Finally, after three viewings, I think I’m ready to write down my thoughts on perhaps the strongest MCU showing ever.
With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
Spider-Man has been apart of my life for as long as I can remember. To this very day, I remember when I saw the first ever trailer for Spider-Man on my TV. You know, a time before Youtube, Twitter or any real sense of social media. A trailer and part of the movie that was later removed from marketing, because it involved Spider-Man catching some robbers by getting them caught in a web that is strung up between the World Trade Centres. I remember sitting there, thinking, this is going to be the coolest thing ever. Unlike most heroes, Spider-Man is easily the most accessible to the younger audience because, well, he’s a kid. I’ve never missed a Spider-Man movie in theatres, hell, I waited in line for 4 hours just to see Spider-Man 3 at midnight. So to say I was just a wee bit excited to see the cumulation of 20 years of Spider-Man lore in one movie is an understatement.
For me, the MCU Spider-Man has been such a mixed bag. His relationship with Tony Stark was honestly one of the strongest, most impactful and emotional relationships we had seen in the Marvel Universe. But his solo outings have felt so John Hughes and immature, that it felt so disconnected from why I fell in love with this character. He felt more Spider-Boy/Iron-Spider than Spider-Man. You know the loner, broke kid from Queens, who has a hard dealing with the balance of being Peter Parker and his alter ego. I’ve just wanted this iteration of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to finally grow up you know? Well ask and you shall receive because the newest addition to the MCU is arguably the strongest movie yet and something every single Spider-Man fan will remember for the rest of their lives.
This movie is very hard to talk about because of spoiler type stuff, but seeing how I’m writing this review on Monday, after the second biggest weekend in the history of cinema, safe to say, most people reading this will have seen the movie. After the events of Far From Home, the entire world, thanks to Mysterio now knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and it quickly turns is life upside down. When he goes to Doctor Strange for some help, at first, their plan seems simple enough, but when they unleash the power of the mulitverse, all hell breaks loose. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is about to get a crash course on what it truly means to be Spider-Man and how being a hero means that sacrificing certain important elements in your life and protecting those closest to you is the most important thing. He’s about to learn that with great power, comes great responsibility……
I won’t go full blown spoilers, but we all know the return of 5 previous Spidey villains, each from one of the previous 5 Spider-Man movies. William Dafoe’s Green Goblin (Spider-Man), Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock (Spider-Man 2), Thomas Hayden Church’s Sandman (Spider-Man 3), Rhys Ifans Lizard (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Jamie Foxx’s Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). They are all back and a little confused, and with that comes so much previous baggage, and the worst kept secret in all of Hollywood, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. It’s funny, that the previous Spider-Man movies suffered because of “too many villains” but here it works so well. They are the ones at the forefront of this movie. All realizing that their fate is to die by the hands of Spider-Man in their respective universes, but in this reality, every life is worth saving. That’s all I’m going to say about this stuff, because it’s fun experience when you know as little as possible.
Peter’s relationships, every single one of them is being push to the breaking point. These characters finally feel like they are shedding their skin and becoming full grown adults. Making this feel like the end of the ‘Homecoming’ trilogy. The themes about fully recognizing your responsibilities in this world, and knowing that your life can’t be perfect when you’re a superhero is something Peter hasn’t realized yet. Tom Holland gives without a doubt his best performance to date, in fact, it’s one of the best superhero performances I have ever seen. He’s fantastic and he’s on an emotional rollercoaster the entire film, that ends with him finally bitting the bullet and accepting his fate and his future. Even Zendaya and Jacob Batalon give their strongest performances as well. Their entire dynamic is what holds these movies together and it’s certainly at it’s strongest in No Way Home.
There is a moment in this when a certain character flips a switch and from that point on the movie doesn’t stop. Hit after hit keeps coming and you are fully emerged in this joyous ride that will make you cheer out loud depending on how you feel about that sort of thing. The fan service throughout works because it’s actually part of the plot. Not something they just felt the need to put in the movie. So seeing certain things transpire is almost rewarding because you know it’s coming, you’re just trying to figure out how they were going to implement it. Seeing closure and almost a rediscovery for Tobey and Andrew was so wonderful to see. Andrew Garfield is the best part of this entire movie, he crushes it and we need him back in some capacity going forward.
