Don't Spoil "Avengers: EndGame"

Avengers: EndGame (2019)

Rated PG-13

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Josh Brolin, Brie Larson,

Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo

The Story:

After the conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War, what remains of Earth's Mightiest Heroes attempt to go after Thanos, retrieve the Infinity Stones and snap everyone back to life.

Buckle up for the 22nd installment of the greatest ride in cinema history.

No other franchise, no other studio has been able to do what Marvel Studios has done, 22 movies, 11 years of sustained excellence that have proven to be successful with audiences AND movie critics.

It all culminates here.

Go see it in theaters now, and prepare to have your list of favorite Marvel films be re-ordered.

Again.

:)

Houston, We Don't Have A Problem..."Captain Marvel"

Captain Marvel (2019)

Rated PG-13

Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Benning,

Directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

The Story:

Vers (Larson) is a warrior of the Kree civilization who has been having recurring nightmares with flashes of a life she doesn't remember. When she is captured by Talos (Mendelsohn) an enemy Skrull, he helps unlock the secrets locked inside her and sets her on a collision course with Earth that will reveal everything that she cannot seem to remember.

Welcome to Part 21, Year 11.

Never in anyone's wildest dreams, except maybe Kevin Feige's, did anyone dream that when Iron Man was released in 2008 that this is where we would be.

Find me another studio that has enjoyed the success that Marvel Studios has enjoyed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Seriously.

I'll wait.

James Bond has had 25 films over a 50 year span. Some of the efforts have been good...some not so much.

Maybe the closest you could find would be the Disney animated films, which have taken decades to create over 21 beloved movies.

Even Pixar stumbled on their impressive early track record with the Cars franchise.

Someday, the audiences that have watched the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be able to look back and marvel (pun fully intended) at the actors and directors that brought this to life and be impressed by what they managed to pull off and string together.

21 down, 2 more to go this year, and judging by the previews, those will do just fine as well.

They resonate with critics and audiences alike.

However, with Captain Marvel, there seemed to be a larger disconnect, at least in cyberspace, between those that enjoyed it, and those that seemingly hated the movie.

I don't get the hate.

I don't know if I didn't enjoy Captain Marvel as much as I should have, because the whole time a voice in the back of my head was wondering, "what is everyone else complaining about"?

Shame on me for that.

I left the theater with my lovely date, and said, "okay, tell me about all of the plot holes you found and how much you didn't enjoy this one."

To my surprise, she said this was one of the better MCU films that she has seen and she was very impressed.

I'm a lucky guy, right?

So there you go.

About as spoiler-free of a review as you're going to get.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll see Stan Lee in perhaps his greatest and most logical cameo ever!

Now, let's see her help save the day in Avengers: Endgame!

The New Dynamic Duo..."Ant-Man & The Wasp"

Ant-Man & The Wasp (2018)

Rated PG-13

Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Pena, Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins,

Directed by Peyton Reed

The Story:

Scott Lang (Rudd) is almost complete with his 2 years of house arrest following the events of Captain America: Civil War. With just days to go until freedom, he begins having strange visions of Janet Van Dyne (Pfeiffer) in the Quantum Realm. Naturally, Hank Pym (Douglas) and Hope (Lilly) are trying to rescue her from the Quantum Realm, and they realize they need Scott's help to accomplish the mission. The only downside, they aren't the only ones who want to enter the Quantum Realm.

So I have to ask, did you like Ant-Man?

Because if you did, pretty much everything there was to like about that movie gets ample screen time in the sequel.

We've got another heist to accomplish, and the every man charm of Paul Rudd makes the trip worth taking.

Now if you didn't like Ant-Man, then there's really no point in bothering with the sequel.

Though I've yet to find anyone who seriously didn't enjoy that movie, at least just a little.

The sequel highlights what I think most fans of the MCU have come to realize with this franchse:

Ant-Man has, from top to bottom, the best supporting cast in all of these films.

The film itself takes place over roughly a 48-72 hour span, so there's a breakneck energy to it as Peyton Reed dials up the ability to shrink and grow to effective (and many times, hilarious!) results.

10 years.

20 films.

Everyone has their favorites, and I have a feeling that this one will land in the first half of many fans favorite listing.

Here's to the next 10 years... and the next Ant-Man sequel!

