Venom looks sick (in a good way). I'm so looking forward to it. It looks like it's gonna be better than any post-Raimi Spider-Man movies so far.
And of course, Infinity War is gonna be the big superhero movie to end all superhero movies. I've been waiting for this one for a long time. I hope they'll keep it faithful in tone to the Infinity Gauntlet comic in certain aspects (particularly the heroes being killed off and whatnot), because this two-parter really needs to raise the stakes like no other Marvel film has before. I'm also really looking forward to Cap giving that speech in his confrontation against Thanos (if it happens).
I actually physically can't wait for Infinity War. I've been waiting for it for so long, and to think that the release is only months away is exciting, yet agonizing!
Venom looks sick (in a good way). I'm so looking forward to it. It looks like it's gonna be better than any post-Raimi Spider-Man movies so far.
And of course, Infinity War is gonna be the big superhero movie to end all superhero movies. I've been waiting for this one for a long time. I hope they'll keep it faithful in tone to the Infinity Gauntlet comic in certain aspects (particularly the heroes being killed off and whatnot), because this two-parter really needs to raise the stakes like no other Marvel film has before. I'm also really looking forward to Cap giving that speech in his confrontation against Thanos (if it happens).
yup the trailer looked good but it's sad that we didn't see venom yet.
here hoping he is like spider-man 2000 venom, that game is the reason i love venom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbgM3pfe5yA
Edit: totally forgot to add Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer so that is added now
I'm so pumped about the movies coming out this year! I'm seeing Black Panther tomorrow at a pre-screening! (:
Going Friday. I've been reading nothing but praise, so I want to hear your own thoughts afterward.
sadly, there are raciest and some dc fans giving the movie bad reviews in a move to make it flop. hopefully it exceeds all expectations and destroy box office
im seeing it pretty soon too
sadly, there are raciest and some dc fans giving the movie bad reviews in a move to make it flop. hopefully it exceeds all expectations and destroy box office
im seeing it pretty soon too
Oh I know, but I'm not even worried about certain people being way in their feelings over this movie. It broke pre-sale ticket records, It's looking to be the biggest opening of a Marvel movie to date (we'll truly see after the weekend) plus the reviews it's getting shows it's a great movie. Our own personal reviews matter more, but the fact that critics are loving it shows the hate is unfounded. Forget about them. Let them be whatever kind of miserable they are.
The Road to Infinity War Part 1: The Prodigal Son Returns
So with Infinity War coming, I decided to finish watching the three remaining Marvel films I haven't seen (including Black Panther, yes), beginning with Spider-Man: Homecoming. I wrote a "review", but it's pretty long (due to me being a huge Spidey fan), so be warned.
Before I start, a little backstory about my passion for the webslinger:
I can't tell you how much I love Spider-Man. I practically grew up with him. I first saw him on the '90s animated series, which I'm still very fond of till this day. Then Raimi's Spider-Man movies totally made me even more hooked on the character than I already was. The funny thing is, I never got into the comics till a bit later, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading.
I was just fascinated by this kid with so much perseverance despite all the problems he face. I still remember those interviews with Stan Lee where he mentioned having conversations with Marvel about writing a superhero with problems, and Marvel was like, "Superheroes aren't supposed to have problems!" Spidey was a true Silver Age icon, the time when heroes became a little more down-to-earth and realistic. It's not nearly as gritty as the Modern Age of comics yet, but you could see that comic books start to have issues that one could relate to, whether it's drug addiction, alcoholism, or in Spidey's case, struggling between the responsibilities of a student (and later, middle class citizen trying not to get fired).
So when I first heard about Homecoming, that Spidey was finally coming back home to Marvel where he belongs, you would think I would be stoked, right? But ever since I saw his appearance in Civil War, I became a bit iffy about this very young Peter Parker, that something just didn't feel quite right about him.
For starters, the jokes. When Tony Stark was cracking jokes in the middle of his fights, I knew that it would mean trouble for the OG wisecracker of Marvel - Spidey, most famously known for spitting hilarious one-liners during his battles. There were not enough jokes in the previous movies, so it's nice to see Spidey finally have more wisecracks while fighting, but I feel like movies just can't seem to get Spidey's wisecracking accurately. I mean, just watch this for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmJn4AXKivc
Notice the difference? Snark. Spidey's a lot more snarky in the comics, and the animated series (both the '90s and the Spectacular version) nailed it. He can be arrogant and full of himself sometimes - just like Tony Stark/Iron Man, now the new face of Marvel. But because Iron Man's snarky now in the movies, Spidey can't be Snarky 2.0 either, so now he's degraded to a more family-friendly and impressionable kid with very "safe" jokes, kinda like watching Jimmy Kimmel hosting the Oscars (as opposed to someone more witty like Ricky Gervais). That's not the Spidey I grew up with.
So yes, I had my reservations as a big Spidey fan when I first heard about this movie. It isn't till today that I finally got to see it, and the result... is pretty much what I expected, but maybe a little better.
Aside from the snark and the ordinary struggles Peter faces, a distinct trademark about the Spider-Man comics was that it had an ensemble cast. Spider-Man wasn't just about Webhead, but also about Liz Allen, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, J. Jonah Jameson, Harry Osborn, Ned Leeds, Aunt May, Mary Jane, and of course, Gwen Stacy. It was a comic book about the supporting characters just as much as it was about the main one, and I think this is one characteristic Homecoming got it very right this time. We feel closer to the people surrounding Peter now more than the previous movies, so that's a bonus. There's still a lot of work to do (as the spotlight is still mostly on Peter), but Marvel is getting this particular aspect of the franchise right at least.
Michael Keaton is great as the Vulture. He's a relatable villain, but still nasty enough that he would intimidate you. He's a disenfranchised middle class man who fits perfectly in our era. It also fits a Spider-Man movie to have a low-key villain like this as opposed to planet destruction or world conquering megalomaniacs, because most of Spidey's comics have very small-scaled storylines about the urban side too, or more often, about Peter's personal life and crisis. In fact, I'm more surprised Spidey didn't enter Netflix, since we could remove the family-friendly filter there and actually have Peter being engaged in some serious drama.
And yes, Spider-Man comics do indeed have some serious drama (Gwen Stacy, anyone?). In fact, I can't tell you the number of times Peter was worried sick over his dying Aunt May (so much that it got old), or the number of times Peter lost friends because he had to ditch appointments, or that one time when he had to help Harry with his "drug addiction" problem... yikes.
The reason I'm mentioning all this is because Homecoming tried to pull out a page from the comics, a particular scene where Spidey is struggling against tons of debris and metal just crushing him. This is the scene that affected me the most in the movie, because I hated it. It didn't earn it. It felt cheap. In the comics, when Spidey was being crushed by the debris, he was literally rushing for time because he needed to get this medicine to a dying Aunt May. There was tension, and he literally berated himself for being useless and incapable of saving his aunt. That scene made sense because there's a very powerful motivation driving him to not give up. It was thus a very emotional moment that's titled... "If This Be My Destiny". If you're a fan of classic Spidey, that title should be familiar to you, because it's one of the most well-regarded Spidey storylines ever.
In the movie, on the other hand, it felt kinda... meh. He was kinda racing for time, but for an entirely different, less personal reason. The reason why the Spider-Man comics were so fascinating because many conflicts Peter faced were personal to him, whether it's a villain with a grudge trying to hurt his friends, losing his powers, J. Jonah Jameson hunting him with a robotic suit, bad press causing him to lose his confidence, or just being dumped by a girl. That "If This Be My Destiny" scene that the movie "borrowed"? It lacks that personal touch from the comics. It was an iconic moment in Spidey's life, and as a big fan, that just felt like such a slap in the face. The only consequence Peter was facing in that scene in the movie was that the Vulture would get away, maybe make a few billions with the weapons. Maybe there would be more long term repercussions, but it's nothing the Avengers couldn't handle (certainly nothing Stark has never faced before, people selling his toys). There's no driving force behind this scene, no real motivation aside from catching the bad guy. I just wish there was something more world-shattering, like someone close to Peter was dying or something.
