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#marvel when they give me new characters but don't talk about them afterward
demigod-of-the-agni · 2 months
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thinking about her again. my new wife. tossing her into the mumbattan au washing machine
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in my mind, she is mysterio- or at least, proto-mysterio? the precursor of mysterio? whatever. the point is she can control others, and MAYBE— get this— MAYBE she can control reality to some extent, if she values authenticity over special effects
"but agni that's... a very anti-climactic claim" I KNOW but i'm making her a magical girl. that makes it a very climactic claim!!!! have her be very attuned to maya (lit. "illusion", very potent magic wielded by gods, monsters, etc) and have her be obsessed with wanting to. control reality, i suppose
when i mean "control reality" i actually just mean "she can control what you experience". she controls YOUR reality, not the physical reality. she needs to bring her vision to life, and even if it is a little fake on a quasi-mystical/technical level, the fact you responded to it is all she's looking for. kinda freaky but hey, she's now my wife, let her be a little freaky
i WOULD add something about her backstory and while i do have an inkling of an idea it is far too late (3pm) for me to write about it in full. so. another day!!!
oh but i KNOW her name should be keerthi bhatt. do i know why i picked that name, other than the fact "quentin" has a 'k-' sound and "beck" has a 'b-' sound? no idea. something something extravagance and she's destined for producing great things.
(i came very close to naming her keerthi bachchan but then remembered amitabh bachchan is literally on tumblr. if you TAG him i will HUNT YOU DOWN and i will NEVER draw pavitr again)
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maple-the-awesome · 1 month
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We'll Meet Again...I Know When || Chapter 34
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x GN Reader
Words: 4,061
Overview: Given your old-fashioned personality and obsession with all things 1940s to 1980s, it’s no wonder that most people refer to you as an ‘old soul’ who would’ve rather lived back then than in the modern era. Little do they know, you already did, but with your previous life as Hollie Stark cut short, you’ve been left with some…unfinished business, to say the least. Top of your list? Finally getting to marry your thought-to-be-lost fiancé.
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: DEARLY DEPARTED
Well fed and partially rested, your quartet makes their way down the windy cobblestone streets of Latvia. There’s an uneventful silence that follows throughout most of the walk - that is, between Zemo’s unprompted compliments of the local architecture and Bucky’s grumbled skepticism regarding your sense of direction.
If it were earlier in the day, you’d likely snap at his doubt, but fortunately for him in this moment, your previous interaction with those children at the refugee enclave and the short nap you took afterwards had smoothened out your mood. Thus, you simply shoo away his queries with confident assurances and only a dash of frustration. You were a scientist in your past life, of course you can follow Google Map instructions!
“Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you to be pulling shit like this!”
“Lord give me strength…” Sam grumbles, that once bearable half-silence officially soured by an uninvited fifth-wheel.
With a raised eyebrow, you look up from your phone and follow Sam’s irritated gaze to its source: none other than the same Captain America impersonator you've already heard a great deal of complaints about. You can't say you've been particularly excited to meet him, not too fond of there being a government-issued replacement for your dear friend in the first place, and judging on how swiftly he approaches with zealous coating his every step and spoken word, you don't have much confidence in this introduction changing your expectations.
"How'd you find us this time, John?!" Bucky asks sarcastically, his question having an impressive balance between its volume and lackadaisical delivery.
"You think two Avengers can walk around Latvia without being noticed?" Walker's partner counters, yet the spotlight is immediately switched back to John who shows zero shame in marching directly towards your group with a smile that's seconds away from becoming a scowl as he points to Zemo.
"No more keeping us in the dark. You can start by telling us why the hell you broke him out of prison."
"Well technically, he broke himself out of prison," You correct, unfazed by John’s poor attempt at asserting authority here, in fact you have no problem blocking his path to Zemo by sliding in between them with a hand outstretched cheekily, "Hi, I’m (Y/n). Don't believe we've met."
"I don't really care who you are -"
"- Ouch -"
"- There better be an UNBELIEVABLE explanation for this because -!" John's voice raises. Pairing that with the way he talks while swinging his arms dramatically, you can't say you like the aggressive undertone behind his behavior, especially not for someone wearing the stolen merits of a real hero. You don't care how upset he is, it's not a very good look nor a great sign for his character, and you aren't the only one to think that:
"- Hey, take it down a notch before you attract a crowd, alright?" Sam warns, drawing attention to the civilians who have already stopped to stare at the scene. Some even have their phones out, excitedly snapping pictures of the new ‘Captain America’ and his Avenger 'friends'.
"I know where Karli is," Zemo confesses with little fanfare or interest for that matter, somewhat akin to a parent giving their child a cookie just to shut them up. He attempts to walk past after that, however John’s quick to push him back.
"Well, where is she then?"
"A memorial, that's all we know at the moment. We're heading there now to intercept her," Sam, desperate to maintain the peace, explains while Zemo brushes away John's touch to continue onwards anyway. The rest of you don't hesitate to follow, yet that doesn't stop John and his partner from taking this conversation to-go, keeping up with your steps as if a part of the team themselves. You won't be surprised if he truly believes that, either.
"Memorial? That means there'll be civilians and a high risk of casualties," His partner points out.
"We're not nuking the damn place with her inside," You insist, although you can at least respect that his priorities are in the right place, better tied to his job as a protector rather than his fragile ego. If only his buddy could follow by example, "Sam just wants to talk her and get her side of the story -"
"- What? No...No! Wait! Stop, hold on!" John suddenly rushes to the front of the group, once again preventing anyone from moving forward, "We're way past reasoning with her, okay? Unless you've forgotten this part, she's a terrorist. Her and her little friends blew up a building with people inside of it!"
"You're right. She is a terrorist which is exactly why we need to stop her as soon as possible."
John laughs as if you're the ones making this more complicated than it needs to be, "Alright! Then let's go in there and arrest her -"
"- If we rush in, arms drawn, and corner them like animals, what's stopping her from lashing out right that second?" You challenge, not faltering under his intense stare, "We need to approach this situation with strategy, and Sam's idea works. We go in, let him try talking to her while simultaneously keeping our guard up, and if she surrenders, then yay -"
"- And if she doesn't?"
"Then we kick her ass! I don't know! Have you not seen a hostage negotiation before? You know, ‘The Inside Man’? ‘The Negotiator’? Ever turn on the news maybe -?”
“- The bottom line is: there’s a risk in both scenarios whether we talk or attack first,” Sam steps forward, showing far more patience as he reminds John of his own presence in this discussion, “The difference is, in one, we have an actual shot at ending things peacefully. In the other, people get hurt regardless.
“Why not pick the former then? I'd say we have a pretty good chance with it, I mean, yeah, Karli’s methods are out of line - no one here’s trying to deny that - but her motivations aren't entirely unreasonable. For god’s sake, she's a kid who just had five years of her life flipped on top of her head - We all know how terrifying that can be. I think what she needs most right now is someone who's actually willing to hear her out without casting her aside with more broken promises.”
"It also might be worth mentioning that this memorial is for someone close to Karli, so it’ll likely be attended by others who are important to her, too," You add to aid Sam’s argument, "She's probably going to want to avoid endangering their lives just as much as we do."
"Right. Exactly!"
John shakes his head before turning his attention to Bucky who's remained silent throughout this entire discussion, "...You'll let him do this? You'll just let your partner walk into a room with a super soldier completely alone and defenseless?"
"He's dealt with worse - and he's not my partner."
"Sorry you weren't there, but we're the ones who went up against a murderous purple alien six months ago. I think Sam knows what he's doing," You roll your eyes, walking past John and his partner to continue up the street where you can already see a crowd entering what you assume to be the memorial building.
"I used to counsel soldiers dealing with trauma, okay? I've heard it all - all the accounts of horrific ordeals and stories of lost hope. This is my wheelhouse," You can hear Sam say as he still attempts to reach an agreement.
"I know, and I know those soldiers which is why I say this is a bad idea -!”
"- Wait, John," His partner speaks up again, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from chasing after your group again, "If he can talk her down, maybe it is worth a try. They do have a point, after all; less people would get hurt if this works."
John scoffs as if he still finds the whole proposal ridiculous, however having his own colleague side with the Avengers must've taken him down some kind of peg, because rather than attempt to stop anyone, he trails behind your group, promising to 'deal with' Zemo later as a last ditch effort of securing at least a fraction of his authority (not that it accomplishes much).
Maintaininga safe distance from the crowd, you observe them file into the building through two heavy wooden doors. Tracing their exact steps by entering the funeral from the front would likely only draw unwanted attention which in return could risk Karli discovering your presence too soon, so a side door leading into the building’s boiler room is your best bet for an unnoticed arrival.
You’re careful to peek into the hallway, catching sight of the same funeral goers as they disappear behind a wall. Hearing the echo of mournful whispers, it can be assumed that the processions will take place right around that corner. If Sam sneaks in after they officially start, Karli won’t have a good opening to run unless she wants to ruin Donya’s celebrated memory. She’ll be forced to at least wait until after the memorial is finished, providing Sam a better chance at getting close enough to pull her ear.
"...You sure you're up for this?" You ask as he stands beside you at the door. His confident nod is all you need for an answer.
After reaching into your pocket, you hold your hand out to him with a small grain-sized microphone, courtesy of the high-tech equipment Clint had supplied you with years ago, “We’ll stay back here. If anything goes wrong or you start getting the heebie-jeebies for some reason, simply say the word and we’ll have John bust down the doors. I’m sure he’s been dying for some real action anyway, poor guy.”
