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Guardians of the Galaxy Character Analysis: It’s Basically Star Wars

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This week I will be doing a character analysis of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I thought this was perfect for our final blog of the semester. 

We are all influenced by what we see around us, the movies we watch, and the books we read. When I was reflecting on this movie, I couldn’t help but notice how similar the characters are to the characters in Star Wars. I believe the writers of Guardians of the Galaxy must have been influenced by Star Wars.

Peter Quill is the protagonist. I love his sarcastic humor. He reminds me of Hans Solo. He is a ladies’ man and flirtatious. However, I am not a fan of this stereotype. I feel this is overdone. Yet, the stereotype is a fan favorite, and Peter Quill is a loveable character.

Gamora is amazing. She is a fearless warrior. I love that she betrays Thanos to help those considered lesser than her. However, she has some character plot holes. First, why did she betray Thanos? Second, what was her original plan with the orb? Her reasoning for joining the team is not clear. I couldn’t help but notice similarities to Princess Leia from Star Wars. They are both arguably royalty, but they join the rebels. Both Princess Leia and Gamora have a contemptuous relationship with their love interests at the start, but they get together eventually.

Drax is the muscle of the team. He is a very simple character – too simple. He wishes to avenge the death of his wife and daughter by killing Ronan. He lacks intelligence. He doesn’t even understand common metaphors. The writer stopped developing Drax’s character after giving him the stereotypical bodybuilder physique and a revenge character arc. Personally, I think Drax is the most unlikeable character. However, when creating a team of vastly different people, sometimes sticking to the basics helps the audience keep the characters straight.

Who are the best scavengers on Earth? Raccoons of course. I don’t know who thought a raccoon would be a good character, but Rocket is one of the most complex team members. He is rude, causing him to push others away. When the group visits Knowhere, Rocket gets into a fight. Here he says, “I didn’t ask to be torn apart and put back together over and over.” It is clear Rocket has endured a lot of pain throughout his short lifespan. I think everyone’s favorite part of Guardians of the Galaxy is Rocket’s obsession with artificial body parts. At first glance, it may seem like a cruel joke, but as a raccoon, he has a basic desire for valuable objects. His origins are unknown. However, stealing artificial body parts could be related to when his body was being torn apart, making this sadistic act a coping mechanism.

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Groot is everyone’s favorite – especially baby Groot! Let’s face it, there is only one thing to say about him: I am Groot. This is another idea stolen from Star Wars. Chewbacca never spoke a word and Hans was the only one who understood him. This mirrors Rocket’s and Groot’s relationship. Their relationship additionally adds the same comic relief as R2-D2 and C-3PO. 

Baby groot dancing groot GIF on GIFER - by Perana

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When considering these popular tropes and their lack of originality, these characters are far from fresh. It is obvious Star Wars influenced the writers of Guardians of the Galaxy. However, fans love this overdone persona. So, Guardians of the Galaxy is massively popular – perhaps as popular as Star Wars. Some may argue that redoing popular stereotypes is great thinking. Others will say the movie lacked originality. I personally think joining the bandwagon works in its favor. In the comments, let me know what you think of the characters and their connection to Star Wars!

Guardians of the Galaxy: I am Groot

Watch Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy | Full Movie | Disney+

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I was scrolling through the comments debating over which Avenger to do next. You guys left so many great suggestions. I’m joking. I had no comments last week. I loved Ant-Man! Does nobody else feel the same? This means I can pick whatever I want. This week is another favorite of mine: Guardians of the Galaxy. Hopefully, someone likes this movie as much as I do.

In the opening scene, Peter Quill’s mother dies. Killing the parents is a trademark of Disney, so no surprise there. He runs outside where he is abducted by a spaceship. We fast forward two decades to Quill stealing an orb.

Next, we meet the children of Thanos. This movie might be the first time we hear Thanos’ name. We have Ronan, the spoiled brat child. There are also the sisters, Gamora and Nebula. Nebula wants to prove herself, but Gamora basically insults her and goes in her place.

On Xandar, the rat race begins. Gamora attacks and takes the orb from Peter. Then Groot and Rocket intervene to collect their bounty: Gamora. This fight ends with Xandar forces capturing all of them with star-shaped mini-spaceships. I honestly do not know the proper name of these things or what to call them.

