#seriously there was absolutely no reason for thor 3 to be a comedy

[evilkitten3]

the thing about thor 1 and 2 that thor 3 missed is that the dynamic with thor and loki is an extremely unhealthy and toxic relationship between two people who genuinely adore each other but have been fucked over by circumstance and bad parenting (mostly bad parenting), to the point where it’s almost impossible for them to ever leave that toxicity behind.

loki openly admits to envying thor, but what he doesn’t say allowed until the end of the first movie is that he also resents him quite a bit. i’d guess it’s something he hadn’t allowed himself to think about, if only bc it’s actually very difficult to admit things like that to yourself. but loki internalizes his issues - he does his best to shove his own problems aside and not deal with them until they bubble up and force him to. thor does the opposite - he reacts immediately and instinctively right up until he’s forced to slow down and actively think things through.

when he was turned mortal and sent to earth, he suddenly couldn’t solve his problems by swinging a hammer at them - so instead he listened to jane and erik and grew because of it. but to loki’s eyes, it looks like a handful of mortals managed to teach thor something loki has been trying to teach him for centuries, without even trying all that hard. it’s the cherry on top of the “eat shit, kid” cake that loki’s dealing with in thor 1. he wants, more than anything, to be seen as thor’s equal in the eyes of his family, and this is like the asgardian equivalent of taking crappy financial advice from a toad right in front of your parent who’s been trying to teach you about taxes for the last five years now.

the inability to communicate goes both ways, of course. thor isn’t stupid, per se (although i’ll admit that i don’t believe in that concept in general for a plethora of reasons i won’t be getting into here), but he’s extremely unempathetic (which, y’know, mood) and loki really, really doesn’t like sharing his feelings. so thor takes what he sees at face value and loki doesn’t contradict him bc, again, he doesn’t like to talk about his problems.

nearly every scene between the two of them involves manipulation, and not always from loki (thor can actually be extremely manipulative, which is a side of him i wish we got to see explored more, but it makes sense given that both odin and frigga are constantly manipulating everyone all the time). but in spite of that, they still love each other so fucking much.

but even that’s unbalanced. bc while thor genuinely does love loki, he doesn’t need loki the way loki needs him. thor has other connections. and while losing loki devastates him every time, he’s always able to move on. to be clear, i don’t think that’s a bad thing - being able to move past the loss of a loved one doesn’t mean you loved them any less, although in thor’s case i think it’s more that he’s just choosing not to process his grief rather than having genuinely moved on. loki, on the other hand, only really has thor. thor’s friends don’t like him much - for reasons that aren’t really made clear, mostly bc thor’s friends just don’t get the development they deserve (which is fair, time constraints are a thing) - and he doesn’t really have anyone else. thor is his brother, but he’s also the only friend loki really has - and the only member of his ‘family’ that didn’t spend his entire life lying to him.

but thor doesn’t realize that bc he’s just not overly aware of loki’s situation - or, more accurately, it hasn’t occurred to him to think about it. one of the reasons thor is so relatable to me as a character is actually bc he’s just. not overly curious about people most of the time. other people’s situations don’t really occur to him unless he sits down and forces himself to consider them - and loki really doesn’t want thor to consider his situation. i think in part that that’s bc loki is waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak - he’s waiting to find out that thor knew he was a jotun all along or that finding out about that made him view loki as a monster or something. i doubt he even knows what specifically he’s waiting for.

the misunderstandings and resentment and love between them is what gave their relationship the weight that it had. the ripple effects of the schism between these two is still affecting the mcu’s storyline (if you can call it that) even now, over ten years of movies later. and ragnarok... didn’t have that. it just didn’t. whether you enjoyed it or not (i personally did, although i acknowledge that it’s deeply flawed and really doesn’t fit in with the thor franchise up to that point at all), the dynamic thor and loki had just didn’t make it into the movie. the emotional depth between them is gone. thor comes off as completely uncaring concerning his brother (and bruce, for that matter, but that’s a whole nother story) and loki comes off as... honestly, i’m not sure. the only way i can make loki’s sudden extreme shift in character make sense is if almost dying in thor 2 resulted in the oxygen to his brain getting cut off long enough to give him brain damage or something. which would’ve been another fascinating avenue to explore, but no such luck.

TDW is so underrated. It's literally the only thor movie to correctly follow up on the brodinsons' Thor1 characterization. The later movies missed a great opportunity to recreate -or even mention- the "Loki getting sucked into a Void & Thor terrified of it" (happening again) event. #i hc that Thor would have PTSD after literally watching his brother of 1073 years let go at the bifrost like THAT

yeah. TDW set up so much potential for a third movie where thor fully breaks with odin. and completes his character arc. but nope. Disney gotta ruin it. oh well. TDW is where it ends for me. so guess Loki's gonna be chilling on the throne forever. good for him.

[dragracereviews]

My Ultimate Top 5 Favorite RPDR Seasons

#5 - Season 5: I almost tied this spot with season 4 for one simple reason (”Tired ass show girl.” “At least I am a show girl, bitch! Go back to Party City where you belong!”) but then I decided against it. As amazing (and shady) as season 4 was, season 5 has to take the cake because one, their Snatch Game was actually good and two, they had their own share of drama that was JUST as entertaining to watch. Did it break my heart to watch Roxxxy Andrews be a bitch to my little baby Jinkx Monsoon? Absolutely, but did it make great television? Fuck yes! Also, watching Jinkx go through all of that and then come out the other side as the winner was so fucking satisfying and it almost makes me forgive Ru for all the shady favoring she’s done in the newer seasons (*cough cough* Silky Nutmeg Ganache *cough cough*)...almost.

#4 - All Stars Season 3: Two words: Trixie Mattel. Now I’ll be the first to admit that she won due to the circumstances, HOWEVER, when it came to real life accomplishments, Trixie was the obvious winner anyway, at least in my eyes. Yes, Shangela has done lots of cool things in her career too, I’m not going to deny that, but Trixie’s list of achievements are insane (music, headlining tours, stand up comedy specials, web series, TV show, cosmetic company, documentary etc.) and I’m not here for anyone claiming that she isn’t an All Star because the bitch practically invented the word. That being said, I do think that if Dela hadn’t self eliminated herself, she would’ve been in the Top 4. Again, with the jury vote though, I could almost see those petty bitches choosing to rob both her and Shangela of the chance to win so it might not have made a difference at that point. In my eyes though, the top three should’ve been Trixie, Shangela, and Dela, but am I mad with how it actually turned out? Hell no and if you are, get your shit together because this is a goddamn TV show and why are you so obsessed with it, Mary? (Insert pot calling the kettle black joke here)

#3 - Season 8: Ask any Canadian and they will tell you they love this season for 2 reasons; 1: because it’s just great and 2: because it was the first season put on Netflix Canada so for a lot of us, this was our first introduction to Drag Race as a whole. A friend had me sit down and start watching this with her one day and I think she’s regretted it ever since because obviously now I’m so obsessed, I’ve created a whole blog about it. I think on my first viewing, I was Team Naomi but every time I’ve watched it since, my favorite has changed because there are just so many fierce queens to choose from. I obviously love Kim Chi and I will fight you if you say Bob the Drag Queen didn’t deserve her win because she absolutely did, but I also love Thorgy Thor, Chi Chi Devayne, and Laila McQueen. This whole season is my go to if I just want to put something comforting on that I’ve seen enough times that if I don’t pay attention, it’s not a big deal. This season is what originally pulled me in, and then season 9 sort of solidified my obsession afterward despite not being “shady enough” for fans. While we’re on the topic of season 9, that is definitely a noteworthy honorable mention and I’ve actually met the winner, Sasha Velour and she’s just as lovely as you would expect her to be. But to wrap it all up, I don’t like to show off but I will always love season 8. (If you don’t get that reference, get out of my face)

#2 - All Stars Season 2: I LOVE this season of All Stars, holy fuck. It has SO many amazing queens on it: Tatianna, Alaska, Alyssa Edwards, Detox, and of course.... YEKATERINA PETROVNA ZAMOLODCHIKOVA BUT YOUR DAD JUST CALLS HER KATYA! I’m sorry, I’ll calm down now. But seriously, Read U Wrote U was SO GOOD! Even before the final episode though, AS2 solidified itself in Drag Race Herstory as one of the best seasons EVER! There has yet to be a season of All Stars this iconic (sorry AS3, not sorry AS4) and no regular season has even come CLOSE (besides my #1 pick)! I could rewatch this over and over again and thanks for my OutTV Go app, I can ;) Seriously, go watch this shit if you haven’t already, and if you have, go watch it again. It’s the apocalypse mama, what else do you have to do?!

#1 - Season 6: This season was pure fucking gold! Was I a fan of the two premieres? Not really, but cutting the pack in half really introduced the two front runners really well, AKA Dela and Bianca. The first premiere also had the ICONIC Adore one liner “My name’s Adore Delano, I’m 23 years old and I’m a fucking Libra!” In fact, this whole season was jam packed with iconic moments, fights, and friendships. Speaking of friendships, I love how at the end of the second premiere when both groups are brought together, Bianca says she doesn’t like the first episode queens as if she doesn’t go on to marry Adore in every fanfic written by RPDR obsessions 12 year olds (#BiadoreForever). But seriously, whenever I’m introducing (AKA trying to convert) someone to Drag Race, I always suggest watching this season first because the queens, the challenges, the TOP THREE are just perfect. No other season compares in my opinion.

[darksaiyangoku]

My Hope for a Live-action Dragon Ball Franchise

10 years ago, on the 10th of April, the Dragon Ball fandom was cursed with the abomination of Dragonball: Evolution.

Yeah, I hate to bring back painful memories too. Aside from just being a god awful movie, it’s a god awful adaptation of one of the most influential Shonen manga of all time. Nothing from the original series carried over into this thing aside from the Dragon Balls, and even then they fucked it up!

But........ we have had great success with Dragon Ball since then, including 2 fantastic movies, another sequel anime in the form of Dragon Ball Super and arguably their best move, Dragon Ball Super: Broly!

(Seriously if you haven’t seen this movie yet, do it!)

But now that 10 years have passed and with anime becoming more mainstream than ever, I think it’s time that we gave Dragon Ball in live action another try.

Now I know what you’re all thinking:

“There is absolutely no way in hell a live action Dragon Ball movie can work.”

Honestly, I don’t blame you guys for thinking like that. DBE has really tainted, not only Dragon Ball, but live action adaptations for anime in general. Every time a new one is made, everyone refers back to DBE as the leading example of how it can, and does fail. Not only that, but many people think that doing a live action Dragon Ball would be impossible, given how crazy the series is.

I disagree with that notion. While it wouldn’t be an easy feat to accomplish, I don’t think it’s truly impossible. I believe a live action Dragon Ball movie CAN be made, if they do some of the following:

1. Get a director with proven talent who can also capture the spirit of the source material

This one is essential as hell and I have some directors in mind who would be very good choices for a project like this.

