Tag: MCU

Movie Review

Movie Review – Spider-Man: Far From Home

by N.Leave a Comment on Movie Review – Spider-Man: Far From Home

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After pretty much everyone on the planet saw Endgame and put in their two cents regarding the franchise’s biggest blockbuster (including myself), questions began turning to the next anticipated Marvel release – the sequel to the first film that really introduced Tom Holland as Spiderman – Far From Home. Once fans and the general populace heard that it would be set after the events of Endgame, questions turned to speculation and theories. After the incredible epic that was Endgame, how would other films in the MCU even compare? What could possibly be a bigger threat than Thanos? Could Peter Parker of all heroes pick up the pace?

But not too fast. What exactly happens in Marvel’s next film after their biggest and boldest hit yet? As it turns out, it’s quite simple. Peter Parker, still recovering after the effects of  Thanos snap and dealing with average high school problems, is excited about the class trip to Europe – finally a chance to relax, hang out with his friends, and who knows, maybe even confess to MJ! However, his plans are thwarted when mysterious beings known as Elementals start showing up all over the world and causing mass destruction… even his school trip becomes a target! Nick Fury and other agents fully trust Peter to deal with the issue, but he’s conflicted – with great power comes great responsibility after all. Things are made more complicated when an empathetic hero called Misterio offers to work with him and is even willing to understand Peter’s issues. But is Peter ready to leave his ‘friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’ persona behind?

To start off, one thing that I’m glad this movie addresses is the effects of people coming back from the ‘blip’ on society (i.e people being made homeless because of the ‘blip’ and some coming back the same age but with previously younger family members now being older than them) and the mental toll of both the snap and the loss of his father figure Tony Stark have on Peter. I personally feel like Far From Home handles Peter’s mental state and conflicting emotions very well, and it’s easy to both sympathize and emphasize with him – we’ve all had to deal with choosing between our responsibilities and what we really want. Moreover, we can understand why Peter doesn’t exactly want to be involved in all this Avenger stuff, since at the end of the day he’s just a friendly high school kid in a spider-themed mask who can do cool backflips. Tom Holland’s portrayal of the character gets better with every new release, and even the members of the supporting cast get their own moments to shine. Because this is a Spider-Man movie and by law it should be light-hearted in tone, it is filled to the brim with hilarious jokes and gags, but it still takes the time to let the hard-hitting scenes pack a punch.

Despite this film having come out after the very well-received Endgame and thus some were expecting it to be a letdown in comparison, it is pretty good. But it does have some issues. While I will admit that the visual effects and CGI in Marvel films are improving all the time (and this movie is no exception) and are cool to look at, this one in particular has a ton of action sequences and big epic battles that go on for a long time and leave you wondering when there’s going to be a scene that won’t make your eyes hurt. Also, some characters have returned from the snap with their personalities changed – for example, Nick Fury and the new agents of S.H.I.E.L.D as a whole don’t command as much authority as they used to and Fury is more of a comedic relief than anything (though he still has moments of awesome). Oh, and Misterio’s costume is so ugly it makes my eyes bleed.

In conclusion, Spider-Man: Far From Home is certainly no Endgame, but it doesn’t have to be. As long as you don’t mind a teen high school comedy mixed in with your superhero fare, Far From Home is a surprisingly thematic and engaging film, with plenty of hilarity and fun times along the way. As the first movie to set the stage for the next phase of the MCU, it’ll be interesting to see where this franchise is headed next.

Final score: 7.5/10

Movie Review

Movie Review – Avengers: Endgame (Spoiler-Free!)

by N.Leave a Comment on Movie Review – Avengers: Endgame (Spoiler-Free!)

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Ladies and gentlemen and others, we’ve finally made it. After 11 adventurous years, 22 feature-length films, many sold-out tickets, and much hype, the second part of Infinity War and the final film in Marvel’s Avengers series has finally arrived, and our long, arduous journey has come to a close. Now featuring more characters than ever before, speculation-fueled trailers and 181-minute runtime, everyone was both excited and anxious for the ultimate ending to cinema’s ultimate superhero series. After all, the last hurdle’s always the highest. I was able to see it the day after it came out in Vietnam (thankfully), and destiny said that a review must be made. So, how was Endgame?

For the sake of keeping this review as spoiler-free as possible, I am forced to keep the wall of text that usually serves as a plot recap short, but I will try nonetheless. To quickly recap the last film, everyone’s favourite evil purple man Thanos acquired all six of the Infinity Stones and wasted no time going along with his plan: wiping out 50% of the population of Earth and every planet in the galaxy, leading to the deaths of many of our beloved heroes. Now, despite their grief over lost partners, family members, and friends, the remaining Avengers realize that they must set aside their anguish for a chance – just one chance – of bringing back their comrades and ending Thanos’ plans once and for all.

