Avengers – Are You Not Entertained?

Running Down The MCU!

November 30, 2020 Wannabe Movie Critic

For the first time since 2008. The world will not be entertained by any new MCU content. Sadly, but in the meantime, let us run through the entire MCU run, from start to finish!
Well, here we are. 23 movies down, in the most impressive franchise runs in cinema history. So why not take a stroll down memory lane? Starting at the beginning. Just a few thoughts about each flick, followed by a review (out of 5 stars!)

Iron Man. Director: Jon Favreau. Box Office 585.2 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 94%. Release Date: May 2nd, 2008

The movie that started it all! Can you believe they originally wanted Tom Cruise to play the playboy billionaire? How crazy would have that been? Is the MCU as successful as it is today? I can’t really see Cruise playing Iron Man nearly as well as Downey Jr. in fact I think the execs over at Disney and Marvel probably get down on their hands and knees every day and thank god he got this role. Well, it was Favreau who convinced them that he would be perfect after he saw RDJ in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Actually directed by Shane Black, more on that later. Plain and simple, this is the most important movie of the century. It literally changed how we as an audience watch movies. It was a herculean task, the idea of the MCU, but with proper guidance and the perfect casting, everything worked out. It even started the “stinger” craze, the little snip-it at the end of the credits. Iron Man has aged beautifully and is among of one the best MCU movies in the entire run.

I’m sorry but I don’t see Tony Stark being a Burger King kind of guy. That never sat well with me.

5/5 Stars

The Incredible Hulk. Director: Louis Leterrier .Box-Office: 264.8 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 67%. Release Date: June 8th, 2008.

Kind of the black sheep of the MCU family? The long and forgotten solo Hulk film. The only solo Hulk film to date in the MCU, and don’t plan anymore in the future because of some copyright issues. I’m going to say it, this is vastly underrated and under-appreciated. There’s a lot of good in the first half of this film. Norton is ripe for the role, and Tim Roth as Blonsky/Abomination is fantastic. Just creative differences really faltered this into the ground. The Hulk still remains a staple in the MCU and it will be interesting to see where they take his character next. Feels like Ruffalo is getting checked out of his role.

How does he manage to stretch his pants? Maybe he’s been in touch with a certain individual who is a little fantastic……..

3/5

Iron Man 2. Director: Jon Favreau. Box Office: 623.9 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 73% Release Date: May 7th, 2010

When you’re following up the most important movie this century, well those are pretty big shoes to fill! Iron Man 2 suffers from what I call, lack of preparation. They had no idea what to expect from Iron Man, and when it became a worldwide phenomenon they start prep on its sequel rather quickly. I think this movie suffers from a lackluster plot and a rush script. But even in the weakest of times, the MCU remains top-notch. It’s like pizza, even when pizza is bad, it’s still pizza. They really start to world build here, with the tease of Caps shield and the great stinger of Thor’s hammer at the very end. It just felt so rushed and wasted the great Mickey Rourke and the finale of this movie is mere seconds long. If you blink it’s over. Honestly, it might have the least amount of action out of any MCU movie to date.

Justin Hammer played by the legend Sam Rockwell, is the bright spot here, and I truly hope that bird was taken care of. All Ivan wanted was a friend and his pet bird.

2/5

Thor. Director: Kenneth Branagh. Box Office: 449.3 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 77%. Release Date: May 6th, 2011

I NEED A HORSE! One of the best lines delivered in the entire MCU. A Shakespearean tale, directed so beautifully by Branagh, who really encapsulates the essence of Asgard, their power, size, and mortality, but also can show the humble and more dignified part of their existence. Chris Hemsworth much like every original member of the Avengers was so perfectly cast, right alongside his brother, the God of Mischief Loki. Both play off one another so well, Hiddleston stealing the show, without him and his portrayal of Loki, I’m not sure what happens with the MCU. Thor’s “clueless” side is the driving force in the second half and that’s really where Hemsworth shines. This movie truly is like a fine Asgardian wine, it keeps getting better with age.

Do you think they had pancakes on Asgard?

4/5

Captain America: The First Avenger. Director: Joe Johnson. Box Office: 370.6 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 80%. Release Date: July 22nd, 2011

The first outing for the unanimous MVP of the MCU! It’s pretty obvious from the get-go that Chris Evans and his Captain America was going to be special. From his boyish charisma, and world-class heart, it was another role that the actor who landed it was born to play. I would say his growth is among the best of our heroes and each time we see him on screen, he’s almost a completely different Cap. His friendship with Bucky is special and he hates bullies, most importantly Nazi bullies with a Red Skull. It’s sad we never got another showdown between these two, but we now know it’s possible. By far the most violet MCU flick, and has the most shocking a violent death in the series, when a man is inhaled by an airplane propeller. You just didn’t see much more of that in the MCU.

The biggest question throughout all of the MCU and it is an important one. Is Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, a virgin?

4/5

The Avengers. Director: Joss Whedon. Box Office: 1.519 Billion. Rotten Tomatoes: 92%. Release Date: May 4th, 2012

How much is that group shot worth? A billion? Two billion? The true team-up movie the world had been waiting for. Planned for 6 long years after Nick Fury stood in Tony Starks living room telling him about The Avengers Initiative. This is the MCU at its finest, one of the best comic-book movies Disney and Marvel have ever produced. It gave us the ultimate tease with their best post-credit stinger ever with the all mighty Thanos. We wouldn’t see him in action for years to come, but it reminded us that Marvel had a plan and they were going to stick with it. The 3rd act is peak comic-book movie making and The Avengers is a very important movie for popular culture lore and what it meant to go to the movies.

I’ve always wondered what Pepper whispers into Tony’s ear in the beginning…..?

5/5

Iron Man 3. Director: Shane Black. Box Office: 1.215 Billion. Rotten Tomatoes: 79% Release Date: May 3rd, 2013

Hollywood is a circle man. If it wasn’t for Shane Black, maybe RDJ doesn’t even become Iron Man. Considering he wasn’t even the highest-paid actor in the original and now he was making whatever amount he asked for and got to handpick the director for the end of the trilogy, speaks volumes for how important he was to the MCU. This movie comes down to one thing for most fans. How do you feel about the Mandarin twist? For me, it just didn’t sit well, and the movie is just all over the place tonally. Shane Black adds some of his charm and comedy into the mix but overall this just again feels so inferior to Iron Man. But hey, where your movie grosses over a billion, who cares right?

You know how I know you’re still reading this? Because we’re connected….

2.5/5

Thor: The Dark World. Director: Alan Taylor. Box Office: 644.4 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 66%. Release Date: November 8th, 2013

Someone has to finish last in a race and unfortunately for Thor: The Dark World, they are that person. I wonder what this movie would have looked like if Patty Jenkins would have stayed on and directed? It just loses everything that made it special from the first and it’s due to the change of director. This just feels like one big shoe-horn to introduce another Infinity Stone into the MCU. Which is fine but at least makes the movie somewhat entertaining. It’s one of the lone duds of the MCU and when you make 23 movies, it’s hard to hit a home run each time. Weak villain, terrible pacing, and not enough Thor being an idiot.

Chris Evans probably made like 500K for his 30 second bit.

1.5/5

Captain America: The Winter Solider. Director: Anthony & Joe Russo. Box Office 714.3 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 89%. Release Date: April 4th, 2014

Again here comes the MVP! Phase 2 of the MCU wasn’t off to the start they were hoping for. With back to back so-so films and they needed a pick me up. Enter, The Winter Soldier. This movie feels like the MCU homage to the brilliant Heat. It’s a fantastic spy thriller that sets us the best friendship of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Buck and Caps relationship is such an important cog that moves this universe. We get introduced to another pair that would steer the MCU into a new director, the Russo brothers. Responsible for some of the best content they came in hot and delivered one of the best comic-book sequels ever. The most rewatchable MCU movie in my opinion.

When I’m out on runs, I always say “on your left” when running by someone.

5/5

Guardians of The Galaxy. Director: James Gunn. Box Office: 773.3 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 91%. Release Date: August 1st, 2014

The misfits are the MCU! You know you’re on a serious roll when you can have a successful movie that involves a talking tree and a maniac racoon. But Marvel knew what they were doing at this point and nothing would slow them down. Add in another perfect round of casting and a director that actually cared about the source material. The reason why GOTG works so damn well is the chemistry between all of these fascinating characters. They each are unique in their own way and all get a moment to shine at some point. Weaker villain but the Guardians carry this thing, along with its kick ass soundtrack. We also get to see Thanos in action a little bit, building on the suspend of his power.

I think this is my favourite Groot so far.

4.5/5

Avengers: Age of Ultron. Director: Joss Whedon. Box Office: 1.405 Billion. Rotten Tomatoes: 75%. Release Date: May 1st, 2015

The boys are back in town! The trailers for Ultron are some of the very best in the MCU cannon. I remember thinking, this movie is going to be dark and maybe someone might not make it out alive. Don’t get me wrong, Ultron is vastly under-appreciated and undervalued. It just didn’t coincide with the tone of the trailers. Ultron seemed like he was going to be a tough task to take and at least menacing. But neither of those things occurred and I think that’s where the movie lost itself. The addition of the Maximoff twins and Vision are great and this is just a ton of fun, but being the sequel within the movie realm, sequels tend to be much darker and this just isn’t that.

