I’m not sure if you told me ten years ago the best piece of Spider-Man fiction would be an animated series of films I would have believed you. But here I am, two films in, and I can not stop thinking about how mind-bogglingly perfect these damn movies are. The folks behind Miles Morales and his journey as Spider-Man, not only have the courage to attempt to make lightning strike the same place twice, they’ve figured out how to make lightning…better.
Read MoreThe Guardians of the Galaxy were a middling comic hero team devised in the late 60s. One that never really reached any amount of wide acclaim. To this day, the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie is one of the closest things to a perfect execution in establishing a relationship with unknown characters. After the first movie the names Starlord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Nebula became household names. Now, nearly ten years later, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 seeks to remind us why we cared, show us we were right to care, and make us root for our beloved misfits one last time. Ya’ll…it fucking rules.
Read MoreIt’s understandable to look at that laundry list of MCU goings-on and raise your shoulders, cock your head, and ask…what the hell is going on? The answer to that specific question is, well, nonspecific: a lot. A lot is going on. How do you take this roiling molecular spaghetti of a universe and push it forward in almost every direction at once? I will answer that question…with a question of my own. Did you know ants can carry 10-50 times their body weight?
Read MoreRyan Coogler, director of the first Black Panther and director and writer of the planned sequel later told press that after Boseman passed he contemplated quitting film all together, such was the impact and influence of Chadwick’s death. When Coogler decided to proceed, he said it was because he knew what he needed to do. In the months that followed we learned what he meant. That the upcoming Wakanda Forever was going to be a tribute to all things Wakanda. A memorial for Chadwick, a continuation of his legacy, and the next step for the characters we all met, as they grieved the loss of their King. Of their Black Panther.
Read MoreWandaVision introduced us to altered reality, Loki introduced us to the Time Variance Authority and alternate timelines, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness introduced us to alternate universes. For a saga of films that has existed for nearly 15 years, in the last year and a half alone our perception of what the MCU could entail has been expanded tenfold. With this comes risk. How could you scale something so quickly without risk? But more than just risk, as a viewer, you are being asked to keep track of more. It should come as no small comfort then, to know that Thor: Love and Thunder is one of the most digestible, fun, and easy to approach since Black Panther.
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