#ghost-spider 2019 also isn't that good

[gwensy]

hey do you know of a good spider gwen reading order?

HOLD ON I HAVE A READING GUIDE. I'LL DM IT TO YOU

[rookie-critic]

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023, dir. Peyton Reed) - review by Rookie-Critic

People are beginning to experience (or are in the depths of experiencing, depending on who you ask) MCU burnout. The brilliance of the Infinity Saga, which began with the first Iron Man back in 2008, and spanned 3 "phases," which included 23 films across 11 franchises, that culminated in Avengers: Endgame in May 2019 (and truly ended with Spider-Man: Far From Home a couple months later), felt like and was a complete arc. Characters that we had known for a little over a decade had grown, had won, had lost, and their story, for all intents and purposes, was over, and to tempt fate with more seemed foolhardy. I can completely sympathize with that, and will admit that Phase 4 of the MCU was something of a transitional mess, some of the films were great, some were not, a couple were even outright bad; seeing the MCU's first rotten Tomatometer score ever with Eternals (although I didn't think Eternals was deserving of that hate). It also introduced the Disney+ shows, that were crucial to understanding the bigger picture and could cause a lot of confusion down the line if skipped. It's a lot to keep up with and I don't blame anyone who isn't already in the thick of it for not wanting to get started, and I don't blame anyone who's been here the whole time for feeling fatigued. The barrier for entry is too high at this point. That being said, I'm not sure this particular reviewer is the best source for unbiased opinions on the MCU, because I quite liked Quantumania. As always, we're staying mostly spoiler-free here (if it was in a trailer, it's fair game).

The best thing about the Ant-Man franchise has always been the humor. The first film was originally going to be directed by Edgar Wright, and even though he didn't end up sticking with it, there are ghosts of his trademark quick wit embedded in the fabric of that first movie, and it has informed the character of Scott Lang/Ant-Man to a point where he's just an inherently funny character, and that's no different in Quantumania. Paul Rudd is hilarious, Michael Douglas is really funny, cameos from Bill Murray, David Dastmalchian, and William Jackson Harper are all funny, and Corey Stoll, who returns to the MCU for the first time since that original Ant-Man film as MODOK, is an absolute scene stealer. To me, the jokes worked, the humor worked, I laughed out loud fairly frequently throughout all 124 minutes of the film and could not have been more pleased on that front. Even outside of the film's humor, the acting is just phenomenal. Not only from Rudd and Douglas, but from MCU-newcomer Kathryn Newton, as well. However, while they were all good, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jonathan Majors are the highlights of the film by a mile. Specifically Majors, who I'm beginning to think is untouchable amongst the younger acting crowd. It's hard to make a villain feel as threatening or as compelling as Thanos, and while I'm not going to say that quite yet, as we are still very early on in the development of this new "big bad" for the MCU, the presence that Majors exudes as Kang is imposing and impressive. We have only begun to scratch the surface of this Multiverse thing, and here comes a character, without giving too much away, that basically has the power and the intelligence to hold it in the palm of his hand, should he want to. I get the feeling that, much like the Multiverse, we've only begun to scratch the surface of what Kang and his many variants are capable of.

Now, while I definitely don't think this film is bad, or even remotely deserving of the ire it's receiving from critics, I do think that the script could have been cleaned up or fleshed out a bit. There is a lot going on here, and it is all happening at the same time. It's not really that hard to follow, it's just a bit of a sensory overload, and I think because of that, certain plot aspects and character arcs feel a bit rushed. There is a particular beat that happens at the tail end of the film that just seemed too... easy, for lack of a better word. It was the one part of the movie where I actually thought "Well, that doesn't make any sense!" and it has been frustrating me since leaving the theater on Sunday. Another issue, and it's probably my biggest issue with the film, is that, for a film titled Ant-Man AND THE WASP, Evangeline Lily's Wasp is probably the least plot-forwarding character in the entire movie. I liked her character, and they make a couple of attempts to have her feel important in the grand scheme of things, but I don't think they gave her, really, anything to do, which was pretty disappointing.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is not even close to perfect. At this point in the MCU's trajectory, I'm not sure perfect is a word we'll be seeing much of anymore. However, it has a clear goal in mind and it succeeds in accomplishing that goal: to be an entertaining sci-fi superhero comedy that introduces audiences to the MCU's next major threat in a very major way. To put it plainly, I liked Quantumania, and if you've come this far into the forest that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I think it makes it pretty good argument for sticking around for the next Saga.

