10 Movie Moments that Live Rent Free In My Head

 I love movies. 

I went to school to be a film critic (Didn't pan out-turns out nobody was hiring) and if you get me on the topic of movies I will talk your ear off about actors, lighting, history, costumes, anecdotes from sets and anything else that is completely useless in a zombie apocalypse. 

I want to share with you now 10 movie moments that I think of often and love with all my heart. 

Spoilers, probably. 

10: The Posession (Beetlejuice) 

From the moment Catherine O'Hara opens her mouth and "Deo!" comes out I am laughing and invested. Honestly this entire movie is living in my head rent free, and the musical is moving in. No matter how many times I've seen this movie, the jump scare at the end with the weird shrimp cocktails always gets me jump. 

9: Cuban Pete (The Mask)

I promise this isn't just going to be a list of musical moments, but this one has to be mentioned. 

Back in the 90's Jim Carey was one of the biggest actors in Hollywood. I loved his movies, and my favorite to this day is The Mask. This scene is ripped right out of Looney Tunes, and frankly if I was a cop I would be dancing right along, spell or no. 

8: The T-Rex Appears (Jurassic Park)

I was about 7 when the OG Jurassic Park hit theaters. Already wanting to be a paleontologist, I was captivated by the idea to see real dinosaurs on the big screen. To this day I have nearly every shot memorized of the T-Rex emerging from her paddock and attacking the jeeps. 

Two fun facts about this scene: 

1: The glass on the jeep's skylight wasn't supposed to cave in but the animatronic broke through on the kids so their screams as they try to keep the glass between them and the Rex are real. 

2: When the Rex steps onto the road the paddock is level ground, allowing the Rex to walk through, but when she knocks the jeep into the paddock there's a cliff. Stephen Spielberg said to keep it in despite the discrepancy because the action was more important than keeping the shots consistent. 

7: Piggy and Joan Rivers (Muppets Take Manhattan) 

Muppet movies get big name guest appearances, all happy to play character roles with their favorite Muppets. One of my favorites (I could make a Muppet list all on its own) is Miss Piggy with the legendary Joan Rivers. The usual dirty talking Rivers tones it down for this scene, but is still happy to give Piggy relationship advice to lure back her frog. 

6: Nightcrawler vs Secret Service (X2: X-Men United)

Before we had the whole MCU and DCEU craze, we had the X-Men movies. On our second outing to the X-Men universe one of my favorites made a stunning cinematic debut by single-handedly taking out the entire Secret Service at the White House to assassinate the president. Luckily he got his mind back before he could, but the sequence is still one of the best superhero fight scenes in cinema-even including all the Marvels. 

Yeah, I said it. 

5: Ain't got no body! (Young Frankenstein)

A scene that always cracked me up as a kid, Dr. Frankenstein is exploring his grandfather's legendary labratory. Looking at replicated heads on a shelf, they come across the freshly dead sample being Igor, the doctor's assistant, who breaks out into song. You don't want to know how many times I've put my head on a shelf/counter/table and done the same thing. 

4: Duel of the Fates (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace) 

Yeah come at me, but this scene rocks. 

3: Part of Your World reprise (The Little Mermaid) 

About time Disney made it on this list (Though I could also make a list of just Disney movies). Here we have this beautiful moment when Ariel just saved Eric and they're together on the beach. The sunlight shines through the storm clouds as Ariel sings the reprise, musing whether they'll ever be together forever. It's Disney animation at its finest, beautiful, mesmerizing and just a nice time. 

2: Spider-Man Returns (Avengers: Endgame)

I was not okay at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. In Endgame, Hulk uses the Infinity Stones to get everyone back, which is amazing in and of itself, but the real emotional blow comes when Spider-Man reunites with Tony Stark on the battlefield. Spider-Man is doing his normal adorkableness, while Stark stares at him in awe, realizing that after five years it worked. He's undone his greatest failure. The hug gets me every. Single. Time. 

1: You can call me... Joker (Batman)

This scene has defined my life. Ask anyone and they'll tell you I have an obsession with villains, bad guys and monsters and I can trace it all back to here: The introduction of the Joker. Jack Nicholsen starts out in silhouette giving us a hint of what's to come, playing it straight faced until he steps out into the light revealing that grin and that laugh... Heath Ledger was good but man... This scene tho...

I could honestly make the same list for Disney, horror, super heroes, TV, anime and musicals. All I need is a reason. 

