#(not hayley atwell taking over as the main character of the series)

[calkale]

guys-

[average-guy-reviews]

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

"Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than the mission -- not even the lives of those he cares about most."

30 years is a long time in the movie business, and it is even longer in an actor's career. Yet nearly 30 years ago, Tom Cruise brought Ethan Hunt to the big screen in the first Mission Impossible film. At the age of 34 he launched an action franchise with enormous potential. It could have gone either way and, to be fair, the reception for the MI films has not always been positive or enthusiastic. But here we are 27 years later with the first part of the end of the franchise, and we are left to ponder the merits of what has become a cinematic juggernaut. Does it still have the power to thrill all these years later?

Simply put? Yes, yes it does. I had no doubt that Cruise was always going to try to make the best films he could to round out this series, but will does not always produce quality. This time, however, it has. This is a film made by people that really understand the characters and the world they inhabit. I absolutely imagine that the director, Christopher McQuarrie, had fun trying to wrangle the cast into line. I suspect he didn't always get his way though....but when working with a main cast that has lived these characters for so long, I'm sure he was more than happy for their input. Either way, he has done a great job creating what may be the best film in the franchise so far. I'll need to rewatch them all to double check though....it's a tough life.

Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg, reprising their roles as Luther and Benji, are on fine form as Hunt's sidekicks. That may be an unfair descriptive though. They are very much central to the films and have formed a solid part of the emotional core of what makes this franchise as good as it is. The chemistry between the two is always fun to watch, and it feels like they have a lot of fun working together.

Hayley Atwell joins the cast as Grace. A potential antagonist to Cruise she brings a seemingly naive, yet thoroughly world worn, charm to the character. I am a fan of Atwell's work within the MCU, and it is very cool to see her keeping up the action, all the while creating a character so different to Captain Carter. I don't know right now if she'll be back for the last film, but based on this, I really hope she will.

Every M:I movie needs a bad guy. Sadly, it's sometimes the lacklustre baddy that lets down the film. Not this time. Esai Morales, as Gabriel, has a link to Hunt's past and an evil plan in place. He is a suave, controlled, somewhat charming, villain with whom you feel no emotional connection. That's not a bad thing at all. It's very clear you're not supposed to be able to relate to him, and Morales nails that with his entire performance. His use of non-verbal communication is almost masterful, and he is simply brilliant here. Along with Morales we have Pom Klementieff as the threatening 'muscle', and this is such a refreshing thing to see. I only know her as Mantis in the MCU where she is a naive, emotional, alien that comes across as mostly harmless. Here she kicks butt and genuinely comes across as a danger, and someone that you can not take even remotely lightly. I love it.

I might be a little biased here, but Cruise is utterly brilliant as Ethan Hunt. Watching him the character has evolved over the years is paet.of what makes him so fascinating in the role. One of the things I like so much about the way Cruise plays him is that there is no pretence about him being this young, almost invulnerable, super spy anymore. The character makes mistakes and misses things he would never have years ago. He's not as fast as he used to be and he's just not as strong or spry as he once was. Again, this not a bad thing and certainly not a remonstration against the actor. If anything I applaud him for aging the character appropriately. It's something that is sometimes lacking in movies. Here Tom Cruise nails his performance and I am genuinely excited to see part two to see how Ethan's journey will end.

Overall, this is an outstanding movie and is easily the top film in a franchise that has some damn fine movies in it. Knowing this was a Part One I did sit through the credits. I'll tell ya now you don't need to. There aren't any mid, or post, credits scenes setting up the next film. Honestly, I don't think it needed it anyway, but it's just a heads up so you don't have to sit through the credits. Now, I have struggled with scoring this. If the M:I filmd were the only films ever the it's an easy 10/10, but they're not and while it is a damn fine film...................fuck it......it's getting the 10/10. It deserves it, and I legitimately cannot wait for part two. Go see this immediately.

[carynsilver]

Marvel 20 Questions

I wasn't tagged, but I saw this on @musette22‘s Tumblr and decided I wanted to play. Thanks! 

1. Favorite solo film? It’s so hard to choose. It would be easier to list my top five. :-) But, I have to go with Thor: Ragnarok, because it is funny and heartwarming and I love it. Plus I have been a sucker for Thor since his first movie. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a really close second, though.

2. Favorite team-up film? The Avengers. It was so cool seeing all the characters we’d watched in the solo movies come together for the first time. Marvel really did the solo movies to team-up movies formula right--didn’t rush it like DC did. The payoff in that first Avengers movie was great. Plus a good villain, high stakes, and a plot that I didn’t have problems with. A good mix of humor to action. Love it. Also, I’m really partial to the AUs where the Avengers all live on their own floors in the tower, and that is the movie that sets that up (even if I’ll forever be sad that they did nothing with it).

3. Favorite female character? There are a lot of BAMF chicks in the MCU, but my absolute favorite is Peggy Carter. She is strong and gorgeous and knows her worth, even a time that is worse that today about allowing women to have that value. I liked her in the first Cap movie, but I loved her even more in the Agent Carter TV series. While I like the Peggy/Steve backstory, I like Peggy better on her own. Darcy Lewis is a really close second favorite--only second because, while I liked her in the Thor movies, it was fic that really fleshed out her character, while Peggy got all that character development on screen. But we’ll see how things go with Wandavision. Maybe Darcy will get the more developed character in cannon that she deserves. (I guess the Netflix shows no longer count for the MCU, huh? Because Jessica Jones was pretty awesome, too.)

4. Favorite male character? Oh my gosh. I love both Thor Odinson and Bucky Barnes SO MUCH--it’s nearly impossible to choose. However, I have to use the rule that I used for favorite female character, and give Thor the number one spot because his character’s awesomeness is fleshed out on screen. While I still think that his first movie could’ve used a bit more middle (more time than just one night on Earth to grow and change into someone who would give his life for others), I’ve loved watching Thor’s character grow and change over the years. He tried so hard to be a Gryffindor, but he’s really a Hufflepuff. While he would’ve been an all right king due to training, he doesn’t have the heart for it, and I think he finally realized that. He is so much more than muscles and a weird accent--he’s loving, supportive, and really smart; he forgives; he’s just an awesome guy. Bucky has that whole tragic redemption arc, which is great, but they really cheated his character out of development on screen after CA:tFA and CA:tWS. Like with Darcy, a lot of his development comes from fic and head cannons. I’m really hopeful for the Falcon & Winter Soldier TV series. Maybe now Bucky will finally get the character development he deserves!

5. Best canon ship? I’m not really tied to many of the cannon ships in the MCU. I liked Tony/Pepper a lot; probably because they got a lot of screen time, and Pepper is another favorite BAMF MCU lady. Scott/Hope is also pretty good. I would’ve said Thor/Jane, except then they broke up. Maybe they will resurge to the top of the list when we get Thor 4.

