Wanda Needed a Therapist: Marvel Did Her Dirty (Again) WARNING: Spoilers

We have learned to love Wanda Maximoff because truth be told, we love an underdog. Her first appearance as a vengeful villain in Age of Ultron was delicious and her joining the Avengers at the end of it was pretty exciting, finally she’s on the good side.

When she appeared on Civil War she became a villain again, making her look like the confused, most-likely-to-turn-a-villain character, then she did a 180 again in Infinity War and End-Game. Wandavision was a phenomenal success and made me like her a lot but she’s once again, turned into a villain, which in some parts felt disheartening but she gave us a solid by her undoing everything and sacrifed everything. Impeccable character development, especially her turning into The Scarlet Witch. 100% Badass. Imagine my surprise when the MOM trailer debuted and it seemed she will once again became the villain, and true enough, she was.

Maybe it was right the she sort of died at the end, making a hell of a sacrifice (again) instead of her just saving the day because we all know Wanda has been through so much and we know she’s kind. Fragile, but kind. Where is her support system, where are the other avengers? It seemed it was so easy for Marvel to make her the villain, doing her dirty, like what HBO did to Daenarys Targaryen with all the time it took to develop her character only to ambush all of that because it felt easy. She deserved so much more.

The movie felt like a huge playground for Sam Raimi, injecting every scene with his signature horror movie tricks. It felt very Raimi every time and that was a huge improvement from all the previous MCU movie because we all know Feigi is involved. We know Raimi had 100% creative freedom and it really showed.

The movie is exhausting, it’s non-stop carnage and you can’t help but feel dizzy. The difference between the first Strange movie and this was that the first one was on a straight trajectory of storytelling, which made the visual effect mesmerizing. On MOM it felt like it’s just another MCU movie and the visuals felt tired and very no-way-home which was a letdown. I love the one eyed monster though.

Overall, Multiverse of Madness will make the devoted fans mad in excitement but will not entice a growing number of fans suffering from superhero fatigue.

Grade: 6/10

Evangiline Lilly Steals The Show

Rotten Tomatoes called it an MCU palate cleanser after the shocking turn of events on the Avengers: Infinity War. The timeline is aligned with IW and at the beginning of the fim you kinda already know what’s going the happen.

Ant-Man when released a few years back, was one of MCU’s easy to watch filler, and the sequel is no different, and one would think after the massive success of Black Panther Marvel would take it up a notch, but Ant-Man and the Wasp is not a bad movie, nor a great one; it’s a so-so but we suckers watch it anyway.

Something is so retro-off and I can’t really place it. I had high hopes for Marvel for late but this film feels like a letdown more than the absolution it supposed to bring us, perhaps all of that is reserved for Avengers 4 where we find everyone to be disappointingly alive but will die anyway on a complete different reason.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a decent addition to MCU but it sort of just give nothing to make it all better for those grieving still from Infinity War. I guess that’s the point.

Grade: 3.5/5 Stars

This Is Not Spoiler-Free, Read at Your Own Risk

This is the most exhausting movie ever. Having said that, it’s the good kind of exhaustion; something we’ve been asking for for 10 years when it all came down in this movie.

It is visually stunning, more stunning than Guardian of the Galaxy Volume 2. It doesn’t feel crammed either, with all the superheroes on the same movie all at the same time, sure there will be less of character development, but this is mainly an exposition all all storylines that has accumulated over the years.

It doesn’t rest, it leaves you astonished and excited for what is to come. It’s very linear and straight to the point, like the rest of all Marvel movies, it does not leave anything for any logical thinking, but what it does is makes you wonder on what’s next.

What pisses me off however, is the amount of ridiculous thing that happened. All the unjustiable twists and turns, the fake deaths how much bullshit it is to show half of them is dead when we all know they aren’t.

The moment it took a page of DC for being a little bit emotional, I lost it. You cannot show a storyline that is a little deep and well, dramatic, in one movie and expect the audience will fall for it. There hasn’t been any real consequence in any Marvel movie and certainly not on this one. You killed Loki 10 minutes in to justify Thor’s drive to defeat Thanos, but that is betrayal to us. Loki cannot die just like that. It’s unnecessary. Vision’s death, if he really is dead, was lackluster. He’s not that special. And to ultimately to have half of them disappear in the end is a little too much. No one is buying it. That’s just a staging for the next Avengers film.

