anubis-x

So.... I've been putting this off for a while....but now seems a good enough time as any. Echoing the statement from my last review The sequel trilogy had potential The cast was a POWERFUL mix of the original cast and promising up and comers It all seemed like a new generation would get to see the grandeur of Star Wars from opening crawl, to the final credits. And to be fair I took my son and my self to see all three of them in the theater. And we had fun, but there was something....off For any major epic to work, characters need to have a balance, a foil, something to interact with, the Writing needs a consistent direction, and above all else, the writer needs to give a shit about the story and the characters so they can relate to us, convincingly why we should care for them as well. In came JJ Abrams...a man who quite simply lied to get the job directing Disney's newest (at the time) acquisition, and Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm who's hubris was on full display when in 2017 she officially stated that the expanded universe was no longer canon, alienating the majority of the fan base in the process. The writing was shit, the Pacing was poor, the characters were poorly realized as well as actualized, especially the antagonists. When it was all done, most actors involved moved on, mainly because of professional grievances and online harassment, the Fandom fractured, most just left to be done with it all JJ was out, Kennedy professionally disgraced, and it looked like Star Wars had finally had it But then it all changed November 12, 2019 a new show directed by John Favreau premieres on Disney+ moving in a new direction...it wasn't dealing with space wizards, lightsabers and space battle, but the setting they inhabit and the other people living in it. Set 5 years after the Return of the Jedi, the Mandalorian follows our title character as he makes his through the galaxy amidst the establishing of the New Republic and Imperial remnants skulking in the shadows. The series so far has run for 3 seasons, with each show an advent calendar of new and nostalgia, a love letter to the fans of sorts, with references spanning the the original trilogy, the Prequels, Clone Wars, and even the "expanded universe" now called "Legends", as many characters make their return, and others their onscreen debut. Following directly after the second season of The Mandalorian, we step into the gritty underworld of Mos Espa in the Book of Boba Fett. Fett, having survived the Saracc and being captured by the Tusken Raiders, later being adopted into them, during this time, Fett takes stock in his life, no longer bound to the whims of Jabba or Vader, he looks to shape his own destiny. Directed by Robert Rodriguez the series was positively epic in it own right. Jumping back 17 years earlier we have Andor, featuring the title character that first appeared in Rogue One years before the events on Scariff. Now I will be forward here, this show is difficult to watch because of its subject matter being fairly relevant to current events, so if anything, take your time with this series and I promise you it is all worth it. Back to the future, and coming in hot off the 3rd season of the Mandalorian, Ahsoka takes place after the Mandalorians took their planet back from Moff Gideon. The title character, when she's not helping her late Master's son re-establish the jedi order, she's looking for a Star Map....a star Map that if in the wrong hands, could return an evil so profound, it could shatter everything the rebellion had fought for. To say Favreau and Filoni saved star wars is a massive understatement, Iin these shows you can tell these show had a lot of work put into them. Not just work, effort It's good to see my favorite universe getting back on course, and like any starship of the imagination, it's good to see it flying true. This is the Way.

Say you have a concept... A really awesome concept, to introduce a really awesome villain and the fantastical setting is a world seen only in the halls of the imagination, or at the very least a well written and illustrated Sci-Fi or Fantasy anthology comic book. Paul Rudd is Scott Lang, a working class hero and a dad who also works for a semi retired superhero ( a VERY crotchety Michael Douglas) as well as dating his Daughter, Hope VanDyne, as played by the Beautiful and talented Evangeline Lily. This concept works out great for exactly 2 movies, adding the always Fantastic Michelle Phifer as the OG Wasp, Janet to the cast, only to be derailed AT THE END OF THE SECOND MOVIE by a purple alien with a funky chin and his bedazzled ovenmitt when said MC gets trapped in said setting, causing character decay that only becomes more noticeable in the presence of Robert Downey Jr. And ends up becoming a source of comedy in competition with a depressed overweight thunder Deity channeling the aesthetic of "the Dude" and a Raccoon with the voice of "Face" from the A-Team. 7 years (in universe) an epic battle and I guess a tell-all book later, and Scott apparently has let celebrity get to his head ( until he gets confused for Spider-Man which happens ALOT) only to find in the course of the movie that the multiverse is in danger due to Kang and his multiversal Variants played by Johnathan Majors by way of the Quantum Realm. This movie should have worked. The actors were top notch, The story concept was amazing But the writing was shit. Too formulaic and at times cringe-inducing. So let's get into it: The Good: In terms of character development and interaction Scotts Daughter, Cassie, (now as a young adult and played by Kathryn Newton ) who not only serves as the lynch-pin of the story but us a surprisingly well rounded character herself. We find out that Hank and her have established a Granddaughter/Grandfather dynamic that on the whole is actually adorable We find out that Janet didn't sit around while trapped in the Quantum Realm, even lead or participated in a few Revolutions. Scott and Hope's relationship is still going strong and actually gets stronger by the end of the movie. Johnathan Majors brings an amazing presence to this iteration of Kang, bringing with it a sense of growing menace to the character as the movie progresses. BILL F---king MURRAY 'Nuff said. Hank Pym gets better fleshed out, and is in all honesty better than his comic counterpart in every (fuck wife-beater Hank) The Bad Scott's whole celebrity arc in this was....kinda....just shitty, and you're gonna tell me Louis and his friends just disappeared and moved on?? Darren Cross from the first movie returns......and MODOK makes an appearance as well! And yes both events are sadly related in a way I am frankly too traumatized to go into.....(see below) Where in the actual fuck was this movie going again??? NOT EVERY MOVIE HAS TO BE A PART OF FRANCHISE-WIDE EVENTS, FEIGE!!! WHERE THE FUCK IS DR.Foster ( as played by always Phenomenal Lawrence Fishburne) and Ava Star (Ghost as played by Hannah John-Kamen)?? They REALLY could have helped and this situation AND found a resolution to Ava's condition The Cringe There really had to be a better way to tell us that Hank was mentoring Cassie that didn't sound like it implied questionable relations (especially since he did build her a suit)....that lands squarely on the writers and its not remotely fucking funny Janet's dirty Quantum laundry ( implied intimate relationships with Kang and Bill Murry for Dramatic effect and comedy). Fucking STOP. The whole first 5 minutes of the movie with Scott talking and showing his newfound celebrity status and book. (I cringed soo fucking hard my jaw and neck hurt.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌑🌑🌑🌑 6/10 stars Marvel needs to step back and re-evaluate their product, and Bob Iger needs to stay the fuck out of their business as the whole messy business with Marvels (re-writes and reshoots and advertising) falls on the absolute cowardice of corporate. Do Better Marvel.