity. The desire to do what’s best for someone’s well being is there and you understand why Peter is so adamant about going in the direction that he does. However, he has the opportunity to end all of this early on with little to no repercussions other than some structural damage that he is able to repair in one night.
Peter chooses to change the fate of these villains with the best intentions and suffers for it. In a way, it’s inevitable as it factors in to and is motivation for who Peter Parker and Spider-Man are as essentially one heroic character. “It’s what they do,” as they say several times in the film. That doesn’t mean you have to swallow it as something a supposed genius and one of Marvel’s smartest minds would conjure up though.
Next to the surprises the film has in store for first time viewers, the villains are arguably the highlight of the film. Peter’s fight with Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) on the bridge is nearly on par with the Spider-Man/Doc Ock fight on the train from Spider-Man 2. Willem Dafoe is also still Spider-Man’s greatest and most sinister adversary as Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin two decades later.
Dafoe’s one stipulation for returning to the franchise was that he would be allowed to do all of his own stunts even at 66 years old; he believes it all factors in to his performance and it shows. You feel sympathy for Norman and admire his brilliance, but he’s plagued with this gushingly nefarious and uncontrollable alternate personality. With that reverberating laugh and amazing facial expressions, Dafoe literally steals the film every time he’s on screen.
The bickering in the film results in some of the most entertaining sequences in the film. There’s at least two instances, one between all of the villains when they’re all in the same room and another sequence later that occurs right before the big fight scene between Spider-Man and the five villains that have crossed over, that are just incredible and it’s basically just dialogue.
Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers deserve a lot of the credit. If it wasn’t for their writing then those back-and-forth dialogue exchanges between characters wouldn’t exist. But the performances from the cast also factor in to how great those sequences are. Much of the older returning cast have joked about only returning for the money, but it’s clear that there was some enjoyment of not only the script but also being able to work with such a talented group of people.
Speaking of trains, the Spider-Man/Doctor Strange battle in the mirror dimension is one of No Way Home’s visual treats. Doctor Strange and his magical origins opened up the cosmic aspect for the MCU, which has always resulted in trippy and otherworldly sequences that are tonally different and unlike anything else from the other Marvel films. Seeing Spider-Man swing around as the world is upside down while dodging kaleidoscopic skyscrapers and barely escaping gravity defying portals results in a sequence especially memorable for MCU fans.
Spider-Man: No Way Home isn’t without its flaws, but it is mostly exactly what it’s advertised to be. The film doesn’t necessarily redefine the, “With great power comes great responsibility,” aspect for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man but it without a doubt gives the MCU version of Spider-Man his version of that principle. No Way Home is a nostalgic extravaganza that exceeds expectations and is a perfect and satisfying bookend for the first three Tom Holland Spider-Man movies.
Peter is now in a relationship with MJ (Zendaya) while Ned (Jacob Batalon) tags along as the third wheel more than the guy in the chair. As the three attempt to get into MIT and other colleges, MJ and Ned are punished for being associated with Peter. Feeling guilty, Peter takes it upon himself to contact Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who eventually agrees to perform a spell that would make everyone forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. However, Peter’s motor mouth and constant need to change Strange’s spell botches it and ends up opening the multiverse.
Early on, the humor in Spider-Man: No Way Home is lacking and a little lame. Much of the film rides on Peter’s relationship with MJ. Peter, MJ, and Ned have become inseparable in the film thanks to the events of Homecoming, Far From Home, Infinity War, and Endgame. Nearly everything boils down to them making decisions as a trio even when Peter is out there as Spider-Man. The humor in the film doesn’t really find its footing until the villains come along and even then it starts off pretty rough (making fun of the Otto Octavius name in the trailer is a prime example).
Peter’s solution to all of these villains invading his universe from their own is pure stupidity. The desire to do what’s best for someone’s well being is there and you understand why Peter is so adamant about going in the direction that he does. However, he has the opportunity to end all of this early on with little to no repercussions other than some structural damage that he is able to repair in one night.
