Movie Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Spider-Man Far From Home (FFH) is a light summer snack. It's funny, has great supporting characters and a terrific soundtrack, and the CGI is phenomenal. However, IMO the hero and the villain are weak. Overall, Spidey's latest adventure is sure to satisfy his fans, and, as is obligatory for an MCU movie, increases anticipation for the next one.

FFH shows viewers the fallout from Thanos' actions in the last two Avengers movies, and follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) on his class science trip to Europe. Trouble also shadows the young superhero, in the form of elemental monsters. Fortunately, another superpowered person shows up to fight the villains: the dome-headed Mysterio, played by an excellent Jake Gyllenhaal.

"But Fragrant Elephant," you protest, "you said the hero and the villain are weak! Y u praise Donnie Darko?"

Because, my love, Jake is great but Mysterio is lame. He's so obviously the bad guy, as any comics fan will know. While the reveal of how he does what he does is impressive, his motivation is small-time. Which, I suppose, is in keeping with Peter's own modest ambitions to enjoy his trip and get with MJ (Zendaya).

Speaking of, she and Ned (Jacob Batalon) are highlights in this film. They're both adorable, as is newcomer Brad (Remy Hii), whose backstory is the best. As for the adults, Happy (Jon Favreau) has his sights set on Hot Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), and teachers Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr) and Mr. Dell (JB Smoove) are utterly hopeless. Alas, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is mostly relegated to comic relief, although that's likely because, in fact, [REDACTED].

My biggest complaint with the movie is how much of a wet blanket Peter is in Spider-Man Far From Home. He's so reluctant to step up after his mentor's death that he makes a series of poor decisions. It's difficult to reconcile whiny Peter with the solid, reliable Spider-Man from Avengers Civil War, Spider-Man Homecoming, and Avengers Infinity War. The contrast between Peter's wish for a normal life and his responsibilities as Spider-Man makes for a key theme in this movie, but it's a jarring contrast from his characterization thus far, which painted him as a kid who will always do the right thing, no matter the cost to himself.

Anyway! My bellyaching aside, FFH offers plenty to enjoy for casual Spidey fans and stans alike, so by all means, give Marvel more of your money, and chuckle at the teenage shenanigans!

TL;DR: MJ rules!!!

---

This post brought to you by mysterious tea! Ah, if only my kanji skills were higher than toddler level!

Movie Review: Captain Marvel (2019)

Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is a terrific origin story. It introduces viewers to Carol Danvers, a superheroine who's confident, implacable, and full of quips. The editing is especially excellent, helping to briskly tell a story spanning light years and different alien civilizations. Overall, the movie is an excellent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) roster, and admirably fulfills its secondary task of getting us excited for Avengers: Endgame.

The trailers reveal the basic premise of the plot: Captain Marvel starts out as an amnesiac operative for the powerful Kree empire, and a crash landing (into a Blockbuster!) on Earth begins her hero's journey to recover her memories and find her true self. Along the way, she must face off against the Kree's sworn enemies, the shapeshifting Skrulls, and dogged pursuit by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Captain Marvel takes place in the nineties, and visual gags from that time period abound. The funniest ones involve computers and dial-up, and Fragrant Husband and I were unabashedly bellowing with laughter at the nostalgia. Similarly, the soundtrack pays homage to the popular bands of my childhood/tween years: Garbage, Nirvana, No Doubt, etc. The songs make their respective scenes much more fun, though as a whole, the soundtrack is not as strong as the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 OST.

The film also does a great job depicting space locations such as Hala, the Kree capital, with its enormous, super-advanced structures and stark training facilities. There's the border planet, appropriately desolate and forbidding, where the Kree team gets ambushed. And then there's Planet C53, "a real shithole," as Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan) reminisces. (The side characters get all the best lines in Captain Marvel.)

