Tag: MCU

Review the MCU: Marvel’s What If?

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It occurred to me less than four hours before my mom and I planned to sit down and watch Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness that I forgot to watch something. And that something was actually important to little bits of the plot.

I skipped Marvel’s What If?

Now, I will admit this was initially skipped for two reasons: Mom doesn’t like “What If” storylines on a good day and refused to watch it, and I just wasn’t feeling the animation. However, in the leadup to Doctor Strange 2, I heard from the grapevine that actually watching some of the episodes of What If was actually somewhat important.

So, we’ve pushed watching Doctor Strange 2 off until Sunday night, and I’ve spent most of my downtime blasting through all nine episodes. And here are my thoughts for each one. Well… kinda.

(My apologies, but you can clearly watch my descent on this one and it goes so so fast.)

What if… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?

As a first episode, I ended up somewhat surprised. While the story does follow the original film’s storyline, with changes to account for Peggy Carter switching places with Steve Rogers, it ended up working pretty well. I very much enjoyed the different scenes that highlighted that Steve couldn’t join the war effort the way he wanted to after being shot, and that Howard Stark came up with a way for him to help. There were a few things that just didn’t really click with me beyond the animation style and the shaky voice acting work (which is something across the board, but I respect Marvel Studios for bringing back all the voices of the original characters). For one, there’s a lot going on for just thirty minutes. Whole scenes of information were shoved down into thirty seconds. For another, character development was rushed: we don’t get to see Bucky become friends with Captain Carter, and hell, he spends most of the episode shafted to the side.

All in all, it was pretty solid, with some notable small issues.

What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?

I almost skipped this episode because I knew I was going to cry. And yes, I did cry, if anyone is curious. T’Challa’s portrayal as a hero is spot on, not just for the character, but also because of how inspiring Chadwick Boseman was in real life. By showing T’Challa as someone who goes on adventures, but also uses the spoils of those adventures to help the universe, is a tribute in of itself. I did enjoy the build with his character’s story, though again, it was rushed. This episode felt more solid and contained even with the timing issues. The only glaring thing I really saw was that there was no mention of Gamora, who should have already been by Thanos’ side by the time T’Challa talked him into changing his ways. I will say however, the ending was perfect (Peter Quill working at Dairy Queen with Ego appearing to talk to him). And the tribute? That was done well.

What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?

So, how does one kill every one of the OG6 in four days (baring, of course, Captain America, who is still frozen)? A mad Hank Pym, obviously. I wasn’t exactly surprised by who actually died, but the manner they all did. The worst, honestly, was Hulk, which made me gasp because of the brutality of it, followed closely by Natasha’s. Clint’s made me want to cry as Fury defended him to the end. I wasn’t at all surprised that Loki decided in the end to rule Earth. While this one didn’t have as many loose ends, I have to wonder (since I’m writing these blubs as soon as I’ve watched each episode and I’m not looking ahead), is everything going to end up connected in the end? Hmm…

What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

Ugh. This was never going to be a favorite episode of mine, I knew it from five minutes in. But the entire premise just did not do justice to the MCU or to Strange’s character. The thing I dislike the most is that the whole thing revolved around Dr. Palmer and fridging her. Seriously, she “has to stay dead” is the theme of the episode. It’s so very disappointing. My only kudo goes to the voice acting, specifically Benedict Cumberbatch. If this is what I have to look forward to in Doctor Strange 2, I’m gonna hate those scenes.

What If… Zombies?!

… I hate zombies, I hate zombie stories, and I really dislike this episode. But Peter was cool, even if it was a dark and depressing episode. Seriously, like most of the currently MCU cast appears in some facet, and only three of them officially survive by the end. Nope.

What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?

Killmonger is one of my favorite villains in the MCU. This episdoe made me not like him. Also, Tony Stark is not this naïve, but wow he is here. I spent the entire episode rolling my eyes. Nope. I still don’t like this. (Did the writers just have a thing in their contract that Tony Stark must be killed off ASAP in every episode?

What If… Thor Were and Only Child?

Um.

What If… Ultron Won?

Well..

What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?

