Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Feb 23, 2019 2:45:43 GMT -5
Not exactly comic book per say BUT if one consumes superhero media no matter how potentially shitty they are, Shout Factory is offering a new one in May. Apparently it's a woman-led film called Valentine: The Dark AvengerI have no clue what this is, who is in it, or who made it, since all I get are blu-ray listings when I Google it. But as far as 2019 superhero films go, it can't be worse than Glass, amiright? And even if it's bad, since it's Shout...MST season 13?
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Feb 25, 2019 0:40:28 GMT -5
Oscars Update: Black Panther did not take home Best Picture. Instead it lost to what is destined to be the most hated Oscar winner since Crash, Green Book. For the record I liked Green Book, but it should have gone to BlacKkKlansman, A Star is Born, or Roma instead. I definitely agree it was the wrong choice.
Black Panther won for musical score, production design, and costumes. All three well earned.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won Best Animated, beating out fellow superflick Incredibles 2. Also well earned. Bao, which played with Incredibles 2, won Best Animated Short.
Avengers: Infinity War went home empty handed in its sole visual effects category. It was beaten by the Neil Armstrong/moon landing biopic First Man.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Feb 28, 2019 0:43:56 GMT -5
So...new X-Men: Dark Phoenix trailer. Like...Jesus Christ...could they spell out that Mystique dies any harder? I think most guessed that based on putting clips from the first trailer together in their head, but now they're just implying outright without directly admitting it. I think the movie looks okay, though it has some ground to cover if it wants to make up for Apocalypse. And since this is likely the last of Fox's X-Men I really want this series to go out with more than a whimper. Edit: Nevermind, they just admitted it outright. Though why they would spoil this before the movie comes out I don't understand.
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Post by Mod City on Feb 28, 2019 13:51:27 GMT -5
I've liked the X-Men movies from the start, despite some of their missteps. And I agree, I'd like this to be a fitting closing chapter to an important part of the non-MCU Marvel movie world.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Feb 28, 2019 15:27:17 GMT -5
I think a lot of people forget just how important that first X-Men movie is. Even when superhero movies were good back then, story and characterization were always secondary to the fantasy. Superman movies were always a wink and a nod showcase of superpowers, while Batman movies weren't really about anything (a villain shows up and Batman punches people). I guess you could say Blade helped course correct by making superheroes sexier, but X-Men proved a superhero movie could be dramatically successful without losing grip on the spectacle. The best movies since then really built on that model that film created for them. Even Christopher Nolan was hesitant about doing Batman Begins because he watched X-Men and said "Damn. That was MY idea."
There are people championing the death of "Fox-Men" but for me this is very bittersweet. I've enjoyed almost all the X-Men movies sans Apocalypse (even The Last Stand and Origins to a degree) and losing this franchise is a bit hard. I guess we can always say Logan is our grand swansong that the series deserved, I guess.
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Post by Mod City on Feb 28, 2019 16:29:36 GMT -5
I still remember how impressed I was with the first X-Men movie. It wasn't perfect, but damn was it better than I thought it was going to be. And as great as Robert Downey Jr. has been (and the majority of the MCU cast, for that matter), Hugh Jackman changed the game. He had comic fans pretty much OK with the fact that he was over six feet tall when Wolverine is supposed to be, like, four feet tall or something.
You know what? It's better with Wolverine at six feet tall. Seriously, his performance is so iconic I don't like going back to the short Wolverine portrayal in the comics.