-JOE

5 Unofficial Disney Princess Movies to Watch

Day 600 of social distancing (it feels like). How many shows and movies have you finished binging so far? In case you need some suggestions, here are a few unofficial Disney Princess movies for you to check out on Disney+ while you're stuck at home.

The Princess Diaries
Who doesn't love Anne Hathaway as the lovable misfit turned princess? Mia may not be the most elegant of princesses, but I think that's what makes her relatable. Growing up, she wasn't a princess; she was a regular person like any of us. In the end, it's a nice uplifting movie when you're having a bad day. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all." Also, check out its sequel on Disney+.

Star Wars
Say what you will about the Star Wars movies new and old, but Princess Leia (or General Organa, as she's known more recently) is amazing. She was feminism before forced representation in the media happened. She was a tireless hero in the original trilogy and a fearless advocate of freedom (as well as a fierce mother) in the sequel trilogy.

Wreck-It Ralph
Long before Vanellope met the official Disney Princesses on the internet, she was Princess Vanellope in Sugar Rush. A lot can be learned from this little ball of spunk. She's a great example of self-acceptance and of following your dreams. Also she's witty. She's one big reason I love the Wreck-It Ralph movies.

Black Panther
The movie may focus on Prince T'Challa, but let's not forget his sister Shuri, Princess of Wakanda. If it weren't for her intelligence and technological prowess, her brother would only have his Black Panther powers and fighting stills, none of the tech. She also quickly outwitted Banner in Infinity War, when she instantly knew how to separate Vision from the Mind Stone, which had never even occurred to Banner.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire
I honestly don't know why Kida isn't an official Disney Princess. It's probably just because her movie was released at a downer point in Disney's history. All the same, she doesn't get the credit she deserves. Like Ariel, she defied her father because of what she believed was right. Like Belle, she was willing to sacrifice her for the ones she loved. If you haven't watched Atlantis in a while, turn it on and enjoy.

Hang in there while you're stuck at home. If you're feeling stressed, try to laugh it off (that's my goal). At least we know this will eventually pass.

4 Types of Time Travel

The Cursed Child. The Flash. Doctor Who. Wibbly Wobby Timey Wimey.

Time travel almost seems to be a go-to with series nowadays. Any sort of science fiction or fantasy basically necessitates a time travel plot. The problem becomes when fans don't understand the rules of time travel. That being said, every franchise seems to have different rules. They all boil down (more or less) into one of four categories though.

1. Time is Fixed -- "Whatever happened, happened"
Prime example of this one is LOST. For all of its critiques, LOST stuck tight to its rule about not changing anything in the past when the Flight 815 survivors were stuck in the 1970's. It was actually LOST that sold me on this version of time travel. Basically, if you travel to the past, you cause the past to happen. Same thing happened in Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry saw himself conjuring the patronus charm, because a future version of Harry had already gone back in time. No one un-did Buckbeak's death; he was saved the whole time. Other examples include Once Upon a Time ("Is This Henry Mills?"), and Star Trek Voyage Home.

2. Time is Malleable -- "His head's gone, it's like it's been erased."
One of the more popular kinds of time travel (in my opinion) is demonstrated in Back to the Future. In this version of time travel, it's possible to change the past. By changing the past, you could erase yourself from existence, like Marty McFly almost did. This was also seen in the future when Marty and Doc change Marty Jr's fate. Other examples include Once Upon a Time ("Snow Drifts"/"There's No Place Like Home"), Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's ("Bonds Beyond Time"), Runaways ("Cheat the Gallows"), X-Men Days of Future Past

3. Alternate Timelines -- "If you travel to the past, that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past."
The version of time travel seen in Endgame got confusing and it's because people assumed time travel rules version 2 (i.e. Back to the Future) but when Banner called out Doc and Marty's time travel rules, it confused people even more. Essentially, each time they made a change to the past, it created a splinter timeline. So the upcoming series Loki, featuring the Loki from Battle of New York in Endgame after he escapes. It creates a multiverse scenario, with multiple similar timelines. In my opinion, this was better explained in Agents of SHIELD when they changed the future, but Deke still survived in the present day. Instead of being erased from time (like version 2 rules), he just remained in this new timeline, featured in Season 6. Other examples include Once Upon a Time ("Homecoming"/"Leaving Storybrooke"), Star Trek (2009 movie), Star Trek Voyager

4. Fixed Points in Time -- "Everything else is in flux, anything can happen, but those certain moments, they have to stand."
This is the kind of time travel that gets confusing really easily. It basically gives the writer the authority to do whatever they want, depending on the idea. Doctor Who used this idea and it meant that certain things could be changed, but other events had to happen (like Pete Tyler's accident or the "death" of the Doctor, etc.). The Flash also did this with the death of Barry's mother. Changes to these events caused paradoxes to occur, resulting in the Reapers, the collapse of time, and the Flashpoint timeline. Other things, like the trajectories of individuals' lives, the universe just compensates around. Other examples include Legends of Tomorrow (for the most part).