As the group is entering the prison, we get a good bit of background information. We additionally learn that Groot can only say three words: I am Groot. Personally, I was tempted to write this blog using only those three words. The group meets Drax – who tries to kill Gamora because Thanos killed his family. The group sits down to discuss an escape plan. Groot decides that the audience does not want to wait for them to break out and steals an energy box, altering the guards.

We actually get to see Thanos. Although, all I could think about was the weird chair he sat in. It seems Thanos hates both Ronan and Nebula but loves Gamora.

The group successfully escapes and makes their way to the collector on Knowhere. We see how dysfunctional the group is. Additionally, we see the true power of the orb. They realize that the Nova Corp, Xandar’s military base, is the only place that could contain the orb. Unfortunately, they forgot to babysit Drax and he called Ronan – the one person that they do not want to have the orb. Drax loses badly. Gamora is chased by Ronan’s army in mini-spaceships. Rocket and Star-lord save her by going after the spaceships. Meanwhile, Ronan betrays Thanos and uses the orb (an infinity stone) for himself.

Yondu kidnaps Peter and Gamora. So, Rocket, Groot, and Drax team up to get them back. However, Gamora and Quill have already talked their way out of being prisoners. The group, Yondu’s crew, and the Nova corp arm themselves to fight Ronan’s army. The Nova corp holds the line while Star-lord’s group infiltrates Ronan’s spaceship to steal the infinity stone. Gamora and Nebula get their fight scene, and Rocket protects the people of Xandar.

When Groot said, “we are Groot,” I cried. Besides that, the ending was a little unfulfilling. Peter challenged Ronan to a dance batter, which was highly original. This is seriously how they beat the villain. I liked how Peter could hold the infinity stone when the group was helping him. Although, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 proposes a different explanation. But, that is a story for another week.

Overall, this Marvel movie was highly unique and very well made. All of the characters were realistic and well-developed. I loved the music – especially baby Groot dancing. The humor made this film all the more enjoyable. Let me know in the comments what you thought of Guardians of the Galaxy and what movie you want me to review next.

 

Ant-Man: They are Recruiting Everyone These Days

Ant-Man (2015) — The Movie Database (TMDB)

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Time to talk about one of my favorite marvel movies: Ant-Man! (Is anyone else confused as to why there is a hyphen in his title, but not Spiderman or Ironman?) 

Ant-Man was in prison for a *good* crime. The look on his face when he is working at the ice cream parlor is hilarious. Although, I sympathized with Scott when he was fired for his criminal past. I just kept thinking about how that happens in real life. There was no reason to fire him, but someone had to go. So, the obvious choice was someone with a criminal past.

I also struggled to pick a side concerning Scotts daughter, Cassie. The crime he committed helped many people. However, it cost him his marriage and daughter. To be honest, I could never decide if he made the right choice or not. Speaking of his family, I loved that the ex-wife’s new Fiance is a cop.

I, like every other Marvel lover, have always wanted superpowers of my own. Yet I share Scott’s reluctance to want ant powers. However, being able to become smaller or larger matches Scott’s past with crime. Watching Scott get arrested for returning the suit he stole was priceless.

I know SHIELD is the good guy, but I agree with Hank Pym leaving them after they tried to replicate his work behind his back. However, I disliked seeing Howard Stark as the bad guy or Peggy Carter supporting him. The real villain is Darren. He is Hank’s old protégé. His plan is to replicate Hank’s formula, create an army of tiny soldiers, and sell these suits to the highest buyer.

I loved his friend, Luis, who talks in fourth person. He is half the reason people love Ant-man. Not only is he a comic relief, but he is also vital to Scott becoming Ant-Man. He is the one who told Scott about the opportunity to steal (although we later learn Hank coordinated the whole thing). Yet, my favorite quality of Luis is how he is always there for his friend. Luis picks Scott up from jail, supports his ups and downs with life after prison, and always looks out for him.

