Yeah she's about to end Thanos' career, but how well did Captain Marvel's movie debut stand on its own? Here's my review for Captain Marvel (NO SPOILERS):
When I first saw the audience reviews for Captain Marvel before the movie was released to the general masses, I thought to myself "oh no we're in trouble here". Granted, most of those reviews were just internet trolls hating on Captain Marvel for the mere fact that she's a woman and possibly DC fans seeking revenge for critics hating on their beloved DCEU movies and HADN'T even seen the movie. Regardless, it didn't set a good tone for the release of the movie, but luckily the critics didn't pan it as much as the audiences did. Even still, it was still regarded as one of the least impressive movies in the MCU, but I went in with an open mind, hoping it wasn't as bad as those early audience reviews made it out to be. I'm just going to get this out of the way first: I didn't hate Captain Marvel and I enjoyed it far better than its DCEU counterpart Wonder Woman, but it's far from my favorite movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, before I dive into the BIG problems let me talk about what I LIKED about this movie. I loved Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, quite possibly my favorite character in the movie and probably one of the only characters to get character development. He also gets the best bits of humor and comedic timing in the film, something I always appreciate in the MCU. Samuel L. Jackson is great as always as Nicholas Joseph Fury and steals most of the scenes that he's in. I liked Lashana Lynch as Carol's best friend Maria Rambeau and she definitely gets a couple of scenes to shine in, but I wish they had done more with her in general. There were some incredible scenes that stuck out to me in the movie, such as the hand-held shot scene of the aftermath after the big reveal and the slo-mo shot of when Carol absorbs the energy-core, thus turning her into the titular hero. I can appreciate that directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were trying some tricks that made the movie stand out a little bit more than other MCU movies. I can ALSO appreciate the fact that the last act of the movie wasn't just a CGI-filled, poorly choreographed, seizure inducing mess like a good deal of other superhero movies, both MCU and DCEU. Although there were some bad special effects and there were a couple of scenes where the green screen definitely felt more present, it didn't derail the movie as a whole. Lastly, Captain Marvel, for lack of a better term, kicks some SERIOUS ass and, yeah, she's a badass bitch. I was in awe in the last act of the movie as she splices through an entire enemy spaceship and destroys it. She's uber-powerful, much more so than any of the other heroes (except maybe Thor), and will be an incredibly formidable opponent for Thanos. And let's be real, she's going to kill Thanos. Now let's dive into the BIG problems of this movie, starting with the frustratingly lackluster story. I didn't feel like there was anything super interesting about this story, and unfortunately that's a big problem because the MCU, for the most part, is so great at crafting creative and fascinating stories that explore the characters and their personalities and their background. There was a twist that flipped the narrative around, and for that I am thankful, but other than that, the story was pretty bland. It's yet another origin story and the point of an origin story is to introduce the character in an intriguing way where the audience can connect, relate, and grow with them and unfortunately this movie failed to do that with its lack of dazzling narrative and character development. And aside from the twist, the story was also extremely predictable. Nothing was really left to the imagination and there were certain scenes where I murmured to myself "oh I bet this will happen" and sure enough it happened. I also wish they had explored the relationships between the Kree and the Skrulls deeper and why there's a war in the first place, but I suppose that might be fleshed out more in a future sequel (which of course there's going to be one). Now, don't get me wrong, I love Brie Larson, and I know she's a great actress, but I didn't feel like I really got to know Captain Marvel and her character. Larson does well with what she's given, but the problem is what she's given isn't much. I understand that, for the majority of the movie, Captain Marvel doesn't know who she is or where she's from, resulting in a lack of identity. However, even with all the memories that they piece together throughout the movie, it still didn't reveal to me who Carol Danvers was supposed to be. She's stoic and sometimes smirks and dishes out half-clever remarks, but that's not personality to me. In the end, Captain Marvel comes across as badass, but also, and it pains me to say this, one-dimensional. Hopefully, the Russo brothers can wrangle some better character development out of her in Endgame. Another problem is that the soundtrack doesn't really fit all that well. There's one scene in particular, a fight scene in which the song chosen is so on the nose about the 90's and about Marvel herself, that made me groan. The song is fine on