6. Best non-canon ship? I love so many non-cannon ships for the MCU! I like Stucky, Stony, WinterShock, WinterHawk (but only with the more comic-esque Clint who is deaf and a disaster; not boring family man movie Clint), WinterIron (but only in no power AUs without the Bucky killed Tony’s parents angle), ShieldShock, TaserTricks a bit... Basically any ship with either Bucky or Darcy in it would have a chance, and even though I don’t love cannon Steve all that much, I like a lot of ships with him in fanfic, too. Weirdly, I never read fic about Thor or Peggy--maybe because they are so fleshed out in cannon, I don’t need more from them.

7. Favorite actor? Man, another rough one. I love Chris Hemsworth and Sebastian Stan so much. I think I have to go with Sebastian on this one, though. Chris is great, hot, and I adore him, but Sebastian did so much with a character that had relatively little screen time overall. I mean, Bucky was in five movies, but in a lot of them he was there more for the action than the actual character development (which makes me sad! he deserves more!). But the fact that he took a smaller, supporting character and made him one of my favorites in the whole universe says a lot for Sebastian’s acting. Like, a lot of actors can make you love a character when they are the main character in multiple movies, but how many can do it from the sidelines? (**crossing my fingers for lots of good Bucky in the F&WS show!**)

8. Favorite actress? Gotta go with Hayley Atwell here. The way she played Peggy was masterful. I also really love Kat Dennings, though. Second only to Hayley.

9. Favorite director? Taika Waititi, hands down. He should do all MCU movies from here on out. Prior to him, it was Joss Whedon for his great work on the first Avengers, but Joss let me down with A:AoU.

10. What was the first MCU movie you ever watched? Iron Man. Aside from Spiderman: Homecoming and The Incredible Hulk, I watched all the MCU movies in theater in the order they came out. We are dedicated Marvel fans that way. :-)

11. Which MCU movie have you watched the most? Hmmm... I’m honestly not sure. I’ve never specifically counted viewings. I know the top contenders would be Thor: Ragnarok, Ant Man, The Avengers, Thor, Captain America: the First Avenger, and Iron Man. I have definitely watched every MCU movie except the Spiderman and Hulk solo films more than once, though.

12. Favorite super-suit? I think I’d have to go with the Iron Man suit. I mean, it’s by far the most useful, and it has Jarvis (or Friday) inside. And it lets you fly! That said, if we take it as most attractive suit, then I’d be torn between Steve’s navy and white suit (sans cowl) from the beginning of CA:tWS and Thor’s suit when it bared his arms (the long-sleeved version was weird looking).

13. Favorite weapon? Mjolnir, by far. Even though it creates some weird questions/plot issues, I love the idea of a weapon that only someone with a worthy heart can use. I think my favorite moment in End Game was when they paid out on that bit from AoU and Steve busted out fighting with his shield and Mjolnir. Steve and Thor fighting together with the hammer and the axe was fabulous. I do also like Cap’s shield, even though it’s a weird choice. I’m really looking forward to Thor 4, if the rumors are true and we’re going to get to see Jane use the hammer. That will be excellent!

14. Favorite origin story? Oh, another hard one! I am a sucker for a good redemption story arc, so I think Bucky/Winter Soldier edges in for the win here. Overcoming 70 years of brainwashing and mind wipes for his best friend, struggling to get back to human again, and then trying to make up for some of the wrongs from the past (which I hope is where we’re going in the F&WS show) is excellent. Though, Thor’s journey from spoiled brat to someone who is willing to sacrifice himself for others to king to someone who realizes that he isn’t the best king and is willing to hand the crown to someone else for the good of the people that he loves is a really good one, too. I also like tiny anger-ball Steve taking a risk to become a hero with a good heart. Didn’t necessarily agree with all his choices later, but did like the origin. Solid third.

15. Favorite villain? Definitely Loki. His arc in the first Thor movie is great. And knowing that in the first Avengers movie he was affected by the mind stone adds a great layer. Plus watching him continue to mature and grow until he finally was willing to be there for his brother in Ragnarok. That was a great arc, and the character toes that line of gray morality but redemption that is so compelling to watch. His death was the worst one to me in IW/EG--I really thought he was pulling some other con, and I’ll forever be sad they dropped that thread. I hope that his show is good, and I’ll give it a chance, but I’m still bummed that we’re going back to post-Avengers Loki and losing all that character development from Thor 2 and 3. :-(

16. Favorite fight sequence? Honestly, the action and fighting are probably my least favorite parts of these movies. I know, that’s atypical, lol. Like, they are the less interesting bits I have to put up with to get the character growth I want from my superheroes. Often, the action sequences go on too long. Shorter action sequences would allow them to both keep up momentum and put in more character development, but no one in charge asks me. :-P That said, I like the action sequences best when they show character development, and the best one for that is the highway fight in CA:tWS where Cap and co. fight the Winter Soldier for the first time. No one in the whole movie had challenged Steve that far, but the Winter Soldier truly put him in danger for the first time, and his friends, too. The Winter Soldier was menacing, and then paired with the Bucky reveal at the end. Best action sequence. Though I do also love the Revengers vs. Hela in Ragnarok when Thor finally gets his full lightening powers down and crashes into the battle. He is so OP now, but in an awesome way.

17. Favorite line from any of the films? I love that bit in the first Avengers movie when Thor snags Loki, Tony flies out after him, and Nat tells Steve not go because they are basically gods. I love Steve’s line of, “There’s only one God, Ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” That one cracks me up even now that I’ve watched it so many times.

18. Favorite scene from any of the films? Pretty much any scene with Darcy in it is a favorite. Her stuff in the first Thor movie is gold. I also like Bucky and Steve’s goodbye scene at the beginning of CA:tFA.

19. If you could pick an Infinity Stone to keep, which would you choose? Huh... I don’t know that I’d want any of them. I guess, if pressed, I’d choose the Space stone because I think it would let me teleport. The Time stone/time travel seems interesting, but I’d be afraid I’d mess up the timelines.

20. Which Disney Plus MCU series are you most looking forward to? Falcon & Winter Soldier, hands down. Though, when I heard Darcy would be a character, that jumped Wandavision up to second place.

I think that @virtual-insomnia would enjoy this. :-) 

[epen409]

My Top 18 Favorite Movies, TV Shows and/or Cartoons of 2018 (in no particular order) Part Dos

10. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Ignore the neckbeards who have nothing better to do, so they complain about reboots of cartoons from the quote on quote "golden age of animation, the 80's". She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a really great show, that yes, is better than the original 80's show. It's able to create a more fun and engaging story, while also having a lot of memorable and likable characters. It also has a theme that I found very interesting, where the villains aren't born evil, they are just misled in the wrong direction and don't truly know wrong from right. It's quite a bold theme for the show. If there is a kind of big flaw, the animation is a little wonky. Some shots and scenes look great, while others are very easy to see where the animation mistakes are. That said, it's still a great show that takes advantage of all of it's fun and interesting characters, and brings them together in a new show that blows its predecessor out of the water. And yes, LGBT fans. It's very, very gay.

