Catching Up On Some Marvel Projects-Part 1

Hello friends! In my eternal quest to avoid the awful real world, I’ve decided to set aside the endless rewatching of Star Wars I’ve seen a thousand times, and catch up with some Marvel projects I’ve let slide over the past year or so. I don’t know what kept me away, but once I started watching, I realized how much I missed this wacky world, lol. Here are some brief thoughts on a few installments (in watch-order):

Captain America: Brave New World. I perked up at this one initially because of Harrison Ford, but didn’t get around to it and then it just fell off my radar for awhile. I finally watched it, and thought it was pretty good. I don’t have anything against Sam Wilson as Captain America, but he just doesn’t have the same pull for me as Steve Rogers. And that’s the point, I guess. Sam is still trying to prove himself, to show that he can fill Steve’s shoes, but the problem is, even he doesn’t believe he can. But he shows up for work anyway, lol. I had some trouble following the plot, but it’s tied to the old Hulk movie (The Incredible Hulk from 2008 with Edward Norton as the Hulk and William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross). I might have seen that movie, lol, but I don’t remember much of it. This movie also ties into Eternals, as the countries of the world are negotiating for access to adamantite, the new super-mineral found in the Emergence in the Indian Ocean, the one that was going to destroy the earth but was stopped by the Eternals (I loved that movie, by the way!) The villain, called The Leader, whose name is Samuel Stearns, was in the old Hulk movie; he was a scientist affected by gamma radiation and imprisoned by Ross. He wants revenge on Ross, and has been secretly poisoning him with gamma pills for decades. It takes until the end of the movie before Ross transorms into the Red Hulk, and this time it’s DC that’s practically destroyed by these super-beings, lol. Pretty good, but not great, although I did love seeing Ford in a Marvel movie.

Thunderbolts. Okay, this one was super-fun. And really pulled on my hearstrings, if I’m being honest. Basically it’s about a bunch of sub-par “super-heroes” that must band together to stop a new threat. And it’s not that they’re sub-par, really, they’re just damaged human beings who have to go up against another damaged human being. The central figure is Yelena Belova, Black Widow’s sister, who’s been dealing with a sense of purposelessness. There’s also her boisterous father, Red Guardian, John Walker (the substitute Captain America shortly after Steve was gone and who’s kind of a jerk), Ava Starr (Ghost, who I’ve never heard of, lol), Bucky Barnes (eventually), and a guy named Bob. This group is working together (reluctantly) against Valentina Allegra du Fontaine, who is trying to build the latest “super-soldier” called Sentry, who happens to be the last test subject, Bob. Bob is a very sweet, but very troubled young man who’d had a rough childhood, had been a meth addict, and possessed zero self-esteem. But the powers bestowed on him through the Sentry Project are immense, and Allegra manipulates him into doing her bidding. Or she tries to, but new, improved Bob senses she’s using him and gets mad, so she hits the kill-switch. But it doesn’t work, and Bob goes full-dark, plunging New York City (and presumably, the rest of the world if he isn’t stopped) into the darkness of the Void. Yelena, who knows a little something about the Void, steps into the dark, and relives every shameful moment of her life, which is what happens to anyone in this shadow-world. But eventually she finds Bob–sweet, troubled Bob–hiding in a room, and she and the rest of the crew (who followed her in) help him face his dark side. These are all people who have done some terrible things, but this group of misfit antiheroes all help Bob face the darkness and let him know he’s not alone. “No one is no one.” I actually got a little choked up, lol. It’s quite funny, too, in that goofy, Marvel way. Anyway, they save the day and Allegra, to save face, proclaims them the “New Avengers.” We’ll see if that sticks, as in an end credit scene, it’s revealed that Sam Wilson isn’t too happy about the title. They also see the Fantastic Four’s ship approaching onscreen, an “interdimensional” ship. So somehow the F4 (from a different multiverse) are coming to this one. Now I really can’t wait to see what’s coming up!

What If…Season 3. I watched the first two seasons of this animated gem, and really enjoyed them. But for some reason, I slept on this one. I think I thought there were a few characters I didn’t know and so wouldn’t know what was going on, but even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter. With each episode, I thought, “This is probably going to be dumb,” but they were, in fact, delightful. The first one had a bunch of crazy Hulk-spawned godzilla-like monsters, lol, but it was fun, and I loved seeing Moon Knight in the group that fought them (it’s one of my favorite Marvel shows). The second one had Agatha (from Agatha All Along, which I did not watch) and Kingo from Eternals (which, as I’ve mentioned before, I adore). They’re making a Bollywood-style movie with Howard Stark directing, and the dance number is truly spectacular, lol. The one with Darcy and Howard the Duck marrying and having a baby (in egg form for most of it) is wacky but fun and pretty sweet, as they risk their lives to protect their child (the child comes back in the last two episodes all grown up; she’s called Birdie, and has amazing powers). Anyway, I could go on, but the main throughline is that the Watcher is always watching and isn’t supposed to interfere. But he does, and gets in trouble with his superiors. Peggy “Captain” Carter gets wind of this and goes off to help him with her friends: Birdie, Storm (a Storm/Thor hybrid) and Kahhori, the Mohawk woman introduced in Season 2. What ensues is a prolonged battle between these super-beings with the Watcher’s superiors, who are also super-beings, and it’s a stalemate that goes on way too long, in my opinion. Anyway, Peggy sacrifices herself to save her friends, and the Watcher (whose real name is Oatu), helps his mentor learn the difference between watching and really seeing. Super fun and better late than never.

