Neverending
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Post by Neverending on May 4, 2022 3:45:08 GMT -5
PG Cooper’s favorite movie of 2021 was Demon Slayer. I’m not quite sure what the fuck Demon Slayer is, but it is my understanding that it’s the season 1 finale of the TV show. So… it’s not really a movie. It’s… the… finale of a TV show… but on the big screen. That’s the predicament that Sam Raimi found himself in with Multiverse of Madness. It’s basically the series finale of the Disney+ series WandaVision. And I mean that literally. If you did not watch WandaVision then don’t even waste your time with this. Multiverse of Madness begins with America Chavez (newcomer Xochitl Gomez) running away from a demon that was sent by Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen). Wanda is now going under the name of Scarlet Witch and she wants to capture America Chavez to steal her powers. America Chavez has the ability to travel freely through the multiverse. America Chavez seeks the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and together they basically run away through the multiverse until Doctor Strange figures out a way to defeat the Scarlet Witch. Run away you’re asking? Yes, you see, one of Scarlet Witch’s ability is to possess the bodies of others in the multiverse. So when you hear and/or read that this “very much a Sam Raimi movie” that’s what they mean. Sam Raimi had LOADS of fun getting Scarlet Witch to chase Doctor Strange and America Chavez through the multiverse. A LOT of scenes were bonkers and those youngsters that haven’t discovered the Evil Dead trilogy will not be prepared for it. This is very much the Sam Raimi gateway drug for today’s youth. The way the Spider-Man films were for kids in the 2000’s and movies like Darkman and Quick and the Dead were for kids in the 1990’s. Welcome to the club! Overall, the movie is okay. As I said, it’s just the series finale for WandaVision. Elizabeth Olsen delivers a knockout performance. She’s fantastic. But I already pay for Disney+. I don’t need to double dip. The saving grace is Sam Raimi and a certain former studio now owned by Disney. They tried their best and I was thoroughly entertained. Oh and the Avatar trailer is whatever. That CGI ocean is very nice. Well worth the last 13 years of James Cameron’s career.
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on May 5, 2022 17:56:33 GMT -5
There's a scene in this movie where two Doctor Stranges fight each other with the power of music and I couldn't be happier.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on May 5, 2022 19:08:11 GMT -5
PhantomKnightThere's a scene in this movie where two Doctor Stranges fight each other with the power of music and I couldn't be happier.
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on May 5, 2022 20:29:21 GMT -5
**** out of Five
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on May 6, 2022 16:33:27 GMT -5
Very fun. Best MCU movie in ages.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on May 6, 2022 19:55:53 GMT -5
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on May 6, 2022 20:17:17 GMT -5
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on May 6, 2022 20:56:28 GMT -5
It's certainly not perfect. First post-credits scene kinda sucked, don't really care for Strange's personal story and as a narrative it feels a little simplistic. Everything Everywhere All at Once this is not. But it's really entertaining. Several really fun set-pieces and Raimi brings a lot to it. More of his style than I would have expected to be honest. I had a good time. |
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frankyt
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Post by frankyt on May 6, 2022 22:24:09 GMT -5
Can I admit it now lowers my expectations knowing they both enjoyed it to a certain degree?
I like that they love the artsy flicks but the big blockbuster flicks... I dunno if we connect the same way with our personal sensibilities.
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on May 6, 2022 22:37:07 GMT -5
Can I admit it now lowers my expectations knowing they both enjoyed it to a certain degree? I like that they love the artsy flicks but the big blockbuster flicks... I dunno if we connect the same way with our personal sensibilities. Lol. Lmao. |
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frankyt
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Post by frankyt on May 6, 2022 22:51:43 GMT -5
Hey then again drac is pretty lenient on the lower tier fast and furious movies of late.
Never can tell with blockbusters.
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Post by Jibbs on May 7, 2022 16:26:56 GMT -5
I dunno, it felt kind of empty. I had fun, but I don't think it'll hold up in rewatches. I certainly liked parts. And of course the trailers leaked every cameo...