Either way, I'm looking forward to this. For better or worse.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 6, 2019 20:51:26 GMT -5
A couple of interesting casting rumors are being tossed around today. First we have Idris Elba negotiating to replace Will Smith in Suicide Squad 2. I like Elba, but he's always struck me as more stoic than Smith. Though granted Deadshot was a fairly restrained Smith performance, all things considered. I'm sure Elba would do well, but...yeah, I'd miss Smith. He was a highlight in that first film. Second, we have Emma Watson in talks for an undisclosed role in Black Widow. Okay, I'll admit Hermione vs. Black Widow wasn't something I realised I NEEDED in my life before right this moment, but now I insist they don't tease us with this if they don't follow through.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 8, 2019 1:19:09 GMT -5
I'm sure anybody who even barely glances at this thread can guess what I did today. Hello madam Marvel. It's good to see you. Captain Marvel came out tonight, and while I had fun over all, there are issues that need to be addressed. It's a little jumbled and busy, as it tries really hard to take this somewhat full story and tie it in to Carol Danvers' origin. While it doesn't not work (it ties itself up fairly well, all things considered), it feels like our main character is leeching off of the storyline to make herself seem less bland. The "awakening memory" segments are murky and a little hard to follow, and yet our hero relies on them a little too much to be her own character while during the rest of the movie she's something of a stiff excuse for action scenes. Some reviews I have read have said Brie Larson is a weak lead, and though I see where they're coming from, I don't quite think Larson was poorly cast. My primary issue with her is that the adopts a stone-faced dry wit that I don't feel quite suits her as an actress. Marvel's trademark quips sometimes fail to land because she doesn't really find a way to deliver them that feels natural to her. That said, her and Samuel L. Jackson show some pretty incredible chemistry, which is super helpful since a good portion is a road trip movie between the duo. That's about all I really have to complain about. What did the movie do right? Well, to put it simply, when the movie is at it's high point it feels like Marvel is schooling DC on how to make a Green Lantern movie that doesn't suck. The space action is really fun and dazzles, with the only low point being early on with an action sequence featuring murky camerawork, but it was isolated to this sole sequence. It threatens to stall during the midsection, but is mostly saved by Larson and Jackson, before taking a fun turn for a wild climax featuring loyalties, space ships exploding, and KITTY! While continuity isn't a huge selling point with me, what I did appreciate about the film was that if one were to watch these Marvel films in chronological order it actually retroactively adds plotpoints as if it were an honorary Phase One movie, surprisingly picking up some fun threads from the first Captain America movie and helping it lead into the original Avengers. One could even make the argument that Phase One is just a little bit stronger with this movie in it. The movie also features fun cameos from characters featured in Guardians of the Galaxy, though it doesn't really tie in that heavily with it. The movie does set up that Captain Marvel may have further adventures with these characters in the near future, leading me to wonder if future Captain Marvel movies will also be set in the 90's as well. The one continuity thing that might not sit well with some is a bit of a spoiler, so read at your own risk... We get to see how Fury scarred his eye in the film, and it's played for laughs. He is clawed in the face by Goose the Cat/Flerkin, who just kind of has a hissy fit when Fury is baby talking to it. While it does fit okay with Fury's earlier established line of "Last time I trusted someone I lost an eye...", I think most would have preferred a more dramatic idea. I do remember The Weekly Planet podcast joking around about Goose potentially clawing Fury's eye out in the movie, and it's kind of hilarious that they were accidentally right. In the end it's a balancing act of things that worked and things that didn't. Which side you lean toward may strongly depend on how much you enjoy the former or how irritated you are by the latter. I myself can be soft on superhero movies because they're fun escapist fare for me, so I'd give a slight thumbs up to the film while conceding that it has a few issues. Give it a shot and see which side of the line you lie on. Just don't be an ass and review bomb it without seeing it, like a bunch of dicks are doing. Pay your money like a self respecting nerd and THEN review bomb it, you cheap bastards. One final note I'd like to leave on, I sat behind a group of preteen girls who were utterly enchanted by the film, and during the end credits the were gossiping about the plot points and how they'll lead up into Avengers: Endgame. It really struck me how far the MCU and comic book movies have come in the last eleven years. When Spider-Man came out to dare dream of a franchise like this was laughable, and now we have a multi-film series of interconnected films that is growing almost as popular as Star Wars and capturing the imagination of a new generation. Not to mention that while Captain Marvel isn't a perfect movie, between it and Wonder Woman these girls finally had heroes that they could relate to over Iron Man or Batman, leaving the days of half assed wank bait like Catwoman in the wind. This age of superhero movies is wondrous and it melted me a little to see this vision of my dream franchise come to life, continue to push itself, and become lovingly embraced. Now if only the Godzilla/Kong MonsterVerse could be as successful. 1. Black Panther 2. Captain America: Civil War 3. Thor 4. The Incredible Hulk 5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 6. Avengers: Infinity War 7. Doctor Strange 8. Iron Man 9. Avengers: Age of Ultron 10. Captain America: The First Avenger 11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 12. Thor: The Dark World 13. Iron Man 3 14. The Avengers 15. Guardians of the Galaxy 16. Spider-Man: Homecoming 17. Captain Marvel 18. Ant-Man 19. Ant-Man and the Wasp 20. Thor: Ragnarok 21. Iron Man 2 Final note: The opening of this film will leave you stunned. Absolutely wonderful, beautiful, and perfect.