What’s really emotional here, one that they were able to achieve but I don’t think that’s what they were trying to focus on, was the reunion of the Avengers. With Captain America winning us over by saying we have to assembe or we all die.

I felt the struggle for the Russo Brothers to put in some laughs as they are building an emotional journey with the actors. But some of them succeeded. The Starbucks reference for example.

Thanos is worthy villain, thank goodness, but it’s pretty hard to take him seriously as well as he’s CGI. He has no physical limitations whatsoever, and the Gamora-Thanos storyline was not just developed enough.

It is the most action-packed Marvel movie ever, also the biggest assembly of all possible superheroes you want, but as any film that is split in two-parts, Infinity War is nothing but the laying all the ground work for what is really set to come down when they finally defeat Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War is Marvel’s most ambitious movie, but not the best.

Grade: 3/5 Stars

Easily The Best Marvel Offering in Recent Memory

I feard for a long time that the stand-alone Black Panther movie featuring Chadwick Boseman will be a senseless filler leading to the the Infinity War. Building up for 10 long years, the last Marvel film before the big one turned out to be one of the best in the series.

Something is feeling very intimate, and a little bit personal, coming from the self-doubting, soon-to-be king of Wakanda. Armored with a well-rounded cast, Black Panther has exceeded all my expections and more. I was completely blown away with the action scenes that were very well crafted and orchestrated to the point the it felt like a song.

One will wish we could’ve gotten just a little more of Michael B Jordan as he portrayed a worthy villain for the Black Panther.

Technicalities aside, the movie introduced us to a world where we see a civilization in hiding, possesing remarkable advancements in technology and at the point when the movie posed the question of should these technologies be shared to the world: we are into the subject matter of race, and that is basically the treasure of the movie. This is something that I’ve been waiting for Marvel to do; the opportunity to spark an idea into the minds of its audience, more than the spectacle and the battle scenes.

The movie gave us a remarkable, visually- stunning cinematography. Something that is to be expected from Marvel, and it was delivered very well. Black Panther is one of the best superhero movie ever, do not ruin it.

Grade: 4.5/ 5 stars

The Most Disappointing Marvel Movie To Date

Thor and Thor: The Dark World are my favorites among the Marvel movies so I was looking forward for this movie and I too, waited for a long time like everybody else. 

I knew this might turn up to be a disappointment when they released the first trailer which gave me the impression that the third installment for the God of Thunder movie series will finally succumbed to the overly-used Marvel formula: cash grab.  

I was confused if I was watching Thor or Guardians of the Galaxy and I’m pretty sure the director got confused too. It was unfunny, the grit was lost, the jokes were out of place, the acting was over the top mediocre, even Tom Hiddleston’s fan favorite portrayal of Loki got overshadowed by the mess. It was a mess. I wish I made this clear at this point. 

It was a joy though to see Cate Blanchett in her role as the feisty new villain. That is my only consolation, other than that, I really have nothing left to say. 

The weakest of all Thor movies, and the most pointless in all of Marvel. Thor: Ragnarok is nothing but a movie about a boy playing dress up, fighting for “something”, flooded by Hollywood’s prominent names, littered with corny slapstick comedy and to be honest, not so impressive visual effects, (and crappy soundtrack). We move Thor to be extinct. 

Grade: 2/5 stars 

Marvel: “Cry! Cry! Cry Like a Baby!!”Me: “No!”

I didn’t cry. Why would I? It’s a galaxy full of over-exposition. 

It was fun watching this latest Marvel offering and I am so proud of its very minimal foreshadowing of the never ending MCU expansion. On that part, I almost cried. 

The story is about roots: how they were raised and what it meant for them on the present day. To be frank, I found the Nebula/Gamora drama more interesting than everything else. 
It is occasionally funny; slapstick and childish humor succeed sometimes. James Gunn delivered the most visually spectacular Marvel film to date, but fails to deliver a could’ve-been compelling family drama but still it resorted to its well-known formula: over-crowded fight scene + humor + overpowering CGI + cheesy pose before an epic battle = any other popcorn movie. 