So when Peter looked in the reflection and remembered Tony's words about not deserving that suit if he's nothing without it, the motivation was directed at himself ("Come on, Spider-Man," he chanted) instead of someone he cares about. It just doesn't contain the same impact, and it doesn't feel like it represents the character of Peter Parker as well as it could, someone whose entire motivation is the lives of others, rarely himself. In fact, there were articles written about Spider-Man criticizing him for being an extreme pacifist with a Messiah Complex.
But aside from that scene that really bugged me out, the rest of the movie was okay. I feel like the first of the Spider-Man reboot is going to always suffer this fate, being either "okay" or "mediocre" or worse. It sets up the rest of the trilogy, and so hopefully, in the second one, we could get into the meatier side of the Peter Parker drama. But with that Aunt May revelation at the end of the movie being portrayed so comically, I doubt that's going to happen, much to my disappointment. I remember J. Michael Straczynski (known for creating Ezekiel) writing a really wonderful scene of Aunt May slowly coming to terms with Peter being Spidey - and all the depth of that writing was taken away in 10 seconds of the movie, which is disappointing.
Aside from that scene above, there's another subject that I need to talk about, which is Peter's sense of responsibility. Before I watched it, from the few scenes I saw, I felt like he was a snot-nose brat who ditches class, yet another factor that made me put off the movie. I mean, Peter might be this snarky joker in his red and blues, but he's still this good responsible kid in the end who tries to stay out of trouble, so I was wary of this. Responsibility is Spidey's motto. It's in Uncle Ben's famous words. But as it turns out, in the movie, he does try to be responsible (especially with Tony's offer of the new suit at the end), so that was a relief to me. I'm glad they kept that essential part of his character intact (instead of making him some Disney Channel comic relief type of character), because responsibility makes up Peter's character as much as anger does for Bruce Banner.
Before I watched this film and wrote this review, I did try to tell myself to criticize this film without referring back to my knowledge of the comics, even though it's not easy. I tried to have a less biased point of view when watching it, and so I did enjoy the film that way. But it's not some revolutionary return of Spidey, and people should be reminded that a lot of recent Marvel films are like that, mostly just "okay", nothing amazing (pun intended). I'm still waiting for another movie that could match "The Winter Soldier", and even that one has its (political) problems.
Overall, I'll give this one a 7/10. It's pretty good for the good things it does (the supporting cast in particular).
So I've seen Thor: Ragnarok, and I've written another lengthy review. This time, however, I feel like it's more polished than my Spider-Man review (which was a mess IMO, since I just spilled my thoughts out on the page without proper structure).
Also, be warned - this review can seem a bit harsh, especially for Marvel fans. I like Marvel, but it's also why I'm such a critic.
The Road to Infinity War Part 2: Thor Resurrected
The Thor franchise has always been the black sheep of the Marvel family, because it's hard to make a near-invulnerable being, a god practically, interesting. Unless you're Superman of course, whose Richard Donner movies became even more relevant now than ever.
But director Taika Waititi managed to bring this dull little trilogy up to the quality of the other recent Marvel films that were not Iron Man 2 (and some would argue, 3). Much like Spider-Man: Homecoming, it's a fun and harmless adventure full of lighthearted humor even in the midst of tragic backstories and shocking consequences (like Thor losing one of his body parts and, for the second time, his hammer). It's an all-ages movie (maybe a little PG-13) perfect for your family, and you won't have to worry about your kids being too young to understand sophisticated themes like building a country on the foundation of war or some nuanced message like that, because such messages are subtle and insignificant in the grand scheme of the plot.
But it is an emotional movie nonetheless, largely due to those subtle themes in the background. Aside from the more obvious heartwarming moments of Loki redeeming himself and reconciling with his brother, I liked those quieter and more somber moments Thor shares with Odin, how he tries to come with terms being the new king of Asgard and having all that responsibility. They are moments I wish Marvel movies (not just Thor) could have more of instead of focusing so much on bombastic action. I also liked the final moments of the movie when Thor, Loki, and the entire nation of Asgard watched as their planet fell. Very Kryptonian. It was like watching a prequel of Superman and the fall of his world.
That being said, I do wish they gave the people a little more reaction. I mean, your entire homeworld just got destroyed, and you're all just standing there deadfaced like you're watching the news about a car accident. I understand Odin's sentiment that "Asgard is not a place, but a people," but their calm response at that moment just felt a little unrealistic to me. Then again, it's a Disney/Marvel movie, so no surprise here. We can't have people crying and being all devastated about losing their home. That would be too much for the children and would lose their target demographic. But I digress.
Regarding Cate Blanchett as Enchantress Hela. Initially, I was one of those people who was as peeved about Thor not facing his classic adversary from the comics. It was like the Mandarin moment again from Iron Man 3, except the disappointment already came before I even watched the film. Having seen it, however, I feel like the material was better treated this time than with the slap-in-the-face Mandarin, and at least Hela is intimidating enough (and with an almost relatable motivation in terms of politics) to be taken seriously. However, I will say that Cate was definitely underused, and most of the movie is not focused on her hunting the people of Asgard in the forest like a Lord of the Rings spin-off, but on this garbage-filled planet called Sakaar where Thor fights Hulk in a gladiatorial match. How did the Hulk land on Sakaar? No idea, and let's face it, that's not why you (and your kids) are here - you're here to just watch superheroes fight, not the "boring" details.
Speaking of potentially interesting storylines Marvel could've taken on but didn't, seeing Sakaar made me want to see more of the Nine Realms of the Norse Mythology. That's where the franchise should've headed from the start, an exploration of these strange worlds like it's Star Trek or something. We could see different politics and different lifestyles. There could have been so much interesting possibilities to explore (something James Gunn should consider with his Guardians of the Galaxy franchise instead of this lame "I am your father" knock-off), and the Thor franchise could have an expanded lore of its own. So hopefully, we could see more of the other realms in the next Thor movie.
Tessa Thompson was good as Valkyrie, and she's where the "tragic backstory" comes in. Unfortunately, between her and Karl Urban as the Executioner (whom he was great as too), I felt like Marvel was merely flirting with these storylines that could have been a lot more interesting. Skurge (Urban) acted as this ambiguous voice amidst the Asgardian civil war, struggling between yielding to Hela's rule and not harming his own people. He has a redemption moment, but I feel like if you take away Sakaar and just focus more on Asgard being taken over, it would be a less by-the-book story, and you could have conversations between Skurge, Valkyrie, Thor, Loki, and the other Asgardians regarding Odin's tyranny in the past and the history of their bloodsoaked nation, how it's, much like America, built on conquering other nation (Native Americans, anyone?). Like who is right? Should Odin really be pardoned for taking over other nations in the past, even if he's a changed man? Is Hela right about making America Asgard great again, stronger again? She might be a dictator, but her end goal is still about making Asgard a powerful force to be reckoned with, not too different from other nations in real life who are still running their countries scot-free. And what about Valkyrie? She almost had a conversation with Thor about how Odin is a hypocritical liar whom she gladly turned against, and whose comrades only died because he was correcting the very same mistakes he made in the first place. That didn't happen, because this is a Disney movie. We need to keep it family-friendly. That means no politics (unless the name of your main character is America) and no religion (we call it "magic"). None of that controversial stuff that would affect box office numbers.