Ti dave luis GIF - Find on GIFER

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Although I am happy for Scott, I felt so bad the whole film for Hope. She clearly was the better choice for a hero. She had more time to prepare, obviously has wanted this her whole life, and knows the inner workings of the technology created by her father. I disliked how Hope is portrayed as jealous the whole movie when she had every right to feel betrayed because she was not picked. Although, I did appreciate her kicking everyone’s butt.

Punch Animated GIF | Ant man scott lang, Comic book movies, Scott lang

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This film overall was well made and original. I loved learning about a new superhero that I’ve never heard of like Ant-Man vs. Marvel remaking another Spiderman film. My only critique of the movie is the middle was slow when Scott was learning how to become Ant-Man. Let me know in the comments what you thought of Ant-Man and what Marvel movie you want me to review next. 

Black Panther: Representation Matters

I know I usually do a movie review of a Marvel movie. However, this week I want to do something different with the Black Panther. I want to talk about the importance of the movie in relation to the real world.

The Black Panther was created after the idea that this land was not colonized. We live in a world where Black Lives Matter and other movements are fighting racism to make the Earth safer for minorities. This film portrayed Wakandans as fierce warriors that are not waiting for someone to rescue them. Their valuable resource, vibranium, has not been exploited by colonizers. Being untouched, their culture differs from the rest of the world. Portraying an African Country as powerful instead of poor and weak fights the negative stigma that European countries are superior.

Wakanda is an imaginary world in which this untouched land flourished into advanced technology. This movie does not just make them equal to other countries but superior. A lot of times, people will point to a racist person’s success and achievements and say, “look at all the good they have done. We can not stop celebrating their accomplishments because they oppressed people of color.” Black Panther shows how the victims of oppression could have made the same achievements. The movie illustrates what we missed because of racism and destroying cultures. In fact, Wakanda’s technology is superior to the rest of the world, pointing out that their accomplishments would not just be as good as the oppressors, but revolutionary to Earth’s development.

One of the best parts of this movie is the representation of natural Black beauty. In an interview, Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri, talks about how no one’s hair is straight in the movie. Wakanda has its own uninfluenced culture. Here, natural Black hair is celebrated.The Black Panther Hair Stylist Wanted Only Natural Looks - FLARE

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Another important issue I personally feel the Black Panther addresses is that you don’t have to be perfect. I know having a disability is different than being a racial minority, but I know we both feel the pressure to outperform everyone else to earn our spot. I love how Shuri is an intelligent genius who is still simply a funny young girl. She is not flawless or one-dimensional. She is a relatable person. Many characters in the film underestimate her until she opens her mouth – that is my favorite part of the whole film. So many times people underestimate minorities, especially female women of color. 

Speaking of powerful women, I loved the representation of black female warriors. Expanding the roles of minorities in movies has been growing the last few years. However, there are some roles, especially for female minorities, that remain empty. It is so rare to see women of color in powerful positions like an army. Not only that, but these are some of the best warriors in the MCU. These women are giving the Black Widow a run for her money.The fiercest warrior in 'Black Panther' might not be who you think – Daily  News

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The Black Panther also shows that dominantly black movies can have massive success, contradicting Hollywood’s excuse to attract the most viewers. Oftentimes, movies will not cast Black actors because they want a dominantly white cast to appeal to the mass audience. Black Panther generated more money in the box office than The Avengers. This contradicts that movies must appeal to white audiences to make money.

All in all, the Black Panther movie was one of the best made Marvel films. Yet, what it symbolizes in the real world is far more valuable.

 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is Amazing!

Why have I never watched this before! It was soooooo good! Captain America: The Winter Soldier is amazing. I loved seeing my favorite characters like Nick Fury, the Black Widow, the Falcon, and of course the Winter Soldier. It was nice to see Captain America too I guess.

Speaking of my favorite characters, I love when Marvel does little crossovers. What I mean by this is not the main Avengers movies, but rather when one or two characters are in another character’s movie. Kind of like how Bruce Banner was in Ragnarok or agent Coulson was in Captain Marvel. 

I loved watching Natasha beat everyone and look so confident doing so. Seeing the start of the Falcon brought back happy memories from the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. My favorite part was when Bucky destroyed the Falcons suit. This is where their friendship started.