Please bring back Quicksilver

4.5/5

Ant-Man. Director: Peyton Reed. Box Office: 519.3 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 82%. Release Date: July 15th, 2015

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When you can make Ant-Man cool and enjoyable, you know what you’re doing. Paul Rudd shines as Scott Lang, he even gets a little ripped! The most unique movie so far and it’s actually not a bad re-watch. A better than average villain with some of more funny/ impressive fight sequences. The film sets the stage for arguably the most important aspects of the MCU, the quantum realm. We all know how important that will ultimately become. So it’s kind of like one giant shoe-horn that happened to be squished between a few Ant-Man movies

Baskin Robins anyone?

3.5/5

Captain America: Civil War. Director: Anthony & Joe Russo. Box Office: 1.153 Billion. Rotten Tomatoes: 90%. Release Date: May 6th, 2016

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (Movie Review) – I Can't Unsee That Movie: film news and reviews by Jeff Huston

The movie that altered the entire landscape of the MCU. It’s like a mini-Avengers movie. Instead of a big bad guy, it’s just all our favourite heroes kicking the living snot out of one another. Of course they took away the two strongest Avengers at this point, Hulk and Thor have nowhere to be seen, probably for the best. How the Russo Brothers incorporate and introduce two MASSIVE comic-book characters, Black Panther and Spider-Man into the mix and make it seem to effortless and seamless is so impressive. This is one of the most emotional movies in the MCU, especially between Cap and Tony and the final showdown just always hits you right in the gut.

You were either Team Cap or Team Iron Man, which one was it?

5/5

Doctor Strange. Director: Scott Derrickson. Box Office: 677.7 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 89%. Release Date: November 4th, 2016

The Master of the Mystic Arts! Another Superhero that would have not even sniffed a movie theatre a decade ago is now getting a sequel. Kind of the low-key most powerful Avenger that doesn’t really flex his guns all that much. The man can control time and he was the soul reason they even defeated Thanos in the first place. Now that’s power. But for this movie, it’s just overall well done. Great villains, Benedict is so damn good in this role. There aren’t any real flaws, but when you’re competing against all the other MCU movies, it’s hard to be at the top, considering this followed Civil War. You just know that whatever they have cooking up in the MCU lab for his next outing will be special.

You think Wong is a Beyonce fanatic by now?

3.5/5

Guardians of The Galaxy: Volume 2. Director: James Gunn. Box Office 863.6 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 82%. Release Date: May 5th, 2017

The idiots are back and you know that means trouble. I misjudged this movie the first I saw it. Looking back at my initial review, I was kind to GOTG 2. It’s grown on me so much over these last few years, because they characters have grown on me. Maybe it’s because how great the Guardians are in Infinity War and I realized how special this group of heroes really is. This movie really is driven by its tremendous heart and all the little emotions packed throughout it. So many relationships blossoming and crumbling and finding out what the true meaning of what a family is. Chris Pratt is so good in this and follows it up with such a phenomenal performance in Infinity War. The Guardians are expanding and their newest member is well……Thor!

Some how they gotta incorporate Mary Poppins into Vol 3.

4/5

Spider-Man Homecoming. Director. Jon Watts. Box Office: 879.7 Million. Rotten Tomatoes: 92%. Release Date: July 7th, 2017

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The best part of the MCU Spider-Man is when he is part of a team. Civil War and Infinity War are among his best showings, because I think they are struggling with how to deal with his character in his own little universe. Everything with MCU Spidey revolves around one thing, Tony Stark. That’s just not what we have come to expect from this character and we want his own universe to build because of him, on his back, not on the back of Tony’s. That being said Homecoming is a ton of fun and by far the better of the two solo Spider-Man flicks. Michael Keaton as Vulture is really great and his twist always gets you. Tom Holland is making a great case for best live action Spider-Man.

Churro anyone?

3.5/5

Thor: Ragnarok. Director: Taika Waititi. Box Office: 854 Million. Release Date: October 10th, 2017

How Thor: Ragnarok radically changed the MCU

Talk about a 180 from the last time we saw Thor. Everything changed, even his hair. From one of the lowest of MCU lows, to a pretty big high with Thor: Ragnarok. Even Hulk decided to show back up after being absent for quite sometime. After this movie and the epic run that would follow for Thor, for me, he is by far the most compelling character in the entire MCU. He’s changing every film and Hemsworth just goes along for the ride. Everyone in this movie is having an absolute blast making it, Hela is terrific villain who brings out the best in both Loki and Thor. We even get a little cozier with Loki has we see him in a new light. Awesome soundtrack, some fun action and one of the more hilarious MCU movies, Hulk being just dumb and big and angry is the highlight for me when it comes to his character. Because it’s about to be all down hill for the big green guy.

Just when you were starting to like Loki…….

4.5/5

Black Panther. Director: Ryan Coogler. Box Office: 1.347 Billion. Release Date: February 16th, 2018

This movie just hits differently now with the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. The MCU will be forever altered. It’s an epic tale of sacrifice, family, loyalty and what it means to truly be a King. It’s so full of heart and beauty and emotion and that stems from the films villain. Michael B Jordan gives us one of the best comic-book move villains ever, because he’s so invested in the role. Killmonger is incredible and even his motive makes you wonder if he has a point. This movie means so much to so many people and it feels wrong that we will never get to see Chadwick in this role again, I’m not sure where they go from here with the character but I know it will be a tough decision to make. Black Panther remains the heart of the MCU for now and forever.

Can I get me some of his royal sandals though?

4.5/5

Avengers: Infinity War. Director: Russo Brothers. Box Office: 2.048 Billion. Release Date: April 23rd, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War review – colossal Marvel showdown revels in apocalyptic mayhem | Film | The Guardian

The moment we were all waiting for. It was inevitable. Much like Thanos. This movie kicks off with a bang. One of the best opening scenes in any comic-book movie, holy crap they wanted to showcase Thanos straight away. Even his four horseman are awesome. This is the best of the MCU, it’s crowning jewel. It doesn’t get any better than this right here. It may never get any better than this. The entire roster is present and everyone is fighting for their lives. We get team ups we never knew we wanted, new friendships are made, bonds are broken and we were left with the best ending. After the dust was settled on screen and in your eyes, you knew the MCU would never be the same again. Infinity War is perfect.

Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good……

5/5

Ant-Man & The Wasp. Director: Peyton Reed. Box Office: 622.7 Million. Release Date July 6th, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp' Review: A Funny and Forgettable Marvel Sequel | IndieWire

Who knew that this little guy would go on and save the entire universe? He didn’t know the gigantic role he would ultimately play in saving humanity, but before that, he needed to be trapped in quantum realm. Crazy enough we got one Ant-Man movie, even crazier that we got a worthy sequel. It’s fun, it hits all the MCU beats, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are really quite the pair. They work so well together and it’s their chemistry that drives this movie forward.

I think the next Ant-Man is going to be epic and another huge step for the MCU going forward.

3/5

Captain Marvel. Director: Anna Boben & Ryan Fleck. Box Office: 1.128 Billion. Release Date: March 8th, 2019.

Captain Marvel: 15 Spoiler Facts From Directors Anna Boden And Ryan Fleck | Movies | Empire

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Honestly, how many giant portals in the sky needed to happen on Earth in order for Captain Marvel to show back up? I think that’s the most frustrating thing about this character in the MCU. She’s so powerful, and the ultimate warrior, played perfectly by Brie Larson, but she wasn’t around at all? It’s just one plot hole that is simply unforgivable in the MCU cannon. As for her origin, it’s just a ton of fun. One of the more down-to-earth film considering she’s an all powering space cop. But this story is meant to tell her humility and her heart rather than showcase her power, that comes later. Goose steals the show, the very best kitty in the MCU!

I miss Blockbuster…

3.5/5

Avengers Endgame. Director: Russo Brothers. Box Office: 2.798 Billion. Release Date: April 26th, 2019

Avengers: Endgame rerelease bringing Spider-Man sneak peek, deleted scene | EW.com

Going to see this in theatres was a rock concert. There’s no other way to describe it. Everything that was being built since 2008. Since Tony Stark uttered the words “I am Iron Man.” It was all building to this. So many memorable moments, Cap picking up Mjolnir, Thor turning into a party dude, the Black Widow sacrifice. Moments you wont forget as a movie goer. It’s so difficult to follow up your most prized possession with Infinity War, but Endgame does an excellent job closing all the doors, while opening new ones that will drive the MCU forward for years to come. It’s a movie that reminds you how epic this entire journey has been, sort of a like a “best of” rundown of so many cool moments that have transpired over the last decade. So curious to see where the MCU goes from here!

That portal sequence is all time movie moment.