Peter chooses to change the fate of these villains with the best intentions and suffers for it. In a way, it’s inevitable as it factors in to and is motivation for who Peter Parker and Spider-Man are as essentially one heroic character. “It’s what they do,” as they say several times in the film. That doesn’t mean you have to swallow it as something a supposed genius and one of Marvel’s smartest minds would conjure up though.
Next to the surprises the film has in store for first time viewers, the villains are arguably the highlight of the film. Peter’s fight with Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) on the bridge is nearly on par with the Spider-Man/Doc Ock fight on the train from Spider-Man 2. Willem Dafoe is also still Spider-Man’s greatest and most sinister adversary as Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin two decades later.
Dafoe’s one stipulation for returning to the franchise was that he would be allowed to do all of his own stunts even at 66 years old; he believes it all factors in to his performance and it shows. You feel sympathy for Norman and admire his brilliance, but he’s plagued with this gushingly nefarious and uncontrollable alternate personality. With that reverberating laugh and amazing facial expressions, Dafoe literally steals the film every time he’s on screen.
The bickering in the film results in some of the most entertaining sequences in the film. There’s at least two instances, one between all of the villains when they’re all in the same room and another sequence later that occurs right before the big fight scene between Spider-Man and the five villains that have crossed over, that are just incredible and it’s basically just dialogue.
Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers deserve a lot of the credit. If it wasn’t for their writing then those back-and-forth dialogue exchanges between characters wouldn’t exist. But the performances from the cast also factor in to how great those sequences are. Much of the older returning cast have joked about only returning for the money, but it’s clear that there was some enjoyment of not only the script but also being able to work with such a talented group of people.
Speaking of trains, the Spider-Man/Doctor Strange battle in the mirror dimension is one of No Way Home’s visual treats. Doctor Strange and his magical origins opened up the cosmic aspect for the MCU, which has always resulted in trippy and otherworldly sequences that are tonally different and unlike anything else from the other Marvel films. Seeing Spider-Man swing around as the world is upside down while dodging kaleidoscopic skyscrapers and barely escaping gravity defying portals results in a sequence especially memorable for MCU fans.
Spider-Man: No Way Home isn’t without its flaws, but it is mostly exactly what it’s advertised to be. The film doesn’t necessarily redefine the, “With great power comes great responsibility,” aspect for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man but it without a doubt gives the MCU version of Spider-Man his version of that principle. No Way Home is a nostalgic extravaganza that exceeds expectations and is a perfect and satisfying bookend for the first three Tom Holland Spider-Man movies.
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Extraordinary X-Men, Vol 1: X-Haven in Books
Aug 2, 2017
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.
I won't lie, I miss the X-Men of my younger years (late 80s/early 90s). I've been trying to reconcile their fall from popularity and the direction their stories have been taking in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (don't get me started on the X-Men movie franchise **shudders**), but I've been sticking with it. This book, my first post-Secret Wars X-Men experience, has left me torn: even tho every aspect of this book has already been done before (mutants being hated for being different; mutants needing to go into hiding; mutants being on the edge of extinction for about the third time in a decade now; Sinister conducting his weird experiments and playing around with famous mutant's DNA), it did leave me wondering what was going to happen next, so that's at least somewhat good storytelling, right? Right?! Sigh.
There are things I don't understand in this post-Terrigen bomb/Secret Wars world: what exactly is the difference between being an Inhuman or mutant and why is one seen as seemly being acceptable by the populace at large? Other than needing to push the Inhuman as the new version of being a mutant in the MCU, I see no distinction. What does it matter if the Terrigen mists are making mutants sterile? Don't normal humans give birth to mutants, as well? Maybe it's changing the structure of the entire world's DNA? What if a human with dormant Inhuman genes gives birth to a mutant? What would the Terrigen mists do to the mutant? How long does the Terrigen mist linger in the atmosphere? I'm hoping some of this is addressed at some point.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Mar 11, 2019
Great, exciting fun and so much more than an origin film
I think Marvel have finally nailed an origin story. Lord knows they've had plenty of shots at it, but have finally delivered one that also works as a film in its own right.
