Where do I even start with this? What I will say first and foremost is that this show could trigger you, so this will be the first time I am issuing a TRIGGER WARNING for one of my reviews as it has subject matter that may upset you the reader or viewer. Although I will not go into any specifics about anything that happens in the show in detail due to spoilers, I would just want you to know that if you are indeed interested in watching this mini-series, please be aware, be cautious and seek the helplines below, should you need it.
There is a saying "Hurt people hurt people". If you do not understand what the saying means, in short, people who have been hurt by somebody, that person has also been hurt by somebody. To put that into relationship terms, you could be in a relationship with someone and someone in that relationship cheats on the other with someone else. The cheating comes to light, they break up, the person who was cheated on gets into another relationship and if they do not cheat themselves, maybe they behave in a way that hurts their new partner. It is not always the case but there are loads of other examples of this and for the most part, a lot has to do with the vicious cycle of abuse. Now the aim is not to give away the story here, but to give context to the behaviours of people in life, fictional or otherwise.
Donnie Dunn is a struggling comedian who works in a Pub in the hope of landing himself a huge gig. One day on his shift, a lady named Martha comes in and orders a drink. After a little chat and banter, Martha returns to the Pub daily in the hope of speaking with Donnie, but eventually and slowly, this turns into harassment until things turn dark and Donnie has to take matters into his own hands.
Seven episodes of British dark comedy which is also a drama-thriller that I could not seem to stop watching. You sit and watch the first few episodes intrigued and curious as to what is going to happen next. You find yourself shouting at the TV perplexed that these things are happening and why they are happening, but this slow burn starts to sink deeper into chilling and disturbing imagery. It all seems a bit bizarre and weird, having you ask yourself "Why would you let that happen? Why would you continue to go back? Why don't you make a police report?" You ask a lot of questions, but at the end of the show, your questions get answered, but not before the "mid-episode" dark turn the show takes. When I say dark, when you watch the episode, you will know what I mean because you will know it when you see it.
The acting in this show is stellar. For a show I did not know what to expect, you are led by the actors and their performances and although this is a dramatisation of real-life events, the acting made everything real. It felt real. From the comedy to the very dark moments, this show does not hold anything back and as gritty as it got, the humour was also there because, at times, life does bring its own levity at times. I would definitely recommend this show even though it is a little bit of a mind-job throughout, but your questions are answered near the end and be careful, you may even cry.
This show is just clever. Cleverly written. The team behind Robert Kirkman's direction are pulling off things I have not seen before in animation in a visually stimulating way. For example, we are on season 2 and season 1 did everything to tell us that the title will pop up whenever anyone says the title within the show. In some cases it was halfway through an episode, in other cases, it was at the end of an episode, we waited and waited for it to pop up trying to guess when it would be and try to pre-empt it, but it was fairly random. In this second season and in this episode especially, there was a conversation which had a build-up, and just like that, they flipped it. I actually had to pause the show to continue laughing so I did not miss anything. I found it very funny and clever. Later in the first half of the show, Mark is getting his usual treatment and the usage of "travel" (I will say not to spoil anything), was so incredible to see visually, I could not help but think of where a similar visual was done before, but lame in comparison, especially when it was cool when we first experienced it. Angstrum Levi, Sterling K. Brown with the excellent voice acting, calm delivery with a hint of maniacal was perfect, especially in the brief soft moments. There is not a lot of Angstrum in this season, but his story is great and excellently executed. They did a lot with the little they had.
In the latter half of the show, things were taken down a notch and the seeds which were sown in earlier episodes are starting to blossom. We have Alan back and at the beginning of hatching his plan. Mark is having another crisis and is finding it difficult to come to terms with his actions. There were two heartfelt moments with two characters in the show that made me feel for Mark which I could relate to. I mentioned something like this briefly last week. Oh yeah, so earlier I mentioned how clever this show is, but moments you could miss, a Detective Comics (DC) and a Marvel Easter egg in plain sight, which was very well played and made me laugh. You may even say it was cheeky, cleverly cheeky. My review last week mentioned the character and this week the character "turned up". I cannot get enough of this show, it is a show for smart viewers as it is cleverly written, acted out and soundtracked. As this is a finale, there is also a similar moment in this finale when compared to the finale of the first season. One more thing that caught me off-guard was the title of the finale, "I thought you were stronger". This show put such a twist on the title, I was left dumbfounded. It's just excellent writing and animation from an excellent show at this point.
So, do you still want to say that there is superhero fatigue? No, there is not. I will say it again and again until someone proves me wrong. There is mediocre fatigue because if I got £1 for everyone who says they are going to watch and actually watch The Boys season 4 and enjoyed it, I am confident that I will be in the money.
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By dropping this show weekly, you are sparking up the conversation for the show and keeping this show alive. Not to say that it is boring or not entertaining, but to binge-watch a show, the show is simply "thrown away" once you are done with it and I believe this show deserves the buzz. This week on X-Men '97, we have two separate stories in one episode. Considering the episode is around 30 minutes long, it is really good how they have been able to tell a lot in a short space of time.
The first story centres around Jubilee and her Birthday. Wondering what to do and how to spend it, Jubilee and Sunspot get pulled into a 16-bit video game. The second story centres around Storm dealing with the loss of her powers and Forge has two things to declare.
Being a child of the 90's watching these cartoons and playing computer games, X-Men was up there with some of the best computer and arcade games, so to see Jubilee and Sunspot acting out/"playing" as 16-bit characters in games I would have played growing up was that nostalgia hit I did not know I wanted. So cleverly done and the kind of easter eggs for comic book readers and gamers alike were superbly done. From the sound of dial-up to flashbacks to the '92 series to the beat and scroll gameplay and bringing back one of Marvel's craziest villains, the first half of this episode hit me in the feels. I was elated because they covered all the angles for us older people who watched the '92 series, for those who played the computer games of that era and for newcomers who are on board this new X-Men TV series.
The second part of the episode was a calmer and more tame episode dealing with Storm and Forge during a dark time when Storm was in her life. Having lost her powers, she is being helped by Forge who wants to help but has also taken away. A stark contrast from the bright and boisterous first half to a moody second half with a reveal that will continue the stories further down the line. At this point, this X-Men '97 animated TV show is carrying Disney and the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on its back. Such good writing, stories, animation, music, voice-acting. The team are firing and it looks like with what they are currently going for, this show will continue for a while as there are thousands of great stories to tell and in this modern age for an older and younger audience.
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Now this is clever marketing. It was not so long ago that the studio put out an announcement saying that there would be some delays on part 2 of "Across the Spider-Verse" and having seen the latest episode of Invincible, season 2 with the comic book artist/creator stating animation takes a very long time, putting this short film together does two things. Not only does it give the fans a little something from the team at the studio who have been delivering such an amazing story in both Spider-Verse movies, 'Into the Spider-Verse' and 'Across the Spider-Verse Part 1', but this short film also brings to light mental health and how one might feel when they feel they have too much on their plate to deal with and how to go about.