4.5/5

Spider-Man: Far From Home. Director Jon Watts. Box Office: 1.132 Billion. Release Date: July 2nd, 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home Is a Mostly Great Teenage Movie | Time

The first Post-Endgame movie. It was somber seeing Peter trying to deal with the fact that five years have passed in his life and also his mentor and best hero Tony Stark is no longer with us. It’s a battle of him discovering that he is more of a hero than he knows, and much more like his own hero than he realizes. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a quirky performance has Mysterio, and some of the altercations between the two are stunning to look at. It’s clearly building to Spider-Man versus the Sinister Six. His relationship with MJ grows as her finally tells her about his secret identity. We get an amazing stinger at the end of the credits, and Spider-Man 3 plans on being completely BONKERS!

I hope Ned becomes a future bad guy for Peter. Would be interesting to see.

3/5

What a magical journey this has been. On the movie screen and right here on this blog! The MCU is still so strong, 4 out of their last 5 movies have grossed a billion dollars or more. The future of movies is currently up in the air, but one thing that remains certain. The MCU is the Royal Family of Hollywood and expect many more amazing moments and movies to come!

Reviews

‘Avengers: Endgame’ Review

April 26, 2019October 6, 2019 Wannabe Movie Critic

Avengers: Endgame is the perfect sendoff to the Infinity Saga, capping off a monumental run of films. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll cheer. Well at least I did.

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins. With the help of the remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once again.

Where were you doing on May 8th, 2008? Almost 11 years to the date, Iron Man was released in theatres, officially launching the MCU. Robert Downey Jr and Jon Favreau changed the landscape of Hollywood forever, catapulting this Marvel superhero’s into our lives. The MCU didn’t just change how we watch movies, it changed how movies were being made. Everyone wanted the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe” formula for their movie franchise. Some trying to emulate it as best they could, some succeeding to a certain degree, others failing miserably. After the end credits scene rolled on Iron Man, and Nick Fury, played by Samuel L Jackson said those famous words; “I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative.” No one would have guessed the amount of success and praise that would follow.

Now here we are, 11 years and 22 films later. All leading to this, Avengers: Endgame. Ever since the events that unfolded last year in Infinity War, fans around the world have been dying to know how this was going to play out. We watched as some of our favorite heroes turned to dust, and watched Tony Stark deal with the impact of his favorite kid literally crumbling into his arms as Peter Parker blew away. I’ll begin with this. When I saw the movie, it was a sold-out show, and it took no time at all for this experience to turn into a rock concert. Throughout the movie, the audience was going nuts, and I couldn’t help myself but join in on the fun being had. This kind of environment was so heartwarming, knowing that you weren’t the only one who for the most part was screaming on the inside. It’s why they make these movies, for a crowd of people to embrace one another and share this journey together. Maybe that made me enjoy and like the film even more, but one thing is certain, Avengers: Endgame was worth the wait. Worth all the time and money I have put into the MCU over the last 11 years. All the midnight showings, all the repeat viewings, the pounds of popcorn and liters of soda I have ingested watching these films. The film almost honors the time you have spent with this franchise. What I mean is, they know that you’ve been on this 11-year journey, and they made damn sure you get what we all deserved, one satisfying ending.

This will be spoiler-free (for the most part), I will talk about one thing, but that one thing you should have known would happen, so it’s not even a spoiler at this point. We all know that two things happened. One, our friends and heroes were dusted, and that Thanos was still alive and still holding all of the infinity stones. In order to restore balance in the universe, it was pretty obvious that our heroes would need to do some time travel in order to do so. With Ant-Man sitting out the events of Infinity War, it was pretty clear that he would be the game changer the Avengers needed to tackle Thanos once and for all. If someone asked me to describe the plot of Endgame, I think I’d say, the Avengers are preventing Thanos from getting the stones in the first place – and they all need to be retrieved from a specific point in time so that they all can ultimately be returned to that exact moment in time, thus preserving the timeline. Make sense? Probably not, but that’s the best I could come up with, and to me, it’s pretty straightforward. I was a really big fan of how they were referencing other time travel movies, and almost calling bullshit on a lot of them, for not having proper time travel rules in place. That’s what makes the MCU so quirky and fun to be a part of. The idea of time travel and the consequences that come with it is so elemental to the very idea, that it can be a very hard thing to navigate through. But like most things the MCU does, I thought they handled it as well as they could. People will always poke and pry when it comes to time travel, but this movie has a talking raccoon, space robots and a giant talking tree, you can’t really expect the science to be perfect.

The team that we do have left is great, it was pretty neat seeing new teams being formed and friendships being made between characters I had no intention of thinking I wanted to see them on screen together. It’s just really difficult to talk about anything in this movie without giving ANYTHING away. Everyone in this film has something to do, a purpose, no one is sitting on the sidelines at all. They all get their moment to shine. Ant-Man serves as the real heart of the film, Paul Rudd gives his best performance to date in the MCU. Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr once again rule every scene they are apart of. I could go on forever about these two, but you already know the drill by now.

I’ll have to write a follow-up post dissecting and discussing everything that went down in Endgame. This review is really difficult to put into words because without expressing all my emotions from what transpired I can’t do it justice. All I know is this. Over the past 11 years, we have been treated to some extraordinary film-making and world-building. Hollywood was changed forever with the birth of the MCU, it truly is a special feat and something that will never be replicated or topped. It’s pretty incredible when you sit back and think about how all these movies intertwine and the cohesive storytelling that occurred. Endgame was the cherry on top of this already perfect sundae, and I wish I could relive my experience Thursday night.

Go see it, this is going to make a billion dollars this weekend alone. It won’t catch Avatar, nothing will, but if you have been alongside these heroes for the past 11 years, why give up now? Whatever it takes……..

Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – Avengers: Endgame = 100/100

News

New ‘Avengers Endgame’ Trailer!

March 14, 2019 Wannabe Movie Critic

Most of the same, but that still means it’s glorious.

Remain calm everyone, the epic finale 10 years in the making is almost upon us. But first we get one last trailer. What a nice surprise to wake up too on this Thursday morning. There wasn’t any word on this coming out today, but it’s almost time, so they need to put one last tease out before the biggest showdown ever.

I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to edit one of these trailers, because well we all know that most of our fallen heroes will return but they don’t want to spoil that. We do however see that Tony Stark makes it back to Earth and is reunited with those left standing. That was probably the biggest “spoiler” from this trailer, but if you didn’t see that coming, well Quicksilver would just be disappointed in you. Very little footage was given to the team behind the trailer, that’s why it feels almost the same as the first one to drop, but you should be okay with that. I didn’t expect them to reveal anything, even something as small as Tony Stark back on Earth.

Can’t wait.

News

‘Avengers: Endgame’ Trailer

December 7, 2018December 12, 2018 Wannabe Movie Critic

Ant-Man really out here ruining trailers.

So Tony has officially hit rock bottom. He lost his pal Spider-Man, and now he’s about to float into space and die a pretty depressed man. It’s been 8 months since the worlds biggest snap happened and Marvel just dropped the first teaser trailer for the end to it all.

Avengers: Endgame is the official title, and that’s exactly what it is. The Endgame to so many characters that we have been watching for over a decade now. Crazy to think that in about 6 months this wonderful journey will all be over. This was the definition of a teaser trailer, not telling us anything we already didn’t know and certainly not showing us anything. They will not show a single snapped character in any marketing before this movie is released. So I expect these trailers leading up to the finale to be pretty bleak and very minimal. But that is the point. If you were expecting something else, you clearly don’t know Marvel or how to properly market a movie.

I enjoyed it, I really liked the Tony stuff at the beginning and my only issue was the stuff with Ant-Man at the end. Yup, the entire universe was just cut in half but they still got time for jokes in the MCU! Just scale it back a little bit, that’s all I’m asking. So now we gotta wait another 3 months before the first real trailer with footage we all wanna see will drop. Until then, watch this on a constant loop.

https://youtu.be/-9hhb3M6c1A

News

New ‘Captain Marvel’ Trailer

December 4, 2018December 12, 2018 Wannabe Movie Critic

These trailers have been underwhelming to say the least. I’m not buying Brie Larson has a superhero.

Marvel was trying to break the internet last night by dropping yet another trailer for their upcoming female led superhero flick Captain Marvel. The person who will he responsible for defeating Thanos, or at least playing a major role in doing so. I found myself yet again completely underwhelmed and almost bored while watching this thing.

Here’s the thing. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, I buy that. The female warriors of Wakanda, I buy that. Even Scarlet Witch and Black Widow, I buy that. Something seems off about Brie Larson, I cant quite put my finger on it, but I’m just not invested in this. The coolest part of the whole trailer is when she is completely CGI and that could be anybody up on screen. She’s a terrific actress, but I don’t think she’s the right fit. Gal Gadot is exotic, she was in the military, she looks like Wonder Woman. I can fully support and get on board with that. But this, Brie Larson is now the most powerful person in the MCU, the person who will be responsible for making things better? After all this time, 22 movies and counting, yeah, I’m not buying that for a second.

I also hate how this is an origin story, why do I care about anything now in the MCU that happens pre “snap?” I get it, it’s going to tell us where’s she’s been, and how powerful she is, but it just seems like a total cop out. Fighting an old lady on a bus? But wait that lady is a shapeshifter, it’s just so cheesy and dull and something I don’t care to see.

