Marvel's Movie/TV Universe v2 (SPOILERS)

[Adami]

Was that Michael B Jordan with that insane hair? Dude has never looked cooler.

[Accelerando]

Seems like playing the Human Torch is an awesome career move

[Adami]

Seems like playing the Human Torch is an awesome career move

Didn't work for this guy.

[hefdaddy42]

lol

[Adami]

So after watching the BP trailer, I'm pretty hyped for the bad guys. Andy and Michael look like they're going to be bringing something really cool, and when THOSE two are your big bads? Man, I hope this might even help fix Marvel's villain problem. Assuming Michael Keaton and Cate Blanchett don't already do that.

[jingle.boy]

So after watching the BP trailer, I'm pretty hyped for the bad guys. Andy and Michael look like they're going to be bringing something really cool, and when THOSE two are your big bads? Man, I hope this might even help fix Marvel's villain problem. Assuming Michael Keaton and Cate Blanchett don't already do that.

Man, Hela looks unbelievably badass.  I've never been a fan of Blanchett or her look, but she is the reason I'm absolutely jacked for Ragnarök

[bosk1]

So after watching the BP trailer, I'm pretty hyped for the bad guys. Andy and Michael look like they're going to be bringing something really cool, and when THOSE two are your big bads? Man, I hope this might even help fix Marvel's villain problem. Assuming Michael Keaton and Cate Blanchett don't already do that.

Marvel doesn't have a villain problem.

Anyhow...

Just saw Logan last night, thanks to the Redbox.  I have been hugely disappointed in the X-Men related films since...pretty much forever.  I have never even bothered to see them all, because the last few I saw were pretty unmemorable and didn't really do anything for me. 

That said, Logan was pretty good.  I wouldn't say it was "great," but it's hard to articulate why, since it had so many great elements.  Probably the best thing about it was the character portrayal of Logan, Xavier, and Laura.  Xavier, in particular, was brilliantly played.  I liked Patrick Stewart as an actor before, but he really did an amazing job here.  There's something about an actor playing an older version of a familiar character that so often doesn't come across as completely genuine in film.  None of that applies here.  Stewart just nailed it 100%.  What a job!

I thought Jackman did a good job with Wolverine.  I wouldn't say he was exceptional, but it seems that he has done a pretty consistently good job with the character, and he had a good script to work with here.  He definitely pulled off the role. 

Really impressed with the character of Laura and her arc.  For the first half of the film, she was rightly creepy and impersonal.  And the movie came SO close to making her completely unrelatable.  But I think that really enabled the emotional payoff of her character arc in the film.  So often, child actors aren't able to carry the emotion needed for a film like this.  She did a brilliant job.  The only issue I have is that it really is a dark, unsettling, disturbing film in many ways, which makes me question the ethics of using kids in the first place, and the toll that such a role may take on them.  But that's a different topic, I suppose.

I also really like the gritty, almost Western-y at times, feel of the film overall.  There were also so many settings that it was at times hard to keep one's bearings.  But given that it was a "heroes on the run" type of film, that felt appropriate. 

Anyhow, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  Part of it was low expectations.  But the other part is just how well done it was. 

Good review here that pretty accurately sums up a lot of my thoughts: https://www.avclub.com/review/wolverine-series-gets-superb-sendoff-brutal-r-rate-251147

[TioJorge]

I rewatched it for the third time in the "noir" version, which is essentially just a black and white version, and it was actually cooler than I thought and I cannot for the life of me explain why but the "western vibe" (that is inexplicably there and yet not at all) comes pretty close to why that version works and makes it a little more interesting if you're looking to see it more than once.

[bosk1]

"western vibe" (that is inexplicably there and yet not at all)

  Precisely.

[Adami]

So the first official trailer for The Inhumans has dropped

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi5by6U7YKU

I can say for certain that this is.....in fact a trailer. Sadly I don't think it looks very good at all. Both Black Bolt and Medusa seem so terribly miscast, and not even GOT dude can make his character look interesting.