1. James Gunn

James Gunn did the impossible when he directed Guardians of the Galaxy. Not many people outside the comics community has even heard of the team and they went from Z-list characters to top tier characters and one of Marvel’s most popular teams. Not only that, but he also has a knack for striking a perfect balance between serious and comedic, which is perfect for Dragon Ball. Speaking of comedy, his strange sense of humour is very similar to Toriyama’s, along with capturing the weird and wacky world of aliens, space magic and epic battles. James Gunn would be my top choice for a live action Dragon Ball film.

2. Taika Waititi

Thor: Raganarok was a huge hit, not just for the MCU as a whole, but for the Thor series. It gave the character and his world new life and it’s honestly the closest thing I’ve seen to a live Dragon Ball Z. Every staple of DBZ exists in this movie; strange worlds, epic fights, crude and absurd humour, crazy-ass powers and transformations. Seriously, it’s like Taikia Waititi was tailor made to direct Dragon Ball.

3. David F. Sandberg

David F Sandberg’s work on Shazam was nothing short of fantastic! A seriously heartfelt movie, it managed to portray the character seamlessly from the comics and is one of my favourite comic book movies of all time. With some funny moments and some really dark, twisted scenes, I’m sure David can bring something truly amazing to the table if he was in charge of directing Dragon Ball.

2. Do NOT adapt Dragon Ball Z first.

Dragon Ball Z may be one the most popular and iconic anime of all time, but it was the second part of an overall larger story. The first part started with Dragon Ball.

This is the series true beginning and to skip out on it would be a huge disservice. Everything that makes the franchise so beloved was built off of this and it deserves to be represented more. As for the storyline they should start with? Well they could either start with Emperor Pilaf arc or the Red Ribbon arc. I know this may might sound hypocritical given that DBE was not at all faithful to the source material, but there are some liberties that do need to be taken here. That’s just the nature of adaptations. All that said, though, if most of the source material is adapted well in the film, I wouldn’t mind a few liberties taken here and there, provided they’re done RIGHT and with RESPECT!

3. Get a good mix of unknown actors and actors with proven talent

For something like Dragon Ball, I believe the route of unknown actors is the right way to go and when it comes to casting the characters, I’d recommend that primarily Asian actors are used. The world of Dragon Ball is very diverse, filled to the brim with different kinds of species and creatures, but it also has heavy roots in Asian Mythology. For me, here’s how I would see the casting pan out:

Saiyans- Primarily Asian actors.

Humans- Mix of different actors. Characters like Roshi, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and ChiChi would need to be Asian, while Bulma, 17 and 18 can be cast as anyone.

Aliens and other strange species- Mix of different actors. You can get anyone for these roles.

4. Get the right studio

With a project like Dragon Ball, you would expect a lot of money to be involved here. For me, I have the perfect studio in mind for this:

Before anyone yells at me, let me make it clear that I understand everyone’s grievances with Disney, especially recently.

Regardless, they have had successful hits at he box office and have made some of the best film franchises of the modern day. Their success with the MCU is pretty much why I chose them in the first place. They accomplished a very difficult task of an overarching story spanning 23 movies and revitalising comic book movies. If they can replicate that with Dragon Ball, I think we’d have, not just a good live action Dragon Ball movie, but a truly great film franchise!

Though that’s just wishful thinking. 😅

Thus concludes my reasons for wanting another live action Dragon Ball film. What do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree? Do you think it’s impossible and I’m just wishing or do you think it can happen? What are your ideas for a live action Dragon Ball and which studio do you think should take it if Disney isn’t the right choice? Let me know by commenting and reblogging.

Have a good night guys! ✌️

[spaceorphan18]

SO’s Guide to the MCU

A handy guide for @coffeegleek to decide if she (or anyone else) would like join the ranks.  It’s fine if you don’t want to, but that means more shawarma for us.  

1. Iron Man - 

Robert Downey Jr. plays himself Tony Stark, an asshole billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, who nearly dies, and saves himself by becoming Iron Man.  This film kicks off the tone of the MCU combining humor and action and just being a fun ride.  Completely recommended to get a jump start into the MCU to see how it all begins.  

2. The Incredible Hulk

Rightfully considered the black sheep of the Marvel family.  It’s... not good.  In fact, I couldn’t even find a gif for you.  Eventually, they’ll switch out Edward Norton for the much more entertaining Mark Ruffalo, and pretty much nothing in this movie matters to the big scheme of things, so it’s entirely skippable.  And I mean, even if you are a huge Hulk fan - I’d probably still recommend skipping it. 

3. Iron Man 2

This film is considered by a lot of people to be one of the weaker ones - and while I still enjoy it a lot, it’s understandable as to why people think that.  It’s funny and has charm, but it’s kind of a mess - so... if you had fun with Iron Man 1 and really want to see more Tony Stark I recommend! Otherwise, feel free to move on.  Black Widow is introduced here, but her introduction in The Avengers is just fine.  

4. Thor

For me, the first Thor film is a little ‘meh’, though it does have some charm.  Chris Hemsworth plays a frat boy god who gets grounded to Earth after he misbehaves by his father Odin.  The real gem of this film is Tom Hiddleson’s Loki and the family dynamics between Thor, Loki, and Odin.  The stuff with Natalie Portman and the Earlings is fine.  But I almost recommend watching Avengers first and seeing if you like that first, and if you do, come back and watch Thor if you’re interested or if you just want to see Chris Hemsworth be pretty for two hours. 

5. Captain America: The First Avenger

The epic romance that is Steve and Bucky starts here.  If you’re totally intrigued by tumblr’s fascination with ‘Stucky’ this is a must!!  But more seriously, C:TFA is a fun film, yes set in the 40s, but I think it handles that well and Chris Evans is an absolute delight as Cap -- or Steve Rogers, a plucky kid from Brooklyn who just wants to prove what a big heart he has.  It’s much more entertaining for than the Thor film (IMO), though if you’re still on the fence, again, watch Avengers first, and come back if Cap holds your attention. 

6. The Avengers

If you’re really unsure about any of the first phase of films, then start off with The Avengers.  This film is amazing -- it’s funny, and emotional, and is nicely paced, and you really get a nice sense of who the characters are and what they stand for.  This film is just fun, with the MCU’s trademark humor and intriguing action (and I say this as a person who really isn’t into action films if you can believe it).  I can’t say enough good things about this film - it’s really good, go watch it!! 

7. Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 is the continuing adventures of Tony Stark.  This film is batshit insane at times (but I kinda love it - though I love Iron Man, so...)  It’s got some great character work for Tony Stark if you’re interested, which I think is the best thing this film has going for it.  It doesn’t, however, play much of a part in the bigger scheme of things, so if  Tony isn’t your person, then you can skip past it. 

8. Thor: The Dark World

This film is often considered the weakest (after Incredible Hulk), but I’m not gonna lie, I find this way more enjoyable than Thor 1.  It’s... not a good film, but if you’re a fan of Thor, or Loki, or just utter nonsense in a fantasy setting then check it out! 

9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Epic Romance of Steve and Bucky pt. 2: The Return of Bucky!!  I’m kinda being tongue-and-cheek, this film is honestly pretty amazing.  It’s a political spy-thriller where Cap has to go underground and undercover when Shield (the good guys) is infiltrated by a Nazi organization.  Everything about this film is done wonderfully well, and I highly recommend this one.  (Though, I’m not doing it justice - just ask @ckerouac) 

10. Guardians of the Galaxy

Do you like epic space operas with a quirky sense of humor and a good soundtrack?? Well then Guardians is right up your alley.  The first film Chris Pratt is Star Lord - a scavenger Han Solo type who finds himself caught up in space hijinks.  There are green aliens and talking trees and raccoons and whatever Drax is.  It’s fun and entertaining.  I think general audiences like it more than I do - but I do agree that it’s a wonderfully done film. 

11. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Well, let’s be honest - the Avengers sequel just isn’t what the first film is.  It tries, and has some charming moments, but just doesn’t hold together very well, the main issue being that the villain - Ultron - just isn’t a very good villain.  If you liked Avengers - give it a shot, it introduced Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver and a lot of the next batch of films, but I recommend going into it without much expectation.  However, you can always come back to this one if you want to wait to see if you like some of the later films first. 

12. Ant-Man

Ant-Man, played by the delightful Paul Rudd, is a low stakes fun heist film that’s kind of a mix between Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Ocean’s 11, and every other MCU film.  It’s cute and lighthearted - and if you find Paul Rudd charming, I totally recommend it.  If you’re still on the MCU fence, though, there are other films I’d much rather recommend first. 

13. Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: The Epic Stucky Romance pt. 3 -- Steve Rogers breaks up with his current BF Tony Stark so to be with his one true love, Bucky Barnes... Meanwhile, Tony Stark finds out he’s a dad -- to a teenager. 

Okay, I’m kidding.  Here’s the thing... 

This film is hard to discuss.  Some people love it (me! - I love the characterization stuff we get in it, plus the deep nods to the comics, and the introduction of Spider-Man), others hate it (@ckerouac - this is not a Cap film, It’s Avengers 2.5.  I want my Cap film!!) and, much like the film itself, there are valid reasons for everyone’s point of view.  It does play a major part in the fabric of the MCU - so I do recommend seeing it at least once so to gather your own opinion. ;) 

14. Doctor Strange

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a mystical Tony Stark Doctor Strange.  I think it’s an interesting film - it’s kind of got an Inception/Matrix vibe about it, but I like both the character and Cumberbatch in the role.  However, I don’t think it’s anywhere near the strongest of the MCU films, so if any of that doesn’t interest you, then it’s okay to skip -- Doctor Strange’s appearances in other films are better if I’m being totally honest. 

15. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

Guardians 2 is probably my second least favorite film of the bunch.  I think it kind of lacks the charm of the first one and amps up the 12yo humor.  But that’s just me.  If you really liked Guardians 1 check it out! Otherwise, feel free to move on. However, it does gain a few points for Baby Groot. 

16. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Let’s be real - This film is basically Tom Holland being a precious little muffin for two hours, and if you aren’t sold entirely on that premise, well then, I can’t help you. ;) 

17. Thor: Ragnarok

Underwhelmed by the first two Thor films? Thought the Hulk movie sucked? Well - welcome to Thor Ragnarok -- the film that just does not give a shit what came before it and does whatever the hell it wants because it’s like a 70′s acid trip.  And walks away being, perhaps, the best comedy in the MCU.  Everything is delightful about this film -- and if you wanted more from a Thor film, more Loki, more crazy antics with Mark Ruffalo - then you’ve come to the right place.  Also - bonus batshit crazy Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson as an amazing lesbian/bi (?) female warrior, and Jeff Goldblum -- Jeff Goldblum-ing.  

18. Black Panther

Chadwick Boseman is Black Panther - and I’m sure you’ve heard all the stuff swirling about how amazing this film is.  There are two things I personally really enjoy about the film -- the fact that it digs deeper than your average superhero film and is not afraid to tackle relevant questions we’re talking about in society right now, and the fact that the female cast in this one is fantastic and incredibly worth watching.  This one’s a definite must! 