Final Grade: A

A Review With No Spoilers..."Avengers: Infinity War"

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Rated PG-13

Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Everyone Else! :)

Directed by The Russo Brothers

The Story:

Thanos (Brolin) is on his quest to unite the 6 Infinity Stones and wipe away half of the universe. Can the combined forces of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy stop him?

The answer may surprise you!

Buckle up true believers for the 19th installment in a 10 year ride that is the biggest emotional roller coaster of them all.

It comes out of the gate swinging and doesn't let up until the screen goes dark and the house lights int he theater come up.

You'll laugh.

You'll cry.

You'll repeat as necessary.

When it's over you'll want to see it again, and you'll also feel like the wait to get to Infinity War was nothing compared to the wait to see what happens next. 

As fans, we have invested 10 years of our lives in these characters.

So too have the actors invested nearly as long in portraying them on the screen.

We've been lucky to have them, and however this all ends, I'm glad to have had the chance to see all of these films with my kids.

I said at the start of the year that barring some surprise, I would be penciling in Avengers: Infinity War as my favorite movie of 2018.

I think we can put the pencil down, and grab the big black Sharpie.

Don't miss this one.

Final Grade: A+

The Man Who Would Be King..."Black Panther"

Black Panther (2018)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Andy Serkis, Forest Whitaker

Directed by Ryan Coogler,

The Story:

T'Challa (Boseman) is crowned the King of Wakanda following the passing of his father. However an outsider (Jordan) threatens the entire fate and kingdom of Wakanda in a bid to release vibranium weapons on a global scale.

Welcome to your spoiler-free review of Black Panther.

It's movie number 18 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe corner of your local movie-plex, and I think it's about time we come to a few facts:

1) These movies aren't going away anytime soon.
2) Fans should be glad of that.
3) Audiences apparently aren't suffering from superhero fatigue like critics seem to think every time a new superhero movie is released.

And I think it's time to start honestly talking about when will the Academy take MCU films seriously and consider them for ...

dare I say it...

Academy Awards.

Last year the big ground swell was Patty Jenkins deserved it because Wonder Woman was "amazing". (Meh...I wouldn't go that far, but still, if it furthers the superhero cause, I'm in) and because she's a woman.

Again, I hate the affirmative action take on it, I would hope it's based on merit, not gender or...

Color. 

Which brings us to Ryan Coogler, who has in the eyes of critics AND fans, yet to deliver a bad movie.

Here, he takes Wakanda and delivers the sum total history of an isolated African nation from the dawn of time to present day and given it the rich backstory it deserves.

He also populates it with some of the best second and third-tier characters in any Marvel Studios franchise.

He also delivers the Wakandan equivalent of a James Bond movie interlaced throughout the film as well.

Pick anyone from the cast, and odds are by the end of the movie, if not long before, you're slightly itching to see that character, or characters, receive their own MCU film from Marvel Studios in the near future.

So if you weren't part of the history-making audience that made Black Panther # 1 at the world-wide box office, smashing all sorts of February records along the way...

Don't delay, you'll want to see this one on the big screen.

Final Grade: A+

Time For A Look Back At The "Best Movies of 2017"

It's the end of the year, and time to take a look back at the best of the best.

I reviewed over 160 movies this year, and more than 20 of those received a B+ or higher final score. There were another 10 or so with a solid B that were very entertaining as well, so overall, it was a pretty good year for movies.

Documentaries gave me an additional 8 movies with a B+ or higher score.

My two favorites from that genre both dealt with music:

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week-The Touring Years (2016) Ron Howard's behind the scenes look at the birth of BeatleMania and the effect it had on the world.

Live-Aid: Against All Odds (2011) A sweeping look back at Live Aid and how they managed to pull off a show that experts said couldn't be done.


On the Animation front, only 4 serious contenders to the throne this year, and not a Disney/Pixar among them:

The LEGO Batman Movie, Storks, Trolls, and Boss Baby were all surprising hits in our house this year.

Now it's time to get to the Top 10 movies of 2017:

10) Hell Or High Water -

First, it's a heist film, so immediately I'm interested. Second, it's got Jeff Bridges doing a turn as a high octane Marshal that reminded me a lot of his character in R.I.P.D. Now, as I'm one of only 37 or so people that actually enjoyed that film, I was already hooked. :) A really engaging film and one of the first to land on the Best of the Year list and a year later, it's still standing.