Firstly, many have complained about the three-hour runtime being too long, but personally I did not find it to be that big of an issue, though I think it could’ve been shorter. Whether the scenes in the movie are action-packed or not, each one is able to deliver something that can make you smile, laugh, or cry throughout. Although not every character is given the same amount of screen time (for obvious reasons), every character is given a moment to shine, whether in battle or in dialogue. As always, the special effects and CGI were stunning (no doubt, as this is the most expensive Marvel caper to date), and the action sequences paired with Alan Silvestri’s iconic score are top-notch, giving the best that Marvel has to offer. Also as usual, every actor in this film is putting on a great performance, some that are so great that it made me wonder if it was illegal to have so many actors have such good chemistry and interactions with one another. Despite being marketed as the ultimate, craziest, and coolest superhero flick, it’s genuine heartfelt moments and hilarious call-backs to previous entries in the MCU that remind you how much effort has been put into the series and how this finale really is a love-letter to all Marvel fans.

Of course, being a three-hour long movie, there were bound to be a few slip-ups here and there. A few of the jokes don’t land as well as they should or sometimes feel a bit inappropriately placed, and despite me being one of those people who can sit through long runtimes, I do feel like this film could’ve used a few cuts and edits here and there to make it seem like less of a slog. While most people complained that the first half felt too long for them, I had no problem with the first half as I think that it sets up the story pretty well, but it was the ending that felt a bit dragged on – I almost thought I was watching Return of the King again.

In conclusion, the grand finale of Marvel’s Avengers series may have its setbacks, but it is on the whole a film worth watching – whether you’re a Marvel fan, casual observer, or something in-between. It is a movie that manages to entertain both sides of the spectrum, through great action, heartfelt moments, comedic dialogue, unapologetic comic book-ness, and an ending that will no doubt touch the hearts of many.

Final score: 9/10

Movie Review

Movie Review: Captain Marvel (Spoiler-Free!)

by N.Leave a Comment on Movie Review: Captain Marvel (Spoiler-Free!)

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After the exhilarating and hard-hitting ride that was last years’ Avengers: Infinity War, fans and non-fans alike were left with several theories and questions in regards to the film and its successor (coming out this April) left unanswered, one of which being: “Who was that person that Fury paged during the end credits sequence?” Of course, die-hard fans of Marvel would recognize the logo on the pager as belonging to no other than Captain Marvel, who has now received her own stand-alone movie as of right now, becoming the first film in the MCU with a lead female character.

I feel that I can’t reveal too much of the actual plot without going into spoiler territory, so lets keep it as brief as possible – the film follows Vers (Brie Larson), a noble warrior from the planet Hala, which is in the middle of a galactic-scale conflict. However, during a mission, Vers is ambushed and brought to mid-90s Earth, where she meets the younger Nick Fury and embarks on a new kind of mission: bridging the gap between her lost memories.

With the plot out of the way, how does the actual movie hold up? Let’s begin with the good stuff: Brie Larson is certainly no stranger to acting, and she did a pretty great job despite what she was given to work with – more on that later. As always, Marvel takes their visual/digital effects and CGI up to eleven in every film they make; this one is no exception either. Most of the character interactions are definitely enjoyable to watch, be it Fury and Vers talking like they’re in an 80s buddy-cop movie or Fury’s normally no-nonsense  composure turning to mush when he meets Goose the cat. Moreover, if you’ve read my Black Panther review, you know I consider many ‘origin story’ films (not specifically Marvel) to be  quite formulaic and cookie-cutter. However, this one decides to mix the recipe up a little bit and as a result, there are a few interesting plot twists to be seen – although I can’t tell you about them!

Nonetheless, there are several aspects of this movie that I found to be lacking, so I must go over the flaws in the system. First, despite Larson’s performance, Vers isn’t all too compelling a character, and she generally feels like she’s just there to keep the plot moving along. To add to that, the movie as a whole never really made me feel anything, which is a shame, because a character of her caliber and importance has as much potential for an emotional core as any other MCU character does. My last point is about the whole movie in general, and it is that this Marvel movie is one that was (mostly) made out of necessity, not necessarily because they were passionate about this character or story and felt the need to share it. I felt that this here film was only released to fulfill one purpose, which is to introduce a character that will (seemingly) be important in the second part of their biggest hit yet, and that without this purpose it would simply have never been released.

In conclusion, despite the flaws I mentioned above, Captain Marvel is an overall entertaining experience which, although could use some polishing, shines just enough to be a somewhat fun and lively distraction from life.

Final score: 6/10