Weekend Watch - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Marvel’s latest film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The film is the launch of Marvel’s Phase Five, introducing the new big-bad of the universe, Kang, to theatrical audiences after he received a soft-launch in the Loki series back in 2021. The film sees the return of Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang/Ant-Man alongside Evangeline Lilly’s Hope Van Dyne/Wasp, Michael Douglas’s Hank Pym, and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne. In addition to Jonathan Majors’s Kang the Conqueror, the film also introduces Kathryn Newton as the new actress for the now-teenage Cassie Lang and features cameos from Bill Murray, William Jackson Harper, and Corey Stoll. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B; there’s no denying that the film has issues, but there’s a lot to enjoy here that makes it better than the current critic consensus.

Should you Watch This Film? If you enjoy the MCU or comic book films, this is a great watch for you. If you don’t like that type of film, there’s not enough here that will change your mind.

Why?

                Marvel’s introduction to Phase Five gives audiences a clear vision for the future of the franchise in the midst of a muddled story in the present, fitting for a film set predominantly in a region that exists outside of time and space. The film is unquestionably high on its new characters (the future of the franchise) with an excellent villain performance from Majors and one of the better “teen” outings in the franchise from Newton. Unfortunately, their performances and the rightly directed focus on Pfeiffer’s Janet can’t save the film entirely from the odd shift in direction for the Ant-Man films and a story shot full of holes.

                In terms of performances, Quantumania benefits from some of the best in recent MCU history with actors fully committed to their characters, even if their writing and story are imperfect. Rudd has truly come into his own as Lang and Ant-Man, making the character in his own image as a recognizably lovable celebrity who also happens to have saved the world a few years ago. He brings the same lightness to this film that we have become used to but also manages to rise to the physicality that this story requires with believable results. Michael Douglas is tasked with the role of comedic side character typically filled by Michael Peña in these films and actually does an admirable job. Is it as iconic or likeable as Peña’s Luis? Absolutely not, but Douglas manages to turn his supergenius into enough of a relief to keep the film moving. In my opinion, “the Wasp” referred to in this film’s title has to be Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne because she has so much more to do than Evangeline Lilly in this film and carries that burden well. Having played a fairly minimal role in the last Ant-Man film, Pfeiffer comes to the front as the expert on the Quantum Realm and Kang, giving plenty of backstory and explanation even as she struggles to cope with the consequences of her past mistakes. It’s easy to see that she enjoys the role and is fully capable of carrying the yoke of secondary protagonist. Kathryn Newton takes her role as Cassie Lang head-on, again managing to turn the loss of a fan-favorite character into a net neutral (and perhaps even gain in this case) as she serves as the heroes’ moral compass for most of the film, reminding Scott of what heroes are supposed to do at every turn. Finally, Jonathan Majors goes to work as the new Big-Bad of the saga – Kang the Conqueror. He plays the character as this malevolent force, offering to save the multiverse no matter how many people and universes he has to destroy in the process. His writing is perhaps the strongest, and Majors takes advantage, delivering line after line of despotic dialogue with weight and excellence.

                All the strong performances can’t do enough to salvage Quantumania’s overly expository and underwhelming Star Wars-lite story. From the first scene in the Quantum Realm, the inspiration from Disney’s other major franchise becomes clear, complete with desert scavengers, a cantina, and an evil empire fighting against rebels. From there, the story takes too long to get where it wants to go (introducing Kang) in order to get a frankly underwhelming Bill Murray cameo into the start of the second act. Unfortunately, for all of Majors’s greatness as Kang, the film’s third act does him pretty dang dirty – having him lose in fairly embarrassing fashion multiple times. His performance does enough to keep me excited for his future in the MCU, but the contrivance for the heroes to win in this film makes me wary of future underutilization of the villain’s genius, charisma, and physicality. We’ll see.

                Great performances from most of its leads don’t fully salvage Quantumania’s mess of a script, resulting in a mixed bag in Marvel’s first Phase Five film. Its visuals and charismatic leads help keep it enjoyable enough to warrant watching in theaters, and I think it probably would be pretty solid in 3D if you want to pay extra for that. As it stands, it’s not the best that Marvel has ever put out. It’s not the worst, either, and I think that with Bob Iger back at Disney, they’ll be able to return their focus to producing quality over quantity again.