Hope I'm wrong, but I probably won't be checking out the first two episodes in Imax at this point unless amazing reviews come in.

[soupytwist]

So Spider-Man : Homecoming is currently sitting on 93% on Rottentomatoes.   Hooray.  Also Ironman isn't in the movie anywhere near as much as the trailer makes it look.

[jingle.boy]

So the first official trailer for The Inhumans has dropped

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi5by6U7YKU

I can say for certain that this is.....in fact a trailer. Sadly I don't think it looks very good at all. Both Black Bolt and Medusa seem so terribly miscast, and not even GOT dude can make his character look interesting.

Hope I'm wrong, but I probably won't be checking out the first two episodes in Imax at this point unless amazing reviews come in.

Agreed... my first thought was - wait... THAT'S Black Bolt??  And I'm not even terribly familiar with the Inhumans (though, that's next on my reading list this summer).

[bosk1]

  What do you find "not very good" about it?  To me, there isn't much to go on to judge it one way or the other.

[Adami]

  What do you find "not very good" about it?  To me, there isn't much to go on to judge it one way or the other.

I agree I can't judge the show yet, but the point of a trailer is to look good and make me excited about the show. This trailer did not look very good.

I wouldn't say it looked bad, except for the casting of Black Bolt and Medusa, who may prove me wrong in the actual show.

However, when I say not very good, I meant more that there was nothing that came off as very good. It was just kind of.....there. Didn't look terrible, didn't look good.

[bosk1]

...when I say not very good, I meant more that there was nothing that came off as very good. It was just kind of.....there. Didn't look terrible, didn't look good.

Fair enough.  I actually agree with that.  It just seems to have gotten a more negative reaction in general than I think is warranted given how little we actually saw, and especially since, as you say, it isn't that it's "bad"--it just doesn't really go anywhere particularly exciting.

[Adami]

...when I say not very good, I meant more that there was nothing that came off as very good. It was just kind of.....there. Didn't look terrible, didn't look good.

Fair enough.  I actually agree with that.  It just seems to have gotten a more negative reaction in general than I think is warranted given how little we actually saw, and especially since, as you say, it isn't that it's "bad"--it just doesn't really go anywhere particularly exciting.

Yea, it's an unfortunate situation given the history of the franchise. It was supposed to be a movie, then delayed multiple times, then eventually cancelled as a movie and moved into a TV show. And not just a TV show, but a TV show they seem so confident in, that they're releasing it in IMAX theaters. So unfortunately the show won't be able to shake off this baggage. Plus it has to be compared to other Marvel properties. Whether it's the movies, or the Netflix shows, or even Agents of Shield. Hell, it should even be compared to its DC peers in Flash/Arrow/Super Girl/Legends, and quality wise this looks well below that level.

Like I said, hopefully the show is better, but this was not a very good trailer at doing the job it was supposed to do. I think the casting of Black Bolt, and Medusa is crucial, and as of now, it looks like those didn't do as well as they needed to. Medusa just came off as a bad actress (like I said, might be wrong in the actual show) and Black Bolt looked more weak and confused than strong and powerful, which is how he's supposed to be. They are not the King and Queen just because of royal blood lines, but also because the Inhumans all look up to them with an unbreakable amount of respect. So these characters need to be the kind that demand respect, which they didn't.

[bosk1]

Yea, it's an unfortunate situation given the history of the franchise. It was supposed to be a movie, then delayed multiple times, then eventually cancelled as a movie and moved into a TV show. And not just a TV show, but a TV show they seem so confident in, that they're releasing it in IMAX theaters. So unfortunately the show won't be able to shake off this baggage.

But is that really "baggage?"  It just is what it is.  The show went through some twists and turns to become what it is, and now we have it as...what it is.  Doesn't mean it's necessarily bad or "lesser" because of that history, does it?

Plus it has to be compared to other Marvel properties. Whether it's the movies, or the Netflix shows, or even Agents of Shield. Hell, it should even be compared to its DC peers in Flash/Arrow/Super Girl/Legends, and quality wise this looks well below that level.