My second favorite thing from the movie was all the fight scenes. There was action from start to finish. Although it was over two hours long, the movie did not feel stretched out. To be honest, I did not find any plot holes. Except when Nick Fury died in the beginning, I was thinking “isn’t he in the other movies later on?” I know Loki holds the crown for faking his death, but Fury is a close second.

While car chase scenes have become overdone, both car chase scenes retained originality. I want Fury’s car! It is bulletproof, comes with guns, and is online. Not to mention when all the systems are down, the air-conditioning still works. Air-condition is the most important function of a car.

Another thing I found amazing was the plotline. As someone who has a difficult time following the storyline, Captain America: The Winter Soldier kept it simple with lots of twists. It was easy to know who the bad guy was, every character had a purpose and motivation, and there was consistency with everyone’s abilities as far as super serum goes.

The ending left me wanting to find out what’s next. With Hydra infiltrating SHIELD and Fury tracking down any remaining Hydra hideouts, I wondered which SHIELD will be in the following movies. 

With Captain America deciding to search for Bucky, I, as a fan, was intrigued to watch the next movie. Personally, however, I felt like Bucky should have had more screen time in this movie since his name is in the title. She shows up later in the show and is mostly only in the fights.

Marvel does a good job of saying enough to explain how Bucky is alive while leaving a lot unsaid for the audience to piece it together. The Winter Soldier had the right mix of brainwashing and remembrance of Steve Rogers to make his arc believable.

All in all, I highly recommend watching this movie or even rewatching it. That is what I thought of the movie. Let me know in the comments what you guys thought. Be sure to read next week’s post on the Black Panther.

 

Loki: He’s Not Dead in my Heart

At the end of my posts, I always ask what movie you want me to review next. But no one had any suggestions. So, I thought that while you brainstorm your favorite Marvel movie, I would do something a little different for this post. Today I am doing a character analysis of my favorite Marvel character: Loki. 

Loki's looks: The MCU's god of mischief's best reactions to camera

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It is no surprise that Loki’s role in the Marvel Universe is to cause chaos as the god of mischief. Loki first appears in Thor, where he lives in his brother’s shadow. Although he makes some questionable choices, he is not really a villain, but rather trying to prove he is a worthy son.

Tom Hiddleson, who plays Loki, does a fantastic job portraying his love for Thor and desire to be a good King. At the end of the film, he lets go and falls into the void, dying. This is the first of many faked deaths.  

In Avengers we learn that he became a lap dog for Thanos. Loki’s goal is to use the tesseract to open portals between Earth and Thanos’ universe. Loki is clearly a villain as shown by his wicked methods to achieve his goal. However, the fangirl in me blames the torture Loki went through with Thanos for his bad behavior. He fails, and Thor brings him back to Asgard to be locked up for his crimes. 

In Thor: The Dark World, Loki embraces his true self and joins Thor in beating the Dark Elves. Then, Loki dies (aka faking his death again). Once again the audience can see Loki’s devastation over the loss of his mother. With him repeatedly switching sides, Loki is not your typical villain. I believe his biggest problem is getting other people to believe him. In the first Thor movie, it is clearly shown that Thor’s closest friends do not like Loki or trust him. Loki will never be able to achieve his goal of being king because no one will follow the god of mischief.

Next, we see him in Thor: Ragnarök. Thor discovers that Loki did not die and is pretending to be their father, Odin Allfather. Loki brings Thor to Odin, just before Odin dies of old age. This might be a first in the Avenger Universe! His death releases Hela, the goddess of death and Odin’s firstborn. I know Thor is Odin’s firstborn, but the writers are covering up this plot hole by claiming Odin lied to everyone to protect them from Hela. Although a better cover-up is claiming that Loki and Hela are related since they look so similar. Thor looks like he is the adopted one. 

The Bifrost brings all three to Asgard, but Hela kicks her brothers out to the trash planet. Loki loves it there as he can be his true self and no one hates him for it. Thor and Loki team up with a Valkyrie and the Hulk to escape. They cause Ragnarok, killing Hela and surviving.

Loki resurfaces in Avengers: Endgame, where *spoilers* he dies at the hands of Thanos in the first five minutes. Imagine the only reason you go to the movie theater is to watch your favorite character Loki and he dies in the first five minutes! I was devastated. The only thing keeping me going was the thought that he faked his death, again.

