I'm Done With The MCU

I haven't been reviewing anything Marvel related lately. I skipped out on Moon Knight and Mrs Marvel, and while I did watch (and enjoy) Multiverse Of Madness, I didn't have the energy to actually add it to the combined Phase 4 review. This was a long time coming, and if you read all of my MCU TV show reviews back-to-back, you can probably notice a slow decline in enthusiasm for the franchise. Phase 4 of the MCU has a lot of issues right now, and while I used to be eager to follow every movie they've made, I just can't bring myself to care anymore. I wanted to talk about the reasons why:

Oversaturation: This is probably the most common complaint about the MCU, the infamous "superhero fatigue". Frankly, I wouldn't say I have superhero fatigue, per se. I saw the recent Batman movie and loved it, I loved Peacemaker, I watched the Hellboy movies recently and the second one shot up to my all-time favorites, I'm not tired of superhero movies. I am, however, tired of MCU films, because there has been a lot coming out lately. Prior to the pandemic, we got around 2-3 MCU movies a year and nothing more. In 2021 alone, we got four movies and five TV shows, adding up to a whopping nine pieces of MCU media. And it's not like I could skip any of them, they were all important to the overarching MCU story, and it left me absolutely exhausted by the end of that year. Every time I finished an MCU show, another one would start up. Every time I'd think I was safe, a movie would come out that I had to go out of my way to watch. It was too much for me, and following the MCU as closely as I used to felt more and more like a burden. 

It also seems to have a pretty noticeable impact on Marvel Studios as well. Disney has all the money in the world that they can use for these movies but when they're churning out so much content, even they're going to start to suffer from some production issues. WandaVision got a rushed ending, Falcon And The Winter Soldier had rewrites because an entire plotline was removed, Black Widow and Thor Love And Thunder had noticeably bad CGI at points, the list goes on. I don't want to point fingers at the crew who's working on these movies and shows, of course, it's not their fault that the MCU has to have this much material made in such a short time, it's not their fault Disney can't delay their movies (outside of COVID circumstances as course) to maintain the MCU's tight continuity, and it's not their fault that almost everything they work on is filled to the brim with special effects due to the higher-ups' seeming refusal to do anything practical. At this point, it feels like the MCU is the movie version of fast food, a constant stream of content produced quickly and cheaply, putting quantity over quality. I wouldn't be surprised if one day we hear complaints from screenwriters and VFX artists about being overworked, this way of making movies can not be sustainable. 

Edit: So... umm... literally the day after I wrote this, a whole bunch of the MCU's VFX artists started to speak out about being overworked and underpaid. I hate that this felt inevitable, that you could tell from the movies themselves that the VFX artists were being overworked, but I hope that this increased outspokenness about the matter can lead to some sort of change.

Lack Of Direction: In its first three phases, the MCU felt like it had a sense of direction. In Iron Man, the first movie of the MCU, Nick Fury shows up and announces the Avengers Initiative, and thus all of the following films in that phase slowly build up to The Avengers, bringing that subplot more and more into the forefront with each successive film. Once we get to The Avengers, Thanos shows up, and now we have that threat to deal with up until the end of Phase 3. There's always a single focus that the MCU is building towards, but it also made sure that almost all of its movies are enjoyable on their own, with Civil War and the last two Avengers films being the only ones that you'd really need context for.

In Phase 4, on the other hand, there isn't this kind of focus or direction. We don't have an overarching villain like Thanos or a goal like assembling the Avengers. There is a running theme about the multiverse but we have no idea what the appearance of the multiverse would even be building towards. And not to mention the vast web of other subplots and storylines that movies are also setting up, like Valentina, the new Avengers, Kang, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, should I go on? The MCU feels aimless right now because it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere with any of its movies, all of the post-credits scenes used to feel like exciting hooks for the sequel and major plot bombs, but nowadays, they feel more like a vague advertisement for some random MCU film coming out in an indeterminate number of years (or days at this rate).

Safeness: But for me, my biggest issue with the MCU is just how frustratingly safe it has been. Feige, the movie's directors, and the fans tend to claim that every MCU movie is different and toys around in a new genre or with a new tone, but that's not the case at all. There are plenty of MCU movies that flirt with a tone or genre, WandaVision and Multiverse Of Madness flirt with horror, Eternals flirt with character-driven drama, Shang Chi flirts with wuxia, and most painfully Black Widow flirts with an incredibly dark Bourne-esque tone, but these movies never end up committing to it. They all end up reverting back to the homogenized "MCU action film" by the final act, with even Shang Chi ending on a mindless CGI dragon fight. This is the worst when it comes to the season finales of the Disney+ shows, because they should be the culmination of everything the show has led up to, but more often than not, feel like the most generic, safe, and least interesting parts of their respective shows. While WandaVision burned me the most, none of the MCU's finales really blew me away, and seeing the reviews of Moon Knight's finale, I fear that's not going to change any time soon.

I also wanted to bring up how safe the production of these films has felt as well, which somewhat links with my first point about Marvel rushing out movies. I brought up how every third act feels the same, but there's also the fact that (outside of Shang Chi) most of the action in the MCU is done by a second-unit team which makes them all feel similar, or the fact that these movies are almost entirely lacking in color or diverse camerawork (outside of Multiverse Of Madness), or the fact that the abundance of self-aware humor has completely eliminated the sincerity you need to make a superhero movie work. And the frustrating thing is that Marvel Studios tries to act like it has all of these things! Sam Raimi is brought in for one film to give it some visual flair, but Thor Love And Thunder is back to the usual MCU dullness. William Pope came in to bolster the action in Shang Chi, but that extra flair never ended up sticking. Even Eternals goes for a grand, visceral, almost DCEU-esque sense of scale that the other movies would never take cues from. The MCU never commits. It tricks you into thinking it's changed and that it's trying something new, but it never happens. This is what's frustrated me the most. Every time I watched a Disney+ show, I held onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, they'd be able to stick the landing and create something better than "just good", but they never do it. 

The final straw for me was when I watched Top Gun Maverick in an IMAX theater, and I forgot that watching a movie could be this exciting. I forgot that the action could genuinely thrill me and have me on the edge of my seat, I forgot that the visuals could wow me through sheer movie magic, and I forgot that I could cheer not because of cameos or nostalgia, but because I care about the characters. I wasn't just casually enjoying myself like I would with an average MCU movie, I was fully engrossed and engaged. Top Gun Maverick is a simple blockbuster action film, not unlike any other MCU movie, but the passion and craft that went into it was so great that I feel it completely ruined the MCU for me. I'm still probably going to watch the next Spider Man and Guardians films because I like Spider Man and I like James Gunn, but otherwise, I've decided that I'm going to stop committing to watching and reviewing MCU media anymore. I've lost my love for the franchise, and I feel I have much better movies and shows that I would like to devote my time to instead.

The MCU was my childhood, The Avengers was my Star Wars, but now, I think it's time I let it go.

Episode Rankings: MCU Shows

Since most MCU series on Disney+ are fairly short, I decided that I wanted to pool their rankings together into one mega episode ranking. While I tend to end up disappointed with these series especially by the ending, they do have plenty of really fantastic episodes and moments. Here's my ranking:

1. What If... Doctor Strange Loses His Heart Instead Of His Hands? (What If?: S1.04) - The one What If? episode I really liked
2. The Nexus Event (Loki: Episode 4)
3. Previously On (WandaVision: Episode 8)
4. So This Is Christmas? (Hawkeye: Episode 6)
5. We Interrupt This Program (WandaVision: Episode 4)
6. Power Broker (FatWS: Episode 3)
7. The Variant (Loki: Episode 2)
8. Echoes (Hawkeye: Episode 3)
9. Truth (FatWS: Episode 5)
10. All-New Halloween Spectacular (WandaVision: Episode 6)
11. For All Time, Always (Loki: Episode 6)
12. Ronin (Hawkeye: Episode 5)
13. Glorious Purpose (Loki: Episode 1)
14. The Whole World Is Watching (FatWS: Episode 4)
15. On A Very Special Episode (WandaVision: Episode 5)
16. What If... Ultron Won? (What If?: S1.04)
17. Journey Into Mystery (Loki: Episode 5)
18. Breaking The Fourth Wall (WandaVision: Episode 7)
19. Hide And Seek (Hawkeye: Episode 2)
20. What If... T'Challa Became A Star-Lord? (What If?: S1.02)
21. Partners, Am I Right? (Hawkeye: Episode 4)
22. Star-Spangled Man (FatWS: Episode 2)
23. Don't Touch That Dial (WandaVision: Episode 2)
24. What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath? (What If?: S1.09)
25. One World, One People (FatWS: Episode 6)
26. Never Meet Your Heroes (Hawkeye: Episode 1)
27. What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes (What If?: S1.03)
28. Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience (WandaVision: Episode 1)
29. New World Order (FatWS: Episode 1)
30. What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? (What If?: S1.05)
31. Lamentis (Loki: Episode 3)
32. Now In Color (WandaVision: Episode 3)
33. What If... Zombies! (What If?: S1.05)
34. The Series Finale (WandaVision: Episode 9) - What an awful ending...
35. What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger? (What If?: S1.01)
36. What If... Thor Was An Only Child (What If?: S1.07) - Worst thing in the whole MCU

Hawkeye Live Reactions

Another month, another MCU property. We know the drill by now, I post my reactions whenever an episode of Hawkeye comes out and I'll sum up the season once the finale airs. All I'm hoping for from this one is some comfy Christmas vibes, so let's see if we'll get them.