Well, now see that's where I go back to:  Too early to tell.  We haven't seen nearly enough for me to draw that conclusion.

Like I said, hopefully the show is better, but this was not a very good trailer at doing the job it was supposed to do. I think the casting of Black Bolt, and Medusa is crucial, and as of now, it looks like those didn't do as well as they needed to. Medusa just came off as a bad actress (like I said, might be wrong in the actual show) and Black Bolt looked more weak and confused than strong and powerful, which is how he's supposed to be. They are not the King and Queen just because of royal blood lines, but also because the Inhumans all look up to them with an unbreakable amount of respect. So these characters need to be the kind that demand respect, which they didn't.

Well, two things:
1.  Again, I go back to "we haven't seen enough to judge."  I don't think we can say anything about the characters yet.
2.  I wouldn't necessarily expect the characters to be the same as what we are familiar with in the comics.  They may very well have had that kind of unshakable respect in the comics.  But we may be dealing with a different situation here, such as potentially a once-great royal line that is now in decline for some reason that is important to the story arc.  Marvel has changed quite a bit about their characters and stories in the TV shows and films that is different from their comic origins.  I wouldn't go in expecting to get the same thing.

[Adami]

Yea, I get that. Which is why I've said that maybe the show will be better.

However, the purpose of a trailer is to get us excited or interested in the show, and I would say this trailer did not do a good job at that. Does it ruin the show? Nah of course not. But I am not excited for it after that trailer. You bet I'll watch it on TV, but only because of the comics and the overall goodwill that Marvel has built. If this was totally standalone and not based on anything, I would likely have no interest after that trailer.

[King Postwhore]

Got to say I loved Anson Mount in Hell On Wheels.  He's the actor playing Black Bolt.

[Accelerando]

Got to say I loved Anson Mount in Hell On Wheels.  He's the actor playing Black Bolt.

He's the reason why i'm remotely interested in this show. He was great in Hell on Wheels. Before Ben Affleck was casted to play Batman for DCEU, I was championing this guy for the role

[bosk1]

Thinking a bit about Spiderman, since Homecoming hits theaters later this week.  It just crossed my mind that, at least from what we have seen so far, Peter is all about keeping his identity as Spiderman a secret.  Well, duh.  But what is interesting is that that doesn't exactly jibe with stark's position on the Sokovia Accords, and registration and all that.  I mean, really, Peter should be on Cap's side.  I wonder if this will sort of come to a head or at least be addressed in Homecoming.

[Adami]

Thinking a bit about Spiderman, since Homecoming hits theaters later this week.  It just crossed my mind that, at least from what we have seen so far, Peter is all about keeping his identity as Spiderman a secret.  Well, duh.  But what is interesting is that that doesn't exactly jibe with stark's position on the Sokovia Accords, and registration and all that.  I mean, really, Peter should be on Cap's side.  I wonder if this will sort of come to a head or at least be addressed in Homecoming.

I wonder if his age, being 15, would excuse him from the accords? I have no idea.

I know in the comics he also sided with Tony (at least for a while) and rectified this problem by unmasking in public.

Or maybe since Tony knows his identity, that the accords would be cool with it? I dunno.

[Adami]

Also, just thinking about it, I'm a little concerned by their idea to make each Spiderman movie to be his next year in highschool.

Right now he's what...19? Playing a 15 year old. That could work. But if by Spiderman 3, the actor is like 25 or 26 and playing a 17 year old, it's a bit more of a problem. I hope they age him a bit more in real time so that we don't go back to having a mid-late 20's guy playing a highschool senior, since that was one of the major complaints for Garfield and McGuire.

[Accelerando]

Yeah, but we only saw Maguire as a senior for what, 45 minutes of the first film? And how youthful he looked made it believable. Holland might look older in the next films than Maguire or Garfield ever did. That kid has a strong superhero chin if I ever saw one!