The drama is being shoved down your throat. Like, “This is an emotional Marvel movie, cry bitch, cry!” Nice effort. 

Grade: 3/5 stars

A Glorious Time for Marvel Fans But Just Another Superhero Movie For The Rest Of Us

Imagine this movie without Benedict Cumberbatch; It wouldn’t be as appealing to the rest of the world who’s gone sour for the never ending expansion of the MCU. Nevertheless, he’s perfect for the role, just as when you think someone as Cumberbatch will never take a superhero character into mainstream Hollywood. 

At this point Marvel already knows how to make a perfect superhero movie and no one can deny that they’re very good at it. That’s its flaw; despite the visual extravagance, the on-point acting of its stellar cast, the humor and the pacing, it still feels like just any other popcorn movie and staging for the next Marvel movie, and at this point it’s starting to get old. I’m not sure anymore on whether Marvel is making its loyal comic book fans happy still or their pockets. 

Rachel McAdams is underused. We didn’t see her outside the hospital and Stephen’s super posh flat, nor was she given enough exposure to make her a valid conflict for Dr. Strange. He’s a toned down version of Tony Stark without the obvious daddy issues; just plain, typical neuro surgeon. Tilda Swinton, as always, is the real gem of the movie. She gives a mysterious air to the film with the right amount of kick-ass moments. 

The one thing that really made me say “eh?” was Dr. Strange’s transition to the complete asshole that he is, to the superhero that is willing to risk his life to save the world. There was not enough conflict for him to just change to this selfless person, it was so out of character for him to become a hero when it’s more likely, based on what was shown on the first part of the film, to just walk away and just focus on getting his hands healed. So meh. 

Regardless, Dr. Strange is an inspiring addition to the never ending Marvel Cinematic Universe with the charming performance from Cumberbatch. And yes, as always, we’ll see more of him. Keep them coming. 

Grade: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Marvel’s Newest Romantic Comedy Offering (With Violence) PLUS Your Favorite Superheroes

Captain America is a decent hero, the leader of the Avengers, a well-loved superhero, but we can all agree to this, he’s very self-righteous and super whinny. 
Steve Rogers declared all-out war to the world and to his fellow Avengers by standing by with his best friend, against all odds, creating more problems than he should’ve, creating havoc to all the places they went just to maintain a friendship. What a wonderful example to our young viewers. 

I was being sarcastic, and this is an awful excuse to introduce new characters to the MCU and to be frank, they could’ve been introduced to us for a better purpose; instead they just took sides from a useless bickering from Captain America and Iron Man. 
It is a story told every 5 minutes, then mindless fightings and car chases for the next fifteen minutes, and they kept that going until a plot twist at the end, and just when you thought Marvel will shove despair at the end, it’s all happy again and they’re be like, “See you on the next film!”
Safe to say I was disappointed, hoping that someone could’ve died after all that happened but since this is Disney, what the audience want is more important, but not as important as making more movies to milk more money from Marvel beloved superheroes. 
Directed by the Russo Brothers, we have a good sense of how the Infinity Wars would like, and I’m pretty sure this movie should’ve been titled The Avengers 2.5, for we’re only missing The Hulk and Thor. At this point, we all know The Russo Brothers rely on practical effects with the exception of the Scarlet Witch and Vision, and they should’ve made a separate movie to showcase their love story. 
Out of all the newly introduced heroes, The Black Panther stood out, and the only only one with a justifiable purpose. I hated what they’ve done to Tim Holland, now that he’s all bulked up, he was almost unrecognizable, and he awfully sounded like Andrew Garfield. 
This film is so forgettable compared to the Winter Soldier which I loved very much. Everything is so safely done, and with the exception of Iron Man, everyone else did nothing special. 
Captain America: Civil War became something that should’ve been a bridge to the next Marvel film, instead it became a filler and an excuse to introduce more heroes, paving the way for more movies, and the cycle will end god knows when. 
Grade: 3/5 stars

Deadpool is Fresh Air. Deadpool is Your Spirit Animal.

