siberiantiger11

[siberiantiger11]

Best Order to Introduce Someone to the MCU:

Note: I excluded Thor: The Dark World, Incredible Hulk, and Captain Marvel because, well, you know

Thor: Ragnarok

Iron Man 2

Captain America: The First Avenger 

Thor 

Avengers

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Iron Man 3

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ant-Man

Captain America: Civil War

Black Panther

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 1

Doctor Strange

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

Spiderman: Homecoming

Avengers: Infinity War

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Iron Man

Avengers: Endgame

Spiderman: Far from Home

Some reasons for this order: 1) Ragnarok will get them hooked in so they know how good the movies can get, plus it has few spoilers* (see note, and excluding the end credits)). 2) I wanted go back to the beginning with Iron Man, but the first movie is a bit lackluster compared to Ragnarok, and putting Iron Man before Endgame gives the whole “I am Iron Man” a bigger punch. 3) I would have excluded The First Avenger as well, but this sets up the Bucky surprise, one of the best plot twists ever. 4)  Thor also would have been excluded but it sets up the tesseract and Loki’s villain arc for the Avengers, otherwise this also would have been excluded. 5) Avengers made most sense here for release date and chronological order. 6/7) I switched The Winter Soldier and Iron Man 3 so Bucky would be as fresh as possible in the person’s mind, since I’m assuming these movies will all be watched 1-3 weeks apart at least. 8) I skipped Guardians of the Galaxy because it has no effect on the rest of the MCU for a while, and I wanted to continue with storylines that have already been building up, plus this way the two GofG will be closer together in watch order. 9) Ant-Man made the most sense here. 10) Civil War made the most sense here. 11) Black Panther was introduced in Civil War, and this movie helps reground the MCU after the almost back-to-back Avenger movies and before the ensemble movies in space and the movie about magic and spells and dimensions. 12) Now it’s time for Guardians of the Galaxy! yay!!! 13) Quick Doctor Strange break before jumping back into Gotg. 14) Second Guardians of the Galaxy, these movies really help set up what’s going on in Infinity War with the infinity stones, so I wanted to keep it close to Infinity War. 15) Spiderman brings us back to Earth, Peter Parker who we met allllll the way back in Civil War. I would have put in closer to CW, but since Civil War affects Infinity War quite a lot with all the avengers being divided, this is a good refresher. 16) What all of these movies have been leading up towards: Infinity War. 17) Ant-Man and the Wasp then fits best here. 18) I waited to put Iron Man here, at the end, again, because of the emotional attachment to Tony Stark, and because it reminds people how far the MCU has come before the Infinity Saga Finale. 18) Endgame, the grand finale!!!!!! (here is where missing the Dark World has a small affect with the ether and Jane, so you may want to tell the person you are introducing that small fact or quickly watch the Dark World, although this point is so minor I wouldn’t) 19) And now that the viewer is all caught up, Far from Home is next movie to go. 

If you have finished all these movies and you miss the movies, then I would cave and watch the excluded movies in this order (in order from best to worst):

Captain Marvel

Thor: The Dark World

The Incredible Hulk

Whoever might see this please lmk if you would make any changes! I could definitely see the 12-16 movies getting moved around in the list

[siberiantiger11]

Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016)

              The trailer for Arrival asks “Why are they here?”. The ending wonders “Did Banks make the right choice?”

              Or, as Banks asks Donnelly, “If you could see your whole life, would you change it?”

              If you can see your future, you realize the consequences to your actions as you do them. You would not only know but feel the reward of good versus bad actions. Basic logic assumes that if you know a certain action will lead to a nice reward, you will follow through. But if it will lead to a bad consequence, it would follow that you should change your behavior, steer yourself onto a better course. However, as evidenced in the events of Arrival, the hardest decisions to make are those where the good and bad are in battle and whichever one holds more prevalence is unclear. What if an action is a Non-Zero-Sum Game?

