Oh and by the way, I think I'll stop reviewing these movies as a separate genre at the end of 2020. Endgame has come and gone, the MCU is now an established brand, and to be honest I think most of the best superhero movies are behind us. 2020 seems like a good time to move on to movies as a whole, rather than focusing so much on whatever Marvel Studios, Warner Bros., or Sony are putting out.
Superhero Moves On The Way
Morbius, the Living Vampire (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, July 31, 2020 in the States)
Wonder Woman 1984 (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, June 5, 2020 in the States)
The New Mutants (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, April 3, 2020 in the States)
Birds of Prey (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, February 7, 2020 in the States)
Joker (Comes Out in Taiwan October 3, 2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (Comes Out in Taiwan July 3, 2019)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Got bored and saw it the other day. It was blazing hot outside, and there wasn't much else to do.
What I Liked: For one thing it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the reviews would lead you to believe. It's definitely NOT great, but if you were able to sit through Apocalypse you'll be able to sit through this one. It's actually not bad up until Jean visits the house, though after that point...
What I Didn't Like: At times this movie just doesn't make sense. WHY do the cops show up after Jean visits that house? And WHY do the two mutant factions fight in New York? And WHY do the aliens insist on boarding the train from the other end, when they're clearly walking all along its length, thus making it incredibly easy for the X-Men to fight them off?
To make things worse, Sophie Turner really can't carry a movie. Watching her interact with some of the other, more talented cast members is truly cringeworthy. As bad as this movie is, it's still better than X3, and yet I found myself missing Famke Janssen throughout the film.
Most inexplicable of all is Magneto. First he says revenge is wrong and that he's given up on it. Then someone gets killed and he's all about revenge again. Then he learns about the Phoenix Force and he's all about saving Jean. This, and that magnetism/telekinesis battle between him and Jean is the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've seen in a long time.
Future/Sequels: As far as anyone knows, The New Mutants is still coming out next year. After that it'll be a long wait before we see Marvel Studios' take on the same set of characters.
What I Liked: For one thing it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the reviews would lead you to believe. It's definitely NOT great, but if you were able to sit through Apocalypse you'll be able to sit through this one. It's actually not bad up until Jean visits the house, though after that point...
What I Didn't Like: At times this movie just doesn't make sense. WHY do the cops show up after Jean visits that house? And WHY do the two mutant factions fight in New York? And WHY do the aliens insist on boarding the train from the other end, when they're clearly walking all along its length, thus making it incredibly easy for the X-Men to fight them off?
To make things worse, Sophie Turner really can't carry a movie. Watching her interact with some of the other, more talented cast members is truly cringeworthy. As bad as this movie is, it's still better than X3, and yet I found myself missing Famke Janssen throughout the film.
Most inexplicable of all is Magneto. First he says revenge is wrong and that he's given up on it. Then someone gets killed and he's all about revenge again. Then he learns about the Phoenix Force and he's all about saving Jean. This, and that magnetism/telekinesis battle between him and Jean is the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've seen in a long time.
Future/Sequels: As far as anyone knows, The New Mutants is still coming out next year. After that it'll be a long wait before we see Marvel Studios' take on the same set of characters.
Avengers: Endgame
What I Liked: Everything. This movie is awesome from beginning to end.
What I Didn't Like: Only two (very small) complaints: 1) Bruce and Nebula's explanation for their "heist" probably isn't going to satisfy anyone who bothers to think it through, and 2) the part at the end where all the "Marvel superheroines" line up and go into battle seems a bit too much like checking off an item on a checklist.
Future/Sequels: The next MCU offering is Spider-Man: Far From Home later this summer. No other films have been given a release date as yet. I think it's fair to say that Marvel will make a big announcement soon.
Hellboy
Wasn't interested. I suppose I'll download it at some point. Not in any hurry though.
Shazam!
What I Liked: Zachary Levi and Asher Angel are both examples of great casting, the story is well thought out, and the battle at the end takes some interesting twists and turns. I consider Shazam! a vast improvement over Aquaman, which was trying to do too much in too short a time, and also Captain Marvel, which was in my opinion one hot mess of a movie. Shazam! is much smaller-scale compared to those other two films, but its smallness works to its advantage. It's very focused and to the point.
Mark Strong, who was wasted on Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, has much more to do in Shazam! Even if his reasons for being "evil" aren't that well thought out, he's still a good (bad) villain.
What I Didn't Like: The battle at the end goes on a bit too long. I think shortening it would have made for a better movie. The introduction of the rest of the Marvel Family feels a bit rushed, even if it was gratifying to see them onscreen together.
Future/Sequels: No definite plans for any sequels as yet, but one of Shazam's other villains is introduced in a post-credits scene. It's early to say, but I think this movie will be well received and I'd be surprised if a sequel isn't announced soon.
Captain Marvel
What I Liked: There's a part about halfway through, when Carol Danvers is reunited with an old friend. In that part you can see Brie Larson's skill as an actress.
The fight on the spaceship near the end is oddly satisfying, but some of my satisfaction may have to do with 90s soundtrack, and the fact that I was a much younger guy when those songs were everywhere. Nostalgia, in other words.
The fight on the spaceship near the end is oddly satisfying, but some of my satisfaction may have to do with 90s soundtrack, and the fact that I was a much younger guy when those songs were everywhere. Nostalgia, in other words.
What I Didn't Like: Going back to the comic books, I never found Carol Danvers especially interesting, and this movie did nothing to change my mind. Really, what is her reason for doing anything in this film? At what point does her character change or make any real kind of discovery?
She's also so much more powerful than anyone she comes up against in this movie. There's no sense of threat when "danger" strikes. Jude Law? Nope. The Skrulls? Not really. Ronan the Accuser? Their confrontation is a non-event.