Sam smirks at your joke, taking the microphone and dropping it in his breast pocket, "Hopefully it won't have to come down to that."
"Better safe than sorry," You shrug, not too overly worried for his sake. Sam has always been a laid-back guy willing to listen to even the most outrageous of stories. Assuming that Karli is even somewhat rational, he's the best guy to send in for a heart-to-heart with her. Even if shit does go wrong, you’re certain he’s capable of handling himself in the short amount of time it takes for back-up to arrive. The real question is whether John can keep his pants on for that long.
Before Sam can even ascend the stairs, John harshly grabs Zemo’s arm, bending it behind his back and forcing him against the furnace. His stern ‘orders’ are directed towards Sam, "You have exactly ten minutes until we do things my way, you hear?"
Sam, unsurprisingly, shows minimal interest in that threat, simply nodding to spare John’s feelings before sparing Bucky and you one last look, "Don't let anyone tear off each other's heads while I'm gone."
"No promises," Bucky ribs with an exasperated inhale.
With Sam gone, the boiler room falls into tense silence only made that way through John's increasingly impatient pacing. After a quick glance at each other, you allow Bucky to wordlessly take your place guarding the door, blocking the path Sam took as a wise precaution against John's irritability.
Lemar - as you finally learn his name is - calmly instructs his partner to take a deep breath, the two sharing a brief, whispered conversation that must not have ended in John's favor because his mood fails to change. Even Zemo, despite being forced to awkwardly stand while handcuffed to the furnace, seems more comfortable with his predicament than the paranoid soldier who constantly fidgets and huffs, not that it's making anyone sympathetic towards him.
He eventually sets his sights on you from where you sit on the back staircase, boredly listening in on the conversation that's echoed through your earpiece, "What are they saying?"
You barely blink at his demand nor do you so much as look up at him when he comes marching in your direction. Instead, you keep your jaded expression trained forward, "She's listening to him."
"That's not what I asked. I want to know what they’re saying!" You're not sure what he expects to gain by such an aggressive demeanor, but it's not going to work on you. Not caring to be bossed around or intimidated by some guy in a Spirit Halloween costume, you simply turn your head away from him, covering your ear piece with your hand to pretend you can’t hear it over all his needless blabbing.
"Watch it, John. It hasn't even been ten minutes. Just sit tight," Bucky advises from across the room, his narrowed eyes trained cautiously on John's movements which are too close to you for comfort. His suggestion goes ignored following a rapid shake of the head and disgruntled glare.
"Don't patronize me!"
"Karli's listening to him," You reiterate, already feeling drained of all your willpower to keep dealing with this sort of crap today, "She's not showing any signs of aggression, she's not threatening him -"
"- How would you know that? You're not in there watching. She could be planning something - buying herself and her terrorist friends some time! How's a guy like him supposed to defend himself against a super soldier, huh?"
"Look man, I understand that first days on the job are rough - We've all been there before - but you gotta relax. We know what we're doing, and so does Sam. He's already gone up against super soldiers more than once before. If he needs us, he'll call. In the meantime, our job is to sit quietly and wait."
John rolls his eyes, your words clearly having zero effect on his mental state. He then turns to check the clock hanging on the room’s wall. A more optimistic individual might have hoped this would confirm to him that Bucky is right and that his behavior is irrational, however instead, his quiet pause is just that - a very brief halt before he's spinning the direction of his march towards Bucky and the door with Lamar quickly standing to join him.
Bucky doesn't hesitate to push himself off the stair railing and stop John in his place with a stern hand, his narrowed eyes giving more warning than any words could.
This act is unsurprisingly met with greater frustration and a whisper through gritted teeth, “...It must be really easy for you, right? All that serum just coursing through your veins? Your friend is completely alone in there. You let him go in there with no weapons, no defense, no backup…Do you really want his blood added to your hands?”
Buckydoesn’t respond aloud, although there’s a subtle shift within his eyes. It’s only visible ever so briefly before being hidden by a quick tightening of the jaw, however it sinks deep with the sting of John’s words. It’s the sore ache of insecurity - the shallow doubt that maybe, just maybe, those low-blow claims could actually hold reason.
He wants nothing more than for this situation to end without a fight. God knows he’s had enough of those to last a lifetime. Talking Karli down would offer a peaceful resolution while risking less people’s safety, as Sam and you have said, but that all depends on whether she listens.
Bucky wants to trust Sam’s capabilities, both in gaining the enemy’s trust and defending himself when in a tight spot. Steve sure did, and so do you…yet at the same time, he just can’t seem to shake that memory of how easily the Winter Soldier was able to knock the breath from Sam’s stomach before tossing him like a mere paperweight…
You three are up against super soldiers - eight of them, to be precise, compared to your one. What if you're cornered? What if the Flag Smashers get Sam or you alone, too far from Bucky’s reach to stop the blow? John’s right about one thing: in that scenario, your blood would be on his hands; it’s still on his hands if he stands by to watch it flow…
There’s nothing more said between them as John bumps past Bucky with zero resistance faced. He’s completely free to ascend the stairs and escape into the hallway before you can even shoot up from your spot on the opposite side of the room.
“HEY -! What the HELL, Bucky?!” Why he’d let John past - Why he’d let those stupid weightless words get under his skin like that - You wish you had the time to properly chew him out over it, but you don’t.
“Stay with Zemo!” Catching John before he can ruin Sam’s progress has to be your priority, so much so that you can’t stop to address the way Bucky sighs your name as a half-hearted plea while following your shadow rather than your previous command. Grumbled disapproval is all you can spare in the moment which is promptly hit back in your direction through eye rolls and poor excuses that go in one ear then out the other.
Unfortunately, even at your racing pace (and Bucky’s jogging to match it), you’re too slow to prevent John from bursting into the room where the funeral must’ve been taking place, now long empty aside from Sam and Karli who both snap their direction towards him in shock.
“Karli Morgenthau, you’re under arrest!”
From there, the scene quickly turns to chaos…
“That’s what this was…? To keep me talking until your help arrived?” Whatever middle ground Sam had been carefully forging between himself and Karli is immediately shattered as she now begins backing away from him. He raises his hands, attempting to both reassure her and address John, yet the latter doesn’t let him get more than a few words out before being shut down in a snap.
“- You’ve had enough time to talk,” John declares, his sights set solely on an increasingly apprehensive Karli.
You try to follow after him, calling his name as a last ditch effort to prevent a nasty fight, however Lemar blocks your path from physically getting any closer. It’s nothing more than the slightest shove backwards, only forceful enough to make you reserve a step or two, although that doesn’t stop Bucky from instinctively steadying you with his hands upon your shoulders.
“Don’t -!” You can’t say you’ve ever heard Bucky growl with such venomous anger before. After days of acting as if your presence kills him - weeks of avoiding you like the plague and cutting you out of his life like it’s easy - all it takes is that one single action of someone else putting their hands on you to snap him into a state of fierce rage. One could argue that he just sees you as someone who can’t protect themself - a ‘liability’ as he had said in Madripoor - but would he really react in such a way for just anyone on his team?
He either takes an actual swing at Lemar from over your head or he only tries to push him away from you both - likely the latter given his tone and the way Lemar instantly protects his face with a flash of fear crossing it. You would’ve liked to see the end result so that you could log it in your mental library as a long-missed example of Bucky truly caring about you, however your attention is diverted away when Karli punches John.
Despite all his high talk earlier, he must not have prepared himself to face off with a real super soldier because the second Karli’s fist makes contact with Steve’s shield, John’s violently thrown backwards, catching a nearby Sam in the impact which results in them both hitting the table behind them and tumbling to the ground.
Deciding that this has gone far enough, you slip away from Lemar which is easier to accomplish now that he’s officially distracted between John’s injury and Bucky forcefully knocking him to the floor himself.
With one swift movement, you draw your taser out from your belt and turn it up to its highest setting while rushing Karli. She immediately notices you, bending her body back to avoid the blue glow of your baton. Once it buzzes by, she follows up with a fierce swing in your direction, but this isn't your first rodeo. Between your encounters with a brainwashed Bucky and some sparring training you've done alongside other Avengers, you'd say you're somewhat decent at knowing what to expect when going up against super humans.
Thus, utilizing practiced speed, you duck to dodge her fist, spinning your weapon in hand so that, by the time you pop back up again with a bounce to your step, it's facing forward and prepared to be immediately thrust towards her, the baton's fork stabbing her shoulder blade.
Thank goodness Clint didn't supply you with just any kind of mediocre taser. Rather than deliver a tiny 'zap' to cause inconvenient discomfort lasting a millisecond, it bites with a brutal 'crackle' that has Karli's knees buckling and her pain expressed through loud, stammered cries. Nothing that will kill her, of course, but you doubt she'll be able to feel the sensors in her finger tips for a few minutes after her recovery.
At this point, Bucky’s approaching from behind and even Sam’s already stumbling up to his feet, using the table beside him as a crutch to -
- Karli sees the same sight as you, however for her, it's not so reassuring. Too stubborn to accept surrender, she grinds her teeth and gathers the strength to curl back another fist which she sends plowing your way.
You only have time to gasp, hardly bracing for the hit that throws you through the air and into a shelf. There's a loud crash that comes with this impact, the force of your body knocking various items to the ground where you drop like a ragdoll before the shelf itself wobbles then tips forward.
The sound of your fear was already enough to grasp Bucky's full attention, but only in time to listen to that cruel thud of your limp body and the following slam of the shelf thumbling overtop of you. After that, he can't hear anything else save for the pounding of his own heart in his ears.