I don’t know why this bothers me so much, but I’m just not at all interested in this movie. Yeah I want to see her with the rest of the Avengers, but this movie seems so useless and almost not needed. I want more female super heroes like the rest of you, I just simply think they picked the wrong woman to lead this franchise. See for yourselves.

https://youtu.be/tkSuLa3o_5A

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Where Does The MCU Go From Here?

May 5, 2018May 5, 2018 Wannabe Movie Critic

We got HEAVY spoilers up ahead. So proceed with caution.

Still here? Okay good! So that photo above means so much more and screams so painfully loud once you have lived through the experience. We had already kind of had our hearts ripped out before this iconic moment, you know with the deaths of Loki and Gamora. But I don’t think ANYONE was prepared for the ending of this movie. I don’t really know where to exactly start, so why not at the beginning? I honestly thought the opening scene rivals the opening scene to the Dark Knight for the best opening scene to a comic book movie ever. The introduction to Thanos just tells us that he is not here for any bullshit, and that’s exactly what Loki is known for. The trickster, the jester, the well dead man. I kind of had a funny feeling that we would finally see the end of Loki at the start of this, but I didn’t think he would go out in such a cruel and awful way. I think we finally got to see the real Loki, the anti-hero Loki in Ragnorok and now I think he’s gone for good. No resurrection, no tricks, Loki is flat out gone from our lives and I think that’s a massive hit to the MCU. But if they want us to believe that there are finally massive stakes at play, then their best bet is to keep him dead. He failed Thanos once, I don’t really think he wanted him around. Here’s the thing. I believe Loki and Gamora’s deaths will be permanent. Everyone else who bit the dust at the end will eventually come back, but deaths that occurred prior to the finger snap might be gone forever. Zoe Saldana is going to be busy as hell filming like 5 Avatar’s in a row and I think making her death remain permanent will only flush out Quills character even more. I also believe she will be the reason Thanos snaps his fingers again and changes what he did and here’s why. Gamora is living inside the soul stone now, they showed that towards the very end of the movie. I think Thanos is RATTLED, and now that she will always be around, like inside his head will drive him insane.

I know it’s crazy to imagine the Guardian’s movies without Gamora but the MCU needs something, a real moment, where there were no jokes, no fun and games. Just real consequences and Gamora’s death should be that moment for the MCU. We all know the 10 people that die in the end scene, I’m not going to name them all, you should know by now, and shame on you if you didn’t weep when Peter was crying to Tony. Now those 10 are 1,000,000 percent coming back I don’t care what any Marvel Executive says about it. Does it make their deaths feel a little bit hollow? I think a little bit, but the original Avengers are left standing. It only makes sense the team that started it all are the ones to defeat or change this outcome for the rest of the universe. That’s why it’s important Loki and Gamora stay dead, or else it will be like this entire movie didn’t matter, and as a fan I will ultimately just feel cheated.

I don’t really know what exactly Marvel has planned for part two of Infinity War. I want to think Thanos will have a change of heart, because even at the end of this movie, while he was sitting on his farm, it seemed he was at peace, but part of me believes me knows he made a big mistake. So I can either see redoing what he has done, or Captain Marvel, who was teased after the credits will get her hands on the gauntlet and do it herself. I don’t really want that to happen. She’s going to be super powerful, we all know that, but she hasn’t even made her debut yet, I don’t want a character who hasn’t been a part of this journey the last 10 years to be the one who finally saves the day. She can come and help out the team, but she better not be the hero at in the end, because I don’t think that’s fair to the rest of our heroes who have lost so much. There are some really powerful people yet to be introduced into the MCU, so Thanos could honestly just be the tip of the iceberg. Josh Brolin said he signed a 2 movie contract, which sucks because Thanos is by far the best thing to happen to the MCU in a long time, and I can’t imagine them getting rid of him after two movies.

I think some of our older heroes will finally say goodbye next installment. It’s funny everyone thought Captain America was going to die during this, I was one of those people. And he was one of the very few left standing. But I don’t see him and Iron Man both making it out alive next time, it seemed Thanos spared them both and he might not be so forgiving next time. It’s the older generation trying to save our younger heroes, the ones that will carry the MCU into the future, it would only make sense that a few of them sacrifice themselves to save others. Iron Man is going to be next level sad after watching Spider-Man die. I hope the next movie takes place moments after this one ends, because I need to see exactly how Tony is going to react knowing that these heroes might not come back. Remember just because we know its a forgone conclusion our heroes will return, the heroes in the movie don’t.

It really has been an incredible journey these last 19 movies, and I think a lot of people aren’t ready to say goodbye to some of these characters. But all good things must come to an end. Marvel knows what they are doing, and I know next years finale will truly be something to remember, it’s difficult thinking that they could top Infinity War.

So what’s in store for our heroes, we are going to have to wait till May 19th to find out!

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New ‘Infinity War’ Trailer Is Madness

March 16, 2018 Wannabe Movie Critic

It’s madness baby, madness – Dick Vitale voice

So it’s March, which means the NCAA tournament is upon us and it’s officially “madness” time. Well the Mad Titan Thanos probably doesn’t care about how busted your bracket is at this point (thanks a lot Arizona), but there’s a whole lot of him in the new Infinity War trailer.

At this point no one needs to be sold on this movie, we all know it’s going to be the comic book event of the decade, well until part 2 rolls around, but in the mean time we have this to look forward too. This just looks incredible, the Russo Brothers actually did it, they some how managed to pull this thing off. So many characters, so little screen time, but some how, they have managed to blend all these heroes together for what appears to be the team up movie of the century.

Thanos appears to be really pissed off, and is on a one way mission to collect all the infinity stones and destroy half the universe in the process. Everyone is accounted for in the trailer and everyone is going to have their “time to shine” or “their moment” in the film. The whole thing looks epic, we are finally getting some death, destruction and a little torture. Stakes are at an all time high, and everyone isn’t making it out alive. The last shot of Captain America squaring off against Thanos like he doesn’t give a shit was fantastic. The cinematography and colour scheme were just magnificent, couldn’t believe how colourful everything was throughout the trailer.

This was it, this was all they needed to do, this movie is going to be here before we know it and it’s going to make billions of dollars. I just pray it turns out as good as the trailers, because if so, we will truly have something uniquely special on our hands.

Check ya later.

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My Most Anticipated Movies of 2018!

December 30, 2017December 30, 2017 Wannabe Movie Critic

After saving all my movie tickets from 2017, I can officially say, I have a movie problem.

Another movie going season is in the books! Time flies when you’re at the theatre, and for me, that was pretty much every week. Upon further review, I believe I sat in a movie theatre seat roughly 50 times in the year 2017, by far the most in a single year for me. But hey, there were a ton of great movies this year, and some of the very best of 2017; I haven’t even had the opportunity to go see, because my local theatres haven’t gotten them yet. That’s why I haven’t written my top ten movies of 2017 list, because I feel some of the movies I haven’t seen yet are going to make the list! 2017 was full of incredible movies, but every time I went, it certainly wasn’t a home run. In fact, I think 2017 was full of the most disappointments that I can remember (I’m looking at you JusticeLeague and Alien: Covenant), but that’s all in the past. We are looking to the future now, 2018 to be exact, and boy oh boy are there some goodies coming up. The very first blog post I did on this site was “Most Anticipated Movies of 2017,” some lived up to expectations, while others fell flat on their face. Last year I did 10 movies, well this year, I’m doubling down because I’m going BIG! 20 movies are about to be listed, and I’m even going to do it in order! If you were upset, or underwhelmed with the movies in 2017, I think 2018 could be the year for you, or if you are like me and see roughly 50 movies a year, well start saving your pennies now, because 2018 is going to be awesome. Just like last year, I will miss some movies on this list, well some movies haven’t even be announced yet, but these are the 20 movies right now, that I cannot wait to see.

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20.) X-Men: Dark Phoenix. director/ Simon Kinberg. 2/11/18

The wonderful band of misfits is back. The fourth entry into this new X-Men saga will be the follow-up to 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse, which wasn’t met with great reviews by fans and critics. This time we get the story of Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey’s split personality, where we will see her go to the dark side. This was explored in the first X-Men trilogy, but it wasn’t done very well, so I’m excited to see them tackle it again. This is director Simon Kinberg’s first time up to bat, being a producer on pretty much every X-Men movie ever made, he should have a good feel and understanding on what the fans want to see. These movies always have a fantastic cast, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, and Evan Peters and now add in Jessica Chastain to play the villain role, sounds good to me. They just need great execution on that villain part, because that was the major flaw in Apocalypse. I dig these X-Men movies, but after the last outing I’m a little skeptical, so that’s why I have it last on my list! This will also be the last X-Men movie done by FOX, seeing how Disney bought them, so if you really love these movies, well this will probably be the last one, until we see these characters reintroduced into the MCU. For the love of god, send a garbage truck full of money to Hugh Jackman’s house so he can play Wolverine again.

