Early Thoughts on Thor: Ragnarok

Yesterday morning, a new trailer was revealed for the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Thor: Ragnarok. After two 'meh' films in this character's particular trilogy, it's clear that the studios' intention was to change the game with their famous Norse god character. From the news that came out during early production of the film, the series is seemingly abandoning our planet of Earth, a staple location that the character tended to visit often. Not only that, but all Earthly characters (besides one very green surprise) are ostensibly absent from the film. New characters, both mythical and galactic, are being introduced to the series, seemingly for both the instance of diversifying the Thor pallet, and for setting up the galactic conflict that is Avengers: Infinity War. But now, I've seen the first officially released footage of the film, and I've got some thoughts.

Firstly, it is good to see Thor back. It's been a while since we as Marvel fans have gone this long since seeing the god of thunder, and it seems he's got a new sense of humor, whimsy, and wit. Despite the fact that it's Ragnarok, or the end of Asgard, Thor still has that newfound charm and smolder that he picked up in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Not a fan of that haircut, though. But the helmet is awesome, and reminiscent of that winged headwear in the more classic Thor comics.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention new baddie, Hela. She's essentially a Norse goddess of death, and she looks dope being played by Cate Blanchett. I swear to god, that woman looks better in every movie she's in. Seeing that she has the power to destroy Mjolnir, the indestructable hammer of Thor, is intimidating enough, but add on the fact that she has a form where she has crazy-scary death antlers and is able to raze Asgard is just a beautifully horrific sight to behold.

Seeing fan favorites like Loki and the Hulk back is just as delightful, and the fact that they reconvene with Thor on this arena world is just as interesting. Last time we saw Loki, he had usurped the throne of Asgard and was impersonating Odin. As for Hulk, we last saw him abandoning his love interest(?) Black Widow and the rest of the Avengers after the destruction of Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron; how he gets to the far side of the galaxy is beyond me. And how Loki blows his cover should be an interesting development. Even more interesting is the fact that Odin is precisely what Thor would need to help bring Hela down. Where is he?

The two newcomers in the Grandmaster (played by Jeff Goldblum) and Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson) had little to offer in this trailer. Valkyrie was seen riding a pegasus and taking on Hela in some flashback, I'm assuming, but then she's in the service of the Grandmaster by some odd chain of events. The Grandmaster himself doesn't look too significantly different from that of the Collector, last seen in Guardians of the Galaxy (which is fine, considering that the two characters are brothers), but his lack of weight in a scene is really what I think will be the true detriment to his character. These two have a long way to go to beat the lasting impression that our four mainstays will have.

With all of that said, the style of the movie is what has me on edge the most. It seems as though all 3 Marvel movies this year are homages to 80's movie and culture tropes: from Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 and their music and style inspirations, to Spider-Man: Homecoming and the tribute to old-school coming-of-age movies, to Thor: Ragnarok and it's irreverent action and comedy, alluding to the era of Marvel comics from which it comes from, Marvel is all on that 80's homage bandwagon. It's fine, and it can even be fun at times, but the appeal for the Thor movies for me was that they had this fantasy angle to them, more of a tribute to Lord of the Rings than to Mad Max. Because, here's the thing: almost every Marvel movie pays tribute to the 80's, that's their largest demographic audience. But I liked how they differ their films to pay tribute to genres, rather than time periods: The Winter Soldier was the political thriller, Ant-Man was the heist film, Guardians  was the space opera. I still hold the belief that Thor should be the fantasy/adventure movie. But Ragnarok looks more like a Thor movie with a Guardians of the Galaxy skin. Granted, I understand that Guardians is what the people love, and it makes sense, but I'm just a bit miffed that they're changing up the game in this particular manner.

That being said, I'll still go see it and I'm sure it's going to be awesome.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Review

For nearly 40 years, fans have been wondering how the famous Death Star got away with having such a fundamental flaw in its architecture. Rogue One seeks to answer that question, as well as give long-time fans of the galaxy far, far away another fantastic adventure into the galaxy they love so much. Rogue One doesn't necessarily take the crown as the best Star Wars film made, but it does add another facet of dynamic adventure, action, and storytelling to the great galaxy born such a long time ago.