9) Gifted -

A bearded Chris Evans on the Best of the Year and it's not 2018 for Avengers: Infinity War? That's right. Take one of the best feel-good movies of the year as Evans plays the guardian of his gifted niece who may be better off being raised by someone more qualified. Or perhaps love matters most of all when it comes to raising kids, no matter how smart they are.

8) Sing Street -

Because there's always room on a best of the year list for a musical. Especially a good one that takes place in the 80s. Luckily for me, I stumbled onto this one, and fell in love with it. And don't worry, even if you're not a fan of musicals, this one is done in such a way as to feel normal. The majority of the songs take place because the band is performing for a music video or practicing together. Very natural. :)

7) Hacksaw Ridge -

Perhaps someday Hollywood and the fans will be willing to forgive Mel Gibson for some drunken outbursts from nearly a decade ago. But apparently most aren't that willing yet. Maybe the real monsters that were uncovered in 2017 will help speed up the rehabilitation of Gibson's career. Either way, for those that are willing and able to move along, Gibson served up an emotionally charged true story from World War II that was a must see for the year.

6) The Big Sick -

One of the last great films of the year, is also based on a true story. Again, I missed that little subheading when I saw small images of the movie, so I was floored to find out it really happened that way at the end of the movie. You've been warned. Be ready to laugh, and bring along some Kleenex...you know...just in case you're human.

5) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 -

Whoa.
I know what you're thinking.
Don't the Marvel Studios films belong at the top of the list? Absolutely, and I'm sure we'll find something from the company there in just a second. But when you've got 3 great movies released in one year, something's gotta give. And no, it's not because it's too funny. One of the dumbest complaints I've heard about this, or any other movie this year.
 "Gosh darn it, I laughed too much during that film! Horrible!"
No, this one slides a bit down the list because it didn't have the Star Wars "wow, you've never seen anything like this" factor that the first one had. In fact, adding in the emotional father storyline, Vol. 2 then becomes The Empire Strikes Back. It's arguably better than the first one, but for me, Yondu's fate seals this one as not being quite the "must see repeat viewing" that the first one offered. Not because it's not good, it's because I'm tired of crying every time I watch it.
:)

4) Hidden Figures -

Speaking of space... how about another true story about the human computers employed by NASA to get our manned rockets into space! There's a lot of drama, action and social fury woven between the 3 tales that are interwoven into the race to get an American into space and to the moon before the Russians can do it. True stories often make the best stories for the movies.

3) The Founder - 

Case in point. :)
Look no further than this tale of Ray Kroc, the man who created McDonalds. Or... the man who stole McDonalds and created an evil empire. Or both. At the same time. Because this really is the story of the American way unfolding and you'll both love and hate Kroc, often at the same time within just one scene as he unleashes a form of entrepreneurial spirit the world had never seen before. Michael Keaton is brilliant in the role.

2) Spider-Man: Homecoming -

Speaking of Michael Keaton... how great was he as The Vulture? And thankfully, for once, Marvel Studios doesn't kill the villain! Meanwhile, they also put out the best version of Spider-Man since... Captain America: Civil War. Whatever happened before that at Sony, can just stay at Sony. Now that Spidey is an actual part of the MCU, things are looking up.

1) Thor: Ragnarok -

Yesssss!
Go on, smile Chris Hemsworth! You guys deserve it. Not only was Thor: Ragnarok the best of the Thor Trilogy, it was the best film of 2017 and one of the best efforts Marvel Studios has put out yet. And that's like picking your favorite children. Again, I brush off anyone whose biggest complaint was this was "too funny". Thor's a god. He should be cocky and arrogant and a bit brash. The dude fights, and wins, all the time. At worst, Marvel can't make a movie with their version of Hercules anymore, because, he is basically this version of Thor. :) The movie was so much fun, and really, most everyone should have walked out of the theater looking exactly like Thor does in this shot; grinning ear to ear.

That's it for this year.

See you next year when Avengers:  Infinity War, Black Panther, and Ant-Man & The Wasp jockey to be in the Top 10 with 7 other movies. :)

Welcome Home Web-Head! "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr.

Directed by Jon Watts

The Story:

Peter Parker (Holland) is trying to adjust to life as Spider-Man all the while waiting for the next call-up to something big by Tony Stark (Downey Jr.). When he discovers that a new bad guy, the Vulture (Keaton) is up to something really big, Peter gets tired of being ignored while he tries to enlist help, so he tackles it on his own. Needless to say, his web-slinging and high school problems are going to cause more problems than your typical high schooler has to endure.