19. Avengers: Infinity War

So...  I’m sure you’ve probably heard all about this one by now.  Here’s what I have to say about it -- I recommend seeing if after you’ve seen all the previous ones that you’ve wanted to see -- it does build on the others in a way a TV show builds to its finale.  And honestly, left me emotionally satisfied (knowing it was the first half of a two parter).  It’s a great film, imo, and worth it.  

20. Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and Wasp is a lot like the first film, only ramped up a little more.  After the heaviness of Infinity War, it’s light and a treat.  It’s not entirely (or at all) essential, but it’s a lot of fun if that’s what you’re looking for.  

21. Captain Marvel

Okay, so Captain Marvel isn’t out yet - but the trailer looks delightful, I know who Cap Marvel is from the comics, and it’s time the MCU got its shit together and put a woman in the front.  I say go see it! Plus, I’m sure it’ll be relevant for the next Avengers film. 

22. Avengers: End Game

So, um, also not out yet - but if you’ve liked everything up until now, I’m sure you’ll not only go see - but cry buckets full <3 

23. Spider-Man Far From Home

Let’s be real - we’re all gonna need another two hours of Tom Holland being a precious little muffin after whatever Endgame throws at us.  ;) 

///

And that’s it! That’s the MCU in a nutshell (so far).  Marvel has, like, it’s next ten years planned out, so definitely not the end.  But - hey - if anything interests you - I really do recommend checking that out first and coming back to fill in things if you want to know more. :) 

Guide to Non-MCU Marvel Films Part 1 Guide to Non-MCU Marvel Films Part 2

[plush-anon]

tejoxys

I finally saw the Endgame spoilers clip

*rubbing my grubby little hands together bc I love a good roast*

Welp, if it’s a roast you want, a roast you shall receive!

(Note: I think I spoke vaguely enough about everything big in the Clips below NOT to warrant an outright Spoilers tag, so I’m leaving it with just an Endgame Leaks tag and a ‘Read More’ line. Message me if you’ve a.) seen the Clips/gone scrolling for more info in the Spoilers tag and b.) think it’s more spoilery than I try to vague it to be, and I’ll tag it post haste)

Christ Almighty, the Clips just make everything look like an enormous MESS.

Thor looks just... awful. In every scene. LITERALLY EVERY SCENE HE’S IN IN THESE SPOILERIFIC CLIPS, HE LOOKS TERRIBLE. There isn’t a single one where he doesn’t look like a mess. Everyone else gets a glow-up (new hair, tattoos, freshly shaved) and looks put together in general (which is admittedly baffling - really, EVERYONE looks good in the face of mass genocide and failure to stop it from occurring?) but Thor decided to whip out his Big Lebowski cosplay at their big ‘save the world’ get-together... why??? (seriously Thor, was a shower too much to ask for?)

Now, if we’d had ANY inclination that anyone else looked rough aside from Tony and Nebula a la the stuck-in-space teaser trailers we saw originally, that would be one thing. Everyone there lost a loved one, everyone there has probably had to come to terms with the fact that they FAILED TO STOP THANOS when they were all right freakin’ there! NO ONE SHOULD LOOK 100% OKAY HERE. Show me dishevelment, poor coping mechanisms, show them having to struggle for weeks (maybe even MONTHS) after the events.

But nope! They are ALL in perfect health according to the trailers we’ve seen before. Even Tony, after nearly dying in space multiple times, just takes a bath and appears to be in fine health after getting back (with some bags under the eyes). Everyone’s perfectly fine, except for Thor (and maaaaaybe Hawkeye, who looks to have gone full-on Frank Miller Batman in his quest for vengeance, but still had time to get a mullet and some sweet sleeve tats in between!).

Nice.

This is a MASSIVE problem with the MCU as a whole, and has been for a while: their repeated attempts to gloss over and sweep consequences of mental trauma and illness away under the rug until it suits them for plot convenience or for comedy. You see this in the Thor sequels a LOT (Selvig being institutionalized for comedy after being possessed, Loki being kept in literal solitary confinement for roughly 2 years, Valkyrie’s PTSD and alcoholism played for laughs, mocking Loki’s suicide attempt from Thor 1 and the actual death he survived in Thor 2, ALL of Odin’s outright dickishness as a parent a la narcissistic parenting, Hela being imprisoned in isolation for literal CENTURIES), as well as anything to do with Tony Stark and his thought process (everything he does is pretty much as a result of the trauma he endures, and everyone in the Avengers just??? doesn’t recognize it??? and attacks him for it without going ‘hey, maybe he’s got PTSD’ or something???? what the hell, man). GOTG does a MUCH better job of it with Rocket and Nebula, but Mantis is left woefully unrealized (thought they do touch upon it briefly, and handle it with relative seriousness). 

Either way, Thor concerns me a LOT, because he is the king of a very small group of Asgardian refugees (and given the scene that shows in the Clips, as well as the appearance of another Thor character later on, we KNOW there were multiple survivors), trying to find a new life on Midgard in the face of not one, not two, but THREE fcuking tragedies - the destruction of Asgard, Thanos’ attack on their ship, and the Snap. Why is he the way he is, in the location he’s in (which actually appears to be the apartment from Team Thor’s mockumentary)? He is the only semblance of leadership left for these people who have lost everything and he’s Like That. Where is a Thor stressed and fretting over being fully responsible for once in his life over the lives of his people, over what little remains of his kingdom? Where is a Thor struggling with guilt as he tries to build a new life for his people, struggling with rule and politics and trade? WHERE IS HE??? Bc right now, all I see is Chris Hemsworth auditioning for the remake of The Big Lebowski, having wandered onto the Avengers set instead of his audition location by mistake -_-

The scenes with Steve leave me absolutely baffled (and some of them just ooze cheese, and not in a great way), because how in the fcuk do we get to those?? His scenes feel the most disjointed here, bc they all have a similar vibe to his personality in Whedon’s Avenger movies. Kind of the ‘Boy Scout’ presentation, which is particularly odd in the aftermath of the Russo Fools’ two Cap movies and Infinity Fcuk Up, which made him more serious, less - bright? I can’t think of a good word for it rn. This is particularly highlighted in his big ‘save the world’ speech we hear - it feels kind of like an ‘okay team, time to save the world!’ speech, instead of something more serious. Is it to try to bring everyone’s hopes up? What else is missing here that we’re not seeing? Why does he feel like he’s back to this persona in light of all that’s happened? Is it to highlight how good and awesome he is in order to {SPOILER REDACTED} like we see in that final sequence? (Also, the imagery for SPOILER REDACTED, while meant to be badass and awesome, feels... kind of awkward, IMHO. Which is weird, bc I thought it would be more amazing and awesome. IDK, maybe I’m just super jaded with the MCU by now).

Carol Danvers’ scenes are actually pretty on point. She gets to be a badass in her fighting scenes and gets an awesome new look that pretty much only functions to further cement her Lesbian Status. The only way she would be more obviously a Lesbian is if her suit were in the colors of (one of) the Lesbian Pride flags and a Cyndi Lauper song was playing in the background (or maybe Joan Jett).

Hulk/Bruce Banner... I don’t even know how they’re going to swing this. Like, at all. I’m particularly baffled bc given how some of the scenes appear to be set early in the film, it resolves extremely quickly to get to that point, and after all the drama of Hulk not coming out in Infinity Fcuk Up, I just - who the fcuk knows at this point. Also, that one scene with the {SPOILER REDACTED} could be effective depending on how they set it up, but then... why exactly is he the one in the scene with the {SPOILER REDACTED} and not Carol or Thor, due to Obvious Plot Reasons?

Finally, Peter Parker. He’s adorable in his scenes, ‘nuff said.

Now, after seeing these scenes, I am left EXTREMELY CONCERNED for this movie’s tone. Granted, it was only 5 minutes of footage for a 3 hour movie. Quite clearly, there is a LOT we aren’t seeing. All the same though, it feels extremely disjointed. I know they’re trying to pull away from the dark and grim ending of Infinity War, but these clips make it all feel a little too casual, a little too ‘let’s go beat the bad guy!’ as opposed to ‘we have suffered a great failure and a great tragedy - as heroes, we MUST work to undo this for the sake of those we have lost, and everyone left alive who has lost the people they loved’. Idk, that may just be me on this one.

But you know the worst part of all of THIS? The worst part is that this is probably what we’re going to get on the release date. This isn’t a trailer Marvel released with deleted live-action scenes featuring minimal to no CGI, or sections clumsily edited over with explosion effects - this was a slew of scenes with a TON of special effects fully rendered in painstaking detail, recorded with a phone on its side in what looks like a movie theater, with foreign subtitles on the screen (I honestly don’t recognize the alphabet, but it might be Middle Eastern). That CGI is expensive and time-consuming as all hell to do, and considering how many of these scenes had it? Either they wasted a shit-ton of money on scenes they didn’t use (seriously, a number of them have Rocket in them, or Hulk - those aren’t the easiest characters to render, I would imagine), or these are in the movie, end of story.

Not to mention, TPTB clamped down on these Clips HARD - like, IMMEDIATELY - as opposed to the process behind deleting Reddit comments. The fast and heavy response from Marvel and the Russo Fools, COMPLETE WITH OFFICIAL TWEET LETTER, along with a Chris Evans tweet not to Spoil the Shit, was to chastise the ones who did (which is somewhat warranted here, given how extreme the security on leaks for Endgame have been).

This response, combined with the quality of the clips, and some of the plot threads that actually seem to be mentioned/referenced in the Lego sets, leads me to believe it’s real.

And I’m not really impressed.

On the flipside, I’m actually kind of relieved, knowing what I’m going into when I walk into the theater opening weekend. I’m not going to be completely shocked and horrified by what I see. This works well in breaking the ice, and also eases some of my anxiety on what to expect (bc I have had a LOT of it for this movie).

The downside to this is that at the end of the day, this is what 22 films ultimately amounted to. Something that feels a little too glib, a little too rushed. Something that doesn’t feel like it’s doing right by the characters who were left, and the characters we love (at least, not in full).

I understand that this is an insurmountable task - to bring to film, with limited time, a satisfying conclusion to so many characters. To arrange hundreds of people within thousands of hours on a set budget to bring this massive story, building for over ten years now, to a close that will resonate and sate with as many fans as possible. But I read fanfiction that does just that with less time, fewer moments, no budget - hell, there are 10k oneshots that rewrote Infinity Fcuk to make sense and treat the characters with the respect that they’ve earned over 20+ films.

This? Doesn’t feel like those.

I will happily admit, I am guesstimating a LOT here, based off of what essentially amounts to 3% of the movie (slightly more, depending on how long the credits are sans post-credit scenes, but still roughly 3%). There is a LOT that is missing, which could fill in these gaps successfully and make this whole post look completely pointless. If it does that, I will gleefully concede that it fooled us on this one. Maybe all of these scenes really ARE hoaxes (even if they were painstakingly subtitled in a foreign language and shown on a movie theater-size screen, but I digress).