Which version of time travel is your favorite? Which time travel story/series is your favorite?

Runaways: A Retrospective

It’s been just about a month since Runaways season three aired on Hulu. With all of Marvel’s television shows moving to Disney+, this show, like the Netflix series, finally got its cancellation. Now, I don’t know where it was in production when everything started getting asked, but this season did seem to have a better resolution than previous seasons. But I’ll get to that in a moment. So since I will be discussing Runaways today, obviously be prepared for spoilers through season three.

Season 1: Kids vs. Parents
Season one followed a fairly simple premise: the six kids chanced upon the information and the secret that their parents were part of an evil organization. I’ve never read the comics, but from what I understand, the writers for the Hulu series text some artistic liberty with the source material. Instead of being straight up evil, the parents became more complex and gray as the series went on. I’m not sure what the writers would have decided to do if it hadn’t been picked up for season two, but season one definitely laid the groundwork for the series. It included origin story on all of our hero Runaways, backstory on some of the parents, and mystery to lead into season two. Because of how it was set up, with suspense dodging their parents every episode, and stuff like that, season one was easily my favorite. It was the only season to include a single story arc. And they executed it well.

Season 2, Part 1: Runaways vs Parents again
Season two was the longest of the three seasons, by three episodes. And it was the slowest season of the three. So it’s a good thing it was divided into two story arcs. The first one, involves a lot of similar conflicts to season one. Except that now, the kids had finally run away. Hence the name Runaways. The kids explored their powers and worked on how to thwart their parents. But as the arc went on, even the parents began to be skeptical of their associate Jonah. And eventually the arc culminated in a fight between Jonah and the kids and their parents.

Season 2, Part 2: Runaways vs. Aliens
From early on in season two, we knew that Jonah was an alien. And as a result, that meant that Karolina was part alien. So with his ship destroyed at the end of the first arc, Jonah and his family took new hosts. A lot of the major excitement of this arc was still the parents versus the kids. But on the side, we had three of the parents blacking out and soon discovering that they’ve become host to Jonas family. We also got introduced to a new alien, Xavin, a shape shifter who believed she was Karolina‘s soulmate. The end of season two left us with the second cliffhanger season finale, so thank goodness we got a season three. The Runaways and the parents were all split up. And some of them were in life or death situations.

Season 3, Part 1: Runaways vs. Aliens again
The first arc of season three didn’t last very long. With everyone split up at the end of season two, the first order of business was to get the gang back together. At the same time, they discovered Jonah’s family inhabiting four bodies, not just the three that we had seen in season two. So as the fourth host was revealed, things quickly turned to final battle. A little bit anti-climactic, but I found it fulfilling all the same.

Season 3, Part 2: Runaways vs. Morgan
She was teased throughout the first arc of season three, but we didn’t get to actually see Morgan Le Fay in the flesh until the second arc of season three. This was the story arc that paid service to Marvel fans. It dropped Easter eggs from other Marvel series and tied it into the greater Marvel cinematic universe. Now, the finale left timeline issues involving Thanos’s snap, but so did Agents of SHIELD. So I’m willing to let that go even if I don’t like it. I feel like each of the Runaways got a fair shot at the spotlight during this arc. Even most of the parents did. It’s hard with a cast so big to give everyone decent screen time. But they did a good job.

As for MCU Connections, we got special guest appearances of Cloak and Dagger. That one was special, because it had been explicitly linked to the larger universe during its series before cancellation. In addition, seeing those two work together with the Runaways was amazing. It made me feel validated for re-watching their show again before Runaways season three came out. In addition to that, we also got appearances of the Dark Dimension from Doctor Strange, though it looked different this time, and the Darkhold from Agents of SHIELD. As much as I loved Runaways during seasons one and two, the big thing that was missing was the universe building. So this really made me happy.