His legs decide for themselves where they're going, ignoring the rest of the chaos around him as Karli stumbles off and John races after her. He just needs to make it to your side. There, he effortlessly tosses the shelf off of you, kneeling beside you with muted calls of your name which are equally as shaky as his hesitating hand.
You're not moving, body lying completely motionless against the ground and shattered jars. You're not responding either, face wiped clean of emotion as if you're only asleep. You're not moving at all - He isn't even sure if your chest is!
…This has happened before…This isn't new…
You were there, just as motionless, hunched forward with blood running like a stream down from your forehead to chin. You didn't answer anyone's calls then either, and when he dared to touch you, he swore he could feel the warmth leaving your skin. He's too scared to check that now, though. His hand is frozen unwillingly above you, the world swirling fast enough to make him nauseous or is that the throbbing against his forehead?
…You aren't moving again...
Then you groan, your arms shaking as you struggle to find the ground to push yourself up from. Clenching your side, you let out a whimper from the pain that expands across every inch of your back and ribs. It's a heartbreaking sound, but at least you're alert now, looking at him with a flash of fear before relaxing once realizing it's not the enemy currently hunched over you.
"- Bucky!" Sam appears behind him within the second, his hand carrying no more pressure than a feather when placed upon his shoulder, "We gotta go!”
Swallowing thickly, Bucky watches as Sam carefully tries to help you to your wobbling feet, each movement drawing out an uncomfortable hiss while you struggle to support yourself even when leaning most of your weight against someone else.
Seeing your hurt and that foggy glaze over your eyes, he finally snaps out of his own dizzying state enough to at least step in himself, his movements almost robotic as he hooks your legs over his arm then hoists you off the ground in one shift, easy motion. From there, he lets Sam lead the way, all the while distracted by his own heavy breathing and racing heartbeat which are the loudest sounds in his ears…
NEXT CHAPTER {coming soon}
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lokiondisneyplus · 3 years
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Warning: This post contains spoilers for Loki episode 5.
The penultimate episode of Loki introduced several new variations on its titular mischief-maker — including Jack Veal's Kid Loki, Deobia Oparei's Boastful Loki, and Tom Hiddleston's ill-fated President Loki. But of all these new faces, perhaps the most memorable was Richard E. Grant's aptly-named Classic Loki — an older, world-weary version of the Asgardian god we know and love.
Decked out in the familiar green-and-yellow suit from the comics, Grant's Loki is older and perhaps a bit wiser than his younger counterparts. Years of isolation have left him disillusioned and lonely, missing his brother Thor, but that spark of mischief is still buried deep underneath — and he ultimately sacrifices himself to help Loki (Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) escape the Void.
It's a delightful showcase for the 64-year-old Grant, who says he's thrilled to be able to carve out his own chaotic corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ahead of the series finale this week, EW caught up with Grant to break down his big sacrifice — as well as his newfound friendship with Owen Wilson and his pitch for a Loki spin-off series.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: To start, I have to ask about your costar: How was working with Alligator Loki?
RICHARD E. GRANT: Alligator Loki was fantastic because in reality, he was three stuffed sofa cushions that had been sewn roughly together to react to. [Laughs] The fact that I was the only person that could understand what he was saying was just fantastic. I think it's the perfect segue into having Classic Old Loki and Alligator Loki as a sub-series to go to next.
So it's safe to say that you would be willing to reprise this character down the line?
If I had a muscle suit, most certainly. I was denied that. I saw the costume design, and I was very familiar with Jack Kirby's original illustrations from the '60s, so I thought, "Ah, this guy's got muscles!" As I had been born without any, I was finally going to get in a muscle suit. I got to Atlanta [to begin filming], and they said, "There's no muscle suit! You're just wearing this!" I said, "But I look like Kermit the Frog!" They said, "Nope, you're not having a muscle suit." So I was very, very upset about that. [Laughs] Short-changed!
I was going to ask about your first impression when you first put on the costume!
That's what I asked: Where are the muscles? Where are the Stallone/Schwarzeneggers here? Because they're missing! This is what people will expect! This was in the costume drawing, and they're not here, and I don't have them! I was very upset.
When they first asked you to join the show, what was that initial pitch like?
I had known Tom Hiddleston socially for some years, and we'd always joked that we could feasibly play father and son because of our vague physical similarities and hairlines, certainly. So when I got this offer at the beginning of last year, before COVID, I thought, "Alright, this is that moment that I had hoped would come at some point." I thought I would play his father, but I'm playing a variant of him. So that's how that came about. I was thrilled.
Tom has been playing his version of Loki for a decade now. Did you get any guidance from him, or have any conversations with him that you found particularly helpful?
He is a walking Loki-pedia, so he was very, very informative about the whole etymology and the history of the Norse gods and Loki. He's also brilliant at imitating people. He goes on chat shows and imitates famous actors absolutely to the letter. I don't have that talent. So when I read the script of episode 5 that I was offered, I saw that [this older version of Loki] described himself in his backstory of being the god of outcasts — rather than the god of mischief, which is so absolutely embedded in Tom's interpretation of the role. So I thought, well, [if he's] the god of outcasts and is somebody who's been isolated for years and living on these planets and is willing to betray himself by going back and being arrested by the TVA and making the ultimate sacrifice, offering himself up to Asgard, I thought, well, this is somebody who is more in the twilight zone of his life, as am I. As opposed to a young man, who's full of mischief still.
So, I thought that was a way into interpreting this character, rather than trying to do — and something I couldn't possibly succeed at doing — a pale imitation of Tom Hiddleston.
I'd imagine that would be tricky, but it would also be a fun challenge: You're basically sharing scenes with all these different versions of the same character.
Exactly right. And I love the fact that he was the one person who could communicate with the alligator. I love that.
So would you now consider yourself fluent in alligator?
Indeed. I am the Doctor Dolittle of the Marvel universe when it comes to speaking to alligators. I speak alligator fluently. Put that in the contract of when I'm doing a series as Classic Old Loki, with muscles and the alligator. It'll have subtitles, so the audience can hear what the alligator is saying, and everyone else is saying, "What is he saying? What is he talking about?" That'll be the way.
I also wanted to ask about your big finale, where we see your Loki conjure Asgard. What do you remember most about filming that final moment?
Huge wind machines, blue screen in every direction, and following a camera on a crane that was maneuvering around the ceiling of the studio, and then swooping down. I was having to shout at it, and then finally laugh in the face of my own immolation. So it was a great thing to do, with these huge air turbine wind machines that were blowing four tons of air at me from every direction. It was exhilarating.
Did you have any practical elements around you at all, or did you have to imagine and conjure it all yourself?
Most of it you had to imagine. The actual landscape that you walked on was real grass and this sort of rocky landscape, but all the other elements — all the ships and all that stuff — was put in afterwards. We didn't see any of that.
The Loki palace that looked like a sort of bowling alley, that was all for real. Everything that you see in that scene was actually built and practical.
Was it chaotic to film in the bowling alley with all those different versions of Loki, bickering and bantering?
Because there was so much action involved, it was paint-dryingly slow, because action takes much longer to do than five pages of dialogue. I prefer talking, as I'm not exactly an action man, as you can see. [Laughs]
Was there anything about joining the Marvel universe that you weren't expecting or that really surprised you?
I didn't expect to find true love with Owen Wilson. We're having a surrogate baby together in October.
Oh, congratulations!
He was just so hilarious to work with. He's just one of the greatest characters I've ever met. He is so open and curious and amenable, with this sort of dry sense of humor. There seemed to be no divide between Owen Wilson acting his part and then just being Owen Wilson. I don't know if he was scamming me, but he was an absolute delight. I loved him.
Was there a particularly memorable day on set with him?
Yes, when we conceived our twins. [Laughs] No, my daughter encouraged me to post this thing on Twitter and Instagram, where he said, "Richard, I'm going to give you some acting advice. Put your camera on." I said, "Yes, okay!" I owe him for that because it got like 640,000 views already in a few days, which on my Instagram feed is off the chart. It's nothing for Beyoncé, but for mine, I'm pretty gobsmacked.
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koreandragon · 2 years
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Marvel in itself is a tragedy every single movie is a remix of the one before it and like I'm not judging anyone for enjoying it but as television? They suck because every show is a cog in the machine that needs to get to this plot point or introduce this character there is creativity no freedom to take a story where it needs to go and it's all 6 episodes like they're basically makes 4 hour movies to compete in streaming and they should keep it. Lmfao @ the interview thing exactly bc before stranger things 4 came out I was watching interviews and were legit saying NOTHING of value about the plot or even the characters and it's so sad like even the boys which superhero satire and they can't spoil anything at all I've seen the actors talk and they all have these nuanced takes on their characters and their journeys etc without spoiling anything. I mean as far as marvel goes can they even say anything there is no depth to anything everything fandom talks about is 99% fanon as for stranger things maybe it's because the actors are still young??? Idk western and eastern media are both majorly pissing me off in completely but sometimes similar ways I can't wait for this streaming bs to blow up in their faces bc they're spending so much money on things that have no longevity like if you're giving me 8 episode seasons every couple of years and then you cancel that show after 2 or 3 seasons you've barely made a complete season of television after 4 years and the numbers are right in front of their faces the things that bring in the biggest numbers are not even the streamers shows but the long ass heavy hitters and comedies from and procedurals from networks like new girl and NCIS it's all going to shit in a few years , there's already talk of a writers strike in 2023 bc they're working these people to the bone and giving them nothing they don't even have showrunners anymore???? It's a writers room and then a director who has all the control like how brain dead do you have to be do they not realize writers are literally everything ??? They're gonna start making a lot less content with longer seasons but they're gonna torture us first while we get there.