But the framing of the scenes looks like it was meant to showcase what the movie would be as a whole, in terms of tone and what to expect. And from that, I’m not excited, or overjoyed. I’m just tired.

And I cannot WAIT for this all to be over, bc I’m fcuking exhausted just watching 5 minutes. Lord knows what 182 of them will leave me like in the end.

*peers up at massive unending ranty analysis post* ...ah. Well then. that happened again. Ah well. Hope you had fun reading my nonsense brain goop, kiddos.

[timeisacephalopod]

4, 6, 9, 10, 12: Rhodey and Bucky, 15, 16, 21, 23, 27, 29, 30, 32, 35, 37, 43, 46, 50, 54: Tony

You know that meme where the white woman is looking at the math overlaying the picture in confusion? That was me when I got this ask because instead of reading the fucking questions on the ask meme I put up I decided ‘Rhodey and Bucky’ were some other thing? Long story short I’m a moron lmao.

4- Favorite actress

Tbh I don’t pay much attention to the actresses and thus I almost missed out of saying Tessa Thompson like some kind of savage. I appreciate how hard she worked to try and make Valkyrie bisexual and also her character was basically the only thing I liked about Thor: Ragnarok (controversial opinion, I know).

6- Favorite quote

“Trust my rage” from Thor The Dark World. This line is so visceral and poetic. Like shit son, the rest of the movie was eh, but that line? Fucking amazing, and Hiddleston’s delivery of it is top tier bois.

9- BROTP

Pepper and Tony. I’ve never seen the romance between them, and in my opinion it was there because it seems movies are fucking incapable of not having a romance subplot (no hate to pepperony shippers either, everyone likes what they like and the entire point of fic is to circumvent canon anyways). But as a friendship pairing these two are excellent- they’re a great team, they understand each other on a fundamental level, and their friendship dynamic is interesting. Also, to me, I think their relationship is more compelling without the romance.

10- How did I discovered Marvel?

I’ve mentioned this in other asks but I had a friend make me watch Avengers and I didn’t like it lmao. I only gave it another show two years later and started from the beginning with CA:TFA and then I got into it. I’m not sure what changed or why I took to it later, especially when I found the later half of TFA to be kind of boring (I love Skinny!Steve ok) but it happened and when WS came out I saw it in theaters. From then I was hooked.

12- Make me choose between two characters: Rhodey and Bucky

Damn, I’d rather not have to choose, you suck! But, for the sake of the ask, Rhodey. As a character he’s better constructed, has his own story and motivation outside Tony, he’s funny, and while he has his moments (that I mostly blame on shit writing) he’s a great friend. I honestly wish that we could get a whole movie about him doing things but I did hear some rumors not long ago about Marvel looking into making Iron Man 4 an Ironheart movie and the only thing that would make that better is if Rhodey were her mentor (I literally wrote a story about this once).

Anyways, although I write Bucky a lot more than I do Rhodey I do prefer his character in a more fundamental way simply because he’s more fleshed out. Plus I love male friendships that are actually good and James Rhodey Rhodes is the God Tier of friends. The man spent 3 fucking months combing the desert for his disaster friend and that’s some damn dedication. Especially when you know people must have gotten real damn annoyed with him using resources and shit. But that action alone tells you everything you need to know about him and none of it is bad. I love Rhodey, seriously.

15- Top 5 ships

Tony/T’Challa

Tony/ Bucky

Tony/ Stephen

Tony/Rhodey

And, because I feel compelled to put a ship that doesn’t have Tony in it Steve/Howard

Honorable Mentions: Tony/ Peter Q

16- Top 5 villains

THANOS

Erik Killmonger

Loki

Justin Hammer (he’s just so absurd)

Ghost (from Ant Man and The Wasp)

Seriously, this was hard because Marvel’s villains are shit. They’re all the same one dimensional ‘they’re evil’ type characters.

21- Dream crossover

Basically any urban fantasy world I loved in my teens and the MCU. I’ve written a Vampire Academy/ MCU crossover but I’d love to write a House of Night crossover (I hate the characters in HoN, but love the world ok don’t judge), and a Shadowhunters crossover. I’ve seen some cool stuff with Teen Wolf being crossed over too though.

23- Most layered character

Tony fucking easily. His arcs are always the most compelling (or close to it), he’s had the most character development, and his trauma plays out so beautifully on screen. I’d argue Steve is a close second post WS, but the MCU will never let his character play out the development he’s gotten because they’ll never let Steve be less than perfect, which pisses me off. Otherwise his transition from a solider who wants to do right by his country to a cynical man who doesn’t know how to process the new world he’s been tossed into or how to handle a situation in which the morally correct solution isn’t abundantly obvious would be a compelling watch. But its been consistently proven that Steve will never get a real realization of his new characterization because ~~perfection~~.

27- Favorite moment

Shiiiit. That’s a lot of material and because I have a bad memory I’m going to go with ‘don’t call us plucky, we don’t know what it means’ because that was hilarious lmao.

29- Saddest moment

Shit boi, probs a toss up between Peter P’s death and Bucky’s. Peter’s is obvious but Bucky fucking dusting in front of the dude who spent so long trying to find him again in an effort to feel, even if its just for a moment, like he’s home again? Sad af. I felt awful for Steve there.

30- Most beautiful scene

Pretty much all of Black Panther is a visual treat, but I’m especially fond of T’Challa in the dream world with his father. That scene was so beautiful, and all the colors? Amazing. Only Guardians of the Galaxy even compares visually and even then Wakanda’s beauty has something else to offer that space doesn’t.

32- Actor/Actress I’d like to be cast by Marvel

As mentioned above I pay literally zero attention to actors- its a personal choice not to spend time being a voyeur into other people’s lives and treat them like commodities to consume because I loath celebrity culture (and this isn’t a slam to anyone who enjoys it, its more a slam to people who over engage in it- ie people who care enough to send death threats or paps basically). Anyways that’s an opinion you didn’t ask for, but because of that personal opinion I have no real cast choice lmao.

35- Most boring plotline?

I love Thor but all his movies. The first movie had good personal growth but eh. The second was an ok movie but forgettable (aside from my fav line from Loki in it), and unpopular opinion I hated Thor Ragarok. I mean it was funny. That’s all the good I have to say about it really. Though I have no idea why every comedy writers room is not leaping at a chance to get Taikia on their staff because the man is a comedic genius and that’s honestly being impolite to his comedy skill. Still, as much as I like Thor I didn’t really love any of his movies and all his villains were so fucking boring, even Loki wasn’t that interesting till Avengers. Poor Thor, MCU did him dirty :(

37- Most well done character death

Peter P. I give this to him over Bucky because apparently most of that scene was improv? I cried over my spider son ok. There’s someone who was in that theater with me who heard me sob out ‘my spider son’ and went home to tell people about it. That shit was heartbreaking. Second runner up goes to T’Challa but I didn’t think it was well done, I just thought it was sad as shit for Okoye and I love her so it was upsetting to see her lose her king :(

43- Characters I wish they’ve met

I don’t understand the question :( I think it’s supposed to be ‘characters you wish would met’ but all my wishes were granted in IW. Tony and Stephen met and so did Tony and Quill. I shipped Tony with both characters before they’d interacted on screen so it was nice to see :) Rhodey and Quill would be a fucking hoot together though, throw in Okoye and Valkyrie and you’ve got a bunch of drunk overpowered people telling war stories or, in Quill’s case, stories about that time he stole some shit.

46- What characters outside of the Mcu I’d like to see in a Marvel movie?

Ironheart, but I heard rumors they might do a movie with her. I think it’d be fun to have Riri in screen, especially since Peter is around her age. I’d also love to see a Young Avengers movie or a Kamala Khan/ Ms. Marvel movie though apparently there’s rumors of that too.

50- Characters that deserved better

Tony, Bucky, and Steve but all for different reasons. Steve deserves his fall from grace and not because I think he should suffer, but because keeping him on his pedestal means he’ll never be able to fully process his trauma and move on. Allow him to fall, allow him to know he isn’t perfect, then allow him to know that that’s ok, he doesn’t need to be, he just needs to do the best he can and then allow him a proper chance to move on.

Bucky because he deserves to be a character outside of Steve and, to a much smaller extent, Tony. Let the man have a movie about self actualization after trauma, let him figure out he isn’t Steve Roger’s best friend anymore (and that Steve isn’t really Steve anymore) and that that’s ok, they can both accept themselves as they exist now and still be friends. Let him develop hobbies outside of Steve, have him bond with Rhodey, he needs a good friend. Shit, let him bond with Sam too. Give me a buddy movie where Sam lowkey therapies Bucky into being a fuckin person again and Bucky finds some way to repay him. He can go beat up Scott for that time he kicked Sam’s ass lol.

And Tony because the MCU makes fuckin everything his fault, even stuff that only somewhat involves him. They drive him to an absolute breaking point and then have the characters get pissed that he broke? The only one that I found acceptable was Pepper and that’s mostly because I understand why she’d be freaked out both by Tony’s obsessive behavior and by nearly being eaten by one of his suits. She had her own shit she was dealing with post Mandarin so her I understand. Everyone else though? Mostly makes no sense. Why are you surprised that a person snaps when they’re pushed to the limit? That’s how people work lmao but that’s also because the writers make an active, and completely senseless, choice to have the characters react like Tony’s mental health problems are a choice he made and now he has to suffer because he has PTSD or some shit. Idk, but AoU was the worst for it, and, to a lesser extend IM3 but I refuse to believe Rhodey would really tell Tony to get over himself after a panic attack- the man is emotionally intelligent ok, IM3 did Rhodey dirty.

54- 5 things I love most about: Tony

Tony’s sheer level of wonder at the world around him- the look on his face in IM2 when he rediscovers that element perfectly encapsulates how he feels about learning and moving forward. (Flipside is that sometimes he has trouble staying in the present and that causes problems).

The way he tries no matter how badly he fails. Bih, if my random tests on a rock nearly ended the world I’d out and out throw myself off a cliff. Instead he accepts his part in it (and more) and chooses to try and make the best of it. He’s done that from the moment he got snatched by terrorists in Afghanistan. That in itself is basically a superpower.

His humor. I, too, hide my emotional distress under jokes so I can relate to being a lil bit of an asshole to hide how I feel. (Flipside: people don’t think he takes stuff seriously- hence Steve in the Avengers).

His mental health problems. Ok this one is weird, but I can appreciate that someone drew up a hero that isn’t based in perfection, but who tries to get there anyways. But the dude has problems, a lot of problems, and they aren’t always pretty. But they are complicated and it is compelling to watch.

The way he builds relationships. Its unconventional- Rhodey is probably the only person he’s super close to that he met in a normal way. Happy and Pepper were both people that worked for him and instead of just being their boss he took the time to learn about them and get to know them on a personal level. Obviously he ended up engaged to Pepper, but a guy who knows what his driver’s favorite show is and why he likes it is a good dude. He’d be nice to wait staff in restaurants.

