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Marvel

Black Widow – Cate Shortland (2021)

Not really knowing many films that I want to see, I started browsing the Marvel franchise. I figured Scarlett Johansson is probably not a bad pick, so I watched “Black Widow”. Apparently Johansson’s character is, or used to be, one of the Avengers, so perhaps in hindsight I might have better watch these first. Oh well.

Natasha Romanoff (Johansson) is a retired Avenger looking for a quiet life. Needless to say that this is not how things will be and she is changed both by a superpower enemy and her (former) allies. Of course Romanoff is a one woman army who does not let herself get caught so easily.

There was a time I thought (hoped) that these Marvel films are more like Sin City, a mix between comic and film, but so far they never are. Instead “Black Widow” is an action movie with a somewhat superhero touch and a bit too much drama. Not boring, not great.

Amusingly (and not entirely unexpectedly) there are references to other Marvel movies, so I guess these films get more fun the more you have seen. Also a nice surprise was David Harbour who looks like a mix between Hopper (from Stranger Things) and a former superhero in tights who is probably the lead in other Marvel production.

Captain Marvel – Boden & Fleck (2019)

I am not too familiar with the Marvel merch, but since I watched the “Black Panther” films I am now suggested other Marvel films. So I watched “Captain Marvel”.

Carol is a test pilot who crashed an experimental plane and somehow ended up on another planet with a new identity and a wiped-out past. Trained within an elite group to fight bad guys, Carol is sent on different missions. In one of the them she ends up on earth in 1995.

Along the line, Carol starts to unravel her past and it starts to dawn on her that the new reality that she is taught is not quite how things really are. Or should be.

Of course Carol develops from being a girl with superpowers that she cannot control towards being the most mighty of all superheroes fighting villains and helping the weak.

The film has amusing parts by Samuel L. Jackson and Jude Law, also we run into Lashana Lynch and Ben Mendelsohn.

An alright watch. A bit of spectacle a bit story, some humour. I am somewhat curious how other Marvel films are linked to the story (if at all) so I may watch another few.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Ryan Coogler (2022)

The second “Black Panther” brings another highly entertaining mix between African culture and science-fiction. Characters in traditional African apparel (at least, in some situations) are picked up by flying saucers, the vibranium that they mine gives them extremely high technology going from advanced AI to impenetrable suits, superhuman power and what not.

The imaginary African state of Wakanda has earned a place in the international community, but actually everybody is only after their vibranium. Then there appears to be another state that is as advanced as Wakanda. This could be an ally or a foe.

Naturally, when another such nation with similar technology is an enemy, this allows for over-the-top scifi action and so it is. African traditions and languages can in this story be supplemented with South American ancient culture. The technology is very imaginative. The action is a bit too much here and there perhaps and the drama is a bit too ‘thick’ for my liking two, but overal this second “Black Panther” makes a very interesting and watch-worthy Marvel spectactle.

Black Panther – Ryan Coogler (2018)

The follow-up was a preview before “Woman King“, which made me somewhat curious about the film. “Black Panther” holds the middle between adventure, science-fiction and superhero action.

The imaginary African state of Wakanda is built on a vibranium mine. Vibranium is an odd substance that came with a comet and allows the inhabitents of Wakanda extremely high-tech sollutions; hence the sci-fi elements. The Wandians have super-cars, super-suits and super-weapons which gives the film the superhero elements. The movie is indeed based on a comic.

A piece of vibranium that was kept in a museum outside Wakandu was stolen and the Wakandians set out to retrieve it and to prevent the powers of vibranium falling in the wrong hands.

“Black Panther” is a bit of a ‘blacksploitation’ with mostly black actors (the white ones are the villains). Besides all the sci-fi and spectacle, there are also ‘African elements’ which bring the ‘adventure’ elements that are somewhat out of place. This is exactly what makes the film somewhat atypical which is not a bad thing.

All in all not a masterpiece, but an enjoyable sci-fi, superhero action.

Ant-Man * Peyton Reed (2015)

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The on demand catalogue of my TV provider already is pretty poor and then I choose a poor title from that catalogue as well…

“Ant-Man” is a Marvel, a comic put to film. Actually it is just another superhero film but without much spectacle or ‘comic-film’ effects. A scientist (Hank Pym, Michael Douglas) invented a machine that can reduce the space between atoms without loosing their original functionality. Having made a suit with that functionality, the wearer can shrink to the size of an ant while using his original powers. Of course bad people have bad plans and the good guys have to prevent the bad guys from doing bad things. You know the story.

The film is not really boring, but neither did I find it very entertaining. It is all pretty predictable and the film has a kids movie atmosphere. Perhaps a film to see a bit from when it happens to be on television, but I would not recommend you to try to see it.

Thor: The Dark World * Alan Taylor & James Gunn (2013)

Obviously a follow up of the 2011 “Thor” film, but with other directors. Reading back my review of the other “Thor” film, I was not too enthousiastic, but this time I was! I do not know if it was the big screen, the 3D (which did not add all that much, but still) or the alcohol consumed prior to and during the film, the “The Dark World” is a true spectacle. The actors are the same so/and ‘mythological wise’ there is a lot to complain, but there are also nice, subtle mythological references. Besides, since the heathen Gods are victorious, this is a nice way to introduce new folks to the old ways, or…?
This time the dark alfs (leaded by a character with an unnorse name Malekith) try to take advantage of an allignment of the nine worlds. Thor’s earthly girlfriend of the first film stumbled upon the powerfull force called “aether” and Thor has to come and save her. Jane is taken to Asgard where war is waged.
Impressive scifi computer graffics and a lot of spectacle make “The Dark World” an entertaining Hollywood production. Do not get annoyed too much about the mythological inconsistancies, just enjoy the references that are there. Not a must-see, but a good option when you are up for some action spectacle.

Thor * Kenneth Branagh (2011)

The film is based on a comic which is (of course) based on Norse mythology. Losely based I might say. Loki’s mother became a father and he is a brother to Thor. The “white Ase” Heimdall became a negroid and there are some other ‘free interpretations’. Leaving them aside you get some sort of sci-fi action film with some names and themes from Northern mythology. The result is not utterly boring, but not really exiting either. Thor finds himself cast to the earth without his usual powers. He is picked up by a group of scientists and eventually won back for Asgard, which is located on some other planet. There are some funny findings, such as Bifrost as a worm-hole Thor’s ‘meteorite’ and however the ‘frost giants’ are a bit silly, the ‘fire giant’ looks great. You will get the expected spectacle, Anthony Hopkins as Odin and good-looking (computer) stages.