marvel honestly should've died with endgame. like i know there are like infinite characters and universes and shit in the original comics but there is no fucking need to bring them all to life now is there. they roped essentially every actor into their bullshit, if it's not marvel then it's dc and sometimes both. there are almost no A-lister actors that haven't in some form participated in a marvel production. the first few tom holland "accidental" spoilers were fun like i actually think the first time it happened it was completely on accident then the marketing people realized how hype people got from that then they obviously played up on that afterwards and like it's actually sickening to hear when tom said that he had no idea that the scene they were shooting in endgame was tony's funeral scene like how the fuck do you not tell your actors what scene they're playing in because you're scared they will spoil it like honestly go to hell it doesn't even matter....
haven't watched stranger things since season 2 either cause they'll have these kids play these characters until they can't anymore because they're too grown (they already are) and then a few years later they'll do like an adult version special season/movie like they did with It 2.
i have talked about this but i absolutely hate this trend of dropping 6-8 episode seasons at once instead of dropping one each week like you are literally taking the fun out of tv shows because people will binge it in a day then forget about it by next week then you can keep churning out the next mass produced shit that the writers are not getting paid for so that the audiences can watch it in a day then not think about it for the rest of their lives....all this work...all that money and labor just so people can binge it in one go without any excitement and hype building throughout the weeks i'm so sick of it... the writers are going to go on a strike and it will not matter, it will not matter because they'll just fire them and get new ones who are willing to do the workload and nothing will change because we live in a post modernist hellscape
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oddaodd · 3 years
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Hello I’m the person who requested “I Don't Go In For Sweets” and...just let me begin by saying thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for dedicating your time and your energy to write it, it was absolutely perfect and everything I wanted! I sent you this request the day before a huge exam (yes, instead of studying but that’s another story lol) and surprisingly, you posted the fic a day after I got my results and saw that I passed so it felt a bit like some reward and yeah I know you didn’t do it on purpose but still, it was amazing! Now let’s dive into a deeper analysis (I like to do this but it’s quite long, don’t feel forced to read it, no pressure!)
First, the very beginning: Polly and Tommy’s talk and how can I say this? It was so good, so well written I was actually seeing the scene as clearly as if I was watching the last episode of s3, I could actually hear them talk and see them move and it was too good to even feel like reading! I’m also so grateful you had the idea to bring the impact of Tommy’s mother’s death on him because...it’s not something we see a lot in the show but I’ve always been convinced that he had always been very affected by it and he would never want the same for his son.
Now, the wedding day: “The fact that everything about this wedding was so obscenely different from his first did soothe his guilt a bit” this kind of sums up a lot: Tommy compares all of this situation to what he had and rejoices over the fact it’s not as perfect, as beautiful, as great as what he had with Grace because it makes him feel slightly better, he isn’t betraying her as much as if he was enjoying marrying a new woman but then...she arrives and he can’t help it but find her pretty.
You perfectly showed this inner conflict of always having Grace in mind, always reminding himself of her and how better she was, this is not something he’s doing because he enjoys it but because it’s the best solution.
And of course he makes sure his opinion is known, he doesn’t smile back at the the altar, the big wedding kiss he gave to Grace is here, a simple, almost nonexistent brush on the lips, he doesn’t try to get to know his wife, on their way home, he has this revelatory lapsus “I've already asked the maids to take them up to your-our room” because deep down, it’s not his room or their room, it will only be hers because he won’t sleep in it much and he shows it a moment later when he doesn’t even sleep in the same room as her on their wedding night! I mean the scene where she’s waiting for him all nervous and giggly because she knows what happens...or at least she thinks she knows but then she wakes up alone in the morning, no “husband” in sight. Then comes breakfast, Tommy introduces her to Charlie (who wasn’t even at the wedding!!!) like he would present his new nanny because in a way...that’s what she is. He didn’t marry that girl because he wanted it but because it was something he knew his son needed. I really loved the fact you didn’t make Charlie love reader instantly because as kind hearted as he may be, he’s still a child who suddenly lives with an unknown woman his dad doesn’t even seem to like but one little discussion is enough to make him warm up to her and yeah I liked seeing this, it was very well done!
Then we get to see Tommy couldn’t care less about his wife and a thing kind of stroke me: reader has insomnia sometimes and Tommy doesn’t seem to worry or even think about it, he just sees it as more occasion for her to talk to him and ugh please no! And it shows how detached he can be which is so so in character! Afterwards you wrote about how he didn’t invite her to family meetings and stuff which I think was important to mention and maybe you didn’t think it this way but he keeps her away of very important part of his life: the business and the local bar he spends time with his family which is quite a...special place because that’s where he met Grace, that’s where their story began and family meetings? Inviting her would mean she’s part of their family, they trust her enough to welcome her but 1) he doesn’t really care about her enough to trust her and 2) would grace really have been invited to these meetings? Considering what she did? Definitely not so in not inviting his new wife, he doesn’t give her an advantage of being more welcomed in the family than grace was because, again, she’ll never be enough, she’ll never be grace. And it was so important to show this and you did it so beautifully, so subtly, wow!
The birthday party is also a great way to show that reader has a great relationship with everyone except her own husband and their convo in the office afterwards bluntly stated that. Tommy is so heartless, so cold, so...awful towards the woman he married! I really hated him in this moment because clearly she’s trying, she wants to make things alright but he will not let it, he will push her away no matter how harsh he has to be. And there is no apology, no compassion, nothing, he doesn’t care. He knows how bad his words hurt but he owes nothing to her.
And even when he’s awful to her, she still offer her time and her attention. He comes home completely drunk and considering the way he treated her, she could let him deal with his terrible state alone but she won’t, he’s her husband after all...I really loved how you turned that scene, we can see some of reader’s... I don’t know what to call it but so far, she let him have his space and now, when he rejects her help, she still gives him a hand. And then he compliments her, out of the blue and yeah he’s completely drunk but it feels true. And even better, he apologizes and explains his awful behavior and it was essential to have this! It was essential for reader to hear it from him that she didn’t do anything bad, it wasn’t her fault or anything, he just struggled with understanding what her place was. Even better, she reminds him she doesn’t want to take Grace’s place.
It was everything he needed to understand because right after this, he allows himself to let go a bit and then...a little bit more and again...some more until finally the stables scenes arrives! And my oh my! How much more beautiful could this story get? The fact they bond over something Tommy loves is just...amazing! It allows reader to see a gentle side of him because we all know how Tommy gets whenever he sees a horse, it could and will make any woman fall in love with him. And this scene holds so much...power and emotion, she trusts him enough to let him guide the horse even though she doesn’t know how to ride it and he assures her he won’t let her fall which is so important because he accepts the fact that she trusts him and he want to be worthy of that trust which is a big step because it means he cares. And they have the loveliest moment, just the two of them, no grace clouding his mind, no hatred, no unnecessary talk, just a husband and a wife enjoying the nice weather. He helps her off of the horse and he grabs her waist but he doesn’t feel the need to take off his hand and it shows progress, it shows he enjoys having her close and he looks at her, it’s the first thing that came to his mind, her beauty and now he doesn’t feel guilty about it. He stares at her, he enjoys it and he doesn’t want to stop. And finally because well, this story couldn’t just stop there, it reached a whole new peak in beauty: their real, true first kiss. It doesn’t mean we have a fairytale and happily ever after but it feels like a true promise of better things coming up, the kiss he gave her on their wedding day (as a way to seal their wedding vows) was given...reluctantly to say the least but now, he was promising her to be better in the future and truly respect those vows and it’s just the most perfect ending this story could have! It was just a magnificent, so beautifully well written story I don’t even know what to say anymore (and I think I’ve already said way more than I should be allowed to!) than it was perfect, you’re so talented and I’m so thankful you agreed to write this! I hope I haven’t killed you with my pages of review lol! Have a wonderful day <3
Ps. I didn’t proof read this so sorry for mistakes and nonsensical sentences :)
Hello!
First of all, thank you so much for writing me to tell me how much you appreciated your fic. I really like knowing that the person who requested a specific fic enjoyed it so, It means the world!
And just look at that! I certainly didn’t know anything about your exam, but what a marvelous most serendipitious coincidence! It makes everything seem much more magical, don’t you think? The universe never ceases to amaze me! 🥰
Also, thank you for the analysis. I always like to write things so that they go beyond words in order to convey feelings and stir deeper emotions and I’m so glad you not only perceived them but also liked what I was trying to project!
I too, feel in my bones that Tommy’s mother’s death affected him a lot. Maybe it’s not something that keeps him awake at night (or all nights) but I definitely feel like it is one of the thoughts he keeps on the back of his mind and is constantly nagging him. And polly of course is one of if not the only one who can see it.
As for the wedding and their marriage in general, I did want to show Tommy having this conflict because as we know, our man doesn’t let go of things easily. And like Tatiana Petrovna once said, his fear is freedom. Im not saying that Grace stopped him from being free, but he insisted on staying in the past, and when the reader comes up she’s basically carrying with her this humongous banner that reads FUTURE.
He does think the reader is pretty and he knows that his family accepts her and his son loves her but he doesn’t want to give in, he’s almost afraid of doing it, so what is the easiest thing to do? Push her away. And still when he’s awful to her she helps him because I want to believe she can also look behind the walls he so desperately put up around him. In the end I didn’t want to make it like *poof! They magically fell in love! * but like you said, I wanted it to end with a promise of better things to come.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to write. I enjoyed analyzing Tommy’s mind with you and I hope you have a lovely day as well!