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Post by Mod City on Mar 8, 2019 10:56:32 GMT -5
I was kind of hoping we'd get an opening weekend review from you, Torgo I don't know if I'll get to see it this weekend, but who knows. With her appearances in the trailer, I suspected Larson's take on Danvers might seem a little stiff at times, but I'm glad to hear it's a decent performance. I'm rooting for this movie. How was the theater audience?
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 8, 2019 12:42:04 GMT -5
You know you can't keep me away, Mod. This is my biz. I'll see every movie they make.
The audience was great and packed. The applauded the special sequence that opened the movie and really seemed to be wrapped up in the movie. The end also got a round of applause, as did the first end credit scene, which was just enough tease for Endgame without giving anything away. The second scene was met with uproarious laughter. It was a lot of fun.
And in April I'm definitely going to watch all the MCU movies day by day up until Endgame. It seems only right.
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Post by Mod City on Mar 8, 2019 15:01:41 GMT -5
And in April I'm definitely going to watch all the MCU movies day by day up until Endgame. It seems only right. Great idea. I heard there was a point a few weeks ago where if you started watching the MCU movies once a week starting with Iron Man, you'd wrap up the weekend before Endgame came out. I kind of wish I had taken the initiative and gotten some friends who are not really MCU fans. I actually don't know anyone outside the Internet who has actually seen every MCU movie other than myself. That said, I only own Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Black Panther. I can catch Ant-Man and the Wasp, GOTG Vol. 2 and Infinity War on Netflix. I can't justify buying all the ones I don't have at one shot, but maybe if I pace the rentals it would come out a little easier.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 8, 2019 15:51:42 GMT -5
And in April I'm definitely going to watch all the MCU movies day by day up until Endgame. It seems only right. Great idea. I heard there was a point a few weeks ago where if you started watching the MCU movies once a week starting with Iron Man, you'd wrap up the weekend before Endgame came out. I kind of wish I had taken the initiative and gotten some friends who are not really MCU fans. I actually don't know anyone outside the Internet who has actually seen every MCU movie other than myself. That said, I only own Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Black Panther. I can catch Ant-Man and the Wasp, GOTG Vol. 2 and Infinity War on Netflix. I can't justify buying all the ones I don't have at one shot, but maybe if I pace the rentals it would come out a little easier. I myself am lucky because I've been collecting superhero movies since I was a teenager (back when these movies were far less common than they are today), and have been keeping up to date on the latest ones. I just got the 4K copy of Captain America: The First Avenger the other day, and both Winter Soldier and Civil War are coming out in April (I hope before they hit my rotation). So I am up to speed on just about everything Marvel and DC, for better or for worse (even blu-ray copies of Catwoman and Ghost Rider collecting dust). I considered doing chronological order, which is tempting considering how neatly Captain Marvel fits in between The First Avenger and Iron Man. But it can get messy along the way, and considering there is no universally agreed upon chronological order (and Marvel's attempt at one made no goddamn sense), I think it's best to honor the filmmaking journey than the character journey. Though for the record, my preferred chronological order should I have done one would have been: Captain America: The First Avenger (40's) Captain Marvel (90's) Iron Man Iron Man 2 Thor The Incredible Hulk (happens concurrent with the previous two films, but from what I can tell ends later so I'd pop it right here) The Avengers Iron Man 3 Thor: The Dark World Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (six months after the first) Avengers: Age of Ultron Ant-Man Captain America: Civil War Black Panther (one week after Civil War) Spider-Man: Homecoming (several months after Civil War...and ignore the eight year thing) Doctor Strange (likely begins during Phase Two, but there isn't really a noted point in the timeline certain events take place) Ant-Man and the Wasp (I think happens a few months before Infinity War) Thor: Ragnarok (ends just before Infinity War) Avengers: Infinity War Avengers: Endgame If you want me to time place the TV shows, I could maybe do Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter, that rest I would just give up on (especially Runaways).