But you know what? It's fine. I've learned to accept that Marvel movies are cookie cutter safe movies a long time ago since Guardians of the Galaxy first came out (yes, Guardians; having unlikely heroes with dry awkward humor and cliche character archetypes thrown in is not original or taking risks). Maybe with Black Panther, we'll actually delve in a little deeper into politics and interesting conversations I would actually care (and more importantly, think) about. Let's not talk about the what ifs, let's talk about the what is. Let's talk Loki.
So Loki is back, alive and still walking. He is a war criminal, a terrorist who caused a disaster far larger than the scale of 9/11 in the first Avengers movie, and he's still hailed as some kind of antihero by fangirls everywhere for having as much charisma as Adolf once did. So yay! I'm sure if Adolf was Tom Hiddleston, he would score a few points with the Jewish ladies too, you know what I mean? Before he gasses them, of course.
But let's not focus on the grim and doom. Marvel is fun. Marvel is safe. This is a lighthearted adventure comedy that is perfectly fine for what it is, a decent action blockbuster that you could escape to and forget about your troubles - much like the other 10 or 14 other Marvel films out there, just pure substanceless escapism movies. Not that being shallow is bad, because that's pretentious (I mean, I enjoyed the first Independence Day), but after the 12th or 15th movie like this, and people are still saying Marvel movies are somehow fresh and revolutionary, it does get a bit eye-rolling, you know what I mean?
7/10. Yet another mindless blockbuster you could pop in after a hard day at work.
I put this on my Facebook, and I said I'd say what I personally thought of Black Panther, so here we go....
*Minor spoilers*
If you want to go in completely blind don’t go any further.
The reason why this film was so brilliant is because how it handled everything. From its characters, to the nation of Wakanda itself.
From Shuri (T’Challa’s half sister and tech expert) to Nakia (some one from the past) and Okoye (his friend and leader the Dora Milaje) to T’Challa himself, not one of them ever dove into that usual token foolishness, or uneducated nonsense that is ever present in a majority of films and TV.
Not your thug turned hero, or your sidekick comic relief guy. No “unleash me from this thing called slavery” cliches. None of that.
Every single one of these characters are refreshing, brilliant, humorous and the EXACT opposite of cliche.
And that goes for the villain too. Erik Killmonger (played by Micheal B. Jordan) had real hard hitting reasons for his anger and hostility towards the people of Wakanda. I felt for him and his plight, which is rare for a villain to have that effect on me. You saw his reasons why, but also knew the damage it would no doubt cause. He was well written and well executed by Jordan.
Now Wakanda (WAKANDA FOREVER!! Not sorry, I had to do that ) was a marvel. It is the most technologically advanced nation and richest in the Marvel universe. It mixed futuristic, modern and tribal all in one and it worked. The world showed not only how far one nation went, but how even further it can go. Tony Stark has NOTHING on this place and I doubt he ever will.
Can you tell how much I loved his movie yet? Well I did. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Will see it again soon. Go see it if you haven’t.
Black Panther stepped into the spotlight and all eyes (or mine at least) are on him.
Just kidding. It was amazing. It's the best Marvel movie yet since The Winter Soldier. FINALLY! I HAVE MY "WINTER SOLDIER"! You've really kept me waiting, Marvel.
As always, watch out for spoilers if you haven't seen it.
The Road to Infinity War Part 3: Thor Ragnarok Done Right
As you can tell from the title, I'll be doing a lot of comparisons to Thor: Ragnarok in this review, mostly because of how many similarities there are between the two movies. But before we get to that, let's just take a step back for a second and observe how Black Panther has beaten every, single, Marvel movie, out of the park. Every one, even The Winter Soldier.
As a movie about a son inheriting the responsibility of a throne from his dead father, Black Panther beats Thor: Ragnarok.
As a movie that delves into socially relevant politics, Black Panther beats The Winter Soldier. No question.
As a movie that has a tragic villain whose motivation is believable and relatable, thus making me actually care about him, Black Panther beats Age of Ultron - and pretty much every single Marvel movie, ever.
As a solo movie that explores a new character in the MCU, Black Panther beats Iron Man, Ant-Man, Thor, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and every other solo movies out there.
And last but not least! As a movie that tries to break the genre/formula of your typical fun Marvel adventure movie, Black Panther beats every, single, Marvel, movie, ever. Hands down.
Black Panther is not just the best Marvel movie ever. It's not just one the best superhero movies ever since The Dark Knight and Watchmen. It's an amazing action drama that questions the roles of privileged citizens and whether or not they should aid those other countries in need.
10/10, full marks, go see it now and thank me later. That's all.
What? You still want more? What else do you need to know? lol
Alright, because there are a lot of things we need to talk about, I'm going to break down this review into sections. But first things first, let's talk about the plot, and how Black Panther made a similar premise of Thor: Ragnarok work.
The Plot
In my last review of Thor: Ragnarok, I talked a lot about what I wanted that movie to be interest of what it is, because what it is bored me, so I couldn't find interesting things to talk about. Then Black Panther came along and I went, "THIS IS IT! This is what I wanted it to be like!" The funny thing about the past recent movies, including Captain America: Civil War, is that it all involves in-fighting among people of their own and fellow countrymen trying to decide what is best for their country. In other words, you could almost say that Black Panther is also the best movie about a civil war whose final conflict is actually about a civil war (instead of some bizarre revelation that came out of the left field about someone's parents or parents' names), more so than Civil War, ironically.
But back on topic. When I talked about interesting storylines involving inheriting a throne in my Thor: Ragnarok review, I wasn't just referring to the politics of it. That's boring. I'm talking about emotions. See, when Odin passed the throne down to Thor, it was an emotional event, but it didn't feel the same as Black Panther, where the weight of the crown is actually felt by not just the new king, but the audience. This is further emphasized by the fact that both nations had a bloodied past where mistakes were made. Both Asgardians and Wakandians were lied to by their kings, and an usurpation was involved (albeit more so in Thor than Panther). This similarity is important in our discussion, because Black Panther showed what you could do with fictional politics in a movie about a whole new world (let's face it, not much of Asgard was actually explored in previous movies), and more importantly, how to make this new world interesting. Hela could have been a compelling villain had she questioned the past about Odin and Asgard, instead of being another forgettable one-off villain who tried to take over the world like yet another megalomaniacal cartoonish comic book villain we've seen countless times. I mean, I'm totally having Ronan (the Accuser)-vibes here.
And we have to talk about characters if we want to talk about the plot, because as we know, the characters drive the plot, not the other way around. The plot in Black Panther is about T'Challa returning to Wakanda from America to take over the throne shortly after his father's death in Captain America: Civil War. He soon learns, however, that the throne comes with skeletons, again, not unlike Thor: Ragnarok, and he has to come to terms with it. This simple premise works because it represents a very relatable and realistic part of our world where politicians made compromises to better their own countries and vision. Because the American Indian Wars were such a significant part of American history, I felt like Thor: Ragnarok missed the opportunity to make us think, to keep us mentally engaged, at least the way Black Panther did. Because unlike Black Panther, which is more about selfishly keeping one's land and resources to oneself, Thor: Ragnarok actually involved conquering other lands in the past, and those skeletons coming back to haunt the people. Hela was all, "We were great once because that used to be our way, and you have weakened us." That line of thinking isn't that alien in American politics today, so why shouldn't it have been discussed about?