P.S: Congratulations on your exam results! 🤍💐
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traincat · 5 years
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"#it's really amazing how i don't hate mechanized/armored spider-man suits when Peter Makes Them Himself" wow u REALLY hit the nail of why i don't like any of the iron spider suits directly on the head
The way the MCU has used the Iron Man-created Spider-Man suits kind of astounds me because I thought that in 616′s Civil War the message behind the Iron Spider suit was pretty clear – that while it might be easier to have a more technologically adept, mechanized super-suit rather than a costume that is, you know, just cloth, in allowing someone else to create his costume, Peter gives away some of Spider-Man’s autonomy. He stops acting as independently, making his own decisions as clearly. And that, despite what the intentions may be from any and all parties involved, when Peter stops acting independently, Bad Things Happen For Him. And that’s how things start to go badly for Peter during the Civil War event, by him compromising his autonomy and not thinking clearly about his decisions. And I think Civil War and the Spider-Man issues that tie into it are very clear about the Iron Spider suit not being a good thing for Peter:
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(Avengers: The Initiative #7)
So it’s troubling to me how the MCU has completely twisted that narrative by giving Peter the Iron Man-created Spider-Man suit back at the end of Homecoming and by putting him in the more armored costume in Infinity War instead in having him realize he needs to make his own costume to cement himself as independent within his identity, which is, even if that is the direction they ultimately end up going, something I strongly feel needed to be established within the MCU’s first Spider-Man movie. And it wasn’t. There’s a reason costumes are important in superhero stories. Look at Into the Spider-Verse’s amazing scene where Miles’ leap of faith is intercut with him taking the Spider-Man costume and making it his own through his art. The costume and the creation of it tells you about the superhero in question, it informs who they are, and Into the Spider-Verse’s scene beautifully demonstrates that. And I think it’s great that Marvel has so many different heroes, including some who don’t have super powers of their own but instead give themselves powers through invention, but the key is they have to give themselves those powers. Tony Stark built the Iron Man armor; it wasn’t given to him, and it wasn’t taken away when a character who was never, in the source material, an honest authority figure to him deemed him unworthy, and then given to him again. He built it. It’s his. The same with Riri Williams in the comics; she built her armor. And by taking the creation of the Spider-Man costume away from Peter, the MCU takes that power and that identity away from him. And why?
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“Get a glimpse at Spider-Man’s new suit from Tony Stark’s Worldwide Engineering Brigade! See it soon as Disney Parks,” tweeted Marvel Entertainment this morning, to which I would like to say: I called it. Giving the suit power – rather than giving Spider-Man the powers – makes it easier for an audience to project themselves into the role of the young ingenue who, gosh, just wants to be an Avenger. If the suit has the power, and if anyone can wear the suit, and if you don’t even have to create the suit yourself – well, that’s easy, then, isn’t it? Those are much easier shoes to step into than those of a man who sews his own cloth costume and has been burdened by responsibility much bigger than the average man for a decade and a half, who supports himself through his talents and still struggles to make ends meet. And then there’s another angle to this announcement: “New parks attraction allows recruits to ‘suit up’ alongside Spider-Man.” I’ve bolded the word “recruits” in the article because it feels very deliberate to me. If you go to an amusement park, you’re a guest. But in this attraction, you’re a recruit. I’ve talked before about how I felt like Spider-Man: Homecoming had a distinctly military edge to it subliminally: the super-suit Peter didn’t create, the weaponization of it, the drones, the soothing female on board computer voice, the “intimidation” and “instant kill” modes, the entire concept of Peter needing to “earn” a status by working his way up the ranks. There’s been a lot of interesting talk recently about the relationship between Captain Marvel and the military – if not in the actual film, then in how the film was advertised, with videos of the cast interacting with Air Force officials and the Air Force’s twitter account tweeting a video about the film’s “inspiring” nature for little girls. The relationship between Hollywood and the military is well-documented, so I don’t need to go into that, but one of the things to take into account is, despite how in-universe story elements shouldn’t be exploited for military recruitment, as a character, Carol Danvers does have a relationship to the military. That’s part of her story and her character. The use of Spider-Man – a vigilante, first and foremost, someone who takes the responsibility to protect people upon himself without rank or role, who may in recent years have become associated heavily with the Avengers but who had such a long and independent career in comics, a character who has plots where he openly criticizes and yells at immigration officials, where he breaks laws, a character whose origin story is grounded in his family being the victim of gun violence – in military propaganda really bothers me. “Recruits can suit up like Spider-Man.” Recruits? Yeah, okay.
But that brings me back to the Spider-Man PS4 suits and how, even though there are technological elements in the suit, they don’t bother me. (Okay, the spider-bot drone thing kind of bothers me, but I also just find its missions deeply grating.) And that’s because Peter makes those suits himself, which sets them completely apart from the Iron Spider suit in 616 or the suits featured in the MCU. The armored suit he makes to take down the game’s finale villain is deeply rooted in the personal relationships Peter’s fostered within the game and Peter’s deeply personal stake in taking the final boss down, and the use of that specific technology demonstrates that. It’s personal and he makes it himself; he claims every inch of that creation and that victory. And then afterwards he goes back to his regular suit (in the story, at least, and discounting the gameplay element that allows the player to switch suits as just a fun gameplay element) – because the armored suit isn’t better than his regular one in his eyes. It just served the purpose that he made it for. And that’s how it should be. 
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dukereviewsmovies · 4 years
Text
Duke Reviews: Captain America: The First Avenger
Hello, I'm Andrew Leduc And Welcome To Duke Reviews Where We Are Continuing Our Look At The Marvel Cinematic Universe...
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Where Today We Are Looking At The First Movie With The First Avenger, Captain America...
When I Saw The Trailer For This Movie, I Had No Idea Who Captain America Was, I Had Seen The Original Movie With Matt Sallenger When I Was Younger But I Had Absolutely No Memory About It Whatsoever And After Watching The Nostalgia Critic's Review Of It, I'm Glad I Don't...
So I Went To The Comics And Bought An Omnibus Of Captain America Comics With The First Few Issues, And I Liked It To The Point I Couldn't Wait To See The Film In Theatres, However, When I Saw The Captain America Costume I Started To Not Hold Out Much Hope For The Movie As It Didn't Look Like Captain America From The Comics
And The Idea Of The Human Torch Playing Cap Instead Of Someone Who Hasn't Been A Superhero Just Added To That But Luckily, When I Saw The Film I Absolutely Loved It But Is It As Good As I Remember It?...
Let's Find Out As We Watch Captain America: The First Avenger...
The Film Starts In The Arctic, As 2 Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Are Taken To A Ship That Has Been Uncovered By A Russian Oil Team, Lasering Their Way Into The Vessel, The 2 Agents Find The Vessel Iced Over. Discovering What Looks To Be A Red, White And Blue Shield Covered In Ice, One Of The Agents Tries To Contact Nick Fury, Saying That He Has To Know About What They Found...
But Before We Can Find Out, We Go To A Flashback In Norway In The Year 1942, As A Hydra Tank Barges Into A Church, So The Leader Of Hydra, Johann Schmidt (Played By Hugo Weaving) May Enter With Soliders To Find The Tesseract...
(Imitating Agent Smith From The Matrix) Mr. Anderson...
Searching A Tomb, Schmidt Finds Something That Looks Like The Tesseract But As Schmidt Points Out, The Tesseract Was The Jewel Of Odin's Treasure Room And It's Not Something Someone Buries...
Asking The Caretaker Where The Tesseract Is To The Point Of Threatening To Destroy The Entire City, The Man Points To A Big Wooden Wall Carving Of Yggdrasil, The Tree Of The World, Which Is Where Schmidt Finds It...
With The Caretaker Telling Schmidt That He Contol The Power Of The Tesseract And He Will Burn For It, Schmidt Kills The Caretaker Before Walking Out...
Meanwhile In New York, We Go To An Army Enlistment Center Where Steve Rogers (Played By What's Left Of Chris Evans After Playing This Character For Many Movies) Attempts To Join The Army Only To Not Get In Due To His Bad Health..
Going To A Movie Afterwards, Steve Gets Mad At A Guy Who Doesn't Care About The Newsreels And Wants The Cartoons To Roll Which Leads To A Fight Outside Between The 2 Of Them...
Saved By His Best Friend, Bucky Barnes (Played By Sebastian Stan) Who Got Himself Enlisted And Is Shipping Out Tomorrow So, That Night Him And Steve Take 2 Girls (One Being Possibly An Ancestor Of Clara Oswald) To The World Of Tomorrow Expo Where They See A Science Demonstration Done By Howard Stark (Played Here By Dominic Cooper)...
Going To An Army Recruitment Center At The Expo, Bucky Tries To Stop Steve From Enlisting Again (As He's Been Lying On His Enlistment Forms And That's Technically Illegal) But Not Willing To Sit On The Sidelines Anymore, Steve Tells Bucky That He's At Least Got To Try No Matter What The Cost...
Telling His Friend To Be Careful And To Not Do Anything Stupid, Bucky Leaves, Overhearing His Conversation With Bucky, Steve Is Confronted By Dr. Abraham Erskine, A Scientist Who Works For The SSR Who Offers Steve A Chance To Get What He Wants...
Meanwhile At Hydra HQ, Johann Schmidt Has Arnim Zola (Played By Toby Jones) Work On A Machine That Will Transfer The Power Of The Tesseract Into Weaponry For Hydra....