its own but it doesn't seem to fit into the narrative. In Guardians of the Galaxy, the soundtrack made sense because it was the music that Peter Quill listened to, thus weaving into the narrative and becoming an important part of the story. The soundtrack felt like a grab bag of Buzzfeed-esque 90's nostalgia that were just put into the film for the sake of it being 90's music and the fact that the story is set in the 90's, even though the movie itself didn't feel like a 90's movie. The last big problem is that it seemed like the directors, while competent for the most part, didn't watch the rest of the MCU. I don't want to give away anything, but there's a certain device that's found in this movie that was introduced in a completely different way in another MCU movie. Perhaps it's given as a gift, but there's no explanation about it and it's just kinda...there. The timeline displayed in this movie doesn't line up with the rest of the MCU, and it probably would've helped if the directors had had a sense of what happened in the other MCU films and align with that timeline. Sure, there's other problems; Captain Marvel suffers from something that has been plaguing the MCU for a while: an uninteresting villain (what a surprise). However, for the most part though, this movie is competently made. There were no huge jarring editing issues and the acting, while nothing spectacular, is pretty good. The movie zips along at a pretty even pace and I never felt, except for one joke (a joke that was executed way better in a way better MCU movie), that the humor undercut the more serious moments of the film. I really appreciated the introductory Marvel logo with Stan Lee and his cameo was not only great but clever as well. Captain Marvel wasn't an awful film and it proves to be a fun placeholder until Endgame, but it definitely could've been a better platform to introduce what I'm assuming will be the future leader of the Avengers. P.S. Goose? Loved him. Rating: 8.4/10
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One of the most recognizable Spider-Man villains of all time, how does Venom fare in his first full length feature? Well...it's something. Here's my quick review of Venom (2018).
When it was announced that Venom would appear in Spider-Man 3, it instantly became one of the most anticipated moments of the franchise. As many people will tell you, including myself, Topher Grace's portrayal of the classic villain was, for lack of a better term, bad. Along with many other factors (Peter Parker's emo phase comes to mind...), this essentially ended Sam Raimi's Spider-Man run with Sony. Were we ever going to see Venom come to the big screen again? The answer is yes, so here we are with 2018's Venom, directed by Ruben Fleischer, responsible for one of my favorite movies of all time (that would be the fantastic Zombieland), and Tom Hardy as the titular anti-hero. So the question is: is it any good? And I can answer that very succinctly for you. No this movie is not good. Tom Hardy is admittedly pretty good as Eddie Brock/Venom, but everyone else sucks, including a wildly out of place Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed, who's FANTASTIC in Nightcrawler (if you haven't seen it you need to), is just awful as the villain. The writing is super sloppy and cringeworthy, the special effects are laughably bad and looks extremely outdated, the pacing is all over the place, there are sequences that go on FOREVER, and the story is impressive in just how BAD it is. That Eminem end credits song is probably one of the worst songs I've ever heard. Ludwig Goransson, who created one of the best musical scores of all time with Black Panther, turns in an uncharacteristically forgettable musical score. All in all, the movie itself just feels painfully outdated, obtaining an atmospheric look from a mid-2000's movie rather than a 2018 movie. So again the answer to that question is no, Venom is not a good movie. Oh but don't worry, this movie was a box office hit so of course there's going to be a sequel. Of course there is... Rating: 2/10 2018 was a banner year for superhero movies. We got a groundbreaking movie featuring a black superhero whilst also celebrating black excellence. We got a movie 10 years in the making that succeeded in executing the accumulation of the events of the previous 18 movies. However, while both movies were great, 2018 decided to save the best for last and surprisingly from a studio that hasn't been known for making great films. Here's my review for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Here's a hot take: Sony Animation isn't very good at delivering quality animated films. Just kidding, that's not really a hot take, but Sony Animation has had a lot of duds in the past. For instance, there was this one little movie called The Emoji Movie that was released last year. It's a classic, but definitely not for the right reasons. They've made not one, not two, but three unsuccessful Smurfs movies. And while there has been some success (both Cloudy With A Chance movies, the criminally underrated Surf's Up), Sony Animation isn't known for producing stellar and unforgettable films. So imagine my surprise when I heard the announcement that Sony Animation was making a Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man, one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, an icon of pop culture, a symbol of justice and humility, being made by the same studio that made The Emoji Movie. It didn't sit right with me, but after seeing the first trailer, I thought perhaps it could be good as the trailer showed some serious promise. When the movie was released, it received some of the best reviews of the year, surprising the hell out of me. My friends were singing nothing but praises about it on Twitter. So of course, I had to see it. I don't know what I expected honestly, but Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is more than good. It's more than great. It is a masterclass on how a superhero movie should be made. There are so many wonderful things to say about it, but let's begin with the story. The story is about Miles Morales, a Black-Latino Brooklyn middle schooler who undergoes a transformation from a radioactive spider bite and must learn to become the titular hero. The Collider, a dimension ripping device created by Kingpin, transports different reincarnations of Spider-Men to Miles' Brooklyn. Because of this, Miles must team up with the rest of the misplaced Spider-Men to stop Kingpin from destroying the entirety of New York. Before I continue, yes, this is an origin story, but it's more than just an average run-of-the-mill origin story. It's a well-delivered action piece that weaves sci-fi with comedy, tragedy, and thrilling and innovative animation, something that I haven't seen in a big screen Spider-Man origin story. It's a story filled with so much heart and positivity and great messages (yes, it even brings up the old "with great power" mantra). It's a story about the importance of family and those familial relationships draws strength from within. It's a coming-of-age story about a fish out of water. While that last bit may sound cliche, it's an apt description nonetheless, and it fits. The story zips along at a very quick pace, but it doesn't give you time to be bored while also never glossing over anything important. It doesn't take time to ponder on something for too long, but each scene also delivers the point without dull exposition. Thanks to the snappy, smart, and sharp writing from Phil Lord (one half of Lord and Miller, the masterminds behind 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie) and Rodney Rothman, when there is exposition it's done in a witty manner, never allowing the movie to lose steam. A great deal of this movie's success rides on the innovative and brilliant animation. This movie contains an eye-popping blend of hand drawn and computer animation, parts of which feel like you're watching 3D without the 3D glasses. Many sequences in the movie are designed like a panel from a comic book, making it look like an actual comic book coming to life right before the eyes. The pop art visuals and trippy street art graphics are gorgeous to watch and help transcend the movie from a normal average animated film into a fresh and frankly ingenious project. The anime-like stylizations that accompany Peni Parker (which if you see the movie makes sense) are perfectly executed, as are the Looney Toons cartoon design and sound effects for the Porky Pig-esque Spider-Ham. I have never seen animation like this on the big screen before, so it was a wholly refreshing experience. Also, it should definitely be noted that the end credits has one of the best animated sequences I've ever seen. The voice cast was perfect for this film. Shameik Moore, who was excellent in the 2015 film Dope, is fantastic as Miles Morales, capturing the essence of the character perfectly. The always great Jake Johnson is once again great as the reluctant mentor Peter Parker, the (sort of) original Spider-Man. The also always great Hailee Steinfield delivers as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen. Even though the main trio is great, the rest of the Spider-Men should also be praised. The biggest surprise to me was how spot on Nicolas Cage was as Spider-Man Noir. Yes, Nicolas Cage is Nicolas Cage, whether you love him or hate him, but man, he is so good in this movie and actually has a lot of funny lines, all of which are delivered really well by Cage. Honestly, I couldn't see anyone else being Spider-Man Noir. John Mulaney is also hilarious as Spider-Ham and has one of the best semi-fourth wall breaking lines in the whole film (side note: if you get the chance, you need to watch one of Mulaney's comedy specials on Netflix, he is truly a gem). The rest of the cast (Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Chris Pine, Liev Schreiber, Kathryn Hahn, the awesome Mahershala Ali) are also phenomenal. Any good Marvel movie will have humor in it (maybe some less than others). Everyone has come to expect that out of anything big screen Marvel related. However, this movie has so much meta humor, which honestly makes sense considering how much Spider-Man is in this. I know that sounds dumb, but there's so much Spider-Man lore in here and there's, uh, more than one Spider-Man so there's a lot to pull from. There are humorous references in here that mention the Sam Raimi movies, the comics, and some good old-fashioned Spider-Man memes. However, the