Weekend Watch - Avatar: The Way of Water

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is James Cameron’s latest blockbuster hit, Avatar: The Way of Water, the thirteen-years-removed sequel to the highest grossing film of all time Avatar (2009). This film picks up a little bit more than thirteen years after the original, following main characters Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his mate (wife) Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) as they once again have to deal with people from Earth infringing upon the natural world of Pandora, this time with the help of their four children who have been born since the last film. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B+; a lot of the issues (story) of the first film are greatly improved upon, but new flaws keep it from being an A-level feature.

Should you Watch This Film? Begrudgingly, yeah. If you have a friend with a great sound system and massive TV (or if you are that friend), you can wait for this one to hit Disney+ next year; otherwise, there’s enough here to make it worth seeing in theaters.

Why?

                Avatar: The Way of Water delivers on a lot of the hype surrounding the long-awaited sequel. The visuals and sound are gorgeously designed – accomplishing things that I’m sure James Cameron only dreamed of back in 2009. The story improves on the weaknesses of first by providing more personal character motivations and characters that feel a little bit more than just archetypes (sometimes). The action is amped up and feels more visceral, providing even more engaging set pieces than the first as well. Though not without flaws of its own, The Way of Water provides what you want from a blockbuster and leaves you thrilled with your theatrical experience. I’m not going to do a deep dive on the visuals and sound because other people can communicate the whys and whats way better than I can, but suffice it to say that this movie feels great in the theater.

                I think that I can (guardedly) say that people might actually remember a couple of more characters from this film than the first. The story inserts Jake’s and Neytiri’s children (Neteyam, Lo’ak, Kiri, Tuk, and sometimes Spider) to the unfolding saga of Pandora in a way that endears the film to audiences far beyond the first. Though Sam Worthington still can’t decide whether he’s American or Australian, giving Jake Sully children with individual personalities and character arcs helps make him a character worth caring about, though I can’t help but also notice that Neytiri does fall a bit to the background in this one and feels more like a tertiary character to her husband and children with even less of a character arc than the film’s villain.

                When I first heard that Avatar (2009) was getting a sequel, my first thoughts were “Why?” and then “How?”, since the first film feels so self-contained. For the most part, The Way of Water carries on in this fashion, containing a simple (if overly stretched) story of its own with a beginning, middle, and end. In this film’s case, however, we know that a sequel is coming in two years and, looking at some of the film’s less fleshed out details, that anticipation becomes immediately apparent. Part of what makes this sequel so overly long are character details and story points that feel completely irrelevant to this film’s story but that I am sure will come into play in the third, fourth, and fifth films. Kiri, in particular, felt like an annoyingly extra character (not just because de-aged, animated Sigourney Weaver strays a little too far into the uncanny valley for my taste), filling the role of weird, but make it quirky, daughter whose backstory is just that of Jesus or Anakin Skywalker. I’m sure Cameron has great plans for her (and also for Edie Falco’s character whose name I’ve already forgotten), but they do more to fill out the film’s overlong runtime than be legitimately engaging in their own right.

                Suffering from some all-too-familiar issues of overcrowding and a continued obsession with Papyrus font, Avatar: The Way of Water provides an imperfect, but superior, sequel to the original blockbuster with excellent effects and improved characters that have me mildly optimistic about the future of the PCU (Pandora Cinematic Universe), or whatever it is they’re calling this. If you have the time to see it in theaters, it’ll be worth your time. If you can’t, try to find somebody with a great television set-up to catch it on streaming in the spring (or sooner, who knows what these release schedules are).

Weekend Watch - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where, each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the follow-up to 2018’s wildly successful Black Panther. This film stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Dominique Thorne in what is easily one of Marvel’s best outings since the end of Phase 3 (Endgame and Far from Home). Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: A-; the overall feel of the film is great, even if there are some minor flaws.

