Movie Review - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Even though I am a huge comic book fan and have read more comics than I can count, I had never heard of the character Shang Chi before. But the trailer looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a go.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a 2021 live-action action movie based on Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Character Interactions. This movie had several interesting characters that had enjoyable interactions between each other. The interactions make up the bulk of the movie and are the most interesting parts.

Action Scenes. There are three major action scenes, and all are very well choreographed and exciting the watch. The only downside to them are they all look like lots of wire work and like they came from a video game, but that doesn't take away too much from the enjoyment.

 

The Bad

Pacing. This movie is over two hours long and feels like it is over two hours long. The pacing is a little slow.

Story. The story is pretty predictable without any real surprises. It was probably the weakest part of the film. All the challenges are easily overcome with several convenient plot points stuck in just the right place to advance the story.

Fantasy Realm. Part of this movie takes place in a fantasy dimension filled with strange creatures. Only the creatures aren't that strange or creative or even interesting. The fantasy dimension is also disappointing after so much build up. 

 

Overall

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a 2021 live-action action movie based on Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for violence and language, and is appropriate for most ages. This movie had several interesting characters that had enjoyable interactions between each other. The interactions make up the bulk of the movie and are the most interesting parts.  There are three major action scenes, and all are very well choreographed and exciting the watch. The only downside to them are they all look like lots of wire work and like they came from a video game, but that doesn't take away too much from the enjoyment. This movie is over two hours long and feels like it is over two hours long. The pacing is a little slow. The story is pretty predictable without any real surprises. It was probably the weakest part of the film. All the challenges are easily overcome with several convenient plot points stuck in just the right place to advance the story. Part of this movie takes place in a fantasy dimension filled with strange creatures. Only the creatures aren't that strange or creative or even interesting. The fantasy dimension is also disappointing after so much build up. This is an entertaining film worth two hours if you happen to watch it. But there is nothing special or wonderful, so if you never see it you aren't missing out on anything. I give it 3.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

    

Movie Review - Spider-man: Far From Home

I thought Spider-man's cameo in Captain America: Civil War was a lot of fun, but I did not enjoy Spider-man: Homecoming at all. So I wasn't sure what I would think of this latest film. But it featured Mysterio, one of my favorite villains, and Jake Gyllenhaal, an incredible actor, so I thought it had potential.

Spider-man: Far From Home is a 2019 live action superhero film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It is rated PG-13 for action and language but is appropriate for all ages.

The Good

Mysterio. Mysterio is one of my favorite villains, and Jake Gyllenhaal did an amazing job portraying him. I really enjoyed the unique take the filmmakers took with the villain. He still stayed true to his roots and basic concept while still feeling fresh and new.

Comedy. This movie was filled with great jokes and comedy bits that flowed naturally from the narrative and helped advance the story and themes.

Final Fight. The final fight was amazing. It was fun, it was exciting, it was suspenseful, and there were a couple of surprises.

Relationships. This movie focused a lot more on the relationships between characters than previous films, and they were enjoyable to explore. They made the danger feel more real, because now there were real stakes involved.

The Bad

Stunts/Special Effects. During much of the movie, Spider-man looks like he's being thrown around on the end of a cable (which he is). The stuntman does a terrible job making it look like Spider-man could actually do the jumps and leaps on his own. And this isn't the best cgi in a movie.

First Two Fights. While the final fight is incredible, the earlier fights are really disappointing. They just don't feel as exciting as they should.

Mid-credits Scene. While the mid-credit scene was a complete surprise (you will never guess what it is) and completely shocking, I'm not sure I like where it points the next movie.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the earlier fight scenes had been better.

Overall

Spider-man: Far From Home was one of the best Marvel films to come out in a long time. Mysterio was a great villain portrayed perfectly by Jake Gyllenhaal. The filmmakers stayed true to the basic concept of Mysterio while delivering a really unique and amazing take on the character. The comedy was hilarious and flowed naturally from the narrative and situations. The end fight scene was as good and intense as it gets. This movie focused a lot more on relationships than the previous films, and they were well developed and interesting to watch. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

Movie Review - Dark Phoenix

I'm not an X-Men fan, and I didn't really like the first cycle of movies, but I've loved the reboot of X-Men: First Class to the X-Men: Apocalypse, so I was really excited to see how they would interpret The Dark Phoenix Saga.

Dark Phoenix is a 2019 live action science fiction superhero film based on the comic book story The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. It is rated PG-13 for language and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Theme. This movie revolves around the theme of how humans view mutants and their acceptance of them. It explores what good relations look like and how bad the relationships can get.

Cyclops. Cyclops has always been my favorite X-Men, and in this movie he finally did more than stand around and shoot a couple of beams. He actual had some action and used his powers in a real fight. It was fun to watch.

The Bad

Boring. This movie was really boring. It had a slow pace and nothing really cool or remarkable. It was very bland and mundane. The filmmakers somehow even made traveling into space very blah.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish someone else had written and directed this film. I was shocked someone could turn such an incredible comic book story into such a mediocre disappointment.