Welcome home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spidey!

The deal that allowed Marvel Studios to use Spider-Man pays off huuuuuuge for Sony as they craft the best Spider-Man film so far.

For those of you that loved the Raimi trilogy...or at least Part 2, you're welcome to think that's the best Spider-Man ever.

I never cared for Tobey in the role, nor Dunst as M.J.

I much preferred Garfield's take in the role, but those films weren't without their flaws.

Now along comes Homecoming.

Holland is quickly winning me over as Peter/Spidey.

It also helps that Keaton's Vulture is an impressive and logical foe to set this whole thing up, and he is great as the film's bad guy.

Are there flaws?

Probably.

Am I willing to overlook those?

Absolutely.

The biggest complaint I could see is the characterizations of most of Peter's supporting cast.

I simply remember: this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not the comics.

Then yeah, I'm good.

What else can I say at this point?

1) The Spider-Man theme song makes an appearance.
2) Possibly the best ending of any Marvel movie.
3) There are indeed 2 scenes that appear after the credits.

I highly encourage you to stick around for both!

Congratulations to all involved, I'm now going to type what I thought unthinkable just 2 short months ago...

Sorry Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.... there's a new favorite movie of the year in town!

Good luck Thor: Ragnarok... you've got your work cut out for you.

Final Grade: A

I Will Be Your Father Figure..."Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2"

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff,

Written and Directed by James Gunn

The Story:

The Guardians of the Galaxy are back! In the months that have passed, the group of travelers have started to become a family, or at least that's what you would assume from all the bickering. However with the arrival of Peter's (Pratt) dad, Ego (Russell), everyone is about to learn the secret behind their family heritage. That's assuming the Guardians live long enough to find out, as a bounty is put on their heads that sends Yondu (Rooker) and the Ravagers looking for them.

There, hopefully that doesn't give anything away that you haven't already gleaned from the trailers.

Here's the bottom line:

Did you like the first Guardians of the Galaxy?

Then you're probably going to like this one.

Is it better?

Probably not.

Sequels rarely are.

The first one was simply...wow...they're doing this...they're doing that....

It was this generation's Star Wars.

So now we've seen all the wows, as we've been introduced to Marvel Studios space side.

That said, this is a worthy successor to the franchise, and doesn't have any significant drop off in quality. Like I said, we now know all the characters, so there is a lot less exposition this go round in bringing the team together.

This becomes catching up with old friends who have settled in to be family.

Even if they haven't figured out they are family yet.

The laughs flow freely.

Baby Groot is adorable.

Drax continues to steal every scene he is in.

The soundtrack fits perfectly.

And you might even have an occasion or two to need tissues.

:)

Your mileage may vary.

Final Grade: A

Here's Your Spoiler-Free Review Of "Captain America: Civil War"

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Chadwick Boseman, Elizabeth Olsen, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland

Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo

The Story:

Following some recent disasters where the Avengers have caused damage and death of civilians, the United Nations wants the Avengers to operate under their jurisdiction. Tony Stark (Downey) agrees. Steve Rogers (Evans) does not. Lines are drawn and friends are about to throw down.

You've seen the trailers, and odds are if you're reading this, you've either seen the movie, or plan to see it.

So here goes:

It is a Captain America movie. I've heard many say it's Avengers 2.5, but it's not. The best comparison I could give it would be for those that grew up reading comics, this is a crossover where the story starts in the pages of Captain America and when the issue is over, it's continued in the pages of Iron Man or the Avengers.

The tone, the direction, it's all deftly handled by Anthony and Joe Russo. The Avengers franchise is in great hands going forward. They have given us, in my opinion, the best of the superhero movies that Marvel Studios has produced.

Better scripts, better action than either of the Whedon directed Avengers, they show how to balance a cast of players, giving everyone their moment (or several) but never at the sacrifice of the overall story.

Spider-Man (Holland) and Peter Parker were fleshed out more in this short foray into the actual Marvel Cinematic Universe than nearly all of the previous iterations combined. And I actually liked the reboot. :)  We're hitting the ground running with no new origin, it's on, and I'm looking forward to next year's adventure.

The Black Panther gets introduced and is great from the start. You're told everything you need to know, and I don't know that an origin movie is in the cards. Maybe a rehash for those that may have skipped Civil War.