11. Spider-Man Into the Spider verse

What a comeback story. Who would have thought that the studio that made the whole world of animation cry last year would end up making the best animated film of the year? But anyways, Spider-Man into the Spiderverse is not only able to live up to all the hype it's been getting for the past year, but it also blew our expectations away. First of all, it looks GORGEOUS. It's able to make a visual style that's not only very beautiful and interesting, but it also happens to create a loving tribute to the original medium of comic books. Second, they put just as much effort in the story as they did with the visuals, which is not only a very fun superhero film, but also manages to be a very engaging emotional story as well, with lots of fun, interesting and memorable characters as well. If there is something to say isn't perfect, I did notice at least one plot hole that left me a bit confused, and they kind of blew the wad for putting in a few too many characters, where, while fun and memorable, don't have that much screen time and don't leave as big of an impression as the main characters. But still, it's one of the year's best movies, so go watch it NOW!

12. Flcl Progressive and Alternative

The first anime I ever saw was FLCL. It was insane, had gorgeous animation, memorable characters and I loved every minute of it. Do its sequel series' live up to the original's legacy. Well, let me put it this way. I very much enjoyed both shows, equally too. I thought they were very fun shows, and their themes, while sometimes a little hit-and-miss, still got their points across, the new characters were very fun and memorable, and the action scenes were also animated very well. With all that said, they still don't hold a candle to the original show. But that's okay, because I imagine it'd be very hard to. I still think that both of these new shows were very good, and although not as great as the original FLCL, was still lots of fun, and somewhat worthy successors to one of the greatest animas of all time. I still recommend both, since they still were good in my opinion.

13. Hilda

Miss Gravity Falls and Over the Garden Wall? Then have I got the show for you. Hilda is a great show from Netflix that manages to capture the spirits of  both those shows, but also having its own identity and voice. One thing I appreciate about the show is that not only can it be calm and laid back in more character and establishing moments, but it also can be equally as exciting and fun for its more adventurous and action scenes. The characters are all very charming. Hilda is a free-spirited and adventurous young girl, but she's not a pushover or overly cheery either. Her friends both regular and supernatural, can sometimes fall into familiar tropes, but also are very fun and enjoyable to watch. (Alfie's my favorite). It's a great show to watch, especially on days you want to cozy up with a cup of hot liquids of some kind, and take it all in. It's a great show, and I highly recommend giving it a watch.

14. Christopher Robin

I missed Winnie the Pooh. Yes, an 18-year old male misses the adventures of a talking teddy bear. Deal with it. But anyways, for a while it seemed that Disney had somewhat given up on the bear with little brains, but they've given him another chance with this new film, but this time, mainly focusing on his human friend, Christopher Robin. One thing this movie gets right is the feeling of Winnie the Pooh. Pooh has never been known for incredibly convoluted stories, just mainly simple tales that it's colorful cast of characters can bounce off of, and this movie nails that feeling down. It's also close to the original cast of characters, since deviating away from their personalities would be considered a form of blasphemy. Also, the performances here are great too. Evan McGregor makes a surprisingly good Christopher Robin, Hayley Atwell is charming as his wife, the girl who played their daughter was pretty good too, and of course, our friends from the 100 Acre Woods are played very well by the new cast, especially the one and only Jim Cummings, the only modern voice for both Pooh and Tigger. Now it does have flaws, like the story is kind of the typical "Dad's too busy for the kids", and although I've grown to like it over time, but sometimes it got a little too dramatic for some scenes, and at time Christopher Robin himself came off a bit as whiny and unlikable in some scenes. With that said, it's very easy to see that the whole film is a big love letter to Winnie the Pooh. No, it's not the best movie of the year, Or anything like that, but if you want a nice, enjoyable and cute movie to watch, then Christopher Robin is the perfect film to watch.

15. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

I'll break my rule just this once to include a video game here. Super Smash Bros Ultimate was the biggest game from Nintendo this holiday season, and boy did it deliver. The last Smash Bros. game, was lots of fun, with it bringing all of our favorite (popular) video game characters together for a huge brawl. This next one, takes it up to 11. One thing I walkways admired from the games is that it's not the world's most complicated fighter game, while also still being oodles of fun. Only one big flaw: no Waluigi. Nah, just kidding. It's a great game, and a great farewell to the world of Smash from it's director, Masahiro Sakurai.

16. The Dragon Prince

Here's another show that didn't get that much attention on Netflix, The Dragon Prince. Made by the head writer from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the creator of the Uncharted games, comes a massive fantasy epic focusing on the Battle between humans and fantasy creatures like elves and dragons. One thing I really love about this show is just how complex the characters and their morals are. It's a show that takes a lot of advantage from this theme. It's also filled with lots of fun, yet also very interesting characters. You will probably get attached to them by the end of the show, which may break some hearts too... But yeah, might as well address the elephant in the room, the animation. In fact, I do think that maybe the reason it didn't immediately catch on was because a lot of people were turned off by the animation style. But I still recommend it and ask that you give it a chance, because not only was it lots of fun, and very interesting, but the story and characters help redeem the animation, plus it does improve itself over time. Please, please, please give The Dragon Prince a chance, it's a great show.

17. Ralph Breaks the Internet

Don't worry. It's not another Emoji Movie. Ralph Breaks the Internet is not only a worthy successor to the original film, but it also manages to expand a lot on the heart from the original. This time, instead of arcade games, it plucks our characters into the Internet, and unlike the Emoji Movie, manages to make more clever and creative ideas while being on the Internet. And yeah, maybe the scene when Vanellope visits the Disney website might be Disney patting themselves on the back a little too hard, but it's still a very funny and enjoyable scene that also helps move the plot forward. But one thing the movie was amazing at was expanding on its characters and their development. It even manages to avoid the typical happy ending, which, without spoiling anything, actually makes a change in the characters lives. If there is a flaw, like I said, it's 10 times better than the Emoji Movie, but I will admit, between the cameos from Youtubers and the one scene where Ralph becomes a meme, did kind of make me roll my eyes, but thankfully, unlike the Emoji movie, it doesn't dwell too much on these scenes all that much, and knows when to move the plot forward in the right direction. I still say it's a worthy sequel that's worth your time.

Also, Yesss is my new waifu.