pure fact of the matter is that I laughed more during this movie than I have during any other superhero movie. I swear my wife, who doesn't really laugh during movies, laughed more at this movie than any other movie she's ever watched. The way the witty humor is executed is identical to that of Cloudy With A Chance and The Lego Movie, which shouldn't be any coincidence considering Phil Lord wrote and directed those movies. Comedic timing is everything, and Lord understands that so well, which allows the movie's humor to glide with ease. While the movie is a riot, the humor doesn't weigh down the emotional impacts of the film. It's funny when it needs to be and it's dramatic and at times tragic when it needs to be, a perfect balance. (Perhaps this is a teensy spoiler, but the post-credits scene is the single funniest scene of 2018 cinema. I was crying in laughter out of the theater.) A lot of people will say that the Kendrick Lamar-curated Black Panther soundtrack was the best of the year, and I will actually agree with that sentiment. HOWEVER, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse's soundtrack should definitely be in contention as one of the best soundtracks of the year as well. The music oozes so much positivity and love and man the songs are just catchy as hell. I mean, you can't NOT hum along to the gorgeous "Sunflower" by Swae Lee and Post Malone. I loved it so much that I actually went out and bought it, making it the third Marvel soundtrack that I've bought (first one being Guardians of the Galaxy). DCEU movies only WISH they could make a soundtrack this good. Sorry Suicide Squad fans (except not really). This is probably the longest review that I'll write this year, but there's so much to gush about. As a matter of fact, it took me two days to write this review, during which time I've already seen Spider-Man twice. I've seen my fair share of movies in 2018, hell I've seen my fair share of movies in general, and this is by far not only the best movie of 2018 but also my favorite superhero movie of all time. It takes the run-of-the-mill superhero origin story and turns it into a beautiful, innovative, heartfelt, and humorous masterpiece. Even if you're not a superhero fan, there's so much to love in this movie. The characters, the writing, the story, the music, everything. Did I love Avengers: Infinity Wars and Black Panther? Absolutely, but Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse took animation to otherworldly heights, gave new life to a rather overplayed and overcooked genre, and, at least to me, solidified Spider-Man as the best superhero of all time. I love it. Best movie of 2018. Rating 10/10 Top 50: #4 The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for 11 years now and has delivered some of the most entertaining and thrilling cinematic moments that I can recall. All starting with Iron Man in 2008, the MCU has developed into a box office juggernaut and has created some of the most memorable on-screen characters in recent memory. It is probably one of the most well-known franchises in cinema history and, unless you've been living under a rock for the last 11 years, you've probably seen at least ONE of the 23 movies in the MCU. While there are other great Marvel movies (Spider-Man 2) as well as horrendous ones (ALL of the Fantastic Four movies), I have tasked myself to only rank the MCU movies, ranked from "worst" to best. Remember, this is just my opinion, this is neither right nor wrong. So here goes (also there will be spoilers):
*updated 7/8/19 to include Endgame and Far From Home 23. The Incredible Hulk (2008): Edward Norton is admittedly better than Eric Bana, but we all know Mark Ruffalo is the REAL Hulk. This isn't an AWFUL movie, but it is pretty forgettable. You could take this film out of the MCU and you wouldn't be missing anything except maybe the post-credits scene. 22. Thor: The Dark World (2013): Another forgettable entry (although according to Endgame it's one of the more important ones). Also made me realize how much I REALLY don't like Natalie Portman in the MCU. She's not an awful actress, but her character is cloying and a nuisance. Thor's mother's funeral is a cool scene, as is the car turning scene in the beginning, but other than that, I'll just stick with Ragnarok. 21. Iron Man 2 (2010): Poor Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke's talents are absolutely wasted in this mediocre sequel to the movie that started it all. However, it does switch in Don Cheadle, taking over Terence Howard's role as Rhodes, which was a smart idea considering that Cheadle is a considerably better actor. Other than that, aside from the Whiplash racetrack scene, this movie is a jumbled mess. 20. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): Too many unnecessary side plots, too many unnecessary characters, not enough of the wonderful James Spader as Ultron. Definitely an example of biting off more than you chew. It'd be different if it was all executed well...but unfortunately, it's not. Also, Quicksilver in Days of Future Past >>>> Quicksilver in Age of Ultron. However, just like Dark World, this movie turns out to be an important player in Endgame, particularly in THAT scene. 