Never Meet Your Heroes: Okay, so right from the get-go it's clear that this is not Clint Barton's show, it's Kate's. And you know what? I'm okay with that. As much as I enjoyed Hawkeye's arcs in Age Of Ultron and Endgame, Kate Bishop has already established herself as a much more dynamic character and Hailee Steinfeld makes for a likable protagonist. There's definitely something endearing about a character that gets themselves into difficult situations and have to bumble their way out, so it was really fun to watch Kate stumble into the black market and into trouble with the Tracksuit Mafia. Similarly, I like how grounded this show is so far, and not "grounded until the big CGI stunts" like Black Widow. The main antagonist so far is the mafia, there's no greater world-ending threat, and the action is definitely the best in an MCU show so far entirely because it feels tactile and real. My only big issue with Kate's story is the parental drama, which didn't really work for me. As for Clint, this episode mostly just establishes what he's dealing with and how he meets Bishop, so I do hope he gets some more screentime next episode. Overall, this was a solid pilot that does a good job at introducting Kate and has some pretty good action. I'd say it's a better pilot than Wanda and Falcon, but not as good as Loki's. Even then, I also think that if we got 50 minutes of Rogers The Musical instead, it would be the best thing the MCU ever made.

Hide And Seek: This was a bizarre episode. Fun, and probably an improvement over the pilot, but still very bizarre. This episode establishes the dynamic and banter between Kate and Clint, and it's really entertaining right from the get-go. This entire episode was pretty funny, but I feel like the dialogue and humor is more consistently on point whenever the two are on screen together. Their separate storylines on the other hand are a bit more uneven. Clint's subplot about going to a LARP event to get his Ronin suit back is hilarious. It gives Clint the screentime I wanted from the first episode, the "choreography" is fantastic, and it overall just feels like the right kind of bizarre. However, Kate's subplot about getting into a fencing fight with her new step-dad was a bit contrived and felt like the wrong kind of bizarre. The fencing fight was also just not as good of a setpiece than the auction, molotov, or LARP fights. Thankfully, the characters reunite by the end of the episode, and we get a pretty neat cliffhanger introducing the character Echo... who I don't know anything about. Regardless, my big takeaway from this episode was the fact that Hawkeye seems to really be nailing the things that FatWS kinda messed up in, with a much more charming dynamic between its leads, a much less forgettable antagonist group in the hilarious Tracksuit Mafia, more grounded action, and surprisingly solid pacing by MCU show standards. Let's see if the show will keep up this solid momentum.

Echoes: I enjoyed most of the action in Hawkeye so far, but the centerpiece chase sequence in Echoes is movie-quality. This episode has around 13-14 straight minutes of nonstop action, and it's all fantastic. From the fun usage of the environment in the Tracksuit Mafia's lair, to the cool long-take from inside the car, to the many crazy trick arrows shown off, the action is Echoes was just plain fun. It's also pretty great story-wise too. Maya Lopez (aka Echo) is a very sympathetic antagonist, her potential connections to Fisk is intriguing, and I like that her presence really hammers home that the consequences of Ronin's actions are catching up to him. Clint and Kate continuing the bond is great, especially when the former loses his hearing aid for parts of the episode forcing them to communicate in unconventional ways. Between Hawkeye and Echo, I think it's great that the show is trying to comment on deafness, and I'm excited to see how those themes develop. Unfortunately, I'm not really sold on the Duquesne stuff, which meant the last few minutes were a bit meh compared to the rest of the episode. Still, this was the best Hawkeye outing yet and I hope the show continues to improve.

Partners, Am I Right?: Hawkeye has pretty surprisingly restrained for an MCU show in a lot of ways. Coming after Loki where it felt like every episode with an entirely different show, Hawkeye has been a bit of a slow burn, and is the first MCU series to completely avoid the "shocking Episode 4 twist". The big moment in Partners, Am I Right? is the reveal that Yelena is after Hawkeye too, which we kind of already knew was going to happen. That final four-way-fight was cool, though I'm not sure I love the fact that her entire motivation is based on a misunderstanding. Otherwise, Kate and Hawkeye's friendship continues to be the best thing about the series. Seeing them having a holiday celebration together was adorable, and they had a heart-to-heart that went to places I really didn't expect the show to go. Although, their falling out at the ending was fairly predictable since this is technically the end of the second act. Meanwhile, the stuff with Kate's family continues to be the worst thing about the series and led to a pretty rough start to the episode. But now that we have two episodes left, I'm having a pretty similar concern to when I was watching WandaVision: How are we going to resolve everything? We have Jack Duquesne, Echo, all that foreshadowing for a potential Kingpin appearance, and now, Yelena and potentially Madame Hydra. It's seeming more and more like Hawkeye is going to have to stick the landing, and that worries me a bit since Marvel isn't very good at that part.

Ronin: I really liked this episode. It's definitely one of my favorites along with Echoes. I forgot how much fun of a character Yelena is. The opening that revealed she got snapped was pretty great, and I loved seeing her casually have dinner with Kate. Seeing as they're both going to be future Avengers I'm glad this episode established a dynamic between the two of them. I was genuinely worried that Hawkeye would fall back to old habits as Ronin, which made me glad that all he meant to do was plant the seed that there may be more to her father's death than she initially thought. And then there's the ending. It's obvious that Kate's mom would be the true mastermind here, which is why I'm glad that they paired it up with the reveal that Kingpin is involved! I really need to get started on my Daredevil reviews because I love that show, and I love Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin. I'm excited to see that he'll be showing up in the finale, and I like that he's going to be the thread that ties all of the characters together. I've really been enjoying how slow-paced Hawkeye is, it rarely feels like the show is doing too much for its own good (looking at you FAtWS), and it all seems to be building for an explosive finale. Let's see if Marvel can finally end the season on a good note. 

So This Is Christmas?: This was... decent. It still feels like Marvel kinda did the bare minimum here, like nothing really surprised me at all, but it still worked as the big finale for the show. It brought all of the characters together in this big final battle in Rockefeller Center with a bunch of really fun setpieces, and resolved all the conflicts on a fairly satisfying note. I think the setpieces this episode were particularly fun, like Kate trying to stop Yelena from reaching Clint, the evergreen tree being destroyed, and Kate vs Kingpin in the toy store. Vincent D'Onofrio still absolutely kills it as Kingpin, and I forgot how much I missed his growly, overly serious voice. I think he was nerfed a bit, he's nowhere near as intimidating as he was in the Daredevil series, but it's still fairly understandable given that was TV-MA meaning we can't have him smashing people's brains with car doors. My biggest concern about the finale is the fact that Echo shot Kingpin. If Marvel killed him off right after reintroducing him, I would feel pretty burned. However, it was off-screen and mimicked a comic scene that Kingpin did end up surviving, so I'm pretty sure he didn't die there. Yelena and Maya seem like they've firmly settled into the good side, which is nice, and I liked the ending where Kate celebrates Christmas with the Bartons. I noticed a lot of people were disappointed with the lack of major set-ups for future MCU stuff, but honestly, I loved that there wasn't any of that. Hawkeye really does feel standalone, and the only real bit of set-up here is the pretty solid reveal that Laura was a Shield agent. Overall, this finale was solid. A bit predictable, but I wouldn't say it screwed up in any major ways.

Overall, Hawkeye was alright. It didn't quite reach the high points of episodes like The Nexus Event or Previously On, but it lacked the disjointed structure of Loki, overstuffed feel of FatWS, and disappointing ending of WandaVision. Hawkeye is a well-paced show with likable characters, fun action, and a cute Christmas vibe. I think Kate Bishop will be a great new Avenger, and I can't wait to see her again in later MCU properties. I'm not entirely sure if this or Loki is my favorite MCU show so far, but the fact that it's so remarkably solid and lacking in frustration definitely gives Hawkeye a solid edge.

4/5 Stars

MCU (Phase 4)

With Phase 4 of the MCU having officially started, it's time I started posting my reviews of the movies as they come out. I have my own individual reviews of the TV shows so I won't include them here:

Black Widow: Black Widow finally gets a movie! This was a decent MCU film that gives Natasha more depth than ever before, exploring her past in some interesting ways. It's obviously a set-up to introduce Yelena as the new Black Widow, and I really enjoyed her. Florence Pugh's acting was great, and Yelena ended up being a super lively and likable character. The villain Dreykov is slimy and despicable like no other MCU villain to date, and he really made me want to punch him in the face. And the action is as solid as it's always been. However, Black Widow suffers from some serious wasted potential. The opening about Natasha and Yelena being sent to the Red Room and sterilized is one of the most haunting scenes in the MCU, but the movie never gets this dark again. There's all these references to Natasha's Budapest mission being this tense, epic, and morally complicated event, but it just sounds like a much more interesting movie than the one we actually got. And then there's the smaller stuff, like Taskmaster's depiction and general lack of screentime, Melina's sudden shift in allegiances, Red Guardian's whole thing about fighting Captain America only to not bring it up during his fight with Taskmaster, the whiplash-inducing tone shift from grounded spy thriller to generic quippy Marvel movie, and the fact that many fight scenes feel like they end way too quickly. There were so many interesting routes this movie could have taken, so much potential and possibility for a different and darker approach to the Marvel Universe, but it just went for the bare minimum, like so much other MCU stuff these days. I don't way to say I hated Black Widow, it was still a very enjoyable film, but it pains me knowing it could have been so much more.