By far the most important element in the film are the character relationships. Carol has an easy camaraderie with her Kree mentor (Jude Law) as well as with Fury. Her easy exchanges with them highlight appealing aspects of her personality: her confidence and positive outlook. But it's her relationships with her best friend, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), and with the Skrull leader Talos, that showcase her powerful humanity, and it's her admiration for the Air Force's secretive scientist, Dr. Lawson (Annette Bening) that reveals her heroic core.

And what a hero she is! Even before she goes Super Saiyajin, Carol is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to free-for-all brawling. In one scene, she utterly destroys all her foes with her arms encased so she can't fire her photon beams. In another scene, she obliterates Kree soldiers while protecting a precious, precious lunchbox. Then, after her final Limit Break, she's a one-woman planetary defense force. Thanos better watch out!

As great as the bipeds are, Goose is the indisputable star of Captain Marvel. Just look at that widdle face! Goose is a true hero, one who is clutch in a crisis and brings joy and goodness and light wherever she goes. I would watch a standalone Goose movie, and you would too, don't even lie. She's irresistible, and her actions in Captain Marvel cement her iconic status in the MCU. I would give this...cat...all the Infinity Stones in a heartbeat.

Speaking of, the Ultimate Power Thingie of Power in Captain Marvel will be familiar to fans of the Marvel films, but the mystery of how Mar-Vell got it remains. Hint: chronologically speaking, we last saw it after WWII. It may or may not be addressed in a future movie, but in the meantime, Marvel will hopefully allow viewers a glimpse of a grown up Monica Rambeau (Akira Akbar), whose sweet smile and calculated words inspire (unwilling) heroic deeds.

In conclusion, BLACK WIDOW MOVIE BLACK WIDOW MOVIE BLACK WIDOW MOVIE

TL;DR: Cats are heroes, too! Truly the most empowering Marvel film.

---

This post brought to you by very fluffy snow!

Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War is dark, raises the stakes, has music that is on point, frenetic action, and it features a competent villain. This movie assumes knowledge of every single MCU movie and thus doesn't bother to introduce any of the superheroes. Instead, from the very beginning it powers viewers through a helluva ride.

The newcomer here is Thanos, so we get to know his abilities and motivations. The "Mad Titan" wants to accessorize his Infinity Gauntlet with all six Infinity Stones. Thanos' goal is to wipe out half of the universe because overpopulation! It destroyed his homeworld!

*** SPOILERS FOLLOW ***

Apart from his convictions, different aspects of Thanos are revealed over the course of the movie. Initially, he's terrifyingly powerful, defeating the Hulk with ease. Then he's cunning, predicting Gamora's moves and laying two traps to extract her knowledge of the Soul Stone. Then he's surprisingly tender--y'know, before he hurls her into the abyss for what he sees as the greater good. And finally, he's effective--he gets what he wants! Behold:

1. Power Stone: Taken from Nova Prime
2. Space Stone: RIP Asgardians...and Loki (?) 
3. Reality Stone: RIP Knowhere Inhabitants...and The Collector (?) 
4. Soul Stone: GAMORAAAAAAA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
5. Time Stone: Star Lord, you #$%$^$%!!!
6. Mind Stone: RIP Vision! Also, half the universe!

I mean, that is just breathtaking hyper-competence right there. And did I mention he's a single dad? (swoon)

While the film puts Thanos front and center, plenty of other elements make this movie shine. For one, the action is spectacular and practically nonstop. Again, a list:

• Thanos fights the Hulk; 
• Ebony Maw and Black Dwarf fight Dr. Strange, Iron Man, and Spider-Man;
• Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive fight Vision and the Scarlet Witch;
• Thor fights a star;
• Thanos fights Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Star Lord, Drax, Mantis, and Nebula.

There are a lot of crowd-pleasing last-minute saves in the action scenes, with the "Avengers" theme thundering in on cue. The battle in Wakanda during the third act is especially nuts, with awesome sequences like Bucky and Rocket becoming a murder merry-go-round, the Scarlet Witch finally taking the field ("Why was she up there this whole time?" Okoye exclaims), and Thor making a grand entrance.