Audiences are greeted with a galaxy that has just been relieved of war. The Clone Wars are done, the treacherous Jedi have been all but wiped out, and the new Galactic Empire is tightening its control on the various planets and peoples across the galaxy. In the midst of trying to secure their authority, the Emperor's ultimate battle station, the Death Star project, has been sidelined by technical malfunctions. In an attempt to win back the Emperor's favor, Director Orson Krennic reaches out to his old friend and engineer, Galen Erso, to help solve the problems of the Death Star. Fearing for his family and the power of the Death Star, Galen sends his daughter, Jyn, to seek refuge with freedom fighter Saw Gurerra in the hopes that she will never have to deal with the Empire. 15 years later, Jyn is recruited by the Rebel Alliance after her father sends word of the critical flaw he built into the battle station. The Rebels hope that, by bringing in Jyn, they can reach her father and find the flaw to destroy the Death Star.

This plot sounds like a lot, but what we get as an audience is really a tale that's no longer than a 42-hour time span. It's clear, it's easy to follow, and it's brimming with action, special effects, and fun characters for us to follow along. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story literally takes place directly before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, so there's fan service and high stakes abound. It's one of the most concise Star Wars films ever produced.

Touching on the characters, of which there are only nine of any true consequence, film goers may find themselves attaching to only a few, rather than the crew as a whole. Leads Felicity Jones and Diego Luna as Jyn Erso and Captain Cassian Andor, respectively, are thrown into the midst of a revolution. Their characters are beaten, down-trodden by war and desperation. It leaves very little charisma for them, unlike a Han Solo or a Princess Leia, for example. Nevertheless, they are confident, strong, and likable enough that you can get over their staleness rather quickly.

Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen as Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus, respectively, play a duo of former Jedi acolytes, so they bring a different perspective of war-weariness: while Yen is much more of a devout than his partner Wen, they both have adapted to their new, dominated lifestyle and bring a fun different combat style to the film. Donnie Yen, being the fantastic martial arts master that he is, is utilized fantastically during his combat sequences. But they're also joined by Alan Tudyk and Riz Ahmed as the reprogrammed droid K-2SO and Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook. K-2SO is an absolute scene-stealer, the only character to bring purposeful, dry humor to the film, whereas Bodhi is little more than a refugee with no other options for survival. His involvement is mere circumstance. And finally, with Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, and returning James Earl Jones as Director Krennic, Galen Erso, and Darth Vader. All have relatively minor roles: Krennic is seen as little more than a pawn for the Empire's ultimate plans (though he tries to break free of that role), Galen is pure set-up for the plot of the film, as well as the main character Jyn, and Darth Vader is purely there for the fandom to eat up; granted, his presence is exhilirating, albeit brief.

There's a lot of action to eat up in this film: storming beaches mirroring D-Day, X-Wing dogfights in space, and some pretty sweet melee combat in the cities. As far as action goes, it's pretty hard to beat Rogue One. It's some of the most spectacular sci-fi action I've ever seen. It's so great, I'm finding it hard to describe. It's just amazing choreography and cinematography that you need to see with your own eyes.

And speaking of the cinematography, the shots in this film are absolutely gorgeous. The landscapes of the planets, the vibrant colors that pop in each sequence, it's all a feast for the eyes. And the sounds that compliment it are just as good: the sirens of the Death Star, the wooshing of the X-Wings and TIE Fighters, the grinding of the gears in the droids: it's all up to ILM and Lucasfilm perfection. It perfectly engrosses a viewer in the world.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the perfect gift for any fan of the Star Wars universe. And while there are some deep cuts in lore for hardcore fans, anyone who saw the original film from 1977 will feel right at home here. There's a lot of fun to be had with the characters, even though two of them are more memorable than the rest. The film is concise, focused, and engaging enough to give anyone who's enjoyed the galaxy far, far away an amazing time at the theater.

Rating: 9.5/10

Boba Fett is Overrated. There, I said it.