              It is unclear whether Banks can see multiple futures based on the different choices she could make, but the only evidence provided from the film suggests she can only see one future. And yet, it is clear she still has free will. While this seems to be conflicting traits, I believe the film shows that the future she sees is fluid, and can be used to influence the past, or Banks present. Her future is guiding her present so her present can act as the past that guides the future. Banks life almost becomes a circle.

              So, when Banks must choose between creating her daughter knowing she will die young versus choosing not to, she makes the wrong choice. In her defense, it doesn’t appear she knew what would happen if she said no, as the only future she could foresee had her daughter in it, meaning she was fully aware of the love she felt for her daughter that technically didn’t exist to the rest of the world yet. Would she remember all these visions if she made a different choice, the choice not to have her doomed daughter? Would it feel similar to a loss if she decided not to have this child? Would she be the one inflicting pain upon her daughter by bringing her into the world? Would she be unhappy if she said no versus yes? What’s the difference between dying young and dying old since everyone dies sometime? Should she make this decision alone or confide in her partner, Donnelly?

              This last question is the most interesting to me because Banks is aware that when she discloses what she knows to Donnelly in the future, he leaves her and their daughter because he doesn’t know how to handle the information. Banks knows having this baby and having a discussion later will rip her family apart. The whole message of Arrival is Communication is what will keep us together. So why doesn’t she tell Donnelly?

              She believes this is a Non-Zero-Sum game. Whether she tells Donnelly now or later will lead to the same result: Her and Donnelly separate in grief, their daughter gone. However, I believe this is a parallel to the main plot, except this one went in the other direction. Instead of the climax where the nations come together and learn to communicate and be open with each other, thereby saving humanity and the aliens, the climax of the subplot is the lack of communication breaking the family.

              The true choice Banks had was not whether or not to have her daughter, but when to tell Donnelly her tragic fate. Unlike her call that saved the world, Banks didn’t choose the right words nor the right time.

[siberiantiger11]

Since sequels seem to be so difficult to pull off I wish it was common to take the same cast from a loved film and create a totally new story versus trying to revive a plot that was already explored and resolved in the first film. Everyone only comes back for the cast anyways

[siberiantiger11]

Do girls who wear makeup have different foundations for when their face gets tan?? What do you do when the sun changes your skin tone??

[siberiantiger11]

Winner Takes It All from Mamma Mia (2008)

In this song, I have always assumed Donna was addressing Sam as the "winner", and that because she lost him all those years ago when he went off to marry his ex-wife, she was the "loser". And the purpose of the song was Donna telling Sam that the ways things turned out in their lives is simply the the way it is for the respective winner and loser. Donna having to raise a daughter as a single mother as well as running a hotel that seemed to fall apart more and more each day. Meanwhile, Sam was a successful businessman with two grown sons he raised with his partner until they split.

However, when I watched the movie again recently, I believe that Donna is referring to herself as the winner and Sam as the loser. The main lyric that made me think that was the verse

The winner takes it all/The loser standing small/Beside the victory/That's her destiny.

The use of "her" being used to claim the "victory" shows that Donna is in fact the winner. Therefore, the song is truly about how despite being winner, her lot isn't all sunny or great, that baggage came with winning, yet that she won, Sofie is her daughter and hers only.

Donna started singing The Winner Takes It All after Sam asked who was giving Sofie away, later implying that he should because he believed he was her father. Donna tells him that she is giving her away.

This implies that the "All" Donna is 'taking' as the winner is Sofie. She got all of sofie all of her childhood.

The fact that it appears Donna is the loser in this song, which could be misunderstood from these lines:

Though it's hurting me/Now it's history // I was in your arms/Thinking I belonged there // But I was a fool/playing by the rules // The gods may through the dice/Their minds as cold as ice/And someone way down here/Loses someone dear // It's simple and it's plain/Why should I complain // You must know I miss you/But what can I say/Rules must be obeyed // The judges will decide/The likes of me abide // If it makes you feel bad/Seeing me so tense/No self-confidence

However, the common thread between all these lyrics isn't saying that Donna lost the game, but that winning the game came at a price. Donna sacrificed a lot, but because of her sacrifice of having a partner, she won the love of her daughter. Throughout these lyrics, too, is reference to "Gods", and "Judges", being tied to the rules of this game. Donna would only have to follow these rules, listen to these higher beings seemingly controlling part of her life, if she had something to lose in consequence. A loser, on the other hand, would have nothing to lose. Someone who lost the game wouldn't care to play by the rules anymore.