2/5 Stars

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Now this is a good MCU movie! I tend to not like the MCU's origin stories due to how formulaic they can get (looking at you Doctor Strange), but Shang-Chi manages to feel oddly fresh. It uses flashbacks to depict Shang-Chi's past, not unlike Deadpool, but I think the flashbacks here are a lot more evenly spaced out so it never feels like the pacing slows to a crawl. The Xu family drama manages to be really compelling, and the characters are all really great. Simu Liu is super charismatic as Shang-Chi and Tony Leung's Wenwu is a fantastic tragic villain, but I liked the whole cast, as well as the cameo appearances from Trevor (Iron Man 3), Wong (Doctor Strange), and that guy who tells Spider-Man to do a flip. I also really liked Shang-Chi's friendship with Katy, it's the kind of supportive platonic relationship that can be just as interesting as your standard romantic subplot. But while the story is already pretty good, Shang-Chi absolutely shines with its action. This film is stuffed to the brim with fantastic fight scenes, all of which are uncharacteristically well-framed with long takes and wide shots so it's never unclear what's going on. Brad Allan has choreographed some of my favorite action films and he did a great job with Shang-Chi, with the fights managing to be both intricate and gripping. The bus fight in particular might just be my new favorite MCU fight, but the beautiful bamboo fight at the start, the tense scaffolding fight, and the multiple battles with Wenwu were also great. Shang-Chi also looks beautiful, especially many of the scenes in Ta Lo, and while it has a big CGI final battle, it's so bombastic and over-the-top that I couldn't help but love it. And if all that wasn't enough, I did really like the soundtrack too. It all adds up to a really strong origin story made even better with some of the best action in the entire MCU. I hope Marvel takes hints from Shang-Chi, this is how you do superhero action.

5/5 Stars

Eternals: Okay, this movie was an absolute mess. It's easily the worst MCU movie to date, and that pains me because I was really looking forward to Zhao's take on the franchise. But before I completely trash on it, I'll start with the positives. Eternals looks really good. Zhao's cinematography is fantastic and her usage of natural locations really adds to the visuals, and the action is shockingly brutal. The characters use their abilities in unique ways and you can feel the impact of their attacks, not unlike the DCEU films. The final battle between the Eternals is legitimately fantastic. I also think the cast is really solid, and hands down the most diverse in the MCU to date. However, that's all I really have to say as far as good things go. Eternals tries to tell a cosmic-scale story in the course of less than three hours and it shows, it's overstuffed as hell. The script is clunky and dull, filled with boring exposition and the characters stating the themes outright. It's filled with telling and not showing, with too many character moments happening off-screen for me to really care about them. Speaking of which, there are too many characters, and I never grew to care about any of them. Cast members come and go, and it doesn't really feel like anyone has arcs. The villains aren't great either, with the Deviants just being CGI fodder for the Eternals to fight in action scenes and nothing more. I think this could have worked leagues better as a TV show, giving its ideas and characters more time to develop, but even with a longer runtime, there are still some very stupid moments (the Hiroshima twist, Sprite's crush, Starfox). But most of all, it still feels like the film is struggling with clashes between Marvel and the director Chloe Zhao. The dull color grading clashes with Zhao's naturalistic aesthetic, the jokes clash with the movie's otherwise serious tone, and you can tell whenever Zhao or Feige has the helm. But worst of all, Eternals is just plain boring. And if you know me, there's nothing worse than a film being boring. I get if you admire its ambition and like it more than MCU films like Black Widow or Ant Man 2 for sheer scale and potential alone, but the fact that much of this movie had me rolling my eyes really hammers home my opinion on it: Interesting ideas, awful execution.

1/5 Stars

Spider Man: No Way Home: No Way Home is a miracle. This movie should not have worked. With all these characters from and references to prior Spiderman films, NWH could have been an overstuffed fanservice-y mess. Instead, it makes pretty much all of the Spider Man movies prior to it even better in retrospect. Tom Holland's Peter Parker completes the arc that was set up by the first two films and accepts the responsibility that comes with being Spider Man, no matter the cost. All five villains have arcs (except maybe The Lizard), with some in particular like Green Goblin and Electro actually being improved in this movie. Willem Dafoe is absolutely terrifying as Osbourne here, and Electro is much more likable now that Jamie Foxx is allowed to just be himself. Of course, we also have Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield back as their respective Spidermen, and they too have arcs that tie up the loose ends left by their movies. Garfield is especially great here, his energetic performance is a testament to how good of a Spider Man he could've been with better writing and directing. But even with all the villains and heroes, NWH makes sure to keep its focus on the MCU cast. Tom Holland is still the main star here, his chemistry with Zendaya's MJ and Jacob Batalon's Ned is still fantastic, and Marisa Tomei's Aunt May gets a lot of moments to shine. The action is fantastic, the comedy is funny, and the emotional moments hit hard. This is a dark film, Peter really suffers in NWH, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I want to wait a bit to see how I feel in a few months, but No Way Home is a shockingly fantastic movie that has easily become one of my favorite MCU films.

5/5 Stars

And this is where my reviews of the MCU movie end. Read this post to get the full story.

Marvel's What If? (Season 1)

Disney+ just doesn't let up, does it? I think I might just be destined to watch all of their stuff. Still, I have been enjoying these MCU and Star Wars shows even with their flaws, and What If? seems like a nice change of pace. Being an anthology series, this will be much easier to review episode by episode:

What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?: I remember when Agent Carter was airing, and learning that it was cancelled was devastating. So seeing Peggy, Howard Stark, and much of The First Avenger cast again was really nice. Peggy is such a likable and underrated lead, and I'm glad to see Hayley Atwell still nails the character even in a vocal performance. I think this is a good first episode to ease the audience into the show's What If premise before we start to get into the weird stuff like "Marvel Zombies", and there were plenty of things I enjoyed about it. There were some neat twists like Steve falling off the train rather than Bucky, and Peggy joining the Avengers. The ending really left me wondering if the show will tie everything together in some way. I also thought the animation was really solid, especially with the action. However, I think this episode did try to do a bit too much. It's like an entire movie condensed into a half-hour, with some pretty abrupt jumps between scenes. Maybe the fact that this is an altered retelling of an already existing movie holds this one back, but I think the pacing is the biggest problem for the series to overcome right now. Otherwise, it was a solid episode, but you probably wouldn't get too much out of it if you're not a fan of The First Avenger and/or Agent Carter.

What If... T'Challa Became A Star-Lord?: Thanos is a good guy? Nebula isn't a full-on cyborg? The Black Order works as security guards? Howard The Duck appears?! This was the kind of weird episode I wanted from the show, and it was insanely fun. I think what helped is that it's not just recapping a movie like the premiere, it's telling an original story that was far more well-paced. T'Challa had an actual character arc, with package to deal with, and the whole episode had that cool heist vibe to it. It was really nice to see Chadwick Boseman again, at least one last time. His T'Challa voice is so recognizable, and I'll definitely miss it. I still think the writing is a bit cliche and not too many of the jokes really landed (aside from the Thanos stuff), but in terms of pacing and even characters, this was a far better and more fun than the first. I'm also just surprised this episode made Thanos a likable character.

What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?: This was a bit of a different episode of What If?, as it doesn't reveal what the nexus event was until the very end. As a result, it feels like a whodunit story starring Coulson, Nick Fury, and Black Widow. It led to a episode that was surprisingly tense compared to the previous two, and the payoff of Hank Pym being the murderer worked pretty well. Whenever the episode was focused on that central mystery, it was really great. However, I also felt like it was a bit too packed, using scenes from pretty much the entirety of Phase 1 (though I did like the references to The Incredible Hulk). The pacing wasn't nearly as bad as the Carter episode, but there were so many characters being juggled throughout the episode. Otherwise, I thought this was a fun What If? episode. Definitely better than Episode 1, but not as good as Episode 2.

What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?: So is Episode 4 just always gonna be killer in these MCU shows? Because this episode was shockingly good, completely outclassing the first three in so many ways. I wasn't even a fan of Doctor Strange, nor his first film, but this episode was great. It really helped that this episode felt the most focused of the four so far, centered around one specific character with one specific goal. The pacing was tight, and watching Strange slowly lose his sanity as he continues to try to prevent Christine from dying feels natural. I definitely got a bit of a Steins;Gate vibe from the first half of the episode, between Strange's repeated time travel, the introduction of the Absolute Point, and the sheer amount of sacrifices that go into changing it. Once Doctor Strange Supreme starts to absorb monsters and grow in power, the episode starts to lean more into horror. There's a bit of a cosmic horror vibe to the end of the episode, with Strange Supreme's final form resembling Cthulhu, the good guy being defeated, Christine rejecting Strange after all he's become, and The Watcher just being forced to watch as an entire universe collapses on itself and not being able to do anything about it. I was genuinely surprised by how dark the ending is, and I really want to see What If? continue to be gutsy like this. The animation was also really good this episode too, I think Doctor Strange's magic works really well in this medium. I also think this episode really solidifies the fact that we're going to be seeing intersections between these universes, as the reappearance of that tentacle monster from Episode 1 and Strange's ability to talk to The Watcher seem to hint at a bit of a larger plot than just an anthology series. Regardless, this episode was the gutsiest thing the MCU has done in years, and I hope What If? can continue to use its format to tell more un-MCU stories.

What If... Zombies?: Despite being probably the most hyped episode of the season, Zombies didn't quite do it for me in quite a few aspects. It felt a lot like Episode 3, with a lot of characters being juggled around and most of the episode being comprised of action sequences. I did like the action, though. Hulk vs Scarlet Witch was cool only if we only got to see just a bit of it, and the episode incorporated just enough zombie violence without earning the show a TV-MA rating. I thought the main cast was a solid lineup of characters, if a bit overstuffed. The highlight was Spider-Man, who got all the emotional moments and finally name-dropped Uncle Ben, but I also enjoyed seeing Kurt from the Ant-Man films back for a while. My main issue though was just how lighthearted the episode was. Even though all their friends were dead, the remaining Avengers were still cracking quips, and none of the death scenes aside from Wasp's really had time to breathe. While most of the episodes seem to end with a bit of a cliffhanger (except the fourth which actually feels like a full story), this episode genuinely felt like it was setting up for a second half. The ending about Thanos being on Wakanda feels less like a cruel twist ending and more like a plot thread that needs to be tied up. Overall, this episode was fine, but I'm starting to worry that Episode 4 may have spoiled me on the rest of the series.