So here’s the thing-

Season Thoughts as a Whole

Alright, confession time. I didn’t get past Episode 6.

I gave the show long enough to hook me, much longer than I normally do (which is two or three episodes). If only one episode out of the six I watched hooked me or impressed me enough to continue, then why would I continue on? I have far too much left on my summer watch list to be trying to force myself to continue watching something that just hasn’t hooked me.

However, in writing this review, I think I can identify exactly why I’m not a fan of this show. I’m not a fan of properties that are dark and depressing just for the sake of it. This show had most episodes end on a cliffhanger with something bad on the horizon, which just doesn’t work for me. But that’s just my opinion, not anyone else’s.

I’ve read the summaries for the remaining three episodes so that I have a basic understanding of what happens with the different metaverse characters. It will have to be enough in the lead into Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

I still give all the props to the creators and team behind the show. It was an ambitious endeavor, even outside these pandemic times! The idea was absolutely sound. Just because it didn’t get me excited doesn’t mean it won’t be something that you might not enjoy. I highly encourage everyone who hasn’t seen Marvel’s What If to give it a few episodes.

Just so it’s clear, I won’t be watching Season Two when it airs later this year. I’ll instead continue to read the detailed episode summaries (thanks MCU Fandom Wiki).

Until next time!

I’m Caught Up on the MCU! – Blogmas 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well, kinda.

For my birthday last month (dear God I’m 31, yikes), I finally got to watch Black Widow. I was actually very impressed! Though I’m also said, because it was clear that we probably won’t see that family dynamic again. Yelena ended up being a great foil to Natasha, while also being able to stand on her own two feet. It’s a great introduction for Yelena, as well as well as a respectful ending for Natasha. I actually managed to avoid all spoilers regarding details in the film, as well as the post-credit scene, so it was an amazing watch.

The next weekend, we watched Shang-Chi, and WOW, that one blew Black Widow out of the park. First off, there was something about the dynamic between Shang-Chi and Katy that drew me in and wouldn’t let me go. Heck, it was the dynamic between every character that made this film so amazing. While the story was a bit simplistic, it was engaging. It currently has the spot for top Phase Four film locked up tight. (Also, the fact that Wenwu wasn’t driven by anger, but instead by love, as the main “villain” was a great change to the formula. He just wanted his wife back, and was tricked into believing that she was in danger instead of dead. It was handled perfectly.)

I’m also halfway through Hawkeye, which is going well. I’ve always been a fan of the character, because I love the underdog. He’s not a superhero, he’s just a human that has trained himself without the help of science. This show has been touching on some subjects that I’m loving to see, including Clint’s hearing loss (the different levels of ALS have been amazing to see, and it seems to be handling it respectfully) as well as his depression and survivor’s guilt. And wow, that scene in episode one, when he’s seeing the musical? That hurt. But it hurt so good.

I’m still on the fence about Kate Bishop, but that’s because she still seems like the plucky teenage sidekick, instead of the adult sidekick that she’s growing to be. There’s a level of mystery in the show that’s keeping me coming back every week for more. I’m just worried that they stretched this out into six episodes, because the pacing seemed a bit… slow sometimes.

I unfortunately haven’t seen the Eternals yet. I haven’t felt safe going back to theaters (which is why I also ended up missing the SAO movie). I also wasn’t exactly excited to go see it, but that’s on a more personal level. This one will have to wait until after it comes to Disney+.

I also won’t be seeing Spider-Man in theaters for the same reason. I can’t justify seeing a film when I know I’m going to be uncomfortable the entire time. I just don’t trust people, and with news of the newest variant, I worry.

The only other piece of (semi-canon) MCU related content that I haven’t seen is What If? It’s been on my list, and I’ve been avoiding it. I just don’t really like the animation style, and honestly the concept doesn’t do anything for me. I’m going to watch it, but it’s not a priority right now.

So that’s it with the MCU. And here’s one other fun Marvel thing I’m going to be missing, well, next year when it comes out. It’s not a MCU film, but it’s still a Spider-Man film all the same. I’m going to be avoiding the sequel to Into the Spider-Verse. The animation actually managed to give me a splitting headache this afternoon, and that was just because of the trailer. I can’t imagine how much pain I’d be in if I saw it in theaters.

