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SCENE IT ALL BEFORE

Panther Power

2/17/2018

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The Black Panther Reviewed

There is a lot of positive buzz following the release of Black Panther, no doubt prompting a sigh of relief for those involved, because there was also a lot of pressure on this movie to be good. When I went to see this movie in my South Philadelphia community I knew the theater would be packed, so I tried to go in the early afternoon, but the theater was filled and two other later showings were already sold out. People dressed in traditional African outfits were taking pictures in front of the move poster, and a class full of kids filled the back rows of the theater, with their teachers shouting instructions to behave during the screening. This movie meant something to a lot of people as the Black community has waited so long for representation in superhero movies, and it delivers.

Black Panther is the 18th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and takes place a week after the events of Captain America: Civil War. The last king of Wakanda, T’Chaka, died following an explosion at the United Nations now his son T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is set to become the country’s new king and the Black Panther, protector of Wakanda. But there are several challenges to his throne and a mercenary looking to sell the country’s most valuable resource, vibranium, on the black market.

The success of a superhero movie hinges on its villain. While most villains want to rule the world or destroy the world, the rationale behind it is usually “because I want to.” Michael B. Jordan plays Erik Killmonger and is one of the most fully-formed characters in the Marvel Universe. Sure, he's trying to kill our hero so we have to root against him; however, his rationale for doing so made me take pause and question – maybe we should hear this guy out. He has a line towards the end of the movie that vaulted him up to quite possibly my favorite movie villain of all time. It all helps that Jordan is one of the best young actors working out there. His performance and this character take this movie to another level.
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Black Panther is full of well-rounded characters, from a flawed father-figure, to the leader of the Jabari Tribe who is kind of a jerk but justified in feeling slighted. But the best characters in the movie are the people surrounding T’Challa, specifically the four women in his life. Lupita Nyong’o plays his ex-girlfriend and a bad ass spy; his female entourage also includes the general of his armies, the queen mother played by Angela Bassett, and the real hero of the movie—his younger sister and the nation’s leading scientist, Shuri (Letitia Wright). The Black Panther looks to these women for guidance throughout the story and what they do is maybe even more impressive than our hero because they do it without a vibranium suit.

Black Panther is not as funny as some of the more recent Marvel movies, but that’s never really who the Black Panther was. Don't get me wrong—there are funny parts to this movie. Martin Freeman in particular, stands out as a comedic mouthpiece and clueless American. However, the Black Panther himself needs to be forthright and strong, and having him make a lot of quips during a fight would betray that.

There isn’t a bad Marvel movie out there, but Black Panther stands out to me because it is not just a great superhero movie, it’s a great movie. Beyond the costumes and stunts, this movie deals with questions of identity, responsibility, and what we owe to the people around us. Director Ryan Coogler is forcing the audience to think about what we believe in even within the framework of an entertaining blockbuster. The Black Panther is arguably the MCU’s most complete movie and should be the bar for what we expect going forward. A

P.S. Stay tuned for two after credit scenes that help set up the role Wakanda plays in the next movie Avengers: Infinity War.
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Here Comes Spider-Man... Again

7/6/2017

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Spider-Man: HOmecoming Reviewed

Over the course of 15 years, we have had six Spider-Man movies with three different actors. And while we have web-slinger to thank for the recent explosion of superhero movies, the last two Amazing Spider-Man movies with Andrew Garfield didn't exactly help Spidey's street cred. Knowing that we've been burned before, can entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe help reignite the world's love of Marvel's most popular superhero?

Spider-Man: Homecoming begins after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Now that Spider-man has gone toe-to-toe with Cap he's ready to be the next Avenger. But Tony Stark still thinks he needs a little bit of training and wants him to be the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

First off, it is an absolute treat to not have another Spider-Man start with his origin story. We've seen the spider bite twice now; everyone knows how Spider-Man got his powers. Besides watching Bruce Wayne's parents getting shot it's one of the most well-known origin stories in the comics, so I was relieved to see no mention of Uncle Ben. It's also a treat to have actors that look like they could be in high school playing high school students. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were both in their mid-twenties when they played Peter Parker, so casting 19-year-old Tom Holland was refreshing. 