Marvel Zombies. So, zombies…again, lol. I wasn’t going to watch this one, but thought, oh, what the heck, I’ve been reading about zombies, so why not? And it’s a sequel to a What If… episode from Season 2 which ends on a cliffhanger. So basically, in this universe, you guessed it–the world is overrun by zombies. What happened was that Hope Van Dyne sent her father, Hank Pym, after her mother in the Quantum Realm, but Janet Van Dyne was infected with some sort of zombie disease. When Hope pulled them out, it spread from there, quickly taking the Avengers and leaving hope for humanity in the hands of other superheroes. It’s mostly from the point of view of Kamala Khan from Ms. Marvel (I show I did not watch–but I might now). She and her friends, Riri Williams (from Wakanda) and Kate Bishop (Hawkeye’s apprentice), find a tiny techno-thingy in a crashed ship in New York, and figure out it can send a message to Nova Prime, whose people might be able to help them. So off they go to find a SHIELD base, but it’s overrun already. Riri and Kate are killed, but Kamala is saved by a Blade/Moon Knight hybrid. Over the course of four episodes, they find and join others in the fight, losing some, gaining others, until the big battle at the end between the zombie Queen of the Dead (Wanda) who controls all the undead, and Kamala and whatever heroes are left to protect Infinity Hulk (it’s a very long story, lol). Basically, Kamala gives in to Wanda’s urging to join with her to end the zombie nightmare. With their combined power, along with Infinity Hulk’s power, everything changes–everything goes back to normal, her friends are still alive, it’s as if nothing ever happened. But underneath, she sees quick flashes of the truth: the whole thing is just an illusion. Another one of Wanda’s elaborate illusions to cover up the painful truth. It ends on that note, and though it’s not the ending I would have preferred, the series was fun.

I did catch Fantastic 4 in theaters when it came out this past summer, and loved it. It was set in a different version of the multiverse, so it was kind of its own thing and I didn’t have to see any of these others before seeing it. But based on the final credits scene in Thunderbolts, looks like they’re on their way to the one we’re familiar with. Also, the final credit scene of F4 itself hints at Dr. Doom (I think that’s him?) as the next big villain. I don’t know a thing about that guy, lol.

Looking forward to the next installment, whatever it may be.

I’m planning on watching Wakanda Forever, Ironheart, and Ms. Marvel, so stay tuned for Part 2.

My Entertainment Update for January 2024

Hello friends and welcome to my entertainment update for January! Here’s what’s been entertaining me lately:

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. This book caught my eye when it first came out in 2013 and has been on my mental book list ever since. I found this used edition at my local Salvation Army for a few bucks and decided it was time to read it. It’s about two magical creatures from two different cultures: a golem from Jewish tradition and a jinni from Arabic culture. A golem is a being made from clay in human form and brought to life, meant to protect their master. A jinni (genie) is, well, you know; but my understanding of these spirit creatures is being expanded by this book.

The “present” of the novel takes place in turn-of-the-century New York City, but we get flashbacks of the Jinni’s long life in Syria, though he doesn’t remember how he was put into the flask in which he is found by Arbeely, a tinsmith in Little Syria. Turns out he was imprisoned by a wizard a thousand years ago. The golem, on the other hand, is very new, having been created by an old rabbi wizard named Shalmaan in Poland for a man named Rotfeld, who wanted a wife and companion as he embarked on a journey to the New World. Unfortunately, Rotfeld died on the ship over from a burst appendix, and the golem is left alone. In the city, a Rabbi named Avram recognizes what she is and takes her in to help her. Both creatures must learn to navigate this bewildering new world.

It’s a big book (over 400 pages) and it’s a slow burn; I’m about a fourth of the way through and they haven’t met yet. I’m reading it rather leisurely, but it’s very intriguing and compulsively readable. I’ll check in again when I finish it, hopefully at next month’s update.

Cobalt Squadron, by Elizabeth Wein. This is a junior novel that takes place between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, centering on Rose Tico and her sister Paige. I’ve been in the mood for more sequel stories, and this is one I hadn’t gotten to yet. We see Paige Tico die at the beginning of The Last Jedi in the bomber run against the First Order, and Rose later grieving for her. We are led to understand that they were very close, but we don’t get to see that in the film. So we get it here in this book, as they serve together on the bomber Hammer of Cobalt Squadron. The bombers of Cobalt and Crimson Squadrons are on a mission to help Atterra Bravo, a planet that’s being blockaded by The First Order. They must perform a series of supply drops to the planet while evading asteroids (some of which are armed with automatic cannons) and First Order TIE fighters. The bomber supply runs are dangerous and nerve-wracking, but Rose remains brave and determined as long as her sister Paige is in the gunner turret. In fact, Rose can’t imagine going on a mission without her sister. By the end of the story, she’s ready to be separated from Paige, after the destruction of Hosnian Prime puts them on different ships–Rose on Amilyn Holdo’s Ninka, and Paige on the Hammer, where she’ll be killed. It’s a sad foreknowledge, but I enjoyed this book where they could serve together one last time.