In regards to how the series ended, I felt like it got a sufficient finale. However, it felt rushed. The last episode is a standalone story that was a bit convoluted. If Disney+ decides to do a season for later on, great. They can pick up some of these loose threads. But I’d honestly rather have the Runaways just appear in other series. They had their trilogy of seasons. They had a good run. They kicked butt. And now I think it should be done.

Conclusion
In the end, Runaways was what it promised: a teenage drama with superpowers. We definitely have the teenage angst and drama, but we also had the superheroics. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the distinct character development, despite having so many characters. I don’t know if we will ever see our Runaways again in the MCU, but I think it would be a waste just to let them sit and be forgotten. I would especially love to see Nico or Molly appear in some version of the Young Avengers or something. Can’t tell you how happy that would make me.

Spoiler-Free Spider-Man Far From Home Review

I wasn't sure what to expect in "Spider-Man Far From Home" after seeing "Avengers Endgame". Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. Here are some initial thoughts after seeing it this weekend. As I try to do, I'll avoid spoilers. However, anything that was seen in the trailers is fair game.

First of all, I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie taking place after "Endgame". The trailers made it seem like everything was back to normal, aside from Iron Man being gone. I've had numerous conversations in the past two months about how everyday life would be chaotic and jumbled after the Decimation was reversed by the Hulk. However, I liked that they addressed the aftermath without dwelling on it. I definitely wouldn't want them to take a whole movie or TV series to explain how the average person got back to real life after blipping back into life.

Ever since "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and meeting Zendaya's MJ, I've felt a little weird about it. Maybe I'm just too used to Mary Jane Watson from the Tobey McGuire Spider-Man movies, but I was thrown by this new kind of MJ. The biggest struggle I had was that I didn't particularly enjoy Peter and MJ's chemistry. Maybe it's because they're teenagers and teenagers are awkward anyway. Maybe it's because it's just a new MJ. Maybe it's just because it's new. Regardless, we're likely to see them again (at least once more), so I guess we'll see what happens next.

With Mysterio being introduced in the trailers, I had my theories about what was going to happen. Was he really going to be good? Was he going to be a villain (as I'd seen in the cartoons growing up)? Even with all of my theories and ideas, I was still surprised. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting, but I guess maybe that's why it worked. It wouldn't have been so fun if I had been 100% correct about Mysterio.

Overall, I thought the movie (teenage/high school chemistry aside) was a wonderful transition out of Phase 3 and into Phase 4. The post-Endgame action provided a smooth segway out of "Endgame" and the big battle for Earth and into the next generation of Marvel movies. The cool thing is seeing what comes next. No release dates have been confirmed, but we know we're getting (at least) a Black Widow prequel (Budapest with Hawkeye perhaps?), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (maybe searching for Gamora?), Doctor Strange 2 (with Mordo's return hopefully), and Black Panther 2 (no clues there yet). Other than those spin-offs, we don't realy know what's happening next. We haven't been this MCU-blind in years. It's kind of exciting!

Spoiler-Free Captain Marvel Review

As always, I’ll try to keep my review spoiler-free. If you’re super sensitive to spoilers, hang up now and just go buy your ticket. And stick around for BOTH credits scenes.

Overall I loved Captain Marvel. To be fair, it takes a lot for me to hate their movies. And it takes even more for me to say they’re bad. For a stand-alone movie, it was good. Avid MCU fans with enjoy it even more.

I struggled with the opening scenes. I couldn’t tell if I was being thrown into the middle of things on purpose or if Marvel was expecting me to know more about the Kree from the comics. It’s one of those scenes that I’m sure I’ll enjoy more the second time around. If a similar scene had taken place on earth, I’d have been ok. But an alien world was kind of hard to adjust to.

I enjoyed the appearances of established MCU characters. After 5 seasons of Agents of SHIELD, I liked seeing Coulson back in the movie universe. I couldn’t get over his 90s hair. I wish he’d have been more prominent in the movie. But then again, this is the 90s. He’d probably barely joined SHIELD.

Speaking of SHIELD, I liked 1990s Fury. I kept waiting for them to explain how he lost his eye. Regardless of his eyesight, I liked this version of Fury. He was very different from how he’s appeared since his first appearance in Iron Man. Then again, that’s 10+ years of SHIELD stuff in between.

I’m excited to see how Captain Marvel plays into “Endgame”. I think I’ve heard she’s connected to the Quantum Realm in the comic. So maybe she’s connected to Ant-Man, since that’s where we last left him.

