Captain Marvel and Male Fragility

I didn’t watch Captain Marvel. I actively avoided the film…because I don’t like Brie Larson. I personally find her to be a boring performer who lacks any charisma. Cursory online surfing revealed many other people were also avoiding Captain Marvel, not because they don’t like Brie Larson, but probably because they don’t like women as a whole.

There was a lot of male rage directed at the “feminism,” “political correctness” etc. on display in the trailers, since a female lead was being marketed as a powerful action here. This is a tired trend at this point, with Mad Max: Fury Road, Halloween and Terminator: Dark Fate being more recent victims of male rage.

Captain Marvel was trending again recently, due to the deleted scene above. For those that can’t watch, “The Don” hits on Marvel in the most douchey way possible, even after she makes it clear she isn’t interested. She then twists his arm (literally) and takes his bike (the scene appears to be a Terminator reference).

People are complaining about this scene as if it is the only one where a main character or lead steals from someone. Off the top of my head, Logan also gave us Wolverine stealing cigars. However, the hypocritical red pill or black pill (incel) idiot will see this scene as another example of how women have more rights and terrorize men.

From the way some people described this scene e.g. “HOW IS SHE A HERO. SHE STOLE FROM A RANDOM GUY!” I thought that this scene would show Marvel assaulting a guy that was just minding his own business. The fact that some men are so upset by this reeks of red pill rage. The men upset by this scene are probably upset since they have been The Don at one point or another. They might view Marvel’s reaction as a lame feminist power fantasy, but they also view the situation as a nightmare since they have probably interacted with girls who wished that they could use their super strength to get a creep away from them.

The outrage over this scene is a textbook example of toxic masculinity.

Luke Cage Season 2 Thoughts/Review

Note: Obviously, this review will have spoilers for any Marvel Netflix show that preceded it.

The first season of Luke Cage had a lot to love. The music, the setting, the portrayal of black America and Cottonmouth. Then there were also some things to loathe, like Colter’s range as an actor and Diamondback. After the somewhat underwhelming Defenders and second season of Jessica Jones, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Marvel Netflix shows had peaked after their first seasons. The second season of Daredevil began strong, with The Punisher stealing the spotlight, but the second half is pretty forgettable.

I was worried that the second outing for Luke Cage would continue the Marvel Netflix trend of disappointment, but I am happy to see that was not the case. The ending was a disappointment, and I may just need to do a spoiler review or post to discuss that properly. However, the disappointing ending here only comes in the latter half of the 13th and final episode, as opposed to the slow death that the first season suffered once Cottonmouth died.

This season picks up after Defenders, with the series making reference to Daredevil’s death (if you’ve seen the post-credits scene from Defenders you know Matt is still alive). Luke Cage’s status as Harlem’s Hero has turned him into a full-blown celebrity and the season brings up all of the issues that come with this attention. Cage is going steady with Claire and Misty Knight is back on the job after losing her arm in Defenders. Mariah and Shades are still in power, even though Defenders said they skipped town once Cage went to jail.

Mariah and Shades are both trying to go legit, trying to sell their guns while planning an investment that can bring in clean money. To start, Shades is arguably the breakout character of this season. His performance in the first season fluctuated between good and hammy, far too often. This time around it seems like Theo Rossi has truly entered his character’s mind. A big part of his development is tied to Comanche (Thomas Q. Jones), who we previously saw as a Seagate prisoner that attacked Luke Cage alongside Shades. Upon release, Comanche joins Shades as one of added muscle.

As I tried to pick my favourite characters from the season I realized that there were plenty to choose from, even among the characters who only appear in a few episodes. Comanche is one, Dontrell “Cockroach” Hamilton is another, Raymond “Piranha” Jones is another. The characters come and go, but their appearances don’t hamper the plot. Each one contributes to the end game since they are all tied to the main villain. Mariah is a scene-stealer but a new villain overshadows her.

Bushmaster comes to Harlem, straight out of Kingston, carrying a grudge against Mariah and wishing to take Harlem for himself. Mustafa Shakir brings the character to life, embodying power, menace and empathy. However, his performance does bring up one issue of the season. The Jamaican accents could use some work.