Peter is literally learning how to become Spider-Man from Spider-Men and I thought that was interesting to see. Little does he know, every feeling he has and every mistake he has made, these two strangers that stand in front of him, know exactly how he is feeling. It’s a beautiful dynamic that shifts the tone of the movie and it makes the 3rd act of this movie feel heavy. How the movie ends makes you wonder where exactly they are going to take this character going forward. He throws on the best looking Spider-Man suit in the history of film and webs out to be the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
SPOILERS
The piece of Venom left behind at the bar in the MCU means one thing. We are getting a brand new Venom in the MCU and honestly that was one of the most important things in this entire movie. Tom Hardy was great, but Venom getting the MCU treatment and a fresh start sets up a new trilogy for this Spider-Man and I can’t wait to see the next step for this franchise. Tom Holland is now Spider-Man, and his world is small and that’s just the way I like it.
This trailer unloads a lot. We have 5 villains battling it out with Spider-Man, but something tells me he’s not alone…..
Perhaps the shot of the trailer? Lizard, Electro and Sandman all ready to throw down with some Spider-Men? The hype train is real for the upcoming MCU flick, they just had a whole event for a trailer release. Most movies don’t do this, but this isn’t just another MCU movie dropping, this is something bigger….
The worst kept secret in Hollywood is Marvel trying to hide that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire are going to be suiting up once again as their respective Spider-Man. Not shown in the trailer for obvious reasons, they want this reveal to happen within the context of the movie and not in a trailer. With that being said, this trailer packs a serious punch and showcases a larger than life experience for Peter Parker and company.
We understand that Peter is tired of the world knowing he is Spider-Man, so when he turns to Dr. Strange to perform a spell to erase that memory from the world, it doesn’t go according to plan and he actually opens a door to other universes and enter some of the most famous Spider-Man villains to ever grace the big screen. From Lizard to Doctor Octopus this Peter Parker is going to have his hands full.
When he finds out after a battle with Doc Ock that all of these villains are met their match and Dr. Strange informs him that in their universe they all died fighting Spider-Man, Peter takes it upon himself to try and save everyone. Realizing he can’t and perhaps those closest to him, help always finds those who need it and behold, Andrew and Tobey!
Does Doc Ock have a change of heart? Does he end up enjoying the company of this new Peter Parker and realize he doesn’t want to be bad anymore? It seems like it. How are all these villains arcs going to play out? How are Tobey and Andrew going to come into play? My guess for Andrew, he swings it at the last second to save MJ – as we see her falling much like his Gwen Stacey in his universe. So much going on and we only have one more month to wait to find out!
Embark on the MCU’s most vast movie yet. Introducing us to the Eternals who need to come together to protect everyone on Earth, while trying to discover who they truly are.
The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.
When you think of stability within a movie franchise, the MCU usually comes to mind. Everyone loves it, and so do the critics. It’s rare that a movie isn’t met with high praise and warm words, until recently. The newest addition to the family has been met with the worst reviews for a MCU to date, and after seeing the movie myself – I’m not sure why. Sure, this movie doesn’t come without its flaws, as Superhero movies tend to do these days. It boils down to this, the MCU is expanding to the point of no return. With the ever expanding roster of new characters, ideas and universes, it can get difficult to keep track of everything, but that shouldn’t be a flaw with the movie at hand. Eternals is vast, it’s huge in scale, providing some of the biggest themes the MCU has to offer. We are dealing with literal gods and some of the strongest and most powerful beings in the entire MCU.
So who better to bring in than Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. Fresh off her impressive year, she brings a little extra flare to the MCU. Providing us with some of the best visuals, landscapes and emotional moments to date. Alongside, a cast that is longer than a CVS receipt. Each Eternal brings a unique set of skills, whether it’s super speed or strength, the ability to shape shift objects, control minds, invent the most badass technology or simply be Superman. And that is just the tip of the iceberg with these people, and respectfully they all have their own moment to shine and showcase their awesome powers. When the leader of this group Ajax (Salma Hayek) suddenly falls, she appoints a new leader of the Eternals Sersi (Gemma Chan) to take her place. They have been on Earth for 7000 years, peacefully and quietly providing assistance whenever a certain foe known as Deviants are involved. So when the end of the world is upon them, Sersi rounds up the rest of the team like Danny Ocean and sets out to save this world.