I’m not really into superheroes. Okay. I’m not really into Marvel Superheroes because almost all of them are egotistical pricks. Bringing Deadpool to life sparked excitement amongst comic fanatics for the potential he could bring to the superhero market and oh boy, he is a breath of fresh air. 

First, and kudos Ryan Reynolds for this, but I can’t imagine a different Deadpool than him. People are a little hesitant to accept him as Deadpool for the Green Lantern mishap but he really pulled the whole thing off. 

I’m very much impressed on how this movie just doesn’t give a fuck on anything. It makes no apologies, it doesn’t try to be something its not, and constantly mocks itself and everything else works perfectly. It’s like a cast of less than 10 people and it works beautifully. 

Deadpool interacts with the audience and I mean that literally, because he talks to the audience, either to explain a scene or mainly because he just wants to. This makes Deadpool a crowd-pleaser. He’s not your overly-dramatic, self-righteous hero who saves the world. 

  
The whole movie relied heavily on Ryan Reynolds, and initially I was afraid that since this is an R-Rated film, certain expenses are just not possible, but CGI is pretty amazing, not to mention the beautifully choreographed fight sequences. Deadpool will be a franchise on its own, I don’t think he can include himself with the current XMEN series, he is simply not at par with its drama nor its seriousness. No. But who knows, right?

Tremendously hilarious and cleverly paced, the movie shines all thanks to Ryan Reynolds performance. Deadpool is not your usual superhero nor the superhero you want to save you, but he’s the superhero you’d root for. 

Grade: 4/5 Stars

Paul Rudd Makes Everything Look Okay & Charming. Ant-Man Movie Review

Ant-Man was not an easy project to make, and time is of the essence obviously, as Captain America: Civil War draws nearer and nearer by the second. People who have followed the development of this movie knows how much struggle it took for this film to come into reality. There was the fallout of the original director who developed the project for years then dropped out because of creative conflicts with the studio. Then the process of finding Ant-Man was equally difficult, but we can all agree that there’s no better Ant-Man than Paul Rudd. 
This movie was not loud, or as destructive as the other Marvel movies. Well somehow, but probably because it’s literally smaller in scale, so the fightings are mostly on children’s play set which makes it cute to be honest. 
Ant-Man stands unique in all of Marvel’s heroes. Probably because he’s not a multi millionaire dressed in an iron suit, or a prince from a distant galaxy. Scott Lang is pretty much like the rest of us; damaged, ordinary and looking for redemption. That I believe is this movie’s selling point. Big things come from small beginnings as they say. 
I hate ants. So it’s pretty weird for me to witness a superhero who allies himself with biting insects. This movie did not turn me into an ant lover. Visual effects are amazing. It’s gonna have to be because you really cannot create practical effects in a microscopic scale. Well one can argue that that is possible, but Ant-Man moves pretty fast. It’s gotta have to be CGI. 
As usual with any Marvel movie, it’s always, one way or another, staging for the next Marvel movie, and all is obvious that it is a serious attempt to align him to MCU, specifically to The Avengers. He will be a great addition. 

  
Seriously, Paul Rudd is amazing. He brings charm to a distraught and lonely character to this very likable down to earth superhero. Michael Douglas is Michael Douglas of course, but I wonder what role he has for future Marvel movies. Evangeline Lily is a little bit underused. It will be lovely to see what Marvel has for her. 
Again, Marvel movies are easy to watch. You just sit there and be entertained, which one can say is its purpose anyway. But like what I’ve said from my review from The Avengers: Age of Ultron, there is this big opportunity to show the audience something more. Grit is probably what I’m looking for, something DC comics has that Marvel seems to lack. IMHO. 
Ant-Man is by far the most intimate of all Marvel movies so far. Set in a realistic, identifiable life as the audience, Ant-Man is a big addition to the ever growing universe of Marvel. Charming, funny and action packed, Ant-Man is a perfect addition to the growing superhero market. 
Grade: 4 Stars

P.S. christophe beck’s score is pretty amazing