19. Captain Marvel (2019): A decent if not slightly uninspired introduction to what I assume will be the future leader of the Avengers. Brie Larson is fine, although the character herself is somewhat uninteresting and one-dimensional. Samuel L. Jackson is great as a young Nick Fury and there are some great moments in the film and the film doesn't end in a CGI fueled frenzy. Ben Mendelsohn continues to prove why everyone wants him in their movie by being one of the best and enjoyable parts of the movie. Overall, it's okay. 18. Thor (2011): This movie is definitely overshadowed by the vastly superior Ragnarok, but this movie has a glorious Shakespearean feel to it, with director Kenneth Branagh's classical theater imprint stamped all over it. It has great set direction and designs, wonderful performances, a top-notch story and introduces us to one of the best villains in the MCU. However, the problem is that it moves painfully slow and the pacing stalls for long periods of time. 17. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): The introduction to one of the most revered members of the Avengers. Chris Evans absolutely nails his performance as the titular hero and it has excellent supporting performances from Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, and Hayley Atwell. There's actually nothing WRONG with this movie...but when compared to the other 2 Captain America films, it definitely lacks a certain pizazz that the other two possess. 16. Iron Man 3 (2013): Totally underrated in my opinion. The comedy is top-notch and it boasts some great performances. I know people are divided on the Mandarin twist (I didn't mind it as much), but I actually enjoyed Ben Kingsley's giddy performance as the faux Mandarin. I think Shane Black's direction on this film was excellent. I think the last act of the film was a little over the top and there were too many ridiculous things happening at once, but it doesn't deter from the fact that this is an underrated gem in the MCU. 15. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017): I loved the first movie so I had high expectations for the second installment. The ensemble cast's chemistry continues to shine (love Kurt Russell as Ego), while the jokes fly a mile a minute. However, the humor does undercut the more serious moments of the movie and, while I love a good comedic moment, the comedic timing just wasn't as precise as it had been in the first movie (although that Mary Poppins line is killer). The end of the movie does deliver one of the most emotional moments in the MCU, so much so that I ALMOST cried (or maybe I did, I honestly don't remember). 14. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): This movie had the unfortunate circumstance of being the first movie released after the bombshell that was Infinity War. With that being said, it's an enjoyable romp with Paul Rudd delivering another charming performance as Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly shining as Wasp. I think this movie does suffer from unnecessary characters being stuffed in there, but one thing I can never get enough of is Michael Pena's dynamite performance as the hilarious Luis. Great action coupled with great humor and a great story, just like the surprisingly great first entry. 13. Doctor Strange (2016): Definitely one of the more complex and refreshing MCU stories that boasts some of the best and most breathtaking visual effects in the entire MCU. Benedict Cumberbatch is great as the titular hero (his accent is a little suspect), while the rest of the cast give excellent supporting performances. The villain is a little too generic for my taste and there definitely is some lull in the story, but the action scenes are great and the "Dormammu I've come to bargain" scene is truly one of the best MCU moments. 12. Ant-Man (2015): Was I expecting this movie to be this good when I first saw it? Absolutely not, but it's proven itself to be one of my favorites in the MCU. Paul Rudd is perfect as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, a role that could be played by no one else. The comedic elements are brilliant, which includes Michael Pena's Luis's scene stealing and hilarious storytelling flashback scenes. The movie zips along with thoughtful and clever action scenes. Admittedly, the villain is meh, but aside from that one little knock, this movie packs a big punch and works on every level. 11. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019): This movie had the unfortunate task of following up the biggest movie of the decade, and it delivers on the post-Endgame blues with aplomb. Tom Holland once again proves he is the best Spider-Man of all time (and no I won't hear anything differently) in a story that moves swiftly and deftly through clever writing, great cinematography, awesome fight scenes, and memorable performances. Although we won't get to see him again, it was awesome seeing Jake Gyllenhaal in the MCU, crafting a rather intriguing villain that proves to be great foil for Spider-Man. The shadow of Tony Stark is looming throughout the movie, allowing the story to center around our hero trying to figure out how to live his life while inheriting a huge chip on his shoulder, which is all handled extremely well. Also, both post-credits scenes? Genius. 