What If… S2. I’ve been a bit picky about the Marvel projects I’ve watched lately, having skipped most of the live-action shows and only viewing the latest movies (the notable exception being Loki Season 2). I enjoyed the first season of the animated show What If…? but when I saw that Season 2 was out, I thought, meh. I don’t know why, I guess I just wasn’t ready. But once I finally watched the first episode, I was hooked all over again. Each episode just got better and better. While the episodes explore variations of our heroes (and villains) in several different multiverses, there is an over-arching story arc involving Peggy Carter aka Captain Carter, continuing on from Season 1. I wasn’t particularly interested in her at first, but she’s grown on me. I loved every single episode here; they’re super fun, often hilarious, and could be heartbreaking as well. I also love how at the end of the last episode, the multiverse here is somehow connected to the World Tree multiverse that Loki is now holding together, though only vaguely. I’m hoping we’ll get more information on that in a Season 3.

Echo. This series is billed as a “Marvel Spotlight” as it’s only five episodes long, just long enough to focus on Maya Lopez, a character introduced in the Hawkeye series. While that series didn’t wow me as much as I’d have liked, I was intrigued by this character who is deaf and has a prosthetic leg. That doesn’t stop her from being totally badass, of course. There’s plenty of action here, but the heart of this series is Maya’s story. We got a little bit of it in Hawkeye, but it’s expanded on here, and let me tell you: it’s fantastic.

Maya comes from a long line of gifted Chocktaw women, and her Native heritage is front and center in this show. The crux of Maya’s story is her need to choose between her birth family in Oklahoma (which includes her estranged grandmother Chula, her cousin Bonnie, another cousin named Biscuits, and her uncle Henry); and her uncle in New York who happens to be the villain Kingpin. I don’t know much about Kingpin, other than he runs a criminal empire. He also loves Maya very much (or what seems to serve as love, for him). After her father died, he took her into his organization and she became an integral part of it, doing a lot of his dirty work. Fueled by rage and a sense of abandonment by her birth family, it took Hawkeye to open her eyes to her uncle’s ruthlessness. Oh, and he killed her father. At the end of the Hawkeye series, she shoots Kingpin in the face, believing him dead.

But of course he’s not. He pursues Maya to Oklahoma, presumably to kill her, but really to try to make amends and bring her back into the organization. But Maya’s having visions of her ancestors and must decide who she wants to be and where her loyalties lie.

I didn’t think I was going to watch this series, but I’m so glad I did! Don’t sleep on this gem if you can help it.

In Star Wars news, we got some pretty exciting announcements lately, such as:

The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, Ahsoka S2 announced. On top of the three movies that have been talked about the past few months (the Rey New Jedi Order movie, the James Mangold Dawn of the Jedi movie, and the Dave Filoni Mandoverse movie), suddenly out of nowhere we get an announcement stating there will be a movie about Din and Grogu called, originally enough, The Mandalorian and Grogu. There was some debate about whether or not this movie will replace a season four of The Mandalorian, but I think the consensus is that it will not. There will be a S4 of The Mandalorian and this movie. At some point. There are no anticipated release dates for any of these films or shows, including the near-afterthought announcement of an Ahsoka Season Two. I was happy to hear about that. Of course, as is always the case, things may change. I’m just going to sit back and wait and see what they bring us and not hold my breath for anything, lol.

Bad Batch S3 Trailer. And of course, we got the first trailer for The Bad Batch Season 3, which I’m super-excited about, as you may imagine. I posted a brief reaction to the trailer the other day and am just counting down the days to February 21st when it premieres.

So that’s it this month. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

MCU Catch-Up Post

So now that the Star Wars content is slowing down a bit–both the Bad Batch and The Mandalorian seasons are done, Visions 2 is out and watched, and The High Republic Phase 2 is winding down–I can take a breather and catch up on some MCU events that I’ve been putting on the back burner for awhile.

I’ve been opting out of some of the shows from last year, like Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk. But movies from the original players? I’m in (although I was a little disappointed with Dr. Strange 2 and Thor 4). I did wait for Wakanda and Quantumania to get to Disney Plus (and I haven’t gotten to Wakanda yet), but Guardians had to be watched in the theater. Here’s my brief thoughts on those installments:

Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. I’ve always like Scott Lang. He’s your average guy, a former thief, working at the Baskin Robbins after jail time, trying to be a good father to his daughter, Cassie. Certainly not Avenger material in most people’s eyes, maybe not even super-hero material. He’s certainly not a billionaire playboy genius, or an alien god. But his down-to-earth qualities, his humor, and his love for his child is its own brand of super hero to me. Anyway, the Ant Man movies have always been fun, and a lot of it has to do with Paul Rudd’s aw-shucks performance. This one brings Kang and the multiverse into the films in a big way. Scott, Cassie, Hope, Henry and Janet are all propelled back into the quantum realm with one of Cassie’s experiments, they get separated, and realize it’s filled with all kinds of people who are being ruled by the Conqueror. This is one of Kang’s variants, one of many that He Who Remains in Loki warned them about. Janet, Hope’s mom, had spent 30 years in the quantum realm, but when she got back, she didn’t tell anyone about him and his conquering ways, or her involvement in the whole thing. Once there, Janet the bad-ass comes out and she and the others have to work together to save the Quantum realm from Kang. Lots of fun. And one of the end credits is a scene from Loki Season 2!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Besides Dr. Strange and Loki, the Guardians are one of my favorite aspects of the MCU. The sheer zaniness and utter goofiness, along with its huge sense of heart, is what makes me love these guys so much. I never would have guessed I’d love a talking raccoon so much, lol. But I do, and it’s this installment that finally gets into Rocket’s history, and it’s as heart-rending and poignant as one would think. Rocket’s mysterious maker is looking for him because he wants his smart brain, and sends Adam Warlock after him on Knowhere. Rocket gets injured and is dying, but there’s a kill switch inside of him, preventing his friends from saving him. They set off to find a key to the kill switch, and during their adventures, the unconscious Rocket dreams of his past. We meet his first sweet friends: Lyla, Teefs, and Floor, other animals that had been experimented on by the “High Evolutionary,” a mad scientist type who dreams of “perfecting” life forms. This guy has a serious God-complex, and Rocket and his friends are only expendable experimental steps in his master plan. Meanwhile, Peter is still mourning the loss of “his” Gamora, while working with the alternate-universe Gamora who is definitely not in love with him. The rest of the crew–Nebula, Drax, Mantis, and Groot–all work together to save Rocket, arguing and fighting with each other the whole time, but loving each other as well. They’re a true family, lol. It’s that absolute dedication to each other that makes me love them. But honestly, it was the animals that moved me the most. This movie was fun, sad, exciting, hilarious, and just all around a good time, which is what the Guardians do best. A satisfying third and probably final Guardians foray. Oh, and the music is always the best.