Another interesting, if not the most interesting, lyric of this song is

I don't want to talk/Cause it makes me feel sad

Because that is NOT the original verse sung by ABBA which is

I don't want to talk/If it makes you feel sad

In the original version, the song is better interpreted as the winner (who is female as well) sympathizing with the loser. But in Mamma Mia, Donna is the winner who is trying to show the loser that there are two sides to every coin, and she has to "play the game" as she's been playing it. This makes Donna feel sad versus Sam because she feels sad that she took this from Sam.

I've played all my cards/And that's what you've done too/Nothing more to say/No more ace to play

When you're playing a game, especially a high stakes game, you're probably in it to win it, whether you are playing with "a lover or a friend". Donna would definitely feel sad about taking victory from Sam as well as feel sad for Sam that he missed out on Sofie, because Donna "won" Sofie as her mom and knows how much Sam missed out on.

At the end of the song, Donna has reached the top of the stairs and is looking down at Sam, who is still at the bottom still trying to talk and reason with Donna. This is in line with the lyrics "The winner takes it all/The loser standing small" Since Donna is moments away from giving Sofie away and Sam is "Standing small", especially from Donna's point of view far away from the ceremony.

Another reason I had always construed Donna as the loser was because the reference to Vegas and winning poker there in "Money Money Money" reminded me of a game like the one sung about in "The Winner Takes it All". But the true prize of this game was not wealth but love. It's clear both Donna and Sam have lost at romantic love, and while Sam's children are briefly mentioned, the love at stake was getting to be a part of Sofie's life, which Donna won.

The other song that actually ties in to "The Winner Takes It All" is "What's the Name of The Game" which was filmed but cut from the final version and is between Sofie and Bill. Sofie does all the singing similar to how Donna does all the singing in TWTIA.

WTNOTG begins after Sofie confronts Bill and asks him if he is her real father. Sofie has been completely baffled as soon as her three possible fathers stepped onto the island, and now that she believes she has found her father, she wants to know why. Why didn't she know at first sight like she thought she would? Why was Bill not there for her childhood? Why wasn't he absolutely certain he was her father, and if he was certain, why did it take him so long to figure it out?

And so I want to know/What's the name of the game?

Sofie asks as the chorus of this song. The Game is the same Game Donna refers to in TWTIA. This Game that Donna never told Sofie about, despite it playing a huge part in both of their lives. Sofie wouldn't know this game since it is clearly stated in TWTIA Donna does not "want to talk" about it, and sees it more as a game between her, Sam, Bill, and Harry than with Sofie. Donna, Sam, Bill, and Harry are the "players" while Sofie is the "prize".

This game was played 20 years prior to the events of the film, and the mystery surrounding it drives the plot forward. WTNOTG and TWTIA is when everyone realizes that no is completely happy. Everyone wishes that somehow everyone could have won the game, even though this seems impossible. However, the conclusion of the film realizes this wish. The truth is revealed, misconceptions and secrets are sorted out, Donna and Sam reunite, and Bill, Sam, and Harry share the fathership of Sofie without Donna losing any part of being her mother first and foremost.

Honestly maybe all this was obvious from the get go but I just put all this together and wanted to share :).

[siberiantiger11]

1 The royal princess who is taken away from her family at a young age and forgets she is the "lost princess"

2 When she turns 18, she decides to go follow her dreams outside of her home she has been living in since losing her family

3 A young con artist makes a deal with her to help achieve her dream in return for helping him make a lot of money and become rich

4 they have to go on a journey and along the way, despite initially just trying to tolerate one another, they become friends

5 They reach their end destination, their goal, but at the end the princess is tricked into believing her friend was only in it for the money all along.