[violent-optimism]

My Ranking of all the MCU films so far

Hey guys! So now that I have finally caught up and watched every single film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (to date) I will now rank them from worst to best!

Just an FYI: Some of you will probably not agree with some of my choices, and that is perfectly fine. This is just my personal opinion.

Here we go!

#19: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

The Hulk has always been one of my favourite superheroes, and as far as I am concerned this movie completely ruined him. The CGI looked like a video game, the narrative was terrible. No redeeming qualities whatsoever. Just not a good movie at all in my opinion.

#18: Iron Man 2 (2010)

I actually saw this one in the theater, and I kinda wish I hadn’t. However, unlike the previous entry I wouldn’t say it’s a completely awful film. There are a couple decent/funny moments. But for the most part, it’s not great and I don’t think I’d watch it again.

#17: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

I seriously cannot believe I wasted my money TWICE to see this in the theater. I was pretty disappointed by this movie. The villain had no clear motivation. The romance was so awkward and the majority of the humor just didn’t work. The only redeeming qualities are the performances of Hemsworth and Hiddleston.

 #16: Iron Man 3 (2013)

Now, I don’t think this movie is actually that bad, but it’s just not quite as good as some of the other high caliber MCU films. I liked that they addressed Tony’s mental health issues and the film has a pretty good ending. This movie won’t exactly waste your time, but there are other films more worthy of it.

#15: Thor (2011)

While not NEARLY as bad as its sequel, the first Thor film is a bit cheesy, clunky and predictable. That being said, it’s a visually impressive movie with some pretty fun and hilarious moments. At this point I feel kind of neutral about it. It ain’t no Ragnarok but it’s not as terrible as the second installment.

#14: Iron Man (2008)

For the very first film in the MCU line-up, this one is pretty good. Right away we know exactly what kind of person Tony Stark is, and the first half of the movie is surprisingly suspenseful and emotionally charged. It has a few humorous and bad-ass sequences. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really stand up in comparison to some of the later MCU films. That being said, it’s still a pretty good time.

#13: Ant-Man (2015)

Now the only reason I put this above Iron Man is because of how much it exceeded my expectations. I really didn’t think it was going to be that good, but it was. Not a perfect film by any means, but I was surprised at how entertaining and funny it was. I suppose my only complaint would be that unless you are really into Ant-Man as a character, it’s not that memorable of a film.

#12: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Don’t get me wrong, I did think this film was very enjoyable for the most part, I just don’t think it was as good as the first one. I think what I liked most was the development of the relationship between Gamora and Nebula. I did think most of the humor was good, but there was so much of it that it ended up feeling more like a comedy rather than a super-hero flick.

#11: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

There is no denying that Chris Evans was cast perfectly as Captain America/Steve Rogers. He is someone you can really root for, which is what makes this movie so successful. However, the film is very cheesy at parts, and some sequences are slowly paced, but overall it’s a very entertaining movie and a great introduction to one of the MCU’s most important characters.

#10: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Personally, I do think this one is better than the sequel. All of the characters are introduced perfectly, and their interactions are written in such a clever way. I also think this movie has the better soundtrack when compared the sequel, and the humor is not as overblown. I guess my only complaint would be that it kind of feels like the film makers were trying to copy the Avengers with the whole “team doesn’t get along at first but then they do” scenario. It definitely works, but it’s not the most original idea. Overall, very well done.

#9: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Although the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films (excluding the 3rd one) will always be close to my heart, I have to admit that this movie was really good. I really enjoy Tom Holland’s portrayal of Peter Parker. He has an innocence about him that makes him so likeable, and you really want him to succeed. I also thought the humor in this movie was perfect, and Michael Keaton was not just another boring Marvel villain. Overall, I would definitely see it again.

#8: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

To be honest, I don’t think this movie is QUITE as good as the Tumblr community thinks it is. However, it is pretty darn good. Some of the action and fight choreography is absolutely stunning. I love how it feels like a spy/espionage film while also displaying themes that the MCU is known for. I love the developing relationship between Steve and Natasha, and how this film exposes their true colours. Really well done.

#7: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Again, I don’t think this movie is as incredible as the Tumblr fans say it is, but overall I did enjoy it quite a bit. A lot of the issues I had with the previous Thor films are not in this one.The Director must have realized that the previous Thor films just weren’t working, and decided to give this one a fun, energetic spin that I think was the perfect choice. Of course, I have to talk about my favourite actress, Cate Blanchett, who KILLS IT in this role (no pun intended). With a brilliant aesthetic and motivation that makes sense, she might just be my favourite MCU villain yet. In my opinion, this is the best Thor film so far.

#6: Black Panther (2018)

Alright, now we’re getting to the really good stuff! This movie took the world by storm, and it’s not hard to understand why. With a cast full of talented and diverse actors, Black Panther is unlike any Marvel movie we’ve ever seen before. I can’t tell you how unbelievably refreshing it is to see a film that is not 90% white people, it’s the other way around! Although the story is a tad predictable if you’ve seen The Lion King, the action is superb, the visuals are beautiful, and the script is very well written. Wakanda forever!

#5: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Without getting too much into spoiler territory, I will say that this film is probably the most ambitious cross-over I have ever seen in all of cinema. The crazy part is that the directors actually managed to tell a clear and concise story despite the fact that they were dealing with something like 30 characters in one film. Emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking and hilarious, this one hits all the marks that it should in the most surprising ways.

Still not sure what to think about that ending though....

#4: The Avengers (2012)

I don’t know about anyone else, but when I first saw this movie it totally blew my mind! It truly is an epic movie with some of the best writing I’ve ever heard/seen. While I feel that fans obsessed over Loki a little too much, he is a fun villain with a pretty clear motivation. This movie also introduces Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner who I think is by far the best actor to portray the character. I feel like this is the movie that started the trend of MCU films that were actually really good. It’s a really entertaining ride from beginning to end.

#3: The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

I know exactly what some of you are thinking: “Oh my god she thinks Age of Ultron is better than the first one are you freaking kidding me”. Yes, you are correct. I do think that Age of Ultron is better than the first Avengers, and I seem to be very very alone in that opinion for some reason. Basically I think that this film has everything that made the first Avengers film good with a couple things that make it even better:

1) The character interactions are more complex and interesting

2) The stakes are a lot higher and the heroes suffer more

In a nutshell, that is why I think it’s better than the first one. To be perfectly honest I’m not really sure why Tumblr hates this movie so much. I get that nobody really likes the Bruce/Natasha pairing but is that really a valid reason to hate the entire movie? I guess I’ll never know.

#2: Doctor Strange (2016)

Unless you’ve been counting, I doubt you saw this one coming up so high on my list. It wasn’t until I started thinking about my ranking that I thought: “Wow, I LOVE Doctor Strange!” Not only is Benedict Cumberbatch an incredibly talented actor, I always liked this film because it was a marvel film that didn’t feel like a stereotypical “marvel” film (if that makes sense). Aside from having a visual style I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, I think my favourite part about this movie is the progressive character arc that Stephen Strange goes through. By the end of the film he’s not a completely different person, but his priorities have shifted and he wants to help make the world a safer place. Also I can’t talk about this movie without mentioning the SOUNDTRACK, oh my goodness the soundtrack. Here’s the link, listen and be amazed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc0KNrpFka8

#1: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

It took me a little while to figure it out, but I definitely feel that this movie is my favourite in the MCU so far. Sort of a scaled-down version of Infinity War, this movie has a lot of characters, but the story is balanced so well that you barely notice. The comedy is really good, and is countered with scenes of irreversible emotion. Everything ties together so wonderfully, and despite the long run time, the movie is extremely well paced. Although it has one of the more darker endings in a marvel movie, it still manages to end on fairly positive note, which I love. I don’t know what else I can say to praise this movie, so I’ll end it right there.

Wow, that took a while! There you have it folks, my personal ranking of all 19 MCU films so far. If you took the time to read all of this, thank you so much for doing so. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

[lo-fipopculture-blog]

Cody’s Top 10 of 2017

By Cody Lunsford

In 2016, I did a very bad job of watching movies. I only saw FOUR of the movies nominated for best picture. 2017 was VERY different. I’ve seen every movie nominated for best picture. I saw a grand total of 107 movies released in 2017, plus all of the older movies that I watched this year.

There were a lot of factors that came together to create this surge in movie watching. (1). I got MoviePass. Chad’s written about how valuable of a service it is and it’s absolutely true. I’m able to see so much more in theatres now because I’m not breaking the bank to do so. It also makes me feel less bad about seeing movies that seem like they’re obviously bad. (2). I got Netflix DVD. “What is this: 2006?!” I hear you saying. But it’s actually been a great service. Obviously there’s lots of stuff that’s on streaming services, but there’s also quite a bit that isn’t which is why it’s great to get the DVDs (as a supplement to streaming of course. Still got have that Netflix/Hulu/Amazon/HBO Go cocktail). Netflix DVD tends to get newer movies before streaming services, in addition to having some older, harder-to-find stuff. (3). I got more active on Letterboxd. It is, without a doubt, my favorite social media platform. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a way to log movies as you watch them and share your thoughts on the movies, see what your friends are watching and their thoughts on movies, and make lists, which made making this top 10 list an easy task since I’ve been working on it all year. (4). I started a movie podcast with my friends. It’s called Best Pictures and our goal is to find the best movie for every year we’ve been alive. Yes, this is a plug, but it’s also definitely a reason why I watched a ton of movies this year. I had to keep up with my co-hosts and sound like I knew what I was talking about.

That’s why I watched so many, but now let’s get into what movies topped the list. It may seem weird that a “best of the previous year” list isn’t coming out until mid-February, but I wanted to make sure that I had seen everything that might would make my list. Let’s begin with some honorable mentions.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (#35 - #11)

#35. Darkest Hour, #34. Molly’s Game, #33. It Comes at Night, #32. Logan Lucky, #31. Okja, #30. War for the Planet of the Apes, #29. Baby Driver, #28. American Made, #27. Thor: Ragnorak, #26. Good Time, #25. Spider-Man: Homecoming, #24. Ingrid Goes West, #23. Annabelle: Creation, #22. Coco, #21. Detroit, #20. Alien: Covenant, #19. Blade Runner 2049. #18. Mudbound, #17. Brigsby Bear, #16. I, Tonya, #15. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, #14. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), #13. Phantom Thread, #12. Your Name, #11. The Florida Project.

Look. 2017 ruled, film wise. It’s hard to narrow down stuff that I really liked. Now to top #10.

#10. Super Dark Times

Super Dark Times was a bit of a surprise for me. I watched it when it came on Netflix and was instantly blown away, realizing that I may be watching a new cult classic in the making a la Donnie Darko. It’s tense and horrifying and completely grabs your attention from the very opening of the film. It’s the type of movie that make your eyes grow wider and wider with each passing scene. The only thing that I’m unsure about when it comes to Super Dark Times is it’s ending, though that also adds to its likelihood to attain cult status, as it’s the type of ending that can debated and discussed for hours.