And in Loki news, I recently heard that Season 2 will premiere on October 6th of this year. It’s later than I originally thought, and that’s disappointing, but at least we have a release date!

I absolutely loved these two movies; they’re everything I love about the MCU. I’ll try and get to Wakanda one of these days, but I just haven’t been feeling it lately. Plus it’s almost three hours, and seems like a chore right now, lol.

Have you seen these movies? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Moon Knight Ep 1: The Goldfish Problem

Marvel’s Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, premiered this past Wednesday, and I was very much entertained.

Isaac’s Steven Grant is a “gift shoppist” in a London Museum, and is, quite frankly, wishy-washy. But the reason for this is that his life is, well, kind of falling apart. It soon becomes apparent why he goes to bed with leg restraints, has a circle of sand around his bed, and tapes up his door. He has very real “nightmares” in which he finds himself in strange places and has no idea what’s going on.

In this first episode, he finds himself in what looks like Switzerland, being chased by two men with guns. He runs into a town where a bizarre cult-like meeting is going on. Hawke’s character, Arthur Harrow (who puts crushed glass in his shoes in the opening scene…uh, okay) uses some ancient-looking cane to judge people’s souls, the results of which show on the shape-shifting tattoo of scales on his arm. He seems to be the vessel for an ancient Egyptian goddess (whose name escapes me right now).

Anyway, the two guys with guns work for him, and Steven comes to his attention. He apparently has some scarab jewel that Harrow wants, and Steven very much wants to give it to him so they’ll leave him alone. But he can’t–at this point, he figures out that he’s sometimes under the control of someone else, and can hear a voice in his head (who calls him “the idiot”). This person makes it impossible for Steven to give Harrow the scarab.

A chase ensues. He’s cornered, and something happens–he blacks out, and when he comes to, Harrow’s pursuers are dead around him. He steals a cupcake truck and flees, and more henchmen pursue him down the long, windy roads of Switzerland. Steven, of course, is completely out of his element–but when things seem to get really bad, he blacks out, and someone ends up dead. And the voice continues to insult him in his ear. The most he can do is smash cupcakes into some guy’s face, which was hilarious to me.

Anyway, he finally wakes up in his own bed and laughs because of course it was a dream. Right? But things get worse from there. There’s something different about his goldfish–it’s got two fins instead of his usual one. He’s lost two days, because somehow he’d made a date with a hot chic (this is a guy who has no friends and talks to a statue) for Friday night, but it’s now Sunday. He finds a burner phone and calls someone named “Layla” who calls him Mark, and who is confused by his British accent. There’s also a key to…something. Then something weird starts to happen in his apartment; it begins to shake like there’s an earthquake. He runs into the hallway and into the elevator, and some strange being in white robes and a beak mask nearly attacks him. But it’s only an old lady, who thinks he’s a little bit cuckoo.

The next day he goes to work at the museum, but he see Arthur Harrow on the bus. He runs into the museum, and Arthur corners him there. He uses the weird cane to judge him, and the scale tattoo shifts. He tells Steven, “Your soul is chaos.” No kidding. They’re interrupted by museum goers, and Harrow lets him go.

Steven goes to work pricing souvenirs like nothing’s happened (I think I’d go straight to the nearest mental hospital and check in). Naturally, he’s one of the last people there, and as the lights start to go out, he hears something. Like a fool, he goes to investigate, and ends up getting chased by some kind of Anubis-looking creature, clearly at the behest of Harrow. He runs like hell and ends up in a bathroom with lots of mirrors. That’s when he hears a voice–not the insulting voice of before, but his own voice, in an American accent. Steven finally looks over to the mirror, and sees himself there, but it’s not him, either. The other Steven (or Mark, I’m guessing) pleads with him to let him help. As the creature claws through the door and leaps, Steven passes out and Moon Knight, in white robes and mask with glowing eyes, appears and slaughters the thing. And that’s the end of Episode 1.

So yeah, it was just about as crazy as I figured it would be. I’m liking it, though. I need to keep watching so I can figure out WTF is going on, lol. It’s all tied up in ancient Egyptian lore and gods, and I’m wondering how Mark is inhabiting Steven (multiple personalities?) but who is the other, insulting voice, voiced by F. Murray Abraham and identified in the credits as Khonshu? So many questions…

I’m pretty intrigued and am looking forward to the rest of the show.

Did you watch Moon Knight? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello my friends, and happy weekend!

I’ve finished Midnight Horizon, the latest High Republic YA novel by Daniel Jose Older, and although it didn’t wow me at first, it did get better and ended up being quite good. I’ll probably do a review of the book for next week’s High Republic Wednesday’s post, so stay tuned.

