Disney Plus is only £2 for a month for new subscribers so I took the opportunity to watch "Thor:Love and Thunder" on the cheap. I genuinely feel like I got ripped off - without a doubt one of the worst two or three big budget movies I've seen in the last few years. I thought DC had the monopoly on garbage tier comic book adaptations but with two recent complete misfires (from two of my favourite directors in Raimi and Waititi) I have to wonder what's going on over there at Marvel Towers. They need to stop writing their screenplays of the backs of cocktail napkins, that's for damn sure.
Finished Moon Knight. I like the fresh approach to storytelling that Marvel did with it, even if the execution was inelegant at times.
I’m undecided where it fits in the ranking of D+ Marvel shows for me, but I’m thinking somewhere between What If… and Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
I give it points for novelty, subverting expectations, and solid lead performances. But subtract points for nonsense convoluted plot, the Hippo, and an unsatisfying climax.
Strangely, it makes me hopeful that God of War will somehow jump to the ancient Egyptian deities and myth on their next game. I know we haven’t even got Ragnarok yet, but I’ve grown a little tired of the Norse gods already. There seems to be a treasure trove of weird Egyptian mythology to tap into.
The Thunderbolts is possibly the most egregious the MCU have been with their odd team choices. So there’s about 12 military people and then just randomly Ghost. Not even Zemo’s there. Really could have done with some actual members from the comics like Atlas or Songbird to have some diversity amongst power sets instead of just being a Bourne movie.
@JohnnyShoulder Haha, I’m not the biggest fan of her as an actor but I have a lot more respect for her with the way she’s handled this movie with Harry styles!
@nessisonett Yeah a lot of drama surrounding that film. I'm always a bit sceptical when it comes to these things, and never sure if it has all been drummed up by the studio to stir up a bit of interest in the film.
I've only just seen that Marvels Midnight Suns has been un-delayed and it is coming out this year after all?! Don't remember that happening before!
Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
@JohnnyShoulder Regardless of the bizarre spitting drama, Olivia Wilde paying her non-actor boyfriend more than the Oscar nominated star of the movie is scandalous. Don’t blame Florence Pugh for being a bit annoyed and refusing to take part in the media circus.
@Th3solution Sounds like you fell squarely in the middle with Moon Knight. I'm sorry to see that you weren't blown away by it, but I'm also glad that you found plenty to enjoy along the way. You're the first person I've seen criticising the hippo, though (although granted, I don't exactly hang out in Marvel circles, so it's not like I'm saying you're alone against the world on that one)!
Funny you should mention What If...? as I fell off that hard, after the Stephen Strange episode. I feel bad because, even when I've hated a piece of the MCU, I've at least finished it. Oh well.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Yeah, I’d definitely place Moon Knight in the middle. I might be subconsciously docking it a few points because of the high likelihood that the series won’t get a second season and that despite the nebulous promises that Moon Knight character will show up again in the movies, I have my doubts that Oscar Isaac will reprise the role and I can’t see anyone else being subbed into the role without it coming across as weird.
As for the Hippo, I think the portrayal of Tawaret as being a silly, old-maid type character was probably an attempt at comedic relief, but she just felt a smidge out of place with the rest of the show and certainly the rest of the gods. I’m usually a big fan of the asinine and the absurd, but tonally I’m not sure I loved the approach here.
Started She-Hulk and in a lot of ways it’s the antithesis of Moon Knight. It’s a show which definitely doubles down on the silliness of the MCU. I like it so far, but I don’t love it. Another one for the middling, unless it really does something special or horrendous in the last half.
@Th3solution Because I was Googling around about Moon Knight the other week, after finally having watched it, I saw headlines suggesting that Oscar Isaac was teasing a second season, whilst there are strong rumours from the usual "insiders" that it's going ahead. As always, everybody could be right, or everybody could be wrong; nothing's guaranteed any longer. Guess we'll have to wait and see.
Fair comment about the hippo (each to their own; it can be a fine balance to strike). I also hope that you enjoy the rest of She-Hulk as and when, and that its finale can find a way to elevate it somehow!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Totally right about the balance. I think part of the issues with Thor: Love and Thunder is it struggles to find such a balance. I think we all took it for granted with the early MCU that they would always find that trademark punchy wit seamlessly woven into a serious end-of-the-world scenario. But as time has gone on, the cracks in the foundation are showing without the comedic timing of Robert Downey Jr., Paul Rudd, Chris Pratt, etc. Perhaps it’s more the script writing which is struggling, but I think it’s a combination of spotty performances and writing that is out of touch with delivering that special something which was present earlier in the franchise.