Score: 7/10

Currently only in theaters.

As always, please, for the love of god, stick around until after the credits. I'm so tired of seeing people walk out of a Marvel movie before it's 100% over.

[emmym1]

My thoughts on... Ghost-Spider 2019 (#6-10) "Party People"

So we've come at the end of the (Spider-Gwen:) Ghost-Spider run! Let just say that i did not expect it to end in this way. So in these last 5 issues of the run the comic takes a very different direction. Dissmissing the jackal, man-wolf & benji storylines in favor of introducing is to a new one featuring none other than earth-65's Sue & Johnny Storm. I will say i really loved this take on the characters. It's vastly different from what we are used to from these characters, as all 65 character. These versions of them are influencers who gained their powers after going to a sponsored trip in latveria and meeting with doom. After this they want to use their powers to increase their fame. It kinda sounds cliché when you put it like that, however the way its written it really reminds you of some of the modern day influencers. Now sadly all of this isn't well written, a lot of stuff gets really really rushed. And the entire arc really felt like it came out of nowhere. From the moment when they come back into the spotlights with their newfound powers they want to team up with Gwen. They do so and Gwen actually kind of likes it, it's fun for her that she has fellow superheroes to team up with in her own universe. However it turns out that they were just using her as a way to verify their status as trusted heroes. After this they suddenly come after Gwen and force her to leave the city or her and her loved ones die. I will say Sue and Johnny as villains are absolutely terrifying, especially their earth-65 versions. Due to Johnny's fire based powers it's hard for her to have an advantage in the fight. Even if she survives, they made modified video that makes her look like a villain. Which is the last thing she could use now. After some fighting they eventually make a deal. Sue and Johnny leave her loved ones alone and she moves to earth-616. And that's basically where it ends. I was really frustrated with it because the storyline is far from over, and having Gwen just basically run away and leave it at that feels really wrong. I hope that her future comics deal with the issue but i don't think they do (guess we'll find out soon enough!). All of it feels really rushed. Her goodbyes to her loved ones before she goes to 616 all take place on one page with minimal dialogue when it at least should've been a more emotional moment. There was also like a story going on with a different universe Reed Richards that also never got adressed anymore in this run. Overall these last few issues make the run feel very rushed and unfinished. I also didn't like how Gwenom reappeared with no real reason or explanation, it kind of felt like it was just there to have something cool and nothing else. Which is a shame because i love what Gwenom stands for when it comes to her character and her arc. (Sidenote: The last few issues did have a few character moments i really liked a lot, so it's not all bad. It's just a shame that all of this got so rushed out) So yeah i'm kind of frustrated that the run ends this way. Especially because i had an absolute blast reading it. It had a lot of good and fun moments, not to mention it was setting up some interesting stuff. So i hate that it all gets thrown away for another storyline with good setup and potential that gets rushed and left off unfinished. I really hope they'll return to all of these storylines at some point because it would be a shame and a waste of potential if they didn't. Even though these last issues left a sour taste in my mouth, i still enjoyed this run a lot and had great fun reading it. It's a shame it had to end in such a fashion but it is what it is. I still have a lot of her comics to read through, so i'm very excited for what those have in store!

[the-princess-with-pancakes]

Bordelands movie is in the works

Which is a bit weird to say. I never expected this game to land on the big screen, but it will and even sooner than I would expect. 

A day ago (20.02) Variety wrote an article about it, here is the full link because I'm gonna allude a lot from it:

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/borderlands-movie-eli-roth-lionsgate-1203509333/maz/

So Lionsgate announced this movie in 2015, which I didn't know, but lately, they settled a new director, Eli Roth. A guy who is mostly known for directing gory horror movies. And they also announced the (new?) writer, who is Craig Mazin, known for latest hit Chernobyl (2019), but he also wrote the scripts to The Hangover II, III (2011, 2013) and Scary Movie 3, 4 (2003, 2006), which in this four movies he wasn't the only writer. 

As for now, from this information that we got, for me, it sounds like a disaster. I'll start from the procuders, Avi and Ari Arad because there isn't much to say. Avi Arad produced more movies, which include e.g. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018) but also both Ghost Rider and both Hulk movies. So, I can't draw any conclusions from this. The same goes for Ari Arad, executive producer of Iron-man (2008) and both Ghost Rider movies.