18. Mary Poppins Returns

Here's one of the few live-action Disney films in recent years, I feel are very worthy to the legacy of their original film. Mary Poppins Returns is just a complete and utter joy of a film, not unlike the original classic. The performance of Emily Blunt as the titular nanny is a worthy successor the original by Julie Andrews, and character in general. Lin Manuel-Miranda not only does a great job in continuing the spirit of Dick Van Dyke from the first film, but also in writing a plethora of great songs that are amazingly performed and choreographed by the cast, while also giving tribute to the Sherman Brother's original songs. Even the kids, who I kind expected to get on my nerves, are actually pretty likable and fun, and are given, eh passable performances by their actors and actress. The animation sequence brought a tear to my eye, not only because it was lots of fun, but because I'm just happy to beautiful 2D Disney animation on the big screen again. If there is some flaws, yeah, the story is yet another Dad needs to spend more time with kids plot again, and it does bring some more action/suspenseful moments that I don't feel are completely in spirit to the original film's more laid back tone. But regardless, it's an overall great and very charming new film from Disney, and although I would like them to try doing some more original stuff with their live-action movies, I hope can keep the spirit of both this film,and a lot of the classic live-action Disney movies (like the original Mary Poppins, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Darby O' Gill, Swiss Family Robinson and some others you guys probably never heard of).

So that's about it. Thank you all for sticking around listening to me talk about all these Movies and TV shows are worth remembering from this year, and there's a lot I'm excited for next year, and I hope that this next year can be an improvement, with more kindness and joy from the world and from people. Yeah, it's wishful thinking, but it's not a bad wish to have. Thank you all for supporting this page for the last year,and I'LL see ya in 2019!

[samcarpnter]

so if you are bitter bout mcu what are your unpopular opinions?

so a few people have actually asked me this since i said something vague about mcu yesterday haha so i figured i’ll just make a big long post under the cut and i am sorry if anyone takes this offensively, i just have to rant about some of this stuff so read at your own risk (spoiler i get mad and it is longgggg)

I do also want to say i love the mcu despite its many problems and i do my best to separate it from the comics because i understand a movie/tv show can’t develop characters the same way decades of comics can and different versions of their personalities/backstories are okay but still there is some corruption i can’t take

First off - the maximoffs. Like … no! I really am not a fan of the mcu versions. I could deal with their new personalities/upbringings if it wasn’t at the expense of their ethnicity. Like for those of you that don’t know, the maximoffs are jewish and romani, they are basically whitepassing pocs and they were very poor and are even children of holocaust survivors … so how the fuck and why the fuck did they volunteer to work for hydra ?!?! just completely corrupting everything that made them who they were is so disrespectful and to make them fucking work for A NAZI ORGANIZATION is not a small personality/backstory change, it goes against everything from the original characters.

Wanda maximoff also just walked into the avengers with barely any accountability for her actions, yes she had to deal with the pain of what she caused at the beginning of civil war but hardly anyone is bringing up the fact that she toyed with bruce/hulk in aou which caused so much damage and very likely resulted in a loss of many civilian lives, how is no one realizing it is her fault ?! she was pardoned for everything she did when tony was painted as villain WHY

Also in civil war i was more on tony’s side, i do think that cap was right in thinking that they shouldn’t be solely controlled by the government because sometimes there are fights they need to do that they wouldn’t necessarily be allowed to go to. B U T they do have to understand the effects of their often reckless actions. Yes they are saving the world but they could very well destroy it by not taking accountability for the damage they cause.

And okay civil war, like really? I just think it was forced and happened too fast, i know it can’t be like the comics always, but the civil war in the comics actually served a real purpose and in the mcu it was just like 12 people fighting in a parking lot ??

Also the villainization of tony is just … NO. like stop please. Tony makes mistakes, he does as everyone does and yes they are colossal ones too - i mean ultron for just one example. But he should not be seen as a villain for trying to protect the world. He saw infinity war coming a mile away and everybody was upset about it. Ultron was a disaster yes, but how is it that tony wasn’t pardoned when wanda and bucky were? I am not trying to say bucky shouldn’t be pardoned, because he was rightfully forgiven as he had no control over what hydra made him do, but wanda did … and she isn’t really apologizing or realizing the effects of some of her actions so … why is everyone pissed at tony??

And god okay i’m gonna be brief with mcu nat because ugh but just fuck scar jo and get her out of my sight, black widow deserves a solo movie with an actually talented actress who isn’t trying to steal minority roles alongside bucky barnes, i refuse to believe a black widow movie with no bucky could ever work

Guardians of the galaxy … jesus they did my babies dirty. Mcu peter quill … i don’t really like him and maybe it is because i’m not super fond of chris “i have a gun arsenal” pratt but tbh i just think they portray quill as a dick who can be misogynistic and a has a very delicate ego. His changed backstory was meh which i can live with but he is so fragile with his masculinity and it demeans gamora. I do like gamora and peter together but it would be so much better if he wasn’t always trying to be better than her or got offended anytime she was smarter or a better fighter than him (which is always sooo). Then mantis was done dirty she should not be some slave to a weird planet man ?? i think pom is a wonderful mantis but she was given crap to work with because mantis is a celestial being like an actual GODDESS  so why is she working for a planet ??? and drax ugh he is not an idiot like mcu portrays him i’m so bitter about that

I understand why scott lang was chosen to be ant man over hank pym i mean if paul rudd was going to be scott it makes perfect sense. Hank is also just … i don’t quite know how to describe hank other than controversial i guess but that’s another story, and scott would come off waaaaay better to audiences as ant man, the thing i am just so mad about is the fact that janet was practically erased from the avengers. I mean please don’t get me wrong i love hope van dyne and a young janet shouldn’t be falling in love with scott, but i just wish they could have at least included the REAL janet, not michelle pfiefer (no offense to michelle either because she’s doing great with what she’s given) being an old knock off janet, and not even like her own movie (which would be fucking fantastic though) but like janet gave so much of her life to the avengers and was a founding member. A FOUNDING MEMBER. And her purpose in the mcu was basically just to give hank manpain like whyyyyyyyyyy

And CLINT! God clint barton was screwed over, comics clint is amazing and is 80% deaf (he has a frickin hearing aid!!) and loves dogs and coffee and pizza and i could even handle jeremy renner being this version of clint, i don’t really have a problem with jeremy but i hate that marvel just made him be loki’s slave for awhile then just randomly give him a family AHA PUH LEASE MARVEL clint barton is a hoe (okay not really a hoe but he has been romantically involved with many of the super ladies) he would not have some secret family also with someone not in the same business as him, and also clint is a survivor of abuse and represents someone with a disability and mcu took all of that away from him ughhh

Okay and spider-man … i think smhc was a great movie and tom is so cute and pure and an amazing peter parker but … why? Like why were we given a THIRD peter parker when we could have fucking had miles morales ?! for those of you who don’t know miles morlaes, he is black and is spiderman in a different universe (the ultimate universe) and so i mean marvel come on if you’re going to put in a new spiderman why couldn’t it be miles? And i mean this with no offense to tom but i just wish we could’ve had a poc lead sooner and now we get into the spiderverse as the introduction to miles which also don’t get me wrong, i am very excited about that movie but to me it just seems like we won’t have a great shot at getting miles in the mcu if they do a series of new animated films about the spiderverse

And doctor strange ugh the whitewashing just ugh and then stephen too like idk benedict cumberbatch is an amazing actor but stephen was made so arrogantly in mcu and he comes off as this hotshot doctor who did it for money and to show off how amazing he is but he actually became a doctor because he witnessed his sister’s death and then soon after his mother died

And then the whitewashing of the ancient one jesusssss the ancient one is not some eccentric white woman, the ancient one is an asian man … i could even understand making the character a woman as the only other female character would be rachel mcadams’s character (she was so unimportant i don’t even know her name whoops) but do not take away the asian identity !!