Overall

Dark Phoenix is a movie that should be great but is very boring and uninspired. The only highlights are the exploration of the theme of the relationship between humans and mutants and what it looks like at it's best contrasted by what it looks like at it's worst, and Cyclops finally using his powers like he does in the comics. I was very disappointed. It's not a bad movie, just a mediocre one. I give this film 3 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

  

Movie Review - Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Infinity War was such a letdown, that I wasn't all that excited to see Endgame. But I've followed this story this far, I might as well see how it ends.

Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 live action science fiction superhero film. It is rated PG-13 for language  and is appropriate for most ages.

The Good

Smaller/More Personal. Infinity War was this big fight scene involving dozens of characters that all had to do something. This movie focused on the core group and how they deal with events. It was much more emotional and personal and much better story.

Story. This movie had much more story than the last. Having a smaller cast helped.

Cameos / Tie-in's to Previous Films. This movie did a great job incorporating the characters and even earlier films into this one. It all felt like it was planned from the beginning and all came together.

Appropriate Resolution. I was really concerned with how the filmmakers would resolve such a sweeping story and do it justice without taking any shortcuts or doing anything contrived. Somehow they managed to honor everything that had come before and not cheapen any of it.

The Bad

No End Credit Scenes. I was really excited waiting for the mother of all end credit scenes. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Captain America's Resolution. I did not like how Captain America's story resolved. It seemed untrue to the story.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been a couple of amazing end credit scenes. I wish they had come up with something else for Captain America.

Overall

Avengers: Endgame is a fitting ending to a 10-year series. The move was much smaller and more personal focusing on the core characters instead of a universe of dozens engaged in an epic fight. The conflicts and struggles were more personal and emotional making for a much more dramatic and satisfying story. Cameos and tie-ins to previous films were plentiful and well handled. All of the stories and journeys from the past ten years were nicely resolved with nothing feeling cheated or betrayed. The only disappointments are the lack of end credit scenes and how they tied up Captain America's story. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.

   

Marvel's Daredevil Season 3 (2018 Netflix Series)

The first two seasons of Daredevil have been about as good as TV can get. And Daredevil: Born Again is one of my favorite comic book stories. So I was so excited for seasons 3.

Marvel's Daredevil Season 3 is a 13-episode Netflix original series based on the comic book by Frank Miller and Dave Mazzucelli. It is rated TV-MA for language, violence, and blood and is appropriate for older teens and up.

The Good

Bullseye. I've never really liked Bullseye in the comic. He just seemed too silly and flat. But this show gave his such a great origin story and made him such an interesting character. The actor nailed the portrayal. The action scenes with him using ordinary objects as deadly weapons was so well done.

Story. Once the story got started with the fourth episode, I was hooked and by episdode eight I couldn't stop watching.

Action. The action scenes got better as the story progressed. The first half of the season was disappointing, but the second half delivered everything I was hoping for.

Sound Design. Sound was so effectively used in this show. The sound is used to illustrate Matt's abilities unlike the visual "fire" of Season 1. It was subtle but so effective. And the sound of buzzing to show Bullseye's madness illustrated that perfectly without going too far.

The Bad

Pacing. The first two episodes were sooooo slow I almost couldn't get thru them.

Depression. I understand why Matt was so down and depressed and doubting his faith, but it got old fast. That's not what's interesting about the character. That's not why I watch the show.

Visuals. The first two seasons had a really unique look. For some reason this season lost that and looked like every other show on TV. I really missed the unique look.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish they had cut moping Matt to just the first episode and then get on with the story instead of waiting for episode 4. I also wish they had started out with an announcement that Kingpin had been released and then investigated to find out what happened instead of building to it.

Overall

Marvel's Daredevil Season 3 started out slow, boring, and weak, but got better with each episode until I couldn't stop watching. The new villain Bullseye was so well cast and done with a great origin story and brilliantly filmed powers. The action scenes in the first half were terrible, but by the second half were were as good as in the first two seasons. I got tired of mopey hopeless Matt, but I loved seeing the old team get back together at the end. I give this show 4.5 out of 5 remotes.

     

Movie Review - The Incredible Hulk (2008 film)

I've been an Incredible Hulk fan for as long as I can remember. I've enjoyed most of his incarnations from comic book to cartoon to film. There were a few misfires such as that Ang Lee disaster. Fortunately, Marvel decided to redo the film, and do it right.

The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 action drama horror superhero film based on characters appearing in Marvel Comics. It is rated PG-13 for language and violence and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Acting. This movie was so well cast and so well acted. Everyone gave such a believable and emotional performance.

Silent Film aspects. Unlike most Marvel movies which are constant dialogue, jokes, and confessions, this movie relies heavily on visuals. It feels like a quarter of this movie is a silent film where nothing is said, and yet the audience knows exactly what is happening and what the characters are feeling. It was masterfully shot.

Story. The story was solid and naturally progressed from one scene to the next never feeling forced or contrived or too convenient.

Nods to Classic TV Show. The film contained a lot of nods to the original Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno tv show from the music to the opening scene to the first transformation of the hulk, to the post transformation scene.

Visuals. The film is beautifully shot. Each frame looks like a painting. The big shots feel so big, and the smaller shots feel so intimate. The fight sequences are so clear and well choreographed, not claustrophobic confusing shaking like so many current films.