4 Things We Learn From the Avengers 4 Trailer

I had a completely different post planned for this week and ready to post today... but then Marvel dropped the Avengers 4 trailer and that post will get pushed back a week in honor of some of the things I've noticed after watching the trailer a couple times.

Of course as I'm discussing the trailer, there will be spoilers ahead.

Tony Stark: Lost in Space
We last left Tony on Titan after nearly all of his companions had dissolved into dust. I had wondered how he was going to rejoin the rest of the Avengers (or at least the ones who survived) and it looks like he hasn't yet. At least as of the moment when he records his message for Pepper, he hasn't made it home. I have to assume that the writers don't let him die due to lack of food, water, and oxygen, but I guess we won't know for sure until April. Unless I missed something, it does look like he's parted ways with Nebula.

Clint Barton's New Outfit
I'm not savvy with the comic books, but I'd heard that Hawkeye was going to transition to a different alter-ego, named Ronin. I don't know who Ronin is in the comics or what this means for Clint, but the implication I'm seeing in the trailer is that his wife and kids died in the Snap. So now he's back out in the field to get them back maybe? Or maybe he just has nothing to lose anymore with his family gone?

"This is Gonna Work, Steve."
Black Widow says this to clean-shaven Cap, making me think they have some sort of plan. It's vague what the plan is or what the end goal is. I assume it'll be something involving bringing back those we lost, but I guess it could also just be revenge on Thanos. I remember rumors about going back in time, so that's my guess, but I could always be wrong. All we know is Steve is feeling a bit hopeless outside of that plan.

Scott Lang: Escaping the Quantum Realm
Last we saw Ant-Man he was twirling around in the Quantum Realm after Hope and her parents vanished during the Snap. Obviously he made it out of the Quantum Realm and now he's reached the New Avengers Facility to reach out to Natasha and Steve. I had hoped, based off a line in the mid-credits scene of "Ant-Man and the Wasp", that he'd maybe be traveling back in time... but maybe he still will and he'll be the means behind whatever Black Widow and Captain America's plans are?

Anything else I missed from the trailer? Any speculation or theories?

Spoiler-Free Ant-Man and the Wasp Review

On the heels of the epic adventure of “Avengers: Infinity War”, we had another Marvel story get released to theaters just this weekend.  My wife and I went to see it Saturday, so I wanted to share a few thoughts about it here. I’ll try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible, but if you’re super sensitive to spoilers, here’s your review: If you liked the original “Ant-Man” movie, go see it. Similar style and strong humor. Definitely a must-see movie. PSA: Two credit scenes

This movie was a breath of fresh air. I loved “Infinity War” but I don’t think anyone would argue that it was heavy and intense. Just like his origin story, this movie definitely played on a lot of humor. Still plenty of action, fights, and story, but it was light enough that it was kind of a lighter feel compared to “Infinity War” and the Marvel TV shows. And maybe it was just the week I had, but I needed a nice easy movie.

The unfortunate thing about this movie was that it came so close behind “Infinity War” that I felt like it was kind of lost in its shadow; the hype for “Infinity War” was so huge and then I felt like there was so little hype for “Ant-Man and the Wasp”. I’m certainly not Disney’s marketing team, but I would have thought it’d be a better movie for this fall, to start building hype up again for the next Avengers.

A strength and weakness of the movie was the number of complexities in the story. In some ways there were so many parties in the movie to keep track of. At the same time, the number of involved groups kind of kept things interesting and added to the comedy. I need to go see it again to keep everything straight (or not, because then it’s funny).

I guess in the end, this movie only reinforced how much I like Ant-Man as a character. His origin story is still one of my favorite Marvel movies and this one was a perfect follow-up to it and his appearance in “Civil War”. Paul Rudd is also just a great actor; he’s only gotten better since Friends. Also, again, PSA: Two credit scenes

Avengers 4: Potential Titles

“Infinity War” has been out less than a week and of course people are already theorizing about the sequel Avengers film coming out next year. We were previously told that Avengers 4’s title was a spoiler for “Infinity War”. Now that it’s premiered, let’s theorize what the next movie will be called. As such, there will be spoilers ahead. So between talking to my brother and looking around the internet, here are some ideas I came up with.