What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?: Killmonger is my favorite villain in the whole MCU, so I might have a bit of a bias here, but I really enjoyed this episode. They got the most important thing right, they nailed the character. Killmonger is still as interesting as he was in Black Panther, with this episode giving a bit of screentime to his oft-mentioned military background. This episode also showed how manipulative and brutal he could be, showing off an incredible gambit to become the Black Panther, and it works perfectly. Killmonger also kills a lot of people to get his way, particularly Iron Man, Rhodes, and T'Challa himself. Thankfully, unlike last episode, these deaths actually get a bit more time to breath. Michael B Jordan isn't quite as intense in live-action, but his voice acting was generally really good to. Aside from the obvious highlight, I liked to get to see more of pre-character-development Tony, even if he didn't get too much screentime. Rhodes's interaction with Killmonger was cool too, though technically he should have been modeled after Terrence Howard during that time period. I also really liked the ending of Shuri teaming up with Pepper, that's definitely something I would see another episode of. Overall, one of the better episodes for me.

What If... Thor Was An Only Child?: What was this episode? This one didn't work for me at all! The whole storyline is just that Thor is holding a party that could destroy the planet and SHIELD wants to stop him. That's all. Otherwise, this episode was just a series of random cameos and jokes that honestly didn't land a lot of the time. There were a few chuckle-worthy moments, like Darcy marrying Howard The Duck and Surter hitting on the Status Of Liberty were pretty good, but otherwise, I found this episode to be kinda unfunny. The cameos and easter eggs also went way too far at this point, to a point of self-indulgence that not even the MCU has managed to reach yet. And then there's the ending. I get that What If? has this shtick where every final scene has to be a big cliffhanger or downer setting up some future episode of appearance of these characters, but they almost always feel abrupt. This one was especially strange, not only did it conflict with the episode's attempt at a comedic tone, but there was nothing foreshadowing "Infinity Ultron" showing up at all. The whole episode just felt like a waste of time, easily the weakest in the series and probably one of the worst MCU things I've seen in a while.

What If... Ultron Won?: So it turns out there's a reason Infinity Ultron just showed up out of the blue, and it's because he's the main villain of the season! Coming after three episodes ranging from meh to just plain awful, this was definitely one of the better ones. I like that Uatu was pretty much the main focus of the episode, and the exploration of how his "don't intervene" vow can take a toll on both him and the universes he watches. So seeing him come face to face with Strange again after Episode 4 and admit he needs help was a really good moment. Infinity Ultron was an alright villain, though he did kinda feel like just a robotic Thanos (speaking of which, seeing him sliced in half was kinda cool). The Hawkeye and Black Widow stuff was entertaining since I really like them as a pairing, though once it became apparent this episode would be about Uatu, I kinda stopped caring what happened to them. Overall, this episode was mostly set-up for the finale, but I enjoyed it more than most other What If? episodes. It was well-paced, balanced its tone well, and did a good job at raising the stakes to the point that Uatu would need to break his vow.

What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?: This finale was... decent. Seeing the characters from different episodes unite was pretty cool, and they had a lot of genuinely entertaining interactions. The final battle with Infinity Ultron had some cool moments, the muted black-and-white aesthetic as Widow used Zola was cool, and there was a pretty neat cliffhanger. It did a solid job of tying everything up into a satisfying bow and touching upon pretty much every episode. However, as per the usual, I have my gripes. First of all, a lot of these previous episodes had cliffhangers that weren't realized resolved rather than interrupted, with the most glaring being Episode 5's. I really wanted to see a Pepper and Shuri teamup, but we never got that. One of the Guardians Of The Multiverse was an alternate Gamora wielding Thanos's sword, but since she didn't end up having an episode, I was left really confused. And there are the plot elements that just confused me, like how Zola's arrow just happened to conveniently be nearby and while it didn't work last episode, it worked really well this time. Or how The Watcher decided Party Thor out of all the possibilities in the Multiverse would be a good candidate. Still, I did enjoy myself with this finale and it was definitely one of the show's better episodes.

Overall, while I really tried to give it a fair shake, I ended up not really liking What If?. An anthology series is supposed to be varied and experimental, but I just didn't get that feeling from this series. Most of the episodes felt like rushed versions of MCU movies, suffering from wonky pacing and cliffhanger endings that mean you couldn't really enjoy them on their own. And while I enjoyed the ending, the addition of serialization meant that Marvel couldn't even make an animated anthology series without going back to focusing on canon. Compared to the endlessly creative Star Wars Visions, What If? felt like more Marvel, for better or worse. Not to mention the wonky tone, the unremarkable animation, and the pretty awful scripts. Not to say there weren't episodes I enjoyed. Doctor Strange's episode was fantastic and I liked the final two episodes, but otherwise, I'd say this is one of the worst things Marvel has ever done.

1.5/5 Stars

Loki (Season 1) Live Reactions

Well, you all know the drill by now. It's my 3rd time doing live reactions for an MCU show and I'm going into this one having only seen a single trailer. Like seriously, I didn't even see any ads, I have no idea what to expect here. I had some issues with the first two MCU series, but let's see if I end up liking this one?

Glorious Purpose: This could have been an awful pilot, it's pretty stuffed with exposition and flashbacks to previous movies, but I actually found myself enjoying it a lot. Like this is easily the best first episode out of the MCU series yet, and I hope that bodes well for the rest of the show. So where do I start with this one? The show just strikes this brilliantly offbeat tone that I found myself absolutely adoring. I don't think I mention this much but I'm a big fan of offbeat humor like in movies like Thor Ragnorok, Office Space, and most of Wes Anderson's stuff, so Loki is right up my alley. It especially has the vibe of Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, which is high praise given it's my favorite book of all time, and the bureaucratic humor is just top-notch, especially the opening sequence of Loki being checked into the TWA. I also quite liked the banter between Loki and Mobius. Getting Owen Wilson (a Wes Anderson staple) for this just helps add to that offbeat feel. But aside from all the humor, there's a lot to unpack in this episode. I like it when shows deal with free will and determinism, so the concept of the TWA and a "correct path through time" seems like a fresh and interesting facet to explore when it comes to time travel. The exploration of Loki's character was also pretty great, and the scene where he goes through his "future" memories hit pretty hard. And then there's the little things, like Loki's official gender being recorded as Fluid perfectly fitting his mythological origins, and the shot of infinity stones being tucked away in a desk. I'm not sure who the "Variant Loki" could be, but it seems like an intriguing mystery for the show to follow. So overall, I'm definitely enjoying Loki quite a bit. The first episode is absurd, thoughtful, offbeat, and above all weird, and I definitely want to see more of it.

The Variant: While this episode wasn't quite as funny as the premiere, it was so much better in terms of plot now that we don't need any more exposition and the flashbacks to the MCU are limited. I was also very surprised at how much ended up happening in it! The big finale where Lady Loki reveals herself, bombs the Sacred Timeline, and Loki follows her feels it could have been Episode 4 or 5. I'm very excited to see how the show moves on from such a massive shift in the story. Mobius and Loki's buddy cop dynamic was incredibly fun throughout the episode, and their discussion about free will and believing in the TWA was pretty interesting. The funniest scenes of the episode focused around the two of them, like the salad scene and the Pompeii sequence. I really loved Loki's depiction in this episode specifically. Despite his humorous and affable nature, it's always felt like he's more the "God Of Backstabbing" rather than the "God Of Mischief". In this episode, however, it feels like Loki has become way more mischievous and cunning than before, with nearly every decision he makes being an attempt at achieving his motivation of taking down the TWA. Overall, I really liked this episode a lot, probably even more than the premiere. My only complaint is the pretty cliche usage of "I Need A Hero", which has pretty much become the "Mr Blue Sky" of 2021 in terms of sheer overuse.

Lamentis: This episode felt a bit different than the first two, in a bunch of ways. The whole Lamentis trip felt like a bit of a detour and a means to bring Loki and Sylvie on the same page, and that's not entirely a bad thing. Loki and Sylvie have a lot of entertaining banter, the action was probably the best in the series yet, Lamentis is a visually stunning planet with its purple hues and neon lights, and that final one take at the end of the episode was pretty memorable. It was also pretty cool for the show to reveal that Loki is bi, also being from his mythological origins. However, the lack of the TWA was very much noticeable, with Mobius not even appearing to begin with. The TWA allowed for a lot of Hitchhikers-esque dialogue that gave Loki its own unique sense of charm, not to mention the type of existentialist themes that I love so much. Without the TWA, Loki just feels like another Marvel show. It's still funny, it's still entertaining and well-crafted, but this episode just didn't feel as distinct as the series' start. I also found it to be a bit disappointing that the Lamentis plot didn't just end right there and then. Given how fast-paced last episode was, this one just felt a bit incomplete. 

The Nexus Event: So this was probably the most anxiety inducing episode in the MCU ever and I have no idea where to even start with this one. Similarly to The Variant, it raced through far more plot than I ever thought it would. After getting shafted last episode, we got some great material for Mobius and B-15 as they both learn that they are variants and turn against the TWA in their own ways. We actually get to meet the "Timekeepers" and Loki and Sylvie get a big Snoke-esque fight scene right in front of them, which I didn't think would happen until the finale. I had the feeling that they would be fake, but it leads to an even more interesting mystery of who really started the TWA. And then there's the pruning, with both Loki and Mobius getting pruned unceremoniously. I also didn't think they (particularly Loki) would really die, but my internet went out right before I could see the post-credits scene so that gave me a minor heart attack right there. Once again, it leads to an incredibly exciting set-up for next episode where Loki meets his other variants and Sylvie finally demands some answers. I will say, though, while it does very much fit the character, I do really hope that Loki doesn't end up kissing himself, that's probably the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way. Otherwise, though, this was an incredibly surprising, fast-paced, and chaotic episode that felt like having a 45-minute-long panic attack. It's another insane fourth episode twist and ranks up with Previously On as the best MCU episode yet. I can only hope that Marvel sticks the landing this time, third time's the charm?

