Tag Archives: MCU

VisionQuest: Immolation [S1:E7] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This week reconnected me back to the story with some strong themes, which was important after last week’s outing.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

Vision, and the team try to work things out.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

Today we dive into the penultimate episode of VisionQuest, and for the first time, I am a little worried. I came out of last week’s Deadlock, feeling quite concerned with the direction of the show. Some of the reveals left a bad taste in my mouth. However, Terry Matalas has not done me wrong yet, so I am here to see if he can bring it all together.

So, to set the scene, everyone is working through the fallout of Deadlock, with Vision (Paul Bettany) and Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) trying desperately to save Lisa (Lauren Morais) from the nanobot that Jocasta (T’nia Miller) sent into her brain and is slowly rewriting who she is as a person. Meanwhile, Jocasta and Ultron (James Spader) have made their way to her mortal grave and unlocked five of the six locks needed to unleash her plan of world domination, which is when the mysterious benefactor arrives to both parties, offering them hope, or sending them to ruin. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: Deadlock [S1:E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – There are a lot of responses you can have to an episode of television, but one you never want to hear is “oh…..”.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series

A statue of a bird in front of Jocasta's digital house.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

We have reached the end of our penultimate episode drop of VisionQuest as calamities are colliding and the story is heating up. Well, I wish I could say that about this episode; however, one of these did not happen, and I am not quite as hyped as I once was.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Firewall, Vision (Paul Bettany) made a choice that could change everything: he lowered his firewall and let Ultron (James Spader) … and FRIDAY (Orla Brady) … escape into the internet. The last time they pursued the internet they decided to destroy all of humanity [look, fair]. What will happen this time when there is another synth, Jocosta (T’nia Miller), also out there causing trouble? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: Firewall [S1:E5] – TV Review

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TL;DR – How do you visualise robots hunting each other down in cyberspace? Well, with a play, my dear.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

The gang in colour in a black and white room.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

Well, we have entered that back half of this series, and so far with No Strings, Theseus, Reboot, & Malware we have gotten a lot of setup, a lot of sheer glances, and a lot of furtive statements. But we don’t have a lot of solid ground, and we are running out of time to stick that hard landing. Will today’s episode prove to be that foundation?

So, to set the scene, well, this is not good. Vision (Paul Bettany) gave Ultron (James Spader) access to his body to stop Jocasta (T’nia Miller) from killing everyone, including Thomas (Ruaridh Mollica). Still, once you give Ultron a crack, he takes a mile. In this case, by locking Vision, EDITH (Emily Hampshire), FRIDAY (Orla Brady), DUM-E (Henry Lewis), & U (Jonathan Sayer) up in the loft he was once trapped in. But sure, they may be in jail, but four AI programs with moxie can still achieve a lot. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: Malware [S1:E4] – TV Review

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TL;DR – The pivot point of the season, in many ways.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

A TV bathed in red light showing a mirrored crow taking flight.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

In many modern shows, there can be a pivot point that yanks the narrative in a very specific direction. To use an MCU example, when we found out that Wanda is in control in WandaVision or when Wanda is in control in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Well, today is that time.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Reboot, things were starting to look up. Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) had started to get over his phobia of water, Vision (Paul Bettany) had turned off and on again, and Paladin (Todd Stashwick) found the wrong synth. It was all going well, until FRIDAY (Orla Brady) discovers that something or someone snuck in during the reset. “The Power of Code Compels You” because it is time for a little exorcism. Also, I think you should be taking the anniversary of Sokovia with a bit more interest Vision. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: Reboot [S1:E3] – TV Review

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TL;DR – When you introduce a villain in the same show as Ultron, you need to do it as well as this.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

Pixelated fire at the heart of Vision.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

We have now moved into the next batch of episodes with VisionQuest, and after some solid set-up, it is time to get into the meat of the episode. Is what I would be saying if this was not another set-up episode, but when you are setting up such a solid villain, well, I will allow it.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Theseus, things are looking really bad for Vision (Paul Bettany). Paladin (Todd Stashwick) just shot him full of adamantium rounds, breaking his unbreakable case and leaking vital fluids all over the place. He would be dead if not for the fact that Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) does not like to listen to such advice. But Paladin is under a contract and is not going to stop just because his third attempt to catch Vision failed. But while everyone was watching Vision die, they should have been watching the news for all the murders going around. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: Theseus [S1:E2] – TV Review

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TL;DR – The show continues to draw me in with its world slowly revealing itself.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

A painting of Vison arising from flames.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

Today we continue our dive into VisionQuest, the third and maybe final in the series of Wanda-instigated Disney+ shows. Each drops a new side of the MCU as they play in their realm of witches and monsters where miracles and tragedy go hand in hand.