Shakir’s is the best one we hear, but even his is spotty in places. His right-hand man is brutal at times, Bushmaster’s Uncle sounds Nigerian at times, and don’t get me started on the other Jamaican characters. Some of the characters sound alright when they speak a word or two, but end up butchering the accent more when they have to string multiple sentences together. Shakir’s performance is somewhat hampered by his accent but it wasn’t enough to ruin it fortunately. However, hearing him and other characters speak just made me wonder why no Jamaican actors were selected for the parts, especially since Jamaicans feature so heavily this season. It’s not as if the actors we got were so marketable that replacing them wasn’t practical.

Despite the accents, I did love the attention given not only to black America, but also the black America composed of first or second-generation immigrants. Like the first season, the show isn’t afraid to touch on issues that are often deemed “divisive’ nowadays. It’s Mariah who brings up Jamaica’s reputation as a place for “Marley, marijuana and murder” and its enslavement to the World Bank. Bushmaster’s powers are also rooted in Jamaican lore and history.

It may be a spoiler, but Bushmaster doesn’t leave us halfway through the season and it’s interesting to see his conflict with Mariah play out. While Cage would like to have them eliminate each other, Bushmaster’s tactics tend to draw attention or leave other people in the crossfire. I have read some articles criticizing Cage as the most dull part of the season, and I didn’t want those articles to sway my own opinion. Cage may be the least interesting, but I don’t think he’s dull. This season features him reuniting with his father and also facing his own demons, with his newfound brutality creating a rift between him and Claire. I also feel like Colter’s performance has actually improved with each series, from season one to Defenders, to season two.

Colter always played the chill, charismatic role well. He struggled when asked to do more. There are still moments of that here, especially when he’s paired with an actress like Rosario Dawson, but I will say that overall I was pleasantly surprised.

Another thing I was happy to see is the evolution of the fight against Cage. When thugs confront him in the first episode they explain they “still have to try” taking him down. Weapons such as grenades also make an appearance, showing that crime bosses are realizing bullets could be useless. Cage also says that people are still tempted to “see if they myth is real,” since they might think his bulletproof status is the work of urban legends. However, there are still moments when the fight scenes can get dull or repetitive in season 2 since they just feature yet another scene of bullets bouncing off. Which is why the Bushmaster fights were a welcome change. Bushmaster has the strength to take Cage on hand-to-hand (without a terrible suit like the one Diamondback wore) and also uses a flashy capoeira style to do it.

The last episode is disappointing due to a decision that Cage makes in the last half-hour. There is an explanation given for the decision but it ends up feeling insufficient when Cage’s behaviour is also factored in. The change in his character feels inconsistent with what we saw leading up to it and just ends up being a disappointing destination for the lead.

Overall though, this second season is the first one to truly deliver.

Netflix MCU Rankings

  1. Daredevil
  2. Jessica Jones
  3. Luke Cage Season 2
  4. The Punisher
  5. Daredevil Season 2
  6. Defenders
  7. Jessica Jones Season 2
  8. Iron Fist

Fox- A Disney Company

Today, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion. The deal comprises numerous properties, ranging from The Simpsons, to Avatar, but the biggest point of interest for me is that Disney now has the rights to X-Men.  The development is now confirmed but this is something that a lot of Marvel fans have been praying for for a long time, if online discussion is any indication. I remember entire threads on the Internet Movie Database’s (IMDB) forums where people would demand that the rights for the X-Men films go back to Marvel. People would argue that the series needed a fresh start under Marvel Studios because the X-Men films mishandled characters like Cyclops (fair enough) or because they didn’t like the buttons on a costume (seems unreasonable). Like I have mentioned before when discussing the DCEU, when people want something to fail they become more sensitive to any perceived shortcomings.

Aside from the fans that have been praying for this, there are more reasonable fans who simply wanted to see the X-Men in the Avengers universe. I can’t blame anyone for wanting to see Wolverine in the Avengers film, which likely will not happen. Hugh Jackman previously said that he would be open to returning in the role if he got to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) but he has said more recently that the “ship has sailed” for him. The scripts for Infinity War Part I and II are already written and being filmed, so normally I would say that the ship has sailed for seeing any former Fox properties in Infinity War. However, the rushed introduction of Spider-Man in Civil War does make me wonder if the filmmakers might be willing to squeeze something in for Part II.