The Hero and the Villain
Here's a problem for you, Marvel: Thor isn't the most interesting guy in the room, even when standing next to the bookish Captain America. He's near-invulnerable, he's a goofy and lovable jock, and he's often compared to another "boring" character, Superman, because they both have god-like powers. As a god, most characters are boring. But as a king, that's always interesting, because it coincides with the term, "president" a lot among modern terms, or in some countries, dictators. There's a level of relatability that comes with the role of a king that goes beyond politics, because it's about being a leader. How do I lead my people? Should I be a nice, kind-hearted king, or should I ensure their safety by threatening our enemies? Those were just some of the questions asked by Black Panther that I wish would've been at least pondered about by Thor. How to make Thor interesting? Make him a compelling king.
And this plays very well into the whole "protagonist/hero is only as good as his antagonist/villain" statement, because T'Challa has a reason to have such interesting confrontations with Killmonger more than just exchanging blows. He understands Erik's relatable point of view. In fact, he's been struggling with it ever since the start of the movie - whether or not to aid foreign nations. It's because this theme connects all our dots together - the plot, the characters, and the conflict - that the movie works so well, consistency. It's a complex dilemma and internal struggle that we've never seen before in a superhero character since The Dark Knight, Watchmen, and V For Vendetta.
What is this relatable point of view of Erik? He grew up in America and a rough part of the country, while the rest of Wakanda thrives in their riches. Being poor while the rich festers themselves in privilege is a very familiar concept in today's political climate. Instead of having a meaningless comic book cliche as a motivation, this is something we could actually get behind.
Why Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan) works so well as not just a villain, but an antagonist in general, was because he brought his motivation and the meaning of his existence to our level. In the context of Thor Ragnarok: What does it mean to conquer Asgard? Why are you conquering it? Why should I care instead of waiting for the hero to win (which we know he will anyway)? Where's the internal struggle that makes me want to root for you, the kind that keeps me watching? This is screenplay 101. It's basic golden rules. A protagonist is only as interesting as his antagonist. Thor failed that, twice (I considered counting the first Thor, but I guess Loki is kinda interesting with his sob story/brother complex).
Despite the many praises for Jordan and Killmonger, however, I have to give highlights to the very talented Chadwick Boseman as well, because he has so many emotional moments in the movie that brought me to tears, including a heart-wrenching scene when he was fighting for the throne in a ritual battle against Killmonger. When a character is well-written enough to get the audience behind his motivation, you understand all about him and his motivations, so when he's facing a conflict, you know what he's going through, and you feel for him. It's often been established in the movie that the plot is about Wakanda opening its borders to other nations, and how T'Challa might be too soft to be a better king than his father. But in that battle scene, I feel like it really sets its foot down and affirms that theme, especially when Erik shouted, "This is your king?!" as if he's trying to say, "He weakens this country; I'll make it stronger." And you really feel for T'Challa as you would for every leader trying to do good, the "right thing", but has his hands tied.
Stakes
I like steaks. Do you like steaks? Jokes aside, stakes are good not just because it has meaning in the grander scheme of the trilogy, but also because it keeps us hooked to the screen. It helps that a close relative of T'Challa is killed (I won't say whom), because such consequences raise the stakes of the plot to keep me on my toes and constantly engaged, or in literary terms, "a real page-turner". It might seem cliche to have a hero's loved one die as if to product an artificial emotional investment, but I feel like this is one of those cliches that's only a cliche because it works. People die all the time in battles, so I don't see why superhero battles, where people are literally shooting deadly lasers at each other, should be any different. It's realistic, and quite emotional when done right (like all cliches).
I kept wondering in the final battle (against Killmonger) who is going to get killed off, because there were real stakes thrown into the previous scenes. Sure, there are cliched deus ex machina moments where the villain seemingly is going to kill off someone and then a hero rescues him/her at the last minute, but this particular illusionary stake works because it felt real enough to keep me glued to the screen. It's a tricky thing to balance stakes correctly in a movie, almost like a magic trick where the audience knows what to expect, and how to keep them in suspense.
The Supporting Characters
Unpopular opinion: the Hulk was pointless in Thor: Ragnarok, other than to serve as a comic relief. Take him away, and you could've filled him in with almost any other Avenger (like Iron Man maybe), and it would've served the same purpose.
Black Panther has that beaten too with its supporting characters: Everett K. Ross, AKA that snot-nosed sarcastic smug in Civil War played by Martin Freeman. He's just a relatively small role in Black Panther, and yet it was a significant role that adds to the story the movie is trying to tell rather than... accessorize it. It's not superficial, his inclusion, and it's certainly not (only) played for laughs. Because of the obvious conflict between Wakanda and other nations, Ross is the perfect supporting character that represents "the other side", the one white man that shows that not all of them are racist hatemongers bent on taking advantage (or worse) of colored people. It's a bit cliched as "white guilt" movies go, but because supporting characters are usually played for comic reliefs in Marvel movies, this one stands out in particular as significant.
I don't know how Hulk could have contributed to Asgardian politics. He probably couldn't. But as a scientist, it would have been nice for Banner to have a tour of Asgard or have a brief moment of admiration for their "magic"/technology much like Ross did in Black Panther. Give him some relevancy instead of just cracking jokes in some buddy cop movie.
Speaking of supporting characters that don't contribute a significant role, let's talk Executioner. As I talked about in my last review, I wanted Executioner (or anyone else for that matter) to have more of a say from "the other side" of the conflict, because it's boring to see that the hero is obviously in the right and could do no wrong. Black Panther establishes that not only with its antagonist, but also, yep, W'Kabi (played by "Get Out"/Black Mirror's Daniel Kaluuya). When you have an usurpation, or even a mad dictator taking over the throne, it usually makes things more interesting to see the opposite party have a few supporters that say, "This dictator does it better than the other guy. He gets things done where you couldn't." That's where W'Kabi comes in, and how a good supporting character is done right.
The Universe
Wakanda is indeed a beautiful place. I mentioned in my Thor: Ragnarok review that I wanted to see more of the Nine Realms, yet in Black Panther, a solo movie alone, we've seen more than enough technology and even fashion to keep us invested in this strange new world. It's a wonderful way to introduce a new character and a new world, because that's the first movie's job, to establish these rules and universe, and make us care about this universe. Black Panther makes it work by infusing the lore/technology as part of the plot - such powerful technology is kept away from the world, a world that is hurting and sorely needs it. It sets Wakanda in the middle of Africa, which is well-known for its many armed conflicts still unresolved today. It's a nice scenario to think about: "What if a nation has the means to help the country that needs its help the most in the world?"
So Black Panther not only introduced us to a new world, but one we would care a lot about due to its relevancy.
Breaking Genres
Black Panther is also a Bond movie. Yep.
For at least 30-40 minutes there (maybe longer), there was a whole "Skyfall" vibe there with the fancy gadgets and the espionage. In fact, it's hard to nail the movie down as a single genre. It's a spy/political/sci-fi/action/drama set in another country. It's the vision Marvel had in regards to expanding the "superhero" genre, making it more than just another comedy action adventure. This is the greatest breakthrough in movie genres since The Winter Soldier's political thriller.
In Conclusion
Black Panther is a much-needed adrenaline to shake up the MCU that's been facing borderline quality movies for a while now. Beyond that, it's a welcoming stepping stone to the next biggest superhero event of the year - The Infinity War. It's like Christmas, one amazing movie followed by... another potentially amazing one.
Gotta say, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but The Infinity War has big shoes to fill. I mean, it will take a lot to impress me (or the world) this much again. Nice job, Marvel. #MakeMineMarvel
Haven't had a chance to watch Black Panther but I hope to soon. After all the amazing things I've heard it's got me very interested. I've mainly just been looking forward to the music. lol The soundtrack is gooood.
Another one? Wow It just feels yesterday when I watched the first Avengers, this is so exciting!!. Watch the last Spider Man Movie and that was awesome.
Guess who just watched infinty war
1000000/10 go watch it
Good to hear. I'm going to the first showing friday. I hope it kept the momentum going from the last few films. A few of the older films I could take or leave it.