6 At the end of the movie their is a battle between the princess and their magical foe and the "prince" and princess reunite and pretty much save each others lives

7 The princess finds her family and is recognized as royal

1234567 Plot of Rapunzel

1234576 Plot of Anastasia

[siberiantiger11]

Respect for that kid from Iron Man 3 who probably figured out who Spiderman was at Tony's funeral and said nothing

[siberiantiger11]

So far, only 5 (6 if you count pietro) "avengers" are dead, even tho the majority of them are not out of the MCU because of prequels or whatever is going on in WandaVision. And rn I'm counting 2018 Gamora as dead. So I was thinking about how the avengers would be dealing with the 5 losses in IW and EG. Only the guardians could mourn Gamora, and mostly Rocket (and maybe Nebula) because he lost everyone for 5 years while the other guardians just had 2018 Gamora replaced with 2014 (?) Gamora. It's a similar situation w/ Loki. While his name is probably known to all the avengers, to many he was only ever an evil villain, not a fellow avenger or more accurately a revengerer. Vision, Nat, and Tony's deaths were probably felt by all of the Avengers the were Avengers before Civil War and after IW, (cuz black panther didnt really know anyone, bucky only knew nat, ant man ~kind of~ met some people, but didnt truly socialize or work with them, Spiderman only had a chance to meet Tony (but there relationship made up for the lack of others), Dr. Strange interacted w/ Loki once, but not in a friendly fashion and otherwise probably only heard about the Avengers pn the news, Captain Marvel knew no one until EG, i think that's practically everyone). Anyway, so after doing some thinking, it's pretty clear why Thor is such a mess and might even more of one by TL&T. He had a relationship with EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. that died. Loki, of course, was his brother, and watching him die for a third, irreversible time--well, we already saw what that did to him in EG. Thor is also one of the few major characters in the MCU who knew Gamora. They even bonded over having *family issues*. I'm sure he felt guilty about her dying while he was away with her friends making stormbreaker. And Thor had known Nat and Tony since all the way back in 2012, and he had known Vision since THOR brought him to live in AOU. ( He also met and fought together w/ Pietro in AOU, but this isnt about him).

So what I'm saying is I feel bad for poor sad Thor.

Not to mention that at this point Thor still has a broken heart over Jane ( who definitely dumped him). At least he finally got closure over the death of Frigga. He might still be sad about his father's death idk as soon as he died Thor learned about his father's bad history. Anyway, if you ask me, Thor is the ~emotionally~ strongest Avenger.

[siberiantiger11]

I just looked at a tree and thought "wow, that tree looks really life-like" and then remembered I had just looked out a window at an actual tree in real life.

[siberiantiger11]

I have nothing to say I iust felt like posting something so here I am posting something

[siberiantiger11]

Could someone please tell me what the climax of Frozen 2 is?

#frozen #frozen2

[siberiantiger11]

Being awake for three days straight would be 72 hours awake, and estimating the average time someone is awake is like 16 hours it would actually feel like 4 and a half days had passed. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but the longest someone has ever been awake straight is about 276 hours, which would feel like over 17 days. 

#itotallydidntthinkofthisbecauseofhowtirediamrn

[siberiantiger11]

Me: Mom my door is broken. It doesn't close all the way when I close the door

Mom: Does your door have to latch?

Me: Well that's kind of the whole point

[siberiantiger11]

I am ok

[siberiantiger11]

When I said I was a morning person I didn't mean like MORNING morning I meant like waking up at a solid 7:30

[siberiantiger11]

R we going to talk about how hawkeye and ant man were written off in Infinity War with house arrest? Like all the avengers were like "can Hawkeye and Ant-Man help out to stop the death of trillions?" And then they were like "oh ya they're on house arrest you know how serious that is."

[siberiantiger11]

The U.S. econ is kind of getting to the point in the game of monopoly where practically everything is bought and there's not enough room on the squares for all the houses and hotels but hey ig good for them