Journey Into Mystery: I feel like this was the type of episode Lamentis should have been. They're both detours to another planet that focus a bit more on character interactions, but Journey Into Mystery was far more wacky and weird while also progresses the plot a fair amount. The Void is a super weird and visually distinct place, and I definitely enjoyed the multiple Lokis. Alligator Loki was my favorite for obvious reasons, but I also enjoyed Classic Loki even if his role in the show was a bit trope-y (older tragic figure who regains hope and sacrifices himself for the young'uns). Seeing the different variants adds to that central question of what makes a Loki, and seeing our Loki learn to enchant was a pretty great moment. However, my biggest issue with The Void is Alioth, that giant alien cloud thing. I'm not a fan of giant villainous clouds since it doesn't quite feel like the characters are fighting something concrete, and that was definitely a bit of a problem here. As for Sylvie, I was a bit disappointed we didn't get a full-on interrogation scene between her and Renslayer, but having her prune herself and then finally have a conversation with Mobius definitely made up for it. But now we get to the season finale, something that the MCU hasn't quite been able to nail yet. Journey Into Mystery seems to be setting up the long-awaited resolution of the mystery of who started the Time-Keepers, but I can only hope that it manages to be something unpredictable rather than just having been Renslayer the whole time.  

For All Time, Always: They did it, Loki actually stuck the landing! Granted, the show is getting a cliffhanger so this episode didn't have quite the same importance of bringing everything to a close, but this is easily the best MCU D+ finale to date. For All Time, Always was actually surprising, and tense, and well-paced. Nothing felt rushed and none of the major plot points went for the easiest way out. Sylvie just unlocked the multiverse, nearly every variant of Kang The Conqueror is now able to go wherever they want, and Loki is stuck in a completely different timeline (an alright cliffhanger but I'm not super drawn to these type of AU storylines). I'll admit, I didn't quite expect Kang to actually appear, I kinda thought it was just a Mephisto-esque rumor that could never actually come true on a Disney+ show. And now that Kang has finally debuted, I really like him, or at least the "He Who Remains" version we met this episode. Jonathan Majors looked like he was having the time of his life, and I could definitely see Kang being a far more lively villain than Thanos was. However, I do have a few gripes. Renslayer and Mobius's confrontation was a bit underwhelming, and I was left incredibly confused by her decision-making. As inevitable as it was, I didn't feel all that comfortable seeing Loki and Sylvie kiss, though I was glad she just used it to betray him. I will also say that this episode was a bit too exposition-heavy, it probably won't be as surprising upon rewatches. Still, the sheer scope and ramifications of this finale completely blew me away, and I can definitely say that this is the first MCU show to leave me feeling satisfied and then some.

Overall, Loki was fantastic, easily the best MCU show yet and one of the best MCU entries in general. I love how willing it was to be weird and experiment with genre, tone, writing style, and audio-visual presentation. The twists were surprising, the characters were great (Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius in particular), and the overarching theme of free will tackles one of my least favorite story tropes in a really interesting and thought-provoking manner. My biggest issue with the season is that the offbeat buddy cop show I was hoping for was just the first two episodes (reminds me of WandaVision in that aspect), and the writing was never quite as good after that. Frankly, it feels like every idea was explored in a single episode, I would have loved it if this season was just a bit longer! Still, for what it was, Loki was a very pleasant surprise for me and I absolutely cannot wait to see more of it. I can only hope that Season 2 will feel as fresh, inventive, and fun as its predecessor.

4.5/5 Stars

MCU (Phase 3)

Phase 3 of the MCU is considered by many to be the best phase, and for good reason. Some of the best Marvel films are in Phase 3, even moreso if you include Civil War! While I have a personal nostalgia and connection to Phase 2, I admire how this phase tried to be a bit on the weird side. Guardians Of The Galaxy walked, so we could get absolutely bizarre films like Doctor Strange, Ragnarok, and Infinity War. It also introduces my favorite superhero of all time to the MCU (Spider Man), and it ends the Infinity Stones arc on an incredibly satisfying and climactic note. However, I do have some issues with Phase 3. I feel like the repetitious nature of MCU films became really apparent here, Marvel's interfering got especially prevalent, and I definitely felt burnt out on superhero films by 2018. There were also a lot more CGI issues this phase in films like Black Panther and Spider-Man, and the sheer abundance of space-related films meant that it didn't feel like Marvel was putting too much effort into the more grounded stuff like Ant-Man and Captain Marvel. I definitely enjoyed Phase 3 in all its ambition, even if it's not my favorite of Marvel's phases. 

Doctor Strange: Doctor Strange is probably the one of the most forgettable MCU films, maybe second to the first Thor. The main character arc for Strange feels quite similar to Iron Man's, the main villain was a massive waste of Mads Mikkelsen, and the action seemed to rely too much on the visuals over the choreography. However, there are a few things I quite liked about the film as well, some of the MC Escher-esque visual setpieces are still really cool, Wong is a super enjoyable side character who should have been in Infinity War more, and the final battle was a nice change of pace from the usual "big blue beam in the sky" MCU finales. As a result, I'd say Doctor Strange has a lot of cool ideas and individual moments, but it's strung together by one of the most generic origin stories in the franchise.

3/5 Stars

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2: I adored the first Guardians Of The Galaxy movie, but this is a pretty great sequel that even surpasses the original in some ways. This is one of the few recent Marvel films to eschew the standard concrete gray color grading, making this probably the most visually pleasing film in the franchise, helped by the fantastic cinematography. The emotional depth is also better than the first, between Peter's father drama, Rocket's arc, Yondu's death scene, and Gamora's compelling conflict with Nebula. The action is some of the best in the series with a nice balance of "heroes kicking ass" setpieces and genuinely tense sequences, all filmed with long takes and badass slow motion unlike most MCU films. The humor is probably even stronger than the first as well, this movie is so damn funny. While I still think I generally prefer the first since the pacing drags a bit and the cast being split up kinda sucks, this is another really strong GoTG movie that fits in with the first movie like a puzzle piece. But best of all, this movie really feels like James Gunn's own project, as far removed from the MCU as one of its films can get, and that's just such a great breath of the fresh air in Phase 3. 

5/5 Stars

Spider-Man: Homecoming: I know MCU Spider Man is a bit divisive, but I quite like his films. Homecoming's greatest strength is that it depicts Peter Parker as who he is, a kid. As much as he's a superhero who saves people, Peter is also a normal teen who goes to high school, plays with LEGOs, and can even break down when the tension gets too much for him. I'm a big fan of the high school antics in the MCU films, they're funny, charming, and surprisingly accurate to my own high school experience (many films are not). The action scenes are zippy and fun, Vulture is a great villain with a masterful reveal, and the character arc of Peter not relying on Stark's tech was great. The final battle was also one of the MCU's best, it was personal and character-driven rather than some massive CGI battle. I'm a big fan of Homecoming, it's easily in my Top 3 Spider Man films alongside 2 and Spider-Verse.

5/5 Stars

Thor Ragnarok: Thor Ragnorok is an interesting film for me, because while I do love it and think it's one of the best films of this phase, I also think it suffers from Marvel's meddling more than any other film in the MCU. But let's start with the good stuff, Planet Hulk is visually amazing, Taika Waititi's writing is hysterically offbeat, the goofier version of Thor is far more compelling, Jeff Goldblum was a joy to watch, and it really felt like the cast was having a good time while making the film. As a whole, Thor Ragnorok is a ton of fun. However, this is also the film that made me realize that Marvel's control had gotten way too far. Many of the film's subversive decisions ended up being rendered meaningless in Infinity War, the otherwise vibrant and beautiful art direction was made a bit worse by the MCU's token gray filter, and the action scenes felt oddly generic and stuck out from how bonkers the rest of the film was. Thor Ragnorok is an amazing MCU film, but I can't help but feel it could be even better if Watiti was given full control. Still, I love this one, and it caps off one of the best MCU years along with 2014.

4.5/5 Stars?

Black Panther: Similarly to Thor Ragnorok, Black Panther was an amazing film made just slightly worse by Marvel's meddling. Ryan Cooler is a great director who allowed for some of the most unique and memorable shots in the series, even adding in a great long take fight scene. Wakanda is a super cool and well-realized location, the movie's themes are some of the most compelling in the MCU, and best of all, Killmonger is probably my favorite MCU villain of all time. He perfectly toes the line between villainous and sympathetic, and Michael B Jordan's performance is just flawless. However, once again, Marvel's meddling turned what could have been one of the best MCU films into one of the best first two-thirds of an MCU film because Black Panther's finale was just bad. The fight between Black Panther and Killmonger could have been far more emotionally charged and personal, but instead it had shaky choreography, two characters with nearly identical dark purple costumes on a dark purple background, and rushed CGI that had to be finished in only six weeks. At this point in the franchise, I was starting to get a bit frustrated with Marvel, but Black Panther was still a strong movie for most of its runtime, and I hoped once Infinity War came, it would all be worth it... 

4/5 Stars

Avengers Infinity War: Okay, here's my hot take. I don't like Infinity War all that much. It's too relentlessly paced with its cast spread far too thin, and the action scenes blend together in a flurry of CGI (though there are highlights like the fight on Titan). I'm also not a fan of the ending, because as important The Snap is to the MCU, it felt like a cheap cliffhanger given how obvious it was that it was going to be reversed. But probably the worst of all, I just don't like Thanos, which is bad since he's the film's main protagonist. He's physically imposing, sure, but his motivations are poorly thought-out (why not just double the amount of resources?) and he just isn't interesting. The film could have used his cool comic motivation to court Death, but instead the big bad of the whole Infinity Stones arc had to be made sympathetic at the cost of his motives not making any sense. While I admire the MCU fleshing out its villains a bit more, they really led to just let some of them be evil pieces of shit, especially Thanos. Still, this is a fun movie with some cute character interactions and badass Thor moments. I like how James Gunn wrote the dialogue for the Guardians, which meshed well with the rest of the film. Some of the hero entrances were badass as hell, and the dark tone was a welcome change of pace for the MCU. Overall, this is definitely a solid and enjoyable film, but I just can't bring myself to love it, no matter how much I try. It's a shame because Thor Ragnorok, Black Panther, and Infinity War are all really solid and well-liked movies, but at this point, I had been more disillusioned with Marvel than I have been in quite a while... 