It is known within society that there is this thing about being a man and everything that comes along with being a man. Not to show weakness, not to show emotion, men do not cry. Along with a barrage of other things. Men will tend to bottle things up keeping their "problems" to themselves. Yes, there would be an outlet for some men when they have things on their mind, gaming, creative writing or drawing, gym, jogging or any kind of sport, but at the same time, the problems can still be there. This short film shows Miles trying to battle "The Spider Within" by himself when he could have just hung out with his father. With all the external pressures Miles is going through, juggling life as Spider-Man and as Miles Morales the school student, the pressure gets to him hence why he feels tired and goes to his room. Battling your problems or "demons" on a day-to-day is exhausting and if you are not facing them by talking about them with someone (and this should be someone you trust) this can help ease the pressure and weight of the problems you are carrying on your shoulders/back and help releave some of that stress. Miles leaves his room and talks to his father as they go out to get some fresh air and talk. They say walking is good to help clear your mind, but talking to someone is also very good, so it is implied that Miles will feel a lot better and less stressed having got things off of his chest.
At this point, talking about the graphics/animation, voice acting, music and such, is redundant at this point when you think about how great the movies have been. I guess there is a point to be made that the quality could have dipped for a short film, but the work ethic of the team behind the movies has not dropped and has only got better from the first movie to the sequel. You see a little action, but this short film is more to showcase the pressure Miles is under, how he feels and how he feels overwhelmed. This is a great taster/"filler" for the time being whilst we wait for 'part 2' to be released, but until then this is nice, plus it sends a positive message for all the men out there.
With something as good as this show, it is criminal that we only have 8 episodes; there was a break part of the way through and now that it is back and we are only a few episodes in, I feel this show is being ripped away from me. It's like, I just got you back and now you are going away again [insert tear-filled eyes here]. The show is THAT good and this episode is proof of that.
If you have not been following this season, we started off with Mark Grayson depressed and not knowing where he stands in the world now that his father is gone. The city, along with the world is devastated that the famously good superhero Omni-Man, was a bad guy and Mark's father has died. Mark's mother Debbie, is dealing with the events of the finale of the first season badly and has been comforting herself with alcohol; and Cecil is demanding more from Mark because he does not trust him. Not only that, with a lot of time away from school and studying, Mark is struggling to maintain his grades and a relationship with Amber because they lack quality time as he is always off saving the world.
With the rest of the team, Atom-Eve is struggling with her choice of not being a superhero and doesn't see herself being a part of a team anymore. The Immortal does not trust Mark. Rudy is trying to help Beastgirl and her powers which is frustrating her. A Martian shape-shifter is trying to infiltrate the team. Also, a man who wants to save the world and make it a better place gets into an accident when Mark tries to stop the situation which leaves him deformed, full of knowledge from all the other versions of himself across the multiverse and he has sworn vengeance towards Mark. A lot is going on.
This episode was excellently written, directed and choreographed with pretty much, everything you want from an episode or at least, that is how I felt after watching. There was love, drama, heartbreak, fights, redemption, trauma and more fights and I must say, I did get a little emotional, why? Well, sometimes in life, you can do your absolute best and it just does not seem like it is good enough. By the end of the episode, I was thinking, Mark cannot seem to catch a break and on many levels, reminded me of Peter Parker which is possibly the reason why I have seen crossover pictures with them in it as they are both VERY alike. A young man trying to juggle his powers and keep the city/world safe, keep and maintain a relationship and also go to school and study. It just gets on top and Mark feels useless at times but continues to do his best to try and fight for what he feels is morally right, which is what makes him more human than Viltrumite, but the Empire is coming.
The music on the show is always great and the comedic moments for me, land very well. I am not sure if it was the previous episode or the episode before, but the Guardians of the Globe were fighting this massive being and in a moment of pause it said to the Guardians "...you should tremble before my unlimited power"...there was a long pause and then The Immortal simply replied..."No!" The delivery was excellent and so funny that I laughed so hard. Another moment was when Mark was talking to someone at the comic convention and he was explaining artwork and what creators do to try and speed up their work by cutting corners which acted as an answer to many fans of the show we are currently watching and enjoying (Invincible) but are always moaning that a show (or any animated show, for that matter) is taking too long to come out. It was a meta fourth-wall "break" that I found hilarious.
Minor spoiler for this season also; having learned everything with his father Nolan, the fact that he has a brother, Mark has to do whatever he can to protect his mother, brother and girlfriend from a threat he simply is not prepared for. Also, Alan the Alien might be the only person who might be able to help.
There is so much going on and I will admit, there are times that the show does not balance ALL the story arcs out very well and if they are inter-connected at all, but with the end-credits stinger, I imagine Mark will need to fight Angstrum Levi and Alan will go back to Earth with a surprise guest in town to help defend Earth from the Viltrumites.
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Having watched the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Hawkeye on Disney Plus a few years ago and the introduction to Echo and reintroduction of Kingpin from the Marvel Netflix Universe, having a series centred around Echo was definitely a bold choice. Yes, she was cool in Hawkeye, but she is a deaf amputee who did not speak/say much. With the Hawkeye series not doing as good as I'm guessing Marvel would have liked as it gained a lot of mixed-to-negative reviews, this series was already on the back foot. Learning about the reshoots and the problems making this series, to learning of the series not testing well with audiences, not knowing how to market the show, if Daredevil was going to be in it, if Kingpin was going to be in it, to dropping the entire five-episode show in January (the dumping ground for movies), thoughts of this show being any good was basically out the window at this point. TV MA in America is basically a 15 in the UK and the trailers showed us some of the "grit" this show had, akin to the Netflix series' which looked great, so having watched the entire series (five episodes), I will say that, although not excellent or flawless, it is much better than a lot of the shows that have come before.
We start the episode with some kind of flashback, but it seems that the more we get into the flashbacks, the more we learn about the possible connection. For me, it was a little confusing with the mysticism at first but as the series goes on, it slowly bleeds in and you start to understand 'the why' later. We meet more of the side characters, Maya's family and what happened in her past. A lot of the first episode to which almost felt like half of the first episode is flashbacks with moments taken from the Hawkeye series so the episode comes across as very choppy. But when we get to the "present day" (I guess), we have a warehouse fight which leads into one of the best fight scenes in the show...and there are two of them.
From the second episode onwards, we get into more character work and we are introduced to a particular character, "Biscuits" who is involved with an action set piece which leads onto a scene afterwards that is straight-up hilarious. He is the comic-relief for the show in which I felt worked very well. Other supporting characters include Echo's grandmother and her other cousin Bonnie. We do not get a great deal from the latter, but the grandmother also plays an important part where, when we get to episode four, there is some character building with both her and Echo and the episode before, Bonnie and Echo that also help to humanise Echo, especially when she meets up with Kingpin.
By the fifth and final episode, although it was not outstanding or great, we have learnt all about Maya as her story told us who she is, where she comes from, where she has been, what she has done, how she feels and where she is going whilst also establishing, her friends (family), her ideology and where it came from, her influences and again, where she is going. Maya is a hero. I would have expected a little more from the finale, like a bigger fight with Maya showcasing more of her fighting skills because that IS what Echo is about right? Her ability to echo/copy other people's fighting moves/skills, something they have changed from the comics but something I would like them to include going forward which would show her as an underrated and deadly character. Echo is shown as skilled but I think there could be more fleshing out. I am not sure what I would have expected for the ending or how it ended especially if you want to continue to use specific characters in future shows and/or movies, so I am not sure what I would have done differently, but all in all, the show was pretty good and I think I understand as to why it was not testing well and received a lot of negativity before the release.