I’m now reading Mission to Disaster, the middle-grade novel by Justina Ireland in this third High Republic wave, and the end of Phase One. I’ve generally liked the middle-grade novels, and Ireland is particularly good at them; it also centers around Vernestra Rwoh, one of my favorite High Republic Padawans. I literally just started it, but I’m looking forward to getting into it.

Vernestra and Imri battling some gnarly looking space crocs.

In other Star Wars book news, it seems I have another to add to my pre-order list, lol. On August 16th of this year a book called The Princess and the Scoundrel will be released. It’s a book about Han and Leia’s wedding, if you can believe it. It’s by Beth Revis, who wrote the excellent YA novel Rebel Rising, about Jyn Erso, so I’m hoping good things come of it. At first, I thought, Um, really? but it actually sounds like it could be kind of neat. It will tell of their wedding on Endor, and then of their honeymoon on the Halcyon cruise ship. But while on board, they get involved in some kind of adventure, as it’s clear the Imperials are still around. Could be fun.

In other extremely exciting Star Wars news, there are reports that Jimmy Smits will be making an appearance in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show. This comes with other rumored plot leaks that I won’t mention (so be careful online if you want to go into the show without spoilers), but I will say I’m so happy to know that my original favorite space dad, Bail Organa, will be showing up!

In Marvel, I watched Assembled: Eternals. I really like these Assembled episodes, which show the making of these wonderful shows and movies. And since I absolutely loved Eternals, this one was pretty special. I don’t think Eternals went over well with a lot of long-time Marvel fans, and I think it’s because it’s so different than what they’re used to seeing. But as a new Marvel fan (just in the past year), I’m not so entrenched in “what Marvel should look like.” So I think I’m more open to new things. That’s my theory anyway, lol.

In more Marvel news, the Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer dropped recently, and it was insane. I have no idea what the hell is going on here, lol, but it looks awesome! I can’t wait!

Speaking of trailers, there’s more: Moon Knight had a teaser trailer during the Super Bowl, and it looks just as crazy and incomprehensible. But cool, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ1gfO2q4hc

This has been a week for trailers, as there was also one for The Rings of Power series that will premiere on Amazon Prime in September. I don’t know much about this series, but it’s something I’d love to watch. I probably won’t get Amazon Prime, though, so I’ll have to wait until it’s available in some other form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdaQFeBOKEQ

That’s about it–mostly upcoming shows and books that I can’t wait for!

What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Marvel Rankings

So, I’ve never ranked Star Wars movies because, well, it’s Star Wars and I love them all. It’s like ranking your children. Yes, there are some I like slightly better than others, but I don’t want to hurt their feelings by ranking them in writing, lol. I love them all, and I’m sticking to that.

Marvel, on the other hand, is a different story. I fell in love with Marvel last summer, when I decided to catch up on them all when Loki came out. And there are definitely some I love more than others, and I don’t feel particularly bad ranking them. I just haven’t up until now because there’s so many of them, lol, and I hadn’t really thought about it. But I’ve been inspired by other people’s rankings, and thought I might as well add my own to the roster. And it was kind of fun figuring it out; I had to dig a little bit to find out why I liked one more than the other, at least in my own mind. I kept my comments to one line each, trying to make my assessments succinct, and to keep this post from being super long.

Anyway, here’s the list: (first to last)

Top 10: (Superb; always on the rewatch list)

Loki. Duh, it’s Loki. And every episode is excellent; the story and writing is tight.
Shang Chi. Absolutely beautiful movie, and a wonderful story of a broken family.
Eternals. I can’t help it, I love this movie. Weird and wonderful with interesting characters.
Spiderman: No Way Home. Fabulous third Tom Holland outing; nostalgic, heartbreaking.
Dr. Strange. My favorite origin story, and favorite character besides Loki. He’s just cool.
Infinity War. Thanos’ shenanigans are riveting and our heroes’ response is inspiring. Tragic.
Endgame. Our heroes save the universe but at a cost. Epic.
What If. Surprisingly wonderful foray into alternate realities, and just plain fun.
Thor Ragnarok. Hilarious, fun, a complete joy ride. And Led Zeppelin.
Guardians of the Galaxy. Also super fun, and a wonderful soundtrack (I’m old, lol).

Next 10: (Very good; I’ll probably watch again)

Avengers. Our heroes come together for the first time, and Loki is so good at being bad.
Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman as T’Challah is perfect. Empowering and entertaining.
Thor: The Dark World. Loki being bad, then being good. Then being bad again. Love it!
Thor. This origin story for Thor and Loki is great. The Loki and Odin scene alone is worth it.
Wandavision. Wacky, weird, and wonderful. Wanda is one powerful witch.
Hawkeye. A little uneven, but I love Hawkeye, so there. Good transition to Kate.
Spiderman: Far From Home. Tom Holland as Spidey is just fun to watch.
Spiderman: Homecoming. Same as above, I just liked FFH a little better.
Ironman. Good, solid origin story for Tony, our fearless and snarky leader.
Black Widow. I didn’t expect to like this one so much, but I did. Red Guardian!

