Happy Towel Day!
Category: Geek Culture Page 3 of 4
Avengers: Endgame
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo
My Rating: [rating=5]
Despite the looming “Superhero Burnout“, this movie is crushing it at the box office. It is already breaking the same records The Force Awakens broke four years ago. I fully expect this film to continue to break records set by Star Wars, including top grossing movie of all time in the domestic box office. Honestly, I’m glad it’s a Marvel movie too.
In the spirit of the #DontSpoilTheEndgame trend, this is a SPOILER FREE movie review, however if you have not seen Infinity War yet, then consider this your **spoiler alert**!! It is impossible to talk about this movie without talking about the events of the previous film.
Half of the living things in the universe, including half the Avengers, are gone; wiped out with a single snap. Thanos has vanished to bask in the balance he has created. Meanwhile the remaining Avengers are trying to piece the world back together and move on. However “moving on” will not be something they are willing to do, especially when Scott Lang shows up with an idea.
Biggs’ Review
This is a pretty amazing movie, though I do have one particular complaint, which I will get to shortly. This movie has quite a few epic moments, one of which I know many fans have been waiting for since Age of Ultron. I will not say what that is so as to remain spoiler free but I think you will know it when you see it, and deem it “worthy”. This movie is quite the finale for the Avengers Initiative. One of my favorite parts happens during and end credit montage. This is not a spoiler. The signatures of Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner are shown as if to signify the signing of their magnum opus. This is such a fitting tribute.
Is This The Best Movie I’ve Seen?
No, not by a long shot. In all fairness I almost gave this movie 4 stars. There is a particular plot mechanic that is rarely done well and Bruce Banner’s rationale is pretty insufficient, in my opinion. There is also a “passing of the torch” moment which does not particularly coincide with canon (at least from what I’ve read); however, it is still pretty cool. Be that as it may, the way in which they wrap up the story’s of a few of the character’s is brilliant and well done … and emotional. After the movie ended, my first instinct was not to see it again; at least not right away. The main reason being the 3 hour run time. Actually I feel more inclined to watch all the other movies again!
This movie is a magnum opus and truly a fitting end of the past 11 years and 21 movies. The feeling I had leaving this movie will probably be much the same feeling I will have leaving The Rise of Skywalker. A sense of emotional finality; these are characters that not just defined our lives, but a generation. Watching these events come to an end feels akin to a graduation or major life milestone. The events and the people of the years prior make up the journey we all had to take. Sometimes the end is hard because we endured so much to get here, but we grew along the way. We form bonds and relationships with people, real or fictional. It’s the journey that’s worth celebrating at the end but it’s also what makes it difficult. After all, part of the journey is the end.
#ThankYouAvengers
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick
I have been looking forward to the Star Wars Celebration for two reasons. First, the last one I went to was 2002, when it was in Indianapolis for the release of Attack of the Clones. Second, its in Chicago this year, my favorite city. Ultimately the best part of the going to the event was bringing my five-year old daughter. This is my Chicago Star Wars Celebration experience.
I don’t think I need to go into the big news. Everyone who cares should already be aware of the release of the first trailer and the title. I did not get to sit in on the panels since I only had a day to absorb as much as I could while keeping a five-year-old entertained.
A Little Leia Changes the Experience
When I went back in 2002 I was just this nerd wandering around the convention center taking pictures and getting autographs. I seemed convinced my experience would be the same except now my daughter would have to endure it. I was completely and utterly wrong! She dressed up as Princess Leia, and apparently a five-year old Leia is as popular as a celebrity. (Sorry, pictures will only be available for friends and family).
This is all the free stuff she got
She was constantly receiving free stuff from vendors and random fans, including fans from other countries. She was getting requests to be photographed or to be in a picture with other people attending the convention. As shy as she comes off, I think she secretly enjoyed the adoration. I cannot express how humbling and amazing the Star Wars fans were at this convention and it really made my daughter feel special. If this experience doesn’t make her a Star Wars fan, then I’ve done all I can do.
From a Certain Point of View by Ben Acker
My rating: [rating=4]
When I picked up this book to read, I had similar concerns about it as I did about the Princess Leia book. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. In fact before I even added it to my “Currently Reading” list on Goodreads, I read the first chapter. It didn’t take much after that for me to keep reading it. This book was published back in 2017 for the 40th anniversary of the Star Wars franchise. It is a massive collaboration of 40 different authors (because 40 years, get it?) each writing a chapter. Some of the more well-known contributors are Christie Golden, Chuck Wendig and Wil Wheaton (yes, Wesley Crusher). Here is my book review of “From A Certain Point of View”.