:: cough cough fools cough cough ::

Marvel continues to set the bar high, and just when you think they might stumble, they soar over that thing with all kinds of clearance, and you wonder why you even had doubts.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll sit on the edge of your seat.

Bravo.

Oh, and sit through the credits people.

ALL the credits.

Final Grade: A+  I think you'll see this again at the end of the year honors as my favorite film of 2016.

Too Bad "Jessica Jones" Wasn't As Intersting As The Villain

Jessica Jones (2015)

TV-MA

Created by Melissa Rosenberg

Starring Krysten Ritter, David Tennant, Rachael Taylor, Eka Darville, Carrie-Anne Moss, Wil Traval, Mike Colter

The Story:

Jessica Jones (Ritter) is a former superhero who has hung up the costume and now uses her powers as a detective in the hopes of making ends meet. Her troubled past is never far behind, and she tries to keep those demons at bay by continually hitting the bottle, hard. However, when she learns that Kilgrave, (Tennant) the man with the power to make people do whatever he says, is back in town, Jessica vows to stop him, by any means necessary.

The latest from Marvel and their collaboration with Netflix did not disappoint many rabid fans who devoured this show immediately upon its arrival.

I'm still not the world's biggest binge watching fan, mostly because I have more important things to do with my life than power through 6, 8, 12 or more episodes of anything all at once.

I'll get to the end of the season when I'm darn good and ready, quit rushing me.

:)

I'm sure there are many fans that loved this show much more than I did.

For the record, I didn't hate it, but I was troubled by certain aspects of it.

It came across very much like the comic, Alias, that inspired this show. I gave up on that comic early in its run as well. I didn't really care for the MAX line of comics. It seemed like an odd way to shove sex, language and more graphic violence into mainstream comics.

Now, adult situations are one thing, but doing those things for the sake of pushing the envelope as a "look what we can do now" sense of storytelling, I find that boring.

And that's where I fell with most of this series.

There were some pacing issues with Daredevil, but at least things were happening and people were getting killed, so there was always a sense of moving forward with the storyline.

With Jessica Jones, this storyline could have easily been resolved in 8 episodes, 10 tops, so it began to feel padded and dragging as the storyline went along.

Another issue I had with this one is that I liked just about every character in the story...

Except the main character.

Just like in the comics, Jessica Jones comes across cold and not very likeable. Couple her with Hogarth (Moss) and you've got a tandem of the most powerful, yet unlikeable characters in the Marvel universe.

Thankfully, I was interested in the majority of the supporting cast from the series. I'm looking forward to seeing Luke Cage (Colter) get his own series, and hopefully team up with Iron Fist to make the Heroes for Hire. Then there's Trish Walker (Taylor) who I hope will be suiting up as Hellcat by the time The Defenders rolls across Netflix.

Even Malcom (Darville) was a more interesting, well rounded supporting character and I looked forward to seeing what happened to him next.

However, the very thing I praised Daredevil for doing, Jessica Jones made the cardinal mistake of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and killed the villain at the end.

Oops.

Spoiler alert.

Sorry.

:)

Tennant's Kilgrave was the best part of the show, and he could have been a force to be reckoned with (especially against the Defenders) at a later point. Maybe enough to even bridge to the cinematic universe as well.

I've often said that the hero is often only as good as their villain. In this instance, that didn't pan out.

I'd love to watch a Kilgrave series where he tried to reform (Thunderbolts?) but sometimes failed and reverted to his evil ways.

Plus, while we should have hated Kilgrave with ever fiber of our being, the show ended up painting him into a rather sympathetic corner. Really, his powers weren't his fault, and yes, knowing what he had the power to do, he could easily make his choices less gruesome and final.

But still, they lost a great character and actor that would have been fun to have pop up again.

Is it Kilgrave messing with people...or are they really making these decisions on their own.

So many possibilities.

Flushed.

I'm curious when Marvel will realize that they've only got a finite amount of characters. They keep killing them off at the end of every movie and show, eventually they'll run out.

Not the best way to run a long-term strategy with the shows/movies.

Anyway, it wasn't terrible, by any means, but it also could have been so much better.

Or shorter.