I will say this. I've dealt with a phobia of bees and wasps my whole life, so I felt a kind of kinship with the idea that a bee almost led to the destruction of the whole multiverse.
**.5/****
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on May 7, 2022 23:27:32 GMT -5
I don't really think I liked it either.
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on May 8, 2022 11:50:41 GMT -5
I feel like this movie is the breaking point for me with the power creep that has been happening in the marvel movies over the last couple years.
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Fanible
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Post by Fanible on May 8, 2022 11:59:51 GMT -5
Kevin Feige has said he was upset with the amount that was shown in the marketing. I'm sure it was an attempt by Disney to replicate the success of Spider-Man. Unfortunately, if this movie makes bank (which it will), Bob Chapek isn't bound to start listening to Feige anytime soon on that front. Might have to start avoiding all Marvel trailers here on out. It wouldn't have been that bad if the characters in question weren't in the movie just for the sake of cannon-fodder. You literally could have inserted any random Marvel character you wanted into these roles and it would have made no difference. They were there just to die and show how much of a threat Wanda was. Throw Wolverine in there. Ghost Rider too. Why not Loki? None of it would have mattered. As opposed to Spider-Man where the characters served a greater purpose to the story and plot. For that reason, it would have been better not having any inkling whatsoever as to their presence in the movie. If anything, I think the Spider-Man movie coming out first ended up being a disservice to this film. I was expecting multiple universes, characters, duplicates to be popping up throughout, but we only really got one particular universe with some characters for the sake of a little exposition. *shrugs* I guess it ultimately doesn't matter either if the majority of people are enjoying it. |
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Post by IanTheCool on May 8, 2022 12:02:00 GMT -5
I think I'm with you on your spoiler point there.
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on May 8, 2022 12:07:39 GMT -5
It wouldn't have been that bad if the characters in question weren't in the movie just for the sake of cannon-fodder. You literally could have inserted any random Marvel character you wanted into these roles and it would have made no difference. They were there just to die and show how much of a threat Wanda was. Throw Wolverine in there. Ghost Rider too. Why not Loki? None of it would have mattered. Well, those particular characters were presumably chosen because they are traditionally figures of authority within in Marvel world and are the ones most likely to show up on a leadership committee type thing. As for them being cannon fodder, I don't know, I kind of thought there was something subversive about that. Like, "here's your easter egg nerds, oops we just brutally murdered them." |
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Fanible
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Post by Fanible on May 8, 2022 12:22:54 GMT -5
It wouldn't have been that bad if the characters in question weren't in the movie just for the sake of cannon-fodder. You literally could have inserted any random Marvel character you wanted into these roles and it would have made no difference. They were there just to die and show how much of a threat Wanda was. Throw Wolverine in there. Ghost Rider too. Why not Loki? None of it would have mattered. Well, those particular characters were presumably chosen because they are traditionally figures of authority within in Marvel world and are the ones most likely to show up on a leadership committee type thing. As for them being cannon fodder, I don't know, I kind of thought there was something subversive about that. Like, "here's your easter egg nerds, oops we just brutally murdered them." All the rumors swirling around about Tom Cruise making a one-off cameo as an alternate Tony Stark made sense since it was the Illuminati. But the randomness really could be more attributed to the likely perceived need to have women on the team. Thus Marvel and Carter. I guess it's slightly irrelevant. My point was more so addressing the trailers and how Spider-Man had the better fulfillment. Any subversive purpose would still have worked perfectly fine without it, and I would argue the result would have been much better had we not known any of the details going in. |
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on May 8, 2022 12:52:25 GMT -5
Why is everyone watching this when they could be watching Ambulance?
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on May 8, 2022 14:06:16 GMT -5
Why is everyone watching this when they could be watching Ambulance? Its a mystery. |
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blaster1
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Post by blaster1 on May 8, 2022 14:40:48 GMT -5
I enjoyed it. I still think Guillermo Del Toro should direct the next one, though.