He is also not a villain in his Disney Plus series where the original Avengers Loki is teleported in time. I have chosen not to include this Loki in my analysis since it is an alternate timeline, there are too many Loki’s, and the whole you can only love yourself thing.

Overall, Loki’s character arc can be simplified to embracing himself and learning he does not have to be perfect to be loved. Loki also learned through his faked deaths that Thor is the only one that would miss him.

Black Widow: Flawless

A lot of Marvel fans are hyped over the new Marvel movie, Black Widow. It has got everything: action, humor, and a good plot. I plan to cover the three main parts of a movie: plot, characters, and overall craftsmanship. Before I start, *spoilers* duh.

First, we have the plot. Natasha joins her sister to fight against her big arch-nemesis, General Dreykov. Black Widow, with the help of Clint Barton, killed Dreykov as a part of her initiation into SHIELD. Yelena tells Natasha that he is still alive and training other girls like them. The worst part is the new girls do not have free will.

The sisters band together to put an end to this monster by breaking their father, Alexi Shostakov out of jail. He takes them to their mother, Melina Vostokoff. Of course, she is loyal to Dreykov and betrays them. At least that’s what we thought. Natasha and Melina wore face changers (I don’t know what they are called, so face changers it is). Natasha outsmarts the villain and the final battle is awesome. They save the day. 

The plot is a solid storyline. Although the story has no major plot holes, I found it unrealistic that this happened after Captain America: Civil War. Marvel could have at least had someone refers to this adventure in one of their other films. Marvel plans everything. They even have different phases planned. In the other Avenger movies, we never hear about this adventure. Also, I would have loved a standalone story about Natasha and Clint’s initiation into SHEILD. 

Second, are the characters. Natasha is awesome like always. You can understand her better after learning about her past. I am glad we got more than just a little snipped of her training as a young girl in the other Marvel movies. Yelena is the best. She is definitely the younger sister and hilarious.

Speaking of humor, the Red Guardian is sometimes funny other times annoying. However, my favorite scene from the movie is when he sings American Pie to Yelena. I am picking up second-hand dad embarrassment. But I feel like everyone can relate to that annoying dad with his little dad jokes.

Melina certainly surprised me. She was higher up the ranks than Red Guardian and is more loyal, but she betrays Dreykov after helping alert him to Black Widow’s whereabouts. Most importantly, I found the villain understandable. Some movies are great except for a two-dimensional villain. Dreykov has his own motives for the Black Widow program. 

Lastly is the overall craftsmanship. The fight scenes were well made with lots of action. High praises from me. The characters resembled a real family in some ways, yet with resentment and anger. The villain was a big bad and well-developed too. One of the most important things in movies is that the protagonist cannot walk away from the conflict. With Dreykov as the creator of the Black Widow, there could have been no higher stakes in this fight. 

When considering how flawless this Marvel Movie is, the Black Widow is perfect for the movie theater, a casual Friday watching Disney Plus, or family movie night. Leave a comment on what you thought of the movie and which one you want me to watch next. 

Captain Marvel: Why is this Film so Bad?

The first time I watched Captain Marvel I thought it was a well-made film, but I did not like it. I could never really figure out why. This time around, I want to really analyze the disconnect between a relatively solid Marvel movie and the audience.

There are several good things that made Captain Marvel enjoyable. First, the humor was given more presence than other Marvel movies. I loved watching Nick Fury love the little cat. I kept waiting for him to lose his eye, and there were several scenes where he came close. The real reason he wears an eye patch is hilarious.

Second, the action fight scenes were decent for marvel. They were not the best fights I’ve seen Marvel produce, but they were not bad. Perhaps if it was a more even battle, I would have liked it more.

Third, I liked that the movie was female-empowering. At times it felt a little forced, but seeing Carol Danvers, Maria Rambeau, and doctor Mar-Vell dominate male fields was nice.

On the other hand, there were issues with the movie in terms of the backbone and plot. I feel like the movie poses like a good action movie until a further inspection in its lack of depth.

To start off, the beginning with the Kree is hard to follow unless you are an expert in the Marvel Universe. For the broad audience, this is really confusing. Not to mention, the movie has a really slow start, making this issue even more problematic.