And iron fist man … it just sucked, there’s really not much more to say

Then elektra fucking natchios was done SO DIRTY elodie yung is the absolute best elektra, i can’t imagine anyone else playing her and she did so well for the shit she was given but they decided to take a route that made her a sociopath ?? i mean i am okay with the changed backstory but elektra just doesn’t go around killing people for the fun of it like she does it because she has been through a lot and wants to take bad people out of the world like the ones that killed her father and yes maybe she is a little misguided and lost but still she doesn’t think killing people is a fun thing to do on a saturday night like why marvel ?? and just the black sky thing was weird … never a thing in the comics but whatever

And also okay … i love peggy carter and i loved hayley atwell being peggy but sharon is ultimately cap’s main love interest and is the main woman in all of cap’s storylines. And sharon was set up SO well but because stucky fans are ruthless sharon doesn’t even exist anymore and i’m so bitter about that, emily vancamp was a great agent 13 and marvel actually did a great job of bringing her into the universe in catws but look what happened, everyone forgot about her and are obsessed with peggy instead … which as i said, i’m not trying to diss peggy or hayley because i loved agent carter and her in catfa, but everyone decided sharon was nothing compared to peggy and i just don’t see why we can’t have both ??

Another thing … why vision? Like why the heck was vision put into the mcu it really doesn’t make sense to me i mean i think paul bettany is great but he just .. why this weird robot? i’m guessing to bring more in about the infinity stones but still idk because that didn’t really happen ??

And rhodey … poor poor rhodey, the casting change was actually a pretty good idea because i think don cheadle is the perfect rhodey (with no offense to terrence howard’s version, i just think don cheadle should’ve been there from the start) but they didn’t really introduce him into becoming war machine at all, they just gave him a suit and were like boom you’re a superhero now go be an avenger ?? with barely any development to why ?? i demand a war machine solo movie please, we all damn well know don cheadle would be great and ryan coogler should direct it, we’ll have no tony (no offense to tony just no more white men) and we’ll get sam in there and they will be a fucking badass team

And i am so bitter that it took 10 FUCKING YEARS to not have a white male lead a movie … marvel you have so many amazing characters of so many different ethnicities and backgrounds and genders and sexualities like why is carol only coming in now and why did black panther just become a huge movie?! should’ve been there from the start ugh

In my eyes, the only flawless mcu pieces that i would never bash are thor: ragnarok, and black panther (and maybe runaways because we finally got our first canon lgbtq couple) and catws if scar jo wasn’t in it. Marvel needs to realize the success of these films, that taika waititi and ryan coogler are the best directors they have and should be directing more films *cough cough* GUARDIANS 3 *cough*

So wow … that’s a lot and it’s a lot of bashing marvel but i just … if you don’t know shit about the comics the mcu seems amazing like i was there once i didn’t start reading comics until a few years ago when i heard about the young avengers and i have loved the movies since iron man came out ten years ago, but the mcu is very corrupting of a lot of the best parts of these characters, and a lot of people don’t realize that

Thanks for letting me rant and as i have said i really don’t mean to offend anyone who is a fan of the mcu or (most of) the actors of the mcu because they’re just doing their job, so please realize a lot of this is my opinion, i’m just expressing how i feel about marvel and for the record, i do love the mcu i just don’t like a lot of what goes on behind the scenes.

[ramajmedia]

Keira Knightley's 10 Best Roles (So Far), Ranked | ScreenRant

Since she began acting in 1993, when she was just seven years old, Keira Knightley has had quite the career. Her first part was as an unnamed young girl in Screen One: Royal Celebration. Since then her work has spanned every genre and three decades of consistent work. The work that first gained her a lot of recognition was when she played Padme’s (Natalie Portman) double in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. 

RELATED: Laura Dern's 10 Best Roles...So Far

Knightley has 57 acting credits to her name, so picking a top ten wasn’t an easy process. But here are ten of Knightley’s best roles…so far. 

10 Penny — Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)

Knightley’s starring role in Lorene Scafaria’s adventure comedy, alongside Steve Carrell, was one of the few things praised about this movie. It was a financial failure, and holds only a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. But Knightley and Carrell had good chemistry on screen, which earned a lot of praise from critics. 

RELATED: 13 Movie Endings That Angered Audiences

Penny accompanies Dodge Petersen (Steve Carrell) on his road trip to find his high school sweetheart, Olivia, on the eve of the end of the world. Along the way they witness some of the strangest behavior that would probably occur if an asteroid were truly approaching Earth, before ultimately falling in love with each other.

9 Anna — Anna Karenina (2012)

This adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s 1877 novel was written by Tom Stoppard and directed by Joe Wright. It was her third collaboration with Wright. Knightley starred alongside Jude Law, who played her husband Karenin, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played her love interest Vronsky. The film follows the traditional Anna Karenina narrative, though it glosses over parts in favor of beautiful cinematography in ways that drew a lot of criticism.

RELATED: Harrison Ford's 10 Most Badass Roles, Ranked

The movie received generally positive reviews, but the Knightley’s performance in particular was lauded by many. However, some critiqued it for having less depth than a similar role in The Duchess. Ultimately, Knightley plays Anna beautifully in a mediocre movie that doesn’t deserve Knightley’s talent. 

8 Elizabeth Swann — Pirates Of The Caribbean (2003)

The 2003 movie adapted from a theme park ride was a surprisingly huge summer blockbuster that made Keira Knightley a worldwide celebrity. It is probably the movie series that she is known best for. In it she stars alongside Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, who must save her from the dangerous and cursed pirates aboard the Black Pearl. 

RELATED: Pirates of the Caribbean: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters Everyone Completely Missed

In Pirates of the Caribbean, Elizabeth is a brave and progressive feminist character, one of many times that Knightley portrayed a woman who doesn’t need saving as much as the men around her think she does. She is bright, clever, and strong, and the only person in the movie who is able to put the rascal Jack Sparrow in his place.

7 Cecilia Tallis — Atonement (2007)

Knightley stars alongside James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan in this war and romance film directed by Joe Wright. Knightley plays older sister Cecilia to Ronan’s young Briony. When Cecilia falls in love with McAvoy’s character Robbie on the eve of World War II, Ronan’s jealousy leads her to wrongfully accuse him of rape. He is imprisoned, and only released to fight in France. The movie follows the ultimate tragedy of their story. Knightley’s portrayal of Cecilia is deftly subtle and tragic. 