Growing up in a clearly original-trilogy loving Star Wars world, one of the most beloved characters of the era is clearly the Mandalorian bounty hunter, Boba Fett. Having just about 15 minutes of screen time in the feature films, what was a glorified background character spawned into a fan favorite. He was featured in early Star Wars cartoons, video games, and Christmas specials; he sold like hot pockets as action figures and coloring books; his design alone has been the hallmark for the intergalactic bounty hunter standard of coolness. And he didn't do a single thing to earn such a love. He simply existed.

Now, that's obviously an oversimplification. Boba Fett was sent out, on the payroll of Darth Vader, to find the Millennium Falcon and its passengers, and return to Vader with said prizes. Furthermore, by the time he delivered Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt, he served as a bounty hunter on permanent guard for the slug-like crime boss; Fett enjoyed the comfort and simplicity of a revered bounty hunter's lifestyle within the Tatooine palace. And after arriving to the Sarlacc Pit, Fett did his best to contain the escalating situation the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker had begun. This was all to end in vain, however: taken out by the prize he had caught not two years ago, Boba Fett plunged into the belly of the thousand-year old desert monster. And as far as my canonical knowledge goes, that's where he remains to this day.

But put into context that short description of a character's achievements within two separate films, and it's kind of surprising that Boba Fett is as beloved as he is. He certainly looks cool: decked from head-to-toe in a dark green set of armor, equipped with a flamethrower, a grapple, several wrist-dart guns, a jet-pack, and a rocket-pack, and one begins to envision the kind of skills someone like a Boba Fett would need to have in order to effectively utilize each and every one of these tools.But he had, in the movies, never even really used any of his various gadgets. He used the flamethrower maybe once, his dart/rope launcher maybe once, all within the time span of appearing on-screen for no longer than 20 minutes; at least, as the version everyone likes him.

Now, no one hates Star Wars: Attack of the Clones more than me, but the interesting aspects of the movie (like those surrounding the Obi-Wan journey) introduce us to Boba Fett as a child, and his origins. We see how his mind was warped to be someone so soulless, we understand the beginnings of his trailblazing schemes to make his name in the universe. The animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars featured several story arcs that show a young Boba in action even more, and we get an understanding of the friends Boba had to make in order to survive the criminal underbelly of the Star Wars universe. Without these cornerstones to the Boba Fett character, he's just a masked bounty hunter. In theory, that's a really cool character idea; in reality, it doesn't mean he deserves the praise that he gets.

I'm not here to tell you that you shouldn't like Boba Fett, or the mystique that the character had before the new age of Star Wars content. I'm sure it definitely seems like that, but I'm not. I understand that a lot of kids of the early Star Wars era projected what they wanted on the unexplained, on the undefined. All I'm saying is that you have to consider what good has been given thanks to the new additions. We've got a more grounded, more relatable, much cooler character in Boba Fett than we did 30 years ago. At least, that's what I think.

Doctor Strange REVIEW

In the ever-expanding world of superhero films, it's important that the newer ones releasing keep the genre as a whole fresh and exciting. And whether or not you see it as such, the 'superhero' films are a genre all on their own now; it's their responsibility (being the highest-grossing films of the modern day) to not keep giving us the same material. Doctor Strange both does that, and doesn't do that. It's an oddball film with fantastic visuals and a great lead performance, but the central themes and overall arc isn't anything we as moviegoers haven't seen before. With all that being said, this is a movie made for Marvel fans and newcomers alike.

One of the reasons this film can be so widely appealing is thanks to its wonderful lead in Benedict Cumberbatch. Over the past 7 years that he's grown in popularity, we've seen him do everything from Sherlock Holmes to Alan Turing. The man has the amazing talent to captivate an audience with his bravado and powerful voice, and it's not lost in his role as Doctor Stephen Strange. As yet another Marvel film where a character needs to learn humility through loss, one wouldn't be blamed for thinking this isn't anything we've seen before. But Benedict brings a lot of gravity to the role, and it's ultimately a joy to see another great underdog story in this world of heroes. His supporting cast populated by Chiwitel Eijiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton all do solid work, albeit being significantly background compared Cumberbatch. Highlights include Eijiofor's solid wing man in Mordo, who proves to be a good friend component similar to a James Rhodes/War Machine or a Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. Tilda Swinton is both graceful and powerful as the Ancient One, and her talents both as an actress and a sorcerer are stunning to see on-screen. As for the other main players, they have less stellar moments: McAdams plays a relatively insignificant love interest, Wong plays a criminally underutilized source of comic relief, and Mikkelsen, while certainly terrifying-looking, does nothing for me as a villain. And it's especially tough for me to accept these weaker characters after seeing superhero movies like Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, and Suicide Squad give audiences a plethora quirky and likable characters with multiple opportunities to be exposed to their personalities. Doctor Strange  gives us plenty of likable characters, but not a lot of time to focus on them.