19.) Bumblebee. director/Travis Knight. 21/12/18

I bet at first glance you thought this was a sequel to Bee Movie didn’t you? Well if you did I’m sorry to disappoint you, it’s actually the first spin-off of the Transformers franchise! Now before you start to roll your mechanical eyes at me, you need to know that I am indeed a sucker for these movies. Guilty pleasures, but I will say the last two installments have just been awful, and I’m hoping this movie provides a much-needed spark to this franchise (That was a transformers pun, in case you missed it). Bumblebee for me at least, was always the best part of these movies and now you’re telling me he gets his own movie? That’s pretty cool. We’re also going back in time, because this is taking place in the late 80’s, everyone’s favorite time, and we will see John Cena and Hailee Steinfeld (Charlie Watson) team up with this loveable robot. If director Travis Knight, who did the fantastic Kubo & The Two Strings, can keep things simple, and make the action easy to follow, I think Steinfeld and Cena can carry this movie together, I’m really interested to see how this turns out, because it could actually be the worst movie of the year, Autobots, roll-out.

18.) Ant-Man & The Wasp. director/Peyton Reed. 6/7/2018

If someone would have told me, that back in 2015 when Ant–Man was released, that I would have watched it once, forgotten about it, and now we are getting a sequel, I would have said, “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Jokes aside, I did enjoy Ant-Man when it came out, it had great humor and Paul Rudd was fantastic as Scott Lang. He even had a great moment in Captain America: Civil War, but now this will apparently be the first “Rom-Com” Marvel movie. That’s right, they are going Rom-Com on us folks, and we will probably all love it. Kevin Feige and the people over at Marvel are about to deliver the greatest love story every told. Move over Romeo and Juliet. Ant-Man is struggling being a Dad and a Super Hero, so when a mission comes along about his past, he needs to team up with The Wasp. I’m a big fan of Evangeline Lilly who plays The Wasp, her and Paul had great chemistry in the first. They added Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne to the cast, I’m sure this movie will be great. On a serious note, we now have more solo Ant-Man movies then Batman movies since the year 2012 what a strange and wonderful world we live in. Fun fact, this movie and Bumblebee have something in common, actress Vanessa Ross, who plays “The mean girl” in Bumblebee and “The hot jogger” in Ant-Man, you go girl!

**17.) Rampage. director/ Brad Peyton. 4/20/2018**

“I was just thinking, the only thing missing is a giant crocodile”

Coincidence that a movie about giant animals smashing through buildings is being released on 4/20, I think not!! Seriously the trailer alone sold me on this goofy concept. Like what more do you want? Dwayne Johnson kicking ass, check. Giant monsters running around Chicago destroying everything in sight, check. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, check. This is looking like the leading candidate to be the best video game movie of all time people; the curse could finally be over! Video game movies are like airport sushi, you think it’s a good idea, until about 90 minutes later. If this movie turns out to be a huge pile of well, monkey shit, I won’t be shocked. But it’s got a great cast, toss in Joe Manganiello, Malin Akerman and Naomie Harris, alongside Dwayne. Here’s the thing, the trailer is so awesome, and they didn’t really even show anything, it helps when you have a Smashing Pumpkins song playing during the trailer, but I think this movie is going to be a ton of fun. Wouldn’t it be nice if this was the turn around video game movies needed. I will also see anything with Dwayne Johnson in it, because that’s the bottom line, because Nathan Wallace said so.

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16.) Skyscraper. director/ Rawson Marshall Thurber. 7/13/18

Okay so very little is known about this movie so far. But, I’m fairly confident they are just re-making Diehard, but replacing Bruce Willis with Dwayne Johnson. If that doesn’t make a little pee trickle down your leg, then I don’t really know what will. Seriously nothing on IMDB about the plot, it stars Dwayne and Neve Campbell, who never really had the career I thought she would, but we all know she can throw down if she has too. I didn’t purposely put the two Dwayne Johnson movies back to back, I actually don’t know which one I’m more excited for. One has a trailer the other movie does not. Judging from his social media though, Skyscraper appears to be one epic movie, tons of stunts and explosions going on. Rawson Marshall Thurber, who might have the best directors name going, did Easy A, so I have high hopes for this, because that movie is awesome. I’m hoping for this to be a little more serious in tone as well, I like to see Dwayne act a little more, and be in some tense and serious scenes would be a nice change.

15.) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. director/ J.A Bayona. 22/6/18

“Life finds a way”

This movie should probably be a lot higher on my list, but that’s just a testament on how good some of the movies are in 2018. It also doesn’t help that I HATED the trailer, and I think this movie is going to flop at the box-office. I don’t know, they seem to think, “bigger is better” with these new Jurassic Park movies, and that shouldn’t be the case. I love Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard is great also, and I think she won’t be running away from a T-Rex in high heels in this one (lets pray). I’m just so uncertain about this movie, I really hope I’m wrong about it, because I want to love it, I want to go back to 1993 and feel the same way I did when I saw the original. Just make it rain, have it be dark and make humans try and get away from scary ass dinosaurs, it’s not complicated. We don’t need hybrids, we don’t need humans and dinosaurs being friends, just stick to what works. A guy getting eaten when sitting on the toilet is a fail-safe plan. J.A Bayona has pretty big shoes to fill after the historic and massive success of Jurassic World, that can be a lot of pressure for a guy. The last one made over a BILLION dollars, so I’m sure they are going to try and one-up everything from its predecessor. I don’t even think the return of Jeff Goldblum will be enough to save this bloated and forgettable sequel. Sorry Chris Pratt, I still love you.

raw_20171116_quietplacetrailer_266327_1280x720_1097354819955 — (PLATINUM DUNES)

14.) A Quiet Place. director/ John Krasinski. 4/618

If you make noise, you die! I would be screwed, because I am a very loud chewer. That’s the premise for what appears to be 2018’s breakout horror film. Real life husband and wife, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are teaming up! When I first saw the trailer I was hooked, after the success of IT this past year, I have tried giving the horror genre another chance, and this looks really good. Krasinski even has a pretty awesome beard in it, so you know it’s going to be serious as hell. Like I said, you make noise, something comes out to try to kill you. Seems like a pretty difficult task, and when some dipshit kid knocks over a lantern, well all hell breaks loose. The trailer just leaves everyone very intrigue about the concept of the film. Why can’t you make noise? What are those creatures that come out when you do? When was the last time anyone in this movie farted? All these questions I’m sure will be answered in due time. The two stars of the movie are a real life couple, the chemistry will be undeniable, and I think this movie is going to crush it at the box-office. Krasinski is even directing this, so you know this is a passion project for him, which makes me believe that this movie is going to be really special.

13.) Super Troopers 2. director/ Jay Chandrasekhar. 4/20/18

Okay I definitely know this one isn’t a coincidence being released on 4/20. Am I happy to have a Super Troopers 2 in my life? Yes. Do I wish it were Weed Fest instead? Absolutely. I’ll settle for some more Car RamRod fun though. I love these guys, they work so well together and this was something they wanted to make for a really long time. They even got some fan feedback about what they wanted in the sequel. I’m sure they will even bring back some of the old jokes we have all come to love, after watching this movie a hundred times over the last 17 years. That’s right, 17 years since SuperTroopers was released, that is crazy talk. I know it’s kind of a cult classic at this point, but die-hard fans can’t wait for this one, and everything these guys put out is really good. Sometimes you got to root for the little guys, because in a world chalk full of blockbusters this one certainly won’t be on many people’s radars. And if you haven’t ever seen SuperTroopers, well shame on you.

tom-cruise-fixes-his-hair-after-filming-mission-impossible-6-motorcycle-scenes-05 — (PARAMOUNT)

12.) M:I 6. Mission Impossible. director/Christopher McQuarrie. 27/7/18

I bet you one million dollars, that at some point during this movie, Tom Cruise will be running. It’s a Tom Cruise movie tradition now, and I love it. He also does all his own stunt work, and I’m sure like most Mission Impossible he will go bigger in the latest installment. If you thought Henry Cavill looked stupid in JusticeLeague, you can blame this movie. That’s right, they added Superman to the already packed cast of this franchise, and I couldn’t be happier. Plot is unknown at this time, but I’m sure that Ethan Hunt will be saving the world with a little help from his friends. The Mission Impossible franchise kind of reminds me of the Fast & Furious franchise. It was kind of dead in the water and forgotten about after the third, and then Ghost Protocol came out and everyone was blown away by it. 5 years had passed since MI3, but that kind of jump-started the franchise back to life. These are always just really well made, fun action/adventure movies, Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg work so well together, and I’m really curious to see Henry Cavill’s role in this movie. I hope he becomes a regular addition to this franchise, Ethan Hunt kind of needs some muscle on his side. The movie also boasts a stellar female cast; Ethan Hunt might have his hands full.

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11.) Incredibles 2. director/ Brad Bird. 15/6/18

“You have powers! Yeah baby!”