Final Grade: B-

'Fantastic'? Not Even Close... "Fantastic Four"

Fantastic Four (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey

Directed by Josh Trank

The Story:

Child genius Reed Richards (Teller) gets a scholarship to attend college so he can work on an experiment alongside Susan Storm (Mara) and Victor Von Doom (Kebbell). They get help from Johnny Storm (Jordan) when he has to pay off some debt to his father (Cathey). When the transporter shows that it works, the kids decide to send themselves to see what's on the other side. Reed invites his best friend, Ben Grimm (Bell) to tag along. When they arrive, things go horribly wrong, the teens are imbued with powers that change them into the team that would become...The Fantastic Four.

Oh. Dear. Heavens.

I believe this is a karmic payback for all who may have complained about the 2005 release of the Fantastic Four. That one is a cult classic at our house, we all loved it and shake our collective heads at the anger directed towards that film.  At least that movie got the majority of what made the Fantastic Four work, correct.

Evans and Chiklis made a dynamic duo of Torch and the Thing and much like the comics, that's my favorite part about the team.

Here, that banter and interplay is nonexistent and these characters are dull and uninteresting.

So too the dialogue.

Pedestrian acting by actors that can, and have, done better.

It's as if nobody wanted to be there, and for the audience, that relates to people that don't want to see the final effort.

Budget looking effects, a poor story where once again people feel the need to shoehorn Dr. Doom into the origin.

No.
No.
No!

He doesn't need to be there, and in fact, shouldn't be there.

And for heaven's sake, just put him in the armor and make him a despotic ruler of a small European country.

The Negative Zone. The Mole Man. ANYTHING but Doom at this point.

Or better yet, just give the rights back to Marvel and let them do things properly.

The Thing doesn't even wear shorts! How hard was putting CGI shorts on a model?

When Stan Lee won't do a cameo in your film, you need to realize: You're doing it wrong!

This is bad.

Not "oh my God, I can't watch" bad. Just wasted opportunity, and in the wave of amazing release after release from Marvel (and even Fox is finally on track with their X-Men franchise) this seems like a bargain basement offering for some small indie comic that should never have been made.

Not what you would expect, or deserve, from the comic that helped launch and keep Marvel Comics at the top for 60 years. 

Final Grade: D+  I'm feeling generous, and/or, bad for this franchise.   On second thought, the more I typed, the angrier I got about how they are failing us, and themselves with this franchise.

Revised Final Grade: F

Little Hero. Big Heart. "Ant-Man"

Ant-Man (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, Judy Greer

Directed by Peyton Reed

The Story:

Scott Lang (Rudd) is an extraordinary burglar who gets out of prison and needs to go straight so that he can be the hero that his daughter believes him to be.  However, going straight is tough when your best friend (Pena) knows people that know things and offers Scott a chance to make a huge score so that he can provide for his daughter. The job is quite simple: rob an old man's safe while he's away from home. What Scott finds inside that safe changes his life, forever!

I don't know what the beef between Edgar Wright and and Marvel Studios was, but I am quite content with the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It's a heist film... with superheroes!

It's also a film about love and what a father would do for their family...their daughters...

It's good stuff!

Rudd is his usual everyman charmer, and that pays off in the likeability of the character.

Surrounded with Luis and his friends, this is the most fun you've had at a Marvel film since Guardians of the Galaxy.

This time though, all the action takes place right here on Earth.

It was a perfect way to incorporate Hank Pym (Douglas) into the Marvel Universe and truly know that the film universe can, and will, exist on its own merits and upend everything you think you know with new versions of familiar characters, and you won't really mind any of the changes.

Do you miss seeing the winsome Wasp?

Maybe, but the promise of things to come looms large, and it's an exciting future not knowing what is in store for these characters.

Great storyline, and a thrilling, funny final act confrontation.

The biggest fear with this, and all Marvel movies, they're really using up their supervillains quickly!

Hopefully they don't hold the box office results against this film, I'd happily pony up to watch Ant-Man 2!

Final Grade: A

Because The Internet Demanded One More Review For "Daredevil"

Daredevil (2015)

TV-MA

Starring Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Vincent D'Onofrio,

Created by Drew Goddard

The Story:

Matt Murdock (Cox) was blinded as a youth. Years later, the blind lawyer hopes to make a difference by defending the defenseless in Hell's Kitchen, New York. He does this by day with his lawyer partner, Foggy Nelson (Henson). However by night, Mr. Murdock has a secret. He's the crime-fighting vigilante known as Daredevil.

This is his story.

