TL;DR – A difficult part 1 of a show that you won’t know how well it lands till next week.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Post-Credit Scene – There is a Mid-Credit Scene
Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ subscription that viewed this series.
WandaVision Review –
If there is one thing about WandaVision that we could say, it is that each week has pushed the boundaries of the show. Time after time, I was left feeling in awe about what I just watched. Well, this week, I’m not sure about that, and I don’t know if that flows from the structure of the episode or its content.
So to set the scene, and the end of last week’s All-New Halloween Spooktacular!, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) was forced to dramatically increase the size of the Hex to save Vision’s (Paul Bettany) life as he had left the protection of The Hex and had started to disintegrate. This absorbed most of the SWORD base and personal sitting just outside, including Darcy (Kat Dennings). As we crash into this week, we have jumped into the 2010s, but something is not right as parts of Wanda’s house start reverting back in time. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some MAJOR [SPOILERS] ahead.
TL;DR – We get to see that there more going on than we first though as many questions are raised but answers as still coming.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ subscription that viewed this series.
WandaVision Review –
Well, WandaVision is one of those shows that just when you think you have a handle on what is going on, it pulls the rug out for underneath you. We saw that first at the end of Now in Color and also at the end of last week’s On a Very Special Episode…. All of this means that when you start up the episode for the first time, you have no idea where this show will go.
So to set the scene, at the end of last week Vision (Paul Bettany) had started to take note that something is wrong in this world. He cannot remember what happened of his life before he arrived in Westview, which is not good news for Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) who is trying to keep the façade of this perfect sitcom world going. But as forces move from the outside, the question has to be asked – ‘Is Wanda in complete control of this universe?’ because while she can come and go, there are growing factors outside of her control. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some MAJOR [SPOILERS] ahead.
TL;DR – This week, everything changes again as we take a right turn into “did that just happen!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ subscription that viewed this series.
WandaVision Review –
There are days when you sit down to watch a TV show where you kind of know what you will get before you click play. Well, WandaVision is not one of those shows. We have already seen in change on a dime, and this week we get another example as the show starts to dark fast.
So to set the scene, in last week’s We Interrupt This Program, we left The Hex and found out what had been happening in the world around. We see the road that Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) took to being a player in the weird TV show that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) is creating in Westview. This week we dive into the 1980s, but things are not the same as Vision (Paul Bettany) has started to see something is not right with this world. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some MAJOR [SPOILERS] ahead.
TL;DR – This week the veil is removed, and we start to see just what is going on
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ subscription that viewed this series.
WandaVision Review –
One of the core conceits in this series is that while we are getting the sitcom joy of WandaVision, something else is going on, something unsettling. This has all been hinted at so far, well today we go from hinting to laying it all out for you.
So to set the scene, at the end of Now in Color, Geraldine (Teyonah Parris) mentions to Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) that Ultron killed her brother. This does not go well for Geraldine as Wanda turns on her and boots her out of the town. At the start of this week’s episode, we get to see all of the context leading up to this as Geraldine/ Monica Rambeau blips back into existence in a hospital in chaos. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.
TL;DR – This is where we start to see what is under the hood in this show, and it might be menacing indeed.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ subscription that viewed this series.
WandaVision Review –
Well, we spent Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience & Don’t Touch That Dial living in the 1950s in all its black and white glory. However, last week made it clear that we would leap forward into this new-fangled thing known as colour.
So to set the scene, at the end of last week’s episode, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) witnessed a man out of place in their neighbourhood. However, Wanda did not want that to happen, so she rewound the tape back to before they went outside. When she got back, Wanda discovered that she was pregnant and also the world was in colour. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.
TL;DR – This was fun, nostalgic, and also super odd all at once
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ subscription that viewed this series.
WandaVision Review –
Thanks to Covid it has been over a year since we have had anything set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Spider-man: Far From Home for those playing at home). This makes it kind of odd that the first entry back into this world is on Disney+, but then this is a strange show, so it might fit.
So to set the scene, we open sitcom entrance where we see Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) arriving at a new town. A newly married couple is settling into a small town where they are pretending that she is not a witch and he is not an android, but an average couple. Everything is going well until their neighbour Angus (Kathryn Hahn) comes over and helps Wanda plan her ‘anniversary’. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.
TL;DR – As the swan song for the Phase 3 it delivers of nearly every front but mostly in heaping amounts of charm
Score – 4.5 out of 5 stars
Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and post-credit scene (you 100% need to stay for the mid-credit at least)
Review –
To be a bit honest I had some concerns about this film before I walked into the
cinemas. I quite liked the first Spider-Man
and the films since has showed that Tom Holland was one of Marvel’s best
casting choices. However, this film was coming off the double whammy of being
the follow up to both Endgame
and also the first film since the revolutionary Into
the Spider-Verse, and they are tough acts to follow. However, literally
five minutes into the movie I knew I was in for a good time, but I didn’t know
was how much of an impact this film would have on the greater landscape.