In place of character building, the theme of choice and sacrifice is highlighted throughout Infinity War. "The hardest choices require the strongest will," Thanos declares, proving himself equal to the task at Vormir as he offers his beloved daughter in exchange for the Soul Stone. Meanwhile, Captain America is adamantly against sacrificing even one life to save countless others: "We don't trade lives," he says, a sentiment echoed by Vision, the would-be sacrifice.

Speaking of dialogue, there's plenty of humor to offset the darkness of the film. The music immediately becomes light when the Guardians of the Galaxy first come on screen, a parallel to their offbeat family dynamic. Among them, Thor continues his comic streak from Thor: Ragnarok, although the magnitude of all his losses finally hits him when he has a heart-to-heart with Rocket (whom he calls "rabbit" throughout the entire movie). Spider-Man is as endearingly clueless as ever, Drax even more so, and Mantis' "mean face" was the first LOL moment for Fragrant Husband.

Yet despite all the the fighting and the occasional laughs, the movie ends with Thanos' triumph, earning him an idyllic sunrise view, while our surviving heroes take in the enormity of their failure. I was particularly touched by Peter Parker's pleading as he fades away--"I don't want to go, please, I don't want to go, Mr. Stark." ;_;

***

"I finally saw Infinity War and now I am sad," I texted my dad.

"Why?" he replied. I was rendered speechless for a minute.

As it turns out, he was not indifferent to the fate of the unlucky half of the universe--he was simply convinced that they're all in an alternate reality--"otherwise the movie makers will get lynched."

I also believe that this is all part of Dr. Strange's long game--the one future where they win over Thanos. And it sure looked to me like Shuri did...something to Vision's synapses when her lab came under attack.

I'm so pumped for the next movie, because Captain America, Black Widow, and Okoye barely did anything in Infinity War except be badass, which means they get more screen time in the next movie!

In the meantime, Marvel fans have Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel to tide us over. And Deadpool 2 just came out! What a time to be alive!

***

TL;DR: Can't wait for part two of this tragedy!

---

This post brought to you by WHY IS STILL SO COLD???

Movie Review: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor: Ragnarok is a rollicking prelude to Asgard's end times. Headlined by the power antlers of Hela (Cate Blanchett), goddess of death, utter destruction has never been so appealing. In his third movie, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is determined to stop her and save his people...because that's what heroes do.

Humor is the standout in Thor: Ragnarok. There are so many quotable lines ("I have been falling for thirty minutes!"), absurd exchanges, and just plain goofy moments, like Thor's attempt to smash a window with an exercise ball. Jeff Goldblum is a riot as the Grandmaster, and Korg (Taika Waititi) is ridiculous. Even Hela will pause her murder spree long enough to make a dry observation. This movie is lighthearted despite its high stakes, and a lot of that is because of its lead.

Thor is uncomplicated. He's Odinson, the god of thunder, next in line to the throne, and a hero. He's sure of himself and his place in the world, and is as swaggeringly confident here as he was in his first movie. He is single-minded in purpose; the many beatings he receives only strengthen his resolve to save Asgard. He's a lovable lunk who's worth rooting for.

The supporting characters are similarly stellar. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is up to his old tricks, and he's such a fun character because the tiny bit of goodness and decency he still has sometimes makes his actions difficult to predict. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is, as always, a formidable ally. And Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) is a welcome addition to the team. Her memories of Hela's defeat of her sisters comprise the most gorgeous scene in the film:

A number of themes from Thor are present in Thor: Ragnarok: family, secrets, ambition, responsibility, and the use/abuse of power. But this time around, Thor's nemesis is seemingly undefeatable -- how do you win against the goddess of death? Especially when she's played with gusto by a scenery-chewing Cate Blanchett and her eyeliner? The answer makes sense, and now other parts of the Marvel universe will be embroiled in the consequences.

TL;DR: Thor: Ragnarok is fun! Highly recommended, 3D optional.

---

This post brought to you by what feels like an early winter!