Activating The Machine, Arnim Zola Is Cautious When Raising The Energy For The Transference But Schmidt Is A Patient Man And Places The Machine At Full Power Which Causes A Interesting Effect But It Works...
With The Energy They Have, Zola Tells Schmidt That It Could Not Power All Of His Designs But Change The War As Well As The World...
A Few Days Later At The SSR Base Camp, Steve And A Bunch Of Other Guys Are Briefed By Agent Peggy Carter (Played By Hayley Atwell) And Colonel Phillips (Played By Agent K Himself, Tommy Lee Jones) Who Tell Them About The SSR And How They Will Be Choosing A Man To Be The First In A New Breed Of Super Solider...
Cue The Training Montage!
Well, I'll Admit Steve Isn't Mulan But He Got The Flag!
With Erskine Deciding That Steve Is The Right Man For The Job, Phillips Fights Erskine On It As He Believes That Steve Is A Loser And That A Man Named Hodge Is Better Decision As He Passed All Their Tests, But Looking For Qualities Beyond Physical For This, Phillips Decides To Throw In A Dummy Grenade Which Steve Gladly Takes For His Fellow Soldiers, Saying That He's Still Skinny, Phillips Walks Away...
With The Experiment Happening The Next Day, Erskine Pays Steve A Visit In His Bunk Where He Asks Erskine Why Him? This Leads Erskine To Tell Steve How He Was Recruited By Adolf Hitler Himself To Join The Nazis But Telling Hitler That He's Not Interested, Hitler Instead Sent Schmidt Who Shares A Passion With Hitler For The Occult And Myths...
However Unlike Hitler Who Believes It To Be Fantasy, Schmidt Believes It To Be Real And That There Is Some Great Power Left By The Gods Waiting To Be Seized By Man. Hearing About Erskine's Formula, Schmidt Could Not Resist Taking That Power For Himself, But When Schmidt Took It There Were Unfortunate Side Effects...
Saying That The Formula Amplifies Everything That Is Inside Of The Person, With Good Becoming Great And Evil Becoming Worse, He Says That That Is Why Steve Was Chosen Because A Strong Man Who Has Known Power All Of His Life Will Lose Respect For That Power Where A Weak Man Knows The Value Of Strength And Compassion...
Before Tomorrow, Erskine Has Steve Promise Him One Thing, That He Will Stay Who He Is, Not A Perfect Solider But A Good Man...
Back At Hydra HQ, Schmidt Tells Zola That His Men Have Located Erskine And Tells Zola To Give The Order To Kill Him...
Taking Steve To The SSR's Hideout, Peggy Takes Steve Into A Lab Where The Experiment Will Happen...
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Meanwhile At Hydra HQ, Schmidt Is Visited By Some Of Hitler's Generals Which Leads To Him Showing Them The Results Of His Work By Saying That Hydra Is Developing An Arsenal To Destroy Schmidt's Enemies In One Stroke Including Germany, Which Leads To Him Wiping The Generals Out With One His New Weapons...
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I Guess We Can Change The Name Of The Musical To Springtime For Red Skull...
With The President Retasking The SSR To Go After Hydra, Steve Wants In But With Erskine's Death, Phillips Considers The Project A Failure As Erskine Promised Them An Army Of Super Soliders And That Just Having Steve Is Not Enough To Win The War.
However, A Senator Believes Different After Both Him And The Country See Steve In Action And Offers Steve Another Opportunity To Serve His Country...By Selling War Bonds....
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And What Can I Say About This? I Absolutely Love It! There's Only One Other Thing That Could Top It And That's If They Played This...
Doing A Performance At An Army Camp That Goes Horribly, Steve Runs Into Peggy Who Reminds Steve That Erskine Wanted Better For Him Than To Just Be A Performing Monkey, Seeing Wounded Soliders Come In From The 107th, Steve Remembers That That Is Bucky's Troop Which Leads Him To Talk With Phillips About If Bucky Survived And Phillips Makes It Look Like He Didn't...
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Asking If Phillips Is Planning A Rescue Mission For The Ca, Phillips Tells Steve No As They're 30 Miles Behind Enemy Lines That Are Heavily Fortified And They'd Lose More Men Then They'd Save, But Unable To Accept That Steve Plans A Rescue Mission With The Help Of Peggy And Howard Stark, Who Takes Steve Into Enemy Lines On Board Stark's Airplane...
Parachuting Into Enemy Lines, Steve Boards A Truck That Takes Him Into Hydra Base, Once Inside, Steve Rescues The Missing Soliders Including The Howling Commandos (With Two Of Them Played By Damien Dahrk And Spider-Man's Principal?)...
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With The Soldiers Fighting Hydra And The Base Exploding Around Them, Steve And Bucky Go Up Flights Of Stairs Only To Be Confronted By Schmidt...
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Back At The SSR Camp, It's Believed That Rogers Is Dead But...Yeah, Steve Survived As Well As The Soliders From The 107th Including Bucky...
Meanwhile In Washington, Steve Is About To Get A Medal For Valor By The Senator But Of Course He's Not There...
Stan Lee Cameo!
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Returning To The SSR's Headquarters In London, Steve Shows Peggy The Locations Of The Hydra Bases That He Saw On Schmidt's Map While Bucky Tells Them About The Weapons Factories However, Hydra Has Shipped The Parts To His Main HQ Which Is Not On The Map...
Phillips Tells Carter To Coordinate With MI6 (Which Makes Me Wonder If Captain America And James Bond Have Ever Teamed Up) To Look For Schmidt's Main Base, While They Send Rogers To Deal With The Other Bases...
With Phillips Putting Together A Team To Help Steve, Steve Already Has People In Mind Which Leads Him To Recruit The Howling Commandos And Bucky To Help Him...
The Next Day, Steve Goes To Meet With Howard Stark, But While He Waits, He Talks With Margaery Tyrell Which Leads To Her Kissing Steve (And Who Wouldn't Want To Kiss Her) Only For Them To Be Spotted By Peggy Despite Steve Thinking That Her And Stark Had Something Going On...
When Stark Talks With Steve, He Tells Him That There's Nothing Going On Between Him And Peggy Before He Shows Steve Some New Shields Until Steve Finds A Prototype Made Out Of Vibranium...
(Imitating Black Panther) Wakanda Forever!
Which Will Work...
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Not Happy With What Is Going On With His Bases, Red Skull Tells Zola To Finish His Mission Before Captain America Does Or Else...
Attempting To Get Zola Back To His Headquarters As Quick As Possible, Zola Ends Up Boarding A Speed Train That Unfortunately Passes By Where Cap And His Crew Happen To Be...
Using A Zip Line, Cap, Bucky And The Other Howling Commandos Board The Train Only To Be Confronted By Hydra Soliders With Major Weaponry...
Major Weaponry That's Powerful Enough To Burst Open A Wall...
After Dealing With The Soldiers, Another One Enters And Blasts Bucky Out Of The Train Only To Leave Him Hanging By A Handle, Attempting To Save His Best Friend Steve Tries To Reach For Him But Unfortunately The Rail Breaks And Bucky Just Falls To His Death...
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But In Good News, They Capture Arnim Zola...
Phillips Interrogates Zola Who Doesn't Say A Damn Word Until Phillips Gives Him A Letter That Shows Him That The Red Skull Has Turned On Him And Believes Zola To Be A Liability Which Leads Zola To Spill His Guts On Red Skull's Plan...
Finding Steve In A Cafe That Him And His Friends Went To Before It Was Destroyed, Peggy Finds Steve Having A Few Drinks To Try To Dull The Pain Of Losing Bucky But Like The Flash, Due To His Powers He Can't Get Drunk...
But Peggy Tells Steve That It's Not His Fault And If He Believed And Respected Bucky Then He Should Honor His Decision. Understanding That, Steve Swears To Go To Go After Schmidt And Destroy Hydra...
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Steve, Peggy And The Howling Commandos Fight Hydra's Soliders Off, But Eventually Steve Catches Up With Red Skull Only To See Him Take Off In His Massive Plane, But When Phillips And Peggy Commandeer Red Skull's Car, They Attempt To Catch Up With It...
(Captain America) You Remember The Little Red Button?
(Phillips) You Don't Have To Tell Me Twice!
(Pushes Little Red Button)
Catching Up With Red Skull's Ship, Steve Kisses Peggy Goodbye, Before Hopping On Board...
As Steve Sees Missiles Targeted For Every City On The Planet, More Soliders Appear To Fight Steve, With Him Defeating Every Single One Of Them, Before Facing Off Against Red Skull...
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With Peggy Contacting Steve On-Board The Plane, She Tries To Direct Him To A Site To Land But There's Not Enough Time And He Has No Choice But To Force The Ship Down...
Peggy Talks With Steve For As Long As Possible Till His Ship Crashes....
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We Get A Montage Of What Happened After The War Including A Scene Where Howard Stark Finds The Tesseract In The Ocean And Peggy Keeping A Picture Of Steve Before Cutting To The Future! As Steve Wakes Up Years Later In A Hospital (That Looks Like It's In The Past) By A Woman (Who Is Supposedly Sharon Carter Except Instead Of Emily Van Camp It's Amanda Righetti From The O.C.) Who Is There To Tell Steve What's Going On...
However, The Game Playing On The Radio, Is A Game Steve Went To Years Ago...
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youtube
(Start At 1:17)
After The Credits We Get A Sneak Peak Of The Avengers Before The Movie Ends...
And That's Captain America: The First Avenger And I Absolutely Love This Movie...