RELATED: 10 Weirdest Places That Movie Characters Had Sex

The film won an Academy Award as well as 50 other awards, and was nominated for a total of 148 awards, including 7 Golden Globes.

6 Joan Clarke — The Imitation Game (2014)

In this historical drama, Knightley played Joan Clarke, the friend and lone person who stands by the genius Alan Turing after he is publicly outed as gay. Thought it was publicly criticized by many for downplaying Turing’s homosexuality in favor of his work breaking the German codes in WWII, the Human Rights Campaign honored it for spreading Turing’s legacy to a worldwide audience.

Though the increased role of Joan Clarke over her supposedly less important role in Turing’s real life was critiqued heavily, Knightley was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the loving and largely forgotten code breaker. The film was widely lauded as poignant and nuanced. 

5 Jules — Bend it Like Beckham (2002)

When this movie was released, critics were surprised by the charming, feel-good romantic comedy. It’s an inspiring story as well as quite funny, and has clever undertones of social commentary. Knightley portrays Jules, a close friend and supporter of Parminder Nagra’s character Jesminder. 

RELATED: 10 Best Women's Soccer Movies Ever Made, Ranked

Knightley’s performance was full of nuance and good will—a genuine attempt to help a girl straddle the divide between the culture of her immigrant parents and the culture of the country she lives in. It’s kind and hilarious—and occasionally critiqued for not portraying an explicitly LGBT character. Knightley has stated publicly that she wishes Jess and Jules had become a couple—“I think that would’ve been great!” The movie won at the British Comedy Awards, and was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. 

4 Sabrina Spielrein — A Dangerous Method (2011)

This historical film directed by David Cronenberg also starred Viggo Mortenson, Michael Fassbender, and Vicent Cassel. It explores the intense and often turbulent relationship between between Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, and Sabrina Spielrein. Speilrein began as a patient of Jung and later became one of the first female psychoanalysts. 

Knightley’s portrayal of Speilrein’s tangled and unhealthy sexual/academic/medical relationship with Jung is nuanced and arresting. Their relationship is one of the driving forces of the movie, and arguably sets in motion the ultimate fate of every person portrayed. Knightley was nominated for Best Actress by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror for her role.

3 Elizabeth Bennet — Pride & Prejudice (2005)

This 2005 movie was the one that began Knightley’s long career of amazing period roles. There have been many adaptations of Jane Austen’s novel, but this one directed by Joe Wright and starring Knightley has been the most highly lauded. She stars alongside Matthew Macfayden, Carey Mulligan, Judi Dench, and Rosamund Pike, creating a powerhouse film by some of the best actors of the day. Her portrayal of Elizabeth is uniquely relatable while still being true to Austen’s original stubborn and occasionally judgmental character. Her acting is characterized as lifting the entire film, so it’s fitting that she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Performance By an Actress in a Leading Role.

2 Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess Of Devonshire — The Duchess (2008)

Knightley starred as the young Georgiana who is betrothed to the much older cold and calculating Duke of Devonshire, William Cavedish, played by Ralph Fiennes. Their relationship is stormy and marked by disappointment, infidelity and violence. Both parties eventually take other lovers, and resign themselves to a life of public scandal. 

The film was a rare chance to take a character through several years of growth—she’s married at 17 and the plot takes viewers through the next 10 years of her life. Knightley was praised for the depth of her portrayal—in her hands, Georgiana is both witty and feminine and well as tortured and subtly feminist in her reflections and behavior.  

1 Colette - Colette (2018)

Yet another of Knightley’s historical dramas tops this list. She plays the French novelist and performer Colette, who writes a novel based on her school days that her husband Willy publishes under his own name. As their notoriety increases, she attracts the Georgie, a debutante from Louisiana, and then later falls in love with Missy, a socialite who preferred masculine attire. 

Knightley is at the top of her game in this brave and nuanced portrait of a woman who bucked trends to live life on her own terms. She brings Colette from a young woman who is thrust into a society she doesn’t understand to a liberated and determined author in her own right. 

NEXT: Hayley Atwell's 10 Most Memorable Roles

source https://screenrant.com/keira-knightley-roles-best-ranked/

[jokermatt]

Once again the Royal Mail deliver some pop culture quality. Their Marvel stamps are more than a cash-in, although their pulp power can’t paper over some side-way glances at the Special Relationship, on page and off.

Thanos is coming!

Royal Mail’s Marvelous Marvel Stamps

Stamps stack!

RELEASED ON 14 MARCH, THE LATEST LAVISH SET OF POP CULTURE STAMPS FROM ROYAL MAIL ARE PART OF A SEMI-REGULAR SERIES READY-MADE TO APPEAL TO PHILATELISTS, A PARTICULAR FAN-BASE AND ALSO COME IN PRETTY HANDY FOR SENDING LETTERS TOO.

The set comprises 10 main stamps, diplomatically giving a tenner of Marvel characters a first class value, while a secondary sheet has a variety of denominations bedded into a short comic strip that finds Marvel Heroes UK take on galactic rogue Thanos.

It’s not an exclusively UK line-up. Though led by Captain Britain, stronger together is an alternative Avengers team comprising him, Americans Dr Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man and Hulk, Wakandan Black Panther and Asgardian Thor. All the heroes and villains are brought to life in ink and colour by Mark Farmer and Laura Martin respectively, but the pencils and framing (the originals printed under the stamps in a nice touch) are courtesy of Alan Davis, an artist with a pedigree across DC and Marvel comics. He can count as one of his career highlights a seminal mid-1980s run on Captain Britain. 

The Brits

Blighty’s Second World War Super Weapon – Peggy Carter

Vampire Vanquisher and Blitz Beater Union Jack

Blood Brilliant Brian Braddock Captain Britain

It’s Captain Britain who takes point on the stamps. More than a Limey mirror of the vastly more famous Captain America, he is Brian Braddock, twin brother of the mutant Psylocke, of Maldon, Essex. A young academic from an aristocratic family, Merlin saved him from a fatal accident, bestowing on him the Amulet of Right, powers of strength, flight, and the mantle of Captain Britain. In one of popular comics greatest moments, Alan Moore penned the Alan Davis illustrated tale that took UK’s Cap to fight the reality-altering Mad Jim Jaspers and his multi-dimensional creation the Fury (also featured here) – a comic run everybody should read.

Alongside him are Davis’ interpretations of two of Cap’s wartime predecessors. Union Jack, who’s first incarnation was Lord Falsworth, a Pimpernel-type figure who fought as part of Freedom’s Five during WWI, most frequently against his vampiric brother Baron Blood. His current incarnation shown here is Joey Chapman, the Manchester-born son of a shipbuilder, but on the stamps appears to be the middle incarnation, Brian Falsworth.