Regardless, there’s still time to “strike the balance” and come up with something more along the lines of the quirky one-liners that don’t downplay a sense of dramatic urgency. And to be fair, I liked Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder more than most, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned that they’ve lost a bit of their edge. DC should be licking their chops at the opportunity to capitalize on Marvel’s wobbling.
Edit: Oh, and good to hear that Moon Knight may indeed carry on. I had done some similar light googling and all I saw was that Isaac was very specific about his contract and made sure that he didn’t get trapped into what they call the “golden handcuffs” of Marvel/Disney and he wasn’t locked into continuing the role. Apparently he was uniquely able to retain control over whether he ever did another show as this character(s).
@Th3solution "But I think it’s a combination of spotty performances and writing that is out of touch with delivering that special something which was present earlier in the franchise." I 100% agree. Watching the extra features and listening to the audio commentary for the last "Dr. Strange" film for some semblance of an explanation (let's be honest an excuse) from Sam Raimi for the film's awfulness I discovered that the screenplay (that was written in a whole two weeks) was for all intents and purposes abandoned in favour of daily rewrites that took place after filming had already started. Looks like my cracks about scripts written on cocktail napkins weren't too far from the truth.
Very disappointed with Thor: Love and Thunder. I found it to be an incoherent mess, with poor pacing, rambling dialogue, and a severe lack of focus. Taika Waititi needed reigning in a lot, because the film was his style, and little else. It's a shame because I loved Ragnarok, and felt it struck a nice balance. On the whole Phase 4 has been a bit all over the place.
Loving She-Hulk thus far. It's genuinely funny, and I like that episodes are largely self-contained. Wong is also fast becoming my favourite Marvel supporting character.
@mookysam I felt the same - the movie was less a cohesive story and more a tenuously linked series of increasingly unfunny comedy skits - that stage 4 cancer "gag" was particularly misjudged.
@Th3solution I'm interested to get around to the latest Doctor Strange and Thor flicks, now that they're both on Disney+ an' all, specifically because of their polarising critical reactions. I find that I have little enthusiasm for Ms. Marvel, but I'll give it a shot. I think I'll do better with She-Hulk.
Comments about being able to notice a dulled edge, from folks like you and others, do make me wonder about the current state of the MCU because honestly, Phase Four has failed to really grab me yet (and it's nearly over, if it isn't already). I know I haven't kept current but, from what I've seen of it thusfar, it's had some brilliant moments, and the potential's been there in every project (which I like to recognise, even if it isn't fulfilled) but it kinda feels like a lot of random content being thrown at a wall, to see what sticks... and I get the feeling that, due to the nature of the beast, we won't know what's actually stuck until halfway through Phase Six or something. As you noted earlier, this makes it difficult to form attachments, because we don't know who'll be defining the next decade of the MCU and who was just passing through.
I firmly believe that the MCU should've taken an extended break after Endgame (or maybe Far From Home, as some of its themes and character work made for a sweet little epilogue) and it's a shame to see that, in some aspects, the creative juices are... well, if not running dry, then definitely starting to thin. You've also touched upon the start of a generational shift in opinion there, too. All long-running franchises evolve over time; look at the vastly different generational reactions to the separate Star Wars trilogies, or everybody's unique rankings of the six James Bond actors, for example. It's understandably inevitable, or inevitably understandable, that we're starting to see folks who think that, in comparison to Phase One, the current MCU content is worse / different / better (delete as applicable). And that's okay.
Yeah, I read the same about Mr. Isaac and honestly, I respect his decision. A lot of folks took it to mean that he didn't wanna return, but I think it's more to do with his prior experience with Disney and the fact that he's actually invested in the Moon Knight character, so he wants the option to return if it feels right and proper, and he can do the material justice. Which sounds way more hopeful to me!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger The crazy thing is that his performance is the best thing about the movie - which admittedly isn't saying very much. The whole thing is a neon drenched train wreck - and I say that as an erstwhile fan of all things Waititi.
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