We join Vers as she travels with her Kree companions doing their bit against the evil Skrull forces. She doesn't seem to know much of her own past and over the two hours she gradually pieces things together. We are treated to hints and teasers and but by bit they are all tied together to tell a twisting and turning tale of war, good vs evil, propaganda, power and self belief, all wrapped up with some science-y stuff.
I wouldn't say the plot is perfect but made a good attempt at it and it all hangs together. We are even treated to an old school Mar-vell character (albeit as a female rather than the cringey 60s negative zone-dweller).
There is humour galore and Sam Jackson gets the majority of the laughs, mainly through his interaction with Goose the cat (CHEWIE DAMMIT!). Brie Larson is somewhat po-faced and serious throughout but still a believable superhero (and if she is set to replace Captain America as head of the Avengers it makes sense if she isn't all that entertaining in her own right!).
There is a good, female-dominated soundtrack for the majority of the film (Garbage, Sheryl Crow, TLC, Hole etc).
A fun film and a good backstory for someone set to be a big deal in the next MCU release.
We join Vers as she travels with her Kree companions doing their bit against the evil Skrull forces. She doesn't seem to know much of her own past and over the two hours she gradually pieces things together. We are treated to hints and teasers and but by bit they are all tied together to tell a twisting and turning tale of war, good vs evil, propaganda, power and self belief, all wrapped up with some science-y stuff.
I wouldn't say the plot is perfect but made a good attempt at it and it all hangs together. We are even treated to an old school Mar-vell character (albeit as a female rather than the cringey 60s negative zone-dweller).
There is humour galore and Sam Jackson gets the majority of the laughs, mainly through his interaction with Goose the cat (CHEWIE DAMMIT!). Brie Larson is somewhat po-faced and serious throughout but still a believable superhero (and if she is set to replace Captain America as head of the Avengers it makes sense if she isn't all that entertaining in her own right!).
There is a good, female-dominated soundtrack for the majority of the film (Garbage, Sheryl Crow, TLC, Hole etc).
A fun film and a good backstory for someone set to be a big deal in the next MCU release.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
Apr 29, 2019
For me, this was just a perfect movie
After the intensity and shock of Infinity War, I was certainly expecting some kind of epic payback and a plan to try and correct or alter the devastating effects of the snap, but I had no idea how that would all play out and wrap things up for us. Marvel have perfected the art of producing trailers which either give very little away, or hint at something which then doesn't even play out the way you expected. Not only did the trailers for Endgame follow that trend, there were parts of the trailers that weren't even in the movie! The result is something which gave me everything I hoped for, and a lot more.
Endgame also manages to include pretty much every single MCU character to date, including characters who you would never even imagine seeing in this movie. And it expertly and effortlessly juggles every single one of them too, weaving multiple plot threads and themes, paying homage to and referencing much of its back catalogue of movies. It rewards an audience that has been invested in these movies all the way, and it does this all perfectly. These are characters that we've followed and loved for over 10 years, experiencing their highs and their lows right there with them. We've laughed with them, felt their pain and their suffering, felt empowered and inspired by them. Endgame is the closing chapter to what has been one hell of an incredible journey and was always going to provide us with heightened levels of all of those emotions. Once again, I certainly wasn't expecting it to do that quite as perfectly as it did, and in as many ways as it did too. For me, it was the perfect conclusion to an incredible saga, and it completely blew me away.