:: insert Law & Order bomp bomp here::

So a while back, Marvel announced they were partnering with Netflix to bring some of their 2nd or 3rd tier characters to the small screen.

Guardians of the Galaxy hadn't hit yet.

Agents of Shield was doing so-so in the ratings.

Perhaps this was a chance for Marvel to recoup what was looking to be a dismal future?

Hahahhaha....

Hardly.

Instead, it stands as the latest stroke of genius from the House of Ideas.

Those that know me, and my love of Marvel comics, also know that I have no love for Matt Murdock.

Daredevil is a comic that I can read for an issue, maybe 3-4 tops before I simply cringe and throw it away.

He's a preposterous character. 

He's been portrayed as the quippy-jokester... well, that's Spidey's gig.

He's the bad-ass vigilante... Batman's been there, done that.

And really, a blind lawyer? That can only go so far in comics before the reader is bored to tears.

And no, I've never bothered with Frank Miller's take on the comic, I really don't care that much about Daredevil, in print.

So it was with a big fat, "meh", that I approached the launch of Daredevil on Netflix.

Would it be grim? Would it be gritty? Would there be humor? Would I care to finish the first episode, let alone come back for seconds?

I'm happy to report that the answer to all of those questions is, Yes!

It's dark. It's brooding. But there's a light touch of humor laying over the cast which makes the show quite entertaining.

They could have easily left out the naughty language and toned back the violence if they wanted to grab the mainstream superhero audience, but they opted not to.

That could be a genius move on the part of Marvel and Netflix.

Wait, what? Comic movies aren't just for kids?

Nope, these are the Walking Dead-ish Superhero shows for adults who don't want to watch superhero movies.

They walk a nice line between Law & DisOrder. You get Murdock as lawyer, then you'll get a bit of Murdock as vigilante.

It's a nice balance, and they show never stays too much on either, nor do they seemingly shortchange the other part of the story.

All this being said, I've only watched the first episode. I'm not a big fan of binge watching, I like to take my time and enjoy what I'm seeing. I'm in no hurry.

Cox is great in the role. Looking over his roles, I'd have to say this is probably the first time I've ever seen him. He's great, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table in future episodes.

Heck, I haven't even seen the villain yet, but you feel the gravitas that they've given D'Onofrio for the role.

Looking forward to the remaining 12 episodes.

All in good time.

Final Grade: A-

Celebrate Columbus Day By Rediscovering "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Rated PG-13 for action, violence and pure awesomeness

Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo

The Story:

A year after the events from The Avengers, Steve Rogers (Evans) is working for SHIELD, but he's not exactly happy about it.  He doesn't want to compromise his principles, yet it seems like all of the missions from Nick Fury (Jackson) are making Cap uneasy.  However, a far greater threat is lurking to undo everything that SHIELD stands for, and Captain America and the Black Widow (Johannson) may not be able to stop it.

So back during my Birthday weekend, Marvel Studios was nice enough to release this film.
That review, many of you have already read right here:

Cap 2

So, what has changed since April with finally seeing it again in the fall?


Not much.

I still maintain that The Winter Soldier is Marvel's answer to a spy thriller with a 70s feel, and they nailed it.  The spies have super-powers, but hey, didn't it always seem like Bond was a little more than human back in the day?

This is a smart action thriller that just so happens to also have some costumed heroes running around in it.

Take out the costumes, the movie still would work.


It just works better as a vehicle for Captain America.

This is still the movie to beat for Best of the Year honors.

We will see if the awesomeness of Guardians of the Galaxy is able to dethrone it.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: There are 2 movies on my Christmas list. Both are mentioned in this review.  I'm counting on you Santa.  :)

A Star-Lord Is Born... "Guardians Of The Galaxy"

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace

Written and Directed by James Gunn

The Story:

Marvel Studios heads into space with a tale of a band of ne'er do-wells led by Star-Lord (Pratt) who teams with Gamora (Saldana) Drax (Bautista) Groot (Diesel) and Rocket (Cooper) in an attempt to save the very universe that considers them to be outlaws.  But heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and these Guardians of the Galaxy are about to prove to be every bit as worthy as The Avengers.

Mostly.

What to say about this film without completely echoing every other critic out there, and without revealing any spoilers?

Let's try...