#9. Raw

Raw isn’t easy to watch. It’s about a vet student who develops a taste for human flesh. With a premise like that, it’s obviously going to lead to some gnarly scenes. But the beauty of Raw lies in how much the film elevates what could be a schlocky b-horror movie premise. Raw isn’t just about cannibalism, it’s also about finding yourself at college. It’s also about how your family still has a giant influence on you even when you leave them. It’s also at times about the special bond that siblings have. And yes, it’s also about eating people.  

#8. Logan

The best superhero film of the year and arguably one of the best ever made. It’s brutal and rough, yet contains one of the strongest emotional threads I’ve seen in superhero movie. Hugh Jackman gives a performance as Logan that is completely unique to this film, yet doesn’t feel disingenuous to the iterations of Wolverine that we’ve seen before. Dafne Keen is a revelation as X-23, portraying just how tough a kid has to be in this grimy future. It’s incredible that despite me not being the biggest fan of the X-Men franchise as a whole, especially the last few, that this movie can still swoop in and hit me like a ton of bricks. There’s not many superhero movies I’ve cried during. This is one of them.

#7. The Post

It’s hard to imagine a world in which this movie would be bad. With the all-star team up of Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, and Tom Hanks (and that’s not even counting the insane roster of supporting actors), there was no doubt in my mind that this would be excellent. It’s the type of movie that makes you want to stand up and cheer at people who persist until they win. It has incredible scenes that make your heart race, such as when Bob Odenkirk goes to get the Pentagon Papers and the later scene when Tom Hanks’s team sorts through the documents. It also has little Spielberg touches, such as a little girl making a killing selling lemonade to the team, that tie the whole thing together and make it feel human.

#6. The Big Sick

I’ve known who Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon are for many years from following the LA comedy scene so it has filled me with absolute joy to see a film that they wrote, based on their real life experiences, be such a hit this year and get Oscar attention in addition to being well-liked. It’s a rom-com that defies some standard rom-com tropes and offers a unique love story that we’ve never before seen on film. The movie also does right by Emily’s parents, played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano doing some of their best work. Instead of making them obstacles in the way of the romance, it fleshes out these characters and Kumail’s relationship with them. It’s such a brilliant twist on the rom-com formula to have Emily’s parents be on board with Kumail before Emily herself is.

#5. Dunkirk

Finally, some recognition for Christopher Nolan (though before this, the last movie of his that I loved completely was The Dark Knight.) This is a war movie that is done in a way I’ve never seen a war movie been done before. It features Nolan’s trademark fascination with messing around with timelines, intercutting between storylines that take place over a week, a day, and a hour respectively, before finally culminating together. It’s tense and fast-paced. You barely get to know any of the characters’ names, which actually works to drive the idea that Nolan is presenting home. This could be anyone’s story of war, it doesn’t matter the specifics.

#4. It

Stephen King is probably my favorite author. I’m a huge fan of things that are spooky and I’ve always loved that in his stories, he’s able to make you care deeply about the characters as well as scare the hell out of you. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a mind blowingly good film adaptation of a Stephen King movie and It definitely reached that status. Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Clown is unsettling, yet still somewhat funny. The scares are unique and terrifying. The kids are so damn good. It’s a mammoth book and the way that this adaptation streamlined or cut things out was masterful. I feel like this may be one of the movies on this list that I revisit the most.

#3. Get Out

I’m sure you’ve gotten the idea already that I’m a big fan of horror films. And while It showed what the big blockbuster version of a horror movie could be (and let’s still be clear, the blockbuster version of a horror movie still has a much smaller budget than other blockbusters), Get Out offers how effective a small budget horror movie could be. It also came in and demanded that horror being taken seriously, becoming the first horror film to be nominated for Best Picture since The Silence of the Lambs, though there’s definitely an argument to be made that particular film is more of a thriller. That would make Get Out even more impressive, making it the only horror movie nominated since The Exorcist. Regardless of how you define other movies or how long it’s been, there’s no arguing that Get Out is impressive, especially considering it’s Jordan Peele’s directorial debut. I’m fascinated to see where he goes next.

#2. Lady Bird

It would’ve been hard for me to hate this movie. It’s funny, it’s coming of age, it’s got scenes of musical theatre. Every character in this film is completely realized and painfully authentic. Every funny moment in the film feels real. The relationships that Lady Bird has, with her mother, with her first loves, with her best friend, with her dad, with her brother, are completely relatable and speak to that unsureness, yet complete brazen confidence that comes with being a senior in high school. The throughline of being ashamed of where you came from, yet proud once you’ve left is especially poignant as someone who left a small town to go to college. The realization that your parents are just people and that despite you feeling frustrated and suffocated, they want the best for you, is a hard thing to grapple with and this movie handles it beautifully.

#1. The Shape of Water

“HAHA, that’s that movie where a girl bangs a fish, right?” I mean...yes. But the beauty of The Shape of Water to me is that particular moment doesn’t really even feel that weird. The film instantly immerses you in a storybook world set within a version of the 1960s that isn’t quite true to life. It’s a fairy tale, through and through, complete with a musical daydream, a frog prince, a princess who’s been struck by some “curse”, and a villain who is literally rotten. There’s a lot of arguments that this movie is a bit simplistic or things move at an accelerated rate and to that I say: it’s a storybook. It’s not real. It is meant to feel fantastical and not grounded. It looks gorgeous, performances are phenomenal, and you feel the love put into this production in every scene. I love it.

For more on my thoughts about these, and other movies, listen to the latest episode of Best Pictures where we have the FIRST ANNUAL PICKIES to nominate OUR best of the year.

[drink-n-watch]

Genre : Happiness, otome, mullet reverse harem, magical boy

Episodes: 12

Studio: Brain’s Base

  Yui is just your average run of the mill, beautiful, smart, sweet, kendo practicing high school girl capable of immediately accepting and adapting to any situation no matter how outlandish and one day she is swept away to a magical garden/high school full of god boys from various mythologies brought together by Zeus to develop a better understanding of mankind. That old story. We’ve all been in this exact situation a billion times right? It’s happen to me twice this week alone! You know how these things go, eventually we have to drown a pretty blond boy to avoid a Matrix type Ragnarok. Yawn.

I never know how to qualify these shows. They’re not exactly cute boys doing cute things, I mean they don’t really fall into the slice of life category at all. Technically you could call them reverse harems, I mean that is what they are but this title could fool you into thinking they are romantic storylines. The are not. The romance (if any) is usually completely secondary and only serves as an excuse to bring the characters together. It’s rarely central to the story and in this case was completely irrelevant to the main conflict.

If anything, you can recognize these shows by their standard dating sim adaptation structure which means we get separate mini storylines for every boy and their unabashed embrace of kitch. When done well these are pleasant, slightly manservicy comedies that will make you giggle, when they’re done badly they are annoying and infinitely stupid. When done very badly – the are comedy Gold! I’ll level with you, at this point I find it really hard to tell the difference.

nice hair…

All of this as just to explain that I have to be in a particular mood to review these types of shows. A mood I like to call: frantically rapturous. It’s achieved by eating absolutely nothing but processed sugar for 3 days then writing the post real quick before the crash comes. The diabetes is more than worth it.

One of my favorite commenters Dawnstorm, clued me into this series by showing me this clip:

Please note the hair transformation!

Needles to say, I immediately took the rest of the day off and proceeded to binge this. As you can see, the art style is what you would expect, and you shouldn’t look too closely at angles or distant characters, but the transformation sequences are phenomenal. Sadly, there are very few of these, most characters only get a brief one in the last episode. This is unfortunate as the god costumes are one of the greatest cinematic achievements of our age. The mere sight of them will touch you in ways you did not think possible. Try not to drink before one as getting wine up your nose can really burn.

The animation is sporadic at best. Essentially, characters are mostly stationary or going through slow minimal movements and suddenly there is a burst of action that immediately dies down. It’s not a bad way to disguise limited resources and I enjoyed the visuals as whole. Voice acting is competent although I never quite got use to Loki’s voice. The best part however, is the ED which features actual bad lip-synching from our boys complete with moody scenery and art school project desaturated colors. It was my everything.

I’m just gonna throw this screencap in…

In structure, Kamigami no Asobi follows the standard otome template pretty closely. It should be noted however that there wasn’t enough time to concentrate on all the boys. This means that while Baldr and Loki are personally established and get their own quite important storyline, Thor is largely ignored. We see kitty boy Anubis cameo through the show but I’m not sure main character Yui even knows who he is. As a result, the world feels a little fuller than your standard otome offering where the only characters that seem to exist are the main cast. Otherwise, the show is fairly stereotypical but deeply enjoyable. Dawnstorm had already sold it as one of the best offerings of the genre and although I am not yet well versed enough to make this type of sweeping statement, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The archetypical boys are all there, but they have been given just enough personality to be endearing and the narrative is careful to never take itself overly seriously. In fact, here’s Toth aptly describing the entire harem better than I ever could:

 The lighthearted, obviously caricatural hand with which everyone has been drawn is a great way to keep things light and easygoing. I get annoyed when these silly little shows try to take themselves too seriously and give their shallow characters overdramatic characterizations. It was also nice to see the ditzy trope applied to the otherwise perfect prince character.

However, otome heroines are usually one step up from plant life in these things. They seem an after thought with little to know personality beyond nice and unable. Unable to do what? Anything. In this, Kamigami towers over the competition with Yui who while undeniably nice is capable, restrained and seems to have actual interests and motivations of her own. Her character gets sideline a bit in later episodes and she becomes much less interesting but for the first half at least she is a refreshingly down to earth and rational heroin. In fact, watching Yui react just like any normal reasonable person would when put in traditional otome situations had me cracking up the entire time. For my money she could have been even more forceful and self-reliant but I still loved Yui and that’s saying something under the circumstances.

a rare example of the femullet

Like I said, the romantic aspects are usually a surprisingly small part of these shows and Kamigami pushes that even further. Although there are brief mentioned of attraction and vying for Yui’s attention here and there, the emotional core of the show, and most of the driving force behind the ultimate plot point has absolutely nothing to do with her at all. I must say this was quite unexpected and very welcomed. I sort of wish this was a different type of show that would have explored the Norse Mythology retelling they were going for instead. I mean with all the pretty magical boys of course.

The fact that these boys are given a touch more personality and backstory beyond their tragic pasts and how much they love the MC is an important element to flesh out the story a bit. The bigger established mythologies that get hinted at also add a bit of depth. By creating much sturdier foundations for the narrative than these shows usually get, the jokes land much more cleanly and I found that I was laughing along with the show almost as often as I was laughing at it.

ombre – fancy!