3/5 Stars

Ant Man & The Wasp: I actually really liked this film. Even with how exhausted I was with superhero movies, I was perfectly fine with watching this one twice in a month, probably because it's just so well-crafted. While Ant Man 2 doesn't reach the heights of any of the previous movies in this phase, it's hard for me to really think of anything wrong with it? Ant Man & The Wasp is a well-made film with a charming cast, funny writing, and some of my personal favorite action scenes in the franchise (the car chase especially). I liked how it wasn't super high stakes, this is a personal film about saving a single person, but because I care about these characters, I cared about their quest. Even the Snap post-credits scene felt more genuinely chilling and terrifying than anything from Infinity War since I spent an entire movie with the characters who had just disappeared. Ant Man & The Wasp is a pretty standard superhero movie, but it's also the least disjointed film Marvel had made since Homecoming, it's character-driven, grounded, and a ton of fun.

4/5 Stars

Captain Marvel: Captain Marvel was pretty average, for the most part. It was the first MCU film I didn't watch in theaters for quite some time, but it also wasn't too bad either. I actually really liked Brie Larson as the titular character, her cockiness and snark was super enjoyable, and perfectly fitting since she used to be a pilot. The action, while not all that high stakes, was mostly pretty fun. And Nick Fury's role gave Samuel L Jackson a ton of entertaining material. There isn't much for me to say about this one since it doesn't quite do anything groundbreaking, but it's a solidly enjoyable MCU film even if I'd probably call it the weakest in the phase.

3/5 Stars

Avengers Endgame: After I found myself not enjoying Infinity War, I was kinda worried about this one, but I adored Endgame. It felt like both the culmination of the Infinity Stones arc and a love letter to the MCU as a whole. The five-year time jump was such a clever twist that caught me off-guard and actually gave The Snap an impact. I love how the first hour was slow-paced and filled with emotional moments of the characters coping with their failure, the second hour was a fun mix of goofy references to past films and actual moments of reflection, and the final hour was a massive battle sequence with tons of awesome payoffs that made me jump in my seat. If the MCU ended here, I would be perfectly fine, it felt like the perfect ending. The effects and action were great, the score was triumphant, and the character arcs got satisfying resolutions. Endgame is easily one of the most rewarding movies I've ever seen, and for that reason, it's my favorite film in the whole MCU.

5/5 Stars

Spider Man: Far From Home: Far From Home is a far more disjointed and inconsistent film than Homecoming, it does some things better and some things worse. The high school antics were still a ton of fun, and Peter's love story with MJ was incredibly compelling. Mysterio is a great villain and seeing a meta commentary on Marvel's usage of CGI was exactly what I needed at the time. I liked how Peter's character arc revolved around the split between his high school life and superhero life, a conflict that the best Spider Man stories (2) revolve around. And the second half of the film had some great setpieces like the awesome final battle and insane Mysterio's vision sequence. I even liked the massive cliffhangers in the post-credit scenes. However, Mysterio's big reveal would require a bunch of mindless CGI monster fights in the first half of the film that make it far less enjoyable to watch than the second half, and while I like the attempt to have Spider Man travel around the world, there's nothing quite like having him back in New York swinging across the buildings. This is a solid MCU film and a solid Spider-Man film, but not one of the best of either.

4/5 Stars

The Future Of The MCU: So now that I've reviewed pretty much every MCU movie up to this point, what's going to happen next? Well, Marvel has just started its fourth phase with its Disney+ series, and Black Widow is coming out fairly soon. Given how much of a powerhouse Marvel has become, I think the most beneficial thing they can do is experiment. Wandavision was a good start with its unique premise and colorful visuals, but even it suffered from a rushed finale and troubled production, as did Falcon And The Winter Solider. Black Widow looks pretty generic as well. And the trailers for Black Widow and Shang-Chi, while fun-looking, still have that same frustratingly dull color grading. However, I don't want to be too negative here. The Disney+ shows have been some of the most creative MCU content yet, and the news I've been hearing for Shang Chi and The Eternals are good omens for resolving Marvel's issues with letting directors do their thing. There's no such thing as a bad MCU film, as a matter of fact most of them are great, but I think Marvel letting go of the reins can be a massive breath of fresh air, even if it comes at the cost of the consistency the MCU is known for, we might just end up getting some truly amazing films.

MCU (Phase 2)

Phase 2 is my favorite MCU phase. Yeah, I know, it's a weird opinion, but this really was when I was the most engrossed in the franchise. I like how these movies experiments with genre, with Winter Solider being a thriller, Guardians being a sci-fi comedy, Ant Man being a heist flick, and Iron Man 3 being a Shane Black film. I love how these movies deconstruct the concept of a superhero, while slowly trickling in lore on the Infinity Stones. My only real issue is its order, particularly Civil War not being included.

Iron Man 3: I know this movie is a bit divisive for a certain twist involving a certain type of fruit and I'll get to that, but I really like how risky and subversive Iron Man 3 is. Tony Stark doesn't spend much time in the Iron Man suit, rather he's stuck without it for a lot of the movie's runtime, and even in the final battle, he spends his time hopping from suit to suit. Not only does this perfectly fit his arc of overcoming PTSD and the message that the person is Iron Man, so the suit he's in, but it allows for a ton of great action scenes where Tony is forced to think on his feet and defeat bad guys in creative ways. Not gonna lie, these is probably some of the MCU's best action! As for the Mandarin twist, as someone who doesn't read the comics, I thought this was a brilliant misdirect that fits the movie well, lends an interesting perspective on the topic of terrorism, and actually manages to be funny (looking at you, Ralph Bohner). I also love how Iron Man 3 genuinely feels like a Shane Black film in its action, witty writing, and subversive nature. So many MCU films feel similar to one another, so I like movies like this and Ragnorok that truly feel like the product of their directors.

4/5 Stars

Thor: The Dark World: This is my least favorite MCU film, mostly just because it's so boring. The visuals are bland, the writing is dull, the villain is paper-thin, and the worst part is that this isn't a movie that should be boring! It's a space adventure with epic battles, Loki dying, and dimension hopping, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of it. This isn't even a bad movie, there isn't really much bad writing or effects, it just feels like a lot of nothing. The only actor who seems to be having fun is Loki's (as a result, he has the best scenes), but otherwise, The Dark World encapsulates my biggest problems with the MCU: It doesn't feel like it's trying to be an actual film with any cinematic merit, it feels like everyone involved was just sleep-walking through the whole production to make another addition to the MCU. And it's a shame because I love pretty much every other movie in this phase!

2/5 Stars

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Until Avengers Endgame came out, this and the original Avengers were my favorite MCU films. As the franchise gets more out there and magic-driven in the future, I'll have more complaints about the MCU's overwhelming usage of CGI, so I have a real soft-spot for how grounded this film is. It's a paranoia thriller about government surveillance as doubting the values you thought were unequivocally true that just happens to feature super soldiers. The action setpieces are some of the best in the series, with Cap constantly being separated from his shield, and the tone manages to be really intense, partly thanks to the horrifying main theme for the titular soldier. I like that SHIELD, Black Widow and Nick Fury got some extra focus outside of just Cap, yet it never feels like he's not the focus of the film. His relationship with Bucky is compelling and leads to an emotional and satisfying climax, and the movie as a whole really warmed me up to the character, to the point where he's now my second favorite Marvel superhero (second to Spider-Man). Out of all of the Russo films, I think Winter Solider is still their most well-made and it holds up phenomenally well today.

5/5 Stars

Guardians Of The Galaxy: 2014 was an amazing year for Marvel, because if Winter Solider wasn't good enough, we get this film. I didn't care about the Guardians before I watched this film, I didn't even know who they were, but James Gunn managed to make me fall in love with these five dorks in a single film. There's so much I love about Guardians Of The Galaxy, the bizarre sci-fi aesthetic is super fun, the cast has great chemistry, the action is enjoyable, the writing is hilarious, and the soundtrack is just plain excellent. I also love how separate this film is from the MCU aside from the Infinity Stones scene, it feels like its own standalone comedy/sci-fi adventure in the same wavelength as Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (my favorite book of all time by the way). There's just so much heart and love put into every single frame of this film, and it feels like James Gunn's true passion project. It's funny, it's entertaining, it's easily one of the best MCU films to date.

5/5 Stars

Avengers: Age Of Ultron: Age Of Ultron is an underrated gem and I think there are a lot of great aspects to it that are worth mentioning. I like how every character gets an arc (though not all are that good), with Hawkeye getting the respect he deserves, Black Widow getting the first hint at her backstory which will hopefully be fleshed out in her own movie, and Iron Man dealing with a villain of his own creation. The action scenes are insanely fun, from the big Hulkbuster fight to the fast-paced South Korea chase to the big Battle Of Sokovia which doesn't top the original's final battle but manages to give us a lot of moments of the heroes actually trying to save people. There's a lot of fun banter and cute character moments scattered throughout, Ultron's a pretty alright villain, and there's a shockingly large amount of set-up for future movies. I think it suffers from being a bit too light and breezy, especially compared to the trailers, but I still found myself enjoying Age Of Ultron for what it was, a fun last hurrah for the Avengers before the events of Civil War.