Next 10: (Goes from “Good, I may watch again; to “Not great, I probably won’t watch again)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Not as good as Vol. 1, but the music is still great.
Captain America: The First Avenger. Good origin story for our Captain.
Ant Man. Something about Paul Rudd is irresistible. And Scott Lang is just a nice guy.
Ant Man and Wasp. Same as above, but still not a great movie. Not bad, but not great.
Captain America: Civil War. Painful to see our heroes against each other.
Avengers: Age of Ultron. Ultron was kind of weird. At least we get Wanda and Vision.
Captain Marvel. This movie was fine. I just didn’t really care. Alien cat was the best part.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I love these characters, but this was just boring.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Very boring. Don’t even remember what it was about.
Iron Man 3. Again, boring. At least we got Trevor Slattery, aka The Mandarin.

Least favorite of all time: Iron Man 2. Over two hours of Tony being an a**hole.

So that’s it. This being a very subjective exercise, you may not agree with me on any part of this list, lol. But I am interested in what you think. What are your top 5 or 10? Give me a whole list, if you want. Or top of the list and bottom of the barrel. Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Eternal Relationships

There are spoilers for Eternals in this post, so beware.

You can check out my fairly non-spoilery review of Eternals here.

I can’t stop thinking about Eternals, both the movie and the individual characters who make up the Eternals, and I have some thoughts that spill over into this post. What thoughts, you ask? Is it about the Celestials and who they are and where they come from? Is it how the Eternals change the face of the MCU going forward? Is it Thanos and whether he was actually a good guy? Easter eggs?

Nah. It’s all about the ships. No, not this ship:

Exploring Marvel's Eternals' Meteor Dust Spaceship - IGN — That’s the Domo, by the way.

I’m a little obsessed about the Eternals relationships, romantic (“ships”) or otherwise. There’s just so many of them, and they’re a big, loving, dysfunctional family; there are relationships between them (and a few humans) that are just fun and fascinating to think about and speculate on. I’m just gonna dive in:

Thena and Gilgamesh. These two have the deepest, most poignant bond in the film. They are both warriors, and respect each other as such, and usually work as a team as they battle the Devients. They’re the closest of friends, and while I have no idea if it goes beyond that, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Gilgamesh is willing to risk his life to watch over Thena when they find out she has “Madweary,” a malady that can strike an Eternal after centuries. It’s literally their mind falling apart under the weight of their memories. Gilgamesh tenderly watches over her, protects her from herself, and cooks wonderful meals for her. Because that’s what you do for someone you love.

Ikarus and Sersi. Icarus and Sersi, over the course of a few centuries, fall in love and have the kind of long-term relationship we can barely fathom, lol. They actually take part in the first (fairly tame, but even so) sex scene in the MCU. Their love seems sweet and idyllic, although the fact that Ikarus learns about the people they’re helping only so he can get closer to her is troubling. Sersi truly loves human beings, while to Ikarus we’re just part of the mission, and that’s a bit of foreshadowing for the rest of the film.

Ikarus and Sersi are a whole lot of beautiful.

Sersi and Dane. In the present, Sersi is involved with Dane Whitman. He doesn’t have a lot of screentime, but their few moments together in the film shows that he loves her. He wants her to move in with him, but she keeps putting him off. Sprite tells him that Sersi’s not quite over her ex (Ikarus), and that’s probably true. By the end of the movie, though, she’s definitely worked through that, and seems ready to go on with him, but she’s taken by Arishem to who knows where. Now it looks like Dane is ready to take up the Ebony Blade and become the Black Knight, though I’m not sure how that will help him get Sersi back. We’ll see.

Druig and Makkari. This is probably the sweetest pairing in the movie, and my favorite, mostly because it’s subtle and surprising. You can tell they’re good friends from the beginning, and like to tease each other, and then by the middle of the movie you can see something’s shifted and you’re just as surprised as the rest of the team. Putting the broody, laconic guy with the vibrant, feisty gal is always a satisfying move. I love how Druig is a different person when he’s around Makkari, lighter and a bit happier. She is his “beautiful, beautiful” Makkari. Awwww.

Kingo and Karun. Karun is Kingo’s “valet,” which basically boils down to a personal assistant and cameraman. But also a close friend. Karun has been with Kingo for fifty years (he thought Kingo was a vampire, at first) and knows about the Eternals and Kingo’s role in protecting humanity. Karun is the stand-in for us; he’s the human who looks upon the Eternals with awe and admiration, and has unshakable faith in them. When Kingo disagrees with his fellow Eternals and decides to absent himself from the coming battle, Karun follows him home, even though he doesn’t really want to. He wants to stay and fight. But he’s a loyal friend, and sometimes I think Kingo doesn’t deserve him, lol.

It’s like Alfred from Batman. But funnier.

Phastos and Ben. Poor Phastos is broken-hearted after Hiroshima, and blames himself for giving humans technology that helped them ultimately create such a terrible weapon. He told Ajak that humans were not worth saving. So imagine our surprise when we find him happily living with another man and their adopted son. First of all, I think it’s great that the MCU finally created an openly gay superhero–it’s long past due. Secondly, I love how Phastos and Ben show that, yeah, in the aggregate, humans suck; but on a smaller, family level, we’re capable of so much love. Phastos is willing to fight the Emergence for the love he has for his son’s future, and that’s a beautiful thing.

The 10 Best Duos In Eternals | Screen Rant — Love redeemed.

Ajak and Ikarus. They’re not romantically involved, of course; Ajak is like the den-mother to the Eternals. But Ikarus is the unofficial second-in-command, and Ajak shares the truth of their mission with him after Babylon. So they share a secret. Ikarus is devoted to that mission, and to Arishem, apparently more than he is to Ajak or the Eternals or humans. He can’t believe that Ajak changes her mind about earth, and so he….kills her. He kills her! This is unforgivable, and yet is there something to be admired in his loyalty to Arishem? In his willingness to sacrifice a planet for the billions to come? Nope. Captain America said it himself: “We don’t trade lives.” The fact that Ikarus killed someone he loved for an idea is rather horrible. And he did love her–you can see that when he brings her body back to her house in South Dakota. But the deed is done and sets the rest of the story in motion.