So to set the scene, we open with a quick recap of everyone who dies in Endgame, so if you have not seen it yet
get ready for that band aid to get ripped off real quick. It also gives a
little perspective as to how the world adapted to what they now call the blip
with half of the people disappearing then reappearing 5 years later. It looks
like most of Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) friends got snapped and have to
suffer through doing the school year all over again. Well after all the stress
of Endgame, Peter is happy that he is able to take a break because he and his friends
MJ (Zendaya), Jacob (Jacob Batalon), Betty (Angourie Rice) and unfortunately Flash
(Tony Revolori) are going to Europe on a school trip. However, before he leaves
Happy (Jon Favreau) arrives at his aunt May’s (Marisa Tomei) charity dinner to let
Peter know that Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is looking for him and Peter does
the only normal thing and ghosts Nick Fury. Well you can guess how well that
went.
TL;DR – Today with the next
Avengers release imminent we take a look
at where on Earth we have visited during all of Phase One, Phase Two, and Phase
Three
Article –
Today Avengers:
Endgame was released in cinemas, and well since I like maps and I like
the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I thought it would be interesting to update our
map out where the MCU has visited during its three phases from Iron Man in 2008 to Endgame in 2019. This means that there are some slight spoilers for
Endgame here, but only their locations which don’t really give anything away,
but if you are super cautious please be aware.
Back in 2018 we had a look at ranking all the current Marvel Cinematic Universe films from best to last. We at least, what ranking they were for me. Well I have just walked out of Endgame and as there are no more films (that we know of) left for 2019 it is time to revisit the list.
With these lists, I don’t rank them 1-10 as I feel that does not adequately reflect my feeling about each of the films and where they fit in relation to each other. As you can see in our X-Men countdown (see here) what we do is the group the films into categories Fantastic, GreatGood, Ok, and Trash.
Fantastic are those films which get as close to perfect as we can on this side of Heaven, with compelling characters stories and visuals. Great are those films which I thoroughly enjoyed but they did not move me emotionally. Good are solid films that while they have some issues they still work and are still enjoyable. Ok are films that work, they have some good moments, but you can start to see some of the flaws that almost scuttle the film. Trash are those films which just don’t work, whether it is the story, the characters, the visuals, or a combination of all three, they are simply letdowns.
Also within those categories, I have listed the films not in a ranked order but in chronological order of when they were released.
So let’s dive into a world of gritty spy thrillers, fun heist films, moral tales on not watching your AI experiments as you steal alien technology, high school drama, a Technicolour Dreamcoat, and the greatest collection of Chris’ since the invention of the word Chris.
Also be warned, at the time of writing two of these films are still in cinemas, so be careful with [SPOILERS].
TL;DR – Now all together “Baaaaaaaar bar bar bup barrrrr, barr barrr, barrrrr bup bup barrr baaar bomp barrrrrrr, Baaaaaaaar bar bar bup barrrrr, barr barrr, ba dum, ba dum, ba dum, ba dum, Baaaaaaaar”
Score – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit sequence and a hint at the end
Review –
Wow and here we are. Honestly, when I sat down to watch Iron Man in cinemas all the way back in 2008 I don’t think I really
comprehended just what it was that I was watching. I didn’t know it would spawn
a 20+ movie franchise that would take us into the past, into the deep reaches
of space, and create one of the biggest events in movie history. In many
respects, it feels like this is my generation’s Star Wars moment, and I have not seen queues like this to go see a
film in a long time. Well, today we take the plunge and see if they can work
out one of the biggest cliff-hangers in movie history and can this be a film
that gives closure to the films that came before it.
So to set the scene, at the end of Infinity
War the one thing they were trying to stop happening actually
happened, as Thanos (Josh Brolin) obtained all the infinity stones after
ripping the mind stone out of Vision’s (Paul Bettany) head and snapped his
fingers. All at once across the galaxy, 50% of everything turned to dust and we
had that gut-wrenching moment as everything literally fell apart in people’s
hands. Indeed Peter (Tom Holland) looking desperately at Tony (Robert Downey Jr)
pleading that ‘I don’t want to go” is
one of those moments that just stays with you and it stays with the cast.
Because as we start everything is in a bad place. Tony is trapped with Nebula (Karen
Gillan) on a ship running out of fuel, air, and food, and those Avengers that
survived are counting the losses on Earth where no one has been left
unaffected. However, one should never give up all hope, because you never know
when deliverance will come from an unlikely place, and then hope is lost again.
Now with today’s review, we will be doing something a little different. In this
review, we will be looking at all of the film so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead. This is for people
that have already seen the film and want to explore the ending of Endgame. If
you have not seen the film and would like to see a no spoiler discussion Endgame you can go HERE.
Also if you have already read the no spoiler review and want to skip to the discussion
on the ending, it is the chapter starting with the big [SPOILER WARNING] below.
Before we dive into the story and character aspects of the film, I want to
first take a moment to talk about the production side of things. In this film,
they have left nothing on the table when it comes to the lighting, production
design, and effects. That opening scene as Tony is sitting in the ship waiting
to die while bathed in a light blue light from the nearby stars was one of the
most beautiful lighting techniques I have seen in quite a while. This extends
throughout the entire film, with harsh contrasts at times, natural light in
places, relentless oppression in other places. Every part of the film is well
designed, even when they are using sets from the previous film, it has been
amended to make it feel right in the new context.