4/5 Stars

Ant Man: I've always been pretty split on the first Ant Man movie, so I'll start with the positive stuff. The shrinking action is some of the most inventive and fun in the MCU, Paul Rudd is a charismatic lead, Michael Pena is hilarious, I love how it tries to go for a heist genre, and there's a general sense of fun to the whole film. It's not too long and the perfect movie to just tune in to while it's on TV. However, it also has the same problem as The Dark World, it doesn't go all that far with its premise. They could've gotten Edgar Wright to direct this film or they could've leaned super hard on the genre shift, but Ant Man just feels like your standard MCU film with an incredibly forgettable bad guy. I didn't even realize it was supposed to be a heist film until someone pointed it out to me! And honestly, I have zero idea why this is the end of Phase 2. Unlike Far From Home, it's not really a denouement to the events of the last Avengers movie, and it's a decision that I'll never understand. It's a solid and fun MCU movie, but it's not one of the best, nor is it phase-ending caliber.

3.5/5 Stars

Captain America: Civil War: Yes, yes, I know this isn't technically a "Phase 2" film, but this is my review and it just fits in so well here! Iron Man 3 and Winter Soldier delved into these warring characters and Age Of Ultron set up the Sokovia incident, so this movie fits in perfectly as the culmination of all these movies. But semantics aside, Civil War is an amazing movie. It manages to introduce Black Panther and Spider Man, give them and the whole other Avengers cast time to shine, and still focus on Iron Man and primarily Cap. It has the same tense vibe as Winter Solider, boasts one of the series' most unique villains in Zemo, has some of the series' best action, and gives us a compelling exploration of the fallout of Age Of Ultron's events. However, I think more than any other MCU film (except maybe Infinity War), this one feels a lot like an episode of a serialized TV show, as it doesn't really have a concrete start or end. Civil War doesn't quite stand on its own, even if it as an installment in the MCU, it's an absolute banger.

4.5/5 Stars

MCU (Phase 1)

Phase 1 of the MCU was definitely mind-blowing at the time. A cinematic universe slowly establishing characters so they can form the Avengers team for one big crossover film? That's awesome! Nowadays, with how many studios are rushing out cinematic universes, Phase 1 is a lot less impressive, but I think it's still noteworthy how slow it takes things. Nearly every single one of the Avengers gets an origin film and the ones who don't still appear pre-Avengers. This does result in nearly the whole phase being origin stories which I've just gotten so tired of by now, but it made the payoff of The Avengers that much better. I also think the visual effects held up incredibly well here! While later MCU films end up overusing VFX and making some noticeable errors, most of the Phase 1 films limited the visual effects a bit and they aged pretty impressively, especially the Iron Man films.

Iron Man: The first MCU film is a peak case of Early Installment Weirdness because wow, this does not seem like an MCU film at all. The endless pile of snark in the later phases isn't here, there's a huge lack of action, the tone is a lot more gritty, Tony Stark's kind of a bad person at the start of the film, and the more realistic antagonists means that the danger feels a lot more palpable here. It's just so strange coming back to this one after watching all of the other MCU films, but maybe that's what I like about it so much. It's not really a superhero movie more than it's just a movie about a rich dude facing the consequences of his own decisions and trying to make amends. My only major gripe is the CGI-heavy final battle, but otherwise, Iron Man is a really solid first movie and easily one of the best origin stories in the whole MCU. 

4/5 Stars

The Incredible Hulk: Okay, so you know how I mentioned Iron Man was a lot different than the rest of the MCU? The Incredible Hulk isn't the only MCU film to not be solely made by Marvel (the Spider Man films, for example), but it definitely feels the most out of place, and not just because the Hulk's actor is different. The tone is really dour, the comedy is nonexistent, and the CGI is way less polished, it feels like a movie from a different studio and that's because it is. And while this should make this movie feel more distinct and unique, it doesn't. The Incredible Hulk is a bland film with a dull performance from Ed Norton (who's usually really good), and the scenes of carnage suffer from poorly-aged CGI. It has its merits like the shockingly good soundtrack, but overall, I tend to forget this film even existed. I caught both this and Ang Lee's Hulk on TV and the latter one, while probably worse, definitely stuck out in my mind a lot more. 

2/5 Stars

Iron Man 2: I don't hate this film as much as a lot of people do. It's easily the weakest Iron Man film with way too many subplots and not enough Tony Stark, but there are lot of entertaining individual moments that I found enjoyable here, especially the amazing action scenes, which are super bombastic and filled with long takes and beautiful shots. Iron Man 2 lacks the compelling character arc of the first or the fun deconstruction of the third, but it's just plain fun to watch. At its best, we get the debuts of War Machine and Black Widow, and at it's worst, we get hilarious sequences of Mickey Rourke mispronouncing the word "bird". You can tell this movie wanted to do way too much and left all of its plots undercooked, but there's a schizophrenic sense of fun to it that I still enjoy.

3/5 Stars

Thor: Thor's first film is interesting in that a lot of its aspects feel like a double-edged sword. Thor's plot line of being banished to Earth is a good way to bring him down a peg and give him a compelling character arc, but it also means we spend the film in a dull location. The dutch angles give the movie a visual flair, but they can also be either grating or unintentionally hilarious. And the romance with Jane, while well-done, is also incredibly boring. There are a lot of aspects about Thor that I enjoy, from the solid  action to the visually stunning Asgard to just everything about Loki. You can definitely tell that Kenneth Branagh was trying to put his own spin on the superhero genre, but there are large chunks of this film that are kinda dull and not everything it's trying to do works.

3/5 Stars

Captain America: The First Avenger: Captain America has consistently had my favorite movies in the MCU, and while The First Avenger is the weakest of the bunch by far, it's still one of the better Phase 1 films and that's all thanks to Steve Rogers. Steve is an amazing character with a great origin, even pre-serum, he's so determined to lay his life on the line to help people. Even more, his relationship with Peggy Carter is easily the best romantic subplot in the whole series, and the fact that the movie is so willing to end on such a downer is incredibly powerful. Aside from the main character, however, the rest of this movie is somewhat standard. Red Skull is fine, but they could have done a lot more with the character. The action is fun, but I wouldn't call any of it outstanding. The First Avenger is carried by Chris Evans's performance and the amazing main character, and it's why I think it stands out as one of Phase 1's best movies.

4/5 Stars

The Avengers: I absolutely adore The Avengers, it felt like the satisfying culmination and payoff of everything that Phase 1 had been building up to. Seeing these characters from disparate films unite is great on its own, but the interactions and banter between them all is just amazing. It works so well as a crossover because of how well the cast meshes together, even in the excellent fight scenes which are filled with fun combo attacks. I also thought Loki was a great first villain, even better than in Thor as he really got a chance to ham it up. And the second half of The Avengers is, in my opinion, some of the best MCU ever. Obviously the final battle is great and all, but my favorite sequence in the whole film is actually that big helicarrier battle near the end of the second half where everything goes wrong, the Hulk surfaces, Black Widow has to fight Hawkeye, the helicarrier is about to crash, and Loki imprisons Thor. It's just such a tense and exciting sequence that serves as one of the high points of the MCU. Frankly, this whole film is one of the high points of the MCU, it's just so much fun!

5/5 Stars

Falcon And The Winter Soldier Live Reactions

With WandaVision over, now it's time for the MCU's next big show, Falcon And The Winter Soldier. I've done this song and dance before, I'll be reviewing every episode individually and giving my general consensus at the end of the season.

New World Order: Not gonna lie, this was a surprisingly depressing first episode. We're so used to seeing all the flashy fights that you kinda forget that the superheroes also have their own more personal problems to deal with. I'm always fascinated by how The Blip has affected the world, and this episode did a good job of showing the economic and political chaos that it all caused. I especially loved Bucky's subplot, though, his interaction with the therapist alone added so much depth, and the realization that he killed his neighbor's son in the past is just heart wrenching. There wasn't much action here, sadly, but the opening chase was pretty fun and hopefully, that big cliffhanger is what kicks off the plot.

Star-Spangled Man: Coming after the relatively slow-paced premiere, Star-Spangled Man wasted no time in bringing its two protagonists together. I actually think they reunited a bit too quickly given how slow Episode 1 was, but I'm just glad to finally start seeing Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan in the same room. They have really good chemistry, and their banter is easily the most enjoyable aspect of the series. I also found myself really enjoying John Walker's character, it was fascinating to see him struggle to fit in where Captain America did as he slowly got more and more impatient with Sam and Bucky throughout the episode. Once again, the cliffhanger was great, I'm super excited to see Zemo again.

Power Broker: While the first two episodes were pretty haphazardly paced, I feel like Power Breaker was the first really great episode of the show. Winter Soldier and Civil War are two of my favorite MCU films, so this episode in particular had a ton of awesome nods, like the Winter Soldier theme reappearing, Sharon and Zemo returning, and the "will you move up your seat" joke being brought back. Zemo was great here, perfectly balancing between goofy villain and genuine threat, and I thought it was interesting that Sharon got so screwed over by the events of Civil War. Madripoor is such a unique location that gave me serious John Wick vibes, and the fight in the harbor was easily the best action set piece yet. And then there's the ending, which suddenly dropped Ayo from Wakanda into the show and completely caught me off-guard! Just like in WandaVision, it should be cool to learn more about a character who didn't get much focus in her films of origin. Also, fun fact: She actually debuted in a small scene in Civil War!

The Whole World Is Watching: I hate John Walker. I felt a bit of sympathy in Episode 2, he was obviously dealing with way more than he can handle, but wow, is he just awful in this episode! Not that he isn't a well-written character though, the writing and acting are absolutely amazing for this character. He's understandable but definitely hatable as well, and it definitely made the Dora Milaje beating him up low-key kinda satisfying. And that ending just solidifies it, he completely ruined Cap's reputation right there and then in one of the most horrifying and screwed-up moments in the whole MCU (why couldn't WandaVision be this dark?!). But enough about Walker. I like that Sam was trying to talk with Karli, it's always great when the good and bad guys talk it out and it pained me that Walker had to come in and ruin it multiple times. Ayo's appearances were great and gave us a bit more time with Bucky's time as White Wolf, but I was hoping she'd actually join the team, maybe next episode? Zemo was great as usual and his scheming in the background was fascinating (and of course he escaped). Power Broker was probably more fun, but this was definitely the most well-written episode yet.