Endgame also manages to include pretty much every single MCU character to date, including characters who you would never even imagine seeing in this movie. And it expertly and effortlessly juggles every single one of them too, weaving multiple plot threads and themes, paying homage to and referencing much of its back catalogue of movies. It rewards an audience that has been invested in these movies all the way, and it does this all perfectly. These are characters that we've followed and loved for over 10 years, experiencing their highs and their lows right there with them. We've laughed with them, felt their pain and their suffering, felt empowered and inspired by them. Endgame is the closing chapter to what has been one hell of an incredible journey and was always going to provide us with heightened levels of all of those emotions. Once again, I certainly wasn't expecting it to do that quite as perfectly as it did, and in as many ways as it did too. For me, it was the perfect conclusion to an incredible saga, and it completely blew me away.
HyruleBalverine (16 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Jun 9, 2018
A light begins to shine on the darkness of the DC Extended Universe
After the dark brooding mess that was Batman Vs. Superman and the hot mess that was Suicide Squad, I was quite pleasantly surprised with Justice League.
With no offense intended towards Zack Snyder, who is good at what he does, I found his gritty take on the DC universe to be too dark. Whether the original intent had always been to start off dark and depressing and lead into a more light and hopeful tone with Justice League, or if it was Joss Whedon's influence once he stepped in when Snyder had to leave, or just WB/DC trying to keep up with Marvel, the shift in tone was the right choice.
While they are clearly still trying to play catch up with the MCU in setting up their cinematic universe, the build up in this movie did not feel quite as rushed as Dawn of Justice. Personally, I would have liked to see the other characters getting their own movies in order to set this up, but they're introductions in this movie seemed to have been done well. Also, while DC is certainly trying to match Marvel by using their big baddie Darkseid (the Thanos of the DC Universe), they didn't throw him into this movie in an attempt to jump into their own Infinity War type movie; rather, they used another character, tied to Darkseid, to build up to the massive enemy that Darkseid will be.
It is my hope that after the amazing film that Wonder Woman was and the great change in tone of Justice League, the DCEU will continue with this current trend of hopefulness and quippy Super Heroes.
With no offense intended towards Zack Snyder, who is good at what he does, I found his gritty take on the DC universe to be too dark. Whether the original intent had always been to start off dark and depressing and lead into a more light and hopeful tone with Justice League, or if it was Joss Whedon's influence once he stepped in when Snyder had to leave, or just WB/DC trying to keep up with Marvel, the shift in tone was the right choice.
While they are clearly still trying to play catch up with the MCU in setting up their cinematic universe, the build up in this movie did not feel quite as rushed as Dawn of Justice. Personally, I would have liked to see the other characters getting their own movies in order to set this up, but they're introductions in this movie seemed to have been done well. Also, while DC is certainly trying to match Marvel by using their big baddie Darkseid (the Thanos of the DC Universe), they didn't throw him into this movie in an attempt to jump into their own Infinity War type movie; rather, they used another character, tied to Darkseid, to build up to the massive enemy that Darkseid will be.
It is my hope that after the amazing film that Wonder Woman was and the great change in tone of Justice League, the DCEU will continue with this current trend of hopefulness and quippy Super Heroes.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Mummy (2017) in Movies
Apr 25, 2020 (Updated Apr 25, 2020)
Epic Fail
People forget that universal started this whole shared universe concept. So the MCU, the DCU, The Conjuring franchise and DC Shared TV shows all copied unverisal. Now universal is trying to copy them, but failed, failed epic.
The plot: Nick Morton is a soldier of fortune who plunders ancient sites for timeless artifacts and sells them to the highest bidder. When Nick and his partner come under attack in the Middle East, the ensuing battle accidentally unearths Ahmanet, a betrayed Egyptian princess who was entombed under the desert for thousands of years. With her powers constantly evolving, Morton must now stop the resurrected monster as she embarks on a furious rampage through the streets of London.
The Dark Universe was a failure, the Dark Universe came and went so fast, it was a blink of a eye and proof it disappeared. Never to be seen or heard from again.