What the movie spends most of its time on is overall lore-expanding for the universe and the visceral visual tricks that comes with the nature of a sorcerer's world. The visuals in this film, while not as out-of-this-world or as bombastic as I was hoping, are a real treat to see with one's own eyes. And in 3D, the bright colors and amazing spectacle of magic is even more engrossing. It also provides Marvel films with a new level of action that we haven't seen before. Rather than action and conflict relying on tech or superpowers, this magic changes the game for the characters to move, attack, and defend. This sounds a lot like video game design lingo, but believe me, this changes the way that opponents of the Avengers (because of course Doctor Strange will become an Avenger) have to fight. It causes fight sequences to be more dynamic as a result, which is awesome to see unfold on-screen. And trust me when I say that if nothing else, Doctor Strange has some of the best fight scenes in any movie this year.

After all was said and done, Doctor Strange is another engaging and fun entry for the Marvel saga, but I can't help but feel slightly underwhelmed by the final product. Spectacular action, visuals, and a stunning lead in Benedict Cumberbatch aside, Doctor Strange is an average origin story, but the possibilities that it brings for the saga as a whole are certainly fun to ponder. It's by no means a bad time at the movies, but as a story, it isn't anything you haven't seen before.

Rating: 7.5/10

Ghost Rider on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Initial Thoughts

What??? Ghost Rider in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.??? Check out the video to hear my thoughts on it, and why it might not actually be that bad of an idea!

Why do I love DC Comics so much?

I was born in January of 1998. I have yet to live in a single house for more than three years. My dad's a soldier, so we didn't always have the most immediate commodities available to us. I wasn't raised in the most traditional of ways. I wasn't allowed to watch TV for long periods of time, I didn't have a regular allowance, and I didn't have great internet access, even in the early 2000's. I didn't even have any real concept of what a 'comic book' was until I was in the 8th grade. But when you live in areas (like Europe) where American products are limited, you start to appreciate and gravitate what comes from home more and more. Something that I always looked forward to was watching the Justice League animated series on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This was my first exposure to superheroes as I knew them, and my interest in the DC universe only grew from here on.

I followed my love for the Justice League by finding myself reveling in the just-as-good-if-not-better follow-up series, Justice League: Unlimited, and the ever-entertaining Teen Titans TV series. As I grew in my knowledge and love of DC comics, so too did my understanding of the history of these characters. For example, Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg are not the original members of the Teen Titans, but rather an adaptation of the 2003 book lineup that was being released concurrently to the television series. But it wasn't where the characters had been that was interesting to me, and it wasn't even necessarily where they were going. These characters were so engaging, they were voice-acted spectacularly, and the animation was superb. The action was fun, the drama was intense, and I was genuinely having a thrill watching these superheroes fight the villains that they did. The writing has to be some of the most spectacular television writing I had ever seen as a kid: even back then, I knew it was better than the other goofy shows that were being debuted concurrently to DC's lineup.

But that alone doesn't attribute my love for DC. In all fairness, were there any Marvel shows that were running during the time period of the early to mid-2000's, I didn't watch them. I had no easy way to access them. So, I was kind of stuck with the DC brand. But that's not something I'm sorry for. Whether it be because I grew up with DC or not, I still prefer them over most of what Marvel does. And before you question any kind of credibility I have, go look at my Marvel Movie reviews I have written on the blog and compare them to the DC movie reviews. I'm not denying the fact that since about 2012, Marvel has been putting out the better product over DC (The Dark Knight trilogy is a discussion obviously removed from this one). But for one reason or another, the Marvel characters don't resonate with me on the same level that the DC characters do. But that can probably be nostalgia's fault. The same works for other well-known IP's: I mean, I like Star Wars as a whole more than I like Star Trek because Star Wars has been with me for such a long time. The same can be said for DC comics over Marvel.