Overall, there are five episodes and placing the first episode aside, the episodes are fairly slow-paced, with a lot of character-work. I also believe there is a slight slower pace to some of the non-verbal scenes due to all the signing as, hearing someone talk their lines opposed to someone signing their lines seems to make the dialogue and pacing flow a touch smoother than having to read. I am not sure if the scenes with dialogue which involve signing are purposely given time to breathe or if it simply comes across that way, either way I am sure the signing scenes would be a reason as to why people will not like it. The show also forces you to pay attention because you have to read as you may miss something in the conversation, which is fine with me, but I'd imagine a lot of people may be turned off by that. Pacing aside, the show does feel like it needed to be a few more episodes to flesh out more of Echo's backstory growing up and what she did for her uncle. It would have been nice for a little more lip service to a specific character and how he has been a nuisance to his operations. More was needed for Bonnie and Biscuits, but other than that, as well as the "final fight", these are my only gripes
The supporting characters are who really carry this show. Alaqua is great and all, but being stoic and angry for someone who cannot hear, she has to do a lot of emoting with her eyes, face and body, like any other actor, so the show could have concentrated more on what Maya see's like what they did with Daredevil who concentrated on what he could hear, because he could not see. Alaqua does some great acting alongside her supporting cast, where she demonstrates conflict within herself very well without saying a thing. There was not a single weak actor. The music was great! From past to present, the music was well put together, along with the visuals, angles and imagery. You can tell with the attention to detail that the everyone involved took care with this show as there are some real elements of film-making and cleverness. Lastly, although the producers took a few liberties from the comics on Echo's powers, it would be nice to get more from the character and add her to more upcoming episodes in the MCU, whether that is Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and of course Daredevil. I think with a bit more done with her, she can be an even cooler character if we have her fighting some more. I like Daredevil because he is a blind man fighting and fighting well. He is smart and he is cunning, as well as moving somewhat like a ninja at times. I think Echo, if handed a little better could be a deaf person fighting and fighting well. She is smart (there is a Macguyver moment which was awesome) and cunning, as well as having abilities that can mimick/copy or echo others, she could be better. The studio did a decent job with this.
Trash? I would not say trash, but maybe I am giving one of my "favourite" directors a pass? Maybe I am being too lenient on Zack because most of his movies, I have seen and enjoyed. This film has a few problems, but the problems it does have, are major problems. Everything else is fine and in some cases, great. True Zack Snyder storytelling, but the problems stick out like a sore thumb and some people may not be able to cast that aside. I am not saying that I happily cast aside the problems, not at all, but I feel I can identify the problems, separate them from the other good/great moments and give my opinion on what I think of the movie overall. I'll explain.
Kora is an ex-soldier, who defected from the Imperium, an infantry, part of The Motherworld a militaristic empire who seek to rule the universe through centuries of conquests and war. Living a quiet life on a distant moon on a farm helping out the locals, the imperium comes knocking and Admiral Atticus Noble seeks out the moon and it's dwellers. Knowing how Noble will operate, Kora decides to help the farmers out by rallying a team of warriors to help her take down the Motherworld and stop their tyranny.
Very cut and dry. A simple story of good vs bad. We have a protagonist and we have an antagonist. Before this movie was released, I heard that this film was proposed to Lucas Film (now at Disney) as a Star Wars movie and Lucas rejected it. Netflix took it and allowed Zack to make the movie he wanted. There is a very high possibility that nobody oversaw his work and let Zack get on with it because if I am honest, it shows. Zack is a great storyteller with a visual flare that dwarfs Michael Bay. I have said this many times here in many reviews. I am not a Zack fanboy but I do like his movies, so maybe I am being a bit biased here, but I would not say the movie is straight-up trash. It just feels like a movie made specifically to be a part 1, than a movie that happens to be a part 1. If that makes any sense! For example, this year alone we have had two movies I can draw from that felt like a whole movie but ended on a cliffhanger because they were part 1 of 2; 'Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse' and 'Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1'. Both films were lengthy, told a story with minimal flashbacks and were split into a three-act structure. You are introduced to the characters, we are told as to what is to be done and how to do it, and we go about trying to achieve that goal. This movie does not quite do that. We are introduced to the characters, we are told what is to be done, we spend time looking for more characters and given even more back-story of the main character (exposition) and then a fight ensues, finished, the end. The entire film felt like a first act including part of a second act with nothing but flashbacks and slow motion. Or better yet, more accurately, the film could have been a series and this was the end of Season One. The film generally felt unengaging because of this, slightly disjointed, and rushed, although still operating at a slow pace not really getting anywhere and everything simply felt surface level. It spends a lot of time trying to get somewhere but ultimately getting nowhere. The film reminded me of playing an RPG game, you've got your main character and they are on a quest, they pick up an assortment of different characters who will help you in your fight and each of them look very different from each other with different skill sets. Not terrible, but not executed in a way that made the characters stick out. The characters do not really sit with you either. It is very exposition-heavy for the main character. These are the issues with this film, along with the main actress being OK and the dialogue also being, just OK. The villain was trying to be menacing, but...was not that menacing at all, the film just felt very brief and chopped.
The music, and the action, are all superb. It is funny how a lot of the action is in slow motion so you can see the detail and what is going on, a Zack Snyder staple; the problem is, it was just a little overdone in my honest opinion, just a little too heavy-handed. Visually the movie is great though, something you can never take away from Zack. The music is also really good as it gave me Man of Steel vibes in places. The special effects could have been a little better considering 'The Creator' looked amazing on a shoestring budget, but it is Netflix, I am not going to cry over the special effects here. The acting from most of the characters was good. Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein and Charlie Hunnam were the standouts, but I just feel these characters could have been given more. Maybe if there were less slow-mo and more and better dialogue, the characters would have connected with the audience better, but then this leads me to the part 1 of it all.
Of recent, I have heard that Zack has a director's cut of this first part which makes me think 1 of 2 things happened here. Netflix stepped in and was actually involved in overseeing his work and told him to strip the movie down to a respectable time (because we all know Zack cannot make short films), so Zack did a lot of chopping and what he cut out of it, IS in fact in the directors cut which will tell more story OR, Zack and/or Netflix came to the decision of having a director's cut because "Release the Snyder Cut" was a movement and maybe Netflix thought they could capitalise off the back of that, either way, the film feels rushed and it ends awkwardly. The characters are touched on at a surface level, if that and the story hardly had any meat on its bones. It would have been nice to have the characters more fleshed out and memorable because the movie simply comes across as a fetch quest.