A sequel 14 years in the making. What I love most about the fact that we are finally getting a sequel to the greatest Pixar movie ever made, is that, well 14 years have passed, but they are starting right where they left off. That’s right its been a long time since we last saw the Parr family, and honestly I thought they were going to do a time jump, but I’m really glad they aren’t. Jack Jack is so awesome, and now he’s got powers and that’s going to be really cool to see. I love the first one so damn much; I’m really nervous and excited all at the same time for this. I just want it to feel right, not over done, and I pray they just don’t ruin a good thing. They told such a great story the first time, and I know Brad Bird, the director cares so much and has so much passion for these characters that I know this won’t be a waste. Everyone does such fantastic voice work, I’m excited to see Frozone back, and my guess is, they will have a female villain this time around. I have extremely high hopes for Incredibles 2. Just remember, no capes!

10.) Pacific Rim: Uprising. director/ Steven S. DeKnight. 3/28/18

PacificRim all the way back in 2013 is a movie going experience that I will never forget. I thought it would be a loud, clunky mess, which featured cool looking robots and gigantic monsters. That wasn’t the case at all, watching Guillermo del Toro’s monster movie epic. Was like watching poetry in motion. It was simply beautiful to look at; something that chaotic, yet you could fully comprehend what exactly was going on, and it really blew me away. It was one of my favorite movies of the year and I couldn’t wait for a sequel. Well here we are 5 years later, and John Boyega is trading in his light sabre for a Jaegar. It looks like 10 years have passed, he’s playing the son of Idris Elba’s character from the first, and I bet giving bad ass speeches about the world ending runs in the family. Charlie Day is back as well as Rinko Kikuchi, and adding Scott Eastwood. I’m fearful about Del Toro not coming back to direct, but hopefully he left this franchise in good hands, because my expectations couldn’t be any higher. It’s cool looking larger than life robots fighting these incredible looking monsters, it won’t take that much to please me, and the trailers have even been really good. They used a giant submarine as a ninja sword in the first one, can’t wait to see what they use in Uprising!

9.) Black Panther. director/Ryan Coogler.16/2/18

Yes another MCU movie is on my list, and it certainly won’t be the last. Black Panther is finally getting his own movie, a comic book movie centered on a black character, about time. Who better to do it than Chadwick Boseman, who’s Black Panther ripped his way onto screen in Civil War back in 2016. The cast is simply brilliant, and I’m not going to name the 20 or more incredible actors and actresses appearing in this movie. Ryan Coogler is behind the camera and he does fantastic work. I loved Creed so I know this will be something special, some say this could be the best MCU movie to date. This movie looks hip, it’s got all sorts of style and it appears to be different from any MCU movie that has come before it. It looks like Marvel and company just let Coogler make the movie he has envisioned for a long time. When you have a terrific filmmaker behind the camera you want them to be able to spread their wings on the project, and that appears to be the case for Black Panther. Really excited about this one!

8.) Venom. director/Ruben Fleischer. 10/5/18

If you could create a time machine and replace Tom Hardy with Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3, that would be really nice. That can’t happen, so we are getting a Venom movie, Hardy is playing Eddie Brock, and very little is known about it. I’m fairly confident that Spider-Man, or even Tom Holland won’t be showing up in this movie. Which is a really weird thing to say, because I feel like you need those two people together in the same movie to really make it work. Don’t get me wrong, I think Hardy is going to crush this role, he did a fantastic job as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, and he’s a phenomenal actor, so I think he’s really going to dive deep into this role. Venom is one of my favorite characters in all of comics, so to think we are getting a standalone movie about him, wets my beak a little. Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson and Riz Ahmed round out the cast, and it’s been rumored that Riz could be playing Carnage. If that happens, boy oh boy. I just don’t see them passing up the opportunity to introduce Spider-Man as well in this, I think it would be a failure if they don’t. This is a trailer I’m really curious to see, because I really have no idea which kind of direction they are going to take this movie. It can’t possibly be worse than the version we got to see in Spider-Man 3.

7.) Untitled Deadpool Sequel. director/ David Leitch. 6/1/18

Here’s the thing, I’m pretty sure that will be the actual title to the movie. Which makes perfect sense given the movie. Deadpool was a colossal box-office hit back in 2016. It was the reason for Logan, and it’s the reason for any rated R Super Hero movie you will see going forward. It broke so many boundaries for movies like these, and on top of that, it’s one of the best Super Hero movies ever made. Josh Brolin was added for this sequel, he’s playing Nathan Summers, AKA Cable. Who is a complete and utter badass, and I can’t wait to see the chemistry between Reynolds and Brolin. The comedy in Deadpool was perfect, the whole movie was pretty much flawless, now they have more money, and I’m sure a really good story to tell. Ryan Reynolds was born to play this role, and he loves playing Deadpool, he’s pretty much Van Wilder, but a Super Hero. Nothing really has come out yet, plot wise, and there hasn’t even been a real trailer yet, but you don’t need to sell people on this movie. I just hope it doesn’t suffer from sequel fatigue, but since there is so much passion behind this project, I highly doubt that will happen. Like they brought back Dopinder, this movie cannot fail!!!

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6.) The Predator. director/Shane Black. 3/8/18

Predator was released before I was even born. I saw that movie maybe a little too early into my childhood, but hey, it’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with movies at such a young age. I’m talking like 6 years old here, and Predator is a hard R movie, thanks Grandpa! I love the Predator so goddamn much, they are bad guys, but I always want them to win. I actually love seeing them get the best of the human characters in their movies. All three “Predator” movies that have come out, in my opinion are fanfuckingtastic. The AVP movies, not so much, but again the Predators are the best things about those movies. So when Shane Black (director) who also happens to star in the 1987 original, he’s the first guy to meet the Predator, yeah not good. So you know a couple things, one Shane Black is an extraordinary filmmaker, he even helped write the original, and like I just mentioned, he was in it. So you know he’s got a taste and a ton of passion for this character and this franchise. The cast is chalked full of incredible people that I can’t wait too see meet their demise in this movie. Reek from Game of Thrones is in this and if he thought getting his wee-wee chopped off was brutal, well just you wait pal. My one big fear about this movie, is doing what all movies seem to do these days, some how find a way to make it “BIGGER AND BETTER.” We don’t need a modified Predator, which the government has cooked up in a lab. We don’t need a new and improved Predator, drop some people somewhere and have them be hunted one by one, pretty simple. Toss in some jokes, which Shane Black is known for and you’re golden. He’s been part of this mythology since the beginning; there is no way he screws this up right?

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5.) Annihilation. director/Alex Garland. 23/2/18

I don’t know what it is about this movie. Perhaps it’s the insanely strong female cast? Maybe it’s because Alex Garland makes it? The fact that I still don’t know what the hell is going on in the trailers? Whatever it is, I’m fully onboard with Annihilation. Shrouded in mystery, like most good science-fiction stories, this one is no different. Something wicked has come to Earth, and we still can’t explain it ourselves. So when Natalie Portman’s husband (Oscar Issac) comes back from the “Shimmering” he is infected with some sort of disease. I’m getting some District 9 vibes, and a little Aliens, if that’s not a compliment, I don’t know what is. I think it’s so high on my list because of just the secrets involved in the movie, and I can’t wait to see them play out on the big screen. The acting will be top notch, I’m not worried about that, I just hope the story doesn’t become some crazy web of messiness, I guess is the best way to describe it. For science-fiction junkies, where it seems the laws of nature have been tossed out the window, Annihilation might be their most anticipated movie of the year.

4.) Ready Player One. director/Steven Spielberg. 30/3/18

“My name is Wade Watts. My Dad picked that name because it sounded like a Super Heroes alter ego”

There’s a saying, that when a movie is adapted from a book, it’s never as good. That is the case yes, but it doesn’t mean that the movies aren’t just as fantastic. Example, ReadyPlayerOne. Without doubt, one of the most enjoyable reads of my entire life, I felt like I myself was rushed off to the Oasis, and disappeared from reality. The legend himself, Steven Spielberg is helming what appears to be a masterpiece. I know it will vastly differ from the book, I understand that, but it’s the concept of the book that will make the movie so intriguing. The trailers have even been really well done; Ernest Cline (author of the book) is going to be really proud of the film that gets released. I just can’t wait to see all these different characters from so many different things I love come together. Iron Giant, Chucky, Joker and Harley Quinn and that is honestly 1 percent of the characters we will see in this movie. It’s going to be a ton of fun, and I highly recommend reading the book, because well reading is good for you. This has all the potential to be my favorite movie of 2018.