10. Iron Man (2008): The movie that started it all, the Genesis of the MCU. Even though this movie is 10 years old, this movie has aged extremely well. Robert Downey Jr. delivers one of the best performances of his career and is perfect as the charismatic playboy billionaire Tony Stark. If it weren't for RDJ and his commitment to the role, I know this movie would not have succeeded as much as it did. A thought-provoking story mixed with awesome action scenes, visual effects, and top notch performances and you've got the recipe that has made the MCU so successful. 9. Captain America: the Winter Soldier (2012): The first movie was a great introductory story for Cap, but the sequels did an excellent job of crafting great stories and great characters to complement the first Avenger. The addition of characters like Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes' reincarnation as the Winter Soldier help flesh out Steve Rogers' character and as a result Chris Evans' performance is even better than before. It's also weird but strangely nice to see the incredible Robert Redford playing against type and portraying the villainous Alexander Pierce. This movie also possesses some of the MCU's best fight scenes, which includes the brilliant elevator fight scene. 8. Black Panther (2018): I'll be the first to say that I was all aboard the Black Panther hype train after his introduction in Civil War. Needless to say, this movie was able to live up to the hype and did not disappoint. Strong performances from the primarily black main and supporting cast, a wonderfully refreshing story, a dynamite soundtrack from Ludwig Goransson and Kendrick Lamar, great action scenes, and the breathtakingly and beautifully designed Wakanda helped turn this movie into one of the most culturally relevant films in recent history. Plus, Michael B. Jordan turned in one of THE best MCU performances as the sympathetic yet villainous Killmonger. No one can tell me differently. 7. The Avengers (2012): The first BIG movie that featured all of the superheroes in the same movie, this movie's success rides on great performances from all of the leads, wonderfully shot action scenes, larger than life visual effects, and a stacked yet smooth story that never seems to lose sight of the big picture (unlike Age of Ultron). The best way to sum up the film in one scene: the iconic and climactic camera panning lineup scene, surrounded by the enemies, ready to fight. It's the perfect way to describe not only the movie, but the entire MCU. 6. Captain America: Civil War (2016): Really an Avengers movie disguised as a Captain America movie. However, make no mistake, Cap is still the hero at the end of the day (Yes, I am Team Cap all day every day). What makes this film so significant is that it introduces two major players in the MCU: Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, both of whom immediately became fan favorites. There are too many great scenes to choose from in this movie: the airport fight scene, the climactic Iron Man-Cap fight at the end, the Bucky motorcycle flip, Cap stopping a helicopter with his bare hands, etc. What makes this film also great is the captivating story as well as a great balance of dramatic and comedic moments. Truly iconic. 5. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): I'll admit, I really liked the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies. The Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies are utter rubbish. But now, with Homecoming, we have a great Spider-Man in Tom Holland and a great movie in general. The story plays out like a coming of age superhero tale, perfectly mixing teenage angst and typical MCU action. The supporting cast is exceptional, which includes the great Michael Keaton as Vulture, the primary antagonist but not quite your typical run-of-the-mill MCU villain. Jacob Batalon is fantastic as Peter's best friend Ned and RDJ takes on the role as not just Tony Stark as Iron Man, but Tony Stark the mentor. Definitely the web slinger's best movie to date, and that's saying a lot considering how much I love Spider-Man 2. Also, the scene where Vulture confronts Peter in the car-one of the best scenes in the MCU. 4. Thor: Ragnarok (2017): I did not think I was going to enjoy this movie as much as I would. But fact of the matter is I love this movie. Instead of going bland like Dark World or Shakespearean like the first entry, this is a straight up full-blown comedy. It shouldn't work, but none of the comedic elements feel out of place nor does it bog down the story any. It commits to its humor 100%, thanks to director Taika Waititi's keen sense of comedy, and turns out to be the funniest entry in the MCU by far. Nothing feels out of place: the brilliant usage of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" as Thor's theme song, the gorgeous slow-mo shots, the bright and vibrant color palette, the slapstick comedy (the get help scene is slapstick at its finest), Jeff Goldblum. Everything works and I certainly wouldn't mind if Taika Waititi directed another movie in the MCU. 3. Avengers: Infinity War (2018): What more needs to be said about this movie? It's the (near) ultimate culmination of literally every single movie that's come out in the last 10 years. It's