But did I enjoy the movie overall? Yes and no. I made 3 attempts to watch this movie and each time I tried, I was tired and I did fall asleep. All. Three. Times. Being ill and tired is one thing, but the main character is cool, but not really engaging. All the flashbacks and exposition got tired and boring. The slow motion, the visuals and the coolness of the film does not do enough to keep your attention because, well...we have seen it all before, you know. Sophia is nice and all, but they tried too hard for her to be badass but could have done more with her character if they took her in another direction. Like, she was the reluctant hero, with the charisma of a grape, but giving out forced speeches that had the weight of a feather which was meant to influence people to help her with her plight. Maybe it is her delivery. Maybe it is just how it is written. Maybe Part 2 will be better (because the trailer actually does look better) and maybe this film should have been one long 7-hour movie (I kid). Zack is a great filmmaker, but he does really need to know how to use better executions when directing. He is not trash by any means, but his misses are usually centred around the same things, all the time. Where is 300 Zack or Man of Steel Zack? There were glimpses of him here, but not enough. More Suckerpunch Snyder I'm afraid. Good but not as engaging with the characters overall lends to the film feeling hollow. The visuals, action and music are good though, but just not enough.
I love anime, but if I am honest, I am the anime watcher of yesteryear. I loved Manga when I was growing up. I collected Guyver on VHS, New Dominion Tank Police, I had Project A-Ko and Akira is an absolute classic. Unless I am mistaken, Anime is the "new" Manga and I am not really into it. I am not caught up and I do not watch them all some interest me and some don't. I simply want something to capture my attention and satisfy my anime-watching needs occasionally. I used to watch The Boondocks and Afro Samurai. I got into Attack on Titan (but fell off), I watched Castlevania and watched Troll Hunters (but fell off), I don't know. I just need something a bit more engaging. When I heard about Blue Eye Samurai, I kept hearing good things so I decided to give it a go. It is great!
In the time of the Samurai around the 1600s and the Edo period of Japan, a mixed race/bi-racial child was born. Frowned on by the locals, discriminated against, bullied and called names like demon and monster, the child was seen as an outcast which left them bitter and resentful. Not knowing who their father was, they made it their life-long mission to seek revenge on the man who made them this way, no matter who gets in their way.
I do like samurai movies and anime. There are a few Samurai-inspired games I am also interested in such as 'Ghost of Tsushima', 'Black Myth: Wukong' and 'Rise of the Ronin'. Afro Samurai was great and this series also reminded me of that, in some ways. A tale of revenge, not unlike most samurai stories, but this one is told through a few flashbacks here and there through the different stages of the warrior's life, what led them to where they are, what they are doing and what the warrior did in a challenging situation. I kid you not, there is a long sword fight which leads to the best long sword build-up I have ever seen in life. It was absolutely amazing, as well as clever. I want to go into it, but I also do not want to spoil it. Long Sword fight!
What I also liked about the show, was the characters. Well thought out and well voice acted. The way the story is told, you have a bad-ass samurai and you are shown how bad-ass they are, but you are also shown that the samurai is not invincible and I loved that. Getting a few punches here and there is one thing, but when your character is shown to be human rather than achieving the impossible, you tend to like and connect with the character more, well at least I do.
Clever, and witty with great music and animation. There is a top-down view I have NEVER seen in animation before and with the lighting and movement of the characters, I can only stress how visually entertaining and stunning this show is. They also took a few liberties in how they would also tell the story with the flashbacks, some were told in puppet fashion whilst others were in "black and white" with splashes of blood, a lot of blood. This series is gory, so expect to see blood splash everywhere. I am hoping for a season 2 because, I can only assume (due to the storyline) we can have 3 seasons, but if any of the other seasons are like this one, I will definitely be back to watch it. Bring on that trailer!!!
Phase Four of the MCU does not seem to make much sense, nor does it gel well with the other films and shows around it. Having a global pandemic was surely going to mess things up for the well-oiled machine that was Disney's MCU. Phase One, Phase Two, Phase Three and the Infinity Saga was concluded with a big nice bow around it. We were told of another villain, Kang the Conquerer and how he would be the big bad of the Multiverse Saga, Phase 4, 5 and 6 and that everything would lead up to Avengers Kang Dynasty and then Avengers Secret Wars. Interestingly enough, I heard that the reason they wanted to go the Kang Dynasty route, was due to the performance of the actor, Johnathan Majors, how he wowed everyone at the end of the first season of Loki. The MCU found their guy and found their story arc. Johnathan played Kang the Conquerer in Ant-Man Quatumania and it was going to be a wonder, how he would factor into the second season of Loki due to the events of the first season.
After the events of the first season, things have now changed, like He Who Remains said it would. He Who Remains is now dead, Sylvie is gone and Loki remains at the Time Varients Authority, but things are different this time around. Instead of the Time Keepers, we now have statues and iconography of He Who Remains and Loki is terrified of what has been released. Loki discovers the Temporal Loom is collapsing and has to find a way to fix it by not only partnering up with Mobius and some of the other agents of the TVA, but also travel through time to find the only person they think could help fix the loom and stop all the other variants of He Who Remains from causing a multiversal war.
I do not want to defend Disney and the MCU, or harp on about Disney's decisions etc, but I do try to put things into perspective. Since the pandemic struck, there has been a huge push for Disney Plus and for more MCU content. Some show's release dates had to be switched around, and stories had to be changed due to the similarity of real-world events, the MCU was simply trying to find its feet due to the current global environment and the decisions and changes made. I personally feel that, with the new direction and push, a lot of the MCU's most recent content has been lacklustre (in MCU standards) due to this, but only a handful of projects have been really good and have been as close to the bar or at the bar Marvel has set for themselves. With that said, whilst the really good to great films and TV shows are very few and far between, the Loki series is by far, one of the best MCU TV shows and content the MCU has put out in a while or, frankly, period.
Loki season 2 not only seamlessly continues from the first season, the transition is simply unrecognisable. The two seasons play as one long movie and if everything was filmed at the same time and simply broken up into bite-sized episodes. The story, superb. The writing and script, incredible. The special effects were not spared and looked amazing for a TV show. To be fair, yes, the special effects were used sparingly but practical sets helped with budgets, so when the special effects were used, it looked amazing. The show seemed to have as much love and attention put into the show like the first season and a handful of other MCU TV shows. You can tell the attention to detail was there. It was all in the writing, script, story and performance.
The performance from Tom Hiddleston as Loki, will go down as one of the best story arcs in Marvel acted out by a single actor who simply owns the character. Like Robert Downey Jr. is to Ironman, Tom is to Loki. If you follow the story arc from the very first Thor, then Thor: The Dark World, The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, going into this series, you will love what they have done here and what the MCU has done with the Loki character. As for Jonathan Majors, the actor is incredible, simply incredible. The artistic vision he is able to put in his performance is soo good, when you simply look at his body of work and his performance in the last season, you see why they chose him. Not to get into his personal life, but should he not beat his trial, I do believe Marvel should replace the actor, but the new actor will have some huge shoes to fill. Without getting into any spoilers, seeing Johnathan continue in the MCU would be great, simply put. Ke Huy Quan, Sophia Di Martino and Owen Wilson are top tier next to Johnathan and Tom. I do feel Owen and Sophia had a slight smaller role in this season to make way for Ke and Ke knocks it out of the park. Every single moment he is on the screen, you gravitate to him and his energy. As for the other supporting cast such as Wunmi Mosaku and Rafael Casal, they were also good, but it would have been nice to have a little more from Wunmi as she is another great actress who has also worked alongside Johnathan before.