Avengers: Disassembled

The “Avengers” roster kind of exploded during this movie with the Guardians, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man. And then at the end of the movie these pseudo-Avengers were literally “disassembled”. So it would make sense that a large part of this next movie would be about bringing these heroes back into existence. Even the remaining heroes are “disassembled”; between physical distance (Nebula and Iron Man on Titan), emotional distance (after “Civil War”), or just not knowing each other (Rocket and the Wakandans), there isn’t much pulling these characters together. So between pulling our remaining heroes together and bringing our dissolved heroes back, “Disassembled” could be a valid title.

Avengers Reassemble

Similar to “Disassembled”, this would focus the movie on bringing our heroes, dead and alive, together in order to put the universe back in order and stop Thanos once and for all. The difference here would be the theme and focus of the movie. Someone pointed out to me that (assuming Hawkeye is still alive), all six of our original Avengers survived Thanos’s snap. As I previously pointed out, the Civil War and the distance of space have torn them apart. As a result, just as they had to put aside their differences and assemble in “The Avengers”, it’ll be time for our heroes to pull together and fight back against Thanos’s forces, just like before.

Avengers: End Game

My brother reminded me that Doctor Strange saw millions of outcomes of their battle with Thanos. Only one resulted in their victory. I had originally thought Star-Lord messed up their one shot, but it hadn’t occurred to me that our mystical surgeon foresaw Quill losing his cool and giving the Time Stone to Thanos. That would mean that this is all part of the plan. Doctor Strange straight up said that “this is the end game”. Avengers 4 is “this” and it is likely all part of the end game that Stephen Strange predicted.

The Last Avengers

As noted before, five of the original six Avengers are confirmed alive. These “last Avengers” will inevitably play a key role in returning the world to normal. We also know that this will be the last movie for a number of our key players, giving the title another meaning, as it will be the last Avengers movie. This title also hearkens back to Captain America’s first movie “The First Avenger”. It would be very fitting for the phase three finale to have a title that mirrors our earliest hero.

The New Avengers

Just as our original Avengers have their finale in Avengers 4 (one way or another), it would make sense for a new team of heroes to fill their shoes. I’m not familiar with the comics, but I know there’s a team call “The New Avengers”. Among their ranks are some of our Phase Three heroes, Luke Cage (from Netflix), Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist (also from Netflix), Mockingbird (from Agents of SHIELD), and many others. We also have a couple characters previously owned by Fox, Wolverine and The Thing. I have little confidence we’d see any of the Netflix heroes or X-Men in Avengers 4, but we’ll be seeing more of them in one form or another. So at the same time we’ll retire Captain America and Iron Man, we could very easily get a new team with Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.

What did you think of “Infinity War”? Any theories for Avengers 4? Don’t forget we still have “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Captain Marvel” to be released before then. How do you think they will play into the sequel?

Black Panther -- A Breath of Fresh Air

I was a little bit late getting my tickets to Black Panther, but was lucky enough to still find a decent seat at the AMC just down the road and saw Black Panther opening night in Dolby Cinema.

Black Panther was a different kind of Marvel movie, and one that I will most likely see again in the coming weeks. **Some Spoilers May Follow**

 The movie follows King T'Challa after the events of Captain America: Civil War, as he returns to Wakanda and is crowned as King. From an old family foe to an unexpected challenge to T'Challa's reign as sovereign and King, the movie is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly crowded Marvel Cinematic Universe and sets itself apart as an entertaining movie, a moving story, and a much needed commentary on modern social issues.

The Good

• Tackling Modern Issues: This is one of the few Marvel Movies that brought up uncomfortable, but necessary, parts of our history and our past e.g. slavery, colonization and imperialism, racial inequality, and so forth. I appreciated the tasteful way that these subjects were woven into the storyline -- but it is the first time I recall modern issues being tackled in a Marvel movie. About time!
• A Black Superhero: The MCU is white. Pasty white. Too white. Chadwick Boseman's stellar performance in Civil War and in his own title movie sets him apart in my mind as a new favorite.
• Music: I could write pages and pages about the music, but needless to say one of theist memorable parts of the film for me. Beautiful, at times haunting, and inspiring soundtrack!
• Costume and Set Design: Outside of the bad-a** costume of the Black Panther himself, the Wakandan wardrobe and the movie's set design is simply stunning and breathtaking.
• Spirituality: I found this to be a much more spiritual film than I was initially expecting, or used to, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which is saying something considering Thor is a Norse God....) Again, much needed spiritual addition to the MCU after the almost-straight-up comedies that Marvel has recently released.
• Character Complexity: Instead of a traditional "good guy fights bad guy" scenario, I appreciated the character complexity and development in Black Panther. Not all beloved father figures are perfect. Real moral dilemmas exist, such as nationalism vs. individual and familial loyalty, and noninterventionist pacifism vs. racial equality and justice. In addition to being entertained, I was moved and inspired.