Prepare yourself, we got Sprite (Lia McHugh) not to be confused with the soft drink, Ikaris, who is basically Superman (Richard Madden), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) a Bollywood star who can turn his hands into deadly weapons, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) who is the technology expert, Druig (Barry Keoghan) the mind shaper, Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) the speedster of the ground, Gilgamesh (Ma Dong-seok) the heavy hitter, and finally Thena (Angelina Jolie) the Goddess of War herself. Together they make or made one happy family, now separated for centuries. The standouts for me were Makkari and Kingo. I thought the speedster was so well done, and Kumail crushed his role. His arc and comedy were some of the best parts of the entire movie. When you have this much acting talent within the cast, some scenes are going to feel heavy and emotional, and I’m so glad they let each one of them spread their wings.
They must come together once more and overcome their differences to deal with the possibility that their entire existence has been one big lie. Introducing us to so many new and likeable characters is no easy feat, in fact, it’s one hell of a mountain to climb. With so many new people and a movie that deals with giant themes and elements, it can feel a little over bloated at times. Overstuffed with ideas, but in order for the MCU to grow, certain seeds need to be planted. This isn’t simple times anymore, we are dealing with cosmic deities who make Thanos feel like a cakewalk.
One thing I did appreciate about Eternals, it didn’t feel green-screen heavy. Chloé wanted to shoot a ton of stuff on location and you can tell. There is a ton of amazing imagery and visuals sprinkled throughout. The diverse cast helps propel the movie when it feels like it hits a bit of a snag. The movie is long, but when you have so much material at hand, what did you really expect? The middle certainly feels slow, but the third act is something to behold, when everything is up for grabs and these awesome new heroes get to showcase what makes them super. It’s going to be awesome to revisit these guys and gals again and see them interact within the MCU more. That’s the thing about going forward and getting introduced to all these new characters, I can’t wait to see where it all goes.
Don’t go into this movie just thinking about Rotten Tomatoes. Judge for yourself. It’s fun, cinematic and there’s a lot of good in this movie. No where near the bottom of the barrel for the MCU
The best origin MCU flick since Iron Man. Shang Chi delivers on everything you would want in a comic-book movie. Packing a serious punch behind Simu Liu, who is the newest addition to the Avengers roster.
Shang-Chi, the master of unarmed weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.
Boy, it sure felt great to be back at the cinemas watching an MCU flick. The next phase of the MCU is upon us and it is already reaching new and spectacular heights. Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is a master of Kung Fu and now possesses the all-mighty Ten Rings. Something the MCU has severely lacked is great hand-to-hand combat fights and that stops here because Shang-Chi has some of the best fight sequences ANY comic-book movie has to offer.
Again, the team over at Marvel has taken a lesser-known character and made them into a rock star, because you may or may not like their formula but it works. The MCU is essentially the Buckleys of film-making. Not saying the MCU is awful, but that, it just works.
Shang-Chi follows the aforementioned on a journey of self-discovery after he ditches his heritage and his family, to try and start a new path for himself. He has his trusty sidekick Katy (Awkwafina) who is always down for some karaoke, laughs, and never leaves his side. She was terrific in this role, her comedy was spot-on, and she didn’t feel out of place. They didn’t just make her some background love interest, she actually has things to do and much like her friend Shang-Chi, she too is on a journey. This film is about self-discovery, not running away from your past, and realizing that you have greatness inside of you. That being mediocre isn’t the way to go through life and that you’re stronger than you think. It was really well done and it resonates with a ton of our characters, including Shang-Chi’s sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang). Meng’er shines as the baby sister who just wanted to fit in and show that it doesn’t matter who you are, everyone and anyone can achieve greatness. All three of the hero leads work so well together and it felt like we had been with these people before. They will blend flawlessly into the MCU and the larger scope of things and I can’t wait to see that happen.