Lastly, the music by Natalie Holt is amazing. The music for the first season also by Natalie Holt is on a playlist of mine, so to know she has come back for season 2 brings comfort to me and she does not miss. I am yet to sit down and listen to this season's score, but from what I heard in the show, especially near the end of the last episode, the scene with Loki, simply sounded amazing and I will definitely Identify that and add it to my list. While the MCU is not in the best place right now, us fans want consistency, but we also want great storytelling. A vision, love, time and passion put into the writing, the stories will help the MCU going forward, this series is a testament to that as this is, as I have said, is by far, one of the best MCU TV shows and content the MCU has put out in a while or, frankly, period. Get to watching it.
There comes a point where you simply throw in the towel. There comes a point where you reach great heights, but the "ceiling" of your own making prevents you from soaring to new heights. The MCU has gotten to a point where, while I would have stated, they are only competing against themselves in film, yes, but in TV shows, no. With numerous other TV shows from different IPs out there creating great content, the juggernaut of comic book movies' clumsy transition and decline in TV show production is starting to dilute the brand for the fans and we are very close to throwing in the towel. With that said, the MCU's movies of late have not been great also, so we fans are maybe, closer to giving up on the franchise because mediocrity does not enthuse us, the fans. This might sound harsh and it also might paint an ugly picture of how I ultimately feel about this show, but I kid you not, this show was actually, really really good, in places...but that is the problem, in places. I'll explain.
Secret Invasion picks up after the events of 'Endgame' and we are seemingly in the middle of a Skrull invasion. Skrulls are shapeshifting aliens last seen in the 90s when Carol Danvers fought off the Kree to protect the Skrulls. Nick Fury made them a promise to find a new planet for them to live on, but several years later, the leader of a group of rebel Skrulls decides to fight for his people and lead a group of Skrulls in a fight to take the planet for themselves.
A really good premise, excellently acted by Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Ben Mendelsohn and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Emilia Clarke was decent but was not given much to do. However, Charlayne Woodard was really good for the little screen time she had and Olivia Colman was absolutely superb. And here lies the issue. With a premise like the one it has, why were only some actors written great and had some excellent conversations and interactions where they were brilliantly acted, but other characters' dialogue and interactions were not as good or well thought out. It is the execution of the storyline and the setup of some of the scenes that are simply lacking. The show had the potential to be just like Captain America: The Winter Soldier but darker with more espionage and paranoia especially when you are dealing with shape-shifting aliens who could be anyone, but the show falls short of its potential.
There is a conversation between Nick Fury and Colonel James Rhodes which was excellently written and acted out. There was a conversation between Nick Fury and Talos on a train and that was excellently written and acted out. Every scene with Sonya Falsworth, Olivia's acting to dialogue was simply a standout and stole every scene she was in, so it begs the question, how come the show ended up being as lacklustre as it was? There is a conversation between Nick Fury and Gravik, but the whole scene falls a little flat in the end and does not really make any logistical sense. The climax in the end was simply nonsensical and has left us, the viewers and especially the fans with more questions than answers for the MCU going forward.
As I have stated earlier, it is a good premise, excellent even. Great actors in great roles with amazing scenes. The dialogue in some places was excellent and the special effects were great, although limited not to mention the climax. The show touches on some points and has something to say. The music, scenes and settings are all great. So with that said, this is not a show that is trash, but it is a show that was good but could have been great and it makes you wonder what is happening at Disney. If I am honest, the show was good but was a disappointment or it is quite possible that I wanted too much from the show because I saw the potential, but I did not get the tone of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and if anything, this show is more of a letdown, an enjoyable let down, unfortunately.
I heard murmurs regarding this show having already been out. I thought people were getting the TV show, (well episode) confused with the trailer. You see, Amazon Prime dropped the trailer, but a friend of mine told me the special episode was out too. Of course, I did not believe it, but I had a look for myself and low and behold Invincible: Atom Eve Special Episode was out and I really did not realise how much I was chomping at the bit to watch it. As stated in my trailer review, Atom Eve is a side character from the TV show Invincible and she helps Invincible be part of a team and become a better team player. This show is a prequel to the events of season one of Invincible and it dives deep into the background of how Atom Eve came about. But is it just as good as the Invincible series? Yes, yes it really is!
We start off with chaos and destruction as a team of super-powered people are wreaking havoc, but they are stopped by The Guardians of the Globe. We see how the team fights with one another, not as in-sync as we have seen them before as they are bantering to one another and fighting for hits rather than working as a team, but just when things were looking good for them, the roof begins to collapse in and it is caught by Omni-man. Around this time, a woman is pregnant and about to give birth, we later learn this is the birth of Atom Eve.
We get a short but visually descriptive montage, which soon leads to a young Atom Eve discovering her powers, figuring them out and wanting to do good in the world. This leads to her creating her secret identity, stopping crime and fighting figures who seem to know her and want her dead. At the same time, Atom Eve is being pursued by other figures who have their own agenda.
Not to drag the MCU through the mud and dirt, but if you do something successfully, you can keep on repeating that success if you understand what you have, what you are doing with it and how to deliver it. You can add to it, you can enhance it, you can explore and expand on it whilst continuing to deliver everything you did before. Season one of Invincible is just that. This special episode is just that and it is also, quality. I just feel when you do too much, you lose track of which plates are spinning and the quality dips and the plates begin to fall.
The music was decent in this episode, nothing too recognisable as season one of Invincible, but the voice acting was amazing. Hearing the late great Lance Reddick got me a little emotional because I didn't realise I could recognise his voice until I did. I looked it up and I was filled with sorrow. Such a great actor. The animation is simply top notch and when it comes to the fighting scenes, I feel the people behind this show have not missed a single step. Beat for beat and pound for pound, the show simply feels as though it picked up where season one left off as everything felt so fluid unlike the noticeable difference in quality when comparing Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse with Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse. With the latter, everything went up a level where although I do not think that has happened here, that does not make it a bad thing, at least it did not dip in quality. Moreover, seeing the Guardians of the Globe was a refreshing touch, considering, and this taster simply makes me look forward to season two which ultimately upsets me as I want it now. If you have not seen the first season of Invincible and you are into cartoons/anime, get on it. Both this and season one is just great storytelling and I can only assume, season two will just be bigger and better. I wonder if Robert is going to give us more one-shots like this? I'd definitely not say no!