Should you Watch This Film? Yes, and do it in a theater if you are able. It looks and feels great, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, even if you didn’t love the first one.

Why?

                Wakanda Forever is a culturally and emotionally rich film, paying beautiful tribute to the passing of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, while also giving its ensemble of characters plenty of space to establish themselves as the new players in the MCU. Its runtime can be a bit daunting at 2 hours and 41 minutes, but it fills its time well and never seems to drag. It paces itself well, bouncing back and forth between scenes of mourning, action sequences, introductions of new characters, and scenes of plot development, keeping its audience engaged in each with gorgeous cinematography, quality acting, a brilliant score, engaging characters, and fun action sequences. Visually, aside from some minor CGI issues here and there, this film is as stunning, if not more so, as its award-winning predecessor, showcasing director Ryan Coogler’s capabilities as a director on an even greater scale.

                The performances that go along with the visuals go a long way in making this film as great as it is. Most of them are not giving anything awards-worthy, but they play their roles well and make the characters come to life. Letitia Wright gives a performance that makes the character of Shuri legitimately likable with emotional depth and reasoning behind her decisions. Tenoch Huerta plays Namor with all the charisma, power, and even menace that the character requires. Even Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o bring real character to their portrayals in a way that some MCU side characters don’t always get. Dominique Thorne as the newly introduced Riri Williams might be the film’s low point in its acting, though not for lack of trying. Her character feels a bit more shoehorned in, and so her performance feels out of place and gets a bit lost at times, but her potential is definitely there. The film’s best performance comes in the form of Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda. She dominates the screen every time she is on it, bringing a new weight to the character as a mother in mourning for her family who also happens to be queen of one of the most powerful nations in the world – it’s a brilliant performance that rightfully has been receiving some fringe-level awards buzz.

                Through all of its length and characters, Wakanda Forever’s through line is an engagement with the concept of mourning, which allows the film to serve as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman in the process. I was not sure how the actor’s tragic passing would impact this sequel going in, but having seen the film, I can say with surety that the filmmakers and performers pay homage to the actor and his character in a way that is both moving and true to the film’s story, weaving Shuri’s, Ramonda’s, and Nakia’s grief into the fabric of the narrative, celebrating Chadwick’s/T’Challa’s life without dwelling too heavily on his death. The film moves its audience, giving them the opportunity to mourn as well while looking forward to the next phase of the Black Panther saga – waiting to introduce a new figure to the costume until everyone has reached something close to acceptance.

                Wakanda Forever shines in this new phase of the MCU thanks to some of the best acting Marvel has yet produced, an engaging story that pays tribute to the past and looks forward to the future, and excellent technical work on the part of Coogler and the rest of the production team, all of which far outweigh the film’s perhaps excessive runtime caused by some mildly unnecessary additions to the plot. This currently sits in my top five films of the year. I anticipate some of the more “film-y” films to knock it out by the time it’s all said and done, but this was a phenomenal time. Go see it if you have the opportunity.

Weekend Watch - Black Adam

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week’s topic, as voted by the blog’s Instagram followers, is the DC Universe’s latest feature film release, Black Adam. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as the titular antihero, with Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell, Marwan Kenzari, Bodhi Sabongui, and Mohammed Amer in supporting roles. The film follows the return of Black Adam to Earth after years of exile and his conflict with other heroes and villains as he works to keep his homeland truly free. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: C, this film is fine, definitely nothing to write home about.

Should you Watch This Film? If you really want to see Dwayne Johnson playing himself again but with flying and lightning powers or are a fan of Aldis Hodge or Pierce Brosnan, this is probably a solid film for you.

Why?