Whooo man what a ride THAT movie was. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! But man am I a bit dead inside. They hit you hard and do not let go. It was an emotional journey and I admit I was in silence by the end...everyone was. No clapping or anything.
Part II...come on, you have to release early. As Switch from the Matrix would say:
━ ❝I'm a big fan of Marvel movies and characters so @husseinandali thanks for creating this thread Also, I haven't watched Avengers: Infinity War yet cause I still have Black Panter and Guardians of the Galaxy II to watch XD Tbh -and please, fans of GOTG, don't kill me- from all marvel movies, Guardians of the Galaxy's are my least favorites so maybe that's why I didn't had motivation to watch the sequel. Anyways, I was looking forward to watch AIW and now with so many positive reviews, I'm even more excited xD
P.S.: I love Loki btw 」
English isn't my main language so forgive any mistake I make♡ ⇣m e a n w h i l e ⇣ Addicted To This Drug
Comments
And of course, Infinity War is gonna be the big superhero movie to end all superhero movies. I've been waiting for this one for a long time. I hope they'll keep it faithful in tone to the Infinity Gauntlet comic in certain aspects (particularly the heroes being killed off and whatnot), because this two-parter really needs to raise the stakes like no other Marvel film has before. I'm also really looking forward to Cap giving that speech in his confrontation against Thanos (if it happens).
yup the trailer looked good but it's sad that we didn't see venom yet.
here hoping he is like spider-man 2000 venom, that game is the reason i love venom
Edit: totally forgot to add Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer so that is added now
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Going Friday. I've been reading nothing but praise, so I want to hear your own thoughts afterward.
Origin ID: BadArkane
sadly, there are raciest and some dc fans giving the movie bad reviews in a move to make it flop. hopefully it exceeds all expectations and destroy box office
im seeing it pretty soon too
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Oh I know, but I'm not even worried about certain people being way in their feelings over this movie. It broke pre-sale ticket records, It's looking to be the biggest opening of a Marvel movie to date (we'll truly see after the weekend) plus the reviews it's getting shows it's a great movie. Our own personal reviews matter more, but the fact that critics are loving it shows the hate is unfounded. Forget about them. Let them be whatever kind of miserable they are.
Hope to hear your thoughts too.
Origin ID: BadArkane
So with Infinity War coming, I decided to finish watching the three remaining Marvel films I haven't seen (including Black Panther, yes), beginning with Spider-Man: Homecoming. I wrote a "review", but it's pretty long (due to me being a huge Spidey fan), so be warned.
Before I start, a little backstory about my passion for the webslinger:
I can't tell you how much I love Spider-Man. I practically grew up with him. I first saw him on the '90s animated series, which I'm still very fond of till this day. Then Raimi's Spider-Man movies totally made me even more hooked on the character than I already was. The funny thing is, I never got into the comics till a bit later, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading.
I was just fascinated by this kid with so much perseverance despite all the problems he face. I still remember those interviews with Stan Lee where he mentioned having conversations with Marvel about writing a superhero with problems, and Marvel was like, "Superheroes aren't supposed to have problems!" Spidey was a true Silver Age icon, the time when heroes became a little more down-to-earth and realistic. It's not nearly as gritty as the Modern Age of comics yet, but you could see that comic books start to have issues that one could relate to, whether it's drug addiction, alcoholism, or in Spidey's case, struggling between the responsibilities of a student (and later, middle class citizen trying not to get fired).
So when I first heard about Homecoming, that Spidey was finally coming back home to Marvel where he belongs, you would think I would be stoked, right? But ever since I saw his appearance in Civil War, I became a bit iffy about this very young Peter Parker, that something just didn't feel quite right about him.
For starters, the jokes. When Tony Stark was cracking jokes in the middle of his fights, I knew that it would mean trouble for the OG wisecracker of Marvel - Spidey, most famously known for spitting hilarious one-liners during his battles. There were not enough jokes in the previous movies, so it's nice to see Spidey finally have more wisecracks while fighting, but I feel like movies just can't seem to get Spidey's wisecracking accurately. I mean, just watch this for example:
Notice the difference? Snark. Spidey's a lot more snarky in the comics, and the animated series (both the '90s and the Spectacular version) nailed it. He can be arrogant and full of himself sometimes - just like Tony Stark/Iron Man, now the new face of Marvel. But because Iron Man's snarky now in the movies, Spidey can't be Snarky 2.0 either, so now he's degraded to a more family-friendly and impressionable kid with very "safe" jokes, kinda like watching Jimmy Kimmel hosting the Oscars (as opposed to someone more witty like Ricky Gervais). That's not the Spidey I grew up with.
So yes, I had my reservations as a big Spidey fan when I first heard about this movie. It isn't till today that I finally got to see it, and the result... is pretty much what I expected, but maybe a little better.
Aside from the snark and the ordinary struggles Peter faces, a distinct trademark about the Spider-Man comics was that it had an ensemble cast. Spider-Man wasn't just about Webhead, but also about Liz Allen, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, J. Jonah Jameson, Harry Osborn, Ned Leeds, Aunt May, Mary Jane, and of course, Gwen Stacy. It was a comic book about the supporting characters just as much as it was about the main one, and I think this is one characteristic Homecoming got it very right this time. We feel closer to the people surrounding Peter now more than the previous movies, so that's a bonus. There's still a lot of work to do (as the spotlight is still mostly on Peter), but Marvel is getting this particular aspect of the franchise right at least.
Michael Keaton is great as the Vulture. He's a relatable villain, but still nasty enough that he would intimidate you. He's a disenfranchised middle class man who fits perfectly in our era. It also fits a Spider-Man movie to have a low-key villain like this as opposed to planet destruction or world conquering megalomaniacs, because most of Spidey's comics have very small-scaled storylines about the urban side too, or more often, about Peter's personal life and crisis. In fact, I'm more surprised Spidey didn't enter Netflix, since we could remove the family-friendly filter there and actually have Peter being engaged in some serious drama.
And yes, Spider-Man comics do indeed have some serious drama (Gwen Stacy, anyone?). In fact, I can't tell you the number of times Peter was worried sick over his dying Aunt May (so much that it got old), or the number of times Peter lost friends because he had to ditch appointments, or that one time when he had to help Harry with his "drug addiction" problem... yikes.
The reason I'm mentioning all this is because Homecoming tried to pull out a page from the comics, a particular scene where Spidey is struggling against tons of debris and metal just crushing him. This is the scene that affected me the most in the movie, because I hated it. It didn't earn it. It felt cheap. In the comics, when Spidey was being crushed by the debris, he was literally rushing for time because he needed to get this medicine to a dying Aunt May. There was tension, and he literally berated himself for being useless and incapable of saving his aunt. That scene made sense because there's a very powerful motivation driving him to not give up. It was thus a very emotional moment that's titled... "If This Be My Destiny". If you're a fan of classic Spidey, that title should be familiar to you, because it's one of the most well-regarded Spidey storylines ever.
In the movie, on the other hand, it felt kinda... meh. He was kinda racing for time, but for an entirely different, less personal reason. The reason why the Spider-Man comics were so fascinating because many conflicts Peter faced were personal to him, whether it's a villain with a grudge trying to hurt his friends, losing his powers, J. Jonah Jameson hunting him with a robotic suit, bad press causing him to lose his confidence, or just being dumped by a girl. That "If This Be My Destiny" scene that the movie "borrowed"? It lacks that personal touch from the comics. It was an iconic moment in Spidey's life, and as a big fan, that just felt like such a slap in the face. The only consequence Peter was facing in that scene in the movie was that the Vulture would get away, maybe make a few billions with the weapons. Maybe there would be more long term repercussions, but it's nothing the Avengers couldn't handle (certainly nothing Stark has never faced before, people selling his toys). There's no driving force behind this scene, no real motivation aside from catching the bad guy. I just wish there was something more world-shattering, like someone close to Peter was dying or something.