One of my biggest worries was that darker and/or R-rated properties like Deadpool would be watered down to suit Disney’s “fun” and family-friendly silver screen image. Fortunately, Disney CEO Bob Iger has stated that Deadpool can remain R-rated at Disney. This is a step in the right direction, but it is still aligned with Marvel President Kevin Feige’s proclamation that the MCU will never be dark.

Deadpool had one noticeably dark segment, namely Wade’s time spent being tortured, but for the most part it still fits in with the “fun” tone that Feige is committed to.  In contrast, the X-Men films, especially X1, X2 and Days of Future Past (DOFP), are noticeably much darker than anything in the MCU’s films. The themes of prejudice from the comics are unashamedly fleshed out on screen, showcasing the violence and darkness that mutants experience. The opening scene of X1, where Magneto is separated from his parents in a concentration camp, is still one of my favourite openings in any film. I highly doubt we would see a scene like this if X1 was originally handled by Marvel Studios. Maybe most of the scene would be the same, and then a Stan Lee cameo would be used to alleviate the tension.

Now, the MCU has also given us properties like Jessica Jones and The Punisher, but I am not talking about Netflix here. I am talking about the big screen. When Disney originally acquired Marvel, people argued that imprints such as Touchstone would be used to distribute darker or R-rated material. However, we know now that any R-rated material so far has come from Netflix. Deadpool 3 will likely be the first R-rated X-Men film property that Disney gives us.

I think Disney will be willing to give Deadpool more R-rated sequels because they have already seen how successful his film was. The box office receipts are a testament to people’s love for the character in all his R-rated glory. In contrast, Disney might be more willing to take risks with X-Men since the most recent X-Men film, Apocalypse, underperformed (relative to previous entries) with critics and the box office. Additionally, Logan was a well received R-rated entry but marked the end of the X-Men film universe’s most popular character.

If darkness is viewed as the enemy, then “fun” will be viewed as the saviour. What about the rest of the films? Will X-Men be rebooted to offer more “fun” now? Will the themes of prejudice all be cut in order to make everything more family friendly? Will we get scenes like this one?

Or this one?

I doubt it.

Avengers: Infinity War Trailer Thoughts

Yesterday I wasn’t that excited for Infinity War. Perhaps it was due to a case of MCU fatigue, or maybe the decision to change a doomsday story into a comedy left a bad taste in my mouth. One of my friends advised that I would enjoy Thor: Ragnarok if I treated it as a comedy, instead of a Thor movie. Hence my decision not to see it.

After seeing the trailer for May 2018’s biggest release, I am now firmly aboard the hype train. Simply seeing all of these Marvel characters on screen is its own treat. Captain America is back, with the beard that has been teased via concept art for quite some time now. Along with Cap comes the return of the Winter Soldier, with a new metal arm. I remember watching the Infinity War promo many months ago and hearing Kevin Fiege say that it was important to break the Avengers apart before introducing a threat like Thanos.

“Get this man a shield,” says T’Challa. It could be clever editing but I am sure that this line is directed to Captain America and this makes it likely that Cap and his fellow anti-registration heroes are still in Wakanda when Thanos invades.As a result, it looks like Black Panther and Wakanda will have a central role in the film.  This would make sense since they would still be fugitives of the American government and still at odds with Iron Man. Even though the relationship appeared to be healing at the very end of Civil War it was clear that Cap and Stark weren’t going to reunite as drinking buddies just yet.

Speaking of Iron Man, his gift to Spider-Man looks glorious.

I have been stalling on watching Spider-Man Homecoming, mainly because I was put off by the Iron Man 3.5 vibe. From what I understand Tony Stark has relatively little screen time but I didn’t like the fact that Spider-Man was now tied to Iron Man because of the latter’s rushed introduction and exit from Civil War e.g. “We just got the rights to Spider-Man so we’ve got to add him to the movie somehow.”

The special effects for some shots could use some work but we still have some time for post-production so I’ll reserve my judgment until then.

Despite all the eye candy on display one of my favourite parts of the trailer is actually right near the beginning, with the different members of the Avengers saying “There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if we could become something more. So when they needed us, we could fight the battles that they never could.” This brings us back to a similar phrase being uttered by Nick Fury in the Avengers trailer in 2012.