I was about to end this post without even going into the most important part. The mullets. Look at these glorious mullets! These are epic. Loki even has this awesome gradient in his that makes me want to dye my hair red again. (I won’t – it was a huge pain getting it white, I’m not messing with it now). Maybe it’s because I’m also watching FMA at the moment and Ed is rocking how own impressive mullet when he lets his hair down, but I’m starting to associate the hairstyle with pretty boys. THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!

When did anime start to conspire to make me think mullets are attractive? I know this isn’t the first show to do it  

Still the mullet king – Pixiv Id 79390

but it’s the first time even the heroine sports one….and I really dig it! Thankfully my hair isn’t quite long enough to copy the look or else I probably would have cut it like that and be really sad now. But honestly, why is anime doing this to me? What’s the end game here? Guys, I’m scared…

the elusive side mullet

Favorite character: Thoth!!!

What this anime taught me: We must not get complacent in the fight against bad hairstyles

Adulthood has shown me that you really don’t need fun to have alcohol.

Suggested drink: Mount Olympus

Every time you see the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi – take a sip

if it’s in actual sword for – take another!

Every time Baldr is a clutz – point and laugh

Every time we see Melissa – take a sip

Every time Apollo is super eager – clap

Every time the blondes stick together – be suspicious

Every time Hades says misfortune – take a sip

Every time Thoht *corners* Yui – take a sip

Every time someone days “human” or “humanity” – drink some water

Every time they get the mythology right – take a sip

Every time spontaneous stripping – raise your glass

the actual emotional core of the series

Kamigami no Asobi and the Great Mullet Conspiracy Genre : Happiness, otome, mullet reverse harem, magical boy Episodes: 12 Studio: Brain's Base   Yui is just your average run of the mill, beautiful, smart, sweet, kendo practicing high school girl capable of immediately accepting and adapting to any situation no matter how outlandish and one day she is swept away to a magical garden/high school full of god boys from various mythologies brought together by Zeus to develop a better understanding of mankind.

[crossgene-speed-scenarios]

[Tagged] 11 Questions

I was tagged by @yuto--da​ ~ Thank you so much~ I love answering questions asldkjsad

  The rules are: Answer the 11 questions, create 11 questions of your own and tag 11 people to answer them.

Let’s gooo! (adding gif because i can)

1. a skill you don’t have that you would love to have?

either any kind of martial arts or fighting with something like spear or halberd

2. two names that you absolutely love for any reason

Yuna and Alice Yuna bc of FFX Yuna (I love her so much...) and Alice because... idk

3. way to your heart?

ehh... there are a lot of ways. The biggest one is probably accepting/understanding that I often need time to recharge!

4. crazy, sexy, or cool?

a good amount of crazy and sexy is perfect

5. favorite sound (whether it’s a song or just something you hear throughout your day)?

rain at night and waves on a beach

6. what movie can you watch over and over without ever getting tired of?

I’m generally not a big fan of movies (very alternating attention span + undying hate for forced romantic (sub)plot...)... It used to be a german comedy, but that faded too... but it seems like this year a new one came out, that I’ll watch over and over again: Thor: Ragnarok (already watched it twice, but I wanna watch it agaaaiiin!!! and I’m gonna buy the DVD the day it comes out.) seriously, WATCH IT! It’s so fucking funny and epic and no romantic subplot!!!

7. favorite pun?

All of them one of my favorite is: Knock Knock. Who’s here? Doctor. Doctor Who? I never watched Doctor Who but I love that pun

8. your own largest extent of procrastination?

actually happend on this blog ... I procrastinated some scenario requests for over a year and then turned them into imagines. Still feeling bad

9. favorite word?

I don’t have a favorite word to be honest...

10. weirdest fascination you’ve had?

how ancient egytians preserved humans and also parapsychologics

11. topic you could talk forever about?

How I got from one fandom into another (my fantrip) ... Im not sure why that is though

My 11 questions:

1. If you could shoot a movie with any actor, who would it be and what genre would that movie be / what would it be about?

2. Marvel or DC?

3. What was your first fandom? (not like childhood, but more teenage age)

4. Eggs hard boiled, soft or inbetween?

5. Favorite smiley / smiley you use the most?

6. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings / Hobbit?

7. Which classical instrument would you like to be able play?

8. Favorite villain?

9. Do you mostly sleep on your back, side or tummy?

10. Have you ever broken a bone? If yes, which?

11. DO YOU LIKE PANDAS?

And I tag @urkblog @fishtaeils @epic-liar @zelda0101  and anyone who wants to do it!

[aceofthorns]

Why "THOR: RAGNAROK" Disappointed Me

***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***

***Go ahead and scroll right to the end for the TL;DR version, but I would appreciate it if you read the whole piece, and gave your response in the comments. I will do my best to respond.***

First, a disclosure: Yes, I am currently experiencing a difficult time with a sick relative, which has been extremely stressful at times, but presently, things are "back to (something approaching) normal". I would like to make it clear that I am in no way lashing out at this movie as a result. Looking forward to this movie has certainly helped recently.

Second: this is not a trolling exercise. I am not a DC fan looking to prick holes in the ultra-successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. I'm a fan of both (cue gasps of amazement), and I want BOTH to succeed - I fully intend to be there on Opening Day for JUSTICE LEAGUE, and I already really like what I've seen (and the same was definitely true for THOR: RAGNAROK).

Third: I am the most forgiving soul in the audience. There are many movies that others have been very scathing about, yet I am always there to give a production the benefit of the doubt. I really enjoyed AVATAR, but I can see why people have drawn parallels with DANCES WITH WOLVES - even so, I love a movie/book/whatever that creates a vibrant world, and lets you immerse yourself in it. That's partly why I prefer THE DARK CRYSTAL to LABYRINTH (painting another target on my back in the process)...

I have never - NEVER - walked out on a movie.

That said, there are two movies that really bugged me in recent years: STAR TREK - THE FINAL FRONTIER, and ALIEN 3. I'm sure there are others who will agree with me on those, and some still who will argue otherwise. More on the reasons for the latter choice later...

Okay, on to the "review". But before that, a bit of explanation.

I have been a Marvel fan from my earliest recollections. I remember the original SPIDER-MAN cartoon series, and the weekly British black-and-white reprints of classic Marvel stories (yeah, I'm THAT old). I remember being SO disappointed by THE INCREDIBLE HULK TV series... I remember crying out "YES!" in the cinema when that Phoenix-shape appeared under the waters of Alkali Lake  at the end of X-MEN 2... I will never forget that encounter between Tony Stark and Nick Fury at the end of IRON MAN - and I will always cherish the memory of sitting down in my seat in a packed local cinema to watch AVENGERS, a movie I genuinely never, NEVER imagined I would EVER see.

There's one other moment - again from an end-credits scene - that hit me the hardest. Coulson out in the desert, reporting in that he'd "found it", and the camera panning down to the crater, and Mjolnir.

They were making a THOR movie. A THOR MOVIE. That was the bravest thing I've ever seen anyone try - to start building a down-to-earth superhero universe, and then, so early on, bring in some of the most outlandish elements in the comic-book world. The Thunder God - a favourite character of mine - Asgard, Loki, The Warriors Three...

...and, to my delight, IT WORKED. The THOR movies may not be the most fondly regarded in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they're still a good deal better than the worst others have tried to make - like, say, X-MEN - LAST STAND, or SPIDER-MAN 3. It fitted together, it felt RIGHT. Yes, Josh Whedon gave Thor some funny lines in AVENGERS, and there was "The Punch", but it was well-executed light relief - not almost wall-to-wall comedy. That, dear reader, was what dragged THOR: RAGNAROK down.

THOR: RAGNAROK is a very entertaining movie. That we can, hopefully, agree on. It's visually very potent, with some eye-popping moments... but no sense, in the end, of any gravity. The events that transpire are quite literally cataclysmic - but they all end in a joke from a character who is, to be honest, wasted. Yes, Korg, I'm looking at you.

The MCU has been regularly criticised for weak villains - sometimes unfairly - but Hela stood a great chance of righting that balance. When she was dark, she was SERIOUSLY dark; when she was menacing, she was SERIOUSLY menacing... SHE DESTROYED MJOLNIR - and then she sat on the throne and started cracking jokes like Joanna Lumley's character in ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. She animated the dead, woke the Fenris Wolf, had that cool scene where she tore down the gates of the Asgardian sanctuary.... WHY did she NEED those bloody funny bits?

Skurge was wasted, too, and that's an even greater crime when you consider that's Karl Urban in the armour. He's AWESOME as McCoy in the Kelvin Timeline STAR TREK movies, and he absolutely NAILED IT as DREDD, but here, he comes across as a bargain-basement Johnny Depp character. His final change of heart, and ultimate sacrifice, should have been a stunning moment, classic in the comics, but it ended up blunted somewhat.

The deaths... oh, those bloody deaths. That's what pissed me off about ALIEN 3; the wholesale slaughter of characters you'd come to know and care about in ALIENS. Hicks. Newt. Bishop, sort of... but NEWT. Goddammit, THOR: RAGNAROK slaughtered The Warriors Three like they were NOTHING - and maybe, compared to Hela, they were, but THEY DESERVED BETTER. If you wanted to do a comedy Thor movie, well, there's your team... oh, wait, they're all DEAD now. Nice one.

"They're DEAD, okay? Can we go now...?"

Sorry, Newt, not just yet.

There's also the matter of Odin's passing, which also felt very empty - like a lot of deaths in comic books these days, I guess. Never mind, we can just "Force Ghost" him, right?

Right...?

(cue echoes)

The best parts of the movie were the heavy action. The battles in Muspelheim, realm of Surtur - including the brilliant end of the chase sequence; the first encounter between our heroes (!) and Hela; pretty much everything on Sakaar, especially the battle between The Lord of Thunder and The Green Scar (yeah, they kinda hollowed out PLANET HULK for that part of the movie, but at least they tried); and of course, the return to Asgard, and all that entailed. There isn't much time for comedy there, but when it comes, that's when it DOESN'T feel out of place. Paging Dr Banner, paging Dr Banner...

I'm not against there being ANY comedy in these movies. I LOVED GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and the second one - although I felt the soundtrack wasn't anything like as strong as the first - and I was greatly impressed by ANT-MAN, which managed to be light-hearted AND slot firmly into the MCU ongoing narrative. The previous two Thor movies were played pretty straight-faced, with the comedy coming from other, Earth-born characters, softening the edges just enough. THOR: RAGNAROK came across as a bit TOO much of a departure from what had been set out before, and all in a story which is guaranteed to have repercussions that will rock the rest of the Nine Realms.

Pity it just didn't FEEL that way.

Oh, and this is a Marvel Studios movie that you can walk out on as the credits roll, 'cause you won't miss anything. Any foreshadowing is right there in the middile of the movie: Hela knocks over the Infinity Gauntlet, declaring it "fake", and Loki gives The Tesseract a longing look - hey, we all know where that's going, don't we...?

Three months to BLACK PANTHER, six to AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. I remain a dedicated MCU fan, and look forward to both these movies - and a return to form. This is a ship I have no intention of abandoning, but I still reserve the right to be disappointed, when it is, I feel, justified.