Next coming to the for the writer, which I think has a weird situation. I think, that Lionsgate seeing the latest success of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019) and latest Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) decided to push the game movie, that was sitting on the shelf for the last five or more years and asked someone to write quickly a new draft of the movie. And for some reason, it was Craig Mazin. I think it's because of money. I think that Lionsgate isn't trusting in the movie and gives it a low budget and money will be the villain of this story. Yes, Craig is the creator of one of the best TV Shows of last year, but he's also a co-writer of some pretty awful movies. I haven't seen this tv show, but Borderlands stands big time on its crazy, dark humor. Good humor. And as far as I know, Chernobyl (2019) wasn't funny, like at all. As for the sequels of The Hangover (2009), I've seen these movies a few years back, before I really shaped my taste and chose my kind of humor, so I'm not gonna talk about it (let Rotten Tomatoes tell you, 33% for the second and 20% for the third), but I've also seen Scary Movie 4 (2006) and it was awful, even for me, even then, so... And if my predictions are true, if they trowed him some money and told to quickly write anything, then... oh boy...

And now for the director, which scares me the most. I love the Borderlands series, I played most of the games, I wish it the best and this guy isn't it. Yeah, sure, I haven't seen any of his movies, so who am I to say? I have a right, to write my opionion (which in this particular case is based on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and IMDb), so here it is. He directed e.g.:

Cabin Fever (2002) (62% Rotten Tomatoes, 55 Metacritic)

Hostel (2005) (61%, 55)

Death Wish (2018) (18%, 31)

The Hause with Clocks in Its Walls (2018) (66%,57)

You can see, where my concerns are coming from. I'm afraid but also a bit interested in this whole mess. Maybe I'll watch two or three movies he directed but can't promise anything. It's just a shame, that for now, just Werner Bros decided to live a risk a little and drop more coins in a game movie with Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019), which was a fine movie, but had great worldbuilding and some good looking CGI Pokemon. I'm sure, that someday, movies based on games will be a hard ground to step on like superhero movies are right now. For now, we just have to wait, see and hope, that this adaptation won't be a disaster, but at least an enjoyable movie.

[gottagobuycheese]

okay I skimmed (emphasis on skimmed) through 180-ish pages of AO3 history (most notably the Great Hyperfixations of Early 2021 and 2019) to find most of these, and then got distracted and went spider-webbing through some of the authors, and THEN remembered I have Things I Must Do and need to move on before this task completely consumes me, so while this isn’t everything I could recommend/have recommended in the past, here’s a good few to get started! I have NO idea if any of these will hit the itch you want scratched, and I haven’t read a lot of these in a long time so I don’t really remember how I felt about some of them, but I’ll drop ‘em here anyways if you want to take a look.

This is mostly Undertale stuff since I haven’t read nearly as much fic for Deltarune, but there’s a couple of the latter here as well.

Undertale Stuff

Timed Mission by safefontwork (word count: 6479; ensemble cast) Summary: It's a race to get to the human before they reach Asgore. Can you make it in time? Player one, ready? GO! (I remember being impressed by how sad and feelsy the author managed to make the neutral-pacifist ending, which I feel like is usually thought of as one of the happiest neutral endings ‘cause almost everyone is still alive and no one hates you. And yet. AND YET!!)

bon courage by feralphoenix (WC: 4150; ensemble cast) Summary: From the outside, the rain shelter looks so small—nowhere near as big and lonely as it felt the first day you sat there. You take a deep breath and try to avoid the sinking feeling of weight settling over your whole body. It’s only been a few days. You have food and everything. It’s going to be fine. (But nobody came.) (A classic. It’s also got something of a thematic counterpart fic which is very different in terms of content, content warnings, and length, though it does have a suuuuper tiny bit of romance stuff in it at the end. I remember enjoying it though — and plus side, SUZY EXISTS!)

Let That Be Enough by YetAnotherPersona (WC: 4876; Dreemurr family) Summary: After getting the date of an important meeting mixed up, Asgore and Toriel come home just as Chara is executing their buttercup plan. As she and her husband rush to prevent the unthinkable, Toriel wonders what this means for her family. (Part 1 of 4 of a series that explores what could have happened if Chara and Asriel never got to go through with their plan.)