Next, the whole you are actually working for the bad guys is a little obvious. First, we see her “allies” talk with Ronan, the evil blue guy from Guardians of the Galaxy. Second, they are Kree, which anyone who knows the Marvel Universe knows they are bad. Last, they continuously try to control her and tell her to be a good soldier.

Another plot issue is the lack of climax. Unlike many other Marvel films, there is no final boss battle hype. Carol Danvers just walks through the steps of her life trying to recover her memories, switches sides, and completes her mission from Mar-Vell. There is a lack of stakes because she is invincible. The movie never really gave Captain Marvel a fall. What I mean by this is she never loses a battle. She just keeps winning until she beats her old captain in the final battle. All heroes need a losing moment to pick themselves up. She only wins, leaving her to be two-dimensional.

When considering Marvel’s expertise in the Avenger Universe and great reputation, Captain Marvel is a well-made film. However, the storyline lacks depth, causing a disconnect between Captain Marvel and the audience. The viewers’ emotions are not invested and never see Carol’s fighting side. Yes, we can obviously see that she is a fighter, especially in her backstory, but she never loses enough for the audience to relate to. Viewers cannot connect with someone who lives life in a straight upward line without any dropping points of failure. It is just not realistic.

I felt like it is a good movie in regards to how there are easter eggs to other Marvel movies. Given how this took place before all the other Avenger movies, it gave us a backstory. The audience enjoys seeing characters and events and saying “I know that person!” However, the story is unfulfilling because Carol Danvers got her powers and became unrelatable.

Captain America: the First Avenger

The popular vote is in, and Captain America has won by a landslide! (There was only one vote). So, let’s review the good, the bad, and my personal opinion of my first time watching Captain America. 

The Good 

  1. It is fun to look back and find all the easter eggs foreshadowing Avengers. For example, the Tesseract from Avengers. The only notable difference is how bright the Tesseract is compared to Avengers. I’ll leave the rest for you to find yourself. 
  2. Hydra is Hydra and as usual destroys everything in its path to find legendary items. I am receiving Marvel’s Agents of Shield nostalgia. Sometimes it’s nice having a simple villain. 
  3. I am so disappointed in myself for not learning about Peggy Carter sooner! I love this woman. I admire Peggy going in for the kiss instead of Captain America.
  4. Finally! He throws the shield, and it doesn’t return. This dude seriously invades an enemy base without multiple weapons. He is definitely not the smart one on the team. 

Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter || Captain America TFA || 245px × 166px || #animated #hmsbest… | Captain america and bucky, Steve rogers captain america, Marvel avengers

Find the gif here.

The Bad 

  1. Modern Marvels Pavilion? There is no way this si-fi, futuristic museum existed in 1942. Of course! I’m an idiot. The only person in the world that would design a cheap futuristic movie set in 1940 is a Stark. Aaannndd, it malfunctions… who else called it? Then he makes a smooth recovery. I am starting to see the relation. 
  2. Ok life lesson time. When a creepy scientist knows you cheated on your exam and asks you if you want to work for them, do you… 
    1. Yes! 
    2. No! 
    3. What are the terms and conditions 
    4. Scream stranger danger 
  3. Bucky is dead *eyeroll*. Steve saves Bucky. Ooofff, Bucky fell off a cliff and dies again *sigh*. 
  4. Oh sure, let me infiltrate an enemy base with a huge American shield. That will totally not give me away. While I am at it, why not throw a prison revolt and give away the secret undercover mission. Finally, Captain America has a good idea and steals some of Hydra’s serum.  
  5. Eeeewwww… The Hydra leader peels off his skin to reveal a hybrid of Darth maul and Voldemort. Yuck, the nose is missing. Can he smell? What happens when he sneezes? I am eternally cringing anytime I see him the rest of the film. When he sniffles during the fight scene, I gagged. 
  6. I guess he learned how to throw a shield overnight? I throw the discus, and I am proficient with a Frisbee. But shield throwing is over my head. Not to mention how it returns like a boomerang.