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Straight out of the gate in 2020 when the entire world was told to stay home due to a global pandemic, Netflix dropped a movie called 'Extraction' starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if you did not know the actor's name). It was at a time where there were no trips to the cinema, we could only rely on home entertainment and while Netflix has been pretty hit-and-miss when it comes to a lot of the products they put out, Extraction was another hit, like how 'The Old Guard' with Charlize Theoron was...well, it was decently received, at least. Whilst this might seem irrelevant now, but both 'John Wick', 'John Wick: Chapter 2' and 'John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum' was already out by then and taking the world by storm. A former hitman takes on a crime lord due to killing his dog. Riviting storyline, but it was nothing but action on top of action inside an action sandwich and it was very well praised and beloved by many. Those movies were directed by stuntmen, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Whilst David Leitch has gone on to direct other movies (since the first John Wick), Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Nobody, Bullet Train and Violent Night, all films that have received some kind of praise due to the action and visuals, Sam Hargrave, another stuntman is responsible for both Extraction and Extraction 2, which leads me to this; there seems to be a new trend in Hollywood where a stuntman can act, stunt co-ordinate and pick up the camera to direct compelling movies that are not too deep on story, but can deliver a heavy punch or eight to the face, providing the audience with nothing but action in a way that many of us love and enjoy. So while Extraction was Sam's first feature movie...and it was really good, Sam raised the bar this time around and he simply made an even better sequel.
Extraction 2 picks up where the last one left off, and the story of Tyler Rake continues as a black ops mercenary who has been specifically selected to carry out a job which is very close to home for him. Tyler and his team must infiltrate a Georgian prison for an extraction, but in his way are two warring gangs and one of the leaders of the two gangs is a ruthless drug lord and has a personal army. Tyler just do this quietly, failure to do so, means he is likely to disrupt the prisoners and bring on a fight, likely die and fail his mission.
Surperb. You know when you are sitting/laying there watching a movie and then all of a sudden, you sit up as if the movie has commanded your undivided attention, like it never had it in the first place. There was a scene where someone was going to fall, but what the other person does to catch them made me sit up straight. It was a great moment, one of many in this movie. If you do not know already but I love a long take. A long take is where it seems as though the camera stays locked on the action covering many angles, following characters and not "cutting" to a different angle. This has been achieved in many films and TV shows, but I think I first recognised it in the first Netflix Daredevil season one taxi scene from inside the taxi where the camera turns in a 360 degree turn without cutting or again in Daredevil and the famous action-packed hallway scene. The Michael Keaton film Birdman (I think, from memory) is all one take too. The first extraction film achieved this as a car chase scene that started from a jungle and ended in a street fight. Without giving away too much, this long take starts from inside a prison and ends on a train. It is amazing to watch and a lot of the time I kept thinking, "How?" "How did they achieve that?" Moreover, we are simply looking at a video game at this point. The film was soo good, when the film finished, I was buzzing with excitement wondering if and when there will be a sequel. If a computer game developer would take this franchise up and develop a game to play on consoles and PC. Man like Tyler Rake, has simply shot up as one of my favourite action heroes next to John McClane and Ethan Hunt.
Sam Hargrave's directing is a work of art. I believe coming from a stuntman background allows him to see angles or action in ways others cannot, hence why the action in these films feel soo intense, gritty and gripping. The only franchise that comes remotely close to this franchise is, John Wick and The Raid. Even the TV show Gangs of London comes close to this but Extraction is something different entirely. No glamourous or beautiful shots, no or not many sequences where you have to suspend disbelief, everything feels real as if it could really happen and characters can actually die. Insane are the stunts, but we are not talking Fast and Furious type of stunts, you know? Sam levels up the story this time around with more characters and a complex situation that changes the dynamics of the characters involved. Without going into too much detail, but a character is disillusioned and thinks wholeheartedly that something is a certain way, but later faces the realisation that all is not what it seems. There is a "side character" from the first movie who returns with a bigger role in this and their scenes are excellent.
The action, superb. The cinematography, excellent. The pacing, swift. The music, good. The acting, great. There is even another actor who joins the franchise in whom was a surprise to me just like the first movie had a surprise actor in it as well. The stuntwork, top form and amazing, but what would you expect from a director who is a stunt co-oridnator. All in all, this franchise seems to be getting better and better with each outing and I sincerely hope, we do get a 3rd to leave us with a trilogy at least...unlike The Raid franchise that only gave us 2 great action-packed films. Make it a trilogy and we can mention it as part of the most underrated trilogies ever made. Oh, and watch them back to back, Extraction 1 and then 2.
This week we start with a flashback of the few days before the outbreak and a lady is having her lunch in a restaurant which is interrupted by a soldier. He tells her to come with him to a destination where she is asked to inspect the body of a woman who was acting weird. They discovered a bit of mark and a possible infection but needed her expertise to clarify and confirm their findings. Shortly afterwards, the doctor and the soldier have a conversation about what should be done going forwards and her response was dire. Another bleak intro again sets up how this show shows us the audience, the world and their reaction to an infected and incurable person. The tension builds up slowly in these scenes and the room with the body is just nasty.
After the opening credits, we focus on the party going forward consisting of Joell, Ellie and Tess. They have only found out about Ellie's condition, so they are both sceptical and quiz Ellie and her importance. While debating on what to do and wanting to complete their task, they set off deciding on which route to take for a safer and easier journey to their destination, but when one potential route is blocked, they take another which brings them into a museum where they stumble into infected. Chilling and tension drove where we get to experience some great acting in a scene with very little dialogue. We get to see an infected up close and how vicious they can be, their strengths and their weaknesses. Another great moment underscores the position the world is in and how one must navigate through it.
In the last moments of the episode, they finally get to their destination, but things do not run to plan. No one is there, there is no trade-off and both Tess and Joell have a conversation about what to do next. Without going into spoilers, a great moment between the characters and while I had a feeling and knew what was going to happen, to see everything play out was amazing. To get more information about the infected and how they work/operate in this world was terrifying. These small little character-building moments however brief help to build out the characters more and more which helps to make the show gripping. Another excellent episode.
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First of all, I'm still awaiting on 'Cowboy, Ninja, Viking', a movie which was meant to star Chris Pratt i heard many many moons ago...maybe something like 5 years ago or more. Secondly, I'm still awaiting 'Y: The Next Man' or is it, 'Y: The Last Man'? I can't remember the exact title but I think the latter and was also meant to star Chris, I think, so hearing about this and also seeing a trailer threw me because I never heard of it until now. There could be reasons for that and if I'm honest, this film has great ideas, a great premise and a decent enough execution, but the film as a whole, was...well, a good romp! I'll explain.
Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) is an ex-soldier and science teacher with a wife and daughter. On the night of a football/Soccer game, Dan receives news he didn't get a job he applied for and whilst watching the football game, the game is interrupted by time-travellers from the future who state the human race will be extinct in 30 years and that they have returned from the future to draft more able bodies to help fight the war in the future. Dan is enlisted, which means he will need to travel into the future to save the world and everyone on it from extinction.
The premise is cool. The visuals are great. the enemy is excellent and the story is good. Where this film breaks down for me, is some of the dialogue choices and the third act. I felt the third act felt rushed and unimaginative. I understood it all but after and excellent 2 acts, the third felt like waste! Even some moments at the very end and something Dan does and I thought "Really???" Dan is not a superhero, he is a mere man who can die from a headshot to the face. But this feat he pulls off was beyond super heroic.