The 1940s Setting Is Fantastic, I Love The Story, I Love The Characters, I Love The Villain Despite Everyone Saying That He's Lame And Honestly I Have No Idea Why Hugo Weaving Did Not Want To Come Back For A Sequel As Red Skull Is Such A Good Character And A Great Villain In This Movie, I Love The Effects In The Movie With The Hydra Weaponry, The Costumes Are Great And It Is One Of My Favorite MCU Films And I Say See It...
Till Next Time, This Is Duke Saying That Next Week We're Tackling The Avengers!
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I posted 511 times in 2021
42 posts created (8%)
469 posts reblogged (92%)
For every post I created, I reblogged 11.2 posts.
I added 65 tags in 2021
#encanto - 11 posts
#mlb - 9 posts
#disney - 8 posts
#sisters grimm - 7 posts
#miraculous ladybug - 7 posts
#bruno - 6 posts
#lol - 5 posts
#hm - 4 posts
#grimmtober - 4 posts
#inside job - 4 posts
Longest Tag: 137 characters
#speaking in front of a crowd but then forgetting what you were supposed to say and having to stand there awkwardly as you try to remember
My Top Posts in 2021
#5
Just Finished WandaVision
*Screams*
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15 notes • Posted 2021-03-05 18:54:49 GMT
#4
I saw someone say that they disliked Avengers: Endgame in a video the other day and they thought it wasn’t that good of a movie. The comments were full of people blindly exclaiming how they thought Endgame was one of the best movies they’ve ever seen.
I mean, I watched both Endgame and Infinity War in theaters and at the time of watching it? I thought they were amazing, I loved watching them in theaters, and afterwards had a blast talking about it with my friends.
But then I look back on how it mutilated so many of my favorite characters and the whole way the cast was kept nearly entirely blind of the script to avoid spoilers and I think... maybe we don’t need a repeat of these movies, you know?
You can produce great content without the whole “keeping everyone in the dark to avoid spoilers” thing. I mean, look at WandaVision? I know it’s different because it’s a television show, but it had so many mysteries and plot twists and the cast knew what they were getting into— heck, part of the fun was going back and connecting the foreshadowing from the past episodes. I’ll admit that I don’t know much about what happened behind the scenes of WandaVision or even TFATWS, but it seems like a healthier way to film Marvel content?
Feel free to share your (respectful) thoughts.
16 notes • Posted 2021-03-30 02:44:08 GMT
#3
Buckingham Palace calling the issues of Meghan and Harry “concerning” and the Royal family being “saddened” is such BS. In their defense, nothing they say at this point would really help them.
I mean, as an American I fully understand that I don’t get a say in this conversation, but It makes me pretty mad. 
When I heard about their wedding I thought “oh cool, this is neat” but hearing how the tabloids have been tearing into Meghan, and the double standards issued to her vs Kate really bites.  And hearing how the institution handled it all was even worse. 
And then not giving Archie a title when all the other great grandchildren have one? What the heck was up with that?
Between this and the controversy with The Crown, I kinda hope the Royal Family doesn’t recover from this one. From what I hear, they’ve been snowballing for a while now anyway.
I’m curious to hear how actual people from the UK feel about the interview. And could someone explain the title thing with Archie?
23 notes • Posted 2021-03-09 21:18:07 GMT
#2
Silencio Bruno this, Silencio Bruno that
LET THE RAT MAN SPEAK, I say
112 notes • Posted 2021-11-29 01:46:30 GMT
#1
Encanto's "Toxic" Family
I've seen a couple people jump to condemn Encanto for "pushing a narrative that you have to forgive and stick with your toxic family."
People who have completely missed all the messages of the movie.
"All of You" alone is a metaphor for how the family needed to rework their relationships to come together again.
"Look at this home, we need a new foundation
...
It isn't perfect, but neither are we"
The whole movie is a journey where they deconstruct generational trauma. It's not a perfect analogy, but it's also like, a two hour film.
Of course, you don't have to forgive your family if you don't want to (regardless of how much trauma they've given you) because that's your own personal decision, but this movie is definitely not the one you turn your ire on for having a "toxic" narrative.
I want to go into a deep dive of this later, but I just had to quickly get this out of my head.
141 notes • Posted 2021-11-29 22:24:13 GMT
Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →
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duanecbrooks · 7 years
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Patton General     Remember how I've talked--and more than once--how one of the coolest things about having a DVD player is that it enables you to see--and re-see and re-re-see and re-re-re-see--pictures that you dug when you first saw them in a theater? Well, the fact is, I recently, thanks to said--and fantastically-regarded--DVD player, caught a theatrical film that I saw and dug through watching its trailer on YouTube. That flick, by name, is Baggage Claim, and I can say unequivocally that it's just as stylish, just as qualitative as its trailer--which, again, is on full display thanks to YouTube--wants you to believe. It is indeed a picture that is near-to-bursting with snappy dialogue, attentive direction, and, above all, lively performances--in point of fact, one such performance is easily the highlight of the picture; there'll be more about that as we go on. Indeed, I'll go so far as to say that said cinematic rom-com has worked its way onto my list of Most-Cherished Theatrical Offerings (The others: Body Heat, Boomerang, the great writer-producer-director Garry Marshall's final creative object Mother's Day, and my gal Robin Givens's classic made-for-television film The Penthouse).         Now to the picture in question.             Claim kicks off with a shot of a church that, after around one minute, has a group of happy, celebratory, greatly well-dressed black folks, having obviously attended/participated in a wedding, bustling out of it. Included, of course, are the bride and the groom--and this quite spirited adolescent, who, we learn, will grow up to be Claim's lead character, Montana Moore (Paula Patton). Through voice-over we hear Montana ruminating on her Mom's, ahem, busy romantic past ("Marriage has always been a big deal to my mother. She loves marriage. Especially hers [Cut to another group of spiffily-attired blacks happily emanating from the same church, the same bride and a different groom included]. And hers [Same scene, only with a different groom]. And hers"). From there Montana lays her cards on the table concerning her own romantic life ("A easy as it is for Mom to get married, my relationships have never been cleared for takeoff"). Cut to a mega-busy airport, where we see planes taking off and landing, folks bustling along in a hurry to get to their planes--and where Montana, still in voice-over, discloses to us her lifelong ambition ("I've always wanted to be a flight attendant...You get to travel around the world, meet interesting people"). We're then taken to our heroine's apartment complex, where before she enters her particular abode she runs into her longtime buddy, William Wright (Derek Luke), to whom she further discloses her hopes regarding her romantic situation ("I don't want to spend my life listening to my mother telling me how she could find five husbands and I can't even find one"), whereupon William tells her what his wife Taylor has cooked up ("She planned a trip to Rome to celebrate our one-year anniversary").         Moving forth: We witness Montana rushing through the airport, anxious to catch the flight she'll be working, and, as she races along, we hear yet another voice-over of hers, wherein she gives us some Mom-originated words of guidance ("According to my mother, you're not a woman until you're married on or before your 30th birthday. And you're not a lady until you've had two kids"). We then see Montana having made the flight she'll be working, and we're also introduced to two of our girl's closest working buddies, brother flight attendant--and card-carrying homosexual--Sam (Adam Brody) and sister flight attendant--and frequent Sam adversary--Gail (Jill Scott). Right away we're given a look at the aforementioned Montana buddies' dueling relationship (Sam: "Gail, I seem to have misplaced my badge. Could you check your cleavage for me, please?"). Later, as the three are congregating in the plane's food-preparation area, Montana lets her friends, and us, in on this guy she's been seeing and how it seems to her like the guy is going to pop the question. Gail, for her part, bluntly hurls cold water upon said scenario ("Montana is not getting married. If she was, as her best friend, I would know first"). Shift to Montana with this guy, a smoothly handsome dude named Graham (Boris Kodjoe), where the two of them are affectionately pressed against each other during a cruise and Montana is absolutely over the moon about it all ("Graham, you have talked about [us taking this cruise] for so long...[The view is] absolutely beautiful!"). We get a marvelously-shot montage of Montana and Graham coming together physically--during which Patton shows that not only is she achingly gorgeous but has a BITCHIN' bod--then we see the latter dropping the former off at a hotel, claiming a need to attend to his professional life ("I got an emergency phone call. I got to fly to New York"). When our Montana gets to her room, she calls up gal-friend Gail, who right away demands that her buddy fill her in on the progress of her relationship ("Are you guys doing it?"). Afterward--after zipping down her exercise outfit so a nearby hunk who's also exercising can see her cleavage--Gail urges girlfriend Montana to go out to Graham's house and spy on him so she can ascertain for sure whether or not he's on the up-and-up. To which Montana, no surprise here, initially objects.                 