Now for the villain. Xu Wenwu (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) was AMAZING. One of the strongest villains in the MCU in recent memory. He has a purpose and felt connected to everything going on within the film. He can be caring and kind but then has a switch that can go cold and calculated in a matter of seconds which made him a worthy foe for our heroes. He kicks ass and took no prisoners and much like any family man, he loves his family but has a misguided ideology of what it means to be a good father. One gripe with the film and a lot of MCU movies are, why are they killing off all the bad guys after just one movie? There is always room for more story with these people and I’ll never understand that. The MCU loves to kill off the bad guy at the end of every movie like the good guy ‘needs to win” but that just closes the door on a ton of sequel possibilities.
This movie certainly packs a punch. The action is astonishing, with a bus sequence that is by far one of the best MCU action scenes yet. Every punch feels like it matters, you and the people inside the movie feel it. The fight scenes are so well-choreographed that you can’t wait to see them go back to this well for future movies. I can’t say enough good things about the bus sequence because it’s everything the MCU has to offer at its very peak. The 3rd act gets a little CGI-heavy, but honestly, the movie deserves it. The whole movie is so grounded, especially with the first two-fight sequences that of course there’s going to be an epic showdown at the end, that involves two giant monsters, but I loved it. It felt earned and showcased what this movie is all about. Embracing other cultures.
Overall, I had a ton of fun with Shang-Chi, it’s the best MCU origin flick in a long time. Showed us that the MCU isn’t slowing down, and added some new depth and likable new characters. You can’t really ask for more!
Strap in. Every single Spider-Man and all their baddies are coming back for one epic showdown.
If this doesn’t get your blooding, I don’t know what will! Look at that picture above, all these years later and a little de-aging but Alfred Molina is back at Doctor Octopus and I think he’s brought along some friends.
So turns out that Peter just wants so privacy in his life. After the world finds out he’s Spider-Man, things aren’t going so well for the man. All he wants his things to go back to normal so he turns to the one man that can do that for him, Dr. Strange. So when Strange conjures up a spell to make the entire population of Earth forget that he is Spider-Man, obviously things don’t go as planned and all hell breaks loose.
They somehow open up the multiverse and this is where things truly get exciting. Jamie Foxx is back as Electro, Thomas Haden Church as Sandman, Rhys Ifans is back as the Lizard and the legend himself William DaFoe is back as Green Goblin. All of them teaming up with Doc Ock and one more party member to form the iconic Sinister Six. Six against one, I don’t like those odds for Peter unless…….
Not only are we seeing villains return, but their counterparts as well. Not shown in the trailer, because Marvel is clearly saving that money shot for the actual movie, but Tobey and Andrew are suiting up to help this universe Spider-Man take down their foes.
Like, I don’t need to say much more. Three Spider-Men, classic villains, and who knows what else is going down. Both Tobey and Andrew never truly got their swan song and a proper sendoff for their iteration of playing Spider-Man and this is going to be so bittersweet.
The movie looks like a ton of fun and for someone who has seen every Spider-Man movie in theatres, this is something I’ve wanted my whole life.
Natasha Romanoff finally gets to spread her wings and star in her own solo flick. Too bad she gets upstaged by her sister and her father. Tough break
A film about Natasha Romanoff in her quests between the films Civil War and Infinity War.
It took long enough, actually, all it took for Scarlett Johansson to land her BlackWidow solo movie was literally dying. I don’t want to say it was too late or this didn’t matter because it did and BlackWidow is surprisingly one of the better MCU solo flicks that sets up a few storylines for Phase 4. After the big showdown at the airport in Civil War, which leads to the break up of the Avengers, Natasha only has one choice and that’s to go on the run. She no longer has any friends or family…….. or so she thought.
Audiences and fans have always wanted to learn a little more about this character, she has always been at the forefront of the movies, being an original Avenger and one of the biggest female characters if not the biggest the MCU has to offer. So this movie was a great opportunity to showcase who she is and where she came from. Introducing her hilarious and superfamily, baby sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), father Alexei (David Harbour), and mother Melina (Rachel Weisz). These are worthy additions to the MCU, all of them providing a ton of comedic moments, especially Pugh who was so rough around the edges and I really felt like all of her jokes landed. She had great chemistry with Scarlett and I’m very excited to see what they do with her next in the MCU. As for her parents, Harbour plays the Russian Captain America still living in his glory years and he was just a dumb stump for the majority of the film, but in the best way possible. Melina serves as the voice of reason, the strong motherly figure who is so happy to have her “family” reunited.