Horror Vibe. This film had a very distinct classic horror vibe like the Alan Moore run on Swamp Thing. It's not a horror movie per se, but so many troupes and techniques from classic horror were used to create suspense and a real sense of urgency and struggle.

The Bad

CGI. I'm not sure why Hollywood is afraid to cast an actual human and paint him green to play the Hulk. Lou Ferrigno's performance in the TV series still holds up solidly and is the best live action portrayal of the character ever. When it came out the cgi looked like a bad video game, and has only gotten worse with time.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish they had used a real person for Hulk. Otherwise the movie was pure perfection.

Overall

The Incredible Hulk (2008 Film) may well be the best Marvel film to date. It has a solid story, great casting and acting, beautiful visuals, makes incredible use of visuals where the audience knows exactly what is going on and what the characters are feeling without the crutch of constant dialogue every other Marvel film relies on, and incorporates the best elements of the classic TV show. The only weakness with the cgi which looked like a video game (like almost all cgi does in film). This film is a classic and perfect example of how to adapt a comic book for the silver screen. I give this film 5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

     

TV Show Review - Marvel's Iron Fist (Season 2)

I like the character Iron Fist and was really excited to hear he would star in his own show on Netflix. When I saw who they cast as Iron Fist, I got less excited, because the actor just didn't have the same vibe as the character in the comics. And the first season was weak. I hoped for the second season, Marvel Studios would learn from their mistakes, and they did.

Marvel's Iron Fist (Season 2) is a 10-episode 2018 Netflix Original Mini-series based on the Marvel Comics superhero character of Iron Fist. It is rated TV-MA for language, violence, and blood and is appropriate for older teens and up.

The Good

Story. The first season suffered from a weak story that felt more like a first draft than a finished product. This time the producers started with a solid story that new where it was going and what kind of a show it wanted to be. It knew the characters, who they were, and where they needed to go.

Characters. This show includes not only Iron Fist but Davos, Misty Knight, Coleen, and Typhoid Mary. I was really excited for Typhoid Mary who is a great Daredevil adversary, but I was nervous if they'd get the character wrong like they had with Elektra. They didn't She is different from in the comic, but still an interesting character that keeps several important characteristics.

Ending. This series has a very satisfying ending. It isn't rushed, is satisfying tying up loose threads, and sets up a really exciting third season.

The Bad

Convenient Plot Points.  While the writing is much stronger this season, it still isn't up to the level of Daredevil. There are a lot of convenient coincidences that happen to move the story along.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the story had been stronger by focusing on one or two main arcs instead of fracturing the plot so everyone had equal screen time and things to do. I also wish the show had looked as nice as the previous mini-series with better sets and other visuals.

Overall

Marvel's Iron Fist (Season 2) is a very satisfying 10-episode mini-series with strong writing, great action, good characterization, and a solid story. The producers learned from their mistakes on the first season and fixed them. While not quite as good as Daredevil, it's better than any of the other Netflix Original Series from Marvel Studios. I give this show 4 out of 5 remotes.

   

Movie Review - Ant-Man and the Wasp

When the first Marvel movies debuted (Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America) I love them and couldn't wait to see the next one. Then after Captain America: Winter Soldier, the movies took a very dark turn and the fun, humorous movies that looked like comic books come to life was gone as was my enjoyment and excitement for the films.

Until now.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a 2018 science fiction superhero movie based on Marvel Comics characters. It is rated PG-13 for mild violence and language and is appropriate for most audiences.

The Good

Fun. It's so refreshing to watch a movie that feels like a comic book come to life. It was fun, it was funny, it was exciting, there were great scenes of superhero powers, and the story was solid and stood on its own instead of being a small piece of a much larger story. This film is everything we love about Marvel movies and have been missing for the last several years.

Use of Powers. Unlike most recent Marvel films, this movie actually shows the characters using their powers, and all their powers, throughout the movie in a variety of ways so the audience never got sick of it.

Humor. It's been a long time since I've laughed this much as a Marvel movie. There were so many jokes, and they were all so funny and not clichéd.

Action. The action is awesome! And the best part is how unique it was to the characters' powers. The first movie (and most Marvel movies) have very generic action and fight scenes that would work for any character. But these action scenes could only happen for these characters.

Credits. The credits were very clever. The filmmakers staged several scenes from the movie using action figures, which is very appropriate for these characters.

The Bad

Villains. The villains were boring and weak. Neither was interesting. The filmmakers tried to give the main villain a tragic backstory to make her more sympathetic, but she was too unlikable so we didn't care.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the villains had been likable instead of blah because the filmmakers were afraid to make them very villainous.

Overall

Ant-Man and the Wasp is everything we love about Marvel movies and have been missing for the last several years: it's fun, funny, action-packed, has awesome scenes of characters using their powers, has a complete story, and looks like a comic book come to life. This is a return to the Marvel movies that were so exciting and entertaining (like Iron Man, Captain America, Avengers, Spider-man) instead of the dark turn the films have taken where each one is little more than a depressing chapter in a long, overly drawn-out story. I give this film a solid 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.