The acting was great although I felt Sam should have had a little bit more to do as I liked his character and his small character arc. His teleportation at the end was random to me and unnecessary...oh and unbelievable. J.K . Simmons was excellent as always and so was Chris Pratt. There was a moment at the beginning where these two are talking and something is said and the delivery and the action was poor. It seems like terrible acting between the both of them so it felt weird to me. I also thought Edwin Hodge was great too and I like his story, it felt different, especially when you combine his and Sam's characters who were complete opposites. But besides these things, I loved the visuals, some of the camera choices and there were some real brutal deaths where I would audibly make a sound. But all in all, I think I might have felt a little let down in the cinema so the Amazon Prime watch was great. I just felt they could have done a touch more and it would have been great. Maybe even drop the third act altogether, I don't know, something just felt a little off by the end, like the movie was a touch too long, yet I've seen longer movies. Maybe, we could have done without some of the elements in act two to maybe clean up the movies and streamline it. I'd definitely watch again though.
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Emma Stone is a fantastic actor. I think I knew her from 'Zombieland' back in 2009, a film I loved. I also remember her from 'Gangster Squad' and she was great as Gwen Stacy in 'The Amazing Spider-Man'. When I saw her in one of my least mentioned but loved movies, 'Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)', is when I thought to myself, "That girl from Zombieland is really really good". From then I heard about her performance in 'La La Land' and the Awards she won, she is definitely a natural talent and to think she even came back for 'Zombieland: Double Tap' shows how A-Class she is as a person. Her performance in Cruella, well the film in of itself, hmmm...well she's great and doesn't disappoint. I'll Explain.
Estella Miller was born different. She had different colour hair from birth and was a jovial and rebellious child with a cruel streak. Nicknamed Cruella by her mother, Estella had a talent for fashion but when Estella's mother dies, this pushes her over the edge where she moves to London, meets Jasper and Horace who become her friends and ultimately help her get a job which will have her designing for Baroness Von Hellman, a Narcissistic renowened designer, head of a prestigious London fashion house.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie. I never cared for 101 Dalmations or the characters of the story. I understood who Cruella was back in the day but I never cared for her. Along with Disney giving villains story and to some extent, turning them into anti-heroes, I definitely was not sure how they would deal with the telling of this villain who kills puppies and makes coats out of their fur. I mean, that would not go down with the kids these days, you know, cancel culture and all that. You see Disney back in the day were dark and cold in their storytelling, so the retelling of these older films as live action will be difficult and challenging but I had fun with this movie.
I enjoyed this movie because although the child acting was bad, the adult actors were amazing. Paul Walter Hauser is quickly becoming one of my favourite actors and for me was a standout. I recognised him from 'I, Tonya' and he was simply brilliant in that. I then noticed him in 'Da 5 Bloods' and although a smaller part, was just as great as the other great actors present. But right now, I'll watch anything he is in and his British accent was spot on. Joel Fry, although I haven't seen him in anything apart from Game of Thrones, he was also decent and somewhat noteworthy as I liked his character. But without a shadow of doubt, Emma Thompson AND Emma Stone were bar-for-bar, acting-for-acting, the the best parts of this movie as they carried the movie on their backs with a great performance from each other. They have both won the Academy Awards and it shows. There is a speech E.Stone does near the end of the movie and it was a great and powerful performance. E.Thompson's mannerisms as the Baroness were excellent and written soo well. There came a point where I just zoned into the movie and was sailing on how wonderfully crafted the script was as well as the performances and the look.
The visuals, the outfits the music. Although a lot of green-screen was used in places as well as some unreal dogs, I loved what they did with some of the "characters" as well as the dogs used. I'm sure there is a dog named Blinky, which was really cute and the settings, decor and costumes, props and sets for the 70's was soo accurate. I wasn't born in that decade but seeing the old "hop-on, hop-off" buses really got me in the feels. I mean, the department store Estella works at, is still there and looks exactly the same as it is in the movie now. The outfits were stunning and jaw dropping, with some of the gags used for these outfits, beyond creative and amazing. The music was ok as I wasn't really impressed by it to notice it. The only real issue with this movie though, is that nobody wanted it AND it isn't essentially WOW! It's a good movie and enjoyable but it isn't "Wow, that movie was sooo good it deserves an award". It is more of a "Wow, the movies was great for streaming". Not to say you shouldn't go out and watch at the cinema, but I feel there is something about it that doesn't quite get there. Strangely enough, the performances could, but the screenplay/story was average in comparison to the performances that outshone the story which leaves it a little lacklustre.
All in all though, even if you didn't care for the movie or the character's, this is a nice little watch for the kids in the cinema or if you are out and about and you want to kill some times and enjoy a movie whilst out, but if you don't feel like venturing out, you could also watch it on Disney Plus (like me) with Nacho's and Popcorn pre-made and have a lovely evening on the sofa enjoying Disney's ambitious project.
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Ok, first and foremost....I really enjoyed this film. I've mentioned in previous reviews that I didn't realise I was a Zack Snyder fan. I hadn't realised that I really enjoyed most of if not all of his movies. I wrote something at the time about him having made a bunch of movies and me seeing practically all of them bar 2 not realising, but having now seen this movie, Zack Snyder is a great director, he knows what his audience/fans want. I might have even mentioned something like, "a better Michael Bay than Michael Bay". Whilst there might be some Michael Bay fans who may disagree...come at me bro!
Scott is a mercenary trying to live a normal life although there has been a Zombie pandemic that has broken out in a now controlled area of Las Vegas. However, a casino owner, Bly Tanaka decides with his colleague that they want to send a bunch of people through a zombie infested area to carry out a heist on his casino vault to steal $200 Million, however as crazy as the task is, with one helicopter on the roof of the casino for their getaway, they are on a time limit as all the Zombies in the controlled area will be nuked! Scott gets together a bunch of trusted people he feels will be able to carry out the job efficiently, but when things don't go exactly according to plan on the job, it is a race to grab the money and run....oh and try not to get eaten by a zombie or nuked.
As I stated earlier, I enjoyed this film. Hell, I loved it! Whilst some elements of the movie could have been telegraphed, Zack knows how to direct something which is a very entertaining watch. The characters were great even if one was CGI'ed in throughout the already wrapped movie...seamlessly. The tension in places reminded me of Aliens and there is reason to believe some elements like a specific character was paying homage to a character in Aliens because I thought of that character instantly. I loved Omari "Ghost" Hardwick's character as he was very intense, but the character he was paired up with made for great comedic banter. Dave Bautista was also great (and continues to be in film) as the lead guy and the interaction he has with a specific person and although the film does follow the typical horror tropes in places, there was a specific scene involving a elevator I really didn't expect and I audibly gasped out loud and covered my mouth.
The film is also beautifully shot. The angles and to an extent, the depth of field was OK at best but slightly distracting as it seems Zack was trying something new, but other than that, I didn't really have a complaint about the movie at all as it hit in all the right places. The different variants of Zombie were great although as first glance didn't seem obvious but how these zombies were presented were even better. I feel there is another story to be told with the zombies and the different variants as it goes because there seems to be much more to this world than meets the eye...especially the Alien involvement. I'd love to see the planned Anime 'Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas' and the already shot prequel, although I'm wondering if this will hint at the zombie pandemic or not or maybe characters for a future movie. Also it's not that scary either.