Thanos’s few lines in this trailer leave me thinking that he can hopefully be a memorable villain for the MCU, in addition to Kilgrave and Loki. I have to say that Thanos looks better with the helmet. In my humble opinion, he simply looks incomplete without it. The lack of the helmet stands out more since we already saw the helmet in Guardians of the Galaxy.

In the comic, the conflict was focused on the heroes vs Thanos himself. The trailer shows the heroes also facing an army of minions and I am hoping that Thanos still has room to stand out and that this doesn’t end up as another situation where a sub-villain detracts from the main one e..g X-24 stealing Donald Pierce’s thunder in Logan.

I hate the Marvel/DC talk but I will say that Marvel’s format of having solo or even multiple solo films prior to a team up film can make the final product much more satisfying for fans. I was excited for Justice League as a fan of the comic books and tv shows, but Infinity War is now anticipated by the casual fans who probably still make fun of comic book readers. Additionally, we don’t have to worry as much about characters lacking development since they already got the bulk of their development from their solo films.  The majority of characters are not being introduced here. They are only being developed further as they adapt to a new situation. With that said, the film still runs the risk of having some characters fall by the wayside since there are simply so many. Another risk is handling the switch of tones between characters who are coming off of different storylines. The cast of Civil War had a relatively dark storyline, while Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Thor: Ragnarok  were full on comedies.

Despite these worries, I am a believer again. The Winter Soldier is my favourite MCU film and I am hoping the Russo Brothers can bring all of these characters together for something that has the “fun” so many people crave these days, while also giving us something that is truly epic.

Black Panther Trailer

Another distraction from my horror fixation has come along, in the form of another trailer for Marvel’s Black Panther.

As I’ve said in my YouTube video I believe that Black Panther got a strong introduction in Civil War, even though his character was only brought into to replace Spider-Man (who Marvel didn’t have the rights to when they began writing the script).  Ignoring the copyright issues that birthed him, Chadwick Boseman breathed life into the first black superhero in mainstream comics. The suit, the dialogue, the fighting style, the accent, were all handled well and made Black Panther a standout. Black Panther was also a standout since he was one of the few characters who was allowed to remain serious for more than three minutes at a time.

Building off the last trailer, this one still does not reveal too much about the plot or the villain. We know that T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is still adjusting to his new role as King, following the death of his father. Additionally, we see more of Michael B. Jordan’s villain, Erik Killmonger.

Firstly, I will say that I don’t like the song choice for this trailer as much as the one in the first. Some viewers are voicing complaints about the lack of any African influences in the score, but it’s too early to complain about that. Let’s wait until we see the film and then judge the score. The trailers are only using music mean to appeal to audiences. Unlike “Legend Has It“, I don’t feel like this song meshed with the video as well.

With that gripe out of the way let’s move on to the positives.

The set and costume design for Wakanda looks amazing, a mesh of something futuristic and traditional. Wakanda is  an advanced nation untouched by colonialism and I am very happy to see that the filmmakers are not shying away from the world’s African roots. It may seem obvious that an African nation should have African influence in its clothing and architecture, but you never know with Hollywood. Fortunately, it looks like the director of Fruitvale Station hasn’t sold out just yet.

Continuing with the trend to embrace real African culture and rituals, Killmonger also sports scarification that is used as a form of body art by some ethnic groups. Online info about Killmonger shows that he is a foe who wishes to overthrow T’Challa. Jordan has compared Killmonger to this movie’s version of Magneto, a anti-hero who wants to do what he believes is best for his people, even if it means overwhelming death and loss along the way.

That seems interesting but we get some more generic lines from Killmonger in this trailer, and the line delivery wasn’t too impressive. Hopefully the lines sound better in context. Let’s also hope that we get a good villain (Marvel’s kryptonite) to go along with a unique world and a hero who has potential to become of Marvel’s biggest.

I hate to end with a negative, but I must say that some of the special effects also need work. There are a few cartoonish looking ones throughout the trailer, but there are also some more photorealistic ones. Since the film comes out February I am hoping that post-production will works its magic.

I give you CGI backgrounds, with real faces.

Although I have some reservations about the villain and the special effects, there is still plenty to look forward to. The cast and the world are both amazing. If my reservations prove to be unfounded,  I am sure that this could end up being one of Marvel’s best films.