So when Peter looked in the reflection and remembered Tony's words about not deserving that suit if he's nothing without it, the motivation was directed at himself ("Come on, Spider-Man," he chanted) instead of someone he cares about. It just doesn't contain the same impact, and it doesn't feel like it represents the character of Peter Parker as well as it could, someone whose entire motivation is the lives of others, rarely himself. In fact, there were articles written about Spider-Man criticizing him for being an extreme pacifist with a Messiah Complex.
But aside from that scene that really bugged me out, the rest of the movie was okay. I feel like the first of the Spider-Man reboot is going to always suffer this fate, being either "okay" or "mediocre" or worse. It sets up the rest of the trilogy, and so hopefully, in the second one, we could get into the meatier side of the Peter Parker drama. But with that Aunt May revelation at the end of the movie being portrayed so comically, I doubt that's going to happen, much to my disappointment. I remember J. Michael Straczynski (known for creating Ezekiel) writing a really wonderful scene of Aunt May slowly coming to terms with Peter being Spidey - and all the depth of that writing was taken away in 10 seconds of the movie, which is disappointing.
Aside from that scene above, there's another subject that I need to talk about, which is Peter's sense of responsibility. Before I watched it, from the few scenes I saw, I felt like he was a snot-nose brat who ditches class, yet another factor that made me put off the movie. I mean, Peter might be this snarky joker in his red and blues, but he's still this good responsible kid in the end who tries to stay out of trouble, so I was wary of this. Responsibility is Spidey's motto. It's in Uncle Ben's famous words. But as it turns out, in the movie, he does try to be responsible (especially with Tony's offer of the new suit at the end), so that was a relief to me. I'm glad they kept that essential part of his character intact (instead of making him some Disney Channel comic relief type of character), because responsibility makes up Peter's character as much as anger does for Bruce Banner.
Before I watched this film and wrote this review, I did try to tell myself to criticize this film without referring back to my knowledge of the comics, even though it's not easy. I tried to have a less biased point of view when watching it, and so I did enjoy the film that way. But it's not some revolutionary return of Spidey, and people should be reminded that a lot of recent Marvel films are like that, mostly just "okay", nothing amazing (pun intended). I'm still waiting for another movie that could match "The Winter Soldier", and even that one has its (political) problems.
Overall, I'll give this one a 7/10. It's pretty good for the good things it does (the supporting cast in particular).
Also, be warned - this review can seem a bit harsh, especially for Marvel fans. I like Marvel, but it's also why I'm such a critic.
The Road to Infinity War Part 2: Thor Resurrected
The Thor franchise has always been the black sheep of the Marvel family, because it's hard to make a near-invulnerable being, a god practically, interesting. Unless you're Superman of course, whose Richard Donner movies became even more relevant now than ever.
But director Taika Waititi managed to bring this dull little trilogy up to the quality of the other recent Marvel films that were not Iron Man 2 (and some would argue, 3). Much like Spider-Man: Homecoming, it's a fun and harmless adventure full of lighthearted humor even in the midst of tragic backstories and shocking consequences (like Thor losing one of his body parts and, for the second time, his hammer). It's an all-ages movie (maybe a little PG-13) perfect for your family, and you won't have to worry about your kids being too young to understand sophisticated themes like building a country on the foundation of war or some nuanced message like that, because such messages are subtle and insignificant in the grand scheme of the plot.
But it is an emotional movie nonetheless, largely due to those subtle themes in the background. Aside from the more obvious heartwarming moments of Loki redeeming himself and reconciling with his brother, I liked those quieter and more somber moments Thor shares with Odin, how he tries to come with terms being the new king of Asgard and having all that responsibility. They are moments I wish Marvel movies (not just Thor) could have more of instead of focusing so much on bombastic action. I also liked the final moments of the movie when Thor, Loki, and the entire nation of Asgard watched as their planet fell. Very Kryptonian. It was like watching a prequel of Superman and the fall of his world.
That being said, I do wish they gave the people a little more reaction. I mean, your entire homeworld just got destroyed, and you're all just standing there deadfaced like you're watching the news about a car accident. I understand Odin's sentiment that "Asgard is not a place, but a people," but their calm response at that moment just felt a little unrealistic to me. Then again, it's a Disney/Marvel movie, so no surprise here. We can't have people crying and being all devastated about losing their home. That would be too much for the children and would lose their target demographic. But I digress.
Regarding Cate Blanchett as Enchantress Hela. Initially, I was one of those people who was as peeved about Thor not facing his classic adversary from the comics. It was like the Mandarin moment again from Iron Man 3, except the disappointment already came before I even watched the film. Having seen it, however, I feel like the material was better treated this time than with the slap-in-the-face Mandarin, and at least Hela is intimidating enough (and with an almost relatable motivation in terms of politics) to be taken seriously. However, I will say that Cate was definitely underused, and most of the movie is not focused on her hunting the people of Asgard in the forest like a Lord of the Rings spin-off, but on this garbage-filled planet called Sakaar where Thor fights Hulk in a gladiatorial match. How did the Hulk land on Sakaar? No idea, and let's face it, that's not why you (and your kids) are here - you're here to just watch superheroes fight, not the "boring" details.
Speaking of potentially interesting storylines Marvel could've taken on but didn't, seeing Sakaar made me want to see more of the Nine Realms of the Norse Mythology. That's where the franchise should've headed from the start, an exploration of these strange worlds like it's Star Trek or something. We could see different politics and different lifestyles. There could have been so much interesting possibilities to explore (something James Gunn should consider with his Guardians of the Galaxy franchise instead of this lame "I am your father" knock-off), and the Thor franchise could have an expanded lore of its own. So hopefully, we could see more of the other realms in the next Thor movie.
Tessa Thompson was good as Valkyrie, and she's where the "tragic backstory" comes in. Unfortunately, between her and Karl Urban as the Executioner (whom he was great as too), I felt like Marvel was merely flirting with these storylines that could have been a lot more interesting. Skurge (Urban) acted as this ambiguous voice amidst the Asgardian civil war, struggling between yielding to Hela's rule and not harming his own people. He has a redemption moment, but I feel like if you take away Sakaar and just focus more on Asgard being taken over, it would be a less by-the-book story, and you could have conversations between Skurge, Valkyrie, Thor, Loki, and the other Asgardians regarding Odin's tyranny in the past and the history of their bloodsoaked nation, how it's, much like America, built on conquering other nation (Native Americans, anyone?). Like who is right? Should Odin really be pardoned for taking over other nations in the past, even if he's a changed man? Is Hela right about making America Asgard great again, stronger again? She might be a dictator, but her end goal is still about making Asgard a powerful force to be reckoned with, not too different from other nations in real life who are still running their countries scot-free. And what about Valkyrie? She almost had a conversation with Thor about how Odin is a hypocritical liar whom she gladly turned against, and whose comrades only died because he was correcting the very same mistakes he made in the first place. That didn't happen, because this is a Disney movie. We need to keep it family-friendly. That means no politics (unless the name of your main character is America) and no religion (we call it "magic"). None of that controversial stuff that would affect box office numbers.
But you know what? It's fine. I've learned to accept that Marvel movies are cookie cutter safe movies a long time ago since Guardians of the Galaxy first came out (yes, Guardians; having unlikely heroes with dry awkward humor and cliche character archetypes thrown in is not original or taking risks). Maybe with Black Panther, we'll actually delve in a little deeper into politics and interesting conversations I would actually care (and more importantly, think) about. Let's not talk about the what ifs, let's talk about the what is. Let's talk Loki.
So Loki is back, alive and still walking. He is a war criminal, a terrorist who caused a disaster far larger than the scale of 9/11 in the first Avengers movie, and he's still hailed as some kind of antihero by fangirls everywhere for having as much charisma as Adolf once did. So yay! I'm sure if Adolf was Tom Hiddleston, he would score a few points with the Jewish ladies too, you know what I mean? Before he gasses them, of course.
But let's not focus on the grim and doom. Marvel is fun. Marvel is safe. This is a lighthearted adventure comedy that is perfectly fine for what it is, a decent action blockbuster that you could escape to and forget about your troubles - much like the other 10 or 14 other Marvel films out there, just pure substanceless escapism movies. Not that being shallow is bad, because that's pretentious (I mean, I enjoyed the first Independence Day), but after the 12th or 15th movie like this, and people are still saying Marvel movies are somehow fresh and revolutionary, it does get a bit eye-rolling, you know what I mean?
7/10. Yet another mindless blockbuster you could pop in after a hard day at work.
Tomorrow, I finally visit Wakanda.
*Minor spoilers*
If you want to go in completely blind don’t go any further.
The reason why this film was so brilliant is because how it handled everything. From its characters, to the nation of Wakanda itself.
From Shuri (T’Challa’s half sister and tech expert) to Nakia (some one from the past) and Okoye (his friend and leader the Dora Milaje) to T’Challa himself, not one of them ever dove into that usual token foolishness, or uneducated nonsense that is ever present in a majority of films and TV.
Not your thug turned hero, or your sidekick comic relief guy. No “unleash me from this thing called slavery” cliches. None of that.
Every single one of these characters are refreshing, brilliant, humorous and the EXACT opposite of cliche.
And that goes for the villain too. Erik Killmonger (played by Micheal B. Jordan) had real hard hitting reasons for his anger and hostility towards the people of Wakanda. I felt for him and his plight, which is rare for a villain to have that effect on me. You saw his reasons why, but also knew the damage it would no doubt cause. He was well written and well executed by Jordan.
Now Wakanda (WAKANDA FOREVER!! Not sorry, I had to do that
Can you tell how much I loved his movie yet? Well I did. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Will see it again soon. Go see it if you haven’t.
Black Panther stepped into the spotlight and all eyes (or mine at least) are on him.
Origin ID: BadArkane
Enjoy the movie.
Origin ID: BadArkane
Just kidding. It was amazing. It's the best Marvel movie yet since The Winter Soldier. FINALLY! I HAVE MY "WINTER SOLDIER"! You've really kept me waiting, Marvel.
As always, watch out for spoilers if you haven't seen it.
The Road to Infinity War Part 3: Thor Ragnarok Done Right
As you can tell from the title, I'll be doing a lot of comparisons to Thor: Ragnarok in this review, mostly because of how many similarities there are between the two movies. But before we get to that, let's just take a step back for a second and observe how Black Panther has beaten every, single, Marvel movie, out of the park. Every one, even The Winter Soldier.
- As a movie about a son inheriting the responsibility of a throne from his dead father, Black Panther beats Thor: Ragnarok.
- As a movie that delves into socially relevant politics, Black Panther beats The Winter Soldier. No question.
- As a movie that has a tragic villain whose motivation is believable and relatable, thus making me actually care about him, Black Panther beats Age of Ultron - and pretty much every single Marvel movie, ever.
- As a solo movie that explores a new character in the MCU, Black Panther beats Iron Man, Ant-Man, Thor, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and every other solo movies out there.
- And last but not least! As a movie that tries to break the genre/formula of your typical fun Marvel adventure movie, Black Panther beats every, single, Marvel, movie, ever. Hands down.
Black Panther is not just the best Marvel movie ever. It's not just one the best superhero movies ever since The Dark Knight and Watchmen. It's an amazing action drama that questions the roles of privileged citizens and whether or not they should aid those other countries in need.10/10, full marks, go see it now and thank me later. That's all.
What? You still want more? What else do you need to know? lol
Alright, because there are a lot of things we need to talk about, I'm going to break down this review into sections. But first things first, let's talk about the plot, and how Black Panther made a similar premise of Thor: Ragnarok work.
The Plot
In my last review of Thor: Ragnarok, I talked a lot about what I wanted that movie to be interest of what it is, because what it is bored me, so I couldn't find interesting things to talk about. Then Black Panther came along and I went, "THIS IS IT! This is what I wanted it to be like!" The funny thing about the past recent movies, including Captain America: Civil War, is that it all involves in-fighting among people of their own and fellow countrymen trying to decide what is best for their country. In other words, you could almost say that Black Panther is also the best movie about a civil war whose final conflict is actually about a civil war (instead of some bizarre revelation that came out of the left field about someone's parents or parents' names), more so than Civil War, ironically.
But back on topic. When I talked about interesting storylines involving inheriting a throne in my Thor: Ragnarok review, I wasn't just referring to the politics of it. That's boring. I'm talking about emotions. See, when Odin passed the throne down to Thor, it was an emotional event, but it didn't feel the same as Black Panther, where the weight of the crown is actually felt by not just the new king, but the audience. This is further emphasized by the fact that both nations had a bloodied past where mistakes were made. Both Asgardians and Wakandians were lied to by their kings, and an usurpation was involved (albeit more so in Thor than Panther). This similarity is important in our discussion, because Black Panther showed what you could do with fictional politics in a movie about a whole new world (let's face it, not much of Asgard was actually explored in previous movies), and more importantly, how to make this new world interesting. Hela could have been a compelling villain had she questioned the past about Odin and Asgard, instead of being another forgettable one-off villain who tried to take over the world like yet another megalomaniacal cartoonish comic book villain we've seen countless times. I mean, I'm totally having Ronan (the Accuser)-vibes here.
And we have to talk about characters if we want to talk about the plot, because as we know, the characters drive the plot, not the other way around. The plot in Black Panther is about T'Challa returning to Wakanda from America to take over the throne shortly after his father's death in Captain America: Civil War. He soon learns, however, that the throne comes with skeletons, again, not unlike Thor: Ragnarok, and he has to come to terms with it. This simple premise works because it represents a very relatable and realistic part of our world where politicians made compromises to better their own countries and vision. Because the American Indian Wars were such a significant part of American history, I felt like Thor: Ragnarok missed the opportunity to make us think, to keep us mentally engaged, at least the way Black Panther did. Because unlike Black Panther, which is more about selfishly keeping one's land and resources to oneself, Thor: Ragnarok actually involved conquering other lands in the past, and those skeletons coming back to haunt the people. Hela was all, "We were great once because that used to be our way, and you have weakened us." That line of thinking isn't that alien in American politics today, so why shouldn't it have been discussed about?
The Hero and the Villain
Here's a problem for you, Marvel: Thor isn't the most interesting guy in the room, even when standing next to the bookish Captain America. He's near-invulnerable, he's a goofy and lovable jock, and he's often compared to another "boring" character, Superman, because they both have god-like powers. As a god, most characters are boring. But as a king, that's always interesting, because it coincides with the term, "president" a lot among modern terms, or in some countries, dictators. There's a level of relatability that comes with the role of a king that goes beyond politics, because it's about being a leader. How do I lead my people? Should I be a nice, kind-hearted king, or should I ensure their safety by threatening our enemies? Those were just some of the questions asked by Black Panther that I wish would've been at least pondered about by Thor. How to make Thor interesting? Make him a compelling king.
