‘WW84’ Kicks Off Year of Female Superheroes

For those of you who are wondering, my mom lived through the actual 1980s, so I asked her what she thought of the period setting. Mom said it did remind her of the 80s in a few ways, but the hair and the shoulder pads weren’t big enough. 

Me? I have never been a big fan of the 80s. Hate the hair, hate the fashion, hate the aesthetic, not my first choice on a time-traveling trip even if it saves the time-travel agency seamstress some grief. I know that the 80s aesthetic has been making a comeback but so far I have not had much reason to interact with it.

The 80s were anything but my ideal setting for a Wonder Woman sequel. I wanted to have Diana and Etta Candy and the squad from the first film having an adventure in the 1920s. From the announcement, the promo posters, and the trailers, WW84 looked like it was going to be a tacky 80s period piece. But, lesson learned, never judge a movie by its trailer. WW84 actually turned out to be a beautiful and emotional film.

In a lot of ways it’s even better than the first film, and compared to a lot of other PG-13 action flicks in this day and age it’s relatively lighthearted (emphasis on relatively, there are still a few dark moments). I suppose that’s thanks to the 80s aesthetic. 

Book and Film Globe/WarnerBros

A policy I am considering adopting is seeing the film/show twice before writing the review. When it comes to the big screen, though, that might be a stretch because the nearest movie theater is twenty miles away. That being said, my mom and I made the twenty-mile trip to see WW84 on the first Monday of January. It was my first time at a movie theater since The Rise of Skywalker came out, obviously because of the pandemic. It was just me and mom and a handful of other people that sat well away from us in the theater.

 And let me tell you, seeing WW84 on a big screen was WORTH IT. It’s a great movie on it’s own, but it definitely deserves a big screen.

This post is addressed to people who have already seen the film, as it will be a discussion of my thoughts about the film with spoilers. If you haven’t seen it yet, stop reading here and go watch it.

‘Frozen II’: An Incredible Film

I just saw Frozen II. Finally. It was amazing.

After weeks of waiting for it to show up on Disney+, I decided to do the smart thing and Google the information. Turns out, Disney is not loading new theatrical releases on the platform until six to eight months after their theatrical debut. Now you know. 

I’ve been NEEDING to see it because about a month ago my dad got a Frozen II piano book for my little sister and ever since she has been learning it and playing it.

The good news is, it is on Amazon Prime, rentable for a small feel. I was unable to see Frozen II in theaters because I was sick, but now I really wish I had because this is a movie that deserves the biggest screen you can get. The animation and the graphics are amazing. Most of the story is set out in an autumnal wilderness that is incredibly detailed. 

Side note: Elsa looks amazing with her hair all the way down and I really want to touch it because it looks so soft!

LOOK AT HER HAIR. LOOK AT IT! (We Heart It)

Yes, No, Maybe: ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ in Review

I thought the entire premise of the Star Wars sequel trilogy was to be “better” than the Prequels: better dialogue, more practical effects, no “whining” Anakin, and so on. Episodes 7 and 8 managed to reach…some of these goals, but overall episode 9, The Rise of Skywalker—the one that was supposed to tie off the unified “saga”—feels like a step backwards from that premise and from Star Wars as a whole. 

My main grievances are Palpatine “returning” as the main villain, the deaths of one or more main characters, the treatment of the main heroine and villain/antihero, and some moments of tacky dialogue.

I understand that there are people who thought that Revenge of the Sith was a terrible film. Back in the day there may even have been people who thought Return of the Jedi was sub-par. The thing is, The Rise of Skywalker has flaws that are even more appalling and inexcusable than those two films combined.

‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ Not Great but Pretty Good

I know this movie has been out for about a month now but I finally saw it last weekend and I think that it merits a short review, and since it’s been out a few weeks we’ll include some light spoilers.

When the sequel to Maleficent was announced in 2016 I had a little trepidation because, well, sequels are usually never as good as the original. Unlike some people, however, I was a little more optimistic because in the past I had played with a few fanfiction ideas based on the first film, so I had a vague idea about a few directions a sequel could go. 

The final product? Well, obviously it’s not the story I would have written. But I enjoyed it. There were a few story elements that were directly borrowed from the first movie, (notably a sleeping curse) but contrary to my apprehensions it was not a total remake. There were some parts of the movie where I thought I could guess what was going to happen next and ended up being wrong.

Captain Marvel Review: The Sleeping Giantess Awakens

I have always wanted and needed female fictional characters in my life. I am drawn to them. Ever since Captain Marvel starring Carol Danvers was announced in fall of 2014 with the Phase 3 Lineup, I have been waiting impatiently for it. The more I have seen of Carol Danvers in online fandom, the more I’ve liked her. The DCEU’s offerings of Wonder Woman and Supergirl were great, but I was still anxious for a Marvel interation of the female lead.

So we finally have it. I’ve seen it twice. I had a lot of expectations. Were they met? Not entirely. But Captain Marvel still manages to be unique and fun. I wouldn’t call it my favorite MCU movie, but it is a worthy installment. I’m dividing this review into two parts: one section with spoilers and one without. If you have not seen the movie, read the top and then go see it. If you have seen Captain Marvel and you want some of my more specific thoughts, then read the whole thing.