Thirdly, typically calm amid the explosions of the Second World War as ever, is (Agent) Peggy Carter. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has seen her legend grow as portrayed by the brilliant Hayley Atwell.

A certain historical mysticism blended with a jingoistic heyday is not an unusual bedrock for four-colour origins. But it’s difficult not to view this super-powered manifestation of the Special Relationship through the prism of current events; when the United Kingdom and the United States face their greatest peace-time turmoil for many decades, certainly beyond the creation of these comic characters.

Perhaps Peggy, Brian and Joey are fighting Brexit in-between Thanos’ visits. 

The Villains

Captain Britain and his Furies; Thanos snaps into action

Captain Britain leads the Heroic Horde against the roguish rabble.

The Mandarin leads the Corrupt Cadre of the Marvel Universe

Marvel Villains

Stronger Together!

The presentation packaging wraps the stamps, comic sheet and a number of quite warranted comic bubble stickers in biographies of key Marvel heroes and villains. But the fact Thanos leads the villainous plot on the secondary stamps, earning a quite imperious stamp of his own, reflects the House of Ideas‘ major success on the big screen, Though a major Marvel villain since Jim Starlin brought him to page in 1973, the big purple fiend has pulled the strings behind the scenes of the MCU‘s 10-year arc as its cemented its position at the top of the box office. Presumably he’ll reach his Waterloo in the Avengers Endgame, in theatres near you at the end of this month. Sadly, his downfall won’t feature any of these British heroes, unless Peggy Carter can pull off something quite spectacular.

Crash!

Secret Wars, Secret Invasions, Siege…

Thwip!

Although the emphasis of this collection is on the four-colour history that started with Marvel’s arrival in the UK in 1972, Royal Mail have once again earned a gratuitous jump onto the bandwagon. Not only because they do it so well, but because they wrap in a few of points of thought, cultural and political. 

Finally…

The real shame is that RM chose four of the American heroes for their framed print editions – and strangely, unlike recent Bowie and Game of Thrones versions, they don’t include post-marked stamps in the frame. There’s hope though: No idea ever dies in comics, and every success warrants a sequel. 

As the late, great Stan n Lee would have said: Excelsior! 

Marvel Stamps Stronger together! Once again the Royal Mail deliver some pop culture quality. Their Marvel stamps are more than a cash-in, although their pulp power can't paper over some side-way glances at the Special Relationship, on page and off.

[bresmoviereviews-blog]

All 19 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies, Ranked

If you’re a massive comic book fan like me, the surprise announcement of a cinematic universe based on Marvel characters back in 2008 had you elated. Now, 10 years later, after the release of Avengers: Infinity War, we all need a refreshing look back on how far we’ve come by re-visiting all 19 (!) Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.

Eighteen: Iron Man 2 -- ‘Is that Mickey Rourke?’ was my only thought throughout this whole movie. Rourke as Whiplash makes you question what direction the production wanted to go in. It’s a muddled storyline, but the charm of the MCU saves it from being a complete flop.

Seventeen: The Incredible Hulk -- They literally wanted to erase this one from history. Edward Norton is criminally underwritten as Bruce Banner, being able to showcase his immense talent and range by doing nothing but make silent, weird faces throughout the movie. The Hulk has so much potential, we’ve seen him shine with the Avengers and Thor, that I think it’s time that we revisit a solo Hulk movie.

Sixteen: Doctor Strange -- Marvel has perfected their movie-making process in the past couple years, fixing what used to be their generic storylines into further-developed ideas, but that wasn’t the case with this Benedict Cumberbatch-starring blockbuster. The Sorcerer Supreme has such an immense realm of powers that it’s almost hard to capture, but I think that’s where this movie goes above and beyond. The visuals are amazing, but the story doesn’t have much substance outside of it.

Fifteen: Thor: The Dark World -- I think this movie is the best showcase of the overused thread for comic book movies (a problem that especially plagues Marvel) with a bland and forgettable villain and little to no substance weighing the film down. However, the cast has such fun chemistry together that it keeps this movie from falling further down the list.

Fourteen: Ant-Man -- I’ll be honest, I was really hoping Edgar Wright was going to direct this movie as planned. Instead, I was left wondering what could have been. Paul Rudd gets utilized to the best of his abilities and Evangeline Lilly really saves her character from being just another love interest, however, I just wish that we could have gotten that trademark Wright quirky feel, it really could have taken this movie to another level. Fingers crossed that Ant-Man and the Wasp fares better treatment.

Thirteen: Thor -- This one really gets a bad rep. I still feel that new, innocent feeling of when the MCU was first introduced when I rewatch it, and I would recommend you do, too. The acting is incredible, especially the relationships between Anthony Hopkins’ Odin, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. It borders on Shakespearean, however, and it doesn’t always fit into the traditional summer blockbuster picture. They opened the mold just wide enough for this movie to fit inside, and I think it really works, bringing a new concept into a franchise that could have easily run into the ground by that time.

Twelve: Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 -- Last summer’s sequel to the surprise smash hit that was the original Guardians, Vol. 2 has the same basic story as before, but the newly introduced stuff isn’t as enjoyable (how do you waste Kurt Russell, of all people?). The third act especially gets muddled, and the source material is a little out-there for casual fans to catch on to. We’ll see what James Gunn comes up with for Vol. 3, I guess.

Eleven: Thor: Ragnarok -- Taika Waititi’s inventive, bubbly spirit is everywhere in this movie, and considering how the last two Thor movies were received, it was a welcome addition to a franchise bursting with possibility. Who knew that Thor had such sharp comedy chops?

Ten: Iron Man 3 -- This movie is so much heavier than what was advertised. A superhero struggling with PTSD? Yes, please! It makes for a much more interesting story than usual, especially for Marvel’s first three-quel. Considering they still touch on the ideas introduced in this movie, I would definitely suggest a re-watch.

Nine: Avengers: Age of Ultron -- Another underrated movie, Ultron flew under the radar for most. It was a little underwhelming as a sequel compared to The Avengers, but it still has great comedy and introduced the gut-punching emotional moments we’ve all come to know as a part of the MCU. The storyline definitely peaks interest, but it can sometimes get buried underneath the subplots that are treated as equal (especially when they can get a little problematic). Nonetheless, a worthy addition to the Marvel canon.

Eight: Guardians of the Galaxy -- The first trek into space, Guardians blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. What was expected to be a subtle sidekick movie to the main Avengers flicks, instead delivered a fun, musical ride alongside the team that no one knew existed. An amazing feat, especially considering James Gunn didn’t have many directing credits to his name before signing his contract.

Seven: Captain America: The First Avenger -- Another one of my favorites, this movie introduced the Star-Spangled man with a plan, a fan-favorite throughout history. It could have easily been a kitschy patriotic tale, but instead had some surprising gravitas to it with the addition of pal Bucky Barnes and solemn setting of World War II. It also gave us the best love interest in the Marvel universe, with Hayley Atwell’s Agent Peggy Carter (I definitely recommend seeing her spin-off TV series if you haven’t). An all-around crowd pleaser.