What Lacked in Comparison

Honestly it's hard to complain about anything in Black Panther, but here are a few thoughts I had.

• Integration of MCU characters: At this point, well into stage three of the MCU, I was expecting more integration of Marvel Characters at some point in the story other than the credits. While not an absolute, for me it would be a "nice to have" element to the story. To be honest, Black Panther didn't need it....but who doesn't love a cameo here and there!
• Humor: I LOL'ed my way through Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers, and while Black Panther had great humor, it was not as straight up funny as some of the other films Marvel has produced. Again, I think in this case it was not needed. Black Panther is a different Marvel movie, at this point in time one of its kind. I was fine with the different kind of Marvel film...but for those who are used to the puns, one-liners, and antics of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth, this film has a different flavor and humor to it. 

Overall, a solid 8.5 out of 10 or dare I say even a 9, depending on what you are looking for in Marvel Cinema. I'm stoked to have Black Panther return in Avengers: Infinity War. 

What did you think of Black Panther? What did you like or dislike about the film? What are your expectations for Infinity War?

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Part 9

Runaways Season 1 is over, SHIELD is on its way into Season 5, and Black Panther is only a month away. Sounds like a perfect time to do some more Marvel (not that I need a reason). So this time it’s the first part of Agents of SHIELD Season 3 and our introduction to the sassy Jessica Jones.

SHIELD vs the ATCU

Agents of SHIELD: Season 3 (Ep. 1-8)

The Terrigen-infested fish oil pills have made their rounds, resulting in random Inhumans throughout the world. SHIELD collects Joey Gutierrez. Coulson confronts the ATCU’s leader, Rosalind Price. Daisy/Skye try to recruit Lincoln, but they get attacked by Lash Deducing Simmons was transported through space, SHIELD recruits Randolph for help. SHIELD opens the monolith’s portal and Fitz retrieves Simmons. Hunter and May track Ward. Simmons struggles adjusting back to Earth. Coulson reaches out to Rosalind. Lash kills various Inhumans. Ward threatens Garner’s life if May and Hunter don't release him.

Simmons recalls the events on Maveth to Fitz. Six months previous, Simmons finds herself stranded on Maveth. After a month, Simmons is captured by Will. Avoiding a monster, Simmons and Will comfort each other. During a rare sunrise, Simmons sees Fitz’s flare, Will gets attacked, and Simmons gets rescued. In the present day, Fitz begins working on getting to Maveth.

Garner survives assassination. Rosalind takes Coulson to the ATCU and finds she has dozen of Inhumans. Von Strucker tells May that Garner turned into a monster. Simmons talk to Fitz about Maveth. May confronts and captures Garner. Ward teams up with Malick. Fitz and Simmons discover that Hydra sent Will to Maveth. Hunter and Bobbi discover ATCU has been creating Inhumans with the fish oil. Malick tells Ward about Hive.

The Inhuman attacking Inhumans

Random Trivia/Connections:

• The events in New York (“The Avengers”), London (“The Dark World”), DC (“The Winter Soldier”), Sokovia (“Age of Ultron”), and San Francisco (“Ant-Man”) are mentioned in “Laws of Nature”.
• The death of Wolfgang von Strucker, in “Age of Ultron”, is referenced in “Purpose in the Machine”.
• Malick was previously on the World Security Council in “The Avengers”.

Thoughts:

So after the release of the Terrigen at the end of Season 2, this was the logical direction to go. However, one thing I didn’t like about where SHIELD went from this point on is that every person with powers is now Inhuman. Before this, we had synthetic powers (Mike Peterson/Deathlok), natural powers (Chan Ho Yin/Scorch), and powers of unknown origin (Carl Creel/Absorbing Man). After the Inhuman outbreak, it’s assumed that anyone with powers is Inhuman. It kind of got dull for me in a way. Besides that, I liked it. I enjoyed the backstory to Hydra, dating further back than Red Skull.

Private Eye: Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones: Season 1 (Ep. 1-13)

Like I did with “Daredevil”, I’m going to provide a parent guide for “Jessica Jones”. Unlike “Daredevil” Season 1, there are three sex scenes in “Jessica Jones”. If you see anything you think needs to be in the parent guide, let me know so I can add it. Assume profanity, violence, and blood for all episodes.