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Post by Mod City on Mar 8, 2019 16:51:56 GMT -5
Just seeing that list is intimidating. I like the chronological order idea, could be fun, but I agree, I'm a fan of watching in release order.
Any ideas on a truncated list for a newcomer? Maybe five or six MCU flicks to ease someone into Infinity War and Endgame? I figure one movie from every major franchise - so we'd have at least one Captain America movie, Iron Man movie, Thor movie and a Guardians movie? Probably want Black Panther in there, too. You might not even need the original Avengers or Age of Ultron in there.
I don't know, like I said I have friends who I think would actually really like the MCU if it didn't seem like such a damn undertaking to catch up with at this point. I suppose I could just take them through them all and finish with Infinity War and Endgame whenever we get to them. Probably makes the most sense, and they don't miss out on any details.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 8, 2019 17:52:05 GMT -5
It feels like a lot of things are coming to a head in Endgame, which means most of the film's might be necessary in one way or another. I think most agree that The Incredible Hulk might be the most disposable, despite General Ross reappearing in Civil War and Infinity War.
Probably the ones that are in most immediate need to make sense of Infinity War/Endgame are the films that deal directly with the Infinity Stones. That would be:
Captain America: The First Avenger The Avengers Thor: The Dark World Guardians of the Galaxy Avengers: Age of Ultron Doctor Strange Avengers: Infinity War Captain Marvel also uses an Infinity Stone as a plot point, but it might not entirely be considered necessary
But that would also leave the character evolution of the previous films a bit in the wind. The dismantling of SHIELD takes place in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the disassembling of the Avengers happens in Captain America: Civil War, and the exploration of Nebula's strained relationship with Thanos happens in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. A concept the might likely be used is the Quantum Realm from Ant-Man and the Wasp, but that's mostly speculation based on what we know of Scott Lang's role in Endgame.
The Iron Man movies are mostly relevant because Tony Stark really is a focal point of the entire series, and his arc has developed strongly straight through to Endgame. But as to whether they're relevant to the plot of that movie, I doubt it. I love the first Thor movie, but it's mostly a fish out of water comedy. It does provide context for Asgard and Loki though that helps strengthen other films. Thor: Ragnarok mostly helps put Thor's situation at the beginning of Infinity War into perspective. Black Panther, like the Thor films, establishes Wakanda and their relationship to the world, but I don't think it's entirely relevant. Spider-Man: Homecoming is enjoyable, but skipable. Ant-Man is...Ant-Man. It's mostly just a small (no pun intended), self-contained movie, but if one were to watch its sequel one might as well watch the original also.
That's just my opinion anyway.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Mar 8, 2019 18:21:11 GMT -5
Also, as an afterthought, the movies that seem to win people over the most to this franchise are Iron Man, The Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. If any movies are start points, it's probably those.
Though in the case of Guardians, there are a few people who only enjoy those movies as opposed to the others because they're sci-fi fans. I recall some disappointed reactions way back when upon discovering it was a Marvel movie and would likely cross over with the Avengers in Infinity War. But those might be isolated incidents.
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