The Non-Spoiler Review:

The first time I saw Captain Marvel, I was actually kind of bored for the first twenty minutes, because those segments of the film are actually in the first two big trailers—which, like anyone else madly excited for this film, I watched multiple times. Some parts of the overall plot were simply too predictable. There are a few interesting twists, but I feel like one or two of them were taken too far.

Take away the female lead and replace it with a male one, and it’s probably just another run-of-the-mill superhero movie.  If you’re a pessimist it comes off that stale.

As the action moved to Earth from space, however, the tension gradually increased, and the protagonist’s personality came out more as she bounces off of Nick Fury and reconnected with her former adopted family. She reacted to the reveal of her stolen past and identity with just enough frustration and anger to sell it. Just enough. And the final battle sequence was mind-blowingly epic enough to leave me pumped. Not to mention the mid-credit scene spooked the living daylights out of me. 

The second time I saw it, I enjoyed it all the way through. No surprises there. I’m a lot more critical of movies the first time around. Captain Marvel carries on Marvel’s well-established legacy with gusto.

If you want to compare it to Wonder Woman, there are some things that Captain Marvel honestly doesn’t do as well, notably on depicting the lead as a well-rounded person. Carol Danvers is a lot more serious than Diana of Themascriya, I’ll give you that, but then again she didn’t come from the same idyllic background. She’s a lot less feminine than Wonder Woman period (but the character not being sexualized at all is very gratifying). There are other things that Captain Marvel does better, especially in regards to supporting female characters that help the lead on her mission and stay with her the entire film.

As a girl-power fantasy, Captain Marvel is bigger than Wonder Woman in terms of scale and explosions and odds against the heroine—odds that don’t intimidate her for a moment. I dare say it’s even more satisfying to watch, probably because the ending is happier (is that a spoiler?). Really, though, I am of the party that doesn’t think the two films, or the two heroines, need to compete.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu4PULdjDOI/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1v7uxb707jw2

It is a great thing that we have movies that are written to depict a certain demographic as superheroes. However, Captain Marvel having a female lead does not mean that this is only a movie for women and girls. Like Black Panther before it, Captain Marvel is a movie for everyone, because it is a chance for everyone to see through a different perspective.

Double Review: ‘Grindelwald’ and ‘Aquaman’

The only two movies I got to see during the holidays were Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Aquaman. These two films don’t have much in common other than the fact that (A) they’re both Warner Bros and (B) they’re both installments in major franchises.

You should have seen these films by now, so I will discuss the spoilers in depth as I wax eloquent about my likes and dislikes of both.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

I went to see Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald right after it came out on Thanksgiving weekend. Let me start out by saying I do have some serious problems with this film. The biggest one is this: I refuse to believe that trim, smart-looking Jude Law is supposed to be Albus Dumbledore in any way, shape or form. I don’t care if it IS the 1920s, I want to see him with a long beard and awesome wizard robes.

‘Ant-man and the Wasp’ Delivers In Spite of Post-Infinity War Angst

After the outstanding success of Black Panther and the devastating finale of Infinity War, it would seem like a tall order for an in-between stand-alone film like Ant-Man and the Wasp to be as impressive or as entertaining as either film—especially when some of us are waiting for Captain Marvel.

But in spite of those odds, Ant-man and the Wasp, like its predecessor, Ant-man, exceeded expectations, perhaps even more so. I kid you not.

‘Incredibles 2’ is a Smoking Hot Sequel

Mostly Spoiler-free Review

Note: If you haven’t seen the Pixar short “Jack-Jack Attack,” I highly recommend you watch it before seeing Incredibles 2.  Trust me.

It shouldn’t be surprising. Finding Dory was almost as good as Finding Nemo. And although I am not a fan of the Toy Story franchise I have to admit that Toy Story 2 and 3 are very well-crafted films. But there has been pressure from the fans for an Incredibles sequel for the longest time. And there was a lot that such a sequel would have to live up to. The cast and the director let us know that they knew what was at stake in a short video played before the film. And the payoff? It’s huge.

‘Solo’ Comes Up Short

*Spoilers included*

I never thought I was one of those fans who would care about how Han Solo was depicted. I’m more invested in the Skywalker family arc and Jedi awesomeness. But, as it turns out, I do care about Han Solo. And I did have expectations about how his character’s origins would be portrayed in the spinoff film Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Han Solo in A New Hope is a successful though challenged smuggler. He’s courageous but brash, he’s arrogant and pushes people away. He puts himself first no matter what, and the only real friend his has is Chewie.  A twinge of conscience, however, prompts Han to aid the rebels at the battle of Yavin. The perception of the fandom is that Han Solo in his prime is hardened and hardcore. The reality is that he is kind of a good person who just isn’t typically nice.

‘Infinity War’: Darker but Still Fun

THANOS IS HERE.

Avengers: Infinity War hit theaters last week, and after having seen it twice I would definitely say it lives up to the hype and I would not mind watching it over and over again. I have a lot of thoughts on this film, and I am sharing them with you as spoiler-free as possible.

The first time I saw Infinity War I had a hard time liking it. It was like having a bad dream. It’s the kind of dream where you get something you really wanted but then your subconscious put together the different elements in ways you don’t want, at a pace you can’t control, and you wake up the next morning and you’re not sure you like what you got.  It’s not exactly a nightmare, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Again, that was how I walked away from the first viewing.