3.) Creed 2. director/Steve Caple Jr. 21/11/18

That’s right! Apparently I can see into the future, that tweet is from 2 years ago. Moments after I saw Creed, which was one of my favorite movies of 2015, I just knew the direction the sequel had to go. Adonis Creed needed to fight Ivan Drago’s son, because well why wouldn’t you bring back Ivan Drago, and now have his kid be a boxer as well. It all made perfect sense, to me at least. Now here we are, Creed 2 is in the works, and guess what? Adonis looks to get revenge against the man who killed his father. BOOM! Now there is no way he’s actually fighting Dolph Lundgren, that would be insane, but rather he will get his revenge by beating his son. Sly Stallone and Michael B Jordan are both back, but unfortunately, Ryan Coogler is off making Black Panther, and so Creed 2 is falling into the hands of Steven Caple Jr., who seems up to the task. Now I love Creed so much, I love the entire Rocky franchise and universe so damn much. I love Rocky 4 more than almost any movie ever. So when you tell me Ivan Drago is coming back into my life, please don’t screw this up! There is so much potential and incredible story telling that can happen here, and I’m so curious to see where they take this. I can’t possibly be wrong about his son getting involved, so who will play him? Will they get an unknown? So many questions, so many possibilities, but one thing is certain, this movie is going to kick so much goddamn ass. Sage Northcutt a UFC fighter auditioned for the role of Drago’s son, and my god, he certainly has the look. He’s a genetic freak, who happens to look like a mini Ivan Drago, so if he’s got the acting chops to stand in the ring with Michael B Jordan, that’s my pick.

(WARNER BROS.)

2.) Aquaman. director/James Wan. 21/12/18

Did Justice League kind of suck? Yes it did. Do I blame the studio for interfering and destroying Zack Snyder’s original vision? Yes. Was Aquaman totally badass and I can’t wait to see his solo film? Yes again. Justice League is a thing of the past; let it go, let the past die. Aquaman has all the makings to be a terrific solo movie, much like WonderWoman. You have a passionate and fantastic filmmaker behind the camera in James Wan. The star of the show LOVES playing the titled character, and I mean he loves being Aquaman. Jason Maoma looks like be could live underwater and be King of Atlantis. Everything we saw from Aquaman in JusticeLeague was incredible, and I can’t wait to visit Atlantis again, and learn more about Arthur Curry. Amber Heard is back as Mera, who little screen time that she got, was pretty kick ass. She looks like she will have great chemistry with her co-star Mamoa. Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, William Dafoe, Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II round out this amazing cast. Lets talk about Yahya for a second, because he is playing Black Manta, who is honestly one of the most badass characters in DC comics, for me at least. I pray they get his look right, because he’s a pretty powerful villain for Aquaman, and I can’t wait to finally see him on the big screen. I get it; the DCEU is on its last legs. This is the next movie they are releasing, so to say there is a lot riding on Aquaman, is an understatement. They need not only for this to be received much like WonderWoman, but it also needs to crush it at the box-office. Personally I have a ton of faith in this project because all the people involved, and believe that Warner Brothers is going to let James Wan make the his own movie and not get to involved. That’s what they did for Patty Jenkins and that turned into a massive success. Everyone sleeps on Aquaman because they think he isn’t cool or has stupid powers, I’m telling you this right now. Remember how big Aquaman was in Entourage?Well think of that but actually good. Another trailer I can’t wait to see!

Screen_Shot_2017_11_30_at_8.32.33_AM.png — (MARVEL)

1.) Avengers: Infinity War. director/Russo Brothers. 4/5/18

Cliché I know. I can’t help myself when it comes to the MCU. Back off because this movie looks like the bees knees. I’ve been waiting a decade to see Thanos come to Earth and really mess some shit up. It’s all hands on deck for his epic showdown and its only part 1! Let me tell you something, people will die. This movie looks to pack an emotional punch. A lot is at stake here, and that’s something very uncommon in an MCU movie. I can’t wait to see it all play out. Nothing ever seems to be at stake in these movies, because they certainly play it off like everything is hunky dory. There are far too many characters to even list, but anyone who is anyone who has shown up in an MCU movie will appear in Infinity War. Actually a pretty ballsy task if you ask me, that’s a lot of characters for probably a movie that will run 2 hours and 30 minutes long. Unlike this years JusticeLeague I know going in that this movie will be great, they do such a fantastic job with these movies, and this is the end of everything, no one will be safe. I just hope they don’t play it safe, I want to see blood and carnage and legit heroes dying. I want a “Holy shit – did they just do that!” kind of moment in this movie. I’m just excited to see Thanos on screen; no villain has been built up like him in movie history. It’s been 6 years since we first saw him smile at the end of Avengers, and ever since I wanted to see our heroes throw down with this guy. It just makes me sad at the same time, because I’m a DC guy through and through and I wish this were a DC property we were talking about. I wish the DCEU had this much success; I just want them to get it right. Marvel makes it look so easy, and if this movie is as good as I think it’s going to be. DC is never catching up to Marvel. Rocket Raccoon and Spider-Man better have a scene together or we riot!

Well that’s all she wrote. My 20 most anticipated movies of 2018! So I know for a fact I will be seeing at least 20 movies this upcoming year, plus multiple viewings of some add in the movies I didn’t put on the list and the movies I don’t even know about yet. Add all that together and I think reaching 60 visits to the theatre isn’t out of the question. Writing this and saying it out loud back to myself, makes me realize one thing……I’m awesome!

Check ya later.

News

Avengers: Infinity War Trailer.

November 29, 2017January 18, 2018 Wannabe Movie Critic

Holy Santa Claus shit. Christmas has come early folks! I’m sorry for cursing.

Comic book fans rejoice. Remember at the beginning of AmericanPie, when Jim is trying to watch the illegal porn? And it’s all fuzzy and distorted? That was every comic book fan watching the leaked Infinity War trailer from San Diego Comic-Con. For the last four months since that trailer wowed audiences at SDCC, simpletons like myself have been begging Marvel to release a trailer for the highly anticipated conclusion to the Avengers trilogy. Well it’s finally here, they finally listened to all of our complaints. The Infinity War trailer has arrived, and my god is it glorious. Put away those tube socks, because before you know it this will be in front of our very eyes in a theatre near you.

“Fun isn’t something one considers when balancing the universe. But this, this does put a smile on my face” – Thanos.

So that was pretty amazing right? It only took Marvel 4 months to finally drop a trailer for Infinity War, and they did not disappoint. So many questions to consider after watching it. Let’s just get it out of the way. I’ve been waiting almost ten years to see Thanos and it lived up to the hype and build up. I really don’t see anyone beating that guy. He’s menacing, he’s pissed off and most improbably he seems to give zero you know whats. They certainly packed this trailer full, considering it is only 2 mins and 24 seconds. We get to see all of our heroes, some more than others, but remember the movie doesn’t come out for another six months….WHY GOD WHY!?

Thanos is on a mission to collect all the infinity stones it looks like and he doesn’t care who or what gets in his way. No armoured Spider-Man. Not the Hulk, Iron Man or whoever else the Avengers can throw at him. Sorry Vision your time looks to be up, Loki is doing Loki things and handing over a stone to the Mad Titan himself. There appears to be an all out war going on in Wakanda. My guess is that’s where the final infinity stone will be located so they will stop at nothing to protect it. Captain America has an incredible beard, so you know that means this movie will get serious. Thor looks like he has made some new friends, meeting up with the Guardians, not by choice I’d imagine.

Again it looks like Tony Stark will be the focale point in the movie and it almost looks like he’s given up the Iron Man persona, but that is just me speculating. Maybe he semi-retires after the events of Civil War. I just can’t get over how incredible Thanos sounds and looks, kudos to you Josh Brolin. He even looks like you!

I can’t wait 6 months for this movie to come out, I will watch this trailer about 100 times today. Infinity War is shaping up to be everything the MCU has promised it would be for the last decade. Really well done Russo Brothers.

Check ya later!

News

Where Does WB and DC Go From Here?

November 24, 2017March 18, 2021 Wannabe Movie Critic

Who did it better? Answer is pretty simple.

94 million dollars. That’s what Justice League made its opening weekend at the domestic box-office. Avengers on the other hand made 208 million all the way back in 2008. It’s one of the most successful movies ever made, and highly regarded as one of the best CBM ever made. Fans alike are in an uproar over Justice League as word has been spreading about WB studios completely and utterly destroying Zack Snyder’s original cut and vision. So all in all, not a good weekend for WB and the DCEU. Now is it time for them to seriously consider hitting the panic button and rebooting all of this? Personally, I don’t think so, that would be a terrible move on their part because if you take fragments from Justice League and other DCEU you definitely have something there. Yes, it’s not as concrete as the MCU, but that is WB’s problem. It’s time for them to stop trying to “catch up” with Marvel and just do their own thing. That’s how we got into this whole mess in the first place…..

The Success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy

Remember back in 1997 when Batman & Robin was released and people said it ruined comic book movies (for the time being) it was a simpler time then, no shared universes, no big summer blockbusters, in 1997 comic book movies just weren’t all the rage they are today. Superman was still dormant after the successful run of the Christopher Reeves movies and Tim Burton’s Batman’s were the talk of the town in the early 90s. When Nolan decided it was time to bring back the Bat in 2005 with Batman Begins, people didn’t really know what to think. I included, but I was young and stupid back then and it wowed critics and audiences alike. The new grittier, darker, grounded take on the Caped Crusader really resonated with people and the start of a trilogy was born. At this time there were no big Superhero franchises really occurring other than the Spider-Man trilogy which fell flat towards the end, and the X-Men trilogy that met the same fate. People didn’t think too much of comic book movies during this time. Teasing us with the Joker at the end of Batman Begins well three years later we got him in what I regard as the greatest sequel ever made, The Dark Knight. It made over a billion dollars at the box-office and Heath Ledger even won an Oscar for his portrayal as the Clown Prince of Crime. This trilogy finally finished in 2012 with The Dark Knight Rises which was another smash hit, these movies were met with the highest praise from fans and critics. So WB decided it was time to cash in on other DC Superheroes. They attached Zack Snyder to bring to life a Superman story in Man of Steel. They thought it would be reasonable to build their own universe and bring the same tone and themes from The Dark Knight trilogy and cast it upon these other DC heroes. Questions loomed whether Christian Bale would come back to play Batman for this universe and when he was out, they decided that Man of Steel would be their jumping-off point for the DCEU, and that’s where it all began…..