But as I've grown to understand the characters that live in the DC universe better, I appreciate their complexities more and more, especially as a parallel to Marvel. Even now, as I write this editorial, what I'm finding to be the case is that DC comics' characters are often loaded with the responsibility of their grand power, their gifts, that they didn't necessarily seek out on their own. Clark Kent never asked to be given unimaginable power thanks to our yellow sun; Bruce Wayne never asked to be the agent of justice before his parents were murdered; Diana Prince never asked to bear the weight of being Zeus' daughter; and so on and so forth. When one looks at notable Marvel characters, the reasoning for their acts of heroism originate from slightly different ideas, albeit sometimes reaching the same conclusions. Tony Stark changed his business methodology from creating weapons of war to tools for protection; Steve Rodgers enlisted to protect those who couldn't protect themselves; hell, even Peter Parker just hopes to follow in the footsteps of the Avengers and be as great a hero as he can. While origins and motivations can overlap between the tales of these larger-than-life warriors, DC clearly challenges their characters with their realities differently than Marvel. And while Marvel Studios have done a masterful job translating their characters' stories to film, I'm still finding myself fonder of the challenges my DC characters face.

But maybe it's not that alone. Maybe it's the characters themselves. I mean, Superman and Batman are already the most prolific superheroes in the world. Their designs are great, and I always find myself fonder of the art in DC than in other comics. Often times (unless a particular story calls for otherwise), the art is streamlined and sophisticated enough to distance itself from its contemporaries, yet still true to the form of a 'comic book' that it doesn't distance itself too far from the familiar and comfortable tropes of the medium. And when one considers the specific eras of these comic book runs (whether it be the new 52, the silver-age DC, or the post-crisis era), there's a sense of unity within the brand. Artists and authors can certainly deviate to explore their creative interests, but a reader like myself never loses the sense that these different books are so far separated that the Suicide Squad couldn't exist in the same world of the Flash, or that Green Arrow and and Superman are so far separated that a meeting between them would be impossible. And thanks to that familiarity between the books, I feel even more at home when I switch between Aquaman to Green Lanterns to The Flash.

Y'know, as I write this, I find myself more and more flabbergasted as to the exact reason that I favor DC over Marvel, I mean, why should I? Even though I enjoy the DC characters more than the Marvel characters, I've been rewarded by Marvel for being a fan more than by DC. Their comics might not be what I reach for first, but even their recent issues of Black Panter are absolutely superb. Their movies, while varying in quality depending on who you ask, are always enjoyable and coherent. DC hasn't made a crowd-pleaser since The Dark Knight Rises (on the whole) in 2012, just when Marvel was only warming up with The Avengers. Hey, I enjoy Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad, but I'm not gonna try to convince anybody that they're on the same level of quality and polish that the Marvel films are. And while both comic book companies do this, I get even more hurt when it feels like DC sometimes tries to milk me for all I'm worth: in fact, not a couple hours ago from writing this, I just read that the LEGO Supergirl for the videogame LEGO Dimensions was, at least for the moment, a PlayStation 4 exclusive. Now, that's obviously logistical between LEGO and DC, but either one or the other (or both) offered up that specific character because they knew fans like myself would want such a collectible. Marvel does the same thing, but it stings most when it's a brand you're more connected to.

But with all that said, I'm still in love with the brand. I find the movies enjoyable, I love watching the cartoons, and I'm absolutely thrilled to see the influence these characters have on people. Fans cosplay as Harley Quinn, Batman, the Flash, and others. They're fun, they're unique, and these identities have become owned by the fans as much as by Warner Bros. Pictures. I know that I certainly have an opinion about (almost) each and every single character within the universe. I like to see them portrayed a particular way, I like to see them act in a certain manner, I like my passion to be respected by these creators; because it's because of those who came before them that respected these characters so much, I feel like equal responsibility should be placed upon the creators of today.