The TL;DR version: This was the wrong movie to take along the comedy route. It went against the tone of the previous Thor movies, and felt false as a result, with an underwhelming ending.

7/10

[jondeacon]

A, B, E, G, H, U, Z

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.:

winterwitch *but it happens to be an otp so oh well*, winter falcon, romanogers

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.:

winterhawk, mcharrison

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?:

i don’t remember if i did :o so probably no

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?:

probably my first one was Jack/Rose, and Romeo/Juliet -lmao- when i was a kid, but the first one i probably had was Sora and Ken from kaleido star

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?:

tv shows/movies

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.:

Wanda Maximoff (MCU/Comics) - She has such an interesting storyline, and a rich backstory, what could be a great source for a standalone movie etc. i just love her so much, she had to face so many personal tragedies, traumas, so much pain, and despite all, still stayed powerful and strong, managed to keep herself together, and honestly she’s just an amazing character

Eva Kviig Mohn (Skam) - Okay this one won’t really be a big surprise, but i actually love Eva because 1. We share the same name 2. Our personalities are basically the same 3. Even one of our best friends’ name is Noora/and they have the same personality - so these are some scary similarities. Also honestly many of the things Eva had to face, happened to me too, except having a boyfriend crisis lol. I understand her on a whole different level, probably because i feel like we are almost like twins, and that’s why i love her so much.

Rapunzel, Merida (Tangled, Brave/Disney) - Okay so i can’t really give a specific reason to why, but these two characters have a special place in my heart, and these are probably the both ultimate fave disney movies’ characters. Tangled was my fave from the moment it was released and then i grew to love Brave later, but they both made me happy in a way i can’t really explain (especially Brave). Each of them was basically more than just a princess needed to be saved, and get a love storyline blah blah *even though tangled is still kinda like that, but Rapunzel’s character goes way beyond that to me*Idk man i just love them so much

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.):

okay i just have this....need, for an MCU sitcom or comedy movie or whatever and there are certain headcanons i have, and basically a whole fanon universe in my head, how things go and stuff, and i mean saving the world is an important and serious thing, but the mcu is way too depressing lately and i just wanna see the domestic side of these characters. I’ve seen a few posts lately and they honestly formed few parts of these already existing headanons and im just.....gAH.The gang just chilling around the avengers headquarters/stark tower, ocassional parties, tony just seriously acting like a dad around most of them, when they fuck up and so, PIETRO FUCKING LIVES, also Clint being a parent figure in the Maximoff twins’ life, THOR BABYSITTING CLINT’S KIDS, the old men (Steve&Bucky) trying to get some understanding of today’s pop culture(fucking snapchat man-and they end up spamming the others with endless snaps), having just some absolute fucking hilarious and awesome bonding time between Sam and Bucky (the two of them being absolute dorks), Natasha and Wanda forming a power duo, being besties, Nat acting like a big sis etc.

SHOULD I FUCKING CONTINUE

man i just.....way too much feeels ok.

thank u bb

[placetobenation]

Todd Phillips’ Joker movie opened this weekend. And it’s astonishing how uncomfortable it’s making people. Some say it’s too dark and gritty, other’s say the violence does not fit the story, other’s say Joaquin’s take on the character makes it all too realistic. 

Two filmmakers made waves in social media this past week. Todd Phillips was one, by saying it’s impossible to do comedy now, in today’s world with all the scrutiny and everyone getting offended. Todd, as you may know, is the director behind “The Hangover” movies and the classic comedy “Old School.” 

Now we know what he says is not true, and I don’t think anyone was buying it. Kevin Hart, Dave Chapelle, Eddie Murphy, Bill Burr, Ellen, Sebastian Maniscalco are all making the biggest paydays in their careers right now. So it could be another reason, he wants to leave that world behind and finally be taken seriously by Hollywood. That is exactly what Adam Mckay is doing as well, so it makes sense. Adam McKay broke his partnership with Will Farrell and did a serious movie about Dick Cheney entitled “Vice.” It starred Christan Bale and garnered critical praise, and I’m sure Todd is looking for the same kind of vindication – to prove he’s a good filmmaker and not just some clown making money for big studios.

It’s a common theme among comedians – wanting to be taken seriously – dating all the way back to Chaplin. Chaplin made The Dictator in hopes of getting some serious attention, Jim Carrey, Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason, and Dean Martin did it, so did Jerry Lewis. Sometimes clowns get tired of being laughed at.

So Todd Phillips unveils “Joker,” going for realism, going for a kind of “Taxi Driver” effect for the DC Villain. It’s a new origin story because it’s a new Joker. This Joker is Arthur Fleck, not the Jack Napier that Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger played. This Joker is making his big screen debut and I’m sure we’ll have a ton more origin stories of him before the decade is over.  Hollywood now has two Jokers to oversaturate us with – oh joy. This story is less Batman and more psycho. This story is less cartoonish and more realistic. This story also has the authorities a bit worried. NYPD is putting policeman at theaters that are showing “Joker” this weekend. Funny, they didn’t care about Rambo.

We have finally reached the point where a war machine like Rambo is perfectly fine, but The Joker has everyone worried about mass shootings.  

Speaking of the DC Universe getting under people’s skins, the legendary Martin Scorsese spoke out about the comic book hero movies while doing press for his new masterpiece “The Irishman.” 

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Martin says that Marvel and DC movies are “not cinema”. He deems them to be fare and fodder for theme parks and nothing more.  “Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It is not the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional experiences to another human being.”

Twitter was up in arms, and I was thinking – how can you possibly argue that? You can’t say the man doesn’t know what he’s talking about. You can’t say “Captain America: Winter Soldier” changed your life. You can’t say oh that movie “Thor: The Dark World” kept me up nights thinking about our state of society. 

What you can say is – theme park tickets increased this year after all these movies came out. I mean the guy is right. Theme parks is where the money is made. That is why Disney spent millions creating Star Wars attractions, because the box office is small potatoes to them. 

One movie ticket for one adult for one day – $15, tops. One theme park ticket, one adult, one day at the Magic Kingdom is $115.  And no one goes to a theme park alone. So you can see where the money is.  These movies have become one huge commercial for the theme parks, and Martin is absolutely right about their quality.  They don’t tug the heart strings and in some cases they don’t even make sense. “Avengers: Endgame” is not the endgame because they built a time machine!! There is no end game when you have a time machine!! 

Still, they make billions because they are our childhood heroes and we have waited a lifetime for technology to be advanced enough to give us what we want on the big screen.  Will it fade? If they keep on being just blank, empty commercials for theme parks, yes. Scorsese’s films touch the heart and have withstood the test of time. I don’t hear of anyone clamoring to trade for a DVD of “Iron Man 3.”  

At the end of the day, it’s a business. Disney and Marvel tapped into a realm that is fresh and new and leads right to the front gate of their theme parks. Is Martin right? Of course he is. These films reach around the globe preaching these characters, the rides, the attractions. There is more than one use for a film just as The Joker wants to be seen as more than just a clown.

@pauliek2003 

[televisor-reviews]

“The Avengers (2012)” Movie Review

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“That man is playing Galaga! He thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did!”

First review of the year & I’m already late... & I’ve made it sequel month (a month where I review sequels to movies I’ve already reviewed) & the first movie isn’t a sequel, but the original to a sequel I’ve reviewed... & it’s the same month that Nostalgia Critic is also doing a sequel month... we’re starting this year off strong.

When Loki of Asgard comes to Earth, steals the most powerful weapon to ever exist, & threatens war if the world doesn’t bow to his power, it’s up to a group of super-powered people (consisting of Iron-Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, & Hawkeye) named The Avengers to take down him & his army.

First, this is obviously based on the Marvel comics of the same name, & I should discuss my experience with it. There’s almost none, I didn’t grow up a big comic person so I don’t have much experience with any Avengers or individual comics. But as for the other Marvel movies, I’ve seen every film in the MCU with the exception of Iron-Man 3. I’d also like to say I’ve seen most other Marvel movies that don’t have to do with the MCU, but I’m not sure. But that’s my experience with The Avengers & Marvel in general.

Now onto what makes this film stand out most in the MCU: the characters. Now having seen the Iron-Man, Captain America, Thor, & Hulk movies; it is so much cooler to see these characters team up than it was the first time I saw it! It’s so fucking cool! And the awesome action definitely helps! As for the characters specifically... I don’t want to go over them again, so here’s my review of Avengers: Age Of Ultron: http://animatorreviewer.tumblr.com/post/119477581840/avengers-age-of-ultron-movie-review . Just read the characters part, they’re practically the same characters. I’ll just add that they are a million times more charismatic & entertaining here than they ever were in any other Marvel movie! As in there is a scene where all of them are arguing with each other & it’s one of the most enjoyable scenes in film history! They’re that good!

The main villain is Loki played by Tom Hiddleston & he is so enjoyable! Loki was fun in Thor, but not as much as he was here. He’s just so smug but defenseless, you can’t help but want to punch him & yet he’s so funny & silly looking that you want to have a beer with him. So when he gets punched, you like it; when he just gets to talk, you like it. I guess he also has moments where he’s a bit too melodramatic & he’s also not very intimidating. He’s kind of like Tom from Tom And Jerry or Ludo from Star Vs The Forces Of Evil, he’s great when in a low-stakes comedy, but not so much in the action scenes or when he’s trying to be taken more seriously.

But they would be nothing if it wasn’t for the brilliant writing & directing by Joss Whedon. He was honestly the perfect choice for this; he is so nerdy & such a good writer (especially for ensembles) that he is really just the guy to pull off an Avengers movie. And his writing & directing is just as good as it possibly could be, there’s a reason why people quote this movie all the time: “We have a Hulk,” “You people are so petty and tiny,” “Given that it’s a stupid ass decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.” These lines are fucking hilarious & absolutely fit the characters who say them, I love it!

The action & effects are so well done & cool in this! Even when the effects don’t really hold up, like when the Hulk beats the shit out of Loki, it still looks really cool! This is a heavy action movie, & it works!

Lastly, like I said, I haven’t read many comics, but the few I have read feel like this film. There’s something about the silly costumes, the dialogue that’s clearly written, the kinda hoaky moments, all of these things & more combine to make a film that feels like a comic more than any other movie. And I mean that in the best way possible. The MCU has been trying really hard to make their franchise feel like the comics, so it makes sense that their big movie would feel as such. There’s something about comics that have touched people & it makes sense to try & tap into that (& now watching the flick with it as successful as it is, it looks like it hit the movie-going audience as well). And it does so in the best way possible!

Overall, The Avengers was amazing! I can’t help but enjoy the hell out of it & looking back on it, I can’t really think of anything that really holds it back. It feels like a comic book, not a comic book movie, a comic book. The actors work with the silly lines very well, the characters are great, the dialogue is so funny, everything in this is great! I’m genuinely having a hard time critiquing this, I enjoyed it that much!

9.5/10