A superhero movie can only be as good as its villain and Michael Keaton's fantastic as The Vulture. Keaton is straight up crazy in this movie in the best possible way. He is a blue-collar worker who resents having been snubbed by the 1% and wants to get his so he can provide a good life for his family. This type of villain fits into the small-time feel that the movie is going for and it's refreshing to know that not every Marvel movie has to feature a world-threatening event. 
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The whole cast is fantastic but Keaton is at his best as the blue-collar villain
There are a lot of good action sequences in this movie as well. The movie uses the Marvel effects team instead of Sony's, so it looks like the other Marvel movies that fans have grown accustomed to. It's a shame the action is ruined by a sense of familiarity. Not only have we seen all of the movie's major action beats in the trailer, but in other Marvel movies as well. While we've never seen a boat cut in half in any other movie, and it's cool when he jumps over a helicopter, by now that all seems par for the course, which is kind of incredible to say.

Spider-Man has always been a very relatable character, well-known for his snark, and the young Tom Holland is terrific in the title role. But with five previous Spider-Man movies and this being the 16th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe can we really be surprised anymore? This story is only unique to Marvel in that it's the first one about a high schooler, but that's well-trodden territory elsewhere. Marvel is one of the most successful studios out there and if you've liked their other movies you will like Spider-Man: Homecoming as well. Just don't expect to be taken back by anything, because no matter how good this movie is we've been here before. B 

If you really have to go to the bathroom as soon as the two-hour and 13 minute movie ends then feel free. The two post-credit scenes don't do anything to further the over-arching story in the MCU. However, the scene at the very end is very funny.
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Hooked On A Feeling

5/4/2017

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2 Reviewes

Is it possible to be a Marvel hipster? Can I do it without sounding like a douchebag? If so I knew Guardians of the Galaxy was going to be a hit when most people still had no idea why Vin Diesel was going to play a talking tree. The format of the comic and the people they cast gave me a spidey-sense that this was going to be a big movie. That year Guardians was my second favorite movie of the year and it grossed $773 million. Expectations are high for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 but this movie is the perfect combination of action and comedy that has made Marvel one of the most profitable studios in Hollywood.
 
I want to say the story for the sequel doesn't matter as much. You're not here for the story; you're here for the franchise and the team. But for those of you curious, this movie is about Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finding his father (Kurt Russell) and what that means for Starlord’s destiny. That is really all I can tell you without giving everything away. 
 
If you like the original Guardians you are obviously going to love this movie as well. The first movie caught people off guard; I don't think they were expecting it to be as funny as it was given its superhero backdrop. The sequel has a lot of the same energy but when people walk into the theater they are going to have an idea of what is coming. I don't know if this one is better than the original but I liked them equally. And even if you get dragged to this movie by the Marvel fan in your life you should be able to enjoy it.
 
Guardians 2 does sag a little bit in the middle, especially as they try to set up what's coming. Luckily they make sure the laughs never stop, even when the action does. The jokes in this movie work incredibly well; from the dialogue, to Baby Groot, to all the incredible 80s references I was laughing a lot. And for every moment that you are sitting there, hoping they stop explaining everything, all those explanations pay off in an action-packed and emotional final act. 
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In case you are wondering the soundtrack to this movie is also pretty great.
The cast of this movie continues to shine. Obviously, Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana are fantastic. I don't think there is anyone out there that doubts the star power of Chris Pratt, especially after this franchise and Jurassic World has made him one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. I never pictured Dave Bautista as a funny guy but I love Drax delivering deadpan lines and having an over-the-top laugh. Then there is Baby Groot, who has some of the best one-liners in the movie and Bradley Cooper who embodies everything that is Rocket. It was also nice seeing Michael Rooker's Yondu getting more to do this movie. Of all the new members to the team, his character adds the most depth to the story. 
 
Beyond the core members of the team, the cast surrounding our heroes is great. This includes Kurt Russell, who has been riding high on a much-deserved career resurgence, and several different big-name cameos.  Also of note, make sure you don't go anywhere after the movie ends because, typical of Marvel, there are a bunch of after credits sequences, including one all the way at the bitter end.
 
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 doesn't do anything to set up Avengers: Infinity War besides mention Thanos’s name a couple times, which to me is a good thing. I like these characters and I like how far away they are from everything going on in The Avengers world. I know they will eventually team up, but until then I'm enjoying letting the Guardians be one of the best aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
A
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