Tag Archives: MCU

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ review

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Phase Four of the MCU may not be the best, but so far it is the most consistent.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is the 25th entry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and stars Simu Liu in the titular role as a young man who is forced to face his past and confront his father, a terrorist who has lived for a thousand years. The cast also includes Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Florian Munteanu, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh, and Tony Leung, while Destin Daniel Cretton directs and co-writes.

After a year without any Marvel products, 2021 has given us more than our fair share with three TV shows and two solo movies, as well as two more films to come (until they inevitably get delayed again). “Black Widow” was a solid entry into the sprawling cinematic universe and while “Shang-Chi” isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, there is enough style and attention to detail to make it stand out.

Simu Liu is a decent leading man, and dropped into the Marvel formula he isn’t asked to do too much. He gives Shang-Chi a nice blend of masculinity and vulnerability, and while at times his delivery can be a bit stoic he does have some nice comedic timing and chemistry with Awkwafina, who is equally charming in her own right (albeit at this point in her career, is playing herself).

I’ve seen some lauding Tony Leung’s performance as Wenu, Shang-Chi’s father and the film’s main antagonist. I thought he was serviceable, certainly not bad, but as with most Marvel baddies I just wasn’t overly interested or threatened by him. Killmonger has better motivations and the Vulture has a cooler design; I can’t imagine many people citing him atop the MCU’s villain list once the dust settles.

The fight sequences in the film are expertly staged, and after this and “Black Widow” it is nice to see the MCU allowing their films to get a bit more violent (we get a little bit of blood and a man gets run over by his own motorcycle). Some of the combat play out more like dances than fights, with the use of gentle motions and soft music, compared to quick cuts and loud orchestras. It’s a nice touch by director Destin Daniel Cretton, and what I came away with thinking about instead of the CGI noise finale that all superhero movies have.

Aside from the visually messy finale, the film also does sag in the middle once they start getting characters into position for the climax. The first 45 minutes of the film are really great, and I appreciated how it felt more like a genuine romcom than a superhero movie. I like Marvel as much as the next guy, but sometimes their quieter, more intimate movies like “Spider-Man: Homecoming” are them at their best. Also, the film attempts to retcon the events of “Iron Man 3” and explain away how Ben Kinglsey’s Mandarin was a fraud and it’s to mixed results; I liked part of what they were going for but then the more I sat on it the more annoyed I got.

“Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings” is a solid entry into the MCU and a pretty fun time at the movies overall. Before my screening started an audience member stood up and said, “attention everyone, I just wanted to let you know there are two post-credits scenes so be sure you stick around for them!” and it just reminded me why I love going to the theater.

Critics Rating: 7/10

‘Black Widow’ Review

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You know what they say, better late than never!

“Black Widow” is the long-awaited (and oft-delayed) solo film for the titular superhero played by Scarlett Johansson, and follows a mission that ends up reuniting her with her family (Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz). O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, and Ray Winstone also star while Cate Shortland directs.

For years fans were asking for a Black Widow solo film, but it took the success of 2017’s “Wonder Woman” and the explosion in MCU popularity to finally have the project greenlit. It marks the final starring role for Scarlett Johansson as the character, who like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans is leaving the franchise after a decade of wearing tights, and is a fittingly smaller-scale Marvel movie that does everything it needs to while still offering some fun new surprises.

Scarlett Johansson has been one of the best parts of the Marvel Universe since her debut as Black Widow (aka Natasha Romanoff) in 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” and it’s nice to finally get to see her run the show instead of being a sidekick or part of an ensemble. Here we get a little more intimate look at her as a person instead of an Avenger, with little moments like her quietly driving along while listening to the pop song “Cheap Thrills” by Sia. She continues to be a badass when it counts, but part of what has made Natasha one of the MCU’s most loved characters is her personality, and Johansson keeps that dry wit and warmth.