No Synopsis Required
I should have read the synopsis before I picked up this book. This book doesn’t require a synopsis because it’s the plot of Star Wars A New Hope. If you don’t know the plot of Episode IV then why are you here? The unique feature of this book is the events of A New Hope are told from the perspective of background characters. As boring as that sounds, it’s actually quite interesting.
Every chapter isn’t as interesting as some of the others. In fact there are a few chapters that are really superfluous. There are too many chapters that focus on the events in the cantina. The Greedo chapter and, perhaps, the Wuher chapter are really the only ones worth keeping. There are a couple of chapters on the Death Star, during the destruction of Alderaan that are pretty uninteresting too. For example, the chapter with the MSE droid and TK-421 is probably my least favorite chapter. His personal life and aspirations of MSE racing were gratuitous; so much so I actually skipped some of it. Another chapter I felt similarly about was Omi, the trash compactor beast. Pretty dull.
A Handful Does Not Ruin the Bunch
Despite the handful of tedious chapters, there are many that more than make up for it. There is a chapter where Qui-Gon is communing with Obi-Wan that I really enjoyed. The chapter from Tarkin’s point of view as well as a couple of members of the Imperial High Council are really fun. I think my favorite chapter is the one where a stormtrooper is filing an incident report from the events at Mos Eisley. I know that probably sounds as dreary as MSE racing but the author, Daniel Jose Older, makes it very entertaining. In fact his Star Wars book, Last Shot, is on my short list to read next.
Superfluous chapters aside, this is a great book to read. I would definitely recommend it for any Star Wars fan. If you’re reading a chapter that you find especially boring, you can freely skip it without missing something important. None of the chapters really build on each other, they only accompany the main plot of the movie. I’m really glad I decided to read it.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss
Captain Marvel
Directed By: Anna Boden
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson
A Kree by the name of Vers (Brie Larson) crashes on Earth, circa 1995. She is hunting Skrull who are seeking technology the Kree do not want them to have. Assisting her on her mission is SHIELD agent Nick Fury. During her search she also has flashbacks that seem to be from a previous life. Are these flashbacks key to defeating the Skrull and/or helping her find out who she really is?
Biggs’ Review
I really enjoyed this movie. I can’t say if it’s the witty writing or the homage to the 90’s that I found truly entertaining. The flashbacks to Blockbuster Video and Alta Vista were especially memorable. This movie ties into all the other films so nicely (and not just the specific Avengers movies). It is also entertaining to see a young Nick Fury and a young, newly recruited, Phil Coulson in action. I hope Clark Gregg is comfortable with being typecast because he’s going to be Phil Coulson for the rest of his days.
In fact one of the fun things to do during this film is to spot the easter eggs, especially if you are a child of the 90s. However, it isn’t just the 1990 cultural references. There are also little bits of minutiae from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as the other MCU movies.
The SHIELD Inconsistency and Stan Lee
Perhaps the one issue I found to be inconsistent in the film is the use of the S.H.I.E.L.D. acronym. The events of this movie takes place in 1995, which is 13 years prior to Iron Man. When Coulson introduces himself in Iron Man he always recites the entire name of SHIELD. There are even jokes about “working on the name”. However throughout the entire Captain Marvel movie they always call themselves SHIELD. So either Coulson is being a smart ass in Iron Man or its a missed inconsistency. If anyone knows of another explanation which I have not yet found, please comment.
If you haven’t heard by now, Captain Marvel is the first Marvel movie to be released after Stan Lee’s death. Which means his cameo in this film is also the last cameo he will ever do (and its an excellent cameo, especially if you’ve seen Mallrats). To honor Stan Lee and his work, the Marvel Studios sequence at the beginning of the movie has been changed to be all of Stan Lee’s cameos. What a truly fantastic homage and I hope that is a permanent change (including the “Thank You Stan” at the end).
Female Empowerment
I am, by no means, a feminist. However, despite my presumed political leanings, I do support gender equality. Therefore I think this movie makes huge strides in support of gender equality. It is the first solo-female lead in the MCU universe. It is written exclusively by women. The soundtrack, which is very good, is composed by Pinar Toprak who is the first female to compose an MCU movie. In fact I really wanted my daughter to see this movie because its exclusively about a female super hero. The best part is, the movie never tries to make that point. There are no subtle undertones or subliminal messages and nothing is constantly shoved in your face. All of the female empowerment associated with this film is tucked away in the trivia. /end slightly political editorial.
Final comment: this is an excellent addition to the MCU collection of movies, definitely worth seeing in the theater, despite the lurking “super hero burn out”.
/cheers
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick
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“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams