#the plot was kinda meh at some points but that can be forgiven

[itsrainingfeathers]

Finally watched Maleficent 2. Didn't expect to love it as much as I did. Here's some things I think I loved the most:

- all the pretty pretty wings (I wasn't sure about the other Dark Fey at first, but they kinda grew on me)

- The costuming and hair!!! Dunno how historically accurate they were, but I was pretty much drooling at all the pearls and jewelry and lovely fabrics.

- The magnificent goth himbo himself, Diaval my beloved. Love how he's literally a bird and still knows more about human interaction than Maleficent.

- Diaval as a bear-ish creature. The beak was a nice touch, especially since he has bird-like features as a human, too.

- big black dragon phoenix monster

- Angelina Jolie. How does she do it. Just *chef's kiss* amazing.

- Live action Aurora, my favorite Disney princess queen. I'd love to go on a picnic with her and make some flower crowns together. She's great. (and Elle Fanning is very talented and beautiful)

- Okay this is more sad than anything else, but the fact that Lickspittle wasn't an evil guy after all, but forced into the position he was in.

- Prince Philip. He has the personality of a bag of flour, but he knows what is right.

- Pinto and lil mushroom creature's romance at the end

- I'm just saying, more villains should be turned into goats with fancy necklaces.

- Imelda Staunton playing a character dressed entirely in pink

- Jenn Murray's character (apparently her name was Gerda) and her porcelain doll-like looks

- no romance between Maleficent and Conall (I feel like it would've been too sudden and forced. Though I would've liked for Conall to live and see the peace he wanted so much)

- "You're my mother."

[supercalime]

Legendborn Commentary

Part One: Order

- I was not expecting to get ATTACKED during that prologue. I’m getting into a lot of angst aren’t I

- I think the boy who just found Bree is jd from heathers haha

- I’m getting big “city of bones” vibes but I’m not complaining

- Let me guess. We’re gonna have a triangle between bland blond and dark and mysterious. No ya breaks the curse of triangles with boring archetypes

Part Two: Discord

- Chapter 10 or exposition dump

- Wait. This book just said non-binary rights. Greer better not be evil nor die, I swear

- I was not expecting a competition. I’m kinda turned off about it

- Please explain to me why this story couldn’t have been about actual college age people? What was holding the author back? No one cant even be in their 20’s

- I was joking when I said sel was like jd from heathers, but like, now I’m kinda thinking I was right…

- I’m guessing Bree will be some kind of chosen one type, with special powers and all. Groundbreaking

- Alice is such a snitch

- Can we at least ONCE not shit on therapy? I’m begging at this point

- Are ya love interests actually interesting or are they just white? A novel by me

- “I’m here to be sneaky and learn things” I chuckled

- Why is this competition giving me knight squad vibes? Nothing should give knight squad vibes

- Why are kiss descriptions always so fucking weird

- I love plot twists, I really do, and this one made sense but I really wish the therapist was just a therapist actually helping this girl grieve

Part Three: Roots

- I’m still bitter with how Bree and Alice could have just been freshmen in college and basically nothing would change. Even the ID thing would work. It’s like authors are afraid their demographic will get ruined with characters over 18 years old! Newsflash! That’s when you’re actually a young adult!

- Although I’m having some issues with my enjoyment of this book, I have to give credit where credit is due. I’m loving all the casual queer rep so far. No wonder I liked Alice, Greer and William so much. Give me an ace character and all is forgiven

- I can’t believe they’re stating that it’s harder for the cis straights. There’s a first time for everything lol

- Is there ever a protagonist who actually listens to the doctor figure and just do their actual treatment?

- How the hell did I miss that Tor and Sar are a couple???

- The triangle is starting to form and I kinda hateeee itttttt

- WAIT! What the… what the fuck? Sel was in love with Nick? oh my god I’m actually speechless…

- The truth about mom is kinda meh. I was more shocked with sel having a crush on nick

Part Four: Splinter

- Okay, the “did you just (blank) me?” jokes are getting old now

- The gown Bree wears for the gala is surely beautiful

- But Greer tho? A nice tux with hair in a braid? I can’t help but stan

- Nick what the fuck!

- Lord Davis is not keen on being Bree’s father in law huh

- No way he’s going to erase Alice’s memories! I hate nicks dad so much

- I keep reading Tor’s name as Thor, please help. Also that’s a stupid nickname for such pretty name like Victoria

- Jesus…Fitz…That was brutal

- Wait a dang minute! Was Evan this demon dude the whole time???

- Now they killed Whitty too?

- And Russ? C’mon!

- Whoa!!! Sel’s and Bree’s moms were friends???

- Not me completely forgetting that Excalibur was going to be important… oopsie

- William and his sticky notes are very underrated. I just love him

- They took nick?

- Oh god, why are they making Bree and nick weirdly related? Even this detail is similar to city of bones

- Oh my god! Shut up Tor!

- And we’re done. Hopefully the sequel comes out soon

[nathanneedsausername]

The MCU (So Far) Ranked

With Avengers: Endgame right around the corner now feels like a good time to talk about all 21 films that brought us to this moment.

#21 -  Thor: The Dark World (Alan Taylor) 

Rating - 3/10

Look, there always has to be one.

Thor: The Dark World suffers from the same problem that most bad comic book movies do it is simply forgettable, this is the worst type of film to write about because I have noting to say. Far from being insultingly bad but also far from being any good. Honestly if you ever plan on cramming these films again do yourself a favour and skip this one.

#20 -  The Incredible Hulk (Louis Leterrier)

Rating - 4/10

You can skip this one too. 

The Incredible Hulk is a product of its time, in the late ‘00s this was about as good as action movies not called The Dark Knight got. This one isn’t unwatchable and the bit were The Hulk kicks Tim Roth into a tree is pretty cool but given how little this film has effected the franchise going forward you really wont miss anything by skipping it.

#19 - Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau)

Rating - 4/10

I get why they made this movie, but I’d rather they hadn’t.

Iron Man 2 is basically just a teaser trailer for the better movies that were about to come out. This movie consists of boring conversations between Tony Stark and Nick Fury and even more boring scenes with the villains that really kicked of the cliché that these movies have boring villains. The suitcase Iron Man suit is really dope though.

#18 - Ant-Man and the Wasp (Peyton Reed)

Rating - 6/10

Meh.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is actually pretty good. Paul Rudd is allowed to fully explore his comedic talent making this a very watchable film however the script lacks any focus and it is ultimately difficult to stay invested in anything happening on screen. It’s a mixed bag but it’s pretty fun.

#17 - Thor (Kenneth Branagh)

Rating - 6/10

Kenneth Branagh made a super-hero movie, this is about as good as that idea could ever have been.

Thor is a surprisingly small movie, revisiting this film now feels slightly strange given what we have since seen of the character. Branagh was always the wrong choice to direct a Marvel movie especially during a time were the studio had far more say than any of their filmmakers. It’s worth revising this film to set up the Avengers but other than that it isn’t anything special.

#16 - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Joss Whedon)

Rating - 6/10

It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that this movie is just ok.

Avengers: Age of Ultron should be so much better than it is but it ended up being the poster child for when a studio gets cold feet and tries to take over on directors vision. Joss Whedon is an excellent story teller but this does not so off his talents at all. Once again this certainly isn’t a bad film it just isn’t great, there is some good dialogue and the introduction of both Scarlet Witch and Vision is worth seeing.

#15 - Captain America: The First Avenger (Joe Johnston)

Rating - 7/10

Way more camp than I remember .

Captain America: The First Avenger feels as though it has taken the framework of a more conventional war drama and just thrown in some superhero stuff and I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing. When this film embraces its campness it can be very entertaining. Chris Evans was a prefect casting choice for Steve Rodgers and this film does go in an unexpected direction by making Captain America basically just a mascot but once again the villain is weak and large sections of the plot are forgettable. Overall worth re-watching it is probably better than you remember. 

#14 -  Captain Marvel (Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden)

Rating - 7/10

I’m sorry, I like this one.

Captain Marvel might be the most controversial film in the whole franchise. I have some grievances with this one, namely lack of any style or originality in the writing or direction but the chemistry between Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson helps to make this an enjoyable watch. I know you probably don’t agree with me but this is my list and I like this movie, so there!

#13 - Iron Man (Jon Favreau)

Rating - 7/10

Not as great as I remember but still pretty good.

Iron Man will forever be remembered as a film that changed cinema witch is so weird to me having re-watched it recently. This is a rather slow and somewhat  cliché 2000s action flick with a paper-thin plot. Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges both give it their all and I have nothing but respect for Jon Favreau for turning RDJ’s mad ramblings into a coherent film.

#12 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn)

Rating - 7/10

I’m still not sure how to take this.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the most visually stunning film in the MCU, almost every shot could be used as a laptop wallpaper. This also has quite possibly the strongest theming as its story about fatherhood and toxic relationships can bring a tear to your eye if you let it. So it is such a shame that this film is full of jokes that just do not land and weird side plots that feel like set-ups for movies that Marvel would probably never let James Gunn make. I kinda love this movie but this is as high as I can put it on this list.

#11 -  Captain America: Civil War (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo)

Rating - 8/10

The fight scene though!

Captain America: Civil War is one great fight scene that is all anyone ever wants to talk about. I think the rest of the movie is also pretty good, this was our first look at how the Russo brothers would handle a larger ensemble cast and every character gets the screen time they deserve. Really though the airport fight is amazing!

#10 - Doctor Strange (Scott Derrickson)

Rating - 8/10

The word Strange is in the title.

Doctor Strange has a remarkably safe plot given the source materiel, although that can all be forgiven given how amazing the visual effects are. This is a very entertaining film mainly for the creative and ingenious uses of special effects. This film can drag a bit but it is worth it to see something that gives the end of 2001 a run for its money.

#9 - Iron Man 3 (Shane Black)

Rating - 8/10

And you thought my views on Captain Marvel were controversial!

Iron Man 3 is great and I will not change my mind on that. This was the first team up between Robert Downey Jr. and screenwriter/director Shane Black since 2005′s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and it was worth the wait. The dialogue is sharp and the plot with Tony Stark dealing with P.T.S.D. after the events of The Avengers makes for a great character study. 

I am aware that the general consensus is that the plot twist sucks but with Ben Kingsley’s fantastic performance and the wonderfully absurd way that it is reveled I can’t help but love it. In all honesty I just to big a Shane Black fan to hate this (the same logic does not apply to The Predator).

#8 - Ant-Man (Peyton Reed)

Rating - 8/10

I can only image how great the Edgar Wright version of this would have been.

Ant-Man is so much better than people give it credit for. The dialogue is constantly funny and the screenplay is paced perfectly so that the film never has a dull moment even in the quieter character scenes. Moments like the train-set fight and the first time Scott Lang uses the Ant-Man suit are among the best scenes in the whole franchise. Like most people I have to believe that the Edgar Wright version would have been better but I must say that Peyton Reed did a pretty great job piecing what he had together.  

#7 - Black Panther (Ryan Coogler)

Rating - 8/10

Marvel’s little awards season darling.

Black Panther is somehow one of the most important and talked about films of the decade and in all honesty it sort of deserves it. Coogler does what other MCU filmmakers would never do and dives head first into real world political issue, ending his film with a poignant note about free trade and open borders. Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger adds a nuance that is missing in most comic book movies. Overall Black Panther is a breath of fresh air in an over-saturated genre. 

P.S that soundtrack is awesome!

#6 - Thor: Ragnarok (Taika Waititi)

Rating - 8/10

How did this happen?

Thor: Ragnarok is everything I wanted it to be. Taika Waititi is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today and it is great to see a major studio allow such a unique voice to make the exact film that they wanted to without sacrificing their creativity. This is not only one of the best Marvel films but one of the best straight comedies of the decade. I cannot wait to see what Waititi has in store in the future.

#5 - Spider-Man: Homecoming (Jon Watts)

Rating - 8/10

Things are looking up for Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Homecoming was my favourite Spider-Man movie up until very recently. This genuinely feels like watching an 80s John Hughes film in the 2010s that also happens to action sequences in it. The scene where Peter Parker and Adrian Toomes are in the car together is brilliantly tense and shows of the dramatic range of both Tom Holland and Michael Keaton. The characters feel real and fleshed out and the breezy feel of the editing brings the world to life through the naive eyes of a young Peter Parker. I honestly can’t believe how good this ended up being.

#4 - Avengers: Infinity War (Joe Russo, Anthony Russo)

Rating - 9/10

This simply should not have worked.

Avengers: Infinity War is one of the most ambitious films in cinema history. I have so much respect for the Russo brothers for managing to make a film with this many characters and this many plot points feels cohesive and endlessly entertaining. I think the real triumph of Infinity War is how watchable and fun this movie is despite being 2 1/2 hours long, full of characters and constantly hitting you in the face with really depressing stuff. Let’s hope that the Russo brothers can pull of the same trick twice. 

#3 - The Avengers (Joss Whedon)

Rating - 9/10

This movie isn’t given enough credit anyone.

The Avengers was a huge gamble back in 2012 and although it may now feel quaint given the achievement that was last year’s Infinity War Joss Whedon was able change the landscape of blockbuster cinema and make this whole thing possible. Almost every plot point in this film has since become cliché, Whedon and Feige laid out a blueprint for success that no one else has been able to copy since. The Joss Whedon humour and snarky dialogue  helped to pave the way that these characters would interact in the future and his unique approach to  utilizing an ensemble cast makes this film worth revisiting over and over again.  

#2 -  Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn)

Rating - 9/10

James Gunn hit the mainstream with a movie about a talking raccoon, I can never complain about the Hollywood system ever again.

Guardians of the Galaxy should not work on most levels but Gunn was just crazy enough to pull it off. The character interactions here rival the Wheadon penned interactions in The Avengers and the Gunn’s direction brings the strange worlds he has created to live in striking ways. Gunn was given a chance to showcase his humour and he ran with it, Guardians goes from dark and meandering to fun and rapidly paced within seconds and it is a complete joy to watch no matter how many times you have seen it.

#1 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Joe Russo, Anthony Russo)

Rating - 9/10

The Russo brothers came out swinging.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an entertaining, tightly directed, brilliantly acted, fast paced and well edited action film that just so happens to be a squeal to the First Avenger. Many of the best moments in the franchise are in this film including the elevator scene and the fight on the bridge, this film also has great character interactions especially with Steve Rodgers and Nick Fury. This feels like an update on classic James Bond stories with a modern edge, this is everything that a comic book movie could be and I highly recommend checking it out again if you haven’t seen it in a while. There is no question that The Winter Soldier is the best of the MCU.

Franchise Rating - 7.1/10

Nathan Needs A Username’s Must See Movies: https://letterboxd.com/nathan_r_l/list/nathan-needs-a-usernames-must-see-movies/

Nathan Needs A Username’s Avoid At All Cost Movies: https://letterboxd.com/nathan_r_l/list/nathan-needs-a-usernames-avoid-at-all-cost/