That’s all for tonight! Sorry for the short length, I ended up being behind with the Advent writing and had to cut something.

Until next time!

What I’ve Been Watching

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I wasn’t a real fan with how I did my “January Wrap Up” post. It just felt… hollow, or at least devoid of emotion. It was just statistics. And that’s not me. So instead, I’m gonna change it up a little bit.

I wanna focus this month of what I’ve been watching.

Movies

I’m starting with movies because of one very good reason: I have only watched two movies in the past few weeks. One was a rewatch, and the other was something entirely new to me.

The “new” film was the 2016 film Hidden Figures. When the film originally released, both my mom and I wanted to see it, but our schedules never lined up to actually go. Then we made the decision to move, and if it wasn’t a Marvel film, we were saving the money by not going to the theater. By the time we got settled in California, I was checking streaming services almost monthly to see if it was out. And finally, it appeared on Disney+.

We both really enjoyed it! My mom is much more of a history buff than I am, and she was pleasantly surprised about how much was actually accurate. I really enjoyed how they presented the story without making it feel like it was being shoehorned down my throat. It was a very honest and well written movie, and I cannot recommend it enough.

As for our rewatch… After finishing a certain show I’ll be talking about later, I made the decision that I wanted to start at the beginning. So, the other night, I convinced Mom that we needed to rewatch the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning. We were going to go in timeline order, but then it was decided that we also had to watch the credit scenes, so we’re following release order. And wow, I’d forgotten just how much Tony Stark had changed from his first appearance in Iron Man. But wow, does this film (mostly) hold up. I kept on having to remind myself that yes, this was 2008, no not everyone would have the smartphones of today. But wow, Rhodey’s flip phone made me laugh, especially when remembering Infinity War. Because reasons.

If anyone is curious, I’m not planning on chronicling every MCU film we watch. But we are planning on watching the major ones, and making liberal use of the fast forward button during certain films that we’re just not fans of (The Incredible Hulk, the first two Thor films, Ant-Man…) Again, just personal opinion. Maybe one of these days I’ll do a tier list or something.

Let me make a note of that…

Television

By far the thing I’ve been watching the most lately. Which, if you know me, is so insane it isn’t even funny.

So, we watched all of WandaVision. Now, before I lay out my personal opinion, let me be clear. I totally understand that there were massive production issues, brought upon due to the pandemic. I get it. Writing had to change, plans evolved as things continued to get worse, then better, then worse still. And I’m totally okay with it. That said…

I enjoyed it! I won’t say it’s my favorite thing that’s come out of the MCU, but it’s up there. Elizabeth Olsen is able to hold the weight of the show with ease, especially when all the revelations about Wanda slowly come out. There were some issues I took with some plot lines, especially a few threads that I felt were tied up too quickly, though again, COVID. I will say I totally freaked with the twins, and again during the Halloween episode.

The only real downside was that I didn’t really feel the payoff. This could have been due to the editing, or due to restrictions so that they couldn’t get it perfect, but I felt that there needed to be something… more, especially in the last episode. I’m doing my best to avoid spoilers here, so forgive the vague-ness.

I’d give it a high B, or even a low A. Almost perfect. I’m excited to see what the next Disney+ MCU show (Falcon and the Winter Soldier) will bring to the table.

I also gave Black Sails a try this month, though I didn’t get very far. For those who don’t know the show, Black Sails is a prequel to Treasure Island, airing from early 2014 until 2017 on Starz. I only watched the first episode before realizing that I really should read the book first… and then never got back to it. I also never read the damn book, but that’s because every copy from my library’s online app kept on coming through corrupted and unreadable. I guess the fates made it clear to give this one a pass. It was fine, but it just didn’t do anything for me.

The show that did do something however was 9-1-1, by far my newest hyperfixation. I’ve mentioned it a few times before that I was surprised how quickly I fell into this damn fandom. And fell is the right word. Within two weeks, I’ve watched every episode of the show, including the winter finale.