And this plays very well into the whole "protagonist/hero is only as good as his antagonist/villain" statement, because T'Challa has a reason to have such interesting confrontations with Killmonger more than just exchanging blows. He understands Erik's relatable point of view. In fact, he's been struggling with it ever since the start of the movie - whether or not to aid foreign nations. It's because this theme connects all our dots together - the plot, the characters, and the conflict - that the movie works so well, consistency. It's a complex dilemma and internal struggle that we've never seen before in a superhero character since The Dark Knight, Watchmen, and V For Vendetta.
What is this relatable point of view of Erik? He grew up in America and a rough part of the country, while the rest of Wakanda thrives in their riches. Being poor while the rich festers themselves in privilege is a very familiar concept in today's political climate. Instead of having a meaningless comic book cliche as a motivation, this is something we could actually get behind.
Why Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan) works so well as not just a villain, but an antagonist in general, was because he brought his motivation and the meaning of his existence to our level. In the context of Thor Ragnarok: What does it mean to conquer Asgard? Why are you conquering it? Why should I care instead of waiting for the hero to win (which we know he will anyway)? Where's the internal struggle that makes me want to root for you, the kind that keeps me watching? This is screenplay 101. It's basic golden rules. A protagonist is only as interesting as his antagonist. Thor failed that, twice (I considered counting the first Thor, but I guess Loki is kinda interesting with his sob story/brother complex).
Despite the many praises for Jordan and Killmonger, however, I have to give highlights to the very talented Chadwick Boseman as well, because he has so many emotional moments in the movie that brought me to tears, including a heart-wrenching scene when he was fighting for the throne in a ritual battle against Killmonger. When a character is well-written enough to get the audience behind his motivation, you understand all about him and his motivations, so when he's facing a conflict, you know what he's going through, and you feel for him. It's often been established in the movie that the plot is about Wakanda opening its borders to other nations, and how T'Challa might be too soft to be a better king than his father. But in that battle scene, I feel like it really sets its foot down and affirms that theme, especially when Erik shouted, "This is your king?!" as if he's trying to say, "He weakens this country; I'll make it stronger." And you really feel for T'Challa as you would for every leader trying to do good, the "right thing", but has his hands tied.
Stakes
I like steaks. Do you like steaks? Jokes aside, stakes are good not just because it has meaning in the grander scheme of the trilogy, but also because it keeps us hooked to the screen. It helps that a close relative of T'Challa is killed (I won't say whom), because such consequences raise the stakes of the plot to keep me on my toes and constantly engaged, or in literary terms, "a real page-turner". It might seem cliche to have a hero's loved one die as if to product an artificial emotional investment, but I feel like this is one of those cliches that's only a cliche because it works. People die all the time in battles, so I don't see why superhero battles, where people are literally shooting deadly lasers at each other, should be any different. It's realistic, and quite emotional when done right (like all cliches).
I kept wondering in the final battle (against Killmonger) who is going to get killed off, because there were real stakes thrown into the previous scenes. Sure, there are cliched deus ex machina moments where the villain seemingly is going to kill off someone and then a hero rescues him/her at the last minute, but this particular illusionary stake works because it felt real enough to keep me glued to the screen. It's a tricky thing to balance stakes correctly in a movie, almost like a magic trick where the audience knows what to expect, and how to keep them in suspense.
The Supporting Characters
Unpopular opinion: the Hulk was pointless in Thor: Ragnarok, other than to serve as a comic relief. Take him away, and you could've filled him in with almost any other Avenger (like Iron Man maybe), and it would've served the same purpose.
Black Panther has that beaten too with its supporting characters: Everett K. Ross, AKA that snot-nosed sarcastic smug in Civil War played by Martin Freeman. He's just a relatively small role in Black Panther, and yet it was a significant role that adds to the story the movie is trying to tell rather than... accessorize it. It's not superficial, his inclusion, and it's certainly not (only) played for laughs. Because of the obvious conflict between Wakanda and other nations, Ross is the perfect supporting character that represents "the other side", the one white man that shows that not all of them are racist hatemongers bent on taking advantage (or worse) of colored people. It's a bit cliched as "white guilt" movies go, but because supporting characters are usually played for comic reliefs in Marvel movies, this one stands out in particular as significant.
I don't know how Hulk could have contributed to Asgardian politics. He probably couldn't. But as a scientist, it would have been nice for Banner to have a tour of Asgard or have a brief moment of admiration for their "magic"/technology much like Ross did in Black Panther. Give him some relevancy instead of just cracking jokes in some buddy cop movie.
Speaking of supporting characters that don't contribute a significant role, let's talk Executioner. As I talked about in my last review, I wanted Executioner (or anyone else for that matter) to have more of a say from "the other side" of the conflict, because it's boring to see that the hero is obviously in the right and could do no wrong. Black Panther establishes that not only with its antagonist, but also, yep, W'Kabi (played by "Get Out"/Black Mirror's Daniel Kaluuya). When you have an usurpation, or even a mad dictator taking over the throne, it usually makes things more interesting to see the opposite party have a few supporters that say, "This dictator does it better than the other guy. He gets things done where you couldn't." That's where W'Kabi comes in, and how a good supporting character is done right.
The Universe
Wakanda is indeed a beautiful place. I mentioned in my Thor: Ragnarok review that I wanted to see more of the Nine Realms, yet in Black Panther, a solo movie alone, we've seen more than enough technology and even fashion to keep us invested in this strange new world. It's a wonderful way to introduce a new character and a new world, because that's the first movie's job, to establish these rules and universe, and make us care about this universe. Black Panther makes it work by infusing the lore/technology as part of the plot - such powerful technology is kept away from the world, a world that is hurting and sorely needs it. It sets Wakanda in the middle of Africa, which is well-known for its many armed conflicts still unresolved today. It's a nice scenario to think about: "What if a nation has the means to help the country that needs its help the most in the world?"
So Black Panther not only introduced us to a new world, but one we would care a lot about due to its relevancy.
Breaking Genres
Black Panther is also a Bond movie. Yep.
For at least 30-40 minutes there (maybe longer), there was a whole "Skyfall" vibe there with the fancy gadgets and the espionage. In fact, it's hard to nail the movie down as a single genre. It's a spy/political/sci-fi/action/drama set in another country. It's the vision Marvel had in regards to expanding the "superhero" genre, making it more than just another comedy action adventure. This is the greatest breakthrough in movie genres since The Winter Soldier's political thriller.
In Conclusion
Black Panther is a much-needed adrenaline to shake up the MCU that's been facing borderline quality movies for a while now. Beyond that, it's a welcoming stepping stone to the next biggest superhero event of the year - The Infinity War. It's like Christmas, one amazing movie followed by... another potentially amazing one.
Gotta say, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but The Infinity War has big shoes to fill. I mean, it will take a lot to impress me (or the world) this much again. Nice job, Marvel. #MakeMineMarvel
10/10 with a gold star.
Origin ID: BadArkane
Another one? Wow It just feels yesterday when I watched the first Avengers, this is so exciting!!. Watch the last Spider Man Movie and that was awesome.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/924539/features-that-needs-depth-and-ways-to-improve
1000000/10 go watch it
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Good to hear. I'm going to the first showing friday. I hope it kept the momentum going from the last few films. A few of the older films I could take or leave it.
Whooo man what a ride THAT movie was. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! But man am I a bit dead inside. They hit you hard and do not let go. It was an emotional journey and I admit I was in silence by the end...everyone was. No clapping or anything.
Part II...come on, you have to release early. As Switch from the Matrix would say:
Origin ID: BadArkane
━ ❝I'm a big fan of Marvel movies and characters so @husseinandali thanks for creating this thread
P.S.: I love Loki btw
English isn't my main language so forgive any mistake I make ♡
⇣ m e a n w h i l e ⇣
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