                Black Adam’s action sequences are its crowning achievement, showcasing a solid mix of slo-mo shots, brutal kills, and decent visual effects. Black Adam, Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone are all given moments to shine in the various sequences in typically thrilling ways. Unfortunately, after their introductory fight scenes, the action doesn’t really try anything overly daring, becoming quickly repetitive. The dialogue doesn’t do a whole lot either, offering a few quippy one-liners and a plethora of dry exposition with not many truly emotional beats. Dwayne Johnson gets to be his same charismatic self, if a bit more one-note here because most of the humor comes from other sources. The film’s story is pretty basic with a few plot twists that would’ve been so much better if they hadn’t already been given away in the film’s virtually unavoidable marketing campaign. I really feel like if I had seen none of the film’s trailers that I would have enjoyed the twists and the film would be getting better reviews right now. As it stands, the fun aspects of new characters, Dwayne Johnson, and solid action moments often end up overshadowed by a spoiled plot that wasn’t even that complex to begin with and writing that focuses a little too much on exposition and not enough on actual character development. I am guardedly excited to see what they do with this character and the supporting cast in the future. Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher was a really fun addition to the film, and he could bring a lot to another team-up film. Pierce Brosnan’s Dr. Fate was arguably the coolest and most interesting aspect of the film, but even he isn’t given enough screentime to really connect deeply with his character, and if we’re being honest, the moments without Black Adam on screen were pretty consistently the best parts of the film. The coolest moment Black Adam gets comes not during the film’s run-time but in a post credits scene where we get some actual insight into how he is going to fit in the wider DC Universe going forward. Overall, Black Adam has a lot of potential, but left so much on the table and underdelivered on so much that it can’t be called much more than an average superhero film, on par with X-Men: First Class or Batman Forever. This film is currently showing in theaters if you want to go check it out.

Weekend Watch - House of the Dragon - Pilot Episode

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each week we take a new piece of film or television media, as voted by the followers on the blog’s Instagram, and give it a rating, review, and watch recommendation. This week’s subject is the pilot episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon, a prequel series to the wildly successful Game of Thrones, set 172 years before Robert’s Rebellion, the event that directly set up the events of Thrones. The pilot stars Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey, and Graham McTavish, among others, as major players in this family drama set in the land of Westeros. The viewership numbers for the pilot episode were apparently the highest of any HBO premier in recent history, allowing the show’s second season to already receive the green light before its second episode has released. Let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B+/A-; there’s a lot to love and a lot of potential in this pilot, but I want to wait before I’m fully sold on the show.

Should you Watch This Show? If you were a fan of Game of Thrones, absolutely. If you like Succession or other family dramas and also want something with a more medieval/fantasy bent, absolutely. If those things are not your cup of tea, you’re probably okay skipping this one.

Why?

                House of the Dragon comes out swinging with a pilot episode full of intrigue, dragons, violence, big characters, and difficult content. After a brief, possibly unnecessary, prologue, the show flashes to its present with a dragon front and center, flying over King’s Landing – a shot that might be slightly triggering to certain fans of Game of Thrones who were less than satisfied with that show’s final season. Immediately, the show’s production value (much higher than most comparable shows) becomes apparent, with some pretty good CGI work, excellent set pieces, and decent costume and makeup design (some of the wigs look a little more wig-ish than others). The characters, whose names might be a bit more difficult to pronounce/remember than Ned, Jon, or Jaime, still stand out as individuals, particularly Matt Smith’s villain(?) Daemon Targaryen, Fabien Frankel’s hot, young nobody Criston Cole, and Milly Alcock’s young heroine Rhaenyra Targaryen. Smith embodies a combination of characteristics reminiscent of some of Thrones’s most iconic villains – the creeping menace of Ramsay Bolton and the entitled violence of Joffrey Baratheon – I’m intrigued to see where they take his character as the show progresses. Frankel’s simple charm combined with his character’s skill on a battlefield make him a potentially great tragic hero, alongside Robb Stark or Jon Snow or Oberyn Martell from the original show. Alcock brings much of the charm of a young Arya Stark and combines it with the tact of Margaery Tyrell to become the show’s new protagonist (at least at this point), having to walk the complex minefield that is the political state of Westeros. If we’re being honest, my two biggest concerns going forward with the show are its inevitable time jump, which has already been teased, as both Rhaenyra and her friend Alicent Hightower are portrayed by different actresses later on in the season, and its lack of a fully likable character (a Tyrion Lannister). Time jumps in the middle of a show’s inaugural season make me considerably nervous, as audiences don’t always react super well to a change in actor, particularly in shows with character lists as lengthy as House of the Dragon’s. I also know that you shouldn’t compare two shows when doing a review, but it’s hard not to with Dragon and Thrones, especially with the knowledge of how the original ended. The surprise deaths and complex political games will only take a show so far if it doesn’t have an almost universally beloved secondary protagonist. Overall, House of the Dragon’s pilot episode does a great job of filling the shoes that its fans expected it to fill with a combination of high production value and memorable characters; we’ll see where it all ends up as the season progresses, but there’s a lot here to be optimistic about in HBO’s return to Westeros. The first episode is available on HBO Max if you missed its premier, and the second episode drops on Sunday night on HBO and HBO Max simultaneously.