We have to save the humans, right Ikarus? Right?

Sprite and Ikarus. Let me be clear, I do NOT ship these two for obvious reasons. But Sprite does love Ikarus, and therein lies the tragedy: she’s a woman trapped in a child’s body. And that, to me, is pretty awful. She’s thousands of years old, and has the body of a 12-year old. WTF Arishem? When she plaintively asks Kingo, “Why did Arishem make me this way?” it strikes a chord in a lot of people who don’t understand why they are the way they are and shake their fists at the heavens. And there’s no answer. That’s why she’s so willing to follow Ikarus, even after his betrayal; not only does she love him, but she wants to end her frustrating existence here on earth and start over somewhere else. I’m so happy Sersi was able to make her human, so she can grow up. And grow old and die, but she’s ready for that, just to have a chance to live a full life. She’s definitely like Tinkerbell, as Kingo suggests, but she’s also Pinocchio, who finally becomes a real person. Good for her. I even forgive her for stabbing Sersi, lol.

Whew! Those are all I can think of right now. Did I miss anyone? Who’s your favorite Eternal or relationship? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello and happy weekend, my friends!

I’ve finished reading The Fallen Star, by Claudia Gray, and I was not disappointed in this third adult novel in the High Republic series, and the last in Phase One. I’ve enjoyed all of Claudia Gray’s Star Wars novels, and she does a great job telling this story of Starlight Beacon, symbol of the Jedi and the Republic, being destroyed by the Nihil, or more specifically, orchestrated by Marchion Ro, their mysterious leader. The Jedi, led by Stellan Gios and Elzar Mann, don’t even know what they’re up against, as something mysterious is affecting the Jedi’s connection to the Force as the incapacitated station plummets toward destruction. I’m going to post a review of the book on Wednesday (my High Republic post day), so stay tuned for that.

Since finishing that book, I’d like to get back to Race to Crashpoint Tower, the middle grade book from Wave 2 of the High Republic, before Midnight Horizon comes out on February 1st. I shouldn’t have a problem finishing the relatively small book in a week or so, and I’ll write up a review of it.

The wonderfully-named Padawans Lula Talisola and Ram Jamoram

I enjoyed the latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett (Episode 4) called “The Gathering Storm.” Again, some good things, some wince-inducing things, but the most exciting thing about it came at the end when we hear Mando’s theme, suggesting Din Djarin will be making an appearance, hopefully next week! For my full review of the episode, you can go here.

In Marvel, I caught the Moon Knight trailer, and man, does that look trippy and weird, and I’m so ready for it! I haven’t seen Dune yet, and so missed Isaac Oscar’s performance in that film, so I can’t wait to see him in this new Marvel series that premieres March 30th. I’m new to Marvel, having caught up with the Avengers and company in the past 6 or so months, and I have no idea who any of these new superheroes and villains are, but I’m just going along for the ride and I’m loving it!

Oscar Isaac looks to be having a spot of trouble in Moon Knight.

Case in point, I’m on my third viewing of Eternals (and have another post on them coming soon, probably Monday; if you want to read my review of the movie you can do so here); and I’ve also watched Shang Chi about three times so far. Just fabulous movie-making. Marvel is really hitting the mark for me right now!

But I’ve also been thinking about another franchise I haven’t visited for awhile: Star Trek. When I heard about the new series Picard, I knew I wanted to watch it, but I wasn’t keen on paying for another streaming service to do so. But now I can watch it on Youtube for about $2 an episode. I can swing that. I loved The Next Generation back in the day, much more than the original Star Trek (although it’s still cool in a campy way), and Picard, Riker, Worf, and Data are a part of my beloved sci-fi memories. So I’ll probably be watching that show during the Disney vacuum once The Book of Boba Fett ends, and I’ll be talking about it here. Can’t wait to see what Jean-Luc has been up to!

I will boldly go wherever this man goes next.

That’s it for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Eternals Review

I watched Eternals this past week on Disney+, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved it.

Going in, I wasn’t sure I was ready for another group of Marvel superheroes, but it turns out I was wrong. It took me a couple of viewings to absorb their cosmology and the nuances between all the characters, but I’m so on board for team Eternal.

Basically, the Eternals were created (by Celestials, specifically Arishem) to protect mankind from the Devients, a group of scary-looking predators, and to help them progress and evolve over time. They wiped out the last Devients about 500 years ago (they’ve been around since 5000 BC), and are just waiting to get the word from Arishem to go home (a planet named Olympia).

But in the present, the Devients come back, and the individuals that make up the Eternals must come back together to defeat them. But they find their leader, Ajak, dead, and the new leader, Sersi, finds out the true nature of their mission here on earth. And they’re not happy about it.

The plot of the movie is entertaining and it’s their very reason for being, but it’s the characters themselves and their relationships that I fell in love with.

Ajak, their leader, can heal herself and others; Icarus can fly and can shoot laser beams from his eyes; Sersi can change matter into something else (rock into water, for instance); Kingo has laser beams that come out of his hands; Sprite can form illusions; Thena is a great warrior, as is Gilgamesh; Druig can do mind control; Makkari is super-fast; and Phastos can create sophisticated tools and contraptions.