Captain America: The First Avenger - Mighty's Mindless Ramblings

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Personal Opinion 

  1. IDK if they put Chis Evans head on a stick or what, but that big head a little body contradiction was laughable. 
  2. OMG James Barnes! I loved The Falcon and the Winter Soldier… IDK they were friends before the war. It just now occurred to me that the next movie is called Captain America Winter Soldier (it’s all coming together). 
  3. I totally related when Tom Hanks was praising the soldiers, looked at Steve, and said you all will get much better. It stings when professors glance at you and say room for improvement. MCU: 10 Fascinating Facts Behind Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Find the gif here.

Overall, I enjoyed the simple action movie appeal. Finding all the foreshadowing hints for Avengers makes the movie highly engaging. I would recommend this movie for a relaxing evening. Let me know in the comments which Marvel Movie you want me to review next! 

Doctor Strange

*Side effects include vomiting, dizziness, confusion, headaches, and death* 

Doctor Strange revamps the Avenger Universe with the introduction of a new story. Oftentimes, the hero’s life prior to obtaining superpowers is limited and minimal. However, Doctor Strange continues to revisit his past as he moves on. 

Opening villain scene, applauds to Marvel. The effects are out of this world. After five seconds of viewing these scenes, I went to take off my 3D glasses to find out I was not wearing any. Oh, dear! My dorm room started to move, walls caving in, I fell to the ground. My roommate was highly concerned. 

We meet the star of the show, Benedict Cumberbatch (AKA Doctor Strange), as he arrogantly recalls information using his photographic memory. Relationship problems arise, which is nice considering how many Avengers never encounter a romantic interest. I am not going to talk about her for the rest of the film because I don’t know her name and honestly, I don’t care. 

Banister Crumblebench speeds along a curvy mountainside while taking a phone call. He rejects patients unless they will bring him fame. What goes around comes around. Banana Coconut is thrown off the cliff. Oh no, his hands are injured and now he can no longer perform neurosurgery. Did he deserve it? Absolutely! 

Like any highly educated individual, Strange decides to abandon Western medicine for Eastern spiritual healing Juju. He finds a place called Kamar-Taj. The Ancient One (totally original name) takes him on a drug trip *Five-minute break for the dizziness to stop*.  

Snickerdoodle Chittybangbang struggles with the basics, so he uses his “awesomeness” and skips to the forbidden, higher-level spells. This includes using the Time Stone to manipulate time (given this movie aired before Infinity War).  

Bumblebee Cinnaminroll engages in a fight with the villain with deeply disturbing eye problems. This is how girls wake up in the morning after forgetting to remove their mascara. Crombleporks thunder is stolen by the Cloak of Levitation. I always thought the debate was between baby Yoda and baby Groot. But nothing compares to the Cloak of Levitation. It’s got sass, a mind of its own, and it completes the feel of the dark arts. Too bad the title is Doctor Strange. I would rather watch a movie starring the Cloak of Levitation. 

One of my favorite parts of Marvel movies is the fight scenes. I cannot even imagine how much animation went into creating whatever this is supposed to be. All of the battles in Doctor Strange took place in these dimensions, making them unpleasant to watch and frankly confusing. 

Strange learns of a shocking revelation, the Ancient One draws power from the Dark Dimension. So what? Big deal! We all saw that coming. She’s the good guy, no need to have a crisis of confidence. Of course, she dies leaving the door open for Bonedump Crunklepack to become the next Sorcerer Supreme *jazz hands*. 

Strange and that other guy (sidekick maybe?) go to Hong Kong where he uses the infinity stone to fix everything. Cumberbatch is willing to be punished for eternity to protect Earth… I guess that is his hero moment? I am getting major Thor vibes where they went from unworthy to worthy yet they both remained arrogant the whole film. Apparently, Marvel has decided to stop teaching the audience lessons in their films. Anywho he saves the day and that is the whole film. 

Overall, there was no character development, the battles were useless, and Buttercup Cumbersnach is gifted in the mystic arts, like all “chosen ones”. I liked the Cloak and the unique storyline, but other than that the film lacked depth and meaning. The only purpose is to amp the crowd for the upcoming Infinity movie by showing off the Time Stone. 

Leave in the comments what you think about Doctor Strange and what Marvel movie you want me to review next. 

 

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