DC has all my love, now and forevermore. I want to continue to see the company tell stories of Batman, I want to expand my knowledge of Aquaman, I want to have fun in space with Green Lantern. Right now, I'm genuinely worried for the brand: because of the changing nature of the film industry and the groundbreaking success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I'm aware that these producers and studio executives want to jump on the gravy train and make just as much money. But I want them to do it the right way. People love the MCU not just because they're superhero movies, but because they're good superhero movies. They give their characters challenges to overcome, they allow their characters to grow, they give them spectacular fights to fight, and they make these movies fun. And despite being in the game for quite some time, and having examples of what to do (the MCU, the Dark Knight trilogy) and what to not do (various X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man movies) DC has faltered quite significantly.

They're not out of the game yet because they've offered things that the likes of Marvel hasn't yet: the first time Batman and Superman are on-screen together, the first villain team-up movie, the first female-led superhero movie, and the first DC good-guy team-up movie are all in the hole. What becomes of the latter two have yet to be seen. With creative executives like Geoff Johns working hard to keep the characters true to themselves and finding unique stories to tell with them, I have confidence that the movies will entertain me. But in all fairness, I haven't found the DC characters to be untrue to their comic book counterparts just yet (save for Lex Luthor). That being said, the first three films in the series were made before Johns' extensive involvement in the process. Whether he actually helps the films, or proves to be a detriment to their quality, has yet to be seen.

Look, I realize that most of this editorial has been wild rambling and not entirely well-constructed (as some would argue is the whole problem with DC to begin with). But I've seen the good that can come out of DC Entertainment. They did it through the late 70's to the early 80's way before Marvel got their act together. They continued the trend in the animated department from the early 90's to...well. to today, quite honestly. Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League: The Animated Series, Young Justice, and more list the fantastic adaptations of these comic book titans. And while fans bicker and argue about opinions on the final product of recent DC efforts, I can't help but feel that the same thing happens behind the scenes with the executives. I only hope that a singular person with a singular vision for this world comes forth and helps to tell well-crafted stories. Will it be Geoff Johns? Will it be someone else?

I love these characters. For every DC movie that is released, you're probably guaranteed to have gotten one ticket from me. But what has enamored me about this world so much is the aesthetic of the characters, their environment, and the stories that encompass it all. Like any great fiction, the best stories from this world help to ask the readers what is the duty of humans, superpowered or not. Do we take the law in our own hands when the law itself is not enough (like Batman), or do we try to work within the system for the slow-but-morally-right solution (like Bruce Wayne)? Characters like Wonder Woman help to inspire girls everywhere that they have power within themselves, power that no social hierarchy can keep them from using. Characters like Green Lantern can inspire young readers to be courageous in times of fear. Hell, even characters like Etrigan the Demon can display how humans can overcome their dark natures (metaphorically for us, literally for him). The DC characters are characters who are often thrust with god-like powers, authority, or responsibility, and tell stories that compliment those kinds of themes. I find the humanizing of gods incredibly intriguing, especially when half of those gods try to be regular people. Clark Kent tries to be the simple farm boy he always was just as much as he tries to be an ideal for hope. Barry Allen tries to be a good son just as much as he tries to be the fastest man alive. This form of escapism is the most beautiful form of storytelling I find myself enjoying: the art, the character development, and the epic tales engross me so much as a consumer that I can't help but fall in love with these characters.

The stories told within DC comics, the characters that they choose to tell stories about, and the fact that I can relate with characters like a half-man/half-machine, or a character like a green space cop, makes me love them even more. This universe has captured my imagination since the age of 7, and I honestly don't see it slowing down anytime soon. So, forgive this total gush session over DC comics, but I couldn't help it: I love DC.

How to fix DC Movies: A Speculation

After the significant critical backlash of the past 3 DC comics films, what's a studio like Warner Bros. Pictures to do? Well, I sat down and thought about that very issue. Take a watch, why don't ya?