The star, however, is Florence Pugh, whose star power only continues to grow after having a 1994 Jim Carrey-type year in 2019, coming onto the (mainstream) scene with “Fighting with My Family,” “Midsommar,” and then “Little Women,” the last of which landed her an Academy Award nomination. Here Pugh plays Yelena Belova, Natasha’s younger sister, herself a member of the same assassin-training course, and steals the show. Pugh carries all the emotional scenes of the film, trying to come to terms with the fact her youth was a charade and her life has not been her own, but also has some laugh-out-loud moments (“this would be a cool way to die” she says to herself as an avalanche is approaching). Pugh is set to appear in the Disney+ show “Hawkeye” and will surely be one of the main focuses of the MCU moving forward and I couldn’t be more excited.

Overall, the action in the film is some of the best that we’ve seen in the MCU. Outside maybe the “Captain America” films (namely “Winter Soldier”), this is the most brutal hand-to-hand combat we’ve gotten. You hear bones crunch and the impact of knives slashing, and it really is one of the most enjoyable Marvel films action-wise that we’ve gotten in a long while. The special effects can be a bit wonky (there are several explosions that look right out of a PlayStation 3 cutscene), but they never take you out of the film.

The writing is hit and miss, with the banter between Natasha and Yelena being the amusing Marvel quipping but the dialogue-driven scenes between multiple characters being a tad bit slow. The MCU has also always had a problem with its bad guys and this may be the weakest example yet, with Taskmaster looking cool and being a physical threat, but the motivations and development of the villain organization being a bit lacking.

“Black Widow” is one of the better MCU solo outings, and just like how “Luca” is “lesser” Pixar doesn’t mean the lower-stakes make it bad. This is a very good Marvel film that does everything it needs to do and offers some closure to the Black Widow character while showing the impact she made on the future of the franchise. Johansson and Pugh are great and the fight scenes are incredibly entertaining, and it is just nice to see a feature-length Marvel movie for the first time in two years; it’s almost a microcosm for us all finally getting back to normal.

Critics Rating: 7/10

‘Captain Marvel’ is Pretty Fun Stuff

Ok. I’m a big enough man to admit when I’m wrong.

“Captain Marvel” is the 21st installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first film to feature Brie Larson as the titular hero. Samuel L. Jackson also stars as a younger version of his Nick Fury character (thanks to the wonders of de-aging technology) while Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg and Jude Law also star; Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck direct.

So, there has been a lot of talk surrounding this film for the past year and because its 2019 and nothing makes sense anymore, most of the talk is dumb and holds no weight. Brie Larson and co-director Anna Boden have been on record multiple times stating that this is a feminist film, and that made large groups of Twitter trolls spam the comment sections online. Conversely, trolls on the opposite side attacked anyone who pointed out the objectively bland (and widely criticized) trailers for the film, which were all stale and didn’t do Larson any favors selling the character. I was very vocal with my distaste for the trailers and like many people was nervous about the film and the character’s place in the MCU, but am happy to report that most all my fears ended up being irrational.

One of the complaints about the trailers and worries towards the film was Brie Larson. She is an Oscar winning actress who has also shown her ability to be comedic (“21 Jump Street” and “Trainwreck”), however in the trailers she came off as cold, stoic and unwilling to smile. I’m not sure if this was an attempt by Marvel to troll fans or what, but Larson’s performance in the film is actually full of grins, deadpan one-liners and a range of emotion. She has some nice back-and-forths with Samuel L. Jackson and Jude Law, and on more than one occasion is given the chance to get choked up as a woman trying to figure out her mysterious past.

Speaking of Samuel L. Jackson, his 70-year-old self is playing a 45-year-old version of himself. Thanks to de-aging technology, similar to what has been done in previous Marvel films but never to this scale (and what we will see done to Robert de Niro and Al Pacino in “The Irishman”), Jackson appears like he did back in his “Jackie Brown” and “Pulp Fiction” days, and his performance (and the facial recreation) are both entertaining. It looks less convincing on Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson (it looks like a CGI character wearing a human mask), but on Jackson you forget you’re not actually watching a 40-year-old man pretty quickly.