So here’s the relationship rundown: Icarus and Sersi fell in love and were together for 5000 years, until a few hundred years ago, when he mysteriously left her; in the present, Sersi is in a relationship with the human Dane. Thena and Gilgamesh are a fighting team and great friends (I’m not sure if it goes beyond that, but their bond is deep and strong). Sprite is secretly in love with Icarus, but she’s in the form of a child and cannot take her feelings very far (and he’s with Sersi, so yeah). Druig and Makkari seem like an unlikely pair, but they share a sweet friendship and flirtation over the centuries that becomes more apparent in the present. Phastos gives up on humankind after Hiroshima, but then finds love with another man in the present and they adopt a son. And Kingo, well, he becomes a Bollywood star and has a human valet named Karun who knows all about the Eternals.

The movie has an overall theme of evolution: of humankind over the centuries, but also of the Eternals themselves. On an individual level, Sersi learns that she is capable of more than she thought: formerly she could only transform one simple element into something else, but in a battle with a Devient she turns the creature into a tree, without knowing how she did it. On a collective level, the Eternals themselves grow beyond their original mission to saving the people of earth. Oh, and I can’t forget one particular Devient who evolves into a sentient creature who can speak and think. Yikes!

And if you want to get real meta, my opinion of some of the Eternals evolved over the course of the movie, too. At first, I agreed with Kingo when he said, “Druig sucks.” At first, Druig seemed aloof and righteous and just annoying. But by the end of the film, I loved him. Turns out he’s just intense (and he’s truly a different person when he’s around Makkari). Icarus, also, waxed and waned in my judgment. As the unofficial second in command, he’s super handsome and super strong and just all around super super-heroish. But then he commits an unforgivable act, and I hate him. Then at the end I feel sorry for him. I was all over the map with these people, all in one movie, lol.

There’s some Marvel humor laced throughout and the casting is perfect (and casting a deaf actor to portray Makkari is awesome),

In the end, this was a fun, weird, exciting, satisfying movie, and I’m ready for a sequel right now, lol. One of the end credits sets us up for a sequel, while the other sets up another possible branch for Marvel with Dane Whitman, played by Kit Harington, as the Black Knight (I have no idea who that is, but I’m game).

Have you seen Eternals? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Happy weekend, my friends!

So I FINALLY received The Fallen Star a week after it was released, and I’m loving everything about it so far. While Light of the Jedi focused on The Great Disaster, and The Rising Storm focused on the Nihil attack on the Republic Fair, this one deals with the insidious Nihil plot to take down Starlight Beacon. Not only do they cripple the station, but they smuggle something on board that affects a Jedi’s access to the Force. “Who will survive when the light of the Jedi goes dark?” I’m afraid to find out! I’ll write a review of the book once I’m done and post it here.

The Fallen Star alternate cover by Jama Jurabaev. It’s no secret the station is destroyed, so no spoilers here.

I just barely started the Wave 2 middle grade book Race to Crashpoint Tower, but since I received Fallen Star I haven’t been reading it. Once I’m done with Fallen Star I’ll get back to it, before the Wave 3 young adult novel Midnight Horizon comes out on Feb. 1. I’m in a High Republic tizzy!

This third wave of High Republic books concludes Phase One (Light of the Jedi) of the planned High Republic publishing initiative. Phase Two starts in the fall sometime, and it’s called Quest of the Jedi. I’ve heard that Phase two will take place 150 years prior to the setting of Phase one, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m disappointed that we won’t be seeing most of the Jedi I’ve been reading about the past few months, and will have to start over with all new characters. One character in Phase one we’ll see in Phase 2 is Jedi Master Porter Engle, who is around 300 years old in the recent books, so he’ll be there 150 years ago. I imagine Yoda will be lurking around somewhere, too, though he hasn’t played a huge part in the High Republic yet (at least not in the novels). I’m just going to trust that the writers know what they’re doing, it’s all planned out, and every phase is going to connect with the others, and it’s going to be great. 🙂

If you’re confused about the whole phase and wave stuff with the High Republic, here’s a handy chart:

Phase One: Light of the Jedi
- Wave One: Light of the Jedi (Adult), Into the Dark (YA), A Test of Courage (MG)
- Wave Two: The Rising Storm (Adult), Out of the Shadows (YA), Race to CrashpointTower (MG)
- Wave Three: The Fallen Star (Adult), Midnight Horizon (YA), Mission to Disaster (MG)

Phase Two: Quest of the Jedi
Phase Three: Trials of the Jedi

I haven’t included the comics, in which a lot of events take place, too.

I enjoyed Episode Three of The Book of Boba Fett this past week, though there were some highs and some lows. If you’d like to read my review of the episode, go here.

In Marvel, I watched Eternals, and I really liked it. It felt kind of weird for a Marvel movie; it was just so different. I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy some new Marvel heroes, but since I fell in love with Shang Chi, I knew there was a good chance I’d accept them into the fold. I’m going to write a post on my thoughts on this movie for Monday, so stay tuned.

Speaking of Shang Chi, I watched Assembled: The Making of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I’ve enjoyed all the other making-of specials, and this one was no exception. I’m so amazed at this being Simu Liu’s first major film, and a Marvel film at that! What an amazing experience for him. And naturally since I watched the special, I wanted to rewatch Shang Chi itself, so I did. This is such a gorgeous movie with a profoundly moving family story. I especially enjoyed Ta Lo and the magical creatures there (that dragon!), and their Tai Chi-inspired fighting style is so beautiful and graceful. I just love everything about it!

That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!