We continue. Claim takes us to Graham's rather luxurious house and Montana sneaking up on said house--fully demonstrating that, pace her initial resistance, she's just dying to know whether or not Graham is playing it straight with her. Upon getting close to the aforementioned house, Montana rings up Gail, who, respectively, upbraids the former ("I didn't think you would do it [follow Gail's advice to spy on Graham]!") and instructs her ("Do not knock on that man's door! You'll look like a stalker"). Upon looking in the window, Montana, and we, see Graham in his living room going over some papers, which greatly eases her mind (Montana in voice-over: "[Graham] was preparing for his meeting, just like he told me he was. Gail was wrong!"). Alas for her, however, Montana, along with us, sees a stunning woman enter and Graham fondly helping her off with her coat--both of which clearly saying that Gail's suspicions were entirely valid; Graham indeed does not consider himself, and never considered himself, Montana's guy alone. Having been thus chastened, our gal makes a quick--and quite saddened--exit. In time we're transported to Montana's apartment and witness the drop-ins of Mom Catherine (Jenifer Lewis) and younger sis Sheree (Lauren London), both of whom bearing big, big news (Catherine to Montana: "We [she and Sheree] are so excited! We wanted you to be the first to know." Sheree to Montana: "I wanted you to be the first to know." Catherine: "After me"): Sheree is getting married. This, unsurprisingly, distresses Montana big-time and we next see her in a bar pouring her heart out to Sam/Gail ("I just can't go to my little sister's wedding alone! I'll be the laughing stock of the family"). Sam at first seizes upon Montana's predicament to stick it to Gail ("Why don't you take Gail? She never waxes her moustache. [Your family will] think she's Steve Harvey"), then comes up with the notion of Montana's "accidentally" encountering all of her exes until she finds the one who will accompany her to Sheree's wedding. Here we meet Montana's other working pals, among them Cedric, the fellow who checks passengers before they board ("First name, Cedric. Last name, take everything out your pockets! I need your pockets out your pockets!"). Since the scheme came from Sam, Gail balks at it, but he pushes on, citing the considerable, as he sees it, benefit to Montana ("[W]e can come to the aid of the sweetest, most fantastic human being alive").             Let's press on.Montana is at first resistant to Sam's ploy but then Catherine makes another visit, again guilt-tripping her oldest daughter ("I started thinking, my daughter is marrying a handsome, athletic young man. I may not be alive to see my oldest daughter do the same"), and, upon Catherine's leaving, Montana is on board concerning Sam's notion. As William is driving Montana to the airport, he comes up with some especially wise words--"You know, Mo, the magic isn't in getting married. It's in staying married." We get further introduction to Montana's charmingly loopy working friend Cedric as he's going about his business regarding passengers ("I have no life! Which gives me all day to ruin yours!"), then Montana boards this plane wherein she'll meet, according to Sam, her first prospect, one Damon Diesel (Tremaine Neverson)--who, let it be said, was initially dismissed as  prospect by Gail ("You gotta be kidding me! Damon Diesel can barely take care of himself, much less a family"). Montana is ready to dump the entire plan when, lo and behold, Damon spots her and lets her know that he has ("I'd love to see the stitches in that skirt"). Having discovered each other, the two get to be on friendly terms, to the point where Damon responds quite favorably when Mo enquires as to just how long he'll be in town (Damon: "Long enough to spend some quality time [with you]. If I'm allowed." Mo, smiling warmly: "You're allowed"). As they spend more time together, Damon becomes more and more enamored of Montana (The former to the latter, with clear-cut affection: "You could stay awake for the rest of your life and you'd still be beautiful to me"). In time Damon takes Montana to what he tells her is her place and she, along with we, find him taking a nice, warm bubble bath--in which he eagerly invites Montana to participate. However, trouble, big trouble in paradise soon comes, at first knocking on, then banging and, eventually, screeching at the door, in the form of Janine (Tia Mowry), a key executive at Damon's label and his current main squeeze to boot. Having met Montana earlier when she stopped by her and Damon's table to remind him of an upcoming meeting, Janine, her Spidey sense going full-blast, is well aware of the likelihood that Montana is inside with him and the prospect has her going flat-out postal ("Damon, I know you hear me! Open this damn door!...Damon, I know you ain't got that 'ho from the restaurant [referencing Mo] in there!...I'm gonna shoot you and that bitch!...Open! Open, open, open, open!"). Happily, and at Damon's urging, our lady manages to hide out on the stairwell outside while, inside, Janine continues hollering and ranting at Damon. Yet it soon goes from raining to pouring when Catherine calls, inviting her dear daughter to a pre-wedding slumber party ("We're all here in our pajamas, and we want you to come over"). Montana, for her part, winds up slinking away, having been thoroughly defeated and being totally dejected.               More transpires. On a flight she' s working, Montana happens upon two former  beaus--Curtis and Langston Jefferson Battle III (Taye Diggs), the latter currently running for Congress. Montana and Langston wind up together and the latter wasts no time turning his considerable charm on her, inviting her to a meeting he's scheduled to have with a hoped-for financial backer (Him to her: "Would you happen to know a young lady--gorgeous, intelligent--who would be so gracious as to join me?" Her, in a warm tone: "If I'm asked." Him: "Consider yourself asked"). Fast forward to that meeting, where we see Mo and Langston hook up with that hoped-for financial backer, one Howard Donaldson (Ned Beatty), accompanied by his wife. Right away Donaldson is warm and gracious toward Mo ("Young lady, I hope you can withstand this election [involving Langston] will surely bring"), then Langston tells their waitress what he'd like to have and...he orders for Mo, also. This of course mightily pees her off, so Langston takes her off to one side and "explains." ("[Financial supporters] want to know that the candidate they're backing is a take-charge man. A leader"). The evening continues and, to Langston's great delight, Donaldson strongly takes to him ("If you're not elected to Congress, it won't be because of insufficient financial support"). Yet the evening takes a fiercely uncomfortable (for Langston) turn when Donaldson raises the issue of just how "black" Langston genuinely is, eventually bringing Tiger Woods's alleged lack of real and true "blackness" into the conversation. Understandably wanting to lighten the increasingly grim mood, Mo quips: "What I think would make Tiger Woods black is that he drives an Escalade and his Daddy's name is Earl." Her humor, however, doesn't go over well with Langston and when the two get back to the latter's hotel room, he aggressively bawls her out. In the midst of his denunciation the phone rings and, when Langston picks it up, he discovers that it's Donaldson with good news: Being wholly enchanted by Mo's wit--after the call, Langston informs her, and us, that Donaldson told him that her wisecrack "was the highlight of [Donaldson's] evening"--Donaldson has decided to double his monetary contribution. Yet rather than recognize and express appreciation for the obvious fact that Montana was an enormous asset to the evening, Langston patronizingly tells her The Facts Of Life ("[S]ometimes being [the] greater [woman besides the man] means being quiet"). Here our Mo naturally becomes fed up and, after telling Langston off big-time ("New actions, new outcome. Same asshole, same outcome...You haven't changed a bit. Langston"), she angrily storms out, permanently crossing him off her list.           And so Claim goes, with Montana at last finally sucking it up and telling her assembled family that she doesn't have a boyfriend and that that fact doesn't have any negative impact on her ("Marriage doesn't make you a lady. Any more than standing in a garage makes you a car...I like me. A lot. With or without a husband"), at last finally discovering that it's her old and cherished pal William who's her real and true love--which brings about a cinematic-rom-com first: a woman (our Montana) rushing to and through the airport in order to intercept her male love object (William)--and at last finally William getting down on his knees right there in the airport, slipping an engagement ring upon our lady's finger, warmly proposing marriage, and our gal tearfully--and happily--saying yes, culminating in joining William on his knees and the two of them sharing a soulful and loving kiss while still in the airport--a scene which is just as moving and winning as when Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston did it at the conclusion of the former's legendary baseball picture For Love Of The Game. Claim ends with Mo pals Gail and Sam, relieved that their lady buddy's romantic melodrama is over, sharing a taxi and winding up battling with each other over a man that they previously didn't know they shared (Sam to Gail: "You bitch! That's my man! I had him first!").           So that's Claim, a flick that not only deserves high marks for being a black-oriented picture that to a greater degree than even Boomerang staunchly refuses to in any capacity shove race down our throats--the aforementioned scene with Montana, Langston, and Donaldson and his wife is literally the only time during Claim's unspooling that race is dealt with and, as was not the case with Boomerang, not in any victimization sense--but merits praise for being, on its own, a highly likable, warmly funny, and smoothly stylish theatrical rom-com. Ned Beatty, as said financial backer Howard Donaldson, is appealingly unctuous and, in time, appealingly race-conscious. Tia Mowry packs her role as "spurned" woman Janine with sizzling energy and rousing humor. Jenifer Lewis as Montana Mom Catherine is engagingly commanding and, in her confession scene with Mo, engagingly forthright. Christina Milian, as kid sister Taylor, wins us over with her dazzling spunk and her unflagging fizziness. Jill Scott and Adam Brody, as Montana compadres Gail and Sam are entirely warming with their steadfast loyalty and their graceful sparring. All of the men in Montana's life--Djimon Hounsou as a hotel magnate who is the deciding factor in Montana's eventual determination to absolutely refuse to allow a man to define her; Diggs, Kodjoe, Neverson, and Luke, the fellow our lady with whom she at last finally winds up--are all stylishly amiable and agreeably manly. David E. Talbert, adapting from his original book, provides the cast with spicily humorous and spicily sexy things to say and do. And Talbert the director deftly creates an air of tangy camaraderie and simmering sexuality that, to his great credit, he maintains throughout the entire picture.             Now to Paula Patton. She is, in a word, sensational. Starting off with the fact that her slender statesqueness--she's 5'7", to be precise--gives her a forcefully enticing valkyrie appeal, she's an honestly captivating blend of urbane beauty, Seven-Sisters-colleges charm, and Katana-sharp intelligence. Whenever she's in a two-shot, regardless of who the other actor is, her carefully-polished good looks and her runway-model sexiness have your eyes riveted upon her. You might remember that, in an earlier article, I discussed the sincerely depressing scarcity of contemporary big-screeners in which there is the emergence of a real and true female star, the monumental lack of modern-day pictures which feature the appearance of an honest cinematic diva who shines mega-brightly and who easily towers not only over her brother-and-sister theatrical-film actors but over us as well, such as Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and Sandra Bullock in Speed and my lady Robin Givens in Boomerang. It is Baggage Claim that forcefully and proudly shows that Paula Patton deserves to be added to that woefully short list.
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