What's concerning for me is that I feel like I saw the movie already with the trailers. Going in, I already have an idea what the plot is going to be about, and what Peter's troubles are. A better movie experience for me is knowing a little to nothing at all about the movie. But alas, Spider-Man and X-Men were my Marvel comics I read growing up, so im excited for it in that aspect. I'll be watching the first two Raimi Spidey flicks leading up to Homecoming. I personally consider Spider-Man 2 the best Marvel superhero film ever made.

[Adami]

Yeah, but we only saw Maguire as a senior for what, 45 minutes of the first film? And how youthful he looked made it believable. Holland might look older in the next films than Maguire or Garfield ever did. That kid has a strong superhero chin if I ever saw one!

What's concerning for me is that I feel like I saw the movie already with the trailers. Going in, I already have an idea what the plot is going to be about, and what Peter's troubles are. A better movie experience for me is knowing a little to nothing at all about the movie. But alas, Spider-Man and X-Men were my Marvel comics I read growing up, so im excited for it in that aspect. I'll be watching the first two Raimi Spidey flicks leading up to Homecoming. I personally consider Spider-Man 2 the best Marvel superhero film ever made.

I've heard the movie has a lot of stuff that the trailers never hinted at, so hopefully that's good.

But yea, I think that's a major problem with all comic book movies thus far. It's like they're so scared we won't like it that they have to show us the whole movie, when I'm pretty sure no one is actually swayed by it. The people going to see Spiderman, or Guardians 2 or whatever are going to see it even if it's only 2 trailers and nothing else. We don't need 5 trailers and 30 TV spots.

[jingle.boy]

After watching pretty much everything that was released for Age of Ultron (which had to be at least 20 minutes of the movie), I vowed never to do that again.  Now, all I watch is the official trailers... which there's usually only 2 or 3 of.  I avoid all TV spots, featurettes, character reveals, pre-released scenes etc...

[Adami]

RIP Joan Lee. Wife of Stan Lee for 69 years.

Heart breaking. I remember seeing them in a documentary and they seemed so in love.

[lonestar]

Spiderman was some quality shit, very entertaining, very visually well done without being too overbearing. Michael Keaton was a perfect villain.

[MetalJunkie]

Spiderman was some quality shit, very entertaining, very visually well done without being too overbearing. Michael Keaton was a perfect villain.

Really a great fucking movie. Tom Holland is the perfect Spiderman

[semi-spoilers]
There was one scene where Vulture flew up in the air and dropped Spidey in a lake. There was a brief moment where Vulture flew in front of the moon and spread his wings. It looked remarkably similar to a certain "signal"...

[masterthes]

Huh, I missed that. Yeah, Keaton makes a great villain. If he didn't play Batman, he could've made a great Two Face because he can do that duality perfectly

[jingle.boy]

Top 3 MCU movie in my books. Within the first 15 minutes it was already the best Spidey movie (just ahead of 2).

[King Postwhore]

Top 3 MCU movie in my books. Within the first 15 minutes it was already the best Spidey movie (just ahead of 2).

Dann that's high praise!

[lonestar]

Huh, I missed that. Yeah, Keaton makes a great villain. If he didn't play Batman, he could've made a great Two Face because he can do that duality perfectly

That would be a perfect casting for him.

[Adami]

I would say that Spiderman 2 is the better movie, but Homecoming really isn't far behind. I do think, however, that this is by far the best Spiderman casting we've ever gotten.

I actually really dug how they updated Flash Thompson.

And Michael Keaton was great. I think it could have been better, but only because he's Michael Keaton and we know he's capable of so much more, but it was definitely the best MCU villain since Loki. I would also say that Keaton was probably the most intimidating villain in the MCU thus far. In retrospect, I think this might be the first time in the MCU that the hero was actually scared of the bad guy. I honestly can't remember the hero being scared of a villain before.

I don't want to say a lot more since it just came out, but I loved this movie. There was a small thing at the very end that I thought was dumb and pointless, but beyond that it was a really well done movie.

[lonestar]

Spoiler- The Captain America PSA's were fucking hysterical.