I've also got to say, the explanation given for Nick Fury losing his eye really bothered me. It's always seemed like this event should be of crucial importance, but in the movie it's explained in such an offhand manner. The randomness of this explanation diminished the entire film.
She's also so much more powerful than anyone she comes up against in this movie. There's no sense of threat when "danger" strikes. Jude Law? Nope. The Skrulls? Not really. Ronan the Accuser? Their confrontation is a non-event.
I've also got to say, the explanation given for Nick Fury losing his eye really bothered me. It's always seemed like this event should be of crucial importance, but in the movie it's explained in such an offhand manner. The randomness of this explanation diminished the entire film.
Future/Sequels: Strap yourself in because Avengers: Endgame is less than two months away. After Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home Marvel has announced no other films, though if Captain Marvel does well I'm sure we'll see a sequel. I've heard a lot of talk about an Eternals movie, but we'll see.
I think what's going to make or break a Captain Marvel sequel is the Asian market, especially China. If it goes over big in Beijing and Shanghai (as Aquaman did) you can be sure there will be another one. If, however, this movie fails to find an audience in such places, I imagine Kevin Feige will start vaguely alluding to "future adventures" without making any real commitment.
Does this one count? Batman and the Justice League are in it. It also features the newer and older versions of Aquaman.
What I Liked: It's a funny movie, though not as good as the first. This said, it's not nearly as hyper as the first one, which might be a relief for those who found the first film slightly overwhelming.
What I Didn't Like: It does drag a bit toward the end. It's weird to say, but I found myself having to really concentrate on Lego Movie 2. There are SO many references, to so many things, that after the first hour my brain got tired.
Future/Sequels: There might be a sequel to the Lego Batman movie, though there's no release date as yet. There might also be The Billion Brick Race.
I think what's going to make or break a Captain Marvel sequel is the Asian market, especially China. If it goes over big in Beijing and Shanghai (as Aquaman did) you can be sure there will be another one. If, however, this movie fails to find an audience in such places, I imagine Kevin Feige will start vaguely alluding to "future adventures" without making any real commitment.
Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Does this one count? Batman and the Justice League are in it. It also features the newer and older versions of Aquaman.
What I Liked: It's a funny movie, though not as good as the first. This said, it's not nearly as hyper as the first one, which might be a relief for those who found the first film slightly overwhelming.
What I Didn't Like: It does drag a bit toward the end. It's weird to say, but I found myself having to really concentrate on Lego Movie 2. There are SO many references, to so many things, that after the first hour my brain got tired.
Future/Sequels: There might be a sequel to the Lego Batman movie, though there's no release date as yet. There might also be The Billion Brick Race.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
What I Liked: Everything. In my opinion this movie's awesome from start to finish. The characters, the plot, the animation, the soundtrack, all of it's great. I suppose it depends on how it does financially, but Spider-Verse could be a real game-changer for CBMs.
For me the best part of the film was the Bill Sienkiewicz-inspired sequence halfway through. I've been a huge fan of that guy for years, and seeing his art animated almost brought tears to my eyes. That version of the Kingpin? That's all Bill Sienkiewicz.
What I Didn't Like: Small complaint: no Spider-Woman. I've always liked Spider-Woman more than Spider-Man, and it would've been wonderful to see Jessica Drew (finally) show up in this movie.
Future/Sequels: There's talk that Spider-Woman could feature in the sequel alongside Spider-Gwen and Silk, but such plans are tentative of course. It's entirely possible that a sequel would feature Spider-Man 2099 instead.
Aquaman
What I Liked: Atlantis looks cool. Amber Heard is easy on the eyes. The battle in the end - aside from a ridiculous pause in the action for a predictably romantic moment - looks amazing.
What I Didn't Like: Weird moments of exposition. Instead of showing the audience what's happening/has happened, the characters in this movie often feel the need to stop whatever they're doing and explain things. The only part of this movie where the action flows seamlessly is when Aquaman and Black Manta have their big showdown halfway through.
The part in the beginning about Aquaman's parents could have been removed entirely. It adds absolutely nothing to the story, and starting the movie from the adult Aquaman's first appearance would have made a lot more sense.
This movie gets dumber as it goes along. By the end I was laughing at certain scenes and bits of dialogue, and I wasn't the only one. And before someone chimes in with "at least it doesn't take itself so seriously," let's remember there's a difference between laughing WITH a movie and laughing AT a movie.
The small ray of hope being that it's not as terrible as Justice League. Not that this is saying much.
Future/Sequels: Shazam!, also set in the DCEU, will be out in a few months. After that it's a long wait until Wonder Woman 1984. Aquaman 2? It's kind of early to tell, but the movie's been doing well in China, and those wanting a completely brainless superhero romp will be all over this one.
Venom
What I Liked: After a really clunky beginning there are some great action sequences. Everything after Venom shows up is much better than the 15 minutes that try (and fail) to set up the story. The fight between Venom and Riot near the end is very good.
What I Didn't Like: That beginning part. It feels like they weren't sure what kind of movie they were making. Horror? Action? Science fiction? Going more for the "body horror" elements would have improved the film, and the spaceship/alien invasion subplot could have been dispensed with altogether.
As clunky as the beginning is, the dialogue throughout the movie is by far the worst part. None of the actors seem at ease with what they're saying, and a couple of lines are unintentionally hilarious.
Future/Sequels: There are plans for a sequel with Woody Harrelson's Carnage in a bigger role. I think that after setting up the general premise, a sequel is bound to be better. Harrelson would also make a great villain. Last I heard, Sony's next comic-based movie will be Morbius the Living Vampire, with Jared Leto as Morbius. There may be some crossover between Venom and Morbius.
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