Aside from Jackson’s de-aging the effects are typical Marvel, with some designs and fights being really well-done and polished and others (namely, greenscreen) appearing clearly fake to the point of distraction. Also, someone needs to tell the people at Marvel how to light a film set. Nearly all their films (save for “Black Panther”) have no true creative camera angles or lighting aspects, with most scenes taking place in an evenly-lit space with a grey hue in a shot-reverse-shot. “Black Panther” took risks and took its time; at the end of the day “Captain Marvel” just feels like a cookie-cutter film out of the MCU oven.

And there is nothing inherently wrong with that. It surprised me in ways I didn’t think it would, and while I hope she doesn’t suddenly become the face of Marvel and save everyone’s lives single-handily in “Avengers: Endgame” I enjoyed Brie Larson’s turn as a not-so-well-known superhero. Is it forgettable? Probably. Is it as good or inspirational as the likes of a “Wonder Woman?” Not for me, at least. But it’s fun, and in a cinematic world where half of life in the universe was just wiped out of existence, maybe a little fun is a good thing.

Critic’s Rating: 8/10

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ is a Predictably Lightweight but Fun Marvel Romp

Given the cultural significance of “Black Panther” and the sheer scope of “Avengers: Infinity War,” I feel this one was always going to play small-scale third fiddle…

“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is the sequel to the 2015 film “Ant-Man” and features Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly reprising their roles as the title characters. Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Abby Ryder Fortson and Michael Douglas also return as Walton Goggins, Hannah John-Kamen, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne join the cast. In the film, Ant-Man and the Wasp must hunt down a stolen piece of technology in order to try and save Douglas’ wife from being trapped in the quantum realm (in layman’s terms, she shrunk so small she has been stuck between two atoms for 30 years). Peyton Reed returns to direct.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first “Ant-Man” film and actually think it is one of Marvel’s weaker outings. It just is never as inventive, clever or funny as it thinks it is and plays out like an “Iron Man” remake on a lesser scale. I wasn’t expecting too much from this sequel, even if Marvel is on a streak right now of putting out films that are changing the superhero landscape for good (“Thor: Ragnorok” and the aforementioned “Black Panther” and “Infinity War”), but maybe it was those low expectations that made “Ant-Man and the Wasp” pretty enjoyable.

Paul Rudd is perfect in most everything he does and is really one of the only actors who could pull off a superhero like Ant-Man. He is funny and reluctant yet brave and loyal and is able to have natural chemistry with anyone he is sharing a scene with. Michael Peña, a fan favorite from the first film, returns and again has some standout moments of ADD energy while Michael Douglas is given a few more chances to earn some laughs while also carrying the film’s more emotional scenes. Newcomer Randall Park was probably my favorite addition playing the FBI agent assigned to keep an eye on Rudd following his house arrest, and he without a doubt provides the film with its funniest moments (side note: get me a Park and Rudd “Odd Couple” spin-off show now, please).

Aside from Park, all the newcomers to the cast feel like useless additions that are only there to push the plot. Hannah John-Kamen is the film’s main antagonist but her goals almost feel like a side quest and really only exist to give the film a faux sense of urgency, while Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne portray people from Douglas’ past that, while the mention of their characters is important to the plot, their actual presence is not.

And that is really the film’s biggest issue, that there is no urgency or real weight. The entire plot takes place over about a day and there are certain characters that feel added for the sake of runtime or because the producers wanted to see a tiny car turn into a big car and hurt some bad guys.

That being said, the action sequences are cool (as far, few and in between as they sometimes seem to be) and the going from big-to small-to big again gag is still amusing form the first film.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp” was never going to mean as much, have as much to say or be as charismatic as any of Marvel’s other tentpoles but that’s OK. Watching it is more often than not a blast and even if it fades quickly from mind a little (no ant pun intended) mid-summer distraction to hold us over until “Avengers 4” isn’t so much of a bad thing.

Critic’s Grade: B

Walt Disney