If the dark universe did happpen, their were going to have Javier Bardem as the Frankenstein's Monster, and Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man. And Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll, aka the Nick Fury of this franchise.
This movie tryed to setup five different films with one film, while having like six different plot lines, seven differney genres. This movie didnt know what is was. And thats why it failed.
@Awix, @Erika , @Ross and @LeftSideCut. Said it perfectly in their reviews.
Dont watch this movie, it will put you to sleep and you will forgot about it, when the credits hit. Watch The Mummy trilogy instead or the oringal one, or the hammer studio one.
The plot: Nick Morton is a soldier of fortune who plunders ancient sites for timeless artifacts and sells them to the highest bidder. When Nick and his partner come under attack in the Middle East, the ensuing battle accidentally unearths Ahmanet, a betrayed Egyptian princess who was entombed under the desert for thousands of years. With her powers constantly evolving, Morton must now stop the resurrected monster as she embarks on a furious rampage through the streets of London.
The Dark Universe was a failure, the Dark Universe came and went so fast, it was a blink of a eye and proof it disappeared. Never to be seen or heard from again.
If the dark universe did happpen, their were going to have Javier Bardem as the Frankenstein's Monster, and Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man. And Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll, aka the Nick Fury of this franchise.
This movie tryed to setup five different films with one film, while having like six different plot lines, seven differney genres. This movie didnt know what is was. And thats why it failed.
@Awix, @Erika , @Ross and @LeftSideCut. Said it perfectly in their reviews.
Dont watch this movie, it will put you to sleep and you will forgot about it, when the credits hit. Watch The Mummy trilogy instead or the oringal one, or the hammer studio one.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) in Movies
Apr 29, 2020
There's a lot to love about this film and a lot to hate. I think this film does the best job of allowing you to live through Peter more than any other film. Some of my favorite shots throughout the whole movie are the ones where it looks like we're in Peter's perspective as he traverses New York City. I love Andrew Garfield in this role. Even though he's 27 in the film, he played a high school kid fairly well - at least I think so. I love Emma Stone too. As a blonde, I feel like she has this innocence that she doesn't have as a redhead.
Truthfully, I like Andrew Garfield's Spiderman and Tom Holland's Spiderman way more than I like Toby McGuire's. I think this film is entertaining and a good watch. You definitely get hooked in on Peter and are rooting for him. The only thing I didn't like were some of the effects. It's clear that there was more effort or money put in some scenes than others. Maybe that's just my opinion, but those small details can really pull you out of the world the film creates.
The other detail I appreciated is Gwen. When we think and talk about Spiderman, unless you're a die-hard fan, you think of Mary Jane. And she's great. Don't get me wrong. Kirsten Dunst in Toby McGuire's and Zendaya as M.J. in Tom Holland's, but Gwen often gets forgotten. I like that in this series, Gwen is the love interest instead of Mary Jane.
Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I think I still like Tom Holland's Spiderman better, but I think the fact that he's in the MCU plays a part in my love of him. I would recommend both of these films just to say you watched them.
Truthfully, I like Andrew Garfield's Spiderman and Tom Holland's Spiderman way more than I like Toby McGuire's. I think this film is entertaining and a good watch. You definitely get hooked in on Peter and are rooting for him. The only thing I didn't like were some of the effects. It's clear that there was more effort or money put in some scenes than others. Maybe that's just my opinion, but those small details can really pull you out of the world the film creates.
The other detail I appreciated is Gwen. When we think and talk about Spiderman, unless you're a die-hard fan, you think of Mary Jane. And she's great. Don't get me wrong. Kirsten Dunst in Toby McGuire's and Zendaya as M.J. in Tom Holland's, but Gwen often gets forgotten. I like that in this series, Gwen is the love interest instead of Mary Jane.
Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I think I still like Tom Holland's Spiderman better, but I think the fact that he's in the MCU plays a part in my love of him. I would recommend both of these films just to say you watched them.