Six: Iron Man -- The first movie in the than-unannounced cinematic universe, this movie hit the motherload in charisma with star Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane. The world-building is nuanced, as it had to be, but the surprise post-credits scene (another soon-to-be staple of MCU films) had hardcore comic fans rolling in theater aisles with excitement. A great kickoff to an unforgettable franchise.

Five: Captain America: Civil War -- A more somber option, Civil War brought together all of your favorite heroes (and then some more) to duke it out over their philosophical principles regarding their jobs. It might sound a little heavy for the MCU, but it culminates in a 15-minute fight scene, so nothing too far from normal. The only reason it isn’t higher on the list is because the source material, Mark Millar’s 2006 series, is treated with such hard-hitting tonal brutality that doesn’t translate so well to the screen adaptation. For such a great comic series, the movie becomes underwhelming and doesn’t have any real consequences. It’s still a winner in my book, though.

Four: Spiderman: Homecoming -- After being introduced in Civil War, Spider-Man set out on his own solo (sort of) adventure in this 2017 blockbuster. Starring newcomer Tom Holland, this was the first Spider-Man film to employ an actual teenaged actor, and it shows. Peter Parker discovering his abilities within the pressure of a much-larger MCU world made for a charismatic, heartwarming portrayal of a relatable character.

Three: Black Panther -- The box-office smash of February, Chadwick Boseman wore his claws with such ferocity and style that it was hard to remember that this was a Marvel movie. Add to that a scene-stealing supporting cast, an amazing soundtrack, and the power of representation, you’ve got the recipe for a classic.

Two: Captain America: The Winter Soldier -- This movie changed the game at a time when the superhero formula was growing tired. A sleek spy thriller brought a fresh take to the first Avenger, especially considering the weight that this movie carried in terms of world-building. There’s a reason directors Joe and Anthony Russo keep getting asked back.

Honorable Mention: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER ALERT!) -- The most recent MCU movie, I really, desperately need you to go see this without any context before you read on. Okay, if you have seen this one, you understand why I was nothing but a sobbing, stressed-out mess throughout the whole two hours and 40 minute run time. They promised us heartbreak, and boy, did they deliver. All of your favorite characters are dead (it was only a matter of time, I guess). I can’t wait to see how they continue the story in the subsequent Avengers movie and the coming standalone films.

One: The Avengers -- There was a time where I was able to quote this movie word-for-word from beginning to end (no joke) from watching it so many times. This movie had so much going for it, it would have been so much easier to make a mediocre movie that satisfied fans’ lowest expectations and nothing more. Instead, we got this, the culmination of four years of carefully escalating storytelling and meticulous character building. This was the first time we got to see Marvel’s gift in ensemble pieces, somehow being able to establish every character equally, introduce new ones, and create coherent stories that keep our interest. I still don’t know how they’re able to pull all of this off, but I’ll keep rushing to the theater as long as they’re still doing it.

[calkale]

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts in re mi7, cause most of the responses to the movie that I've come across have been positive (which clashes with the way I see it....) and I really agree about the negatives you mentioned (stunts being underwhelming even though they're the trademark of the series, the literal main character being neglected in favor of someone who's appearing in the series for the first time and whose biggest credit is that fuckass cgi disaster excuse for a multiverse movie- fr I had to look Hayley Atwell up to see what she'd even been in- and the long-standing supporting cast including luther, who'd been there since the beginning, just being discarded by the script like litter out of a car window). also it'd be cool to hear about smaller details cause often something is really off about a script and it kinda ruins the whole thing but you don't really know what it was till afterwards, and with new releases you can't rewatch or discuss it with much of anyone else (again, all there is are column reviews and stuff and they're mostly the same and very general on account of staying spoiler-free ).

Okay gonna be honest i havent looked at a single review or post about this movie other than the ilsa one i reblogged this morning cause im still so upset over it. Thank you for sending this ask cause i felt so alone lmao im glad someone agrees with my thoughts.

I hate them for making hayley the main character, if these are the last two movies, which it feel like they are, ethan and luther should really be the main characters along with benji and ilsa, not some new character. All for adding new characters and hayley couldve been in the start of the movie she had a place there she was the thief but after that she literally just took ilsas spot as the “woman of the team” as well as ethans spot in the spotlight.

This movie also seems to go against a lot of things ive heard mcq say in interviews, i cant source them cause i dont remember which ones theyre from but he’s talked about not over explaining things in movies and hes talked about not not wanting a strong female lead thats exactly like what hayelys character is in this movie. The over explaining thing happens SO FUCKING MUCH in this movie i was so bored and it just made me more lost because there was all this information i was taking in CONSTANTLY and i was trying to remember what character was doing what and who they were and it was just too much. I get this movie is probably more of a set up for part two but now we have all this shit we need to remember for part two and i dont even really wanna see it if im being honest, i will but if its anything like part one i know im gonna be disappointed again especially if its going in the direction i think its going.

Ive been trying to remember a lot of the smaller details that i noticed when watching it but a lot of them were part of bigger issues anyway so i just kinda grouped them together. Ill talk about the plot tho cause i knew i was gonna hate it but i didnt know id hate it for this reason. In other mi movies theyre doing the things they do because they have no other choice, in this movie it felt like there were so many choices that couldve been made and they didnt even talk about them it was just we’re doing this and thats it. Like on the train there were definitely better ways of doing that and i get there were short on time but that was almost exactly like the burj khalifa scene. Short on time, cant make a mask, need to meet with someone to make a deal. I just feel like there was so much more that they couldve done with that and the cliff jumping stunt and they just didnt do anything it was so underwhelming.

Going off of that a lot of things in this movie just didnt make sense to me and/or didnt need to be there, the ai villain?? Honestly couldve been cut completely, yes it was creepy but it didnt like actually do anything? everything it did couldve easily just been garbiel messing with the team and that wouldve also given paris more screen time (which i really would’ve liked i loved her character). As much as i loved briggs and degas they also didnt really need to be there? Dont get me wrong they were one of the things i really loved about this movie especially degas but there was really no point in them being there.

The main focus of the movie should have just been getting the keys and destroying them so no one can use the weapon that was on the sub, the ai did not need to be a part of it, someone couldve found the untraceable sub because this is fucking mission impossible!! Thats what happens in these movies!! The impossible!! Im grabbing tom cruise by the shoulders and shaking him nothing impossible happened in this movie

The submarine scene at the start also bothered me. I was fully expecting that to be the big stunt at the start of the movie i was really excited i was constantly like omg wheres ethan, i thought the torpedo or missile they saw on the radar was ethan and that was him entering the sub and something was gonna happen but no, not even close. Not a bad opening just not what i expected and that kinda made it bad.

This is an absolute mess of a post my apologies i have much more to say but i need to get back to drawing benji