One aspect of Black Widow that I enjoyed was in all other solo movies, there is always some world-ending event going down, and everyone is like “why don’t you just call another Avenger,” but this time she actually couldn’t and I think it was cool to see her with her back against the wall and relying on people she thought she had lost forever. Behind this event is the scum of the Earth Dreykov (Ray Winstone) and his trusty sidekick Taskmaster. Honestly, the villains could have used a little work, Taskmaster has a cool gimmick but they certainly didn’t showcase it enough and from the trailers, I really thought Taskmaster would be at the forefront of the movie. On the other side of things, I don’t really think this movie needed a strong villain to be successful, because this was more about spending one last movie with Natasha and finally learning about her backstory and what really went down in Budapest. They achieve that goal and it was nice to get some emotional scenes with Natasha and everything that’s happened to her prior to this movie finally catching up to her.
I thought the first 20-30 minutes were solid as a rock, especially the opening credits. If you can pull off and execute effective opening credits, it only helps your movie. Throw in some Nirvana cover songs and we are talking nothing but positive things. Yelena and Natasha’s first encounter was a great scene and you knew right away that they would be fantastic throughout the entire film together. The comedy really works, although with some more emotional scenes I think the MCU as a whole needs to stop tossing in one last joke to overshadow the scene. It takes away from some of the most powerful scenes in the movie and you really don’t need jokes in every single scene of the movie. I think that and the weakish third act would be my only complaints about the movie.
We got introduced to some great new characters going forward, we got an amazing sendoff to one of the OG Avengers and it was nice to have an MCU movie back in our lives. Overall, Black Widow works on just about every single level and I look forward to seeing where they take all these storylines next.
The new wave of Marvel heroes is upon us. Chloe Zhao brings it after her historic year and looks to bring her creative eye and immense filmmaking to the MCU.
Talk about riding the pine. The Eternals are ready to unleash themselves after sitting things out for a long time. Even with a threat such as Thanos it wasn’t enough to have them decide it was time to help out Earth’s mightiest heroes, but that’s about to change. They’ve been shaping civilization forever and now they want to place their mark on the 21st century.
This cast is STACKED, and it’s way too long to go through the names, but watching the trailer you’ll play the classic game of “I know them.” This movie is kind of a big deal for the MCU for multiple reasons. First and foremost, they have an Oscar-winning director at the helm. Coming off the best director win and best picture win, the world certainly knows her name.
Secondly, they are introducing the next wave of not just heroes, but lore in the MCU. Exploring more of the magical side of things, these people will fit nicely beside Dr. Strange. They are the next team to form and help Earth defeat whatever evil comes its way.
This is a small tease, just introducing us to the characters and showcasing the vast landscapes and tone of the movie. Little action is shown and we don’t really have any idea what this movie is going to be about. All we know is the Eternals are back and they are bringing the pain.
The next new wave of MCU heroes is upon us and it starts with Shang-Chi.
When the star of the movie Simu Liu is surprised on his own birthday by the release of the first trailer, it’s just something you love to see. The upcoming MCU flick promises action like we’ve never seen before, with some fabulous and color action shots.
A lesser-known hero has never been something the MCU has ever shied away from. In fact, they almost love a challenge and with Shang-Chi on the horizon, expect a lot of people Googling that name to find out what will be in store.
The trailer is a mixed blend of realism and fantasy marital arts. With almost boss battle-type fights going on. It all looks fantastic and a breath of fresh air for the MCU. Expect Simu Liu to have plenty of foes to go up against including Big Nasty himself Florian Munteanu.
We have been patiently waiting for this new wave of heroes to enter the MCU. The new blood is arriving and it will all start in the fall when Simu Liu and his Shang-Chi steals our hearts.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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!
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
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!
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, IronMan 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
Shang-Chi, the master of unarmed weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.