This is THE Star Wars experience for the 7-12 year olds that we got to experience back in the 70s.
Not those terrible prequels that came a generation later... ick.
:)

Chris Pratt cements his claim to leading man/action hero/everyman action guy.  In other words, if he so chooses, he could be the next big thing.  His Star-Lord is equal parts Indiana Jones and John McClane, and everyman hero who can take a beating but keeps coming back for more.

Vin Diesel steals the movie out from under his co-stars with but three words...and one of the most expressive facial and body language you'll ever enjoy in a film.

You think he nailed it in Iron Giant?  Wait until you catch his Groot!

Cooper instills Rocket with equal parts cockiness, snarky, charm, agression with a hint of heart.  You want the mascot duo?  Look no further.

These guys are the C-3P0/R2D2 combo, except, they're a lot more relevant.

:)

Dave Bautista is given some great dialogue which he delivers perfectly.  He got the role of a lifetime, and I'm very happy to see him up on the screen.

Zoe Saldana proves that she's not a one-trick pony, put her in any franchise and she will deliver.

Lee Pace almost unrecognizable from Ned in Pushing Daisies, and he played Ronan the Accuser without mercy, a total change from what I was used to.  Well done.

James Gunn, he wrote it, he directed it, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is all the better for it.

I rolled my eyes and wondered what Marvel was thinking when this movie was announced.

I humbly apologize.

This is what they were thinking, and I cannot wait to see how they follow it up in 2017, or perhaps a cameo elsewhere before then.

Bravo everyone.

I'm not sure if I will give this the edge over Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

But so far, it's Marvel running 1-2 for movie of the year.

That's impressive, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

I've got until December to make that decision.


A word of warning from some of my kids:  You might want to bring a tissue along, just in case.


There's some moments in the film that will touch you beyond what you're expecting from a comic book movie.


That's James Gunn and his cast bringing an awful lot of heart to a film that is going to make you feel like a kid again before the credits roll.


They put the tagline "You're Welcome" on the poster months ago.

It wasn't cocky, it was a response to everyone who is now saying "Thank You" for making such a great movie.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'll be buying it, I hope it's out just in time for the holidays.  Loved it.

Spoiler Free Review Of The # 1 Movie In The World... "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Rated PG-13 for action, violence and pure awesomeness

Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo

The Story:

A year after the events from The Avengers, Steve Rogers (Evans) is working for SHIELD, but he's not exactly happy about it.  He doesn't want to compromise his principles, yet it seems like all of the missions from Nick Fury (Jackson) are making Cap uneasy.  However, a far greater threat is lurking to undo everything that SHIELD stands for, and Captain America and the Black Widow (Johannson) may not be able to stop it.

Marvel Studios has done it again.
Not content to sit back and let the "summer movie season" begin early in May, they decided to just give April a shot at kicking off the season.

Of course, as Marvel has proven since pretty much the beginning, these aren't just mindless popcorn films.

The story of Captain America provides continuation of the story of Steve Rogers, man out of time, but also serves as a vehicle to showcase SHIELD and the Widow as well.

When Thor: The Dark World came out last year, and ended the year as the Best of 2013 on my list, I was impressed on how it improved on the original film and surpassed it.  I also noted that it was also a competent Science Fiction film feeling to it, with superheroes.

Now, The Winter Soldier is an updated look at Bond/Bourne... but with superheroes, not just spies.

This is the everyman action film filled with car chases and fights to fill the action quota easily.

I haven't decided yet if The Winter Soldier surpasses The First Avenger or not.  If nothing else, they are close equals, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I would say with 2 films, Captain America is now my favorite of the 3 solo hero franchises.

Anthony Mackie makes a fine addition to the universe as Sam Wilson.  Still with the social worker heart, Wilson's origin works perfectly for the movie, and I don't have any problem if the Falcon never soars in a more traditional costume.  This scenario worked like a charm.

So welcome to the franchise, I have a feeling the 3rd Cap film will be called Captain America & The Falcon.  The comic had a healthy run in the 70s using that very moniker.

Also, as Marvel has been doing lately, they switched directors to allow the Russo brothers to tackle Cap, and they knocked it out of the park.  It was interesting to note that they had been selected to finish the trilogy, and I look forward to what they have to offer..

So much to see.

So much to enjoy.

Quit reading the review and go get tickets.

:)

This is the movie to beat for Best of the Year honors.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I will be owning this one, no doubt.  This is up there with The Avengers as one of Marvel's best films.