The Success of The MCU

“Tony Stark, I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers initiative…..” Are words that I and countless others will never forget. Those words were uttered back in 2008, a time when audiences weren’t too sure what a “post-credits scene” meant. We were unfamiliar with comic book universes, hell most of us were unfamiliar with Iron Man himself. But still, this started the MCU, and well the rest is as you know is history. Billions of dollars and 17 movies later the MCU is stronger than ever and is still going full steam ahead. In the first four years, they released five movies, all leading up to the highly anticipated Avengers. They had built a solid foundation for their shared cinematic universe, something we fans were not accustomed to. Meanwhile, over at DC, they were still going strong with the Batman Nolan trilogy, but they had ZERO plans of following suit and starting a cinematic universe for their heroes. The Nolan Batman trilogy ended the same year the Avengers came out, and once the Avengers dropped, people realized, that all their movie-going experience over the last 4 years had finally paid off! They got to see a real Superhero team-up movie, and not only that, it was quite the spectacle. At that moment, WB knew they needed to follow suit and even other Hollywood studios knew that a “shared universe” was the way of the future. This is where things get messy for DC and Warner Brothers. because well Marvel was already six movies deep, built this incredible vast shared universe, and well DC was at ground zero. Even today, as I’m writing this, the DCEU has only put out FIVE movies, and most of those movies have been met with mixed reactions. The biggest problem with DC is they kind of want to be like Marvel, well here’s the thing, don’t be. Do it your own way, you have so many incredible characters and stories to tell, that you don’t need to follow Marvel’s plan. Just put out great movies, with great directors and tell us those amazing stories we have been reading our entire lives. DC feels the need to play “catch up” well you can’t. When the Avengers came out, WB had no plans for a Justice League movie, that was not on anyone’s mind, no Batman was planned, no Green Lantern, and not even Wonder Woman. The only movie they had coming out of the DC pipeline was Man of Steel. That being said they were so far behind from the get-go that attempting to even do that was so nonsensical and studio heads should have known better. This leads me into my next segment.

The Reaction To The DCEU Movies So Far

The year is 2013, Nolan’s TDK trilogy is no longer with us, and DC is using Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel as the launching point for the new DC world. I remember at the time, I wasn’t the biggest Superman fan, I really didn’t know a whole lot about the character except for what I had read in some comics. The trailers started pouring in and I was hooked instantly. I was intrigued with the new outlook and take on the classic character. Don’t get me wrong, Superman is a very difficult character to bring to life on the big screen. He’s essentially unstoppable so anyone you pin against him, is no match, his powers are unlimited. Henry Cahill was tapped to play the Man of Steel and he looked like he was literally ripped from the comic books. The rest of the cast was incredible with Michael Shannon, Amy Adams Diane Lane, and Kevin Costner. They were trying a new take, and it wasn’t met with the best reactions. They went with the TDK template, and they changed his mythos and overall character and it was met with some serious backlash. They wanted to ground his character as philosophy and Snyder certainly had a vision for him. Man of Steel just kind of fell short of expectations and more importantly didn’t do what Iron Man did all the way back in 2008, which was beginning a “shared universe.” Personally, I loved Man of Steel, from the cinematography to Hans Simmer’s epic score, I fell in love with this Superman, just it wasn’t the start to the new DC universe WB wanted. After the slow start with Man of Steel, WB decided to kick things into high gear and announced Batman v. Superman and everyone lost their goddamn minds. I remember it was at Comic-Con and they gave the Batman speech to Superman at the end of The Dark Knight Returns, and I thought to myself, “if they pull this thing off in live-action, it will be the greatest thing ever made.” Shortly after, they pinned Ben Affleck to play the Caped Crusader, and the internet was very torn. From the get-go, I have always believed Affleck would kill it as Batman, and he has honestly been the best thing in the DCEU so far. Later they grabbed Gal Gadot to play Wonder Woman, and no one was on board with that decision. Only being in a few Fast and Furious movies, people didn’t know if she had the acting chops to play this role. That’s all in the past now, because Gal was born to play the warrior princess. Everything behind Batman v Superman, from the trailers, the ads, posters, seemed like this was going to be a home run. Then it was released………..

Shortly after the release of Batman v Superman fans were divided, critics were firmly set in place and executives over at WB were dumbfounded about their situation. They just released a movie with both Batman and Superman and even Wonder Woman, and boy it was not met with a positive reaction. I think this was the start of the downfall for the DCEU. Now we had another DCEU movie coming out in 2016, Suicide Squad, which was put together with duck tape and glue. Script was written in 6 weeks, and this movie ended up being a complete and utter disaster. The trailers for this movie were incredible, I couldn’t wait and I haven’t watched Suicide Squad since opening night. The biggest takeaway was obviously reintroducing The Joker, making Jared Leto a soccer hooligan. Stick to what you know, don’t drastically change this iconic character, especially after what Heath Ledger did in TDK. Leto was just okay, there wasn’t enough of him, and now his future in the DCEU is up in the air. Harley Quinn was the best part of the movie, Margot Robbie was born to play her, and I really hope she comes back because I think in a better movie, under better direction, she could probably give a Ledger-type performance in a future DCEU movie. So 3 movies in a row for WB and the DCEU and three strikes. You’re out right? Well, thank the lord for Patty Jenkins and Wonder Woman, because they were up next. We waited almost a year for the next DCEU movie to hit theatres and it was worth the wait. Wonder Woman, the most successful film of the year (so far), 92 percent of Rotten Tomatoes, the highest prior to that was 55% for Man of Steel. People thought this could be the turnaround WB needed, Wonder Woman felt fresh, felt like Patty Jenkins had passion behind this project, that it wasn’t rushed and it was just a simple origin story movie. It’s exactly what the doctor ordered. The DCEU was saved! Or so we thought. Well then the marketing campaign started for Justice League and well we all know how this turned out. I already wrote a ton of Justice League, I’ll say this, it’s a bummer what happened to Zack’s movie, that isn’t right, I hope we see his cut of the movie because it does sound amazing.

What I think WB Needs To Do Going Forward

Batfleck is out, it sucks, but I have come to terms with it. The worst part is, I think Matt Reeves is going to make a special Batman solo movie and only Ben Affleck should star in it. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe he will stick this thing out for one last movie, his solo movie, and if that day comes and he’s in the Matt Reeves solo Batman movie. MY GOD.

Warner Brothers. here’s the thing. STOP, stop trying to be like Marvel. Stop trying to play catch up, just go out at your own pace. Stop trying to force these things on us. Great stories take time to tell, just like in the comics. The best comic writers didn’t pile so much shit into each issue, they took their time and flushed great stories out over many issues. It’s time to shift focus not on team-ups but solo movies. We have Aquaman coming out next December. Let James Wan do his thing with this movie. Don’t mettle, don’t interfere, you don’t bring on a brilliant filmmaker like Wan and then make him follow a strict guideline. Maybe sprinkle in a cameo of some sort. Cyborg? Here’s my thing with Cyborg, he was great, I wanted to see more. Does he need his own solo movie? No! But he can be the League member who pops up in everyone else’s solo flicks. Ray Fisher is the least famous cast member and probably the least expensive, so use that to your advantage. Cyborg is the jack of all trades, he can do so much, so why not have him come help everyone out. That makes so much sense to me. If he sticks with fans and the audiences after a few cameos then yes, green light that solo movie. Find directors and people that are super passionate about these characters and want to tell their stories, that want to bring these characters to life in a grand fashion. You have one year to figure all this out because you are back at square one. There are so many great stories out there about these characters, more stories than you could imagine, pick one and adapt it, it’s not rocket science. Personally base most of these solo movies of the New 52 comic book run. Don’t make a Joker origin story movie, we don’t need that. We don’t need a Suicide Squad 2, or Batgirl film. Stick to the basics, stick to the basics, stick to the basics. Also, call in the big guns, and I mean Dwayne Johnson. Get that man in the Shazam movie, make him badass, and make him a big part of Justice League 2. He doesn’t need a solo movie. Black Adam and Shazam are like peas and carrots, they belong together. The Rock saves franchise, use him while you can and before he bails. I would rather wait a little longer and get great stories, incredible movies, and successful ones, than have WB rush all of this out and make the DCEU as forgettable as it’s slowly becoming. DC fans deserve much better than what has transpired thus far, I know and I think deep down WB knows it.

Check ya later.