got the best villain in the entire MCU. It has so many iconic and memorable (and memeable) moments it's impossible to list down every single one in one short paragraph. The story has so many side plots that don't ever feel unnecessary and so many characters but it never feels too crowded. And the ending. Just wow. One of the only movies where I've ever walked out of the theaters absolutely shocked and dumbfounded. A movie for the ages. Top 50 #47 2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): Up until Endgame, this WAS the best movie in the MCU. I believe that this movie really set the standard for the MCU: great acting and ensemble cast, charismatic characters, wonderfully shot action, killer dialogue, heaps of well-timed and balanced humor, creative stories, beautiful visuals, and touching moments. It also features the best title sequence in the MCU and the best soundtrack (sorry Black Panther). Truly an iconic milestone in the MCU and one of my personal favorites. Top 50 #5 1. Avengers: Endgame (2019): I knew once Endgame came out it was going to take the number one spot, and I was certainly not proven wrong here. This is the perfect culmination of every movie in the MCU in the last 11 years. It perfectly ties up every story up to this point, not leaving any loose ends in the process. The Russo Brothers, masters of "Marvel miracles", gives the fans exactly what they want to see, albeit with a couple of familiar faces meeting their unfortunate end. There are iconic moments and shots that will not be forgotten any time soon, memorable quotes ("I love you 3000"), a hefty blend of action, humor, and drama, and it delivers the two best moments in the entire MCU ("I knew it!", "On your left"). If Infinity War set the bar high for monumental set pieces, emotionally draining endings, and endless memes, then Endgame breaks that bar and raises it to a point that I don't believe will ever be touched. This is the MCU's greatest achievement and I'm not sure any other movie will be able to dethrone this as number one. Top 50 #4 For the longest time, Spider-Man 2 was my favorite Spider-Man movie and Tobey Maguire was my Spider-Man. Not anymore. Sorry Tobey. Here are my thoughts on Spider-Man Homecoming:
About time we FINALLY get a movie that matches a quality Spider-Man with a quality movie. As much as I liked Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, his movies could not even come close to matching his quality performance. Introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland is by far the best Spider-Man we've gotten so far. He's charming, he's funny, he's got charisma, and he's closer to the age where he's supposed to be (ironically, Holland is also British like Garfield, but that's beside the point). He really captures the character and the spirit of the Spider-Man that everyone knows and loves. The story is fantastically written and well-paced enough where there wasn't a single boring moment in the movie. Nowhere in the movie did I ever think "man when will this movie end" (unlike Wonder Woman). The script is snappy and witty and the action is bright and vividly shot (except for the end). And for once, we don't get an origin story. Everyone at this point should know what happened to Peter Parker and how he became Spider-Man. Everyone should know that with great power comes great responsibility. We got an original Spider-Man story that didn't revolve around "oh here's how Uncle Ben dies" or "how did he get his powers". It perfectly blends coming of age, superhero, and high school comedy all into one film. Before Killmonger came into brilliant existence in Black Panther, Homecoming delivered a decent Marvel villain with Michael Keaton's Vulture. We get a villain who isn't the generic run-of-the-mill superhero villain that we've seen over and over again in every DC and Marvel movie. He's got character, intrigue, heart, and is actually INTERESTING. It also helps that Michael Keaton is a fantastic actor so he's able to sell the character and create a sympathetic performance. The car scene between Holland and Keaton is one of best scenes I've seen in the MCU, possibly ever. I've never felt more tension or suspense in an MCU movie before, and Holland and Keaton are able to elevate it to a godlike cinematic masterpiece of a scene. I also really liked the sidekick Jacob Batalon as Ned, who brought some great levity and humor to the movie, and Zendaya, who isn't in it much admittedly, is hilarious and sarcastic. Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau (good to see Happy again) and the always excellent Robert Downey Jr. also deliver great performances. The only criticism I have with the film is that there's one of the action scene at the end that's very hard to see. Maybe that was how it was supposed to be, but it struck me as jarring. A minor knock on an otherwise fantastic film. Best Spider-Man movie of the bunch, which is saying a lot considering how much I love Spider-Man 2. Thank God it's not an origin story. Rating: 9.8/10 |
AuthorBuster Bigelow: 30 year old lover of movies, cinema, and music. Whether you agree or disagree with my reviews, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments! Archives
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