So, to set the scene, we find out that when Tommy/Thomas (Ruaridh Mollica) had been held under the water too long, there was a bolt of lightning and suddenly one person became two. Two people, with two lives, and one body. But he is not crazy, because we saw what happened in Maiden Mother Crone; we know the truth, the police don’t. Well, what’s a little avoiding arrest when among friends? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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VisionQuest: No Strings [S1:E1] – TV Review

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

W+V.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

While I have been keeping up with the MCU movies, over the last few years, I have fallen off the Disney+ TV shows. However, when you see Terry Matalas come in to land the Wanda trilogy, that breaks through, and you need to check it out.

So, to set the scene, since the events of WandaVision, Vision (Paul Bettany) or at least the white rebirthed version of Vision in human form, has gone into hiding in Edinburgh, where he and Wanda hid leading up to Captain America: Civil War. But Vision is not alone; he downloaded many of the old Stark AI programs, including JARVIS (James D’Arcy) and stored them in his quantum processes, where he visits each night. Working with them to become human, well, more human, human-er. But one stored program might come back to bite him: Ultron (James Spader). Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day – Movie Review

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TL;DR – While there are limitations from a narrative perspective, the core strength of the characters shines through in a compelling way.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is an end-credit sting.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Spider-Man sitting upside down on a skyscraper.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review Introduction

This was a bit of an odd film for me, because of a number of factors. The first being my love of the MCU has been waning; I have not had the time or strength to keep up with its Disney+ outputs, and some of its recent films have been profoundly lacklustre. To add to this, I found the resolution of the last film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, to feel more like corporate maintenance than compelling storytelling. But given half the cast of the Odyssey is here, I thought it prudent to give it at least a go on its own terms.
 
So, to set the scene, it has been a hard couple of years for Peter Parker (Tom Holland), while Spider-Man (Tom Holland) has been out there becoming the hero of New York as he always wanted to be. Peter has lived a closed-off life, as the memory of the loss of Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) looms large. It doesn’t help that his two best friends, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), both forgot who he was and went off to live their own lives. But when an unknown entity starts attacking the Department of Damage Control by jumping between people, Peter realises there could be a dangerous enemy afoot, unless the imbalances in his own body take him down first.

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Movie Review

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TL;DR – The best Fantastic Four film by a country mile.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

The Fantastic Four in a row.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Review –

Well, it is time for another try at bringing the Fantastic Four to life. This would make it the third reboot of the franchise in my time. To catch you up, I liked the camp fun of Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but it has been decades since I watched them, so I am not sure how well they have aged. But also, 2016’s Fantastic Four was an amazingly cast failure at almost every level. Which gives us a wide range to be working with even before we take into consideration the current rocky ground the MCU is standing on. But there is always time to find your feet, and I hope that today is that time as we dive headfirst into Phase 6. 


So, to set the scene, we are on Earth, but not as we know it because this is Earth-828, and four years ago, a tragic accident in space created heroes by cosmically changing their DNA. Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) who can stretch his body, his wife Sue Storm / Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) who can manipulate light, her brother Johnny Storm / Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) who can turn into flames, and good friend Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) has turned into rock. Their emergence has changed the world, but for their family, the only thing that matters is that Sue is pregnant. It is a moment that brings them all together, which is when a harbinger of doom arrives in the sky. The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) announces to the world that it has been chosen for destruction at the hands of Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The Fantastic Four want to save Earth, but what happens when the price of salvation is too high?

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Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers) – Movie Review

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TL;DR – It is a perfectly fine film, with strong performances and an interesting villain. Unfortunately, it feels like it is constantly being held back from reaching its potential.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

A Humvee gets yeeted into the air.

Thunderbolts* Review –

I think it has been no secret that the MCU has been struggling to find its way in a post-Endgame world. It has had more misses than swings, which has forced a course correction into safety in many places. Thus, Ant-Man loses its charm and Captain America becomes just okay. It is in that space where they announced: what if the MCU did their version of Suicide Squad with a bunch of characters left over from the other films but also make it PG for some reason? It honestly sounds like a poor pitch, but then the first trailer dropped, and all of a sudden, there was a ray of hope. Now we see if that hope was warranted.   

So, to set the scene, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is the head of the CIA and totally not still working for her own company that is up to so many illegal activities that she is now under impeachment from the US Congress. Knowing she has to clean house, she sends her undercover agents across the world to destroy any evidence of what she was working on. However, then they are the only link between the illegal stuff and her, so what do you do? Oh, maybe you get Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) & Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) to go to the same secluded warehouse, each with the mission to kill the other and then incinerate all the evidence one there are just bodies left … what could go wrong … Oh, and why is Bob (Lewis Pullman) down here?

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