Marvel Entertainment Archives

When MCU’s Thunderbolts Fizzles Because of the MCU Grand Plan

To say Thunderbolts struck gold is a misnomer. Its mix of Captain America 2 with the Suicide Squad formula isn’t as thrilling.

Thunderbolts Movie Poster Spoiler Alert

Marvel Entertainment’s latest film, Thunderbolts, is hardly electrifying. Despite all the wrangling to make a cinematic universe that depends on one another to keep fans invested, trying to watch this latest only made me think of Suicide Squad more than accepting this new team is the next Avengers. I got bored halfway through the film, and it’s mostly because of a lack of interest in who makes up this team.

As much as I like Yelena Belova’s (Florence Pugh) new look and what’s motivating her to continue on, I am glad to see David Harbour back as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian. He’s still the comic relief. As for the others, I couldn’t care less because of one problem.

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Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is Amazing! But Will Pete Get A Day Off like Ferris Bueller?

The producers behind this latest take on Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man have a lot of unique twists and turns planned on what’s familiar. When this story takes place in a much distinct reality from what we know, the different relationships elevate the mythos to an edgy new level.

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Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is a refreshingly different take about our favourite wall-crawler. And as for who are his worst enemies, it is slowly developing. Without it, I doubt I’d care about the antihero Tombstone as much. Unlike other animated series which cut to the chase, the best part concerns Lonnie (Eugene Byrd) before his fall and Miko (Grace Song) her transition. Their side stories develop along with the hero’s, but as for if they will be his amazing friends, that’s debatable.

Here, Peter Parker (Hudson Thames) is learning the ropes in what it takes to be a hero. Here, he doesn’t meet the Avengers or even get recruited. The random reference to those events from the Captain America films is just that! As for where the other superheroes are, we only catch two in action, and hear about others.

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When You Can Save Venom The Last Dance For Me, There’s No Need to Hold Anyone Tight

Although The Drifter’s song was not intentionally referenced, anyone paying attention to the last moments of this final instalment of the Venom The Last Dance will certainly be thinking about this tune!

Venom The Last Dance Movie Poster Saving the best bits of lore for the finale is perhaps why I liked Venom The Last Dance over the other two films. Although this alien ooze’s personality is not changed since the start, where he’s basically a bombastic young kid, I’m amazed at how well Tom Hardy can pull double duty and bring that out even more. This character was originally voiced by Brad Venable and to still see him get partial credit is great. And to watch how this actor can balance between performing against himself is a clear demonstration of his versitile talent.

And at long last, the secrets of the ooze (the alien symbiote) are revealed! Knull is some dark god who said that he created them, but when they saw “The Light,” they rebelled and exiled their creator. It’s a fantastic start to a mythology and when he’s produced another race, the Xenophage, to exact revenge (they’re his new heralds), all I can say it’s about time this film is diving deep into the comic book lore!

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Examining Madame Web’s Lost Threads on Home Video

And we also got ideas on how to fix it, had Madame Web dealt more with the mythical lore that’s barely spun.

Madame Web Bluray Cover — **Available to purchase on Amazon USA**

After watching the bonus features of the home video release of Madame Web, I’m surprised that showrunner S. J. Clarkson actually knew what she was doing. She looked into what made this supporting character from the Marvel Comics Spider-Man comic books special. She got some bits right which gets quickly explained in “Oracle of the Page” but to change it around lots resulted in making it the mess that it is. Between getting a copy to review versus paying to see it made the difference in when I’d eventually watch this film.

By radically changing specific details up and having this story take place early in the MCU continuity might cause problems. There’s a moment concerning Ben Parker, the father to Peter, but will enough people catch the reference? The bigger question concerns how much of this tale is also part of that grander design versus being Sony Spidey-verse specific? The only good part of the film is in how the second incarnation of Spider Woman looks perfect. Sydney Sweeney (instead of Carpenter from the books) is perhaps the best part of the film when she finally dons the black and white costume.

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When X-Men 97 Forgets What Made the Original Tales Special, Is This Animated Series Worth Watching?

As long as the viewer isn’t a long time fan of the comic books, they won’t be wise to recognise how X-men 97 changes story beats around.

X-men 97 Logo Spoiler Alert

The rebranded version of X-Men the Animated Series off to a rocky start. Although I enjoyed the first two episodes of X-Men 97, the next pair were not as good. After seeing how the Inferno storyline got compressed and spat out, it seems nobody in the writers’ room really understands the key moments that define that story arc.

In the original tale, S’ym and N’astirh plan to invade Earth. These demons need Illyana Rasputin’s powers to make it happen, and along the way, Madelyne Pryor, becomes part of this entourage after she realises her relationship with Scott was a sham. In all her grief and loathing, Mr. Sinister appears to explain why he created her, and soon afterwards, she would become the Goblin Queen instead of what the cartoon has changed around.

This moment in the life of being an X-Men ranks as #2 of my most favourite storylines from the Chris Claremont years. And without that without the invasion plan in place, the Rasputin storyline and her becoming Darkchylde wouldn’t be as impactful. Morph’s transformation into her really makes no sense as there’s no acknowledgement concerning why the Goblin Queen is important to the grander scheme. As for why she could awaken Illyana’s evil side, I’d have to reread the Uncanny X-men and New Mutants comics (Amazon Kindle links) to know.

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The Marvels, Who Shall Rise and Who Shall Fall-or Should That Be Who’s Line Is It Anyway?

Even though the Marvels are mostly about giving Kamala a place in the MCU, I can’t help but think she’s replacing Peter Parker.

The Marvels One Shot Final Poster Spoiler Alert

The latest movie set in the MCU, The Marvels, feels a lot more like a Disney movie, and whether that’s a good thing depends on how often The Mouse interferes with Kevin Feige’s plans. This architect has a goal, and this film offers a mixed bag of entertainment that’s not always like a Marvel comic book. Here, what I see is a lot more development of the characters from the streaming series. That is, not everyone would’ve watched Ms. Marvel and Wandavision.

Thankfully the film begins very easily, and gets viewers up to speed. It’s easy to see why the very plucky Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) has a huge case of hero worship to work through before she can be a true hero. Meanwhile, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) has other issues when it comes to dealing with Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). However, there were many times I thought this film is simply season two of Ms. Marvel.

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