Weekend Watch - She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 1

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a review and recommendation. This week’s Watch, chosen by votes on the Instagram account, is about the new MCU Disney+ show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law whose first episode dropped this week and will run for another eight weeks on the streaming service. It stars Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk as well as featuring Mark Ruffalo, Ginger Gonzaga, Jameela Jamil, and Steve Coulter. Future episodes are also supposed to feature Tim Roth, Charlie Cox, Benedict Wong, Josh Segarra, and Griffin Matthews. The show follows the origins of She-Hulk and Jennifer’s efforts to maintain a normal professional and social life as she gains these new powers; let’s get into the review.

Letter Grade: A-; for what is essentially a pilot episode, this might be one of the MCU’s best so far.

Should you Watch This Show? I’m gonna say yes. This show feels like it has a lot of potential to take its characters in fun directions and it feels worth checking out.

Why?

                This first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law serves as the hero’s origin story. It starts as Jennifer is prepping her closing arguments for a case against some powerful individual. She then breaks the fourth wall (as the character often does in the comics) to cut and acknowledge that she is in fact a “Hulk” and then goes into the back-story. The origin involves a trip with her cousin Bruce Banner where she becomes a Hulk and then a long training journey where he teaches her how to be a Hulk. Along the way, we get a lot of development of both characters, delving deeper into Bruce’s connections to Tony Stark and Steve Rogers in some fun and even briefly emotional ways. At the same time, we see a little bit of what makes Jennifer tick, learning about her love for her job and her hesitancy to become a superhero in spite of her new powers. The threads that are set up in the flashback provide some nuggets for strong character development as the show goes forward. The CGI, which was a problem for many when the show’s trailers first dropped, has been touched up surprisingly well, especially for a T.V. show on a streaming service. It’s by no means perfect or “movie-quality” but it’s better than most of the other MCU shows for sure. I have seen people complaining about Maslany’s characterization of Jennifer and She-Hulk as too abrasive or “feminista” or whatever, comparing her to Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, and I cannot disagree more. Yes, she has some talking points that should be expected in a show featuring a female superhero (only the fourth Marvel project to do so in a solo endeavor, I might add), but the character is legitimately funny and doesn’t feel overconfident or disingenuous at all to me. She is a New York attorney whose job is prosecuting powerful people (maybe even superpowered people), confidence and an ability to adapt on the fly are incredibly necessary in that world. I will also say, the show’s comedy harkens back to some of the more classic MCU days in a way that is highly reminiscent of the Iron Man franchise and even the first Avengers, and I didn’t hate it. In fact, this episode’s post-credits scene might be the best that Marvel has ever done, in terms of comedy; I was dying laughing when it went to black. Overall, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s first episode sets the tone for a solid superhero origin story featuring a mix of likable original characters and familiar MCU favorites with some quality topical comedic writing thrown in to top it all off. I’m excited to see where the rest of the show goes. Follow it as it releases each week on Thursdays on Disney+.

Weekend Watch - Bullet Train

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television that recently released and give it a rating, review, and recommendation for watching. This week, as selected by the Instagram followers, we are taking a look at Bullet Train, the new action comedy from Deadpool 2 director David Leitch, starring Brad Pitt, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Joey King, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Logan Lerman, Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz and Sandra Bullock. It’s a really good time, so let’s get into it.