Here’s my thing about this show. I really enjoy pretty much all of the main characters. The writing is pretty good, though there are some obvious tv mistakes and logical leaps that just don’t work. The plot lines are also mostly well thought out, the abundance of natural disasters hitting LA notwithstanding. And a big thing I like is how they are portraying the pandemic, and making a point for the characters to wear masks, and separating characters for safety. It works.

I have only one really big reservation, which is the the latest episode. I don’t know if the normal writers took a break halfway through writing the B-plots (the firefam plots not relating to any of the emergencies they had to deal with). For one, they are pushing a romance plot for Eddie Diaz, which is going far too fast. And they missed a golden opportunity to have an important conversation with Eddie and his son about dating after loss. But no, they just have Christopher have a temper tantrum, hop in an Uber, and hightail it to Buck’s apartment, where he has (most of) the conversation. It just didn’t work as well as it should have. It’s possible that this was changed due to the rumored on set tension between the actors of Eddie and Buck, but I’m not sure. I don’t care about shipping them, which is the main ship in the fandom (but if it happens, I’ll be pleased). I just feel like this whole plot line is doomed to fail. The episode ends with Christopher just suddenly being ok with his father dating his former math teacher. Why.

Talking about Buck, he also has had a small arc the last two episodes that majorly didn’t sit well with me. He goes out for a COVID date with a woman, has the most awkward date in the world, and then discovers that this woman lives next door to him. This, I’m actually ok with. By the end of last episode, I figured it would be all wrapped up… and then Buck discovers, after he goes to apologize for the frankly terrible date, that his roommate Albert has slept with and is now with this woman. Wow. First off, no. Bro code, dude. You don’t sleep with someone your roommate has already gone on a date with. Two, communicate that you’re going to, if you’re going to do it in the first place! And then, the writers forced this double date on Buck with an ex from Season Two. It wasn’t… the best scene. At least there’s a decent wrap up, and perhaps she’ll be around as a friend for Buck, but hopefully not in a relationship. He doesn’t need it.

The other plot lines in this episode also weren’t great, but nowhere nearly as bad as the previous two. Chimney and Maddie clash about their birth plan, in which the writers leave the one brain cell these two share on the cutting room floor for half the episode, and Maddie basically is a moron. Hen and Karen found out that their foster daughter, Nia, will begin to be reunified with her birth mother, which is something that happens. It comes a bit out of nowhere, but it’s a plotline I don’t really remember seeing on TV, so I’m somewhat interested. Oh, and Albert still exists for some reason. He basically has no character except to be in the way. He can leave now. (No, seriously, his character arc isn’t working this season, which is primarily because of the rewrites due to COVID. And his character arc last season was so beyond boring anyway, so please, writers, take note.)

And I just realized I went on a three paragraph rant on one episode. Whoops.

For the record, most of the show doesn’t make me want to write multi-paragraph rants about dumb decisions that were probably made by the Powers That Be long before the writers were allowed freedom into the writer’s room. The characters are 3 dimensional and compelling, with storylines that enhance their backstories and personal lives. The emergencies are varied, but also have enough realism to them that they keep your interest, especially since most of the emergencies are inspired by real things that have happened around the country. And honestly, the fandom isn’t toxic, which is a major improvement over several of the fandoms I’ve been in recently. (Seriously, the reaction to the winter finale was amazing.)

It’s a good little show with some Fox-related issues. And now I have to watch the spinoff, because the discord is watching it and I just don’t have it in me to fight anymore. Curses. I will suffer through watching Rob Lowe, because apparently the rest of the cast doesn’t suck.

Conclusion

So, TV watching has taken over my life, which is a hundred kinds of weird. I honestly haven’t watched this many episodes of a television show since I was majorly into Criminal Minds or even Supernatural. It’s a change, but one that I’m actually welcoming.

I’m not really sure where I’m gonna go from here. Falcon and the Winter Soldier starts next Friday, but 9-1-1 is on a six week break, so I’m not sure. Maybe my movie backlog? Or perhaps jump into a couple recommended series that I haven’t seen in absolute years (Hawaii 5-0 or CSI NY)? Everything’s kinds up in the air right now.

We shall see where the viewership takes us.

Until next time!