The Great Boondoggle by Masu_Trout (WC: 4485; Frisk & Sans) Summary: Frisk accidentally wanders into the scene of a crime, Sans is tired, and a mugger has a very bad day. (Or: why robbing children isn't as easy as it looks.) (A characterization of Frisk I don’t often see; beyond that is spoilers!)

And I Feel Fine by Masu_Trout (WC: 1685; Mettaton & Alphys) Summary: The fallen human is human is fast approaching The Core, and Mettaton is ready to finally take the stage. Now, if only Alphys would stop worrying so much. (A snapshot into the No Mercy route, but surprisingly not overwhelmingly angsty, given what’s going on.)

glamour doesn’t always start with glitter by ProfMyrtle (WC: 1537; Mettaton-centric) Summary: The mystery key ended up in the garbage somehow. Pre-canon. (What it says on the tin.)

make up my heart by oryx (WC: 1629; Mettaton-centric) Summary: Finding a corporeal form is a taxing process for any ghost. Moreso when you have some very specific requirements. (Mettaton’s journey to find a body.)

saudade by oryx (WC: 916; Amalgamates and their families) Summary: Life with Amalgamates takes some getting used to. (I hardly ever see stuff featuring only the side characters, so this was more than refreshing!)

They Say You Can’t Go Home by talkingsoup (WC: 1830; Mettaton & Blooky) Summary: Mettaton goes home. (Do the ghost cousins give you Big Emotions?? Look no further!)

Trouble for Chocolate by talkingsoup (WC: 2648; Chara & Asriel) Summary: Asriel tries to figures out what his new sibling likes. (And Chara figuring it out what it means to be Asriel’s sibling. Will melt your heart like a square of milk chocolate in the palm of your hand.)

The Scientist by talkingsoup (WC: 53057; Sans, Gaster) Summary: Monsters have been sealed underground after the war with humanity. The new Royal Scientist, Dr. W.D. Gaster, thinks he can do something about it. Follows the life and eventual downfall of the man who speaks in hands. (LONGFIC ALERT! I actually remember very little about this fic, but I DO remember opening a bunch of chapters on separate tabs so I could read it on a plane, and also staying up super early/late to finish, so something about it must have been compelling. It’s also part of an ongoing series!)

Pressing Matters series by pickledragon Summary: Everyone remembers, eventually. (What it says on the tin. The first fic features Papyrus, then Alphys, then Undyne, then Toriel and Asgore, then Mettaton. I’m biased so of course Undyne’s part is my favorite of these, and I haven’t read the last two, but if people-other-than-Sans remembering resets is your jam, here’s your stop!) 

receding into indefinite rain by feralphoenix (WC: 11023; the Dreemurr family, including Frisk) Summary: Five years after the monsters go free, Toriel and Frisk receive an unexpected visit. (I remember this going a very different direction that I expected but not at all in a bad way.)

the holes they leave by MiniNephthys (WC: 1500; Mettaton & Alphys) Summary: Mettaton investigates the lab.  His agents are just there to be an audience. (King Mettaton ending, heavy angst)

your happy ending by valety (WC: 6519; Frisk & Chara) Summary: One day in fall, Frisk makes a list of things to do. Chara doesn't understand it, but, well, everyone has things that they don't want to talk about. (It’s been a while since I’ve read this one, but I remember it satisfying a very particular angst itch I had at the time — and a very particular kind of Chara itch I didn’t even know I had.)

knock knock by simplycarryon (WC: 1039; Sans & Toriel) Summary: You tell bad jokes to the door in the forest, because that's the best way to wait out the silence.One day, the door jokes back. (Bad jokes galore with an undercurrent of melancholy, what’s not to love?)

Deltarune Stuff

worn things by feralphoenix (WC: 1045; Noelle) Summary: Noelle Holiday is doing just fine. (Written pre-Chapter 2 but still canon compliant)

there will never be a brighter day than this by distanceseventeen (WC: 2360; Kris) Summary: The world of a video game cannot move onward without the player. (Tfw you’re caught in a time loop, know you’re caught in a time loop, and also know exactly what it would take to break the time loop. Poor Kris.)

does anyone have good fic recommendations for me? preferably little to no romance, since I'm not into that