Truth: This episode made me realize why this miniseries feels so haphazardly paced, because it's really just a movie split up into chunks. Truth is basically that segment between the second and third act where all seems lost, the characters reflect, and the pieces are moved for the final battle. As a result, Truth is pretty slow-paced outside of that amazing opening confrontation between Bucky, Sam, and John Walker (probably the best fight in the show by the way). Still, there were plenty of cool individual moments throughout the episode, such as Torres getting the wings, Bucky tricking Zemo into get captured by the Dora Milaje, Madame Hydra's sudden appearance, Isaiah's story (seriously though, all of his scenes are super intense and that's probably thanks to Carl Lumbly's performance), the training sequence, Sam and Bucky actually hanging out and getting along, Batroc returning, and that cliffhanger. This was very obviously a transition episode, and I still found the boat subplot a bit dull (like a third of this episode was just boat-fixing montages), but I'm glad it took the time to start tying some plot threads (*cough* Wandavision *cough*), and seems to be setting up what should hopefully be a great finale.

One World, One People: This finale was alright. Similarly to WandaVision's finale, it was predictable and pretty action-heavy, but unlike that choppy poorly-edited mess, this one was well-paced and at least tied up all of its loose ends. I also didn't think this finale needed to be anything surprising since this wasn't that kind of show. We got Sam as Captain America, and Walker as US Agent. The final battle was pretty solid, Sam flying and using the shield at the same time led to some pretty impressive moments, but I felt Walker got the short end of the stick, he didn't really have much to do! I was also somewhat disappointed with Sam and Bucky being separated for most of the episode given the show's title. Sharon being the Power Broker was predictable, but I didn't get too mad at it. The real highlight here was definitely Sam's speech to the GRC which I thought was great. Blunt? Sure. But after over a year of this pandemic and the US being a bit of a mess, that was absolutely something I needed to hear from a TV show. As a whole, this finale was fine. It was satisfying, had a solid final battle, and one really great moment. It didn't go above and beyond like I'd hoped, but unlike WandaVision, it actually felt coherent and emotionally satisfying. And "Captain America And The Winter Solider" was a pretty sweet ending card, even if it doesn't quite have the same ring as the show's actual name.

So what did I think of Falcon And The Winter Soldier? I enjoyed it quite a bit, actually. I don't think it was as creative as WandaVision, and the pacing was a bit off given the show was basically a movie chopped up into bits, but overall, I think I liked this one just a bit better. Sam and Bucky are great characters with well-defined arcs and some really strong banter, the action was fun (especially in Power Broker and Truth), and the side characters like Ayo and Zemo were a lot of fun too. The show's ending was predictable, but this was a far more air-tight and satisfying tale than WandaVision. But probably the most surprising aspect of this series was how it dealt with issues I didn't expect Marvel to even touch, and aside from some shoddy moments (particularly in Episode 2), I think it did so very well. So, I enjoyed this one and I admire it for trying to do more than just be a buddy action series like, say, Hobbs & Shaw. FatWS tried to say something while still being a fun MCU show, and it did a pretty decent job with both.

3/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: The Whole World Is Watching

WandaVision Live Reactions

With WandaVision having just started airing on Disney+ as of Jan 15th 2021, I was planning on just writing a seasonal review like most of the other shows I've seen. However, the big focus on mysteries, strange premise, and weekly airing schedule gave me the idea of writing a sort of live reaction blog for the show instead. Here are all of my reactions towards the episodes that have aired so far, and I'll keep updating as the season progresses. Once the finale airs, I'll also write a short summary of my general opinions on the season as a whole. Hope you enjoy!

Filmed In Front Of A Studio Audience: WandaVision's pilot actually made a fairly solid first impression. The concept of a homage to a 50s sitcom could have gone horribly wrong, but the writing made me laugh fairly often, and it did a good job of poking fun at the era and dodging humor that could have felt poorly aged. Paul Bettany has some serious comedic chops, and he probably made me laugh the most. And I'd be remiss to not mention that scene where the tone suddenly turned serious and the camera angles changed. I have no idea what's going on in this show, but that one scene made me very interested in trying to figure it out.

Don't Touch That Dial: Having seen several episodes of Bewitched, I felt like I was able to get a lot more of the references this time around (that title sequence). This second episode was generally more funny than the first for the subplot where Vision got gum stuck in its system, allowing for Paul Bettany to utilize some really excellent physical comedy. I won't lie, I also screamed at the top of my lungs upon learning that Anya from Buffy (Emma Caulfield) is in this show. I hope she appears in more episodes too! There were far more mysteries added during this episode, there was that helicopter, the voice in the radio, that bee dude, not to mention Wanda rewinding time. I honestly love all this psychological horror stuff going on and I hope to see much more of it as the show progresses. It's hard to put together all the mysteries at this point, but my current prediction is that Wanda is switching decades to escape from something. What is she escaping from? I have no idea.

Now In Color: I didn't love this episode during the first two-thirds, I thought the magic visuals were cute but I'm not a big fan of pregnancy storylines so not as many jokes really hit. The final third though was pretty juicy stuff, all but confirming that Wanda is somewhat responsible for whatever this sitcom-y world is. The reveal that Geraldine is a SWORD spy is pretty cool, along with that visual of her being tossed out of Westview at the end of the episode. I'm also excited to see Vision slowly piece the mystery together himself, he's becoming my favorite character of the whole show.

We Interrupt This Program: I had no idea that we'd see the direct fallout of the snap being reversal, but wow, it's so fascinating! I didn't think we'd get to an episode like this so soon, though, it feels like the show has already showed all its cards, so many of the show's mysteries have been resolved already! Still, as fun as the sitcom stuff was, it's nice to see something somewhat normal for once. SWORD looks awesome and I can't wait to see more of it, along with Jimmy and Darcy who are absolute treasures and a lot of fun to watch. Though now I might be more invested in the real-world stuff than the sitcom stuff.

On A Very Special Episode: Well, now that the sitcom facade has been removed, this episode can swap between Westview and SWORD, which is good because I'm starting to get tired of the sitcom shenanigans. Monica, Jimmy, and Darcy form an awesome team though, and I absolutely did not expect Wanda to leave her bubble to confront SWORD, amazing scene. It's great to see Vision finally realize what's going on, and his fight with Wanda was so great too! And don't think I didn't see the parallel between the dog dying and what Wanda is doing. And that ending... that's X-Men Quicksilver! I knew Quicksilver was coming back but, wow, this is it. The X-Men is joining the MCU!

All-New Halloween Spectacular: Yay! The laugh tracks gone! I'm not gonna lie, going Malcolm In The Middle for this episode was a stroke of genius, perfectly fitting the dysfunctional state of Wanda's family after the events of last episode. And Evan Peters is still the definitive Quicksilver, he's so much fun! I still can't believe he's in the MCU. I also liked the Halloween antics, the old costumes are really cute. As for the present day, Hayward is annoying. I hate the Obstructive Bureaucrat trope and this episode didn't do anything to win him over. At least we get to spend a lot of time with Monica, Jimmy, and Darcy sneaking around the base. And then there's the ending, because of course Marvel has to drastically change the status quo again. Does this mean we're gonna see Darcy and Jimmy in a sitcom? How are they gonna escape now?

Breaking The Fourth Wall: Finally, we got the mockumentary episode and it was easily my favorite one so far. The cringe comedy, the Office-esque total sequence, the Modern Family-esque tone, it was all just so good! And depressed Wanda was a joy to watch. Vision teaming up with Darcy was also a ton of fun too, they have a surprisingly good dynamic! There were also a bunch of payoffs that I think most people were expecting at this point, Monica finally got some sort of superpowers, Agnes being revealed to be the true Big Bad. Wanda's confrontation with Monica was great, as was that chilling shot of Harkness sitting in the director's chair, and don't even get me started on the first post-credits scene in the series!

Previously On: Well, this episode was something. I don't really know what else to say than the fact that it was just really good! It was the heartbreaking character study of Wanda Maximoff that I've been wanting to see ever since the MCU started putting her through the ringer (seriously though, she needs so much therapy right now). It was really cool to get the chance to fully complete her timeline and see how she ended up making the hex, the only problem is how the hell are they gonna resolve all of this in the finale?!

The Series Finale: Well, that was kinda disappointing. It's not that the final episode was bad, it had some good action, solid emotional moments, and that hook about Nick Fury is exciting, but it all just felt so bog standard compared to the rest of the show. There was no ambition here, once they mentioned the Darkhold, I thought there would be something with Doctor Strange, but nope. White Vision turns good, but then he just leaves and is never seen again. And Evan Peters ended up just playing a normal dude named Ralph? Then why even include him in the show?! I'm not the type of person to get mad if my theories aren't confirmed, but this seriously feels like bait. The finale also felt really rushed at times, like the editing was oddly fast, it just felt jarring compared to how slow-paced last episode was. I don't think this is a bad ending, but it felt like Marvel went for the absolute easiest and most predictable way out.

So, what did I think about WandaVision? It was alright. The sitcom premise is incredibly unique and fun, especially once they do away with the laugh track, Wanda's development was pretty amazing, and the power team between Monica, Jimmy, and Darcy was so good, I'd watch a whole show with them. However, while this was definitely inventive by Marvel's standards, I could tell that they were still holding back rather than trying to do anything gutsy. The psychological horror edge from the first three episodes vanished pretty much entirely, the finale was your standard MCU third-act climax, and they introduced Evan Peters as Quicksilver only for him to be a throwaway character. I feel like WandaVision could have been something truly special, but as a whole, I think it was just an alright show. Another entry in the MCU.

3/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Previously On