Letter Grade: B, this film won’t win any awards, but that doesn’t make it unwatchable

Should you Watch This Film? Mostly yes, some younger viewers should maybe wait on this one, but it’s a good time otherwise.

Why?

                Bullet Train falls in the same category of film as basically every R-rated action comedy that has released since the year 2000. It’s got strong language, fast-paced witty dialogue, intense gory violence, and homages to other action genres – everything that Edgar Wright, Matthew Vaughn, and Guy Ritchie have seemingly perfected. Bullet Train has all of that in spades and does most of it in what can only be described as entertaining fashion. With all of that eye-popping action and aesthetic, the film’s story takes a major backseat. I don’t mean this as a knock against watching the film, just if you’re looking for “real cinema” or “a Film”, this is definitely not going to be what you are looking for – I honestly don’t know what the overall message was, and the plot twists weren’t overly surprising. At the same time, the rest of the film is great! The cast works perfectly with the quick dialogue and the action, delivering their witticisms and intimate action sequences with equal skill. Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s duo is the highlight of the film, as both are incredible actors working in really fun roles. Their back and forth carries large portions of the film when the action briefly slows down. Joey King is perfectly cast as the villain (at least for me). She has the worst vibes of just about any actress I’ve ever seen, and that comes through well for the audience as she is tricking the different men of the film to do her dirty work for her – it’s like watching a less talented, younger Cersei Lannister go to work. Brad Pitt has all the charisma that you want from an action movie lead, but he also brings enough dad energy in his older age to make the hesitant killer act believable. Even Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz, and Logan Lerman bring their own flair to the small roles that they have to play. Bad Bunny makes the most of his limited lines of dialogue by communicating most of his character with the facial expressions and body language of an actor well beyond his experience, and then he sells the action sequence with Brad Pitt just as naturally. Zazie Beetz works well in her brief, unhinged role bringing a combination of humor and menace to her four minutes of screen time. Lerman continues to distance himself from Percy Jackson, this time by playing the incredibly useless son of the White Death crime lord and being enough of a jerk to make his death feel warranted. All told, Bullet Train is a wildly well-cast action comedy that delivers on those two promises without much story to hold them up – worth the watch but not necessarily a place among the greatest films ever made.

Weekend Watch - Our Flag Means Death

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week I talk about a new-ish piece of media and give you a brief, mostly spoiler-free review and tell you whether or not to watch it. This week, we’re back in the world of streaming television with a show that I’m kinda late to, and I’m sure you’ve heard about but may not have watched. It’s Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max. I started this show weeks ago when it first got big, but only watched the first episode and was relatively entertained. This week, a friend from high school recommended the show to me, so I decided to pick it back up, and let me just say, it did not disappoint.

Letter Grade: A – high quality pirate comedy

Should you Watch This Show? Yeah! Definitely.

Why?

                Our Flag Means Death fits into quite a few genres very well but also plays outside the lines of most of those genres. Perhaps most fitting genre is comedy, which it delivers on consistently in each episode, often following the Taika Waititi brand of comedy in a similar fashion as What We Do in the Shadows, crafting satire, witticisms, and legitimately quality humor into a show about pirates. At the same time, this show is not comedy just for the sake of comedy – it deals heavily with modern issues (not just modern for the 1700s either) and focuses concepts like masculinity and femininity and everything that goes into that conversation with the tact and familiarity that such concepts should be discussed. As an action show, it delivers on occasion, often seeking to poke fun at the ways we expect action sequences to go and very much emphasizing the show’s protagonist’s (Stede Bonnet played by Rhys Darby) physical aversion to violence. As a pirate show, it has those in spades. Many historical figures from the “golden age of piracy” are featured in this show in both cameos and major roles. Stede Bonnet the “Gentleman Pirate”, Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, and Izzy Hands all feature heavily in the show, no doubt pleasing those looking for historicity. Also, though, the pirate stuff is just plain fun. The show plays on audience expectations of how pirates are supposed to be and turns a lot of that on its head in consistently creative and interesting ways. Our Flag Means Death does a really good job of making a show about pirates into something wholesome about friendship, relationships, gender, sexuality, and also lots of pirates.