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Post by PhantomKnight on May 8, 2022 15:09:11 GMT -5
Pretty sure I enjoyed/liked it well enough, but it DID feel kind of weird that they used a Doctor Strange sequel to essentially serve as the true series finale of WandaVision rather than actually continue anything significant set up in the first Doctor Strange movie. For instance, where's this universe's Baron Mordo and what's he up to? Still going about his mission to eliminate sorcerers, like he was at the end of the last one? If this is the reason Scott Derrickson walked, I pretty much get it. That being said, though...I can't deny I still had a good time with it. They let Sam Raimi put his stamp on it stylistically A LOT more than I thought they would, and that was a big reason why I got so into it. That, and being such a big fan of WandaVision, I was still invested in seeing her story continue to play out. It gives the movie a pretty strong emotional core...even if, again, it feels odd that Doctor Strange kinda isn't the true driving/emotional force of his own movie; Wanda is. But the movie compensates for that by letting Raimi go pretty bonkers and deliver what does feel like a more unique entry, stylistically, in the MCU from what we're used to seeing and that leads to an entertaining thrill ride.
***/****
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on May 8, 2022 15:41:41 GMT -5
Pretty sure I enjoyed/liked it well enough, but it DID feel kind of weird that they used a Doctor Strange sequel to essentially serve as the true series finale of WandaVision rather than actually continue anything significant set up in the first Doctor Strange movie. I think this is a larger issue within the MCU. Despite being a shared universe, they're kind of terrible at longterm storytelling. Winter Soldier ends with the collapse of SHIELD, the reveal of a new over-arching enemy in Hydra, and Cap and Falcon vowing to find Bucky. Then Age of Ultron wraps up Hydra in the opening scene, Cap basically looks at the camera and is like "let's put a pin in the whole Bucky thing", and the movie climaxes with SHIELD riding in at full-strength with a bunch of Helicarriers. Ultron also starts to tease dissent between Cap and Tony, but then by the end they're all good and it's fine. But then you get to Civil War and oh no they actually do need to be ideologically divided. But then giving them opposing viewpoints might involve making one semi-villainous so actually they're fighting about Bucky where they're both positioned to be sort of right and likable. Civil War reveals Vision has a crush on Wanda and then in Infinity War they've been living together for years and are madly in-love. Thor loses an eye in Ragnarok but then just gets a new one in Infinity War. Age of Ultron went out of its way to emphasize the Avengers saving people in the battles but then Civil War's conflict is all about how they've let too many people die in collateral damage. Homecoming makes a big deal out of Spider-Man choosing not to become an Avenger and remain a street-level hero, but then in Infinity War he goes to space and becomes an Avenger anyway. Thanos being the one who sent Loki to in Avengers 1 also makes no sense in hindsight. If his goal was to collect all the Infinity Stones, why give the Mind Stone to Loki? Infinity War makes a big deal out of Banner and The Hulk not getting along, but then in Endgame he's just like "I worked it out off camera". Also, Tony and Pepper break-up, get back together, get married, and have a kid all off camera. No wonder Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't remember being in Spider-Man: Homecoming.Anyway, I guess I've just kind have given up expecting these stories to connect in any meaningful way. I also don't really care for the plot or characters of the first Doctor Strange so I can't say I felt cheated. |
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on May 8, 2022 15:59:33 GMT -5
For instance, where's this universe's Baron Mordo and what's he up to? I'm sure they'll get to it in part 3... unless something else comes up and they don't, either way they found a clever-ish way to incorporate the character and keep the actor involved. |
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Post by PhantomKnight on May 8, 2022 16:07:40 GMT -5
For instance, where's this universe's Baron Mordo and what's he up to? I'm sure they'll get to it in part 3... unless something else comes up and they don't, either way they found a clever-ish way to incorporate the character and keep the actor involved. That kind of stuff isn't a dealbreaker for me and I, too, liked how they were still able to incorporate Chiwetel in this, but he must be playing the long game with his "there are too many sorcerers!" proclamation after taking back Benjamin Bratt's character's ability to walk in the first movie's second post-credit scene.
And I don't exactly share PG Cooper's opinion on the MCU's handle of longform storytelling. Have they taken shortcuts/condensed some things here and there? Sure, but they've pretty much nailed the impact of a lot of the main story points. |
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