Wallace cannot do anything wrong at the moment as the calibre of his acting seems to outshine any movies he is in. Without Remorse is not a terrible movie, but it IS NOT something we have NOT seen before. A man out for revenge. What is more important or what will make these types of films stand out more, is the approach. Let's take John Wick for example, stylish, every shot is a head shot or eight and it alludes to a grand universe with lore and background as the movies went on. John Wick seems rich within the world it is in whilst remaining gritty and hardcore. This movie, whilst nothing like a John Wick and thankfully, nothing like a Max Payne, Michael gives us what he can with a post credits scene hinting at more to possibly come.
Senior Chief John Kelly is in the US Navy SEALs and as part of a rescue mission in Syria, but due to withheld information or the wrong intel, the captors ended up being something they weren't. This eventually leads to all the members of the rescue mission being killed including John's pregnant wife as collateral damage. When John makes a recovery from his attack, he vows to seek revenge without remorse taking matters into his own hands as he is one of, if not the best US Navy Seal there is, but with the mistrust from the Syria rescue which resulted in his wife being killed, John takes on a mission to seek the truth around people he is unwilling to trust.
This film is nothing special but it does have some really great scenes in. From the opening scene, the house scene is also great. But the best scenes in this movie are the flaming car scene you see in the trailer, the prison scene with the sink and the aeroplane scene, especially the aeroplane scene, you'll know it when you see it. However, with a bland story, these scenes only do just enough to make this film entertaining. Camera angles, sets and while the mystery has much to be desired, I feel the villain was too obvious which let the film down. I believe there should have been possibly an extra 20 - 30 minutes added to the movie to add some more twists and intrigue, but from the moment you see a specific actor, the movie pretty much lets you know what is going on.
Michael B. Jordan is excellent in this and next to Michael is Jodie Turner-Smith who also helps carry the movie and seeing her in some action was nice to see a black woman, in the military, high ranking and in the field. I feel like I have not seen that before. Two black main characters with Jamie Bell, who is always great, make this film really watchable and it is a hope that these three characters can come back for future movies. The post credits scene alludes to that and it is a hope that maybe they will go bigger and better next time around. As these things are adapted from novel's it might be best to add that little bit more to them or if there are bits cut from a novel for the film, to add those bits or vice versa. There needs to be a bit more to these movies because as well they may read on paper in novel form, translated into movie is ok, but in some cases and especially this case, is just not enough. No one really wants to walk away from watching this movie saying "it was alright!" especially with the calibre of these superb actors.
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If you haven't watched my reviews of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier LEGEND trailers, I will give you a small brief of the two main characters. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier are both Captain America's friend from two different times in history. The Winter Soldier dates back to when Steve Rogers first joined the Army and The Falcon dates back to when Steve Rogers first becomes a Avenger. At the end of the movie Avenger's Endgame [SPOILER ALERT!!!] Steve Rogers gives Sam Wilson his iconic Shield...and from that point, this is where the shows pics up from.
This is essentially a 6 hour movie broken down into episodic chunks that picks up after the events of Endgame and where having now come back, fighting a huge war, the mourning of the loss of a friend/teammate, The Avengers have essentially disbanded and The Falcon is back in the Army on special missions. Sam Wilson, now with Captain America's shield believes the only way to honour Steve Rogers and the Shield is to hand it to the Smithsonian to be apart of the Captain America Exhibit. While this seems to be a great idea at first and the Government are all for it, but it doesn't take the Government long to appoint a new Captain America, shield and all.
The Winter Soldier, post the events of Endgame has been pardoned conditionally by the government and can live out a somewhat normal life. He is seeking counselling as part of his pardon and is trying to make amends where he can. But after having seen a new Captain America appointed, James 'Bucky' Barnes makes contact with Sam with grievances as to why he would "simply" give up the Shield which is now in the hands of John Walker the new Captain America. This confrontation leads them on the trail to "terrorists", people with supersoldier-like abilities who call themselves The Flag Smashers. In a confrontation with The Flag Smashes, the New Captain America and his "side-kick" Lemar Hoskins aka Battlestar joins the fight which leads to him stepping on toes. As the show goes on with both Sam and Bucky trying to figure out the mystery of where the serums are coming from to make super powered individuals, leads them to characters like Zemo, The Powerbroker, Isiah Bradley and the many secrets behind the actions of the government and what it means to be Captain America and to hold the shield. All this is compounded with the Flag Smashers actions and threats headed by their leader Karli Morgenthau. Chosen by Steve Rogers for a reason, can Sam do what it takes?
This show, although it was meant to be the first TV series out of the gate last year until the pandemic hit forcing Disney to restructure the show's plot and their TV shows, Wandavison came out first. I'm not sure if this was a stroke of genius or the only card Disney could play but during a pandemic, Wandavision was a breath of fresh air. Wandavision has or at least, seems to have had a better track-record with audience participation due to the sheer quality and delivery of the show. The show was brilliant keeping us guessing from episode to episode, everybody was Mephisto! That does not mean The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is rubbish or pales in comparison, it just means that TFATWS delivers the classic and already tried and tested Marvel formula with added grit and touching topics a Marvel movie may briefly skim the surface of. The show is deep rooted in comic book history as well as real life history while it touches on racism in America and some might argue, today's Black Lives Matter movement, although I don't subscribe to that as I believe it touches on racism as a whole and how we view people. It touches on what we deem as politics with labelling issues we do not wish to address and shove under the rug with labelling, how people see the government, how the government see people and how certain people see people. The show is very very layered touching on these themes which I'd only like to hope will help open the eyes of the viewers and real life events and situations the plague our society now. The Irony I saw in this show comes with comments such as "TFATWS is too political" in which I would question that statement with, "what makes the show political for you?" There is a speech near the end of the show, slightly heavy handed in it's delivery but touches on the very nature of people's thoughts on matters they do not wish to go into and discuss. Labelling something political doesn't make it political, it makes it an issue and something you are not willing to address and stay ignorant to, that doesn't make the problem/issue magically go away.
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan as James Barnes are both excellent in this. The pair do a lot of acting without even saying a word and whilst there are some very very powerful scenes, the quiet moments or quiet storytelling and the comradery between them help deliver such a bromance we saw glimpses of in Captain America: Civil War. Daniel Bruhl's character as Zemo is somewhat a scene stealer whenever he pops up, but if there was anyone who deserves as much credit as Anthony and Sebastian, is Wyatt Russell as John Walker. This is also a story for John Walker as well as Sam and without going into spoilers, seeing more of John as the show goes on and how time will go on, will be great because the evolution of his character and how he is portrayed is like watching a train-wreck. Erin Kellyman, although somewhat typecast is also great, but it would have been nice to see or understand a bit more of her backstory as it seems elements were cut due to the 2020 pandemic and shifting part of the narrative. There are action scenes a plenty, but from the introduction of The Powerbroker, wondering who that person was, was a weekly guess, but we are talking about a buddy cop superhero action adventure soaked in espionage, so it would be nice to se if we could see a lot these characters return at some point and that Mephisto is in fact, the Powerbroker.
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