Weekend Watch - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where, this week, I’m gonna give you the rundown on whether or not you should go see Marvel’s latest film – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This is the second multiversal film that the Weekend Watch has covered, which means the multiverse is here for the foreseeable future in entertainment. Doctor Strange builds on the ideas of the Marvel multiverse introduced in the Disney+ Loki show last summer and expanded upon in Spider-Man: No Way Home last December.

Letter Grade: A-, pretty solid; one of the most fun Marvel movies of Phase 4

Should you Watch This Film? Obviously, Marvel fans should watch this film; Sam Raimi fans should watch this film; fans of creative action sequences should watch this film; if you are looking for entertainment, you should definitely watch this film.

Why?

                Firstly, for Marvel fans, Multiverse of Madness feels like it’s setting up the direction of the next ten years of Marvel content. Yes, the film explores the concept of the Multiverse a little bit more, but it also sets up some exciting new properties to be explored in films in the next cycle, some of which we knew about and some we only had assumptions about. This film is a reset and tone-setter for the next few phases of Marvel content beyond just Dr. Strange and Wanda/Scarlet Witch. Some Marvel fans may be disappointed because there are not enough cameos or there’s not enough Multiverse action, but I felt like it worked for me, and I had a great time. For Raimi fans, this Marvel film allowed him to exhibit his brand of horror pretty fully. I’ve seen multiple reviews talking about the gore and horror in this film, which for a Marvel movie was definitely high. Director Sam Raimi was fully allowed to play in the space that he was given, creating what I hope most Raimi fans will agree is both a solid Raimi film and solid Marvel film. Finally, if you don’t fit into either of the above categories, I think this film still works as a pure entertainment piece. The action and character connections in this film are really fun! Each major character has a moment to shine and showcase their superhero abilities in new and incredibly satisfying ways. One fight in particular is definitely the most original fight scene in the MCU, and I’d put it up against most other famous fight scenes in terms of entertainment value and originality. Overall, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a reminder of how fun superhero films can be, an excellent addition to the Raimi catalogue of films, and a solid tone-setter for the future of the MCU. It’s definitely worth going to see while it’s out in theaters.

Weekend Watch - Everything Everywhere All at Once

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week, we do a quick review and recommendation of a new piece of entertainment media – film, television, etc. This week, we’re taking a look at       A24’s latest sci-fi outing, Everything Everywhere All at Once, which has quickly become a critical success and expanded its theatrical markets for its first three weeks in theaters and broken into the studio’s top 15 biggest box office successes.

Letter Grade: A+, next question

Should you Watch This Film? Yes, go see it in theaters while you still can!

Why?

                This is the most fun I have had watching a film in theaters since Spider-Man: No Way Home, and honestly, I may have liked this one even more. This film has all the comedy, heartbreak, and action of a major blockbuster or MCU release while maintaining its originality for most of the film. There are references to other media, but they aren’t what make the film great as much as adding to an already great film. The acting from each of the film’s leads – Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan – as well as from most of the supporting cast runs the full range of the emotions asked for by the film’s script. They can be funny action stars, emotional family drama stars, and everything in-between. The story is very fun, diving into a new take on multiverses (very much not what the MCU seems to be doing) and using it to explore our connection to friends and family. Its theme of meaningful life vs. nihilism plays out in a powerful way on screen, offering audiences a refreshingly positive take on life and our place in this world. Full disclosure, when the official list on this site is updated next year, Everything Everywhere All at Once will be on here (barring some major review bombing). I don’t want to take away from that inevitable review, but you HAVE to go see this film in theaters as soon as possible. If you’re worried about not liking other things that A24 has put out, this film has enough fast-paced action and comedy to keep your interest. If that description has you worried that this is just another blockbuster with no heart or message, rest assured that it does in fact have both and is a fully rewarding watch throughout for both blockbuster fans and arthouse fans. This film bridges the gap between blockbuster and film connoisseur movie better than probably anything that I have seen since probably Parasite. Please go see it!