Jessica Jones works as a private eye, a year after Kilgrave’s supposed death. Jessica gets hired to find Hope. Jessica meets Luke Cage and spends the night with him. Jessica finds Hope, who kills her parents at Kilgrave’s order. Jessica asks Hogarth to take Hope’s case. Jessica researches Kilgrave’s missing year. Luke and Jessica reveal their powers to each other.

Jessica remembers killing Reva. Jessica steals anesthesia to use on Kilgrave. Jessica saves Trish from being killed by controlled Simpson. Jessica and Simpson team up. Jessica interviews possible Kilgrave victims. Jessica learns that Malcolm has been Kilgrave’s photographer. Flashback eighteen months: Jessica saves Malcom and gets discovered by Kilgrave. In the present, Jessica, Trish, and Simpson put a plan together to capture Kilgrave. While enacting the plan, they get chased and Kilgrave is freed. Jessica makes a deal for Malcolm’s freedom.

Kilgrave buys Jessica’s childhood home. Luke asks for Jessica’s help. Hope aborts Kilgrave’s unborn child. Luke seeks the bus driver who killed his wife. Jessica tells Luke the truth about his wife’s death. Jessica threatens Hogarth’s wife into divorcing her. Kilgrave uses his powers to avoid having Jessica put in prison. Kilgrave takes Jessica to her home. Kilgrave gives Jessica information on his past. Jessica tries to teach Kilgrave to be a hero, but gives up. With Kilgrave captive, Jessica tries to get proof of his powers. Jessica finds Kilgrave’s parents. Kilgrave forces his mother to kill herself. Kilgrave escapes. Jessica learns she is immune.

Kilgrave goes to Hogarth's wife for treatment. Kilgrave’s father works on an antidote. Hogarth’s lover saves her. Kilgrave blackmails Jessica into getting his father. Flashback years ago: Jessica moves in with Trish and discovers her strength. Today, Jessica searches morgues for Kilgrave’s father. Simpson attacks Jessica and she’s saved by Trish. Kilgrave blows up Luke’s bar. After increasing his powers, Kilgrave orders Luke to kill Jessica. Claire Temple treats Luke at the hospital. Attempting to control her again, Kilgrave lets his guard down and Jessica kills him. With Kilgrave dead, Jessica supposes she could perhaps be a hero.

Jessica succeeds in killing Kilgrave. Or did she? Find out in March.

Parent Guide:

• Episode 1: Sex scene between Luke and Jessica; immodestly dressed women; allusions to rape
• Episode 3 -- Sex scene between Luke and Jessica; immodestly dressed women
• Episode 5 -- Sexual innuendo in flashback; sex scene between Trish and Simpson
• Episode 6 -- bedroom scene of Luke and Jessica; Hope mentions having an abortion; drug trafficking
• Episode 9 -- sexual innuendo; references to rape

Random Trivia/Connections:

• During her interview with Hope in “AKA It’s Called Whiskey”, Trish references the Battle of New York and the Avengers.
• Jessica and her attacker further reference the events of “The Avengers” in “AKA 99 Friends”. The Hulk and Captain America are both alluded to specifically.
• A child in a Captain America costume is seen in “AKA The Sandwich Saved Me”.
• Brett Mahoney, who Jessica meets in “AKA Top Shelf Perverts”, appears on a recurring basis in “Daredevil”.
• Claire Temple, originally appearing in “Daredevil”, appears in “AKA Smile”.

Thoughts:

This has by far been my favorite Netflix series that Marvel has done. Perhaps it’s because of Jessica Jones’s sass and humor. Perhaps it’s a little celebrity crush. Regardless, I really liked this series. Also, it was really hard for me to watch this show with David Tennant as the villain. He’s been my favorite Doctor for five years now, so to see him as a villain (and an incredibly well done villain at that) was wonderful and horrible. Granted I've never dealt with PTSD, but in my opinion this show does a wonderful job addressing it, especially in the aftermath of rape.

The one thing I’d change from this show is the sex scenes. Bedroom scenes don’t add to the show for me. If we had a make-out with a bedroom door closing behind, we’d have the same result in my mind. Overall great series though. Can’t wait for season 2 this year.

What did you think of the Inhuman outbreak? Any thoughts on Jessica Jones? What do you hope to see in Season 2?